Little Black Book

Posted on Wed Apr 3rd, 2024 @ 7:16am by Lieutenant Commander Lyra Cassiel & Lieutenant Commander Andrei Petrov

Mission: In-Between (S1:E7-S1:E8)
Location: XO's Quarters
Timeline: Date 2371-09-22 at 1930
9338 words - 18.7 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

Lyra stretched as she walked into the living area of Andrei’s quarters. She had just finished a quick sonic shower and had pulled on one of Andrei’s t-shirts - one of some Russian band he liked - and a pair of her short red shorts he liked to see her in too. Her beautiful, soft, chocolate brown hair was left down. He was at the gym; they went together sometimes, but more often than not they tended to go alone. So far, they had done well balancing alone time and togetherness. It also helped that they were good at the concept of “together but separate”, occupying the same space and maybe even physically together in closeness through lounging on the couch or in the bed, but each focused on their own activity or interest.

She moved over to the cabinet that held the alcohol and she pulled out a bottle of red wine, going through the usual protocol and then pouring herself a small amount from it. She paused, then grabbed the glass and bottle and walked them over to the couch where she set them down on the end table. Having just finished reading a book, she was in the mood for another and meandered over to one of the bookshelves behind Andrei’s desk to browse what he had. When nothing caught her eye, she crouched down and began perusing the lower rows for something interesting. There were a few she was considering, but as she looked something caught her eye - a smaller unmarked black book wedged at the end of one of the lower shelves. It would have been completely missed had she not gotten down lower. Given the meticulously sorted shelf, her curiosity was immediately piqued.

Standing after she had pulled it out of its place, Lyra opened it and her dark eyes began scanning the pages. At first, there was a moment of confusion and then there was realization. She lowered the book slightly and took a long moment to consider if it was a good idea at all. She knew she was getting used goods - thoroughly used goods - so the discovery didn’t make her angry of course, but she found it strange that someone who claimed to not kiss and tell had this. It certainly made her work much easier though. With one more glance down, she snapped the book shut and carried it over to the couch where she made herself comfortable, pulling her legs up and the throw blanket over herself. Her hand grabbed up the wine bottle, and the glass she poured became much more generous. She opened the book again.

Ylara an Orion slave - a gardener at that - had been first. She wasn’t surprised really, though it did indicate he had more of a thing for green skin than he let on. What man didn’t though when Orion women were basically biological weapons. Another slave, his violin teacher? One brow lifted slightly and she wondered how old the woman was - significantly older, she imagined, maybe even his mothers age. She reached for her wine, deciding not to dwell on that. She took a healthy drink and after she breathed out, something seemed to occur to her. She flipped to the back of the book and started thumbing through to find the last entry.

Herself, with a note of “This one is dangerous, I can’t get enough.” She was also one of a few that had a picture to her entry - though she was the only one with two.

At least there was that.

She took another drink of wine and gently flipped backward. She was looking for the start of his time on the Vengeance given he had kept these records in chronological order, and she was rather certain she knew exactly the name she was looking for. When she saw exactly that, she looked at the note and laughed.

“Me too, darling, me too.”

Her amusement faded on the next face; that stupid little slave girl. Though perhaps she should have thanked Eritrea - she’d been instrumental in the relationship after all. Karen of course - he’d cared for her, Lyra knew, and she was quite glad the other woman was off of the ship even though she knew Karen was done with Andrei. It didn’t mean Andrei was done with her. Then came a set of faces she hadn’t known for sure, though she had an inkling on some. One of the cooks who apparently got a bit too zealous with her teeth, a Russian girl who he liked because of her accent and borscht after sex.

Seeing the name Harper Bennett caused a rush of anger to spring up from her core as she remembered their argument a few days ago. He’d insisted he needed to meet the woman in private to discuss matters concerning the Legion and Ivan’s suspicions on what was going on over at the Lovarr and when she had been angry about it, he had reacted like she was being unreasonable about her jealousy. Here it was, black and white, her justification for those feelings and that Andrei just didn’t give a shit about them. She had suspected Harper of being one of Andrei’s women simply due to the fact she had been his XO on the Lovarr and was mysteriously very cooperative with their Legion project now. It had also been surprising she had been given the position as CO given the incredibly violent happenings on the Kazon ship, but that answered that mystery. She was a noted bad girl in disguise.

Next was a nurse, Riley Scott, - another mongrel. She scoffed on seeing that and rolled her eyes when she saw the note of her being a Deltan. No personality, but a hot body so it didn’t matter.. Then there was Elena Cruz. Suddenly, the awkwardness in the transporter room made perfect sense. Andrei had her, and now he lived rent free in that pretty little head of hers. Perhaps a lobotomy might be in order if she were to get any ideas… she’d always wanted to try one.

Lyra looked away from the book and began to nurse her wine while she considered. She knew who to keep a special watch on now, at least, though men like Andrei liked variety, so vigilance over all would remain. She put down the mostly empty glass of wine, filled it again, and flipped back toward the front of the book.

Now she was on a different mission - nobility. She found them relatively easily and was initially surprised there were so few, but then remembered noble sons gravitated toward peasant women for a variety of reasons. Portugal, Mexico, and the Middle East - nothing overly concerning as well as Kassandra's "sister" Athanasia who was mean, full of herself, and smelled bad. She wasn't surprised. The natural progression moved to his time at the Academy which seemed to be the thickest section on a brief skim - again really not surprising at all. She began to go through the entries there slowly, skimming the sparse notes of what she assumed were mostly one night stands - apparently one girl brayed like a donkey when she orgasmed according to Andrei. She found the girl who had taught him those massages that he now used on Lyra herself - so another thanks was owed to some Laura Kim somewhere.

She was about halfway through when another name caught her eye and this time her brows lifted slightly: Maya Price. It was a name she hadn’t heard nor thought of for a number of years. Maya had been something… approaching a friend at the very least while Lyra - rather Madeline - had been at the Academy. She read the note and her brows raised even higher and a slight smirk tugged onto her lips. Lyra remembered relatively early on in their “friendship” that Maya had mentioned a date that had ended very badly. The two had attempted to have sex, but for whatever reason it hadn’t worked out and she had played the virgin card to play it off and probably spare the man’s pride. She had never asked who it was because they hadn’t been that close and by the time they had been, the incident had been forgotten. Here now though as she read Andrei’s account of the virgin who he couldn’t fit his “perfect key” in her lock, it seemed to all fall into place.

She pulled her eyes away for a moment and thought about Maya then. Coincidence or fate had brought her to the Vengeance through a transfer from the Gladius. Lyra hadn’t approached her yet and wasn’t sure if she would at all, but perhaps it couldn’t hurt.

There were a couple boring entries after Maya, and then another name caught her attention. Layla Allen was the daughter of the Lord of Melbourne and, coincidentally, also present on the Gladius, though unlike Maya, she remained there. Layla actually had been a virgin Andrei had conquered and she had been in love, according to him. That did happen sometimes, people got a bit attached to their firsts. He hadn’t mentioned the woman of course, but he had never been open with her about who he had slept with before, not fully at least. She finished her wine, poured another glass, and continued.

It didn’t take much longer for her to finish and then she simply sat on the couch with her head tilted back against the pillow so she could stare at the ceiling and only lift her head to work on the wine. She was a bit tipsy but not quite drunk. She still wasn’t angry, but it had certainly been a weird experience that she had self-inflicted for the good of her future. That didn’t completely stop her skin crawling, she was just trying not to settle into her head with what was more often than not an unfortunately vivid imagination.

Very suddenly she stood with the book, finished her wine, picked up the glass and bottle to clean out the glass and then returned them to their places, and then she replaced the book as precisely as she could with the position it had been in. She’d been trained to be good at that after all and even drunk, she was still good at it.

“Computer, locate Andrei Petrov.”

“Andrei Petrov is on Deck 5, Section 12.” The computer replied.

Heading home then.

She quickly retreated into the bedroom, took off her clothes, and got into the shower where she knew he would immediately want to be after returning from the gym.

Several minutes later, the door to Andrei’s quarters opened with their typical sound, and the XO entered the living room still glistening with sweat. A jog had gotten him warmed up and then a solid hour and then some lifting weights had done the rest. His powerful arms were left visible by a gray sleeveless shirt made more gray by a solid layer of wetness. He wore long black shorts as well, but his shoes and socks were already coming off.

He wasn’t sure if Lyra was still there, but figured she would be staying for dinner. When he heard the shower running, he knew she was indeed still present. As always, she had anticipated one of his needs and was making good use of it to be close with him. He grinned, enjoying a mixture of post-workout reverie and genuine appreciation for her attentiveness. He wasn’t sure how to express it, and the feeling might pass, but it was there.

He placed his shoes on a nearby shoe rack and grabbed his sweaty socks, stepping into the bedroom and slipping out of all of his clothing. He put the wet mass of fabric in the nearby bin to be taken care of by Lottie or Ren the next day, and took a moment to appreciate and examine his appearance in the room’s tall mirror which was attached to his closet stylishly. After the moment of quirky alone-time musing, he stepped into the bathroom and pushed back the glass. Smiling at Lyra, his eyes found the obvious invitation of her breasts, and traveled up her wet skin to her face. He smiled easily and stepped in with her.

“Your timing is pretty good,” he said, wrapping his strong arms around her and leaning down to kiss her neck gently, “or mine is.”

“Lovely to see you as always, darling.” She all but cooed as he stepped in with her and wrapped her in his arms. Her own arms went around his shoulders and she shifted so he could step under the water more directly and get some of the sweat washed off of himself. “Good work out? Certainly looks that way.”

“It was. I was in the zone, really. My focus is much improved now that I’m free of being cooped up.” He said, refraining from letting his hands wander where they wanted to go and instead reaching for his washcloth and soap. “And did you finally finish your book?”

“I did, though the ending was a bit silly.” She said simply and reached for his soap and washcloth herself while his hands wandered to his favorite places. “Otherwise it was a good read.”

Andrei happily left the supplies to her and took generous handfuls of her bottom, gentle, but unapologetic and possessive.

“Was it? It’s always a shame when an ending disappoints.” He said. Truthfully, he couldn’t remember what she had been reading. She moved rather quickly and he wasn’t sure if she was in the same book she had been when last he had asked.

“You know, you’re going to have to let go so I can get to the front end, darling.” Lyra giggled softly into his ear, leaning into him as he groped her. She was mildly surprised - on thinking about it for a split second - that her note hadn’t mentioned her magnificent ass he was so fond of.

“Then perhaps showers are overrated.” He said with a grin. He held her there for several more seconds before finally relenting and releasing her. “If we must.”

“We must.” She stated with solemnity that was immediately broken by a flash of her pearly white teeth. She put his shampoo into his hands and then began to work down his body while he could take care of his sweaty head. Her hands were diligent as always and she put enough pressure on the washcloth to actually exfoliate his skin instead of just a wipe down. As he washed his hair, she began to move lower, and every now and then glanced up at him to see that he had his eyes closed.

He couldn’t help himself when he was around her, it seemed; his manhood was standing tall and proud for her. She moved down to her knees in front of him, washing down his legs and then taking care of his pelvic area where she had skipped. Once he was clean, she tossed the washcloth away, grabbed his hips, and took him in her mouth without giving him warning.

“Oh, Gods.” He half moaned as he felt her warm and talented lips surround his favorite weapon. His hands went to her hair and played there gently as he smiled, his eyes opening and looking down to see her with her mouth full of him. He spoke low, a shudder passing through his body. “Is it my birthday again?”

Lyra didn’t answer except to start moving her lips and tongue. She didn’t look up at him given she didn’t want the water in her eyes. She worked him in the way she knew he loved, and then after a few moments, she nearly imperceptibly brought her jaw up and her teeth very lightly grazed the top of Andrei’s manhood. Had he been expecting it, the sensation might have been pleasurable with how careful she had been (she didn’t want to damage her toy of course), but he hadn’t been of course. She’d never used her teeth on him. Immediately, she pulled her mouth off and began to more or less gently pet him with her hand and kiss him with her lips as if she were apologizing through touch.

“Sorry, darling. A little too much wine, I got distracted.”

Andrei had been clearly enjoying the treatment, but a frown crossed his features when he felt her teeth. It hadn’t been painful, her days but Lyra was usually better than that. As she apologized, he lifted his eyebrows, his mismatched eyes studying her beautiful features.

“If I’d known you were so hungry for dinner, I might have come home sooner.”

Lyra chuckled softly, delivering a few more apologetic kisses to his length. She then used her hands on his hips to push him firmly back against the wall and then allowed her mouth to resume on him. This time, of course, there were no teeth and there likely never would be again unless for whatever reason, he asked. Her lips and tongue were hungry indeed and soon her hands joined them with a very singular purpose in mind.

Andrei was an active participant, but didn’t force anything or show any signs but those of interest. He played in her hair gently and, at some points, when her movements were most intense, he would grab and remind her he was there. Still, it was very tasteful and never hurt more than might be good. As she worked him with her skilled mouth and hands, he felt himself approaching the edge. Leaning back and throwing his head up, water ran down his dark black hair and onto his face. He clenched his eyes shut along with his whole body and felt the wave of his release.

There had never been any hesitation in her to remain exactly where she was as opposed to pulling her mouth away. She stayed with him through his release, and only when he was done did she pull back. She swallowed him down and gave a few parting kisses to his thighs before she finally moved to stand. Her knees protested strongly when she moved, but she pushed past the pain of having been on her knees on the hard tile. Her hands moved to his cheeks and she cupped his face gently.

“Hungry?”

“Famished.” He said, looking her in the eyes with a tone that matched the drama of the word. He showed his appreciation with gentle touches. In truth, he was never satisfied until she was, but knew it was good to be able to accept gratification without giving it in return from time to time. “Did you have something in mind, or is dinner on me?”

“I’ve got an idea. Let me finish up quick and I’ll come out. Jasper left some report on your desk by the way, it was singled out from the rest so you might want to have a look. Maybe it’s nothing at all.” She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and stepped back from him, picking up her own shampoo.

Andrei winked at her and gave himself another once over in his pelvic area to make sure he was clean. Then, stepping out, he dried himself with a towel and wrapped it around his waist. Using a second one, he dried his hair quickly before stepping out into the living room. He went straight to the desk and, locating the PADD, picked it up and unlocked it with his personal code.

Lyra for her part quickly washed her hair and then got out of the shower. She used a towel on her body, but instead of toweling her hair she used the hair dryer instead. With advances in technology, it only took about two minutes to do, but like it had always been it wasn’t good to use too often on one’s hair so she did so very rarely. Usually only when she needed to get dry fast.

The report wasn’t anything special, it was simply a schedule for crew evaluation reports to be delivered by Andrei in the next few days and the stack of PADDs next to it was simply the usual fare.

Lyra came strolling out of the bedroom in a rich red chemise that Andrei had never seen before. The fabric provided a strange illusion that he could see the outline of her body below it, but the shifting of the light and color on the silky fabric meant nothing could be seen in detail. It hugged her body in all the right ways, showing off her curvy hips and perky, lightly bouncing breasts while the darker red tie cinched her waist. It showed the power of her body on a very feminine display. She didn’t even glance at Andrei as she walked over to the replicator.

Andrei read the report with silent interest, understanding its contents easily. While Lyra was finishing in the bathroom, he stood in his black towel and read yet another report, this one detailing a personnel report from medical. It was a minor right up and meant very little. When she exited, Andrei’s eyes moved to Lyra’s body in the new chemise, his curious gaze lingering on her. Without a word, he retreated to the bedroom for a few moments and emerged in a pair of dark green boxers; his torso was left bare, and the fruit of his exercise was plain to see.

As he walked out, Lyra was setting a few dishes down on the table, but instead of him being able to wander over, she intercepted him before he got too close.

“What do you think about this, darling?” She asked and as she spoke, she slid her hands slowly down the fabric when which pushed against her skin revealed more, but the finest details were still hidden. The way her hands moved put her body on display for him and she even turned around so he could see everything to his heart’s content.

“I think it looks excellent on my body.”

“I think it looks excellent on your body as well.” Andrei said, watching her spin and grabbing her immediately when she was done. “It makes me want to take it off your body.”

The aroma of the food met his nostrils, sparking many memories, but one in particular stood out among the rest, especially coupled with the current sensations in his body.

“What have you made?” He asked, somewhat suspiciously.

“Borscht.” She replied casually and moved to the table where it was set up just how he liked it - it had been Yana’s recipe she had used after all. She picked up a new bottle of wine and poured both of them glasses. “It has been a while since we’ve just had food from Russia and I thought you might be missing it.”

Andrei paused, standing by the table, his eyes moving to the steaming soup on display. The feeling of deja vu he'd had before was confirmed, and he now recognized that what he hoped was a strange coincidence was occurring.

“Well, one can’t beat borscht after an orgasm.” He said, looking at Lyra through observant eyes. “Where did you get the idea?”

She blinked and suddenly looked like he had said something very strange. She looked back at the table, shrugged, and then sat down. “Strange sentiment, perhaps I’ll see for myself some day. Come sit and eat, darling.”

She smiled sweetly at him and picked up a piece of the rye bread.

Andrei sat, but only looked partially satisfied by the answer he had been given. Nevertheless, he smiled at the meal; it was fitting. He picked up his spoon and took his first bite, savoring the familiar flavor of his mother’s recipe.

“Eat up, love. I know you’re hungry.” He said to her with a joking smile.

“Of course.” Lyra set to doing just that. She still wasn’t the biggest fan of the dish, but it wasn’t something she had to choke down by any means. After a minute or so of companionable silence, she brought her foot up and ran the back of it gently down Andrei’s calf in a cute, playful gesture.

“Vkusno, dorogaya?” She asked in her near perfectly accented Russian, finally bringing her dark eyes up to his.

“Vkusno, kak vsegda, lyubov'.” he responded, smiling at her before taking another bite of his own bread. All caution and suspicion had gone from his mind as he decided it was all just an amusing coincidence after all.

“Good.” She continued to touch him under the table, being sweetly teasing and playful. It wasn’t like she had never done it before, but there was a certain something else to it this time. She finished her wine and poured herself another, then offered to top Andrei’s glass up for him as well.

“More?”

“Please.” He said, gesturing to his glass and watching her. He smiled. “How much wine have you had this evening, Lyra?”

She poured the wine for him, watching it as it flowed into his glass instead of looking at him. “I thought you liked drunk Lyra.”

“I do, I just didn’t expect her so soon.” He said, his tone easy and unsuspecting. “It seems like you got started without me.”

“Well some books require wine. Lots of wine.” She shrugged and put the bottle down, replacing it with her wine glass of which she immediately took another drink. She used the tip of her tongue to lick the excess off her upper lip in a tantalizing display, then stood from the table with her mostly empty bowl to bring it to the replicator.

“I’m sure I’ve never read a book that needed lots of wine.” He said in a curious tone as he watched her bottom. “What was the name of the book you were reading again?”

“You know, I don’t remember. It was short, shorter than I thought it would be, actually, which was a surprising.” She mused as the bowl disappeared from existence. “Would you like a massage, darling?”

That was odd. Lyra forgetting the name of a book she had just read seemed improbable enough to be considered ridiculous. Was it the wine that was making her like this.

“Sure.” He said, the same feeling from earlier that something was amiss returned. Standing from the table, he walked to her and took her into his arms, looking at her dark eyes. “You’ve already done a lot for me though. Perhaps I should be the one massaging you. After all, drunk Lyra loves to be touched.”

“Mm…” She hummed her consideration, leaning herself into him while she did so. It hadn’t been part of the plan necessarily, but now that the offer was there she was finding it hard to refuse. “That’s very true… she does… and you have very practiced hands.”

“I do. Go lay down and take off that tempting garment before I take it off myself.” he ordered, grinning and smacking her bottom as if to hurry her along.

“Aye aye, sir.” She saluted him playfully and then practically scampered off into the bedroom. Once there and out of his view, she took a slow, deep breath and slid out of the Sikarian silk chemise she had been wearing. She’d been naked underneath of course, so she moved into the bathroom to get one of the long towels to put on the bed and protect it from the oils he liked to use when performing the task. Instead of getting into the bed though, she simply stood next to it and waited on him while looking at the window currently displaying the skyline of Moscow.

He entered, his hands finding her waist and pulling her close to himself. He kissed her gently on the cheek and then moved down to her neck again. The kisses were slow and tempting, having more challenge in them than they had in the shower.

She licked her lips, craving either wine or his lips on them, or perhaps his wine soaked lips would have been the best choice. His kisses were distracting; her body was warming - the wine was doing its job. She leaned back to him, turning her head and smiling. “Sure you don’t want me to give you the massage, darling? I could do it just like this.”

“No, you’re all mine.” Andrei growled into her ear, his fingers moving up her torso to her breath and taking her handfuls in. He was gentle and barely stimulated them, but with every shift of his hand, he would send jolts of sensation through her body. He moved with her to the bed. “If you’re good, you might get a happy ending.”

Lyra nearly whined as he took hold of her breasts. They filled his palms with a nice weight and were large enough that he could wrap his fingers around and only get soft flesh in return, certainly an upgrade from Madeline’s smaller chest and something she had taken time to get used to. They had also, infuriatingly, become more sensitive and Andrei loved to torment her with them.

“Maybe… you like a bad girl though, don’t you?”

He massaged her breasts gently, his hands moving in subtle but skilled patera over her skin. His fingers grazed her nipples on the sides and occasionally on the top, never giving her enough to truly embrace. As her whining started, his erection greeted her again through his boxers.

“You know I do.” He said, his voice growing hungrier. “What does a bad girl get?”

“I don’t know why you’re so mean to drunk Lyra.” The woman pouted, her voice feminine and cute though her hips began to move with less cute purpose when she felt him against her again. “I just wanted to rub you down.”

“Drunk Lyra needs me to be mean to her.” He said into her ear, his fingers moving over her nipples more directly then and playing with her intensely enough to light up all her switches. Then he let go and backed away from her, leaving her standing there alone. He smiled. “But, if you really want to do the massage, how can I say no?”

Fine. They’d skip it.

Despite being drunk, she spun around suddenly to face him. Her hands found his chest and, stepping into the motion with her strong legs, she shoved him back onto the bed. She knew the only reason she could do it was because he wasn’t expecting it, but that was all part of dealing with a man. He had barely landed and she was on top of him. Her lips found his and she kissed him voraciously, her hands took his boxers and tore them away. She pulled back, biting his shoulder with intent to cause more than a little pain but nothing that would spoil the moment. Probably, at least; she was drunk after all.

“I thought you had eaten your fill.” He said, remembering the bite from earlier as he grabbed her and lifted her up. Having her on top of him was a huge cue, and he could feel the warmth from between her legs. His blood was up then as much as his manhood, and he guided himself inside her without a second thought. With serious, animal lust in his eyes, he used his considerable strength to hold her close on top of him while he pounded her rapidly, looking into her eyes.

“We can stop and do that massage if you’d like.” He said, his voice shaking with the curiousness of his motions.

“I’ll fucking kill you.” She growled and grabbed him by the throat, her nails digging into the soft flesh under his jaw. Her other hand rooted itself by the nails into his chest. She fought his grip on her hips with some very familiar motions he had seen her doing in the club; she had middling success in the effort to move how she wanted, but a much greater success in simply adding to the near violently pleasurable sensation he was giving her.

Generally, Andrei aired on the side of gentle, but now it was a different story. He responded to her fight for control with one of his own, putting his strong hand around her throat and squeezing just hard enough to make her wonder. His gaze was serious and focused as he pounded like a machine.

“I’ll fucking kill you.” He said confidently through gritted teeth.

The reaction to his hand around her throat was immediate, adrenaline surged through her body and her previously lidded eyes opened wider. Her hands left his throat and chest and went up to his around her own. Her fingers moved, resting on the pressure points and around his fingers to pry him off and then… she stopped. She frowned a bit almost as if she were confused, but she let his hand go.

Andrei smiled deviously, looking into her eyes. They communicated love readily, and the same dark emptiness she was used to. He watched her for signs he might be hurting her or, if possible, scaring her.

It took only a few seconds and his free hand adjusting her to a slightly different angle to bring her back to the moment with him as opposed to the rather short-circuited reaction she had when he had initially grabbed her. In the past, that had never led to anything good, but this was Andrei. She shifted her neck just slightly in his grip to get him to loosen just a bit so she could lean down and kiss him again. She moaned against his lips and he could feel her body melting into his, submitting to his pace and his control on her throat.

Lyra generally fought back, and Andrei had rarely pushed the issue, enjoying back and forth that happened when she scratched and took her turn, but the second she had submitted to him with her body and gave in to his pace, he could feel it like it was a physical response. He loved it. He loosened his grip on her throat and then let go, moving his hand to her breast again and keeping the same pace. He could feel her pulsating around him as her body came close to a release. He started to guide her through it with his body.

There had been a temptation to fight him again once he had released her throat, but it had been quickly and quite physically pounded out of her in only a few seconds. She was breathing heavier, her praises to him falling easily from her lips in the soft, feminine sounds of ecstasy. She was close and she could tell he knew it by how he shifted and adjusted under her. One hand grabbed him almost violently by his hair, the other found purchase into his shoulder and dug in hard without care as the blissful sensation came crashing over her.

He felt her muscles clench, the pain of her digging, and the sudden wetness that went with it all as Lyra climaxed on top of him. He fed her praises and encouragement as she did so, quiet and intense as her orgasm lasted, he continued to elongate it with his impressive pace, displaying his physical strength and fortitude and his undeniable skill in the bedroom.

It was fortuitous for Andrei that Lyra was who she was. Her body was fit and sturdy and while she lacked the waifish figure that was so popular in the courts it seemed, it gave her a distinct advantage of being able to take exactly what Andrei desired to give. She gave no signs at all that he had been hurting her or was being too rough, men would say she was taking it like a champion, really. As he pressed her out of one and soon into another orgasm, he found himself with more marks dotting his body from her visceral response. Before the end, he was left with more still. Each was a declaration: mine. She may have submitted in her drunken state, but it hadn’t extinguished her fire.

Finally, they found the end of his stamina and he held her hips tightly down on his own as his orgasm finally overtook him and spilled out into her. She was lying on top of him then, doling out soft and sweet kisses while his manhood flexed and twitched inside of its tight, silky prison. It had certainly been quite an intense experience that in her current state of sobriety she wasn’t really able to dissect and figure out her feelings.

Drunk Lyra was happy, at least.

Andrei returned her kisses as he climaxed, tangling her hair with his straying fingers and testing her durability with a few more fiery thrusts. He loved to be in her, and felt like everything was right with the universe. Of course, that was the way he had felt being inside most anyone who could fit him. But, in Lyra secret place, he felt held tightly and warm, like he belonged. It was the only completely safe part of her, he suspected. The rest was made for silent killing. He got sentimental, at times, after he had finished.

“Whatever you were reading, I should find you the second volume.” He said with a laugh, “Fun things happen when you're driven to drink.”

She continued to kiss him on his lips and then down over the marks she had left on his pale skin which she had actually broken at points this time, but she didn’t really remember doing so in the intensity of the moment. He didn’t seem to mind. She remained right where she was being very loving and affectionate in actions with him until he finally slid out of her and she felt the cold rush of air between her legs.

“I’m afraid there will be only one volume, darling.” She smiled, gave one final kiss to his lips, and then got up to head into the bathroom. She felt a bit tender, but pleasantly so, and walked with a slightly more ginger step.

That was odd. Lyra was typically the least eager between them to leave bed after they had made love. He furrowed his brow, but stood up himself as well. Instead of going into the bathroom, he went to grab the towel he had used before and cleaned himself as best as he could with the wet surface. It would be good enough for now. He then pulled his boxers back on and looked in the mirror, considering tending to some of the wounds Lyra had left in her ecstasy.

Lyra herself had gone to the sink and grabbed one of the washcloths they had used in the shower. She cleaned herself off and once she had, she stepped back to look in the mirror. She turned to each side and looked at her hips which were already developing bruises with how hard he had been holding her during their savage encounter. She leaned in and lifted her head, exposing her long, elegant neck more and she was relatively certain she saw bruises forming there too. The hips were one thing, but if her neck was bruising she would have to take care of that.

She grabbed the dermal regenerator she had moved from her quarters into his and walked back out into the room. As he looked at himself in the mirror she moved up behind him and slid her empty hand up from his side and around to his bare chest.

“Have you had enough of me, darling?” She asked teasingly and kissed his shoulder.

“I can’t get enough of…” he paused, looking at her in the mirror, long and silent. This was more than a coincidence, he was sure. And, now that it came up, the incident in the shower with her teeth seemed meaningful too. His suspicion was obvious as he held her hand in front of him. “You’re the one who ran away, after all. I know how much you like to cuddle.”

Lyra put her chin on his shoulder and looked into his eyes through his reflection. Her gaze was dark and cool as always on the surface, but as he focused more he could see the mildest hints of amusement and rebelliousness that he usually loved in those intelligent eyes. Her other arm moved around him then, and she offered the dermal regenerator up with a flat palm.

“I thought you might like to tend to your wounds. Playing with danger isn’t without its risks, you know.”

“What have you been up to?” He asked, taking the device and starting to use it on his torso. He watched as the scratches and cuts shrunk and disappeared.

“Reading.” She replied, her voice coquettish and sweet which certainly didn’t match the look in her eyes. Since she needed to move her hands away from his chest, she decided to slide them down into the front of his boxers instead.

His hand grasped hers as she gripped his manhood. It didn’t harden this time, which was rare. He saw the look in her eyes and knew it had to be true.

“You don’t seem to mind much about what you read, considering.”

Seeing he wasn’t going to let her be playful about it, she pulled her hands away immediately and stepped away from him to finally pull on her own clothes. She went back to the shorts and stolen shirt she was wearing before the chemise.

“Should I?” She asked as she pulled on his shirt and then pulled her hair up out of the back of the collar.

“If I had found the kind of literature you happened upon, I probably wouldn’t have read it.” he answered, his voice matter-of-fact and even. “Because, if I did. Well, let’s say those men might find themselves improperly equipped to repeat the act.”

He looked at her in the mirror and smiled, devilish and darkly honest.

“I can’t get enough of you after all.”

Lyra moved into the bed and stretched her gorgeous form out onto her side with one arm draped elegantly over her rounded hip, the other hand supporting her head as she propped it up. “What makes you think the women will fare any better, darling?”

He considered the idea, realizing he didn’t like the possibility very much. In his mind, of course, the women were innocent of everything except being wooed by him. After all, he was the competent and active party in his mind, and they the receivers of his charms and whatever else he gave. It seemed wrong to punish them, yet still he found he cared rather little for them. The concern was more directed to what she would suffer for behaving that way.

“There aren’t many competent Terran Officers left. I think my father would notice if the women of the Fleet just started dropping off like flies.” he said, smiling at her as he came to lay beside her. “Besides, I don’t even use that book anymore.”

As he moved beside her, she lowered her head down, hiding most of her face except for her eyes behind her arm and bed. She looked up at him through her long, thick, eyelashes - dangerous, terrifying. She lifted her face up again and spoke through her plush, soft lips. “You doubt my creativity, darling. They would be perfectly alive and functional… just not functional.”

There was a calm sureness in her voice that indicated she was perfectly capable and quite willing. She let the tension settle for just a split second and then smiled. “But, as you said, you don’t use the book anymore and I knew you had a history. I have no reason to do anything to anyone unless they give me one.”

“Most of them won’t even make eye contact with me, Love. They had a good time, but apparently are uninterested in dying or, as you suggest, having their ability to repeat the act suddenly taken away.” he said, looking into her dangerous eyes with a kind of playful indifference. Threats like this made sense, and were at least partially a joke, he knew. He didn’t feel threatened. After all, it wasn’t as if he was chasing skirts anymore. And if he had been, their time in the club was a clear indication he wouldn’t have trouble finding others. “Leave their poor parts alone dear. They’re probably not enjoying them anyway.”

“I suppose.” She uttered through a sigh and rolled onto her back acting like he had convinced her even though her mind had been made up before she had opened the book to start reading.

“What ever happened to donkey girl?”

“To who?” he asked, lifting an eyebrow and placing his hand on her stomach over the over-large TV shirt of his she was wearing.

“Penelope White.” Lyra replied, recalling the name with perfect ease. “From the Academy. You noted she brayed like a donkey when she orgasmed. Keyed your car?”

“Oh, that crazy thing.” he said, frowning and shaking his head. “She was wild all the way through. Platinum blonde hair, heavy makeup, tattoos, and leather. It was a unique…experience. Last I heard, she graduated in our class and was assigned to security somewhere. I’m surprised you never knew her. She honestly couldn’t be missed. For one, she was never wearing a shirt and she was incredibly mean.”

“Of course I knew her, but I didn’t know those particular intimate details. We weren’t close and I didn’t care to keep track of her after we graduated.” Lyra moved her hand to rest over his on her stomach. “In fact, most of those girls were familiar faces.”

“Oh, good.” he said, clearly sarcastic as he exhaled. He looked at the ceiling, a replica of the one in his private apartment in Moscow. “Anything else exciting then? I suppose there must have been some unpleasant surprises.”

“Some.” She admitted but gave no further explanation on that front. “Laura Kim was part of my freshman roommate quad. She practiced her massages on me before she got to you.”

Pausing, she smirked. “Strictly platonic though.”

He looked at her then, wondering how much she had known all along. He had mentioned Laura for the first time months ago, though he hadn’t used her name if memory served. He wondered if the girl was one to kiss and tell.

“I didn’t know that.” he said evenly, not linking the turn everything had taken. He should have thrown the book away, but he thought it seemed premature in some way. “You never mentioned that.”

“I didn’t know she was the one who taught you until I read it.” Lyra shrugged, much less bothered about the entire thing than Andrei was, apparently.

“Hmm.” He said, his tone incurious but his silent thoughts were filled with skepticism. He kept them to himself though and simply sighed. “Well, I should probably get rid of that thing, eh? I don’t suppose I’ll be using it again at any point.”

Lyra laughed softly, but it barely had any humor. “You’re not going to get rid of that book, darling, so I’ll spare you having to lie to my face and say you did.”

Of course he would move it and someday she would likely stumble on it again - accidentally or on purpose - and while of course she would have preferred he put the women of his past fully aside, she would accept being the final entry in the list. If she wasn’t well…

She closed her eyes and laced her fingers together, laying both of her hands over her flat, toned abdomen. “But no, I would hope you wouldn’t be using it again.”

He wasn’t a huge fan of being called a liar, but Andrei was hardly willing to be bothered with a pointless, bizarre argument about his past sexual exploits because he said the wrong thing. He shook his head.

“If I were to lie to you, I could do much better than that.” He said, raising his eyebrows. “But I never have.” He said calmly.

“I know you haven’t.” Lyra replied confidently and reached out to take his hand. “And I never want to put you in a position where you feel you would need to do so.”

She turned to face him again. “You really wouldn’t read mine if I had left it sitting around?”

He seemed to consider the question again before looked at her and giving a thoughtful expression.

“The thought of someone else inside you makes me want to kill.” He said honestly. “I’m fairly certain I wouldn’t want to know anything more than a number with some assurances they were nowhere near you.”

“I understand.” She began, looking into his eyes, “I don’t particularly enjoy the thought of you being with another woman either… but the reality is I knew you had been with many, and I knew you had been with many here. They’ll always be nearby, they’ll always be jealous and envious of you being mine and that can be dangerous. It is better I know.” She squeezed his hand.

“I’m not mad about it.”

He smiled, and whether he truly believed that she didn’t mind or not, he squeezed her hand back.

“Good. I don’t want you to be upset about old news. Those women are nothing to me.”

“I know.” She smiled and leaned in to give him a kiss, then finally turned over to put her back to his chest. She didn’t doubt his faithfulness to her. He may have pushed the envelope more than she liked with some of the women, but he had been loyal to this point. She would have been stupid to believe that he never lied to her, but there hadn’t been much need or chance recently. It would have been nice to believe lies would never go between them, but that was hardly who they were.

“Mine are all very far away, darling.”

“That’s enough for me, for now.” He said. “Crew evaluations are coming up, by the way. I can make sure these names are on my list instead of yours.”

He smiled and leaned closer to her, placing his head next to hers.

“It would spare you the awkwardness of doing their interview.”

“Evaluations. My favorite thing, you shouldn’t have.” She said dryly then turned over so they were chest to chest, a smile on her face to show she had been joking. Her hand came up and her fingertips traced his cheek, loving and gentle.

“Thank you, darling, but there’s no need. I promise I’ll only stare daggers at them, not use real ones.” She leaned him and kissed him quickly, then playfully bit his lower lip.

“Are the crew from the Gladius who are here now going to be evaluated? Or will Annalise provide you with those herself? They haven’t been here long enough really but… protocols.” She rolled her eyes.

He was skeptical whether it was a good idea for her to evaluate those women or not, but he supposed he should trust her professionalism. She’d never failed in her ability to respond appropriately, and he would have some faith.

“Protocols demand the previous commanding officer provide her evaluation based on his service, but that the interview be conducted by the command staff of the current assignment.” He said. “I think it’s stupid, but rules are rules, right?”

Lyra shifted closer to him, cuddling up and putting an arm around his waist. “You know, having been so distracted with everything going on I did forget to tell you: I had a rather… interesting meeting with your best friend Orion the other day.”

“I haven’t spoken to that cocksure oaf since the Academy. He was always getting in my way at court.” Andrei said, annoyed but only mildly so. “What was the meeting about?”

“His security clearance wasn’t working and he needed me to sort it out.” The annoyance in his voice and the choice of words told her all she really needed to know. “He tried to get me to give him a tour of the ship and then offered to take me to dinner after we worked up an appetite on some holodeck program he has.” She pursed her lips. “Judging by the way he was looking at me though, I’m not sure the dinner would work off his particular appetite.”

“Well, he’s new.” Andrei said, his tone relatively even, though the look in his eyes said more. “Perhaps he thinks you’re single. If so, then trying to get you out on a date makes him smart. Who wouldn’t want that?”

He leaned forward and kissed her lips softly. It seemed his first instinct was to be reasonable and fair minded.

“What did you tell him?”

Her fingertips idly moved up and down a small area of his back. “Well, at one point when he was trying to woo me into acceptance by talking about his holodeck program, he ended up touching my hand when I asked a question. I impressed upon him that I am certainly not his to touch. If perhaps he had been under the impression I was single, I might be able to forgive it, but considering after I told him I wasn’t his, he apologized for his boldness and said you and he could ‘hash it out later’…”

Andrei smiled, but it was dark and dangerous. He looked at her with eyes like iron and an emerald, but he said nothing at all. His hand traced her back in the same way and stopped moving when she said it. Several blinks in, he let out a low, curious hum, but made no other sound.

“He’s nothing, darling.” Lyra looked steadily into his mismatched eyes, not put off by the look he was giving. “But I thought you should know.”

“He’s very disrespectful. I hope I won’t have to teach him what his father failed to teach.” He said, taking a deep breath. “I’m not the same man I was when he knew me. He might need to meet the new, adult me.”

“Mm… maybe so.” She replied but didn’t seem overly concerned about it. She took Andrei’s hand on her back and slowly slid it down so it was resting on her rear end and she pressed her body into his. “All yours though, darling. He’ll be insanely jealous.”

“As he should be.” he growled, and leaned in to kiss her again.

Lyra returned his kiss and deepened it. Her fingers slid into his raven hair and one of her toned legs slid over his hip, welcoming his closeness. When she felt him shift, she moved with him onto her back. Her lips found his again.

Sometimes she wondered why they bothered with clothes at all.

END