Full Disclosure [Mahak]

[Kali Reyes]

[Officers Quarters]

She let him go. Maybe she didn't want to hear what he had to say after that pretty disastrous date. To her defense, she didn't expect it to go that bad and had wanted nothing more than maybe tease him bit on the dance floor. Then spend ninety percent of it learning how their natural synergy translated in how they swayed together.

Well, that romantic prospect was all shot to hell. Kali headed back to her quarters with her tail tucked between her legs and her enthusiasm pretty dampened. It would have been nice, she thought during the scalding shower, if they weren't plagued by omniscient aliens or violence.

A lot of things were going in her head, damp and wet and staring at her closet for something to wear - preferably for bed. Things like the desperation of Mahak's touch and then having it tainted by the video feed of his seduction. Because it left her seriously confused and, okay, maybe a bit hurt.

Not the seduction bit. Kali was quite aware how inadequate she was at this romance thing. She had expected that at one point Mahak would see that this whole thing was a very bad idea and Kali had all the contingency plans in place to deal with it and prevent ruining their friendship - social and professional.

She had that over Sala, at least.

But during the stare down in her closet did she come to the conclusion that she had to act like an adult for once. It was supposed to go both ways, right? Mahak dogged at her wayward heels at every turn, took her into him when she doubted, and dispelled her fears with cool logic that was more comforting than any dolled up compliment.

Mina made it sound like he went through a lot worse to get to her. That guilt superseded any ugly thought of jealousy and self-loathing.

She impulsively grabbed the gray button down shirt that was a bit too big, but sinfully comfy, and one she used for moments when her PTSD would sporadically flair. She had carried it for years and it stilled her mind when she put it on. Another impulsive thought later made her slip on a pair of Starfleet-issued leggings and a pair of flats she kicked up almost mindlessly when she escaped her quarters for the turbolift.

Kali was dressed for comfort. And his.

[Crewman Quarters]

It was third shift, so the hallway was as empty as the day it was made. She quickly made for Mahak and Jurn's shared quarters and hovered hesitantly over the buzzer. There were no rules against visiting another officer's quarters, not even with a difference in rank.

She had to remind herself that this was okay when she pushed the buzzer.

[Malcolm Adeyemi]

[Mahak's Quarters]

There were so many candles lit and piled onto any flat surface that the portholes were awash with reflected orange light, blotting out the stars. The incense was one of his favorite scents, an earthy, dragged through the garden smell of mushrooms mixed with mud and freshly cut grass. He closed his eyes, focused on his breathing, and let the environment overwhelm his senses.

"Logic, structure, function, control...logic, structure, function, control..."

There was a bone deep weariness that had seeped into his body. And not the usual pleasant fatigue that came after a long and satisfying work out. It was more akin to a sapping of his natural energy, both of his body and his spirits. It was hard to concentrate.

"Logic, structure, function, control...logic...structure, function...control..."

Mahak attempted to clear his mind, imagined that every time he exhaled a black mist was expelling from his lungs, and when he inhaled he was drawing in white, healing light. It hardly worked. So much had transpired recently with his professional and personal life that not even the double whammy of candles and incense could focus his thoughts.

"Logic, structure, function...logic, control...function..."

Damnit. It was no good. Lithely, the Vulcan got to his feet. He wore a one piece bed robe, gray, slightly open at the chest. It was his sleep garb, and meditation was also a before bed ritual. But it didn't seem to matter tonight.

Kali Reyes. She was on his mind much more so than the events at the "nightclub." If that's what it was. At first blush, it was logical to meet someone with whom you could spend the remainder of your days. Share your life. Grow old together. And it didn't matter that she was mostly human and he was Vulcan. Her feelings mattered and so did his outlook on her and them.

He yearned to see her, but not for anything that remotely appealed to his mind. Because Mahak had a confession to make. He wasn't exactly eager to do it, but it had to be done. What's right is right.

[Crewman Quarters]

It was third shift, so the hallway was as empty as the day it was made. She quickly made for Mahak and Jurn's shared quarters and hovered hesitantly over the buzzer. There were no rules against visiting another officer's quarters, not even with a difference in rank.

She had to remind herself that this was okay when she pushed the buzzer.

[Mahak's Quarters]

It was too much to hope it was her. Mahak told whoever it was to enter, and absently drifted over the replicator to make tea for whoever it was, if they wanted it. Probably it was a friend of Jurn's who needed to pick something up for him, the Tellarite was forver forgetting things in his quarters.

[Kali Reyes]

[Mahak's Quarters]

It was too much to hope it was her. Mahak told whoever it was to enter, and absently drifted over the replicator to make tea for whoever it was, if they wanted it. Probably it was a friend of Jurn's who needed to pick something up for him, the Tellarite was forver forgetting things in his quarters.

It was odd that Mahak didn't physically answer, but again, tonight hadn't been a very normal evening. She got herself moving by inhaling and then exhaling when the doors slid open for her.

One step in and she was hit with a smell of incense that was heady, but not suffocating. Or maybe it was to people who weren't Vulcans. One quarter of her followed the scent like it was the most natural thing in the world and that was where she noticed the raised temperature cause by candles.

We should have started here, she thought bitterly. Mahak was near the replicator and even with his back to her he looked far more comfortable than he did in Club Beyond. It was just another tally mark checked off on Kali's growing list of screw ups.

She quietly sauntered over and placed her hands on his waist then, unable to resist, slid her arms around his middle and pressed against his back. "Don't worry," she whispered, her breath burning into his shoulder. "I'm not Jurn."

But boy, wouldn't that be the most hilarious sight in the Alpha Quadrant!

[Malcolm Adeyemi]

[Mahak's Quarters]

He was under no impression that the quiet, light footed step that whoever it was took into his quarters was Jurn. That Tellarite's foul stench could permeate bulkheads. But Mahak didn't quite no it was her, either, until he felt her touch.

Her touch wasn't so loose that he could not turn around in it. He did so, and immediately cinched his robe up tigher and higher. Though she might not object to his showing some skin, he wanted things to remain serious and not physical with her until he said what he had to say.

"Kali," Mahak told her solemnly. "It is...good to see you again."

He had almost said agreeable but had caught himself just in the nick of time.

"Please, sit." A bit awkwardly, without returning her touch or adding one of his own, he stepped back.

He did want to touch her, though. Even tired and dressed very simply, Reyes was simply a stunning woman to behold. The kind of aesthetic beauty that made a man pause and reflect. On what, it might be better not to say.

Her skin, her lips, her hair, the big dark eyes and the curvy body not quite concealed by her no frills garb...they all felt as if they were a part of him and he yearned to let her know with his touch. But Mahak couldn't. Not not, and maybe not ever again with what he had to say.

[Kali Reyes]

The humor wasn't reciprocated. She instinctively squeezed a little more to compensate the fact that he won't. A losing battle. Her mouth twitched down against his shoulder and her pulse rate was going up, but not in a pleasant way.

He stepped away. She let go and tried to make herself presentable running her fingers over her damp curls. If he was going to tell her the whole 'it's not you, it's me' schtick, she'd rather look amazing and leave with her head held high.

"I don't want to," she said stiffly. "You don't have to sit me down like a kid and tell me it's not going to work out. I know how this works. I don't need statistics or a graph, okay? I screwed up. I get it."

[Malcolm Adeyemi]

[Mahak's Quarters]

Her words were so confusing that Mahak's mouth dropped slightly.

"How do you believe that you erred?" He inquired, finding himself honestly wanting to know.

"Never mind. I will simply tell you." Mahak said. He took a deep breath.

"In the holodeck, or whatever it was, at Club Beyond, the Caretaker entity appeared to me as Ensign Sala, claiming it had read my mind or my desires." Mahak told her evenly, fighting to keep his voice steady. "I succumbed to temptation with her...to a point. The Caretaker's idea of punishment was to have me admit to it that I no longer wanted you, Kali. But I could not make that admission because it is not true."

There. He'd said it. Mahak looked into her face, searching for a reaction, thinking privately to himself that if she were to reject him utterly at this moment that it would floor him harder than a 12th round knockout uppercut from a Nausicaan.

[Kali Reyes]

"How do you believe that you erred?" He inquired, finding himself honestly wanting to know.

Weren't they at the same club? It wouldn't have happened if she didn't drag him there. She tried to explain, but he cut her off.

"In the holodeck, or whatever it was, at Club Beyond, the Caretaker entity appeared to me as Ensign Sala, claiming it had read my mind or my desires." Mahak told her evenly, fighting to keep his voice steady. "I succumbed to temptation with her...to a point. The Caretaker's idea of punishment was to have me admit to it that I no longer wanted you, Kali. But I could not make that admission because it is not true."

There. He'd said it. Mahak looked into her face, searching for a reaction, thinking privately to himself that if she were to reject him utterly at this moment that it would floor him harder than a 12th round knockout uppercut from a Nausicaan.

She expected this confession and had over twenty responses thought up for this moment. At one point she promised Mina that she would punch the stupid out of him for his horrible taste in women.

And he did have horrible taste. Kali was an attest to that.

"I know. Mina showed me. And yeah, I guess I'm kinda hurt about that," she admitted because he admitted it and it was only fair to return the honesty. "Okay, a lot hurt. Never felt so bad before with a guy. So I'm a little lost at the moment."

She didn't want to punch him anymore. "I think you're still attracted to Sala. Maybe not personality-wise, but at least physically. Or maybe I'm just trying to figure out why her and not anyone else."

[Malcolm Adeyemi]

[Mahak's Quarters]

"I can tell you that I am not." There was no anger in his voice, but if you knew Mahak well and had a keen ear for it you could tell he was a bit more tight in tone and indignant than usual. "Perhaps the Caretaker merely scanned me for a redundant, old memory, or it was deliberately using Sala's likeness to torture the both of us."

"What can I do, since I have hurt you, to rectify the situation?" Mahak wanted to know.

He walked over to her and took her hands in his, very gently, not trying to initiate any more physical contact than that, just wanting her to know she was still wanted. He knew enough about Reyes to know that she craved attention and wanted to be loved.

[Kali Reyes]

His logic was sound as usual, it was just her emotions trying to keep up on the same page. "Right. I guess it's possible." She didn't want to doubt. The Vulcan part of her was satisfied with his answer. The Human part was still out to lunch.

She sighed when he took her hands. It gave her a good reason to look at his hands, focusing on the scars and calluses that came from a long campaign of boxing. Her thumb ghosted over the closest knuckle and considered his offer.

"We were kind of separated on our date night," she said with a fond grin. "I kind of want to fix that."

[Malcolm Adeyemi]

[Mahak's Quarters]

That smile was all he needed to see. Without any hesitation, after she spoke, Mahak pulled her in by his hands and lightly dropped a kiss on her smile, his stubble scratching against her softer skin.

"I agree, that would be the next logical move." Mahak said to her. "Also, from what I recall, you have not eaten but for a handful of cocktails."

[Kali Reyes]

It was one kiss that she found surprising. His kiss lit her up more than a thousand others in the past. She'll clock him for sure next time, the more wild part of her suggested, but for now this was enough. More than enough.

She let out a tiny whine when he pulled away, but she impishly seized a bit of his cheek with her lips for more of that stubble. "Not hungry," she mumbled, despite the growling in her stomach. Was she being unreasonable? Definitely. Her fingers crept up his sides to hold him still because she wanted him close. Always.

The candles in the corner of her eye made her pause from another round of soft kisses lining his jaw. "You've got candles," she realized. "Either you're wooing Jurn or I interrupted your meditation."

[Malcolm Adeyemi]

[Mahak's Quarters]

Mahak stood still, not reciprocating but not complaining either as Reyes nipped and gnawed at him. If it gave her as much emotional pleasure it did him the physical he was satisfied. He relished how hungry and sweet her mouth was against him

"I was not courting anyone." Mahak said when they stopped necking, missing her joke by a light year. "I was, indeed, meditating. I apologize if the smell is offensive to you, or the light. If you wish, I can extinguish both. I know that you are not a practitioner of meditation."

To be honest, Mahak was hoping she would ask him to put it all away and blow out the candles. He knew that Reyes would probably launch into an emotional tirade about how useless meditation was. He'd had his fill of emotions for the evening.

[Kali Reyes]

"I was not courting anyone." Mahak said when they stopped necking, missing her joke by a light year. "I was, indeed, meditating. I apologize if the smell is offensive to you, or the light. If you wish, I can extinguish both. I know that you are not a practitioner of meditation."

"Not really, but it smells nice," she murmured against his skin. "Actually, that's kind of why I came. Like this." Kali stepped back a bit to show him her shirt. It was fleece and extremely soft from overuse and pretty obvious that it was her favorite item to laze around in.

"Thought I might woo you with some comfort activities. I don't mind you meditating, you know. I've never seen you in the zone before." If it sounded a bit shy, it probably was. She may hum and whine about meditation, but that was usually because of her bad history with it. Plenty of therapists in the past would rather strap her down than ask.

[Malcolm Adeyemi]

[Mahak's Quarters]

"I do not believe that I will be able to meditation tonight," He told her. "Too much has transpired, and I do not mean your being here. Our travails this evening have not allowed me to focus my mind. And besides, it would not be logical for me to meditate with a guest."

Frankly, Mahak wished he could meditate. Reyes was more than welcome here, and he would forego his meditation just to be with her. But Jurn was rarely away from his quarters, he even ate there and slept there, only leaving for work shifts. And his stenches, arguments, and shedding was very distracting.

They both did look comfortable, and Mahak was emboldened to say:

"I would not bee averse to relaxation, either. In fact, I believe it is what we both need." He told Reyes. "What do you do to relax, Kali?"

[Kali Reyes]

"I do not believe that I will be able to meditation tonight," He told her. "Too much has transpired, and I do not mean your being here. Our travails this evening have not allowed me to focus my mind. And besides, it would not be logical for me to meditate with a guest."

"Yeah, I get that, but you've got a roommate. I know what it's like to lose your privacy. Especially when it comes to meditation. Who knows when you're going to get another one when you really need it." A tad frustrated with herself, she rubbed the side of her neck and examined the small quarters like it was a chess board.

Her move, she supposed. "I guess I read or code with my PADD to relax. Or build something, but I won't do that tonight." Because she had an idea. A great idea. "Follow me home?" she asked coyly. "Bring the stuff you need to meditate. My quarters is big. Plenty of space. It needs love. And I'll be very quiet, I promise."

An ulterior motive, really. She wanted to see him with his guard dropped. She might even join him without a fuss. If he could just be around, make a mark in her sleeping space to prove it was real, that was what she really wanted tonight.

There was very little argument about it and if he wanted one, she would be very willing to take him up on that. Make up kisses were pretty amazing.