A’Ruk flopped down onto the couch, which was for the better. For a moment, he was silent, thinking really really hard about Adill’s words.
Then, he said, “Yeah. But that’s not my point!”
Adill let himself fall onto the couch next to him, a bottle of Andorian ale in hand.
“Whatever you say, maqoch.” He couldn’t help but revel in A’Ruk’s compliment, even if it was a very specifically weird one. Adill opened the bottle.
“Why what?” A’Ruk looked at him with big, innocent eyes. As if he didn’t know exactly what Adill was trying to address here. They were both such cowards.
A’Ruk sighed and reached for the bottle again. “What do you want me to say, Adill?” He was at least as frustrated as the doctor.
“That I got a divorce and then my best friend called me after years of no life sign and I felt I needed to visit? That mother would have killed me if I hadn’t gotten over here to check on you? That I was making up on a fight I owed you?” He babbled, more loose-mouthed than he would have been if he’d been sober.
Adill let his head fall onto the backrest and twisted it so he could watch A’Ruk from the side.
“I want the truth.” He took the bottle out of A’Ruk’s hands and drank a sip himself.
A’Ruk squinted his eyes shut. “That’s… complicated. I’m too drunk to explain that.” Then, he reached for the bottle again and his hand brushed Adill’s. “And I’m not nearly drunk enough for this talk.”
Adill watched his Adam’s apple move as A’Ruk swallowed the liquor. His eyes trailed from there to A’Ruk’s lips that were wrapped around the bottle.
“It’s annoying,” he finally said, “By Kahless! We’ve been through war together!”
Adill groaned. He felt like he needed to stand to make himself heard. It took him three whole attempts until he was finally standing in front of A’Ruk with wobbly knees.
“You,” he jabbed his finger accusingly, “I came for you! I didn’t fight in that stupid war for stupid Klingon honor!”
“No! Look at me when I’m talking to you! I came because you were in, in… the forsaken military! And then you had to go and ruin it all with that— that woman!” He threw his hands into the air, spilling ale all over the place in that process.
“Yes, it does!” Adill took another swig of ale. All of these emotions were bubbling up inside him and he didn’t care to listen to A’Ruk, he just wanted to get it all out. “You wouldn’t even listen to me when I suggested… you know, that other plan!” The details slipped his mind, but the feeling of anger was still there.
Finally, A’Ruk lost his temper. He knew exactly what Adill was talking about.
“You just can’t help it, can you?!” He stood up forcefully — with so much force that it sent the couch sliding back a few centimetres — and he raised his voice; “You’re still mad at me for doing my job?!”
A’Ruk didn’t flinch. “Do it, then!” He grabbed Adill by his armour shoulder plates and pulled him closer provocatively. “If you’re still so angry at me, show me!”
“You’re insane!”
Maybe it was the liquor. Maybe it was A’Ruk’s closeness. Maybe it was the fact that he’d finally told A’Ruk about how angry he’d been. Maybe it was the fact that A’Ruk taken all of that anger in stride. Maybe Adill was stupid. Maybe he was simply brave.
Whatever it was, Adill leant in and pulled A’Ruk into a rough kiss. No thoughts, head empty. Just his lips against A’Ruk’s, light skin against dark skin.
A’Ruk didn’t get a chance to disagree. Adill was kissing him. His mind spiralled around it until he finally came to the realisation. Adill was kissing him. He kind of liked it.
A’Ruk growled. Adill tasted of Andorian ale.
When Adill received a rather enthusiastic response, all anxiety fell off of him. He tore at A’Ruk’s stupid military uniform until he heard the clatter of A’Ruk’s bat’leth on the floor. All the while, he didn’t stop kissing him.
A’Ruk found himself stumbling. There were glass shards under his shoes. There was a warm hand in the back of his neck. Finally, the two of them landed on the couch again, Adill in A’Ruk’s lap.
“Adill,” A’Ruk breathed out against his lips, his own voice strangely faint. “Adill, wait!”
A’Ruk sighed. Whether it was out of pleasure or exasperation was anyone’s guess. Then, he put a firm hand against Adill’s chest and pushed him away.
“I have a child.” Blunt delivery.
Finally, Adill came to his tipsy senses a little bit and he climbed off of A’Ruk’s lap. He let himself fall into the couch cushion and he screwed his eyes shut.
“Wha… How? Who?” He turned his head to give A’Ruk a questioning look. His voice wasn’t accusing, just tired.
“My ex-wife,” he sighed. “She’s pregnant. We didn’t know when we got the divorce, but she’s… told me now. I should have told you.” He didn’t even meet Adill’s eyes. It was shameful, all of it. What he had done in the war when he’d disregarded Adill’s advice and how he had treated his ex-wife, going around and kissing his best friend…
“You don’t happen to have more alcohol, do you?”
Adill shook his head, slowly processing the new information.
“No, I believe we’ve done enough.” He rubbed his eyes and let out a long sigh. “By Kahless, A’Ruk, why?!”
Ken opened the door of his room and looked around before spotting the two Klingons and clearing his throat. "People are trying to work here. So if you could quiet down, please do so."
"Doctor Richards." He corrected before turning around and walking into his room again. "And frowning will not change my opinion." He said before the doors of his room closed.
“My roommate. He likes isolation and it shows,” explained Adill exhaustedly and stood up. “Come on.” He went towards his room, leaving the common area between his and Richards’ rooms.
“I don’t know yet. We will see once the child is born. Perhaps, if it is a boy… I don’t know, Adill.” He let himself fall back onto the bed with a huff of breath and he thought about the sheer confidence with which Adill had kissed him. It had felt like the man hadn’t had a doubt in the world. What about now? Was Adill still so sure? Did he still want him? Now that it was all out in the open — how much of a failure the renowned Colonel really was…
“What now?”, asked Adill. He lay down as well, his shoulder brushing A’Ruk’s. It was strangely quiet. Sombre. “Will you go back and claim her again? You could, you know. Become the child’s righteous father again…”
Adill caught his gaze and made eye contact. “Why not? You’re a renowned Colonel. Nobody is going to stop you. It would be better for the three of you.”
The worst thing was, Adill was right. Logically speaking, Adill was so very right.
“I know,” said A’Ruk. “I will try to care for the child as soon as it’s alive. But she won’t take me back, even if I wanted her to. Which I don’t.”
Adill was really too drunk for many words. But he could understand this. He could feel this. He reached out and cupped A’Ruk’s cheek. His thumb ran over a dark-skinned cheek bone, and then deep forehead ridges, until his fingers found soft, black hair.
“Why did you come here, A’Ruk? Were you going to tell me?”
“I was going to tell you that this was too complicated. Because of our lives and the military and the child and you, ghuy’!” He cursed. “I was saying— going to say that it would be too complicated. And that was that.”
A’Ruk closed his eyes. Adill had always been the optimist, and A’Ruk was endlessly grateful for it. He liked to soak in his point of view. He allowed himself to indulge for once in the possibility that maybe they could work it out. Together. Adill’s lips were soft. ‘Together’ was a nice thought.
[PADD]
To: Lt. JG. Ken Richards @Sam┊Georgia┊Jasmine┊Ken
From: Lt. Cdr. Evoras Lhai'Ivek
Lt. JG. Richards, unless you have any reasons to object, I would ask you to come by my office at the earliest time conviniant for you. I have a few calculation that would benefit from being looked over by someone who isn't me.
T'was a new day, and Kan therefore woke up after a good night sleep. He got out of bed, put on a robe - in typical Ken fashion - and made his way to the replicator to get himself some coffee as he let out a yawn. By Thor, this was going to be one long day, he already had such a feeling.
And who was in the living room? Ava Lopez, the half-Vulcan scientist who had in fact conveniently spent her first night aboard starbase 777 in Ken Richards’ bed. She was sitting on his couch, dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt that she had replicated after waking up.
She smiled at Ken as he went towards the replicator. They hadn’t done this in a while now — make use of their friends with benefits relationship. Or, well, they hadn’t made use of the benefits in a while. It had only been fair to do it last night when they were already here, conveniently on the same station.
“Morning,” she mumbled, “Can I get a cup too?”
"Be my guest." He said with a chuckle as he replicated a pair of cups for the both of them, handing her it with a warm smile on his face before sitting down next to her with a sigh. "Sure has been a while, huh?" He asked rather casually, leaning back in his seat and he took a sip of his coffee.
“You don’t say,” she replied with a smirk, taking a sip of her coffee again. “Speaking of; I assume that — since last night definitely happened and I didn’t just imagine that — you haven’t started dating yet. I was actually thinking…”
She looked down into her cup of coffee thoughtfully.
"You want to pick it up again? Well, don't let me stop you. We both agreed that we'd stop this when one of us had a date or a love interest. Truth be told, I was thinking of picking it up as well." He said with a smile as he turned to look at her, crossing his leg as he took a sip from his coffee. They made that deal the moment they started this Friends With Benefits saga, and they both promised to honour that deal, so he wasn't about to step in her way.
"When I tell you, you'll either slap me or you'll cheer me on." He said with a chuckle, leaning back in his seat as he sipped his coffee for a moment, eyeing the woman before him.
Ava laughed. “Okay, you have to know I’m even more curious now! I’d offer to trade information, but I actually don’t have anyone in particular in mind, I just… wanna get out there again.” She sipped her coffee and then returned her attention to him. “So, who is it?”
He stayed quiet for a moment before saying the name of the one he was interested in. "Namika." He said plainly, taking a very long sip from his coffee as he raised hie eyebrow at her for a moment.
Ava was this close to spitting out her coffee, but she actually managed not to. (A true epitome of self-control.)
“Are you shitting me? You’re not shitting me, that’s your serious face. Oh my Prophets.” She chuckled in disbelief. “Okay first of all, I won’t be standing in your way, feel free to date my best friend as long as you make her happy. Second of all… wow. Just wow.”
She shook her head and took another sip of coffee.
"Huh, guess I guessed wrong. I didn't get slapped and you didn't cheer. Very surprising." He said with a laugh as he shook his head. "And yes, I'm quite serious. She's rather interesting, I have to say."
Ava smiled slyly. “God, that’ll be a fun thing to watch. Do keep me updated. Also, do not use me to find out what she thinks about you,” she said quickly, raising her hands. “I don’t wanna get involved. If anything, I wanna get un-volved, seeing as we’re both gonna go around dating people now.”
"I will fully honour our agreement. We did say we wouldn't continue this of one of us started dating after all. And indeed, since we're both open to it again, we should stop. Though remaining friends, normal friends, is still an option, I suppose." He said with a warm smile, raising his glass slightly.
“I wouldn’t give up our friendship, and you know that,” she responded, raising her cup as well, before taking a last sip and finishing her coffee.
“Anyways. I should get going. Thanks for tonight, and good luck with Mika! Go slow on her though, I think she’s still shaken up about Isaac and— Yup I will stop giving you relationship advice now!!”
She shook her head at herself and dropped off her cup in the recycler of his replicator before skipping towards the door.
“Bye!”
To: Lieutenant Junior Grade Ken Richards
From: Fleet Admiral Xaav'ax Aisut
Subject: Meeting
Lieutenant,
Please see me in the conference room on the Operations Ring as soon as is convenient.
- Fleet Admiral Xaav'ax Aisut, Head of Security, Starfleet
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Rana's, 1900?
- Eshen / Dion 
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