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It didn't make any sense. She was the exact type of person he could not stand to be around. Someone who had no respect for order and boundaries. Someone who prodded others for their own amusement. Someone with a complete lack of understanding and care for the vitally important work that Starfleet was doing to keep their people safe. Someone who gave up when things became difficult.
Nahla Ake was everything Zeeren Kelrec was not. So, why then did he find himself more and more attracted to her as the months drew on? It was a question he asked himself frequently. A question that didn't have an answer.
Why did he feel so drawn to a person he should have despised? Why did his neurons flood his brain with dopamine and serotonin every time she was around? Why did he walk through the atrium hoping to catch her walking by too? Why did he sometimes imagine sitting down together and having dinner with a fine glass of wine? Why was she on his mind so often, despite his desire to shake those thoughts of her loose?
“You're awfully quiet today.” Nahla turned her head to look at Kelrec.
They were sitting side-by-side on the seat in the turbolift down to Earth. If it were anyone else, he would have asked her to scoot a foot away from him instead of crowding his personal space. But he knew she would have never listened had he asked, and he also knew that a part of him liked being too close to her.
“I'm thinking,” he replied.
“About what?”
Of course, he couldn't tell her he was, once again, ruminating over his unwanted feelings for her. Kelrec sighed, “Work.”
“Ah.”
He could see her still looking at him from his peripheral vision.
“You ever think about anything fun?” She continued, “Or is it all just phasers and strategy and tea up there?”
A silence lingered. He had to admit he did think about tea and work a lot, but he wasn't boring. He had the ability to produce interesting thoughts. And he wanted Nahla to know that.
Kelrec turned to her. “I read.”
“War books?” She asked with a smirk.
“No,” he sighed. “I read about a variety of fascinating topics which then occupy my mind. When I'm not thinking about war,” he added, hoping it would amuse her.
She smiled softly, “And what are you reading now?”
“A book on mycology.”
“Interesting.“
“It is.”
“Have you ever done shrooms?”
He frowned. Leave it to Nahla Ake to derail a conversation he thought he was getting a grip on.
“If you are referring to the act of ingesting mushrooms for their psychoactive compounds, then no. I have never 'done shrooms'.”
“I think you'd like it. At the very least, it would help you chill out.”
“I don't need chilling out.” He was going to say his tea helped him with that but he decided against it.
“According to you.”
He didn't feel like being reminded of his difficulty in relaxing at a time like this, on the way to a meeting that most certainly could have been conducted through a few messages.
“Why do we have to meet with Admiral Nokshaw anyway? Isn't dealing with Vance enough?” Kelrec groaned.
Ake chuckled, “You sound like a teenager.”
He rolled his eyes. “There's no reason I should be wasting my time when I have much more important work I could be doing.”
“Zeeren,” she cooed at him as if he were an infant. “Let's turn that frown upside down.”
Nahla reached two fingers out and placed them on each corner of his mouth, lifting his lips up into a fake smile.
He couldn't help an actual smile from forming on his face at her juvenile intrusion into his personal space.
“You're ridiculous,” he replied.
“But it worked, didn't it?” Nahla nudged her shoulder against his. “Huh? Didn't it?”
Kelrec leaned into her, smiling as she rocked the side of her body even more against his.
“Hey, since we're gonna be down there, we should treat ourselves after the meeting. Have you ever been to that sushi place on 4th street?”
“No.”
“Do you like sushi?”
“It's okay.”
“Great!” She grinned. “Let's go. I've been craving real sushi for weeks. And if I remember they serve pretty good tea there, too.“
“You are aware I'm capable of drinking other beverages aside from tea?”
“Oh really? I didn't know that,” she deadpanned.
“I drink water like every other organic lifeform. Every now and then, I appreciate a gin seltzer before dinner.”
“Are you saying we should get a drink together after the meeting,” she smirked with a devilish glint in her eye.
Kelrec cleared his throat, “I- No, I was simply explaining that-”
“I know, I'm just messing with you.” She nudged her shoulder against him again. “I like seeing you blush.”
“I don't blush,” he replied, feeling even more warmth creep up on his cheeks.
“Uh huh,” she smiled at him. "Whatever you want to tell yourself.”
The turbolift stopped.
She turned to him as they both stood up. “You know we're going to be like ten minutes early. What are we supposed to do? Just stand around and wait?”
“It's better than being late,” Kelrec replied as he exited the turbolift and walked into Starfleet headquarters.
Just as he had suspected, the meeting was uneventful and largely unnecessary. The only good to come out of the afternoon happened afterwards, watching Nahla stuff a whole piece of sushi in her mouth with her cheeks warm and pink from the sake they had ordered.