[It's taken time, and a few ship-wide crises she can throw herself into, but Leia's starting to resign herself to life in another galaxy. Without a way home--so far, at least--she's had little choice but to lend her support to the local equivalent to the New Republic.
Along the way, she's made a few friends, chief among them the ship's captain, Beverly Crusher. The woman is clever, forthright, and distractingly pretty; somehow, an hour of conversation with her disappears in the blink of an eye.
Still, when Leia comes back from a late-night visit to Ben--still under lock and key, still miserable and quick to snarl--she expects her room to be empty when the lights flick on. Instead, there's already a head on her pillow, auburn hair splashing out around it.]
[Well. Beverly had been dozing peacefully until someone rudely turned on the lights. She groans and rolls away from the offending brightness. From there, it takes her a moment to realize who is talking.]
[Her first inclination is to sit at the edge of the bed, but she jettisons the idea immediately as far too intimate. Never mind that it shouldn't be too intimate to sit on your own bed--the presence of a (very pretty) officer of the ship complicates things.
So she stands in front of her mirror, beginning to pick out the pins from her hair and refusing to let herself remember the way Han was always fascinated by the process. She keeps her voice steady, casual, watching her newfound companion's reflection.]
Do you make a habit of trying out all the beds on the ship?
[It's obvious to Leia what's going to happen before the captain begins to move. Beverly's expression gains some clarity as she glances around Leia's plain little room; besides a hairbrush and a single datapad, there's little that suggests residence, certainly nothing like the ship's captain's quarters. Already, Leia's turning, reaching out to steady the woman as she struggles to sit up.]
Looks like you had a good night. [It's an invitation to speak without the pressure of a question. She tries not to remember how long it's been since she slipped an arm around someone else's shoulders.] How are you feeling?
[Standing proves to be a futile endeavor, so she allows Leia's arms to guide her back down to a sitting position. That she manages well enough and after a moment everything settles enough for her to speak again.]
Thank you. I'm just... Too old for this. But duty called.
[Today she helped conclude a research deal with a planet independent of the Federation, one who always ended their contracts with a celebratory drink. No one had prepared her, however, for exactly how strong these drinks would be, especially for a human, and especially for a human who was mostly used to drinking synthehol.
Turning to face Leia properly, she is distracted by a long piece of the General's hair that has been freed from its pins. She reaches over to take the strand in one hand, marveling at it's silkiness.]
[Leia smiles a little, imagining Beverly at the center of a boisterous crew, drinking and laughing with them. She's someone who involves herself with the people under her; it's little wonder she's become an effective leader on the Pasteur.
She sits next to Beverly, letting her arm drop. Beverly seems capable enough to keep herself upright at the moment, and sitting next to her on the bed seems nearness enough. When Beverly reaches for a lock of Leia's hair, she wonders if she should have remained standing. For a few moments, she's silent, watching Beverly's slender fingers moving over her hair.
But then she speaks, and Leia has to summon up words in return. She can't quite pull her gaze away from Beverly's hand, but she murmurs in reply:]
[A strange thought for a woman whose hair is constantly changing: from red to blonde, from curly to straight, from long to short. Right now it's its natural red, streaked with some gray, piled into a French twist that is very in danger of falling apart right now after she slept on it.
She moves her gaze to Leia's face, though her fingers remain entwined in Leia's hair still.]
[Accepting compliments is a simple task, the sort of thing every princess learns to do from an early age. Why it is she finds it difficult now, glancing up at Beverly's gentle blue eyes, she can't quite say.
(She knows--oh, she knows--but actually admitting it is another story.)]
Thank you. [A little smile. Leia sets a hand lightly on Beverly's shoulder and tells herself she's hoping to keep her steady.] It doesn't compare to red for colour, of course.
[Even when it was dark brown, but especially now that it's faded to grey.]
[Leia laughs--gently, not unkindly--and shakes her head. She can feel a loop of hair sliding out of place, but it seems unimportant just then. In front of anyone else in the crew, even in front of Ben, she can't have a hair out of place. With only her staunchest ally in front of her, especially when that ally is hopelessly inebriated, things are a little less serious.]
I don't think we have Lady Godiva where I come from.
She's from Earth's ancient past. Really beautiful. But her husband... He was... [She frowns, trying to remember the details of the story.] He did something. Something she didn't like because it hurt people. So she protested by riding out in the streets with her long long hair down and no clothes on.
[There's a pause as she slowly realizes the implications of comparing Leia to Godiva. Her eyes widen and she flushes even redder than she'd been before.]
Not saying that you have to be naked! I meant... [Beverly gestures to her own head and shoulders as she finishes her sentence in a helpless tone.] The hair.
[Leia's brow lifts in surprise at the story's ending--and then she has the distinct pleasure of seeing Beverly's words catch up to her. She's so used to seeing Captain Crusher, whose expression gives away only what she wants it to, that tipsy Beverly, with her wide blue eyes and shifting expression, is fascinating to watch.
She wonders, for a moment, if this was what it was like to see her relaxed at home.]
The hair. [She agrees, glancing down again at Beverly's hand in hopes of giving her a moment to recover herself. In hopes of making it easier for her, she adjusts the subject slightly.] On Alderaan, most people wore their hair long. Princesses were no different.
[A little like this, yes, though to be honest, it's been a long time since there was anyone home to see her more relaxed. Deanna and Will, sometimes, if they happen to cross paths with the Titan, and Wes when he visits. Not that she's lonely exactly, she loves her crew dearly and prides herself on getting to know them personally, but it's different still, when you're the captain, as Jean-Luc tried to warn her.
But Leia, Leia is not crew. Leia is... Leia. And she's very thankful to her for shifting away from the topic of her nakedness.
(A topic which is much more intriguing than it should be.)]
[She remembers Han in the Falcon's tiny crew quarters, half-dressed and surprisingly hesitant as he asked the same thing. Decades ago now, when there was an Empire to hide from and she'd never thought of her unbound hair as a secret to be shared with a lover. She'd never had a lover before, for that matter.
That was a long time ago, she reminds herself, and far away from here. It has no bearing on Beverly's request.
So she nods and begins pulling the rest of her hairpins out, one by one. Locks of her hair tumble down her back until it's all down, in thick streams that fall past her waist. It'll look nicer when it's brushed out, but Leia knows well that the length is unusual enough to be impressive at any moment.]
[Impressive indeed. Beverly watches in fascination as Leia's hair falls gracefully out of its pins. Leia's hands, deft and nimble in their work, are almost as captivating. When Leia speaks, Beverly blinks in surprise. But only a moment later, her hands respond to the request and what remains of the French twist easily falls away. Rich red curls fall to her shoulders and she tosses her head impatiently, shaking out a couple of stray pins before looking back up at Leia. A small flirtatious smile works its way out.]
[She smiles in return, and though it's small, it's certain. Whatever mood Beverly happens to be in tonight (drunk, she thinks, the word you're looking for is drunk), it suits Leia to play along. When it comes to flirting, she's no slouch, though she'd like to think she possesses a more delicate touch along with her sobriety.]
Your hair suits you, Captain Crusher. It's just a little untamed.
[Beverly laughs, delighted that Leia is willing to play. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) this means what little filter she had left is promptly thrown out the nearest airlock.]
Would you like to try to tame it?
[Her eyebrows go up suggestively. Subtlety is not her strongest suit at the moment.]
[But she can't deny that the suggestion is tempting. Beverly Crusher is astonishingly beautiful and maddeningly clever, the first person since Han she's ever felt this hunger for, and this close to her, Leia wants nothing more than to close the distance between them in a kiss. It'd be unfair to do so, of course--the captain isn't in any shape for more than friendliness tonight--but the longing remains.
But her hair...that's not too much, surely. Leia lifts a gentle hand to Beverly's scalp and begins to slide her fingers through her hair, half-combing, half stroking. She's done this often enough with her own hair, on occasions when a brush wasn't available, but it's easier when it doesn't involve untangling snarls down to her waist. Here, it's more intimate, too, her fingertips a light pressure on Beverly's head before sliding down through her auburn hair.]
[Beverly laughs, short and low. She leans in close, closer than she would allow herself were she sober. The attraction between them is undeniable yet she does her best to do so, telling herself that it's nothing, nothing, that she's only admiring Leia's strength and intelligence and devotion, like she would admire any officer.
But this general from another world is hardly just any officer.]
[Leia slips her arm around Beverly and tells herself she's only going to ensure the woman doesn't end up losing her balance. It's not true, and she knows it well, but anything else would be inappropriate. She doesn't exactly answer to Beverly, and she wouldn't care if she did, but there's a sort of awkwardness to the possibility of--well, anything with her. She can't place what it is, except her own reluctance to begin something that might end up making her life more complicated.
You thought the same about Han, and he was worth it.
But even if romantic entanglements seemed like a good idea, Beverly is in no shape to think about any of this right now. Leia stops stroking her hair, but her hand still hovers close.]
Two. [She raises her brows, making no effort to hide her amusement.] I've only ever made it through one.
[There's little reason for her to drink to excess here, and she's a head shorter than Beverly anyway.]
It sounds like you've had plenty of fun for one night. I should get you back to bed.
[She doesn't move, though, watching Beverly with all-too-intent dark eyes. There are things she should do, and then there are things she'd like to do, and despite how sober she is, she's tempted to pick from the second list instead of the first.]
[Until it's said, Leia doesn't expect to hear it--and then it seems like the most obvious thing in the world, with the way Beverly's been playing with her hair. She's a more flirtatious drunk than Leia would have guessed, but that's her own mistake. In all things, Beverly has the force of passion on her side; she simply harnesses it better in most situations.
If they'd both been drinking, Leia suspects she'd give in and kiss her, but they haven't. The sheer awkwardness of that fact is enough that she feels only a moment's sharp, instinctive desire before it fades into regret. Who knows whether the captain would ever think of such a thing sober?]
You've seen enough of mine for one night. [It's an answer that would have had far sharper edges a few decades ago. How things change.] Do you need help walking back?
[Drunk or not, Beverly knows how to accept a no when she hears it, so she doesn't push. Besides, she really truly did not intend to end up here tonight. Doors are very tricky things sometimes.
Slowly, she gets to her feet and waits a moment, to see if the world will spin again. When it doesn't, she smiles back down at Leia.]
No, I'll be all right. It's only a couple of doors down. But!
[And she's sitting down again, flush with her sudden idea.]
You should join me for breakfast in the morning. I promise I'll behave.
[Leia watches with the same incipient concern as she did when Ben started taking his first steps. Should Beverly stumble, she'll be there to steady her.
But she doesn't, and it hardly matters when she sits back down anyway.]
I'd be glad to.
[And though she's groaning a little inwardly at the fact that her unexpected guest has decided to take a seat once more, she means it genuinely enough. They'll no doubt need to clear the air after this, provided Beverly remembers it, and it can't possibly be stranger than this interlude has been.
For a moment, she sets her hand on Beverly's shoulder.]
[Beverly's eyes sparkle with amusement at Leia's formality and she grins.] I think you can call me Beverly at this point.
[And then she just can't help herself as she leans in to give Leia a quick kiss on the cheek. Very chaste, only a peck, but a hopeful kiss nonetheless. Before she can get herself into any more trouble - Leia is just so very hard to resist - she gets to her feet again. Apparently, third time's the charm, as she actually makes it to the door this go round.
She presses the control panel and the door slides open. Lingering just a moment longer, she turns back to Leia and gives her a small salute.]
[She stills, letting Beverly kiss her cheek and then depart, and sits there for quite a while after, lost in thought. When she finally shakes herself free of her reverie, she moves through the rest of her nightly rituals--combing out her hair, pulling on nightclothes, and so on--
It's only when the lights are out and she's curled up in an unusually rumpled bed that she lets herself think, If I'd turned my head...
In the morning, she braids her hair back with a vengeance but doesn't bother pinning it up; instead, it slides down her back in a thick rope. When she knocks at Beverly's door, it's lightly, in hopes that she hasn't just made a headache worse. (Or maybe Beverly was lucky enough to avoid a hangover, but she sounded like Leia after a few too many cups of jet juice. That seems incredibly unlikely.)]
[Hungover? Maybe a bit (maybe a lot). But her voice is cheerful enough when she calls out:]
Come in!
[Beverly stands up from the table as Leia comes in. Admittedly, she's a little nervous and a little embarrassed by what happened last night - not that she regrets it exactly, but the last thing she wants to do is alienate Leia. So, this is a good sign right? That she showed up to breakfast? Hopefully.
Her uncertainty shows less in her stance - perfect posture and composure as always - and more in the enormous number of food and beverage options on the table: from French to Betazoid to Risan cuisine, she has it all, just in case.]
I trust you slept well?
[You know, after she got out of your bed. Stars above!]
[Leia enters, surprised (and frankly, a little pleased) to see Beverly in such good spirits. Perhaps surprised is a bit naive; as captain of the ship, she must need to place her own discomfort behind the needs of her crew. But it's still enough to draw a smile to Leia's face.]
I did.
[She glances over the variety of foods, made familiar over the months she's spent in this galaxy. It's strangely comforting that it's so unfamiliar; they can dine together and speak without the specters of Leia's past getting in the way. (Beverly's might still lurk, but she's lived with them a long time, so far as Leia can tell.)]
[She always has to do that momentary translation with this and so many other words. Coffee, caf; refresher, bathroom; datapad, PADD.
Leia takes a seat at the table, setting her hands in her lap.]
Shall we?
[Without knowing how much Beverly remembers--or wants to remember--about the previous night, she doesn't want to make too many presumptions. Obviously she knows something, or she wouldn't have prepared breakfast, but Leia's trying to let the subject come up as it will.]
Yes. [Her gesture towards the table is a little more stiff than usual.] And tea. And juice if you prefer that.
[Beverly takes her seat across from Leia and surveys the food again, as if really seeing the large amount of food for the first time. Overboard doesn't even begin to cover it and she can't help but laugh at herself, glancing back up at Leia sheepishly.]
I suppose it's a bit much, isn't it? But I wasn't sure how you... what you would want.
Caf is fine. [She smiles, reaching for a small of her usual breakfast, as well as a few bits and pieces of the other options: a fruit she doesn't recognize, some kind of small pastry, and so on.] We might have to save some of this for lunch.
[Even with four people, she's not sure they'd demolish everything on the table. And though she'd planned to let Beverly raise the subject of the previous night herself, Leia's never been known for her natural inclination towards patience. They're here, and they're tucking into this ridiculous spread. They might as well get down to business.]
Did you have any other adventures on your way to bed?
[Beverly clears her throat and takes a convenient sip of her coffee. She can feel the heat in her cheeks rising, much to her chagrin. Leia's just jumping right in - not that she can blame her, but still, Beverly was hoping for a little more time to prepare herself.]
No, I went to sleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow.
[She sets her cup down.]
I am sorry, for last night. It wasn't... I never intended to put you in an awkward position. And I promise I don't normally do that... well, ever.
I know. You've been an effective captain and a gracious host to both my son and me.
[Even when Ben, who might have to make a permanent home in the brig at this point, has made it extraordinarily difficult to summon up grace or poise in his presence. He could meet far worse fates, given the circumstances, and frankly, Leia's still grateful they weren't both tossed out the airlock when they materialized on the bridge to begin with.
And now, with care and a sort of studied casualness:]
I hope we can move past any awkwardness quickly. I'd regret losing your friendship, Beverly.
[Truth be told, Ben doesn't make her all that angry - it's mostly sadness she feels when she looks at him, and especially when she sees Leia's expression as she watches him.
No, even if she weren't a Starfleet captain and a doctor, committed to helping those in need whenever she can, as a mother, she could never abandon them.]
You won't. I hope you know you always have place to call home here.
[Beverly has incredible restraint. There are times when Leia's furious with her son, though she doesn't visit him on those occasions. She can only bring herself to venture down to his force-but-not-Force-fielded cell when she's ready to be calm and patient, no matter what he might throw in her face.]
I'm grateful, as always, but that isn't quite what I meant. [It's easy enough to see why she'd jump to that extreme, but Leia gestures to the food before them.] Even if I had a place on the Pasteur, I'd be sorry to lose this.
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drunk somebodies.
Date: 2016-10-24 04:57 am (UTC)Along the way, she's made a few friends, chief among them the ship's captain, Beverly Crusher. The woman is clever, forthright, and distractingly pretty; somehow, an hour of conversation with her disappears in the blink of an eye.
Still, when Leia comes back from a late-night visit to Ben--still under lock and key, still miserable and quick to snarl--she expects her room to be empty when the lights flick on. Instead, there's already a head on her pillow, auburn hair splashing out around it.]
Captain Crusher?
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Date: 2016-10-25 09:38 pm (UTC)General?
[Wait just another moment...]
How'd you get in here?
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Date: 2016-10-25 10:08 pm (UTC)[Her first inclination is to sit at the edge of the bed, but she jettisons the idea immediately as far too intimate. Never mind that it shouldn't be too intimate to sit on your own bed--the presence of a (very pretty) officer of the ship complicates things.
So she stands in front of her mirror, beginning to pick out the pins from her hair and refusing to let herself remember the way Han was always fascinated by the process. She keeps her voice steady, casual, watching her newfound companion's reflection.]
Do you make a habit of trying out all the beds on the ship?
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Date: 2016-10-27 02:32 am (UTC)What d'you me--
[And then everything comes together. That mirror is in the wrong place and the window is too small and where are all her books?]
Oh hell.
[She should... definitely leave, shouldn't she? Or at the very least, get out of Leia's bed. Highly improper. So, she attempts to stand.
Emphasis on attempts.]
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Date: 2016-10-27 02:43 am (UTC)Looks like you had a good night. [It's an invitation to speak without the pressure of a question. She tries not to remember how long it's been since she slipped an arm around someone else's shoulders.] How are you feeling?
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Date: 2016-10-28 04:55 pm (UTC)[Standing proves to be a futile endeavor, so she allows Leia's arms to guide her back down to a sitting position. That she manages well enough and after a moment everything settles enough for her to speak again.]
Thank you. I'm just... Too old for this. But duty called.
[Today she helped conclude a research deal with a planet independent of the Federation, one who always ended their contracts with a celebratory drink. No one had prepared her, however, for exactly how strong these drinks would be, especially for a human, and especially for a human who was mostly used to drinking synthehol.
Turning to face Leia properly, she is distracted by a long piece of the General's hair that has been freed from its pins. She reaches over to take the strand in one hand, marveling at it's silkiness.]
I never realized how long it was.
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Date: 2016-10-29 12:29 am (UTC)[Leia smiles a little, imagining Beverly at the center of a boisterous crew, drinking and laughing with them. She's someone who involves herself with the people under her; it's little wonder she's become an effective leader on the Pasteur.
She sits next to Beverly, letting her arm drop. Beverly seems capable enough to keep herself upright at the moment, and sitting next to her on the bed seems nearness enough. When Beverly reaches for a lock of Leia's hair, she wonders if she should have remained standing. For a few moments, she's silent, watching Beverly's slender fingers moving over her hair.
But then she speaks, and Leia has to summon up words in return. She can't quite pull her gaze away from Beverly's hand, but she murmurs in reply:]
I've never cut it.
no subject
Date: 2016-10-29 01:56 am (UTC)[A strange thought for a woman whose hair is constantly changing: from red to blonde, from curly to straight, from long to short. Right now it's its natural red, streaked with some gray, piled into a French twist that is very in danger of falling apart right now after she slept on it.
She moves her gaze to Leia's face, though her fingers remain entwined in Leia's hair still.]
It's beautiful.
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Date: 2016-10-29 02:14 am (UTC)(She knows--oh, she knows--but actually admitting it is another story.)]
Thank you. [A little smile. Leia sets a hand lightly on Beverly's shoulder and tells herself she's hoping to keep her steady.] It doesn't compare to red for colour, of course.
[Even when it was dark brown, but especially now that it's faded to grey.]
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Date: 2016-10-29 02:43 am (UTC)[Beverly straightens up and lifts her chin, though the effect is rather more comical than defiant, given her current state.]
It's perfect. Like... like Lady Godiva!
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Date: 2016-10-29 02:49 am (UTC)I don't think we have Lady Godiva where I come from.
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Date: 2016-10-29 03:45 pm (UTC)[There's a pause as she slowly realizes the implications of comparing Leia to Godiva. Her eyes widen and she flushes even redder than she'd been before.]
Not saying that you have to be naked! I meant... [Beverly gestures to her own head and shoulders as she finishes her sentence in a helpless tone.] The hair.
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Date: 2016-10-29 06:57 pm (UTC)She wonders, for a moment, if this was what it was like to see her relaxed at home.]
The hair. [She agrees, glancing down again at Beverly's hand in hopes of giving her a moment to recover herself. In hopes of making it easier for her, she adjusts the subject slightly.] On Alderaan, most people wore their hair long. Princesses were no different.
no subject
Date: 2016-10-29 07:56 pm (UTC)But Leia, Leia is not crew. Leia is... Leia. And she's very thankful to her for shifting away from the topic of her nakedness.
(A topic which is much more intriguing than it should be.)]
Can I see it? All down?
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Date: 2016-10-29 08:35 pm (UTC)That was a long time ago, she reminds herself, and far away from here. It has no bearing on Beverly's request.
So she nods and begins pulling the rest of her hairpins out, one by one. Locks of her hair tumble down her back until it's all down, in thick streams that fall past her waist. It'll look nicer when it's brushed out, but Leia knows well that the length is unusual enough to be impressive at any moment.]
Your turn.
no subject
Date: 2016-10-29 09:06 pm (UTC)Well?
no subject
Date: 2016-10-29 09:26 pm (UTC)[She smiles in return, and though it's small, it's certain. Whatever mood Beverly happens to be in tonight (drunk, she thinks, the word you're looking for is drunk), it suits Leia to play along. When it comes to flirting, she's no slouch, though she'd like to think she possesses a more delicate touch along with her sobriety.]
Your hair suits you, Captain Crusher. It's just a little untamed.
no subject
Date: 2016-10-31 12:10 pm (UTC)Would you like to try to tame it?
[Her eyebrows go up suggestively. Subtlety is not her strongest suit at the moment.]
no subject
Date: 2016-10-31 03:28 pm (UTC)[But she can't deny that the suggestion is tempting. Beverly Crusher is astonishingly beautiful and maddeningly clever, the first person since Han she's ever felt this hunger for, and this close to her, Leia wants nothing more than to close the distance between them in a kiss. It'd be unfair to do so, of course--the captain isn't in any shape for more than friendliness tonight--but the longing remains.
But her hair...that's not too much, surely. Leia lifts a gentle hand to Beverly's scalp and begins to slide her fingers through her hair, half-combing, half stroking. She's done this often enough with her own hair, on occasions when a brush wasn't available, but it's easier when it doesn't involve untangling snarls down to her waist. Here, it's more intimate, too, her fingertips a light pressure on Beverly's head before sliding down through her auburn hair.]
no subject
Date: 2016-11-01 10:49 pm (UTC)But this general from another world is hardly just any officer.]
You simply have to have the right touch.
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Date: 2016-11-02 12:35 am (UTC)You thought the same about Han, and he was worth it.
But even if romantic entanglements seemed like a good idea, Beverly is in no shape to think about any of this right now. Leia stops stroking her hair, but her hand still hovers close.]
It's not so difficult.
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Date: 2016-11-02 08:33 pm (UTC)So then why did you stop?
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Date: 2016-11-03 03:30 am (UTC)[She smiles at Beverly, a little sadly, and sets her hand down where it's nowhere in danger of touching the captain.]
...I don't think it's fair to tease you. Especially not when you've had a few drinks.
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Date: 2016-11-03 03:57 am (UTC)I only had two, thank you very much. [She points a finger for emphasis.] They're just... [Frown.] Really damn strong.
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Date: 2016-11-03 04:09 am (UTC)[There's little reason for her to drink to excess here, and she's a head shorter than Beverly anyway.]
It sounds like you've had plenty of fun for one night. I should get you back to bed.
[She doesn't move, though, watching Beverly with all-too-intent dark eyes. There are things she should do, and then there are things she'd like to do, and despite how sober she is, she's tempted to pick from the second list instead of the first.]
no subject
Date: 2016-11-03 10:09 pm (UTC)Mine or yours?
no subject
Date: 2016-11-04 03:51 am (UTC)If they'd both been drinking, Leia suspects she'd give in and kiss her, but they haven't. The sheer awkwardness of that fact is enough that she feels only a moment's sharp, instinctive desire before it fades into regret. Who knows whether the captain would ever think of such a thing sober?]
You've seen enough of mine for one night. [It's an answer that would have had far sharper edges a few decades ago. How things change.] Do you need help walking back?
no subject
Date: 2016-11-04 04:08 am (UTC)Slowly, she gets to her feet and waits a moment, to see if the world will spin again. When it doesn't, she smiles back down at Leia.]
No, I'll be all right. It's only a couple of doors down. But!
[And she's sitting down again, flush with her sudden idea.]
You should join me for breakfast in the morning. I promise I'll behave.
[Hand to her heart.]
no subject
Date: 2016-11-04 04:17 am (UTC)But she doesn't, and it hardly matters when she sits back down anyway.]
I'd be glad to.
[And though she's groaning a little inwardly at the fact that her unexpected guest has decided to take a seat once more, she means it genuinely enough. They'll no doubt need to clear the air after this, provided Beverly remembers it, and it can't possibly be stranger than this interlude has been.
For a moment, she sets her hand on Beverly's shoulder.]
Sleep well, Captain.
no subject
Date: 2016-11-04 03:02 pm (UTC)[And then she just can't help herself as she leans in to give Leia a quick kiss on the cheek. Very chaste, only a peck, but a hopeful kiss nonetheless. Before she can get herself into any more trouble - Leia is just so very hard to resist - she gets to her feet again. Apparently, third time's the charm, as she actually makes it to the door this go round.
She presses the control panel and the door slides open. Lingering just a moment longer, she turns back to Leia and gives her a small salute.]
Good night, General.
no subject
Date: 2016-11-04 03:15 pm (UTC)It's only when the lights are out and she's curled up in an unusually rumpled bed that she lets herself think, If I'd turned my head...
In the morning, she braids her hair back with a vengeance but doesn't bother pinning it up; instead, it slides down her back in a thick rope. When she knocks at Beverly's door, it's lightly, in hopes that she hasn't just made a headache worse. (Or maybe Beverly was lucky enough to avoid a hangover, but she sounded like Leia after a few too many cups of jet juice. That seems incredibly unlikely.)]
no subject
Date: 2016-11-04 04:14 pm (UTC)Come in!
[Beverly stands up from the table as Leia comes in. Admittedly, she's a little nervous and a little embarrassed by what happened last night - not that she regrets it exactly, but the last thing she wants to do is alienate Leia. So, this is a good sign right? That she showed up to breakfast? Hopefully.
Her uncertainty shows less in her stance - perfect posture and composure as always - and more in the enormous number of food and beverage options on the table: from French to Betazoid to Risan cuisine, she has it all, just in case.]
I trust you slept well?
[You know, after she got out of your bed. Stars above!]
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Date: 2016-11-04 04:43 pm (UTC)I did.
[She glances over the variety of foods, made familiar over the months she's spent in this galaxy. It's strangely comforting that it's so unfamiliar; they can dine together and speak without the specters of Leia's past getting in the way. (Beverly's might still lurk, but she's lived with them a long time, so far as Leia can tell.)]
How are you feeling?
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Date: 2016-11-05 12:36 am (UTC)I have a small headache, but it's nothing a little coffee won't fix.
[And some painkillers.]
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Date: 2016-11-05 01:08 am (UTC)[She always has to do that momentary translation with this and so many other words. Coffee, caf; refresher, bathroom; datapad, PADD.
Leia takes a seat at the table, setting her hands in her lap.]
Shall we?
[Without knowing how much Beverly remembers--or wants to remember--about the previous night, she doesn't want to make too many presumptions. Obviously she knows something, or she wouldn't have prepared breakfast, but Leia's trying to let the subject come up as it will.]
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Date: 2016-11-05 01:35 am (UTC)[Beverly takes her seat across from Leia and surveys the food again, as if really seeing the large amount of food for the first time. Overboard doesn't even begin to cover it and she can't help but laugh at herself, glancing back up at Leia sheepishly.]
I suppose it's a bit much, isn't it? But I wasn't sure how you... what you would want.
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Date: 2016-11-05 01:44 am (UTC)[Even with four people, she's not sure they'd demolish everything on the table. And though she'd planned to let Beverly raise the subject of the previous night herself, Leia's never been known for her natural inclination towards patience. They're here, and they're tucking into this ridiculous spread. They might as well get down to business.]
Did you have any other adventures on your way to bed?
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Date: 2016-11-05 02:12 am (UTC)No, I went to sleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow.
[She sets her cup down.]
I am sorry, for last night. It wasn't... I never intended to put you in an awkward position. And I promise I don't normally do that... well, ever.
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Date: 2016-11-05 02:42 pm (UTC)[Even when Ben, who might have to make a permanent home in the brig at this point, has made it extraordinarily difficult to summon up grace or poise in his presence. He could meet far worse fates, given the circumstances, and frankly, Leia's still grateful they weren't both tossed out the airlock when they materialized on the bridge to begin with.
And now, with care and a sort of studied casualness:]
I hope we can move past any awkwardness quickly. I'd regret losing your friendship, Beverly.
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Date: 2016-11-06 12:52 am (UTC)No, even if she weren't a Starfleet captain and a doctor, committed to helping those in need whenever she can, as a mother, she could never abandon them.]
You won't. I hope you know you always have place to call home here.
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Date: 2016-11-06 01:20 am (UTC)I'm grateful, as always, but that isn't quite what I meant. [It's easy enough to see why she'd jump to that extreme, but Leia gestures to the food before them.] Even if I had a place on the Pasteur, I'd be sorry to lose this.
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Date: 2016-11-06 02:40 am (UTC)[She really hopes they're both using the food as a metaphor here.]