17 Bottles Too May

Posted on Sun Nov 10th, 2024 @ 3:15pm by Lieutenant Fang Lee & Lieutenant Commander Kelly Kerrigan

1,575 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Stars Around the Well
Location: USS Arcadia | Various
Timeline: Day 5 Travel

ON:

Fang sat at the bar nursing what on Earth was called a beer. He was never fond of the drink but in this case it was better than Grappa. He'd be tempted to down the whole bottle. His mind went back to what Zai ... no Xingtian said just days ago. They hadn't spoken since then. They both needed some down time to process, nobody more so then Fang.

Lieutenant Commander Kelly Kerrigan curiously observed his Chief Engineer, the man who was stepping up to be his new First Officer looking to be deeply involved in a tumultuous relationship with a bottle of beer. Watching him from afar, Kelly thought it was peculiar and that Fang did not quite seem himself. Ultimately, he decided to just change his seating arrangement and join his First Officer. He did have to thank him anyways for bringing his annoying little brother back safely. "An acquired taste" Kelly commented referring to the beer. "One I have not. Yeast and fermentation, not really my thing. At least with wine there's fruit albeit I'm not much of a drinker of that either."

Fang sat up a little straighter. He gave a nod to his CO and then looked at the bottle. "I am not a fan either but I needed something bitter and vile tasting." He sighed. "A sort of self punishment."

"Then I'll make sure we pass by Q'noS and pick you up a barrel of blood wine" teased Kelly. "Now, why are trying to punish yourself? Wasn't picking up my little brother not enough punishment?" Kelly chuckled. "I can assign you babysitting duty if you really need some torture."

He smiled a little at that, perhaps his first one in days. "Actually I like your brother. He has the same curiosity I did when I was his age. As for why? I've acted like an idiot and hurt someone who ... meant more to me then I was willing to admit." He sighed. "I believe that I am now being visited by the Ghost of Karma past."

"We often tend to hurt those that mean the most to us" Kelly said, speaking from truth and experience. "Apologies are sometimes a good place to start, but time also is a good medicine for healing."

He sighed. "Yeah. Time, distance." He shrugged. He looked over at the Captain. "I'm sorry a first officer is supposed to have it all together."

"Well then we are entirely and utterly screwed a thousand times over," said Kelly. "Do you think I have it all together? I do not. My mentor is still MIA and I wasn't ready to step into filling her shoes as Captain."

He looked over at him. "I'm sorry she's still gone but for what it's worth I think you are a great Captain and I think you would make her proud." He tilted his head to the side. "You give the aura of put together."

Kelly reached and placed his hand on Fang's forearm. "It's all smoke and mirrors, command is mostly pomp and circumstance. You need to put on a fake sense of confidence."

Fang didn't like to be touched but he didn't mind the hand on his forearm. He smiled at Kelly. "Well you do it well. Frankly, you make people around you calm." He smiled. "I must learn from you. You must promise to teach me that trick."

"Speak calmly in a mellow tone, say everything as if you believe it and make eye contact," Kelly said making sure to look in Fang's eyes. "You'll learn, Fang."

"I hope so." He held Kelly's gaze a moment longer before he turned away. He hadn't noticed but the Captain had rather mesmerizing eyes. He took a drink of beer.

The bar tender waived the Captain over. "Sir can I speak to you for a moment?"

Kelly's attention on Fang was broken by the bartender. "Yes?" He said looking at them. "What is it?

The bartender lead Kelly away a little. "Sir I'm gonna cut him off he's had...a few...it doesn't seem to affect him but...I mean...he's had 17 bottles, by all laws he should be like dead now."

"Capellans will drink you under the table if you let them, but that's fine. He's had enough" stated Kelly. "Thank you for letting me know. I'll take care of the Lieutenant."

The bartender gave a nod and hurried away.

Fang watched Kelly walk back. "Everything okay?"

"Seventeen bottles of beer, Lieutenant," Kelly said smirking at Fang. "I'm surprised you aren't vomiting. Granted I know your species can handle alcohol efficiently."

"Some can, some can't. I'm fine. This stuff is more bitter then anything else." He grinned. "It's a lot lighter then Grappa or Engineering hooch."

Kelly shook his head "I tell you all don't drink that battery acid from Engineering. Either way, your 17th bottle was your last tonight. Here at least."

He sighed. "Captain I'm more then fine." He stood up to prove it only his legs gave out and he sat down hard in the chair. "That was ... a flake, flick, fluke?" He waved a hand. "Accidental." He tired to stand again and again he sat down hard. "Okay...maybe 17 was not a good number."

"17 was not your lucky number," commented Lieutenant Commander Kelly Kerrigan. He gestured to the Capellan. "Alright, up you go. Use the table to steady yourself."

Fang followed the Captain's instructions. "I guess....I had too much." He kept hold of the table. "Excellent! I am standing...now I must walk?"

"No my dear bud, you have had a hell of a lot too much to drink," said Kelly also standing. He grabbed onto, Fang and hoisted the Chief Engineer up into his arms. "Just hold on" he said referring to Fangs arms draped around his neck.

Kelly proceeded to carry the Capellan. "Sickbay or quarters?"

"Um... I don't think I need sickbay." Fang was a bit stunned that Kerrigan could lift him. "You realize...I can walk right..."

"You can barely stand let alone walk" stated Kelly. He was not going to allow Fang to make a fool of himself stumbling around. "Quarters it is."

"I am never going to live this down, am I?"

Kelly said nothing, just carried the man to the nearest lift. This was not exactly how he was expecting to spend his night.

The trip to his quarters was mercifully brief and lacked other crew. Having arrived Kelly let him down and Fang entered the code to his quarters. He let Kelly help him to the sofa. "I...think this is where I apologize."

Kerrigan smiled as he took a seat on the sofa with Fang. He looked at Fang and leaned closer to the Capellan Chief Engineer, caressing his cheek and placing his lips against Fang's. "Apology accepted, Lieutenant" he replied slowly retracting and inching away while maintaining eye contact.

Fang's eyes widened. "I truly and utterly had too much. I think I had hallucination...did you just...kiss me?"

"Well my options were limited. It was either that or leave you a note in a bottle or scribble something and leave it in a mug at your station in the morning, but quite frankly I didn't want one of the other engineers to get it and get the wrong idea."

Kelly shrugged. "You aren't hallucinating, but if you need it to be a hallucination, I can leave and we can just pretend we didn't end up in wonderland tonight."

He sighed. "You're the Captain and I'm the XO. There! I've mentioned it. Now as for the pretending it didn't happen...would it be horrible if I said I didn't want to pretend it didn't happen? Also I need to be responsible and say I may not be the best candidate for you. Right, now I’ve said it...what happens next? I mean I'm not opposed to this but...are you sure?" He found the Captain quite attractive but he'd figured the Captain didn't swing his way, this was.... a mind blowing revelation.

Kelly sighed but it was a playful one at that. "I'm not saying the optics are great. We may not want to be sharing it with the crew any time soon, but it isn't that bad. Is it? I mean it's not like you are my Yeoman and pat your buttocks and say thank you for the coffee."

Kerrigan looked a bit mischievous. "See it could be worse."

"Well that is a Kirk thing to do sir. I hear he's quite...the Yeoman man." He sighed. "Right then. So... Captain would you like to stay tonight?"

"Help us all if James T. Kirk ever makes Captain in rank" grumbled Kelly. He had a bit of dislike of the man. "Impulse, Lieutenant. We can save the warp for later, I have a child to get back to and tuck in. Little tyrant won't sleep until I read him a story."

"Perhaps that's for the best I'm not the most clear headed now."

Kelly nodded. "I'll see you after you sleep this off. Goodnight, Lieutenant." Kelly had a plethora of duties aboard the Arcadia. One of them was big brother to which he was running late to.

Fang watched Kelly go with a small smile. He decided that sleeping on the sofa was good enough for tonight. Curling up on the small sofa he drifted off to sleep. Tomorrow would be another day.

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