~ is internal speech
bold is symbiote speaking with symbiote voice
A/N: Lia Sullhach: Thank you. Yes, they could get double-tickling in stomach :)
Denver, April 14th 2000 (Friday)
Martouf and Lantash had gotten everything ready. They had put the food in the oven, so the quail could roast slowly with the the potatoes and tubers, and then they had taken a quick shower and put on clean clothes - the choice of which they had spent quite some time debating.
They had just checked on the food in the oven when the door bell rang.
~Samantha is here! Help!~
~I will control out nervousness. Just go and open the door. All will be well.~ Lantash assured him, as much to reassure himself as Martouf.
~Please do. I can feel both my own and your nervousness! It's... distracting.~
~Sorry.~
Martouf swallowed and smooted a crease in his shirt, then went to open the door. Outside stood Samantha, smiling.
"Hi, Martouf. Can I come in?"
"Of course." He stepped aside, smiling at her. "Welcome, Samantha." He closed the door after her. ~Should I kiss her?~
~I...am not sure. Better not. I don't know how the local rules are on that. We should wait for her to make the first move.~
~All right. Agreed.~
Sam put down a bag and handed him a bottle. "I brought you some wine."
"Thank you. We can drink it tonight, if you want to? Otherwise I have bought some as well."
Sam nodded, and took off her coat. "Can I put this somewhere?"
Martouf spent a moment just starting at her. She wore a figure-hugging black dress, which reached down to just below her knees. On her feet she wore a pair of black shoes with low heels.
~She looks fantastic! I did not know Samantha ever wore dresses!~
~She should definitely do that more! Not that those jeans she wore last Saturday weren't attractive on her. They were, but this!~
Sam blushed a little at their scrutiny, which Lantash noticed. ~Martouf! You're making her uncomfortable!~
"Uh, yes..." Martouf put down the bottle of wine on a table and took the coat. "Sorry, Samantha. I apologize for my behaviour. You look beautiful!"
"Thanks." Sam said. "I don't usually wear dresses, but sometimes it's nice to do so. I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all!" Martouf quickly assured her, as he put her coat on a hanger and hung it in the closet in the hallway. "Would you like something to drink?"
"Sure, I'd like a glass of wine." Sam said, following Martouf. "I like your apartment. It reminds me a bit of the one I shared with a friend when I studied at the university."
Martouf smiled wryly. "I guess it looks like something a student would live in. It is not much different from the other few apartments I have seen, which are occupied by student. For a Tok'ra, this is actually very large and with a lot of furniture and extra stuff."
Sam nodded. "I know... and I meant it when I said it was nice. I don't really like the fancy designer places some people have."
"That is fortunate for me, then." Martouf fetched the bottle of wine Sam had brought. "Would you like a glass of this?"
"Yes, thank you."
Martouf picked up the wine glasses from the table he had set, and opened the bottle. He poured a glass for them both. "Here you go, Samantha."
"Thanks." She looked around. "The table looks very nice - and it smells good from the kitchen. What are we having?"
"A salad first, and then honey-glaced quail with some herbs - and fruit compote for dessert." Martouf told her, looking a bit nervous. "We hope you will like it."
"Wow. I'm sure I will." Sam smiled. She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss.
Martouf smiled widely - surprised, and very pleased. "Sit down at the table if you want, then I'll go take care of a few things in the kitchen, and then we can eat."
"If you don't mind, I'd like to see the rest of your apartment?" Sam asked.
"You are very welcome to do so." Martouf said. He got a distant expression. "Lantash reminds me to go and lock the door so he can be in control part of the time as well - and talk without having to use my voice - without risking anyone coming in here and hearing him."
"Of course. I'd like that." Sam frowned. "Will anyone likely just walk in?"
"I doubt that, but as Lantash points out, it is not worth the risk having anyone become suspicious in any way."
Sam nodded. "He's right. Go lock the door so I can talk to both of you."
"I will." Martouf reached out and squeezed her hand quickly, before going to take care of the door.
"Dinner is served." Lantash said, carrying the breadbasket to the table.
"It looks delicious, thanks!" Sam smiled at him and sat down.
"First course - a salad and home baked bread." Lantash said. "There are prawns in the salad, and we read that you're supposed to drink white wine with fish and seafood. Would you like some white wine?"
Sam laughed. "I've never been big on those rules, but yeah, sure. I'd like some wine." She hesitated. "Um, before I go ahead and drink a lot... you know you're not supposed to drive when you're drunk..."
"Yes?"
"I kind of brought a bag with some clothes and stuff, and I thought... well, if you have a place I can stay tonight, just the couch or something, then..."
"Samantha, you are always very welcome to stay here. Martouf and I would be happy to have you here. And don't worry, we're not assuming you mean anything but sleep here, don't worry."
Sam smiled. "Thanks - then yes, I'd like some wine."
Lantash nodded and poured for them both, then sat down across from her. "Bread?" He held out the basket.
"Yes, thanks." Sam took some, and put a thin layer of butter on the still warm bread. "Mm, home made bread. I love that, I just never get to make it." She took a bite, then another. "Wow, that's really good!"
"Thank you, Samantha." Lantash smiled. "One of my previous hosts had a lot of experience cooking and baking, but he did not have this type of kitchen apparatuses that you have on this planet."
They ate while talking about this and that. Martouf and Lantash took turns being in control, and really enjoyed that Lantash did not have to hide, and also did not have to mask his voice.
When they had finished the salad - which had been very good - it was time for the main course.
"I hope you will like this dish," Martouf said, placing the large platter on the table. "The fowl... the quail, is not exactly like the one we use normally, but Lantash and I believe it is an acceptable replacement."
"Don't worry, Martouf. It looks delicious. I'm sure it will be good." Sam smiled at him. "There is certainly a lot of food!"
Martouf placed one of the roasted quail on Sam's plate, along with potatoes, mushrooms, and some gravy. "There is not a lot of meat on these birds, but I guess we may have overestimated how much food was needed." He smiled sheepishly.
"Well, I guess that's better than too little."
He served himself, then poured red wine in their glasses, before both began to eat.
~She seems to like it.~ Lantash observed.
~She does.~ Martouf admitted, relieved.
Sam very much liked the food. "It's really delicious. You had no reason to worry!"
They slowly ate dinner, then finished with some dessert. After that, they went to sit in the couch, with a glass of wine each.
Lantash, who now had control, put the wine bottle on the floor beside the couch. "Cheers, Samantha. Martouf and I are very happy to have you here."
"Thanks - and cheers!" Sam clinked her glass against his, and they drank.
"Would you... like to watch a movie, perhaps?" Lantash suggested, unsure how exactly he was supposed to behave on a Tau'ri date.
"Well, maybe something where I don't need to think to much!" Sam laughed. She was a little drunk, and very happy. "You know - a comedy or some sort of action movie. Actually, I'm intrigued by the idea of getting asked that by an alien! I mean, this all seems so... Earth, and it's strange to be sitting here with you, in such a situation." She smiled. "Strange but wonderful."
"I will agree that the situation is... different." Lantash said with a twinkle in his eyes. "We do not have a lot of movies, nor do we know a lot of the different genres. We have bought... an assortment."
"Well, suggest something."
"Hm, science fiction?"
Sam laughed. "Absolutely. What do you have?"
Lantash went to check in the rack where they stored their movies. He picked out two they had not seen yet. "What about one of these? We have not seen either of them yet."
"I probably haven't either. I don't watch a lot of movies. Actually, mostly only for team night. I spend most of my time working at the base." She said, sheepishly.
Lantash held out the two movies for her. "Here."
"Thanks." She reached out to take the movies, and in doing so their hands touched. They looked into each others eyes for a moment, and she smiled at him and drew back her hand slowly. She looked down at the covers of the movies. "The Matrix." She looked at the other. "Galaxy Quest."
"Which one would you like to watch?" Lantash asked.
"Hm. I've heard about 'The Matrix'. It's supposedly good. Galaxy Quest is apparently a parody of Star Trek. I watched some reruns of that as a kid. Star Trek, that is." She grinned. "Let's watch 'Galaxy Quest'. We can watch 'The Matrix' together some other time, if you want to?"
Lantash nodded. "That would be most agreeable."
"Have you watched any episodes of any of the Star Trek series?" Sam asked.
"A few, yes. It took us a while to realize it was fiction." Lantash admitted.
Sam laughed. "Don't worry. I guess it's a bit weird to someone who isn't from Earth. Did you know that Teal'c thought Star Wars was real at first?"
Lantash smiled. "I did not. He only told me to watch the movie."
"Yeah, he wouldn't tell the other, I am sure!" Sam grinned again.
Lantash popped the movie in the videoplayer and started it and the television. "Do you want any sort of snack?"
"No, I'm full!"
Lantash nodded. "I have observed that humans often like to have snacks available when they are watching movies."
"That's true. I'd like some more wine, though." She held out her glass, smiling.
He poured some for her and sat down beside her. "There is more in the bottle, and we have two more bottles. As well, we have beers, 'coolers', and several bottles of various kinds of liquor."
Sam giggled, clinking her glass to his. "Are you trying to get me drunk, mister?"
Lantash raised an eyebrow. "I believe you have already accomplished that yourself."
Sam gave him an affectionate push. "I guess so! Anyway, it's a good thing I don't have to drive home tonight!"
"Very." Lantash smiled at her, then leaned back in the couch as the movie began.
Sam sat back beside him, then shuffled closer. She took a drink from her wine and leaned against him. "Do you mind? It's much nicer like this."
"I don't mind at all." He put an arm around her, and like that they started watching the movie.
