Checking in on a 'friend'

Posted on Thu Sep 14th, 2017 @ 9:29pm by Dixoho Saa (*)

Mission: Mission 4 - Combustion
Location: Deck 4 - Senior Officer Quarters
Timeline: MD 01 :: 22:00
2477 words - 5 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

Dixoho yelped as she heard something knocking at her door, normally her door was unlocked but after the fire, she wasn't leaving it to chance any longer. She unfolded herself from her chair and strode to the door opening it with a surprised expression as she saw the Engineer on the other side of the door.

“Hi, Markus?” She questioned looking at herself only wearing a vest top and shorts. “Ah...I wasn’t expecting you?” She admitted feeling stupid for just standing them looking clearly clueless.

Markus' face turned red as he stammered "sorSorryie. I did not mean to disturb you. I just got off duty and cleaned up, I got to thinking of you. Ahh. I wanted to check to make sure you were okay is all? Despite his blush, he smiled "I guess I can see you are just fine." His face got even darker shades of red as he realized he was looking at so much of her. He took a small step away from her as if a little more distance would matter? "I was going to ask you if you wanted to get a cup of coffee or hot chocolate? I didn't expect anyone was ready for bed already.." His mouth snapped shut, it seemed everything he said sounded wrong. "I am glad you are not hurt." He said simply trying to get his feet out of his mouth.

"Would you like to come in?" She wondered softly stepping back realising that her quarters were really plain compared to what she had seen from others that she had passed and inspected through cabin inspections.

"Really! Sure, I mean as long as you're okay with me coming in?" Marcus stepped through the door careful not to bump her. "That was something today. I spent half the day working on repairs and the rest of the time trying to get the air purified again. I have never seen anything like that before, the sabotage I mean."

"Tell me about it. The calculations I have done today just in case we need to limp into a safe heaven are immense." She admitted looking down at herself, vest top, shorts no bra, she grabbed up a cardigan putting it on. "Someone is really determined. Is that what they are saying it is?" She wondered indicating the couch.

"I heard people talking, someone said it was a fire bomb designed to cause damage but not hurt the ship itself? I got the feeling someone wanted to ruin our air supply? That would sure make this ship easy to seize by pirates!" he noticed her pull on the sweater and lifting her arms allowed him a better view. Marcus sat on the couch allowing room for Dixoho "so if we needed to there was some place nearby? That was good to know. I don't know but I got the impression no one has a clue who might have done the deed. I sure hope they don't have any more surprises for us."

"In an emergency, my job is to navigate manually to a safe harbour like engineers are damage control. We might not have the navigation computer so I need to be able to do it with whatever we have available." Dixoho said with a smile as she curled up into the gap he had left her.

Markus enjoyed having her so close but he was unsure how to reply to what she said? Then it dawned on him she was on the bridge so she likely could not repeat any rumours she had heard as they might be real. After all, she was there with the Captain and the XO on the bridge! "So I hope I am not keeping you awake or anything? I really did not expect to visit really?" He put a tentative hand on her bare leg "I really just wanted to see you were okay. I am happy to be here though, nowhere else I would rather be."

"I'm sorry. I missed breakfast this morning. I just couldn't leave until we were stood down from the emergency." She said smiling as she put his hand on her bare leg. She turned a little more on the couch to look at him. "I am glad to see you are safe as well. What were you up to in the emergency?"

"After the fire was put out I helped clear away the damage and then we began working on repairs. We had to run a lot of diagnostics on powerlines to make sure they were still safe. Then check the lifting equipment. It was a shame how many of the wedding gifts were destroyed." Marcus stopped a moment then smiled "say since you're not really dressed to go out you want me to get something from the messhall and bring it here? I heard they had some fried chicken left, some mac&cheese too."

She listened carefully putting a hand over his on her bare leg. "The Bride didn't really seem bothered when I saw her?" She murmured before she blushed. "Fried chicken sounds good." She said softly looking at him carefully trying to work out why all of a sudden someone was interested in her.

He stood up "be back in about ten minutes with the grub!" Marcus walked to the door and stopped to look back at her as it opened. "I hope you don't change clothes I like that outfit and it looks comfortable." He was laughing as he left her quarters the door closing behind him.

Dixoho blushed at his statement as the door closed behind him. She quickly glanced at herself in the mirror and it only reaffirmed her idea that the man was partially blind.

Marcus jogged to the mess-hall and got a sack with chicken, mac&cheese, a six pack of sodas, and the last two available slices of chocolate silk pie. He was more careful returning so he did not ruin the pie. He checked and he was just over the ten minutes by a few seconds. He knocked "it is Marcus, I got us some dessert as well!"

"Come in!" She before remembering that function didn't work. She got up from the couch and moved to press the manual release on the door. She smiled as she saw the amount that he had gotten. "There are loads." She laughed taking the tray from him.

"Well, whatever we don't eat tonight we can eat in the morning." Marcus blushed brightly as he coughed on that "I mean my place and you in your place. I was going to take some home with me. I did not expect we would eat all this tonight. I thought we could split the left overs.. You understand?" He was stammering and rather tongue tied as he tried to explain. He finally just made eye contact "could we eat? I don't know why I say such dumb things around you."

"I understand." She murmured quickly putting the tray down on the low table she had found in other of the other rooms when she had come onboard. She smiled inwardly as she thought about when it was just her, Barton and Rueben.

Markus was polite waiting till she sat down to sit and let her take food first. Although he ate a bit faster than was normal. That was habit. "I hope you like chocolate, my mom did. She told me all women love chocolate." His smile was easy and his memories of home seemed to make him relax. He picked up his slice of the pie, I really enjoy eating these pudding pies. They are not hard to make either. Even canned pudding and a pre-made crust, with about any whipped cream and you, are set."

"I am Trill, not Betazoid. I can eat it." She teased him just a little as she snuggled down and grabbed some of the chicken. "It's quick and easy to make." The Chef wasn't always the best but the desserts were always the best.

Marcus had no idea what she meant about not being Betazoid but she could eat the chocolate so it was okay. He had known she was Trill though, the spots he knew were Trill spots. He ate some more sort of watching her as he tried to be discreet. His leg bumped hers time to time when he tried to shift his own legs and he tried to behave as if it was nothing but he got a small thrill from contact with her. As he finished eating he sighed "that was good, I hope you enjoyed your food as well. When you are done I could help clean up if it would not be too late for me to be staying?"

"Not much to clean up." She giggled as she watched the emotions cross his face. It was nice to have someone interested in her, the former Chief Engineer had been and they had spent some interesting nights in his office or quarters but it had fizzled out just before he left unable to cope with the death that had happened on Empok Nor. "It's too soon for anything but you are more than welcome to stay. Big bed and all." She said. She had seen people rush into relationships on Rosie seeking some comfort and she wasn't one of them, not since Rueben had, had a sit down talk with her when she had tried to seduce him.

Markus turned red, it was a deep blush and he just sat their sort of dumbfounded as it sunk in what she said. He tried to reply but nothing came out. He drank some of his remaining soda and licked his lips. "Dixoho, I don't know? I mean it is not like I don't want to because I do. I really, really do want to stay. I just.. Like you said it is so soon.. What if I do something that you get mad about and then. I mean we will be touching, even with clothes on." Markus stood and backed away a step "I mean sure no means no but for you to say no I have to do something you might not want?" His face showed his torture of wanting to stay but his fear as well of ruining his chances of being her guy. He made eye contact "do you think we could? I mean spend the night together and you still want to spend time with me in the morning after just doing nothing?"

Dixoho opened her mouth a few times before she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him tightly. "Please calm down." She pleaded pressing close. "Do nothing is one of my favourite activities are star gazing," She admitted refusing to let him go so he saw touching but doing nothing was okay.

Markus put his arms around her and stroked her back. He relaxed in the tightness of her embrace, feeling her heart beat in her chest. It was a great feeling and he could have stood there for hours just enjoying her warmth. He kissed her cheek, "I want to stay but I don't want to be seen as your brother in your eyes? I want to be friends but not like a brother, I want to be your guy someday."

"Someday but I've learnt my lesson on this ship not to rush things." She whispered resisiting the urge to laugh at how innocent he sounded to her. She had grown up on a cargo vessel where everyone and everything lived on top of each other, no one had privacy.

"Fair enough, I am not trying to rush things." Marcus leaned his face down to her ear and kissed her neck, "so how big is your bed anyway?" He had little more than a cot and he had seen some crew using hammocks! Might it be pretty tight and cozy sharing her bed?

Dixoho shivered at the light kiss on her neck, it was a nice surprise. She pulled back and led him through the small enclave to her bedroom. "What do you think?" She asked. It was a lot nicer than the last time she had a man in the room.

"A lot nicer than where I bunk. He had showered and changed before coming here so he stepped out of his boots and sat down on the bed. "If I snore too loud just smack me? I mean I don't know if I do or not, no one ever complained to me anyway." He Slid in so she could lay atop him or sort of half on half off him. He was sure they would sleep better with her on top. he was afraid he might crush her the other way around. He wondered if he could sleep with his heart beating this fast? Her legs looked even better now then they had before. He knew he was in way over his head here!

"You look scared?" Dixoho whispered as she slid under the covers of the double bed and lay on her side just looking at him. The room was old fashioned but she had modernised the room to the best she could with some plants that Bradon had brought her as a leaving present and some fabrics that were pinned to the ceiling.

"Maybe a little." His fingers moved to her cheek and brushed a few strands of hair from her face. "I guess I am afraid I will mess up, do something stupid and make you angry. It does not happen too often but when something feels really important.. Especially like now? Machines I do fine with but people I can really make a fool of myself. "Right now I just want to feel you fall asleep on me again like before and everything to go just right."

"But that time was by accident and we have a little more space that your wobbly air bed." She grinned and kissed his wrist softly. "Being a fool is only human." She teased him just a little as she moved a little closure and lay her head on his pillow.

Marcus put his arm over her shoulder and closed his eyes. His lips curved into a smile "If you find me irresistible during the night feel free to ravish me." He laughed softly at the thought and then actually tried to sleep. He felt a tingle on his skin wherever their bodies touched, it was not going to be easy to get to sleep. The only thing in his favor in that regard was a nearly twenty something hour workday and a full belly. He actually fell asleep easier than he suspected he could.

OFF::

Dixiaho Saa
Chief Navigator
SS Mary Rose
(PNPC Gregnol)

Marcus Bannon
Engineer crew
S.S. Mary Rose
(PNPC MacCloud)