Did You Have To Share?

Posted on Wed Mar 22nd, 2023 @ 8:33am by Dr. Izriel "Jaxx" Lonn & Jeassaho Kea (*)
Edited on on Wed Mar 22nd, 2023 @ 8:38am

Mission: Mission 16: Hysperia
Location: Messhall
Timeline: Fifth Day of Festival (MD09)
1680 words - 3.4 OF Standard Post Measure

"Excuse me, young lady, is this seat taken?"

True to expectations, Jax had emerged early for breakfast and accepted the fact that he was going to have to spend the part of the day where he cherished solitude the most foraging for food in a communal setting. He had noticed the previous evening, when he'd decided to eat before turning in early to recover from transit, that the ship's current location was probably the cause for low numbers in the messhall. Hysperia had a wealth of dining options, after all, and there would be plenty of time for the crew to cram themselves into the one space once their next job was underway. Understanding that it wouldn't remain this quiet was a good way to curb expectations but the Betazoid was grateful, nonetheless, that most of the tables were empty.

He was also pleased that one of the only other occupants was someone he would have felt obligated to track down anyway.

His tray laden, the morning's coffee clutched in his hand, and his hair still tousled from sleep, Jax bumped Jeassaho's chair gently on the way past and helped himself to one of the free seats at her table without waiting for permission. It was hardly surprising that she was ship-bound despite a plethora of other options. When it came to dogged determination to impose obligation and expectation on oneself, Jeassaho was second only to her brother. He sank into the chair with a slight oof and precariously set down his tray before he ended up with a lapful of cereal. "I hadn't counted on requiring gymnastic certification to navigate mealtimes."

The woman had felt his presence but had not bothered to acknowledge it until he came to find her. He knew when she was and she knew where he was so it made no difference. She had meant to find him the previous night but her shift had not finished until a time where she wanted to be asleep herself.

“Young lady… still a charmer aren’t you.” The woman said smiling softly as she cradled her mug of coffee and looked at him. “Obviously you have had it far too easy for for too long.”

"Are you trying to tell me the night pixies aren't going to turn up to do my laundry whilst I sleep?" The Betazoid's delivery was always dry enough that the unprepared would be forgiven for taking him seriously. He wore his humour as a gentle cadence just below the surface, though he did consent to afford his long-time friend a slight smile. "I knew I should have negotiated better terms."

“We are living outside the commbadge, dear.” Jeassaho commented with just as much dryness as she offered a smirk. “You did not negotiate hard. I negotiated harder and I am married to him.” The woman teased softly on the coffee smiling at the Bajoran brew. It was smooth but strong, the woman supposed it was like every Bajoran she had so far had the honour to call a friend.

"I am a simple man," Jax stated, without leaving much room for argument. It was, for the most part, a reasonable description of his character. "It was hard to argue with an opportunity to put some distance between myself and the daily monotony of wealth and privilege." It was a joke but there were undertones. Despite being close to the entire family, it was Jeassaho that Jax had grown up with, both knowing secretly from a young age that they had no intention of fitting the cookie cutter their hopeful parents had outlined for them. Having been co-conspirators for well over two decades, there was less need to pretend around his friend. Jax believed with every fibre of his being that what he was doing, professionally and privately, was the right and fair thing; that didn't make it any easier on an emotional front.

Jeassaho reached out mentally and wrapped herself around his mind in a comforting gesture. She had not missed the undertones nor the emotions behind his dark eyes. She did not like seeing the man like that at all even if he tried to hide it behind jokes. You could not get anything past someone when they had such a connection as they did. "You are among friends here I promise. Some of them might look a bit rough but they are my family just as much as anyone on Betazed."

"So I've gathered from your messages," Jax conceded, opting as always not to acknowledge the psionic gesture outwardly whilst gently reciprocating his gratitude. In their moments of darker humour the pair of them had pointed out that life had a history of making sure neither of them had stability in their relationships simultaneously, at least not for very long. The universe's punishment, perhaps, that they'd dared to seek extension beyond what would have been likely a pleasant enough marriage; it just wouldn't have really brought out the best in either of them. "Though some of your medical records leave room for concern. I hardly dare to anticipate meeting this colleague of yours who has been treated for third degree burns more than anyone should."

Jeassaho narrowed her eyes as she watched him. She had never quite seen him that disjointed even at the darkest points of any other life-changing event he had never looked quite like that but she could not quite put her finger on what it was nor how best to help him other than just be there. "Burnie," Jeassaho said without hesitation or any doubt of who the man with third-degree burns was. "He is a good man and a better engineer. Just a little unique. Come on anyone who joins Starfleet is. We all have that wanderlust that means we would never have settled for being tied to one place."

Halfway through an attempt at a mouthful of cereal, Jax gestured with uncommon exuberance. "See, you've even named him after his malady! Talk about self-fulfilling prophesy." It was a silly grumble and not one that really dug too deep beneath the surface. The slight pout was more for her benefit, a show of playfulness to reassure that whilst, yes, he felt the weight of inevitable permanency when it came to his current personal status, he was actually quite fine with working through it. At the very least, he hoped he'd married for the right reasons, which included an understanding that people and situations changed. And he had a son. Twisted pathways still lead the way home, even if they were a little trickier to stick to. "As for your wanderlust, I have heard enough of it over the years to consider it time to give it a shot. I hope the choice of cereal improves."

"Replicator is available." She reminded with a smirk. "And I believe he got the name before he became a problem. Burnstein is easy to shorten like I go by J with most people as it's easier." She laughed quietly to herself. It was fine with her to be fair and did not leave her annoyed or trying to correct people. Whatever made life easy in an emergency or whatever was needing to be done quickly.

"There you go again, expecting me to be self-sufficient." A ghost of a smiled toyed with the corners of Jax's mouth before he took a large mouthful and stuck his chin towards her in playful expectation that she wipe the drizzle of milk from it. Jax was very well-aware that his situation back on Betazed was decidedly more privileged than maybe a lot of his new colleagues were used to. He'd spent the last six months living alone, however, and was decently sure he'd mastered the art of folding his own socks. It had been quite a triumphant moment.

"This is why we could never have worked. I would have had you cleaning the house within a week despite your protests and trying to find a way with the budget to hire help." She teased him tossing a napkin in his direction. Jeassaho despite her own privileged upbringing had never really subscribed to it all, why she had become an engineer and why she most likely in that moment looked a hot mess.

In his defense, Jax had always capitulated to the luxury around him without ever really requiring it. He had realised, after he was married and was a father for the first time, that he had been perhaps a little naïve about the sheer amount of mess a single person could be responsible for creating, and as such had adjusted his expectations accordingly. For the most part, he spurned opulence, favouring convenience first and aesthetics a dim fourth or fifth at best. He caught the napkin, relented with a soft huff of laughter, and cleaned his own face. "Are you saying that Ruben's maid outfit is not purely for entertainment?"

"Oh very much has other wonderful uses." The woman said with a flirty look with a faraway look for a moment before she grinned more. It was simple to see how much she loved Reuben in just that simple statement. The man valued her and had been a wondered surprise the universe had thrown her way unexpectedly. "But yes he is very good at cleaning and being a wonderful roommate."

The picture she painted was too much, even for a man prone to rendering such things in prose. Holding up a hand in protest, Jax choked down his mouthful before speaking. "That mental image was not necessary."

"I did not share." Jeassaho grinned more at the man's protest. It was like the last ten years of distance had not happened "I have forever tainted your image of him now and I am not even ashamed of it. He is a wonderful man." It was a simple life with him and one that she appreciated when she got to do what she loved and enjoyed.

"Just." Jax paused, palm extended outwards, and took a moment. "The feather duster was too much."