Neu Reich - Ekos 1.1 - Midnight Chat

Posted on Tuesday, 30 March 2021 - 1:56am by Lieutenant JG Adrianna Eberhardt
Edited on Tuesday, 30 March 2021 - 1:57am

It was late, Leopold was asleep, but Adrianna was wide awake. She looked to Leopold, then got out of bed, silently, heading for the front.

Constantine heard the footsteps and looked over his shoulder, "really, with him asleep just next door? I didn't think you'd cope."

Adrianna swiped the back of his head, "no, you ass. I just can't sleep."

Constantine smiled, he'd calmed down a little now that he was back in his ship and on the move, "what's keeping you awake?"

Ade took a seat, ensuring she was decent, before responding with a sigh, "a lot."

He nodded in understanding. "let me list off a few of those things: you're meeting his family and friends for the first time, you don't like that I, your ex, was you're only solution, you don't like that whilst you're here, you don't have Starfleet protection, your scared of going into an an active war zone."

Adrianna let out a mirthless chuckle, "to name a few."

He smiled, "well, to answer your concerns: you've been in a war zone before, just not this severe. You survived that, you'll survive this. I'm happy that you finally found someone. I'm actually surprised he feels confident enough to stand his ground with me, I mean he's not exactly a muscle man. As for lack of protection, firstly, you don't need it. Anyone that knows you from your past life would be smart to be scared. I know you don't like to remember your past, but the part that scared me the most was when I was with you on Freecloud. Remember that tiki bar? Gawd, you didn't even flinch at a knife in you. Absolute psychopath. You know, her entourage still talk about it."

Adrianna snorted, "I was so scared. So, so scared."

"You were? Your dad told me he'd kill me if you even got a scratch on that trip," he chuckled, "anyway, getting back to the main one: meeting his family. Yes it's a big deal, but you're an idiot."

Adrianna looked confused, "I should be nervous? It was because of my idea that they are in the mess they're in."

"But you're trying to resolve it," he countered, "they don't have to know it was your idea, anyway." He paused, "look, you met my family, albeit not for romantic reasons, but that was on me. I didn't want to commit so soon and hell, let's face it, we were good together physically, but we were never anything more than friends in the end."

Adrianna smiled, somewhat nostalgic,"really?"

Constantine scratched his stubble and thought about what to say next, "listen, objectively, your background is not going to make any parent, except maybe mine, scream with delight and shove their son down the aisle for you. But who you have become? Yes, it's not the best from your past life's perspective, but you have completely turned it around. He has too. You're no different from Leopold."

"You think I'll be ok?" she asked.

"Adey," the Russian offered a look and tone of sincerity, "they'd be fools to not think you are worthy of him."

Adrianna smiled and looked out to space, seeing the distant galaxies piercing through the darkness. "You're right, we did make better friends," she commented, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"You know," Constantine looked back out to space, "I always considered you the one that got away."

"Let’s not have that conversation," she cut him off.

"Tell me about him," Constantine pressed, "I mean, he's obviously not a nazi. I see the way you look at each other."

Adrianna relaxed in the seat and contently smiled, "he's amazing. He really is. His job isn't glamorous, but it doesn't matter. He's smart and caring. He's romantic and just such a rock. He's everything I'm not and then some. You know, he saved my life on our third, I think, date?"

Constantine snorted, "here's me thinking he was a just a man, not a superhero."

Adrianna chuckled, "he really is a lot stronger that he looks." She looked back to him, "no offense, but I've only ever felt this was once before. But I actually feel that this is it."

Constantine knew who she was talking about, "you know, he didn't just disappear."

"That is a wound I don't need reopening," she cut him off again.

"You should know though, his options were such that he did you a huge favour," Constantine offered.

Adrianna sighed, "I've seen his name one or twice in the past few years. The desire to piece it all together dwindled when I found out he was now married with a child on the way."

Constantine nodded reverting in topic, seeing how much pain was in Adrianna's very being, "going back to Leopold. His mother is going to hate you. You know that, right?"

Adrianna was glad of the change of topic. At his entertaining quip she snorted, "I'm not exactly the 'bring me home to mother' kind of woman anyway."

"Just don't go all Don Baciami on her ass when she starts interrogating you to breaking point," he advised, teasing her.

Adrianna chuckled and stood up, "Spoil sport. You know how pursuasive I can be and how good my non-kosher interrogations can be."

"Don't remind me," he groaned, rubbing his cheek as if remembering agonising pain to the area, "go back to bed. He'll start questioning what you were talking to me about, or worse, what I was doing to you."

"You wouldn't dare anyway," she quipped.

A darkness filled Constantine's eyes and a lustful smirk appeared across his face, "wouldn't I, Adey?"

"Night, Constantine," she rolled her eyes, ruffling his hair on the way past. She almost felt like the power that he once held over her had disappeared. The woman could only think of Leopold. Constantine had become nothing more than a fond memory and more like the friend he once was.

Adrianna paused at the door, looking back to the man. A smile crossed her lips and the sound of another chapter closing filled her inner monologue.

"Sweet dreams, Adey," he called.

"Safe travels, Constantine."