To Boldly Teach Part 7
Title: To Boldly Teach
Chapter: 6
Fandom: Star Trek
Pairings: Kirk/Spock and others?
Rating: T
Notes: Combined prompt from STXI kink meme here and here
Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5
Previous
News of the potential for extra points in both Kirk and Spock’s classes caused a sudden influx of students crowding around the table. It would be an overstatement to say Spock was overwhelmed, but it was not so far-fetched to say he was surprised. A surprising amount of students showed they were capable of playing thoughtful games of chess. Chekov decided it was getting a bit too crowded and offered to continue his game at a later time so another student could take his place. Spock was grateful for this since he found it more difficult to keep track of the other games when his attention was occupied by a more skilled player. However, he still managed to stay a few steps ahead of each of his opponents and maintain his winning streak.
Kirk stood to the side, watching the matches with a grin. Every so often he would give quick lessons about chess, using one of the boards to illustrate his point. Despite being occupied by multiple games of chess, Spock still listened every so often. He was impressed by the easy way Kirk explained a complicated move or a particular strategy. A part of him wanted to forget the students he was playing and ignore them all in favor of a match against Kirk. But the louder, more dominate part embarrassingly squashed the thought and forced him to focus on the games at hand.
“Hey, Spock, you might want to finish up these rounds. Lunch is almost over,” informed Kirk. Then, louder so that the students could hear, “Bell’s going to ring soon, so no more matches. However, the prize for beating Mister Spock at chess still holds for the rest of the year and just so you know, every Friday is open chess matches for the chess club.”
Focused on finding the most expedient means of ending the matches, Spock was still impressed at how Kirk managed to advertise for the chess club and try and draw students in by promises of better things. It was logical and far better that Kirk was the unspoken designated speaker for the chess club since Spock was certain he would not have the same effect as his co-worker. No, he was far better suited to making a spectacle of himself by beating seven students at chess simultaneously. It was not in his nature to be the center of attention like he was now; he was far too conscious of the bodies, minds, and eyes watching his every move. Spock had every desire for the lunch break to end and he could finally take out the contact lenses that were being a constant irritant. It was illogical for him to be thrilled when the bell rang, but he was nonetheless.
He politely complimented each of the students he bested in chess and watched them gather their belongings and trail out of the cafeteria. Kirk waved and every so often answered questions about chess club. Spock was somewhat relieved that the students went to Kirk for their answers and not him. He focused on his internal time and calculated how long he had to remove the contacts and make it to his class in time. So long as the lenses cooperated, he should have plenty of time.
“You know, I think it was a success,” Kirk said as he moved to stand closer to him, “I bet this snags at least a few more students.”
“Indeed. They did appear to show an interest in gaining an advantage in our classes,” Spock replied as he neatly organized the chess boards and their pieces.
He chose to not notice the way Kirk was staring at him, nor the few others who were passing by. While he would never admit aloud, Spock was vaguely irritated at everybody for no reason other than that he could not find any logical reason, and even though he knew humans were illogical, there was usually some underlying logic behind it.
“Hey, thanks for humoring me today,” Kirk said cheerfully.
Spock paused a moment to regard Kirk with a curious and slightly suspicious stare.
“In what way have I provided humor for you?” he asked.
“No, not like ‘ha ha’ humor,” Kirk explained hastily, “I mean, like, agreeing to do something for me even though you probably thought it was stupid, or illogical…or both.”
There really was something wrong with a language if it constantly required explanation, or at least, that was Spock’s opinion as he measured Kirk’s words. Though he did not think he cared for the word, it made sense, and if that was how humans express themselves, then he should just let them be.
“I see. In that case, I did not find it illogical due to the fact that you are more aware of how to communicate with the student body than I am,” answered Spock as he resumed cleaning the table of boards, “Therefore, it was only logical I defer to your judgment in the matter.”
This caused Kirk to grin broadly.
“Man, oh man, Bones would die hearing you say you deferred to my judgment,” Kirk laughed more to himself than Spock, “Spock, you are definitely the most awesome dude around.”
Spock had no idea what or why he was an ‘awesome dude,’ but he gathered it was a positive expression in the human vernacular. He was somewhat pleased at having received a compliment. However, he was not so pleased when Kirk clapped him on the shoulder. Spock was careful to keep his expression neutral, but internally, he was utterly miffed. Of course, he understood humans were more tactile by nature, but it was always far more surprising when they did it because he could never guess when it was coming. But in Kirk’s case, Spock was distinctly uncomfortable with how comfortable he felt when Kirk initiated physical contact, however brief. It put him on guard and he was careful to maintain a safe distance.
“Oh, hey, I’ll deal with these,” Kirk suddenly said as he motioned towards the boards, “I have a free period after lunch.”
It was a logical offer and if Spock wanted to rid himself of the contacts, then he needed to leave now.
“Very well then,” he replied, “I shall see you at chess club.”
Kirk waved at him as he left the cafeteria. Spock did not wave back as he saw no point in the action. That was another thing that he found illogical in humans. They had this bizarre need to gesture about everything.
“Mister Spock?” a timid voice called out.
Spock halted his steps and turned around to face the speaker. She was young, probably a freshman by Spock’s estimates, and fascinatingly average looking. He really did meet the most curious humans here.
“Yes?” Spock calmly responded.
Though he was simply being polite in responding, it caused a faint blush. Spock found the reaction interesting, more because he did not know what would cause such a reaction in the first place. She bit her bottom lip, but then tried to straighten her posture and look him in the eye.
“Um…I was wondering where the chess club meets?”
Her voice drifted off, yet increased in pitch towards the end of her question. Spock fought the urge to cringe.
“It is located in the recreation lounge on the second floor,” Spock answered calmly.
He tried to maintain eye contact, since such an action was polite, but he found it difficult to do from the way the student would swiftly shift her gaze the moment they made direct eye contact. Finally, she settled for staring at his shoes and lightly bowing.
“Thank you, Mister Spock.”
Before Spock could tell her, “you’re welcome,” she was already rushing as fast as she could in the opposite direction. Arching a single eyebrow in question, Spock just turned on his heel and hurried to the nearest restroom.
A few students passed through the door when Spock opened the door and stepped inside. He nodded politely to a student washing his hands and then pulled out the tiny case for the lenses. Trying his best to ignore the student watching him curiously, Spock leaned forward to get a better look in the mirror. He could see the faint outline of the lenses and internally debated how he wanted to take them out. When he originally got the contacts, the optometrist explained the best method of taking contacts out. Spock found the idea of trying to pinch the lens off his eye horrifying and potentially dangerous. But then again, there were not too many other ways to remove them.
Thankfully, the last student had already vacated the restroom before Spock made his first attempt and second. Fighting back the urge to give in to the frustration building up inside him, he finally managed to take out the lenses after sliding them around a bit. The slight stinging sensation pricking at the corners of his eyes was a welcome relief as he carefully cleaned and stored the lenses. Blinking rapidly a few times cleared them up. Spock grabbed his glasses out of his bag and slid them on, comfortable with the familiar weight.
By the time he reached his classroom, majority of the students were already waiting patiently outside the locked door. He greeted the students with a small nod as he unlocked the door and allowed them to file in. A few of the students actually bothered to stare at his face a little bit before entering the classroom.
“Oh, you’re wearing your glasses,” a student blandly observed.
Spock thought it was his imagination, but he was almost tempted to say that the student appeared almost disappointed in his change of appearance. A few other students, especially the females of the class, nodded their heads as if in agreement. Cocking a single eyebrow, Spock bit back any curiosity he was experiencing and shut the door behind the last student right as the second bell began to ring.
The students were a little fidgety, as Spock noticed young humans were prone to do after lunch, but well-behaved. He had to confirm that yes; he did fully intend to reward any student who was able to beat him in a game of chess. After the initial excited murmur, the class quieted and allowed Spock to begin teaching.
And it was thus the remainder of the day went quietly and quickly. When the final bell was about to ring, Spock assigned their homework and finished explaining the requirements right before the bell rang. Students rushed out of his class, more than the usual stopping by his desk on the way out to ask him something about homework or the chess club. The newfound curiosity many of the students exhibited towards chess made Spock almost hopeful about new members.
With the last straggling students dealt with, Spock cleaned up his desk and double checked the entire room over before stepping out and locking the door. Tucking the key back into his pocket, Spock began the short hike to the chess club. And it was when he was about half way there that he finally turned around and addressed the small herd of students doing a poor job trailing behind him.
“Is there something I may assist you with?” Spock asked politely.
It took a few moments for the students to stop shooting each other looks and shifting their weight. At long last, a fairly confident looking young man stepped forward and fiddled with the hem of his uniform nervously.
“Ah, well, we were trying to find our way to the chess club and figured it was a safe bet to follow you?” he answered.
Spock found it curious that most students seemed to end their statements as questions when they spoke to him. As far as he could tell, they did not speak that way with the other teachers.
“That is a logical assumption,” Spock commented smoothly, “However, I believe it would be less awkward for you to move freely instead of in a concentrated herd.”
A few of the students smiled nervously and most simply looked like they had no idea what they were supposed to say. Spock watched them a fraction of a moment before turning back around and resuming his walk to chess club.
“After school activities begin in two point eight minutes,” he stated over his shoulder to nobody in particular.
As he expected, he heard the scurried steps of the students’ right behind him. But this time, they were spread out a little more and a bold two actually matched Spock’s pace and walked side by side with him. It only took them a minute to reach the recreation room, and when they walked inside, Kirk excitedly greeted them.
“Wow, four students? That’s great, Spock!”
“I do not see why I should be congratulated,” Spock replied to Kirk’s enthusiastic greeting, “They simply…followed me.”
At this, the students following Spock actually grinned, and one even giggled a bit. Kirk grinned despite not knowing what could be so amusing, but it was nice when Spock could actually make the students relax a little in his presence.
“Well, whether they followed you or you dragged them here doesn’t matter,” Kirk said as he made a sweeping gesture towards the chess club’s corner of the room, “We have nine kids now, Spock. We’re almost there.”
“Indeed,” Spock agreed.
Their corner of the room was no longer painfully empty. Each of the chairs at the tables was filled and a couple more had to be dragged away from other locations to accommodate them. He quickly assessed the new students and immediately recognized them from his various chemistry classes. As he approached the table, he ran over the names associated with the faces.
“Hello?”
Spock and Kirk turned around to face the owner of the voice. Spock immediately recognized the student as Steven Tylers. His ruffled blond hair flopped every which way as he glanced around the room. Kirk wasted no time marching up to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and more or less dragging him into chess corner. He politely greeted Spock as he was dragged past and plopped into a seat. Tylers practically jumped from his seat when Kirk suddenly clapped his hands together excitedly.
“We have ten people. Chess is still alive!” he exclaimed.
The students, plus Spock, watched Kirk do some sort of excited hop and fist pump with something akin to vague amusement and mild horror. Kirk finally stood still and surveyed their group with a satisfied grin. The students stared at him a moment before turning their heads and staring at Spock with expectant faces. Spock’s eyebrow twitched upward a fraction as if shrugging. The students then just shared weird looks with each other before turning their attention to the chess boards.
“Now that we have properly established ten individuals are now members of chess club, what is your lesson plan?” Spock asked.
“So glad you asked, Spock,” Kirk responded, “I think the best thing for today is determine everybody’s skill levels so we can make up the best way to enjoy this.”
Spock nodded his head in agreement.
“A logical approach.”
That was as close to a compliment as anybody was going to get, so Kirk just eagerly moved around so he could face each of the students.
“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do,” Kirk said as he pointed towards Spock, “Mister Spock and I are going to have you play against us so we can determine your level. Sound good?”
There was a sound of agreement from all the students, and before they could ask, Spock held up his hand.
“Yes, if, at some point during our match you best me, you will receive the promised points,” he confirmed.
The students eagerly arranged the boards in front of them, waiting impatiently for the teachers to begin. The only person who did not look all that happy was Tylers. He just sat quietly in his chair staring blankly at the table surface. Kirk walked over and leaned forward so he could make eye contact with him.
“Board’s here, not there,” Kirk said playfully.
Tylers started in his seat and looked up.
“Uh, I don’t really…know how to play,” Tylers admitted sheepishly, “Is that okay?”
“Is that all?” Kirk asked with a grin, “No problem, we’ll teach you everything you need to know.”
Spock nodded his head once in agreement, but remained silent as he began the opening moves on each of the boards. Kirk slid into the seat across from Tylers and cheerfully explained the basic rules of chess.
The time passed slowly and easily, Kirk and Spock drifting from board to board. Spock would make a move then pass on to the next board while Kirk would sometimes slide in after and continue the play. Spock initially thought this method of switching off on a whim was a poor, and ultimately doomed to fail approach, but gradually began to change his opinion. He was once again reluctantly impressed with Kirk’s ability. Even though he made no mention of what he intended to do, nor indicate what kind of trap he set up, Kirk was prepared to follow through with whatever Spock had planned. But, even more surprising to Spock was the fact he was able to determine all of Kirk’s plans with just as much ease. Granted, there was flair and almost superfluous manner to Kirk’s plays, but Spock could still detect some level of order and logic to them. He found it all quite disconcerting.
“Okay, I think today went pretty well. How about you, Mister Spock?” Kirk asked as he moved a bishop to checkmate.
“Indeed it did,” agreed Spock, “By next week, Mister Kirk and I shall have an organized plan for this extracurricular activity.”
He shared a quick glance with Kirk, who nodded his head, and helped the students organize the boards. The students murmured quietly with each other, attempting to break the awkward silences shared between two strangers while not being overheard by the teachers. Spock thought such a sentiment was illogical, but he remained silent and decided it would be best if he did not tell the students they could talk as quietly as they like, he was still going to hear them, whether he wanted to or not. His sensitive hearing picked up the stilted conversations as students of varying backgrounds, interests, and popularity standing. Spock found it illogical to feel glad he was not the only one who suffered through awkward social moments. If humans had the same problem between themselves, then he did not need to feel so bad about failing to make social connections.
“Alright, see you guys Monday,” Kirk said as he waved at the leaving students.
Spock nodded his head in acknowledgment to the few students who briefly mumbled farewells. He picked up two boards, one in each hand, and carefully balanced the pieces as he stored them in the designated storage room Kirk had unlocked. There was not as much room for the boards as Spock knew they should have, but the other club supplies appeared to have more importance. With some careful and creative rearrangement, Kirk and Spock were finally able to fit all the boards safely on the shelves. As Kirk locked the door, he looked over his shoulder at Spock.
“Hey, you doing anything after this?” he asked casually.
There was some part of Spock, a somewhat tired and emotionally confused part, that wanted to tell Kirk that he was indeed busy with some pressing matter, but the better part of his Vulcan mind knew it would be a horrifically blatant lie and he found himself responding without thinking.
“No, I do no have prior engagements,” Spock replied mechanically.
Kirk clapped his hands together excitedly.
“Great,” he exclaimed, “How would you like to grab some dinner with me and we can start talking about what we want to do with chess club?”
“Very well,” acquiesced Spock.
He had a nagging suspicion that there was something other than a simple meeting with Kirk. However, there was no tangible evidence of any ulterior motives, leaving Spock feeling like an illogically paranoid human. He really wanted to meditate and purge himself of whatever he was experiencing.
“Okay, meet me out front when you’re ready,” Kirk ordered as he gave Spock a friendly slap on the shoulder.
It took a moment of mental exercises before Spock was ready to move away from his stiff position. Turning on his heel, he made a mental list of what he needed to do after meeting with Kirk. Unfortunately, it was painfully short and did not provide a good enough distraction. All he could really think about doing was meditating and figuring out how to get Kirk to stop initiating physical contact. Realizing the futility of this thought process; Spock bit back a sigh and resigned himself to his fate. The only way he could come up with was nothing short of outright telling Kirk he did not want to be touched. And for some reason, he did not think he would be able to tell him that.
“Got everything?” Kirk’s voice asked.
Spock jerked his head up only to realize he was standing outside the school building, bag in hand, and he had no recollection of what he did before exiting the building. What he did manage to realize, however, was the fact Kirk was currently straddling a motorcycle and staring at him expectantly. Every effort went into keeping his face neutral, even though Spock had the strongest urge to blanch at the sight.
“Hope you don’t mind, but it’s how I get around and I know you don’t drive, sooo,” Kirk drifted off towards the end and gave a lopsided grin as he gestured to his motorcycle.
Yes, Spock minded very much that Kirk expected him to ride on that thing and put his life in the hands of a young man that frankly, concerned him on physical, mental, and moral grounds. There was nothing on heaven or earth that would convince him it would be logical to slide on behind Kirk. So it was completely beyond Spock why he was allowing Kirk to secure his bag and sliding on behind him.
“Where are we going?” Spock asked.
Kirk did not answer him. He merely grinned, revved the engine, and sped out of the parking lot.
Chapter: 6
Fandom: Star Trek
Pairings: Kirk/Spock and others?
Rating: T
Notes: Combined prompt from STXI kink meme here and here
Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5
Previous
News of the potential for extra points in both Kirk and Spock’s classes caused a sudden influx of students crowding around the table. It would be an overstatement to say Spock was overwhelmed, but it was not so far-fetched to say he was surprised. A surprising amount of students showed they were capable of playing thoughtful games of chess. Chekov decided it was getting a bit too crowded and offered to continue his game at a later time so another student could take his place. Spock was grateful for this since he found it more difficult to keep track of the other games when his attention was occupied by a more skilled player. However, he still managed to stay a few steps ahead of each of his opponents and maintain his winning streak.
Kirk stood to the side, watching the matches with a grin. Every so often he would give quick lessons about chess, using one of the boards to illustrate his point. Despite being occupied by multiple games of chess, Spock still listened every so often. He was impressed by the easy way Kirk explained a complicated move or a particular strategy. A part of him wanted to forget the students he was playing and ignore them all in favor of a match against Kirk. But the louder, more dominate part embarrassingly squashed the thought and forced him to focus on the games at hand.
“Hey, Spock, you might want to finish up these rounds. Lunch is almost over,” informed Kirk. Then, louder so that the students could hear, “Bell’s going to ring soon, so no more matches. However, the prize for beating Mister Spock at chess still holds for the rest of the year and just so you know, every Friday is open chess matches for the chess club.”
Focused on finding the most expedient means of ending the matches, Spock was still impressed at how Kirk managed to advertise for the chess club and try and draw students in by promises of better things. It was logical and far better that Kirk was the unspoken designated speaker for the chess club since Spock was certain he would not have the same effect as his co-worker. No, he was far better suited to making a spectacle of himself by beating seven students at chess simultaneously. It was not in his nature to be the center of attention like he was now; he was far too conscious of the bodies, minds, and eyes watching his every move. Spock had every desire for the lunch break to end and he could finally take out the contact lenses that were being a constant irritant. It was illogical for him to be thrilled when the bell rang, but he was nonetheless.
He politely complimented each of the students he bested in chess and watched them gather their belongings and trail out of the cafeteria. Kirk waved and every so often answered questions about chess club. Spock was somewhat relieved that the students went to Kirk for their answers and not him. He focused on his internal time and calculated how long he had to remove the contacts and make it to his class in time. So long as the lenses cooperated, he should have plenty of time.
“You know, I think it was a success,” Kirk said as he moved to stand closer to him, “I bet this snags at least a few more students.”
“Indeed. They did appear to show an interest in gaining an advantage in our classes,” Spock replied as he neatly organized the chess boards and their pieces.
He chose to not notice the way Kirk was staring at him, nor the few others who were passing by. While he would never admit aloud, Spock was vaguely irritated at everybody for no reason other than that he could not find any logical reason, and even though he knew humans were illogical, there was usually some underlying logic behind it.
“Hey, thanks for humoring me today,” Kirk said cheerfully.
Spock paused a moment to regard Kirk with a curious and slightly suspicious stare.
“In what way have I provided humor for you?” he asked.
“No, not like ‘ha ha’ humor,” Kirk explained hastily, “I mean, like, agreeing to do something for me even though you probably thought it was stupid, or illogical…or both.”
There really was something wrong with a language if it constantly required explanation, or at least, that was Spock’s opinion as he measured Kirk’s words. Though he did not think he cared for the word, it made sense, and if that was how humans express themselves, then he should just let them be.
“I see. In that case, I did not find it illogical due to the fact that you are more aware of how to communicate with the student body than I am,” answered Spock as he resumed cleaning the table of boards, “Therefore, it was only logical I defer to your judgment in the matter.”
This caused Kirk to grin broadly.
“Man, oh man, Bones would die hearing you say you deferred to my judgment,” Kirk laughed more to himself than Spock, “Spock, you are definitely the most awesome dude around.”
Spock had no idea what or why he was an ‘awesome dude,’ but he gathered it was a positive expression in the human vernacular. He was somewhat pleased at having received a compliment. However, he was not so pleased when Kirk clapped him on the shoulder. Spock was careful to keep his expression neutral, but internally, he was utterly miffed. Of course, he understood humans were more tactile by nature, but it was always far more surprising when they did it because he could never guess when it was coming. But in Kirk’s case, Spock was distinctly uncomfortable with how comfortable he felt when Kirk initiated physical contact, however brief. It put him on guard and he was careful to maintain a safe distance.
“Oh, hey, I’ll deal with these,” Kirk suddenly said as he motioned towards the boards, “I have a free period after lunch.”
It was a logical offer and if Spock wanted to rid himself of the contacts, then he needed to leave now.
“Very well then,” he replied, “I shall see you at chess club.”
Kirk waved at him as he left the cafeteria. Spock did not wave back as he saw no point in the action. That was another thing that he found illogical in humans. They had this bizarre need to gesture about everything.
“Mister Spock?” a timid voice called out.
Spock halted his steps and turned around to face the speaker. She was young, probably a freshman by Spock’s estimates, and fascinatingly average looking. He really did meet the most curious humans here.
“Yes?” Spock calmly responded.
Though he was simply being polite in responding, it caused a faint blush. Spock found the reaction interesting, more because he did not know what would cause such a reaction in the first place. She bit her bottom lip, but then tried to straighten her posture and look him in the eye.
“Um…I was wondering where the chess club meets?”
Her voice drifted off, yet increased in pitch towards the end of her question. Spock fought the urge to cringe.
“It is located in the recreation lounge on the second floor,” Spock answered calmly.
He tried to maintain eye contact, since such an action was polite, but he found it difficult to do from the way the student would swiftly shift her gaze the moment they made direct eye contact. Finally, she settled for staring at his shoes and lightly bowing.
“Thank you, Mister Spock.”
Before Spock could tell her, “you’re welcome,” she was already rushing as fast as she could in the opposite direction. Arching a single eyebrow in question, Spock just turned on his heel and hurried to the nearest restroom.
A few students passed through the door when Spock opened the door and stepped inside. He nodded politely to a student washing his hands and then pulled out the tiny case for the lenses. Trying his best to ignore the student watching him curiously, Spock leaned forward to get a better look in the mirror. He could see the faint outline of the lenses and internally debated how he wanted to take them out. When he originally got the contacts, the optometrist explained the best method of taking contacts out. Spock found the idea of trying to pinch the lens off his eye horrifying and potentially dangerous. But then again, there were not too many other ways to remove them.
Thankfully, the last student had already vacated the restroom before Spock made his first attempt and second. Fighting back the urge to give in to the frustration building up inside him, he finally managed to take out the lenses after sliding them around a bit. The slight stinging sensation pricking at the corners of his eyes was a welcome relief as he carefully cleaned and stored the lenses. Blinking rapidly a few times cleared them up. Spock grabbed his glasses out of his bag and slid them on, comfortable with the familiar weight.
By the time he reached his classroom, majority of the students were already waiting patiently outside the locked door. He greeted the students with a small nod as he unlocked the door and allowed them to file in. A few of the students actually bothered to stare at his face a little bit before entering the classroom.
“Oh, you’re wearing your glasses,” a student blandly observed.
Spock thought it was his imagination, but he was almost tempted to say that the student appeared almost disappointed in his change of appearance. A few other students, especially the females of the class, nodded their heads as if in agreement. Cocking a single eyebrow, Spock bit back any curiosity he was experiencing and shut the door behind the last student right as the second bell began to ring.
The students were a little fidgety, as Spock noticed young humans were prone to do after lunch, but well-behaved. He had to confirm that yes; he did fully intend to reward any student who was able to beat him in a game of chess. After the initial excited murmur, the class quieted and allowed Spock to begin teaching.
And it was thus the remainder of the day went quietly and quickly. When the final bell was about to ring, Spock assigned their homework and finished explaining the requirements right before the bell rang. Students rushed out of his class, more than the usual stopping by his desk on the way out to ask him something about homework or the chess club. The newfound curiosity many of the students exhibited towards chess made Spock almost hopeful about new members.
With the last straggling students dealt with, Spock cleaned up his desk and double checked the entire room over before stepping out and locking the door. Tucking the key back into his pocket, Spock began the short hike to the chess club. And it was when he was about half way there that he finally turned around and addressed the small herd of students doing a poor job trailing behind him.
“Is there something I may assist you with?” Spock asked politely.
It took a few moments for the students to stop shooting each other looks and shifting their weight. At long last, a fairly confident looking young man stepped forward and fiddled with the hem of his uniform nervously.
“Ah, well, we were trying to find our way to the chess club and figured it was a safe bet to follow you?” he answered.
Spock found it curious that most students seemed to end their statements as questions when they spoke to him. As far as he could tell, they did not speak that way with the other teachers.
“That is a logical assumption,” Spock commented smoothly, “However, I believe it would be less awkward for you to move freely instead of in a concentrated herd.”
A few of the students smiled nervously and most simply looked like they had no idea what they were supposed to say. Spock watched them a fraction of a moment before turning back around and resuming his walk to chess club.
“After school activities begin in two point eight minutes,” he stated over his shoulder to nobody in particular.
As he expected, he heard the scurried steps of the students’ right behind him. But this time, they were spread out a little more and a bold two actually matched Spock’s pace and walked side by side with him. It only took them a minute to reach the recreation room, and when they walked inside, Kirk excitedly greeted them.
“Wow, four students? That’s great, Spock!”
“I do not see why I should be congratulated,” Spock replied to Kirk’s enthusiastic greeting, “They simply…followed me.”
At this, the students following Spock actually grinned, and one even giggled a bit. Kirk grinned despite not knowing what could be so amusing, but it was nice when Spock could actually make the students relax a little in his presence.
“Well, whether they followed you or you dragged them here doesn’t matter,” Kirk said as he made a sweeping gesture towards the chess club’s corner of the room, “We have nine kids now, Spock. We’re almost there.”
“Indeed,” Spock agreed.
Their corner of the room was no longer painfully empty. Each of the chairs at the tables was filled and a couple more had to be dragged away from other locations to accommodate them. He quickly assessed the new students and immediately recognized them from his various chemistry classes. As he approached the table, he ran over the names associated with the faces.
“Hello?”
Spock and Kirk turned around to face the owner of the voice. Spock immediately recognized the student as Steven Tylers. His ruffled blond hair flopped every which way as he glanced around the room. Kirk wasted no time marching up to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and more or less dragging him into chess corner. He politely greeted Spock as he was dragged past and plopped into a seat. Tylers practically jumped from his seat when Kirk suddenly clapped his hands together excitedly.
“We have ten people. Chess is still alive!” he exclaimed.
The students, plus Spock, watched Kirk do some sort of excited hop and fist pump with something akin to vague amusement and mild horror. Kirk finally stood still and surveyed their group with a satisfied grin. The students stared at him a moment before turning their heads and staring at Spock with expectant faces. Spock’s eyebrow twitched upward a fraction as if shrugging. The students then just shared weird looks with each other before turning their attention to the chess boards.
“Now that we have properly established ten individuals are now members of chess club, what is your lesson plan?” Spock asked.
“So glad you asked, Spock,” Kirk responded, “I think the best thing for today is determine everybody’s skill levels so we can make up the best way to enjoy this.”
Spock nodded his head in agreement.
“A logical approach.”
That was as close to a compliment as anybody was going to get, so Kirk just eagerly moved around so he could face each of the students.
“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do,” Kirk said as he pointed towards Spock, “Mister Spock and I are going to have you play against us so we can determine your level. Sound good?”
There was a sound of agreement from all the students, and before they could ask, Spock held up his hand.
“Yes, if, at some point during our match you best me, you will receive the promised points,” he confirmed.
The students eagerly arranged the boards in front of them, waiting impatiently for the teachers to begin. The only person who did not look all that happy was Tylers. He just sat quietly in his chair staring blankly at the table surface. Kirk walked over and leaned forward so he could make eye contact with him.
“Board’s here, not there,” Kirk said playfully.
Tylers started in his seat and looked up.
“Uh, I don’t really…know how to play,” Tylers admitted sheepishly, “Is that okay?”
“Is that all?” Kirk asked with a grin, “No problem, we’ll teach you everything you need to know.”
Spock nodded his head once in agreement, but remained silent as he began the opening moves on each of the boards. Kirk slid into the seat across from Tylers and cheerfully explained the basic rules of chess.
The time passed slowly and easily, Kirk and Spock drifting from board to board. Spock would make a move then pass on to the next board while Kirk would sometimes slide in after and continue the play. Spock initially thought this method of switching off on a whim was a poor, and ultimately doomed to fail approach, but gradually began to change his opinion. He was once again reluctantly impressed with Kirk’s ability. Even though he made no mention of what he intended to do, nor indicate what kind of trap he set up, Kirk was prepared to follow through with whatever Spock had planned. But, even more surprising to Spock was the fact he was able to determine all of Kirk’s plans with just as much ease. Granted, there was flair and almost superfluous manner to Kirk’s plays, but Spock could still detect some level of order and logic to them. He found it all quite disconcerting.
“Okay, I think today went pretty well. How about you, Mister Spock?” Kirk asked as he moved a bishop to checkmate.
“Indeed it did,” agreed Spock, “By next week, Mister Kirk and I shall have an organized plan for this extracurricular activity.”
He shared a quick glance with Kirk, who nodded his head, and helped the students organize the boards. The students murmured quietly with each other, attempting to break the awkward silences shared between two strangers while not being overheard by the teachers. Spock thought such a sentiment was illogical, but he remained silent and decided it would be best if he did not tell the students they could talk as quietly as they like, he was still going to hear them, whether he wanted to or not. His sensitive hearing picked up the stilted conversations as students of varying backgrounds, interests, and popularity standing. Spock found it illogical to feel glad he was not the only one who suffered through awkward social moments. If humans had the same problem between themselves, then he did not need to feel so bad about failing to make social connections.
“Alright, see you guys Monday,” Kirk said as he waved at the leaving students.
Spock nodded his head in acknowledgment to the few students who briefly mumbled farewells. He picked up two boards, one in each hand, and carefully balanced the pieces as he stored them in the designated storage room Kirk had unlocked. There was not as much room for the boards as Spock knew they should have, but the other club supplies appeared to have more importance. With some careful and creative rearrangement, Kirk and Spock were finally able to fit all the boards safely on the shelves. As Kirk locked the door, he looked over his shoulder at Spock.
“Hey, you doing anything after this?” he asked casually.
There was some part of Spock, a somewhat tired and emotionally confused part, that wanted to tell Kirk that he was indeed busy with some pressing matter, but the better part of his Vulcan mind knew it would be a horrifically blatant lie and he found himself responding without thinking.
“No, I do no have prior engagements,” Spock replied mechanically.
Kirk clapped his hands together excitedly.
“Great,” he exclaimed, “How would you like to grab some dinner with me and we can start talking about what we want to do with chess club?”
“Very well,” acquiesced Spock.
He had a nagging suspicion that there was something other than a simple meeting with Kirk. However, there was no tangible evidence of any ulterior motives, leaving Spock feeling like an illogically paranoid human. He really wanted to meditate and purge himself of whatever he was experiencing.
“Okay, meet me out front when you’re ready,” Kirk ordered as he gave Spock a friendly slap on the shoulder.
It took a moment of mental exercises before Spock was ready to move away from his stiff position. Turning on his heel, he made a mental list of what he needed to do after meeting with Kirk. Unfortunately, it was painfully short and did not provide a good enough distraction. All he could really think about doing was meditating and figuring out how to get Kirk to stop initiating physical contact. Realizing the futility of this thought process; Spock bit back a sigh and resigned himself to his fate. The only way he could come up with was nothing short of outright telling Kirk he did not want to be touched. And for some reason, he did not think he would be able to tell him that.
“Got everything?” Kirk’s voice asked.
Spock jerked his head up only to realize he was standing outside the school building, bag in hand, and he had no recollection of what he did before exiting the building. What he did manage to realize, however, was the fact Kirk was currently straddling a motorcycle and staring at him expectantly. Every effort went into keeping his face neutral, even though Spock had the strongest urge to blanch at the sight.
“Hope you don’t mind, but it’s how I get around and I know you don’t drive, sooo,” Kirk drifted off towards the end and gave a lopsided grin as he gestured to his motorcycle.
Yes, Spock minded very much that Kirk expected him to ride on that thing and put his life in the hands of a young man that frankly, concerned him on physical, mental, and moral grounds. There was nothing on heaven or earth that would convince him it would be logical to slide on behind Kirk. So it was completely beyond Spock why he was allowing Kirk to secure his bag and sliding on behind him.
“Where are we going?” Spock asked.
Kirk did not answer him. He merely grinned, revved the engine, and sped out of the parking lot.