"No expense spared, courtesy of His Lordship. Famulus even told our team to be sure to enjoy our night before deployment and live it up." She twirls taking in the penthouse tower based suite with high mag field windows that filter the free flowing air, mag field balcony, the latest ferimion tech: bed and settee, sunken whirlpool tub enclosed in a field bubble, floating mood lights, and portable fireplace. Delectables and a selection of alcoholic drinks are on the table and exotic flowers and loaded fruit trees are arranged around the room.
Stinger whistles appreciatively as he sets the bags on a chair. "You're never going to want to go back to my flat."
Bridget takes off her boots and scrunches her toes into the white plush springy carpet. "I'm fine with your flat, hon. But this is a good way to be dazzling together, no?"
"I don't even know how all of this uppity fancy pants stuff works," Stinger confesses as he takes off his jacket.
She sashays over to him and runs a finger down his nose to his lips. "Then we figure it out together. Our little adventure. Now, take off your boots. You have to feel this carpet!"
Catching her hand before she moves away, he asks with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, "You trying to get me to undress already? I thought you wanted supper."
Playing along, she whispers softly in his ear, "I showed you mine, your turn. I have a thing for guys with naked toes." She pinches his ass and moves out of his way quickly, so she can set out supper.
"You're bloody barmy." His chin dips and a genuine smile appears.
"Nah. Incorrigible. It's a synonym for trouble. Gonna eat with me?" She pats the seat beside her and puts take out containers on the table. "Can you use chopsticks?"
Sitting, he takes his chopsticks out of the wrapper, placing them politely on the take out dish, and folds the paper expertly into a little rest for his utensils. Then he places them properly.
She nudges him with her elbow, "Show off. I don't know how to fold the paper thingy like that."
She starts to try to fold hers and he snitches it from her, and folds hers in a different shape - a little bee. "Kiza, loves Chinese take out and used to fold these two shapes all the time out of paper."
"But THIS is Japanese. And I'm not using the little bee, I'm keeping it forever." She tears section off the take out container. Then she puts her hands in her lap and says, "Itadakimas!" He doesn't repeat it. "Come on, it's part of the experience!"
"Eat a what?" He can't figure out what she said.
"Put your hands in your lap and say EE TAH DAH KEE MOSS"
"You're really going to make me say this?" He tries to wheedle out of it.
"Yes. It means 'I humbly receive this meal'. I'm not making you recite the Kama Sutra positions or anything."
He wipes his palm over his face. "Criminently, woman…"
"I'm waiting..." She smirks and her arms are crossed.
"Beeswax. What was it again?"
She guides him through the saying. The rest of the meal goes smoothly until, she snitches a bite of his food. He doesn't say anything the first time, but the second time he nimbly blocks her attempt and protests. "What the hell?"
"But I like yours better…" She tries again, but is thwarted this time.
He hunches protectively over his food. "Scamp. Eat your own."
Leaning on his shoulder as she gives in to her laughter, she confesses, "I love it when you're a little cantankerous and call me anything that sounds like trouble."
"And you like getting a reaction out of me," he tuts, downing another bite before she can snatch anymore. He's got to be on his toes.
She disposes of her containers and starts massaging the back of his neck. "Of course. But you're learning to play along well, too. You almost caught me off guard with that undressing remark. That was so out of the blue - so perfect."
"Glad you think an old dog can learn new tricks." He leans his head back on her stomach and looks contentedly up at her.
"I have a surprise, it'll take a minute. If you're done, maybe you could figure out if the suite presence will play some music." Seeing his ever so slight hesitation, she addresses the system to help him get started, "Suite Presence, how should we address you. My ship's system has a name."
"Soella, Miss. How may I serve you?" a disembodied almost child-like female voice responds.
"Please help Stinger, here, make some music selections."
Kissing his forehead then grabbing the other bag, she winks and says, "Be right back," before disappearing into the other room.
Soella assists Stinger as he picks some suitably romantic music, though it takes a bit to explain what he wants and for Soella to retrieve the files. He instructs the presence to start playing the music when Bridget emerges.
Peeking around the door, she asks, "Ready?"
He nods, and a song from Earth, 'Bailando', starts playing.
She steps out, gracefully lifts one hand in the air, puts the other on her hip - posing. There's wiliness in her voice as she asks, "Like your new shirt?" Mostly unbuttoned, the black shirt reveals hints of her underneath it and that it's all she's wearing. Turning so he can see the back, she lets it drape off one shoulder. "It even has a wing slit panel."
His breath catches a little and he mouths an appreciative 'oh', then he motions 'come here' with is index finger and pats his lap.
Continuing the modeling gig, she slowly saunters over. Coyly, she stops halfway to do a turn around and blow him a kiss before continuing.
Forget just sitting and waiting for her to get here. He swears she's walking more and more slowly now. The impish shiela is luring him. But he'll be damned if he runs over there or shows how he feels right now. Two can play this game.
Standing and leaning on the table, he causally begins to unbutton his shirt. "I'm going to have to make sure that shirt fits. Though, I won't make it look as good at you do."
Her face colors slightly and her fingers go to her lips.
'Gotcha.' He mentally muses and allows himself a self satisfied smirk. Then he finishes the last button, letting his shirt hang open.
Despite that small slip, she continues as with her goading. "But I'll be completely naked… "
"If that's not the point, you'd better quickly march back in that other room and put more on," he challenges, tilting his head in that direction as he starts toward her.
Closing the gap, she grabs his lapels dragging him down to kiss her. Then she giggles and gradually pulls his shirt off his shoulders, before coquettishly replying "Why Captain, are you suggesting that I'm trying to seduce you?"
"Hope you are."He tries not to fumble as he unfastens the few buttons done on the shirt she's wearing."Hopefully, I don't forget to try this on," he admits as he fondly runs his fingertips down the pocket covering one of her breasts. "Very nice."
She slides the shirt off her other shoulder too, and he assists with the rest so it doesn't fall to the floor. Before he can wrap his arms around her, she tisks. "Ah, ah, ah! You said you needed to try it on."
His chin dips and his eyes close. Damn, she got him. "I was a little distracted."
She taps his nose to count her point, then carefully guides his arms into the shirt and pulls it over his shoulders and around his chest. Then she takes a step back to inspect. "Never the less, I'm not sure about that shirt on you."
His head cocks unsure what she's getting at.
"I don't think it does you justice. We'll have to see how I feel about it later." She returns and kisses his cheek, then undoes his belt buckle. "You had me there for a second as we played. And quite frankly, I'm impressed you even got to the point you tried on the shirt."
"I wasn't going to just roll over and make it easy." His words are a little muffled as he grazes her neck and shoulders with his mouth, "Even if you always win."
"It's a win-win… if we both enjoy it. …Mmm, nice... Ready to… test out that crazy floating bed?" She slides his pants down and lets them drop to his ankles.
He steps out of them and sweeps her up, cradling her. "It's not obvious?"
That gains him a giggle from her. "I did notice a subtle clue."
"Subtle?" He shakes his head. "Now help my wings out of this shirt and I'll treat you to something I've never shared with anyone else."
Doing as she's told, she peeks around his shoulder to watch his shimmering bio-mech wings open and extend, then start to flutter at an incredible speed. She admits, "Ok, the shirt's a keeper… "
"Hang on." He presses her tighter to his chest. Lifting off the ground, she clings to his neck and squeaks with surprise and delight as he flies directly into the glowing fermion particle stream.
Unused to the tech as they float, she's a little hesitant to let go of him. But he gently reassures her and she relaxes her grip around his neck. Bobbing peacefully among the sparkling ion particles, they acquaint themselves with exploring each other in the freedom of antigravity.
Late into the night when they turn off the fermion stream and collapse into the circular bed, they're still entwined as he lays on his back and her head's on his shoulder. She traces his splicer's mark on the other side of his neck as she asks, "Stinger, you were used to the floating tech stuff. This wasn't new to you was it?"
"I'm used to grav beams for transport into ships... " his words trail off. He doesn't want to get himself in trouble by continuing.
"And?"
"Well... sometimes young, hormone driven Legionnaires would sneak into the beam sections of ships."
"Was that your first time?" she asks without condemnation.
"Yeah."
"Tell me about her…"
He lifts his head. When he sees she's serious, he says hesitantly, "Personality wise, a lot like you - bold, smart, witty, unflappable. She was tall and held herself with dignity. Skin and eyes like dark coffee…"
"What was her name?"
"You sure you want to know, you could run across her someday?"
"Uhm hmm."
"Diomika Tsing. We went our separate ways after our first year in the Legion. She's a captain of her own ship, and still as gutsy as ever. Probably make Admiral at an early age. But she doesn't think much of me now."
"Oh?"
"How about we focus on us again?" He plants a kiss on her forehead.
Lazily she traces his lips. "Ok. So where you headed after this?"
"Dunno. I just got my wings back and have an offer from the Legion to get back into the Skyjackers. Or I could stay in Aegis. And Caine is trying to talk me into being a Captain for Her Majesty."
"What're the Skyjackers?"
"The Legion's elite squad. Kind of like the Navy Seals. We all have wings in the style of our choosing, fermion tech boots, wrist mounted mag shields, and the best weapons. Skyjackers are the first into a fight and dropped into the arenas that need stabilizing. And it's in the best pay scale."
She gives a little shudder. "Sounds dangerous."
"Yeah. But I loved it. It's what I was spliced to do. As a bee splice, my reflexes are faster than any of the others. It's like I can predict what will happen. Stayed in well beyond the time to repay my splicing fee."
"What are you talking about - 'splicing fee'?"
Caressing her cheek then running his hand over her hair, he considers how to answer. Her world's ideals are vastly different. "The 'verse runs pretty much on pure capitalism. After my splicer bred and raised me, she sold me to the Legion."
"She did what?!" Bridget is indignant at the thought and bolts up. "She created you, just to make a profit? That's horrible! How long did you have to work off that debt?"
He kisses his own index finger, then places it on her lips to quiet her. "Shhh, love. It's just how it is. She needs to make a living too. She was very good to us and made sure we had the best recommendations. It took 20 years to pay my splicer's fee back to the Legion. But it's done, and I'm free now."
Her brows are still furrowed, but she's drawing designs on his chest now. "You haven't been free that long then, have you?"
"Like you - I'm older than I look. How old do you think I am?"
"I would have guessed maybe… fifty. But I'd have nothing to base a guess on. So just tell me."
"Just guess. I won't be offended."
"Fine. Seventy."
"You're playing it too safe. Seventy was a good while back." He can't suppress his smirk as he says, "A hundred and twenty two."
She does a double take then playfully hits his shoulder. "You're kidding me!"
"Bees don't lie, Love."
She squints as if it's painful to think. "I'm having trouble wrapping my mind around that one. You must have been dunked in RegeneX quite a few times then. How'd you afford it?"
"The Legion saw fit to put me back together each time."
"But…"
He can see that this is pushing her mental limits in the middle of the night. "I'm here with you. Don't tax your brain and emotions over the details of how I got here and what I've been through. It's late and things won't make much sense, because I'm not sure all of it makes sense to even me." Tenderly tugging on her free hand he encourages, "Lay back down and tell me more about yourself. There are few humans I enjoy being around, so I don't get to ask. What's it like to be 'human'?"
Obliging, she nuzzles in beside him again. "That is an odd question to answer. I've only ever been a human. I wasn't sent off to the military at a young age, like you. I was born to loving parents. In school from ages 5 to 22, since I went to college. I was pretty carefree and enjoyed learning and sports. That is, until I met Frank at my first job. Our relationship was great until I got pregnant. He wanted nothing to do with a child and left."
"Bastard," Stinger interjects, teeth clenched. He can feel her shrug.
"Doesn't matter. He wasn't worth having in my life. I found out later that he was cheating on me. My parents helped me raise Ian, so he turned out pretty well. I worked full time as an HR admin, but hated it. Went back to school to learn to be a masseuse a few years ago, and it suites me so much better. I've mellowed considerably since I changed careers. It really was life changing. You wouldn't have liked me back then."
Pulling her hand up to his lips, he responds, "I dunno about that. But, what made you change?"
"I saw Ian becoming like I was. It scared me right down to the very core of my being."
"Kids have a way of making us see thing more clearly, don't they?"
"I guess," she mumbles as she yawns.
"What time do you have to head out tomorrow?" He doesn't really want to think about it, but he might need to let her sleep.
"I have to report in for evening shift at 6pm. His Lordship keeps night hours."
Letting out a single huffed laugh, he darkly muses, "For once, I'm grateful for his selfishness."
"Me too. I selfishly need every second with you. The upcoming four to six months are going to be rough."
Finally he can't hold back his own yawn.
She hugs him tighter. "Maybe we should get a little rest, so we can go at it again in the morning?"
He sighs. He'd rather not sleep. But she's right and he's worn out. "Agreed."