After The Time, After The Place Part 2

Posted on Fri Mar 23rd, 2018 @ 9:51pm by Ka'see 'Cassie' Anderson (*)

Mission: Ishimura
Location: Vulcan
Timeline: Pre Ishimura - 2241
1578 words - 3.2 OF Standard Post Measure

Unseen to her, Tevir nodded and headed into the kitchen. Five minutes later, the smell of pancakes -an Earth food he happened to appreciate- wafted into the bathroom. Another five minutes later a small stack of them, along with two glasses of orange juice were waiting on the table. And Tevir was waiting, covered in flour.

Cassie sniffed the air smelling something so familiar it hurt to think of the last time she had, had pancakes. Slowly she grabbed up the robe that had been left there for her by someone and followed the smells to the kitchen. It was strange to think this was her life now not with Johnathen. She tried to think very little on the human as her husband would know. She resented the jealousy the Time of Mating brought along with the vulnerability. It robbed all of them usual confidence of their place in life.

Pancakes forgotten, Tevir openly stared at her as she appeared. To him, especially now, she was the picture of beauty. He put the spatula down and walked to the table, holding a chair back for her. "I know you like these," he offered uncertainly, "but I do not know what you like on them."

"Um..." Cassie felt like she was dreaming maybe the fires were over, maybe it had disappeared finally as this moment of lucid thinking was lasting a lot longer than before. She had never seen a Vulcan stare at someone like before. "I don't think you...we do it on Vulcan." She said trying to keep the thoughts private.

"You can eat whatever you want. If you do not want pancakes, I will make you something else." Though not a sweet tooth, Tevir poured some syrup over one of his creations, then rolled it up using a knife and fork. Cutting off a portion, he speared it onto the fork and stuffed it into his mouth. Cutting off a second portion, he offered it to her.

"Thank you." She took the offered piece and chewed it carefully. It was sweeter than a lot of food they had on Vulcan, it was normally very bland or simple. "I didn't think you would like Human food." She whispered finding her voice hard to find as she felt like she was on edge.

"I like pancakes, just normally make them a little more savoury. I do actually prefer cheese pancakes or.." He paused, reaching for a jar with a light brown paste. "Peanut butter," he finished. "And I am open to trying more Human food, I am not as close minded as people believe me to be Ka'See. I am willing to try."

The complex levels of her personality kept behind walls of privacy that she normal held up were on full display as she found herself opening her mouth in surprise at how many human foods he had said in his words. "I guess I stand corrected." She said looked at her own before she grabbed the peanut butter wondering why he was trying all these things. Her biggest question was still in her head- Why did he go through with the marriage after her Mother ran back to earth.

Aware of the walls she was putting up, and respecting her privacy by not using their bond to find out what she was hiding, Tevir leaned forward, reaching for her hand. "What are you thinking?" he asked quietly, stroking the palm of her hand with two fingers.

The touch on her hand as he reached for her made her look up and blink at him. The stimulation of minds already joined, the anticipation of more to come, of being each others as they had made a commitment burst to life at the touch. "Why..." She said simply.

"Because you are very quiet...and you are all closed up."

She smiled sadly as she realised he didn't understand the why but it was okay. It wasn't really a question to ask then and there when they were both bruised and battered.

"Very well..." Tevir finished his food and cleared his plate away. "I am going to take a shower. You are...welcome...to join me." He paused, offering a faint smile. "If you wish."

"Maybe." She said clutching her robe a little closer to her as she looked back at the pancake needing to eat it. She didn't know how long it had been since she had eaten or drunk anything other than the water Tevir had made her drink in one of the lucid moments.

Tevir gave her a single nod as he walked past her and disappeared back into their sleeping area. Soon enough the sound of a sonic shower cycling up could be heard. Tevir sighed as the sonic rays eased his sore muscles and cleansed his body. Like most Vulcans, he preferred sonics over water if not only because water wasn't something available in abundance on a desert planet.

The woman sat there for a long moment before she abruptly stood up barely having eaten and followed the sound looking around the bedroom and the mess that it was. Bedding everywhere, clothing scattered and ripped, it was all messy. The door was open to the bathing area and she slowly walked towards it, leaning out the door frame.

Eyes still closed, relishing the sonics, Tevir smiled. "Do you require assistance?" he asked, well aware of her proximity even without seeing her. He kept his eyes closed, allowing her the moment of - he assumed - admiring him from a distance.

She took a deep breath, not for control, but to find a place to start. "No assistance." She whispered softly trying to ignore the marks she could see on his shoulders as she took him in.

"Then join me," he implored her, holding out a hand towards her. "There is nothing to be afraid of. I am still me, only better controlled." He drew in a slow breath, gathering himself as he opened his eyes to regard her. "You are beautiful," he breathed, taking her all in as if seeing her for the first time.

“Honestly…I do know this.” She had searched herself and the motivations stirring somewhere in her abdomen that told her to join him in the sonic, try to make a good life. “Yes, I will join you.” She said slowly stepping closer to him. She looked up at him and stroked his cheek softly.

It took every ounce of control he still had not to just sweep her up in his arms and carry her off to the bedroom. "Hmmm," he murmured, leaning into the caress. "We will be alright," he promised her then and there, "tradition may have brought us together, but I promise I will make sure we will be alright. You will want for nothing."

“That is why you chose me tradition even though I am human?” There was a fear in her voice that she had never heard before. And it warmed her heart to see him leaning into her caress even as she pulled her hand away to rest over the marks she had made before.

He didn't flinch as she touched the scratches. "You are not Human," he told her, "I did not choose you. We were bonded as children as our parents decided it to be so. A male may not challenge Ka'See. It is always the woman's choice. I am gratified you did not challenge, by choosing me you saved my life. If you had challenged, I would have had to fight whoever you chose as champion, and I would have lost."

"I am more human than Vulcan." She hinted softly. Humans accepted her a lot quicker than Vulcan's did."I will not have you out of obligation or for a decision you made when you thought you could not have the path you wanted, I won't hold this against you. You could have a few more years to pick someone else, someone better."

Tevir shook his head. "You do not understand. It was not my choice to make. By not challenging the bonding, you accepted me as your mate. Without you, I would have been dead." He looked down, placing two fingers under her chin to make her look up. "I want you, I cherish you. You are my wife." He paused. "If I can choose, I choose you. I do not want another, there will be no other."

The woman looked up at him surprised by his words. "No...I have no champion." She said softly. Johnathen had begged, but she knew that he would be unable to fight her betrothed.

"You chose me," he said softly, drawing her to him, "I am grateful. I promise Ka'See, I will not keep you here. Only for as long as is needed, as long as we have need. I wish I could go with you but my work is here."

She didn't know about choosing him at all but he seemed to want her at the moment. No one ever remembered but her that she was the one with the lesser disciplines as he pulled her closer to his chest resting her head against him. It was so strange to be there in the small cubicle with him feeling the sonic waves around her cleaning her, it was strange but comforting which only added to her confusion.


OFF::

Tevir
Civilian Scientist
Vulcan
(PNPC Sommners)

Ensign Cassie McAvoy
Geneticist
Starfleet
(PNPC Gregnol)