Messing Up

Posted on Sat Feb 20th, 2021 @ 1:38am by Commodore Ledeya ‘Ed’ Ehestri (*) & Chief Helmsman Eden Bowers

Mission: Cosmos
Location: USS Cosmos
Timeline: 2396
1327 words - 2.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Melal was so tired that she did not make it further than the top of the bed when she came in from the science lab. She was loving working on a science ship after Archimedes but it was draining trying to research the Betazoid fever that the colonist were struggling to combat. If she was exhausted it was nothing compared to what Karis had most likely been feeling when she had been set to bed. Melal was sound asleep lying on her stomach with her cheek pressed against the soft material of the pillows. She had had thought to just lie there but had not considered she would pass out.

Asher came in the room, saw Melal still dressed and lying on top of the covers, tried to pick her up so that he could cover her up only to have her move and make a noise. "Sorry, I was trying to be stealthy. Go back to sleep." He ran his fingers through her hair.

The woman blinked as she took in what he was saying and the fact she had fallen asleep again full address. Maybe she was was working to hard despite the need to help the colony. “You my husband are too tall to be stealthy.” She whispered kissing his wrist.

"Hmm, My feelings are hurt," Asher said jokingly. "I'm going to take a shower, I'll try not to wake you when I slip back in bed. It must have been a really long day for you to be this sleepy?" He was curious what the science staff had been up to.

“Been a few long days.” She admitted watching him stand. She moved to sit up sleepily and hugged him close resting her head against his stomach. “Have you not been helping on the surface?” She wondered loving the warmth that radiated from him.

"Not exactly. I may have pissed off Lt. Fenruse so I've been doing a bit of cleaning. The hard way. But at least engineering will be spotless when everyone gets back. It doesn't matter," he said heading her off before she could ask what happened. Slips of the tongue happen. "I'm glad you're helping though, not because you're tired but because you're making a difference down there, I'm sure of it."

Melal frowned at the man as he walked away. It was not like him at all and it did matter. Him and Selina were good friends both being Damage Control specialist so it was unusual. She changed out of her uniform putting on an old vest top and shorts waiting for the man to come back out to talk. Something was not right and she wanted to ask him about it.

Asher took a shower then came back out in boxer shorts and a t-shirt, ready for bed when he saw Mel sitting there mostly awake. "Hey, what are you doing not sleeping?" He asked as he ran a comb through his hair. "Am I making too much noise?"

Melal smiled as he came back in and she got to watch him wandering around. It had been days since they had been able to go to bed at the same time. “No. I want to know what happened with Fenruse. It’s not like you.”

He glanced back at her. "Oh it's really nothing. I sort of made a joke and she heard me. It was really just bad taste. I let my cynicism get to me I guess." He shrugged. He really didn't see it as that big of deal. The situation was resolved as far as he was concerned.

“You are not normally cynical baby.” She whispered softly moving to the edge of the bed leaning out to him bringing him too her. She lay her head against his stomach enjoying the warmth and silence for a moment before she looked up at him. “What is wrong?”

"I dunno, I guess it just gets to me that we seem to be moving from one disaster to another," he gave a shrug but his fingers entwined in her soft hair.

“What disasters?” She wondered trying to work out what was bothering him. They had spent a lot of time apart recently maybe that was it?

"The one currently going on, the bombing on Starbase 621. I don't know. I guess stress is getting to me. But as I said, it's nothing to worry about. I'm dealing with it just fine. I crack jokes." He gave a small shrug. "Maybe I'm just missing the old ways of being with my family."

“Maybe you need to make new ways... with me?” She offered trying to not think on the chaos they had been through in last few months. It could cause a lot of strain on a marriage if they were not careful.

He grinned. "Oh I am quite happy to spend every waking moment with you. Work gets in the way, but yes. We do need to forge our own path together. Maybe doing date nights? We really didn't date that long. I just fell head over heels for you the moment we met, as the Human expression goes."

“I am happy for date nights. I would love date nights, we had so much fun dating.” She assured pulling back to look up at him. “Are you having second thoughts?” Melal wondered softly lying back on the bed.

He looked confused. "Second thoughts about what?" Asher scooted under the covers and wrapped an arm around Melal.

“Us.” She whispered softly snuggling into his arms laying her head against his shoulder.

"You're kidding right? I hope you're kidding. I've never been happier in my life with someone. You're not are you?" He looked down at her head, tucked into his shoulder. "It's time to tell you a story. Maybe I've told you before, but I can't remember. Years ago, before I joined Starfleet I served on a border patrol ship. We kind of helped out when Starfleet didn't have the time to do it. Anyway, there was this girl on board named Rivka. She was way younger than me but she was beautiful, cheerful, innocent and I just adored her. I finally got up the nerve to ask her out and she said no. So I thought, okay, she just needs some time to think things over as we had become friends. So I waited and waited and she left the ship to attend a training and came back again and while she was gone she fell in love with another man. This man wasn't the best for her, he ended up hurting her but as much as I Tried to help, she never would let me past that wall between friends. Actually I think she had pushed me further away. From that day until the day I met you I don't think I was actually alive. I was moving and eating but I certainly wasn't living. And now I understand why she was meant to say no, because I would never have met you."

“No i just...” she paused listening to him amazed that she was hearing the story of his heartbreak finally. “I did not realise... I am sorry. I just thought maybe that it’s all become too much. She stammered through.

Asher grinned. "Heh, you're cute when you get flustered. I may be a bit more stressed than usual, but trust me. It's not you. We should sleep." He yawned. Without thinking about it he answered Melal hadn't actually spoken, "Yeah, I feel like I could sleep for a week too."

Melal raised an eyebrow but nodded wondering why he had said that but she hadn’t asked it. “Then go to sleep. We can talk more in the morning or tomorrow. I am going to the surface tomorrow.” She admitted stroking his hair absently.

"Yeah," he said, his eyes already closing and sleep drifting in. "Just be careful," he whispered as sleep finally took him.