Comfort

Posted on Thu Aug 6th, 2026 @ 11:16pm by Lieutenant Commander Darrod Hanous & Chief Petty Officer Meredith Corden
Edited on on Thu Aug 13th, 2026 @ 12:29pm

806 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Mission 6: Echoes of the Interphase
Location: Meredith's Quarters
Timeline: M6 MD07 (2268.10.10) 1900

Meredith and Darrod both worked long, hard hours in their respective roles on the ship, sometimes well over what the official schedule would indicate. When they got some free time together, it was a little special. In the past, Meredith had always wanted to make it so. They were worth the effort to one another, of course, but it did make it even harder to spend time. They had been together for awhile now and Meredith had decided it was okay to just have nice, comfortable, relaxed time. So she was out of uniform, in simple, grey shorts and t-shirt, with her head resting on Darrod's chest. Her feet were pulled up on the small couch. On the screen was one of those old World War III epics. She shifted herself and made a contented little murring noise. "I wish we could show these people how humanity would make it," she said, even though she knew she was discussing fictional characters.

Darrod was finally relaxed, holding Meredith in his arms. It wasn't just the tense state of relaxation he was accustomed to, either. Peace was a rare thing for a man like him - not just a man of action, but a man who'd been through suffering and trauma. He could look at a shadow now and not worry about someone with a knife hiding in it. He could glance at a blind corner and not immediately think about pressing his back to the wall with his hand on a weapon. He'd fought hard to get to the point where they were just thoughts, but now it seemed like the easiest thing in the world was to let go, and be with her. She was in soft gray casual clothes, but he couldn't let go of himself so completely. His clothes were actually casual, though - black sweatpants and a soft red t-shirt, cut differently enough that it was obviously civilian clothing. Still, if there were to be an emergency, he'd be unmistakable as the Chief Engineer. Even in his moments of peace, the ship gnawed at the back of his mind. Still, he was happy allowing himself to let go, to be a better person by not fighting all the time. Short sleeves weren't his normal style; for once he wasn't afraid of the tattoos and the scars. Meredith saw past them, and that was good enough for him.

They were watching a movie about Earth's Third World War; the effects were excellent, which meant that he was trying not to see his own life in the worst of it. He hoped that Meredith didn't notice the pattern of moments where the real struggles like the pain and the starvation were onscreen, were the moments he looked away from the screen and focused entirely on her. When she spoke, he thought about how to reply. The words that briefly caught in his throat would ruin the moment - but they were the truth. They were his truth, and he'd resolved to never remain silent with that long before. "I don't. You don't get free of suffering like that knowing that it gets better for certain or that someone will make it. You get out by fighting like hell and knowing that the next dawn, hell, the next minute, is never a promise. That's what makes it worth fighting for."

He looked at her and pulled her tighter against him. "Hope means not knowing, but acting as if you do. Because if you do manage to make it... you know how little it would take to lose it again, and how important it is to keep going."

Meredith looked at him for a long moment, pressed tight against his body, feeling his warmth, his strength. She was a little at a loss for words. She just nestled herself against him. "I'm sure you're right. But maybe...I mean...Is this too getting to you? We can watch something lighter, if you want," she said. "Like a romcom. The point is to just relax with each other."

Darrod smiled and pulled his arms a little tighter around her, shaking his head softly. "It's not getting to me. I know it ends well. It's worth it for them, especially when the Vulcans arrived after the Phoenix's superimpeller deployed." Always the engineer, he was focused on the ship as much as the human drama. His voice was gentle. "Everything's good. I promise." He kissed the top of her head and spoke at almost a whisper. "I'm relaxed. And I'm happy to be with you."

"I'm happy to be with you too," she said, smiling up at him. She just nestled there in his arms. Sorry for fussing. I just want you to be happy." She settled down into his arms and looked back to the screen.

 

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