Peata took a breath as she entered the new design building for starships, she was glad that she got the job she wanted. She had to go through so much to be here. She had to work for a sponsorship to get into Starfleet Academy, she worked hard in her classes to be here. Her dream was always to design ships.
She went to the front desk to find out where she was going. The person behind the desk sent her to the third floor to meet her commanding officer. She was waved in after she knock on the door. "Please take a seat, Ensign Adrian. We have to wait for your new partner." Peata took a seat in one of the chairs facing the desk.
Peata had to wonder who her partner was. She never had a problem working with people. The only person she had a problem working with was Xavier Paris. They had a do an engineering project for their third-year engineering class with Dr. Torres. She didn't know how they did it, but they got a good grade on it. Peata almost thought it might have something with him being the son of the teacher. They were always bickering when they were together when they were in the same room. Her friends all thought that she should sleep with him, but a small part of Peata liked bickering with him. He was cute with his blue eyes and dirty blond hair. If it wasn't for the ridges on his forehead, people wouldn't know who his mother was. Peata never met Dr. Torres' husband, but she seen a picture of him on her desk. Peata knew where he got his good looks from.
The door opened and the man of her thoughts walked in. He smiled at their commanding officer before seeing her. His smile went to a frown. "Please take a seat, Ensign Paris," Xavier Paris took the other chair. "I am Lieutenant June Landon, and I will oversee this project. Ensign Paris you will oversee design and Ensign Adrian you will oversee mechanics. I need you two to work close together on this project. Starfleet Command would like a new design at the end of the year." Xavier and Peata both nodded. "I will show you your work area," Lieutenant Landon stood up and headed for the door. Xavier and Peata followed her out of the office.
Lieutenant Landon led them down the hall to a set of double doors. She opened the door. "This will be your work area," She stepped in. The two young ensigns followed her in.
There was a conference table in the center of the room. To one side was a drawing board table with a computer. Xavier knew that it was his area to work. On the other side was a work area for Peata with a table and desk with a computer on it. Xavier didn't know how they were to keep to themselves when they could watch each other work.
Xavier watched the Bajoran woman in her yellow and black uniform. Her black hair was pulled back in a bun. He wondered why she didn't keep it short. Her eyes were an intelligent green. He couldn't tell the shape of her body with the uniform on. When they had met for the first time, she already had a dislike to him. He didn't know why, and he never figured out why. Their project was done before the due date and turned in than too. He remembered his mom raising an eyebrow at him when she saw what date it was turned in. Xavier remembered a lot of bickering with two of them. He wondered if maybe they should have a work area in the basement so no one would hear them yelling at each other.
"Everything you need to help design is in your computers. I will see you on Friday to see how everything is going. Next Friday we will have a meeting with Commander Qing about the plans for the new starship." Lieutenant Landon
Xavier and Peata nodded. Lieutenant Landon left them. Xavier thought he could hear a pin drop after Lieutenant Landon left. He stood staring at Peata, waiting to see what she would do. He took a breath before he opened his mouth to speak, but she spoke first.
"We know we can work together, so I think we will be good," She made her way to her desk.
"Not without some yelling," He mumbled as he went to his desk.
Xavier opened his computer to see what he had to do for the design of the ship. He looked around his space to see if he had any pencils and drawing papers to start designing what was in his head. He found what he was looking for. He spent the first hour doing an outline of the ship. After he had a basics, he saw a message on his computer. He opened the message to see that it was from Peata. He could feel his temper raising. He took a breath because his temper got him in a lot of trouble. He read the message before getting up and making his way across the room.
"You could have just walked across the room and asked me instead of sending me a message. We need to talk about what they need together," Xavier saw her jump when she heard his voice.
"You can't just walk up to people like that, Paris," Peata hissed at him. He always hated when people used his last name. "I need to know what you have planned for the basic design so I can work on making the ship run."
Xavier took a breath. He didn't know what it was about this woman that made him mad. "Meet in the center of the room in ten minutes and we can go over what I have so far." He turned on his heel and went back to his desk.
Peata watched him for a second before making a couple of notes before meeting Xavier at the table. He had some designs already. "This is what I was thinking," Peata looked at what he had. It was good. She would never tell him.
"I don't think this would work," She pointed to something on his design.
"Not if you do this," He said.
"Well, you are not thinking about," She named a part of ship that Xavier knew nothing about. She had leaned closer to him, and Xavier could smell her perfume. It was nice. He couldn't put a finger on what it was. It might be something from Bajor. It had him wondering what she would taste like.
"What if we put that over here?" He reached over Peata to point something out. His arm brushed the top of her breasts. Peata took a breath before seeing where his finger was. She could smell the soap he used.
"It would never work," Peata got out somehow. "It would leave a wire across the ship," She shouldn't be thinking about what soap he used. She should be thinking about work.
They went back and forth before Peata couldn't take it anymore. She didn't know if it was the sexual tension or her temper. She pushed everything towards him. "You do what you want," She stormed off.
Xavier sighed and gathered his papers. He watched her. "We have to have this done by Wednesday. So, we need to make some decisions for the meeting on Friday."
"You know everything, so you figure it out," Peata shouted at him.
"Why do you always act this way?" Xavier threw up his arms. "This is just like our third year at the academy."
Peata was ready to say something when she watched him leave the room. That was something that he never did before. Maybe he had grown up in the last year and half. She should probably do some growing up, too.
Xavier stepped outside to the sun and took a breath. He glanced at the watch that his dad gave him when he turned eighteen. He saw that it was around noon, and he looked around and knew that he wasn't far from the academy. He smiled and thought that he should recuse his mom from work and take her to lunch.
He walked into his mother office to find that she wasn't there yet. He took a seat at the desk and waited for his mother to show up. He watched the door as his mom entered with a bunch of PADDs. She set them on the desk before she saw Xavier sitting there.
"Xavier, what are you doing here? I thought that you started your new job today," B'Elanna smiled at him.
"I'm here to take you to lunch and yes I did," Xavier stood and kissed his mother on the cheek.
"So, where are we going?" B'Elanna took her son's arm and led him out of the office.
They had settled in a booth and ordered before B'Elanna asked. "How is your day going?"
"Well, I met my new partner. Adrian Peata," Xavier said.
B'Elanna smiled. "She is a bright woman. I remember the project you two did for my class. I really liked it. If I remember you turned it in early."
Xavier frowned. "We really didn't get along. We were fighting most of the time. I think the only reason we got it done early is because she didn't want to be around me. That was one project but now we have to do multiples. I don't know if I could work with her long term."
"Either, you are going have to find common ground with her or ask for a new post." B'Elanna said. "It could be hard finding a new post where you can do with what you want."
"I think that I have to find common ground," Xavier sighed. "I think that I know what I have to do, because I like what I'm doing."
"Sometimes you have to work with someone you are not a fan of," B'Elanna said.
"Did you?" Xavier asked.
"Yes, several times. I had to with your father," B'Elanna smiled.
"Dad," Xavier didn't think that his parents didn't like each other.
B'Elanna nodded. "We had a few life-or-death situations, and we had a common friend. We also talked about why I didn't like him. I would talk to her before you do anything rash."
"When did you become so wise?" Xavier asked.
"Over fifty years of experience," B'Elanna smiled.
Xavier entered the design building and went back to his shared office. He saw Peata seating at her desk. He took a breath before making his way over there. He leaned over and said. "Why don't you like me?"
Peata looked into his blue eyes. "You're a Paris."
Xavier smiled. "That is my last name."
Peata sighed. "I mean your family has been a part of Starfleet for generations. When people hear Paris, they think great qualities. And it doesn't help that your mother is Dr. Torres. You probably had an easy ride here while I had to work for everything to get here. I had to get a sponsorship to get in Starfleet. I had to work hard in the academy to prove that I belong."
Xavier laughed. "You think that I had it easy. My parents were not easy on me. I had to get out of my family's shadow. My older sister went before me, and she had the same problems as me. Yes, my mom is Dr. Torres, she is the best in her field, and I wanted to learn from the best. I had to work just as hard as you to get here."
Peata felt bad. Xavier had an easy personally and everyone had loved him. She didn't realize that he had to work hard for what he wanted. He just didn't show it. Peata turned to him. "I'm sorry. I didn't know your story."
Xavier smiled. "I didn't know your story either. I'm sorry too. Do you think we can work together now?"
Peata laughed. "I think we can."
"You have a wonderful laugh," Xavier headed back to his desk. He didn't see the blush on Peata face.