A Simple Man & Easy To Please

[DrDMatthews 0]

Deb glanced at her watch as she stepped out of the lift. She'd just a new record. It had taken a full ten minutes for her to get to the bridge. She shrugged off the thought. After all, there was no emergency. This wasn't even an official visit. She'd been bored silly in Sickbay and came up here for a little break....and to confront a thief.

Whenever she visited the bridge, the mood was habitually tense. Of course, the ship was usually in some kind of trouble varying from mild to extreme. Not this time. The crew was amazingly relaxed. And why not. There was absolutely nothing going on in this section of the galaxy. This mundane assignment offered a perfect opportunity to unwind a little.

 

She nonchalantly strolled toward the command center of the bridge. The Captain was absent but the XO was in his chair studying a report of some kind....or at least he was pretending to study it. He'd turned around and glanced at her when she first got off the lift and didn't seem at all surprised to see her. She casually wondered why.

 

"Guess who I caught in the lift?" whispered Deb as she came to a stop beside him.

 

He arches an eyebrow in some confusion then it dawns on him what she’s asking. He glances up at her and whispers "A certain department chief and pilot?"

 

Not wanting this to become bridge fodder, Aidan stands and guides Deb towards the observation lounge. Privately Aidan is glad for the distraction. Except for lunch, he had been stuck reading through reports all day and dealing with various other paperwork. And granted he is a fast reader...but reading that much routine and rather boring stuff had started to give him a headache. He had long ago privately decided that the main reason that the Executive Officer position existed within Starfleet was so Captain’s had someone to foist all the paperwork onto.

 

The wheels were turning as they headed for the observation lounge. She was a little disappointed Aidan knew who she'd caught in the lift. Then again, she reasoned, something must have happened involving him and the loving duo who'd held up the lift for a good six minutes. Now, she was more curious than ever.

 

"Yep," she affirmed as the lounge door swished to a close. "Didn't catch them in the act or anything but I'm pretty sure they took the lift offline for a few minutes." She smiled knowingly. "And they had guilty looks on their faces." She stepped up to him and slipped her arms around his waist. "So, how did you know who I was talking about?"

 

He settles his arms around her waist and leans in to kiss her on the cheek. Pulling away slightly he says "Because the reason they were in the turbolift together is that I just had them up here, in this room, so I could tend to a certain...request of theirs. Which I'm not entirely sure was a necessarily good thing for me to grant." He catches her momentary look of confusion so he goes on. "They made a request for certain...living arrangements that we didn't get to ourselves until we were married. Well..except for a couple of instances." He pauses and then adds "And lets hope they have the sense to not, as you said, get caught in the act in the turbolift."

 

"They're too smart to let that happen," quipped Deb, standing on her toes to return Aidan's kiss. She gazed into his deep green eyes and frowned slightly. "Poor love, I really put you through it before we got married. I hope I've made it up to you since we took our vows."

 

He smiles, "I have what I wanted, that’s all that matters." His smile softens, "And it was important that things progress how they did for you, I didn't want you getting scared off. So you have nothing to "make up to me" and you know that." He leans back against the edge of the table. "All I want out of life is to be in your arms. I'm a simple man that way and am easy to please, I guess." He shrugs as he says the last.

 

Deb leaned against the table beside Aidan. "A simple man?" she asked, a mischievous grin pulling on her lips. "Easy to please? Tell me, would you consider something as inconsequential as a lollipop one of those simple pleasures?"

 

He smiles wryly, "I doubt my wife thinks that a lollipop is inconsequential. Sometimes I think my wife loves her sweets more then she does me. At any rate, I was planning a quiet supper in the holodeck with my wife tonight and a long walk along the moonlit beach there. If she thinks I need to make it up for..eating one of her lollipops I trust that suffices?"

 

"I'll take that as an admission of guilt," replied Deb easily. "Those Tootsie Pops are hard to come by. You must have known I was hot on your trail. That's why you came up with the idea of a quiet supper in the holodeck....on the beach no less." She pushed away from the table and stood in front of him. "I suppose that will make up for your thievery," she added with a grin. She reached up and patted his cheek lightly. "But I've moved my stash and nothing you do will make me tell you where the new hiding place is."

 

He smirks and rolls his eyes. "I already had the idea before I took the tootsie pop, yeesh. And its not like I couldn't take a tricorder and search for them." He slips his arms around her waist and draws her closer as he purrs "Besides, I think I can claim partial ownership. What is yours is mine and vice versa and all. Or should I hide the chocolate peanut butter cookies next time my mom sends some? Or those chocolate mints she sent me as a birthday present last time?"

 

"It doesn't matter where you hide those goodies," laughed Deb. "I'll find them.....and I won't need a tricorder either." She tapped the end of her nose. "I can smell chocolate a light year away." She leaned against him, resting her head on his chest. "And I hope you find my new hiding place. If you stop raiding the lollipop box, I won't have an excuse to come up here and bother you."

"Hmm..if this is you bothering me I could do with a lot more bothering then. And since your hiding spot has to be in your office, that should make it relatively easy to find. After all, I don't think you're going to trust your fellow doctors, nurses and orderlies in Sickbay by hiding them there." He tightens his arms around her, enjoying the feel and warmth of her against him. Softly he murmurs "Would give anything to remain here like this...but I guess..." His voice trails off as an earlier idea comes back to him, one that should let them extend this moment a while longer. "Speaking of such things and assuming we do get leave this Christmas, I think at least part of the time should be spent in Hawaii. It is our anniversary as well and I'd just as soon not have family around then. Besides, it would let us begin shopping for a certain idea we have for the future."

 

"Sounds like a great idea," murmured Debbie, not bothering to move. She was far too comfortable where she was. But all good things come to an end. She knew they couldn't stay in the lounge much longer or the bridge crew would think they'd caught the XO and CMO in the act. "Let's hope we get the leave," she added, pulling away from him. They slowly walked toward the door, hand in hand. "What time is dinner?"

 

"I'm pretty sure we'll get that leave. At least I hope so. And dinner will be at 7:00. Will give us time to get home and change out of these uniforms. If I may suggest, one of your light summer dresses would be...pleasing." He smiles and squeezes her hand gently. "I intend to do my very best to forget that I'm on a starship. Just want to concentrate on having a quiet and romantic night with my wife. And there will be a chaise lounge on the beach in case she gets tired of walking along the beach after supper."

 

"Can't have a romantic evening on the beach without the chaise," purred Deb as they reached the observation lounge door. Beyond was the bridge and Sickbay and all the responsibilities those places implied. But for the last several minutes, she'd been temporarily transported to another frame of mind....one far more pleasant than shipboard duties allowed. And now she had the evening to look forward to as well.

Stopping just far enough away from the door to keep it from opening, Deb paused and smiled at her husband. "If Anna and Will get along half as well as we do, then I dare say they have a bright future together."

 

He shrugs and smiles faintly. "Perhaps that will turn out to be the case. But to be honest, I'm not so interested in their future. I'm much more interested in ours." He leans in for a gentle kiss. Breaking it off after a few seconds he purrs "Speaking of, I'd like to collect more on this later tonight."

 

"You can count on it," whispered Deb. The doors swished open and they strolled onto the bridge doing their best not to look anything more than professional. It was a testament to the crew that nobody stared at them although she had no doubt what some were thinking. "See you tonight," murmured Deb as she casually walked to the lift. "And please, don't be late."

 

He nods slightly in reply to her as his eyes follow her until she disappears into the turbolift. Sighing quietly to himself he turns towards his chair, his mind focusing on his duties. There would be time enough to focus on more pleasant things later tonight, right now it was best to get the job done and out of the way. Though, Aidan doubts anyone would blame him if his mind wandered a bit from time to time to briefly focus on tonight. "All bridge stations report please. Anything of interest seemingly about to happen?" Privately he fervently wishes nothing does. If the rest of his days turned out to be as boring, work wise, as the last few days he would be eternally grateful.