Chapter 8: Brave
"I know you are awake", said Sean calmly laying next to her.
"No, I am not," Sarah murmured, completely covered from head to toe and totally still under the blankets. Sean Smirked.
"It's not a big deal, you know? kids of 15 fool around like this", he commented, stretching lazily.
"I know", she said, still not moving a hair from her position. Sean laughed and turned around, removing the blanket from her head.
"Hello", he smiled looking at her. She looked back at him, totally red. He grinned.
"Hello", she answered back, turning around embarrassed and before she could react, he kissed her quickly.
"Are you naked?!" Sarah asked, shocked watching his bare chest.
"So are you", he smiled devilishly, enjoying way too much her embarrassment. "I must say you have developed quite nicely since I saw you in my bathroom". Sarah gave him an evil look and punched him on the shoulder. He grimaced.
"Shut up" she said, sitting up covering herself with the sheets. Sean laughed.
"So?"
"Shut up! What time is it?" she asked, looking around with sleepy artificial weather system shows a similar transition from night to day according to Earth's time over the windows. The room was bright like in the morning.
"10 AM" he replied, relaxing and stretching like a cat only covered from the waist down with the sheet. Sarah could not stop her eyes from rooming over his extremely well body. He shouldn't be like that, he was a scientist for God's sake!
"Like what you see?" he asked, smiling like a satisfied predator. She became red again and looked away. He loved to watch how terribly embarrassed she was. He took the opportunity to hug her and put her over him.
"You are quite delightful yourself" he said nose to nose to her. She tried to back up a little but doing that she exposed herself, Sarah looked down at her and quickly hugged him down to cover herself. Sean couldn't stop laughing aloud. He hugged her strongly and Sarah felt shivers all over. They stayed there a while, embracing, learning and enjoying the feeling of being skin on skin.
"Sarah! Are you ready yet?" the sudden voice of Dana, broke the magic while knocking her door. They both look in that direction. Sarah became pale in a second.
"No, no, no!" she said, sitting up in a reflex over Sean who enjoyed the complete view of her over him. Sarah gulped and grabbed the sheets trying fruitlessly to cover again. Sean laughed again.
"Shut up!" she murmured standing up, taking the sheets with her and leaving Sean complete naked over her bed in full view. She turned around as fast as she could looking at the wall. He laughed ever harder.
"I…I… I'll be there in the Gym in a few, just go ahead!" shouted Sarah from the inside of the room to Dana, who went completely silent for a moment and then laughed harder enough to be heard from the other side of the SDF-3.
"Alright!" she answered and ran away, probably to Lizzy's room.
Sean just couldn't stop laughing. He had tears in his eyes and Sarah just looked mortified.
"Shut up!" she said indignant again.
Sarah hurried through the halls, trying to calm herself down. She was dressed in her sportswear and heading to the gym, still feeling incredibly embarrassed. She was certain that the events of earlier were written all over her face. After Dana had left and Sean had almost hysterically laughed, she grabbed whatever clothes she could find and retreated to the bathroom. When she emerged, Sean was already dressed and waiting for her. She didn't allow him to leave her room until she had checked the hallway outside and confirmed that nobody was nearby. Sean couldn't stop laughing; she found his amusement at her expense both irritating and endearing.
Sarah shook her head, trying to focus on anything but the embarrassment. She took a couple of deep breaths and entered the gym as if nothing had happened. Spotting Dana and Lizzy talking excitedly near one of the exercise machines, Sarah couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't going to end well.
"Look who's up!" Dana grinned as she approached her friends. Lizzy wore a similar expression. Sarah felt herself blushing once again as both women laughed.
"Spill it! I want all the details," Lizzy said, rubbing her hands together eagerly.
"I have nothing to say," replied Sarah, sitting on the machine.
"Come on! I've been waiting for this forever!" Dana urged, kneeling next to her. Sarah stubbornly focused on using the machine, avoiding eye contact.
"I wonder how you can even sit," joked Lizzy. Sarah almost fell off the chair.
"It wasn't like that," Sarah blurted out before she could stop herself. Both women grinned mischievously.
"Oh! So it was foreplay!" Dana deduced, delighted. "Was it good?" asked Lizzy, raising a questioning eyebrow.
Sarah was mortified, but she knew they wouldn't let it go. When they wanted to know something, they pursued it relentlessly. She sighed defeatedly. "It was amazing…" she said, covering her face in embarrassment.
"That's great! Don't hold back now!" said Lizzy, kneeling down and comforting her friend.
"I thought I was going to die," murmured Sarah, ashamed but smiling shyly. Both blondes smiled warmly at her.
"When it's done right, it's like that," Dana remarked knowingly, winking. Sarah smiled back.
"You didn't go all the way?" asked Lizzy in disbelief. Sarah shook her head.
"I guess I was too nervous, so he said we could… play around," murmured Sarah, checking to see if anyone was nearby.
"Kudos to Fokker!" exclaimed Dana, amazed.
"Yeah, I didn't know he had it in him," commented Lizzy, impressed. Sarah blushed again.
"I really like this 'play around' thing," said Sarah, almost whispering. "Is going all the way better?" she asked curiously.
Dana and Lizzy exchanged glances, trying not to laugh. "Yeah," Dana said matter-of-factly.
"Wow," Sarah said, amazed.
"So… he initiated? Or you?" Lizzy asked, quite curious.
"He… initiated," she answered, covering her face in embarrassment.
"Nice!" Dana replied, looking like a proud sister. "And you?"
Sarah turned almost purple with embarrassment and shook her head negatively.
"You don't know?" Lizzy wondered, and Sarah shook her head again. "Not even the basics?"
"Just a general idea," whispered Sarah.
"Don't worry," said Dana, comforting her. "We have something that can help you," and Lizzy grinned devilishly too.
"Honestly, I was wondering if we'd ever give you this," commented Lizzy, grabbing her gym bag and looking around to make sure nobody was watching. Sarah grew worried at all the secrecy.
"What is it?"
"This," said Lizzy, taking out a book and handing it to her.
"A book?" Sarah wondered, taking it. It was a plain old brown book with nothing written on the cover. "I haven't seen one in a while," she said, opening the pages. Her eyes widened as she quickly closed it.
"It's quite the story, really," explained Dana. "Apparently, my mom found it when she was studying human culture, and she gave it to me when Peter and I became a thing."
"Your mom?!" Sarah asked in disbelief. Dana shrugged.
"What can I say? My mom has always been quite literal. But I'm not complaining."
"When I got together with Ben, Dana gave it to me," continued Lizzy, smiling like a mischievous girl. "It's very informative! And the best thing is, because it's a book, it can't be digitally tracked." Sarah realized what she meant. Obviously, there was all kinds of information within the SDF-3 networks, but everything was extremely secure. It would have been quite awkward to search for something about it there.
"Clever," Sarah admitted, impressed with her friends. They grinned in unison.
"So, now it's yours. Use it wisely, Padawan," joked Dana. Sarah nodded shyly but was very grateful.
"I will," she said, holding the book to her chest and smiling. She opened her gym bag and hid the book inside. The three women laughed at each other and went to train. Those VFs weren't going to fly themselves.
Ben entered the Robotech R&D department and made a beeline for the assistant seated at the front desk, clearly agitated.
"Good morning," he asked solemnly, causing the young woman to straighten up in her chair, intimidated by Hunter's demeanor.
"Yes, Captain!" the girl responded automatically.
"I need to speak with Sergeant Fokker," he said sharply, emphasizing Sean's rank acidly.
"Just a moment, please," the assistant replied.
Ben stood there, jaw clenched, waiting impatiently.
"He'll be here shortly, Captain. Please, have a seat," she asked politely, but Ben declined, his irritation evident.
A few minutes later, Sean arrived at the entrance wearing a white coat, looking quite cheerful until he saw Ben, frozen in place like a block of ice.
"Hello, Ben," Sean said cautiously, testing the waters.
"Sergeant," replied Ben coldly, standing up straight to assert his superior height. Sean had a sinking feeling about what was coming next. "Do you have an office where we can speak privately?"
"Of course," answered Sean, guiding him to an empty meeting room. Once inside, Ben closed the door and lowered the curtains. Sean gulped nervously.
"We need to talk," said Ben, his demeanor resembling a male version of his mother's sternness. It was an intimidating sight.
"I'm all ears," offered Sean, knowing he had little choice in the matter.
"I wasn't going to get involved in this. Sarah is my big sister, after all, and you're much older than me. But I think we need to establish some ground rules if we're all going to live together," Ben explained as best he could. Sean nodded in agreement.
"You've been pleasant these past few months, and I've given you the benefit of the doubt because we're family. Lizzy and my mother forbade me from discussing this with you. But after last night, things have taken a more serious turn."
Sean realized at that moment that he had forgotten to activate the room's soundproofing system when he turned off the lights. Oh no, he thought, he's going to tear me apart. He was about to speak when Ben held up a hand, silencing him.
"I'm not finished," Ben said, his gaze murderous. "I'm not a prude. I've just been fortunate to have a non-sexual sister for so long. But if you and she are going to be intimate, and I have to live next door, I need you two to be respectful of your neighbors. I usually spend the night with Lizzy, but last night I stayed in my quarters working on some very important papers, and I didn't want to disturb her. Needless to say, I couldn't work properly."
Sean couldn't help but feel embarrassed. He had thought Ben was overreacting, but the young man appeared genuinely angry, and Sean had no desire to be on his bad side.
"I'm truly sorry," Sean said, attempting to charm his way out of the situation. "It won't happen again," he assured him. "May I ask why you're telling me this and not Sarah?"
Ben smiled dangerously and stepped closer to Sean, forcing him to look up at him.
"As much as I enjoy teasing my sister, I know she'd be mortified if I confronted her about this. Besides, you're the experienced one, aren't you?" he said threateningly, causing Sean to gulp. "I thought it best to keep this between us. Also, and perhaps this is new to you, but you're dealing with my sister. Call me old-fashioned, but I believe it's important to... advise you to treat her properly. Like a gentleman, understood?" Ben told him while adjusting his collar. Sean nodded, feeling distinctly uneasy.
"That's what I thought," smiled Ben, stepping out of the room. "It's good to have you here, Sean," he said before closing the door behind him.
Sean stood there, pale and shaken. The once-adorable Ben had transformed into someone who could make you wet your pants. Sean released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
Sean wandered somewhat lost through the corridors of the eastern section of the SDF-3. After a few wrong turns, he finally reached his destination: a vast room bustling with activity, predominantly female crew members. Sighs and whispers ensued as Sean came into view. The young officers held their breath, captivated by the arrival of the handsome young officer. Sean flashed them a charming smile as he scanned the room, searching for a particular person.
Kim was engrossed in studying charts when she noticed Sean approaching. She raised a curious eyebrow and smirked.
"Well, this is unexpected," she remarked, and Sean responded with his trademark smile.
"Hello, Kim," he greeted her sweetly.
"Hello, Sean. What brings you here to disrupt my crew?" she asked, giving her team a reprimanding glance. The girls quickly resumed their tasks.
"I need a significant favor," Sean said, his tone serious. Kim arched an eyebrow in surprise.
"Sure, come to my office," she offered, leading him there. Once seated, Kim gestured for Sean to speak.
"Okay, spill it," she said, leaning forward with evident intrigue. Sean sighed.
"I want to arrange something special for Sarah's birthday," he confessed.
"You're a bit late; the birthday party is already planned," Kim explained, to which Sean smirked.
"I was thinking more of an after-party, just for the two of us," he said, sharing a conspiratorial glance with Kim. Her eyes sparkled with interest.
"Oh, that sounds intriguing," she responded, silently urging him to divulge more details. Understanding her curiosity, Sean decided to share some information.
"First off, I need this to stay strictly between us, not even Sammy," he cautioned. Kim grimaced, clearly uncomfortable with keeping secrets from her sisters.
"Look, let's be real. If you tell Sammy, she won't be able to keep it from Vanessa, and if Vanessa knows, she'll tell Lizzy, who'll tell Dana, and before you know it, Sarah will find out, or worse, Lizzy will tell Ben, and he'll have my hide. You know how it goes. You're the only one I can trust with this," Sean reasoned, his charm in full force. Kim frowned but relented.
"I know that look, Fokker. I'm immune. But I'll give you credit for your argument. Fine, I'll keep it under wraps for now, but I'll need more details," she said, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
"I knew I could count on you," Sean complimented her. "The thing is, Sarah and I have grown closer, and I want to give her, and us, something special to remember as we take the next step."
Kim could barely contain her excitement; it had been a while since she'd been part of such a scheme. She knew she'd have a hard time keeping this to herself.
"I can see why you need the secrecy," she admitted, already brainstorming ideas.
"I really want a unique location, but it's going to be tough to find something like that on this ship. So who better to ask than one of the top engineers who designed this magnificent vessel?" Sean proposed.
"Save the flattery, Fokker, but yes, I think I can help you," Kim replied, opening her computer to search for the ship's blueprints.
"Yes! What about this?" she exclaimed proudly, turning the screen to Sean.
"What am I supposed to be looking at?" Sean asked, trying to decipher the schematics. Kim sighed in frustration.
"This, my dear boy, is the green lung of the SDF-3," she explained proudly. "It's one of the oxygen sources of our beloved ship. As you may or may not know, since you skipped the introductory briefings before the trip, the SDF-3 isn't just a military vessel; it also contains the DNA of all Earth's species, from ants to blue whales. That includes plants, vegetables, seeds, trees, and more. Essentially, we're a modern Noah's Ark. It was discovered that having living plants aboard provides benefits, such as excellent air quality and biological study materials," Kim elaborated.
"Okay, and what does that have to do with me?" Sean inquired. Kim sighed again, slightly exasperated.
"It means it's essentially a greenhouse—an entirely automated one that grows quietly, especially at night, without requiring much personnel intervention, smart boy," she explained. Sean nodded, understanding.
"I see," he said, smiling in comprehension.
"I can assure you, no one will be around to bother you on that particular night. Plus, it has a large window with an incredible view of space."
"And you're sure no one knows about this?" Sean queried.
"Just a select few," Kim replied cryptically.
"And no one has used it before? I mean, I love the idea, but it would feel weird if it had been used by Rick and Lisa, or worse, my parents," Sean remarked, making a face. Kim burst into laughter.
"Absolutely no one. You'll be the first," she assured him with a wink. Sean grinned widely.
"What else do you need?" Kim asked, eager to assist. Sean pondered for a moment.
"I suppose some staging—romantic lighting, somewhere to spend the night," he suggested seductively. Kim agreed enthusiastically.
"Leave it to me. Sarah and you will love it," she promised. Sean stood up and gave her a grateful hug.
"You're amazing," he said sincerely, kissing her cheek. Kim smiled proudly.
"I know," she replied, and Sean bid her farewell, leaving the details in the hands of the RDF's best matchmaker.
After completing their training, which was a crucial aspect of their pilot activities considering the significant physical exertion required to pilot a VF, Sarah spent the remainder of her day in her room, engrossed in a new book.
Initially, she set about organizing her quarters, as the mess from the previous night's activities had left the room in disarray. Feeling a mix of embarrassment and excitement, she changed the sheets and tidied up. Once the room was in order, she settled down with some ice cream and immersed herself in her newfound favorite book.
Throughout her reading, Sarah blushed profusely, but she found herself unable to tear her eyes away from the pages. Unbeknownst to her, hours flew by as she delved into a world of knowledge previously unknown to her. While growing up, she had been curious about such matters, especially after overhearing certain unmistakable noises emanating from the neighboring room. While not traumatized by the experience, she quickly acquired some earplugs to wear at night.
Although tempted to take notes, Sarah decided against it and instead focused on committing as much information to memory as possible.
As the artificial sunlight began to fade, a knock at the door snapped her out of her concentration. Glancing around for a place to discreetly leave her book, Sarah then opened the door to find Sean standing there.
"What happened to you?" he asked, a look of curiosity on his face as he noted her red, puffy eyes. Sarah instinctively touched her face, wondering if he somehow knew what she had been doing.
"Why?" she responded.
"Your eyes are red and puffed," he observed.
"Oh, nothing. I've just been reading all day, that's all," she replied, trying to sound nonchalant. Sean raised an eyebrow, clearly not entirely convinced.
"Can I come in?" he inquired, giving her the space to decide.
"Sure," she agreed, stepping aside to let him enter. Sean glanced around and remarked on the tidiness of her room.
"You've been busy," he remarked, smiling at her. Sarah shrugged in response.
"Why are you always here? Why don't we go to your place?" she suddenly wondered.
"Yours is bigger, Captain," he stated matter-of-factly. "But you're more than welcome to join me there anytime," he added, a hint of seduction in his tone. Sarah felt herself blush but returned his smile.
"Do we have any plans for tonight?" she asked, attempting to sound casual while feeling her heart begin to race. Sean was pleasantly surprised by her suggestion and played along.
"Nothing in mind. Do you have any ideas?" he queried, noticing the excitement on her face.
"Nothing in particular, just hanging out," she replied, motioning for him to sit on the couch. Sean grinned and joined her, but before settling in, he remembered something and went to adjust the room's settings.
"What are you doing?" Sarah asked, puzzled. Sean located the soundproof system and activated it.
"Nothing," he said with a smile as he returned to her side on the couch.
They stood there for a moment, feeling awkward, like a couple of teenagers waiting for their parents to leave the house. Sarah grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, and they both pretended to watch it. Sarah was nervous, trying to figure out what to do, while Sean waited to see if she would make a move.
"Wanna have a beer?" Sarah asked suddenly, getting up.
"Sure," he answered, smiling while still waiting.
Sarah made her way to the fridge, releasing the breath she had been holding. She really wanted to explore more of what they had done the night before, but she didn't know how to broach the subject. Besides, she was genuinely curious to try one of the things she had read about.
"So, no beer?" He interrupted her thoughts, and she jumped a little.
"No, here it is," she said, handing one to him and sitting down again. He smirked and decided to lend her a hand by stretching his arm around her. She tensed at first, but after a moment, she relaxed and leaned on him. Sean found her adorable in her flustered and inexperienced state, reminding him of his own teenage years.
When Sarah felt comfortable, she decided to broach the topic, hoping not to come across as too clumsy.
"So, about last night…" she began shyly, still watching TV.
"What about it?" he asked, playing along.
"Are there other things to… try?" she asked, feeling aroused and terrified at the same time.
Sean wasn't expecting that question and looked at her with surprise.
"Plenty more," he smiled, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. She returned the look and then focused back on the TV.
"Good to know," she replied, feeling a bit foolish. Sean smiled and gave her a little time.
"If you want, I can show you a couple more," he offered casually, totally relaxed. Sarah immediately tensed up.
"That would be… interesting," she bubbled, feeling her stomach knotting up with anticipation. "I… I have to go to the bathroom," Sarah blurted out, standing up and almost running to the bedroom. Sean couldn't help but smile.
Sarah closed the door behind her and leaned against it, feeling a wave of frustration wash over her. She wanted to scream but instead focused on breathing slowly to calm herself down. "I should have done this earlier," she thought, feeling awkward and foolish at her age. She worried that Sean would think she was ridiculous. Sitting on the floor, she made an effort to push away her negative thoughts. There was no point in dwelling on them. She concentrated on regulating her breathing until she felt a bit better. Standing up, she glanced at herself in the mirror, noting her flushed face. "Stupid circulatory system," she muttered under her breath.
Once she had regained control of her emotions, Sarah wondered if she could still go through with her original plan. Retrieving the t-shirt she had left there earlier, she pondered whether she had everything she needed to carry it out. She didn't have any clothing or undergarments suitable for such a situation. The t-shirt belonged to Sean; she had found it while cleaning her place. Slipping it on, she studied herself in the mirror. It was oversized on her, but it elongated her legs, and the collar hung loosely over her shoulder. Summoning a boldness she rarely felt, she decided to wear only the t-shirt and nothing else. Closing her eyes, she silently prayed, "Please, don't laugh at me."
When Sarah opened the door, the room was enveloped in darkness, with only the light on her nightstand casting a faint glow. Surprised, she scanned the room for Sean but couldn't spot him at first. As her eyes adjusted to the dimness, she finally saw him by the window, bathed in the soft light of the stars against the backdrop of space. He stood there with his shirt unbuttoned, leaning casually against the window frame, waiting for her. Sarah felt a rush of dizziness wash over her.
When Sean caught sight of her, he was utterly taken aback. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined she would emerge from the bathroom looking like that. It dawned on him that the t-shirt she wore belonged to him. The subdued light accentuated her long, bare legs, and he could see the flush of her skin, her cheeks tinged with red, and the brilliance of her dark blue eyes. She was a breathtaking sight to behold.
He took his time admiring her, but Sarah's nervousness became apparent as she hugged her arms around herself.
"Don't," he said, stepping closer. "I was just enjoying the sight of you," he said, his voice dripping with seduction. Sarah's stomach fluttered with anticipation as Sean stood before her, gently lifting her chin to meet his gaze.
"You're gorgeous," he whispered softly, his fingers grazing her lips as he watched her intently. She shivered in response.
"You too," she replied timidly, mustering the courage to speak. Sean smiled proudly.
"Thank you," he murmured, caressing her face. Sarah reached up, placing her hand over his against her cheek, and tenderly kissed his palm, never breaking eye contact. Sean let out a surprised moan at the intimate gesture, understanding its significance for both of them. Closing the distance between them, he leaned in and kissed her, feeling her respond eagerly to his advances.
Sean wrapped his arms around her and guided them towards the bed. He was struck by her boldness, her movements slightly hesitant and clumsy, but filled with determination nonetheless. It was the most arousing thing he had ever experienced. At that moment, Sean felt truly blessed.
Notes:
Brave - Sara Bareilles
