Addicted to Your Attention

Posted on 21 Jul 2026 @ 8:33pm by Commander Madelina Barnes & Thomas Barnes

2,289 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Acceleration
Location: Barnes' Quarters
Timeline: February 7, 2391 || 0600 hours

Tom stood near the replicator, tapping away at the controls. For six nights now, he and Maddy had slept aboard her newest assignment. And that meant six mornings of poorly seasoned breakfasts and coffee. At first Tom had let it pass, figuring that space amoebas and other interstellar-influenced allergies had gotten the best of them. Yesterday, Tom's patience had begun to wear thin.

This morning was the breaking point.

Tom's formal Starfleet training had kicked in, and now he stood over the replicator, tapping away at the configuration settings in order to bring a certain amount of spice and flavor back into their consumption. And, while he had some measure of success, not having a set of operational codes and clearances made his reconfiguration attempts nearly fruitless.

Maddy eased open the bedroom door, blinking against the soft lights of the main living area. She was still shaking off sleep, her pale blue nightgown brushing lightly against her legs as she stepped over the threshold. A yawn caught her halfway through the doorway as she threw her hair up into a messy bun instead of trying to coax it into something resembling order.

Their quarters were starting to come together, but still had some half‑opened crates stacked near the wall, uniforms draped over the back of the couch and a scatter of personal items waiting for a home.

Her gaze drifted across the room until it landed on her husband who stood at the replicator. She moved toward him, clearing her throat. "What exactly are you up to?" She asked, her voice still sleep rough.

Tom didn't need to turn at the sound of the voice to know who joined him in the main room. But that didn't stop his from glancing behind him with a smile. "Morning, beautiful. Did you sleep well?"

Maddy’s sleepy smile warmed as she pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek before letting her forehead rest there for a brief moment. “Mm… morning,” she murmured before straightening just enough to meet his eyes. “I actually slept pretty good. How about you?”

He chuckled before jabbing a spanner in the direction of the replicator. "I was dreaming about a lovely cup of coffee. Then when this thing spat out another lousy cup, I decided to take matters into my own hands."

“Dreaming about coffee, huh?" Maddy asked as she glanced at the replicator, then shook her head with an amused sigh. “Next time we’re able to, we’re getting a stash of the real stuff." Her smile softened as she reached out, brushing a lock of hair out of her face. “In the meantime… what can I do to help?”

"Honestly?" Tom asked, a coy smile creeping across his face. "I hear the Captain has a stash of something called Wontkins or Wilkins or Will-have-you-or-other. Supposedly it's the only real coffee on board."

Maddy’s brows lifted, amusement flickering across her still‑sleepy expression. "What are you thinking?"

The coy smile morphed into a sinister grin. Both the tricoder and his spanner he was holding were placed on the replicator tray as he turned to embrace his lovely wife. "Well..." he teased, "I know a beautiful redhead who can be pretty sly with some slight of hand."

Maddy couldn’t help it—his boldness earned a bright laugh from her as she slipped her arms around him, fitting easily into the space he made for her. “Stealing from the Captain’s stash,” she teased, shaking her head against his shoulder. “You really don’t do anything halfway, do you?”

She leaned back just enough to at him, her smile softening. “I’ll do my best to retrieve some, but first I need to figure out where he keeps it.”

What she didn’t say was that she fully intended to ask Harvey if he could spare a little until they could replace it. One quiet favor now, one returned later. No harm done. “For now,” she added, giving him a gentle squeeze, “leave the coffee heist to me.”

Tom could only chuckle, though it quickly turned into a laugh. Their marriage was anything but young, but Tom was certainly not sure whether she was kidding or serious. He would know for sure in a matter of hours. Either a package of the Captain's coffee beans would arrive at their cabin, or he'd find a way himself to sneak a cup from the ship's galley.

That's not a half-bad idea... he thought.

"Done," he confirmed. "But that's not going to stop me from trying to fix this replicator. It's nothing like the Triumphant, but I expect something more from a ship that still isn't a year old."

Maddy’s smile softened as she lifted a hand to his face, her palm warm against his cheek. The fondness there was unmistakable, even through the sleep still clinging to her voice. “Well,” she murmured, thumb brushing lightly along his skin, “if anyone on this ship can coax a little improvement out of that stubborn replicator, it’s you.”

She let her hand fall, though the warmth of her smile lingered. For a moment she simply watched him—this man who could dismantle half a console before breakfast if he thought it would help them get a decent cup of coffee.

Then her expression shifted, thoughtful, almost searching.

“Do you ever miss the uniform?” she asked quietly. Not accusing, not wistful—just curious, the way one asks a question that’s been sitting in the back of their mind for a while.

The smile slowly retreated from Tom's face. Very recently, Tom had been a non-commissioned officer, serving as Chief of Operations aboard the very ship Maddy had served as Executive Officer. The pair had met there, and then married there. When the Triumphant found itself decommissioned, in no small part thanks to a series of incidents of which Tom was at the center of, it was easier to step into retirement and focus on being the trophy husband.

"I'm... I'm adjusting," he admitted. "Sometimes I can't help myself but to tinker, at least here. Over in Talons, I'm required to call for help. However, standing here... holding you... it's worth everything."

Her expression softened the moment she heard the tremor of honesty in his voice. She stepped in closer, letting her arms slide around him again—not just holding him, but appreciating the way he held her back, the way he always had. A warm smile curved her lips. “I’m grateful for you,” she murmured, voice low and sincere. “For all of this. For choosing to be here with me.”

She leaned into him a little more, letting the quiet between them settle before she continued.

“And listen…” Her tone gentled even further. “If you ever feel that itch to go back to the uniform one day—if that part of you ever calls again—I’ll support you. One hundred percent. Whatever you need, whatever you choose… I’m with you. But, right now? I’m just really glad I get to hold you.”

"I had a long career," Tom assured her, tightening his grip. And that really wasn't a lie. He'd enlisted rather than go the Academy route, and that had afforded him more than ample opportunities and abilities throughout multiple decades, rising all the way to the rank of Senior Chief Petty Officer. Any future for him involved a desk job or something on a Starbase, and he didn't want that.

What he wanted most of all, he was holding close. And he had no intention of letting go.

"And this is a new opportunity for both of us," he assured her. "No idea what to expect other than the horror stories you've already read. Can't be too worse than what we've hit before."

The redhead's smile deepened, warm and full of quiet pride as she held him a little closer. She let one hand smooth along his back before lifting the other rest against the back of his head. “You know,” she murmured, voice soft but certain, “I really do like seeing you like this. Relaxed. Happy. After everything you gave to Starfleet and everything you carried on your shoulders… you deserve this chapter. More than anyone I know.”

Being able to hold him like this—without alarms blaring, without duty pulling one of them away—felt like a gift she didn’t take lightly.

Her gaze lifted to meet his, steady and sure. “And whatever comes next—whatever this ship throws at us—we’ll face it head‑on. Together. Just like we always have. No matter what, though, I’m glad I get to walk into it with you.”

Tom did not hesitate any further. With them being so close, the proximity provided more energy than any coffee or caffeinated beverage could provide. He leaned down and kissed her, the act of which proved to be more energizing than any raktajino.

"Forget coffee," he said once he'd withdrawn his lips from hers. "And you should even call in to work today. Geisler's lasted this long without you. He can go a day more."

Maddy’s breath caught for just a heartbeat when he kissed her—warm, the kind of kiss that still managed to steal her balance after all these years. Heat bloomed across her cheeks, unmistakable even in the soft morning light, and she let the kiss linger a moment longer before he pulled back.

A small, flustered smile curved her lips as she nodded. “You make a compelling argument,” she murmured, voice low. “And… maybe you’re right. Maybe he can survive one more day without me.”

She smoothed her hands along his chest, fingertips brushing the fabric of his shirt as she tilted her head, studying him with a mix of affection and curiosity. “If I were to call in,” she added, her smile turning playful, “did you have anything in particular in mind that you'd like to do?”

He chuckled as a sly grin appeared upon his face. "It is a brand new ship, one we haven't fully explored. I know the ship is supposed to leave New Risa today, otherwise I'd say we should commandeer a shuttle and go check out the beauty of the planet below. I've seen a few beaches from up here that could be spectacular down there."

Maddy’s head tipped to the side, a slow, amused smile tugging at her lips as she listened. There was a sparkle in her eyes that said she had other plans. “Well,” she drawled, stepping a little closer and letting her fingers trail lightly along his arm, “that’s certainly one possibility.”

Her smile warmed, shifting into something only he was familiar with. “But it’s going to have to wait just a bit longer,” she added gently. “The ship may be new to us, but there's something a bit more important that needs my attention this morning.”

“Oh?” Tom asked, his tone both curious and leading. “What, pray tell, is more important than this right here?”

Her lips curved slowly. She didn’t look away from him—if anything, her gaze deepened as her fingers brushed lightly against the back of his neck. “Nothing,” she said, voice low and warm, “is more important than this.”

Maddy leaned forward to kiss him. “As for something more important that needs my attention… I was entirely referring to you.”

He chuckled just before receiving the kiss. He could feel being pulled in, drawn incredibly close to her. Tom could not ignore the soft pressure behind his neck, just as he was sure Maddy could not ignore how his hands held her lower back as their embrace tightened.

"Can you blame me?" he asked, a sly smile firmly planted on his face amidst their passionate embrace, "I've become addicted to your attention. Some days, I just don't like to share."

“Truth be told… I don’t always like to share you either, so I’m more than willing to postpone my duties for another day to spend time with you," Maddy said with a smile that turned a little playful. "I think the only thing that actually needs me right now is you. Just as the only thing I need right now is you."

"You're right," Tom confirmed, removing one hand from holding her back and brought it up beside her face. Two fingers gently caught a stray lock of red hair and brushed it behind her ear. His hand did not depart and instead cupped the back of her head. He leaned in, kissed her neck, and whispered, "I do need you."

Maddy froze for a breath, his whisper warm against her skin. A soft shiver ran through her before she could stop it, her lips parting on a quiet, “Tom…”

She didn’t try to answer him with words. Instead, she brought her hand to his, fingers threading through his with a gentle, certain squeeze. Her cheeks were warm, her pulse quick, but her expression held nothing but affection and love.

Without breaking eye contact, she guided him away from the replicator—past the half‑opened crates, past the scattered uniforms—and back toward the bedroom they’d both left not all that long ago. She didn’t look at him again until they reached the doorway, where she glanced back at him with a soft, warm smile that said everything she hadn’t put into words.

Tom’s hand remained clasped in hers, following his bride towards the bedroom like a lamb to the slaughter. Though, given their experience thus far, you would think that there wouldn’t be any survivors.

And he’d enjoy every second of it.

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