<SNIP>

As Eleanor spoke, Malcolm smiled, happy he hadn’t made a complete ass of himself with the Freudian slip. And then… that last comment. The laugh was genuine but the mischievously roguish smile and twinkle in Malcolm’s eyes would give Ellie chills. “One thing Sweetheart…” His eyes flashed a… challenge(?). “… getting there too fast has never been a problem and I assure you… you won’t want me to leave Darlin’.” The last words in almost a purr of smooth southern Texas twang.

Malcolm

Eleanor’s heart fluttered as she unconsciously bit her lower lip. “Well… if you’re so confident on your abilities…” She said in a seductive tone as she leaned slightly forward. The last few bites of her burger forgotten on her plate. “How about you show me what you’re really capable of after the game?” She winked. “After all… with a promise like that, you can’t leave a lady hangin’… Unless of course… you’re the one saying things you’re not ready to back up…”

Eleanor

If Eleanor was going to say anything else, it never escaped her lips before Malcolm had closed the distance between them and with his fingers either side of her ponytail, kissed Carnegie in a way she never had before. Sure, there was passion in the kiss… a lot of it. But there was something more. An intensity so strong that by the time his lips left hers, he could have probably drug her to floor in the real restaurant and she simply wouldn’t have cared.

The kiss… the kiss was something else. The power… the intimacy… the passion… When Malcolm broke away, if she wasn’t sitting down, Eleanor was sure her knees would have thrown her on the floor. As he leaned back on his chair, her gaze was defying. Almost as if she was challenging him to continue.

As he leaned back, his eyes met hers once more and with a fire raging in his gaze, said coolly. “If you think you’re ready for a Texas boy… we’ll see who has a hard time hangin’ in there. I can assure you, Beautiful… the only complaints will be from your neighbors.”

Malcolm

With a smirk, Carnegie shot back. “Oh honey… I’ve dealt with a lot of fighter jocks at the Academy… and if there’s anything I know is that yinz talk a lot of smack.” The smirk never left her lips. “I think you think I have less experience than I actually do.” She winked. “Although I have none with Texas boys. So… again… why don’t you show me after the game what yinz down South can do.”

Eleanor

“Ellie…” Malcolm began with another seductive purr in his tone. “… this, Darlin’, has nothin’ to do with the little boys that over shot their mouths in San Fran…” Dawkins pulled his bottom lip against his top teeth and passion burned even brighter in his gaze. “… this is about you and me. A woman that can kiss the way you do knows exactly what she’s doin’ and what she wants. And…” Malcolm gave her knee another squeeze. “… that tells me everything I need to know and the level of game I need to bring to even keep up, much less impress. As for that…” He leaned in and kissed the side of her neck once more, then whispered. “… if you ain’t impressed, I didn’t do my job. And I’m a very hard worker.”

Malcolm

Eleanor’s smirk returned slightly, washed by the fluttering of her heart and of all the emotions he was making course through her. Her breathing was becoming shallower again and she hoped he didn’t notice it. One thing was certain, if his game was as good as his flirting was… she had found herself a winner.

A matching smirk crossed Malcolm’s face as he noticed Ellie’s breathing pattern shift. “Issues Captain?” He winked, his gaze never leaving hers.

She smiled, picking the last of her hamburger and returning to the task of eating it. “How about we watch some baseball, Captain? That way you can preserve your energy… because it seems like you’ll have a lot of work to do tonight…” And with that, she emptied her glass of tea with the same expertise she had emptied the vodka shots the day before. “What say you?”

Eleanor

With a nod, it was as if Malcolm flipped a switch and the sweet boy that started the date returned, an almost innocent look in his eyes. The only telltale was the roguish smile. “I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about. I’m just here to watch my beloved Astros kick the Pirates butt all over this stadium.” He downed his teeth and grinned. “I say… game on.”

Squinting at Malcolm, Eleanor smiled. Rolling her eyes, she didn’t grace him with a reply.

The Marine stood from his chair and stepped beside Ellie. “You ready’ Darlin’?” He smiled as he offered his hand.

Malcolm

“Always.” Her gaze still held the same defiance as before. Taking his hand, she stood up and walked with Malcolm back down to the field. The excitement, the noise, the color… there was so much to take in, and Eleanor, almost forgetting they were in a holodeck, watched everything as if she was a child.

“So… what seats are we choosing?”

Eleanor

“Section 133, Row A…” Malcolm said without missing a beat. “… I picked seats 7 & 8 to be just a bit inside the left field foul line. Great place to catch a few balls.” As they rounded the wall of center field, heading from right to left field, Malcolm motioned to a section of seats just inside the foul line across the stadium from where they were walking. “That’s our section there. I figured you’d like to see the field in all its grandeur.” The Marine smiled warmly as he looked down at the auburn-haired pilot. There was something different in the late afternoon sun… in his eyes. The desire for her was definitely still there but there was a glow about the way he looked at her. A way some women wait their whole lives to see once. And there it was.

Malcolm

Eleanor looked up into Malcolm’s eyes. The same loving admiration emanating from them. She smiled. A soft warm genuine smile. “I can’t believe you did this for me…” She finally said. “It’s almost as if you knew…” Letting go of his hand, she wrapped her arms around his neck, and lifted her body slightly in the tips of her toes. Her lips met his in a slow and soft kiss, that emanated exactly how much his actions meant to her… and exactly how she felt about him.

Eleanor

The strong hands of the pilot found the small of Ellie’s back, the smooth soft skin just barely exposed as she reached for him and he relished in the moment.

Malcolm had no clue how long they stood there, embraced in that kiss. He was certain he didn’t want to let her go. When the stadium organ fired up, Malcolm figured they should head to their seats. Breaking the kiss, with a light tug on her bottom lip with his teeth, the Marine smirked playfully. “Ya know… I came to watch a game, but if you keep that up… I’m gonna want to find a dark corner of this place and act like a teenager again.”

Malcolm