Part V - After Dinner

Posted on Wed Nov 20th, 2024 @ 4:59pm by Lieutenant JG Zai & Lieutenant Adrianna Baciami

1,770 words; about a 9 minute read

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

ON:

Dinner from then on had been rather uneventful. It had perked up an awful lot after getting everything off of her chest and thankfully there were only a few further occasions of Zai pointing out her true emotions coming through, although they had been for the benefit of the group-- forcing Adrianna to out a few secrets about the stories Vance was telling from their time on the Pendragon. When it came to her stealing his shirt though-- she simply tapped her nose about her secrets in how she managed it.

Zai and Sabastian had just left. Adrianna reached out to Vance, softly taking his hand, "stay behind for a moment? I'm sure Sabastian can handle taking Zai back. He's built like a wall."

He laughed. "Yeah. I still have images of him smacking the floor with Fang. Nobody's done that."

He sighed. "Of course I'll stay."

She let go on his hand and simply smiled, taking a breath, "there are many things that I feel like I owe you apologies for, especially now that your memories are back. I know that you will only accept, perhaps one of them, if any. I hid a lot from you, not only the obvious, but about Jason. The most important of those apologies is that I want to say sorry for ever event considering comparing him to you. There is only one you-- for better or worse-- there is only you."

Vance sighed. "Adri. Can I tell you something but you have to promise that you'll hear me out to the end and really think about it."

She looked a little concerned but bit her tongue. She nodded silently, allowing him to continue.

"You have nothing to apologize for. If it's for not telling you are Fleet well that doesn't matter. When you love someone you love them no matter what. That's what love is, unconditional. Jason, there is nothing to apologize for there either. If you had moved on I would have understood because all I ever wanted was you to be happy. Well that and to vent Jason but I trusted you to handle that. I'm going to say it again. There is nothing you should apologize for."

She smiled at the venting comment. She heard him out fully and looked to the floor between them, processing his words. Adrianna nodded, before looking back up to him after a few moments, "I'm going to take a guess and say that Fang didn't hold up his end of the deal. He sent the footage to my brother and, in turn, my brother showed you."

"Yes but in his defense...he's an idiot." Vance shrugged. "He's also right to do it." He sighed. "I should confess here. I met Jason."

"You told me," she replied, "I assume you lied about what happened though and how you reacted."

"Oh no he was his charming self and so was I....I may have injected him with something that will have him spitting up imaginary fur balls and um... give him the runs. BUT he'll be fine...and I may have rigging his cabin to um....drive him a tiny bit insane...but hey he's alive." He smiled brightly.

"Madonna! You terrify me, you know that?" She couldn't help but grin before turning serious, "that is cruel though. You shouldn't have." She took a breath and then couldn't help but chuckle softly, "I mean, it sounds like you, and I wouldn't change you. It's endearing that you would attempt to take revenge, I'm a twisted sort of way."

She paused, "brings me onto something I mentioned at the beginning of the meal-- Amore mio, talk to me. Why are you nervous around me and second guessing simple things. The man I fell in love with was unapologetic, he was confident, he wasn't hesitant with me and he talked to me about everything that he could. Did my brother say something?"

He sighed. "No. It's just that. We've been apart so long and though I have my memories back there were some changes to my personality and you've changed over the years and I'm just scared that we've changed too much, and now that I have your brother's approval what if I mess it up cause, well I do tend to do that and then there..." He sighed. "Ugh... Sabastian is right I'm overthinking things. He told me that earlier. Little shit! I admit it he's right."

"Firstly, please don't ever say that Sabastian was right about something. I don't want him to get a big head. Anyway, whilst I agree with you-- we have grown and changed, some things don't change, Vance," she smiled, "I never stopped loving you, and nor could I. You fail to understand that there is nothing that you could do that would make me love you any less. I mean, I'd kill you if you cheated on me, but you wouldn't. Like it or not, you're stuck with me, amore mio."

Adrianna reached up and went to draw him in for a kiss but just before her lips touched his she froze, "wait. What? Approval? For what?"

He turned bright red. "Um...for being a cool person?"

"I should have let you lose that poker game," she chuckled, "you are a terrible liar."

He sighed. "Guess what I'm meeting the family when we get back to base." He tried again to divert.

She shook her head, amused. Adrianna could see that he was wanting to divert and allowed it. "Gawd help you! Anyway-- Final question: why did you ring the chime? You have my code to get in," she asked, changing topic.

He sighed. "Honestly? Giovanni. Earlier I just came in and then I kept hearing Giovanni in my head saying we're not married yet...and then I figured that just coming in I was coming off like a jerk cause well door are boundaries and then I got here and I heard Giovanni again saying. This is how you treat my sister...I realized I'd never actually asked your permission to enter." He sighed.

She looked away from him for a moment, thinking and processing what he had said. She then returned her gaze to him, "you need to get him out of your mind. My family are traditional, si, but right now-- they are not here. They are not watching what you are doing. Even if they were, I'd tell them everything-- about the man who didn't even kiss me until the day he proposed; the man who when I got a chill from taking a swim in an ocean, almost dying, literally just held me all night instead of taking advantage; or perhaps about the man who even whilst tattooing me, didn't lay a finger on me that shouldn't have been there. Hm?"

She paused, allowing her words to sink in a bit, "I will make a deal with you, amore mio: my quarters are your quarters, especially if you are battling with a bunk mate for mere shower privileges. The only doors that matter are the ones to my room and to the bathroom whilst it is occupied in any capacity. You are only permitted through those doors if you ask for permission, or if I personally pull you there."

He sighed. "It's fine my bunk mate is pretty cool. He's an Ensign. Deltan actually. But yeah, I get it." He smiled. "Let me help you clean this up." He looked towards the door. "I'm starting to worry about Zai. Did you notice he could barely hold a fork for most of the night?"

"If you sound my chime again, I will come down to engineering and show you how much I haven't changed, just to prove a point," She offered a small smile, shaking her head at him offering to help, "I've got this, don't worry. As for Zai, this is just temporary. We need to just help him run the course how we can. We can do nothing otherwise."

"I'm glad Sabastian is there though." He looked at the table. "I still want to help clean up." He grinned. "Let's me spend time with you and Giovanni thinks it's just cause I'm a good boy."

She took a breath and sighed, "he's not here and if you don't mind, I would like to take advantage of that fact." Adrianna stepped close to Vance leaving next to no space between them, her fingers tracing up his arm, "but that depends on you, I suppose." She couldn't help but smirk, "and before you get any ideas or start whining that you can't-- I more meant that my favourite tattoo artist is back on board and I need a cover up if you're available and not too tired. I don't want to risk jinxing anything, any longer."

He sighed. "Gods I can't do that tattoo tonight but yeah. I'll help with a cover up."

"One of these days, I will break you," Adrianna chuckled, getting a hint of déjà vu, "see. Told you things haven't changed. Now, come on-- go home and sleep. I kept you here far too late last night. I cannot make that into a habit or engineering will fall apart. I have got this." Adrianna gazed up into his eyes, taking a moment to just enjoy the fact that he was there and so close to her. She put her fingers on his chest and simply smiled in the silence.

He smiled back. "I love you Adri."

"That's the first time that you have actually said that to me without me saying it first or for it to be punctuating a point," she blushed a little before replying, "I love you too, Vance."

He sighed. "Okay I really should go now." He kissed her forehead and smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Kiss me properly before you go," she almost whispered, begging him.

"Promise not to tell your brother?"

"Do you even have to ask?"

He laughed. "I'm just saying he's scary."

"He won't be as scary as I will be if you don't stop mentioning him whilst I am trying to have a moment with you before you leave," she warned.

He laughed. "That's my Adri." He gently kissed her lips. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too," she chuckled, "though I feel that I am justified on saying that I missed you for longer." She kissed him again, her lips lingering near his, "you should go before I ask you to stay the night."

He sighed. "Yeah, that would mean your brothers' wrath." He smiled. "Goodnight Adri."

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