Alisha and Azima

x

Alisha hesitated before the coffee shop, wondering what the hell she was doing. There was literally no reason she needed to follow through on that ridiculous resolution, made while she was obviously intoxicated. The fact that Andrea had managed to get Tex into the sack within twenty-four hours - and that Andrea and Kara now had a side-bet going about whether Alisha and Sasha would be next - meant nothing. The fact was, Andrea was obviously ready to move on or she wouldn't have suggested sex in the first place. Well, perhaps not move on given that her relationship with Tex was of the friends with benefits variety, but ready to move past that initial stage of grief when even the thought of sleeping with someone else felt like cheating. Alisha just wasn't there yet.

Except, if she was honest with herself, Alisha was ready to move on, and not just in a friends-with-benefits kind of way. She had loved Sarah with her entire being and been devastated when she learned that Sarah was dead. But as the months slid by and the pain began to subside, Alisha also realized something critical.

She didn't want to spend the rest of her life alone.

She, fundamentally, wanted what Danny and Kara had found. It wasn't perfect. In fact, there were times when Alisha wondered if the two would even be together right now if the cruise to the Arctic had been any other cruise. But whether or not they were soulmates or just the person they happened to be with when the world went to hell, when everything fell apart, they had each other, and Alisha wanted that. She even knew who she wanted that with.

She just wasn't sure that Azima wanted that kind of relationship.

Which, Alisha supposed, was why she was currently standing in front of the coffee shop she happened to know Azima frequented because they ran into each other here at least twice a week. Because Alisha was pretty certain that Azima would be up for some no-strings-attached sex. Over the five months since Azima arrived in St. Louis to assist the distribution teams, Alisha was aware that Azima had been involved with at least two other women on a casual basis and all of them had come through without any apparent strife. Alisha wasn't sure, however, that Azima was interested in more that sex. And that, at core, was the problem. Because, after losing Sarah to the virus and being betrayed so horrifically by her mother, Alisha wasn't sure how much more heartbreak she could handle if she ended up liking Azima far more than Azima liked her.

Decision made - damn Kara and Andrea - Alisha turned to go, running smack into the very woman she had been thinking about. Both women blinked, Azima the first to react. "Commander Granderson. I did not realize it was you."

"Alisha, please," Alisha replied, the words rote. "I was just leaving."

Azima glanced down, clearly taking in Alisha's empty hands. "Have they run out of chai?"

Alisha blinked, then blinked again, before blurting. "You know what I drink?"

"Of course," Azima replied, as though the question was absurd. Yet Alisha was pretty sure that, other than Kara, nobody knew that she preferred tea to coffee. Even Danny, who lived with Kara and therefore had been informed on multiple occasions that there was a container of tea bags in their kitchen specifically for Alisha, frequently forgot. What did it mean that Azima had noticed? Was she more interested than Alisha had realized? Azima tipped her head. "In Kenya, chai is a traditional drink."

Feeling slightly deflated by the realization that Azima noticed her drink order because it reminded her of her home, Alisha forced a smile. "They aren't out of chai. Well, not that I know of anyway. I just changed my mind and decided to go home."

But instead of nodding and moving past her, Azima's face lit up. "Ah, I forgot that you and Commander Green always enjoy your drinks together on Thursday mornings. Is she not here?"

"Kara, outside work she likes to be called Kara," Alisha replied. Apparently, Azima knew not only that Alisha drank tea, but also that she and Kara generally met here once a week, often their only time to chat freely without Frankie needing something or Danny - or the remainder of the crew, who seemed to view the Green home as a general crash pad - interrupting. "She couldn't make it."

If anything, Azima seemed even happier. "But that means you are free. Would you be willing to enjoy a cup of chai together?"

"Um..." Really there was no polite way to decline. "Yes, sure."

The server, a petite brunette who wore the craziest earrings that Alisha had ever seen, glanced up. "The usual?"

Without waiting for Alisha to respond, Azima replied. "Yes. We will both have the chai."

A moment later they were seated, and Alisha was staring into the Azima's eyes, wondering how the hell she was going to be able to talk to this woman without making a cake of herself. Azima seemed to have no such problem. "I hope that there is nothing wrong with young Franklin."

"Franklin?" Alisha queried, before she realized. "Oh, Frankie's fine. Kara and Danny had an appointment."

Or, more accurately, the two planned to have breakfast together and, most likely sneak in a quickie, after dropping Frankie off with Debbie, but Alisha decided that Azima didn't need to know the details of the Green's sex life. Frankly, Alisha would appreciate knowing less about them herself. The fact that Kara's resolution somehow morphed into her and Danny having sex daily and therefore cancelling plans last minute was more than a little annoying. Although, Alisha admitted, feeling herself soften, she did understand why Kara was prioritizing Danny. She had seen enough military marriages fail to understand that keeping one together required a fair amount of work. Nobody would ever be able to say that Kara wasn't putting in the work.

But Azima was simply nodding. "It is good to see two married people so happy. I would like to be so happy when I marry."

The arrival of their drinks gave Alisha the time she needed to compose her question. "Are you planning to get married?"

"Yes." Azima took a sip of her tea. "It is one reason I accepted Captain Slattery's offer to join the team returning to the United States instead of remaining in Kenya. In Kenya, I would be required to marry a man. Here, however, I am free to marry either a man or a woman." Azima took another drink. "I have heard that you were engaged to marry, but your to-be wife died of the Red Flu."

As always, the reference to Sarah brought a wave of nostalgia. Yet sitting here next to Azima, it felt a little less painful than usual. "Yes, she died."

Azima opened her mouth then, uncharacteristically, hesitated. That was certainly something Alisha understood, having experienced it numerous times before, and she smiled gently. "It's okay to talk about Sarah. I don't mind. Actually, sometimes it's nice to talk about the days before the virus when things were easier."

"Do you mourn her still?" Azima asked, before clarifying. "I have asked about mourning traditions in the United States but there is no clear standard, although the consensus appears to be one year and this time frame has passed. Still, I am unclear whether it is appropriate to ask whether you would like to enjoy a meal with me."

Alisha stopped, worried that she misunderstood. "A meal, like a date?"

"Yes," Azima said firmly, her confidence apparently returning now that her question was out. "If you are no longer in mourning. I mean no disrespect to your customs."

"I..." Alisha stopped, thinking about that damn resolution. To hell with it. "I would love to join you for dinner. This Friday night?"

Azima smiled, taking another sip of her drink. "I will text you with the name of the restaurant. Senior Chief Taylor has informed me that is the appropriate way to proceed in this scenario."

Alisha smiled. "That sounds lovely."

x

***Yes, yes, Obergefell v. Hodges was in 2015 and the virus hit in 2014(ish) so the Justices would have all been dead, but I'm going with it anyway.