The Greatest Gift

Posted on Tue Jul 9th, 2019 @ 2:02am by

Mission: For Whom The Bell Tolls
Location: Razmi's quarters
Timeline: MD 04 12:00 Hours
1497 words - 3 OF Standard Post Measure

Razmi sat down on the floor in her quarters and placed the book in her lap as she crossed her legs with her knees out. She really wasn't sure why she'd been given the book. Was Tadez interested in her? How did one figure that out,? It had been easy at home. Men took mates during the festival. But Razmi had never been chosen. She frowned and wondered what to do.

Feeling as if he had neglected one of his best friends, Stef had made his way over to Razmi's quarters and pressed the chime. Alecx was napping under the faithful watch of a holonanny, allowing him to take what little time he had to himself lately.

"Come in." Razmi called as she looked up. She smiled when she saw Stef. "Hi! Look, what I have. Someone gave me a book most unexpectedly. I think he considers us friends. I have no idea what to do now. He's supposed to be reading it to me out loud since reading in English isn't my strong suit, I haven't had that much practice."

"Practice does make perfect," Stef said as he sat himself down on the floor as well, "perhaps you could read it to your friend?" He arched an eyebrow at her. "Or read it to me, if you like?"

Razmi shook her head, "I will practice with something else. I'm actually looking forward to him reading it out loud. He seemed interested in doing so, after all it is his favorite book. the questions is . . . am I doing the right thing? Making friends? How do you tell if he's more than a friend? I'm so confused. You know I have no experience with relationships."

"I do not know if giving you a book is a sign of wanting more than just be friends Razmi," Stef chuckled, "nor do I know how to tell if someone wants to be more than just a friend. I think, if he does, somehow you will know. Feelings grow, it varies between coupes. It took me and Svara quite some time, but with Bee...I just knew how I felt about her from day one."

"You're not very helpful," she joked. She opened the cover and felt the pages under her finger tips, wondering how many times he'd held this particular copy and turned it's pages. "It was nice," she finally said. "Meeting him, we weren't too nervous or embarrassed. We just talked a while."

"That is a good start." He watched her play with the pages for a moment. "Be careful, paper can give you nasty cuts," he told her. "Paper and bound books are special in this age, most people just use a PADD to read."

"Oh I'm familiar with books." Razmi said, slightly amused that he seemed to have forgotten she was from Marga III and not used to using technology as he was. "It's the PADDs that scare me to be honest. Always beeping at me, screens going dark. I never know if one is about to explode in my face. Books are safe. Even paper cuts are minor unless you let them get infected but on this ship, I don't think that's likely. Where's Alecx?"

"With his holo nanny, so I could spend some time with you. I am sorry if I have neglected our friendship, I should have been here for you, like you were there for me when I was first stranded." he looked genuinely apologetic. "I have not been a good friend."

"You've had a lot on your mind. You found Beata again, but you had Alecx too. I'm sure it's taken you both some time to move beyond what happened. I've been all right, I familiarized myself with the ship and asked where I could help out because I want to be useful and then last night I decided to go to the lounge and that's where I met Tadez, so things are looking up."

"I am relieved to hear that Razmi. Yes I had a lot to deal with but I still should not have neglected you. You are like family to me Razmi, an older sister I looked up to."

Razmi tried not to sigh at this. "Thank you," she said simply. "But seriously Stef, I'm okay. I did leave me home and pretty much everything I've ever known but there was nothing holding me to that place except you and if you had left without me, then I would have had nothing. So do not worry so much."

"I already lost one sister Razmi, would be very much lost if I lost another. I nearly lost myself, when my sister died. You know how I was, when Svara died and my daughter. I could not bear to lose more family." He understood what she meant however, so he took her hand between his. "You are family," he expressed once more. "If you need anything, just ask."

She bit her lip a little bit. "Stef, Can I ask you something serious? I want to know something and I want you to tell me the truth."

"You can ask me anything," the young Vulcan said kindly, "and it is not in my nature to lie. What do you need to know?"

"Why don't you like me, in that way?" Razmi asked, almost blushing to do so, but she needed to hear his answer. It had terribly confused her that no one seemed attracted to her down on the planet. Here she seemed to have lost whatever stigma followed her around on Marga III.

"I like you differently," he answered honestly, "from the moment we met, our bond was different. And I feel that what we developed, a sibling relationship, is just as important. That I do not have romantic feelings for you, does not mean I have no feelings for you at all, because I do. But they are not the same." She wanted the honest answer, and she got it.

Razmi understood that, she just didn't know why their bond had always been different. It frustrated her to her very core but she dropped the subject and looked down at her new book. "I could use a popsicle, do you want one?" She asked as she closed the book and got up to go to the replicator.

"Sure," Stef asked, not quite understanding where this all had come from. "Why are you asking me this?" he asked, tilting his head to look at her. "Have I done something wrong?" He paused, biting his lower lip. "Did you have...those...feelings for me?"

Razmi nodded afraid to look at him. "I thought you knew." She ordered two cherry popsicles from the replicator and handed him one, barely meeting his eyes. Her face was red with embarrassment.

"I am sorry Razmi...I really am." He accepted the treat and sniffed it for a second. "And trust me, there is nothing wrong with you. Had we met under diffrent circumstances..." But even then, Bee would never have been out of his mind. "Tell me about this person who gave you the book. What is he like?"

"Hmm, I don't know him that well, we only talked that one time. He seems to like to laugh, and he likes reading obviously. He didn't want eat in front of me without me having something. He picked my favorite table in the lounge." She was trying to remember if he'd told her where he worked on the ship, but it wasn't coming to her. "I think he was sort of teasing me, in a good way."

"Perhaps you should ask him out," Stef suggested. "Perhaps, together with me and Bee?"

Razmi bit her lip. "Maybe. We set up a time for him to read some of the book to me. We'll see how that goes. I think he wants to do it in the arboretum. I feel like I need to study his behavior further before asking."

"Alright. The arboretum is a quiet and serene place to be, especially in the evening." Of course he would know that as he spent at least half of his duty hours there. "There is a big tree down the center, it offers some privacy as well as shelter if you need it."

"I don't think we're so much worried about privacy, I think he just wanted to meet somewhere comfortable. But thank you anyway, if things go well I will ask him about having dinner with you and Bee."

Stef smiled and leaned forward to kiss her cheek. "That sounds like the Razmi I know," he said. "Do not worry, I have no doubt whatsoever that you will find someone. And you will never be alone here either. You will always have me and Alecx."

She smiled and closed her eyes at the kiss. She sincerely hoped that this loneliness would end sooner rather than later.

Razmi
Civilian Navigator
pnpc by Saulitis

Crewman Apprentice Stef
Yeoman/Animal Caretaker
pnpc Lhaes