Grif doesn't like laying awake at night. It wasn't so bad at first. They were busy, almost frantically busy establishing themselves. There had been too much to do for Grif to think much. After days like those, sleep didn't care how cold or lumpy the night was or how many unknown spooky things were making noises in it.

Now, they have a routine. They know how far they can go in a day, they know how much time to put into food and water, they know when it starts to get dark. It's not quite a comfortable existence, but it's a lot closer than those first hectic days. Routine means not always crashing at the edge of exhaustion, and that means laying awake and listening to the trees and the wind and the wildlife.

And Rich, always somewhere nearby breathing in the dark.

It's weird being alone with him out here. It's not that Grif minds exactly, Rich is good company. Spending a lot of time with him like this is just...

Okay. It's a little awkward, after Rich's recovery from the cancerverse. After helping Rich out of the medbay shower. After having Rich fall asleep against him and realizing that the emotions going on here are way more inconvenient than he'd realized was possible.

Grif would be okay with having less time to think about them.

At least when Rich talks to him, it distracts him from that mess.

"I mean, I'm not dead yet," he answers.