Part 3: Bolian Blocker

Posted on 20 May 2017 @ 6:23pm by Lieutenant JG Grayson Jones & Ambassador Soral Varro
Edited on on 24 May 2017 @ 5:27pm

2,934 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: Episode 15 - Emanation
Location: Earth - San Francisco, Bar
Timeline: MD 02, 2100 hours

ON:

Grayson's night was in full swing, he was a few cocktails down, smiling and dancing rather shamelessly with his friends, all male. They had been this way since they met, others would look on them and feel rather intimidated at speaking to any of the group, but they were just having harmless fun. Their VIP booth, and the others like it, were slightly elevated off the dancefloor giving the boys full view of the packed dancers and a direct line of sight to the bar.

The lights were low, the music blaring and the lights flashing away. This was shaping up to be the perfect night. The kind of night Gray could expect anything to happen. He surveyed the club like a King would his kingdom and felt at home once again.

Varro had felt uncomfortable the moment he'd walked in. He wasn't one for loud music but Apple had told him that his yearly tradition of getting drunk on the anniversary of Marcus' death would best be honoured here. Apparently they had great drinks. His ears ringing Varro found a little spot in the corner and ordered Romulan ale, he was told, by Apple, there was plenty of it here. He looked around at all the dancing. Part of him wanted to throw caution to the wind and dance the other part knew he wasn't drunk enough yet.

Grayson on the other hand, was drunk enough, for the both of them. The boy could hold his drink though, he only appeared slightly inebriated to those who did not know him. The bar was calling his name and he was drifting through the bodies on the dancefloor. Saying hi to old familiar faces, hi to new ones, it all filled Grayson with the warm fuzzies he had been missing.

It was at this point he spotted a familiar face, "Ambassador?" he asked, taking a free seat while signalling the barman for another round for his friends. "Fancy seeing you here. Having fun?" The Trill beamed and suddenly felt the need to make sure he was still presentable. Jeans were still sitting right, his button down was still mostly buttoned in the right places (enough not buttoned to show off some of his darker coloured spots around his collar bone) and his hair still felt like it was in place. It should be with the amount of time he spent on it.

Varro was taken aback for a second. "Mr. Jones? I...I have never come here. Captain MacIntosh suggested it. I was expecting it to be a little more quiet." His eyes traveled over the man quickly. A diplomatic reflex...he told himself. "This is the place you were talking about for your celebration. I hope it's going well."

"Grayson, or Gray, we are off duty," he winked. "It is, it is always a little busy. I'm expecting them to open the balcony level soon to help. Why we always try and get the VIP booths," he pointed up and then over as he spoke to help Varro find where he was talking about. "If it is too busy, you are more than welcome to join us and add your drink order to ours," Grayson grinned. "Come and have a dance, unwind."

"Well then call me Varro. As for the booth I'd rather no intrude. Dancing...well I have never been to good at that. I believe there are rules about dancing ambassadors in Starfleet, " He said.

"Not intruding if I invite you, is it? We always welcome others. Plus it is my party, kind of, and if I would like a handsome man to join us, he joins. I would have thought dancing was a required part of your work?" He gave a wink at the handsome comment.

Varro coughed a bit. He put his drink down. "I..." He rubbed the back of his neck feeling slightly nervous. "It's alright. You need to celebrate with friends." He noted the slightly inebriated motions of Grayson. "I.."

Before he could finish a rather large Bolian pushed his way through and touched Grayson on the shoulder. "Dance handsome?"

"Sorry, my card is full for tonight, Varro here beat you to it," Grayson lied, looking at Varro to possibly back him up a little. His eyes pleaded for help.

"Awww come on then." The Bolian pulled at Grayson.

Varro stood standing a good foot taller then the Bolian. "He said back off."

The Bolian pulled Grayson a little more towards him. Varro side stepped and in a second he was behind the Bolian. He applied a little pressure to the Bolian's arm that had the man howling and dropping Grayson's arm.

Varro spoke clearly and into the Bolian's ear. "Leave, now!"

The Bolian held his arms and backed away without a word.

Varro looked at Grayson, "Are you alright?"

"With my knight in shining armour here? How couldn't I be? That guy was a creep. The fourth time he has asked me. Some people should take a hint," Grayson rubbed his arm, the alcohol in his system not quite numbing the pain as quickly as he would have liked.

Varro noticed the gesture. "Here let me look." He gently took Grayson's arm and swore low. "That's going to bruise." He leaned over and spoke with the bartender. The man handed Varro a large cloth rag with ice. Varro pointed to a table just off the dance floor that was empty. "Let's go sit there and get some ice on your arm."

"It will be fine," Grayson said wincing slightly. "Talk about someone putting a damper on your good mood though." He was now a little deflated, the joy he had waited so long to feel again was leaving him.

Varro noted the change in Grayson. "Come on then. Why don't you go join your friends. Remember tonight is your celebration. Dance have fun and just be yourself."

"This is going to sound insane, but, the venue holds no interest for me anymore," he glanced over at his friends, "And that lot have all paired off it seems. Want to get out of here? I've been wanting to talk to you since we met this morning and I now owe you a drink it appears."

Varro looked around, the place was loud and he frankly he did want to get out of there. His plan of solitude, it seemed, would not succeed tonight. Every night since Marcus' death on the anniversary of it he'd spend the night alone, sad, depressed, and often numb under the influence of Romulan ale. Varro never drank, just on this night it was a way to forget yet for the first time in years he didn't want to get drunk, didn't want to remember. "Is there a coffee and tea house, preferably not far from here, quiet, perhaps a late dinner and some tea?"

"Not around here," Grayson chuckled, "it is all bars and clubs around this area. Not being too forward, but I kind of just want to go home, and, I've been told I do some of the best replicated tea around, unless you want something stronger. I certainly still do."

Against his better judgement Varro agreed. "Very well, lead the way."

"Hover taxi it is, Starfleet has given me temporary quarters on the other side of the bay," Grayson smiled warmly. The pair would be there in only a matter of minutes, all the while, Grayson reflecting on the incident and how, is sober, would have punched the guy in the eye himself.

Opening the door, he turned the lighting on in the main living area which was sunk into the floor compared with the entrance. "Please make yourself at home," he began, "Would you like anything?"

Varro looked around liking the layout, "A cup of Bajoran spice tea." He walked over to the sofa and sat down feeling awfully nervous, waiting for his companion to join him.

Grayson returned with two mugs, steaming from their brim, one spice tea and his own, a peppermint tea. He handed a mug over before sitting down next to Varro, "Thank you by the way, for standing up for me like that. No one has done that for me before. Usually I need to give someone a black eye myself."

Varro smiled, "No thanks necessary." He accepted the tea and sipped allowing the warmth to sink into his system. He turned towards Grayson again drawn to those teal eyes, unusual much like his own. "I am glad I was there to assist." He said, "Thank you for helping with the shuttle this morning."

"We would be even then," Grayson replied sipping his own drink. Nerves getting the better of him as well. "Who would have thought after this morning, we would have ended up here?"

Varro sipped his tea. "So...you mentioned that you have been wanting to talk to me since this morning." He studied Grayson wondering why he felt so nervous, why he had the urge to run yet a wanting to draw out the conversation.

"Not about anything specific, per say," Grayson stuttered, "Just, you know," he paused, "I felt something between us after the class and you were gone. I, I wanted to find out if my gut feelings were lying to me again."

For all his intelligence Varro could at times, when it came to this sort of stuff, be dense. He smiled, "I apologize for leaving, Apple...well she's a bit much. She's been a great friend ever since my fiancée Marcus died but sometimes she crosses the line. I hope that she wasn't too rough on you."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Grayson reached out a sympathetic hand, instinctively resting it on Varro's knee. "The Captain was fine, a little curious about things, but fine."

"It's alright, it's been 17 years...tonight." Varro said sadly, Grayson's touch registered stirring feelings inside Varro that he was afraid to examine.

"Then you need something stronger than tea," Grayson said trying to lighten the mood.

As Grayson got up to get something stronger then tea Varro found himself thinking about tonight. He'd opened up to Grayson rather easily. He also started to examine the nervousness he felt around the other man. His heart slowly began to increase its beat, part of him wanted to stand up and walk out and not look back feeling that he would be betraying Marcus by enjoying being here with Grayson, by finding the other man fascinating, another part wanted to talk to Grayson about what was going on in his head and how he was feeling...what would he say...would he even be attracted to someone like Varro? Was he now? Was he just feeling pity?

Grayson returned from the replicator with two glasses full of a clear liquid, he placed them on the coffee table in front of them and as he went to sit down, flicked each one on the side. The liquid began to change and emit a golden glow before settling into a deep red. "There you go handsome," Grayson smiled, still trying to lighten the mood. "To those we miss," he gave a small tip of his glass.

Varro picked up the glass and smiled, "I haven't had one of these in a long time." His heart still beating fast sped up at the handsome comment, was it politeness and did he want it to be? He drank the Sumerian Sunset letting it's burn on the way down ease his sudden trembling. He turned to face Grayson suddenly unsure of what to say. "It...it's very good."

"Only the best replicated drinks," Grayson too wasn't sure what to say now either. All thoughts he had to be his usual charming and charasmatic self had gone out the window when Varro admitted what tonight was to him. It wouldn't feel right.

Varro studied the young Trill there was a tension in the air a whisper of a promise, a request, a yearning that neither seemed ready to reach for yet desperately sought. Varro turned a little towards Grayson, "I..." he cleared his throat his green eyes going ice blue as he studied Grayson, "I fear that I am a diplomat at a loss for words tonight."

It was there, it was palpable, tangible. The tension fired up the butterflies in Grayson's stomach as he leant in. "Then there need to be none," his head tilted left as he went in for a briefly stolen kiss.

Surprise gave way to shock and unleashed something that Varro hadn't felt in a long time. It had been 17 years since Marcus died, 17 years of solitude, of yearning and denial. Varro hesitated a moment and then his right hand cupped Grayson's face his lips returned the light kiss then slowly he deepened it allowing Grayson to pull back if he wanted. Part of him wanted this to go on, another part was calling for him to stop, just a bit longer, he told himself, just a few moments of enjoying a kiss, of enjoying the feelings of longing and desire that he hadn't thought about or felt in 17 years.

But Grayson didn't lean back, he allowed Varro to take over, inviting him to push his limits, returning the kiss with the equal amount of passion that was growing between them.

Seconds turned into moments, Varro felt his restraint slipping to a dangerous levels. He pulled back slightly resting his forehead against Grayson's breathing hard he said, "Th...the cad in me wants to push for more." His thumb stroked Grayson's lips, "But you have had a lot to drink and I cannot take advantage of that." He leaned in kissed his lips again gently, "Tonight I feel, I feel something I haven't felt or wanted in 17 years and I am petrified," He continued to stroke Grayson's lip with his thumb, his body trembling. "I ...I should go Gray..." His ice blue eyes locked on Grayson's teal eyes. He wanted to leave, didn't want to be alone, wanted to stay yet all the emotions he was feeling were ....setting his Vulcan senses on high alert.

"I won't push, but you'd be welcome to stay if you'd like Varro," Grayson's head was swimming from the kiss rather than the alcohol. "You won't be taking advantage, I can handle my drink. Plus I was the one that asked you over and asked you to stay. I know tonight has had a lot going on for you, so know I am fine with whatever you decide."

Varro let out a shuddering breath. "I want to stay so much Grayson...but...I ....I need to think." He pulled back a bit more and stood slowly not doing anything to hide his obvious desire for Grayson. His head spun with the passion of that kiss, the promise of what Grayson offered but liquor and sadness were no place to explore these feelings. Something fascinated him about Grayson.

"Then, I look forward to seeing you again, if you would like that is. We can pick up where we leave it here," the Trill have a very playful and boyish smirk with a wink.

Varro chuckled, "You, Mr. Jones, were an unexpected and welcomed surprise. I look forward to seeing you again." The two walked to the door and when it hissed open Varro leaned against it. "May I ask you something?"

"Do the spots go all the way down?" Grayson half joked.

Varro laughed, "Well two questions, that one and more importantly....I must be 10 years older then you if not more. That does not ...bother you?"

"Yes to the spots and no to the age. Some of my people live lifetimes, hundreds of years old. Age isn't in the list of our priorities. More who a person is and how they make us feel."

Varro smiled, he turned and cupped Grayson's face in his hands. "Then let us talk more about this later...I..I haven't been with anyone in 17 years Grayson and the fact that you were celebrating an end to a former relationship tells me you got out of a bad one. Let's take this slow....for the sake of both our hearts."

Grayson pulled a fake sulk, playfully putting out his bottom lip and giving sad eyes. He quickly changed to a more content grin. "As long as things aren't too slow. I'll be backwards and forward between here and my assignment a lot. But the wait will be worth it." Grayson gave a tender kiss on Varro's lips and neck. Then lips again.

"You keep doing things like that and my good intentions will fly out the window." He laughed and kissed Grayson one more time.

"I'll remember that then," Grayson laughed as he enjoyed their last embrace.


45 Minutes Later - Varro's hotel

Varro hit the lights as he walked into his hotel room. He jumped slightly at the figure seated on the sofa. "Apple?"

Captain Apple MacIntosh stood and sighed. "I take it you are not spending the night at Mr. Jones' house?"

Varro sighed and shook his head, "That's why you insisted I got to the Lounge."

She grinned, "Betazoids are powerful telepaths but even the most basic one could tell you two have sparks. Besides it's time, you need to stop mourning that jackass of a man." At Varro's outranged expression Apple sat down. "Come here Varro, we have to talk and you're not going to like what I say..."

To Be Continued...

[OFF]

--

Lt (JG) Grayson Jones
Engineer
Earth

&

Ambassador Soral Varro
Chief Diplomatic Officer
Earth

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