The Law of Attraction

Posted on Thu Jan 2, 2020 @ 7:20pm by Lieutenant JG Erich Hartmann & Lieutenant JG Brianthe Oaxaca

2,048 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Doors of Perception
Location: Arboretum/Hartmann's Quarters
Timeline: MD16 1600 hours

ON

Brianthe couldn't concentrate. Her thoughts kept drifting back to Erich, and their night together. Since meeting him, her whole world had changed. She was generally a happy person, but now she couldn't stop grinning, or singing, or dancing. Fortunately she had little to do besides some basic maintenance of the arboretum. Should she call him when her shift was over? Should she wait for him to call her? She had no idea what the proprieties were. With a sigh she checked the chronometer and continued working.

A murmur behind her. Her name being said with an inquisitive tone. There he was, the occupant of her memories, in the flesh.

“Hello Liebchen.” Hartmann said. “I hope I’m not intruding.”

She grinned. "Hi!" She ran over to him and hugged him. "Not at all. I was actually thinking of you."

He returned her embrace with eagerness, letting her scent tickle his nose. “Oh?” He asked, “All good things I trust?”

"Definitely. You are the first man to take precedence over my plants. I hoped you would come by today."

He gave her a smile. “I’ll be sure to stick out my tongue and rub that fact in your plants’ egos while your back is turned.” He chuckled at his own absurd imagery. “Actually, I was wondering if after shift I could interest you in dinner.” He said, somewhat timidly, with the same tone a nervous boy might ask his best gal to a school dance.

"I would love to have dinner with you," she said, her eyes showing him how much she liked the idea. "How soon do you want me to be ready?"

“Is tonight too soon? 1900?” The German asked, his face flushing as he wondered if he sounded too eager.

She smiled again. "No, tonight is not too soon."

“We’ll have to work hard not to read palms this time; if I’m late again, I’ll be relieved. Imagine me having to write on my official report the reason I was late!” the German jested.

"No, I don't think the commander would appreciate that. Ma'am, I was late because Ensign Oaxaca and I were practicing undercover maneuvers. It's all because she read my fortune..."

Hartmann chuckled. “Actually, I’d tell her that you seduced me in a moment of weakness like a succubus, and that you never took no for an answer.”

"And here I thought you liked me," she teased, kissing him on the cheek. "I'm more a siren who lured you to your doom."

“The prettiest doom around my sweet.” The German retorted. More seriously, he asked. “I’m still not fully aware of everything there is to do onboard; do you have a place you’d like to go?”

"Well, if I'm not being repetitive, I'd like to show you the room we have for moon mold," she said. "Algae, really, but it's spectacular when the moon rises. That's where Alanna and Jason spent part of their first date. And got rained on, but I'll make sure we stay dry."

“Best we get me home before curfew or my father will forbid me from seeing you.” Erich replied dryly.

"Do I have to make sure you're tucked into bed, too?" she replied.

“Only if you tuck yourself in there too.” He said with mischief.

She smiled, definitely in favor of that. "I was hoping you'd ask."

The German smiled at her. “On a serious note, how’s work today?”

"Long." She caressed his cheek. "I spent most of it thinking of you."

“Shhh.” He countered. “The plants will reveal all.”

"They're very good at keeping secrets. Especially when I'm the one who feeds them," she teased.

He faux scowled. “Evil of you to hold food hostage.”

"I never withhold food from my plants," she feigned shock. "They generally don't talk to strangers, and even if they did, I'm the only one who understands what they're saying."

Hartmann leaned towards the plants with a cocked ear. “I think I can hear them too.” He nodded his head a few times. “What’s that? I should...kiss her here, now? And then...” Erich feigned shock of his own. “You watch your language!”

Bri giggled. "You are incorrigible." She found it--and Erich--enchanting. "I may have to kiss you just to keep them happy."

He gave her a toothy grin. “Wouldn’t want our soon-to-be plant overlords to order us to their sunshine mines.” He proceeded to pull Brianthe to him for a kiss.

She tasted of sweetness, like honey. It was an intoxicating taste, and his body responded almost with a will of its own, the kiss slipping it a chemical mickey.

Decorum quickly went out the window.

Brianthe, too, was swept away by emotion. Her sweet gentleman had the heart of a lion. Before she completely lost control, she pulled back. "Computer, close off this section of the arboretum for maintenance. Duration: one hour."

"Maintenance mode engaged."

She kissed Erich again. "Come with me..." She grabbed a blanket and led him into the room with the algae that glowed in moonlight. The cameras were off for the day, so all she had to do was switch on the artificial moonlight, spread out the blanket, and slip back into Erich's arms as the algae that covered the rocks around the grotto began to glow.

“One hour? You give me too much credit, I fear.” The Teutonic Officer stared at glowing algae. “What is it called?” He asked, pointing at a larger luminous patch.

"It's called Moon Mold, but it's actually bio-luminescent algae. It glows in light and seems to prefer moonlight. Full moons are amazing."

“It is as lovely as the lady who tends it.” Erich said.

"You flatter me." She took his hand an led him to the blanket. "We can watch it for a bit. It's almost as captivating as you are." she smiled at Erich, then gracefully sat on the blanket, indicating for him to join her.

“Oh go on.” He joked. “Seriously though, please go on; my fragile male ego needs the boost.”

She shook her head. "You are incorrigible. Charming, but incorrigible." Her smile brightened. "I cannot think og anyone I would rather share this with."

Hartmann returned her smile. “Me too süße.”

His smile grew serious. “How is it a nice gal like you is still single? Do you feed your boyfriends to your plants?”

She laughed. "I am particular about the men in my life. Most are only interested in looks. I prefer a gentleman, a renaissance man. And so I remained single, until I met you."

The German blew a exasperated puff of air. “Lot of pressure for a man, Love.”

She laughed softly. "You've already exceeded my expectations." Brianthe leaned closer. "More important, you've captured my heart. I do not expect perfection as I am far from perfect. You have nothing to worry about."

Erich skied, then snapped his fingers, as if to remember a fact.

“I was asked by another LT if you and I were together.” He said.

She wanted to know, but she didn't want to come right out and ask him. "What did you say?" she asked.

The German was deadpan. “I told him you and I do things that make Vulcan Love Slave look LIKE a children’s fairy tale.”

"Erich, you didn't!" She turned bright red. They didn't, but the thought that he would tell anyone they did made her blush.

“I was actually going to make an all-hands announcement later this evening, maybe host a ball about our torrid affair. Thoughts?” Said the same dry voice.

She slapped him on the arm. "You're teasing."

He looked upon the arm thus slapped, his face a caricature of mock horror and vengeance. “You just assaulted a superior officer. Do you know the penalty for that?” He leaned towards her, his fingers stretching forth, as if tapping on an invisible desk. Before she could respond, Hartmann kept upon her, tickling her sides.

Brianthe rolled away. "Not fair. You know I have no defense against that." She got to her knees and took a defensive posture, grinning.

The German returned the grin. “Of course; did you think I’d fight you fairly?” He kept upon her once again.

"Computer, activate rain," she said, deciding two could play that game. Rain began to fall from the ceiling.

Hartmann laughed merrily. “Cheating, seducing me into distraction with your wet uniform; I’ll still have the day madam!” His bravado was hollow, as the liquid deluge forced him to wipe at his eyes to clear them.

Brianthe was giggling so hard she almost couldn't get up. "It was self-defense, I assure you." She managed not to look bedraggled as she pushed the hair out of her eyes. "As punishment, you'll need to help me peel out of this. We'll both need a shower so we don't catch a chill." The rain was only cool, but it would still not do for them to walk around soaking wet.

He gave her a smirk. “Shame you don’t outrank me; that would’ve been an order I’d come to attention for.”
The German blushed at the unintended double entendres.

Bri's giggles turned into a full-blown laugh.

Erich flicked his fingers at Brianthe, the droplets becoming lost on her damp skin. “Quiet there, Ensign. Or I wolill be the one issuing orders.”

Brianthe just grinned and picked up the blanket. She was not going to make the same mistake as Alanna and leave it behind. "I for one wish to get dry," she said, heading for the door in the back. "You're welcome to join me."

Erich came to attention with a soft click of heels. “Jawöhl Frau Fähnrich,^ I love to serve you.” The last sentence contained more mischief than many paragraphs of smut.

"Uh huh." She paused to kiss him, then turned and gracefully walked out of the room. She hoped he would follow her. At this point, she wasn't quite sure.

Yet there he was, pulling up beside her, stopping her briefly. “My shower or yours love?” His question was matter-of-fact, but he blushed all the same.

Brianthe couldn't help herself. She kissed him. "Whichever is closer."

He grabbed her by the hand and led her to his quarters, going as fast as decorum would allow. Through corridors and hallways they traveled, pausing every so often to kiss with an alcove, a passageway, a nook, a cranny.

It didn't take long for her to be as eager to get to his quarters as he was.

They managed to reach Hartmann’s quarters without being seen. It was only by luck that the German’s hand found the door access key, so unwilling to break their kiss was he. Thankfully, the door opened before they decided to just make a scene in the corridor, the doors hissing closed as if acknowledging the need for privacy.

Brianthe was torn between feeling embarrassed by her wanton behavior, and wanting to continue what Erich started. She broke off the kiss. "We are both wet," she said, stating the obvious for lack of anything else to say.

Erich just kissed her eagerly again. “Shower?” He asked simply.

"Yes...no." She groaned. "I don't know."

The German gave her a gentle smile. He walked without hurry to his washroom and turned on the shower, actual liquid water, not sonic.

When he returned, Erich cradled her hands in his own. “Are you alright love? Would you prefer I slow down?” While outwardly calm, Hartmann’s mind raced through its recent memory to see if he had missed a social cue, a subtle nudge, a whispered word.

"No, it's not that..." She hesitated, unaccustomed to being at a loss for words. "A warm shower after being rained on might be prudent, and yet...I would like to continue what you...we...started." She leaned forward and kissed him, hoping that would convey her meaning more than words could.

“Why not do both?” He whispered into her ear as his hand found her zipper.

Her only response was a soft moan...


* Süße (Soo-suh): Sweetie
^Feign-reech- Ensign

____
OFF

Ensign Brianthe Oaxaca
Botanist
Deep Space Five

&

Lieutenant JG Erich Hartmann
Chief Operations Officer
Deep Space Five

 

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