You need to leave, You need To man up

Posted on Sat Aug 27th, 2016 @ 8:09pm by Captain Rueben Gregnol & Jeassaho Kea (*)
Edited on on Sun Aug 28th, 2016 @ 7:03am

Mission: Mission 2 - Contagion
Location: Deck 3- Dining Mess
Timeline: MD -06 09:00
2256 words - 4.5 OF Standard Post Measure

Rueben frowned as he watched Jessaho purposely ignoring his existence as the crew had breakfast. He nearly strode over and demand that she spoke to him as he saw her bend close to Keera and whisper something in her ear that made the young woman blush but he held his seat. They were in a crowded room, she was just eating breakfast with her ‘friend’ and brother. He watched both the Kea siblings leave Keera alone and his resolve finally broke and he moved and sat next to Keera.

Keera was finishing up her meal. With the conversation, she hadn't eaten much. Leiddem and Jeass were the two most important people to her. So, when they were around, they had her undivided attention. Her meal was then interrupted by another. She sensed his desperation before actually seeing him.

Without turning to him, she said, "Hello Reuben, what may I do for you?"

The man frowned at the woman’s voice and slumped into his head a little before resting his arms on the table as he watched Keera.

“Why won’t she look at me... She purposely avoids wherever I am. it’s like I am a ghost here.” He whispered softly seeing the last few people disappear off to attend to their duties. Keera put her fork down. Her heart went out to the man. She knew what it was like to search for that one man that would love her for who she was, not what she could do for him. Kark relied on her, her sisters, and their mother to keep paying customers happy and returning to pay more. The Admiral used her for his own advancement and his political aspirations. On the other hand, Reuben had found that one, but couldn't have her at the moment.

She turned to him. "You must understand her position," Keera explained. "For three years, she thought you were dead. Then, out of nowhere, within the past several weeks, she has found that you are alive. Now, she finds herself in your presence. It's a lot of changes happening almost at once. She's gone from grieving to hurt to hope. She loves you, Reuben. She needs time."

Rueben frowned at the tone in her voice. He knew all of that, he knew he had disappeared and she thought him dead but yet here he was. He didn’t understand Jeassaho’s reluctance to even look at him or acknowledge his existence; she obviously knew he was there.

“I get that but she’s ignoring my existence.” He whispered softly.

"It's been too much for her," Keera tried again. "Her mind needs time to catch up with what's happening around her. She's got to get used to having you around again. She became convinced you were gone. That took a while. Now, you're here, and she's got to reprogram everything in her mind. I would recommend giving her space for a while."

"Then help me... You can feel its torture." He murmured glad they were alone. No one else had ever seen him this broken of a man apart from Barton.

Keera felt the pain as if it were her own. It was the one thing she dreaded as an Empath. She'd rather feel one's pleasure; the pain was too heavy.

Keera turned to Reuben. "I'm doing what I can," she insisted. "I brought her here, didn't I? What more can I do at the moment to help?"

Rueben frowned wishing he could be mean and frown her off the ship but he couldn't do that. "I would ask you to leave but I am not that type of person."

Keera reached out and placed her hand on Reuben's forearm. "No, you're not," she empathically agreed with him. "And that wouldn't be the best thing for Jeass. She has Leiddem for support, but there's some ways in which Leiddem can't give her the support she needs. I know her, Rube. Deep down, she does still have feelings for you. In time, that will come to the surface again. Until then, I'm happy to keep her happy."

"Don't call me Rube... We aren't friends. You were sent to control Jeassaho. She might not see it but I do." The older man pulled away from her. He didn't want her touching him or calling him Rube. They were both talking to each other for what they could get out of it and at the moment that was Jeassaho.

Keera knew Reuben didn't particularly care for her, for obvious reasons. He was the engineers former lover. She was her current lover. If only Reuben could see Jeassaho's true feelings as Keera could. She patted Reuben's arm, then pulled her hand away, not giving him another opportunity to swat it away.

"I understand why you don't exactly like me. Right now, I'm your least favorite person. Please know that we both want the same thing: The best for Jeassaho. If I were to pull my support from her at this time, she very well could mentally collapse. I assure you, she will eventually come back to you. At that time, I hope you see me as a valuable asset to your crew. And remember, if I had wanted to control her, I wouldn't have brought her here."

Rueben shook his head. "Answer me one question if you hadn't fallen for her would you have hurt her without thinking followed orders?" He wondered softly.

Keera immediately knew the answer to the question. Her confidence shown forth from her eyes. There had been those that she had helped the Admiral to eliminate by following orders and not thinking. She realized her mistake now. But Jeass was different. She had no power, seemingly defenseless and innocent.

"No," she declared. "We had become friends before we became lovers. But, even if we weren't friends, I wouldn't have harmed her. She had no idea what was going on; she seemed completely innocent. When the Admiral had given me my orders, I had already made the determination that Jeassahi was a good, decent person." The man shook his head, it was another thing that made him not trust her at all.

"If you say so." He replied watching the emotions on her face. Keera was frustrated she couldn't help Reuben understand. She loved Jeass, but she understood that Reuben would eventually be her choice. Once that happened, Keera would step aside. Until then, she would continue to love and support Jeass.

"I wish I could help you understand," Keera added. "Anything else?"

"You can't because at the moment you are my competition and a threat." He said bluntly rising. The conversation had been no help at all. It was a useless argument. Keera had never considered herself as competition with anyone. The remark totally caught her by surprise. At that moment it registered, Reuben could have blown her over as a feather in the wind.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Rube," Keera wholeheartedly expressed. "That's not my intention here. I didn't bring Jeass here to rub her in your face." The man bit his lip for a moment before shaking his head. It certainly felt like it was being rubbed in his face. Jeassaho was his world and at the moment she was letting him in. Not knowing what else to say, Keera arose from her seat. She took her tray in one hand to take to one of the few reclamation units the ship had. She placed the other hand on Reuben's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Rube," she declared. "When she's ready, she'll let you know."

Rueben frowned. "Don't call me that!" He repeated softly. Keera had been patient, but was beginning to lose it. Ever since she had arrived, she had attempted to befriend this man and ease his mind. It was his choice to wallow in self pity. If he wanted to wallow, perhaps he should join Chef Nann in one of her frequent mud baths.

Sighing in exasperation, she quipped, "Would you rather me call you Reu?" It was cold, but she was at an end with the man. She wouldn't blame Jeass if she didn't go back to him as long as this was his attitude. Jeass needed someone cheerful to be around. Right now, that wasn't this man.

"Rueben!" He said firmly. The Russian man was starting to wish he could drop her out the airlock, she was not just irritating him by being with Jeassaho but now by not calling him by his proper name. How did Jeassaho put up with it?

Keera turned to him. "I'll tell you what...," she bargained. "You pick yourself up by the boot straps and be the man Jeass needs and I'll call you that, Rube. Jeass doesn't need you in this frame of mind. So wise up."

"And she needs you huh... The woman sent to kill her!" He argued back, neither of them noticing that Jeassaho had come back to grab her jacket. "I love her, even now when she hates me i can't get her out of my system and i know i should because i am broken. The last three years have destroyed me but i am trying to be that man, that Officer who had his whole career and life planned."

"Jeass knows me." Keera was trained not to show emotion that she felt, but was having difficulty doing so. "I was open with her about the Admiral. She knows that if I were commanded to kill her, I wouldn't have done so. I refused to spy on her for the Admiral. Why would I follow an order much more unethical? I went against the Admiral? You are the one that followed his orders despite not liking it. I stuck by her; you didn't! Stand up and be your own man for gods' sake!"

"How could i not work with them when they sent people to track her and threaten to kill her." He said simply, he opened his mouth to say more when he felt a small touch on his hand, someone weaving their fingers through his. If is was Saa he was going to flip and break something. He glance around and saw Jeassaho's hand in his, her dark gaze staring right into his soul.

"I don't know either of you actually... Not anymore." Jeassaho said softly. Keera knew that Jeass would eventually go back to Reuben. She was just surprised to see her entwining his hand so quickly after arriving. She saw the earlier hug as an "I'm glad you're okay" type thing. But this seemed a more intimate connection. She was surprised and hurt. Never before had anyone left her comforts for another lover. Was this the time? If it was, she was happy for Jeass. If this was it, she'd let it be. Just wish them well and get along with her own life. If this was the time, it was what she had work toward the last several weeks. It was why she brought her here. Still, it stung. She threw a questioning look toward Jeass.

Rueben said nothing as he just felt the familiar touch of the woman who had kept him going through every fight, every time he was hungry and scared and desperately cursing Barton's name for ever knowing him.

"Neither of you own or control me... I'm me and if it means i leave again... i leave." Jeassaho said softly staring at Keera. She knew Rueben would stay quiet, he wasn't a yelling man at heart. He silently analysed everything then discussed in private alone.

Leave? Who said anything about her leaving? Keera hung her head. If that was what she wanted, a broken man that could barely support himself, much less support her, she'd have Keera's blessing. It is why I brought her here. But not for him, for a man standing tall. She had to keep reminding herself she brought Jeass here for her benefit. Keera turned and began to leave, leaving the two of them alone to themselves.

Would you listen to what i am saying? A voice demanded in her head. I am neither of yours... squabbling over me like children what are you like Jeassaho continued staring at Keera. She let go of Rueben's hand showing that it had been for a moment nothing more. The man nodded excepting a few quiet words in a language foreign to Keera.

Keera had argued that she loved and supported Jeass, but always knew she was not hers. Always knew her soulmate was Reuben. It hurt in a way. Almost as bad as rejection. But Keera knew, for her the quest had always been to find a man she could trust. A man who would love and support her.

"We both love you and want the best for you, Jeass," Keera solemnly broke the silence. "That's all."

"I know but stop squabbling. I won't have it." Jeassaho answered grabbing up her jacket. "Now you go where you stalk around and you." She pointed at Rueben. "Bridge!" She said simply walking out of the dining hall. She didn't have time for this in the slightest. Had neither of them seen Engineering?

Keera smiled and winked at Jeass. She put her tray in the reclamation, then went to their quarters.

OFF::

Rueben Gregnol
Captain
SS Mary Rose

Lieutenant Commander (LOA) Jeassaho Kea
Engineer
SS Mary Rose
(PNPC Gregnol)

Keera
Data Broker
SS Mary Rose
(PNPC Talon)