Kiss or Death

Posted on Sat Oct 12th, 2024 @ 10:29pm by Lieutenant Commander Jason Frankley & Lieutenant Adrianna Baciami

731 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Stars Around the Well

Jason Frankley stood in the observation deck, staring at Adrianna Baciami as the stars sparkled behind her. He wasn’t taking any more chances tonight. Five dates—five interruptions by Tucker, the same engineer with the worst timing in Starfleet history. But tonight, things were different. He was done waiting.

Adrianna had the same mischievous smile she always wore, like she knew exactly what was going through his mind. They were standing close, just a breath apart, and Jason could feel the electric tension between them, so thick it was practically tangible.

"You think we’ll make it through tonight without Tucker popping in?" Adrianna teased, her Italian accent soft, the playful edge in her voice unmistakable.

Jason’s jaw tightened, his hands itching to finally close the gap between them. "If he does, I swear he’s getting tossed out of an airlock," Jason growled, half-joking but fully serious.

Adrianna chuckled, the sound sending a shiver down his spine. "You wouldn’t last a day in the brig, marinaio."

He opened his mouth to reply, but just then—like clockwork—the observation deck doors hissed open.

"Oi! Frankley, can't believe you're here again. I managed to get the stuff to sort your—"

It was Tucker. Again. Jason saw him before Adrianna even turned around, that same eager grin plastered across the engineer’s face as he waved a data pad in the air.

This time, Jason didn’t hesitate. He pivoted on his heel, holding up a hand to stop Tucker in his tracks.

"Not now, Tucker." His voice was firm, but still calm, though the undercurrent of frustration was undeniable.

"But this is—"

Jason stepped forward, cutting Tucker off with a look that said don’t push your luck. "No. You’re going to turn around, walk out of here, and pretend you didn’t see me. Got it?"

Tucker blinked, his eyes darting between Jason and Adrianna, who was watching the scene unfold with barely concealed amusement.

"But I—"

"Tucker," Jason said, his voice dangerously low, "leave. Now."

The engineer stood frozen for a second, as if weighing his options, then gave a quick nod. "Right. Uh... good talk, Frankley. I’ll just... yeah."

And just like that, Tucker spun on his heel and quickly retreated, the doors hissing shut behind him.

Jason exhaled, running a hand through his hair, before turning back to Adrianna. She was biting her lip, eyes twinkling with amusement, but there was something else in her gaze—something warmer, softer.

"Very authoritative, marinaio," she teased, stepping closer, "I think you scared him."

Jason grinned, finally closing the distance between them, his hands finding her waist as he pulled her into him. "Good," he murmured, his voice low. "Now where were we?"

Adrianna’s breath caught, her fingers sliding up his arms to his shoulders. "Right about here, I think."

Jason leaned in, no hesitation this time, his lips capturing hers in a kiss that was long overdue. Adrianna responded instantly, her arms wrapping around his neck as she kissed him back, slow and deep, with all the passion they’d been holding back through every interrupted moment.

This time, there were no alarms, no engineers, no distractions—just the two of them. Jason’s hands slid around her waist, pulling her closer as the kiss deepened, his heart pounding in his chest. Adrianna sighed into the kiss, her fingers tangling in his hair as their lips moved together in perfect sync.

When they finally pulled apart, both breathless and smiling, Jason rested his forehead against hers, his arms still wrapped around her.

"Finally," he whispered in almost relief, his voice rough from the kiss.

"Finalmente," Adrianna echoed, her voice a soft murmur, the Italian falling from her lips like a promise.

They stood there for a moment, wrapped in each other’s arms, the stars outside the observation deck glittering like the universe had been waiting for this moment just as much as they had.

Jason chuckled softly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "You think Tucker will learn his lesson after that?"

Adrianna grinned, leaning in to kiss him again, softer this time. "He better. Because next time, I’ll be the one to deal with him."

“That, or we tell the mothers,” Jason chuckled, his heart full for the first time in weeks.

Finally, no more interruptions.

Just them.

 

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