Lilly/Taylor - Naked Truth

||Starbase 12
||Barracks
||August 27, 2387
||1035


Lillian didn't know why it was her task to go and give this report to Taylor, but she figured that the sooner the better and so she headed into the Barracks with her head held high. She was determined to do this without seeming like a crazy stalker, but she knew that this was part of her job, mingling with other senior officers and she wasn't really prepared for what happened yet. All she knew was that she had entered thinking that she would just hand him the PADD, make small talk and leave, but then she took one look at the wet marine and suddenly she couldn't even breathe.

He was wet and water was dripping down his muscles, fully naked and open to be viewed by anyone who walked in here, which kind of made her a little jealous that anyone could see him like this. Still, she felt her whole body flush and she unintentionally unzipped her duty jacket, because she felt like she was hot and bothered and needed some air. Part of her wanted to just take the situation and make it a positive, but she wasn't sure if that was what she wanted to do...was it? She wasn't supposed to see him like this outside of dreamland in her quarters and his body...God.

Taylor Lucas had an incredibly body.

||Starbase 12
||Barracks
||August 27, 2387
||1035


Lillian didn't know why it was her task to go and give this report to Taylor, but she figured that the sooner the better and so she headed into the Barracks with her head held high. She was determined to do this without seeming like a crazy stalker, but she knew that this was part of her job, mingling with other senior officers and she wasn't really prepared for what happened yet. All she knew was that she had entered thinking that she would just hand him the PADD, make small talk and leave, but then she took one look at the wet marine and suddenly she couldn't even breathe.

He was wet and water was dripping down his muscles, fully naked and open to be viewed by anyone who walked in here, which kind of made her a little jealous that anyone could see him like this. Still, she felt her whole body flush and she unintentionally unzipped her duty jacket, because she felt like she was hot and bothered and needed some air. Part of her wanted to just take the situation and make it a positive, but she wasn't sure if that was what she wanted to do...was it? She wasn't supposed to see him like this outside of dreamland in her quarters and his body...God.

Taylor Lucas had an incredibly body.

Along with the influx of marines to the station that he now found himself in charge of, Taylor had been given his advanced recon squad. There was James Corden, a personal friend of Taylor who had been with him through the Dominion War. Then there was the Caitian sniper Erlin Novus and the Starfleet Medical Fleet Corpsman Yemani Jenn who had fought with Taylor on Thesa Prime. Of course they had been much younger but the campaign had given them a bucket loads of experience. Last but not least was the demo/tech-comm expert and relative newcomer to the squad Alexi Petrovic. Despite his young age and relative inexperience he had proven a useful part of the Corps. Taylor was interested to see how he did.

Of course when surrounded by some people who you trust modesty doesn't really come into it. Taylor had been for a water shoulder and hadn't really clocked Lillian standing there. However Alexi had and in his inexperience called out "Officer on the deck!" which prompted all but Taylor to stand ramrod straight at attention. Instead he turned around to see who it was before his eyes widened. He stood bare naked facing her before he reached for the towel on his bed and put it in front of his crotch, a crimson tinge hitting his face.

"Christ lieutenant don't you knock!" he screamed.

"Isn't he supposed to be at attention?" asked James with a smile. Jenn leaned a little bit to the right as if trying to see past the towel before she stood back again.

"He is. In a manner of speaking."

Scowling Taylor wrapped the towel around him and held it close before speaking to Lillian. "So...can you tell me why you're standing there oggling me?!"

||Starbase 12
||Barracks
||August 27, 2387
||1035


Lillian didn't know why it was her task to go and give this report to Taylor, but she figured that the sooner the better and so she headed into the Barracks with her head held high. She was determined to do this without seeming like a crazy stalker, but she knew that this was part of her job, mingling with other senior officers and she wasn't really prepared for what happened yet. All she knew was that she had entered thinking that she would just hand him the PADD, make small talk and leave, but then she took one look at the wet marine and suddenly she couldn't even breathe.

He was wet and water was dripping down his muscles, fully naked and open to be viewed by anyone who walked in here, which kind of made her a little jealous that anyone could see him like this. Still, she felt her whole body flush and she unintentionally unzipped her duty jacket, because she felt like she was hot and bothered and needed some air. Part of her wanted to just take the situation and make it a positive, but she wasn't sure if that was what she wanted to do...was it? She wasn't supposed to see him like this outside of dreamland in her quarters and his body...God.

Taylor Lucas had an incredibly body.

Along with the influx of marines to the station that he now found himself in charge of, Taylor had been given his advanced recon squad. There was James Corden, a personal friend of Taylor who had been with him through the Dominion War. Then there was the Caitian sniper Erlin Novus and the Starfleet Medical Fleet Corpsman Yemani Jenn who had fought with Taylor on Thesa Prime. Of course they had been much younger but the campaign had given them a bucket loads of experience. Last but not least was the demo/tech-comm expert and relative newcomer to the squad Alexi Petrovic. Despite his young age and relative inexperience he had proven a useful part of the Corps. Taylor was interested to see how he did.

Of course when surrounded by some people who you trust modesty doesn't really come into it. Taylor had been for a water shoulder and hadn't really clocked Lillian standing there. However Alexi had and in his inexperience called out "Officer on the deck!" which prompted all but Taylor to stand ramrod straight at attention. Instead he turned around to see who it was before his eyes widened. He stood bare naked facing her before he reached for the towel on his bed and put it in front of his crotch, a crimson tinge hitting his face.

"Christ lieutenant don't you knock!" he screamed.

"Isn't he supposed to be at attention?" asked James with a smile. Jenn leaned a little bit to the right as if trying to see past the towel before she stood back again.

"He is. In a manner of speaking."

Scowling Taylor wrapped the towel around him and held it closed before speaking to Lillian. "So...can you tell me why you're standing there oggling me?!"

"At ease, it's fine," the Betazoid said quickly.

Lillian really wanted to be embarrassed right now because she knew that anyone would be, but she was brought up on a planet where such things happened. Sure, she hadn't been expecting it and she was flushed and oddly turned on when she shouldn't be because he was a naked man she had a thing for, but she wasn't about to apologize for not feeling ashamed...was she? Of course he wasn't used to such things and it was only polite of her to feign apologies, right? Except she wasn't sorry...she'd just seen a lot she had been wishing she'd get to since she'd met Taylor for his exam.

"I'm a Betazoid and a doctor, so if nakedness was a problem for me, we'd all be in big trouble," Lillian managed to say though she knew her eyes were straying downward when they shouldn't be and she forced herself to look him in the eye before reaching into the inner pocket of her duty jacket to grab Taylor the report. "I have a report for you from the Captain. It's basically just a bunch of things for you to look over as MCO since you have your squad and everything. Hi, everyone."

She was definitely trying to be friendly since she had wanted to meet them and Taylor had said she could, but she really also needed to keep her eyes up. It was just hard because he was wet and she knew what he looked like without the towel now and she could swear that she was sweating a little and not from nervousness, no...from something entirely different. Then again maybe it was also a little from the foreign feeling of embarrassment as she realized that she might have left the PADD in her office...great. Not only was she failing as the 2XO but she had a feeling that now Taylor was going to think that she just liked to stalk him or something and that was not the impression that she wanted to leave at all.

||Starbase 12
||Barracks
||August 27, 2387
||1035


Lillian didn't know why it was her task to go and give this report to Taylor, but she figured that the sooner the better and so she headed into the Barracks with her head held high. She was determined to do this without seeming like a crazy stalker, but she knew that this was part of her job, mingling with other senior officers and she wasn't really prepared for what happened yet. All she knew was that she had entered thinking that she would just hand him the PADD, make small talk and leave, but then she took one look at the wet marine and suddenly she couldn't even breathe.

He was wet and water was dripping down his muscles, fully naked and open to be viewed by anyone who walked in here, which kind of made her a little jealous that anyone could see him like this. Still, she felt her whole body flush and she unintentionally unzipped her duty jacket, because she felt like she was hot and bothered and needed some air. Part of her wanted to just take the situation and make it a positive, but she wasn't sure if that was what she wanted to do...was it? She wasn't supposed to see him like this outside of dreamland in her quarters and his body...God.

Taylor Lucas had an incredibly body.

Along with the influx of marines to the station that he now found himself in charge of, Taylor had been given his advanced recon squad. There was James Corden, a personal friend of Taylor who had been with him through the Dominion War. Then there was the Caitian sniper Erlin Novus and the Starfleet Medical Fleet Corpsman Yemani Jenn who had fought with Taylor on Thesa Prime. Of course they had been much younger but the campaign had given them a bucket loads of experience. Last but not least was the demo/tech-comm expert and relative newcomer to the squad Alexi Petrovic. Despite his young age and relative inexperience he had proven a useful part of the Corps. Taylor was interested to see how he did.

Of course when surrounded by some people who you trust modesty doesn't really come into it. Taylor had been for a water shoulder and hadn't really clocked Lillian standing there. However Alexi had and in his inexperience called out "Officer on the deck!" which prompted all but Taylor to stand ramrod straight at attention. Instead he turned around to see who it was before his eyes widened. He stood bare naked facing her before he reached for the towel on his bed and put it in front of his crotch, a crimson tinge hitting his face.

"Christ lieutenant don't you knock!" he screamed.

"Isn't he supposed to be at attention?" asked James with a smile. Jenn leaned a little bit to the right as if trying to see past the towel before she stood back again.

"He is. In a manner of speaking."

Scowling Taylor wrapped the towel around him and held it closed before speaking to Lillian. "So...can you tell me why you're standing there oggling me?!"

"At ease, it's fine," the Betazoid said quickly.

Lillian really wanted to be embarrassed right now because she knew that anyone would be, but she was brought up on a planet where such things happened. Sure, she hadn't been expecting it and she was flushed and oddly turned on when she shouldn't be because he was a naked man she had a thing for, but she wasn't about to apologize for not feeling ashamed...was she? Of course he wasn't used to such things and it was only polite of her to feign apologies, right? Except she wasn't sorry...she'd just seen a lot she had been wishing she'd get to since she'd met Taylor for his exam.

"I'm a Betazoid and a doctor, so if nakedness was a problem for me, we'd all be in big trouble," Lillian managed to say though she knew her eyes were straying downward when they shouldn't be and she forced herself to look him in the eye before reaching into the inner pocket of her duty jacket to grab Taylor the report. "I have a report for you from the Captain. It's basically just a bunch of things for you to look over as MCO since you have your squad and everything. Hi, everyone."

She was definitely trying to be friendly since she had wanted to meet them and Taylor had said she could, but she really also needed to keep her eyes up. It was just hard because he was wet and she knew what he looked like without the towel now and she could swear that she was sweating a little and not from nervousness, no...from something entirely different. Then again maybe it was also a little from the foreign feeling of embarrassment as she realized that she might have left the PADD in her office...great. Not only was she failing as the 2XO but she had a feeling that now Taylor was going to think that she just liked to stalk him or something and that was not the impression that she wanted to leave at all.

The squad each 'waved' at her in their own little way as Taylor stammered out some incoherent words. He just stood there in his towel wondering why she couldn't have just forwarded to his terminal. "Gee, thanks Doc." he said before nodding to James. "Get the...get the damn PADD." he ordered. James shook his head before a smile touched his lips. "She doesn't have one...."

His eyes narrowed towards the Betazoid as he shifted from foot to foot. "You didn't bring the PADD. So tell me...did you decide to deliver a meal? Or did you just want to have a word with me because I'll gladly talk to you when I'm not standing in what I entered the world in. Alright? Can you just...I dunno..turn around or something?"

||Starbase 12
||Barracks
||August 27, 2387
||1035


Lillian didn't know why it was her task to go and give this report to Taylor, but she figured that the sooner the better and so she headed into the Barracks with her head held high. She was determined to do this without seeming like a crazy stalker, but she knew that this was part of her job, mingling with other senior officers and she wasn't really prepared for what happened yet. All she knew was that she had entered thinking that she would just hand him the PADD, make small talk and leave, but then she took one look at the wet marine and suddenly she couldn't even breathe.

He was wet and water was dripping down his muscles, fully naked and open to be viewed by anyone who walked in here, which kind of made her a little jealous that anyone could see him like this. Still, she felt her whole body flush and she unintentionally unzipped her duty jacket, because she felt like she was hot and bothered and needed some air. Part of her wanted to just take the situation and make it a positive, but she wasn't sure if that was what she wanted to do...was it? She wasn't supposed to see him like this outside of dreamland in her quarters and his body...God.

Taylor Lucas had an incredibly body.

Along with the influx of marines to the station that he now found himself in charge of, Taylor had been given his advanced recon squad. There was James Corden, a personal friend of Taylor who had been with him through the Dominion War. Then there was the Caitian sniper Erlin Novus and the Starfleet Medical Fleet Corpsman Yemani Jenn who had fought with Taylor on Thesa Prime. Of course they had been much younger but the campaign had given them a bucket loads of experience. Last but not least was the demo/tech-comm expert and relative newcomer to the squad Alexi Petrovic. Despite his young age and relative inexperience he had proven a useful part of the Corps. Taylor was interested to see how he did.

Of course when surrounded by some people who you trust modesty doesn't really come into it. Taylor had been for a water shoulder and hadn't really clocked Lillian standing there. However Alexi had and in his inexperience called out "Officer on the deck!" which prompted all but Taylor to stand ramrod straight at attention. Instead he turned around to see who it was before his eyes widened. He stood bare naked facing her before he reached for the towel on his bed and put it in front of his crotch, a crimson tinge hitting his face.

"Christ lieutenant don't you knock!" he screamed.

"Isn't he supposed to be at attention?" asked James with a smile. Jenn leaned a little bit to the right as if trying to see past the towel before she stood back again.

"He is. In a manner of speaking."

Scowling Taylor wrapped the towel around him and held it closed before speaking to Lillian. "So...can you tell me why you're standing there oggling me?!"

"At ease, it's fine," the Betazoid said quickly.

Lillian really wanted to be embarrassed right now because she knew that anyone would be, but she was brought up on a planet where such things happened. Sure, she hadn't been expecting it and she was flushed and oddly turned on when she shouldn't be because he was a naked man she had a thing for, but she wasn't about to apologize for not feeling ashamed...was she? Of course he wasn't used to such things and it was only polite of her to feign apologies, right? Except she wasn't sorry...she'd just seen a lot she had been wishing she'd get to since she'd met Taylor for his exam.

"I'm a Betazoid and a doctor, so if nakedness was a problem for me, we'd all be in big trouble," Lillian managed to say though she knew her eyes were straying downward when they shouldn't be and she forced herself to look him in the eye before reaching into the inner pocket of her duty jacket to grab Taylor the report. "I have a report for you from the Captain. It's basically just a bunch of things for you to look over as MCO since you have your squad and everything. Hi, everyone."

She was definitely trying to be friendly since she had wanted to meet them and Taylor had said she could, but she really also needed to keep her eyes up. It was just hard because he was wet and she knew what he looked like without the towel now and she could swear that she was sweating a little and not from nervousness, no...from something entirely different. Then again maybe it was also a little from the foreign feeling of embarrassment as she realized that she might have left the PADD in her office...great. Not only was she failing as the 2XO but she had a feeling that now Taylor was going to think that she just liked to stalk him or something and that was not the impression that she wanted to leave at all.

The squad each 'waved' at her in their own little way as Taylor stammered out some incoherent words. He just stood there in his towel wondering why she couldn't have just forwarded to his terminal. "Gee, thanks Doc." he said before nodding to James. "Get the...get the damn PADD." he ordered. James shook his head before a smile touched his lips. "She doesn't have one...."

His eyes narrowed towards the Betazoid as he shifted from foot to foot. "You didn't bring the PADD. So tell me...did you decide to deliver a meal? Or did you just want to have a word with me because I'll gladly talk to you when I'm not standing in what I entered the world in. Alright? Can you just...I dunno...turn around or something?"

"In my hurry I must have left it in my office," she said honestly but she knew it sounded lame--she had to hope they understood that Betazoids frowned on lying. "Its been a busy morning and I came here straight from the Mess Hall...I should have double checked I had it before coming all the way here."

The impression she was making was undoubtedly bad, but something had her rooted in place because just suddenly leaving also seemed lame. What could she do? She wasn't normally this scatterbrained, but when it came to Taylor Lucas she was all kinds of insane, which she didn't understand at all. Lillian needed to figure something out and quick because all these thoughts were running through her mind right now.

"Betazoids have naked weddings, Captain," sshe told him bluntly so he knew she'd seen her fair share of nakedness. "Sometimes we all just walk around in what we 'came into the world in' and I've just seen it all, but if it puts your mind at ease..." she said before covering her eyes with her hand. "By all means u--cover yourself." That was a slip unless they assume you said 'uh'...

||Starbase 12
||Barracks
||August 27, 2387
||1035


Lillian didn't know why it was her task to go and give this report to Taylor, but she figured that the sooner the better and so she headed into the Barracks with her head held high. She was determined to do this without seeming like a crazy stalker, but she knew that this was part of her job, mingling with other senior officers and she wasn't really prepared for what happened yet. All she knew was that she had entered thinking that she would just hand him the PADD, make small talk and leave, but then she took one look at the wet marine and suddenly she couldn't even breathe.

He was wet and water was dripping down his muscles, fully naked and open to be viewed by anyone who walked in here, which kind of made her a little jealous that anyone could see him like this. Still, she felt her whole body flush and she unintentionally unzipped her duty jacket, because she felt like she was hot and bothered and needed some air. Part of her wanted to just take the situation and make it a positive, but she wasn't sure if that was what she wanted to do...was it? She wasn't supposed to see him like this outside of dreamland in her quarters and his body...God.

Taylor Lucas had an incredibly body.

Along with the influx of marines to the station that he now found himself in charge of, Taylor had been given his advanced recon squad. There was James Corden, a personal friend of Taylor who had been with him through the Dominion War. Then there was the Caitian sniper Erlin Novus and the Starfleet Medical Fleet Corpsman Yemani Jenn who had fought with Taylor on Thesa Prime. Of course they had been much younger but the campaign had given them a bucket loads of experience. Last but not least was the demo/tech-comm expert and relative newcomer to the squad Alexi Petrovic. Despite his young age and relative inexperience he had proven a useful part of the Corps. Taylor was interested to see how he did.

Of course when surrounded by some people who you trust modesty doesn't really come into it. Taylor had been for a water shoulder and hadn't really clocked Lillian standing there. However Alexi had and in his inexperience called out "Officer on the deck!" which prompted all but Taylor to stand ramrod straight at attention. Instead he turned around to see who it was before his eyes widened. He stood bare naked facing her before he reached for the towel on his bed and put it in front of his crotch, a crimson tinge hitting his face.

"Christ lieutenant don't you knock!" he screamed.

"Isn't he supposed to be at attention?" asked James with a smile. Jenn leaned a little bit to the right as if trying to see past the towel before she stood back again.

"He is. In a manner of speaking."

Scowling Taylor wrapped the towel around him and held it closed before speaking to Lillian. "So...can you tell me why you're standing there oggling me?!"

"At ease, it's fine," the Betazoid said quickly.

Lillian really wanted to be embarrassed right now because she knew that anyone would be, but she was brought up on a planet where such things happened. Sure, she hadn't been expecting it and she was flushed and oddly turned on when she shouldn't be because he was a naked man she had a thing for, but she wasn't about to apologize for not feeling ashamed...was she? Of course he wasn't used to such things and it was only polite of her to feign apologies, right? Except she wasn't sorry...she'd just seen a lot she had been wishing she'd get to since she'd met Taylor for his exam.

"I'm a Betazoid and a doctor, so if nakedness was a problem for me, we'd all be in big trouble," Lillian managed to say though she knew her eyes were straying downward when they shouldn't be and she forced herself to look him in the eye before reaching into the inner pocket of her duty jacket to grab Taylor the report. "I have a report for you from the Captain. It's basically just a bunch of things for you to look over as MCO since you have your squad and everything. Hi, everyone."

She was definitely trying to be friendly since she had wanted to meet them and Taylor had said she could, but she really also needed to keep her eyes up. It was just hard because he was wet and she knew what he looked like without the towel now and she could swear that she was sweating a little and not from nervousness, no...from something entirely different. Then again maybe it was also a little from the foreign feeling of embarrassment as she realized that she might have left the PADD in her office...great. Not only was she failing as the 2XO but she had a feeling that now Taylor was going to think that she just liked to stalk him or something and that was not the impression that she wanted to leave at all.

The squad each 'waved' at her in their own little way as Taylor stammered out some incoherent words. He just stood there in his towel wondering why she couldn't have just forwarded to his terminal. "Gee, thanks Doc." he said before nodding to James. "Get the...get the damn PADD." he ordered. James shook his head before a smile touched his lips. "She doesn't have one...."

His eyes narrowed towards the Betazoid as he shifted from foot to foot. "You didn't bring the PADD. So tell me...did you decide to deliver a meal? Or did you just want to have a word with me because I'll gladly talk to you when I'm not standing in what I entered the world in. Alright? Can you just...I dunno...turn around or something?"

"In my hurry I must have left it in my office," she said honestly but she knew it sounded lame--she had to hope they understood that Betazoids frowned on lying. "Its been a busy morning and I came here straight from the Mess Hall...I should have double checked I had it before coming all the way here."

The impression she was making was undoubtedly bad, but something had her rooted in place because just suddenly leaving also seemed lame. What could she do? She wasn't normally this scatterbrained, but when it came to Taylor Lucas she was all kinds of insane, which she didn't understand at all. Lillian needed to figure something out and quick because all these thoughts were running through her mind right now.

"Betazoids have naked weddings, Captain," she told him bluntly so he knew she'd seen her fair share of nakedness. "Sometimes we all just walk around in what we 'came into the world in' and I've just seen it all, but if it puts your mind at ease..." she said before covering her eyes with her hand. "By all means u--cover yourself." That was a slip unless they assume you said 'uh'...

Once Lillian's eyes were covered Taylor began to dry himself off with the towel, wiping his wet muscles down as he shook his head. "Next time try the door chime? Marines don't believe in modesty but...you're not a marine. You're the CMO. And the 2XO. Seeing senior officers naked isn't actually good for our command and control structure don't you think?"

After he dried himself off Taylor dressed in his duty uniform with his shiny new rank pip on his collar. He was proud of his promotion and had spent a great deal of time polishing the double bars. "Also we never got that drink. I mean I'm a lot more busy since I'm leading a company but maybe one day we could go for it. Dunno when."

||Starbase 12
||Barracks
||August 27, 2387
||1035


Lillian didn't know why it was her task to go and give this report to Taylor, but she figured that the sooner the better and so she headed into the Barracks with her head held high. She was determined to do this without seeming like a crazy stalker, but she knew that this was part of her job, mingling with other senior officers and she wasn't really prepared for what happened yet. All she knew was that she had entered thinking that she would just hand him the PADD, make small talk and leave, but then she took one look at the wet marine and suddenly she couldn't even breathe.

He was wet and water was dripping down his muscles, fully naked and open to be viewed by anyone who walked in here, which kind of made her a little jealous that anyone could see him like this. Still, she felt her whole body flush and she unintentionally unzipped her duty jacket, because she felt like she was hot and bothered and needed some air. Part of her wanted to just take the situation and make it a positive, but she wasn't sure if that was what she wanted to do...was it? She wasn't supposed to see him like this outside of dreamland in her quarters and his body...God.

Taylor Lucas had an incredibly body.

Along with the influx of marines to the station that he now found himself in charge of, Taylor had been given his advanced recon squad. There was James Corden, a personal friend of Taylor who had been with him through the Dominion War. Then there was the Caitian sniper Erlin Novus and the Starfleet Medical Fleet Corpsman Yemani Jenn who had fought with Taylor on Thesa Prime. Of course they had been much younger but the campaign had given them a bucket loads of experience. Last but not least was the demo/tech-comm expert and relative newcomer to the squad Alexi Petrovic. Despite his young age and relative inexperience he had proven a useful part of the Corps. Taylor was interested to see how he did.

Of course when surrounded by some people who you trust modesty doesn't really come into it. Taylor had been for a water shoulder and hadn't really clocked Lillian standing there. However Alexi had and in his inexperience called out "Officer on the deck!" which prompted all but Taylor to stand ramrod straight at attention. Instead he turned around to see who it was before his eyes widened. He stood bare naked facing her before he reached for the towel on his bed and put it in front of his crotch, a crimson tinge hitting his face.

"Christ lieutenant don't you knock!" he screamed.

"Isn't he supposed to be at attention?" asked James with a smile. Jenn leaned a little bit to the right as if trying to see past the towel before she stood back again.

"He is. In a manner of speaking."

Scowling Taylor wrapped the towel around him and held it closed before speaking to Lillian. "So...can you tell me why you're standing there oggling me?!"

"At ease, it's fine," the Betazoid said quickly.

Lillian really wanted to be embarrassed right now because she knew that anyone would be, but she was brought up on a planet where such things happened. Sure, she hadn't been expecting it and she was flushed and oddly turned on when she shouldn't be because he was a naked man she had a thing for, but she wasn't about to apologize for not feeling ashamed...was she? Of course he wasn't used to such things and it was only polite of her to feign apologies, right? Except she wasn't sorry...she'd just seen a lot she had been wishing she'd get to since she'd met Taylor for his exam.

"I'm a Betazoid and a doctor, so if nakedness was a problem for me, we'd all be in big trouble," Lillian managed to say though she knew her eyes were straying downward when they shouldn't be and she forced herself to look him in the eye before reaching into the inner pocket of her duty jacket to grab Taylor the report. "I have a report for you from the Captain. It's basically just a bunch of things for you to look over as MCO since you have your squad and everything. Hi, everyone."

She was definitely trying to be friendly since she had wanted to meet them and Taylor had said she could, but she really also needed to keep her eyes up. It was just hard because he was wet and she knew what he looked like without the towel now and she could swear that she was sweating a little and not from nervousness, no...from something entirely different. Then again maybe it was also a little from the foreign feeling of embarrassment as she realized that she might have left the PADD in her office...great. Not only was she failing as the 2XO but she had a feeling that now Taylor was going to think that she just liked to stalk him or something and that was not the impression that she wanted to leave at all.

The squad each 'waved' at her in their own little way as Taylor stammered out some incoherent words. He just stood there in his towel wondering why she couldn't have just forwarded to his terminal. "Gee, thanks Doc." he said before nodding to James. "Get the...get the damn PADD." he ordered. James shook his head before a smile touched his lips. "She doesn't have one...."

His eyes narrowed towards the Betazoid as he shifted from foot to foot. "You didn't bring the PADD. So tell me...did you decide to deliver a meal? Or did you just want to have a word with me because I'll gladly talk to you when I'm not standing in what I entered the world in. Alright? Can you just...I dunno...turn around or something?"

"In my hurry I must have left it in my office," she said honestly but she knew it sounded lame--she had to hope they understood that Betazoids frowned on lying. "Its been a busy morning and I came here straight from the Mess Hall...I should have double checked I had it before coming all the way here."

The impression she was making was undoubtedly bad, but something had her rooted in place because just suddenly leaving also seemed lame. What could she do? She wasn't normally this scatterbrained, but when it came to Taylor Lucas she was all kinds of insane, which she didn't understand at all. Lillian needed to figure something out and quick because all these thoughts were running through her mind right now.

"Betazoids have naked weddings, Captain," she told him bluntly so he knew she'd seen her fair share of nakedness. "Sometimes we all just walk around in what we 'came into the world in' and I've just seen it all, but if it puts your mind at ease..." she said before covering her eyes with her hand. "By all means u--cover yourself." That was a slip unless they assume you said 'uh'...

Once Lillian's eyes were covered Taylor began to dry himself off with the towel, wiping his wet muscles down as he shook his head. "Next time try the door chime? Marines don't believe in modesty but...you're not a marine. You're the CMO. And the 2XO. Seeing senior officers naked isn't actually good for our command and control structure don't you think?"

After he dried himself off Taylor dressed in his duty uniform with his shiny new rank pip on his collar. He was proud of his promotion and had spent a great deal of time polishing the double bars. "Also we never got that drink. I mean I'm a lot more busy since I'm leading a company but maybe one day we could go for it. Dunno when."

If Lillian said she didn't peek, she would be lying. Of course she peeked. She was trying so hard not to feel so sexually charged right now, but the marine was making it really hard on her. Not to mention that she still wanted to have the conversation as far away from the topic of the report as possible because they would all talk when she left, she knew that. People talked. This talk would consist of how obviously she had forgotten the PADD on purpose and she honestly hadn't.

"Sometime soon, I hope," Lillian said with a smile on her face, letting her hand come down when he spoke again, sensing less tension in the air, so she assumed he was clothed now. "After all, I do owe you the drink. Besides, I'm the CMO...that means I've seen pretty much everyone on this station naked and being a Betazoid, it lets me still do my job. Shall we talk about the report, or shall I whisk you away for a non-alcoholic beverage?"

Though seeing you naked might put a kink in my job...

||Starbase 12
||Barracks
||August 27, 2387
||1035


Lillian didn't know why it was her task to go and give this report to Taylor, but she figured that the sooner the better and so she headed into the Barracks with her head held high. She was determined to do this without seeming like a crazy stalker, but she knew that this was part of her job, mingling with other senior officers and she wasn't really prepared for what happened yet. All she knew was that she had entered thinking that she would just hand him the PADD, make small talk and leave, but then she took one look at the wet marine and suddenly she couldn't even breathe.

He was wet and water was dripping down his muscles, fully naked and open to be viewed by anyone who walked in here, which kind of made her a little jealous that anyone could see him like this. Still, she felt her whole body flush and she unintentionally unzipped her duty jacket, because she felt like she was hot and bothered and needed some air. Part of her wanted to just take the situation and make it a positive, but she wasn't sure if that was what she wanted to do...was it? She wasn't supposed to see him like this outside of dreamland in her quarters and his body...God.

Taylor Lucas had an incredibly body.

Along with the influx of marines to the station that he now found himself in charge of, Taylor had been given his advanced recon squad. There was James Corden, a personal friend of Taylor who had been with him through the Dominion War. Then there was the Caitian sniper Erlin Novus and the Starfleet Medical Fleet Corpsman Yemani Jenn who had fought with Taylor on Thesa Prime. Of course they had been much younger but the campaign had given them a bucket loads of experience. Last but not least was the demo/tech-comm expert and relative newcomer to the squad Alexi Petrovic. Despite his young age and relative inexperience he had proven a useful part of the Corps. Taylor was interested to see how he did.

Of course when surrounded by some people who you trust modesty doesn't really come into it. Taylor had been for a water shoulder and hadn't really clocked Lillian standing there. However Alexi had and in his inexperience called out "Officer on the deck!" which prompted all but Taylor to stand ramrod straight at attention. Instead he turned around to see who it was before his eyes widened. He stood bare naked facing her before he reached for the towel on his bed and put it in front of his crotch, a crimson tinge hitting his face.

"Christ lieutenant don't you knock!" he screamed.

"Isn't he supposed to be at attention?" asked James with a smile. Jenn leaned a little bit to the right as if trying to see past the towel before she stood back again.

"He is. In a manner of speaking."

Scowling Taylor wrapped the towel around him and held it closed before speaking to Lillian. "So...can you tell me why you're standing there oggling me?!"

"At ease, it's fine," the Betazoid said quickly.

Lillian really wanted to be embarrassed right now because she knew that anyone would be, but she was brought up on a planet where such things happened. Sure, she hadn't been expecting it and she was flushed and oddly turned on when she shouldn't be because he was a naked man she had a thing for, but she wasn't about to apologize for not feeling ashamed...was she? Of course he wasn't used to such things and it was only polite of her to feign apologies, right? Except she wasn't sorry...she'd just seen a lot she had been wishing she'd get to since she'd met Taylor for his exam.

"I'm a Betazoid and a doctor, so if nakedness was a problem for me, we'd all be in big trouble," Lillian managed to say though she knew her eyes were straying downward when they shouldn't be and she forced herself to look him in the eye before reaching into the inner pocket of her duty jacket to grab Taylor the report. "I have a report for you from the Captain. It's basically just a bunch of things for you to look over as MCO since you have your squad and everything. Hi, everyone."

She was definitely trying to be friendly since she had wanted to meet them and Taylor had said she could, but she really also needed to keep her eyes up. It was just hard because he was wet and she knew what he looked like without the towel now and she could swear that she was sweating a little and not from nervousness, no...from something entirely different. Then again maybe it was also a little from the foreign feeling of embarrassment as she realized that she might have left the PADD in her office...great. Not only was she failing as the 2XO but she had a feeling that now Taylor was going to think that she just liked to stalk him or something and that was not the impression that she wanted to leave at all.

The squad each 'waved' at her in their own little way as Taylor stammered out some incoherent words. He just stood there in his towel wondering why she couldn't have just forwarded to his terminal. "Gee, thanks Doc." he said before nodding to James. "Get the...get the damn PADD." he ordered. James shook his head before a smile touched his lips. "She doesn't have one...."

His eyes narrowed towards the Betazoid as he shifted from foot to foot. "You didn't bring the PADD. So tell me...did you decide to deliver a meal? Or did you just want to have a word with me because I'll gladly talk to you when I'm not standing in what I entered the world in. Alright? Can you just...I dunno...turn around or something?"

"In my hurry I must have left it in my office," she said honestly but she knew it sounded lame--she had to hope they understood that Betazoids frowned on lying. "Its been a busy morning and I came here straight from the Mess Hall...I should have double checked I had it before coming all the way here."

The impression she was making was undoubtedly bad, but something had her rooted in place because just suddenly leaving also seemed lame. What could she do? She wasn't normally this scatterbrained, but when it came to Taylor Lucas she was all kinds of insane, which she didn't understand at all. Lillian needed to figure something out and quick because all these thoughts were running through her mind right now.

"Betazoids have naked weddings, Captain," she told him bluntly so he knew she'd seen her fair share of nakedness. "Sometimes we all just walk around in what we 'came into the world in' and I've just seen it all, but if it puts your mind at ease..." she said before covering her eyes with her hand. "By all means u--cover yourself." That was a slip unless they assume you said 'uh'...

Once Lillian's eyes were covered Taylor began to dry himself off with the towel, wiping his wet muscles down as he shook his head. "Next time try the door chime? Marines don't believe in modesty but...you're not a marine. You're the CMO. And the 2XO. Seeing senior officers naked isn't actually good for our command and control structure don't you think?"

After he dried himself off Taylor dressed in his duty uniform with his shiny new rank pip on his collar. He was proud of his promotion and had spent a great deal of time polishing the double bars. "Also we never got that drink. I mean I'm a lot more busy since I'm leading a company but maybe one day we could go for it. Dunno when."

If Lillian said she didn't peek, she would be lying. Of course she peeked. She was trying so hard not to feel so sexually charged right now, but the marine was making it really hard on her. Not to mention that she still wanted to have the conversation as far away from the topic of the report as possible because they would all talk when she left, she knew that. People talked. This talk would consist of how obviously she had forgotten the PADD on purpose and she honestly hadn't.

"Sometime soon, I hope," Lillian said with a smile on her face, letting her hand come down when he spoke again, sensing less tension in the air, so she assumed he was clothed now. "After all, I do owe you the drink. Besides, I'm the CMO...that means I've seen pretty much everyone on this station naked and being a Betazoid, it lets me still do my job. Shall we talk about the report, or shall I whisk you away for a non-alcoholic beverage?"

Though seeing you naked might put a kink in my job...

"I uh...could use a coffee..." said Taylor flatly as he left the barracks at speed. He wanted to get out of there before James subjected him to sniping comments. At least he was dressed. That was a bonus. Gently he tugged on Lillian's jacket as he tried to help her escape from the marine squad inside. Taylor hadn't noticed her peeking though since he was more or less rushing himself.

"Sorry for uh...being bare. Marines don't really think about modesty in front of other marines. It's a pretty pointless thing. I didn't really expect you to turn up to give me a report. Frankly I thought you would have been spending time with Ritter and just forwarded it to my terminal. Yeah. I have an office now."

||Starbase 12
||Barracks
||August 27, 2387
||1035


Lillian didn't know why it was her task to go and give this report to Taylor, but she figured that the sooner the better and so she headed into the Barracks with her head held high. She was determined to do this without seeming like a crazy stalker, but she knew that this was part of her job, mingling with other senior officers and she wasn't really prepared for what happened yet. All she knew was that she had entered thinking that she would just hand him the PADD, make small talk and leave, but then she took one look at the wet marine and suddenly she couldn't even breathe.

He was wet and water was dripping down his muscles, fully naked and open to be viewed by anyone who walked in here, which kind of made her a little jealous that anyone could see him like this. Still, she felt her whole body flush and she unintentionally unzipped her duty jacket, because she felt like she was hot and bothered and needed some air. Part of her wanted to just take the situation and make it a positive, but she wasn't sure if that was what she wanted to do...was it? She wasn't supposed to see him like this outside of dreamland in her quarters and his body...God.

Taylor Lucas had an incredibly body.

Along with the influx of marines to the station that he now found himself in charge of, Taylor had been given his advanced recon squad. There was James Corden, a personal friend of Taylor who had been with him through the Dominion War. Then there was the Caitian sniper Erlin Novus and the Starfleet Medical Fleet Corpsman Yemani Jenn who had fought with Taylor on Thesa Prime. Of course they had been much younger but the campaign had given them a bucket loads of experience. Last but not least was the demo/tech-comm expert and relative newcomer to the squad Alexi Petrovic. Despite his young age and relative inexperience he had proven a useful part of the Corps. Taylor was interested to see how he did.

Of course when surrounded by some people who you trust modesty doesn't really come into it. Taylor had been for a water shoulder and hadn't really clocked Lillian standing there. However Alexi had and in his inexperience called out "Officer on the deck!" which prompted all but Taylor to stand ramrod straight at attention. Instead he turned around to see who it was before his eyes widened. He stood bare naked facing her before he reached for the towel on his bed and put it in front of his crotch, a crimson tinge hitting his face.

"Christ lieutenant don't you knock!" he screamed.

"Isn't he supposed to be at attention?" asked James with a smile. Jenn leaned a little bit to the right as if trying to see past the towel before she stood back again.

"He is. In a manner of speaking."

Scowling Taylor wrapped the towel around him and held it closed before speaking to Lillian. "So...can you tell me why you're standing there oggling me?!"

"At ease, it's fine," the Betazoid said quickly.

Lillian really wanted to be embarrassed right now because she knew that anyone would be, but she was brought up on a planet where such things happened. Sure, she hadn't been expecting it and she was flushed and oddly turned on when she shouldn't be because he was a naked man she had a thing for, but she wasn't about to apologize for not feeling ashamed...was she? Of course he wasn't used to such things and it was only polite of her to feign apologies, right? Except she wasn't sorry...she'd just seen a lot she had been wishing she'd get to since she'd met Taylor for his exam.

"I'm a Betazoid and a doctor, so if nakedness was a problem for me, we'd all be in big trouble," Lillian managed to say though she knew her eyes were straying downward when they shouldn't be and she forced herself to look him in the eye before reaching into the inner pocket of her duty jacket to grab Taylor the report. "I have a report for you from the Captain. It's basically just a bunch of things for you to look over as MCO since you have your squad and everything. Hi, everyone."

She was definitely trying to be friendly since she had wanted to meet them and Taylor had said she could, but she really also needed to keep her eyes up. It was just hard because he was wet and she knew what he looked like without the towel now and she could swear that she was sweating a little and not from nervousness, no...from something entirely different. Then again maybe it was also a little from the foreign feeling of embarrassment as she realized that she might have left the PADD in her office...great. Not only was she failing as the 2XO but she had a feeling that now Taylor was going to think that she just liked to stalk him or something and that was not the impression that she wanted to leave at all.

The squad each 'waved' at her in their own little way as Taylor stammered out some incoherent words. He just stood there in his towel wondering why she couldn't have just forwarded to his terminal. "Gee, thanks Doc." he said before nodding to James. "Get the...get the damn PADD." he ordered. James shook his head before a smile touched his lips. "She doesn't have one...."

His eyes narrowed towards the Betazoid as he shifted from foot to foot. "You didn't bring the PADD. So tell me...did you decide to deliver a meal? Or did you just want to have a word with me because I'll gladly talk to you when I'm not standing in what I entered the world in. Alright? Can you just...I dunno...turn around or something?"

"In my hurry I must have left it in my office," she said honestly but she knew it sounded lame--she had to hope they understood that Betazoids frowned on lying. "Its been a busy morning and I came here straight from the Mess Hall...I should have double checked I had it before coming all the way here."

The impression she was making was undoubtedly bad, but something had her rooted in place because just suddenly leaving also seemed lame. What could she do? She wasn't normally this scatterbrained, but when it came to Taylor Lucas she was all kinds of insane, which she didn't understand at all. Lillian needed to figure something out and quick because all these thoughts were running through her mind right now.

"Betazoids have naked weddings, Captain," she told him bluntly so he knew she'd seen her fair share of nakedness. "Sometimes we all just walk around in what we 'came into the world in' and I've just seen it all, but if it puts your mind at ease..." she said before covering her eyes with her hand. "By all means u--cover yourself." That was a slip unless they assume you said 'uh'...

Once Lillian's eyes were covered Taylor began to dry himself off with the towel, wiping his wet muscles down as he shook his head. "Next time try the door chime? Marines don't believe in modesty but...you're not a marine. You're the CMO. And the 2XO. Seeing senior officers naked isn't actually good for our command and control structure don't you think?"

After he dried himself off Taylor dressed in his duty uniform with his shiny new rank pip on his collar. He was proud of his promotion and had spent a great deal of time polishing the double bars. "Also we never got that drink. I mean I'm a lot more busy since I'm leading a company but maybe one day we could go for it. Dunno when."

If Lillian said she didn't peek, she would be lying. Of course she peeked. She was trying so hard not to feel so sexually charged right now, but the marine was making it really hard on her. Not to mention that she still wanted to have the conversation as far away from the topic of the report as possible because they would all talk when she left, she knew that. People talked. This talk would consist of how obviously she had forgotten the PADD on purpose and she honestly hadn't.

"Sometime soon, I hope," Lillian said with a smile on her face, letting her hand come down when he spoke again, sensing less tension in the air, so she assumed he was clothed now. "After all, I do owe you the drink. Besides, I'm the CMO...that means I've seen pretty much everyone on this station naked and being a Betazoid, it lets me still do my job. Shall we talk about the report, or shall I whisk you away for a non-alcoholic beverage?"

Though seeing you naked might put a kink in my job...

"I uh...could use a coffee..." said Taylor flatly as he left the barracks at speed. He wanted to get out of there before James subjected him to sniping comments. At least he was dressed. That was a bonus. Gently he tugged on Lillian's jacket as he tried to help her escape from the marine squad inside. Taylor hadn't noticed her peeking though since he was more or less rushing himself.

"Sorry for uh...being bare. Marines don't really think about modesty in front of other marines. It's a pretty pointless thing. I didn't really expect you to turn up to give me a report. Frankly I thought you would have been spending time with Ritter and just forwarded it to my terminal. Yeah. I have an office now."

"Coffee is perfect--I love coffee," Lillian said with a smile, though Taylor seemed to really want to get out so she gave a quick wave before letting him tug on her open duty jacket to lead her away. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about...you're an incredibly attractive man."

She didn't know if that sounded like she was seriously scoping him out or not, but at this point just the two of them heading for coffee it didn't really matter. Lillian caught what he said about Max though and found herself stopping them and looking Taylor in the eye with a blush tinting her cheeks because she wondered if Taylor was annoyed about that? What did he think was going on and what did that have to do with anything? She really shouldn't be entertaining thoughts with a man married to his job, but she was so drawn to him that she couldn't stop the words from falling out of her mouth.

"Max and I aren't together, you know," Lillian told Taylor shaking her head. "We're just colleagues, we're not...he and I aren't...if you haven't clocked in on my affections for you yet, you are blind." That said, she continued to go toward the Promenade. "I bet your squad will have something to say about it too, because I clearly was happy with what I just saw and I'm not even going to try and be modest about it even though I'm sure that would make everyone feel more comfortable around me."

||Starbase 12
||Barracks
||August 27, 2387
||1035


Lillian didn't know why it was her task to go and give this report to Taylor, but she figured that the sooner the better and so she headed into the Barracks with her head held high. She was determined to do this without seeming like a crazy stalker, but she knew that this was part of her job, mingling with other senior officers and she wasn't really prepared for what happened yet. All she knew was that she had entered thinking that she would just hand him the PADD, make small talk and leave, but then she took one look at the wet marine and suddenly she couldn't even breathe.

He was wet and water was dripping down his muscles, fully naked and open to be viewed by anyone who walked in here, which kind of made her a little jealous that anyone could see him like this. Still, she felt her whole body flush and she unintentionally unzipped her duty jacket, because she felt like she was hot and bothered and needed some air. Part of her wanted to just take the situation and make it a positive, but she wasn't sure if that was what she wanted to do...was it? She wasn't supposed to see him like this outside of dreamland in her quarters and his body...God.

Taylor Lucas had an incredibly body.

Along with the influx of marines to the station that he now found himself in charge of, Taylor had been given his advanced recon squad. There was James Corden, a personal friend of Taylor who had been with him through the Dominion War. Then there was the Caitian sniper Erlin Novus and the Starfleet Medical Fleet Corpsman Yemani Jenn who had fought with Taylor on Thesa Prime. Of course they had been much younger but the campaign had given them a bucket loads of experience. Last but not least was the demo/tech-comm expert and relative newcomer to the squad Alexi Petrovic. Despite his young age and relative inexperience he had proven a useful part of the Corps. Taylor was interested to see how he did.

Of course when surrounded by some people who you trust modesty doesn't really come into it. Taylor had been for a water shoulder and hadn't really clocked Lillian standing there. However Alexi had and in his inexperience called out "Officer on the deck!" which prompted all but Taylor to stand ramrod straight at attention. Instead he turned around to see who it was before his eyes widened. He stood bare naked facing her before he reached for the towel on his bed and put it in front of his crotch, a crimson tinge hitting his face.

"Christ lieutenant don't you knock!" he screamed.

"Isn't he supposed to be at attention?" asked James with a smile. Jenn leaned a little bit to the right as if trying to see past the towel before she stood back again.

"He is. In a manner of speaking."

Scowling Taylor wrapped the towel around him and held it closed before speaking to Lillian. "So...can you tell me why you're standing there oggling me?!"

"At ease, it's fine," the Betazoid said quickly.

Lillian really wanted to be embarrassed right now because she knew that anyone would be, but she was brought up on a planet where such things happened. Sure, she hadn't been expecting it and she was flushed and oddly turned on when she shouldn't be because he was a naked man she had a thing for, but she wasn't about to apologize for not feeling ashamed...was she? Of course he wasn't used to such things and it was only polite of her to feign apologies, right? Except she wasn't sorry...she'd just seen a lot she had been wishing she'd get to since she'd met Taylor for his exam.

"I'm a Betazoid and a doctor, so if nakedness was a problem for me, we'd all be in big trouble," Lillian managed to say though she knew her eyes were straying downward when they shouldn't be and she forced herself to look him in the eye before reaching into the inner pocket of her duty jacket to grab Taylor the report. "I have a report for you from the Captain. It's basically just a bunch of things for you to look over as MCO since you have your squad and everything. Hi, everyone."

She was definitely trying to be friendly since she had wanted to meet them and Taylor had said she could, but she really also needed to keep her eyes up. It was just hard because he was wet and she knew what he looked like without the towel now and she could swear that she was sweating a little and not from nervousness, no...from something entirely different. Then again maybe it was also a little from the foreign feeling of embarrassment as she realized that she might have left the PADD in her office...great. Not only was she failing as the 2XO but she had a feeling that now Taylor was going to think that she just liked to stalk him or something and that was not the impression that she wanted to leave at all.

The squad each 'waved' at her in their own little way as Taylor stammered out some incoherent words. He just stood there in his towel wondering why she couldn't have just forwarded to his terminal. "Gee, thanks Doc." he said before nodding to James. "Get the...get the damn PADD." he ordered. James shook his head before a smile touched his lips. "She doesn't have one...."

His eyes narrowed towards the Betazoid as he shifted from foot to foot. "You didn't bring the PADD. So tell me...did you decide to deliver a meal? Or did you just want to have a word with me because I'll gladly talk to you when I'm not standing in what I entered the world in. Alright? Can you just...I dunno...turn around or something?"

"In my hurry I must have left it in my office," she said honestly but she knew it sounded lame--she had to hope they understood that Betazoids frowned on lying. "Its been a busy morning and I came here straight from the Mess Hall...I should have double checked I had it before coming all the way here."

The impression she was making was undoubtedly bad, but something had her rooted in place because just suddenly leaving also seemed lame. What could she do? She wasn't normally this scatterbrained, but when it came to Taylor Lucas she was all kinds of insane, which she didn't understand at all. Lillian needed to figure something out and quick because all these thoughts were running through her mind right now.

"Betazoids have naked weddings, Captain," she told him bluntly so he knew she'd seen her fair share of nakedness. "Sometimes we all just walk around in what we 'came into the world in' and I've just seen it all, but if it puts your mind at ease..." she said before covering her eyes with her hand. "By all means u--cover yourself." That was a slip unless they assume you said 'uh'...

Once Lillian's eyes were covered Taylor began to dry himself off with the towel, wiping his wet muscles down as he shook his head. "Next time try the door chime? Marines don't believe in modesty but...you're not a marine. You're the CMO. And the 2XO. Seeing senior officers naked isn't actually good for our command and control structure don't you think?"

After he dried himself off Taylor dressed in his duty uniform with his shiny new rank pip on his collar. He was proud of his promotion and had spent a great deal of time polishing the double bars. "Also we never got that drink. I mean I'm a lot more busy since I'm leading a company but maybe one day we could go for it. Dunno when."

If Lillian said she didn't peek, she would be lying. Of course she peeked. She was trying so hard not to feel so sexually charged right now, but the marine was making it really hard on her. Not to mention that she still wanted to have the conversation as far away from the topic of the report as possible because they would all talk when she left, she knew that. People talked. This talk would consist of how obviously she had forgotten the PADD on purpose and she honestly hadn't.

"Sometime soon, I hope," Lillian said with a smile on her face, letting her hand come down when he spoke again, sensing less tension in the air, so she assumed he was clothed now. "After all, I do owe you the drink. Besides, I'm the CMO...that means I've seen pretty much everyone on this station naked and being a Betazoid, it lets me still do my job. Shall we talk about the report, or shall I whisk you away for a non-alcoholic beverage?"

Though seeing you naked might put a kink in my job...

"I uh...could use a coffee..." said Taylor flatly as he left the barracks at speed. He wanted to get out of there before James subjected him to sniping comments. At least he was dressed. That was a bonus. Gently he tugged on Lillian's jacket as he tried to help her escape from the marine squad inside. Taylor hadn't noticed her peeking though since he was more or less rushing himself.

"Sorry for uh...being bare. Marines don't really think about modesty in front of other marines. It's a pretty pointless thing. I didn't really expect you to turn up to give me a report. Frankly I thought you would have been spending time with Ritter and just forwarded it to my terminal. Yeah. I have an office now."

"Coffee is perfect--I love coffee," Lillian said with a smile, though Taylor seemed to really want to get out so she gave a quick wave before letting him tug on her open duty jacket to lead her away. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about...you're an incredibly attractive man."

She didn't know if that sounded like she was seriously scoping him out or not, but at this point just the two of them heading for coffee it didn't really matter. Lillian caught what he said about Max though and found herself stopping them and looking Taylor in the eye with a blush tinting her cheeks because she wondered if Taylor was annoyed about that? What did he think was going on and what did that have to do with anything? She really shouldn't be entertaining thoughts with a man married to his job, but she was so drawn to him that she couldn't stop the words from falling out of her mouth.

"Max and I aren't together, you know," Lillian told Taylor shaking her head. "We're just colleagues, we're not...he and I aren't...if you haven't clocked in on my affections for you yet, you are blind." That said, she continued to go toward the Promenade. "I bet your squad will have something to say about it too, because I clearly was happy with what I just saw and I'm not even going to try and be modest about it even though I'm sure that would make everyone feel more comfortable around me."

"Woah woah....slow down..." said Taylor who walked in front of Lillian and acted like a massive road block. "You're attracted to me? I mean actually attracted? Not schoolyard crush not a 'mmm, tap that' feeling but an actual feeling of attraction?" Disbelief laced his voice as he placed both his hands on the back of his head and blinked. She liked him? Why? I mean sure he figured the comments were a Betazoid thing. Something that they did as part of their racial routine. "Why?"

||Starbase 12
||Barracks
||August 27, 2387
||1035


Lillian didn't know why it was her task to go and give this report to Taylor, but she figured that the sooner the better and so she headed into the Barracks with her head held high. She was determined to do this without seeming like a crazy stalker, but she knew that this was part of her job, mingling with other senior officers and she wasn't really prepared for what happened yet. All she knew was that she had entered thinking that she would just hand him the PADD, make small talk and leave, but then she took one look at the wet marine and suddenly she couldn't even breathe.

He was wet and water was dripping down his muscles, fully naked and open to be viewed by anyone who walked in here, which kind of made her a little jealous that anyone could see him like this. Still, she felt her whole body flush and she unintentionally unzipped her duty jacket, because she felt like she was hot and bothered and needed some air. Part of her wanted to just take the situation and make it a positive, but she wasn't sure if that was what she wanted to do...was it? She wasn't supposed to see him like this outside of dreamland in her quarters and his body...God.

Taylor Lucas had an incredibly body.

Along with the influx of marines to the station that he now found himself in charge of, Taylor had been given his advanced recon squad. There was James Corden, a personal friend of Taylor who had been with him through the Dominion War. Then there was the Caitian sniper Erlin Novus and the Starfleet Medical Fleet Corpsman Yemani Jenn who had fought with Taylor on Thesa Prime. Of course they had been much younger but the campaign had given them a bucket loads of experience. Last but not least was the demo/tech-comm expert and relative newcomer to the squad Alexi Petrovic. Despite his young age and relative inexperience he had proven a useful part of the Corps. Taylor was interested to see how he did.

Of course when surrounded by some people who you trust modesty doesn't really come into it. Taylor had been for a water shoulder and hadn't really clocked Lillian standing there. However Alexi had and in his inexperience called out "Officer on the deck!" which prompted all but Taylor to stand ramrod straight at attention. Instead he turned around to see who it was before his eyes widened. He stood bare naked facing her before he reached for the towel on his bed and put it in front of his crotch, a crimson tinge hitting his face.

"Christ lieutenant don't you knock!" he screamed.

"Isn't he supposed to be at attention?" asked James with a smile. Jenn leaned a little bit to the right as if trying to see past the towel before she stood back again.

"He is. In a manner of speaking."

Scowling Taylor wrapped the towel around him and held it closed before speaking to Lillian. "So...can you tell me why you're standing there oggling me?!"

"At ease, it's fine," the Betazoid said quickly.

Lillian really wanted to be embarrassed right now because she knew that anyone would be, but she was brought up on a planet where such things happened. Sure, she hadn't been expecting it and she was flushed and oddly turned on when she shouldn't be because he was a naked man she had a thing for, but she wasn't about to apologize for not feeling ashamed...was she? Of course he wasn't used to such things and it was only polite of her to feign apologies, right? Except she wasn't sorry...she'd just seen a lot she had been wishing she'd get to since she'd met Taylor for his exam.

"I'm a Betazoid and a doctor, so if nakedness was a problem for me, we'd all be in big trouble," Lillian managed to say though she knew her eyes were straying downward when they shouldn't be and she forced herself to look him in the eye before reaching into the inner pocket of her duty jacket to grab Taylor the report. "I have a report for you from the Captain. It's basically just a bunch of things for you to look over as MCO since you have your squad and everything. Hi, everyone."

She was definitely trying to be friendly since she had wanted to meet them and Taylor had said she could, but she really also needed to keep her eyes up. It was just hard because he was wet and she knew what he looked like without the towel now and she could swear that she was sweating a little and not from nervousness, no...from something entirely different. Then again maybe it was also a little from the foreign feeling of embarrassment as she realized that she might have left the PADD in her office...great. Not only was she failing as the 2XO but she had a feeling that now Taylor was going to think that she just liked to stalk him or something and that was not the impression that she wanted to leave at all.

The squad each 'waved' at her in their own little way as Taylor stammered out some incoherent words. He just stood there in his towel wondering why she couldn't have just forwarded to his terminal. "Gee, thanks Doc." he said before nodding to James. "Get the...get the damn PADD." he ordered. James shook his head before a smile touched his lips. "She doesn't have one...."

His eyes narrowed towards the Betazoid as he shifted from foot to foot. "You didn't bring the PADD. So tell me...did you decide to deliver a meal? Or did you just want to have a word with me because I'll gladly talk to you when I'm not standing in what I entered the world in. Alright? Can you just...I dunno...turn around or something?"

"In my hurry I must have left it in my office," she said honestly but she knew it sounded lame--she had to hope they understood that Betazoids frowned on lying. "Its been a busy morning and I came here straight from the Mess Hall...I should have double checked I had it before coming all the way here."

The impression she was making was undoubtedly bad, but something had her rooted in place because just suddenly leaving also seemed lame. What could she do? She wasn't normally this scatterbrained, but when it came to Taylor Lucas she was all kinds of insane, which she didn't understand at all. Lillian needed to figure something out and quick because all these thoughts were running through her mind right now.

"Betazoids have naked weddings, Captain," she told him bluntly so he knew she'd seen her fair share of nakedness. "Sometimes we all just walk around in what we 'came into the world in' and I've just seen it all, but if it puts your mind at ease..." she said before covering her eyes with her hand. "By all means u--cover yourself." That was a slip unless they assume you said 'uh'...

Once Lillian's eyes were covered Taylor began to dry himself off with the towel, wiping his wet muscles down as he shook his head. "Next time try the door chime? Marines don't believe in modesty but...you're not a marine. You're the CMO. And the 2XO. Seeing senior officers naked isn't actually good for our command and control structure don't you think?"

After he dried himself off Taylor dressed in his duty uniform with his shiny new rank pip on his collar. He was proud of his promotion and had spent a great deal of time polishing the double bars. "Also we never got that drink. I mean I'm a lot more busy since I'm leading a company but maybe one day we could go for it. Dunno when."

If Lillian said she didn't peek, she would be lying. Of course she peeked. She was trying so hard not to feel so sexually charged right now, but the marine was making it really hard on her. Not to mention that she still wanted to have the conversation as far away from the topic of the report as possible because they would all talk when she left, she knew that. People talked. This talk would consist of how obviously she had forgotten the PADD on purpose and she honestly hadn't.

"Sometime soon, I hope," Lillian said with a smile on her face, letting her hand come down when he spoke again, sensing less tension in the air, so she assumed he was clothed now. "After all, I do owe you the drink. Besides, I'm the CMO...that means I've seen pretty much everyone on this station naked and being a Betazoid, it lets me still do my job. Shall we talk about the report, or shall I whisk you away for a non-alcoholic beverage?"

Though seeing you naked might put a kink in my job...

"I uh...could use a coffee..." said Taylor flatly as he left the barracks at speed. He wanted to get out of there before James subjected him to sniping comments. At least he was dressed. That was a bonus. Gently he tugged on Lillian's jacket as he tried to help her escape from the marine squad inside. Taylor hadn't noticed her peeking though since he was more or less rushing himself.

"Sorry for uh...being bare. Marines don't really think about modesty in front of other marines. It's a pretty pointless thing. I didn't really expect you to turn up to give me a report. Frankly I thought you would have been spending time with Ritter and just forwarded it to my terminal. Yeah. I have an office now."

"Coffee is perfect--I love coffee," Lillian said with a smile, though Taylor seemed to really want to get out so she gave a quick wave before letting him tug on her open duty jacket to lead her away. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about...you're an incredibly attractive man."

She didn't know if that sounded like she was seriously scoping him out or not, but at this point just the two of them heading for coffee it didn't really matter. Lillian caught what he said about Max though and found herself stopping them and looking Taylor in the eye with a blush tinting her cheeks because she wondered if Taylor was annoyed about that? What did he think was going on and what did that have to do with anything? She really shouldn't be entertaining thoughts with a man married to his job, but she was so drawn to him that she couldn't stop the words from falling out of her mouth.

"Max and I aren't together, you know," Lillian told Taylor shaking her head. "We're just colleagues, we're not...he and I aren't...if you haven't clocked in on my affections for you yet, you are blind." That said, she continued to go toward the Promenade. "I bet your squad will have something to say about it too, because I clearly was happy with what I just saw and I'm not even going to try and be modest about it even though I'm sure that would make everyone feel more comfortable around me."

"Woah woah...slow down..." said Taylor who walked in front of Lillian and acted like a massive road block. "You're attracted to me? I mean actually attracted? Not schoolyard crush not a 'mmm, tap that' feeling but an actual feeling of attraction?" Disbelief laced his voice as he placed both his hands on the back of his head and blinked. She liked him? Why? I mean sure he figured the comments were a Betazoid thing. Something that they did as part of their racial routine. "Why?"

When Taylor stepped in front of her, Lillian realized that she was going to have to face this right here and right now and she wasn't sure if she was ready for that. All she knew was that the words were spilling out of her mouth before she could stop them but that was normal for her and Taylor Lucas made her crazy--that much she knew. There was so much about him that made her really feel flushed or tongue tied or just plain flustered and she didn't find it fair and she never knew what to do and she just...

"Why is it a shock?" Lillian asked him point blank, looking him in the eye. "I was attracted to you from moment one that we met and I even tried to flirt with you but I got tongue tied and it didn't work and I didn't understand it because that doesn't happen to me! I can flirt with everyone except for you because I try and I get flushed and my stomach starts flip flopping in that way that makes you anxious for what's coming next and I tried to swear you off! You punched me in the nose! You said you were against doctors and I am one! I thought I was going to be fine, but when you're around I know you are and I have to look at you...throw you a smile. I think about you far more than I should and then Thalos happened and you protected me. It didn't matter who I was because I needed you and you were there to help me and I just wanted to get to know more about you and the way you stand up to authority? It's incredibly hot even though it's wrong...it's so wrong because you should show more respect to your commanding officers. To top it off? You brought me ice cream! Why do I like you, Taylor? Because you're kind and heroic and it's adorable that you're so modest when you're so...have you looked at your body? This isn't just some, 'oh, he's cute' and I don't want a quick fumble...I like you...I shouldn't because you're a marine and that makes you married to your job, but I can't help it, okay? I hate feeling like this because you're clearly not attracted to me, but that's how it is! This is why I'm trying so damn hard to at least be your friend so that I can keep you in my life somehow..."

||Starbase 12
||Barracks
||August 27, 2387
||1035


Lillian didn't know why it was her task to go and give this report to Taylor, but she figured that the sooner the better and so she headed into the Barracks with her head held high. She was determined to do this without seeming like a crazy stalker, but she knew that this was part of her job, mingling with other senior officers and she wasn't really prepared for what happened yet. All she knew was that she had entered thinking that she would just hand him the PADD, make small talk and leave, but then she took one look at the wet marine and suddenly she couldn't even breathe.

He was wet and water was dripping down his muscles, fully naked and open to be viewed by anyone who walked in here, which kind of made her a little jealous that anyone could see him like this. Still, she felt her whole body flush and she unintentionally unzipped her duty jacket, because she felt like she was hot and bothered and needed some air. Part of her wanted to just take the situation and make it a positive, but she wasn't sure if that was what she wanted to do...was it? She wasn't supposed to see him like this outside of dreamland in her quarters and his body...God.

Taylor Lucas had an incredibly body.

Along with the influx of marines to the station that he now found himself in charge of, Taylor had been given his advanced recon squad. There was James Corden, a personal friend of Taylor who had been with him through the Dominion War. Then there was the Caitian sniper Erlin Novus and the Starfleet Medical Fleet Corpsman Yemani Jenn who had fought with Taylor on Thesa Prime. Of course they had been much younger but the campaign had given them a bucket loads of experience. Last but not least was the demo/tech-comm expert and relative newcomer to the squad Alexi Petrovic. Despite his young age and relative inexperience he had proven a useful part of the Corps. Taylor was interested to see how he did.

Of course when surrounded by some people who you trust modesty doesn't really come into it. Taylor had been for a water shoulder and hadn't really clocked Lillian standing there. However Alexi had and in his inexperience called out "Officer on the deck!" which prompted all but Taylor to stand ramrod straight at attention. Instead he turned around to see who it was before his eyes widened. He stood bare naked facing her before he reached for the towel on his bed and put it in front of his crotch, a crimson tinge hitting his face.

"Christ lieutenant don't you knock!" he screamed.

"Isn't he supposed to be at attention?" asked James with a smile. Jenn leaned a little bit to the right as if trying to see past the towel before she stood back again.

"He is. In a manner of speaking."

Scowling Taylor wrapped the towel around him and held it closed before speaking to Lillian. "So...can you tell me why you're standing there oggling me?!"

"At ease, it's fine," the Betazoid said quickly.

Lillian really wanted to be embarrassed right now because she knew that anyone would be, but she was brought up on a planet where such things happened. Sure, she hadn't been expecting it and she was flushed and oddly turned on when she shouldn't be because he was a naked man she had a thing for, but she wasn't about to apologize for not feeling ashamed...was she? Of course he wasn't used to such things and it was only polite of her to feign apologies, right? Except she wasn't sorry...she'd just seen a lot she had been wishing she'd get to since she'd met Taylor for his exam.

"I'm a Betazoid and a doctor, so if nakedness was a problem for me, we'd all be in big trouble," Lillian managed to say though she knew her eyes were straying downward when they shouldn't be and she forced herself to look him in the eye before reaching into the inner pocket of her duty jacket to grab Taylor the report. "I have a report for you from the Captain. It's basically just a bunch of things for you to look over as MCO since you have your squad and everything. Hi, everyone."

She was definitely trying to be friendly since she had wanted to meet them and Taylor had said she could, but she really also needed to keep her eyes up. It was just hard because he was wet and she knew what he looked like without the towel now and she could swear that she was sweating a little and not from nervousness, no...from something entirely different. Then again maybe it was also a little from the foreign feeling of embarrassment as she realized that she might have left the PADD in her office...great. Not only was she failing as the 2XO but she had a feeling that now Taylor was going to think that she just liked to stalk him or something and that was not the impression that she wanted to leave at all.

The squad each 'waved' at her in their own little way as Taylor stammered out some incoherent words. He just stood there in his towel wondering why she couldn't have just forwarded to his terminal. "Gee, thanks Doc." he said before nodding to James. "Get the...get the damn PADD." he ordered. James shook his head before a smile touched his lips. "She doesn't have one...."

His eyes narrowed towards the Betazoid as he shifted from foot to foot. "You didn't bring the PADD. So tell me...did you decide to deliver a meal? Or did you just want to have a word with me because I'll gladly talk to you when I'm not standing in what I entered the world in. Alright? Can you just...I dunno...turn around or something?"

"In my hurry I must have left it in my office," she said honestly but she knew it sounded lame--she had to hope they understood that Betazoids frowned on lying. "Its been a busy morning and I came here straight from the Mess Hall...I should have double checked I had it before coming all the way here."

The impression she was making was undoubtedly bad, but something had her rooted in place because just suddenly leaving also seemed lame. What could she do? She wasn't normally this scatterbrained, but when it came to Taylor Lucas she was all kinds of insane, which she didn't understand at all. Lillian needed to figure something out and quick because all these thoughts were running through her mind right now.

"Betazoids have naked weddings, Captain," she told him bluntly so he knew she'd seen her fair share of nakedness. "Sometimes we all just walk around in what we 'came into the world in' and I've just seen it all, but if it puts your mind at ease..." she said before covering her eyes with her hand. "By all means u--cover yourself." That was a slip unless they assume you said 'uh'...

Once Lillian's eyes were covered Taylor began to dry himself off with the towel, wiping his wet muscles down as he shook his head. "Next time try the door chime? Marines don't believe in modesty but...you're not a marine. You're the CMO. And the 2XO. Seeing senior officers naked isn't actually good for our command and control structure don't you think?"

After he dried himself off Taylor dressed in his duty uniform with his shiny new rank pip on his collar. He was proud of his promotion and had spent a great deal of time polishing the double bars. "Also we never got that drink. I mean I'm a lot more busy since I'm leading a company but maybe one day we could go for it. Dunno when."

If Lillian said she didn't peek, she would be lying. Of course she peeked. She was trying so hard not to feel so sexually charged right now, but the marine was making it really hard on her. Not to mention that she still wanted to have the conversation as far away from the topic of the report as possible because they would all talk when she left, she knew that. People talked. This talk would consist of how obviously she had forgotten the PADD on purpose and she honestly hadn't.

"Sometime soon, I hope," Lillian said with a smile on her face, letting her hand come down when he spoke again, sensing less tension in the air, so she assumed he was clothed now. "After all, I do owe you the drink. Besides, I'm the CMO...that means I've seen pretty much everyone on this station naked and being a Betazoid, it lets me still do my job. Shall we talk about the report, or shall I whisk you away for a non-alcoholic beverage?"

Though seeing you naked might put a kink in my job...

"I uh...could use a coffee..." said Taylor flatly as he left the barracks at speed. He wanted to get out of there before James subjected him to sniping comments. At least he was dressed. That was a bonus. Gently he tugged on Lillian's jacket as he tried to help her escape from the marine squad inside. Taylor hadn't noticed her peeking though since he was more or less rushing himself.

"Sorry for uh...being bare. Marines don't really think about modesty in front of other marines. It's a pretty pointless thing. I didn't really expect you to turn up to give me a report. Frankly I thought you would have been spending time with Ritter and just forwarded it to my terminal. Yeah. I have an office now."

"Coffee is perfect--I love coffee," Lillian said with a smile, though Taylor seemed to really want to get out so she gave a quick wave before letting him tug on her open duty jacket to lead her away. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about...you're an incredibly attractive man."

She didn't know if that sounded like she was seriously scoping him out or not, but at this point just the two of them heading for coffee it didn't really matter. Lillian caught what he said about Max though and found herself stopping them and looking Taylor in the eye with a blush tinting her cheeks because she wondered if Taylor was annoyed about that? What did he think was going on and what did that have to do with anything? She really shouldn't be entertaining thoughts with a man married to his job, but she was so drawn to him that she couldn't stop the words from falling out of her mouth.

"Max and I aren't together, you know," Lillian told Taylor shaking her head. "We're just colleagues, we're not...he and I aren't...if you haven't clocked in on my affections for you yet, you are blind." That said, she continued to go toward the Promenade. "I bet your squad will have something to say about it too, because I clearly was happy with what I just saw and I'm not even going to try and be modest about it even though I'm sure that would make everyone feel more comfortable around me."

"Woah woah...slow down..." said Taylor who walked in front of Lillian and acted like a massive road block. "You're attracted to me? I mean actually attracted? Not schoolyard crush not a 'mmm, tap that' feeling but an actual feeling of attraction?" Disbelief laced his voice as he placed both his hands on the back of his head and blinked. She liked him? Why? I mean sure he figured the comments were a Betazoid thing. Something that they did as part of their racial routine. "Why?"

When Taylor stepped in front of her, Lillian realized that she was going to have to face this right here and right now and she wasn't sure if she was ready for that. All she knew was that the words were spilling out of her mouth before she could stop them but that was normal for her and Taylor Lucas made her crazy--that much she knew. There was so much about him that made her really feel flushed or tongue tied or just plain flustered and she didn't find it fair and she never knew what to do and she just...

"Why is it a shock?" Lillian asked him point blank, looking him in the eye. "I was attracted to you from moment one that we met and I even tried to flirt with you but I got tongue tied and it didn't work and I didn't understand it because that doesn't happen to me! I can flirt with everyone except for you because I try and I get flushed and my stomach starts flip flopping in that way that makes you anxious for what's coming next and I tried to swear you off! You punched me in the nose! You said you were against doctors and I am one! I thought I was going to be fine, but when you're around I know you are and I have to look at you...throw you a smile. I think about you far more than I should and then Thalos happened and you protected me. It didn't matter who I was because I needed you and you were there to help me and I just wanted to get to know more about you and the way you stand up to authority? It's incredibly hot even though it's wrong...it's so wrong because you should show more respect to your commanding officers. To top it off? You brought me ice cream! Why do I like you, Taylor? Because you're kind and heroic and it's adorable that you're so modest when you're so...have you looked at your body? This isn't just some, 'oh, he's cute' and I don't want a quick fumble...I like you...I shouldn't because you're a marine and that makes you married to your job, but I can't help it, okay? I hate feeling like this because you're clearly not attracted to me, but that's how it is! This is why I'm trying so damn hard to at least be your friend so that I can keep you in my life somehow..."

For a moment Taylor just stood there dumbstruck at what to say. A small sigh left his lips as he gained some breath and sense from the bombardment. He decided to keep walking towards the Promenade. He had no idea why she was so smitten over him. Taylor's ego wasn't something that could be stroked nor stimulated. Not because he was incapable of being complimented but merely because he kept a level head when he thought about himself. He knew he was a good marine and a good man but that was all it was. All that Lillian was saying just bounced off of him like water falling from a rock. "Well...I brought you ice cream because I dunno. It seemed like the right thing to do. And I'm just a man. Just one...man. I'm a flawed person and I know it. And I'm obviously not good at this if you're having to spell it out...."

||Starbase 12
||Barracks
||August 27, 2387
||1035


Lillian didn't know why it was her task to go and give this report to Taylor, but she figured that the sooner the better and so she headed into the Barracks with her head held high. She was determined to do this without seeming like a crazy stalker, but she knew that this was part of her job, mingling with other senior officers and she wasn't really prepared for what happened yet. All she knew was that she had entered thinking that she would just hand him the PADD, make small talk and leave, but then she took one look at the wet marine and suddenly she couldn't even breathe.

He was wet and water was dripping down his muscles, fully naked and open to be viewed by anyone who walked in here, which kind of made her a little jealous that anyone could see him like this. Still, she felt her whole body flush and she unintentionally unzipped her duty jacket, because she felt like she was hot and bothered and needed some air. Part of her wanted to just take the situation and make it a positive, but she wasn't sure if that was what she wanted to do...was it? She wasn't supposed to see him like this outside of dreamland in her quarters and his body...God.

Taylor Lucas had an incredibly body.

Along with the influx of marines to the station that he now found himself in charge of, Taylor had been given his advanced recon squad. There was James Corden, a personal friend of Taylor who had been with him through the Dominion War. Then there was the Caitian sniper Erlin Novus and the Starfleet Medical Fleet Corpsman Yemani Jenn who had fought with Taylor on Thesa Prime. Of course they had been much younger but the campaign had given them a bucket loads of experience. Last but not least was the demo/tech-comm expert and relative newcomer to the squad Alexi Petrovic. Despite his young age and relative inexperience he had proven a useful part of the Corps. Taylor was interested to see how he did.

Of course when surrounded by some people who you trust modesty doesn't really come into it. Taylor had been for a water shoulder and hadn't really clocked Lillian standing there. However Alexi had and in his inexperience called out "Officer on the deck!" which prompted all but Taylor to stand ramrod straight at attention. Instead he turned around to see who it was before his eyes widened. He stood bare naked facing her before he reached for the towel on his bed and put it in front of his crotch, a crimson tinge hitting his face.

"Christ lieutenant don't you knock!" he screamed.

"Isn't he supposed to be at attention?" asked James with a smile. Jenn leaned a little bit to the right as if trying to see past the towel before she stood back again.

"He is. In a manner of speaking."

Scowling Taylor wrapped the towel around him and held it closed before speaking to Lillian. "So...can you tell me why you're standing there oggling me?!"

"At ease, it's fine," the Betazoid said quickly.

Lillian really wanted to be embarrassed right now because she knew that anyone would be, but she was brought up on a planet where such things happened. Sure, she hadn't been expecting it and she was flushed and oddly turned on when she shouldn't be because he was a naked man she had a thing for, but she wasn't about to apologize for not feeling ashamed...was she? Of course he wasn't used to such things and it was only polite of her to feign apologies, right? Except she wasn't sorry...she'd just seen a lot she had been wishing she'd get to since she'd met Taylor for his exam.

"I'm a Betazoid and a doctor, so if nakedness was a problem for me, we'd all be in big trouble," Lillian managed to say though she knew her eyes were straying downward when they shouldn't be and she forced herself to look him in the eye before reaching into the inner pocket of her duty jacket to grab Taylor the report. "I have a report for you from the Captain. It's basically just a bunch of things for you to look over as MCO since you have your squad and everything. Hi, everyone."

She was definitely trying to be friendly since she had wanted to meet them and Taylor had said she could, but she really also needed to keep her eyes up. It was just hard because he was wet and she knew what he looked like without the towel now and she could swear that she was sweating a little and not from nervousness, no...from something entirely different. Then again maybe it was also a little from the foreign feeling of embarrassment as she realized that she might have left the PADD in her office...great. Not only was she failing as the 2XO but she had a feeling that now Taylor was going to think that she just liked to stalk him or something and that was not the impression that she wanted to leave at all.

The squad each 'waved' at her in their own little way as Taylor stammered out some incoherent words. He just stood there in his towel wondering why she couldn't have just forwarded to his terminal. "Gee, thanks Doc." he said before nodding to James. "Get the...get the damn PADD." he ordered. James shook his head before a smile touched his lips. "She doesn't have one...."

His eyes narrowed towards the Betazoid as he shifted from foot to foot. "You didn't bring the PADD. So tell me...did you decide to deliver a meal? Or did you just want to have a word with me because I'll gladly talk to you when I'm not standing in what I entered the world in. Alright? Can you just...I dunno...turn around or something?"

"In my hurry I must have left it in my office," she said honestly but she knew it sounded lame--she had to hope they understood that Betazoids frowned on lying. "Its been a busy morning and I came here straight from the Mess Hall...I should have double checked I had it before coming all the way here."

The impression she was making was undoubtedly bad, but something had her rooted in place because just suddenly leaving also seemed lame. What could she do? She wasn't normally this scatterbrained, but when it came to Taylor Lucas she was all kinds of insane, which she didn't understand at all. Lillian needed to figure something out and quick because all these thoughts were running through her mind right now.

"Betazoids have naked weddings, Captain," she told him bluntly so he knew she'd seen her fair share of nakedness. "Sometimes we all just walk around in what we 'came into the world in' and I've just seen it all, but if it puts your mind at ease..." she said before covering her eyes with her hand. "By all means u--cover yourself." That was a slip unless they assume you said 'uh'...

Once Lillian's eyes were covered Taylor began to dry himself off with the towel, wiping his wet muscles down as he shook his head. "Next time try the door chime? Marines don't believe in modesty but...you're not a marine. You're the CMO. And the 2XO. Seeing senior officers naked isn't actually good for our command and control structure don't you think?"

After he dried himself off Taylor dressed in his duty uniform with his shiny new rank pip on his collar. He was proud of his promotion and had spent a great deal of time polishing the double bars. "Also we never got that drink. I mean I'm a lot more busy since I'm leading a company but maybe one day we could go for it. Dunno when."

If Lillian said she didn't peek, she would be lying. Of course she peeked. She was trying so hard not to feel so sexually charged right now, but the marine was making it really hard on her. Not to mention that she still wanted to have the conversation as far away from the topic of the report as possible because they would all talk when she left, she knew that. People talked. This talk would consist of how obviously she had forgotten the PADD on purpose and she honestly hadn't.

"Sometime soon, I hope," Lillian said with a smile on her face, letting her hand come down when he spoke again, sensing less tension in the air, so she assumed he was clothed now. "After all, I do owe you the drink. Besides, I'm the CMO...that means I've seen pretty much everyone on this station naked and being a Betazoid, it lets me still do my job. Shall we talk about the report, or shall I whisk you away for a non-alcoholic beverage?"

Though seeing you naked might put a kink in my job...

"I uh...could use a coffee..." said Taylor flatly as he left the barracks at speed. He wanted to get out of there before James subjected him to sniping comments. At least he was dressed. That was a bonus. Gently he tugged on Lillian's jacket as he tried to help her escape from the marine squad inside. Taylor hadn't noticed her peeking though since he was more or less rushing himself.

"Sorry for uh...being bare. Marines don't really think about modesty in front of other marines. It's a pretty pointless thing. I didn't really expect you to turn up to give me a report. Frankly I thought you would have been spending time with Ritter and just forwarded it to my terminal. Yeah. I have an office now."

"Coffee is perfect--I love coffee," Lillian said with a smile, though Taylor seemed to really want to get out so she gave a quick wave before letting him tug on her open duty jacket to lead her away. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about...you're an incredibly attractive man."

She didn't know if that sounded like she was seriously scoping him out or not, but at this point just the two of them heading for coffee it didn't really matter. Lillian caught what he said about Max though and found herself stopping them and looking Taylor in the eye with a blush tinting her cheeks because she wondered if Taylor was annoyed about that? What did he think was going on and what did that have to do with anything? She really shouldn't be entertaining thoughts with a man married to his job, but she was so drawn to him that she couldn't stop the words from falling out of her mouth.

"Max and I aren't together, you know," Lillian told Taylor shaking her head. "We're just colleagues, we're not...he and I aren't...if you haven't clocked in on my affections for you yet, you are blind." That said, she continued to go toward the Promenade. "I bet your squad will have something to say about it too, because I clearly was happy with what I just saw and I'm not even going to try and be modest about it even though I'm sure that would make everyone feel more comfortable around me."

"Woah woah...slow down..." said Taylor who walked in front of Lillian and acted like a massive road block. "You're attracted to me? I mean actually attracted? Not schoolyard crush not a 'mmm, tap that' feeling but an actual feeling of attraction?" Disbelief laced his voice as he placed both his hands on the back of his head and blinked. She liked him? Why? I mean sure he figured the comments were a Betazoid thing. Something that they did as part of their racial routine. "Why?"

When Taylor stepped in front of her, Lillian realized that she was going to have to face this right here and right now and she wasn't sure if she was ready for that. All she knew was that the words were spilling out of her mouth before she could stop them but that was normal for her and Taylor Lucas made her crazy--that much she knew. There was so much about him that made her really feel flushed or tongue tied or just plain flustered and she didn't find it fair and she never knew what to do and she just...

"Why is it a shock?" Lillian asked him point blank, looking him in the eye. "I was attracted to you from moment one that we met and I even tried to flirt with you but I got tongue tied and it didn't work and I didn't understand it because that doesn't happen to me! I can flirt with everyone except for you because I try and I get flushed and my stomach starts flip flopping in that way that makes you anxious for what's coming next and I tried to swear you off! You punched me in the nose! You said you were against doctors and I am one! I thought I was going to be fine, but when you're around I know you are and I have to look at you...throw you a smile. I think about you far more than I should and then Thalos happened and you protected me. It didn't matter who I was because I needed you and you were there to help me and I just wanted to get to know more about you and the way you stand up to authority? It's incredibly hot even though it's wrong...it's so wrong because you should show more respect to your commanding officers. To top it off? You brought me ice cream! Why do I like you, Taylor? Because you're kind and heroic and it's adorable that you're so modest when you're so...have you looked at your body? This isn't just some, 'oh, he's cute' and I don't want a quick fumble...I like you...I shouldn't because you're a marine and that makes you married to your job, but I can't help it, okay? I hate feeling like this because you're clearly not attracted to me, but that's how it is! This is why I'm trying so damn hard to at least be your friend so that I can keep you in my life somehow..."

For a moment Taylor just stood there dumbstruck at what to say. A small sigh left his lips as he gained some breath and sense from the bombardment. He decided to keep walking towards the Promenade. He had no idea why she was so smitten over him. Taylor's ego wasn't something that could be stroked nor stimulated. Not because he was incapable of being complimented but merely because he kept a level head when he thought about himself. He knew he was a good marine and a good man but that was all it was. All that Lillian was saying just bounced off of him like water falling from a rock. "Well...I brought you ice cream because I dunno. It seemed like the right thing to do. And I'm just a man. Just one...man. I'm a flawed person and I know it. And I'm obviously not good at this if you're having to spell it out...."

"It doesn't matter," Lillian found herself saying as she continued to the Promenade with him. "You're not attracted to me, so we're just friends and eventually I'm sure the feelings will go away so that you'll feel less uncomfortable around me because all I seem to do is make you uncomfortable with my presence." She took a deep breath to keep the disappointment at bay, but she'd seen this coming and she just needed to make sure to push the feelings down harder, muttering to herself and not sure if he could hear it or not. "This is why I don't have relationships because I like unattainable men and they're always uninterested in what I have to give."

Taking a deep breath, she took him to her favorite Betazoid diner and sat down at a booth. "You know, you can opt out if you want to. You don't have to sit with me, or have coffee with me or talk to me. I know I make you feel awkward and if it helps to be as far away from me as possible. I won't even be offended," okay, maybe a little bit, "I just...when I get nervous and flustered I spew words all over the place and I shouldn't have made you endure that."

||Starbase 12
||Barracks
||August 27, 2387
||1035


Lillian didn't know why it was her task to go and give this report to Taylor, but she figured that the sooner the better and so she headed into the Barracks with her head held high. She was determined to do this without seeming like a crazy stalker, but she knew that this was part of her job, mingling with other senior officers and she wasn't really prepared for what happened yet. All she knew was that she had entered thinking that she would just hand him the PADD, make small talk and leave, but then she took one look at the wet marine and suddenly she couldn't even breathe.

He was wet and water was dripping down his muscles, fully naked and open to be viewed by anyone who walked in here, which kind of made her a little jealous that anyone could see him like this. Still, she felt her whole body flush and she unintentionally unzipped her duty jacket, because she felt like she was hot and bothered and needed some air. Part of her wanted to just take the situation and make it a positive, but she wasn't sure if that was what she wanted to do...was it? She wasn't supposed to see him like this outside of dreamland in her quarters and his body...God.

Taylor Lucas had an incredibly body.

Along with the influx of marines to the station that he now found himself in charge of, Taylor had been given his advanced recon squad. There was James Corden, a personal friend of Taylor who had been with him through the Dominion War. Then there was the Caitian sniper Erlin Novus and the Starfleet Medical Fleet Corpsman Yemani Jenn who had fought with Taylor on Thesa Prime. Of course they had been much younger but the campaign had given them a bucket loads of experience. Last but not least was the demo/tech-comm expert and relative newcomer to the squad Alexi Petrovic. Despite his young age and relative inexperience he had proven a useful part of the Corps. Taylor was interested to see how he did.

Of course when surrounded by some people who you trust modesty doesn't really come into it. Taylor had been for a water shoulder and hadn't really clocked Lillian standing there. However Alexi had and in his inexperience called out "Officer on the deck!" which prompted all but Taylor to stand ramrod straight at attention. Instead he turned around to see who it was before his eyes widened. He stood bare naked facing her before he reached for the towel on his bed and put it in front of his crotch, a crimson tinge hitting his face.

"Christ lieutenant don't you knock!" he screamed.

"Isn't he supposed to be at attention?" asked James with a smile. Jenn leaned a little bit to the right as if trying to see past the towel before she stood back again.

"He is. In a manner of speaking."

Scowling Taylor wrapped the towel around him and held it closed before speaking to Lillian. "So...can you tell me why you're standing there oggling me?!"

"At ease, it's fine," the Betazoid said quickly.

Lillian really wanted to be embarrassed right now because she knew that anyone would be, but she was brought up on a planet where such things happened. Sure, she hadn't been expecting it and she was flushed and oddly turned on when she shouldn't be because he was a naked man she had a thing for, but she wasn't about to apologize for not feeling ashamed...was she? Of course he wasn't used to such things and it was only polite of her to feign apologies, right? Except she wasn't sorry...she'd just seen a lot she had been wishing she'd get to since she'd met Taylor for his exam.

"I'm a Betazoid and a doctor, so if nakedness was a problem for me, we'd all be in big trouble," Lillian managed to say though she knew her eyes were straying downward when they shouldn't be and she forced herself to look him in the eye before reaching into the inner pocket of her duty jacket to grab Taylor the report. "I have a report for you from the Captain. It's basically just a bunch of things for you to look over as MCO since you have your squad and everything. Hi, everyone."

She was definitely trying to be friendly since she had wanted to meet them and Taylor had said she could, but she really also needed to keep her eyes up. It was just hard because he was wet and she knew what he looked like without the towel now and she could swear that she was sweating a little and not from nervousness, no...from something entirely different. Then again maybe it was also a little from the foreign feeling of embarrassment as she realized that she might have left the PADD in her office...great. Not only was she failing as the 2XO but she had a feeling that now Taylor was going to think that she just liked to stalk him or something and that was not the impression that she wanted to leave at all.

The squad each 'waved' at her in their own little way as Taylor stammered out some incoherent words. He just stood there in his towel wondering why she couldn't have just forwarded to his terminal. "Gee, thanks Doc." he said before nodding to James. "Get the...get the damn PADD." he ordered. James shook his head before a smile touched his lips. "She doesn't have one...."

His eyes narrowed towards the Betazoid as he shifted from foot to foot. "You didn't bring the PADD. So tell me...did you decide to deliver a meal? Or did you just want to have a word with me because I'll gladly talk to you when I'm not standing in what I entered the world in. Alright? Can you just...I dunno...turn around or something?"

"In my hurry I must have left it in my office," she said honestly but she knew it sounded lame--she had to hope they understood that Betazoids frowned on lying. "Its been a busy morning and I came here straight from the Mess Hall...I should have double checked I had it before coming all the way here."

The impression she was making was undoubtedly bad, but something had her rooted in place because just suddenly leaving also seemed lame. What could she do? She wasn't normally this scatterbrained, but when it came to Taylor Lucas she was all kinds of insane, which she didn't understand at all. Lillian needed to figure something out and quick because all these thoughts were running through her mind right now.

"Betazoids have naked weddings, Captain," she told him bluntly so he knew she'd seen her fair share of nakedness. "Sometimes we all just walk around in what we 'came into the world in' and I've just seen it all, but if it puts your mind at ease..." she said before covering her eyes with her hand. "By all means u--cover yourself." That was a slip unless they assume you said 'uh'...

Once Lillian's eyes were covered Taylor began to dry himself off with the towel, wiping his wet muscles down as he shook his head. "Next time try the door chime? Marines don't believe in modesty but...you're not a marine. You're the CMO. And the 2XO. Seeing senior officers naked isn't actually good for our command and control structure don't you think?"

After he dried himself off Taylor dressed in his duty uniform with his shiny new rank pip on his collar. He was proud of his promotion and had spent a great deal of time polishing the double bars. "Also we never got that drink. I mean I'm a lot more busy since I'm leading a company but maybe one day we could go for it. Dunno when."

If Lillian said she didn't peek, she would be lying. Of course she peeked. She was trying so hard not to feel so sexually charged right now, but the marine was making it really hard on her. Not to mention that she still wanted to have the conversation as far away from the topic of the report as possible because they would all talk when she left, she knew that. People talked. This talk would consist of how obviously she had forgotten the PADD on purpose and she honestly hadn't.

"Sometime soon, I hope," Lillian said with a smile on her face, letting her hand come down when he spoke again, sensing less tension in the air, so she assumed he was clothed now. "After all, I do owe you the drink. Besides, I'm the CMO...that means I've seen pretty much everyone on this station naked and being a Betazoid, it lets me still do my job. Shall we talk about the report, or shall I whisk you away for a non-alcoholic beverage?"

Though seeing you naked might put a kink in my job...

"I uh...could use a coffee..." said Taylor flatly as he left the barracks at speed. He wanted to get out of there before James subjected him to sniping comments. At least he was dressed. That was a bonus. Gently he tugged on Lillian's jacket as he tried to help her escape from the marine squad inside. Taylor hadn't noticed her peeking though since he was more or less rushing himself.

"Sorry for uh...being bare. Marines don't really think about modesty in front of other marines. It's a pretty pointless thing. I didn't really expect you to turn up to give me a report. Frankly I thought you would have been spending time with Ritter and just forwarded it to my terminal. Yeah. I have an office now."

"Coffee is perfect--I love coffee," Lillian said with a smile, though Taylor seemed to really want to get out so she gave a quick wave before letting him tug on her open duty jacket to lead her away. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about...you're an incredibly attractive man."

She didn't know if that sounded like she was seriously scoping him out or not, but at this point just the two of them heading for coffee it didn't really matter. Lillian caught what he said about Max though and found herself stopping them and looking Taylor in the eye with a blush tinting her cheeks because she wondered if Taylor was annoyed about that? What did he think was going on and what did that have to do with anything? She really shouldn't be entertaining thoughts with a man married to his job, but she was so drawn to him that she couldn't stop the words from falling out of her mouth.

"Max and I aren't together, you know," Lillian told Taylor shaking her head. "We're just colleagues, we're not...he and I aren't...if you haven't clocked in on my affections for you yet, you are blind." That said, she continued to go toward the Promenade. "I bet your squad will have something to say about it too, because I clearly was happy with what I just saw and I'm not even going to try and be modest about it even though I'm sure that would make everyone feel more comfortable around me."

"Woah woah...slow down..." said Taylor who walked in front of Lillian and acted like a massive road block. "You're attracted to me? I mean actually attracted? Not schoolyard crush not a 'mmm, tap that' feeling but an actual feeling of attraction?" Disbelief laced his voice as he placed both his hands on the back of his head and blinked. She liked him? Why? I mean sure he figured the comments were a Betazoid thing. Something that they did as part of their racial routine. "Why?"

When Taylor stepped in front of her, Lillian realized that she was going to have to face this right here and right now and she wasn't sure if she was ready for that. All she knew was that the words were spilling out of her mouth before she could stop them but that was normal for her and Taylor Lucas made her crazy--that much she knew. There was so much about him that made her really feel flushed or tongue tied or just plain flustered and she didn't find it fair and she never knew what to do and she just...

"Why is it a shock?" Lillian asked him point blank, looking him in the eye. "I was attracted to you from moment one that we met and I even tried to flirt with you but I got tongue tied and it didn't work and I didn't understand it because that doesn't happen to me! I can flirt with everyone except for you because I try and I get flushed and my stomach starts flip flopping in that way that makes you anxious for what's coming next and I tried to swear you off! You punched me in the nose! You said you were against doctors and I am one! I thought I was going to be fine, but when you're around I know you are and I have to look at you...throw you a smile. I think about you far more than I should and then Thalos happened and you protected me. It didn't matter who I was because I needed you and you were there to help me and I just wanted to get to know more about you and the way you stand up to authority? It's incredibly hot even though it's wrong...it's so wrong because you should show more respect to your commanding officers. To top it off? You brought me ice cream! Why do I like you, Taylor? Because you're kind and heroic and it's adorable that you're so modest when you're so...have you looked at your body? This isn't just some, 'oh, he's cute' and I don't want a quick fumble...I like you...I shouldn't because you're a marine and that makes you married to your job, but I can't help it, okay? I hate feeling like this because you're clearly not attracted to me, but that's how it is! This is why I'm trying so damn hard to at least be your friend so that I can keep you in my life somehow..."

For a moment Taylor just stood there dumbstruck at what to say. A small sigh left his lips as he gained some breath and sense from the bombardment. He decided to keep walking towards the Promenade. He had no idea why she was so smitten over him. Taylor's ego wasn't something that could be stroked nor stimulated. Not because he was incapable of being complimented but merely because he kept a level head when he thought about himself. He knew he was a good marine and a good man but that was all it was. All that Lillian was saying just bounced off of him like water falling from a rock. "Well...I brought you ice cream because I dunno. It seemed like the right thing to do. And I'm just a man. Just one...man. I'm a flawed person and I know it. And I'm obviously not good at this if you're having to spell it out...."

"It doesn't matter," Lillian found herself saying as she continued to the Promenade with him. "You're not attracted to me, so we're just friends and eventually I'm sure the feelings will go away so that you'll feel less uncomfortable around me because all I seem to do is make you uncomfortable with my presence." She took a deep breath to keep the disappointment at bay, but she'd seen this coming and she just needed to make sure to push the feelings down harder, muttering to herself and not sure if he could hear it or not. "This is why I don't have relationships because I like unattainable men and they're always uninterested in what I have to give."

Taking a deep breath, she took him to her favorite Betazoid diner and sat down at a booth. "You know, you can opt out if you want to. You don't have to sit with me, or have coffee with me or talk to me. I know I make you feel awkward and if it helps to be as far away from me as possible. I won't even be offended," okay, maybe a little bit, "I just...when I get nervous and flustered I spew words all over the place and I shouldn't have made you endure that."

"Yeah listen to you admit your love and admiration for me was really tough to endure." said Taylor sarcastically. "I'm not uninterested it's just that a relationship isn't exactly high on my list right now. I've got an entire marine company to sort out, Ritter is probably plotting my demise and now God alone knows what else I've got on my plate. It's nothing to do with you. You're gorgeous, quirky...I'm also sure you're clinically insane somehow but you're a wonderful woman. I don't want to opt out because at no point in time did I find you annoying. If I did have strained patience its because the things around me were causing it. Besides...I'm still here aren't I?"

||Starbase 12
||Barracks
||August 27, 2387
||1035


Lillian didn't know why it was her task to go and give this report to Taylor, but she figured that the sooner the better and so she headed into the Barracks with her head held high. She was determined to do this without seeming like a crazy stalker, but she knew that this was part of her job, mingling with other senior officers and she wasn't really prepared for what happened yet. All she knew was that she had entered thinking that she would just hand him the PADD, make small talk and leave, but then she took one look at the wet marine and suddenly she couldn't even breathe.

He was wet and water was dripping down his muscles, fully naked and open to be viewed by anyone who walked in here, which kind of made her a little jealous that anyone could see him like this. Still, she felt her whole body flush and she unintentionally unzipped her duty jacket, because she felt like she was hot and bothered and needed some air. Part of her wanted to just take the situation and make it a positive, but she wasn't sure if that was what she wanted to do...was it? She wasn't supposed to see him like this outside of dreamland in her quarters and his body...God.

Taylor Lucas had an incredibly body.

Along with the influx of marines to the station that he now found himself in charge of, Taylor had been given his advanced recon squad. There was James Corden, a personal friend of Taylor who had been with him through the Dominion War. Then there was the Caitian sniper Erlin Novus and the Starfleet Medical Fleet Corpsman Yemani Jenn who had fought with Taylor on Thesa Prime. Of course they had been much younger but the campaign had given them a bucket loads of experience. Last but not least was the demo/tech-comm expert and relative newcomer to the squad Alexi Petrovic. Despite his young age and relative inexperience he had proven a useful part of the Corps. Taylor was interested to see how he did.

Of course when surrounded by some people who you trust modesty doesn't really come into it. Taylor had been for a water shoulder and hadn't really clocked Lillian standing there. However Alexi had and in his inexperience called out "Officer on the deck!" which prompted all but Taylor to stand ramrod straight at attention. Instead he turned around to see who it was before his eyes widened. He stood bare naked facing her before he reached for the towel on his bed and put it in front of his crotch, a crimson tinge hitting his face.

"Christ lieutenant don't you knock!" he screamed.

"Isn't he supposed to be at attention?" asked James with a smile. Jenn leaned a little bit to the right as if trying to see past the towel before she stood back again.

"He is. In a manner of speaking."

Scowling Taylor wrapped the towel around him and held it closed before speaking to Lillian. "So...can you tell me why you're standing there oggling me?!"

"At ease, it's fine," the Betazoid said quickly.

Lillian really wanted to be embarrassed right now because she knew that anyone would be, but she was brought up on a planet where such things happened. Sure, she hadn't been expecting it and she was flushed and oddly turned on when she shouldn't be because he was a naked man she had a thing for, but she wasn't about to apologize for not feeling ashamed...was she? Of course he wasn't used to such things and it was only polite of her to feign apologies, right? Except she wasn't sorry...she'd just seen a lot she had been wishing she'd get to since she'd met Taylor for his exam.

"I'm a Betazoid and a doctor, so if nakedness was a problem for me, we'd all be in big trouble," Lillian managed to say though she knew her eyes were straying downward when they shouldn't be and she forced herself to look him in the eye before reaching into the inner pocket of her duty jacket to grab Taylor the report. "I have a report for you from the Captain. It's basically just a bunch of things for you to look over as MCO since you have your squad and everything. Hi, everyone."

She was definitely trying to be friendly since she had wanted to meet them and Taylor had said she could, but she really also needed to keep her eyes up. It was just hard because he was wet and she knew what he looked like without the towel now and she could swear that she was sweating a little and not from nervousness, no...from something entirely different. Then again maybe it was also a little from the foreign feeling of embarrassment as she realized that she might have left the PADD in her office...great. Not only was she failing as the 2XO but she had a feeling that now Taylor was going to think that she just liked to stalk him or something and that was not the impression that she wanted to leave at all.

The squad each 'waved' at her in their own little way as Taylor stammered out some incoherent words. He just stood there in his towel wondering why she couldn't have just forwarded to his terminal. "Gee, thanks Doc." he said before nodding to James. "Get the...get the damn PADD." he ordered. James shook his head before a smile touched his lips. "She doesn't have one...."

His eyes narrowed towards the Betazoid as he shifted from foot to foot. "You didn't bring the PADD. So tell me...did you decide to deliver a meal? Or did you just want to have a word with me because I'll gladly talk to you when I'm not standing in what I entered the world in. Alright? Can you just...I dunno...turn around or something?"

"In my hurry I must have left it in my office," she said honestly but she knew it sounded lame--she had to hope they understood that Betazoids frowned on lying. "Its been a busy morning and I came here straight from the Mess Hall...I should have double checked I had it before coming all the way here."

The impression she was making was undoubtedly bad, but something had her rooted in place because just suddenly leaving also seemed lame. What could she do? She wasn't normally this scatterbrained, but when it came to Taylor Lucas she was all kinds of insane, which she didn't understand at all. Lillian needed to figure something out and quick because all these thoughts were running through her mind right now.

"Betazoids have naked weddings, Captain," she told him bluntly so he knew she'd seen her fair share of nakedness. "Sometimes we all just walk around in what we 'came into the world in' and I've just seen it all, but if it puts your mind at ease..." she said before covering her eyes with her hand. "By all means u--cover yourself." That was a slip unless they assume you said 'uh'...

Once Lillian's eyes were covered Taylor began to dry himself off with the towel, wiping his wet muscles down as he shook his head. "Next time try the door chime? Marines don't believe in modesty but...you're not a marine. You're the CMO. And the 2XO. Seeing senior officers naked isn't actually good for our command and control structure don't you think?"

After he dried himself off Taylor dressed in his duty uniform with his shiny new rank pip on his collar. He was proud of his promotion and had spent a great deal of time polishing the double bars. "Also we never got that drink. I mean I'm a lot more busy since I'm leading a company but maybe one day we could go for it. Dunno when."

If Lillian said she didn't peek, she would be lying. Of course she peeked. She was trying so hard not to feel so sexually charged right now, but the marine was making it really hard on her. Not to mention that she still wanted to have the conversation as far away from the topic of the report as possible because they would all talk when she left, she knew that. People talked. This talk would consist of how obviously she had forgotten the PADD on purpose and she honestly hadn't.

"Sometime soon, I hope," Lillian said with a smile on her face, letting her hand come down when he spoke again, sensing less tension in the air, so she assumed he was clothed now. "After all, I do owe you the drink. Besides, I'm the CMO...that means I've seen pretty much everyone on this station naked and being a Betazoid, it lets me still do my job. Shall we talk about the report, or shall I whisk you away for a non-alcoholic beverage?"

Though seeing you naked might put a kink in my job...

"I uh...could use a coffee..." said Taylor flatly as he left the barracks at speed. He wanted to get out of there before James subjected him to sniping comments. At least he was dressed. That was a bonus. Gently he tugged on Lillian's jacket as he tried to help her escape from the marine squad inside. Taylor hadn't noticed her peeking though since he was more or less rushing himself.

"Sorry for uh...being bare. Marines don't really think about modesty in front of other marines. It's a pretty pointless thing. I didn't really expect you to turn up to give me a report. Frankly I thought you would have been spending time with Ritter and just forwarded it to my terminal. Yeah. I have an office now."

"Coffee is perfect--I love coffee," Lillian said with a smile, though Taylor seemed to really want to get out so she gave a quick wave before letting him tug on her open duty jacket to lead her away. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about...you're an incredibly attractive man."

She didn't know if that sounded like she was seriously scoping him out or not, but at this point just the two of them heading for coffee it didn't really matter. Lillian caught what he said about Max though and found herself stopping them and looking Taylor in the eye with a blush tinting her cheeks because she wondered if Taylor was annoyed about that? What did he think was going on and what did that have to do with anything? She really shouldn't be entertaining thoughts with a man married to his job, but she was so drawn to him that she couldn't stop the words from falling out of her mouth.

"Max and I aren't together, you know," Lillian told Taylor shaking her head. "We're just colleagues, we're not...he and I aren't...if you haven't clocked in on my affections for you yet, you are blind." That said, she continued to go toward the Promenade. "I bet your squad will have something to say about it too, because I clearly was happy with what I just saw and I'm not even going to try and be modest about it even though I'm sure that would make everyone feel more comfortable around me."

"Woah woah...slow down..." said Taylor who walked in front of Lillian and acted like a massive road block. "You're attracted to me? I mean actually attracted? Not schoolyard crush not a 'mmm, tap that' feeling but an actual feeling of attraction?" Disbelief laced his voice as he placed both his hands on the back of his head and blinked. She liked him? Why? I mean sure he figured the comments were a Betazoid thing. Something that they did as part of their racial routine. "Why?"

When Taylor stepped in front of her, Lillian realized that she was going to have to face this right here and right now and she wasn't sure if she was ready for that. All she knew was that the words were spilling out of her mouth before she could stop them but that was normal for her and Taylor Lucas made her crazy--that much she knew. There was so much about him that made her really feel flushed or tongue tied or just plain flustered and she didn't find it fair and she never knew what to do and she just...

"Why is it a shock?" Lillian asked him point blank, looking him in the eye. "I was attracted to you from moment one that we met and I even tried to flirt with you but I got tongue tied and it didn't work and I didn't understand it because that doesn't happen to me! I can flirt with everyone except for you because I try and I get flushed and my stomach starts flip flopping in that way that makes you anxious for what's coming next and I tried to swear you off! You punched me in the nose! You said you were against doctors and I am one! I thought I was going to be fine, but when you're around I know you are and I have to look at you...throw you a smile. I think about you far more than I should and then Thalos happened and you protected me. It didn't matter who I was because I needed you and you were there to help me and I just wanted to get to know more about you and the way you stand up to authority? It's incredibly hot even though it's wrong...it's so wrong because you should show more respect to your commanding officers. To top it off? You brought me ice cream! Why do I like you, Taylor? Because you're kind and heroic and it's adorable that you're so modest when you're so...have you looked at your body? This isn't just some, 'oh, he's cute' and I don't want a quick fumble...I like you...I shouldn't because you're a marine and that makes you married to your job, but I can't help it, okay? I hate feeling like this because you're clearly not attracted to me, but that's how it is! This is why I'm trying so damn hard to at least be your friend so that I can keep you in my life somehow..."

For a moment Taylor just stood there dumbstruck at what to say. A small sigh left his lips as he gained some breath and sense from the bombardment. He decided to keep walking towards the Promenade. He had no idea why she was so smitten over him. Taylor's ego wasn't something that could be stroked nor stimulated. Not because he was incapable of being complimented but merely because he kept a level head when he thought about himself. He knew he was a good marine and a good man but that was all it was. All that Lillian was saying just bounced off of him like water falling from a rock. "Well...I brought you ice cream because I dunno. It seemed like the right thing to do. And I'm just a man. Just one...man. I'm a flawed person and I know it. And I'm obviously not good at this if you're having to spell it out...."

"It doesn't matter," Lillian found herself saying as she continued to the Promenade with him. "You're not attracted to me, so we're just friends and eventually I'm sure the feelings will go away so that you'll feel less uncomfortable around me because all I seem to do is make you uncomfortable with my presence." She took a deep breath to keep the disappointment at bay, but she'd seen this coming and she just needed to make sure to push the feelings down harder, muttering to herself and not sure if he could hear it or not. "This is why I don't have relationships because I like unattainable men and they're always uninterested in what I have to give."

Taking a deep breath, she took him to her favorite Betazoid diner and sat down at a booth. "You know, you can opt out if you want to. You don't have to sit with me, or have coffee with me or talk to me. I know I make you feel awkward and if it helps to be as far away from me as possible. I won't even be offended," okay, maybe a little bit, "I just...when I get nervous and flustered I spew words all over the place and I shouldn't have made you endure that."

"Yeah listen to you admit your love and admiration for me was really tough to endure." said Taylor sarcastically. "I'm not uninterested it's just that a relationship isn't exactly high on my list right now. I've got an entire marine company to sort out, Ritter is probably plotting my demise and now God alone knows what else I've got on my plate. It's nothing to do with you. You're gorgeous, quirky...I'm also sure you're clinically insane somehow but you're a wonderful woman. I don't want to opt out because at no point in time did I find you annoying. If I did have strained patience its because the things around me were causing it. Besides...I'm still here aren't I?"

"I didn't say 'love'," Lillian told him blushing more--that word seemed to drive men away and fast. "Admiration, however, yes...I've grown very fond of you."

She was rather caught off guard when he called her 'gorgeous' and 'wonderful', smiling a little bit and laughing when he said 'clinically insane' because she pretty much felt clinically insane when she was around him. He affected her in unexpected ways and he was giving her hope right now she hadn't thought she was going to get earlier when he walked off because he was telling her that he was still here and he didn't find her annoying but he was focused on work. That she knew about him already and she understood and yet it made her wonder what she was doing because he was married to his job and it would always be his priority and being second wasn't high up on her list.

"Yeah, you're still here," Lillian said with a smile on her face. "I appreciate that and I'll take what I can get because I do really like you and I your company is nice. Also your marines...it would be nice to meet them under better circumstances--think we can make that happen?"

||Starbase 12
||Barracks
||August 27, 2387
||1035


Lillian didn't know why it was her task to go and give this report to Taylor, but she figured that the sooner the better and so she headed into the Barracks with her head held high. She was determined to do this without seeming like a crazy stalker, but she knew that this was part of her job, mingling with other senior officers and she wasn't really prepared for what happened yet. All she knew was that she had entered thinking that she would just hand him the PADD, make small talk and leave, but then she took one look at the wet marine and suddenly she couldn't even breathe.

He was wet and water was dripping down his muscles, fully naked and open to be viewed by anyone who walked in here, which kind of made her a little jealous that anyone could see him like this. Still, she felt her whole body flush and she unintentionally unzipped her duty jacket, because she felt like she was hot and bothered and needed some air. Part of her wanted to just take the situation and make it a positive, but she wasn't sure if that was what she wanted to do...was it? She wasn't supposed to see him like this outside of dreamland in her quarters and his body...God.

Taylor Lucas had an incredibly body.

Along with the influx of marines to the station that he now found himself in charge of, Taylor had been given his advanced recon squad. There was James Corden, a personal friend of Taylor who had been with him through the Dominion War. Then there was the Caitian sniper Erlin Novus and the Starfleet Medical Fleet Corpsman Yemani Jenn who had fought with Taylor on Thesa Prime. Of course they had been much younger but the campaign had given them a bucket loads of experience. Last but not least was the demo/tech-comm expert and relative newcomer to the squad Alexi Petrovic. Despite his young age and relative inexperience he had proven a useful part of the Corps. Taylor was interested to see how he did.

Of course when surrounded by some people who you trust modesty doesn't really come into it. Taylor had been for a water shoulder and hadn't really clocked Lillian standing there. However Alexi had and in his inexperience called out "Officer on the deck!" which prompted all but Taylor to stand ramrod straight at attention. Instead he turned around to see who it was before his eyes widened. He stood bare naked facing her before he reached for the towel on his bed and put it in front of his crotch, a crimson tinge hitting his face.

"Christ lieutenant don't you knock!" he screamed.

"Isn't he supposed to be at attention?" asked James with a smile. Jenn leaned a little bit to the right as if trying to see past the towel before she stood back again.

"He is. In a manner of speaking."

Scowling Taylor wrapped the towel around him and held it closed before speaking to Lillian. "So...can you tell me why you're standing there oggling me?!"

"At ease, it's fine," the Betazoid said quickly.

Lillian really wanted to be embarrassed right now because she knew that anyone would be, but she was brought up on a planet where such things happened. Sure, she hadn't been expecting it and she was flushed and oddly turned on when she shouldn't be because he was a naked man she had a thing for, but she wasn't about to apologize for not feeling ashamed...was she? Of course he wasn't used to such things and it was only polite of her to feign apologies, right? Except she wasn't sorry...she'd just seen a lot she had been wishing she'd get to since she'd met Taylor for his exam.

"I'm a Betazoid and a doctor, so if nakedness was a problem for me, we'd all be in big trouble," Lillian managed to say though she knew her eyes were straying downward when they shouldn't be and she forced herself to look him in the eye before reaching into the inner pocket of her duty jacket to grab Taylor the report. "I have a report for you from the Captain. It's basically just a bunch of things for you to look over as MCO since you have your squad and everything. Hi, everyone."

She was definitely trying to be friendly since she had wanted to meet them and Taylor had said she could, but she really also needed to keep her eyes up. It was just hard because he was wet and she knew what he looked like without the towel now and she could swear that she was sweating a little and not from nervousness, no...from something entirely different. Then again maybe it was also a little from the foreign feeling of embarrassment as she realized that she might have left the PADD in her office...great. Not only was she failing as the 2XO but she had a feeling that now Taylor was going to think that she just liked to stalk him or something and that was not the impression that she wanted to leave at all.

The squad each 'waved' at her in their own little way as Taylor stammered out some incoherent words. He just stood there in his towel wondering why she couldn't have just forwarded to his terminal. "Gee, thanks Doc." he said before nodding to James. "Get the...get the damn PADD." he ordered. James shook his head before a smile touched his lips. "She doesn't have one...."

His eyes narrowed towards the Betazoid as he shifted from foot to foot. "You didn't bring the PADD. So tell me...did you decide to deliver a meal? Or did you just want to have a word with me because I'll gladly talk to you when I'm not standing in what I entered the world in. Alright? Can you just...I dunno...turn around or something?"

"In my hurry I must have left it in my office," she said honestly but she knew it sounded lame--she had to hope they understood that Betazoids frowned on lying. "Its been a busy morning and I came here straight from the Mess Hall...I should have double checked I had it before coming all the way here."

The impression she was making was undoubtedly bad, but something had her rooted in place because just suddenly leaving also seemed lame. What could she do? She wasn't normally this scatterbrained, but when it came to Taylor Lucas she was all kinds of insane, which she didn't understand at all. Lillian needed to figure something out and quick because all these thoughts were running through her mind right now.

"Betazoids have naked weddings, Captain," she told him bluntly so he knew she'd seen her fair share of nakedness. "Sometimes we all just walk around in what we 'came into the world in' and I've just seen it all, but if it puts your mind at ease..." she said before covering her eyes with her hand. "By all means u--cover yourself." That was a slip unless they assume you said 'uh'...

Once Lillian's eyes were covered Taylor began to dry himself off with the towel, wiping his wet muscles down as he shook his head. "Next time try the door chime? Marines don't believe in modesty but...you're not a marine. You're the CMO. And the 2XO. Seeing senior officers naked isn't actually good for our command and control structure don't you think?"

After he dried himself off Taylor dressed in his duty uniform with his shiny new rank pip on his collar. He was proud of his promotion and had spent a great deal of time polishing the double bars. "Also we never got that drink. I mean I'm a lot more busy since I'm leading a company but maybe one day we could go for it. Dunno when."

If Lillian said she didn't peek, she would be lying. Of course she peeked. She was trying so hard not to feel so sexually charged right now, but the marine was making it really hard on her. Not to mention that she still wanted to have the conversation as far away from the topic of the report as possible because they would all talk when she left, she knew that. People talked. This talk would consist of how obviously she had forgotten the PADD on purpose and she honestly hadn't.

"Sometime soon, I hope," Lillian said with a smile on her face, letting her hand come down when he spoke again, sensing less tension in the air, so she assumed he was clothed now. "After all, I do owe you the drink. Besides, I'm the CMO...that means I've seen pretty much everyone on this station naked and being a Betazoid, it lets me still do my job. Shall we talk about the report, or shall I whisk you away for a non-alcoholic beverage?"

Though seeing you naked might put a kink in my job...

"I uh...could use a coffee..." said Taylor flatly as he left the barracks at speed. He wanted to get out of there before James subjected him to sniping comments. At least he was dressed. That was a bonus. Gently he tugged on Lillian's jacket as he tried to help her escape from the marine squad inside. Taylor hadn't noticed her peeking though since he was more or less rushing himself.

"Sorry for uh...being bare. Marines don't really think about modesty in front of other marines. It's a pretty pointless thing. I didn't really expect you to turn up to give me a report. Frankly I thought you would have been spending time with Ritter and just forwarded it to my terminal. Yeah. I have an office now."

"Coffee is perfect--I love coffee," Lillian said with a smile, though Taylor seemed to really want to get out so she gave a quick wave before letting him tug on her open duty jacket to lead her away. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about...you're an incredibly attractive man."

She didn't know if that sounded like she was seriously scoping him out or not, but at this point just the two of them heading for coffee it didn't really matter. Lillian caught what he said about Max though and found herself stopping them and looking Taylor in the eye with a blush tinting her cheeks because she wondered if Taylor was annoyed about that? What did he think was going on and what did that have to do with anything? She really shouldn't be entertaining thoughts with a man married to his job, but she was so drawn to him that she couldn't stop the words from falling out of her mouth.

"Max and I aren't together, you know," Lillian told Taylor shaking her head. "We're just colleagues, we're not...he and I aren't...if you haven't clocked in on my affections for you yet, you are blind." That said, she continued to go toward the Promenade. "I bet your squad will have something to say about it too, because I clearly was happy with what I just saw and I'm not even going to try and be modest about it even though I'm sure that would make everyone feel more comfortable around me."

"Woah woah...slow down..." said Taylor who walked in front of Lillian and acted like a massive road block. "You're attracted to me? I mean actually attracted? Not schoolyard crush not a 'mmm, tap that' feeling but an actual feeling of attraction?" Disbelief laced his voice as he placed both his hands on the back of his head and blinked. She liked him? Why? I mean sure he figured the comments were a Betazoid thing. Something that they did as part of their racial routine. "Why?"

When Taylor stepped in front of her, Lillian realized that she was going to have to face this right here and right now and she wasn't sure if she was ready for that. All she knew was that the words were spilling out of her mouth before she could stop them but that was normal for her and Taylor Lucas made her crazy--that much she knew. There was so much about him that made her really feel flushed or tongue tied or just plain flustered and she didn't find it fair and she never knew what to do and she just...

"Why is it a shock?" Lillian asked him point blank, looking him in the eye. "I was attracted to you from moment one that we met and I even tried to flirt with you but I got tongue tied and it didn't work and I didn't understand it because that doesn't happen to me! I can flirt with everyone except for you because I try and I get flushed and my stomach starts flip flopping in that way that makes you anxious for what's coming next and I tried to swear you off! You punched me in the nose! You said you were against doctors and I am one! I thought I was going to be fine, but when you're around I know you are and I have to look at you...throw you a smile. I think about you far more than I should and then Thalos happened and you protected me. It didn't matter who I was because I needed you and you were there to help me and I just wanted to get to know more about you and the way you stand up to authority? It's incredibly hot even though it's wrong...it's so wrong because you should show more respect to your commanding officers. To top it off? You brought me ice cream! Why do I like you, Taylor? Because you're kind and heroic and it's adorable that you're so modest when you're so...have you looked at your body? This isn't just some, 'oh, he's cute' and I don't want a quick fumble...I like you...I shouldn't because you're a marine and that makes you married to your job, but I can't help it, okay? I hate feeling like this because you're clearly not attracted to me, but that's how it is! This is why I'm trying so damn hard to at least be your friend so that I can keep you in my life somehow..."

For a moment Taylor just stood there dumbstruck at what to say. A small sigh left his lips as he gained some breath and sense from the bombardment. He decided to keep walking towards the Promenade. He had no idea why she was so smitten over him. Taylor's ego wasn't something that could be stroked nor stimulated. Not because he was incapable of being complimented but merely because he kept a level head when he thought about himself. He knew he was a good marine and a good man but that was all it was. All that Lillian was saying just bounced off of him like water falling from a rock. "Well...I brought you ice cream because I dunno. It seemed like the right thing to do. And I'm just a man. Just one...man. I'm a flawed person and I know it. And I'm obviously not good at this if you're having to spell it out...."

"It doesn't matter," Lillian found herself saying as she continued to the Promenade with him. "You're not attracted to me, so we're just friends and eventually I'm sure the feelings will go away so that you'll feel less uncomfortable around me because all I seem to do is make you uncomfortable with my presence." She took a deep breath to keep the disappointment at bay, but she'd seen this coming and she just needed to make sure to push the feelings down harder, muttering to herself and not sure if he could hear it or not. "This is why I don't have relationships because I like unattainable men and they're always uninterested in what I have to give."

Taking a deep breath, she took him to her favorite Betazoid diner and sat down at a booth. "You know, you can opt out if you want to. You don't have to sit with me, or have coffee with me or talk to me. I know I make you feel awkward and if it helps to be as far away from me as possible. I won't even be offended," okay, maybe a little bit, "I just...when I get nervous and flustered I spew words all over the place and I shouldn't have made you endure that."

"Yeah listen to you admit your love and admiration for me was really tough to endure." said Taylor sarcastically. "I'm not uninterested it's just that a relationship isn't exactly high on my list right now. I've got an entire marine company to sort out, Ritter is probably plotting my demise and now God alone knows what else I've got on my plate. It's nothing to do with you. You're gorgeous, quirky...I'm also sure you're clinically insane somehow but you're a wonderful woman. I don't want to opt out because at no point in time did I find you annoying. If I did have strained patience its because the things around me were causing it. Besides...I'm still here aren't I?"

"I didn't say 'love'," Lillian told him blushing more--that word seemed to drive men away and fast. "Admiration, however, yes...I've grown very fond of you."

She was rather caught off guard when he called her 'gorgeous' and 'wonderful', smiling a little bit and laughing when he said 'clinically insane' because she pretty much felt clinically insane when she was around him. He affected her in unexpected ways and he was giving her hope right now she hadn't thought she was going to get earlier when he walked off because he was telling her that he was still here and he didn't find her annoying but he was focused on work. That she knew about him already and she understood and yet it made her wonder what she was doing because he was married to his job and it would always be his priority and being second wasn't high up on her list.

"Yeah, you're still here," Lillian said with a smile on her face. "I appreciate that and I'll take what I can get because I do really like you and I your company is nice. Also your marines...it would be nice to meet them under better circumstances--think we can make that happen?"

"I suppose so...James is the one to talk to." stated Taylor as he sat back against the booth's back. "He's known me the longest. Since the Dominion War actually. We've been through a lot. Saved each others lives more than we can actually count. The rest of them are pretty solid but I don't know them that well. Spent the Thesa Prime jaunt with the other two but the kid? He's new. Must be something special of James vouched him for recon. But yeah if you want to speak to them go ahead. Not gonna stop you."

||Starbase 12
||Barracks > Promenade
||August 27, 2387
||1035


Lillian didn't know why it was her task to go and give this report to Taylor, but she figured that the sooner the better and so she headed into the Barracks with her head held high. She was determined to do this without seeming like a crazy stalker, but she knew that this was part of her job, mingling with other senior officers and she wasn't really prepared for what happened yet. All she knew was that she had entered thinking that she would just hand him the PADD, make small talk and leave, but then she took one look at the wet marine and suddenly she couldn't even breathe.

He was wet and water was dripping down his muscles, fully naked and open to be viewed by anyone who walked in here, which kind of made her a little jealous that anyone could see him like this. Still, she felt her whole body flush and she unintentionally unzipped her duty jacket, because she felt like she was hot and bothered and needed some air. Part of her wanted to just take the situation and make it a positive, but she wasn't sure if that was what she wanted to do...was it? She wasn't supposed to see him like this outside of dreamland in her quarters and his body...God.

Taylor Lucas had an incredibly body.

Along with the influx of marines to the station that he now found himself in charge of, Taylor had been given his advanced recon squad. There was James Corden, a personal friend of Taylor who had been with him through the Dominion War. Then there was the Caitian sniper Erlin Novus and the Starfleet Medical Fleet Corpsman Yemani Jenn who had fought with Taylor on Thesa Prime. Of course they had been much younger but the campaign had given them a bucket loads of experience. Last but not least was the demo/tech-comm expert and relative newcomer to the squad Alexi Petrovic. Despite his young age and relative inexperience he had proven a useful part of the Corps. Taylor was interested to see how he did.

Of course when surrounded by some people who you trust modesty doesn't really come into it. Taylor had been for a water shoulder and hadn't really clocked Lillian standing there. However Alexi had and in his inexperience called out "Officer on the deck!" which prompted all but Taylor to stand ramrod straight at attention. Instead he turned around to see who it was before his eyes widened. He stood bare naked facing her before he reached for the towel on his bed and put it in front of his crotch, a crimson tinge hitting his face.

"Christ lieutenant don't you knock!" he screamed.

"Isn't he supposed to be at attention?" asked James with a smile. Jenn leaned a little bit to the right as if trying to see past the towel before she stood back again.

"He is. In a manner of speaking."

Scowling Taylor wrapped the towel around him and held it closed before speaking to Lillian. "So...can you tell me why you're standing there oggling me?!"

"At ease, it's fine," the Betazoid said quickly.

Lillian really wanted to be embarrassed right now because she knew that anyone would be, but she was brought up on a planet where such things happened. Sure, she hadn't been expecting it and she was flushed and oddly turned on when she shouldn't be because he was a naked man she had a thing for, but she wasn't about to apologize for not feeling ashamed...was she? Of course he wasn't used to such things and it was only polite of her to feign apologies, right? Except she wasn't sorry...she'd just seen a lot she had been wishing she'd get to since she'd met Taylor for his exam.

"I'm a Betazoid and a doctor, so if nakedness was a problem for me, we'd all be in big trouble," Lillian managed to say though she knew her eyes were straying downward when they shouldn't be and she forced herself to look him in the eye before reaching into the inner pocket of her duty jacket to grab Taylor the report. "I have a report for you from the Captain. It's basically just a bunch of things for you to look over as MCO since you have your squad and everything. Hi, everyone."

She was definitely trying to be friendly since she had wanted to meet them and Taylor had said she could, but she really also needed to keep her eyes up. It was just hard because he was wet and she knew what he looked like without the towel now and she could swear that she was sweating a little and not from nervousness, no...from something entirely different. Then again maybe it was also a little from the foreign feeling of embarrassment as she realized that she might have left the PADD in her office...great. Not only was she failing as the 2XO but she had a feeling that now Taylor was going to think that she just liked to stalk him or something and that was not the impression that she wanted to leave at all.

The squad each 'waved' at her in their own little way as Taylor stammered out some incoherent words. He just stood there in his towel wondering why she couldn't have just forwarded to his terminal. "Gee, thanks Doc." he said before nodding to James. "Get the...get the damn PADD." he ordered. James shook his head before a smile touched his lips. "She doesn't have one...."

His eyes narrowed towards the Betazoid as he shifted from foot to foot. "You didn't bring the PADD. So tell me...did you decide to deliver a meal? Or did you just want to have a word with me because I'll gladly talk to you when I'm not standing in what I entered the world in. Alright? Can you just...I dunno...turn around or something?"

"In my hurry I must have left it in my office," she said honestly but she knew it sounded lame--she had to hope they understood that Betazoids frowned on lying. "Its been a busy morning and I came here straight from the Mess Hall...I should have double checked I had it before coming all the way here."

The impression she was making was undoubtedly bad, but something had her rooted in place because just suddenly leaving also seemed lame. What could she do? She wasn't normally this scatterbrained, but when it came to Taylor Lucas she was all kinds of insane, which she didn't understand at all. Lillian needed to figure something out and quick because all these thoughts were running through her mind right now.

"Betazoids have naked weddings, Captain," she told him bluntly so he knew she'd seen her fair share of nakedness. "Sometimes we all just walk around in what we 'came into the world in' and I've just seen it all, but if it puts your mind at ease..." she said before covering her eyes with her hand. "By all means u--cover yourself." That was a slip unless they assume you said 'uh'...

Once Lillian's eyes were covered Taylor began to dry himself off with the towel, wiping his wet muscles down as he shook his head. "Next time try the door chime? Marines don't believe in modesty but...you're not a marine. You're the CMO. And the 2XO. Seeing senior officers naked isn't actually good for our command and control structure don't you think?"

After he dried himself off Taylor dressed in his duty uniform with his shiny new rank pip on his collar. He was proud of his promotion and had spent a great deal of time polishing the double bars. "Also we never got that drink. I mean I'm a lot more busy since I'm leading a company but maybe one day we could go for it. Dunno when."

If Lillian said she didn't peek, she would be lying. Of course she peeked. She was trying so hard not to feel so sexually charged right now, but the marine was making it really hard on her. Not to mention that she still wanted to have the conversation as far away from the topic of the report as possible because they would all talk when she left, she knew that. People talked. This talk would consist of how obviously she had forgotten the PADD on purpose and she honestly hadn't.

"Sometime soon, I hope," Lillian said with a smile on her face, letting her hand come down when he spoke again, sensing less tension in the air, so she assumed he was clothed now. "After all, I do owe you the drink. Besides, I'm the CMO...that means I've seen pretty much everyone on this station naked and being a Betazoid, it lets me still do my job. Shall we talk about the report, or shall I whisk you away for a non-alcoholic beverage?"

Though seeing you naked might put a kink in my job...

"I uh...could use a coffee..." said Taylor flatly as he left the barracks at speed. He wanted to get out of there before James subjected him to sniping comments. At least he was dressed. That was a bonus. Gently he tugged on Lillian's jacket as he tried to help her escape from the marine squad inside. Taylor hadn't noticed her peeking though since he was more or less rushing himself.

"Sorry for uh...being bare. Marines don't really think about modesty in front of other marines. It's a pretty pointless thing. I didn't really expect you to turn up to give me a report. Frankly I thought you would have been spending time with Ritter and just forwarded it to my terminal. Yeah. I have an office now."

"Coffee is perfect--I love coffee," Lillian said with a smile, though Taylor seemed to really want to get out so she gave a quick wave before letting him tug on her open duty jacket to lead her away. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about...you're an incredibly attractive man."

She didn't know if that sounded like she was seriously scoping him out or not, but at this point just the two of them heading for coffee it didn't really matter. Lillian caught what he said about Max though and found herself stopping them and looking Taylor in the eye with a blush tinting her cheeks because she wondered if Taylor was annoyed about that? What did he think was going on and what did that have to do with anything? She really shouldn't be entertaining thoughts with a man married to his job, but she was so drawn to him that she couldn't stop the words from falling out of her mouth.

"Max and I aren't together, you know," Lillian told Taylor shaking her head. "We're just colleagues, we're not...he and I aren't...if you haven't clocked in on my affections for you yet, you are blind." That said, she continued to go toward the Promenade. "I bet your squad will have something to say about it too, because I clearly was happy with what I just saw and I'm not even going to try and be modest about it even though I'm sure that would make everyone feel more comfortable around me."

"Woah woah...slow down..." said Taylor who walked in front of Lillian and acted like a massive road block. "You're attracted to me? I mean actually attracted? Not schoolyard crush not a 'mmm, tap that' feeling but an actual feeling of attraction?" Disbelief laced his voice as he placed both his hands on the back of his head and blinked. She liked him? Why? I mean sure he figured the comments were a Betazoid thing. Something that they did as part of their racial routine. "Why?"

When Taylor stepped in front of her, Lillian realized that she was going to have to face this right here and right now and she wasn't sure if she was ready for that. All she knew was that the words were spilling out of her mouth before she could stop them but that was normal for her and Taylor Lucas made her crazy--that much she knew. There was so much about him that made her really feel flushed or tongue tied or just plain flustered and she didn't find it fair and she never knew what to do and she just...

"Why is it a shock?" Lillian asked him point blank, looking him in the eye. "I was attracted to you from moment one that we met and I even tried to flirt with you but I got tongue tied and it didn't work and I didn't understand it because that doesn't happen to me! I can flirt with everyone except for you because I try and I get flushed and my stomach starts flip flopping in that way that makes you anxious for what's coming next and I tried to swear you off! You punched me in the nose! You said you were against doctors and I am one! I thought I was going to be fine, but when you're around I know you are and I have to look at you...throw you a smile. I think about you far more than I should and then Thalos happened and you protected me. It didn't matter who I was because I needed you and you were there to help me and I just wanted to get to know more about you and the way you stand up to authority? It's incredibly hot even though it's wrong...it's so wrong because you should show more respect to your commanding officers. To top it off? You brought me ice cream! Why do I like you, Taylor? Because you're kind and heroic and it's adorable that you're so modest when you're so...have you looked at your body? This isn't just some, 'oh, he's cute' and I don't want a quick fumble...I like you...I shouldn't because you're a marine and that makes you married to your job, but I can't help it, okay? I hate feeling like this because you're clearly not attracted to me, but that's how it is! This is why I'm trying so damn hard to at least be your friend so that I can keep you in my life somehow..."

For a moment Taylor just stood there dumbstruck at what to say. A small sigh left his lips as he gained some breath and sense from the bombardment. He decided to keep walking towards the Promenade. He had no idea why she was so smitten over him. Taylor's ego wasn't something that could be stroked nor stimulated. Not because he was incapable of being complimented but merely because he kept a level head when he thought about himself. He knew he was a good marine and a good man but that was all it was. All that Lillian was saying just bounced off of him like water falling from a rock. "Well...I brought you ice cream because I dunno. It seemed like the right thing to do. And I'm just a man. Just one...man. I'm a flawed person and I know it. And I'm obviously not good at this if you're having to spell it out...."

"It doesn't matter," Lillian found herself saying as she continued to the Promenade with him. "You're not attracted to me, so we're just friends and eventually I'm sure the feelings will go away so that you'll feel less uncomfortable around me because all I seem to do is make you uncomfortable with my presence." She took a deep breath to keep the disappointment at bay, but she'd seen this coming and she just needed to make sure to push the feelings down harder, muttering to herself and not sure if he could hear it or not. "This is why I don't have relationships because I like unattainable men and they're always uninterested in what I have to give."

Taking a deep breath, she took him to her favorite Betazoid diner and sat down at a booth. "You know, you can opt out if you want to. You don't have to sit with me, or have coffee with me or talk to me. I know I make you feel awkward and if it helps to be as far away from me as possible. I won't even be offended," okay, maybe a little bit, "I just...when I get nervous and flustered I spew words all over the place and I shouldn't have made you endure that."

"Yeah listen to you admit your love and admiration for me was really tough to endure." said Taylor sarcastically. "I'm not uninterested it's just that a relationship isn't exactly high on my list right now. I've got an entire marine company to sort out, Ritter is probably plotting my demise and now God alone knows what else I've got on my plate. It's nothing to do with you. You're gorgeous, quirky...I'm also sure you're clinically insane somehow but you're a wonderful woman. I don't want to opt out because at no point in time did I find you annoying. If I did have strained patience its because the things around me were causing it. Besides...I'm still here aren't I?"

"I didn't say 'love'," Lillian told him blushing more--that word seemed to drive men away and fast. "Admiration, however, yes...I've grown very fond of you."

She was rather caught off guard when he called her 'gorgeous' and 'wonderful', smiling a little bit and laughing when he said 'clinically insane' because she pretty much felt clinically insane when she was around him. He affected her in unexpected ways and he was giving her hope right now she hadn't thought she was going to get earlier when he walked off because he was telling her that he was still here and he didn't find her annoying but he was focused on work. That she knew about him already and she understood and yet it made her wonder what she was doing because he was married to his job and it would always be his priority and being second wasn't high up on her list.

"Yeah, you're still here," Lillian said with a smile on her face. "I appreciate that and I'll take what I can get because I do really like you and I your company is nice. Also your marines...it would be nice to meet them under better circumstances--think we can make that happen?"

"I suppose so...James is the one to talk to." stated Taylor as he sat back against the booth's back. "He's known me the longest. Since the Dominion War actually. We've been through a lot. Saved each others lives more than we can actually count. The rest of them are pretty solid but I don't know them that well. Spent the Thesa Prime jaunt with the other two but the kid? He's new. Must be something special of James vouched him for recon. But yeah if you want to speak to them go ahead. Not gonna stop you."

"I'll talk to James then," Lillian said as she ordered the coffee from the waitress when she showed.

She leaned back a little herself and took a good look at him, smiling a bit because it really was a little distracting looking at him. It was hard to focus on anything but him and yet she found herself totally okay with that because she really enjoyed watching him and all around just being in his presence. Just like that, looking over his body and into his beautiful blue eyes, she found herself speaking before thinking.

"It is a little bit distracting how attractive you are," Lillian told Taylor with a gentle chuckle.

||Starbase 12
||Barracks > Promenade
||August 27, 2387
||1035


Lillian didn't know why it was her task to go and give this report to Taylor, but she figured that the sooner the better and so she headed into the Barracks with her head held high. She was determined to do this without seeming like a crazy stalker, but she knew that this was part of her job, mingling with other senior officers and she wasn't really prepared for what happened yet. All she knew was that she had entered thinking that she would just hand him the PADD, make small talk and leave, but then she took one look at the wet marine and suddenly she couldn't even breathe.

He was wet and water was dripping down his muscles, fully naked and open to be viewed by anyone who walked in here, which kind of made her a little jealous that anyone could see him like this. Still, she felt her whole body flush and she unintentionally unzipped her duty jacket, because she felt like she was hot and bothered and needed some air. Part of her wanted to just take the situation and make it a positive, but she wasn't sure if that was what she wanted to do...was it? She wasn't supposed to see him like this outside of dreamland in her quarters and his body...God.

Taylor Lucas had an incredibly body.

Along with the influx of marines to the station that he now found himself in charge of, Taylor had been given his advanced recon squad. There was James Corden, a personal friend of Taylor who had been with him through the Dominion War. Then there was the Caitian sniper Erlin Novus and the Starfleet Medical Fleet Corpsman Yemani Jenn who had fought with Taylor on Thesa Prime. Of course they had been much younger but the campaign had given them a bucket loads of experience. Last but not least was the demo/tech-comm expert and relative newcomer to the squad Alexi Petrovic. Despite his young age and relative inexperience he had proven a useful part of the Corps. Taylor was interested to see how he did.

Of course when surrounded by some people who you trust modesty doesn't really come into it. Taylor had been for a water shoulder and hadn't really clocked Lillian standing there. However Alexi had and in his inexperience called out "Officer on the deck!" which prompted all but Taylor to stand ramrod straight at attention. Instead he turned around to see who it was before his eyes widened. He stood bare naked facing her before he reached for the towel on his bed and put it in front of his crotch, a crimson tinge hitting his face.

"Christ lieutenant don't you knock!" he screamed.

"Isn't he supposed to be at attention?" asked James with a smile. Jenn leaned a little bit to the right as if trying to see past the towel before she stood back again.

"He is. In a manner of speaking."

Scowling Taylor wrapped the towel around him and held it closed before speaking to Lillian. "So...can you tell me why you're standing there oggling me?!"

"At ease, it's fine," the Betazoid said quickly.

Lillian really wanted to be embarrassed right now because she knew that anyone would be, but she was brought up on a planet where such things happened. Sure, she hadn't been expecting it and she was flushed and oddly turned on when she shouldn't be because he was a naked man she had a thing for, but she wasn't about to apologize for not feeling ashamed...was she? Of course he wasn't used to such things and it was only polite of her to feign apologies, right? Except she wasn't sorry...she'd just seen a lot she had been wishing she'd get to since she'd met Taylor for his exam.

"I'm a Betazoid and a doctor, so if nakedness was a problem for me, we'd all be in big trouble," Lillian managed to say though she knew her eyes were straying downward when they shouldn't be and she forced herself to look him in the eye before reaching into the inner pocket of her duty jacket to grab Taylor the report. "I have a report for you from the Captain. It's basically just a bunch of things for you to look over as MCO since you have your squad and everything. Hi, everyone."

She was definitely trying to be friendly since she had wanted to meet them and Taylor had said she could, but she really also needed to keep her eyes up. It was just hard because he was wet and she knew what he looked like without the towel now and she could swear that she was sweating a little and not from nervousness, no...from something entirely different. Then again maybe it was also a little from the foreign feeling of embarrassment as she realized that she might have left the PADD in her office...great. Not only was she failing as the 2XO but she had a feeling that now Taylor was going to think that she just liked to stalk him or something and that was not the impression that she wanted to leave at all.

The squad each 'waved' at her in their own little way as Taylor stammered out some incoherent words. He just stood there in his towel wondering why she couldn't have just forwarded to his terminal. "Gee, thanks Doc." he said before nodding to James. "Get the...get the damn PADD." he ordered. James shook his head before a smile touched his lips. "She doesn't have one...."

His eyes narrowed towards the Betazoid as he shifted from foot to foot. "You didn't bring the PADD. So tell me...did you decide to deliver a meal? Or did you just want to have a word with me because I'll gladly talk to you when I'm not standing in what I entered the world in. Alright? Can you just...I dunno...turn around or something?"

"In my hurry I must have left it in my office," she said honestly but she knew it sounded lame--she had to hope they understood that Betazoids frowned on lying. "Its been a busy morning and I came here straight from the Mess Hall...I should have double checked I had it before coming all the way here."

The impression she was making was undoubtedly bad, but something had her rooted in place because just suddenly leaving also seemed lame. What could she do? She wasn't normally this scatterbrained, but when it came to Taylor Lucas she was all kinds of insane, which she didn't understand at all. Lillian needed to figure something out and quick because all these thoughts were running through her mind right now.

"Betazoids have naked weddings, Captain," she told him bluntly so he knew she'd seen her fair share of nakedness. "Sometimes we all just walk around in what we 'came into the world in' and I've just seen it all, but if it puts your mind at ease..." she said before covering her eyes with her hand. "By all means u--cover yourself." That was a slip unless they assume you said 'uh'...

Once Lillian's eyes were covered Taylor began to dry himself off with the towel, wiping his wet muscles down as he shook his head. "Next time try the door chime? Marines don't believe in modesty but...you're not a marine. You're the CMO. And the 2XO. Seeing senior officers naked isn't actually good for our command and control structure don't you think?"

After he dried himself off Taylor dressed in his duty uniform with his shiny new rank pip on his collar. He was proud of his promotion and had spent a great deal of time polishing the double bars. "Also we never got that drink. I mean I'm a lot more busy since I'm leading a company but maybe one day we could go for it. Dunno when."

If Lillian said she didn't peek, she would be lying. Of course she peeked. She was trying so hard not to feel so sexually charged right now, but the marine was making it really hard on her. Not to mention that she still wanted to have the conversation as far away from the topic of the report as possible because they would all talk when she left, she knew that. People talked. This talk would consist of how obviously she had forgotten the PADD on purpose and she honestly hadn't.

"Sometime soon, I hope," Lillian said with a smile on her face, letting her hand come down when he spoke again, sensing less tension in the air, so she assumed he was clothed now. "After all, I do owe you the drink. Besides, I'm the CMO...that means I've seen pretty much everyone on this station naked and being a Betazoid, it lets me still do my job. Shall we talk about the report, or shall I whisk you away for a non-alcoholic beverage?"

Though seeing you naked might put a kink in my job...

"I uh...could use a coffee..." said Taylor flatly as he left the barracks at speed. He wanted to get out of there before James subjected him to sniping comments. At least he was dressed. That was a bonus. Gently he tugged on Lillian's jacket as he tried to help her escape from the marine squad inside. Taylor hadn't noticed her peeking though since he was more or less rushing himself.

"Sorry for uh...being bare. Marines don't really think about modesty in front of other marines. It's a pretty pointless thing. I didn't really expect you to turn up to give me a report. Frankly I thought you would have been spending time with Ritter and just forwarded it to my terminal. Yeah. I have an office now."

"Coffee is perfect--I love coffee," Lillian said with a smile, though Taylor seemed to really want to get out so she gave a quick wave before letting him tug on her open duty jacket to lead her away. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about...you're an incredibly attractive man."

She didn't know if that sounded like she was seriously scoping him out or not, but at this point just the two of them heading for coffee it didn't really matter. Lillian caught what he said about Max though and found herself stopping them and looking Taylor in the eye with a blush tinting her cheeks because she wondered if Taylor was annoyed about that? What did he think was going on and what did that have to do with anything? She really shouldn't be entertaining thoughts with a man married to his job, but she was so drawn to him that she couldn't stop the words from falling out of her mouth.

"Max and I aren't together, you know," Lillian told Taylor shaking her head. "We're just colleagues, we're not...he and I aren't...if you haven't clocked in on my affections for you yet, you are blind." That said, she continued to go toward the Promenade. "I bet your squad will have something to say about it too, because I clearly was happy with what I just saw and I'm not even going to try and be modest about it even though I'm sure that would make everyone feel more comfortable around me."

"Woah woah...slow down..." said Taylor who walked in front of Lillian and acted like a massive road block. "You're attracted to me? I mean actually attracted? Not schoolyard crush not a 'mmm, tap that' feeling but an actual feeling of attraction?" Disbelief laced his voice as he placed both his hands on the back of his head and blinked. She liked him? Why? I mean sure he figured the comments were a Betazoid thing. Something that they did as part of their racial routine. "Why?"

When Taylor stepped in front of her, Lillian realized that she was going to have to face this right here and right now and she wasn't sure if she was ready for that. All she knew was that the words were spilling out of her mouth before she could stop them but that was normal for her and Taylor Lucas made her crazy--that much she knew. There was so much about him that made her really feel flushed or tongue tied or just plain flustered and she didn't find it fair and she never knew what to do and she just...

"Why is it a shock?" Lillian asked him point blank, looking him in the eye. "I was attracted to you from moment one that we met and I even tried to flirt with you but I got tongue tied and it didn't work and I didn't understand it because that doesn't happen to me! I can flirt with everyone except for you because I try and I get flushed and my stomach starts flip flopping in that way that makes you anxious for what's coming next and I tried to swear you off! You punched me in the nose! You said you were against doctors and I am one! I thought I was going to be fine, but when you're around I know you are and I have to look at you...throw you a smile. I think about you far more than I should and then Thalos happened and you protected me. It didn't matter who I was because I needed you and you were there to help me and I just wanted to get to know more about you and the way you stand up to authority? It's incredibly hot even though it's wrong...it's so wrong because you should show more respect to your commanding officers. To top it off? You brought me ice cream! Why do I like you, Taylor? Because you're kind and heroic and it's adorable that you're so modest when you're so...have you looked at your body? This isn't just some, 'oh, he's cute' and I don't want a quick fumble...I like you...I shouldn't because you're a marine and that makes you married to your job, but I can't help it, okay? I hate feeling like this because you're clearly not attracted to me, but that's how it is! This is why I'm trying so damn hard to at least be your friend so that I can keep you in my life somehow..."

For a moment Taylor just stood there dumbstruck at what to say. A small sigh left his lips as he gained some breath and sense from the bombardment. He decided to keep walking towards the Promenade. He had no idea why she was so smitten over him. Taylor's ego wasn't something that could be stroked nor stimulated. Not because he was incapable of being complimented but merely because he kept a level head when he thought about himself. He knew he was a good marine and a good man but that was all it was. All that Lillian was saying just bounced off of him like water falling from a rock. "Well...I brought you ice cream because I dunno. It seemed like the right thing to do. And I'm just a man. Just one...man. I'm a flawed person and I know it. And I'm obviously not good at this if you're having to spell it out...."

"It doesn't matter," Lillian found herself saying as she continued to the Promenade with him. "You're not attracted to me, so we're just friends and eventually I'm sure the feelings will go away so that you'll feel less uncomfortable around me because all I seem to do is make you uncomfortable with my presence." She took a deep breath to keep the disappointment at bay, but she'd seen this coming and she just needed to make sure to push the feelings down harder, muttering to herself and not sure if he could hear it or not. "This is why I don't have relationships because I like unattainable men and they're always uninterested in what I have to give."

Taking a deep breath, she took him to her favorite Betazoid diner and sat down at a booth. "You know, you can opt out if you want to. You don't have to sit with me, or have coffee with me or talk to me. I know I make you feel awkward and if it helps to be as far away from me as possible. I won't even be offended," okay, maybe a little bit, "I just...when I get nervous and flustered I spew words all over the place and I shouldn't have made you endure that."

"Yeah listen to you admit your love and admiration for me was really tough to endure." said Taylor sarcastically. "I'm not uninterested it's just that a relationship isn't exactly high on my list right now. I've got an entire marine company to sort out, Ritter is probably plotting my demise and now God alone knows what else I've got on my plate. It's nothing to do with you. You're gorgeous, quirky...I'm also sure you're clinically insane somehow but you're a wonderful woman. I don't want to opt out because at no point in time did I find you annoying. If I did have strained patience its because the things around me were causing it. Besides...I'm still here aren't I?"

"I didn't say 'love'," Lillian told him blushing more--that word seemed to drive men away and fast. "Admiration, however, yes...I've grown very fond of you."

She was rather caught off guard when he called her 'gorgeous' and 'wonderful', smiling a little bit and laughing when he said 'clinically insane' because she pretty much felt clinically insane when she was around him. He affected her in unexpected ways and he was giving her hope right now she hadn't thought she was going to get earlier when he walked off because he was telling her that he was still here and he didn't find her annoying but he was focused on work. That she knew about him already and she understood and yet it made her wonder what she was doing because he was married to his job and it would always be his priority and being second wasn't high up on her list.

"Yeah, you're still here," Lillian said with a smile on her face. "I appreciate that and I'll take what I can get because I do really like you and I your company is nice. Also your marines...it would be nice to meet them under better circumstances--think we can make that happen?"

"I suppose so...James is the one to talk to." stated Taylor as he sat back against the booth's back. "He's known me the longest. Since the Dominion War actually. We've been through a lot. Saved each others lives more than we can actually count. The rest of them are pretty solid but I don't know them that well. Spent the Thesa Prime jaunt with the other two but the kid? He's new. Must be something special of James vouched him for recon. But yeah if you want to speak to them go ahead. Not gonna stop you."

"I'll talk to James then," Lillian said as she ordered the coffee from the waitress when she showed.

She leaned back a little herself and took a good look at him, smiling a bit because it really was a little distracting looking at him. It was hard to focus on anything but him and yet she found herself totally okay with that because she really enjoyed watching him and all around just being in his presence. Just like that, looking over his body and into his beautiful blue eyes, she found herself speaking before thinking.

"It is a little bit distracting how attractive you are," Lillian told Taylor with a gentle chuckle.

At her comment Taylor seemed to squirm and look away. Not because he was uncomfortable about the remark but merely because he didn't know the best way to respond. It was a rather surprising thing for someone to tell him. "Really?" he replied with a sense of disbelief rolling off of him. "I suggest you take a good look. Most times my face is covered in camo paint, sweat, grime or dirt. Marines get pretty dirty when out on the field and I often have no qualms rolling around the ground. I figured you'd prefer the looks of our baby faced XO..."

||Starbase 12
||Barracks > Promenade
||August 27, 2387
||1035


Lillian didn't know why it was her task to go and give this report to Taylor, but she figured that the sooner the better and so she headed into the Barracks with her head held high. She was determined to do this without seeming like a crazy stalker, but she knew that this was part of her job, mingling with other senior officers and she wasn't really prepared for what happened yet. All she knew was that she had entered thinking that she would just hand him the PADD, make small talk and leave, but then she took one look at the wet marine and suddenly she couldn't even breathe.

He was wet and water was dripping down his muscles, fully naked and open to be viewed by anyone who walked in here, which kind of made her a little jealous that anyone could see him like this. Still, she felt her whole body flush and she unintentionally unzipped her duty jacket, because she felt like she was hot and bothered and needed some air. Part of her wanted to just take the situation and make it a positive, but she wasn't sure if that was what she wanted to do...was it? She wasn't supposed to see him like this outside of dreamland in her quarters and his body...God.

Taylor Lucas had an incredibly body.

Along with the influx of marines to the station that he now found himself in charge of, Taylor had been given his advanced recon squad. There was James Corden, a personal friend of Taylor who had been with him through the Dominion War. Then there was the Caitian sniper Erlin Novus and the Starfleet Medical Fleet Corpsman Yemani Jenn who had fought with Taylor on Thesa Prime. Of course they had been much younger but the campaign had given them a bucket loads of experience. Last but not least was the demo/tech-comm expert and relative newcomer to the squad Alexi Petrovic. Despite his young age and relative inexperience he had proven a useful part of the Corps. Taylor was interested to see how he did.

Of course when surrounded by some people who you trust modesty doesn't really come into it. Taylor had been for a water shoulder and hadn't really clocked Lillian standing there. However Alexi had and in his inexperience called out "Officer on the deck!" which prompted all but Taylor to stand ramrod straight at attention. Instead he turned around to see who it was before his eyes widened. He stood bare naked facing her before he reached for the towel on his bed and put it in front of his crotch, a crimson tinge hitting his face.

"Christ lieutenant don't you knock!" he screamed.

"Isn't he supposed to be at attention?" asked James with a smile. Jenn leaned a little bit to the right as if trying to see past the towel before she stood back again.

"He is. In a manner of speaking."

Scowling Taylor wrapped the towel around him and held it closed before speaking to Lillian. "So...can you tell me why you're standing there oggling me?!"

"At ease, it's fine," the Betazoid said quickly.

Lillian really wanted to be embarrassed right now because she knew that anyone would be, but she was brought up on a planet where such things happened. Sure, she hadn't been expecting it and she was flushed and oddly turned on when she shouldn't be because he was a naked man she had a thing for, but she wasn't about to apologize for not feeling ashamed...was she? Of course he wasn't used to such things and it was only polite of her to feign apologies, right? Except she wasn't sorry...she'd just seen a lot she had been wishing she'd get to since she'd met Taylor for his exam.

"I'm a Betazoid and a doctor, so if nakedness was a problem for me, we'd all be in big trouble," Lillian managed to say though she knew her eyes were straying downward when they shouldn't be and she forced herself to look him in the eye before reaching into the inner pocket of her duty jacket to grab Taylor the report. "I have a report for you from the Captain. It's basically just a bunch of things for you to look over as MCO since you have your squad and everything. Hi, everyone."

She was definitely trying to be friendly since she had wanted to meet them and Taylor had said she could, but she really also needed to keep her eyes up. It was just hard because he was wet and she knew what he looked like without the towel now and she could swear that she was sweating a little and not from nervousness, no...from something entirely different. Then again maybe it was also a little from the foreign feeling of embarrassment as she realized that she might have left the PADD in her office...great. Not only was she failing as the 2XO but she had a feeling that now Taylor was going to think that she just liked to stalk him or something and that was not the impression that she wanted to leave at all.

The squad each 'waved' at her in their own little way as Taylor stammered out some incoherent words. He just stood there in his towel wondering why she couldn't have just forwarded to his terminal. "Gee, thanks Doc." he said before nodding to James. "Get the...get the damn PADD." he ordered. James shook his head before a smile touched his lips. "She doesn't have one...."

His eyes narrowed towards the Betazoid as he shifted from foot to foot. "You didn't bring the PADD. So tell me...did you decide to deliver a meal? Or did you just want to have a word with me because I'll gladly talk to you when I'm not standing in what I entered the world in. Alright? Can you just...I dunno...turn around or something?"

"In my hurry I must have left it in my office," she said honestly but she knew it sounded lame--she had to hope they understood that Betazoids frowned on lying. "Its been a busy morning and I came here straight from the Mess Hall...I should have double checked I had it before coming all the way here."

The impression she was making was undoubtedly bad, but something had her rooted in place because just suddenly leaving also seemed lame. What could she do? She wasn't normally this scatterbrained, but when it came to Taylor Lucas she was all kinds of insane, which she didn't understand at all. Lillian needed to figure something out and quick because all these thoughts were running through her mind right now.

"Betazoids have naked weddings, Captain," she told him bluntly so he knew she'd seen her fair share of nakedness. "Sometimes we all just walk around in what we 'came into the world in' and I've just seen it all, but if it puts your mind at ease..." she said before covering her eyes with her hand. "By all means u--cover yourself." That was a slip unless they assume you said 'uh'...

Once Lillian's eyes were covered Taylor began to dry himself off with the towel, wiping his wet muscles down as he shook his head. "Next time try the door chime? Marines don't believe in modesty but...you're not a marine. You're the CMO. And the 2XO. Seeing senior officers naked isn't actually good for our command and control structure don't you think?"

After he dried himself off Taylor dressed in his duty uniform with his shiny new rank pip on his collar. He was proud of his promotion and had spent a great deal of time polishing the double bars. "Also we never got that drink. I mean I'm a lot more busy since I'm leading a company but maybe one day we could go for it. Dunno when."

If Lillian said she didn't peek, she would be lying. Of course she peeked. She was trying so hard not to feel so sexually charged right now, but the marine was making it really hard on her. Not to mention that she still wanted to have the conversation as far away from the topic of the report as possible because they would all talk when she left, she knew that. People talked. This talk would consist of how obviously she had forgotten the PADD on purpose and she honestly hadn't.

"Sometime soon, I hope," Lillian said with a smile on her face, letting her hand come down when he spoke again, sensing less tension in the air, so she assumed he was clothed now. "After all, I do owe you the drink. Besides, I'm the CMO...that means I've seen pretty much everyone on this station naked and being a Betazoid, it lets me still do my job. Shall we talk about the report, or shall I whisk you away for a non-alcoholic beverage?"

Though seeing you naked might put a kink in my job...

"I uh...could use a coffee..." said Taylor flatly as he left the barracks at speed. He wanted to get out of there before James subjected him to sniping comments. At least he was dressed. That was a bonus. Gently he tugged on Lillian's jacket as he tried to help her escape from the marine squad inside. Taylor hadn't noticed her peeking though since he was more or less rushing himself.

"Sorry for uh...being bare. Marines don't really think about modesty in front of other marines. It's a pretty pointless thing. I didn't really expect you to turn up to give me a report. Frankly I thought you would have been spending time with Ritter and just forwarded it to my terminal. Yeah. I have an office now."

"Coffee is perfect--I love coffee," Lillian said with a smile, though Taylor seemed to really want to get out so she gave a quick wave before letting him tug on her open duty jacket to lead her away. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about...you're an incredibly attractive man."

She didn't know if that sounded like she was seriously scoping him out or not, but at this point just the two of them heading for coffee it didn't really matter. Lillian caught what he said about Max though and found herself stopping them and looking Taylor in the eye with a blush tinting her cheeks because she wondered if Taylor was annoyed about that? What did he think was going on and what did that have to do with anything? She really shouldn't be entertaining thoughts with a man married to his job, but she was so drawn to him that she couldn't stop the words from falling out of her mouth.

"Max and I aren't together, you know," Lillian told Taylor shaking her head. "We're just colleagues, we're not...he and I aren't...if you haven't clocked in on my affections for you yet, you are blind." That said, she continued to go toward the Promenade. "I bet your squad will have something to say about it too, because I clearly was happy with what I just saw and I'm not even going to try and be modest about it even though I'm sure that would make everyone feel more comfortable around me."

"Woah woah...slow down..." said Taylor who walked in front of Lillian and acted like a massive road block. "You're attracted to me? I mean actually attracted? Not schoolyard crush not a 'mmm, tap that' feeling but an actual feeling of attraction?" Disbelief laced his voice as he placed both his hands on the back of his head and blinked. She liked him? Why? I mean sure he figured the comments were a Betazoid thing. Something that they did as part of their racial routine. "Why?"

When Taylor stepped in front of her, Lillian realized that she was going to have to face this right here and right now and she wasn't sure if she was ready for that. All she knew was that the words were spilling out of her mouth before she could stop them but that was normal for her and Taylor Lucas made her crazy--that much she knew. There was so much about him that made her really feel flushed or tongue tied or just plain flustered and she didn't find it fair and she never knew what to do and she just...

"Why is it a shock?" Lillian asked him point blank, looking him in the eye. "I was attracted to you from moment one that we met and I even tried to flirt with you but I got tongue tied and it didn't work and I didn't understand it because that doesn't happen to me! I can flirt with everyone except for you because I try and I get flushed and my stomach starts flip flopping in that way that makes you anxious for what's coming next and I tried to swear you off! You punched me in the nose! You said you were against doctors and I am one! I thought I was going to be fine, but when you're around I know you are and I have to look at you...throw you a smile. I think about you far more than I should and then Thalos happened and you protected me. It didn't matter who I was because I needed you and you were there to help me and I just wanted to get to know more about you and the way you stand up to authority? It's incredibly hot even though it's wrong...it's so wrong because you should show more respect to your commanding officers. To top it off? You brought me ice cream! Why do I like you, Taylor? Because you're kind and heroic and it's adorable that you're so modest when you're so...have you looked at your body? This isn't just some, 'oh, he's cute' and I don't want a quick fumble...I like you...I shouldn't because you're a marine and that makes you married to your job, but I can't help it, okay? I hate feeling like this because you're clearly not attracted to me, but that's how it is! This is why I'm trying so damn hard to at least be your friend so that I can keep you in my life somehow..."

For a moment Taylor just stood there dumbstruck at what to say. A small sigh left his lips as he gained some breath and sense from the bombardment. He decided to keep walking towards the Promenade. He had no idea why she was so smitten over him. Taylor's ego wasn't something that could be stroked nor stimulated. Not because he was incapable of being complimented but merely because he kept a level head when he thought about himself. He knew he was a good marine and a good man but that was all it was. All that Lillian was saying just bounced off of him like water falling from a rock. "Well...I brought you ice cream because I dunno. It seemed like the right thing to do. And I'm just a man. Just one...man. I'm a flawed person and I know it. And I'm obviously not good at this if you're having to spell it out...."

"It doesn't matter," Lillian found herself saying as she continued to the Promenade with him. "You're not attracted to me, so we're just friends and eventually I'm sure the feelings will go away so that you'll feel less uncomfortable around me because all I seem to do is make you uncomfortable with my presence." She took a deep breath to keep the disappointment at bay, but she'd seen this coming and she just needed to make sure to push the feelings down harder, muttering to herself and not sure if he could hear it or not. "This is why I don't have relationships because I like unattainable men and they're always uninterested in what I have to give."

Taking a deep breath, she took him to her favorite Betazoid diner and sat down at a booth. "You know, you can opt out if you want to. You don't have to sit with me, or have coffee with me or talk to me. I know I make you feel awkward and if it helps to be as far away from me as possible. I won't even be offended," okay, maybe a little bit, "I just...when I get nervous and flustered I spew words all over the place and I shouldn't have made you endure that."

"Yeah listen to you admit your love and admiration for me was really tough to endure." said Taylor sarcastically. "I'm not uninterested it's just that a relationship isn't exactly high on my list right now. I've got an entire marine company to sort out, Ritter is probably plotting my demise and now God alone knows what else I've got on my plate. It's nothing to do with you. You're gorgeous, quirky...I'm also sure you're clinically insane somehow but you're a wonderful woman. I don't want to opt out because at no point in time did I find you annoying. If I did have strained patience its because the things around me were causing it. Besides...I'm still here aren't I?"

"I didn't say 'love'," Lillian told him blushing more--that word seemed to drive men away and fast. "Admiration, however, yes...I've grown very fond of you."

She was rather caught off guard when he called her 'gorgeous' and 'wonderful', smiling a little bit and laughing when he said 'clinically insane' because she pretty much felt clinically insane when she was around him. He affected her in unexpected ways and he was giving her hope right now she hadn't thought she was going to get earlier when he walked off because he was telling her that he was still here and he didn't find her annoying but he was focused on work. That she knew about him already and she understood and yet it made her wonder what she was doing because he was married to his job and it would always be his priority and being second wasn't high up on her list.

"Yeah, you're still here," Lillian said with a smile on her face. "I appreciate that and I'll take what I can get because I do really like you and I your company is nice. Also your marines...it would be nice to meet them under better circumstances--think we can make that happen?"

"I suppose so...James is the one to talk to." stated Taylor as he sat back against the booth's back. "He's known me the longest. Since the Dominion War actually. We've been through a lot. Saved each others lives more than we can actually count. The rest of them are pretty solid but I don't know them that well. Spent the Thesa Prime jaunt with the other two but the kid? He's new. Must be something special of James vouched him for recon. But yeah if you want to speak to them go ahead. Not gonna stop you."

"I'll talk to James then," Lillian said as she ordered the coffee from the waitress when she showed.

She leaned back a little herself and took a good look at him, smiling a bit because it really was a little distracting looking at him. It was hard to focus on anything but him and yet she found herself totally okay with that because she really enjoyed watching him and all around just being in his presence. Just like that, looking over his body and into his beautiful blue eyes, she found herself speaking before thinking.

"It is a little bit distracting how attractive you are," Lillian told Taylor with a gentle chuckle.

At her comment Taylor seemed to squirm and look away. Not because he was uncomfortable about the remark but merely because he didn't know the best way to respond. It was a rather surprising thing for someone to tell him. "Really?" he replied with a sense of disbelief rolling off of him. "I suggest you take a good look. Most times my face is covered in camo paint, sweat, grime or dirt. Marines get pretty dirty when out on the field and I often have no qualms rolling around the ground. I figured you'd prefer the looks of our baby faced XO..."

"I prefer my men nice and sweaty, honestly. Grime and toil from hard work and still able to go for something more...pleasurable," she didn't even care how lewd her words were, nor did she care that she was directly them at him for more than one purpose. "In fact rolling around the ground has its perks...besides, if I take anymore good looks at you, people are going to start talking, if they aren't already. I think half the people on the station know by now that I change the minute you walk into a room because I can't keep my feelings to myself even if I try--it's the curse of my species. You can call it my sexuality or the downfall of being a Betazoid all you want, but no one has ever made me as crazy or aware as you have and sometimes it's downright annoying how much you can draw my focus and make me fumble over myself in words and mannerisms that I otherwise have a handle on."

Lillian always made it a point to be brutally honest even though she was aware when she was hurting peoples' feelings and she didn't like to do that unless it needed to be done. This here though, was more that she wanted to see Taylor's reactions to her words to further convince herself that only friendship could happen regardless of what she did because deep down a voice told her that she wasn't good enough for this marine--at least wasn't much use for him other than sex and arms that would always be open for him if he needed them. She could give him all the love in the world if she felt it for him and she knew she was capable of falling for him without a doubt, but she also had a feeling that he couldn't fall for her...especially if her fears came true and she was more like Marshall than she thought.

She chewed on her bottom lip a moment. "You are, however, a wanted distraction 99% of the time."

||Starbase 12
||Barracks > Promenade
||August 27, 2387
||1035


Lillian didn't know why it was her task to go and give this report to Taylor, but she figured that the sooner the better and so she headed into the Barracks with her head held high. She was determined to do this without seeming like a crazy stalker, but she knew that this was part of her job, mingling with other senior officers and she wasn't really prepared for what happened yet. All she knew was that she had entered thinking that she would just hand him the PADD, make small talk and leave, but then she took one look at the wet marine and suddenly she couldn't even breathe.

He was wet and water was dripping down his muscles, fully naked and open to be viewed by anyone who walked in here, which kind of made her a little jealous that anyone could see him like this. Still, she felt her whole body flush and she unintentionally unzipped her duty jacket, because she felt like she was hot and bothered and needed some air. Part of her wanted to just take the situation and make it a positive, but she wasn't sure if that was what she wanted to do...was it? She wasn't supposed to see him like this outside of dreamland in her quarters and his body...God.

Taylor Lucas had an incredibly body.

Along with the influx of marines to the station that he now found himself in charge of, Taylor had been given his advanced recon squad. There was James Corden, a personal friend of Taylor who had been with him through the Dominion War. Then there was the Caitian sniper Erlin Novus and the Starfleet Medical Fleet Corpsman Yemani Jenn who had fought with Taylor on Thesa Prime. Of course they had been much younger but the campaign had given them a bucket loads of experience. Last but not least was the demo/tech-comm expert and relative newcomer to the squad Alexi Petrovic. Despite his young age and relative inexperience he had proven a useful part of the Corps. Taylor was interested to see how he did.

Of course when surrounded by some people who you trust modesty doesn't really come into it. Taylor had been for a water shoulder and hadn't really clocked Lillian standing there. However Alexi had and in his inexperience called out "Officer on the deck!" which prompted all but Taylor to stand ramrod straight at attention. Instead he turned around to see who it was before his eyes widened. He stood bare naked facing her before he reached for the towel on his bed and put it in front of his crotch, a crimson tinge hitting his face.

"Christ lieutenant don't you knock!" he screamed.

"Isn't he supposed to be at attention?" asked James with a smile. Jenn leaned a little bit to the right as if trying to see past the towel before she stood back again.

"He is. In a manner of speaking."

Scowling Taylor wrapped the towel around him and held it closed before speaking to Lillian. "So...can you tell me why you're standing there oggling me?!"

"At ease, it's fine," the Betazoid said quickly.

Lillian really wanted to be embarrassed right now because she knew that anyone would be, but she was brought up on a planet where such things happened. Sure, she hadn't been expecting it and she was flushed and oddly turned on when she shouldn't be because he was a naked man she had a thing for, but she wasn't about to apologize for not feeling ashamed...was she? Of course he wasn't used to such things and it was only polite of her to feign apologies, right? Except she wasn't sorry...she'd just seen a lot she had been wishing she'd get to since she'd met Taylor for his exam.

"I'm a Betazoid and a doctor, so if nakedness was a problem for me, we'd all be in big trouble," Lillian managed to say though she knew her eyes were straying downward when they shouldn't be and she forced herself to look him in the eye before reaching into the inner pocket of her duty jacket to grab Taylor the report. "I have a report for you from the Captain. It's basically just a bunch of things for you to look over as MCO since you have your squad and everything. Hi, everyone."

She was definitely trying to be friendly since she had wanted to meet them and Taylor had said she could, but she really also needed to keep her eyes up. It was just hard because he was wet and she knew what he looked like without the towel now and she could swear that she was sweating a little and not from nervousness, no...from something entirely different. Then again maybe it was also a little from the foreign feeling of embarrassment as she realized that she might have left the PADD in her office...great. Not only was she failing as the 2XO but she had a feeling that now Taylor was going to think that she just liked to stalk him or something and that was not the impression that she wanted to leave at all.

The squad each 'waved' at her in their own little way as Taylor stammered out some incoherent words. He just stood there in his towel wondering why she couldn't have just forwarded to his terminal. "Gee, thanks Doc." he said before nodding to James. "Get the...get the damn PADD." he ordered. James shook his head before a smile touched his lips. "She doesn't have one...."

His eyes narrowed towards the Betazoid as he shifted from foot to foot. "You didn't bring the PADD. So tell me...did you decide to deliver a meal? Or did you just want to have a word with me because I'll gladly talk to you when I'm not standing in what I entered the world in. Alright? Can you just...I dunno...turn around or something?"

"In my hurry I must have left it in my office," she said honestly but she knew it sounded lame--she had to hope they understood that Betazoids frowned on lying. "Its been a busy morning and I came here straight from the Mess Hall...I should have double checked I had it before coming all the way here."

The impression she was making was undoubtedly bad, but something had her rooted in place because just suddenly leaving also seemed lame. What could she do? She wasn't normally this scatterbrained, but when it came to Taylor Lucas she was all kinds of insane, which she didn't understand at all. Lillian needed to figure something out and quick because all these thoughts were running through her mind right now.

"Betazoids have naked weddings, Captain," she told him bluntly so he knew she'd seen her fair share of nakedness. "Sometimes we all just walk around in what we 'came into the world in' and I've just seen it all, but if it puts your mind at ease..." she said before covering her eyes with her hand. "By all means u--cover yourself." That was a slip unless they assume you said 'uh'...

Once Lillian's eyes were covered Taylor began to dry himself off with the towel, wiping his wet muscles down as he shook his head. "Next time try the door chime? Marines don't believe in modesty but...you're not a marine. You're the CMO. And the 2XO. Seeing senior officers naked isn't actually good for our command and control structure don't you think?"

After he dried himself off Taylor dressed in his duty uniform with his shiny new rank pip on his collar. He was proud of his promotion and had spent a great deal of time polishing the double bars. "Also we never got that drink. I mean I'm a lot more busy since I'm leading a company but maybe one day we could go for it. Dunno when."

If Lillian said she didn't peek, she would be lying. Of course she peeked. She was trying so hard not to feel so sexually charged right now, but the marine was making it really hard on her. Not to mention that she still wanted to have the conversation as far away from the topic of the report as possible because they would all talk when she left, she knew that. People talked. This talk would consist of how obviously she had forgotten the PADD on purpose and she honestly hadn't.

"Sometime soon, I hope," Lillian said with a smile on her face, letting her hand come down when he spoke again, sensing less tension in the air, so she assumed he was clothed now. "After all, I do owe you the drink. Besides, I'm the CMO...that means I've seen pretty much everyone on this station naked and being a Betazoid, it lets me still do my job. Shall we talk about the report, or shall I whisk you away for a non-alcoholic beverage?"

Though seeing you naked might put a kink in my job...

"I uh...could use a coffee..." said Taylor flatly as he left the barracks at speed. He wanted to get out of there before James subjected him to sniping comments. At least he was dressed. That was a bonus. Gently he tugged on Lillian's jacket as he tried to help her escape from the marine squad inside. Taylor hadn't noticed her peeking though since he was more or less rushing himself.

"Sorry for uh...being bare. Marines don't really think about modesty in front of other marines. It's a pretty pointless thing. I didn't really expect you to turn up to give me a report. Frankly I thought you would have been spending time with Ritter and just forwarded it to my terminal. Yeah. I have an office now."

"Coffee is perfect--I love coffee," Lillian said with a smile, though Taylor seemed to really want to get out so she gave a quick wave before letting him tug on her open duty jacket to lead her away. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about...you're an incredibly attractive man."

She didn't know if that sounded like she was seriously scoping him out or not, but at this point just the two of them heading for coffee it didn't really matter. Lillian caught what he said about Max though and found herself stopping them and looking Taylor in the eye with a blush tinting her cheeks because she wondered if Taylor was annoyed about that? What did he think was going on and what did that have to do with anything? She really shouldn't be entertaining thoughts with a man married to his job, but she was so drawn to him that she couldn't stop the words from falling out of her mouth.

"Max and I aren't together, you know," Lillian told Taylor shaking her head. "We're just colleagues, we're not...he and I aren't...if you haven't clocked in on my affections for you yet, you are blind." That said, she continued to go toward the Promenade. "I bet your squad will have something to say about it too, because I clearly was happy with what I just saw and I'm not even going to try and be modest about it even though I'm sure that would make everyone feel more comfortable around me."

"Woah woah...slow down..." said Taylor who walked in front of Lillian and acted like a massive road block. "You're attracted to me? I mean actually attracted? Not schoolyard crush not a 'mmm, tap that' feeling but an actual feeling of attraction?" Disbelief laced his voice as he placed both his hands on the back of his head and blinked. She liked him? Why? I mean sure he figured the comments were a Betazoid thing. Something that they did as part of their racial routine. "Why?"

When Taylor stepped in front of her, Lillian realized that she was going to have to face this right here and right now and she wasn't sure if she was ready for that. All she knew was that the words were spilling out of her mouth before she could stop them but that was normal for her and Taylor Lucas made her crazy--that much she knew. There was so much about him that made her really feel flushed or tongue tied or just plain flustered and she didn't find it fair and she never knew what to do and she just...

"Why is it a shock?" Lillian asked him point blank, looking him in the eye. "I was attracted to you from moment one that we met and I even tried to flirt with you but I got tongue tied and it didn't work and I didn't understand it because that doesn't happen to me! I can flirt with everyone except for you because I try and I get flushed and my stomach starts flip flopping in that way that makes you anxious for what's coming next and I tried to swear you off! You punched me in the nose! You said you were against doctors and I am one! I thought I was going to be fine, but when you're around I know you are and I have to look at you...throw you a smile. I think about you far more than I should and then Thalos happened and you protected me. It didn't matter who I was because I needed you and you were there to help me and I just wanted to get to know more about you and the way you stand up to authority? It's incredibly hot even though it's wrong...it's so wrong because you should show more respect to your commanding officers. To top it off? You brought me ice cream! Why do I like you, Taylor? Because you're kind and heroic and it's adorable that you're so modest when you're so...have you looked at your body? This isn't just some, 'oh, he's cute' and I don't want a quick fumble...I like you...I shouldn't because you're a marine and that makes you married to your job, but I can't help it, okay? I hate feeling like this because you're clearly not attracted to me, but that's how it is! This is why I'm trying so damn hard to at least be your friend so that I can keep you in my life somehow..."

For a moment Taylor just stood there dumbstruck at what to say. A small sigh left his lips as he gained some breath and sense from the bombardment. He decided to keep walking towards the Promenade. He had no idea why she was so smitten over him. Taylor's ego wasn't something that could be stroked nor stimulated. Not because he was incapable of being complimented but merely because he kept a level head when he thought about himself. He knew he was a good marine and a good man but that was all it was. All that Lillian was saying just bounced off of him like water falling from a rock. "Well...I brought you ice cream because I dunno. It seemed like the right thing to do. And I'm just a man. Just one...man. I'm a flawed person and I know it. And I'm obviously not good at this if you're having to spell it out...."

"It doesn't matter," Lillian found herself saying as she continued to the Promenade with him. "You're not attracted to me, so we're just friends and eventually I'm sure the feelings will go away so that you'll feel less uncomfortable around me because all I seem to do is make you uncomfortable with my presence." She took a deep breath to keep the disappointment at bay, but she'd seen this coming and she just needed to make sure to push the feelings down harder, muttering to herself and not sure if he could hear it or not. "This is why I don't have relationships because I like unattainable men and they're always uninterested in what I have to give."

Taking a deep breath, she took him to her favorite Betazoid diner and sat down at a booth. "You know, you can opt out if you want to. You don't have to sit with me, or have coffee with me or talk to me. I know I make you feel awkward and if it helps to be as far away from me as possible. I won't even be offended," okay, maybe a little bit, "I just...when I get nervous and flustered I spew words all over the place and I shouldn't have made you endure that."

"Yeah listen to you admit your love and admiration for me was really tough to endure." said Taylor sarcastically. "I'm not uninterested it's just that a relationship isn't exactly high on my list right now. I've got an entire marine company to sort out, Ritter is probably plotting my demise and now God alone knows what else I've got on my plate. It's nothing to do with you. You're gorgeous, quirky...I'm also sure you're clinically insane somehow but you're a wonderful woman. I don't want to opt out because at no point in time did I find you annoying. If I did have strained patience its because the things around me were causing it. Besides...I'm still here aren't I?"

"I didn't say 'love'," Lillian told him blushing more--that word seemed to drive men away and fast. "Admiration, however, yes...I've grown very fond of you."

She was rather caught off guard when he called her 'gorgeous' and 'wonderful', smiling a little bit and laughing when he said 'clinically insane' because she pretty much felt clinically insane when she was around him. He affected her in unexpected ways and he was giving her hope right now she hadn't thought she was going to get earlier when he walked off because he was telling her that he was still here and he didn't find her annoying but he was focused on work. That she knew about him already and she understood and yet it made her wonder what she was doing because he was married to his job and it would always be his priority and being second wasn't high up on her list.

"Yeah, you're still here," Lillian said with a smile on her face. "I appreciate that and I'll take what I can get because I do really like you and I your company is nice. Also your marines...it would be nice to meet them under better circumstances--think we can make that happen?"

"I suppose so...James is the one to talk to." stated Taylor as he sat back against the booth's back. "He's known me the longest. Since the Dominion War actually. We've been through a lot. Saved each others lives more than we can actually count. The rest of them are pretty solid but I don't know them that well. Spent the Thesa Prime jaunt with the other two but the kid? He's new. Must be something special of James vouched him for recon. But yeah if you want to speak to them go ahead. Not gonna stop you."

"I'll talk to James then," Lillian said as she ordered the coffee from the waitress when she showed.

She leaned back a little herself and took a good look at him, smiling a bit because it really was a little distracting looking at him. It was hard to focus on anything but him and yet she found herself totally okay with that because she really enjoyed watching him and all around just being in his presence. Just like that, looking over his body and into his beautiful blue eyes, she found herself speaking before thinking.

"It is a little bit distracting how attractive you are," Lillian told Taylor with a gentle chuckle.

At her comment Taylor seemed to squirm and look away. Not because he was uncomfortable about the remark but merely because he didn't know the best way to respond. It was a rather surprising thing for someone to tell him. "Really?" he replied with a sense of disbelief rolling off of him. "I suggest you take a good look. Most times my face is covered in camo paint, sweat, grime or dirt. Marines get pretty dirty when out on the field and I often have no qualms rolling around the ground. I figured you'd prefer the looks of our baby faced XO..."

"I prefer my men nice and sweaty, honestly. Grime and toil from hard work and still able to go for something more...pleasurable," she didn't even care how lewd her words were, nor did she care that she was directly them at him for more than one purpose. "In fact rolling around the ground has its perks...besides, if I take anymore good looks at you, people are going to start talking, if they aren't already. I think half the people on the station know by now that I change the minute you walk into a room because I can't keep my feelings to myself even if I try--it's the curse of my species. You can call it my sexuality or the downfall of being a Betazoid all you want, but no one has ever made me as crazy or aware as you have and sometimes it's downright annoying how much you can draw my focus and make me fumble over myself in words and mannerisms that I otherwise have a handle on."

Lillian always made it a point to be brutally honest even though she was aware when she was hurting peoples' feelings and she didn't like to do that unless it needed to be done. This here though, was more that she wanted to see Taylor's reactions to her words to further convince herself that only friendship could happen regardless of what she did because deep down a voice told her that she wasn't good enough for this marine--at least wasn't much use for him other than sex and arms that would always be open for him if he needed them. She could give him all the love in the world if she felt it for him and she knew she was capable of falling for him without a doubt, but she also had a feeling that he couldn't fall for her...especially if her fears came true and she was more like Marshall than she thought.

She chewed on her bottom lip a moment. "You are, however, a wanted distraction 99% of the time."

Rather than pull a face at her comments Taylor just laughed it off. She had a dirty mind that was for sure and she didn't seem intent on hiding that fact. "My, my...Doctor Crae...do you often take it upon yourself to sway innocent marines with such crude words?" It had dawned on Taylor that he hadn't touched his cooling coffee. In all honesty he had invited her for coffee to escape making a scene in the barracks but he was enjoying clearing the air out between him and Lillian. Not to mention getting another, stranger side to her. He gave her a wink as he settled into his chair some more, shaking his head all the while.

"If I didn't know better I'd say you were a marine in disguise. Distractions are never good but...if I'm a wanted distraction then maybe we need to make an appointment for more adult drinks than coffee after our shifts." mulled the marine out loud. "Somewhere with pounding music to grind up to. I can show you my bad dancing. I swear I'm banned from a few clubs on Risa for bad dancing."

||Starbase 12
||Barracks > Promenade
||August 27, 2387
||1035


Lillian didn't know why it was her task to go and give this report to Taylor, but she figured that the sooner the better and so she headed into the Barracks with her head held high. She was determined to do this without seeming like a crazy stalker, but she knew that this was part of her job, mingling with other senior officers and she wasn't really prepared for what happened yet. All she knew was that she had entered thinking that she would just hand him the PADD, make small talk and leave, but then she took one look at the wet marine and suddenly she couldn't even breathe.

He was wet and water was dripping down his muscles, fully naked and open to be viewed by anyone who walked in here, which kind of made her a little jealous that anyone could see him like this. Still, she felt her whole body flush and she unintentionally unzipped her duty jacket, because she felt like she was hot and bothered and needed some air. Part of her wanted to just take the situation and make it a positive, but she wasn't sure if that was what she wanted to do...was it? She wasn't supposed to see him like this outside of dreamland in her quarters and his body...God.

Taylor Lucas had an incredibly body.

Along with the influx of marines to the station that he now found himself in charge of, Taylor had been given his advanced recon squad. There was James Corden, a personal friend of Taylor who had been with him through the Dominion War. Then there was the Caitian sniper Erlin Novus and the Starfleet Medical Fleet Corpsman Yemani Jenn who had fought with Taylor on Thesa Prime. Of course they had been much younger but the campaign had given them a bucket loads of experience. Last but not least was the demo/tech-comm expert and relative newcomer to the squad Alexi Petrovic. Despite his young age and relative inexperience he had proven a useful part of the Corps. Taylor was interested to see how he did.

Of course when surrounded by some people who you trust modesty doesn't really come into it. Taylor had been for a water shoulder and hadn't really clocked Lillian standing there. However Alexi had and in his inexperience called out "Officer on the deck!" which prompted all but Taylor to stand ramrod straight at attention. Instead he turned around to see who it was before his eyes widened. He stood bare naked facing her before he reached for the towel on his bed and put it in front of his crotch, a crimson tinge hitting his face.

"Christ lieutenant don't you knock!" he screamed.

"Isn't he supposed to be at attention?" asked James with a smile. Jenn leaned a little bit to the right as if trying to see past the towel before she stood back again.

"He is. In a manner of speaking."

Scowling Taylor wrapped the towel around him and held it closed before speaking to Lillian. "So...can you tell me why you're standing there oggling me?!"

"At ease, it's fine," the Betazoid said quickly.

Lillian really wanted to be embarrassed right now because she knew that anyone would be, but she was brought up on a planet where such things happened. Sure, she hadn't been expecting it and she was flushed and oddly turned on when she shouldn't be because he was a naked man she had a thing for, but she wasn't about to apologize for not feeling ashamed...was she? Of course he wasn't used to such things and it was only polite of her to feign apologies, right? Except she wasn't sorry...she'd just seen a lot she had been wishing she'd get to since she'd met Taylor for his exam.

"I'm a Betazoid and a doctor, so if nakedness was a problem for me, we'd all be in big trouble," Lillian managed to say though she knew her eyes were straying downward when they shouldn't be and she forced herself to look him in the eye before reaching into the inner pocket of her duty jacket to grab Taylor the report. "I have a report for you from the Captain. It's basically just a bunch of things for you to look over as MCO since you have your squad and everything. Hi, everyone."

She was definitely trying to be friendly since she had wanted to meet them and Taylor had said she could, but she really also needed to keep her eyes up. It was just hard because he was wet and she knew what he looked like without the towel now and she could swear that she was sweating a little and not from nervousness, no...from something entirely different. Then again maybe it was also a little from the foreign feeling of embarrassment as she realized that she might have left the PADD in her office...great. Not only was she failing as the 2XO but she had a feeling that now Taylor was going to think that she just liked to stalk him or something and that was not the impression that she wanted to leave at all.

The squad each 'waved' at her in their own little way as Taylor stammered out some incoherent words. He just stood there in his towel wondering why she couldn't have just forwarded to his terminal. "Gee, thanks Doc." he said before nodding to James. "Get the...get the damn PADD." he ordered. James shook his head before a smile touched his lips. "She doesn't have one...."

His eyes narrowed towards the Betazoid as he shifted from foot to foot. "You didn't bring the PADD. So tell me...did you decide to deliver a meal? Or did you just want to have a word with me because I'll gladly talk to you when I'm not standing in what I entered the world in. Alright? Can you just...I dunno...turn around or something?"

"In my hurry I must have left it in my office," she said honestly but she knew it sounded lame--she had to hope they understood that Betazoids frowned on lying. "Its been a busy morning and I came here straight from the Mess Hall...I should have double checked I had it before coming all the way here."

The impression she was making was undoubtedly bad, but something had her rooted in place because just suddenly leaving also seemed lame. What could she do? She wasn't normally this scatterbrained, but when it came to Taylor Lucas she was all kinds of insane, which she didn't understand at all. Lillian needed to figure something out and quick because all these thoughts were running through her mind right now.

"Betazoids have naked weddings, Captain," she told him bluntly so he knew she'd seen her fair share of nakedness. "Sometimes we all just walk around in what we 'came into the world in' and I've just seen it all, but if it puts your mind at ease..." she said before covering her eyes with her hand. "By all means u--cover yourself." That was a slip unless they assume you said 'uh'...

Once Lillian's eyes were covered Taylor began to dry himself off with the towel, wiping his wet muscles down as he shook his head. "Next time try the door chime? Marines don't believe in modesty but...you're not a marine. You're the CMO. And the 2XO. Seeing senior officers naked isn't actually good for our command and control structure don't you think?"

After he dried himself off Taylor dressed in his duty uniform with his shiny new rank pip on his collar. He was proud of his promotion and had spent a great deal of time polishing the double bars. "Also we never got that drink. I mean I'm a lot more busy since I'm leading a company but maybe one day we could go for it. Dunno when."

If Lillian said she didn't peek, she would be lying. Of course she peeked. She was trying so hard not to feel so sexually charged right now, but the marine was making it really hard on her. Not to mention that she still wanted to have the conversation as far away from the topic of the report as possible because they would all talk when she left, she knew that. People talked. This talk would consist of how obviously she had forgotten the PADD on purpose and she honestly hadn't.

"Sometime soon, I hope," Lillian said with a smile on her face, letting her hand come down when he spoke again, sensing less tension in the air, so she assumed he was clothed now. "After all, I do owe you the drink. Besides, I'm the CMO...that means I've seen pretty much everyone on this station naked and being a Betazoid, it lets me still do my job. Shall we talk about the report, or shall I whisk you away for a non-alcoholic beverage?"

Though seeing you naked might put a kink in my job...

"I uh...could use a coffee..." said Taylor flatly as he left the barracks at speed. He wanted to get out of there before James subjected him to sniping comments. At least he was dressed. That was a bonus. Gently he tugged on Lillian's jacket as he tried to help her escape from the marine squad inside. Taylor hadn't noticed her peeking though since he was more or less rushing himself.

"Sorry for uh...being bare. Marines don't really think about modesty in front of other marines. It's a pretty pointless thing. I didn't really expect you to turn up to give me a report. Frankly I thought you would have been spending time with Ritter and just forwarded it to my terminal. Yeah. I have an office now."

"Coffee is perfect--I love coffee," Lillian said with a smile, though Taylor seemed to really want to get out so she gave a quick wave before letting him tug on her open duty jacket to lead her away. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about...you're an incredibly attractive man."

She didn't know if that sounded like she was seriously scoping him out or not, but at this point just the two of them heading for coffee it didn't really matter. Lillian caught what he said about Max though and found herself stopping them and looking Taylor in the eye with a blush tinting her cheeks because she wondered if Taylor was annoyed about that? What did he think was going on and what did that have to do with anything? She really shouldn't be entertaining thoughts with a man married to his job, but she was so drawn to him that she couldn't stop the words from falling out of her mouth.

"Max and I aren't together, you know," Lillian told Taylor shaking her head. "We're just colleagues, we're not...he and I aren't...if you haven't clocked in on my affections for you yet, you are blind." That said, she continued to go toward the Promenade. "I bet your squad will have something to say about it too, because I clearly was happy with what I just saw and I'm not even going to try and be modest about it even though I'm sure that would make everyone feel more comfortable around me."

"Woah woah...slow down..." said Taylor who walked in front of Lillian and acted like a massive road block. "You're attracted to me? I mean actually attracted? Not schoolyard crush not a 'mmm, tap that' feeling but an actual feeling of attraction?" Disbelief laced his voice as he placed both his hands on the back of his head and blinked. She liked him? Why? I mean sure he figured the comments were a Betazoid thing. Something that they did as part of their racial routine. "Why?"

When Taylor stepped in front of her, Lillian realized that she was going to have to face this right here and right now and she wasn't sure if she was ready for that. All she knew was that the words were spilling out of her mouth before she could stop them but that was normal for her and Taylor Lucas made her crazy--that much she knew. There was so much about him that made her really feel flushed or tongue tied or just plain flustered and she didn't find it fair and she never knew what to do and she just...

"Why is it a shock?" Lillian asked him point blank, looking him in the eye. "I was attracted to you from moment one that we met and I even tried to flirt with you but I got tongue tied and it didn't work and I didn't understand it because that doesn't happen to me! I can flirt with everyone except for you because I try and I get flushed and my stomach starts flip flopping in that way that makes you anxious for what's coming next and I tried to swear you off! You punched me in the nose! You said you were against doctors and I am one! I thought I was going to be fine, but when you're around I know you are and I have to look at you...throw you a smile. I think about you far more than I should and then Thalos happened and you protected me. It didn't matter who I was because I needed you and you were there to help me and I just wanted to get to know more about you and the way you stand up to authority? It's incredibly hot even though it's wrong...it's so wrong because you should show more respect to your commanding officers. To top it off? You brought me ice cream! Why do I like you, Taylor? Because you're kind and heroic and it's adorable that you're so modest when you're so...have you looked at your body? This isn't just some, 'oh, he's cute' and I don't want a quick fumble...I like you...I shouldn't because you're a marine and that makes you married to your job, but I can't help it, okay? I hate feeling like this because you're clearly not attracted to me, but that's how it is! This is why I'm trying so damn hard to at least be your friend so that I can keep you in my life somehow..."

For a moment Taylor just stood there dumbstruck at what to say. A small sigh left his lips as he gained some breath and sense from the bombardment. He decided to keep walking towards the Promenade. He had no idea why she was so smitten over him. Taylor's ego wasn't something that could be stroked nor stimulated. Not because he was incapable of being complimented but merely because he kept a level head when he thought about himself. He knew he was a good marine and a good man but that was all it was. All that Lillian was saying just bounced off of him like water falling from a rock. "Well...I brought you ice cream because I dunno. It seemed like the right thing to do. And I'm just a man. Just one...man. I'm a flawed person and I know it. And I'm obviously not good at this if you're having to spell it out...."

"It doesn't matter," Lillian found herself saying as she continued to the Promenade with him. "You're not attracted to me, so we're just friends and eventually I'm sure the feelings will go away so that you'll feel less uncomfortable around me because all I seem to do is make you uncomfortable with my presence." She took a deep breath to keep the disappointment at bay, but she'd seen this coming and she just needed to make sure to push the feelings down harder, muttering to herself and not sure if he could hear it or not. "This is why I don't have relationships because I like unattainable men and they're always uninterested in what I have to give."

Taking a deep breath, she took him to her favorite Betazoid diner and sat down at a booth. "You know, you can opt out if you want to. You don't have to sit with me, or have coffee with me or talk to me. I know I make you feel awkward and if it helps to be as far away from me as possible. I won't even be offended," okay, maybe a little bit, "I just...when I get nervous and flustered I spew words all over the place and I shouldn't have made you endure that."

"Yeah listen to you admit your love and admiration for me was really tough to endure." said Taylor sarcastically. "I'm not uninterested it's just that a relationship isn't exactly high on my list right now. I've got an entire marine company to sort out, Ritter is probably plotting my demise and now God alone knows what else I've got on my plate. It's nothing to do with you. You're gorgeous, quirky...I'm also sure you're clinically insane somehow but you're a wonderful woman. I don't want to opt out because at no point in time did I find you annoying. If I did have strained patience its because the things around me were causing it. Besides...I'm still here aren't I?"

"I didn't say 'love'," Lillian told him blushing more--that word seemed to drive men away and fast. "Admiration, however, yes...I've grown very fond of you."

She was rather caught off guard when he called her 'gorgeous' and 'wonderful', smiling a little bit and laughing when he said 'clinically insane' because she pretty much felt clinically insane when she was around him. He affected her in unexpected ways and he was giving her hope right now she hadn't thought she was going to get earlier when he walked off because he was telling her that he was still here and he didn't find her annoying but he was focused on work. That she knew about him already and she understood and yet it made her wonder what she was doing because he was married to his job and it would always be his priority and being second wasn't high up on her list.

"Yeah, you're still here," Lillian said with a smile on her face. "I appreciate that and I'll take what I can get because I do really like you and I your company is nice. Also your marines...it would be nice to meet them under better circumstances--think we can make that happen?"

"I suppose so...James is the one to talk to." stated Taylor as he sat back against the booth's back. "He's known me the longest. Since the Dominion War actually. We've been through a lot. Saved each others lives more than we can actually count. The rest of them are pretty solid but I don't know them that well. Spent the Thesa Prime jaunt with the other two but the kid? He's new. Must be something special of James vouched him for recon. But yeah if you want to speak to them go ahead. Not gonna stop you."

"I'll talk to James then," Lillian said as she ordered the coffee from the waitress when she showed.

She leaned back a little herself and took a good look at him, smiling a bit because it really was a little distracting looking at him. It was hard to focus on anything but him and yet she found herself totally okay with that because she really enjoyed watching him and all around just being in his presence. Just like that, looking over his body and into his beautiful blue eyes, she found herself speaking before thinking.

"It is a little bit distracting how attractive you are," Lillian told Taylor with a gentle chuckle.

At her comment Taylor seemed to squirm and look away. Not because he was uncomfortable about the remark but merely because he didn't know the best way to respond. It was a rather surprising thing for someone to tell him. "Really?" he replied with a sense of disbelief rolling off of him. "I suggest you take a good look. Most times my face is covered in camo paint, sweat, grime or dirt. Marines get pretty dirty when out on the field and I often have no qualms rolling around the ground. I figured you'd prefer the looks of our baby faced XO..."

"I prefer my men nice and sweaty, honestly. Grime and toil from hard work and still able to go for something more...pleasurable," she didn't even care how lewd her words were, nor did she care that she was directly them at him for more than one purpose. "In fact rolling around the ground has its perks...besides, if I take anymore good looks at you, people are going to start talking, if they aren't already. I think half the people on the station know by now that I change the minute you walk into a room because I can't keep my feelings to myself even if I try--it's the curse of my species. You can call it my sexuality or the downfall of being a Betazoid all you want, but no one has ever made me as crazy or aware as you have and sometimes it's downright annoying how much you can draw my focus and make me fumble over myself in words and mannerisms that I otherwise have a handle on."

Lillian always made it a point to be brutally honest even though she was aware when she was hurting peoples' feelings and she didn't like to do that unless it needed to be done. This here though, was more that she wanted to see Taylor's reactions to her words to further convince herself that only friendship could happen regardless of what she did because deep down a voice told her that she wasn't good enough for this marine--at least wasn't much use for him other than sex and arms that would always be open for him if he needed them. She could give him all the love in the world if she felt it for him and she knew she was capable of falling for him without a doubt, but she also had a feeling that he couldn't fall for her...especially if her fears came true and she was more like Marshall than she thought.

She chewed on her bottom lip a moment. "You are, however, a wanted distraction 99% of the time."

Rather than pull a face at her comments Taylor just laughed it off. She had a dirty mind that was for sure and she didn't seem intent on hiding that fact. "My, my...Doctor Crae...do you often take it upon yourself to sway innocent marines with such crude words?" It had dawned on Taylor that he hadn't touched his cooling coffee. In all honesty he had invited her for coffee to escape making a scene in the barracks but he was enjoying clearing the air out between him and Lillian. Not to mention getting another, stranger side to her. He gave her a wink as he settled into his chair some more, shaking his head all the while.

"If I didn't know better I'd say you were a marine in disguise. Distractions are never good but...if I'm a wanted distraction then maybe we need to make an appointment for more adult drinks than coffee after our shifts." mulled the marine out loud. "Somewhere with pounding music to grind up to. I can show you my bad dancing. I swear I'm banned from a few clubs on Risa for bad dancing."

"Perhaps I'm simply a woman who knows what I want," Lillian responded with a smile. "Besides, something tells me you're not as innocent as that suggests..."

She was suddenly drawn back in to what happened in the Barracks and it made her whole body flush with want again at the mental image of the marine across from her, naked and wet. Of course a bunch of rather dirty thoughts ran through her mind as she eyed him and remembered the kinds of things she was imagining at the time, trying to focus on his words as best as possible and making sure not to lick her lips despite the fantasy being worth of just that. Instead, she let herself smile and if her eyes betrayed her thoughts than so be it--regardless of feeling as though he would find better, she had meant what she said about his presence and her flirting didn't seem to be failing so much now that he knew she was infatuated with him. Did that give him a power over her now she would have preferred he didn't have?

"I do love to dance," Lillian admitted with a gentle nod and a sip of her coffee. "I would like that a lot, actually. I'd like to see if you're as bad a dancer as you say you are, and besides...if you are, I can teach you." 'Grind up to'? Taylor, you're making it almost impossible for me, here. "Might give you some much needed relaxation time on top of it all--everyone needs to let loose every once in a while."

||Starbase 12
||Barracks > Promenade
||August 27, 2387
||1035


Lillian didn't know why it was her task to go and give this report to Taylor, but she figured that the sooner the better and so she headed into the Barracks with her head held high. She was determined to do this without seeming like a crazy stalker, but she knew that this was part of her job, mingling with other senior officers and she wasn't really prepared for what happened yet. All she knew was that she had entered thinking that she would just hand him the PADD, make small talk and leave, but then she took one look at the wet marine and suddenly she couldn't even breathe.

He was wet and water was dripping down his muscles, fully naked and open to be viewed by anyone who walked in here, which kind of made her a little jealous that anyone could see him like this. Still, she felt her whole body flush and she unintentionally unzipped her duty jacket, because she felt like she was hot and bothered and needed some air. Part of her wanted to just take the situation and make it a positive, but she wasn't sure if that was what she wanted to do...was it? She wasn't supposed to see him like this outside of dreamland in her quarters and his body...God.

Taylor Lucas had an incredibly body.

Along with the influx of marines to the station that he now found himself in charge of, Taylor had been given his advanced recon squad. There was James Corden, a personal friend of Taylor who had been with him through the Dominion War. Then there was the Caitian sniper Erlin Novus and the Starfleet Medical Fleet Corpsman Yemani Jenn who had fought with Taylor on Thesa Prime. Of course they had been much younger but the campaign had given them a bucket loads of experience. Last but not least was the demo/tech-comm expert and relative newcomer to the squad Alexi Petrovic. Despite his young age and relative inexperience he had proven a useful part of the Corps. Taylor was interested to see how he did.

Of course when surrounded by some people who you trust modesty doesn't really come into it. Taylor had been for a water shoulder and hadn't really clocked Lillian standing there. However Alexi had and in his inexperience called out "Officer on the deck!" which prompted all but Taylor to stand ramrod straight at attention. Instead he turned around to see who it was before his eyes widened. He stood bare naked facing her before he reached for the towel on his bed and put it in front of his crotch, a crimson tinge hitting his face.

"Christ lieutenant don't you knock!" he screamed.

"Isn't he supposed to be at attention?" asked James with a smile. Jenn leaned a little bit to the right as if trying to see past the towel before she stood back again.

"He is. In a manner of speaking."

Scowling Taylor wrapped the towel around him and held it closed before speaking to Lillian. "So...can you tell me why you're standing there oggling me?!"

"At ease, it's fine," the Betazoid said quickly.

Lillian really wanted to be embarrassed right now because she knew that anyone would be, but she was brought up on a planet where such things happened. Sure, she hadn't been expecting it and she was flushed and oddly turned on when she shouldn't be because he was a naked man she had a thing for, but she wasn't about to apologize for not feeling ashamed...was she? Of course he wasn't used to such things and it was only polite of her to feign apologies, right? Except she wasn't sorry...she'd just seen a lot she had been wishing she'd get to since she'd met Taylor for his exam.

"I'm a Betazoid and a doctor, so if nakedness was a problem for me, we'd all be in big trouble," Lillian managed to say though she knew her eyes were straying downward when they shouldn't be and she forced herself to look him in the eye before reaching into the inner pocket of her duty jacket to grab Taylor the report. "I have a report for you from the Captain. It's basically just a bunch of things for you to look over as MCO since you have your squad and everything. Hi, everyone."

She was definitely trying to be friendly since she had wanted to meet them and Taylor had said she could, but she really also needed to keep her eyes up. It was just hard because he was wet and she knew what he looked like without the towel now and she could swear that she was sweating a little and not from nervousness, no...from something entirely different. Then again maybe it was also a little from the foreign feeling of embarrassment as she realized that she might have left the PADD in her office...great. Not only was she failing as the 2XO but she had a feeling that now Taylor was going to think that she just liked to stalk him or something and that was not the impression that she wanted to leave at all.

The squad each 'waved' at her in their own little way as Taylor stammered out some incoherent words. He just stood there in his towel wondering why she couldn't have just forwarded to his terminal. "Gee, thanks Doc." he said before nodding to James. "Get the...get the damn PADD." he ordered. James shook his head before a smile touched his lips. "She doesn't have one...."

His eyes narrowed towards the Betazoid as he shifted from foot to foot. "You didn't bring the PADD. So tell me...did you decide to deliver a meal? Or did you just want to have a word with me because I'll gladly talk to you when I'm not standing in what I entered the world in. Alright? Can you just...I dunno...turn around or something?"

"In my hurry I must have left it in my office," she said honestly but she knew it sounded lame--she had to hope they understood that Betazoids frowned on lying. "Its been a busy morning and I came here straight from the Mess Hall...I should have double checked I had it before coming all the way here."

The impression she was making was undoubtedly bad, but something had her rooted in place because just suddenly leaving also seemed lame. What could she do? She wasn't normally this scatterbrained, but when it came to Taylor Lucas she was all kinds of insane, which she didn't understand at all. Lillian needed to figure something out and quick because all these thoughts were running through her mind right now.

"Betazoids have naked weddings, Captain," she told him bluntly so he knew she'd seen her fair share of nakedness. "Sometimes we all just walk around in what we 'came into the world in' and I've just seen it all, but if it puts your mind at ease..." she said before covering her eyes with her hand. "By all means u--cover yourself." That was a slip unless they assume you said 'uh'...

Once Lillian's eyes were covered Taylor began to dry himself off with the towel, wiping his wet muscles down as he shook his head. "Next time try the door chime? Marines don't believe in modesty but...you're not a marine. You're the CMO. And the 2XO. Seeing senior officers naked isn't actually good for our command and control structure don't you think?"

After he dried himself off Taylor dressed in his duty uniform with his shiny new rank pip on his collar. He was proud of his promotion and had spent a great deal of time polishing the double bars. "Also we never got that drink. I mean I'm a lot more busy since I'm leading a company but maybe one day we could go for it. Dunno when."

If Lillian said she didn't peek, she would be lying. Of course she peeked. She was trying so hard not to feel so sexually charged right now, but the marine was making it really hard on her. Not to mention that she still wanted to have the conversation as far away from the topic of the report as possible because they would all talk when she left, she knew that. People talked. This talk would consist of how obviously she had forgotten the PADD on purpose and she honestly hadn't.

"Sometime soon, I hope," Lillian said with a smile on her face, letting her hand come down when he spoke again, sensing less tension in the air, so she assumed he was clothed now. "After all, I do owe you the drink. Besides, I'm the CMO...that means I've seen pretty much everyone on this station naked and being a Betazoid, it lets me still do my job. Shall we talk about the report, or shall I whisk you away for a non-alcoholic beverage?"

Though seeing you naked might put a kink in my job...

"I uh...could use a coffee..." said Taylor flatly as he left the barracks at speed. He wanted to get out of there before James subjected him to sniping comments. At least he was dressed. That was a bonus. Gently he tugged on Lillian's jacket as he tried to help her escape from the marine squad inside. Taylor hadn't noticed her peeking though since he was more or less rushing himself.

"Sorry for uh...being bare. Marines don't really think about modesty in front of other marines. It's a pretty pointless thing. I didn't really expect you to turn up to give me a report. Frankly I thought you would have been spending time with Ritter and just forwarded it to my terminal. Yeah. I have an office now."

"Coffee is perfect--I love coffee," Lillian said with a smile, though Taylor seemed to really want to get out so she gave a quick wave before letting him tug on her open duty jacket to lead her away. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about...you're an incredibly attractive man."

She didn't know if that sounded like she was seriously scoping him out or not, but at this point just the two of them heading for coffee it didn't really matter. Lillian caught what he said about Max though and found herself stopping them and looking Taylor in the eye with a blush tinting her cheeks because she wondered if Taylor was annoyed about that? What did he think was going on and what did that have to do with anything? She really shouldn't be entertaining thoughts with a man married to his job, but she was so drawn to him that she couldn't stop the words from falling out of her mouth.

"Max and I aren't together, you know," Lillian told Taylor shaking her head. "We're just colleagues, we're not...he and I aren't...if you haven't clocked in on my affections for you yet, you are blind." That said, she continued to go toward the Promenade. "I bet your squad will have something to say about it too, because I clearly was happy with what I just saw and I'm not even going to try and be modest about it even though I'm sure that would make everyone feel more comfortable around me."

"Woah woah...slow down..." said Taylor who walked in front of Lillian and acted like a massive road block. "You're attracted to me? I mean actually attracted? Not schoolyard crush not a 'mmm, tap that' feeling but an actual feeling of attraction?" Disbelief laced his voice as he placed both his hands on the back of his head and blinked. She liked him? Why? I mean sure he figured the comments were a Betazoid thing. Something that they did as part of their racial routine. "Why?"

When Taylor stepped in front of her, Lillian realized that she was going to have to face this right here and right now and she wasn't sure if she was ready for that. All she knew was that the words were spilling out of her mouth before she could stop them but that was normal for her and Taylor Lucas made her crazy--that much she knew. There was so much about him that made her really feel flushed or tongue tied or just plain flustered and she didn't find it fair and she never knew what to do and she just...

"Why is it a shock?" Lillian asked him point blank, looking him in the eye. "I was attracted to you from moment one that we met and I even tried to flirt with you but I got tongue tied and it didn't work and I didn't understand it because that doesn't happen to me! I can flirt with everyone except for you because I try and I get flushed and my stomach starts flip flopping in that way that makes you anxious for what's coming next and I tried to swear you off! You punched me in the nose! You said you were against doctors and I am one! I thought I was going to be fine, but when you're around I know you are and I have to look at you...throw you a smile. I think about you far more than I should and then Thalos happened and you protected me. It didn't matter who I was because I needed you and you were there to help me and I just wanted to get to know more about you and the way you stand up to authority? It's incredibly hot even though it's wrong...it's so wrong because you should show more respect to your commanding officers. To top it off? You brought me ice cream! Why do I like you, Taylor? Because you're kind and heroic and it's adorable that you're so modest when you're so...have you looked at your body? This isn't just some, 'oh, he's cute' and I don't want a quick fumble...I like you...I shouldn't because you're a marine and that makes you married to your job, but I can't help it, okay? I hate feeling like this because you're clearly not attracted to me, but that's how it is! This is why I'm trying so damn hard to at least be your friend so that I can keep you in my life somehow..."

For a moment Taylor just stood there dumbstruck at what to say. A small sigh left his lips as he gained some breath and sense from the bombardment. He decided to keep walking towards the Promenade. He had no idea why she was so smitten over him. Taylor's ego wasn't something that could be stroked nor stimulated. Not because he was incapable of being complimented but merely because he kept a level head when he thought about himself. He knew he was a good marine and a good man but that was all it was. All that Lillian was saying just bounced off of him like water falling from a rock. "Well...I brought you ice cream because I dunno. It seemed like the right thing to do. And I'm just a man. Just one...man. I'm a flawed person and I know it. And I'm obviously not good at this if you're having to spell it out...."

"It doesn't matter," Lillian found herself saying as she continued to the Promenade with him. "You're not attracted to me, so we're just friends and eventually I'm sure the feelings will go away so that you'll feel less uncomfortable around me because all I seem to do is make you uncomfortable with my presence." She took a deep breath to keep the disappointment at bay, but she'd seen this coming and she just needed to make sure to push the feelings down harder, muttering to herself and not sure if he could hear it or not. "This is why I don't have relationships because I like unattainable men and they're always uninterested in what I have to give."

Taking a deep breath, she took him to her favorite Betazoid diner and sat down at a booth. "You know, you can opt out if you want to. You don't have to sit with me, or have coffee with me or talk to me. I know I make you feel awkward and if it helps to be as far away from me as possible. I won't even be offended," okay, maybe a little bit, "I just...when I get nervous and flustered I spew words all over the place and I shouldn't have made you endure that."

"Yeah listen to you admit your love and admiration for me was really tough to endure." said Taylor sarcastically. "I'm not uninterested it's just that a relationship isn't exactly high on my list right now. I've got an entire marine company to sort out, Ritter is probably plotting my demise and now God alone knows what else I've got on my plate. It's nothing to do with you. You're gorgeous, quirky...I'm also sure you're clinically insane somehow but you're a wonderful woman. I don't want to opt out because at no point in time did I find you annoying. If I did have strained patience its because the things around me were causing it. Besides...I'm still here aren't I?"

"I didn't say 'love'," Lillian told him blushing more--that word seemed to drive men away and fast. "Admiration, however, yes...I've grown very fond of you."

She was rather caught off guard when he called her 'gorgeous' and 'wonderful', smiling a little bit and laughing when he said 'clinically insane' because she pretty much felt clinically insane when she was around him. He affected her in unexpected ways and he was giving her hope right now she hadn't thought she was going to get earlier when he walked off because he was telling her that he was still here and he didn't find her annoying but he was focused on work. That she knew about him already and she understood and yet it made her wonder what she was doing because he was married to his job and it would always be his priority and being second wasn't high up on her list.

"Yeah, you're still here," Lillian said with a smile on her face. "I appreciate that and I'll take what I can get because I do really like you and I your company is nice. Also your marines...it would be nice to meet them under better circumstances--think we can make that happen?"

"I suppose so...James is the one to talk to." stated Taylor as he sat back against the booth's back. "He's known me the longest. Since the Dominion War actually. We've been through a lot. Saved each others lives more than we can actually count. The rest of them are pretty solid but I don't know them that well. Spent the Thesa Prime jaunt with the other two but the kid? He's new. Must be something special of James vouched him for recon. But yeah if you want to speak to them go ahead. Not gonna stop you."

"I'll talk to James then," Lillian said as she ordered the coffee from the waitress when she showed.

She leaned back a little herself and took a good look at him, smiling a bit because it really was a little distracting looking at him. It was hard to focus on anything but him and yet she found herself totally okay with that because she really enjoyed watching him and all around just being in his presence. Just like that, looking over his body and into his beautiful blue eyes, she found herself speaking before thinking.

"It is a little bit distracting how attractive you are," Lillian told Taylor with a gentle chuckle.

At her comment Taylor seemed to squirm and look away. Not because he was uncomfortable about the remark but merely because he didn't know the best way to respond. It was a rather surprising thing for someone to tell him. "Really?" he replied with a sense of disbelief rolling off of him. "I suggest you take a good look. Most times my face is covered in camo paint, sweat, grime or dirt. Marines get pretty dirty when out on the field and I often have no qualms rolling around the ground. I figured you'd prefer the looks of our baby faced XO..."

"I prefer my men nice and sweaty, honestly. Grime and toil from hard work and still able to go for something more...pleasurable," she didn't even care how lewd her words were, nor did she care that she was directly them at him for more than one purpose. "In fact rolling around the ground has its perks...besides, if I take anymore good looks at you, people are going to start talking, if they aren't already. I think half the people on the station know by now that I change the minute you walk into a room because I can't keep my feelings to myself even if I try--it's the curse of my species. You can call it my sexuality or the downfall of being a Betazoid all you want, but no one has ever made me as crazy or aware as you have and sometimes it's downright annoying how much you can draw my focus and make me fumble over myself in words and mannerisms that I otherwise have a handle on."

Lillian always made it a point to be brutally honest even though she was aware when she was hurting peoples' feelings and she didn't like to do that unless it needed to be done. This here though, was more that she wanted to see Taylor's reactions to her words to further convince herself that only friendship could happen regardless of what she did because deep down a voice told her that she wasn't good enough for this marine--at least wasn't much use for him other than sex and arms that would always be open for him if he needed them. She could give him all the love in the world if she felt it for him and she knew she was capable of falling for him without a doubt, but she also had a feeling that he couldn't fall for her...especially if her fears came true and she was more like Marshall than she thought.

She chewed on her bottom lip a moment. "You are, however, a wanted distraction 99% of the time."

Rather than pull a face at her comments Taylor just laughed it off. She had a dirty mind that was for sure and she didn't seem intent on hiding that fact. "My, my...Doctor Crae...do you often take it upon yourself to sway innocent marines with such crude words?" It had dawned on Taylor that he hadn't touched his cooling coffee. In all honesty he had invited her for coffee to escape making a scene in the barracks but he was enjoying clearing the air out between him and Lillian. Not to mention getting another, stranger side to her. He gave her a wink as he settled into his chair some more, shaking his head all the while.

"If I didn't know better I'd say you were a marine in disguise. Distractions are never good but...if I'm a wanted distraction then maybe we need to make an appointment for more adult drinks than coffee after our shifts." mulled the marine out loud. "Somewhere with pounding music to grind up to. I can show you my bad dancing. I swear I'm banned from a few clubs on Risa for bad dancing."

"Perhaps I'm simply a woman who knows what I want," Lillian responded with a smile. "Besides, something tells me you're not as innocent as that suggests..."

She was suddenly drawn back in to what happened in the Barracks and it made her whole body flush with want again at the mental image of the marine across from her, naked and wet. Of course a bunch of rather dirty thoughts ran through her mind as she eyed him and remembered the kinds of things she was imagining at the time, trying to focus on his words as best as possible and making sure not to lick her lips despite the fantasy being worth of just that. Instead, she let herself smile and if her eyes betrayed her thoughts than so be it--regardless of feeling as though he would find better, she had meant what she said about his presence and her flirting didn't seem to be failing so much now that he knew she was infatuated with him. Did that give him a power over her now she would have preferred he didn't have?

"I do love to dance," Lillian admitted with a gentle nod and a sip of her coffee. "I would like that a lot, actually. I'd like to see if you're as bad a dancer as you say you are, and besides...if you are, I can teach you." 'Grind up to'? Taylor, you're making it almost impossible for me, here. "Might give you some much needed relaxation time on top of it all--everyone needs to let loose every once in a while."

"Oh I've been many things in my life Doctor Crae and innocence has never been one of them." said Taylor as he stood up with a smile. "Anyway I've got to get going. Not only have I got a few marines to see to I've also got a new regimental commander to report to as well. If you want you can drop a message on my terminal at any time for a drink, dinner date or a dance. Just...keep it tasteful."

||Starbase 12
||Barracks > Promenade
||August 27, 2387
||1035


Lillian didn't know why it was her task to go and give this report to Taylor, but she figured that the sooner the better and so she headed into the Barracks with her head held high. She was determined to do this without seeming like a crazy stalker, but she knew that this was part of her job, mingling with other senior officers and she wasn't really prepared for what happened yet. All she knew was that she had entered thinking that she would just hand him the PADD, make small talk and leave, but then she took one look at the wet marine and suddenly she couldn't even breathe.

He was wet and water was dripping down his muscles, fully naked and open to be viewed by anyone who walked in here, which kind of made her a little jealous that anyone could see him like this. Still, she felt her whole body flush and she unintentionally unzipped her duty jacket, because she felt like she was hot and bothered and needed some air. Part of her wanted to just take the situation and make it a positive, but she wasn't sure if that was what she wanted to do...was it? She wasn't supposed to see him like this outside of dreamland in her quarters and his body...God.

Taylor Lucas had an incredibly body.

Along with the influx of marines to the station that he now found himself in charge of, Taylor had been given his advanced recon squad. There was James Corden, a personal friend of Taylor who had been with him through the Dominion War. Then there was the Caitian sniper Erlin Novus and the Starfleet Medical Fleet Corpsman Yemani Jenn who had fought with Taylor on Thesa Prime. Of course they had been much younger but the campaign had given them a bucket loads of experience. Last but not least was the demo/tech-comm expert and relative newcomer to the squad Alexi Petrovic. Despite his young age and relative inexperience he had proven a useful part of the Corps. Taylor was interested to see how he did.

Of course when surrounded by some people who you trust modesty doesn't really come into it. Taylor had been for a water shoulder and hadn't really clocked Lillian standing there. However Alexi had and in his inexperience called out "Officer on the deck!" which prompted all but Taylor to stand ramrod straight at attention. Instead he turned around to see who it was before his eyes widened. He stood bare naked facing her before he reached for the towel on his bed and put it in front of his crotch, a crimson tinge hitting his face.

"Christ lieutenant don't you knock!" he screamed.

"Isn't he supposed to be at attention?" asked James with a smile. Jenn leaned a little bit to the right as if trying to see past the towel before she stood back again.

"He is. In a manner of speaking."

Scowling Taylor wrapped the towel around him and held it closed before speaking to Lillian. "So...can you tell me why you're standing there oggling me?!"

"At ease, it's fine," the Betazoid said quickly.

Lillian really wanted to be embarrassed right now because she knew that anyone would be, but she was brought up on a planet where such things happened. Sure, she hadn't been expecting it and she was flushed and oddly turned on when she shouldn't be because he was a naked man she had a thing for, but she wasn't about to apologize for not feeling ashamed...was she? Of course he wasn't used to such things and it was only polite of her to feign apologies, right? Except she wasn't sorry...she'd just seen a lot she had been wishing she'd get to since she'd met Taylor for his exam.

"I'm a Betazoid and a doctor, so if nakedness was a problem for me, we'd all be in big trouble," Lillian managed to say though she knew her eyes were straying downward when they shouldn't be and she forced herself to look him in the eye before reaching into the inner pocket of her duty jacket to grab Taylor the report. "I have a report for you from the Captain. It's basically just a bunch of things for you to look over as MCO since you have your squad and everything. Hi, everyone."

She was definitely trying to be friendly since she had wanted to meet them and Taylor had said she could, but she really also needed to keep her eyes up. It was just hard because he was wet and she knew what he looked like without the towel now and she could swear that she was sweating a little and not from nervousness, no...from something entirely different. Then again maybe it was also a little from the foreign feeling of embarrassment as she realized that she might have left the PADD in her office...great. Not only was she failing as the 2XO but she had a feeling that now Taylor was going to think that she just liked to stalk him or something and that was not the impression that she wanted to leave at all.

The squad each 'waved' at her in their own little way as Taylor stammered out some incoherent words. He just stood there in his towel wondering why she couldn't have just forwarded to his terminal. "Gee, thanks Doc." he said before nodding to James. "Get the...get the damn PADD." he ordered. James shook his head before a smile touched his lips. "She doesn't have one...."

His eyes narrowed towards the Betazoid as he shifted from foot to foot. "You didn't bring the PADD. So tell me...did you decide to deliver a meal? Or did you just want to have a word with me because I'll gladly talk to you when I'm not standing in what I entered the world in. Alright? Can you just...I dunno...turn around or something?"

"In my hurry I must have left it in my office," she said honestly but she knew it sounded lame--she had to hope they understood that Betazoids frowned on lying. "Its been a busy morning and I came here straight from the Mess Hall...I should have double checked I had it before coming all the way here."

The impression she was making was undoubtedly bad, but something had her rooted in place because just suddenly leaving also seemed lame. What could she do? She wasn't normally this scatterbrained, but when it came to Taylor Lucas she was all kinds of insane, which she didn't understand at all. Lillian needed to figure something out and quick because all these thoughts were running through her mind right now.

"Betazoids have naked weddings, Captain," she told him bluntly so he knew she'd seen her fair share of nakedness. "Sometimes we all just walk around in what we 'came into the world in' and I've just seen it all, but if it puts your mind at ease..." she said before covering her eyes with her hand. "By all means u--cover yourself." That was a slip unless they assume you said 'uh'...

Once Lillian's eyes were covered Taylor began to dry himself off with the towel, wiping his wet muscles down as he shook his head. "Next time try the door chime? Marines don't believe in modesty but...you're not a marine. You're the CMO. And the 2XO. Seeing senior officers naked isn't actually good for our command and control structure don't you think?"

After he dried himself off Taylor dressed in his duty uniform with his shiny new rank pip on his collar. He was proud of his promotion and had spent a great deal of time polishing the double bars. "Also we never got that drink. I mean I'm a lot more busy since I'm leading a company but maybe one day we could go for it. Dunno when."

If Lillian said she didn't peek, she would be lying. Of course she peeked. She was trying so hard not to feel so sexually charged right now, but the marine was making it really hard on her. Not to mention that she still wanted to have the conversation as far away from the topic of the report as possible because they would all talk when she left, she knew that. People talked. This talk would consist of how obviously she had forgotten the PADD on purpose and she honestly hadn't.

"Sometime soon, I hope," Lillian said with a smile on her face, letting her hand come down when he spoke again, sensing less tension in the air, so she assumed he was clothed now. "After all, I do owe you the drink. Besides, I'm the CMO...that means I've seen pretty much everyone on this station naked and being a Betazoid, it lets me still do my job. Shall we talk about the report, or shall I whisk you away for a non-alcoholic beverage?"

Though seeing you naked might put a kink in my job...

"I uh...could use a coffee..." said Taylor flatly as he left the barracks at speed. He wanted to get out of there before James subjected him to sniping comments. At least he was dressed. That was a bonus. Gently he tugged on Lillian's jacket as he tried to help her escape from the marine squad inside. Taylor hadn't noticed her peeking though since he was more or less rushing himself.

"Sorry for uh...being bare. Marines don't really think about modesty in front of other marines. It's a pretty pointless thing. I didn't really expect you to turn up to give me a report. Frankly I thought you would have been spending time with Ritter and just forwarded it to my terminal. Yeah. I have an office now."

"Coffee is perfect--I love coffee," Lillian said with a smile, though Taylor seemed to really want to get out so she gave a quick wave before letting him tug on her open duty jacket to lead her away. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about...you're an incredibly attractive man."

She didn't know if that sounded like she was seriously scoping him out or not, but at this point just the two of them heading for coffee it didn't really matter. Lillian caught what he said about Max though and found herself stopping them and looking Taylor in the eye with a blush tinting her cheeks because she wondered if Taylor was annoyed about that? What did he think was going on and what did that have to do with anything? She really shouldn't be entertaining thoughts with a man married to his job, but she was so drawn to him that she couldn't stop the words from falling out of her mouth.

"Max and I aren't together, you know," Lillian told Taylor shaking her head. "We're just colleagues, we're not...he and I aren't...if you haven't clocked in on my affections for you yet, you are blind." That said, she continued to go toward the Promenade. "I bet your squad will have something to say about it too, because I clearly was happy with what I just saw and I'm not even going to try and be modest about it even though I'm sure that would make everyone feel more comfortable around me."

"Woah woah...slow down..." said Taylor who walked in front of Lillian and acted like a massive road block. "You're attracted to me? I mean actually attracted? Not schoolyard crush not a 'mmm, tap that' feeling but an actual feeling of attraction?" Disbelief laced his voice as he placed both his hands on the back of his head and blinked. She liked him? Why? I mean sure he figured the comments were a Betazoid thing. Something that they did as part of their racial routine. "Why?"

When Taylor stepped in front of her, Lillian realized that she was going to have to face this right here and right now and she wasn't sure if she was ready for that. All she knew was that the words were spilling out of her mouth before she could stop them but that was normal for her and Taylor Lucas made her crazy--that much she knew. There was so much about him that made her really feel flushed or tongue tied or just plain flustered and she didn't find it fair and she never knew what to do and she just...

"Why is it a shock?" Lillian asked him point blank, looking him in the eye. "I was attracted to you from moment one that we met and I even tried to flirt with you but I got tongue tied and it didn't work and I didn't understand it because that doesn't happen to me! I can flirt with everyone except for you because I try and I get flushed and my stomach starts flip flopping in that way that makes you anxious for what's coming next and I tried to swear you off! You punched me in the nose! You said you were against doctors and I am one! I thought I was going to be fine, but when you're around I know you are and I have to look at you...throw you a smile. I think about you far more than I should and then Thalos happened and you protected me. It didn't matter who I was because I needed you and you were there to help me and I just wanted to get to know more about you and the way you stand up to authority? It's incredibly hot even though it's wrong...it's so wrong because you should show more respect to your commanding officers. To top it off? You brought me ice cream! Why do I like you, Taylor? Because you're kind and heroic and it's adorable that you're so modest when you're so...have you looked at your body? This isn't just some, 'oh, he's cute' and I don't want a quick fumble...I like you...I shouldn't because you're a marine and that makes you married to your job, but I can't help it, okay? I hate feeling like this because you're clearly not attracted to me, but that's how it is! This is why I'm trying so damn hard to at least be your friend so that I can keep you in my life somehow..."

For a moment Taylor just stood there dumbstruck at what to say. A small sigh left his lips as he gained some breath and sense from the bombardment. He decided to keep walking towards the Promenade. He had no idea why she was so smitten over him. Taylor's ego wasn't something that could be stroked nor stimulated. Not because he was incapable of being complimented but merely because he kept a level head when he thought about himself. He knew he was a good marine and a good man but that was all it was. All that Lillian was saying just bounced off of him like water falling from a rock. "Well...I brought you ice cream because I dunno. It seemed like the right thing to do. And I'm just a man. Just one...man. I'm a flawed person and I know it. And I'm obviously not good at this if you're having to spell it out...."

"It doesn't matter," Lillian found herself saying as she continued to the Promenade with him. "You're not attracted to me, so we're just friends and eventually I'm sure the feelings will go away so that you'll feel less uncomfortable around me because all I seem to do is make you uncomfortable with my presence." She took a deep breath to keep the disappointment at bay, but she'd seen this coming and she just needed to make sure to push the feelings down harder, muttering to herself and not sure if he could hear it or not. "This is why I don't have relationships because I like unattainable men and they're always uninterested in what I have to give."

Taking a deep breath, she took him to her favorite Betazoid diner and sat down at a booth. "You know, you can opt out if you want to. You don't have to sit with me, or have coffee with me or talk to me. I know I make you feel awkward and if it helps to be as far away from me as possible. I won't even be offended," okay, maybe a little bit, "I just...when I get nervous and flustered I spew words all over the place and I shouldn't have made you endure that."

"Yeah listen to you admit your love and admiration for me was really tough to endure." said Taylor sarcastically. "I'm not uninterested it's just that a relationship isn't exactly high on my list right now. I've got an entire marine company to sort out, Ritter is probably plotting my demise and now God alone knows what else I've got on my plate. It's nothing to do with you. You're gorgeous, quirky...I'm also sure you're clinically insane somehow but you're a wonderful woman. I don't want to opt out because at no point in time did I find you annoying. If I did have strained patience its because the things around me were causing it. Besides...I'm still here aren't I?"

"I didn't say 'love'," Lillian told him blushing more--that word seemed to drive men away and fast. "Admiration, however, yes...I've grown very fond of you."

She was rather caught off guard when he called her 'gorgeous' and 'wonderful', smiling a little bit and laughing when he said 'clinically insane' because she pretty much felt clinically insane when she was around him. He affected her in unexpected ways and he was giving her hope right now she hadn't thought she was going to get earlier when he walked off because he was telling her that he was still here and he didn't find her annoying but he was focused on work. That she knew about him already and she understood and yet it made her wonder what she was doing because he was married to his job and it would always be his priority and being second wasn't high up on her list.

"Yeah, you're still here," Lillian said with a smile on her face. "I appreciate that and I'll take what I can get because I do really like you and I your company is nice. Also your marines...it would be nice to meet them under better circumstances--think we can make that happen?"

"I suppose so...James is the one to talk to." stated Taylor as he sat back against the booth's back. "He's known me the longest. Since the Dominion War actually. We've been through a lot. Saved each others lives more than we can actually count. The rest of them are pretty solid but I don't know them that well. Spent the Thesa Prime jaunt with the other two but the kid? He's new. Must be something special of James vouched him for recon. But yeah if you want to speak to them go ahead. Not gonna stop you."

"I'll talk to James then," Lillian said as she ordered the coffee from the waitress when she showed.

She leaned back a little herself and took a good look at him, smiling a bit because it really was a little distracting looking at him. It was hard to focus on anything but him and yet she found herself totally okay with that because she really enjoyed watching him and all around just being in his presence. Just like that, looking over his body and into his beautiful blue eyes, she found herself speaking before thinking.

"It is a little bit distracting how attractive you are," Lillian told Taylor with a gentle chuckle.

At her comment Taylor seemed to squirm and look away. Not because he was uncomfortable about the remark but merely because he didn't know the best way to respond. It was a rather surprising thing for someone to tell him. "Really?" he replied with a sense of disbelief rolling off of him. "I suggest you take a good look. Most times my face is covered in camo paint, sweat, grime or dirt. Marines get pretty dirty when out on the field and I often have no qualms rolling around the ground. I figured you'd prefer the looks of our baby faced XO..."

"I prefer my men nice and sweaty, honestly. Grime and toil from hard work and still able to go for something more...pleasurable," she didn't even care how lewd her words were, nor did she care that she was directly them at him for more than one purpose. "In fact rolling around the ground has its perks...besides, if I take anymore good looks at you, people are going to start talking, if they aren't already. I think half the people on the station know by now that I change the minute you walk into a room because I can't keep my feelings to myself even if I try--it's the curse of my species. You can call it my sexuality or the downfall of being a Betazoid all you want, but no one has ever made me as crazy or aware as you have and sometimes it's downright annoying how much you can draw my focus and make me fumble over myself in words and mannerisms that I otherwise have a handle on."

Lillian always made it a point to be brutally honest even though she was aware when she was hurting peoples' feelings and she didn't like to do that unless it needed to be done. This here though, was more that she wanted to see Taylor's reactions to her words to further convince herself that only friendship could happen regardless of what she did because deep down a voice told her that she wasn't good enough for this marine--at least wasn't much use for him other than sex and arms that would always be open for him if he needed them. She could give him all the love in the world if she felt it for him and she knew she was capable of falling for him without a doubt, but she also had a feeling that he couldn't fall for her...especially if her fears came true and she was more like Marshall than she thought.

She chewed on her bottom lip a moment. "You are, however, a wanted distraction 99% of the time."

Rather than pull a face at her comments Taylor just laughed it off. She had a dirty mind that was for sure and she didn't seem intent on hiding that fact. "My, my...Doctor Crae...do you often take it upon yourself to sway innocent marines with such crude words?" It had dawned on Taylor that he hadn't touched his cooling coffee. In all honesty he had invited her for coffee to escape making a scene in the barracks but he was enjoying clearing the air out between him and Lillian. Not to mention getting another, stranger side to her. He gave her a wink as he settled into his chair some more, shaking his head all the while.

"If I didn't know better I'd say you were a marine in disguise. Distractions are never good but...if I'm a wanted distraction then maybe we need to make an appointment for more adult drinks than coffee after our shifts." mulled the marine out loud. "Somewhere with pounding music to grind up to. I can show you my bad dancing. I swear I'm banned from a few clubs on Risa for bad dancing."

"Perhaps I'm simply a woman who knows what I want," Lillian responded with a smile. "Besides, something tells me you're not as innocent as that suggests..."

She was suddenly drawn back in to what happened in the Barracks and it made her whole body flush with want again at the mental image of the marine across from her, naked and wet. Of course a bunch of rather dirty thoughts ran through her mind as she eyed him and remembered the kinds of things she was imagining at the time, trying to focus on his words as best as possible and making sure not to lick her lips despite the fantasy being worth of just that. Instead, she let herself smile and if her eyes betrayed her thoughts than so be it--regardless of feeling as though he would find better, she had meant what she said about his presence and her flirting didn't seem to be failing so much now that he knew she was infatuated with him. Did that give him a power over her now she would have preferred he didn't have?

"I do love to dance," Lillian admitted with a gentle nod and a sip of her coffee. "I would like that a lot, actually. I'd like to see if you're as bad a dancer as you say you are, and besides...if you are, I can teach you." 'Grind up to'? Taylor, you're making it almost impossible for me, here. "Might give you some much needed relaxation time on top of it all--everyone needs to let loose every once in a while."

"Oh I've been many things in my life Doctor Crae and innocent has never been one of them." said Taylor as he stood up with a smile. "Anyway I've got to get going. Not only have I got a few marines to see to I've also got a new regimental commander to report to as well. If you want you can drop a message on my terminal at any time for a drink, dinner date or a dance. Just...keep it tasteful."

Lillian was startled by his offer to be near her, but she grinned. "I'll remember that and you'll hear from me. If nothing else, we'll have that drink, but part of me wants to see you dance as well, so...we'll be in touch. Also, I need to remember to talk to James...I like that there are more marines around here. Do us proud and have a good day, Captain Handsome. Look at that, even your nickname upgraded."

There was nothing quite like his smiling face to give the rest of her day goodness.


<End?>