Things That Go Bump In The Night

Posted on Sun Jan 5th, 2020 @ 6:20pm by Executive Officer Jake Ford & Chief Helmsman Eden Bowers

Mission: Mission 10 - Temperance
Location: Jake's Quarters
Timeline: MD 10 21:00 Hours
1422 words - 2.8 OF Standard Post Measure

Eden bounced on her feet just outside Jake's quarters. She had something small in her hand, a rectangular object. When the doors opened she smiled. "I have an idea. We haven't really done anything as far as a date in a while, we've just run into each other in various places so I brought this. I've been told it's good, but I haven't seen it. I never watched a lot of films growing up because we lived in space. That is, if you have time of course." She paused waiting for him to allow her entrance. "I promise Stan is not with me. I know he makes you really uncomfortable."

"It's a good job I don't mind spontaneous," he noted, welcoming her inside. He ignored the remark about Stan for the moment, he knew that Eden was over the moon about her new friend and didn't want to hurt her feelings accidentally. "What have you got there?"

"A scary movie. I guess it's called The Shining. Pretty popular back in it's day, course that was hundreds of years ago, but still. I figured it was worth a try. But first I wanted to ask you something. You've seemed kind of nervous lately. There's been a lot going on. Are you okay?" Eden sat down on the sofa, slipped off her shoes and tucked her feet under her.

"Yeah..." He scratched the back of his head uncomfortably. "I just...things have been a bit of a whirlwind for us, haven't they? I've only been on board a few weeks and I feel like, well, we've gotten real close in that time. Not that I'd change it for anything, I love spending time with you. I sorta felt things were becoming more chaotic than I'm ready for...but I think my mind's been changed on that." He put an arm around her as he dropped down alongside her. "What I'm trying to say is I feel like I'm really happy with you."

Eden cocked her head and watched him. "Isn't that a good thing? Jake, we can move at whatever speed you want. I trust you completely. I'm not in a hurry for anything. I just want both of us to be happy and it sounds like we are? Right? As long as Stan doesn't come for a visit," she was teasing him and was curious if he would pick up on that. But honestly Eden was very happy with him. He may have had a gruff exterior at first glance but he had completely opened up to her in her opinion. There was no fear or doubt plaguing her thoughts.

"Hey, I don't mind Stan. Not if you're happy - I really like seeing you happy." He slung an arm around her and pulled her close to his big chest. "So what's this movie you're interested in? It's not about spooky ghost ships, is it?"

"No, a haunted hotel. Which might be just as bad, isn't a ship kind of a like a hotel because we all live in it?" Eden shrugged and curled up next to him. "If you have nightmares you know where to find me. Just don't wake the Captain, I don't think he'd appreciate it."

Jake paused. The way Eden had phrased it made it sound like she and the Captain were sharing sleeping arrangements, but he put the thought quickly to one side, realising that she wouldn't have meant it that way - and would be mortified to think it. "I'm not crazy on ghosts, but so long as I've got you here to protect me I'm sure I'll be fine," he grinned.

"Yeah, I'm great protection. I'll talk the ghosts down for you." She said getting up briefly to feed the movie into the computer. Sitting back down she curled right up against him again. His warmth was enough to lull her to sleep but she had a feeling that the movie would keep her awake if she paid attention to it.

He wrapped an arm around her, appreciating the way she cuddled up to him. He felt so much more aware and fulfilled in that moment, more than he had been before. "Can I ask you something?" he said softly, as the movie started to roll. "You mentioned before that you and your old Captain were...together. But you never really told me much what he was like." He let it hang in the air, wondering if she would follow.

"Sure. Well to be honest you reminded me of him at first. You had this kind of armor around you, so did Sebastian. I would say something or do something and he'd give me this look that any normal person would think was a judgement on my sanity but I just knew he didn't mean it that way, he thought what I was doing was cute. Same thing happened with you." She didn't raise her head from Jake's chest. "Sebastian was careful but sweet. I think he was a bit less outgoing than you, a bit more introverted and while it takes a minute for you to warm up to someone you're really very personable. Does that help?"

Jake just nodded silently, processing for a little bit. "It does. And don't worry, I'm not jealous. I mean, it's hardly likely we'll run into your ex now, is it?" He hesitated after saying that. He wasn't sure whether that was likely to bother her. "Well, you know what I mean."

"Yeah," Eden said. She pulled away from Jake for a moment and looked at him. "Why did you ask? I could list the reasons why I like you if that would help. I've even done poetry before . . . An Ode to Jake." Eden wasn't teasing in the slightest she was grabbing words in her brain as they flew by.

"I believe you," Jake chuckled. "I was just curious. You don't talk about him much, and with all the weirdness of uncovering another old ship, I wondered whether it crossed your mind at all."

"Honestly, less since I met you. I thought he would haunt me when we discovered the other ship and everyone talked about leaving Rosie, because she was Sebastian's ship all those years ago. But . . . guess he moved on and maybe he's telling me I should too."

"You think we should move to the Temperance?" he asked, eyebrow raised. "Leave the Rosie behind?"

"Oh I don't know about that. I'm still thinking about it. But I meant with you, moving on with you." She cupped her hands over his face. "I really like you Jake," Eden leaned forward and kissed him.

He smiled warmly, kissing her back. "I really like you too, Eden. And I'm glad you chose me to move on with, even if it did seem like fate was pushing us together along the way..."

She wanted to say that maybe it was Sebastian but that didn't seem like a good thing to comment on at the moment. "Tell me something I don't know about you?" She asked, cuddling back down against him again.

"I don't know what you don't know..." he murmured. "Uhh...I once met Kervin of Izar, and he bought me a drink?"

"I have no idea who that is." Eden grinned. "I spent over a hundred years in a transporter buffer. But if you're impressed by that then I am. But I kind of meant more personally. Who was the last person you dated and what happened?" Eden showed no embarrassment by asking this.

"The last person...?" Jake hesitated fractionally. He actually had to think about it. "Uh, well, I guess I'd say Jess. Though it was only a couple of hook-ups. Not really anything particularly serious." Feeling uncomfortable, Jake suddenly felt very compelled to want to change the subject. "And for clarity: Kervin of Izar is a Pareses Squares legend. Beat the Klingon player K'roth in the 2387 finals. K'roth nearly killed him after the match."

"Ah," she said. She felt a bit awkward that there were a lot of things she didn't know about the past, mostly because she just hadn't sat down and studied everything. She'd been focusing on herself, letting go of Sebastian and starting a new life on this ship. Eden decided to just leave her head against his chest, listen to his heart beat and watch the movie she'd found in the archives.

---

Eden Bowers
Chief Helmsman
SS Mary Rose


Jake Ford
Chief Armoury Officer
SS Mary Rose

 

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