Everything's better with cupcakes...

Posted on 29 Nov 2014 @ 8:03pm by Lieutenant Aria Rice & Lieutenant JG Dorian West

1,848 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 07 - Sojourn
Location: USS Galileo: Deck 4 - Rice and West's Quarters
Timeline: MD -10: 1600

ON:

Aria smiled to herself as she placed the cupcakes out. She knew that her roomie, West, would be back soon. So...she had baked. And decorated them too, with mint icing. Chocolate cupcakes was one of her favourites anyway. Thing was, she wanted to thank West for...his support. And this was the best way to do it. To...enjoy something nice together. She even had the tea brewing, knowing West's routines well enough to expect him soon. Maybe she had unconsciously dressed up a bit too...her off duty clothes of the day were thick tights with a short shirt and a corseted top. Her own clothes, but maybe a bit more slinky than she usually would have put on during a day like this.

"Wow..." Dorian grinned as he moved into the quarters, clocking her quickly as he undid his uniform jacket. "And you didn't even need my help lacing the corset," he teased, pulling his jacket off.

"Nope, this one I can do," she said and smiled warmly. "Come and sit down. I...baked you cupcakes. As a thank you for...you know. Stuff." She moved to his side, taking his uniform jacket from him.

He just stared at her with utter surprise, shaking his head as he laughed breathlessly. "Aria, you don't have anything to thank me for. I had no idea you could make cake, I might have to marry you now."

Aria looked at him with surprise before blushing, shaking her head as she put his jacket away. "I love baking. I mean, that and dancing and stuff. I like to keep busy. Sit down, relax a bit. I'll bring you the tea."

"Proper little housewife," he teased with a grin, sitting down with a sigh. "Why the special treatment? You were the one knocked around by zombies...."

"Well, you were nice to me. And I get bored when there's no zombies about," she admitted as she carried the tea over, to offer to him. "So really, I want to pamper you a bit. Nothing wrong with that!"

"Hm, I'll make it up to you by fixing you up with some real drink," Dorian chuckled, sipping the tea with a sigh. "Those cakes smell amazing. Hint, hint...."

She took the plate and offered it to him, her eyes hopeful. "Here...be honest," she said softly.

He took one, holding her eyes with great seriousness as he smelled it. He took a slow, big bite, chewing on the soft, moist sponge, the hint of mint merging with the rich chocolate. He swallowed, his features blank for a long moment before standing to grab her, hoisting the petite woman over his shoulder. "That's it, down the aisle with you."

Aria laughed, reaching to hit his backside. "Oi! No marrying of anything or anyone! I have no dress!" she declared with a giggle.

He laughed warmly, half tossing her down onto her layered bed with a grin. "Well I'm not wearing one," he sat down to take another bite, moaning. "These really are good. It's a lost art."

Aria met his eyes, searching them before she sat up and rolled her shoulders. "I did dancing, martial arts and baking as a child. Between causing trouble and stealing things."

"Dancing," he smiled warmly at that, sipping his tea with a sigh, his eyes shining. "I'd like to see that. What kind?"

"Any," she said and shrugged, her eyes gentle as she sipped her tea. "Tango. Ballet. Betazoid stuff too if I have to. Ballroom. Latin. I try and practice on the holodeck now and then."

"Is that how you've got the most amazing figure in the universe?" he asked with a grin, shaking his head. "Maybe I should stop working out and switch to ballet...."

"I'd teach you, but with such a body we are going Latin," Aria said bluntly with a grin, shaking her head as she reached for the drink.

Dorian laughed softly, watching her with warmth. "You're an interesting girl, Aria," he said lightly. "You are....so many different things that wouldn't seem to fit, but somehow seem natural on you."

"Not entirely sure that is a compliment, but I'll take it as one!" she smiled, taking a cupcake and biting into it. "Mm! But out of interest, what is it that doesn't fit?"

"Tiny little thing like you...fighting the fight in security," Dorian laughed warmly. "I should know, I served there long enough to. And I'm feeling very put out, because we didn't have any girls like you in our Security department! Just two, and they liked to try and out do the men with their muscles."

"Oh that!" Aria smiled and shook her head, leaning closer to him. "I wanted to be a Marine but I couldn't do the physical requirements. Starfleet Security had fewer. No carrying a whole body and that...it seemed brains mattered too. I didn't score the best on the physical lifting things. But I did well enough with martial arts and I could fire a phaser..." she looked down, with a small smile, considering it. "I will never be the best or strongest. But I don't have to be. I've done good..." she lifted her eyes to watch him. "I've helped people as a Security officer. And it matters more than being perfect because no one is perfect. Having a good, willing heart...it matters more. And..." she laughed, sitting back. "Having a damned good time of life!"

"See, this is what stopped me stamping 'crazy' on your forehead," the counsellor teased, but with a fond smile as he watched her. "I like the way you see things. Doing a good job for the sake of just doing a damned good job."

Aria smiled warmly at that, taking a deeper breath. "I think most would argue with your diagnosis. I've done some stupid things since I've come back."

"I don't think so," Dorian grinned, his eyes warm as he sipped his tea with care to ignore the slight tremble in his arm. "But then, I'm your roomie, and we have to look out for each other."

"We do," she agreed with a smile, shaking her head as she sipped her own tea. "I like it. I like sharing with you as well. It's...comfortable. Not like it gets sometimes with roomies when you're tiptoeing."

"Aria, sweetheart, as wonderful as you are, I can't imagine you being able to tiptoe quietly anywhere," Dorian laughed softly, shaking his head with a sigh. "Trying to tiptoe then smacking in to stuff and swearing loudly? Yes...."

She gasped before hitting his leg playfully. "Cheek! And true, but even so..." she whispered softly, watching him. "Just means we are cool together."

"Hey, I think it's cute and way more interesting than tip toe wet drip," he assured, flashing a charm filled grin.

She laughed at that, blushing as she finished her drink. "You're just...impossible, such a flirt."

"If it bothers you, you have to tell me," Dorian said firmly, holding her eyes, meaning it. "Makes me feel good, but if it's too much, just slap me or something."

Aria smiled at that, shaking her head. "No...not too much," she admitted, biting her lip. "I like it. It makes me feel..." pretty. But she didn't say that. She needed another word. "Fun!"

His eyebrows lifted with surprise at the words and he chuckled softly. "It makes you feel 'fun'? Wow, I've lost my touch," he tutted before grinning and reaching for another cake without hesitation or doubt.

"No...no, you haven't," she said and gave a small shrug, blushing. "It makes me feel pretty, okay. Which...well. Isn't really me, so it's a bit of a new feeling. I'm far more fun."

Dorian gave a wide, warm grin as he watched her with shining eyes, shaking his head. "Aria Rice, you are the prettiest little thing. If you keep up with this I'm going to revoke my sane stamp on your record."

She smiled, her eyes shining. "And I am going to stamp bloody...charmer on yours!" she said and shook her head. "Because you are. Charmer!"

"A guy needs to learn ways and means to get by," he said softly, but with a small, fond smile to her.

"Smooth talker can get any girl or boy to his bed, and that's without having to use the come to bed eyes," she teased, smiling as she sipped her drink. "Want more tea?"

"Why thank you, old chap...." he replied with a mock, upper class English accent, a teasing glint in his eyes.

"I'll be mother..." Aria smiled and got up, to get the tea and refilling the cups. "So what are your shoreleave plans anyway? You know, we will actually get shoreleave. Promise!"

"Sure it's not all one big trick?" Dorian teased with a grin, leaning to pinch her knee. "Nothing exciting. Drinking, exploring, shopping. I have no one I need to see, nothing I need to do but chill."

"Well...." Aria watched him before grimacing. "I have to go to a wedding. I mean, I want to go, but also not because I am going alone and it is awkward as I have slept with the brides and I get to be Miss Single again and then drink too much and pass out in someone's bed and be all awkward and sneak out and then having to do the walk of shame so can you please come with me if you don't have any real plans?" she asked, not stopping for breath in the sentence, but instead sucking in a large one at the end as she stopped talking.

Dorian chuckled softly at the verbal barrage, reaching for a third cupcake without care. "Where is it? I don't agree to things without the full story...."

Aria let out a breath as she watched him, biting her lip. "It might...be...on Rigel VII..." she said lightly, grimacing at the words.

"Rigel....?" his eyebrows lifted with surprise and the cupcake he held hovered a few inches from his mouth, stopping in his tracks. "That's gotta be...well...a heck of a travel!"

"Yes..." Aria nodded, watching him closely before grimacing. "I know, I didn't want to go that far either!"

"Hm, well in that case, we can't have you on such a long trip all by your little young self," he pushed her knee with a warm smile.

Aria's eyes widened at the words. "What? What, you mean...you will come? Will you come?" she asked, with hope as she reached to grab his arm. "Dorian?"

Dorian laughed at the eagerness, shaking his head as he grabbed hold of her arm to imitate her....bounciness. "Only if you don't cut off circulation in my arm, bunny!"

Aria let go of his arm before wrapping her arms around him instead. "Thank you..." she said, meaning it with all she was. "Thank you so much."

OFF:

Lt JG Aria Rice
Security/Tactical Officer
USS Galileo
[PNPC Devin]

LT JG Dorian West
Counsellor
USS Galileo
[PNPC Blake]

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