No Sugar In My Coffee

[Eva 'Skuld' Stark]

The Hawkeye
06:42
​

Clothes were scattered. Everywhere. In fact, some articles would disappear until there would be a next deck sweep. Her boots were somehow stashed away in the right place; right by the door. But it wasn't her room... that much was acknowledged. It was his, but any decor was either in disarray or somehow violently heaved from every flat surface, even his washroom. Only the datapads were spared any sort of violent tossing; instead they were only left on the nightstands.

Far below, staff and officers were waking to the morning routine, to find what seemed like the remains of some sort of intense battle. Chairs were awry, and there was assumed to be the remains of a shirt found ripped to shreds near the entrance ramp. Only Second Officer Isko and his companion Janine seemed to have any notion of what had happened; the male Mirialan seemed amused, while his human female companion was horrifically embarrassed. The remains were quickly disposed of, and there was a wordless acknowledgement throughout the crew that what must have happened was a horrible fight went on between the two owners.

But a small majority disagreed. So more bets were placed to see how long their Deucalian owner would last to the Mandalorian. About half already lost that bet that she wouldn't last two weeks. It was now nearly two months... and the options were running low.

But in the owner's quarters, it was an entirely different story.

Skuld was curled next to somebody else for once. She skimmed for a while between being awake and asleep. Finally, she drifted back asleep, unaware that it was going to be one of those nights in which nightmares came bounding to the front.

She hadn't expected the loss to hit her so hard. She knew a Warlord always faced the eventuality of death, but it was a simple business proposition to the Deep Core. Just a simple trip there and back. But it was later said to have been a mistake in identification; that his ship was almost exactly identical to a known pirate raider's personal ship. That even though it was in stasis and not firing or presenting aggression, that it did not answer any hailing call and that was the reason there was open fire.

Baldr died trying to flee from Imperial fire. The shots that scored his armored back were proof enough. She knew it was because it was one less Deucalian to maraud through the hyperlanes, that a judgement had been made and it was made in error.

But that never stopped the nightmares. Those nightmares that always struck the deepest pain and fear into her heart. And she was caught in the middle of it, only instead it was locked in his embrace, and the pyre was eating them both--

She woke with a gasp, shaking. She was cold, trembling, her breath coming in short bursts. Tears came out almost as if on cue. Her palms pressed over her eyes, and she bit back a muffled moan of pain. Both from the soreness all over her body--was that a bite mark on her lower back?--and the fresh lance of horror that cut deep into her chest.

She hated spoiling a perfect morning like this. She hoped it hadn't woken him; she began wiping the tears away, but they kept coming, cold and bitter. There was no sound, no sobs or heaving breath, but she trembled.

When the tears finally stopped, she fell back against Tagal, and shakily exhaled.

She still wasn't ready to face the morning... or any questions he may have.

@Nefieslab

 

[Tagal Saxon]

Tagal woke up aching but it was a good ache. It was the kind of ache that he hadn't experienced for free since his wife had died and the kind of ache he had only experienced since after dropping a lot of credits to have some of the best whores in the Galaxy fake enthusiasm. Or maybe they had actually enjoyed it, he didn't know about that part. All he knew was that he woke up in his bed with someone beside him and he ached in the best way.

He ached, and smelt, of sex.

It must have still be quite early as well because the woman he was laying in the bed with wasn't actually awake yet. Tagal rested where he was, with one arm kind of haphazardly across her chest. He closed his eyes but he didn't go back to sleep, instead just laying there for the time being, thinking about it all.

Neither of them had actually been drunk - they had been affected by the drink of course but nothing that made them actually drunk. Instead it had merely made them slightly freer in their interactions he felt. Sighing a little bit, he stopped moving entirely when Skuld froze up, jerking awake in a manner to which he was very accustomed. Waking up from nightmares was something that Tagal had experience with it had to be said.

He didn't open his eyes but he spoke - letting her sort herself out before he saw her. Tagal had a feeling that his partner wasn't going to be happy about being seen in this moment of 'weakness'.

"Nightmare?"

After a few seconds he lazily opened an eye to look down at her, his arm moving slightly to give her the faintest of squeezes.

"Come on - I wasn't that bad was I?" he grunted with a small smirk tugging at his lips, "Was it the thing with the chocolate spread?"

If she didn't want to talk about it, he was giving her the out now.

@Killa Ree

 

[Eva 'Skuld' Stark]

She couldn't deny, it was satisfying feeling warm skin against hers and knowing every scratch, every bruise was made by her. She was sore in more ways than one, and wouldn't have minded stretching. So she did so luxuriantly, letting a slow, reluctant sigh part from her lips. She couldn't deny, she had half-expected him to have already been up and going for the day. Or at least trying to wake her up before the crew.

Looked like he didn't have any regrets.

...Did she?

Nei.

She tilted her face up towards his, and caught her breath a little bit. She wanted to be defensive, to shut him out and keep him out of her head. She hadn't expected to wake him, but... it was old habit, like hers. Prepared to wake at the slightest change. She was just glad she did not have her knife on her; she could have embedded it into his wall, or something equally reckless, and that wouldn't really be any good.

She exhaled slowly, her voice very, very soft.

"Ja... Það var það versta sem ég hafði einhvern tíma haft í langan tíma," she whispered, before coloring on her cheeks washed over lightly. "I mean... yes. Bad one. But not first. I just... miss them, so much." This was almost a painful whisper, eyes squeezing shut tightly.

But she smirked when he deliberately was trying to lighten the mood, a low laugh vibrated in her throat as she turned her head to look at him again. Her teeth nipped lightly at his throat, her voice nearly a contented purr. "Nei... I think you were pretty good." She rolled away to lay flat on her stomach, icy eyes glinting with humor. Her arms crossed at the wrists, pillowing under her chin, and the sheet tugged with her around her waist. "And the chocolate was a good idea, especially with your langtsverð--" Lips curled into a full teasing grin, giving a wink.

"Though I liked being called captain that third time," she smirked, legs crossing at the ankles. "Vas I that bad, hmm?" she asked teasingly, arching her brows. How much did he remember from last night? They weren't drunk, for sure... perhaps she would have to make a mental note to avoid drinks for the forseeable future; she wanted to make sure this chemistry wasn't just the whiskey talking. She didn't even have a hangover, and that was telling enough.

@Nefieslab

 

[Tagal Saxon]

It seemed that not only had she had a nightmare but it had been one of the worst kind of nightmares that you could ever have; the kind rooted in your past. They were the hardest because they came from you. They were a part of you in a way that the most surreal of nightmares simply couldn't be. There was always going to be some fright in being attacked by some kind of monster but true terror came from being haunted by something in your dreams...

And then waking up to find that the dream had been right all along and waking up wasn't going to save you from the grip of the horror that had taken up residence in your life.

He let himself breathe out slowly as he thought about a way to actually respond to that. In the end though the answer came rather easily.

"I understand."

Honestly?

Tagal didn't feel like he had to explain further, just as Skuld didn't need to expand on it either. He knew what she was talking about and she knew that so there was no need for her to say it, no need to bring it fully into the waking world when she could still attempt to leave it in the ether of the dreamscape.

Bringing both of his hands to rest behind his head, he looked down the length of the bed at her with the same small smirk as before. They were both seemingly happy to roll with his attempt to move the conversation away from their mutual darkness. He hummed a little bit as he thought back to the memories of the night before. He could see them all but there was a bit of a haze to them that came from the alcohol, even if he wasn't actually having issues remembering it all.

"Well you didn't need any seasoning to be worth eating." he shot back with a deeper smirk before adding, "You? Oh Skuld you were awful in all the right ways. I think we might have to deleted the security footage of the bridge and the galley though."

He chuckled a little bit and tugged gently at a strand of her hair.

"Don't want to scare the crew, right?"

@Killa Ree

 

[Eva 'Skuld' Stark]

She was so grateful that he wasn't willing to press; she wasn't willing to face that yet, not when she felt both like she had been dragged through a wampa's cave and that she felt absolutely heavenly. She was sure that if she took a hot shower later, all the wonderful abuse she felt would be overwhelming; but for now, she was content.

And yet... she bit her bottom lip at a playful, tempting thought. It was perhaps too soon for the Mandolorian, but there was always a risk running with this Deucalian; perhaps he already realized she was insatiable. The smirk widened when he commented eating; in fact the grin almost seemed wantonly wolfish. "Oh, I agree, you and I seemed intent to devour each other quite often, as I recall..." her eyes skimmed over his torso and exposed arms, lifting her head slightly.

Another laugh rolled from her throat when he mentioned security footage. "Hm... I don't knov, I vould not mind saving a copy for myself." She winked at him again, but a glazed look came over her eyes when his wrist barely brushed over her back, along the most sensitive dip between her shoulderblades. She colored again, and shook her head once, resuming her playful grin.

"Nei... don't want to scare them." she muttered, arching a brow. "Though I don't think I'm ready to leave just yet... It's not too bad here," she teased, winking. "And the company is good as well."

@Nefieslab

 

[Tagal Saxon]

The serious matters were not gone and they were not forgotten but they were pushed to one side. They could be addressed at another time and he had no doubt that they would be in the future but not here. Right now they were going to push them to the side and accept a much easier topic. Was it kind of cowardly to avoid their actual feelings and resort to speaking more about the fun they had actually managed to have?

Perhaps but he wasn't going to complain - he didn't want to talk about his tormenting past either.

"Ha!" he grinned a little bit at the comment about how they had tasted each other, "My only regret was the after taste of whiskey - I think next time I shall enjoy a taste without the alcohol to start with."

If she actually wanted a next time. Tagal had had fun and they had some undeniable sexual tension and chemistry but he wouldn't be too surprised if she decided that she wanted to keep this as a one time thing. Seeing her reaction to how his wrist had brushed against her upper back... he smirked ever so slightly.

As she started speaking, he moved his hand from her hair to run it along the space between her shoulder blades. He wasn't stroking her feather-softly; he pressed enough for it to almost be something out of a massage.

"I'm sure we'll scare them enough when we come around to claim some of the clothes we left scattered around." he raised an eyebrow, "Or the noises we make in the shower perhaps."

@Killa Ree

 

[Eva 'Skuld' Stark]

"Mmmm... I might agree with that," she smirked. "I'm sure you'll taste much better after hnnh---" Her eyes glazed over again, fingers gripping into the pillow already abused by previous use. Her head dropped into the pillow with a low groan, and a swift muttered oath in something definitely not either Deucalic or Basic.

She barely understood or heard what he said when he spoke again, but when she lifted her head again her eyes were no longer sparkling with amusement, but sparking with something else. Hunger. It was like someone had strummed all the nerves down her spine in the most wonderful way, and he had to find out by accident!

She growled at him, and suddenly shucked off the sheet, turning towards him with that hungry stare again. Her voice was barely controlled.

"Ja. Shower, now," before turning towards the washroom, completely without care that there wasn't a stitch on her. Perhaps hot water would be best... but then a wicked smile came over her lips. She had a different idea...

The nozzles were turned to hot first, and steam slowly started billowing into the small cubicle. Tagal Saxon wasn't going to know what just hit him by the time she was done.

Not that he didn't already, but for now the past was buried. There was only now, and today.

@Nefieslab

 

[Tagal Saxon]

It seemed that he had found a secret weapon.

Just a single sweeping motion with his fingers in the right place and Skuld Stark seemed to take leave of her senses and instead basically fall in love with his fingers. He had to admit that it was rather pleasing to him to know that he now knew something he could use against her.

People tended to have odd little quirks like that. Everyone had a sensitive spot that worked for them despite the fact that it seemingly didn't work for anyone else. This was Skuld's and he imagined that getting a massage got either very fun or very awkward - he might have to employ such a technique should he wish to have her in the future actually... but that was something for later. For now it appeared that he was being called to the shower.

Smirking a little bit, Tagal followed on after Skuld, playfully giving her backside a slap as he approached her within the bathroom.

"So is that a 'no' on the backrub offer?"

@Killa Ree

 

[Eva 'Skuld' Stark]

She let out a startled laugh when he slapped her playfully; a wicked grin curved over her shoulders as she ran her fingers through her hair, then slowly turned to him, her voice a teasing lilt. "It is for now..." she chuckled, stepping in close to give him a quick, hungry kiss before stepping back. She slowly slid the door open, and the steam began to billow into the washroom. She turned around and the wicked grin remained, even as the water cascaded down her shoulders and hair. With one hand, she held it out to him. The other...

She oh so happened to be leaning her back against the temperature control. With a twist, she turned it as cold as she sensed he could possibly stand it. She could have gone colder... but if he liked this experience, perhaps it could go further.

The wicked grin remained, and though there was still steam... he would know the instant he stepped into the spray. She perked black brows invitingly. "Come on in, the water's wonderful," came the teasing purr, waiting until he would step in to close the door and pounce.

Poor Tag. He wouldn't even know what hit him.

Maybe after a few seconds, she could heat it up again... Maybe.
@Nefieslab

 

[Tagal Saxon]

For now huh?

Well that hinted at the idea that this wasn't over between them and Tagal very much enjoyed that idea. From a purely physical stand point, Skuld was a lover almost unlike any other. She had an energy and an enthusiasm that seemed to match her appetite and he was more than happy to sate that appetite. Smirking a little bit, he kissed her back and followed her into the bathroom, perhaps a little bit more distracted by her than he should be.

If he wasn't so distracted he might have grown suspicious of her. He raised an eyebrow before stepping into the shower at her invitation, immediately getting hit with the ice-cold stream. Cursing, he gritted his teeth and any sense of tiredness or relaxation fled from him almost instantly.

"What the kark?!" he demanded angrily, "What the hells woman?! Not everyone likes an ice bath!"

Tagal was not a fan of cold showers.

@Killa Ree

 

[Eva 'Skuld' Stark]

A loud laugh rolled from her lips at his shouted oath, pressing up closer. She blinked innocently, black brows perked in a feign of innocence, eyes blinking against the stream. "Nei?" She chuckled, feathering kisses from his lips down to his jaw, then the curve of his throat. She hadn't left a mark of her own; the icy water was a balm to all the scrapes and bruises she could feel throbbing on every curve.

Perhaps he would forgive her if she turned up the heat.

As she moved, the controller went with her, slowly heating up again. "Forgive me, Tagal?" She smirked, when it was once more a warm enveloping rush. A hint of amused mischief glinted in her eyes when she returned the controller to its' hook, arms wrapped about his neck. She leaned up to suck down a bite mark of her own... then pulled back with that same minx smile.

Whatever happened next... was another story.

***
​

It was some time before she left, toweled dry. She couldn't dry her hair yet; it would take an age. So still damp lengths brushed over her back. She couldn't find any of her clothes; worrisome.

"May I borrow your shirt?" She asked over her shoulder, after finally sighing defeat. "I think my top is someplace public, and I don't know what the crew might think to that.."

She was clean, but kark did she need some caf.

Thankfully, they were not complicated people. Perhaps he wouldn't mind if she borrowed it, at least until she got to her own quarters. That was the simplest thought she could manage all morning.

@Nefieslab

 

[Tagal Saxon]

He supposed he forgave her for the prank.

She had done her best to 'make it up to him' in the end so he wasn't going to hold it against her too much. He might have continued to just be a bit of a pain in the backside but she had done this thing with her left hand while he right hand was... well, the point was that he wasn't going to be holding any hard feelings.

Drying himself, Tagal picked up a shirt from the pile before throwing it in her direction. It wasn't dirty by any means but it had his scent on it - not that he would even know what his scent was since it was, after all, his scent. He shrugged a little bit.

"I think it's on the bridge." he admitted, "But I think the crew might have destroyed all of the evidence that 'mommy and daddy' are banging."

Such a nice crew... shame they were a bit weird.

@Killa Ree

 

[Eva 'Skuld' Stark]

Good to know he was just as slightly disorderly as she was. Then again... they certainly hadn't helped much in that regard. She caught it easily, letting it skim over her curves. He was still a bit taller than her, but she had to wear her shorts underneath, or else whomever would approach would get more than an eyeful.

She took a deep breath when he wasn't looking, but a chuckle parted from her lips at his comment. "Ja... maybe they have," she admitted, smirking slightly. "I have been told that they are taking bets," she half grunted, shimmying into her shorts, then tying on the sarong half-heartedly.

It was then the datapad started buzzing. Tag would have seen two faces on it, in holovid blue; her face suddenly went pale, her eyes wide as she lunged for it, and snatched it back. "Maybe next time, there will be more to experience," she laughed, but there was a curious look in her eyes.

Alarm.

For the first time, he would see Skuld Stark worried.

She suddenly padded out, the datapad clutched to her chest. She would barely be able to close the door, before pressing answer.

"Hello, Inara. How are they? Are they hurt?"

Not the most auspicious of ways to leave... and she knew he was going to ask about it later.

But that was later. What her two eyes were hungry for the most... were the faces of her two children, and her sister's proud retelling of all their achievements last they talked.

/End Thread

@Nefieslab