Breaking the Ice

Posted on Wed Oct 30th, 2024 @ 2:47pm by Captain Dr. Nairut Noxi & Ambassador Devon Harrison

0 words; about a 1 minute read

Mission: To Boldly Go...
Location: Noxi's Quarters
Timeline: MD15

Devon stood outside Noxi's quarters with a bottle of Bajoran springwine. He wanted to thank her personally for not being put off by his presence aboard the ship. Many a Starfleet captain had not been pleased when a Federation Ambassador showed up on their doorstep for an assignment that had no definitive deadline. Noxi had not only been quite friendly at their first meeting, but genuinely wanted to be accommodating to his presence. He depressed the chime button and waited for permission to enter.

Noxi stood at the view screen in her quarters, hand on her hip. She had just had a bit of a tense conversation with her ex-husband-about their son, but it was always tense when they chatted these days. She was still a little bit salty about how it ended, if she were being honest with herself, and he was still on her case about it. Still, they were trying to keep in touch as long as Benny was in school.

She heard the chime just as Ben's face disappeared, and she turned around. Who was it at this hour? She glanced at her computer; it wasn't really that late, but it felt later. She looked down-her civilian clothes were still pristine. She had changed into a pair of shorts and a sweater, because Ben could only see her from the waist up, she knew, when she was standing. She'd pulled her hair back, but the makeup was still the same from when she was on duty. He was her EX-husband; she wasn't about to dress up for him.

She opened the door. It took her a moment to register who was there. Then she smiled warmly. "Hello, Ambassador. Can I help you? Please, come in," she said, stepping aside. She noticed he was carrying a bottle of wine. How nice of him to stop by on his way to see a lady friend. Had it been long enough for people to couple up already?! "Sorry if you heard some yelling; ex husbands and all..." she said.

Devon resisted the urge to give Noxi a once over, not that one was necessary. He gave Noxi a grateful smile. "I wanted to stop by and show my appreciation." He raised the bottle of springwine. "I wanted to stop by and give you a token of my appreciation for being kind and generous when I first arrived." Devon handed over the bottle. "I got this from the Apaka Vineyard and Winery in the Kendra Province last year."

Noxi raised an eyebrow. She had misconstrued this whole thing. Still, she nodded. "That's very nice of you," she said. "And I appreciate the gift," she said, reaching for it. "Care for a glass?" She said. "When I was a child, my mother's family had a small Springwine vineyard. We sold to the wine makers. I remember running wild through the prickly bushes on my breaks from school. That was before....the Dominion war, of course," she said, turning around to grab some glasses. She could use the replicator, sure, but the Captain's quarters generally came outfitted with enough dishes, glasses, and flatware for four people. "Anyway. I would've been welcoming to anyone. I realize the importance of having a diplomat aboard a ship, especially for the types of things we're assigned to do," she said. She handed Devon a glass. She raised her hers. "To new adventures."

Devon tapped his wine flute to Noxi's and smiled. "To new adventures indeed. Hopefully pleasant ones that promote peace and prosperity." He gestured to the sitting area of her quarters. "Do you mind if we sit and talk. I like getting to know the people I work with in an informal way." He sighed and chuckled. "Though I know some interns in the Diplomatic Corps that never seem able to relax."

Noxi considered a moment. The optics were...it's fine, Noxi, she told herself. He wasn't one of her crew, per se, but a civilian. Still. She was new at this and needed it to go well. Still. She found herself nodding yes. "Sure!" She said. "I was just going to replicate some dinner. Care to join me? Just some pasta and steamed broccoli," she said. "I haven't had much time to cook but I hope that happens as soon as we're settled and more into a routine," she said. Noxi preferred freshly made food, and could pack away pasta like it was her last meal. But still, the replicator would do on these nights when she was tired and verklempt. "Feel free to sit wherever," she said.

Devon took a sip of wine as he looked at Noxi over the rim of the glass. He nodded after a moment. "I would love to, as long as I am not intruding." Noxi was a very beautiful woman, a fact that was not lost on him. His expression conveyed his slight surprise at the invitation, but also a happiness as well along with a bit of attraction. He held similar thoughts. She was the ship's captain, but he was not a formal member of her crew.

She shook her head. "Not at all; I am trying my best to co-parent my adult son with my ex-husband but we're done with our most recent...discussion," she said. Noxi had had to remind Ben that it was common and normal for teenagers and young adults to not contact their parents every day like he had in childhood; plus, Ben was upset that Benny had chosen a career in science instead of Engineering. Noxi wasn't upset; kids were kids and she thought he'd do well at anything. "Anyway, enough about that. What brings you by today?" She asked, settling in across from him, in a large chair. She took a moment to check him out, hopefully not obviously, and he was good looking. He was dressed well, too, and she couldn't help but feel a pang of attraction. She was, after all, still alive and still felt things.

Devon was a diplomat and one of his skills was in reading nonverbal ques. He could tell she was checking him out and found it most flattering to be honest. "Just wanted to say thank you for welcoming me aboard your ship Captain Nairut. Your kindness is refreshing...and matched only by your beauty. It's a wonderful combination."

She felt herself blush. "Thank you," she said. "You see, I am a doctor by training-as far as I know, the only Chief Medical Officer to ever helm a ship," she said, "So I understand the need for diplomats, and counselors, and things that the red-shirt types don't quite understand," she said. "So. While I am not exactly pleased that it was kept from me, I do appreciate your presence here. PLUS, we're no longer a battleship. We're an exploration vessel, and I intend to keep far and wide from as much fighting as possible," she said. She'd had enough war to last two lifetimes, after all. She got a faraway look in her eyes for a moment, and murmured. "You're not bad looking yourself," she said, as if she was actually talking to someone else. But she wasn't, just having flashbacks while talking. A moment later, she had calmed herself, took a breath inwards, and then smiled. "Dinner!" She said, standing back up.

Devon smiled as he nodded to Noxi. "I would love to. But if you could, I would like to have a jumja stick for dessert. I developed a taste for them over the years on Bajor." He looked at Noxi and couldn't help but wonder if her lips tasted just as sweet. He could only imagine at the moment, but were he a betting man, he suspected that they were.

Noxi nodded. "You can have them all, I don't like them," she admitted. It felt terrible but they were simply TOO sweet for her taste. Of course, as a child, she'd loved them, but now, she preferred lighter fare. A minute later, she returned with two plates piled high with pasta, and she indicated the table. "Anyway...I hope it's ok...I feel like I just sprung this on you, but it's late in the evening, and I need to eat before I hit the rack," she said. The life of a Starfleet captain was busy, but she was managing well.

Devon stepped over to the table and pulled out a chair for Noxi as she put the plates down. He took a seat after getting her settled in her chair. He picked up his fork and took a bite of the pasta. "Mmmm, excellent choice Captain."

Noxi smiled. "Thanks," she said. "So...how are you settling in?" She asked. She wanted to make sure that the entire crew felt welcome.

Devon shrugged. He had unpacked and set up his quarters, but he was feeling a bit restless since his arrival. He wasn't sure why. "I am just finding it difficult to relax. I really don't know that many people aboard and I haven't been able to familiarize myself with the ship as of yet."

Noxi nodded. "Probably because you haven't had anything official to do yet," she said. "I can give you a tour of the ship, if you'd like," she said. "And there's always the holosuites for learning things," she said. She smiled. "Everyone so far seems friendly. I am sure you'll make friends in no time," she said. "I was thinking about arranging a Bajoran baseball game soon. Any interest in sports?" She asked. Noxi wasn't "sporty", exactly, but she was a hiker/"toss a ball around" type of woman. She preferred to use a treadmill for her workouts, instead of jogging or something. "How's your dinner?" She asked. She was doing her best to not fall into her old habits of caretaking-he wasn't her husband or lover or something, Even if she had suddenly wanted to kiss him for some reason. She was losing her mind, clearly. She should talk to Dr. Baker about a mental health exam.

Devon was just finishing off his pasta and broccoli. He eyed the jumja sticks for a brief moment before settling his gaze on Noxi. He did want something sweet and Bajoran for dessert, but that something wasn't on his plate. It was the lovely dish sitting across the table from him. "Actually I think I need to let my food settle for a bit before I contemplate dessert. Would you mind taking the springwine and glasses to the sitting area while I clear the table? Only fair since you prepared the meal."

"Oh, sure..." she said, caught off guard. Had she mentioned dessert?! Oh, well. She stood up and moved the glasses. "Maybe a refill?" She asked him. "I do have a small bit of Kanar, too, and some earth Whiskey..." she said. What was she DOING??! But she knew she might need a bit of Dutch courage herself.

Devon cleared the dinner plates, taking them back to the replicator and recycling everything. He glanced at Noxi and nodded at her question of second drink. "I could go for a single malt whiskey if you have some or another glass of springwine. Either would be fine." He finished the dinner cleanup and joined Noxi on the couch. "Thank you for dinner and thank you even more for the wonderful company. It's been enjoyable."

Noxi smiled, and crossed to a cabinet where the alcohol was stored. She extracted a decanter, and two snifters. "It is, indeed, single malt," she said. One thing that Ben HAD been useful for was introducing her to new kinds of foods and drinks of all sorts. "I have had a nice evening," she said. "Thank you for stopping by," she said. She sat back down, and arranged herself carefully-she wanted to appear alluring but not over the top, of course.

Devon took the glass as he looked at Noxi's face. So far they had only had one glass of springwine, but he felt intoxicated by Noxi's beauty. He wanted to kiss her and he knew his body language was telegraphing his desire. Her body language gave strong signals she was at least thinking something similar thoughts. He just looked at her for a moment before finally speaking. "To both of us getting what we want, in our careers and...tonight."

She flushed a little. "Indeed," she said, raising her glass. She sipped it, quietly, and then...somethign strange came over her-she didn't know if it was stress, lust, or the whiskey, but she set the glass down in a swift movement and leaned over to plant a kiss on Devon's lips, the warmth of his skin drawing her in as she shifted her body to face him.

Devon had taken a sip of whiskey and set his glass down as well, The sudden kiss caught him off guard, but only for a brief moment. He leaned into the kiss and the tender kiss flared up. He wrapped his arms around Noxi and pulled her close as he intensified the kiss with heat and passion. Minutes must have passed when he finally broke the kiss to catch his breath. He looked down at Noxi and noticed her sweat shirt was clinging like a second skin. He knew his own shirt was plastered to his chest and he felt hot and feverish, but in the best way. He gently cradled Noxi's chin and brushed his thumb around her lips. "Would you be offended by me saying I want you?"

"No..." she whispered. "I want you..." she said. She didn't need to be "a good example" in her own quarters, when she was alone. She was warm, and she could feel that her cheeks were red. "Let's go to the bedroom?" She asked, catching her breath.

Devon needed no further encouragement. He slipped off the couch and hoisted Noxi aloft and carried her into the bedroom. Hours later he slowly kissed up her trembling body from inner thighs to neck until he emerged from underneath the single sheet that had been covering her beautiful body and gazed into her face. He gently traced a finger on her lips. "Sweetest Bajoran dessert I have ever had."

Noxi had lost track of the time; lovemaking was the very distraction she'd needed. Her world was rocked, and her brain was...quiet. For once in awhile. She giggled. "I am glad," she said. She was glowing. But also...exhausted but could continue on for hours. So mixed up.

Devon gave Noxi a lingering kiss as a finger slid down her side. "I hope I can add this particularly sweet dessert to my regular diet and I am sure we can burn off many calories with the strenuous...exercise. I hope you feel the same way." He emphasized his statement with another kiss. This one soft and gentle.

She laughed. "I wouldn't mind," she said. "You were just as sweet, and a little salty," she said, with a cheeky wink. "Now, though...Sleep?" She asked. She shifted slightly, but rested her head against her chest.

 

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