A Little Night Music

Posted on Sun Dec 11th, 2011 @ 8:45am by Jackson Banning V & Lieutenant Natalia Bren M.D.
Edited on on Sun Dec 11th, 2011 @ 5:53pm

Mission: Sections of the Delta Quadrant
Location: The Nexus Club / Natalia's Quarters

Jackson had every intention of staying to talk to the 'newlyweds' as he thought of them, but the appearance of Natalia at the door of the Nexus quickly put an end to that idea. It wasn't just her, either. For the first time in his memory, he was seeing her in something besides a uniform and doctor's lab coat. And this 'something was really something. Deep purple, shoulders bare, hugging her curves like....he decided he should stop his thoughts from running amok right there since he was still in public. It's never good to let them see you drool.

He crossed through the late night crowd, forcing his steps to slow as he reached her. Taking her hand, he raised it to his lips in gallant fashion.

A small group of women entered, off duty from the various business on the Promenade. They all glanced at Jackson and Natalia, and as they passed, several could be heard commenting. "Who is she?" "Wow, he never greets me like that." "Lucky girl." "Asshole, he barely says hello to me."

Jackson ignored them. "Welcome to the Nexus. You look..amazin', Natalia."

Watching his approach, she had been smiling sweetly, "Thank you", a soft blush crept over her cheeks. Her eyes sparkled; having taken in his formal white dinner jacket, white shirt and black bow tie. He was sexy, and he made her heart race. "You look pretty wonderful yourself."

"Flattery will get you everywhere, darlin'." He offered her his arm. "Shall we? I have a table that's always open. And I'm officially off-duty." His blue eyes held hers, and for a moment he was sure he might drown in them.

Already missing the warmth of his hand, she linked her arm in his, "Does this mean...", she was caught in his gaze, "..you're all mine...", she felt her blush deepen, "..for the evening?"

Some glib comment jumped to his lips but he stopped, suddenly speechless. "Umm...absolutely...whatever you like...we could even..." He stopped there, his brain finally engaging. He didn't want to rush this and screw it up. Finally, he spoke again, relieved to see that what came out was appropriate and not stupid. "Whatever you wish, Natalia." He led her around the outer edge of the tables, arriving at his own reserved one and held the chair for her.

She looked at him knowingly as she took her seat, and covering what was going through her mind, so unsure, she said, "We could even...dance", with innocent eyes, and a smile that grew teasingly.

"Among other things." The words slipped out before he could stop them. Once she was seated, he brushed his hand gently over her bare shoulder. The urge to follow it with his lips was strong, but he resisted.

She held her breath as he touched her, unable to keep the warmth from spreading through her. "Among other things", she said softly.

A bottle of wine appeared at the table, left by a waiter who was there and gone in the blink of an eye. Jackson eyed it warily. Alcohol lowering his inhibitions was the last thing he needed right now.

"Why not dance now?" He held out his hand to her.

She stared at him intently for no more than a second before she laid her hand in his and felt his fingers curl around hers.

He led her to the dance floor and now that they were there, the moment was at hand. As he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close against him, he began to wonder just how much patience and control he had left in him. The music was slow and mellow, suiting the moment nicely he thought.

"I'm glad you came," he whispered. I'm glad you wore that dress.

"So am I", she whispered back. Between the music, feeling the warmth of his hands on her skin, him guiding her so gently, she found herself relaxing, moving herself closer. She looked up at him intently, "What I don't understand...", she hesitated, searching his eyes.

"What's that, Nat?" He met her gaze, then leaned in, speaking at her ear as they continued to dance.

She closed her eyes as a shiver went through her. Breathing unevenly, she faced him, "Is what took me so long."

"Or me? There's a story there, and as you might guess, it all goes back to Harding." He paused a moment, then blurted out. "You want to get out of here?"

"Yes", she said, realizing she had to force herself to be aware of anything or anyone else around her other than him, his proximity to her, and the heat that was rising between them.

Her answer sent lightning flashing through him, sending his heart racing. Taking her hand, he kissed it once more, then led her from the floor. Stopping only briefly at the table, he grabbed the bottle of wine and took her on out the doors of the Nexus.

They had walked together in almost virtual silence, with an occasional heated glance and flirtatious smile. As they approached the doors to her quarters, Natalia's whole body felt under tension like the string of a violin. Her mind whirled with thoughts of uncertainty; how she felt about him, how her body ached with desire whenever he was near, leading her to something she wasn't yet sure she was ready for.

Breathing in deeply to calm her nerves, she looked up at Jackson, running a hand down his handsome face, before turning to key in her entry code.

The doors opened and he waited for Natalia to enter first. Once they were both in and doors closed, he raised the bottle. "Let me pour." No sooner were the words out of his mouth than an image flashed in his thoughts of bare skin, a dribble of wine tracing over it followed by....He stopped right there and cleared his throat, biting the inside of his cheek to bring himself back to reality.

"Alright", she gave him a warm smile, and turned her back to him, walking into the kitchen area to grab the wine glasses. "Are you hungry?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at him.

"Yes. No." He shook his head to clear it. "I ate earlier." The sway of her hips, and her bare back had all but hypnotized him. His fingers twitched with the desire to touch the bare skin on display. Deep breath, J.

Nat returned with two wine glasses, her eyes capturing his. Her cheeks coloring, as she gave a small wince, "Maybe this time I won't spill mine.", she said, holding them out in front of her.

He poured wine into first one then the other with a smile. "I won't complain if ya do. It would be a good excuse for....." Once more he stopped, burying whatever he might had said in a long sip of wine.

If it wasn't for his smiling, she might have misunderstood. Still, she wasn't sure; he seemed so uncomfortable. "You want to leave", she whispered, her brows slightly coming together.

"Oh I can assure you that is the last thing I want to do." He lowered the glass to the table and pulled her close against him once more. "If I had my way, I'd still be here serving you breakfast in the morning."

She stared back at him for a few heated heartbeats, feeling her heart racing. What was she so afraid of? She leaned up and kissed him, her lips soft on his.

"Is that a yes?" he whispered. Patience only went so far, he realized, and his had departed like a rat leaving a sinking ship. The analogy was more than fitting.

"Yes", she whispered back, tracing her fingertips over his cheek and across his lips. "I want you, Jackson."

Her words were the sweetest music he'd heard in ages.

*********

Lt. Natalia Bren, M.D.
Jackson Banning V
Finally In Concert