✧⁠*~ Chap 8 - Seeing Double ~*✧

꒰⁠⑅꒱⁠˖⁠♡--------------------⁠♡˖⁠꒰⁠⑅꒱18:00Friday꒰⁠⑅꒱⁠˖⁠♡--------------------⁠♡˖⁠꒰⁠⑅꒱⁠

Anya paced around the engine room, stroking her chin while she thought of a plan. Swansea simply leaned back in a nearby chair, his elbows resting on the backrest as he watched the black haired woman march up and down within the buzzing room.

Swansea sighed, leaning his head back as he prepared to get some shut-eye. But before the mechanic could doze off, Anya let out a triumphant shout. Swansea startled, waking up with a disoriented snort.

"That's it!"

"What? What is it-"

Anya grinned, rubbing her hands together like a scheming comic-book villain.

"We'll tell them all that there was a freak accident! We'll tell them that the kitchen stove caught on fire-"

Swansea blinked a few times, like windscreen wipers cleaning a blurry windshield during a storm.

"..What? Are you cr- Ehem... Are you sure about this?"

"Hmm..."

Anya mumbled, thinking on it for about five more seconds.

"Ugh! Do you have any ideas?"

"Du- Uhh... The microwave exploded?"

Anya blinked a few times in sheer bemusement before sighing, massaging the bridge of her nose before responding.

"Yea, that's probably the best- We'll prepare the mess hall with a pretty dinner table next to the daytime screen before hitting the lights and calling the crew in."

Swansea nodded, getting up with a groan and a crack of his old joins. The older man stretched, spine cracking as he did so. With a gruff voice and a sigh, he agreed.

"Let's get going then-"

꒰⁠⑅꒱⁠˖⁠♡--------------------⁠♡˖⁠꒰⁠⑅꒱⁠A Little While Later꒰⁠⑅꒱⁠˖⁠♡--------------------⁠♡˖⁠꒰⁠⑅꒱⁠

Swansea's voice crackled over the Tulpar's intercom, his raspy timbre echoing through the ship's hallways.

​"🇺​​🇭​​🇭​.. ​🇼​​🇭​​🇦​​🇹​- ​🇦​​🇲​ ​-🇮​- ​🇸​​🇺​​🇵​​🇵​​🇴​​🇸​​🇪​​🇩​ -​🇹​​🇴​ ​-🇸​​🇦​​🇾​- ​🇦​​🇬​​🇦​​🇮​​🇳​? ​🇴​​🇭​- ​🇺​​🇭​​🇲​, ​🇹​​🇭​​🇪​- ​🇲​​🇮​​🇨​​🇷​​🇴​​🇼​​🇦​​🇻​​🇪​ ​-🇪​​🇽​​🇵​​🇱​​🇴​​🇩​​🇪​​🇩​, ​🇪​​🇻​​🇪​​🇷​​🇾​​🇴​​🇳​​🇪​- ​🇵​​🇱​​🇪​​🇦​​🇸​​🇪​- ​🇷​​🇪​​🇵​​🇴​​🇷​​🇹​- ​🇹​​🇴​ ​-🇹​​🇭​​🇪​- ​🇱​​🇮​​🇻​​🇮​​🇳​​🇬​- ​🇶​​🇺​​🇦​​🇷​​🇹​​🇪​​🇷​​🇸​."

Soon enough, the whole crew came running into the living room, only to be greeted by pitch-black darkness and the sound of metal doors closing behind them.

"Everyone alright?"

Came Curly's warm voice, followed by Sage, Daisuke and Robyn's positive responses.

"Good, we wouldn't want to bump into anyth-"

"GAAH!"

Daisuke's yelp echoed through the cavernous darkness, followed by a grunt from Robyn and a resonant thud.

"Ah.. Thanks, Robyn-"

Curly, Sage and Robyn could only snort and chuckle before being cut short by the hum of the LED lights suddenly flickering on. Daisuke had landed in Robyn's lap, Sage was just about clinging to Curly and Anya and Swansea had towels draped over their forearms like waiters - Swansea even wore a little bowtie around his neck, even if it didn't make sense for his yellow and red Pony Express T-shirt.

"Tada!"

Chirped Anya, merrily grinning ear to ear. Swansea just grunted, seemingly unimpressed. The living quarters were swallowed in a peachy orange lighting, matching the daylight screen displaying a sunset landscape.

"We set up a dinner date for you four!"

Anya announced, enthusiastically motioning towards the dinner table which was lined with place mats and lit candles in the centre. Anya swiftly ushered the two couples towards their seats, practically forcing them to sit down. Sage and Curly sat next to each other, while Daisuke sat on Robyn's lap. Swansea came forward and pulled a remote from his back pocket.

"Enjoy the.. uh... Entertainment."

Romantic café music filled the dining hall, Sage hiding her head in her hands in embarrassment - Robyn and Daisuke being overly lovey-dovey. Sage sank down into her seat, clearly distressed at the prospect of not having been able to dress nicely or emotionally prepare herself for a date with the captain!

"Noo- I'm stuck in my uniform..."

She mumbled out loud without even noticing Curly's reaction. While the cook was nervously biting her nails at the horror of being on a date in her dirty chef's uniform, Curly wrapped one of his strong arms around her waist, offering her a reassuring smile.

"Even so, nothing shines brighter than your eyes, my starlight."

He cooed, kissing her temple before realising how cheesy he sounded. The captain dipped his head in a heartbeat, a sheepish blush tinting the tips of his ears.

"I mean-"

Before Curly could finish and redeem himself from his sappy blunder, Sage interrupted him with a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

"Thank you, Orion... That's really sweet of you to say."

Curly was stunned - short circuiting, if you will. His sapphire eyes widened in disbelief, his expression blank before breaking out into a love-sick grin. He leaned his head down, resting it on Sage's shoulder before he sighed in a loving whisper.

"Only for you, starlight."

꒰⁠⑅꒱⁠˖⁠♡--------------------⁠♡˖⁠꒰⁠⑅꒱⁠

Daisuke had been sat down on Robyn's lap, leaning back against her with her arms around his waist. The electrician couldn't help but notice how warm she was, turning in her arms and nuzzling tighter against her. Robyn looked down at the young Japanese-American man in her arms, smiling at him before kissing his forehead.

"Comfortable?"

"Mhm!"

Daisuke nodded, hiding his head against her broad shoulder as he thought of something to say. He pressed his ear against the janitor's collar bone, listening to the faint beat of her heart and without thinking, the young man uttered the first thing that came to mind.

"Every time I'm with you, I melt... Like a marshmallow at a campfire-"

But just as soon as those words left Daisuke's lips, he immediately regretted them. Blushing all the way down to his shoulders, the electrician hid his head in Robyn's shoulder once more, whimpering with embarrassment.

"...What did you say..?"

Robyn questioned, the rest of the crew - That being Sage and Curly - looking over in their direction. Daisuke felt even more self-conscious, muttering under his breath and mumbling against the strong woman's deltoid.

"I.. you- Uhm... Waah- I'm sorry, don't be mad-"

However, when the intern looked up and met the janitor's gaze, he saw that she was anything but mad. In fact, she seemed overjoyed! The brawny woman's arms then clamped down around the skinny man in a bone-crushing hug, pulling him impossibly closer to herself.

"Oh my goodness, Daisy- That's so cute!"

She squealed, peppering the young man's cheeks, forehead and neck with kisses and nibbles. Daisuke giggled at the ticklish sensation, squirming in the muscular Janitor's arms while every one else chuckled quietly, teasing the two of them before dinner arrived.

Once the two lovebirds piped down, Swansea and Anya brought out their food on the nicest plates Pony Express dared to give to the Tulpar, and ate in the kitchen to give the couples some alone time.

꒰⁠⑅꒱⁠˖⁠♡--------------------⁠♡˖⁠꒰⁠⑅꒱⁠

The clinking of cutlery and merry chatter filled the mess hall, followed by giddy giggles and flirtatious banter.

Swansea and Anya whisked away the dirty dishes - They simply left it in the sink for Sage to wash tomorrow... Anya cleared her throat, rounding up all of the crew.

"Alright everyone! Before you all disappear to your sleeping quarters, why don't we take a photo to remember this moment?"

Most of the crew agreed happily, Swansea simply grunted in agreement. Anya grabbed a camera and set up a timer while everyone else scrambled to fit into frame: Sage jumped onto Curly's back, Robyn hoisted Daisuke onto her shoulders while Anya hurried from behind the camera and slid in beside Swansea just before-

--CLICK--

The photo was playful, a little chaotic even, but it was charming. Everyone was being themselves, even if it were a little corny. Anya then shoved the couples down the hall to the ship's sleep bay, in a hurry to get to bed - She was tired after all that party planning!

꒰⁠⑅꒱⁠˖⁠♡--------------------⁠♡˖⁠꒰⁠⑅꒱⁠

Once Robyn reached her quarters, she practically sucked Daisuke into her room like a black hole, the only evidence of the young man's existence being his surprised yelp, his jeans flying out the door and fluttering to the ground and the Robyn's mischievous cackle before the door closed.

Sage was following behind Curly, oblivious to the fact that she was trailing him like a daydreaming puppy until she crashed into his back.

"Ack- Sorry!! Got lost in thought..."

She sputtered, turning away to hide her tinted cheeks. However, Curly only chuckled, leaning down and kissing Sage on the corner of her mouth. A sheepish smirk crossed the captain's lips before he turned away, slinking into his sleeping chamber.

"You wanna join me or head back to your bunk..?"

The blonde man purred, leaning against his bedroom door, giving Sage a few minutes to think over her choices. The grey-eyed woman felt a lovestruck smile curl the corners of her mouth, a giddy chortle slipping past her lips as she practically skipped into the captain's quarters.

꒰⁠⑅꒱⁠˖⁠♡--------------------⁠♡˖⁠꒰⁠⑅꒱⁠Feel Free To Point Out Grammar Mistakes And Inconsistencies In The Comments