Date Night

Posted on Tue Aug 31st, 2021 @ 1:17am by Lieutenant Vira Vemre [Whavi] & Lieutenant JG Damien Blackford

Mission: Season 5: Episode 2: Operation Save Humanity
Location: Damien's Quarters
Timeline: MD 5 2000
3357 words - 6.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Damien flitted around his quarters, unable to contain his nerves. After their drinks last night, he and Vira had made arrangements to have their date night the next night, at the same time. Why wait? He guessed. Life moves fast when you're on a Starship. You never know what's gonna be thrown at you next.

So here it was, twenty-four hours after a computer glitch had thrown them together, the small oven in Damien's quarters was on low heat, the chicken slowly cooking as he rushed around making sure everything was ready. Plates on the table. Music playing softly in the background. A few candles for ambiance. He himself was dressed in a semi-formal fashion. Jeans, and a light green button-down shirt. Right now, the shirt sleeves were rolled up, and a white apron was tied around his waist, although he had styled his hair, side-parting it, and held in place with some gel.

He glanced up at the clock. 2000. She'd be here any minute. And he was a bundle of nerves. It had been a while since he'd been on a date of any kind. And he really did like Vira. She had an infectious personality. He just hoped he didn't mess anything up.

Vira, having just come from meeting Samarie for a quick drink, was dressed in a lace like bright red dress. The color gave her a confidence she hadn't known she would need when she had picked out her attire for the evening. Luckily the drink she had with Samarie had helped with her fluttered feelings as well. She carried a macramé bag filled with the ingredients she needed to make the Mai Tai's as she proceeded down the hall to Damien's quarters.

Before she could think twice she hit the chime, but given her impatience she had turned around to take a deep breath.

Damien heard the chime go, and looked up from the chicken he was frying off. Looking up at the clock, he smiled. Right on time. Quickly wiping his hands on the apron, he took a deep breath, steadying his nerves, before walking over to the door, and hitting the button to open it.

"Miss V. Welcome to my humble abode."

Vira smiled when hearing the English accent she was quickly growing to adore. She spun around, her loose honey blonde hair flaring out around her.

"Mr. Blackford." She said by way of greeting, her feet frozen in the corridor.


He smiled softly at her, stepping aside slightly to allow her entry. "Entrez s'il vous plait, Mademoiselle V." He said, offering her a mock bow. "Welcome to my humble abode."

Vira took a breath and slid past Damien, leaving a citrus and spicy vanilla scent behind her. "Are you speaking another earth language to me?" When she made it a few steps inside she turned and narrowed her eyes a bit.

He chuckled, nodding, letting the door close behind her with a soft swish, taking in the scent she'd left behind. "Your ear serves you well. It was French. I know a lot of people these days like to rely on the Universal Translator to understand each other, but I still find it interesting to try and learn a little bit. I am far from fluent though, so, please, don't expect full sentences. Unless you find Andorian romantic." He chuckled softly as he headed towards the kitchen. "Feel free to make yourself at home." He called to her as he walked back to the oven, the smell of cooked chicken starting to waft through the air.

After setting down the bag on the table Vira walked to the kitchen to investigate what was cooking in the oven. "Often the translator on Risa didn't work. I know basic words in countless languages. Nothing fancy or fun, but simple demands. I enjoyed how riled up some species would get when I played ignorant."

She took a big inhale though her nose and gasped softly, "This smells amazing. You called it chicken curry?"

He chuckled as he walked over to a nearby chopping board, finely diced onion laying on top, picking it up and scraping it into the pan, the room filling with a satisfying sizzling sound. "You sound like you enjoyed teasing people." He walked back over to the board, grabbing a garlic clove and a handful of ginger.

"It is indeed. I wasn't sure how spicy you liked your food, so I decided to go for the middle. This is a chicken dhansak."

"Enjoy. Present tense." She corrected him with a wink. Her attention was soon grabbed by the vase variety of photos on the wall and a stack of books by the love seat. Vira ventured over but stopped before she made it past the table. Suddenly remembering her own duty of the evening, she picked up the bag she had brought and carried it to the kitchen area, making herself at home she worked fluidly around Damien as to not get in his way as she prepared their beverages.

Once finished she held one out to Damien, "I have a secret ingredient that one day I may or may not trust you enough to divulge."

As she worked, Damien made sure to give her the space she needed, focusing his own attention on crushing the garlic and ginger, before adding them to the pan as well, the spices all simmering together, leaving a sweet aroma in the air

When they were added, he then added the tomatoes and bay leaves, stirring them in, before adding the chilli and curry powders, stirring it all together, before placing a lid over the pot, leaving it to simmer, turning around as she offered him his drink, taking it with a smile. "Thank you very much." He said, leaning against the counter, taking a sip. "My god. That's amazing." He took another sip, grinning. "I'll find a way to get that secret ingredient out of you."


"Oh?" Vira said with a chuckle. "So confident in your abilities to sway me already. tsk tsk." She finally allowed herself to take in his attire. "Maybe if you wear that apron more often I might be inclined to tell you." She said with a smug shrug and walked over to the wall of pictures.

"I'm surprised these aren't holographic." She stood in front of a family picture, noting how similar Damien looked to his parents. He had his mothers kind smile, it warmed Vira's heart to see them together.

"I'm a man of many talents." Damien said, smirking at her, before taking one of the tassles of his apron and twirling it around his finger. "I'll keep that in mind."

When she walked away, he watched her go, before turning back to the curry, stirring it, before replacing the lid, then moving to another pan, and starting on the rice. "I prefer the old-fashioned way. The more human touch. It's why I prefer books to digital."

Vira moved to the couch, setting her mai tai down on the coffee table. She picked up one of the old books, plopping down on the love seat she opened to a random page and read a line out loud. " ‘All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts.’" The phrase resonated through her, meaning more then she thought it would. Vira, was one to play many parts, to have many faces.

Her hazel eyes stayed glued to the book as she addressed Damien, "Can I borrow this?"

As he heard her speaking, Damien put the rice on to a boil, setting a timer, then stepped out of the kitchen, stopping and leaning next to a wall. "'His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant, mewling and puking in the nurse's arms. Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel and shining mourning face, creeping like a snail unwillingly to school.'" He recited, walking over to the couch, sitting next to her.

"Yeah, feel free to borrow it. Everyone should read Shakespeare at least once in their life, I believe."

Vira turned her body to face Damien, slipping her sandals off as she brought her knees and feet onto the couch. With one elbow propped on the back of the love seat, the book resting in her lap she sat captivated. “Do it again. Recite more. Please.”

It wasn’t often she found a voice she wanted to hear talk constantly. There was something about his accent that pulled her in. She had met countless species, heard thousands of accents from all over the quadrants. But none enchanted her like his. Perhaps it was his love of theatre that set him apart from all the others, or his charismatic charm, perhaps it was something else entirely.

Damien smiled at her, thinking for a couple of seconds, before clearing his throat. "'And I, forsooth, in Love! I that have been a love's whip; A very beadle to a humorous sigh; a critic, nay, a night-watch constable...'" As he spoke, letting the words roll off of his tongue, he smiled at her, but couldn't help but wonder about his choice of speech. One that spoke about love and relationships. A coincidence? He didn't think he'd chosen it on purpose. It was just a seemingly random one. Wasn't it. He really wasn't sure anymore. All he knew was, he was his time with Vira and hoped there would be more. '"Well, I will Love, write, sigh, pray, sue and groan; some men most love my lady and some Joan.'" He finished, raising the glass to his lips, taking another sip.

Vira sighed longingly, leaning her head into her palm. “I wish I could have visited a theatre. You know, one of those fancy ones I read about. And yes I researched them a bit after we parted last night! The ladies looked so elegant in their long dresses, gloves that went up past their elbows. Hair in curls and pinned up. Drinking bubbly champagne.”

He chuckled, grinning at her. "You did your research? I'm impressed." He smiled, nodding as well. "In London, they have a replica of Shakespeare's Globe. They put on his shows, and it's amazing. And America's Broadway has some of the best shows every night. It's just.... magnificent." He said, sighing softly. "There's nothing quite like live theatre."

"It's fine, I'm not jealous or anything." Vira teased as she squinted her eyes at him. She could only hold the scowl for a few seconds before laughing. Placing the book back on the table she gracefully rose from the couch, forgoing her already forgotten sandals she picked up her drink and stood once more in front of the wall of pictures, taking her time to closely look at each one.

Damien grinned, holding her gaze, smirking at her scowl, laughing along with her when it inevitably fell. He leaned back on his couch, watching as she walked over to the wall of photos, standing, drink in hand, walking over to stand next to her. "See anything interesting?"

Vira gave Damien an impish grin, "Well aside from the clothing you have..."She picked up a shirt with her finger and tossed it at him with a laugh. "laying about, this picture keeps catching my eye. Tell me about them?"

He caught the shirt, rolling his eyes, before quickly throwing it into the wash basket by the door. "Hey, my sense of style is impeccable." He chuckled, looking over at the pictures, before stepping forward, taking one down and passing it to her. "This one was taken at the end of my second year in the Academy. That's my Non-Traditional Situations professor. I was struggling with picking my Major. Pretty much all of my class had declared, but I was still struggling with choosing between Medical and Security." He sighed softly, running his free hand through his hair, before letting it drop back to his side.

"My father was pushing pretty hard for me to go down the Medical route like he did. Personally, I didn't want to. But I was scared of disappointing him. I nearly choose Medical, but he talked to me the day before I was due to declare. Made me realise that it was more important to follow my heart and do what I wanted, rather than following my father's wishes. If not for him, I might have dropped out of the Academy, and Starfleet, for good."

Looking down at the picture she held she envisioned the conversation between Damien and his mentor as he told the story. When he was finished she brought her gaze to his. "I sometimes still fill stuck between two decisions. Like I keep revisiting the same fork in the road. It's still a struggle to be so far from home and our peoples way of life. Granted as much as my father would be thrilled for me to return home and help with the family business, he supports my decision to be here." Rather then hand the frame back to Damien she hung it back in its rightful spot on the wall.

"I'm glad you followed your heart." She said simply, smiling at him until his apron caught her eye and she laughed again. She playfully curled one of the stings around her finger before dropping it. "I'm also glad you wore that."

He nodded, watching her as she placed the picture back, listening as she described a situation vaguely similar to his own. "It's never easy. Being so far away from home. I used to wonder how my father could do it. Being away from your family for such long, extended periods of time. But, as I got older, I started to see things from his point of view. Being away from family is hard. But what we're doing is so important, that it almost makes up for it." He smiled, sighing softly. "Plus, they say absence makes the heart grow fonder." He added. "So when you do go back, people have missed you so much, they're even happier to see you. Even if it is only for a little while."

"I'm glad you followed yours as well." He said smiling back at her, raising an eyebrow as she messed around with the string of his apron. "Oh really?" He asked, chuckling along with her. "And why might that be?"

A heat started to collect in her stomach hearing Damien chuckle, she wasn't sure if she taken a step forward, or he had but suddenly there was less space between them. Or perhaps the tension and urge to touch him was just bringing their closeness to her attention. "I think it's cute." She knew she was playing a dangerous game but before she could stop herself, her finger once again curled around the string of his apron.

Damien smiled, looking down at her, biting his lip as he reached his hand up, slowly brushing a single lock of hair out of her eyes, moving it behind her ear. "Well," He said softly, his voice barely a whisper, "I think you're pretty cute." He whispered gently, slowly moving his arm to wrap around her waist, unconsciously drawing her closer to him, feeling his heartbeat increase. He knew that they were entering dangerous territory. They were moving away from innocent flirting, and into... well, uncharted waters. For him at least.


From under thick lashes Vira’s gaze traveled from the string wrapped tightly around her finger to Damiens blue eyes. There was no mistaken how close they were now, every deep breath brought her chest to his. His arm around her waist felt like being engulfed in a warm blanket, a warmth she had yet to find in space. Her eyes dipped to his lips, where they lingered. Did she want to kiss Damien? Did Damien want her the same way she wanted him?

Her thoughts flooded with how warm his lips would be against hers. How they would feel against other places on her body. Momentarily lost in the fantasy her mind was weaving she wasn’t prepared for the loud beeping that started from the kitchen area. The timer caused her to jump slightly, snapping her back to reality.

Vira took a step back, reluctantly releasing the string from her grasp as she braved a smile. “I think something is in need of your attention.”

Damien could feel her gaze on him, her soft eyes burrowing deep, feeling like she was gazing into his soul. He took a soft, shaky breath, his eyes slowly roaming across her, drinking her in, coming to rest on her lips. He bit his lip, slowly drawing her closer, letting himself move on autopilot, and just hoping he wasn't misreading anything.

And was suddenly snapped back to reality by the timer in the kitchen. He cleared his throat, stepping back, letting her go. "Yeah. Looks like it." He said. "Make yourself comfortable. I'll sort it out." Leaving her alone in the sitting room, he walked back through to the kitchen, running a hand through his hair, before turning his attention to the beeping, turning the timer off, and checking on the food. Stirring the rice, he nodded to himself. Nearly ready. Taking the lid off of the curry itself, he inhaled deeply, smiling as he did so. Turning the heat down, he left the lid off, and gave it a quick stir, before stepping into the doorway. "Be about 10 minutes." He informed Vira.

Vira watched him walk away as a chill danced its way up her spine, she immediately missed the warmth that radiated off Damien as goosebumps pimpled the skin of her forearms. She rubbed them briefly, hoping the friction would be enough, to her dismay it wasn’t.

Lifting her drink she took a sip, then quickly another, lost in the moment that had just transpired between them. Her mind was caught up on the image of Damien biting his bottom lip when he spoke from the doorway. One arm wrapped around herself she looked across the way at him as she held the drink in a way to cover her smile. “Oh is that all?” Her voice sweet but teasing.

He smirked at her as he walked back over to where she was, picking his drink back up, draining the glass of its contents, and placing it back on the table. "Yeah. That's all." He dropped back onto the sofa, before continuing. "So I hope you're hungry." He said, smirking slightly at her, leaning back.

Vira nodded, "I am actually." She moved to set her glass next to his, still half full, her hand lingered over the glass. She was feeling nervous, unsure, which was not something she was used to. Her voice lowered a bit, "I have to admit that i'm...a bit jealous." Her eyes found his, her playful smile was gone but her face took on a sultry look, hazel eyes turning a deeper shade of green.

"Good to know." He said, nodding, eyes scanning her face, noticing the subtle changes her expression was taking on, feeling his heart rate increase slightly, although he kept his expression as neutral as he could. "Jealous?" He inquired, raising an eyebrow at her. "Jealous of what?"

Her hand left her glass as she took the few steps that brought her directly in front of where Damien sat. Her knee brushed his while her hand gathered the fabric of her dress and hiked it up enough to allow her to straddle Damian's lap. Vira's breathing slowed. They hadn't been this close yet and she hadn't expected the rush it would give her, or the heat it would bring to her lower stomach. Her eyes only left his briefly to slip down to his lips. She brushed his bottom lip with her thumb before looking back up. "I'm jealous that you get to bite this lip." Before he could respond she closed the few inches between them and gently took his bottom lip in between her teeth.

TBC