Never Parted (Part 2 of 5)

Posted on 02 Dec 2024 @ 11:45pm by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Lamar Darius & Ensign S'Ers-a M'Lyr'Zor

4,155 words; about a 21 minute read

Mission: Episode 20 - Reconstruction
Location: Remidia I - Northern Hemisphere, Creek Bed
Timeline: MD 07, 0914 hrs

Previously, on Never Parted (Part 1)...

Sera felt Lamar's apprehension through the direct connection from their entwined hands, even as he attempted to say the Vulcan word. Deeply buried feelings of inadequacy clawed their way to the surface of her mind, but she gently removed her hand from his before the intensity of it transmitted any further than it needed to. She was not certain where his disquiet originated from, but given the disaster that was her first 'marriage,' her mind did not conjure up any positive reasons for his shift in mood.

"How can I assist with setting up the camp?" She inquired, finding safety in a subject that was much more practical.

And Now, the Continuation...

[ON]

It wasn't easy for him to shift from such an emotional revelation to a more practical one. Sera's words flipped the switch so easily that he struggled to follow and return to the reason they were both present on Remidia. Shore leave. Camping. Marriage. He knelt down in a tactical stance to survey the deciduous landscape and the immediate clearing, his head swiveling left then right as if surveying a potential tactical infantry position. "There," he finally pointed to one of the open spaces at slight elevation. "if it rains overnight, we won't get flooded on this high ground. And there's enough tree coverage from these north winds to shield us. Take my exploration pack and let's deploy the tent."

"Of course, Lamar." Sera replied, doing exactly what he had directed. It helped keep her body busy while her mind was anything but. Once she had dragged the heavy pack to the location she had pointed out, she raised a brow and looked over to him, ready to point out that he had given her a light pack when the heavier one would have been more logical given her innate strength...but the words were not spoken. He did not look gratified, and what she felt from the fledgling connection they shared was not the easy contentment he had been experiencing before. She crouched down and opened the pack, and felt like she should say something. Perhaps the truth of things? He deserved truth.

"Anything I consider saying does not feel adequate. I believe this can be...mitigated, if that is your desire. I did not engage with you for this outcome; I did it because..." Sera paused. Why had she been so compelled? She paused and wiped at her brow, coming away with a sheen of moisture. She was feeling feverish again, unsettled, and she had never experienced anything like it before. She considered why such a physical response would occur and only came up with two 'obvious' reasons: sickness and...that. Was that why she had kissed him back when they were at each other's throats? Or was it incited from their frequent couplings?

She grit her teeth in frustration, a sensation she did have a name for and understood. "After Viruk's death...after I had been cleared to return to duty, I requested a frontier assignment. I wanted to be as far away from Vulcan as possible. I came here to die. Perhaps it was a cowardly act - it did not sit well with me, but I just couldn't endure a life with another, chosen with no personal input or autonomy."

Sera outwardly sighed in a very non-Vulcan manner, likely knowing she was speaking of something quintessentially Vulcan, and Lamar would not understand--most likely--but pressed on anyway. It was imperative to speak what was in her mind. "I was hopeful to have a year or more of productivity before...well, my current plan was to walk out of an airlock, to let the eyeless darkness finish consuming me."

She shivered at something not spoken--a half-remembered terror that had been forcibly excised by Vulcan healers in an attempt to restore stability to her mind. The memory itself was gone; removed by Fullara, but the horror associated with the memory itself remained, unable to be completely repressed.

Forcibly re-centering herself, Sera finally turned and regarded him. "I have a...memory. You were standing, much like you are now, actually. You gestured your intent in the Vulcan way; and I...I accepted. No, that is not adequate. I readily accepted what you offered me. You have demonstrated suitability as a mate in a number of ways...and you have been aggressive, dominating, yet...gentle. Kind. Alien qualities I have not had much personal experience with." She pushed herself off her knees and walked over to him. "Lamar, a bond does not spontaneously form without outside help in the absence of desire. If you do not wish this, I will do whatever is necessary to free you from it." From me.

"If that is your choice, however, this cannot continue." She gestured in a vague manner between them indicating their ongoing association. "I am finding it difficult to resist my instincts towards you, yet, I will not place you in danger of further entanglement. But I must say this; in fact I feel compelled to. Lamar, your presence fills a substantial void in my katra, and I had not comprehended just how...hungry it is. I do not want to let you go, in fact being apart from you at this juncture is becoming uncomfortable..." Her hand rose and covered her heart, an attempt to soothe the gripping discomfort elicited from the thought of his refusal, yet she pressed on.

"Your well-being is paramount to me. I meant what I said; I will do anything you want of me if it will bring about your contentment. If it is your desire to proceed in a human manner...I will do my best to comply with your customs. To provide you that which you need. Please...tell me what you want, for I do not know the correct solution to this."

Lamar acutely watched her features while she revealed a very private and heartfelt message complete with a brutal and uncomfortable honesty surrounding her personal life. It pained him to hear her speak of her desire to end her own life - the thought of which produced a painful searing in his thoughts. Life without her...he didn't want to even consider such a scenario. "Sera, I," he wasn't entirely sure how to respond to her candid openness which he'd truthfully never expected to witness, "-I want the same as you. I'm not afraid of our bonding, I just...well, it's the first time in my life I've been in love. And been with a Vulcan. It's a little overwhelming but that's normal, right?" Hopefully? "I don't want to be free from you, I want the opposite. Our customs? Hell, we can work those out over time. I'm not leaving you and you better not leave me. I mean it."

He appeared to be quite astute at asking her questions she had no ready answer for. Yet, it would be counter productive to her aims to bring him further uncertainty. "You feel...overwhelmed? I do not believe that is an aberrant response to this knowledge, however, it is not an ideal psychological state."

Lamar spoke of love again. A truly alien sentiment if there was one. However, Sera knew enough of humans to recognize that it was an important emotional construct to them. She wasn't sure how best to respond to that so as to not cause him further turmoil. "You...love me and do not wish to leave me? You wish to strengthen our bond? That would be the optimal outcome, and I would not leave you. I would be incapable of doing so. Parted from me, and never parted. Never and always touching and touched."

He stepped forward then took Sera's fingers in his while looking down at her almond shaped, skin-toned medium length nails. His large thumb lightly caressed her thin digits then the back of her hand where a faint pattern of old plasma burns could be noticed up close. "Yes and yes. And you better not do something stupid like put yourself out an airlock. Don't even think about it ever again. Promise me." He looked back up into her striking blue eyes, firmly holding them while awaiting an acceptable response.

"There is no need for such a contingency now. I promise, Lamar." He felt very strongly about this, and Sera did not need to be a touch telepath to figure that out. She gently squeezed his hand with hers in a manner she hoped was reassuring.

Studying her face for a lengthy moment, he exhaled an audible chuff through his nose then drifted his gaze to the planet's nearby brush. He trusted her word but nevertheless struggled to suppress latent anxiety-producing thoughts of one day discovering her frozen body floating in space. "Thanks for telling me this. I mean everything, just now. Vulcans don't open up like that very often from what I've experienced. But you're my adun'a and that's what I'm here for - to listen and talk whenever you want."

Sera dipped her head to hide the inadvertent flushing of her cheeks and in the moment looked rather young. "Transparency is not something that comes readily to me. It is not a quality that is rewarded in my culture, adun." It felt somewhat bizarre to call Lamar that, but it did not make it any less true. How had it all come to this, she wondered silently, and what would the future hold, now?

Oh. The future. That was not something she wanted to consider now. The present held far enough potential land mines to navigate through to worry about what would happen when her family found out...and they would find out. Sera leaned in and gently brushed her lips against his in an attempt to distract herself from her own thoughts. It didn't quite do that, but she was reminded that they still did not have any shelter built yet, so...

"Are there instructions regarding deploying the tent?"

Momentarily his eyes closed when her plush lips grazed against his. The desire to capture them and intensify their proximity was palpable but he, much like she, was conscious of their surroundings. "It's one of the new Mark V's. Should just be pop and play. Want to try it out?" Lamar liked gadgets and technology and hadn't personally attempted to construct one of these new Starfleet-issue pavilions. Observantly and deliberately, he stepped away from then canvased the deployment site for any geological or floral undesirables. "Drag it here," he pointed to the center of the large circle he'd just walked. "The large arrow on the casing is the entrance and exit port so let's point that to the creek. There's a couple safeties on the sides of the pack you need to deactivate, then just tap the 'DEP' button and step back. Should take care of itself after a short delay."

"Very well. It sounds rather efficient. In this instance, I find that most agreeable." She moved the case to the desired location that Lamar had pointed out and deactivated the safeties on the sides of the pack and once that was done depressed the button to deploy the temporary structure, before stepping to what she hoped was an appropriate distance. The tent then deployed without much fanfare, leaving them with a serviceable structure to spend the night.

"I should also put together the air purifier, but that should not take very long. Were you considering starting a fire for ambient light or did you also pack a high-lumen light?" Sera would be mildly disappointed if it was the latter.

The makeshift housing's foundation expanded and staked itself deep into the earth with the accompanying sounds of small mechanical electromagnetic devices. The covered gray frame extended laterally then unfolded vertically without any assistance until it completed its final large igloo shape. "A fire? Thought you'd never ask. I can work on starting one while you assemble your thing. Are you hungry after that hike? I can cook some food."

Sera blinked as if startled by his question. Hungry? Oh, she was hungry all right...but for food? When was the last time she had taken in sustenance? Days. Even after her mental chiding yesterday...she had just been so distracted lately. Hopefully this outing would help return a modicum of equilibrium to her person. "A meal would be acceptable. It has been sometime since I last ate. I will finish assembly and install the air purifier in the meantime."

Grabbing the pack that held the components, Sera walked to the opening of the tent, mindful to slip her boots off before entering and put the pack down and sat down on her knees to begin assembly.

When she disappeared inside the small dome, Lamar sighed to himself and absentmindedly stretched his arms to alleviate some of the tightness in his shoulders' muscles. She was full of surprises - both pleasant and confounding at times - and he was beginning to suspect she had more to share. More that also wanted to learn about her, however unorthodox it might be. He started to scan the local area for appropriate-sized rocks with which to outline a fire pit and commenced his task while contently thinking about which new Human food dishes to introduce her to.


18 Minutes Later...

The soft popping and crackle of a mid-sized fire echoed throughout the silent woods. Wispy gray smoke coiled atop a bed of glowing embers and the kindling set atop, blowing faintly to the West. Lamar'd collected a rather large repository of dead branches to fuel the pit and now finished erecting a large cooking grill just off to the side of it. "Almost finished in there?" he called out to Sera who was still inside the tent.

"My task will be completed momentarily..." Sera replied in a slightly distracted tone. Her attention was fixed upon the finishing touches of the purifier, that being firmly securing the outer housing. It was giving her a bit of trouble, but with a few final turns of the small screwdriver she brought with her, the device was complete. Switching the power cell, the device began a slow whirring as the internal fan set into motion, blowing out air that suitable for breathing in the longer term.

Once satisfied that the thing was not going to spontaneously explode, Sera pushed herself back to her feet and stepped out of the structure, closing the flap securely to keep the purified air within. Then she walked over to the acceptable fire that Lamar had stoked and took a seat next to him into the moss. Wisps of glittery spores rose from the mossy carpet settling all over her legs and hands. She dusted her hands off in an attempt to dislodge the powdery substance, but then it only got further airborne and she sneezed suddenly with the minute particulate getting into her lungs.

"The plant life appears to have a robust reproductive cycle...this...seems excessive." Sera said once she was certain she wouldn't sneeze again. She looked over to Lamar and saw that his cheeks and his upper forehead was glimmering in the firelight.

He'd never seen a Vulcan sneeze before. It wasn't much more interesting than the Human version but it produced a small spark of concern. "There's a lot of pollen in these things," he agreed. "You feeling okay? You're not allergic, are you? I brought a medkit and there's probably an antihistamine in there." His nose and throat felt tickly as well but so far it wasn't any worse than the Spring season growing up in Earth's Eastern North American coastline.

"I do not believe so." Sera answered, tilting her head slightly in consideration. "I think it is from the spores. I do not feel any symptoms that are concerning for an allergic reaction." She leaned back slightly, placing her weight on her hands which again became covered in the sparkly plant particles. Slowly exhaling, Sera started to feel any pressing worries or concerns start to melt away. And why shouldn't it? In the moment, everything was quite satisfactory. "Do you require any assistance with meal preparation?" Sera asked in a slightly dreamy tone.

Lamar raised his eyebrows slightly at not only the offer but the tonality in which she asked. It was good to see her finally able to relax which her voice was starting to reflect. "This one's on me. Just lay back and enjoy the scenery. Fire should keep you warm until I come join you," he winked.

"Your consideration of my needs is appreciated, Lamar. The radiant heat from the fire is more than adequate." Sera replied, unsure of what to do other than to continue doing nothing at his request.

The process of unpacking and laying out their food from one of his packs proceeded seamlessly and it took even less time for the grill to light up and produce a pleasant aroma of recharcoal, the endlessly burning carbon cubes most popular with outdoor culinary expeditions. Several bread buns, slices of bacon and beef patties were placed atop the open grate above and began to sizzle under the heat. Several minutes passed while he procured disposable plates, napkins and juice for them to drink before he flipped the meat over and continued his cooking adventure.

While Lamar began meal preparations, Sera shut her eyes for a few moments and allowed herself to simply...be. The ambient sounds of the fire crackling and the soft sounds of water from the creek was quite...pleasant. The smells however took a unusual turn, and she cracked her eyes opened again to see Lamar cooking some sort of...protein on the grill.

"What are you cooking...it smells...intriguing." Sera paused, taking in another lungful of air. The aroma was odd, but that did not stop her mouth from filling with saliva in a cephalic response. Her stomach audibly growled in response, reminding her quite loudly of her failure to consume adequate calories as of late.

"Burgers," he answered over his shoulder. "You told me you never tried one. Can't think of a better time." A press of his spatula atop the patties elicited a loud sizzle followed by a dripping of grease and fat into the recharcoal which sparked a series of flames that licked the meat's underside. "You'll love it, I promise." He removed the toasted buns from the grate and on to the plates followed by the rest of the ingredients. Carefully and with phaser-like precision, he constructed the hamburgers to include a layer of cheese above and below the beef followed by two slices of bacon and lettuce before closing the top with a final rounded bread top. He poured out two glasses of yellow lemonade then walked over to her position to deliver his wife the first plate.

Sera looked down at what was an expertly dressed burger and raised a brow in question. Oh. This would be why she had never eaten a burger. It was made of 'meat.' She immediately wanted to protest, but he had prepared food for her. Culturally, she was obligated to oblige him - she had 'chosen' him after all. Inwardly she warred with what was proper in this scenario, when her stomach growled again.

"How...how do you eat it? it is rather large to cut with utensils."

Utensils? Lamar smiled then shook his head while traveling back to the prep table to grab his own plate and drink then return to her. This time he brought a plethora of napkins and delicately sat down next to her cross-legged. "With your hands. Watch me." As prompted, he placed his plate in his lap then reached down to grip each side of the burger in his hands. He kept it level while he raised it to his mouth in order to avoid grease spillage then inserted a portion of it between his lips. His teeth bit down with a crunch of lettuce and crispy bacon leaving a crescent semi-circle vacancy in the burger's round form. "...Try it..." he mumbled with a full mouth and a head tilt to her.

It was simply scandalous. Eating with one's hands...well, it wasn't like anything that had gone before regarding this man had been proper in the slightest. Hesitantly, she reached out and picked up the burger in the same manner Lamar had just demonstrated and brought it to her mouth and took an experimental bite. However, he had failed to mention the precarious balancing act the occurred when eating such a food. Her burger began to lose it's neatly stacked configuration. Sera quickly put the burger down before it completely fell apart and began to chew thoughtfully while she re-arranged the burger back into its original appearance. Meanwhile...she had gotten drippings all over her hands.

Swallowing the bite, Sera reached out to the napkins and began to methodically clean her fingers. This was a highly inefficient manner for consuming food. "It is...different." She supplied upon looking up and seeing Lamar watching her. Inwardly sighing, she took back up the burger and now armed with foreknowledge of the slippery nature of this food, took a more strategic bite and kept the burger together much better this time.

He followed her lead now and took a bit every time she did. The flavor profile tasted excellent and he was secretly proud of himself. It'd been years since his last real grilling session outside of the holodeck and for Sera to be the one to share it with him was most enjoyable experience. "Fingertips on the sides and pressure on the back quarter," he advised in between chews. "I like to eat around the sides strategically before tackling the center. That's the part with the most flavor."

Lamar appeared to be pleased. That was optimal. She heeded his advice on how best to hold the complicated stack of ingredients, and consumed the burger with minimal fuss, and refrained from putting the burger down after every bite to fastidiously clean her hands...her hands...which was covered with glittery pollen. This went against so many rules... Oh, like this is going to be your line in the sand? Eating food with your hands? Sera huffed a breath out of her nose in amusement at just how much she was inwardly struggling with this. She was beyond the pale. What was a burger, at this point?

Sera popped the last bite of the burger into her mouth and then began cleaning her hands with another napkin. Picking up the yellow drink, she took and experimental sniff and smelled citrus. Ah. She liked the citrus fruits of Earth. The tangy sourness of some of the varieties were quite palatable. However, the sourness of this particular drink had been offset by an ungodly amount of sucrose. It was so sweet! It was entirely unexpected given the aroma it gave off. It did however, help cleanse the palate and clear her mouth of the greasy feeling left over from meat she had just consumed.

"I have never had a meal like this."

A soft hum of content sounded in his throat while he also took the final bite of his portion then finished chewing. "Do you like it?" he queried, wiping his own hands and glancing to her fondly. "Want another one? I made more."

Expectation. She could all but feel it radiating off of him. "It was not unpalatable, although rather complicated to consume with one's fingers. It would be much more clean and hygienic if one used..." Sera's voice trailed off as she realized what she was doing. "Your efforts are appreciated, Lamar. I would consume such a dish again...in private. However, for now I am satisfied...perhaps later?" Sera placed the small plate next to her on the ground and put the used napkins atop it before turning her attention back to Lamar.

She re-positioned herself so that she was facing him, still sitting on her knees in a seiza-like position. His cross-legged position was not ideal for her to straddle him, but given what she wanted to propose, this current configuration was more ideal. "May I perform a mind-meld with you?" Sera was struck by the realization that she had never asked him prior to this. What a disservice she had performed. They were in this position because of her, ultimately. "The bond we share is...fragile. It can be further fostered through close contact, but also through melding."

To Be Continued...

[OFF]

--

Ensign S'Ers-a M'Lyr'Zor
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Galileo-A

&

CWO3 Lamar Darius
Conn Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Tarin]

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