Treasure Hunt - Part I

Posted on Fri Nov 8th, 2024 @ 12:15am by Lieutenant JG Zai

1,038 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Stars Around the Well
Location: Zai's Quarters |USS Arcadia

ON:

The evening had come. They weren't that far from the station just yet. Zai had soaked in his tub and was now on the sofa looking through his floor to ceiling window at the stars. He threw on flannel pajamas and wrapped a blanket over himself lowering the temperature in his quarters to simulate a fall night. He sipped hot chocolate and allowed himself to feel utter peace.

The bridge called down with a call from Starbase 2. Zai activated the screen at the table and watched as the Starfleet logo turned into a familiar face. He smiled. "Sabastian. How are you?"

"Darling you just left here what eight, hours ago and I'm bloody miserable."

Zai grinned. "Me too. I miss you already."

Sabastian's silver eyes studied Zai. "So, how was your day Darling?"

Zai sighed. "Good. Interesting and long. First evening off the base and I can sense there is a weariness to everyone."

He gave a nod. "Yes, I understand. The station was briefed on the mission the Arcadia was sent on and frankly I swore quite violently in the meeting, several times. I don't like where you are being sent and what you are being sent to investigate."

Zai sighed. "Yeah, the department heads and deputies here have been briefed fully. I guess the good thing out of all this is during this mission I'm mainly in charge of Engineering so while we can still stay in contact I can report on the prototypes the ship has been asked to test...and I can talk to you a lot."

He grinned. "I may have had a tad of influence there."

Zai through his head back and laughed. "Oh?"

"I know the Admiral who is in charge of Human Resources and XO appointment and well I may have pointed out that Lee doesn't have the qualifications of command so he should be spending more time learning the XO role as opposed to Engineering, at least for now."

Zai's eyes narrowed. "Oh dear. How unsportsmanlike."

"Yes well, Darling, when it comes to you I would literally build a giant toothpaste tube and shove Fang in there if it keeps him away from you and squeeze him out into space."

Zai had to put his cup on the table as he laughed. "Oh my Gods. Sabastian, stop." He laughed again.

Sabastian smiled. "Laughing is good for you and I love the sound of you laughing."

Zai shook his head. "You are a nut but I love you." It had been the first time he'd fully said he loved him and he noticed how Sabastian looked down as tears filled his eyes.

He sighed. "Sabastian I know I don't say it enough but I do love you, I'm sure now more then ever about us. I feel like since you've come back in my life things are better and all those letters we wrote over the years some short and some long. I thought about it and there were days that all I could think about was writing to you because you were the only one who knew my fears and dreams. I remember how when the team and I were captured and on the Klingon ship I had one thing that kept me going and it was that letter you slipped in my bag when we met on shore leave on Vulcan by accident. I read it over and over. I realized I was in love with you all along but I didn't see it until now, until I stopped to really reflect."

Sabastian had trouble swallowing. He was visibly moved. It took a moment but he smiled. "I love you too Zai." He sighed. "Okay enough mush, did you find the gift I left for you?"

Zai sat up. "Gift?"

"Under the bed, square box."

Zai was up and running to the bedroom leaving Sabastian to laugh and shake his head. It took some time and a few frustrated sighs but he got the box out and ran back to the table. "What is it? What is it?"

Sabastian chuckled. "Open it and take a look."

With shaking hands Zai opened the box and pulled out what looked like a model of a small room. It had been created to look like an old Earth cottage room. A desk in the middle, a comfy chair, fireplace, and wall to wall bookshelves. Also inside the box were several small boxes. He opened one and inside were miniature books and a marker lay at the bottom of the big box.

"What's this?"

Sabastian smiled. "It's a mock up of a library room. I know you can't have a real library but I wanted to give you a way to build it so that one day we can make it a reality. Use the marker to write down all the books you want and put them on the shelf. I'll send you my book lists too and you can combine them and send me updated images and it will feel like we're doing this together."

Zai licked his dry lips and swallowed past the lump in his throat.

"I...I...Thank you." His voice was horse.

Sabastian smiled. "There is another gift but you'll have to find it on your own."

That cleared his throat. "Oh my Gods! Don't you know that patience is not my virtue?"

Sabastian laughed. 'I do. That's why I did it. No taring apart your quarters. When you come across it you come across it." He grinned. “That one took a bit of doing so I had to hide it well.”

Zai stared at the screen. “I hate you so much.”

Sabastian laughed. “No you don’t.”

“I don’t but keeping me in suspense is not a good thing.”

Sabastian laughed. “Maybe for you.” He sighed. “Anyway I need to run. I’ll talk to you soon.”

After another goodbye Zai closed the coms and sat back with his hot chocolate. He looked at the box on the table. Sabastian was full of wonderful surprises. Still…the outstanding gift… “Well it’s time to search this entire joint.” He sighed as he threw back the blanket and stood. “I’ll find it yet!”

OFF:

 

RSS Feed