by Kit Smart
A sharply in-drawn breath alerted her to the fact that her hand had begun to follow the direction of her musings and now rested low on his hip. “Lieutenant we can’t.”
“Can’t we?”
“It would be against regulations.”
“Actually it wouldn’t.” Saverna brushed her thumb along his hip bone. “Technically I don’t work for you.” Caressing the softer flesh below the bone, she chanced a glance at him. “I’m beyond your purview remember?”
Kosuri’s eyes burned into her. “Doctor—patient…” He began.
“I’m not a doctor and you’re not my patient.” She pointed out. “I’m your bat.” Wanting to see the heat in his gaze deepen she arched against him caressing him with her belly.
To her satisfaction he sucked in a breath even as his hips pushed back against her. “It would be inappropriate.”
“It would be two people relieving an itch.” She punctuated the words with a series of back arches that had him grinding back against her as his eyelids fell half closed. The sensation had her moving her hand from his hip round to one taut male buttock. Kosuri hissed under his breath as she pulled him more tightly against her. “It wouldn’t take long.” She whispered into his ear and then ran her tongue around the sensitive rim of his ear for good measure. “You know as well as I do what combat does to the body.” She caught his ear lobe between her teeth briefly then released it. “We could just… take a moment here?”
“Here?” He stilled against her.
“Yes.”
“I—we can’t… Not here.” There was a soft thunk as he dropped his forehead against the bulkhead wall. “Lieutenant—” A small pause that had her wondering.
Something occurred to her suddenly. “Are you spoken for?”
“Spoken…for?”
“Uh…” Saverna searched for a better expression. “Attached to someone, mated?”
Silence. Then “You don’t…I…no. I am not spoken for.” He said with a loaded quality that gave her pause. “We need to get to the bridge lieutenant.”
Saverna forced herself to breathe past her thwarted body’s complaints at having lost its opportunity for a little fun. “Aye.” She gave him a gentle shove to get him moving. “But just so you know, I am taking a rain cheque.” She warned him.
Kosuri tilted his head down at her. Studied her. “Aye.” He agreed softly taking the sidearm she proffered and turning to open the access panel.
3
15:14, TUESDAY, BRIDGE CORRIDOR, THE ASARO
SAVERNA WAITED, PHASE RIFLE TRAINED BEFORE her, to make certain that the last pirate was truly down for the count before cautiously pushing herself to her feet and glancing over at Kosuri. “Are you okay?”
"Nice Shooting."
"Excuse me?" Saverna surveyed the bodies that littered the corridor floor and then looked askance at the Admiral where he stood back braced, head tilted back against the wall, phase rifle held loosely in front of him.
He leveled a side-long look at her."It's what you would've said to anyone else."
“True.” Saverna admitted after a moment’s consideration. “But you are not anyone else.”
You are not anyone else. Kosuri pushed himself off the wall and started towards the bridge effectively putting his back to his LT before the tell-tale flush that he felt crawling up along his neck could reveal itself to her. Pride had him pushing his stride out into something resembling a normal gait despite the pull on his already aching joints and the humiliating feeling of unsteadiness doing so gave him. You are not anyone else. Five words, six syllables that formed a rhythm that matched his pace and thrummed through him. It circulated like blood out from his heart along every artery, vein and capillary until he could feel it throughout the entirety of his body. You. Are. Not. Anyone. Else.
4
20:01, TUESDAY, BRIDGE, THE ASARO
SAVERNA WATCHED ADMIRAL KOSURI SHIFT HIS weight from his left foot to his right for the sixth time in ten minutes—the movement so minute that unless you were looking for it, Or had nothing better to do than stare at him, you would miss it. At what point are you going to sit and give yourself a break? She asked him silently as she watched him cross the bridge to consult with one of his officers his stride deliberate and open in a way that, based on its sheer contrariness to the contained way he moved on crutches, must hurt like hell. Focusing on his hips, she caught the ever so slight hitch in his gait whenever he extended one of his legs in front of his body. Ever so slight and quickly pushed through but present nonetheless.
Glancing down at her chronometer, she saw that it had been well over seven hours since they had left his office and crutches behind. Seven hours and she had yet to see any of the awkwardness he had mentioned. A master of concealment. As she watched, he proceeded a group of officers including the Captain and the XO into the conference room. He glanced back at her and shook his head in response to her raised brows. Your presence is not required. Saverna nodded and crossed the bridge to take up a position to the right of the door as protocol demanded. She was aware of eyes on her as she did so but studiously ignored them as was appropriate.
Forty-five minutes later the door opened and a small herd of officers filed out of the room to resume their positions on the bridge. Admiral Kosuri did not emerge and so after a moment’s hesitation, during which she mulled over appropriate protocol for such situations and then discarded after deciding that Horse Guard protocol was most likely not relevant in fleet, she turned and entered the conference room.
She found Kosuri sitting at the head of a long black table, hunched forward slightly on the edge of his seat, forearms extended before him on the table. Braced. The word struck her, resonated silently throughout the room and found credence in the tight lines of his back, shoulders and neck. Saverna skirted the end of the table and made her way towards him considering her options as she went. As she hit the mid-point of the table she realised that she could hear him breathing—long, deep and controlled breaths. Relaxation exercises. She halted near him. Is this how you deal with pain? His hand twitched in an acknowledgement of her arrival but he didn’t otherwise move or alter his breathing and so she remained as still and unobtrusive as possible as he worked himself through whatever had him in its jaws at that moment.
After a moment he opened his eyes and tilted his head ever so slightly to look at her. “Is there something you require LT?” He asked with a fiersome levelness that reverberated through the stillness of the conference room. Like that is it?
“Back spasm?” Nothing like getting straight to the point. She dropped into a crouch beside him so that he didn’t have to look up at her. From this new angle she could see that he was pale.
“Yes.” He continued to breathe. “If there is nothing you require LT?” Fuck off on out of here LT. She filled in for him silently. Bear with a sore paw.
“I am here to see what you require Admiral.” So you can save your ‘fuck offs’ for someone else. She thought wryly.
Silence. And then: “Nothing. I require nothing.”
“I see.” Saverna said. “Then you are just intending to stay there for the duration?”
More silence.
Saverna waited patiently.
“I can’t get up.” He said eventually. The words were infected with an edge of contempt though whether for himself, the situation or for her she couldn’t tell.
“Ok.” She kept her tone neutral. “How can I help?”
Silence.
“Admiral, I am here to help.”
“I need to get up.” He said eventually. But you don’t want to. Saverna filled in reading the abhorrence in his tone.
“Okay.” Moving forward, Saverna crouched beside his chair. “Here’s what we are going to do: I am going to swivel this chair around and you are going to brace yourself on my shoulders and let me lift you up while you focus on steadying yourself. We’re going to do it really slowly to avoid shocking your muscles.”
That earned her a single laugh. “Do you
really think you can lift me LT?” He asked incredulously.
“You weigh significantly less than my horse Admiral.”
“Do you regularly lift your horse LT?” Half disbelieving, half curious.
“Every so often my horse requires help up too Admiral.”
He sighed. “I see.”
Taking that for assent Saverna reached out and grasped the arms of his chair under the table. “Ready?”
“Yes.”
“Okay pull your legs in and lift your arms off the table a little.” She watched while the long legs beside her shifted slowly from their extended position back towards his body. Glancing up she saw that he had paled significantly but that his breathing remained steady. That changed the moment he lifted his arms off the table and Saverna started to swing the chair around in order to replace the table with her shoulders. This put her face in the crook of Kosuri’s neck and in the position to notice that he’d broken out in a cold sweat. That bad is it? Saverna maintained her position quietly until she heard his breathing resume at which point she carefully reached around and settled her hands lightly on the knotted muscles of his lower back.
Despite her care, Kosuri flinched at the contact and she gave him another moment to work his way through the pain. Only when she felt him settle did she turn her mind to the matter of getting him to his feet. “I want you to lean into me—bracing as much weight as you can on my shoulders.” She waited until she felt him lean into her to continue. “Okay, Now I am going to lift you slowly. Keep your weight on me.” Saverna eyed the film of cold sweat on his neck. “It is going to hurt so if you need to scream, scream.” Saverna shifted her weight in preparation. “Ready?”
“Yes.”
As slowly as she went, Kosuri was shivering in reaction by the time they were upright. He was still hunched forward into her and Saverna realised that they had a ways to go still before he would be able to stand unaided. A quick assessment of Kosuri revealed that he was on the verge of shock and that whatever she did would have to be mild enough to allow him to maintain his equilibrium. You’re needed up and functioning for a while yet.
“Okay.” She started.
“You’re using that word a lot today LT.” Kosuri murmured against her neck and Saverna found herself freezing at the sensation of his lips moving against her skin. “Are you pandering to the cripple?”
Saverna marked that. Defensive? “No sir.” She said aloud. “Just not used to working with creatures who can critique my vocabulary choices.” She paused considering her word choices. “Are you gonna stay with me Admiral?” She asked finally. No sense dancing around it.
“I think so.” Kosuri answered after a slight hesitation and the promptness and straightforwardness of the answer confirmed her suspicion that he was close to passing out.
“Okay.”
“There’s that word again.” He murmured.
Saverna rolled her eyes. “Have you got anything you can take?”
“And remain on my feet and functioning? No.” He told her dismissively.
“Hmmmm…”
“I don’t metabolize medications designed for humans well.” He elaborated after a moment. “There’s not a lot I can take…”
“Oh—” Saverna cut herself off. “How about a little stretching then?” She half heard, half felt him groan against her neck and hastened to elaborate. “Nothing too strenuous. Just a little easy organic movement.”
“Okay.” A tinge of humor slipping its head up above an ocean of reluctance.
“Okay.” Saverna repeated. I wouldn’t want to move either. She told him silently. “Stay as you are—keep your weight on me. And let’s just rock back and forth a little—a very little.” She began to shift her weight from foot to foot using her chest and arms to support and cushion his body from any jarring as he shifted along with her. After a few minutes she heard him release a long drawn out breath and relax ever-so-slightly against her. He had been anticipating being hurt she realised. What kind of treatment have you had that has caused you to automatically brace yourself against pain?
They continued that way—Saverna providing support while Kosuri shifted and rocked his muscles into loosening—for another fifteen minutes. The only sound in the room was that of Kosuri’s controlled breathing. Eventually Saverna could feel it along her neck as his head came to rest more fully alongside of hers. The combined effect of their rocking motion, the rhythmic sound of the Admiral’s breathing and the warmth of his breath on her skin was hypnotic and Saverna found herself drifting off so that it came as a surprise when Kosuri spoke. “Thank you LT.” As he spoke she felt his lips move against her skin and an involuntary shiver moved through her as the sensation highlighted the intimacy of their position. This was further underscored when Kosuri stilled but didn’t otherwise move. Gathering himself to straighten up? She wondered as she took in the sensation of their embrace. You smell nice. She thought inanely as she assessed the warmth and solidity of his body against hers. “My pleasure Admiral.” She told him and it wasn’t a lie. They remained that way for another beat before during which she could almost feel him gathering himself, and then he pulled himself up off of her shoulders.
Once up he regarded her for a long moment, his palms resting on her shoulders before dropping them and stepping back. “Go and change Lieutenant.”
5
20:20, TUESDAY, ADMIRAL’S QUARTERS, THE ASARO
AFTER A QUICK AND CURSORY GLANCE over the main living quarters of the Admiral's Suite—just long enough to determine the direction of the Bat's room; off the kitchen and identifiable by virtue of the name plate on the door, Saverna made straight for her room and tapped a code into the communication panel.
She was still in the act of removing her helm when the screen flashed up the image of her former classmate Isa Arpad. An Order of the Dragon Knight who'd obtained the rank of Vadaez or Hunter within the order and a principal of the Royal Family in her own right, Isa, looked every inch the Commander-in-Chief that she was as she stared imperiously through the monitor.
Unimpressed, Saverna glared back. She had used the personal channel after all. "If you think that you can get out of this with resting bitch face Isa, think again. We trained together." Saverna leaned forward. "I know that technique."
Isa sighed. "I see you've met Admiral Kosuri."
"I have."
"Well?" Isa looked optimistically wary.
"Have I done something to offend you?" Saverna kept her tone conversational.
That garnered her a confused scowl. "Not at all. Why—“ Isa trailed off as Saverna held up a preemptive hand.
"Then why would you assign me to bat for Kosuri?" Conscious of the chronometer flashing at the top of the screen. Saverna began to unfasten her breastplate. "For god's sake I am not even a qualified bat in the Horse Guard never mind a whatever they call it in fleet—“
"Body woman." Isa filled in helpfully.
Saverna cast her a withering glare and pulled her breastplate off over her head. Leaning down she propped it against a wall. Returning to her upright position she began unfastening the buttons of her tunic. Isa watched with interest. "Is there a reason you are treating me to this strip show Saverna?"
Saverna gave her a sour look. "Yes. I have been ordered to change into something more appropriate."
"Your parade uniform is kind of flashy." Isa muttered.
"With the possible exception of my fatigues, ALL of my uniforms are kind of flashy." Standing, Saverna removed her Tunic and tossed it on the bed. "I'm an officer in the Horse Guard, not a fleet officer. What do you expect?" Walking to the bed where someone had deposited her luggage, she reached into the front pocket of the smallest bag and grabbed her boot jack. Dropping it to the floor and fitting the right heel of her boot in it while anchoring the back of the jack with her left foot, she pulled her foot out of the tall boot before beginning work on her left. "Yet another reason I shouldn't be here Isa." Leaning down to look into the monitor she glared at her friend. "What i
n god's name am I doing here Isa and what in the universe am I going to wear?!"
"Your class Bs..." Isa started.
"Are still more flash than what they wear around here! Have you seen fleet uniforms Isa?!" She asked, knowing even as she asked that the question was ridiculous.
"I do work here." Her friend replied wryly.
Having untucked her blouse, Saverna paused in her undressing to unfold the case that held her uniforms to confirm that in the time she'd started this conversation with Isa no uniform fairy had magically deposited something more appropriate for the circumstances.
"What am I doing here Isa?"
"You're needed." Came the simple reply.
"There are many people outside of the Admiral's purview that you could have selected Isa. More qualified people."
"You're needed Saverna."
"Unless the Admiral has a horse in need of training, that simply isn't true." She pulled her class Bs and her fatigues out of her bag and held them up for her friend's inspection.
Her friend looked nonplussed. "Uh.... the Bs... I think... at least they're..." She trailed off diplomatically.
"Not strictly evocative of the barn?" Grimly Saverna began to unbutton her blouse. "I train horses Isa, I should evoke the barn." She narrowed her eyes. "I should be in a barn."
"You’re needed—your horse skills are needed where you are Saverna."
"Surely the Glass Admiral can do better than me." Stripping off her blouse, she exchanged it for the tan blouse that went with her class B uniform and began to pull it on.
That earned her a frown. "He doesn't deserve that."