[Round 2] "...and baby who the hell are you?"

[Dade]

Ens Sariel Locke

Chief of Science

USS Constitution-B

&

Lt. Cmdr. Tash Zubowskivich

Chief of Security

USS Constitution-B

((Sariels Quarters - 0545))

:: Tash slowly came to consciousness, though not by any choice of his

own. His head ached... hangover... big surprise. It didn't immediately

occur to him that anything was different... except he was somehow aware

there was no blanket. He almost always slept under wraps. ::

:: Laying there, stretched out naked on his stomach, head turned to

face off the side of the bed, green eyes barely opened. ::

:: These... weren't his quarters. ::

:: As soon as the fog of sleep lifted, he began to recall... Della...

she was still in his quarters, for all he knew... and... 10-Forward for

drinks... and... and then... ::

:: Green eyes widened, but he froze. Paralyzed. ::

:: A leg lay wrapped close over one of his. An arm crooked across his

waist and over his ribcage. A hand lay comfortably splayed on his

shoulder blade. ::

:: His blood, for an instant, ran cold. ::

:: He must have shivered, because that hand moved, tracing up the

muscles of his back. ::

Sariel: ::Sariel's eyes blinked open, Tash had shivered. Sariel gently

stroked his back, the room wasn't cool.:: You cold?

:: Tash didn't answer. He barely breathed. ::

Sariel: ::The long silence caused Sariel to even woder if Tash had

heard him, perhaps it had just been a bad dream. Sariel dropped his

voice to a whisper.:: You awake?

:: As it would happen, not breathing correctly led to a slightly hitched

breath. He couldn't just lay here stupidly. ::

Tash: ::voice breaking quietly through the sleep:: Yeah, I'm awake.

Sariel: ::Sariel smiled.:: Good morning.

:: A soft, almost incredulous laugh escaped him. Good morning?

Well... what else did he expect? Wasn't that what people said in the

morning? ::

Tash: Good mornin'...

:: Another quiet moment passed before Tash lifted himself up just a

bit, onto his elbows, and turned to look at his companion. Yup... stark

naked. He averted his eyes again, and must have turned an interesting

shade of crimson before turning his head away again, laying his forehead

on his own arm. ::

:: He just wasn't sure what to do. A thousand instincts were screaming

at him, and all of them said different things. It ended with him being

actually able of doing nothing. ::

Sariel: ::Sariel sighed, he could feel the lack of enthusiasm from

Tash. It was in the tone, in the laugh, in the look Tash gave him; not

at all like the look he had had when they had gone to bed.:: Are you

okay?

:: The long moment of contemplation that followed was likely the single

most awkward moment Tash could claim to have ever found himself in. ::

Tash: I... don't know. It's...

:: Droning off, he wasn't sure what to say. He wasn't sure what to do.

::

Tash: ::finishing meekly, his body nearly vibrating embarrassment::

This isn't what I usually wake up to, is all...

Sariel: ::Sariel barked a laugh.:: I'm afraid I can't say the same.

::Sariel rolled off the bed and walked to the replicator, he turned to

look at Tash who was looking at him as if parts were in the wrong

order.:: Something to drink?

:: Looking up at Sariel once more, this time more like he was some sort

of odd alien lifeform. The most simple of things felt completely alien.

::

Tash: Water. Just water.

:: As the other man ordered up the drinks, Tash sat up, quickly

grabbing up the first piece of clothing he could reach... his black,

blue-striped sports pants... and covered himself, entirely too conscious

of his surroundings. ::

Sariel: Your head can't feel too good. ::Sariel tapped the console of

the replicator, summoning at once some multi-vitamins and water he

handed the glass and pill to Tash.:: Here, drink and swallow this.

You'll feel better in a bit. ::Sariel took his own pill and chugged the

water; though the headache hadn't set in yet he was sure it would strike

eventually.::

Tash: Standard hangover protocol, of course.

:: It wasn't anything he wouldn't have gotten for himself for any other

hangover. Taking both and doing as Sariel did, he also drank down his

entire glass in several large gulps, setting the glass down nearby. ::

:: And his eyes rested solidly for a moment on the door to the bedroom.

He was having trouble breathing normally. ::

::Sariel looked at Tash who looked like he would bolt for the door at

any instant. Sariel sighed, first timers always ended one of two ways

ecstatic joy, or total freak out; Tash was clearly the latter.::

Sariel: How much do you remember?

Tash: I wasn't that drunk... all of it.

:: And he did mean "all of it." Painfully so. ::

Sariel: ::Sariel smiled:: Well you had fun... at least at the time.

Tash: ::not sounding nearly as sure as the words he chose:: Yeah,

can't contest that...

Sariel: Look, if you have to go I'll understand. You don't need to be

here to process. ::Sariel put a hand on Tash's naked thigh and was

relieved that Tash didn't pull away.::

Tash: ::almost under his breath:: I do have to go... ::stronger now,

looking at Sariel:: ... but not why you think. There's something I have

to do.

:: Green eyes pleading that Sariel believe him, he broke eye contact

nervously and stood to dress. ::

Sariel: Try not to run too loudly back to your quarters, it'll only

draw attention. ::Sariel grinned, even knowing that Tash was absolutely

running away. Sariel couldn't help but find humor in watching the man

desperately try to find all his clothes; Tash had been exuberant in

stripping down once things had gotten going.::

Tash: Okay... maybe a little of why you think... but I really have

something I have to deal with. Its important. :: Della... :: But...

::turning, pants securely in place and slipping into his shirt::... I'm

not panicking, ok? I mean, I am, a little, but that's not... it

isn't...

:: A sigh escaped him and he brought his hands up to rub his face.

This was all coming out wrong. His hands fell, and he looked at

Sariel... and it hurt, the disappointment he thought he saw there. The

New Australian had a knowing face... as if he'd been abandoned before,

the morning after. ::

:: Though the panic was still lapping at Tash's heels, he couldn't

justify leaving things like that. Sariel hadn't done anything he hadn't

let him do. So he stepped forward, leaned down, used both hands to draw

up Sariels jaw, and kissed him squarely with as much confidence as he

could muster. He hoped it translated into a sort of insistence. ::

:: He pulled away again, staying close and looking him in the eyes. ::

Tash: We'll talk about this. My word. I'm *not* running.

Sariel: Okay... ::Sariel whispered, only half believing what Tash was

saying. Sariel released the back of Tash's neck after giving it a brief

squeeze.::

:: Turning, Tash hunted down his shoes... which were on opposite sides

of the empty room... and without even a glance in the mirror at his

bed-styled, lopsided red hair, he fled Sariel's quarters at a jog. ::