Equilibrium

Posted on 29 Nov 2023 @ 6:10pm by Petty Officer 1st Class Gabriel Stark & Lieutenant Aria Rice

1,775 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 18 - Cold Station 31
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 4, Stark's quarters
Timeline: MD 19, 1130hrs

[ON]

Out of sickbay, all healed up, Aria Rice rolled her shoulders. She needed...she needed...she wasn't sure what she needed. Her feet took her to Gabriel Stark's shared quarters though and she almost felt surprised she had come here. And then realised why. Gabriel was her friend, she missed him. She had worried about him. And she wanted to thank him. She rang the chime and waited, looking down as she let out a breath. She was starting to feel it, the tiredness.

The door slid open, showing Gabriel standing in the doorway, having moved to open it himself. He grinned when he saw her, leaning to drape his arm around her shoulders to guide her inside. "Aria the Conqueror..."

Aria looked at him, shaking her head as she smiled weakly. "Not really, although it's nice to know my options outside of Starfleet is either serving with Klingons, or become a smuggler. Both offers didn't seem to have an expiration date," she said before she turned to hug him, tightly.

He hugged her fiercely, grinning as he rested his cheek against her hair. "You're my conqueror," he promised with a chuckle. "Now...tell me everything....everything!"

Aria shook her head, smiling at just having him close. "I don't think you want to hear it, Gabriel. It's...pretty grim," she admitted and pulled back to meet his eyes.

Gabriel pulled back enough to look at her, his smile fading. "Hey..." he moved to sit down, pulling her easily onto his lap, his arm around her waist as he watched her with concern. "It was that bad?"

"Let's just say I am not doing a repeat experience," she said and smiled at the way she sat in his lap. Still, she snuggled close. "You know when you push yourself so far to survive you don't...feel it anymore? I got to that point. Still am. But I am slowly coming back to myself. When it finally hits me, I'll be curled up in a ball until it passes. And then comes the pint of ice cream."

He smiled weakly at the words, feeling for her as he rubbed her shoulder. She had always been stronger than she'd thought, but it didn't mean it was easy. "Make sure it involves your snuggly dressing gown and the angsty-ist playlist..."

She nodded, smiling gently as she looked at him. "And...and my panda slippers..." she said, her voice quiet. "And maybe even some pizza as well. Once this is over and I can catch my breath," she shook her head, moving a hand over her face. Which now felt like her face again. "I got a theory this all happened because I tried to stop the fight between Mimi and the Klingons."

"There's always a catalyst," Gabriel watched her with a weak smile at not being able to help. "The most you can do is try to figure out what you can learn from it all."

Aria looked at him before she leant close, kissing his forehead. "That I won't let a bully change me," she whispered, a small smile coming to her. "That I can't wait for that ice cream and cry and angsty music. That I have a lot of work to do...and that I can survive mortal combat. At least once."

Gabriel's smiled warmed back up at that and he gently stroked some dark hair back from her face. "I'm pretty sure you can survive anything, Aria Rice..."

For a moment, she looked thoughtful at the words before she shook her head. "Not anything. But a lot of things," she said quietly. And then she smiled. "But look at you! You kept the ship together as the sole Security officer. I'm so proud of you."

"Nah," he flicked a hand dismissively, shaking his head quickly to dodge what felt like unfair praise. "I was a headless chicken, trying to be in five places at once. It wasn't a pretty sight."

"Stop," Aria's voice was quiet as she looked at him, turning serious. "Stop selling yourself short, and trying to make people do it too. You're too smart for your own good sometimes...you did good. Alone, you kept things together, did a great investigation with a report I would have been proud to write up. You held this together, by yourself. I know it was hard, that it felt impossible, but you still did it."

He watched her with surprise at the flow of sincerity. He suddenly grinned, wrapping his arms around her petite frame to squeeze her tightly, whether she liked it or not. "I missed you way more than I even thought possible, Aria Rice."

Aria smiled, holding him in he hug as she let out a soft breath. "I missed you too, Gabriel," she said, her voice quiet. "I'm so glad you're okay though. I...worried."

"*You* worried about *me*, while you were playing British Bulldog with a bunch of Klingons?" Gabriel tutted, shaking his head with a grin. "That's classy, Aria, really classy."

Aria rolled her eyes as she pulled back, smiling. "I know what happens on this ship, trust me...I was in far less danger," she said playfully.

"I mean, I can't argue with that," Gabriel gave a theatrical sigh, shaking his head. "But don't worry, I didn't sit in that cursed chief chair, not for one minute, not even when it was just me. They won't catch me out like that."

"Oh, Blake thinks it is the quarters that's cursed, not the chair," Aria said before she smiled, almost playfully. "Want a sleepover? So we can both share the curse?"

"Er...no!" he looked at her with wide eyes, touching his own chest. "The conspiracy theories deepen...and you can keep that all to your little waisted self..."

"Mm...I'll try my best, but it might rub off..." she reached out and rubbed his arm, before she laughed. "Nah, you're immune. You're Gabriel Stark...and you'll get through anything. Now, what is happening outside of this all? How was the dinner party?"

"I mean, it was fine..." Gabriel replied with an overly casual sigh...and a wicked smile. "But I preferred the night before, when Constantin took me out to dinner and a late night stroll in the arboretum..."

"Shut the front door!" Aria's eyes widened and she reached to grab his hand. "Sounds so romantic! Dinner, a stroll...please, please, please tell me you got your kisses in?"

"I mean...I don't kiss and tell..." he replied with a mock aloof voice, as if he were too debonair to divulge such intimate details. "But Connie must be related to a wizard, because he can make fireworks pop."

"By Luna's dust, you actually finally got into bed with him!" Aria clapped her hands, smiling as she watched him. "And in a non fall asleep drunk kinda way. Awww!" she leant to kiss his cheek. "I am so happy for you!"

Gabriel laughed warmly, leaning into it as he squeezed her gently. "I'm happy for me too," he admitted softly. "I'm...not going to worry about messing it up with him anymore. I'll...worry about anything I mess up when I've actually done it."

Aria watched him with awe. "Good, because I don't think you would," she aid and shook her head. "I am so happy for you, that you trust him."

Gabriel smiled warmly, glancing down almost shyly despite how outgoing his usual persona was. "He's worth it," he finally replied, simply but honestly. Because that was what it came down to. Constantin was worth taking that risk on.

"No..." Aria wrapped an arm around him, her head slotting on his shoulder. "You are worth it," she said, her voice gentle as she took his hand and lifted it to kiss.

Gabriel smiled warmly, lifting the hand to pinch her chin fondly. "Yeah, well, I'm not myself when you're not around, so you don't get to leave again," he teased. "Everything always goes twice as wrong when you do."

"You say that," Aria said softly before she gently hit his chest before stretching. "But the way I see it, when I wasn't there...you got yourself a boyfriend. And as your sidekick, I find that very, very annoying that I didn't use my mojo to help in any way!"

"How do I know you didn't?" he asked with a good natured smile, but also playfully narrowed eyes. "Hm? For all I know you could have been whispering in his ear all this time."

"Oh no..." Aria shook her head with a smile, watching him. "I can't stand on my tippy toes that long, Gabriel..." she nudged him, her expression softening. "It was all you, you know. All you pulling him into your life."

Gabriel chuckled, his concern for her easing a little at seeing some of her usual colourful aura breaking through. "So...does that mean it's your turn next....?"

Aria looked at him, raising an eyebrow before she laughed. "No...no thanks," she shook her head. "Seriously, have you met moi? Such a better wingman and sidekick than the main star. Also, I'm not exactly romance holonovel material. Waaaay too set in my ways, and I like it."

"You just need to find ways that...click with yours," Gabriel grinned, watching her with adoration. "But if that's not what you want...that's pretty awesome too. You're definitely bright as you are."

"You know me..." Aria's voice was gentle as she watched him, with warmth and love. "I dance to my own tune. And right now it is a solo dance that has not yet ended."

"And a beautiful dance it is," Gabriel shook his head, sneaking a kiss onto her cheek with a playfully innocent grin. "Or maybe it's the beautiful dancer."

"This beautiful dance better...get a move on," Aria said before she sighed. "I'll see you at the systems test, Gabriel."

"Oh, aren't we just the lucky ones," Gabriel set her up on her feet with a tone of over the top excitement, the sarcasm ringing with it before he chuckled. "I'm sure it will be non stop action down in the brig."

She laughed and moved to the door, unable to stop it. "Well, at least we have some people to entertain there," she said lightly.

"Yeah," Gabriel sighed as he showed her to the door, watching her with a small, half smile, resting in the doorway. "I was afraid you were going to say that..."

[OFF]

Lt. Aria Rice
Chief Security
USS Galileo-A

&

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

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