Chapter Text
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“Captain Tennyson?”
Junlei looked up and spun away from the terminal screen in front of her, rubbing the bridge of her nose.
There stood Seojung Lee, the Captain of the Unreliable, dark circles under his eyes and looking like a stampede of Mantiqueens had stomped across his back. At his side was Parvati Holcomb, engineering extraordinaire.
“Captain Lee! What brings you to my humble ship?” She stood and walked around her desk.
Despite his obvious exhaustion, he smiled and pulled her in for a hug. Junlei chuckled as she felt the tension leak away from the other captain’s body.
“Goodness, Seojung, you’re so tense. You know, Parvati gives good hugs. You should use her services from time to time.”
“I know, but I prefer yours. Sorry, Wingnut.”
“Wingnut?” Junlei helped the person in her arms sit down as she raised an eyebrow at her partner. “Sounds like there’s a story to that.”
“I can tell you about it later! It’s one heck of a story.” Parvati bounced in place. “Cap here was a real hero.”
“Aw, shucks. It wouldn’t have happened without my great team!” Seojung side-hugged the tall woman. “Especially this gal right here. I dare say she’s my second-in-command, if she wishes.”
Parvati jumped and spun in glee. “Yes, sir!” She turned to Junlei, eyes gleaming. “Did’ja hear that, Jun? I’m the captain’s mate!”
“Proud of you, babe.”
“Thanks, babe!”
“Alright, alright, lovebirds, I’m still here!” The Captain rolled his eyes as he looked at the screens and charts. “The temperature seems to be good, so I take it the radiators are still working well.”
“Yes, all your fixes are still holding strong. It’s given my engineers time to explore other projects in order to make this ship better.”
“I’m glad I could help. I’ve been meaning to ask about progress on other parts of the ship, but there's a lot slipping from my mind. Anything else you need help with?”
“I have a short expedition to embark on with the Vicar and the kid, so our resident fixer-upper asked if she could hang out on Groundbreaker today. If that’s okay with you, of course.”
“I would love to spend some time with my girlfriend! Lucky for you, Parv, it’s ‘Bring Your Partner to Work’ day.” Junlei felt her heart speed up as she watched the repairwoman blush brightly.
Seojung muttered, “Whipped” under his breath and shook his head in amusement. “Keep it PG, you two. Cap out.”
With that, Junlei and Parvati were left alone in her office. As she opened her mouth, she was wrapped in a hug so tight her lungs lost all air.
“I missed you!”
Sure, she felt a little lightheaded, but it was worth it.
“I missed you too. How’s your day been?” Pulling back from the hug, Junlei kissed her girlfriend softly on the lips. She had hated kissing for the longest time, but kissing Parvati was always a delight.
“Real busy! The engine was making some funny noises when I woke up, so I spent all day trying to soothe the poor thing.” The brown-skinned woman plunked herself down in Junlei’s desk chair. “Hey, what’s this?” Parvati pointed at a small picture frame with a sheet of paper suspended in the middle.
“Oh, uh.” Junlei stuttered. “It’s a to-do list that I made a long time ago.”
“Why is it framed on your desk?”
“It's from a special day.” She was going to have to say it, wasn’t she?
The mechanic’s ears perked up. She had a soft spot for sentimentality; it was one of the many things Junlei loved about her.
“Really? What’s the occasion?”
She bit her lip. “Don’t tease me, okay?”
“Promise!”
Running a hand through her greasy bangs (she needed a long shower tonight), she spoke quietly. “I wrote that on the day we met.”
Parvati cooed as her cheeks grew warm. “Oh, Jun, you’re such a romantic.”
“Only for you, Parv.”
“So, did you ever get these done?”
“Well, I was… distracted that day. By the time I realized, a week had passed. But yes. In a way. Eventually.”
The seated woman leaned forward and squinted at the slip of paper ripped from one of her many leather-bound journals. “What are all those tiny numbers next to each entry?”
Junlei smiled at the way her girlfriend’s brow crinkled as she continued to examine the framed sheet. It was cute. “They’re the dates I finished them.”
“Does this really mean that much to you?”
She shrugged and leaned on the desk across from Parvati. Her finger swiped under the other woman’s chin. “What can I say, Wildflower? The strangest things remind me of you. And I wouldn’t change that for a thing.”
“Aw, you sap.”
“Oh, that’s not even the best part.”
“Go on…” Parvati leaned forward.
“I also sort of… finished all these tasks with you. That’s why it’s special.”
“What do you mean by that?”
As Junlei was about to answer, she was called away by her Head Mardet.
“Chief, there’s a ship of strangers asking to join our community. They’re asking to speak to the leader of Groundbreaker.”
“I’ll be right there. Thank you, Commandant Santina.”
Turning back to Parvati, she grasped her hands tightly, kissing her on the nose.
“Hold that thought, my love. Why don’t you head down to the Back Bays and see how the construction is coming along? I’ll catch up.”
“Okay, but I won’t let you off the hook for this!”
“As you shouldn’t. I’ll see you soon.” Swiping her gun belt from her designated “personal belongings” area, she made her way to the Docking Bays.
—
“I’m back!” Junlei ambled back into her office, unbuckling her gun belt and setting it down on her table of personal effects. She hated wearing it, but it was a necessity when dealing with strangers from unknown places. “Did you miss me?”
Parvati looked up from the terminal and smiled. “Of course I did! What happened with those folks?”
“A group of engineers from Byzantium came with notes and data. They found out what the Board was doing with the poor, sick, elderly, and disabled.” She pulled a chair next to her girlfriend’s seat. “Naturally, they’re not interested in working for such people, so they stole a ship and came here. They mentioned Seojung, so we let them in. They’re getting situated now.”
“Looks like we’ll have to expand the ship a little, huh?”
“Looks like it.” The Captain sighed and cricked her neck from side to side. She needs to visit the massage therapist who stays in the Rest-N-Go in exchange for her services.
“So, this list is special?” Parvati’s voice shook her out of her musings. She poked her thigh with a boot.
Junlei turned and grinned teasingly. “Damn, I thought you’d forget about it.”
“Aw, you’re so mean! Please, will you tell me?”
“All right, since you asked so nicely.” She stood and held a hand out for her girlfriend. “I’ll tell you over a drink.”
Parvati took her outstretched hand and popped up from the chair like a firecracker. “Isn’t it too early to be drinking?”
“Don’t worry, just water.”
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