Ficlet: Keeping Secrets (Blake's 7)
Title: Keeping Secrets
Author: lost_spook
Rating: PG
Word Count: 553
Characters/Pairings: Del Tarrant/Dayna Mellanby
Notes/Warnings: None.
Summary: It’s hard work, having a secret relationship. (Early S4, no spoilers.)
Continuing with rescuing things from my notebook: this was an attempt at writing Tarrant/Dayna for paranoidangel42 in shipswap last year.
***
Dayna was busy in the Scorpio’s hold, tightening up one of the ship’s panels, shifting to try and get at it from a less awkward angle. When she heard the noise behind her, she turned her head. “That you, Tarrant? You took your time. I’ve been here half an hour already.”
“Avon wanted a word,” Tarrant said, moving to stand next to her. “And, Dayna, this is hardly the place for an assignation, is it?”
Dayna grinned widely at that. “Assignation? Oh, Tarrant. Then I hate to break it to you, but I really did want help with the repairs.”
“Ah,” said Tarrant, and then gave her a brief grin in return. “I suppose that does make more sense.”
Dayna returned to her task. “And now you’re wishing you’d prolonged the conversation after all.”
“Hardly,” said Tarrant, searching in the toolbox for another spanner. “Avon wasn’t in a good mood. This is immeasurably preferable.”
Dayna moved along as Tarrant studied the next panel, which seemed to have become twisted out of shape at some point. She shot him a speaking glance. Avon’s moods were rarely good, but they were worse than ever these days.
“I don’t suppose he knows, does he?” she said, eventually. “About us, I mean.”
Tarrant shrugged. “I can’t see why he should. This relationship’s so secret even I have trouble finding it out some days.”
“Aw, poor Tarrant!” said Dayna, laughing at him. “Don’t worry. When we’re finished here, I’ll prove it’s real. You won’t forget for days, I promise.”
“Not exactly modest, are you?” he said, but he moved nearer. Her smile grew, and he abandoned the difficult panel in favour of kissing her. “You know,” he said, after a while, “it’s not that bad a place for it, after all…”
“Not,” said Dayna, “if we want things to stay secret for much longer.”
Tarrant frowned. “Look, I don’t see what the point is in hiding and skulking about. What does it matter? The rest of them won’t care.”
“And which of them would you like to tell?” said Dayna. “Want to hear Avon’s thoughts on the subject, or have Vila trying to follow us about?”
“I just don’t see -”
“Sometimes,” she said, “I’m amazed you’re still alive.”
Tarrant looked down at her. “So am I. When we do get somewhere private, I want to make one thing clear. Nothing is going to happen until you make absolutely sure you don’t have any explosives hidden anywhere on or near you.”
“Oh, but I thought you liked the excitement.”
“I like my eyebrows as well. Among other things.”
“It was only a little explosion. And the burns weren’t that bad.”
Tarrant leant back against the wall. “Call me unreasonable, but I think it’s more romantic without surprises like that, thanks.”
“Oh, all right,” said Dayna. “I promise.”
It couldn’t last, of course, she thought, so they’d better make the most of it while they could. And with that, she set about trying to get the repairs finished as soon as possible. She didn’t have to look to know he’d done the same; he’d probably had the same thought.
After a while of working in silence, she turned her head towards him. “Okay, so no explosives, but what about any weapons I might happen to have to hand?”
“Dayna…”
***
Crossposted from Dreamwidth -- Comments there:
Author: lost_spook
Rating: PG
Word Count: 553
Characters/Pairings: Del Tarrant/Dayna Mellanby
Notes/Warnings: None.
Summary: It’s hard work, having a secret relationship. (Early S4, no spoilers.)
Continuing with rescuing things from my notebook: this was an attempt at writing Tarrant/Dayna for paranoidangel42 in shipswap last year.
***
Dayna was busy in the Scorpio’s hold, tightening up one of the ship’s panels, shifting to try and get at it from a less awkward angle. When she heard the noise behind her, she turned her head. “That you, Tarrant? You took your time. I’ve been here half an hour already.”
“Avon wanted a word,” Tarrant said, moving to stand next to her. “And, Dayna, this is hardly the place for an assignation, is it?”
Dayna grinned widely at that. “Assignation? Oh, Tarrant. Then I hate to break it to you, but I really did want help with the repairs.”
“Ah,” said Tarrant, and then gave her a brief grin in return. “I suppose that does make more sense.”
Dayna returned to her task. “And now you’re wishing you’d prolonged the conversation after all.”
“Hardly,” said Tarrant, searching in the toolbox for another spanner. “Avon wasn’t in a good mood. This is immeasurably preferable.”
Dayna moved along as Tarrant studied the next panel, which seemed to have become twisted out of shape at some point. She shot him a speaking glance. Avon’s moods were rarely good, but they were worse than ever these days.
“I don’t suppose he knows, does he?” she said, eventually. “About us, I mean.”
Tarrant shrugged. “I can’t see why he should. This relationship’s so secret even I have trouble finding it out some days.”
“Aw, poor Tarrant!” said Dayna, laughing at him. “Don’t worry. When we’re finished here, I’ll prove it’s real. You won’t forget for days, I promise.”
“Not exactly modest, are you?” he said, but he moved nearer. Her smile grew, and he abandoned the difficult panel in favour of kissing her. “You know,” he said, after a while, “it’s not that bad a place for it, after all…”
“Not,” said Dayna, “if we want things to stay secret for much longer.”
Tarrant frowned. “Look, I don’t see what the point is in hiding and skulking about. What does it matter? The rest of them won’t care.”
“And which of them would you like to tell?” said Dayna. “Want to hear Avon’s thoughts on the subject, or have Vila trying to follow us about?”
“I just don’t see -”
“Sometimes,” she said, “I’m amazed you’re still alive.”
Tarrant looked down at her. “So am I. When we do get somewhere private, I want to make one thing clear. Nothing is going to happen until you make absolutely sure you don’t have any explosives hidden anywhere on or near you.”
“Oh, but I thought you liked the excitement.”
“I like my eyebrows as well. Among other things.”
“It was only a little explosion. And the burns weren’t that bad.”
Tarrant leant back against the wall. “Call me unreasonable, but I think it’s more romantic without surprises like that, thanks.”
“Oh, all right,” said Dayna. “I promise.”
It couldn’t last, of course, she thought, so they’d better make the most of it while they could. And with that, she set about trying to get the repairs finished as soon as possible. She didn’t have to look to know he’d done the same; he’d probably had the same thought.
After a while of working in silence, she turned her head towards him. “Okay, so no explosives, but what about any weapons I might happen to have to hand?”
“Dayna…”
***
Crossposted from Dreamwidth -- Comments there: