Catching Up Over Drinks

Posted on Sun Mar 20th, 2022 @ 12:17am by Lieutenant Commander Andrei Petrov & Lieutenant JG Kassandra Selin
Edited on on Mon Sep 12th, 2022 @ 4:43am

Mission: S1 Episode 2: Caretaker, Part II
Location: Maelstrom Bar & Lounge
Timeline: Mission Day 2 at 1900
1445 words - 2.9 OF Standard Post Measure

The meal had concluded half an hour previously and, apart from Kass and Yana stepping away to talk for a few moments in private, they had all engaged in some simple mingling conversation. By 1900, things were wrapping up and Andrei was done with this particular setting. Stepping over to Kassandra, he smiled.

"Well, the last few weeks have certainly brought some...surprises for you and me." he said, leaning against a counter. "I could use a drink, personally. Care to join me?""

Kass nodded "Sounds like a plan" she said softly. "Lead on"

They said their goodbyes to the rest of the family and then made their way down to the Maelstrom Lounge which had only just opened up a half hour before. Some crew mingled about in uniforms or in casual wear as they entered.

"Why don't you grab us a table? I can get the drinks. What will you have?" Andrei asked.

"Vodka on the rocks" She said as she headed for a booth by the window.

Andrei strolled up to the bar and he caught the eye of the attractive blonde behind the bar. He came here regularly, of course, so they had spoken several times. He had been casually charming, but never overtly flirtatious. Flirting with the bartender was so cliché, after all.

"Ami, is that restlessness I see in your eyes?" he asked, showing his perfect white teeth. His hair was unfurled and flowed as he spoke. "How's the Delta Quadrant treating you?"

Ami smirked at him. "Treating me well Andrei. How have you been?" she asked. "What can I get you?"

"I've been covered in sweat and grease for two days but now I've finally got a shower. I smell good, so don't be afraid to lean over when I'm not looking." he said in a charismatic tone, but he passed by it quickly. "A vodka on the rocks and a glass of bourbon...the good stuff."

She gave a laugh and began to pour the drinks. She looked over his shoulder towards the Intelligence Officer. "Oh you drinking with the Punching bag huh?"

He quirked an eyebrow at the comment like he didn't understand.

"Its what she has been called by people. Morrison did a lot of things." Ami said.

"Oh, well maybe you didn't hear?" he asked, still a bit more stoic than before. "Morrison is dead. She's Chief Intelligence Officer now."

"Good for her" Ami slid the glasses over to him. "Your drinks"

Andrei felt a defensiveness in this moment for Kass which he had, up to that point, only felt for Mika. Suddenly, he had the urge to tell the bartender to watch what she said, but he thought better of it, picked up his drinks, and thanked her. Returning to the table, he sat the vodka down in front of Kassandra and lowered himself down across from her.

Kass took the drink. "Thank you." She said with a small smile. "So... how are you doing?"

"I'm fine." he said, disguising his irritation. It was far from the truth. He wanted to go home and they weren't even sure what they were doing out here so far. "Hey, did you ever delete that video of me and Callie?"

She smirked at him. "Would you believe me if I said Yes?"

"No." he said in response with a smirk of his own, taking a sip of his drink. "Besides, it might be a shame to dispose of art like that. Maybe people deserve to see it."

"Including your parents?" Kass sipped at her drink.

"I'm joking, Kass." he said, giving no indication whether he really was or not. He spoke jovially, which humor. "I just hope you've stopped flickin' the old bean to it now that you know we're family."

"I wont show them." Kassandra replied. "I have other things to deal with."

"I'm sure you do, Lieutenant." he said, tapping her hand in a friendly manner. "And it only took the death of your predecessor. I'm impressed."

"I would have rather have done the deed myself. Instead I got the pleasure of watching him breath his last." Kass replied.

"Oooo, dark." he said, raising his brows. "Nice. So what are your plans now that you've got control down there?"

"You mean after I finish disinfecting the office? Morrison had some weird perversions." She shuddered. "If we were at home, I would clean house, transfer and shift people around. But for now, I am just watching my team."

"Do you have people you don't trust?" he asked, looking intrigued.

"Lets just say, Morrison had favorites and I am still working out if they reciprocated his... affections."

"Eww, gross." Andrei said with a frown. "Let me know if you need help. I might have the information in my little black book, after all."

"I will keep that in mind. I am hoping they were just doing what they needed to, to survive that... person."

He took another sip and quickly changed the subject.

"Scuttlebutt says you're seeing Lieutenant Anderson."

"I am" came the reply. "And just Lieutenant Anderson at this stage." She smirked at him. "Juggling more than one guy is not my style."

“We’ll, then I’d have to beat up two boys.” He said with a jocular grin.

"No bashing up Johnathan ok? I have been having enough issues damping down the suspicion around you and his argument over Callie. In some people's minds, you are top of the list despite the fact that the Former Slave master confessed. I do not need the stress ok?"

“Kassandra, relax. I was only trying to get a ride out of you. I was playing the big brother, beating up his sister’s boyfriends.” He said with some warmth and a kind-looking smile. “Now, if you want to hear about the real thing, just ask Mika about the boy from Barcelona.”

"Oh I am sure she has stories that will keep me up at night." Kass took another sip. "That said, it is rather nice to know someone will stand up for me if I need it."

“That’s what Petrovs do.” He said, a distinct since of Pride in his voice. “Remember that Father was gone for years during our growing up. I stepped in a bit for Mika, and sometimes that meant deciding how many teeth the boys who bothered her got to keep. But you’re an adult and so is she. I have my own fair share of…company, so I won’t judge.”

"That's good to know." Kass said. "I have yet to tell .. oh I cant call him father, its too soon. I have yet to tell the Captain about my relationship with Johnathan, that said I am sure the XO already did it."

“It may soon find its way into a personnel file if you don’t tell him first.” He responded.

"Oh yeah knowing him as my father for the past what? 15 days? There is no segue from "He is my father" to "Oh by the way, I am sleeping with the chief flight control officer,." And you might want to consider telling him about you and the CMO."

“No no.” Andrei said with a smile, putting a hand up. “Who told you about that anyway?”

"Mika at Dinner when you were making yourself presentable for dinner" Kass said. "In front of your Father and Mother"

He looked down at the table for a moment, and it wasn't clear exactly what he was feeling. After a few seconds, he looked up to her and shrugged.

"Hey, it's not my most shameful exploit by far." he said.

Kass smiled. "That's true" She said. "Mika thought you and I may have..." she smirked.

"Well, to be very honest, it wasn't for my lack of trying, Kassandra." he said, a tone of modesty in his voice, but not of shame. "Your an attractive woman and I couldn't have guessed my dear old dad had been so...indiscreet. Not to mention, you hated my guts, and that can make for the best sex.."

He caught himself, but too late. He recognized it was awkward to say such things, even though he wasn't personally bothered. He rolled his eyes and finished off his drink in several quick gulps and placed the glass down on the table with some authority.

"Anyway..." he said, trailing off with a sense of obvious irony, like he found the awkwardness of the situation amusing. "Best be moving on..."

His younger half sister smirked at him. "Just remember, it will never happen Brother dear" she said as she finished her drink.

“Of course not.” He responded. “Too close for comfort.”