p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif, 'GNU Unifont'; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Thrawn knocked on her door, his heart in his throat. He wasn't sure how, but he was more nervous now than he had been earlier in her quarters. Was it a fluke? Was it, as the humans frequently said, heat of the moment? Would she tell him it had been a mistake?br /The door opened, and she waved him /"I'm making dinner if you haven't eaten."br /"Thank you." He said, /She poured them both a cup of tea, setting them at the breakfast nook jutting off of her kitchen unit. He sat, his hands shaking a bit, he left his hands on his /She stirred her tea, the pause /"About earlier-"br /They both began, and /"You go." She /"I- I wanted to offer you the doctor's position on the Imperator. I know it's a step down from the University, but, I would never forgive myself if I didn't at least try."br /"Why?" She asked /"Because…" he searched for the words. "I wish for you to stay. With me. I want to be with you."br /She reddened, and /"I want to be with you too, you just seemed so focused on the Chiss and being home I thought maybe it was all just in my head."br /"No." He said so quietly he barely heard himself. "I was trying skew the odds, so if I asked you to stay it would not have been a lateral or demotive move. Lakytta-"br /She shook her head. "Lakytta and I are friends."br /He /"We are, Thrawn. He was very kind during my transition here and that was it."br /Thrawn smiled, his stomach turning at their interaction earlier. He'd never had such a passionate /He sipped his tea. "Will you join the crew?"br /She smirked. "I'll join the crew."br /He warmed. "Thank you."br /She frowned, scratching her neck. "Ar'Alani wants me to stay for her recovery for her heart surgery. That isn't a terrible recovery believe it or not, her leg is worse."br /He nodded darkly. "is she unwell or is this a coincidence?"br /She shook her head. "She's healthy, this is one blockage, probably stress related."br /"Indeed." He thought of her /They ate their dinner talking about the imperator and it's crew. He had a warm, comfortable feeling in his chest he couldn't explain, but he kept smiling when she spoke, when he thought of having her with him, truly, for the first time. He wished Thrass could meet /He couldn't wait to tell Eli. He was the next best thing. He checked his Chrono and his eyes /"It is late. I must retire."br /Why don't you stay?"br /His eyes widened. "I do not know if-"br /"I don't have a motive." She smirked. "I just mean sleep here. Have some company."br /He searched his questis for when he was to return to the bridge. Less than 10 /"Why not stay in my quarters?" He suggested, swallowing. "In the event Samakro comes looking for me."br /"We don't have to-"br /"I would like to."br /She smiled, nodding, and packed a few things before following him. He flipped on the lights, dropping her bag by the door. His quarters were twice the size of hers, even having room for a child's room in the event the commander had a /He didn't know what to do with himself. Did he have to do something particular? Where did he put his hands, did he greet her? He turned his hands, thinking. She pulled her datapad and pajamas from her /"Would you mind if I took a shower?"br /He shook his head and she left him to his thoughts. They'd shared beds, even touched one another before this, but now it had been said. He had intimate partners in the past, very few and very far between, but they had been casual. He didn't particularly care what they thought and they were gone in the morning. This was entirely different. There were unspoken rules to this, and Thrawn was positively horrendous at reading social cues. Was he supposed to do something? Look for some sort of clue from her? What if he did something she found strange and became unattracted to him? Eli would know if there were any cultural oddities there, having been with Vanya, but this was not the time and he wasn't sure he wanted to give Eli any more weaknesses of his. He was his friend, but Thrawn was also his mentor and older than he- that brought /She entered from his bathroom, her hair wet. She had a long shirt on and it fell to her knees, her legs bare. Thrawn stared despite himself, and she /She slid in beside him, pulling out her questis. She filed a report and slid it onto the side table. She turned out the light, sliding under the covers, and Thrawn watched her in his infrared, his heart /He touched her arm gently and she turned, making him recoil. But she touched his arm back, pulling his arms around her. She breathed, the scent of her filling his nose. There was something about the smell of his soaps on her skin that made him want. He gave into the encouragement and his own desire and wrapped himself fully around her. She encouraged it, and he took a leap and kissed her again. She kissed him back, leaning into him. Something bubbled up in him, and he shivered. He wanted and he didn't care how it /She pulled him toward her and he obliged, her arm draping over his waist, pulling him close. He did the same to her, the touch so foreign goosebumps appeared on his arms. She held him against her, his face nearly touching hers. She was warm, her caress practiced and patient. His own hand was stiff on her side, /He ran his hand slowly up her side. Her shirt followed and he quickly stopped, pulling her against him. The press of her warm body was soothing, and he inhaled the smell of her hair, his face against her /"I am not accustomed to underperforming."br /She laughed and he quirked an /"Have I said something?"br /"No," she said with a smile, running her hand through his hair. He closed his eyes, and she rested her head on his /He ran his hand over her back, her skin soft. She kissed his neck and he froze, closing his eyes, his body warming. "Linnia-" he rasped, and she whispered in his ear. "Yeah?"br /He swallowed, squirming, and she ran her hand down his shirt, her fingers over his chest and abdomen. To have this attention on him was… intoxicating. He couldn't convey his relief, his want, and dug his fingers into her shoulder blade, groaning. She unbuttoned his top button, pulling at the sealing strip. His breath hitched in his throat, watching her /She drank him in, her eyes hooded. "Stars you're beautiful." She murmured and he warmed. Him, desirable… she kissed his chest and looked up at him. "Are you comfortable with all this?"br /He swallowed and /"You don't have to be. I promised I had no motive."br /"I am." He ensured her. "I want this. I want you."br /She smiled and pulled her own shirt over her head and at the sealing strip on her pants. He swallowed, eyes wide. This was actually /She pressed herself against him, kissing his chest and neck again, and he pulled her close, his hands in her hair. She unclasped her bra, and Thrawn watched and pulled at the sealing strip on his pants, the pressure becoming too much. She smiled, pulling his shirt over his /"You could never underperform looking like that."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif, 'GNU Unifont'; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"-br /He woke, Linnia asleep on his chest. He ran his fingers through her hair, and gave himself a moment. He was in his captain's quarters on his new ship with the love of his life in his bed, back home in the ascendancy. He kissed the top of her head. Years he'd spent getting here, and he was finally home, with Linnia no /She snuggled up against him and he hummed, pulling her closer. He didn't think he'd ever tire of her body pressed against his, having desired it for so long after years of being alone. He realized he was a lot older than others when they reached this point in their lives, and he didn't know how they looked. But he didn't /His doorbell buzzed and he looked at his questis. /He rejected it and set the questis down, closing his eyes. Eli rang it again and Linnia looked at /"Something must be up."br /"Yes, commander?" He asked, watching him on the /"Thrawn, Ar'alani needs Linnia. Stat."br /She sat up, and Thrawn admitted Eli, locking the bedroom door. She scrambled, grabbing her clothes from the floor and running into the bathroom. Thrawn dressed quickly as well, meeting Eli in the living /"She's coming-" but he didn't get to finish before she was running across the living room with her lab coat in her hands. They followed, Thrawn soured. How the universe would play these games with /When they arrived they were instructed by the medic to wait, and they both sat in the waiting area. Eli looked him over, and Thrawn lifted an /"Finally."br /He frowned. "Finally what?"br /"You had Linnia over." He whispered /Thrawn flushed. "We discussed our plans yesterday. She is to join me on the imperator as the lead medic."br /"And as your girlfriend?"br /Thrawn nodded /"Congratulations, Thrawn." He said, his tone warm and not patronizing to Thrawn's /"Thank you, Eli."br /Linnia walked out and they stood. "It's not looking good. I think perhaps you should come and see her before it's too late."/p