After The Loss Part 1

Posted on Sun Jun 9th, 2019 @ 4:22pm by Dixoho Saa (*) & Chief Petty Officer Nathan Kline

Mission: Mirror Mirror
Location: ISS Fenrir
1641 words - 3.3 OF Standard Post Measure

Nathan had spent the better part of two days overseeing the Agony Booth on behalf of the Captain. He was supposed to get to the bottom of the deception that had resulted in the loss of the SS Mary Rose and the shuttle containing a man Nathan should be happy was dead. He should have been happy but he wasn’t. All he could think about was that he was relieved that the Dixaho from the other universe had gotten to go home safely and his heart was broken for his wife. He loved her and he wanted her to himself, but not this way.

For the first time since the moment he had won, he arrived back at his quarters. He had convinced Dixaho to move with him and had wondered the entire walk back if she would be there. He wouldn’t blame her if she wasn’t. Stepping into his quarters her closed his eyes and attempted to feel her, not that he could but he did it anyway. “Babe?” He called out, “D? Are you home?”

Dixoho looked up from the bath that she was taking and called out. “Here.” She said knowing he couldn’t see her from the entrance. The water was glorious along with the sweet smelling perfume that one of the slaves had prepared despite her reluctance. They had insisted it was what she needed after the last few days.

Nathan moved further into the quarters towards the voice that had called out. He stopped just inside the large area where his beautiful wife was reclined in a tub. He couldn’t help but admire her for a moment with a smirk on his face. “Something smells amazing in here.” He said with a hunger in his voice you could tell he was trying to restrain.

“Your slave told me I needed to relax.” She told him as if that explained everything that was happening. “He was overly insistent.” The Vulcan had been insistence enough that the woman gave in.

“He isn’t wrong,” Nathan replied as he moved towards the tub. There was a chair staged just behind the tub and he easily sank into it. Reaching forward he placed some of the scented oil on his hands and gently began rubbing her neck. “How are you holding up?”

The woman stiffened for a moment before she relaxed into the touch. “Isn’t this beneath you?” She questioned ignoring his question for a moment before she closed her eyes. “I am here aren’t I?” She whispered gently. What could she really say to the man about the other man?

“You know.” He started as he put more oil on his hands and began focusing on her right shoulder. “In the five years we have been married you have flung your Terran disdain at me and it hasn’t stuck.” It was easy to hear the amusement in his voice. “Either you truly think that lowly of me or you have run out of insults.” He gave a shrug. “Either way, rubbing the naked, sexy shoulder of my wife is never beneath me.” To accent his point he leaned forward and kissed her neck and shoulder before resuming his ministrations.

“Maybe I’ve just given up.” The woman mused nearly turning at the kiss but she held fast looking out the window at the universe in front of them. "I can't rest here, not really. I open my eyes, and it's like waking from the worst nightmare. Even the light is different compared to that other universe. The cosmos has lost its brilliance, and everywhere I turn... there's fear. I don’t know if I can do this anymore."

“Then, let's get out of here,” Nathan replied easily as he continued to touch her with no demands. “I have nothing keeping me here.” He said nonchalantly. The only thing he wanted was her and to be there for her. She would never believe it, so he didn’t say it.

“We can’t just leave. I can’t just leave.” The woman reminded. The Imperial Starfleet rules had changed to allow non-Terrans in but it was a lot harder for them to get out again especially when they were test pilots for the best and newest ships in the fleet.

“Just say the word, babe.” Nathan started softly with a seriousness he rarely used. “I have my ways, if you want out, I can get you out.” He paused. “I would do anything for you.” He moved to return the oil to where it had been when he came in and plucked up a puffy thing that smelled like her and took to rinsing her skin.

The woman smiled at the man's insistence that he could do it if only she said the word. She didn’t doubt him as Terran with getting his way, he was one of two men that she had trusted and the other was dead now. “I know you would.” She assured knowing he was telling the truth there. She turned leaning over the bath looking at him.

Nathan smiled. He loved both sides of the Trill looking at him. He loved the part of her that threw insults at him and fought him on everything. It lead to very satisfying releases between the two of them. He also loved the soft and vulnerable side of his wife. The side that accepted that fact that he loved her, on some level, and he knew without a doubt she trusted him and he would never betray that. “What are you thinking, beautiful?” He whispered not backing away from her gaze.

“How bright the universe was so much so it hurt my eyes to be there.” The woman knew she was never going to look at this universe the same ever again but no one else needed to know that apart from him.

“Do you miss it?” He asked gently as he reached up and pushed an errant damp curl of hair back behind her ear. “The brightness?” Based on what she had told him about the other universe he knew that neither of them were just talking about the lumens.

“I never had to watch my back. They are right you know, we are like this because we constantly feel like someone is going to stab us in the back and kill us.” She told him as she moved to stand up and actually get out of the bath.

Nathan didn’t say anything as she rose from the bath, the water dripping from her. He simply thought over what she said as he grabbed the towel and held it open for her. “I get tired of it.” He admitted. He wasn’t one with the ambition that fit in this universe. He could only imagine what it would be like to live and let live rather than you keep what you kill.

Dixoho smiled sweetly and wrapped the towel around her. “You are Executive Officer now.” She reminded him stepping from the bath.

Nathan scoffed. “Still haven’t figured out how that happened.” He placed a kiss on her temple before stepping away to let her have her space. “It isn’t like I was gunning for the job.” He shook his head. How had he ended up here? In love with a woman he hadn’t intended to keep, not wanting the women he thought he had for the better part of a decade, and the second in command to the Butcher of Betazed.

“Because you are dependable and you don’t have the ambition. The Butcher also knows that anyone comes near you I will poison them.” The woman murmured as she moved to find a comb to sort out her hair.

Nathan crossed his arms across his chest as he watched her. He couldn’t help the smile on his face, even if he knew better than to have it there. “You make a valid point.” He started. “I didn't want it. I took the promotion for you.” He admitted softly.

“Me?” The woman demanded as she turned from the vanity table to him. She narrowed her eyes as she saw the smile on his face and raised an eyebrow at it. He never looked like that when she mentioned poisoning people.

Nathan simply watched her for a moment before answering. “Yes, you.” He cocked his head to the side slightly. “I don’t want the position, but from it, I can protect you.” He admitted. “It is frowned upon to put the wife of the XO in an agony booth without good reason.” Even in their primitive society.

“I’ve not been in an agony booth for at least six months.” The woman countered. She was beating her record for not being that Officer. But his thoughts and rational were adorable and she found herself moving to him and kissing his cheek gently.

“True,” He said as he watched move towards him. The look on her face was different, he had only seen it a handful of times and was a bit surprised by the kiss she placed on his cheek. “I can’t change the universe for you.” He started looking at her. “But, I can protect you from this one as much as I can.” He shrugged as if it were nothing.

The woman looked at him and smiled. “I’m going to take you to bed now.” She whispered in his ear and tugged on the older man's hand leading him to where the big bed was waiting for them. He might not be what she deserved at all but sometimes she was thankful she married him instead of Micheal.

OFF::

Lieutenant Dixoho Saa
Chief Navigator
ISS Fenrir
(PNPC Gregnol)

Commander Nathan Kline
Executive Officer
ISS Fenrir
(PNPC Tasha Belikov)