Tensions and Tenderness

Posted on Mon Apr 22nd, 2024 @ 4:12am by Lieutenant Commander Lyra Cassiel & Lieutenant Commander Andrei Petrov
Edited on on Mon Apr 22nd, 2024 @ 4:13am

Mission: In-Between (S1:E7-S1:E8)
Location: XO's Quarters
Timeline: Date 2371-09-28 at 0130
4065 words - 8.1 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

Running on the holodeck was a nice break from the mundane running on the treadmill in the gym or around the sterile scenery of the ship decks themselves and was usually something she enjoyed quite thoroughly, but her time had been disrupted by Orion’s unwelcome intrusion. She’d found his attempts harmless and amusing at first and hardly anything noteworthy having only mentioned it a few days ago to Andrei since it had truly slipped her mind. This time, however, he had made his feelings and his intentions very clear. She had been angry about it of course, but in a way Orion wasn’t wrong. Andrei had been that way and maybe he still would be with others, but with her she was seeing a much different side of him. He was a boy finally making the transition to manhood at what many would see as the appropriate age to abandon the childish pursuits. Some were more successful than others. The problem really was that she and Andrei were both adept at manipulating others, and their relationship required an immense amount of trust that they simply would not do that to each other.

Trust didn’t come easily for either of them, though, and she would have been lying if she said she still wasn’t guarded. They were two souls that burned for each other, but realistically they hadn’t been together that long. Still, she found that most everything in her wanted it all to be real; she had to be careful she wasn’t deluding herself in hopes of a dream.

She walked into Andrei’s quarters, rubbing at the back of her neck and rolling her shoulders.

“Hello, darling.” She greeted as she made her way to the bedroom and into the bathroom.

Andrei sat behind his desk with PADD in hand, leaning back in his comfortable chair. The work day had been relatively uneventful, and besides a few trips to different departments to get the lay of the land and to make his presence known, he had read reports and held small informal meetings in his office and on the Bridge.

When the doors parted and Lyra walked in, he glanced up briefly to watch her on her journey to the bathroom.

“Hello.” He said in a neutral tone. “How was your run?”

“Eh.” She said loudly enough to be heard while she pulled off her clothes and put them in the laundry for the slaves to take care of later. Naked now, she stepped into the shower to wash off the sweat from running on the tropical beach climate - it was definitely more of a work out than solid ground and she could feel it in her toned legs.

“Oh? But it sounded so relaxing when you told me where you were going.” he said, swiping his finger across the screen and assigning his thumb print. “You’ve got to let your stress go when work is done, Love. Running on the beach was supposed to put those cares a thousand lightyears away.”

Lyra tilted her head back and let her eyes roll up back into her skull at Andrei’s words. The sonic shower took care of everything quickly, but she lingered a few seconds to just listen to the low, soothing vibrations. After stepping out, she went about applying her lotion while continuing the conversation.

“I know that, but it’s a bit hard to do when someone is in the holodeck eating up my time and then refuses to just excuse himself like a decent person.”

Himself? Andrei’s eyes drifted away from the device in his hand and looked toward the bedroom door with his mismatched eyes as if she were simply standing there. He kept the sudden swell of curious, or perhaps even paranoid, suspicion off his face and out of his voice.

“And who would be so rude to you?” he asked evenly, even though he was already putting the PADD down on the desk. “Someone who wouldn’t follow your order to leave?”

Lyra didn’t reply immediately and finished what she was doing then washed her hands. After stepping out into the bedroom, she continued to speak while she pulled on a pair of silky, lace trimmed pants and a matching tank top; the soft material stretched over her chest and rear end, giving away the shape but leaving the details to the imagination. “Your dear friend Orion, darling.”

Sighing, she brushed out her hair and then finally wandered out to the main living area. “He was in the holodeck doing some science experiment program or whatever.”

Andrei’s lips poked out almost like a kiss as he looked at her.

“Hardly friends. I will admit he was entertaining enough at first, but he could never accept that I was better than him. It drove him mad.” He said, tapping his finger on the desk. “What did he want with you? Some boring science bullshit?”

Lyra walked over to the replicator and looked over her shoulder to his desk. Seeing he didn’t have a drink there, she ordered two cups of the black tea and honey he preferred. Once it was produced, she grabbed both of the podstakanniks and then joined Andrei. “He didn’t want anything with me, I don’t think. He had just run over his personal time on the holodeck and you know how I like to be prompt.”

She placed his drink down in front of him and then sipped her own. “To be polite, I asked him about what he was doing because clearly he was weaponizing something and I was curious. Turns out it is some sort of bacteria they found on the Gladius and they turned it into a battery. It seems incredibly stupid, but they were desperate I suppose.”

“I read about that in their logs. It just goes to show how ingenious Terrans can be when we are in need. What a shame they didn’t arrive with us in the first place.” Andrei commented, but his mind hardly moved over the topic of the bacteria. “And you were so bothered by him being there when you arrived? What did he have to stay for once he knew he was over his time?”

“I was annoyed like I would be with anyone.” She shrugged. “He lingered because like I said, I was curious and also being polite. I don’t feel a need to alienate him unnecessarily.” She paused and then amended it, “Well, I didn’t, at least.”

Andrei watched her, grabbing the silver handle of his emerald-encrusted podstakannik and lifting the hot drink to his lips. His mismatched eyes never left her. They were growing suspicious as he sensed there was more to this small-talk than met the eye. He wished she would just get to it. Some of that suspicion slipped into his gaze, but none of the impatience. Instead of speaking, he merely enjoyed the hot drink and gave her the space to continue talking.

Lyra met his eyes and took note of his gaze, but she kept her own even and unreactive. “Before he left, I mentioned that you were thinking about meeting with him to catch up,” the tone when she spoke communicated she knew exactly what Andrei’s intention was when he said “catch up” in that sense, “he asked me what the plan was. I told him to ask you or Jasper. Then he started talking about the program I was running.”

She shook her head and rolled her eyes at the thought, then moved to sit on the edge of Andrei’s desk. She was obviously annoyed by the entire thing and wanted to be close to her lover.

“So, he was being a pest and refused to leave. Is that all he was about?” Andrei asked, lifting his chin in a prideful gesture which drew attention to his strong jaw and height of his posture, even as he leaned back in the chair. “I’m having a hard time understanding why you are so annoyed by that, Love.”

Lyra was momentarily distracted watching him lift his head, her dark eyes taking in the details of his body as he leaned back. “I told him the program was from a beach I spent time on during spring breaks at the Academy, he said he found the thought of me doing anything for spring break to be surprising, and I reminded him he didn’t know anything about me.”

She placed her tea down on the desk. “Then he puts out that he’s been trying to scour the rumor mill and the database to learn more about - I quote - ‘the woman who has captured my attention completely.” Her lips pursed and she looked like she had just tasted something bad. “I decided I would educate him on one fact at the very least which is I take faithfulness in my relationship very seriously - both my own and my man’s.”

To Andrei’s credit, he seemed no more bothered by the information she had given him than before and, if anything, seemed slightly relieved to have actually heard what it was. Lyra was reporting this particular happening, so it certainly wasn’t like she was hiding it. An interested woman would have let it to herself.

“What a sad little man.” Andrei said, sucking in air through his nostrils. “Very disrespectful though, isn’t it? He’s going to need to be taught a lesson.” He said, lifting his tea again, but pausing a moment before drinking, “What did he say when you told him you had no interest in him?”

“He decided to start lecturing me about the kind of person you are. He said you are the epitome of faithlessness, selfish, never consider anyone else’s needs but your own; how you say the right things at the right time to make people feel like they are the center of the universe but that the mask eventually comes down and you show yourself to be a selfish prick.” Her scowl deepened with every recount she gave.

“What a devious little idiot. I should run him through with my sword.” He responded, but didn’t seem particularly angry. He looked at her and lifted his brow. “Well, it sounds like he is working hard on you. Does he really think I would tolerate this kind of behavior, do you think?”

“It seems so.” She replied. As she looked at him, she saw the lack of expression there and wondered what it meant. He seemed to care with what he was saying, but his body language communicated differently and she wasn’t sure which to believe. If she had been in his shoes and he had been talking about one of his conquests or someone new doing something similar, she would be plotting how to communicate to that person how incredibly stupid they were being, but perhaps he was just showing her how he expected these things to be dealt with.

She didn’t like it.

She moved from his desk and over to the couch, taking a seat and tucking her legs up underneath her while she sipped her tea. “He doesn’t seem to grasp the concept that I am not interested.”

Andrei stood then, pursing his lips together and placing his tea down on the desk.

Turning around, he grabbed one of his shashkas and placed it on his hip. Turning, he looked at her with calm and quiet confidence.

“I’ll explain it to him then.” He said, and then started toward the door with a determined stride.

Well that was certainly more decisive as a reaction, though a bit heavy handed. Lyra put her tea down on the end table. “Wait, darling.”

She got up and followed after him, intercepting him before he got to the door and placing one hand on his wrist while the other went up to his cheek. “Not tonight… just stay with me. I want you.”

It wasn’t an order, it was a simple, gentle request.

At first, it seemed as if Andrei might walk straight through her, but stopped just as his torso had made contact with her breasts. He looked down into her eyes without lowering his head, every bit of his natural arrogance working underneath the surface.

“I don’t want to accuse you of protecting this man. That wouldn’t be fair.” He said, his tone slightly strained, but still quite well controlled.

He said he didn’t want to, but he certainly just had in his own way. Lyra’s brows went up slightly in surprise at first, and then she frowned, the slightest glimpse of hurt being shown before it disappeared. She pulled back from him and wrapped her arms around herself, physically closing off from him and moving out of his way while walking back to the couch.

“I had a long, stressful day with my double shift and the thing that was supposed to help me unwind got fucked up by some asshole. I just wanted to be with you and try and let that go; you are my favorite way to relax even if it's just us lying on the couch reading.” She sat back down and pulled her legs up again, clearly unhappy with him and his insinuation. She could have just not told him and maybe it had been a mistake to at all.

Andrei watched as Lyra went back to the couch, closing herself off to him. The two of them were like tortoises in shells at times; hard and tough on the outside, but here, very tender and vulnerable. He had a thousand justifications for wanting to act, but he knew it wasn’t urgent. Part of him was annoyed at her for being so sensitive, but the rest knew how counterproductive that feeling really was. With a sniff of air, he turned and walked back to the desk area. He placed his sword back in its place and then retreated to the bedroom for the space of a few moments.

When he returned, he was wearing a long-sleeve gray shirt and a pair of black leisure pants. He walked over to the couch and stopped before her, placing a hand on her side and wordlessly pressing her to lay down. In his other hand was a lavender-colored bottle of massage oil.

Lyra was sitting with her eyes closed, having written Andrei off and feeling he would either go do what he was going to do or go back to his desk and ignore her which right now would have suited her just fine. She felt him draw close and braced for him to berate her. When she felt the touch on her side she opened her eyes and looked toward his hand and then up at him with a slight frown. She didn’t move immediately, some stubborn streak in her was tempted to protest and tell him to leave her alone, but then she realized that would be rather childish and silly. He was giving her exactly what she had wanted. He might have not been doing so happily, but he was doing it and that was worth something.

She put her tea down again and then shifted so she could lie down on the couch for him.

Sometimes love was a feeling, and sometimes it was an act. Andrei was showing that he understood that fact. He may have wanted to be using his sword to castrate their Chief Science Officer, but he understood that he was needed here. He grabbed at her silky, lace-trimmed pants and started to slowly remove them, being careful not to disturb her more than was necessary. As he applied the oil, he said nothing. Sometimes, words couldn’t help and actions spoke more faithfully. He placed his hands on her nearest leg and started to slowly massage her aching muscles.

As he didn’t want to disturb her, she also didn’t shift more than necessary to help him. They were, however, quite practiced in the art of taking each other’s clothes off, so knowing what to do was natural at this point. He revealed the silky black panties underneath the pants that showed off the underside of her bottom and her long, toned legs. As he pressed his fingers into her flesh, he could immediately see the tension melting away from her body in just the simple act. It was obvious she hadn’t been exaggerating her enjoyment of being near him. She didn’t offer any words, and only the occasional slight sound of discomfort or approval hummed against her tongue broke the quiet, rhythmic motions of his hand.

Andrei moved his strong hands masterfully over her leg before moving on to the next one. He was skilled, and had clearly put in his time and practice between working on her and the secret visits he made to the holodeck to hone his skills. He was gentle when it was needed and certainly could provide the power when a bit more pressure was called for. The massage wasn’t long, but he could tell it had been effective. When he was done, he leaned in and kissed her on the side, being as careful as he could not to tickle her in that particularly sensitive area.

She was practically dozing by the time he had finished up. His kiss roused her again and she turned her head and smiled at him with a warm, genuine expression that had really only ever been given to him. She was clearly tired, but also clearly grateful.

“Spasibo moy dorogoy.” Her voice was perfectly accented from years of practice. Maybe her parents had Andrei in mind for her for a long while given that Russian was one of the earliest languages she had learned. He didn’t find her linguistic accomplishments impressive of course, but even so he did still seem to like it when she spoke in his mother tongue to him from time to time.

“De nada, meu amor.” He responded in Portuguese, her native tongue, and moved to sit on the couch under her smoothly oiled legs. “You know, Revana hates Orion. I don’t know what he did to make her so angry, though.”

“From what I understand, when they went down to Sikaris with Kit, Orion was practically drooling over Revana. They went somewhere on one of those platforms for a few minutes, then when they came back everything was frosty.” Lyra supplied and put her head down on the throw pillow she had pulled over while he had been giving her the message. Her tone was even and she had her face turned in a way that made it very hard to see her true expression.

Andrei chuckled and shook his hand, running his hand slowly over her legs. It was a mystery, but he knew Orion had a capacity to flip on a dime and was quite the flirt to boot. He always seemed to Andrei to like the strong type of woman. Unfortunately, that was so often the kind who could take what they want from a man and leave them bleeding. His crush on Lyra made sense in that light.

“Well, she is furious with him. She gave him a mean nickname and everything, but when I probed, she wouldn’t say any more.” he said and shrugged. Revana had her secrets at times, though she liked to play dumb. “I’ll have to arrange a tet-a-tet with my dear old friend sooner rather than later.”

“Oh? What is she calling him?” Lyra asked, her voice projecting a genuine interest which she most certainly did not feel. She didn’t like the fact he was gossiping with Revana or really talking to her outside any official capacity. The fact that the woman was now stationed on the Gladius indicated it had been a pointedly sought out conversation too which just made it worse. Still, it wasn’t worth the fight and she was trying her best to just let it go. For now.

Andrei wasn’t actually interested in discussing it either, though he kept that to himself as well as she did. Perhaps it was his lack of interest in gossip generally, or the fact he knew she wasn’t a fan of his friendship with Revana. It was dangerous, in her mind, and he understood that. If the situation were reversed, he would be just as uncomfortable, if not more. Despite her concerns, though, he and Revana were’t pillow friends and often they just had fun talking to each other. The energy he had put into the friendship had been greatly reduced, and often their conversations were text-based and a ship away. He was happy with that arrangement. Still, he found himself torn between the potential of making Lyra uncomfortable by talking about Revana and trying to keep her in the loop, making sure she felt involved.

“Gummy Dick.” he said, shaking his head and keeping his answer short. “Quite crude, really.”

“A bit.” Lyra replied, sounding amused and it was hard to tell differently. She shifted to turn on her side, keeping her legs off the couch and still just on him, but she was careful to not move him around too much or hit any of her favorite bits.

“What are you thinking for a meeting?”

“A meal is the classic choice.” he said, sounding bored by the idea. “The sparring arena is another one.”

“Do I get to watch?” She asked as she looked at him, her eyebrows raising slightly and a small smile tugging onto her full lips.

“Of course you do, love. I’ve got a front-row ticket just for you.” he said with a grin of his own. He lifted her hand and kissed her fingers gently. “It wouldn’t be sufficiently embarrassing for him if you were absent anyway.”

“Were you both often at odds growing up?” She asked curiously, wanting to hear from Andrei’s side since Orion had made his opinions of Andrei exceedingly clear to her.

“You might say that.” Andrei said, his mind drifting back to that time in his life. “We would connect with the Wolff family several times a year considering we ruled the largest part of their lands. Often, we would visit them, but other times they would pay us a visit instead at the Kremlin. Tiresome, boring people really. But, because his Father was more powerful than mine, Orion thought he should win at King of the Hill.”

Andrei looked at Lyra and shook his head.

“Little Andrei wasn’t having that. We found ourselves put together socially quite often. Whenever I had a friend, Orion wanted to be friends with them as well. As we matured, I seemed to find him arm in arm with girls I had dated previously. At times, I admit I made some sport of it actually, but it never bothered me that he should have my leavings. I think it bothered him though.” he said, rubbing her leg again. “He’s always wanted to see me kneel, really.”

Lyra listened to him with obvious interest in the topic, her dark eyes resting on his face to catch any nuance of expression he might give while he was speaking about his experiences. She seemed quite at ease, and when he began to rub her leg again she even smiled. “Well, he’ll learn quickly that you do no such thing here.”

She shifted then, pulling herself up and over him so she could straddle his lap and look into his eyes. “You’ll always be king of the hill, darling.”

He looked into her eyes and smiled, holding her closer now that she was on top of him.

“And you, the Queen.” he said, and kissed her deeply, all thoughts of killing Orion falling from his mind.

She met his kiss with passion and her body leaned into his. She had been open with him about the encounter and he in turn had put his desires aside to care for her. There wasn’t a need for any more words between them; they knew what came next.

END