The Perfect Day

Posted on Fri Nov 1st, 2024 @ 3:51am by Lieutenant JG Zai

1,396 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Stars Around the Well
Location: Various | USS Arcadia

ON:

Zai woke up feeling more rested then he’d been in years. He smiled at the feeling of the warm body pressed against him. He gently turned onto his back so that he could just tilt his head to the side and look at Sabastian’s sleeping face.

“I can sense you looking.”

Zai laughed. “Ah, your awake.” He turned onto his right side within Sabastian’s warm embrace. Their eyes met and Sabastian returned Zai’s smile.

“Good morning, Darling.”

“Hi.”

“How’d you sleep?”

Zai placed a hand on Sabastian’s cheek using his thumb to gently caress Sabastian's lips. “Very well. I don’t want to get up.”

Sabastian gently took Zai's thumb between his lips for a moment before he let go and smiled. “Then we shan’t get up at all. We shall remain here for the rest of our lives.”

Zai chuckled. “We have no choice. I have to be back on ship in a few hours.”

Sabastian sighed. “I’d ask you to stay but I know that’s not possible.”

“For now.” He leaned in gently kissing Sabastian’s lips. “Let’s shower and change. You go first, I’ll make breakfast.”

Sabastian pulled Zai close. “Just a little more.” And so a little more turned into another hour of just holding onto one another but like all things this too ended. The ship awaited the return of its crew.

It didn’t take long for them to return to the ship and once there Zai led Sabastian to his quarters where Sabastian dropped off his overnight bag. The day was going to be full for them with lots of activities and some rest time too.

“What’s on the agenda today?” Sabastian asked as they walked out of Zai's quarters and headed to the turbo lift.

“We’ve got a meeting with Counselor Alexander just before lunch, and then Medical after that, then we have the afternoon to ourselves and then dinner with Adrianna.”

Having some time before their first appointment they walked the halls of the ship hand in hand, Zai taking him to the ship Café where nobody knew your name where Sabastian was nicknamed Sabeen by the coffee cup he was handed.

They both got a kick out of that one and took their coffee’s to settle in the arboretum.

“Smaller then on the station but a good one. Smells like a proper garden."

Zai smiled. “I come here to clear my head.” He sipped his coffee and then snuggled up to Sabastian. “So tomorrow we part.”

Sabastian turned and placed a kiss on Zai’s brow. “Yes, but Darling I have a plan.”

“Oh?”

“We’ll talk as much as possible. Trust me.”

Zai smiled. “I do trust you.” He sighed.

“So, tell me about this counselor. What is she like.”

Zai thought for a moment. “Well, she’s kind. She listens well, kind of lets you get out what’s on your mind. She is a fountain of knowledge. An empathy like you an me. I’m not sure if she’s full Betazoid or half.”

“mmmhm.”

“What else,” Zai bit his lip. “She travels with her family, a husband and son.”

“That is convenient. Does her husband work on ship?”

“He does in medical.”

“Oh well! That’s great, same department.”

“Thank you, for coming with me to see her Sabastian.”

Sabastian turned to Zai. “I want to be a part of your life as much as possible Zai. I am really proud that you are taking this step.”

He gave a nod. “Me too. I think it’s time I started living. I’ve felt like…I’m not really alive, like I’ve been living on an auto-pilot course. Just… get up, work, go home, and keep doing the same thing.”

Sabastian gave a nod. “I know what that’s like.” He sighed. “Come on then, I have a surprise for you in your quarters curtesy of my engineers and Starfleet approved ‘Upgrades’ that I made.”

Zai looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Upgrades? To my quarters? I didn’t see anything.”

“We were in there a short time. Come, I shall personally give you a tour.”

They arrived in Zai’s quarters and Sabastian lead him to the small coffee table in front of the sofa that faced the window. Zai’s jaw just about hit the floor. “M…my window is gone.”

Sabastian smiled. “Is it?” He walked over to what looked like a wall and there, a small red button sat. “Have a seat on the sofa.”

Zai sat down. “You know how they say never hit the red button?”

Zai gave a nod.

Sabastian hit the red button and the wall rippled slightly before turning into a full floor to ceiling window.

Zai gasped. “Oh my Gods! You … I can see the ….”

Sabastian smiled. “That’s right my engineers were doing upgrades and I had them create a big window for you with a holo projector on the inside to give you a wall when you don’t want to see the stars.”

Zai stared.

Sabastin walked over and sat down beside him. “You’re seeing the station clamps now since we just finished but do you like it?”

Zai’s eyes filled with tears. He nodded.

“Good and look at the table. Built in Coms right here.” He hit a small panel and a screen popped up. “This way we can talk and you can see the stars while we chat.”

Zai bit his lip.

“One more, ready?”

He wasn’t sure he was but he nodded.

Sabastian retracted the coms screen and activated the holo on the window.

He held out his hand and Zai took it standing up.

Sabastian lead Zai to the bathroom and stood aside. “In you go, you can thank doctor Elle for this one from the station. I had to promise her a year’s worth of priority maintenance but worth it. She prescribed something for your medical benefit.”

Zai gasped as he entered. “OH MY GODS!”

Sabastian smiled as he came up behind Zai wrapping his arms around him. “Do you like it?”

“I…how?”

“As I said the doctor and some creative engineering. There is a drain away that takes the water, filters it, cleans it and recycles it for clean shower water after the tub has been drained. That’s why my engineers were working overtime. You are a creature of air, very much in your mind, but water is your happy place so with your anxiety I thought you may want a large tub. The Sink and toilet don't take much space so I used the rest to make you a proper soaking tub.”

Zai covered his mouth with his hands and the tears he'd been holding were now falling freely.

Sabastian stepped back turning Zai around and pulling him into his arms against his chest. “Are you alright?”

“Thank you,” it was all he could manage. The tears wouldn’t stop flowing. He held onto Sabastian's shirt to keep himself grounded. All this was for him, for his comfort and his happiness.

Sabastian smiled and his arms tightened around Zai. He placed a kiss on the top of his head. “I would give you the university if I could Zai.”

Zai raised his head. “You already have. You gave me your heart and that’s worth more than the universe and everyone in it, at least to me.”

Sabastian quirked his lip to the right making his beauty mark stand out and his silver eyes sparkle. “And you say I’m cheesy.” He bent down taking Zai’s lips in a gentle kiss. “Come then. Time to see Counselor Alexander.”

“In a minute.” He said laying his head back on Sabastian’s shoulder. Fifteen minutes later they headed to the counseling office and Zai had made several important decisions in the safety of Sabastian’s embrace. This was going to be a new chapter for him and he knew where he wanted to go and what he wanted his life to look like. Just for a moment he had total clarity and he would fight hard to maintain it. He reflected on the day. Today, it had truly been the perfect day, the most perfect day in his life.

OFF:

 

RSS Feed