Michael felt lighter being back on Discovery but her feelings were shortly halted when Tilly asked her out of the blue "Are you planning on checking in on your brother in sickbay anytime soon?"
"I am not sure, yet. Why?"
"Well, Captain Pike wanted to talk to you. I think it may have something to do with Tyler."
Michael hesitated, remembering that she hadn't seen him around since she got back, and then asked: "What's going on with Tyler?"
"Someone on the ship was stealing data and then when we investigated it, it turns out that Tyler's codes were being used, so the Captain sort of imprisoned him. To his quarters so not severe but I thought you should know."
Michael spoke "I know that you guys all think that I am still in love with Tyler but to be honest I mostly just think he is trying to earn Starfleet's trust back, why would he betray us like this, now? For Section 31?"
"I don't know. I mean I did think it was unusual for the Captain to not just talk or interrogate Tyler himself before punishing him, but it seems that Pike has been more than on edge with Tyler for a while."
Michael didn't have much time to think about that statement because just then an announcement was made "Commander Burnham to the Captain's ready room."
Michael was making her way to Captain Pike's quarters when she bumped into Lt Rhys "Okay I get that your brother has been through a trauma but he's been in my room for about 15 minutes and has already pointed out things that were wrong or bothering him, like I hadn't opened up my room to him. Okay, I had to considering that I was the only one who doesn't have a roommate but at least my previous roommate was nicer. Can't he stay with you?"
Michael tensed, although not visible enough for him to notice "Uhm, I share a room with Tilly, remember?"
"So let's swap," Rhys said immediately.
"I don't know." "It's chilled, I will ask Tilly and then we can make the swap."
Before Michael could protest an announcement was made "Commander Burnham to the Captain's ready room." Michael exhaled and made her, more briskly, to the Captain's ready room.
As soon as Michael entered the Captain's ready room he ordered the privacy protocol and came around his desk to speak to her, he seemed worried and she started to feel nervous herself. "First, I would like you to know that I will be interrogating Tyler on the security breaches that occurred earlier this week. Second, I know that Tyler has had an exemplary record and therefore should be given the benefit of the doubt."
Michael stared at Captain Pike "Sir, excuse me for asking, but why are you telling me all this? Do you want me to be there for the interrogation?"
For only a second, he seemed to tense up "I think that it would be beneficial for you to be there but that is not why you are here, well it is not the only reason you are here." He paused and then started towards slowly before standing close to her "I would like to apologise for imprisoning Tyler before interrogating him, it is not my usual way of dealing with things but when it comes to him I have found myself a bit compromised."
"Because he's half a Klingon?" Michael asked.
"No. Because of you. I am not going to lie here. I knew a bit about you before I came aboard but every moment I have spent with you since have been moments I have held dear and the idea that you and Tyler are in love and that he betrayed you and Starfleet, made it hard for me to see him in a good light. So I am sorry, I would never want to make you feel like you can't trust my judgement."
Michael was so taken aback by his vulnerability that for a moment she couldn't help but look at him. But not just look, stare at him. The silence must have been too much for him to take because he turned away and Michael found herself walking around him to face him yet again and said "First, I am no longer in love with Tyler, but I do care and worry about him. He's not a monster like everyone thinks. Second, I actually did know about how you felt about me, for a while now, you have the tendency to let looks linger longer than they should especially when I walk away. I just never thought you would say anything about it." She smiled and shrugged.
This time he didn't let the silence go on before he grabbed her and kissed, soft and longing at first but then the heat between them increased and Michael and Pike found themselves full blown making out. They crashed into his desk, ignoring the pens and papers that fell on the ground, he picked her up and put her on his desk with such ease that Michael broke the kiss to groan, Pike used this opportunity to kiss his way down her jaw and taking little nibbles on her neck, while moving his hands from her waist to her ass, pulling her closer and closer to him and what felt like a growing erection. The moment was then interrupted by an announcement "Captain Pike to the bridge."
Michael and Pike looked at each other before they both nervously chuckled at the state that they and his desk were in before fixing themselves. Pike drew her to him one last time planting a soft kiss on her lips and said: "Out there, I can be Captain but in here I really want to be Chris with you." She smiled and said, "I like that."
At the end of her shift, Michael found herself excited to get back and tell Tilly about what happened but when she approached her quarters she saw Rhys leaving smiling with Tilly and Michael remembered their conversation earlier.
Michael rushed into their quarters "Please tell me you didn't agree to the swap?"
Tilly looked confused but said "Of course I did. You know I like Rhys. Ever since I denied him that kiss last year he has been playing hard to get but now we will be in the same quarters so it will make this cat-and-mouse game so much more interesting."
Michael was in full-blown panic mode and Tilly just said: "Look I know you don't get along with your brother very well but I think that maybe you are being a tiny bit dramatic here."
Michael stopped pacing and realised that she had to tell Tilly about the memory that tore her and Spock apart, about everything that made their relationship not just tense but irreparable.