Phantom Hollow Made of gold, I'll never love a

Dusty Rose bit back the automatic response — that he nearly had, thank you very much, and that she owed him big time for all the trouble. But she didn't, not really, and he was sure she'd already worried plenty in their time apart.

"How about let's get rid of this one and we'll talk," he replied, his voice dry but his eye still shining.

He kissed the top of her head, the weight of his journey slowly sloughing away and leaving him airy and weightless. He felt he might drift away if she were not there to anchor him, and so he clutched her tighter in return. If he could, he would tear open her chest and crawl right inside and pilot her like a mech suit. They'd terrify their enemies.

"But maybe tomorrow?" he requested. He'd follow her anywhere, of course, but he felt it was high time for a nap.