Morad chuckled softly, the sound warm in the cooling air as twilight deepened around them. Amila's enthusiasm was infectious, her excitement practically sparkling in the dim light reflecting off the water. He saw the genuine delight in her eyes as she looked around the boat and then back at him.
"Help?" he repeated her question, bringing the hand he held up to his lips, gently brushing his knuckles against hers. The simple gesture felt charged with the lingering electricity of their kiss. "Honestly, Amila, just having you here, enjoying this... that's more than enough."
Her energy is incredible... just looking at her smile makes this whole thing worth it. Still, she looks like she genuinely wants to participate... Okay, okay, play along, Morad.
He saw the lingering eagerness in her expression and relented with a soft smile, nodding towards the stern of the sleek, low-profile motor launch. "Alright, if you really want to lend a hand... see that last mooring line back there? Think you can handle casting us off when I give the word, Lieutenant?" He used her rank playfully, the formality completely melted away by the evening's events.
Feels strange calling her that now, even like this. After tonight... it's just Amila. Definitely just Amila.
While she moved to handle the line, Ameen turned to the simple helm console. He activated the controls, and the boat came alive not with a roar, but with a quiet, unobtrusive hum – he’d programmed an electric engine for precisely this kind of peaceful escape. Low courtesy lights glowed along the interior deck, casting soft shadows and illuminating their own little world adrift on the darkening sea. Above, the sky was now a deep indigo, and the stars were emerging like scattered diamonds.
Watching her move towards the stern... so graceful, athletic. The way that purple tankini catches the light against her green skin... And those shorts... wow. Ahem. Okay, focus, Ameen. Helm controls.
He waited for her signal that the line was free, his gaze meeting hers across the short distance. Once she gave it, he expertly maneuvered the launch away from the dock, the sound of the water whispering past the hull replacing the gentle lapping against the pier. The simulated lights of Latakia began to shrink behind them, becoming a glittering ribbon along the coast.
Freedom. Just us, a boat, the stars. It feels... right. Like this is exactly where we're supposed to be. Forget Starfleet, forget everything else for a while.
He steered them towards the open water, the vast expanse of the Mediterranean stretching out before them under the starlit sky. Reaching out, he found her hand again, lacing their fingers together naturally.
Perfect.
"So," he said softly, his thumb gently stroking hers, his eyes full of warmth as he looked at her. "Where should we head first on this 'crazy night'? Shall we find that perfect spot for a swim... or maybe just drift for a bit and watch the stars come out?"
Whatever she chooses. Seeing her excitement earlier... she seemed so genuinely thrilled about the boat and the water. Hope this part lives up to it for her. Just being here, like this... it's already beyond 'great'.
== Tag ==
"Help?" he repeated her question, bringing the hand he held up to his lips, gently brushing his knuckles against hers. The simple gesture felt charged with the lingering electricity of their kiss. "Honestly, Amila, just having you here, enjoying this... that's more than enough."
Her energy is incredible... just looking at her smile makes this whole thing worth it. Still, she looks like she genuinely wants to participate... Okay, okay, play along, Morad.
He saw the lingering eagerness in her expression and relented with a soft smile, nodding towards the stern of the sleek, low-profile motor launch. "Alright, if you really want to lend a hand... see that last mooring line back there? Think you can handle casting us off when I give the word, Lieutenant?" He used her rank playfully, the formality completely melted away by the evening's events.
Feels strange calling her that now, even like this. After tonight... it's just Amila. Definitely just Amila.
While she moved to handle the line, Ameen turned to the simple helm console. He activated the controls, and the boat came alive not with a roar, but with a quiet, unobtrusive hum – he’d programmed an electric engine for precisely this kind of peaceful escape. Low courtesy lights glowed along the interior deck, casting soft shadows and illuminating their own little world adrift on the darkening sea. Above, the sky was now a deep indigo, and the stars were emerging like scattered diamonds.
Watching her move towards the stern... so graceful, athletic. The way that purple tankini catches the light against her green skin... And those shorts... wow. Ahem. Okay, focus, Ameen. Helm controls.
He waited for her signal that the line was free, his gaze meeting hers across the short distance. Once she gave it, he expertly maneuvered the launch away from the dock, the sound of the water whispering past the hull replacing the gentle lapping against the pier. The simulated lights of Latakia began to shrink behind them, becoming a glittering ribbon along the coast.
Freedom. Just us, a boat, the stars. It feels... right. Like this is exactly where we're supposed to be. Forget Starfleet, forget everything else for a while.
He steered them towards the open water, the vast expanse of the Mediterranean stretching out before them under the starlit sky. Reaching out, he found her hand again, lacing their fingers together naturally.
Perfect.
"So," he said softly, his thumb gently stroking hers, his eyes full of warmth as he looked at her. "Where should we head first on this 'crazy night'? Shall we find that perfect spot for a swim... or maybe just drift for a bit and watch the stars come out?"
Whatever she chooses. Seeing her excitement earlier... she seemed so genuinely thrilled about the boat and the water. Hope this part lives up to it for her. Just being here, like this... it's already beyond 'great'.
== Tag ==