Bond of Friednship - Part IV

Posted on Saturday, 25 July 2020 - 12:49pm by Lieutenant JG Maximus Mackenzie

Mission: Operation: Jabberwocky
Location: Earth, Japan (At the foot of Mt. Fuji)
Timeline: 2393 - MD 06 - Late at Night

Previously on Bond of Friendship....

”On top of all that Soral has it in his hobgoblin head that he wants to set me up with my roommate on the Standing Bear.”

He gave a snort laugh, ”Boy is he in the wrong there. He actually thinks that I haven’t figured out his plan.” He sighed. I feel like I’m drowning and I feel like I need a break. I just don’t know what to do anymore. I’m exhausted.”

He had been just about to continue the log when a sound drew his attention to the second bedroom. Haru had woken and he wondered how long he had been standing there. “Haru! Are you alright?”

And now the continuation...

{ON:}

Mac stood up. “Are you alright?”

Haru studied him. “Yeah. I’m sorry. Soral and I have been idiots. You’re taking care of us and…”

Mac ran a hand through his hair. “No that’s not what I meant.” It was obvious that Haru had heard the entire log. But he hadn’t meant it that way.

Haru held up both hands. “I know but we should have been there for you. I’m sorry. I should have been there for you.”

Mac sighed. “I’m just glad you are alright. I’ve never seen you like this. It was frightening.”

Haru walked over to the replicator. He ordered a camomile tea extra strong. Taking the cup in both hands and allowed its warmth to wash over him. “I just think everything that happened just caught up to me. I think I count on my Vulcan side to keep my emotions in check most of the time and it’s easy to forget that my human side is dominant.

Mac walked over to Haru and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Lucky you have friends that will take care of the human side when it needs it.”

Haru chuckled, “Yeah.” He watched as Mac walked over to the replicator and order some water. “Mac I’m sorry about your adopted mother. It must have been brutal.”

Mac was quiet for so long that Haru wasn’t sure that he’d answer and then, “Yeah. It happened before I boarded the Fontana. I…lost a year with her. If I hadn’t been on Vashti…”

Mac felt Haru’s hand on his shoulder. “You could not have prevented it.”

“She saved my life all those years ago when she took me off Capella. I don’t think I thanked her for it.”

“Of course you did, every day that you lived. But I get the sense that you are not living now. You are just functioning. Gods know I know what that’s like.”

“Yeah,” Mac sighed. “It’s living or existing just one day at a time.”

“Have you spoken to a counselor?”

Another long silence, “No.”

“You should.”

Mac gave a nod. He placed the empty water glass back in the replicator for later reclamation and then walked over to the sofa. He sat down and leaned his head back closing his eyes.

Haru walked over to the chair and sat down. He looked at his friend and only then noticed what a toll the last few days had taken on him. “I’m sorry Max.”

He opened his eyes and raised his head to look at Haru. “You have nothing to be sorry about.”

“I shouldn’t have fallen apart.”

Mac smiled. “Yeah well I remember a similar conversation that night at the Academy after second year mid terms when you failed your exam and after you’d broken every dish in the room. I came home from my exams to a mess and crying Haru.”

Haru laughed. “Yeah. That was the first night that …” he allowed his voice to trail off as if lost in thoughts of what once was.

Mac stood and walked over to Haru and took the cup from his hands. He laid it on the table and clasped Haru’s right hand in his own right hand. He pulled the man up. “Come with me.”

“Where are we going?”

“The same place we went that night. Perhaps we need to loose ourselves for a few hours. It’s something that we’ve been dancing around the entire time we’ve been together. The thing that we dance around whenever we get together.”

Haru was silent for a moment. He looked at their clasped hands. “I’ve missed this.” There was a pause. “I’ve missed you and … us.”

Mac led Haru towards the master bedroom where they could get lost in one another, at least for tonight. Something neither had allowed since their parting after graduation from Starfleet Academy. These were memories, thoughts he allowed himself to relive whenever he needed comforting, whenever he needed balance and strength. Perhaps it was time to analyze things a bit more but for the moment he didn’t intend to. Now he just wanted to be in this moment, to feel alive if even for a brief moment and to shut out the loss and pain that both men had had their fill of over the last few years.

To be continued...