(Untitled)

[mr_gaeta]

In the CIC, Gaeta's just wrapping up the latest tactical sitrep with Colonel Tigh and Admiral Adama. Taking care not to be overt, he sneaks a glance at his watch as he points to another item on the board,calmly interpreting the latest figures and reports gathered from each pilot

Comments

[faithful_lt]

He arrives four minutes early, goes through the standard duty-arrival protocols, and relieves the officer who'd had the previous shift.

Hoshi's professional about it all, of course, but there's no missing that he's in an amazingly good mood for some reason. There's a constant smile on his face, and his eyes are bright with delight.

[mr_gaeta]

...He really, really is.

Gaeta doesn't spare more than a quick glance when Louis walks in, but that's more than enough to notice. His own professionalism doesn't falter as the Admiral dismisses him and he returns to his usual post by the DRADIS screen; just as surreptitious as the glances at his watch, though, he seeks out the chance to catch Louis' eye, if only for a second.

The instant he does, he raises his eyebrows and returns the grin in a small, brief flash: What?

[faithful_lt]

He has to fight to keep his grin from widening, even as he shakes his head-- a small, barely-discernable movement.

Not now--

"Mr. Hoshi!" Tigh calls, and his attention jerks away from Felix and to the XO as he comes to attention.

"Sir!" he replies, smartly enough, but he's unable to quite mask the cheerful expression.

Tigh's eyebrow lifts. "You're in a good mood."

[mr_gaeta]

He ducks his head and turns back to his checkup on ship's functions, hiding his own grin with much more success.

Tigh's day is going well enough -- as far as Gaeta can discern, anyway -- that he won't lay into Louis for daring to smile on deck, thank frak. No need to produce an extra report or three to serve as a diversion.

[faithful_lt]

"Yes, sir?" he answers. "If you say so, sir."

There's a single long beat in which Tigh eyes him, and then he just snorts and shakes his head, dismissing it.

"Get me the Celestra," he orders, instead, and Hoshi leaps to do so, his fingers flying over the comms.

"Sir," he confirms. "Go ahead."

[mr_gaeta]

And thus, the reluctant reality establishes itself again: not now is going to have to be when they're both off duty...which won't be for at least another eight hours yet.

Gaeta flicks one more glance at Louis, kneading the toes of one foot, absent and anxious, against the inside of his boot. With an inaudible sigh and another half-hidden smile, he lets himself be reabsorbed by the task at hand, leaving Louis to his own post.

Three hours later, the next officer arrives to relieve him of duty. Gaeta leaves when the Admiral's back is turned, and shoots one final
meaningful look at Louis before departing.

Five hours. Gods. What is he going to do with himself for five hours?

[faithful_lt]

He wouldn't say it's a relief when Felix leaves, but it does make it easier for him to keep from practically bubbling over with renewed excitement every time he catches a glance from him.

Hoshi throws himself back into his work and waits for the time to pass until the end of his shift.

He's completely unaware that he's humming cheerfully to the comms console under his breath.

[mr_gaeta]

Sneaking in a brief nap only kills about forty-five minutes. Ducking down to the rec room for a round of Triad knocks out an hour, but when Starbuck arrives, he bows out gracefully after just enough time not to make it obvious why he's leaving. He showers, and shaves, and digs out a dogeared genetics magazine he won at auction six months ago, even though he's read it cover to cover at least five times already.

Times like this, he's really frakking annoyed that Milliways stops time whenever he visits.

But eventually, excruciatingly, the minutes tick away, and soon he's sitting up and watching the door in expectation of Louis' return.

[faithful_lt]

Ten minutes after the end of his shift, he bounces through the door to the officers' racks. As he's no longer on duty, there's no reason for him to try to maintain a completely professional demeanor -- and as a result, there's a wide grin on his face and a definite spring to his step.

[mr_gaeta]

Immediately, Gaeta swings his legs over the side of his rack, leaning down to rest his arms across his thighs.

"So?" he prompts.

[faithful_lt]

His grin immediately widens, and Hoshi makes his way straight over to him.

"I did it," he says, quietly enough that no one else can hear, and clearly delighted all over again by whatever it is.

[mr_gaeta]

Gaeta's beaming back without a thought, caught up in nothing but Louis' joy. "Did what?" he says, keeping his voice low to match.

Beat.

"Should we talk about this upstairs?"

[faithful_lt]

"Maybe," he admits, but then continues, teasingly, "although you might be able to guess when I tell you that's where I came from, before shift."

[mr_gaeta]

And all at once, the grin is that much broader, proud and big enough to make his cheeks ache.

"You got there alone?"

[faithful_lt]

He nods, his entire face lit with pleasure.

"Just like you showed me before," he whispers.

[mr_gaeta]

He is so beautiful when he smiles like that.

"Yeah, let's talk about this upstairs," he says with a tiny laugh, scooting over to the ladder of his rack, hastily buttoning his uniform jacket back up as he goes. "Let me get my shoes -- "