round 18 JP Lieutenant Viktor Lanius & Lieutenant JG Jalana Laxyn - Date Ni

[+ Rykel Rior]

(( Quarters Laxyn ))

:: After a long day not only on Sick Bay but also in the Cargo bay and not to forget the Holodeck and the class of Drill Sergeant Barnes, even if it only was a theoretical one for now, Jalana did not want anything more than a nice relaxed evening. And she was hoping that she would get exactly that. After leaving work and bringing herself into her quarters she dragged her body into the shower and simply leaned against the wall when the water ran down her skin and hair. This was so refreshing and another time she was thankful that she did not have to share these quarters, the second bedroom was still empty. Now that she was CMO she could possibly get single person quarters but she did neither have the time to take care of that nor the need, since she lived alone anyway. ::

:: Closing her eyes she enjoyed the shower, turned the water cool and then warm and back, giving her circulation a little pick me up and her muscles a slight massage. She was kind of happy that they did not have any practical training today, but she thought that she might need that if she would want to be able to defend herself and others. She dreaded that she might have to remember all this at some point she knew it was needed. Especially with the Captain unconscious and not able to defend himself in her sick bay. But now she wanted to push away all of this and after finishing her shower she went into the bedroom and checked on her wardrobe, not quite sure yet what to choose. ::

Laxyn: Computer, play a random selection of Tchaikovsky, 5% volume.

:: A smile wandered over her face as the music played she had heard for the first time after Viktor had mentioned that name at their first meeting. Every now and then she listened to it to relax and feeling how she got a little nervous, relaxing was what she needed. She had not expected that he would ask her, but she did not mind that he did. Not at all. But it had been a while. ::

Laxyn: You calm down now, take a few deep breaths. You will have a nice evening getting to know Vik.

:: She whispered to herself while going through some of her outfits and while she still was a bit nervous it was better now. It took her maybe a dozen or more attempts of holding on dresses, outfits, pants, shirt, sweaters and whatever she could find. Even a traditional robe from Trill was tested until she finally found something she liked. After choosing a dress she placed it on the bed before drying her hair, now that she had more time than in the morning and then got ready. ::

:: After just a few minutes she looked at herself in the mirror, her green eyes slowly gliding down over her spots to the knee long dark green subtle patterned sleeveless dress paired with black flats. She had wondered what kind of shoes to wear but since she did not know what he wanted to do, she rather went with practical but pretty instead of heels. Her fingers loosened up her curly hair so it fell nicely over her shoulders and she gave herself a smile, just the moment the chime of the door went off ::

Laxyn: ::She took a deep breath and mumbled to herself:: There we go, have some fun.

:: She winked at the mirror Trill and took the black scarf made of a semi transparent fabric to fit the shoes and wrapped it around her shoulders when she headed to the door, pressing the mechanism to open it ::

((Same Time, Vik’s Quarters))

:: He had just arrived back to his quarters after quite the day of covert affairs. Many questions had arisen after his chat with Rovor, but at least now he had a strong idea of where to start looking, and they just might have had their first real piece of evidence since the beginning. But finding out where and whom they had received the chemicals to make such a poison would be the biggest portion of the battle. It could have possibly led to something much more. He decided to let it all run away for the time being, as he was about to have a night out with the Doc. ::

Lanius: Computer, Play music, Lanius Alpha one.

:: The sweet sound of chamber music filled the air, and oddly enough, he seemed content with the melancholic tones of gregorian chant. It just seemed fitting for his mind set. He figured the mood would melt away after a shower. He stripped away his uniform and recycled it. Stepping into the shower he could feel the tense sensations of the day wash away, and a new feeling of rejuvenation took over. He was never used to long showers, stepping out onto the marbled floor. He made sure to shave; he actually hadn’t in a few days and was starting to show quite the five o’clock shadow. He shaved away the hair and brushed the hair on his head. ::

:: Deciding what to wear was going to be the biggest challenge of the day. He was never really good at wearing anything other than black. It was just in his nature, and his job. He decided to ditch the priest routine and go with something a bit more... light. ::

Lanius: Computer, replicate outfit, brown wingtip shoes, trousers, khaki, light blue long sleeve dress shirt.

:: The computer chirped and completed the request. He dressed quickly and took a look at himself in the mirror. He had the top button buttoned, and he looked ridiculous without a tie. There was no way he was going to an informal date with a tie, so he unbuttoned the top two buttons. oO That’s a bit better... I hate blue. Oo Even though it wasn’t much at all, the overabundance of color was killing him. Nonetheless, he was satisfied with his decision and proceeded to the door. All in all he was confident that this evening would turn out well. ::

((Timeskip, Laxyn’s Quarters, USS Apollo))

:: He stood outside the door and reached up to the back of his neck rubbing it. He drew in a breath, paused, and then rang the bell. ::

:: When the doors slid to the side he looked into the smiling face of Jalana, her green eyes meeting his right away. She could estimate the height of his eyes by now, at least when they were both standing up right. ::

Laxyn: ::stepping aside:: Good evening Vik. Please come in, unless you want to leave right away.

Lanius: I think we have some time :: He smiled to her and stepped inside to hear the more than familiar sound floating through the quarters :: Is that? Tchaikovsky?

:: Jalana had almost forgotten, that the music was running and her cheeks took this slightly pink hue when he spoke ::

Laxyn: Oh yes it is.. After you mentioned him that one day I’ve got curious. It is quite pleasant music I listen to every now and then. oO More like almost every day Oo

::Her quarters were not very personal yet. Most of the time she was in Sick Bay anyway but it was also that she did not have much personal stuff. On the couch was a warm cuddly blanket that had similarities to a quilt made of many different colored and patterned pieces of fabric. A few pictures she had stood around, from colleagues on Trill or her roommate in the academy. One Picture showed two older Trills and a younger boy with a much younger looking Jalana. Her red hair shone like fire in the sunlight of the environment and her smile was wide and toothy, same as the one of the older woman, she looked a lot like her apart from the red hair, that he found in the short hair of the older man. ::

Lanius: Family, Jalana? :: He had picked up a picture of a couple. It sat on the credenza on its own ::

Laxyn: Mhm? :: Turning to face Vik:: Oh, yes. Those are my parents, Caline and Vivan, and my little brother Prax. He studies architecture and spends his time with flying around in the galaxy finding the most interesting buildings for inspiration. ::She smiled and brushed her fingertips over the cheek of the boy ::

Lanius: I always wanted a sibling... An only child I was. :: he smirked :: Was your father joined?

Laxyn: ::shaking her head:: No, my father always wished because a symbiont would help him with the diplomacy, all the experience and such you know. But he never got through the tests. And my mother is happy with what she has. Prax wants to travel too much and says he has no time for that :: She laughed slightly::

Lanius: Perhaps you should have administered the tests... being a Doctor and all :: he nudged her elbow with his gently ::

Laxyn: I did, and I passed, but have not heard from them for a while. I am still in the program but you know bureaucracy. One day maybe, if I can get through to the end. They are quite picky.

Lanius: Soon enough I would think. You’ve managed to run the medical wing just fine by yourself. Perhaps you should give yourself more credit, yeah? :: He turned towards her :: No time for work though. Shall we head out?

Laxyn: Good idea, I am ready. Computer end music.

:: She smiled, relieved to be able to get out of this slightly embarrassing moment with some dignity. Silence fell over her quarters and she stepped outside, her eyes wandering along Viktor, taking in the unusual attire, at least from what he usually wore when she saw him. ::

Laxyn: You are looking quite dashing today. :: She noticed that she had said that aloud and not just thought it and again there it was the pink on her cheeks ::

:: He sort of gave her a look of surprise. It wasn’t that he didn’t welcome the comment, he just didn’t expect it. ::

Lanius: I couldn’t help but notice the same about you.

Laxyn: ::The blush on her cheeks just darkened at his words and brushed a little over her dress:: That old thing..

Lanius: Oh don’t be brash. I must say, I’ve thought that since I first met you. Call me crazy, but those eyes... :: he chuckled :: Listen to me...

:: There was something about her that made talking with her extremely easy. There really wasn’t any work involved, which he found comforting. The moved down the hall towards the nearest turbolift ::

:: Surprised by that confession she looked over to him for another moment, she certainly had not expected that. She had never thought that her eyes were anything special but had also noticed every now and then now people looked at her, as if they had looked for something in them.. Deciding that it would be a good idea to look forward again before she might run into a wall she turned her head::

Laxyn: Now that we are on the way, will you share with me where we go, or is that classified?

Lanius: Not at all. Intelligence is at liberty to share information from time to time. I set us up with some dinner first in the Complex. As for the rest of the evening, that secret lies with me... :: The doors to the turbolift opened and they stepped inside. ::

Lanius: Deck twelve... :: There was a short silence ::

Laxyn: What makes you think that I won’t run away screaming at your secret activity?

Lanius: Well I’d like to think not madame. I’m not typically in the business of disappointing.

:: He stood next to her in the turbolift and he could feel a sort of electricity. It had been quite some time since he’d d been on a date of any kind. Of course the last time he did, it didn’t quite go as expected. This time, he made sure that he took time to plan ahead, and plan something that was “user friendly”. In fact, there would be no guns, no stealth, no action of that kind. Just a night out.::

::She looked up to him, watching his profile for a moment, his strong jaw and she noticed finally that he had shaved, which made her smile. She went on to the eyes and she still could not decide which color they were up to the cleft in the middle of his forehead displaying his heritage. He was a quite good looking man, a bit ragged but in a good way. And she wondered how often she did this before that he seemed to feel so sure of everything. Of course she could not look into his head but he seemed to be so calm. It swirled in her head for a few moments before she heard herself ask it out loud. ::

Laxyn: Have you been on many dates before, Vik?

Lanius: :: He found himself unprepared for the question, but it was innocent enough. :: No. No I haven’t. Relationships have always been more a challenge to me than anything. I think most everyone has better luck in that respect than I. What about you?

Laxyn: ::The Trill gave him a smile, glad that he did not take offence in her question but rather managed that she did not feel just as nervous as before knowing they both were at the same level. She then shook her head.:: Maybe three or .. four times in the last uhm.. I think since I started my medical training. There have been too much work and studies to focus on to even think much of dating. At least the exams stopped that frees up some time. ::She chuckled::

Lanius: I think that puts us in the same boat then. Victims of our careers... :: he laughed at the sentiment ::

((Complex 39, USS Apollo))

:: The turbolift came to a halt and the doors opened. They stepped out and began to walk towards the Complex. Vik had made arrangements with the new hostess earlier in the evening for a nice relaxed dinner. The menu would be a surprise to the both of them. They entered the Complex and were greeted by the Napean Hostess. ::

Verak: Ah! Lieutenants!. :: She held out a hand to the both of them :: I have your table ready over by the window. Will that be suitable?

Lanius: :: Looking to Jalana :: I think so, yes?

Laxyn: :: She had been watching the hostess for a moment, the interesting and extraordinary eyes and her forehead, her mind automatically sorting her into the category of her species - she really needed to turn that off at least for tonight - and now looked over to the window table and smiled with a nod.:: A lovely choice.

Lanius: Wonderful. Shall we? :: He cruxed his arm in her direction ::

::Giving Vik another smile she stepped over to her chair to sit down, a bit surprised when he did not sit down on his but instead followed her to pull the chair for her and pushed it slowly back in direction of the table when she sat. Her surprise was surely on her face when she followed him with his eyes walking to his place. ::

Laxyn: Thank you. That is certainly a part of upbringing that not many seem to be used to anymore.

Lanius: Not a fan? :: He took his seat across from the young woman :: I hope it doesn’t bother you.

Laxyn: ::chuckling slightly:: Not at all, complaints sound different. I .. enjoy it, thanks. ::Looking around and back to Vik she leaned a bit closer:: Will you tell me what we will be eating? I noticed that she did not ask. So i assume you ordered already.

Lanius: Actually, I told Tao to surprise us.

Laxyn: ::smirking:: It is good to know. That you still can be surprised, I mean.

:: He had sensed at that moment that there was much for them to discover about one another. All they really had to go off of was work experience, and to her, nothing got by him. ::

Lanius: I rather like surprises. At least in this setting. Gathering intel on well... everything... makes for a rather mundane existence don’t you think?

::She crossed her legs under the table, placing her elbows on the edge of the table she crossed her fingers placing them under her chin to lean it on them, while she watched the man on the other side with a smile.::

Laxyn: Indeed.I know we are not working but there is one question that was bugging me since the meeting this morning.

Lanius: And what might that be? :: he leaned forward a bit, his hands on the table in front of him ::

Laxyn: The Dark Room... what is that?

Lanius: Let’s just say it’s my office. With classified information comes heavy security. The room allows me to do that. bio-signature detection, voice activated security consoles, the Primary User adjunct system. The walls open to reveal whatever information I could possibly need at anytime, activated by one of six consoles throughout the room. All designed to keep secrets, well, secret. I’ll have to show you sometime.

:: Jalana listened attentively, not having heard anything about Intel Offices before, since she did not have anything to do with that part of Starfleet. It was interesting to hear that there was a fully equipped room that Vik had been able to adjust to whatever his needs were and where nobody else could disturb him, unless he allowed it. A strand of her hair decided to misbehave and fell over her shoulder into her face, so she gently tucked it behind her ear again. ::

Laxyn: Quite impressive and I would like that. Too bad that the CMO always has to be available while being in the office or I would ask for such security in my room as well. ::she smirked::

Lanius: You mean I’m not the only one who wishes to enjoy your company?

:: Jalana laughed slightly and spotted the host approaching with - what she assumed - their meals. Curiously she craned her neck trying to see what was on the plates, as if she would not see that anyway in a moment and leaned back to take her elbows off the table and her hands into her lap, smiling gently at the Napean woman ::

Tao: Here we are then. An Earth delicacy... Lobster with a butter cream sauce, a salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, and leeks, and a portion of lamb shank.

:: Vik couldn’t remember the last time he’d had such foods. The lobster alone was one of his favorites. How the woman knew was beyond him, but the wonderment quickly vanished when the aroma hit his nostrils. ::

Lanius: How did you...

Tao: Know what you two enjoyed? I have my secrets too Lieutenant...

:: With a sly grin, the mysterious hostess walked away. ::

Laxyn: ::Looking after the woman she raised her brows slightly before looking back to Vik:: One could think that she has her own little espionage business, knowing that.

Lanius: Your guess is as good as mine. Are you okay with this? The food i mean?

Laxyn: ::Chuckling slightly she nodded:: Yes I am. I always had enjoyed lobster and lamb at the banquets my father attended to. :: She leaned a bit closer adding with a low voice :: You should worry less, I will let you know if I don’t like something, Vik.

:: She was sure it was easier said than done, at least if she was any reference to that, because she would worry too, wanting to make sure that it all went well. She was not quite sure if the same would go for Vik but he could not be that different, she thought. ::

Lanius: Fair enough. Geesh... where to begin?

:: The Trill smiled across the table and lowered her eyes down to the lobster and the tools they had gotten with it. The composition of color was beautiful and she hesitated a moment before she had to take it apart. But then she took the Lobster into one hand and with twisting movements she detached the claws from it, placing them aside before she twisted and bent the lobster where the body was connected to the tail and broke it into two pieces pulling them apart. Removing the shell from the body she laid it on the plate that had been added for discarded pieces and smiled to herself, glad she had not forgotten how to do this or it might have been a disaster. When she removed the legs by twisting them off the body she raised them to her mouth one by one and sucked at the little ends to get the juice and meat out of them. She looked over to Vik and smiled ::

Laxyn: I always loved this part, already as a child. Don’t ask me why, maybe it’s the funny noises.

Lanius: :: Cleaning some of the juice from his shirt. :: This is why I wear dark clothing! You know, peeling lobster is an art that not many have mastered...

:: Jalana chuckled and added the empty leg shells on the discard table and went on to take the parts of the lobster apart, adding the meat of them, if not sucking them out, on the plate in front of her, to be ready for her to savour it. Cleaning her fingers in the added water bowl she raised her green hues up to Vik again ::

Laxyn: Tell me something about yourself, Vik.

Lanius: Well what would you like to know?

Laxyn: ::Smiling she took her fork and some of the salad :: Whatever you care to share with me, something I cannot find in the file maybe. ::With that she began to eat slowly, closing her eyes for a moment, when her taste buds welcomed the taste and freshness of the definitely self cooked meal. No replicator was able to imitate it this way, she was sure, even though it could do wonders, something gave her the impression it was not replicated. ::

:: Vik thought carefully before he made his next move. he was never ever good at games like this; the Q and A session. For some reason, perhaps it was his training, they always seemed to turn into an interrogation; No feeling behind his answers. He would just spit them out. He decided to change things up a bit. ::

Lanius: Sometimes the best parts of someone simply aren’t describable. With words anyway.

Laxyn: Mhm... :: she eyed him after this answer and tilted her head slightly, lowering the fork again. Of course she would have liked to hear a bit more but she did not poke him to spit it out :: Do you mean that I won’t get anything out of you by asking?

:: He could understand her initial disappointment, and normally he would have backtracked making himself sound foolish. He stuck to his convictions. ::

Lanius: No no no, that’s not what I meant at all. I mean, I can sit here and tell you that I like the color purple, that I hate water that isn’t clear, and that I prefer my whiskey with a cube of ice, but... wouldn’t the conversation stop there?

Laxyn: ::She watched him another moment before the corner of her mouth twitched into a smile.:: Purple, hm? I guess you are right, I never was a fan of the ‘Tell me something’ game either, no idea why I asked. ::She gave him an apologetic smile::

Lanius: :: Laughing :: Well then perhaps we should move onto space weather, aye? :: he took a bite of his lamb ::

Laxyn: Ah yes, always a safe subject ::She chuckled:: Don’t you think it is astonishing that we did not have one day of rainfall this months?

Lanius: Thank god you have a sense of humor Jalana. I’ve learned from the past that perhaps with all the vast technology we have these days, I could stand to not place my foot in my mouth for once.

Laxyn: ::smiling:: Sounds ideal, the one time I had to pull it out of my mouth was for my file picture, I can hardly remember how it was. Best chance to repeat it now.

Lanius: Well, then I guess you’ll just have to savor your dinner :: he softened his voice :: and wait for the next portion of our evening... trust me. :: He smiled warmly ::

Laxyn: ::She raised her brows with an amused smile:: Famous last words... If I get missing.. ::she raised her fork to point at him:: ... there are witnesses who have seen me with you.

:: The two of them continued into the dinner talking mostly about her. He was more than curious about her, and for the first time in a long time he cared to invest more than a few fleeting moments into getting to know someone; he was doing it not because he had to, but because he wanted to. It wasn’t long before the two of them, some laughs and serious faces later, had finished their meals. ::

Lanius: Now... for my promise. If you’re still up for it?

Laxyn: Am I? How could I not, you made me very curious.

Lanius: Perfect!

:: He helped her from her seat, and after giving Tao a waive goodbye, they made their way from C39. The pace to the holodeck was a brisk one, and Vik couldn’t remember the last time he was as excited as he was at that moment in time. In a few moments, he would be sharing with her some of the things that he held dearest. They arrived at the holodeck soon enough ::

((Holodeck, USS Apollo))

Lanius: Now, what I’m about to show you, could quite possibly be the innermost workings of myself. I thought about this all day, about what I would tell you. I figured I’d just show you instead.

:: Standing next to Viktor she looked up to him in suspense, she tried hard to contain herself not to grab his hand and pull him inside. But instead she was surprised that he would show her something this profound and nodded slowly ::

Lanius: :: He smiled :: Computer, run program ‘Lanius home’.

:: the computer terminal chirped in acknowledgement, and after a few short moments, the doors to the room opened revealing a bright sunlight. As their eyes adjusted, a field of wheat could be seen, blowing in the breeze, brown and wispy just before harvest time. As the distorted light from the sun faded a bit more, a small home could be seen in the background, a dog running about the property. The air was crisp and cool, and there were few clouds above. The door vanished behind them as they stepped forward. Beyond the house, with the sunlight now fading to its intended light, a sunset, water could be seen just under the cliff side in which the house sat. ::

:: To Jalana this looked like an illustration in one of the books she had browsed through as child, showing the most beautiful places on Trill in postcard format, whatever postcards were. Her eyes wandered slowly over the wheat, the landscape, wandering over to the sunshine brushing the house in the back. It took her a long moment to find her speech again, even if only whispering. ::

Laxyn: This is... stunning.

Lanius: My home... welcome to the Kildare coastline. :: He stood for a moment looking about the sky with an immense smile across his face ::

Laxyn: ::Averting her eyes from the scene in front of her up to Viktor she was drawn in by the wide smile and it was very contagious, so she could not hold back one of her own:: You .. live here? ::Even with the smile the surprise was rather obvious in her voice ::

Lanius: Oh yes... Lived here my whole life. Learned a lot here. :: He turned to her suddenly extending his hand to hers :: Come on!

:: Jalana looked down onto his hand for a moment, just a small gesture and most likely not meaning anything deeply but it still gave her a warm and fuzzy feeling. The smile on her face did not get a break when she slipped her hand into his and grinned up to him, hoping that he had the same thought than her, remembering how she as a kid, would run right through this and right now she felt just like that. ::

:: The two of them hand in hand began to run towards the house. He couldn’t help but think back to the days of running through those same fields after working them most of the day. The same feeling came back to him just then, the urgency of getting into the warmth of that house, to the embrace of his mother. The arrived through the wheat to the porch, and while helping her up to the door, helped her inside. ::

:: The two of them began to wander about the house. The place was simple, all hand-carved wood with furniture to boot. The place smelled like fresh oak and bread, just the way he remembered it. In the living room, over the mantle, pictures of his family could be seen in force. As he moved passed them, he spotted the massive bay window that overlooked the ocean outside. ::

:: She still caught some of her breath after they entered the house, but she tried to do it not too loud. It was not very pleasant to listen to a steam machine just because her training had been a while. Shame on the doctor for not listening to her own sermons. She strolled through the room, taking a look at the furniture, the ambiance in the room and imagined Viktor here as a child, though she could hardly imagine him not being an adult. Of course she saw the big window and stopped in her steps for a moment, speechless at the sight that presented itself. Stepping over she let her eyes roam outside over the waves ::

Laxyn: Oh my... what a view.

Lanius: :: turning to meet her :: Indeed. I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve stood here. Stood here thinking about, well, everything. Thinking about where i’ve been, where I’ll go. About who I’ve become and who I once was. But in the end it all comes back to this place. Most everything does.

Laxyn: ::Looking up to him she watched his profile as he spoke:: It does? How so?

Lanius: I’ve made some of my most pivotal realizations in life here. I read my acceptance to Starfleet here. I experienced turmoil here. My mother used to sit right over there :: he pointed to the chair in the corner by the massive grandfather clock standing straight to the ceiling :: and tell me how I needed to listen to God and keep my morals clean. My father spent most of his time in the study writing up business plans that would never make it past the door. He taught me tenacity of mind. To have your mind be revered by others.

Laxyn: :: Her gaze followed his to the chair and the clock, a smile slowly wandering onto her lips as she could almost imagine how it must have been, even though she had never seen his mother. Before she even thought about it she heard herself asking.:: If parents know what deep impact they have on their children?

Lanius: That’s a good question. Even now, when i need some guidance, I come here.

:: He thought about the questions that may or may not come next and how he would answer them. Whatever the course would be, he knew what his mother would say. “That’s the golden rule boy-o, be true to thyself.” he knew how he felt about this situation, how he had felt the day he was first presented with it. He had a wondrous and perpetual interest in the woman that stood next to him, and once again found himself seeking his mother’s advice. ::

:: Jalana stood in silence for the moment, looking up to his profile. She did not have to be a telepath to know that his mind was occupied, be it memories or other thoughts she did not want to interrupt. There was a connection to this place she could understand and feel without having been here for long. The silence did not feel uncomfortable, not like these times when one felt the need to say something. But then he broke the silence and she followed him with her eyes. ::

Lanius: :: he sat on the window sill near her. :: Jalana, since the day I met you, I’ve felt that I would be a foolish man to not know you. I went on out on a limb inviting you out this evening, but I also felt that you might just accept my invitation.

Laxyn: ::A gentle smile showed on her face. :: And you were right. ::Her voice was rather quiet, so she would not disturb his train of thought too much. ::

Lanius: I thought it fitting that once again, I’ve made another realization in this house Ms. Laxyn, my point is that I... oO Oh, just get it out! Oo ...feel a real connection with you. :: He cleared his throat :: I like you...

:: He felt like a schoolboy at that very moment. The embarrassment couldn’t be hidden by even the most talented of Operators. But what would the harm be? He could deny himself the opportunity to speak his mind, or he could speak it and be denied or accepted. he just kept repeating his mother’s advice in his head over and over again. There seemed to be a silence that lasted forever in his mind, but was soon broken by the sound of Jalana’s voice ::

:: The Trill looked at him astonished, blinking once then another time. Did she just really hear what she thought she heard? No games, no hiding, no 'guess what', that surprised her even more than the actual revelation. Plain straightforward honesty, how.. refreshing. Then it settled in what he had said, slowly sinking into her consciousness. He liked her. She did not even try to hide that these words made her feel very good, the surprise slowly changing into a smile.::

Laxyn: Really? ::She mentally facepalmed herself for such a stupid question and laughed in slight embarrassment:: I mean... I like you too Viktor.

:: The words seemed to fly right passed him. he was doing what he thought was best, but he had honestly been prepared to hear a rejection theory. Things were inherently different this time around. He’d played the cards differently from the beginning, and for the first time had something smooth and easy going for him. He let her reply come to fruition in his brain. All at once, there were almost fireworks. ::

Lanius: :: he sat forward suddenly :: You’re kidding?! I mean, you’re not though right? It’s okay if you are... :: She gave him a frantic look ::

Laxyn: ::laughing she shook her head and stepped a bit closer :: What have I told you earlier about the worry?

Lanius: Right right, the worrying thing from earlier... This is fantastic! :: he took her hand in his :: I thought for sure you’d be looking for the exit...

Laxyn: ::She welcomed his hand, already out in the field she had thought it felt good to hold it, now it felt even better and she squeezed it.:: I have agreed to a date and so far, as much I can say, it went really good. There is no reason to think I'd run.

Lanius: :: It was a legitimate statement. He really had no basis to conclude right off the bat that she would say the contrary to what she did. :: I don’t know... I’ve just never really been any good at this sort of thing I suppose.

Laxyn: ::She looked at him, tilting her head slightly:: I think you are doing rather well.

Lanius: Oh really..

Laxyn: ::chuckling:: I mean it. What I knew from dates was.. hiding what was going on in people's minds, trying to impress each other by being someone they were not and even if it all went well, they had those stupid rules about waiting for three days before getting back into contact and if the woman did it first it meant she was clingy, if the man did it first it meant.. I don't know what. Those, I cannot call them differently, games can be rather tiresome and you managed to throw them all aboard making yourself and what you think known and I have the pleasure to just be myself. ::she smirked at him:: I wouldn't call that 'not any good', Vik.

Lanius: Well now, when you put it that way... I have to say :: he ran two fingers along her jawline :: I couldn’t agree with you more.

:: He counted his blessings thus far, and felt that he had done right thus far. He began to lean in closer to her, the whole time his eyes focused on her beautiful green ones. ::

:: Sitting on the sill he was about the same height as her, maybe a little higher, which made it easy to look into his eyes, trying to figure out the colors she could see in them. She always had seen the black, which was pretty obvious but also sprinkles of something else. Now that she had a good excuse to not take her eyes from his she noticed that it was blue. Not too obvious, but it made those eyes fascinating. Still feeling his fingers at her jaw, she noticed that those eyes became bigger, no.. actually they came closer.::

:: Jalana's eyes dropped downwards to his lips before snapping back up to look at him, without even realizing that she did it. But her heart seemed to notice just as well and began to beat a bit faster. ::

Laxyn: I hope you don't insist on waiting until the third date. ::She whispered merely, not waiting for his answer before she bent a little closer, crossing the gap between them to gently brush her lips over his. ::

:: He could feel his lips moving near hers, the heat of her breathing warming them moving his hand to the side of her face. All the feelings he’d had had culminated at this very moment into something he’d never expected, but hoped would happen. With all the emotions that he felt at that very moment in time, he realized that another chapter in the life of Vik Lanius was coming to a close. The time of the lone wanderer who kept mostly to himself would no longer continue to take up pages in his book. He was free to be himself once more. It was this ship, these people, and more recently the vivacious woman that stood before him that allowed him to wander back to the place inside himself he cherished the most... Home. ::

Lanius: :: He pulled away from her lips slowly and looked back to her eyes. He spoke softly. :: You must be crazy to think I’d waste your time...

:: She still felt the tingle on her lips when he pulled away and enjoyed the feeling for another moment before opening her eyes again to smile ::

Laxyn: If that is wasting my time I hope you'll do that more often.

Lanius: If that’s an invitation, I surely intend to... :: He smiled and pulled her close once again for a kiss ::

:: She smiled widely and met his lips with hers once more, her hand slipped into his unoccupied one and locked their fingers, weaving them together. She closed her eyes enjoying the feeling of the little fireworks inside, [...]ling on her skin, before their lips parted again ::

Laxyn: ::whispering:: It sure is, Mister Lanius. It sure is.

:: The two of them moved out onto the porch of that little home and took a seat on the bench that sat outside. She moved in close and rested her head against his shoulder in the crook of his arm. he took her hand with his and twiddled her fingers within his. Nothing but a giant smile crossed his face. The Sun was beginning to set now, and Vik couldn’t imagine being anywhere else, with anyone else::

:: Jalana sighed contently, but inaudible, the peace and quiet of the sunset and company was calming and she felt... content. For the first time in a long time she was happy to just sit and enjoy. The warmth of Vik's body and arm made her aware that she had not felt like this with anyone before, making it easy to know that this evening had been perfect, just as the surprising but welcome outcome. With a smile on her lips she kept her eyes on the declining sun, forgetting everything else, even that this was only a holoprogram. There were only Viktor and her, the here and now.::

:: The morning would surely bring business, but until then, they were quite content where they were. ::

TBC

Lieutenant Viktor Lanius

Acting First Officer

USS Apollo, NCC-71669

&

Lieutenant JG Jalana Laxyn

Chief Medical Officer

USS Apollo