Originally posted by Todd's Pet
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And the next one... a romantic little piece where Steve and TP grow a little closer and take their relationship to the next level, but what will this mean for Seth?
Spoiler:
The Next Level
“What’s wrong, hon? You’re sad again today,” Steve asks TP.
“Am I?” TP is twirling a strand of Steve’s hair in her fingers as he leans over her. He sits back on his heels beside her in her big four poster, and the strand of his hair is pulled out straight like a leash between them. Playfully, Steve pulls his head back, pulling her upright with it then catching her in his arms.
“You know I can sense it, so don’t even try to deny it!” Steve smiles momentarily, then sighs, “How can I make you laugh again, babe?”
“Have I been that bad?” TP says.
“Perhaps I just notice it more…”
“I suppose I have been preoccupied lately, a bit intense,” TP concedes, “But then, so have you.”
“I’m always intense, baby, it’s part of my image!” he says, kissing her.
“No, you weren’t always,” TP says wistfully, “You used to be fun. Remember when you looped me round the stars in your dart? And that planet you took me to with the pink pixie dust sand?”
Steve nuzzles TP’s ear and whispers, “How could I forget that?”
“But you don’t do things like that any more,” TP pouts, “You just get jealous…”
“That’s true,” he admits, “but it’s not really fair either – you gave me very good reason to be jealous…”
“Not any more.”
Steve sighs again. “That’s true too, honey…”
They sit together in silence for a moment then Steve takes her hands in his and looks deep into her eyes. “Don’t think for one minute that I don’t appreciate it, but if you think it’s unreasonable, if it makes you unhappy, then I’ll try not to–”
“No!” TP interrupts. “No. You’re not being unreasonable at all, and that’s not what’s making me unhappy… it’s just… I suppose… I just want us to have fun again!”
“Well, that’s easy, baby! What would you like to do?” Steve asks, smiling with relief. “I know! There’s a planet with hundreds of waterfalls and they all tinkle like music as they fall, in different tones, the whole planet is alive with the sound of them!”
“I suppose that would be nice… I don’t know… I’m so sorry, babe…”
Steve sighs yet again. “It’s okay, hon. You’ve had a lot going on recently; you’re stressed out. Why don’t we go to the holodeck beach and do some Tai Chi together? That’ll help you to relax.”
“Okay,” TP says, anxious to please him again.
They stand at the shoreline together, breathing in synchrony with each other and moving in perfect unison. TP turns her head to look at Steve over her shoulder and sees him watching her.
“You okay, Princess?” he asks.
TP takes a surprised sharp intake of breath. “Someone very special used to call me that,” she explains. “It’s good to hear it again…”
They smile at each other and a new intimacy, a deeper level of trust and understanding blossoms between them.
Suddenly, Steve breaks formation and leaps toward TP, who shrieks gleefully and takes off down the beach at full pelt. Steve gives chase and overtakes her easily in a flying tackle from behind, landing them both in a heap on the beach, scattering clods of wet sand around them.
TP wriggles herself free of his arms and takes off again toward the waves. She turns, still running, and almost falls over. Laughing, she shouts, “Look at your hair, baby, all full of sand! We’ll need a swim to wash it out – last one in’s a sissy!”
Steve takes off at full speed and grabs TP, lifting her into his arms and running into the surf with her. She squeals and giggles as he ducks her under the water with him, and the sound of her laughter is music to Steve’s ears.
“What’s wrong, hon? You’re sad again today,” Steve asks TP.
“Am I?” TP is twirling a strand of Steve’s hair in her fingers as he leans over her. He sits back on his heels beside her in her big four poster, and the strand of his hair is pulled out straight like a leash between them. Playfully, Steve pulls his head back, pulling her upright with it then catching her in his arms.
“You know I can sense it, so don’t even try to deny it!” Steve smiles momentarily, then sighs, “How can I make you laugh again, babe?”
“Have I been that bad?” TP says.
“Perhaps I just notice it more…”
“I suppose I have been preoccupied lately, a bit intense,” TP concedes, “But then, so have you.”
“I’m always intense, baby, it’s part of my image!” he says, kissing her.
“No, you weren’t always,” TP says wistfully, “You used to be fun. Remember when you looped me round the stars in your dart? And that planet you took me to with the pink pixie dust sand?”
Steve nuzzles TP’s ear and whispers, “How could I forget that?”
“But you don’t do things like that any more,” TP pouts, “You just get jealous…”
“That’s true,” he admits, “but it’s not really fair either – you gave me very good reason to be jealous…”
“Not any more.”
Steve sighs again. “That’s true too, honey…”
They sit together in silence for a moment then Steve takes her hands in his and looks deep into her eyes. “Don’t think for one minute that I don’t appreciate it, but if you think it’s unreasonable, if it makes you unhappy, then I’ll try not to–”
“No!” TP interrupts. “No. You’re not being unreasonable at all, and that’s not what’s making me unhappy… it’s just… I suppose… I just want us to have fun again!”
“Well, that’s easy, baby! What would you like to do?” Steve asks, smiling with relief. “I know! There’s a planet with hundreds of waterfalls and they all tinkle like music as they fall, in different tones, the whole planet is alive with the sound of them!”
“I suppose that would be nice… I don’t know… I’m so sorry, babe…”
Steve sighs yet again. “It’s okay, hon. You’ve had a lot going on recently; you’re stressed out. Why don’t we go to the holodeck beach and do some Tai Chi together? That’ll help you to relax.”
“Okay,” TP says, anxious to please him again.
They stand at the shoreline together, breathing in synchrony with each other and moving in perfect unison. TP turns her head to look at Steve over her shoulder and sees him watching her.
“You okay, Princess?” he asks.
TP takes a surprised sharp intake of breath. “Someone very special used to call me that,” she explains. “It’s good to hear it again…”
They smile at each other and a new intimacy, a deeper level of trust and understanding blossoms between them.
Suddenly, Steve breaks formation and leaps toward TP, who shrieks gleefully and takes off down the beach at full pelt. Steve gives chase and overtakes her easily in a flying tackle from behind, landing them both in a heap on the beach, scattering clods of wet sand around them.
TP wriggles herself free of his arms and takes off again toward the waves. She turns, still running, and almost falls over. Laughing, she shouts, “Look at your hair, baby, all full of sand! We’ll need a swim to wash it out – last one in’s a sissy!”
Steve takes off at full speed and grabs TP, lifting her into his arms and running into the surf with her. She squeals and giggles as he ducks her under the water with him, and the sound of her laughter is music to Steve’s ears.
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