Fiction Friday: On a wing and a prayer

This strayed away from the prompt pretty much as soon as I started writing it... Today's Write Anything Fiction Friday prompt. (It really has nothing to do with the prompt. Damn you, brain!)

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A hand wrapped around Tain's arm and dragged her away from Harry, whose face was stricken with confusion. 

“That's enough, commander, back to your quarters.” Tain looked at the captain, then to his hand on her arm and thought about pulling away from him. She didn't, she needed his trust, she needed him to not think she was insane.

He led her back to her room, still gripping tightly onto her arm. This was a very undignified way to be taken anywhere on the ship, a ship she was second in command of, but Tain could feel the captain prickling with anger and confusion, she didn't want to aggravate him – at least not until she was back in her quarters.

As soon as they were in and the doors had shut the captain let go of Tain, almost as roughly as he'd grabbed her. “What the hell his going on here? Who is he?”

Tain sighed and moved over to sit on her bed, “I'm not sure, James.” This whole thing was messing with her head. It had been a long time since she'd called the captain by his first name.

Clearly he'd noticed that too, Tain looked up to see him standing opposite her, leaning against the wall and looking blank. It was obvious he wasn't going to contribute so Tain continued. “He doesn't feel like Harry, there's just something that's not right about him. He seems vague, different somehow... and I can't read his mind.”

“And who was Harry?” As the captain spoke, Tain looked away. She felt uncomfortable under his gaze and there was something in his voice that she didn't like. He didn't sound concerned.

“A lot of things. I knew him a long time ago, before I joined the Spaceforce. I suppose the simple explanation is that we worked together, but our relationship transcended all conventional barriers. We were colleagues, friends, lovers, enemies.” The twinge of jealousy Tain felt from the captain was painful, it penetrated every fibre of her and made her heart twist into an agonising knot.

She looked at him, he wasn't doing anything to hide how he was feeling. What was the point. Tain didn't want to know every stab of emotion that came from another person but, in moments of strong feelings, it couldn't be helped. He moved to sit beside her and went to speak but Tain stopped him by lifting her hand.

“My relationship with Harry was much like our relationship.” The captain looked puzzled but Tain went on. “He betrayed me in one foul, terrible way and I hated him. Yet I couldn't stay away. I don't know if it was because I was a glutton for punishment or if it was because I thought we could reconcile. Whatever it was, when I saw him again, I stayed around, but I kept pushing him away. I kept telling him I hated him and could never forgive him, but it wasn't like that and I only realise it now because I feel the same way about you.”

Tain looked up from her hands and to the captain. 

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This makes my heart hurt. I know Tain inside out and when I write her I can feel every emotion she does (even when they come from others, she's an empath) I'd love to know if that emotion comes across to you, the reader.