<USS Avalon> " Chance Encounters"

Chance Encounters
by Ensign Ffej Harak and Petty Officer Vevay Davis

Vevay's head hurt. Snoring from the other room told her that Alexander was
dead to the world, but she just couldn't sleep. Nothing she did was working
to shut out her night with the Captain.  Why am I so hurt by this? she
thought.  How can this man affect me more than almost any other has? Rolling
out of bed, she came to the conclusion that sleep was a distant dream and
pulled on jeans and a shirt.

The corridors were mostly deserted, a fact she was glad of even if she
didn't really know where she was going. Walking blindly, she let her feet
take her where they wanted and left her mind to work on the foolish feelings
warring inside her.


Standing in the middle of the raised platform, looking down at his defeated
opponent, a glistening sheen of sweat layered his chest. Ffej turned sharply
and walked toward the steps that lead down to the main arena floor. Pausing
shortly to gather the ripped and torn tunic to his gi and a towel, he patted
his face and torso briefly, then shrugged the tattered remains onto his
shoulders. "Computer end program."

Taking the towel in both hands and wiping his face again as he exited the
holodeck, Ffej approached the nearest turbolift and awaited its arrival. He
closed his eyes and controlled his breathing.

The turbolift doors swooshed open and she blindly walked out, colliding with
someone. The jolt brought her out of her trance and she muttered an apology,
not bothering to look up.  Just more crap coming my way, she thought.

 Bending down to pick up the towl knocked from his hand, he admired the
form-fitting cloths she wore. A slow grin etched upon his face. "Pleasure
bumping into you again Vevay."

"Huh?" She looked up and into those stunning blue eyes she'd been thinking
about all day. Grinning, she said, "Hey you. What're you doing up? It's
late."

Wiping the towel through his hair, pulling it up and back out of his face,
he said, "Just got done with a workout on the holodeck." Flipping the towel
over his shoulder to cover the gaping rip in the material. "Could ask you
the same thing, that is if your not on duty..."

"Duty?" Her brain still wasn't firing properly and she knew she was making
yet another fool out of herself. Glancing down at the scruffy clothes she'd
pulled on in the dark, she shrugged. "Not in these, Cross would kill me."

A look of confusion appeard and vanished upon his face in the blink of an
eye. "Ah true, of course. My mistake. Not like you're undercover or
anything." Ffej giggled lightly. "Well if you'll excuse me, I should uh
return to my quarters. I wouldn't want to offend your sensabilities with my
current state." He reached up and wiped a few beads of sweat off his brow
with the corner of the towel.

"You going so soon?"  Of course, why would he stay?

He smiled at her, "I would enjoy your company anytime, but I'd honestly like
to be..." humming slightly "less tattered and covered in sweat. If you'd
like to talk, you can come by my quarters in say fifteen minutes?"

The last vestiges of her trance evaporated from her mind and she grinned,
thinking that she didn't mind him being tattered and sweaty. She blushed
bright scarlet at the thought and managed to mumble that she would be happy
to visit him. Now all she had to do was remember his name... "Er, where are
your quarters?"

Quickly detailing the status of his quarters, he deemed it acceptable for
company. "Come along, that is if you don't mind waiting a few minutes while
i clean myself up." Ffej stepped onto the lift and waited for her to board
it with him.

He ordered the lift to proceed and a short ride later, he lead her down the
corridor to his quarters. "It's not exactly guest worthy but then again I
don't get the chance to entertain often. You'll please excuse my
decorations..."

"You don't have lots of women visiting you?" she said incredulously. The
doors slid open to reveal a very sparce room. "Minimalist."

Ffej lead her in, and gestured for her to sit. All the furniture consisted
of a very low table and a few thickly padded mats. No conventional furniture
in sight. The walls held a wide assortment and variety of ancient oriental
weaponry: Kasuri-gama, Jo sticks, Daishi, Nagamaki, Wakizashi, Kama,
Naginata, Sai, Kawanga, and Hook swords. A veritable arsenal of blades and
tools of the martial arts. He walked over to the replicator as he removed
his shirt, tossing it in and recyling the ruined material. "Care for a
drink?" he said, glancing over his shoulder at her.

Hypnotised by the weapons, Vevay simply nodded. It took about thirty seconds
for her to realise that she'd been asked a question that required a verbal
response. "Yeah, er, a coffee? Regular latte with a shot of vanilla syrup,
if I may."

He turned and relayed her desire, collecting the drink, he approached her
and held it out. "Tried to warn ya." Ffej giggled slightly, "I shall only be
a few minutes. Please sit, and relax."

Taking the coffee in both hands, she inhaled the glorious aroma before
looking up into his eyes. Then her sight drifted down and she realised for
the first time that he wasn't wearing a shirt. Gulping a little, her knees
went weak and she looked around for somewhere to sit. A mat looked the best
option, so she collapsed onto the nearest one. "Warn me? What's wrong with
the place?"

Ffej turned and walked back to his room and shower. "My taste in decoration
is rather obvious... I favor Earth's ancient oriental period. Not to mention
having studied and mastered each of the weapons displayed on the walls." He
vanished around the corner and briefly the sonic shower could be heard.

"All of them?" she whispered in awe. Vevay sipped at the coffee, despite the
fact that it was too hot. She desperately wanted a distraction from the
sound of the ridiculously attractive man taking a shower in the next room.

He finished his shower quickly and threw on another pair of gi pants. Ffej
reappeared toweling his hair dry, as he walked over to the replicator again.
"Hungry?"

"Uh-huh," she mumbled as she looked up to see him still standing there
without a top. His smooth lines filled her vision and she practically
drooled. Snapping out of it, she realised he'd asked her yet another
question that required a verbal response. "Er, no, thanks, I ate earlier.
But you go ahead."

He shrugged lightly and turned, requesting some mixed lo-mein and a side of
yum yum. Ffej collected the two plates and carried them to the table.
Lowering himself across from her he met her gaze and smiled warmly. "How
have you been since last we spoke?"

Smiling sadly, she shrugged. "Okay, I guess." Thoughts of the captain
flashed through her mind. "Well, maybe not so okay."

He popped a yum yum in his mouth whole and mixed his lo-mein with chopstix.
Swallowing the mouthful, "Want to talk about it or is it personal?"

Giggling at him, she relaxed onto the mat. "I'm sat in your quarters, you're
wearing very little and it's 3 am, does it get much more personal than
that?"

He nodded slowly, "You have a valid point, however I may be half dressed,
but you're fully dressed. So one could assume its only half personal." He
grinned and ate some of the lo-mein.

"Half personal?" Blushing, she wondered what he meant. "I just meant that we
seemed to be getting fairly close, that's all." She was panicking a little.
She didn't want him to think she was a complete fool.

He qwirked an eyebrow at her comment. Getting fairly close. Ffej shrugged
and filed it away for later examination. "Suit yourself, I'm just glad your
relaxed enough to argue with a half naked man."

"I am? Yeah I guess I am." Giggling again, she downed the last of her coffee
and wiggled a little closer to him. "I'm not sure I'm cut out for this job,
you know."

He polished off the last of his food and stood up, "Refill?" Ffej gathered
his dishes and held out a hand for her cup.

Pulling herself to her feet, she tripped over the corner of the mat and fell
into him again. Sighing, she looked up at him. "Sorry, I'm not doing so well
tonight, am I?"

 Quickly shifting the dish to his far hand and slipping his arm around her
to stabalize what remained of her balance. "Careful, just sit. I'll serve
you. you are a guest in my quarters after all..."

"Uh-huh," she said, desperately wanting to lean into him and have him hold
her. Make it all better, she thought. Straightening herself, she blushed
even brighter. "I'm really sorry. Another coffee would be grand."

Still holding her close to him with one arm, he gazed down into her
entrancing green eyes. Should I or shouldn't I...

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