Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in side-sim: New Normal

Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in side-sim: New Normal

Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in side-sim: New Normal
Posted by… suppressed (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
Rand looked at him for a long moment, as if she were trying to decide whether he’d just finally lost it or not. He grinned, his leg had nothing to do with why he wasn’t moving. “Do I need to go back on bed rest to rest? Isn’t that what my fancy new chair is for?” He said, teasing her back. Then she put her wrist to his forehead, and said he might have a fever. She was still teasing him. “If it means you’ll stay and take care of me, bring on the Vulcan cold,” he said, grinning at her again. “Or andorian flu.”

~ Roman

“Yes that is what that fancy new chair is for, so if you need rest now does that mean you aren’t using it?” She was grinning not even trying to sound mock serious. She was very content and comfortable there with him. “Vulcan cold is miserable, you’ll be in bed for weeks. But if it’s Andorian flu, I’ll see you through a biosuit. I’m not vaccinated for that, and it’s horrible! But I’ll stay with you anyway.” She stretched up slightly and kissed his cheek. “Even when you aren’t sick.”

Rand

“I’m using it,” Roman defended playfully. “Whenever I’m at my desk or the lab tables.” Then he shook his head. “I don’t think it’s that bad, it’s named for a cold after all. But Andorian flu… that one I hope to never get.” He said, and then she reached up and kissed his cheek and he pulled her a little closer. “Good, or I’d have to always pretend to be sick, and that wouldn’t be any fun at all.”

~ Roman

Rand laughed a little, “No that wouldn’t be fun at all. Though,” and now she really laughed as Pipkin decided she was done being polite and started crawling all over them, “Pipkin might like it. She’d be able to get into anything she wanted and never have to go back in her cage.” And as if to prove her point she climbed right up onto Roman’s lap and attempted to get on his chest but since they were sitting up, Pipkin had to settle for stretching up on her hind feet and twitching her nose and whiskers at him. Rand reached over and pet her several times before tucking her arm back under the blanket again. “Have you warmed up now?”

Rand

Roman shook his head, smiling, and started petting the bunny in his lap. “You taught her to climb on my chest like that, remember?” he said, trying not to laugh. Her whiskers were tickling him. “She’d like if we had the time to sit around and do nothing but play with her. I don’t think it helps that I was on bed rest for the first week we had her.” She asked if he was warm and he gave her a playful look. Really, he’d never been that cold at all. But he didn’t want her to move, so with one of his playful grins he said, “I think I’m still a bit chilled actually, might need you to snuggle in a little closer there.”

~ Roman

Rand laughed, she would take full credit for teaching Pipkin to crawl up on Roman like that. She had to have help keeping him from getting up. “Actually she was here almost 5 days before you got her. She spent a day in the cargo bay and then another two in the travel crate in my quarters. Randy was helping me feed her. Then I finally got the cage put together and it was two more days before you got her. She was in the cage the whole time because I didn’t want her wandering around alone. And she’s soooo little.” Rand’s attention turned to the bunny and she leaned down talking in that voice to her. “Yes, you are. You are so little it’s good you had all that time to bond with him, yes it is.” Rand looked up at him, where she’d been talking to Pipkin. Her smile turned to a playful grin even as her face turned a soft pink again. “Oh well, I can do that.” She scooted closer, making a show of pulling the blanket up around them both. In the process they ended up leaned back against the headboard, and Rand’s arm slipped around him. “Better?”

Rand

Roman looked down at the bunny and said, “And she left you all alone for two whole days, how lonely you must have been.” He was just teasing her. Then she turned playful even though she was blushing again. He made a show of putting his arm back around her and pulling her over so she was leaning on him. “Toasty warm.” Then he just sat with her quietly for a while, petting Pipkin with his free hand, settled in against her. He looked happy and relaxed, more so than usual.

~ Roman

It was…different. It wasn’t like Rand had had a lot of boy friends. And she had a rather over protective brother too. Roman put his arm back around her and pulled her closer and she let out a deep breath relaxing in the warmth. He looked really relaxed and happy. Not that Roman wasn’t a happy person but he didn’t really show it. She was glad that the desert didn’t seem to really upset him. Rand had a sudden realization; that Roman probably hadn’t really had any peaceful or content moments where he was truly relaxed since Jay passed. Sitting there in the quiet together where he felt relaxed, happy, and content that was probably the best thing she could give him for his birthday. So she could do that, just sit there in the quiet with him. She hugged him tighter, feeling him breath and listening to his heart beat.

Rand

It had upset him - a little. But he’d managed to put it aside so they could enjoy the evening. He hated when his problems derailed plans, and Randy had been trying to teach him strategies to deal with it better. And sitting with her quietly, relaxed and happy, was definitely the best thing she could’ve done for him. Her arms were tight around him and his breaths were slow and calm. He was quiet for a long while, in fact it seemed as though he might be dozing off, until he said, “It’s nice, sitting here with you.”

~ Roman

Rand thought he might have dozed off, she certainly thought she might fall asleep. Rand wondered what he was thinking about. Probably all those amazing animals they saw on Kelmao. As for Rand, in a very rare moment, she wasn’t thinking about all the ‘supposed to’s. She was kind of drifting in the silence and warmth, until he spoke. She moved her head slightly but didn’t lift it. “It is.” Rand didn’t know what to say other than that. It was really nice just sitting there, no stress, no anxiety, just being there with him. She hoped that it eased the memories just a little and gave him something good to remember later.

Rand

Roman wasn’t thinking about anything in particular, instead, he was simply enjoying the quiet in his mind. No flashbacks, no memories, no Jay, no Ardent, just the quiet. Just Rand. It was peaceful. He felt nice and light and as if he were sort of just drifting blissfully… And then he was dozing off again.

~ Roman