Misery Loves Company

Posted on Fri May 4th, 2018 @ 7:28pm by Colonel Jason "Jack" Frost

3,664 words; about a 18 minute read

Mission: The Emerald Road
Location: Various

Acacia'd gone home after the night he'd had the nightmare, and waited. She should have known that he wouldn't come to her, but she didn't think he'd avoid her completely. They'd mended fences mostly yesterday, even without words or actions, but she still felt as if he was beating himself up about it. Why she felt so responsible, she wasn't sure but she'd been in a right snit the whole day. Maybe it was the fight, or the direct competition for his affections, she didn't know. Acacia wanted him to want her, to desire her, to take her and make her his.

She'd spent the day in surgery, and really hadn't gained anything but sore legs and feet. Stripping her simple starfleet blue uniform, she threw it into the recycler with a grunt of disgust. Then Acacia slipped into a white shirt that had lace bands over her shoulders with a built in bra that accented her curves. A tiny black skirt and a white leather belt completed the look. Once again, she walked barefoot and hair down to Jack's quarters. Hoping he was home, she walked up, but was surprised when the doors simply opened for her.

Jack felt bad, terrible in fact over what he did. He understood why it happened but couldn't accept that he did it. Starfleet was about protecting the innocent, defending people and Acacia had done nothing but try to wake him and for his effort, a black eye and a harsh choking. Even after she came to see him in his office following the scrap she got into with his old assistant and the words she said he still couldn't take the weight off his shoulders over his action and it was eating him, slowly, one bite at a time. When the doors opened there was a hint of mild irritation at being disturbed but that washed away knowing who it was since he'd set the doors to open for one other. "Acacia." There was no hiding the head to toe look have gave her.

Acacia stepped into the room, and allowed the door to close behind her. There was something in the tone of his voice that had her eyes locked on his as she slowly approached the chair he was sitting in. "Hi..." her voice was only slightly uncertain, mostly because she still didn't know if he wanted her here.

"Hey." Her face had healed, Dr Patrovski living up to his reputation of being skilled in his field. She looked like it never happened, but he knew it did. He struck her, choked her in the midst of a nightmare. That didn't make it alright, quiet the opposite.

A smile touched her lips as she approached him, and wrapped her arms around his waist. It effectively hid her face from his sight, as she rested her cheek upon his chest. His heart was racing, and she wondered why that was.

The last thing Jack expected was for her to hug him, he'd attacked her, there was no sugar coating it and yet she was now hugging him holding him to her. "You ok?" Stupid question Jack thought after he said it wondering how anything could be ok after what he did.

He could feel her smile and nod against his chest. "I am perfectly fine, except for one tiny thing...that you've been avoiding me."

She had a point and there was no way of getting out of that one. "I just....." Just what could he say? That she was right, that he felt bad because of what he did? That even after what she said in his office? "Wanted to give you space."

"I was afraid you might not be interested anymore, even after last night" she whispered against his chest, a tiny bit of her insecurity showing.

"I was afraid you'd drop me like a hot brick after what I did and I wouldn't blame you." How could he?

She took a step back from him, and gazed deeply into his eyes. Catching his hand, she drew his hand up the length of her body and pressed her cheek into his hand.

Jack watched his hand, the black leather riding up her body to rest against the cheek he blackened. It was clear to see on his face he was waging his own little war against himself over what he did. "After what I did to you, you came back."

"You didn't know it was me. You were having a nightmare." she whispered "I shouldn't have startled you awake. I knew better, know better. " Her eyes never left his, as she watched his struggle. Reaching out her other hand, she grasped his other hand and placed it on her hip.

"You're right, I didn't know which made it all the more dangerous." Jack replied. "You know what I'm capable of, you got lucky." Would she be such next time however?

"We'll find a better way to wake you next time. Or...I'll just wait it out..."

She seemed set to stick around, maybe she accepted the risks, the dangers that he could be. "Did you want separate beds?" He asked. "Or I can take the sofa."

Raising both eyebrows she simply gave him a withering look. "You are so stu
bborn. No I don't want separate beds, or you to sleep on the couch. I want to be by your side."

"Im a marine, stubborn is what we are." Jack almost cracked a smile.

Acacia snorted at that statement and muttered "Kiss me Marine."
Jack leaned down and placed his lips to hers, it was gentle at start but gradually fed into as he held her to him, the hand that was on her cheek now towards the back of her head under her ear to keep her close.

She nibbled his lower lip, arms coming around him to press herself closer to him. Breaking away from him for a moment she breathed in his scent for a long moment.

"Smell good do I?" He said looking down at her apparently relishing the closeness of him.

"You do actually."

Jack smiled amused by her reply. "Have you eaten yet?" He realized that he had not, too preoccupied to think of much else.

"No. And I could probably stand for a shower as well. I was in surgery all day and I'm probably a hot mess."

"Which first, food or shower?" He probably could do with a shower too and food but he'd settle for what order she wanted.

"Neither" she muttered as she captured his lips in another searing kiss. When she pulled away to breathe she answered with "Okay, now we can eat."

Jack couldn't hide his smile at the obvious and given affection that Acacia was dashing him with. It was most welcome as was her attire and was more forgiving than he expected but it did help him put it behind him. "What would you like, anything in particular?"

She laughed softly and gave him a long look in response before answering "Im in the mood for something pastaish. Surprise me."

"Any pasta a favorite? Tagliatelle, Gnocchi, Canalini?" Wondering is Acacia had a preference so that he could make something with which she liked.

"Tortilini" she answered, smile bright and happy as she looked at him. "But i did say to surprise me."

"I know...just wanted a base to work from. Cant paint art with no brush." Jack spoke as he prepared his kitchen.

It was a remarkably apt thing to say but it caused a flicker of memory of her early childhood to come to her. Her mother had pressed the multipurpose tool into her hand ...she remembered switching it on, to have it hum softly.

Jack began to cook and the aromas of the food began to fill the room. It reminded him of when he woke up and hugged Acacia thinking she was Coffee and not the pot she had just made. "Did you want to set the table or eat on the sofa?"

"Point me in the direction of your silverware and ill set the table."

"Drawer to the left of my hip." Jack replied as he focused on his work preparing the food, sauce and pasta for mixing. Cooking was something he liked doing even if he didn't do it often, being a marine the ration pack was often the go do for ease of eating and its simplicity.

Her fingers grazed over his back as she passed behind him to get to the drawer he'd indicated. Setting the table for two took all of 5 minutes before she asked "What would you like to drink?"

"You surprise me." Jack said with a smile as he dropped the paste into a pot of boiling water, the sauce was in to warm up in another.

Tapping her lips to figure out just what they should have she smiled as she finally figured it out. She mixed an herbal infusion into water, froze it and then swirled the cubes into a mixed berry cider. Taking a spoonful of it over her cupped hand she moved close to him. "Here, have a taste."

Jack took his eyes off the pasta but for a moment knowing that trouble always starts within seconds of no attention especially when pasta was involved. "Hmm, tastes good." He spoke with a smile and wink before turning his gaze back to the pasta
He couldn't see her answering smile but through the corner of his eye. Setting two clinking glasses on the table she found salt pepper and Parmesan cheese easily enough by prowling through his kitchen again. Within minutes the pasta was ready, he drained it and put it in a bowl for serving. The sauce followed it and any additions that was needed before he walked both to the table. "Scrans up." Scran being the marine term for food.

She looked puzzled and made a cute little confused noise at his word usage.

"Food." Jack spoke seeing the look on her face. "In the service we call it scran, bit like knife and fork are port and starboard scran spanners." Hoping to at least make some sense.

Muttering something about being too old to learn new languages she settled down into a chair across from him. Shyly sapphire eyes raised from her plate to his face. Was he still glad she was here?

"Tuck in, help yourself." Jack said tucking the small towel in the band of his pants as he took a seat. Jack often had the problem of quantity, he could cook but often he would forget the amount hes cooking for, a meal for two could easily feed 4 or more.

She served herself before handing the spoon across the table to him. Sauce dripped from it, decorating the inside of her wrist.

"Messy pup arn't ya?" Jack smirked as he served himself only to decorate himself in a similar fashion. "Ok so I'm not perfect."

A charming little laugh escaped her lips, not quite a giggle but close. Raising her wrist, she licked the sauce off gazing up at him through halflidded eyes.

"How is it? Didn't overcook it did I?" Sometimes as a marine taste was sacrificed for food, food was fuel in the marine world and it didn't have to taste good to keep the engine running.

"No its lovely." And it was, the garlic alfredo sauce had been a nice touch and she couldnt wait to see what the tortillini had in store for her.

Jack was glad that he didn't ruin it, sometimes being a marine meant sacrificing the nice things about a meal. "Good." It was a reflief to be sure. "So, the First Officer spoke to me...." No doubt she expected that.

"I figured she might. It was an accident, and no-one came to any permanent harm. I suspect she acknowledged that?"

"She suggested I speak to someone about it." Jack replied. "Not sure if I'm ready for that just yet." He was just starting to get used to Acacia being around, he didn't want to burden her with his past just yet.

"Never met a soldier that was ready for it. Counselings almost a dirty word." she commented after a moment of quiet between the two of them. "I cant promise ill understand, but i can promise to listen if you ever need to talk."

"Maybe sometime, but not now." Jack spoke as he forked some of the meal and ate it. "I suppose its created some interesting conversations with you and your peers in Sickbay?"

"Only with Xavier." She smirked at him "I am certain he was wondering how someone like me caught your eye."

"I'm sure others are wondering the same, I've not exactly been chased since my arrival to the Dreadnought crew and people I think are more intimidated by me than anything." Jack added to the end of her sentence.

"And you've never done anything to encourage that perception of yourself" she stretched out the word anything for emphasis.

"Deeds mostly, but comes with the uniform, part of what we do and who we become." Jack answered.

"Hiding that you have a heart and can feel just as deeply as anyone else behind the shield that the uniform provides, does not mean you don't still feel."

"Oh I know, but sometimes feelings can stop you from doing what has to be done. Duty is not always pretty, it can have a light and a dark side but not doing what has to be done can cost more lives from others doing what I couldn't or didn't." Jack answered. "The uniform, covers more than just feelings and as you have seen on my back, reminders too.

"Ive seen i think only a fraction of your scars." Acacias voice was a whisper and her eyes were suddenly terribly sad. That faded as she spoke again. "I am glad you are able...to do what you do."

"Not all scars are physical, as you saw yourself." A bitter reminder thankfully made palatable by the pasta disk. "I have friends, work friends, even a few social friends. Nobody has gotten close to me or gotten to know me beyond the uniform. I'm not saying its going to be easy, Im not saying its all going to be pleasant flowers and dinners, but if you want then we can try and do this and see where it goes."

"I do want. I'm no shrinking violet either, that's going to run in fear. I think I proved that already" she didn't know why it was so important to be his, but as shed told Xavier, no-one had ever made her feel like him.

"Hard to be a shrinking violet with that hair." Jack joked. "Any ideas of what your going to do with it next?" So she wanted to give it a go, things really could only get better from the disaster of a start the morning held.

"Mmm fiery red maybe to match my personality and temper. Ill give as good as i get always don't think i won't."

"Fiery red huh?" Jack pondered as he looked at her hair. "So no rainbow or anything like that, a cascading colour range?"

"I was thinking something more sunrisey. I have to be in a particular mood to be a solid color...."

"I see, so is there a like a guide book that I should be aware of, maybe a chart so that I can determine mood prior to engagement, see if I need to bring icecream or chocolate for weapons when handling you?" Jack smirked.

Her laughter filled the kitchen and her curls shook against the lace of her tank. "Maybe Ill write one for you, but isn't half the fun trying to figure me out?" What she didn't say is that ice cream and chocolate were always welcome, and the right kinds...well....he would find out.

"I can field strip pretty much most weaponry, cleaning, repairs, not a problem. Every man needs a manual because as much as I don't doubt you'd mind me stripping you, I might need some hints and tips on how you work in safe operating conditions."

"Are you really comparing me to a weapon?" Her voice still held laughter as she gazed across the table at him.

"You have looks that can make men whither, your thighs could crush a water melon and lets not go into the nails shall we?" Jack retorted with a smile as he leaned back folding his arms.

"Says the man whose bite mark lasted over a week" she shot back grinning. "Though i didn't hear you complaining about my nails." Her bare foot stroked up his leg, teasingly from the other side of the table.

"And you enjoyed every day of that week no doubt looking at it in the mirror." Jack said before forking more of his meal. "Didn't complain at the time, following morning I definitely felt them over some of my scars."

"Youre right, i did look at it in the mirror." Her chuckle was soft, and she leaned forward over the table, giving him a perfectly framed view of her breasts. "Are you saying you didn't like my nails?"

"At the time no, but in the morning some of the scars stung from well, being scars." Jack replied with a smile as his eyes flicked down then back up to her eyes, her foot not forgotten about.

"Did you forget you were in bed with a doctor?"
"Said Doctor responsible for my injuries." Jack smiled.

"That doesn't mean she wouldn't have kissed them better" Acacias teasing tone of voice shone through as she drank in his smile. It warmed her to be on the receiving end of it.

The smile gave way to the need to finish the meal before it went cold but at least things seemed to be normal regardless of what happened and her attentions were welcomed. "And then some no doubt..."

"That would depend entirely on you." She countered "I wont force my affection where its not welcome. But they say a kiss can do wonders for the psyche."

"A kiss is what got you here." Jack replied then finished the last of his pasta. "Had enough?"

"Mmhmm. The filling was delicious." Tapping her lips she peered over her fingers to ask "It was my kiss that appealed to you hmm?"

"Its not all about you sweetheart, remember I'm here too...you wouldn't be here yourself if there wasn't something about me."

Her eyes warmed at that, and her foot slid along his leg once more "Also very true. There is definitely something about you."

"Good." Jack replied feeling the foot ride up his leg. "I admit I would be disappointed if there was not and this turned out to be but a fling of passionate convenience."

"Have I not already told you that it wasn't?"her voice was soft and her foot stilled.

"You have, but sometimes a seasoned and hardened, stuck in his ways Marine likes to hear it said often." Jack played with a smile, from under the table he'd removed his shoes and now his foot rose up her calf, two could play that game and he knew his reach was longer than hers.

"Sounds like my seasoned, hardened stuck in his ways marine might be a little unsure of his lady." Her body shivered at his touch but her voice remained steady.

Jack stopped. "Unsure? What do you mean?" Jack thought he was making sense, or at least to him he did. Did he confuse her.

"You need....reassurance?" Her voice took on a tender tone as she rose up out of her seat and slowly crossed the distance between them.

"Well, reassurance never hurts." Jack played, his foot slightly cooler having her leg taken from its tender touch.

Leaning over, she gave him a brief glimpse down her white tank top as she pulled him in for a heated kiss. Punctuating each word with another kiss she said "This. Is. Not. A. Fling."

The glimpse was noticed, as was the smile it produced and then came the flutter of worded kisses. "Good." He replied with one of his own as his hand held her side from the heated initial kiss.

Deciding that the kitchen chair wasn't going to hold both their weights she moved in the direction of the couch and gave his fingers a gentle tug in that direction.

Jack stood up and followed her, led by his fingers towards the couch. The visual she gave him, no matter how brief, down her top was a pleasing view as he followed her short skirted ass onward.

She settled down with one foot underneath her and tugged him gently down beside her. A warm look followed as her eyes traced his physique.

Jack took a seat and settled, he took in the view of her attire again smiling as the skirt had rode up her thighs, not that it could ride up much more given its length but it was welcomed none the less. Leaning against the backrest with his left arm along its top he smiled at her, such a beauty.

In a fluid motion she slid under his arm so that her bare legs were draped over his thighs and she had her head cradled by his shoulder.

Cuddling Acacia Jack brought her close, his free hand resting on her bare hardly skirted thigh and close enough to feel her body against his own. "Comfortable?"

"I am. Are you?" She answered, making sure to snuggle in such a way that her breath would caress his neck.

"Yes I am." Jacks fingers massaging her thigh as it was draped over his own, her body to his allowing him to feel every curve of it on him.

"Good." Relaxing into his embrace she allowed herself a soft sigh of pleasure. Suddenly, feeling warm and protected, she relaxed.

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