Posted by Civilian Evelyn “Evie” McGarrett (Co-Owner of Been There Brewed That Brewery) in Lily and Duncan - First Night

Posted by Lieutenant Duncan Rhodes (Chief Science Officer) in Lily and Duncan - First Night

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Jessica Teller (XO) in Lily and Duncan - First Night
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻

Snip

Turning around she looked back out the window. “You are a Taurus or Virgo or Capricorn,” Lily said in a questioning tone but sounding self-assured even if she didn’t know the answer. “I say that because you are grounded and down to earth even if your semi-rigid posture belies a more formal upbringing. You seem to be conservative yet realistic. You keep your emotions in check until you can’t and then you blow but only when you feel passionate about a subject. You are practical and loyal and stable. Anyone in your circle knows that they are safe with you. How far off am I?” Lily asked letting a long pause of silence fill the air between them as she looked at the storm. Clearly, she was waiting for an answer this time. There was so much to learn about Duncan Rhodes and for the first time tonight they were alone. She would use this time to find out more about the man that made hours seem to pass like minutes when she was in his presence.

He stepped in so that his body was closer to her and his arms slid gently around her waist, like this, he held her back to him and watched the giant orb of the planet with her. In the near silence, the only thing that did indeed exist was the world they were watching, like ancient gods looking over their universe, and the two of them together. He could feel her against him, the softness of her skin and the curves of her body. He could feel each breath she took and after a moment, found himself matching the rise and fall of her chest with his own.

“You do me too much justice,” he told her. “I’m just a man like any other. There is nothing special about me, Lily. I breathe, I live and I laugh like any other. The only thing that makes me different right now, is that I am here with the most beautiful woman I can imagine who has me completely entranced by the way that you you make me feel.”

Lily broke out laughing so hard her body shook. “Should I add or subtract humble,” she teased. “Duncan insert middle name I will learn before the night is over Rhodes you are not like any other man. Trust me I would know. You are this weird combination of aloof and interested. A friend yet total man that wants more. Insanely easy on the eyes but carry yourself like you have no idea how hot you are. As for your intelligence, I want to see how smart. Vocabulary is a sign of intelligence so tell me how I make you feel. Put it in words but only adjectives. No sentences. Make it like a haiku which is a Japanese poem of seventeen syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five, traditionally evoking images of the natural world. I will go first to give you an example. Wherever you go.....Duncan Rhodes chief science O…I am at your side.” Lily nodded her head as if to encourage Duncan to speak not since she was not facing him.

“Was that a Haiku?” Duncan asked, managing to keep a straight face.

“Of course it was a haiku,” Lily said tossing her hair over her shoulder. It would be hard to realize if it was self-confidence in her Japanese poetry skills that caused the expression on her face or if she was acting as Duncan looked at her blurred reflection in the window. “I mean where else would you see such a commanding display of that five seven.....five,” semi-winced indicating she wasn’t sure of the answer, “syllable thingy?” Letting out a small laugh she hung her head playfully. “I know that was bad,” she said looking at him with a smirk in the reflection of the glass.

“That was, very good.” He said and bit his lip to prevent the smirk that was growing on his lips.

“Shut up loser,” she pushed her body back into his as if to knock him off balance. “It was, very,” she could not help but laugh as she finished her sentence, “very very good. I used two very’s. That means I’m serious. I mean you don’t throw a very very or really really unless you really want to stress a point. Like me saying I would really really love to hear about how you learned to write haiku’s. What was your school like? Was your mom a cookie baker or take it out of a box and call it hers?” Lily fired off question after question barely taking a breath. Duncan intrigued her. He was so formal yet approachable. He had a highly intellectual side yet, just ran down the hall like a teenager to avoid detention.

He turned her to face him, so that they were still pressed up close to each other and he ran his hands down her arms softly while he looked down into her eyes. “I don’t want to talk about myself tonight, I want to give my time to you and get to know you. Lily Locksley, waitress at the local coffee shop, who can take my attention and make me want to learn every little detail I can about you.” Duncan’s smile broke into a grin as he took her hand, “Lily Locksley who can get me detention on her first night at school and still make me want to spent every minute with you.”

Lt Duncan Rhodes, CSO

“Well duh. I mean who would want some chick that doesn’t get you thrown in jail at least once. You have had that once right?”

Lily

“You’re going to get me thrown in jail?” He asked, and grinned now, his smirk breaking through. “That’s a rather large leap from detention, Lily. No, I have never been thrown in jail, actually. Call it a character flaw, I know, but my family taught us that a life of crime just doesn’t pay off when…” Duncan stopped and took the woman’s hand in his, there was no way he wanted to talk about his family with just the two of them together here. Here, it was quiet and secluded with an entire planet as their audience and ‘moonlight’. “Come with me,” he said to her, and stepped back slowly from the window, holding her hand.

“Last time you said that we were in a deserted hallway talking about kidney harvesting,” she teased him with a smile but let him lead her where he wanted to go. “I am without my whistle so I am taking a chance on you Mr. Rhodes. Part of me wants to live on the wild side and regret it later. You know lock this moment away and when I am 90 and in bed, I can tell my grandchildren all about the infamous Mr. Rhodes and the single night we spent together. The other part of me wants the clock to stop so I can learn everything about you and act like we are a 90-year-old married couple. I think for now I am 60/40 with the latter pulling ahead.”

“Hold my hand and dance
Bodies sway, to our sweet trance,
Above the world, low.”

A song started playing just then, it was quiet in the large room, but it was the only sound the two of them could hear aside from each other. It was slow, and gentle and Duncans lips turned into a soft and intense smile as he looked at Lily, his eyes on her and only her now that she was the only thing in his universe. The soft bars of of the song began to pass through them, and he stepped in close, his hand slipping around her waist. he had led the two of them onto a large, open dance floor of lacquered wood with tables and chairs around the edges.

The music began to fill the room. She paused for just a second listening to the melody.

“Lily, can you dance? I mean, really dance? Not the rude grinding and energetic hip thrusts that people think is attractive, but real, intimate and close dancing where you and I are the only people that exist? because right now, Lily, you are the only woman in my world.”

Lily was all wisecracks. She had a response for everything except for now. Right now she wanted to let him show her part of him.

Duncan’s head lowered to hers and his hand adjusted to hold her fingers delicately within his. His hold was firm, but gentle and commanding. If Lily didn’t know how to dance, Duncan was going to hold her all the way.

Wise men say, only fools rush in.
But I can’t help, falling in love with you

Lt Duncan Rhodes, CSO

Taking a deep breath Lily moved her feet, not in rhythm to the song but squarely on top of his. Settling her weight onto the balls of her feet allowed her heels to come off the ground. Duncan had full control over her body. It was pressed tightly to his not in amorous passion but out of sheer balance. She had no idea what a dance frame was past the term. She did know that if there was a regulation for space within the dance frame she was either breaking it or well within limits. This close to him she could smell the scent of his cologne on his shirt. She could feel the rise and fall of his chest against her body. Her heart pounded at the thrill of learning something new but also because of being this close to him.

Shall I stay?
Would it be a sin?
If I can’t help falling in love with you?

Lily was lily. She was flighty and spontaneous. She was always ready for the unexpected and seldom worried until it was too late about her actions or repercussions of her actions based 90% of the time on her emotions. Some men were turned off by this aspect of her personality. Other men felt she was as free with her intimacy as she was with her personality. Duncan Rhodes seemed to be dead in the middle of the road. He pushed neither way and just experienced her. It might be the scientist in him studying in a way. Lily didn’t care at the moment. She was just happy to be with him in this moment. “So are you actually going to show me something or are we going to do that high school stand in place sway ‘cause I do have that move down pat,” she asked with a grin.

Lily

Like a river flows surely to the sea
Darling so it goes
Some things are meant to be

While the music played and the two were so close, Duncan just started laughing. “Okay, so you can’t dance. Alright Lulu, I got this.” He adjusted his hand so that it was lower and firmer around Lily’s waist and held her more securely to him, his hand moving slightly and he ran his thumb up the side of hers ever so gently. The act was countered in his mind though, as the Lulu name he had bestowed on her was because like this, with her held tight to him, she could only follow his feet and move her head. The image conjured up the antique Little Lulu bobblehead toys that his grandmother had collected in his childhood. He really hoped however, that her dancing style didn’t involve her head bouncing around like she was in a bumper car ring.

“We aren’t going to be very graceful, but let me teach you a few steps. You might want to go over them sometime, you might need them in the future.” Having the ability to dance in a more formal style was always a good thing Duncan had found. Official functions always had the formal dance component, and if you were at a more unofficial function you could always profess this was the only way you knew how to dance. It was a good way to avoid the social side of places if you really didn’t want to be there.

Take my hand, take my whole life too
For I can’t help falling in love with you

Raising his right hand, he placed it just under Lily’s shoulder blade, then lifted his opposite elbow. He stood straighter, but Lily being on his feet meant that she was far closer than normal. “This is going to feel a little odd, but follow what I’m doing. You’ll pick it up quickly.”

He took his first step, directing her steps with the core of his body rather than his arms. It was of course clumsy and far less than elegant, but he never took his eyes from hers and his grin was wide as he clumped around the dance floor with her on his feet. He could feel her against him again, all of her curves and the softness of all the right places in her body as he let the music guide his steps while they danced, kind of, in front of the large windows with the planet just outside for them.

Lt Rhodes, CSO