Star Trek Imagines

[DIS] Michael Burnham - Little Science Geek

Spoilers: only slightly for the end of season two/ start of season three, so if you haven't seen those, considering skipping this one! :) 

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Jumping in time was by far an experience. Jumping to the future was a decision you had made without hesitation, and following Michael into the future was always going to be your choice.

Michael and you had been dating for just under a year, and in that time you had seen her grow into so much more than the quiet and reserved person who had first boarded Discovery all that time ago. Since then, she had become a skilled officer, more so than she already was, and yet had managed to keep relations and friendships in tact. She was a gem, and you found yourself coming to love her rather quickly.

Nearly a year down the line and that had not faltered. She was your rock, as were you hers. No matter the situation, one was always there for the other and the mutual adoration you shared was tooth-rottingly sweet. Comments from your friends on how cute you were together were common, and though Michael often tried to keep up appearances on shift, she couldn't help but steal glances at you every now and then and show little signs of affection here and there.

What Michael loved most about you, amongst a growing list of things that expanded every day, was your enthusiasm for science. Michael was a Xenobiologist, that was her main focus, but you didn't care what sector of science it was; your interest lay everywhere. Every week, it seemed, you had something new to show her, often finding Michael on her lunch break or in her quarters to wave a PADD in front of her and waffle at her for a good ten minutes. Not that she minded, nor did she ever stop you; to Michael, it was one of the things that made you so wonderful.

Following her into the future was an easy decision, and once there, it took some time for the crew to adjust and to reconcile what they'd left behind. Some longer than others, and most in their own ways. It was an emotional time, both good and bad, but the Discovery was a family and you got through it together. The future was uncertain, though with Michael's reassurance, you knew you'd all be alright eventually.

You were sat in your quarters, reading up on all the discoveries and advancements in science you had missed from the past eight or so centuries, practically jumping in your place with excitement. So much had happened in the time you'd missed, your brain could hardly take it all in. Your door chimed, and without looking up, you shouted for whoever it was to come in, far too engrossed in the data to stop. 

"Y/N," started a voice you knew all too well, and it sounded rather down. Your head shot up, PADD discarded at your side. "Got a minute?"

It was Michael, and she looked like she had been crying, though you didn't know why. You sat up on the bed and opened your arms to her. She crawled beside you and rested her head on your chest as you wrapped one arm around her waist and one holding the side of her face. Placing a kiss on her head, you spoke softly.

"What's the matter?"

"Did I do right, Y/N?" she asked, voice meek as she pressed her face into your chest. Tightening your hold of her, you ran your hand up and down her back for comfort.

"By the crew? Absolutely. I've never seen a speech like the one you gave us, Michael. Everyone here followed you willingly, and those who chose not to left us. Each decision made that day was valid, and everybody here has every faith in you. What you said must have resonated with the crew, because we're all here."

"But some people left families behind, some left-"

"What people left," you cut her off, knowing she was winding herself into a sadder mood the more she spoke. "They left willingly. Nobody present today is here as a hostage. They're here because they wanted to be. Paul, Tilly, Keyla, everybody believes in you, they chose to follow you, Michael. I chose to follow you. You made no decision for anyone, you merely provided an option. Stop beating yourself up over nothing."

She sniffled and looked up at you, eyes shining but no tears falling anymore.

"You've always got the right thing to say, haven't you?" Michael smiled a little, and you took her chin in your free hand.]

"I'm a modern day Shakespeare, what can I say." You placed a kiss on her lips as she laughed. 

"Now," you started. "You must be here because you want to hear my opinions on these discoveries I missed, right?" you asked, sounding like an old time news reporter. Michael sat herself up and looked at you adoringly, cuddling into your shoulder so she could see the PADD you had picked up again.

"Of course I do," she managed another laugh and a smile. "Go for it."

And on command, you started at the very first discovery you had all missed, adding your own opinions in here and there. As you babbled on, Michael stole glances at you every now and then, some you caught and some you didn't, yet each one was filled with love. You were her rock, her nerd, waffling on with exaggeration to make her feel better, and she didn't know what she had done to deserve you.

"You're such a nerd, Y/N."

"I'll take that as a compliment, Miss Burnham." Michael laughed airily and leaned up to kiss your jaw. You continued and she listened, occasionally throwing in her own comment or asking questions on things she didn't quite get. The atmosphere was relaxed, calm, and Michael felt her mood and her anxieties drifting away.

"So basically," you finished up your ramble. "Things have been found, ships zoom faster and the pew-pew machines have been upgraded."

You looked down to see Michael laughing at your synopsis, a genuine hearty laugh escaping her lips. You joined in, simply staring at her; she was always beautiful, but when something elicited a proper laugh from her, she looked stunning. Once she had stopped laughing, you looked Michael in the eye.

"Thank you," she started. "For everything. Not just for cheering me up now, but being there when I need you the most."

"Michael, I love you. I'll always be here for you. I have no choice but to love someone who sits through half an hour of me discussing phaser mechanic upgrades, right?"

"You really are my little science geek, I love you, Y/N."

Another laugh between you was shared, a much calmer one, and in that moment work didn't matter. What mattered was that Michael was alright, and she knew she would be, as long as you were by her side. 

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A/N: Thanks for reading! :) x