A "Personal" Approach (part III)

Posted on Sun Feb 7th, 2021 @ 8:03am by Lieutenant JG Ronen Kym & Lieutenant Remy Boudreau

1,386 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Caverns of the mind

[CONTINUED]

[OLD]

Kym chuckled softly. "I'm glad of that." She slipped her arm around his waist. "I'd hate for this to be one-sided." She flashed him a teasing grin. In truth, meeting Remy had turned her world upside down in a very good way.

[NEW]

'Same here,' admitted Boudreau, serious for a moment. He enjoyed the feeling of her arm around him, and he let them walk along the path in the dappled sunlight in quiet for a precious few moments as the came to other exit of the trail. 'So ice-cream, then. What's your favourite flavour?'

She had to think for a minute. "Fudge ripple."

'Really?' Boudreau smiled, 'that seems incredibly indulgent. Pistachio is mine,' he indicated the small museum-cum-shop-cum-eatery, 'shall we order?' There were other 'people' milling about, but he knew from experience that they would not interfere with his getting ice cream.

"Pistachio is more decadent than fudge ripple," she countered lightly. "Yes, let's order, and then you can see for yourself."

'Oh we'll see alright,' replied Boudreau in the same light tone. He pointed at some benches just outside in the bright sunlight, 'take a load off - I'll just be a second in getting them.' He strode into the building, and quickly returned with two handsomely portioned tubs of melting ice cream. The Louisianan also precariously balanced an assortment of toppings on the rims of the tubs, before setting them down.

'Your incredibly decadent fudge ripple, Counsellor.'

Kym found a table in the shade and laughed when she saw what he bore. "Oh, my. That's not at all what I expected." It truly looked decadent. She waited for him to take a seat, then took a bite. "Oh, my," she said again.


'I, uh, yeah, I really like ice cream,' Boudreau laughed, a little embarrassed, 'one of the vices I allow myself. So the program goes all out.' He stuck a wafer in his pistachio and scooped a bit out with it. 'It's as close as can be to real ice cream. Yours OK?'

"As vices go, this one is not so bad." She took another bite and smiled. "In fact, it's rather tasty."

'That's great,' Boudreau smiled around his wafer, 'I'm not really great at programming these things, so it's nice to know it's edible for other people.' He scooped some additional nuts on to his ice cream before taking another bite. He nodded in her direction, 'and what are your vices for future reference?'

"Now that, my dear Mr. Boudreau, is a leading question. I will admit to enjoying classical music and reading in front of a fire." She took a sip of her water and wondered if she'd acquire a few more with Remy. Although she wasn't sure she'd call them vices.

'Hmm, I don't think I've heard many people refer to reading as a vice. Other fireside activities, perhaps,' he replied with a chuckle and glint in his eye.

"It can be a vice if you prefer it to socializing. Not that I don't like socializing from time to time, but sometimes books are better than people--present company excepted."

Boudreau smiled, more kindly this time. 'I think that's a more common sentiment than you might think. There are few things better than a good book, I find.'

Kym smiled. "Indeed." She turned her attention back to her ice cream before it melted.

He tucked in to his own, enjoying every bite, and the company he was in. As he finished and wiped some crumbs away, he sighed, 'that was good.'

"It was. And so was the walk." She smiled. "Thank you."

'It was my pleasure, honestly,' he replied with a smile. Boudreau hadn't expected it all to go by so fast, but then, time flies when you're having fun he thought to himself. 'You'll have to choose the next place,' he ventured, bravely.

Kym nodded. "I'll come up with something. Do you have any preferences?" She wasn't sure what the protocol was for a second date.

His smile broadened as she essentially said 'yes' to another date. Boudreau took her hand gently and gave it a squeeze, 'honestly, anything's fine with me. Pick something you enjoy. The important thing is you're comfortable with the speed we're going at.'

"Yes. I don't know if I should be," she admitted, "But I'm okay with it." Okay was probably too bland a word for it. She enjoyed his company and would have suggested dinner if she didn't think it was too soon.

'That's good - it's you and me who're important in this,' he gave a crooked smile, 'we work in Starfleet - admittedly, some of the safer departments - but an ancient Vulcanian doo-dad could still go pop and throw us thousands of years in the past, so why not live for what we enjoy?'

"Such a cynical view from a scientist," she teased, smiling. "I think you need to work with a counselor on that. For you, I'll even make house calls." She shook her head. "Seriously, though, I don't agree about living for the moment because you may die tomorrow, but I do agree that you need to make the most of the opportunities you're given and the potential for a future together."

'It's a little cynical,' admitted Boudreau, 'but I think we're in broad agreement regarding life - take the most out of the opportunities life gives you and run with it.'

"Yes, I believe we are in agreement." She smiled. "So, if our next adventure is up to me, when are you free again?"

'Well ... other than my duty shifts, I'm actually quite free - there's no Sciences lecture to be broadcast this week, and I haven't arranged a ship-board one ... so it's when convenient for you,' grinned Boudreau.

"Well...except for my duty shifts, and the occasional after-hours call, I have nothing planned." His words about making the most of opportunities emboldened her. "Tonight would probably be presumptuous, but what about tomorrow?"

'Tomorrow then,' he replied with a smile, 'I wouldn't want to be too presumptuous.' Boudreau looked around as the sun got lower - he hadn't programmed a natural day/night cycle into the program. 'Shall I walk you to your quarters?'

"I would like that," she said. It would give her a few more minutes in his company.

Boudreau extended his hand, and as Kym got to her feet, he gave the instruction for the holodeck to end program. As they strolled out of the holodeck, he realised just how short the walk would be - Nova-class vessels weren't the largest.

He sighed, contentedly. 'I hope you don't mind me saying, but it's nice to find company that's comfortable.'

She understood what he meant. "It is." She smiled. "I've enjoyed today so much I don't want it to end."

Smiling, he nodded in agreement, 'I feel the same way.' As they rounded the corner, he saw her quarters come in to view, 'unfortunately, it seems that they'll have to for today.'

She stopped in front of her door and turned to Remy and hesitated, knowing she should say goodbye, but not wanting to. "Thank you doesn't seem adequate for how much I enjoyed our walk."

'A thank you is enough,' he replied easily. 'We'll have plenty of time to find ways we think are adequate in the future, I hope.'

"Yes, we will." She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "See you tomorrow."

He returned the kiss with a lingering one on the cheek as well, 'I'll count on it,' he replied softly as he pulled a way. Boudreau flashed her a smile and said, 'goodnight then,' as he made to return to his quarters down the corridor.

Kym watched him walk away, still smiling. Then, with a sigh, she opened the door and went in.

As he keyed the access to his quarters, Boudreau broke out into a wide, happy grin. Things were definitely looking up with his posting to the Aurora.

____
OFF

Lieutenant Remy Boudreau
Chief Science Officer

Lieutenant JG Ronen Kym
Counselor

RSS Feed