You and Saru stepped off of the elevator and looked around. You were now beneath the icey surface of the planet and inside the network of cold grey tunnels that made up the many cities of Andoria. You looked up to the tall Kelpien, who was noticibly shivering less than when you two were on the surface. There were a few other Shenzhou crew members among the busy native Andorians, but generally the initial rush of Starfleet people you expected to be there were now probably off exploring, enjoying their shore-leave.
"Sir?" you said gently, getting the attention of the man next to you. Saru then looked down at you as he adjusted his parka.
"Yes, lieutenant?"
"Are you alright?" you asked with a small chuckle, patting his arm. He looked down at your hand that was touching him curiously, then looked back up into your eyes.
"Of course I am. It's not nearly as cold down here as it was up there, so soon I think I will have adjusted to the temperature," Saru replied in his usual matter-of-fact tone. You couldn't help but smile, patting his arm once more and then pulling your hand away.
"Well that's good. Let's go take a look around, shall we?" Saru nodded in reply and you both started to walk around. Making your way to the exit of the Welcoming Center, you both maneuvered around Andorians and Starfleet personnel. The large doors slid open, revealing to you and Saru the capital city of Andoria; Laikan. It was, as you expected, busy with people.
"How long do we get to stay, lieutenant?" Saru then asked as you both looked around. You glanced down at a watch and smiled up at him.
"We have about 16 hours to explore, if I'm remembering right. I think that's plenty of time, don't you sir?" You asked with a small grin.
"That's more than enough time; I don't think we'll be down here for more than an hour or two," Saru remarked as you both walked along the street. You shrugged with a smile on your face. 'Just an hour or two' didn't sound like enough to you, but you didn't want to argue with your superior on it. As you two strolled down the busy streets of Laikan, you turned your head to look inside the passing shops and businesses through their windows.
One place caught your eye in particular. Inside, Andorians and other humanoids sat at tables, holding drinks in their hands and laughing. A nice little restaurant bar, how cute. However, you weren't hungry, and it might be weird to take your superior in for a dinner date. You continued on, walking with Saru while scanning the area with your eyes.
You glanced at Saru, who was seemingly focused on something in the distance. "Sir? Is there something you see over there?" You asked as you stepped closer to him. The Kelpien looked down at you, then nodded and pointed at what he was staring at in the distance.
"Yes, the Laikan Art Museum. I've heard Andorians are fantastic artists," Saru said. You smiled wide.
"Well let's go look for ourselves then! This might be our only chance of taking a look," you suggested, and stepped forward to make your way to the large museum ahead. Saru followed beside you.
"I suppose we could look for a little while. Though I'm not quite knowledgeable in art, I'm sure we could learn something interesting." You giggled gently at Saru's little tangent. Both of you looked at each other and Saru raised his brow. "What's so funny, lieutenant?"
"We don't have to learn anything from the art, we could just enjoy the art, sir." The Kelpien tilted his head, confused. You laughed more. "You need to start enjoying things more without thinking so hard about it. I know you like to work, but you should really give your brain a break sir!"
Saru seemed almost embarrassed, but he smiled. As you both walked together, side by side, he gave a little sigh and a chuckle. "I suppose you have a point there, lieutenant." You nodded.
"Of course I do! Your brain is like a muscle and it needs time to heal, just like your other muscles after a good workout." Saru hummed in agreement. "Now, let's go take a look at some Andorian art, shall we?" you continued with a large smile.
"Of course, lieutenant," he said in reply. With those words, you two then made your way to the Laikan Art Museum.
---
After standing in a small line and finally gaining entrance to the museum, you and your Kelpien companion toured the large building. Though you were both scientists, not artists, together the both of you appreciated all of the wonderful masterpieces that were present throughout the whole gallery. Large, intricate statues stood proudly and unique paintings were displayed along the walls; all of which yourself and your commanding officer enjoyed and talked about together. Hallway after hallway, room after room, the two of you walked beside each other closely.
Entering another room full of paintings with Saru by your side, you looked to your right as a large painting caught your eye. "Ah, Saru, look at this one!" you said in a soft, excited voice as you took hold of his arm and pulled him to the colourful canvas. Saru let out a gentle gasp at your sudden contact, but followed you as you pulled him along.
Both you and Saru stopped in front of the painting and looked at it, staring at its wonderful colours. "Isn't is so lovely, sir?" you asked as you glanced up at him. Saru softly bowed his head and looked down at you with a small smile.
"Yes, very. The colours used to paint the sky are marvelous. Even though Andorians don't often get to see the real night sky, this artist has managed to paint it beautifully," Saru replied as you both looked up at the painting once more. Silence then fell between you two as you both just studied the work of art before you. Letting out a gentle sigh, you subconsciously side-stepped closer to your commanding officer.
That's when you realized you were still linking arms with him. You felt your cheeks flush as you looked, just to be sure; yes, you were linking arms with Saru. The commanding officer glanced down at you and seemed to take notice of your flushed face, as his brows furrowed. You could then see him realizing it as well by how his eyes slightly widened, which only threw you into further embarrassment.
"A-ah, I'm sorry sir," you stuttered awkwardly as you unlinked your arm with his and put your hands in your parka's pockets. Saru stepped away from you slightly, but had a shy smile on his face.
"Oh, no, it's fine lieutenant." Saru gently chuckled, though in his voice you could feel his embarrassment as well. Still slightly flustered, you looked around to see if you could change the subject. As you glanced around the room you noticed a clock, and had to blink for a moment to be sure that what you were seeing was correct. In total, you and Saru had spent hours walking around in that museum.
"Goodness, sir, we should probably get out of here soon. Look," you half-whispered as you pointed to the clock. Saru tilted his head curiously and turned to take a look. The Kelpien's brows raised as he processed how much time had gone by.
"Oh my, you're probably right," the Kelpien agreed. "I hadn't been keeping track of the time. My apologies." You shook your head as you both began to walk once more.
"Sir, you don't need to apologize. This is what being on shore-leave is all about," you smiled up at your commanding officer. "Time flies when you're having fun, after all." Saru gently shrugged and nodded, with his usual modest smile and hum. The two of you continued on walking, back tracking your way through the museum.
Luckily, you managed to find short-cuts to the exit instead of taking another few hours to find it. Still side by side the two Starfleet officers stepped out from the building and breathed in the crisp air of Andoria's underground city. You looked up to the tall Kelpien and couldn't help but grin happily. "So, did you enjoy that experience, sir?"
Saru glanced down at you curiously, then brought his eyes back to the front as you both continued walking. "Of course I did. All of the pieces we saw in that museum were remarkable," he began. "To be completely honest, that was the first time I had ever been able to really appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into such work." You brought yourself a little closer to the Kelpien as he spoke. Saru's soft but intelligent voice was so charming, you couldn't help yourself. As you brought your eyes up to look at his face, Saru looked down to yours with a warm smile.
"Lieutenant, I thank you for pushing me to partake in this shore-leave with you."
You almost felt your heart skip a beat as you heard those kind words leave his lips. Your cheeks flushed a soft shade of red. "Oh, sir, you don't need to thank me for this, really..." You replied modestly. Saru shook his head, still softly beaming.
"I do. And please, feel free to just call me Saru for the rest of this shore-leave." Your chest felt so warm right at that moment.
"Of course, Saru." You were grinning happily as you bowed your head in a small nod. Both yourself and Saru then looked to the front as the two of you walked together slowly, just enjoying each other's company. The streets were a little less busy now, as it was approaching the early evening hours.
"I don't suppose you're a bit hungry now, right? Because, well, I could happily partake in a meal right about now," Saru chuckled. Now that he mentioned it, your stomach was feeling a bit empty and you could definitely go for a bit of food too.
"Ah, me too... Should we go back to the ship then, sir?" Saru shook his head, gesturing his hand towards a familiar building in the distance.
"No, I believe this place would be much more interesting." The Kelpien man smiled at you. "We're on shore-leave, so why don't we explore another part of Andorian culture?" You looked to where Saru had pointed out to you; it was the small restaurant bar from when you both first arrived. Your cheeks flushed a deeper shade of red. Your shore-leave with Saru was bordering on being a date- but honestly, you weren't complaining. Even though this wasn't really a date at all, this was probably the best date you'd ever experienced in your life.
"You're absolutely right, Saru. I've never had Andorian cuisine before, so this should be new for me," you gently giggled.
"And for me as well. Let's hurry in then, I'm famished." Saru and you both laughed and you made your way into the establishment. As you both stepped foot into the building you could see a few familiar faces at tables; other Starfleet personnel who were enjoying drinks and meals together. You stood close to Saru as a waiter approached you both, leading you and him to an empty table.
You let out a sigh as you took a seat, across the table from the commanding officer. Both of you glanced around to take in the beauty of the restaurant's decor. "My my, such a cozy place this is," you smiled.
"Yes, it really is. We didn't have places like this on Kaminar," Saru commented. You tilted your head to the side slightly.
"Kaminar? That's your homeworld, right?" The Kelpien nodded his head.
"Yes. When I had left Kaminar, we didn't even have electricity. I can't imagine it's much different now." Saru gently shook his head as he gazed to the side, suddenly lost in thought. He obviously missed his homeworld to some degree; you could see it in those bright, blue eyes of his. Saru had his hands on the table, with his fingers gently tapping mindlessly against it. You glanced at his hand, then at his face.
Hesitantly, but with a warm smile, you reached across the table and put your hand upon his. Saru almost flinched at the sudden contact; he hadn't expected such a gesture from you.
"I don't know much about Kaminar, or your life before you came to Starfleet, but just know... I'm here for you, whenever you need it, Saru." Your voice was tender and genuine. You really did care for the Kelpien. Saru's face blushed faintly as he humbly smiled back at you, looking you in the eyes shyly. He placed his other hand on top of yours, lightly running his thumb back and forth across your fingers.
"Thank you." Saru's voice was quiet, but you could feel his immense gratitude within those two simple words.
With both of you now content, you continued on with your shore-leave; enjoying tea and Andorian cuisine together. You and Saru talked and laughed the evening away, strengthening your bond with each hour that went by.