Thoughtless Conversation

Posted on Sun Mar 20th, 2022 @ 11:29am by Lieutenant Xavier Leiko & Ensign Kateyo Fenn

Mission: Character Development
Location: Dionysus Bar
Timeline: After the mission
1696 words - 3.4 OF Standard Post Measure

"I'm sorry, can you repeat that?"

"We slept together."

"You slept together? As in you-"

"Yes. Had sex, made love, got intimate. Whatever you want to call it, we did it."

Xavier couldn't believe his ears. Not only did the words just sound wrong, but Tey's nonchalant tone was also, unnerving. "With Mason?"

Teyo nodded.

"You slept with Mason?" Xavier asked again, at this point he was pretty sure he was dreaming.

Teyo nodded again.

"Malone?"

"Yes, Xav!" Teyo said, clearly not following why this was so hard for his friend to comprehend. "I, Kateyo Fenn, slept with Mason Malone. Can you drop it now?"

"Drop it? We've only just begun. How did it happen? You two hate each other right?"

"Turns out there's a thin line between love and hate, and that line is a shower relay," Teyo said with a smile.

Xavier gave his friend a quizzical look, one that the Trill mirrored on his face. Teyo's dark brown eyes met Xavier's black ones in a way that made the Betazoid uncomfortable. He dropped his gaze and instead focused on the drink that was sitting in front of him. Xavier swirled his drink a few times, letting the ice make a clinging sound against the hard glass before he rose it to his mouth and took a gulp of the caramel coloured liquid. He slowly placed the glass back on the table before he allowed himself to look up again. When he did, he saw that Teyo was still watching him, that same look in his eyes.

"Xavier, are you-?"

"I can't believe you hooked up with Mason," Xavier continued, cutting the Trill off midsentence. "What about Finn?"

Taking the hint, Teyo also took a drink from his stein and leaned back in his chair. "What about her?" He tried to sound nonplussed, but it came out a little cold, even for him. Xavier gave him a knowing look and so he continued. "Look, she has made it very clear that she doesn't like me that way, in fact, I don't think she even likes me as a person. I am not going to deny myself some fun whilst waiting for the Ice Queen's heart to melt."

"You do tend to rub her up the wrong way," Xavier said with a chuckle. "And gatecrashing her date did you no favours."

"I didn't gatecrash her date," Teyo said, now leaning forward, his smile completely gone. "She was already gatecrashing a date, I was there to keep her company. It's a good job I was too, imagine spending the whole evening with Mason?" He pulled a face that could only be described as a grimace.

"You don't need to imagine anymore," Xavier quipped back, barely missing a beat. "You have the memories to replay over and over in your head."

"That's not funny," Teyo said, even though his grin was wide enough for everyone to see.

"No it isn't, so why did you?"

"He was there," Teyo replied, clearly enjoying winding his friend up.

"He was there?" Xavier repeated.

"Yes Xav, I know it's been a while for you but that's kinda how this all works. When you and someone else, more if you're lucky, are both there, you say stuff then do stuff, it's all pretty ordinary. For most people," he added at the end.

"You know what I mean," Xavier replied, rolling his eyes.

"I don't know Xav," Teyo said, clearly annoyed with all the questions. "We were talking about some mess on the floor, and then we were on it. You know how these things go. Well, you would, if you took a risk every once in a while."

Xavier put his glass down on the table with slightly more force than he had intended to. "And what does that mean?"

"It means," Teyo said, sitting forward and looking the Betazoid straight in the eye, "that you spent days, trapped in a shuttle, with a gorgeous guy who fancies you and you really like, and you didn't even kiss him."

"I was sick Tey, I've told you this."

"Not buying it Xavier," Teyo said sternly. "You're scared to get hurt again. In fact, you have been scared ever since you broke up with Ari, which was over four years ago, might I add."

"There have been guys since," Xavier said defensively.

"Nothing real, nothing that has truly opened your heart the way he did, and that's a pity."

"Pity?" Xavier repeated. The last thing he wanted was for Tey to pity him. As far as he could tell, he had his life together much more than the Trill man who threw himself at everyone and anything that caught his eye. Who was Kateyo Fenn to pity me? He thought to himself. "So you can read my mind now?"

"As much as you can read mine," Teyo quipped back.

"And what does 'that' mean?" Xavier asked, raising his voice so that the tables closest to them turned to see what was happening.

Teyo smiled a slow and deliberate smile. He leaned back in his chair and slowly picked up his stein glass. He took a long and purposeful drink, and then slowly replaced the glass on the table. "You know exactly what it means."

There was a long silence between the two; Teyo wondered if his friend would admit what he knew to be true, and Xavier wondered how much trouble he would get into if he punched the Trill in his smug mouth? Xavier finished the rest of his drink and signalled the waiter for another round. "Anyway," he said finally, breaking the silence between them, "when was the last time you opened your heart up?"

Teyo grinned, he knew that Xavier was changing the subject, but he would play along for now. The night was young. "I'm not looking for love Xav. I'm sexy, single, and in the prime of my life. I would much rather have some fun with nerdy security officers, or sexy engineers."

"I thought you weren't interested in Finn?" Xavier asked with a chuckle.

"Who said anything about Finn?" Teyo asked, a twinkle in his eye. "Could have been talking about Paxton for all you know?"

"He's out of your league."

"No one is out of my league," Teyo replied, believing every word of that.

Xavier shook his head, just as the waiter appeared with their fresh drinks and took the empty glasses away. Xavier picked up his glass and swirled the dark liquid just like he did before. He breathed in the scented aroma before taking a sip. Placing the glass back on the table he leaned in closer, his eyes full of mirth. "Was he any good? Mason, I mean."

"See for yourself," Teyo replied, tapping two fingers on his temple.

"Behave," Xavier replied with a huff, leaning back in his seat.

"Prude. He was, yeah, surprisingly so."

Xavier couldn't help but noticed the grin that was on his friend's face. "This is why you don't want Finn anymore, you want the nerdy security officer. Looks like someone found their heart after all."

"Behave," Teyo replied, echoing Xavier from before. "I wouldn't say no to round two but there's absolutely no feelings there."

"Liar!" Xavier said, a little louder than he intended to. The nearby tables turned to face them again.

"Don't believe me? Take a peek," Teyo said, a note of seriousness in his voice.

"Why do you keep trying to get me to read your mind?" Xavier asked, frustrated that Tey wouldn't let this go.

"Because I know you can't!" Teyo said, matching Xavier's frustration.

Xavier was taken aback but not totally surprised. He had a feeling the Trill had known, hence the looks and the hints. "How did you know?"

Teyo stared at the Betazoid with wide eyes, his mouth slightly open. "How long have I known you? For one thing, this is the most we have talked out loud in forever, but seriously, you didn't think I'd notice your telepathy was gone?"

Xavier hung his head, not wanting to meet his friend's gaze. "I thought, if I said it out loud it would become real."

"What happened?" Teyo asked, placing his stein down to give his friend his full attention.

"It started when we caught that virus on the planet, the hybrid hating one. I thought the cure would bring it back, but it's been days now."

"And Jerant?"

"He lost his too, I don't know if his has returned or not, I haven't talked to him since we got back on board."

"Why?" Teyo asked, his voice full of concern.

"I've been busy, with Benedict and recovering, duty comes first," Xavier said, finishing his drink in one gulp.

"You sound like The Admiral," Teyo said with a slight grin.

"I do not!" Xavier spat, his head whipping up so quickly he felt a twinge in the back of his neck.

"Okay, sorry," Teyo said, throwing up his hands in mock defence of Xavier's wrath. "I think you need to speak to Jerant or Doctor Ki, ideally both," Teyo continued, putting his hand on Xavier's arm.

"What if they tell me something I don't want to hear? What if I'm stuck this way? I can't live like this Tey, I really can't. It's just too quiet-" he trialled off.

"If that's the case," Teyo said, keeping his voice low but firm, "then we will deal with it, together. You and me."

"I don't think I'm strong enough Tey," Xavier said, tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

"Xav, there's no question of strength, especially with me by your side," Teyo replied earnestly.

"Thanks, Tey," Xavier said, feeling slightly better, but still very scared.

There was another long silence between the pair, the words unspoken louder than the words that were. For the first time in a while, Xavier didn't feel so alone, he had Teyo and he was truly glad the Trill had transferred here.

"I can't believe you said I sound like The Admiral," Xavier said finally.

Teyo laughed. "I was wondering when that would come back up."

The pair of them laughed together, as they ordered another round of drinks.