Three Couples and a Dinner Table - Part IV
Posted on Fri Nov 29th, 2024 @ 2:13am by Lieutenant JG Zai & Lieutenant Adrianna Baciami
1,288 words; about a 6 minute read
Mission:
Stars Around the Well
Location: Zai and Sabastian's Quarters | USS Arcadia
Timeline: Current
ON:
Sabastian's response was instantaneous and rather then a rage filled shove a strike of anger and fear shot through him a fight or flight reflex and he turned tearing out of Fang's grip. He moved back against the wall. "Do not grab me like that."
Fang's eyebrows furrowed. "Jeez I'm sorry Sabastian I for..."
Zai and Frankie had shot to their feet Annabelle looked at Adrianna shooting her a look to say 'we need to defuse this.'
Adrianna caught the look and walked over standing between the men rather calmly. She dropped her voice for only the two men to hear, "do not make this night be tainted because of poor timing for conversation. If you want to have it out properly, save it for therapy or a boxing ring. Fang--leave. Sabastian-- take a minute and then save us from whatever merde Zainis planning."
Sabastian gave a nod heading to the room. Zai got up. "I'll walk you out Fang." He did just that stepping outside for a moment. He returned a couple minutes later and looked towards Sabastian's empty seat. "He's not back yet?" He felt a little worried.
Adrianna waved him off, walking back over to her seat next to Vance, "if he's not back in five, I will go after him. Have faith."
Sabastian sat on the floor leaning against the closet doors. He was trying to just regain his balance. Everything was converging into one. The nightmares from the past when he'd almost died, being around Fang for a long time, this shift metamorphosis. It wasn't overshadowing his happiness of being here, with Zai, but it was making its presence known.
It had been just over five minutes. Adrianna knocked quietly on the door, "Sabastian, it's Ade. Can I come in?"
He sighed. "Yeah."
"I wouldn't have taken no for an answer anyway," she waited for the door to shut behind her, before sitting down next to him. She remained a silent companion, there if he needed her or wanted to talk. She rested her head softly on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry I overreacted. I'm having a bit of a rough time with all this."
"Hardly overreacting," she smiled, sitting back up straight, "you didn't kill him or actually knock him out."
He grinned. "No but I vividly pictured it."
She shrugged, "what's a murder scene between work colleagues?" Her dark humour shone through.
He sighed. "I'm just making things hard for Zai. I have to suck it up and just deal with it."
"There no way for you to find a way of dealing with everything?" She asked, "the academy was years ago, cucciolo, you cannot judge a man on who he was when changes have been made."
"Ah I see Annabelle has been talking. She and Frankie are the only ones who know." He sighed. "Still I'm glad someone else understands. First off I get it. It was a long time ago and I should let it go but... I mean I get that he created an elaborate ruse to make it seem like Zai hated me and it's my mistake for believing it. But the fact that he switched the alcohol and ... I can even stomach that. He switched it and I drank it my fault. But sabotaging the shuttle? I almost burned to death in that shuttle....I keep having nightmares about it. And then that kiss. Fine he kissed me, no big deal but ... that night I felt so powerless and all I could think of was I was cheating on Zai. I mean I didn't kiss him back but still what gave him that right? Tonight when he grabbed me..." He sighed. "I'm supposed to be the strong one."
"I get it-- more than most," she nodded sadly, "not just the kiss thing, but that's part of a redacted file. Look, I'm not saying that you need to be best friends with him. But maybe talking it through with Fang-- if you see first hand that he feels guilty for what he did, or perhaps just that he's changed it may help your heal. I'm not a shrink, but it makes a little sense to me. Either way-- we'll be back on base in a few weeks. Perhaps you can consider either removing yourselves from his presence or the other way around."
He sighed. "Yeah. It makes sense. This is temporary anyway, I'm just here for this mission then back to my Station. That's what has me in a knot. I'll be away from my husband for a long time. This time with Zai...the ceremony was just us and the officiant but it's the little things; waking up with him in the morning. It's his hugs, his smell, that smile. I'll be away from it all. That scares me."
Adrianna nodded, "doesn't have to just be this mission, cucciolo."
"Yeah but I'd have to resign from Starfleet. There is no role I can fill here. I'm temporarily filling Nav/Con but I'm an engineer and well you all have Zai and of course our XO, idiot boy."
She cautiously asked, "but what about the other way?"
"I could never ask Zai to sacrifice being on a ship. He loves this. He's wanted to sail the stars since he was a child. He used to tell me how he'd lay under the stars and imagine being amongst them and these elaborate exploring missions. I could never ask him to stay stationary on the station. The job is not an issue. I mean I didn't tell him yet but they offered me XO of the station then we'd need a new Chief Engineer."
Adrianna was processing for a moment before she finally said, "you know, you should at least give him a chance to make up his own mind. It won't hurt to at least give him the option. It doesn't mean he will take it. If you do become XO though... I could use a few favours in return for keeping Zai's ass safe and not killing him tonight for the couples games and interrupting a moment between myself and Vance earlier." She offered him a smile, "no matter what happens, or where you are, you two will still be each others."
He sighed. "Gods, am I protecting him too much? It's just that he had to be strong for so long and he did everything on his own since he was young. He was a child that lead his army to victory and his people out of danger and the academy and Starfleet he's been strong for everyone is it wrong that I want him to be his authentic self with me?"
"You need to take a step back, use this as a way to test the waters. I cannot answer your question, but perhaps you are thinking too much and protecting him too much," she paused, "he fell in love with you for more than your ability to protect him."
He sighed. "You are right." There was a long pause before he said, "can we wallow in self-pity for a few more moments before we go back?"
She snorted, "I think it would be rude not to. I mean... Annabelle took- what-- 10 minutes... You can take two more minutes-- rounding up to 15."
He smiled. "Can I ask you a personal question?"
"Depending on how personal, I might not answer," she leaned her head back on the closet and looked over at Sabastian, "but sure."
He was quiet for a while. "Do you ever get nervous about being married...worried about being a good partner to Vance?"
To Be Continued...
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