Chapter Text
Rosemary's boots made soft thuds on the corridor grating, each step closer to the galley turning her stomach into tighter knots. She almost felt herself scoff at how she was feeling. This was ridiculous, these people were friends. Family, even. But telling them felt different in a way she couldn't explain. Saying this announcement would be something permanent in a way nothing else had been since she'd stepped onto the Wayfarer. It was like a rite of passage, for what she wasn't sure. But it felt important enough for her to feel flustered before even entering the room.
Sissix brushed her tail along Rosemary's leg, a slow and lazy sweep meant to pull her out of her thoughts.
“You're making that face again.”
“What face?”
“The one that says you're about to tell me you'd rather eat in the cargo hold while I groom your hair.” Sissix's mouth curved in that half smile that was pure mischief with a special side of teasing.
“Well, I mean, that does sound like a nice time.”
“Why do that in the cargo hold in private when we can do that with the others? Isn't it better to eat at an actual table?” Sissix nuzzled the top of Rosemary's head as they walked down the corridor.
“I guess so.” Rosemary smirked, enjoying the feeling of Sissix's touch against her, the way her smooth scales made small scratching noises against Rosemary's thick black hair. She couldn't tell if this was because she hadn't been in a relationship since she was on Mars as a kid or if it was because she felt that close with Sissix, but she felt comfortable with it nonetheless. Sissix chuckled in her husky Aandrisk way, breathy and soothing.
“Relax, Rosie. It's dinner, not a tribunal. You're acting like this is your first time eating dinner with these people.”
“I know it probably won't make much of a difference.”
“It won't.” Sissix chuckled in an amiable way as she moved her muzzle from the top of Rosemary's head to face the approaching door to the eating area. The metal was welded in a diagonal seam running from the top left to the bottom right, probably something Kizzy had gotten from one of her many junkie friends. Rosemary smiled at Sissix's dismissive wave, rolling her eyes.
“Okay, okay. So it won't. But it still feels important to me, it feels like a new step of my blank slate.”
“Rosie, I think almost dying with everyone while being punched through space was enough of a new step.” Sissix made a playful hissing sound, her feathers puffing out at her own recollections. “Stars, that was terrifying.”
“I guess you have a good point. But there's still something nerve-wracking about it to me.” Rosemary bit her lip, the two of them standing in front of the door, now looking at each other.
“Even being pair bonded to a human, I still can't make sense of your kind when it comes to emotional expression.” Sissix chuckled, releasing her tail from Rosemary's leg and nuzzling her face against Rosemary's cheek. Rosemary leaned into the gesture with enthusiasm. Even Sissix's cold scales felt warm with the affection of their shared moment, making Rosemary all the more bothered to pull away from her before revealing to the others. As Sissix pulled away, she leaned close to Rosemary's ear, her whispery voice gentle but ladled with the teasing tone she had been giving Rosemary lately. “I know you want to, Rosie. And it won't change anything besides a few gentle teasing from Kizzy or Jenks. But I can gladly tell them for you, if you don't feel up to it.”
“I may take you up on that offer.” Rosemary pressed her hand to the side of Sissix's face. She kissed the top of Sissix's head, something that Sissix seemed to enjoy, and then pulled away to look at the door. She sighed deeply, whether to comfort herself or prepare herself she couldn't tell. The door hissed open and warmth spilled out from both the heaters, and the chatter of the lively table. Kizzy was halfway through describing some improbable engine repair, the only audience able to comprehend it seeming to be Jenks who was half distracted by a large bun on his plate, half caked in one of Dr. Chef's signature plant sauces. Ashby sat back in his chair, smiling with the patient expression of someone who has heard Kizzy's ramblings countless times. Ohan was there also, bent over a datapad with Corbin. The crew looked up when Sissix and Rosemary entered.
Dr. Chef straightened from the counter, three of his arms busy with serving more dishes while the fourth waved them in.
“You're just in time for the greens,” he said, sliding a steaming bowl towards the empty seats.
“What took you two so long? We thought you guys were going to miss dinner!” Jenks aimed his fork in their direction before plunging it into the bun.
“Oh, I was just uh- helping Sissix with an order of hers for the heater in her room.” Rosemary said the response too quickly, making Sissix mentally roll her eyes. She found it enduring, if not slightly irritating at times, how quickly humans jump to strange erratic behaviours when caught in something they're nervous about. Rosemary's calm demeanour, or whatever inkling of calm she had previously, had fizzled away. Sissix noticed that none of the other members of the crew seemed to notice much out of the ordinary aside from Ashby who first gave Rosemary a knowing look and then flashed one to Sissix herself. As far as she knew, Ashby was the only one onboard who directly knew about Sissix and Rosemary being a pair-bond, and that seemed to have put Rosemary at ease.
“What kind of part was it, Sissix? When it comes in the next mail exchange, maybe I can hook it up for you. Nothing I can't handle at all.” Kizzy's voice was mostly muffled by the ball of green mush she had stuffed into her mouth.
“Oh nothing big. Just a rotary motor for the heat fan. I think it might be burnt out.
“Don't you still have to fix the vox in my office? Tycho can't enter my thoughts, you know.” Ashby waved a cup absent mindedly in Kizzy's direction.
“I promise, Ashby. It's on my to-do list.” Kizzy groaned, not bothering to wipe a splash of sauce from running down her cheek as if it were on a mission.
“By the way, Rosemary.” Corbin interjected with a terse tone on the cusp of being respectful and Corbin's signature style of communicating. “Did you review my order for a new filtration component?”
“Yes I did, Corbin. I approved it and it's on the list for our next port visit. But you need to let me know ahead of time because I already had a list made and ready to go.”
Rosemary looked away before having to see any possible burning gaze that the pale man would have given her and instead focused on sinking her teeth into the soft, tender flesh of the red coast bug style steak. When she looked up from the bite towards Corbin, she didn't see his burning gaze, but a reluctant, disgruntled nod.
“At least I was able to get the right part this time.” He mumbled to himself, barely audible it could have been mistaken for him clearing his throat.
“Oh lay off it, Corbin. You're still on about that?” Kizzy groaned.
“Um, on about what?” Ohan's soft voice joined in the conversation, as if he had just phased into existence.
“Oh right I guess we never did tell you.” Ashby took a napkin from the middle of the table and wiped his mouth. He looked to Rosemary who was too distracted with her meal to notice the gaze. Sissix, under the table, wrapped her tail around Rosemary's ankle which had caused her to go flush momentarily before composing herself.
“Hm? Oh Right, so when I was first doing work for the crew, I had ordered a wrong part for the algae processing parts and it wasn't anything big, at least nothing I thought. And Corbin, like he does, came rampaging in my office to yell at me and say how if I can't be a reliable cleric, I shouldn't even be on the crew.”
Corbin, feeling the need to defend himself, interjected with a scowl. “I wasn't rampaging, and I didn't say you shouldn't be on the crew. I said that your mistake could have killed someone.”
“Oh yeah, that's a much better thing to say to the new girl.” Sissix chuckled, ignoring Corbin's glare and instead directing her yellow eyes towards Rosemarry. Unbeknownst to the rest of the crew, Sissix's tail and Rosemary's leg were tangled in an emotional embrace, Sissix making sure to ground Rosemary if she decided this was the time to share.
“Oh.” Ohan's voice was gentle, measured. He seemed as if he were trying to think of a way to respond, eventually deciding to simply nod his head. “I can understand both sides.”
“Oh Dr. Chef! Did you hear about the newly imported seeds from the Hadrosians that are opening up Portside?” Kizzy jumped into energy, unbothered by the awkward silence. Dr. Chef turned his large body around from the sink, upturning his split mouth in a grin.
“I did not! I heard from one of my friends there that they're bright pink and taste like a weird sugary and spicy bubble! I bet they taste amazing! I was going to get you some when we reach Port!”
“Oh my, that sounds wonderful!” A harmony of whistling and coos erupted from Dr. Chef as he rubbed his four hands together with joy.
“Wait, Hadrosians? I don't think I've heard of them before.” Jenks tilted his head curiously at Kizzy, expecting an explanation.
“Well they are pretty new to the GC, I think their species were just integrated to the GC. But they were an independent species helping with small exotic trades. They decided recently to be part of the galactic neighbourhood I'm guessing.” Sissix pointed at Kizzy. “Kizzy said they look like if an Aandrisk were to have a hybrid child with an Akarak and get surgery to have their body covered in fur.”
“Stars and buckets, Kiz. What does that even mean?” Jenks laughed, pushing Kizzy away from him playfully.
“Look, okay? It's not like every sapient knows what a bird is!”
“But the whole hybrid thing is literally impossible.” Ashby interjected, rolling his eyes.
“Okay but if you saw how touchy they are with each other, you might start to be convinced. They make Aandrisks look like prudes! And that's saying something.” Kizzy placed an emphatic index finger on the table, as if she were trying to rest her case at a court hearing.
“Well there's nothing wrong with being very intimate.” Sissix's tone was prodding, lingering on the last word like an invitation as she deliberately moved her eyes towards Rosemary.
Rosemary felt Sissix's tail around her ankle squeeze twice, a small nudging. Jenks gave Sissix a strange look and then looked at Rosemary with a raised eyebrow.
“Uh… what was that?”
“What was what?” Sissix looked down to her plate, where only a few scraps of food were left, her tone light and innocent.
“Why’d you give Rosemary that weird look?” Kizzy asked, half standing and half crouching as if she were about to spring out of her chair.
“Oh, that. We’re pair-bonded now.” Sissix gave a little shrug, the familiar curve of a smile forming around her muzzle.
Rosemary felt the knot in her stomach twist, but this time it was in excitement. A giddy smile crept across her face, warming her cheeks.
“Oh, my stars! Congratulations! You two make a very nice pair!” Dr Chef’s harmonious voices rang with joy as he made cooing noises, already bustling toward the pantry. “I will bring out something sweet to celebrate.”
“A pairing can always be good if you know who you want to be with,” Ohan said softly, a careful smile forming on his flat face.
“It’s none of my business,” Corbin muttered. He looked away with a reluctant grin. “But that’s good to hear.”
“What? No way!” Kizzy jumped up, clapping her hands together, before her face crumpled into a pout and she flopped back into her seat. “Oh bolts!”
“What’s wrong, Kiz? This seems like something you’d be happy about,” Ashby said, tilting his head. He glanced at Sissix but got only a shrug in return.
“She’s mad because we made a bet that Sissix and Rosie were an item and she lost. Now she owes me all her fire shrimp and has to buy me smash,” Jenks said with a grin, pointing finger guns at Kizzy. “I called it.”
“What gave it away?” Rosemary surprised herself with how normal her voice sounded despite the heat flooding her face.
“Just the way you two look at each other. And how you’re always conveniently in each other’s rooms when you’re off duty.”
“That’s basically what I said,” Ashby chuckled, leaning forward with his hands on the table. Kizzy stared at him.
“You knew and let me lose the bet?”
“It was up to Rosie to share when she felt comfortable. I just figured it out and talked to Sissix about it.”
“Confronted, yes. But Rosie and I were talking earlier today and she wanted to wait to tell everyone. Just when she felt the time was right,” Sissix said.
“Yeah, I just needed to get used to it. I wanted to make sure it was genuine and not just a one-time thing,” Rosemary said, the earlier mix of embarrassment and joy giving way to confidence at her crew’s support.
“Well, was it?” Jenks asked.
“I’d say it’s definitely not a one-time thing.” Rosemary chuckled and leaned into Sissix, feeling the comfort of her smooth scales against her. Sissix chuckled back and nuzzled into her hair, grooming her in slow, absent strokes.
Kizzy was already bouncing in her seat again. “You guys are so cute!”
Rosemary smiled, her eyes still on Sissix. “Told you it mattered to me,” she murmured under the table noise.
Sissix’s tail looped gently around her ankle again, this time with a slow, warm squeeze. “I know,” she said.