You sat alone in the mess-hall, shoving food around your plate with your fork as your mind wandered. You frowned.

"Mind if I join you?" a familiar voice asked and you looked up to see Tom standing in front of your table, a tray of food in his hands.

You nodded silently and Tom took a seat.

"You okay?" he asked. "You seem a bit down."

You forced out a smile. "I'm fine."

"You sure?" His eyebrow raised. "Are you upset about your breakup?"

Your smile fell and you shrugged. You looked back down at your plate and prayed the tears welling in your eyes would go away.

You had told Tom last week that you and your boyfriend had broken up. You hadn't told him why and he didn't push you to tell him. It was a mutual break up. More or less. But the things he had said during it still nagged at your mind.

"Y/N," Tom said softly, "do you want to talk about whatever's bothering you?"

Your jaw clenched as you thought of your ex. "It's stupid."

"If you want to talk about it, I'm here to listen. If you don't, that's all right too."

You shrugged and shook your head. "I don't want to talk about it in public."

"Then let's go to my quarters and I'll replicate you some dessert to cheer you up," he said, standing up.

You met his gaze. "But you haven't eaten your dinner."

Tom smiled. "It's leoola root stew. I'm happy to use my replicator rations."

After a few moments of contemplating his offer, you nodded and stood up.

Once at Tom's quarters, he replicated you a slice of your favourite cake as well as a bowl of tomato soup for himself. The two of you ate in silence, him flicking his gaze up to you every few moments to make sure you were doing okay.

When the food was done and the dishes were cleaned up, you two sat on his couch.

"Now," he said, "do you want to talk about what happened?"

You bit your lip and avoided eye contact. "It's just something he said when we broke up."

Tom raised his eyebrows, a silent urge for you to continue.

"We'd been growing apart for a while," you said, fiddling with the hem of your shirt. "So the break up wasn't really a shock to either of us. But he... he said why we had grown apart. I thought it was a mutual thing. You know, just not having as much in common as we'd thought and being really busy sort of thing. But I was wrong."

Tom took your hand gently. "These things happen. They suck, and they hurt, but they happen. I'm sorry you're hurting from this."

You frowned, brow furrowing. "He said it was my fault."

"Y/N," Tom said softly, "you can't blame yourself."

"Can't I?" you said bitterly. "He said that I lack intimacy. That my sex drive is too low. He said I'd have a hard time finding anyone who's willing to put off sex as much as he had to with me."

Tom sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry he said that. Everyone has different intimacy needs and different levels of those needs. There's nothing wrong with that. It isn't your fault that the two of you wanted different amounts of intimacy."

You blinked, tears slipping out of your eyes. "What if he's right, though? What if I'll never be enough for anyone?"

"You are enough," Tom insisted. "Just the way you are."

You looked at him, lip trembling. "You think so?"

"I know so," he said, giving your hand a small squeeze. "Y/N, you're an amazing person. Just because one ex-boyfriend said something doesn't make it true. I'm so sorry he made you feel so upset and insecure. He never deserved you in the first place. You're too good for him."

You sniffed and shrugged. "Thanks. I just wish I hadn't wasted so much of my time on him."

"Nothing's a waste of time, just a learning experience," he said.

You let out a short laugh. "Since when did you become so poetic?"

Tom smiled. "I have my moments."

You leaned against his shoulder. "You have more moments than most people, Tom."

He wrapped his arm around you. "I like to save them up for special people."

"And I'm one of those people?" you asked, tears ceasing.

"Of course," he replied. "You're more than special to me. You were one of the first people on the ship to actually give me a chance."

You smiled slightly. "I guess I just saw the good in you."

He rubbed your bicep. "Well thank you. I will always see the good in you, Y/N. Especially when others don't see it. Including yourself."

"Thank you," you mumbled.

Tom kissed the top of your head. "You'll always be enough for me."