Shooting
Julian Bashir sighed as he neared the holosuite. Normally he loved them but today was not a normal visit. Starfleet required its officers to do a regular firearms practise course. Senior staff had priority as the security staff had frequent practises anyway. He waited outside as the last user finished. He looked up as the door swished open and Jadzia Dax exited. He smiled.
"Jadzia. Enjoyable?"
"Hello Julian." His smile became wider. The way her gentle voice made his name sound so exotic…
"It was enjoyable as such but it was a good workout. And a good training programme. Good luck Julian."
"Good luck? Do you think I'll need it? Actually I probably will. I'm really bad at this and I hate it. I took an oath not to do harm after all."
"You can programme the computer not to give you people shaped targets if you wish. I didn't use them. And Julian, if you wish I could stay outside and watch, then come and help you if you need it. After all, I'm a fairly accurate shot."
He felt gratitude and relief sure through him. After all, if he didn't do well enough he'd have to have extra practise sessions with Odo or whoever was head of Starfleet security on the station at the moment. Not his idea of fun.
"Thanks Jadzia."
"No problem Julian."
He smiled, pressed the door control and entered, pausing in the doorway to look at her and pull a face before stepping inside and the doors shut behind him.
He looked around and saw only a shooting range with a bulls-eye at one end. He spoke as he stepped to get a gun from the rack on the wall.
"Computer, no entity shaped targets please, bulls-eyes only."
"Acknowledged. Enjoy your session."
He checked his gun. This was a non-beam gun, which meant it fired in bursts, preventing him from just firing it and then moving it until he hit the centre of the target. That kind of practice drained a phaser fast and was to be avoided as it encouraged bad marksmanship. He squared his shoulders, stood sideways to the target, looked, brought up his arm and fired.
He lowered the gun and looked at the scoreboard. Not good. He sighed and took a deep breath. He brought up the gun, concentrating, and fired off the rest of the round.
Yet again he checked his scoreboard. It was adequate for him but his average needed to be higher if he was going to pass this. He ran his hand through his already messy hair and sighed again. He pressed the button on the console, resetting the scoreboard and the gun.
From outside Jadzia watched as he fired through 3 rounds, barely improving his score and getting more and more agitated. She switched on the comm.
"Julian, would you like a hand?"
His voice came back sounding somewhat frazzled.
"Please Jadzia. I'm having a little difficulty so anything you can do would be much appreciated. I'll let you in."
She switched off the comm. And entered the holosuite when the doors swished open.
She stood in front of him and placed her hands on his shoulders, easily feeling the tension within.
"Julian, if you want to do this you have to relax and focus your mind."
"The first time you told me to do that I remember having a little trouble."
She smiled with the memory. She thought quickly and came to conclusion.
"Lie down on your stomach and take your t-shirt off."
"Jadzia I have waited for you to say that for such a long time…"
"Julian…" The warning note was evident, as was the amusement.
He did as he was told as she stepped to the computer, requesting a mat and something he didn't catch as he lifted his top over his head. She placed the mat on the floor and he lowered himself onto it. She straddled his hips and he felt his pulse quicken before he squashed the thoughts flooding his mind. He heard a tiny sound before some rapid hand rubbing and cool Trill hands that were slick with something slid onto his shoulders and began to manipulate them. Massage oil had been the request he didn't hear. He moaned slightly as her hands caught a sore spot.
"Julian have you been sleeping recently? Because I don't think you are going to be able to relax enough to shoot anything otherwise."
"I assure you Jadzia, I am fine, although I could do with a little more sleep I'm sure. Nonetheless it is my marksmanship that is at fault, not my sleep or lack of."
"Whatever you say Julian." She finished the short impromptu massage with a gentle sweep of her hands across his upper back, causing him to moan again, this time with pleasure flowing into displeasure that it had to end.
She wasn't hugely happy about it either. Jadzia had enjoyed the feel of his warm skin under hers, the smoothness of his back and the feeling it had invoked in her until Dax had, with growing amusement, decided it was time to end and help him actually fire a gun.
"Up." It was a brisk command that he hastened to obey, pulling his t-shirt back on. She passed the gun to him and he sighed.
"Back to this already. Oh well." He took the same stance as he had before, began to raise his arm and her arm stopped him.
"Relax Julian. What do I always tell you?"
"Relax, right." With an almost visible effort he forced his shoulders to drop and he raised the gun, as if hoping to get it over with.
She sighed and moved to stand behind him, almost melding he body to his.
She felt his indrawn breath and smiled. She placed her left hand on his shoulder and then moved it to his hip. She felt a new kind of tension enter his body as her hand lightly landed on his muscles.
"Relax."
"I know, you keep telling me but would you please explain how I am supposed to relax?"
"Oh, Julian, just think about the gun. Breathe in slowly, lift it up, breathe out slowly and fire, OK?"
"Got it." He took a deep breath, bringing up his arm. He then exhaled and pulled the trigger. She heard the shot hit then the triumphant ping of the scoreboard. He looked up at it and saw the best result he'd ever got. He turned to look at Dax.
"You are a wonderful being! Thank you."
"Joint effort. Now do it on your own." She gently pulled away from his body and he felt the loss of her contact right through him. He looked at the gun, retook his stance, brought up the gun and fired. He went through 2 rounds with only a minor pause to reset. Finally he stopped and saw his average score. The highest in his career so far. He placed the gun back in the rack and took a copy of his score to submit to the records. They headed to the exit but he paused on the doorway.
"Thank you. I mean it. Thank you Jadzia."
He paused, then brushed his lips over hers. It was a light, fleeting kiss and one that left her wishing for more in a way she hadn't for a long time.