Facing Friends

Posted on 19 Nov 2014 @ 7:19pm by Lieutenant Oren Idris Ph.D. & Petty Officer 3rd Class Ellsworth Hudson
Edited on on 19 Nov 2014 @ 9:45pm

3,371 words; about a 17 minute read

Mission: Episode 07 - Sojourn
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 6 - Operations Office/ Civilian Transport Shuttle, 15 days away from SB84
Timeline: MD -10: 1400hrs

[ON]

Cutting off his communication with T'Vanna with a lighter heart than when he'd started, Oren proceeded to sit in his chair, his feet resting on the edge of the table. Staring at his boots, he contemplated how much longer he could avoid the next call. He was certain there were more sequins he could be stitching to his costume. Or the walls of his room needed another washing. Sighing in agony, he ran his hands over his face and through his now, short hair.

Taking a few deep breaths, Oren closed his eyes and sent the call request, knowing Ellsworth would probably be in his quarters. Pulling his hands back from the console, he fumbled with them for a moment, contemplating ending the call before pushing himself away from the desk with his feet to stop himself. It was over now, he would have to face the music, as Terrans said.

A notification in the upper-right corner of Ellsworth's PADD caught his eye briefly, but he was right in the middle of finishing out a requisition request from the medical department and didn't want to be interrupted by whatever it was. Probably another damn requisition request; the closer they got to starbase, the faster they kept coming in.

"Incoming Transmission.

Ellsworth scowled at the mouthy PADD and swiped away the form he'd been working on to bring up the notification. Apparently, someone was calling. So he took a deep breath, settled himself on his bunk, and held the PADD in his lap before acknowledging the transmission. When the face appeared, he knew it was Oren immediately. He'd cut his hair, though. His floppy blonde locks were gone, replaced by something much more manicured. He still looked young. He still looked beautiful. But he looked different. And seeing him again after 17 days stirred something in him to the point that he'd almost forgotten how furious he was with the El Aurian.

Almost.

"Oren! Dammit! Where have you been? You know they won't tell me anything here? Anything! I don't even think I have a security clearance, much less the authorization to track people all over the Federation. I've had no idea where you've been," Ellsworth said, spitting it all out in rapid fire sentences. The longer he went on, the wetter his big black eyes became. He took a deep breath and spoke again in a voice that came out like a plaintive whimper, "I've missed you so much."

Oren sighed again, rubbing his face with is hand. "Ells..." he began. "I'm sorry." It was the lamest thing he could say, he knew, but he was at a loss. Seeing Ellsworth so hurt made a dull ache set itself in the pit of his chest, adding to his already persistent (though largely ignored) pain. But this wasn't a pain he could ignore, not when it was right there, in front of him in those big, watery eyes.

"There was just...so much going on in my head, I couldn't think straight!" he said, unable to meet Ells' eyes from the same he felt. "All I could do was let the staff know I had to go to Bajor, and then...." He let his hands fall to the desk and leaned his forehead on them, shielding his face from Ellsworth's eyes. "I'm so sorry," he finished.

Ellsworth tried to stay mad, or at least stay looking mad. He was pretty horrible at holding a grudge, though. While Oren was looking away, he touched the screen of the PADD half-expecting to feel some sort of physical connection but it wasn't there. Seeing and hearing but not feeling gave him a profound sense of loss. He felt something enter his bloodstream, probably some damn fool stupid Betazoid hormones, that made his limbs feel all weird. His heart was beating hard, not faster or slower but squeezing with what felt like more force with every contraction. His stomach seemed like it had turned sideways or something. He wiped at his eyes, mad at himself now, and tried not to make one of those stupid sounds that always squeaked out when you cried.

"Are you okay, Oren?"

The blonde lifted his head up to rest his chin on his hands. He smiled tiredly, for Ellsworth's sake. "Not really." Even though he knew Ellsworth couldn't feel a lie through the comm, he still couldn't tell him he was fine. Hell, he didn't look fine and anyone with half a brain could tell through the screen.

"But I will be," he assured him and this time, he knew it was at least half a lie.

Ellsworth was still but had a searching look in his eyes. He'd never relied much on his telepathy, even hated and resented it from time to time, but he wished more than ever he had some better control over it. Maybe it would help give him some intuitive sense of what was going on with Oren, because he was too afraid to ask. People didn't just disappear for no reason without telling you. Or, maybe they did... Maybe that was the lesson he was supposed to take away from K'os. And now, from Oren.

"Okay," Ellsworth said, voice cracking on the second syllable. His eyes darted uncertainly from side to side, feeling completely lost in the situation. What was he supposed to say to him? It's okay? But it wasn't okay. "Are you going to come back? To the ship?"

He didn't give a damn about the ship, of course. He meant 'come back to me' but he couldn't bring himself to say it, because if the answer was no then it was less of a personal rejection, less like Ellsworth was repeating his mistakes by being so open with another person again.

Oren's gaze softened and the dull ache intensified. "Of course I am," he told him firmly, hoping his voice carried some of the emotion behind the statement. "I'm on my way now. I'll be there in a week or two...Wow, I have...no idea what day it," Oren admitted, glancing at the date in the corner of his view screen. Only after a moment did he realise what kind of indicator of his emotional state that was.

Ellsworth always knew the day and time, almost instinctively (though he often ignored the time on purpose), but he didn't say anything because he didn't trust himself to speak. He just stared at Oren. His limbs still felt weird, jittery, and he thought there was something off about his breathing, like it was shallow. But that took more self-awareness than he had at the moment to worry about. He was just focused on the 'of course,' 'in a week or two,' and the overwhelming sense of relief.

"It's been rough, these past ten days. I had to go to Bajor to see...." He searched for a way to be as vague as possible but found none. "I'm sorry," he said, feeling like a complete ass now. Ellsworth wasn't stupid. He was naive and impulsive, but stupid was definitely not one of the words Oren would use to describe him.

"My friend Jules, she's a forensic anthropologist working on Bajor. She's working on identifying victims of the Occupation and...she called to tell me she'd found someone." He cursed himself for the last word. "My parents..." he managed to choke out, swallowing hard afterwards. "She found their remains and I had to go and....deal with that."

Ellsworth just started crying, of course. It had seemed inevitable anyway. He was so used to feeling empathy for people and assuming it was something to do with telepathy rather than his own innate concern for the people he cared about that the response came as a shock to him, given the distance and disconnect between them. The PADD slid off his lap at an unflattering angle as he quickly tried to stem the tide, using the sleeves of his uniform to wipe at his eyes and his nose. He hated crying like that; he was starting to feel like he'd cry in some form or fashion every time he spoke to Oren. The more he tried to stop it the redder his face turned and the worse he felt. But, if there was anything to set him off, anything to make him feel more pain for another person, it would be the loss of one's parents.

It took him a long while to get himself back under control and get the PADD back into a place where the camera would pick up more than just portions of his face coupled with an errant snob or sniffle.

"I'm sorry," he said, wiping at his eyes with the back of his sleeve one more time. "I'm... I'm not good at saying things. I mean, I don't know what to say. I just really wish you were here right now, Oren."

Ellsworth gave one big sniffle and stared for a minute, unsure how else to express himself. What did you say? What did anyone ever say to him that made him feel even the slightest bit better about the loss of his own parents? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. And he didn't think there was anything in the universe that anyone could actually say to truly make it better, anyway. The only thing he wanted to do was the only thing he ever knew how to do - touch Oren's face, smooth back his hair, press against him cheek-to-cheek, run his hands along his skin and make himself a physical presence, like a port in a storm.

"I wish I was there too."

The words were said in a solemn tone Oren didn't think he'd used in ages. As he ran his hand through his cropped hair, the El-Aurian suddenly looked much older than he usually did, the weariness of a long life evident in his features. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and trying his hardest to keep his mind off the remains that were in large, sealed boxed at the back of the transport. He couldn't look at them. He felt helpless every time he laid eyes on them, like what was inside them was somehow foreign and strange while knowing in the back of his mind that the people in there were still very much fresh in his memory.

Shaking his head, Oren looked back at Ellsworth. Enough of that.

"My parents...they died over sixty years ago. I'll be fine. It was just a shock to hear about this. I'll be fine," he repeated, giving Ellsworth a tired smile. "I miss you," he admitted, meaning it completely. He loved Ellsworth's company. There was just a connection he felt each time he was in his presence that he'd never felt before, even with past lovers. The Betazoid had managed to burrow his way into Oren's heart and make a home for himself there with just a few hours spent between them but Oren didn't doubt he'd stay in there for the rest of his life, in one capacity or another.

Sixty years seemed like...forever. Oren's age was never anywhere near the forefront of Ellsworth's mind, not just because it was hard for him to wrap his head around but also because it just didn't matter. Oren was Oren, without an age attached to him. But in this case, it seemed relevant. Sixty years since the death of your parents? Even if just discovering their remains was a raw experience, that was a lot of time to come to terms with the loss. And Oren seemed to be better at that stuff than Ellsworth could ever be in the next decade or two, so... Maybe he was okay.

"I miss you, too," Ellsworth said, even though he was repeating himself. He managed a smile, followed by a sniffle, before wiping at his face one final time. The way forward was unclear; he didn't know what to say. Were they supposed to talk about his parents, or his time on Bajor? Ellsworth finally decided to go with his gut to try to lighten the mood and forced himself to grin a little bit, like he was trying to control some excitement. "Did you get me anything at the spaceport? A jumja stick? I bet those don't last for weeks, though..."

Oren smiled at him, grateful and happy for the change of subject. "I'm sorry, sweetie, I forgot." It was only half a lie. It's better than saying 'I don't even remember the spaceport because all I could think about was trying to look like someone with a normal pulse who wasn't dragging his parents around like luggage.

"I'll make it up to you at the masquerade ball, I promise."

Ellsworth's eyes lit up. He'd nearly forgotten!

"I'm so excited about the masquerade! I'm still picking out my costume, but it's going to be beautiful. So, um... Do you, uh, have a date, yet? For the masquerade?" Ellsworth tried his best not to look over eager, which really only resulted in him being shifty-eyed.

But Oren wasn't easily fooled and Ellsworth was an open book to him, even on the viewscreen. He gave him an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry but I'm going with T'Vanna," he admitted, not wanting to say he 'had' to go with T'Vanna for fear of making it seem like he didn't like her. Which wasn't true of course, T'Vanna was very dear to him. "But I am definitely saving a few dances for you," he promised. "A tango, definitely," Oren added.

Ellsworth tried and predictably failed to hide his disappointment. Since he'd heard about the masquerade, the young Betazoid had conjured up any number of wonderful scenarios where he attended with Oren, assuming he returned to the ship. Some of them had very...confusing...conclusions. In fact, most of them had been confusing. Something about the anonymity of wearing masks had taken his thoughts in the usual direction, which just made him all the more disgruntled when he heard T'Vanna's name. Vulcans! Hmph.

"Okay," Ellsworth said meekly, forcing a smile. For the briefest moment he wondered about who he could ask to make Oren jealous, but that was an ugly thought and thankfully didn't last for more than a few seconds. They weren't bonded. Contractually obligated to spend their time together. Joined at the hip. It was perfectly fine to attend separately; at least he'd be getting a few dances. The tango was one of his favorites, so that broadened his smile into something genuine. "Have you got a costume, yet? I thought about going naked, but I don't think that would go over too well with the non-Betazoids. Plus, it's probably against some kind of Starfleet regulation or something boring like that."

"Yeah. Damn Starfleet and their Human-centric protocols," Oren said playfully. "I'm sure you'll pick something amazing. I'm still trying to figure mine out but I got some ideas from T'Vanna. She wants to wear a silk ballgown." He smiled fondly. "I think I'm going to go with purple and black lace. What do you think?"

Ellsworth smiled, almost to himself. He thought Oren would look handsome in purple and black lace, of course, and could immediately think of a million different outfits he could have worn to match. "I think it will go really well with your hair. I don't know who to ask to the masquerade... I thought I would ask Elijah." Ellsworth grinned, almost wickedly. "I think he's unclear about me, and it would be kinda funny to watch him squirm. Or maybe I could ask Grayson, I've been spending a lot of time with him, and I like his spots. Or... Maybe I should just go alone! But hopefully not leave alone." He gave a lop-sided grin and blushed a little at his own audacity.

Oren laughed, shaking his head fondly. "Well, can you blame Elijah? You are very intimidating." He smirked, giving him a playful smile. "Going alone is no fun. It's better to build up the tension with one person and then go home with them."

Ellsworth tilted his head to the side slightly and stared into the PADD's screen; what was that supposed to mean? He couldn't think of a single person on the ship he'd be building any tension with... Certainly not Grayson; they could hardly keep their pants on around each other, to the point that even Ellsworth was starting to think they were getting over-indulgent.

"Maybe I'll ask my roommate! She's a girl... Oh, did you know I got a new roommate? I got a new roommate! Her name is Mels. Uh, Melinda, I mean. She's really tall and really pretty and she's got this gorgeous hair and she even lets me braid it. She's a little mischievous, too. I bet we could get in lots of trouble."

Oren's smile widened into a grin. "Well see? That's who you ask! You always ask the troublemaker to events! That way you'll have fun, and they won't mind if you abandon them for someone cute," he reasoned, his tone very rational about the whole affair.

"I'm still not sure if I'll be able to be on the base by the time the ball start, but if I ask my pilot really nicely, maybe she'll fly faster," he mused.

Ellsworth was still partially disgruntled about not getting to go with Oren, probably because he'd made the mistake of coming up with this entire fantasy night in his head before he even asked. That was always a dumb thing to do when you didn't know about something for sure cuz it just led to disappointment. Mels would be a great date, he thought, but not as great as the fictional date he'd already composed. But at least they'd get to dance...

"Huh, what? You might not make it?" Ellsworth squeaked, holding the sides of the PADD in something akin to panic. "Let me talk to her! I can be very persuasive... Wait, is she old? I've never been very good with old people." Suddenly, he grinned. "Present company excluded, of course."

"Of course," Oren repeated with a nod. "She's not old, but I'll try to manage by myself and hope I make it," he explained though, in some way, Oren was dreading the ball. As excited as he'd been when he'd first heard about it, the idea of spending hours in a large hall surrounded by people in masks made him feel just as nervous.

"There is no try, only do," Ellsworth said, sounding very sage-like as he quoted something only vaguely familiar. He beamed at Oren through the screen, leaning closer until he was sure his whole face filled it from edge to edge. "Okay? Okay."

Oren smiled back. "Okay," he agreed, nodding. "Will you meet me at the docking station when I get there?" he asked hopefully, folding his arms onto the console and resting his head on them. Putting his own face closer to the image of Ellsworth's made him feel closer to him somehow, even if it wasn't in person.

Ellsworth couldn't help but grin as his friend's face grew larger in the PADD's screen; even with the new haircut, he was adorable and made the young Betazoid just want to grab his face and kiss him affectionately. "Are you kidding? Of course! I'll, like, camp out the night before so I can be first in line when the transport arrives. And I'll hug you and put my arms around your neck and kiss you and hang on you and carry your bags and make everyone else jealous that they didn't have such a handsome young Betazoid waiting for them, too."

Oren's smile grew into a grin as he shook his head before looking at Ellsworth. "They should be jealous. I'm very lucky," he said sincerely, wondering why he'd avoided Ellworth in the first place.

[OFF]

PO3 Ellsworth Hudson
Quartermaster
USS Galileo
[ PNPC - Mott ]

Oren Idris, Ph.D.
Archaeologist/Anthropologist
USS Galileo

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