Three Couples and a Dinner Table - Part II

Posted on Fri Nov 29th, 2024 @ 1:55am by Lieutenant JG Zai & Lieutenant Adrianna Baciami

1,285 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Stars Around the Well
Location: Zai & Sabastian's Quarters | USS Arcadia
Timeline: Current

ON:

They walked into the quarters and Zai stopped. Sabastian had set the table and laid out the food and it looked amazing. There was a romantic and beautiful atmosphere. "You did all that while I went to pick them up."

"I did, I showered and changed too. Calle me Mr. Energy." He looked over. "Hello Happy Couples!"

"Oh gawd," Adrianna muttered just loud enough for only Vance to hear, "are we going to have to pretend to be a sappy couple for the evening?"

He smiled. "We are a sappy couple."

"Madonna, I've lost my appetite," Adrianna groaned.

Zai heard them. "Hey now. No appetite loss. Come on sit down everyone."

Adrianna snorted, and sat down before looking back to Vance, "and we are not! We make fun of people who are."

Annabelle smiled. "Well Frankie and I are that kind of couple? Right Frankie?"

"Yes dear." His accent wasn't so pronounced as his brother's.

Sabastian laughed. "Well now. We know who's the boss there don't we?"

Zai cleared his throat and Sabastian looked his way. "Yes Darling."

Frankie smiled for the first time. "I shall regurgitate my brothers' words. We know who is the boss there don't we?"

Adrianna chuckled, "surely 'who is boss' should depend on context? Not a si, dear, no dear." She posed the question. In truth, she felt Vance was 'boss', but they were equals, really.

Zai smiled. "I couldn't agree more." He motioned. "Please help yourselves to food and tell me how is married or almost married life treating you both?" He asked Adri and Vance.

Adrianna blushed a little, "I do not know how to answer that. I mean, I have no problems, aside from the fact that we are yet to have a moment that is just us, so that we can figure everything out-- let's see: work or impromptu dinner parties mean that we haven't had a moment alone yet."

Zai laughed. "Well I just wanted us together. It's nice to be out with other couples. I promise I won't make us play any stupid games..."

Sabastian looked at Adri. "Don't believe him. He researched on the ship database couple activities and games for dinner parties."

"Madonna," she groaned before gesturing to her wine glass, "what makes this worse is the fact that we are all on duty, so we can't drink alcohol."

Frankie sighed. "It appears my brother-in-law is quite a social creature."

Sabastian snorted. "Not by nature he's not but it seems being married to me he's become a social butterfly."

Zai gave his arm a pinch. "Shush!" He turned to Adrianna. "Now I saw your ring but Vance you never showed me how well she did on the tattoo."

Vance beamed and held out his hand. "Best Tattoo I've ever had, no offense Zai."

Zai snorted. "None taken."

Anabelle looked over at the ring. "What does it say?"

"Loved in every lifetime," Adrianna smiled, but blushed at the compliment, "don't lie-- it's an ok tattoo at best-- it's the only tattoo I've ever done -- honestly, I mean it's nothing in comparison to the ones either Zai or Vance have done."

Vance shrugged with a goofy grin. "I think it's perfect."

Annabelle tilted her head as if processing. "You're happy with her?" It was a genuine question that rubbed Vance wrong.

"Annabelle I don't understand what the hell your problem is..."

Adrianna reached out and put a hand on Vance's arm, "I think the question was mis phrased. It seemed genuine to me." She looked to Annabelle, as if asking her to clarify.

Annabelle seemed upset. Her features were cold but her eyes had unshed tears. "I was just asking if you're happy." She shrugged. "I don't care you don’t have to answer that." She stood and excused herself.

Frankie stood up and he looked at Vance with a murderous look but he spoke calmly. "You will look after your wife and protect her. Keep in mind that I will do the same with mine. Just keep in mind that I am half Vulcan and can break a human."

Zai hopped up. "Okay there. Sit down. Enough. We're not here to fight. Vance, seriously calm the hell down. She did really just ask if you were happy a genuine question. I'll go talk to her when she comes out."

Sabastian watched Zai leave and sighed. "Seriously. You and Annabelle are so damned temperamental I swear you were twins."

Vance felt bad. "Well she was rude earlier."

Adrianna sighed, "I talked to her earlier. She cares for you as a sibling would. Equally, she's promised to not do anything to potentially ruin that relationship. You need to calm down." She looked back at Frankie, "and please-- half Vulcan, full Vulcan, I've made men bigger than you fall to their knees crying. Species hardly matters if you're passionate enough. You need to calm down too. It was an honest mistake, especially taking into account what your wife said to myself and Vance no too long ago. Context."

"Still. I do not.."

Sabastian whistled. "Now boys and girls. At this table we play nice. Adrianna I'm glad you talked with Annabelle. Zai filled me and Frankie in. We're glad you two were able to find mutual ground."

It was his way of saying he knew her theories. "Oh and that topic we talked about earlier Frankie and I may know something."

"We can discuss this another time," Adrianna quickly shut down the conversation, angry that Zai had betrayed her trust. She took a breath and looked at Vance, trying to gage what was going through his mind. She put her hand softly and silently under his-- as she had done many a time before as a silent way to check in on him.

Vance smiled. "I agree with her. NO business at the table. Look at this dang food." He looked at Adri. "What shall we try first?"

Adrianna looked over to where Annabelle and Zai had gone, taking a minute to think. She replied rather absently, "I suggest a little of everything, working anticlockwise. I don't know why." Her eyes went back to Vance then to the food.

"Sounds good to me." He loaded up her plate and then his. By the time everyone had served themselves Annabelle and Zai were back. Vance looked at Annabelle and suddenly he was sad. The defiant tilt of her chin was so much like Aribelle when she'd been upset. "Look....Annabelle I'm sorry."

She shrugged. "Whatever. I was just making conversation." She turned to Zai and Sabastian. "It looks good. I'm allergic to..."

Zai smiled. "Corn, yes Frankie told us. None of this has corn."

Vance chewed on a perfectly cooked bit of meat. "I probably should have mentioned I'm allergic to it too."

Zai's eyes widened. He tried to cover. "It's a common allergy on Earth I understand."

Vance chewed. "Suppose it is I knew three professors at the Academy when I was there first time round who were, and three of my old ship mates from when Adri and I worked together. I think peanut butter is common too."

Annabelle snorted. "That's a tragedy. I mean peanut butter and jelly is like god send."

Vance grinned. "I agree with you there kid. I used to eat a lot of those when I was a kid."

She shrugged. "Me too. Hated the grape jelly though."

Vance laughed. "I loved it. My sister on the other hand loved it!" He turned to Adri. "Oh my god. Try the green thing that looks like a tree."

Zai smiled. "Steamed Broccoli."

"It's so good." Vance said shoving more into his mouth.



To Be Continued...

 

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