The Color Of The Morning

Posted on Wed Apr 29th, 2015 @ 8:49pm by Lieutenant Commander Nicolao
Edited on on Wed Apr 29th, 2015 @ 11:09pm

Mission: Breaking New Ground
Location: The Arboretum

* * * The Arboretum * * *

Following his departure from Robin's office, Nico began to wander. He hadn't meant to discuss last night with Robin, it had just popped out. That had been a big surprise - Nico was usually extremely secretive about anything personal. But this was Robin. The man had seen into his soul, there were no secrets from him. At least no secrets that Nico could remember. For better or worse, Robin knew more about him even than Dru did, had felt the excruciating pain that Nico had endured, and for that he pitied the Counselor.

He ended up in the Arboretum, strolling along the walkways among the trees and foliage. It was quiet here and uncrowded. Nico felt as if he were at the end of the world, alone with his thoughts and right now he needed that. Rounding a bank of fragrant bushes, he found a bench in a tucked-away corner and sat down, relaxing against the stone wall behind him. The scent of the flowers washed over him, settling his frayed edges, carrying his thoughts as he let them drift.

They returned to Dru as they often did now. The dream of last night, the connection as he'd shown it to Dru and then....finally he'd had what he hadn't even dared to wish for. The calm he'd felt had come as she slept wrapped in his arms. He'd scarcely dared to breath for fear of breaking the spell. As he sat, eyes closed, he saw her again as she smiled down at him, her long hair brushing his shoulder. She had kissed his chest, even that infernal scar with its Cardassian symbols. As the memory played out, a frown settled on his face. He could see her lips against his skin and while the idea of anything Cardassian touching her ever again reviled him, that wasn’t the immediate issue. He saw her lips against the scar but hadn’t felt them. It had happened more than once, he realized, but at the time he was too distracted to really think about it.

The image of Dr. Sahli rose in his mind, replacing his memories of last night. What was it she'd said? That if he noticed any of the signs she had warned him about after his surgery, to see Dr. Harding. Fishing his comm badge out of his pocket, he called Sickbay. Dr. Harding was away for a few days, he was told, but Dr. Crane could see him later today. That done, he stashed the comm badge. Once again, closed his eyes and dropped back into the memories of Dru's golden hair and soft, warm smile. Even now it stirred him, made him want to dash back to her, lock the world outside, lose himself in her once more.

So why was he here? He had dashed out so fast earlier. Robin was the main reason, but he knew the other without much introspection.

He ran.

It was that simple. The realization brought with it a wave of guilt that hit so hard and fast that it reached beyond him, brushing against a young couple in engineering gold passing by. He could see it in her sudden intake of breath, in his furtive look around. They hurried on down the walk, leaving Nico alone again. He had to get a grip, get past this rush of fear that something, somehow was going to go terribly wrong, that Dru would get caught in the crossfire of his screwed-up life. She knew him well enough to know what his deal was, and had come in with her eyes open. She wanted him and didn't care about the shit pile that was his world.

Once again, the calm that was hers spread through him, bringing with it a smile. He felt the pull, calling him back to her and he intended to go, but better to walk off this apprehension before he got there. She would notice it instantly. An idea came to him and he rose, moving off to find a turbolift.

***************
Nicolao
Seeing Signs