Tone it Down

Posted on Wed Jul 31st, 2019 @ 1:55am by Commodore Jane Saulitis

Mission: For Whom The Bell Tolls
Location: Bebe's quarters
Timeline: MD 3 0800 hours
1546 words - 3.1 OF Standard Post Measure

It was almost like Déja Vue as Lhaes turned over in bed and found a warm body lying beside him. Except this time, it wasn't his own bed, and this time he had a vague memory of getting into said bed. He recalled a pleasant evening, but equally vaguely. Deciding to go with it, he smiled as he ran the back of his fingers across the woman's bare shoulder. "Good morning," he murmured, leaning in to kiss the nape of her neck.

Bebe grinned and rolled over. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?" She scooted over right close to him nearly pressing her body up against his. "It's wonderful waking up next to someone warm for a change."

"I did... did you?" The Romulan smiled, tracing the curve of her body with his fingers, down and then back up. "Someone warm?" he arched an eyebrow at her. "Are you used to someone cold then?" He propped himself up on one elbow to study her. "How much of last night do you remember?"

"No," Bebe giggled in response to both his touch and the question, "I'm used to waking up alone. Most of it I think. I don't believe I had a drop of alcohol. Why?" His question worried her a little bit. Was he not feeling well, had he not felt well last night. Surely she hadn't taken advantage of him somehow.

Stroking her hair, Lhaes smiled gently. "You haven't taken advantage of me," he assured her, without realizing she had never said it out loud. "I just had a similar experience a day or two ago and neither of us remembered. Nothing had happened though... Even though I can't be sure we didn't..." He seemed to blush a little now, feeling embarrassed for his hazy memory.

"Have you been to sickbay? I mean this isn't a regular occurrence is it? Waking up in bed with different women?" She was teasing a bit but it also bothered her. She couldn't believe she was admitting it to herself but she might be just a bit jealous.

"Yes I've been to sickbay but the doctor couldn't find anything out of the ordinary." Save for that odd implant but he thought it best not to mention that for now, lest he unnecessarily worried her. "Hey..." He lifted her face up to him, gently kissing her. "There's no reason to be jealous. Nothing happened with Tarria, the doctor determined that nothing happened. And there hasn't been anyone else."

Bebe frowned slightly. It dawned on her that he'd just said two things she was thinking, which she was certain she hadn't said out loud. "How did you know I was jealous?" Okay, so that one he could probably figure out from her tone. But the first . . . "And before that you said something about not taking advantage of you but I was only thinking it and there's no way you could have assumed that."

"Your thoughts are very loud," Lhaes answered, "I have no trouble hearing them." He frowned slightly, pulling his hand back to see if it would make a difference. "And yet...I shouldn't be able to get more from you than just feelings. This is very odd..." He shrugged it off. "It is what it is," he added indifferently, "and seriously, there is no need for you to be jealous. I'm here as long as you want me to be."

He didn't seem concerned about reading her thoughts and honestly Bebe didn't really care, she had nothing to hide from him. "I suppose I don't have much right to be jealous after all, We've only had the one date but I do like you. Of that much I'm certain. I do worry though that it will be difficult to leave. I can't stay here forever, I'm sure my daughter might object." Bebe laughed but really didn't find it funny.

"Yes I believe she might object too, as I am younger than she is," Lhaes chuckled, "yet it doesn't seem to amuse you. It would actually be rather funny, even if we both know it won't happen. I don't think we have a future BeBe, much as I might like that. You have grown children, mine have yet to reach ten. I'm young enough to be your son."

"You're right." Bebe said as she started to move from the bed. "I'm being silly." She hadn't needed to be reminded of how young he was. It stung a little. "I should get moving anyway, there's still a bit of the ship I haven't seen and lots of people I haven't met. and if I'm going to get stuck here while we help out the Claddin Empire, then I should keep busy."

Lhaes made a grab for her arm, gently pulling her back. "I'm sorry," he apologized, "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. These are your quarters, if anything I'm the one who should leave." He slid from the bed, and walked towards the bathroom. "Can I use your shower? They...are sonics, right?"

Bebe nodded, "Sure, go ahead." She wrapped a robe around herself and went out into the living room. She replicated a cup of coffee and sat down at the table as if ready to read the sunday paper, of course papers hadn't been around for centuries but it made her think of one in that moment. She'd seen them in museums. Instead she turned on a PADD and read the latest Federation news, something Alta always used to do every morning and she'd gotten in the habit of after several years of being married to him. The door chimed. She glanced back at the bedroom, Lhaes should be busy for a moment.

"Come in."

Alta stood before her. Bebe was rather surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Good morning to you too. I just stopped to see if you wanted to have lunch today. Might be good to keep up appearances while on the ship." He came inside without an invitation from his ex-wife.

Unfortunately, sonics didn't take long. yet as he stepped out his senses seemed to pick up a third person. He frowned as he found his clothes and put them back on. He was still adjusting the pips on his collar when he stepped into the living area. "Why is he here?" he asked somewhat bluntly.

"Umm . . . Alta, this is Lhaes, he's chief of Security . . . and I'm pretty sure you already know of my ex-husband."

Alta stood there, somewhat in shock though you would never know it form the look on his face. He gave a simple nod. "Leaving apparently." And he would have, but he turned around to face Beatrice again. "I can't believe you. On your daughters ship?"

"I am not going anywhere until BeBe wants me to leave," Lhaes spoke up, moving closer to the woman. "And what she does in her spare time, on her daughter's ship is none of your business." He all but glared at the intruder, who so had ruined his plans for taking her to breakfast now.

"It is my business when she disgraces herself in front of our daughter. But you never stopped to think about her career, did you?" Alta shook his head and walked out of the room without another word.

"Well," Bebe said in a rather shaky voice. "That went well."

Walking up, Lhaes wrapped his arms around her. "Shhhh," he soothed, "you haven't disgraced anyone. I think we have been quite discrete up until now. And it'll remain such unless he goes bleating it across the corridor." He glared at the now closed door. "Want me to arrest him?"

"No, he won't tell anyone." She huffed out what might have been a sob and a laugh at the same time and buried her face in Lhaes's uniform. "That would be amusing, but no. He might have a point. But then again I may flirt with people but I almost never end up in bed with them. He never understood that."

"It is your life, you live it as you please. As do I. People will judge but we are both grown people, we are both adults and within reason, we can do as we please, and spend time with whom we please. I chose to spend it with you, and I would do it again." He kissed the top of her head. "No regrets," he assured her, "I had a great evening and a great night and I have no doubt you did too."

Bebe nodded, but it felt like an end to her and she was sad about that. "Yes, you're right." She took a deep breath. "And that was the best evening I've had in a long time. I'd forgotten how fun it was to lose yourself with someone."

Walking around her, he cupped her face in both his hands. "Hey hey...don't be sad." He made look up as he kissed her. "It doesn't have to end here. I'll take you to breakfast and we can meet again tonight after the children are settled."

"That sounds like a deal." Bebe said as she stood on her tip toes and kissed him back.

Beatrice Benjamin
Mother of the Bride
PNPC by Saulitis

LtC Lhaes Sommers
CTSO