Do You Remember...

Posted on 29 Jul 2018 @ 7:40pm by Master Chief Petty Officer Mila Rasputin & Ensign Aidan Crehan

4,205 words; about a 21 minute read

Mission: The Search Begins
Location: Aidan & Mila's Quarters
Timeline: MD 2 || 1600 Hours

Aidan was finally home and intent on getting out of uniform as quickly as possible. But that would have to wait a minute. He sat down on the short couch and called out, "Mila, Chow, I'm home." He wasn't sure who would answer first or even Mila was home yet. He went ahead and took his boots off, stretching his legs and wiggling his toes. Those standard issue boots were so confining.

Mila came out of the bathroom with a purple towel on her head and a matching robe on, smiling when she saw him. "Is being time that you are back," she told him. "I was being ready to send Chow to be finding you." Chow, for his part, looked up sleepily from the back of the couch, gave a creel and laid his head back down again.

Aidan chuckled. "Chow search and rescue. He might give Security a run for it's money. And I'm glad to be back, too." He looked up at her purple towel and robe. "Did you enjoy your shower?"

"It was being good," she said as she moved over to give him a kiss. "I was tired of having burnt plasma smell on uniform. How was your day being?"

He returned Mila's kiss. "My day has been busy. But, burnt plasma on your uniform? It sounds as if your day has been eventful. Have a seat," he said, patting the couch.

Mila sat down beside of him and reached for one of his larger hands and gave it a squeeze. "What is being on your mind? she asked him.

"Well, you for one. But I just wanted to sit next to you." He felt the warmth of her hand and relaxed even more. "Out of curiosity, what were you doing in a plasma fire?"

"Console was catching on fire when drill was held," she told him. "I was being near it, but was not being on fire. The smell sticks, though."

"I'm glad you're okay," he said, squeezing her hand. Aidan didn't know what he would do if he'd lost her. He leaned in and sniffed. "And you did a wonderful job of getting rid of the smell. As for what else is on my mind, I was thinking we might go out tonight. Perhaps see if there is something scheduled in the Performance Hall or find a dinner and dancing program on the holodeck. Just because we're stuck in the middle of nowhere, doesn't mean we cannot have an elegant night on the town as they say."

"That is being wonderful idea," Mila said. "I am being up for whatever you are having in mind. I am thinking music would be better, but may be good to go out on town as well, but I am letting you decide."

Aidan thought for a few seconds. "Music and dinner and then, if we have time, a dance on the holodeck. I think I should like to see how elegant you look in an evening gown. And how well we can both dance."

"Then that is what we shall be doing," she said. "If you will be excusing me, I am having to find dress." She gave him another kiss and got up to head to the bedroom.

"Of course," Aidan said, releasing her hand. "And I need to get out of this uniform and showered."

"You could be doing that while I am picking out outfit," Mila called over her shoulder as the robe slipped off of her shoulders and fell to the floor.

Aidan coughed a little. "Yes, that's something I could be doing." He got up and picked up the robe, hardly taking his eyes off of her the entire time. "You seemed to have dropped something. But no need to worry, I've picked it up." Rather than placing it around her shoulders, he threw it over one of his.

She looked over her shoulder and gave a soft laugh as she opened her small wardrobe. "Well, it is not like I can be wearing it as well as dress, could I? Would be like wearing raincoat on sunny day."

"You're absolutely right, my dear," said Aidan. He tossed the robe on the bed and started to remove his uniform. "And I certainly won't be wearing this on a date with you. He grabbed a red towel and draped it over his shoulder. "Time for a shower. I shall be out in a few moments. And I look forward to seeing what you've chosen."

Mila smiled as he got out of his uniform and gave a rumbling purr of appreciation at what she saw. "You had better be hurrying before I am changing mind," she said.

Aidan smiled as he heard her her noise of appreciation. He looked back over his shoulder and winked. "Had you not already showered...." Then he disappeared around the corner and into the restroom.

She laughed and changed into her outfit, then headed back into the living room to check on Chow and replicated him some fresh grapes, yogurt and pistachios. "You are to be good boy," she said and got a nod and a hoot in return as she ruffled his fur.

About fifteen minutes later, Aidan came out with a towel wrapped around his waist. He grabbed a pair of boxers and put them on, laying the towel around his shoulders. The El-Aurian walked around the corner and said, "So what kind of dress did you choose?"

"The one I am wearing," Mila said as she indicated the lavender off the shoulder dress with a slit up the right side. "Or are you not seeing it?" She asked with a wink.

"Oh. My," he replied. "I see now. You look marvelous, Mila. I'll be back in a moment." Aidan turned back around to go get his clothes on. The broad-shouldered man returned wearing a tuxedo, but with a purple bow tie and handkerchief. "We shall be the envy of the ship tonight. But you will be the star."

She gave a low whistle of appreciation and smiled bright enough to light up the room when she saw the purple bow tie. "You are looking very dapper," she told him. "Words are not describing what I am fully meaning, but da....envy is being rampant tonight."

Aidan smiled and dipped his head in his customary manner before holding out his arm. "Then if our Chow is set for the evening, allow me to escort m'lady to the Performance Hall."

Mila put her hand on his arm and gave him a bright shall. "The Performance Hall will never never be holding anything on you, but you are being my escort now and always."

Aidan's returned smile brightened at her now and always comment. "Indeed I shall, my love. Indeed I shall." He led the way out of their quarters and down the corridor to the turbolift. "I haven't had a chance to meet our neighbors yet," he said. "On duty or otherwise. Have you had any interactions with them?"

"Is being my job only on my job to be knowing everyone," she told him. "But I am not interacting with them yet. When I am being off duty, you are my only care."

Aidan took a deep breath and let it out slowly as they entered the turbolift. "I don't deserve your sweetness, Mila." He then announced their destination, Deck Eight. The lift car whirred to life and deposited them on location. Aidan led the way to the port side Hall and stepped inside. There were only about three or four people in there seated at the tables. A small group of people was on the stage, talking among themselves.

He turned to Mila. "It looks like they're still deciding on what to play. I wonder if they take genre requests?"

"It could not be hurting to ask," Mila replied as she went to a table with him. "A closed mouth is not pleasing to the ears of others and they will not please in return."

Aidan pulled the chair out for Mila. "Then I shall return in a moment. In the meantime, make yourself comfortable."

She took the offered seat with a smile. "You are being such a gentleman," she said.

After he'd scooted her in and gently kissed the top her head, he went over to where the group was planning. He gave them his request in as much detail as he could from the descriptions he'd read; a relaxing piano and guitar with a rainy day cafe quality smooth jazz. One of the men looked over to the table where Mila was seated and nodded, smiling. Aidan shook his hand and turned to head back to their table. Behind him, the man who smiled tapped a console on the wall and a holographic piano and guitar appeared along with a stage commensurate with Aidan's request. The holographic back wall changed to match the stage, but with one difference. There was a large window looking out on a street busy with only passers-by, a city skyline in the distance, and a full moon hovering.

When Aidan sat down, he looked into Mila's eyes and smiled.

Mila watched the changes and returned the smile as Aidan returned and reached to take one of his hands. "Why am I having feeling that you are actually being at such places in your lifetime?" she asked him softly.

He felt the warmth and softness of her hands. He hoped to never get over the sensation that rippled through him every time she held his hands. Or him. "I've been to several similar places on a few worlds. But I like this one best...because you're here. And it seemed fitting for this evening. Do you like it?"

She blushed at his words and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "Da, but I am loving you for suggesting it and being here with me," she told him.

"I will always be here with you, Mila," he said. A moment later, Aidan, out of the corner of his eye, saw a woman walking up. He looked up as one of the handful of wait staffers came over to take their order. He nodded and then turned back to Mila. Staring into her eyes, he said, "The lady will have an icoberry juice and Paradan nectar. I'll have a Blue-Leaf salad and to drink...." He paused and reached inside his tuxedo jacket, removing an isolinear chip. He held it up for the waitress to take. "...the drink recipe can be found on this as well as the recipe for the meal we'll be having. A plate for the lady and a plate for me."

"Okay," she replied. "Special orders will a little longer as we're not familar with them. Will that be okay with you?"

Aidan turned and answered, "That will be fine. We have lots of time this evening." He watched the woman leave and turned back to Mila. "Do you remember?"

"Aidan!" Mila exclaimed as she laughed and blushed at the memory of their time together on New Risa before everything went south after making a wrong turn. "Are you to be trying to be making them drop?" she asked with a coy look and batted her eyelashes.

Aidan chuckled and winked at his blushing beauty. "I don't think I would need the drink to do it now. But we can share it and see. Besides," he reached into his jacket pocket and removed the purple...handkerchief, "I still have this." He put the purple cloth napkin on the table in front of her.

She looked at the napkin, then eyed him. "You are being very bad," she said with a wicked gleam in her eyes. "For that, I will be torturing you later."

Aidan grinned at her slowly. "Didn't realize you were having dinner with Sir Rogue? Well, I wasn't aware that I was dining with Lady Rogue. Torture indeed. Just don't hide the ice cream, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream this time. That was torturous."

Mila laughed. "You are one who is bringing her out, so you cannot be expecting less," she told him. "Oh, you do not wish me to hide them? Very well. I will bring them all out."

"Very true," he replied. "And thank you. Perhaps we can have some with dessert tonight when we get back home." He laughed a little and took a deep breath. "Oh Mila, I love being with you and could do so for the rest of our lives. Spending time and being with you is so much fun."

"As I am looking forward to be spending my life with you." she responded before she leaned over to kiss him. "I love you, Aidan Crehan, and I always will. You are being the light in my life that even darkest space could never extinguish."

"Wonderful. Wonderful you and the things you say. Then I will continue to shine on in your life." Aidan looked up as the waitress brought their drinks and set them. He nodded to her comment that the food would be out shortly. As she walked away, he picked his glass up and swirled the purple liquid. "To us. And our life together."

Mila raised her glass to his with a smile at the purple liquid inside. "To being together," she agreed as a warm flush filled her stomach and spread through her entire being. If anyone ever said they couldn't tell when she was in love, they had never met her before and were probably from an unemotional species if they had met her without being able to identify the look she was giving him.

Aidan smiled and took a drink. His eyes never left hers. He loved her and he could see that she loved him. To being together, it was something that he looked forward to every night and every morning. He kept smiling at her as he put his glass down on the table. "Together, you and I. Do you remember talking about a journey together. I must say that, so far, I have enjoyed every minute of it. And to think it all started with a shuttle ride, a shared room, and wonderful kiss in the ocean."

"I am remembering everything," she told him as indeed, her eidetic memory brought up each scene exactly as it was when it happened. "I am so remembering almost drowning because we are trying shuttle surfing and I am almost drowning...until my knight in shining armor is rescuing me."

"Ah yes, I remember that now. Everything has it's risks and that was one for that event. But it did not stop us from shuttle surfing," he said. He paused a second and smiled at the memory. "I would have carried you all the way back to the room after that rescue. But I will always try to be around to rescue you. If for some reason I am ever not, then I will be there for you afterwards. You can rest in my arms and on my shoulders as long as you need. They are broad and strong enough to hold you and whatever burden you carry."

Mila's smile got even brighter if that was possible and she just shook her head. "I am not knowing which star you are being born under," she said. "You shine so bright on your own that you would be only one I would ever been seeing were I on a planet looking up at you."

"I...I'm at a loss for words," Aidan replied. "Believe it or not. I'm just happy that you will always be looking at me." He smiled and then winked at Mila before glancing to her left. "It looks like our dinner is on it's way out. But it still won't be as fine a dish as you are."

Her eyes lit up and she giggled at his loss for words. "Then you are one that I will always be seeing, Let us eat, then we can be having dessert."

Aidan coughed a little and picked up his fork. "Eat and have dessert. I do believe that is a plan I can get behind." He lifted the first bite to his mouth and savored it. "Not quite like it was fresh, but still delicious," he said after swallowing.

Mila laughed despite herself and leaned over to give him a kiss after he had eaten his bite of food. "Thank you for coming up with such wonderful idea, Aidan," she said before she reached for her fork. "You are truly introducing me to many new things."

"Honey, I plan to continue doing so. As for the idea, it came to me the other night. I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep," explained Aidan. "So I rolled over, looked at you, and started thinking about something special to do with you. I wanted it to be as elegant as you with a splash of, well," he paused and lifted his glass, "surprise. And this is the result."

She blushed and gave him a coy look. "Well, I am being very surprised and very pleased. Here, when I am sleeping beside of you, it is the sleep of knowing you are there and all is being well."

Aidan took another bite, followed by a drink. "I am glad that I can provide that type of feeling for you. And that you can sleep so well beside me." He paused a moment, listening to the music. "I love coming to home you. And those times that I can get there before you...those are special as well. I may even start doing something to see if I can catch you off guard. Randomly of course."

Mila laughed after taking a bite of her food. "First rule of catching someone off guard is to not be telling them you are to be trying to do such. Am I having to put bell around your neck?" she joked.

"Now that would be interesting," he replied. Then he smirked and lifted his glass to his lips. Prior to taking a drink, he said, "But you already ring my bell."

She had started to raise her glass to take a drink, but when his words sank in, she had to set it down as she started to belly laugh. Others turned to see what the woman was laughing about but the Russian woman was far beyond caring who was watching.

She was terrific and he enjoyed every second he spent with her. He put his drink down and joined her in laughing. "Well, you do," he said between breaths. "I love you, Mila Rasputin. And I love times like this. I go from watching you blush to joining you in laughing hysterically. Every minute with you is a new treat that love to indulge in."

"I am loving you, too, Aidan Crehan," Mila told him. "You are being naughty boy, but I cannot help myself where you are being concerned. Please do not ever be changing."

"Oh sweetheart, I do not plan to ever change," he replied. "I believe the phrase is, what you see is what you get." He looked at the beautiful brunette that he lived with and loved and said, "When it comes to not being able to help yourself, indulge. Don't hold back. Just let go. And we'll have the time of our lives. Together." He reached over and put his hand on hers, giving it a gentle squeeze.

She gave his hand a squeeze in return. "Together and forever," she added. "I am not believing that a year is coming up very soon. If you would have been asking me if I thought I would be finding love like I am knowing love like I am having with you, I would be telling you that you are being crazy."

He gave a dip of his head to her addition. "Forever. And yes, that one year anniversary is approaching fast. And what a wonderful year it has been, too." He released her hand and cut another bite of food. "My dearest, I'm so very happy that you did find love in me. I have so much more to give you, too. Who would have thought that a chance meeting on a shuttle craft would blossom into what you and I have today. And I look forward to another year." He took that bite he'd cut earlier and smiled, thinking about his plans for their one year anniversary of being together.

"I am looking forward to spending my life with you in any way that you will be having me," Mila said as she cut up more food. "And then I will find a way to spend another with you."

Aidan sipped his drink and smiled. Then he put his hand on hers and moved his foot so that his ankle rested on her ankle. "I know you will. For you are as resilient as you are beautiful. And your beauty is boundless, stretching to infinity and beyond." He rubbed her hand. "And I will keep you."

She blushed again. "You are to be extreme in your flattery, but I am not encouraging you to be stopping at all," she told him. "You should be writing manuals on how to be real man."

He smiled and winked. "I love it when you blush. And perhaps I will write one someday," he said, leaning forward a little. In a hushed tone that Mila could hear, he continued. "I shall title it A Minstrel's Legend. Or perhaps the Princess and the Carpenter." Aidan then proceeded to recite something he'd been working on in his mind, but had yet to put to PADD.

"A beautiful, royal princess
In yonder castle stands.
A true and loyal heart
Clutched within her hands.

Down in yon small village
Lives a carpenter by trade.
With steady hands he works with wood
And protects with double blade.

The princess and the carpenter,
An unlikely pair you say.
Royalty and ruggedness,
‘Twill never work that way.

But the commoners know not
What lies behind the veil.
A story of old, of grandeur told,
A king’s ransom of a tale."

He smiled and dipped his head, "I once made a remark about royalty, but no matter what you say, you'll always be my Russian princess." Aidan then picked up her hand that he'd been holding and placed a tender kiss on the back of it.

A tear of happiness slid down her cheek and she felt as if her heart would burst with the love she had for him. She swallowed hard and her voice quavered when she replied. "That...that is being sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me, Aidan," she managed. "You are so good to me."

"I will always be good to you," he replied. Aidan released her hand and wiped the tear from her cheek with the back of his hand. "Even over the rough terrain of our journey together, I shall strive to be good to you. There is more, too, for later." He pulled his hand back and dried it on the part of his tux shirt that covered his heart.

Mila took a moment to recover and gave him a radiant smile. "Just as I will always be good to you," she told him. "Although I cannot be matching your eloquence, I shall be endeavoring to be your counterpart. Now and always."

He loved seeing her smile as much as he loved seeing her blush. "I don't expect you to match anything. Just be as you said, my counterpart." He looked down at the remnants of his food and back up to Mila. "My counterpart, shall we continue that thought with a short dance or two? Maybe work up a desire for that dessert?"

"Da," she really agreed after a sip of her drink. "I am being very ready for both. Shall we?" She asked as she came to her feet.

"We shall." Aidan grabbed the purple napkin and stuffed it into his pocket. Then he stood and went around to the other side of the table. He put his arm around her waist and whispered in her ear. "You look amazing tonight, Mila."

"Than you." Mila smiled and leaned in to give him a kiss. "As you are looking amazing all the time, Sir Knight. Let us dance until we are lost to the night."

"Lost in the night," Aidan repeated. "I'd rather be lost in you and in your eyes." He gave her back a gentle tap. Thoughts and ideas and plans rolled through his mind and came to rest in their respective places. And those particular ones were placed around Mila. He loved the beautiful brunette at his side. And he always would.

"As I will always be lost in yours," she said. "Now let us be lost in the love that we are sharing and forget everything but each other, my handsome knight."

"Agreed, my printsessa," he said. "We shall forget all but each other." He lead Mila to floor and wrapped his arms around her.

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