Title: Another Slip of the Tongue
Rating: T
Summary: Sequel to my story, "Slip of the Tongue." Fictober 2018 prompt #21: "Impressive, truly." P/T.
B'Elanna picked up one of the PADDs that Tom had thrown haphazardly on the sofa.
"I thought Captain Proton was supposed to be like those Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers film serials you made me watch with you," she commented, scrolling through its contents.
"It is," he replied, intent on his work on the next chapter of his holoprogram. "The characters, the settings and the storylines were all directly inspired by Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers."
"But Captain Proton's outfit is from the Commander Cody serials," she pointed out, holding up the picture on the PADD. "All you left out was that ridiculous helmet."
Tom shrugged. "I just liked his outfit better. It's more comfortable. And it's 'Commando Cody,' not 'Commander Cody,'" he corrected her.
"What's the difference?"
"A commando was a soldier who was specially trained to make raids. Which is strange, because Commando Cody was actually a civilian," he said thoughtfully.
"Then why did they call him that, if he couldn't have been a commander or a commando?"
"I have no idea. Though now that I think about it," he reflected with an impish grin, "'Commando Cody' might have been a very different kind of film if it had been made later in the 20th century."
"What do you mean?" she asked, bewildered.
"Here, let me show you."
He brought up a video on the screen and fast-forwarded to the action.
Her jaw dropped as one of the male leads dropped his pants to reveal nothing on underneath.
"That's 'going commando,'" Tom pointed out helpfully. "The phrase didn't become popular until the 1970s. Which also happened to be the Golden Age of Porn. Imagine seeing this on the big screen."
"People actually watched these movies in the theaters?" she exclaimed, shocked. "With a crowd full of other people in the audience?"
"Yeah," he confirmed. "They had no choice. It was before the era of home video."
She watched, fascinated, as another male hero in the scene unzipped his flight suit and stripped down. And then another. And another.
She couldn't tear her eyes away at the sight of so many well-endowed men at once. Especially once they started demonstrating their prowess with the scantily clad heroines.
"Impressive, truly," B'Elanna said with a laugh. "If you'd shown me that first, I definitely would have agreed to play Captain Proton with you on the holodeck."
"We still could. Just you and me."
"Only if Captain Proton will be going commando," she quipped.
"Absolutely," he promised with a wide smile.
B'Elanna giggled. "I'll have to be careful from now on not to call anyone 'Commando' instead of 'Commander.'"
"That would be embarrassing," he agreed. "But not quite as embarrassing as the last time you made a slip of the tongue."
She rolled her eyes. "You were the only one who heard it. It's not embarrassing anymore."
"Well, as I told you then, anytime you want me to slip you some tongue, Lieutenant, I'm ready, willing and able," he said cheekily. "That's a standing offer."
"If I ask you to slip me some tongue tonight, Lieutenant, it won't be in my mouth," she returned.
He grinned.
"Yes, ma'am. Happy to oblige."
And he did.
The End!