Matchmaker for Gabe. You know you want to.
Matchmaker: My muse attempting to hook yours up with someone.
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Update: Realized it wouldnât do anyone any good if I didnât actually repost the text.
Ere Dorotea has seen the face of fear. She saw it during the war, she saw it in Ellenâs eyes right before their wedding, and she sees it every day at the hospital.
But in all her years, Ere never saw truer fear than in Saraâs eyes on the day they met.
To backtrack- 2266. The twins were 5, and Ellen was aboard the Saratoga. Ere wasnât strictly alone with them- Josie and Mars were just a call away and Emma absolutely doted on Elizabeth and Micah. Ere could handle it, but every once in a while it was a little too much. Thusly, on the third Saturday of the month she took the twins out to visit Gabe. Micah could run around in the fields and Lizah could plot with Latka or whatever that child did in her free time. It was a good arrangement, and one that let Ere catch up with an old friend.
Third Saturday of June, 2266. The house was dark and quiet as they entered, not entirely unusual given the early hour. In the shadows, Latka hissed at them, which Elizabeth took as an opportunity to go after her. Hash slinked over to Micah, who curled up on the couch to go back to sleep, and Ere started a pot of coffee in the meantime.
Watching the sunrise out the window, Ere poured herself a cup and prepped another. Lizah ran by, chased shortly by Latka, and Ere scooped her up on the counter. Fucking cat.
Thereâs another noise behind her, which Ere barely registered because Micah was doing his damndest to climb into an air vent. Nearly spilling her coffee in shock, she called after him.
âMicah Gabriel Dorotea, get down from there!â
She wiped up the spill, not turning around to face her company.
âGood to see you, sleepyhead. Mind getting Micah out of the vents? Heâs over in the- âŚoh.â
She froze at the reflection in the mirror. It definitely wasnât Gabe whoâs emerged from upstairs. It wasnât even a human who emerged from upstairs. Ere whirled around, no longer caring about spilling her coffee.
This is new.
Ereâs first thought, which she would have laughed about in better circumstances, was how pretty the lady was.- dark lavender skin and long hair that hung in front of her face the same way Ereâs refused to cooperate in the mornings. The two women faced each other in shock, not sure what to make of the other.
Neither of the twins gave them any regard. Lizah was scribbling a hostage note in blue crayon and Micah had gone back to nap. It was only Ere who looked at her.
Ere opened her mouth to say something, anything, and the moment breaks. The lady bolts out the door, slamming it behind her as she races away. Except for the spilled coffee burning Ereâs hand, it was like it never happened.
It was only when she looked down at her left hand that she realized what had just happened.
Ah, shit.
She replayed the moment over and over in her head. Ere had never been in that particular situation before, but if sheâd wandered downstairs after sleeping with a guy and a married woman was making coffee in the kitchen with two five-year-olds, sheâd be pretty freaked too.
Ere busied herself as she kept thinking about it, not even noticing Gabe wandering into the kitchen, also looking rather sleepy. When she registered his presence, she waved the kids out the door, who unquestioningly went outside to play. Still not looking at him, she poured herself another cup of coffee and tried to figure out how to address the situation.
âYâknow, if you wanted us to stop visiting, yâcould have just asked.â
She turned around, annoyed, to which he looked up from the sink confusedly. He still doesnât get it.
âWho was that, Gabe?â
His eyes darted to the spilled cup of coffee and the door.
âDid she-â
âYep.â
âAnd-â
âMhm.â
âShit.â
âShit indeed.â
---
[ Rev Cptn Ere Dorotea -> Cptn Gabriel Lorca ] I need a name.
[ Cptn Gabriel Lorca -> Rev Cptn Ere Dorotea ] And I need you to stop interfering with my personal life.
[ Rev Cptn Ere Dorotea -> Cptn Gabriel Lorca ] Have you even talked to her since?
[ Cptn Gabriel Lorca -> Rev Cptn Ere Dorotea ] If you must know, sheâs not answering.
[ Rev Cptn Ere Dorotea -> Cptn Gabriel Lorca ] Exactly.
[ Cptn Gabriel Lorca -> Rev Cptn Ere Dorotea ] Exactly what?
[ Rev Cptn Ere Dorotea -> Cptn Gabriel Lorca ] Exactly why I should talk to her.
[ Cptn Gabriel Lorca -> Rev Cptn Ere Dorotea ] Youâre not helping anything, Ere.
[ Rev Cptn Ere Dorotea -> Cptn Gabriel Lorca ] The only way sheâs gonna believe a word out of your mouth is if I back you up.
[ Rev Cptn Ere Dorotea -> Cptn Gabriel Lorca ] Gabe?
Next, she called him.
âSeriously, I need a name. I can fix this.â
âItâs not yours to fix.â
âIf I donât, youâll just go back to licking your wounds and drinking in the dark.â
âIâm not licking my wounds.â
âNo response to the âdrinking in the darkâ bit, I see. âŚIâm sorry, that was harsh.â
âGoodnight, Ere.â
Finally, she visited him again.
They ate dinner outside on the porch, both beating around the bush. She told him about Elizabethâs latest hostage situation and the hospital, and he told her about the kids he worked with. Eventually they couldnât avoid it anymore.
âAre you happy, Gabe?â
He turned to look over at her, the evening light making it harder to see his beard and the lines on his face, and suddenly she was back ten years ago. All the times they were planetside eating just like this, whether it was hiding from hostile forces in a cave while one of them bled out, or when she dragged him along to visit Mars and Josie on shore leave.
He sighed, defeated. âWhat kind of question is that?â
---
The next day, she knocked on Saraâs door. Dressed in her uniform, scarf tying up her hair, she looked just different enough to get her foot in the door.
The woman opened the door, and Ere simply blurted out âWe need to talk.â To her credit, instead of slamming the door in Ereâs face she opened it wider.
Sheâs scared of her, Ere realized. Must have been stressed the whole week, Ere wouldâve been too.
âLet me just preface this by saying that Gabe and I are in no way, shape, or form in a relationship. Youâre not the first person to fall into this trap,â she aggrandized for Saraâs sake. âItâs a miracle weâre still friends, I stole his girlfriend and married her like ten years ago.â
That got a watery laugh out of the poor woman, who looked more upset by the minute. Ere didnât enter, though. She leaned on the doorframe and spoke conspiratorially- Sara needed to know that she was on her side.
âDo you like him?â
Saraâs eyes widened and started to tear up, hiding her face and giving an almost imperceptible nod. That was all Ere needed to hear.
âGood, âcause heâs real sweet on you. Heâs been acting like a kicked puppy all week, and I canât deal with that kind of working environment.â She gave her a quick hug, and took her leave.
---
âAny chance we could reschedule to Sunday next week?â
âSure, why?â
âSara and I are-â
âŚ
âWhat was that noise?!â
âSorry, I just threw my phone across the room. Please, continue.â
âI hate you.â
âLove you too, Gabe.â
âGoodnight, Ere.â
âNight, Gabe.â














