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[shipmaster]

"I'm out! Leave a message."

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[dendarii]

[ Miles would definitely have worked it out eventually. And that would have been betrayal ... But instead there's more fondness, and more trust. God, what did he do to deserve Bel? ]

Aren't they wonderful? I am incredibly lucky to have them.

And I'm incredibly happy to have you too, Bel.

[shipmaster]

[They blow out a breath. Exasperated, fond, a little humbled, a little soothed, a little wounded. All a day's work for Hurricane Miles, honestly.

Bel really wouldn't have it any other way.]

Don't forget lucky.

So, non-romantic dinner and movies? You're buying.

[dendarii]

Lucky and happy. Yes.

I think I could swing that. We'll celebrate your new Admiralty.

[shipmaster]

Oh, now that is worth celebrating.

[dendarii]

I thought you'd agree. Mark recommended an excellent vegetarian place in Nonah.

[shipmaster]

Ah, wonderful. As much as I'm getting dearly tired of tofu and lentils, I'm not quite THAT tired yet.

[dendarii]

You've not yet given in to the siren call of steak, eh?

[shipmaster]

I dream about it sometime. Medium rare, lightly seasoned. Not cut out of living things.

[dendarii]

Well, Commander Spock is working on an alternative. As a Dendarii project in fact.

[shipmaster]

Really? Vat or more of that horrid "just like meat, really" that the markets here have?

[dendarii]

More of a vat equivalent. Though no promises as to taste just yet.

[shipmaster]

Well, I know what project I'm shifting up to priority funding.

[dendarii]

By all means. Might even get Mark on board with that.

[shipmaster]

Ugh, don't remind me of the battles to come.

[dendarii]

Don't even pretend. You're going to love every second of fighting with him.

[shipmaster]

I'm not saying a damn thing on searchable record.

[dendarii]

Uh huh. I know the truth.

2AM

[shipmaster]

[Bel had laughed, swiped their comm off and gone on about their day, the small crisis of the last evening over. It's actually later that evening that they end up rereading it. And rereading it.

And at some ungodly hour, when all ideas look like good ones, that another text comes through.]

hey, you still up?

[dendarii]

[ He'd fallen asleep in front of the television, in fact, after telling Gregor he really wanted to stay up and finish this episode. (He'd watched all of ten minutes of it. Oof.)

It takes him a moment to blink blearily at his comm. ]

lo bel. woke me up. sokay i needed to get up

[shipmaster]

that's a turnabout.

[There's notably no apology. Or another message for almost a minute.]

Got a bad idea. Feel free to shoot it down.

[dendarii]

[ Eh. That's okay. Miles has dozed off again in that minute's span anyway, jolting back awake when then next text comes in. ]

how bad?

[shipmaster]

either the worst or the best

lets make that date a real one. just one, no continuing, no intentions, as long as all three of you are okay with it

sort of a last hurrah before moving on. no regrets, see?

[dendarii]

[ There's a very long pause on Miles' end. He keeps reading over that text, making sure that yes, he's seeing what it actually said. And then ... how to answer? If Gregor and Kitty are all right with it, then what's the harm? Unless he's accidentally sparking something he can't control, in either or both of them.

At least Bel has anticipated Miles' objections already. That's the only thing keeping him from bolting. ]

are you sure you wouldn't rather go take on systemic oppression somewhere? as a last hurrah

[ Not a real answer. Miles is stalling, the wheels still turning in his head. But it's not a no either. ]

[shipmaster]

[Bel just smiles, stretches where they were lounging. They knew this game, they'd been doing it for around decade, after all.

Yeah, definitely time to let this go. Well past.]

Ha. Go back to bed, ignore me.

[dendarii]

[ More radio silence for a time. Miles should let it go too. Don't set that spark, don't even give it a chance ... That's better for both of them, right?

But all he can think about is how Bel was just a few months too late. That seems a cruel reason to not even permit something minor and temporary like this.

He sits up for this next text, fully awake now. ]

No. Let's do it.