Disclaimer: I don't own Amanda or Sarek -- nor do I profit from them
Special thanks to Beta Notes from the Classroom -- be sure you check out her new story Slips of the Tongue – Chapter 4 is up today.
Heaven
Rows of soft lighting in the gourmet shop made the well-worn wood flooring shine a soft gold. Classical music played soothingly in the background. The shop smelled of wood, exotic spices, cheeses and the red fermented grape juice samples currently being given out in the corner. Sybok tried to tug Sarek in that direction.
"We will buy some for later,"Sarek said.
Sybok radiated satisfaction. Sarek looked down and squeezed his fingers, pleased Sybok enjoyed something so nutritious.
From across the room came a shout. "Sarek!"
Sarek looked up to see Chuck, the middle-aged human manager of the store, come rushing forward, wiping his hands on his white apron. "My only Vulcan customer! Great to see you."
"Good day," said Sarek.
"And who is this little guy?" Chuck asked, kneeling quickly.
"This is my son, Sybok," said Sarek, squeezing Sybok's fingers reassuringly.
Sybok did not need any encouragement; he held out two fingers. Chuck wrapped a large meaty hand around them and shook vigorously. Through the link Sarek felt Sybok's confusion, but he didn't pull away.
Standing up, Chuck said, "Where is Amanda today?"
Amanda had introduced Sarek to this shop several months ago. He always came in her company. If Chuck suspected he and Amanda were a couple, he never said anything. Sarek was coming to realize that many humans could be discreet and respected personal boundaries, too.
"Sybok and I have come on our own..." Sarek said.
...Because it was Amanda's birthday. Sarek wanted to take her out on a date, but T'Lana had gotten sick and now he was trying to prepare something special for Amanda at home.
"We are having a small celebration for Amanda tonight," he said, momentarily looking down at Sybok, "and would appreciate your suggestions for a wine pairing."
"I see," said Chuck. "Well, what are you having for dinner? Anything I'd be familiar with?"
"Actually, I was planning on preparing Thai food," said Sarek. It lent itself to vegan preparation and Amanda liked it.
Chuck scratched his chin. "Champagne goes well with spicy food. I'll pick out a bottle for you."
Chuck disappeared around some shelves and came back with a bottle and a small square purple box, only as wide as Sarek's palm, and five centimeters tall. "Since you were planning on a celebration, why not try these? We've just started selling them. They are amazing."
He opened the box and held it just .25 meters away from Sarek's nose for his inspection. Sarek inhaled...and wished he hadn't.
"New Vosges truffles," Chuck said. "Made according to a two-hundred-year old recipe. This is the Far East Collection..."
Chuck's voice faded away. Sarek's mouth watered; he swallowed. He was dimly aware that he had let go of Sybok's fingers. Sarek had, of course, seen and smelled chocolate before. He'd walked past the candy aisle in the grocery store...and he'd watched desserts go past him on waiters' arms...but the four little brown spheres in the purple box made the distracting smell of cheap candy and butter-laden cake seem like shadows of the real thing.
Sarek was familiar with the fanciful human notion of 'heaven,' and in that moment he was sure that if heaven did exist, it would smell like a box of New Vosges chocolates.
He blinked. The collision of chocolate molecules and his olfactory cells was obviously causing his brain to indulge in wild hyperbole. He wanted to say 'no thank you' to Chuck but found he could not.
He looked up to Chuck's face. Staring over Sarek's shoulder, the human's eyes got wide. "Uh-oh," said Chuck.
Sarek turned his head. Sybok had wandered over to a cheese stand and was putting a large hunk of cheese into his mouth -- wrapper and all. "Excuse me," said Sarek, thankful for the diversion.
"I'll ring this up for you," said Chuck as Sarek strode over to Sybok.
Sarek removed the cheese from Sybok's mouth and immediately got slapped on both sides of the face.
The toddler broadcast Mine, mine, mine, mine....To Sarek's telepathic receptors it was a bellow; fortunately to all the humans in the store it was completely silent. Pulling the toddler's hands from his face, Sarek touched Sybok's temple and broadcast a firm No. Sybok proceeded to jump up and down, his mouth clenched in a firm line. Although small, Sybok weighed much more than a human child. His tiny jumps caused the wine bottles nearby to shake.
Sarek put his hand in full contact with Sybok's psi points and radiated calm. Sybok stopped jumping; his eyes got slightly duller. Sarek sighed inwardly. He'd overpowered Sybok with his own emotions -- between Vulcans the stronger telepath generally could dominate. It was an unsatisfactory solution to the tantrum. It would have been far better to let Sybok work through his anger on his own -- but Sarek could not endanger the property of others.
Picking up Sybok with one arm, he grabbed a bottle of red wine in the hand still holding the cheese and made his way over to the checkout aisle. Placing the cheese and the wine down, Sarek said, "Please add these to my bill."
Chuck picked up the cheese and looked at the row of Vulcan tooth marks. "You don't have to buy this...I have kids; I know --"
"Please add it to my bill," said Sarek.
As he rang up the cheese, Chuck looked at the label and said, "Grass fed, raw milk, twelve-month aged Manchego cheese from Spain. The little guy has taste."
Sarek said dryly, "As a general rule, if it is more than eight credits a kilo, he likes it." He looked hard at his child. Not that he would get any of it. Sarek would not reward this sort of behavior. Sybok put his forehead against Sarek's, obviously trying to 'charm his way out of the doghouse' as Amanda would say.
"What a cute little guy," said Chuck, adding the cheese and wine to the bag of champagne.
Sarek tilted his head and looked pointedly at the human.
He winked at Sarek, "Have a great night."
x x x
The smell of chocolate burned in Sarek's olfactory apparatus as he drove home. It diminished slightly as the day wore on, but it didn't go away. It was only later when Amanda came over that Sarek understood why.
The champagne was not chilled--not because he had forgotten to take it from the bag, but because he was simply too busy trying to simultaneously entertain Sybok and chop vegetables. When Amanda came over, even though it was her birthday, she offered to help -- possibly because she interpreted Sybok's 'chopping' tofu into pieces and letting the slippery chunks slide onto the floor as a sign of Sarek being overwhelmed.
"Would you please put the champagne in the refrigerator?" said Sarek. "It is over there in the brown bag."
Amanda took out the wine bottle, the champagne, the cheese, and then she said, "Ooooo...what is this?"
She pulled a purple box out of the bag. "New Vosges...I think I've read about these..." She opened the box, inhaled with a smile, and said, "Wow, Sarek, thank you!"
Sarek and Sybok both simultaneously stopped their activities as the aroma of chocolate wafted through the kitchen. Sybok began to reach forward.
Observing Sybok's reaction, Amanda's eyes got wide. "Oh, wow," she said, quickly setting the top back on the box and putting it on top of the refrigerator. "Better save these for later."
Sarek licked his lips involuntarily.
x x x
Sarek was cleaning Sybok off in his high chair. Amanda was picking up dishes and trying to stay out of the way.
Sometimes, with Sybok around you could almost have a normal dinner conversation. Sometimes, like tonight, you spent half the meal just trying to keep him entertained, and from throwing all of his food on the floor.
She looked up towards the cupboard. Maybe she'd just help herself to a chocolate? It was her birthday after all…
Opening the cupboard she found the little purple box and took off the lid.
She'd just have one…The darkest one in the corner caught her eye. She read the label on the inside lid: Dark Chocolate Wasabi with Blackened Sesame Seeds. Interesting.
Gently picking up the little dark sphere she inspected it closely, and then put it to her lips and bit it in half. Her eyes went wide. Her neurons sang. It. Was. Heavenly.
She coughed, and then laughed. She'd never actually done heroin, but she was fairly certain that this was pretty close.
"Amanda?" Sarek asked, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," she said. She turned around with a smile, half the truffle still in her hand. "I just tried one of the chocolates and I think that every synapse connected to my taste buds and olfactory cells just went supernova."
She slipped the rest of the truffle into her mouth, closed her eyes and let it slowly disintegrate on her tongue.
Sybok started to fuss. Opening her eyes Amanda said, "Why don't I give him a bath why you finish in here." The words were slightly slurred; the chocolate was still thick in her mouth.
"Thank you," said Sarek straightening. "Sybok and I both would appreciate that."
Amanda went forward and leaned into Sarek and gave him a great big kiss. The lips that met hers were like warm stone…he still couldn't kiss, what's more they never did this in front of Sybok. She pulled back about to apologize when to her surprise he leaned forward, drew her bottom lip into his mouth and sucked.
Sybok started to bang his fists on his tray.
Amanda pulled away reluctantly, winked at Sarek, turned to Sybok and said, "Come on big guy, time for an ocean adventure."
Sybok reached up to her and she felt happiness as his fingers touched her cheeks. He loved bath time, especially with her. Sarek didn't do aquatic animal sound effects like she did. She slung her arms around him and pulled him out of the chair.
Her eyes briefly went to the box of chocolates open on the counter by the sink. And then shifting Sybok to one arm, she grabbed her glass of champagne and went towards the stairs. "Ahoy ye mateys," she said in her best pirate voice. Sybok patted her cheek enthusiastically.
x x x
The bath was filled with toy fish, otters, porpoises, sharks, boats and submarines. Sybok was obsessed with all things aquatic.
Amanda took a last sip of champagne, and then took an otter and let him slide down the sloped side of the tub while she made sound effects. Sybok clapped his hands wildly.
Suddenly the house shook, the water in the tub splashed in miniature tidal waves, and there was a loud pounding from downstairs. For a moment, Amanda thought it was an earthquake, but then she realized the noise was getting closer...fast. Sybok looked up at her with wide eyes. Just as her brain registered that the shaking and the noise was most likely caused by a very heavy someone running up the stairs, probably taking them two at a time -- Sarek burst through the door.
"Sybok, look," Sarek said. He had what looked like a twisted loop of a safety seal to a soy milk bottle in one hand, and a dish soap bottle in the other. "The dish soap is defective; it appears to have too much glycerin in it." He blew on the loop and a perfect soap bubble floated through the air. Sybok didn't smile, but he splashed the water happily.
"That is right, Sybok; soap is a fascinating molecule, is it not? Simultaneously hydrophilic and hydrophobic." Sarek blew a few more bubbles through the ring.
Dipping the little loop into the soap bottle, Sarek reached over Amanda's head and handed the loop to Sybok. The toddler began to blow little bubbles.
Clapping her hands in encouragement, Amanda said, "That-a-way, Sybok."
She felt Sarek lower himself behind her and a hot dry hand go around her hip. She started slightly. He never did things like this around Sybok. Well, it was below the edge of the tub, so Sybok couldn't see...
Another hand brushed the hair away from the back of her neck and suddenly she felt him lean in for a light bite. Eyes wide, she turned to him but he was already standing up and blowing on Sybok's bubbles from below to keep them suspended in the air.
Sybok splashed happily with his feet. Amanda just stared, too dumb-founded to speak.
x x x
Sarek closed the door to Sybok's room. The toddler was finally in bed. Amanda sighed with a smile and went to touch Sarek's fingers.
Sarek responded with a light purr and then looked down at Amanda's empty glass. "I will get more," he said. Striding past Amanda, he took the stairs two at a time and then jumped down the last eight. The house shook again. Her Vulcan looked up at the ceiling. "Rather fragile construction."
"Sarek, what are you doing?" Amanda asked, coming down the stairs behind him.
He blinked at her. "More haste...less speed," he said.
Before Amanda had a chance to digest that, Sybok started to cry, obviously disturbed by the noise. Handing her empty glass to Sarek, she said, "I'll take care of Sybok." She didn't want him to cause another mini-earthquake on the stairs.
When she came back down, Sarek was in the kitchen. He pressed a glass of champagne into her hand.
"Thank you," Amanda said with a sip. "I think I might have one of those chocolates now."
Sarek opened his mouth. There was a small dark brown sphere on his tongue.
"Oh," said Amanda. Hadn't he told her that for adult Vulcans chocolate could be intoxicating? Suddenly his behavior made sense.
A warm Vulcan arm shot around her waist and pulled her in close. Sarek dropped his lips to hers and pressed the ball of chocolate into her mouth. Amanda's eyes got wide, but she accepted the truffle, rolling it around on her tongue to savor it.
"Give it back," whispered Sarek.
Oh. Well, that was kind of a sexy game and fit their above the shoulders rule.
"Now," said Sarek.
She pressed her lips to his and slipped the truffle forward on her tongue; he sucked it into his mouth greedily, pulled away, eyes heavy on hers, and pressed his body closer. She gasped a little, feeling his arousal hard against her stomach -- usually he tried to keep that on 'lock down.'
She didn't have time to think about it more than an instant because his lips came back to hers again and he slipped the truffle into her mouth. They did this until the truffle dissolved into nothing more than a thick, slippery liquid -- and then they licked the remains off each other's lips.
"Mmmm..." said Amanda, pulling away with a smile. "Let's have some more."
"That was the last one," whispered Sarek.
"What?" Amanda said, pulling back.
As her mouth opened, Sarek leaned forward and nipped and sucked her lower lip. He still couldn't really kiss. His hands went to either side of her head, his chest vibrated against hers, and she heard his purr in her ears. And then she felt something heavy in her mind.
Amanda?
She felt a warm wave of contentment come over her, want, and the emotion that made her vision go black.
Sarek...
Happiness burned in her mind, brighter than a star.
There was some part of her mind that registered that his fingers were on all her psi points now. But it felt so good...he was in her mind...he always dropped the link when this happened. She didn't want him to go...she felt so warm...so complete..
He was pulling away...This is not a good idea, Amanda. There are things we should discuss...
The words were slow, though; she could feel him struggling. He liked it here, in her...in them?
Amanda...I belong here.
And suddenly she saw herself sitting next to Sybok as he took his bath through Sarek's eyes. They were family, the three of them...or could be. The image was glowing, like a child's vision of Christmas morning...
I know, I know, Sarek...
My control is weak, Amanda...I...
The feeling was too beautiful to give up just like that. Don't go, Sarek, don't go, don't go...
Her legs started to shake; one hand left her temple and then she felt herself lifting, no being lifted. Felt legs slip around her waist, no felt herself wrapping her legs around his waist, and then they were sinking gently to the floor.
She wanted him so much, and not just physically, although now she ached to feel him inside her, and could feel his corresponding desire to fill her...
It is forever, Amanda...I should go...I...
She felt the deepest well of sorrow at this prospect. Her sorrow? His? Theirs? There was a tiny part of her mind, a slight spark that reminded her she was being overwhelmed by him, and he was not himself...and another part of her that just wanted to give him everything. She was tired of dancing around what he really needed, what they needed...
Sarek, I want forever now...
A/N:
This chapter has changed from the original. A few reviewers I respect a great deal wrote in to say I really needed to show how the chocolate got from the box, into Sarek's mouth. I think its clear now Amanda's *innocent* chocolately kiss pushed him over the edge. Thanks to S. for that idea, it was great!
Uh-oh. If you were mildly entertained please hit that review button...reviews are the only way fanfic authors and their hardworking betas get paid.
P.S. Vosges are a Chicago specialty chocolate. They. Are. Heavenly. And really expensive, but I highly recommend them.