Dessert First

Posted on Tue Mar 3rd, 2020 @ 4:27pm by Lieutenant Commander Amber Quinn & Lieutenant JG Paris Deville

3,130 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: Caverns of the mind
Location: Executive Officer's Quarters

ON:

Paris walked down the corridor on Deck 2. He was out of uniform and in a normal look for him. Black suit pants, black shoes, black buttoned shirt, red suit vest, and red tie. A look that certainly turned heads as he passed his fellow officers. As he walked he whistled softly to himself, hands in his pockets, as he smiled and nodded to everyone he came across. Once he reached his destination he tapped the chime by the door.

"Come in." Amber stood to greet her guest. Since she was off-duty, she'd changed into a pair of slacks and a blouse. A book she'd been reading sat on the side table.

Paris walked in, taking a moment to look around, before saying with a smile. "Just come in, huh? Not concerned about whose walking through your door and into your quarters. Could be a criminal." He gave her a smirk before walking over to her. "You look nice. What are you reading? Something fun I hope."

"Well, I think a criminal just did walk through my door," she teased, smiling in return. "Or so he tells me." She glanced at the book. "I think it's interesting. It's a book about the development of the Vulcan language."

"Accused... as of yet to be convicted." Paris replied, with a smirk, as he sat down beside her. "Interested..." He nodded slightly, easing the book from her grip, and taking a look at it. "I'll take your word for it." He chuckled slightly, removing a handkerchief from his pocket and laying it on the page of the book using it as a marker. He closed it and placed it on the table. "Can I ask you something? I promise I'll let you get back to your book, I just want to figure this out, It's important."

She turned so she could face him. "Sure. What's up?"

Paris turned to do the same. "I am under the impression I offended you somehow and you require an apology, however I can't pinpoint what I did. Would you mind letting me know to make this easier?"

"I admit I was upset with you on the way to the caves, but I don't require an apology," she said. "And I wasn't very happy with you basically telling me how to conduct a scientific investigation. Especially when we'd already been to the planet, been exposed to anything that might be there, and if we were exposed, we brought it back to the ship. It's like trying to put the genie back in the bottle. However, none of the scans show abnormalities, and the scientists were there for a good while before showing anything. So, it's complicated." She put a hand on his arm. "That does not require an apology, either. I was more upset on the planet, but I'm not now."

Paris smiled, taking her hand in his and bringing it up to his lips, gently kissing her fingers. "I still feel like I owe you one. I know I was out of line, on the planet, and in the meeting. However, my reasoning is the same for both. Concern because we are dealing with the unknown and, this potential anomaly, could endanger someone I care about." He said softly, looking to her with a smile. "Not to mention, my brain doesn't go to science, so this routine will take some getting used to. Walking into the unknown, to learn more, but not knowing if there is a potential danger will always cause me to hesitate because I've always did my due diligence before moving forward with anything to plan for certain things to go wrong. With the unknown, there is no way to plan for that, and my caution hits overdrive. More so now, because you are in the middle of it, because of what we have." He paused slightly before reassuring her. "I am not saying I don't trust you to do your job and I won't follow your lead, but with no science background, its hard for me to see things as you guys do."

"I don't expect you to understand science. There are a lot of things you do that I don't understand. I can fly a shuttle, but I can't make it behave the way you can. I won't even try." She squeezed his hand. "Scientists are naturally curious. We love looking and the unknown to learn why. So, while you look at this as something dangerous, we look at it as a puzzle to solve. They clearly were living on the planet for a while, so we're not going to devolve overnight. At least, that's what the evidence suggests. We're here, we need to find out what happened and undo it, if we can. If not, we need to warn others to stay away. All I ask is that you let me do what I know how, and I'll let you warn me when I go too far. Does that work for you?" She leaned forward. "Because I am definitely invested in not having more arguments like this in the future."

"Only if you heed my warnings when I make them." Paris replied with a bit of a chuckle. "I understand if you want to continued forward, but let me know you'll consider what I said, so I don't feel like you ignored me. I'm good with following you, no matter the destination, but I prefer to be of help then just an observer. I may see things differently, but it doesn't make what I see false, just different." He paused slightly before saying. "For example: The Chief Security Officer. Did you notice how he was constantly looking to you for answers and doing things to gain your favor?"

"I will consider your warnings, but I won't always agree with them, or follow them," she said. She thought about the events on the planet and nodded. "I noticed. I think it's his way of being a supportive officer."

"Or that he has trouble taking the initiative on his own actions without acknowledgement or a pat on the head." Paris added. "What's to say, during a major event, he wont hesitate because he is unsure of himself. It's a lot of risk, more so, when lives are in danger." He paused for a moment before continuing. "Maybe I am wrong and, in the heat of the moment, he will pull through. My reading could be completely wrong and I accept that, but with someone like me on board he hasn't shown any caution or concern. No attempt to keep me eye on me or keep me in line. I've run into a lot of officers like that and they make easy marks if you know how to play them, which I do from all my experience. He seems like a good guy, I admit that, but he comes off as more like an officer who is concerned more about succeeding and gaining the admiration of his superiors then considering the potential dangers in front of him. It's all I am saying. He's the guy whose supposed to keep us safe and maybe he hasn't run into a moment for me to see how good he is at that job. Like I said, if I am wrong, I'll admit to it and apologize to him for thinking differently."

"I don't think he's unsure of himself. I see it more as not wanting to assert when I'm over the away team," she said. "He'll have plenty of time to prove himself.

"I hope so." Paris replied with a smirk before adding. "Just think of all the trouble I could get into until then."

She paused before continuing. "I also ask that you don't try to tell me how to do my job. That doesn't mean I don't want your opinion. Just don't try to force your opinion when I don't agree with it. That's what caused problems on the planet. I know you meant well, and I know you did it out of concern, but when I chose to continue on, I needed your support. I did listen, Paris. I will always listen."

"Despite what you may believe, or I may lead you to think, I would never force anything on you. I'm okay with you not agreeing, but it won't stop me from feeling the way I do and being cautious until I know something is no longer a threat to you and everyone else." He placed her hand on hers, smiling as he looked into her eyes. "I will always be by your side, regardless of what side of the conversation we fall under, because I know you are great at doing your job. You moved up in rank, to this position, for a reason. They saw potential in you, something you earned all on your own, so you were placed her because they knew you would excel here. My role here is far different. I'm here to keep me out of trouble. They didn't place me here because I could fly, there are millions of people Starfleet trusts to do that, but they placed me here to keep me away and somewhere I would be surrounded by people they trusted to keep me in line. They can take me out of my element, but they can't expect my brain to adapt so quickly to the change, it's still gonna respond the way it always has." Paris brought her hand up and kissed it again. "I'll do what you need me to do, just don't expect me to stop being me, because being me has kept me alive this long and it may help everyone here in the long run. I don't expect you to trust me right away, that takes time, just to keep an opened mind from time to time."

Her eyes clouded. "No. I got my position as First Officer as a consolation prize." She shook her head. "I like to think I rose to the occasion, but sometimes I'm not so sure. The rest...I can agree with." She looked away, remembering. Then she shook her head and again focused on Paris. "I would like to know you're by my side, that you'll have my back. I need to be able to trust you."

Paris was taken a back, still smiling, as he raised a brow before easing closer. "Of course I have your back." He placed his hand on the side of her face while still holding her hand with the other. "Not because you are the XO, but because I love you and know that you can do this job as good as anyone else." He ran a finger through her hair before adding. "And, for the record, I do trust you. I don't need time because I already know the type of person you are by being around you. You do deserve this job, or else it would have never gone through, and don't let anyone or anything make you feel different. You belong here and in that position, Amber."

"I didn't mean to imply that I don't think you will, just that...after Daniel, I need the reassurance that comes with time. I trusted him, too. And then he put his career first and thought I'd be satisfied with being his XO and eventually taking command, and that's not what I wanted." She rubbed her cheek against his hand. "Just understand that it's my own insecurities talking, not my heart."

"Let me tell you something." Paris replied, bringing her hands up against and kissing her fingers, before placing them down. "I have no career aspirations." He laughed slightly, hoping it would get a smile from her, before adding. "I've been a pilot for so long, among other stuff, and I am good where I am. I am not in it for the ranks or to be a Captain some day. I am in it to fly." He smiled a bit as he continued. "I love to fly. Its freeing. Its open and its something, I love to believe, I am very skilled at. Sure, someone may come along and attempt to throw me down a peg, they may even succeed. However, my love for the act will never change. So, you have nothing to worry about on that end. I trust you, completely. While, I may not agree with you on future things, I will never make you feel bad about not taking my side. Whether my opinion is proven right or not. If you prove me wrong, I will gladly admit to it, but I will never lose my faith, my trust, and my love for you. I hope you understand that for when you deal with unsavory me in the future." Paris chuckled softly before ending his amusement in a smirk as he looked into her eyes.

"Yes," she said softly. "We can agree that we won't always agree and move on to something...more pleasant."

"More pleasant, huh?" Paris replied as he looked over to the book she had when he walked in and held it up. He returned his gaze to her, with a smile, as he said. "Like this? Hmmm.... Let's see how pleasant it is." He opened it up and began to read it aloud, using a monotones Vulcan tone, to get some humor out of it. As he continued his eye began to go heavy and his head started to lean back. Soon, he was faking he had fallen asleep, completely with fake snoring sa he whispered. "So... fascinating." Paris said between his snoring before waking up and looking to her with a chuckle. "I'm joking. I'm sure to you its filled with a lot of interesting stuff and facts you may not have known before. I won't make fun of it so much." He placed it back on the table and added. "I'll admit. There are some Vulcan works, out there, that I come across and enjoyed. It's just hard to find emotion behind a race that hides it out of tradition, you know?"

His antics brought not only a smile, but a laugh from her. "It's academic reading." She leaned forward and kissed him. "Vulcan's don't hid their emotions, they control them. Rigidly. they believe it's the only way their society survived." She ran her fingers along Paris' hand. "They find this...stimulating."

Paris smiled, feeling her fingers move around his, as he whispered. "I get it... but that kiss was far more stimulating." He said as he looked over to her with a smirk. "Let's go back to that."

She ran her hand up his arm and around the back of his neck before leaning in and kissing him again.

He gave a bit of a smile before touching lip with hers. He placed his hands on her hips and gently squeezed as he pressed against her. Paris felt a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time. A feeling he never thought he would feel again in this, or any, lifetime. It was new, but also familiar. It was something he wanted to last forever, but forever was too long for him.

When the kiss ended, she leaned against him, unwilling to disturb the moment.

After a bit, Paris broke the kiss and leaned back slightly, primarily to take a breath. He was still close to her, touching her nose to nose, as he smiled running his hand through her hair and stopping it at her cheek. Softly, he began to whisper to her, as if lightly singing to her. ""I've got you... under my skin. I've got you... deep in the heart of me." He paused, running his hand across her cheek before adding. "So deep in my heart, that you're really a part of me. I've got you... under my skin." He let out a quick, and soft laugh, before smiling and looking her into the eyes hoping she could feel the emotions behind his words with her empathic ability.

She could. "I feel the same way," she whispered back.

He let out a slight chuckle, ending it in a smile, before letting out a bit of a relieved breath. "I... " Paris stopped, swallowing, before finally continuing with. "I want you to know that... I'm enjoying the time we spend alone. When its just you, and me, with no worries but how to spend the time." He leaned back slightly, placing his hand on the side of her face. It wasn't at all what he was going to say, but the words on his lips were scary enough when spoken out loud, that he may not have been ready to say it.

"Yes." She placed her hand over his. "There's no rush. For now, we can just enjoy spending time together."

Paris smiled, looking into her eyes, before saying softly. "I don't normally enjoy a telepath in my head, but as long as you play nice and don't go digging, I can get used to it." He leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss.

She smiled back. "I promise to play nice. I need to get used to being with someone who's been around for hundreds of years. I will try not to ask too many historical questions."

"I don't mind answering questions... but you need to understand I have to keep some things to myself. After all." He said as he leaned back with a smirk. "The key to a lasting relationship is mystery, and I am full of it." Paris smiled before it slowly faded as he raised a brow and added. "That didn't come out right."

"Oh, it came out fine. I agree that you're full of it."

He placed his hand on his chest and let out a playful gasp. "Already you wound me."

She chuckled softly. "So what would the walking wounded like to do this evening?"

"I don't know. After that comment I think I need to be coddled and pampered. My self esteem may never recover."

She couldn't help it. She laughed out loud. Then she kissed him. "I think you'll recover quite nicely."

He smiled back, kissing her deeply, before whispering. "Well... more kisses like that and I'll be right as rain, nurse."

"Well then...who am I to ignore my patient," she whispered, kissing him again.

Paris smirked as he kissed her passionately, placing his hands on the side of her face, and bringing her closer.

It looked like they were going to have dessert first tonight, Amber thought, slipping her hand behind his head.
____
OFF

Lieutenant JG Paris Deville
Chief Flight Control Officer

Lieutenant Commander Amber Quinn
Executive Officer

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