When Jealousy Strikes

Posted on Tue Jul 28th, 2020 @ 12:02am by Lieutenant Kevan Dash & Lieutenant Commander Savin

Mission: The Shadow of Arachne
Location: Security Office
Timeline: MD-01
2003 words - 4 OF Standard Post Measure

It was still early when Savin approached the security offices. Having taken the rest of the previous day off, and having enjoyed dinner with the security chief, the counselor was all ready for a new day. "Good morning," he called ahead, "I am looking for Lieutenant Dash."

"You found him," Kevan responded. He was sat alone - out of choice - and trying not to make himself too obvious. He looked over the newcomer. Blue uniform. Medical or Sciences. He didn't recognise the face, though. "Can I help you?"

"If you are he, then yes you probably can." Savin approached the workstation to get a better view of the man. From the name, he wouldn't have deduced the man would be Trill. "Though I believe a more applicable question would be whether I can be of service to you. Is there somewhere we can talk? Anywhere you would feel comfortable to do so?" He paused. "Apologies, you must have no idea who I am..." He offered a slight inclination of his head. "Counselor Savin," he introduced himself, choosing to omit his rank.

"Counsellor..." Kevan paused. Maybe someone had said something. He just shrugged. "Whatever." He motioned to an anteroom off the security offices, used for interviews. He took a seat quite quickly, waiting for the Counsellor to start asking questions.

Savin sat down across from him. "I have received a report regarding an altercation with a fellow officer and the captain has asked me to speak with you both. Can you tell me about the incident?"

"Incident?" Kevan frowned. Which incident was he talking about? Unless... "Is this about Mason? Has he put in some kind of complaint or something? Guy doesn't know when to quit."

"No lieutenant, the report does not state any kind of complaint, at least not from the other party involved" Savin shook his head. "It just reports an incident between a lieutenant and a chief petty officer, and I would like you to tell me what happened first as you are the senior officer in this." He tilted his head ever so slightly. "I do notice you use his first name, rather than his rank..." He left it open for the other man to respond to, without making any suggestive remarks.

"So?" Kevan shrugged. "We work together. The guy's got a weird attitude problem, but that's it." He leaned back in his seat, his arms crossed a little defensively.

Savin took note of the closed posture the man displayed. "Can you describe this attitude that you have observed?" He asked gently. "Just towards you, or towards others as well?"

"Oh yeah. Over-friendly with people. Especially the Captain. In front of that Duke, as well, on an away mission. Everyone knows you've got to let the leader do the talking." Kevan shook his head. "Definitely over-familiar."

"Have you considered that perhaps it is his nature to be friendly?" Savin arched an eyebrow at him as he asked the question, "to be outgoing? I do not necessarily see anything wrong with being friendly."

"I think he wants to be more than friends when he-" Kevan grimaced as he realised what he was saying. "Look, whatever is going on between us is...confusing. It won't affect our jobs."

"But it already has Lieutenant, which is why we are here." Savin remained calm as he watched the security officer. "Can you elaborate on what confuses you? You think he wants to be more than friends, how does this make you feel?"

"That makes me feel..." Kevan hesitated. He remembered the moment in the corridor. The sudden feelings it had brought on. "I don't know. Annoyed?"

"Why? What makes you annoyed, that he is friendly with you, or with others?" Savin observed the delay in answer, wondering what had made him hesitate. "Do you experience any other feelings?"

"It's annoying because...because..." Kevan's arms folded even tighter. "This is why I hate counsellors. You're like inquisitors: always asking questions, trying to trip me up. Mason is...a friend, I suppose. I like the guy as a work colleague. And he was pretty cool with me getting drunk that time." He took a deep breath, breaking up the babbling. "You're the counsellor, you tell me: what do you think?"

"What I think does not matter lieutenant," Savin answered, "I am not here to judge, nor am I an inquisitor. I am here to help you deal with something that obviously bothers you, and may in the future interfere with your work." He paused, studying him again. "Relax lieutenant, what you tell me here is confidential. Anything you tell me, I am required to keep it to myself." He could see something else was going on, but the man would have to volunteer the information himself.

Kevan held his tongue for a minute. He wasn't very good at the whole 'feelings' talk anyway, so talking about it wasn't very natural. "Right, so here's the thing..." he started. Then he hesitated again. "So, when we were on the holodeck, he...kissed me." He subconsciously looked around to make sure nobody else was listening in. "I was mad. I mean, really mad. I'm not like that...I like girls. Busty, healthy, female girls."

Savin took note of the anxious looking around. "What are you afraid of?" He asked directly, "did he give you a reason for his actions? Was it intentional?" He paused for a moment. "Did you give him a reason to do it?" He remembered when Jerant had confessed having feelings for him, and his own response to it.

"Oh it was intentional all right. He had the whole thing set-up ever since he stayed over in my quarters - not like that - and we were assigned to work together." Kevan rolled his eyes. "Playing with my head. Making me...think weird things."

"What would you consider weird things?" The counselor watched him intently, studying his body language. "Why do you think it's a set up, has he made any kind of feelings known towards you?"

"I don't know. Feelings?" Kevan just shrugged. "What do I know about 'feelings'? He's just been weird. And...nice...about it. Like it's not really a big deal when it should be a big deal. Kissing a guy should be a big deal."

Savin made a note in his PADD. "Why do you think it should be a big deal? You mentioned he was friendly with others too. After this incident, how did that make you feel?"

"After this incident..." Kevan thought back to the moment. He'd been angry. Frustrated. But not in the normal way. A little like one might be with a brother, or... "I guess I was bothered, is all. I told him he was behaving poorly, that it reflected badly on me. And then I..." he hesitated fractionally. "I walked away."

"Why do you believe his behaviour reflects poorly on you?" Savin pressed carefully, not wanting to go too far too soon. "And why do you believe kissing a man is a big deal? He kissed you, you did not kiss him, after all. He likes men, there is nothing wrong with that."

"I didn't say there was anything wrong with that. But don't...so why...why am I feeling these weird feelings and stuff? What's the deal with that?"

"Can you describe these weird feelings?" Savin made another quick note. "Have you felt anything like this before?"

Kevan thought about that for a moment. He'd not put a lot of consideration into it before. This was different, sure. Normally he was confident and easy-going about things, but lately it was a lot more confusing where this friendship with Mason was concerned. "No. I mean, I left Arcadia because things with Korra didn't work out..." he shrugged. "Am I on the rebound or something?"

"I do not understand... rebound?" Savin arched an eyebrow at him. "Can you please elaborate? What was your relationship with Korra? Was he, or she, just a friend, or was there more?"

"She and I were an item. I thought we were serious, but she didn't. It was pretty bad, to be honest." Kevan shrugged. He'd put that part of his life behind him when he left. "Sure, it sucked. I'm probably still feeling the effects of that breaking down. Maybe." He cast his mind to Mason. When they'd met, Kevan had been looking for trouble; trying to drown his sorrows and pick up girls. Mason had helped him out of that; he'd been kinder than most people. That filled him with a feeling he couldn't describe. Trust? Or something else?

Savin saw the other man's expression and could almost sense his doubt and confusion. "Not impossible," he supplied. "You mentioned Mason being friendly with the Duke. How did that make you feel? Compared to how you feel now as you just described your feelings? To you personally I mean, not as an officer."

Kevan had to think about that. Harder than he wanted to. Damn shrinks making me think about feelings...

"I was annoyed. Maybe because I figured he was being really friendly with other people." He shrugged. "Sounds like I'm jealous. But...why would I be jealous of him being nice to people?"

"I cannot judge how you feel," the counselor replied, a minute smile touching his face. "When you described your feelings for Korra, does this compare to how you describe your feelings towards Mason?" Savin himself had no experience with such feelings and had only what he had sensed from Jerant to go on.

Again Kevan went quiet. "It's not the same. Korra was a tough, no-nonsense Marine, and Mason's...well, he's not really like that." He pushed himself up from the chair. "Look, I get what you're trying to do here, doc. Maybe I'm jealous or something. I'm not a psychiatrist. All I know is we're probably best staying away from each other for a while."

"But he was trained as a marine," Savin explained, "perhaps not no-nonsense but a marine all the same. I see no reason for you two to stay away from each other. If anything you need to resolve what you are feeling because you two work closely together." He watched the man stand, which to him felt as a defensive reaction. "If you do not resolve this, you may forever regret this and you might lose a friend in the process. I recommend you talk to him, either in private or in a very public place, but you should sooner rather than later."

"You making that an order, Doc?" Kevan growled. Technically as department head Savin was a senior officer. Technically.

"I do believe I said recommend but if you wish to interpret that as being an order, that is entirely up to you." The counselor offered a warm smile. "But from my perspective, and going on what I sense from you, aside from confusion, I believe you may be developing feelings for him that extend beyond friendship. Especially, if you experience jealousy when he interacts with other men."

Kevan remained silent for a moment. On the one hand, the Counsellor was trained to know these things and draw them out. On the other hand, he had no idea whether his head was being played-with; to feel that way about another guy? The thought had never crossed his mind in any way. He liked girls. Didn't he?

"I'll be going now. I'm sure I've got work to do," he said.

"I have no doubt. Remember to talk to him lieutenant, and I would like to hear from you in next session how it went." Savin stood. "I will leave you to your duties, there is no need for you to leave your own work area."

Kevan watched the counsellor leave. Maybe Savin had a bit of a point about him talking to Mason. But Kevan would do that on his own time. When he was ready.