JP: LCDR Nolen Hobart & Lieutenant Commander Talia Ohnari — Invitations (Part II)
Roxanna Dorion
((Ohnari Quarters, Deck 13, USS Khitomer, En Route to Sector 001))
He rose from the bed as she spoke, leaving the PADD behind and headed for the sofa nearby for his discarded undershirt.
Hobart: ::slipping on the tee-shirt:: …Don’t need to be an empath to sense the “but.”
Ohnari: ::smiling politely:: But, it is incredibly selfish and unfair of me. And, I am a big girl who needs to handle her own problems. ::she clasped her hands together:: What I mean is, I’ve taken up more than enough of your time.
It was the right call. So why did it feel like she was breathing in shards of broken glass to get the words out? But she was getting far too attached. She looked forward to the end of her shifts, knowing that he would be coming to her quarters. They’d found themselves in such a comfortable routine, she was allowing herself to get used to it. As a constant. But…well that isn’t what he was looking for.
The problem with mixed feelings is they weren’t any easier for an empath to sort out than for someone who lacked reading abilities. And the problem with a half-Betazoid raised among non-Betazoids is that they did not develop the same radical honesty so common among others of the species, the kind that develops when secrets are very hard to keep secret. In cases like Nolen’s, it was the sort of thing that required some initiative.
Hobart: I… don’t mind handling your problems. ::flexing jaw:: And when I said “you’re better at this,” I don’t think I was talking about the wedding stuff.
Oh no. She had not intended to open this door. Rejection once was enough. She didn’t need to be reminded again. The man acknowledged feeling…well…something towards her, but had absolutely no intention of moving forward. And while those first few nights felt like a sweet kind of torture, she was desperate enough for sleep to ignore the massive warning sings of pending heartbreak. All she had intended was to give him an out. He’d felt guilt about his actions and it was as much for him as it was for her. At least, at first.
Hobart sensed the room beginning to spin around Ohnari and he raised his hands defensively. It was as if he’d pulled a trigger inside her heart and though her face was collected, the facade of it was plain enough to him and her internal churn ate at him like a guilt manifest by swarming insects.
Hobart: Wait! Wait. No, hang on. ::running a hand through his hair:: What I meant was… I’m trying to get my shit together.
In a moment of temporary insanity, Talia had thrown every bit of caution out the airlock when she and Nolen had been alone in Sickbay. She kissed him, and then told him rather forcefully to get himself together. But after she had cooled down, she felt pretty bad about the whole thing. Minus the kiss, of course.
And the biting?
No regrets.
Ohnari: ::wincing:: I said I was sorry for that…and I..I wasn’t being fair. ::blowing out a breath:: I was caught up in the emotional fallout.
Hobart: Yeah, but you weren’t wrong. And the past few weeks— I mean we’ve all been caught up in all kinds of things, and I… like being caught up with you.
A shaky exhale and Nolen felt the tingle of stress leaving his neck and shoulders. That was about as close as he was ever gonna get to opening up in the way that she’d wanted from him. And it felt a bit like watching a ship launch from spacedock, and warp out. Nothing more to be done, just had to see what happened. With the way he’d acted, she had every right to get angry, and kick him out into the corridor without his shoes. On second thought, the shoes would most likely follow, thrust directly towards his face.
For a few moments she just kind of stared at him. Waiting for the anxiety spike to come and him to backtrack everything he just said and flee. As the seconds turned into a full minute, and him not leaving, a tiny little spark of hope flared in her chest. Before she would give it fuel, she approached him.
Ohnari: Nolen…do you trust me?
It was not the reaction he expected, nor the one of his wildest fantasies, but it was a question that burned at the heart of his doubts and aspirations. Did he trust her? Did he trust himself? Did he trust the ship, and the war they were in? Most things Nolen Hobart never trusted, relying on guile and mischief to ensure he always had an edge. He’d turned an evolutionary survival trait—his empathic abilities—into a predatory instinct in service of his control over his surroundings, and turning those abilities onto Talia felt… not just like a betrayal, but entirely unnecessary. And in that, he had his answer.
Hobart: More than anyone else.
Moving closer, she reached out and took his hand in hers, tentatively.
Ohnari: Out there, ::pointing behind her towards the door:: I know who you are. You are Commander Nolen Hobart, executive officer of the USS Khitomer, my direct superior. ::smiling a little:: And, as my superior, I trust you not to order me based on emotions. You are a great officer, ::squeezing his hand:: And I trust your professional judgement, as I hope, you trust mine.
Taking a deep breath, she was putting it out there, and it was scary.
Ohnari: I know whatever order you give, you give it for a reason. And you wouldn’t knowingly put me or anyone else on this crew in danger. But, danger is still part of the job. And I trust that if something happens to me, it wasn’t because of who ordered it, just part of the risk of joining Starfleet.. ::now came the important bit:: In here…well in here we are just Talia and Nolen. Equal footing. Can you trust me to know the difference?
He closed his eyes, and felt himself falling away from her just a bit. Not physically, but emotionally. It wasn’t the accountant in him, ever afraid of running in the red. It was something else. A fear deep at his core. Did he trust her? Absolutely. Could he trust himself? That was the matter that drove him to his mania when it came to Talia. That fear, and for the first time he realized that it wasn’t a question of whether he could be trusted, whether he would actually make the right calls when the time came. The words of Commander Morgan and Captain Shayne fluttered out from the recesses of his memory as he realized: what mattered was whether he was willing to try.
Hobart: ::whispered:: I already told you.
With one hand, he squeezed hers back before pulling it toward him. He wrapped his other arm around behind her and held her close as—for the first time since the very night he was put into this improbable position when Commander Adyr was transferred out of the role as Khitomer’s executive officer—he kissed her. Fully committed, with knowledge aforethought.
The flicker of hope that had begun in her chest seemed to ignite throughout her entire body, he was holding her, and then he was kissing her. He trusted her, and trusted them. Enough that maybe there could actually be a them at all. Her arms wrapped around him and held on. Last time, it felt like a goodbye, hurt and anger were forefront. This time…this time felt like a beginning. Her senses, both physical and empathic were aligned, all she could sense was him, it was thrilling, but also minorly terrifying.
After several moments of allowing herself to enjoy this, she slowly broke the kiss, not fully pulling away, gently running her nose along his for a moment.
Ohnari: ::near whisper:: Are you…I mean, you’re sure about…this…us?
Admittedly, it seemed entirely unfair. She had just asked him if he trusted her, and yet here she was doubting, just a little. Mostly, it was a twinge of self preservation. What if he changed his mind once they left his room? What if the “out there”, made the “in here” feel too exposed? If the lines became any more blurred in her heart, they would be non-existent, and that would be much harder getting over.
Hobart: ::pressing his forehead to hers:: I'm not sure of anything. But I'm sure gonna try.
His smooth forehead pressed against her ridged one felt…oddly natural. His answer felt like permission. He would try, and so would she. Together.
Ohnari: ::softly:: We both will. ::leaning her head on his shoulder, she hugged him to her tightly:: Does this mean I get to grab your ass in the corridors? ::reaching down she squeezed his butt playfully before dissolving into laughter::
Backing up, still within his arms, she held her hands up and grinned in playful supplication. His head clocked to the side and his dark eyes narrowed.
Ohnari: Kidding!! I’m kidding, ::grinning mischievously:: Although I’ve been dying to do that since I walked in on you in your underwear all those months ago.
Hobart: ::eyebrows raised:: …been dying to grab my ass? I've unleashed a monster.
Making her hand emulate a claw, she growled at him playfully. He nodded, knowingly.
Hobart: But you know turnabout is fair play, right?
Talia’s eyes widened and a mock squeal of fright escaped her lips. Batting her lashes playfully she shoved herself away from him a few feet and spun.
Ohnari: You gotta catch me first!
His posture shifted as he prepared a lunge. A terrible grin crept across the young Officer's lips, one that hadn't been there for nearly a year. But then he hesitated, and eyed the bed. He launched himself towards the bed and scrambled for the PADD. Priorities!
Hobart: ::tapping:: Two things. First, work…
Eyeing him from her position, she suddenly gave up the game and scrambled onto the bed after him.
Ohnari: Don’t you dare send the bad one!!
---
TO: All Officers, USS Khitomer
FROM: LCDR Nolen Hobart, Executive Officer
RE: Dewitt-Jacin Wedding Invitation
Dearest friends and colleagues,
Please join us in celebration and commemoration of the eternal bond between LCDR Connor Dewitt and his beloved LT Jacin Ayemet. Festivities will commence in two weeks time at the childhood home of Mr. Dewitt on Earth.
Dinner and drinks will be included after a brief ceremony. Formal or dress attire is encouraged.
Tardiness will be subject to discipline.
---
Hobart: ::sending:: Of course not.
He tossed the PADD aside and ran a pair of fingers along her jawline, locking their lips together again. He inhaled deeply, drawing her scent into his chest, and reveling in the ripples he sensed from his touch. He pitied those who couldn't read the thoughts or emotions of others in that moment, for all the awkward, numb fumbling they must struggle through.
Talia leaned into his touch, and when he kissed her again, so freely, she allowed a contented sigh to escape. It seemed natural, the way he showed his affections. Like they hadn’t been dancing around each other for the better part of two years. His willingness to try had her heart fluttering.
Ohnari: ::quietly, against his lips:: What’s the second thing…?
Hobart: Try not to wake the bat.
Ohnari: ::nibbling his lower lip playfully:: No promises…
NT/End
———
Lt. Commander Nolen Hobart
Executive Officer
USS Khitomer (NCC-62400)
A240001NH3
&
Lieutenant Commander Talia Ohnari, MD
Chief Medical Officer
USS Khitomer
C239205ME0