Chapter Text
Vacationing alone sucked. There was no other word for it. You and five girl friends were supposed to come to Risa. You'd cancelled appointments, gotten a pet sitter, and even separated yourself from desperately interesting schoolwork just to visit the popular vacationing planet, and what had your friends done? One by one, they cancelled. Janine had schoolwork, Lexi broke her foot, Holly got a new boyfriend, Annette forgot they were supposed to be vacationing and set up an entirely different vacation with another group of friends. Finally, Nova sent a last minute message after you’d already arrived at the hotel room saying that if Holly and Annette weren't coming, neither was she.
Now you were sitting in a pool chair beside a stack of souvenirs for your friends who hadn't bothered to come. It was too hot to wear your normal clothes and too embarrassing to try that scandalous bikini Annette got for you, so you opted for a set of baggy shorts and a ridiculous, floral patterned shirt. A book was open on your lap, and an expression of murder on your face. Despite this, the men in this accursed hotel pool didn't seem to be getting the memo. So far, seven separate men had offered to apply lotion to your legs, one trying to kiss you outright. You gripped the pages of your mediocre novel and forced your eyes to focus. Maybe it would be best to just pack up and go home. If no one else cared to be on Risa, why should you?
Suddenly a shadow passed over you. It was a man. How predictable. You glowered up at him.
“Can I help you?” you muttered darkly. The man was tall, but that was about the extent of what you could make out about his appearance. With the sun directly behind him, he appeared a silhouette rimmed in gold. Frankly, you didn't care to look for too long.
“You don't seem like you're having a good time,” he commented.
“I am not. You're blocking my sun.” You couldn't keep the growl out of your voice even if you tried. The man looked behind him, laughed, and moved out of the way. You were bathed in yellow once more.
“Sorry. Didn't realize. I just saw a lovely young woman who didn't seem happy and came over to see what I could do about it,” he said. Now that the sun was no longer directly behind him, you could see his features much more clearly. For all intents and purposes, he was handsome, exactly the kind of man you'd expect to find on Risa. Tall and muscular with thick, brown hair, twinkling eyes, and a well-groomed beard that gave dignity to an otherwise baby-ish face. Still, you had no interest.
“I don't need any sunscreen on my legs, thanks.” You tucked them under your butt just to be safe. The man grinned.
“That's good, because I don't have any on hand.” He sat on the end of your pool chair. The orange straps creaked beneath his weight. You eyed him suspiciously. He eyed your souvenirs. “Do you have any idea what that is?” He gestured towards the pile of cards, statues, and little toy trinkets gathered beside the chair.
“Which thing?” you asked, finally setting down your book. Your heart pulsed uncomfortably. Glancing once at you for permission, the man picked up a six inch, wooden statue that looked vaguely tribal in a gimmicky sort of way. You frowned at it. “Does it have some kind of special meaning? There was about a dozen at the shop. Apparently it's one of their most popular items.”
“I can see why. This statue is a replica of an ancient Risan fertility statue. Owning one is to call upon its sexual powers, but displaying it… well…” He made a vague gesture and avoided your eyes. Your cheeks went bright red.
“Is that what I've been saying this whole time? Oh, Janine, I am going to kill you!” You shook your fist at the sky, which only seemed to amuse the stranger further.
“A friend told you to get this?” He asked, grinning.
“Yes. Do you really think I'd get something like that for myself?” you protested. The man raised an eyebrow. “Oh right. You don't know me. Well, I assure you, when I bought it, it wasn't for… that.” He laughed.
“It's alright. Truthfully, I thought that might be the case. Here.” The stranger whipped off his own ridiculous flowery shirt and used it to cover the infernal statue. He held out a hand. “Will Riker.” You took it and gave your name in return.
“I'm a graduate student at the Belosian College of Art and the Humanities. My friends thought it would be a good idea to take a vacation on Risa during our Spring Break, but as you can see, I'm the only one that showed,” you explained. Now that you knew the stranger wasn't coming at you armed with sunscreen and grabby hands, you were a good deal more open to talking to him. He seemed a friendly sort.
“That's a shame. It's a beautiful place. It doesn't seem right to be here alone,” he said. “What do you think held the group up?” You sighed.
“I dunno. Lots of excuses. Personally, I have a nasty suspicion that nobody wanted to come with me. I'm a bit… uptight, in case you couldn't tell. Sorry for biting your head off earlier,” you said.
“It's no trouble. I might be a little frazzled myself if I found myself alone and surrounded by touchy men. I'd keep that statue covered. You can keep using the shirt.” He gestured at the covered wooden statue and again you blushed.
“It’s– thank you,” you stammered. God how could anything be so embarrassing.
“Are your friends really that mean?” Will asked. He hadn't left yet. You wondered why. You shrugged.
“I don't know. Annette is sometimes. She had this thing she wanted me to wear that's basically just a couple of strings, but I don't guess I'll do it now. The rest… who knows. I'm just not very important, I suppose.” That was way too much information for someone you just met. Damnit, maybe you were more upset about being left behind by your friends than you thought. It reminded you too much of being a kid at your birthday party, and no one showed up. You picked up your book again and hid your face in it. “Regardless, thanks for the cultural lesson. I won't hold you any longer.”
“You're not holding me. I want to be here,” he replied. “Of course, if you don't want me to be here…”
“No, no, I– I'm fine,” you said. “I won't hold you, but I won't banish you either. Do what you want. I'll just be reading my book.” With every word you spoke, you deflated a little more. He turned his head curiously to read the title of the volume in your hands.
“Taken by the Klingon Rebel?” he asked. On the cover was a shirtless Klingon with flowing black hair against a red sky. You snorted.
“Yeah, it's hot garbage. Really mind numbing stuff. I was thinking about throwing it away,” you mumbled.
“Hot garbage is exactly what you should be reading on vacation. You know, I have a friend that tried bringing Ulysses here?” he said. For the first time, a smile quirked your lips.
“Like, James Joyce?” you asked. “Notoriously dense text that's like, 80% allusions to other things?”
“The very same. He called it ‘light reading.’” Will made a face. You laughed.
“He must be very smart, then. I tried reading that damned book my freshman year of college. Didn't understand a word. Found it pretentious and dull. Still got an A on the paper, though,” you said. Now it was time for Will to laugh. He had a nice voice.
“You must have understood something, or you wouldn't have gotten the grade,” said Will. You shrugged.
“After about 30 pages, I chose to stop understanding the damn thing out of spite. Good grades aren't that hard to come by if you know what you're looking for. Grades are easy. Learning is hard,” you said.
“I wish I had your talents. For me, it was the opposite. Learning was second nature to me, but getting the right grades? Next to impossible. Still, I'd like to think I made it out alright.” Will leaned back on his arms and stretched his legs out in the sun. He had some nice arms, but you didn't want to stare, so you aimed your eyes at the pool instead.
“Made it out alright… So you've graduated. What are you up to now?” you asked.
“I'm the First Officer on board the USS Enterprise.” He tried to sound nonchalant, but the pride in his voice was impossible to mistake. Your brows shot up.
“Wait, like, the legendary Enterprise? The one lead by Admiral Kirk?” you asked. Admiral Kirk had to be over a hundred years old by now. He couldn't possibly still be captaining a starship. Will shook his head.
“Not exactly. There have been a few Enterprises since then. This one is the Flagship for Star Fleet, captained by Jean Luc Picard,” he explained.
“”And you're second in command,” you said thoughtfully. “Must be an exciting life.”
“I've been on a few adventures.” Will's smile was really rather dazzling. It was like looking into the suns.
“Yet you come here during your off hours.” You gesture vaguely around the pool area crowded with half naked people. “If I were you, I'd be bored out of my mind. Nothing to do but eat, swim, and have sex.” Both his eyebrows raised.
“And you don't see how that might appeal to me?” he asked.
“I'd imagine you could do all that and more aboard a star ship. A friend of mine just became an ensign on the SS Daedalus, and he won't shut up about the Holodeck on board,” you said. “Assuming you have a Holodeck, of course.”
“We do, but there are some things you just can't do on a Holodeck,” he said.
“Like what?” you asked.
“Meet lonely girls with bad books, for example,” he returned. You laughed again. “You have a good laugh. I'd like to hear it some more.”
“Yes, well… you're a funny guy,” you said, heart thumping like a proud bird at all the flattery. “I’m sure you'll find a way somehow.” Will scooted a little closer. To your surprise, you didn't move away. You didn't want to.
“Will I? I think I'm running out of jokes. I'll have to come up with new ones,” he said, coming another inch closer. You shielded yourself with the book and he stopped his advance. “Tell you what. If you're thinking about getting rid of that, I'm looking for some ‘hot garbage’ to read on my vacation, too. Maybe we could help each other.”
“You want to read Taken by the Klingon Rebel?” you asked, disbelieving. Will shrugged.
“I have a Klingon friend who might get a kick out of it. Besides, it'll give me an excuse to talk to you again, won't it?” He grinned again. Flirting didn't usually work on you, but with this guy… you didn't know what it was, but you liked him.
“Why not? I have other trash novels.” You handed him the thick, pulpy novel and did your damndest to ignore how nice his fingers felt when they brushed against yours.
“Much obliged.” He gave a cursory flip through the book, brows furrowing when he caught sight of the art in the middle. It really was a garbage novel.
“Still want it? I'll take it back if you don't.” You reached for the book and were surprised when Will snatched it away.
“Mine now. If you wanted to keep it, you shouldn't have given it away,” said Will protectively. You giggled.
“Well, excuse me. Didn't know you were that into Klingon smut,” you teased.
“Me neither. I'll tell you what. Meet me back here tomorrow at the same time, and I'll tell you all about what you've missed out on. Deal?” He held out his hand again, and you shook it without hesitation.
“Deal. Leave nothing out. I have a strong stomach,” you quipped. Will got up to leave, and you started to do the same.
“I'll be sure to be as detailed as I can stomach.” He started to walk away, but just before he reached the hotel entrance, he turned back and called out to you. “And don't forget to leave that statue in your room tomorrow.”