Mild improvements

Posted on Sun Jul 17th, 2022 @ 11:21am by Lieutenant Xavier Leiko & Jerant van Rijn

Mission: Character Development
Location: Various
1564 words - 3.1 OF Standard Post Measure

"Xav wait!" Jerant broke into a run when he saw the subject of his interest walk a few paces ahead of him. "Where are you headed to? Want some company along the way?" While he had originally been on his way to the science offices, somehow he felt Xavier might want some company, and he did have some news to share with him. He just wasn't sure how to break the news, yet.

"Jerant, hey," Xavier said, happy to see the other Betazoid. "I was just on my way to see Benny, you're welcome to come along, I think he's due to hatch any day now."

"How are you going to handle him hatching? I mean, will there be enough space?" Jerant asked as he caught up with the operations chief. "I'd love to come along and see him, I haven't really had the opportunity to visit him." He paused. "I did have the opportunity to see Savin," he ventured carefully, "and he did meld with me. I'm not quite sure on the outcome yet but I swear I did sense him. He said it's like my mind is shrouded in thick fog."

Xavier stopped in his tracks, "that's great news," he said excitedly, all talk about the space cow all but forgotten. He pulled the man into a massive bear hug, that didn't give Jerant's arms much space to move. "How do you feel?"

"Hopeful," he admitted, offering a small smile, "now we just need to find a way to clear the fog so to speak. But I did sense him, and with a great deal of effort, I can sort of sense others. It's just eating a lot of energy, and it feels like I'm having to relearn to use it. But I am sure it's worth the effort. It's just.... extremely intimate, like...no secrets, everything is laid bare. I want you to know that too... I mean, he's like... super aware of my feelings for you, even if he won't tell a soul, obviously."

"Oh," Xavier said as he let go of Jerant and took a step back, feeling slightly awkward now. Of course, he knew Jerant had feelings for him, he had feelings for Jerant. They had been playing this game for so long now that Xavier was almost used to this status quo. "They're your feelings Jerant," Xavier said kindly, "you can keep them as private as you want or scream them into the intercom, that's your choice. Being Betazoid doesn't always allow us this privacy," he added, "it's unusual for me to know that Savin knows more about your feelings towards me than I do."

"Exactly, which is why I'm telling you because normally we wouldn't have this kind of...wall between us." A shadow of regret flitted across his features as Xavier stepped back, releasing him from the spontaneous embrace. "And I want you to know about them, it's weird for me too because while aware, he hadn't been any wiser before." He too felt a little awkward. "I don't feel it's right to just share them with anyone without you knowing first. And you know anyone else would just toss it to the ship's Tam Tam, where he won't do that." He took a small step closer, looking him directly in the eyes. "I want you to be the first at any given time, to know how I feel. Especially now..." He knew it was difficult for both of them, but his own senses partially and slowly returning did give him hope.

"Well hopefully it won't be too long until we're in each other's... head," he said with a cheeky grin. When he had encouraged Jerant to seek out Savin's help, he assumed that any success on the Romulan's part would leave him feeling... alone. However, this news had given Xavier hope, hope that Jerant's abilities would return and under the same circumstances, his would too. He was almost vibrating with enthusiasm. "Come on, let's check on Benny before he eats all of our power reserves," he said as he continued towards the turbolift.

"I'd love nothing more," Jerant beamed, though it would be anyone's guess which he was referring to at that moment. "Can he really do that?" He asked in genuine interest, "why are you do sure he's a well.. he? What if he's a she?" He grinned happily, pleased to see his friend exhibit some enthusiasm. "You're acting like an expecting parent," he added, clearly meaning to tease him.

"I feel like one," Xavier replied as they entered the turbolift and he ordered it to take them to tertiary engineering. "And to answer your question, we don't actually know Benny is a he but sometimes you just get a feeling, you know? In fact, from our latest scans I'm pretty sure the space cows are actually hermaphrodites which indicates he's not a he at all, but he'll always be my Benny. Our Benny," he quickly corrected. "Finn will kill me if I try to claim him for myself."

"Well I'd rather she didn't do that," Jerant chuckled as he leaned against the car wall, "you know, I don't think you ever told me how you did find it. At least, I don't remember you doing so, it might be that you have though..." He trailed off in thought for a moment, before looking up. "How did you end up being a surrogate parent to an egg?" Not that it was wholly unusual, people had helped to hatch eggs before in history right? Any kind of egg.

"Well firstly, if you call Benny an it again, I may have to hurt you," Xavier said with a grin plastered on his face. "It was actually right after we got cured," he continued thinking back to his awful time on the hell planet. "The engineering team had discovered him before that, but when I was meant to be resting, I was down on the surface, bringing Sir Benedict Eggsworth, that's his full name by the way, back to the ship. It was quite the adventure." His smile faded a little and a dark look crossed his eyes. "I didn't tell you that story cause I guess I wasn't very chatty after that mission, I'm sorry."

"It...the egg," the other Betazoid clarified, though he did take note of the grin. "I guess that's resting time well spent don't you think?" He arched a single eyebrow. "Sir? So he's a royalty then huh." He continued to smile, chancing it as he rose his hand to lightly touch Xavier's cheek while they still had the privacy of the turbolift car. "Don't apologize for something you didn't have control over," he said gently, "I'm glad you told me now, and I don't need my senses to know how this excites you. I can see that it does and I think you feel now, what I feel when I'm deciphering a new language."

"Not so much considering our shuttle got attacked on the way back to the ship," Xavier answered with a grin, "but we kept him safe, and that's what matters. Also Sir doesn't necessarily mean royalty, though Benny is a little prince in my eyes," he added as the turbolift stopped and the pair exited. "Maybe I missed my true calling, should have been a xenobiologist."

"So why not change your career path if you feel this is your calling? Or... make it a hobby?" He shrugged. "This obviously is something you love. Unless....Benny is making you love it? But that's not possible is it?"

Xavier chuckled, but before long it had turned into a full belly laugh that rattled his insides. "Jerant I was joking," he eventually said when he could get his words out. "I'm an engineer, not a scientist, I've been winging it this whole time. It's only cause Benny needs a lot of power and radiation that I've been able to help him at all."

"Oh." Seemingly his sensory perception was still abandoning him then or he would've sensed it was a joke, and he hadn't done so. "Even so...you seem happy with this Xav, this is the happiest I've seen you in weeks." He smiled at the man. "And I do like to see you this way. Happy, I mean."

"To be honest," Xavier said, no hint of laughter in his voice now, "you starting to feel again, hopefully means I will too. You've given me hope."

"Of course you will." Jerant shook his head. "No let me rephrase that... I know you will. It just takes...I don't know. Time? Courage? I don't know what to call this but bloody hell Xav, what Savin did is in any regard very invasive. And exhausting. But I'll do it again, if that's what it takes. I want my telepathy back, fully." He paused. "Anyway...you were gonna show me your ah...egg." He smiled again. "So if it...he... hatches.. does that make you a surrogate parent?"

"I suppose it does," Xavier said with a huge grin. The future was looking brighter than it had done in a long while and he was truly ready for this next chapter in his life. "Come on, come and meet my space cow son."