A Human Custom

Amanda slipped her hand into Sarek, feeling the warmth of his against the cool of hers. She smiled, contentedly as her and Sarek walked along the promenade. Sarek's gaze darted between Amanda's face and their now entwined hands, his eyebrow arched highlighting his confusion and causing her smile to grow somewhat. She gave him a two word explanation that cleared all confusion, "It's human."

Sarek nodded his understanding and they went back to walking in silence. Amanda couldn't help but note that it was a good silence, a comfortable silence rather than an awkward one. Sarek appeared deep in thought, while Amanda was happy to lose herself in the beautiful view and the company of Sarek. The waves were raising gently and crashing against the beach before dragging themselves back out, it made Amanda wonder what beaches were like on Vulcan, if they had beaches on Vulcan. She was calm, relaxed, certain about the move to Vulcan, she was certain that marrying Sarek was what she wanted to do, there was no doubt in her mind. That didn't stop worry setting in every so often about everything she was leaving behind.

Amanda mentally shook the worry away, and let herself get lost in the view. It was a warm day, not too hot but no threat of rain, the beach was fairly busy, made up of families and couples and friends playing in the sea, building sand castles, relaxing in the sun. Screams of excitement and the calls of gulls surrounded them. It was beautiful. She looked at Sarek and became area that he was watching her with his usual blank expression.

"Do you wish to go onto the beach?" he asked, as though reading her mind. His voice to an outsider would've appeared to be its normal, monotonous tone, but Amanda could hear the slight difference, the curiosity to experience a human beach first hand.

Amanda nodded, "Yeah, come on," she lead him down the few steps from the promenade to the actually beach, stopping to slip her sandals off as they reached the sand.

They continued to walk quietly for a moment before Amanda moved her hand from Sarek's and knelt down on the sand. Sarek knelt beside her, watching in fascination. She pressed her finger into the sand and dragged it along, it took Sarek a moment to realise that she was writing something. He stayed quiet until she had finished and the letters "S&A" were written with a heart around them. She stood up to inspect her handiwork and Sarek stood beside her.

"I do not understand the point to this," Sarek said after a moment of silence. "It will simply wash away when the tide comes in."

"Shh, don't," Amanda whispered, placing a finger over his mouth to stop him, smiling at him. "It's human," she repeated her words from earlier, "It doesn't need a point."

Sarek didn't answer for a moment. Eventually he said, "I have much to learn about human customs."

Amanda laughed slightly, and wrapped an arm around his back, cuddling close to him, "There's an understatement. I've got a lot to learn of Vulcan as well though, but we'll get there."

Sarek nodded, and moved away from her. Amanda watched him suspiciously, as he knelt down on the sand again. He gestured for her to knee beside him and she did so. "I am uncertain if I am doing this correctly," he commented.

Amanda's expression quietly told of her confusion.

"You are aware that I am not accustomed to the ways of humans and therefore this is foreign to me. However, you are human and not only that you are giving up your planet to continue your life with me and I believe it is only fair if I at least attempt to participate in human customs," Sarek explained.

"What d'you mean?" Amanda asked.

Sarek looked momentarily lost, though it barely showed in his expression, "Close your eyes until I tell you to open them again."

"Why?"

"I believe if I were to answer that question it would ruin the surprise," Sarek told her simply.

Amanda hid a grin, "So there's a surprise?" she asked cheekily.

"Close your eyes," was the only response Sarek gave.

She did so, wondering what 'human custom' he could be participating in, in secret on a beach. A few moments later he instructed her to open her eyes and as she did so she gasped in shock. A couple of tears sprang to her eyes as she read the two words Sarek had scratched into the sand: MARRY ME?

Sarek looked at her, "Are you sad?"

Amanda shock her head and when she spoke her voice cracked just slightly, "Of course I'm not sad. I'm happy, so happy."

Sarek looked at her pointedly.

Amanda blinked, "Oh right. Yes! Of course I'll marry you."

The corners of Sarek's mouth twitched ever so slightly, the closest Amanda had ever seen him to smiling. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, "I love you so much, Sarek."

"And I you, t'nash-veh Amanda."

A/N: The fluff. This isn't like me. S/A makes me fluffy :S. For those who don't know "t'nash-veh" means "my" according to this website of the Vulcan language I found on google. :) R&R?