The Other Side of the Looking Glass

Posted on Tue Feb 11th, 2020 @ 8:41pm by Crewman Recruit Zeria & Commander Dominic Aldrich
Edited on on Tue Feb 18th, 2020 @ 1:53am

Mission: Promenade
Location: Starbase 50 Upper Cafe
1603 words - 3.2 OF Standard Post Measure

Dominic stared through the window at the Majestic. It wasn't often that shipboard officers got to see their ship from the outside. It was somewhat of a surreal experience to see not only the place you worked but the place you lived from the outside and to know that it would be a while before you could just view it as an observer again. He had had selected a table next to the window just for that purpose. He had a lunch date with Zeria planned as they both had the middle of the day open before he had to get back to sensor recalibrations this evening. He had promised himself to enjoy the leave as much as possible, but he also couldn't stop working completely.

"Hi," Zeria said approaching. She had a feeling she'd interrupted him in some daydream and she suddenly blushed a little bit without really knowing why. "Sorry I'm late. The Talarian cucumbers wanted a little bit more water than I was planning on giving them, but you can't really argue with a cucumber, I mean you could but what would be the point?" She knew he was likely to jump up and get her chair so she sat down quickly not giving him the chance. The poor man spent far too much time trying to impress her and she was already madly in love with him.

Before turning his head, Dominic began to reply. "Well, yes, you could argue with a cucumber, but don't let the counselor catch you doing so." He looked at her with a grin. As she was in the process of sitting, he raised himself up and leaned across the table to kiss her cheek. "You aren't late. In fact, I'm trying to not worry so much about time at the moment."

"Because you're technically on leave?" Zeria asked, she had leaned into him and was now sitting up straight and putting her napkin in her lap. He was still working though, a fact she found amusing. At least he loved his work and she wasn't too worried about being ignored, they got to see each other every evening as she'd been staying in his quarters. "About that . . . is there anything you want to do while we're here? Just the two of us?"

Adjusting himself in his seat he smiled, "I hadn't made any solid plans, but I am open to suggestions, Dear."

"I wouldn't mind exploring the station." She'd never had any money for shopping before but now that she had a job she had these things called credits and could at least go look at things without feeling too silly about it. "Going for a walk at the very least."

A waiter approached them and Zeria gave him a small smile. He glanced expectantly at her first, "I'll have a chicken salad please and a small bowl of Kava stew oh and just a glass of water. Thank you."

Dominic looked at the menu and spoke, "I'll do a bacon cheeseburger and a sweet iced tea with a side of fries." He then looked at Zeria, "I think a walk sounds great. I don't often take the time to just exist without worrying about being productive. You are very influential, my dear." He gave her a small wink.

"Good," Zeria laughed. "I sense you need that in your life, or you'd work yourself to death. What did you ever do before me?" She teased, "You must have been so sad." Her expression softened and she reached for him. It ate at her, what had happened to him with the other woman.

Dominic shook his head, "I didn't know I was sad until I knew what it was to be happy." He smiled at her.

"I'm glad you're happy. I'm glad you found happiness." Zeria was staring at him intently. She turned her head sideways and lifted her hand to scratch a spot on one of the ridges of her face. Though they were less pronounced than she hated them. On Marga III they had been a reminder that she was not of full blood and here they were a reminder that she wasn't human. She blushed slightly because she had been thinking such things. She was fairly certain Dom did not care about the ridges on her forehead.

"I am too," he said watching her touch her face. "Before you got here I was sitting here looking at the Majestic and trying to appreciate the fact that that is our home. In the shadow of this station it looks so insignificant, yet there are countless moments in hundreds of lives that happen on that ship. Many of them within the walls of eight hundred square feet or less. Some people may only see the ship as another ship in the fleet, unremarkable from the outside. But on the inside, it bustles with life; pain, pleasure, sadness, and joy." Looking her deeply in her eyes, "That's what I see in you. You have given me the pleasure of seeing the stuff no one else gets to see from the outside. That is also something you've allowed me to give you of myself, Zeria. To the outside world, sure I may have a lot of shiny awards and keep myself polished, but you allow me to drop those walls and just be Dominic, the person."

Zeria blushed, "You just needed someone to listen to you, that was all. You were a bit lost. We all get that way. I once slept outside in the garden to keep on a sickly vine so that no pusa plants would suddenly grow up around it. I was totally obsessed, of course it was my livelihood, but still. We have both relaxed, it's been good for both of us."

"And that's what I want to hold on to. I know you already stay at my place most of the time, but I am wondering if you'd like to, perhaps, make that more permanent," Dominic said through a shaky voice.

"You want me to move in with you?" Zeria asked, the first blush still hadn't completely drained from her face.

"In a word; yes," Dominic replied.

"Then . . . . yes." She smiled. Was it hot in this room or was that just her?

Dominic smiled. No, he more than smiled. He beamed. "Great! I will put in for the request with the XO. I am hopeful that there will be no real issues. I don't really see any as you are technically a civilian, but proper channels must still be followed." He stood up, moved over to her chair, knelt down to be on an even level with her and simply held her and said, "I love you."

He had told her that before but his intensity still gave her goosebumps. "I love you too." He really was the sweetest man she'd ever met. "What else would make you happy? Do you think we should . . . . get married?"

Dominic stiffened. He pulled back a little bit and looked her in the eyes, "Is that a proposal? Because if it is, then I would love to spend the rest of my life with you but I was afraid to ask that question so soon. So, I thought I'd start with a move."

"Are you sure?" She'd noticed his body language was different from his words. "Dom, had you proposed to Erica?"

He nodded slowly. "Yes, I had. That is when she ran from me. I suppose you could say it made me a little hesitant which is why I decided to throw another step in the process." He paused for a moment, "At the last minute that is..." He placed his hand into his pocket. Shifted his weight to one knee and said, "I love you, more than you know. I have no doubts that you want to be here too. So," he said holding the ring out in front of him, its true, natural diamond glinting in the light set above the table, "will you do me the honor of marrying me? I am tired of looking at my past when my future in right in front of me."

"Yes," Zeria said not the least bit afraid of making such a commitment. In healing Dom she had found pure happiness. It was a loving circle. "To be honest I sort of considered us married when I followed you out into the stars. You hadn't said anything yet but I couldn't think of any other reason as to why you'd want me to come with you."

Putting the ring on her finger and then kissing her hand. He stood up, gently pulled her to him, placed his hand on her back and kissed her. There were a few claps from around the room, but Dominic didn't seem to hear them. "Zeria, that is exactly why I asked you to come with me. Sure, in this space time we've only known each other for a short time, but the truth is I've known you for over five years, and in that time I have found what it means to be made whole again. I want to spend the rest of my time showing you what that gift means to me."

"Silly man, you don't owe me anything. I love you every bit as much as you do me. But come on, let's get out of here and discuss the details." Forgetting about their lunch she pulled him out of the restaurant and toward a more private location.

---

Crewman Zeria
Hydroponics
USS Majestic

Lieutenant Commander Dominic Aldrich
Chief Science Officer
USS Majestic