Promise to Try - Part I

Posted on Sun Oct 27th, 2024 @ 1:46pm by Lieutenant Fang Lee & Lieutenant JG Zai

1,223 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Stars Around the Well
Location: Starbase 2 Sickbay & Arcadia Sickbay

ON:

Sickbay, Starbase # 2

The hum of the machines around sickbay had a calming effect on Zai. Unlike Fang he didn’t fear or dislike sickbay. He accepted it as a regular part of life. He sat there now, in the Starbase sickbay beside the bio bed that housed Sabastian Walker. He’d heard, from the security chief, that Fang and he had been in a fight.

He would check on Fang later, right now he needed to get to the bottom of this and the only person who’d be one hundred percent honest was Sabastian Walker.

As Sab stirred his awareness came back in stages, the first of which were sound and smell. The sounds, told him he was in sickbay, the smell told him that the man he loved was near. Then there was the pain that told him that the doctor was playing one of her sadistic games. While she would fix the problem the pain receptors would not be dulled. She said was a way to teach people a lesson that Sickbay was not a game.

Sabastian slowly turned his head to the right with a little groan. He opened his eyes and smiled. “Zai.”

Zai, who’d sensed Sabastian stir stood up and walked over. “Hey,” He gently pushed a strand of hair off from Sabastian’s forehead. “How are you?”

“In pain.”

“You had a broken nose and were quite bruised. The doc healed most of it. You should be fine to leave here tonight.”

Sabastian gave a nod.

There was a long silence before Zai asked, “What happened and no lies.”

Sabastian sighed. “Fang and I had a disagreement.”

Zai took Sabastian’s hand. “Me?”

Sabastian gave a slight nod. “He didn’t like you hanging out with me nor my attitude in telling him how much of an ass he is.”

Zai smiled. “You do realize that you two are very much alike.” He sighed. “I appreciate you trying to defend me but I can handle Fang.”

Sabastian looked away.

Zai closed his eyes. He could sense the depths of Sabastian’s feelings for him, the one time he hated being empathic. He could tell that for Sabastian a broken nose, some bruises were a lot less painful then what he felt for Zai and the fact that Zai didn’t return the feelings. Or did he. His first urge was to come check on Sab not Fang. He was… confused by it all.

He gently touched Sabastian’s head turning his face so that Zai’s lavender eyes could meet Sabastian’s grey ones. He smiled. “I know why you did it and you don’t know how grateful I am that someone loves me enough to do that for me. I….”

Sabastian reached up and covered Zai’s hand. “What Zai?”

“I wish I could love you like that. Honestly I don’t know if I can or can’t. I’ve spent so much time with Fang that…” He sighed. Gently he cupped Sabastian’s face. “How about this. I want to get to know you more. I mean we know one another well and we mind melded back at the Academy when you saved my life so I know you as well as I know myself in certain things but there is more to it then that. We’ve been apart for so long and we’ve both grown. How about we get re-acquainted. Now, and through messages, chats, letters. I will sort my feelings for Fang out once and for all and as soon as I’m sure I will let you know. I know that’ a bit selfish but…”

Sabastian smiled. “It’s not. At least not to me. I would love to see If we can… find our way to one another. I feel like I’ve waited a lifetime for someone like you and I can wait a bit longer. If it works great, if not then nothing about this will ever be regretted, at least by me.”

Zai smiled. “Deal. I’m going to check on the idiot and then I’ll go back to your quarters and make dinner. When you come home tonight you’ll relax and we’ll talk. We’ll see how things go. Is that okay?”

Sabastian smiled. He reached out and took Zai’s hand. “Deal.”

Zai leaned down and placed a kiss on Sabastian’s forehead. “See you soon.” His eyes widened just as much as Sabastian’s. They both stared at one another. Zai had just had the urge to kiss him and he’d done it. He blushed a little. “I’ll go.”

Sabastian too had quite the rosy cheeks. “See you soon.”



Sickbay, USS Arcadia

Zai entered to see Fang sitting up his eyes nervously darting about the room.

“So, you’re awake.”

“Zai! You’re back. Listen I…”

Zai held up his hand and what struck Fang was how serious Zai was. He looked … different. That shut him up more then anything.

Zai walked over and studied Fang. “So, you had a fight with Sabastian.”

Fang crossed his arms and looked away. “He was being an ass.”

Zai rolled his eyes. “No more then you, I’m sure.”

Fang looked back at him. “You compare him to me?”

“Of course. You two are very similar and if you sat down you would like one another. The problem between you and Sabastian is me.”

Fang said nothing.

“My friendship with him does not take away from my friendship with you, you know.”

Fang sighed. “But I don’t trust him.”

“Mmmm.” Zai said nodding. “Why?”

“He’s got those grey eyes that just….that just…”

“Now his eye colour is a problem? My eyes are lavender why is that not a problem?”

“That’s not what I meant. I mean he’s always scheming how to get close to you how to get you to stay with him.”

“Yes. He’s in love with me and wishes to build a life with me.”

Fang’s eyes widened. “You know?”

“Of course, he has been honest with me from the beginning about his feelings. He has shown me more honesty and consideration then you at times.”

Fang’s eyes just about bugged out of his head. “What?” He huffed. “You can’t be serious!”

Zai held up a hand. “Do no yell in sickbay or I will leave. I do not respond to that done, especially now. I have … come to a decision.”

Fang sucked in a breath. “You…you’re staying on the station?”

Zai shook his head. “No. I am not. I will be returning to the ship tomorrow evening in time for pre-flight curfew.”

Fang let out a breath that he hadn’t been aware that he’d been holding.

“That’s great.”

“However,” Zai said smiling at Fang’s reaction. “My relationship with Sabastian is far from over.”

“What? WHAT RELATIONSHIP!”

Zai winced. “Don’t yell. Just what I said. My relationship. He is a dear friend but I have known for a long time he has wanted more. Perhaps it is time I explore that. I mean I would like to have a partner by my side.”


To Be Continued...

 

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