❝We are all boring, we are all spectacular. We are all heroes, we are all helpless; it just depends on the day.❞ - Brad Meltzer.

I stay out too late, got nothing in my brain- that's what people say, mhm.

Bronwyn stared intensely at the table of equipment, allowing her goggles to slap onto her face with an elastic snap as she slightly swayed her hips to the beat of the song she blared throughout the laboratory.

Slightly pepping in her step as she studied the assorted measurements of magnetorheological fluids, she tied her curls back with a hair tie before placing her hands on her hips in consideration.

I go on too many dates but I can't make them stay- at least that's what people say, mhm.

Choosing the smallest quantity first, she made her way to the glove box with a smirk. She knew there was no definitive reason why this task was appointed to each astronaut every two weeks, perhaps just to keep the scientific nerds in each of them alive, but she knew that instead her inner musicality was shining through as she danced around the laboratory.

Her list of achievements in Chemistry, Biology and Physics left her confidently comfortable with any experiment with any substances, so her carelessness was more towards the experienced side of the spectrum instead of the idiotic side. Even though some would beg to differ over her mental stability after a cheating fiancé, she was keen to show men don't dictate a women's career in any form and so, Shake It Off continued to drown out everything and anyone in the laboratory.

'Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play. And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate. Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake- I shake it off, I shake it off.

Bopping her shoulders whilst silently mimicking Taylor Swift as though she was in a concert singing live for thousands, Bronwyn placed the substance inside the glass-like box before placing her hands into the built in gloves.

This was the type of experiments students would do in Comprehensive school- perhaps it was High School for Americans like Beck, and Bronwyn couldn't help but snigger at the low key insult that this experiment was to the crew. Nonetheless, it still excited her.

"Holy shit!" She exasperated - heart-breakers gonna break, break, break, break, break - as the fluid flaked towards the magnetic force. And the fakers gonna fake, fake, fake, fake, fake.

"I feel like a little girl again," she muttered excitedly but quietly to herself as she gazed at it curiously, touching some of the flakes that flared towards the force.

Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake.

"That's because you are," Beck interrupted from the entrance, barging the door open with his leg as he held two drinks in his hands. Horrified, Bronwyn broke out of the glove-box, turning off its electrical source before scowling at Beck.

"No Beck, this a lab. No drinking permitted, now quick, get out before I rat you out," she ushered him, fanning her hands towards him to intimidate him to leave.

He laughed as he clutched the drinks closer to him, "Hermes is a flying laboratory, what's it going to hurt?"

"My professionalism," she stated before he raised his eyebrows, a smirk adorning his face before she sighed, reaching out for a cup he teasingly wiggled in front of her. "Thank you but I hate you," she murmured, taking a sip from the cup.

"Well," he shrugged, knowing otherwise whilst taking a gulp from his cup before walking past her and into the laboratory. He slowly spun on his heels, scanning the entire room before his eyesight landed back on Bronwyn.

A small smirk crept onto his face at the sight of her in a white lab coat, goggles on her face and oversized gloves on her small hands. Her gaze instantly hardened playfully at his mocking expression before she curtsied.

"Wow, you look hot," he joked as she attempted to flip her hair with her black gloves but failed.

"You don't need to tell me, Mr. Beck," she forced her best formal impression, "that, I already know."

"Sure thing hot stuff," he shook his head before making his way to a chair. Sitting down with a sigh, he watched as she placed her polystyrene cup in the bin in the furthest corner.

"Hey Beck," she called, causing him to furrow his eyebrows before laughing at her dancing, "just think, whilst you've been getting down about the liars and the dirty dirty cheats of the world, you could've been getting down to this, sick, beat," she sang, swinging her goggles as she whipped her hair back and forth.

"I'm a hazard to the lab? You're a hazard to this ship," he interrupted with a laugh, diverting her attention to him as he got up to his feet and turned off her music.

"Hey!" She protested, rushing towards him causing him to laugh, "put it back on!" She glared up at him, Beck having the clear height advantage before time suddenly paused as her breath cut short at how he close he suddenly was.

He stared back down at her, watching as her lips parted at the distance she'd shortened between them. Her brown eyes gazed up at him as his cool breath fanned onto her face gently, the tension between them growing with every second the other refused to move before eventually, he finally spoke.

"Make me."

Her stomach erupted with butterflies as her legs felt lifeless, her eyes hungrily staring at his lips before he slowly broke the remaining distance between them. As he leant in, her hands slowly reached to gently wrap themselves around his neck as she closed her eyes but to Beck's dismay, before their lips could brush, she suddenly opened them and diverted her face, staring at her feet.

He deserved better, he deserved better than her.

Beck frowned at her hiding her face, "I-I'm sorry Bronwyn, I didn't mean to-"

She quickly looked back at him, "no, no, don't apologise, I just- I can't remember if I brushed my teeth this morning," she lied. Smooth Bronwyn, she scowled mentally, the most attractive lie you could have used Bronwyn.

His expression hardened, not convinced she was being truthful. "You have a live stream for a school later," he bluntly retorted, not liking that she lied to him, "don't forget about it," he added before leaving her alone in the laboratory.

Reluctantly watching him storm out of the laboratory, she felt the sudden urge to kick herself in the face. "Nice one Bronwyn," she muttered to herself as he disappeared.

☇

"Bronwyn, where the Hell have you been hiding?" Watney exasperated as she entered the Control room, sitting at his computer ready for the live stream.

"Please don't Mark," she groaned as she made her way to him, sitting down beside him with a sigh. "Let's just get this over with."

"Get rid of the attitude, little Evans. You'll scare the kids," he joked, only igniting her annoyance furthermore much to his intention. "Just don't bare your teeth, kids are actually scared of monsters."

Staring at him with a hard gaze, Mark laughed at Bronwyn's lack of patience before focusing on connecting the call. She run her hands through her curls, drawing in a breath before straightening her posture.

"Ready?" Watney uttered to her before she assured him yes, "3, 2, 1-" the screen was sketched with a video of a classroom of waving children with cheesy grins, a teacher sitting on a stool beside them on the left as Watney introduced Bronwyn and himself, "Hello Earthlings, I'm Mark Watney and this is my space friend, Bronwyn Evans-" Bronwyn waved with a small smile, "and we're on the Hermes. We were told by our Alien leader that you've got some questions for us?"

Bronwyn watched as their faces lit up, excitement brimming onto their faces as her insides suddenly warmed at the sight. The teacher introduced herself and the class before the first round of questions were fired, Watney dropping the 'alien' facade and becoming his usual self.

"Astronaut Bronwyn," a little girl suddenly stammered as the teacher gave her the microphone, catching Bronwyn's attention. Bronwyn smiled softly as the girl momentarily geeked out in nerves, "My name is Yvette, I've got a question for you," she stuttered.

"Sure, go for it," Bronwyn smiled.

"I'd like to be an astronaut-" The entire class lightly laughed at her enthusiasm, the little girl shying away from the rest of her question and attention as Bronwyn's expression fell at their attitude.

"You can become one, Yvette. To begin with, you ignore those who laugh and tell you that you can't do it," she sternly spoke, breaking the laughter as the little girl stared at Bronwyn curiously. "Don't listen to it, it's just noise. It'll only ever be noise that'll make you feel like you can't do it or try to distract you, they're wrong. They're the stupid ones that can't do it, the ones who doubt you are stupid-"

"-Bronwyn," Mark quietly interrupted, ushering her to calm down.

"-No," she murmured for him to be quiet, "if you can dream it, you can do it. Study hard in school, knuckle down so you can say a big 'screw you' to everyone in that room, including that teacher that just laughed at you. Do it to spite them, Yvette. I hope to see you in Space soon-" Bronwyn spoke as Mark instantly disconnected the call, without explanation, in shame, staring incredulously at Bronwyn.

"What in the Hell was that?" Mark lowly retorted, following after her as she rose to her feet and headed to the door.

"They shouldn't have laughed at her," Bronwyn nonchalantly replied, continuing to walk in front of him.

He hurried after her, jogging backwards as he caught up with her, "that doesn't justify insulting her entire class."

"I'll have you know, doubt kills more dreams than failure. I hope the teacher gets fired for joining in," Bronwyn spoke before her face contorted as she stopped, "no, I don't. That was low of me, she probably has to provide for a family- but nonetheless, she's a dick."

"I won't argue with you on that," Mark laughed as he stopped, "but that's going to be broadcasted across the world, I hope you know what you're doing."

"I'm already a wrongly accused cheat when it's actually my fiancé, Watney, what could go wrong?" She retorted as she walked past him.