[ussbansheec] Twelfth Floor Express: No Stops
- From: Andy Maluhia <CaptainAndy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: ussbansheec@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 21 Oct 2006 19:15:58 -0400
_Twelfth Floor Express: No Stops
_Tzuriel & Jason Kabuki and Zi LIng
While Andy was a contemporary to his older siblings, he'd always been a
sort of uncle to Tzuriel, including the youngest Kabuki whenever he took
his own cousins, nieces, and nephews anywhere. Tzuriel was more than
fond of the cheerful Marine. Zachan was the one of his cousins who
always made a younger Tzuriel feel like a grown up, even if he was so
much younger than his siblings and cousins. He spoke to him like an
adult and definitely treated him like one, letting Tzuriel baby sit his
children whenever they were on Kauai. He was, Zachan and Dinnia both
said, requested every time.
He wanted both men to meet Zi and to talk to them about her and...
"Ah, just admit it, fool: you plain miss them," he said with a sigh as
he entered the building lobby.
Automatically, he made for the stairwell, never noticing that one of his
elderly neighbors was getting into the elevator. By the time he got to
his floor,that same neighbor was poking his head into the corridor from
his own apartment.
"Crazy youth, what'd you do that for? The elevator's fixed."
"It/ is/?"
"Yep, some good lookin' Bajoran girl with red hair stood there an'
glared at the workers til they got it right," the old man hmmphed with
satisfaction.
"Good looking Bajoran..." Tzuriel trailed off as he realized who that
most likely was. Laughing brightly, he headed up the hall to Zi's
apartment, saying, "Have a good evening, sir. I'll tell my aunt what
you said."
Zi set her espresso pot on the stove to make coffee just as the buzzer
for her cookies declared they were ready. It had been so long since
she'd baked anything but she'd just fancied something sweet for once.
"Got to hand it to Jay," he chuckled as he pressed Zi's door chime.
"That guy gets things done but quick."
"Coming!" she called, hoping that it was Taz. She placed her cookies on
the counter top then rushed to the door, pausing to unlock the five
dead-bolts and three chairs she had on it. When she saw him, she
grinned shyly. "Hey..."
Tzuriel made a face as he heard all the unlocking going on. Awful lot
of locks, he mused. "Hey, how are ya?" he asked with an equal grin.
"Do you know what I just found out?"
"That the elevator's been fixed?" she said innocently. "Or that you're
incredibly cute when you're confounded."
He stepped inside and leaned to kiss her cheek. "Well, yeah, the first
part's what I was going to say," he said with a sniff of self
deprecation. "I just got called crazy because I walked all the way up
when I didn't have to."
"Unobservant, I would go for," she mused as she closed the door behind
him and clicked all of the locks back into place.
"Well, I didn't expect results so quickly," he admitted even as he
watched her with the locks. "I only called my brother yesterday afternoon."
"He's efficient then," she chimed. "I should get everyone here to club
together to get him something as a thank you."
"Jason's particularly good at staring at people actually. I wonder what
he did this time," Tzuriel mused even as he kept his eyes on the door.
"Even got my aunt involved it seems."
"That the one old Mr Cohan was flirting with?" she asked with a laugh.
The old Jew was renowned for flirting with any new woman he met.
"Red headed Bajoran lady?" he asked. "About your height? That would be
her." Tzuriel shook his head, still shocked at the speed. "I'm glad
she did, though. A project to keep her mind occupied."
"You make it sound like she's lost someone," Zi observed softly.
Tzuriel nodded slowly, his shock at the elevator being fixed dissipating
for a moment. "In a way," he said softly, the strange mood coming
back. "What do you still know of Starfleet?"
"I work for them as a civilian secretary so a little," she shrugged.
"Ah then you must have heard of the Banshee and how its gone missing.
One of my favorite cousins is aboard along with a very dear family
friend," Tzuriel told her. "Zachan, and that isn't his real name, is
her oldest child."
"Oh," she said softly. "My boss's sister is aboard too. Everyone
connected to it seems so sad."
Tzuriel shook his head as he put an arm around her. "I wish I could
disagree but then I'd be lying."
She cuddled close to him, her baking forgotten for the moment. "And now
you're sad too."
"I just miss them is all," he said as he rested his chin on top of her
head. "They'd like you and I'd want them to meet you."
"I'm sure they will one day, when they come home," she said softly.
"They will come home. I have faith."
At that, Tzuriel brightened. "So do I, Zi," he said firmly. He sniffed
slightly then looked at her curiously. "You baking? That reminds me of
Zachan telling me used to get sugar fits."
"I made cinnamon cookies," she said shyly. "Would you like one?"
"Please," he said with a kiss to her forehead. "I'd say you found the
way to my heart with cookies but you're already there. I'm glad I met
you, Zi. I'd've gone home and stewed if I hadn't."
"Don't stew, you wouldn't taste very good all mushy," she teased
lightly. She adored the way he touched her, as if she was special.
Pulling him into the kitchen, she picked up a warm cookie and offered it
to him.
He took the cookie gingerly. "I used to burn my hand a lot when my mom
made cookies," he explained. "Impatient little thing that I was." He
sniffed appreciatively then took a bite. "Oh too perfect. Thank you!"
She felt a giggle bubble up and she blushed. "My definite pleasure
then. I think I could bake cookies forever for that smile."
"Cute," Tzuriel said as he brushed her warmed cheek. He nodded at the
locks on the door. "No need to be afraid with Reverend Taz on the job.
I'm easily bought with the smile of a certain beautiful lady. And cookies."
She glanced at the locks and grinned innocently. "It's automatic now.
I don't even think about it when I lock up. Besides, if I'd been
afraid, I wouldn't have opened the door to you."
Still holding her hand, he sat on her sofa, holding out his hand in
invitation. "Did you watch all the goings on this morning then?"
"Only the little I saw as I went to work," she admitted, perching beside
him and smiling. "Most of the old people came out and watched though.
I think they enjoyed seeing the officer give the workmen hell."
Tzuriel nearly cackled with glee at the vision that created. "Yeah, my
aunt is a sweet lady but she's been an engineer for a long, long time.
Shoddy work annoys her, especially when it comes to everybody's pet
nephew," he said with a small self conscious blush. "Was there, by any
chance, anybody standing around looking like me?"
Zi frowned but shook her head. "I don't think so. I didn't wait long,
I was late for work anyway. Not that it mattered because my boss didn't
show up but if I still managed to get an earful from my supervisor..."
She paused for breath and blushed. "Sorry. Um, no, no one for you."
"Hmmm...I wonder if Jason was just joking about getting to meet you
first," he said with a shrug. He brushed her cheek with one finger.
"Still cute but what's with the frown? They treat you badly there?"
She shrugged, her eyes dropping to the floor. "Just another bully, I'll
live."
"You shouldn't have to, though," he said, shaking his head sadly. "Why
should you walk around with that sort of weight on you? A beautiful,
intelligent woman like you would be an asset anywhere."
"Apparently not," she sighed. "It took me ages to get this job, I won't
get another."
"You want me to ask Jason or Jeremiah?" he offered. "Jay's a judge and
biggest brother does construction with his company. You need people who
appreciate you, Zi."
"Great, I have to use my boyfriend to get a job," she sighed as she
shook her head. "How pathetic am I."
"No, I'm just offering to ask and it's not pathetic. It's good sense to
make use of a cookie scarfing resource," Tzuriel said with a soft
chuckle. "But look it this way, too. Maybe you've got more confidence
now, even just a little. The locks there not withstanding."
"Maybe," she shrugged. "It'd look good on my resume: lasted 6 months in
job because she couldn't hack it under the supervision of a long term
supervisor."
Tzuriel rubbed her shoulder. "Just keep it in mind. I'll be here
anyway: to sit with, kiss you, and I have decently strong shoulders to
cry on."
"I don't cry," she said simply. "I got tired of it, I just couldn't do
it any more."
"Well, if you hurt too much, you know you can call me and curl up. Sit
with me and be at ease doing nothing. I enjoy your company, Zi.
You're wonderful and you don't even know it."
She smiled at him but shook her head. "You're sweet, you know that?"
"I'm not trying to be," he said. "I'm, ah, just me. I couldn't be
suave or smooth if I tried."
"Who needs suave and smooth? Most men like that are vapid idiots
anyway," she said airily then grinned and winked at him. "Not that
someone like that would even notice me and I don't think I'd care if
they did."
"Fools the lot of them," Tzuriel hmmphed with a smirk. "Do you know how
many people I know who can't simply sit with a lady and enjoy the being
with her? I'm a lucky man."
"Yes, you are," she chirped teasingly. "It's not everybody who gets
cookies you know."
Jason looked at his watch. He had just enough time to give his littlest
brother a quick hello and then run on home. He had one brief to prepare
and then it was off to his oldest's school play. He had already knocked
on his brother's door a few times and was about to leave when he looked
up the hall. I wonder if...he turned from number twenty and headed up
the hall to number twenty-five.
"If this doesn't work then I'm going home," he said to himself as he
knocked on the door.
Zi gave the door a fearful glance but sighed to herself. "You can make
coffee if you like," she suggested as she started on the array of bolts
and deadlocks. Once finished, she opened the door but left it on the
chain so she could close it if she wanted. "Can I help you?" she asked
even though she recognised the blue eyes as being one of Taz's relatives.
Jason smiled through the door. "Only if my baby brother's here. I'm
Jason Kabuki. I just stopped by on my way home."
Tzuriel started for her neat kitchen but stopped half way, wanting to
keep an eye on her. He might not have had as much caution if he were
alone but he'd promised to keep an eye on her. He grinned upon hearing
his brother's voice. "It's the elevator man."
"He's here," she nodded, closing the door slightly to let the chain off
then opening it for him to come in if he wanted. "He's making coffee."
The two brothers were the same height yet Jason was clearly older.
Tzuriel crossed the room and enclosed the man in a brief bear hug before
turning to face Zi, his arm still around Jason. "Jason, this is Zi
Ling, the sweetest and smartest lady I know."
Jason smiled at her and offered a hand. The girl seemed to rather
hesitant to him but he knew his brother had a knack for finding diamonds
in the rough. He trusted his judgement. "Hi, pleased to meet you after
Taz talked so much about you."
She smiled and took the hand, her shake firmer than most imagined it
would be. "Good to meet you too. Would you like coffee?"
"Maybe just one cup. My daughter will frown at me very severely if I
don't show up for her play. One should never be frowned at by a seven
year old," Jason told her, eyes bright, as he released her hand. "Did
you catch a ride in the now properly functioning elevator?"
"No," she smirked. "I prefer the stairs unless I'm carrying groceries
or heavy things."
Tzuriel gave her a half hearted growl then retreated to the kitchen.
"Alright, I wasn't paying attention," he admitted, shrugging at his
brother. "I walked all the way up just to have the old one up the hall
call me crazy. By the way, he said Aunt Vilya's pretty."
"Well, she is but then she's also sweet to elders, too." Jason looked
back to Zi, squashing back his lawyer's instinct to interrogate while
not quite squashing curiosity. "You go to school with Taz, Zi?"
"No," she said carefully. "I've been to school, many many schools. Why?"
"Just curious," Jason said easily. "He didn't quite say where he met
you and I took a guess."
"We met in the park." And that was all she was going to say on the
matter. No reason for him to know the exact circumstances.
"Golden Gate? That's where our uncle met Aunt Vilya," Jason said with a
smile. "Tell you the truth, our folks were a bit worried that Taz would
leave his head stuck in books his whole life. I'm glad he's gotten
himself a pretty girl."
Zi blushed but smiled her thanks. "At least they can feel better that
they know he's eating properly. I like cooking for him."
"Isn't she great, Jay?" Tzuriel asked as he set a tray of mugs down on
the coffee table. "Not too many girls out there who are as smart as
they are pretty. And she really is a good cook. The extra workouts I
need are worth it by far."
"I'm not great," she said shyly, feeling her cheeks darken even more.
"I'm just really lucky."
"Are too great," Tzuriel said softly as he sat next to her. "She
thought up your same line, too, Jay: Reverend Taz."
Jason grinned widely. "Got to like a woman with a sense of humor."
Her coffee in her hands, she grinned over the top of her mug. "I gave
him a mug with Taz on it. It's in his flat."
Jason sipped the coffee, observing his brother and Zi as he did. She
was still hesitant, almost afraid he thought, yet she seemed perfectly
content with Tzuriel. Ah, well, you can expect the girl to turn
cartwheels for you when you just met. "I was always a Roadrunner man
myself but The Taz is definitely him."
"Excuse me but I don't slobber when I eat," Tzuriel hmmphed with a smirk.
"But you are a whirlwind who comes into lives and changes them around
completely," Zi said with a fond smile.
"In that case, I promise not to shed on your furniture," Tzuriel said
with a wink.
Zi let out a small giggle and reached over to poke his shoulder. "Silly
man."
"Zi, I have to go before my budding thespian of a daughter has a fit but
I'm glad I met you," Jason said as he finished his coffee. "You're more
than welcome to come with Taz next time he comes home to visit."
"I'll think about it, okay?"
"Not a problem," Jason said as he stood up. "I know all of us all once
is a bit much to deal with."
"You're welcomed to come back," she said as she rose to unlock her door
for him. "Stay for a little more than half a cup of coffee."
"Thank you, Zi," Jason said warmly as he held her hand in both of his.
"For the invitation and for being Taz's friend. You suit him well."
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