(no subject)

[dendarii]

WHO: Miles, Bel
WHERE: Downtown Nonah
WHEN: April 1st
WHAT: Miles and Bel have themselves a date~
WARNINGS: Maybe some kissing and stuff. Will edit if they get into dark conversation topics.

[ Miles know this is a one off - must be a one off, something more (or less?) than a one night stand, something far less than a romantic relationship. And he is happy with Kitty, as happy as he is ever going to be with someone who isn't Gregor, Bel included. But - he's greedily excited for all of this anyway. His own feelings have become tangled around the subject of Bel, and having the opportunity to act on them in a safe context is freeing. He's not the only one needing to work out some unrequited feelings, as paradoxical as that seems.

He sends Bel the address and a time: around seven PM on April Fool's, at a gorgeous vegetarian restaurant downtown. Hard to get into at this hour, he'd found out; he'd had to lean a bit on his status to get them a table. The place styles itself as a vintage place (though it all looks "vintage" to Miles anyway), with a gilded gold look inspired by the artwork of Gustav Klimt. It's all perhaps a bit too upscale, but if Miles is only going to do one date, he's going to do it right, dammit. Starting (but not ending) with a damn good dinner.

He's there at the table ahead of Bel. Cutting quite a nice figure in his dark brown suit laced with silver accents. The suit that Gregor had given him for his birthday last year; the irony of wearing it to a date with Bel because Gregor isn't here is not lost on him. But - for tonight, he's not going to ache over any of it. He's going to enjoy this moment as hard as he can. ]

Comments

[dendarii]

[ It's a date, after all. And if they don't talk about it now, when will they? Miles is glad he doesn't have to press. ]

Mm. No. Certainly not. Is that why you joined up with Oser?

[shipmaster]

[ Now they laugh, the pause after is filled with a first bite and a noise of appreciation before they continue. ]

Good Lord, no. I wish I'd had that much acuity going out. In a fit of "why not" I loaded myself onboard the Ariel's predecessor on a fuel and supply stop on Beta. I was just a dockworker then...

My first 'contract' if you will, was working off my fare and weight, or see the far side of an airlock. I signed with some gusto and absolutely no benefits. I got better at negotiating as time went on.

[dendarii]

[ Somehow he can picture it. It's ... rather charming actually. He can't help but grin over at them. ]

Jumping in with both feet, eh? That's the only way to do it.

[shipmaster]

[ Bel grins back. ]

Says the master of the wild, uncharted leap himself.

[dendarii]

Precisely. I'm the master of it by now.

[ He takes a bite of risotto. ]

[shipmaster]

Enough panache, someone might think you had it all worked out in advance.

Good thing you don't. I think that might actually get boring.

[dendarii]

And you wouldn't like me if I were boring. Hopefully I still live up to expectations here.

[ Half a joke, half a real concern. He tries not to look nervous. ]

[shipmaster]

[ Bel wasn't the only one who could read Miles. Most of the Dendarii, upper and lower command made it their work, the same way mariners used to judge the ocean and the winds. Often for the same live or die mentality that came with it.

Finding the play of nervousness making Miles' motions just a touch more jerky was illuminating. ]

... No, you surprise me every day. [ It was said with a bit of a wide eyed tone of that same surprise. ]

[dendarii]

[ Well. He hadn't meant for that to be surprising. He blinks over at Bel. ]

Oh. Er - good, I'm glad. I am very glad you're here, you know.

[ More of that fluttering nervousness. ]

[shipmaster]

[ It's an odd surprise. Bel hasn't BEEN the center of Miles' attention before, and really isn't sure how to read it... The very idea that Miles is nervous is the question. ]

You're not getting cold feet, are you?

[dendarii]

[ It's a far cry from his usual image. Not that he doesn't care about Bel normally, but ... ]

Of course not. I'm very grateful Kitty agreed.

[shipmaster]

Usually I have to get significantly closer before you look like you'll jump your skin.

[dendarii]

[ An awkward little shrug. ]

A different sort, today. I'm more nervous about you not getting close.

[shipmaster]

I'm sure I can set your mind at ease. Or at least throw it at a puzzle until you've tired it out on more likely things, like Cetaganda deciding empires was last year's fashion.

[dendarii]

[ A faint snort and a shy smile. ]

The puzzle is likely more effective. I have trouble tricking myself into relaxing.

1/3

[shipmaster]

That would...

[shipmaster]

[ Actually............................ ]

[shipmaster]

[ A Milesian icebreaker AND useful for the satisfaction of one Betan's curiosity. ]

I DO have one for you. After that tiny mess on Earth, we did a short run to Kibou-daini that I never quite figured out. Perhaps you can make more of the pieces.

[dendarii]

[ Miles furrows his brows, but his eyes are already alight with interest. ]

All right. You've piqued my curiosity.

[shipmaster]

The quick and dirty was it was meant to be a simple pickup and resell, likely an 'official' mission, due to how closed lipped you were and that I was taken off of Intelligence and sent to Nav and Comm. [ The "again" isn't vocalized, but it was there, subaudibly.

Bel's fork makes a little furrow in the risotto, idly.]

It ended, after myself and my pilot were tucked away in the station's holding cell for two days as some sort of political blackmail, as I gathered - with us taking two packages, rather than one. One of those being a cryochamber.


The amazing part, is the build of the ship that chased us nearly out of fuel to Beta was of Barrayaran make.

[dendarii]

[ Well. If it was "official," then of course he'd have Bel out of the way. They're too damn smart and Miles is too canny himself. But ... two packages? And Barrayar chasing them down for one? It's true that his role is secret, but that sounds ... strange.

His previous nervousness evaporates in the wake of this new tidbit. ]

Barrayaran make? Or Barrayaran?

[shipmaster]

Make as far as my perspective went. I assumed it was repurposed or stolen, given that it was chasing us. Though the possibility that you couldn't break cover for some reason is certainly there.

[dendarii]

[ If not for their high class setting, Miles would get up to pace. As it is he drums his fingertips along the table. ]

Someone who wanted to get Barrayar in trouble, not knowing we would know better. Who did we deliver both of the - er, packages to?

[shipmaster]

[ It's both enjoyable to watch and profitable ... using Miles' brain to unravel the mystery that Miles didn't divulge at the time. ]

One went to Komarr, which was almost certainly routed back to Barrayar, the other, interestingly enough, went to a science facility on Beta.

[dendarii]

Beta Colony ...

[ The wheels are definitely turning. ]

Who were they? Do you know?