When Lwaxana woke up next, Kate was gone, just like she had said. A part of her was disappointed, as she had wanted to have breakfast with her again. Duty, however, always came first, and she understood that far better than most could. With a deep sigh, she folded back the sheet and slipped from the bed, quickly making it.
"You are not one to moon, Lwaxana. One kiss does not mean that you are suddenly soulmates, and are going to spend the rest of your life with her. Get a grip." Still, she couldn't help but think about the way their lips had continued touching until she fell asleep. It had been so welcome to have a period of rest without nightmares, and she knew that the presence of Kate had done the trick. She just didn't know what that meant for her, or for them. She had never thought that being with a woman would be an option for her, since she had always been guy crazy, or at least, that was what Deanna called it in her head.
Making her way over to the replicator, Lwaxana ordered a light breakfast before sitting at the table and eating. She picked at the food, finding her thoughts turning to Kate repeatedly. It would be so easy to lose herself in those blue eyes, to let go of everything that was holding her back and just letting the woman lead her along.
Finally, though, her meal was finished, and then she was staring into space, wondering what she would do with the coming day. There was nothing scheduled, which was so different from her life on Betazed, since she was usually attending to her ambassador duties, or corresponding with people. But here, on the Repulse, her time was her own, and that was overwhelming in a way.
Shaking her head, Lwaxana moved over to the dresser and pulled out fresh clothes, quickly getting ready for the day before stepping out into the corridor and taking a deep breath. Something told her that there would be nothing like a sedate walk to calm her nerves and settle her mind, and she turned to her right and began to move. Instead, she found her thoughts muddled and confused, circling back to Kate and her gaze time and again.
Lwaxana had felt so comfortable around the woman, at ease with sleeping with her so close by. It had been a while since she had rested in another person's arms, let herself be vulnerable and open, and it had felt good. Being an ambassador meant that she had to close herself off a little, and when she was around Deanna, she tried to overcompensate for that, usually to her daughter's annoyance. But here, she felt like Kate would just look at her, take her at face value before calling her out on her bullshit.
With a light sigh, she ran her hand over her wig, smoothing it a little before running her hands down her front and then starting to worry the fabric between her fingers as she continued walking on. There weren't many crew members in the corridor, which suited her just fine, since she wasn't certain that she wanted to interact with anyone at the moment, finding that she was quite content to walk on in her thoughts.
And then, she found herself stopping in front of Sickbay, and she wondered how her subconscious had led her there. "I probably shouldn't bother Kate, but…" she murmured as she began to turn away from the door.
"I'll want you to come back at the end of your shift so I can check on that injury once more. While the dermal regenerator is good, there are some things that still linger," Kate said as the doors opened. A gold shirted crewwoman nodded as she stepped out, rubbing her shoulder absently. The unnamed woman gave her a quick smile before glancing at Kate and giggling. "It seems that gossip still runs rampant around here."
The deadpan tone caught Lwaxana off guard, and she tittered nervously as she bit her lip, looking down at the floor. "What would there be to gossip about?" she asked softly, the heat of embarrassment making her cheeks flame.
"That you and I are conducting some illicit affair, given how far you had to travel to get to me. It would be funny, if it were true. Instead, it's just hurtful to you."
She looked up, seeing how stormy Kate's eyes had turned. And though she tried to stay out of her mind, Lwaxana couldn't help but read the fact that the good doctor wanted to protect her over everything, and that sweet thought brought tears to her eyes. "Oh, but your feelings deserve to be taken into consideration, too, Kate." Unbidden, she reached out and touched her shoulder lightly, trying to affirm that they were on even footing.
Kate gave her a wry smile as she shook her head. "I'm a tough old bird, nothing gets to me."
"I'll believe that when I see Delta Quadrant, which will be never, mind you." Their eyes met, and Lwaxana felt herself wanting to lean forward, to kiss Kate and assure her that she would not let anything get to her, since she deserved to have a protector, too.
Kate made a low sound of disagreement in the back of her throat, taking hold of Lwaxana's hand and dragging her into her private office. The moment the door was closed and locked, Lwaxana found herself being pressed back against it, the distance between them decreasing by the second as silence turned to a deafening roar. "I don't know what we're doing here," Kate murmured as she cocked her head to one side, leaning in and capturing Lwaxana's lips in another soft kiss.
It was every bit as sweet as the first kiss, and Lwaxana gave herself over to the sensations that were flooding her body, reaching out and closing her arms around the woman's waist, wanting to hold her even closer. "Why do we have to know what's going on? Can't we just live in the moment?" she asked, her voice sounding breathy as she tried to calm her racing heart.
"I don't live in the moment, Lwaxana. I plan and consider and move with caution." Kate let another wry smile turn her lips up, and Lwaxana shook her head as she gave her another kiss. "This is not in my plan."
"Well, maybe it's time to change that plan a little," she whispered as let her chin come to rest on Kate's shoulder, taking care not to look at her face or read her thoughts, uncertain if she could face rejection in that moment.
