What Have We Done?

Posted on 26 Feb 2016 @ 4:34am by Commander Jayla Kij & Captain Harvey Geisler

905 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Outbreak
Timeline: MD 2 || 0700 hours

Jayla yawned and blearily opened her eyes. She attempted to stretch, but a pair of strong arms around her prevented her from moving too much. With a groan, she remembered what she had done under the mild influence of alcohol. Vaguely, she wondered if she could sneak out of bed and get into the shower without waking him. She doubted it, though. She'd never been good and sneaking away.

Harvey's senses slowly began to turn themselves on, though his eyes remained shut. His lungs softly and gently pulled in as much air as they could, only to find the smell surprisingly crisp. Typically, it had been stale. Unlike most nights, his nerves remained calm as did his mind. He was so used to waking up in the morning to a jolt, not this slow, comfortable start.

It didn't take him long to piece together what was different when he realized a few strands of hair had attempted to follow the deep breath into his nose. He hadn't much to drink the night before, and while his body was used to the occasional drink, it had never led him to this moment. It was then that he felt skin under his arms, skin that was not his own.

Jayla sighed, realizing that he was awake, too. "What did we do?" she said softy, with both an air of satisfaction and exasperation.

His eyes opened at the recognition of the doctor's voice. In a heartbeat, Harvey's full faculties kicked in, leaving him fully aware of his surroundings. In that same moment, he found that he wasn't sure how to respond to that. He did, however, retract one of his arms if for nothing else but to brush her hair out of his face. "We..." He said softly. "I think we let off some steam."

She giggled and rolled over so she could face him. "That's one way to put it," she said. "It was... good." She grinned at him, eyes sparkling.

Her smile melted his tension instantly. A grin appeared on his own face. "Hey now," he said in mock-defense. "I'll take good."

"Well, I was drunk," she said. "Well, slightly buzzed. Maybe I don't remember it correctly. It could've been pretty spectacular."

And there was that... He thought about suggesting that there were ways of finding out, but that perhaps could have been too forward. After all, it had been over a decade since his last tango. With the hand that he'd freed earlier, Harvey reached up and brushed a rogue lock of hair that had fallen on her face. "Let's stick with good. It's not fair messing with obscured memories."

She flashing him another grin- or maybe it was the same one. "I wouldn't mind doing it again sometime," she said. "You know, just to be sure."

This was one of those times he wished his mind had an off switch. Its analytical side immediately began processing scenario after scenario with endings both happy and tragic. He didn't want to think about any of that right now. Harvey thought of her words from the night before, an urge to relax. Events of late had left him more up-tight than ever. And as much as the crew didn't need Harvey to be that way, Harvey needed it more.

He smiled in reply to her. "Me too," he said gently.

"Too bad we have to be on duty soon," she said. "It's a fun way to wake up."

"We don't have to worry about that," he mused. "I know a guy that will overlook it."

"Yeah?" she said, waggling her eyebrows. "Will he have a word with the Captain for us? Get him to let us off?"

Harvey winced. "He can do that. I'll have to owe him a favor though."

"I could probably help you repay him," she replied with another grin. "If you think I'd be of use."

"I'm sure we could think of something." Without another word, Harvey took a chance, leaning in to find those lips of hers.

This time, when they had finished, they just lay there in each other's arms for a long time while they got their breathing back in order. "Yep, just as I suspected," said Jayla, laughter in her eyes. "Pretty spectacular."

Harvey chuckled as he held her tight. "You know," he said, "there's a game of tennis we need to finish at some point. I know Unity's not much, but they do have a racquetball court we could try out."

"Which would mean actually going off the ship," said Jayla, "which I've heard is a bad idea at Unity. Of course, if it's a really good court, I suppose I could be talked into it."

"And what would that take?" Harvey asked.

"I'm sure you'll think of something," she replied, eyes sparkling mischievously.

He smiled, just before glancing at the chronometer nearby. "I'm supposed to meet a Commodore in half an hour," he said solemnly, disappointed that this moment was now coming to an end. "What do you say, tonight at 1900 we try out that court?"

"And then come back here?" she suggested, giving her eyebrows a slight waggle.

Harvey chuckled. "Wherever the night takes us."

"Sounds like a plan," she said. "I have just enough time for a shower before I have to be on duty. Care to join me?"

His smile only grew brighter. "I'm happy to."

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