Nothing Lay Between (2/?), Kirk/Spock, PG-13
Title: Nothing Lay Between (2/?)
Authors: salvaged_pride and dancing_mercury
Fandom: Star Trek (XI)
Characters/Pairings: eventual Kirk/Spock, bridge crew, mentioned ?/Spock
POV: Kirk's (next one is Spock's)
Rating: PG-13 for now
Words: 5.236
Inspired by: This prompt on st_xi_kink: Spock is a Vulcan concubine/courtesan.
Chapter summary: Kirk finds out more about the new totally-not-his-concubine crew member.
A/N: Some deviations from the original prompt will be made apparent in this chapter, but there's good reason for it! We swear!
All Chapters || Chapter One
Hours later, up on the bridge of the Enterprise, Kirk rubbed the bridge of his nose. Despite everything he could think of, he saw no other options for his new... problem. Additional crew member, he corrected himself. Hell, how was he going to explain this when they got back? That the Vulcans had given him a possible scientific genius whore. At least, that was the general idea he had for the word 'concubine'. Slowly a hand rubbed over his face and he sighed. He wasn't going to insult the Vulcans by not keeping him on board (now that he was already here), but...well, it irked him. The idea of a person as a possession, as if Spock was a slave. Be it a mix of human freedom and Kirk's own personal beliefs, there was no way in hell he was keeping a whore-slave-concubine-what the hell was that word they used? on his ship. Now...a new man down in the science labs? That had promise. He was sure Spock would see it that way. After all, weren't Vulcans supposed to be all about logic?
He'd made sure to talk to Russel before he had come back to get Spock out of McCoy's hands, telling his head of the labs to keep an eye on Spock, learn about just how much the Vulcan knew. He was hoping the report would come before the end of the day so he could read it before going to sleep. In the morning he could deal with this issue that was supposed to be a reward. Some reward...how could someone who I don't even think can physically smile, is of a race that are supposed to be some of the greatest minds in the world, be a concubine? Hate that word. I need to stop using it. Whore doesn't sound much better. Maybe I need to learn their word for it.
Great, and now he was getting a headache between his eyes. He thought about McCoy's words down in sickbay, and groaned quietly to himself. More then he ever needed to know about Vulcans or their--
Kirk glanced up as something caught his eye, and he hid a grin behind his hand as he watched Sulu leaning over to Chekov, pointing out something. Despite their fairly recent coming together as a team (well, the entire bridge team could say that same thing...) they were already working well together. Kirk bit on the side of his lip as he thought about another person in Sulu's chair, his first officer that had risked her life along side of his through the hell that had ended the planet of Vulcan. She had never made it off of Nero's ship. It irked him inside that he could not have even gotten her body out along with him.
His eyes flickered over to the chronometer on the wall. The end of shift. Kirk thanked a god he didn't believe in, because it was a long day that he was grateful to see the end of. He wasn't sure he would ever get that feeling of grit out from everywhere that had come from being on that desert planet the colony had carved its niche into. He rubbed his thumb over an eye, hoping to relieve some of the pressure behind it. Of course, it did nothing. Just wanted dinner, pop a few pain killers, and a nice long shower. Maybe sneak in a quick work out so he could scout out the supposedly amazing gym that was on the lower decks. But first, a thought nudged at his mind, and he decided to entertain it.
That entertained thought was what found him down in the science labs again, walking slowly as if he was simply surveying his territory but in reality was looking for the newest addition to his crew.
Spock was in a different lab than where Kirk had left him, tucked in the corner by a large screen and a fine-tuned microscope. Apparently Russel had no qualms of letting the Vulcan use expensive equipment already, and on research no less. A nonuniform crystalline structured scrolled by on the screen as Spock turned the dials of the microscope. As Kirk approached, his footsteps rather loud (for Spock's ears, he guessed) on the floor, Spock looked over his shoulder. Glancing him, he immediately stood from his chair and at attention. "Captain."
"Spock," Kirk offered a hint of a smile, hiding a greater amusement at the fact he had seen other scientists completely ignore him approaching, so caught in their work that they didn't know he was there until he cleared his throat. "I was wondering, you up for dinner?" As easy as if he was asking a long time friend, but it did seem that was how this captain was with his crew. He wanted to get to know a little more about the Vulcan, figure out what Spock was expecting of him, and of his new home.
"Yes, I would enjoy some nourishment," His tone did not reveal whether he actually would enjoy it or not, or whether the line had been rehearsed many times before. Spock glanced back to the work he had been doing, and then back to Kirk. "Please allow me to put the research in stasis. I do not believe Mister Russel would be receptive to leaving the equipment and the sample unsecured for long periods of time."
A vague hand gesture, and Kirk nodded, "Do whatever you need to," He said easily, stepping back. He leaned against the wall, watching Spock with the eyes of a hawk. He had never heard someone speak so consistently formal outside of what were normally proper--no. There had been someone else. Another Vulcan he had met during his years in the Academy, and then again all too recently. Sarek...the Vulcan ambassador to Earth. The entire reason that Kirk had managed to locate the Elders in their strange shielded cave using his wits, some brutality (...not that he was going to admit slugging the guard in the face), and a hand-held scanner.
There was that same sure and smooth grace to Spock's movements that had been present since the first time Kirk saw him in the hall. He didn't even seem to hesitate or think about which buttons or dials he was manipulating to shut down the machine, telling the computer to take the crystal sample back into a safe containment field. With a minute, the machine was humming in its idle mode, and he stepped back from the station. Spock looked back at Kirk, right in the eyes. For being a supposed 'concubine,' he did seem rather bold, always wanting to look at his face and his expressions. "We may go, Captain."
A slight nod, and Kirk walked with Spock slowly out of the labs. "What do you think? Are the labs to your liking?" He tilted his gaze towards the Vulcan, knowing that they had to be. There was little better in the entire Federation.
"In my professional opinion, I would doubt there exists a more adequately equipped lab to study undocumented phenomena in space. Neither is there an envrionment which may afford me a greater opportunity to conduct my own research--in related contexts, of course," Spock had folded his hands behind his back as they walked. He did not address what his personal opinion was.
Unfortunately for Spock, used to dealing with a different type of person, he would find out James T. Kirk did not settle for such things. "Professional opinion, huh?" Kirk actually stepped forward and turned, walking backwards so he could look better at Spock's face. "And in your opinion?" Complete with a small, sly grin.
Spock's eyes narrowed slightly at this change in position, and promptly deflected the question with: "Captain, using your present method of walking, you will injure yourself against the wall or another unwilling party."
"...You're avoiding the question~" Kirk said in a sing-song tone complete with a smirk. He was walking slow enough to generally avoid anyone who didn't get the hell out of his way.
This did not seem to ease the light hints of concern slowly seeping into his expression, mostly evident in his eyes but also in the brief tightening of his jaw. "My personal opinion is of no consequence," Spock finally answered, now looking more over Kirk's shoulder than at his face.
Confusion spread over Kirk's face. What the hell is with this guy? "Of no consequence?" He stopped in place, facing Spock, forcing the other to come to a halt as well. "Look, no matter what you were or even are, of course it is of consequence. I'd like to know it. Not as Captain... just as Jim," Trying to figure the Vulcan out was like trying to solve one of those confusing metal interlocking puzzles. You knew there was a solution, somehow, someway, but it sure as hell didn't look like it had one.
Spock just looked at him in that same unreadable expression now. "What function does my opinion fulfill for you?"
A sound of annoyance escaped Kirk, "Call it curiosity if you need to have a name for it. Man, honestly, if you just want to go back to the lab and catch dinner on your own, you're more then welcome to," He just couldn't figure this guy out, and if Vulcans were just like this (stony cold robots from which getting anything personal, even an opinion of damned science lab, was like pulling teeth), maybe he'd be happy being back there.
Spock recoiled, if that was what his combination of actions could be called: suddenly averting his eyes away from Kirk's face to the floor of the hallway, shoulders tightening back as he gripped hard over his own hand for a moment, and his words that followed Kirk's after hardly a breath: "I apologize," His words only left his lips a pinch faster than usual. "I will enjoy the tasks being among your science division will give me. At present, I am--grateful, as you may say."
Hell, that still sounded like a computer, but better. At least the word enjoy gave it some sort of hope. "No need to apologize, you didn't do anything wrong," He briefly pinched the bridge of his nose, then gestured, "...I don't know you, you don't know me... this is awkward, at best," He gave that almost sheepish sort of grin. "That's what I was hoping dinner would solve. It hasn't been long, but I've already met some of my crew - some odd four-hundred and twenty of us all together so I'm working on it - and I'd like to know everyone. You too, now."
After his words, Spock's gaze returned to Kirk's face for a few moments, as if searching it for something that was missing. "...of course," He relaxed from the sudden tension into his previous dignified calm.
Kirk relaxed a little as well when Spock did, then asked again, "Still want to go to dinner with me?" A cool smirk, "Meaning you'll have to deal with me asking you more questions," He put his hands behind his back, mirroring Spock's posture.
"I welcome your questions, Captain," Spock tilted his head slightly to the side as he watched Kirk mimic him. "And will therefore join you for dinner."
That put the grin back to his lips, "You'll regret that," He teased lightly in his voice, determined to get under that mask and pry it up. It was something he considered himself good at - getting under peoples' skins. So he turned around and started to walk again, questions piling up in his mind. Even to him, some were inappropriate to ask in any sort of public setting, but not all. "Did you want to learn all about science, or is it something...I'm not Vulcan or a linguist, I don't remember word...you are just normally trained for?"
Spock moved to his side again as they walked. "After my general education, I decided to concentrate on the sciences in order to provide myself with an alternate career should the need arise. It was never a component of my primary training as a thol'es-kafeh," His eyes only occasionally glanced to Kirk, mostly focused on the hallways ahead of them.
Not a huge surprise, if one knew Kirk, but he immediately tried the word again, mouthing it to himself, as he had when first hearing it, "Toe... Toll... es... kaa feh..." He murmured it to himself. "What interested you about science in particular?" He paused only a second, "Should the need arise...what would stop you from being...a..." A gesture, still fairly sure he did not have the word right and he refused to vocalize the other words that came to mind.
Spock seemed to understand his vague gestures and silent communications, because he did answer his question. "Physical injury is always a risk in my profession, and with it the risk for permanent disability. Whereas it is necessary for my entire body to function during my working hours, I only require one eye and a movable thumb to conduct research. This emphasis on mental capabilities over the physical was one of the reasons I was attracted to the field, though I cannot deny that there had always been some natural affinity for the material."
Well, that was a disturbing and morbid mental image to have. Kirk shivered visibly, "Nice to know you're thinking about your future," In a deadpan tone. At least he was getting some information now, even if it made him want to cross his fingers or something to ward off evil. It had to be that over use of logic that made Spock able to say something like that so stone-faced. He thought quickly as they neared one of the rec rooms, wanting to just relax and get some decent food in his stomach. "What sort of research are you doing for yourself?" He questioned, a little curious even if he had a feeling like Bones trying to explain a surgery it might go into the realm of unknown for him.
"...It is ultimately focused on the mutable nature of time in regards to the general construction of space," He had taken a moment to simplify his explanation down to this, or perhaps he was getting distracted by the sounds of merriment echoing from the rec room. "Especially at sub-warp conditions."
Silence, only for a single moment, before Kirk smiled. Spock included, most people seemed to think he was lacking any sort of higher thinking. That he was a good looking, egotistical, stupidly brave man and that his amazing feat as acting-captain had gotten him a permenant seat in the captain's chair of the Enterprise. Well, some of that was true, of course. "...a time machine. Ever think maybe you need to go faster then warp to go backwards in time?" He murmured, figuring out what Spock had meant, then the grin grew as they stepped into the next room. Immediately some people looked up and greeted their captain. "A good chance to meet everyone," Kirk informed Spock, gesturing. Since it seemed most of his bridge crew were here. He stepped right up to the table where Sulu and Chekov were sitting.
Sulu glanced up, then looked to Spock for a moment of study before offering a warm smile, "Captain." A smooth voice. Chekov gave a nod to both of them and let Sulu acknowledge Kirk for him.
"Sulu, Chekov," Gesturing to them in turn, "...I'd like to more formally introduce you to Spock," Knowing they knew who he was, but wanting a real introduction so Spock knew them and they knew him as much then... that word.
"Meester Spock," Chekov said to the half-Vulcan in his usual accent. His eyes were bright, like he knew something Kirk didn't.
"Mister Chekov," Spock responded in that formal greeting tone he had used with Russel, Bones, and Kirk himself. He looked at Kirk then, briefly, before he shifted his gaze back to the two young men in front of him. "We met within the optics laboratory some hours ago."
"Oh?" Kirk wondered briefly why Chekov was down there, but then again, the young man's brilliance never ceased to amaze him even in the short time they had known each other. "...The two of you probably gave anyone in the immediate area a headache," Teasing Chekov more then Spock, because honestly the Russian tended to get flustered all too easily. It even manifested itself now; Chekov was on the verge of explaining the situation in quick, rushed tones to save his honor when Spock finished the delivery for him.
"Not at all. We were only discussing polarization in the aftermath of skewed results from select experiments," Spock, thankfully, avoided any explanation of what polarization actually was.
Which was good, because Kirk would have zoned out at some point. He just nodded, and gestured with his head, "I'm starving," Padding over to the replicator, he closed his eyes as thought about what to get, then ordered a roast beef sandwich with corn on the cob. It reminded him of home, a little. He pulled out the tray as it came into view and glanced to Spock, guessing they had to have replicators on Vulcan.
Noticing the tray, Spock walked over to the replicator as well, but he lingered there, apparently unfamiliar with this particular model. It took Kirk a moment to realize that Spock was having touble, but before he could say a word, Uhura rose from another table to stand side-by-side with Spock. Her hands gestured to the various menus and buttons along the control panel. Kirk listened to them conversing in Vulcan, at least he had to assume it was Vulcan considering it wasn't something he knew, as he sat down at a free table. When it appeared that the meal they had been customizing materialized, they parted. Uhura carried a small smile as she returned to her table, and Spock came back to join Kirk, plate adorned with a vegetable stir-fry with fried rice, accompanied with a glass of water. "Your communications officer is remarkably gifted," Spock noted as he took a seat.
"Lieutenant Uhura. I know she was best in her class, but then again, I'm pretty sure most of the bridge was," A comment of pride and acknowledgment. Kirk leaned back in his chair, eyeing Spock's meal for a moment, then dug into a bite of his own meal.
Spock took a much more refined approach to his food, taking the spork in a delicate grip and eating in small spoonfuls and bites. It was as if he were waiting for some surprise etiquette exam to occur, and wasn't about to let himself falter the moment the judges burst out of hiding. "I have not met a human who has manged to grasp the intricacies of the Vulcan language quite so well."
"If there was anyone at all that could, it would be her," Not that he would ever let her hear him utter those words; he would never hear the end of it. There was silence between them as Kirk ate, Spock ate, and the room hummed with other people's conversations. It was in that silence Kirk came up with a new question, based on old information, and looked back to Spock, "...you told me you didn't come to my..." His nose wrinkled, mouth twisted with disgust, "-- possession willingly." That single word was spat as if ridding himself of an abomination. "They forced you to be my reward?" And that particular word was said with as much sarcasm as he could muster.
The silence following his words was only punctuated by Spock setting down the utensil on the side of the plate, before he regarded Kirk. "You use the words 'willingly' and 'forced' incorrectly. Your terms imply that I had made a choice, which was then overridden. This is not the case. I told you it was not my decision, because it was never something I was to decide for myself."
Kirk's eyes went wide with that, trying to full grasp the whole of it. Spock had no choice in the matter? Immediately his respect for Vulcans dropped another level, which was already pretty low due to concubines and robotness. "You had no choice. They told you where you would be going, and you went," A question, a statement, a denial. He didn't want it to be true. A mixture of guilt for having accepted such a thing, anger for the Vulcans having manuvered him into having to accept it, and sadness for Spock himself all swarmed up in Kirk's chest at the same time leaving behind a tight, burning feeling.
"Essentially," Spock's elbows rested on the table, his fingers lacing together again. He was looking at Kirk as if it were no big deal.
"...and you don't see anything wrong with that?" Kirk said slowly, as if he was speaking to someone a bit touched in the head.
There was that head-tilt again, the only indication of curiosity and hints of idle confusion. "Regardless of who I must serve, Captain, my training and skill set remain constant. Whether I were afforded the choice between you and another would not have mattered, as the end result would be unchanged."
That was true. The logic put a dampener on Kirk's initial emotional burst, and he frowned as he leaned forward on his elbows, "Would you have rather gone somewhere else?" He asked curiously. "...Or, I guess I should say, with someone else?"
Spock glanced from Kirk's face down to the untouched corn cob on the other's plate. "Before I was informed of your recipiency, I had composed a list of possible alternatives...though I had no preference between being with any of them and remaining independent. Each status provides its own avenues for applicability."
Kirk's brows slowly went up and his expression went deadpan, "I think I fell off at the corner. Try simplifying that, just a little."
"What I mean to say is, I would not have preferred to go to someone else, because such a preference between clients does not exist. However, if you had somehow managed to refuse me, I suspect that they would have gifted me to another officer in Starfleet to complete their diplomatic gesture," Spock was being patient with him, but he was completely ignoring his meal now.
At least that made more sense, even if Kirk didn't like it one bit. "Be glad they didn't gift you to someone like...oh, Scotty," He muttered quietly, half-serious, half joking. "I don't like it," Kirk ignored his own meal for the moment, too. "Now I feel like I was forced to do something I didn't really want to do..." He shook his head, "Seems to be a reoccurring theme, actually," A hint of a smile touched his lips, fingertips tapping on the table as he thought. Spock, he was fairly sure, could settle well into the crew here. He wouldn't have to be a...hated that word...and could do what he pleased within the obvious confines of regulations they all shared (and Kirk commonly ignored). It was certainly going to be interesting when they returned back to Earth, because now he had to deal with registering Spock as a member of his crew, who actually wasn't part of Starfleet...this was swiftly turning into a headache. Maybe the Vulcans had planned this from the beginning, actually angry with him for having failed to save the entire planet and deciding giving him eternal embarassment and headaches would be good revenge. They seemed the type for that subtle annoyance type of revenge.
"Your blatant dislike of reality does not change the situation," Spock did not sound snarky--not that he would ever show emotion in his voice, it seemed. "I have told you this before."
Kirk just gave Spock a long look for his statement. "Well, look. We'll get back to Earth, register you as part of the crew, find our final few crew members we need, and we'll be back out into space within two weeks. Not that I have any idea about how to explain you to Starfleet, but I'll get to that part when I come to it."
Suddenly, Spock returned his attention back to his half-eaten meal, picking up the spork in his hand again. "Your bureaucracy should be more accepting, in light of recent events," A small bite of what looked like a carrot, before he continued. "Are you aware if Admiral Pike will be on Earth at the same time?"
"..." There was a certain flare of pain? sadness? that flickered across Kirk's expression for a moment, "Oh, I am sure of it...very, very sure. I'm hoping he'll be out of the hospital and walking again fully by the time we come back," The image of McCoy getting incredibly drunk, saying there was nothing more he could do for the man, as if getting that damned slug out of his head and hopefully not paralyzing him wasn't a miracle. The image of the Admiral being in front of him, of relieving Pike of his duties as captain, knowing the hospital had not wanted him to leave even long enough for the ceremony to happen.
Spock paused for a moment in his eating, as he watched Kirk, before he began again. "Then I suggest we direct our request through him, if you do not wish to fill more than the minimum amount of paperwork."
"...If he's able to, I will..." Pause. Kirk looked up at Spock, "...Wait, how do you know him?" He questioned, blinking a little.
For this question, Kirk received another patient look from the half-Vulcan, who had paused yet again in his meal. "He came to Vulcan several times in the past, and he is a man of fine taste," An apparent non-sequitur, except--
Everything just seized up as too many thoughts slammed into Kirk all at once. If Spock had met Admiral Pike... that meant... "Oh my god," He whispered, the look on his face: priceless. He stared at Spock, his mouth opening to say something, then closing. He did not need that mental image of exactly what Pike and Spock could have been doing. Last thing he needed to know. Ever. How was he supposed to look the man in the eye knowing he'd been - many times! - with the Vulcan equivalent of a whore!?
"There is no reason to be so shocked, Captain," Spock finished off the remaining vegetables on his plate. "Such familiarity will prove beneficial to us, under these circumstances."
"How am I supposed to ever look him in the face again!?" Kirk breathed out, suddenly feeling very twitchy, and very not hungry anymore. He pushed his barely-started food away from him, nose wrinkled up, his expression changing as some new mental thought hit him like a sledgehammer to the back of the skull.
As Kirk pushed away his meal, Spock stopped eating as well, setting down the utensil even though he had been scooping up another clump of rice. "There is nothing particularly shameful about receiving my services," He pointed out in a softer tone than before. "He is still an honourable man."
Kirk's shoulder twitched at the term 'services'. Not because of what they were, not the idea of sex...just the idea of Pike having sex. There was a definite father-son-like relationship between them, at least in Kirk's abstract sense of knowledge on the term, and...ug. He rubbed the bridge of his nose slowly in what was swiftly becoming a habit for him, forcing himself to relax. "Of course he is. I am, suddenly, not hungry," Subject change time. "What do you usually do to enjoy yourself?" He was sorely tempted to go down to the ship's gym and explore it before he worked out hard enough to make sure he didn't remember this for a while.
"..." Spock did not answer.
For probably the first time in his life, it took Kirk a long moment to realize what he had said and to whom. He choked for a second, then just grinned at Spock, "Not what I meant, and you know it. What do you do to occupy your time? I plan to go down to the gym... I haven't even gotten to go look at it yet, but I've heard from Sulu its perfect. And a pool... I used the Academy's pool all of the time," He winked, "Great way to show off in front of the ladies."
Spock did not looked amused at his casual wink. Then again, if he was, he wouldn't show it. "If I am not fulfilling an assignment, I will either study topics whose relevancy I will need in the immediate future, or sleep," He paused to glance off towards the rest of the room before he spoke again. "If I happen to have remaining time and energy, I practice defensive maneuvers, should they ever be needed."
Kirk just shook his head a little. If I was him, I would die of self-created boredom, He thought to himself before just grinning a little. "Alright, alright," He eyed the Vulcan, "Do you remember where you're going around here if I leave you to your own?"
A nod at his question; Spock's dark eyes were looking at his own again. "The Enterprise is quite navigable, and I should be able to traverse it without any hardship."
"Good!" Kirk stood up, swiping one last bite of his food, then dumped it without a second thought. "I'll see you later, Spock," He flashed that easy smile, then went for his own quarters. It took only minutes to arrive, change into regulation swim trunks, loose pants over it, and a tee-shirt, grab a towel, and head back down for where he had a general idea of the gym being. This, of course, involved a great deal of flirting along the way, only some of it serious.
Sulu had definitely been right on one thing - the gym itself was extrodinary. It was a perfect place to work out, from a glance over the machinery, and the pool... It looked as large as the one at the Academy, which pleased him to no end. And since it was still dinner for most, he was lucky enough to have it to himself for the moment. Without a thought to decency, the captain stripped himself down to his swim trunks, took a look around, then did a cannonball straight into the center of one of the lanes.
The time spent swimming (and happily flirting with one of the young ladies from engineering... then meeting her boyfriend who Kirk challenged to laps before there could be any sort of problem) was enough to work out not only the imaginary sand Kirk swore was still lodged everywhere from the colony, but tire him out. It was late by the time he worked his way back up to his quarters, hair still dripping wet, tee-shirt and sweatpants damp, but he hardly cared. A fast shower to wash himself off, then crawl into bed, a good end to the night. He paused as the door opened to his quarters and called out, "Lights, fifty percent," As he stepped inside and rubbed the towel over his face to catch some of the dripping. He grinned, walking towards his bath--
He wasn't alone in his quarters.
Chapter 3, Part A
Authors: salvaged_pride and dancing_mercury
Fandom: Star Trek (XI)
Characters/Pairings: eventual Kirk/Spock, bridge crew, mentioned ?/Spock
POV: Kirk's (next one is Spock's)
Rating: PG-13 for now
Words: 5.236
Inspired by: This prompt on st_xi_kink: Spock is a Vulcan concubine/courtesan.
Chapter summary: Kirk finds out more about the new totally-not-his-concubine crew member.
A/N: Some deviations from the original prompt will be made apparent in this chapter, but there's good reason for it! We swear!
All Chapters || Chapter One
Hours later, up on the bridge of the Enterprise, Kirk rubbed the bridge of his nose. Despite everything he could think of, he saw no other options for his new... problem. Additional crew member, he corrected himself. Hell, how was he going to explain this when they got back? That the Vulcans had given him a possible scientific genius whore. At least, that was the general idea he had for the word 'concubine'. Slowly a hand rubbed over his face and he sighed. He wasn't going to insult the Vulcans by not keeping him on board (now that he was already here), but...well, it irked him. The idea of a person as a possession, as if Spock was a slave. Be it a mix of human freedom and Kirk's own personal beliefs, there was no way in hell he was keeping a whore-slave-concubine-what the hell was that word they used? on his ship. Now...a new man down in the science labs? That had promise. He was sure Spock would see it that way. After all, weren't Vulcans supposed to be all about logic?
He'd made sure to talk to Russel before he had come back to get Spock out of McCoy's hands, telling his head of the labs to keep an eye on Spock, learn about just how much the Vulcan knew. He was hoping the report would come before the end of the day so he could read it before going to sleep. In the morning he could deal with this issue that was supposed to be a reward. Some reward...how could someone who I don't even think can physically smile, is of a race that are supposed to be some of the greatest minds in the world, be a concubine? Hate that word. I need to stop using it. Whore doesn't sound much better. Maybe I need to learn their word for it.
Great, and now he was getting a headache between his eyes. He thought about McCoy's words down in sickbay, and groaned quietly to himself. More then he ever needed to know about Vulcans or their--
Kirk glanced up as something caught his eye, and he hid a grin behind his hand as he watched Sulu leaning over to Chekov, pointing out something. Despite their fairly recent coming together as a team (well, the entire bridge team could say that same thing...) they were already working well together. Kirk bit on the side of his lip as he thought about another person in Sulu's chair, his first officer that had risked her life along side of his through the hell that had ended the planet of Vulcan. She had never made it off of Nero's ship. It irked him inside that he could not have even gotten her body out along with him.
His eyes flickered over to the chronometer on the wall. The end of shift. Kirk thanked a god he didn't believe in, because it was a long day that he was grateful to see the end of. He wasn't sure he would ever get that feeling of grit out from everywhere that had come from being on that desert planet the colony had carved its niche into. He rubbed his thumb over an eye, hoping to relieve some of the pressure behind it. Of course, it did nothing. Just wanted dinner, pop a few pain killers, and a nice long shower. Maybe sneak in a quick work out so he could scout out the supposedly amazing gym that was on the lower decks. But first, a thought nudged at his mind, and he decided to entertain it.
That entertained thought was what found him down in the science labs again, walking slowly as if he was simply surveying his territory but in reality was looking for the newest addition to his crew.
Spock was in a different lab than where Kirk had left him, tucked in the corner by a large screen and a fine-tuned microscope. Apparently Russel had no qualms of letting the Vulcan use expensive equipment already, and on research no less. A nonuniform crystalline structured scrolled by on the screen as Spock turned the dials of the microscope. As Kirk approached, his footsteps rather loud (for Spock's ears, he guessed) on the floor, Spock looked over his shoulder. Glancing him, he immediately stood from his chair and at attention. "Captain."
"Spock," Kirk offered a hint of a smile, hiding a greater amusement at the fact he had seen other scientists completely ignore him approaching, so caught in their work that they didn't know he was there until he cleared his throat. "I was wondering, you up for dinner?" As easy as if he was asking a long time friend, but it did seem that was how this captain was with his crew. He wanted to get to know a little more about the Vulcan, figure out what Spock was expecting of him, and of his new home.
"Yes, I would enjoy some nourishment," His tone did not reveal whether he actually would enjoy it or not, or whether the line had been rehearsed many times before. Spock glanced back to the work he had been doing, and then back to Kirk. "Please allow me to put the research in stasis. I do not believe Mister Russel would be receptive to leaving the equipment and the sample unsecured for long periods of time."
A vague hand gesture, and Kirk nodded, "Do whatever you need to," He said easily, stepping back. He leaned against the wall, watching Spock with the eyes of a hawk. He had never heard someone speak so consistently formal outside of what were normally proper--no. There had been someone else. Another Vulcan he had met during his years in the Academy, and then again all too recently. Sarek...the Vulcan ambassador to Earth. The entire reason that Kirk had managed to locate the Elders in their strange shielded cave using his wits, some brutality (...not that he was going to admit slugging the guard in the face), and a hand-held scanner.
There was that same sure and smooth grace to Spock's movements that had been present since the first time Kirk saw him in the hall. He didn't even seem to hesitate or think about which buttons or dials he was manipulating to shut down the machine, telling the computer to take the crystal sample back into a safe containment field. With a minute, the machine was humming in its idle mode, and he stepped back from the station. Spock looked back at Kirk, right in the eyes. For being a supposed 'concubine,' he did seem rather bold, always wanting to look at his face and his expressions. "We may go, Captain."
A slight nod, and Kirk walked with Spock slowly out of the labs. "What do you think? Are the labs to your liking?" He tilted his gaze towards the Vulcan, knowing that they had to be. There was little better in the entire Federation.
"In my professional opinion, I would doubt there exists a more adequately equipped lab to study undocumented phenomena in space. Neither is there an envrionment which may afford me a greater opportunity to conduct my own research--in related contexts, of course," Spock had folded his hands behind his back as they walked. He did not address what his personal opinion was.
Unfortunately for Spock, used to dealing with a different type of person, he would find out James T. Kirk did not settle for such things. "Professional opinion, huh?" Kirk actually stepped forward and turned, walking backwards so he could look better at Spock's face. "And in your opinion?" Complete with a small, sly grin.
Spock's eyes narrowed slightly at this change in position, and promptly deflected the question with: "Captain, using your present method of walking, you will injure yourself against the wall or another unwilling party."
"...You're avoiding the question~" Kirk said in a sing-song tone complete with a smirk. He was walking slow enough to generally avoid anyone who didn't get the hell out of his way.
This did not seem to ease the light hints of concern slowly seeping into his expression, mostly evident in his eyes but also in the brief tightening of his jaw. "My personal opinion is of no consequence," Spock finally answered, now looking more over Kirk's shoulder than at his face.
Confusion spread over Kirk's face. What the hell is with this guy? "Of no consequence?" He stopped in place, facing Spock, forcing the other to come to a halt as well. "Look, no matter what you were or even are, of course it is of consequence. I'd like to know it. Not as Captain... just as Jim," Trying to figure the Vulcan out was like trying to solve one of those confusing metal interlocking puzzles. You knew there was a solution, somehow, someway, but it sure as hell didn't look like it had one.
Spock just looked at him in that same unreadable expression now. "What function does my opinion fulfill for you?"
A sound of annoyance escaped Kirk, "Call it curiosity if you need to have a name for it. Man, honestly, if you just want to go back to the lab and catch dinner on your own, you're more then welcome to," He just couldn't figure this guy out, and if Vulcans were just like this (stony cold robots from which getting anything personal, even an opinion of damned science lab, was like pulling teeth), maybe he'd be happy being back there.
Spock recoiled, if that was what his combination of actions could be called: suddenly averting his eyes away from Kirk's face to the floor of the hallway, shoulders tightening back as he gripped hard over his own hand for a moment, and his words that followed Kirk's after hardly a breath: "I apologize," His words only left his lips a pinch faster than usual. "I will enjoy the tasks being among your science division will give me. At present, I am--grateful, as you may say."
Hell, that still sounded like a computer, but better. At least the word enjoy gave it some sort of hope. "No need to apologize, you didn't do anything wrong," He briefly pinched the bridge of his nose, then gestured, "...I don't know you, you don't know me... this is awkward, at best," He gave that almost sheepish sort of grin. "That's what I was hoping dinner would solve. It hasn't been long, but I've already met some of my crew - some odd four-hundred and twenty of us all together so I'm working on it - and I'd like to know everyone. You too, now."
After his words, Spock's gaze returned to Kirk's face for a few moments, as if searching it for something that was missing. "...of course," He relaxed from the sudden tension into his previous dignified calm.
Kirk relaxed a little as well when Spock did, then asked again, "Still want to go to dinner with me?" A cool smirk, "Meaning you'll have to deal with me asking you more questions," He put his hands behind his back, mirroring Spock's posture.
"I welcome your questions, Captain," Spock tilted his head slightly to the side as he watched Kirk mimic him. "And will therefore join you for dinner."
That put the grin back to his lips, "You'll regret that," He teased lightly in his voice, determined to get under that mask and pry it up. It was something he considered himself good at - getting under peoples' skins. So he turned around and started to walk again, questions piling up in his mind. Even to him, some were inappropriate to ask in any sort of public setting, but not all. "Did you want to learn all about science, or is it something...I'm not Vulcan or a linguist, I don't remember word...you are just normally trained for?"
Spock moved to his side again as they walked. "After my general education, I decided to concentrate on the sciences in order to provide myself with an alternate career should the need arise. It was never a component of my primary training as a thol'es-kafeh," His eyes only occasionally glanced to Kirk, mostly focused on the hallways ahead of them.
Not a huge surprise, if one knew Kirk, but he immediately tried the word again, mouthing it to himself, as he had when first hearing it, "Toe... Toll... es... kaa feh..." He murmured it to himself. "What interested you about science in particular?" He paused only a second, "Should the need arise...what would stop you from being...a..." A gesture, still fairly sure he did not have the word right and he refused to vocalize the other words that came to mind.
Spock seemed to understand his vague gestures and silent communications, because he did answer his question. "Physical injury is always a risk in my profession, and with it the risk for permanent disability. Whereas it is necessary for my entire body to function during my working hours, I only require one eye and a movable thumb to conduct research. This emphasis on mental capabilities over the physical was one of the reasons I was attracted to the field, though I cannot deny that there had always been some natural affinity for the material."
Well, that was a disturbing and morbid mental image to have. Kirk shivered visibly, "Nice to know you're thinking about your future," In a deadpan tone. At least he was getting some information now, even if it made him want to cross his fingers or something to ward off evil. It had to be that over use of logic that made Spock able to say something like that so stone-faced. He thought quickly as they neared one of the rec rooms, wanting to just relax and get some decent food in his stomach. "What sort of research are you doing for yourself?" He questioned, a little curious even if he had a feeling like Bones trying to explain a surgery it might go into the realm of unknown for him.
"...It is ultimately focused on the mutable nature of time in regards to the general construction of space," He had taken a moment to simplify his explanation down to this, or perhaps he was getting distracted by the sounds of merriment echoing from the rec room. "Especially at sub-warp conditions."
Silence, only for a single moment, before Kirk smiled. Spock included, most people seemed to think he was lacking any sort of higher thinking. That he was a good looking, egotistical, stupidly brave man and that his amazing feat as acting-captain had gotten him a permenant seat in the captain's chair of the Enterprise. Well, some of that was true, of course. "...a time machine. Ever think maybe you need to go faster then warp to go backwards in time?" He murmured, figuring out what Spock had meant, then the grin grew as they stepped into the next room. Immediately some people looked up and greeted their captain. "A good chance to meet everyone," Kirk informed Spock, gesturing. Since it seemed most of his bridge crew were here. He stepped right up to the table where Sulu and Chekov were sitting.
Sulu glanced up, then looked to Spock for a moment of study before offering a warm smile, "Captain." A smooth voice. Chekov gave a nod to both of them and let Sulu acknowledge Kirk for him.
"Sulu, Chekov," Gesturing to them in turn, "...I'd like to more formally introduce you to Spock," Knowing they knew who he was, but wanting a real introduction so Spock knew them and they knew him as much then... that word.
"Meester Spock," Chekov said to the half-Vulcan in his usual accent. His eyes were bright, like he knew something Kirk didn't.
"Mister Chekov," Spock responded in that formal greeting tone he had used with Russel, Bones, and Kirk himself. He looked at Kirk then, briefly, before he shifted his gaze back to the two young men in front of him. "We met within the optics laboratory some hours ago."
"Oh?" Kirk wondered briefly why Chekov was down there, but then again, the young man's brilliance never ceased to amaze him even in the short time they had known each other. "...The two of you probably gave anyone in the immediate area a headache," Teasing Chekov more then Spock, because honestly the Russian tended to get flustered all too easily. It even manifested itself now; Chekov was on the verge of explaining the situation in quick, rushed tones to save his honor when Spock finished the delivery for him.
"Not at all. We were only discussing polarization in the aftermath of skewed results from select experiments," Spock, thankfully, avoided any explanation of what polarization actually was.
Which was good, because Kirk would have zoned out at some point. He just nodded, and gestured with his head, "I'm starving," Padding over to the replicator, he closed his eyes as thought about what to get, then ordered a roast beef sandwich with corn on the cob. It reminded him of home, a little. He pulled out the tray as it came into view and glanced to Spock, guessing they had to have replicators on Vulcan.
Noticing the tray, Spock walked over to the replicator as well, but he lingered there, apparently unfamiliar with this particular model. It took Kirk a moment to realize that Spock was having touble, but before he could say a word, Uhura rose from another table to stand side-by-side with Spock. Her hands gestured to the various menus and buttons along the control panel. Kirk listened to them conversing in Vulcan, at least he had to assume it was Vulcan considering it wasn't something he knew, as he sat down at a free table. When it appeared that the meal they had been customizing materialized, they parted. Uhura carried a small smile as she returned to her table, and Spock came back to join Kirk, plate adorned with a vegetable stir-fry with fried rice, accompanied with a glass of water. "Your communications officer is remarkably gifted," Spock noted as he took a seat.
"Lieutenant Uhura. I know she was best in her class, but then again, I'm pretty sure most of the bridge was," A comment of pride and acknowledgment. Kirk leaned back in his chair, eyeing Spock's meal for a moment, then dug into a bite of his own meal.
Spock took a much more refined approach to his food, taking the spork in a delicate grip and eating in small spoonfuls and bites. It was as if he were waiting for some surprise etiquette exam to occur, and wasn't about to let himself falter the moment the judges burst out of hiding. "I have not met a human who has manged to grasp the intricacies of the Vulcan language quite so well."
"If there was anyone at all that could, it would be her," Not that he would ever let her hear him utter those words; he would never hear the end of it. There was silence between them as Kirk ate, Spock ate, and the room hummed with other people's conversations. It was in that silence Kirk came up with a new question, based on old information, and looked back to Spock, "...you told me you didn't come to my..." His nose wrinkled, mouth twisted with disgust, "-- possession willingly." That single word was spat as if ridding himself of an abomination. "They forced you to be my reward?" And that particular word was said with as much sarcasm as he could muster.
The silence following his words was only punctuated by Spock setting down the utensil on the side of the plate, before he regarded Kirk. "You use the words 'willingly' and 'forced' incorrectly. Your terms imply that I had made a choice, which was then overridden. This is not the case. I told you it was not my decision, because it was never something I was to decide for myself."
Kirk's eyes went wide with that, trying to full grasp the whole of it. Spock had no choice in the matter? Immediately his respect for Vulcans dropped another level, which was already pretty low due to concubines and robotness. "You had no choice. They told you where you would be going, and you went," A question, a statement, a denial. He didn't want it to be true. A mixture of guilt for having accepted such a thing, anger for the Vulcans having manuvered him into having to accept it, and sadness for Spock himself all swarmed up in Kirk's chest at the same time leaving behind a tight, burning feeling.
"Essentially," Spock's elbows rested on the table, his fingers lacing together again. He was looking at Kirk as if it were no big deal.
"...and you don't see anything wrong with that?" Kirk said slowly, as if he was speaking to someone a bit touched in the head.
There was that head-tilt again, the only indication of curiosity and hints of idle confusion. "Regardless of who I must serve, Captain, my training and skill set remain constant. Whether I were afforded the choice between you and another would not have mattered, as the end result would be unchanged."
That was true. The logic put a dampener on Kirk's initial emotional burst, and he frowned as he leaned forward on his elbows, "Would you have rather gone somewhere else?" He asked curiously. "...Or, I guess I should say, with someone else?"
Spock glanced from Kirk's face down to the untouched corn cob on the other's plate. "Before I was informed of your recipiency, I had composed a list of possible alternatives...though I had no preference between being with any of them and remaining independent. Each status provides its own avenues for applicability."
Kirk's brows slowly went up and his expression went deadpan, "I think I fell off at the corner. Try simplifying that, just a little."
"What I mean to say is, I would not have preferred to go to someone else, because such a preference between clients does not exist. However, if you had somehow managed to refuse me, I suspect that they would have gifted me to another officer in Starfleet to complete their diplomatic gesture," Spock was being patient with him, but he was completely ignoring his meal now.
At least that made more sense, even if Kirk didn't like it one bit. "Be glad they didn't gift you to someone like...oh, Scotty," He muttered quietly, half-serious, half joking. "I don't like it," Kirk ignored his own meal for the moment, too. "Now I feel like I was forced to do something I didn't really want to do..." He shook his head, "Seems to be a reoccurring theme, actually," A hint of a smile touched his lips, fingertips tapping on the table as he thought. Spock, he was fairly sure, could settle well into the crew here. He wouldn't have to be a...hated that word...and could do what he pleased within the obvious confines of regulations they all shared (and Kirk commonly ignored). It was certainly going to be interesting when they returned back to Earth, because now he had to deal with registering Spock as a member of his crew, who actually wasn't part of Starfleet...this was swiftly turning into a headache. Maybe the Vulcans had planned this from the beginning, actually angry with him for having failed to save the entire planet and deciding giving him eternal embarassment and headaches would be good revenge. They seemed the type for that subtle annoyance type of revenge.
"Your blatant dislike of reality does not change the situation," Spock did not sound snarky--not that he would ever show emotion in his voice, it seemed. "I have told you this before."
Kirk just gave Spock a long look for his statement. "Well, look. We'll get back to Earth, register you as part of the crew, find our final few crew members we need, and we'll be back out into space within two weeks. Not that I have any idea about how to explain you to Starfleet, but I'll get to that part when I come to it."
Suddenly, Spock returned his attention back to his half-eaten meal, picking up the spork in his hand again. "Your bureaucracy should be more accepting, in light of recent events," A small bite of what looked like a carrot, before he continued. "Are you aware if Admiral Pike will be on Earth at the same time?"
"..." There was a certain flare of pain? sadness? that flickered across Kirk's expression for a moment, "Oh, I am sure of it...very, very sure. I'm hoping he'll be out of the hospital and walking again fully by the time we come back," The image of McCoy getting incredibly drunk, saying there was nothing more he could do for the man, as if getting that damned slug out of his head and hopefully not paralyzing him wasn't a miracle. The image of the Admiral being in front of him, of relieving Pike of his duties as captain, knowing the hospital had not wanted him to leave even long enough for the ceremony to happen.
Spock paused for a moment in his eating, as he watched Kirk, before he began again. "Then I suggest we direct our request through him, if you do not wish to fill more than the minimum amount of paperwork."
"...If he's able to, I will..." Pause. Kirk looked up at Spock, "...Wait, how do you know him?" He questioned, blinking a little.
For this question, Kirk received another patient look from the half-Vulcan, who had paused yet again in his meal. "He came to Vulcan several times in the past, and he is a man of fine taste," An apparent non-sequitur, except--
Everything just seized up as too many thoughts slammed into Kirk all at once. If Spock had met Admiral Pike... that meant... "Oh my god," He whispered, the look on his face: priceless. He stared at Spock, his mouth opening to say something, then closing. He did not need that mental image of exactly what Pike and Spock could have been doing. Last thing he needed to know. Ever. How was he supposed to look the man in the eye knowing he'd been - many times! - with the Vulcan equivalent of a whore!?
"There is no reason to be so shocked, Captain," Spock finished off the remaining vegetables on his plate. "Such familiarity will prove beneficial to us, under these circumstances."
"How am I supposed to ever look him in the face again!?" Kirk breathed out, suddenly feeling very twitchy, and very not hungry anymore. He pushed his barely-started food away from him, nose wrinkled up, his expression changing as some new mental thought hit him like a sledgehammer to the back of the skull.
As Kirk pushed away his meal, Spock stopped eating as well, setting down the utensil even though he had been scooping up another clump of rice. "There is nothing particularly shameful about receiving my services," He pointed out in a softer tone than before. "He is still an honourable man."
Kirk's shoulder twitched at the term 'services'. Not because of what they were, not the idea of sex...just the idea of Pike having sex. There was a definite father-son-like relationship between them, at least in Kirk's abstract sense of knowledge on the term, and...ug. He rubbed the bridge of his nose slowly in what was swiftly becoming a habit for him, forcing himself to relax. "Of course he is. I am, suddenly, not hungry," Subject change time. "What do you usually do to enjoy yourself?" He was sorely tempted to go down to the ship's gym and explore it before he worked out hard enough to make sure he didn't remember this for a while.
"..." Spock did not answer.
For probably the first time in his life, it took Kirk a long moment to realize what he had said and to whom. He choked for a second, then just grinned at Spock, "Not what I meant, and you know it. What do you do to occupy your time? I plan to go down to the gym... I haven't even gotten to go look at it yet, but I've heard from Sulu its perfect. And a pool... I used the Academy's pool all of the time," He winked, "Great way to show off in front of the ladies."
Spock did not looked amused at his casual wink. Then again, if he was, he wouldn't show it. "If I am not fulfilling an assignment, I will either study topics whose relevancy I will need in the immediate future, or sleep," He paused to glance off towards the rest of the room before he spoke again. "If I happen to have remaining time and energy, I practice defensive maneuvers, should they ever be needed."
Kirk just shook his head a little. If I was him, I would die of self-created boredom, He thought to himself before just grinning a little. "Alright, alright," He eyed the Vulcan, "Do you remember where you're going around here if I leave you to your own?"
A nod at his question; Spock's dark eyes were looking at his own again. "The Enterprise is quite navigable, and I should be able to traverse it without any hardship."
"Good!" Kirk stood up, swiping one last bite of his food, then dumped it without a second thought. "I'll see you later, Spock," He flashed that easy smile, then went for his own quarters. It took only minutes to arrive, change into regulation swim trunks, loose pants over it, and a tee-shirt, grab a towel, and head back down for where he had a general idea of the gym being. This, of course, involved a great deal of flirting along the way, only some of it serious.
Sulu had definitely been right on one thing - the gym itself was extrodinary. It was a perfect place to work out, from a glance over the machinery, and the pool... It looked as large as the one at the Academy, which pleased him to no end. And since it was still dinner for most, he was lucky enough to have it to himself for the moment. Without a thought to decency, the captain stripped himself down to his swim trunks, took a look around, then did a cannonball straight into the center of one of the lanes.
The time spent swimming (and happily flirting with one of the young ladies from engineering... then meeting her boyfriend who Kirk challenged to laps before there could be any sort of problem) was enough to work out not only the imaginary sand Kirk swore was still lodged everywhere from the colony, but tire him out. It was late by the time he worked his way back up to his quarters, hair still dripping wet, tee-shirt and sweatpants damp, but he hardly cared. A fast shower to wash himself off, then crawl into bed, a good end to the night. He paused as the door opened to his quarters and called out, "Lights, fifty percent," As he stepped inside and rubbed the towel over his face to catch some of the dripping. He grinned, walking towards his bath--
He wasn't alone in his quarters.
Chapter 3, Part A