Successful Evenings
Posted on Tue Aug 6th, 2024 @ 5:50pm by Lieutenant Xex Wang & Lieutenant JG Leighton Romanowski
Edited on on Tue Aug 6th, 2024 @ 7:51pm
Mission:
Mean Green Queen
Location: Debbie's Diner
Timeline: Mission Day 7 at 2010
[Debbie's Diner]
[Immediately Following 'Meeting Up']
[2010]
As the computer had intimated, Debbie's Diner took up the entire aft observation area of the ship, with tables and benches scattered beneath wide viewports pointing up and out the better to catch the view. Where on another ship the principal operator may have stuck to neutral décor, here, Debbie had been allowed free reign, and had used that to convert the space into an old Earth style diner with all the chrome and red leather trappings thereof. It was busy, loud in the way of popular food establishments where many conversations happened at once, each overlapping the other so that it was impossible to pick out any individual one.
Gatien, his arm still comfortably around Leighton's waist in a manner that was just subtly more possessive than it had been when they'd left the ship's mess, leaned down to murmur, “If the Bombay had had sometin' like dis, I daresay Debbie would 'ave sometin' to say on the subject.” He sounded amused, as though he had some cause to know her reaction to a knock-off Debbie's Diner. With a jerk of his chin, he pointed out the proprietress herself, an ample woman with bright red hair and enormous hoop earrings which tonight looked like they were encrusted in rhinestones. She was currently chatting amiably with a group of lower deckers at a table, bantering easily with them. She certainly didn't look scary, except in the 'amiable schoolmarm' way. Maybe there was something Gatien knew that wasn't obvious.
“C'mon,” he said then, raising his voice, “we'll snag that booth.” Gatien led the way with light pressure on the small of Leighton's back, steering him to an empty booth directly beneath the enormous viewports. His hand lingered just an extra unnecessary moment before finally slipping away-- the gesture easily dismissed, or easily read-into-- as he slid into the booth. “Dis,” he said, tipping his head back, “is what you needed to see.”
Outside, the black velvet of space was pricked by a thousand million points of light, each twinkling in its own spectrum of color. The ship had dropped out of warp sometime in the morning in order to rendezvous with a shuttle full of crew from Pathfinder, and had remained on impulse engines throughout the ship's day. Gatien wasn't sure why-- probably something science-y-- but it meant the view from Debbie's was particularly awe-inspiring. Stars clustered close together in one section of the sky, seeming to make the next area even darker, and that the better to contrast with an enormous nebula that was just coming into view.
Leighton looked out at the view port. His eyes growing slightly larger as he spotted the stars that each had their own colors and flash patterns. Leighton had been born in space and spent his younger years traveling around different starbases before ending up back on earth. There was something about the Alpha quadrant, the stars had long ago lost their fascinating appeal and just seemed mundane and routine. But out here in the Delta Quadrant, these stars were all new to him. There was that sense of the unknown, what worlds and species did each small twinkling spec of light hold? After taking a moment longer, Leighton breathed out slowly before he turned to look at Gatien with a grin.
“I must say that i think I’ll be frequenting Debbbie’s more often now,” he said with a grin as Gatien smiled back warmly at him.
"Jus' make sure you doan forget to invite moi," Gatien said, his grin satisfied. The punch of the stars didn't land with everyone, and he was clearly pleased with himself that he'd guessed right with Leighton. He jerked a chin up at the viewport as he tipped his head back with his own satisfied sigh, obviously finding his own kind of peace in the star-studded view, "You wouldn't be the fuhst junior grade lieutenant to forget why ezzactly we out here."
Before he could wax more eloquent about the starscape, a stout Bolian ensign Gatien thought he recognized from the science labs skated-- yes, her shoes seemed to have wheels on them-- over to their table. She was difficult to look at, her entire outfit made of rainbows, all of which seemed to bisect each other. Gatien gave her a crooked grin anyway. "Just a couple long islands, mon cher, we jes' gettin' started." When the Bolian had gone again, Gatien leaned across and said conspiratorially, "Debbie's Long Islands are killer. I hope you ready to be less productive tomorrah, suh." His lips curled on the 'sir,' giving it a teasing emphasis.
Leighton laughed as he shook his head slightly before looking back at Gatien with a smile. "Well if Lieutenant Commander Cross says anything about my drop in work performance, I'm sending her after you," he teased back before he stole another glance out of the viewport. "So, you take every fresh faced Lieutenant Junior grade here on the first date," Leighton asked before looking back at Gatien and giving him an upraised eyebrow with a slight wink.
Gatien's dark eyes twinkled and he leaned back slightly to thrust his chin toward Leighton in another of those pseudo-French gestures that seemed to have survived in every corner of the diaspora. "I dare you to," he said, with a challenging flick of his eyebrows. To answer Leighton's question though, he took his time, leaning back against the booth's cushions, his arms stretched out along the seat's back. He considered the fresh faced lieutenant junior grade across from him seriously for a long moment. Finally, his lips quirked to the side at some private joke, and he answered, "Only th' ones who need it." There was something inescapably light about his tone, taking any sting out of the words. Holding up a finger, he forestalled any reply, glancing sidelong at Leighton, "But I will say: one," he ticked off the statement on the same finger he'd held up, "You ah by far th' freshest faced and two," he ticked off the second finger, "you can't deny it's a good move, non?"
Leighton laughed at Gatien's response. It was all too familiar, the baby faced Starfleet Officer like Leighton was. He'd learned to live with it now, which made him all the more diligent at his job. He took a moment to look out at the viewport again before looking back at Gatien across from him with a wide smile. "Certainly the best move someone's every used with me by far," Leighton said with a grin as he leaned back into his side of the booth, eyes looing straight into Gatien's. The man's eyes had a slight twinkle that was very alluring.
"Then I will count tonight as a success," Gatien replied, with every evidence of sincerity. "Speakin' o' success--" but before he could continue, the Bolian returned with their drinks, a pair of tall glasses filled with an amber liquid on ice. "Ah!" Gatien crowed, thanking the Bolian and raising a glass in toast. "To," he suggested with an arch look across the table, dark eyes glittering, "successful evenin's?" The double entendre was not subtle, but the nurse's easy manner made it more flirtation than proposition.
Leighton gave an exaggerated thoughtful look. He'd caught the double meaning, but he decided to play along with Gatien's flow. "I'll drink to that," he said as he raised his own glass and gently clinked it with the nurse's.
"I think i may have found a new place for my evening meals," Leighton said as the two men walked down the corridor close together. The meal at Debbie's had been quite filling, more soo than what he usually replicated. Gatien's arm was around Leighton's waist and the two men walked closely together. The evening had been truly memorable, Listening to Gatien's story's about where he was from, and the ships he'd served on. Part of Leighton wondered if some of the stories were embellished for his sake, but he had a feeling that they were not.
Gatien held up a finger on his free hand. "Now, it ain't always that good, mind" he cautioned, the pleasant languor of the food and drink making their progress down their corridor slow. "Fuh one ting, ah'm not always dere," he said, dark eyes glittering as he slanted a smile sidelong at Leighton. "But if it gets you outta da office, so to speak..." he added, trailing off as they slowed even further.
"Well, this is me," Leighton said as the came to a stop before the door to his quarters. Leighton felt Gatien's arm release from his waist as the two men turned to face each other. "Thanks again for dinner, I had a wonderful time," Leighton said with a wide smile as he stood before the man, the slight sparkle in his eyes making his smile wider. He swallowed a bit nervously. Leighton was never really sure how to end a date with someone, but then again he'd never really dated before.
Fortunately for the ops man, Gatien very much knew how to end a date. He looked Leighton over intently, checking his own instincts to ensure the moment was right. Deciding that Leighton's body language said that it was, Gatien stepped close, cupping his cheek with one hand while his other slid around the young man's back, pulling him close as he leaned down and with no self-consciousness whatsoever, kissed him. It was no chaste peck, but rather deep and lingering; Gatien seemed quite content to take his time. The nurse was skilled and thorough, but finally pulled away before his less chivalrous impulses could get the better of him. "Th'pleasure was mine, ah assure ya," he said, his face still very close to Leighton's, his words ever-so-slightly breathless.
Gatien hesitated one moment, his gaze intent on Leighton, something hot behind the glittering dark of his eyes. Perhaps-- but no. With a seamless motion, he stepped back from Leighton, putting a handful of centimeters between them. "Ah look forward to the next one. Goodnight, lieutenant," he said, managing to make the title familiar, a little teasing, rather than using it to thrust formality between them. He half turned then, letting his hand trail lazily along Leighton's waist before finally releasing him and continuing the turn to move off down the corridor. He was only a dozen steps away when he glanced back over his should to see Leighton watching him go. One dark eye closed in a very deliberate wink, and then Gatien faced forward again, and was quickly lost to sight around the curve of the corridor.
Leighton had felt the man's strong grip around his back as he'd felt Gatien's lips on his. The kiss had lasted longer than Leighton had been used to, but not that he was complaining. He could feel himself blush after Gatien had stepped back. "Good night," he said slightly out of breath as the man turned and walked away. Leighton watched the man go, the smile on his face growing slightly as his eyes took in the man's tall form. There had been a part of him that felt the desire to invite him in, but he didn't exactly have the room to himself. Leighton saw Gatien stop and their eyes met for one last time. There was that sparkle again and Leighton felt himself blushing again before Gatien winked and disappeared around the corner.
Leighton looked down at the PADD he held in his hands still, his days work long forgotten as he leaned back against the bulkhead slightly and breathed out slowly. His thoughts were of Gatien, and when he would be able to see him again. But what was the protocol here? Leighton wasn't sure how long he should wait before asking the man out again. With a sigh, Leighton pushed off against the bulkhead, his mind racing with possibilities about what his next steps were while also trying to figure out how he was going to be able to think straight at work tomorrow. With a soft his, the doorway to his quarters parted, and as he stepped of the threshold, the closed on a wonderful evening.
