Vista

Posted on Mon Oct 26th, 2020 @ 11:11pm by Crewman Recruit Zeria & Commander Dominic Aldrich

Mission: End of Line
Location: Starbase Adna
Timeline: MD 02
802 words - 1.6 OF Standard Post Measure

Dominic was sitting on the balcony over-looking the garden from their room. He had prepared two cups of coffee and set Zeria's in the small table next to the other chair. The scene was peaceful and the smells were pleasant. It was the first time in a long time that he felt he could live without the uniform, but he also knew that was fanciful. His work gave him purpose. Well, that was until his fiancé had come into his life. Things seemed worth more than they had before and he was planning on enjoying every bit of it he could.

Opening her eyes, she saw a shadow through the sheer curtains on the balcony. Zeria climbed out of bed, slipped on a robe and slippers and peeked her head out. "Oh that smells lovely. I've become addicted to this stuff. I used to only drink tea that I made. Someday I'm going to find the right ingredients and torture you with it. It was good for the digestive system though." She hadn't realized how many words she'd gotten out quickly until she saw Dom smile and stopped to look at him. He looked so peaceful.

"Good morning to you too, my love." Dom rose, kissed her forehead and held her to his chest. Pulling back enough to look her in the face he added, "And I'd take any torture you wanted to dish out." Kissing her hands, he led her to the empty chair and watched her sit. "It sure is gorgeous to look it, isn't it?"

She couldn't help but blush at such attention. Apparently a little time off work was what he needed to feel romantic. "Yes . . . Are the wheels turning in your head. What do you have planned for us today?" Her insatiable curiosity wouldn't be contained. She wanted to explore this place and hoped he did as well.

Dominic's smile was genuine and relaxed when he said, "For once, I have no plans. I have no box to put myself or you into. I was thinking we could just go for a walk and if something strikes us, let's go for it."

"Sounds perfect . . . . though," she said looking down at herself. "I should probably finish my coffee first and then get dressed. Might be fun to drag you around and do some shopping." She grinned as she put the cup to her lips again. "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"You know you always can. You never need permission," he replied with a gentle look.

"What did you like to do before Erica made you so sad? I mean did things change after that? You certainly threw yourself into work. Did you have hobbies before or things you loved to do?" Zeria scooted forward to the edge of her seat, very curious about his response.

Dominic was surprised at the question given the way he felt this morning. He took a breath and closed his eyes for a moment. "I've always worked hard. In fact, I wonder sometimes if it is the way I work that drove her off. It is one reason I have made an effort to make things like this happen for us. I suppose after she left I did dive deeper into work and it made me the scientist I am now. I've been told I'm 'invaluable,' yet I would never think of myself as such." Pausing for a moment he grinned, "But that doesn't answer your question. Before that all happened, I used to do a lot of cooking. I used to invite close friends over for dinner. I used to play darts and play my trumpet. Heck, I used to even write poetry from time to time. When that ended, I pushed people away. I convinced myself that the only reason to get up some days was because the ship needed me."

"Don't blame yourself for what happened. Her reasons for leaving were her own." Zeria processed the rest of what he'd said. "I Didn't know you were musical! How come I haven't heard you play?" She poked him playfully with a finger in the arm. "When we get back to the ship we should have your friends over for dinner, and you can play." She stood up, leaned over him, planted a kiss on him and shook her head. "You poor damaged creature. Then again aren't we all? I'm going to go get dressed so we can start our day."

"I don't necessarily blame myself, but one must wonder if you couldn't have done better at times." As she walked away from the kiss Dominic said, "Perhaps I'll play for you first, my love." He then took a breath, said a silent prayer, and stood up to follow her. "I can't wait to see where today leads us."