First dates (Part 1 of 3)

Posted on 20 Aug 2016 @ 1:41am by Senior Chief Petty Officer Keval zh'Erinov & Lieutenant JG Randolf Eklund

2,535 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Episode 11 - Divinum Mundi
Location: USS Galileo - Eklund Quarters
Timeline: MD 27 - 2040 local

[ON]

Randy had come off a pretty quiet shift. He was glad of that as it had given him time to catch up on more of the files and reports he needed to be familiar with in this new posting, but it had also given him time to think about tonight.

He had a date. A proper first date. He hadn't had one of those in several months. Would it lead anywhere? Maybe. Did he want it to lead somewhere? Maybe. Was he looking forward to it? Definitely. He'd gotten back to his quarters to find them still empty. He checked the time. Still enough time.

He wasn't sure what Keval would like. He should have asked, but it was too late now. He decided to go simple and varied. He replicated a couple of nice steaks and enough vegetables to feed a whole room full of vegetarians. He prepped the steaks, cut up the veggies, and set the table. Now he had just enough time to grab a shower and change before Keval arrived. He tossed his uniform into the recycler and jumped in the shower.

Since coming aboard the Galileo, Keval had, had more than his share of first dates, even an occasional hook up. He'd even had more than a few second dates. But every potential relationship had somehow fizzled.

Would this time be any different? Keval wasn't sure. Nor was he sure if Randy wanted something other than casual. The Andorian had sampled casual and it just wasn't for him.

After a ice-cold, invigorating shower, he made his way to Randy's place. He was dressed casually in a pair of white chinos and a maroon shirt.

Just as Randy finished changing and making sure he looked presentable, he heard the chime at the door. He crossed to it with a smile on his face as the door slid open. "Hi."

He stepped back and let Keval enter. The deep red of the man's shirt really brought out the blue of his skin and white of his hair. It was a striking combination. Randy had opted for a deep blue shirt he knew made his eyes look even more blue than they already were and some raw silk pants in a neutral cream color. They were the most comfortable things he owned, and tonight seemed like a time he wanted to be comfortable rather than self conscious about how some piece of clothing was starting to itch.

"I'm really glad you made it," Randy smiled brightly. "You look great." He hadn't actually meant to just blurt that out. "I wasn't really sure what you like, so there's a little of everything.

"You don't look so bad yourself, "Keval responded with an easy smile that more than reached his eyes. That color looks good on you. As to what I like, well pretty much everything." He pulled a small package that he'd been holding behind his back,"have you heard of an old Terran confection, called Turkish Delight? I made some., for dessert."

"That sounds perfect," Randy's smile was childlike. "My grandmother used to make something similar. Of course she didn't call it Turkish since she was Swedish, but still." He reached out to take the box from Keval, fingers brushing fingers. "I'll just set this aside for now."

"And I was thinking something simple for dinner. I've never cooked Andorian food, so I replicated some steaks. We can throw caution to the wind and replicate some redbat or duuploni. I'd need your help to make sure I was doing it right, though." Randy gave him a cheeky smile.

"Well, I don't know how much I can help you with that. I mean there are are some things I'm experienced at, but that's not one of them. I pretty much grew up as a Human." Keval responded with and equally cheeky grin, "but something tells me you've got enough experience in those other things that you don't need any of my help."

"If by other things you mean grilling steaks," Randy smiled, "then I have plenty of experience. Don't worry. Beyond that, I admit to nothing." He moved toward the kitchen area and began to pull out the ingredients he'd prepped.

"So you grew up human?" He asked to make sure he'd heard properly. "How did that come about? Were you left like a changeling in a crib?" He smiled thinking of all the fairy tales of such things his grandmother had fed them while they were young. Then he wondered if that particular tale were one that Keval would have ever heard.

"Not exactly," Keval responded, his smile fading ever so briefly. "My parents were killed when I was very little. They were Federation Officers, well two of them were. Their Captain Ben Grayson took me in, and raised me as his own child."

"Damn," Randy muttered to himself. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made a joke like that. I literally was raised in a barn for the most part. This is why I generally stand quietly in the back of room with a phaser looking scary instead of opening my mouth and offending people. Can you forgive me, or should we just fight it out like on the farm?"

Keval's left antennae curled forward, almost at a forty-five degree angle. "It's okay, you had no way of knowing," he reassured his date,"you haven't offended, and I don't want to fight you. Maybe if things work out, grapple with you, that that's a different story."

Randy just smiled at that. He'd grown up with two brothers, and a sister who could beat any of them up on a good day. If Keval really wanted to give it a try later, Randy thought he'd at least give the man a good fight. And if he wanted to give something else a try, well...

"Perhaps I'd better feed you before we try that," Randy said. "I wouldn't want you weak from hunger. The Turkish Delight will give us some energy, and the steaks will give us stamina. Perfect for grappling."

Keval gave him an amused glance, is that clothed or naked grappling?" he asked.

Randy just raised an eyebrow, then laughed. "Either, I suppose. Traditionally wrestling was done in the nude, but I'm not sure how big a meal those guys had eaten right before doing that. Let's play it by ear, okay?"

"I was mostly just being a smart-ass," Keval responded, "playing it by ear works for me. How long before we eat?"

"I'll keep that in mind," Randy drawled. "Keval is a smart ass. Which I guess is better than you being a dumb ass, so I'll count that as a positive." He headed into the kitchen. "And dinner can be ready in about 10 minutes. The steaks are seasoned and ready to go. The vegetables are just about ready, too. If you'd like salad, I keep some all cut up in my refrigerator. I know it's easier to replicate on demand, but I like the ritual of putting it all together myself." And he had been raised doing all of this without replicators, but they didn't need to go into that just now.

The Andorian stepped into the kitchen but stayed near the entrance. "This evening is starting out perfect, I like the fact we're both into cooking."

Randy smiled and began grilling the steaks he'd replicated earlier. "Yeah. Sometimes I'm not too great with words, so this is something physical I can do that still let's someone know that I see them." He didn't think that was exactly what he meant, but he wasn't all that sure of what he did mean. "That was weird...did it make any sense?"

"Yeah," the Andorian answered, "it makes a lot of sense. it wasn't weird at all. Can I do anything to help?"

"I don't know," Randy winked at Keval, "can you do anything to help?" He'd see that in an old 2D recording he'd seen years ago as a teenager and had always wanted to use it. It was a movie about space colonization, but also about an evil alien encounter on a colony world. It probably wasn't something his parents would have approved of, but he had been in a rebellious phase then, and it had actually helped him realize just how much he wanted to join Starfleet. All of that seemed to embody this moment in his life. He doubted Keval would get the reference, but he didn't need to. It was enough that Randy got it.

Keval cocked his head to one side, while both antennae quirked to the other. "I'm sorry?" he asked, indeed not getting it.

"No, I'm sorry," Randy stepped over and kissed Keval lightly on the cheek as an apology. It was what his family did, and he didn't think about it meaning anything else. "I meant to say, I would love for you to help in any way you would like. There are some potatoes in the oven that need checking. There are also some mixed vegetables roasting in there that need stirring. Or you could start putting together the salad. Or," he grinned, "you could just stand there looking handsome and inspiring me to work faster."

Keval laughed, "It's no fair using flattery on me. It might work, but it's not fair. But I can't let you have all the fun. I'll check the potatoes and stir the veggies, then I'll start a salad. You just work on the meat."

The Andorian then crossed over to the oven and opened it. The potatoes inside were turning brown, but they weren't quite done. "About two or three more minutes here, " he said as he stirred the vegetables.

Randy grinned as he turned the steaks. "Well, I'll let you in on a little secret. My ma says I'm the biggest flirt she's ever seen. Not saying you standing there isn't inspiring, though. It is." He prodded the steaks for a moment with the tongs. "And these should be ready just in time."

Keval smile turned positively cheeky, "It's nice to be wanted. And it sounds like your mother was an amazing judge of character." He moved over to the refrigerator and opened it. He took out the ingredients for a salad and began fixing it.

"Judge, jury, and executioner," Randy laughed as he turned the steaks again. They were just about done. "But she had to be. Believe me, if you knew my brothers and sister...we were a handful. I think she's amazed any of us lived to adulthood."

"You get along well with them, your family I mean?"

Randy froze for a moment at the question. He had brought the subject up, though. "More or less," he began. "I...they were a little upset that I didn't choose to stay on Earth and become a farmer like they wanted. I think they thought this is all just a phase, both Starfleet and dating men, and that I'll come back home eventually to take my rightful place." He laughed quietly at that. "They've pretty much come around now, though. And things are better. How about you?

Keval was beginning to wish he'd never asked the question and turned a deeper shade of blue. "I used to have a good relationship with my family, until, until I helped put my father in a penal colony."

Randy wasn't quite sure what to say to that, but he could tell that it was still something which hurt Keval. "Well...another thing we sort of have in common." He decided that sharing something equally personally painful might be a way to help. Ignoring the moment didn't seem like an option. "I didn't do exactly that, but for a long time my father took my actions as a...a condemnation of his life.

"My family are all...extremely conservative. They farm their own food, make their own clothes and furniture. Well, the community does. They live by old values and refuse to use modern technology or join in most of modern society. Until I left home," this was embarrassing for him; he began turning pink as he continued, "I had never been off planet, never seen a holonovel, never used a replicator or a transporter. I left home to join Starfleet and leave their view of the universe. I didn't think my father would ever forgive me for that."

It took several beats for Keval to be able to respond, "I take it they don't approve of your lifestyle choice do they?"

Randy shrugged. "I think they're better with me preferring men than they are with me leaving the farm. They understand that I'm attracted to men because that's who I am, but I think they see me leaving the community as a direct rebuke or criticism of their way of life. It isn't, of course," he sighed as he removed the steaks from the heat, "and I think they're beginning to see that. The same thing may happen for you, too." He looked up and caught Keval's eyes. "Don't ever assume that others can't change. Also, I don't know what the issue was with your father, and I don't need to know, but if he was guilty then you couldn't just ignore it. On some level I have to believe that he can see that just like I have to believe that my father understands why I did what I did."

Keval shook his head, "Oh, he deserved it, I don't have any questions about that. But he's not one to forgive and forget. He was released and he's come to visit. A couple of times, tried to kill me and promised he'd kill anyone that I cared about. It's not quite the same thing, and dating me, well dating me might not be good for your health."

"Oh!" Randy looked up at Keval, "We're dating now? Someone is awfully sure of himself." He winked to show he was joking. "Regardless, if someone comes after me, I can take care of myself. It's kind of what I do for a living, after all. Potential death threats aren't enough to scare me off. Snoring, on the other hand..."

Keval laughed, "I don't snore, I promise. You might even get to test me on that, but it's probably not going to be tonight."

"And you know you don't snore because you're awake to hear yourself not snore?" Randy quirked an eyebrow. "I'll be the judge of whether you snore or not, maybe. But you're right, not tonight. Tonight we eat, then...maybe a walk in the holodeck? I don't think wrestling would be very date-like, and we've already gone rock climbing..."

"I like the idea of a walk with you. Since we're doing this in the holodeck, where do you want to set it? There are so many choices; Paris, Risa, a foggy San Francisco, Central Park, to name just a few. What did you have in mind?"

To Be Continued

[OFF]

--

Lt.jg Randolf Eklund
Asst. Chief of Sec/Tac
USS Galileo

CPO Keval Grayson
Operations Officer
USS Galileo
[PNPC Nicholas]

RSS Feed