A view, bubbly and company

Posted on Tue Oct 31st, 2017 @ 4:58am by Commander Talia Varen

Mission: What Lies Beneath
Location: Talia's Quarters
Timeline: Current

Leo shaved, showered and dressed for his night with Talia. She had invited him over for a meal and a holovid, he was looking forward to spending more time with her as things between them continued to grow and grow. He found himself relaxing more, opening up more to her as time went on. He found it easier to let her in too now that she'd seen his darkest nightmares, even if he didn't intend her to do so. Still, even after seeing she didn't judge him but instead supported him. "Computer, time?"

The computer told him indicating he had but 9 minutes to arrive at Talia's. Entering the kitchen area he grabbed a bottle. "White or red?" He thought to himself.

~A sweeter red~ She answered absently as she stirred a pot that simmered on her stove.

"Sweeter red it is." Leo spoke picking out a bottle and leaving his quarters. He was feeling good presently so his walk was brisk, smile wearing and minutes later he was standing outside her quarters and pressed the door chime to announce he had arrived.

~Its open~ She called out as she dusted the soup with spices. The bread was in the oven getting crispy on the outside and her Quarters smelled divine.

Leo walked in when the doors opened and the aromas wafted around him, enveloping him in the creations of her kitchen and they smelt incredible. "Hi, I'm Leonardo Luciano. I'm here to meet Talia Varen for dinner and after meal entertainment. Do you know where she is?" He asked in his heavy Italian accent and playing the innocent guest.

Talia snorted her amusement "Do you wish to look for her? I do not know where she is seated at this moment" playing along seemed the thing to do, and her dark violet eyes twinkled at him.

Leo smiled as he walked towards the Kitchen bottle in hand before placing it on the counter. "I think I've found her, right here." He stood behind her and snaked his arms around her waist.

"You distract me and I'll burn the food." her voice was soft, and amused as she admonished him gently resting her head back on his shoulder.

"We can't have that now can we." Leo replied as he opened his thoughts to her and the things he could do to make the burning of food worth the distraction.

"You sir, are evil" she said in a tone partly of desire "I want to eat before we play,"

Leo groaned playfully, she was right of course. "Anything I can do to help? Besides stop distracting you?"

"Set up the holovid? I'm not supergreat with that"

Letting her go Leo walked to the main area and set up the holovid, made sure the sofa was ready, pillows fluffed up and seating prepared for extended sitting in. The smells of the foods though was making him hungry. "Where are the glasses and I will pour us the wine?"

"Glasses are in the glass table to the left of the couch. Just lift the cover."

Locating the glasses Leo opened the bottle and let it breath a moment before he poured two glasses. "Do you need a hand with anything else?" The holovid behind him paused at the intro ready to be played.

"No. I'm about to serve. Just make space on the table for the platter?" The clink of bowls being filled with the thick soup drifted to him.

Once suitable space was made Leo sat on the edge ready to eat and waited for her company and a pleasant night together.

Talia brought two bowls, each balanced with a length of bread atop them. Each one was full of a thick Vulcan stew. Handing one over to him she curled down into a couch pillow.

Leo took the bowl and carefully sat with Talia making sure not to spill his or knock her and in doing so spill hers. "Have you spoken to anyone about us?" Leo asked as he settled. "I passed one of the Nurses earlier and they smiled at me, and not a passing pleasant smile but a knowing one."

"No, I don't generally talk about my social life" she said with a smile "But you have picked me up a number of times."

Leo smiled, she had a point and even that would no doubt be enough to start the talk from happening. "I do recall it bringing a smile to you when I did." Leo spoke as the vid started.

"You've always made me smile" she said softly, teasing her fingers through his hair.

Another smile and a hint of red as he ate, watched and enjoyed the innocent, simple moment of uninterrupted duty free time with Talia.

She dusted a red spice over her bowl and then settled down to nibble it with the bread. The spice warmed the taste of the bowl to a place where it should be and smiled pleased at the spicy flavor. Leo didn't like it that warm, so she'd left it out of the savory dish

"Have you seen this before?" Leo asked as he ate, watched and tried not to lose the plot line that was unfolding before him. "This is really good though." Eating more contents of his pleasantly warm bowl.

"No I haven't" she said and then settled in with her head on his shoulder, eating slowly as she watched the characters play across the screen.

Leo looked at her leaning on him, he thought to himself how good this was, how the pleasure of someones company could have such an impact. Talia however was different, he remembered waking up to her from his nightmare. She said little but did much to comfort him even if the sweaty odour was potentially off putting to her Vulcan senses.

It wasn't off putting, just emotionally charged.

For a moment he'd forgotten that she would pick that up. This bond between them was going to take time to get used to but he did take comfort in it, there was strength to be had from it, confidence and support. "Its going to take a while to get used to you doing that." He didn't mind though and welcomed her presence.

"For us both" she commented quietly as she snuggled closer to his side.

"Tell me more about what is happening between us." Leo spoke softly as he, like Talia watched the movie unfold. "I'm guessing its from the Vulcan side of you and I just wanted to get some idea of what I can expect as time goes on or the future."

"I actually I think it might be more of the betazoid side of us, made Stronger by the fact that I am a Vulcan and..." She sighed Softly "I am not sure what to expect"

Leo listened to her reply, it was an important once because of the changes going on between them. "But what does this mean for us?" Then he thought it was probably too broad a question. "What I mean is..." He wondered how to describe it, were they bonded for life, together forever? Would the bond break if they broke up? Stay even after?

"You have already called me imzadi. From your knowledge does that Bond ever go away? The Vulcan part of the bond can be dissipated in a ritual. I've known a few people to have undergone it." Her smile faded a little bit, was this his way of telling her that he didn't want her?

Leo felt that, the doubt, the wonder. "No, no Talia its not like that." Leo put his bowl on the table in front of him worried now and turned towards her. "I just, this is all new, really new in every regard. You are my first and hopefully, my last. That night when we shared the bed, when you were there in the throws of my troubled past all those were new experiences for me. Then this bond, hearing each others thoughts, feeling like I did just now the worry and doubt. It's not like that Imzadi, you know how I feel, you have felt it."

"I think we will share many a nightmare before we're comfortable with the idea. My father might have some ideas on how to dim the bond a little bit."

"What do you mean? Dim the bond?" Now Leo was the one wondering if she was having doubts or wondered if this was a sign things were not as it seemed.

"just to make it so it's not quite as potent for example, if I'm in surgery you don't want to be seeing through my eyes correct? And I would not want to be distracted by something on the bridge happening at that moment either."

"Oh..." Well that made sense. "Oh I see what you mean." Relief flooded him, the breath he was holding he let go.

Her fingers entwined briefly with his and she squeezed his hand before releasing it. The hands for a Vulcan were extremely sensitive, and she didn't touch often.

His fingers matched her own in the hands now together. "You had me worried for a bit there." Leo spoke, fearing that he was losing her already. "I was wondering, do you like the title Imzadi or would you prefer Talia instead?" Something he didn't consider asking until now, now that he thought about it.

"either is fine , though I would prefer you use both. " She'd never had a pet name of any kind, so the idea of him calling her one was somewhat new.

"Imzadi privately and Talia socially?" Leo asked so that he knew the 'rules' so to speak.

"I will not gripe if you slip and call me Imzadi. There are no rules to relationships. It might take me awhile to get used to you calling me something other than my name."

Leo smiled as he nodded, he could understand her point of view and at least she understood the importance of the 'Imzadi' word since she too was part Betazoid as well. He would be learning much from Talia but in learning came growth and that with her was what he desired most. "there are other things we should talk about but one your food is getting cold and two we're missing the movie."

Leo picked up his bowl and ate at a quicker pace than before, it was a good meal, Talia had spent time preparing it and it would be a crime to not finish it. As he ate he watched the movie wondering what else she had on her mind to talk about while trying not to be vocal or mental about it.

She let appreciation flicker through her mind on his complement on her food. Then she drew a soft blanket over them, with Vulcan geometric patterns on it.

Leo promptly finished the bowl and used what was left of the bread to get all the rest that remained. It was a good meal, tasty and incredible. Once the bowl was returned to the table he pulled the blanket up, leaned against her and his hand rested on her thigh.

Talia shivered even under the blanket at the touch of his hand on her thigh. If she shimmied out of her undergarments right there, would he distract her from the movie? He was already doing that with his gentle caresses. Snuggling in closer to his chest she inhaled his scent and shivered again at the possessiveness that burned in her veins.

Leo felt the shiver, a smile grew on his face as he could feel from her the effect it was having. His fingers flexed gently on her, palm wide open, fingers spread. "So, now that dinner has been eaten, what other things should we talk about?"

A tiny little whimper escaped from her lips before she found her voice and said "If you keep that up we won't be talking at all."

"Being a telepath does have its advantages doesn't it?" Leo grinned as he gave her a sweet look, his accent thick and full as he spoke. He truly was enjoying his time with Talia, things between them had developed quickly and as shocking or surprising as that may have been initially, once the bond formed he was able to sense more from Talia to feel safe, comfortable and wanted.

~That depends on what you want to do to me whilst we talk~ she teased him mentally, relaxing into his arms, the movie forgotten except for the flashes of light that it cast on them.

Leo chuckled. Instead of telling her, he showed her. He opened his mind to the thoughts and feelings. Telling her what he'd do and especially how just to get a rise out of her. "How ungentlemanly of me." Leo joked as he kept his visual attention the movie but his mental and physical on Talia.

A sharp intake of breath answered him, and Talia's eyes fluttered closed under the onslaught of sensual thoughts from her partner. Bondmate? Lover? What did she call him? What were they exactly?

~What would you like us to be?~ He asked, picking up on the questioning mental thoughts. He knew himself what he wanted but any relationship was a two person thing, or more depending on the species, but her views were just as important.

~I'd not mind coming home to you at night...but I feel like I am rushing things when I think that.~ she whispered back.

~Please, you are not rushing things. We would both know if we were given the link we share. I admit at first I was a little worried because of my inexperience but I'm more confident, sure of myself because of the bond between us. We don't fight each other for affection, it comes naturally. We give it freely and accepting it as its meant.~ Leo replied leaning against her and his hand slipping more between her thighs though no further up. ~I admit at the end of the night I don't like leaving or seeing you leave. Things become empty not just in the room but inside too.~ He thought some more briefly. ~So what are we? Bondmates, lovers, all of the above?~

~You need not worry about your inexperience. I would have taught you what you needed to know. But I have rather enjoyed your experiments.~ Her thighs parted before his hand, and she clutched the end of the blanket, to keep it in place. Eyes raising to the screen, she bit her lower lip. ~I think...we're all of the above...maybe more in the future?~

~I'd be delighted.~ Leo looked at her again and smiled, he felt her thighs part slightly, at least now it didn't feel he was pulling on her skin with his grabby hand. ~I think I was like you there, felt like I was rushing things when I thought about more.~

~So paint me a picture of your dreams for the future...~ she whispered.

Leo closed his eyes, she wanted to know, time to show her what he'd dreamed of. He showed her of them growing and developing a strong and happy union. Earth, Betazed, Vulcan, a beach, different ship. A wedding, friends and family attending. He showed her images of him growing older with children around them running about laughing and smiling. ~There.~

Her cheeks took on a greenish hue as she blushed. His idea of the idyllic future included her as primary importance and she couldn't help but nuzzled closer to him. ~Babies?~

~I'd like them, never really thought on how many but I'd like to be a Dad someday.~ Leo spoke as he moved more towards her. Any closer and one would be in the others lap.

~I think I'd like to make you a Dad.~ she purred into his mind as she rested her head on his shoulder.

Leo rested his cheek upon the crown of her head as the movie played, the pair of them enjoying a silent moment of togetherness, closeness and secretly shared emotion through the bond between them. He'd noticed that over the minutes they had been talking that she seemed to open up to him, even innocently. He heard the breathing pick up, felt the legs part a little, the increased closeness she wanted with him. It was almost as if she craved his touch, welcomed and wanted it and it made him feel warm, wanted, desired.