JP - Cadet Leenaya Edrei & Cadet Lyara Alroyo - Come fly with me! [PART 5]
Lyara Alroyo
((Borrowed Shuttle On the Beach))
((The next morning…))
Lee lay with one arm tucked behind her head and the other wrapped around Lyara’s waist. Lyara rested her head on Lee’s chest, slowly waking as the daylight crept in. Feeling her lover stir in her embrace, Lee glanced down at her.
Edrei: Hey you.
Alroyo groggily opened her eyes and looked up to her lover, imzadi or whatever word they would choose moving forward.
Lyara: Hey there, pretty lady.
The Betazoid blushed. It wasn’t the first time they found themselves in the position they were currently in, but it was the first time they did in that context. The two of them more or less admitting their feelings to each other the day before made that experience feel like their first time again.
Edrei: ::chuckling:: It’s a bit awkward, isn’t it?
Lyara gave a concerned smirk to Lee as she tilted her head to the side in confusion.
Lyara: Awkward? What do you mean?
Lee caught Alroyo’s reaction and she quickly understood that she had said the wrong thing.
Edrei: No, not awkward, I didn’t mean that. Just… It feels different.
Alroyo laid back down on her chest as she processed what Lee meant. Admittedly things were a little awkward, there always was that underlying romantic attraction but it was never acknowledged until now. And with it being acknowledged neither knew what the future had in store for them moving forward.
Lyara: Well, It’s not like we’re Imzadi or anything. ::Beat:: We’re just starting you know?
The idea of getting serious, at least more serious than they had been until now with Alroyo made Lee smile, but she couldn’t shake the feeling of uncertainty that was creeping through her.
Edrei: Sure, but… Royo, our graduation is only a few weeks away, and… I mean… There’s realistically no chance we’re getting assigned to the same ship. That means weeks, months without seeing each other. I just… how do we make things work?
Alroyo immediately sat up upon hearing Lee’s anxious tone. She put a hand around Lee’s waist and pulled her closer into a hug in an attempt to center her before her mind wandered too far. Her concerns were valid but she knew her friend well and could sense her working herself up.
Lyara: Hey, it’s ok. People work on other ships all the time and still date. I mean, my older sister and her partner were long distance for forever before they requested to serve on the same ship.
She pulled out of the hug and gently placed her hand on Lee's face in comfort, who grabbed her hand anxiously.
Edrei: But forever is a long time and we won’t be able to request to transfer right away. It just means starting and building our relationship while being light years away, you know?
Lyara: Girl do you hear yourself? We’re just Ensigns of course we can’t request a transfer to each other’s stations. It’s gonna be a little hard at first, but every shore leave I’ll come and visit you.
Lee nervously smiled. The Bajoran’s words were making her feel better, but as much as she wanted to be with her, she feared their graduation and being away from each other would ruin everything. How could you go from spending every day with someone else for years to not being able to see them for months at a time? Just thinking about it made her heart ache.
Edrei: I just… I just don’t want to screw this up. I’m just worried we’ll realize it’s too hard, or we meet someone else, or we’re too busy, or our shoreleaves don’t align-
She realized she was rambling, her anxiousness taking the best of her, and she stopped abruptly.
Lyara: Lee! It’s ok! I understand what you’re saying.
Alroyo tried to hold back a frown as she took Lee’s other hand and gave her an understanding look. Although her lip slightly quivered she tried keeping a strong facade to comfort her companion. It pained her to admit, but she had some of the same concerns running through her head the night before. She didn’t want to acknowledge them but it seemed the Prophets had other things in mind.
Lyara: I… have these same feelings too. I just thought we could.. I dunno, work through them.
Hearing Alroyo admitting those concerns as well made Lee falter. The Bajoran was her rock, and usually the most optimistic between the two. Hearing her acknowledging her worries made them all the more real.
Edrei: I do. I really want to. But, Royo… You’re my best friend. You’re the single most important person in my whole life save for my family. Messing this up would mean losing you. And I really, really don’t want that. I want to do this right, you know?
The Bajoran woman was shocked by the words coming out of Lee’s mouth. They had been through so much together, and she couldn’t think of a day where Lee wasn’t by her side since their first year at the academy. Once they were on different ships the dynamic would change, and a change like that could be a death spell for all they knew. Could a subspace call work out a fight they had or be a good holdover when it reaches months since they’ve seen each other.
Lyara: I want to do this right too, it's just…
Her voice slightly faltered as Lee’s anxieties reached her words. Maybe she was just defending a relationship that was doomed to fail, and when it failed not only would she lose a lover but one of the most important people in her life. Alroyo just sat for a moment quietly looking at Lee, her throat started to feel scratchy and her vision was starting to blur.
Edrei: Royo…
Her friend’s emotions which hit her full force added to her own, and a few tears slipped from her eyes. She gripped Alroyo’s hand harder as she mustered the courage to say what needed to be said.
Edrei: We’re… we’re both thinking the same thing, aren’t we?
The Bajoran woman looked to her friend as a small tear worked its way down her cheek. She let out a sniffle then looked away to save herself the embarrassment of having to cry in front of her.
Lyara: I don’t want to…
Lee closed her eyes and took a deep breath in, trying to stop her eyes turning into an ocean.
Edrei: I don’t want to either Royo… I’m so sorry…
Alroyo couldn’t take the emotions inside the shuttle at that moment and got up. She turned back to look at Lee then immediately snapped back to walk out of the shuttle. The cold beach air hit her as soon as she stepped out and made the few tears form on her cheek slightly sting. She walked to the edge of the hill and stopped to take a seat, looking out to the sea as she took deep breaths in and out to center herself.
The Betazoid brought her knees to her chest as she watched Lyara walk away. She pondered whether to give her peace, but ultimately concluded that they couldn’t run away from the conversation. They needed to talk about it and make a decision, whatever it was. She got up and joined Alroyo on the beach, sitting down next to her in silence and handing her a sweater to counter the cold.
Alroyo took the sweater and put it on, immediately savoring the warmth it brought against the cold morning air. She felt frustrated that even during a break up she still felt comforted by Lee. Part of her had wished Lee would come out to talk to her, it was the mature thing to do in a situation like this. But what to say Lyara had no idea, whatever came out of her mouth felt like it could only do more harm.
Lyara: Is this it?
Lee almost started crying again right there and then, and she allowed herself a few moments of silence before answering the Bajoran. Had Lyara been a telepath, she would’ve known how truly she wanted to say no, and just live in denial for the next few weeks. But it wouldn’t be doing Lyara a favour to disregard the concerns she- they both had.
Edrei: I guess it is…
Alroyo let out a soft sob as she laid her head on Lee’s shoulder, it didn’t matter if they were breaking up nearly nine hours after they agreed to pursue a relationship. It hurt all the same, two years of dancing around it only to acknowledge it and get burned, to put it bluntly, sucked. But eventually they would have had to reckon with their reality, and Alroyo guessed today would be that day.
Lyara: ::Between quiet sobs:: We’re still friends right?
Tears started to roll on Lee’s cheeks once again at Royo’s words. She took her head in her hands, locking eyes with her.
Edrei: Of course we are, why wouldn’t we? You mean the world to me.
The Bajoran woman couldn’t believe it but she let out a small laugh upon being reassured. Even if she was sobbing her eyes out she at least had reassurance from the most important person in the galaxy to her.
Lyara: I just wanted to make sure. ::She let out a small sniffle:: I’m not the best at the whole exes thing.
Lee chuckled slightly between sobs, and she quietly put her friend into a hug.
Edrei: Because you think I am? Besides, you’re the best at the whole friendship thing. So I think it’s gonna be okay.
Alroyo pulled out of the hug and looked into her friends eyes lovingly, things hadn’t worked out for them at that moment. But they at least would have each other moving forward.
Lyara: Perhaps in another life.
In a bold move Alroyo gave Lee one last tender kiss, not as a romantic gesture, but as a thank you for an amazing four years at the academy together. Lee broke away after what felt like an eternity and a moment far too brief, and she gave her a small smile.
Edrei: Yeah…
They looked at the sunrise over the ocean together in a comforting silence. Even with the now awkward mood between the two they relished the moment together.
END.
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Leenaya Edrei
Medical Cadet
Starfleet Academy
C240107LE3
&
Lyara Alroyo
Operations/Navigation Cadet
Starfleet Academy
D240108LA4