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Assistant: Title: I Would Bring You the Stars and the Moon
        Author: GutterWitch GutterWitch 
        Chapter: 3/9 
        Summary: “Houston, do you copy?”Caitlyn panicked, feeling extraordinarily unprepared having been thrust into her new position without so much as even a handbook to consult. What were the formalities? What was she supposed to respond with? Where was the d@mn push to talk button…“Hellooo? I said Houston, do you copy?”Caitlyn fiddled with her headset, having finally found the green button on the side and hastily letting out a rather breathless reply. “Um, yes. Hello? This is Houston. I copy.”There was a long pause in which Caitlyn sat twiddling her thumbs, anxiety pushing the frantic pulse of her heartbeat through her eardrums. Was that wrong? Did she already f@ck up? She took a steady deep breath, finger hovering over the talk button until the familiar voice of the astronaut came through her headset once more.“D@mn, Houston. I didn’t expect you to sound so sexy.”ORCaitlyn has been assigned as the personal capcom to one of the astronauts currently on a year long expedition at the international space station. Cue long months of pining and desperate longing.
        Contents: Chapter 3: A Dance Among the Stars
    

    

        
          
          
            "I'd dance up here with you."
          
        

      
        
          Spacewalk time girls, gays and they's. I watched an actual ten hour spacewalk video from NASA for this chapter so there's a lot of fun space sh@t in here. And shameless flirty lesbians, of course.Side note: I dunno if anyone was really paying attention but I had to alter the time stamps in the last chapter because I had them messed up but they’re correct now. Sorry about that. Let me know if you need timeline verification in the comments.I think this is my favorite chapter thus far. There’s lots of new characters introduced and I simply love character writing so I had fun here. I hope you enjoy it as well.The song that plays later in this chapter is "Dance with Me" by beabadoobee. It's in the Spotify playlist for this chapter  here if you want to listen.See ya <3
            
            (See the end of the chapter for  more notes.)
            
      
  

  
  
    
    
  Time Elapsed: 183 DaysTime Remaining: 182 Days
 “Good afternoon, Miss Kiramman.”Caitlyn straightened up from where she was hunched over in the break room refrigerator, a piece of sourdough toast between her lips.“Oh.” She promptly removed the toast and hip checked the door closed, a bottle of vanilla creamer in her hand. “Good Morning, Viktor.”Viktor was the capsule communicator for the Russian astronauts on board, two in total. Unlike Caitlyn, he had once been an astronaut himself. However, years of exploration had caused some significant muscular atrophy and bone density issues that he had been unable to recover from. The man now utilized a cane to walk but maintained his fierce passion for space exploration. Caitlyn couldn’t help but think he was a bit of a workaholic, but one of the more likeable coworkers nonetheless.He poured some sugar into his own mug of coffee and offered a polite smile with a questioning quirk to his brow. “Excited for your first space walk?”Caitlyn nodded enthusiastically around bites of her toast, making her way over to the counter to continue preparing her caffeine buzz. One of many she would most likely need for the day. “Very much so. I know it’s just for maintenance, but I'm absolutely buzzing with anticipation.”“Eh, I’ve always believed any action in the pursuit of scientific discovery is a worthwhile venture, regardless of its magnitude.” Caitlyn frowned as the man poured his fifth sugar packet into the mug. Was that even coffee at this point? “It may just be maintenance but it’s for a craft that is pursuing wonders in various medical advancements and other fields. I was just as excited for my first. Although, I was actually in space so I suppose it’s not quite the same…”Caitlyn giggled to herself. Viktor had a tendency to tangent and get lost in his musings, a rather adorable quirk. She agreed with him, of course, but she didn’t have the heart to admit to the man that really what she was most excited for was spending nine hours among the stars with her crush.Oh, yeah, because Caitlyn had a crush. She wasn’t denying it anymore.It was just too obvious, too black and white for her to reject. Vi was brilliant, smart, suave, funny, and too bl@@dy attractive for her own good. So yeah, Caitlyn had a crush. Would she do anything about it? Probably not. What could she do about it while Vi was in space anyway? A whole lot of nothing.For now she would simply settle for re-watches of Vi’s fitness interview, quick glances of longing up at the night sky, and the fleeting flaps of butterfly wings in her tummy whenever Vi shamelessly flirted with her. Which begged another inquiry, could Vi feel the same? Again, probably not. Vi hadn’t even ever actually seen Caitlyn. Sure, they’d flirt and there were moments of pure sentiment, but how could Vi possibly reciprocate any kind of feelings without having seen Caitlyn or even knowing the basics of what she looked like?“Miss Kiramman?”Caitlyn snapped out of her train of thought, offering Victor an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I just got lost in thought there for a moment.”The man hummed and sipped his sugary bean water. “As do I when contemplating the vastness of the universe.”Caitlyn bit her lip. Again, not willing to confess that her only contemplations as of late were more attune to the vastness of her homosexuality. “Yes, it’s quite a magnificent opportunity. I wish you luck today, Viktor.”“Yes of course. Good luck to you as well. Let me know if you require any sort of assistance.”“You too.” She smiled fondly at the man as he left, sighing to herself as she was left to her breakfast. It was around four in the afternoon at that point, however most of the team had only just arrived. Electing instead to spend the morning relaxing and getting some well needed rest before a long night. Caitlyn herself hadn’t slept much. She felt absolutely restless, an eagerness shooting sparks of adrenaline through her every time she attempted to close her eyes.Stifling a yawn, Caitlyn made her way to the comms room, shuffling along in the worn sneakers she had elected for in accordance with the chief’s request to dress comfortably. The rest of her outfit included a pair of NASA sweatpants with a large space logo on the left thigh and a Cambridge alumni sweatshirt. She left her hair down today, but slipped a black scrunchie onto her wrist should she need to sweep the cobalt locks up from her shoulders.Caitlyn sipped at her coffee and finished the rest of her toast, rounding the walls of her cubicle with an eagerness to begin work, only to find a rather spritely looking woman with bright blue space buns occupying her seat.“That’s what I’m saying, but she says it can’t be done.” The woman undid her criss-crossed legs and threw up her arms enthusiastically while she spoke into Caitlyn’s headset. “Like, listen lady, I invented a robot that could braid my hair for me when I was thirteen. If I want to make a f@ck@ng machine that can translate bees then that’s what I’m going to do but noo. Miss Sevika knows better than me. Swear that woman doesn’t even know the difference between an axle wrench and a blowtorch-”“Um, Excuse me.”The woman tossed her head back over the edge of the chair, the two staring at each other in stunned confusion on Caitlyn’s part.“Oops. Busted.” The pixie girl sat up straight and adjusted the headset slightly. “Gotta go, sis, your girlfriend’s here.”Caitlyn sputtered, absolutely dumbfounded.“Yeah, yeah I’ll tell her. Okay, talk to you later. Love you too.” She clicked the button on the side of the headset and slipped it off, grinning sheepishly over her shoulder at Caitlyn. “Heya toots.”Caitlyn shook off her panicked excitement at being referred to as Vi’s girlfriend, albeit jokingly, and hugged her coffee close to ground herself. “You must be Powder.” Vi had told Caitlyn about her baby sister many times, insisting that Powder was the true brains of the family and that her and Vander combined didn’t hold a candle to her sister’s intellectual prowise. Powder was a true protege in advanced robotics development. She was half a decade younger than Vi and yet she had already developed advancements in technology for NASA that most wouldn't accomplish in their lifetime.“That’s me.” She kicked away from Caitlyn’s desk and shot up, standing a whole head shorter than Caitlyn. “Sorry I commandeered your station. Just wanted to chat with Vi for a sec. I hope that’s okay? The old guy used to get so up his ass about it.”“Oh, no that’s quite alright.” She gave Powder a once over, a bit surprised at the woman’s appearance. Powder looked like she belonged in a studio making sculptures or painting abstract art. Caitlyn never would have guessed she was one of NASA’s top genius inventors. Although, genius minds do often come wrapped in unexpected packages. “I know how much Vi misses you so, please, feel free to stop by any time.”Powder beamed, her blue eyes lighting up. “Wow, Vi was right. You are super sweet.”If Caitlyn were to become any more surprised then her eyebrows would probably melt into her hairline.“Welp, in any case, I’m your relief today if you need to take a break so I’ll be around tinkering with sh@t. Oh! I brought you a peace offering as well.” Powder tilted her head toward a small wrapped rectangle with a bow leaning against Caitlyn’s monitor. “You can thank me later. Enjoy your space date!”She skipped away before Caitlyn had so much as a second to process all of which was said. Girlfriend. Vi thinks she’s sweet. A present? Space date.“I haven’t had nearly enough coffee for all of this.” Caitlyn muttered, plopping down into her warmed up rolling chair and sipping her beverage while eyeing Powder’s gift. She gingerly inspected the messy collage of a wrap job before peeling the paper back.Caitlyn let out an exasperated breath, staring wide eyed at the graffiti decorated framed photograph of Vi in her hands.  Vi was leaning against a brick wall, a bottle of beer in her hand and a wide smile on her rose painted lips. She was wearing a leather jacket and a short cropped NASA t-shirt underneath, her abs exposed by the low cut of some rather egregiously tight jeans. Caitlyn silently made a vow to repay Powder worth her weight in gold. The photo was stunning beyond words, a true captured moment of pure joy. Caitlyn had received many luxurious gifts in her life, and she would set them all ablaze in exchange for this one.Stroking the edges of the frame with her fingertips, Caitlyn placed it upright at the edge of her monitor, smiling softly to herself as she reached for her headset.“ISS, do you copy?”“Hey beautiful, I copy.”Was absolutely everyone out to completely fluster Caitlyn today? “Wha- you don’t even know what I look like.” She mumbled shyly, pulling out strands of dark hair to frame her face.“Hm, that may have once been true, however I was just given some pretty solid information.”Nevermind, Caitlyn was going to smother Powder in her sleep.Caitlyn covered the microphone with her palm for a moment to let out a shaky breath, willing the nerves to settle down post haste. “Oh? What exactly did you hear?”Vi paused before speaking in a rather wistful tone. “Heard you got eyes like the ocean. Dark blue hair that looks like a raven’s wings. Cute little gap in your front teeth…” She trailed off for a moment, Caitlyn held her breath, blatantly ignoring the burning heat radiating from her face. “Stunning and elegant… just like I imagined you’d be.”Caitlyn was beginning to wonder which of them was truly in zero gravity. She felt weightless, and yet a crushing ache in her heart all at the same time. There was no chance that Powder had given descriptions such as these, which means Vi seems to have taken whatever information she did receive and was interpreting it in such a way that made Caitlyn’s heart pound.“I- I don’t know about all that. You make me sound so… ethereal. I’m afraid you may have to temper your expectations a bit.”“Nah. I don’t.” Vi said softly. “You’re beautiful regardless of what you look like, Caitlyn.”Vi must have inhaled some sort of noxious space fumes to make her say something so brazen. Caitlyn opened and closed her mouth like a g@dd@mn fish but simply couldn’t form any tangible words.A man’s voice called Vi somewhere in the background.“Coming!” She called out to him, addressing Caitlyn once more. “Gotta go get suited up. Talk to you in a bit. See ya cupcake.”“Mmhm.” Caitlyn hummed, still flustered beyond words. “Yes, talk to you soon.”A beep signalled Vi going offline, leaving Caitlyn in a post whirlwind tizzy. She hadn’t even been an hour into their long work day and already felt as though a second dose of caffeine was more than necessary. ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ “Knock knock.”Caitlyn glanced up from her computer to see Vander leaning over the edge of the cubicle, some sort of handheld monitor in his hand. “Ready to roll kiddo?”“Yes sir. I’ve just gone over the maintenance task list once again and pulled up any additional instructions that Vi may need.”“Outstanding.” He smiled warmly. “I’ve brought you a little something.”Had Caitlyn forgotten her own birthday or was the entire family just in a gift giving mood? “Sir?”Vander extended his hand to offer Caitlyn the small screen. She took it with a confused downturn of her lips. The device seemed home made but definitely sturdy. It was no bigger than a piece of paper and surprisingly lightweight. Turning over the screen, Caitlyn found several buttons with a large sticker of what looked like a crayon drawing of Mylo’s head, the words “press here to turn me on” written with an arrow above one of the buttons. Caitlyn pushed it and flipped the screen back over.It took a moment to boot up, but then, clear as day, Caitlyn could see a messy white room filled with various tubes and wires. A young male astronaut in a spacesuit sat locked in place directly across from Caitlyn’s POV, discussing something with a woman floating above him. It then dawned on Caitlyn exactly what she was seeing.“Is this… is this the view from Vi’s helmet?” She breathed out, exasperated and overwhelmed with excitement.“It is indeed. It’s linked to a small camera placed at the top left corner of the dome, courtesy of Powder. The tech’s not perfect yet, you’ll be beta testing it today, but you should be able to see everything Vi sees out there.”Caitlyn felt a prickle of tears at her waterline. What had she done to deserve the two greatest gifts of her lifetime in one day? “Thank you so much.” She beamed a genuine smile up toward Vander. “This is wonderful.”“Well, we owe ya one for taking such good care of our girl.” Caitlyn wanted to hug him. Truly an amazing father figure. “Anyway we’re about to get started. Make sure you’re locked in but also, have some fun, aye?”“Yes, of course. Thank you again, chief.”Vander straightened up, his eyes catching the framed photo on Caitlyn’s desk. He nodded to it with a smirk. “That was taken after her graduation from the Naval Academy and landing her first job at NASA. Never been more proud.”With that, the man tapped the top edge of the cubicle wall and walked off, leaving Caitlyn buzzing with warmth.“Cupcake, you copy?” Vi’s voice came alive in her headset once more. It sounded slightly different from inside the space suit, a tiny bit farther away with a little more static, but not unpleasant to hear.“Yes! Yes I’m here. I copy.”“Woah there, someone’s eager. I assume you got FALAC working?”Caitlyn frowned. “FALAC?”“That’s what Powder calls it. I think it stands for ‘fuckass little astronaut camera’ or something. That’s not its actual NASA approved name, but it's definitely funnier.”“Oh.” Caitlyn let out a burst of giggles at the name. She couldn’t help it, she was on cloud nine. “How clever.”“She’s a brat, but she has her moments.”Caitlyn hummed, eyeing Powder’s gift. “Yes, she certainly does.”“Oh yeah? She say something to you? I told her to apologize for using your station without asking.”Caitlyn shook her head, holding her monitor close. “She was absolutely lovely.”A pregnant pause. “You sure that was my sister?” Vi snickered, disbelieving.Caitlyn hummed, electing to keep Powder’s little gift a secret for now. Instead she squinted at the monitor. “Is that Ekko across from you?”“Sure is. Little man’s first walk today. He’s a bit nervous.”From the screen Caitlyn could see a disapproving pout to Ekko’s features behind his helmet. Caitlyn couldn’t hear him, but she could make out the words ‘no I’m not’ mouthed from his lips.“Are you nervous?” Caitlyn asked, pulling up her legs to sit criss-cross and balancing the screen on one knee.“Nah. There’s like… that buzz of anticipation, y’know? And there’s no feeling in the world that compares to when the air lock opens and you’re just- staring into the void, but I’ve done this sh@t before. I got this.”Caitlyn thought maybe Vi was showboating a bit, maybe even overcompensating. Despite her astronaut’s words, Caitlyn could sense the slight angst in her tone. She wouldn’t call Vi out for it, but knowing it was there simply encouraged her to ensure Vi was as comfortable as she could be.“You’re amazing.” Is what she settled on. Flattery was often a decent method of distraction. Besides, she meant it.It seemed to work a bit. “Careful there, cupcake, or my head’s gonna get too big for my helmet.”Caitlyn giggled. “Well, we wouldn’t want that now would we?”“Mm.” Vi hummed in reply, the woman hovering above her and Ekko began tampering with a small monitor of her own. Vi said something to her in Russian and Caitlyn had to suppress the urge to swoon. She had heard Vi speak Russian a few times but god, there was something so strangely satisfying about the way the foreign words sounded in her sultry voice. “We’re gonna finish up here in a bit. Viktor should have Sky on the broadcast channel but our line will remain closed so it’s just gonna be you and me out there.”So, like a space date.Caitlyn bit her lip, far too pleased at the idea of being alone with Vi amongst the stars. Still, she had to put in some sort of effort to play it cool lest she reveal her silly school girl crush. “I suppose that sounds nice.”“Yeah, I kinda like the idea too.” Caitlyn could hear a soft smile in Vi’s voice. She almost wished Ekko was the one wearing a camera so that she could see Vi.“Air lock on one Houston, we are clear to copy.” The voice of a woman called out over the broadcast intercom at the front of the comms room. Caitlyn could see from her screen that it was Sky, speaking into a very odd looking mic attached to a long chord on the wall above Ekko’s head. Caitlyn thought the mic sort of looked like an electric toothbrush.“We copy.” Viktor spoke into his own headset. He had moved from his cubicle to sit at one of the long arched desks toward the front of the room so that everyone could see and hear. They spoke English rather than Russian, probably out of consideration for all of the American employees in the comms room.“Hi Viktor!” Sky sounded absolutely giddy. “I’m prepping Ekko and Vi’s for depressurization. They’re completing the pre-breathing steps.” Pre-breathing was a two step process they had to undergo before entering space. The astronauts start out breathing one hundred percent oxygen from a mask to purge any nitrogen from their bodies. Then once they’re in their spacesuits, they begin the in-suit light exercise. This involves them raising their arms and legs, bringing up their metabolic rate slightly and expunging any excess nitrogen. Caitlyn could see Vi lifting her arms up from the camera’s POV.“Very good, Sky. Standby.”“Copy!”Ekko wiggled his eyebrows at Sky and Caitlyn thought she could see a bit of blush on the astronaut’s cheeks. So Caitlyn wasn’t the only one with a space crush, it seemed.“How are we looking folks?” Vander returned to the comms room, strolling down the steps from his office with a fresh cup of coffee in his large hand. “Caitlyn, are you clear on comms?”Caitlyn nodded enthusiastically over the wall of her cubicle. “Yes, sir. Astronaut five one six comms clear and stable.”“Scar? How’s our little man sounding?”“He’s clear.” Caitlyn glanced at Scar, the other American capsule communicator giving a thumbs up over his cubicle. She hadn’t spoken to him much in her time on the team. He was a very tall and stoic man, but seemed relatively friendly.“Alright, we’ll wait for the pre-breathing to finish up and begin depressurization.” Vander sat himself at the edge of Viktor’s desk, squinting at the projector screen and its multiple graphs. “Everyone get your bets in?”Caitlyn’s brow furrowed. “Bets?”“They’re betting on whether or not Ekko will puke in his helmet.” Vi snickered. Ekko rolled his eyes and said something with an annoyed expression. Vi barked a laugh and Caitlyn could hear Scar sigh and say “No, I’m not telling them that. Language, please” from his cubicle.Sky’s voice echoed through the room once more. “Okay, Houston, we are finished with step eighteen. Purge complete.”“Copy, purge complete.” Viktor responded, nodding toward Vander.Sky began fiddling with Ekko’s suit, starting to remove him from his equipment-locked portion of the quest airlock. She then moved over to Vi and the camera shifted as Vi was pushed forward, Sky dipping behind her to complete the maintenance. “Oxygen tanks have been replaced. We’ve got tank number five situated on Ekko and tank number six on Vi.”“Copy.” Viktor replied. It was fascinating to see the other capcom's in action. They were so focused, so locked in to their tasks. Of course Caitlyn took her job very seriously, but it can be quite difficult when you have a beautiful astronaut in your ear flustering you with crude remarks and flirtatious compliments every chance they get.As if on cue with Caitlyn’s thoughts, Vi chuckled darkly. “Been a while since I’ve been this strapped up.”Both Caitlyn and Ekko rolled their eyes, ignoring the remark.Sky seemed relatively unbothered. “Vi’s going to be our EV1, we’re going to attach the SAFER now.”Caitlyn’s breath caught. EV’s, or extra vehicular crew members, were situated with a sort of jetpack-like device that utilized compressed nitrogen for movement. They would be responsible for rescue should one of the crew members become detached from the space station. The astronauts would be tethered at all times and it was more of a precaution, but it stirred a bit of anxiety within Caitlyn nonetheless.“Have you ever needed to use that before?” Caitlyn couldn’t help but ask.“Nah.” Vi sounded very nonchalant about it. Perhaps Caitlyn was anxious for no reason. “Really it’s just in case of an emergency. There’s no reason the tethers should malfunction and we always stick close to the handrails. Don’t worry about it too much, kay?”It was incredible how attuned Vi seemed to be to the concerns and fears of those around her. She always made such an effort to ensure everyone else felt reassured and comforted. Caitlyn felt irritated with herself. It was supposed to be her job to calm Vi’s nerves today, not the other way around.“Vi’s all set. She’s moving into the crewlock portion of the quest airlock now.” Sky called out. Viktor responded in affirmative and Caitlyn watched eagerly as Vi’s camera POV moved through the small doorway opening. “Getting ready to move Ekko in now.”Once Ekko and Vi were situated, Sky popped in and out of the camera’s view to do some final tweaks and checks. Caitlyn couldn’t see much at this point, just the hatch at the base of the airlock. The anticipation was killing her. Her nerves settled slightly as soon as she could see the tether in Sky’s hands while she clipped it to the front of Vi’s suit. She’d be connected the entire time, nothing to worry about.Sky disappeared from sight but her voice still came through. “Closing the crew lock portion of the airlock hatch now. We’ll begin depressurization in a moment.”“Ready to go Cupcake?”“Yes.” Caitlyn sucked in an eager breath, her knees bouncing with excitement. “I’m here, I’m with you.”“Yeah…” There was a wistfulness to Vi’s tone. Caitlyn wondered if Vi wished she were actually there.“Depressurization is just about done, Viktor!” Sky said.“Alright, Caitlyn.” She looked up to where Viktor addressed her. “It looks like we see a delta P of less than zero point five PSI so you can instruct Vi to open the EB hatch.”Caitlyn nodded and turned her attention back to Vi’s POV. “Vi, you can open the hatch now.”“Bout d@mn time. It’s crowded as hell in here and I’m sick of Ekko’s flat ass in my face.”Caitlyn let out a soft giggle while Scar sighed. Most likely in response to whatever Ekko’s retort had been.“Bringing up the outside camera feed now.” Viktor said, typing away at his computer. Caitlyn looked to the projector screen to see a rather blurry image of the outer edge of the space station. Everything was lit in an eerie yellow glow. The camera was most likely set to some sort of night mode, indicating this was the darker side of the station that wasn’t in the sun at the moment. The hatch was still visible as it opened up, Ekko being the first to exit at a careful snail's pace.“Whoo, oh boy.” Vi let out an anxious laugh and Caitlyn looked back to her screen just in time to see Vi full on launch herself out of the airlock.“My god did you just jump?!”“Of course I did.” Vi sounded breathless, exhilarated. The screen went blurry while Vi moved, Caitlyn chewing at her bottom lip until her astronaut had landed on the edge of the space station and gripped onto a handrail. She then pushed off and began to maneuver from place to place along the surface. “What, you’ve never wanted to just jump into space?”“Well, sure, when I was six and didn’t know any better. You nearly gave me a heart attack!”“Aw, am I making your heart pound, baby?”
  Baby.
“You know what? I think I might like to be Ekko’s capcom instead.”“I’ll take you up on that offer.” Scar grumbled.“C’mon, don’t be like that.” Vi snickered, climbing her way around the station. “Look, check out the view.”Caitlyn did just that, focusing intently on the screen as Vi rounded the edge of the space station and the Earth came into view. Caitlyn gasped. It was unlike anything she had ever seen. Far beyond what a photograph could capture. Sure, she was looking at a small monitor, but the movement and the sound of Vi’s breath echoing through her headset made her feel as though she was really there.“I can’t believe you’re seeing this right now. This is incredible.” Caitlyn murmured in awe. Vi hooked her foot into a handrail and pushed herself upright, allowing herself and Caitlyn a more extensive view.“I love being up here.” Vi said softly, panning slowly to get a full view. “Wish my mother could see me.”Caitlyn’s heart ached. “She’d be beaming with pride. I know it.”“Yeah.” There was a smile in Vi’s voice. Caitlyn wished more than anything to see it. “Thanks for being here with me, cupcake.”Caitlyn wanted to tell Vi she would go further. She’d go beyond the stars and back, to any unknown galaxy if it meant being with Vi. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.” Is what she settled on instead.The two stayed for a moment and simply gazed out at the view. It was difficult for Caitlyn to wrap her mind around the fact that she was down there, hundreds of feet below where Vi was looking down. So close, yet so far.“We should probably help Ekko with some of those tasks, huh?”“Yes, I suppose.” Caitlyn pouted. She couldn’t help but feel a bit bummed as Vi moved away from the spectacular view back toward the hatch.“Don’t worry we’ll have plenty of time to look at it later. What’s up first?”Caitlyn felt a bit like a child who had their toy taken away, but she had a job to do after all. “First task is to vent the early ammonia system jumper cable. We will be rerouting one to just outside the quest airlock.”“Copy that, I’m on it.” ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ “You’re f@ck@ng joking.”Caitlyn shook her head, sipping at her cherry coke can from the break room vending machine through a straw. “I can assure you I am very much not joking.”“They think it’s flat? What complete bull sh@t. I can’t even wrap my head around the possibility of that.”Vi was currently on her third task of replacing a cable for the HAM radio system. The tasks weren’t exactly thrilling, but then again Caitlyn could watch Vi knit a sweater and she’s convinced she’d have the time of her life.Caitlyn hummed around her straw. “They also believe the moon landing and any space exploration is fake.”“I’ll punch them in the teeth.”Caitlyn couldn’t help but laugh. Something about Vi’s, for lack of a better word, b@tchy tone was quite amusing.“I haven’t been p@ss@ng in a g@dd@mn hose for six months for some f@ck@r to tell me it’s fake.”“Oh my god stop.”“Haven’t felt the touch of a woman in six months. Eating gross ass astronaut food and having to smell Ekko’s rancid farts-”Caitlyn laughed so hard cherry coke spilled out of her nose. ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ Despite the coke incident, most of the day had gone on without a hitch. The tasks were most definitely tedious. Caitlyn had made the mistake of wondering aloud how Vi’s hands weren’t dead tired. Vi, of course, made a crude comment about the capability of said hands. Caitlyn decided that was a good moment to have Powder take over for a bit so she could stretch out her limbs and splash some cold water on her face to get rid of the raging blush.The overall excitement from earlier in the day had died down significantly. Everyone was mostly quiet and relaxed as they sat at their monitors observing and recording data. Caitlyn herself was on her third cup of coffee and she began to wonder just how much of the industry was supported entirely by NASA’s consumption.“Is it two and a half turns or ten and a half?” Vi was holding a tool that Caitlyn could only define as a space drill, various wires and other scrapped debris floating around her as she worked. The view of the Earth was behind her at this point in time, but Caitlyn was still mesmerized by the vast array of stars that stretched to infinity.“It’s actually four and a half turns.” Caitlyn corrected. She didn’t need to check her information sheet for that one.“You sure about that?” Vi teased.“Do you think I’m an amateur or something?”Vi laughed and Caitlyn could practically hear the eye roll. “Throwing my own words back at me, huh? I guess I deserve that.”“Hm yes that’s what you said the day we met, I believe.”“Good memory, cupcake.”“I have an eidetic memory, actually.” Vi whistled low in response and Caitlyn felt a bit smug. “Helped me through college and probably helped land this job.”“Where did you go to college? I don’t think I’ve ever asked that.”“Oh.” Caitlyn fidgeted a bit, she didn’t discuss her college days often. “I got my double bachelor’s in engineering and mathematics at Stanford, and then my master’s at Cambridge.”“Ooo a Cambridge scholar. How fancy.”Caitlyn shrugged. “Well, if you experience college the way I did it’s decidedly less fancy than you think.”“What do you mean?”A bit of anxiety stirred within Caitlyn. She had only ever really opened up to one person about her university experiences before. Vi was trustworthy, and Caitlyn was sure the woman wouldn’t judge her, but it made her squirm uncomfortably regardless. “Well when you live a rather… sheltered life. You tend to lash out a bit once you get a taste of freedom.”“Bit of a rebel, were you?” There was no judgement in Vi’s voice, mostly just teasing curiosity.“If you consider partying every other night and an arrest for arson and vandalization being a rebel then, yes. I suppose.”Vi was quiet for a moment. Then, much to Caitlyn’s shock, she sounded almost awed. “No sh@t. Arson? I can’t imagine you doing something like that. I gotta hear the details.”Caitlyn glanced over her cubicle to ensure no one was listening. “There was this politician that was channeling non profit funds into his personal vices. Many of which were unethical and illegal. He was also predominantly involved with activities and funding resources that were detrimental to the environment. I found out while digging through my mother’s computer and, well, he really didn’t need three Mercedes so a couple of friends and I… took care of them.”On her handheld monitor, Caitlyn could see Vi’s movements halt. She twiddled her thumbs anxiously while she waited for her astronaut to process her confession.“Caitlyn. That’s the most badass thing I think I’ve ever heard.”Caitlyn’s brows shot up in surprise. “Really? You think so?”“F@ck yes are you kidding?” Vi resumed her work, seemingly with a new sense of vigor. “I remember you told me about your upbringing and you’ve always sounded so posh. I never got the impression you were one of those stuck up rich people but d@mn. I feel like I have a whole new level of respect for you.”“Oh.” The admiration was unexpected, but not unwelcome. For the first time when discussing the event, Caitlyn actually felt a strange sense of pride and validation. “Well, um- thank you. I suppose.”“Wait, don’t take this the wrong way but how the hell did you get hired at NASA with something like that in your arsenal?”“Ah.” The high was quickly squashed. Replaced by a deep sense of shame. “Well, turns out the reason that information was on my mother’s computer is because she was assisting in getting that man uprooted from his position and put away. I could have jeopardized the operation but… my parents have ludicrous amounts of wealth and power. Once he was locked up, they made the charges disappear.”“I see. Kinda lucky then, huh?”Caitlyn scoffed. “Luck. No I wouldn’t call it that. I would call it cowardice on my part.”“Caitlyn-”“I committed a crime and my privilege and parent’s money lended to me getting off without so much as a mark on my record.” She squeezed at her upper arms, glaring at the family portrait. “It was irresponsible and reckless. I’m deeply ashamed of it.”The two sat quietly for a minute, Caitlyn stewing in distaste and Vi quietly looking out at the stars as she mulled over Caitlyn’s story.“Listen, Caitlyn. I understand why you feel that way, but I think there is something to be said about the fact that it bothers you so much. You have a deep sense of pride and independence and that speaks for itself, regardless of your past circumstances.” Caitlyn held her breath as Vi spoke, a feeling like that of a rubber band constricting her heart. “You did the wrong thing, sure, but you did it for the right reason. Sometimes your intentions outweigh the magnitude of your actions. I think that applies here.”Caitlyn let out a long, exasperated exhale. She had gone to therapy, been pulled out of her partying phase kicking and screaming by her best friend, patched things up with her parents, the whole nine yards. Yet only now, years later, had she finally felt that weight lift from her shoulders. She felt light, breathless and overwhelmed with peace in the best way just from a few words from her astronaut.Vi patiently waited for Caitlyn to come around. Her voice was timid, laced with insecurity once she finally mustered the courage to speak again. “You really think so?”“Of course I do.” God, Vi sounded so considerate, so gentle and encouraging. Caitlyn was convinced the sound of her voice could cause world peace. “You’re a good person, Caitlyn.”Caitlyn quickly wiped at her eyes to prevent any tears from forming, breathing in and out slowly to quell the anxiety and heartthrob. “Thank you, Violet. You have no idea how much that means to me.”Vi hummed softly and not for the first time, Caitlyn ached to feel the warmth in Vi’s toned arms wrapped around her. “You don’t have to thank me, cupcake. Just speaking the truth.”“We should-” She sniffed softly and rubbed her palms on the back of her neck, laughing softly at how absurd she felt wallowing in her emotions. “We should probably get back to work.”“Yeah. Let’s get this sh@t done so I can go home.”It was a joke, and Caitlyn laughed, but she knew they both secretly felt that ache. Both wishing desperately that it were possible. ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ “Heya toots.”Caitlyn looked up from where she had been very intently watching Vi install clamps along platform cables. She offered Powder a warm smile and shifted her headphones to the side. “Hi Powder. Did you need to speak with Vi?”“Nah, just wanted to ask if you’d try something out for me.” She held out a small rectangle, about the size of a flash drive but with a headphone jack sticking out of the end.“What’s this?” Caitlyn asked, taking the object and flipping it over in her palm to inspect it.“Just something I whipped up in the last hour or so.” Powder tapped the side of her head over her ear. “Plug it into the audio jack on your headset. You’ll see.” She practically danced away before Caitlyn could ask any clarifying questions.“Was that Powder? What did she want?” Vi asked, her voice strained slightly with the effort she was exerting. They were about seven hours into the space walk so it made sense she was getting a little tired by this point. Even if Vi would never admit it.“She wants me to try out this device she made.”“Careful, it may explode.”“What?!”Vi laughed as she finished up her clamp, grabbing the hand rails to move along to a new position. “Powder used to dabble in explosives a bit. She claimed it was one of the necessary fields of robotics to explore. Nearly took off my d@mn eyebrows a couple of times.”“Should I be worried?”“Nah, I was just messing with you. She hasn’t made anything that volatile in years.” Vi had reached the top edge of the station, hooking her carabiner into one of the rails and pushing off to float in mid air. “What is it, though?”“I’m not sure. She told me to plug it into my headset.”“Well, give it a go.”Caitlyn felt around her headset to find the audio jack, awkwardly maneuvering the device around a bit before managing to plug it in. Nothing happened for a couple seconds. There was a tiny bit of static until a soft voice crackled through with an airy tune in the background.“Oh.” Caitlyn breathed out, suddenly overwhelmed. “It’s music.”“Yeah I- I can hear it too.”“You can? How the heck did Powder manage that?”Vi laughed softly. “Told you she’s a genius.”The two quieted down to just revel in the rather romantic song choice. Caitlyn’s heart was in her throat, nerves curling her toes while she sat locked into the sound and the view of the Earth from Vi’s helmet on her screen. The comms room had been quiet and dim with most of the employees having gone off to nap somewhere, leaving this moment between them one of pure intimacy.Caitlyn watched as Vi swayed slightly among the stars, the horizon of the Earth adding a gentle glow that she could simply lose herself in the ambiance of.“It’s like we’re dancing.” Caitlyn said softly.Vi was quiet, thoughtful for a moment as the song continued on.“I’d dance up here with you.” She murmured softly.The butterflies were violent inside of Caitlyn, flapping in a frantic beat to the tune of her heart.“I’d like that.”Vi stayed there until the song ended, and then a bit thereafter. Her gaze eventually turned to face fully toward the Earth, her breath soft with a gloved hand outstretched towards it.Caitlyn wondered if her astronaut felt it too. That mutual ache of longing in her heart. ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ “Well done folks. Good work today.” Vander sounded entirely too cheerful for just how long everyone had been there.“You owe me fifty, Mylo!” Powder shouted at her brother as she wheeled past him in a rolling office chair.“This is so not fair, he always pukes!”“That’s what you get for doubting my man.”Caitlyn laughed at the scene in front of her. She wasn’t sure how they had so much energy at nearly two in the morning but it was a bit refreshing to see.“Settle down there kids.” Vander scolded, turning then to Viktor. “They secured back in the airlock?”“Yes, sir. EV hatch is closed and locked. I’ve passed duties over to Sky and she’s finishing up the final steps to get them back into the station and out of their suits.”“Outstanding. You’re off the hook then today, Viktor. Thank you as always for your dedication.” Vander offered Viktor a fist bump to which the man frowned at before tentatively pressing his own knuckles against.Many of the employees began to file out, including Powder and her brothers. She offered Caitlyn a pleasant wave and a wink as she skipped out, eliciting a bit of shy heat to fill Caitlyn’s cheeks.“Caitlyn?”“Yes?” Caitlyn responded into her headset. Vi hadn’t gone offline yet but she would be any second.“Can you hang around for a bit longer? I want to show you something.”Caitlyn was dead tired but didn’t hesitate for a moment. “Yes, of course. I’ll wait.”“Awesome, just give me a bit and I’ll pop back on, okay?”“Okay.” Vi’s mic cut out with a beep and Caitlyn sighed, slumping back in her chair and taking the time to process everything that had happened that day.Vi really was incredible. She carried herself with such confidence and fearlessness, truly admirable traits to have. Heck, Caitlyn was worried her astronaut would be a nervous wreck only to see her full on jump into outer space. The two had spoken nearly every day for over two months and yet Caitlyn felt she was seeing even more to Vi every day.Then there was her impromptu confession, Vi’s reassurance, their dance…As she sat there waiting for her astronaut to return, she couldn’t shake that familiar feeling of wanting, yearning for something more.“Caitlyn?”Caitlyn shot up like a bolt, feeling a bit silly toward her own eagerness. She just spent all day with Vi and yet after thirty minutes apart the butterflies had returned at full force. “Yes, I’m here.”“Look at the monitor.”She frowned. “Which one?”“Your handheld one.”Caitlyn retrieved the small screen from her desk and flipped it back on. Waiting until the familiar space of the airlock came into view. “Okay? I don’t really see anything outside of the airlock.”“Ah, hold on.” The camera moved, the screen blurring for a moment with the motion before settling into a clear picture. Caitlyn sucked in a shocked breath.Vi was there, floating in the middle of the frame and squinting into the lens as she adjusted something on the camera. “Can you see me?”Caitlyn was rendered utterly speechless. Vi had just spent nearly ten hours crammed into a spacesuit and yet she looked breathtaking. Her magenta colored hair had gotten longer over the months, fanning out a bit with the absence of gravity around her. She had stripped out of her thermal gear that astronauts typically wear under their suits and remained in a simple white tank top, arm muscles and a thin sheen of sweat on display. Caitlyn couldn’t think, her mind and heart running circles around each other in a constant battle of what she should say and feel.Vi frowned at the camera. “Caitlyn? Is it not working?”“No! No it’s… it’s working.” She breathed out slowly, wondering how it was possible she could even hear Vi at all over the pounding of her heart.  “I can see you.”A bright smile lit up Vi’s face. Caitlyn had spent the entirety of the day looking at countless stars and the vast view of the Earth, yet they paled in comparison to this sight. “Yeah?”“Yeah.”Vi’s smile softened, a more fond sort of gentleness overtaking her sharp features. “Hey, cupcake.”Caitlyn felt her eyes burn. “Hi.”“I can’t keep the camera on all the time since it’s attached to the suit, but, I dunno-” She rubbed at the back of her neck awkwardly. “Just wanted you to see me at least once y’know?”“Yes.” Caitlyn needed to get her sh@t together and come up with non one word answers but the remainder of her brain cells were already working over time to process the beauty that was Vi. “You- um, you look good.”“Thanks.” Vi actually f@ck@ng smirked but as quickly as it was there, it was gone. Replaced with a genuine look of frustration and something somber. “I’d give anything to see you.”“Well you will.” Caitlyn wrapped her arms around herself, squeezing tightly. “You know, when you get back… I’ll be here.”Her astronaut glanced away for a moment, a thoughtful purse to her lips. She seemed to be debating something internally. Caitlyn didn’t want to push but god did she desperately wish to know what Vi was thinking at that moment.“You promise?” Is what she ended up asking.“Yes, of course.” Caitlyn wished Vi could see the genuine care in her smile as they spoke. “I’ll wait for you.”Something in Vi’s expression shifted at that. She looked almost… pained.“What’s wrong?”“It’s nothing.” The astronaut took a breath and looked to the camera once more. “I can’t stay, cupcake. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, yeah?”Caitlyn wasn’t ready to say goodbye. Practically ten hours of work and yet she had no desire to leave, to look away from her astronaut, from Vi.“Do you really have to go?” The question was quiet, timid. Caitlyn wasn’t even sure Vi would be able to hear it. Hell, it probably would have been better if she didn’t but based on the way Vi’s nose scrunched adorably with frustration, she most definitely had.“You know I wish I didn’t.”Caitlyn sighed, dragging her fingertip down the edge of Vi’s features depicted on the screen. “Yes.” She whispered. “I know.”Vi breathed out, her head tilting slightly. It was almost as if she was leaning into Caitlyn’s touch, but no. That wasn’t possible.“Goodnight, Caitlyn.”“Bye, Vi.”She sat there for a moment after the screen went black, simply staring at the blank monitor. Every other employee had long since cleared out. It was just Caitlyn. Alone in the dark with only the dim light from soft blue fluorescence filling her cubicle. There was something devastating about the dark quiet after Vi had just lit up her entire world. It cleared her mind like a bucket of ice water, making two things abundantly clear to Caitlyn.The first was the reality of just how far away Vi was from her. The inevitability of the fact that she still had six months up there, so close in Caitlyn’s heart and yet so far out of reach.The second was that Caitlyn’s feelings extended far beyond just that of a simple crush.
  
  

    
      
        
        
          Powder beating the homophobic allegations.Tune in next time and you better grab a mop because it's gonna get sticky in this bitch.Comments and kudos much obliged. <3'
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