Lt. Cmdr Robin Hopper: Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now
Robin Hopper
((Terrible Targ, Merchant District))
The Tellarite roared with laughter as he settled into a seat next to them. Another interruption. Try as they might, she and Nathan simply couldn’t seem to find a moment together to talk. Or flirt. Or even have a single drink. They’d barely even had time for their ‘cover’ of professional banter about vehicle replicators.
Wherever they went, someone managed to come between them and the fun they were trying to have. Robin tried to hide her annoyance, but was pretty sure anyone with eyes could see she was displeased. Then again, the man was so drunk that perhaps he genuinely couldn’t read the situation…
She was beginning to wonder if this was all some sort of omen. Then again – nothing good was ever easy. If you wanted something, you’d work for it. Manifest it through your efforts. Sighing, she shrugged… oO Time to manifest… Oo
Hopper: ::Turning on the charm:: So, Mr. T’Nik, was it? How do you know Nathan?
The heavily-inked Tellarite man gave her a toothy smile, crossing his arms.
T’Nik: Nathan here wandered into my shop a while back and wanted to see some of my work. ::Looking to Nathan:: I have to say, I must have impressed, since he came back for a tattoo.
Hopper: Oh, is that right?
Her eyebrows raised and she felt her gaze pulled back to Nathan, catching him with his head bowed again. He sighed, then looked up to meet her gaze, his little secret now spoiled.
Hopper: You didn’t tell me you were getting a tattoo… Just how big are we talking? ::Squinting:: And where are you hiding it?
Richards: It’s really nothi–
T’Nik: Oh, don’t be bashful, Nathan! ::Slapping Nathan on the back:: It’s some kind of bird. What was it that you said? A phonics? Something like that, covering his whole back. It is going to be a wonderful piece. ::Rubbing his hands together:: One that I will be very, very proud of.
Nathan shot the Tellarite an unamused glare before he looked back at Robin with his brow furrowed.
Robin couldn’t help but laugh and shake her head at the tattooist’s drunken inability to remember the name of the creature he was permanently inking on her date’s back. She never would have described Nathan as a cautious man – but this conversation probably would have raised a red flag to most other “second dates”. Robin, however, just found his dismay adorable – and kind of hilarious.
Hopper: Oh, come on, you know that sort of thing doesn’t bother me. I mean, that’d be hypocritical of me, don’t you think?
oO Besides, it’s nothing a few laser treatments and a dermal regenerator couldn’t fix… Oo
T’Nik: Ah! She has some art of her own!
The Tellarite roared with laughter again before he gulped down the rest of his drink. Nathan raised an eyebrow, tilting his head.
Richards: ::To Robin:: You have a tattoo?
She nodded as if it wasn’t anything surprising. Her tattoo was nothing quite as spectacular as a majestic “phonics” backpiece – just a small theta symbol to remind her of home…
Hopper: Between my shoulder blades. ::To Nathan:: You’ve seen it.
Richards: I have?
Hopper: The Pub Crawl, earlier this year. We went to the poolside bar at the hotel. In the jacuzzi. ::Turning around in her chair, as if that would make it clearer:: I’m sure it would have been visible in my swimsuit…
She watched as his glazed, lost expression slowly melted into one of vague remembrance before finally settling on a look of bashfulness.
Richards: I don’t actually think I saw it. I wasn’t really, um, looking at your back.
She crossed her arms and stuck her tongue into her cheek, not sure yet whether she ought to feel annoyed or flattered.
Hopper: ::Taunting him:: Well, where were you looking?
She’d never seen the typically-animated engineer so still… like a deer caught in the lights of a hydro-combine. No cheeky grins or winks were getting him out of this one. His eyes darted back and forth between her and T’nik, giving away the delightful chaos within him, his cheeks flushing under the heat of his own self-awareness.
Richards: ::Sighing:: I was…kind of busy…watching the way your hair moved when you talked. The way you smiled, the way your eyes shined. ::Clearing his throat:: Those kinds of things.
She blinked.
That answer had caught her by surprise.
It wasn’t the first time his sudden honesty had caught her off guard…
((Flashback – Approximately One Year Earlier, Wet Goods Karaoke Bar))
Nathan opened his eyes and looked towards Robin. He couldn't quite read her expression, but could see that her eyes weren't leaving him as he sang. He watched her for the rest of the song, finally bringing it to a close. He stood to the applause, even a couple of whistles from further in the back. He stepped back down the stairs and walked back over to their table.
Hopper: I didn’t know you could play...
Nathan sat on the stool next to Robin, placing his arms onto the table. He looked down for just a moment before turning his attention to Robin's deep blue eyes.
Richards: ::half-hearted smile:: I don't know if I can do this…
…
A long silence lingered between the two of them, the only sounds, those of the bar and the next karaoke singer wailing in the background. Robin felt the butterflies in her stomach die. Her mouth hung open just a little, in shock. Finally, she closed her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh.
Hopper: Okay… ::Opening her eyes again:: ..Uh, why? I mean, what.. ::Flustered:: What changed? I.. I thought things were going pretty well.
Richards: We talked about what we wanted and our expectations. You were pretty adamant on what you wanted…
Robin nodded, then took another drink, larger this time. She could see where the conversation was going – or at least, she felt like she could. But she wanted to hear it clearly from him. Things were rarely better left ambiguous.
Hopper: Right. ::A pause:: So what changed? I thought we were on the same page here. Weren’t we?
She asked the question simply enough… but after that kiss something had changed. She had sensed it then, but couldn’t put a finger on it. Now she wondered if he had felt something more there as well. Something which, unaddressed, would certainly complicate things.
Richards: We are…I just…I don't know if I can just "go with it". I don't think that I'm that kind of guy. ::Finishing his drink in one go:: I really like you. I like what we have…this chemistry. But I know that if we keep going…I don't know if I could keep myself from…falling in love. ::Holding up his hands:: I really thought that I would be able to keep it casual. But…I don't know.
Robin let out the brief, frustrated, pitiful laugh of someone receiving bad news that they’d half-expected. She felt… disappointed, a little angry – and in a confusing way, relieved…
Hopper: ::Still somewhat in disbelief:: Really? I mean, Nathan… falling in love?
Nathan flinched slightly. Robin shook her head, but it was not out of judgment. Even if it all seemed hard to believe, she had felt something too – and she knew that following that feeling would more-than-likely lead to at least one of them getting hurt.
Hopper: I mean, you’re right. If that’s what you’re feeling, you’re totally right – we shouldn’t do this… ::Hands on table, looking down at her empty glass:: I mean, I’m glad you’re telling me. Don’t get me wrong, that’s really.. ::sighing:: ..a hard thing to do.
Nathan slowly moved his hand across the table towards Robin's, but stopped. He felt that maybe holding her hand would make the conversation easier, but at the same time it could make it worse.
Richards: I wanted to be honest. I think if we are going to keep working together, we need to be open and honest.
Robin nodded slowly. He certainly wasn’t wrong about that. Sometimes being an open book meant giving up the protection of being closed – and that vulnerability could sting. No night of fun would be worth it at the expense of somebody getting hurt. It still sucked, though.
Hopper: ::Exasperated sigh:: #%&$…
Nathan hesitated a moment, his hand still halfway across the table. He pulled it back, resting it in his lap.
Richards: I'm sorry…
Hopper: Ugh… Yeah… Me too.
((End Flashback))
…
T’Nik: So it seems that I interrupted something…important here.
Ginnin stood and tapped the table lightly.
T’Nik: I will take my leave. You two have a… ::Looking between the two:: …wonderful evening.
The Tellarite man walked away, leaving the two alone again. Robin felt somewhat dumbstruck by Nathan’s confession, all her bluster and banter deflating as she looked across the table at his sweet earnest face, her own cheeks now sharing in the warmth that reddened his.
Hopper: Nate… I… ::Her voice catching, unsure what to say:: I don’t. Um.
Richards: I…I’m sorry. ::Chuckling:: Back then, I still hadn’t gotten things straight about how I felt. I managed to tuck the feelings away after that.
She closed her eyes a moment, shook her head, then reopened them.
Hopper: No. No, it’s okay. ::Chewing her lip for a moment:: I was… confused too. For a long time. ::Sigh:: I thought I knew what was best for me. For us. Tried to stay disciplined.
She chuckled, embarrassed at how long they’d both held out despite their obvious desire for intimacy.
Hopper: But it was hard – and I think I’d be lying if I tried to say there weren’t moments where I almost gave in.
In the car at the drive in, the photons of the movie lighting his grinning face. The escape pod, lying in a tangled mess on the floor after he’d disobeyed her orders to abandon her. In the park, when he informed how he’d spared her from eating the Hirogen meal. New Years Eve, as she fell asleep in his arms by the fire…
Richards: Really? ::Chuckling:: I had no idea. You did a better job at hiding it than I think I did.
It had taken a near-death experience to break down this wall they'd built.
Hopper: ::Shaking her head, a wry smile:: Or we’re both completely oblivious.
Another moment passed between them – this one filled with a growing mutual understanding of how the past year of withholding had really just been an exercise in futile self-restraint.
Richards: Is it just me, or did we torture ourselves for quite some time?
She replied bluntly, her innermost thoughts simply bubbling to the surface as she was struck with a supremely disappointing realization.
Hopper: Yeah… ::Beat:: …We’ve probably missed out on a lot of sex, haven’t we?
Richards: Response
It suddenly occurred to her what she’d just said, and her mouth dropped open, apparently shocked by the words that had just passed through it. A moment later, she shut it, looking up in contemplation, before settling into a nod.
Hopper: ::Nodding:: Yeah, no… I stand by that. ::Looking around the bar:: Do you, um, really want a drink?
Richards: Response
She started slowly pushing her chair away from the table.
Hopper: …Because frankly, I’m sort of feeling like we could just ::tilting her head back and forth:: get out of here.
Richards: Response
Hopper: My place?
Richards: Response
She grabbed Nathan by the hand and dragged him quickly past the approaching server, who looked, bewildered, back-and-forth between the fleeing couple and the empty seats they’d left behind. But Robin was overcome with a giddy and thrilling revelation, and she turned back over her shoulder to look at the tall, dashingly handsome, wonderfully-genuine man who she could now not only call her best friend – but also…
oO Loverboy Oo
…again, at last.
She grinned. No jokes this time.
TBC
