How do we do?

Posted on Thu Jun 13th, 2019 @ 9:42pm by Lieutenant Commander Angus Murphy

Mission: For Whom The Bell Tolls
Location: Main Engineering
1121 words - 2.2 OF Standard Post Measure

Even though he had promised Murph that he wouldn't bring food down to engineering, a promise he'd kept so far, that didn't mean he couldn't come down without food, did it? Patrick hesitated in the doorway to the chief engineer's office, taking several seconds to finally make his presence known. "Hi," he greeted, "got a minute?"

Murph had a smudge of grease on his forehead that almost looked like a dab of warpaint. He looked up from his terminal with furrowed brows that quickly dissolved when he smiled at Patrick's arrival. "Of course," he said easily and rose from the desk to meet the man halfway, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Everything okay?"

Patrick laughed, reaching to attempt to wipe the smudge off, but only making it worse instead. "Yes," he said firmly, returning the kiss, "I wondered if you had time to come on a little walk with me. It'll be an hour at best and you'll be back here then, I promise."

"A walk?" He gave a half-glance back toward his desk, but then shook work from his mind. "Uh, yeah, okay. I could use the distraction for a bit, anyway." He led Patrick out of his office and in no time they were walking one of the main corridors.

"So, something on your mind?" Murphy asked, slipping his hand into Patrick's.

"Nothing too serious," the younger man promised, "I'm just wondering how we are doing. With this illness that has been roaming the ship, and neither of us really wanting to worry the other..." He paused. "And you being a workaholic... You've not been sick have you?"

"A little," Murph confessed, "But I'm feeling a bit better now." He waited a couple of strides. "How... how about you? I'm sorry if I wasn't there when you needed me."

"I haven't been sick," Patrick said as he led them towards the arboretum, "but had I known you were I would've suggested for you to stay home." He gestured towards a small picnic setup. "I'll settle for just sharing a meal though as I know trying to keep you home would be moot. And I have a promise to keep so this'll have to do." He smiled as he pulled Murphy towards the cloth and basket. "I made some small treats. Nothing too fancy."

"I should have known you'd have something up your sleeve," Murphy chuckled as he lowered himself onto the cloth and sat cross-legged. "What would I do without you?" he sighed and looked happy in the moment.

"You'd probably never get out of engineering," Patrick chuckled, offering him a small bite of pastry. "And not eat this good. I'm the lucky one though... I've never felt this happy since leaving Cheron base behind." He sat and nibbled on his own small pastry. "I'm happy we're doing well."

Murphy chewed on the pastry that Pat had given him for several seconds. "You're not still upset at what the fortuneteller said, are you? She was a hack. None of it was real."

"We make our own fortune," Patrick replied, "as long as we keep talking to each other, I'm positive we'll be fine. What she said did scare me but in all honesty I haven't really thought about it since we got back to the ship. Have you?"

"No," Murph lied because he didn't want to tell Patrick that it had haunted him a bit. He shook his head and picked up a glass of sparkling juice and held it up between them. "To making our own fortunes. To hell with someone else's version of destiny."

Lifting his own glass he clinked it with Murph's. "To making our own destiny," he echoed, smiling slightly. "Do you like the pastry? I used some of the ideas we picked up on Mardra III."

"Delicious," Murphy answered before taking a sip of the drink. "But I haven't had anything bad that you've made... so that's not surprising to me."

"Just promise me you'll tell me if something does taste not quite right." Patrick sat back, watching him for a moment. "When you get off duty, want to go for a swim with me on the holodeck?"

"I'd love to go for a swim. That would be really nice," Murphy replied with a smirk. "You don't think I would be honest with you if you gave me something to eat and I didn't like it?"

"If it was horrendous I think you would tell me but if it was merely not to your taste I think you would just smile so not to hurt my feelings. Hence I ask you to tell me anyway. I'd prefer honesty." He loved the way the man just smirked at him, it made him smile too. "Swim it is then. Let me know when you get off duty? I'll reserve the holodeck and meet you there."

"You think I would?" Murph asked, seeming surprised. "Mmm. I don't know, maybe. But if you want me to be completely honest, I'll try," he promised.

Shifting to crawl under his arm, Patrick nodded. "Good enough for me," he answered, resting his head on Murph's shoulder. "Too bad we don't have sunsets here," he murmured, "I do miss that."

"Maybe we can put a sunset over our holodeck swim," Murphy suggested softly as he kissed Patrick lightly. He held that for a moment but then sighed and pulled his lips back. He smiled. "But if I don't get back to work, I'll never get off duty and we'll never get to go for a swim."

Patrick nodded, enjoying the brief attention. "Has it been an hour already?" he murmured as he reluctantly got up, pulling Murph up with him. "I'll walk you back, we can eat some more under way." He paused. "I'll take the rest with me, don't worry."

"I don't need anymore, so definitely take it with you," Murph pulled Patrick into an embrace. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you're fattening me or something."

Smiling, Patrick leaned into it. "Now why would I do that? I love you as you are, I just enjoy watching you enjoy my food. I'll take this back to the mess, I'm sure there's hungry people left who are eager for a bite. Waste none and all that." He leaned up to kiss him. "Call me when you get off work? I'll meet you at the holodeck."

"I will," Murphy promised, "and I'll even try not to make it too late."

Patrick walked him back to engineering, kissing him a final time before the doors parted. "I'll be in the galley. See you later."

OFF:

Patrick O'Malley
Chef
pnpc Lhaes

Lieutenant Commander Angus Murphy
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Majestic