Work was hard. Decided T'Prellan of the Zodiac. I don't care if it's logical.
The thought would have surprised her a year ago, but after so long on her ship, her lovely, if crazy USS Zodiac, some things had become priority, and logic was not one of them.
Work, however, was priority. If work did not get done on her ship, then the ship did not function properly, and if the ship did not function properly, they would all very much die, and very painfully and quickly.
So T'Prell sat on her the edge of her bed, three earth hours after her double shift had ended and stared at the datapadd in her hand until the words blurred.
The Borg piece set in her left eye had all but shut down, leaving the barely emotionally stable Vulcan with just her normal eye, which was fighting sleep the same way people fought to fly in space. Lots of effort, no effect.
After reading the same line about how the warp engines still refused to heat up enough to get them going above warp factor seven no less than three times, the datapadd was snatched from her grip.
Her tired eye was still awake enough to focus on the face in front of her. While her Vulcan body showed only the dimmest of emotion, the face before her was coloured with it. They were almost identical, the Romulan and Vulcan species. But Karina's Romulan face was hardened by her eyebrow ridges, and the look of slight disappointment that lined her face.
"Would you please give me back my datapadd?" Asked T'Prell, extending a hand for it.
The Romulan hid it behind her back. "Nope. Didn't you hear the new rule? Captains aren't suppose to read..." Her voice trailed off as she realized that she didn't know what she was holding. A quick glance, too fast for the Vulcan to grab it answered that problem. "The warp drive? Or does this class as a maintenance report?"
"That is important! Give it back!" The Vulcan's voice rose just an octave higher then it should have, with that emotional repression and everything.
Karina pouted. "It's a FIVE year mission, 'Prell. Not a... one year, three month mission or however long we've been out here. We can afford to do some cruising."
T'Prell's hands felt like trembling, but by sheer force of will, she kept them still. "Give it back, XO, that's an order."
Karina's face twisted into a plotting smile. "I want something for it."
"Take it then, and give me back my report." It took even more will to push back the sudden spike of anger. Emotions are illogical...
All thoughts of illogical disappeared as Karina's lips touched hers. A wave of kindness and loving thoughts broke through the Vulcan's touch telepathic link, overriding T'Prell's anger and emotional control.
Karina's fingers twined her's, igniting the sensitive links in her hands and bringing a slight gasp out of T'Prell.
The Romulan smiled against her captain's lips, and kissed her again, delighting in the soft hiss that she got in reply.
Wrapping her hands around T'Prell's, Karina dropped backwards onto the bed, using T'Prell's stiff weight against her. The Vulcan seemed slightly confused about how she was now laying on top of her first officer.
"This is illogical. I have work to do." T'Prell's face was as straight as could be, but she refused to move.
"Not until Alpha shift." Murmured Karina into her throat, as she lightly kissed the green flushed skin. "And begging your pardon, great captain, but the Gamma shift just barely started."
T'Prell's growl was only half hearted, as if she was arguing just for the sake of appearing logical and high mighty like her race liked to be.
"If I can't get you to lay here with me, I'll have to invite someone else in here." Threatened the Romulan, a teasing look on her face.
T'Prell was still for a moment before shifting over and sliding into place beside the Romulan.
Karina wrapped one arm around her, her fingers drifting softly over the exposed skin on her arm.
"You know I love you, right?" Murmured the Romulan, kissing the tip of the Vulcan's ear.
T'Prell was silent for a moment before burying her nose in Karina's neck. "I know."
"Do you love me too?" Karina prompted, twining her other hand through T'Prell's hair.
There was a longer pause from T'Prell, as she hid her face, but a mumbled "yes" came out, too low to be picked up by most.
Karina smiled kindly and buried her face into T'Prell's shoulder. She could live with that.