Chapter 2- Define a date
#3 of The 5th Fringe Dragoons
Please be kind- I'm trying to take my writing seriously, so... I went a bit overboard with the plot. ^^;; Also, it's worth noting that I wrote this with the idea of having several different kinds of sexual themes involved, including gay, straight and incestuous themes, so keep your pants down and hands on them members, I'm getting to it! Today's lesson is "how to spy on a gay couple!" All characters, names and the entire idea is copyrighted to me, Kajex Firedrake. Please do not read if you're under the age of 30. Because I know anybody who wants to, will read this anyway. =P. * * *
The definition of a 'date' varies greatly from person to person, I notice. Some say a movie is a 'date'. And some say getting in a speeder and fucking in the backseat is a date. Among Rangers, a 'date' usually meant spending time with a fellow teammate doing something mildly entertaining, or talking, sometimes over a good meal. "Dinner's served, ya'll." Rinyu was the first to reach the food booth, behind which Diego was stationed. She overlooked her plate, shaking your head. "You really need to apply for Iron Chef competitions." The meal for the evening was fried Aroanian Shrimp with Fettuccine Alfredo- a high-class meal, some might say, but apparently it didn't cost much to make. "You'd make a fortune from the winnings, you wouldn't have to be here in the middle of nowhere." "What, and have my secret recipes televised to every inhabited system?" He chuckled. "No thanks- I'm content with turning water into wine, bargain foods into wedding feasts, and intruding armies into balls of aluminum." I took up my plate, muttering under my breath. "I'll have to keep that in mind." Certain nobody had heard me, I spoke a bit louder. "Keep doing what you're doing- it's one of the few reasons I haven't booted you out yet," I joked. "That's harsh- you're breakin' my balls here, boss!" "Me? Never. I value my feet too much to waste time on those boulders," I responded, inciting laughs from those within earshot of my comment. Rinyu and I left with our plates, and made a beeline for the rec room. You wouldn't know it on sight, but one of Diego's greatest joys was being in a kitchen, cooking. He was odd in many ways- as big and muscular as the dark-brown mustang might have been, towering over all of us at 7 feet, he was very intelligent and well-learned, and incredibly good-natured. He never looked down on anybody for being smaller or weaker than he was, the big softy. I'd initially been flabbergasted with his high-quality meals, until I learned that he'd been raised by only his mother and older sister, and spent a lot of time cooking, with bargain items, no less. I think Diego was, at the time, trying to outdo himself for some odd reason- probably trying to impress Sen, although their bi-weekly bedtime romps should have been enough for her to be impressed to begin with. I wouldn't know from personal experience, but I've been told he's a beast in the sack. Or that his nutsack was a beast. I forget which, but it's enough to say that whatever it was, it made Sen scream a lot every 11:34 in the evening. Rinyu and I had taken up positions in the rec room, taking seats at one of the tables on the side opposite from where Tarry and Talon were cuddling and talking. Apparently, they were done gaming for the night, and aiming to make for another romantic evening in their room. Talon looked up for a brief second, noticed Rinyu, and nodded to me in approval, smiling warmly- a smile I returned. She caught the nod, head-tilting curiously. "What was that all about?" I cleared my throat. "He's just glad that I'm taking the opportunity to spend time with somebody, instead of eating alone as usual." I shrugged. "I usually eat meals by my lonesome unless I need to talk to somebody in a non-leisurely, 'gotta-talk-to-you-about-the-work-you're-doing' way." "What makes me different, that you wouldn't speak to me over dinner in a non-leisurely way?" "I would be lying if I said I didn't find you attractive, for one. And I'd like the opportunity to know more about you- as much as I can." I immediately hesitated on further speaking- I was at that time, new to the idea of spending time with someone of the opposite sex, and if she had been the same, or was more experienced, I wasn't eager to give her the wrong idea. "Not to say that I planned this for the sole reason of, well..." "Getting into my jumpsuit?" she offered, grinning. Her expression softened into a warm smile. "I understand, really." She shrugged. "Honestly, I wasn't expecting to start these kind of activities all the way out here, but... I won't say no to the opportunity. Cute guy like you, I'd be a fool to pass up." She hastily began to eat, but not so immediately that I didn't catch onto her blushing. I started the first of many conversations over that dinner. "So, how're you liking your time onboard? Not too boring, I hope." Her embarrassment faded as her face settled into a humored smirk. "Between Talon's collection of movies, Diego's modest collection of books and your extensive collection of video games, I have a lot to do on my own. But," she said, smiling warmly, "it's nice to have these things to do with other people. Sometimes I forget I'm in a ship drifting through Blind Pockets." "Glad to hear it. I made it a point to outfit the ship with enough goodies to make sure we don't get cabin fever." I took a moment to eat my meal while it was still hot. "So, what did you do before you came aboard?" She leaned back in her chair, thinking for a moment. "I graduated about 3 years ago from the academy, before 'applying' for the Perception Corps. to augment my psychic abilities for about a year and a half. It wasn't grueling enough training for me, so I took up a job as a tactical assistant for the BAF's wargames." "So you basically learned the ropes in military movement?" She shrugged. "It was a learning experience for me, and they were trying to see how well a psychic would adapt to critical thinking on the battlefield." "How did that go?" She grinned sheepishly. "I failed miserably. I made the mistake of not putting two and two together before sending several groups of foot soldiers to their simulated deaths, well within range of enemy artillery. I got reprimanded for it, and I spent the rest of my time applying for a job on the fringe while reading up on battlefield tactics." I winced. "My sympathies- it's not an easy job, though, so I'd say not to take it too hard. Take it from somebody who has to give orders while he's in the thick of battle with everyone working alongside him." She nodded. "How did you become commander of the Dragoons, anyway? I've rarely heard of anybody taking command of a squadron before the age of 30." I raised an eyebrow. "You're prepared for a long story like that?" "Shit, I ain't got anything else to say, besides 'I once fucked up in war games so bad that they didn't give me another chance'. Besides, you've got 8 years experience on the Fringe, you must've been stationed out here during the war, right? So it's bound to be interesting." I nodded, smiling in her enthusiasm to learn more about me. "7 years, actually. I suppose 'interesting' is a good word to use. Alright then... where do I begin?" "Your first year here- what was it like?" "It can be summed up with a minimum of two words: Massive Failure." "Really? Do tell." I chuckled. "If you insist." I leaned back in my chair, much in the same way she was, staring up at the ceiling before attempting to recall the names of people I'd served under. For her part, she continued to eat as she listened, her eyes never leaving me. "Well, we were at the forefront of the Midnight War like every other Ranger was, along with whatever reinforcements were brought to aid us. They weren't much, though. And of the few ranger squadrons that took casualties during the war, we were among them." I paused, recalling people from years ago, friends now dead. "I remember being there the first week, when our commander was blown away in battle, along with half the squadron." I shook my head. "Good riddance." She blinked. "Was he that bad?" I scoffed. "A total cockbite, no bullshit. He played favorites with only one other member of the squad, and made it abundantly clear that he didn't give a shit about the rest of us. He had an affair with his 'favorite', and ended up getting too attached, so that when things went sour, he refused to leave him behind." I took a sip from my drink. "End result- both guys were smoked, and 4 other people who didn't need to die did anyway." She winced. "I guess the best that can be said is that you didn't have to deal with him anymore." I nodded. "It opened the way for my second commander- probably the only real mentor I had." I smiled, remembering him. "He was an otter, James Eery. He came in to command about a week after the first one bit the dust, and the squad liked him instantly." "What was he like?" "He was a good man, and I consider it dishonor to his memory for anybody to say that he was otherwise. He taught me that a commander is only as good as the men under his command, that our lives had more meaning than to be told what to do and to do it. He encouraged us to speak up if we didn't feel right about something." I waved my paw around, indicating the ship we were in. "And all this? All this is here only because of his selflessness. He put in requisitions for the bigger ship, then the rec room materials, citing that the crew was usually on edge without having something to do to calm them down." "Wait, wait." She cut me short. "You mean he was 'Eery', the reason Fringe Rangers were outfitted with rec centers? He's the one the base-fleets are always bitching about?" I knew what she was talking about - Eery was considered a selfish fool who filed requests for his own ends, strictly on the basis that most base-fleets believed that being out in the middle of Ass-End-Nowhere with limited leave time and no significant contact with the universe at large, meant that we weren't entitled to things that ensured we didn't go insane with cabin-fever and kill people when revisiting the core of the system. I made it a point to use my fists as a response to such foolish arguments. It only happened once, but I would always be prepared to do it again. I nodded. "Yeah, that was him. Forget anything you might have heard about him, if people actually researched his file for the 6 months before we was KIA, they'd have a different opinion. We'd suffered no losses the entire time we were under his command, and before he came along, the Dragoons, like I said, were one of the few squadrons to take heavy casualties." "So when did you take control of the Dragoons?" She leaned forward, and I was surprised as well as mildly pleased to see that she was actually interested in my story. "Much later. Immediately after his death, we were assigned another commander- that's when Tarry and Diego showed up. Kiyo and Talon were already members at the time, they arrived when Eery did." I shook my head, sighing. "It was almost as if I was stuck in an old nightmare- it was like my first commander, reincarnated. Worse yet, I was posted second-in-command under him. He just loved to tell me that he didn't give a shit about me or anybody else on the squadron. We went through 6 more months of hell with him trying to remove the stuff Eery had gotten for the squadron - unsuccessfully, of course - before he lead us in a battle that ended on such a shitty note that I had to be the one to write out a response to the BAFN inquiry committee on how he nearly got us royally fucked in less than 30 minutes." She stared at me. "You must be exag--" "No, I'm not," I snapped- she recoiled a bit, looking apologetic. I blinked, then looked away ashamedly, muttering an apology for my bluntness. "Sorry. Just... he dredges up bad memories." I cleared my throat. "When it was all said and done, we were reduced to a fighting force of 5 pilots, having lost an entire full squadron in 26 minutes and 16 seconds, according to the mission time. You can understand if bringing it up is ..." I trailed off. She nodded. "It's alright. Hell, I think I'd be a little pissed if somebody like that sent people to their deaths as if they were cannon-fodder." She hesitated a bit, then made a movement towards me, taking my hand. "Apology accepted." The contact alone surprised me so that I looked back up, and saw that smile again- moments later, I was able to smile back in relief. I felt I'd ruined things, but thankfully she wasn't one to hold grudges. I continued onwards, moving my paw away. "Anyway, after that, I was shifted into the spot as acting Commander for a few days, before they told me I could take the reigns permanently. Apparently, they had wasted most of the good people qualified enough to be transferred to the squadron. Besides, I had supplemental tactical training throughout the academy, not to mention my status as a registered Receptive, so even though I was 20 at the time, they didn't see any real reason why I couldn't be commander- not to mention that the war was coming to a close." I smiled. "Fast forward about 6 years, and here we are." She grinned. "You're leaving stuff out." I shrugged, not denying it. "I just don't want you to get bored," I responded with a smile. "I'm flattered that you seem genuinely interested in my military background, but if I'm not mistaken, that's not what most people talk about while on a date." She snickered. "Fuck other people in general - I'm not going to waste my time talking about how my day was when I know most people couldn't care less. Hell, I couldn't care less about how my day was." I chuckled. "And here I was, thinking you were the kind of person who loved helping people." She smiled. "I love helping people. Really, I do. But if as a person I devote my life towards helping them, that doesn't mean that I'm completely like them. I like talking about things besides makeup, sex, things found on the rumor-vine, or celebrities whose lives have had little impact on my own. I like to talk about stuff, like what people have done to serve their system." She paused. "That, and I'm a sucker for things like the Military Channel. Also, I love video gaming. I mean... c'mon- video games." I stared at her with a small smile. "Did you ever get called a tomboy by people when you were little?" She looked a bit embarrassed. "... Not a turnoff, is it?" I chuckled. "If more guys could find a lady who sits down to watch sports and actively root for the right team, I don't think they'd consider it a true turnoff, so much as a 'this-is-a-goddamned-wet-dream-I-must-be-having' situation." "... So I'm giving you a boner at this point, then?" I couldn't contain my laughter, coughing on my drink as she laughed along with me. "Sorry about that," she said, looking mildly apologetic, but pleased. I shook my head, smiling broadly. "Not a problem. But yeah, I'm just saying that there's nothing unattractive about you, really." She smiled warmly. "Thanks. I'll assume that you don't say that to every woman you meet." "... You don't have anybody dear to you back home, do you?" "Nope- never got in a relationship with anybody back home, or in the academy. Men back there weren't interested in me, and I certainly wasn't interested in them." She sighed a note of mild disappointment, and I knew just from that she probably had as much luck as I did out here. "When 4 out of every 5 guys you meet asks for you to put out for them a week after meeting, you tend to get a little dismayed." "And the remaining guy?" "Usually the night you meet them on." She shrugged. "I've only met one guy who was sweet to me, but it wouldn't have worked out between us." "I'm sorry to hear that." She nodded. "What about you?" "I haven't met many women at all, or known them long enough to start anything serious. Kiya and Sen, sure, they're fine women and all, but meant for others, I think. And thus far, I've been through and suffered through only one relationship." "Really? Who?" My eyes strayed to the cat-and-mouse couple curled up on the sofa cuddling. Rinyu followed my eyes, noticing my attention had swayed to them. "... Which one?" "Talon. He had another reason for nodding the way he did, when we walked in." "He seemed like he was nodding as if he approved of something." I hesitated, looked to him again- and again, he looked up and nodded, smiling as he did before. "Well, he's nodding this time because he's glad that I'm moving on, so to speak. Or beginning to, at least." "Yeah?" I leaned forward. "Talon was my first choice." I cleared my throat. "I'd been his friend in the academy, and met up with him again when Eery commanded us. One thing led to another, and before Tarry arrived to the team, Talon and I were... tying ourselves together." She raised an eyebrow. "Really? You guys were in love?" She smiled. "That's kinda cute, a orange tabby and black kitty." I smiled. "What can I say- I'm not partial to either gender, but he was still my best friend in the academy. Besides that, the females there at the time were not the ideal kind of women. I can understand that bleeding for a few days straight can piss people off, but I'm pretty sure it's supposed to stop after a few days, not continue to make a woman a bitch the entire month." She nodded. "I know the type. Aaron thinks it's an aftereffect of second-rate birth control pills that they're always popping- bitching longer than they bleed. I've known skanks who'll open their legs for a pair of fingers, more willing when it's a male." She snickered, but softened after a few seconds. "So you met up again with Talon, and hit things off- did he confess to you, or..." I shook my head, looking away for a bit. "I approached him. He's been my best friend throughout the academy, and that time didn't go by without us feeling at least something between us- and there we were in the middle of a war, not knowing which day would be our last together. He was my first in many things, including mating. I take the concept of love rather seriously- so did he." I paused. "It changed when Tarry arrived." Rin seemed a little hesitant to press, I noticed, but she did. "Talon didn't...?" "Cheat on me? He would never do such a thing to anybody he loved. No, I caught wind of Tarry being more and more attracted to Talon over time. I'm a Receptive, after all- I was able to tell every time. I could sense it every time the two talked, trying to pass it over as friendship, but you can't cover up an increased heart-rate or irregular breathing. I saw what he was trying to hide... and I could also see how it was tormenting him." I looked over to the two- both of them were talking softly, still cuddling. "It hurt to see Tarry become sad every time I kissed Talon, and I knew Talon was starting to feel more for him than me." Rinyu was about to speak, but I cut across before the first syllable. "It did hurt. A lot. But I was the one who told him he should be with Tarry, as much as it hurt me saying it." "You let Talon go...?" "I remember a saying that went 'If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it's yours forever.'" "'If not, it never was,'" she finished, nodding. I continued to watch, and smiled as I saw the two kiss softly. I turned back to her, indicating to the pair- she seemed moved by the story so far, frowning a bit, but smiling softly as she saw them. "And I look at these two now... and I can't be sad anymore. They're both so happy to be together that I can't be sad or angry at either of them for feeling the way they do. I'll be damned if I'm going to ruin what they have simply because of my own selfish desires." I turned back to Rin. "I just want Talon to be happy and safe. Tarry, too. Anyone, for that matter." She smiled, nodding. "I understand. That's sweet of you, ya know." She leaned back, using her fork to stab one of her remaining shrimp, which she nibbled on. "Most guys I knew when I was at the academy didn't take the concept of love seriously- they usually had, probably still have, pussy on their mind, it's sickening. Not that I'm against the idea of sex, of course - just, I prefer knowing someone more than two hours before asking." I chuckled. "Don't worry- I'm too timid to ask for sex, for one. Besides, as commander I can kick someone out of the squadron if they're having sexual relations without both my knowledge and approval." I considered that for a moment. "Technically, everyone has my approval- I just would like to know the juicy tidbits, is all." She laughed. "Naughty kitty." "Damned straight." "Bullshit- you just said you fucked Talon before." I laughed for the second time that we'd begun talking. Whatever else I was feeling at the moment, I was feeling comfortable, not in the least because of her attitude and confidence over the discussion. "Now I'm glad that I asked you for time over dinner. You're quite a good kid, no doubt about it." "You're just saying that," she said, though she seemed pleased about it. "No, I'm serious." I ticked off the points. "In only a month, you've nailed half a dozen 'kills' in battle, made use of your psychic abilities efficiently to detect a lying smuggler, kicked Kiya's ass on Gunpowder Online- something the rest of us could only do after several months- and made nice with everybody on board. Not to mention that you devote alot of your free time to trying to help other people out, and follow orders to-the-letter." She shrugged, smiling. "Ah shucks- I just do what I'm told." "And for that, you have my thanks." I smiled, pausing for a bit. "So... all that said..." "Hm?" "...Would it be too hasty for me to assume that I might have the pleasure of 'dating' you on our free time, in the near future?" She stared for a few moments, her eyes searching mine, with a small smile that grew brighter as she seemed to find what she wanted. I made no attempt to shield myself from whatever telepathic abilities she was using, much to her satisfaction. She nodded. "Please... anytime." She hesitated. "In fact..." "Yes?" "After we eat, you up for a few rounds on the console?" I smiled. Quite a good kid indeed. * * * The rest of the evening passed amicably. I was certainly glad I'd asked Rinyu for some time with her, and she'd made it clear, as she headed for her quarters, that she was happy to have spent that time with me. Feeling the entire thing was a success, I set to preparing myself for the night. I headed towards my quarters briefly, grabbing a towel, a pair of boxers and t-shirt- my standard sleeping attire. I exited, making a beeline for the shower-room. The ship had a total of 2 of them, one for each gender- although every now and again, I'd catch Kiya or Sen lurking around with Diego or Kiyo. Lately, this included Aaron. They'd do so strictly for sexual reasons, much to my chagrin, but I wasn't about to scold them for it, since I was guilty of it from time to time, although not since Rinyu came on board. Still, I had no reason to believe that she hadn't been told that I had, on several occasions, slept with just about every member on the squadron - not because we were all a bunch of perverted motherfuckers, but because we were stuck on the Fringes with the same people every day, for months on end. You can't spend that amount of time without wanting to jerk your rod, and most times you'll find there's somebody next to you willing to help you out if you do it for them. I stepped onto the cold tiles of the shower room, and began to strip down till completely bare, throwing my flight-suit down the laundry vent, while tossing my clothes into my locker for safe-keeping. The sound of running water and presence of steam could only mean that there were others in there, probably having come in before me. I padded in, before stepping back in surprise, ducking behind the low wall that divided each shower from each other- I had only just noticed that Tarry and Talon were showering. More precisely, they had the shower on, and were just preparing to have sex. I peeked around the edge, just in time to see Talon mount his lover- neither of them had seen me. Call me voyeuristic if you must, but at least I made it a point to not have sex where anybody could see it. I was at an angle where I could see just about every good part of what was about to happen, and my growing erection wasn't about to go away as long as this was happening before my eyes, as I remained unnoticed. He started to tease the mouse below him, poking his unsheathed cock along the ring of flesh that kept them from becoming one. Streams of hot water rained on them from above, running down every crevice of their bodies, and accentuating Tarry's lithe form- his bio-mechanical arm flexed as he held onto the towel rung above him and to his right, otherwise pinned against the wall as Talon held his shoulders against it, guiding his cocktip directly against the mouse's rear without using his hands. Tarry, for his part, gave a low moan, and said something I didn't catch. Talon responded just as quietly, as he began to push into his lover, spreading the ring effortlessly and gliding into his lover with fluid grace, all while Tarry bit back a moan as his feline lover hilted with him- 6 and a half inches of kitty cock had disappeared into his rear. Talon twisted around a bit, readjusting, before leaning over to turn the mouse's face with a finger and treating him to a deep kiss. He started to pull out, then push back in, working up a rhythm, long before he broke off the kiss, no longer able to do so as Tarry shivered and squirmed, moaning loudly to Talon's steady fucking. He'd learned much of my technique in lovemaking, I'd noticed- he didn't just use his dick to please a person. I watched intently as his fingers traced upwards along the mouse's back, making him shiver as they came across his shoulders. With carefully calculated strength, he pulled the mouse's shoulders upwards, hilting firmly against his ass with a loud, wet slap, accompanied by an unrestrained moan. "Gods, Talon!" The sound of his voice by itself only made me harder. "Not so rough... please..." Talon chuckled softly. "You like it rough... I heard that moan." "Okay... nng... so I lied..." He couldn't help moaning as Talon withdrew his cock halfway once again, resuming a slow fuck. "But... let me know..." "But then it wouldn't be a surprise..." He resumed once again, and the lewd sounds of their soggy coupling continued. The heat and scent of sex was already making my head swim with arousal, but I kept my eyes open as I reached and began to relieve myself- since Rinyu had come onboard, I'd spent a lot more time thinking about her than tending to myself. In this situation, however, I was far too pent-up and interested to let the opportunity go, and I wasted little time in stroking my erect member as I continued to watch them go at it. I continued to watch from my safe vantage-point. Talon now had his meek lover pinned up against the wall, the mouse's paws trying to reach for some form of ledge to grab onto as Talon began to pound into his slim buttocks with abandon- and Talon, not being sexually cruel in any form, saw to it that Tarry was also enjoying himself, as his paw slipped down and around the mouse's waist, grabbing his cock and stroking it with the same high-paced rhythm he was using to fuck. Halfway through their session, and already the sound of Talon's balls slapping against Tarry's was louder than the shower, as the cat bred his mouse passionately, his right paw tending to his lover's member, as his left rubbed his chest softly. And at this point, I'd like to point out that, despite the passionate moans coming from Tarry at the moment, I was surprised to learn that later, nobody else on the goddamned ship was able to hear them go at it. I'm certain I would have been able to hear it from my room, the volume Tarry was howling at as he clenched his anal ring around his lover, now pushing his ass back to receive the wet fucking he was receiving. Talon's hips collided with a naughty wet impact each time he hilted inside the mouse, then pulled back. At this point, they'd abandoned all sense of discretion, either because they had forgotten, or didn't care- or likely, both. For my part, I was unable to contain myself- but the amount of experience I had led to the strange quirk I exhibited every time I reached orgasm- I barely made a sound, as my cocktip responded to the sights and sounds of their lovemaking by launching thick gobs of hot seed onto the once-cold floor of the showers. If they'd been cold before, they were now slick with mist on their surface, as the carnal environment steamed over in a way that made for a perfect mating session, were one to look for such an ideal setting. And not long afterwards, as my blurry vision strained to make sense of it, the lovers also reached their peak, with Tarry throwing his head back as Talon hilted once more, crying out Talon's name as his own jet of cum splashed on the wall of the shower-room. Talon, meanwhile, gasped with widened eyes, as he arched his back and pushed his entire length as far as possible into his lover, his tail curling around the mouse's as it did so. His torrent of cum was barely contained, as white streaks began to leak from the mouse's invaded pucker. I sighed quietly, moving behind the wall again- they were done, and if they were smart, they'd look to make sure nobody had seen. Fortunately for me, while my teammates are bright in combat, these two had much to learn about the definition of "discretion". Yet at the same time, the following conversation had a profound impact on me. "...Talon?" I heard nothing for a moment, and I was worried I'd missed it, but apparently Talon had nearly wiped himself out on lovemaking. "...Yes sweetie?" "How're you feeling?" "Happy." And he sounded like it. "Happy to be with you." "And happy that... Kaj is moving on?" Another pause. "... That too." "...So you think he'll maybe go for her?" "... I don't know. I hope so. She's a sweetheart, that much is obvious. I really think she's Kaj's type." "... Why did you want to wait till you were sure... before asking me?" There was another pause, followed by a sigh. "I needed to know he could find something for after his service. I needed to know he wouldn't be unhappy if he ever found out that I intend to marry you." "Is it fair to him?" "...No. It's not. But I'd rather he not know about it now, unaware, and find somebody he can spend the rest of his days with, than to feign happiness and comfortability with my decision in taking you as my mate." "You don't think he'd accept what we have?" "No, I think he'd accept it. But I also know how much it hurt him to let me go, so that I could be with you. I want to at least have the decency to wait until he can move on, before we're mates." I knew he was smiling through his next words. "I'm not a receptive or psychic, but I think they hit it off well tonight. I'll give them 3 months before they're sleeping in the same room." Tarry giggled. "I'll take that bet. 60 credits says it'll take 4 months." Talon chuckled, before going silent. "Tarry... I love you. And I don't want you to think that I'm waiting because I don't." "Sweetie, if I didn't love you, I wouldn't be waiting as long as this. But I do. I'm going to continue to wait, even if it takes until we're retired old men. I love you too." I could hear the two of them kissing, shortly before they turned their shower off. I blinked myself awake, having mentally dozed off hearing their discussion. I quickly snuck a bit more behind the wall, so that I thankfully had gone unnoticed as they walked by, making for their respective lockers. Once I was sure they were gone, I stood, looking to where they had mated- a perfect place to get it done, if you knew you wouldn't get caught, as the water cleansed away any evidence. Having already finished up, I went about with my original idea of showering down- but I also began to think about what was said, as hot water ran down my hair and began to cleanse by body of the days fatigue and the grime accrued from working on the team's vessels. I wasn't disappointed that Talon was refusing to tell me that he and Tarry had become engaged. If it had been my intention to tell him I knew, I'd have thanked him for taking my feelings into consideration- yet there really was nothing I could be depressed by. Looking back, I know now that he was afraid that he had hurt me more than I actually had been. But I wasn't about to let the proverbial cat escape the bag just yet, either, nor was there reason to. Only a captain of the ship had the authority to carry out a marriage between two members of a team, and only if he deemed fit- and while I was the Commander of the squadron, I was not a captain. The ship was fully automated with A.I. running the ship's course wherever it was needed, as was standard during peace-time- had it been during the Midnight War, there'd have been a captain on board (along with a larger crew that included technicians and tacticians) giving out missions and directing the ship's squadrons- and capable of carrying out legal marriage ceremonies. Until then, one could not even utter the word "engagement" to a ship's crew, due to legal bullshit that would be too complex to go into. So, partly to keep the two out of trouble, and partly because I wanted to maintain the illusion that I knew nothing, I would keep my muzzle shut. I washed up, purring slightly as I smiled, thinking on how much in love the cat and mouse were, as I began to wash out my hair. No regrets.