A chaotic dinner

Posted on Thu Oct 21st, 2021 @ 5:59am by Lieutenant Kevan Dash & Lieutenant Commander Finnley Keating VII & Ensign Kateyo Fenn & Senior Chief Petty Officer Mason Malone

Mission: Character Development
Location: Holodeck
Timeline: Before "With Gleaming Eyes" Begins
3560 words - 7.1 OF Standard Post Measure

"Hey Kev, can you meet me on the holodeck?" Mason didn't quite wait for the response. "In about fifteen minutes... I've got dinner set up for us and uhm.... we're having another guest too. She uhm... wanted the three of us to have dinner." He didn't give his friend any room to respond, simply expecting him to show up.

Three? Kevan wondered. "Uh...sure."

Then, Mason tapped his comm badge again. "Finn, meet me at the holodeck in fifteen minutes? I've finally gotten that dinner set up that we talked about."

"You might want to consider giving people more than a fifteen minute heads up next time," Finn chuckled through the com line. "I'll be there." You could almost hear the smile on her face as she finished her response.

Assuming the dinner was somewhat casual, but wanting to still give a good impression, Finn chose what she thought was an appropriate outfit for the evening. A pair of white jeans and a navy blue shirt that perfectly fell off of one shoulder. She looked in the mirror as she did a quick adjustment of her hair, choosing to leave it down in waves that cascaded over her now bare shoulder. Finn nodded to herself in approval and left to join Mason.

It didn't take Mason long to set up his program. He has picked a seaside Italian restaurant since he assumed everyone would at least appreciate Italian food. He too was out of uniform, though he had opted for tan slacks and a light green shirt. He smiled as Finn seemed to be the first to arrive. "You're fast," he commented as he held back a seat for her. Miranda would've smacked him for sure if she were to learn he didn't hold back the chair for a lady.

"Thanks," she smiled as she sat down. He looked good in tan and green, Finn noted of Mason's appearance and internally sighed at the nature of her presence here at this dinner. To help Mason get with Kevan. He wasn't interested in pursuing a romantic relationship with her, a much as she may have wanted it.

"Italian seaside, eh? Nice choice." Finn said, overlooking the waves crash into the cliff from their table.

"Hey - oh - hey!" Kevan weaved through a set of outdoor tables, spotted Mason and then Finn. He addressed one and then the other with waves. "Lieutenant Keating. Wasn't expecting you here..." he murmured. He glanced at Mason. Given how tight the two of them had been lately, and how Mason clearly understood Kevan's desire for trust, he silently questioned the third wheel among them. Unless...Mason was setting him up with Keating? She was a good looking girl, and around his age. Maybe that was the reason for the last-minute summons; to drop him into a blind date with the Chief Engineer?

"Hey Kevan! Mason and I have been hanging out lately. We've found that we have quite a bit in common and he was kind enough to invite me to dinner tonight," Finn smiled sweetly at Mason. "I hope you don't mind?"

Mason cast Kevan the most apologetic look he could muster. "Sorry kev," he said softly, "she wanted to be here." He ignored her sweet smile, keeping his eyes on the Trill. "And it's nothing big.... just training on the obstacle course." Why did he feel the need to defend his actions?

"A super muddy and fun obstacle course! And drinks, and a movie," Finn subtly, but not softly, kicked Mason under the table as she tried to recover from his back peddle. Her smile changed to a slight look of frustration as her eyes targeted him. He was giving everything away!

"Is obstacle course a euphemism?" A voice said from not too far away.

Teyo had heard a rumour that Finn was playing beard to a gay guy and his wannabe boyfriend and he had to see it for himself. The fact that she would rather spend time with any guy that wasn't him was laughable, but crashing a date with two guys, was just plain insulting. Though there was nothing to say the three of them wasn't in some kind of relationship, and that could be quite fun too. He mentally kicked himself for potentially ruining a magical moment, but then he remembered that if they wanted privacy, they would have locked the holodeck doors. They didn't, so here he was.

"I'm a friend of Finn's and thought that I would come by and say hello, if you don't mind?" Teyo said to the two men, one who looked like they wanted to crawl into the own skin, the other a mixture of confusion and anger, maybe?

Mason glared at Finn as he leaned to rub his shin. He turned his head at the voice of the newcomer, another Trill it looked like. He sighed to himself as the evening only seemed to go from bad to worse now. "If the others don't mind," he said, looking to Finn and finally to Kevan, who'd yet had to say anything.

Finn shook her head in annoyance as her fellow engineer entered. She had started to like him as a possible friend, but she couldn't respect his decision to crash a dinner that he wasn't invited to. How he had even found out about the event was beyond her, knowing that she had been careful not to mention it to anyone.

"Don't look at me. I didn't invite him!" She responded to Mason's glare. "Also, friend is stretching it a bit." Her words were harsh, but that's how she felt in the moment and she was nothing if not straightforward. "That said, I don't mind if he stays. It's up to you two really." She looked at Kevan and Mason with apologetic eyes before looking back at Fenn.

"How did you find out about dinner anyway?" She asked.

"You know I'm standing right here," Teyo said referring to all the looks and remarks flying about right in front of him. "Trills have feelings too, you understand?" He said to Kevan hoping to defuse the situation with humour. "Look, I'll leave if that's what you want, I just thought a double date - as a friend," he quickly threw to Finn before she started throwing things at him, "- would be a nice idea."

"Double date..." Kevan mumbled, trying to add all the pieces together. Maybe Kateyo was here for Mason, then? Who was with whom? "Never mind. I'm hungry, and if this is everyone who got invited maybe we should get to the eating and drinking part."

"Finally," Teyo said, a jubilant smile breaking out on his face, "someone speaking my language." And before anyone could protest, he pulled up a seat and sat down, as though he had always been invited to this strange evening. "Did someone say cocktails?"

"I'm certainly going to need one," Finn half mumbled under her breath as Teyo sat.

As if by magic, the server appeared to take their drinks. After everyone had ordered he scurried away, clearly running some imaginary race in his head.

"So how does everyone know each other then?" Teyo asked, leaning back casually in his seat.

"Kevan and I work together," Mason started, "and I know Finn from the obstacle course." Not entirely the truth on the latter part, but that didn't really matter now did it? He didn't really look at Teyo, feeling only interested in what Kevan was thinking. He considered reaching out, but somehow felt hesitant to do so. Part of him wished the Trill was a bit more observant, especially now.

"Some of us have been on the Athena longer than others," Kevan noted. "How are you guys settling in?"

"Pretty good, at least, I can't complain. My quarters are sufficient, engineering is good and I found a mud buddy," Finn looked at Mason and chuckled. "What more could I ask for?"

"Someone to keep your bed warm," Teyo said with a grin.

"Don't look at me," Mason laughed, "only one person I'd like to keep warm at this point..." He cast Kevan an obscure look, hoping that he'd catch it but at the same time praying the others wouldn't.

"Subtle," Teyo said with a huge grin. He had noticed the look Mason had given Kevan and could tell he was crushing, hard.

"Well, I've been known to keep the odd lady's bed warm, if you know what I mean," Kevan grinned, winking at Finn and leaning back just so he could flex a little. Completely oblivious to the others he kept his twinkling eyes on the engineer.

Mason's eyes narrowed a little at that statement, but he wisely said nothing.

Finn furrowed a confused brow at Kevan's response. What the hell is going on here? She asked herself as she started to wonder if Mason had imagined that kiss from Kevan.

Just then the waiter dropped off the drinks. "I'll go ahead and take another one," Finn ordered before the man had a chance to leave. She then swiftly downed the majority of her first drink, wishing desperately that it wasn't synthohol, before setting the glass back to the table. "So, I know Mason enjoys getting muddy on obstacle courses and Fenn enjoys participating in, well, risky business. What do you do in your free time, Kevan?"

Teyo couldn't get a handle on what was happening at this dinner. Mason clearly liked Kevan, he couldn't make it more obvious if he tried. Kevan clearly liked Finn or did he? He was trying to act like a 'bro' and not doing the best job at doing it. Finn clearly wanted to punch something, himself probably, but then wasn't that her default setting? Maybe the three of them were really in a relationship and maybe he really was interfering.

"Risky business just sounds... weird," Teyo said with a grin.

"I like to take a risk, too," Kevan chuckled. "Music has always been a passion. Aside from drinking." He tipped his glass in acknowledgement of that fact. "Been way too long since I got to a good concert though. Last one...probably the Perigee farewell tour a few years ago."

"Just don't drink too much," Mason remarked casually, "we both know what happened the last time you did."

"What happened?" Teyo asked, clearly ignoring the social etiquette of the private moment between the two men. "Something steamy I'm guessing?"

"Hardly," Mason replied, keeping his eyes on the Trill security security officer. "I'll let him tell you what happened."

"It's foggy," Kevan shrugged. "Mason somehow ended up in my shower I think."

"I got you home mate, you were utterly wasted. And I stayed to make sure you'd be okay." Mason sighed softly, shaking his head. "And nothing happened." He picked up his drink and sipped it a few times. "Though I've made no secret of my feelings towards you since then," he finally added, his voice milder now despite the audible frustration over it.

"You ended up drunk in a shower and you don't think that's steamy?" Teyo asked as he took another swig of his drink. "Clearly I need to be partying with you boys. How long have you been dating?" Teyo had a feeling they weren't actually dating but it never hurt to ask the question.

Mason shot the other Trill a baleful glare. "He was drunk, and not in the shower with me," he scowled, "it was the right thing to do, taking him home." He deliberately didn't answer the dating part because he still wasn't sure where he stood on that one. "And as I said, nothing happened. I slept on the couch, as I couldn't very well leave him now could I?" This was going so, oh so badly and so not as planned! This time, he looked towards Finn, hoping she'd jump in to help him out.

"I like girls," Kevan said, resorting to a familiar position. Mason was a...friend? A close one, certainly. But different to the other friends he'd had. "Ask all my exes. They're all female. So far as I remember."

"And yet...you kissed me that last time," Mason groused, clearly frustrated now.

Teyo sat back and watched as the two men had a ... domestic. He understood now why Keating was downing her drinks at the rate she was, if only this had been real booze, then things would really get spicy. "There's nothing wrong with liking both," he interjected. "I do, and I have a lot of fun," he added with a wink at Kevan.

Four drinks in and nothing was improving. The whole dinner scene was unraveling before Finn's eyes like a poorly directed romantic comedy. She buried her face in her hands for a moment, attempting to summon the last ounce of patience she had left before placing them back on the table with a sigh. The indirect approach clearly wasn't going to be successful.

"Ok, obviously, this is not going as planned. Kevan, Mason really likes you. Enough to turn down my offer of a relationship," Finn smirked. "Do you really not like him at all in a romantic way? As in absolutely no chance that anything more than friendship will ever happen? I mean why you wouldn't love him is beyond me. He's handsome, fun, kind, dedicated to his job..." She trailed off thinking about her own situation with Li. Was she preventing something great from happening just because she wasn't entirely sure how she felt about the Andorian? Finn made a mental note to plan another date with the woman as she waited for Kevan's answer.

"Him?" Teyo asked incredulously, before Mason had a chance to reply. "You want to date him? I'm fun, and kind, and dedicated to my job, sort of, and I'm very handsome, and to top it off - I'm. Not. Gay." He punctuated each syllable of the last part to really drive home the point that Finn didn't stand a chance with the stalker security officer.

"And butting in uninvited," Mason shot at Teyo before looking back at Kevan. He cast his friend a more than expectant look now, especially since his feelings were now all on the table. Not that he'd ever would've described himself as handsome or anything, but he sure did agree with the dedication to his job. "Is there any chance at all?" he asked carefully, now finally daring to reach out and cover the Trill's hand with his own.

Kevan sat in a semi-stunned silence as the conversation just seemed to happen around him. "I..." he honestly wasn't sure what answer to give. There was nothing wrong with being close to another guy, and he really did like Mason. Romantically? "I suppose," he said quietly, not sure where to look. "It's a crazy universe, right? Never discount anything."

Teyo rolled his eyes. "Put the poor guy out of his misery Kev, stop giving him false hope. He clearly really likes you and you're stringing him along. Be straight with him... no pun intended," he added with a chuckle.

Mason gently squeezed the hand that his covered, then pulled his hand back. "Crazy universe," he agreed with a smile. If he at least stood a chance, that was something, right? Perhaps, this evening would turn out alright after all.

Finn rolled her eyes. 'I suppose' wasn't much of an answer. She sighed before looking at Kevan "I never meant for this dinner to quite turn out like this, but since we're here now....if you like Mason, go on a date together, by yourselves," she gave Fenn a steely glance. "You owe it to yourselves to see if anything is there and it's certainly not fair to string Mason along while telling him you only like girls. If you absolutely don't want to give the relationship a try then at least be honest and straightforward about it. You might break his heart, but that's better than giving him false hope."

Teyo shot a look back at Finn. She was here too so her stoney gaze was totally uncalled for in his opinion. "Literally what I just said," he said gruffly, finishing off the rest of his drink.

"So..." Kevan sighed, desperately trying to move the awkward attention away from himself for a while. "Who wants something to eat?"

"Sure," Finn shrugged, exasperated with how the dinner was going, before waving the waiter back over. She ordered a margherita pizza and then pushed away from the table to stand at the edge of the cliff and admire the sea view as the others placed their dinner requests.

Ordering fries and a medium flame grilled steak, Mason got up to join Finn. "Some disaster huh," he said in hushed tone as he walked up to her side. "Maybe that should've just been Kevan and me tonight..."

"Maybe," Finn kept her eyes on the horizon for a moment before turning to face Mason. "Is this really what you want? He doesn't deserve you. Hell, he won't even acknowledge that something might exist between you two. You'd be better off with someone else." She said in a hushed tone as she drew nearer to him.

"Maybe," Mason acknowledged, "but I have hope. He did kiss me the other day, and I think something exists. I can be patient for a while longer."

"If a simple kiss can change your mind..." Finn said softly before closing the gap and planting a kiss on his lips. She wasn't sure what kind of reaction she might get, but it was worth a try. Worst case it might help Mason out in making Kevan a bit envious.

Back at the table Teyo placed his order of sea bass and roasted vegetables and also ordered another round of drinks. For a moment he sat in silence staring at the other Trill sitting across from him. He was trying to figure Kevan out, was he just scared or was he a game player? Teyo just couldn't decide. What he did know was that Dash was a very good looking man, but his bullshit attitude of playing with people's hearts made him super unattractive, in Teyo's eyes. "You still didn't give Mason an honest answer," Teyo finally said, looking Kevan straight in the eyes.

"Who asked you?" Kevan replied coolly, some of his more macho instincts kicking back in.

Teyo didn't say anything for a while, he just stared at the Trill man sitting across the table from him, in a way, Teyo was sizing him up, Kevan probably doing the same. Eventually he smiled, "you're right, it is none of my business," he said as he held up his hands in a sign of surrender. "I have enough to worry about than, whatever this is."

Their conversation was disrupted by a little commotion towards the cliff as Mason pushed Finn away in reflex. "What the hell Finn," he exclaimed, reaching up to wipe his mouth.

"Sorry! I thought it was worth a try if a simple kiss made you feel so strongly for Kevan who can't even admit he has feelings for you," she shrugged. She had hoped, maybe wished, for a better reaction. It wasn't fair. Of all the guys on this damn ship, she had to think the most attractive one was also the one that was completely uninterested in her.

Teyo looked up and looked between the two, it didn't take a genius to work out exactly what happened. The looks on their faces, the shame in the air, the embarrassment. He stood up a little too fast, his chair flying backwards and landing with a bang on the floor. He looked at Mason and then at Finn, who failed to meet his gaze. "You're unbelievable," he said finally, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. "Thank you all for a lovely evening," he added, a note of sarcasm in his voice. He turned to leave and then stopped in his tracks, turning back to face Kevan. "Hit me up for a drink sometime, you're the only person here who has some integrity." And without waiting for a response he called for the exit and left the three of them to their own devices.

Finn rolled her eyes at his dramatic exit. How could he talk about integrity when he was the one that had strolled in uninvited? With a sigh and a hint of regret in her eyes, she looked to Mason and Kevan. "I'm sorry, I truly only meant to help. Kevan, if you felt any sort of twinge of envy when I kissed Mason then you had better do something about it. Otherwise, Mason, stop wasting your time on someone that won't acknowledge you. You deserve better." With that, she followed suit with Fenn and left the holodeck.

Kevan, now the only one seated at the small table, looked a little dumbfounded. He sighed, tossing in the napkin as though it were the proverbial towel. "All I wanted was a damn burger..."

"You know Kev..." Mason turned and shook his head. "Let me know when you make up your mind... I'm not going to wait for you forever. Enjoy your burger." Shrugging, the former marine walked out of the holodeck as well.