Chapter Text
Alexander strode in long steps to camouflage his haste to get to the officer’s dining hall. He was unaware of the attention he garnered with his gliding human stride as he passed by other crew members in the halls, focusing completely on his goal. He caught himself just before he went through the doors and entered in a more sedate pace, though his gate was no less human in its powerful grace.
He frowned minutely when he scanned the main table. It was almost fully occupied, but Astrid was nowhere in sight. He walked up and picked up his tankard. Alexander lifted his face to a table of staring eyes. He scowled slightly and resisted the urge to utter a challenge of “What?”.
Ignoring their looks, he turned away before they could come up with whatever it was that they wanted to say. As soon as he turned towards the barrel of warnog, he saw Astrid. He smiled a bit, the sight of her bringing to mind the image of a Grecian nymph dipping an urn into a fountain. Her freshly washed skin and hair seemed to cast a soft glow about her as she stood under the dim lights over the drink station.
Astrid turned in one slow graceful motion, lifting her eyes as a soft absentminded smiled played on her lips. Her eyes widened and her mouth parted as she saw him. Her green eyes drifted under her red lashes as she took in the sight of him slowly from head to toe and back, blinking when she reached his eyes again. He was stunningly handsome and she could only stare.
Her reaction of admiration surprised him for half a moment, then the corners of his mouth quirked slightly in a confident smile which unfurled fully in his eyes. And his eyes never left hers as he shifted seamlessly into a purposeful stride towards her.
The net effect of his intense focus directed towards her cause her to suck in a small gasp; though she stood frozen, utterly transfixed. At the last moment, Astrid remembered the tankard in her hand and brought it up as a last ditch, feeble blockade while the distance between them shrank.
/Hello Astrid./ he said, glancing at her tankard, which she raised higher in both hands like she was offering it to him. His smile grew, surprised at her being flustered, and watched as a blush bloomed on her face.
/Good evening Alexander./ she recovered, smiling back more naturally. She lifted the warnog slightly. /Here, take this one. I’ll fill the other./
Alexander began to grin, bemused at her cover up. /Thank you./ he said as he took it from her, not hesitating in the least to bypass the handle and instead thread his fingers with hers as he took the cup.
Astrid covered up her startled shyness at the touch he initiated by slipping her fingers out from under his grasp of her and the tankard as she turned to fill the other.
She blinked up at him after she filled the other tankard, just as fixated on him now as he had been on her. An appreciative smile curled on the corner of her mouth as he side-stepped to allow her to pass, and kept glancing at his eyes as they walked to the main table.
Astrid raised a brow and smiled in approval as he again pulled out her chair and pushed her slightly up to the table. She smiled and continued to consider his form as he sat beside her; not attempting to camouflage the trail her eyes took from his tawny hair to his buttocks, back up his muscular arms and shoulders, to his face. She smirks challengingly at him when their eyes locked briefly.
Alexander was caught between shock and pride when saw her blatantly checking him out. In his peripheral vision, he could detect the attention of several of their dinner companions focusing on he and Astrid’s exchange. A satisfied, slightly smug smile settled on Alexander’s face as he broke eye contact with her and focused on filling his plate.
Astrid sniffed a slight laugh as his chest puffed out under her attention. She grinned, glancing up at the others who were watching their interaction with varying degrees of discretion. Which, for a Klingon, meant that they were all blatantly staring at them, though their expressions varied from somewhat blank stoicism, to confused curiosity at what they were witnessing, to all out amused leers.
Astrid glanced at Nog, who gave her a slight look of mocking disapproval at the blatant desire she directed at Lt. Rozhenko. She shot a cocky grin back at Nog, before ignoring everyone’s looks altogether as she began to fill her plate.
“Have you fully recovered from your ordeal today, Lt. Tolkien?”, Captain Tork ventured out of curiosity. He had seen the report and heard enough banter and gossip amongst the bridge crew already to ascertain that something had gone on between the woman and his weapons officer. Lt. Rozhenko’s focused demeanor and her seductive glances had not escaped his attention either.
She gracefully craned her long, slender neck to turn her lovely green eyes towards him with a calm smile on her face. The entire effect of which made her face radiate when she blinked and smiled fully before answering.
/I am quite well, thank you Captain./, she said, giving him the briefest of attention before her eyes fell to Alexander’s; who had focused his attention back to her as soon as she began to speak. His eyes raked up and down her neck, knowing from his experience a few hours earlier when he had brushed his lips along the column of flesh from her ear to the hollow of her shoulder, that her skin was unbelievably soft and supple, and she smelled all at once sweet, and indescribably feminine.
Alexander tore his eyes away from her all at once, taking another bite of his food. Astrid smiled to herself and turned back to eat as well.
Captain Tork glanced over the pair. Something unspoken seemed to pass between them again, though they barely spoke to each other or made eye contact for the rest of the meal.
Astrid made a show of paying attention to the conversations at dinner, but she remained distracted. Every time Alexander shifted in his chair or moved to take a bite of his food, her attention drifted slightly to focus on him in her peripheral vision. When the meal was done and the officer’s began to drink in earnest, Astrid finally hazarded a glance at Alexander as he closed his eyes, tipping back his head to drain his remaining Warnog.
The desire in her eyes was obvious as she stared at him, watching the dim light play off his hair, the burnished skin over his hard angled cheeks and jaw, and the pale pink of his lips as they worked over the brim of his mug. A bit of the ale escaped the corner of his mouth, and a streamed in a thin rivulet over his beard and down his throat. Her eyes followed the trail and paused as she watched his throat bob up and down as he swallowed.
“You seem uncharacteristic silent tonight, Lt. Tolkien.” Ch’targh said bemused. “Is something distracting you?”
Alexander abruptly opened his eyes, catching Astrid watching him.
A blush began to blossom over her cheeks, with a reciprocating, bronzer version flushing over Alexander’s cheeks as their eyes locked. Astrid regarded his face for a few beats longer as she pulled her lips through her teeth, plumping them; brashly ignoring the Commander’s question at first. Her lashes fluttered rapidly, seemingly in the effort it took for her to take her eyes off of Lt. Rozhenko to address the second in command. She smiled pertly, raising an annoyed brow for being called out. /Yes./, she answered plainly.
Captain Tork looked from the young woman to his gape-mouthed 2nd and 3rd in command, and began chuckling and shaking his head. Astrid grinned cheekily back at the captain before turning back to her food. She quirked her brow in amusement when she scanned the table to see that all eyes were on her. She outright scoffed, not willing to indulge any more intrusive remarks, then wiped her mouth with her napkin before she made her excuses; though the use of courtesy was lost on the Klingons.
/What are you up to tomorrow, Lt. Tolkien?/ Nog asked, trying to delay her.
Astrid settled back in her chair, letting out a small huff, and giving Nog an exasperated smile. /Well, I received a com from Moiseur Sisko, of New Orleans, Earth./
/Jake called?/, Nog asked. /When, Astrid?/, his face lit up, /What did he have to say?/
Astrid sucked in a laugh at his enthusiasm. /Hmm...he called just before I came down to dinner...he said that he would call you tomorrow morning for your birthday and.../ Astrid began speaking in a language that the U.T. did not translate. The words were thick and sensuous, once again the eyes of the officers focused on Astrid as her lips and tongue moved at a hypnotizing pace.
/Was that French?/ Alexander asked, taking his eyes off her lips for only a moment.
/Oui, bien sur./ Astrid smirked before turning to Nog. /I’d translate it for you, but it is supposed to be a surprise./, she giggled like a girl. /You will just have to wait until tomorrow morning. Jake said he would call at 05:00, terrain time./ she smiled coyly.
/Wow, he is waking up before noon and everything, it is miraculous./ he quipped.
/Hmm...yes. Well, my gift comes along with his./ she grinned. /And now, I will be going to bed, Nog. I have to be up at the crack of dawn./ She said as she stood and walked casually out the door.
Ch’targh stared hard at Alexander a moment, then gave him a swift kick under the table to prompt the novice male into action. The Commander then did the most generous act Alexander had ever witnessed of him.
“I’m sure the Lt. Rozhenko can escort the woman back. I had some things to discuss with you about tomorrow’s maintenance schedule.”
Alexander took the hint, and grabbed at the opportunity to talk to Astrid alone.
/Lt. Tolkien!...Astrid!/, he called down the hall.
She looked back and paused, leaning against the wall in the busy corridor to wait for him.
/I thought I was done needing babysitters./, she commented.
/It is not that...well...it is that still...but.../, he stalled mid-sentence, suddenly at a loss.
Astrid smiled a bit. ‘Lord!’, she thought, ‘How does he make that awkward schoolboy/Klingon demigod thing work for him?’ She decided to put him out of his misery and slipped her hand under his elbow, tugging it a bit.
/Let’s hang out for a while, hmm?/, she asked casually.
He nodded dumbly and allowed himself to be led by her through the halls. When she finally paused by a door, he was surprised at first to see that they were at her quarters. Though he kicked himself a moment later when he remembered that this was where they were heading all along.
She entered the key-code and turned around to face him. /You didn’t answer me yet. Is this alright? Do you want to come in?/
At first he just nodded again, but then tried to find his voice. /Yes./, he croaked, then quickly cleared his voice, though it still sounded a bit hoarse.
/I’ll get you a drink. Why don’t you sit?/ she gestured towards the small bench and chairs. /I’ll be right back. I need to change out of this dress uniform, they are always uncomfortable./ She smiled when he responded again with a silent nod.
She hung up her dress uniform top and slipped on a loose, cowl necked shirt. Astrid kicked off her boots, then put on her cabin socks. She grabbed a bottle of wine she kept in her footlocker and her tumblers before she re-emerged. She set them down next to her PADD on the foot stool. She smiled, seeing him sit, somewhat stiffly in the lone chair.
/Has it been a while since you have hung out with humans, Alexander? Did you forget how to chill out?/, she smirked, causing him to laugh gently. /Maybe lose the armor and the knuckle-spiked gloves./ She gave him a wry look. /And consider disarming yourself? I can hardly chill out with you armed to the teeth. I’ll be right back./
She returned just as Alexander was hoisting his chest armor over his head. He turned to face her, watching with some curiosity as she set her pillows and blankets on the bench, making a little nest.
/The metal furniture is charming and all, but I am not to proud to admit that I want to sit somewhere comfortable at the end of a long day./ She patted the spot next to her, gesturing for him to sit. He complied, though he sat just on the edge of the seat with his elbows resting on his knees.
/How old are you?/ she asked as she uncorked the bottle.
/21./, he answered.
She nodded. /Sorry, it is just a bit odd for me to reconcile allowing those any younger to drink./ She glanced at him before handing him the wine. /Do you even like human wine? I didn’t think to ask./
He nodded. /Yes. My grandparents gave me a little bit on Sabbat when I was a kid./, he took the glass and settled back into a more relaxed position, taking a sip. /I had forgotten the taste of sweet things./
Alexander fidgeted a bit when she leaned back with her PADD and drink in hand, tucking both of her feet under her.
/Do you have a preference of music?/, she asked.
He shook his head at first, then smiled a bit. /What were you listening to in the mess hall when you were singing to Lt. Nog?/
Astrid giggles. /You caught on to that, did you? I hope you were the only one, aside from Nog./
/I think your secret is safe./, he deadpanned, causing her to giggle some more as she pulled up the song.
Alexander smiled and sniffed a laugh occasionally, remembering her pantomime that first day. He took a sip of his wine and nearly choked on it when he saw her firing her finger pistol towards him at the same point in the song. His choking dissolved into a deep, rich laughter.
Her eyes lit up even more brightly as she smiled in response to his laugh. /I like seeing you laugh. You are even more handsome when you smile./, she ventured.
His eyes widened a bit and his smile faltered. Alexander turned from her gaze and gulped down the contents of his glass before he reaching for the bottle to refill his drink.
/I apologize, I did not mean to make you uncomfortable./, she said.
Alexander glanced at her, then looked at his feet. /I am just not used to having things like that said to me./
Her brows shot up. /No one has ever told you that you are handsome before?/
He turned his face away in discomfort. /It is not that...I mean...No, I have never had anyone call me handsome before...But, I mean...I am just not accustomed to kindness and tenderness, softness and sweetness, and loveliness anymore. There is no place amongst Klingons for those things. But I remember them...I miss them, and I desire them again./ He said earnestly, now facing her.
Alexander reached out his hand tentatively towards hers. He traced the fingers and tendons of her hand with surprising gentleness. He exhaled softly, savoring the feeling of her creamy skin, hazarding another glance up at her. Their eyes locked immediately. Alexander moved his hand to further envelope her hand and wrist. His eyes made a continuous circuit between her lips and eyes, making his desire to kiss her plain. But he dropped his hand and gaze immediately when the door opened and Lt. Nog entered the room.
Nog glanced at them briefly. /I just came to grab that bottle of Saurian brandy. I’m heading back to meet the Captain and 1st Officer./ He sucked his head as he went to the bedroom.
Alexander shifted uncomfortably. /Perhaps I should go./, he debated to himself aloud.
/There is no need./ Astrid countered, placing her hand softly on his knee.
Her touch, as gentle as it was, grounded him to the spot. All the blood blanched from his face, though his heart pounded fiercely. He gasped slightly and felt a furious blush returning to his cheeks when Lt. Nog came out of the bedroom, but Astrid’s hand remained on his knee. The muscles of his thighs and rear clenched as Astrid began to lightly stroke his thigh as she began talking to Nog.
/Are starting the celebration early, Nog?/ She asked, smiling as she turned her head towards her friend, though she still idly caressed Alexander’s thigh.
/For a few hours, at least./ Nog smiled, not quite making eye contact with either of them. /Who am I kidding? I will probably be gone long enough to officially celebrate./, he smiled, raising the bottle. He raised a piece of fabric and a mag lock in the other hand, nodding towards Astrid. She returned his nod before he left.
Once the door closed, Astrid lifted her hand from Alexander’s knee and refilled her wine, taking a few sips before gazing at him over her glass.
/What were we talking about?/ she asked. Alexander’s eyes widened, caught trying to remember where they had left off; now too distracted from the lingering sensation of her idle caresses.
/Ah, yes./ she said, /You were discussing your rather rebellious desire for gentle things./ Astrid smirked, and took another sip of her wine before setting down her glass.
Alexander’s eyes widened and his mouth gaped as if he were about to speak; though he seemed at a loss as to what to say. He did, however, choose to respond as he pursed his lips and set his jaw in determination. He reached out and clasped her wrist, turning to face her. Alexander leaned towards her, pausing halfway as he upturned her palm and brought her wrist to his face. He paused for a moment, closing his eyes, before pressing the gentlest of kisses against her pulse point. He grazed his lips against the petal soft flesh of her wrist, tracing a trail along the veins of her slender forearm, then returning with equal devotion back towards her hand, breathing in her scent as he went. Alexander stilled his ministrations, pausing over the mound of her thumb, opening his eyes to look at her.
Astrid had the look of the Krada doe again as she stared back at him. A flash of fear overtook her as she thought that he was about to sink his teeth into the meat of his thumb. But her heart raced in desire when she saw equal desire reflecting in his eyes.
Alexander dropped his eyes closed, his lips parting as he brought his mouth in contact with her hand. He delicately touched his rather sharp teeth over the base of her thumb, before closing his mouth into a plush, reverent kiss; then he completely let her go.
Astrid was shocked by his unexpected tenderness, dropping her hand to her lap before she regained her wits. She blinked and recovered her breath as she shifted closer to him, laying ahold of his hand. She kissed each of his fingers and his palm briefly before reaching to cup his jaw instead. A small smile graced her face as she idly caressed his cheekbone, down to his beard, then parted his lips with her thumb. She raised her eyes to his, looking both aloofly ethereal, and utterly bewitching and bewitched. She smiled again, raising her chin ever so slightly in invitation to him to reattempt their kiss.
Alexander responded in the only way his mind and body would allow at that moment. He closed the gap, adjusting the tilt of his head to hone his lips straight into a kiss, even before he gave a thought as to where to place his hands. He was immediately lost in the unending softness he felt as his lips sunk into hers.
Astrid slipped her hands behind his head, resting her arms on his shoulders; triggering Alexander’s consciousness into the realization that he had hands of his own. He fumbled momentarily, reaching blindly to find purchase on either her hips or her waist, while still trying to coordinate the movement of their mouths. She distracted him significantly when she began to card her fingers through his hair. He stilled completely, opening his eyes as he pulled slightly away.
Astrid blinked her eyes open, wondering why he had stopped. Wondering if he didn’t like the way she kissed him. His expression seemed bewildered to her. She mirrored his expression, though she smiled slightly in question.
/What is it, Alexander?/ she asked.
His mouth gaped a moment as worked out what he wanted to say. /It’s just that I...I don’t want.../ he hesitated a moment as she looked at him in question. /I don’t want to hurt you./
Astrid raised a brow. /That’s good. I don’t want to be hurt./ She looked his face over. /Let me ask you this./ she locked eyes with him. /If I told you no or asked you to stop, would you listen?/
/Yes, of course!/ he answered emphatically.
/Well then.../ she trailed off before she closed the gap between them. She leaned against his chest so that their torsos were pressed together. /I promise to do the same./ she smiled. /I’m glad that collar thing is gone./ She said just before she placed a rather chaste kiss on his lips. She followed it with a rather unchaste kiss. Astrid plucked his lower lip between hers then pulled it through her teeth, softening the slight sting by lavishing her tongue against it.
Alexander let out a slight moan, which became more intense once she began to kissing and nipping along his jaw and down his throat. When Astrid began to suck on his pulse point, then calm the burn with her tongue, Alexander’s chest began to heave.
/What are you doing?/ He asked.
She looked his face over calmly, then sat up. /Too much?/ she questioned. /I know you have an instinct to bite. I thought a hicky was a compromise we could both live with. /She reached out and brushed the bruising spot on his neck with her thumb. /And perhaps keep it to where our uniforms cover them./
Alexander eyes widened then he nodded dumbly before he found his voice. /What if Lt. Nog returns. I don’t want to expose you to that./
Astrid sucked in her bottom lip and smiled bemusedly back. /Haven’t you ever heard of leaving a sock on a doorknob?/ His look of confusion was enough of an answer. /It is more of a thing on college campuses and at the Academy. You leave a sock in the doorknob when you have company and don’t want your roommate walking in./
/I have heard of it, but I really didn’t understand it./ he admitted.
/That is what the sock and mag lock were for./ she said. /Though you would be lucky to get anywhere near 2nd base with me tonight. I am not that easy./
Alexander nodded dumbly again, only remembering vaguely of hearing about some sexual metaphor related to an ancient Terrain game, and made a mental note to look it up. He hazarded a guess that she would at least allow him to go as far with her as she had already gone with him. He did not waste another moment before he leaned in towards her for another kiss. He had a notion of the human practice of ‘french’ kissing, and experimentally dipped his tongue past the rim of her lips after their initial kiss.
Her response was immediate and intensely passionate; swiping her tongue against his, coaxing his deeper into her mouth. He let out a strangled moan when she began to suck on his tongue in earnest.
Alexander was only half aware of the music playing in the background as he leaned forward, crowding her space as he cradled her head and caressed her between her shoulders and down her smooth spine. He barely hesitated a moment before he lifted he legs to lay them across his lap.
His gentleness and tenderness took her by surprise. She released his tongue and blinked up at his, surprised at her own passion to this man that she barely knew.
He shocked her by kissing her lips and jaw and throat with such controlled gentleness. She brushed his forelocks away from his face and over his shoulder as he pulled away from nuzzling the crook of her neck, causing her to squirm slightly.
He looked at her with a slightly goofy smile. /Ticklish?/ he added with a smirk.
/Yes./ she said. /I think it’s the beard./ she smiled shyly. /That was a bit more than a simple kiss./
/I didn’t mean to be so...aggressive./ he said, loosening his hold and looking abashed.
Astrid huffed as she slid her legs off his lap, tucking them beneath her again. She gave him a wry look. /I think I was the one being more aggressive./ she grimaced slightly, glancing at him. /I am usually not so...forward. Especially after only knowing a man for just six days./ she glanced up at him, raising a brow as his eyes wandered over her body, obviously only half paying attention to what she said.
/So beautiful.../ he murmured absentmindedly. He traced his fingers over her hand, looking absolutely smitten when he raised his eyes to hers. She blinked back a startled, wide eyed look of recognition or the love entwined in his tone and affect.
Alexander straightened up a bit. /You called me a man. Do I seem so to you?/
/Yes, in many ways./ she answered. /I have never been attracted to Klingon males before./
/Does that make me something more, or something less than others you have met?/ he sighed slightly.
/It makes you something other./ she said.
/My humanity is that obvious./
Astrid smiled. /Maybe to me./ she said. /But you look all Klingon...with the pretty hair and all./ She sucked in her cheeks, giggling, causing Alexander to laugh. She grinned. / That’s what you get for fishing for complements./
Alexander sputtered a laugh. /Me? I would never do such a thing./
Astrid snickered. /Sure you wouldn’t. You were preening like a peacock at dinner tonight. You knew you looked handsome./ she said. /But to answer your question,/ she said with a smile, /Your humanity comes out in your humor, and your smoother rhythm of movement. And also that look you get in your eyes...so like a man...Except when you are pulling your stoic Klingon face./ she teased. /But I mistakenly masculine, just the same./
He huffed and shook his head at her teasing. When he looked back at her, he got caught in her gaze. He looked her up and down. Alexander picked up her hand and kissed her palm. Closing his eyes tightly, he again barely grazed his teeth against the mound of her thumb, and kissed her pulse point, feeling it jump under his lips before he looked up at her. She was blushing fully red and breathing somewhat deeply. He sniffed a small laugh.
/Well that is definitely Klingon./ she murmured before collecting herself. /I think Lt. Nog will be wanting to come back soon. Perhaps next time we will actually take the time to talk./
Alexander grinned before reaching over to grab his armor and hoist it over his head. /We talked./ he said before he flipped his hair out, causing her to stifle a giggle.
/Definitely very pretty./ she smirked. /If my little sisters were here, they’d love to braid it./
Alexander gave her a stoic, mock scowl. /You are definitely a girl./ he shook his head.
Astrid giggled, giving him a sardonic look. /Your spiked gloves./ she offered them up. /Oh? How so?/
/You giggle like a girl./ he said, smirking as he looked down to put on his gloves. /...and they are gauntlets./
/‘And they are gauntlets.’/ she aped, though with a decidedly British accent. /You are such a guy./ she mocked, as she swatted at a lock of his hair when she passed him to go to the door.
He rounded on her, catching her hand, though held her wrist rather gently. Alexander cornered her slightly near the door. /And you are definitely the more aggressive./ he said before he kissed her fingertips, then let go of her hand.
Astrid snaked her hands behind his neck. /Hmm, perhaps./ she said before tilting up her chin to kiss him again.
The kiss was slow and tender, and more affectionate than anything else. Astrid went up on her tip toes and parted his hair to expose his ear. She made as if she was about to whisper something to him, causing him to stoop down slightly; but only a muffled sigh came out as she kissed him right behind his ear. She then kissed his lobe before pulling it through her teeth. She gave him a closed mouth smirk when she pulled back, seeing his face blush into a deep bronze right up to his ears.
/Is that considered aggressive?/ she asked when his expression stalled. She ducked under the arm he was using to cage her in and tripped the sensor, opening the door. /Goodnight./ she said simply before she removed the sock and mag-lock from outside the door.
Alexander looked her up and down, still flustered before he walked out. /Goodnight Astrid./
She looked him over , biting her lower lip, as he turned on his heel and headed down the hall.