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1.
Shakti knew the new hire was suspicious the moment she walked into the meeting room and saw a strange man looking like a middle school teacher, glasses askew and the attitude of a toddler.
He wasn’t your usual scientist they invited on the site, and he definitely wasn’t the person Shakti would expect to see Eva Stratt accept so easily. And yet here they were, with this– Ryland Grace– in a meeting he had no clearing for, and Eva Stratt completely ignoring his antics.
When Shakti – usually the first to arrive – opened the door to their biggest meeting room, the two were already there. Stratt, in the centre of the room, the man circling around her, talking.
If Stratt was a different woman, Shakti would even mistake the brief twist of her lips for a smile. A fond smile, at that.
As the meeting went on, Grace settled on the table, stretching on it like a big cat, then sent what looked to be a ball right at someone's head.
All while Stratt stood there, silent. Observing his every move like a hawk waiting for its prey.
Yeah, Shakti thought in a moment of revelation, there are definitely fucking.
2.
It wasn’t Caleb’s intention to spy on his boss. He’d never do such a thing consciously, especially not to Eva Stratt, who was the most straightforward person he’d ever had the (dis)pleasure of knowing. The moment she realised someone was watching her, she’d have their metaphorical head – although as the time went on, Caleb started to believe she had enough power to get away with it, if she wanted to have someone's physical head as well.
He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, having forgotten his favourite jacket from the deck. There were patches from his sibling sewn onto it, and he just got a new one; sewing wasn’t his strong suit, so he needed to get started in the afternoon if he wanted to be ready for the morning inspection.
That was how he stumbled upon Eva Stratt and Ryland Grace, the new guy.
Everyone and their mother thought the guy was weird. Obsessed with his research, only really talking to Stratt or Carl. If someone did strike up a conversation with him, it usually ended with Grace talking their ear off about the astophage. Not that it wasn’t important – they were in this for a reason – but sometimes you needed to think about anything else but the world burning down.
Caleb was on the deck when saw them. Grace was leaning over something, a notepad or a phone, muttering to himself. Next to him, Stratt had her head tilted, watching both the tablet – for it was exactly that, Caleb realised as he came closer – and Grace. Compared to how she presented herself on the day-to-day basis, Caleb would say she looked at ease.
There was no way Caleb could hear what they talked about, not with the noise of the base going around its day, and the thunderous crashing of the waves. But whatever was the topic of their conversation, Stratt seemed to give Grace her full attention.
There was an air of 'if you disturb us, you're dead' about the pair, so engrossed in their own world.
Caleb retreated silently to his room, making sure to step carefully even if he was long out of Stratt’s earshot, and there was no way the woman could even hear him.
He might not have had the chance to retrieve his jacket, but he had a hot piece of gossip his friends would surely appreciate.
3.
For twenty years Lonnie worked in the military base, first as a cook’s assistant, then as a chef in his own right. In this time, he saw people come and go, and witnessed many on-base romances. Each pair thought they were being slick, hiding their relationship from their supervisors. They always failed to take the non-combatant staff under consideration, or maybe thought the cooks and the cleaners would not care if they saw the new couple in flagranti, or exchanging heated glances once in a while. It was an easy mistake to make, but one that occasionally ended in tragedy, especially when one person from the pair did something to piss off someone from the crew.
So when he saw Grace being dragged into his mess by none other than Eva Stratt, Lonnie had no doubts about what was going on there.
He only saw them from the corner of his eye as they walked in and dismissed it as normal, too busy making sure no one would add soy into Dr Sowa’s porridge. When he looked up, there they were, taking up one whole table like there was no one else besides them in the damn mess. Lonnie was hesitant to call them out. After all, one did not simply come up to the mastermind behind the most important operation to remind them about etiquette.
He settled on watching them from time to time. For now, the mess was half empty so it wasn't like they were harming anyone.
But then it happened again. And again. And again, and again– until they spent almost every meal together, with Stratt having to drag Grace to their table half of the time. Lonnie didn't get the feeling Grace was unwilling to dine with Stratt, more like he got so preoccupied with research she had to use every trick in the book to make him look after himself.
And, look, Lonnie witnessed a lot of PDA in his time. Stolen kisses, longing looks, discreet touches under the pretence of passing the salt. His favourite, though, were the quiet moments when nothing needed to be said. It was in times like these that the love the lovers had for each other was truly on display. Stratt and Grace? The way she made sure Grace was well fed? That screamed love to Lonnie. Not the fleeting kind, either.
Every time they sat at their table, Lonnie noticed new things; each more damning than the other.
If someone asked Lonnie – and a lot of people did – he'd say Stratt and Grace were together even before they started working on the astrophage. No way Stratt would bond that quickly with another human being.
4.
Gaja has worked as a medic on base for close to five years, and almost eight years as a surgeon in one of the top hospitals before that – they weren't a newbie, as some soldiers or scientists liked to suggest based solely on their youthful looks. It was mostly good genes and sunscreen that kept them looking 25.
They've seen enough death to last them a lifetime; but they've also been a cause of many happy moments. The reunions, the medical miracles, it was what kept them going. Sometimes, the two entwined. Mostly they did not.
When Dr Ryland Grace burst through the door to her medbay, Gaja wasn't sure which one it would be.
There was blood on his shirt, and hair, even his glasses had a few specks on them. The hair on his head was a mess, and when they looked down, they noticed he was wearing only one sock, and no shoes. He looked like he just got out of battle. Gaja was prepared for the worst.
"What is it?" they asked, leaving a chart they were completing on the desk, and sprinting to the man. There was a person in his arms, one Gaja immediately recognised as Eva Stratt. "Ma'am? Are you okay?"
The most important woman on Earth looked up, her hair tussled, and shoot Dr Grace a dirty look. There was a thin trail of blood coming out of her nose.
"I'm fine, Dr Nowak. Grace is just overreacting."
"You started bleeding out of nowhere!"
"I'm fine," repeated Stratt, her voice resigned but not unkind. "It happens to me sometimes."
Dr Grace whipped his head towards her so fast Gaja could hear a loud crack and winced.
"I have never seen you have a nosebleed before!"
They heard Stratt sigh, like it was a conversation she was prepared for but didn't want to have.
"That's because I never told you I had them."
Dr Grace looked appalled.
“Why on Earth would you do that?”
Another sigh.
“Because I knew you’d react this way.”
The pair went on like this as Gaja made a show of checking Stratt’s vitals. Dr Grace fussed over the woman the entire time, but what surprised Gaja the most was Stratt’s quiet acceptance.
When they finally left, Gaja made a mental note to repeat the health and safety seminar, and send an invite to the pair.
After all, they couldn’t afford to lose their director just because her lover got a little too excited.
5.
Reina loved hanging out on the rooftop. Staring at the vast expanse of the sky, or at the beautiful fields surrounding the military base was a welcome moment of reprise in these trying times. She’d come there to think, or to forget. Occasionally, to relax.
It helped that not many people knew – or cared – about the rooftop. She has never seen anyone else come there, until one evening.
She was resting with her head against one of the AC units, tucked between the wall and the vent, and almost entirely out of sight of any prying eyes that could want to find her. While the rooftop was secluded, it was clearly visible from any point in the base, so if she wanted to hide from her superiors, she needed to get creative.
As luck had it, that one day she dozed off, and was woken up by soft voices and rustling of fabric. Hearing two people together, she was put at ease – that mean it was most likely a pair of lovers, looking for privacy. Scarce commodity, these days.
Something else clued her in they were together - there was the proximity they shared. The one time Reina managed to sneak a peek at the pair, she saw them standing side by side in silence, watching the Sun set over the horizon. Their heads tilted towards each other, seeking comfort.
A man and a woman, she noted before she hid behind the vent again, their hands pressed firmly onto the railing, hands close enough to touch.
It felt intimate, a stolen moment in a world on fire.
She waited until they were gone to leave – a good hour and a half longer than she’d have cared to stay herself.
When she returned to her quarters, it was to a stern look of her superior, but all Reina could think about was that almost touch she saw, and the back of Eva Stratt and Dr Ryland Grace as they stared at the sky together.
+1
In the end, no one expected Grace and Stratt to say ‘yes’ to a night out with Khalid and their friends. The pair was invited as a courtesy, since they were in the room when Khalid proposed they go to a local bar to get shitfaced, and Khalid sensed trouble as soon as Grace’s eyes brightened, and he turned to Stratt with a hopeful expression.
“Sounds like a fun time!” he said, and that was that.
They were nearing the end of their project, everyone exhausted beyond limits, and apparently that meant Grace (and, by proxy, Stratt) wanted to shake things up a bit. Not that Khalid complained, they liked the guy as much as one could like Stratt’s lapdog, but wherever Grace went, Stratt was sure to follow suit, and she was very much a killjoy when it came to afterwork activities.
Khalid expected her to bring the mood down immediately.
It turned out not to be that bad – Stratt mostly kept to herself, letting Grace mingle with the other scientists.
Still, the situation made them nervous, and Khalid found themselves reaching for a bottle more frequently that they'd have liked.
It was the testament of how much Khalid drank already, their mind pleasantly foggy, that they let themselves ask, “How long have you been fucking?”
The room, like some sort of cliché, lapsed into silence a beat before.
“Excuse you?” Grace’s usual smile fell, and in Khalid’s inebriated state they couldn’t tell whether the man’s face was twisted in anger or laughter.
Stratt saved Khalid from having to answer, “I presume you mean me and Grace, correct?”
Someone cleared their throat uncomfortably.
“Yeah. I mean, everyone knows you’re together. There’s a bet going on, though, so I was wondering- ouch! What the fuck?!” Lucy smacked Khalid in the arm, hard. There would surely be a bruise in that place, come morning.
“I think they’re too drunk. Apologies for them, Stratt. Grace. They didn’t mean anything they’ve said. I think they shoul leave already.”
It was Grace who spoke next, his voice steady, disregarding Lucy entirely, “What gave you that idea?”
“I mean… you’re always together. You’re her- you’re her lap dog!” Khalid moved their arm so abruptly the beer spilled on their favourite shirt. “Aww shit.”
“That’s it?” Grace seemed genuinely surprised. “If that was all it took, then you might as well think I’m going at it with Carl!”
“Some people do think that,” Lucy supplied, unhelpfully. “There’s a separate bet for that.”
“Really?!”
Stratt sighed heavily. “You people have too much free time on your hands.”
Khalid hid their scowl behind a glass. “So, that’s a no?”
“We’re just- friends.” Grace scratched at his beard, his cheeks dusted pink. “I don’t- I mean, I don’t think I am wired that way, to fall for someone.”
Stratt clicked her tongue, “Likewise. And… I wouldn’t call us friends, Grace. We’re… I suppose you could say we're good coworkers.”
“Come on, Stratt!” He hummed, taking a sip of his pint. “I’m your favourite coworker.”
She put a finger to her chin, pretending to think about it, “I tolerate you.”
With a shrug, he smiled at her, “I’ll take that.”
In their state, Khalid could almost pretend they didn't see the small smile on Stratt’s face.
“And I will take it up with HR, tomorrow.” Stratt brushed a non-existent speck of dust off of her jacket. “Just so you know.”
“Come on!”