Opening Up

Posted on Wed Dec 15th, 2021 @ 7:02pm by Ensign Alexandra 'Lexi' O'Connery & Commander William Gerhard

Mission: Mission 5 - Babel
Location: Unknown Planet
Timeline: Day 271 23:00
2450 words - 4.9 OF Standard Post Measure

The tents and command tent had been moved to be beside the tower over the course of the day once the tower had been declared safe and empty despite the fact they wonder who created it. It was a startling backdrop to the fire that the group had created to get rid of the darkness of the strange planet. The days were 36 hours long but the nights at that moment where they were on the planet were 14 hours long and it had been dark for hours which had stopped the camping party from leaving to go explore wider.

Lexi was wiped as she stood from the campfire offering smiles and goodnights to the small group that was there.

William saw the camp light as he approached from his scouting trip to the forested area with some of the science team. He was due back aboard the ship on the next shuttle to leave, but that meant he would have to spend one night with the camp. He recalled he had no sleeping gear, but he knew where he could borrow some as he smiled slightly to himself. He found Lexi's tent and checked he was not being observed as he silently unzipped the opening. As he entered, he saw Lexi stand from the group at the campfire and begin making her way over to him. He rezipped the opening and removed his pack and sat it next to the cot. He kept the lantern light doused as he positioned himself beside the tent flap as he heard it begin to unzip. He knew that the last time they were together, he had revealed his feelings to her. He was hoping this small act of teasing would ease the tension between them.

"Boo," he said as Lexi entered the tent beside him. He scooped her into his arms as he said this and kissed her on the cheek as he awaited the playful slap he knew was coming.

Lexi was to tired to notice that her tent was not closed all the way as she stepped inside and a voice spoke to her from the darkness making her yelp. Even as the man caught her up and kissed her cheek she was already reaching for her weapon. She stopped as she realised it was the armoury chief but her heart was still beating fast from the shock. “William…” she cried, slapping him as he expected, shoving him back a bit so she could calm down.

The slap was alittle harder than he expected and he let himself be pushed away from her. He then noticed she had been reaching for her weapon and he put his hands up in surrender. "Woah there, It was just a joke," he said with a slight laugh. In hindsight it probably wasn't the best idea to scare Lexi, especially given how on edge she had seemed earlier. He had hoped it would ease some of the tension, and he relaxed when he saw the smile and heard her laugh as she relaxed.

“What are you doing here?” She demanded laughing finally as she realised he was actually pulling a trick on her. She could not believe the normally storic man was pulling a trick on her of all people. “I nearly stunned you. Are you trying to kill me off early?”

William smiled back at her as he gingerly approached as he brought his hands down. "Before I was going to head back to the ship, Crewman Fuller took a bad fall and twisted his ankle. I gave him my seat to get it checked out, then went out with a science team to scout the forested area," he said as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "I hoped you wouldn't mind if I stayed the night with you before heading back in the morning," he asked. He then looked at her with an upraised brow, "Why would you think I was trying to kill you off early?"

The woman put the weapon back properly and took in another deep breath as she focused on the man. “Well, that was very kind of you.” She commented relaxing. “You scared me is all. Did you find anything interesting?”

He ran his hands through his hair and removed his own holstered weapon from its place on his hip. "Well, If I'm honest I felt like I was back on Earth hiking in the forests of my home. The trees, at least they look like trees, were massive. For an untouched forested area, it was fairly clear though. The only thing that made me realize I was on an alien planet was the lack of wildlife," he said as he pulled a camping chair from his pack, opened it and sat down as he unlaced his boots. He looked up at her with a sly grin, "Don't worry, I'll put my smelly boots outside because I know the odor upsets you." He then laughed when she gave him a snarky look.

Lexi narrowed her eyes. "That is one way to let everyone know you are here." She told him before sitting down on the bed. She felt like it was more alien than anything due to the silence of the place. There was nothing apart from the noise that they made around them. It was unnerving. "It is the sound of silence that is getting to me I think. I am not used to that silence." It had been a long time since she had truly heard nothing.

William nodded as he looked at her for a moment before probing, "Is that why you've seemed so tense and worried about something happening to you?" He hoped that given what had, or rather hadn't been, said the last time he saw her would allow her to open up to him. He wouldn't push her, but any little cracks in her defense he hoped he could exploit.

“Something will happen to us all eventually. I am just at peace with it I guess.” She said with a shrug as she sat on the camp bed and took his own boots off. She looked up and saw him looking at her watching her and offered a smile. “I am fine. I am just a little down at the moment that this is what our lives are now. Ship, find a planet, find supplies, run from something.” The woman lied. It was everyone’s else worry, she had nothing to go back to Earth for apart from an abusive ex boyfriend who refused to let her go and an aunt who cared very little for her really.

He stared at her for a moment more before leaning back in his camp chair. He understood where she was coming from, but he felt that she may not be telling him the whole truth. "I can understand the sentiment, though I recall you telling me you wanted to live your life without knowing what steps you'd take. I know we didn't join Starfleet to get stuck over a hundred years from home, but we have each other to rely on now," he said as he looked down at his boots. "You know how much you mean to me since i told you earlier, but I don't have anything to go back to on Earth," he said softly.

That was enough for Lexi to lean over and let out a soft sob as she listened to him. His words meant the world to her but she knew the steps she was going to take and it was going to end. “I do know. I just…” she shook her head and wiped her tears. “How do you not have anything to go back to?”

William stopped and looked over at her with concern. He stood and made his way over and sat next to her on the cot. "Hey, come here," he said as he wrapped his arms around her and brought her close. He used his hand to wipe the tears from her face. He could tell that she was touched by his words, but the reason for her tears went deeper. He stayed silent for a moment before continuing, "My family and I had a falling out before I joined Starfleet. I haven't spoken to my parents since."

Lexi felt silly as he wiped her tears and she was forced to face that she was fully apart with the stress of what she knew.

“I did not realise. You never really mention them.” She said burying her face in his shoulder just taking deep breaths in as she listened.

He held her there close to him as he thought about his parents for the first time in ages. While he had not made his upbringing easy on them, he did not have many fond memories of his childhood. His father, a career Starfleet enlisted man, was hardly around when he was younger, and his mother was strict. William was a surprise to his parents; his older brother Norman was five years his senior. He was rebellious and a delinquent and his years spent in the subarctic climate of northern Sweden with his Uncle and Aunt had not endeared him to his mother. Rather it had toughened him up and hardened his resolve.

"Normally I don't think about them. They never really treated me as their son, but If I'm honest I didn't make it easy on them. After my mother sent me to live with my uncle in the north of Sweden close to the arctic, I never really forgave her. Before I joined Starfleet, they would've been happy to see me go to prison instead," he said opening some of his past up to her. He had not shared this much with her since they had been together, and he hoped that by his opening up might get her to confide what had been bothering her. He continued, "My brother Norman and I were close though, and we always tried to stay in touch. I never blamed him for my growing up."

The woman nodded into his shoulder wrapping an arm around him as she listened. Their pasts were not too dissimilar m, maybe it was why they had ended up drawn to each other. “I am happy that you went to Starfleet instead of prison.” She finally said trying to think of what she could say to make it better for him. “I think you are perfect just the way you are.” She murmured pulling back to look at him properly. Her face was pale and blotchy as she looked at him.

He looked down at her and smiled. He pulled her closer and gave her a soft kiss. He lingered there for a moment and whispered to her, "And i think your perfect just the way you are Lexi." He then looked into her eyes, "And I'm happy that I didn't end up in prison as well, because I would not have met you."

"Who knew you would have to get stuck 150 years from home to find someone." She teased him kissing him before snuggling close to him savouring the feeling that he was creating in making her feel safe for the first time it felt like in five years and it had nothing to do with being 150 years from the person who had hurt her to much she had run off to space.

He rested his head on top of hers and gently prodded, "Now, why don't you tell me what's been bothering you so much."

"I... I... William... look I do not want to talk about it. I am fine... I just..." The woman sighed and pulled back from where she had been snuggled quite nicely and looked at him. "I love you... You are the first man that has made me feel safe in a romantic way and I do not want to lose that." She said telling him what she was worried about without telling the specifics.

William looked into her eyes and realized what had been bothering her. He felt his heart race in his chest when she said that she loved him. "Oh Lexi," he said soothingly as he took her hand in his. "I promise you that I will always be here for you, and I won't let anything happen to you. When I make a promise, I always keep them." He pulled her towards him and held her there for a moment. "I love you too Lexi," he said softly.

The woman let him pull her close. She knew she should have argued that he could not keep that promise nor could he predict but at that moment she was just relieved that he knew some of what was on her mind. She hated the phrase a burden shared is a burden halved but at that moment it was nice. "Can we go to sleep now?" She wondered looking around at the small tent wondering how they were going to make it work.

He nodded as he felt her yawn. "Of course. I got a sleeping bag, I'll take the ground since it is your tent. I promise you i won't snore this time," he said with a chuckle. William didn't mind sleeping on the ground, he had a knack for being comfortable no matter where he was.

It was a kind offer but it that moment she actually wanted him close if possible. The hard wasn’t hard and she had roll matts that she had acquired off the marines for a potential camping trip after the man had put the idea in her head. “Could both take the floor and cuddle up?” She said sitting on the cot to take off her uniform leaving her in a vest top and shorts. She put her belt and armour under the cot safe and accessible but out of the way enough that it would not cause issues.

He smiled at her and nodded, "Of course Lexi." He found the mats under her cot and laid them out before unzipping his own sleeping bag, opening it fully and spreading on top. He then used her own sleeping bag to do the same. He removed his uniform shirt and trousers leaving him just wearing his shorts. He then joined her on the mats and pulled her close to him as he extinguished the lantern. He kissed the top of her head as he felt her snuggle close to him. "I love you," he whispered to her.

Lexi found herself sleeping smiling as she settled into the small space and was pretty much asleep before the last thought she had was - for how long.