Posted by Lieutenant Commander Bethany Kovra Gadi (Chief of Security) in side-sim: New Rhythms

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Aasrel Izei (Chief Medical Officer) in side-sim: New Rhythms

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Bethany Kovra Gadi (Chief of Security) in side-sim: New Rhythms
Posted by… suppressed (57) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
Aasrel smiled. “There is so much more to you than the mask you wear for your department.” He held the pillow out when she lifted it to see the scent. Then he plopped it on the bed. Aasrel flushed lightly and shrugged. “I just… You know.” It wasn’t like he hadn’t already showered with her, or she didn’t already know. Why couldn’t he just get over it?

~ Aasrel

Bethany gave it a moment. It wasn’t like they had to fall into anything together. She liked just spending time with him. She knew what was bothering him, but forcing the issue wasn’t going to make it easier for him. She grinned, “Hmmm…I’m hoping the unsaid part is that you were just in a rush to get to me. So what do you want to do?”

Bethany

Aasrel smiled, slowly taking his gloves off and setting them on the side table by where he’d put his pillow. “I’m always going to be in a rush to get to you.” He looked at her… And then her robe, and then back to her face. “Well, the plan was for me to sleep, but something tells me plans have changed.” He grinned playfully.

~ Aasrel

Bethany grinned, “Well you did tell me that it’s a great way to relax and help you sleep. I mean, you’re the doctor, and I’m… mostly good at following doctor’s orders.”

Bethany

Aasrel smiled. “You’ll get better at it.” His grin turned playful and he rested his hands on her shoulders. “You could always try that thing you did earlier… That was certainly… relaxing.”

~ Aasrel

Her hair swayed over her shoulders as she tossed her head and gave him a sassy look. “I’m sure I will. You’re a very good tutor.” She stared into his eyes and laughed, “I did a lot of things earlier. You’ll have to be more specific, Rel.”

Bethany

Aasrel stepped a little closer and spoke softly, “Exactly how close would I need to be to sedate you?” He locked eyes with her, still smiling.

~ Aasrel

Her black eyes danced with mischief. She spoke soft and husky, “Oh, so much closer than this. If you promise you’re not hiding a hypo, I’ll show you.”

Bethany

Aasrel held his hands out and up playfully. “Check for yourself,” he said, grinning at her, inviting her to search him for this imaginary hypo.

~ Aasrel

Her eyes widened and then dropped down and back up. She stepped in really closer, her hands starting at his wrists and smoothing up his arms, over his shoulders, feathering into his hair and then working her way over his chest and down to his waist. Then with a grin she checked her pockets. “Hmmm you seem hypo free to me.” She took his hands and guided them to her waist and then stepped in very very close so they were almost touching. “It would have to be much closer than this.”

Bethany

Like always, he turned his right arm to avoid her touching the implant. He seemed to rather enjoy her little hypo search otherwise. Pleasant tingles remained momentarily wherever her hands went. He chuckled when she reached into his pockets. He let her guide his hands and then rested them on her waist. “Closer, hmm…? Care to demonstrate?” He asked, eyes on her.

~ Aasrel

Her hands tugged at his shirt until she was able to place her hands flat against him. She avoided the implants, knowing he didn’t want them touched. She swayed in his arms as she stepped closer. Her arms slipped around him and pulled him closer. Her breath warmed his cheek. “Like this.”

Bethany

He moved his hands from her hips to her back, one against her mid back, one at her lower back, allowing her closer. He smiled at her, leaning into her. “This is perfect.” He said, voice a husky whisper.

~ Aasrel

His voice shivered over her skin. Her lips brushed just below his ear. “It is. That mean you’re relaxed now?”

Bethany

Aasrel smiled and nodded, a slow and gentle movement. “It does.” Then he thought of something and frowned slightly. “Don’t forget your meds.”

~ Aasrel

Bethany leaned back enough to look him in the eye. “You told me I have to rest at least 20 minutes after taking it. Nothing strenuous. So what are we going to do about that?” She leaned in and kissed him. “The hypo’s on my desk.”

Bethany

Aasrel reached for the hypo, gently pressed it to her arm, and then tossed it back. “Well, there are plenty of things to do before the strenuous part.” He said. “More kissing, for example.” His tone was still a low whisper, his eyes still on her.

~ Aasrel

It was clearly obvious from the playful smile on her face, she liked his suggestion. She leaned in, “Well I did say I would try to be better about following my doctor’s orders.” She kissed him, lightly at first and slowly letting it build. When the light headedness kicked in she wasn’t sure if it was the meds or Aasrel.

Bethany

Aasrel kissed her back. It was lightly at first, and then built up from there. He hugged her close to him. He could tell when the lightheadedness started, through a subtle change. He pulled her towards the bed and made her sit, still kissing her.

~ Aasrel

The shift from standing to sitting made the lightheadedness turn to outright dizziness for a brief moment. Her hands tightened against his back to steady herself which had the pleasant effect of pulling him closer. She really liked him. There were depths behind his walls, and he was quiet and strong and funny. How did they go from overly polite small talk between senior officers to this? Bethany thought she might be a bit crazy, but she didn’t care.

Bethany

It was by far the most… impulsive thing he’d ever done. Their first actual date was what? Two days ago? But he was enthralled with her. He really liked her. There was a lot behind the mask she wore in public. In truth she was tough, but also gentle but sincere. She made him feel like himself again. He wasn’t sure what would come of this, he hoped more than some intense fling, but just then he was focused on the moment, not the past or future. He held her close, gentle but tight as he felt her grip on him tighten, wanting her to feel secure.

~ Aasrel

Bethany had had a couple of flings in her life. Not because that was the plan, but because of the nature of her work. They had left her feeling empty and dishonest with herself. She had avoided them since. She had been trained to be a solid judge of character. There had only been one other person She had ever been remotely attracted to the way she was to Aasrel. In the end though, he had been unable to accept her. He had tried, but the mutual attraction had never gone anywhere.

If Aasrel’s empathy had been working he would have felt the very sudden sadness and heartache and fear that swamped her. The fight or flight response that screamed at her to put an end to it before she was rejected again. She couldn’t share it with him either. Instead she could only do what was humanly possible. Which was to hold herself tighter to him and lose herself in the moment. To convey to him how he made her feel by the way she responded to him. It was, in the end, all she had to offer him. Whether her donation helped him or not.

Bethany

The kiss broke off at last - and not just for air, but an actual break. Aasrel was looking at her with a smile, still holding her close. “It’s been twenty minutes. Still dizzy?” He asked in a low voice. If his empathy had been working he’d want to talk it out with her. Instead he was none the wiser and completely lost in her.

~ Aasrel

Her forehead rested against his as Bethany smiled and tried to take a steadying breath. 20 minutes?? That seemed far too long and infinitely too short. She grinned then. “Mmmm, no, not dizzy. My heart is racing though, and it’s your fault.” Her fingers combed through his hair. “What about you? Still relaxed?”

Bethany

Aasrel grinned, “The good kind of racing, then.” Then he closed his eyes, just breathing for a few moments, and nodded. He let his hand move up and down her back. “I don’t think I’ve been more relaxed in a really long time.”

~ Aasrel

“Very good,” she kissed the corner of his mouth. Warm shivers made her back twitch under his palms and she sighed. “Good, let’s keep it that way.” Her hands smoothed over his shoulders, rubbing lightly. She pulled back slightly, “Do you want to sleep on the couch or stay here?” She wanted him to stay, but she wanted him to be comfortable. Physically and emotionally.

Bethany

“I’ll stay, if that’s okay.” Now that he was relaxing he looked exhausted. He kissed her, letting it linger just a moment, then pulled back and smiled. He wished for telepathy then, having things he wished to tell her and lacking the words to do it with. That he was sorry about earlier, that he wished he could just be more comfortable. He smiled at her, pushing the thoughts away, and peeled off his shirt, then kissed her again.

~ Aasrel

“That’s more than okay.” Her hands rested on bare skin as he kissed her. Her robe had shifted off her shoulders. His skin felt warm and his arms steady and solid around her. She could tell he was exhausted though. When the kiss ended she laid her head on his shoulder and just hugged him for a long quiet moment. “You’re exhausted. Come on.” So was she, but Bethany wasn’t going to say that. She shifted around, pulling him down with her. She laid on her side and stared into his eyes. Content to be quiet.

Bethany

Aasrel smiled. Her hands were warm against him. He hugged her, enjoying the long silence just being with her. This time he didn’t argue, until she pulled him down. He lay with her for a few moments, and then smiled, “I wasn’t just taking off my shirt for you, you know. Didn’t you complain about the idea of me sleeping in my uniform?” He said, and then sat up long enough to slip his pants off, leaving him with only one thing left on. Then he lay down next to her again, cuddling into her. “I look too tired to kiss?”

~ Aasrel

Bethany laughed, her eyes turning warm as he sat up, “You didn’t? Why do you think I complained?” She sat up slightly and slipped her robe off. A bunched and twisted robe was not comfortable. “No, not too tired for that.” She laid in his arms, one arm draped over him. “Is this crazy? How much I like you?”

Bethany

He tucked his arms around her, one under her, the other over her, as he slipped back into bed. “You said that can’t be comfortable, remember?” He said and grinned. Aasrel kissed her, a quick one this time, and shrugged. “Maybe it is. Even without telepathy though, you don’t seem like the type to fall for just anyone. I… Even before… You know, I’ve never moved this fast with anyone. But I don’t know if I care. I’m happy. Isn’t that what matters?”

~ Aasrel

“I’m not the type.” Bethany laid her head on his shoulder. It made her feel feminine. She liked that she could be. That he didn’t judge her for not being an agent or Security all the time. It was heady and soul touching to trust him to take the mask off. She grinned. That’s what her uncles always told her. “It’s all that matters. I like spending time with you, talking with you. I’m happy when I’m around you.”

Bethany

Aasrel kissed her forehead. “I like spending time with you too. And talking to you.” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “It makes me miss my empathy just because I want to know what your presence feels like.” He hoped that wouldn’t make her feel bad.

~ Aasrel

It didn’t make her feel bad. “You will.” Bethany wasn’t sure why she was so certain, but she was. “I know you don’t want to get your hopes up. Maybe this isn’t the answer, but I know we’ll find one.” Her lips grazed across his skin. She couldn’t help but be curious. “People feel different?”

Bethany

“I can’t. I can’t get my hopes up because then if there isn’t an answer… I don’t know what I’d do.” He pressed closer to her. “They do. It’s… Hard to describe. But everyone has a presence telepathically.”

~ Aasrel

Bethany understood his reluctance. She’d spent years hoping to find an answer, doctor after doctor, medicines and treatments, for nothing. She moved her head back to look him in the eye. “You won’t give up if this doesn’t work, will you?” He pulled her in and she hugged him tightly. His words sent a tremor through her and she sighed. “You aren’t missing anything. I don’t have a presence. My father told me so. He said that was how he knew something was wrong with me.”

Bethany

He met her gaze. “I won’t. I couldn’t. The day I stop trying to get back to normal is the day I…” He let himself trail off and took a heavy breath. “I promised you I wouldn’t give up.” Then he gave her a funny look. “Every living thing has a presence except the Breen. I know you had El-Aurian DNA hidden away but Breen? I don’t think so. Why would he say that?”

~ Aasrel

Bethany shrugged. “That’s what he said. He had no reason to lie. Maybe…Maybe it’s the mix of the DNA? He said I felt like nothing. A hologram had more substance.” She remembered that night with incredible detail. She refused to wince at the memory. “I uh… I ran away. Kind of. I ran off and was hiding near my uncles’ house. We lived with them. They demanded my dad report me missing. Then they told him to use his telepathy to sense me, to find me. He said he couldn’t. I had no presence. I had no substance. One of the rabbits I was fond of…”

Bethany

Aasrel looked at her, hugging her tightly. “Everyone has a presence. Everyone. There’s no way he wasn’t lying. What about the rabbit?” Aasrel asked, a little afraid of the answer.

~ Aasrel

There was that carefree smile again. “He said the rabbit would be a better daughter. It wasn’t malformed and damaged like me.”

Bethany

Aasrel looked horrified. “He… He what??” It was like he couldn’t understand her father being that cruel. “You are definitely not malformed.” He commented. “Or damaged.” He kept her hugged close to him and kissed her, on the top of her head this time. “There’s never been anyone I liked as much as you.”

~ Aasrel

He was hugging her tightly, her face pressed into his chest. She was not going to cry over this. Not again. Then he kissed the top of her head. It was gentle, warm, comforting, and too much. She pressed in closer and stayed quiet for long moments, forcing her breath in and out.

Bethany

Aasrel lay quietly with her, letting her feel what she needed to. He was going to talk longer, but he was tired and in the silence, cuddled into her, his breaths evened out and he was asleep.

~ Aasrel

Bethany knew the moment he fell asleep. After awhile she carefully rolled to her back and stared up at the dark ceiling as the stars created soft light in the room. If she faced station side she would have had to lower the shades.

She sighed deeply. She had put her father behind her, but she had never gotten over his rejection or his cruelty. When her uncles found out the extent of his disgust they had kicked her father out and taken custody of her.

She would never forgive her father either. Her training told her it wasn’t healthy to hold on to it, but she had never been able to find a way to heal from it. She began to breathe, slow and deep, counting the rhythm. Methodically flexing and releasing each muscle in an attempt to fall asleep, but it never came.

Bethany

It was a couple of hours Aasrel was able to sleep restfully. When he woke, it wasn’t so dramatic as the first night they’d spent together, but with a quiet start, grabbing the blankets as he tried to get control of panicked breathing.

~ Aasrel

Bethany had turned back into him at some point, with her arm around him. When he jerked she opened her eyes to look at him. “It’s okay, Rel. I’m right here.” She sounded exhausted and sad to herself, but her voice was gentle and reassuring. Her lips grazed his cheek as she held him.

Bethany

Aasrel hugged her, resting his head against her. “You’re not asleep?” He asked, voice tired. He took deep, measured breaths, calming himself as he rested against her.

~ Aasrel

“No, not yet.” Bethany laid her head against him. She was relaxed by now and comfortable with him there. She just couldn’t get past the insomnia. Her heart wasn’t racing and she wasn’t jittery. She just couldn’t fall asleep.

Bethany

Aasrel sighed against her. “I wish I could help.” His breathing was calming, the slight fearful tremor in his hands subsiding. He took her hand and squeezed it. “I’m glad I decided to stay,” he said, referring to earlier in the night when she asked whether he wanted to stay on the bed or sleep on the couch.

~ Aasrel

“I’m glad you did too.” Bethany squeezed his hand back and settled in closer. “You are helping. Sometimes I think my body has gotten used to not sleeping so now it can’t. At least I can lay here and rest, and not needing to pace.”

Bethany

Aasrel smiled. “Resting is better than pacing.” His eyes drifted back shut and he sighed softly. “When we figure out how to cure you, you hopefully won’t have to worry about sleep problems anymore.”

~ Aasrel

“I won’t know how to function with all that sleep. I’ll be like the energizer bunny.” Bethany laughed softly and kissed him. “Go back to sleep.”

Bethany

“The what?” Aasrel asked, but he was already drifting back to sleep. Soon he was fully asleep again, his head gently rested against her.

Bethany finally fell asleep after that. For the first time in awhile she didn’t wake up early. Probably the higher dosage working better to ease the symptoms.

The morning came, and Aasrel was still asleep. They were nearing the 24 hour mark for the donor test, and there was still no mark on his arm inside the marker circle.

~ Aasrel

She was still asleep when her alarm went off. She groaned unhappily. She was tired and comfortable and had been blissfully unconscious. “Computer, snooze alarm, 30 minutes.” There was a trill and the alarm quoted. Bethany was always up far earlier than she had to be, and today she was going to use that to sleep in a bit.

Bethany

Her alarm woke Aasrel, but he was so tired he drifted straight back to sleep until the alarm went off again thirty minutes later. When it went off again he groaned and then sighed. “I was sleeping so well.”

~ Aasrel

Bethany sighed again and ordered the computer to turn off the alarm. She stretched to help herself wake up. Then she turned in her side and looked him in the eye. “Hi.”

Bethany

“Morning,” Aasrel said, and gave her a quick kiss. He stretched and then rolled closer to her. “I wish we didn’t have to get up.”

~ Aasrel

Bethany cuddled into him for a moment. “Me too.” She had been sleeping, really well. “It’s still early. You can sleep if you want.” Everything felt heavy and lethargic. Hard to stir and get up. Her body needed rest and wasn’t willing to give it up so readily.

Bethany

“No,” Aasrel said with a big yawn. “I’ll get up with you.” He made no move to get up though, not until she did. He was feeling better with several hours of sleep, but still tired. When he did get up he picked his clothes off the floor and put them on the sofa next to his clean clothes.

~ Aasrel

Bethany got up and poured two cups of coffee. She really wanted regular caffeinated coffee, but Aasrel said it was a bad idea. She set his on the coffee table and sipped hers, at least the aroma was nice. “My uncles drank this every morning. When we first moved to Earth, I snuck some from their cups once. I thought it was awful and never tried it again, until I got older. It reminds me of them.”

“It’s… An acquired taste.” Aasrel commented. “I tried it when I was in Academy. Everybody drank coffee there. Except the Vulcans.” He sipped from the coffee. “You were right, this is good.”

She laughed, “In my defense I was 7. I learned better.”

She set her cup down and walked over to him and put her arms around him. “So, shall we repeat the other morning?”

Bethany

Aasrel reached up and set his hand on her arm, smiled. “I would love a repeat of the other morning.”

~ Aasrel

Bethany took his other hand and silently led him into the other room.

---

Bethany use a hair tie to secure her braid. She turned and leaned a hip against the counter. She gazed at him, a quirky grin on her face. “Definitely wakes me up better than coffee.”

Bethany

Aasrel finished dressing himself, slipping on his shoes. “More relaxing than coffee too.” He picked his gloves up off the side table, brushing a hand across her arm as he passed her. Then he slipped the gloves on. “I keep starting my days off this way my staff might get better opinions of me.”

~ Aasrel

She touched his hand as his brushed her arm. She slipped her jacket on, pulled her hair free, and grabbed her comm. Bethany grinned, “Is that a bad thing? I mean, I was hoping to make this a habit. You know they are already gossiping.” She understood he didn’t feel like socializing, but getting along with your co-workers helped. Especially considering how isolated the crew was at the moment.

Bethany

“It’s a good thing, I know it is,” Aasrel said, though he didn’t sound convinced. He just didn’t like socializing anymore. He’d isolated himself after the Borg. He grabbed his own comm, “It would make me very happy if this became a habit.” He didn’t care about the gossip.

~ Aasrel