The next day began early. Very early. 

Askew had the cadets up at dawn, ensuring that everything was packed before they left the campsite to start their survey. Each tricorder had to be calibrated as well. Lee had moved among the cadets’ tents with his usual quiet, gentle manners, waking them up. He got a few grumbles from those still groggy with sleep. The sky overhead glowed with soft lilac hues, and the cool air carried the scent of damp foliage and blooming alien flora. It was almost minty. The moon’s version of birds chirped in the distance. It appeared to be a perfect morning.

Just before breakfast had been served, Jordan and Alfie had shared a quiet moment, away from the others. They had said they were going down to the nearby stream to give their faces a quick wash to wake up. However, that wasn’t quite the whole truth. Hidden between two moss-covered boulders at the edge of the forest, the two stood close together.

“Can you believe we actually got a tent to ourselves?” Alfie asked, a crooked grin tugging at his lips.

Jordan chuckled, looping his arms around Alfie’s waist and pulling him close. “A miracle. I’m not questioning it. Let’s enjoy it before someone changes the rotation.”

They leaned into each other, foreheads touching. They exchanged a brief, tender kiss.

“I missed this,” Jordan whispered. “Waking up next to you, hearing you mumble in your sleep.”

Alfie rolled his eyes fondly. “You mean snore.”

“I wasn’t going to say it.” Jordan smiled, brushing his fingers through Alfie’s fringe. “I could stay like this forever. Just you, me, and no one else.”

Alfie’s eyes softened. “I’m glad we’re back together. Really back. No more confusion. No more secrets.”

“Me too,” Jordan murmured before biting his bottom lip. “No more pretending.”

They kissed again, this time it was a bit slower. Before they headed back to the camp, they gave each other a final, affectionate hug. The sounds of tricorder chirps and Askew’s assertive voice reminded them of duty.

After a quick breakfast of rehydrated porridge and strong raktajino, the away team split into smaller survey groups to continue exploring the moon’s interior valleys.

Jordan’s assignment led him deeper into the forest to survey a ravine nestled between two low ridges. He took his time scanning the vegetation, carefully logging readings on the strange fungal growth that glowed faintly under the canopy’s filtered light. The air felt heavy, but not unpleasant; it was dense with plant life and carried the same minty scent as before.

That’s when he first heard it.

“Jordan, come back to me.”

He froze. Who was that?

The voice, soft and unmistakable, curled through the foliage like a whispered memory. He spun around, heart hammering. No one. Wiping his face, Jordan refocused on his tricorder. He had to admit to himself that he was tired. He and Alfie had been up most of the night before talking and getting back to how they had been before. 

“You miss me.”

The hairs on the back of Jordan’s neck stood on end. He knew that voice. He scanned the area, but no one was there.

Jordan followed the sound, drawn forward by curiosity, confusion, and something deeper, something unspoken. The trees grew taller, their trunks lined with violet and green moss. Ferns brushed against his knees as he stepped into a secluded glade. A thin stream wound through the grove, and a soft turquoise glow shimmered across the water.

And there, half-submerged in the water, was Scott.

Shirtless, only in his Starfleet-issue boxer shorts, Scott was kneeling in the shallows, cupping water to splash across his face. Beads of moisture glistened on his skin, and his hair, now darker than its usual strawberry blonde, dripped as he ran a hand through it. 

“Took you long enough,” Scott said, flashing a smirk.

Jordan stared and blinked once, then twice. “Scott? What are you doing? You’ll get in trouble with Commanders Lee and Askew!”

Scott tilted his head. “Since when did getting into trouble stop us?”

Jordan frowned. “We’re on duty. This isn’t—” 

“Oh, don’t act like you haven’t thought about it,” Scott interrupted, rising slowly from the stream. Water cascaded over his torso as he approached Jordan, deliberate and calm.

Jordan stepped back. “This isn’t funny. Get dressed.” He knelt where Scott’s uniform was sprawled across the ground and started to pick it up. “You’re acting weird.”

Scott stepped out of the stream and walked barefoot across the moss. His expression shifted to something more intimate, more seductive.

“Come on, Jordan. You can’t tell me you don’t miss it. The thrill. The secrecy. You and me, pressed against the bulkhead in the sensor maintenance alcove. The way you used to moan into my ear when you thought we’d get caught.”

Jordan’s breath caught. The words scraped old wounds.

“That was a mistake,” he said quickly. “I’m with Alfie now. We said it didn’t mean anything. You said you didn’t want to get between me and Alfie. You said you were okay with it.”

Scott continued to circle him like a lion stalking its prey. “You keep telling yourself that. But you think about me every night. You wonder what would’ve happened if you hadn’t gone back to him. That’s why you didn’t sleep well last night. You were thinking of me all the time; your arms were wrapped around him. Wanting me instead. Don’t deny it, I can see it in your eyes. You’re thinking about our first kiss in the bunkroom.”

Jordan stepped back, bumping into a tree trunk. “Stop. This isn’t you, Scott. You’re not like this.”

Scott leaned in, his bare chest now pressing against Jordan’s uniform. “But I am. I’m everything you wanted. Everything you still want. Everything you can have again.”

“Get off me.” Jordan pushed at him, but he couldn’t break Scott’s strength. He was unrealistically strong in this moment. 

Scott’s lips brushed up against Jordan’s neck.

Jordan shuddered.

“We fit, Jordan,” Scott whispered. “You and Alfie are safe. Predictable. But you and me? We were like heat and chaos. You crave that. You loved that.”

In a second, Jordan couldn’t work out what was happening. The world around him felt muted. The plants around him appeared to grow brighter, then darker, like a pulsing heartbeat. The smell of moss and damp bark was overpowering. Jordan’s skin prickled with sweat.

“I love Alfie,” he whispered as he struggled to get away from this moment. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t even reach for his combadge. 

Scott laughed softly. “You love me. You love being with me.”

Jordan felt dizzy. His limbs were heavy. A war raged in his mind, but his body betrayed him. He couldn’t fight back, and then his lips met Scott’s. The kiss was raw, almost desperate and filled with electricity. His fingers grasped Scott’s back, pulling him closer.

“I missed you,” Jordan murmured against Scott’s lips. “I tried to stop. I really did.” He then felt himself being pushed further against the tree, knocking over a branch as he continued to kiss Scott back. 

Meanwhile, Beatrice and Alfie had finished their scans nearby and paused at the sound of rustling.

“Did you hear that?” Beatrice asked, looking up from her scanner in the direction of the sound. More noise could be heard. She glanced back at Alfie, who was examining nearby fungi. She knew where it was coming from; it was the direction Jordan had headed into. 

Alfie furrowed his brow. He had heard it, and now he was worried. “Jordan?” He called at the top of his voice. 

Nothing

He tried him on the combadge. 

No response.

Pulling out his tricorder, Alfie scanned ahead. “He’s definitely over there.”

More noise. This time, it sounded like Jordan was in distress. 

Quickly, they followed the sound. Pushing through some thick foliage, the two cadets got through, and there stood Jordan topless and all alone with his arms outstretched, whispering fervently. He looked possessed. It seemed as though he was trying to kiss the air. There was nothing there. 

“We shouldn’t have stopped. I’ve missed you so much. You and me, hidden behind the gravimetric stabilisers!” Jordan said aloud to no one.

Beatrice’s jaw dropped. “Jordan?” she called out.

No response.

“You knew how to make me feel alive, Scott. Every time we snuck away. God, I love the way you hold me!” Jordan said with more passion in his tone. 

Alfie stepped forward, stunned. “Jordan, what are you saying? No one is there.”

Jordan remained in his trance. He didn’t hear the other two. “Don’t you remember the time in the cargo bay? The captain almost caught us, and you just laughed! I can’t stop thinking about you, Scott!”

Beatrice rushed forward and shook his shoulders hard. “Jordan! Snap out of it!”

Jordan gasped, his eyes snapping open. He stumbled back, disoriented. “Where is he?! Where’s Scott?!”

Beatrice held his shoulders tightly. “Jordan, there’s no one here. You were alone.”

Alfie stepped forward, his face pale. “You said you loved the way Scott held you. Care to explain?”

Jordan blinked. He shook his head. Unable to get his words out properly. “I—I didn’t mean it. I wasn’t in control. I—”

Alfie’s voice cracked. “You said you missed him, that you couldn’t stop thinking about him. What the hell, Jord?”

At that moment, the real Scott emerged from the path. “Hey! What’s going on? I heard someone call my name—”

Alfie turned, trembling and instantly interrupted Scott. “Were you and Jordan having an affair behind my back?”

Scott froze. He looked at Jordan, who appeared to be in a daze, being supported by Beatrice. He looked back at Alfie. “What? Alfie, no! I mean—”

“Tell me the truth.” Alfie snarled as he stepped closer to Scott. 

Scott’s eyes darted between Alfie and Jordan. He couldn’t hold it back anymore. “I’m sorry, Alf, it just happened… when you two were on a break. It wasn’t serious. It just happened—”

Alfie punched him hard in the jaw. Scott fell with a grunt, holding his face.

Beatrice screamed, “Alfie, no!”

“We’re done,” Alfie said hoarsely after turning back to look at Jordan. “You lied to me. Both of you.”

Elsewhere, Parker and Jaceon were scanning mineral formations near a jagged ridge. The two of them were enjoying one another’s company. 

“I’m surprised how calm the cadets have been since the end of the crisis with the Vaadwaur”, Parker said, brushing off her trousers.

Jaceon shrugged. “Maybe they’re still trying to comprehend what happened. It happened so quickly. Maybe having a break here on this moon will help. It’s peaceful.”

“You miss the chaos?”

“Not really. The Vaadwaur mission still sits in the back of my mind. Being connected with Commander Gray in their defence platforms was quite the experience. Not one I want to repeat anytime soon.”

Parker nodded thoughtfully. “I can only imagine, Jaceon. However, let’s hope this mission is successful. If not, I’m telling the captain we need some shoreleave!”

Then they heard it.

A cry. A shout. A commotion.

“Was that Alfie?” Parker asked.

“It sounded like Scott!” Jaceon was already running. “Something’s wrong.”

They finally reached where the cadets were to find Beatrice kneeling beside Jordan, Alfie storming away, and Scott groaning on the ground.

“Cadet McCallister! Stand down!” Parker ordered in a stern, loud tone. She moved swiftly towards him. 

Alfie didn’t resist. He let her take his arm. His whole body was shaking.

“Come on,” she said gently. “Let’s get you away from here.”

Beatrice looked up, still stunned at what had just occurred, and caught Parker looking at her, hoping to get some answers. Shaking her head in disbelief, Beatrice gave her what she knew. “We found Jordan talking to himself. It was like he wasn’t even aware of what was going on around him. Then, after he came around, Scott appeared, and some private stuff was shared, ma’am.”

Jaceon checked on Scott while Parker moved Alfie further away.

“What happened?” Parker asked him softly. “Why did you hit Florrick?”

Alfie couldn’t speak. He just shook his head and walked off. 

Beatrice turned back to Jordan as she tried to help him back to his feet. “Jordan, what happened to you?”

Jordan tried to answer, but the world spun out of control, and he collapsed onto the floor. Beatrice called for him, but the last thing he saw was Alfie’s back, and the last thing he heard was Alfie’s sob. 

His world then ended.