The SleepOver

Posted on Sun Aug 5th, 2012 @ 8:02pm by Commander Oralia Zeferino & Jackson Banning V

Mission: Sections of the Delta Quadrant
Location: Piper Medical

With the course her day had taken, Oralia wasn’t altogether sure she should see Jackson, let alone sleep in the same room he was in. She’d pulled up more research on the man than she had on any other potential lover, ever. She’d even gone so far as to pull documents from Charleston. Starfleet’s Special Ops hadn’t been able to alter his birth records.

At first, she’d been confused by the dates on the records - they put him at forty-two years of age. Taking everything she’d already learned from Harding, she had puzzled through it and come to her own theory of what Jackson needed to talk to her about. At the moment, she wasn’t sure how she felt about the idea but her actions were giving her a good clue.

Pausing outside her own quarters, she debated whether to take Iggy with her to Piper Medical. Why should the arachnid be there? As a chaperone? Oralia figured that Jackson’s injuries would be chaperone enough. Entering, she first dealt with an Iggy who wanted to go with her and was none too happy about being left at home, then she grabbed a few items before heading to Piper Medical, where she was soon enough by Jackson’s bedside, trying to ignore the little voice in her head whining about how rumors would be spread by the two security officers at his door. In one hand, she held a small box from a patisserie on the Promenade. Her thoughts weren’t on the confection in the box, though. They were on Jackson and the form of his body under the blanket. She found her mouth watering.

When her eyes finally landed on Jackson’s face, she saw he was watching her and smiled, “Evening. I brought dessert.”

“Besides you, you mean?” A sparkle of merriment shone in his eyes. “When Chanella brought in the bed for you, I begged her to take it away and bring in a double. She just laughed.”

Oralia laughed, too. “I wonder what the biobed sensors would do if I just curled up with you.” Gingerly, she sat on the edge of his bed, her hip next to his. She leaned forward, looking like she might kiss him, but instead she set the box on the table by the bed and then sat back up. “Jackson...,” she started and hesitated before starting again and speaking slowly, as if picking each word carefully, “...you have an interesting file. And a very youthful look for your age.” She looked him straight in the eye.

His smile immediately faded. “So you know.” The humour in his gaze shifted immediately to raw fear and he found it hard to breathe. What if this scared her away now, when things might finally be settling down?

“What do I know, Jackson? I have a theory, based on what Harding said about you, the Ba’Ku planet and atmosphere, Project B, your birth records - your mom has a lovely name,” she paused, surprised by her own weird apropos of nothing comment. Shaking her head, she went on, “Are you immortal? What should I know here?”

“We don’t know, Oz,” he whispered. “It was a lab accident, Su and I were flooded with somethin’ that they didn’t think would work, but apparently they were on the right track it was just too unstable. So yes, as you now know, I am forty-two. And I'll be sure to tell Mom.”

“That was twelve years ago. Have there been after-effects? Are you healthy? Fully functional?” Her brain had already chewed around that question. After all, he’d turned her away at least once when she was fully naked, in his bed; and she didn’t know if he’d been amorous with any other woman, not that she’d kept track, though.

“Perfectly on all counts. The only issue so far was what Harding noted with this surgery. Otherwise, I enjoy an enviable state of health and...stamina.” He grinned up at her.

She didn’t return his grin. Instead, she frowned. “So... if we work, then... you’ll stay young and handsome and...,” her eyes traveled to his hips then back up, “...delicious, while I age and turn old and grey?” Her lips pursed together and her eyes narrowed before she admitted, “That doesn’t sound like fun. From either side.”

Pain roared through his chest and he reached up, pressing his hand there, but it had nothing to do with his surgery. “We don’t know that I am unagin’ or if it’s just slowed.” His voice grew rough now. “Oz, I’ve waited too long for you, wanted you too much, we can’t let this screw things up now. That’s a long way off. If it’s the looks that bother you down the road, that can be fixed. The point is, it’s you. I don’t care if you’re thirty or a hundred.”

Her hand lightly covered his. “Your wounds? Do you need a pain medication?”, she asked. When he shook his head, she nodded, biting her bottom lip. “You make it sound like I’ve written us off; like this would make me run faster than a hare being chased by a fox. It’s unusual... since you’re human. But what if you were El Aurian? Or Vulcan? Either of those species would face the same issues if they loved or were loved by a human.”

“I wanted to tell you all along but I couldn’t. Then I was afraid to, but given what’s happened and the way things are going, I felt you should know, despite my orders. If I could fix it I would but I am what I am.”

“You’re forty-two. You sure you can keep up with a young’un like me?” She joked, a wicked gleam in her eye. “And, for the record, I’m thirty-one.”

“Truly thirty-one.” He smiled again as he reached for her. “Wanna see if I can?”

“I wouldn’t have brought dessert if I didn’t.” She chuckled and kissed him, glad she hadn’t brought an eight-legged chaperone. She did have misgivings about this, about them, about kissing him and letting herself enjoy him.... Those misgivings had nothing to do with Project B, though; they had to do with Connor. Was Jackson a band-aid over that wound?

He kissed her back gently. “I’d love to show ya but I’m movin’ a little slow today. But just you wait....an’ when am I gonna get outta here?”

“Late tomorrow. Doc Harding made me promise I wouldn’t leave you alone, so you’ll have to choose: my place or yours? Mine comes with an annoying little spider, fair warning. I imagine yours might come with Janice Gree, Eli Ziyad, Vic, or Cassidy Wilde.”

“Oh hell no. No friends, no spider. Just us. My place. And I’ll ignore the doorbell.”

“Sounds like a plan,” she leaned in a bit more and kissed him again. “Of course, nothing will happen. Not till you’re fully recovered.” Yeah, like she’d hold him to that; Oralia didn’t have the best track record with denying herself anything.

“Yeah...” His smile widened. “Call Iggy, tell her you won’t be home tomorrow, then come settle in beside me. I wanna see if Ophelia’s monitors go nuts.”

“I’ll get Chance to tell her; she’s already a little irritated with me.” She didn’t leave the room, but she did ease off the bed. “Before I climb into bed, I’m going to get out of this uniform,” she explained, though she didn’t move towards the bathroom. She set her PJs on the foot of Jackson’s bed then tapped her commbadge to call Chance Conradi. While she cajoled her brother into checking on Iggy and then keeping Iggy company tomorrow, she casually stripped off her uniform, all while watching Jackson.

=^=Where are you right now, Oz?=^=

“I’m fine,” she answered Chance, removing the last of her clothing.

=^=I’m sure you are, but where are you? Why won’t you be around to see to Iggy yourself?=^=

“I have other things on my plate right now, little brother. Oz out.” She closed the commlink and pulled her PJ top over her head.

Jackson’s eyes never left her and once she closed the comm link, he held out his hand. He’d waited so damned long and finally, perhaps, the way was clear. For now, he just needed her beside him, reminding him he was still alive.

Pulling her PJ pants on, she carefully slid into the bed next to him, on the side that wasn’t injured. “I’m not really used to wearing pjs,” she said, as if that excused her strip tease.

“Me either, but I don’t think the nurses want a show. There’s always tomorrow, Oz, when we’re out of here.”

She settled her head on his shoulder and put an arm over his torso, one leg over one of his. “Hey, Jackson?”

“Yes?” For an instant, he expected the door to open and someone to come in, or for his conscience to prick him. Then it hit him anew how much things had changed.

“I l..,” her tongue tripped on whatever word she was about to say, “...like that this is uncomplicated.”

“It’s been a long time coming Oz, you know that as well as I do.” He noted her trip up but let it pass for now.

She nodded against his shoulder and tried not to think about Connor, even as grief choked her.

He turned his head to kiss her forehead. “One day at a time, my love. We’ll make it.”

_____________
Oralia Zeferino
Jackson Banning V
First Steps