Home, What's left of it

Posted on 03 Jul 2015 @ 9:03pm by Petty Officer 2nd Class Eva Kovalev

1,532 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Episode 09 - Empires
Location: USS Galileo, Deck 4, Section 19, Room 16 - Lt Mercy's Quarters
Timeline: MD 02 - evening

ON:

[USS Galileo]

With enough systems functioning on backups or primaries, Eva had been told by her boss to go get some rest. She'd been working nearly 16 hours straight trying to restore some semblance of power to parts of the ship so that emergency forcefields could be raised and damage assessments done.

For now though, she trudged back to her quarters near to tears from the stress, hoping her husband Naois Mercy was also off duty but unsure if he was owing to the casualty count they'd suffered. She needed off her feet, something resembling food, and some quiet time with her mate before she passed out for eight hours and went back to the same grind.

Naois was already home, picking up the debris from the floor. At least their home had been spared in terms of serious damage, but the rolling and shaking had created a reasonable mess. He wasn't necessarily cleaning up, just more or less picking things up to get them off the floor. He turned his head when he heard the door slide, and smiled tiredly at her. "Eva," he murmured, straightening with his arms full of personal belongings.

"Husband," Eva responded, giving Naois an equally tired smile. Looking around the place was a mess except for a few areas Naois had started to clear. She sighed a little seeing the mess the ship's tumbling had caused. At this moment she didn't care about the mess, about their stuff, anything. This was the first time she'd seen him since the Klingon messhall and all she wanted was to be held by her mate.

Stepping closer to him, Eva could feel the first of the tears start to roll down her cheek, the stress & worry of their separation and of the past 24hrs catching up to her. "Naois." she managed to choke out before the tears became a stream.

Instantly dropping whatever he'd been holding, Naois bridged the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her, pressing her cheek against his chest. "Shhhh," he soothed, though he too felt tears sting his eyes. "We are together, that is what matters, and the children are safe on starbase. Personal items can be replaced." Except pictures of Valeia, they were, to him, absolutely priceless. Fortunately, he had a second copy of all pictures at his parents' place on Earth. "How do you feel? Still sick?"

Eva sunk into Naois' chest, feeling his comforting arms wrap around her. Tears still dripping down her cheeks, Eva held Naois for a minute before she answered. "I threw up in main engineering after we lost gravity. I'm never queasy in zero G."

"Well, you are pregnant," the half Vulcan murmured into her hair as he held her carefully yet tightly, "so it is natural that your body objects even when you are used to it normally. Have you told your supervisor yet?"

"I have yes. That's why I was on duty in Main Engineering during exercises, not on damage control teams." Eva sighed, holding him tightly, not wanting to let him go. "Can we sit down husband. I need off my feet."

"I told you before...I don't really like being called 'husband'..I have a name." Naois guided her towards the couch, rightened it and eased her down onto it. "We both need to be off our feet," he added softly, sitting down next to her. "I am tired..."

Eva was a bit taken aback by the statement, had he told her that before? "I'm sorry Naois." Eva responded after she sat down. She took his hand in her own, running her two fingers over his. "I guess I just like the word, reminds me we're married."

"There is nothing wrong with the word," he reassured her, returning the gesture, "it is just not a name I like being called. It sounds...informal. As if we are having a state marriage rather than one based on affection."

Eva leaned back in the chair, closing her eyes. "It is informal Naois. To me it is a pet name, a term of endearment I have for you." She paused. "But I will stop using it if you wish." Leaning into Naois, she continued to gently stroke his fingers. "Can we not have a day like that again? 16 hours on my feet when I'm 13 weeks pregnant is way too long."

Naois held his breath as she stroked his sensitive fingers. "We can be like this any evening," he murmured, drawing her closer, leaning over to kiss the side of her neck. "I cherish thee," he whispered in her ear, the formal Vulcan words which were equivalent to 'I love you'.

Eva let out a contented sigh as Naois kissed her. "Please don't stop." she whispered. She missed the touch of her mate, and even though they'd been apart a few days at most, it felt like far longer.

"I have no reason to yet," the Vulcan whispered, trailing his tender kisses up her jaw, towards her mouth. "I have missed you... I was frightened, when the battle took a turn for the worse, and I ended up having to pilot the Nautilus."

As his lips reached her mouth, Eva leaned her head into Naois, returning the kiss. "I missed you too Naois." She couldn't bring herself to speak of her fear as whatever she'd felt during the exercise was a fraction of the fear she'd felt as they'd fallen through anomaly and the ship nearly came apart around them.

"I am relieved we both survived the wargames, and the latest turbulence," Naois whispered around the tender kisses he was supplying. He was careful in touching her, as if afraid he might break her.

Eva could feel Naois gingerly touching her. She knew he was afraid to take her into his bed in the way spouses typically did for fear of harming her and the babies but this ginger touching was a bit much, she wasn't some delicate statue that would break. As their lips parted she whispered to him. "Naois, I'm not a delicate statue. You won't break me if you touch me."

"I am afraid of losing control," he whispered, while his hand roamed her body, "I am afraid that, if we do get intimate, you will lose our children. I will not risk that...I am sorry Eva, but I cannot go further than this, not until after you have given birth. I care too much."

Eva sighed. Always the discussion came to this, he wouldn't touch her for fear of hurting her and the babies inside her. And yet, Eva needed that touch, that feeling of intimacy between her and Naois. She needed to build those bonds with the man sitting beside her, she needed him close, that merging of body & soul when they were intimate.

"Is there nothing we can do Naois?" She asked. "I need that intimacy between us. I can't just turn off who I am while these children are inside me." A tear began to run down her cheek. "I need you."

"And I am here for you, I just cannot be that kind of intimate with you. We can hug, touch...but I will not mate. I am sorry Eva, please do not ask of me that which I cannot momentarily give to you. I love you, but I cannot do this right now."

"I know Naois." She curled up in his arms. "I'm just. I don't know. Just hold me for now."

"That I can always do, provided we are not on duty." Tenderly, he circled his arms a little tighter around her and drew her even closer.

Eva closed her eyes as Naois held her. "What names should we give our babies?"

"How about one Human, and one Vulcan name?" Naois suggested. "I would very much like to honour my deceased brother D'Beren in some way, or my Romulan godfather Tedak...if one of them is a boy. D'Beren was Debrune, and adopted. Though my mother has Debrune blood too and through her, I do as well. That is why my mother and her ex husband Tedak, my godfather, were allowed to adopt him. This was several years before I was born."

"I think we could do that, sure." Eva replied. "I'm not sure who I'd honor on my side but one name I kinda like if it's a girl is Grace. Just something I like about the name."

"How about Olivia Grace and Berra Sophia if they are girls?" Naois suggested, "or Beren if there is a boy? I do not have an alternative suggestion if there are two boys."

"I like those names Naois." Eva replied. She could feel her eyes beginning to droop as they talked. She wanted to stay awake and talk but she just couldn't keep them open. Naois' arms were comfortable and soon she was out.

Watching her, Naois just held her and closed his own eyes for a while. He wouldn't risk waking her by picking her up just yet.

OFF:

Lt. j.g. Naois Mercy
Medical Officer
USS Galileo
[PNPC T'Vanna]

PO2 Eva Mercy (ne Kovalev)
Propulsion Specialist
USS Galileo
[PNPC Min Nicholas]

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