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It's late into the party, and Kim's decided that she's all wiped out. She's excused herself from her friends (who she's certain are more than a little drunk now) and stepped out for some fresh air. Kim flips her cap around a bit before setting it down. Without thinking, her hand goes to her Starfleet insignia, her fingers tracing the grooves.
Command.
It feels good to hear, and it feels just as good to know that she's been accepted into the training program. A few years from now, she'll be the captain of her own ship, with her own crew to lead. But for now, she's content with calling herself an ensign.
Despite that, she can't find herself to have a good time, even though there's no reason for her not to. Although, she figures it might have something to do with the fact that Chris wasn't by her side. That was her doing, but she was completely certain it was for their own good. Now that she's out here alone, though, she's starting to rethink her decision. She's about to head back inside when…
“Kim.”
Speak of the devil. She turns around to face him, mustering up just enough strength to give him a smile. “Hey, Chris.”
“Party's inside, you know,” Chris tells her, pointing his thumb towards the building. “Lemme guess-- too rowdy for your tastes?”
Kim laughs. “It was fine like two hours ago. But, yeah, a little too loud.” A pause as she looks down at his own badge. “...Made the program too, huh?”
“Ah, what can I say? And to think, a month ago I was worried about that big F in astrophysics,” Chris replies and he can't help but laugh too, the crinkle in his eyes making Kim fall just a little bit more in love with him. “You gotta admit, Captain Pike does have a nice ring to it.”
“Long way to go, ensign, ” Kim teases, eyes following him as he leans back against the balcony, right next to her. “Why are you out here, then? Thought the party was inside.”
For a while Chris is quiet, but he eventually shrugs. “Same reason as you, I guess,” he finally says, chuckling once more. “Maybe I just wanted to talk to you.” As he says that, his expression falls just a little bit. “A lot's happened since we uh… ended things.”
“I know,” Kim replies and right now she's trying her hardest not to look at him. “You know it was for the best.” A pause as she lets out a slow exhale. “I mean… we've both got big ambitions. I don't think there'd be room for anything else.”
Chris is silent for a few more moments before he stands upright. “...Yeah. I guess you're right.” He then walks over, extending his hand. “Well, congratulations, Kim.”
Kim nods, reaching her own hand out so she could shake his, though she holds on for a few seconds more than was considered appropriate. “Congratulations, Chris. Guess I'll be seeing you up there.”
“I guess you will,” Chris replies, giving her hand a curt shake. “Be seein' you.” With that, he pulls his hand away, gently brushing his fingertips against her palm. “...And Kim?”
“Yeah?”
“I, uh… I love you. Still do. Figured I'd get it out now before I lose the chance.”
“Chris--”
“I know, I know, I don't mean to make this hard for us. It's just-- Kim?”
He's cut off by the sound of her sniffling, and before Chris could do anything else, Kim's arms are wrapped tightly around him, her face hidden in his chest. “Chris,” she starts, voice muffled, “I miss you.”
“Hey, hey,” he gently replies, threading his fingers through her hair. “I'm here,” Chris tells her, and though it wasn't his intention, he's holding onto Kim like a lifeline. “I gotcha, Kim. I gotcha.”
“I just-- Chris, we'd be apart for weeks. Months. I don't even know if we can do it. If we should.”
“ Kim, ” Chris interjects, gently holding her at arm's length, his hands gently gripping her shoulders. “Have a little faith in us,” he tells her, trying for a smile, but it's obvious his eyes were watery too. “I mean, c'mon, we're Starfleet. What's a little distance gonna hurt us?” Very carefully, he reaches up, pushing a few errands of hair that had fallen into her face. “We're gonna be okay,” he mumbles, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. “But for what it's worth,” he adds, kissing her cheeks next, “I miss you too. Always have.” He pulls her back in, and before they know it, they're gently swaying to the low hum of music from inside the building. “Didn't think I'd be doing this with you again. Glad to see I was wrong.”
Kim scoffs softly, resting her head against his chest. “Who's the one lacking faith now?” She retorts, eyes fluttering shut when Chris reaches over to wipe away the tears from her cheeks. “You haven't changed.”
“That's not a bad thing, is it?” Chris asks, moving his hands down to her waist, chuckling when Kim replies with a small shake of her head. “...Hey. I never got to ask, but-- what ship do you wanna get assigned to?”
“Is now really the time?”
“Humor me.”
“Honestly, wherever you are. But… the Trailblazer. ”
“That's a good one. Y'know, I wanna be on the Enterprise. Heard it's one of the best ships in the fleet.”
“And soon, it'll have one of Starfleet's best students.”
“Wishful thinking,” is all Chris responds with, his eyes not once leaving hers. “But I'd like to be wherever you are, too.” A pause, almost as if he's unsure of what else to say. “Kim, I… can I?” He asks, and though it looks like he wants to say more, he falters.
Kim laughs, and without much of a second thought, she stands up on her toes. “Christopher Pike at a loss for words? That's a first. But I was waiting for you to ask.”
“Wrong. The first time would be when I asked you out the first time.”
“Ah, right, how could I forget?” Kim teases, and before Chris can even make a move, she decides to go and close the distance between them. He had kissed her back, and Kim decided right there and then that she was making the right choice this time. When they pull away, Kim's the first to speak. “I definitely missed that,” she says, laughing when Chris is already going in for seconds, pressing featherlight kisses along her face.
“More of that where it came from,” he says, and just like that-- Chris is grinning again.
“There better be. Now, c'mon, I just wanna… keep swaying like this. It's nice.”
Chris nods, and just like that he's gently swaying her again. “Aye, Captain. I'll even hum us a song.”