Strangers in the Night (Part 1 of 2)

Posted on 25 Aug 2016 @ 4:25am by Lieutenant JG Jonas Flynn PsyD & Petty Officer 2nd Class Nemo Bardasi

945 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Episode 12 - Recluse
Location: USS Oceana - Deck 10, Ten Forward Lounge
Timeline: MD -07 2235 hrs

[ON]

It was getting late, but Jonas had too much nervous energy to sleep. It wasn't that he was apprehensive about transferring to his new assignment the following day - he was just excited. He figured a drink or two would help him settle down, and if he stayed in his guest quarters he would only start working again. Better to head to Oceana's lounge and remove himself from temptation.

As he entered Ten Forward, he noticed the room was fairly empty for its size. A few couples huddled together, a handful of people drank alone, and a small group was exiting the other side of the room, most likely taking their party elsewhere. He sidled up to the bar and waited for the bartender to approach.

Within moments she appeared, a full-figured human woman of middle age, wearing a dark purple dress and a smile. "Can't say I've seen you in here before, son. You one of that lot transferring to Galileo tomorrow?"

"Yes, ma'am," Jonas answered.

"Don't you dare call me ma'am! It's Lucinda, but since you're cute you can call my Cindy," she teased.

"Sure thing, Cindy," Jonas smiled. "You don't happen to serve Risan Mai-Tais, do you?"

Cindy put her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest. "Only the best damn Risan Mai-Tais in Federation space, and that includes Risa. You make yourself comfy, sugar, and I'll be right back."

Jonas settled in to his seat at the bar and did his best to clear his mind. When his drink arrived, he could tell Cindy was hovering to see what he thought, so he took a good, long sip. It was a truly spectacular rendition, hitting all of the right notes, and she could see from his smile that he was satisfied. Parting with a nod, she went on to serve the next customer while he turned his attention to the fresh pineapple that garnished the glass.

"Ever had one on Risa?" came a deep voice from behind.

The off-duty counselor turned to see the most gorgeous Bajoran male he'd ever laid his eyes on. Rugged, fit, and focused only on him. "Can't say I have," he managed after a long pause, his gaze drifting the length of the stranger's frame.

"Enjoying the view?" the Bajoran asked with a cocky smile as he helped himself to the seat next to Jonas. "I certainly was from the moment you walked in. I'm Nemo."

"Jonas," he answered after a deep drink.

Nemo raised his glass. "A pleasure to meet you, Jonas."

"The pleasure's mine."

"It will be if you play your cards right," Nemo teased, before knocking back his drink. He held up two fingers then pointed to the bar once he'd caught Cindy's eye.

In spite of himself, Jonas blushed. This Nemo was certainly forward, but that wasn't a bad thing. He was definitely interested, and it had been a long time since... "So what do you do? Professionally, I mean."

The Bajoran chewed his lower lip. "Astrophysics, cosmology, you know, that kind of thing." His drinks had arrived and he slid one over to Jonas. "Better catch up, this one's for you."

Lucinda walked away, grinning and shaking her head. She'd seen this particular scene play out many times before.

"But I'm only..." Jonas began to protest, but stopped when Nemo wagged his finger. "Fine," he said, raising the glass to his lips and accidentally spilling some of the Mai-Tai. "Frinx!!!"

"Frinx?" Nemo asked, chuckling at the unfamiliar word, the meaning of which seemed clear.

"It's a Ferengi expletive," Jonas explained, wiping up the small amount of spillage. "I used it a lot when learning the language."

Nemo made a face. "You speak Ferengi?" he asked incredulously. "Why would you ever bother? Those hideous little trolls only understand one thing - profit."

"Shows what you know," Jonas retorted. "Ferengi culture is fascinating, for your information, and I don't appreciate that kind of racist remark." He really didn't, and if the other man had been a little less attractive and himself a little less buzzed, that would have put an end to the conversation.

Holding his hands up, Nemo apologized. "Sorry, I didn't mean anything by it. Just bad habit, you know? They haven't established the best reputation and people talk and... that's just an excuse, isn't it?" He leaned in a bit closer. "I'm really sorry."

Jonas tried to stretch out the moment, completely won over by his companion's sincerity. Oh, this was headed someplace dangerous, wasn't it? The truth was, Jonas hadn't had the best of luck in romance, and one-off encounters like this had been the most fulfilling in the long run. And tomorrow he would be transferring to a far smaller ship with a much smaller crew, and as a Department Head he had already made the decision to limit his dating to those not serving on the same ship going forward. But it wasn't forward yet, was it. It was right now. And Nemo was a member of Oceana's crew and they most likely would never see one another again and...

"You're forgiven."

"Good. Now try this."

"What is that, a scotch and soda?" Jonas asked, sniffing the drink.

"Yep, and there's another one coming right behind it."

"I can see what you're doing you know. I'm a counselor."

"I'll drink with you anyway," Nemo deadpanned before lifting his glass. "Bottoms up!"

To Be Continued...

[OFF]

Lieutenant JG Jonas Flynn PsyD
Chief Counselor
USS Galilieo

Petty Officer 2nd Class Nemo Bardasi
Astrophysicist/Cosmologist
USS Oceana
(PNCP played by Jonas Flynn)

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