Safe In The Arms Of Love

Posted on Wed Sep 19, 2018 @ 9:55pm by Danielle Mercursi-Mallory & Lieutenant Commander Arrda

Mission: Falling Star
Location: Mallory Quarters
Timeline: MD 34 || 1800 Hours

Arrda was glad to be home, to be with his wife again. He had missed her, always did when he was away from her.

This mission had been strenuous and intense, and he was exceedingly glad that it was over. Taking off his uniform jacket, he started across the outer room toward the bedroom to put it away. As he went, he called out, "Danielle? Are you home?"

A song with a catchy beat was playing and Danielle peaked her head out of the shower when she heard his voice. "In here, baby!' she called out as she continued to dance, the water splashing off of her body.

Arrda smiled to himself, continuing into the bedroom and hanging up the jacket. "Room for another body in there?" he asked, half teasing and half serious, as he continued to undress. A shower was not a bad idea, after all, though he already knew that if he got in there with her, showering would be, literally, the last thing they would do.

"In the shower and in my heart," Danielle responded as a wave of steam came out of the shower. "These family quarters are amazing. Real water, lots of room and best of all, I have you."

Arrda finished shedding his clothing and joined her in the shower. Before anything else, though, he wrapped his arms around her and leaned down to kiss her deeply. In that kiss, he expressed his deep love for her, how much he had missed her, and every emotion in between. After that kiss, he whispered, "To the end of time and beyond, my Love."

She wrapped her arms around his massive form and returned the kiss with a passion that let him know how much she missed him and how happy she was to see him. She slid her soapy body along his as she stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Now and forever," she whispered.

As she slid against him, he felt his body react in the most pleasant of ways. He smiled down at her, pulling her closer still. "You do realize, my Dearest, that if you keep doing that, there will be no showering." he pointed out in a tone that suggested that this outcome was just fine with him. She had always inspired him... in so many ways. And each year they spent together only made his love for her grow deeper.

Danielle gave a throaty chuckle while she looked up at him with eyes as innocent as she could pull off. "I can't help it," she said. "I missed you, Arrrrrda," she purred and pouted. "Can't I miss you?"

She undid him; she always knew how. He chuckled and brought one hand up to tap the tip of her nose playfully with the index finger. "You are wicked, my Sweet, and I would have it no other way." he asserted, following that declaration with another kiss.

She started to snap playfully at his finger, but the kiss stopped that and she melted against him for a long minute. Finally, she looked up at him and saw the stress of the day lined on his face. "Come on, baby," she said as she moved around him so the water could reach him. "I'll scrub your back while you just relax."

She made him want her more than he wanted a shower, but she was right. He was stressed out and tense, and he was not really any good to her like that. For that reason, he did not fight her as she slid behind him. "What would I do without you." he said, the words not being a question so much as an observation that he would indeed be lost without her.

Danielle grabbed the large massage brush she had just for his huge frame and activated at a low setting which was designed to ease surface tension, soaped it up and began to run it over the back of his neck and shoulders. "Hire an Orion girl to yell at you so you don't forget to take care of yourself?" she suggested jokingly.

Arrda chuckled at her comment, feeling himself begin to relax into her ministrations even as he did. "As I understand it, they don't yell that much... just manipulate a great deal." he answered, eyes closing as she worked the tension from his muscles. He had not realized just how tense he had been until he felt it melting away. "Besides, I much prefer your method." he added in a sort of murmur.

"That's because you're smart and know what's good for you," she quipped as she worked her way down his back. "And you know what's good for me, so we're good for each other. Right?"

He chuckled softly. "See, this is what I'm talking about. You manipulate me too, but in the most wonderful of ways." he teased, a contented sigh escaping him then. "But I think I got the better part of this deal." he added after a moment. She was right; they were good for each other, but he truly believed he was blessed to have her.

"Is that so, Mister Mallory?" Danielle asked deadpan as she stepped back from him and crossed her arms over her chest, the massager still in her right hand.

Arrda hesitated only a fraction of a moment before he turned gracefully and met her gaze. "Oh, yes, Missus Mercursi-Mallory." he all but purred at her, using her own form of address in return and stepping toward her to slide his arms around her. "I am truly blessed, gifted by the Mother Creator to have you in my life. What better end of this deal could there possibly be." he asked in a tone that was completely reasonable, though his eyes glittered with playfulness.

"Well," she said. "Aren't you just completely reasonable?" she asked, the corners of her lips turning upwards but made no move to move away from him. "You clearly got the better end of the deal. Just. Like. That. So, with that being the truth, what do I get out of this deal?"

Arrda grinned down at his wife. "Why, anything you like, my Love." he answered without hesitation, leaning down then to kiss her again.

Danielle returned the kiss with a smile and stood up on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck. "Then I guess I can live with that, my love," she said with a smile. "I can order dinner for us after we shower if you want, or just use the replicator."

He kissed her softly, arms around her waist. "That is one thing I hate about these starships." he bemoaned, half teasing and half serious. "I never get to cook for you." Another light kiss, and he sighed. "We can replicate; that way we don't have to get dressed." He grinned.

"The Black Hole delivers," she pointed out. "Just get one of your robes for me and I'll be swimming in material when they bring it."

He laughed softly and flicked the tip of her nose with one finger softly. "You know damned good and well that wasn't what I meant." he teased her. "But okay. The Black Hole it is. Now, shall we finish this shower, or are you planning to ravish me first?" he asked with a wink.

"I don't see why we couldn't do both," Danielle said with a grin. "Family quarters are always bigger."

Arrda grinned and said nothing more as he swept her into his arms once more, kissing her passionately. She was right, of course. There was no reason they couldn't do both, and he intended to.

===[Later]===

Danielle laid beside of him on the bed with a very pleased look on her face and rested her head on his chest. "You never cease to amaze me, Arrrda," she purred.

Arrda, for his part, looked equally pleased as he used the hand that was around her to toy with strands of her hair. He wanted to return her compliment, but his words failed him for the moment. "Your beauty and skill never ceased to reach new heights, my Love." he murmured, placing a soft kiss into her hair.

"I love you, Arrda," she said as she kissed his chest and snuggled against him. "When I'm with you, I feel like I'm safe in the arms of love."

Arrda got the reference, having spent far too much time on Earth. He smiled and gave her a squeeze. "It's funny, but I feel the same. I know I'm supposed to be strong and all, but even I need to feel safe sometimes. And I always feel that with you. Everything out there" he motioned lazily with his other arm to indicate the rest of the ship "just disappears in your arms." He tilted his head down, using that free hand to lift her chin so that he could kiss her softly and look into her eyes. "I love you, Danielle. Always and forever."

Danielle returned the kiss and lay against him. "No matter what's out there, just know that I'll always be in here," she said as she gently patted the area over his heart.

That brought the warmest feeling to his heart and a smile to his face. "Has anyone ever told you, my Love, that for a former tactical officer, you have a way with words."

"Well, I'm not allowed to shoot people anymore," she said. "So I had to learn to use words to take down even the mightiest foes."

Arrda chuckled. "Well, if it were up to me, you could shoot a few." he teased. "But you always had that wordsmith about you. Frankly, it was part of your charm, the fact that you could verbally spar with me." he complimented. "And back then, you were still allowed to shoot people." he added with a smirk and a wink.

"Well, I did say even the mightiest," Danielle said with a chuckle and was about to say more about shooting people before the door chime rang. "Shall I get that?" she asked as she started to get up.

Arrda chuckled at her again and patted her hand that was on his chest. "No, you stay comfortable, Love. I'll get it." He kissed her softly again and stood, grabbing his robe and putting it on as he went toward the door. In the doorway of the bedroom, he paused only long enough to turn and smirk at her. "Besides, if I let you get it, I might have to shoot someone for leering at you." He then laughed sofrtly and headed to the door.

Opening the door, robe tied loosely, he looked down at the person there. "Yes?"

A Betazoid male stood there with a cart laden with food. "Delivery from The Black Hole for Douglas and Danielle Mallory," he said as he looked up at Mallory.

Arrda smiled. "Ah, good. Thank you. I'll take that." he said, motioning to the cart. In the old days, he would have tipped the person delivering, but this was the Federation; no one did that anymore. He decided to let his eccentric side show a little and handed the man a few credits.

The man tilted his head and simply nodded. "Thank you, Sir," he said as he gave Douglas the cart and headed back towards the turbolift.

"What's taking so long, Arrrrrda?" Danielle purred from the doorway of their bedroom without a thing on.

As the man walked away, Arrda let the door close, relieved that it had before he felt that shiver run up his spine at the way she purred his name. "I think you do that on purpose, my Love, just to watch me shiver." he accused lightly as he pushed the hovering tray toward her.

"What, you expected me to get dressed up and act all formal?" she asked with a grin.

Arrda laughed softly. "You know damned good and well that I was not talking about your state of undress." he scolded teasingly. "But since you've already gotten out of bed, I can't give you dinner in bed." he went on, playfully pouting. "So come on out to the couch. Well curl up here." He pushed the hover cart to the couch and took the food off of it, setting the plates and such on the coffee table before pushing the tray toward the kitchenette for now.

"Would you care for something to drink, my love?' Danielle asked as she headed to the replicator.

Arrda smiled, watching her move. From any angle, she was just gorgeous. "Surprise me." he answered with a smile as he sat on the couch and watched her.

"One prune juice coming right up," she said as she manually programmed the replicator for a Dane's Hall Reserved beer.

Arrda gave her a playfully reproachful look at the idea of prune juice. He didn't care what that Klingon said; that stuff was nasty. He knew she was not going to give him that, though, thus the playful nature of the look. "Evil woman." he teased.

"You knew that when you married me," Danielle said as she came back with his beer and one for herself.

He chuckled, taking the beer from her. "Yes, it was one of the many reasons why I married you."

She sat down at the table and looked over their food. "All of this looks amazing, but not nearly as amazing as you, Arrda."

Okay, she wanted to sit at the table, he could accommodate that. He got off the couch and brought the food over to the dining table. "See, now how's a guy supposed to respond to that?" he teased. "You stole my compliment." He grinned at her as he sat down and took a sip of the beer.

"Accept it and deal with it?" Danielle suggested with a laugh.

He chuckled good-naturedly. "Fortunately for what remains of my sanity, I learned that two wives ago." he joked.

"Gee, did it suddenly get much colder in here?" she asked while giving him the stare she used to use on people when she was a Security Chief in her own right.

Uh oh... he frowned slightly. He had expected her to bust his balls about the fact that he said he had any sanity left. But had he just made the wrong joke? Or was she playing with him? He looked into her eyes, searching them for signs of her true feelings on this subject. Finally, he tried to lighten things one more time. "You're right, dear. I should never have claimed what I do not have. Sanity is for other people." he tried, smiling at her in his best 'cute husband' way.

"That's not it, Douglas," Danielle said. "Rule number one when talking to your wife while she's naked. You do not talk about ex-wives."

He sighed. "Yes, dear." He stood and rounded the table, kneeling beside her chair. "I'm sorry, Love." And he sincerely meant it. He did not want to cause her distress, ever.

"Get up, Arrda," she purred his name. "And give me a kiss. All will be forgiven."

He stood, shivering again as she purred his name. As she stood as well, with the hand he held out to her, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply, passionately, and with all of the love in his heart.

Danielle returned the kiss and smiled. "I think dinner can wait," she said. "I'm suddenly hungry for dessert."

Arrda chuckled softly but kept his arm around her. The fact of the matter was that he didn't really care about the dinner anymore either. "After you, my Love." he murmured as he followed her to the bedroom... again.