for ZEX

[bornsnarky]

[scowling at the communicator]

Yeah, but what the hell happened to him? You could give me a little more-

[Jim barks something curt about not having time and you'll just have to deal with it, Bones]

Oh, great. Just great. Guess I better get ready for anything from the Antares Two-step to Denobulan Mudfever.

Comments

[bornsnarky]

[starting to get a handle on all this]

I bet that didn't go down well.

[zexyandiknowit]

Well.

I was banished. A bit.

[bornsnarky]

A bit?

Is that how you ended up in the Federation? C'mon, ZEX, I know there's more to it than that.

[zexyandiknowit]

[Sigh]

The Federation approached me during my trail and offered me good work, peace, and coexistence with humans. It was this or be banished to a distant planet with no one but the three or so people willing to follow me. It was not a difficult choice to make, and so I enlisted, signing a few complex contracts in order to transfer my rank and become accredited in many pre-requisites I'm certain you encountered in the Academy.

And, just as there is with all contracts, there were things I did not catch upon first reading. These are also political secrets, I'm afraid.

[bornsnarky]

Phew. That sounds like a helluva few months -- months? -- for you.

I got to skip or take accelerated versions of a few things. They needed doctors.

...so basically you came into the Federation expecting it to be the opposite, right? All peace and love and perfection and shit?

[zexyandiknowit]

Months, yes. And yes, that is how they sold it to me.

Apparently I am contractually obligated to remain in Starfleet until I would have qualified for retirement from the Armada. Meaning, of course, until I perish, for the Armada does not have retirement. I do not know which organization wrote that contract, but either way, I am a bit peeved.

I also... I also promised I would not interact with slavers, given my... past responses. And yet.

[bornsnarky]

I take it you didn't have terribly helpful people giving you advice? Or was it just a case of not really having a choice?

...Federation's pretty good, don't get me wrong. But yeah. Far from perfect.

[softly] And yet sometimes things are difficult to avoid.

[zexyandiknowit]

Most advice I received at that time was something along the lines of trying to put humans and their wellbeing out of my mind. I believe I stopped listening to anyone, for a while.

[Stiff shrug.]

[bornsnarky]

[...I don't like thinking of you that lost and alone]

Will you get in trouble for today? Beyond Jim inevitably yelling at you, of course.

[zexyandiknowit]

...In truth, I do not know. Should the Armada find out, I certainly will be. There is every chance those slaves were meant for VUX, though not above-board ones.

[bornsnarky]

[shudders]

You did a good thing in stopping them, my friend.

[zexyandiknowit]

[Finishes tea, presents McCoy with his mug]

Perhaps soon I will be calm enough to see it as anything other than a drastic loss of control.

[bornsnarky]

[takes with a nod of thanks]

It was that, too, sure. But I know you command types. Always second-guessing yourselves. Never allowing any kind of failure.

'sokay to fail. For the right reasons.

You'll do better next time.

[zexyandiknowit]

[Takes a sip of tea]

[Then sort of]

[Slowly puts his head on the table and speaks in a muffled voice]

This has been a very long day.

[bornsnarky]

[putting my cup down, a hand gently rubbing your back]

I'll bet.

[zexyandiknowit]

Mmmm...

[Relaxing a bit, at that]

[bornsnarky]

[hard to believe now that your back was like that before]

[leaning forward to brush my lips against the skin just behind your ear]

[going back to rubbing your back]

[zexyandiknowit]

[Sighs, letting his eye close and his shoulders relax]

[bornsnarky]

[small chuckle]

[moving around behind you to start doing this properly, both hands]

[zexyandiknowit]

Mmmff. ♥ I do enjoy your hands.

[bornsnarky]

They're kinda fond of you, too.

[working away, gently, around the places you got hurt]

[zexyandiknowit]

[Sloooowly melting under McCoy's attentions]

[bornsnarky]

[quietly, still working] You're a good person, ZEX.

[zexyandiknowit]

[Makes a complex sort of clicking noise]

I am glad you think so.

[bornsnarky]

Yup. And my judgement's clearly better than yours, so you have to accept it.