Prompt: Scotty, Gaila - Water under the bridge
The Cure for Pessimism
″Why are you so nervous?″ Gaila glanced up from the PADD she was disassembling. She sat in the middle of the large bed with electronic components scattered around her. It was definitely an intriguing sight, if ever Scotty saw one. ″The dog's back and there's no reason for Admiral Archer to continue to punish you, correct?″
He sighed and glowered. ″It ain't that easy, lass. Archer holds an unnatural regard for that beagle and I suspect that he doesn't forgive easily.″
″But he didn't try blocking your transfer to the Enterprise nor your promotion to Chief Engineer back when we first set out. Why try to get to you seven months later?″ Her attention back on her work, Gaila carefully touched one of the sensors with her handitool and sent out a tiny spray of sparks. ″Damn, fried another one.″
Scotty waited until he was sure that none of them would remain smoldering on Gaila's clothing or the bedding of the hotel suite they were staying in – their first official shoreleave together and Gaila had been insistent they do it up right! - before responding. ″Who knows what goes on in that man's head. He's got quite the history, though, and I'm sure he could come up with numerous suitable punishments were he so inclined. And he probably is.″
Walking over to the bed, Scotty picked up another sensor from the bedside table and had it ready when Gaila, still fussing with the scorched sensor, held her hand out to him for a replacement. She took it with a small smile and began calibrating it, idly commenting, ″Don't be so pessimistic. He might be calling you in to say that it is all water under the bridge or to let bygones be bygones or some such trite phrase.″
He smiled down at her bouncing red curls, swaying with every tony movement of her head as she worked. Tough to be a pessimist in her presence. ″Or he might want to kill me slowly and painfully. I'd call it realism, actually.″
Gaila rolled her eyes and put her tools down on the bed before resting her full attention upon him. She crooked her finger at him until he leaned over the bed towards her so she could grab his collar and pull him down further towards her. He was bent at an awkward angle given the size of the bed and the pointy bits of PADD innards that he didn't want to fall onto, but she made it worthwhile when she drew him into a lingering kiss.
Once Gaila released him she gifted him with one of her sunny smiles and a pat to the ass. ″Go to the meeting, get it over with, and then come back here so we can celebrate your new freedom to walk around San Francisco without looking over your shoulder for cranky, potentially vengeful canine-loving admirals, okay?″
″You want to go out tonight?″
Somehow her grin grew wider. ″I was thinking we should stay in, ″ She winked at him saucily. ″But going out's an option for tomorrow.″
Scotty grunted but admitted that she was an excellent motivator. ″I suppose there's something to be said for getting it over with and moving on - if I survive, that is - to better things.″