She Likes You

Posted on 16 Mar 2016 @ 4:44am by Ensign Xavier Hernandez & Ensign Kelly Khan

907 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Outbreak
Location: Lounge

Kelly sat in the barracks after Elisha left to go on duty and pondered what the young woman had told her about the young Ensign whose quarters she had spent the night in. While Elisha claimed it was entirely innocent - which Kelly believed considering the young woman had told her that she had never been on a date - Elisha had also mentioned more than once that Hernandez was gorgeous more than once.

She went to her terminal and logged on. "Computer, locate Ensign Xavier Hernandez," she told it.

"Ensign Hernandez is currently in the lounge," the computer replied.

"Thank you," Kelly said before she pulled up a picture him him. "Wow! He is gorgeous!" she exclaimed before logged out again. She had briefly considered posing as Elisha, but it was against the regulations to pose as another Starfleet officer and she didn't want any marks on her record. After she checked her clothes - a simple white blouse, gray pants and black shoes, she set off for the lounge.

Xavier had just sat down to discuss a few things with some fellow Ensigns who hadn't eaten when he saw a young woman enter the lounge and look around before she made a beeline for him. One of the other Ensigns nudged him. "Looks like you've been targeted, Hernandez. She looks like she's coming in for a kill."

He laughed and turned to Kelly when she reached the table. "Can I help you?" he asked politely.

That accent! Wow. I see another reason he'd be a score for Elisha Kelly thought. "Actually, I'm here to help you," she said as she held out her hand. "I'm Cadet Senior Grade Kelly Khan. Do you think we can talk privately for a minute?"

"Sure," Xavier said as he excused himself from the others and headed for an empty table not far away.

Kelly joined him and sat down across from him. "One of my bunkmates, Elisha Cherno, said that she spent the evening in your quarters last night and I wanted to clear some things up."

Oh great," he thought. A mother hen type looking out for her peeps. "That's right, but she fell asleep and I put her in my bed and took the couch. That's not a problem, is it?"

She shook her head. "No, that's what she said, too, but there's more to it. I'm not here to drag you over the coals or anything, but I thought you should know she likes you."

Xavier blinked at the cadet's forward nature, but smiled. "She likes me?"

"She does," Kelly said. "You and your puppy were all she could talk about when she came back to the barracks this morning wearing your shirt. I think you got more of a rise out of her than Risa."

He laughed. "Well, she seemed awfully nervous when she wasn't playing with Pequeño," he said. "I promise that I tried my best to make her relaxed as I could. Do you have any ideas?"

"I tried to suggest that she invite you to a thank you dinner, but she kept saying no," Kelly said. "So what I'd like to suggest is you and I conspire."

"Conspire?" Xavier asked, curious.

"Yes," Kelly said. "I'll set up a mock dinner date with her to give her some pointers on what to do and what not to do, etcetera and then get up to powder my nose. When I'm going, you come in and take my place."

He laughed. "That is devious. Don't you think she'd run?"

"She may, but she be too scared to. The trick is to make her at ease as quickly as possible," she said. "It may help if you have Pequeño with you when you come."

"I could do that, but I don't want to upset her and make her think it's a set up," Xavier said.

"So bring the shirt she wore to your quarters with you and say the computer told you where she was," Kelly said.

"You have a plan for everything, don't you Miss Khan?" he laughed.

"I try," Kelly said. "And I really hope it works out. I had a girlfriend at Academy who was a lot like her and it took me a while to crack the shell without scaring her off, but I think she and you could at least enjoy dinner tonight."

"It sounds like you are a woman who knows how to get what she wants," Xavier said.

"I do, within reason," she said. "I know boundaries, but I also know the Elisha needs to broaden hers before Starfleet turns her into a hermit who ends up muttering to herself about stars on a street corner on some backwater world."

He laughed. "I'm sure it won't be that bad. Thank you for coming to me," he said. "Just let me know when this dinner will be and I'll arrange to meet you there."

"Thank you, Ensign," Kelly said with a smile as she got up. "Trust your instincts where she's concerned, but don't let her get away." She paused and gave him a direct look. "And don't hurt her."

Xavier took the last as a warning and nodded. "I won't and I'll do my best."

"That's all any of us can do," she said. "Good luck." With that, she headed off to get some sleep.

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