Chapter Eleven

Zuria had been in several relationships in her time; none of them, however, were even comparable to the one she had just begun with Spock; of course, this stemmed partially from the fact that he was a Vulcan, but extended further than that. His touch was infinitely more intoxicating than that of any human man, and his company was vastly more stimulating. Truth be told, Zuria could not remember ever connecting with anyone the way that she did with him; that, though, did not say much, considering she had never been a people person the way that, for example, her roommate was.

Tonight, however, was a landmark event; Spock and Zuria's first official date.

"I believe that there is a tradition between mates that we have thus far failed to observe." He'd pointed out to her.

"Really? And what might that be?" She had asked.

"We have not yet ventured on what humans call a date."

She only then noticed that this was true. After almost two months of being together, they had still not gone on an official date, usually meeting in his office instead. She hadn't exactly felt that it was necessary for them to go on a date; in fact, she'd almost forgotten that they existed. But, of course, she had agreed to his suggestion.

She now stood before a mirror, smoothing out the wrinkles in her uniform; they had decided that it would be best if they wore them on the date, as others would be less likely to suspect their true purpose for meeting each other, were anyone to intrude upon their evening. Zuria couldn't say that she minded remaining in uniform; it eliminated the stress that may have come with selecting an outfit. She picked up her brush, running it once through her hair. She had already put on a small amount of make-up, that being mascara and the smallest amount of eyeliner. Exhaling, she turned from the mirror; she was ready.

She left the room (surprisingly) without a second glance from Pallania. The uniform idea was already working.

She arrived at Spock's apartment several minutes later, knocking on the door. It slid open, revealing him. He stood aside, allowing her to enter. Once the door closed, she lifted her head, pressing her mouth briefly against his in greeting.

"You look lovely, Zuria." He complimented, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I really don't look any different than I normally do." She told him, smiling.

"I am aware." He replied. She gave a small chuckle, kissing his cheek. It was only after their exchange that she truly looked about the room. The lights were dimmed significantly, and the air was thick with the heady scent of spices. Stepping in further, she saw that several candles sat on his dining table along with various plates of food.

"Wow. You really went all out, didn't you?" She questioned. "Candles and everything."

"I believe that they contribute significantly to the atmosphere." He responded.

"They most certainly do." She agreed, allowing her eyes to close momentarily. This was perfect; for most first dates, this would seem overwhelmingly intimate, but, as their relationship had been different (to say the least), Zuria welcomed it.

Taking her hand, Spock led her to the table, pulling her chair out for her. She sat, her hands resting in her lap as he took his place in front of her.

"More Vulcan food?" She asked, her eyes traveling over the table, finally meeting his gaze.

"Yes." He confirmed. "Your response to the dishes that I have prepared in the past convinced me to prepare more."

"I thought when you said that you wanted to go on a date that you meant we'd be going to some restaurant." She began. "I'm glad that's not the case."

"And why is that?"

"I've never been in a relationship with a man that could cook. It's… impressive, to say the least." She said, grinning.

"Then I have succeeded in my endeavor." He returned, his lips curving slightly upwards. She gave a small laugh, watching curiously as he poured what appeared to be Vulcan wine into her glass.

"I wasn't aware that you drank alcohol."

"I cannot say that I consume much of it; Vulcans are unaffected by alcohol." He informed her, setting the bottle down.

"Oh, right." She confirmed, recalling a statement that Bones had made once about Vulcans and their lack of response to what he preferred to call "booze."

The conversation came to a temporary halt as Spock filled both of their plates. Zuria took a sip of the wine, closing her eyes briefly as she did so, savoring the spicy taste of the drink.

The first bite of food brought equal enjoyment; everything was composed of such a complex, tantalizing mix of flavors. Spock seemed to enjoy spoiling her as such; she knew that it was because he had chosen her, and she was well aware that Vulcans did not take any decision lightly, especially when it came choosing a mate. This made her feel incredibly special; more so than she thought she deserved to feel.

"Is cooking a traditional Vulcan way of showing affection for someone?" Zuria questioned; though she was quite familiar with other aspects of Vulcan culture, she had been learning from Spock what the romantic customs were.

"No, it is not," He replied, looking away briefly. "But it was a way that my father showed affection to my mother."

"I'm s-"

"Do not apologize, Zuria." He interrupted. "It is unnecessary. I am positive, however, that my mother would have been incredibly fond of you."

"I would have loved to meet her." She said, taking his hand and pressing it to her lips. The conversation ended there, and they were quick to bring up other matters; things such as friends and work seemed to be the topics of choice.

As the meal drew to a close, however, Zuria felt the casual indifference of such discussions fade away, leaving her with a strengthening sense of desire welling up within her core. She felt almost embarrassed for having the thoughts that traveled through her mind; they all seemed as though they belonged in Pallania's mind, not hers.

"Are you well?" Spock inquired, raising an eyebrow. His temporary concern led her to the discovery that her hands had clenched roughly onto the table.

"Yes," She assured, releasing her grip. "I'm fine."

He asked no further questions about her state of being. Zuria moved as though she were going to assist in cleaning, but Spock stopped her.

"Please, allow me to do the cleaning."

"I don't have a problem with helping you, Spock." She told him, holding her plate in her hands.

"I insist that you relax whilst I clean. I will be back shortly." He said, gently pulling the plate from her hands and stacking on top of several other plates, disappearing into the kitchen with them. Zuria made her way to the couch, sitting. She would have to get back at Pallania someday for filling her head with such thoughts as the ones that were present at the time.

Two and a half years, she thought. It had been two and a half years since she'd felt this way, and hardly to the same magnitude as now. She was almost ashamed to have these desires, as she was unsure how Spock would respond to them.

"Was the meal satisfactory?" He asked, joining her at last on the couch.

"Incredibly so." She replied, smiling. She leaned in to him, pressing her mouth against his. He was quick to respond, his lips parting, his tongue seeking out hers. She could taste the wine in his kiss. She wrapped her arms around him, giving a soft sigh as his hand brushed against her cheek.

He pulled away several moments later, holding her face in his hands.

"I have observed a change in your behavior this evening." He informed her, causing her stomach to flip.

"Really? What kind of change?" She inquired, pressing a kiss against his ear.

"You have become sexually aroused." He stated in a low voice. She pulled back, her gaze meeting his.

"And you?" She questioned, her heart pounding loud enough for him to hear.

"I cannot deny that I am equally aroused." He said. Relief washed over her, and she moved to kiss him again, but he held her face still. "But I do not want to engage in any such activity unless you are certain that it is what you desire."

"Spock, I've never wanted this more than I do now, with you." She promised, flushing lightly. She couldn't make herself say the words.

"Then we have the same sentiments." He informed her, accepting her statement. Grinning, she brought her lips to his again. Through their kiss, he pulled her onto his lap, then lifting her and standing. He carried her into his room as though she weighed almost nothing, setting her down upon his neatly made bed. She kicked her boots off, letting them fall to the floor. Spock assisted her in removing her uniform, which were quick to join her boots. He said nothing for a few moments, his eyes wandering over her now barely clad figure.

"I didn't think that you'd want to examine me like this." She commented, chuckling.

"I may not be entirely human, Zuria, but as I am sure you are fully aware, I am male. The interest in a woman's physical body is a shared trait between Vulcans and humans." He told her, looking away briefly. "If you do not wish to-"

"Spock," She cut in, pulling him to her by his uniform. "We should refrain from speech at this time." She suggested, teasing him only a little. The corners of his mouth turned slightly upwards for several seconds. He lowered his lips to hers once more before responding:

"I have no desire to disagree."

Hey guys!

Okay, so let me start off by apologizing: I'm so sorry. I've had this chapter done for a while now, but my computer had this weird problem that made it so I couldn't connect to the internet. I had to wait for my uncle to come visit for it to get fixed. I'm not sure if the solution will hold up, but I sincerely hope that it does. Hopefully, however, this chapter made up for the wait. I'm working on the next one now, and I'm thinking that it'll be up either tomorrow or Friday.

Thank you for your patience! As always, reviews are welcomed. I love hearing your feedback- it helps me a lot.

Thanks,

Harley