Secrets

Posted on 07 Nov 2014 @ 6:19pm by Petty Officer 3rd Class Ellsworth Hudson & Lieutenant JG Grayson Jones

3,482 words; about a 17 minute read

Mission: Episode 07 - Sojourn
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 7, Main Engineering
Timeline: MD-27: 1600 hrs

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Ellsworth tried to be as casual as he could while leaning up against the bulkhead outside of main engineering, but he felt like he could never get his stance right. One foot up against the wall felt too seductive; folded arms seemed too defensive; and slouched over felt too juvenile. Eventually, he just settled into as comfortable a position as he could find and banked on his dashing good looks being sufficient to catch Grayson's eye.

Assuming he wanted his eye caught, that is. It had been a few days since they'd seen each other, most of which Ellsworth had spent processing the inevitable heart-wrenching end to his relationship with K'os, and he wasn't entirely sure the Trill ever wanted to see him again. Sometimes they didn't; sometimes it was a one-off with awkward glances in the corridor. If it was the latter, they'd just exchange some pleasantries and Ellsworth could probably find somewhere else to be self-destructive.

Having once again de-fluffed the entire filters on the ship from their 'guests' Grayson was looking forward to hitting his room and heading straight for a power nap. Both his uniform and hair disheveled, he casually strode out of Main Engineering, not caring he looked like a hot mess. The past few days had taught him something, life was short, too short to let himself become the shy boy he used to be. He was reclaiming his confidence and with it, his signature 'I'm going to walk around like I own the place' swagger and charming glint in his eye.

As he exited, he caught a glance of Ellsworth, waiting outside. "Engineering problem or just happy to see me?" Grayson asked, letting himself rest against the wall beside him in the seductive stance that Ellsworth was considering not a few moments ago. Grayson let his head turn to the side to face him, folded his arms and made sure he was only just outside a moderate personal space bubble.

Ellsworth had watched the Trill saunter out of engineering with a broadening grin; the bounce in his step was definitely different and definitely appealing. "Just happy to see you, of course," he said, cutting his eyes to look at him. Feeling a little bold, he peeled himself away from the corridor and took a couple of lazy steps over, closing some of the distance between them. He reached out a finger and moved it back in forth in a regular half-moon gesture around Grayson's elbow. "Can I tempt you with an early dinner? We, uh... Didn't get the chance to talk much last time."

Enjoying the playful exchange a little more than he should have, Grayson let their noses touch in an old Earth, while politically incorrectly named, Eskimo kiss. "That sounds perfect to me handsome." He let himself get lost in the caress for a few moments before continuing. "It would be nice to get to chat as well." With that he went in and stole a kiss, before picking up Ellsworth's hand, taking it into his own and hoping he would follow him to the mess hall.

Ellsworth followed along with great delight, feeling very pleased that their rendezvous a few days ago hadn't left Grayson with any negative opinions of him. Or, perhaps worse, that there would be some awkwardness between them arising from feelings of guilt or remorse. But Grayson felt...different, in an empathic sense, more confident and self-assured. Ellsworth wasn't sure if that made him sexier or what, but it was a change he definitely liked. In fact, as he trailed behind the Trill, hands clasped, he couldn't think of anyone he'd rather have with him, someone he could live in the moment with and not have to worry about Oren's disappearance or K'os leaving without so much as a goodbye or any of the stresses of work.

"I'm gonna get something with chocolate," Ellsworth said, grinning as they stepped into mess hall. He was downright giddy that the replicators were back online, because if he had to eat another dessert out of those rations he would probably die.

"I'm thinking a nice lean steak...personally I'd save the desert for after dinner." Grayson gave a very flirtatious wink with a lingering gaze. He continued on up to his favorite table, by the window and tucked behind a support pillar, a place you get lost in the stars or in someone's company. To him it was perfect, all that was missing was a small tea light candle for the table and a flower for added garnish. If he had a little more warning, Grayson would have booked some holodeck time and loaded up one of his favorite Parisian cafs that overlooked the Seine and gave gorgeous views of the Eiffel Tower at sunset. He knew how to charm when he was back on his game...and Grayson felt back on his game.

"I always wanted to go to Paris," Ellsworth said, reaching out across the table for Grayson's hand. He smiled shyly and kept his eyes on his hand while his cheeks flushed red; sometimes he had difficulty distinguishing from spoken thoughts and thought thoughts, especially if he was somehow close or bonded to the person. "Sorry, sometimes it just happens... I wasn't doing it on purpose, I promise. I know it makes people uncomfortable. It's just, uh...sometimes after I've, you know..." He grinned, took up Grayson's hand and ran his fingers across it. "After I'm intimate with someone things get a little hazy. Not that I control it very well, anyway, but..."

"Thats okay." Grayson smiled, enjoying this initial closeness, knowing his dinner partner would pick up on it anyway, he admitted to himself he had missed this, telepathic or not. "As you can probably already tell, I'm comfortable with it." He didn't feel the need to say the rest, his eyes and thoughts would be giving it away, happiness filled him.

Ellsworth shifted himself in his seat and pulled Grayson's arms a little closer. He ran his fingers over the back of his hand, easing down to the wrist and focusing on the sensation of skin and hair beneath his fingertips. He looked up through thick lashes and gave Grayson a very sly smile, making his own thoughts fairly plain. He definitely should have suggested dinner in...

"You're different," the Betazoid said matter-of-factly, making it less a question or accusation and more of a statement. He finally releasing Grayson's hand and turning his attention to the daily menu of fresh food, which seemed fairly sparse thanks to the tribble infestation. He glanced up from the menu and used a moment of distraction to admire the other man and curse himself for not sitting close enough to take advantage of the support pillar and run his hands over those lovely spots. "Has something changed?"

"I've gotten settled. Dealt with a few troubling things of the past that had to be seen to and began to feel a lot more like myself again." Grayson was very mindful of this thoughts, he did not want to give things away. "I'm just more comfortable, lets just say that. Being here with you has helped that."

Ellsworth felt heat in his cheeks and fought an urge to hide his face with the menu. No one was ever so frank with him, and until K'os, no one had really even paid him much of a compliment, or at least a compliment that didn't have to do with his body. He slowly broke out in a very wide grin, unable to contain himself, and swatted at Grayson with the menu, cheeks still red.

"Stop it! You're embarrassing me," Ellsworth said quietly, averting his eyes and waiting for the blushing to stop. He put the menu down and leaned forward across the table with a knowing look. "Well, whatever it is, I like it. It's sexy." He grinned again then leaned back and swung his legs out from the table and hopped to his feet. "What do you want? I'll go get it for you..."

"Steak for me with a selection of steamed vegetables and gravy." Grayson's usual work out meal, lots of protein, no carbs.

Ellsworth nodded then looked once to the left, once to the right, and finally leaned down, using his hand to press Grayson back against his chair and kiss him in a way that went a step or two...or ten...beyond what the engineer had taken back in the corridor. He stayed close, relying on the privacy afforded by the support pillar, and stared into Grayson's eyes while he traced a hand along the Trill's spots from temple to shirt collar. And then, he was just gone, wearing a broad, mischievous smile on his face all the way to the replicator and back. He flopped down in his seat with food for the two of them and set about arranging his meal on the plate in the very particular and peculiar way he enjoyed.

"Well, you certainly know how to tickle a boy's spots. I doubt someone has caressed me like that before." Grayson grinned, knowing all too well his emotions were emanating from him like a beacon and they were more focused on dessert than the actual meal. "I have an idea when we are done. I want to take you to my desert island on the ship. The one place I know, when I want to be alone with my thoughts, I can go an no one can trouble me."

"Okay," Ellsworth said, trying to keep it simple and modest. But his tone of voice and the way his body was wiggling around in the chair in anticipation made it clear he was excited about sharing something special. And dessert, too. Definitely dessert.

The young Betazoid plowed through dinner with a purpose, downing his fettuccine with plomeek sauce and taking the odd bite of a very out of place chili and salt infused chocolate bar. He nodded and smiled and kept the conversation interesting and flowing well, falling back on his skills from Risa and the occasional telepathic peek. It helped that Grayson was so charming and flirtatious and seemed to have taken on an entirely new life of his own, bringing out all the wonderful things Ellsworth had sensed just below the surface the first time they met.

By the time they'd cleared their plates and Ellsworth had stuffed the final piece of chocolate in his mouth, he couldn't contain his excitement and curiosity any longer and finally blurted out, "Where are we going? I'm so awful at surprises... I've been trying not to read your mind the whole meal, and it's killing me!"

"Good, I wasn't thinking about it anyway." Grayson winked. "Just come with me, all will be revealed soon." He lead them down the hall to the nearest turbolift, he had taken Ellworth's hand and had yet to let it go as he called out to the computer, "Deck 7, junction 4." He then turned to his handsome date, "I need you to make a few promises before we get to where we are going. This place is special and I would like to keep it a secret as much as possible."

Ellsworth kept his hand in Grayson's but moved his body to lean up against the taller Trill. He smiled up at him, eyes glittering with anticipation, and he nodded. "Okay, I'm good at promises and secrets."

And he actually was, having learned the value of discretion because of the nature of his clients. He'd walked away from Risa with enough knowledge to shake up a couple of planetary governments; the older ones always liked to talk about their lives and their jobs, and they'd always end up divulging too much. Lucky for them, Ellsworth had never been particularly profit driven or had an interest in the more criminal side of his profession: blackmail, extortion and the like.

"Good, this in Engineer's Privilege you see. Not many people know of this space within a ship and those that do, keep it very quiet. You must promise never to speak of this space and use it in emergency situations only. Stafleet Captains, unless they come from an engineering background, seldom know of this place within a ship." Grayson was trying to build up the suspense and mystery more that what was probably deserved. "If anyone sees us, you are to say you are coming with me to check out an internal error with the sensors, okay?"

Ellsworth grinned and nodded, letting loose a sound of excitement and anticipation in his throat. He wondered where the space could be, what was so secretive and special about it? Not that it mattered, really. They could be going to a Jeffries tube junction for all he cared, as long as it was private and intimate and gave him a chance to enjoy his time with Grayson. He stood on his tip-toes and gave the Trill a peck on the lips, then did his best to put on a very solemn and grave face. "Yes, sir, Ensign Jones, sir. Internal error with the sensors. Strictly need to know, for your eyes only." He giggled a little, nuzzled his head against Grayson's chest, then looked up with smiling eyes. "Honest, I'll keep it a secret."

Grayson let his head rest against Ellsworth's forehead after he gave it a gentle kiss. He was enjoying the closeness. "Where we are headed is a magical little crawl space between decks six and seven. Most people know of the ships sweet spot, the place where gravity plating and structural integrity meet and give a zero-g space, it can be a little on the larger side. This place is a little similar, I call it the honey spot. It's a little more intimate, just as much zero-g, but it has a good view, there is a small observation window to look out over the main deflector since we will be between the tractor beam emitters and the main deflector generator bay. It works pretty much on the same principle, just good chance of not being disturbed for a while."

Ellsworth's eyes were wide as he listened, looking thoroughly enthralled by all the engineering talk. He had no idea there was a sweet spot; in fact, he still had a hard time just navigating the corridors on a good day, much less wandering through the enclosed portions of the ship. Plus, something about Grayson's secret knowledge, paired with his engineering abilities, made him all the hotter. Ellsworth, a little on the slow side when it came to book learning, had always gravitated toward smart men, as if their mere presence might help make up for his personal deficiencies.

"That sounds like fun," Ellsworth said, grinning. He let go of Grayson's hand and eased his arms around him, mentally willing the turbolift to take its time getting them to Deck 7, junction 4. Not that he hadn't enjoyed himself the first time they were together, but this time was just different. They were much more comfortable with one another, of course, but there was an undemanding frivolity and intimacy between them that was just what he needed after all he'd been through the past few days. "I haven't been in zero-g since enlisted training. And it wasn't even fun. Just a lot of floating around with an Andorian MCPO screaming at you. He would get so worked up he'd start turning purple."

"You won't need to worry about that, there isn't a lot of room to float. The space is about eight meters long by four meters wide." Popping a hatch covering, Grayson, trying to be a gentleman, let his date go first. Is that what he was calling it now? A date? He couldn't find another word that fit so went with it. "I'll follow, but basically, head to the first junction, head up the first ladder and we will take it from there."

"Okay," Ellsworth said, easily sliding his small frame through the hatch. He crawled through to the first junction and called over his shoulder, "Don't stare at my butt; these uniform pants are extremely unflattering." Grinning, he continued on and made his way up to the first ladder. He bounded in place on the rungs of the ladder, trying to contain his excitement. Did it feel like there was less gravity already, or was that his imagination?

"Not for too long." Grayson joked. They finally reached the final, smaller, hatch that would let them into their destination. "Open up that hatch on your right and slide yourself in gently. The lack of gravity will take care of the rest."

Ellsworth opened the hatch without hesitation, positioned himself, and then slipped through. He gasped as he entered the space and gravity vanished altogether; it was an odd sensation, particularly when half his body had still been outside the hatch. Now that he was fully inside the space, floating freely, he pinwheeled his arms and laughed. As he slowly flipped over backwards, he saw Grayson at the hatch, grinned at him and blew a kiss in his direction.

"This is amazing!"

"Yeah, this is my sanctuary when I need alone time." He pulled himself into the space. "Have a look over here, a window with a great view. Just up over the deflector, you can see just a small portion of space between the deflector array and the main hull if you angle your head just right." It was something at least that broke the normality of bulkheads and deck plating.

Ellsworth used the bulkhead to pull himself along, bumping roughly into Grayson with an apology. He had barely squeaked by in zero-g training, and it showed. "I can see some stars..." He felt a bit stupid after saying it because of course you could see some stars, but he'd never really had the time, inclination or security clearance to go wandering around the ship looking out the windows into space. In fact, this might have been the first time he'd even seen the exterior of the ship. "It's very peaceful here, just floating like this. Thank you for bringing me, Grayson, I won't tell anyone." He smiled at the Trill and gave him a peck on the cheek before turning his attention back to the view.

"Come anytime you need." Grayson replied, letting his hands slide down Ellsworth's body after the kiss and gently letting them rest on his hips, holding them both together in the zero-g atmosphere.

Ellsworth grinned at the touch and tried his best to shift his body into a more comfortable and intimate position, effortlessly rolling underneath Grayson. He wrapped his arms around the Trill's neck and intertwined their legs to keep them together in the gravity-less environment, fighting the urge to give in to his baser instincts. "Do you have plans for shoreleave? Starbase 84 is, like, in the middle of nowhere... I looked. There's almost nowhere interesting to go."

"No plans," Grayson sighed. "I will probably be sticking around to do ship upgrades and big maintenance...I never trust starbase engineers to treat a ship right. All to clinical for them, especially when I have just figured out Galileo's quirks. How about you? Big plans? Warping off somewhere nice?"

Ellsworth smiled as he listened. He'd noticed the engineers were all very proprietary over the ship, and he wondered if the same attitude was meant to pervade Ops. Was he supposed to stand guard over the cargo bay? More likely, everyone just took their job more seriously. He hardly spared a thought for the ship's inventory when he wasn't on duty. "Nope, I think I'll be around the starbase. Maybe I'll try to book a lot of holodeck time or something. I dunno. I think it's going to be pretty boring, you can't be too adventurous on a starbase, right?"

"I always find a way should the mood take me." Grayson winked.

Ellsworth smiled coyly and let a hand drift upward, brushing at the hair along Grayson's left temple. The way your body moved in zero-g seemed so graceful and effortless, lending every motion a sort of poetic quality. He used the back of his hand to brush along the spots running down the side of the other man's face before finally flipping his hand over and using his fingertips to continue down along his neck.

"And where is your mood taking you now?" the young Betazoid asked, avoiding eye contact until the question had been asked. When he finally did lock their gaze, his dark eyes had grown more than a little mischievous.

"Let's just say I am glad this room is seldom used," Grayson finished as he began a rather long and passionate kiss.

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Ensign Grayson Jones
Assistant Chief Engineer
USS Galileo

&

PO3 Ellsworth Hudson
Quartermaster
USS Galileo
[ PNPC - Mott ]

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