Benny had gotten around to speaking with Brax again, this time putting feelings aside in favour of something professional. Her new contract was really very generous, outside of the things she'd already promised him. Free reign over a few things she didn't before, more funding, but aside from that no serious changes. Bernice would teach at the university, manage a lot of the extra workload he'd previously taken on himself, and go out on trips when he wanted her to (though he said that would be less frequently this time, just to keep her out of trouble.) She reluctantly agreed to that. Not that she preferred safety over danger- she was with him now, after all. Benny would just have to find something else to do, even if it'd be a bit duller.
When the news went out around three days later, there were instantly several hundred invites to digs, lectures, and the like all coming into her inbox. Well known Professor Bernice Summerfield, back as archaeology chair in one of the most prestigious places for her field in the known universe, with virtually infinite amounts of funding. It was really no surprise, but it also meant a lot of boring offers, terrible ones, and junkmail scams to sift through in order to reach the good stuff. 'Dross along with the pearls,' Braxiatel once said.
Unfortunately, even with the good stuff, Bernice would have to be rather choosy. If Braxiatel didn't decide it was his business to read her mail first and pick one for her, at least. One in particular, however, caught her eye.
"Martians?" one of her specialities, on Betelgeuse IV nonetheless. What were the chances?
Not high. Either this was very good and a wonderful greeting back, or too good to be true.
But she thought she'd have a look anyway. Scanning the page on the holoscreen, it only seemed to get better with every line. One of the first Saurian colonies? An undisturbed underground bunker complex? Intact and polished cooling suits as an early find? And on the good side of the planet, the one without the ruffians? Benny spat out her coffee, getting it all over a floppy screen and frying it. She really should stop keeping beverages near her electronics.
Bernice put this idea forth just in case it was genuine. Judge whether this could possibly be real, get a second opinion. And he was the one with the funding, so she dialed him up for a holomeet to propose it. The reaction time it took for him to pick up and be presentable was a tiny thing, but so fast it did emphasize his alienness. "Hey, Brax."
"Ah, Bernice. How's work?"
Excitedly, she told him the news. "Just spit out my coffee- and sorry about the mess if you can see that. But there's been a massive archaeological find on that planet you picked me up from- Betelgeuse IV? The government invited me personally. It sounds really quite amazing, but there have been a number of times it's been- well too good to be true is a bit of an understatement..."
'It could be a trap. People like to trap you," he mused.
Invites didn't always go down so well, no. "I know, and we both know who was there last time. Rather not get another Krynoid bug. And still can't forget the time some mad crackpot Draconians drilled a hole in my skull. And now if word's spread around enough about us, they could also be using me to get to you." She gestured to him and herself, ranting just a bit.
Braxiatel made quite the offer though, really. Something Benny didn't exactly expect him to do. "Would you like me to go with you? I'm not planning on wading around in the mud all day, but I'll go to the planet with you. Keep you company, watch your back."
It wasn't often at all that he joined her on things like this, or even came in person to check. There had been a couple of times, but not usually without ulterior motives. Well, Brax hadn't used to do a lot of things without ulterior motives, but the point still stood. Benny was delighted. "...If you wouldn't mind. You don't get to see much of them in person anyway. Even if you don't get down and dirty we could still engage each other's interests."
"Technically ancient artefacts are a shared interest. I just prefer them once they've had a bit of a wash." Meanwhile, she sent him a link to the message she'd received.
"True, though you'll get to see all the stuff that we can't fit on a ship- the other side of things. Love me some ancient temples and underground complexes, you know. Even you need to take rather a lot of effort if you want to move those." He'd done it before. A number of times. That didn't stop it from being difficult, even to the powerful Time Lord who was mysteriously good at getting what he wanted, abstract things that by all logic should not have existed in physical form at all included.
Braxiatel looked over towards one of the other screens briefly, clearly doing quite the bit of multitasking- likely reading what she'd sent him. "Does look real enough, I think. Yes, very well. I shall wear my wellies."
That... actually sounded a bit adorable, frankly. The mental image couldn't help but make her smile. If he also made the whole khaki ensemble it would either look very wrong on him, or clash with his vibe in just the right way as to be endearing. Geeky, perhaps? "Love you in your less conventional clothing choices. Especially with shoes. Considering last time we were there I- well... threw up on them," she commented.
Well that brought it back, didn't it? "Ah yes... I do recall that bit. Perhaps this time we can avoid a repeat performance."
But she quelled Braxiatel's fears. "No Brax, I do not intend to vomit on you again."
"Thank the Goddess for that," he swore.
She chuckled at him. Benny probably shouldn't have, but she did. Rather a bold statement, but something else she wanted to hold true to nonetheless, was this: "I promise I won't drink on this trip. At all."
His eyebrows were raised, imagined in perfect clarity by the holocorder. There was definitely a look of suspicion. Well, less doubt and more foreknowledge. "Well- I don't expect you to be tea total, just no vomiting would be nice."
She'd thought about it long and hard. Not getting wasted as often, therefore also not waking up with terrible headaches and not throwing up. "Now we're... where we're at, I want us to keep our promises. I said it. I'm staying sober. For you."
Braxiatel still didn't quite believe it, but nodded along anyway. What his mind fell to was evidently an interesting topic, because he started stuttering again. "Oh, okay. Thank you. Er... I have a question then, but it's perhaps better asked in... the confines of my study. Who knows when somebody might come into yours, after all."
Well, if his tone came through that clearly, nervous tics and all, it was bound to be something awkward and personal for him, so Benny agreed. "Alright. I think I'll pop down to your office then." She added a question that to anyone else here would not make sense, "Also, what is up with people thinking I want a horse lately?"
A knowing look of annoyance was all he offered her. "I was going to get the sort of horse I wanted, actually Benny."
A horse? A horse? Seriously? Of all the things in the universe... "You can get a horse, but I don't want one at all. Before we had enough hovercrafts they made the Collection reek. But if you do, at least it better not be a pegasus. Had enough trouble with one of those on Atlantis."
Well, at least what Braxiatel seemed to be doing was want to practice at the aspects of romance. Even though he seemed to lack the general understanding so far, learning was always important. "I need a horse, Bernice. Riding off into the sunset on a segway is just way less romantic."
Benny just cackled at the thought as she moved towards his study, making it echo from the high ceilings. Them, together- leaning forward and racing towards the sun on silly little scooters and skidding along the Collection. "I'm having a lot of fun imagining that, frankly."
"Benny, funny is not exactly the effect I'm going for." He placed his face in his hands, clearly regretting putting the idea in her head.
She closed it down and locked the door to her own office behind her, heading his way. All the while still giggling. Braxiatel could probably hear it all the way from there, with the resonance of everything. If she was much louder it would probably be making the chandeliers clink.
But, finally, she reached his study- the entrance being the one with a giant three-dimensional portrait of Braxiatel's face above it, that either pissed her off or amused her on any given day. Not even bothering to knock, she slid through the door that automatically unlocked with her plasti-disc. The only person other than Brax that could just do that without a second thought. If Joseph didn't count as a person. It gave her a little rush sometimes. They'd been on that level for quite a long time indeed. But now, well- those were thoughts for another day, weren't they?
Locking it again behind her, Bernice sat by his desk. She could see what he had up on one of the holoscreens. Well. "What is it you wanted to ask me?" Not that she couldn't guess, judging by what Braxiatel seemed to be looking at. Already planning to accept the invite and join her on the excavation, was he?
Straightening his tie and his cufflinks, again with the awkward behaviour. Stuttering, he put it into words. Finally, "Should I, er... should I book two hotel rooms or...?"
Bernice shrugged. She could let him make this move and go for one- as she wouldn't mind, but this was obviously something he wanted to ask about first. After all, they'd done it when there was only one tiny bed by accident once, and that sure wasn't something either of them ended up very happy with. So Benny just kept it natural, allowing him to think about it. "You can if you want, but we've shared a room in one way or another enough times... Even though I didn't like it much usually. And remembering where I fell asleep it's a lot more likely I won't stab you with my elbows." She paused, thinking about the best course of action further. "...Better book a king-size just in case."
"Are your elbows particularly stabby?"
"I don't think so? But you didn't seem to like it much when I fell out of the chair over there. Starting with personal space is probably our best bet." Considering him closely, she let him think of the rest. Our still felt strange on her tongue. But not a bad sort of strange.
Brax tapped through room listings on one of the most posh hotels in the city near the dig. "Yes, I quite agree, I'd prefer to not end up on the floor again."
Benny, not wanting to make him uncomfortable again, added, "But- if you really want to book two rooms it's no big deal. The point of a good hotel is comfort, right? If that didn't matter we could be down at the campsite in tents." It was true. She was so used to roughing it in fact that she could sleep just about anywhere that wasn't a cold floor.
He nodded, hitting one more button and confirming the booking for a large one-room suite. "Oh no, one is perfectly alright. I just wanted to check if you would be comfortable with that."
Well, boundaries seemed good. Maybe a bit too good. Perhaps they were being too slow. Or maybe she was just an impatient human. Bernice puffed out a big breath and slid down the back of her chair. But it was true she was excited for it.
"I'd be fine! More than fine, actually. We could, well- we could cuddle." She grinned with a sweet twinkle in her eye. More... delicate than her other thoughts. Not that she was quite ready for those either.
"Oh- well, yes, that would be nice." Braxiatel's lips pursed and he flushed a bit at the thought- of that closeness and intimacy. If he so easily lost his composure over that, maybe it wasn't too slow at all. Bernice was just overreacting.
She got up from her chair, walked around the desk towards him, and leant down to give Braxiatel a quick peck on the cheek. "You know you're actually kinda sweet sometimes?"
He rolled his eyes, pretending to turn serious. Not that he really could switch to that particular mask at the moment, there was still an awful lot of blood moving to his face. "Now, now, Bernice- slandering my reputation is absolutely uncalled for."
Benny playfully stuck her tongue out and teased him for it, remarkably close to his face too- only making him blush more. "I'll never say it in public, don't you worry."
Finally getting his composure back, what Brax offered in return was a fond smile. "Good... but I am happy to be sweet for you."
Bernice gestured for him to stand up, and Braxiatel did so. Lacing her fingers through his and holding her arms out, she pulled their bodies together and joined him at the lips. This kiss was somewhat more confident, more passionate than their first. But not steamy, still calm and slow. Their dance, their little game, seemed to be going places for once. Literally.
Bernice broke it apart, but let it simmer as she moved her hands up to pat him on the chest. "It'll be nice just to have you there."
'It will be nice to be there with you."
They waited standing there in a long, soothing silence. To them, it was an old friend. An atmosphere that let them enjoy each other's company without needing to argue, or tease, or joke, or flirt now, apparently.
Alone, but together.
