They shimmered into view in a gentle wash of transporter light, materialising side by side on the Bellerophon’s transporter pad. The moment the hum of the beam faded, Alfie exhaled slowly and looked around, adjusting the cuff of his fitted black button-down shirt. He tugged at it unnecessarily, not to fix anything, but to give his hands something to do. Beside him, Jordan stepped off the pad first, brushing invisible lint from his dark blue shirt with a similar restlessness.

“You look really hot in that shirt,” Jordan said with a small grin, trying to mask his nerves with flirtation. His voice was light, teasing, but his eyes kept darting toward the door like he expected one of their parents to storm in and catch them holding hands.

Alfie smirked, trying to relax. “You always say that when I wear black.”

“That’s because you always look good in black.”

“Charmer.” Alfie chuckled, but his fingers drummed against his thigh. He tilted his head slightly. “You ready?”

“No,” Jordan said immediately. “Are you?”

“Not even slightly.” But they both laughed quietly, grateful for the shared anxiety; it felt easier facing this together.

They stepped out into the corridor, their footsteps echoing softly in the quiet evening calm of the Bellerophon. The lights were slightly dimmed, and most of the ship was settled into its night shift, lending the passageways a warm, private ambience. It was peaceful, too peaceful. Alfie swore he could hear his heartbeat bouncing off the walls.

Their shoulders brushed as they walked, unconsciously inching closer together the nearer they got to the captain’s mess. Alfie glanced sideways at Jordan, then looked forward again, his voice dropping to a murmur.

“Do you think they know about us?”

Jordan hesitated a moment, then shook his head. “I don’t think so. I mean, maybe mine might suspect something. My dad’s got that weird vibe-sensing thing. But I’m pretty sure we’ve kept it quiet.”

Alfie sighed. “Quiet like whispering in the middle of the night, sneaking out of each other’s quarters quiet?”

“Yeah. That quiet.” Jordan gave a sheepish grin. “Look, worst case scenario, we’re having dinner. It’s not like we’re confessing to a murder.”

“Feels like we’re about to be interrogated.”

“We’ve faced simulated Vaadwaur assaults. We can survive a dinner with our parents.”

“Yeah, but the ship exploded last time!” Alfie countered.

The door to the captain’s mess loomed ahead. Alfie paused, staring at it like it might open into a black hole. He inhaled deeply. “Okay. Show time.”

As the doors parted with a soft swish, the gentle warmth of laughter and low conversation spilt out. Inside, the mess had been transformed into something far more intimate than either of them expected. The lighting was soft and golden, the table set with care. It was simple elegance, nothing overdone, but personal. Plates of food were already arranged, the scent of something roasted and savoury wafting toward them.

And there they were.

James and Karyn were sitting on one side of the table, their hands loosely intertwined over a glass of wine, while Max and Tobias stood at the drinks cart on the far end, discussing something quietly. Everyone was dressed casually. No uniforms, no rank pips, no Starfleet business. Just four people – friends, partners, parents – all waiting.

Karyn was the first to look up, and her entire face lit up. “There you two are!”

James turned next, standing and rounding the table with that relaxed kind of grace that only made Alfie more anxious. Max and Tobias both looked up, their expressions softening with matching smiles.

“Come in, come in,” Max said, waving them over. “We’ve got drinks and real food. I’m talking non-replicated. Tobias actually cooked.”

Tobias raised his glass. “Which is a miracle in itself.”

“I helped!” James added, hands raised in mock offence.

“You poured wine,” Karyn teased.

Jordan cleared his throat and stepped in with a smile. “It smells incredible in here.”

Alfie nodded, managing a smile that looked more like a grimace. “Looks really great, too.”

Before anyone could say more, Alfie crossed the space between them and wrapped his arms around his dad in a firm hug. James responded instantly, holding him with the kind of squeeze that only a father could give. Strong, reassuring, unconditional. Jordan followed suit, hugging Max with the same affection, and was quickly pulled into a tight side hug by Tobias as well. Karyn rose from her seat and enfolded them both at once.

“Missed you, Mom,” Alfie whispered.

“You too, my brave boy.”

They were ushered to the table with smiles and teasing, welcomed with that familiar kind of joy that only existed in families who had weathered things together. The boys slid into their seats, the tension in their shoulders easing as the aroma of the food hit them fully.

Dinner began with laughter. Karyn told a story from decades ago about a science conference that nearly turned into a food fight. But it was James who stole the spotlight not long after, as he leaned back with his wine and glanced toward Max with a grin.

“Do you all remember Max’s diplomatic encounter with a certain Ferengi aboard the Odyssey? Grand DaiMon Deliaros.”

Max groaned immediately. “I thought we left her behind with the Romulans?”

James pressed on, undeterred. “He walks into this reception, cool as ever, all prepped to ‘read the room,’ right? And in walks Deliaros, wearing at least thirty bars of latinum in jewellery and calling him ‘her emotional Starfleet support.’”

“She once called me ‘counsellor snuggle-ears,’” Max muttered, face in his hands.

Jordan nearly spat out his drink.

“She tried to buy a session with him. With latinum,” James continued, barely keeping it together. “She thought therapy was something you could auction off and Max, bless him, tried to explain the ethics of Starfleet counselling services while she kept offering more latinum and negotiating for longer sessions!”

“She offered to name a Ferengi dessert after me,” Max added flatly. “It was going to be a hybrid between root beer and snickerdoodle.”

“That’s horrifying,” Jordan gasped.

“That’s Deliaros,” James said. “And to be fair, Max handled it with way more grace than I would have.”

“And I’ve never accepted a different Ferengi negotiation since,” Max quipped, raising his glass.

The boys laughed, slowly letting themselves ease into the moment. The warmth in the room was genuine, the teasing good-natured and rooted in love. But as the plates were cleared and dessert, a fresh-baked pecan pie, was served, the conversation turned, inevitably, toward the cadet ship.

“You two handled that Vaadwaur boarding simulation interestingly,” Max said, passing a plate toward Jordan. “The after-action reports were an interesting read.”

Jordan nodded. “Thanks, it was intense, but I think we learned a lot.”

Alfie looked down at his plate. “It was one hell of a test.”

James leaned forward, studying his son with the kind of look that saw too much. “You’ve both come a long way since the Astra launched. It’s impressive how well you work together.”

The silence that followed was palpable. Jordan stiffened slightly, and Alfie, sensing it, finally looked up.

This was it.

The room felt suddenly smaller. Warmer. Or maybe that was just his pulse pounding in his ears. Alfie couldn’t be sure.

“There’s something we need to tell you,” Alfie said, his voice clear but soft.

All four parents went still. Not alarmed, just attentive. The kind of silence only family can give when they know a moment matters.

Jordan set his fork down. “We didn’t want to hide it, exactly. We just weren’t sure when or how.”

“We’re together,” Alfie said. His eyes flicked from face to face. “Jordan and I, we’re a couple.”

For a beat, no one said anything.

Then Max blinked. “Oh, thank God.”

That set off a round of surprised laughter. Jordan let out an almost hysterical breath while Alfie sat back, wide-eyed. “Wait, what?”

Karyn smirked. “Sweetheart, we’ve known for a while. We were just waiting for you two to say it out loud.”

“Are you kidding me?” Jordan asked, stunned. “How long?”

“Let’s just say the holodeck logs weren’t exactly subtle,” Tobias replied, nudging Max with a knowing look. “Neither were the shared quarters on the Odyssey.”

Alfie buried his face in his hands. “We thought we were being careful!”

“You were adorable,” James said, his voice warm with affection. “And it doesn’t matter how careful you were, we’re your parents. We know you.”

“You’re okay with it?” Jordan asked, eyes darting to his fathers.

Max reached across the table, placing a hand over his son’s. “Of course, we’re okay with it. We’re proud of you both. You’ve got something good, something real, and you’re making it work in the most unpredictable part of the galaxy.”

Karyn stood, walked around the table, and pulled both boys into a hug. “You make each other happy. That’s what matters.”

Alfie felt something loosen in his chest. It was something deep and tangled that had sat there for weeks. Maybe months. It unravelled slowly, replaced by something warmer, brighter.

Jordan squeezed his hand under the table.

James raised his glass. “To family.”

“To love,” Tobias added with a wink.

“To not sneaking around anymore,” Max finished, chuckling.

The glasses clinked.

And for the first time that night, Alfie felt utterly at peace.

The intercom then went off. 

Karyn sighed. “I asked for us not to be disturbed unless it was necessary.” 

“Bridge to Captain Reyes,” spoke Lieutenant Jonarom.

She tapped her combadge. “Go ahead, Jonarom.”

“Sorry to disturb your evening, ma’am, but Captain McCallister has just hailed to share some good news.” 

“Oh?” Karyn replied, curious to hear what her brother-in-law had to share.

“He said that the commodore and Captain Cambil owe him the Sarak Award for Peace?” Jonarom shared.

James looked at Max. “He hasn’t? Surely not?”

Max shrugged. “Bexa is going to regret she joked about his acceptance speech to him after they made contact with the Triton this morning.”

Chuckling, Karyn thanked her science officer, who was currently in command of the Bellerophon. “Is there anything else from Captain McCallister?”

“He has reported that they’ve detected the Constellation Squadron close to Kazon territory, and he’s a bit worried about it.”

“Very well, pass on our thanks to Captain McCallister and stand by for further orders, Reyas out.” She closed the channel and looked at her husband. 

Alfie gazed towards his folks. “What has Uncle H done?”

“Achieved the almost impossible,” James said as he took a sip of water. “We’re going to have to meet up with him and see how he convinced the Vidiians.”

“With representatives from the Rakosans, Talaxians and Haakonians,” Max added.

“Absolutely, and it would be good if we could finally rendezvous with the Constellation Squadron, too. Hopefully, they’re not in any trouble near Kazon territory.” James remarked. He stood up. “Sorry to end dinner so abruptly, but duty calls.”

Jordan looked at the others. “Seriously, what does this mean?”

“I think we may be witnessing the formation of a new coalition in the Delta Quadrant,” Karyn answered.

“From the romantic to the galactic,” Tobias remarked. “Who said dinner was going to be boring tonight?” He raised his glass of wine one more time to cheer the multiple outcomes.