Strange Bedfellows

Posted on Monday March 2nd, 2020 @ 09:51 hours by Mayterial Droz & Alexandria Farron

Mission: Safe Passage
Location: Captain's Quarters, Deck 1, S.S. Fawkes
Timeline: MD01 - 0215
2955 words - 5.9 OF Standard Post Measure

The last thing she remembered was that she had been in a bar. Then, as if in the wink of an eye, she woke up half slumped against her quarter's door. She had thanked the young man that had apparently carried her there. It was odd, she knew there had been someone that took her back to her quarters, but it was already difficult to remember who that person had been. She punched in her code and the doors slid away for her, a dark cold room awaiting her.

Mayterial started to peel away the layers of smelly clothing, dropping the different items of fabric wherever she was taking them off. As she reached the edge of the bed she was left with just a tank top and boxers on as she stumbled to climb into it. She pulled the bun out of her hair and tossed the hairband in the corner before crawling under the blankets. It felt odd, not as cold as she expected it to be. As if the mattress was already pulling her towards the centre. As if someone was already in her bed.

She quietly slid closer to the warm body already occupying her sleeping nook and slid her arm around a lithe frame, she smiled, "Shhh, go back to sleep, it's just me." May whispered to the shadow under her covers.

Unfortunately for Captain May, her bedtime companion was not the imaginary lover her drunken stupor had led her to believe. It was Alexandria, the Fawkes' awkward and mildly creepy navigator, who'd chosen that night to take her Captain up on her one-time offer for a sleepover. Alexandria had never made it back to May's quarters the day the offer had been given, but as far as she was concerned, the wording of 'one-time offer' meant any one time... not specifically that one time. So, with much of the crew off-ship taking advantage of some brief shore leave at their latest port of call, the navigator had decided to collect.

"Mmmmhhm..." Alexandria murmured as she felt a warm body slide in close to her and an arm snake around her. She wasn't really awake, it was more of an unconscious response to stimuli. She was not normally a heavy sleeper. but it seemed that in May's bed she was. She was wearing her cosy grey onesie pyjamas, but shortly after tucking herself in she'd found them to be a bit too warm and had unzipped the front all the way down to her waist, leaving it open. She was only wearing a sleeping bra and panties underneath. Though she didn't wake, Alexandria snuggled closer to the source of warmth, like a moth drawn to flame. She rolled over, trapping one of May's arms underneath her, and continued to sleep soundly.

With both of them entangled May tightened her grip around Alexandria, giving a satisfied sigh and drifting off into an uneasy sleep as the bed refused to stay still. Immediately she drifted off into a dream, one where she lay in bed with Meghan, before the Fawkes was even a vague idea.

[Early morning]

The night before had been difficult to remember, and May didn't want to open her eyes and see who it was that was curled up in her arms. She felt her embrace on the bare skin of the other woman, but it seemed like she had something still covering herself around her shoulders. The body was soft and smooth, even with her eyes closed she could tell why she was sharing a bed with this woman. She remembered some vague faces in the bar, not quite sure which one she ended up hooking up with. It wasn't really clear to her what they had done once they had gotten to bed though, that was a pity, plus there was this nagging feeling in the back of her mind that she couldn't quite place. "Good morning..." She whispered in the ear of the woman in her arms.

Alexandria had been awake for some time. Probably not long, but the anticipation had made it feel like forever. She'd woken up, essentially trapped in bed by the cuddlemonster Captain May, who had one arm under her, and the other around her, snaked in under her onesie. She too had an arm draped over May's stomach, and her head was rucked into the space between her shoulder and chin. Alexandria was afraid to move either, lest she wake May and bring this milestone event to an end--her first cuddle. And as she waited, her analytical mind had calculated the probabilities of the various reactions May would have. The odds of a favorable outcome were low, given the key variable being the belief that May did not appear to realize who was there with her.

"Good morning. Captain May. Who's Meghan?" Alexandria said in a dreamy tone, referring to the name May had uttered a couple of times in her sleep. For all the emotional awkwardness, the warm cuddles actually felt quite good and navigator was not eager for them to end.

As if her world was falling apart Mayterial let out a long sigh. Even if she hadn't recognized the voice the fact that the warm body wrapped against her had called her Captain May was a dead give away, "Someone from a lifetime ago." She pulled Alexandria closer to give one last, strong, hug before pulling her arms back and opening her eyes, "can I trust that this stays between us?"

Now freed from May's clutches, Alexandria attempted to make her escape before things got more awkward. She failed. The sheets on her side of the bed were still firmly tucked in, so it appeared she had to get out the same way she got in... which involved getting past May. Alexandria attempted to climb over May without actually touching her, like a pole vaulter attempting to avoid the bar, but there was no way out. The other end of the sheets were apparently under May. Before Alexandria knew it, she was op top of her in a very awkwardly intimate straddle. Their lips may have touched, but it was tough to tell with Alex's hair everywhere. But she'd gotten close enough to smell the liquor on her captain's breath.

"It should... unless you start calling out my name in your sleep next." Alexandria deadpanned, her even voice not quite matching the intimacy of the moment. Undeterred, she pushed herself off of the bed, dislodging the sheets enough to sit up. Still straddling May, Alexandria took a moment to tuck her hair away behind her ears. For a moment she was... indecisive, on what to do next.

"So.... while we're here, you want to... you know...?" Alexandria barely made it sound like a coherent sentence, let alone a question. That was rare for her. She had doubts over whether she was emotionally prepared for what she was suggesting, but in some corner of her weird mind it seemed appropriate enough a situation to ask.

Mayterial tried to stay out of the way of Alexandria super awkwardly trying to find her way out of the bed and ended up with the young navigator sitting upright on top of her, onesie still unzipped, pale skin contrasting with dark fabric. As if by reflex she placed her hands on the woman's hips. Then the question came and she immediately pulled her hands back in shock over the situation, "No." She gently pushed Alexandria to the side and rolled out of the bed herself, "I think it's better if we didn't." The cold floor gripping her bare feet instilled a sense of reality back into her, "Would you like some breakfast?"

Alexandria sighed as her back hit the mattress. Being cast aside, however gently, was still a downer. That no had come awfully quick... May hadn't even been tempted by the offer. The navigator didn't take it personally though, and besides, May was probably right... having sex with her employer probably wasn't a good idea. She zipped up her onesie with another sigh.

"Oatmeal with banana slices. please." Alexandria replied without thought to the question. She had oatmeal for breakfast every day, though the fruit she added in sometimes differed.

Mayterial, not being fully awake yet, didn't pick up on the disappointment of Alexandria. She simply ordered the oatmeal and some bacon pancakes for herself before carrying the tray back to the bed. She sat down next to Alex and handed her the tray, taking the warm plate of pancakes for herself. She had also replicated two glasses of orange juice. Putting one pillow up against the headboard she sat upright and took a sip of the drink, "So. What were you doing in my bed?"

Alexandria eyed May's plate. Bacon pancake? She had no idea what that was. Something popular on Betazed, probably. She turned her attention to her own breakfast and nibbled away at it carefully. She could be a messy eater and she didn't want to spark the captain's ire by getting food all over her bed. She winced after the first few bites. The oatmeal from the captain's replicator wasn't as good as it was in the crew's mess. But it was still edible, so she kept eating.

"You invited me, the other day. You did this..." Alexandria replied slowly, touching her finger to her nose, like May had done "...and said I could sleep over one time. Remember?"

As she waited for a reply, Alexandria blinked, just then realizing something. "Oh... you thought I was someone else."

"I was very drunk, I didn't really know what I thought," Mayterial cut into her pancakes and started eating. She had tweaked and updated this recipe so many times. The replicator was old, It couldn't quite get the textures right, but it was close enough to not matter, "but yeah, there were some memories of someone that used to spend the night here." She saw Alexandria eye her pancakes as she started to eat through them. She cut off a piece and pushed it to the side of her plate, "want a bite?"

May had always been annoyed at Meghan for wanting to 'have a taste' whether it was a drink, or a bite to eat, she always ordered something else and then she always wanted to try whatever was on May's plate. Now it didn't bother her, she was happy to share some with Alex. She seemed so naive, such a stranger to the world.

Alexandria blinked, staring at the bit of food May had offered. Who would do such a thing? Having someone eat off of her plate was an instant panic trigger for Alexandria, and it had happened to her on Fawkes before. Eating off of someone else's plate... was worse? But then again, sleeping in someone else's bed? She was already done for. She looked at the bit of food, then at the spoon in her hand. She tentatively reached for it, but hesitated and ultimately retreated a moment later. She couldn't do it. The sense of failure caused Alexandria to retreat into her shell of introversion a bit, but not entirely.

"Drinking to the point of severe intoxication is very bad for you, Captain May. Liver replacement surgery and rehabilitation is not fun, believe me. And Doctor Lorpax will probably try to overcharge you for it." Alexandria cautioned between spoonfuls of her oatmeal.

"I know." May shook her head a bit, a motion that didn't really agree with the bag of rocks that currently resided in her skull, "I'd promise I'll never do it again, but it's not really a conscious, rational, decision." She continued eating her pancakes, leaving the cut off piece available for Alex if she dared to try again, "Sometimes it's the only thing that..." She stopped herself, she didn't really want to open up to anyone about this, and perhaps Alex was the worst person to talk about this with. Then again she'd know that Alex wouldn't say a peep to anyone else, "Meghan was very important to me, and sometimes I think about her a bit too much..." She shrugged and stuffed another bit of pancake into her mouth, "Drinking just seems like a good solution then"

"She used you. But she also loves you, which is why you're not in prison with her." Alexandria said slowly. She knew what had happened. It had been in the news. Though she hadn't learned until after she took the job. "My wife used me too. I don't know if she loves me though." Alexandria sighed.

It shook May a bit to hear someone say it like that, she hadn't really felt used. Betrayed and heartbroken, but not used. Alexandria was right though, she had been played like they had used to play others in their cons. When had she stopped being the partner in crime and become the gullible mark? She swallowed a lump in her throat and quickly took another sip of her juice, "Your wife still in prison on 'zed?"

"No, she's been released." Alexandria said. If it bothered her discussing the fact that both of their significant others were criminals who either were or were recently incarcerated, it didn't show. She did, however, seem more concerned with inspecting her pajama onesie for oatmeal splatter.

"I know the game she plays, Alex, and I know that you don't really love her from the way that you offered yourself to me this morning," Mayterial didn't know how to get this across without alienating the navigator again, "but you should really consider nullifying the marriage." She was really going to hate what she was proposing now, "if we need to go visit her on Betazed, then make sure our route takes us there."

"Love her? I've never even met her." Alexandria stated in a quiet tone. "Mierin wants me to come and see her. She says there's no point in staying married if I won't." She added as she set aside the breakfast tray. "She said I could bring a friend if I wanted... anyone except you." Alexandria's 'wife' had been vague about why, and had simply said to ask May. The navigator didn't think she wanted to know.

"Figures." Mayterial remembered her conversation with Mierin. The woman had been exactly what May had expected, "I can come with you, mask myself," She didn't really like the procedures she had to undergo to appear Vulcan, but for this purpose, she wouldn't really have to go through all of that, "or you could ask someone else to join you, I guess." It was clear who May thought was the most qualified person to accompany her on this one, "I guess we should get ready to start the day." She stretched a bit and took the last bite of her pancakes, the piece she had kept available for Alexandria up until that point.

Alexandria stood and retrieved her toothbrush from May's bathroom. A very fancy electric toothbrush. "Does that even work on Betazed?" She mumbled, with a mouth full of toothpaste and whirling brush heads. She referred to a disguise... on a planet full of mind readers. As she spat out the toothpaste Alexandria debated getting dressed for work, as she'd gotten away with wearing her pyjamas before. She ran a hand through her mess of hair and got it caught in a tangle. She then remembered the ship was still docked.

"Captain May... we're docked and most of the crew is taking shore leave. Let's just go back to bed." May would probably have more luck there in trying to convince her to leave her wife. Alexandria didn't get it... if the Captain liked her and wanted her for herself, why not just say so? It was all so very confusing.

"I'm from there, remember," May pointed at her eye, showing the full black orb, "there's ways to protect yourself." She started gathering some clothing and a towel, ready to make her way over to the showers, "Even if we're docked, I've got a lot of ground to cover. Every day in dock we're losing money." She stepped up towards Alex and planted a kiss on her cheek, "Thank you for last night..." she stepped away before stepping in and pecking another kiss on her, "and for this morning." She smiled and stepped towards the exit of the room, "Remember, nobody finds out about this." She called over her shoulder.

Two kisses? What did they mean? Alexandria had been caught off guard by the first, squirming awkwardly at the scent of bacon and booze on May's breath. She tried to kiss May back after the second, but was a moment too late, catching only a swirl of hair on the top of her nose as the captain turned to leave. What had May thanked her for? The navigator had no idea. She'd been mistaken for another woman, turned down for sexytime, given unwanted marriage counseling, then sworn to secrecy about the whole affair.

What affair?

Alexandria scratched her head in confusion, and got her fingers stuck in another tangle of hair. She should probably do something about that. Her brush was back in her quarters, or, failing that, her beanie to cover up the mess. At least she'd taken a shower the night before.

Left with the mess as May headed off, Alexandria looked around and decided it would be best if they were not seen leaving together. With a couple minutes to kill, she decided to focus on making the bed. That, and thinking about a place to hide for the rest of the day.

[OFF]

Mayterial Droz
Captain

&

Alexandria Farron
Navigator

S.S. Fawkes

"Misery acquaints a man with strange bed-fellows."