Dinner Take Two

Posted on Fri Nov 1st, 2024 @ 8:55pm by Lieutenant JG Zai & Lieutenant Adrianna Baciami

1,305 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Stars Around the Well
Location: USS Arcadia | Adrianna's Quarters

ON:

Adrianna was apologetic for running out on Zai and Sabastian, but she knew that she had to speak with Vance. Sure, the beginning of the conversation didn't go as planned, since she chickened out, but at least she got a moment with him. It had also ignited hope for her. Aside from the obvious, Ade and Vance did not keep many secrets from each other, in fact, they were seldom cryptic with each other. This, however, posed a new train of questions.

With the ship set to leave soon, she didn't want to disturb any final goodbyes between Zai and Sabastian. Ade had dropped Zai a message, arranging a re do for dinner, though apologised if it meant no Sab because of their imminent departure. Ade had made a nice Italian dinner, nothing fancy, just homemade spaghetti carbonara, made the Roman way, of course, as per her heritage.

Zai and Sabastian were having a busy day. They'd spoken with Counselor Alexander, seen the doc and now they were having dinner. They would spend the night here on ship, hesitant to part, and then in the morning Zai would walk Sab out and that would be it. The ship was on lockdown for departure. He was trying not to think about things when he felt a hand over his shoulder. "Xingtian of Capella, no sad thoughts."

Zai smiled. "I love that you know the real me."

"I'm looking forward to this dinner. I think despite the bad start Adrianna and I could be friends."

"Good. That's all I ask." He stopped in front of her quarters having brought wine and a cake. "Our first dinner as a couple."

Sab smiled and rang the chime still feeling like he was in a dream and he'd wake up any minute now.

Adrianna called out for them to enter, popping her head around the corner. "You have impeccable timing, cucciolo," she smiled at Zai, "I am about to serve. Take a seat and pour wine."

Zai smiled. "Also brought six layer chocolate cake."

Sabastian groaned. "Why didn't you tell me you made that one."

"For the same reason you complained about gaining weight whilst being with Zai," Adrianna stepped in, carrying three plates. She placed them down in front of the pair and then sat down, herself, gesturing to a small bowl in the centre of the table, "pecorino and parmesan just in case. Any complaints, blame my mother. She taught me to cook before I could walk."

Sabastian laughed. "I never complain about food."

Zai smiled and shook his head. "So you ran off the other night, everything okay?"

Adrianna sipped the wine and nodded, "si and no. The thought of Vance being on Betazed. It triggered something for me. Do you know why he has chosen there or what he is getting?"

Zai shook his head. "I honestly don't know. He said he was going to Betazed and I mentioned that it's where I'm settling those I got off Capella from my Tribe so I told him to stay with our people a while. We have excellent healers so I thought he could benefit. He just seemed like the hounds of hell were chasing him to get there."

Sabastian said nothing content on just eating.

Zai gave him a side eye, smiled and shook his head. He turned back to Adri. "He did ask for a favour but it was work related."

Adrianna shrugged, "he said he had a month of leave accrued. He is probably desperate to take some leave." She paused, "he said that he was up for promotion. Something to do with that, I assume?" She began to eat as the spoke, the taste of her mother's recipes caressing her taste buds like a familial embrace. She wasn't her mother, but it was good.

"Yup, the promotion and a few strings pulled with moving up the test." He waved a hand keeping the one fact that he wanted to tell her but couldn't, that Vance had applied to work on the Arcadia. "So I asked him a favour to look in on my sister and my people."

He looked at Sabastian who seemed to be in food heaven and then he laughed as he grabbed a napkin. "Honestly!" He wiped Sabastian's mouth. "Can you eat any messier." But he was smiling through the admonishment. "I think that means you are a good cook."

Sabastian nodded having stuffed another fork full into his mouth.

Adrianna nodded over to the kitchen, "I never learned to cook for less than ten, so there is plenty left. I have 8 brothers. When I got to 13, I was helping my mother in the kitchen and it grew into habit."

Sabastian's eyes widened. "I can take some home," he said around a mouth full of pasta.

Zai laughed. "Oh my Gods. Sab!"

Adrianna chuckled, "of course. Help yourself before you go." She sipped her wine before continuing eating, "I may have many flaws, but cooking good food-- I am willing to boast and show pride. I remember being undercover and I managed to make an entire crew on Vance's ship like me, just by cooking for everyone."

He smiled. "Well it's very good. We should cook together some time." He paused to take a sip. "So...We have some news."

"I will happily teach you how to make pasta by hand," Adrianna looked up, "oh?"

Zai set his fork down. "I've been doing a lot of thinking these few days. I mean about everything. Now that my people will be settled on Betazed and that we have help getting them off Capella and the hidden base I will have to take a look at my life more. I've decided to work with Counselor Alexander to iron out my feelings about the past and where I am now. I also want to find out who Zai is not Zai the leader of his tribe, the brother, the officer but Zai. I also have been reflecting on everything with Fang. I don't know if codependency, youth, but I know how I felt with him and how I feel with Sabastian. I ... am not sure if what I had with Fang was love, maybe at one point but it's been more pain and heartache since the Academy. I think that what I have with Sab is different and I know I want him in my life."

He reached over and took Sabastian's hand. "While we didn't want to label this and we have a lot to talk about and work through I think it safe that we're going to be an official us. So Sabastian is my boyfriend."

Sab blinked away the haze in his eyes. He leaned over and kissed Zai's temple not having the words to express his happiness.

Adrianna stood up and walked away for a moment. She soon returned with a bottle of champagne and three flutes, "then I suppose a celebratory drink is in order." She popped the cork, catching It in her hand and poured three glasses. Lifting the one glass she took a breath, "to self love, and future love-- merde, it sounds less cheesy in Italian-- amore per se stessi e amore futuro."

Sabastian smiled. "I'll drink to that."

Zai grinned. "Salute...did I say that right?"

"Close enough," she giggled and drank. The toast itself had hit a still raw nerve from the situation with Jason, but after an initial twinge, she smiled and remained in the moment, "honestly, I'm just glad that you are happy."

Zai gave a little laugh and rubbed his chest. "It feels different. I feel...light. I feel ... I can't explain it. I think I'm slowly getting there with everything. It feels like a new chapter."

"I will support you in this," she nodded before continuing to eat.

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