Dallas and Aiden

Posted on Mon Feb 17th, 2025 @ 12:22am by Petty Officer 3rd Class Dallas Reese & Chief Warrant Officer Aiden Mejia

2,205 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Character Backstories
Location: A bar off campus
Timeline: Academy days

[Back at the Academy]

Another typical Friday night at 2100 hrs and Dallas was earning his keep behind one of the local bars off campus. It had taken him a while to get back into things but it felt like he was safe here from everything and nothing could go wrong for him again. The bar was starting to get busy due to a sports game being broadcast and he’d already lost track of how many people had been served.

One of his friends, a female Orion named Maalan, had been happy enough to just keep him company until he finished his shift because she had nothing else to do and was happily just sipping on some drink and yapping away about random things that Dallas was only half listening to. “Look Dallas, it’s been like two months and I swear you’ve either been holed up in your room doing who knows what, or you’ve been studying, or you’ve been here.” She put down the drink and leaned up against the bar, “You know what? I know someone who you’ll get on with. I’m calling him.” Maalan pulled out her comms device to place the call.

Him? Not a her this time? Dallas rolled his eyes and gave her a grin as he came to rest right beside her for a moment to say, “Maybe I like being by myself though?” before he disappeared back down the other end of the bar to serve a few more people. Maalan rolled her eyes and continued the call.

Half an hour later…

A young man, looking barely out of his teens stepped into The Midnight Sun He was dressed casually in a pair of faded jeans and black short-sleeved tee shirt that hugged his lithe torso rather snugly.

Aiden had been studying for an exam when Maalan had called him. She'd started giving him her sales pitch about a really hot guy she worked with and then started to rib him about rolling his eyes. He wasn't sure how she knew what he was doing since she hadn't seen him, he guessed it was because he was too predictable. That was something she had accused him of more than once.

He tried to put her off, but she had insisted that he was there now and why not get off his ass and come see for himself. Studying was boring, he was pretty sure he knew the material anyway, so he had agreed.

Dallas saw that Maalan had been joined by someone, presumably the guy she'd been talking about earlier, so he decided he'd take his chances for a break while there was a lull in drinks to make. Catching the attention of one of the other bartenders, "Hey, tell Cameron to come behind the bar for a bit. Empties can wait, I'm gonna head on a break." The other bartender nodded and went to get the person mentioned.

Taking off his apron and bunching it up only to throw it on the counter, Dallas fixed up his uniform and walked out from behind the bar to meet Maalan, grabbing a glass of water with a tonne of ice in it on the way. The black button up shirt he wore was long sleeve and worn down on the left, rolled up on the right, though no one knew why, tucked into a pair of black slacks and comfortable shoes.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, love," he gave her a kiss on the cheek and took an up and down look at the new person with her, grinning a not quite up to his eyes grin, "You must be who Maalan called, I'm Dallas," and stuck his hand out for a shake.

Dallas was not the first person his Orion friend had hooked him up with and he wasn't entirely sure he liked the scruffy look, but he was too polite to say so, and one thing he did like was the other man's smile. So he held out his hand in return. "Aiden Mejia. Nice to meet you."

"Good to meet you too," Dallas's end of the handshake lingered for a it before he let go and took a seat on the other side of Maalan and took a sip of the water that absolutely hit the spot for him, "I, uh, don't know what she's told you about me, but I can assure you it's all completely true.." Aiden didn't even look like he was legally allowed to enter the bar, but Dallas shrugged it off internally because he seemed nice enough, "Actually, do I want to know what she said to you?"

"I told him you were a good kisser and that you were hung like an elephant," came the snappy reply from their mutual friend.

The youthful looking face of the Hispanic new arrival blossomed, turning his cheeks an interesting shade.

"She didn't say that at all. She said you were a smart guy and that you weren't a dick, like the last guy she tried to set me up with."

"Do I want to know what she said about me?"

Dallas spat out his drink over the counter and laughed and he leaned over and grabbed a towel to clean it up. "Well at least she got one thing right. She's been sitting here talking for the last almost hour, so I'm not entirely sure what else she would have said, but I do know she said you were someone I'd get along with,"

"I said a lot of things, Dal, you just weren't listening, like always," Maalan snapped back just as quick before she stood up, "But now you two are both here, I'll get going and leave you guys alone. Dallas, be nice and I'll see you later. Have fun!" A quick kiss on the cheek of both guys and she left.

"So..." Dallas since with a somewhat nervous chuckle, "Do you want a drink? On the house and bartenders special, I promise."

"Yeah, I'd like a drink. A mojito please."

"I met her a couple of years ago when I was at Berkeley. How long have you known her?"

Dallas went back behind the bar to his happy place and started making the mojito, "A couple of years ago and she showed up when I needed someone, and she's just been there ever since." It was true, the Orion woman showed up exactly when he needed someone to stop him doing something stupid.

"So what do you think about this whole being set up on a blind date thing?" He asked in earnest.

Aiden paused before responding. "I think in spite of her rather twisted humor she's trying to do the right thing."

He took the drink and sipped from it before continuing. "A couple of years ago, I thought I was in love with this guy named Ren. An Andorian. I was going to ask him to move in with me. But then I got off early and went to his place to surprise him. Turns out I was the one that was surprised. He was in bed with two other guys."

He shook his head. "Sorry, Maalan tells me I over share sometimes, that was probably too much information."

"Wow, that's definitely a surprise to walk in on, man, and I'm sorry it happened to you," Dallas took the now vacant seat next to Aiden, "I.. haven't had any experience like that. Come to think of it, if we're talking about oversharing, the last serious relationship I had ended with me almost dying, but she still found someone else."

He sipped on the water again, "Now I'm just relegated to the fun uncle shtick."

Aiden's left brow rose when he heard she, but he wasn't going to dwell on that. He didn't believe in labels. "Wow, I think almost dying beats catching your boyfriend cheating on you.

"Fun uncle? What's up with that?"

"I've got two older brothers who have kids, and they love me." Dallas shrugged in response with a smile. "Apparently being loved by kids is a turn on for guys too?"

"I can't speak for others, but it is for me. I'd like to have kids. Some day."

"So, what do you like to do for fun?"

"Bartending is fun enough for me, but I love playing music when I can," Dallas drew a blank on what else he liked. He didn't want to mention too early in the conversation that he had guardianship of his seven-year-old cousin.

"What kind of music? And by play I assume you play an instrument. Right?"

"It's mostly just acoustic guitar I play when I can get my hands on one," Dallas replied. He'd been keeping an eye on the clock for when he had to go back to work, but thankfully there was still another twenty minutes he could spend with Aiden.

"Look, I'm gonna be honest here, I have no idea what I'm doing," he admitted as he turned slightly towards Aiden and started fidgeting with his rolled down sleeve, "I'm a damaged person and I know that, and I don't think I'm suitable for anyone, let alone someone like you."

Aiden instinctively reached out a hand and put it on Dallas' upper arm.

"Look man, the last guy she tried to set me up with, was a swing and a miss. He was not my type. I went on one date with him and I knew. It was all artificial like a bad replicator meal. I know nothing about you, but at least your genuine"

"To be honest I don't know what I'm doing either. None of us do. But why don't you let me judge whether you're suitable or not?"

Dallas flinched out of reflex at Aidens touch, "Sorry." He was apologetic and now felt bad, "I'm sorry, that sounds like a good idea. Start over, start fresh. What do you have in mind?"

"First, maybe we should set some; ground rules, expectations, I don't what to call them really," Aiden replied, Dallas' pulling away not lost on him.

"Let's not talk about exes. It's bad form especially since we've barely met. At the same time, you wouldn't have told me you're damaged goods if you weren't dealing with something serious. I'll never pry, but you can talk to me about it if and when you're ready."

"Second, I know guys think about sex 24/7 and I won't pretend I'm a saint, but I'm not here for a quick fuck. Not that you are, I'm just telling you about me."

"Third, we don't have enough time to have much of a meaningful conversation. I think we should have a date. How do you feel about Mexican food?"

Dallas had been nodding in agreement to what Aiden was saying but raised an eyebrow at the bluntness of his attitude toward sex. It was in Dallas' nature to prefer sex over fighting or arguing so he wasn't going to complain about that, it was just unexpected to hear someone else be so casual about it. "I do like Mexican food, yes. How about not calling it a date, but just an outing to get to know each other more?"

Aiden nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that works for me. I'm not much into labels myself. When are you free?"

"Another three hours, but I can end it at midnight. I don't see why there wouldn't be some Mexican places open to go eat at," Dallas looked back up at the clock, still another five minutes left. "I mean, that's if you're keen?"

"I was actually planning on inviting you over and cooking something. But hey I'm okay with going out tonight."

"You know what, that actually sounds better. Saves some money too," Dallas said with a slight grin as he finished off the water and stood up to lean with his back to the bar, looking over to one of the other bartenders and giving him the five minute signal, "But just know, I don't stay on the first night."

"I wouldn't expect you to," Aiden replied. He'd just talked about not being interested in sex, at least not right away, so he was a little surprised by Dallas' remark, nor had he meant his invitation for that night. But, he didn't raise either of those things. After all, he did want to get to know the man beside him a little more.

"I'll just wait for you to get off."

"You're happy to just sit here?" Dallas quirked an eyebrow in response. "I can't guarantee any other free drinks, but I'll see what I can do to take care of you for the next couple of hours." He noticed it was starting to get a little bit busier again so that was his sign to get back to work. "That's my sign to go, unfortunately. See you after." He took a brief moment of hesitation but took Aidens hand and gave it a squeeze before he let it go again and popped back behind the bar, tying his apron back around his waist.


::OFF::


PO3 Dallas Reese
Slipstream Specialist
(NPC by Eirly)

&

CWO Aiden Mejia
Boatswain
(NPC by Osirin)

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