Quick Dinner?

Posted on Wed May 26th, 2021 @ 4:25pm by Dixoho Saa (*) & Micheal Robertson

Mission: Mission 13: Stowaway
Location: SS Mary Rose, Armory Chief's Office
Timeline: (Immediatly following "Meeting the New Gunslinger")
1386 words - 2.8 OF Standard Post Measure

Micheal was busy at work, filing various reports and administrative paperwork that had been accumulating the last few weeks. Though he knew he'd be working late, he still wanted to see Dixoho. Earlier, he had sent her a message, asking if she'd like to have a light dinner with him in his office. He had yet to receive a reply.

Dixoho had not replied but she did turn up at the door to his open office with a tap to the door frame. It was not that she had not wanted to reply she was just unsure if she wanted dinner. She was getting more tired by the day. “Someone said something about dinner?”

Micheal looked up from his administrative work and smiled warmly. "Hey, you!” He stood and almost came around to give her a hug and kiss but, stopped himself. He remembered that she asked that they not rush things, and he would respect her wishes. "Yeah, though I've got a lot of work to catch up on, now that I've been reinstated as Armory Chief, I thought we could have a light dinner here, maybe talk, get to know one another again?"

Dixoho nodded and offered a shy smile. He was trying which was nice to see. “I cannot imagine Jake having left you much to do. The man is a machine.” Dixoho said flopping into the seat across from him.

As Micheal moved to his small replicator, he responded. "Oh, he didn't leave me any outstanding work. I'm just trying to catch-up with the past and I also told him that I'd have my preliminary department readiness report on his desk in the morning. What would you like to drink?"

”Nice that you got Engineering to wire that in that you took out from Alexandria. Everyone is going to be jealous.” She mused for a moment. He was lucky to have it. ”Just a fruit juice.” She did not want to risk anything by being unhealthy when she was having a good day.

Micheal shrugged and grinned. "Well, between it being a simple plug and use, and the fact that Alexandria had three units onboard, I simply had the smallest one taken out and installed here." He turned to the replicator. "Betazed passion fruit juice and a Raktajino, extra strong."

The two beverages materialized on the small plate. He picked them both up and then turned back to face Dixoho, handing hers over. "Your favorite, if my memory serves correctly?" He gave her a warm grin as he spoke.

“Even so not even the Captain has that privilege.” The woman commented on. The ship did not have much luxuries outside of the mess hall. “Yeah it is.” She assured taking a sip of the juice enjoying the taste. It was not often that l she had it anymore.

Returning to his chair, he sat down and, putting his coffee off to the side said, "I heard what you said that night on our shuttle. I'm not going to rush this. I want to do it right this time around. Just the real you and me." He took a breath and continued, his voice calm and quiet, if a touch sad. "To start off, while I have read the reports, I'd rather hear from you. Please tell me, what happened with you, after I left?"

“Lots happened. Where would you like me to start Water world? A potential change of ship stolen from us by a politicial group and then helping the Romulan railway.” It was not personal stuff. Did he want her to tell him everything that happened properly?

Micheal shook his head slightly, a small frown on his face. "I've read those reports, Di. I want to know what happened to you while I was gone. That is," he paused, clearly realizing that he probably had no right to know. "If you want to tell me?"

The Trill shrugged. There was not much that happened to her that he didn’t already now. She started a relationship with one of his colleagues, she had been getting sicker, was nearly attacked by the crew that had taken the temperance and then most recently they had had the body swap. “I do want to talk about it… it’s just difficult to explain… you know... I’ve had a relationship and I have got sicker that’s really about it there’s nothing really... There really isn’t anything more to say.” She mused taking a sip from the drink before putting it on the desk.

Micheal listened without interruption or judgement. When she was finished, he thought of what to say. Finally, he responded. "I'm not going anywhere, Di. Whenever you want to talk to someone, I'm here. As for you and Leiddem...well...that's none of my business. If...uh...if he makes you happy, I..um..I won't stand in the way." He looked as if his heart was breaking. However, he knew that he had broke her heart when he left and then disappeared. Now that he had had more time to think, he knew that he had no right to ask of her anything.

The woman shrugged, the whole thing with her and the former marine was casual and complicated. They had both been there for each other for a long time. “Me and Lei are complicated and complicated in a different way than me and you.” She mused and shrugged a little more. It was a whole mood for her at the moment. Shrugging was an easy way to express her indifference. “I am here.” She surmised quietly.

Micheal nodded slightly, taking her statement of being here to mean that there might still be a chance for the two of them. "I appreciate that you chose to be here, with me, more than you realize. I would very much like to get to know you, the real you." He sat back for a moment and considered something. "Would you like to have a light dinner here, in my office, a private dinner in our shuttle, or a public dinner in the lounge?"

“Here is fine.” Seemed foolish to be moving around when everything was already there. Had she really become that no nonsense in the last year? “Seems daft to move around when we are already comfortable here.”

Smiling again, Micheal stood back up. After clearing room on his unusually cluttered desk, he moved over to the replicator. "What would you like?" He asked softly.

The desk had been busy but it had not been untidy so she quietly took the stack of padds and put them on the sofa out of way. “Um poutine with A Trill salad. It will be under my favourites.” It was a cuisine that she had become addicted to recently. It hit all the right things for her.

Nodding, Micheal turned back to the replicator and entered their choices. First up, was a small tray with Di's food, plus a napkin, utensils, salt and pepper. He picked up the tray, he turned and brought it to the desk, setting it down in front of Dixoho as she sat back down. He then returned to the replicator to pick up his tray, containing a boneless ribeye steak, fully dressed sweet potato and a small caesar salad. His tray also included a napkin, utensils, salt, pepper and a small container of steak sauce.

Once he brought his tray over, he asked, "What would you like to drink?"

Dixoho took the fork and knife with a nod. "I am good with what I have. Sit down and relax." She instructed with a smile. People needed to stop fussing around her when she just wanted to go with the flow. It was something she had learned to appreciate recently and wanted to carry it on, life was too short and hers definitely was.

Grinning, Micheal ordered an Altair sparkling water for himself. Then, drink in hand, he sat back down in his chair. Raising his drink in a toast, he said, "To new beginnings."

It was the most apt toast in the Trill's opinion and she raised her glass as well. "To new beginnings." She agreed without hesitation. The new beginnings might not work but at least they could try and see where it went.