First Impressions

Posted on Tue Jan 31st, 2017 @ 4:54am by Petty Officer 3rd Class Avery Stiles & Ensign Jonathan Forrest
Edited on on Tue Jan 31st, 2017 @ 4:56am

Episode: Preparations
Location: Ship's gym
Timeline: MD-01, 0600

Avery rolled his neck several times as he entered the gym. He hadn't slept well the previous night, he and Theo had been up for the majority of the evening pending Theo's away mission that would have him away from the ship for three months. Now, with his only two friends gone, Avery was often left to his own devices in finding a way to amuse himself. Of course, he also had the refit to consider. No doubt Reynard would be keeping him plenty busy in that respect.



As he entered the room his gaze swept over it. He was still getting over his... break up... is that what he was calling it? He was still wrestling with his feelings for Dorian, who had since been reassigned. He wasn't sure if it was just him or it was going to be all guys now. Shaking his head, Avery headed over to the free weights area and grabbed a few weights to start doing chest presses.



Jonathan had been on the ship for less than a day. He hadn’t met with the Captain, gotten his physical, or had his psychological evaluation. He had however gotten his room assignment and checked in. It was quite different from the Academy Annex where he had shared a quad suite with four other guys, especially since one of those guys was AJ.



The two had not officially broken up, so, he couldn’t say that they were exes, but the likelihood of them ever getting back together was not promising, especially with the Highlander going off into the Delta Quadrant. He had made three subspace calls. The longest, of course, had been to AJ, reminiscing, sharing some memories of better, or at least closer times and skirting the whole break up question. Next, he’d talked to his moms. He’d assured them that he had arrived safely, had not been kidnapped by Orion pirates, which given his recent history was not an unmerited concern on their part and told them that the mission he was going on was classified. Of course, they knew that, hell they probably knew more about it than he did, but that he wouldn’t be able to make his weekly calls that they were used to getting. His shortest call had been to Angela. In the past, that conversation would have been the longest. But that relationship had become strained almost estranged because of what she had done, or not done when he had been kidnapped.



All of the official checking in would wait for the morning. In the meantime, he needed to let off some steam, and the best way to do that was in the gym. There was only one other person in the gym at the time and he didn’t pay a lot of attention to him at first. He pulled his Parrises Square tee shirt off of his head and laid it on a bench. Then he attached a pair of boots to a chin up bar, strapped his feet inside and began doing reverse chin ups.



Avery hadn't really paid attention to who else had entered the gym. He had heard the door but was too busy keeping the bar from crushing him. In hindsight he probably should have started with less weight. With one final grunt he finished his set. Placing the bar back on the rests, he sat up and cast a glance around the room. The new guy was.... attractive.



What is wrong with you! Avery admonished himself. Clearly, it wasn't just Dorian that he found attractive. 



Jonathan finished his first set of reps and, still upside down looked, really looked at the lone occupant of the gym beside himself.



"Hi," he called out as he lifted himself up.



Oh god, he saw you! Don't just stand there like an idiot, acknowledge the fact that he said something you asshat! Avery thought.



"Hey," Avery responded, with a nod. 



Jonathan finished his final set of reps and buckled the boots. He dismounted landing on his feet. It wasn't the most graceful move he'd made, but at least he didn't fall flat on his face.  He picked up shirt and mopped his face with it. "Hi," he said, "I'm Jonathan, the new helmsman. How are you doing?"



"Avery, I'm in non-com in operations," Avery said. "Nice to meet you, Jonathan."



The sandy-haired man tossed his shirt back on the bench he'd picked it up from. " Nice to meet you, Avery? Do you come here often?" he asked.  Then, blushing slightly he continued, "Sorry, that came out like a really lame pick up line. Do you work out a lot?"



Was that a hint? Was he trying to pick you up? The running monolog instead Avery's head was cut off when he realized that he hadn't answered the other man's question.



"Um, a few times a week," Avery answered. "Usually I'm with some friends of mine but they got shipped out with Lt. North to some ocean planet to do sciency things."



"I heard about that, "Jonathan replied. He wasn't a telepath by any stretch of the imagination but he was good at reading people and he could sense some discomfort from the other man, though he was clueless as to why.



"I heard about that. I just missed being assigned as the pilot for that, but I'm sure they'll be okay without my amazing talent." He paused slightly, "that was a joke by the way. I was going to do some bench presses. Do yo think you could spot me?"



"Sure, I can probably handle that," Avery said, trying to act non-nonchalant about it. If Theo were here there was a good chance that he would be rolling his eyes and facepalming himself majorly at the moment. "Pilot, huh? Aboard the Cole, I got to know a little of the Type 9's systems."



"I like the Type 9s," Jonathan said he moved to the bench. He checked the weight on the bar starting out at 175. "The Type 11s are my favorite, though. " He lifted the bar and began lifting. "Did you do any flying yourself, or were you working on the engines?"



Avery was trying not to stare at the man's chest. Or his biceps. Or really any part of him. 



"Nah," Avery said, shaking his head. "Once I came aboard the Highlander I got shifted to the ops department, not a lot of time for flying."



"Well, I should take you out sometime,  give you chance to get more flying time. By the way, you can call me Jon if you want. Jonathan is a little too formal."



"Nice to meet you, Jon," Avery grinned. He hoped that he didn't look too much like an idiot.



Jon finished the first two sets of ten without much trouble or need of help. He put on some additional weight, so he was lifting 200 pounds. It was with his second set of reps with this weight. He was about three-quarters of the way up with the ninth rep when his arms started to tremble.  "Could you help me?" he grunted.



Avery reached down and grabbed the bar, assisting Jon so that he wouldn't end up with a crushed windpipe. "There ya go."



Jon let out a long breath. "Whew," he said, "thanks, it's been a couple of weeks since I've lifted weights. Do you want to trade places, let me spot you?"



"Um, I just finished my set so I'm good," Avery responded. That was as good excuse as any seeing as how he should probably remain standing for the time being for a variety of reasons. "We could do some curls."



"Sure, that works for me, Jon replied as he sat up, looking, really looking at the other man for the first time. He was able, barely to keep himself focused on Avery's face. He gazed at him for perhaps a fraction longer than necessary, then went over to the rack of dumbells. "I'm afraid I'm only up to twenty-five pounds, can I get you one, what size do you want?"



"Twenty is good," Avery admitted. He figured that throwing weights around was not a good way to impress anyone. "Thanks."



Jon retrieved both dumbells and came back and handed Avery the twenty-pound one. "None of my business, but you look like you could handle more, you don't have to be shy around me."



"Oh not being shy, you should see Vex or Theo when they are in here," Avery replied, with a shrug. "They could bury me if they wanted."



"But they're probably not as cute as you. God, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."



Avery blushed a deep red. "I dunno, Theo, and Vex are pretty handsome... but thanks."



"Well, you're welcome. But I forget that I'm an officer now, not just a cadet. I really have to be careful about who I flirt with."



"I wouldn't worry too much about it," Avery said, trying his best to keep his blush under control. "I mean you just complimented a poor non-commissioned officer."



"Well, it is truth it wasn't just empty flattery. I just don't want you to feel demeaned, or pressured, or anything like that. You really don't mind?"



"I don't know of anyone that objects to compliments," Avery said.



"Well, good, then. Would you, like to get lunch sometime?"



"Um, sure... sounds good," Avery checked his watch. "I should get going. It was nice meeting you, Jon."



A joint post by

Petty Officer 3rd Class Avery Stiles

Operations Officer

PNPC: Lt. North

&

Ensign Jonathan Forrest

Chief Helm Officer

USS  Highlander