Drip

Posted on Sun Nov 25th, 2018 @ 1:05am by

Mission: Run Afoul
Location: Holodeck 2
Timeline: Following "Errand Run"
2360 words - 4.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Beata stood there quietly, watching Stef and his chickens. She was sure the door would announce her presence but he hadn't looked over at her yet. She smiled, even if the birds weren't her favorite he really seemed to love them. "Hi, she finally said. "I have some time and I thought if you weren't busy . . . would you like to go swimming with me?"

The Vulcan turned as she addressed him, then fell utterly silent for several seconds as he felt colour drain from his face. "I would..." he anwered slowly, "except I do not know how to swim and my last attempt at learning..." He paused. "It did not end well.. I do not mind water, but at my last attempt I nearly drowned."

"I'm sorry to hear that, if you come with me I'll make the water very shallow and you can just hang out and get used to the water if you want. Or I could attempt to teach you," she glanced at him hopefully.

"That would be acceptable," he agreed as he gave her a minute nod. "It is not that I cannot be in water or that I am uncomfortable with water... what I do fear is drowning. Trust me Beata, it is a very unpleasant experience."

"No, I would imagine not. Don't worry I'm a very good swimmer and I won't let it happen," she glanced at what he was wearing, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Shall I meet you there, you'll want to change." She had no intention of skinny dipping.

"I imagine I would," Stef smiled, unsure of why she was blushing this time. She seemed to do this a lot ... "I will meet you there in fifteen minutes," he assured her.

"Good, Beata turned to leave and walked to the holodeck. She had enough time to enter the program and make changes to the water depth when Stef arrived. Besta put her towel over a rock and stood there in nothing but her bathing suit as he entered. "It's ready, we should do some stretches first."

"Perhaps I should shed a few layers first?" Stef countered, an amused look on his face. He too put a towel over one of the rocks the. Proceeded to take his clothes off until he was just left with his swim shorts. He gave her a look of appreciation as he took in her lean figure. "Stretches?" He asked curiously, "why?"

"So if you feel like swimming you won't get any cramps in your legs or elsewhere on your body. It's always a good idea to stretch before any exercise." Beata began and hoped that he would follow. "Do you . . ." then she laughed, "I forgot what I was going to ask you."

"I do not know how to swim," he reminded her, following her into the water. "I have not really tried again after last attempt to learn. Ergo, stretching is probably not necessary..."

Beata raised her eyebrows at this. "Suit yourself." She shrugged and began to stretch her own muscles out, a routine that took a few minutes before she announced, "I'm ready." Sitting on the edge of the water she scooted into it. It wasn't as cold as she'd expected but she didn't dare dive in as shallow as it was.

Stef shivered, feeling his skin turn to goosebumps. "Oohh this is cold," he exclaimed, freezing waist deep in the water. "Do you always have it this cold? Are you not cold?"

"No, I think it feels okay. But I'm used to cold water. I grew up in the northern part of Earth, the waters are always cold there." She was smiling but trying not to. Walk around in the water, it will warm you up."

Following her advice, the Vulcan waded around, crossing his arms over his chest in an attempt to retain a little body warmth. "Are you certain?" he asked uncertainly, wading a little deeper while gritting his teeth.

"Yes, the more you move the more blood that pumps through your body, the warmer you become. You'll get used to the temperature." Beata promised. "Do you know how to float?"

"That is where it went wrong the first time," Stef explained, "though we are alone now... priorly there were others in the pool as well." He gave her an uncertain look. "I do not remember how to do this," he murmured, feeling utterly uncomfortable and very insecure about his predicament.

"Take a deep breath and relax Stef. You don't have to do it if you don't want to. But I think the easiest thing would be to dip down in the water and try to lean back a bit. Here, I'll put my hands on your back so you don't feel like you're going to sink."

Doing as he was told, Stef tried to lean back and promptly lost his balance, disappearing under the surface. He came up dripping wet and gasping for breath, furiously rubbing his eyes to get the water out. "How do I do this without slipping?"

"First, go down in the water up to your neck then relax your body and stretch out backwards. You won't drown, I have you now." She splayed her hands wide and left them on his back no matter how he moved. "Take a couple of deep breaths. Close your eyes if that helps, it's just water." Beata's voice was soft, as if reading a lullaby to a child to put them to sleep.

Following her instructions to the letter, Stef eased himself down, very conscious of the hands that rested against his skin. He couldn't bring himself to close his eyes, he needed something to focus on. Something other than her proximity. His strong sense of smell could smell her perfume, even if it was now watered down from being in the pool. He felt weightless as somehow, he managed to float. "This is oddly relaxing," he admitted.

Beata grinned as he finally eased himself into relaxing enough to float. "You're doing great." She never let go of him, as promised. "Yes, it can be very relaxing, I like to do this and stare at the sky, watch the shapes of the clouds moving by. I know it's only a holodeck program but it feels real to me in moments like that."

"You just lay here and float?" he asked curiously, wanting to turn his head but being afraid to.

"Sometimes. When I want to get something off my mind which is often usually." Beata wanted to tell him that she felt like an idiot sometimes but couldn't find the right words. "It helps."

Shifting, he got himself back to his feet so he could look at her. "What causes you to do this?" he asked, genuinely interested in knowing why. "Wanting to get things off your mind, I mean."

"Well there was a misunderstand the other day with Sekat . . . I always seem to be doing something wrong." Beata sighed.

"I do not understand..." It seemed to be the standard answer generally coming from Vulcans. "What kind of understanding? Do what wrong, exactly?"

Beata sighed, "Stef, I will explain, I promise. But it's complicated and I don't really want to go into it right now. I just want to hang out with you and have fun. Can we talk about something else? Do you have any family?"

"You do not owe me any explanation," he reassured her, "I had a twin sister, she was killed on her assignment a few months ago. We were very close, this was our first assignment apart." He looked away in shame. "I felt her die...I did not take it well."

"I'm sorry," Beata said, mentally smacking herself for bringing up such a subject. Now she wasn't sure where to proceed. "You know what, let's get out of the water if we're just going to talk, we'll probably both freeze to death if we stay here."

"Unless we reprogram the temperature or the settings," Stef suggested. "Do not be sorry Bee... I can talk to you about it when you want to. I have accepted her death, it just forces me to make adjustments to who I am."


"Bee?" She responded with a smile on her face. He'd apparently just given her a nickname. She didn't know why she deserved it but she was very pleased. No one in her memory had ever shortened her name before or given her an affectionate nickname. "Computer, increase the water temperature by ten degrees." Then Beata looked back at him, unsure of what to ask or say.

Stef nodded, feeling the temperature of the water increase to a more comfortable level. "I apologize, it was too familiar of me," he said slowly, studying her. Yet, the feelings he got from her indicated she didn't really seem to mind. "Should I not call you that?"

"I don't mind, as long as you aren't making fun of me. And I don't think you are. But no one's ever given me a nickname before. " She ran her hand across the surface of the water, much as she had done in the grass only the water rippled under her touch. "Is Stef your full name?"

Again, he nodded. "Insofar I am aware, yes. And I would not make fun of you. It just made sense, I did not even think about it." He felt the waves she caused ripple against his bare skin, following them with his eyes for a moment. "It is very quiet here..."

"Yes." Beata replied, in somewhat of a trance-like state until she realized she was staring at him. "Is to too quiet? I could add some birds or something to the program."

"No, it is not too quiet," he was quick to respond, feeling awkward under her scrutiny. "What is it?" He asked, shifting slightly, the movement causing ripples to move away from him.

"Hmm? Oh nothing, I was just thinking that I'd like to spend more time with you." Her face colored slightly. "I didn't mean to stare. I was lost in thought."

"I would not mind spending more time with you either." He smiled at her. "I like it how your face flushes... What thought were you lost in?"

"How most people are polite to me but generally ignore me and I've known you less than two days and you've already given me what I consider to be an affectionate nickname. I can't help blushing," she chuckled. "I'm not used to any attention."

"That surprises me," he replied honestly, "you are quite pleasing to look at, you are friendly and easy to get along with. From my personal observation of course. I do not understand why you would be ignored."

Beata didn't think she was always so friendly, there was something about Stef she was comfortable with. But his compliment made her blush further and she let out a small nervous laugh. "Thank you, " She pulled herself up out of the water and sat on the bank, her feet still dangling in the lake. "I don't know, people just don't seem to take the time to get to know me."

Wading towards her, he placed a hand at each side of her, looking up. "They should," he commented, smiling in earnest, "ignoring someone is rude...and who knows they might just need you sometime. Would it not be nicer to know those you might need some day?"

Highly sensitive to the touch of both his hands. She blinked at him. "You would think so," she said softly. It was about as much as her brain could cough up with his close proximity. Beata leaned forward and kissed him. She knew she should not have done it, but she needed to know something.

Eyes widening, this being a total first to him, the teenage Vulcan froze. Unmoving, he stared at her, feeling his pulse quicken despite it being barely detectable. This was something he had not expected at all, and it showed on his face. After several seconds, he moved back just a fraction. "Why?" he managed, once he found his voice.

He hadn't run from the room but it still wasn't exactly the reaction she'd expected. "I'm sorry . . . I just wanted to know something . . . if you were attracted to me. You touched me, I thought maybe it was true."

"Do not be sorry," he advised her, shifting to touch her cheek. "I do not have much experience with this... I might not respond as you expect but that does not mean I do not like it." He gave her a semi-smirk. "Technically, I am not supposed to respond at all..." Yet, shifting his touch a second time to cup her cheek, he leaned forward, his lips brushing against hers. "I have only done this once before," he murmured, "and it did not end well..."

"What do you mean you're not supposed to respond at all?" She wanted to ask him what had happened before but thought that was a very personal question. If he answered the query she'd given him it would be enough.

"I am Vulcan." As if that explained it all. "Vulcans are not expected nor supposed to show emotions." And yet, he did. He caressed her cheek a second time, then reached up to push a strand of hair out of her face. "Want to try this again?"

"But you're not a traditional Vulcan." Beata reminded him. She grinned at him, "Oh so you do like kissing me?" A hint of teasing was in her voice but she didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around him and pull him even closer. This feeling was amazing!

"Not anymore," he reminded her in turn, "and yes, I do." He gasped as she pulled him closer, terrified of losing his footing. Instead, he pulled her back down into the water, wrapping his arms around her, fingers running up into her hair as he tilted her face up towards him. "Do not fall," he whispered, leaning down to make a valiant attempt at kissing her a second time.

nsign Beata Lauryl (PNCP by Saulitis)
Operations Officer
USS Majestic

Crewman Apprentice Stef
Yeoman/animal caretaker
Pnpc lhaes