JP -- Lieutenants Anjar Thoran & Carter Greyson: A Night In
Zeph
((Thoran’s Quarters, USS Chin’toka))
{{Time Index: New Year’s Eve}}
Anjar lounged on the couch, a rare glass of champagne in his hand. He’d dressed in a dark blue long-sleeve button-up and black trousers complete with black dress shoes. Despite the fact that they were staying in, he’d felt like dressing up. Agreeing to care for Maddy had put a bit of a crimp in his plans for tonight with Carter.
However, he’d managed to make it work. The two girls were in Liara’s bedroom, his daughter having come aboard just yesterday for a visit. His sister had needed a couple of days and Anjar didn’t see the harm given that they weren’t currently in any state of emergency. He’d hoped to take time to determine if the situation here was stable before bringing her aboard, but life rarely went as planned.
He rubbed his hand up and down the side of his trouser leg, hoping to disguise the sweat that was forming on his palm, lifting the glass to his lips with the other for a drink of liquid courage.
Carter had managed to swap shifts with one of the other engineers whose name he didn’t recall in order to get the night off. He made his way to Anjar’s quarters and pressed his hand to the chime, hearing the excited barking of Devlin from within. He was now in an off-duty pair of jeans and a t-shirt tuxedo with his black semi formal jacket.
The sound startled him and set Devlin barking. He scowled at the creature, tossing him a couple of the treats he’d replicated earlier to placate the animal. With Devlin now otherwise occupied, Anjar picked up the other glass of champagne, doing his utmost to steady his hand.
Thoran: Enter.
Greyson: You look like hell, love. What’s wrong?
At the sound of Greyson’s voice, Lael’s cat lifted its head and looked in their direction. It blinked twice and quickly became disinterested, nuzzling its head back into the bed it was laying on and going back to sleep.
Devlin was quietly munching on the treat, though looked up long enough to run over to Carter and give him a nuzzle before going back to his treats. Carter reached down to pet the dog, smiling softly as he looked up at Anjar.
Thoran: oO Well, damn. Oo
The comment, though probably meant innocently enough, only served to spike his anxiety. Did he really? Pushing aside his self-consciousness, he forced his lips into a smile and stood, approaching Carter, then offering him the glass.
Thoran: Nothing. I’m fine.
Carter stood up and took the glass from Anjar, a raised eyebrow with the inquisitive question unspoken hanging in the air. He knew something was bothering the hybrid but didn’t really feel the need to press it. Instead, he had a sip of the champagne.
Greyson: Mmhm. What’s for dinner?
Thoran: ::smiles and brushes his lips against Carter’s, then murmurs:: I made your favorite. Meat lasagna and Caprese salad.
He’d wanted to make the lasagna from scratch, but had been worried that the portable burner wouldn’t cook it properly. So he’d had to settle for replicated. However, he had peach pie on standby.
Greyson: Sounds delicious. :: Glanced at the animals. :: What did you do to Chythar and Lael to wind up pet sitting?
He glanced at the two animals, each now in their respective corners. Thankfully, Liara and Maddy had been more than happy to wrangle the animals while he rushed about preparing things for his evening with Carter. More than once, the cat had nearly upset the dishes he’d placed on the table and Devlin had barked almost non-stop for the first ten minutes after he’d put the lasagna out.
Thoran: ::shakes his head:: They were apparently worried Devlin and Junu would destroy their quarters if left alone.
Greyson: I can’t say I’m surprised.
Thoran: ::grins unamusedly:: Almost makes me reconsider ever getting a pet.
Carter nodded slightly and had a sip of his drink, though he never had a pet growing up. It was mostly books, maps, and schematics for funsies until he left for the academy. It was completely understandable that he missed out on the experience, but at the same time he observed how calm the two animals seemed to be at the moment.
Greyson: I missed out on being a pet owner as a kid.
Thoran: ::chuckles:: I never really wanted one. Watching my sister’s experiences put me on the fence.
Greyson: How about now?
Thoran: ::pauses:: I’m still not entirely sure I could handle it, to be honest.
Carter nodded and had another sip of the champagne before gently brushing his lips against Anjar’s once more. He wanted to enjoy the moment, considering what the options for the night were once the kids were in bed.
He’d been glad for the mundane topic, though the nervousness had returned with the silence. Clearing his throat, he motioned to the table where dinner sat, the lasagna kept warm by a hot plate. Taking his seat, he sat down the glass, unfolded the napkin, and laid it across his lap.
Thoran: How was your day? Did anything interesting happen?
That was good. Small talk. Maybe it would help ease his nerves and distract him from the near-constant thoughts running through his mind. He only hoped he didn’t tip Carter off too soon.
Greyson: Nah. Most interesting thing that happened was a crewman attempting to light a console on fire by accidentally crossing some wires he wasn’t supposed to. I put it out before it became a problem.
Thoran: ::chuckles and shakes his head:: There’s always one. ::lifts his glass:: To Fate. She has a damned odd sense of humor.
Greyson: Indeed. To Fate. :: Clinks his glass against Anjar’s, then has a sip of it. ::
Picking up his fork, Anjar cut and scooped a bite of lasagna. Pastas weren’t his favorite, but it was Carter’s so he was more than happy to indulge his love. Once he had thoroughly chewed and swallowed the bite, he grinned.
Thoran: It’s been a hell of a year, hasn’t it?
That was certainly the understatement of the century. So much had happened between them. Yet here they sat, entering the new year together again. The thought of domestic life with Carter caused his grin to widen. He grasped and lifted his lover’s unoccupied hand and squeezed it, brush the pad of his thumb over the backs of the man’s knuckles. Where had the time gone? It seemed only yesterday that he’d taken that bold risk and kissed Carter in the middle of his quarters on the Montreal. It was a choice that he hadn’t regretted for a moment since.
Thoran: I love you, Imzadi.
It was a term of endearment that expressed his commitment, one that he didn’t use lightly. Tonight had seemed a perfect time. He looked into Carter’s eyes, light dancing in his own as he studied the man who had become so important to him.
The word “imzadi” rang in his ears for a moment or two as he processed it and attempted to recall the circumstances under which that word would be used. It took him a few moments to respond before he recognized it. Time had gone by so fast, and here they were.
Greyson: I love you too, Anjar.
It didn’t feel right for him to use the word “imzadi” because he wasn’t a Betazoid.
He wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of the evening cuddling with Carter on the couch, but he was determined to make tonight memorable. The two fell silent, enjoying their respective meals.
As Carter enjoyed the lasagne and the salad, he noted that Anjar seemed to be taking longer to finish his, as though perhaps not a fan of the Italian cuisine. A brow raised curiously, but again he didn’t press. Dinner was lovely, and he glanced briefly toward Liara’s room.
Greyson: Will the girls be joining us?
Thoran: ::shakes his head:: They had an early dinner. ::smiles and squeezes Carter’s hand:: Just the two of us.
Greyson: Okay. I can live with that. Adult nights are so rare these days, aren’t they?
It was one of the things he’d been most worried about when he and Carter had first started seeing one another. Parenthood wasn’t by any means easy. As much as he adored his daughter, balancing his responsibility to her with the attention a growing relationship needed was hard. There were times when Liara’s wishes had to supersede their own and that kind of pressure wasn’t easy. He knew it frustrated him at times, especially when he wanted nothing more than intimacy with Carter.
But Carter had taken to it with surprising grace and they’d managed to make it work. That had only steeled Anjar’s resolve and reinforced his decision. It was a leap of faith, but one he was willing to take. Setting his fork down, he turned his full attention on Carter.
Thoran: I know it hasn’t been easy, but you’ve done an amazing job with her. ::smiles:: You’ve handled it with grace and patience. ::shakes his head:: You turned my life upside down, Carter. ::grins:: But I wouldn’t have had it any other way. You make Liara and I better. As crazy as all of this has been, we’re a family...the three of us.
Releasing Carter’s hand with one of his, he reached into his pocket, feeling for the object there. Exhaling a shaky breath, he pulled it out and looked straight into Carter’s eyes.
Thoran: For so long I’ve shied away from making a long-term commitment, afraid of getting hurt again. But Carter, you changed me. I’m not the same man I was. I’m a better man and a better father for having you in my life and I can’t picture it without you. Will you marry me?
Carter had imagined a long-term relationship at some point in his life, but this was...sooner than he expected. He had not quite envisioned it happening this way, but something similar. He stopped chewing his lasagne long enough to process the question, then swallowed. He set down the fork and the glass before pulling Anjar into a passionate kiss.
Greyson: oO Yes… Oo
Anjar laughed against Carter’s mouth, nearly dropping the ring in his surprise. He brought his free hand up to cradle the back of Carter’s neck and leaned his forward against the other man’s to catch his breath.
Thoran: ::murmurs:: Is that a yes?
Greyson: Yes…
He moved to slid the ring onto Carter’s left hand and paused.
Thoran: If you want, you can wear it on a chain instead.
Anjar shifted slightly in his seat. With all his planning, it was one thing he hadn’t thought about. The excitement had taken over and he’d spent days planning the perfect proposal. In the end, he’d done the best he could to make the evening memorable.
Carter swallowed roughly and looked at the ring on his hand. He was baffled, and mostly speechless. He didn’t have anything planned in return, and was still processing the fact it was real. He looked up again into Anjar’s eyes as words failed him. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but nothing came out.
Thoran: ::chuckles and runs a hand through his hair:: I’ve never known you to be speechless, love. ::pauses:: I know it’s a bit out of left field, but it just seemed right. If our time apart has taught me anything, it’s that no matter where we might be, you’re always with me.
Carter nodded slightly and attempted to speak again, but once more nothing happened. It took him several moments to come up with a coherent sentence, but it took a few false starts before it came out.
Greyson: I...I didn’t...Sorry. Taken by surprise, I guess.
Thoran: ::brushes his lips against Carter’s:: The good kind I hope.
Greyson: Yes, indeed. I just...don’t have any words, nor anything to give you in return.
Thoran: ::grins:: You gave me the best gift you ever could, love. I asked for forever and you said yes. Nothing gets better than that.
Another nod, and Carter’s watch beeped. He glanced down at it to shut it off, then looked back up at Anjar. They had five minutes before midnight.
Greyson: Five minutes til new year’s.
Thoran: ::grins and nods:: Entering the new year with my fiancé.
Gods, but that sounded strange. He’d thought about this moment so many times and it seemed surreal that it was finally here. His gaze dropped to Carter’s left hand and he felt a swell of emotion that momentarily stole his breath. Carter had said yes. He’d been so scared that the man would say no. But he’d said yes. Moisture gathered in the corners of his eyes and he lifted a hand to wipe it away.
Thoran: ::laughs:: Hell, Carter. You’re turning me into a sap.
Carter swallowed again and considered for a moment what to say. He finished up his lasagne and decided to save the salad and remainder of his drink for the celebratory midnight countdown. He offered up a smile and somewhat clueless shrug in reply to his comment.
----
Security Officer
USS Chin'toka, NCC-97187
I238110RH0
&
Lieutenant Carter Greyson
Engineer
USS Chin’toka, NCC-97187
O239002CS0