A deep, throatily laugh broke free from Darrin.  The absolute release of all the pressure, the pain of the last few days--the deaths.  He sat back, scarf snapping behind him, as they sped all the salt flats.  His eyes kept drifting towards Makari's forearms--tanned and firm, the muscles shifted under the sand sail Captain's smooth skin.<br/><br/>Finally, unable to stop  himself, he slid the tips of his fingers down along the Makari's arm, feeling the length of it, warm under his fingers.  He lingered over Makari's hand, tracking the veins that snaked their way under his skin until they disappeared --hidden in the curve of the Risian's grasp on the ship's shaft.<br/><br/>Darrin grinned, and shouted, "You sure do know how to work a shaft Cappy."  A grin that turned into a full on laugh at the Science Officer's face.<br/><br/>When they came to a full stop, Darrin felt a thrill buzz through him unlike he'd felt in quite a long time.  Not since Deep Space 9, and well, he shook his head, no sense going back to that memory.<br/><br/>"Ready to eat?"  One dark eyebrow arched up towards his forehead as he smiled up at Makari, who was just a bit taller that he, not that Darrin was complaining.  They returned the craft to it's place and made their way towards the cooling freshness of the rotunda.<br/>