Working Things Out, Part 2
Posted on Thu Oct 23rd, 2025 @ 11:14pm by Ensign Marcus Chen & Lieutenant JG Ryan Kellerman
1,527 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
What was Lost is Found
Location: Athletic Facilities/Gymnasium, Deck 4
Timeline: Prior to "Discoveries"
"Here," Ryan said quietly. He gathered the shirt, shook it out once, and held it open as Marcus shifted on the bench. The gesture wasn't meant to be intimate, but it became that anyway. The gym light caught Marcus's shoulders. They were smooth, precise, and just the kind of shape earned through discipline.
He slipped one sleeve over Marcus's arm, then the other, careful of the ankle and the wince that seemed to twitch across the younger man's face when he moved. Ryan's fingers brushed his skin just above the elbow and lingered a moment longer than necessary.
"Easy, Marcus Chen," Ryan murmured. "Don't rush it."
The young ensign smiled through the mild pain he was experiencing. He was enjoying both the banter and the touches of the other man, though he was pretty sure it was all, or at least mostly all innocent and that nothing more was going to happen, but he figured nothing ventured, nothing gained so he said, "Are you hungry? Do you want to have something to eat later?"
For a second, Ryan thought maybe he'd misheard Marcus. He considered the word--Are you hungry? It was said so casually that it almost didn't sound like what it was. But it was.
Ryan finished straightening Marcus's sleeve, smoothing the fabric down over his bicep, then let his hand fall away. "You don't waste time, do you, Marcus Chen?" he said lightly, half-amused.
Marcus' face remained impassive. Mostly. But not entirely. His right eyebrow quirked.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," he replied in his best innocent voice. "I was merely asking a question. I am NOT trying to make a move."
"Right," Ryan said, drawing the word out a little. "Just question. No ulterior motives." He gave the younger man a long, measured look--something the indicates he knows he's being played with, but isn't quite ready to call the bluff.
Ryan grinned and it had almost nothing to do with Marcus. "You remind me of somebody," he said softly.
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Marcus queried, "or should I ask?" His smile had shifted and had lost the pretense of being innocent.
The Intelligence Chief looked at him for a very long moment, long enough for the sounds of other gym users to fill the silence. There was a faint warmth behind his eyes--something between nostalgia and ache.
"Depends on who you ask," he said finally. "He was a good man. Just not... mine to keep."
He smiled faintly, feeling the sharp edges of his marriage to Darius. It had been years, but he could still feel the shape of what had been left behind.
"Let's get you to sickbay, Marcus."
Marcus' smile faded. At first, there was only a slight change, he might not have noticed it if he hadn't been an Intel officer. But then it deepened. "I'm sorry to hear that. All joking aside, and I was mostly, mostly just being a smart ass, I kind of know what that's like. I lost someone like that too."
Ryan looked at him--really looked into his eyes this time. It was the sort of look that pushed past words and ranks, the kind that could quantify pain not be the size of the wound, but solely by the silence that came after it.
For a moment, neither man spoke. The sounds of the gym--iron clanking against iron, someone breathing heavily on a treadmill--closed in around them.
"I'm sorry, Marcus--and I'm flattered," Ryan said after a long moment. "And for what it's worth... I do have a thing for smart asses."
"Relationships, can be messy," he said as they slowly made their way out of the gym. He was leaning against Ryan letting him take most of the weight.
"Especially when two people have different expectations, different values, even when they started out having the same ones, or at least similar enough not to make a difference that mattered."
They moved through the corridor, Marcus's arm draped across Ryan's shoulders. The air out here felt cooler than the gym--less sweat and stuffiness. Ryan took most of his weight without comment. It wasn't much, but it was enough to remind him how solid another human body could feel.
The turbolift doors opened and Ryan gently guided Marcus inside, leaning him gently against the wall before joining him.
"Deck Eleven," Ryan said. The lift began to move, dropping slowly.
For a while, neither spoke. The hum of the turbolift filled the air, and Ryan glanced over at the younger officer.
"So," he said, glancing sideways, "what department did I just rescue from further bodily harm?"
"Strategic Operations," Marcus replied easily, "so what department are you with? And should I be saluting you?"
Ryan shifted slightly, one shoulder pressed to the cool, carpeted wall of the turbolift, his towel still hanging loose around his neck.
"Intelligence," he said at last. "And no--definitely don't salute."
"I just came on board really haven't met anyone yet, not the doc, not the shrink, not even my department head. Have you been around long?"
"Just over a week," he replied. "I keep my head down most of the time. But I do know your department head." He let the pause hang, just long enough to make Marcus take note of the inflection. "Darius."
"How well do you know him? How do I make an impression on him, or do you know?"
Ryan smiled, a shield to his true emotions. "Yeah, I know him."
The turbolift slowed as it approached their destination. Ryan folded his arms loosely, the towel hanging at his neck like a truce flag. "Making an impression on him's not the hard part," he said finally. "He notices everything. You could sneeze in the corridor and he'd know what you had for breakfast."
"Wow, sounds like an interesting guy to work under, I don't know if I should consider myself blessed or cursed."
As they stepped out, still leaning against Ryan for support he added, "So, have you known him long?"
"Yeah," Ryan said, reflecting on the love they shared. "Long enough to know when he's pretending not to care."
He caught himself smiling, though it wasn't a joyous thing. "We were married once. By Starfleet standards, it was a lifetime ago. Before all this." Ryan made a vague gesture that could've meant the ship, the years, or whatever had worn them down to what they were now.
"I won't ask who was at fault, or if it was mutual. None of those things. It's none of my business. I don't know how I'd handle things if my ex was on board and I had to see him all the time."
"How bad is it not? How are you dealing with him being on the same ship as you?"
Ryan adjusted his grip a little, steadying Marcus as they turned a corner and avoided a pair of fellow officers. "That's a good question."
"It's barely been a week but it's been fine so far. We nod in the corridor, trade polite hellos, and pretend it's mostly all water under the bridge. But..." He hesitated, the corner of his mouth tightening. Ryan had been prepared to explain how Darius had been unfaithful and how he'd left the marriage three years prior--motives, coping mechanisms, bouts of depression--but thought better of it, instead offering Marcus a thin-lipped smile.
They reached Sickbay, the doors parting for them both. Helping Marcus to a biobed, Ryan waited until the young ensign had settled.
"You think he's going to figure out that I got hurt doing something stupid, and that I flirted with you?"
"Flirt?" Ryan echoed, one brow lifting just enough to be teasing without fully committing. "There wasn't any flirting, Marcus Chen--just some playful smartassery."
He said it lightly, but there was warmth snaked through the words. A slight current of amusement softening any potential tension. It was the kind that made it difficult to tell where sincerity ended and affection began.
Ryan glanced over, catching sight of a nurse making his way over. He was young, Bajoran, with a PADD in hand. "Looks like you're in good hands now," he said. "Try not to charm him, too. He's got work to do."
Marcus tilted his head to get a better look at the approaching nurse then lowered his voice, "he might have a better ass, but you're cuter."
"And remember, that wasn't flirting, just playful smartassery."
Ryan threw him a smirk. "See you around, Marcus Chen."
He took a step back, turning briefly to give the nurse a curt nod before stepping out into the corridor. For all the young man's flirtations, Ryan couldn't help but be reminded of someone. After a few strides back to the turbolift and the gym, it became evident that Marcus Chen was simply Ryan Kellerman seven or eight years ago. He almost chuckled to himself as he stepped into the turbolift.
"Thanks for the reminder," he said with a smile to no one in particular.
Lieutenant JG Ryan Kellerman
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Valkyrie
&
Ensign Marcus Chen
Strategic Operations Officer
USS Valkyrie
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