Growing Stronger Together...(part 2)

Posted on Mon Apr 9th, 2018 @ 5:44pm by Johnathen Anderson Jr & Ka'see 'Cassie' Anderson (*)

Mission: Ishimura
Location: Earth, San Francisco
Timeline: Pre Ishimura - 2240
1776 words - 3.6 OF Standard Post Measure

"C'mon, sweetheart, you're gonna love this place!" Johnathen said excitedly to Cassie, as he led her towards the centre of San Francisco's Chinatown. Their destination was a small, yet very famous, Chinese restaurant, East Garden. It was one of those hole-in-the-wall places that a casual passerby might just walk right by without realizing the treasures that were contained inside.

Cassie was wearing heels as she was tugged by her excited friend. She had forgotten that San Francisco was not the place to wear heels sometimes. Johnathen was her friend as they had never discussed anything more than what they were now. "Stop calling me sweetheart." She pleaded as she finally managed to get into step with him.

Pausing briefly to look back at Cassie with a confused look on his face, Johnathen asked, "Why? It's a term of endearment and affection. Both of which I have for you." People began to shuffle around the couple, standing there on the wide sidewalk. Chinatown was as busy today as it was every day since it first was established back in the Twentieth Century.

“But you never call me Cassie anymore. It’s all ‘sweetheart’ or ‘babe.’” She said doing a very good rendition of his accent not caring for all the people passing them by. She had grown used to crowds of people around her many years ago.

The young pilot grinned sheepishly. "Heh, sorry. I guess I just use those terms when it's just you and me. It's something I picked up from my parents. They never called each other by their names unless they were trying to get one another's attention in public." He shrugged slightly. "I don't even realize that I'm doing it most the time. But, what makes those terms so special, is that I only use them with you."

Her throaty chuckle helped not at all as she shook her head and leaned up, kissing him in the middle of the street. "You are what human's call adorable, Nath." She whispered softly as the crowd around them started to jostle them closer together.

Interlocking his arms around Cassie's waist, Johnathen smiled warmly as he responded. "As long as it makes you smile and kiss me, then I'll be as adorable as newborn puppies." He then returned her kiss, not even noticing the people that moved around and bumped into the pair as they continued to stand there on the sidewalk.

"Ooof," Cassie whispered as she was pushed into the man just a little more than she had expected by someone in the crowd. "Come on, show me this food place you think is the best in the city." Cassie had yet to find anywhere in the city that had food that she enjoyed after three years of searching.

Johnathen smiled at Cassie again, then released his hold on her. As he turned away, he gently, yet firmly, took her left hand into his right, and continued to lead her to the restaurant that he had been talking about.

Minutes later, the pair reached their destination. Johnathen held the door open for Cassie, and then followed her in. After being shown to a cozy booth near the back of the dining room, the waiter gave each a menu, and then stepped away, giving them time to choose.

"I've tried just about everything on the menu here, " Johnathen said aloud to Cassie.

“I can see that by the excitement earlier at wontons,” Cassie said aloud as she kissed his cheek making the Scientist long to have more time than just a few hours with the man before she had to go back. The Chinese phrases sounded strange in her accent but she was interested to try the food.

Johnathen smiled warmly at the kiss on his cheek. Looking over at Cassie, he responded. "Hey, you loved those too." He looked over the vast menu, trying to decide what he wanted to eat, and what he thought Cassie might like. "Okay, I think I'll go with the General Tso's and a quart of boneless spare ribs. Do you want meat, or vegetarian today?" He knew that, as a Vulcan, Cassie sometimes would go weeks at a time just eating vegetarian dishes. Sometimes, she would venture out and try various animal products.

She shook her head at the mention of meat, it was just leaving a bitter taste in her mouth this week. It happened often after she had tried something new, she had tried fried chicken just last weekend. It had been yummy but since then she hadn't had any urges. "Mmmm vegetarian." She said licking her lips at the smell that suddenly floated across the restaurant.

"Hmmmm..." Johnathen mused as he perused the menu. "Well then, I'd try the vegetable lo mein, with the sauteed mixed vegetables in garlic sauce." He looked up at Cassie, waiting for her to find the items he had mentioned, on her menu.

"Spicy sesame and edamame noodles with black bean tender stem." She grinned as the one above attracted her attention before she looked at the one he suggested. "I will have that." She proclaimed before adding spring rolls to her order.

Johnathen smiled. "Okay then." He then got the waiter's attention and placed their orders. After the waiter left, he looked back at Cassie. "Okay. So, we'll eat lunch, then after, is there anything you'd like to go do?" He was glad that they had off the whole weekend together. Their training shifts were usually at odds with one another lately. They'd grab a breakfast here, a nap together there, sometimes a rare dinner. The only reason that they had this weekend, was because Cassie had just finished her final exams, and her graduation ceremony was going to be on Monday.

"Can we go for a walk and just and enjoy ourselves, see where the night takes us?" Cassie had dressed up to leave campus so she just wanted to take it slow and see what happened. It wasn't like she was going to be coming back to the Academy for awhile or even earth.

Johnathen smiled warmly and nodded. "Of course, sweetheart. Who knows where you'll be going come Monday evening. I want to spend as much time with you as I can between now and then." He reached over, gently took hold of her right hand, and lifted it up to his lips. He gave her knuckles a soft kiss, as he looked into her eyes. It was very clear that his eyes held nothing but love for her.

The woman nodded at him before smiling at his kiss on her knuckles. She was surprised that he was evening talking about Monday and the fact she was graduating. It had been a crazy year but she was so happy to be graduating top of her class despite all the challenges that had occurred.

Seeing Cassie smile warmed Johnathen's heart more than an antimatter explosion. If he could continue to give her reasons to smile like that, he would need little else. "Let's eat and then we will go for a walk in Golden Gate Park."

The woman nodded, it sounded like a solid plan and one that she liked. It was easy to be with him, she just wondered if their time being apart would change that. The meal was over far too quickly and the wink drunk. "So walk?" She wondered thinking if it would be okay on the heels that she was wearing.

Johnathen nodded in reply. "Walk, for a bit at least. But don't worry, not so much as will hurt your feet." He leaned a little closer and whispered just loud enough for only Cassie to hear, "And if they do start to hurt, I'll just have to give you one of my famous foot rubs again." He grinned and winked at Cassie as he spoke, chuckling softly, once he was finished.

"I didn't expect us going out," She grinned at him as he moved in close so only she could hear. It was adorable how he did that to her. Like anyone else would be able to hear them over the dull roar that was San Francisco.

"Beautiful day like today," Johnathen began, "be a shame to stay indoors. Ya know, if you wanted to, I could fly us anywhere on the planet your heart would desire to go." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze as they continued down the street, towards Fisherman's Wharf.

"That line gets all the girls." She teased him softly, thinking they really didn't need to talk about their relationship, what with her leaving the Academy for where ever Starfleet needed to send a scientist in her field.

Looking back at Cassie with a wolfish grin, Johnathen said, "It got you." He gave her a playful wink before continuing. "Besides, you know you're the only girl I ever want to take flying." He brought her hand up to his mouth and gently kissed it.

“One of a long line of them.” The woman said as he kissed her hand in a courtly gestured. It was sweet of him to say that but she was under no illusions at the moment. It would be hard but she would grow stronger through it.

Johnathen stopped walking and turned to face Cassie, full on. Reaching down with his other hand, he took both of her hands into his and raised them to his chest, pulling her a little closer to him. "No," he whispered, his eyes full of honest and pure love. "There are no others. There never were. And there ever will be. You, Cassie McAvoy, are the only woman I ever want to take flying."

The woman stepped up closer and kissed the end of his nose. “I was merely teasing you.” The Look in his eyes scared her for a moment as it was so honest and true. It had never crossed his handsome features before. “Of course there were others, Nath, but that is okay.”

The young cadet pilot merely let the statement go by. For whatever reason, Cassie felt the way she did. The last thing he wanted was for anything to spoil what could be the last weekend that they would be together, for a while at least. He was hopeful that, once he graduated, they would reunite. Turning back to star beside her, Johnathen led the beautiful Vulcan-Human hybrid down the street to the nearest park path. Today was going to be a great day.

OFF:

Cassie McAvoy
Cadet - Biology
Starfleet Academy
(PNPC Gregnol)

Johnathen Anderson Jr
Cadet - Flight Control
Starfleet Academy
PNPC Robertson