The Moment You've Been Waiting For

Posted on 27 Jan 2018 @ 5:27pm by Commander Luke Wyatt & Ensign Miraj Derani

2,339 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Episode 15 - Emanation
Location: Luke's Apartment, Sydney
Timeline: MD 100 19:30

[ON]

Luke paced back and forth, the room he had been like this for some time and after finally coming to the conclusion that tonight would be the best night to tell Miraj how he felt he couldn't help but feel guilty and ashamed. He was such a coward but he knew that he couldn't have Miraj in that way.

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Miraj herself was no less apprehensive. After Lirha's trial, Luke had dissapeared on an assignment and now he was back and he had called her, and she had come running. It might not be sailing the Spanish Main, or a hidden retreat somewhere near Risa. If this was the best get away they were going to get, she wasn't going to hesitate. She would be happy to get whatever time she could get with him. She'd practically run to the transporter pad.

Except one small problem. Her wardrobe was playing up. She'd checked the one on the Forlorn Hope and on her precious little ship, the highly modified waverider, Queen Anne's Revenge. They were both doing it.

Her wardrobe was completely corrupt. Only about 2% of it survived and even that wasn't working. Her mary jane dress with its peter pan collar was totally gone. Her comfy boiler suits were AWOL. The cyan, yellow and green tartan three piece suit just wouldn't come back, no matter how hard she tried.

Her favourite sailor top and skirt wouldn't come out in her preferred colours. It didn't matter how many times she purged and tried to restore from back up, she couldn't get the electric blue and magenta version. It would do a plain boring navy one, but after that, the only fancy option was pure white with a restrained, even tasteful, diamante trim.

And the underwear she had bought for this exact potential situation? The sample she had taken from the shop had vanished completely. Thankfully the lacy confection was intact in her database, but not in the original wonderful burnt orange colour she had wanted, like the brass on sailing ships after they'd been tarnished by salt spray and gunpowder. All she could have was white, black or red. So boring!

She had nothing to wear!

The most important night of her life and she had nothing to wear except stuff she couldn't consider! Far too sophisticated, she'd never be able to carry it off. But she couldn't turn up to the apartment he had told her to come to naked.

So she made her choices, grabbed her overnight bag, and headed to his door, heart thumping, and rang the bell tentatively, before starting to twist the end of one of her pink bunches around her finger.

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Hearing the door chime Luke paused his pacing and eyed the door his stomach knotted and he had to let out a long breath before walking over to the door and pressing its panel opening it. Catching his reflection Luke was in Blue crew trousers, a white and pale blue shirt buttoned to the top apart from the last two buttons which showcased his chest, the sleeves rolled halfway up his arms and brown shoes with a matching brown belt and watch. Lukes' hair was rough and playful. As the door opened Infront of him stood Miraj twirling her beautiful pink hair around one of her fingers and he smiled. Reaching down he said, "I'm so glad you made it." With no further hesitation he leaned down and kissed her feverously on the lips, it had been some time since they last saw each other and though the kiss was natural he felt s deceitful.

Her apprehensions dissolved as he pulled her close, and her arms twined around his neck, holding onto him and kissing him back, relieved that he hadn't changed his mind, that he still wanted her. He was warm, and strong and solid, and all hers. She pressed herself into him, uncaring that they were still standing in the door way.

Luke stayed in the moment deepening their embrace until he felt like he couldn’t breathe. He reluctantly pulled away his hands tracing her ribs and down to her hips.”I’m really glad you came” he said again taking her hand and showing her into his home. Abbey was away being abbey which left them completely alone, no starfleet, no family and certainly no dram to interrupt would he had to do. “Would you like a drink?” He asked hoping it would take some of the harshness off what he was about to do.

She nodded. "Yes please." A little bit of dutch courage, given what was going to happen. She followed him inside his home, not above stealing glances at how his backside filled his trousers. which was Very Nicely. What sort of underwear was he wearing. Was he wearing any? Her mouth was suddenly watering at the thought of finding out.

Luke guided her through his home taking the more scenic route before ending up in the kitchen. “Wine? Whisky? Something else?” He asked opening the liquor cabinet. Luke watched Miraj with an almost predatory glance, everything had been leading to this night but instead of the way he first pictured it, the night would have a compltely different outcome.

"Rum?" she asked hopefully. Unsure what to do with her hands she pulled at the hem of her white muslin mini dress, and looked around the apartment. It had a wonderful view of Sydney harbour, looking down on the bridge, and across the bay to the Sydney opera House. It had been badly damaged in World War III, but had been lovingly restored, and the setting sun turned the brilliant white cladding to fire. Then she couldn't hold back any longer. She crossed the room to Luke, and slid her arms round him from behind, hugging herself to his back. "I missed you. I thought we'd never get time together."

Feeling the warmth of her body press up against him Luke paused for a moment which they could just melt into one another. “Me to, it’s been a crazy leave period, that’s thats what you can call it” he joked as he pulled out two glasses and a bottle of rum.

"Very," She agreed as he poured a large tot of rum and handed it to her. "She held it up and toasted, "Wives & Sweethearts," She clinked her glass on his. "Did you hear about Lirha?" She swallowed the rum, almost all of it, in one go. It left her pleasantly warm.

Luke nodded slowly "Myself and the command staff were some of the first to know, I was also one of the first to object but..." He sighed "It a lighter punishment than most. How did your debriefs go?"

"Practically non existent." Miraj admitted "I was only asked about the run up to Lirha calling the self-destruct. All the stuff that came after, i was never asked about. Hardly seems fair."

Luke shook his had, "I suppose they believe any action thereafter was a result of the unmeasurable situation we found ourselves in. None the less your right, poor Lirha" His hand began creating patterns over her shoulder her skin smooth and warm.

She shivered at his touch. She had missed him enormously, and was so glad to be here. She wanted to leap on him, but he seemed happy to wait. "Its wrong. If she'd done anything different, we would never have got home." She drank the last of the rum in her glass and reached out to put it back on the side board. It let her get closer to him by another inch.

Luke dropped his arm and sighed. "Fortunately for us we made it out alive and though I don't agree with everything I've known Lirha a very long time. I've fought the Borg by her side and let me tell you it doesn't get much scarier than that. She's a good person who was dealt a bad hand"

"That's putting it mildly." Miraj agreed. She was hoping to do more than talk about their old captain, but Luke didn't seem to be in a rush. "And five years in a prison? I can't see her taking to farming. I think if I had to stay on a planet for five years I'd want to throw myself off a cliff."

Luke shrugged "I don't know, put me on a planet alone, with a few survival items I think I'd enjoy the solitude" He admitted studying Miraj with his watchful gaze. "Luckily neither of us will have to worry about it"

"I think the last time I was alone with you and a few survival items, I did throw myself off a cliff," she teased. She hoped tonight was going to end slightly better than that night had.

He chuckled, “I must be very repulsive for you to throw yourself off a cliff edge” Luke stood up, the time passing and his uneasiness was causing him to become unnerved.

"No!" she shook her head, looking up at him, with big earnest eyes. She'd found him the exact opposite, even when they'd been drenched to the skin from the leap from the waterfall, and Luke had a nasty phaser burn and she was half drowned. He had been amazing then, and he was amazing now. "You're incredible."

He shook his head, "I'm really nothing special, honest" Luke said looking at her face, which was a bad idea because he almost thought about not doing the thing he had been working himself up to do for the past day week. "Miraj, we need to talk," he said sounding pitiful.

She blinked her big blue eyes at him, not understanding his meaning, "We are, aren't we?"

Luke’s stomach dropped as if the inertia dampeners failed and a shuttle he was on began to plummet to the ground, this was partly the reason he had to end it. He didn’t want to hurt her, hypocritical he knew but she was so pure and sweet, and Luke? He was broken and misguided, Miraj was merely the same age as Abbey. How would he feel if someone his age dated her, her kill him and then her he sighed. “I’m sorry Miraj, and I’m not just saying the words but truly am sorry. I’ve been thinking over a few things and well... I think, we should just remain... friends” the final word left his parted lips, a useless little word.

"Friends?" she repeated, stunned by the turn her evening had taken. She'd spent so long pining for him, looking forward to when she could share with him something far more than their few stolen kisses. "You dont want? You mean? Break up?"

He nodded slowly, he felt horrible but Luke also knew this was the right thing to do. "Im sorry Miraj but I know this is the right thing to do." He reached to hug her but stoppd himself, would she even want to touch him right now. "I still want you to be a part of my life just not..." He paused and sighed "Just not romantically."

Miraj felt sick, in shock, like caught in a neutrino storm. "Why?" It was all she dared say, her lip was already wobbling dangerously. She was not going to cry. She was not going to cry.

"I think its the fairest thing to do, I'm too old, old enough to be your father. Hell, I have a daughter basically the same age as you, being at the Academy I realized that it wasn't fair for you. You should meet someone your own age and fall in love. I'm tainted" He said in a low voice. "I'm sorry," Luke said again.

"You're not old, or tainted!" Why would he say such a horrible thing? None of this made any sense. "I don't want anyone my age. I want you." She took a breath, it caught in her throat and she had to grit her teeth to stop the threatening tears. She was not going to cry.

He shook his head, "Miraj you say that now but down the line, you know this is the right decision. Its nothing something I make in haste I've been thinking about it for a while" Luke sighed. "It's for the good of both of us and I know for certain you will understand if not now in the future."

She took a breath so deep she felt dizzy. It was better than breaking down and crying like a baby. "How can you say this is good for me? I thought you liked me."

He was trying to avoid her gaze, he felt worst than worst "I do Miraj but, I don't think its healthy for either of us to continue our relationship at least in a romantic sense." Luke added quickly, "I don't want to shut you out of my life completely."

He might as well. She didn't want to be thought of as someone his daughter's age, practically a child. "I'll go then." She turned away from him. She was only just quick enough to stop him seeing the first traitorous tear escape. "I dont know if well end up on the same ship again. So. Goodbye." One foot in front of the other, she told herself. That's how to do it. She walked towards the door. Walk, don't run.

Luke didn't chase after her, he watched Miraj leave for as long as he could until the door closed obstructing his view. Sometimes doing the right thing wasn't the easiest and for them, this was the right thing, in his heart he knew it. "Goodbye Miraj," He said sadly turning around and walking over to the liquor cabinet pulling out a fresh glass and the bottle of whiskey he poured it, knocked the first and second class down before settling down on the sofa with the third.

[OFF]
Lieutenant Commander Luke Wyatt
Chief of Secuirty

Ensign Miraj Derani

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