The pink duck and the barbell. It had been ridiculous enough to catch her eye the first time, and it had stayed ridiculous enough to be remebered over a month later. She also passed it occasionally depending on what route she took to get to one of her favourite dive bars. Which she'd been drinking at before Kirk had interrupted her. But she couldn't just leave him out there. She'd turned up on a warehouse catwalk and Spock had headed out, injured and human, to find her. The least she could do for Kirk was cut her drinking short.
She saw the duck before she saw him, but the street was dark, and maybe he was actually listening to her and keeping himself hidden. "Kirk?" She stopped underneath the sign, waiting, the neon glow throwing her features into sharp relief.
"Over here." Stepping out of a shadowed doorway, Jim headed over to her. It was a relief to see someone he knew face to face, making this whole thing just a little less weird.
Looking her up and down to make sure she was alright was second nature (and fine. She wasn't too hard on the eyes either) and his surprise was only due to her being out of uniform. Nothing else. "Am I glad to see you."
Less weird for him, maybe, but even weirder for her. Now there were two Kirks. A Kirk and a Jim. She couldn't call Jim Admiral. It was just too formal, and there was no fleet here. Uhura did not need to be reminded. It was funny to think that what would finally get Uhura to give in and call Jim by his first name was the arrival of her own version of the man.
She didn't miss the look, didn't appreciate it (much), but couldn't blame him for it. She wasn't showing that much skin, but her jeans and top were both skin tight, her neckline plunged, the heels of her knee high boots were high and thin and clicked audibly when she walked. "We should get going." She didn't brush him off. She was a little drunk and it was late and they were in one of the worse parts of town. Even now, she could feel eyes on her, and she slipped her hand into her jacket pocket. "We're being watched."
"I'll follow you." Jim kept his voice light, knowing better than to look around. Half the reason he'd stepped out of the light was to avoid a group of guy who looked like they'd love a fight. He kept pretty close to Uhura, she could look after herself if it came to it, but he'd be damned if it had to come to that.
She hadn't wanted to go out again. getting Kirk back and settled and reasonably informed had been draining. Gaila, though... that was enough to get her back out into the night. She'd taken the time to call a cab, because she was tired and still buzzed, and because she needed to get to her quickly. If anything happened to her before Uhura could get there, she'd never be able to forgive herself. She had to get her someplace safe. She had to take care of her.
A car ride of just a couple of minutes, and Uhura jumped out of the cab, with instructions to leave the meter running, and headed into the sex shop. "Gaila?" She looked around, her eyes sliding almost dazedly over the huge array of offerings and looking for that flash of emerald green and deep red.
The Orion had been rather impressed with the sheer selection of tidbits and bits and bobs that this store carried, some of them she'd only heard of in passing and never seen herself. Most impressive. She had been enthusiastically chatting with the shop clerk about restraints when she'd heard the ever lovely voice of her roomie. Gaila excused herself with a smile and a little wink, promising to come back later.
"Ny?" She poked her head around one of the shelves. "Hi, over here."
Uhura hadn't actually known how she was going to react to seeing Gaila again. Her mind had just glossed right over it, unable to handle the thought. Now she was here, and Uhura felt her eyes stinging with unshed moisture. "Gaila." She crossed to her friend quickly, high heels clicking on the shop floor, and threw her arms around her neck, hugging her tightly and burying her nose in her hair, breathing in deeply.
"Whoa!" Gaila curled her arms around her friend's waist, ever glad of physical contact but instantly concerned, giving her a tight squeeze. "What's wrong, sweetie?" She questioned, putting a hand to the back of Uhura's head and lightly stroking her hair. "Ny? Are you hurt? Did something happen?" She gently forced the other woman away from her, looking her over for any sign of injury.
It's late when Uhura shows up at the location marked on Spock's map. She probably should have tried to hold off for at least a day, but her night has been...
She needs to be out of that big, rambling mansion. It's full of ghosts.
She checks the location again, because the house she finds herself standing in front of is a surprise. It doesn't seem like it belongs in this place. Which isn't really all that strange, is it?
But she's in the right place. She's still intoxicated, yes, but not enough to be unable to read a map. She reaches out and rings the bell. Then she waits. She doesn't even try the door. A location is not blanket permission. She won't push.
It's only thanks to the House informing him that someone was approaching that Spock's downstairs to meet her in time. He doesn't question how it knows that Uhura's there to see him and not one of the few others living inside. Given his last run-in with its insectoid surveillance cameras, he has a few ideas already.
The door opens the moment she rinds the bell, despite him still closing the gap between the stairway and the entrance at the time. It isn't something new to either of them, the idea of automatic doors, so he doesn't bother to try and explain it once he's there.
"Nyota." Not Uhura. Not now. He knows exactly why she's there, and it was for that very reason that he was willing to send her the information in the first place. After all she's done for him over the years, he wants to be able to do something in return.
Uhura jumps a tiny bit when the door opens. She's also surprised to see Spock standing so far away from it. It must say something that she's gotten so used to having to open them manually. "Hey. I--" She tries to smile a little, like she's teasing him. "Is it too soon to take you up on that offer?" She really hopes he won't say no. She can't handle it if he says no right now. She doesn't know where she'll go. Not back to the mansion. She rests her hand on the door-frame and looks at him. 'Invite me in. Please please please invite me in.'
"My room is upstairs." He knows he should be offering her something to eat or drink first. That the House would prefer things that way. But it's a question he's going to leave until they're hidden away from prying eyes, for both of their sakes. The simple fact she's there so soon means that Gaila's arrival is affecting her more than she's let on so far. He wants to give her a safe haven to let herself go.
"We won't be disturbed there." He never is normally.
Comments 47
She saw the duck before she saw him, but the street was dark, and maybe he was actually listening to her and keeping himself hidden. "Kirk?" She stopped underneath the sign, waiting, the neon glow throwing her features into sharp relief.
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Looking her up and down to make sure she was alright was second nature (and fine. She wasn't too hard on the eyes either) and his surprise was only due to her being out of uniform. Nothing else. "Am I glad to see you."
Reply
She didn't miss the look, didn't appreciate it (much), but couldn't blame him for it. She wasn't showing that much skin, but her jeans and top were both skin tight, her neckline plunged, the heels of her knee high boots were high and thin and clicked audibly when she walked. "We should get going." She didn't brush him off. She was a little drunk and it was late and they were in one of the worse parts of town. Even now, she could feel eyes on her, and she slipped her hand into her jacket pocket. "We're being watched."
Reply
"Have you been drinking?"
Reply
A car ride of just a couple of minutes, and Uhura jumped out of the cab, with instructions to leave the meter running, and headed into the sex shop. "Gaila?" She looked around, her eyes sliding almost dazedly over the huge array of offerings and looking for that flash of emerald green and deep red.
Reply
"Ny?" She poked her head around one of the shelves. "Hi, over here."
Reply
Reply
Reply
She needs to be out of that big, rambling mansion. It's full of ghosts.
She checks the location again, because the house she finds herself standing in front of is a surprise. It doesn't seem like it belongs in this place. Which isn't really all that strange, is it?
But she's in the right place. She's still intoxicated, yes, but not enough to be unable to read a map. She reaches out and rings the bell. Then she waits. She doesn't even try the door. A location is not blanket permission. She won't push.
Reply
The door opens the moment she rinds the bell, despite him still closing the gap between the stairway and the entrance at the time. It isn't something new to either of them, the idea of automatic doors, so he doesn't bother to try and explain it once he's there.
"Nyota." Not Uhura. Not now. He knows exactly why she's there, and it was for that very reason that he was willing to send her the information in the first place. After all she's done for him over the years, he wants to be able to do something in return.
Reply
Reply
"We won't be disturbed there." He never is normally.
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