Dinner...

Posted on Sun Feb 25th, 2024 @ 2:16pm by Captain Johnathan Reece & Lieutenant Keelli Reex

2,945 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: First Deployment
Location: SS Unicorn, Lieutenant Keelli Reex's quarters
Timeline: MD -04 / 2054 hours

After napping for a few hours, Johnathan started to enter R.E.M. cycle, and that was when the nightmares came back. Lately, it was always the same one, the one of the battle against the Romulans, before he came to serve on Unicorn.

"Reece...Reece..." D'Angelo waved him closer, her strength fading quickly.

Leaning in closer, he put his left ear to her lips. The nurse leaned in as well, bearing witness.

"Keep...keep fighting...." She rasped. "No...no prison....prisoners. Rommies...kill...prisoners. Take...take command.....Master Sergnnnnn...." Then the life left her body and her eyes turned dull and empty.

Pulling his head back to look at her face, Johnathan was speechless.

The nurse checked for a pulse by trying to find D'Angelo's carotid. After a few beats, she looked at Johnathan and shook her head. "She's gone." Taking a beat, she collected herself and asked, "What are your orders...Master Sergeant?"

Until she had said it, Johnathan wasn't sure if he had heard correctly. Shaking himself out of his shock, he wiping his face, not realizing until then that a few tears had fallen from his eyes.

The sounds of the battle behind them brought him back to the present. Growling angrily, he replied. "We kill em all! Every last one of those pointy-eared bastards!"

As the nightmare continued, Johnathan started to twitch violently, sounds of pain coming out in moans.

Keelli was woken up by Johnathan's dream. She tried to shake him awake, careful that he might be combative-she had her own demons that came up sometimes. She spoke softly.

"Reece....hey!! You're ok...you're ok. You're safe..." she sighed. She hoped that she wouldn't have to call security or something to wake him. She rolled out of the way, and hopped out of the bed, still naked, but uncaring about that for the moment. She peered over him carefully, looking for a sign of wakefulness.

Suddenly, perhaps because of the difference in pressure against his body when she got up, Johnathan sat up, swinging his powerful fists and crying out. "AAAARRG!! BASTARDS!!!"


Keelli was already replicating a glass of cool water. She was glad she was out of the bed, but wouldn't have held it against him.


It took him a few seconds for his jumbled thoughts to calm down enough for him to remember where he was, and whom he was with. "Oh shit, Keelli!! Did I hurt you, Darlin'?!"

She shook her head. "No, it's ok. I am alright," she said. She moved back to the bed, and handed him the water. "Drink it," she said. "I've been there. Bad dream. It's OK now..." She said. She let him calm himself. "Are you ok?"

Taking the offered glass, he took a few big gulps of the refreshing liquid. Then he closed his eyes and tried to slow his breathing. Nodding as he heard her question, he replied. "Yeah. Was just reliving the ambush that those Romulan bastards pulled on the Farragut." He opened his eyes and looked at the mess he had made of her bed. "Sorry for the mess, Darlin'." He gave he a soft, slightly sheepish grin.

She nodded. "I understand," she said. She had demons of her own. "It's ok, don't worry about the sheets," she said. "I'll change them later. How about some dinner? Perhaps just in here...I am not sure you need to go out in public yet..." she said. She wasn't a cook at all, had zero domestic qualities, but she COULD use the replicator.

Nodding in agreement, Johnathan replied with gratitude. "Thank you, Darlin'. You're right, I don't think I'd be up to socializing with others right now." He moved to sit on the edge of the bed before continuing. "If you show me what kind of kitchenette you have, I'll whip us up some dinner. Afterall, you did invite me into your bed. It's the least I can do."

Keelli looked surprised. Most men didn't cook for her. They bought her food, sure, or replicated it, but never made it. She smiled. "Just the regular kind," she said. "Is this your first time inside officers' quarters?" She bit her lip, the implications just hitting her. Oops. She tugged a shirt over her head, having still been standing there, naked.

He gave her a gentle smile as he replied. "It is. I'm used to sleeping in the Barracks with my fellow MACOs. This is the first time, since joining Starfleet, that I've slept in a room with only one other person." He reached over and grabbed his boxers, pulling them on, before he stood up.

Moving over to Keelli, he put he hands on her hips and leaned in to kiss her gently on her lips. "Why don't you get cleaned up, while I rustle us up some viddles?"

She nodded. "I remember that from the Academy," she said. "First year cadets are in Barracks. Then you move to more of a dorm-style setting, and so on, as you move up the ranks," she said. "That would be nice," she said. "Excuse me while I use the refresher." She stepped into the other room, and primped herself up a little. Her makeup was a bit smeared, so she fixed that, and then slipped into something a bit more...alluring before she stepped back out. How did she have a nightie just hanging out in her refresher? Maggie believed that sexy underwear shouldn't be saved just for date night, but worn all the time, to make yourself feel better.

By the time the beautiful Trill had stepped out of the refresher, Johnathan was well into creating a delicious meal for them. He had had to use a fair amount of his monthly replicator credits to get the right ingredients, but he felt that the situation merited it. He would just have to eat mess hall food for the rest of the month.

Hearing her enter the room behind him, he turned, then did a double take, his eyes feasting upine the vision in front of him. "Holy shit! You are drop dead gorgeous, m'dear!"

Keelli laughed. "Thank you. It smells great," she said. "How did you...did you use your credits for this thing?" She whacked the replicator. "Aw, now I feel bad!" She said. "But it DOES smell good. What is it?" She asked. "How did you learn to cook? Something to drink?" She offered.

He grinned. "Don't worry, Darlin'. I was raised to always take care of the woman I'm with. As for the meal, I've got a couple tomahawk steaks, seasoned with my own secret mix of spices, dome Mac n cheese, and a salad. As for learning to cook, my Momma and Papa taught me as soon as I could stand up at the counter. I'm not just a hot bod, baby. I am a man of many talents." He chuckled and winked playfully at her, then replied to her final question. "Sure, whatcha got?"

"White wine, red wine, water, tea. I can replicate anything," she said. She panicked a moment at the thought of having to eat in front of someone, especially a man. She was an "apple for dinner" kind of girl. Still. She'd work it off tomorrow in the gym. Or bed. Or wherever.

"Sounds good! It's been awhile since I've had a steak!" She said. It was true. And she missed food, but she had to fight to keep her figure like this. She wasn't ready for the "midlife fifteen" pounds that often settled on Trill women when they hit about thirty. Of course, most of them had had a child or two but she wasn't interested in that.

He chuckled softly, then replied. "Red wine then please. It'll pair well with the steak." He then turned back to the cooking, though he stole several glances at Keelli and how amazing she looked in the lingerie she had on.

Keelli nodded, and crossed to a cabinet. She poured out two glasses-she kept a small bar setup for instances like this-and handed one off. "Excellent," she said. "I wish I could say this was some kind of exotic Trill wine, but alas, it's from Sol. Napa Valley," she said. "My last R&R was near HQ," she said.

Shrugging slightly as he took the offered glass, he stopped cooking, turned towards Keelli and stepped closer, raising his glass in a toast. "To new experiences and a new friend." His eyes moved over her barely covered form again, clearly enjoying what he saw.

Keelli had realized quickly that her outfit had had the effect she was hoping for, and she smiled. "To new experiences and friends," she said, sipping her wine. "Is it nearly ready?" She asked. "Just all the exercise has me starving. I am not used to this many...workouts...in one day," she said.

After taking a sip of his wine, Johnathan nodded. "Almost. A few more minutes. How do like your steak cooked, by the way?"

She nodded. "Medium rare," she said. "I've always heard that's the best way," she said. She shrugged a little. "We don't have similar food on Trill, so I've only had steak a handful of times," she said. "I don't eat a lot of meat in general...unless you count certain body parts," she smirked.

This comment made Johnathan chuckle softly. "And you do seem to enjoy that particular meal quite well." He checked on the steaks, then asked, "Do you have a preferred type of food to eat? As you said that you'll eat a steak, I imagine you're not a vegetarian. I also don't want to make something that you would be offended by or opposed to."

Keelli shook her head. "No, I had...what is basically an eating disorder as a child, and I still struggle with it," she said. "I am doing much better-I see the counselor regularly, and I am doing exercises. I have learned to have "safe" foods, and...it's ok. I try a lot of things, but it's still hard for me to eat in front of people. The steak is perfect. Trill food is disgusting-a lot of grubs and such," she said. "Until I learned about flying, I really didn't feel like I had much to offer the world, and so...they call it poor self image." She shrugged. "Anyway. It DOES smell good, and I am looking forward to it," she said.

Johnathan nodded, his face taking a softer tone. Reaching out to Keelli, he pulled her closer, speaking softly. "If you ever feel I am pushing food, in any way, please know that you can talk to me." He paused, then continued. "My mother had the same issues. She told us that she fought it for years, finally reaching a comfortable place in herself, before she had us."

Keelli smiled. "You're doing ok," she said. "I am glad to know you'll understand. I have, too. Let's eat!" She said. She took a breath. She could do this! It was good therapy, anyway, for her to do this.

Smiling, Johnathan nodded. "Have a seat, Darlin'." He then moved back to the small stove and turned off the heat. After putting the steaks onto a serving platter, put the macaroni and cheese into a bowl. Carrying them both over to the table, he first served Keelli, then himself. Putting the empty dishes in off to the side, he finally sat down next to the beautiful angel that he was with. Raising his wine glass, he said, "To a delicious meal."

She smiled and sat, waiting. She watched as he plated everything and served her first. Then she raised her glass, too. "Indeed," she said. She took a cautious bite, and then smiled bigger. "It's REALLY good," she said. She didn't know why she was so surprised. "I don't think I've heard of this type of steak before...tomato-hawk?" She said, stumbling over the Standard word.

He chuckled warmly, then corrected gently. "Tomahawk, like the ancient Indigenous Peoples hand-thrown, ax-like weapon. As this cut of meat looks a bit like the weapon, that's how it got its name."

Keelli nodded. "I see," she said. "You'll have to teach me about Sol's history," she said. "Well, anyway. It's good, thanks," she said. She took a few more bites before moving on to the Mac n Cheese. A small bite of that went down, and she smiled, paused, sipped her wine, and then let out a breath. She was doing Ok, even if all she could think of now was Johnathon's head up her skirt. She'd make it through this, though, first.

Johnathan smiled and nodded. "I'm glad you like it, love." He couldn't help his eyes moving along her body, down to her long legs. After finishing the food he was chewing, he sat forward and placed his left hand on her bare right knee. "Make sure you see room for dessert." The look in his eyes was full of hunger.

Keelli responded with a smirk. "I just had the same idea," she said, moving his hand closer on her thigh to the inside. Without a word, she ate a bit more, smiling after.

Arching his right eyebrow and grinning, he responded, "Where have you been all my life?" He slowly removed his hand, so he could finish eating.

Once they were done, Johnathan stood and started to clear the dishes away. "Why don't you get us some fresh drinks, maybe put on some music?"

She nodded. "Same thing?" She asked, pulling out the bottle of wine. After this, she'd need to switch to something else-she never drank to excess. It was too dangerous when one slept around as much as she did. She poured out the wine, and set the computer to play some Trillian jazz. It was sexy and soulful-not a lot different from Sol's jazz, as she'd been told. She watched him clean up a bit. "Leave those, I can do it tomorrow," she said. "Let's...sit," she said.

Hearing the tone of her voice, Johnathan smiled softly, but did as she asked. Moving over to her, he sat down on the couch and took his glass of wine, then turned towards her, putting his left arm up on the back of the couch behind her. "Before we devour each other again," he said with a sultry smirk, "tell me some more about yourself."

Keelli smiled. “What do you want to know?” She sighed. “I joined StarFleet to impress a guy, it went south. I love flying, found out I’m GOOD at it, and here I am,” she said. “Now you..”

He chuckled and smiled at her. "His loss, entirely." He took a sip of his wine and replied to her query. "Well, it's pretty simple actually. Grew up on my family's cattle ranch, working the land, taking care of the herd. I started doing rodeo when I was a little boy, kept up until I joined the MACOs, wone a fair amount of championships along the way. Then, after my little brother and Momma died, my father sold the ranch and moved out to Long Island."

Kelli nodded. “That sounds like a nice childhood,” she said. “Mine was pretty normal. My parents were government workers, and my brothers and I went to school, did extracurricular activities, and so on. And yes… his loss. But your gain,” she said. She moved closer to him then.

A soft sound of approval rumbled in Johnathan's chest. He took another sip of his wine, then put the glass down on thr sma coffee table. Putting his right hand on her left thigh. He slowly slid it up her bare leg. "I'd say the gain belongs to the both of us, Darlin'." His voice was heavy with desire as he leaned in to kiss her.

“Indeed,” she said, her voice husky with desire. She leaned into his kiss and returned it with the same passion she’d had earlier. She shifted her body so she was straddling his lap, and moved his hands to her chest.

A hungry growl vibrated in Johnathan's broad chest, as his hands moved up Keelli's back. Gently slipping the lacy robe off of her shoulders while they continued to kiss.

She began to pull off his shirt, kissing his chest as she did so. “Want to move back to the bedroom?” She asked.

“Sure thing, sweetheart,” he replied, his voice full of desire.

Slipping his hands under her pert behind, he stood up easily. He then carried her back to her bed.

She sucked in some air when he grabbed her ass, and carried her to the bed. She lay back, and winked before she finished undressing herself.

***Fade to Black***

A while later, after they had devoured one another, they lay in bed together. Keelli kissed him, before setting in beside him.

Breathing heavily as he returned her kiss, Johnathan was too enveloped in the bliss she had caused to say much of anything that resembled rational speech.

Finally, after a few moments, he was able to get out a few words. “Holy shit….that was….I mean…”

She chuckled. “I am glad,” she said. She was spent, though, finally. “Maybe a nap,” she said, sleepily, snuggling against him. “Feel free to stay, if you wish,” she said. She was a bit fast and loose, but she wasn’t mean-she was a good hostess if nothing else.

Nodding in agreement, Johnathan pulled the blankets up over them, then ordered the lights out and music off. In moments, they were both fast asleep, a content smile on each of their faces.

~OFF~

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