Dylan was feeling a little guilty as he strode out of Andromeda's airlock into the cool dawn air of Corionis. He'd had another argument with Harper and he wasn't sure why. It had started out as an update on the repairs but had soon turned into....What? Dylan was confused. He knew there was no reson to get angry with Harper: the repairs were ahead of schedule and he hadn't pissed off anyone at all. There was a small voice in the back of Dylan's head saying, You know perfectly well why you're snippy with Harper: the fact that you haven't had sex in 300 years. And that dream.

Dylan pushed that thought firmly out of his head and strode ahead, smiling when he saw Kitrin appear through the security terminal gates. She looked really good today. She always looks good.

"Hello Kitrin, you're early today, I hope there isn't a problem."

"No, no problems, I just had an idea about the carbon dioxide/oxygen monitors that Tance has been having problems with in the orchard. I thought I'd come in early and finish work in section 19 so Trance and I can go over the specs at lunch."

"You're having lunch with Trance? I didn't know you'd met her." Dylan was irritated: he had intended to ask Kitrin out for lunch himself. Well there's always dinner. And dinner can lead to - other things. "I'd like to have a look at what you're doing, if you don't mind, why don't we meet up for dinner and you can tell me all about it?"

"Ok, that sounds good. Why don't you swing by the orchard when you get hungry, I'll be there." She winked and walked off. Dylan watched her as she hurried off to section 19. The rear view was as good as the front one.

Harper had just finished overseeing the last of the adjustments on the slipstream drive. It had calmed him down after Dylan's freaky behaviour over the last few days. To really cheer himself up he decided to go visit Kitrin. The two of them had hit it off straight away and he'd been making it a habit to pop his head in to say hi a couple of times a day. Yesterday he'd brought her a ham sandwich at lunch and she'd kissed him on the cheek.

"Hey Kitten!" he yelled as he came in the door, " How'z it coming?"

"Perfect timing Harper" Kitrin's voice floated up from the floor, "I've just finished" she stood up and smiled at Harper. Harper felt the full force of that smile and grinned back.

"Well as a reward for finishing ahead of schedule I think you deserve the full 50 cent tour of Andromeda, what do you want to see first?" Say crew quarters, say crew quarters! "We can grab some lunch on the way."

"I have to meet Trance for lunch at 1 o'clock" she said looking at her watch.

"No you don't actually" came the voice of Andromeda's hologrammatic representation who appeared suddenly behind them. "A member of the ministry of agriculture took her off on a tour of the snow-fruit fields. She left a message about the work that needs done in the science lab database. There's no hurry." The hologramme disappeared again with a smile.

"Uh, ok then. Whats the best thing to see?" Kitrin smiled at Harper

"What - apart from me?" He smiled back. The full - on flirt mode that they'd been enjoying was now moving into the smiling - and - meaningful eye contact stage. "How about the crew quarters? On a ship of the line they're like living plantside: plenty of room to strech out." Well subtle isn't really my strong suit.

"Hmm. These crew quarters? Would they be YOUR quarters by any chance?" she had one eyebrow raised and was still smiling. Harper was pretty sure she wasn't about to slap him and complain to Dylan about sexual harassment.

"Well, my quarters would be in that general area if you wanted to see the lived - in look."

"Ok, lets go."

Harper was shocked. He'd been expecting at least another days work before he managed to persuade Kitrin into his quarters. It wasn't as if beautiful women threw themselves at him; he usually had to rely on his persistant charm and sometimes large amounts of alcohol. He checked to make sure his mouth wasn't open and followed her out of the room.

Shit! I should have cleaned up a bit more last night he thought as they walked into his bedroom. The dirty clothes and most of the bits of broken machinery had been put away but the room still looked as though a refuse conduit had exploded in it.

"Ha! This looks just like my place!" Kitrin said as she ran her hand over a half - melted pulse cannon and climbed onto the bed.

In his haste to follow her Harper tripped over his feet and landed with a thud on the floor. Oh very smooth Seamus, that's really the way to impress chicks.

Laughing, Kitrin leaned over the end of the bed and dragged him up by the belt until they both lay on the bed giggling. The giggling soon became kissing. They never did get lunch.

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