“Oh I don't know, you'd brighten the place up a bit of you did,” he answered. Actually he knew no one really went into the Mess hall in civilian clothing, unless caught completely off guard in an emergency and you needed coffee to actually wake up. Which the coffee in the mess hall was pretty powerful stuff, it could wake you up in mere seconds, Caleb wasn't entirely convinced that it wasn't some alien concoction. There were enough different people there that at some point he was sure it was something not entirely normal.

When Claire reappeared he couldn't help smiling, “Now our uniform looks nice.”

He couldn't help the smile growing when she wrapped her arms around his neck, he wasn't ever going to get bored of holding her, his own hands going to her waist. He could very much just blow work off and stand there forever just right in this position, kisses being shared between the two, no worries about time constraints, no work to get back to. It was a pleasing notion and he 'hmmm'd' in response at the idea of spending an entire day with Claire and their distractions.

“Late this evening, suppose to finish at ten,” he said, giving her a quick kiss. “But depends if someone breaks something and wants a hand fixing it. Of course if you just happen to break something and require my assistance....” he trailed off leaving the sentence wide open. He wasn't adverse to being called out to help people, he also wasn't adverse to Claire misappropriating something to get him to finish on time.

"I think just being seen with you in the mess will be scandal enough," grinned Claire. Despite the fact that they wouldn't be classed as fraternising, she didn't think it would be seemly to be holding hands over the table or anything of the sort. It was going to be torture, when all she wanted to do was to be ripping Caleb's clothes off and dragging him back to her quarters.

Another time, Claire, another time.

She glanced down at her uniform, shrugging. "Not exactly flattering, but... well, when I look at you, I'll just be remembering what's underneath it." Claire's voice was a low, seductive flirt, but with more than a hint of a joke behind it. Now was not the time to initiate something more, not if they didn't want to drive back to base with no time to eat before Caleb had to start his shift.

Claire nodded, knowing full well that a ten o'clock finish was less than likely. Were it assured, she would be more than happy to ask Caleb to drive back to her apartment. By the time he actually finished, though, it could easily be midnight. "If I was on shift, e taku tahu, I'd call you out in a heartbeat. But I somehow don't think that an 'emergency' at my apartment would count as something you could sneak off for. Maybe tomorrow?" The next few days would be tough, finding time to see one another, but Claire was certain they could make it work.

"Tomorrow, it's a date," he said, giving in to temptation and giving Claire another kiss, this time lingering just a bit longer. At least they were going to have a breakfast, lunch kind of thing together before parting ways, even if it was on base. Pulling away from her slightly he said, "Maybe at some point I can get away to see you? What were your shift patterns again?"

Caleb knew most of the infirmary staff took it in turns to do night shifts, well he knew most of the doctors did the weirdest shifts of probably any personnel on base, the only ones that would be the same would be the topside security. He was just going to have to make sure that he could meet up with Claire at some point, even the thought of going on shift was not something he was looking forward to that day.

"Maybe if I can't get away, I'll steal one of them carrier pigeons you keep stashed in the infirmary and send you a short missive. S.O.S maybe," he joked, recalling an earlier conversation they'd had about staying in touch. Hell if it did come to that this time, he would make damn sure he sent something to her, he didn't want to think she had misplaced all her trust in him.

Even through the kiss, Claire felt her smile growing. Caleb didn't seem to be in any real hurry to get going, any more than she was, but she knew that they had to get a shift on if they wanted to have a chance to eat together before Caleb's shift. "I hope you can get away," she murmured, letting her lips brush against his. "I'm four til midnight for a week, and on call from midnight until eight in the morning." It wasn't very often that the on call surgeon was disturbed, but it meant that she had to stay in a little room off the infirmary. As the most senior surgeon, Claire felt it important that she led by example, and not shirk her duties.

Still, she wished that the late and on call shifts hadn't fallen this week. She would give anything to be on the same - or at least similar - shifts as Caleb.

Claire laughed, reluctantly untwining her arms from around Caleb's neck. "Or there's that old fashioned thing - you know, emails, or a phone call or something," she chuckled, taking a step back from him so that she wasn't putting even more temptation in her way. "What shift are you on tomorrow?" She hoped it was a later one again. At least they might be able to sort a break together, or something. Tearing her eyes away from Caleb, Claire turned and grabbed her jacket and a small bag from the rack by the door.

"I guess we ought to get going..."

As soon as he got back to base he was going to write her shifts down and then stuff it into the inside pocket of his work jacket. That way at least whilst he was working, he wouldn't have the excuse of not knowing, he was even contemplating saying he had a headache at one point and oh dear look at that he had no pain killers left. He was sure he could wrangle that and no one would bat an eye, yeah knowing his luck he did something like that and then the whipped comments would start floating around. There was already going to be enough, he didn't need to be adding fuel to the fire, not yet anyway.

"Emails? Phone calls? Never heard of such things, nope I think it will have to be a carrier pigeon or there will be no other choice but to visit you in person," he said laughing, as Claire stepped away from him. He put his own jacket on, the one that surprisingly had not landed anywhere unusual from last night, and patted the pocket that had his car keys in - they were still there - .

He took a mental note of what he was wearing, made sure he had everything he came with, he wasn't missing anything - there was probably a sock missing somewhere, but he wasn't too worried about that - before following Claire to the door. "Early the following day, had to swap a shift around, so will be finishing work as you start yours."

That was the new problem that was disconcerting to him at the moment, he had been so worried about loosing Claire as a friend, at his own reputation putting a damper on anything happening much more than date one, that he hadn't actually thought of the proper working day. The SGC didn't exactly run on a 9-5 Monday to Friday kind of scheme, sometimes shifts ran long (like an extra twelve hours long), sometimes you got an unexpected visit from a friend or a not so friendly person and any personnel plans you made went out the window. As much as Caleb didn't want his job to get in the way of this newly formed relationship with Claire - no matter how long they'd been friends, this part was still new - he realised realistically it might just do that.

It was going to be tough, and well he really hoped this lasted longer than his last relationship. "We should be going, food, then home for you and work for me. We'll see each other through the week, and after all we gotta plan date three."

He waited for Claire to unlock the door, stepped out, waited for it be locked back up again and lead the way down to his car. Stepping out into the mid morning sun, he was impressed he'd managed to park said in at least in the lines, he wasn't straight but it was in the lines, that's what he got for parking when not thinking straight.

Caleb unlocked the car, and got in the drivers side, the air was too sort of sad to be all gentleman like - he was sure anyone looking at them both would think they were saying goodbye for a full month apart, not just a couple of shifts. He started the car up and pulled out of the complex, making his way back towards Cheyenne mountain, back to the real world and not the very pleasure filled bubble that he'd been living in for the past twenty four plus hours.

"By the way, your home, from the angles I saw of it," he smirked at that point, "It's very lovely."

Claire would give anything to be able to spend the day with Caleb, but it wasn't to be. This was the first time since coming to America that she rued the instability of her shift patterns. Before Caleb, she had willingly flung herself into as many shifts as she could get hold of. Now, though... well, it seemed that there were more important things she could be doing. For once, her job wasn't her first, last and everything. It was a heady feeling, that was for sure. "You know... if you finish relatively on time tonight, you... could call and come over?" The chances were slim, but it was worth an ask.

Claire laughed at Caleb. "I think I like the personal visit option the most," she said, her voice soft and sincere. Anything that she could do - any excuse she could make - to see Caleb over the next few days would be worth it. Now that they had decided to take the stop to develop things beyond friendship, she didn't intend to let anything stand in the way of it. "Just let me know if you go offworld, okay," she said, her voice almost serious. "That way, I know not to expect to see you." In the unlikely event that she would be sent offworld, Claire would, of course, return the favour.

Claire thought for a few seconds as Caleb explained his shifts. "Bring me a coffee to the infirmary," she joked. The first half hour was always slow, and she was sure that she would be able to find a few minutes to sit down with him. "You know we'll find a way to make it work." It might not be easy, but it would be worth finding a way around things.

Sighing as Caleb reminded her that they needed to go, Claire made sure that she had everything with her that she needed: purse, car keys, apartment keys.

And, of course, Caleb.

"Like I said, if you finish on time tonight, let me know, and you are more than welcome to come on over." He'd have to leave first thing in the morning, but still... it would be another night together before more or less a week of separation. "Next date... didn't I promise I'd cook you dinner?" She'd have to make sure that she got most of the cooking out of the way before Caleb arrived; after all, he was too much a distraction otherwise.

Claire took her seat in the car, her hand immediately sliding onto Caleb's knee. They had a few minutes left where they could do whatever they wanted, before they had to behave themselves and hide their relationship - well, at least keep it on the downlow. "Drive slowly," grinned Claire, determined to have Caleb to herself for as long as possible.

She laughed, shaking her head. "What you remember of it, you mean," Claire teased, just about resisting the urge to creep her fingers higher on Caleb's thigh. "Next time, dinner on the deck, you get to enjoy the view." The deck had the advantage of being enclosed to waist height, too, and, with her being on the top floor, well, they would have a modicum of privacy. The journey was going way too quickly, and Claire tucked a leg up underneath herself, turning to Caleb.

"Just so you know... I don't regret last night," she said, her voice soft and sincere. "And... I think we might just be starting something worth working at."

"Nope, no off world for me," he answered smiling at Claire. "Or at least I am not scheduled to go off world, and I take it your not either?" Actually he couldn't remember the last time he had gone off world, it hadn't been recent that was for sure and he could not recall Claire telling him of any recent trips off world either. At least that was one plus side to both their jobs, they didn't go off world half as much as some of the SG teams on base, he knew a couple of guys that went off base near enough every other day. Caleb could only imagine what that would be like.

"Coffee to the infirmary I can do," Caleb smiled, that wasn't anything out the ordinary for them actually. He had brought her a coffee or two down to the infirmary in the past, of course that had been when they'd both worked a night shift and he had been bored. This time, this time he had an actual reason to go see her and not just because he was bored, he nodded in his head in agreement on her about making it work. That was a definite yes in his book, he was going to make this work, if that meant taking down coffee when he finished his shift and she started hers, then that was what he was going to do.

As he drove along the roads back to base, he couldn't help smiling at her suggestion to drive slow, he would love nothing more than to do that. To literally trail about as slow as what London traffic did at rush hour, which basically translated into going nowhere fast, but unfortunately he couldn't do that. For one he had to think of the other road users, and they all seemed to be travelling over the speed limit today, he had half a mind to shout at them to tell them to slow down so he could slow down and spend more time in the company of this beautiful woman.

The hand on his thigh made him pause a moment, before resting his own hand over it, "You did say that, yes, of course we could just order take out and eat it in bed," he suggested, smiling like it was the best idea he had ever had. "Oh I had a pretty good view from where I had been, Claire, very appreciative view."

Caleb pulled up onto the base car park, it was pretty much already full, despite it only nearing lunch time now. "I don't regret anything either," he said, turning to look at her in his seat after turning the engine off and taking his seatbelt off. He reached out and cupped her cheek, this was going to be the last time that day he was able to be this intimate with her, "I am not ashamed of us either, I won't hide what we did or are going to do in the future, Claire, sweetheart. Like you said, we'll make it work even if it's just a smile as we pass each other in the corridor, or a stale cup of coffee as we finish and start work."

He had never been that sincere with anyone before, but this feeling the one that was making him feel sick at having to leave her for the day and actually earn his wages, it was something quite dangerous. Something that he knew was there, the whole thing had been a light switch on moment for him, but it was something he couldn't put into words. It was a fire, burning in him and it was bringing out not only this passion to know every inch of her body, but also this romantic sincere side to him that made him say things like that.

Claire chuckled. "E kairoro, it's been months since I last went offworld," she admitted. "I'm a last resort, when one of the combat medics or military surgeons can't go. I may be good at my job, but I'm only sent offworld when there's no danger, or no bugger else is able to go." She was far more use back on base, and she knew it. "Don't you wish you were offworld more often, though?" Most of the military whom she knew got antsy if they weren't offworld regulars. Caleb's team, though, didn't appear to be needed overly often. For that, now, Claire was going to be grateful.

"So we have a date," Claire grinned, her eyes sparkling at the thought of even a few minutes with Caleb. If he didn't finish on time that night, didn't make it to her place, at least they had something arranged for when his shift finished the next day. As long as Claire wasn't up to her elbows in some poor bugger's guts, that is. Claire's smile broadened, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Just make sure that you're not two days late for this one, okay? You might not get forgiven twice!"

Unfortunately, Caleb didn't seem to be driving particularly slowly, and Claire silently cursed as the miles went by, eaten up by Caleb's car and circumstance. She smiled across as his hand settled on top of hers and stayed there. "Now, why is it that that idea is pretty bloody appealing," she chuckled, giving Caleb's thigh a little squeeze. "Thing is, I like to cook, you know. I promise I'm a better cook than when I failed to do breakfast." Well, only if a semi-naked, drop dead gorgeous man wasn't in her kitchen to draw her attention.

Claire laughed as Caleb complimented the view he had had at her apartment. "Okay, I'll remember that," she said, giving his thigh another squeeze as they rounded the last turns to the base. "Screw the view towards the mountains, just get naked. Got it."

They parked up, and Caleb released his seatbelt, turning towards her and cupping her cheek with his hand. Claire felt a lump forming in her throat as Caleb professed that he wasn't going to hide their relationship. From the man who was two days late for their date, and had considered leaving that morning before she had even woken up, that was... something incredible. Placing her own hand on Caleb's cheek, Claire released her seatbelt and leaned across, kissing Caleb with a restrained passion that would leave him in no doubt whatsoever as to how she felt about him.

Reluctantly, Claire pulled away, resting her forehead on Caleb's. "I suppose we'd better go in," she murmured, her eyes locked on his, her expression becoming mischievous. "Need some help getting undressed?"

"Off world more often? I don't think so," answered Caleb smiling, "As much as I like exploring what's out there, and seeing what people can do with weapons. I prefer what the teams bring me back. No time restraints, no real hostile environments to work quickly, that's what I like the best." It was true, he preferred staying where other teams brought him things back, in fact if he recalled correctly there was still some half dismantled thing laying on a work surface that he hadn't finished putting back together again. Whether that object would still work once all in one piece was another matter, but it had been fun taking it apart.

"Promise no two day late this time, I'll be that early that it'll be the day before and you'll be telling me to go away," he said, smiling at her. No he wasn't going to be making any trips several days later than planned, he didn't want to have to grovel again and he didn't want to think he would be making Claire think the worse of him. He had to prove that he was more than his reputation at the moment and that meant doing everything as by the book as it came.

Laughing as she asked if needed any help he replied, "You do know I need to actually work today yes? I'd love all the assistance you can give me, you know how I struggle with putting clothes on."

Claire was more than a little surprised that Caleb didn't appear to want to go offworld more often. It sounded as though he was much like herself - felt that he was more use on the base than offworld. "I think I understand where you're coming from," she said, her eyes faraway. "There's a lot less pressure working here than offworld." Well, for Caleb, anyway. For Claire, an operation was an operation. It was just a little bit easier with all the facilities she needed to hand. "Not that I mind improvising, mind you. That's where some of the best surgery comes from." Necessity being the mother of invention, and all that.

She giggled at Caleb's profession that he would be early for their next "date", even though it was only coffee at the start of her shift. "You can be as early as you like," she grinned, giving in to temptation and sliding her hand a little further up his thigh. "You know I'll only turn you away if I'm in surgery." Well, pretty much, anyway. She really wanted things to work out between them, and, if they could get over this first week of opposite shifts, they would stand a pretty good chance, she thought.

"Oh, Caleb," murmured Claire, shaking her head. "You know I'd love to come in and help you get undressed, but I don't think you'd make it to your shift on time." She pressed another soft kiss to his lips, aware that they were delaying again. "How about you tell me what you want to eat, and I go down to the mess hall and wait for you?" Not what she wanted to do, but the only realistic option.