Celebrating Birthdays

[no_ordinarylife]

It seems like yesterday they were just celebrating his birthday. It's been months since the crew assembled in the lounge and the newest ship to bear the name Enterprise is almost ready for her initial test flights. The deep seated anticipation has driven him back to work. It's the only way to keep himself sane. There are people he wants to see before his time at Yorktown is over. Amara is at the top of his list. He secretly hopes he can convince her the next five years would be worth her while.

He arrives with not just one, but two, bottles of tequila. One in each hand.

Comments

[cadet_amara]

Amara was just setting out a fantastic looking lime cheesecake when he arrived. She really was an excellent cook, and everything about this dessert screamed perfection, from the shape to the lime twists. It almost looked too good to eat. She was taking full advantage of the plentiful fresh ingredients Yorktown's hydroponics gardens offered, as well as other more readily available supplies here, and had been cooking up a storm during her time here.

"Oh good." She said when she saw the two bottles he carried. "One bottle each and there's tequila in the cheesecake. Who's carrying who home this time, Kirk?"

Of course, she was already technically home. But that wasn't the point.

She then produced plates, shot glasses, salt, and more limes. She was well prepared for this!

[no_ordinarylife]

"Yeah, you know I can out drink you any day of the week," he teases. "How did you know I like cheesecake? Which looks beyond awesome and smells even better."

[cadet_amara]

She snorted a little and rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't say any day of the week. You got, what? Sixty pounds on me? I should get some sort of credit for that."

But she was still smiling, and she nodded to the table, inviting him to sit. "And who doesn't like cheesecake? Just don't ask how I got limes. It's probably better you don't know. You being a respectable captain now and all."

[no_ordinarylife]

He sits down across from her so they can talk face to face. "Respectable? I wouldn't go that far. And you can't drop a bomb like that and not give me the rest of the story. That's like cruel and unusual punishment."

[cadet_amara]

"Forget it Captain. I'm not about to give up my contacts." With a laugh she poured the first shot for them both and slid his across the table to him. "Some of us still have dubious and questionable practices."

Taking the shot, she then leaned back and considered the glass. "But it might have involved some black market dealings involving an illegal poker game. Along with a fake date and hustling said date in a game of pool. But, I got the limes. Though if a big guy named Jeff shows up, I'm not home. Got it?"

[no_ordinarylife]

He laughs. It feels really good. It seems like he hasn't laughed enough over the past few years. "Got it. I'll tell him if he wants his limes back, he'll have to fight me for them."

[cadet_amara]

She snorted at that. "Right. Because it's the limes he'd be after. Citrus makes all you boys go wild."

Shaking her head and laughing a little she cut them both a slice of cheesecake and slide one across the table.

"So, how've you been? I haven't seen you in, what? Three years?"

[no_ordinarylife]

He picks the plate up but doesn't immediately eat. Instead he balances it on a knee. "Seems like a hell of a lot longer," he replies without thinking. "I'm good. How 'bout you?"

[cadet_amara]

"It does, doesn't it? Those days when we were getting into fights in bars seems like a lifetime ago."

She also noticed the automatic response, and so she shrugged a little. "I guess the correct response from me is "Oh fine", isn't it?"

Even though really she wasn't really "fine". None of them were really "fine". It was just something someone said. And if he was going to stick to those rules, then so would she.

[no_ordinarylife]

He considers her for a moment, silence between them. Then he puts the plate back on the table again. Quietly. Deliberately. "Let's start over."

[cadet_amara]

"Agreed."

Amara wasn't fond of all the bull shit niceties that polite conversation usually involved. Small talk was never something she enjoyed.

"You first. How are you really, Jim?"

[no_ordinarylife]

Jim has spent a lifetime responding by rote. A hard habit to break even now. It's easier and far less complicated to gloss over the details than try to explain in complexity. Easier to keep people out. Away.

He breathes out and replies honestly. "Anxious. Worried."

[no_ordinarylife]

A snarky answer almost pops from his mouth. Instead, he looks down briefly and the faint smile slides away.

"Yeah, I do," he admits quietly.

[cadet_amara]

"For what it's worth, it looks good on you." She observed. "I know it's probably a lot less fun, but... it suits you."

[no_ordinarylife]

The years have brought massive ups and downs, long periods of morbid introspection, and stretches of boredom punctuated by life threatening excitement. Paradoxically, exploring space is everything he expected it to be and simultaneously surprising.

Jim has never taken a serious compliment well. As is his way, he becomes less and less wordy the more uncomfortable he feels. "Thanks," he replies sincerely.

She has no way of knowing he almost traded it all for a desk job.

[cadet_amara]

She could understand that. She'd never been very good at getting compliments either. She was always looking for the angle, trying to figure out what the person wanted out of her in exchange.

"Whatever happened to the boy who used to get into bar fights with me?" She teased, lightening the mood. "He could really take a punch."

[no_ordinarylife]

Has he really grown up? Or is he just better at hiding himself? The teasing brings a smile back to his face. God, he's missed talking with her.

"He still can," he shots back. "The trick is finding the right bar."

[cadet_amara]

"With the right mix of booze and drunken assholes?" She grinned. "And off the radar enough that no one would recognize the oh so great Captain Kirk?"

[no_ordinarylife]

It's not a mix that happens too often these days. And certainly not here in Escher's Hell.

"Being a hero has its drawbacks."

[cadet_amara]

"Yeah. This place has an extreme lack of dive bars." She agreed. "Shame. Guess I won't be giving you my rendition of "Lime in the Coconut" this time then."

[no_ordinarylife]

"Have some more tequila. You might change your mind."

[cadet_amara]

She laughed, shaking her head.

"I would think you'd want to avoid the horror that is me singing."

[no_ordinarylife]

"You're off key, loud, and definitely proud. What's not to love?"

[cadet_amara]

"Oh I don't know, the sound?" She laughed, shaking her head a little.

[no_ordinarylife]

"You'll fit in just fine. We do karaoke every other week. Nobody else can sing either. You should hear Chapel's rendition of 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun'."