Why They Call It Falling - Part 1
Fandom: Star Trek Reboot (AU)
Pairing: Kirk/Spock
Rating: PG-13
Summary: When a group of Vulcans on a cultural exchange move in downstairs, Jim's friends bet him he can't seduce one of them. The last thing Jim expects is to fall in love, but Vulcan culture is strict, and he and Spock will have to battle many trials before they can reach their happy ending. Based on the film Latter Days.
Words: ~7400/24000
Warnings: Mention of past child abuse, past minor character death, homophobia, parental disapproval, attempted suicide
Notes: Written for startrekbigbang, art by knowmefirst is here, fanmix by ecto_gammat is here. Thanks to museaway for the beta.
Spock stares down at the planet as the shuttle approaches, watching the buildings of San Francisco come into view. This is his fourth trip to Earth, and the first without his parents. Part of him is glad to be away from his father and his constant unvoiced disappointment, but part of him is nervous at the idea of being on his own for the first time.
With a shake of his head, he banishes the thought. He is not truly alone; he is with Stonn and the others, after all, and he sincerely doubts any of them are experiencing anxiety. Or any other emotion for that matter.
As if picking up on his thoughts, Stonn speaks. "It is very wet, this Earth."
Spock turns to see him staring out of the window, his gaze fixed on the Pacific Ocean in the distance.
"Indeed," Spock replies. "Water covers approximately seventy point eight percent of the planet's surface."
"I have heard it even falls from the sky," Sylat puts in with something approaching disgust. "I do not wish to experience such an occurrence." Beside him, Sorvan nods in agreement.
"They call it rain," Spock tells them. He has experienced it only once, a long time ago. It was his first trip to Earth at the age of six, and he was reading in the garden at the Embassy when it began to rain. The idea of water falling out of the sky was so unbelievable that he just stood there for long minutes, getting wetter and wetter. By the time his mother found him he was soaked through and his reading PADD was ruined.
Despite all of that, though, it is a pleasant memory. It was the first time he fully understood how different other worlds could be.
The pilot's voice comes over the intercom. "Please fasten your belts and prepare for landing."
The group of Vulcans cease talking and turn to face forward. They are not the only passengers on this shuttle; aside from the four of them there are eleven humans and one Andorian, all making the transfer from Lunaport.
The shuttle touches down safely, and its passengers go about the process of gathering their things and disembarking into the terminal.
Spock retrieves his bag from under the seat and follows Stonn out of the exit. He takes a deep breath as he steps out of the shuttle. He has been many places in his twenty-one years of life, but he has never found anywhere quite like Earth.
His lips twitch upwards slightly as he realises his nerves are gone. He feels almost… excited. This is what he has been waiting for, after all. A chance to interact fully with the humans, without being judged, and perhaps even learn a few things from them, all under the guise of cultural exchange.
He knows his companions are less optimistic about the idea, but right now Spock doesn't care. He has two months to learn everything he can about humans, and he plans to make every second count.
* * * * *
Jim lies back on the couch, letting his arm drop to his side. Officially he's supposed to be studying for a test in Warp Field Mechanics tomorrow, but since he knows from experience that he can get at least an 80 just by showing up, he's not too motivated. No, what he's actually doing right now is considering whether it's worthwhile getting changed and going out. He hasn't had sex in over a week, and he's getting antsy.
The door chimes at that moment, and Jim raises his head. It chimes again, and he rises from the couch and shuffles over to it, wondering who it could be.
The man on the other side is vaguely familiar - tall, well dressed, with pale skin and dark brown hair. "Uh," he says, blinking at Jim. "I'm looking for Nyota Uhura?"
"I'm her roommate," Jim replies. "She's not in right now, though."
"Damn," the guy says. "Do you know when she'll be back?"
Jim shrugs. "All she said was she was going out with friends."
"Damn," the guy says again. He runs a hand through his hair, and Jim follows it with his eyes, considering. The guy's pretty attractive, and he's right here…
"You can come in and wait if you want," he suggests idly.
The guy looks up. "Really?"
"Sure." Jim flashes him a smile. "I don't mind." He waves a hand behind him at the apartment.
The guy glances over his shoulder, then steps past Jim into the apartment.
"Make yourself comfortable," Jim says, as he shuts the door behind them.
The guy sits down on the couch, and Jim sits beside him, a little closer than would normally be comfortable.
"So," he says. "I know you came here for Uhura, but the way I see it, there's no reason you and I can't have some fun in the meantime." Grinning, he gives the guy a blatant up and down look, and a wink.
It isn't long before they're in bed, clothes strewn about and hands roaming. In the end, the guy decides not to wait for Uhura, and Jim goes back to lazing on the couch with a grin.
He loves his life.
* * *
Jim is awoken the next morning by a cushion landing on his head. He pulls it off and sits up, blinking in the light from the doorway. Slowly the world comes into focus and he sees Uhura standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips.
"You," she says, eyes narrowing.
Jim pulls the covers closer and tries to look innocent. "What did I do?"
Uhura marches over and grabs the cushion, drawing back as if she's about to hit him with it. Jim ducks.
"You fucked my ex-boyfriend."
Jim blinks at her. "Amos?" He doesn't remember that.
She waves the cushion at him in frustration. "Not Amos. Do you listen to anything I say?" Before Jim can answer, she continues, "I meant Nick."
Now Jim does remember. "Oh, you mean the guy last night?" he asks. "I thought he looked familiar."
Uhura stares at him in disbelief. "You mean you fucked my ex-boyfriend and didn't even notice?"
"Hey, it's not like I asked for his name."
That earns him a cushion to the face, but in his opinion it was totally worth it. Despite her actions, he can tell Uhura isn't really angry with him. When she's pissed off she does things like dismantle the snooze button on his alarm clock or change all his music to Tellarite opera. Cushion assault is just how they communicate.
"All right," he says, holding his hands up in surrender. "I'm sorry. I won't do it again."
"Yes, you will," Uhura mutters, but there's a faint smile around her mouth as she rolls her eyes.
"Yeah, probably," Jim admits with a shrug.
Uhura gives him one last whack with the cushion, then tucks it under one arm. "So how was it?" she asks, raising her eyebrows.
Jim considers it, then makes a so-so gesture. "Six out of ten."
"Huh," Uhura replies. "I would've given him five." At Jim's look she smirks and adds, "Why d'you think I broke up with him?"
With a wink, she turns to leave. She pauses at the door and turns back long enough to add, "Don't forget we're meeting at Scotty's place tonight for his birthday dinner."
"I know, I'll be there," Jim assures her. Scotty throws the best parties, full of mayhem and every type of alcohol he can think of, but currently his sister is visiting, along with his three-year-old nephew, so the plan is a little more sedate. Jim's still looking forward to it, though.
He showers and dresses, then makes his way into the kitchen to find Uhura staring out of the window, holding a mug. "What's up?"
She glances at him, then turns back to the window. "Looks like we're getting some new neighbours."
"Really?" Jim hurries across to look. Sure enough, there's a group of four guys systematically lugging giant bags from the street into the building. "Huh. I wonder if they're taking the Hendersons' place."
The Hendersons were an elderly couple who lived on the first floor until they moved out a few months ago to go live nearer to their grandchildren. Their apartment has been empty since then, and Jim was beginning to think it would stay that way.
"Probably," Uhura replies. She drains the last of her coffee and smoothes down her uniform. "I have to go. I promised Ling I'd look over her Andorian essay before class."
"Okay," Jim says, still watching the guys moving around several floors below. "See you tonight."
He hovers there for a long moment after he hears the door shut, wondering about the new neighbours. Just as he's about to turn away, one of them looks up suddenly, and even though he's four floors up Jim swears their eyes meet. Then the guy turns away and the moment is gone.
Jim watches for a few seconds longer, then begins making himself some breakfast. For some reason he feels oddly unsettled by the situation, and he can't figure out why.
* * *
As he expected, Jim breezes through his test, and through the rest of his classes that day. He logs a few hours in the computer lab working on his programming project, then heads home to change before setting out for Scotty's.
He arrives to find most of his friends have beaten him to it, including Uhura who is sitting on the couch deep in conversation with Scotty's sister. The three-year-old nephew is lying on the floor next to them colouring.
Jim makes a beeline for the kitchen and finds Scotty cursing at the oven. "I don't think this thing is hot enough," Scotty complains.
Jim shrugs, hopping up onto a counter. "You're an engineer. Why can't you fix it?"
Scotty glares at him. "I work with warp cores and transporters, not ovens. It's nae the same thing and you know it."
"Yeah," Jim agrees. "I just like seeing that look on your face." He digs a small package out of his pocket and tosses it in his direction. "Happy birthday, by the way."
Scotty tears off the paper to reveal a computer tape. Jim watches as he reads the label, then looks up wide eyed. "Blueprints to the Enterprise? How'd you get these?"
Jim shrugs, grinning. "I have my ways."
Scotty grins back. "Well, thanks, Jim! This is brilliant."
McCoy walks in at that moment. "I'm going to give you a little tip, Scotty," he says, "The words 'Jim' and 'brilliant' should never be that close together."
"You act grumpy, but you're not fooling anyone," Jim tells him, still grinning. "They all know you love me."
McCoy rolls his eyes. "That's just the Stockholm Syndrome kicking in." He digs in the bag he's holding and hands over a large wrapped package. "Happy birthday."
Scotty unwraps this one to find a large bottle of scotch. "Och, Leonard, you shouldn't have."
"Then I'll take it back," McCoy jokes, reaching out.
Scotty wraps his arms around the bottle protectively. "You'll do nothing of the sort." He strokes the glass gently, then says, "I'll just put 'er with the others," and disappears into the pantry.
Sulu is the last to arrive, gifting Scotty with a large flowery plant. According to him, it's a new breed, specially cultivated. Jim doesn't know much about plants - except corn, because even he couldn't grow up in Iowa without learning a shitload of boring facts about that - but it looks pretty, and Scotty seems to like it. His nephew likes it more, stroking its leaves and chattering to it excitedly.
It occurs to Jim that he has no idea what present Uhura brought, and a quick discussion with Scotty reveals it's a scarf. One which she knitted herself, judging from the state of it. "Wow, dude," Jim says, vaguely impressed. "She must really like you. For my last birthday she gave me a tape of Megazoid ritual chanting." It's actually oddly hypnotic. Jim sometimes uses it as a sleep aid, but he'd never tell Uhura that.
Scotty goes a little red, but he doesn't say anything.
Despite Scotty's arguments with the oven, the meal is excellent. Scotty's nephew goes to bed right afterwards, and his sister retreats not long after, probably to enjoy some time to herself. By mutual agreement the five friends move to the living room to talk, and drink.
"Did Jim tell you about our new neighbours?" Uhura asks, before taking a sip from her glass of wine.
There's a chorus of 'no's and she smiles. "A bunch of guys moved into apartment 103 this morning. Jim and I saw them out the window." She glances over at Jim, as if looking for confirmation. He nods, and she continues, "Anyway, I went home this afternoon to get changed, and ran into a couple of them. And you'll never guess what?" She pauses, soaking up the attention.
"What?" Sulu asks obediently.
Uhura leans forward like she's imparting a secret. "They're Vulcans."
"No way," Jim blurts. "Why the hell would Vulcans be moving into our building?"
"Apparently they're on some kind of cultural exchange trip," Uhura answers. "They were pretty busy so we could only talk for a minute or two, but they said they might stop by sometime tomorrow to meet us properly."
There's silence for a moment after she finishes speaking.
McCoy is the first one to break it. "Well, this should be interesting," he says. "I don't know who to feel sorrier for, Jim or the Vulcans."
Jim rolls his eyes. "Shut up. I'll have them eating out of my hand, just you wait and see."
Uhura gives a snort of laughter. "I don't think your usual approach is going to work here, Jim."
Sulu grins. "Yep. No way in hell you can charm a Vulcan into bed."
That sounds like a challenge, and Jim has never backed down from a challenge in his life. "You wanna bet?" he asks.
Sulu stares at him. "Seriously?"
Jim nods firmly. "Yeah. I bet you fifty credits I can get one of them into bed." He leans back in his seat and crosses his arms, waiting for Sulu's response.
"I'll take that bet," McCoy puts in. "You're good, Jim, but you're not that good."
Jim glares at him, but is quickly distracted by Scotty. "How would we know you did it though?" he asks. "We'd need proof."
The group lapses into silence as they all ponder that.
"You could take a picture of his dick," Sulu suggests. "I've always wondered what Vulcan dick looks like."
"You would," McCoy mutters under his breath.
"I dunno," Scotty puts in, "it sounds like a decent idea to me."
Jim looks round at each person in turn. Uhura looks dubious, but she isn't raising any objections. Scotty and Sulu are in favour, and McCoy just shrugs. "All right then," Jim says. "I get one of the Vulcans naked, snap a picture of his junk, and each of you owes me fifty credits." He laces his hands behind his head. "Piece of cake."
"We'll see," Sulu replies, before changing the subject. "Anyway, did any of you hear about Commander X'riti? Turns out he's pregnant."
The conversation moves on, and Jim puts all questions as to how he's going to get one of his Vulcan neighbours naked to the back of his mind. As far as he's concerned, that's tomorrow's problem.
* * *
As promised, the Vulcans come round for a visit the next afternoon. Or two of them do, at least.
Uhura and Jim are both in at the time, so they invite the two in for a drink. The Vulcans introduce themselves as Spock and Stonn, and Spock offers a box of incense sticks as a gift. From the way Uhura looks at them, Jim suspects he's going to have to fight her for them. Not that he's all that interested in incense, but it's the principle of the thing.
When they're settled in the living room with coffee (for the humans) and tea (for the Vulcans), Jim decides he might as well make a head start on charming his new neighbours.
"So, what brings you guys to Earth?" he asks.
"We are here to gain a deeper understanding of human culture and experiences, in the hope of improving relations between our planets," Spock replies. "If the experiment is successful, I believe there is a plan for a small group of humans to come to Vulcan in a reciprocal arrangement."
"It is also our intent to share information on Vulcan culture and experience," Stonn adds.
"Oh, I'd love to hear more about that," Jim says. "I've always been interested in Vulcans."
A pair of eyebrows raise, and Uhura gives him an exasperated look.
"Your interest is commendable," Spock says. "I will lend you some literature."
Jim nearly blurts out that he'd prefer a more hands on approach, but bites his tongue. These are Vulcans; his usual approach is not going to work on them. If he wants to win this bet he'll have to move slowly. Gain their trust.
"That'd be great," he says instead.
Stonn looks from him to Uhura and back. "Are the two of you romantically involved?" he asks.
"God no," Uhura snorts. "What gave you that idea?"
"On Vulcan a male and female living together would be assumed to be either bonded or family."
"Well, we're not," Jim assures him, before it occurs to him that he can spin this to his advantage. "To start with, I prefer guys." Stretching the truth just a tad, but he doubts Uhura will call him on it. "What does Vulcan culture say about that?"
Stonn stiffens, a look of disapproval crossing his face. "Humans may do what they like, but no Vulcan would form a relationship with one of their own sex. It is illogical."
Jim's eyes flick over to Spock. He doesn't say anything, but his expression isn't any more inviting than Stonn's. Jim sighs inwardly. Clearly this is going to be harder than he thought.
The Vulcans leave soon after, citing their wish to meet with other neighbours. Jim throws in an offer to call on him if they need anything, but he isn't totally confident that they'll take him up on it.
"Looks like you've got your work cut out for you," Uhura tells him with a hint of smugness.
Jim glares at her. "Oh, you just wait. I've got a lot of tricks up my sleeve."
"We'll see," she says serenely, before taking the incense and heading to her room.
Jim grits his teeth and strides towards his own room. He has a new game plan to draw up. He's going to win this thing if it's the last thing he does.
* * * * *
Spock finds himself fascinated by Earth, and humans particularly. He and the others spend their first full day after moving in introducing themselves to their neighbours, most of whom seem to welcome them. He and Stonn start on the fourth floor with the human woman Stonn encountered the day before.
Uhura and her companion Jim are slightly strange, but treat him and Stonn well. Spock finds himself discomforted by Stonn's reaction to Jim's question about homosexual relationships, but cannot articulate why. In the end he decides not to think about it.
A few days after their meeting with Jim and Uhura, they go out to explore the city. Occasionally they strike up a conversation with willing humans and discuss the differences between Vulcan and human culture, but more often they just explore and take the opportunity to learn what they can about humans and Earth in general.
On their second day of exploration Spock and Stonn have just come from the Natural History Museum and are passing a hospital when they come across a man sitting on a bench with his head in his hands. Stonn passes without a word, as if the man is below notice, but Spock stops, some urge telling him to attempt to interact with the man.
Stonn carries on a few paces before he seems to realise Spock isn't following. He turns and looks at Spock, a question in his eyes.
Spock steps forward and says in a low voice, "Do you see that man?"
Stonn's gaze flicks to the bench and back. "Indeed. What is your point?"
"He appears to be in distress," Spock says. "Should we not attempt to assist him?"
"What would we do?" Stonn asks. "He is likely suffering from some kind of human emotional imbalance and would be better assisted by one of his own kind."
Stonn does have a point, but something in Spock rebels at the idea of just leaving. "I am going to speak with him," he says.
Stonn gives him an incredulous look, but doesn't argue. Spock leaves him standing on the sidewalk while he approaches the bench.
"Excuse me?" he offers hesitantly, and the man looks up. His eyes are red, a symptom that Spock has learned means recent crying among humans, but there is no visible sign of tears.
"Yes?" the man asks. "Can I help you?"
Spock is beginning to think that Stonn may have had a point, but he's too far gone to draw back now. "I was wondering if you were in need of assistance."
"Oh," the man replies. "Thank you, but no."
Spock takes in the fact that they are currently outside of a hospital and makes an educated guess. "Did you recently receive some bad news?"
"You could say that," the man replies. He shakes his head. "Not about me, though. A friend of mine."
"I grieve with thee," Spock replies solemnly.
To his surprise, his words seem to have a positive effect. "Thank you," the man says. "What's your name?"
"Spock," Spock tells him.
"Spock," the man repeats. "No last name?"
"You could not pronounce it," Spock replies.
The man smiles faintly. "I'll take your word for it. I'm Christopher Pike." He nods at something over Spock's shoulder and Spock turns to see he's looking at Stonn. "Is that your friend?"
It is a human term, but Spock supposes it is close enough. "You could say that."
"Looks like he's waiting for you." At Spock's hesitant look, he adds, "I'll be fine. But thank you for your concern."
"You are welcome," Spock replies, the words sounding strange in his mouth. "The situation with your friend is unfortunate."
"You're telling me," Pike replies. "Nearly twenty years in Starfleet and this is how it ends."
"You are in Starfleet?" Spock asks, curious.
Pike nods. "Why, are you interested in joining up?"
Spock shakes his head, although he is not certain that is entirely the truth.
"Pity," Pike says, studying him. "You'd be a good addition." He conjures a card from somewhere in his clothing and hands it over. "Here, take this, and if you ever change your mind, look me up."
"I shall do so," Spock replies, not bothering to point out that the probability is remote.
Pike waves a hand. "Go on, go be with your friend. I should probably get going anyway."
Spock nods, then, with a last look at him, heads back over to Stonn.
"Sometimes I do not understand your choices," Stonn says when they are once again on the move. His tone is chiding and Spock suspects any explanation of his actions will only lead to further chastisement. Still, when he fingers the card in his pocket, he cannot bring himself to regret his choice.
* * *
The next day, Spock feels restless and decides to go for a walk after dinner. His companions are interested in watching a human documentary and so choose not to accompany him. It is the first time Spock has been fully alone since he left Vulcan and it is a strange, but not entirely unpleasant, experience.
He has barely left the building, however, when he is waylaid by a shout. He turns to see one of their neighbours, Jim, approaching him.
"Hey," Jim greets, when he gets close. "You're Spock, right?"
"That is correct," Spock replies. "And you are Jim."
Jim smiles. It makes his eyes light up. "You remembered!"
Spock raises an eyebrow at the illogical comment. "You were able to recall my name. I am not sure why you are so surprised at the reverse."
Jim just stares at him for a moment. "Wow." He shakes his head. "Anyway, I just wanted to say hi." He glances at the building, then back at Spock before shoving his hands in his pockets. "So, what're you doing?"
"I had intended to take a walk," Spock replies.
"Oh." Jim nods. "Okay." He glances around again. "Do you want some company?"
Spock's instinct is to say no, but he hesitates. This may be a good opportunity to learn more about human culture, and a good scientist never turns down opportunities to learn. "I am not averse," he says instead. "You may accompany me if you wish."
"Great," Jim replies. He pulls one hand out of his pocket and gestures vaguely at the sidewalk. "Let's go then."
Spock raises his eyebrow again, but obediently heads down the path to the sidewalk.
"So, did you have anywhere in mind?" Jim asks, as they make their way down the street.
Spock shakes his head. "It was my intention to explore the neighbourhood."
"Well, I can help you with that," Jim assures him.
"How long have you lived here?" Spock asks curiously.
Jim frowns. "Almost a year? I couldn't get a place in the dorms, so Uhura and I agreed to share a place off campus."
"Campus?"
Jim glances at him. "Starfleet. Didn't Uhura tell you?"
"No," Spock replies, taking a moment to assimilate this new information. It appears Starfleet is going to be the subject of the week. "Do you enjoy your time at the Academy?"
"Mostly," Jim says with a shrug. "The classes are pretty hard, but I kind of like that. First place I've ever really felt challenged, you know?"
Spock does not know. Vulcan education is set to the level of the student so as to always be challenging. Apparently human education is organised differently. He makes a mental note to perform further research into this area.
"So, is there anything you want to know about humans?" Jim asks, drawing Spock's attention back to him. At Spock's look he adds, "You said you were trying to learn more about human culture."
"Ah," Spock replies. "Yes." He searches his mind for a suitable question and decides on, "What recreational activities do you engage in?
For some reason Jim looks amused by his question. "All kinds of things. Go to bars, hang out with my friends, watch movies, play video games. Oh, and sex. That counts, right?"
Spock nearly stops in his tracks at the abrupt change in topic. Part of him marvels at the casualness of Jim's tone. No Vulcan would ever speak of sexual activity as though it were no different than watching a movie. Among his kind it is a private and intimate thing, meant only for one's bondmate. He knew on an intellectual level that intercourse is viewed with less importance among humans, likely due to their differing biology, but it is still strange to hear it for himself.
He doesn't have long to dwell on the thought, however, as Jim shoots him a sidelong glance and asks, "What about you?"
"Me?" Spock asks in confusion.
Jim looks amused again. "Yes, you. Or at least Vulcans in general. What do you do for fun?"
"Fun is a human concept," Spock replies.
Jim stares at him in disbelief. "You can't be serious." Before Spock can respond he shakes his head and adds, "Fine. What 'recreational activities' do you like? What do you do to relax?"
"I meditate," Spock tells him.
"That's it?" Jim asks, looking unimpressed.
Spock puzzles over the question for a moment, then offers, "I play the ka'athyra." At Jim's look of confusion he adds, "The Vulcan lyre."
Jim's face clears. "Oh, so you're a musician." Spock opens his mouth to say that he would not put it that way, but is stopped by Jim continuing, "I love music. I don't think I've ever heard any from Vulcan, though." He studies Spock for a moment. "Did you bring your kathira with you?"
"Ka'athyra," Spock corrects. "And no. Our baggage allowance was limited, and there were other items to pack that I judged more important." He pauses, then adds, "I was also concerned that it would become damaged during the voyage."
Jim nods. "Yeah, I could see that. It's a pity, though. I would've liked to hear you play." He grins suddenly.
The grin gives Spock a strange feeling in his chest, and he looks away. Looking around at the scenery, it occurs to him that he is not exactly achieving his purpose of getting to know the neighbourhood. He has been so focused on his conversation with Jim that he could not even reliably recount the path they have taken to get here.
Jim catches him looking around and stops. "You want to go back?"
Spock checks the time. It is later than he thought, and the others will likely be finishing their documentary by now. "I believe that would be a good idea," he says.
"Okay," Jim says amiably, and turns back the way they came. "If you want, we can take a different route back and I can show you around a bit more."
Spock considers it for a moment. The others will not expect him back straight away. He has time for a slight detour. "That would be acceptable," he agrees.
"Great, "Jim replies. "Follow me."
* * *
By the time they get back to the apartment building, Jim and Spock have travelled around most of the neighbourhood, and Spock has learned many potentially useful things about human culture and interaction.
"Your assistance was appreciated," Spock tells Jim as they reach his apartment.
Jim grins, shoving his hands in his pockets. "No problem." He glances upwards, then adds, "Do you want to come up for a drink or something?"
Spock shakes his head. "My companions will be expecting me."
Jim nods. "Oh, okay. Maybe another time?" He looks hopeful.
"Perhaps," Spock allows. His time with Jim has proved to be enlightening, and he does not see any harm in continuing their acquaintance.
Jim's grin returns full force. "Great." Swiftly, before Spock can react, he reaches out a hand and slaps Spock's shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" he asks, then the hand is gone and he is heading for the elevator.
Spock stares after him. Jim's last words were phrased as a question, but he did not wait to hear the answer. Curious. Clearly there are aspects of human conversation he has yet to master.
With a mental shake, he turns and enters the apartment.
* * * * *
Jim runs into Spock once or twice over the next few days, but it's always when one or the other of them is too busy to do more than say hi. Occasionally he also catches sight of one of the other Vulcans, but they're much less sociable than Spock, acknowledging his greetings with a raised eyebrow or toneless response.
Jim decides to keep trying - he always has liked a challenge - but it's becoming clear to him that his best shot at winning the bet will be to focus on Spock.
On the day he gets his Warp Field Mechanics test back - a 92, not too shabby - he heads over to the library and begins research into 'Things Vulcans Like'.
Several hours later he comes up for air having learned little of use. Vulcans don't seem to 'like' anything, except maybe logic. Spock mentioned music, but even that seems to be mostly a matter of skill and mathematics rather than fun.
With a sigh, he packs up his things and heads home. He may have hit a brick wall with this idea, but he isn't about to give up. He'll just have to come up with a different plan.
* * *
As it happens, his next chance to get closer to Spock comes entirely by accident. He's up on the roof, lying on his back on a blanket as he waits for a promised meteor shower to start, when he hears the elevator door slide open.
He sits up and looks over in time to see Spock step out onto the roof. Spock catches sight of him and stops, then comes over to him, looking slightly awkward. "I hope I am not intruding," he says, stopping at the edge of Jim's blanket. "I did not expect anyone else to be up here."
Jim shakes his head. "Don't worry about it. It's a free roof after all."
Spock's eyebrows bunch together in puzzlement at his words, and Jim has to hide a smile. It's strangely adorable.
"I was planning on watching the meteor shower," Jim says. "It's supposed to start any minute now."
"Indeed," Spock replies, sounding slightly surprised. "That is why I came up here too."
This time Jim doesn't bother hiding his grin. "Guess we can watch it together then," he says.
He shifts over on the blanket and gestures to Spock to sit down. "Come on," he prods, when Spock hesitates. "You can't be planning to stand the entire time?"
From the look Spock gives him Jim suspects that was exactly what he was planning, but he seems to yield to the argument and sits. Jim grins at him before flopping onto his back.
There is silence for a moment as they both contemplate the sky. But Jim has never really been one for silence, and it isn't long before he speaks again. "You know," he begins, "when I asked you what Vulcans do for fun you didn't say anything about stargazing."
"That would be because it is not for fun," Spock replies, a little primly. "It is an intellectual exercise."
That's kind of sad, if it's true, but there's something in Spock's tone that makes Jim wonder. Drawing on his instincts, he decides to play a hunch. "You don't believe that."
"I was not aware clairvoyance was a human ability," Spock replies with a hint of sarcasm, and Jim nearly laughs. This is a side of Spock he could get to like.
"No, but seriously," he continues. "If you just wanted to learn about stars, meteors, whatever, you could look at a computer file. Coming up here in the cold so you can see them with your naked eyes is a whole different thing that has nothing to do with any 'intellectual exercise'."
Spock pulls his knees up to his chest and wraps his arms around them, staring up at the sky. "They look different from Earth," he says.
It's a blatant attempt to change the subject, but Jim decides not to call him on it. He still thinks he's right about Spock's motives, though.
"How so?" he asks instead.
Spock frowns slightly, as if thinking. "The atmosphere is different here. Thicker. And there is far more light pollution."
Jim shrugs. "That's the city. You go out into the sticks, away from civilisation, and you can see pretty much everything." He remembers back in Riverside, lying out in the fields with Sam when they were little. Before he left.
"Indeed?" Spock replies. "I shall keep that in mind."
Jim glances up at the sky again. "Can you see Vulcan's star from here?" he asks.
He sees Spock nod out of the corner of his eye and turns to look at him as he raises an arm to the sky and points. "It is that one there," Spock says.
Jim shifts closer and tries to follow where he's pointing. "I think I see it," he says. "I guess it must be weird for you; to have it look like just another star."
"Mildly," Spock admits. "When I was very young my mother pointed out Sol to me in the sky, and I was… stunned at how small it seemed. Now my own sun is just as small."
There's something in his tone that Jim can't quite identify, almost a longing. Jim goes to lay a hand on his arm, but takes it away when Spock stiffens. Before they can say more, the first meteors begin streaking across the sky. With a sigh, Jim lies back on his blanket and settles in to watch.
No matter how many showers like this he watches, he doesn't think he'll ever get used to them. It's things like this that made him want to join Starfleet, even way back before he ever believed he would. He glances over at Spock and is gratified to find him staring at the sky with the same sense of wonder.
At some point during their sky-watching party, Spock slips down until he is lying next to Jim. Jim suspects he was developing a crick in his neck or something, but doesn't comment. They lie there, less than an arm's length apart, silently watching the sky, for what seems like hours.
They don't touch, barely speak, but it's still one of the best nights Jim has ever had.
* * *
The next day, Jim is half-heartedly working on an essay for his Ethics class (sometimes being a command track student really sucks) when the door chimes. Glad for a chance to take a break, he tosses down his PADD and stretches before heading for the door.
It turns out to be Spock. Jim just stares at him for a moment, then his brain kicks in and he smiles broadly. "Spock! What brings you to my neck of the woods?"
Spock's eyebrows bunch in confusion at his words. "Your neck of the woods?"
Jim laughs. "I meant, what are you doing here?"
"Ah," Spock replies, looking as though he's filing the explanation away for further reference. "I would like to visit the ocean."
"Okay…" Jim replies slowly. "And?"
Spock clasps his hands behind his back. "I wondered if you would accompany me."
Jim takes a second to process that, then springs into action. "Yes! Sure! Just give me a second to grab my stuff."
He shoves a credit chip into the back pocket of his jeans, pulls on his jacket, and grabs his communicator. Then he joins Spock outside the apartment, locking the door behind him. "Lead on," he says.
Spock raises an eyebrow, but does so.
* * *
Some time later, they're leaning against a handrail, staring out at the water. "It is so big," Spock murmurs. "On Vulcan a body of water is considered large if you cannot easily see the other side. The idea that it could cover almost half the world is difficult to believe."
"I know what you mean," Jim says. He shrugs as Spock turns to look at him. "Maybe not exactly, but I grew up in Iowa, a thousand miles from any ocean. It seemed pretty unbelievable to me too, until I saw it." He smiles a little, shrugging. "I never was one to take things on faith."
"Is that the reason you chose to join Starfleet?" Spock asks.
Jim chews on his bottom lip, wondering how much to tell him. "A little, yeah. After what happened to my dad I thought I'd never join up, but I don't regret it. It feels right, you know?"
"Your father was in Starfleet?"
Jim blinks at him. It's kind of refreshing to meet someone who doesn't know his history. "Yeah. George Kirk, of the Kelvin."
He can see Spock's eyes widen as he makes the connection. "Ah," he says, then, tentatively, "I meant no offence."
"It's okay," Jim says. "It's not like I ever really knew him." All he's ever had are stories and pictures and other people's grief.
They lapse into silence, and Jim decides a change of subject is in order. "So, tell me about Vulcan. If I'm going to teach you all about Earth, I think I should get to learn some stuff too."
Spock's brow furrows. "I am not sure where to begin," he admits.
Jim leans against the handrail and crosses his arms. "How about with you? We've been spending all this time together and I hardly know anything about you."
"There is not much to tell," Spock replies. "I grew up in ShiKahr, the capital, and attended the customary schooling there. When I had completed my studies I applied for a place at the Vulcan Science Academy and was accepted. I will begin my position there as soon as I return."
Jim frowns. Leave it to a Vulcan to tell their entire life story in less than thirty seconds and leave out all the interesting stuff. But before he can explain that that wasn't what he meant, it starts to rain. Heavily.
Jim swears and grabs Spock's wrist. "Come on," he says, and together they run for cover.
They take shelter under an awning, looking out at the rain. "I think it's just a shower," Jim says, studying the sky. "We can wait here until it stops."
Spock makes a small noise that might be an agreement. His hair is plastered to his head, and his arms are crossed over his chest as if he's cold. Jim doesn't think he's ever seen a Vulcan look so obviously miserable before.
"I guess it doesn't rain a lot on Vulcan," he says.
"Almost never," Spock agrees. "It is also… considerably warmer."
Jim studies him for a moment, thinking. "Why'd you come here?" he asks softly. "It's so different from everything you knew."
For once Spock doesn't pretend to misunderstand. "I was curious," he says. "I wished to learn more about Earth and humanity than could be gained from a textbook. And…" He trails off, looking suddenly wary.
"And… what?" Jim asks.
Spock turns away, looking out at the rain. "I hoped to learn more about myself."
"Yourself?"
Spock nods. His next words are halting, uncertain. "I am… half human."
Of all the things he expected Spock to say, that wasn't one of them. "Seriously?"
Spock's back stiffens. "Vulcans do not lie."
Jim considers pointing out that he just said he was only half Vulcan, but decides against it. "I didn't mean I thought you were lying," he says instead. "I was just surprised." He studies Spock again, looking for clues, and can't find any. As far as Jim can tell he looks just like any other Vulcan. "So, your… mom's human?" he asks, taking a guess.
Spock nods.
"And your dad's a Vulcan."
Spock gives him a faintly disbelieving look. "Obviously."
"Huh," Jim says intelligently. "That's cool. How'd they meet?"
"My mother was a teacher in San Francisco. She was accompanying her class to a museum when they ran into my father. Literally, for one child. My father was… not pleased by this turn of events, but he was intrigued enough by my mother's apologies and explanations to offer to accompany the class around the museum. By the end of the day he had become quite attached. My mother likes to say it was love at first sight, but I assume that to be an exaggeration."
"Sounds like a good story," Jim says.
"Indeed," Spock replies. He gestures out at the weather and adds, "I believe the rain is stopping."
Jim turns to look. "I think you're right," he says. "Do you want to head back?"
Spock gives a sharp nod. "I would like to get out of these clothes." He waves a damp sleeve in emphasis.
Several double entendres leap to Jim's mind, but he manages to fight them back. "Come on then," he says, and steps out from under the awning. Spock follows, and together they begin making their way back to the apartment block, hurrying to avoid the rain.
Next
Pairing: Kirk/Spock
Rating: PG-13
Summary: When a group of Vulcans on a cultural exchange move in downstairs, Jim's friends bet him he can't seduce one of them. The last thing Jim expects is to fall in love, but Vulcan culture is strict, and he and Spock will have to battle many trials before they can reach their happy ending. Based on the film Latter Days.
Words: ~7400/24000
Warnings: Mention of past child abuse, past minor character death, homophobia, parental disapproval, attempted suicide
Notes: Written for startrekbigbang, art by knowmefirst is here, fanmix by ecto_gammat is here. Thanks to museaway for the beta.
Spock stares down at the planet as the shuttle approaches, watching the buildings of San Francisco come into view. This is his fourth trip to Earth, and the first without his parents. Part of him is glad to be away from his father and his constant unvoiced disappointment, but part of him is nervous at the idea of being on his own for the first time.
With a shake of his head, he banishes the thought. He is not truly alone; he is with Stonn and the others, after all, and he sincerely doubts any of them are experiencing anxiety. Or any other emotion for that matter.
As if picking up on his thoughts, Stonn speaks. "It is very wet, this Earth."
Spock turns to see him staring out of the window, his gaze fixed on the Pacific Ocean in the distance.
"Indeed," Spock replies. "Water covers approximately seventy point eight percent of the planet's surface."
"I have heard it even falls from the sky," Sylat puts in with something approaching disgust. "I do not wish to experience such an occurrence." Beside him, Sorvan nods in agreement.
"They call it rain," Spock tells them. He has experienced it only once, a long time ago. It was his first trip to Earth at the age of six, and he was reading in the garden at the Embassy when it began to rain. The idea of water falling out of the sky was so unbelievable that he just stood there for long minutes, getting wetter and wetter. By the time his mother found him he was soaked through and his reading PADD was ruined.
Despite all of that, though, it is a pleasant memory. It was the first time he fully understood how different other worlds could be.
The pilot's voice comes over the intercom. "Please fasten your belts and prepare for landing."
The group of Vulcans cease talking and turn to face forward. They are not the only passengers on this shuttle; aside from the four of them there are eleven humans and one Andorian, all making the transfer from Lunaport.
The shuttle touches down safely, and its passengers go about the process of gathering their things and disembarking into the terminal.
Spock retrieves his bag from under the seat and follows Stonn out of the exit. He takes a deep breath as he steps out of the shuttle. He has been many places in his twenty-one years of life, but he has never found anywhere quite like Earth.
His lips twitch upwards slightly as he realises his nerves are gone. He feels almost… excited. This is what he has been waiting for, after all. A chance to interact fully with the humans, without being judged, and perhaps even learn a few things from them, all under the guise of cultural exchange.
He knows his companions are less optimistic about the idea, but right now Spock doesn't care. He has two months to learn everything he can about humans, and he plans to make every second count.
* * * * *
Jim lies back on the couch, letting his arm drop to his side. Officially he's supposed to be studying for a test in Warp Field Mechanics tomorrow, but since he knows from experience that he can get at least an 80 just by showing up, he's not too motivated. No, what he's actually doing right now is considering whether it's worthwhile getting changed and going out. He hasn't had sex in over a week, and he's getting antsy.
The door chimes at that moment, and Jim raises his head. It chimes again, and he rises from the couch and shuffles over to it, wondering who it could be.
The man on the other side is vaguely familiar - tall, well dressed, with pale skin and dark brown hair. "Uh," he says, blinking at Jim. "I'm looking for Nyota Uhura?"
"I'm her roommate," Jim replies. "She's not in right now, though."
"Damn," the guy says. "Do you know when she'll be back?"
Jim shrugs. "All she said was she was going out with friends."
"Damn," the guy says again. He runs a hand through his hair, and Jim follows it with his eyes, considering. The guy's pretty attractive, and he's right here…
"You can come in and wait if you want," he suggests idly.
The guy looks up. "Really?"
"Sure." Jim flashes him a smile. "I don't mind." He waves a hand behind him at the apartment.
The guy glances over his shoulder, then steps past Jim into the apartment.
"Make yourself comfortable," Jim says, as he shuts the door behind them.
The guy sits down on the couch, and Jim sits beside him, a little closer than would normally be comfortable.
"So," he says. "I know you came here for Uhura, but the way I see it, there's no reason you and I can't have some fun in the meantime." Grinning, he gives the guy a blatant up and down look, and a wink.
It isn't long before they're in bed, clothes strewn about and hands roaming. In the end, the guy decides not to wait for Uhura, and Jim goes back to lazing on the couch with a grin.
He loves his life.
* * *
Jim is awoken the next morning by a cushion landing on his head. He pulls it off and sits up, blinking in the light from the doorway. Slowly the world comes into focus and he sees Uhura standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips.
"You," she says, eyes narrowing.
Jim pulls the covers closer and tries to look innocent. "What did I do?"
Uhura marches over and grabs the cushion, drawing back as if she's about to hit him with it. Jim ducks.
"You fucked my ex-boyfriend."
Jim blinks at her. "Amos?" He doesn't remember that.
She waves the cushion at him in frustration. "Not Amos. Do you listen to anything I say?" Before Jim can answer, she continues, "I meant Nick."
Now Jim does remember. "Oh, you mean the guy last night?" he asks. "I thought he looked familiar."
Uhura stares at him in disbelief. "You mean you fucked my ex-boyfriend and didn't even notice?"
"Hey, it's not like I asked for his name."
That earns him a cushion to the face, but in his opinion it was totally worth it. Despite her actions, he can tell Uhura isn't really angry with him. When she's pissed off she does things like dismantle the snooze button on his alarm clock or change all his music to Tellarite opera. Cushion assault is just how they communicate.
"All right," he says, holding his hands up in surrender. "I'm sorry. I won't do it again."
"Yes, you will," Uhura mutters, but there's a faint smile around her mouth as she rolls her eyes.
"Yeah, probably," Jim admits with a shrug.
Uhura gives him one last whack with the cushion, then tucks it under one arm. "So how was it?" she asks, raising her eyebrows.
Jim considers it, then makes a so-so gesture. "Six out of ten."
"Huh," Uhura replies. "I would've given him five." At Jim's look she smirks and adds, "Why d'you think I broke up with him?"
With a wink, she turns to leave. She pauses at the door and turns back long enough to add, "Don't forget we're meeting at Scotty's place tonight for his birthday dinner."
"I know, I'll be there," Jim assures her. Scotty throws the best parties, full of mayhem and every type of alcohol he can think of, but currently his sister is visiting, along with his three-year-old nephew, so the plan is a little more sedate. Jim's still looking forward to it, though.
He showers and dresses, then makes his way into the kitchen to find Uhura staring out of the window, holding a mug. "What's up?"
She glances at him, then turns back to the window. "Looks like we're getting some new neighbours."
"Really?" Jim hurries across to look. Sure enough, there's a group of four guys systematically lugging giant bags from the street into the building. "Huh. I wonder if they're taking the Hendersons' place."
The Hendersons were an elderly couple who lived on the first floor until they moved out a few months ago to go live nearer to their grandchildren. Their apartment has been empty since then, and Jim was beginning to think it would stay that way.
"Probably," Uhura replies. She drains the last of her coffee and smoothes down her uniform. "I have to go. I promised Ling I'd look over her Andorian essay before class."
"Okay," Jim says, still watching the guys moving around several floors below. "See you tonight."
He hovers there for a long moment after he hears the door shut, wondering about the new neighbours. Just as he's about to turn away, one of them looks up suddenly, and even though he's four floors up Jim swears their eyes meet. Then the guy turns away and the moment is gone.
Jim watches for a few seconds longer, then begins making himself some breakfast. For some reason he feels oddly unsettled by the situation, and he can't figure out why.
* * *
As he expected, Jim breezes through his test, and through the rest of his classes that day. He logs a few hours in the computer lab working on his programming project, then heads home to change before setting out for Scotty's.
He arrives to find most of his friends have beaten him to it, including Uhura who is sitting on the couch deep in conversation with Scotty's sister. The three-year-old nephew is lying on the floor next to them colouring.
Jim makes a beeline for the kitchen and finds Scotty cursing at the oven. "I don't think this thing is hot enough," Scotty complains.
Jim shrugs, hopping up onto a counter. "You're an engineer. Why can't you fix it?"
Scotty glares at him. "I work with warp cores and transporters, not ovens. It's nae the same thing and you know it."
"Yeah," Jim agrees. "I just like seeing that look on your face." He digs a small package out of his pocket and tosses it in his direction. "Happy birthday, by the way."
Scotty tears off the paper to reveal a computer tape. Jim watches as he reads the label, then looks up wide eyed. "Blueprints to the Enterprise? How'd you get these?"
Jim shrugs, grinning. "I have my ways."
Scotty grins back. "Well, thanks, Jim! This is brilliant."
McCoy walks in at that moment. "I'm going to give you a little tip, Scotty," he says, "The words 'Jim' and 'brilliant' should never be that close together."
"You act grumpy, but you're not fooling anyone," Jim tells him, still grinning. "They all know you love me."
McCoy rolls his eyes. "That's just the Stockholm Syndrome kicking in." He digs in the bag he's holding and hands over a large wrapped package. "Happy birthday."
Scotty unwraps this one to find a large bottle of scotch. "Och, Leonard, you shouldn't have."
"Then I'll take it back," McCoy jokes, reaching out.
Scotty wraps his arms around the bottle protectively. "You'll do nothing of the sort." He strokes the glass gently, then says, "I'll just put 'er with the others," and disappears into the pantry.
Sulu is the last to arrive, gifting Scotty with a large flowery plant. According to him, it's a new breed, specially cultivated. Jim doesn't know much about plants - except corn, because even he couldn't grow up in Iowa without learning a shitload of boring facts about that - but it looks pretty, and Scotty seems to like it. His nephew likes it more, stroking its leaves and chattering to it excitedly.
It occurs to Jim that he has no idea what present Uhura brought, and a quick discussion with Scotty reveals it's a scarf. One which she knitted herself, judging from the state of it. "Wow, dude," Jim says, vaguely impressed. "She must really like you. For my last birthday she gave me a tape of Megazoid ritual chanting." It's actually oddly hypnotic. Jim sometimes uses it as a sleep aid, but he'd never tell Uhura that.
Scotty goes a little red, but he doesn't say anything.
Despite Scotty's arguments with the oven, the meal is excellent. Scotty's nephew goes to bed right afterwards, and his sister retreats not long after, probably to enjoy some time to herself. By mutual agreement the five friends move to the living room to talk, and drink.
"Did Jim tell you about our new neighbours?" Uhura asks, before taking a sip from her glass of wine.
There's a chorus of 'no's and she smiles. "A bunch of guys moved into apartment 103 this morning. Jim and I saw them out the window." She glances over at Jim, as if looking for confirmation. He nods, and she continues, "Anyway, I went home this afternoon to get changed, and ran into a couple of them. And you'll never guess what?" She pauses, soaking up the attention.
"What?" Sulu asks obediently.
Uhura leans forward like she's imparting a secret. "They're Vulcans."
"No way," Jim blurts. "Why the hell would Vulcans be moving into our building?"
"Apparently they're on some kind of cultural exchange trip," Uhura answers. "They were pretty busy so we could only talk for a minute or two, but they said they might stop by sometime tomorrow to meet us properly."
There's silence for a moment after she finishes speaking.
McCoy is the first one to break it. "Well, this should be interesting," he says. "I don't know who to feel sorrier for, Jim or the Vulcans."
Jim rolls his eyes. "Shut up. I'll have them eating out of my hand, just you wait and see."
Uhura gives a snort of laughter. "I don't think your usual approach is going to work here, Jim."
Sulu grins. "Yep. No way in hell you can charm a Vulcan into bed."
That sounds like a challenge, and Jim has never backed down from a challenge in his life. "You wanna bet?" he asks.
Sulu stares at him. "Seriously?"
Jim nods firmly. "Yeah. I bet you fifty credits I can get one of them into bed." He leans back in his seat and crosses his arms, waiting for Sulu's response.
"I'll take that bet," McCoy puts in. "You're good, Jim, but you're not that good."
Jim glares at him, but is quickly distracted by Scotty. "How would we know you did it though?" he asks. "We'd need proof."
The group lapses into silence as they all ponder that.
"You could take a picture of his dick," Sulu suggests. "I've always wondered what Vulcan dick looks like."
"You would," McCoy mutters under his breath.
"I dunno," Scotty puts in, "it sounds like a decent idea to me."
Jim looks round at each person in turn. Uhura looks dubious, but she isn't raising any objections. Scotty and Sulu are in favour, and McCoy just shrugs. "All right then," Jim says. "I get one of the Vulcans naked, snap a picture of his junk, and each of you owes me fifty credits." He laces his hands behind his head. "Piece of cake."
"We'll see," Sulu replies, before changing the subject. "Anyway, did any of you hear about Commander X'riti? Turns out he's pregnant."
The conversation moves on, and Jim puts all questions as to how he's going to get one of his Vulcan neighbours naked to the back of his mind. As far as he's concerned, that's tomorrow's problem.
* * *
As promised, the Vulcans come round for a visit the next afternoon. Or two of them do, at least.
Uhura and Jim are both in at the time, so they invite the two in for a drink. The Vulcans introduce themselves as Spock and Stonn, and Spock offers a box of incense sticks as a gift. From the way Uhura looks at them, Jim suspects he's going to have to fight her for them. Not that he's all that interested in incense, but it's the principle of the thing.
When they're settled in the living room with coffee (for the humans) and tea (for the Vulcans), Jim decides he might as well make a head start on charming his new neighbours.
"So, what brings you guys to Earth?" he asks.
"We are here to gain a deeper understanding of human culture and experiences, in the hope of improving relations between our planets," Spock replies. "If the experiment is successful, I believe there is a plan for a small group of humans to come to Vulcan in a reciprocal arrangement."
"It is also our intent to share information on Vulcan culture and experience," Stonn adds.
"Oh, I'd love to hear more about that," Jim says. "I've always been interested in Vulcans."
A pair of eyebrows raise, and Uhura gives him an exasperated look.
"Your interest is commendable," Spock says. "I will lend you some literature."
Jim nearly blurts out that he'd prefer a more hands on approach, but bites his tongue. These are Vulcans; his usual approach is not going to work on them. If he wants to win this bet he'll have to move slowly. Gain their trust.
"That'd be great," he says instead.
Stonn looks from him to Uhura and back. "Are the two of you romantically involved?" he asks.
"God no," Uhura snorts. "What gave you that idea?"
"On Vulcan a male and female living together would be assumed to be either bonded or family."
"Well, we're not," Jim assures him, before it occurs to him that he can spin this to his advantage. "To start with, I prefer guys." Stretching the truth just a tad, but he doubts Uhura will call him on it. "What does Vulcan culture say about that?"
Stonn stiffens, a look of disapproval crossing his face. "Humans may do what they like, but no Vulcan would form a relationship with one of their own sex. It is illogical."
Jim's eyes flick over to Spock. He doesn't say anything, but his expression isn't any more inviting than Stonn's. Jim sighs inwardly. Clearly this is going to be harder than he thought.
The Vulcans leave soon after, citing their wish to meet with other neighbours. Jim throws in an offer to call on him if they need anything, but he isn't totally confident that they'll take him up on it.
"Looks like you've got your work cut out for you," Uhura tells him with a hint of smugness.
Jim glares at her. "Oh, you just wait. I've got a lot of tricks up my sleeve."
"We'll see," she says serenely, before taking the incense and heading to her room.
Jim grits his teeth and strides towards his own room. He has a new game plan to draw up. He's going to win this thing if it's the last thing he does.
* * * * *
Spock finds himself fascinated by Earth, and humans particularly. He and the others spend their first full day after moving in introducing themselves to their neighbours, most of whom seem to welcome them. He and Stonn start on the fourth floor with the human woman Stonn encountered the day before.
Uhura and her companion Jim are slightly strange, but treat him and Stonn well. Spock finds himself discomforted by Stonn's reaction to Jim's question about homosexual relationships, but cannot articulate why. In the end he decides not to think about it.
A few days after their meeting with Jim and Uhura, they go out to explore the city. Occasionally they strike up a conversation with willing humans and discuss the differences between Vulcan and human culture, but more often they just explore and take the opportunity to learn what they can about humans and Earth in general.
On their second day of exploration Spock and Stonn have just come from the Natural History Museum and are passing a hospital when they come across a man sitting on a bench with his head in his hands. Stonn passes without a word, as if the man is below notice, but Spock stops, some urge telling him to attempt to interact with the man.
Stonn carries on a few paces before he seems to realise Spock isn't following. He turns and looks at Spock, a question in his eyes.
Spock steps forward and says in a low voice, "Do you see that man?"
Stonn's gaze flicks to the bench and back. "Indeed. What is your point?"
"He appears to be in distress," Spock says. "Should we not attempt to assist him?"
"What would we do?" Stonn asks. "He is likely suffering from some kind of human emotional imbalance and would be better assisted by one of his own kind."
Stonn does have a point, but something in Spock rebels at the idea of just leaving. "I am going to speak with him," he says.
Stonn gives him an incredulous look, but doesn't argue. Spock leaves him standing on the sidewalk while he approaches the bench.
"Excuse me?" he offers hesitantly, and the man looks up. His eyes are red, a symptom that Spock has learned means recent crying among humans, but there is no visible sign of tears.
"Yes?" the man asks. "Can I help you?"
Spock is beginning to think that Stonn may have had a point, but he's too far gone to draw back now. "I was wondering if you were in need of assistance."
"Oh," the man replies. "Thank you, but no."
Spock takes in the fact that they are currently outside of a hospital and makes an educated guess. "Did you recently receive some bad news?"
"You could say that," the man replies. He shakes his head. "Not about me, though. A friend of mine."
"I grieve with thee," Spock replies solemnly.
To his surprise, his words seem to have a positive effect. "Thank you," the man says. "What's your name?"
"Spock," Spock tells him.
"Spock," the man repeats. "No last name?"
"You could not pronounce it," Spock replies.
The man smiles faintly. "I'll take your word for it. I'm Christopher Pike." He nods at something over Spock's shoulder and Spock turns to see he's looking at Stonn. "Is that your friend?"
It is a human term, but Spock supposes it is close enough. "You could say that."
"Looks like he's waiting for you." At Spock's hesitant look, he adds, "I'll be fine. But thank you for your concern."
"You are welcome," Spock replies, the words sounding strange in his mouth. "The situation with your friend is unfortunate."
"You're telling me," Pike replies. "Nearly twenty years in Starfleet and this is how it ends."
"You are in Starfleet?" Spock asks, curious.
Pike nods. "Why, are you interested in joining up?"
Spock shakes his head, although he is not certain that is entirely the truth.
"Pity," Pike says, studying him. "You'd be a good addition." He conjures a card from somewhere in his clothing and hands it over. "Here, take this, and if you ever change your mind, look me up."
"I shall do so," Spock replies, not bothering to point out that the probability is remote.
Pike waves a hand. "Go on, go be with your friend. I should probably get going anyway."
Spock nods, then, with a last look at him, heads back over to Stonn.
"Sometimes I do not understand your choices," Stonn says when they are once again on the move. His tone is chiding and Spock suspects any explanation of his actions will only lead to further chastisement. Still, when he fingers the card in his pocket, he cannot bring himself to regret his choice.
* * *
The next day, Spock feels restless and decides to go for a walk after dinner. His companions are interested in watching a human documentary and so choose not to accompany him. It is the first time Spock has been fully alone since he left Vulcan and it is a strange, but not entirely unpleasant, experience.
He has barely left the building, however, when he is waylaid by a shout. He turns to see one of their neighbours, Jim, approaching him.
"Hey," Jim greets, when he gets close. "You're Spock, right?"
"That is correct," Spock replies. "And you are Jim."
Jim smiles. It makes his eyes light up. "You remembered!"
Spock raises an eyebrow at the illogical comment. "You were able to recall my name. I am not sure why you are so surprised at the reverse."
Jim just stares at him for a moment. "Wow." He shakes his head. "Anyway, I just wanted to say hi." He glances at the building, then back at Spock before shoving his hands in his pockets. "So, what're you doing?"
"I had intended to take a walk," Spock replies.
"Oh." Jim nods. "Okay." He glances around again. "Do you want some company?"
Spock's instinct is to say no, but he hesitates. This may be a good opportunity to learn more about human culture, and a good scientist never turns down opportunities to learn. "I am not averse," he says instead. "You may accompany me if you wish."
"Great," Jim replies. He pulls one hand out of his pocket and gestures vaguely at the sidewalk. "Let's go then."
Spock raises his eyebrow again, but obediently heads down the path to the sidewalk.
"So, did you have anywhere in mind?" Jim asks, as they make their way down the street.
Spock shakes his head. "It was my intention to explore the neighbourhood."
"Well, I can help you with that," Jim assures him.
"How long have you lived here?" Spock asks curiously.
Jim frowns. "Almost a year? I couldn't get a place in the dorms, so Uhura and I agreed to share a place off campus."
"Campus?"
Jim glances at him. "Starfleet. Didn't Uhura tell you?"
"No," Spock replies, taking a moment to assimilate this new information. It appears Starfleet is going to be the subject of the week. "Do you enjoy your time at the Academy?"
"Mostly," Jim says with a shrug. "The classes are pretty hard, but I kind of like that. First place I've ever really felt challenged, you know?"
Spock does not know. Vulcan education is set to the level of the student so as to always be challenging. Apparently human education is organised differently. He makes a mental note to perform further research into this area.
"So, is there anything you want to know about humans?" Jim asks, drawing Spock's attention back to him. At Spock's look he adds, "You said you were trying to learn more about human culture."
"Ah," Spock replies. "Yes." He searches his mind for a suitable question and decides on, "What recreational activities do you engage in?
For some reason Jim looks amused by his question. "All kinds of things. Go to bars, hang out with my friends, watch movies, play video games. Oh, and sex. That counts, right?"
Spock nearly stops in his tracks at the abrupt change in topic. Part of him marvels at the casualness of Jim's tone. No Vulcan would ever speak of sexual activity as though it were no different than watching a movie. Among his kind it is a private and intimate thing, meant only for one's bondmate. He knew on an intellectual level that intercourse is viewed with less importance among humans, likely due to their differing biology, but it is still strange to hear it for himself.
He doesn't have long to dwell on the thought, however, as Jim shoots him a sidelong glance and asks, "What about you?"
"Me?" Spock asks in confusion.
Jim looks amused again. "Yes, you. Or at least Vulcans in general. What do you do for fun?"
"Fun is a human concept," Spock replies.
Jim stares at him in disbelief. "You can't be serious." Before Spock can respond he shakes his head and adds, "Fine. What 'recreational activities' do you like? What do you do to relax?"
"I meditate," Spock tells him.
"That's it?" Jim asks, looking unimpressed.
Spock puzzles over the question for a moment, then offers, "I play the ka'athyra." At Jim's look of confusion he adds, "The Vulcan lyre."
Jim's face clears. "Oh, so you're a musician." Spock opens his mouth to say that he would not put it that way, but is stopped by Jim continuing, "I love music. I don't think I've ever heard any from Vulcan, though." He studies Spock for a moment. "Did you bring your kathira with you?"
"Ka'athyra," Spock corrects. "And no. Our baggage allowance was limited, and there were other items to pack that I judged more important." He pauses, then adds, "I was also concerned that it would become damaged during the voyage."
Jim nods. "Yeah, I could see that. It's a pity, though. I would've liked to hear you play." He grins suddenly.
The grin gives Spock a strange feeling in his chest, and he looks away. Looking around at the scenery, it occurs to him that he is not exactly achieving his purpose of getting to know the neighbourhood. He has been so focused on his conversation with Jim that he could not even reliably recount the path they have taken to get here.
Jim catches him looking around and stops. "You want to go back?"
Spock checks the time. It is later than he thought, and the others will likely be finishing their documentary by now. "I believe that would be a good idea," he says.
"Okay," Jim says amiably, and turns back the way they came. "If you want, we can take a different route back and I can show you around a bit more."
Spock considers it for a moment. The others will not expect him back straight away. He has time for a slight detour. "That would be acceptable," he agrees.
"Great, "Jim replies. "Follow me."
* * *
By the time they get back to the apartment building, Jim and Spock have travelled around most of the neighbourhood, and Spock has learned many potentially useful things about human culture and interaction.
"Your assistance was appreciated," Spock tells Jim as they reach his apartment.
Jim grins, shoving his hands in his pockets. "No problem." He glances upwards, then adds, "Do you want to come up for a drink or something?"
Spock shakes his head. "My companions will be expecting me."
Jim nods. "Oh, okay. Maybe another time?" He looks hopeful.
"Perhaps," Spock allows. His time with Jim has proved to be enlightening, and he does not see any harm in continuing their acquaintance.
Jim's grin returns full force. "Great." Swiftly, before Spock can react, he reaches out a hand and slaps Spock's shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" he asks, then the hand is gone and he is heading for the elevator.
Spock stares after him. Jim's last words were phrased as a question, but he did not wait to hear the answer. Curious. Clearly there are aspects of human conversation he has yet to master.
With a mental shake, he turns and enters the apartment.
* * * * *
Jim runs into Spock once or twice over the next few days, but it's always when one or the other of them is too busy to do more than say hi. Occasionally he also catches sight of one of the other Vulcans, but they're much less sociable than Spock, acknowledging his greetings with a raised eyebrow or toneless response.
Jim decides to keep trying - he always has liked a challenge - but it's becoming clear to him that his best shot at winning the bet will be to focus on Spock.
On the day he gets his Warp Field Mechanics test back - a 92, not too shabby - he heads over to the library and begins research into 'Things Vulcans Like'.
Several hours later he comes up for air having learned little of use. Vulcans don't seem to 'like' anything, except maybe logic. Spock mentioned music, but even that seems to be mostly a matter of skill and mathematics rather than fun.
With a sigh, he packs up his things and heads home. He may have hit a brick wall with this idea, but he isn't about to give up. He'll just have to come up with a different plan.
* * *
As it happens, his next chance to get closer to Spock comes entirely by accident. He's up on the roof, lying on his back on a blanket as he waits for a promised meteor shower to start, when he hears the elevator door slide open.
He sits up and looks over in time to see Spock step out onto the roof. Spock catches sight of him and stops, then comes over to him, looking slightly awkward. "I hope I am not intruding," he says, stopping at the edge of Jim's blanket. "I did not expect anyone else to be up here."
Jim shakes his head. "Don't worry about it. It's a free roof after all."
Spock's eyebrows bunch together in puzzlement at his words, and Jim has to hide a smile. It's strangely adorable.
"I was planning on watching the meteor shower," Jim says. "It's supposed to start any minute now."
"Indeed," Spock replies, sounding slightly surprised. "That is why I came up here too."
This time Jim doesn't bother hiding his grin. "Guess we can watch it together then," he says.
He shifts over on the blanket and gestures to Spock to sit down. "Come on," he prods, when Spock hesitates. "You can't be planning to stand the entire time?"
From the look Spock gives him Jim suspects that was exactly what he was planning, but he seems to yield to the argument and sits. Jim grins at him before flopping onto his back.
There is silence for a moment as they both contemplate the sky. But Jim has never really been one for silence, and it isn't long before he speaks again. "You know," he begins, "when I asked you what Vulcans do for fun you didn't say anything about stargazing."
"That would be because it is not for fun," Spock replies, a little primly. "It is an intellectual exercise."
That's kind of sad, if it's true, but there's something in Spock's tone that makes Jim wonder. Drawing on his instincts, he decides to play a hunch. "You don't believe that."
"I was not aware clairvoyance was a human ability," Spock replies with a hint of sarcasm, and Jim nearly laughs. This is a side of Spock he could get to like.
"No, but seriously," he continues. "If you just wanted to learn about stars, meteors, whatever, you could look at a computer file. Coming up here in the cold so you can see them with your naked eyes is a whole different thing that has nothing to do with any 'intellectual exercise'."
Spock pulls his knees up to his chest and wraps his arms around them, staring up at the sky. "They look different from Earth," he says.
It's a blatant attempt to change the subject, but Jim decides not to call him on it. He still thinks he's right about Spock's motives, though.
"How so?" he asks instead.
Spock frowns slightly, as if thinking. "The atmosphere is different here. Thicker. And there is far more light pollution."
Jim shrugs. "That's the city. You go out into the sticks, away from civilisation, and you can see pretty much everything." He remembers back in Riverside, lying out in the fields with Sam when they were little. Before he left.
"Indeed?" Spock replies. "I shall keep that in mind."
Jim glances up at the sky again. "Can you see Vulcan's star from here?" he asks.
He sees Spock nod out of the corner of his eye and turns to look at him as he raises an arm to the sky and points. "It is that one there," Spock says.
Jim shifts closer and tries to follow where he's pointing. "I think I see it," he says. "I guess it must be weird for you; to have it look like just another star."
"Mildly," Spock admits. "When I was very young my mother pointed out Sol to me in the sky, and I was… stunned at how small it seemed. Now my own sun is just as small."
There's something in his tone that Jim can't quite identify, almost a longing. Jim goes to lay a hand on his arm, but takes it away when Spock stiffens. Before they can say more, the first meteors begin streaking across the sky. With a sigh, Jim lies back on his blanket and settles in to watch.
No matter how many showers like this he watches, he doesn't think he'll ever get used to them. It's things like this that made him want to join Starfleet, even way back before he ever believed he would. He glances over at Spock and is gratified to find him staring at the sky with the same sense of wonder.
At some point during their sky-watching party, Spock slips down until he is lying next to Jim. Jim suspects he was developing a crick in his neck or something, but doesn't comment. They lie there, less than an arm's length apart, silently watching the sky, for what seems like hours.
They don't touch, barely speak, but it's still one of the best nights Jim has ever had.
* * *
The next day, Jim is half-heartedly working on an essay for his Ethics class (sometimes being a command track student really sucks) when the door chimes. Glad for a chance to take a break, he tosses down his PADD and stretches before heading for the door.
It turns out to be Spock. Jim just stares at him for a moment, then his brain kicks in and he smiles broadly. "Spock! What brings you to my neck of the woods?"
Spock's eyebrows bunch in confusion at his words. "Your neck of the woods?"
Jim laughs. "I meant, what are you doing here?"
"Ah," Spock replies, looking as though he's filing the explanation away for further reference. "I would like to visit the ocean."
"Okay…" Jim replies slowly. "And?"
Spock clasps his hands behind his back. "I wondered if you would accompany me."
Jim takes a second to process that, then springs into action. "Yes! Sure! Just give me a second to grab my stuff."
He shoves a credit chip into the back pocket of his jeans, pulls on his jacket, and grabs his communicator. Then he joins Spock outside the apartment, locking the door behind him. "Lead on," he says.
Spock raises an eyebrow, but does so.
* * *
Some time later, they're leaning against a handrail, staring out at the water. "It is so big," Spock murmurs. "On Vulcan a body of water is considered large if you cannot easily see the other side. The idea that it could cover almost half the world is difficult to believe."
"I know what you mean," Jim says. He shrugs as Spock turns to look at him. "Maybe not exactly, but I grew up in Iowa, a thousand miles from any ocean. It seemed pretty unbelievable to me too, until I saw it." He smiles a little, shrugging. "I never was one to take things on faith."
"Is that the reason you chose to join Starfleet?" Spock asks.
Jim chews on his bottom lip, wondering how much to tell him. "A little, yeah. After what happened to my dad I thought I'd never join up, but I don't regret it. It feels right, you know?"
"Your father was in Starfleet?"
Jim blinks at him. It's kind of refreshing to meet someone who doesn't know his history. "Yeah. George Kirk, of the Kelvin."
He can see Spock's eyes widen as he makes the connection. "Ah," he says, then, tentatively, "I meant no offence."
"It's okay," Jim says. "It's not like I ever really knew him." All he's ever had are stories and pictures and other people's grief.
They lapse into silence, and Jim decides a change of subject is in order. "So, tell me about Vulcan. If I'm going to teach you all about Earth, I think I should get to learn some stuff too."
Spock's brow furrows. "I am not sure where to begin," he admits.
Jim leans against the handrail and crosses his arms. "How about with you? We've been spending all this time together and I hardly know anything about you."
"There is not much to tell," Spock replies. "I grew up in ShiKahr, the capital, and attended the customary schooling there. When I had completed my studies I applied for a place at the Vulcan Science Academy and was accepted. I will begin my position there as soon as I return."
Jim frowns. Leave it to a Vulcan to tell their entire life story in less than thirty seconds and leave out all the interesting stuff. But before he can explain that that wasn't what he meant, it starts to rain. Heavily.
Jim swears and grabs Spock's wrist. "Come on," he says, and together they run for cover.
They take shelter under an awning, looking out at the rain. "I think it's just a shower," Jim says, studying the sky. "We can wait here until it stops."
Spock makes a small noise that might be an agreement. His hair is plastered to his head, and his arms are crossed over his chest as if he's cold. Jim doesn't think he's ever seen a Vulcan look so obviously miserable before.
"I guess it doesn't rain a lot on Vulcan," he says.
"Almost never," Spock agrees. "It is also… considerably warmer."
Jim studies him for a moment, thinking. "Why'd you come here?" he asks softly. "It's so different from everything you knew."
For once Spock doesn't pretend to misunderstand. "I was curious," he says. "I wished to learn more about Earth and humanity than could be gained from a textbook. And…" He trails off, looking suddenly wary.
"And… what?" Jim asks.
Spock turns away, looking out at the rain. "I hoped to learn more about myself."
"Yourself?"
Spock nods. His next words are halting, uncertain. "I am… half human."
Of all the things he expected Spock to say, that wasn't one of them. "Seriously?"
Spock's back stiffens. "Vulcans do not lie."
Jim considers pointing out that he just said he was only half Vulcan, but decides against it. "I didn't mean I thought you were lying," he says instead. "I was just surprised." He studies Spock again, looking for clues, and can't find any. As far as Jim can tell he looks just like any other Vulcan. "So, your… mom's human?" he asks, taking a guess.
Spock nods.
"And your dad's a Vulcan."
Spock gives him a faintly disbelieving look. "Obviously."
"Huh," Jim says intelligently. "That's cool. How'd they meet?"
"My mother was a teacher in San Francisco. She was accompanying her class to a museum when they ran into my father. Literally, for one child. My father was… not pleased by this turn of events, but he was intrigued enough by my mother's apologies and explanations to offer to accompany the class around the museum. By the end of the day he had become quite attached. My mother likes to say it was love at first sight, but I assume that to be an exaggeration."
"Sounds like a good story," Jim says.
"Indeed," Spock replies. He gestures out at the weather and adds, "I believe the rain is stopping."
Jim turns to look. "I think you're right," he says. "Do you want to head back?"
Spock gives a sharp nod. "I would like to get out of these clothes." He waves a damp sleeve in emphasis.
Several double entendres leap to Jim's mind, but he manages to fight them back. "Come on then," he says, and steps out from under the awning. Spock follows, and together they begin making their way back to the apartment block, hurrying to avoid the rain.
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