Sweat and Schemes

Posted on Thu May 30th, 2024 @ 9:35pm by Lieutenant Marikit "Kit" Urso & Lieutenant Commander Andrei Petrov

Mission: S1 Episode 8: Resolutions
Location: Gym
Timeline: Date 2371-12-22 at 0630
3479 words - 7 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

Though it had been months now, it still felt strange to no longer be wondering if they’d have enough power or supplies to keep their ship holding together during the journey. Being part of a fleet certainly had its perks and while she did miss the Gladius, Marikit couldn’t deny that the Vengeance offered her more freedoms to pursue her own pet projects than the Gladius had - or interesting projects others had given her. She was working on one such project now and was sitting in the corner of the gym with one of the very large tablet PADDs propped up on her thighs, her legs bent up to keep it in place. She had the stylus clutched in her mouth while her fingers were busy on the screen.

Her shorts and tank top indicated she had originally been in the gym to exercise, but that was certainly not what she was doing right now.

The gym tended to be a fairly busy place as fitness was important in the military, so the doors opened and closed quite often. This time, however, the XO entered in a black tank top, gray sweats, and black tennis shoes, and moved immediately to the treadmills. A light sheen of sweat already glistened on his impressively cut arms and the parts of his chest and torso the tank top left bare. His long raven-black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and it began to bob as he started to run on the machine. He came here daily , a ritual that helped him to sculpt himself. He was a weapon, and he needed the gym like his swords needed a sharpener.

“Well fuck you too.” Kit huffed at the PADD on her legs and then shoved it off to the side. She hadn’t even noticed Andrei walk in, but as she stood and reflexively brushed herself off, she caught sight of him running on the treadmill nearby and just watched him for a moment. He definitely was some sort of unit, and she found herself wondering if he had gotten like naturally or if he had help; it didn’t matter, but she was naturally curious. Seeing as the other treadmills besides those directly on either side of Andrei were occupied, she shrugged and moved onto one of them to resume her own workout.

Kit had no impressive physique, but she was fit and stronger than she looked; being flexible was what served her most in her job and she focused her exercises to maintain that more than anything. Her short hair and small backside bounced with each step, though her small chest was well tamed by the sports bra she was wearing.

Andrei glanced over toward the origin of the movement beside him and noticed Kit standing there. His eyes lingered on her face for a few seconds, but didn’t wander down before he looked forward again. Directly in front of them was an exterior window that provided a view of the stars streaming sideways as the ship traveled at warp. He was trotting along at a brisk pace, but hadn’t come up to a full-on sprint yet.

“What did I do this time?” he asked, obviously responding to the ‘fuck you’ she’d offered while sitting down with her PADD.

“Oh I’m sure you’ve done plenty to deserve it.” Kit replied without missing a beat and moving at her own leisurely pace. She did turn her head and glance over at him, then smirked. “Are you ever not in here?”

“I think I’ve heard more ‘fuck me’s’ than ‘fuck you’s’ in my life, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a close count.” he responded, flashing a grin at her through parted lips. He was breathing quickly as he pumped his powerful arms. “I’m passionately in love with moving fast and lifting heavy things. It’s my thing now. You should try it more often.”

“Careful, Andrei, I don’t think your girlfriend would appreciate being called a ‘heavy thing’.” The mischievous grin remained but her eyes were forward looking out the window. “I come here most every day, just not at this time.”

“The morning’s the best time. Right when you’re fresh.” he said, shaking his head at the first part of her statement but not responding verbally. “And when I’m done, I feel energized and ready to tackle the day with both hands.”

“Yeah but I get my best ideas in the morning, and since I’m not looking to break people with my bare hands, I think I’m good.” She chuckled and shook her head. “Besides, I could think of a lot more fun and pleasant ways to start off my morning.”

“Like what? Touching yourself looking at warp nacelle schematics?” he asked, rolling his eyes. The tone was dramatic and joking, but there was almost certainly a bit of real contempt in the statement. He reached his hand down and increased the speed so that he was running full-tilt. He moved his arms and legs like they were oiled pistons, and the intensity of the motion drew the eyes of several people in the room who were all working out much more casually than their incredibly intense superior officer.

“Are you threatened by the size of my nacelle?” Kit all but cooed teasingly at him. She never did understand why some men seemed to just be like that; she understood it more if there was a relationship of course, but why they cared otherwise was beyond her.

Andrei laughed loudly at her response, and it was fairly obvious he held no ill will, even if he was still a condescending ass. He didn’t try to respond, as he was running fast enough to make doing so impossible. He came here at the end of his jog to do the kind of running which would have likely genuinely hurt people if he’d done it in the corridors. The smile stayed frozen on his handsome face as he moved, and he chuckled several more times before he brought the speed down to a brisk walk. Huffing and puffing, he looked at her.

“Too bad I’m always in the gym, and can’t confirm my theory by listening to you breach your core through those surprisingly thin walls.” he said, stepping off the treadmill and grabbing his red bottle of water. He squirted it into his mouth from a distance, brazenly getting water all over himself as he did so.

He was impressive as hell when he moved, she couldn’t deny that, and idly she wondered if that transferred into the bedroom. He certainly seemed to.

“Well if you’re always in the gym, who’s in there breaching your girlfriend in the mornings, hm?” She challenged with a smirk. She really, really did need to soundproof their room.

“That’s me, Kit.” he said, dropping the empty bottle on the ground and grabbing the tank top. He lifted it and used it as a fan, exposing the scarring on his chiseled abs. “I just snake him through the corridors. Watch your step next time, by the way.”

“Oh is that what that is? I didn’t know he made house calls.” Kit slowed the machine and then let the momentum of the belt carry her back so she could step off. Her eyes caught the flash of his abdomen and lingered there - had she not known he spent a fair amount of his time in his quarters, she might have actually believed he was one of those people that spent every waking moment outside of work in the gym. She wondered about the scars - men often kept some just so they could look more manly, but each one had a story.

“Only one house now.” he said with a grin, grabbing his manhood and shaking it for a second under the sweat pants. He let go though and picked up his water bottle. There was a refill station nearby, so he stepped up to it and placed it inside, looking back at her while it filled up. “I decided not to get the bionic upgrades though, so don’t get any ideas. Without a vibrating head and anal attachments, I bet it couldn’t even get you started.”

When he grabbed and shook himself, Kit laughed loudly. She was irreverent through and through, so that kind of humor struck just as keenly as anything else. When he wandered off, she drifted after him while stretching. “That’s a shame, everyone likes a little vibe. I did not, however, take you for an ass man. I mean I know you're an ass man, just look at your woman, but I didn’t know you were an ass man.” She stressed.

Andrei looked at her with a smile that resembled how a child looked when they were doing something their parents told them not to do and they thought it was a game, but he didn’t respond. His water started to overflow all over his hands and flowed into the basin before he recognized his refill was done. He pulled it out and took a drag from the open bottle so that he would be able to close it, then walked back over to her closing the lid.

“So, your professional advice is that I should get the attachments then?”

“I mean, I could just replace the whole thing with a nacelle.” She grinned. Though she was flirtatious and clearly attracted, Kit seemed to be naturally aware of and respectful of the lines she couldn’t cross. “Or maybe I can bring mine over and we can see which one she likes more.”

“In the end, it might depend on who can vent the most plasma,” he said with a grin. “I need to get over to the bench. Spot me?”

“Well I’d win at that no problem.” She gave a confident grin then canted her head toward the bench in agreement. “I’m pretty sure you lift more than I weigh, but yeah sure. What could possibly go wrong.”

Kit was well aware he probably didn’t need a spotter at all, but she was enjoying the banter.

“That’s true, but I wanted to talk to you about something else besides big dick jokes, and it seems like a good time.” he said, laying down on the bench and grabbing the bar. Modern technology made it so that the weights were simulated and could be easily changed or removed the second things weren’t going right. Almost no one needed a spotter with these, but that was irrelevant. He looked up at her. “If you let me drop this and I get killed, I’ll come back and haunt your scrawny ass, Lieutenant.”

“Now now, we can’t all be as gifted as your magnificent lady.” Kit scolded him without any venom and grinned directly after. “What is it you need? Soundproofing?” She almost sounded hopeful.

“No, I need an excuse. And you are the perfect one.” he said, before activating the weight bar and lifting it. The way his strong arms moved and flexed, showing the substantial definition that normally laid dormant, made it clear the weight was heavy. He lowered it slowly in a controlled moment and exhaled sharply as he pushed it back up again. “You and I are going to take a trip.”

“Are we?” Kit asked curiously, standing above him though her eyes were drifting down to his body as he lifted the weights. “Where to, exactly?”

Andrei grunted slightly while lifting the weights, but didn’t say anything else until his set was done. He put the weights down and exhaled his tension.

“There’s a moon at the edge of Vidiian space where an engineering conference is taking place in a few days. You and I are going to take the Aeroshuttle on an overnight trip so that you can learn about Delta Quadrant technologies. Meanwhile, I’m going to follow a lead on a cure for the virus.”

He grabbed the bar again and got to work as soon as he’d finished speaking, needing no encouragement to lift again. His eyes drifted up to her slim body. She was fit, and he liked women, so he stole glances every now and then.

“Oh.” Kit blinked, her uniquely attractive face scrunching just a bit. She didn’t know what she had been expecting exactly, but that hadn’t been it. “Well, that’s fine if the Captain signed off on it. When is it exactly?”

“It’s on the 28th. We’ll have to fly all night to get there.” he said, grunting as he lifted the bar over and over again. His arms bulged and his impressive muscles strained, but he seemed to have everything completely under control. “Only question is..”

He placed the back down and sighed. “How are you going to tell Lyra we’re going to spend two nights together?”

“She’s not coming?” Kit looked back down at him immediately and while she didn’t seem outright alarmed by the prospect, she obviously had assumed it would be a trio of a trip. “Why?”

“Why would she?” he asked, as if he couldn’t see any reason besides the offensive idea he would need a babysitter. “She’ll stay here as acting XO. Any trouble we meet out there, we’ll be more than capable of dealing with.”

She found his reaction strange to say the least and it showed on her face while she looked down at him. “I just figured it was a chance to get away. Usually people take those whenever they get them and would bring their person along too to share in the fun.” She thought for a moment and then smirked slyly. “Are you two fighting?”

Andrei made a confused expression to match it. What she was saying made sense, but he had honestly not even thought about using this trip as a retreat for him or for anyone else. His mind had been locked on finding a way to save his family along with the other colonists, and the concept of “getting away” hadn’t entered his mind.

“You couldn’t imagine how beautiful our fighting is.” he responded, and lifted the bar again.

Actually, it was strange. Kit - and anyone on the deck - could hear when they were fucking, but she had never actually heard them fighting before. They didn’t seem like the types that would be quiet about it either, but maybe she was wrong. She didn’t dwell on it and instead just gave a shrug.

“I’m not telling your girlfriend shit unless it’s going to be ‘I’m here telling you this because your boyfriend is too chicken shit to say it to your face himself’.”

“I was joking, you ass.” he said, chuckling. “I’ll tell her. Oh, by the way, do you have favorite flowers? It’s best to know these things before the time of death in preparation for your funeral.”

“Wow, just gonna throw me to the wolves I see. That’s rude.” Kit snorted and crossed her arms under her small chest. “You know what, maybe I should just go with her instead.”

“No, I don’t trust your intentions, you pervert.” He said, sitting up and grabbing his water bottle again.

“That’s probably wise.” Kit confirmed stoically then grinned immediately after at her own joke. “You know, if you go back home and tell her now before shift starts, she won’t have a chance to yell at you and maybe she will cool off while she’s working.”

“Concern for the well-being of my relationship is touching, Kit, but she only screams at me in the way I like.” He said, and then squirted the water into his mouth again wantonly, standing up.

“You seem to enjoy things squirting on you.” Kit noted, having noticed the way he handled the bottle every time he did so.

“You have no idea.” He responded with a mischievous grin. “Though, I figure we share that, one way or another.”

“Well, you’re not wrong.” She grinned in response, having to tilt her head a fair bit back to look up at him. “But seriously, just don’t be stupid about it okay because I actually don’t want her to come take it out on me.”

“Calm down, scared cats. I’m the XO, you’re the chief engineer. It’s as simple as that unless…” his grin widened and he leaned a little closer. ”…Stagg isn’t doing it for you anymore.”

Kit laughed and shook her head. “No, Asher does just fine, but if you try to fuck me on the trip I’m going to lose out on a pretty penny. I had you lasting until April.”

“Oh, ‘just fine’, every man’s favorite way of being described in bed.” Andrei responded, grinning ear to ear. “And don’t worry about that. I never ‘try’.”

“Okay well if you can wait until do until April, maybe I’ll even give you a cut of my winnings.” Kit leaned in, conspiratorial. “It is a pretty big pool you know.”

“Who's the bookie taking bets? I should get in on this action.” Andrei responded with a lift of his eyebrows. “If people have so little faith in me, I can capitalize on that just as well as you. Probably better.”

“You and Lyra are definitely not allowed to be part of the pool.” Kit laughed and shook her head. “You’d just bet on a day and go fuck someone down to the correct second just to get all the money.”

“Kit, you wound me.” He said with a grin. “I’m a good boy, and I always have been. I would never throw a wrench in the wholesome practice of betting exactly what pussy I’m going to fall into and when. That would be wrong!”

Kit sidled up close to him and poked his chest once. “I believe you are very good at being very bad and that’s about it. Oh and running.”

“You have a heart of stone.” he said, incredulously. “I’m also good at fighting, throwing a fit, telling people what to do, getting my way, and fucking. Don’t sell me short.”

“Oh, oh you’re right. Terribly sorry, do forgive me.” Kit clasped her hands together in front of him. “I did forget all of those things - well, I guess I can’t confirm the last one personally but I’ve been around enough to hear things and see the way women still eye fuck you even with the woman you have.”

“I hadn’t noticed.” He said, using his towel to wipe some of the sweat and water from his face and the exposed parts of his chest. “They’re just admiring my work ethic, I'd imagine. Not everything is about sex.”

“Oh yes you have and you like it too.” Kit smirked. “Not like you don’t do it back. I see what you do when your girlfriend isn’t looking your way with those big brown eyes of her’s.” She poked his chest again.

“You know there’s a slightly less popular pool out there too.”

“I don’t think I’m going to like this one..” he said, eyeing her with amused suspicion.

“Who is going to end up dead if you do fuck up - you, Cassiel, or whatever slut you stuck your dick into?” She provided, crossing her arms and smirking.

“Don’t stress, Kitty. Might never happen.” He said simply, smiling all the more keenly but not really giving any insight one way or another. He was satisfied people were talking about them constantly, to be quite honest. “Tell them She and I are survivors. We can’t be killed. And don’t be late to the morning briefing again, or I’ll stick you in the agonizer. Or maybe I’ll call Stagg over to give you something just fine.”

He laughed at his joke and started off toward the exit, moving slowly and actually still looking over his shoulder at her.

“I’ll put my name down for Team Slut, then.” She called after him loudly enough to turn some heads in their direction with people wondering what the hell was happening. “See you at the briefing… probably.”

“Try me, Kit. I’ll have you running laps with me until you’re dead.” he said, and then he walked out of the doors into the corridor, and was gone.

END