Post by Nola on Nov 18, 2017 5:46:31 GMT
Ensign Mateo Nores took a deep breath and stared at himself in the mirror. The Moxat would be arriving at Kobliad within the hour, and it would be his point-of-no-return. If he disembarked, he would lose his career at bare minimum. He'd also likely go to prison. Depending on who got to him first, he might also be killed.
He tried one last time to talk himself out of it. He could let it go, right now, and simply enjoy his leave from Odyssey in the Moxat's holosuites. He could let other people worry about it, and trust that someone, somewhere along the way, would do something. He desperately wanted to listen to that part of himself, to go back to his career and focus on other things, but the problem with the argument was that 'someone else' didn't know what he knew. They hadn't figured out what he had, and if they had, they were in on it.
No, it had to be him, and it had to be now.
Mateo stepped out of the airlock into Kobliad's orbital station. Zin was waiting for him.
"'Teo," she sighed, looking him over in his civvies.
"Hey," he greeted, his eyes drifting to the floor.
"You sure they'll come through here?" he asked for something like the seventh time.
"Yes, geez," she answered. Her tone was playful, trying to get him to cheer up. It wasn't particularly effective.
"Hey, goofball," she said, stepping closer. He sighed and lifted his eyes to hers, and her voice became a soft whisper. "Cheer the fuck up - if you look nervous, they'll know you're up to something."
"Right," Mateo quietly huffed. He had taken the plunge. It was time to commit.
"I'm gonna miss you," said Zin, switching tone in an instant. She was really good at this.
"Yeah, yeah," he said, smiling warmly at his long-time friend. "I'm gonna miss you, too."
"Take care of yourself, yeah?" she bade before pulling him into a hug.
"I'll try," he managed, squeezing her tight. She pulled back and looked at him, her practived visage as beautiful as it ever was, so much so that he had to keep reminding himself that she was putting on act. This wasn't real-
Zin planted her lips on his, sending a shockwave through his body. This seemed like torture - so many years of unspoken feelings hidden behind a shaky facade that she must have seen through in an instant, and she chose now, the last time they might see each other, to do this. He did his best to stay mindful of the moment, but he couldn't help feeling like his adult life, as brief as it had been to that point, had been wasted.
He took a deep breath as she stepped back, not-so-subtly dabbing at his eyes.
"I should have asked you out when we were at the Academy," he lamented.
"Yeah, you should have," she agreed. She gently framed his face in her hands and planted another kiss on his forehead. "Stay safe. Anyway you can. Okay?"
He closed his eyes, placing his hands over hers and taking this brief moment to savor the warmth of her touch.
"Okay."
He tried one last time to talk himself out of it. He could let it go, right now, and simply enjoy his leave from Odyssey in the Moxat's holosuites. He could let other people worry about it, and trust that someone, somewhere along the way, would do something. He desperately wanted to listen to that part of himself, to go back to his career and focus on other things, but the problem with the argument was that 'someone else' didn't know what he knew. They hadn't figured out what he had, and if they had, they were in on it.
No, it had to be him, and it had to be now.
Mateo stepped out of the airlock into Kobliad's orbital station. Zin was waiting for him.
"'Teo," she sighed, looking him over in his civvies.
"Hey," he greeted, his eyes drifting to the floor.
"You sure they'll come through here?" he asked for something like the seventh time.
"Yes, geez," she answered. Her tone was playful, trying to get him to cheer up. It wasn't particularly effective.
"Hey, goofball," she said, stepping closer. He sighed and lifted his eyes to hers, and her voice became a soft whisper. "Cheer the fuck up - if you look nervous, they'll know you're up to something."
"Right," Mateo quietly huffed. He had taken the plunge. It was time to commit.
"I'm gonna miss you," said Zin, switching tone in an instant. She was really good at this.
"Yeah, yeah," he said, smiling warmly at his long-time friend. "I'm gonna miss you, too."
"Take care of yourself, yeah?" she bade before pulling him into a hug.
"I'll try," he managed, squeezing her tight. She pulled back and looked at him, her practived visage as beautiful as it ever was, so much so that he had to keep reminding himself that she was putting on act. This wasn't real-
Zin planted her lips on his, sending a shockwave through his body. This seemed like torture - so many years of unspoken feelings hidden behind a shaky facade that she must have seen through in an instant, and she chose now, the last time they might see each other, to do this. He did his best to stay mindful of the moment, but he couldn't help feeling like his adult life, as brief as it had been to that point, had been wasted.
He took a deep breath as she stepped back, not-so-subtly dabbing at his eyes.
"I should have asked you out when we were at the Academy," he lamented.
"Yeah, you should have," she agreed. She gently framed his face in her hands and planted another kiss on his forehead. "Stay safe. Anyway you can. Okay?"
He closed his eyes, placing his hands over hers and taking this brief moment to savor the warmth of her touch.
"Okay."