A Night Out on the Starbase

Posted on 24 Oct 2014 @ 4:03am by Lieutenant JG Cyrin Xanth & Petty Officer 3rd Class Ellsworth Hudson

4,257 words; about a 21 minute read

Mission: Episode 07 - Sojourn
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 4, Quarters 04-1007 EN
Timeline: MD 10, 1920 Hours

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Cyrin showed up outside Ellsworth's door at about 1920, a good ten minutes early. Sure, it was grabbing a bite and hanging out with a new friend, but he'd been too excited to sit in his quarters waiting any more. Cyrin was completely aware if he was this excited doing something so normal, then he really needed to get out more. He'd been embarrassed later after that night of heavy drinking with Galileo's security staff, but during he'd had a good time. It was just going to take some practice he figured.

As requested, Cyrin had taken the time to not show up in uniform. He'd hopped in the sonic shower, shaved, even combed his short hair into messy spikes so he'd feel as good as his new clothes looked. The Trill wasn't one to be overly concerned with questions of fashion, but he could make himself presentable and anyways he was going out for a night on the starbase. A high, open-collared shirt of sky blue with the sleeves rolled up showed up his physique, along with some form hugging denim pants in charcoal, and a pair of grey sneakers.

He keyed the doorbell and waited. In the meantime, he began to wonder about how many non-comms they shoved into those rooms. How many would it be possible to? Cryin's eyes rolled up slightly as he started working out the math.

Damn these Starfleet people and their punctuality, Ellsworth thought, one leg in and one leg out of his pants. His hair was still an absolute mess, and as the seconds ticked by he couldn't find his shirt in the closet. Too many clothes and not enough space... What the hell did you wear to a Ktarian cafe anyway? Giant puffy pants and a frilly shirt, or what?

"Uhhh, come in!" he shouted, snatching one of his favorite shirts he'd purchased in Florence and hopping toward the bathroom with one pant leg dragging behind him.

By the time the doors were sliding open, Ellsworth had stepped into the bathroom but the enlisted quarters were designed almost like an afterthought. You could barely fit yourself in the bathroom, much less shield yourself from view. Though he did his best, one leg and cheek were exposed just around the doorframe and showed that while he didn't match the Trill's physique he still put an above-average amount of thought and work into his body's appearance.

Ellsworth managed to stuff his other leg in the pants and covered his exposed torso with the shirt fairly quickly; he wasn't a stranger to nudity, culturally or otherwise, but he didn't want to make his guest uncomfortable. When he leaned around the doorframe, he was still buttoning the front of the shirt and his hair had fallen to cover a good portion of his face.

"Hi," the Betazoid said, grinning. His roaming black eyes took in Cyrin's much-changed appearance before settling back on his eyes. Wow. "I'd offer you a seat but we don't really get seats. The JO quarters are so much nicer! You can hop on my bunk if you want, it's on the left." He motioned toward it then half-disappeared back into the bathroom to attend to his hair. No one ever saw him without his hair done, and his cheeks were flushed with embarrassment.

Cyrin had stepped in, smile on his face and all ready to chat. Then he'd taken one look towards the bathroom where he saw...The Trill's eyes popped. Stop looking, some part of him said and he whirled around to study the bulkhead. Before, in the cargo bay, he couldn't help but notice (finally) that Ellsworth was an attractive man and now the Trill's face had turned scarlet. It was still red, spots standing out obviously, when he turned at Ell's voice.

"Hi," he replied, offering a flash of teeth he hoped would be taken for a smile in return. Cyrin couldn't help but stare himself. Ells looked good, yes, and the messy hair added to the charm. And the blush...Cyrin cleared his throat roughly and took a seat on the bunk as directed. "Th-thanks," he managed and started to practice his breathing to calm down. "Uh, I uh, I've n-never had Kitarian f-f-food before." Deep breaths.

Ellsworth paused with the comb halfway pulled through his hair and smirked to himself. He sensed a big lump of uncomfortableness settling on to his bunk, and the stuttering pushed the smirk into a full on grin. Something about the nervous ones only served to encourage him. He finished pulling the comb through his thick hair and set about making sure every strand was perfectly in place, raising his voice enough that it could be heard in the other room.

"It's all really rich, so I usually just order a few small plates," Ellsworth said. His head appeared very suddenly around the corner and he grinned at Cyrin, eyes sparkling. "We can share, okay?" He lingered there a moment, letting the grin fade into a smile, then disappeared back around the corner to finish his hair and continued rambling. "This group of Ktarian priests held a conference on Risa once; I've never seen so many chunky people in one place. Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course, but I think it must be their food. The head of their order was the biggest man I've ever seen, even bigger than a Zakdorn. Probably too many Ktarian chocolate puffs, but they are really good. It's hard to stop yourself from eating more than a couple..."

Cyrin laughed at Ell's story and managed to get both his voice and his face under control. Anyways, he'd just met the guy earlier that day and there was no need to get all worked up over things. That would probably ruin hanging out for the night and Cyrin did want to have fun. "Sounds like a plan," he said about sharing as he looked about the room to study any personal effects he might see. "I could go for something with a lot of flavor to it so rich is perfect. Let me tell you, after eating Vulcan cuisine for a long time I wouldn't mind getting a little chunky myself so long as there's some meat involved! I'm not picky though and I'll give anything a try at least once."

"Anything?" Ellsworth asked, finally appearing around the corner with a grinning look that was both suggestive and teasing. His pants were tight, hugging at his hips and backside, and from the cut and texture seemed to be made out of something that wasn't quite cloth. His shirt was a different material, paired well with the pants and was surprisingly understated given his personality. Poor guy must be the most undersexed member of the Fleet, he thought, for the word 'Vulcan' was synonymous with 'celibate monk' as far as he was concerned. "Were you posted to Vulcan? I can't imagine. A desert full of Vulcan food, Vulcan temples, and...well, Vulcans.... I would die."

When Ellsworth popped back out again, Cyrin stared. He looked very nice, and there was something about that grin that made the Trill shift his position on the bunk. Ells was...well, pretty was the first thing that came to mind, but he'd been that before. Now he was even better and asking him to clarify his statement about trying anything made the scientist cough. "Wow...I mean uh..." Cyrin cleared his throat, "N-not V-Vulcan the p-pla-planet, but a V-Vulcan sh-ship." A pause came and it was obvious he was breathing deeply yet again, "They're good people though, so don't get me wrong when I complain. But yeah, their food can get pretty dull after a while."

Ellsworth remained boldly in the middle of the room, patiently listening to Cyrin and trying not to break out into a full grin again. His stuttering was cute. No, wait. No, it was adorable and just fuel on the fire for the flirty young Betazoid. For him, it was as much about the thrill of flirting and indulging base attraction as actually, willfully pursuing a person in the romantic sense. He'd probably never have anything with Cyrin like he had with Oren, that close, easy, free association that he'd missed so much during the long trip from Lyshan to Starbase 84, but then again he'd probably never have anything with Oren like he'd have with Cyrin, the kind of awkward nervousness that made him more than a little giddy.

Different people brought different things into your life - new experiences and new feelings - so it was hard for him to hold back when it came to others. He could have just processed the Trill's paperwork, given him his bunk assignment and been on his way. Except that was not only boring but also a wasted opportunity given how appealing he found Cyrin's just-below-the-surface exuberance, adventurism and sweet innocence. He was handsome, too, with a strong jawline and those spots. Plus, he was tall, and Ellsworth loved a tall man, the way your head fell naturally against their chest where you could listen to the rhythm of their heart beat. And besides, he had as desperate a need for Cyrin to like him as he did with everyone else so that meant putting his best, most flirtatious foot forward. If the Trill spared a moment's thought for him after turning in for the evening, even the hint of a smile, then he'd feel like his mission was accomplished.

"A Vulcan ship?" Ellsworth asked, confusion clear in both tone and look. Then his face relaxed as he recalled a minor detail from the other man's file. "Oh, that's right, you're a scientist, I forgot. They've got tons of science ships, right? I like Vulcans, I guess. I haven't met many of them, though." Vulcans vacationing on Risa was like a Cardassian vacationing on Bajor, he thought, but decided to keep it to himself. "We've got good food on the Galileo, and I can always cook for you, too, if you want. I'm pretty good at it, especially breakfasts."

"I like breakfast," he said with a nod, and stuffed his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. Talk of food had him feeling hungry, but he seemed content to follow Ells' lead. The man did look very nice out of uniform, plus with as easily as they'd hit it off he was really looking forward to it.

"So, how long were you on Risa for?" he asked, genuinely curious. He'd heard of the planet of course. Who hadn't in this quadrant? If the reputation of it's inhabitants friendliness wasn't exaggerated that could explain how gregarious Ellsworth was. It was endearing in it's own way, how eager the young man was and then how often Cyrin caught him blushing. Relaxing too, as the tall man thought those blushes just meant that the other was as shy as himself and was trying.

Ellsworth crossed the distance between them, leaned over a little too close, hooked his arm through the loop Cyrin created when he put his hands in his pockets, and pulled to try to hoist him up off the bunk. It was a half-hearted effort just to get him up and moving; Ellsworth was smiling and avoiding eye contact the entire time he was close to him, except for the occasional furtive glance.

"C'mon," he pleaded, tugging again with an increasingly mischievous smile, "I'll tell you on the way to the cafe."

Cyrin laughed at Ells' insistent tugging at first and obliged, stood up on his long legs and with a very bashful look pulled his arm free from the other's. Once again his thoughts went into a whirlwind of confusion, and he just continued to hope that Ells wasn't peeking into his head. What he might pick up on was likely chaotic; certainly there was attraction there, but it was mixed with easily as much hesitance and a little bit of outright fear. Despite the difference in size between them, Cyrin found that Ells could intimidate him without even trying. Mostly, Cyrin felt confused.

"I grew up," the young quartermaster began, feeling the words unintentionally catch in his throat. He wasn't much of a smooth talker when it came to his past, but Cyrin seemed (and felt) nervous so he hoped opening up a bit might set him a little more at ease. "I grew up on Betazed, but I moved to Risa when I was 16. I lived there for two years until I joined up with Starfleet. Have you ever been? It's gorgeous every single day."

As they walked and Ells spoke of his past, Cyrin couldn't help but notice the way the young man repeated himself. He wouldn't prod, he wasn't one to put his nose in where it wasn't wanted as he'd always appreciated the same in return. "No, I haven't been, but I'd like to go someday," he replied. "I hear Betazed is really nice too. I read an article once about the effect of interphase on humanoid neurology written by a Betazoid, Doctor Olven..."

Boring topic anyways, but Cyrin went on for a little while describing the basics of it. He enjoyed discussing science as much as the next officer in a blue collar, and could go on at length when allowed. Plus it helped distract him from what he felt were completely inappropriate thoughts about his new friend, and Cyrin wound up relaxing in the meantime. Soon enough they had disembarked the small ship and entered the station proper, and by the time they were approaching the cafe the conversation had shifted to the few places he'd been. Trill, Earth, and a brief stop at the Vulcan colony in Eta Eridani.

Ellsworth hadn't known the first thing about the effects of interphase on humanoid neurology or really any of the other scientific topics Cyrin touched on, but he was well-practiced in paying attention to things he didn't understand thanks to his 'work' on Risa. He'd smiled and nodded and picked up on enough of the concepts running through Cyrin's mind to ask some poignant questions along the way, all the while feeling quite pleased with how relaxed the Trill was getting around him. As much as it was adorable and gave him the upper hand, he did enjoy himself more when people were comfortable around him.

The restaurant was set up like a street cafe in one of Ktaris's creative districts, little niche communities given over to artists, writers, playwrights and the like in what was otherwise a fairly regimented society. A stone street ran down the middle of the room to simulate one of the foot-traffic-only thoroughfares that dominated the districts; stone-top tables and metal chairs that looked more like sculptures than functional furniture lined the "street" on either side. Enormous paper lanterns were suspended at various heights by some invisible force up and down either side of the room, casting pools of light that kept the restaurant bright enough to read a menu but dim enough to lend some intimacy to each of the widely spaced tables.

Ellsworth couldn't help but grin and look around in wonder, losing himself to the decor and the feeling that he was actually on Ktaris. It wasn't exactly on his bucket list of planets to visit, but any planet was fascinating enough to him. Well, any planet except Betazed. He reached out with the intention of grabbing Cyrin's hand and squeezing it in excitement, but stopped himself just short of it by remembering who he was with. It was likely a move that would set the other man right back on edge and only heighten the confusion that was lurking just below the surface.

"It's so beautiful," Ellsworth whispered, leaning close enough to Cyrin for him to hear. The restaurant itself seemed fairly quiet, and he didn't want to break the ambiance by seeming over loud. Suddenly, he looked around as if seeing the place for the very first time, and his eyes widened while his cheeks grew hot with genuine embarrassment. The quiet murmuring of dining couples, the low lighting, the candles on the tables... He really hadn't planned all that and the unexpected element was making him shift from foot to foot. "Uh, and romantic. I'm so sorry, Cyrin, I didn't know... I just thought it was a regular... Do you want to go somewhere else?" He turned away from the Trill and looked out the door back into the main promenade. "There was an Andorian place back there that smelled good."

Cyrin nodded his agreement. The layout was quaint and charming, and he smiled down at the actual stones he was walking on. How had he missed this place in his month of shore leave on the station? This was the sort of thing that he lived for, new experiences and he honestly didn't care that the place seemed romantic either. Cyrin had himself a little bit of a breakthrough. "Ells," he said looking the Betazoid in his dark eyes. "Don't be sorry. We are friends and we're going to get to know each other better. We know we share surfing, we make each other laugh, it's going to be fun. Unless you don't want to."

The Trill felt elated either way. He'd felt like he was on a rollercoaster all evening from the moment he'd first walked into Ells' quarters, been confused, stammering, probably boring when he'd gone on about interphased space. All he needed to do was just give into the experience, stop fighting, and Cyrin could figure out the rest about Ellsworth later. They were just two new friends, out for some fun in each other's company and there was nothing wrong about that. For the first time that night Cyrin felt confident.

Ellsworth felt the shift and tried to hide his guilt. He never went into these things expecting to drag some poor unsuspecting Trill back to his quarters and ravish him, despite how often that may or may not happen. Too often he got caught up in the moment, a free spirit gone a little too free, and it unraveled from there. They were friends, of course. He liked Cyrin for more than just his face, more than just his body, but it was difficult (as always) to keep himself in the proper frame of mind. The guilt was like a boot to the behind, pushing him firmly back in the direction of platonic interactions.

Thankfully, he managed to keep all that off his face. And even better, Cyrin wasn't a telepath; otherwise, this thing would have been over way before it started. Replaying the words in his head, Ellsworth smiled and actually felt bashful; he was definitely unaccustomed to being the one set off-balance by someone's frankness.

"No, I do," he responded, quietly and shyly, feeling thrown off his game in his own game. But for all the shyness it was stirring in him, it was nice. "Uh, let's sit...there?" Ellsworth pointed to a table and raised an eyebrow at both Cyrin and the maitre d' who seemed to offer no objection.

The officious Ktarian snagged two menus, directed them to their table and took an order for both wine and appetizers from Ellsworth who didn't quite know enough about Ktarian cuisine to be absolutely certain what he was doing but that definitely didn't stop him. While they looked over the menus, he kept stealing glances in Cyrin's direction. His honesty moments ago, the sincerity and kindness of his words, had changed the dynamic and now Ellsworth felt like he was seeing the Trill in a different light (and not just from the candle throwing shadows that only made him look all the more handsome).

"Um, a lot of the dishes are sweet," Ellsworth said, feeling like his throat was suddenly very dry. He reached for his glass of water, downed a good amount of it and then leaned over to motion to a section of Cyrin's menu. "But these are more savory, if you prefer that. And then these are spicy. So, however you prefer it: sweet, savory or spicy." He grinned to himself and settled back into his chair, feeling like he'd recovered some of his control.

Still riding on the wake of his discovery, though unsure of how long it would last, Cyrin made a quick decision that reminded him of the other night, and the club, with the Galileo security staff. It was a very odd sort of occurrence, one that didn't happen very often. Gabriel had smiled at him, asked him if he wanted his drink sweet or spicy. Just like then he tried to continue to be bold in his own little way, "How about something from all three?"

Ellsworth looked impressed and placed the orders when their server appeared. The meal itself was as rich as he'd promised and filled with a different sort of conversation than he'd been used to; it was less one-sided than it had usually been with clients on Risa, more serious than what he talked about with Oren, less emotional than his conversations with K'os. It looked and felt like the friendships he'd seen on holovids, based on mutual interests and platonic affection for one another. On the walk back to his quarters with an overfull stomach, it had pushed him into quiet contemplation about it. Oren was his only friend on the ship, but their friendship was...weird. Nothing like what he'd experienced with Cyrin. How did you go twenty years without having a single real friend?

At the door to his quarters, the young Betazoid felt confused about the next move, something he'd never really experienced before. Up to this point, the next move had always been to invite someone inside and let that be the deciding factor about how to the night would progress. But Cyrin seemed somehow - impossibly - more naive than Ellsworth, and he couldn't quite bring himself to take the usual route. Instead, he reached out and took the Trill's hand, squeezing it affectionately.

"Thank you for coming to dinner with me," Ellsworth said, smiling up at the much taller man. For one of the first times in his life, he felt so out of his depth that he fell back on his telepathic abilities to see a clearer way forward. Did they make a date for surfing? Have coffee in his quarters? Roll around in the sheets until the break of day? He was stumped: a new, but not altogether unpleasant experience.

Not for the final time that night, Cyrin blushed again when Ellsworth had taken his hand. It was a very simple gesture, and a nice one, but one he wasn't used to. Ellsworth had given him a fun night and made the sometimes overwhelming transition from one posting to another a bit brighter. The Betazoid picked up that the tall Trill was still confused about things, his own feelings definitely, but also that he was both grateful and quite a bit charmed for the experience.

"Thank you for inviting me," he said in his quiet voice. There was a moment of eye contact, then Cyrin nervously chuckled and released the other's hand. "Well, I um...maybe we can go surfing before we leave. You know, I mean uh, if you wanted to. And I'll see about getting a vid of the soccer match too." Grey eyes looked hesitantly into black ones once more time, the Trill smiled, and he said, "See you then!"

What Ellsworth likely picked up from the Trill was a large amount of confusion, as well as no small amount of what could only be Cyrin being angry at himself. The Trill felt like a lecher, that the way he'd noticed how nice Ellsworth looked tonight was an unworthy thought, or how little things the Betazoid had done had excited him in a way that wasn't 'just friends' as he'd put it earlier. The attraction was a new feeling, yet shallow, and made him feel all the worse about it.

Ellsworth tripped on the carpet on the way in, nearly pitching on to his face. Thankfully the door had shut by then, blocking Cyrin off physically but doing nothing to erase the lingering sensation of his thoughts. He was about as sure of how to process those as he was about how to process his own. Cyrin was nice. A little clueless, but nice. And maybe some sort of puritan, apparently. Feeling the way Cyrin felt about the way Ellsworth made him feel made Ellsworth feel dirty, like he needed to strip off the purposely sexy clothes he'd worn and take a sonic shower. Their friendship seemed destined to be complex, and the evening had given him no small amount of things to think about.

He waited until Ellsworth had disappeared inside before heading back towards his own quarters. Then he let out a huge breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding those last few moments. Cyrin's steps took him to the holodeck however. This late it wasn't in use, and he keyed up a swimming program to work off the excitement he felt with a very cold pool.

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Ensign Cyrin Xanth
Astrophysicist
USS Galileo

&

Petty Officer 3rd Class Ellsworth Hudson
Quartermaster
USS Galileo
[PNPC-Mott]

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