Emma winced as the Captain entered engineering. Nearby the warp core made hissing noises it absolutely shouldn't be making. In futility, she tried to brush away smudges from her uniform. Remembering that she was wearing a non-uniform ball cap (Go Killer Klingons!), she swept it off her head. A lock of hair fell into her eyes.
"Lt. Swan, am I mistaken that this ship used to go faster than impulse speed?" Captain Mills leaned in a little closer. "We've also talked about that hat. In engineering and in," her voice lowered an octave. "other places."
Their relationship was only a few weeks old. But it had taken Emma a solid six months to get the captain to agree to a single date.
"Well, I was just trying to fix - see, I thought I'd found a way to minimize the power output when - "
Regina pressed a fingertip to her lips. "Can you fix it?"
"Yes, Captain."
"Good. Then I'll see you later." She smiled slowly. "Just as soon as it's done."
All in all, the efficiency in engineering had increased significantly in the last few weeks. Today was no exception.