Killer_Kiwi_XD
Van literally bounced a few inches upward in sheer excited joy when the shorter redhead gave his ghost of a full-fledged nod. Even if Kyle ate tiny mouse bites and didn't seem enthused, the taller male still felt overjoyed that the other had finally agreed to go out someplace for 'fun' instead of necessity. He continued bouncing and buzzing around the room until Kyle was ready to go, Van seemingly expecting and content to have Kyle clinging to him. It was still not half as bad as the first month had been, and now the redhead was going to be happy; or so Vanguard thought.
With the gentlest of tugs Van leaned forward as he walked down the hall; tugtugtuging Kyle along at a speed barely a quarter of a step faster than the redhead's chosen pace. The lean male couldn't hold back his enthusiasm, so he showed it with the skip in his step and eager pulling along, though each tug barely put any pressure at all on Kyle's tight hold. Though this tugging stopped and so did the skipping whenever they passed a stranger or group of folks Van did not regard as 'trusted'. And 'untrusted' individuals pretty much made up most of the population on the ship. Van made damn well the folks knew they had best be on their way too; his body language stiffer and eyes staring unblinkingly at the people he and Kyle passed.
Luckily the odd starring and blank facial expression Van gave was usually enough to scare folks away and keep them walking without stopping to even take a second glance at the withdrawn redhead. And a few had heard rumors of the 'redheaded victim' and his 'guard dog' and knew to leave such trouble well enough alone.
Van would've taken less-traveled paths but ... he knew better than to take Kyle into the quieter, darker places of the ship. The finder himself had quickly gone back to using such spaces, but knew Kyle had a far longer memory than he did for such pain. So it was the public paths they took to the lab and when they arrived Van made sure the door was shut behind them before leaving Kyle's side a moment just to quickly run all over the place, making sure no intruders had entered since the last time they had been there ... which seemed like a lifetime ago now. Sneezing at the powerful scents of chemicals and sciency stuff, Van returned to Kyle's side and giving a grin. "Just us."
Then Van proceeded to seek out a chair, or other comfy spot to sit in, thinking Kyle would look around and find something to occupy himself. And when Kyle occupied himself ... well, Van figured he could go grab food and come back quick if Kyle got really into his work, which the short 'mad scientist' could do sometimes. The redhead was just brilliant in that obsessive way that kept other things like passing time and the need to eat easily forgotten. And Van was more than happy to just laze in the background like a good dog and maybe nap some of the time away if need be. Besides, he cold 'walk' himself whenever he wanted in a lab this big with so much stuff to investigate and even find.
*
Sulu smiled as Lison scurried over and helped him get the tea settled into three individual cups for all of them to sip before meditation. With the pleasant temperature of the botany area and soothing shade of the tree's branches stretching above them it was a wonder not more people hung around. But at least with this privacy the garden didn't feel crowded. In fact, one could almost imagine being miles away from any sort of civilization of bother; which was perfect for meditation.
While sipping, out of the corner of his eye Sulu spotted Lison's grin and smiled himself. Even if the 'younger' man had his mouth hidden it was all too easy to see the happy upturn the grin caused by Lison's eyes. It seemed his careful blend of tea had been a success.
Once the liquid had been drunk in a companionable silence the tea object were carefully put away and off to the side as all three got into comfortable sitting positions and places to begin meditation. There was complete silence besides the artificial breeze ruffling the leaves in the trees and other plants in the area, and the almost unnoticeable hum of technology from the ship itself. Sulu enjoyed the silence and peace of the moment, though after a while he did something he hadn't ever done before. He'd sat closer to Lison than usual just for this purpose: as the other was blissfully meditating Sulu opened one eye and gave the other a rather deliberate poke in the back. He'd delivered the poke with the same precision and grace he had with a fencing blade, and was just as quickly back in his usual meditating pose.
Sulu was confident Lison could take a simple interruption like this in good stride and humor, and could then discuss possibly taking up other hobbies among more than just the three of them, perhaps. Branch out his possibilities and interests beyond just what he liked; like tea and botany. And if Lison didn't take it well then ... well, Sulu was sure Lison would do well with just one startle as simple as a poke.
*
Sam's mouth opened and a loud protest came out as Sigyen knocked back her strong drink, leaving the two of them with more regular ones. Of course the protest was completely ignored and Sam pouted like a child forbidden from getting the most sugar-coated and tooth-rotting candy possible. Though all that childishness disappeared the moment Sigyen said where she had 'gotten' her Vulcans ... and the circumstances.
"Well damn. Just ... damn. I guess I shouldn't be surprised; no race can be completely emotionless or perfect but ... that just sounds ... ugh." Sam drank down her new drink in silence a few moments, then shut down her imagination before things got too horrible wondering just what Sigyen and her group had gone through. Sam sipped a bit of her new drink let the glass come down on the bar with a small clunk. "Well that's depressing. And drinking while depressed is something I've been trying to do less lately, so I hope you don't mind me being crass and changing the subject, Siggy, but you're one hell of person. Helping them out then, still looking after them now ... not too many Eugens would do that, you know? Most of us ... well, you know. But you went through all that s**t ... and then decided you wanted to help strangers a world away from your own."
Sam raised their glass and gave Sigyen a little smile. "Cheers to that, even through all the other stuff." Tilting their head back, Sam gulped down the last of her less hair-curling drink and then licked their lips and looked around the bar. But at this time of day, as Sigyen had already noted, most folks were on-shift so the pickings were slim ... and Sam had already slept with half of them. So much for finding some yummy new prospect. Though ... Siggy was pretty yummy-looking herself, an Sam respected what the other had done. "Well it's not like Earth would want Eugens like us either; so I guess your Vulcan 'kids' are in the same boat as us now ... only a bit less illegal and all that. Say, what would you say to having a little fun yourself?" Sam asked quietly, figuring hell, might as well ask. Plus, from the other's Vulcan bonding comment it was clear Sigyen had an inkling who the sex fiends of the Eugen group must be so she could protect her charges. Though Sam had had no idea Vulcans did something like that; maybe that was why Spock seemed willing to only bend rules just for Kirk and nobody else.
*
Chekov smiled into the kiss, though he blushed a little when Bones came it, suddenly feeling like a young man caught kissing his highschool sweetheart ... which wasn't all that far from the truth, Hamish's real age aside. The Russian smiled when Bones seemed more than happy with Hamish's replies and physical condition though, and eager moved to help the second-generation eugen up while Bones seemed to ask John a few hushed questions involving Lana. Namely whether John knew if she was 'the type' for traditional ... things, and such. Of course the quetion was vague and hedged; not like the usual bluntness of the doctor, and was he blushing?
Of course Chekov as too busy with Hamish to really register these things. The Russian chuckled when Hamish said it was weird, and gently put one hand on the other's little baby-bump. "You'we missed three months; maybe time will help. And mowies; we still hawe not finished all the Marwel ones," Chekov reminded Hamish as he let the other lean on him and helped him along all the way to their room ... their new room.
"Zis way," the Russian said softly as Hamish tried to got their usual room, and instead steer the other to a new hallway and to one of it's doors before opening it up to reveal a decently-sized living space clearly intended for a family instead of one or two people. There was a large living room, two bedrooms (one larger than the other with a king-sized bed), two bathrooms, and a kitchen. "Zis is ours, if you like it," Chekov said softly, helping Hamish inside and to the couch to start with. From there they could go to the bedroom, or even leave if Hamish didn't like it.
*
Fletcher blinked, slightly taken aback at the snub he'd gotten. "Cigarettes," he said in his usual rough voice, as if it had been obvious what he wanted. The assassin waited for a new pack to be tossed to him ... only for Luis to make it quite clear there were no cigarettes to be had at the moment. Fletcher blinked again, face as blank as usual but somehow his bird-like pokerface still gave away that this ruffled him. No ciggs. That was not acceptable.
Well ... he would just have to get them some other way. Despite this, the fact he couldn't get his fix from Luis was more bothersome than should be expected. It made him grouchy, and Fletcher didn't really know why ... and not knowing why just bothered him more. Why was going to get cigarettes his own way more irking than just staying here in his and Luis's room while Luis read quietly ... He didn't know.
But he did know who could find him cigarettes; it was a guy who could find anything. And Fletcher had no qualms about bossing this individual around; unlike Luis. For some reason barking commands at the 'wolf' seemed distasteful; wild animals weren't to be commanded. Dogs on the other hand ...
Fletcher stood up from his sofa and left the room, walking with a quick and knowing stride down the hall, but Kyle and Van's room was empty. Annoying. Where else would they be? Well Kyle had very few places to be, and where the red head was, his puppy was sure to follow ... So Fletcher started on his way towards Kyle's lab.
*
Van jerked his head around to stare at the lab door, suddenly at full attention. He was on his feet and scrambling around to put himself between Kyle and the door, planting his feet and standing tensely for a few long seconds before the door opened and Fletcher was standing there, looking impassively at the pair.
Van audibly growled low in his throat, having never liked Fletcher because the man was so ... cold. And like Sebastian on several different levels; mostly their work but it was enough for Van to want the man to go the ******** away from Kyle.
"Vanguard," Fletcher said, apparently not caring. Then again, he never cared about anything, almost, "I need you to find something for me."
Find. The magic word. Van stopped growling in a single second, the noise tampering off into a choked, pathetic half-whimper. Oh ... it had been ages since he'd been asked to find anything. Oh he wanted to find so much it hurt; the reminder was like a punch to the gut. But Kyle needed him. Kyle and finding; those two things were all he really had. This sudden tear between the two had him rooted in the spot in a painful impasse.