Lieutenants Anjar Thoran & Carter Greyson: Patience, Part I

[Lael Rosek]

((Thoran’s Quarters, USS Astraeus))

Thoran: oO These feel bigger than my quarters aboard the Montreal. Oo

::Overall, the Astraeus was a much larger ship with a much larger crew. It was a Galaxy class, after all. These ships had been built more for luxury than as workhorses like some of the previous ships he’d served on. In fact, he’d looked at the deck layout and noticed a great many more amenities. This ship was definitely more appropriate for officers and enlisted personnel with families. Liara would love it here. There was even a little girl her age that she might enjoy playing with.::

::He reached into a box and pulled out a holophoto, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. It had been nice to spend some bonding time with Liara. He hadn’t need to put in the same long hours with R&D as he had when he’d been Chief aboard the Montreal. That had been Lael’s dream, not his. He was more than content for now not supervising a whole department.::

:: Carter felt the butterflies in his stomach as he approached the door. He knew that Anjar was back, but the manner of the man’s sudden disappearance after it felt like they had started something still smarted a bit. Perhaps this time, it was for the longer term. He pressed a hand to the door chime and waited, hoping that Anjar still felt the same way. Maybe it was too much to hope, but hopefully...it would pan out. ::

Thoran: ::studies the box’s contents:: Enter.

::He turned at the sound of the doors opening and his smile faltered slightly when he found himself face to face with Carter Greyson. A flurry of emotions caused his chest to tighten and his breathing to deepen. His tongue peeked out to moisten his lips as he studied the man in front of him. It hadn’t truly been that long. Only a few weeks. But those few weeks had felt like an eternity and had given him ample time to think about what he wanted.::

Thoran: ::murmurs:: Hey.

:: As Carter crossed into the room, he felt a touch uneasy. Nervous, almost. Nervous that this was going to explode in a horrible fashion, much like his previous dates with all those Ops fellows had. The tightness in his stomach grew worse, but he swallowed back the uneasy feelings and wave of nausea. When he spoke, it took a few moments to find his tongue. ::

Greyson: Hey, Anjar. How’re you?

::For a long moment, he said nothing, simply staring deep into the man’s brown eyes. He’d never been with a man until Carter nor had he had any desire to. He’d thought long and hard about what had happened between the two of them before he’d left the Montreal. It had been damned impulsive, but he couldn’t bring himself to regret it. Though it had been a little intimidating at first, Carter had been very patient with him, not pushing him into anything that made him uncomfortable. A familiar tightness took up residence in his chest and the words tumbled out before he could stop them.::

Thoran: ::whispers:: Better now that you’re here. ::winces:: oO Damn, that sounded needy. Oo

:: Carter’s brow furrowed as he heard the whisper. He was certain he didn’t need to adjust the gain on his implants, but the fact it was whispered was a little curious. While he wasn’t sure there was really anything to regret about their past actions, he was still a bit confused over whether this was going to last. ::

Greyson: Come again?

::Anjar paused, tempted to pretend like he hadn’t said it. He wasn’t a coward and was never afraid to speak what was on his mind, but this with Carter...this scared him. So much of this was new territory for him. Would he be able to sustain a long-term relationship with a man? He knew he wanted to try, thus why he’d requested a transfer to the ship where Carter was serving. Even after talking himself into it, he was struggling to make the final leap.::

::Exhaling shakily, he closed the distance and grasped the back of Carter’s neck, meeting the man’s eyes.:: 

Thoran: ::breathes:: I was an idiot. I--This is all new to me. I just came back to tell you that I--I care about you. I can’t promise that I won’t $%!* up from time to time, but Carter...I want to try to make this work.

:: Carter’s mind raced as he considered the possibility. Translating the past haze of the drink into the heat of the moment was difficult, and he knew this from experience. He hoped that it was for real this time, and he gave a slight nod. ::

Greyson: I want to try and make this work also. When you left...I wasn’t sure what to do with myself for a few days. 

Thoran: ::smiles wanly:: I screwed up the same propulsion simulation three times before I realized that I’d entered the wrong set of parameters. Couldn’t get you out of my head.

:: That was encouraging, at least -- knowing that someone else had the same problem he did, and that this interest, unlike his last misguided intuitions was genuine. He hoped that Anjar truly meant what he said and would be staying around. ::

Greyson: I can’t tell you the number of nights I lay awake thinking about you. 

::Anjar, for all he wore his heart on his sleeve, struggled with the kind of mushy feelings Carter was talking about. In past relationships, he’d used flirting to keep his partners from getting too close. It put up a wall that most people didn’t try to hard to see past. But Carter...it was different. The man could see through his $!%* better than anyone and knew when he was holding back.::

::He leaned forward, brushing his lips tenderly against Carter’s, a far more chaste kiss than any they’d shared before now. Tilting his head, he covered Carter’s dry, strong lips with his and took his time, wanting to express just how important the other man was to him. Gods help him, but he couldn’t hold back the breathy sigh that escaped as he allowed himself to get lost in the moment. The scent of Carter’s aftershave rolled off the man’s skin, drawing Anjar in deeper.::

Thoran: ::groans softly and murmurs:: Carter.

TBC

---

PNPC Lieutenant Anjar Thoran

Propulsion Systems Officer, USS Astraeus

I238110RH0

As simmed by Lael Rosek

&

Lieutenant Carter Greyson

Acting Assistant Chief Engineer

USS Astraeus NCC-70652

O239002CS0