Episode #3 - the morning after the morning after.

[Skyler]

[member="IC-6736"]

She walked by a certain door, paused shortly and continued on her way. Five minutes later she found herself pausing longer at that particular door. But it wasn't until the third time that she stopped, completely.

Why did she even bother?

Small-fist raised, poised to knock on three-six's door. He didn't owe her anything and she certainly didn't owe him. His idiotic behavior almost got them both court marshaled.

But surprisingly, no Council of the Hand members were any more the wiser to what details went on in the lab that night.

With a resolute push of the black-rimmed glasses up the bridge of her nose, she finally knocked.

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Felicity Simmons"]

The headache he had recieved from his sergeant as a result of /that/ woman was vastly greater than the headache caused by the zeltron elixer of extremely stupid things. He had finished his shift guarding Spencer's daughter's pet's food dish and had been back in his room for little over an hour when he finally had the small room looking habitable. His armor he took off and lay in a sanisteamer his undersuit was happily washing and he was able to sit down and enjoy a bowl of synthmeat and vegetable stew, at his small table, which was really a round piece of metal welded to a broken astromech chassis. He sat in a pair of house pants light blue fuzzy slippers....and his helmet sitting propped up on his forehead.

He lifted his head, an old metal spoon halfway to his mouth and looked toward the door. He could have sworn someone was out side his door, but then, he had thought he was going to push that ewok into the closet with little miss "protons and neutrons are mah fwends", and that had went just....greeeeaaaat. He finished his food, pulled his helmet over his face and put his bowl in the cleaning basin he made out of an R3 units dome. He made a cup of citrus sweetened iced tea and sat down to read his Ane Jaustin holonovel collection. His feet up on and empty weapon crate decorated with crayons and paints from his last stint babysitting the toe headed little daughter of the boss ladies. He wiggled his toes and scratched his scar riddled chest as he sipped his cold sweet tea through his helmet's straw attachment...'cause everything was better from a straw, when a knock came at his door.

"Probably Warrok for the rest of that elixir." he said as he took his feet down and sat up to place his drink on the cra te. He stood and walked to the door to peer out the small viewhole and saw....her.

He quickly pressed himself to the side of the door as if she could see him and promptly knocked over his weapon rack, dishes (few as they were), and a stack of holochips (mostly "chick flicks". Tough guy my foot) he for he finally stood knees bent slightly arms outstretched looking around and trying to figure a way out of this one.

"Um whooo eeesss eet." he said in an extremely poor attempt at a female voice filtered through his helmet. Then knowing pretty well that the proverbial jig was likely up, he walked to the door, took a deep breath, forgot he was wearing shorts and a helmet, and cracked the door enough to peek out at the smallish nerd girl.

"Yes?" he began in the feminine voice before clearing him throat and speaming in his normal deep voice, "i mean, can I help you?"

 

[Skyler]

[member="IC-6736"]

Eyes traveled from the fuzzy pair of his slippers to his shorts up his bare-chest and higher, still, to rest on his helmeted-head. Arms crossed stiffly across her chest as a flash of ire sparked in her eyes behind glass lenses. "Always the professional, I see."

Then she asked the question she never pictured herself asking, self-consciously glancing over her shoulder.

"Can I come in? Just for a second!" Voice dropped, the annoyance and urgency clearly reflected in her tone. "I'd prefer not to have this conversation out here."

For a second, she thought she heard the happy skipping of an ewok coming down the hall.

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Felicity Simmons"]

He looked the woman over breifly from behind his eye slots of his helmet and repressed the urge to tell her to shove off.

"I'm off duty." he said deadpan.

'What's wrong with my slippers?' he thought as he quickly closed the door and looked around at the mess he had just made after his hour of cleaning and just opened the door.

"Fine..." he said as he held the door, "just a second."

He let her in, closed the door, and began picking up his stuff that he had knocked over. That was totes her fault too. Yup she did this.

 

[Skyler]

[member="IC-6736"]

She quickly swallowed the protest about to bubble from her throat as the door was reopened and she was ushered inside. Black-heeled feet stumbled on the feminine holochips scattered by the door. The scientist had never heard of any of them.

Palm slammed down against the top of a shelf as she caught herself, sending a partially stew-covered utensil flying for three-six's head. A nervous gurgle sounded in the back of her throat as she righted herself. "Your living space is very," she stretched her mind for something positive to say. The disorderly space was close to giving her a panic attack.

"Unique."

Without fussing too much, she sank slowly down on the cleanest corner of his bed, perched stiffly on the very, very edge. "Is there anything you want to say to me about two nights ago?"

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Felicity Simmons"]

He had his weapon rack back up and in good order when he heard the crunch of data chips beneath her very stylish black heels and cringed....he turned in time to catch his eating utensil to the face plate as she sat on his militarily made rack and /completely/ messed up the 45 degree angle fold at the corner. He was quickly approaching panic attack when she asked her question. His mind suddenly flashed back to the situation that her was trying diligently to forget ever happened. Did he feel bad for messing up her silly nerd station and breaking her bunsen burner? No, no he didn't. She should have just let him clean and then he could have left quietly but noooooooooo. She had to play a joke. Did he feel bad for giving her the zeltros stuff that he wpuld now hate forever? Yeah, yeah that wasn't cool. He would own to that, especially the outcome which he didn't clearly admit to remembering anything about ever.

"I cleaned the lab." he said as he failed at avoiding the memory that she was kinda a good kisser 'oh gods you're thinking about it!' he thought as he busied himself with cleaning up his holochips. The thought of her fingers whispering up his bicep and over his tattooed shoulder as they turned the closet into shambles was not one he wanted to talk about ever, ever again.

"What more do you want. It's over and I was assinged to gaurd the empress' daughter's pet bowl." he said placing his holochips back on the shelf, "and I'm being transferred so if thats all you wanted to hear, have a wonderfully sciency day,"

 

[Skyler]

[member="IC-6736"]

"Really? What kind of ignoramus...," fingers balled-up around the once perfectly-pressed blankets of his bed. Color flushed to her pale cheeks as she glared at his helmet. She didn't even know what his face looked like, she just knew what it felt like.

In the dark.

She blinked, hard. "And what's over? Something had to begin to call it over." She stood suddenly as she fought a rising feeling of anxiety in her chest. "And I came here to tell you I was being transferred! Okay? Then we wouldn't have to worry about...well, apparently to you, NOTHING. But you're right. It really was nothing."

She sounded like she was trying to convince herself. She took a steadying breath and smoothed down the fabric of her dress with her fingers. "We were under the influence of a biological drug with induced-chemical reactions. I don't usually get this emotional about things. I apologize for my un-professionalism."

Of course, he had a way of clicking her annoyance and ire buttons.

"I doubt we're being transferred to the same place. They assigned me to a lab on the ground, in enemy territory. Very hush-hush."

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Felicity Simmons"]

His faced turned red as his irritation sprung up despite the fact he wanted to say so many other things. The truth of the matter was, although he hadn't intended the kiss and time locked away with the woman, he had enjoyed it. A part of him wanted to scream at her to go kiss a gundark if it was nothing to her, another couldn't help but notice how incredibly pretty she was when she was angry. Despite his earlier words, he was wounded by the idea that it was a mere nothing to her. He had said that because he thought she hated him! Didn't she understand she was getting let off the hook!? He was attracted to the egg head and was biting the bullet and letting it go! He couldn't help it.

"You call /that/ nothing?!" he said not yelling but definitely not "professional". "Lady, I.....never mind."

He picked up his two dishes and put them on the shelf he had fabricated from a shipping crate.

"No. You know what. I do have something to say." he turned and looked at her and fought the urge to yell again. "I'm.....sorry. I'm sorry that I messed up your lab. I'm sorry i ever heard of that elixir and I'm sorry you got stuck in the closet with me, ok?"

He looked around realizing he was shirtless and suddenly felt like grabbing a shirt or something.....and a half gallon of ice cream.

"I'm being sent to guard an R and D facility but they didn't tell me where, top secret, you wouldn't understand." oops, bad choice of words.

'Stop being a pretty nerd!' he thought as he looked away.

 

[Skyler]

[member="IC-6736"]

"Oh, so you do remember something!" A look of vindication lit-up her face as her finger pointed skyward in a eureka moment. Just as quickly, it vanished. Her face scrunched-up as her lips puckered like a fish. "I wouldn't understand? Says the man that wears a helmet even during off-duty hours. I do understand clandestine, thank you very much. I doubt it's the same place!"

Oh stars, please don't be the same place.

She clutched her hands nervously as she stumbled to the door, a bad feeling growing in the pit of her stomach about his assigned-post. Even now she had to purposefully look away from his chest. How long did the elixir effects last anyway?!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!

!

Shoe slipped on the floor as she went to pass him and she found herself inadvertently thrown into his chest. Cheeks flushed further. "Excuse me!"

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Felicity Simmons"]

Cheese and crackers why couldn't he keep his big yap shut! Wait....that's it?! He apologized, tired to do the right thing and all he got was an "Aha!" moment?!

"Of course it's not the same place who would do that?!" he said as he reached up to pull off his helmet after the accusation about him always wearing it. The helemt had crested his square-ish chin and the small scars it wore as she crashed into his chest.

He reached down instinctively wrapped his arms around her and was reminded of how nicely she fit against him. He stepped back to brace himself and slipped on a stray holochip and crashed onto the floor and sending his helmet skittering across the grey floor. Her "excuse me" was lost as his pale green eyes met hers and the sudden thought of kissing her jumped to the front of his thoughts.

"Uh, I, uh," he said nervously as he tried to look for a way out of the current situation.

Good greif why does she have to smell nice!? Why does she have to be pretty!?

"Why do you have to be so pretty?" he let slip before his eyes widened and he realized he has said that out loud and reached for his helmet to cover his short brown hair and scar riddled face.

"Look over there!" He said trying to push her off gently to go after his helmet.

 

[Skyler]

[member="IC-6736"]

She landed on his chest with a thud, an "Umph," escaping from her lips. Glasses went askew on her face. His chest was warm and it brought back some very powerful memories of two nights ago.

"I beg your pardon," she sputtered at his compliment. Normal people said thank you, right? Was that the socially accepted thing to do? His lips were so...

She flopped off his chest as he moved, trying to gracefully put her dress back the way it was supposed to be as she sprawled in a tangle of limbs on the floor. She caught a glimpse of his face.

"See? Was that so hard? I see nothing you should be ashamed of. In fact," she squinted and shoved her glasses straight. "Have we met before?"

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Felicity Simmons"]

He sighed and let his hand fall to the floor as he looked back at her pretty face. He shook his head in mild frustration.

"I said why do you have to be pretty and so infuriating?" he said with no idea what in the world he was going to say or do now. (Even his writer may be winging it at this point.)

"Unless your the blond girl whose hair i put chewing gum in during Mrs. Jondellsillie's class, then I doubt it." he said leaving the helmet on the ground as he stood up. "Look do you want to sit and talk like normal people or do you have to check and see if Sarah is in the closet with the War-miester?"

He crossed his arms over his chest self consciously and planned wrapping in a fluffy robe, watching First Impressions, and kill some rocky road.

 

[Skyler]

[member="IC-6736"]

She ran a hand through her hair self-consciously as he said 'put gum in.' Cheeks flushed again, ire sparking in her eyes. "I'm infuriating?" Fingers tapped against her chest as she stood, pulling her labcoat down. "I only act like this around you. You. Sir. Are infuriating."

Lips pursed into an even thinner line.

"Sarah did want me to thank you, though," she managed a grumble in all seriousness. She felt awkward and thoroughly embarrassed. Her fight or flight instincts were leaning heavily toward flight, flight, flight. "And don't worry!" Hand rose in the air, defiantly as she shoved her glasses up her nose. "I won't infuriate you anymore. Goodbye Three-Six. Whatever your real name is."

The angry scientist spun around and hit the door-open switch but nothing happened.

"Seriously?"

She hit it again not seeing that she had to undo the automatic lock in her flustered state.

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Felicity Simmons"]

"Me?!" he exclaimed, "I was trying to be nice! I put it out there that your one pretty and two I said sorry and, you, just couldn't stop being emotional."

He put his hands on his hips and watched her stalk to the door.

"I'll worry if i want!" he said as shoved her glasses up onto her nose in what may have been the cutest way 'stop your mad at her darn it.'

"I...I gah!" he said then he stomped toward her as she tried to unlock the door. His big hand reached to spin her around and tell her they were NOT finished talking about this when he tripped on the stew utensil and fell flat on his back....hard. He let out a loud groan and tried to roll onto his side.

"Darman," he groaned but by his tone whether it was a curse or his name was anyones guess.

 

[Skyler]

[member="IC-6736"]

She whirled around as his thump rocked the ground beneath her feet and probably disturbed Warok and Sarah in some closet somewhere. She marched over to him and, against her better judgement, offered him a hand-up. "I am being emotional! Ever since YOU handed out that elixir and what happened that....that....night I've been biologically and chemically compromised. And maybe if you stopped yelling, I wouldn't be so EMOTIONAL!"

"And...Darman? Was that your name or were you just letting out an explication?"

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Felicity Simmons"]

He reached up and let his arm fall back down.

"Fine!" he said as he gauged just how hurt he had made himself. A lot of the anger was knocked out when he landed on his....pride. "Maybe I was the emotional one." he said half meaning it half just wanting to not have her mad at him anymore. Wait....she wasn't still compromised....was she? What does that even mean? I that nerd speak!?

"It's my name" he said reaching up again and pulling to try and get up, "and what does 'biologically and chemically compromised' even mean?" the stuff was probably out of our systems the hour we drank it. The rest may have just been....never mind."

 

[Skyler]

[member="IC-6736"]

She offered him both hands and tugged with all the strength of a wet-noodle. It's not like she did a lot of heavy lifting, well, ever. Still, the woman was stubborn and leaned even further back on the heels of her shoes as she tried to leverage his bulk up. "I was just," she grunted and pulled. "It meant that everything was going perfectly until you showed up. Everything was ordered and in control. My mind was focused- as it should be. But after that drug," yes, stick with blaming the drug, "I've just...been distracted, okay? I haven't had time to analyze any, uh, rippling effects. "

She knew perfectly well there weren't any rippling effects. She just didn't want to talk about it. Laser-brains here was just a little too embedded beneath her skin.

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Felicity Simmons"]

He got to a knee with her straining like she would actually do something with her wittle science arms.

"You know," he began as he stood felt his back and walked like a bent old man to his bed, couch, chair and sat down still a little annoyed at his messed up corner. "You are cute when your in denile."

He reached for his cold tea and took a sip as he began to get the impression, thick headed this one, that maybe she was so mad and stired up for another reason entirely. She liked it...she liked it as much as he did and she was thinking about it too. Hahahah! Vindication! Unless she really was having a side effect that know one else ever had before. Which, as odd as she was could be possible. He just hoped she wasn't....let's not think about that.

"You liked being stuck in the closet with me." he said looking up, "didn't you?"

 

[Skyler]

[member="IC-6736"]

"No!" She said it a little too quickly for it to be believable. She paced to the door and back. "I mean, scientifically speaking, I was chemically induced to enjoy the physical interaction shared between us in that space. But you," a finger pointed at him, " already said it was nothing. Admit it. You don't even remember half of it."

Beakers and slide samples, why did the man still not have a shirt on?

She heard something on the other side of the door and frowned.

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Felicity Simmons"]

"I remember your dad has trouble going and you make 'uhmmm' sound when you're...excited" he said as he stood and took a step in her direction. "And I said it was nothing because I thought it was nothing to you."

He grabbed a shirt at random and put it on quickly before he walked over to her.

"Also you were chemically induced to have the urge not to enjoy it, that was all you..." it was mostly true even all true for a lot of people.