Sikarian Hangover

Posted on Fri Feb 23rd, 2024 @ 7:36pm by Lieutenant Commander Annalise Faulkner & Lieutenant Asher Stagg

Mission: S1 Episode 7: Prime Factors
Location: L'hur, Sikaris
Timeline: Date 2371-09-14 at 1845
7677 words - 15.4 OF Standard Post Measure

Asher Stagg hadn’t cleaned up very well after his fight, but he looked better on the outside than he did on the inside. The Sikarian bar was dark and dusty, found by asking the right kind of person rather than on a tourist’s catalog. He was the only non-Sikarian and, for the most part, the room was full of gruff men who smoked, drank, played games, and cursed loudly. He didn't interact with them, but the environment itself reminded him of home.

He sighed, leaning against the wall, his left arm in a sling and his right arm holding a glass of something dark pinkish-purple. He would stay there for a while, get drunk, and then figure out how the large game attracting so much attention in the middle of the room was played.

The door opened and in walked a very unusual sight in a place like this which was immediately obvious as the vast majority of the heads turned to the door and eyes remained there. Staring.

Annalise had already spent an embarrassing amount of time considering what to wear before coming down here to find her XO, and she immediately regretted the decision of wearing a dress over her uniform. It was modest with short sleeves and a v-neckline that didn’t reveal anything; the a-line skirt hit just at her knee and it was a pleasant light blue with a floral pattern. She stepped out of the doorway and cleared her throat, her eyes moving through the room to find Asher. Most of the men looked away, but a few continued to stare in a way that it was very easy to understand what they were thinking.

Asher didn’t see right away, but the spreading silence in the room told him that something interesting was happening. He raised his head and saw her approaching him. He clocked the other men checking her out, but he didn’t expect too much trouble. After all, he was fit enough to take on any of these idiots, as long as he did it with one arm.

“Annie, what the hell are you doing here?” he asked, looking genuinely surprised.

“I came to find you.” She replied when she was close enough, giving one more glance over her shoulder toward the last few men who were looking, but they finally seemed to disengage when she went over to Stagg. “I wanted to check on you.”

“No need. I’m fine.” he said, lifting his drink to her and then taking a sip from the glass. “Can I get you anything? They’ve got some good drinks here.”

“Ah… sure, I guess.” She agreed, moving to sit down with him finally and trying to seem more at ease than she felt. “Whatever is fine.”

He took the next few moments to go to the bar and order her a drink he thought she would like. When he returned, he sat a tall and slender glass in front of her with sparkling golden liquid inside. The sweet smell wafted up as soon as it was put down. Resuming his seat, he regarded her and gave a half smile.

“I assumed that uniform was glued to your body, Annie.”

“You’ve seen me out of my uniform and in casual clothes before, Asher, just not often.” She reminded him and pulled the glass a bit closer to herself though didn’t take a sip. “But I did consider it.”

“It’s been a while. You work too hard.” he said, matter-of-factly, “And you look too good in a dress to wear that uniform all day. You’ll turn into a Vulcan if you don’t stop.”

“I work as much as I have to to keep things going.” She smiled slightly and sat back in the booth, her long, delicate fingers resting on the stem of the glass. “You weren’t really conscious last time I came to see you and you’ve been hiding down here.”

“I’m not hiding.” he said, shaking his head in a way that indicated he was at least slightly drunk. “I’m sitting. I’m drinking. You didn’t have a hard time finding me, did you?”

“I suppose not.” She picked up the drink and took the smallest of sips. “I just… well, I just wanted to see how you were doing I guess. I’m not here to bother you.”

“The only way you’ll bother me, Annie, is by taking those little baby sips. You’re making me nervous.” he said rasing his hands in a ‘what can I say?’ gesture and taking another drink of his purple beverage. Licking his lips, he continued. “Really, it’s not the first time I’ve been in a fight. I’ve kicked many asses and, every now and then, I get my ass kicked back. This one was a bit more of surprise than others, but life is full of surprises.’

Taking a small sip again, he leaned back, getting more relaxed in his chair.

“Thinking about killing that fucker though, to be honest. Getting a few boys together and just muuurdering him.”

Annalise opened her mouth but stopped, closed it, studied him, and figured out he was likely drunk so she let it go. “Well, I’m glad you’re taking it… well? What happened, exactly? I’ve had at least six different accounts given to me.”

“I was sitting in the lounge, minding my own business, when the Cyclops beams in with four of meanest-looking slaves I’ve seen in my life. We fought, and he won.” he said, breezing through the interesting parts and taking another drink. “What did you hear?”

“I heard you threw the first punch. He threw the first punch. One of his slaves attacked someone and you retaliated. He attacked someone and you retaliated. Someone else shoved him into you and he just started swinging…” She considered a moment and then shook her head. “I don’t remember the last one.”

She took another small sip of her drink and set it back down. It had an interesting and pleasant flavor and she was enjoying it, but she didn’t exactly feel comfortable drinking.

“Is that what this is about, Annie? Are you here to get the paperwork in proper order?” he asked, turning his head to the side and giving her a deadpan as if something ridiculous was occurring. “I doubt you just want to hear the story.”

“No, I really-“ she stopped then, her brow knitting and a frown appearing on her beautiful face. She reached down to the small bag she had been carrying and pulled out a few credits to put down by her glass.

“I’m sorry, Asher. I really didn’t come here to bother you, this was a mistake.”

With that, she moved to get up and headed for the door again.

Asher watched her with a face that signified annoyance. She was his CO, he knew, but the uniforms were off, and as far as he was concerned, she was Annie right then.

“Where the hell are you going?” he asked after her, smiling and tapping the foot of the leg he had crossed over the other. It was a handsome smile, despite the cuts on his face. The doctors had done a good job making him look whole again. “Three sips of a drink and a bit of resistance from me and you give up? Jupiter and Mercury, what happened to you? You used to be kind of fun.”

Annalise had stopped at first when he had spoken to her. Her pretty blue eyes had moved over his handsome face slowly and she looked like she might have been inclined to come back until he insulted her even as mild as it was. She looked hurt by it, looking away and down. Brushing a bit of her blonde hair back behind her ear, she cleared her throat.

“I’ll see you when you’re done with your leave then, Lieutenant.” With that, she actually did leave.

“Perfect little shield, isn’t it!” he called after her, only unintentionally watching her behind as she hurried away. Commanders always got to hide behind their formalities. They were just like nobles in that way. He wasn’t used to anyone giving two craps about him or taking more than a few seconds to make sure he was still following the rules. It was a lonely world. Well, he didn’t need her if she was going to be like that. He didn’t need anybody.

Just a few seconds after Annalies stepped out of the bar, two men who had been standing together near the entrance made their way out as well. They happened to be the best-dressed men there in durable casual slacks and nice shirts, yet they had a sort of distant look in their eyes. They stepped out onto the street and started after her.

“Excuse me, beautiful,” one of them said, his dark eyes following her, “are you alright?”

“I’m fine, thank you.” Annalise replied, only briefly glancing over her shoulder and continuing to walk away. She didn’t really even know where she was going, she was just going… away. Maybe she should have just gone back to the Gladius.

“The man in there was very rude to you.” the man said, walking ahead of his silent friend and closing the distance to her. “Sikarians do not believe in letting our guests suffer alone.”

“That’s very kind of you, but I’m not suffering. I’m quite alright and just heading back to my home now.” She glanced back again, this time frowning as she saw one had closed the distance toward her.

The man reached out and grabbed her arm roughly, stopping her in her stride and pulling her close to him. His friend stood nearby, but allowed them a bit of distance.

“Beautiful, please. I can’t stand to see you so sad.” he said with a smile bordering on predatory. “You must have a drink with me.”

She was caught off guard as she was grabbed and stopped. Her eyes widened and she made a slight sound when he pulled her back into him. There was a split second of panic, but then training kicked in. Annalise wasn’t an embodiment of female strength or martial skill, but she was a Terran officer and that did come with a certain standard of physical expectations and training in hand-to-hand combat. Without really thinking about it, she brought the heel of her hand up sharply and smacked it into the man’s nose, feeling it give easily under the force.

“Get the hells off of me!”

“Ahhh!” the man shouted, releasing her for a moment and cradling his broken nose. He looked at her with fire in his eyes, his gentle Sikarian tone gone. “You BITCH!”

He surged toward her, pushing her up against the nearby wall. This time, his friend came in to help, and the two men used their strength to box her in and try to get a hold of her arms.

She tried to plant her feet to stop him from pushing her back, but she wasn’t fast enough in doing so. She was more successful in fighting them trying to grab her arms though by keeping them moving unpredictably. She balled her hands into fists, trying to hit them down in their groins - it wasn’t dignified, but it was one of the surest ways to get a man to back off. “Get away!”

They made no move to get away, and ignored her increasingly noisy requests for them to do so. The friend grabbed her hand and pinned it behind her before catching the other one in his forehead. They weren’t as successful as they’d hoped, considering she was a military officer, but it was clear that they would win given a bit more time.

Unfortunately for them, time was up. The large figure of Asher made his way toward them at a reasonable speed, his frowning eyes locked on the three of them. He made no sound and certainly didn’t announce himself before grabbing the original assailant by the back of the head and smashing his skull against the hard wall. The man was immediately out, and Asher didn't force the issue, simply allowing him to fall to the ground rather than continuing to hurt him.

Of course Annalise was afraid, but she hadn’t been letting herself yield to it - at least not fully. It was making her forget the hand-to-hand training and instead brought to mind different lessons that were more or less exclusively still taught to military women and not men. Her teeth were gritted and she tried to consider her next move logically, but the anxiety was certainly mounting. For a couple of seconds, it didn’t even register that suddenly one of the men was on the floor and the other had stopped fighting with her so much - they both looked down and then back up.

Asher smiled at the man still standing and shook his head.

“You picked the wrong woman, you twat.” he said, advancing toward the man. The man, untrained and unatheletic, through a wild kick which landed on the arm Asher had in a sling. The security officer bent over for a moment and opened his mouth. “FUCK!”

He then moved forward and grabbed the man by his collar with his good arm. Pushing him against a wall, he pulled his phaser and placed it under the man’s chin.

“What do you say, Annie?” he asked, looking at the man with a scowl. “You ever smelled roasted asshole?”

“No, I haven’t.” Annalise replied as she stepped a few feet away to smooth out her dress and brush at her hair to put herself back together again. While her first answer had never been violence, she didn’t shrink from it nor did she from killing.

Asher let the tension surge and rest as he moved the phaser around the man’s neck and jaw. Then, stepping back he kicked him straight in the balls and chuckled as the man doubled over and fell to the ground. Holstering his side arm, he walked over to Annalise. Reaching up, he ordered a series of hairs she had missed.

“All this just to get me out of the bar, hmm?”

Annalise flinched slightly when he moved her hair but didn’t pull back from him. She was still high on adrenaline and anxiety, fight and flight. “Thank you, Asher…”

“Sure thing, Darling. Just breathe.” he said in a totally calm voice laced with enough amusement to disarm the situation of some of its seriousness without being flippant or inappropriate. He placed a hand on her back gently, looking down at her. “You’re safe now. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“Yeah, thanks.” She repeated automatically and began to walk away from the area, though not in a way that she was trying to get away from him.

“Come on.” he said, stepping in next to her. “My hotel is nearby, and you look like you could use a comfortable chair and some water.” he said decisively, though he waited to see if she was willing to go with him before he set a course.

Annalise looked back at him, skeptical at best, but relented with a nod. “Alright. I was just going to head back to the ship though…”

“This is my best chance to get you to do literally anything but that, and I’m taking it.” he said, his voice lighter and gentler than normal. He navigated the streets of the city for around ten minutes, steering them toward a nicer part of town and a very busy street. Eventually, they turned into a well-lit building with a modern floor-to ceiling window style. He walked with her to the elevator and stepped right aboard.

She stepped in after him, her arms wrapped around herself. She’d been quiet on the walk there, but she had followed along easily enough.

“I have to say, this isn’t the kind of place I would have expected you to pick.”

“I had the Yeoman pick. It was a mistake.” he said, sounding like he really regretted it. “Let’s say you aren’t the first woman to voice her surprise.”

“I’m sure I won’t be the last either.” She gave no indication of being bothered by Asher’s comment. He was an attractive man and women naturally gravitated toward him; she wasn’t blind. “You should let me take a look at your arm.”

“You have some secret medical degree I don’t know about, Fly Girl?” he asked with a wink as the elevator doors opened. They stepped out into a hallway and made their way to his room. After swiping the keycard, they entered a room that was all pine, lights, and windows with modern furniture. It was quite nice. Too nice for his taste.

“Yes, actually.” Her voice was easy and she shrugged. “I’m actually a trained medic.”

She stepped into the room with him and looked around. This was certainly to her taste, but she knew enough about her XO to know he wouldn’t like it.

“You’re a liar!” he declared, and then paused, raising a brow. “Really?”

“You sound very surprised by that.” She lifted a brow and moved to inspect the furniture a bit more closely, liking the color of it and the clean lines of the room. She then moved to the window to look out at the view. “Why?”

“Most pilots minor in Engineering at the Academy, that’s all.” he said with a shrug.

“I did. I also minored in emergency medicine.” She looked over her shoulder at him. “So let me take a look.”

“Is this why you can’t stop working?” he asked, stepping up to her and offering the arm in the sling. “I’ve only done one bone-mending, and Sickbay wants me back tomorrow morning.”

Annalise removed the sling while supporting his arm. “What do you mean ‘why I can’t stop working’?”

Her delicate fingers moved over his shirt and then down his skin, her touch a mere tickle with its gentleness. “It doesn’t look like it was re-injured completely, but you may need an extra session of bone-mending.”

“We’ll, that shit hurts more than I want it to, but there’s no helping that.” He said, offering a shrug. He closed his eyes as he felt her hands on his skin. It was nice, and it soothed his feelings in a way words didn’t have the power to do with him. He was a tactile man, after all.

His eyes drifted to the tops of the buildings in the nighttime city skyline through the floor to ceiling wall and the balcony beyond.

“I worry you’re working your life away, that’s all.” He said, understating his feelings by a wide margin.

“I’d tell you to go back to sickbay to get it looked at properly, but I know you won’t, so I won’t bother.” She replaced the sling on his arm with the same care she had taken it off with and then stepped away from him to take a seat in one of the chairs by the window.

“Someone has to do the work, Asher.”

“Well, there’s me and the Yeoman now. Three people should be able to make it work.” He said, sitting next to her. “But it’s not just that. It feels like something else is happening to you. It feels like you’re off.”

“You’re going to have to be slightly less cryptic.” Annalise gave him a small, tired smile then looked out the window. “It’s a really nice view, at least.”

“It is pretty. I like the buildings and lights,” he said, providing a simple response as he looked out at the expanse of city. “I’m not used to talking about my feelings. I wasn’t raised like that. I’m worried about you; not sure I can be less cryptic than that.”

Annalise smiled a small, genuine smile. “I understand and I appreciate your concern, but I’m alright, Asher. You don’t need to worry about me.”

She reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder gently. “I promise.”

He looked at her, his eyes lingering on her for a long moment, an obvious tension there. With a short smile, he made himself look away and back to the window.

“Okay, I guess.” He said, seeming to accept what she had said.

Her hand pulled back and into her lap. A rather awkward silence followed. Annalise had never been the people person - at least not one on one. She could engage with a crowd, but something like this - especially when it was someone she had complicated feelings for - was not her strong suit.

“So have you uh… found anything interesting to do down here?”

“Hells yes, I have.” he said, quiet but smiling. His smile was, as always some mix between the dangerous bad-boy and the awestruck child, reflecting both confidence and optimism, with a strong touch of irreverence. “Rock climbing here is amazing. And the food and drink is twice as good as I expected. I’m fucking dissappointed we aren’t staying.”

“Staying?” She asked, looking at him and tilting her head. “You mean like for good?”

After he had mentioned rock climbing, Kit had wandered into his head along with all the unspeakable things they had done on top of the world. He smiled, remembering her, but noticed how discordant those thoughts seemed to be now that he was here with Annalise. He felt totally different about the two women; Kit made him feel alive, powerful, and attractive, while Annalise made him feel dumb, irresponsible, and vain. It wasn’t anything she did, really, nor was it her position as his boss. She just had a way of bringing out the best in him, and he fucking hated his good side.

“If we had to stay somewhere, this is the best place I’ve seen so far.” he said with a gesture at the view. “The people are fun and open, and just waiting for Terrans to tell them what to do.”

“Mm… I wouldn’t know, really. Not like my first experience with them went that well.” She chuckled but it lacked any humor. “But I’m glad you’ve been enjoying yourself. It does seem like a nice place, maybe if things don’t work out we can keep it in mind.”

“Well that was…” he said, furrowing his brow and remembering that look of budding fear in her eyes as he approached. “That wasn’t so good, but there are assholes everywhere. You might just need to make sure you have someone looking after you, that’s all. It’s not like you’re invincible.”

“Maybe, but really this is probably enough planet for me.” She shrugged and smiled. “Don’t worry though, I know I’m not, and I promise I’ll stay out of trouble while you’re here.”

He smiled at her, big and excited, like he was about to try something he knew he shouldn’t. He gestured out of the glass to the balcony at a dark rectangular object. He looked at her with a spark of interest in his eyes.

“They got me a hot tub, Annie.” he said, turning his head and raising his brows, “No better way to relax, and you know it.”

“They’re great.” Annalise agreed and smiled, utterly oblivious. “Go ahead, don’t let me stop you. Enjoy yourself.”

“I have, several times.” he said, standing up and looking down at her. “Enjoy with me this time.”

He pushed the glass door open and stepped out into the gentle, warm breeze. From this height, he could faintly hear the sounds of the city around them, but they were far removed. Reaching over to a purple panel near the wall, he pressed a button and a nearly invisible barrier appeared around the railing of the balcony. It was a privacy veil, of course, though a slightly more obvious one than the one Terrans used.

“Come on, Annie, get your ass out here!” he said, turning to a nearby table with chairs where he picked up a box.

“Huh?” She stood with a frown and followed him, but stopped inside of the door. What was he trying to accomplish here? “I don’t have a bathing suit, Asher. I… guess I could go get one?”

“No, that’s crazy. Just go in naked, Annie. I’ll give you some privacy and the water will cover you.” he said, looking up at her and seeing, immediately, that it wasn’t going to happen. He made a face like he was quietly backing out of a room. “Or..you can go get one.”

“Yeah…” Annalise shifted awkward and rubbed her arm. “You’re sure you wouldn’t rather just be alone, though? You don’t need to feel bad for me, Asher. I’m alright.”

“I could go with some company,” he said with a nod. There wasn’t much to it, but the sense that he actually wanted her to stay. It wasn’t desperate, but it was a discernible desire. “Figure out your clothing situation and hop in the tub. I can make us some drinks.”

“Okay. Nothing too strong for me, please.” She opened her bag to pull out her commbadge. “Faulkner to Gladius, one to beam up.”

Immediately she was enveloped in blue light and disappeared from the room.

About fifteen minutes later, the familiar hum of the transporter filled the room and she materialized this time in a tasteful one piece bathing suit that was patterned in abstract strokes made from varying shades of blue fading to black at the top. Around her waist she wore a navy wrap that matched the navy in the suit and complimented the rest of the blues in it. The back was low but nothing suggestive, and the neckline gave a lot of coverage in the front.

“Asher?”

While she was gone, Asher had gone over to the bar to mix their drinks. He made something light and fruity for both of them, respecting her desire to avoid stronger options. He placed them on the bar and escaped to his bedroom to change himself. When she materialized, he was gone, but a few seconds later, the door to his room swung in and he stepped out in long black trunks. He was fit and strong, but not overly muscular and more lean than large, despite his strong frame. He had tattoos on his arms and chest, but hadn’t gone all out with full sleeves or anything like that. As he stepped out, he paused and stared at her, his eyes fixed on hers and dotting, every now and then, to her hair and her collar bones, but never venturing lower.

“That’ll work.” he said, moving to grab the drinks. “Was it at the bottom of some bag in your closet?”

“I don’t think I’ve worn this since high school gym class, so… yeah, pretty much.” She confirmed with a shrug. Her eyes started to drift down his body and got about down to his muscular chest and abdomen, then she realized they were drifting and snapped them back up to his face and gave a shy smile.

“What did you make us?”

“I call it a Sunset Crush.” he said, unsubtle in his pride for the drink he had invented. Bartending was a habit for him, but he seldom made that known. “Coconut run, pineapple juice, mango vodka, a splash of grenadine, and a pineapple slice for garnish. I invented it when I was 15.”

He handed her one of the drinks and watched her, despite his best efforts, to see if she liked it.

Annalise took the drink with a thankful smile and brought it to her lips to taste it. She let it sit on her tongue for a brief second to absorb more of the taste while wearing a thoughtful expression, then swallowed and smiled. “That’s really good, actually.”

He nodded, walking past her in an attempt to hide the wideness of his smile. It was a very important part of himself, but that was the last thing he wanted her to know.

“Glad you like it, Annie.” he said. “Let’s hop in.”

He went to the tub, having already started the colorful lights and the water jets before she’d left, and placed his drink down on the side. As he stepped in, it was hot, but he let out little more than a few short hisses as he climbed in and found a seat.

Annalise followed him with her drink but didn’t move to get in until he had settled. She had watched him get in and unsuccessfully attempted to not look over his body with more than a concerned interest. She had barely been able to move her eyes away before he had turned toward her, instead looking out at the city, but once he had sat down she moved to join him. The water was a bit too hot for her but she eventually eased herself down into it with a few hissing exhales of her own.

“Are you trying to boil me to death, Lieutenant?” She asked, using is rank but clearly joking about it.

“If I were a CO, I’d kill myself.” he said, answering her joking question with a seemingly unrelated comment. He reached his hand over to another console nearby and dialed the temperature down several degrees. The change was almost instantaneous. “We should throw a party while we’re here on this planet. Just Gladius crew, even if its only senior staff. That way, I can boil you with an audience.”

“Oh that’s very considerate, I’m sure they’d enjoy that.” She rolled her eyes but still smiled. “Have you had a chance to talk with any of our new crew at all?”

“I’ve made the rounds, wandering around the ship. They’re adjusting well, for the most part.” he said, spreading his tattooed arms out over the side of the tub and taking a deep, soothing breath. “Revana is a natural in the engine room, though the absence of Urso is…conspicuous.”

“Well, Kit is something the fleet hasn’t seen in a long time, really, so it is hard to measure up. Everything points to Revana being very skilled as well though.” Annalise noted kindly.

“We don’t need a miracle worker down there as much as we used to now that we’re part of a fleet.” he sounded less than pleased as he spoke those words. He had made his view of their new system known before, and he didn't need to again. “She’s getting way more attention from the men in her department, though. She put Gill on report last week for sliding past her too closely.”

He started laughing and shook his head.

“At first, I thought it was bullshit, but witnesses said he kept going back and forth through her tight alcove back there and made sure he pressed his little willy up against her every time he passed. You can’t make this shit up.”

“Good, I hope you’ll handle that.” She said and was quite serious about it. “I understand that she is Orion, beautiful, and that they have a certain reputation, but I am not going to allow her to be made uncomfortable in that way.”

“I didn’t have to do much, Annie. She almost knocked his eye out of his scull, according to the doctor. An Orion with a strong right hook.” he said, shaking his head. “What, you never had to deal with that when you became a department head?”

Annalise smiled a strange smile between amusement and questioning. “That kind of stuff starts from the moment we walk through the Academy doors, Asher. Of course I had to deal with it, but she is going to get it worse.”

“What the fuck is wrong with people? Are they that desperate for women that they jizz their pants over Starfleet cooeds and grind on them?” He asked, both disturbed and amused. “Well, you are gorgeous. Matter-of-fact, I might have grinded on you too.”

“You might have and to answer your question, yes, especially at parties. That happened to me more than once and I know more than a handful of women who would end up having to leave to go and change because the backs of their skirts or pants were wet - and they didn’t make them that way.” She sighed and shook her head, crossing her legs absently.

“Well, on behalf of all the men who came on the back of your dress, or May do so in the future, I am so sorry.” He said, placing a hand on his chest in an act of displayed contrition. “And, on a serious note, they won’t be doing that anymore on Gladius.”

“Good, I know you’ll handle it.” She smiled at him and sipped her drink again finding she actually enjoyed the flavor of this one. “Never happened to me, thankfully, but it did happen to my sister.”

“Is your sister in the Fleet too?” He asked, trying to put her story together with what she had told him a bit earlier.

“No, but she would come to parties sometimes. My sister is a model.” She gestured slightly with her hand and then ran her fingers through the water.

“That’s not why she came to parties, is it?” He asked, looking confused. “Were they hiring out models for Academy parties during your time?”

The question made it clear, for a moment, that he had been in Starfleet over a decade longer than her. It was a fact that was doubly amazing considering their differences in rank.

“No, I was just telling you what she does. She came to parties because she wanted to come be with me and she likes parties.” Annalise shrugged. “Really, I went more for her than for myself when I did go. She liked being in with the young, rowdy bunch until they got a little too rowdy like the incident with the dress.”

It was clear as she sat there and thought of her sister that Annalise loved her dearly.

“Nothing like the young and rowdy.” He remarked, taking a sip of his drink and then draining a bit more of the glass. He was normally a man who liked a stronger beverage, but this would do for now. “So, was it just you and her, or did you have other siblings?”

“We have a little brother since no man likes to stop if he only has girls.” Annalise noted with a chuckle and took a sip of her drink. “He had to wait a long time for his boy though. Actually, my brother was considering entering the Academy when we… left.”

“Maybe you’ll be back in time for his graduation.” Asher said. It was meant to be comforting, but he didn’t believe it himself. “What was he planning on studying?”

“Engineering, I think. He was always very fascinated by the thought of designing and building new ships. He has a knack for it too, I think.” She smiled fondly as she thought about her brother and his passion. “What about you? You have siblings, right? What do they do?”

“I’m the baby of the family. My oldest sister, Elizabeth, is a lawyer in Melbourne. She has some kids, but she’s divorced. Her husband was a cheating piece of garbage. My two brothers are both Marines. So I’m the traitor of the family.”

“Well, you do like to be the rebel.” She noted with a good natured and teasing smile. There was of course a note of truth that they both knew, though. Asher had been a problem and he had seemed to revel in being one. The discipline and punishments that had been leveled against him by both of their former commanding officers had really done nothing to discourage or change him. Annalise had taken a different approach, one that had been much more successful and it showed with every improvement and success Asher had made.

“Everyone loves a rebel, Annie. We’re nature’s underdogs. They all want to see us win.” He said with a grin, looking into her eyes with more direct eye contact than he had up to this point. He allowed himself to admire her beauty behind his mask of irreverent humor. “But we won’t let them.”

“Why not?” She asked. Her eyes met his, her gaze gentle and warm; it didn’t wander and her steady interest in his answer was obvious.

“Because fuck what you want.” He said, chuckling. “All the good little boys want to make everyone happy, Annie. That’s the difference between them and me.”

Her smile faded slightly and she shifted a bit in the water. Looking away, she went quiet a moment then finally spoke. “It isn’t so bad to want to make people happy, Asher.”

“I’ve tried it, and you’re right.” He said, honestly. “In one way. It feels nice actually not being hated by my superior officer, I have to admit. But my days are a regular list of annoying shit I hate. And I couldn’t do it under anyone else but you. Even now, we’ll see how long it lasts before I fuck it up.”

“Well, I’m sorry that you have the burden of it, Asher. I try to shoulder as much as I’m able so you don’t have to.” She finished her drink and cleared her throat. “I still have faith in you and your ability.”

He smiled at that, looking her up and down from the surface of the water to her face.

“I know you do, for some reason.” He said, his smile turning more curious. “Why?”

“Because I can tell under all the bullshit, you actually want to be a good man.” She shrugged, saying it simply. “You’ve just never been told you’re capable of it.”

“What if you’re wrong?” He asked, the smile fading and a look of barely-restrained worry came to his features, “What if I’m just a natural fuck-up who actually likes being a fuck-up?”

“I’m not wrong.” Annalise smiled then, warm and gentle. “The key is you have to believe it too. You don’t give yourself enough credit or chance.”

“Or maybe you give me too much.” He said, raising his free arm in the air in large question motion. “I just joined the Fleet to get away from home; see what was out here among the stars. I didn’t expect to be anyone’s boss or anyone’s bitch. Probably pretty fucking stupid, to be honest.”

“Well, you did take the officer path, so yes.” Her smile fell but didn’t go away completely. “Have you ever thought yourself capable?”

“Well, I can kick ass, with some notable exceptions.” He said with a good-humored smile. “I don’t have trouble making decisions or telling people what they need to hear. I’m not interested in showing respect or following stupid orders, but I can cook and I fuck like an animal. It depends what you mean, doesn’t it?”

Her brows went up slightly. “Cook? I didn’t know you cooked. You never took a turn in the mess hall.”

It hadn’t been mandatory of course so she wasn’t angry about it or chastising him, but she was clearly surprised by this information.

“Gods, forget I said anything,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s not something I like to spread around.”

“Oh no, you don’t get to get out of it that easy.” Annalise laughed softly and reached out with a foot to nudge his leg. “Tell me.”

He chuckled with her, especially at the prodding of her foot. Still he shook his head, good natured.

“I dabble, Annie. My big sister taught me the basics and I learned the rest from cooking shows and blogs. It’s a guilty pleasure of mine, but I don’t like to put it out there.”

“Well that’s a shame. Women really love a man that can cook, you know. He can make her feel special by cooking her something instead of her doing the cooking herself.” She smiled and finished her drink. “My dad would do that occasionally. He didn’t know how to cook much more than a few meals, but he knew how to do those really well and it was always a treat.”

“I’ve been known to surprise a date or two, but it tends to be pretty special for me.” He said, considering some of the times he cooked for people. “Contrary to how it might seem, I don’t like people making a fuss over my talents. I’d rather keep things quiet, intimate, and subtle. It’s the opposite of me, I know.”

“I don’t know, Asher, the amount I’ve heard you declaring your talents in both fighting and fucking well… let’s say I’d have a tidy sum right now if I got a credit every time you did.” Annalise pointed out with a slight smirk.

“Those are my public talents.” He said, waving a wet hand off to the side, dismissing the idea. “I’m not just a blustering idiot waving his dick around. I’ve got layers.”

“What kind of layers? Sweet? Savory? Sour? What’s your flavor profile, Chef Stagg?” She challenged mildly but couldn’t help but giggle.

“Spicy and savory, of course.,” he said, smiling into her eyes, “with a sweet sauce. The kind of flavor that would take your taste buds on an adventure. And…probably amazing when you’re drunk..”

“Oh I see.” Annalise relaxed back in the hot tub, tilting her head back on the padded rim and let out a sigh. “I really probably should be getting back soon.”

“Sleepy already?” He asked, spreading his free arm over the back of the tub on his side. “Don’t tell me you have work to do.”

She lifted her head and gave him a smile again. “Then we’ll go with I’m sleepy already.”

“I have a guest room, Annie.” He said pointing to the building. “You can stay here in peace, pamper yourself, and take an actual break. Hells, I might even make you breakfast in the morning.”

“That’s very kind of you, Asher, but I really can’t. I’ve already stayed longer that I should have and I need to head back to the ship to keep up with the work going on.” Annalise sat up then, shrugging her shoulders. “Part of the job.”

“You’re a hopeless case.” He said, shaking his head as if amazed. “Fine, go ahead. Waste your beauty behind a desk on a tin can in space. Just don’t say I didn’t try to save you!”

Reaching out, she placed a hand on his knee. “Someone has to work so the rest of you can play. I don’t mind.”

Finally she stood and moved to carefully get out of the tub so she didn’t slip. It had been a nice distracting time, but she couldn’t stay. She couldn’t get too close, especially not with him being her XO. Boundaries needed to be maintained for the good of the crew as a whole, at least on her part.

He hadn’t looked at her body before they’d gotten in, but with her face turned to leave, that problem was solved. Asher’s eyes followed her, moving over her glistening wet legs. He stood and stepped out too, using his useful arm to steady himself until he was standing.

“Oh, fine.” He said, grabbing a towel and extending it to her, drawing closer to her than before to give it. “It was fun, Annie.”

Annalise hadn’t really noticed how close Asher had come to her since she had been looking out to the view one last time, but when she turned and looked up to meet his eyes on reflex, her own widened slightly. Her crystal blue eyes came to rest on his, kind, warm, and unable to hide the nervous desire completely. She couldn’t seem to break away for a long while, but finally found the strength and looked down; she actually seemed a bit embarrassed. Hastily she took the towel and wrapped it around herself.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” he said with uncommon gentleness of speech. His eyes, though, didn’t back away from that instant of attractive connection. He reached out, daring one last touch, and placed his hand on her wrist. “Goodnight.”

The sensation of the simple touch was electric and in a split second, she brought her eyes back up to meet his. There was another moment of hesitation, of tension as she looked at him, but she finally managed to smile and nod and break away. “Goodnight, Asher. Enjoy your time here.”

With that, she turned to pick up her bag and with a simple tap of her commbadge, she was gone.

Asher sighed and turned back to the hot tub. He decided he had enough of relaxation and the next best thing was to fry off and get ready for bed. Sikaris could wait until tomorrow.

END