Friendship Never Ends

Posted on 03 Jul 2018 @ 6:08pm by Petty Officer 1st Class Gabriel Stark & Lieutenant Aria Rice

2,595 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Episode 15 - Emanation
Location: Security Office at Avondale Shipyards
Timeline: MD139 - 11:30

ON:

Aria smiled warmly as she sat in the security office, waiting as patiently as she could. She had called Gabriel here...just to catch up with him quickly before the usual mayhem happened. And she had missed Gabriel. A lot. They had been good friends when they had served together and she hoped that would happen again. Of course, two years was a long time, so she wanted to know how he had been and what he had been up to. She was...curious. She wore her hair the same way she had done earlier, tied back sharply from her face and she still wore the uniform.

"There's my gorgeous little pocket goddess...." Gabriel grinned as he half snuck through the door before turning into a full on sprint. He grappled her around the waist, lifting her and swinging her around. "You don't write, you don't call, and then you just turn up out of the blue!" he teased.

She laughed, her arms wrapping around him before she shifted and wrapped a leg around him, the other out and straight, like a dancer. "Well, I didn't call or send letters because I was sent far, far, far away...and you, I don't even know where you went," she smiled before she kissed his cheeks, gently. "Mm, my handsome Gabriel! How are you? You look so good..."

He grinned as he set her down, striking a vogue pose before shaking his head with a soft laugh. "If that's true, it's too much training," he chuckled. "And you, bitch, don't look a day older...."

"Neither do you, so you can just chill it," Aria smiled as she touched his chest, patting it. "Mmm...you've been dancing a lot. I can tell with that body. So what has been going on? I mean, seriously? Because I have been so bored off duty for the last years..."

Gabriel chuckled softly, leaning back against the desk, crossing his ankles as he rested back on his hands. "I....decided to try and...do more," he shrugged, almost awkward at admitting something that made him sound nerdy. "So I applied for extra training. I was pretty shell shocked when they accepted me."

"I'm glad you did. You're good at this," Aria said and sat down, stretching her legs out as she sighed softly. "And this work. I mean, still alive and all that. So...winning!"

"Have to be good at something..." he chuckled, shaking his head, looking down for a long moment. "You want to come back to my quarters? Catch a drink with me? And catch up with me too?"

Aria nodded as she watched him, her eyes gentle. She reached out, her hand touching his chest. "Sounds like a plan to me," she said and nodded, moving to take his hand. He looked like he needed to talk and Aria was more than happy to listen. And comment. And try and make him smile with his eyes as well as his lips.

Gabriel's step lightened at that and he squeezed her hand, easily keeping hold of it as they walked down the corridor. "Is it possible that your iddybiddy waist has gotten even smaller? I'm ridiculously jealous..."

Aria smiled as she shook her head, her blue eyes warm as she looked forward. "Not that I've noticed, but I have been doing a lot more running than usual. Not as much dancing as I'd like..." she looked at him before she leant against him as they walked. "So maybe that is it." She looked at him as they entered some quarters and she assumed it was his temporary ones while they waited for the new ship. Only then did she let go of his hand and gently push him against the wall, meeting his eyes as her hand rested at the base of his throat. "So. You going to tell me what is going on with you, or do I have to tickle it out of you? Because I will. I totally will."

Gabriel watched with shock for a moment before laughing, holding his hands out to the side in surrender. "Nothing. Nothing is going on with me. Maybe that's the problem," he chuckled weakly, shaking his head. "Amon was transferred and I volunteered for extra training. We message each other, but....well, it's over now, we're just good friends. So...I poured myself into work. But that extra training was....hard. It reminded me of the Academy all over again....the feeling of not being good enough, the doubt, the anger, hating the authority they shoved down my throat, the effort not to bite back and punch them in the face, the struggle with day after day of pain, and the sickness in me that almost made me addicted to it....the messing up. Ruining my career before it started. Prison...." he took a deep breath, looking away at having let all of that come out. "Damn, I need a drink. Get one in me."

Aria nodded and reached to touch his cheek, taking a deeper breath. "Just sit back and let Nurse Rice get you some well deserved alcofrol..." she said playfully, moving over to get them both a drink. "I...am sorry. That you and Amon didn't last. I was hopeful. But...Starfleet never makes relationships easy I suppose..." she turned to look at him, carrying two drinks over and offering him one. "And you know better than to do extra training without me around to poke fun out of you! It's my job...to remind you that you aren't there anymore..." she winked and settled down, her legs going over his lap.

He took a large mouthful of the drink, letting the burn steady him as his other hand settled easily on her leg, stroking it fondly. She had a cracking pair of legs. He was jealous of those too. "How do you do it?" he asked her with a soft chuckle. "Stay so....sunny."

"Well, I sort of...view it like this..." Aria admitted and sipped her drink, grimacing before sitting up to be closer to him. "A lot of bad things have happened. I survived it. So, I will survive more bad things coming towards me. And most likely, half of it won't be half as bad as some of the stuff I have already seen. Therefore...why worry? Why care too much about things?" she shrugged before she took his hand to hold. "What matters is that you know your own truths. What makes you happy, how to steal those moments for yourself."

Gabriel laughed softly at that, nodding as he tapped the tip of her nose with his fingertip. "Look at you, Aria...got it all figured out. You'll be the Chief next thing you know..." he said with a sly smile, knowing how she felt about that.

Aria's eyes widened and she hit his arm, gasping. "Don't mention the cursed chair!" she gasped, crossing herself quickly. "It's the worst thing I have ever seen, how cursed it is. May my backside never sit in it, because I can't think of anything worse."

"Yeah you can...flat shoes with ankle socks," he winked to her with a grin, rubbing her knee warmly. "It's good having you back. Everyone else is so....serious."

"Even you?" Aria asked as she reached out, touching his cheek for a long moment. "You...look the same, but...I don't know..."

"Me? Well, I suppose the training got to me a bit," he gave a half smile, shaking his head. "But you know me, Aria....it doesn't take much to get me in the bar with a drink and a dance and a one night stand..."

Aria nodded as she watched him before she shifted to straddle his lap. She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "I know, but sometimes that isn't the answer," she said quietly, burying her face in his shoulder. "So for the days and nights when that doesn't appeal, when you hurt...you get me and we have a...girly night in. We eat crap and we watch rubbish and we chat and we snuggle and we fall asleep together. And hey, you know with me, you don't even have to make an effort!"

He smiled at the words, the offer warming him more than she probably knew. He needed it. Someone he felt safe with, someone he didn't have to worry about impressing or intimidating or seducing. Just...a really good friend. He sighed, pressing his face to her hair. "Now I'm jealous of your hair too...." he whispered with a chuckle.

"I can totally do your hair," Aria said playfully, stroking over the back of his neck. "You know...I'd like to just stay here tonight if you'll let me? Catch up properly. I mean, I got stories to tell you about smugglers and pirates and that sort..."

Gabriel laughed softly, but his dark eyes shone with the prospect of her staying over. "Well, now you have to! You know I can't resist a good pirate...or a bad one for that matter."

"Exactly!" Aria nodded quickly and sat back, holding his eyes for a moment. "So...how about we get some food...and get into something a lot more comfortable..." she raised an eyebrow at the words. "I bagsy the softest t-shirt you own!"

Gabriel laughed warmly at that, slapping her thigh before pushing her legs reluctantly off of him. He moved through to the bedroom, stripping off easily. "I'm totally jealous by the way!" he called through to her as he changed into a simple set of t-shirt and shorts. "I never get to be surrounded by smugglers and pirates anymore!" he winked to her as he came back through, throwing a t-shirt her way. It was one of the smallest, tightest ones he owned, yet he knew it would still be big on her. He followed up with a pair of shorts thrown in her direction, complete with a drawstring waist to tie around her impossibly small waist. He reached to pour them more drink. "I hope you behaved like a complete and utter slut. I'll be so disappointed in you if you didn't conduct yourself badly in such a situation...."

Aria laughed warmly, shaking her head as she undressed. She had no qualms about that in front of Gabriel, she knew he didn't look at her that way. "Maybe once or twice...but mostly I had to be a proper officer..." she rolled her eyes and put the tee shirt on before pulling the shorts. "I had to get them to sign PADDs, search through ships, take names...I even managed not to get myself hurt, so I am totally in control now! But there was this one guy who I know must have been a smuggler...but he was clean at the time. We...may or may not have hooked up the second I had shoreleave."

Gabriel grinned at that, shaking his head as he set the glasses down on the table for her, leaning to kiss her multicoloured striped hair. "That's my girl," he teased before heading for the replicator, ordering enough plates of picky finger food to feed an army. "What was he like?"

Aria smiled as she sat down, pulling her legs up to hug. "He was..." she paused, thinking about it. "Tall. So tall...like...wow. And blond, curly hair. A devil's smile. He danced. We both danced, that was...wow. And a decent lay too, to be honest. But he made it clear it was just fun and to be honest, I couldn't exactly let myself fall for a smuggler anyway."

"Hey, some of my best nights out have been 'just fun'," Gabriel assured setting the food out on the coffee table for her, sitting in close to kiss her cheek.

Aria smiled at the words, leaning close to him. "I don't know..." she reached out for some fries, moaning as she dipped them in the mayo before eating them. "I like it, but not enough to...always make the effort...it takes so much energy! And remembering to wear your sexy underwear rather than your comfy ones..."

Gabriel laughed warmly as he watched her, shaking his head gently. He almost wished he was straight so he could bag this little lady all for himself. Almost. "It's the waxing in my case...always be prepared, that's my motto."

"A good motto, but I use the laser shaver for my legs..." she stretched them out as if to make a point. "Just because of that one time aliens took all my head hair and body hair and now I just like being in control of it. So! Waxing...just the chest or some...naughtier bits too?" she asked playfully, winking.

Gabriel grinned as he popped a nacho in his mouth, looking to her with an arched eyebrow. "Do I look like someone who half heartedly stops at the chest?" he said pointedly. "Besides, I never know when I might get lucky...don't get me wrong, it's not like when I was younger and could sneak off to the clubs every night, but...well...you'd be surprised how many guys in Starfleet and on shoreleave you can tempt after a couple of drinks and a dance that inch too close..."

"No, no...I can imagine..." Aria said dramatically, smiling as she reached for some nachos. "In detail, actually. But even so...must hurt in those more sensitive areas..." she winked before she bit into her nacho with a crunch.

"It's worth it," he said softly with a warm smile, reaching for more food. "Not that the prettiest thing this side of the galaxy needs beauty tips from a scarred petty officer."

Aria frowned as she looked at him, running her eyes over him. "Gabriel, you are beautiful. With and without scars, you are beautiful. Everyone can see that."

He looked to her with surprise, holding his breath for a long moment. "Sorry," he shook his head with a slight frown. "I didn't mean it to sound so...holo-opera."

"Hey..." Aria reached out to touch his cheek, leaning close to rest her forehead against his cheek. "Nothing holo-opera about it. We all have our...hang ups."

Gabriel smiled softly at that, letting out a long, tired breath as he stroked her hair. "Being a human is hard," he chuckled.

"I know," Aria said and shifted, pulling him so that his head could rest against her shoulder, her hand stroking over his hair. "Oh, I know. Not sure it gets better like...ever. But it is okay. Because we'd be terrible as some other species! I mean, imagine me as a Vulcan. The hair cut itself...or eyebrows..." she shivered, but it was playful. "We're human and it is hard, but it's who we are and what we are is amazing too. No one can party like us, we're stubborn and stupid...the shorter the lifespan, the deeper the quicksand..."

Gabriel laughed softly against her at that, closing his eyes as he stroked her thigh. "And the harder the party?"

Aria nodded as she watched him before she closed her eyes, kissing his hair. "Yup," she said, the p coming out like a pop. She was happy to hold him. She thought he needed being held for a bit. To feel loved. Because she loved him like a brother.

OFF:

Lieutenant JG Aria Rice
Security Officer
USS Galileo
[PNPC Constantin Vansen]

&

PO1 Gabriel Stark
Security
USS Galileo
[PNPC Scarlet Blake]

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