boldygoing | Making Good on IOUs [for losthunter]

A return message comes about two minutes afterwards. I can make time for a handsome captain looking for a good time. Would a Nexus pub be suitable?

And there is a PINpoint address attached to one that Hunter is familiar with.

Works for me! See you in fifteen minutes.

White light swirls up out of nowhere, and a humanoid shape materializes in the center before the light completely fades away. Jim Kirk is in a much more casual outfit than last time, the bracelet he purchased from Hunter fastened securely around his right wrist.

He rather imagines that Hunter's gotten there first, so he enters the bar and sweeps the crowd with his eyes, looking for this evening's drinking buddy.

Since the pub is not that far from Hunter's apartment, he did indeed arrive at the location first. He too is wearing a casual outfit, a jean shirt, that compliments the dark pair of jean pants that he is wearing. The top few buttons of the shirt are open, revealing some more of the thorn-themed tattoo that twists and turns all over Hunter's body. And there are even a brief glimpse of a bigger piece that is still covered on the left side of his chest.

Hunter had been waiting for Jim to arrive, so he was watching the door. And he stands up, to his tall 6-foot-5 height, to make sure that Jim can see him.

[of course, closest thing I can get to a fashion photo for Hunter is to use his Actor's face]

Standing up helps Jim spot him easily, and he grins and waves before making his way through the crowd. It's not too densely packed in here, fortunately, but it's still decently busy, so Jim has to thread his way around a few couples before making it across the room.

"Nice choice," he says by way of greeting, leaving it ambiguous if he means the bar or the flattering clothes.

"Thanks." Hunter will take the compliment to mean both the bar and his clothing choice. A dual compliment.

"I didn't want to make your first drink choice, since there are plenty on the menu. And I didn't want to assume." He sits back down, and pats the seat beside him a little affectionately.

"I'm an adventurous guy," Jim says with a grin, and slides into the offered seat, right on the edge of Hunter's personal space. "Don't suppose they've got Romulan ale? It's illegal in the Federation and I've always been kinda curious if it's actually any good."

"You could ask." It is the Nexus. And the bar caters to many dimensions and many worlds.

Hunter feels very warm and comfortable sitting beside Jim, and doesn't mind that he is on that edge of personal space.

Jim's spent a lot more time in real bars than pubs, but the basics are the same, and he's clearly at ease in this kind of environment. And to his satisfaction, the young lady who comes around to take their order confirms that they do indeed stock the galaxy's most notorious alcohol, so Jim asks for a half-pint. Wouldn't do to start drinking hard from the get-go, and he wants to actually get a sense for the flavor of the thing this time instead of getting toasted immediately.

And once that's taken care of, he leans forward, resting his elbows on the table. "So how've you been? Anything exciting happen lately?"

Hunter on the other hand, orders a pint of Guinness. It is a taste that he enjoys, and also can handle a couple pints in one night.

"In the last five days?" Hunter chuckles lightly. "I'm afraid my life is not one that is on a spaceship, traveling to new places every day."

Jim's an experienced drinker, but he's heard stories about the potency of Romulan ale. Maybe exaggerated, maybe not. But the night is young, and there are plenty of other drinks to try.

"Hey, you never know," he says with a shrug, one side of his mouth tugging up in a smile. "Starships aren't the only place you can run into trouble."

"Trouble is another story all together." Hunter smiles lightly.

"Mostly, I have been working on my art. And trying to understand a little bit more about Kendra, the witch who changed my life. And her magic that still has an influence in my life."

"More than just the spell she put on you?" It still feels weird to say that, but he's making the effort to take it seriously. An explorer of the unknown should treat such wild claims with a measure of scientific skepticism, true, but there's a difference between needing to gather more empirical evidence and outright denial, and as a starship captain, Jim knows he needs to strike that balance.

"Well, the spell was placed on me, with her ultimate goal that it would end. That I would find that True Love."

"Kendra didn't want me to be hurt. She told me that since the spell didn't come to its natural end, there are still fragments of her magic within me."

Hunter speaks softly. He is watching Jim for signs of complete disbelief, in case his more scientific upbringing starts to question things.

"Fragments?" Jim frowns a little. "Like... magical shrapnel, or something like that?"

He won't be seeing any signs of absolute denial from the captain. Whether or not he believes in magic, or any other spiritual or cultural aspects of new people he meets, at the very least the worst diplomatic thing he could possibly do would be to insult someone else's beliefs. And he has seen proof of magic's existence, so he can accept it as real, even if he doesn't remotely understand it.

"There are a few of my tattoos that used to move. That had a magical element to them."

"I already told you about the roses, that were on my arm, that aren't there anymore. There is an Egyptian eye on my other hand, that used to wink at me. And there is a large heart-shaped cluster on my chest, that used to beat."

"And I have had a recent experience, where the tattoos signalled that I had a poison in my system. A friend of mine was able to save my life."

That is strange and kind of unsettling, but Hunter doesn't seem to see it that way, so Jim carefully schools his expression to one of concern and curiosity. "That sounds weird but useful."

"Kendra left me with the impression that I could do more, but I have been sort of left in the dark on how to go about finding out exactly what..."

Hunter smiles softly. "I still am trying to wrap my head around it all."

"Yeah, I can imagine." Jim doesn't really get it either, though he's a relative newcomer to the whole magic thing anyway.

"What sort of other wonders and new experiences have you had in the Nexus?"

"I haven't had as much time to explore here as I'd like just yet, but I did find a huge used bookstore with all sorts of stuff I've never read before. And supposedly there's a Vulcan antiques store somewhere, so I've gotta find that one of these days."

Their drinks arrive, and Jim's beverage is a bright, vivid blue that almost glows under the light. The captain picks it up and sniffs at it, following it up with an experimental sip. He raises his eyebrows, impressed.

Hunter has to cock an eyebrow himself, at the sight of the bright, vivid blue beverage. "Well, I am glad to hear that you are finding somethings that connect to your universe."

"Me too." Jim takes a deeper drink of the Romulan ale, rolling it over his tongue before swallowing. "Anything Vulcan is kind of... rare, these days." And there's that somberness again, though Jim's trying not to let it dominate the mood.

"Oh, that reminds me," he says, reaching into his pocket. He pulls out a little spool of real gold wire, and sets it on the table at Hunter's elbow. "My payment for the bracelet. Figured this'll be more useful than credits."

"Oh wow..." Hunter delicately picks up the spool of gold wire. He runs his fingers along it, for a moment, a million ideas going through his head.

"And here I was just expecting enjoying drinks with you." But in a way, he is glad that there is no business-connected to this experience anymore. Sort of makes it more like a 'date'.

Jim's glad to get the business out of the way too, and he doesn't seem to realize that even this small amount of gold is worth a small fortune in the early twenty-first century. It's just average electronics construction material to him.

"Nothing says we can't still do that, right?"

"We can. But now... it is more comfortable." Hunter leans into Jim slightly.

"Awesome." Jim leans into him, in turn, mouth quirked up in a grin. "This Romulan ale's got a hell of a kick. Want a taste?"

"I'm game." Hunter reaches for the glass. "Can you compare it to anything?"

Jim considers that, sliding the glass over in easier reach of Hunter. "Ever had moonshine? It's like that, but fruitier."

"Nope. But here goes nothing." Hunter takes a deep sip of the Romulan ale. He lets the drink set on his tongue, letting the taste tingle against his taste buds.

"Why is this illegal?"

It's definitely got a high percentage of alcohol, so Jim likely made a good call in only ordering a half pint. Experienced with drinking or not, it's potent enough to knock him on his ass after only a third as much as would normally take to get him tipsy.

"The Romulan Empire's one of the Federation's oldest enemies," Jim explains. "Most of their goods are banned because they don't want us propping up their economy, or something like that. It's political."

Hunter puts it back on the table after taking his taste. He doesn't want to loose too much about his sense. Especially tonight.

"I can understand that. We have a President who is talking about banning anything that is not American-made right now."

Jim takes possession of the ale again, though he's only sipping it slowly, giving himself enough time to metabolize it instead of getting blitzed. It's a far cry from how he would've behaved if he'd had access to the stuff pre-Starfleet. Responsibility is a hell of a drug.

"Anything? Even stuff your allies make?"

"Even our allies. He has implemented negotiations on NAFTA. A trade agreement with one of our biggest allies."

Hunter returns to his beer. "I have not seen so many protests or rallies held in the first 90 days of a president being elected to office."

"Wow, what an idiot." Maybe that's a bit blunt of him, but he still has an annoying tendency to speak his mind, sometimes without thinking first.

But he can tell that this has the potential to be a depressing topic, so he nudges his shoulder against Hunter's. "You wanna talk about it, or put politics aside for a bit?"

"I don't want to spend my evening dwelling on an idiot," Hunter moves one of his hands to place it on Jim's knee. "When I have a handsome man at my side."

"Glad we're on the same page then," Jim says, giving him a brilliant grin. He's a little buzzed, cheeks flushing red as the alcohol hits his system, and it's so easy to ignore all the annoying diplomatic troubles of the galaxy - or twenty-first century America, apparently - in favor of focusing on the company instead.

"So," he says, casually moving one hand to rest on top of Hunter's. "Besides the art, what do you do for fun? Got any hobbies?"

Hunter entwines his fingers with Jim's. "I play music. Guitar. And I also work on motorbikes. I built my own custom bike."

"And I have been going to a few gay bars with my best friend for karaoke night."

Jim already looks interested at the mention of guitar, but those brilliant blue eyes light the fuck up when Hunter mentions motorcycles. "Oh man, I haven't been able to ride since I enlisted."

"We should go for a ride together then."

Jim laughs, though it's certainly not in mockery of the idea. "Maybe when we haven't been drinking," he points out with a teasing grin.

"Heck no. Not now..." Hunter has to laugh too. "I am a responsible driver. Plus, wouldn't want anything to happen to the bike."

Jim's smile is a fond one, thinking back to that last ride of his. "I had this beautiful hoverbike, myself. 2248 Monoceros Limited, no bells and whistles, just raw power and grace. My last time riding her, I was kinda hungover. Might've still been a bit drunk. 'Responsible driver' wasn't really my thing back then."

"Hoverbikes. Now that sounds really cool." Those type of things only exist in movies in his timeline.

"Oh yeah, she was a sweet ride. I gave her away when I got on the shuttle to go to the Academy. Figured I couldn't take her with me to San Francisco, and there's not a lot of room for riding on a starship."

"I wonder if there is much difference between how it feels to ride a hoverbike, to a motorbike?"

Ah, now that, he knows the answer to. "It's a little smoother, but other than that, there's not much difference. More safety features in a hoverbike, though."

"I had the opportunity to explore a bit of back roads of America, on the back of my bike. I think I would miss that vibration of the road underneath me."

"There aren't a lot of antique rubber-tire vehicles around anymore," Jim says, and then gets a look on his face that is simultaneously proud yet slightly sheepish. "Ever driven a Corvette?"

"Yes." Hunter decides to take a drink of his beer right now. He doesn't like to talk about his 'rich' lifestyle.

Welp, apparently he's stuck his nose in something sensitive. Everybody has their sensitive spots, and Jim's just lucky people don't tend to hit his, outside the whole famous Dad thing. "Is it better or worse if I tell you I totaled the one I drove?" he asks, hoping maybe it's a personal thing, rather than a vendetta against cars in general.

Hunter has to chuckle lightly at that statement. They are not going into the backstory to Hunter's own experiences. And he can appreciate Jim's attempt at providing some levity.

"How did you manage that?"

Emboldened by the fact that Hunter doesn't mind talking about Jim driving, he takes another sip of his bright blue ale. "It was kind of a petty revenge thing. I was ten years old, and I overheard my jerk of a stepdad making plans to sell my dad's car. It wasn't even his, and I got pretty mad about it, so I took it for a joyride and drove it straight into the quarry. Jumped out before it went over, of course. The look on Frank's face when the cops brought me home was great. I've never seen a human face so purple before."

"Oh Wow. That is so 'Dukes of Hazards' of you." Hunter has to laugh again.

Jim cocks his head to the side, puzzled. "The Dukes of where?" He's never heard of a country called Hazard. Nor heard anything about their royal family driving antiques into quarries.

"It is an old TV show, about two cousins, whose last name are Duke. They had this famous car, that they would drive around in, get into trouble, speed out of it, and usually have to flip the car over something."

[bed time]

Oh, well that makes a lot more sense than what Jim was thinking, and he chuckles a little as he has to agree that the description sorta fits. "Yeah, I guess I can see why you'd compare the two."

"There is definitely something wonderful about having something strong and masculine in between your legs." He lowers his voice just a tad suggestively.

That line was corny as hell, but it's not like a much younger Jim didn't say similar things once upon a time too. So he just grins and says, "Nothing else quite like it."

Nothing like a slight lull in the conversation to make things a little uneasy. Hunter laughs nervously.

"Do you feel the ship underneath you, when you are flying?"

"Sort of. The inertial dampeners take care of any g-force but the engines have a kind of rumbly vibration when we're underway. It's different if we're at warp or on impulse, but I'm not sure i could describe how they're different." Jim doesn't think it's terribly uneasy, but he can tell Hunter is a bit nervous, so he is more than willing to fill the silence. "I'm so used to it now that I can't get to sleep when I'm groundside sometimes."

Edited 2017-05-19 19:30 (UTC)

"It must be sort of like, when you are vacationing by the ocean and you get used to the sounds of the waves... and then you return home, and can't sleep without that sound."

"Close enough," Jim agrees with a grin. "Starfleet assigned me an apartment in downtown San Fran but I'm never there, so that doesn't really help either. It doesn't feel like home, not like the Enterprise does."

"It is very important to have a place that feels like home. My connected Nexus-New York apartment gives me that feeling."

Jim's about at the bottom of his Romulan ale, so he flags down the waitress to get a glass of water and a Cardassian sunrise. He's not done drinking, but the ale is pretty knock-you-on-your-ass potent and he can already tell if he doesn't do the responsible thing and rehydrate, he's going to have one killer hangover tomorrow.

"So what made you pick New York?" he asks curiously, once the young lady's disappeared again into the crowd.

"I was born and raised in New York City." Hunter explains. "I had the opportunity to travel the country, but there was something just calling me back to the Big Apple."

"So you've always been a city boy." It's certainly not a bad thing. Jim just doesn't share that particular background. "I did a lot of roaming around too, before Starfleet."

"What sort of places did you visit?" It would be interesting, to hear some of Jim's favorite places on Earth to visit, especially if he has traveled space itself.

"Oh, all over the place. New Orleans, Nashville, Toronto, Yosemite... I even spent a winter in Vegas once. I didn't go back to Iowa for about eight years."

"Is Vegas still the lively Sin-capital of the States, that I know it as?"

Jim chuckles a little. "If by that you mean it's full of tourists who want to get married by Elvis impersonators, then yeah."

"That, and gambling, and strip shows, and quickie Wedding Chapels." Hunter laughs slightly.

"Gambling no, strip shows yes. Talk about easy entertainment."

"I can picture you being bold enough to swing on a pole, dancing."

Jim laughs a little, smiling. "It's a great core workout. You should try it sometime. Probably way better for you than bar fights, which is how I spent the other half of my time."

"I should totally add that suggestion into my current workout schedule." Hunter chuckles slightly.

"Bar fights? Sounds like you still had a lot to prove to yourself."

"Yeah, I did. My head was pretty messed up back then." And now here he sits, captain of Starfleet's flagship. It still boggles his mind sometimes.

"I lived on the streets for a year or so. Trying to find myself."

'On the streets' sounds a bit more serious than just roaming on a perpetual angry roadtrip, like Jim did, and he frowns a little. "What was that like?"

"Hard." Hunter strokes his finger along Jim's arm to ease what might be a difficult conversation. "One had to basically struggle for basic living rights, such like food, sanctuary, safety."

"I met a lot of good people there. They inspired one of my art exhibits."

Jim's body goes tense at the mention of struggling for food, though if Hunter wasn't literally in such close physical contact, he might never notice because it doesn't show on the captain's face. "Well," he says, carefully keeping his voice as even and steady as he can manage, "I'm glad you knew them, then. You still keep in touch?"

"Yes. I recently acquired a Trust Fund, and turned it around into a foundation to help those who are still struggling to find their own paths."

"We built a multi-purpose building. It includes a food bank. A computer lab. Resume and work experience resources. Counsellors. A clothing bank."

"Our goal is to basically help those who want support to gain independence and pride in that they are the ones who are making all the steps needed to give them a better future."

"Sounds like a noble goal," Jim says, trying to force himself to relax. Tarsus IV was thirteen years ago, but there's no escaping its lasting impression on him.

Hunter takes both of Jim's hands in his. He can sense that Jim is very tense right now. And doesn't know if this is the best time to go into anything deeper, but still wants to show his support.

"I try to help, where I can."

If Jim knew that Hunter has really noticed how bothered he is, he'd appreciate the lack of questions. But he doesn't realize that's what the handholding is about, so he just musters up a smile and squeezes Hunter's hands a bit. "Gotta admit, your economy is weird to me."

"And I got to say that so far this evening has been great, with a wide variety of topics. Even touching on politics and economy." Hunter leans forward slightly, and brushes his lips across Jim's knuckles.

Jim certainly doesn't pull away, and he smiles a little, appreciating the contact and the attention. "And the night is still young."

"Plenty of other topics to brave." And he braves another lip brushing once more.

Jim doesn't know whether or not Hunter meant this to be a distraction, but he is on board with this change of topic anyway. Way more pleasant than dwelling on memories he would rather leave buried in the past.

He closes his fingers around Hunter's, rubbing a thumb across the back of the other man's hand. "Have you done this before?"

Hunter looks up at Jim, tilting his head slightly. The question doesn't really touch on what 'this' is, but he figures he can safely cover a few options.

"Been out for drinks with a handsome man? Yes."

"Kissed that handsome man? Yes."

"Seduced, or was seduced by, a handsome man? Yes."

"That's a lot of 'yes'es." His voice is a little teasing, but he's still pleased by the answer. "I wasn't sure if your time was out of that stupid phase where people cared who anyone else sleeps with."

"It is. People still care." Hunter shrugs lightly. "There are people who feel they should be able to dictate how others live their sexual life."

"But there are those people who live their life, without caring about those who try to dictate their lives."

"And it has taken me a while to get to that point myself. But I grew up in a household, with a father who had this 'picture-perfect' life picked out for me. Then Kendra changed my life, and I had this whole 'need to find one true love' mentality."

"I am a lot more happier with who I am today."

"Glad to hear it. Everyone should know what makes them happy." Jim's not sure he believes in having only one true love, but then it's not like Hunter set his own conditions on the curse that this Kendra person put on him.

"It has been a journey."

"I have found so many great people since coming to the Nexus. And people that I do love... each in a different way."

"It is nice, not to have a curse define me. Or who I should be with."

"That's a pretty enlightened attitude, from a guy of your timeline." He doesn't mean it to be an insult; he's genuinely impressed.

"I credit a lot of my enlightenment to Jack." Hunter gives credit where credit is due.

"I'm sure, but at least some of it's you," Jim says with a small grin. "No one can make you believe anything; you've got to be willing to listen."

"And so how many 'yes's do you care to list?"

Jim laughs out loud. "Depends. Do you want to be here all night?" He shakes his head slightly. "Probably easier to just say that outside having a stable long-term relationship, I've done most everything at least once."

"Not here. But I could spend the whole night with the company."

"Is it more customary not to have long-term relationships in your timeline?" Hunter asks, mostly because he would like to get a better understanding of where Jim is coming from.

That first comment gets him a charming grin, clearly a shared sentiment between them.

"It's not really that," he answers, drinking a bit of his Cardassian sunrise as he considers what he wants to say about it. "Casual relationships and hookups, that kinda thing, is pretty normal. But that's more about sex than love. Marriage is absolutely still around, and if you've got someone, or multiple someones, that you wanna spend your life with, that's normal too. I just never got around to it, you know?"

"Sounds a little like my world, in a way. Casual relationships and hookups. Marriage to someone, or multiple some ones."

"And you got to be happy with what makes you comfortable."

"Well, that and the fraternization regs are a pain in the ass to get around. Starfleet's not a fan of captains hitting on their crew, for some weird reason."

"But I would imagine there are still attachments and emotional connections."

"Oh yeah, absolutely," Jim agrees, without hesitation. "Some of us were friends for years before we ended up on the Enterprise together. Hell, Spock and Uhura were dating already, and Starfleet still let them serve together. Might be because Spock's a Vulcan, though. Cultural thing."

"And as you said, there are a little more expectations on a captain." Hunter traces his hand over Jim's forearm for a moment.

"You will be able to distress from those expectations here. With me."

Jim smiles at him in reply. He's been watching Hunter for any signs that his twenty-first century upbringing is making him hang back at all, and hasn't seen much to indicate that. Whatever influences he's had to steer him towards more familiar cultural norms, Jim can assure himself that Hunter isn't going to make any more of this than what it is, a fun and mutually pleasant experience with no strings attached.

"You've been helping already, believe me." The alcohol's loosened his tongue a little, not that he really needed it. But it's been a while since he's been able to indulge, too.

Hunter smiles softly. He reaches up with his free hand to gently caress Jim's jawline. "You definitely look relaxed."

He needs no better cue than that. Mindful of the fact that they're in public, Jim leans in to kiss Hunter, not softly and tenderly like a man in love, but with passion tempered with restraint. He's an old hand at this, with years upon years of experience, but every partner is different, unique in needs and desires.

The kiss is a slight surprise, but a good one all the same. Hunter returns the passionate kiss with his tempered passion. He curls that one hand around the back of Jim's head, and places his other hand on the other man's waist.

Hunter has his own experience. It is not as expansive as Jim's might be. But there is no denying that there is an attraction there.

For a moment, when Jim feels Hunter's surprised reaction, he wonders if he's somehow misunderstood. But then that worry melts away as the other man responds, enthusiastically enough to assure him that no, he certainly hasn't misinterpreted anything here.

Keeping in mind the differences between their respective upbringings, however, he lets Hunter set the pace, not pushing for anything the other man may not be ready for.

Plus, you know, the whole 'being in public' part.

"I needed that," he says with a slightly satisfied grin, once they pull apart.

Hunter doesn't push for anything more right now either. He doesn't mind a slow pace. Or getting to know Jim a little more.

He keeps a close distance, even once they pull apart. And his hand is still kept on Jim's waist. "Me too."

Jim's arm is comfortably resting around Hunter's lower back as well, two fingertips lightly hooked in the other man's belt loops. "Been a while?" he asks, raising his eyebrows.

The warm sensation of Jim's arm around his lower back encourages Hunter to lean in, and rest his head on Jim's shoulder.

"It has."

There were several obstacles that Hunter had to overcome to get to the point where he is right now. He had to get comfortable in his own skin. He had almost learn how to be bold and flirtatious. And it has taken him time, but he feels like he is in a better place overall now.

How cute. Jim is fine with partners showing affection in public, but he hasn't really been with a cuddler since Gaila. But now's not really the time to remember her, not unless he wants to bring down the mood.

"Well then, welcome back to the party," he says instead.

"I imagine your responsibilities have been a reason." Hunter nuzzles him slightly. He is a very tactile person. He likes having that contact... that affection.

"Yeah, that's the biggest reason," Jim agrees. He's certainly not pulling away, letting Hunter do whatever he's comfortable with, smiling encouragingly at him. "Even when we're not out on a mission, there's a hell of a lot of paperwork to do, and debriefings at HQ. It's been a few months since I've really had time."

"I am more than willing to help make up for that lost time." Whatever that might be. Just this. Or more.

"I appreciate that." He leans his head against Hunter's for a moment, before using his free hand to take another drink from his Cardassian sunrise.

But Hunter doesn't seem ready to take this someplace more private, and Jim is fine with that too. It's been a while since he's really gotten to know someone new, too. "So, got any burning questions?" he asks with a small grin.

There is still a little bit of that social upbringing that is keeping Hunter from coming straight out with asking to go somewhere more private. He wants to.

But he is also content with getting to know Jim better too.

"You must get to see so many new type of cultures. Aliens, as we might call them. Any great stories that you can share?"

Jim smiles a little. "Starfleet's been giving us relatively easy runs since we're all pretty much new, but we did have a funny run-in with the Klingons when we did a delivery run to Starbase Sixteen. They're mostly warriors, very 'honor and glory.' We've been in conflict with them almost as long as the Romulans. But apparently, they hate all things cute and fluffy, because they high-tailed the fuck out of there when they found out there were tribbles on the station."

"What is a tribble?"

"They're little balls of fluff, maybe eight inches across, tops. No legs, no head, just fur and a mouth that'll eat literally anything you put in reach. But if you feed 'em, that makes them have like a dozen babies within hours, and those babies are ready to have their babies right away too. If you're not careful, you can end up with tribbles everywhere in a day or two. But they're cute, and they purr and coo and stuff, so people still get them as pets for some stupid reason." Jim laughs a little. "But they hate Klingons as much as Klingons hate them, because I've never heard a tribble screech before."

"Sort of sounds like that old 1980s movie, Gremlins." Hunter chuckles lightly.

"Never heard of it," Jim says, though he figures that won't come as a surprise. The 1980s was a long time ago.

"Well for our next date, we can watch the Gremlins. And a few Duke of Hazard episodes."

Jim pauses, taking note of a potentially important word in that sentence. But he keeps his voice casual as he says, "How serious is the word 'date' in your century?" The last thing he wants is to set up any false expectations because of a shift in language over a few centuries.

"Depends on the person." Hunter answers carefully. He places his hand on Jim's jawline again, just looking up at him.

"For me. It is a social engagement that promises some fun and laughs. I have been on dates with my best friend. I have been on flirtatious dates. I have invited other men to my apartment for movie dates."

"I am not expecting anything serious."

"Good," he answers with a smile. Casual is just what he was going for, but it's always better to check before things move along, especially if there's the potential for a cultural misunderstanding. And even in the twenty-third century, Jim's had casual partners fall for him anyway. Just comes with the territory of being a gorgeous, fun-loving blond.

"Glad to know I'm more than just a booty call though," he adds, flashing a teasing grin at Hunter.

"I consider you to be much more." Hunter caresses his thumb along Jim's jawline.

"But I still am looking forward to seeing your booty." He whispers seductively.

Jim laughs, and waggles his eyebrows a bit. "It's a sight to behold. Had one girlfriend write a sonnet about my ass once. She was great in bed but her meter was atrocious."

"Well, you know us artists. We can sometimes let our passion get the better of us." Hunter arches up slightly, to steal another passionate kiss from Jim.

Jim was going to add a comment, but the kiss distracts him, and he pulls Hunter a little closer, enjoying the moment. "I like a hands-on kind of guy," he says, once the kiss is broken.

"Well, let me take you to my place and show you how hands-on I can get." Hunter feels that this is as good as a time to offer the suggestion.

The captain grins at him. "Thought you'd never ask. Lay on, MacDuff."

[ooc: looks like a good place to fade to black]

[ooc: agreed :D]]

Making Good on IOUs [for losthunter]

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