Star Trek Fic - Penance Chapter Three
PENANCE Chapter Three
by SlwMtionDaylite
Written for reel_startrek, Round Two
Based upon the film Atonement, written by Christopher Hampton (based upon the novel by Ian McEwan) and directed by Joe Wright
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I own nothing. Paramount, et al. own all. I really wish they would let me borrow Spock for a while though. Atonement owned by Universal Pictures, Studio Canal, Relativity Media and Working Title Films.
Rating: Strong R/M
Genre: Romance, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Action/Adventure
Characters/Pairing: Kirk, Spock/Uhura
Word Count (Chapter Three): ~2660
Beta: jlneveloff
Warnings: Language. Sexual situations, violence
Summary: Alternate Universe. This is the story of a young cadet that sees something he thinks he understands. But he doesn’t.
CHAPTER THREE - AN ILLICIT ENCOUNTER OF TWO LOVERS
Uhura had been in the Kelvin Room for the better part of fifteen minutes. She had initially sought out Spock but had been unable to find him. This had surprised her. She had expected that he would remain true to form and arrive on the dot. But he hadn’t. She wondered if he would show up at all. Perhaps their argument would -
No, she chastised herself. He said he was ordered to be here. Therefore he would be here, regardless of anything.
She busied herself with conversation. She had found Leonard amongst the cadets. Though she had lamented his anger and his hatred earlier to Kirk, she liked him. He was intelligent and a true Southern gentleman.
Unlike his best friend, who was just now entering the grand room. Kirk scanned the room and his eyes rested on her and McCoy.
Nyota watched wearily as Kirk approached her. She really didn't feel like dealing with him again today. As he neared, she noted that he didn't seem to be his normal, cocky self. He seemed preoccupied. Worried.
He said nothing to her. He just wordlessly handed her a PADD then dragged Leonard away, speaking to him in hushed tones.
Confused, she looked down at the PADD. She turned it on and was confronted by a note. She read it, and as she realized the writer, her eyes widened considerably. She was loosely aware of Kirk's occasional looks cast in her direction. She felt herself growing warm, her cheeks flushing.
She had thought their time during his Pon Farr meant nothing more to him than a simple means to an end.
She'd been wrong. But for him to write this...and to give it to Kirk to hand to her? She had never thought Spock capable of making such a foolish mistake. And if Kirk had read this?
She looked at Kirk, who spoke animatedly with McCoy. "Did you read this, Kirk?"
He ignored her.
She felt a tinge of panic consume her. If their tryst was discovered? If Kirk reported this to the Academy brass? "Jim! Did you read this?"
She saw his eyes jerk to her for the briefest of moments before returning to McCoy. So he was hearing her. Her heart pounding, her eyes drifted to the entrance of the grand room, where Spock entered, side by side with his parents. They were immediately met by Captain Christopher Pike, who reached for Lady Amanda's hand, bringing it to his lips.
"Jim?! Did you read this?"
He glanced at her again then turned his back to her.
She took a deep calming breath and felt a presence behind her. She turned around to find Captain Pike standing before her, having had approached her at some point when she was distracted by the letter.
"Captain Pike, sir." She dropped the PADD to her side quickly, grasping it tightly.
He smiled warmly. "You're Cadet Uhura, right? Commander Spock's aide?"
She floundered for an answer. "Uh, yes, sir. Or I, uh, I was."
He held a hand out in the general direction of Spock and his parents. "Come on. Let me introduce you to Ambassador Sarek and Lady Amanda."
She hesitated. Not now. "Oh, sir. You don't need to do that."
"Come on. I insist."
She looked in the direction of Sarek and his family. Spock's eyes locked with hers before darting to the PADD she still held in her hand. She couldn't read his carefully composed expression and therefore was at a loss as to what he was thinking.
"I wouldn't want to be an imposition, sir."
"It's no imposition. In fact, Lady Amanda asked to see you."
Her eyebrows shot skyward. "She did?"
Pike nodded. "She sure did."
Finding no other way to politely decline, she nodded her assent and Pike led her to Lady Amanda, Sarek and Spock.
Spock's mother smiled warmly as they approached.
Uhura, for her part, made sure to not look at Spock. She was still reeling from the letter he had given her. She still didn’t entirely understand his intentions, writing such erotica. She had hopes, but she couldn’t allow them to take control, lest she be disappointed.
However, Spock was quick to address her. "Cadet, I apologize for any inconvenience, but my mother was quite insistent to meet you."
She smiled at Spock’s mother. "Oh, it's not any inconvenience, Ma'am."
"Oh, please call me Amanda."
"Of course." And the two women began to speak at length about a variety of topics, ranging from xenolinguistics to Spock.
Uhura had almost forgotten about the PADD she held until Amanda motioned towards it.
"I see you've received the letter."
Uhura jerked her head down, glancing at the PADD. What did his mother know of it? "Oh, yeah. Yes, I did." Surely, she did not know the exact contents. Spock would never -
"I do hope my son apologized for whatever his indiscretion was. He seems quite fond of you."
"I, uh, I wouldn't know about that, exactly." She glanced at Spock, who was currently speaking with his father. He did not appear to be at ease when she heard Sarek say something about obligations to Vulcan. Her eyes locked with Spock's. She saw his eyebrow rise and she jerked her head towards the exit.
He gave her a slight nod.
She returned her attention to Amanda. "Amanda, it was really nice to finally meet you. But, um, if you could excuse me, I need to -" She gestured towards the exit.
"Oh, of course, dear. Go right ahead. And I do hope you and my son can work out your differences."
Uhura gave her a tight smile. "So do I." She gave a small bow and made her way towards the exit.
*****
Spock waited precisely ten seconds before he gratefully excused himself from his father's side and followed Nyota out the room. She stopped in the hallway once she was certain it was clear. Only then, did she turn to face him.
He stood awkwardly before her, feeling strangely nervous, an experience with which he was not familiar. He could not be certain as to her feelings. He did not know how she received the communication he had given Kirk to give to her. He once again mentally chastised himself for making such a mistake. He cleared his throat uncharacteristically and placed his hands behind his back, deciding to speak first. "It was a mistake. I had allowed my emotions free reign. I do not -"
"Kirk...Kirk read it." She dropped her gaze from his, staring at the floor, at his feet.
Spock had not expected that. The ramifications of such an incident were insurmountable. Those ramifications were precisely why he had tried to put the events of his Pon Farr behind him. He was a professor and she was a student. And Starfleet had very clear rules regarding fraternization between the two. "I see. I admit that I had expected a bit more discretion from Cadet Kirk. Though, perhaps the mistake is rightfully mine. I should have never entrusted another with such a delicate...matter. Also, if I might add, for what good it does, it was the wrong version."
She nodded emphatically, eyes darting around them. "Yes."
"Cadet Kirk...no one was ever meant to -"
“No,” she interrupted, shaking her head.
They regarded each other quietly for several moments, heedless of the gathering in the room just beyond. Her behavior still did not give Spock adequate information from which to base a conclusive hypothesis of her emotions regarding him.
Suddenly, Spock spoke. “We must speak in private.” He turned and walked briskly from the ballroom, not waiting to see if she followed.
She glanced around briefly before trailing after him.
He led her to a nearby administration office. It was dark and he ordered the computer to turn the lights on, adjusting their brightness to twenty-five percent.
Nyota cleared her throat and looked at the ground, unable to look at him just yet. “What was I meant to read?”
“It was more formal, controlled. Romantic. It was much less -“
“Anatomical?” She finally raised her eyes to look at him, a slight teasing look in her eyes.
Spock gave an acknowledging nod. “Precisely.”
Tears suddenly appeared in her eyes and she brought her hands up to her mouth. She appeared upset.
Her behavior confused him. He took a step toward her and she backed up, moving further into the dark corner, her back to the large desk behind her.
She watched him.
He continued to move closer, slight hesitation in his steps.
“It’s been there for weeks, but I’d been trying to ignore it and then this morning...I was so frustrated with you and with myself, because I know...I know that this goes against so many regulations, but I - I convinced myself that if you took your commission on the Yorktown, I’d be better off. Able to push the feelings away, to concentrate on my studies. But -“ She sighed, her eyes filling with tears. “I don’t know what I would have done if you had left.”
He stood quietly before her, close enough to touch her, but was unsure if that was allowed.
“You do know what I’m talking about, right? You knew...you knew before I did, didn’t you? You felt it?” She looked at him earnestly.
He didn't hesitate. Spock reached a hand out to caress the side of her face. “Why are you crying?”
She gave a short laugh that was choked on a sob. “Don’t you know?”
His hand moved from her cheek to the back of her neck, drawing her close to him, until their faces were inches apart. “Yes. Of course. I know precisely.” And in a decidedly human-like fashion, he pulled her in for a kiss, caressing her lips gently, briefly with his, before pulling back. His gaze met hers then he kissed her again, this time, a long passionate kiss.
Nyota sighed into his mouth, bringing her hands up to rest against his chest. Spock pushed her further back until she rested against the desk. Her hands moved from his chest to his waistband, tearing at his uniform jacket, desperate to remove it, to feel his flesh against hers.
This was dangerous. They were exposed and could easily be seen by anyone.
They didn’t care.
Spock reached down to her hips and lifted her, setting her upon the desk. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer to her, and he dropped his face against her breasts, breathing deeply, harshly. She pressed herself tightly against him, eliciting a moan from the normally stoic Vulcan, and grabbed him by his hair, pulling his face back up to hers, biting his lip. He groaned into her mouth and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He reached down to the hem of her skirt and pushed it up before bringing his hand into her underwear.
She moaned loudly against his mouth as he touched her and he deftly undid the buttons on his pants. Swiftly, he lifted her higher and entered her.
She gasped loudly, turning her head to the side. His breath caressed the side of her face, teasing the loose curls. She turned her face to his once more.
"Spock," she whispered breathily.
"Nyota." He stilled his movements and slowly brought a hand to her face. Caressing her cheek, he whispered, “I love you.”
She gasped at his emotional admission. “I love you.”
“Nyota...may I?”
She nodded and he placed his fingers on her psi points. The link opened and his emotions cascaded over her and hers over him. She gasped loudly. It was unlike anything either had experience before. Spock had been careful during his Pon Farr to maintain enough control to extinguish the possibility of establishing a telepathic connection during their tryst. He had been determined to ensure that she would not be subjected to an unwanted bond.
Maintaining the connection, Spock slowly began to move against her, drawing another gasp from her lips. They were the shallow, uneven movements of a man who knew of the threat of discovery but too desperate to stop.
He pressed her harder against the desk, leaning into her, forcing her onto her elbows. She wrapped her arms around his neck, wringing her fingers into his hair, and kissed him desperately.
A quiet noise - the door's gentle swoosh followed by a sharp intake of breath - suddenly sounded behind them.
Nyota gasped against Spock’s lips, her heart pounding. “Someone’s here.”
*****
Bones rolled his eyes at him and Kirk sighed heavily.
"Jim. You do realize you're talking about a Vulcan, right? I may not be their biggest fan, but even I know they're not capable of what you're accusing Commander Spock of."
"Bones, I know. I know what I saw and I know what I read."
"Okay, okay. Say you're right, and I'm not saying you are, but if, if you're right, why would he, Jim? What would be the logic in risking his career for a little cadet tail on the side?"
Kirk sighed again. "I don't - I don't know." He looked around the room. He recognized the faces of most of the Starfleet brass. He saw Admiral Barnett, Captain Pike. He even recognized the Vulcan Ambassador, who stood next to Pike and a human woman.
But he couldn't see her. "Where's Uhura?" he asked, concerned. For that matter, he thought, where's Spock? He knew the Vulcan had been leading the Ambassador and the woman to the gala, but now he was nowhere in sight.
Concern rose in the pit of his stomach.
"Oh, for God's sake, Jim, leave the poor woman alone," his friend said exasperatedly.
Kirk didn't respond. This wasn't about getting in her pants, though admittedly that was exactly what he wanted when he first saw her. This was about his very real concern over her safety.
He eyed the exit and headed in that direction, heedless of McCoy's futile words.
It was quiet in the hall, despite the loudness of the Kelvin Room.
He had no idea if he was headed in the right direction, if she'd even left the gala in the first place.
Something crunched under his feet and he looked down, moving his foot back. He reached down and picked it up. Looking at it, he realized it was the hair barrette Uhura had in her hair earlier. She was near, perhaps.
He peeked into the rooms that he passed. Then he heard a woman's gasp, followed closely by masculine groans. They were coming from the nearby office.
Its doors were closed but he could see light peeking underneath. He moved towards it.
It opened upon his arrival; it was not locked. It took him only seconds to register what he was seeing.
That Vulcan - Spock - had Uhura pinned to the desk, his hand on her face, her skirt hiked up around her waist. He was thrusting against her with abandon as she tore at him, trying to get him off her.
He gasped sharply, unable to keep it in.
And Spock's movements ceased instantly.
"Uhura?"
There was a moment of awkward silence as Kirk watched Spock pull himself off his student. He watched the pair try to redress calmly themselves, Spock's back to him and shielding his view from Uhura. Her eyes were to the ground, in shame or embarrassment, he couldn't be sure.
Once she was decent, her eyes glanced at Spock briefly before she stepped around him and moved to the door swiftly, not looking at Kirk as she passed.
His eyes trailed her, concern permeating his mind. He heard Spock shift behind him and jerked his head back around, facing the Vulcan.
Spock said nothing to him, simply staring straight ahead coldly.
Kirk waited for the backlash, but it never came. Instead, Spock brushed passed him, his cold hard eyes finally searing him.
Kirk dropped his own gaze, staring at the floor.
by SlwMtionDaylite
Written for reel_startrek, Round Two
Based upon the film Atonement, written by Christopher Hampton (based upon the novel by Ian McEwan) and directed by Joe Wright
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I own nothing. Paramount, et al. own all. I really wish they would let me borrow Spock for a while though. Atonement owned by Universal Pictures, Studio Canal, Relativity Media and Working Title Films.
Rating: Strong R/M
Genre: Romance, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Action/Adventure
Characters/Pairing: Kirk, Spock/Uhura
Word Count (Chapter Three): ~2660
Beta: jlneveloff
Warnings: Language. Sexual situations, violence
Summary: Alternate Universe. This is the story of a young cadet that sees something he thinks he understands. But he doesn’t.
CHAPTER THREE - AN ILLICIT ENCOUNTER OF TWO LOVERS
Uhura had been in the Kelvin Room for the better part of fifteen minutes. She had initially sought out Spock but had been unable to find him. This had surprised her. She had expected that he would remain true to form and arrive on the dot. But he hadn’t. She wondered if he would show up at all. Perhaps their argument would -
No, she chastised herself. He said he was ordered to be here. Therefore he would be here, regardless of anything.
She busied herself with conversation. She had found Leonard amongst the cadets. Though she had lamented his anger and his hatred earlier to Kirk, she liked him. He was intelligent and a true Southern gentleman.
Unlike his best friend, who was just now entering the grand room. Kirk scanned the room and his eyes rested on her and McCoy.
Nyota watched wearily as Kirk approached her. She really didn't feel like dealing with him again today. As he neared, she noted that he didn't seem to be his normal, cocky self. He seemed preoccupied. Worried.
He said nothing to her. He just wordlessly handed her a PADD then dragged Leonard away, speaking to him in hushed tones.
Confused, she looked down at the PADD. She turned it on and was confronted by a note. She read it, and as she realized the writer, her eyes widened considerably. She was loosely aware of Kirk's occasional looks cast in her direction. She felt herself growing warm, her cheeks flushing.
She had thought their time during his Pon Farr meant nothing more to him than a simple means to an end.
She'd been wrong. But for him to write this...and to give it to Kirk to hand to her? She had never thought Spock capable of making such a foolish mistake. And if Kirk had read this?
She looked at Kirk, who spoke animatedly with McCoy. "Did you read this, Kirk?"
He ignored her.
She felt a tinge of panic consume her. If their tryst was discovered? If Kirk reported this to the Academy brass? "Jim! Did you read this?"
She saw his eyes jerk to her for the briefest of moments before returning to McCoy. So he was hearing her. Her heart pounding, her eyes drifted to the entrance of the grand room, where Spock entered, side by side with his parents. They were immediately met by Captain Christopher Pike, who reached for Lady Amanda's hand, bringing it to his lips.
"Jim?! Did you read this?"
He glanced at her again then turned his back to her.
She took a deep calming breath and felt a presence behind her. She turned around to find Captain Pike standing before her, having had approached her at some point when she was distracted by the letter.
"Captain Pike, sir." She dropped the PADD to her side quickly, grasping it tightly.
He smiled warmly. "You're Cadet Uhura, right? Commander Spock's aide?"
She floundered for an answer. "Uh, yes, sir. Or I, uh, I was."
He held a hand out in the general direction of Spock and his parents. "Come on. Let me introduce you to Ambassador Sarek and Lady Amanda."
She hesitated. Not now. "Oh, sir. You don't need to do that."
"Come on. I insist."
She looked in the direction of Sarek and his family. Spock's eyes locked with hers before darting to the PADD she still held in her hand. She couldn't read his carefully composed expression and therefore was at a loss as to what he was thinking.
"I wouldn't want to be an imposition, sir."
"It's no imposition. In fact, Lady Amanda asked to see you."
Her eyebrows shot skyward. "She did?"
Pike nodded. "She sure did."
Finding no other way to politely decline, she nodded her assent and Pike led her to Lady Amanda, Sarek and Spock.
Spock's mother smiled warmly as they approached.
Uhura, for her part, made sure to not look at Spock. She was still reeling from the letter he had given her. She still didn’t entirely understand his intentions, writing such erotica. She had hopes, but she couldn’t allow them to take control, lest she be disappointed.
However, Spock was quick to address her. "Cadet, I apologize for any inconvenience, but my mother was quite insistent to meet you."
She smiled at Spock’s mother. "Oh, it's not any inconvenience, Ma'am."
"Oh, please call me Amanda."
"Of course." And the two women began to speak at length about a variety of topics, ranging from xenolinguistics to Spock.
Uhura had almost forgotten about the PADD she held until Amanda motioned towards it.
"I see you've received the letter."
Uhura jerked her head down, glancing at the PADD. What did his mother know of it? "Oh, yeah. Yes, I did." Surely, she did not know the exact contents. Spock would never -
"I do hope my son apologized for whatever his indiscretion was. He seems quite fond of you."
"I, uh, I wouldn't know about that, exactly." She glanced at Spock, who was currently speaking with his father. He did not appear to be at ease when she heard Sarek say something about obligations to Vulcan. Her eyes locked with Spock's. She saw his eyebrow rise and she jerked her head towards the exit.
He gave her a slight nod.
She returned her attention to Amanda. "Amanda, it was really nice to finally meet you. But, um, if you could excuse me, I need to -" She gestured towards the exit.
"Oh, of course, dear. Go right ahead. And I do hope you and my son can work out your differences."
Uhura gave her a tight smile. "So do I." She gave a small bow and made her way towards the exit.
*****
Spock waited precisely ten seconds before he gratefully excused himself from his father's side and followed Nyota out the room. She stopped in the hallway once she was certain it was clear. Only then, did she turn to face him.
He stood awkwardly before her, feeling strangely nervous, an experience with which he was not familiar. He could not be certain as to her feelings. He did not know how she received the communication he had given Kirk to give to her. He once again mentally chastised himself for making such a mistake. He cleared his throat uncharacteristically and placed his hands behind his back, deciding to speak first. "It was a mistake. I had allowed my emotions free reign. I do not -"
"Kirk...Kirk read it." She dropped her gaze from his, staring at the floor, at his feet.
Spock had not expected that. The ramifications of such an incident were insurmountable. Those ramifications were precisely why he had tried to put the events of his Pon Farr behind him. He was a professor and she was a student. And Starfleet had very clear rules regarding fraternization between the two. "I see. I admit that I had expected a bit more discretion from Cadet Kirk. Though, perhaps the mistake is rightfully mine. I should have never entrusted another with such a delicate...matter. Also, if I might add, for what good it does, it was the wrong version."
She nodded emphatically, eyes darting around them. "Yes."
"Cadet Kirk...no one was ever meant to -"
“No,” she interrupted, shaking her head.
They regarded each other quietly for several moments, heedless of the gathering in the room just beyond. Her behavior still did not give Spock adequate information from which to base a conclusive hypothesis of her emotions regarding him.
Suddenly, Spock spoke. “We must speak in private.” He turned and walked briskly from the ballroom, not waiting to see if she followed.
She glanced around briefly before trailing after him.
He led her to a nearby administration office. It was dark and he ordered the computer to turn the lights on, adjusting their brightness to twenty-five percent.
Nyota cleared her throat and looked at the ground, unable to look at him just yet. “What was I meant to read?”
“It was more formal, controlled. Romantic. It was much less -“
“Anatomical?” She finally raised her eyes to look at him, a slight teasing look in her eyes.
Spock gave an acknowledging nod. “Precisely.”
Tears suddenly appeared in her eyes and she brought her hands up to her mouth. She appeared upset.
Her behavior confused him. He took a step toward her and she backed up, moving further into the dark corner, her back to the large desk behind her.
She watched him.
He continued to move closer, slight hesitation in his steps.
“It’s been there for weeks, but I’d been trying to ignore it and then this morning...I was so frustrated with you and with myself, because I know...I know that this goes against so many regulations, but I - I convinced myself that if you took your commission on the Yorktown, I’d be better off. Able to push the feelings away, to concentrate on my studies. But -“ She sighed, her eyes filling with tears. “I don’t know what I would have done if you had left.”
He stood quietly before her, close enough to touch her, but was unsure if that was allowed.
“You do know what I’m talking about, right? You knew...you knew before I did, didn’t you? You felt it?” She looked at him earnestly.
He didn't hesitate. Spock reached a hand out to caress the side of her face. “Why are you crying?”
She gave a short laugh that was choked on a sob. “Don’t you know?”
His hand moved from her cheek to the back of her neck, drawing her close to him, until their faces were inches apart. “Yes. Of course. I know precisely.” And in a decidedly human-like fashion, he pulled her in for a kiss, caressing her lips gently, briefly with his, before pulling back. His gaze met hers then he kissed her again, this time, a long passionate kiss.
Nyota sighed into his mouth, bringing her hands up to rest against his chest. Spock pushed her further back until she rested against the desk. Her hands moved from his chest to his waistband, tearing at his uniform jacket, desperate to remove it, to feel his flesh against hers.
This was dangerous. They were exposed and could easily be seen by anyone.
They didn’t care.
Spock reached down to her hips and lifted her, setting her upon the desk. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer to her, and he dropped his face against her breasts, breathing deeply, harshly. She pressed herself tightly against him, eliciting a moan from the normally stoic Vulcan, and grabbed him by his hair, pulling his face back up to hers, biting his lip. He groaned into her mouth and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He reached down to the hem of her skirt and pushed it up before bringing his hand into her underwear.
She moaned loudly against his mouth as he touched her and he deftly undid the buttons on his pants. Swiftly, he lifted her higher and entered her.
She gasped loudly, turning her head to the side. His breath caressed the side of her face, teasing the loose curls. She turned her face to his once more.
"Spock," she whispered breathily.
"Nyota." He stilled his movements and slowly brought a hand to her face. Caressing her cheek, he whispered, “I love you.”
She gasped at his emotional admission. “I love you.”
“Nyota...may I?”
She nodded and he placed his fingers on her psi points. The link opened and his emotions cascaded over her and hers over him. She gasped loudly. It was unlike anything either had experience before. Spock had been careful during his Pon Farr to maintain enough control to extinguish the possibility of establishing a telepathic connection during their tryst. He had been determined to ensure that she would not be subjected to an unwanted bond.
Maintaining the connection, Spock slowly began to move against her, drawing another gasp from her lips. They were the shallow, uneven movements of a man who knew of the threat of discovery but too desperate to stop.
He pressed her harder against the desk, leaning into her, forcing her onto her elbows. She wrapped her arms around his neck, wringing her fingers into his hair, and kissed him desperately.
A quiet noise - the door's gentle swoosh followed by a sharp intake of breath - suddenly sounded behind them.
Nyota gasped against Spock’s lips, her heart pounding. “Someone’s here.”
*****
Bones rolled his eyes at him and Kirk sighed heavily.
"Jim. You do realize you're talking about a Vulcan, right? I may not be their biggest fan, but even I know they're not capable of what you're accusing Commander Spock of."
"Bones, I know. I know what I saw and I know what I read."
"Okay, okay. Say you're right, and I'm not saying you are, but if, if you're right, why would he, Jim? What would be the logic in risking his career for a little cadet tail on the side?"
Kirk sighed again. "I don't - I don't know." He looked around the room. He recognized the faces of most of the Starfleet brass. He saw Admiral Barnett, Captain Pike. He even recognized the Vulcan Ambassador, who stood next to Pike and a human woman.
But he couldn't see her. "Where's Uhura?" he asked, concerned. For that matter, he thought, where's Spock? He knew the Vulcan had been leading the Ambassador and the woman to the gala, but now he was nowhere in sight.
Concern rose in the pit of his stomach.
"Oh, for God's sake, Jim, leave the poor woman alone," his friend said exasperatedly.
Kirk didn't respond. This wasn't about getting in her pants, though admittedly that was exactly what he wanted when he first saw her. This was about his very real concern over her safety.
He eyed the exit and headed in that direction, heedless of McCoy's futile words.
It was quiet in the hall, despite the loudness of the Kelvin Room.
He had no idea if he was headed in the right direction, if she'd even left the gala in the first place.
Something crunched under his feet and he looked down, moving his foot back. He reached down and picked it up. Looking at it, he realized it was the hair barrette Uhura had in her hair earlier. She was near, perhaps.
He peeked into the rooms that he passed. Then he heard a woman's gasp, followed closely by masculine groans. They were coming from the nearby office.
Its doors were closed but he could see light peeking underneath. He moved towards it.
It opened upon his arrival; it was not locked. It took him only seconds to register what he was seeing.
That Vulcan - Spock - had Uhura pinned to the desk, his hand on her face, her skirt hiked up around her waist. He was thrusting against her with abandon as she tore at him, trying to get him off her.
He gasped sharply, unable to keep it in.
And Spock's movements ceased instantly.
"Uhura?"
There was a moment of awkward silence as Kirk watched Spock pull himself off his student. He watched the pair try to redress calmly themselves, Spock's back to him and shielding his view from Uhura. Her eyes were to the ground, in shame or embarrassment, he couldn't be sure.
Once she was decent, her eyes glanced at Spock briefly before she stepped around him and moved to the door swiftly, not looking at Kirk as she passed.
His eyes trailed her, concern permeating his mind. He heard Spock shift behind him and jerked his head back around, facing the Vulcan.
Spock said nothing to him, simply staring straight ahead coldly.
Kirk waited for the backlash, but it never came. Instead, Spock brushed passed him, his cold hard eyes finally searing him.
Kirk dropped his own gaze, staring at the floor.