Post by Lieutenant Eden Nivans on Jun 15, 2016 12:34:07 GMT -8
"What were you thinking, Eden?"
The blonde swallowed each word knowing that they were toxic, bracing for battle of wits even though she was just so weary.
"Well?" There was something in his tone that sounded satisfied; exhilarated that she'd finally been cornered, verbally prodding the loyal puppy.
She just wanted to get the hell away. Leave. Vacate the premises. Bail. Make like a baby and head out. But this time there was no backing down. "Golly, Petrik," Eden snapped, her accent drowning in honey and sarcasm, "probably about the children rather than my career!" The woman was red hot and the cold tears welling in her eyes caused her to crack.
Eden had already gotten lectured, chewed out, and suffered her proverbial 40 lashes already, she didn't need this from him, from the one person that was supposed to be her ally even if he didn't agree or understand.
"Is that your best excuse," Petrik pressed but continued when Eden turned away from him. "You should be a junior grade already and as soon as you get your chance you throw it away. What is it with you and kids?"
How was she supposed to respond to that? Words failed and so she wiped away her tears instead, ignoring the ballooning feeling in her chest and the isolating emptiness closing in knowing what was to come next.
Unable to be content with silence Petrik removed himself from the bedroom doorway and put himself in front of this poor, tormented woman, taking her tear soaked hands in his. "You are such a smart, capable woman, Eden. You're going to accomplish so many wonderful things, that's why I chose you. Our future is so bright together, can't you imagine it?" He could sense her reluctance as he tilted her chin up so that their eyes could meet and so that she could see how sincere he was being "You know that I love you."
Eden nodded, still too worked up to speak, fearful that she'd crumble into pieces.
Petrik kissed her forehead lightly and gave a charming, reassuring smile. "Good. So stop being so stupid."
At first Eden believed him when he'd say things like that; that maybe her mistakes came from not thinking right, that he didn't mean what he said that way, that he was just trying to put a fire under her so that she could be the better, gifted officer that he knew she could be. That's what people who loved you did, right? Petrik wrote her poems and brought her flowers and took her on romantic vacations not to forget that he was probably the smartest engineer in the entire fleet, his list of achievements was practically endless. Her daddy never cared about what she did or what she attained or how she felt.
Normally she'd let it go, chuck it up to him being right once again but not this time. Petrik had cut her up with cruel accusations and bandaged the wounds with compliments with an arrogant sense of permission and it had to stop.
Eden pushed him away and fetched her uniform jacket from the couch, chased by the handsome Bajoran who pleaded with her to stay. The idea of sleeping without her was depressing, the thought of being without her was frightening.
"No," she interjected, turning around so fast that her ponytail nearly cracked like a whip, poking her finger into his chest. "I ain't stupid and I'd do what I did all over again in a heartbeat and I don't give a damn if you're embarrassed that your little ensign girlfriend got in trouble."
"Please, just stay here, we don't have to talk about it anymore." Somehow Petrik sidestepped her accusation without denying it at all.
Eden zipped the front and pressed out the wrinkles with her hand. "I have work to finish," it wasn't exactly a lie, there was a stack of forms and papers to fill out over the incident but she was going to do those in the morning, tonight she was going to go to her own room and sleep.
"Okay," he submit, rubbing his chest with his hand as he walked her to the door, or rather walked in her wake toward the door. "I'll see you at lunch tomorrow. I love you."
His hand felt soft against her cheek as he gave her a gentle parting kiss, one that she returned half heartedly.
"I love you too," Eden replied, for the first time unsure if she meant it anymore.
The blonde swallowed each word knowing that they were toxic, bracing for battle of wits even though she was just so weary.
"Well?" There was something in his tone that sounded satisfied; exhilarated that she'd finally been cornered, verbally prodding the loyal puppy.
She just wanted to get the hell away. Leave. Vacate the premises. Bail. Make like a baby and head out. But this time there was no backing down. "Golly, Petrik," Eden snapped, her accent drowning in honey and sarcasm, "probably about the children rather than my career!" The woman was red hot and the cold tears welling in her eyes caused her to crack.
Eden had already gotten lectured, chewed out, and suffered her proverbial 40 lashes already, she didn't need this from him, from the one person that was supposed to be her ally even if he didn't agree or understand.
"Is that your best excuse," Petrik pressed but continued when Eden turned away from him. "You should be a junior grade already and as soon as you get your chance you throw it away. What is it with you and kids?"
How was she supposed to respond to that? Words failed and so she wiped away her tears instead, ignoring the ballooning feeling in her chest and the isolating emptiness closing in knowing what was to come next.
Unable to be content with silence Petrik removed himself from the bedroom doorway and put himself in front of this poor, tormented woman, taking her tear soaked hands in his. "You are such a smart, capable woman, Eden. You're going to accomplish so many wonderful things, that's why I chose you. Our future is so bright together, can't you imagine it?" He could sense her reluctance as he tilted her chin up so that their eyes could meet and so that she could see how sincere he was being "You know that I love you."
Eden nodded, still too worked up to speak, fearful that she'd crumble into pieces.
Petrik kissed her forehead lightly and gave a charming, reassuring smile. "Good. So stop being so stupid."
At first Eden believed him when he'd say things like that; that maybe her mistakes came from not thinking right, that he didn't mean what he said that way, that he was just trying to put a fire under her so that she could be the better, gifted officer that he knew she could be. That's what people who loved you did, right? Petrik wrote her poems and brought her flowers and took her on romantic vacations not to forget that he was probably the smartest engineer in the entire fleet, his list of achievements was practically endless. Her daddy never cared about what she did or what she attained or how she felt.
Normally she'd let it go, chuck it up to him being right once again but not this time. Petrik had cut her up with cruel accusations and bandaged the wounds with compliments with an arrogant sense of permission and it had to stop.
Eden pushed him away and fetched her uniform jacket from the couch, chased by the handsome Bajoran who pleaded with her to stay. The idea of sleeping without her was depressing, the thought of being without her was frightening.
"No," she interjected, turning around so fast that her ponytail nearly cracked like a whip, poking her finger into his chest. "I ain't stupid and I'd do what I did all over again in a heartbeat and I don't give a damn if you're embarrassed that your little ensign girlfriend got in trouble."
"Please, just stay here, we don't have to talk about it anymore." Somehow Petrik sidestepped her accusation without denying it at all.
Eden zipped the front and pressed out the wrinkles with her hand. "I have work to finish," it wasn't exactly a lie, there was a stack of forms and papers to fill out over the incident but she was going to do those in the morning, tonight she was going to go to her own room and sleep.
"Okay," he submit, rubbing his chest with his hand as he walked her to the door, or rather walked in her wake toward the door. "I'll see you at lunch tomorrow. I love you."
His hand felt soft against her cheek as he gave her a gentle parting kiss, one that she returned half heartedly.
"I love you too," Eden replied, for the first time unsure if she meant it anymore.