Posted by Ensign Allison Fleet (Scientist) in Runabout to Athena

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Rovan Moor (Engineer/Pilot) in Runabout to Athena

Posted by Ensign Allison Fleet (Scientist) in Runabout to Athena
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻

Snip

Rovan hadn’t been ready for the kiss to end so quickly, and he couldn’t help but follow her lips with his just slightly as she withdrew, opening his eyes as he did so to see her settling back down and looking up at him, and he grinned a little. I love you, Rovan Moor. He didn’t so much as hear the words, as feel them in his heart, in his soul and in everything. The world around them seemed to echo her words, and more than that, his reply was already there among everything. Covering the hand she laid over his heart with the one he had laid against her cheek, he worked his fingers in between hers once more, his catlike yellow eyes staring into hers deeply and his grin softened. He lowered his head once more so that their faces were close again, not to kiss her but so that his words could be lowered to a more intimate whisper that only she would ever catch. “I love you, Allison Fleet,” he said to her while his words barely rose above the sound of the crickets and the birds, the breeze around them, but was there in everything they were.

Allison was blushing lightly, cheeks warmed by the emotion of the situation. She grinned lightly, almost glancing away. She didn’t know what had come over her in that brief moment, but… she felt as though it had been the right moment. This moment could last forever, as far as Allison was concerned… she wouldn’t mind it.

The moment lasted, he didn’t know how long. After a time which could have been seconds or minutes Rovan raised his head and looked to the sunset. It was lower now over the lake, and the shadows from the trees were growing longer as the sound of the nesting birds grew.

He looked back down to Allie and his smile returned, wider now and with intent. “Come with me, lets go and see our tree before the sun sets. There is more I want to show you.” He took the picture once again and turned, leading her down the ramp from the Runabout. The distance to the small rise wasn’t far at all, only minutes in fact but the sun was dropping more even as they walked together. Around them the birds flitted from tree to tree, settling in for the night. Crickets made their sounds and the breeze grew softer, the smell of flowers in the forest around them growing stronger as the wind dropped.

Holding her hand tight as they came to the rise, Allie would see that at the top was indeed a bench seat that looked just like the one on the Genesis, and a picnic basket sat beside it. Rovan said nothing as they walked, there was nothing he needed to say until they walked the short distance up the rise and came to the basket. Not only was there a basket, but a blanket had been spread out on the ground under the tree for them. A few dropped leaves showing evidence that Rovan had made the trip here before meeting her en-route to the Athena. “Something light for supper,” Rovan said to her. “I know it’s only early on our time, only just going on lunch for us, but I think we have time to have something before we arrive at the Athena. But not just yet, now it’s my turn to give you your present.” Turning his head, Rovan looked to the setting sun. It was moments away from dropping below the horizon and from this point, looking back towards the runabout the sight was something you could only dream of. The rings of the planet were visible as sparkling silver streams in the sky stretching across the cosmos, and high above them were the planets twin moons, large and bright as they reflected the disappearing sunlight onto the lands around them. The entire vista was reflected before them on the glass smooth lake as the blazing gold of the sun finally began it’s last glow and slipped below the horizon.

Allison’s eyes were wide as she stared out at the sky, gazing at the rings, the moons, and the stars. She didn’t speak as much as she verbalized her emotions, a light gasp of wonder coming from her. It was beautiful. She could feel the dampness of tears building up in her eyes as she nearly cried with joy, and had to wipe her face to get rid of the dampness. They sat down on the bench, and she held onto his hand while she stared at the sky, entranced.

Rovan looked back to Allison, and felt her fingers entwined with his. His smile was shy as he brought up the picture of the two of them, together under the tree on the Genesis. Not only the picture was there, but the closed moon-blossom he had with the picture was now in evidence as he held it up for her.

He pulled out the photo, and something else was in his hand, which made Allison tilt her head in curiosity. She reached out with her free hand to touch the closed flower as it began to slowly crack open.

The light from the planets twin moons bathed them in a different kind of glow, this one had more than enough light to see by and had another effect that Rovan had hoped for. In the moonlight, the flower bloomed , shedding it’s soft glow upon them both. Right there between the two of them, under their tree once more and together, the moon-blossom bathed them in the same glow that they had walked together in when they met. Now, they were meeting again but in a different way. Once, they had been two strangers meeting, lost and lonely. Now, they were two hearts and souls joined by love and everything that they were. Rovan said nothing, but his sharp eyes blazed in the glow of the moon-blossom as he gazed at Allie. His heart was hers.

Lt j.g. Rovan Moor
Engineer/Pilot

The silvery glow of the moon blossom flower seemed to make everything glow, and Allison felt her cheeks warm despite the cool evening breeze. You sure timed this perfectly, she quietly thought, smiling. Everything was so perfect. She relaxed against him, happy to remain there as long as he would allow her to. If he had planned to impress her with this sight, and this scene, well, it was a smashing success. She reached out to take the moon blossom from his hands and hold it in her lap, looking back and forth between the flower, the basket, the photo, and his beautiful smile.

Rovan let her take it, then turned and moved his leg to the other side of the seat so that he was facing her and straddling it. Like this, he took her in his arms and let her lean into him, letting their bodies touch and feeling her close against him. He angled his head to look over the planet with her and the scene before them, his head on hers and the scent of her hair filling him as he held her close. He needed no words, just her. The dark hole within him was light again, Rovan hadn’t been this much at peace for a very long time.

She let the silence stand for what felt like several minutes before she finally spoke. “It’s beautiful… Thank you.” She sat up slightly, not leaning against him anymore, but still cradling the flower in her hands, careful not to get any of the oils on her skin. The Moon-blossom was an odd plant. It was a perennial plant which, each spring, first grew leaves and shoots, gathering energy. As the spring melted into summer, the leaves would wither and die, the plant storing all the extra energy in its small root bundle until mid summer, when the flower would appear from the dirt and glow in the night. It was fertilized mainly by a strange species of insect that her grandfather had discovered, which seemed to spread the glowing oil on itself as well as gathering the flower’s nectar to use for food.

But the bulb remained even after the flower died. Even when the beauty was gone from sight, it was the hidden bulb that held the magic, causing the flower to return the next year, and the next, and the next… She smiled, able to feel the rough texture of a small burlap bag in her hands underneath the blossom, just large enough to hold the bulb and enough dirt to keep it alive. He hadn’t killed the root to show off the beauty of the flower.

He looked down into her eyes and cupped her cheek in his hand, in the light of the Moon-Blossom his yellow eyes gleamed and shone. It could have made him look dangerous, like a predator that stalked the forest, but with those eyes looking at Allie there was nothing dangerous about them. They were soft and gentle, just like his heart which beat slowly as if trying to hold time itself in place. “It is beautiful, and it’s ours. Forever.” He said the words quietly, as if they would break the peace that had fallen over the planet.

She smiled, standing up and turning to look out over the water. “So, what’s for dinner?” she asked, looking back at him with a soft smile.

Ens. Allison Fleet, Science

Now, Rovan laughed. “Not a lot, we don’t want to be sleepy when we get back to the Athena,” he revealed, “but I brought a little rice and a few salads. Some of your chicken, it goes well with Ktarian bread and of course, I brought Ktarian chocolate pudding. You know I can’t go anywhere without it.” He moved back and swung his leg over the seat again, but paused and kissed her cheek gently before he moved himself onto the blanket and patted the fabric beside him. With the setting of the sun, the heat of the evening had not fallen. The breeze still carried the scent of flowers and the call of birds. Rovan opened the basket and brought out a few covered containers, placing two plates and cutlery on the blanket for each of them. It was clear that ‘dinner’ was a simple affair, light and tasty and easy to eat. A bottle of Ktarian fruit juice appeared from the basket as well, along with decorative and very old goblets Rovan had obviously collected from somewhere.

As Rovan began to put a little of each dish onto their plates, he looked at Allie and smiled very softly. “Do you think a house here would suit facing the lake?” He asked her, “down lower a little, so this tree and seat doesn’t get blocked from the sunset or the sunrise. It’s the best view of the moons at night as well.” He told her, looking up at the rings and moons above them shining their light on the pair and the glowing Moon-Blossom.

Lt j.g. Rovan Moor
Eng/Pilot