Afternoons

Posted on Wed Sep 13th, 2023 @ 3:38am by Lieutenant Commander Jason Elliot

2,061 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: Campor III - Resupply
Location: Jason's Quarters
Timeline: MD C2 1540

On:

Jason tossed his gear on to the chair behind his desk, he opened his shirt, only to have the door chime interrupt him, "Hello?"

Paisley had come by, on the off chance that Jason was free and wouldn't mind a cup of coffee and chat. They weren't a "thing" but she still liked him as a person, anyway, and the hint of something else just made it better.

"It's Paisley," she said. She was off that day, so she was dressed simply. She wore jeans, a white blouse, and pink sneakers. It might strike some people strange about how much pink she wore, given that she was half Cardassian, but she never did what people expected, anyway. "You interested in coffee? Maybe a meal? My treat..." she said. "Please don't hesitate to say no, I can go bother Kendri," she said.

Jason was trying to figure out what this was, he'd taken on a number of dangerous assignments over the last two years, but a relationship like this was new territory, not like before, or that other time, "Maybe coffee, something other than the stuff we have in the bullpen." Jason joked.

Paisley laughed. "Yeah, coffee in Engineering isn't so hot, either. Maybe you should change your shirt, though, or at least button it. I don't personally mind, but some people might," she said. Even if they weren't involved in whatever this weird thing was, she still wouldn't care. Some people minded nudity. To her, it was just how most beings were. You were born naked, why not embrace it? She waited against the doorway for him, and then smiled. "It's ok that I stopped by, right? I am just bored...sitting around idly isn't something I am good at. I did explore the ship, but...a girl can only wander the decks so long before someone tries to hand me fix-it ticket," she joked.

Jason tossed the uniform shirt and grabbed a clean shirt, "Well, being with me might scare off some of them, I still get stares when I'm in uniform." He paused he knew what was next "I owe you an apology, I've been a disconnected idiot lately, it's not right and I should try to be better."

She chuckled lightly. "It can't be that bad," she said. "They stare at me, too, trying to figure out my heritage. Then, when they realize, they divert their eyes quickly. I learned a long time ago to not give a single fuck about other people's opinions," she said. "And more importantly...I don't care," she said, with a shrug. "There, now you look presentable. Let's go," she said, leading out into the corridor, and to the TL. "It's ok. I understand why you may be hesitant. I am fine with how things are. Trust me, if I wanted more, I have plenty of people to pick from. We're both busy. And we both have life and stuff to deal with as it comes," she said. "But thank you. I appreciate that you recognize it." She told the computer to take them to the Promenade/Leisure area, and soon, they were there. "Ice? The Lounge?" she asked.

Jason didn't hesitate then he smiled "How about we start at the lounge, unless you want to avoid crowds altogether."

She smiled. "I don't mind, if you have a suggestion, I am open to hearing it," she said, as she led them towards the lounge. When they were seated, she spoke. "How do you take it? Your coffee, I mean," she said. When he told her, she stood up to go get it. She took hers from the replicator black, but the good stuff, she liked with just a tiny splash of milk.

"Its a redeye day for me, more accurately, days." Jason stifled a yawn "I haven't stopped since the ship went into orbit and it doesn't look like it's going to stop, the closest thing to sleep I've had was the shower I took this morning," Jason took the beverage "I haven't been this tired since the Gorn decided to crash a conference on Beltain nine."

Paisley smiled a little, and grabbed their coffee, returning a moment later. "I know. I thought...when I took this assignment, that it would be more...I don't know what I thought, actually. But not...this busy. I came from a smaller craft, a science ship, and they didn't really need me, so I had a lot of free time. Here, it's one thing after the other," she said. She took a gulp of the coffee, and smiled. "Much better than the crude oil. I swear, my guys think that the spoon should stand up in the coffee!" She looked at him. "If you need some help sleeping, you can always come by engineering. We have a dark supply room, and I'll lie for you," she said. "Or, just call me. I can come and...sit with you, or something," suddenly, that sounded more forward than she had thought. In her head, it sounded caring. Out loud, it sounded like a come-on. How embarrassing! "I meant more like...sometimes it helps to have a friendly face around. Especially if you're prone to nightmares. I can sit in your quarters and read-I don't get much time to anymore, today notwithstanding." Nice save. She hoped.

Jason smiled, "I have a meeting in a couple of hours, but how about I pull the plug after that meeting, we have a quiet evening, and unless the ship ends up at red alert I won't go any where." he offered taking her hand.

Paisley smiled. "That would be nice," she said. She sipped the coffee. "What kind of meeting is it?" She asked.

"Just some stuff the captain needs to know moving forward on the mission." Jason said trying not to give away too much.

She nodded. "Gotcha, top secret stuff," she said. "Are you looking forward the mission? Looks like it'll be a doozy; Romulans are attractive to me, but...their mannerisms are bit uncanny valley to me." She said.

Jason smiled with a serious tone "I've been to a couple of refugee settlements, the infighting between the various ethnic regions, even some who are from the outer colonies are just as much outsiders, prior to the whole deep space three fiasco I would have shared your fascination, today I'm more cautious when they're around, but they're also a very passion driven people, something that you have to experience to understand."

Paisley nodded. "My mother was...a comfort woman-girl, really, she was only 18-for the Cardassians when they invaded Bajor. Her family was trying to escape to Free Haven, but hadn't quite secured enough for the passage, and she was captured just before. So...I kind of understand being a refugee and just wanting to go home. I never really felt like I fit in anywhere-I appear more Bajoran but I was raised by a strict Cardassian Legate. It's difficult to walk the line between keeping your culture and assimilating just enough that you can survive and maybe even thrive," she said. She knew-the words and epithets from her classmates when she was a child still stung when she allowed herself to think about it. "That's why I do this...no one really cares where I came from. They just care that I can do my job," she said, with a shrug. "I am sure the same will prove true for this...if the Romulans can make it so they're doing their jobs-in this case, fitting in enough to make a society-it might be ok."

Jason could understand the outsider mindset, he'd been one himself, he set down the coffee, "When I was fourteen my dad was killed in a shuttle accident, the shuttle he was on got hit by lightening while dad and a research team were doing some biosystem cataloging, mom was an engineer, some design bureau in Vancouver I never knew all of those details, then about two years later they were doing some system test and the test platform ship, or lab had an accident and she's gone, missing, the whole team vanished." Jason paused there was a different weight now "I haven't spoken too my sister since the memorial, My older brother is living somewhere near the DMZ, but that info is sketchy at best, maybe for the better, I lived with my mom's sister until I joined starfleet." Jason looked up "I probably haven't lived as hard as you but it's just as messy."

Paisley smiled a little. "Just as hard, just as messy. And you know what? It's OK...I don't mind a mess. My father is a Legate in the Cardassian military, but he may as well be dead for all the attention he pays me. I raised myself, basically, since I was ten years old. It's just...life. You can't pick what happened to you as a child. Only what happens to you as an adult," she said. She sipped her coffee again. "I'm really sorry to hear about your parents. That's gotta suck. At least I was very young when my mother died, and I don't really remember her...my eidetic memory helps but still. And even if you're estranged, at least you HAVE a sibling. I am alone. When my father dies, that's it. That's the end of the line for me. What happened? Do you mind sharing? It's Ok if you don't..."

He looked at Paisley, her cards were fully on the table, his weren't, there was one chapter of his life he'd not spoken much of, "Three years ago, I was away on a short mission for intel, just one of those quick hops too an outpost too do something and back too earth, maybe ninety six hours in total." Jason paused looking at the coffee "while we were on the return leg of the trip I get a subspace message that there had been an incident at my townhouse, a botched break-in took place and my wife was found dead." he said drily,

"When I returned to earth that night the local cops were making some heavy accusations that I was involved, and on it went." finally taking an unhealthy gulp of the coffee he continued "My division supervisor intervened and had the local cops release me from custody, I was reassigned away from earth following those events, then after the Deep Space three incident when I returned to earth I didn't want to return to starfleet, when I took the assignment I figured one more mission and done, then you came along..." he looked up for the first time, making very direct eye contact "I'm not regretting taking this assignment, I don't know where it's going to take me, I know where I want to be,"

Paisley listened quietly and carefully. His story was sad, and she wanted to hug him, to make him feel better. But she couldn't-that's now how it worked. Instead, she carefully considered her words. "I am sorry, that's really terrible. I am glad your unit chief was looking out for you," she said. She paused a moment, feeling her arms prick up in goosebumps, even though it was it was the regular, piped in temperature that she, her very own self, controlled. "Where do you want to be?" She asked. She was feeling very vulnerable and self conscious, a thing she wasn't used to.

Jason looked at her "One day I'd like to wake up in that house I have on earth, and just maybe have someone there with me, maybe drinking coffee on the back porch in the morning." he paused and realized how lame that all sounded, "But in the here and now, I'll take things one day at a time, good or bad."

Paisley smiled. "That sound reasonable," she said. "I want something similar...maybe not on Sol, but...maybe on Bajor. Somewhere. A family. Even if it's just me and my partner..." She shrugged again.

"Don't miss your meeting. We can talk more when you pick me up for dinner tonight. 7 pm. Officer's lounge," she said. Her tone said he shouldn't argue with her, if he knew what was good for him. That gave her plenty of time to panic and then to dress up and figure out what she was doing.

End

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