Sometimes Being Happy Can Be Self-Destructive (Part 2)

Posted on 18 Mar 2013 @ 6:25pm by Lieutenant Kiri Cho & Commander Andreus Kohl

1,944 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Episode 03 - Frontier
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 3, Kiri Cho's Quarters
Timeline: MD 04 - 0122 hours

[Continued]

That Kiri was leaning into him, closer and closer, was surprising to Kohl, but only because of what he thought he knew about the young woman. The Human notion of personal space --that hotly guarded neutral zone around a Human's body-- was not something Kohl had understood until he began at Starfleet Academy. To Kohl, physical contact was another layer of communication. It was a kind of communication he understood even better than vocal inflection, and he heard something, something in the way Kiri was holding him; it was something seemingly new. Kohl added an extra squeeze in his hug, and then started to pull his arms away. As he did so, he took care to stay where he was, on the floor close to Kiri.

Very uncertain Kiri slowly backed away, shifting back slightly across the floor. Her first reaction was to say sorry but she didn't know why, falling silent. Her face turned rather red as she looked at the box and then back to him. Kohl was the one that remembered her birthday, that had made her so happy. Now he was back, he had held her, "I missed you."

"Don't think about that now," Kohl said softly. He tilted his head slightly, following Kiri's wandering eyes to the box he had discarded on the floor. He shifted his posture, and Kohl said, "I should let you sleep. You need your rest." Kohl began to rise to his feed and scooped up the box as he did so. "I got these for you," Kohl said, proffering the box to Kiri. "They're from Vega Colony."

"You don't have to go," Kiri would much rather talk to him rather than go to bed. Not really sure what he meant by his comments Kiri slipped the latch on the box open, even then she wasn't really sure what to make of it. Then she recognised one, lifting up a spiky mass that looked like a shelled chestnut, "It's a Trillish fruit?"

Kohl was kneeling upright, slightly awkwardly, as his body was caught in limbo between standing or sitting back down on his feet. "Yes, they are," Kohl said, and he beamed at her expectantly. "I don't-- I can't pronounce the name, but Edias took me to an entire orchard where they grow. I hoped you would like them. They're sweet but not cloyingly so."

"Thank you, thank you very much," He had seen them and thought of her? Even when he was away, so he planned to come back? She could share them with Lilou who lamented that real fruit was better. The fact that there was someone else involved in picking them soured her feelings ever so slightly, "I should get you something." She'd gotten Theron a sword, would he like something like that? Something else?

"Oh no," Kohl replied with a light shake of his head. His angular facial features softened entirely when he smiled -- it changed the shape of his entire face. Kohl sat down on the floor, as he elaborated in a tongue-in-cheek manner: "They were a gift, Cho. Not an economic transaction. Take them and smile."

"But, I want to give you something," Kiri shared the smile for a moment, not needing to be told, "What duty shift will you be on?" If he was still assistant department head like her, then would they both be working Beta shift together?

"Alpha shift?" Kohl replied uncertainly. He slouched a bit from where he was sitting on the floor, and he stifled a yawn. "When I was promoted, Paula transferred me to alpha shift. I suppose that may have changed when we received new medical personnel..."

"Oh," It was disappointed this time, she had hoped to be able to spend more time with him. Taking a breath she tried to smile, "I am on Beta shift now." Placing the fruit back in the box and closing it she looked right at him, "Can we do things together?"

"Of course we can," Kohl said encouragingly. His smile seemed to say he couldn't imagine it any other way. He shifted his seated position again, and he took a couple of long blinks. Then Kohl looked at Kiri and he asked, "What things were you thinking about when you asked that?"

"I don't know, um, I don't really know what sort of things you like," Kiri managed a small smile. Looking at his face, his eyes, she felt much better than she had done for days with him here, "What would you like?"

"No. No, tell me," Kohl said. Despite his demanding choice of words, his delivery was nothing but warmth and curiosity. He leaned forward. "What things were you thinking about when you asked me that?"

Kiri found it very hard to say what she wanted, it was unnatural. Her worry was that he wouldn't want to do it, that he'd think she was strange, or worse. Trying not to bite on her tongue she spoke very softly, "A walk, or, maybe, do you exercise?" She'd wanted to do things with him at the beach, but nothing all that solid, she wanted just to spend time with him, to be close to someone.

"I still practice the yoga they were teaching at the Academy when I was a cadet," Kohl said, not that he was terribly much older than Kiri, but he was conscious about it sometimes. It crept through in his choice of words there. Amicably, he went on: "I run on deck eight before my shift, and I keep free weights in my quarters."

"I have started doing things with Warrant Officer Cyrus Kiwosk in the mornings, we could do something though, if you like?" Exercise was still something she didn't like but was something she felt she had to do never the less. If she wanted to be stronger, it was the only way. It left her tried and sore but it might be nicer with Kohl.

"Sure, I can do stuff and things with you and Kiwosk," Kohl replied, although it may have sounded as if he were appeasing her somewhat impatiently. Especially as he quickly followed up with, "In the morning. We can do things in the morning. Would you mind terribly-- I mean, could I sleep here?" He pointed at himself and then he pointed at the couch. "Or there?"

Kiri flushed bright red. What did he mean exactly? Did he not have anywhere else to go? Why her quarters, just her sofa or her bed? For her, in her skewed view of the world it wasn't proper for a male friend to make such a request. Even those in a relationship it was something that shouldn't happen all at once. Yet, if he was here then she wouldn't be on her own. Her voice as startled as her face, "Is, that where you want to be?"

"Kiri," he said, and it was the first time he had used her first name since she had asked him not to, days and days ago. Kohl looked to her from behind half-lidded eyes, and he said, "I've been on my feet and answering questions since four today --or I guess yesterday now. I don't think I could walk back to my quarters even if I wanted to."

That sort of made sense, if he was her guest though, "You can use my bed if you want." Standing up she took the box under her arm and blinked. He was taller than she was and the sofa wasn't exactly big. It was strange that she would have someone else here but it was exactly what she had talked to Dawn about earlier. It would make her quarters seem more alive.

"No, oh no," said Kohl, and it came out a little sing-song without his intending it to do so. "I can't kick you out of your own bed. You seem so tired too. I can sleep on the carpet. It's comfortable! Really."

"I don't mind, but if you are sure?" Kiri still had to get ready for bed, take a shower and get changed. This would be the first time doing any of that with someone other than her family in the same house. It was rather scary, still, exciting too.

"Yes, I am surely sure," Kohl replied. He crawled the few paces across the carpet to reach the sofa and then he stretched himself out atop the small, cushy furniture. As he began pulling open his uniform jacket, he said, "Just let me close my eyes for a while. And I'll talk to Pola in the morning about my shift schedule. Maybe-- maybe she did change it while I was on Venture."

Kiri watched him for a moment, turning away as soon as he started to undo his jacket. Trying to work out the situation she was now in she stood still before heading towards the bedroom. Planning out how she was going to manage this situation was all she could do. Going to her draws she picked out another pair of shorts, vest and underwear. Folding them so only the vest was on display she held them close to her chest as she crossed the room again, looking towards Kohl as she did so. For a few minutes she disappeared, the sonic shower humming slightly.

Splayed out on the couch, back in the main room, Kohl was trying his damnedest to kick his boots off without having to reach them with his hands. Or open his eyes. Opening his eyes felt as if it required the most effort of all.

If she couldn't have locked the bathroom door Kiri wouldn't have dared take a shower like she did. Still dressed in her old uniform, she had changed everything underneath. Walking to the replicator she placed her old clothes inside and silently selected for them to be cleaned. Placing them to one side for a moment, glancing back to Kohl she wasn't sure if he was already asleep or not. Still, turning back to the replicator she created a thin blanket she walked back towards him.

Curled in on himself on the sofa, Kohl lay there in bare feet and uniform trousers. His eyes were closed and he was hugging himself tightly. His jacket was bundled on the floor near his boots, and his combadge was neatly placed on the side table. His teal tunic was pulled open down the front, and his chest rose and fell as he breathed softly.

Confused by what she was feeling Kiri stood for a moment watching him, biting on her lip. She had thought he was gone from her life forever and now he was sleeping on her sofa, he would be here when she woke up. He was her friend and maybe, well maybe, he did keep bringing her presents and thought of her. A smile crossed her lips as she took the corners of the blanket and let it unfold to the floor. Casting it over him she let it fall softly, "Goodnight," Whispered a happy voice. Blushing slightly that she could see some of his skin she started to retreat towards the bedroom.

Even behind a door and tired she lay awake for a while more. Thinking about the fact that Kohl was back, in her room. Did that mean she actually had a prospect of having a relationship now? How should she approach that, should she? Kiri didn't make much progress before finally falling asleep.

[OFF]

Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Andreus Kohl
Assistant Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo

Lieutenant (JG) Kiri Cho
Assistant Chief Science Officer
USS Galileo

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