The lunch-time rendezvous never happen. I’d like to think that not all of the reasons not to sneak off with me were just excuses to avoid being alone with me, but it’s starting to feel like it. She’s been increasingly short with me via chat and though she acknowledged that I need more physical affection than she does, most of her attempts have been mechanical to seemingly check that maintenance box.
Since putting in time with my girlfriend hasn’t been an option, I’ve been diving into modules at breakneck speed. The way they work is similar to prototype where you have a checklist of knowledge proficiencies that you need to prove before you finish a module, with each list item needs to be checked off by an instructor or an AI protocol via HUD projection and data monitoring. Of Course, to finish a whole module, you had to have a review from an actual human. Ivanka and one of her fellow Russion Sailors came up with a cross correlating database for similar knowledge checks over a myriad of modules and created some pretty handy study paths. I worked with the AI protocols to review some of these “optimized paths” which led to theoretically shaving two weeks or more off the projected module timeline to help people scratch out more time for modules that were hard for them.
After the class found out about the AI checkouts, I burned through the reactor and propulsion modules in days. The only thing that kept me from finishing the program in three months was that we needed to perform watch practicals where we performed emergency response and normal operation tasks in a simulated engine room. Instructors informed me that they wouldn’t start those simulations until a whole watch team was ready. I wasn’t willing to coerce people so I could “go go go” because I’d still have to sit on the ISS until they shuttled us to the ship anyway. So I studied Russian and started making various designs for scout and space fighters based on my Propulsor tech and various versions of primary power sources.
You see a ton of space ships and fighters in sci-fi shows and the various designs are sometimes fun and exciting while others are groan-worth and ridiculous. Space ships don’t have to be pointy and low-resistance atmosphere flight should be scoopy when relying on material-based thrust. I designed a few space-only bloblulous ones, and a few scram jet style ones. Looking at some of the pointy designs that I just disparaged, I realized that they were sexy in a way that reminded me of Katie.
“Life would be so much easier if I could just focus on my passions.”
“Professional, or leisure,” Ivanka purred, knowing to find me in the weightless axle of the station in my study time. “In either case please share.” Her sultry smile would be palpitation inducing if my heart didn’t already feel like a lead weight in my chest.
I smirk at her attempt at levity. “[Oh, you know, designing fighters and learning Russian.]”
“[Very good! You are doing so well, little cherub.] But your accent is atrocious.” She maneuvers beside me, hip touching mine lightly as we float there. She’s a little too close, but not so close that I think she’s going to try anything—though I know she’s interested. I asked her about fraternization and she laughed with a throaty jubilance and told me that Russian influence is not so plentiful as to ignore opportunity. I almost asked her if I was one of her missions, but I knew what she’d say and if I heard it out loud I knew it would hurt me a little.
There are a few other international sailors I get along with, including Ivanka’s electronics friend Petra Volkov, as well as a Japanese Warrant Officer Sato Daisuke. I met Sato when I was waiting to talk with Commander Zhao about cheating allegations for finishing my modules so fast, and at first the command staff thought my Russians and I had started a cheating scam on the AI assessors. Sato helped us get the optimization tables to include the non-nuclear ratings. Good guy Sato. Zhao still had a titanium rod grafted to her spine through her rectum.
I look up from my musing and see Ivanka questioning me, “Sorry, I was musing over some interactions with other Sailors. Are you here to study, or collude?”
“You would accuse me of trying to gather accomplices for my schemes? Well of course little Merc, I cannot be everywhere.” Stupid scheming grin. “I am, interested in getting a watch team together.”
“Oh? I am not so overly focused to think that this is solely for our benefit.”
“No no no, of course not. I will be more plain. I want you and I to qualify quickly so that I can focus on other plans, and that I have an ally in engineering to support my interests.”
She always feeds me enough candor to want to trust her, but not so much that I feel like she’s setting me up. Most likely she’s collecting me as an asset. Is it better or worse that I know about it and am still being corralled into it?
“I don’t know what international politics are involved in handing out billets after this, but I haven’t been very successful in connecting with any of the officers onboard.”
If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
Ivanka nods at my statement and then shoots me a list of junior officers and petty officers that could fill out an engineering watch team. I flag some names that I think would take well to an accelerated AI assessment schedule.
“Done. Could you talk to the school staff about arranging the early sims? At this point I think they’re tired of making accommodations for me.”
“Easily done. Is there anything else you need from me?” She asks, as though I was the one that was keeping her here.
“Can’t think of anything right now.” Though I want to say I need a friend, though I’m pretty sure that’s not on the table with Petra and Ivanka. “You didn’t find me to study?”
“Not today. Though Petra wants to pick your brain about something.”
Petra reminds me of a more personable version of me working on my thesis project: so focused and animated, but much less of a callous witch. She’s got mischievous little sister vibes and I can’t help but thinking of the trouble we could get into together.
I end up following Ivanka to the cafeteria and I spend some cash on my toaster strudel addiction. I don’t know why they have a snack machine in space, but I’m certainly grateful. When I turn around, I see Katie trying to murder both Ivanka and I with her eyes. Shit, she really must think I’m lying to her.
I sit across from her and touch her with my legs like normal, but she shoves them away this time and doesn’t look me in the eyes. “Katie, she came to find me to set up a watch team for quals.”
“You seem a little closer than that, Penny.” She spits.
“What’s this really about, hon? I’ve been trying to arrange together time for weeks.”
“Some of us don’t have a team to helm me do work.” I kick her for that.
“I could be helping you too! Not that you probably need it. It just feels like you’re avoiding me and I don’t know what I did Katie! Please help me understand.”
She looks between me and her reconstituted lunch as the anger bleeds from her eyes. “I thought we were the same, you know. Smart and awkward together.” Her voice is small, barely audible. “But up here, you’re so popular and I’m still just me.”
Oh, honey. That made my heart hurt so bad. I reach out and take her hand in mine. I briefly feel a twitch as though she considered removing her hand, but instead curls her fingers around mine. “You’re not ‘just’ anything Katie O’Connell. You’re so smart and amazing, and I can see how much you feel and care, but you don’t have to feel it alone.” I pull her hand up and kiss it, smiling when she locks eyes with me. “And most of the people you see looking for me don’t like me at all. They just want things from me.”
“That Russian girl wants more than just information from you Penny.” Let’s not devolve back into that.
“What,” I say, kissing her fingers periodically, “will it take to shift your focus to me?” I pull the neck of my suit to the side a little, “Maybe offer you my neck?” She does look, stares even. “Or perhaps I could share some of my ship design projects?”
“You’re designing a ship?” she bites her lip in interest. Finally interested in me.
“I’m also working on some engine testing with Naval Reactors. If you , uh, want to come back to my dorm, I could tell you about them. In detail.” My last words hooked her and her pupils blow out in arousal at the though of me talking nerdy to her.
Katie quickly picks up her stuff and re-vacuum seals her half-eaten meal. She never lets go of my hand through the process and I can’t help how happy it makes me to see her show interest in physical contact with me again. As nice as this feels, Penny, you can’t be satisfied with a single day of contentment, we need to keep her from backsliding into fear and isolation again.
I coax her into discussing my personal projects in our underwear, not wanting to risk showing her in the living room and us getting carried away. She sits behind me on the bed and I snuggle up into her lap and she holds me while I talk about my ships. Less than twenty minutes later she’s nuzzling my neck and littering my ribs and chest with her feathery, wandering touch. I ditch the gloves and my attempts to actual display the ship models because I need her skin in my hands immediately.
On hand grips her thigh and kneads the wiry muscle wrapped in smooth, pale skin; and with the other I scrunch in her silky curls lightly forcing her head further into my neck.
“Please, Katie.”
“Keep talking Penny.” The dusky growl flowing over my skin with her canines brushing my skin almost drives me to tackle her in lust. Instead, I use all the control I have to spew science about my hobbies.
I’ve felt so touch-starved over the last few months that when she touches my clit and bites down on my shoulder, I climax with no warning. Katie chuckles and lets me go, as though she thinks we’re done. One isn’t enough.
I strip us both in a way that could only be described as desperate. I keep talking when I can get two braincells to cooperate and touch my girlfriend with as much of my body as possible. My next orgasm was quick and needy, but I managed to carry my Vampire Goddess with me.
We both like to cuddle after, so I’m not surprised when she curls around me, but she starts kissing my shoulders again while slowly caressing my breasts with one hand and lazily toying with my folds with the other. My arousal builds again, but this time it fills me with a slow heaviness, like a filling tub or a warming pile of blankets. It’s comforting and electric and oh so personal.
“Penny, I’m so sorry for how’ve been. I’ve been so worried about you leaving me that I’ve been pushing you away to save the heartache.” Her voice is shaky, but the sureness of her actions tell me she’s working toward something she’s sure of. “I was so focused on my loneliness, that I couldn’t see how I was hurting you, and I’m so, so sorry.”
The warmth in my body pulses as she holds me tighter and I feel her tears wet my cheek. She’s touching me inside an out now, moving her fingers absently, not allowing me to cum or cool down.
“I just. I just love you so much and I . . . and holding you in my arms is where I want to be. Always.”
The flood of emotions in response to her sweet words makes me want to comfort her in a million ways, but that flood was enough to overflow me, causing me to twitch softly in her embrace in the throws of an orgasm that feels like a long, comforting sigh.