Tastes Like Chicken

Posted on 22 May 2016 @ 7:47am by Lieutenant Commander Camila Di Pasquale & Lieutenant Commander Temerant Bast

2,207 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Outbreak
Location: Temerant's & Talon's
Timeline: MD 7 1700 Hours

Camila stood on the balance platform wearing a pair of tight black workout pants and grey sports bra, a pair of light weights in her hand as she did her workout. She would bring her right leg up before she leaned forward while raising her arms out to the sides and pushed her right leg out behind her.
The platform wobbled a bit but she kept her balance and switched to her left leg, repeating the process as she continued her workout, her long hair pulled back in a pony tail.After a half an hour, she got off the platform and began a pilates routine which she engaged in for another half an hour.

Finally with a fine sheen of sweat glistening on her toned body, she headed into the Security locker room for a quick sonic shower. When she exited the locker room, she went to the terminal to pull the video of her workout and sent it to Temerant with a smile. She wanted to see Temerant tonight and wanted to be ready for anything the adventurous Trill had in mind.The video was just the icing on the dessert that would be served later.

She went back to her quarters and changed into a black black lace top which exposed her smooth stomach and a pair of black black matching pants. After making sure her hair was brushed out, she headed to his quarters for the game of Tak that he had offered to teach her and rang the chime.

Temerant opened the door, and smiled as he saw her standing in the corridor in such a sexy outfit. He took her hand and pulled her inside. The doors closed as he wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her into a deep embrace. His hands felt the smoothness of her skin under the lace top, and he kissed her deeply before even thinking to ask how her day had gone. His own had been harrowing. He felt completely worn out, from being hunched over his workstation, overseeing a new staffer, trying to cut down on the maintenance list, and doing his best to support Doctor Kij's research into the current medical crisis. Power allocation in Sickbay was a critical concern, and had required much of his attention. But he tried to keep the exhaustion from showing on his face, and instead revelled in the sight of her.

"Well, hello to you, too," Camila said with a smile once she got her breath back from his enthusiastic greeting. "How was your day, handsome?"

"Incredibly busy," he said. "Commander Xiao assigned one of the cadets to help me out with the maintenance list, but of course he has to be shepherded through it. He'll be helpful, but getting him started can be time-consuming."

He walked over to the food replicator. He was too tired to cook anything, and decided that the replicator might be an acceptable alternative for now.

"What can I offer you for dinner?" he asked.

Now she heard how tired he was and remembered that he was doing everything in Operations almost single-handedly. Until now, and that was a cadet he had to shepherd. "Temerant, sit down, please," she said as she went to the replicator and guided him away from it and towards the couch. "It sounds like you need a bit of relaxation far more than I do."

She sat on touch couch with her legs spread and gently pulled his down between them with his back to her. Once he was settled, Camila reached up and began to massage the bunch of muscles at the base of his neck with a light touch. "You're far too tense to enjoy anything at the moment, but I promise that will change soon. Let your arms hang by your side and lean your head forward. Let me take care of this."

Temerant did as she instructed. He sat cross-legged on the floor between her legs. As her fingers worked wonders on his shoulders and the back of his neck, his own hands were laid out next to him, feeling heavier by the moment. "And how was your day?" he asked, his chin resting on his chest.

"I could give you the cheerful report that all is well in paradise, but that would be a lie," Camila said as she kneeded the knot that had formed from the stress he'd been under. "And I don't lie. I half a quarter of my personnel complaining of sore throats and another half concerned they're going to be infected next. I've been juggling schedules and having to order the rest of the personnel to take up the slack so we don't get caught unware in the event we get attacked, and....I've been missing you."

Bast smiled, though with his back to her, she couldn't see. He wrapped his arms around her legs, and hugged them as he felt his muscles give way to the pressure in her fingers. Just as her hands had worked magic on other parts of his body the night before, they were now a blessing on his neck and shoulders. "So have I," he said.

After a while, he got up on his knees, and turned to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "How about this... Let me grab a quick sonic shower, and then we can go to Talon's for dinner." Though her proximity and the scent of her skin brought other ideas to mind, the growling in his stomach also reminded him that it had been over seven hours since he'd had anything to eat.

Camila gave a laugh when his stomach growled and she leaned forward to kiss him, bringing her hands to his cheeks. "You take a shower, then we'll go to Talons for dinner," she agreed. "Not that I wouldn't mind joining you, but I have a feeling that growl was just a precursor to much more demanding ones. Then...we can take care of other appetites."

"Absolutely," Temerant said with a smile, as he ran his hands on her back, under the black top she was wearing. "Are you sure it's a good idea for the Chief of Security to be seen out in public with the Consortium traitor? There are still some people on the ship who don't care for my continuing presence here."

Camila shivered when he slid his hands under her top and pressed herself against him. "There are people who undoubtedly question my loyalties as well as everyone else on this ship and it will be that way for some time to come. However, there is only one person who has any right to question you, and I've already forgiven you, which means I gave that right up. If anyone tries to say otherwise, they will have to deal with me."

"All right, then," smiled Temerant. He reluctantly let go of her, and walked off into the sonic shower.

* * *

A few minutes later, the doors to Talon's parted before them, and they walked in hand in hand. They chose an empty table, close to one of the viewports that offered a breathtaking view of the planet.

Camila looked around and noted that the atmosphere was similar to the one on New Risa when she and Temerant had first gone to the bar with the crazy Paradan and whacked out bartender. "I really hope that people are just gloomy that shoreleave was cancelled," she said to him softly.

Temerant looked around the room. The sight was disconcerting, to say the least. The ambient noise level was noticeably lower than usual. Most people were sitting alone, staring into a cup of coffee or tea. One young Ensign was resting his head in his hands, rubbing his temples, breathing deeply. Another was sleeping on the table, snoring softly. A few were twitching their legs restlessly, and one was massaging his cheek, stopping once in a while to see if the muscle spasm was still there.

Temerant frowned. "This is... uncanny," he said. "It really reminds me of the bar on New Risa."

"I was thinking the exact same thing," she said and wished for a moment that she had a phaser with her. No matter, she was trained in Jiu Jitsu and Security was just a call away. "Maybe we should get something to go."

"Or better yet," said Temerant. "Let's not get anything from here. We can get it from the replicator in my quarters."

"That's a good idea," Camila said. "This place is sort of giving me a bad feeling."

Temerant nodded, and led the way back to his quarters. He stood again in front of the replicator, thought about his options for a few seconds, and punched a few commands into the console, before setting a plate down in front of Camila.

"It's an Earth delicacy that my sister showed me. Pan-seared frog legs, in a butter and herb sauce, with a side of matchstick fries, and curry mayonnaise."

"It kind of smells like chicken," Camila said as she sat down at the table. "Why is there mayonnaise with the fries, though?"

He looked at her, and cocked an eyebrow. "What else would you use with fries?"

"A nice, thick milkshake," she said. "Preferably a strawberry milkshake. Who puts fries in mayonnaise?"

"Just about everyone outside of North America," pointed out Temerant. He produced a glass of white Belgian ale, and set it beside her plate. "And I assumed you'd prefer this, over a milkshake. It's real, not replicated."

"That's perfectly acceptable," Camila said with a smile. "I've just never had fries with mayonnaise before, but I'm willing to give it a try."

"That's all I ask," replied Temerant with a wink, before taking his seat at the table. "How are things in your department? I hope you're not too affected by the current epidemic?"

"I have a dozen officers in Sickbay and the ones who are still on duty are alternating between being half scared they're next and grumbling about having to pull extra shifts because we're light on personnel," Camila said. "I know it can't be easier for you in Operations since your entire department turned on you and left."

Temerant mock winced at Camila's comment. "No, it hasn't been easy. But thankfully I got an extra pair of hands to help me out now. I just hope he doesn't fall sick."

"Tell him he's under orders not to get sick," she said as she reached for a fork and knife and cut into the frog leg. She took an experimental bite and smiled. "Tastes like chicken with butter and herb sauce."

Temerant took a bite. "A little bit," he conceded. "But the texture is a bit softer than chicken, more delicate."

"You want to know what's odd?" Camila asked. "The fact that so many things taste like chicken. What if no one could really decide what chicken tasted like?"

Temerant frowned one eyebrow. "Haven't I heard that line in an old Earth movie somewhere?"

Before Camila had a chance to respond, the comm system came alive. "Bridge to Lieutenant Bast," came the watch officer's voice. It took a moment for Bast to recognize the voice, before he identified Lieutenant Monroe, a woman in her early thirties.

"Go ahead," he said.

"Sir, we've been experiencing a steady increase in power consumption by the medical department. Soon we're either going to have to refuse their power increases, or cut power to other departments to compensate. I think you should some to the Bridge, Sir."

Bast sighed, and put down his fork. "I'm on my way," he said. "Bast out."

He exchanged looks with Camila. "I'm sorry," he said.

Camila sighed and came to her feet. "The life of an officer," she said as she gathered the dinner dishes. "Until next time?"

Temerant took the plates out of her hands and placed them back on the table. He wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her. "What time are you going to bed?" he asked.

She returned the kiss with a smile. "I'm not certain," she said. "There are times that I'll fall asleep on my couch without planning to. Why?"

Temerant smiled as he slipped his hands in the back of her lace top. "I thought I might pay you a visit once I'm done in the Bridge, if it's not too late for you."

"I should be awake until around twenty-two hundred hours," Camila said. "I hope they don't keep you too long."

"I'll make sure they don't," he replied with a smile. He kissed her neck, and walked out.

She laughed and shook her head before she headed out behind him. "Computer, seal quarters of Lieutenant Temerant Bast to be opened with his access code only."

The computer confirmed and with that, Camila headed back to her quarters.

RSS Feed