A Lovely Dinner

Posted on Tue Aug 18th, 2015 @ 11:20am by Commander Angelica Fairchild & Commander Sinek
Edited on on Fri Aug 28th, 2015 @ 1:50pm

Mission: The New Sydney Fiasco
Location: New Sidney
Timeline: After Resting by River

Lieutenant Commander Sinek went straight to his quarters from the holodeck. He enjoyed their time by the river and looked forward to going planet-side with the female he chose to love.

Once inside, Sinek stripped his uniform off of himself,tossing it in the replicator for recycling. He went to a closet, which contained several robes. He chose a black one, with the Vulcan Trinity words embroidered in gold down the front lapel. This was over a pair of loose fitting black pants. He slipped on a pair of boots and headed to the transporter room.

When Angel had gotten back to her cabin, it had dawned on her that she had literally no idea what sort of clothing Sinek might regard as casual. After a quick consult with the computer, she decided denim might be too casual, and her closet was woefully lacking in much else. It was obvious from simply looking inside it that she hadn't often had the need for anything other than her uniforms! Instead, she had turned to the replicator, finding patterns for a loosely fitting pair of grey slacks and the sort of shimmery, blouse-like top she'd often admired but never actually owned. Unable to decide on a color for the top, she'd chosen at random and gotten a brilliant shade of pastel blue, which was eye-catching but not too much so. By the time she'd reached the transporter room, Sinek was already there waiting. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

Sinek held out a hand to her. "I have only just arrived," he admitted.

This was the first Sinek had seen Angel clothed in something other than her uniform. It was logic, though; they had always seemed to be on duty, being the First and Second Officers. The hint of a smile, just the corners of his mouth, showed on his face.

With one hand holding one of her hands and the other on the same side elbow to lend support, Sinek assisted Angel up to the transporter pad. "You look fascinating, Angel."

"Thanks. You look great too." Angel smiled at him, graciously accepting his offered assistance onto the transporter pad. "I didn't find any Vulcan restaurants on New Sydney, but I found an Indian place and a couple of Greek places... other than that, there don't seem to be many vegetarian options."

"Any place is satisfactory," Sinek relayed to Angel, "as long as you are there."

When they were both in position, Sinek nodded to the Operations crewman and said, "Energize." The two bodies faded, then disappeared from the pad.

"Well in that case... I prefer Indian over Greek, especially if it's a spicy curry. And Indian chefs... they do some amazing things with vegetables. I think you'd like it." After all, the meal he'd prepared for them had been well-spiced, completely shattering the illusions Angel had built up based on others' description of Vulcan food.

"That sounds delicious," Sinek admitted, although no one could hear any excitement in his voice. "You lead the way."

Grinning, Angel cheerfully pulled him onto the walkway that would take them down to where the Indian restaurant was tucked back off the main road, just far enough back to avoid the usual noise of people beaming in and shuttles landing. "It's about a five minute walk."

"For a bustling place," Sinek observed, "this is a quiet location."

"I promise not to discuss the Hera, Temporal Investigations, Court Martial, or anything else pertaining to work," he stoically intoned. "This will be our quiet time away."

"Fantastic." Happy to hear that there would be no talk of work, Angel couldn't help grinning as she continued to lead the way toward the restaurant she'd chosen.

"You are grinning like the Cheshire Cat from the ancient earth story," Sinek stoically expressed. "Do you have a secret?"

"Secrets? Me? Never." Angel chuckled at her own joke. "Okay, maybe occasionally I have a few. But not today... I'm just glad to be off the ship for a while."

Sinek momentarily reflected on what Angel had said. As much as routine and structure was necessary to keep chaos at bay, time away to learn about another culture also did well for the mind.

"I must admit," Sinek agreed, "it is good to be away from the routine of the ship. It is necessary from time-to-time."

"I never found it that necessary until I took over Aelyn's job," Angel commented lightly, spotting the entry to the restaurant and guiding Sinek over to it. "It was easier to relax when I had unfettered access to the shooting ranges and the other training facilities. Those were things I enjoyed, so I'd do them when work got to be too much."

It was not his ideal date, but it was something that Angel enjoyed. Sinek filed that in his mind for an idea of a future time with her.

Sinek's sensitive nose began to smell the spices being used in the kitchen. "The food smells good. What would you recommend for a Vulcan?"

"That kind of depends on your tolerance for spicy food. Personally I like tikka, which they can make from anything. Aloo is pretty good, and it's typically vegetarian unless the menu specifies some sort of meat addition. Or if you want an absolutely foolproof option, rajma chaval. It's a bean curry, and most places like this let you pick how spicy they cook it." She wasn't going to say anything about doing it, but Angel had done a fair amount of research on which Indian dishes were vegetarian or could be prepared that way.

Sinek raised a brow; tahis was a lot of information for someone not to have spent considerable time eating this kind of food.

It was true that he enjoyed spicy food. Perhaps that was his same taste in women, for Angel certainly spiced things up in his life. He knew she had gotten testy with Temporal Investigations, and rightly so.

"Is Indian food your favorite?" He asked.

"One of my favorites," Angel admitted with a grin as she led him into her chosen restaurant. "I like spicy food in general, but I prefer the Asian spices over most others."

The corners of Sinek's mouth briefly turned upward. "No wonder you enjoyed the dish I replicated. Vulcans do enjoy the taste of spices. As much as we are accused of blandness, the Vulcan way of life is fulfilling and fascinating. We would not have been pioneers in space if blandness were a true quality."

"You know, that's a good point." Signalling to the waiting hostess that there would be two of them, Angel turned back to look at Sinek. "I think people forget that the Vulcans came to Earth... even set up an embassy and often sampled local foods. A bland person wouldn't have visited, let alone stayed a while."

"We would have never even ventured forth," Sinek agreed. "However, our logic drove us to pursue what was out there. And we found you."

Sinek never thought about what his life would have been like if the Vulcan's had never approached humans. The profoundness struck him at that very moment.

"I am...," he was going to say content, but decided that was not the appropriate word, "happy that we found humans. Otherwise, I would not have met you."

"Then it's a good thing Cochrane launched that rocket and proceeded to try getting his new friends drunk!" Despite a humorous grin, Angel blushed bright pink as the hostess signaled that their table was ready. "I'm happy your people decided to visit Earth. Honestly you're the first person I've dated who's been worth the time." Not once had Sinek ever made her feel like her time was being wasted, unlike the handful of men she'd casually dated at the academy and on her early assignments.

"You are a fascinating person," Sinek explained. "You are intelligent, attractive and beautiful person. I would not know why any logical man would not consider knowing you as valuable."

"Most men are not as logical as you, Sinek. Especially human men... they're some of the most irrational people I've worked with." A waitress laid menus on the table as they sat down, and Angel quickly flipped hers open, though it did nothing to hide how much she was blushing at being told how pretty she was.

Sinek lifted the menu before him, pretending he didn't notice the emotion Angel had shown. Inwardly, he suppressed the desire to grin as he realized Angel enjoyed the compliment. He stored this bit of information away for future reference.

Looking over his menu, he noticed there were several vegetarian options available. He decided to try one of the dishes Angel had recommended."

"None of them hurt you, did they?" The question carried an undertow of concern for her well-being. As experienced as he was with suppressing his emotions, he wasn't certain how well he could control them if someone intentionally hurt her.

"One of them did. He mysteriously wound up in sickbay with a broken arm. And a black eye. And bruised ribs." Angel gave him a bit of a sheepish look. "He only lasted that one date. No one else has dared try that again... I guess word got out about it." Selecting one of the vegetarian dishes, Angel set her menu down, and the waitress came back to whisk the menus away. "In all honesty, I didn't mean to hurt him. But he grabbed me pretty roughly... slammed me up against a chest of drawers. And my reflexes are pretty quick... I just went after him without thinking about it."

Sinek inwardly grinned as Angel related the story. It was one of the character traits he admired about her. Angel was strong and could handle herself effectively and efficiently in the face of danger. She even showed restraint in doing what little damage she had to the man.

Sinek lowered his head as he evenly and quietly spoke. "I am not certain if I would have been able to stop there when I face someone hurting you. I am slowly allowing myself to...feel emotions as related to us. Thus far, I have only known the happiness that you have brought to my life."

He reached over and gently took her hand. "I never wish you to think I do not care. I desire you to always know how I...feel."

He had never spoken to anyone about how he felt. It was new territory for him. The expression of feelings, that he only allowed himself to slightly feel, so he could relay those feelings to Angel, was as foreign to him as an neutron to a hydrogen atom.

"Sinek, I could never possibly think you didn't care about me. We've joined minds often enough for me to know how deep those feelings go." Angel squeezed his hand, offering him a bit of a shy grin. "Maybe it's weird, but I've been doing some reading, when I can steal a few minutes of time. Mostly about ways we can share those feelings without compromising your reputation as a Vulcan." It had sounded slightly less weird in her head, but Angel kept going anyway. "I didn't understand a lot of it. But something I saw repeated a lot was a telepathic bonding that would be more... permanent than the melding we've been doing. I don't know if it's even possible for us to do that, given the biological incompatibilities between humans and Vulcans. But... it could be worth trying."

"I am certain you are not speaking of the bond of Pon Farr," Sinek said with thought. "That bond give the mate the same symptoms and drive to mate, the emotions overwhelming our logic. Passion and lust ruling over love. There is also the Kunat So'lik, which is basically a bond of the marriage proposal. The mates are bonded to meet at a specific time and place if they are separated. The bond will drive them to be there for the ceremony of marriage. Is this what you are proposing?"

"I didn't realize it was that complex," Angel admitted sheepishly. She hadn't done extensive research, so she hadn't realized what she was reading about was the Vulcan equivalent of an engagement to be married. Knowing that now, she almost wished she hadn't mentioned it. She didn't know if she was ready for that big of a commitment. "It was just an idea. Maybe not a very good one, now that I think about it."

"It is a big step," Sinek agreed. "I have been on my own for fifty years. It would be a huge adjustment to live with someone again. Although, I am beginning to think that what I thought was not a possibility can actually come to pass. Do you see marriage in your future?"

"I didn't used to. But now? Maybe. I'm just not sure if I'm totally ready for it yet, if that makes sense." Angel didn't think it made much sense, but often Sinek understood better than she might expect.

"I do understand," Sinek replied. "The logic is not so simple with mixed feelings." The corners of his lips slightly turned upward. She had been the only one he had allowed to see him try to smile.

"As time goes and we grow, I believe those feelings will not be as mixed and logic will win out. But until then, they exist in both of us." It was true. With each passing day, Sinek found himself desiring her company. He loved her, enjoyed their communications and was getting so content with her presence. More and more, Sinek was realizing he didn't wish to be alone for the rest of his life. The first seventy-nine years of his life had been rather lonesome.

"Must be unusual for you to feel that way." Angel gave him a bit of an amused smile as the waitress returned and placed their chosen meals on the table.

"More feelings than I usually suppress. Although, I do let a few slip in our relationship."

"I've noticed. A smile looks odd on a Vulcan at first, even a very small smile." It might have been a touch strange to see at first, but Angel liked the slight outward expressions Sinek allowed through. Generally they were small enough that passers-by wouldn't notice, but she could see them. That was all that really mattered.

"In human relationships," Sinek began to ask, "does the bond of love grow as ours has?"

Everything about their relationship, Sinek was experiencing for the first time. It was almost as if he was awaiting the results of an experiment. Not knowing the answers was also an alien concept to him. Everything that he had read seemed to advise him to actively pursue Angel to romance her. The only issue was that Sinek had no idea of what romance was.

"Not in all relationships, which is why human relationships end." Angel paused as she ate a bit of her food. It was somewhat rude to stop in the middle of an answer, but she couldn't remember if she'd had lunch or not and she felt like she was starving. "But it's the general idea of what romance should be. Starts off with a small attraction and builds into something more complex."

As Sinek listened, he slowly ate, methodically chewing his food so that it easily digested. After swallowing, he asked, "How would you rate ours?"

He knew it rated much higher than a Vulcan relationship. In those, the one never really knew for certain just how the other felt. It was assumed that each cared for the other. However, that love and affection were never shown.

"Ours is... special." It was such a nondescript word, but Angel didn't really know how else to describe their relationship. "I can see and feel it growing, sometimes at a slow simmer and other times in leaps and bounds. To be perfectly honest, it took me longer to realize I needed you in the same way you needed me."

Sinek raised a brow at the irony. "It seems it should have been the opposite. I should have been slower to realizing a bond."

"Right, logically you should have been. But I admitted to you before that I had intentionally closed myself off from people. Not in the same way that Vulcans repress their emotions, but withdrawn enough to not notice subtle affections at first." Angel didn't think that made too much sense, but it was the only way she knew to explain it. She pushed her food around on her plate for a moment before taking a few more bites of it.

Trying to understand why one would intentionally isolate themselves now that he understood the importance of relationships, Sinek could only come up with a couple of answers: fear and/or distrust. Perhaps it was because she was previously associated with Section 31.

He took a bite of his food. Not knowing what to say, he simply took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Then some words came to his mind.

"The important fact is that we are together now."

"Yes. Exactly." That brought a smile back to Angel's face as she ate some more of her dinner.

"You have a beautiful smile," Sinek confessed. "You should use it more."

"Thanks. I'll try to." Angel hadn't had many reasons to smile before Sinek had first asked her out. He was also the first to comment on how pretty her smile was, so she couldn't help blushing a tiny bit.

The corners Sinek's lips barely turned upward, "I just thought of something. According to the time line, we've been together four years."

"You know... that's an interesting point." Angel hadn't really looked at it from that angle, only focusing on the physical time they'd actually spent together. "To everyone who isn't on the Hera, we've been together practically forever, by human standards anyway."

Sinek understood that four years could hold an infinite number of possibilities. His hope was they would still be together in a bond as strong as duranium. However, the dangers that come up in their exploration could cause the to become separated in one fashion or another. Angel could possibly be promoted to command her own ship in that time. As Second Officer of the Hera, his expected duty would be to stay as the First Officer. He knew the unlimited possibilities, but wanted to know Angel's thoughts.

Sinek took the last bite of his meal. He chewed a number of times, swallowed, then reached and gently squeezed Angel's hand. "Where do you see us in four years?"

"I'm honestly not sure. I never expected to end up as the first officer of any starship... and here I am. For all I know in a couple of years Starfleet's going to start offering me a command." Angel sighed a bit, not much liking the thought of possibly having to leave him behind if they were still together at that point.

"It is logical," Sinek evenly replied. "You will make an excellent captain. But...," he hesitated as he look downward, still wondering what that meant for them. "...my question was about us. If we are still together, as I hope we are, do I stay or go with you?"

"I'd want you to come with me," Angel replied instantly. "Leaving you behind... that would be cruel. To both of us."

Suddenly, Sinek felt an impulse. At that moment, he wanted to hold Angel and bond with her. However, they were in public; it would be inappropriate here. He quickly suppressed the feeling.

"You will know when next we bond how happy you have made me," Sinek expressed. "I can only hope to have made you as happy."

"If you hadn't, I wouldn't want to whisk you away with me if they offer me a command," Angel replied honestly. She'd caught that quick flash of impulsive emotion before it was suppressed, and she grinned at it. "I appear to be a bad influence on you."

Sinek raised an eyebrow, "Not at all. You have enhanced my life."

Sinek had taken notice that Angel had finished her meal. "Perhaps we could retire to a more private location." It was a statement, not a question.

"That sounds like a very good idea to me." Angel wanted to kiss him, but it was an inappropriate public display for a Vulcan. She had to respect his culture and beliefs the same way he respected hers. "Shall we go back to the ship or find a private place here on the planet?"

"We came to have a break from ship duties," Sinek reminded her. "If we return to the ship, we will be sought after by the crew. I suggest we find a little hide away for just the two of us."

"Then let's see what sort of place we can find," Angel suggested brightly. "There has be some sort of lodging accommodation down here."

The corners of the Vulcan's lips slightly curled upward. He waited for Angel to get up. Them Sinek arose and followed closely behind. He had never seen himself close to anyone before, much less to love them. Sinek had thought his life would follow the cold paths of logic with no one, not even a mate seeming to be close. He was content that love was not truly the way Vulcan's envisioned it to be.

They soon found a place that overlooked the river. At one time this place would have been a lovely place to spend a few weeks, sitting on the balcony looking down over the river. However, with the buildup of pollution in the river, it took this affect from those trying to get in touch with nature. The inn was still well-kept, clean and orderly. Sinek wasn't as consumed about the external view as he was of being with Angel.

Once alone in their room, they bonded together in love. Sinek opened more than his mind to Angel. He also opened what most humans refer to as the heart - the home of the emotions. He shared all the happiness and joy she had brought into his life.

That night's sharing was deeper than when they had bonded before, and though Angel didn't often feel the need to share such feelings so deeply, she too opened the path to her heart, where the human jumble of joy and love was tangled with a wonderful sense of serenity she'd never had before.