Another translation of one of my stories, I hope you enjoy it and leave me some comments :)
Lieutenant Kate McGregor was sitting at the table in her cabin and was working her way through a bunch of papers, as it knocked on her door.
"Yes, come in!", she answered without looking up from the sheet of paper she was currently working at.
"Hello, X... I hope I don´t disturb you!"
Lieutenant-commander Mike Flynn plugged his head through the door gap and looked at her questioningly.
"Oh, you came just in the right moment... I am welcoming everything that preserves me from this paper work!"
"Ah, I already suspected this! You would always prefer a real fight then paper war!"
"You´re right! We know each already almost to much!"
Mike showed her his wide signature "Flynn-smile" and came closer to her desk with one step.
"Well, I would call that an advantage while being on operations."
"I agree... so, what leads you to me?"
"Yeah... ah... I wanted to ask if you have some time to spare."
"For you – always", Kate smiled and shoved the papers away. She did not even notice she was kind of flirting with him, of course fully unintentionally.
"I wanted to abduct you for this afternoon", Mike told her, while taking her hand and pulling her up from her chair. "I have planned everything, Nav will be in command and us being away for a few hours is not a problem as we will leave tomorrow evening, so you don´t have anything to turn me down on a bit of ice skating."
Kate looked at him with a totally surprised gaze and she pinched the skin above her wrist to make sure she wasn´t sleeping and that this was one of her heavenly dreams, from which she never wanted to awake but in the end her alarm was always working against her. These dreams were full of beautiful moments showing her deepest wishes and fantasies and she just needed this to be the professional she always was at work, standing next to Mike and hiding her feelings.
Her skin did hurt and assured her that she currently was in the reality and that Mike had just asked her out for a date.
"Ahm...with pleasure", she answered quickly as if she feared a ultimatum, that the chance would pass by to fast. "I... I will get changed..."
"Don´t hush it. I´ll meet you at the rink!"
"Yes... okay...", Kate stuttered and she felt like the grin that captured her face was so wide that the angles of her mouth must be touching her ears.
"So... see you later!", Mike smiled, obviously as excited as she was. Before he closed the door behind him she added:"I am looking forward to it!"
She sighed like a teenager who had just had the first successful talk with her crush sat down on her rack, but immediately jumped off again, walked towards her small locker and pulled the bag with her civil clothing out of it. She hoped she even had something appropriate to wear for this occasion, as she had never thought about the option that Mike would ask her out for a date.
A few minutes later she had finally picked out a normal slim fit jeans and a green top matching with her new crème coloured lace cardigan. She just wanted to get changed as Nav entered the cabin, climbed into her rack and pulled up the blanket, snuggling into her pillow with a satisfied sigh.
Kate looked up in surprise and slipped out of her grey overall, while she asked:"Didn´t the boss give you the command, Nikki?"
"You know... I only slept for about two hours last night and so I delegated some things. I thought this is what someone does in a leading position."
Kate buttoned up her jeans and grinned at Nikki explaining:"Right – but don´t let it turn into a habit! We trust you that the Hammersley is looking as always when we come back... I mean, the CO and me, after one another... from different positions... oh, screw it."
"Calm down, it´s only for one or two hours, I did not wanted to give orders while lying on the floor on the bridge!"
"Well, okay then..."
Kate ordinarily braided her hair and then grabbed her bag to leave.
"Well, where are you going to?", Nikki wanted to know and supported herself on her elbows. "Do you have a hot date?"
"What? How did this idea come across you?"
"To be open, your neckline is a little bit revealing", the navigator grinned and Kate immediately looked down to check her clothing, but Nikki waved at her and reassured her:"Na, I was just kidding!"
"Really?", Nikki asked and shot a dark, but also in-confident look at her.
"Yes, sure! You look really great! Who will be the lucky one?"
"M...my mum... I will go... visit... her... yes, I will go visit my mother... I-I have to go!"
Kate hurried to get out of the cabin with blushing cheeks and Nikki lay down on her back, murmuring:"I would like to visit my mom too..."
She closed her eyes, but suddenly she sat up jerkily, nearly hitting her head on the ceiling.
"She has not spoken with her mother for ages!"
Excited like a teenager before his first date Mike was standing in front of the ice rink, hiding a big bouquet of red roses behind his back. He was looking out for Kate and meanwhile rocked forwards and backwards nervously, what looked a little bit awkward, but he had to do something to keep the panic away.
"Are the flowers for me?", he suddenly heard Kate´s voice and he nearly jumped into the air in surprise when he realised she was standing in front of him.
"Hi... ah, of course they are... here..."
"Thank you", Kate smiled and took the roses from him. She breathed the scent of the roses in and added:"They are really beautiful!"
"Beautiful flowers for a beautiful woman."
They both blushed and Kate stroke one strand of hair that had loosened itself from her braid behind her ear. The situation reminded of some innocent teenage behaviour, none of them could really act without the fear of making or saying something stupid.
"I... I promised you a abduction and I want to continue this now", Mike explained and pulled a scarf out of his pocket, looking at her questioning. "May I?"
Kate nodded, curious about what Mike had prepared and turned around so Mike could tie the scarf around her head to cover her eyes.
"Do you still see anything?"
"No, I am blind."
"Good! Don´t worry, I will guide you!"
"I trust you, but if you let me fall down something, I will have to shoot you!"
"Oh my!"
They both laughed and she clamped tightly to his hand as he lead her down a long stairway.
"Are we there yet?"
"Yes, stop please. And keep your eyes closed while I take the scarf off! I hope you´ll like it!"
"I am really curious!"
Her heart was beating wildly in excitement and she could hardly wait to see where Mike had guided her too. She felt how the fabric left her face and she waited for Mike to give her his OK.
"Good, you can open the eyes now!"
She slowly ventured a look and was amazed by the sight that was offered to her.
The lights in the rink were dimmed, candles were lighted, dipping the ice in a warm atmosphere.
"Do you like it?"
Kate´s eyes were wide in excitement and as she finally found her voice back, she only was able to breathe:"Wow... unbelievable..."
"Romantic?"
"Chrm... yes..."
"May I ask you to follow me?"
He offered her his hand and they climbed down the rest of the stairs together and he guided her to a bench in the first row where they sat down and Mike helped her to slip on a pair of skates in her seize. When she stood up from the bench she was really shaky on her legs and needed Mikes support to reach the boards that divided the ice from the ranks. She held on to the boards until Mike put on his skates too and was able to guide her out on the shimmering ice. Kate had a hard time to stay on her blades and she was holding on to Mike´s arm tightly, but her pride made her let go of him after a few seconds.
"Kate, be careful!", Mike called with a concerned tone in his voice, but she was somehow able to turn around while she was still gliding in the same direction.
"Don´t worry, I am not a child any more!"
Just as she had finished her sentence she crashed slowly, but still with enough momentum to bring her to fall on her butt, backwards into the boards.
"Kate!"
Mike hurried to get to Kate and knelt down on the ice next to her. He carefully took her right hand and cupped her cheek with the other one, giving her a worried look as he asked:"Are you alright?"
"Ouch...", Kate muffled, but gave him a weak smile. "I think I will hold on to you for a bit longer..."
Mike released a breath of relief and stood up to slowly help her back to her feet.
"Well, this would be a good idea... I hope you did not hurt your back?"
"Oh, don´t worry, I am a soldier!"
"Big girl, huh?", Mike grinned and made sure she was having a good grip to his forearm. They both felt like they were both to nervous to start a proper conversation, just like teenagers on their first date. Well, if one was real precisely, this was their first date – the first time since they had gone separate ways after the course that Mike had taught, the first time since their affair. It was a odd, but also good feeling to know that they still held so much for each other, even when these were forbidden, back then just like today. It was a helpless laugh from Kate that brought Mike to the action of freshening up the conversation.
"Did I already tell you how beautiful you look tonight? I mean, you always look good..."
"Thank you!", Kate answered and she felt her cheeks getting suspiciously warm and she hoped that she was not blushing that much – Mike was the only man on the world who was able to make her feel like this. She was a tough woman who had learned to push through in a job that was dominated by men and she always knew how to conceal her personal weaknesses, but Mike... he was able to set her off guard, to let her loose every of her hard trained abilities. With him she had always a hard time to control her feelings.
"But..."
Mike´s words made her come back from her thoughts and she immediately remembered Nikki´s words.
"What? Is the neckline to deep like Nav said?! I..."
"Shh", Mike whispered with a grin on his face and touched her lips with one finger to stop her from talking. "I meant your hair!"
Her eyes looked at him, big and questioning and Mike carefully loosened the gummy that held her hair. The braid opened and the curly blonde strands spread over her shoulders.
"I love it when you wear them open, that looks much better! Right now, we are not XO and CO, we are just... just Kate and Mike!"
Kate felt how her face slightly reddened again, then she nodded and smiled:"T-thanks... and I´ll try to remember that..."
Mike took her hands into his and said cheerful:"Well, how about you trying to stay on your feet?"
"What?! No!"
"Don´t worry, it is not that hard! Like roller blading!", Mike slowly glided backwards, his grip on her hands loosened until both of their arms were fully stretched. Kate desperately held on to him and tried to steady herself through him.
"Mike, I can´t do that!"
"Yes, Kate! You can do it, trust me!"
He let go of her left hand what caused her to dig the nails of her right into his palm, but somehow he managed to make her unhand him. A short scream escaped her and she reeled like a newly born filly doing its first tries to walk and at the same time discovering that its legs were to long and to shaky to stay safely on them.
After some more wobbling Kate finally managed to be relatively secure, but as soon as she got used to the blades on her feet and the slippery underground, Mike demanded more from her. He glided to the other side of the rink and called:"Ok, now you´re coming here. You´re standing on your own feet, so you will be able to get over here!"
Kate took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a brief moment. She did not know what Mike wanted to effectuate, but she was willing to find out.
"Come on!"
"On your responsibility", she murmured to herself and took her right foot forward, letting it glide sideways and clumsily moved her left foot. Very careful and even more slowly she moved over the ice and Mike clapped with his hands.
"Good! Only a few meters left!"
As Kate had finally approached him, Mike rewarded her with a embrace and he grinned:"I knew you could do it!"
"That´s the craziest thing we have ever done...", she said and lay her head down on his shoulder.
"Really?"
"Yeah, crazy, but it is also the most beautiful, romantic and quaintly date I have ever had..."
Mike smiled happily and bend slightly forward, murmuring:"Well, then..."
"Then?", Kate whispered and their fingers entwined, just like their looks.
"Then I would like to kiss you!"
Kate went to stay on her toe picks of which she had not been aware until now and her soft lips met his, longing, taking every little bit that she could get. It had been far to long since they had been so close and her heart raced while her stomach felt like it was full with the stereotyped butterflies, especially as Mike broke the kiss for a second to whisper:"I love you, Katie! I always have!"
"Me too", she smiled and his lips captured hers again while she slung her arms around him.
Ok, there is a sequel, but I will only publish it if you want as it only contains the next day where they figure out how the relationship will go on - say if you want to read it :)