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 Commander Dr. Royal Sinclair (Executive Officer) in XO’s Quarters - Sleepover? Slumber Party? No Idea What To Call It
Posted by… suppressed (7) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

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

The reasoning of both ideas was sound but it made something inside her flutter. She couldn’t quite name it but she wasn’t sure what to make of it other than it was mixed feeling that leaned towards positive. Cori nodded, more to herself than anything. “Yeah, I like both those ideas. And I like having a second time with you. Maybe we do set days and adjust the activity based on our schedules?”

“I think that is a great idea. It’ll help scheduling and it’ll help make those times more available.”

Cori nodded.

She was pondering what they could learn together that they would both want to do. “Is there anything you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t yet?”

~Corinne Dalton

He thought for a moment and then said “I honestly don’t know… what about you?”

Royal Sinclair

She shrugged. “Not really,” Cori said with a light laugh. “So I guess we’ll figure that one out when something comes up.”

~Corinne Dalton

Royal chuckled and shook his head. “Well, at we are on the same page there.” He gazed at her for a long moment with a small smile and then said “Okay… your turn. Tell me what you need from this to make it doable.”

Royal

Cori was quiet for a long time, sipping her tea as she considered what might make this different than any of her previous relationships, Royal himself and her new circumstances not withstanding. “I have trust issues, which you know. Things that were withheld that absolutely should have been discussed, or outright manipulation. I’m not going into this expecting that from you at all, just so we’re clear, but I have to keep in mind that I haven’t had a healthy relationship in a while. I do know what one looks like, fleeting though it was, but I think we should do a lot of sharing on these dates of ours. I mean, we know a lot about each other already, but I think just sharing big and little things constantly would help ease that feeling of not really knowing the person I’m with and it all feeling like a game.”

~Corinne Dalton

Royal nodded in acknowledgement and said “That is a very healthy perspective… and a very healthy request. And that we can do whenever we like as well. But just so you have no doubts… anything you want to ask me, you can. And anything you want to know about me, I will tell you. And to take that that next level, I will make you a promise. If you ask me how I am feeling or what is on my mind, I will never say ‘Nothing.’. And if nothing is on my mind, I will try and convey why that is. I don’t ever want you to feel I am keeping things from you, Cori. Because I won’t. All I ask in return is you do the same for me.”

Royal Sinclair

She nodded slowly, a response as well as a moment of processing. “I can do that. I will… not counter but add that I have had a bad habit of keeping things to myself, but that started changing after we met, after you showed a genuine interest in listening to my experiences. I trust you, Royal. Just know that if I’m cagey at anytime it’s probably because I’m dealing with a lot of different emotions at once but I will try to be honest that I don’t quite know what to make of it all. After all, new bodies come with a lot of changes and some days it’s just overwhelming.”

~Corinne Dalton

Royal leaned in and smiled. “New bodies come with a lot of changes, yes… and not just new bodies for ourselves. New bodies in our personal space. All of this-” and he gestured back and forth between them, “- will be new to both of us. So don’t ever feel like you are totally alone in that.” and he smiled. “Although I will give the edge on learning the ins and outs of new physical body.”

Royal

She grinned, her eyes alit. “Well, did always enjoy that process before. Now it’s endless fascinating. And the nice thing about being science minded is that I love learning and am willing to experiment with different variables.”

~Corinne Dalton