Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed!

I awoke to the now-familiar smell of plomeek broth on Monday morning, and I slipped out of bed and turned off my alarm before it could sound, disarming it with the click of a button. I rubbed my eyes and retreated to the bathroom to take a quick shower and get dressed, pulling a suitable outfit out of my drawers as I stumbled across the room.

The vibration of the sonics washed over me, cleansing my skin and hair as I stared blankly at the controls on the wall. My thoughts drifted unbidden to the first morning I had used these sonics, how Soval had to come rescue me, how he had seen me in nothing but a towel...

I quickly turned that thought off and worked the cleansers through my hair, knowing my roommate would likely become concerned if I lingered in here too long. By the smell of it, he already had breakfast prepared, so I had best go eat what he had made and get on with my day.

Soval turned and nodded to me as I emerged from my rooms, his brown eyes glinting with some unreadable expression. "I hope your rest was restorative, Genevieve," he said softly in greeting, setting a bowl of plomeek and a cup of tea in front of me.

"Yeah, I slept alright," I replied, eagerly digging into my breakfast. He made himself his own bowl and joined me at the table. "And you? How'd you sleep?"

"My rest was adequate," he replied evenly. A minute passed in silence before he spoke again. "Do you have any plans this evening?"

I shook my head and put down my spoon. "Not that I know of. Why do you ask?"

He fixed his amber stare on me and raised a slate-gray eyebrow. "I ask because I would appreciate it greatly if you would accompany me to dinner this evening. It has been far too long since I have treated you to a night out, and if you are agreeable to it, I have a destination in mind."

"Oh," I said, and my face immediately flushed."That sounds really nice," I continued, smiling at him. "Um...would this be casual dress or something more formal?"

"More formal," he clarified, his voice a gentle purr. "Do you have the proper attire, or shall I have something picked up for you?"

"I've got something I'm sure will work." I drained the rest of my soup and set the bowl aside, holding the teacup in my hands. "Thank you though, for asking. And thank you for doing this...it'll give me something to look forward to today."

His expression was soft as he stared at me. "I am pleased this arrangement is agreeable to you," he replied, and I smiled into my tea.

…

I came home that afternoon to empty quarters, but judging by the hour, Soval was still at work. Now would be the best time to shower and pick out my outfit so we could go soon after the ambassador was done for the day.

I quickly cleansed myself in the sonic shower, and rifled through my closet for the outfit I had in mind. My fingers found the chiffon skirt before my eyes did, and I pulled the dusky purple dress into the light, contemplating its formality. I had worn it to Max's wedding the summer before I started college, and I was sure I had a simple gold locket that would go fine with it.

I heard the front door open and quickly threw on a t-shirt and sweats, and I opened the door to my room with dress in hand just as Soval was raising his hand to knock.

"Hey!" I greeted with a warm smile. I held the dress up to my body. "Thoughts?"

He raised an eyebrow in contemplation, and his hand smoothed the chiffon skirt. "That should be acceptable. I have no objection to it."

I smiled in relief. "Well, let's hope it still fits."

He smirked slightly, his eyes flicking up and down my frame. "You've perhaps grown since last wearing this garment?"

"Sideways, maybe. Wish me luck."

He shook his head. "That is illogical, Genevieve. Either this dress fits your body as it stands now, or we will find a suitable alternative."

I simply shrugged, too excited and nervous to argue with him. "We'll see. Gimme a sec."

I hastily retreated and pulled off my casual clothes, and I soon had the dress mostly on (and some leggings to go with it, since the weather was still rather cold). There was still the back zipper to contend with, and I had taken it up as far as I could on my own.

I exited to see my roommate waiting patiently for the results, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Could you help me with the zipper?" I asked, and he immediately nodded, striding forward to assist me. I turned away and pulled my hair up, and tried hard not to shiver as his warm fingers brushed my upper back. The zipper seemed to close with no issue, and I felt his hands stroking down the back of the dress, perhaps to smooth it. Either way, I got the impression that he was lingering the moment, and the thought made my heart race.

"It appears your worries were unfounded, Genevieve. The dress fits and flatters your figure. I am...I find myself rather partial to the color especially."

"Your favorite color?" I guessed, genuinely curious. I turned around to face him.

"Not my favorite," he replied, and his gaze lingered darkly on my dress. "But Vulcan wedding gowns are often this color." He breathed in slowly, his eyes suddenly flicking up to meet mine. "It suits you, Genevieve."

His words and the intensity of his gaze made my cheeks flush, and I couldn't think for a moment. "Thank you," I whispered once my brain started working again. "I'm glad you like it."

He bowed his head ever so slightly, a gentle smirk playing across his lips, and I watched him retreat to his room, presumably to get dressed. As he got ready, I quickly put on my shoes, found a jacket that looked appropriately formal, and fetched the locket I had in mind to wear with this dress. My credit chip and ID went into my clutch, and I waited in the living room for Soval to emerge.

He was still adjusting his sleeves as he came out of his room, but my eyes couldn't help but trail down his body, drinking in the sight of him. His robes were a deep slate gray, with metallic purple detailing on the collar and cuffs. His overrobe was a familiar silver affair with a dark bronze lining, and I tilted my head in appreciation, my gaze drifting to the work of his hands.

"Are you ready to go, Genevieve?" he asked, drawing me out of my thoughts. My cheeks flushed despite myself, and I stared at him with a smile that I hoped didn't look too nervous.

"Almost," I replied, and held up my necklace. "Could you help me with this?"

He nodded and stepped forward to assist me again, his warm hands deftly taking the necklace from me. I held my hair out of his way, and the cold metal of the chain slipped around my neck. I could hear him breathing steadily as he fastened the clasp, and I could feel the gentlest gusts of his breath on my skin. I closed my eyes tight, taking a deep breath of my own, and before I could contemplate the sensations too much, the chain was fastened and he stepped away.

"Shall we, then?"

I nodded eagerly and followed him out the door, hoping I wouldn't make an absolute fool of myself tonight.

…

We ended up taking a flitter over the Bay as the sun sunk towards the horizon, and I looked out over the water with a soft smile.

"So..." I started, glancing over at him. He took his eyes off the dash and looked at me with an open expression. "Why are Vulcan wedding gowns purple?"

He blinked, then glanced back at the control panel. "Our sky is purple at the hour of dawn, so we associate the color with purpose, with new beginnings, with renewal...the hue is soothing to our eyes, which is why so many of our spaces are decorated with it. But in the context of our wedding gowns, it is meant to represent new beginnings with one's mate, a new life built together...two souls becoming one."

"Wow," I breathed, a gentle smile creeping over my lips. "That's so beautiful, Soval! I never knew...that's so much nicer than our tradition, at least in this part of the world..."

"What is your tradition? I understand your wedding gowns are white, but why?"

I sighed. "White in this context is meant to represent purity, more specifically virginity. An outdated and, in many views, sexist tradition, considering only the bride was the one in that color."

Soval frowned at me. "You are implying that only the woman was expected to be pure?"

"Precisely. Men were expected to be chaste in some religious circles, but even among those, the man's transgressions – in this case, sex before marriage – was seen as far less egregious than if a woman were to do the same."

My roommate nodded in apparent understanding. "I can see why some would find the tradition distasteful. On my world, white is seen as the color of mourning, of passing from this life into what lies beyond. So I must admit I found the first holoimages of weddings to be quite odd."

"Oh wow." I snorted, trying to hold back a laugh. "I can only imagine how strange that must have looked to you...the bride smiling there in funeral colors..." I shook my head. "Other parts of the world have far different traditions, but I'm not as familiar with those. I know in some Asian countries, brides wear red, and it's seen as a symbol of good luck, I think? Honestly, even that sounds better than our customs."

He quirked an eyebrow at me, then tapped in the landing procedures, as it seemed we had finally reached our destination.

We landed outside an ornately decorated building overlooking the water, and Soval had taken off his seatbelt and headed to my door before I could even gather my things. I took off my seatbelt just as he opened my door and offered me his hand, and I took his offer with a smile.

"Thank you," I whispered, straightening my dress. He smirked and closed the door behind me, locking the flitter as he led me into the restaurant.

The interior was dark, with ebony wood panels on the walls and black marble floors. Flickering candles lit every tabletop and chandeliers cast a faint glow over the space, but the maitre d', upon taking Soval's name, led us to the patio outside, which was far more open and light. The ebony wood paneling continued out here, but they were arranged more like a trellis, allowing plenty of evening light to filter in between the slats and the climbing vines. We were seated at a table right by the railing, so that nothing was between us and the view of the Bay.

"This is beautiful," I whispered after the waitress took our drink orders and wandered away. Soval's dark eyes focused on me from across the table, the light of the candles reflecting in his irises. "Thank you for this...it's nice to get a night out every once and a while."

I could have sworn I could see the shadow of a smile on his lips. "I am pleased that you find this agreeable. The view is aesthetically pleasing, and I find the atmosphere tranquil."

I glanced around at our fellow patrons, and even for a Monday night, it seemed busier than it should be. A few groups were seated at larger tables, but most of the patrons were couples or groups of three or four. The tables were spaced in a way that we could hold a normal conversation without worrying about our neighbors overhearing us, and the music trickling out of the speakers overhead was unassuming and faded easily into the background.

"Busy for a Monday," I commented offhandedly, glancing over the menu. "It's not a three-day weekend, or else I wouldn't have had school today."

"There is no federal holiday today, no," my companion replied, his eyes fixed on his menu. "This establishment is highly rated, which is why I wished to take you here."

His eyes met mine, and I stared at him, my expression softening as I smiled. "You're so sweet to me," I whispered, knowing he would hear it, and he smirked down at his menu.

"In any case, I do not believe you have any major holidays for many months."

I nodded. "Yeah, not the kind that get you out of class, anyway. Next up is...Valentine's Day? Gosh, is it that time already? Time flies..." I sighed and focused my attention on the menu, actually taking in the words on the page. The red beans and rice looked rather good, but I also eyed the falafel dish on the next page. I glanced up at Soval. "What looks good to you?"

"I believe I will have the vegetarian chili," he said, and he set aside his menu. "And you?"

"I think I'll go with the falafel," I decided, and also set aside my menu. "So yeah, Valentine's Day is up next, then St. Patrick's Day...but we won't get a day off from school until Spring Break...then First Contact Day." I smiled at him. "How many years have we been allies?"

He smirked. "April will mark the eighty-sixth year of our alliance, Genevieve."

I nodded in thanks. "Do you have any plans for First Contact Day? I'm sure my government is doing some sort of ceremony for this...I imagine they'll be wanting you to make an appearance."

"Indeed. There is a full day of appearances to be made on that day. Press conferences and interviews in the morning, a luncheon with the admiralty at Starfleet, and a dinner reception with Earth's Senate. It will be quite an eventful day, but nothing I have not done before. The interview portion should at least be more interesting, considering how close our alliance has grown this past year."

I frowned. "So I shouldn't expect you at all that day, then? That's a shame..."

"I was actually hoping you would be my guest at the reception, if not at the luncheon as well. The admiralty is allowed to bring spouses, so why can I not bring my exchange partner?"

For a few moments, I was stunned into silence, my heart thundering in my chest as I tried to gather my thoughts. I was saved by the waitress coming by to take our order, and I made no complaint about Soval ordering on my behalf as I still attempted to not jump to conclusions on this invitation. He just wanted a plus one and was in no way implying that I fit into the same category as a spouse to him, because that would be ludicrous. And yet I could not help but draw that parallel. I decided firmly to think nothing of it and let the situation be.

"I'd be honored to go with you," I said with a smile once the waitress retreated again. "If they'll allow it, anyway..."

His lips twitched upward, and he bowed his head. "I am certain they will. After all, this exchange is meant to deepen our alliance, strengthen our friendships...you and I are a living embodiment of our alliance. And, if I have any influence as ambassador, I will make certain you are welcome with me."

I could feel my face flushing again, but I nodded in appreciation, adjusting the napkin in my lap. "It honestly feels more appropriate that I be there anyway, all things considered. Also, while we're on the subject of future plans, are you..." My face fell as I considered our differing schedules. "Nevermind, you probably have to work."

"What were you going to ask?"

"I was going to ask if you had plans for Spring Break, and if you didn't, if you wanted to perhaps go somewhere with me? Or make some plans for that week since I won't have school? But I imagine you'll have to work, so the point is moot."

He considered me over the candlelight, his dark eyes trailing slowly over my face. "Genevieve...I am not sure if you understand that while I am in this exchange, my work schedule is somewhat flexible. If I asked the High Command to take a week away from work, especially to spend time with you, I doubt they would have any objection. Is there a certain place you would like to go?"

I blinked in surprise, and pondered his statement. I knew enough about Vulcans to know that they rarely took time off for anything, much less an entire week of vacation. But apparently the High Command had no objection to Soval taking a break from his duties, and all to spend time with me. I filed the thought away, determined to think more on it later.

"I didn't have a particular destination in mind, but I...I kind of want to go hiking at some point? Or just...I'd like to be out of the city for a while. I think you and I could both benefit from some time out in nature, don't you think?"

"I think," he murmured, "that any destination we choose will be agreeable. It has been quite a long time since I have taken any sort of trip with the express purpose of spending time with another...but I believe I will find this experience...pleasant." His eyes, which had been focused on the candle as he spoke, flicked upward to meet my gaze, and I shivered involuntarily. "I will consider possible destinations for us, and you can do the same. We can discuss the matter at a later date and make our plans from there."

I nodded in agreement, and thanks, and stared deep into the candlelight, wondering just where these next few months would take me.