(JP) Lieutenants Anjar Thoran & Carter Greyson: Odd Date, Part I
Lael Rosek
OOC: This takes place before Carter’s “Accepting The Offer”
((Secondary Structural Integrity Field Generator, Deck 32, USS Astraeus))
It probably wasn’t the most romantic spot on the whole ship, but it was one of the more private public places. This thing with Carter was still new and while the man meant enough to him not to spend all of their time hidden away in their respective quarters, Anjar wasn’t quite ready for what the grapevine would make out of him and Carter being seen together casually outside of duty together and what it could mean. Granted, they’d been friends long before this recent development in their relationship and it wasn’t unusual for friends to spend time together outside of duty. However, given what the grapevine had made out of his and Lael’s friendship, he had no desire to test it.
Carter had been hoping to grab a drink, but time wouldn’t allow for it. He’d promised Anjar he’d be patient, but was caught by surprise by the weird location: the secondary SFI generator. That alone was suspicious, and there wasn’t anything he could really say to counteract it. When he arrived, however, he found Anjar as expected.
Greyson: Mind if I ask why here?
Thoran: ::pauses and offers him a glass of brandy:: I’m still adjusting to all this. Just...patience.
Greyson: No worries. :: Eying the glass curiously. :: I don’t see any replicators nearby...what’s with the brandy?
Anjar grimaced, hazarding a guess at what Carter was thinking. He hadn't meant anything by it. He didn't need alcohol to want to be with Carter, though it wasn't ridiculous that he would think that.
Thoran: ::leans forward, brushing his lips against Carter's and murmurs:: You know I'm not just in this for a good time, right?
Carter took the offered glass, closing his eyes for a moment to consider his words before they left his mouth. He’d made the mistake before of speaking too quickly, and talking first instead of thinking. After a moment or two, he nodded.
Greyson: I do.
Anjar smiled, then took another long drink of brandy before standing and moving to retrieve a basket from the corner. It was a bit of a strange method for carrying food, but some reading on Earth customs had said picnics were a relatively common occurrence between Human couples. The holoimages had made it look romantic and he wanted to impress Carter. The other man didn't seem like the opera type, so he'd elected for something simple.
Thoran: I went for simple. I hope you don't mind.
Carter had a sip of his drink and glanced over toward Anjar as he moved to retrieve the basket. A raised eyebrow accompanied the silent glance, though the quick explanation provided was enough to draw out a soft chuckle from the engineer.
Greyson: You’d be surprised at how fancy gets stuffed into a basket like that. But simple is good. What’s for lunch?
Reaching into the basket, Anjar pulled out two containers. He opened the lid to reveal a honeyed fig crostata. It was more of a dessert, but it was a savory one. He’d found the figs growing in hydroponics and had traded a couple of replicator rations for them. The rest of the ingredients had been a bit easier to come by and the most difficult part had been making the crostata. Even that had been relatively easy. He lifted the palm-sized dessert to Carter’s mouth, offering him a bite.
Thoran: Figs and honey. It’s actually very good. Did you want to try a bite?
The containers produced looked to be the sort that one would put pudding into, or perhaps maybe a rice crispy treat. He was not expecting the small bowl-looking concoction full of fruit. After having another sip of his brandy, he took a bite of it and chewed slowly for several moments before swallowing it, as though critiquing the flavor.
Greyson: Interesting flavor…
Thoran: ::smirks:: Figs are actually an aphrodisiac.
Greyson: Did not know that.
Thoran: ::brushes his lips against Carter’s:: Neither did I until I looked it up.
Maybe it was the brandy, but there was something about the flavor that was making him realize how much more attractive Anjar was when he displayed an amount of sophistication. What he truly wanted, was Anjar. Even without the alcohol’s contribution, he felt that this could work.
Greyson: Is that why I’m falling so hard for you right now?
The smile disappeared from Anjar’s lips and he sat down the crosatta, bringing his hand up to cradle Carter’s cheek, then met the other man’s gaze with his. He felt so vulnerable seeing the adoration shining in Carter’s eyes, his chest tightening at the maelstrom of feelings brewing inside of him. The skin to skin contact felt strangely more intimate than any sexual intimacy he’d shared with previous partners.
There was something about the way Carter touched him and the way Carter allowed himself to be touched by him that warmed Anjar from the inside out. There was a confidence and a solidity to Carter that anchored him. Anjar was a passionate man who never held back his feelings. He wore his heart on his sleeve, though he’d never allowed anyone to claim it entirely. Until Carter.
He exhaled a shaky breath, brushing his lips against Carter’s even as his thumb gently caressed the other man’s cheek. Another brush. And another before he covered Carter’s lips with his deepening the kiss. The moment the younger man’s tongue brushed the seam of his lips, he was lost. His eyes slid closed and his free hand moved to cup the back of Carter’s neck, pulling the man closer.
Carter’s eyes also slid closed, but he didn’t make a move to stop the advancement. He didn’t want the moment to end, really. All the tensions from his shift, from his past, and everything else seemed to melt away in that moment. Nothing else mattered. He was still keenly aware of the fact he had a glass of brandy in his hand, and was doing his best not to drop it.
Smiling against Carter’s lips, Anjar took the glass of brandy from him and set it aside, pressing closer to him until their bodies were pressed together in the relatively small space. He could spend hours just kissing Carter like this, memorizing every sound and every reaction to his touch. He loved seeing what he did to the younger man...how Carter responded to the lightest of touches. There was a strength in how Carter pressed forward into him that momentarily stole his breath, a sharp inhale followed by a broken, breathy groan against the other man’s lips.
Thoran: ::whispers:: Gods, Carter, what you do to me. Make me utterly crazy for you.
Greyson: I hope that’s not a bad thing, Anjar.
Thoran: ::huffs:: Does this… ::kisses him:: feel like a… ::kisses him again:: bad thing… ::sucks on Carter’s lower lip:: to you? ::kisses him roughly::
Carter was stunned by the subsequent roughness. Such daring. Was it truly the brandy that was amplifying the desire for this man, or was it his own feelings that were making him want it more. After the third kiss, he finally found the words to reply with.
Greyson: No...if anything, it makes me want you more…
Thoran: ::murmurs breathily:: Good. Because I’m coming to realize that you’re the best thing that’s happened to me in a very long time.
Greyson: That’s good to hear.
The brandy had relaxed him more than he’d expected and Anjar was feeling bold. Those kisses had his mind buzzing and his heart racing. He had to find a way to slow this down. Tonight was about spending time getting to know each other. As much as he’d joked earlier about aphrodisiacs, he wanted to laugh with Carter and experience everything with him. He wanted so much more than a physical connection.
Thoran: ::murmurs:: I’m feeling a bit adventurous. Why don’t you pick what we do next?
Putting pressure on Carter to choose something while intoxicated was a terrible idea. The holodeck had safeties, sure, but he didn’t trust them nor his ability to follow a linear storyline. Instead, he came up with the least dangerous thing he could think of.
Greyson: How about a movie and possibly dinner in my quarters?
Thoran: ::chuckles:: A test of my ability to keep my hands to myself. ::brushes his lips against Carter’s:: Sometimes I think you enjoy torturing me.
Greyson: Well, it’s safer than the holodeck when we’re both intoxicated…
Thoran: ::teases:: Where’s your sense of adventure?
Greyson: It got up and went with the brandy, but I wouldn’t mind if you got a bit handsy during the movie.
Anjar’s expression softened, regarding Carter for a long moment without speaking. They hadn’t been dating long at all, but there was something about this that felt different. He felt free to be himself with Carter and didn’t feel the need to hide what he wanted. He did want Carter physically. He’d be lying if he said that wasn’t a driving force in their relationship at the moment.
Thoran: ::murmurs:: I know you don’t. I do want that with you. But I also want more than just the physical side of things. Carter, I...I’m falling and damn if I don’t want to keep falling.
Carter in turn regarded Anjar for a long moment as well. The admission caught him by surprise. Intellectually, Anjar had similar qualities to what he saw in Raissa all those months before. The physical attraction for his former chief was also strong, but not in the same way. Perhaps the brandy was affecting him more than he realized. There was something in the words that wasn’t making sense.
Greyson: Meaning what, exactly?
There it was again. The pushing. It took everything Anjar had not to back away. This whole thing was so far out of his comfort zone that it wasn’t funny. He knew what Carter wanted to hear. It would be so easy to say it. He’d used those three words dozens of times before to lure women in. It had been a bad habit during his Academy years, one he’d broken a short time into his first assignment after graduating. He’d said it to the wrong woman, who’d subsequently slapped him so hard his ears rang when he’d broken up with her.
It wasn’t something he’d tossed around since. Sure, he didn’t hesitate in telling someone he found them attractive. But “I love you”...he’d sworn he’d never say those words again unless he was absolutely certain it was to someone he could picture spending his life with. He and Carter were still in the early stages and he was far from a perfect man. It would save Carter a lot of hurt if this went south.
Thoran: ::rasps:: Carter, I’m trying. I know that I feel something for you...something stronger than I’ve ever felt for anyone. But I’m still not quite sure what it is. I know what it could be and I don’t want us to rush. I care about you and I don’t want anyone else. I know that with certainty. Can that be enough for now?
It was true, they hadn’t been dating long. It would be a very short-lived relationship if he said no. It would probably do him more harm to refuse the patience. He’d promised he would be patient, but he wouldn’t wait forever. Then again, could he really envision a life with anyone after his break-up with Ris and how horribly that went over? He hadn’t even been able to stand in the same room as her since, but that was possibly because at one point she was also his counselor. Perhaps this time...there was something to be said for patience, but the question became: could he wait forever?
TBC
---
Lieutenant Carter Greyson
Chief Engineer
USS Astraeus NCC-70652
O239002CS0
&
PNPC Lieutenant Anjar Thoran
Propulsion Systems Officer, USS Astraeus NCC-70652
I238110RH0
As simmed by Lael Rosek
