06-19-2024, 02:55 AM
It wouldn’t be hard for Damian to make a mental note that Ju wasn’t big on things with pulp, as that was the same with him and his palate. Though he already knew that she had a sweet tooth, Coleman did have to wonder if there were any kinds of sweets that she didn’t like. So far as he knew, Ju liked just about anything with sugar in it.
An appreciative smile spread out across Damian’s features, pulling more from the right side of his mouth, when Ju mentioned that he’d done his homework. It really hadn’t been all that much. And as he had said to her before, exploring the culinary parts of a culture was much more his speed. Because when Ju had started talking about formal and informal language, his eyes probably had bulged a little. Damian had nodded his head and replied yes to her when Ju had mentioned his sisters in the picture. It reminded him that he needed to rotate the photo out and put something new up. Usually he picked a new one every week, out of the large collection from within the box.
Grinning as Ju declared that the table was perfect, he let out an inaudible sigh. There was a part of him that wondered if he’d gotten everything right. But as soon as Ju started reaching out and grabbing the food, he realized that even if he hadn’t, she wouldn’t have held it against him; something else he made note of.
Seeing her grab some grub, Damian started helping himself too, though he didn’t start eating until Ju began to talk. Then it was a morsel here, a sip of soup there, and just picking out the different parts of the dinner to really enjoy all the tastes on the table. Her comment about running into him, and getting to spend time with him, brought out a look in Damian that was a mixture of charming and mischievous. Though as she grabbed more food, he began to wonder if that was her answer, or if there was more. Coleman was about to swallow his food so that he could speak up, but it wasn’t needed in the end, as Ju continued.
“...and I think she was concerned I came solely because you’re here, which .. I didn’t. It’s just a really great perk…”
The same look from before flashed across his visage, and he couldn’t hide it either. Though as she continued, it seemed that Ju was more unsure of the situation. She had been right in that they’d only hung out a couple of times on DS9. And that they’d sent some correspondence to each other for a while, at least until the mission got in the way. Damian didn’t miss the bit lip as she went further into the what that was their relationship. Ju wasn’t wrong. By all accounts it was hard to quantify what they had. Even more so for Damian because how they grew together was different in many ways from how he usually found romance.
“...I also wasn’t sure if you were going to think I was a total creep for transferring.”
Chuckling quietly, Coleman paused and poured some of the table soju into empty glasses for Ju and then himself. Locking eyes with her as she looked over to him, he found another reason to appreciate her. Finally, she got to her own question: what would he tell Tyra. There was a pause that he took, taking a moment to swig down a couple of sips of the soju to clear his mouth. Then he put his hands together for a moment as he thought.
“If you would have asked me this question before our missions, I think I would have had a different answer than now. That might sound odd, considering we really didn’t get a chance to see each other after DS9. But the way we kept in touch, the stuff that we talked about…”
There was more at the end of the sentence that went unsaid, and so he took a moment to mentally chew on it.
“...I ended up missing you. A lot.”
Letting the last words hang in the air, Damian took a sip of water as he weighed his next words.
“You’ve honestly been an incredible friend. Someone that I could be myself around and not have to be the kind of person that people expect of me. Or that sometimes I have to be in order to do my job. As time went on, we corresponded some, and I confided things in you. Shared parts of me. And, well, I ended up thinking about you quite a bit.”
“They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and in this case, I think it certainly is true. Because when I bumped into you, it certainly didn’t feel like you were just a friend. It felt…” Damian looked directly at her, a soft but serious look in his eyes.
“...it kind of feels serendipitous, you being here. Even if you had asked to transfer or however you coming over here came to be. Especially now, after all the crazy things that happened during my last mission, and some of the fallout that will come from that.”
Damian winced at the last part, not really wanting that to come up in their discussion so early. Especially not when they were figuring out what to call their relationship. So, he decided to jump back in before she could ask a follow-up.
“I’d tell Tyra that we are still figuring things out between us. But I think, in my heart, I know what it is. I just was wanting to figure out what you feel about it all. Which, it is totally okay if we aren’t completely on the same page. I’m willing to put in more work into this, into us.”
Damn, why am I dancing around this so much? What can’t I just give her a straight answer?
“If I was to put how I feel into a singular word, it would be: together. I’m not interested in anyone but you. You’ve got my full attention, and I want to explore whatever this is…” his hands waved in front of him, each pushing from his chest towards her and then back again a few times.
“...and see where it leads us. Cause when I’m with you, I get to be the real Damian beneath the uniform.”
There was more. Maybe a lot more. Though he didn’t want to scare her off either. Damian could think of many reasons why he liked Ju. There were other feelings there too, the kind of stuff that happened when he just clicked with someone. Though what there was with them, in the moment, was different than that. There was a base, a structure, that supported the warmth that he got from being with her.
“When I bumped into you,” he restated, “it certainly didn’t feel like you were just a friend. It feels like we are together.”
An appreciative smile spread out across Damian’s features, pulling more from the right side of his mouth, when Ju mentioned that he’d done his homework. It really hadn’t been all that much. And as he had said to her before, exploring the culinary parts of a culture was much more his speed. Because when Ju had started talking about formal and informal language, his eyes probably had bulged a little. Damian had nodded his head and replied yes to her when Ju had mentioned his sisters in the picture. It reminded him that he needed to rotate the photo out and put something new up. Usually he picked a new one every week, out of the large collection from within the box.
Grinning as Ju declared that the table was perfect, he let out an inaudible sigh. There was a part of him that wondered if he’d gotten everything right. But as soon as Ju started reaching out and grabbing the food, he realized that even if he hadn’t, she wouldn’t have held it against him; something else he made note of.
Seeing her grab some grub, Damian started helping himself too, though he didn’t start eating until Ju began to talk. Then it was a morsel here, a sip of soup there, and just picking out the different parts of the dinner to really enjoy all the tastes on the table. Her comment about running into him, and getting to spend time with him, brought out a look in Damian that was a mixture of charming and mischievous. Though as she grabbed more food, he began to wonder if that was her answer, or if there was more. Coleman was about to swallow his food so that he could speak up, but it wasn’t needed in the end, as Ju continued.
“...and I think she was concerned I came solely because you’re here, which .. I didn’t. It’s just a really great perk…”
The same look from before flashed across his visage, and he couldn’t hide it either. Though as she continued, it seemed that Ju was more unsure of the situation. She had been right in that they’d only hung out a couple of times on DS9. And that they’d sent some correspondence to each other for a while, at least until the mission got in the way. Damian didn’t miss the bit lip as she went further into the what that was their relationship. Ju wasn’t wrong. By all accounts it was hard to quantify what they had. Even more so for Damian because how they grew together was different in many ways from how he usually found romance.
“...I also wasn’t sure if you were going to think I was a total creep for transferring.”
Chuckling quietly, Coleman paused and poured some of the table soju into empty glasses for Ju and then himself. Locking eyes with her as she looked over to him, he found another reason to appreciate her. Finally, she got to her own question: what would he tell Tyra. There was a pause that he took, taking a moment to swig down a couple of sips of the soju to clear his mouth. Then he put his hands together for a moment as he thought.
“If you would have asked me this question before our missions, I think I would have had a different answer than now. That might sound odd, considering we really didn’t get a chance to see each other after DS9. But the way we kept in touch, the stuff that we talked about…”
There was more at the end of the sentence that went unsaid, and so he took a moment to mentally chew on it.
“...I ended up missing you. A lot.”
Letting the last words hang in the air, Damian took a sip of water as he weighed his next words.
“You’ve honestly been an incredible friend. Someone that I could be myself around and not have to be the kind of person that people expect of me. Or that sometimes I have to be in order to do my job. As time went on, we corresponded some, and I confided things in you. Shared parts of me. And, well, I ended up thinking about you quite a bit.”
“They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and in this case, I think it certainly is true. Because when I bumped into you, it certainly didn’t feel like you were just a friend. It felt…” Damian looked directly at her, a soft but serious look in his eyes.
“...it kind of feels serendipitous, you being here. Even if you had asked to transfer or however you coming over here came to be. Especially now, after all the crazy things that happened during my last mission, and some of the fallout that will come from that.”
Damian winced at the last part, not really wanting that to come up in their discussion so early. Especially not when they were figuring out what to call their relationship. So, he decided to jump back in before she could ask a follow-up.
“I’d tell Tyra that we are still figuring things out between us. But I think, in my heart, I know what it is. I just was wanting to figure out what you feel about it all. Which, it is totally okay if we aren’t completely on the same page. I’m willing to put in more work into this, into us.”
Damn, why am I dancing around this so much? What can’t I just give her a straight answer?
“If I was to put how I feel into a singular word, it would be: together. I’m not interested in anyone but you. You’ve got my full attention, and I want to explore whatever this is…” his hands waved in front of him, each pushing from his chest towards her and then back again a few times.
“...and see where it leads us. Cause when I’m with you, I get to be the real Damian beneath the uniform.”
There was more. Maybe a lot more. Though he didn’t want to scare her off either. Damian could think of many reasons why he liked Ju. There were other feelings there too, the kind of stuff that happened when he just clicked with someone. Though what there was with them, in the moment, was different than that. There was a base, a structure, that supported the warmth that he got from being with her.
“When I bumped into you,” he restated, “it certainly didn’t feel like you were just a friend. It feels like we are together.”