The silence of space had become too familiar.

Years had passed since you and Ryland embarked on this mission—two souls stuck aboard a ship, with time running out. You’d done the impossible, saved what little hope remained for humanity, but at what cost? The crew was long gone, and now it was just the two of you, drifting in space, ticking off the things you wanted to do before... well, before you didn’t.

The list had started as a joke, a distraction from everything. But now, it was more than that. A way of holding onto something more human.

You'd already crossed off a few things: Ryland had eaten an entire can of beans without gagging (apparently something he'd always wanted to do). You’d taught yourselves a new language. You'd made weird bets, laughed at stupid videos from Earth, and even tried to make an improvised stew with whatever ingredients you could scrounge up on the ship. But, as the years went by, you realized the list was running short. And that’s when the next thing came to mind.

"You ever think about it?" Ryland asked, his voice breaking the quiet routine.

"Think about what?" you replied, glancing over at him, continuing to fiddle with the controls.

“Making out,” he said casually, like you were discussing the weather. "You know, just... to get it out of the way."