A Different Kind of Peace 2/3

Posted on Fri Oct 16th, 2026 @ 4:36pm by Lieutenant Colonel Jesse Moriarty & Tavrek Harland

1,852 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Pilot - "The Gate"
Location: Tavrek Harland's Quarters, USS Guinevere
Timeline: A few days after 'First Contact'

Continued from Part 1

"I might be a freezer," Tavrek said with a small smile, his eyes gentle as he took some more butter. "Just...stand there looking concerned."

"It's more common than you think," Jesse chuckled lightly, reaching for his beer. "And it's completely natural...think of an animal startled by a loud noise, they often freeze rather than run."

"Didn't they get mowed down in ancient times by vehicles?" Tavrek asked with a playful smile, shaking his head before he took a bite, sighing contently.

"I'd get you moving, one way or another..." he assured, watching him with a soft chuckle, shaking his head lightly.

Tavrek chuckled, watching him with a small and fond smile. "I like that," he said, meaning it. "Means I'll have you at my back. Even if it is pushing me."

Jesse laughed softly, his eyes shining as he searched the other man's. "Or I could have you over my shoulder."

Tavrek laughed warmly, nodding as he watched him. "Carry me away from it all," he said softly.

"Now there's a thought...." Jesse said softly, leaning back as he watched him with an almost soft smile. "Cabin in the woods....your cooking...a music player...."

Tavrek looked at him with surprise before he smiled, nodding as he watched him. "In nature...close to a lake, or a spring. Somewhere to swim."

"Mm...swim...yeah, that sounds nice," his vision relaxed somewhere into the middle distance. "A cliff to climb..."

"Maybe even a mountain," Tavrek said as he looked at him, smiling at the idea. "Woods to walk through as well. Just...enjoying nature."

"Men can have dreams, huh?" Jesse smiled weakly, looking down to his hands as he awkwardly prodded at the skin around his thumbnail.

"It could be fun for shoreleave," Tavrek said softly as he looked at him, meaning it as he smiled. "If you wanted the dream to...be a bit more reality?"

Jesse blinked with surprise as he shifted his gaze back to him, taking a deep breath. "Seems...decadent," he admitted with a gentle laugh at himself. "Soft living...doing nothing..." his tone said he approved though.

"Decadent can be fun...." Tavrek tempted, his eyes shining with it as he tilted his head. "I certainly would enjoy it."

"Firepit under the stars...no one around, just critters..." he looked to him with a grin, shaking his head at himself.

Tavrek nodded as he watched him for a long moment, thinking. "Make campfire bread," he said, remembering his mother. "Wrapped a jacket potato and put it in the fire."

"Campfire bread?" Jesse looked to him with confusion, shaking his head lightly. He'd hunted when stuck outside, or cracked open the rations...but never heard of campbread.

"You make dough..." he said as he smiled, sitting back slightly. "You clean some thin branches...and then you wrap the dough around them and hold it over the fire. You cook the dough like that."

Jesse's brows lifted with surprise, trying to imagine the process. "And that....really works?" he asked doubtfully.

"It does...tastes different, but it works...and it is fun," Tavrek smiled as he watched him, the memory a fond one. "The fun bit is the best."

Jesse's smile softened as he watched him, searching the man's eyes as he held his breath. There was something endearing about the man with Vulcan heritage finding the fun in making campfire bread. Completely illogical. Even to a human Ground Forces CO. And Tavrek clearly didn't care. "You should show me."

"I should...on our shoreleave," he said and met his eyes, raising an eyebrow. "Because this seems to me to be a plan...don't you think, Jesse?"

"Sure. Then I can blame you for it..." Jesse teased, watching him fondly before laughing lightly and looking down, shaking his head at himself.

"Exactly," Tavrek laughed and finished his bowl before sitting back a little, watching Jesse. "For when something goes comically wrong."

"Or when people make fun of me, for living the soft life," Jesse met his eyes with a small, half smile. Not that he was really one for caring what most people thought about him. He was past that.

"Who would do that?" Tavrek asked with a small and playful smile. "Your soldiers? Sorry...troopers..." he chuckled at his own correction.

"Oh absolutely," Jesse nodded without hesitation, even as he chuckled with him. "I feel like Elen would take an annoying amount of satisfaction from it too."

"Elen?" Tavrek asked with a small smile, reaching for his beer. "Clearly none of them have seen the benefits of a week of...remote living."

"In my field of work, that's usually a training exercise," Jesse laughed as he sat back, stretching with a content sigh. He couldn't remember the last time he'd sat down to a proper meal.

"Would you like some more?" Tavrek asked him, enjoying seeing Jesse so relaxed...warm. Almost soft, but not in a way that had anything to do with his temperament or body.

"I'd love to, but I don't think I can," Jesse admitted with a laugh, too full to contemplate more. "Are you sure you don't want to come and work in the FGF mess?"

"I am sure...I purely cook for friends," Tavrek stood and gathered the bowls to recycle, smiling as he shook his head. "Too full for dessert then?"

"I...wouldn't go that far..." Jesse arched an eyebrow with curiosity, peering towards the kitchen for a clue.

Tavrek recycled everything before he turned to watch him, with a small and fond smile. "Tiramisu, it's an Earth dessert," he said, his voice soft with it.

"No, that's a new one on me," Jesse admitted, letting out a soft breath as he watched him, feeling a pang of guilt at his serving him.

"I think you'll like it," he said and took the two bowls out. "Want to sit on the sofa again?" he met Jesse's eyes, with warmth and even a little hope.

"Sure," Jesse pushed himself up, glancing around with a soft breath. "You really should let me help....it's getting too comfortable, having you serve me."

"I like...hosting," he said as he looked at Jesse with a small smile. "If we go to your quarters, you can serve me."

"If we go to my quarters, you'll be eating replicated pie," Jesse shook his head with a small, half smile as he settled on the sofa.

"Nothing wrong with replicated pie," Tavrek said with meaning, carrying the bowls of Tiramisu over with spoons and settled down next to him. "So it is sponge fingers soaked in coffee and alcohol, then layers of some Italian soft cheese mixed with sugar and some cream...and cocoa powder on top."

"This sounds like it will be terrible for me..." Jesse replied knowingly, but dug in all the same. He closed his eyes as the flavour hit, moaning as he pulled the spoon slowly out of his mouth. "Oh...my...god..."

Tavrek smiled as he took a spoonful and sighed, closing his eyes. "Sometimes, I think Earth invented the tastiest things," he said playfully.

"And a whole list of medical problems..." Jesse laughed softly though, shaking his head as he took another mouthful. Right now, he didn't care. He could worry about his fitness another day.

Tavrek smiled as he nodded, taking another spoonful as well. "I thought...something rich and indulgent, since I suspect you've been living on protein bars."

"Excellent choice," Jesse assured, scooping up more, moaning at the silky, sweet cream. "Oh hell yes..."

Tavrek watched with shining eyes, enjoying just seeing him enjoying himself. Carefree in the moment. Beautiful with it. "I used an old family recipe."

"There cannot be any nutritional value in this..." Jesse laughed all the same, shaking his head as he took another spoonful. "And why is it going to my head?"

"That may be the coffee liqueur I put in it. Real alcohol one too, not synth," Tavrek said lightly as he took another spoonful.

Jesse looked to him with wide eyes before shaking his head with a soft laugh. "Just a bowl of wicked temptation..." he muttered....even as he took more.

"I thought I should corrupt you properly," Tavrek said lightly with a glint in his eyes. "Cream. Cheese. Alcohol. Coffee....all the wicked little things."

"That's what you are, under those soulful eyes and understanding smile," he motioned to him with his spoon before licking it clean.

Tavrek looked at him with surprise before heblushed, looking down. "Maybe a little...call it my human side," he teased as he licked his own spoon.

"Blaming us for all the wicked now?" Jesse chuckled, watching him with a touch of playfulness back in his dark eyes.

"Oh, yes...I feel like there is no choice," Tavrek said with warmth as he looked at him. "After all, it is expected of humans...wicked sense of humour, wicked food...some wicked thoughts..."

"Aren't you only allowed wicked thoughts every seven years?" Jesse asked with a small, sly smile, searching his eyes.

"No, I can be wicked every year...the pon farr is just a time where Vulcan biology goes haywire in me," Tavrek said openly as he met his eyes, searching them. "And I am three years away from that, in case you wanted to know."

Jesse pursed his lips to hold back a laugh. Because he had wanted to know. But hadn't wanted to ask. "So...you're really not restricted to pon farr?" he asked with mild surprise, because he'd assumed that was how it worked having served with a Vulcan.

Tavrek met his eyes, searching them for a moment. "No, I am not," he said with a small smile. "It's...a choice based on desire, on attraction...on mood. And honestly, I think the stigma and secrecy around Pon Farr has been damaging to a lot of Vulcans..." he sighed and sat back. "But people will always protect and hide what they're ashamed of."

"Honestly, I have no idea," Jesse said softly, looking down into his bowl with a weak, wry smile. "I'm told I have an unhealthy relationship with sex. I can't judge anyone or anything. But...I don't see why it should be something to be ashamed of."

Tavrek looked at him with surprise at how...honest he was being. But he nodded. "For Vulcans...Pon Farr is where logic goes to die. All that suppression, all that...control, gone, because of a biological need to mate. It surpasses everything." He tilted his head, a small smile coming to him. "It is logical to only have sex during Pon Farr...whereas I argue that sex can be there for itself, logic or not. But I am half Vulcan, so maybe my sex drive is my human biology speaking."

"Along with the wickedness," Jesse glanced back to him, offering a half smile and a knowing look. "And finding the fun in campfire bread...."


To be continued in part 3


Tavrek Harland
Translation Specialist
USS Guinevere

Lt. Colonel Jesse Moriarty
CO Federation Ground Forces
USS Guinevere

 

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