A Wicked Wind This Way Comes Part 1

Posted on Sat Mar 9th, 2019 @ 9:16am by Dixoho Saa (*) & Tasha Belikov

Mission: Mission 8 - Shattered
Location: ISS Fenrir
Timeline: MD 03 - 1800 hours
2550 words - 5.1 OF Standard Post Measure

For the last few days, Dixoho had avoided Nathan outside of duty hours. Spending her time trying to reconnect with people that she had missed on her away mission, or enjoying the time she could with Micheal. They all provided ideal distractions, Or they had, ever since she had returned it had been awkward despite how they both knew what their relationship was. She had come back to the shared quarters to collect some of her work and found him there looking at something. “Um… Hi?” She said awkwardly not able to avoid it.

Nathan has been reading a book when he heard the doors parting. Knowing it could be no one other than his wife. He didn't look up. Like her, he intended to avoid her as much as possible. The feelings, if you wanted to call them that, he had felt towards her were...disheartening. He didn’t want to care about her any more than she wanted him to care for her. Damn the human heart and getting attached. He had to focus on the goal. He was so close. “Welcome home, dear.”

The woman almost throw the PaDD that was in her hand at him for his tone but held her hand still as she watched him. “What book are you reading?” She asked making conversation as she moved to where they kept something strong to drink.

“Some memoir by a Betazoid philosopher,” Nathan said with a practiced disinterest never looking up at her. He was acutely aware of her. How she moved and where she stood. “I don’t really understand why a race that is so about the mind would find the poetic ramblings of a single person so influential.” He was asking rhetorically not expecting her to have an answer nor really wanting one. He had read this particular book many times as he was Lex’s favorite when she was feeling wistful. “Pour me something would ya?” He asked finally looking up at her.

The woman already held up the second glass as he asked. “They weren’t always weapons.” Dixoho reminded with a smirk. He was obviously being sullen with the fact that Alexis was so close but so far away. She walked over and took the book from him giving him the glass.

Nathan wasn’t really surprised when the book was taken and replaced with the glass. Holding up the glass in a salute, he spoke again. “I am aware.” He replied as he took a sip. “Doesn’t mean it makes any sense.” He took another sip. “So, what brings you home? I figured by this time you would be with...someone...to avoid me.” He gave her an annoying smirk, one he knew she hated.

“Supposedly in the other universe, they greatly appreciate the arts. Maybe they just have that appreciation at heart no matter what happens.” She said with a shrug putting the book down just beside him. No need to move it far or wind him up anymore. “I came to get some work. I didn’t think you would want to see me after what happened last time.” She whispered holding the last untouched for a moment.

Her tone caught him off guard as well as her setting the book down on the table next to him. Her last words spurned him into action. In one smooth motion, he set down his glass and grabbed her wrist pulling her to him. Settling her across his lap as she sat he made sure to keep her steady as neither truly wanted to wear the beverage she held. “You are the one that hates me...remember?”

“I don’t hate you.” She said leaning behind her to put the drink down seeing he had taken the time to keep it from spilling. She sat back and looked at him the surprise written all over her face. “I married you didn’t I?”

Nathan sat there for a moment. Just looking at her. It was odd he had gone out of his way to keep her distance, what was different now he wondered. She was beautiful that wasn’t anything new. She had been beautiful when they first met. “Ah, but marriage to me had never had anything to do with love or hate. I was useful to you.” Reaching up he touched her face gently with the back of his hand. “I guess the philosopher got me thinking.” He added as he dropped his hand and smiled as if that explained his behavior.

“And I was useful to you.” She pointed out confused by his behaviour slightly. What had changed between them in the last forty-eight hours? What had caused this shift in his attitude to her?

Nathan shrugged. “At one point.” He muttered. “I won’t lie. You helped me heal...after.” His fingers brushed along her arm as he looked up at her. He didn’t know when or what had shifted but something had. “Thank you for that.”

“It hurt a lot of people,” Dixoho said softly almost afraid for a moment of what he was going to say. “You were too pretty to leave broken.” She finally admitted looking down at his hand brushing along her bare arm.

Nathan laughed. A low grumble of a laugh. His hand travelled up her arm, moving along her neck before entwining his fingers in her hair. Gently tugging her towards him he pressed his lips to hers. Softer than normal, but just as demanding. When the kiss was ended he just sat there with his eyes closed. His breath slightly faster than normal, but only if you knew his normal.

“Nate… what is going on?” She wondered as she chased his lips for a moment before pulling back. He never acted like this, never took control. What had happened?

Nathan’s hand dropped from gripping her hair but he didn’t move away from her. “I don’t know, D.” Using a moniker for her that he used extremely rarely. He let out a breath before looking in the direction of the other ship before shaking his head. “I guess I am rethinking our time together.”

Heart ache was such a cruel thing, it made it so hard to sense straight, to see through the shields people had erected about their fragile psyches. “Why? You are so close to your whole reason for this?” His hand dropped to her shoulder but didn’t move to her bare skin. She was wearing the dress that she was meant to wear for the party that night already.

“That is what got me thinking,” Nathan admitted. “I have spent the last five years building up what life would have been like. How it would have been so different.” Once again, as if he could no longer resist, his fingers moved against her skin, softly. “Let's face it, I wouldn’t have been as intriguing to you if it weren’t for the challenge of putting me back together, but…” He trailed off simply looking at her.

“Not in the slightest but it was fun,” Dixoho admitted softly as she shifted on his lap slightly but was unable to because of the long black dress she wore. “You know you have me trapped here in this dress right?” She was unable to move to face him.

“Oh, I am sorry,” Nathan said as he let her go. He helped her stand up even though he was sure she would move away from him at the first opportunity and for whatever reason that made him. Sad.

Dixoho smiled a little as he helped her to her feet properly and she turned to look at him properly taking in his dark eyes for a moment before she turned back to her drink. “What do what to do then Nath?!” She wondered.

“I don’t know, D,” Nathan said with resignation as he plucked up his drink. “Nothing you would agree too.” He grinned at her with an obviously practiced indifference. “Just forget I said anything.”

“Nathan…” She said clearly confused by this turn of event from him. “I can’t forget.” She said stubbornly as she put a hand over his around the glass.

“You don’t have to forget,” Nathan said softly as he looked from her hand to her face. “What do you want D? Out of all of this?” He slowly moved to stand in front of her, their difference in height becoming more apparent. “I have never asked you that.”

The woman shrugged. “I never had a game plan in all of this apart from get some fun from you.” She admitted looking up at him. When had things become so serious? Micheal was the serious one, Nathan was the one who made her angry and allowed her to let it out because he was angry too.

“Then forget I said anything,” Nathan said relinquishing the glass to her and moved away. “You look beautiful by the way.” He gave her a lurid look up and down. “But then again, you always do.” He moved towards their shared bedroom, which as of late had been occupied by only him.

The woman followed him. “I can’t forget.” She told him softly. “Something has changed and you won’t tell me what properly. You’ve never been bothered by anything I’ve ever done before.” She said moving to him. “Undo the dress please.” She requested softly. She had dressed to leave early but now she needed to talk to him and straighten some stuff out.

Nathan looked at her. She was beautiful. He had never missed that, but there was something different since she came back. He didn’t know what it was or how to explain it to her. Moving up behind her his fingers gripped the dainty zipper and pulled it lower until it stopped at the bottom. “What you do, what you have done.” He started as he pushed the fabric slightly off her shoulders before moving away again. “Has never bothered me, you being you. Dangerous and ambitions, are what I love about you.”

“You’ve never used the love word before.” She whispered turning around as he moved away. The dress barely clung to her as she looked him over. “Even when you thought she was dead you never used the word love. What is going on?” Dixoho tugged the dress free laying it over a chair so it didn’t get creased before moving to grab up a t-shirt to cover up a little.

“You never asked.” He admitted coming to a stop by the door frame. He leaned against it and simply watched her. “You never asked, never cared to know, never wanted it.” A lazy grin crossed his lips. “Yet another thing in the conversation I shouldn’t have said.”

“It isn’t something you can take back either.” She said pausing on pulling the shirt on as she saw him looking. “Are you sure someone hasn’t got into your head and rewrote you?” Had the anger from two days previously broken him? Was she after five years seeing the man who wasn’t haunted.

Nathan laughed, “You don’t know the inner workings,” He tapped his temple with his right hand as he spoke. “As well as you think you do.” He grinned. “The only thing that has changed is my desire to hold my cards close to the vest as they say.” He crossed his arms. “I figured what the hell? What do I have to lose? Two paths end in the same place...we part ways, but the third path. Who knows.”

“I don’t understand this at all.” The woman whispered as she sat on the bed not sure what to do or say now.

Nathan let out a sigh. This was getting all tangled and even he was getting confused. She frustrated him to no end and he loved to push her buttons. He loved to see how close to killing him she would actually go. He moved over and sat next to her on the bed. “I am not going to ask anything of you D.” He said softly. “But, what if? What if I don’t go to Lex? What if I stayed and nothing changed.” The weight of the questions hit him as he spoke.

“You don’t know what you are saying for a night of very angry passion and you’ve changed your whole view,” Dixoho muttered. “She is going to be at this party tonight. You could see her tonight?” She questioned feeling a rising panic in her chest as she realised he might truly mean it.

“I know,” Nathan said easily. “She is already here.” He didn’t want to tell Dix that he had felt his imzadi come aboard and that she had changed. Or maybe it was him that had changed.

Dixoho looked at him. This was confusing, to say the least, did he want her or was it the fear of the unknown now that was affecting him. “Oh.” Was all she managed to get out not sure.

Nathan sat there. He didn’t say anything simply look down at his hands. Reaching over he took her hand in his intertwining his fingers with hers. Why hadn’t he taken the time to appreciate her in all the time they had been together? He knew the answer. He wasn’t supposed to. They were an arrangement of benefit and he couldn’t shake what had changed. No matter how many times he opened his mouth to speak nothing come out.

Neither spoke for a long time until Dixoho shivered. “Quarters are colder than normal.” She whispered mostly to herself as she took her hand back to tug on the shirt.

Nathan didn’t say anything. He didn’t know what to say. Standing up from the bed he moved into the living room plucking up his glass as he moved and stopped at the makeshift bar they had. He filled his glass before taking a drink all the while keeping his eyes on the nothing in particular in front of him. “Just let them both go.” He said under his breath to no one in particular.

“I don’t think you can.” The woman whispered looking at him from the doorway now wearing the old faded shirt. Women were not meant to be seen like that, she looked relaxed not the eye candy or the assassin that she was at all.

Nathan turned towards his wife. He watched her for a while. She was beautiful. Letting out a sigh he drained the remainder of the spicy liquid, refilled the glass and moved towards the chair he was in originally. “My ability is not in question when it comes to what I should do.”

The woman just sighed and moved back into the dark bedroom and sat down on the bed. What the hell was going on with the man? Why did he suddenly have to pull this on her? He had five years to do it. Why now?


OFF::

Lieutenant Dixoho Saa
Chief Navigator
ISS Fenrir
(PNPC Gregnol)

Lieutenant Nathan Kline
Chief Operations
ISS Fenrir
(PNPC Belikov)