Breakfast Secrets

Posted on Tue Sep 5th, 2023 @ 6:28pm by Lieutenant Evelyn Stewart
Edited on on Mon Sep 11th, 2023 @ 8:08pm

2,097 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Year One: Whispers in the Wind
Location: USS Moore - Captain’s Quarters
Timeline: MD 006 - 0600 hrs

Evelyn had woken up before Stryvek. Undoubtedly he needed more rest to recover than she did from their ordeal. She had already found her clothes and put on most of her uniform, except her jacket. Her hair tie was lost somewhere and she didn’t bother looking for more than a few seconds, instead content to just push her long hair out of her face as she worked. Evelyn started replicating ingredients to make Plomeek soup. She would take a sonic shower when she got back to her quarters. She set about replicating the tools to make the soup by hand herself. She knew Stryvek wasn’t a fan of replicated food as it were and it would defeat the purpose of serving a meal to her host regardless.

Evelyn knew she wasn’t the best cook, but she was more than capable of making Plomeek soup that was popular in ShiKahr. She made it often as a child. She had no idea where exactly Stryvek was from, but the traditional breakfast was bland, regardless of the region it’s from.

Stryvek awoke to the headache that always came when Pon Fahr ebbed away. He thought about how it would be seven years before he would go through this ordeal again. When he stepped out of the bedroom and saw Evelyn two things immediately sprung to his mind. The first was being slightly impressed that she was in the midst of preparing the traditional breakfast. The other was the first of the ramifications of what he had done. She was an officer under his command, and there was a number of regulations about this. Of course that was only the beginning of what ran through his head.

As he approached her Stryvek spoke. His voice still a little raspy from all that had happened. "Good morning. I trust you slept well."

Evelyn looked up from what she was doing when she heard his voice. It suddenly felt strange to hear the Vulcan speak. For what was one the most intense and erotic moment in her life, no words were exchanged the night before. Well, not physically. She gave a small polite smile and nodded. “Well enough, thank you. I trust you are well again?” She asked, continuing to respect the privacy of situation with discretion. Having gone through it with him, she understood the importance of the ritual now. Stewart could see that his demeanor was back to its usual stoicism and the Vulcan obviously recovering from the Pon’Fahr. She finished preparing the broth to be served for them both as she waited for a reply.

"I am getting better thank you. It will still a couple of days until I am restored to full health as it were." The part of him that was forever linked to her wanted to reach out and hold her. He knew now why humans relished in their emotions, and perhaps why they gained strength from them. He knew it, and understood it, however, he also knew it would not be a way of life for him.

Evelyn nodded at Stryvek before looking at him confused. “Isn’t the tradition that the guest prepares and serves their host breakfast in the morning?” She said about the Vulcan custom. She gestured to the small table for him to sit at while pouring both their servings in bowls. “Unfortunately the replicator can’t be trusted to provide quality gespar.” She commented about the common Vulcan fruit served with breakfast. Something she always enjoyed eating since she was a child.

Stewart brought both bowls to the table as she was talking, moving back to where she was brewing Stryvek’s kettle for tea. “It’s only good if it’s from the local markets.” She commented. She stopped and was distracted when she could have sworn she heard Stryvek’s thoughts about wanting to hold her in her head. Not paying attention, she reached for the teapot, forgetting there was no handle and yelled out in pain from the burn. Pulling her hand in back, Stewart quickly tried to manage the pain through a meditation technique, but was failing. Squeezing her hand against the pain she shout the first curse that came to mind, not even realizing it was Bajoran. She had forgotten she needed to use a towel to handle the teapot, lacking the natural tolerance to the scalding temperature that Vulcans had. “God!…Ahhh! Son of a…” she groaned between deep breaths, glancing at her reddening palm and seeing a small blister from the second degree burn.

Without a word Stryvek took a dermal regenerator from his personal medkit and repaired the damage to her hands. He was not only impressed that she remembered the age old custom but in some way it made her more attractive. Although he was unsure if it was the meal she prepared or the residual emotions which ran through him or both. "Now there you are. Although tradition states that you serve the meal. Allow me to assist." Stryvek poured tea for both of them and sat down with the tea pot. He ran his hand over his face as if resigning himself to something that he may not want to do. "Before the Pon Faar ebbs away and my emotions return to normal. I must thank you. For I know that humans do not give of their body easily, and I am appreciative."

Evelyn initially moved to take the dermal regenerator from Stryvek to heal herself but stopped at his silence insistence. She let him heal the burns without a word. It was when he moved to sit at the table, that she sighed as she considered his words before moving to join him. “Fortunately some of us who are more generous than others. Regardless, I told you. I wasn’t willing to just let you die if there was something I could do to help. I keep my word.” She said logically as she moved her napkin in her lap, not wanting to share her own thoughts that it was more pleasurable than she expected. “But, you’re welcome.” She added quietly, looking up at the Vulcan before taking a bite of the broth.

Stryvek tasted the soup and it was delicious. Most Vulcans ate rather bland food. However, something he never shared with anyone was that he developed a taste for spices and seasonings since living with humans. He realized that Evelyn must have learned this during their meld and prepared the food accordingly. He took two more spoonfuls and relished in the taste before speaking. "You have made the soup adequately..." This was the closest that someone could get as a compliment from him. "...I must ask if you are ready for what is to come. We are bonded now, and the next time Pon Faar is upon me, it will no longer be just me. For you will feel the effects as well."

Stewart looked at him curiously as she ate the soup. “What are you talking about?” She asked confused. “We had sex. Twice. It should be over now.” She said about her knowledge of the deeply private ritual.

"It is for the immediate. However, as you are no doubt aware for Vulcan males Pon Faar occurs every seven years. Now that we are bonded we will be forced to seek each other out every seven years, or you will become just as imbalanced as I." Stryvek explained the situation and then took some more bites of the soup. In truth he believed that she would be an excellent mate. Although that was getting a little ahead of themselves.

Evelyn nearly choked on her soup in her surprise before she wiped her mouth. “Excuse me?” She managed to start out being polite, but the Vulcan’s words were starting to sink in and her confusion was quickly turning into irritation. “What exactly do you mean we will have to mate every seven years? I’m sure my future husband will be understanding.” She said sarcastically. She wasn’t being fair to Stryvek. She was the one who acted impulsively the night before but it didn’t matter in that moment.

"Indeed..." Stryvek said and then mumbled "Fascinating" He took another spoonful before elaborating what was on his mind. "You chose this, you were raised with my people so I believed you when you said you knew what would happen. I tried to tell you this is more than as humans put it sex. This is a chemical bonding of our minds, our very beings. According to tradition your future husband would be ok with it as you put it because your future husband is me." He paused to allow that to sink in. "Of course you may not want that and so we can break the bond through the Unbonding. The Unbonding is not something to be taken likely it is painful both physically and mentally to both of us. Before you respond I would like you to think on it, and know that I realize your Human ways are extremely different. So, if you would rather as Humans say, date for a while and see what happens. I would respect that choice."

Evelyn took in what he was saying but only half listening. It took a minute for certain words to catch her attention and sink in. "Husband? As in marry you?" She asked with incredulous sarcasm. "You can't be serious. I know that Vulcan marriages are arranged, but I didn't realize it was so...mediaeval." She started to stand as she reached for her uniform jacket. "I have to think about this..." She said as a flimsy excuse to run away from the entire situation. She wasn't ready for this conversation.

"Typically the decision to marry is made prior to the bonding. As I said Vulcan mating rituals are complicated to say the least. If you would like to break the bond you will receive no argument from me. However, thinking on it is perhaps the most logical." Stryvek said and made no move to stop her in any way.

Evelyn just nodded in agreement as she focused on making herself presentable to leave the captain’s quarters. Her mind was elsewhere. It struck her she had no real idea how to make her exit, given the circumstances and the situation with his suggestion they may marry. It took her a moment to recover. It bothered her that she could feel the heat in her cheeks from her awkward embarrassment. “You will be joining the festivities on the planet? For First Contact Day.” She explained.

"Of course... As Captain of the ship it would be expected of me." Stryvek replied flatly. He wondered why she did not simply leave as it seemed that was what she wanted. It occurred to him that she may not want to hurt his feelings, of which of course he had none. As much as he wanted to tell her just that, Stryvek also found himself not wanting her to leave. So, he allowed her to continue on her train of thought rather than tell her she could leave.

Evelyn simply nodded in agreement. She was frazzled, something she wasn’t used to. Stryvek had caught her off guard both with his intentions and the strange feelings she felt between them. She wanted to leave but also wanted to stay with him for some reason she couldn’t exactly place. Pushing her hair out of the way, Stewart realized she needed to go back to her quarters and take a sonic shower and change before her shift. She didn’t ask permission to leave, though instinct from being with a superior officer in the room almost brought the question to her lips. Feeling ridiculous at the thought, she sighed heavily and did her best to collect herself. “I need to get back to my quarters and take a sonic shower. I suppose I will see you on the bridge then.”

"Indeed you will. Thank you for the meal." Stryvek said. His mother had instilled him a level of manners and propriety. Especially when dealing with humans.

Evelyn nodded as she slowed by the door, suddenly very reluctant to leave Stryvek's quarters. "You're welcome." She offered quietly. Her eyes met his again for another moment before she cleared her throat and excused herself and quickly walked through the doors before she could come up with an excuse to stay. Evelyn walked swiftly to her quarters to make ready for her shift.

 

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