Waiting

 Waiting  is a short story by the pseudonymous jespah.

The story is told from the perspective of Ethan Shapiro, while on the Enterprise.

In January of 2157, Karin Bernstein and Andrew Miller-NX01 are on the chow line with friends Ethan Shapiro and Azar Hamidi.

As they sit down, Hamidi and Shapiro comment on the overall nervousness of Miller. Hoshi Sato and Shelby Pike also notice, intimating that it is the couple's third date. They explain to the more naive Maryam Haroun that that is likely when Andrew and Karin will have sexual relations for the first time.

As Karin and Andrew depart quickly, Ethan cannot help but to watch after Karin and lament that he did not act when he could have. Azar sympathetically assures him that things might not work out with Andrew, and Karin could eventually come around.