"Captain! We have to leave! NOW!" Kitto stood in the doorframe of the shuttlecraft, shielding her face from the torrential rain.
"I heard you the first time Chief!" Kirk shouted back, making his way through the dense jungle with McCoy over one shoulder.
"I told you I should have carried him!" She looked to Sulu who was laughing at the exchange; he was gearing up the shuttle for a quick exit. He grinned and turned back to her.
"You're going to pay for that one." He commented.
"You think?" She asked, still laughing herself.
"Oh yeah, from the pair of them as well." Sulu turned back to the console in front of him. "We need to go Chief, this storm is coming in fast." Kitto became serious again and jumped from the door into the foliage.
"With all due respect Captain, you need to move!" She was instantly soaked to the bone, the rain becoming harder and harder.
"I'm moving! I'm moving!" She let him past, McCoy was still unconscious over his shoulder as he jumped into the shuttlecraft. A bolt of lightning hit a tree to her right, she instantaneously dove onto the ground, covering her head with her hands. The crack of thunder boomed through the air all around them, the sound muffling Kirk's shout. She took a minute to pad herself down, she was still in one piece. She knew her hearing had come back because all she could hear was Kirk shouting her name over and over.
"I'M OKAY!" She shouted, standing up and giving Kirk a grin who was white as a sheet and holding his breath. He hesitated, his heart still in his throat, Kitto jumped up into the shuttlecraft herself and sauntered casually past him. "Well? What are you waiting for? Let's get out of here."
The hot water from the shower stung Devon's skin but it felt glorious in comparison to the cold sodden uniform she had been stuck in for the last seventy two hours. When they had made it back to the Enterprise Kirk had stayed by McCoy's side, wanting to make sure he was okay. Away team personnel had to go to sick bay per protocol anyway but her and Sulu had been cleared for duty within five minutes of being there. She still hung back a little, watching Kirk speak with the Doctor tending to McCoy. When the Physician had gone off to treat another patient she walked casually across the bay and stood beside Kirk looking at McCoy asleep on the bed in front of them.
"I take it he's dead." She deadpanned.
"That's not funny." Kirk muttered back to her, trying not to laugh.
"You're wrong on that account, it was very funny. I'm very funny, I've been told so on numerous occasions, you know nothing about humour." She continued in a serious tone.
"You're crazy." He couldn't help the smile spread across his face, appreciative of her lightning the mood.
"And very funny, don't forget that." She nudged his arm with hers.
"Wait until he wakes up and we tell him he got knocked out by a falling tree trunk, he'll be mortified." Kirk turned to look at her, her wet hair was plastered to her head and hung limply down the sides of her face, she'd looked better.
"Trunk? More like a branch." She disputed. "Anyway, I'm going to my quarters and getting out of these wet clothes, you should do the same and let sleeping beauty here get his rest." She gave him a wink and started off in the direction of the door. She heard Kirk jog up quickly behind her to catch up and fall in line as they walked down the corridor to the turbolift. Once the door closed he turned to her again. "When you said I should do the same thing? Did you mean me go to your quarters and get out of my wet clothes with you?" There was a twinkle in his eye and he was leaning towards her. She wanted to tease him, make a joke but his earnestness stopped her.
"I didn't mean that." His face fell.
"Oh." He muttered disappointedly.
"But it's not a bad idea." She continued, his face lighting up again at her words.
"Oh." He repeated in a cheerier tone and she couldn't help but laugh. She closed the gap between them, until her face was practically buried into his neck given their height difference.
"Oh so eloquent Captain." She joshed, Kirk lowered his head so that their cheeks rested together.
"What can I say, you take the words right out of my mouth Chief." As soon as she heard him call her by her position her back stiffened and she took a step back. She'd called him Captain but somehow this was different. Kirk noticed immediately the change in her demeanour and creased his brow in confusion. "What? What is it?" He asked concerned.
"I don't know? I mean I do know but I'm not sure?" She wiped away the wet hair from the sides of her face and looked at him confused.
"Not sure about what?" He took a step forward and tried to catch her hand in his but she folded her arms across her chest defensively. "Devon? What are you not sure about?"
"I don't know how to say it without hurting you." She cautioned honestly.
"I'm a big boy Devon, just tell me." He smiled at her sympathetically, trying to quash her concern.
"This" She waved her hands between the two of them, "Us, how is this going to work? Should it work? I mean, this could get very messy very quickly and I don't want that to happen! We both deserve better than that don't you think?" He nodded in response.
"I do think." He answered.
"You don't think I'm overthinking it?" She asked him, slightly embarrassed.
"You're the Chief Tactical Officer, if you didn't overthink every scenario I would be worried." Kirk gave her a grin.
"So? What should we do?" He took her question seriously and thought for a moment.
"I don't want to mess this up Devon, I really like you and I don't want to mess this up." He answered honestly, Devon sighed with relief.
"I feel the same way." She whispered back.
"We work well together."
"We do." So far they were agreeing about everything, a good sign in Kitto's eyes.
"Here's what I think we should do." She bobbed her head encouragingly. "Let's do nothing." It was her turn to crease her brow and look confused.
"Do nothing?" She echoed.
"Yeah, do nothing. We've only just become friends for crying out loud, let's work on that first and, if our mutual…sexual attraction to one another continues, well then, we know that it's not just a fling or something else."
"That strangely makes sense Jim." She looked at him impressed.
"It does doesn't it!?" He gave her a smile, happy with tried to work out the details, how long should they leave it? How would they know when they were ready? What if one or both of them changed their mind? They came up with some ball park figures and then agreed to stick to them. Above all they promised to be honest to one another.
"Alright then, so I guess I'll see you later then." She turned to look at the door, realising they'd come to a stop minutes ago she stepped forward so that the door automatically opened.
"Good work today Chief." Kirk stated loudly, enough to startle Devon slightly until she saw that it was for the benefit of a passing Ensign.
"Thank you Captain." She replied, just as pointedly. She didn't miss the wink he gave her as the door slid closed.
The next few weeks were bizarre for Devon, both her and Kirk stuck to their plan. They acted like colleagues, fellow Officers working together as per usual. Kirk gave her orders as per usual and Devon followed them as per usual. On one occasion she disagreed with him, which wasn't uncommon but he seemingly backed down far easier than he had ever done before. When no one was looking he gave her a sly wink, the only indication of their lure to on another he had shown all month. She still found him infuriating at times but she couldn't deny she longed to kiss him again. They had had lunch together a handful of times, talking about their backgrounds, likes and dislikes. Kirk had joked that he felt like he was speed dating, trying to make up for the three years at the Academy he had missed being her friend.
That evening they found themselves sat opposite each other at the monthly bridge crew poker game.
"I'll bet two hundred." Kirk threw his chips in confidently.
"See it." McCoy placed his cards down in front of him as he spoke, eyeing up Spock who was sat next to him.
"See it." Spock said, as always devoid of any kind of emotion.
"Well, I'm out." Uhura tossed her cards in front of her, trying not to look disappointed.
"See the two hundred and... Oh, God... ...raise a hundred." Kitto threw her own chips in.
"Too rich for my blood." Sulu placed his cards down on the table, sitting back and folding his arms.
"See your hundred. Raise you... a thousand." Kirk eyed Kitto as he spoke, looking for any kind of tell.
"This is out of control. I'm out." McCoy held his hands up in defeat and picked up his glass, content to sit back, drink and watch the theatrics unfold.
"See the thousand." Kitto spoke confidently when it came round to her turn and everybody else had folded, winking at McCoy he gave her a look no one else could decipher the meaning of.
"We're it, huh?" Kirk said to her.
"Just us." Kitto laughed, slightly threateningly Spock determined.
"Aces over eights." Kirk placed his cards down with a flourish.
"Shit!" Kitto threw hers on top of the pile of chips.
"Excellent! This is terrific!" Kirk couldn't hide his excitement, what Devon wasn't sure of though was whether he was excited about winning the hand or the fact that she had lost? She shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
"You played that hand like a pro." Kitto congratulated him, no sarcasm evident in her tone.
"Thanks, I guess you've either got it or you haven't." Kirk was still grinning from ear to ear, pulling the chips towards him. His comment aggravated her more, she didn't like this side to him she realised, certainly when it was pointed in her direction. It reminded her of what he was like when he was taking the Kobayashi Maru test and it left a bitter taste in her mouth. Sulu collected the cards and shuffled them before dealing them out to everybody. Again when it came round to Kitto's turn all eyes were on her.
"All right. Oh... I raise... five hundred." Kitto threw in her chips dismissively.
"I fold." Sulu responded immediately, knowing enough of the Chief Tactical Officer to know when he was out of his depth.
"Well, the Doctor must fold." McCoy smirked.
"I'll see the five hundred... ...and I'll raise two thousand." Kirk replied assertively.
"You must have tremendous confidence?" Kitto asked him, raising her eyebrows and looking at everybody else who were just sat there in shock.
"I have tremendous confidence." Kirk answered cockily.
"A little confidence ain't going to get it, Captain. I see the two thousand five hundred and raise you three grand. I think you got nothin'." Kitto called him on it, staring at him as she spoke. The atmosphere had shifted and it was palpable in the room, even Kirk gave her a second look.
"That's your constitutional right." Kirk muttered, slightly taken aback by Kitto's seriousness.
"OK. That's the kind of game we're going to play... That's five to me... ...and... I raise you eight thousand." There was a gasp from Uhura and Spock's eyebrow was arched so high that McCoy thought it was going to reach his bangs.
"Devon, I thought we were playing for fun?" Sulu whispered to her, a concerned hand resting on her forearm.
"This is fun." Kitto was still looking at Kirk, she was smiling but it didn't reach her eyes. Sulu didn't quite believe her.
"I'll see the eight grand. I'll raise you ten. Can I borrow twenty one grand, please? "Kirk asked Sulu, who was manning the bank.
"Twenty one grand? You know you can buy a damned freighter for that?" McCoy exclaimed gruffly.
"I know what I'm doin'." Kirk was staring daggers at Kitto.
"You've got some guts, Captain." Kitto smiled sweetly.
"It's not guts. It's realism." He spat back.
"There's eighty three grand in there Captain, what's the word?" Kitto dismissed his comment and leant forward on the table.
"I'll see it... ...and I'll raise you ten. Twenty five thousand more, please Sulu." Kirk wiped at his brow tensely.
"Our Captain has some set of balls! Am I right? My hat's off to you, Sir. My shirt too, probably, the way you play!" Kitto spoke to the other players, laughing as she lifted her glass in the air. "To you." She toasted and took a large swig of her drink. "Well, might as well go down in flames. What do you got?" Kitto watched him carefully as he placed his cards down on the table.
"Sorry, Chief, straight flush to the jack." Kirk smiled and sat back, clapping his hands together in the air obviously very happy with himself. The others let out the breath they'd been holding and muttered between themselves. Then all eyes fell on Devon, the room fell silent. She sat forward and put her head in her hands and let out a long sigh.
"That's…That's one for the books." She shook her head in defeat, but as Kirk was about to collect all the chips she lifted her cards to place them down on the table. Kirk stopped in his tracks.
"To the queen." She stated simply.
"My god woman!" McCoy couldn't help but exclaim.
"That's a tough break Sir." Kitto watched as Kirk's face fell.
"Remind me never to play with you again Kitto! You rung me dry when we were at the Academy, clearly you haven't lost your touch." McCoy stood from the table and downed his drink. Neither Kirk nor Kitto noticed everybody leave the room, Sulu whispering to Uhura as they left.
"What the hell is going on between the two of them?"
"You have no idea!"
Both of them still sat staring at each other, finally Devon stood and began to walk to the door.
"What the hell was that!?" Kirk asked her, obviously angry.
"That was a lesson Jim, don't get cocky with me, don't call me in Poker and never, ever bluff. Goodnight." He watched her leave not knowing if he had reverted back to disliking her or wanting her more than he ever had before.
Thank you so much for the follows and favourites, glad to see you're enjoying it! Please leave me a review and let me know what you think or where you'd like to see the story go. LLAP ;-) XOXO