Stretching the legs

Posted on Sunday May 16th, 2021 @ 18:44 hours by M'erah & Kala Marika

Mission: Safe Passage
Location: Engineering
1280 words - 2.6 OF Standard Post Measure

"Come on, kitten, you should get out of this stuffy room, get some frrresh airrr on the surrrface," M'erah leaned against the doorpost, having waited for some minutes already as Kala insisted on just finishing one more thing before departing, "The engine will still be here tomorrrow morrrning, and it will still be in the same terrrible shape."

Kala nodded, chuckling. "I know Merah. I know." She closed the lid on the screen at her desk, grabbing her bag from the bed. She gave Merah a peck on the cheek and took his hand in her own. "So take the day off, overnight planet side and be back tomorrow morning sometime? Or you thinking we should make this a weekend getaway?"

"I don't think the Captain is planning on staying that long," M'erah knew that Mayterial always wanted to keep going as much as she could, from what she had heard around the lower decks she was even less eager to spend time around Betazed. Though rumour had it that the Navigator was somehow influencing the Captain into staying longer this time around, "wouldn't want to miss ourrr flight."

"I'm sure the Captain wouldn't leave without her Chief Engineer and her senior deckhand, but you know her better then I do, so I'll trust your judgement on this." Kala leaned in a little, pressing her head up against Merah's shoulder. "I guess your looking forward to solid ground under your feet?"

"I got used to life in space, but nothing beats a meadow." M'erah admitted. He always longed for the rolling green meadows of his homeworld, nothing could compare to it for him. It was probably all of the familiar sights and smells, and his old family and friends of course, "space bug like you, it's a mirrracle I can even convince you to leave the ship for more than a day."

"I'm not entirely a space bug Merah," Kala remarked, "Yeah I grew up in the shipping business and have spent most of my adult years in artificial gravity, but I enjoy solid ground beneath my feet as much as the next girl." She grinned, "Getting me off this bucket is less about gravity and more about the amount of work I'm always behind on. I am looking forward to the time away, a meadow where I can just lie down, look up at the sky, feel the warmth of the sun, the breeze on my skin, the touch of a lover."

"Therrre's always morrre worrrk on old rrrustbuckets like these," M'erah admitted, looking around a bit before giving the bulkhead next to him a little pat. He didn't want to upset the old girl. "That meadow you'rrre talking about, sounds awfully specific, been to many such meadows in yourrr time?" There was almost the sense of jealously ringing through in his words.

"Just memories from when I was younger, in my teens. There was a field across the road from my home, used to go there in the evening once the sun began to set, watch the twinkling of sunlight off the hulls of ships, boyfriend with me. Back when the world was a simpler place." She squeezed his hand, "No reason we couldn't find one planet side, even a park with nice green grass, a tall shade tree to lean against as we enjoy real gravity." She looked up at him, "I want to spend time with you M'erah, get to know each other as friends, learn what makes the other tick. We're lovers, but I don't want what we shared to be just a pleasurable way to pass the time. Caits don't do shallow, that much I know."

"It takes all kinds," M'erah remarked, he had certainly been on the receiving end of a shallow Cait relationship, at a time where he also still thought that his people didn't really partake in that kind of behaviour, "but this doesn't feel shallow." he added with a purr before pulling her away from the engineering back and into the corridor. Having taken that first step, and feeling a bit of liberty he pulled her in close and gave her a kiss, "laying on the grrrass, enjoying rrreal grrravity sounds verrry enticing."

"I suppose it takes all kinds, but I'm not one to do shallow." She followed him into the corridor, pleased when he pulled her into a kiss, "I'm sure we'll find a quiet spot to enjoy the grass and the sun." She ran her fingers along his cheek bone, looking up into his eyes once the kiss broke, "that was not shallow," she remarked with a smirk, "and lover, wherever life takes us, I do life with passion, nothing is ever shallow, work hard, play hard."

"We better get underway then," M'erah led the way to the airlock that connected them to the Betazed orbital station, "Anything we need from the prrromenade beforrre we make our way planetside?"

"Unless you have a surprise for me I don't know about, I'm okay for now." She paused, looking up at her fuzzy Caitian lover. "Looking forward to this, time off the ship, away from everyone except you." She grinned, "I'm sure we can find a quiet field or park somewhere to just relax and enjoy the downtime, short as it is."

[An hour and Twenty minutes later, Planetside]

"It seems like we always find ourrrselves picnicking somewherrre, don't we?" M'erah smiled as he grabbed a box of strawberries from the stand in front of him, "How much forrr this?" They had beamed in close to a small and lovely little local farmer's market in the more rural area of Betazed, and were now gathering food and supplies for a nice afternoon in the sun.

The Betazoid woman behind the stall looked over, "GPL or Credit?"

"GPL." M'erah got a small pouch from his belt and rummaged through it.

"Four slips."

It seemed like a reasonable price for fresh fruit so M'erah immediately paid and turned to Kala, "Can't wait to try these."

Kala herself recognized the fruit as something akin to strawberries, or even perhaps strawberries, terran edibles seemed as easy to grow off planet as terrans themselves were. She smiled up at him, "Two for Two loverr," Kala purred out. "I hope you found a quiet secluded place, if last time is anything to go by."

"I've hearrrd Betazoid unions arrre conducted in the buff," M'erah said, implying that perhaps it wasn't such a big deal to be caught in a fit of passion in a public park. Though he wouldn't want to put that theory to the test. He would need to be back on the ship when they left, he actually liked the job and the crew, "though I'm surrre we can find a morrre suitable place."

"Their weddings are I'm told, never been to one." She glanced around briefly, before turning her attention back to M'erah. "Though everyone seems clothed so perhaps curling up in a public place is not wise." She pulled up a map on her padd, "If we have a few hours, perhaps we do some sight seeing, have a proper picnic, and save the rest for when we get back to the ship?"

"That sounds delightful," M'erah admitted, it did sound like an awesome way to spend some time on a beautiful planet with a beautiful lady, "is therrre something else you'd like beforrre we find ourrr way to a nice spot in the sun?"

"I think I have everything I need. Real ground under my feet, warm sun on my face, and a handsome Caet holding my hand. Everything a girl could want." She looked up at him. "Shall we?"