Lt Kitan bused her tray and utensils into the recycler after finishing her meal. She tugged down the hem of her uniform and resolved herself to her task. She had seen Bortus and Klyden enter earlier and she was resolved to speak to one or both of them. She approached their table where the couple sat in silence. They weren't chatty with each other in general but sometimes it was creepy to watch them sit there just staring at each other impassively.

Klyden's plate was empty. Moclans tended to eat quickly and efficiently, and the committed pair often ate the same meals. So she was surprised to see Bortus hadn't finished yet. He took regular bites at his usual pace, but she noted how little food the utensil lifted to his lips. If those bites were any smaller, they wouldn't be enough to sustain a Parlavian newt the size of your pupil.

Man, she thought, the baby must be driving Bortus nuts. He was clearly in no hurry to return to their quarters.

"Uh, hi," she stepped forward, clearing her throat awkwardly "Bortus, Klyden. I hope you're having a… pleasant evening."

She tried a smile as the two men acknowledged her presence with simultaneous nods.

"I was wondering if I could speak to you, maybe?" she continued when neither spoke.

Bortus and Klyden shared a look. Neither man said anything but they seemed to have an entire conversation with just their eyes. Or maybe it was more of argument because when Klyden stood his manner was even more stiff and cold than the norm for a Moclan.

"Excuse me. I must return to our quarters to care for our son." He stepped aside to offer his chair to her and didn't acknowledge Bortus as he left.

She took a seat, fiddling idly with her fingers on the table top while she watched Bortus take a few more tiny bites. The whole thing with the baby's gender had been a strain on his relationship with Kylden. It didn't help that the whole crew had opinions on what the Moclan couple thought ought to be a private family matter. With everyone taking sides, it only fueled the continuing arguments.

"I had a question or two about… pair-bonding" she said, trying to find a detached, professional-sounding way to sum up dating and love and that shit. "You're one of the few people i know who is in a successful relationship."

If his species was closer to humans physiologically, Bortus would have snorted response to that. Given the current strife in his home unit, Lt Kitan knew fewer functionally mated pairs than she thought. But Bortus just regarded her, patiently waiting for her to speak.

Alara glances around the mess hall, making sure know of the more aurally sensitive crew members were close enough to eavesdrop. If she doesn't ask Bortus now, she will never get the guts to ask anyone ever and will just keep wondering until the wondering starts to distract her from her job. That's wouldn't do at all.

"How do you tell if someone wishes to enter a… romantic partnership with you?" she finally blurts out in a low voice.

"In my species when an individual chooses a mate-" Bortus begins.

"Yes, okay." Alara hurried to interrupt. She knew just enough about Moclan mating rituals to know she didn't want to know anything about their mating rituals. "But what if the usual rituals didn't apply. Like if he is from another culture, or if he couldn't do the usual things to show his interest because of… reasons."

"I am not sure what reasons you mean." Bortus said.

"Well, uh…" Alara groped for a way to explain herself that wouldn't make it completely obvious who she was talking about. "Like if we serve together. Its not considered professional or appropriate for Union members who serve together to get… involved. How can you tell they might be interested if they can't do the usual things to show you?"

Bortus considered this for a moment.

"What evidence makes you suspect the possibility?" he asks.

"Um, well. He's really nice; he's always encouraging me when I'm not sure if I can do something. He thinks its actually cool that I'm stronger than every species on board, but he doesn't make a big deal out of the fact that I'm different from him." Alara was glad Xeleyans don't blush as she spoke warmly on her subject. "And he's always waggling his eyebrows at me when he says something he thinks is funny, like he wants to make sure I'm in on the joke."

"I see. " Bortus was silent for a moment as he considered how to advise his young crew-mate. "Judging by this positive description of him, I take it you would be amenable to mating with the Captain if he approached you?"

"Bortus!" Alara cried, aghast that it was so obvious who she meant and to hear her shameful secret so bluntly stated aloud.

Crushing on her commanding officer? How unprofessional. How cliche! It made her feel exactly the way she hated for people to treat her: like a little girl.

"The traits you listed point to none other than Captain Mercer;" Bortus frowned, he had been sure of his conclusion. "Is he not-?"

She waved him into silence, embarrassed.

"Yeah okay, you're right, just shut up about it, will ya?" Alara sighed and tucked her hair behind her ears. "It doesn't matter who it is because like I said, its against the rules."

It wasn't actually against the rules though. There were regulations, sure, and strict codes of conduct to follow and probably a ton of paperwork to file. But there was no hard-and-fast rule that said shipmates couldn't date. Still, she knew it was no simple matter, particularly between the captain of the entire ship and that ship's youngest officer. It wasn't even an option, and she wasn't really looking for it to be.

She just wanted to know if he wanted it to be. Humans are really expressive and that usually made them pretty easy to read. But they also had the ability to manipulate those expressions, making it pretty easy for them to lie without uttering a word. Add the fact that humans are a gregarious species that loves to flirt with everyone and everything in general... she couldn't figure him out.

Alara was curious, unsure how to read Mercer's behavior towards her. Whether she just had a particularly kind and friendly captain, or a captain who was trying to lowkey shmooze her.

Not that it would change a single thing if she knew. But she wanted to know.