[ He owes her his life. There's no getting around that fact (not that he wants to) but the reason James T. Kirk, former Captain of the UEF ship Enterprise, still exists when the rest of his timeline doesn't. But he owes Christopher Pike and Una Chin Riley his place on this ship. On her ship. On Sam's ship--because here his brother is still alive. Here he gets a chance to know the man. To sit in his lab and listen him talk about the Aliens they've encountered and that he's studied like it's not mind blowing to know more than two species in the universe. To get to know the people he knew on his crew and to see how different they are even though the core of them is the same. To meet Ortegas and Chapel and Nyota--to see different eyes shining back at him, but with the same level of competence and humor--
Being a Cadet again is almost worth it. Almost.
He has his own quarters, of course he does, on the lower decks, but he spends a lot of his time here, in hers, because it's quieter, because he's not the time travel novelty (something that was supposed to stay a secret and very Need to Know, so naturally, somehow, literally everyone knows it), and because he likes her company. And because, if he didn't, he couldn't be doing things like this.
The food is what he could bribe from Captain Pike with a promise of a deep dive into Romulan strategy at his leisure, because he still hasn't learned how to master a stove and he wanted something that wasn't replicated (which is to say, spaghetti bolognese and fresh baked bread because who is that man), the rest of it is from Una (given more than bribed, with a firm look that he's pretty sure is somewhere along the lines of 'if you hurt her, I'll kill you and no one will know'). Maybe it's stupid (it's probably stupid), but it feels like a milestone, and it's a milestone he didn't expect to meet--so.
So.
Food. And drink. And things that could be vaguely be considered romantic (like simulated candle light, maybe some strawberries that have been introduced to chocolate at a recent point in their lives).
And La'an, unless there's a crisis, hopefully being relieved from duty by her CO in the next few minutes.
He's trying not to pace when he hears the door open; trying not to look nervous (UEF Captains do not get nervous, as a general rule), but the smile when he sees her is unfeigned and real, wide and genuine.]
[ Six months ago, her life changed. Utterly, irrevocably. Meeting James, saving the timeline... Of course, she'd saved him. Even if she hadn't fallen in love with him during those few short days together in Toronto, she would have tried to save him. It's who she is, and what he deserved. Being able to experience a life without war, knowing the man Sam could have become — she's so grateful to have the chance to give those opportunities to him.
Neither of them had any idea what his life would become when she'd wrapped her arms around him and pressed the button on the temporal device. What mattered was that he would have a life instead of winking out of existence with the rest of his timeline. She never could have anticipated that he'd be given the chance to work on the Enterprise while he went through accelerated cadet training, but not a day goes by that she doesn't thank Chris and Una in her own way. If it hadn't been for them...
She saved his life, but he saved hers as well. Not quite as literally, but in the weeks following the encounter on Parnassus Beta, he'd saved her. He'd seen her at her most vulnerable and supported her when she couldn't stand alone against the darkness. They'd slept with the lights on and the temperature much lower than he liked because she couldn't stand the memories of the hot darkness of the planet where her family had been slaughtered. He'd brought her meals when she couldn't stand to be in the mess hall they'd had to use for medbay overflow when the too-few survivors were finally rescued. Her nightmares never once drew complaints, even when she woke him with her screams every night.
But that's behind them now. Mostly. There are still some hard days, for her and Sam both, but he's helped them through it in a way the Jim Kirk of her time couldn't have. And James isn't without his own trauma, she's done her best to help him as he's helped her, but somehow they've made it through.
Six months. It feels like six years sometimes, and six weeks at others. She's not the overly sentimental type, she never has been, but when she's relieved of duty, La'an finds herself looking forward to seeing him. He might not know what the occasion is, but she hopes they can celebrate and spend the evening together anyway, preferably without some sort of emergency interrupting. She doesn't expect to see him in her suite when the door opens, but it's the best kind of surprise. ]
What's all this? [ Her own smile grows as she steps inside, the door swooshing closed behind her and letting the comfortably dim light settle into the room again. She's so happy to see him that she hardly notices the delicious smells permeating the space, and the weariness of the day is completely forgotten. ]
[ He'd been on Earth when the Enterprise went warping off to rescue her lost crew from a Gorn colony; somewhere in the middle of mind-numbing reiterations of temporal protocols (being from an entirely different timeline where he couldn't give advice about future or past events didn't spare him from the lectures) and discussion of just, what, they were going to do with him.
James still isn't sure if the fact that he was able to steal a ship and link back up with Enterprise as she made her journey back to starbase one for repairs helped or hindered his position; but it did endear him to one Captain Pike and prove his usefulness to the crew.
And it meant he could hold La'an when she needed it most. Could listen to Sam in a way his actual brother couldn't when he needed to talk. It laid the foundation for this. Now.
He meets her smile with his own, and his widens even as he manages to look slightly sheepish. This is--probably too much. But it's like the sweets and the stolen moments; he's still not used to having a lot to celebrate. When you live in war, you take the time you can. He plans to, and he plans not to waste it. ]
If I can read your ridiculous stardate calendars right [ he's kidding, but yeah, maybe they'd been confusing at first ] It's officially half a year since you decided to save my life instead of leaving me dead in twenty first century Toronto.
[ Honestly, La'an had been impressed when she'd heard about James's little stunt while she was in recovery. Sure, stealing a ship is a little like stealing an automobile, except for being quite a bit more difficult when under the type of scrutiny he'd endured since arriving in this timeline. And while she'd worried that it might negatively impact his opportunities for the future, she'd been so glad to see him that she'd never once managed anything even remotely close to the concerned scolding she'd have given him in normal circumstances.
Amusement colors her expression at his joke about their stardate system (she knows he'd struggled with it in those first months), and then fondness takes over. She loves him so much that it hurts at times. Just thinking about how close she'd come to losing him takes her breath away, and some days it's impossible to shake the fear that something will happen to take him away from her. It's not healthy, she knows that very well, but in the grand scope of things, it's the least of her mental health worries. ]
Why, James, I had no idea you were such a sentimentalist. [ Her teasing is gentle as she steps closer and reaches out to take his hand in hers. And then, seriously: ] Yes, it's worth celebrating.
i'm not going to make you wait, she said. and then what happened. sorry ;-;
Six months in and you haven't figured that out yet?
[ He teases, the genuine smile and mirth in his eyes taking any bite out of the words. Like she isn't slightly the same, even if she's trying to hide it. He's seen her desk - the little trinkets tucked under glass to remind her of the places she's been, the people she knows. He likes it; the tiny map of her that only she knows how to read.
It's why he figured this wasn't too much of a risk for all that he's worried she'll think it's over the top. At least the idea is there, right?
But she's giving him that look he likes to think is reserved purely for him (fond, so impossibly fond) and he can't help but return it, stepping forward to wrap a hand around her waist to tug her up close, against him, so he can dip his head down and press a kiss against her lips.
Chaste, sweet, with maybe the promise of a little something more if they get around to it (he hopes they do). When he pulls back he motions toward the table and the food he's covered to keep warm ]
Some day I'll figure out how to cook [ he likely won't ] but in the meantime, there's this Captain I can usually bribe.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
idk i'm just gonna...lob this at you, you're welcome???
Being a Cadet again is almost worth it. Almost.
He has his own quarters, of course he does, on the lower decks, but he spends a lot of his time here, in hers, because it's quieter, because he's not the time travel novelty (something that was supposed to stay a secret and very Need to Know, so naturally, somehow, literally everyone knows it), and because he likes her company. And because, if he didn't, he couldn't be doing things like this.
The food is what he could bribe from Captain Pike with a promise of a deep dive into Romulan strategy at his leisure, because he still hasn't learned how to master a stove and he wanted something that wasn't replicated (which is to say, spaghetti bolognese and fresh baked bread because who is that man), the rest of it is from Una (given more than bribed, with a firm look that he's pretty sure is somewhere along the lines of 'if you hurt her, I'll kill you and no one will know'). Maybe it's stupid (it's probably stupid), but it feels like a milestone, and it's a milestone he didn't expect to meet--so.
So.
Food. And drink. And things that could be vaguely be considered romantic (like simulated candle light, maybe some strawberries that have been introduced to chocolate at a recent point in their lives).
And La'an, unless there's a crisis, hopefully being relieved from duty by her CO in the next few minutes.
He's trying not to pace when he hears the door open; trying not to look nervous (UEF Captains do not get nervous, as a general rule), but the smile when he sees her is unfeigned and real, wide and genuine.]
Hey [ It's soft, achingly fond ] Welcome back, Lieutenant.
what a gift, this is absolute perfection
Neither of them had any idea what his life would become when she'd wrapped her arms around him and pressed the button on the temporal device. What mattered was that he would have a life instead of winking out of existence with the rest of his timeline. She never could have anticipated that he'd be given the chance to work on the Enterprise while he went through accelerated cadet training, but not a day goes by that she doesn't thank Chris and Una in her own way. If it hadn't been for them...
She saved his life, but he saved hers as well. Not quite as literally, but in the weeks following the encounter on Parnassus Beta, he'd saved her. He'd seen her at her most vulnerable and supported her when she couldn't stand alone against the darkness. They'd slept with the lights on and the temperature much lower than he liked because she couldn't stand the memories of the hot darkness of the planet where her family had been slaughtered. He'd brought her meals when she couldn't stand to be in the mess hall they'd had to use for medbay overflow when the too-few survivors were finally rescued. Her nightmares never once drew complaints, even when she woke him with her screams every night.
But that's behind them now. Mostly. There are still some hard days, for her and Sam both, but he's helped them through it in a way the Jim Kirk of her time couldn't have. And James isn't without his own trauma, she's done her best to help him as he's helped her, but somehow they've made it through.
Six months. It feels like six years sometimes, and six weeks at others. She's not the overly sentimental type, she never has been, but when she's relieved of duty, La'an finds herself looking forward to seeing him. He might not know what the occasion is, but she hopes they can celebrate and spend the evening together anyway, preferably without some sort of emergency interrupting. She doesn't expect to see him in her suite when the door opens, but it's the best kind of surprise. ]
What's all this? [ Her own smile grows as she steps inside, the door swooshing closed behind her and letting the comfortably dim light settle into the room again. She's so happy to see him that she hardly notices the delicious smells permeating the space, and the weariness of the day is completely forgotten. ]
no subject
James still isn't sure if the fact that he was able to steal a ship and link back up with Enterprise as she made her journey back to starbase one for repairs helped or hindered his position; but it did endear him to one Captain Pike and prove his usefulness to the crew.
And it meant he could hold La'an when she needed it most. Could listen to Sam in a way his actual brother couldn't when he needed to talk. It laid the foundation for this. Now.
He meets her smile with his own, and his widens even as he manages to look slightly sheepish. This is--probably too much. But it's like the sweets and the stolen moments; he's still not used to having a lot to celebrate. When you live in war, you take the time you can. He plans to, and he plans not to waste it. ]
If I can read your ridiculous stardate calendars right [ he's kidding, but yeah, maybe they'd been confusing at first ] It's officially half a year since you decided to save my life instead of leaving me dead in twenty first century Toronto.
Figured that might be worth celebrating.
no subject
Amusement colors her expression at his joke about their stardate system (she knows he'd struggled with it in those first months), and then fondness takes over. She loves him so much that it hurts at times. Just thinking about how close she'd come to losing him takes her breath away, and some days it's impossible to shake the fear that something will happen to take him away from her. It's not healthy, she knows that very well, but in the grand scope of things, it's the least of her mental health worries. ]
Why, James, I had no idea you were such a sentimentalist. [ Her teasing is gentle as she steps closer and reaches out to take his hand in hers. And then, seriously: ] Yes, it's worth celebrating.
i'm not going to make you wait, she said. and then what happened. sorry ;-;
[ He teases, the genuine smile and mirth in his eyes taking any bite out of the words. Like she isn't slightly the same, even if she's trying to hide it. He's seen her desk - the little trinkets tucked under glass to remind her of the places she's been, the people she knows. He likes it; the tiny map of her that only she knows how to read.
It's why he figured this wasn't too much of a risk for all that he's worried she'll think it's over the top. At least the idea is there, right?
But she's giving him that look he likes to think is reserved purely for him (fond, so impossibly fond) and he can't help but return it, stepping forward to wrap a hand around her waist to tug her up close, against him, so he can dip his head down and press a kiss against her lips.
Chaste, sweet, with maybe the promise of a little something more if they get around to it (he hopes they do). When he pulls back he motions toward the table and the food he's covered to keep warm ]
Some day I'll figure out how to cook [ he likely won't ] but in the meantime, there's this Captain I can usually bribe.
Have dinner with me?