Parting is such sweet sorrow

Posted on 08 Feb 2015 @ 6:14am by Lieutenant Olsam Mott

1,862 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 07 - Sojourn
Location: SB84, Mott freighter, docking bay
Timeline: MD44, just before Gamma shift start

ON:

Feeling better, and able to bear clothes against his skin again, Tyrion made his way back to the freighter. He was literally running through the corridors because he didn't have that much time. The Motts were leaving, and he was on duty soon and he could not afford to be late.

"Kot!" he called out as he reached the docking hatch. "Kot!"

The freighter, the docking hatch, and everything in the nearby vicinity was an absolute nightmare. Bolians were everywhere, and their belongings were in even more places. Lobsters were stacked atop giant containers were stacked atop bundles of clothing and souvenirs purchased in the starbase's shops. It all looked very precarious, as if at any moment a lobster might reanimate, crawl off the top of a stack, knock into the next stack, and send it all tumbling to the deck plating.

"Kot!" One of the Bolians shouted, seeing the Betazoid looking a little lost. "Your boyfriend's here!"

The message was picked up by another Bolian and passed along from person to the person into the freighter until eventually Kot, deep in the interior of the ship, received news that his "Betazoid sex friend" was standing outside "completely naked" and "distracting everyone." The bulky subspace technician rolled his eyes over how juvenile his family could be, wiped off his hands and then made his way back to the fore of the ship and through the docking hatch. When he saw Tyrion, he grinned.

"Hi, Tyr," Kot said, boldly stepping up to him and kissing him full on the lips. He figured his size might give them a little privacy, but in reality he didn't really care. He knew they were going to tease him all the way back to Bolarus anyway, so it didn't matter. "I was afraid I would have to sabotage the engines to keep the ship from pushing off. Is everything okay?"

Tyrion shook his head as he returned the kiss with a passion of his own. "No, it's not," he admitted, "I don't have a whole lot of time but I didn't want to not say goodbye." Tears welled up in the Betazoid's eyes as he wrapped his arms tightly around the larger man's frame. "Don't go..."

Kot wrapped his arms around Tyrion, enveloping him in a warm and comforting embrace. It didn't take an empath to feel the tension in his voice, and it was pulling at his heart strings. He wanted to be able to say he wouldn't go, that he'd found some miraculous way for them to stay together. But the sad truth was that they both had careers that would keep them apart for the foreseeable future. Kot went where the Federation needed him; Tyrion went where Starfleet needed him.

Sure, they'd have subspace and maybe shoreleave or the rare occasion when their professional paths would come close enough to crossing. The cynical part of him said this would end up being a 'starbase romance,' the kind of fling that flared brightly and then burned out like a dying star, smothered by the oppressive weight of time and distance. But it was a quiet distraction in the back of his mind; at the moment, he was overwhelmed by the feeling of being separated from someone he'd grown almost irrationally close to in the span of a few days.

"I wish I could stay," Kot said. He pulled Tyrion tighter against him and ran a hand through his hair over and over again, doing his best to be comforting where words were sure to fail. Behind them his family had at first taken to making teasing noises but as the embrace went on they'd quieted down, content to leave the pair an intimate moment of privacy.

Tyrion just stood there, holding on to him as if never to let go. Tears that had welled up now flowed freely down his cheeks. He felt almost as broken as when he had learned of Tyrek's death, and he stood trembling within the strong arms that held him. He said nothing, he didn't have to because his entire bearing spoke volumes.

Kot gave a wistful smile and made sure not to give any slack in his embrace; it seemed important in that moment to be strong and consistent for Tyrion. He couldn't claim to understand the Betazoid perfectly well - in truth, they'd only had two rushed days to try to spill all the details of their lives - but he was well-acquainted with feelings of loneliness and hopelessness and what it felt like to find yourself moving out of the darkness into the light with someone beside you.

"We'll see each other again soon," the Bolian said, keeping his voice to an intimate whisper. He brought his chin to his chest and nuzzled against the top of Tyrion's head, feeling a little panicky about his need to comfort the man but being unsure what he could actually do to ease his distress. "I'll find holosuites when I can, and we can set up a datalink with the Galileo. I know it's not quite the same being with a holographic me, but it'll still be my voice and my movements and my personality. And it's better than just having to talk through subspace, right?"

At first Tyrion could only nod, not trusting his voice to speak in case it would break. He eased his hold on the Bolian just a little, enough to be able to look up at him. "It's better than nothing, better than not seeing or hearing you at all," he whispered sadly. "It's strange isn't it...how easy you can just develop feelings for someone."

Kot smiled and leaned down to press his forehead against Tyrion's. He did feel an undeniable connection with the other man that seemed to extend beyond their time together in the bedroom, but he suspected that what he felt Tyrion was feeling ten times over. He wasn't an expert on the subject, but he recalled from basic exobiology that Betazoids were an...emotional...people. It tugged at his heart even more than the departure itself, to know that when he felt down and depressed about missing Tyrion that Tyrion would be feeling it so much worse.

"Strange and wonderful," Kot said, grinning. "I wasn't going to come here, you know. There was a contract I could have taken, but I decided at the last minute I should tag along. I hadn't need Olsam in years, and I thought I could use a little vacation... I never imagined I would find someone here, out in the middle of nowhere."

"We would never have met, if Doctor Voutilainen hadn't dragged me along to that club." Tyrion sighed, smiling weakly. "I'm glad she did. I'm glad you did..." He leaned up, pressing their lips together again. "I'll miss you so much."

"Tuula?" Kot asked, laughing. "Your 'cousin,' wasn't it?"

"Yea my cousin." Tyrion smiled, shaking his head. "Not really, she's my doctor. And I guess one of the few friends I got, period."

"I thought as much. Good thing, too, since she's my sister-in-law, eh? Might make family get togethers a little awkward," Kot said with a teasing smile. A comfortable, easy silence fell between them, punctuated only by the occasional sound made by his family behind them. Suddenly, his face twisted in pain and anguish. "I don't want to go."

"Then don't go," Tyrion pleaded, tears starting to roll down his cheeks again. He could feel the pain and anguish as well as if it were his own.

With their departure growing all the more imminent, Kot found himself feeling increasingly amorous. There was a lot to be said for the emotional fulfillment of a relationship but in truth it was the physical presence of another person, a person you had a meaningful connection with, that he missed almost as much during the lonely months in space. He glanced over his shoulder at his family and then slowly pushed Tyrion backwards until they'd rounded a corner in the corridor. He smiled at him first and then kissed him, long and passionately.

"I'm going to miss you, Tyr. Tuula should've brought you around a lot sooner."

Breath taken by the sudden and passionate kiss, Tyrion stood trembling. "I'm going to miss you too," he whispered longingly, "I'm going to be such a mess when you're gone." He shook his head. "don't go, please don't go."

Kot ran a thumb along Tyrion's cheek and gave him an affectionate look. He'd had a picture of them taken together during one of their excursions on to the promenade, but he thought he'd prefer to remember him like this in his mind's eye: almost innocent, heart on his sleeve, kind and loving, wide-eyed. It had been a long, long, long time since anyone had looked at Kot like that - perhaps never - and despite the sad circumstances it was something he relished.

Around the corner, two voices called Kot's name, prompting him to frown. He was the biggest and strongest among them by a mile, the only Mott that seemed the least bit bothered to take care of himself aside from the naturally skinny Korvin, and he knew they'd be needing him to move some of the heavier items. He looked over his shoulder and then turned back to Tyrion, seeming very torn about staying or attending to his family.

"Tyr, I've gotta..."

Tyrion nodded, but refused to let him go. "I know," he whispered sadly, giving him a final hug. He too had a picture, which he had placed beside his bed. "I have to go too, I'm almost on duty and I can't be late."

He walked back with Kot, then turned and grabbed him in a fierce kiss. "Don't forget me," he whispered. "I love you."

"How could I ever...?" Kot asked, giving him a sad smile. The words 'I love you' hit him hard, though, and brought to mind an earlier discussion with his eldest brother. He'd warned him of the words, but they felt right when he heard them come out of Tyrion's mouth. He didn't care what Olsam thought about it; ultimately, it wasn't any of his business. And he wasn't about to walk away from such a handsome and loving man without telling him that his feelings were reciprocated. "I love you, too, Tyr. And I'll never forget you, promise."

Tyrion nodded and, tears flowing freely, started to walk away.

Kot watched him for a few moments, decided he probably couldn't bear it much longer, and then turned away himself. There was a big cargo container sitting near the hatch that needed to be carried into the freighter, so he picked it up and made for the ship. Something about it, picking up the heavy item while Tyrion disappeared down the corridor, made it seem like he was transitioning back into his old, lonely life. He cast one glance over his shoulder and frowned; hopefully, it wasn't permanent.

OFF:
CPO Tyrion Faye
Intelligence Officer
USS Galileo
[PNPC T'Vanna]

Kot Mott
Subspace Relay Repair Technician
United Federation of Planets
[ NPC - Mott ]

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