Topic: Fleet Days:: What Happens On Third Shift

Mechanist Heart

Date: 2014-06-07 00:02 EST
He had been anxiously waiting and hoped the pruning didn't show. After the extensive phone call with Dex, Hunter had done his best to "follow the droid" to the hot tub. When the panel slid aside aim was taken. Water splashed towards Jack in the blink of an eye. Hunter felt a little playful and was looking to bite off more than he could chew with the memories of their game night still trying to color his cheeks. "You're late....though I suppose you had to get rid of the others and find time to shut down the com badges." Ice blues watched to see what kind of mood Jack might be in, after all it had been several hours and no telling what or who might have gotten to her in between. He could hope for something close to his though, but maybe that was too much to ask after one...one what exactly' "We've set course for the Berin system. Long range sensors are picking up anomalies in the area." It was hard to keep his eyes from drinking in all of her. She had only just rolled out from the wall and now she was wet and not in the way she had anticipated. Tossing the bag on her shoulder in the corner it clanked against the ground hard. A hand on her hip she flashed him a grin that said he was asking for trouble. "So I heard and you are lucky I planned ahead and hacked your badge too." That was all the answer she was going to give him for now. He would just have to suffer without knowing how she heard the slight shift in his voice when saying he would see her later in front of the crew. This little half fae has her ways of listening in when she needs too or at best a program listening for keywords for her. The shimmer of hoping for trouble and best of all the fight to beat back the smile he wanted to give in his eyes made it difficult for her not to tell him. Did he know he had such a boyish charm when he smiled? Her fingers pulled the flight suit the rest of the way down showing she was already wearing her suit. Impossibly pale feet came free of the platform boots.

H.K.

Date: 2014-06-07 00:05 EST
Hunter's eyes closed when her hands hit her hips, happy to take the scolding, but all the while curious as to how she came to hear him. "That wasn't luck, Jack, it was a test."He was still arguing with himself if it was just a test for his crew to gauge their reactions or if it was more for him. Could he or would he really consider this more than a friendship" Did she for that matter" When he opened his eyes again his breath caught at the site of her in her suit. "Somehow I suspect the other engineers never consider this side of you." He moved away from the edge of the tub to let her in and try to ease away some of her stress. Dex's call had been rather enlightening as to the high expectations placed on Jack's work succeeding.

Flopping into the tub with no grace at all, Jack returned the splashing from before. "You say planned, but..." Shrugging as she reached for a cold drink stored in her pack. "I could claim innocence. What the hell am I saying" I have never been innocent." Busting with laughter as she snuggled against the jets letting her wings move with the water. "I doubt they think of me any more than a tally of the wrenches thrown at them. Work gets done and when I am gone they don't miss me until something goes wrong. I doubt your crew thinks of you this way. You are respected first and foremost." Shaking her head as she quickly tried to change the subject. Jack didn't want to bring anything up that might have Hunter second guessing being in this tub. He needed this time the most. ?Think of it this way. If you do see someone wondering the decks after being with me either one of two things have happened. One they might soon collapse of shock which means they saw me in my suit actually being human or two one of my experiments and they need to be taken to Lang stat."

Mechanist Heart

Date: 2014-06-07 00:06 EST
Hunter let a chuckle out thinking of what they would think if they saw him. "I'd imagine they would be trying to prove I was some clone if they saw me actually having fun in swim trunks no less." Hunter turned towards her slowly reaching out to take hold of her shoulders. True he had done this once before, but would she let him doing it again? Rolling thumbs over what he assumed was knots, his fingers followed suit. "It's their loss I suppose, imagination doesn't stray too much further than how to be more efficient for many of them. Others, well they are entertaining enough and needed on the ship to help keep up morale." It was nearly natural for him to begin digging his thumbs into her back. Working around her wings and with her back towards him he had time to compose his features and regain his footing if she verbally threw him. "You're always so tight Jack. That can't be good for you." Hunter changed the subject from the crew to her in the hopes that she would carry the conversation. At present his fingers were thinking for him. She moved naturally towards his light pull on her arms. Wincing now and again as he dug into what felt like gravel instead of muscle she couldn't help when her wings flickered against him. With the current projects it might be time to consider Doctor Lang's offer of muscle relaxers at the end of the day. There was a growing list of crew members she had in mind when she picked the hiding place for this hot tub. Many of them thought they were the playboys of the ship despite the fact that they can't tell a relay from their own fingers. Glowing greens looked over at that last comment of Hunter's. "It's called stress and wings. I can't imagine yours is much better, but...I bet it would be one hell of a fight if we had to go to see Lang for it." A wicked grin appearing on her face til he found the next knot sending her wings flickering at each roll of pain. How the hell was he so damn good at this!"!

H.K.

Date: 2014-06-07 00:10 EST
"Fight' Me?" He dug into a knot and did his best to look innocent. "I'd go eventually." It might be on the end of a phaser set to stun, but sure he'd go. "Maybe next time you can work out the kinks in my back if you are so concerned. I'm not above...." Hunter let the comment die knowing that he was about to be somewhat inappropriate with Jack, but oh how he wanted to finish that thought in spades. "I'm sure that from time to time I need it too. Just like everyone else. "He gathered her hair in his hand and placed it over her shoulder so he could get a clear line to her neck. The sight of her pale flesh against the misty heat of the tub scrambled his thoughts for a moment. Hunter found his face drawing closer to her neck and quickly changed the look on his face from hopeful wanting to concern. He focused on her hairline as if it were one large bruise that he should take extra care with. "Then again maybe this relaxes me instead." Hoping his words covered up the pause in his thoughts.

Wings lightly brushing Hunter's forearms, Jack's eyes fluttering on the verge of closing. This might have been painful, but it was only temporary. She could feel her muscles fighting and easing all at once under his skilled hands. In a few minutes with the hot water and rather adult drinks, she would be feeling a million times better. Twisting the top of the container off she took a few mouthfuls and tried not to flinch."If you want me to rub your back I will, I just make no promises I am any good at it. It's one thing to rub a cramp out of your leg and another someone's tight back. Maybe you missed your calling, chief or should I start calling you admiral masseuse?" The jets sent bubbles around them, bursting with the soft scent of lavender to relax them.

Mechanist Heart

Date: 2014-06-07 00:11 EST
The skin on his arm tingled with the light brushes. "Perhaps I have, or maybe I'm just good working around wings." Hunter dug his thumbs in along her spine, his finger splayed outward using acupressure, until he swallowed. Her body flexed back into his hands bringing her closer to him. The bubbles of the tub played a clever game of peek-a-boo with the strings of her suit and oh how easy it would be for boyish antics to slip a finger into the loop and pull the whole knot free. His mouth going dry, his hands slid downward, finger tips brushing the edge of the loops. Now was his chance, but the trust she had placed in him. Sharing her space, this moment no matter what they were had his hands balling up into fists under the water and is mouth struggling for his next words. "Or maybe I should quit while I am ahead tonight?" The curve her shoulder into her neck pulled at his eyes. "What did you bring to drink tonight?" Something else to do with his hands might help break the hold she seemed to have on him. Hunter was to use to being an admiral of fleet instead of any other man with an interest in a woman. Eying him over her shoulder Jack tried not to protest, as Hunter pulled away again. He is the admiral after all and there were some lines he wouldn't cross. No matter how badly either party might want too. This might be their time away, but there were still limitations. "I was in a mod so vodka, cranberry juice and crushed ice. Makes it like a slushy which I thought would be great in the tub." Bobbing her way to the edge, Jack hung over. Half of her body in and the other have out, wings flicking water everywhere as she reached for the small cooler inside her pack. Hunter hadn't gone running from her yet. Maybe having a friend or close friend wouldn't be so bad.

H.K.

Date: 2014-06-07 00:16 EST
Hunter tried, but couldn't help looking. "Sounds good, I don't think I have had an alcoholic slushy." He was actually quite sure, but was having problems processing actual thoughts at the moment. He cleared his throat and managed to pull his eyes away from her presented backside. "There are places to try new things..." He focused on the bubbles from the jets and managed to close his eyes until he heard her drop back into the water fully. "This seems like one of them." He let out a sigh that was part contentment from the warm water and part disappointment in his self. There is nothing wrong in a man taking interest in a woman and he had been told by several of his captains that he was long overdue to have a love life...of any kind, but of all the people...why someone on his own ship"!

Nudging the jar into his hand, Jack twisted off the top of her own and settled among the jets once more. Taking a quick sip the sigh had not completely escaped her. "Alright chief, are you going to spit it out or am I going to have to kick you out of the tub' This is our place to hide and relax, but something has followed you tonight." Did she just say our"! This was her tub! Her hiding place! She was sharing not cosigning! Then again this is his ship so renting might be a better word.

He took hold of the jar and twisted off the top. "Honestly Jack, sometimes I don't think you believe I find you attractive." He opened his eyes and looked her way. "That and the message just caught me a little off guard I think tonight." Hunter took a deep pull off the vodka slushy unable to believe he was even telling her all that. He could almost hear Lacha goading him on chuckling better out than in unless she is willing. To top it all off he should not be talking about fleet matters with a civilian no matter how important her projects might be to them.

Mechanist Heart

Date: 2014-06-07 00:17 EST
Oh were they really going to go there" Jack could almost feel a knot or two coming back and found her drink rather interesting. "I had my suspicions on what you thought of me before our game night and during, but.." Tossing back her slushy as best she could hoping for the words to come out right. Her eyes found his trying to give weight and honestly to her choices. "But I didn't want to put you in a position that would compromise all that you have worked for. Now rewind to something about a message. Something caught you off guard?" Jack had a sinking feeling her name had come up in the message or at least there might be a project of hers that was on the table for discussion. "Did I say message....I meant the back rub. Must be a problem with the universal translator." It sounded good, it was just a pity that she was an engineer and might be able to call him on his bluff. She was right and he didn't want her to be right. The struggle between Hunter and Admiral K'lar was one he couldn't take lightly even if that is exactly what he wanted to do to her lips. Feathery and soft as he thought her eyelashes would be against his face. The battle raged on inside him and had Hunter backing farther into his corner of the tub. "That seems right....as to the compromising position, I honestly don't know where to go from here." "First, I don't think we could every play poker ?cause that was a horrible bluff. Second, if you think that we should take a step back only because of rules and propriety on the ship, then I understand. Believe me the massages you give are..." Her wings flickered quickly with her heart rate as she found herself without anything in her container to distract her lips from spilling out her thoughts. "Very good and I look forward to the next time you offer. I just didn't want to cross a line with you that you couldn't or didn't want to. I'm an Absinthe. We know all about crossing lines. No matter what you decide I have enjoyed what we share."

H.K.

Date: 2014-06-07 00:18 EST
"I'm not looking to back off. More or less, I don't know what you want. I certainly don't want to be a schoolboy who kisses without ever realizing that the girl just may not be interested." He took another drink and looked over at her again. "I've crossed lines from time to time too, when I believe in it. I know it seems I am ever the upholder of the rules....and maybe I am, but, I like you more than just a game night friend. I don't know when that happened." Racking his brain, Hunter stared at his distorted reflection. All he had ever wanted since losing his internship in genetics was to be an admiral. Setting an example of what men of his species could be, but here with Jack none of that mattered.

The tips of her fingers dragged down the top of his hand coaching his fingers to part and take hers. Jack couldn't stand to watch him struggle over her. She fought enough with herself and she had never meant for her presence to cause him issues. Jack was a walking disaster all on her own! If she told him how much she wanted him to kiss her and how scared she was that would be changing things on her whim. This had to be his choice. This was his ship, his life, and she was hell bent to keep it his choice. Moving closer so that she could be sure he heard her words over the jets, part of her wanted him to make a move, but that was forcing a hand and all to like her family. Licking her lips she said the only thing that made any sense to her. "Does it matter?"

Hunter leaned in, following Jack's example gauging her question. In the race between his mind and his lips, somewhere in between, Hunter stopped studying and just saw her. The high cheeks bones, narrowed face, did she know that when she pulled on her lip this little twitch of a muscle happened at the back of her jaw" His heart had grown louder in his ears as he looked at her and listened to the question as it echoed in his mind. Does it matter" Does it really matter? Looking down into her glowing green eyes his lips had the answer before his mind. "Not really, Jack."

Mechanist Heart

Date: 2014-06-07 00:19 EST
He reached across tempted for the briefest of moments to touch her cheek and pull her into him. Instead he grasped her hand and drew it gently to his lips. Tenderly he kissed the tops of her knuckles letting his nose linger on the back of her hand...His ice blue eyes never left hers staying firm in his answer. "It is enough that it happened, and that I at least give you the choice of continuing to spend time with me. However you decide it should be." "Somehow I think despite whatever my answer would be I would find you jogging by my lab in the wee hours of the morning." Smiling in relief as much as confusion, there were many things running in both their heads and no doubt the late hour and vodka was not helping matters. "I have enjoyed all the time we have spent together. Even tackling you to the floor, so my choice is pretty clear or at least I think I've made it so." Fingers still locked with his, Jack did not want to let go of him. The kiss to the back of her hand bubbled in her mind with many questions. Did he do it because he knew what a real kiss could do' Was it because he still was unsure about her" Was he just being kind and taking things slow" Slow?! There were surrounded by constant threat! Why the hell would they take anything...oh..Her mind suddenly crashed to a halt as she looked deeper into his eyes causing her cheeks to blush with color. Perhaps you stark raving idiot...he really does like you! Not like school boy she is girl and he is boy no no no...that look. That look....and her mind for the first time in a long time went blank. It was an interesting dilemma now that Jack had brought it up and he for one was grateful he didn't need to decide. It was in jest of course, but he was pretty sure that he would do exactly as she had said and keep his morning run encountered her lab. He was as certain that he would probably stand outside of its door and never cross the threshold, unless he was there for an official reason.

H.K.

Date: 2014-06-07 00:20 EST
Hunter wasn't one who had experienced a lot of relationships, in many ways he was still just the boy except that there was something more here. It was true he felt the thrill in his belly when looking into her eyes. Hearing that mad cap cackle that only a mad scientist could find endearing. Maybe he had gone mad in the best way possible. Yes his pulse quickened when he made the grab for her hand, but in all that there was something more, a comfortable feeling similar to sitting in the captain's chair. Perhaps that was because she wasn't rejecting his interest. What would it feel like for that to have happened" "Next thing you know, you'll be saying I set you up in that lab specifically because it was on my running route." His head tilted slightly, and there was the barest movement of his lips to show his amusement.

"I wouldn't put it past you if there is something you really wanted." Chuckling despite knowing how true those words are and the fact that she wouldn't fight him on it. Not for a second. "This is your ship after all. Run where it pleases you. Just not into my lab mainly cause things have a nasty habit of going boom." Jack splashed a little water at him to keep that smile growing. Though in truth if they splashed enough the tub would need to be refilled, but that was a matter she would be all too happy to remedy. "So....does that mean that game nights are an order, chief?" Yeah...poker would never be on the list of games they could play against each other.

Hunter let out a chuckle as she splashed him, something that she seemed able to get out of him easier than anyone ever had. "Touch?....I am one to make plans, but no in this case the lab was simply the one that best fit your needs." He hadn't let go of her hand, there had been enough times where he'd pulled away already. "I wouldn't call game night an order, merely as strongly advisable suggestion. It isn't exactly torture." He may regret the words later, for now it was just nice to be able to say whatever he wanted and not have to worry about anything, but the next drink or listening to the sound of Jack's voice.

Mechanist Heart

Date: 2014-06-07 00:22 EST
Keeping her grasp just as firm on him as he to her, Jack was not going to let him back away now. This was getting to the good part! Jack pulled on him as she splashed again trying to get a rise out of him. Her pull had his knuckles brushing her torso briefly as the water rose to greet his face. "And I think it is strongly advisable for you to start fighting back before I dunk you in this tub." She rolled her body off to the side closer to his portion of the tub. At this moment there were no lines and their com badges off. With the skeleton crew running third shift it was unlikely that they would be needed. "I would say that depends on the torture. You never know how much you could like something till you try." Hunter was extremely aware of where his knuckles were which probably explained why he wound up with a face full of water. Still she was starting this, and it could as easily be considered a game as anything else. He pulled back on her arm and proceeded to send a splash of water Jack's way, while pinning the back of her hand against his abdomen. "You planning on some kind of water torture tonight?" His tone had lightened, and the amusement he was feeling was there for her in undertones. If she checked his eyes though they would have a glint to them that said he was feeling it much more. Laughing and sputtering as she couldn't escape the wave of water he sent her way, Jack used her wings to flick that water back at him in a light spray. The edge of his abs danced over her knuckles and she couldn't help herself as her fingers rolled defining the edges in her mind. Her laughter could account for the color in her cheeks, but that was still out for debate. "That is one way of looking at it considering you and I are not likely to give up anytime soon." Water dripped from her hair as she used her free arm to bring up the next mini tsunami for him.

H.K.

Date: 2014-06-07 00:26 EST
Flitting wings seemed to be some kind of rule violation to this game, which he would have informed her of if he weren't trying to duck the water they sent his way. The moment to say something had come and gone with the retaliatory wave from her. Hunter noticed the color to her cheeks, but would say nothing. It was just as possible that the change were due to their exertions. "Somehow I think the basin will be empty and we'll still be looking for a way to score last." In his head he couldn't quite get past the way her hand felt on him. That warm tingle still lingered after her touch. He wasn't going to let that end the game. Hunter wiped the water from his face with his arm then sent another rouge wave towards Jack, wondering how long they could manage to drag this out.

Rolling her body into the wave she was going to get the drop on him or at least try to with him still holding her hand. The roar of their laughter had masked the sounds till now. Rocked forward not of her own accord, Jack felt her feet lifted off the floor of the tub. Up and to the right, her body was starting to falling into Hunter with no way to stop herself. Water rolled over the sides of the tub violently. Her body free floating within his reach, she could feel it. The ship was about to rock back violently and she with it. Glowing green eyes looked at him and her free hand reached for his shoulder. "Hunter!"

He felt the ship rock as she did throwing his back into the wall of the tub. Hunter braced himself between the molded seats with his other arm holding fast to the lip of the tub for grip. Reaching out to catch Jack in her fall, he wrapped his arm around her and hung on to the tub to try and save them both from tumbling through the compartment. The shock of the incident had pushed from his head that she was pressed that closely to him and that they were showing far more skin than they normally would now thanks to the lack of water. "We need to get to our stations and figure out what?s happening." Hunter's nose was brushing hers as his voice remained calm and almost wistful. The com badges had been altered, if the crew had been looking for them they wouldn't have been able to find them and only the stars knew what fresh hell they might have stumbled into. He took a last look at Jack before releasing her and jumping from the hot tub.

Mechanist Heart

Date: 2014-06-07 00:29 EST
Jack swallowed hard as she found herself saved and pressed to Hunter much closer than she was before. Her mind wasn't ready to admit like her body was how much this felt natural. It took her several seconds to gather her own will to hop over the side of the tub after parting from his arms. She gathered her things and tossed him his com badge. Jack's droid peeked out of the panel using its magnetic pads to stay in place. Maybe it would be a good idea to install them in her boots, not that it would have helped her in the tub. "Droid, disengage the scramble coding on admiral K'lar's badge only. Set mine to pick up all transmissions." Well there went her secret as to how she was able to hear things when you weren't there. Hunter's badge was already chirping for him while Jack's hummed with back and forth chatter. "You shouldn't be waking the admiral! It was your damn fault for trying to take us through and asteroid field no matter how minor!" "I am in command of this shift and it would have saved us two hours if you had stayed focused on the drift of the smaller ones." "And you would have watched for the larger ones? Yeah right. You call the admiral and I am turning this ship around before Jack kills you, Lang brings you back and then Jack and the Admiral kill you again." It seemed the younger officers were squabbling on the bridge trying to outdo one another and flash their accomplishments the Admiral's way in the morning. Jack was doing her best not to snicker and snort. Snatching the badge from the air Hunter was activating it even as he was listening to the squabble going on between the helm and the officer in charge. He let out a sigh that may have had a bit of a growl too. "Admiral to the bridge....Report." He could have laughed at how quiet things got when the call went through. He moved closer to Jack leaning in and whispering into her ear. "Next time you're going down Absinthe." Hunter winked, he couldn't say why he felt the need to do so, it just happened and then he was off into the Jeffries tube trailing his towel and droplets of water from his suit. "Give me ten minutes, I am on my way." Ten minutes he hoped would be enough to get to his quarters and throw on a uniform. The third shift would be too afraid to notice that he wasn't quite so freshly pressed when he arrived. http://i1306.photobucket.com/albums/s573/AKrugerAllen/Jack%20and%20Hunter/JnHHottub_zps630a3498.jpg