It's Been Awhile

Posted on 25 Oct 2021 @ 1:40pm by Chief Warrant Officer 2 Oliver Sylver & Petty Officer 1st Class Gabriel Stark & Petty Officer 3rd Class Constantin Vansen
Edited on on 29 Oct 2021 @ 6:45pm

2,039 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Episode 17 - Crystal of Life
Location: USS Galileo-A - Mess Hall
Timeline: MD 06, 1730 hrs

[ON]

Constantin Vansen smiled to himself as he sat in the mess, having just spotted a familiar face. Not that everything was completely back to normal, but normal enough for a meal and a chance to sit down and catch his breath. He didn't hesitate in raising his hand, to wave over to Gabriel Stark, whistling loudly when the man did not look his way. "Stark! Get over here!" he said with a cheeky grin, pushing his empty plate away to the side in favour of watching the other man. He didn't care about the tuts others were giving him at the clear break of ship-wide social norms to be shouting out to get someone's attention.

Gabriel finally looked his way at the shout, and if he cared about the noise and commotion, it didn't show as he grinned and grabbed his drink to make his way across to him. "Whistling at me now? I don't know whether to be flattered or offended," he teased, helping himself to the chair beside him.

"Depends..." Constantin said and smiled as he leant closer. "Did you miss me or what? Don't think I noticed the lack of a Gabriel Stark on this ship..." he tutted and shook his head before he smiled. "You okay?" Because he wasn't sure how else to ask. With everything that had been going on, he just wanted to make sure he was okay.

"You know me, nothing can drag me down," Gabriel chuckled, but with a note of irony to the way he smiled, shaking his head somewhat tiredly. "I'm still breathing, giant monsters and all. What about you though?"

"Breathing as well," Constantin said before he smiled weakly and moved his hands to the side in a shrug. "I mean, at least I am where I love, right? Nothing else to be said on it. But I am glad to see you are okay. I worried."

"You worried?" Gabriel said with genuine surprise. Because he wasn't sure he'd heard that before. He couldn't remember someone saying that they'd worried about him when he'd been out on a mission. He gave a wide smile, unable to help it, but he leant forward with playful eyes, unable to resist teasing him. "You worried about little old me?"

Constantin let out a sound like a groan and covered his face with his hands. "I knew I shouldn't have said anything, you now think I am a softie..." he whined playfully before lowering his hands and watching him, smiling. "Yeah, I did. You are one of the few people I know here, Stark."

"That's worrying, I'm told I can be a bad influence," Gabriel grinned as he set his chin in his hand, watching him with dark, shining, teasing eyes. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone else that you're just a big softie under all those brooding looks."

Constantin smiled as he looked at him, reaching out to touch his elbow. "But you are okay?" he asked, wanting to know as he searched the other man's eyes. Concerned, yes, but it was good to see him. To see he was okay.

Gabriel nodded with a small smile, but serious with it this time. "Yes," he said gently. "It was a ride and a half, but I'm okay. But what about you? You seem a little...I don't know."

"I'm fine, it was..." Constantin looked down and gave a small grimace. "I have never experienced something like this before. I suppose I am still adjusting..." he met his eyes, holding them. He didn't have any friends here, so...seeing someone he knew and felt he connected to, it was a relief.

Gabriel searched his eyes for a long moment before leaning forward to him with a small smile. "Listen...ship's still in one piece. So are you and me. Thank God, and put a picture of the whole mess into your scrapbook of life."

Constantine watched him before he frowned, worrying his bottom lip for a moment. "What...is a scrapbook?" he asked before he suddenly smiled and his eyes shone with humour. For once, he got the reference...he knew what he meant. But he wanted to make Gabriel's smile reach his eyes.

"You...tribble..." Gabriel shoved his arm with a laugh, shaking his head. "You had me going then. I thought I was going to have to admit with great embarrassment that I was the only one who had a scrapbook as a kid but thought that everyone else did too but that I was clearly wrong..."

"I have never seen one, I have read about them though," Constantin admitted before he leant closer, holding his eyes. "Do you still have yours? And with you on the ship?" it was a soft whisper, his voice lowered to be more intimate between them, blocking out the noise around them.

He laughed softly at that, watching him with amusement as he leant in, mirroring his stance. "Maybe," he finally replied, his dark eyes shining. "I tried a diary when I was a kid, it was too much like hard work, so I kept a scrapbook instead."

"I would love to see it, one day," Constantin said softly, holding his eyes for a long moment. "Just to say I have seen one, you know?"

"Oh, that's the only reason, I'm sure," Gabriel teased, his eyes narrowing as he gave a small, knowing smile. "You'll just try and find something embarrassing that you can hold over my head forever more..."

"I would enjoy that," Constantin said lightly, considering it for a moment before he grinned. "I can find other things though, to hold over you."

Gabriel searched his eyes for a long moment, trying to work out if he was playing games with him. "Are you trying to tell me that you haven't already?" he asked plainly, doubtful that he hadn't heard rumours.

Constantin held his eyes for a long moment before he smiled. "I don't judge people based on what I hear from others," he finally said before he looked down. "I make up my own mind."

He watched with mild surprise at that, giving a weak smile as he leant in a little closer to him. "Not many are like that," he replied honestly, and there was actual gratitude in his eyes.

"I know I am not that...normal," Constantin's voice was gentle as he met his eyes again, searching them. "There is a lot I don't understand about interaction and people. But...I know people say things that aren't necessarily true."

"Yeah," Gabriel looked down to the table, shaking his head with a weak smile. "Can't say they'd be untrue though. Just...wouldn't like you hearing the colour they paint it with."

Constantin reached out and covered his hand with his own on the table. "I don't care. You are my friend..." he said and blushed. "Well, if you want to be, that is. I got that to offer..."

"You know I do," he smiled warmly, watching him with interest, and wondering, yet again, how things would be now if their drunken night had ended in passion as intended instead of passing out on each other after too much drink. "Just...so long as you know, I'm not all rainbows and lemondrops."

Constantin laughed at the words, shaking his head slowly before he met his eyes. "No, but you helped me when I needed it," he said softly. "Means more to me than anything."

"Hey, it's what Security does?" he teased, but with a small smile back on his lips. "Which reminds me, how have you been feeling lately? Is it better now?"

"It's...still there, but..." he gave a small shrug, watching Gabriel with fondness. "I am okay. Medication works well. So...I am okay. I really am."

He nodded quickly at that, relieved to hear it though. He remembered how he'd looked, he'd looked so frail in that moment without his medication. "Do you think it'll get better? When you've been on a ship longer?"

"Maybe if Starfleet decided to lower the gravity," Vansen said with a grin, winking before he sat back. "But I am better, I am. The medication, Doctor Wylde...it's all good. Of course, I am not drinking as much right now, that helps too!"

"Hm..." he made a doubtful noise at that, mostly because he enjoyed a drink or ten himself and couldn't imagine that life would be much better without it. "I don't know, after what we've all just been through, I think we kind of deserve it..."

"Maybe...we could have a drink together somewhere private?" Vansen asked as he held his eyes, searching them with a small smile as he chuckled.

"Well that depends," Gabriel leant forward to him so he could lower his voice, grinning as his dark eyes sparkled with humour. "Are you going to fall asleep on me again?"

"You fell asleep on me, Stark..." he said with a grin, leaning closer to Gabriel. "Literally...so...this time, I better be charming enough to keep you awake for me..." he winked teasingly.

"I don't think it had much to do with the charm, I think it was how many bottles of vodka we polished off between us," he teased on a low, soft, tempting tone, his smile incorrigible.

"Ah yes...the infamous how much can we drink..." Vansen sighed almost contently before he nodded as he held his eyes. He reached out, to stroke his cheek, fingertips dragging. "You are way too beautiful for your own good, Gabriel...like a Siren."

Gabriel smiled as he leant into the hand, unable to help himself after that compliment as he searched his eyes. "Without the luring you to your death thing, shall we hope?" he teased. "Unless you fancy trying the being tied up to the mast thing?"

"I don't know...sounds like fun," he said playfully before he touched Gabriel's chin. "You have a good head on your shoulders though. I like that. A lot."

"Not many would agree with you," Gabriel replied bluntly, holding his eyes with a slight frown. "I wouldn't...want you getting mixed up with me blind to that."

Vansen watched him for a long moment, just considering it for a moment. "I'm just an enlisted, I blend into the background. Don't worry about me, okay?" he said, his hand going to his cheek. "And don't think so negatively about yourself either."

Gabriel gave an almost gentle smile to that, searching his eyes for a long moment, seeing that he meant it. "Sorry," he said quietly. "I just..." he shrugged lightly. "I guess...I like you," he chuckled, his head tilting. "There, I said it. I said it like an awkward teenager, but I said it. Means...I kind of care, more than with the guys I'm not going to see the next day."

Vansen looked at him with surprise before he leant close and kissed his cheek. It was quick and with a cheeky smile, his eyes crinkled with it. "I care too," he said and he meant it. "I like you too, Gabriel. And...you know...I don't want to lose any friendship even if we have a bit of fun...or more...I..." he swallowed and looked down. "We don't know what tomorrow brings."

"No, I get it," Gabriel shook his head quickly, lifting his hands up with a smile. "No pressure, just...I don't want to ruin this friendship if we end up fooling around. So...snap..." he gave an awkward but soft laugh, looking down.

Vansen nodded at that, reaching to gently put a finger under his chin, to make him look at him. "No pressure, no expectations. But companionship, having each other's back. How...how does that sound to you? For now?"

Gabriel nodded with a small smile, holding his eyes for a long moment, relaxing as he took a breath. It wasn't often that the young man got flustered, but the moment had passed and he was more himself again as he grinned. "So long as it involves drink and food, I'm in..."

[OFF]

--

PO1 Gabriel Stark
Security
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Blake]

PO3 Constantin Vansen
Operations
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Rice]

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