Work Text:
It is greater than the stars - that moving procession of human energy; greater than the palpating earth and the things growing thereon.
Kate Chopin
She’d imagined their rendezvous all week - they would hike to the top of the mountain, stare at the sky hand in hand, voices hushed, in awe, meteors streaking across the sky above them. A fitting send off before they went their separate ways, to find their destinies in the stars.
It was beautiful.
It was perfect.
It did not happen that way.
They had made it up the mountain, but when they’d reached its peak, they were sweaty and sore and snapping at one another. They struggled to get a fire going - Gabriel insisted on doing things “the old fashioned way” and the longer it took to get the fire going, the more irritable Katrina became. It didn’t help that it was colder than expected and the clouds were rolling in.
Eventually, he did get the fire going and Katrina was thinking that things were finally turning around. Then the sky opened up.
That was how they ended up, wet and cold, huddled together in the small tent. It was also how they ended up warming themselves up with a bottle of scotch that Gabriel had secretly packed.
Halfway through the bottle, Katrina felt pleasantly warm and fuzzy, her irritation finally passed along with the chill. She laid sprawled against her sleeping bag, dressed only in shorts and her bra, her wet shirt discarded and forgotten in the corner. Gabriel sat crossed legged next to her, shirtless as well, but with his sleeping bag unzipped and draped over his shoulders.
She rolled onto her side. “Your turn.”
“Okay, then. Truth or dare.”
She propped her head up on her elbow. “Truth.”
“Are you dating anyone right now?”
“Gabe!” Katrina exclaimed, chest flushing slightly. She pulled herself together and sat up, a harder task than it should have been due to the alcohol, and gave him a stern look. “Gabe... I mean-- You can’t ask that! Given our… history.”
“Oh come on, I won’t be jealous. And besides,” he made a show of shrugging nonchalantly, “if you don’t want to answer the question, then I guess you’ll just have to take a drink.”
“Fine,” Katrina replied, giving in and glaring playfully. “But promise you won’t be weird about it.”
Gabriel just raised his eyebrows, as if to say “really?” When she didn’t respond immediately, he waggled the bottle at her. “So -- are you going to drink or are you going to answer?”
Katrina rolled her eyes. “There is a guy. He’s in medical school with me. I’ve been seeing him about the last month.”
Gabriel grinned at her admission. “Oooo, really? Is he attractive? I bet he can’t compare to me.”
So much for not being weird about it… Katrina met his gaze. “Oh, no comparison,” she agreed. “He’s much more attractive than you are.”
“Oh! That’s a cold one, Cornwell.”
Katrina raised an eyebrow. “That’s what you get, Lorca. Now. Drink.”
Things weren’t even particularly serious yet with the man from class. They’d been on a few dates. They’d had a good time. But that was as far as things had gone. But Gabriel… Gabriel was still Gabriel. He obediently took a swallow of scotch, and Katrina found herself watching him. His fingers curled around the neck of the bottle, throat bobbing as he swallowed. When he was done, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and Katrina was filled with the sudden impulse to kiss him and see how he tasted. She shook herself and he passed the bottle to her. “Your turn.” She took the bottle from him, fingers brushing, and a familiar shiver ran up her spine.
Before she could ask him another question, he looked up. “Do you hear that?”
“No. What?”
He smiled. “Exactly.”
Katrina’s face lit up. “The rain stopped!” She was on her feet in a heartbeat, peaking out of the tent to investigate, thoughts of Gabriel momentarily forgotten.
The air was cool, the sky mostly clear, the edge of the cloud-line moving away from them. The last remains of the fire smoldered and popped, and above, the stars twinkled softly. Then she saw the smallest streak of movement across the sky. “Gabe!” she cried, unexpected relief and joy flooding through her chest. “We haven’t missed it yet! Come on!”
They clambered out of the tent, a little unsteady on tipsy legs, and Katrina reached for Gabriel’s hand. His hand clasped around hers and didn’t let go as Katrina led them to an outcropping of rocks on the edge of an overhang. They sat down together, feet dangling over the edge, the cool, damp rock under her thighs making her shiver.
Gabriel reached for her. “Come ‘ere,” he motioned, “you look like you’re freezing.”
Katrina hesitated only for a moment, then leaned into his familiar embrace. He wrapped an arm around her, draping them both with his sleeping bag.
“Gabe,” she whispered, staring at the pinpoints of light streaking across the sky. For a moment she felt impossibly small. “Wow. It’s beautiful.”
“It is,” he whispered next to her.
They were quiet for several long moments, one stretching seamlessly into the next without notice, until Katrina spoke again. “You’ll be up there soon.”
“Yeah.”
“Gonna save the universe?”
“You better believe it.”
Katrina chuckled softly and turned towards him, blinking in surprise when she realized how close he was. “Gabe… ” she whispered.
“Yeah?”
He was so close she could feel his breath on her face. She started to lean in for a moment, and he mirrored her, moving closer, then she suddenly looked down, turning away and licking her lips. He turned, pressing his nose into her cheek, and she leaned into his touch, even as she looked back up at the sky.
“No matter what happens, Gabe,” she began slowly, “no matter where you are. Or where I am. Or… who else is in my life. You mean so much to me. Your friendship. Your support. Everything. I know… a lot is changing right now. But I just want you to know that. That will never change.”
Another tiny streak of light rushed across the sky and blinked out.
“I know,” he whispered into her hair, squeezing her gently around the waist. He turned his head to look back up and they watched the sky together. “I… “ he trailed off and she turned to watch him. “I’m going to miss you, you know.”
Katrina smiled. “I know.”
He looked down shyly for a moment then brought his gaze slowly back up and Katrina realized he was staring at her mouth. He bit his lip and Katrina sucked in a breath and began to lean in.
This time it was Gabriel who pulled away. He looked back up at the stars and they both fell silent. Eventually Gabriel cleared his throat, still looking at the sky. “I can’t believe you gave all of this up to go to medical school.”
Katrina glared, moment ruined, and punched him hard in the upper arm. “Fuck you, Lorca.”
“Hey!” he yelped, rubbing his arm.
She continued to glare and he only wilted a little, face scrunching a little before turning away and rolling his eyes.
“It’s just, you spent all this time preparing to explore the galaxy. Why give up on that?”
“Who says I’m going to?” she retorted. Gabriel rolled his eyes. “There isn’t just one path, Gabe,” she insisted. “Just because I’m doing things differently than you are, doesn’t mean it’s wrong.”
At this, he turned toward her to defend himself. “That’s not what I’m saying, Kat--”
“Then what are you saying?” she snapped.
Gabriel sighed. “It’s just… you’re not going to see the galaxy from the inside of a hospital. You used to talk about traveling the stars! About making discoveries! Seeing things no one in the Federation has ever seen.” His voice softened. “We used to talk about saving the universe together. Has... that changed?”
Katrina blinked in surprise. “No.” She shook her head. “No, that hasn’t changed. I don’t think I’m choosing between them. I think I’m choosing both. I want to be out there on the edge of known space, but I want those discoveries to mean something. To make things better. And as a medical officer, I can know I’ll always be in a position to be helping people. Besides,” she continued, grinning at him again, “one day I’ll be your boss, and then you’ll see.”
Gabriel laughed. “Oh, that’ll be the day.”
She raised her eyebrows up and down. “You doubt me?” She stared him down, daring him to challenge her.
Gabriel grinned, lopsided smile curling across his face. “Not if I’m the one giving you orders.”
Katrina ignored him, leaning in and whispering against his mouth, “Come on now, Gabe. Don’t be like that. You already know I’m the boss.” Then she kissed him.
Gabriel made a strangled noise in the back of his throat. He tasted of scotch - sharp and smoky - and it made her feel a little light-headed. For a moment, she questioned what in the universe she was doing, wondering dimly how much alcohol she’d had that this seemed like a good idea. Then his arms were around her and his tongue was in her mouth and she decided that this was a very good idea.
One of Gabriel’s hands settled around her waist, the other palming her breast. She leaned in closer and felt herself melting into his chest. “I thought we weren’t doing this anymore. I-- I am pretty sure I remember us breaking up,” he whispered. Katrina’s tongue slid along Gabriel’s bottom lip and his hand squeezed gently at her breast. She wished her stupid bra wasn’t still in the way. “I’m pretty damn sure I didn’t just imagine that.”
His hand curled around her neck and he nipped at her lips and Katrina groaned. “Haven’t you ever had sex with someone you weren’t in a relationship with?” she asked.
The acknowledgment of what this was seemed to reassure him. He clutched her tighter, tongue pushing back into her mouth. The air was cool on her skin, but Gabriel’s skin was hot, his mouth hotter, and Katrina climbed into his lap, bringing as much of their skin into contact as possible.
His palm pressed against her breast, fingers curling under the top edge of her bra and tugging at the thin fabric, and Katrina’s stomach twisted in pleasure. She bit down hard enough on his lip to get his attention and pulled back a little. “I think we should get back to the tent.”
Gabriel smiled at her and shook his head. “And miss the opportunity to have sex under the stars?”
Katrina grinned and leaned in to kiss him. “I’m greater than the stars.”