Private Don't Rush Me [Complete]

[Katarine Ryiah]

'Cause baby, you got everything, everything​

Tags: Connel Vanagor

His kiss caught her off guard. A soft "oh" escaped her before his lips met hers, gentle, warm, and unhurried. When they parted, her breath hitched; she could feel the heat rising in her cheeks and knew she was blushing furiously.

Sorry, felt right.

"Don't apologize," she said with a small smile. Her heart was still racing, but the familiar tug of guilt she expected never came.

Her mind flickered back to her last kiss. Dean Walker, a cramped hotel room, both of them running on adrenaline and stakeout coffee. That kiss had been fire and hunger, reckless and consuming enough to make her flee to the far side of the galaxy. Lust, desire… she'd surrendered to both before, and it had always burned her.

But Connel's kiss...his kiss was different. It was soft, steady, untouched by guilt or desperation. Pure. And that difference unsettled her more than she wanted to admit.

Trying to disguise the flutter in her chest, she reached for the holo remote. "Alright," she said, clearing her throat. "What's your poison? Comedy, documentary, horror?"

She tapped a few buttons. Nothing. The holo screen stayed stubbornly black. Frowning, she turned the remote over in her hands. It had about a billion buttons and none of them familiar.

"Well," she sighed, handing it to him with a grin. "Here, young whippersnapper. Help grandma figure out the remote."

 

[Connel Vanagor]

... hold me back.
Theed
Hospital

Michael, Gabriel, Azrael, Sariel, Raphael, Jeremiel, Connel, Raguel
[Any text in brackets signifies comm-link usage and not face to face conversation]

Okay, it freaked her out.

He was prepared for it, but it still stung.

Clearly not wanting to hurt him, she changed the subject fast and asked about movies. I see enough horror… not really in the mood for it, unless you really want to. Today was still about her, so it was Kat’s choice really.

When she sat down and started fidgeting with the remote, Connel couldn’t help but wonder what was going on, so when she handed it to him, he rolled his eyes and chortled. You had to make it weird..., one button and the player was on before he offered it back to her. I’ve had this model longer. I know it inside and out.

TAGS • Katarine Ryiah
Personal Effects - Omega Squad Loadouts - Shadow Sanctuary - Enterprise​

 

[Katarine Ryiah]

That I've been dreamin' of​

Tags: Connel Vanagor

Katarine and Connel spent the evening aboard the Northstar, curled up on the sofa as a series of holo films played across the projector. Laughter came easy for once, real, unguarded laughter that made the ship feel a little less empty. One film turned into another, and at some point between a terrible comedy and an old Republic drama, sleep claimed them both.

The next morning, the soft buzz of Katarine's comm pulled her from a haze of warmth and half-remembered dreams. She blinked, realizing with a start that she'd fallen asleep against Connel's shoulder. A pang of guilt hit her. Connel was kind, steady, and she'd never meant for him to end up sleeping uncomfortably on the couch beside her, especially when she had a perfectly comfottably bed ready for him in the guest quarters. Hopefully he wouldn't be sore from the sofa.

She slipped free carefully and answered the call.

"This is Theed General Hospital," came the voice on the other end. "We're calling to inform you that your brother, Daxium Ryiah, left the facility last night without notifying medical staff."

The words hit her like a cold wind. Of course. That moment of silence between them the night before with the shared pause she couldn't quite name....he'd been saying goodbye.

Her throat tightened, and she swallowed hard, trying to steady her breathing. Worry stirred through her like an ache she couldn't shake. Wherever Dax was going, she could only hope he'd find peace instead of more pain.

But now… there was nothing left holding her on Theed.

As the call ended, she stood quietly in the stillness of the Northstar, watching the morning light spill across the deck. It was time to figure out what came next.

The End​