Posted by Lieutenant Corinne Dalton (Scientist) in XO’s Quarters - Sleepover? Slumber Party? No Idea What To Call It

Posted by Commander Dr. Royal Sinclair (Executive Officer) in XO’s Quarters - Sleepover? Slumber Party? No Idea What To Call It

Posted by Lieutenant Corinne Dalton (Scientist) in XO’s Quarters - Sleepover? Slumber Party? No Idea What To Call It
Posted by… suppressed (6) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

She held her cup in both hands and shook her head slightly. “I love that you did that even if it surprises me. It shouldn’t, knowing what we know now about our feelings, but it was one of those pleasant surprises. I think, having had some space from the Saracen now, I can see that I was afraid of someone caring about me again, n any way. I was afraid of being left behind again, even though incidentally I was the one leaving people behind.” Cori brought the cup to her lips and sipped carefully.

~Corinne Dalton

Royal stared at her for a long time before finally saying “I have no intention of ever leaving you behind, Cori.... anywhere.” and he took a deep breath and then said “And I won’t let anyone take you away, either. Not again. I can see you.... hear you… feel you… I won’t let that get away.”

Royal Sinclair

There was such an intensity to his words, an earnestness that she knew was based in truth. It made her cheeks warm. She dropped her gaze into her teacup before she took another sip. She should say something, reply in some way. Counter with her own promise, but there was a strange feeling she couldn’t shake. “I’m scared to make promises to you,” she said softly, lifting her eyes to his. “I’ve disappeared twice now, and I just worry that it’s not fair to either of us to make such a promise, because life is strange and we can’t control all the variables. In some ways, the old Cori had it right by living in the moment. You can think about the future, sure, but I’m not sure I can think past each today that arises.”

~Corinne Dalton

Royal set his cup down on the table and stood up and walked over to Cori, standing in front of her. Slowly, he lowered himself down until he was sitting on the floor in front of her. He took her cup, set it aside, and then took her hands in his. He looked deep into her brilliant blue eyes for long moments in silence before he said “I am not asking you for promises, Corinne Dalton. And I do not expect them. I said what I said because it is a fact. Not a promise… a certainty. I am not in charge of you, and I will never tell you what you should and shouldn’t do with your own life. But I will tell you that it is a fact that I will never leave you behind. Not ever. And I’m not looking for ‘fair’, Cori. And I’m not looking for ‘normal’ or ‘controlled’.” He took a deep breath and then said “I am just looking at you. That’s all I have wanted to look at for the past two years… and all I want to look at for the rest.”

Royal Sinclair

The earnest and heartfelt truth he was offering her was so simple as to be at first unbelievable. It was easy to dismiss the words, but not only could she not, the physical presence of him before her, the sensations his grasp on her hands generated in her body were far too real. Here he was declaring the facts as he knew them and Cori could see the layers underpinning each one. He was not asking her for anything but to believe him. Royal knew that she had a hard time trusting, that words were pretty and easily betrayed. He was not declaring love in some way that relied on fanciful dreams, on aspirations. He was just there, letting her know she was seen. At their core, wasn’t that what most emotional sapient being truly desired. To be seen, to be counted, to be reassured that they were not alone even as each step they took was their own. Alone, but together. She knew all this as surely as her chest rose and fell in a rhythm that was beautifully new to her again. Cori felt her heart was more open in this moment than any previous in her existence.

For several moments that stretched between breaths, Corinne Dalton just studied him till at least she nodded, squeezing his hands. “I feel your hands holding mine. I can see the truth in your eyes and this rather speedy new brain of mine can calculate the vectors this moment can have. And none of it matters. Because those are all rational.” Until she started speaking she wasn’t sure what she would say to him. This wasn’t love in a way she had known it before. It was not the careless lust of youth, nor the the conniving machinations of coercion, nor the unbalanced take from what should have been a partnership. No, he was offering her something so different that she wasn’t sure there were words to define it. “I believe you, Royal Sinclair, and every cell in my body says I can trust you. That you are happy with whatever I feel comfortable to share.” Her bright eyes blurred. “I don’t know if what I’m feeling right now is love or not, but I do know I am… happy. Content. And it’s a really nice feeling!” she said, breaking into a laugh.

~Corinne Dalton

Royal listened to her… heard her. When she said ‘love’, he smiled. “If all that comes from this is you being happy, then I will be satisfied. You deserve happiness. And you deserve love. If I can be a source of just the former, so be it. But… if at some point you decide that I can be a source of the latter… then I will more than happy to be that for you, too. But hey…” and he grinned at her and winked.

“No pressure.” and he laughed and then pulled her onto an embrace that seemed like it was made just for her.

Royal Sinclair

With a chuckle, Cori snuggled into his embrace, breathing in the smell of him, feeling his heart pulse in his chest. No pressure. And there hadn’t bene the whole evening. They had promised each other that and it seemed to be rather easy despite the unexpected twists and turns the evening had taken.

She stayed that way for awhile until at last she pulled back and gazed at him. Reaching up, she rested her hand along his strong jaw. “What a crazy, wonderful life.”

~Corinne Dalton

“It’s just gettin’ started, lass.” he said with a smile and then leaned in and kissed her, caressing her cheek with his fingertips and pulling into him.

Royal Sinclair

They had set up the parameters for this evening very clearly at the beginning, but so much had shifted. As she kissed him back, this new body of hers was very adamant about what it wanted and for a moment she just surrendered to that kiss.

She pulled back, as much restraining herself as anything. She wanted more but she wasn’t ready. At least Cori knew that much! Her body was still sorting itself out and she didn’t want to add the pressure that would come afterwards if they raised the stakes on this relationship too quickly. No pressure, right? “

“Never. ” Royal said with a smile.

Cori reached for her tea, attempting nonchalance, even as she knew she was failing miserably.

~Corinne Dalton

“Ok. So now that we have officially established we have a thing between us…” Royal said with a chuckle, “… how about we establish some rules and boundaries? Keep expectations clear and agreed on? We can take turns. I’ll go first. Nothing more physically intimate than where we are at right now for at least a month. You still have a body to get used to, and we aren’t in a rush.” and he laughed and said “Twelve-year-old boy Royal is going to think I’ve lost my mind.” He smiled and sighed looking at Corinne. “But I thinknit’s a good idea to just ease into that. What do you think?”

Royal

She smirked. “Oh, it’s a good idea. Will be fun to tease you though, not gonna lie.”

Cori tapped a finger against the side of her teacup. “I want a regular date night. We both know what life in Starfleet is like. Especially once I’m cleared for even light duty, we’ll get busy. I want to have something to look forward to, even if it’s just sitting on the couch together reading or us in the same space doing our own thing. I know there will be exceptions and we’ll have to be flexible, but I’d like at least us to have the intention of spending regular time together. It’ll ground me in this reality better I think.”

~Corinne Dalton

“I’ll see your regular date night and raise you one.” Royal said with a smile. “Two nights per standard week that we permanently set aside for us. And I say two so that, as you said things get crazy sometimes, if we have to cancel one; we can still have a fallback if possible.” He picked up his tea and took a sip while he thought. After a moment he looked at her and said “I want us to learn something together that neither of us knows how to do. I think that the experience of experiencing something for the first time together will help us… ” and he struggled to think of the right words, finally saying “… internalize that regardless of how we were in the past, this is a new beginning for both of us. We are just lucky because our new beginning is built on history.”

Royal Sinclair