A Tribble Free Zone

Posted on 01 Aug 2014 @ 4:17pm by Lieutenant JG Grayson Jones & Jonah Chaparral M.D.
Edited on on 01 Aug 2014 @ 6:18pm

1,582 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Episode 06 - Legend of Souls
Location: USS Galileo - Lounge
Timeline: MD 08 - 1700

ON:

The lounge seemed to be relative safe haven from the tribble menace for now, only a few littered near the door frames. The crew must have been getting beyond sick of the sight of them and were throwing them out themselves, which resulted in a moderately busy evening. Grayson being Grayson however had managed to both get to the bar quickly to get his usual random bartender's choice cocktail and get an isolated seat by the window. After the day he had, he was appreciating being lost in a sea of faces, getting a chance to sit and look at the stars and slowly sip on his drink.

To him in that moment of peace, it was bliss. Grayson let his head tilt back in the chair as he let out a low, slow, sigh of relaxation.

Jonah was still trying to fit into the Galileo's time. When he had left the transport ship it had been noon and when he stepped off his new ship's transporter pad it had been 6:00 AM, or as the Fleeters put it 0600.

He'd been there now about a day and a half, though it seemed longer, and he couldn't sleep.

To him it was still 1815 to everyone else it 0015. He hoped a visit to the lounge would help. He didn't think there'd be that many people there, nor was he trying to make an impression anyway. So he dressed in a pair of worn jeans and a black tank top.

He stepped into the lounge, after a quick turbo-lift ride and looked around

Much as he had thought there weren't that many people inside, and thankfully, no tribbles.

He got himself a nice cold beer at the bar and noticed a man sitting at a table near the observation port. The few other patrons seemed to either be occupied or with someone. Thinking talking with someone might help make him sleepy he walked over to the table. "Awesome view isn't?" he asked.

"Yeah, it is." Grayson said rather absently mindedly, he knew someone had spoken to him, but hadn't quite processed that there was a person there yet. He was too lost in his own head, his eyes still transfixed out towards the stars.

Jonah felt as if he were somehow invading his space , the man seemed to be lost in the view and he couldn't really blame him. He'g give it another try, then just move on. "Hey do you mind if I sit? I don't mean to intrude, I'm space-lagged and just trying to find something to make me sleepy... Wait that came out wrong."

"Oh sorry. I'm a little tired myself and kind of spaced out a little there into...well...space." Grayson smiled. "Please, take a seat." He motioned to the only other chair at the table. The seat wouldn't have been empty for long they way the lounge looked that evening, to be honest, Grayson was glad of the company now, a chance for a new friend. 'Holy mother of a warp core, he's hot.' was the sole message to flash across his mind and the words were forced back down to his stomach, reinforced with a rather large gulp of his drink.

As he sat down Jonah looked at the man closely for the first time, raising a brow. The man was good looking, but he tried to get that thought out of his head. He had come to the lounge to be distracted, just not in that way. Besides odds were the man wasn't even interested.

"Thanks," he managed as he adjusted his chair,"as you can guess, I'm new here. I'm Jonah Chaparral." He held out his hand.

"I'm new as well, Grayson Jones." Taking the man's hand. "Been here only about 2 days, seems longer than that already though." Grayson nudged a tribble away from his foot.

"I think you've beat me by half a day. Not exactly an auspicious beginning. My roommate snores, there's all these tribbles hanging around and we've got a big mystery to unravel, but at least I've got a decent work schedule. How has your time been?"

"Busy." Grayson gave a short sarcastic laugh. "I honestly don't think I have slept yet to know what my room mate is like. I'm down in Engineering, so we have our hands pretty full just trying to keep the lights on. I'm the Assistant Chief down there."

"Well congratulations, I guess. though I don't think I'd want to be in your shoes. I a civilian actually, a doctor. The good news is while I'll never be chief of anything, I don't have to worry about paper work or any other bureaucratic bullshit."

"That's good. I miss not having to do paperwork. It kills all the fun." Grayson replied with a wink. "And a Doctor, very nice. At least I will have another friendly face should I decide to slice my hand open again on some object on the ship. Do you have a specialty?"

"Well I can handle simple stuff like that, but I'm not close to being a surgeon. I actually have two specialties, you don't want to pay me a visit professionally for either. Epidemiology and pathology. That's why I'm so old and just getting started."

"Ouch, they sound complicated..and...fun." Grayson tried to muster up some enthusiasm for subjects he knew next to nothing about.

"Well they are to me, infectious diseases have plagued all races since evolution began and my father is a pathologist, so I guess it runs in the family. What about you, are your parents engineers?"

"No, my father was a Federation Ambassador, my mother I didn't really know much. She died when I was young. You? Family in the same field?" Grayson took a sip of his drink. Family was a painful memory.

"Well my father is a pathologist like I said, my mom was in Intel before she retired. Never had much interest in sneaking around. I didn't like the idea of my kids, if I ever have any, having to worry about whether I'm coming home at night, like I did."

"I better watch out then," Grayson joked. "Knowing Intel, she will already know I am here sitting with you, looking up my background as we speak." He gave out a little laugh.

Jonah chuckled too, "I wouldn't be surprised," he answered then venturing ever so slightly into the Flirting Zone, he said, "she does that with all my boyfriends."

"I had better watch out then." Grayson too entered the flirting zone.

A smile played at the corner of Jonah' s lips. He'd had a good idea that he and the other man swam on the same team, but he hadn't been positive his gaydar was working, until now.

Taking another sip of his drink he said, "So what do you do for fun, when you're not keeping the ship from blowing up?"

"I like playing the guitar, letting loose a little, coming here when I can. Would love to open up a holodeck into a dance club one night so people could really let off some steam. You?" Grayson emphasised the 'really' he could tell once the next few days were over, he would need to let loose, revive some old habits, visit a few old vices.

"Well, I would probably be a customer at your dance club. I avoid karaoke as I don't want to frighten women and children. I like extreme sports and am bit of a risk taker. Do you play pool?"

"Not yet." Grayson said with a wink.

Deciding to go all in and with s sly smile Jonah said, "Well I could teach you and then we could play for something valuable, like our clothes maybe?"

Grayson couldn't resist. "A little cheeky and forward. But I like it." He finished his drink.

"Cheeky, forward and it seems to have worked, I like that. So I take it your single?"

"For now." Grayson winked.

"You know I've noticed that little eye twitch of yours. I'm a doctor, I could take a look at if you want. Maybe give you through physical. I have a pretty good bedside manner."

"Well, I hope so. There goes me trying to be all flirty and seductive as well." Grayson gave his best 'play sulk' look, crossing his arms, lowering his head, locking eyes on Jonah and giving a faux petted lip. Hopefully he would find this adorable and charming as Grayson planned and not weird like his usually seductive winks.

Jonah kept his eyes fixed on Grayson's. "I was being a smart ass. I like the winks. I like that look better though. Do you still want to get that steak we talked about, or just skip dinner?"

He paused, "Look I'm sorry if I'm being too forward. I didn't come here to flirt, much less do more than that. I'm not usually this bad, but...its been awhile and, well you are a good looking guy. Do you want me to back off?"

Grayson started to get up from the table, "I'd skip dinner. The holodeck is free if you want to play some pool." Grayson set his eyes to stun, hoping he would be taken up on the offer.

"I'd love to play with you," he said getting up to follow the engineer.

Off

Ensign Grayson Sharp
ACEO
USS Galileo

Dr. Jonah Chaparral
Epidemiologist
PNPC Jared Nicholas
USS Galileo

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