Team Gay

Posted on Sun Jul 31st, 2022 @ 9:51pm by Senior Chief Petty Officer Mason Malone & Ensign Kateyo Fenn

Mission: Character Development
Location: Mess Hall
Timeline: MD02
1329 words - 2.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Teyo looked around the room until his eyes landed on the very person he was looking for. Thankfully the human was alone and hadn't already spotted him. He took a deep breath and made his way over. Ideally, he would have liked to have this conversation in a more private location but he was willing to bet that Mason didn't want him in his quarters again, or maybe he did.

Teyo threw himself in the chair opposite Mason without waiting for an invite. "Mase," he announced casually, causing the human to look up from his PADD. "Still dating boring George?" He asked with a grin as he stole a chip from Mason's plate. "I'm joking, don't leave, sorry," he quickly said as the security officer got out of his seat.

Mason sat back down, glaring at the engineer across the top of his PADD. "Yes I'm still dating George, happily so. What do you want Teyo, haven't you caused enough chaos yet?" He pushed the plate towards the Trill, long since finished with it anyway.

"Good, I'm glad," he said sincerely as he stole another chip from Mason's discarded plate. He couldn't blame Mason for being so defensive, though he could really do without all the hostility. "That's kinda why I'm here," Teyo said as he gently pulled the PADD from Mason's hands and placed it flat on the table. "It's come to my attention that I may not have always behaved in the best possible way to some of my colleagues on this ship, I want to rectify that."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Mason couldn't avoid a look of genuine surprise. "Really...." He studied the man across from him for a moment. "What caused this turn of behaviour?"

Teyo smirked as he leaned back in his seat, his legs spread apart. "Believe it or not, I hate the idea of upsetting people, especially a friend, especially when I was genuinely trying to help out."

"Were you?" Now that really was a surprise. "Funny way of doing it then.... could've warned me beforehand? Maybe my friendship with Kev wouldn't be in ruins and I wouldn't have looked a fool." He had to admit, the man was handsome and if he didn't have... Mason shook his head. No, he wasn't going to allow that train of thought to finish. "So... what's your game then?"

"And that's why I feel bad," Teyo said, his dark eyes flashing. "You and Kev were... something before I came along and now you're not, and I hate that I have done that to him."

"To him...but not to me?" Mason sighed. "He made it quite clear before that him and I wasn't going to be anything because he's into girls." He made marks with his fingers around the words 'into girls'. "And yet he kissed me so what was I supposed to think? Though in hindsight I'd rather just have the friendship...and none of the drama I got now."

"Of course to him," Teyo said, confusion crossing his face. "I didn't do anything to you," he added with a slight shrug. "This is all about making things up to Kevan."

Mason stood abruptly. "Then you're barking up the wrong tree Teyo. If you don't know what you did to me, then I got nothing to say to you. Good luck with making up to Kevan."

Teyo couldn't understand Mason's reaction, what had he done to the human? Both Xavier and Keating had told him he was in the wrong and in truth he thought they had been overrating but maybe there had been some truth to their words. "I don't know what I did to you," Teyo said, also standing to match Mason's eye-line. "We slept together and then you ignored me and then started dating someone else. How am I the bad guy here?" He was doing his best not to make a scene, he didn't need another grilling from Finn, but Mason was being so unreasonable right now.

"You really don't understand do you?" Mason searched his face for any kind of deception. "We were clear it was something that shouldn't have happened, that it'd never happen again. You knew how I felt about Kevan, and then you come hugging me out of nowhere, and telling the group what a great night it was? It was something private, they had no business knowing." He frowned again. "You humiliated me."

"Humiliated?" Teyo repeated. Was the prospect of sleeping with him that bad? "I told you I wasn't ashamed of my conquests Mase. You can't climb into bed with the devil-" he smirked at the apt analogy, "and then be surprised when he acts as such. And contrary to popular belief Malone, I have feelings too, somewhere. I honestly thought it would make Kevan jealous and he would realise that he liked you."

"I told you I'm not ashamed of it, or you. But, contrary to you I like to keep certain things private." Mason's expression softened a little. "I guess your intention was... right... just the execution was terrible. It really hurt me."

"Well that wasn't my intention," Teyo responded somewhat apologetically. "And for what it's worth, I'm sorry things didn't work out between you and Kev, he's a lot more interesting than boring George."

"That's something then..." He gave a brief nod in acknowledgement of the apology, figuring that was probably the best he was going to get. "George is actually pretty interesting, and very caring," he added, "and fun to with. As for Kevan... it's past. Maybe a friendship can be mended in time and if not, too bad. I still have to work with him so perhaps staying professional is simply for the best." He offered a smile. "You two did great during the game...why don't you try and take him on a date. He's got to be a challenge?"

Teyo felt a pang of something hearing Mason talk about George in such a fond way. He wasn't quite sure what it was but he buried it down, deep. "Oh no, he's too much hard work. I get on with Kev and he's a great wingman, but even I know when I'm fighting a losing battle, kind of why I gave up on Keating. Anyways, I conquered my challenge," he added as he winked at Mason.

"That bad huh..." The slight smile turned into a slight chuckle of amusement at being termed a challenge. "So...why do you need to apologize to him then? If you're getting on great, there's nothing wrong right? Unless there's something else? And why'd you come to me?"

"Like I said, you two were friends before I came along, maybe there's a way to repair that?" Teyo said with a softness not many people witnessed from the Trill. "Maybe the four of us can go out sometime ... or not," he quickly added as he remembered their holodeck night and the disaster that followed. "Anything I can do to help."

"I think, if there is a way to repair it, I would welcome your offer." After all, the hand was offered so why not take it? Better an extra friend gained than one permanently lost, right? "But primarily I think it'll just take time. As for going out, the four of us...it could be fun. Depending on the activity of course..but I'm always game for team building."

Teyo rolled his eyes. "Team building? You're such a drip Mason, never change." He added as he playfully punched the human in the arm. "I'll think of some ideas. We'll get Team Gay back on track," he called over his shoulder as he made his way out of the mess.

Mason stared after him, utterly speechless. "Wow...he does have a heart," he muttered as he sat back down and returned to his reading, a small smile still on his face.