Lingering Doubts
Posted on Sun Jan 18, 2015 @ 5:50pm by
709 words; about a 4 minute read
Mission:
All this has happened before...
Location: Living Quarters
Timeline: Following "Blue Horizon"
The vast majority of the Victory's enlisted crew shared quarters and barracks with each other, ranging from two to six people to a room. Being Chief of the Boat came with several unique privileges aboard the ship, including the opportunity to have his own cabin. It was small, for sure, something generally provided to Ensigns or Warrant Officers.
Tom never cared about its size. Over his twenty years of service, the only reason why he ever stepped foot in his quarters was to sleep. He'd walk in, drop in his bunk, and then wake up and leave. He preferred to stay close to the holodecks or the crew lounge, keeping his pulse on the rumblings below decks and between ranks. That was his job now, after all, at least when he wasn't operating a transporter. One look around his quarters: a simple bunk, a small table with two chairs in the corner, and a desk built into the wall with a display monitor mounted above it, even showed how little he used the room.
Tonight, however, was different.
He would have sat beside a window, but his quarters did not have one. Instead, he sat down on his bunk and laid on his back. Tom folded both his hands behind his head and simply looked at the ceiling, a smile stretched across his face. Tonight was a perfect evening, and he enjoyed it more than the drinks and laughter he would have normally shared with the enlisted ranks in the lounge. He knew of several on board who were not afraid to "kiss and tell" and he was not one of those.
As enjoyable as the evening had been, Tom was left with a lot of questions, answerable only by himself. And until he could sort those out, he did not dare to share.
Up until the last two days, Tom had never considered a relationship with an officer. Sure, he was one, alas non-commissioned. Penny was several years his junior, but even an ensign had him outranked. She was a lieutenant, and Starfleet had regulations about fraternization between the ranks.
Or was there really?
Tom immediately rose from the bed and crossed the room for his desk. It only took two steps to reach it and only four taps to call up the uniform code. For the next hour, Tom read every regulation and every case study involving interaction between the ranks. Since his time in boot camp, Starfleet had relaxed on what they'd drilled into him, largely because wars had done a lot to thin the officer crops. There was a lot of freedom between married couples, but that wasn't even near Tom's mind. He hadn't been in a relationship for over five years, going steady with a Petty Officer nurse aboard the Sovereign. She wanted it to be serious, and Tom had danced around that for a while, even seriously considering it. Ultimately, it was his roommate's engagement to an Engineering Specialist that prompted Tom call it off with the nurse and request a transfer. While he did not regret ending it, he regretted the sudden end, knowing how bad it hurt her. Not wanting to go down that road again prompted him to remain celibate for several years.
And he didn't exactly plan on being back here so quickly.
Had there not been an appointment for a couple Engineers to use the holodeck, Tom would likely still be there with Penny. The Chief did not feel comfortable following the Lieutenant back to the Senior Officer quarters, nor did he think she should follow him back to his bunk, so the evening had come to an end.
Tom shut off the screen and leaned back in his chair. Despite his nervousness, Tom smiled, thinking once more of the lagoon. It was like the old Tom was coming back to him, no longer hidden after all these years behind a uniform and chevrons, all thanks to Penny. And while he could not wait until the morning to see those wonderfully crafted blue eyes once again, he would be content moving one step at a time. As much fun as these last few days had been, he had to tread carefully. It would only end terribly for him.
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