The Stripes Come Off

Posted on Mon Jul 4th, 2011 @ 6:18pm by Commander Oralia Zeferino & http://starbase900.info/index.php/personnel/character/23

Mission: In Our Time of Need
Location: Oralia's Quarters

"Oh, hey," Oz grinned at the man in her quarters as she entered. She'd set her door to open for him - even if she wasn't there, which, this time, she hadn't been. "Have I kept you waiting long?" she asked, knowing already that she hadn't. They'd set a time for this 'mini-date' and it was only a few minutes past that now. Before she pulled off her stilettos - the same purple and black ones Jackson had momentarily imagined waving in the air, she leaned into Connor's personal space to give him a glancing kiss. With the heels on, she was nearly as tall as he was.

"No", he answered quietly, his eyes following her as she pulled away. "I just got off duty..." Since her dress left little to the imagination, he asked, "Where have you been?" Connor's eyes had narrowed, his voice held what might be called close to an accusatory tone.

She'd already taken a few steps from him when his tone hit her. Her back straightened and she did a pirouette on the ball of one foot to face him. Taking a hard look at his face, she said, "I've been at the Nexus Club, talking with Jackson." There was ice in her response. "It is part of my job to do so."

"Dressed like that?" he circled her, the lines along his jaw tensing, "It's your job to yarn to a bloke who would just as soon root you, than serve you a drink?!"

His anger surprised her, as did his predator-like circling. She didn't move to keep him in her sight, though; instead, she removed her shoes by lifting first one leg, then the other, and pulling them off. With the stilettos in hand, she realized how convenient a weapon they were and quickly went to her bedroom to toss them in a corner. Connor's accusation bothered her but it was unusual... wasn't it?

Coming back and facing Connor, she folded her arms and stared at him. "What's with you tonight? Did someone at work piss you off?"

He stared back in return at first, and then closed his eyes, grimacing as if he was in pain as he turned away. "Yes", he answered quietly, rubbing his forehead as he headed over to the couch and sat down. He pressed his hands together as he worked on letting it go. Having improved on his fear of inflicting harm, and yet here he was behaving in a threatening manner...

She was getting better at reading him, and glad of it. Back on the Berkeley, this would have been blown into an all-out fight that would have left one of them storming off. This time, Oralia moved towards him and slowly settled onto his lap, her knees on either side of his hips. Parting his hands, she put them behind her and leaned in to kiss him on the forehead. "Who was it, babe? That annoying Nurse Falco?"

He leaned back, pressing into the couch, taking her with him. He looked at her intently, "It shouldn't matter...., Oralia, I'm sorry...", he leaned his head back more, and stared at the ceiling, "I don't know why I did that..." Am I a danger...?, he thought, and pushed it away.

She touched his cheek and smiled. His apologies seemed to be easier to make. "Because you have a jealous streak, my dear," she kissed his exposed neck. "But you know you have nothing to worry about, right?" He nodded and she continued, "You'll just have to make it up to me."

"Hmmm", he smiled, pulling up on her dress, "and how am I to make it up to you...?" He leaned forward, and began kissing along her jawline. He was wanting her, feeling as if he was needing her. The conversation with Professor Claudia Drake weighed heavily in the back of his mind.

Her hands worked to reverse the direction he was heading with her dress. "You can make dinner," she answered and kissed his cheek, "I'm going to go change, luv." She pulled away from him and disappeared into her bedroom, stripping off the dress as she went. What was underneath left nothing to the imagination.

Connor sat there, a little thrown off as she walked away. He stared after her, and then ran his hands together down his face as she disappeared. "What could you possibly have in your kitchen area to prepare, Cmdr?" he shouted, standing up, and heading over there. Oralia didn't cook. "Or do you mean the usual replicated porkchops, Georgia style?", he drawled in what was probably the worse southern accent possible.

She came back out in just her bra and panties, her hair now down and curled around her shoulders. "My porkchops are just fine, Lieutenant! You've never complained when I've served them to you," she shot back. "Besides, you could replicate ingredients and go from there, if you're ambitious."

"I'm ambitious, Oralia, but not for cooking..", he reached out for her, pulling her to him. "Although I do like to cook..." his eyes roaming over her, "how about we have dessert first? You usually prefer it that way..", he said, pressing into her, and kissing the side of her mouth as his fingers trailed down to slip underneath the thin side straps of her panties. Connor knew how to touch her, what she liked, what turned her on to where she would have to take over...

But this time, instead of pulling him into the bedroom for 'dessert first', she caught his hands and shook her head. "Dinner, it's why you're here," she said, pushing him towards the kitchen. When he gave her a confused look, she smiled and said, "What? I'm hungry but not for... well... Porkchops sound more appetizing right now."

Lines forming between his brows, he leaned a hand on a counter. A bit confused, he started to say something, and stopped, before finally asking, "Are you angry with me, Oralia? It's what I said about Jackson..."

"Angry?" She was the one giving him a confused look now. "I could have had reason to be mad, but... I wasn't and I'm not." Something about that didn't quite sit right suddenly. "I'm just not all that...," she shrugged and cast about for the most fitting word, "...passionate right now."

His concern shifted, "Are you feeling alright?" and he went back to her, placing his hands on either side of her face, and began looking her over.

"Yeah, Connor," she leaned a cheek into his palm and smiled. "Let's have dinner and then, maybe, dessert." The way she said that made it clear that dessert wasn't something she was really enthused about.

He continued to stare for a few heartbeats, and nodded, forcing a wry smile before kissing her lightly and pulling away. "I want you to relax..." he said backing up, "How does...", he put a hand out, his smile becoming real, "..a spinach salad with... warm bacon dressing 'n' mashed sweet potatoes sound?", he asked, knowing her favorites.

"Divine!" She turned away and called back, "I'll be back with clothes on." She frowned, slightly puzzled about her cooler than lukewarm response to Connor. She'd had an equally chilly reaction to Jackson's teasing about her shoes and dress. But... the puzzle didn't seem all that important to resolve and she donned baggy flannel pajamas before going back out to the smell of bacon cooking. Now that got her interest piqued.

"Now that is sexy." Connor came up from behind, placing his arms around her waist, "It's cruel to turn a man down, only to tempt him.." he said low into her neck.

"Hmm... that bacon smells tempting," she answered, leaning back into his hug. "Food is tempting. Much more so than a girl in baggy flannel, I'm sure." She smiled gently and gestured at the bacon. "Almost done?"

He nodded, releasing her, and moved to plate the dinner, wilting the spinach in the salad with the warm bacon dressing. He wasn't surprised when Oz scarfed it down; it was one of her favorite meals that he could cook. He was surprised when she sleepily yawned and made a suggestion he wasn't expecting.

"How about we clean up - and since you cooked, by 'we', I mean 'me' - and cuddle till we fall asleep?" She touched his hand.

"Alright," he said, still confused, still unsure. Again, his brows knitted together, "Are you sure you are okay? Nothing is wrong?"

Getting up to clear the table, she nodded. "Nothing's wrong. Guess I'm... maybe a little tired?" She shrugged and took the plates to the recycler.

Swallowing, he nodded, and pulled his sweater off as he headed into the bedroom. The thoughts were still there: was she upset with him, did he frighten her, could he of hurt her? He couldn't put into words how much she meant to him, yet he pictured in his head losing control, raising his hand at her to...to what? If I keep thinking this, then I just may be close to doing it... Holding his head with his arms, Connor sat down on the bed, Don't think it...

He walked back out a few moments later, his shirt back on. Rubbing his neck, he watched her, the color drained from his face.

Done with cleaning up, Oralia turned and about jumped out of her skin. "Connor! I didn't realize you were there...," she looked more closely at him and grew concerned. "Hey, are you okay?"

Not answering her question, he just indicated a hand out towards her, "You're tired...we are both tired?", he nodded as if he knew what her answer would be. "I was a jerk... but you are...?"

"Your girlfriend? Who is not mad at you because you were being jealous?" She wasn't entirely certain what answer he wanted. Had she been a jerk? "Babe?" She caught his hands and moved into the circle of his arms. "You look a little ... pale."

Again, her reassurances were not enough. "My brain is not shifting gears, Oralia", he admitted, looking down at her. "I'm stuck on an obsession, 'n' I need to shift my attention elsewhere otherwise all I can think about is controlling it or going through the rituals to make it go away 'n' 'that' is what makes it stay...", he stressfully ran his sentences together and pulled away. "I don't know what happened today", he put his hands out in frustration. "I discover more of my memory is gone, 'n'... I regress!"

There were so many things there that she wanted to ask about; it made her head swirl. "Tell me about it, Connor." Oralia leaned into his chest then pushed him towards the bedroom and the bed. "C'mon, cuddle with me."

He had been ready to leave, to try and clear his head, but with her shoving him towards the bed, and lifting his shirt up to help him undress, he wrapped his arms around her instead, causing them both to fall onto the bed.

Connor looked at her as if she was all he wanted to think about, "I'll tell you about it tomorrow, Oralia. If you're not in the mood to make love, then I'll need you to distract me in some other way..."

"Some other way?" She could think of a few ways but... didn't those fall under the definition of 'making love'? At least as they'd been defining it the past several weeks?

He leaned his forehead on hers, "You can listen to what I have to say. Think about nothing else", he said barely above a whisper.

"Okay? Then talk," she hugged him close.

"I love you."

Her grip on him tightened. She'd been expecting something much more along the lines of 'you're driving me insane' or 'work is awful' or... well... not that. "Oh, Connor," Oralia barely breathed his name. She wasn't about to repeat his words - not because she didn't feel love for him, but... she had her own reasons not to say them.

Shifting himself, he reached a hand up to brush her hair back as he gently kissed her cheek; her tightening hold on him was all he needed.

"Dinner here tomorrow? Or... we could get a table at the Nexus Club?"

"Whatever you want", he whispered, keeping his hold on her.

_____________________

Connor McKinney

&

Oralia Zeferino