Summary: A Longest Night party has results other than Trance's intent.
Pairings: Rommie/Harper, Beka/TRhade
Disclaimer: And on Day Way-Too-Many, I still don't own them.
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: None.
Setting: Mid-fourth season.
Feedback: Please! Praise and constructive criticism welcome. Flames will be used for candles.
Archive: Ask first and I'll probably say yes.
Author's Note: I had the urge to write a quick little holiday story. It's not entirely happy, but holidays frequently turn out to be bittersweet, after all.
Under the Mistletoe
By B.L.A. the Mouse
Harper stared gloomily into his cup of punch. So far his only amusement at this shindig had been the near-catfight between two of the most attractive female reps. Over Dylan, of course. None of them had been even remotely interested in him, also of course. He hadn't even been able to spike the punch, since Holo-Rommie appeared in miniature on the table and glared at him every time he got near the bowl. About the only thing he could count as a plus was that she hadn't made him wear a tie, just a jacket.
Admittedly, when Trance had suggested a "longest night" party incorporating traditions of various winter solstices, he'd thought it was a good idea. After the last few months, they could use some fun. That, however, had been long before most of the attractive women not part of the crew had glommed onto Dylan, though he had to admit that one or two of them had been eyeing up Rhade instead. The attractive women who were part of the crew still hadn't even shown up, and the whole thing would be a lot more palatable with Beka to snark with. He wasn't even sure where she was; she'd laughingly kicked him off the Maru a few hours before, telling him that it was girls-only while they primped, and the party had started a half-hour before.
Fortunately, he didn't have to wait too much longer. Even as he contemplated his cup, the door cycled open again, and the next person through was Beka. She glanced around before heading over to him, and he had another cup of punch waiting for her by the time she got there. When he handed it to her, she sniffed suspiciously. "Relax, I haven't been able to."
"Right." Her first sip was tentative anyway. Apparently reassured, her next swallow was a little larger, and he took advantage to look her over. He still wasn't sure what had taken her so long to get ready, but she did look good in a clingy, glittery red tunic over her usual black pants and boots. Her lipstick did match the tunic, but then so did the punch.
"Where are the other two?"
She shrugged. "They were right behind me. Anything I missed?"
"I think two of them," he nodded over to the women from the kerfluffle over the captain, currently glaring at each other over the hors d'oeuvres table, "were about to have a fistfight, but it got broken up."
"Too bad. It's not really a party unless there's a brawl." She turned to lean against the wall so they were both facing into the room. "At least Rommie gave up on getting me into a dress."
"That's a shame. I keep hoping you'll turn up at these things in a skirt up to here."
"Then you are doomed to disappointment. Sorry."
Harper barely heard her response. The doors had opened to admit Trance and Rommie, and he suddenly understood why they had taken over the Maru. Beka looked good, but they were stunning. Trance's white sheath exposed one golden shoulder and showed off the red twists of hair tumbling down her back, while Rommie's forest-green dress fell in soft folds to just below her knees, faithfully outlining her curves and showing off a spectacular set of calves and ankles.
"Okay," he said finally, "I forgive you guys for kicking me out."
Beka's smirk was palpable. "Thought you might."
With the women there, the party improved. Even if he and Beka split apart they could still meet back up after circulating, and it was entertaining to compare notes on the people they'd seen together under the mistletoe. The twig was probably the most popular of all the holiday decorations from the different cultures, and Harper winced at Beka "coincidentally" running into one of the more obviously admiring ambassadors underneath it. She managed to dodge him, though.
Rommie spent most of the evening glued to Dylan's side, but Trance slipped into a corner with Harper at one point, the two of them giggling over champagne bubbles and riding the general high of the festivities. In general, by the time the party was winding down to a close, he was feeling a lot better about the whole thing. With fewer diplomats and Dylan having talked to all of them at least once in Rommie's company, she was able to get away from her duty as provider of data, and she joined Harper and Beka off to one side.
"How much longer is this going again?" Beka asked through her teeth, smiling at a passing official. "I'm not sure how much longer I can avoid… whatshisname, the grabby one."
"His ship is supposed to depart in twenty-one minutes and thirty-seven seconds."
"Aw, so soon?" Harper mimicked dismay. "Are you sure he's not the love of your life?"
"Oh, pretty sure. He thought I was being 'cute' when I told him that he'd lose a finger if he touched anywhere other than my waist."
He blinked. "Just one?"
"I'm supposed to be polite, aren't I?"
Before they debated it any further, Rhade apparently excused himself from his own diplomat and came up to their small group. "Beka, would you be willing to dance with me for a few minutes? I'm having trouble persuading a few people that I'm not interested, and if you can keep me looking too busy to deal with them I'd appreciate it."
She set her own cup down immediately. "Sure. I'm starting to notice that trend myself."
Harper watched them go, saying to Rommie, "I'm not sure whether to be jealous of the attention they're getting or not."
Rommie frowned. "I wouldn't be. These particular diplomats are not their societies' best representatives. They don't seem to know the meaning of the word inappropriate."
"Which is why I would be jealous. I could use some inappropriate behavior." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively when Rommie glanced over at him.
She shook her head, but said, "You may well get your wish."
"You know something?" he asked, curious, but she just shook her head again and went back to watching the crowd.
As another diplomat, Beka's "grabby" one, started to leave, Rommie groaned faintly. "I need to escort him to his ship. Would you come with me?"
"Sure. Anything to help." He didn't complain— not that he would anyway— when Rommie delicately hooked her fingers under his arm in a subtle show of possession. If this guy was as bad as Beka said…
Fortunately, he behaved himself all the way to the airlock, although Harper caught him talking at Rommie's chest twice. Judging by the increasingly icy tones in her voice, she did, too. When the airlock finally rolled closed behind him, she turned around and made a truly horrible face. "I want him to make a hostile move just so I have an excuse to fire on him."
"Let's hope he does. He gives all self-respecting leches like me a bad name." That surprised a faint smile out of her, and he continued with, "Let's head back and tell Beka that she doesn't have to keep dancing with Rhade unless she wants a favor to call in." He held out his elbow, not expecting her to take it again, and was pleased when she immediately looped her arm through his.
The party had thinned by the time they got back, but Beka and Rhade were still dancing, looking intent on their quiet conversation. Harper had just decided that he wasn't breaking that up when Rhade got a funny little smile on his face. He must have told Beka to look up, because she did, at the mistletoe right above them. When she looked back down Rhade caught her lips with his.
Harper gaped, not just at the kiss but because she wasn't pushing him away. It lasted a long moment before it ended, Beka looking wrong-footed and confused herself. Rhade, though, still had that funny smile. As Harper watched, he said something too quietly for the observers to hear and moved to kiss her again.
This time Beka did push him away, shaking her head. When he reached out, the smile disappearing, she turned and walked away, not stopping before she had left the room. Rhade took one step in the direction of the door but didn't get any farther before Dylan called him over, apparently having missed the whole byplay. Harper could see him fighting the mental battle as he looked between Dylan and the door and he knew when duty won.
"Mistake," Harper muttered. When Rommie gave him a curious look, he explained, "If he goes now, he catches her before she gets annoyed, which she will. He still has a chance. Later? I'm betting on him going down in flames."
"Ah."
They stood a minute or two longer, talking about nothing, before Rommie said abruptly, "Dance with me."
"Always. But why?"
"Because." With that cryptic comment, she led him out onto the cleared area. He suspected that her reasons involved avoiding another diplomat, but he still let her take his hands. It was unusual when she put them at her waist and her own around his neck— normally she didn't encourage much touching— but he let it pass without comment as they began swaying.
In fact, neither of them said anything for a few moments, Harper at least not wanting to say anything to jeopardize the dance. He was enjoying the excuse to be in close contact with her too much. Still, the temptation overwhelmed him when he realized where they were in the room. "Am I allowed to kiss you?" he asked, grinning. "Or will you use the internal defenses if I do?"
She seemed to consider it before saying, "Yes, you are." In yet another surprise in a night full of them, she closed her eyes and tilted her head, obviously waiting for him to do so. Surprise it may have been, but he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity. He kissed her.
It wasn't a long kiss. It was also fairly chaste, just a press of dry lips. When they drew apart, though, Rommie opened her eyes and a smile spread across her face, a wide goofy grin. He was pretty sure that his own smile matched it.
At the insistent chime, Harper groaned. He rolled out of the bed as the lights came up and grabbed a blanket off the foot on his way to the door, wrapping it toga-style before hitting the access button. It was Beka on the other side, and judging by the party clothes she still wore she hadn't gone to bed yet. She looked apologetic when she saw him. "Sorry, were you asleep?"
"No, um—" He couldn't help the glance over at the bed, and while she couldn't have seen the bed itself she did catch the direction of his look.
"Oh." There was an element of forcedness to her amusement. "In that case, I'll get you in the morning instead. Night, Harper."
She turned and walked off before he could say anything else, not that his brain was firing on all cylinders at that precise second. He stepped back and let the door close, still debating whether to go after her.
"Do you want me to tell her you'll be right with her?" Rommie asked. She'd sat up while he was at the door, wrapping her arms around her knees. From his angle, it almost looked like she wasn't wearing underwear and it took him a beat to pull his thoughts away from that.
"I think it can wait," he said carefully. He unwound the blanket as he did. "I think she just wants to complain about Rhade." Down to his boxers, he quickly spread the blanket over the bed and crawled in again.
"Probably. He did to the Maru to find her an hour ago."
"Definitely, then." He got comfortable again before looking up at her. "Are you getting back under? I was enjoying it, before we got interrupted."
"Of course. I was, too." She unwound her arms and started to slide underneath the covers.
The End