The base was relatively quiet for the time of night, and Eleanor was grateful for the moderate silence. She could hear some of the soldiers milling around, most of them were undoubtedly on night patrol. However, Eleanor knew that some of them were probably making use of the new, late hours of the nearby bar. And they were the last ones that Eleanor wanted to be caught by. Sure, she could handle herself, but if Eleanor could avoid a confrontation with a drunk soldier, all the better.
As she began down the hallway back to her quarters, Eleanor heard a rather loud, obnoxious yelling. Flinching, Eleanor slowed her pace as she drew closer to the commotion. It was obviously a male voice, and it sounded faintly familiar. As Eleanor got closer, she recognized the voice.
It was Baird.
Peeking around the corner of the hallway, she saw the blonde-haired Gear...yelling angrily at a vending machine. He was even threatening the thing with a wrench, no less, and looked about ready to put the wrench through the glass of the soda vending machine.
"Baird?" Eleanor asked quietly.
Either he didn't hear her or didn't care, or both, because Baird continued to yell at the vending machine and wave the wrench in front of it threateningly. As she began to quietly walk up to the blonde Gear, Eleanor was hit with the unmistakable smell of very potent liquor and she scrunched her nose up. When Baird yelled another curse at the vending machine, Eleanor heard the undeniable slur in his words and realized that he was drunk. Staggeringly so, from the looks and smell of it.
"Baird?" Eleanor repeated, raising an eyebrow and the volume of her voice.
"What?" Baird asked angrily, turning around with the wrench half-raised. When he saw Eleanor, he stopped, looking both confused and irritated. What the hell did this woman want? To his credit, though, he did lower the wrench and tilted his head to the side. "...th' hell're you doin' here?"
"Just going for an evening walk," Eleanor answered, taking a cautious step towards Baird. "Um...why are you arguing with the vending machine?"
Baird looked over his shoulder at the machine with a nonplussed look, then back at Eleanor. His world was spinning, and he swayed slightly even while standing. Eleanor could only guess how much alcohol it had taken to get the Gear drunk.
"Damn th'ng took money...no soda."
"Baird, look down," Eleanor advised.
"Whu? Why?"
Sighing, Eleanor stepped forward and picked up the still cold soda can from the floor between Baird's feet. She stood up and held the soda up to Baird, who seemed genuinely surprised by the soda can.
"You must be really, really drunk," Eleanor said, raising an eyebrow.
"No 'm not," Baird slurred back, narrowing his eyes. He swiped at the soda can, missing it completely. Snorting indignantly, he shrugged. "...mebbe' a little."
"Maybe we should get you to bed," Eleanor advised.
"'m not tired, dammit," Baird sneered. "'m fine. Not tired 'n not drunk."
"Really? Well, then you need a new cologne, Mister Baird, as it has the undeniable smell of vodka, rum, and what I can only guess is everclear. Dear lords, Baird, how much did you drink?"
"...asshole said 'e could dr'nk more 'den me," Baird answered with a smug grin, swaying slightly again. "...proved 'im wrong."
"Congratulations," Eleanor said flatly. She was still holding the soda can, and by now, her fingertips were going numb. "Come on, Baird, you need to lay down before you fall down."
"...no," Baird snapped back. He stepped away from Eleanor, frowning.
"This way," Eleanor beckoned, holding up the soda. Baird blinked and stepped towards Eleanor slowly, taking another swipe at the soda can...and missing again.
Fortunately, in his drunken state, Baird seemed to be a bit more pliable and open to coaxing, and he followed Eleanor...cursing every step of the way. Eleanor ignored Baird's cursing, and he was fortunately quiet enough with his grumbling that she was fairly sure she could at least get him back to her quarters without drawing attention to either of them.
While she didn't really relish the idea of having a drunk Baird in her quarters, Eleanor wasn't going to risk trying to get him to the barracks. Far too big of a chance that they would run into another drunk soldier looking for a fight, or worse, a commanding officer to whom Baird would proceed to give a very, very honest and blunt opinion of as loudly as he possibly could.
Baird staggered and almost fell forward, but Eleanor managed to grab his arm and steady him. Baird growled in protest, but said nothing. Falling on his face was not exactly ideal, and if Eleanor was willing to keep him from doing that, then so be it.
"Come on, you drunk idiot," Eleanor muttered, throwing Baird's arm over her shoulders. "We're almost there."
"'most where?" Baird asked, looking around in mild confusion.
"Look, we're here."
Baird stared at the doorway to Eleanor's quarters as though it were a portal to another dimension.
"...th's ain't my room," he grumbled to Eleanor, looking down at her.
"I know, but I'm not going to take the chance of your drunken ass being caught by a commanding officer-"
"...fuck 'em."
"-or somebody else that really will get in a fight with you. That vending machine was being nice, you know. Did exactly what you told it to."
"...fuck 'em, too. 'n especially that vendin' machine. ...asshole."
Sighing, Eleanor unlocked the door and almost had to drag Baird into the room. It was sparsely decorated, and fortunately Eleanor kept the room clean. The last thing she needed was Baird tripping over a misplaced shoe or article of clothing.
Setting the soda can down on the small table off in the kitchen area of the room, Eleanor heard the springs of her bed mattress squeak loudly. She turned and saw Baird sitting on the mattress, trying to figure out how to remove his boots. Apparently they were tied just well enough to prove problematic for a drunk Gear.
Shaking her head, Eleanor walked forward and knelt down.
"Move your-Baird, move your hands," she commanded, lightly batting Baird's hands away from the boot laces.
Baird snorted in indignation and muttered something about a 'commanding bitch,' but Eleanor ignored it. After she got the first boot off, Baird fell quiet and watched her with what looked to be almost fascination as she untied the knot in the boot laces. Her slender fingers undid the knots with an ease that he couldn't even hope to replicate at this point.
"There," Eleanor stated, pulling the second boot off. "You're good to go."
In response, Baird flopped back on the mattress, and Eleanor winced as she heard Baird's head make contact with the wall her bed was pushed up against.
"Ow!" Baird yelped, grabbing at his head. "Mother of-you...you son of bitch!"
Stifling a quiet giggle, Eleanor leaned forward slightly, trying to see if Baird was really hurt or if it was just his pride that had taken the hit. Baird was curled up slightly, holding both hands tightly on the top of his head, and still hissing a vile string of curses through tightly gritted teeth.
"You okay?"
"It sound like 'm okay?" Baird demanded angrily, still clutching at his head. He paused, still grimacing, and stared at Eleanor. "Whaddya' want?"
"I'm trying to make sure you didn't give your fool self a concussion, Baird," Eleanor sighed.
"I...do not...appreciate bein' 'nsulted," Baird answered, jabbing a finger at Eleanor.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings," Eleanor replied with a faint smirk.
"...damn right yer' sorry."
"Let me see your head," Eleanor said, climbing onto the mattress and standing on her knees.
"...which one?" Baird asked with a leering grin.
Though she felt a hot flare of a blush on her face, Eleanor managed to give Baird an exasperated look and she reached over, prying his hands away from the top of his head. She winced slightly when she saw a tinge of pink in his mess of blonde hair.
"You cracked your head good and proper. I'm lucky you didn't leave a dent in-" It was at about that point that Eleanor realized Baird was carefully and slowly unbuttoning her pale blue blouse. He had managed to make his way four buttons up before, lightly tracing the faint muscle contours on her stomach with his index finger..
"Damon S Baird!" Eleanor shrieked, pulling away and standing back up on her knees. She stared at Baird in flustered confusion.
"Whaaaat?" Baird asked, obviously irritated. "I didn't hurt ya'..."
"You scared the hell out of me."
"Sissy."
Eleanor narrowed her eyes and looked Baird over quickly. He was in combat fatigue pants and a white tank top. Nothing she could really get proper revenge with.
"Well how would you like it if I suddenly slid my hand up your shirt?" she asked, crossing her arms.
"Ya' wanna' find out?" Baird replied with a smug grin.
"Oh my lords, I'm stuck in a room with a pre-pubescent high schooler," Eleanor grumbled, covering her face with her palm.
Baird shrugged, still grinning smugly, and then spread his arms slightly.
"...yer choice, toots."
Eleanor was caught somewhere between indignant fuming and smoldering desire. After a few split seconds, her resolve crumbled and her hand slid deftly under the white shirt.
Baird grunted in surprise and looked at Eleanor, blinking as quickly as his alcohol-soaked senses would allow. Eleanor paused, raising an eyebrow and watching Baird closely. So far he had been a tolerable enough drunk, but the last thing she wanted was to have him angry at her.
"Didn't think ya' had it in ya', doc," Baird finally replied, snickering.
"...hmph, not like I could just let a dare like that slide," Eleanor replied, her hand sliding up over Baird's abs and lightly tracing her nails against the muscle contours.
"...hrmm...what else coulda' dare ya' to do?" Baird asked slowly, propping himself up on his elbows after some effort.
Her pulse was racing and her mouth felt incredibly dry, but Eleanor managed a smirk and shrugged.
"You're a creative sort. I'm sure you'll think of something." Eleanor looked down at her hands, while her right hand was under Baird's shirt, the left had already hooked her index and middle fingers into one of his belt loops.
What the hell was she doing? Granted, she was technically a civilian doctor, so neither she nor Baird would be in any real trouble for this. The worst that Baird would be dealing would be, possibly, drunkenness and disorderly conduct against a vending machine. That and one nightmare of a hangover. The worst that Eleanor would have to deal with would be her conscious of taking advantage of a drunken Gear.
And what would happen when Baird had sobered up? Eleanor had to admit she was quite shocked to find out that Baird was this much of a flirtatious drunk. True, he was still an asshole, but Eleanor would have bet big money that Baird's temper would have gotten worse with every drink. And there was nothing to say that Baird wouldn't turn his temper and acid tongue on Eleanor once the alcohol had finally left his system. Eleanor would be a sitting duck and she-
A rush of cool air washed across her chest and Eleanor immediately realized that Baird had managed to unbutton the rest of her blouse. Her emerald eyes wide, Eleanor looked down at Baird quickly. He appeared quite pleased with himself, and had already hooked a calloused index finger on the left strap of Eleanor's black bra.
"Damn, lady," Baird muttered. "...th' hell ya' wear those baggy clothes?"
"Comfort," Eleanor said tensely. Her right hand had slid to Baird's side, and he shifted slightly, then grinned and tugged on Eleanor's bra just hard enough to make her topple on top of him. Eleanor muffled her squeak of surprise, but immediately her already racing thoughts kicked into overdrive. She had to do something.
"...that's better," he smirked.
"Baird, you're drunk-"
Shut up and give in, already!
"-we really shouldn't be doing this. You-"
This is the man that has had you in fits for months!
"-are probably drunker than you have ever been and-"
Shut up and screw him senseless.
"-you aren't thinking clearly. You may end up-"
Fuck. Him. Now.
Eleanor didn't get a chance to finish her last sentence. Baird grabbed her face with both hands, with surprising care, no less, before leaning forward and pressing his lips firmly against Eleanor's.
Whatever last bastion of resolve and willpower Eleanor had evaporated and she leaned into the kiss, crawling towards Baird carefully and straddling him. Her tongue ran across Baird's bottom lip before her teeth gently grazed across it. Baird made a rather pleased sounding noise before sitting up slowly, one hand going to the back of Eleanor's head and grasping her thick, rust colored hair, while the other clutched at her lower back, holding her steady as Baird sat up.
Eleanor shuddered slightly in a wild mixture of anticipation, excitement, and trepidation. There wasn't really any turning back now. She'd given in and there was no stopping now.
...not that she really wanted to at this point.
Her hand freed themselves from Baird's clothing and her fingers plunged into the tangled mess of Baird's blonde hair. Eleanor pulled away slightly to catch her breath, but Baird gave her no such luxury. The moment she pulled away, he pulled her right back, biting down on her bottom lip and kissing her before working the kisses down her neck.
"Baird," Eleanor whispered hoarsely, clutching at Baird's back. Her nails dug in against his shirt, and she could feel his muscles go taut as he held her still. She gripped the sides of Baird's shirt, tugging at it insistently. Baird obliged, lifting his arms so that Eleanor could pull his shirt off. She tossed it aside, and immediately began kissing Baird's neck and then his right shoulder.
Growling lowly in approval, Baird tangled his fingers in Eleanor's hair as she nipped at his shoulder gently, then trailed her kisses back up his neck. Baird suddenly pulled Eleanor back to him and kissed her deeply as he quickly pulled her unbuttoned blouse off. He threw it unceremoniously to the foot of the bed and began fumbling with the clasp on Eleanor's bra.
"...mother...fuckin'...hate...stupid goddamn female...contrapshun," Baird cursed, his fingers slipping on the clasp. Even sober he would have had trouble with the infernal clasp, but being drunk made it a million times more difficult.
"Want help?" Eleanor asked, stifling a giggle.
"...gimme'," Baird demanded, pulling on the bra firmly.
"All right, all right, don't stretch one of my few good bras," Eleanor said, reaching behind and carefully undoing the clasp with a single pinch of her fingers.
Upon realizing that the bra was unclasped, Baird practically yanked it off and threw it to the side. Eleanor made a small noise of surprise, but her gasp soon turned to a quiet moan as Baird began to kiss down her chest. Gently clutching at the back of Baird's head, Eleanor arched her back, combing her fingers through Baird's hair.
"That's a' girl," Baird murmured.
Baird began to gently suck on Eleanor's left breast, his tongue flicking over the nipple lightly. Eleanor moaned quietly in response, her hands sliding to Baird's shoulders and gripping them tightly. As Baird continued his tantalizing work, a feeling of pent up energy began to coil inside Eleanor, and her nails dug into Baird's shoulders.
"...Baird," Eleanor murmured.
Baird reached up and put a finger to Eleanor's lips, and then let his tongue lightly drag across Eleanor's chest to her right breast. Kissing the soft, supple skin, Baird grinned proudly when he heard Eleanor whimper with anticipation. Her grip on his shoulders intensified, and finally Baird relented, closing his lips on the pale nipple, sucking at it softly.
After a few minutes of slow but deliberate teasing, he began unbuckling the small belt that Eleanor had been wearing, slowly laying back on the mattress and moving so that he was lying lengthways on the bed. Smiling down at Baird, Eleanor ran her hands down his chest, biting her bottom lip.
"C'mere," Baird beckoned. When Eleanor obliged, Baird kissed her, biting gently on her bottom lip. "...that's my job."
"You do it so well."
"'course I do."
"And you're so modest, too."
"...aaah, shaddap," Baird grumbled, kissing Eleanor again and pulling her belt free from the belt loops on her pants. He tossed it aside, and Eleanor couldn't help but smirk slightly. So much for keeping her quarters neat and tidy...
Eleanor managed to wriggle out of her pants without her legs getting tangled in the pant legs. Baird slid his down her back and then grasped her rear, lifting his hips slightly and pressing against her. A quick shudder raced through Eleanor, and she lay down against Baird, kissing him again and combing her fingers through his hair. His lips still had the slight taste of alcohol on them, even through all this, but Eleanor paid it no mind. By this point she wouldn't have minded a drink herself. She tugged eagerly at his belt, but Baird grasped her wrist, again with surprising gentleness, and lay back, smirking.
"Say please," he chided.
Kissing the side of Baird's neck softly, Eleanor leaned forward and whispered to Baird quietly, her lips brushing against his ear.
"Please."
In response, Baird released Eleanor's wrist and she quickly unbuckled his belt. She sat up as she worked to pull the belt off, and Baird lay back, looking over Eleanor's almost completely nude body. His world was still spinning, but at the moment, he couldn't complain about the view. He set his hand on Eleanor's thigh, surprised at how cool her skin was to the touch, before letting it slowly slip up to the pale pink underwear that Eleanor was wearing. A small smile spread across Eleanor's features when Baird's hand pulled at the underwear.
"Now, now," Eleanor chided, slowly grinding against Baird and gently digging her knees against his hips. "Fair's fair, Baird. We're getting these pants off you, first."
"...meh, I never git to haf any fun," Baird slurred, frowning up at Eleanor.
As the belt slipped free from the belt loops on Baird's pants, Eleanor held it up and raised an eyebrow. It was enough to make the still very inebriated Baird grin. He cleared his throat and shifted slightly as Eleanor unbuttoned and then unzipped his pants. It took a bit of work, but Eleanor was able to pull them off. Following Baird's example, she tossed them wherever, wincing slightly when she heard something topple from its place on a table as the pants fell over it.
Her fingers lightly traced the hem of his boxers, and Eleanor looked at Baird, grinning mischievously. Raising an eyebrow, Baird made an impatient noise and once again tugged at Eleanor's underwear.
"You've got a one-track mind, don't you?"
"...gimme'."
"Well, it did work the last time," Eleanor said quietly, climbing off the bed long enough to slide her underwear off, letting them fall to the floor. She suddenly felt extremely self-conscious, and it took everything she had not to shiver. In all her years of dancing, Eleanor had never been really self-conscious about the way she looked when dancing. She had gotten the catcalls, whoops, and whistles to keep her ego stroked for decades. But now, with her heart in her throat, she was almost terrified as to what Baird would say.
The blonde-haired Gear had watched her intently, and once she was completely free of any clothing, he looked her up and down slowly.
"...hey, lookie...carpet matches the drapes."
Eleanor didn't know whether to laugh or sigh. Of course Baird would come up with a response that she hadn't braced for. Steeling over her nerves, trying to remember and re-imagine the thundering bass from the clubs, Eleanor put on the cockiest smile she could muster.
"Yes, yes they do," she replied. Her voice quivered slightly, but Eleanor couldn't imagine Baird picking up on that in his current drunken state.
But he did hear it. Frowning slightly, Baird beckoned Eleanor over, grinning contentedly when she returned to straddling him. He ran his hands up her arms quickly, then pulled Eleanor to him, kissing her fervently. He didn't resist as she tugged his boxers off, though it took a little bit of work. Baird's coordination was...lacking at the moment, but he hardly cared. He'd been ready to go since he'd first kissed Eleanor...
"'mere," Baird murmured, maneuvering both himself and Eleanor so that he was on top of Eleanor, propping himself up on his elbows for the moment.
Eleanor was tantalizingly warm. Apparently Baird wasn't the only one who had been struggling to keep themselves in check. All the better, as far as Baird was concerned.
"Baird," Eleanor whispered shakily.
"...hmn?"
Stopping herself from saying what she so desperately wanted to, Eleanor roughly kissed Baird, wrapping her legs around his waist cautiously.
Baird needed no more coaxing...
Deepening the kiss, his tongue running across Eleanor's lips, Baird slid into Eleanor slowly. He made an audible, low gasp at the sensation of incredibly alluring heat, and he gripped the bed sheets tightly, forcing himself to keep in check.
Eleanor had gasped and whimpered slightly, her nails digging into Baird's back sharply as she raised her hips, and she buried her face against the side of Baird's neck. As her senses started to clear, Eleanor began kissing the side of Baird's neck slowly, whispering his name softly.
Pressing against her, Baird gave Eleanor a few moments, able to practically feel her racing heartbeat thudding against her bare chest. His thoughts were still blurred, slipping in the alcohol-induced haze, and he struggled to understand Eleanor's apparent frenetic state. He roughly nuzzled his face against Eleanor's, trying to turn her gaze to his. Baird studied Eleanor's face for a few minutes, frowning when he saw her eyes were still closed.
"...'ey," he murmured, again roughly brushing his face against Eleanor's. "...open yer' eyes."
Wincing slightly as the rough, sandpaper feel of Baird's five o'clock shadow rubbed against her cheek, Eleanor cautiously fluttered her eyes open. Her breath caught in her throat when he eyes locked with Baird's. In the dim light, they were a dark, almost sapphire blue, and, for probably the first time since she'd encountered the man, didn't have a sharp, hard glint in them.
"...'at's better," Baird said with a smirk. After brushing a lock of Eleanor's rust-colored hair from her face, Baird pressed his lips against Eleanor's as he pushed deeper into her.
Eleanor gasped sharply, arching her back slightly and shuddering. She gripped at Baird's back, tightening her legs around his waist. Pulling out slightly, Baird hesitated for only a moment before sliding back into Eleanor, setting a slow but deliberate pace initially. It elicited another sharp gasp from Eleanor, and she bit down on her bottom lip.
"Don't listen, do ya'?" Baird asked quietly, kissing Eleanor and biting gently on her bottom lip. "...told ya' 'at's my job."
"I'll do better," Eleanor replied breathlessly.
"'at's a girl..."
Sliding a hand underneath Eleanor's lower back, Baird held Eleanor steady as he gradually intensified the pace. Feeling her shudder quickly, Baird chuckled and lightly kissed the side of Eleanor's neck, leaning forward slightly so he could whisper in her ear.
"...doin' good so far there, doc?" he asked, kissing her ear.
By this point, Eleanor's thoughts were racing, jumbled, and practically tripping over each other. There was her initial fear of what would happen in the morning, then there was the nagging guilt that she felt for taking advantage of the situation like this, but more so, more overpowering than both of those combined, was the wild sense of passion ignited from the smoldering desire she'd had for Baird all this time.
It was that last one she gave in to.
"Harder," she murmured firmly.
"Yeah?"
Eleanor nodded quickly, kissing Baird roughly as he obliged her request. Moaning softly, Eleanor felt the pent up energy inside her intensify, working its way up to her chest gradually.
"Baird...!" she whimpered, arching her back slightly.
Though he didn't answer, Baird increased the pace just enough to make Eleanor cry out and buck her hips slightly. Grinning, Baird kissed Eleanor fervently as she kept pace with him and dug her nails into his back. Her heat and the taste of her lips was as intoxicating as any alcohol, and Baird once again found himself clutching the bed sheets tightly. Another sharp shudder from Eleanor caused Baird to quicken his pace, kissing Eleanor insistently.
"Baird," Eleanor said hurriedly in between kisses. Her tone said everything, and Baird grinned knowingly. "I...I-"
Eleanor cut herself off by kissing Baird deeply. She couldn't say it. She desperately wanted to. Eleanor would have given anything at this point to be able to say it, but she couldn't. So she settled for a kiss as the pent up energy that had been coiling inside her like an impossibly taut spring released suddenly.
Baird held Eleanor tightly as she bucked fiercely against him, her back arching sharply and a short cry escaping her lips. The sensation of her ecstasy was overpowering, and Baird growled sharply, feeling all restraint dissipate as a sudden rush of release and exhilaration hit him. Burying his face roughly against the side of Eleanor's neck to muffle his hoarse gasp, Baird managed a quick kiss to the side of Eleanor's neck as his senses raced wildly.
As a feeling of both exhaustion and contentedness washed over Eleanor, she gently stroked the back of Baird's head and neck. Slowly he began to relax, and after coughing shortly, Baird more or less collapsed to Eleanor's side, trying to catch his breath. Eleanor allowed herself a small smile and looked over at Baird, who looked as tired as she felt. She reached over and combed Baird's hair back, and Baird opened his eyes partially.
"...hrm?" he muttered.
"Did you want blankets?" Eleanor asked slowly. She'd definitely have to wake up before Baird did, but by this point, Eleanor had accepted that Baird was staying the night.
Baird just nodded, grabbing the nearest pillow and practically burying his face in it. Stifling a quiet giggle, Eleanor managed to pull the blankets free from underneath them and tossed them over Baird. She sat on the edge of the mattress, trying to figure out if she should sleep elsewhere.
"Hey..."
Looking over her shoulder, Eleanor saw that Baird had gotten the other pillow she normally had tucked against the wall and haphazardly set it beside the one he had claimed. Baird hit the pillow once with his hand before tugging the blankets around him.
"Oh I-" Eleanor started.
Frowning slightly, Baird snapped his fingers and pointed at the pillow sternly. Sighing, Eleanor lay back down, fumbling at the wristband she wore and setting an alarm for early in the morning. Hopefully she'd wake up before the alarm woke Baird. As she lay down, Baird cast the blankets over her as well and sighed heavily. It sounded as though he was almost already half-asleep. Setting her head on the pillow, Eleanor curled up slightly. Suddenly a thought hit her. What if she started having nightmares? Baird didn't suffer from them, and he certainly would be less than thrilled to deal with Eleanor's shrieking. Especially if he was already fighting a hangover.
Almost as if on cue, Baird draped his arm over Eleanor's shoulders, pulling her to him as he slowly dozed off. Blinking quickly in mute surprise, Eleanor allowed herself to nuzzle against Baird's arm gently before closing her eyes. Maybe tonight she'd actually find respite from the horrors that haunted her sleep.
()
As his internal clock began to demand that he wake up, Baird groaned and winced, feeling sharp stabs of pain burrow themselves into his skull. He grasped at his forehead and coughed, feeling a disgusting aftertaste of alcohol coating his mouth and throat. Slowly propping himself up on one elbow, Baird rubbed his eyes slowly, trying rid them of the pulsing pain that was currently wracking his entire head. It was at about that point that Baird realized he had no clothes on.
Blinking, Baird quickly tried to recall the events of last night, but found that there was nothing but a giant gap in his memory.
"...goddammit," he grumbled, sitting up slowly.
"You're awake."
Snapping his gaze over to the right, Baird saw Eleanor sitting at a small table with a coffee cup in her hands, clad in a dark blue tank top and black sweat pants, her hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. Glaring at her accusingly, Baird pulled the blankets up securely to his waist.
"What the hell did you do to me? Where the hell are my clothes? And what the fuck are you doing in my goddamn-" It was then that Baird realized he was not in his quarters and he looked around quickly. "-not...quarters."
"I didn't do anything to you. Well, nothing bad."
Looking back at Eleanor angrily, Baird felt his temper flare. Waking up naked in somebody else's room with absolutely no memory of the night before was not an ideal way to start the day by any stretch of the means. Especially when the somebody in question had access to drugs that could make you as brain-dead as an inbred Boomer.
"The hell does that mean?" Baird demanded. "'Nothing bad'?"
Raising an eyebrow, Eleanor took another sip of the coffee, never taking her eyes off Baird. Rubbing the back of his head, Baird gritted his teeth, trying to will away the hangover. A sudden flash of memory hit him, and realization dawned on him rather strongly. He froze, looking somewhere between horrified and stunned. Eleanor waited quietly, wary of Baird's response.
"Wait a minute," he muttered, looking at Eleanor. "Did we...?"
Eleanor nodded.
"You and me?"
Eleanor nodded again.
"Last night?"
After a confused look, Eleanor nodded.
"Oh fuck me," Baird groaned, falling back against the mattress.
"Again?" Eleanor asked.
Baird favored Eleanor with a venomous scowl before coughing and clapping a hand over his eyes.
"Goddammit, I must've been drunker than I've ever been."
"You were pretty wasted."
"Nobody asked your opinion, lady," Baird grumbled. "How the hell did I end up with you, anyways?"
"I caught you arguing rather violently with a vending machine."
Removing the hand from his eyes, Baird looked over at Eleanor, obviously perplexed.
"A vending machine?"
"Mmhm. It had given you the soda you asked for and everything, but you were none too happy with it."
"Yeah, well, it probably deserved whatever it got," Baird retorted. He sat back up slowly and looked around the room. "Where the hell are my clothes?"
"On the floor at the foot of the bed."
Peeking over the edge of the bed, Baird saw his clothes neatly folded, along with his boots. He looked up at Eleanor, who was taking another drink of coffee. She was oddly quiet, for somebody that always seemed to be yammering about something, and Baird cleared his throat to get her attention.
"Unless you're looking to get another show of what you had last night," Baird warned. "I'd look away at this point."
Eleanor quickly turned in her seat and Baird practically leapt out of bed, tugging on his boxers first and then his pants. As he worked on snaking the belt through the loops on his pants, he looked over at Eleanor and frowned slightly. She still had her back to him, but her top had pulled up slightly, and he could see a slight hint of a bruise on her lower right side.
Leaving his shirt on the floor for the moment, Baird walked over to Eleanor, who, upon hearing his footsteps, turned around quickly. She looked alarmed enough that Baird paused. He narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms.
"What? You think I'm going to hurt you or something?" Even as he asked the last question, though, uneasiness gnawed at the back of his mind. He was a lot of things, most unsavory, and he'd be the first to admit it. But he didn't beat up women. "Come here."
Slowly setting the coffee cup on the table, Eleanor cautiously approached Baird, who carefully lifted up Eleanor's tank top to just below her ribs. He sighed heavily at the sight of sight of three dark bluish bruises on Eleanor's skin.
"...fuck," he muttered.
"It's fine," Eleanor replied quickly.
Baird looked at her, letting her tank top fall back down over her stomach, and shook his head quickly, taking a step back.
"Like hell it's fine," he snapped back. "I may be a lot of things, lady, but I don't hurt girls. I mean, unless they hurt me first. I'm nobody's punching bag."
"You were drunk, Baird," Eleanor said quietly. "And you didn't hurt me on purpose."
Eyeing Eleanor, Baird shrugged, shook his head, and picked his shirt up off the floor, pulling it on. He scratched the back of his head before sitting down on the mattress. As he pulled on his socks, he stopped and looked up at Eleanor.
"Were we at least smart about the whole thing?" he asked.
"I'm currently on medication so I can't have kids," Eleanor answered.
Baird seemed a little surprised by the answer, but nodded and continued putting his boots on. After he was fully dressed, he stood up, shrugging slightly and looked at Eleanor.
"I'm going to suggest that neither of say anything about this," he stated flatly.
"I agree," Eleanor replied with a nod.
"So glad you do, princess," Baird answered steely.
Eleanor raised an eyebrow slightly and crossed her arms, but said nothing. Baird glanced at the door leading out of her quarters and nodded slightly, feeling uncomfortable for the first time since he'd woken up. He headed for the door, yanking it open and quickly exiting. But he still heard what Eleanor said...
"Have a good day, Baird."
Oh yeah. The day was off to such a wonderful start already...