I've been wanting to do a Riker/Wesley non-slash story for a long time. I alway see them as having a cute brotherly relationship and I think they could pass as brothers.
This story is based off of "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" from the movie Frozen. Which I found amazing.
This story takes place during season 1.
Do You Want To Go To the Holodeck?
Do you want to build a snowman? Come on, let's go and play! I never see you anymore. Come out the door It's like you've gone away. We used to be best buddies And now we're not. I wish you would tell me why Do you want to build a snowman?
—Anna, Frozen
Wesley walked though the hall, his hands sweaty as he rubbed his knuckles. He drew out a breath, trying to calm himself down. The young acting Ensign messaged the back of his neck. He couldn't stop thinking about what he say to his Commander. It wasn't anything official, but…socializing…was one of the thing he had to admit wasn't one of his strong suits.
He smoothed out the wrinkles on uniform, making it look decent. He let his hands fall to his side. Wesley knew that none of the Bridge crew had great respect for him, maybe expect for Data and…Geordi. Data was sweet and he figured it was just in the Android's nature. Geordi was coming around, but it just mean't he had to work that much harder to impress him to earn that respect.
'Commander, sir…I was wondering if you wanted to…to join me to go to the Holodeck? With me…we can do anything you want. I researched…' Wesley thought, no that sounded too desperate. He should have practiced in front of a mirror. What was with 'researched?' Was he thinking his Commander was a science project? Some times he truly hated his genius, always logical, trying to figure out everything that caught his eye.
He thought back to his annual physical, he got bored when his mom…Doctor Crusher walked away to do lab he started to count, anything and he counted one hundred and seventeen hyposprays, that passed him or were being cleaned in sterilizing units, fifteen male nurses, twenty-five female nurses, which made the female to male nurses ratio 5:3, and that was only some of the calculations that he made. His mind never rested, which gave him intense migraines.
Coming to Room 0912; Commander Riker's quarters. The Commander was his mentor, but it didn't mean couldn't be his friend as well. His heart fluttered against his chest, his muscles coiled in anticipation, never before did a door look so daunting. Wesley gulped, he felt as if he was going to throw up. He greatly admired the Commander, so heroic, confident and had a way with the ladies that he wished understood, so he could get a date or fit in. He was just so darn cool.
Wesley lifted his hand to knock, but had second thoughts and went to the door chime, pressing it three times. He licked his lips and breathed out, then gulped again,
"Do you want to go to the Holodeck?" Stopping for a moment to collect his disarray thoughts that were blowing like a tornado, "I know that your tried after shift…" His chocolate eyes drifted to the ground, "but I think it would be fun…" Then a thought came to his mind, "It doesn't have to be the Holodeck?"
Inside the Commander's quarters, Riker was doing reports that were due tomorrow, crew transfers and promotions, crew evaluations that he was doing with Doctor Crusher and Counselor Troi on Saturday, then he had to prepare a new duty roster for Gamma shift. They never said being a First Officer was easy. The Commander's icy blue eyes scrolled over his report for the Captain checking for any grammar errors, and in one hand he had Hazelnut flavored coffee, he was going to need it as it was going to be a long night. He dropped the PADD down, it sled across his work desk, as he rubbed his eyes.
The door chimed, three times, which quickly got annoying. He turned his body to the door and said with utter harshness:
"Go. Away. Wesley."
Wesley stepped back from the door. His head lowering, it was if someone hit him with a battering ram. He felt the tears watering his eyes as they quickly raised like high tide, but he couldn't cry, not in the hall. Wesley's shoulder slummed in disappointment,
"Ok bye."
Wesley skidded to a halt in front of room 0912; the Commander's room. He was so bored. There so many rooms that he couldn't enter when he was off-duty. The Enterprise had numerous actives, so civilians wouldn't get bored like the Holodeck, clubs, a gym, but he wanted to hang out with the Commander.
He waited once again to ask the Commander after shift. Having an active mind and nothing to do were not a good combination. He could just sit in his room for hours doing nothing just watching the hours pass by, if he didn't have an experiment to do.
Pressing the door chime, "Do you want to go to the holodeck? We go fishing or white water rafting?" Wesley got no answer from Riker.
Friends were not in abundance for the young man. His classmates didn't want to hang out with him, they considered him a freak. Something he hated to be called, and it remained the young man of bad childhood memories. His escape from the world had not come from the world of the Holodeck, but in comics. X-Men had been his favorite since adolescent. He could just picture himself in the comic because he was a bit of an outcast, and he found them so relatable. He often fantasized Captain Picard being Professor X. The Captain just had a way to get people to talk and solve issue.
However, he couldn't spend all in fantasy, he had to live his life. Hearing nothing from Commander Riker was worst than hearing something. What did he do wrong? What did he do to upset him?
Wesley didn't leave the metal door, he didn't know why he just stood there. A classmate ran past him, not taking any notice of him. Wesley felt the air brush against his the back of his neck. What was he waiting on? The Commander mean't a lot to him. This was a problem that alluded him time and time again. He knew that he could be annoying sometimes…okay…often, but he just gets over excited about being an Acting Ensign. Was Commander Riker wishing him to fail? No, he was his mentor and was finding the jewel in a rough to make a great officer.
He didn't to be a disappointment to him or any of the Bridge crew. Maybe the reason he didn't leave that door was he just wanted a friend… even a brother, an older brother…Wesley Crusher walked away, going back to his empty room.
The night shift lighting filled the hall. The lighting was a tad darker as only the backlights were on and the brightness from the touchscreen panels, that were only on when someone wanted to find something. Only a few crewmen were walking about in the hall, with tiredness plaguing their bodies and minds.
He pulled down his gray shirt sleeve to cover the angry red bruises forming on his puffy knuckle, and Wesley couldn't feel the tips of his fingers. He had a nice shiner on his left eye and his split lip had finally sealed, but it had swollen up.
His one good eye caught sight of 0912 and Wesley stopped at the door, his eyes narrowing at, expecting it to answer. Maybe was expecting something to happen like the Commander to come running out wondering what had happened to him. Nobody was going to solve this problem for him, he had to be an adult. Riker certainly didn't care about him, besides, he'd more important things to do, than waste time with him.
The boy gave sigh, but a laugh came out also. Nothing he did would impress the Commander, no matter how many As or how fast he learned a concept; they would never be proud. To them, he was a joke, a child siting abroad the flagship, that knew nothing. Even if, he found a way to make the Enterprise go to warp 30, they still would not be impressed.
He learned to aspect that Commander Riker wouldn't coming out of his room.
It had only been a four days since Yar's death. Wesley just stood at the Commander's door and exhaled deeply, before looking both ways down the hall. It was like all the life had been sucked out. He'd hadn't noticed how dull and gray the Enterprise truly was. One of their own died…a senior officer had died. One would think that somehow the senior officer had air of invisibility, but that fiction was shattered.
The Commander hadn't come out for three days and many younger officers doubted he'd would never come out. Rumors circulated in the jefferies tube, that Picard didn't want Riker as his First Officer anymore He was certain that the Commander wouldn't even listen to him. The Commander had talked to just about everyone else including Troi and the Captain. Maybe the Commander was afraid to make a mistake like he was…but that mistake lead to an officer's death.
This time Wesley didn't hesitate to knock. There was no answer, he didn't know what to say, but he said something anyway, "Commander, please I know you're in there and people are wondering…where you've been. I'm trying to be courageous." Tears dripped down his cheeks and his breathing shivered, "I-I-I I—I just want to say Commander that I'm here for you." He sank against the door, "I don't know what we're going to do?" Gulping back the dry bile in his throat, "Do you want to got the holodeck?" A tear streamed down landing on the ground.
On the other side of the door, Riker leaned against the door, mirroring Wesley. His tears had long since dried up leaving arid rivers down his cheeks. The slick-back combed hair was now greasy and his scalp filled with dirt, as flyways went untamed.
Barely even a mumble, "Of course, I do…"
