[FIC] "It's Only Xenobiology, Darling," a gift for averzierlia
Title: It's Only Xenobiology, Darling
Author: brilligspoons
A Gift For: averzierlia
Characters/Pairings: Charles/Erik
Rating: PG
Length: ~600 words
Summary: Prompt: Starfleet!AU - Human!Erik thinks Charles is the worst Vulcan ever. In which Erik is distressed by a Vulcan shaking hands with him and then very blatantly inviting him to *cough* observe his nocturnal habits. (Takes place in the 2009 movie timeline.)
***
Erik gapes down at the hand holding his own in abject horror. He looks back up at the person said hand is attached to and tries to think of something (anything will do at this point, holy shit) to say. A very strangled "are you certain you're Vulcan?" is what makes it past his tongue and lips, and Erik very shortly thereafter wishes he could take it back. He'll blame travel exhaustion and being nervous about space travel in general if he has to (it is, after all, a two-day journey from Earth to the Vulcans' new planet, and no one needs to know he was born and raised on an orbiting station in deep space). But the fact of the matter is, there is an extremely attractive Vulcan holding his hand, and Erik doesn't know if there even is an appropriate reaction for this scenario.
His words don't seem to offend, however - quite the opposite. Erik finds himself being positively beamed at by the chaperone he'd been assigned to upon arrival.
"Oh, I do apologize," Charles (and, really, Charles? Erik is just so confused) says. He lets go of Erik's hand and gives him a hesitant smile. "Is the handshake not currently in fashion as a greeting?"
Erik sighs. "Not that," he says. "I just - it isn't something I expected. From you."
"Why ever not?"
"Seriously?" Erik glances around the atrium for his instructor. Emma seems to be deep in conversation with a Vulcan official and happy to ignore him. He rubs the bridge of his nose. "You're Vulcan. Historically you haven't been a race of touchy-feely people."
Charles' smile brightens. Erik begins searching for the fastest route back to the shuttle. "True, I am not the most traditional of Vulcans, no," Charles says. "Does this distress you?"
"Yes," Erik says.
Things, predictably (as far as Erik is concerned), deteriorate from there. Charles almost immediately inquires as to the focus of his research, a subject which Erik had been hoping to avoid for as long as possible. He's not entirely sure, but he suspects stating outright that he's interested in learning the effects of the new colony's environment on the Vulcans' biology barely a year after their home planet was wiped off all the maps is more than a little gauche.
"My field is xenobiology," he responds, and he stops at that, hoping Charles will simply let it be.
"Oh," says Charles, "you will have many questions about our adjustment to this planet's climate, then."
"No," Erik says quickly. Charles raises an eyebrow. "Yes, fine, that's exactly why I'm here. I didn't want to be insensitive."
"Insensitive," Charles repeats. He tilts his head to one side and stares at Erik, who shifts his weight nervously from one foot to the other and back again under the force of his consideration. "I suppose I can understand why you might think that insensitive," he continues, "but I assure you, it is a topic that we are most interested in ourselves."
Erik doesn't think he's ever felt more foolish than he does at this very moment. "Of course you're interested in it," he murmurs. "Uh, so, I have some questions about sleeping habits, if you could point me in the right direction."
Charles nods. He turns and motions for Erik to follow him. "Your instructor told us as much, and a number of volunteers have agreed to speak with you tomorrow evening," he says. "And tonight you may observe me. In the privacy of my home, of course."
Erik stops dead in his tracks. "I - but - excuse me?" he says.
Charles pauses a few steps ahead of him, his lips quirking upwards. Erik wonders if there's any chance at all he was switched at birth with a human. Charles' eyes drift up and down his body, and Erik flushes. "Does this distress you?" Charles asks for a second time.
"Yes," Erik replies, "but for an entirely different reason than before, I assure you."
"Excellent," Charles says.
Author: brilligspoons
A Gift For: averzierlia
Characters/Pairings: Charles/Erik
Rating: PG
Length: ~600 words
Summary: Prompt: Starfleet!AU - Human!Erik thinks Charles is the worst Vulcan ever. In which Erik is distressed by a Vulcan shaking hands with him and then very blatantly inviting him to *cough* observe his nocturnal habits. (Takes place in the 2009 movie timeline.)
***
Erik gapes down at the hand holding his own in abject horror. He looks back up at the person said hand is attached to and tries to think of something (anything will do at this point, holy shit) to say. A very strangled "are you certain you're Vulcan?" is what makes it past his tongue and lips, and Erik very shortly thereafter wishes he could take it back. He'll blame travel exhaustion and being nervous about space travel in general if he has to (it is, after all, a two-day journey from Earth to the Vulcans' new planet, and no one needs to know he was born and raised on an orbiting station in deep space). But the fact of the matter is, there is an extremely attractive Vulcan holding his hand, and Erik doesn't know if there even is an appropriate reaction for this scenario.
His words don't seem to offend, however - quite the opposite. Erik finds himself being positively beamed at by the chaperone he'd been assigned to upon arrival.
"Oh, I do apologize," Charles (and, really, Charles? Erik is just so confused) says. He lets go of Erik's hand and gives him a hesitant smile. "Is the handshake not currently in fashion as a greeting?"
Erik sighs. "Not that," he says. "I just - it isn't something I expected. From you."
"Why ever not?"
"Seriously?" Erik glances around the atrium for his instructor. Emma seems to be deep in conversation with a Vulcan official and happy to ignore him. He rubs the bridge of his nose. "You're Vulcan. Historically you haven't been a race of touchy-feely people."
Charles' smile brightens. Erik begins searching for the fastest route back to the shuttle. "True, I am not the most traditional of Vulcans, no," Charles says. "Does this distress you?"
"Yes," Erik says.
Things, predictably (as far as Erik is concerned), deteriorate from there. Charles almost immediately inquires as to the focus of his research, a subject which Erik had been hoping to avoid for as long as possible. He's not entirely sure, but he suspects stating outright that he's interested in learning the effects of the new colony's environment on the Vulcans' biology barely a year after their home planet was wiped off all the maps is more than a little gauche.
"My field is xenobiology," he responds, and he stops at that, hoping Charles will simply let it be.
"Oh," says Charles, "you will have many questions about our adjustment to this planet's climate, then."
"No," Erik says quickly. Charles raises an eyebrow. "Yes, fine, that's exactly why I'm here. I didn't want to be insensitive."
"Insensitive," Charles repeats. He tilts his head to one side and stares at Erik, who shifts his weight nervously from one foot to the other and back again under the force of his consideration. "I suppose I can understand why you might think that insensitive," he continues, "but I assure you, it is a topic that we are most interested in ourselves."
Erik doesn't think he's ever felt more foolish than he does at this very moment. "Of course you're interested in it," he murmurs. "Uh, so, I have some questions about sleeping habits, if you could point me in the right direction."
Charles nods. He turns and motions for Erik to follow him. "Your instructor told us as much, and a number of volunteers have agreed to speak with you tomorrow evening," he says. "And tonight you may observe me. In the privacy of my home, of course."
Erik stops dead in his tracks. "I - but - excuse me?" he says.
Charles pauses a few steps ahead of him, his lips quirking upwards. Erik wonders if there's any chance at all he was switched at birth with a human. Charles' eyes drift up and down his body, and Erik flushes. "Does this distress you?" Charles asks for a second time.
"Yes," Erik replies, "but for an entirely different reason than before, I assure you."
"Excellent," Charles says.