Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in side-sim: New Normal

Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in side-sim: New Normal

Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in side-sim: New Normal
Posted by… suppressed (7) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
He had told her that once, that one time when he was trying to help her sleep, the way she helped him. It was sort of a family thing in Jay’s family, you got one of the deserts on special occasions. They’d made one for Roman on his graduation from secondary school and then again when he got his acceptance to Star Fleet. He got something from Jay’s family every year, on his birthday. Usually just a letter. This year it hadn’t come in yet, that was part of the reason he had forgotten it was his birthday at all. He liked them, but they made him sad, and it was hard to read them. They hadn’t sent anything besides a letter since the incident with the ship. They usually wrote something about the two of them as kids, and then how much they missed them both, and that they hoped Roman was well. Roman would write something simple back, so they knew he’d received it, and that he was thankful they sent them.

Then Rand covered her face, her hands coming up between them. As muffled as it was, Roman heard what she said and his grin got wider. “I’m not sure, I might spill some of that lovely dinner on it, and then I’d have to take it off.” He was kidding with her, but he might have to ‘accidentally’ spill something anyway. He loved her reactions too much.

~ Roman

Rand thought she might die of embarrassment or if she was lucky, just sink through the floor. Roman was enjoying this whole situation immensely, and the way he was grinning at her made her stomach feel like she had a whole swarm of butterflies in it rather than just one or two. She really liked the way he was holding her though, but they if they didn’t move soon it was going to be like that day she fell and he caught her after she broke her foot. If she remembered right, that day had been pretty amazing.
“Eat. We should really eat.” It never even occurred to Rand that it sounded like she agreed that he should spill something on his shirt. She pulled away, disappointed?, and lifted the lids off the the Shepard’s pie and set both on the table along with tea. She left the desert covered; she’d let him find out what that was. She laid out napkins and forks while she waited for him to join her so they could sit and eat.

Rand

Was that a ‘yes’? Roman tried not to smile as he let her go so she could take a seat and eat. He took a seat and started eating the pie. He’d look at the desert after he’d had some shepherd’s pie. The pie was delicious. Roman ate his share quickly, it was that good. With one of his last forkfulls, he tipped the fork and a glob of meat fell onto his shirt, right down the belly. “Oops.” He said casually, and then he finished off his share and set his fork down. He grinned briefly at Rand, unable to stop himself, as he yanked the shirt up over his head and cast it aside, landing it in his laundry hamper.

~ Roman

Rand was clueless as to what she’d said. She just wanted to stop embarrassing herself. Apparently that wasn’t going to happen because it was ‘Intergalactic Make Rand Flustered Day’. They ate mostly in silence. Her father always said that’s how you knew the food was good because no one was talking. She hoped that was the case, but the speed at which he was eating made her think he liked it. She wasn’t eating nearly as quickly as he was. Rand was attempting to make use of the quiet and the meal to rid herself of her flustered state and the blush that wouldn’t seem to leave. When Roman dropped food on his shirt she just stared at him for a second, wondering if he was alright. He was always so…proper and presentable, never a wrinkle or a stain…and he left it there. Then she realized what he was doing, teasing her about earlier and she closed her eyes and slightly shook her head. She glanced back at him and he was grinning at her. She had just taken another bite when he took his shirt off, and Rand promptly inhaled sharply and choked on her food.

Not horribly, she coughed twice, took a drink, and was fine. More shock than anything, and then she was just staring at him for a long moment. She didn’t blush, it had never gone away, so it was safe to say if she hadn’t already been, she would be blushing again. Then suddenly she threw her napkin at him, why? she had no idea, “Mmm…Roman put a shirt on.” She picked up her glass and took a long drink. Trying not to stare. Why was he messing with her?

Rand

Roman looked suddenly concerned as she choked but then relaxed, it was quickly over. Then she threw a napkin at him and he grabbed it and unfolded it. It was the size of a half sheet of paper. He held it up to his chest. “I don’t think this will cover much, do you?” He asked and held it up and then moved it around as if trying to make the little napkin cover more. He was absolutely messing with her. It struck him as something Jay would’ve done, and he put the thought out of his mind as quickly as he could. He didn’t want the mood dampened.

~ Roman

Rand stared at him wide eyed as he adjusted the napkin, which was distracting instead of the other way around. He was teasing her, and it was the most relaxed she’d seen him in awhile. She was taking a sip of her drink and almost spit that out. He was being so…boyish. Actually she didn’t think she’d ever seen him like this…in more ways than one. “That…that is not a shirt.” She did grin a little though, not less flustered but his grin was contagious. Maybe…she could tease him back a little. She glanced up at his face, “If your that messy…maybe you don’t need desert.” She reached over and started to slide the other covered dish away from him.

Rand

“It’s my birthday, you said it yourself, do I need a shirt?” He said and grinned. “Unless we’re not staying in my quarters after desert.” Then Roman dropped the napkin back on the table. “Oh dear, she’s taking away the desert, fun’s over,” he said, pretending to be disappointed as he eyed the tray with the desert in it. He was obviously still playing around, hiding a little smile behind his pretend-disappointment. It was more in line with how he’d have acted before the incident with the ship, and even back then it wasn’t common.

~ Roman

Rand tried not to stare, but the more she tried not to the more Roman grinned at her. Because he knew she was staring and liked looking. She was just making herself more flustered. She didn’t want to think too hard about how much she liked him without a shirt on. She took a small breath but her voice still came out a little breathless, “It is your birthday, we can do whatever you want.” For some reason she decided not to mention the observation deck. Surely he knew about the nebula, if he wanted to go he would say so. If he wanted to stay and not wear a shirt, that was perfectly okay with her…wait no ..ummm…and she was all flustered again.

She just kind of stared at him a moment when he was pretending to be disappointed…he was being playful. Not just teasing her a little bit but playful. Was he sick? Did he catch some weird alien fever on Kelmao? No they had been checked and she had been everywhere he had, so she would have it too. She stopped moving the tray, and grinned at him. Rand wasn’t really less flustered or blushing any less but at least she wasn’t speechless anymore. “Oh…” she seemed to think about it. “I don’t want to ruin your fun, but it would be a shame to waste this by spilling it.” It wasn’t like he could spill it on another shirt, she glanced over him again. Then she lifted the lid just a bit where he couldn’t see. “Hmmm it will have to be eaten soon…but I suppose it is your birthday, and I did make it for you. If you really want it…” she slid her hand away from the tray, teasing, as if she’d snatch the tray back just to tease him. Maybe if she wasn’t so flustered she could play along better, tease him some. But she was a little nervous about it, and was starting to wonder if what she picked might ruin the mood. She loved Roman just the way he was, but she liked this playfulness too.

Rand

Roman tried to peek when she lifted the lid to see what it was, but he couldn’t quite see it. “It would be a shame to spill anything you made yourself,” he said, and then he smiled and added, “I do want it!” He put a hand on the tray carefully, not wanting to spill it if she did jerk it back to mess with him. He did want to know what it was she made, she hadn’t told him yet. It must’ve been something she thought he’d like, but maybe she wasn’t sure? She seemed just a tad nervous. Roman didn’t remember telling her about that particular desert.

~ Roman

Rand didn’t make a grab for it though the smirk on her face might make Roman think she would. She really hoped he liked it. She was sure it tasted alright because she had taste tested everything to make sure. She just hoped it was something he would enjoy. She grinned wider when he exclaimed that he wanted it. He was excited for his birthday, or at least the desert. When was the last time he looked forward to something that wasn’t work? “Are you sure you want it? You have no idea what’s under there.” She was teasing, Rand would never prank food.

Roman looked forward to seeing Rand, of course. But really looked forward to something besides her, that wasn’t work related? It had to have been years. He gave her a look, he knew she’d never prank food. “You made it, whatever it is it’s worth having.”

When he lifted the lid there were two bowls of Knickerbocker Glory underneath.

Rand

He lifted the lid finally, and it was quite obvious he was really surprised by what it was. What wasn’t immediately obvious was how felt about it. And that was because he wasn’t sure how he felt about it. He didn’t remember telling Rand he liked these, in fact he loved them, but they were one of his avoidance foods, and now one, or two of them actually, were staring him in the face.

He was quiet for longer than she expected and his expression was unreadable. Oh no....had she messed up? Why couldn’t she have just made a regular boring cake? Why? Because Rand didn’t want to make an empty gesture, but something small and thoughtful. But maybe this was too much? They had been having fun, even at her expense, and now she did something wrong.

Roman didn’t want to spoil the mood though, they were having so much fun (or, he was, anyway, and he hoped Rand was, too), and so he tried to put the sadness that bubbled up and mixed with his happy excitement, and the memories that came with it, aside and smiled. “I love these, how did you know? Thank you,” he said, passing the second bowl to Rand. Then he took the other bowl for himself, and took a bite. “And it tastes fantastic!”

~ Roman

Rand took the other bowl and set it down. They should have been in tall desert ‘cups’ but the mess hall didn’t have those. “You told me you got to try it once, and really liked it. It’s the only desert you ever mentioned liking.” She knew it had been Jay’s mom, but she avoided saying that, she didn’t want to mention something sad and ruin the evening more than she had. She smiled though, “I was happy to do it, I’m glad you like it.” Pipkin, having been ignored long enough and curious about the flying clothing had made her way over and banged her back feet against Rand. Rand looked down and laughed, “Oh you think you need desert, too? Well you’re his birthday present, go ask him.” She grinned at Roman and passed the small covered container that always accompanied their meals now.

Rand

Roman opened the little container, took out whatever bunny-safe veggie Rand had gotten from the chef, and started feeding it to Pipkin. “There you go, you spoiled cute little fluffball,” he said after he’d given her about half. Then he gave her some pet. And then he went back to eating the knickerbocker glory. He’d sort of forgotten he was shirtless until he realized that was why he was sort of cold, and then he smiled a playful smile again and looked up at Rand. “Between the ice cream and the loss of my shirt the ship feels a bit nippy.”

~ Roman