Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in side - sim: Honoring the Ardent

Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in side - sim: Honoring the Ardent

Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in side - sim: Honoring the Ardent
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
Roman exhaled heavily again, he wished Randy had stayed for this part. What exactly had he said? “Randy said… I need someone to do it with, who’ll know when it’s too much, when to make me stop.” The words felt awkward and strange to him.

~ Roman

Rand was quiet a moment. She had the urge to tease him, but didn’t know if that was the right thing to do. She’d made misjudgements recently. Randy wanted Roman to have someone to nag him. Last time she did that it didn’t go well. “Okay, I can do that, anything you need. But…but is that what you want?” Unlike on Kelmao, Roman just got more stubborn, more removed when she pushed.

Rand

There wasn’t anyone else to ask. He knew he was stubborn but… Well, she’d kept him from violating his bedrest. Surely anyone who could do that could do this. “If Randy thinks it’ll help, yes.” He wasn’t quite looking at her. “I’m not positive I can do this.”

~ Roman

She got up and moved around the desk, half sat on the edge, and took his hand. “I am positive we can do this. You just tell me when, and I will help however I can.” Was Rand worried? Yes, but she didn’t have to be obvious about it and she had promised herself she wouldn’t bother him about her worries. And she knew only too well that worrying didn’t mean a situation could be avoided.

Rand

When? Leave it up to him and he’d put it off till the end of time. Like Randy predicted. “Uh…” He squeezed her hand. “Tomorrow.” Wait, what? Tomorrow? Did he say that aloud? He had! He looked at her with a look someplace between panic and dread. Couldn’t he have said next week? Or his personal favourite, how about the tenth of Never? Those sounded much better than tomorrow!

~ Roman

His response was as surprising to Rand as it was to Roman. But it was probably better to just get it done. “I can do that. I only have the morning half of my shift tomorrow.” Which meant she’d be done by 0900. Roman looked panicked. She leaned forward and hugged him. It always helped her. “We‘ll do it together.”

Rand

Rand’s hugs did help him, they made him feel calmer, more connected to the present. He hugged her back, tucking his head against her shoulder a bit. She’d do that, anytime things got hard, ever since Kelmao. Emphasizing the ‘we’s in her statements. Reminding him whatever it was he wasn’t facing it alone anymore. He liked it. “Then I’ll be here, in my office.” He hugged her a little longer and then, “I love you.”

~ Roman