PART I - What Is This All About?

Posted on Thu Nov 28th, 2024 @ 2:07am by Lieutenant Fang Lee & Lieutenant JG Zai & Lieutenant Lanna Alexander

1,361 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Stars Around the Well
Location: Counseling Office | USS Aracadia

ON:

Zai was the first to arrive to the counseling session. He sat on the sofa with a tea in hand. "Thanks for seeing me a bit early. I need your help and I wanted to talk to you before Sabastian and Fang arrived."

Having replicated herself a hot chocolate, Lanna was just taking her seat as Zai spoke. Sitting down she made herself comfortable. “It’s not a problem Zai” she smiled warmly as she picked up her mug and cautiously blew the hot drink before taking a sip. “What can I help you with?”

"I was hoping today to use the session to put thing right between not just myself and Lee Fang but him and Sabastian." He sighed. "I realize there is a lot to get through but there is a hatred between them...at least on Sabastian's part that I cannot figure out."

Lanna nodded. “Then that’s something that we do need to address, we don’t need anything that’s likely to cause problems in the future.” She paused. “Tell me Zai, is Sebastian a jealous person at all?”

He sighed. "No. Not at all...but with Fang...he's different."

Lanna frowned. “Different in what way? How does Sebastian change?” She paused. “Sorry, I’m just trying to get an idea of what’s going on.”

"No, I do need your help with this so ask anything. He becomes... frustrated, angry, he's on guard. Like he doesn't trust Fang...he is very protective always but with Fang he is more so. I sense...a tension, anger, pain. I don't know where it's coming from."

“Have you thought that maybe Sebastian is afraid? Afraid of losing you to a man he knows loves you. You and Fang were once very close to each other, those feelings still remain they’ve just changed now you’ve moved on.”

He sighed. "Yeah I've thought of it but when they are in the room together I sense guilt and anger and shame....maybe I'm just wrong or projecting...that's why I need your help."

“Guilt, anger and shame?” Lanna paused. “Do Fang and Sebastian know each other? Have they spent any amount of time together before?”

"They were in the same class at the Academy. My understanding from those around them is that they knew one another but were not friends. They only started interacting when I came to the Academy...in a negative way."

Lanna nodded. “Then perhaps we should ask them what’s going on? The air needs clearing so that you all know where you stand.”

Before he could say something the door chimed.

“Now that’s good timing” Lanna offered a warm smile.

Fang walked in. "Sorry I'm late we had a thing in Engineering." He looked at Zai for a moment he didn't know how to address him. "I..."

Zai picked up on it and waived his hand. "I prefer Zai."

Fang nodded. Just on the heels of Fang, Sabastian entered. He smiled at Zai. "Hello Darling. Sorry I was on the bridge, shift ran late."

He smiled at Sabastian and stood embracing him.

Fang looked away and seated himself as far from them as possible.

Lanna offered a warm and calming smile. “Thank you for coming, I know this isn’t exactly easy but I feel the air needs to be cleared here today. Not that I’m going to force anyone into anything of course.”

Zai sighed. "I'll start...Lee Fang we have to settle what's between us. I can...understand I dropped some information on you and left you in a state of shock. I'm willing to answer questions."

Fang looked out the window. "What's to answer. You are Zai and Xingtian, all this time you were telling me a lie as to who you were. Convincing me that Xingtian is dead."

Zai sighed. "Yes, but he is dead. I am not the same as I was when you knew me. I am completely changed."

Fang huffed. He was feeling hurt, and angry, and sad, and frankly tired.

Lanna was feeling it all, but doing her best not to let it get to her. “I believe what Fang is saying is that he would have preferred honesty from the beginning Zai. You may no longer be the Xingtian that Fang knew, but you are still the same person inside.” She offered Fang an understanding gaze before looking back at Zai.

Zai sighed. "I thought that he sent Starfleet after me, my only motive was vengeance, then I saw him and I felt everything I'd felt before. I did love you Fang but you treated me...horribly. You played with my feelings and at that point I didn't want to say anything. I knew you were toxic but I couldn't let go, even though I started resenting you. The day I met Sabastian I started to see another way...I fell in love with him but I also cared for you. It took me a long while to see that I was stuck in a pattern when it came to you and not so much a healthy one. I was holding myself accountable for a lot of things I was stuck in the past. We're empaths here except for you so I'm going to let the counselor help us on this. I don't love you anymore at least in that way but I do think we can salvage this friendship, perhaps with a lot of work. I won't force anything but it's how I feel. I'll let the counselor tell you if I am telling a lie."

Lanna shook her head. “Zai isn’t lying, he wants to be able to salvage your friendship, and from what I’ve seen of it it’s definitely worth saving.” She paused and looked at Sabastian. “What about you Sabastian, how do you feel about all of this?”

He was surprisingly blank. Zai noticed too. He put a hand on Sabastian's arm. "Sabastian...you can't block me or her. We agreed. Tell me the truth."

He shrugged. "If you and Fang are friends then you're friends. It's not my place to say yes or no. Just because you are friends with him does not mean I have to like or respect him."

Fang winced. His guilt was eating him up inside. "Sabastian..."

"Enough Lee. I am being truthful. I dislike you, you are a disloyal, dishonorable grain of trash and I will have no friendship with you but I cannot stop Zai from being your friend. I will however protect him in any way I can."

“Whoa there Sabastian” Lanna gave him a disapproving look. “I asked for honesty and you gave it, thank you for that. I would, however, like to clear this animosity between the two of you. What is this all about?”

Both Sabastian and Fang looked away. Sabastian began to speak and cold fear shot through Fang but he controlled it.

"Fang and I are two different people. After seeing how he treated Zai all these years and at the Academy I have no wish to know him. He led him on and then crushed him several times. Lee is a man who takes without giving, who is two faced and pushy..."

"Sabastian..." Fang said. "I....really am sorry." And he was. But he was apologizing for more then just how he treated Zai. Zai's eyes narrowed.

"Am I the only one here who thinks that these two are not giving us the full story."

“Uh huh” Lanna nodded and looked between Fang and Sabastian. “What happened between the two of you?”

"That is a long tale counselor. Let's just leave things there. A friendship between me and Lee is not possible."

Zai sighed. He stood. "I need to go to the bathroom. I need a moment." He left, feeling frustrated and tired and a little scared at what could have happened to create that level of hate. Sabastian didn't have a mean bone in his body but with Lee Fang there was a real hatred. He had a hunch Fang deserved it but...


To Be Continued...

 

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