*History* [Uhura & Spock] Academic Vernacular
Starfleet Academy, 2256
If there was one thing that was frustrating about conducting linguistics courses at Starfleet, it was the general lack of interest in Xenolinguistics put for by most of the students. Though they were expected to interact with alien species and conduct themselves in a respectable and ethical manner while creating lasting ( Read more... )
If there was one thing that was frustrating about conducting linguistics courses at Starfleet, it was the general lack of interest in Xenolinguistics put for by most of the students. Though they were expected to interact with alien species and conduct themselves in a respectable and ethical manner while creating lasting ( Read more... )
“I only attempt to emulate the environment that would be provided on a Starfleet ship.”He said, somewhat matter-of-fact. Uhura had a tendency to be sarcastic, and while he usually caught on to the humor, at times the joke was lost on him and his logical mind.
He grasped her hand in his, helping her rise from her seat and grabbed her bag for her from the desk. “It is important for those courting to show appreciation for each other. That is an appropriate conclusion for my gestures.”
He led her by the hand out of the lab, though before the door slid closed behind them his hand had already slipped away from hers. At first the sneaking around and concealing their relationship was difficult to balance with the desire, but now it was easy to maintain a professional visage.
The campus was somewhat dead this Friday evening, the many cadets and commanders away and off in the city for their break or visiting their families. He led her across the campus, occasionally placing his hand on the small of her back to point her in the right direction. Typically there were only a few places they went, but he was taking her somewhere else this time.
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She let him lead her across the campus, her footsteps not exactly hurried, but definitely more fast-paced than a leisurely walk. Every time he placed his hand on her lower back, she felt a familiar warmth and a shiver flow through her, but like him, she was determined to keep a professional look when in public.
As they moved toward the other side of the campus, she looked up at him and slowed down just a little. "Spock," she said, her voice quiet when addressing him without his proper rank. "Where is it we are going?"
He'd said 'show appreciation' and something about his gestures. Uhura was a little nervous, if only because she hadn't prepared for anything herself.
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The very idea that she did not believe his love for her often plagued him.
“I believe the proper term is ‘you will have to wait and see’.” He stayed the course, not making eye contact with her to avoid his desire to tell her the truth if she continued asking.
They arrived at the somewhat barren graduate dorms. The building was much larger than the student dorms, and traveling across the building took some time. Spock glanced around them from time to time, making sure no security officers had noticed them in the halls.
He stopped in front of a door, typed in his security code and waited to the side of it. He made a habit of letting her make decisions, rather than making them for her.
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A small smile stayed on her lips as they finished their walk. She was aware of his every glance, sure that he was looking for security. The very fact that they were in the graduate dorms hadn't escaped her and she couldn't deny that she was a little excited, a bit nervous and even a shade touched that he would bring her here.
If anyone had asked her - if anyone had thought or known to ask her - Cadet Uhura would have been able to tell them unequivocally that Commander Spock loved her. If they had then asked for proof of that love or asked how she knew, she would have just said that she did... because she did. It was the way he touched her, and the way he let her in in ways he didn't let anyone else in. The glances he gave her when no one else was paying attention and the smiles that weren't smiles to anyone but her.
She knew.
When he paused and moved to the side, Uhura gave him a curious look and then opened the door and stepped inside.
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“Lights,” he spoke out loud, though they did not rise to their usual level. The soft light made his somewhat sterile room seem less harsh. He moved very little from the original configuration he had received it in, aside from a few work materials.
The dorm was much larger than hers, containing a larger bed, study area and even a sitting area with chairs. He stepped past her, walking over to a shelf where he kept his personal items, grabbing a book a spine-bound book from it before walking back to her. It looked ancient, covered in a thin film of dust that didn’t seem to smudge away with his touch. The paper (or what appeared to be paper) was ripped and faded in most places, and the cover was decorated in a whimsical script that formed into a larger Vulcan letter.
“A gift, Nyota. It contains a century-old hand scripted copy of the teachings of Surak. If a translation is required, I can assist in obtaining one.”
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When he handed her the book, her eyes widened and she let it rest in her palm while she ran a fingertip delicately over the cover. To say that she was completely blown away by the extravagance of his gift was an understatement and she didn't quite know how to express both her awe and her gratitude.
"Oh, Spock. This..." She opened it gently and took a deep breath as certain words jumped out at her here and there. "This is incredible. Absolutely amazing." Looking back up at him, she shut the book with the same amount of care and gave him a look of pure joy. "Thank you. I know how important this is. I'll treasure it, always."
She would definitely need help with some of the translations, but in the mean time, she was going to never take her eyes off of it. She knew that the teachings of Surak had long been thought to have been missing and until the discovery of the Kir'Shara, they had been. So, she stood there, admiring her gift until she remembered herself and then she smiled at him. "I'm sorry. Thank you."
And she kissed him.
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“You’re welcome, Nyota.” Never did he utter that phrase outside of politeness and have it hold so much significance.
He was taken by surprise by the intensity of her kiss. Of course they had shared many of these physical exchanges, some more intense than others, but it felt like all of the gratitude and emotions she had just expressed in the gentle admiration of the book were currently pressed against his lips.
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The kiss was more intense because of the gift, yes, and also because he hadn't just given her something of him, but he'd opened his personal space to do it. He didn't know it, but the entire exchange was important to her in ways she couldn't (and wouldn't) explain for fear of spooking him or looking foolish herself. Instead, she'd content herself with the kiss. The kiss and a gentle caress of his arm.
Breaking away, she inhaled and touched the cover once more. Looking around the room, she said, "I can't imagine wanting to spend nights in my room with me when yours is so much better."
It was an attempt to lighten the mood and change the subject all at once.
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“Ah… yes the quarters are excessively spacious.” He responded to her comment absentmindedly. He slipped the book from her hand, placing it with her things as he continued with his silent reverie.
“Nyota, I would like to show you something else. May I?” He held his hand out towards her, pinky and ring finger bent downward to show her his intentions. He knew she was familiar with the gesture as her curiosity for Vulcan culture had led to its explanation but he always emphasized the weariness of most Vulcans to engage in it.
True, it took concentration, control and practice before a mature Vulcan could properly perform a meld, but the real stigma was in the emotional exchange that was an affect of the process. It was difficult to control one’s own emotions when another’s was thrust into your psyche.
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Her eyes widened when he made his request and she looked up at him, questioning with her eyes if he was certain that he wanted to. She'd never voice that question out loud, only because... well, she'd never question his judgment like that. But they had discussed his home, it's culture and the impact of some of the more commonly 'well known' Vulcan attributes.
"Of course." She didn't really have to think about it, though she knew the emotional consequences would be severe for them both. She did trust him, she knew he would never do anything to hurt her and this - well, this wouldn't be done, especially between them, with an intent to injure.
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He stepped closer to her, bringing his body as close to her as he could while placing his outstretched fingers gently on her face.
“Close your eyes.” He whispered, his already shut in preparation. Concentrating on a specific moment, he initiated the meld.
There was a jolt when it initiated, perhaps induced by her shock to the process. There really was no way to prepare anyone’s mind for the experience as Spock recalled his first meld being somewhat traumatic for his half-human self.
The images he sent her were vivid, almost as if she was experiencing it herself. It was a scene of Vulcan, this she knew without being told as he gave her his memory. The desert landscape was beautiful and haunting, tarnished with the debris of a nuclear war centuries ago. The view looked on to a city in the distance carved into the side of a raised mountain.
All of the sense he experienced in that moment was given to her, and at the time many years ago when he looked on to his home there was anger within him. Now that he was recalling the scene and the home he had been away from for so long, he couldn’t help but miss the desert planet. But amidst all of those emotions, there was the hint of his emotions towards Uhura being exchanged.
He removed his hand from her, unwilling to subject himself to the scene any longer and looked down at her in preparation for her reaction.
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It took her another few seconds before she opened her eyes and when she did, she gazed up at him, willing herself to catch her breath before she could speak properly. The look in his eyes, everything she'd seen, the emotions she'd felt - they all culminated in a rush of feeling that she would have been hard-pressed to define.
"That was incredible, Spock." Her tone was hushed, as if speaking loudly would have diminished all that she'd experienced in the last few minutes. "I can't-" What could she say. "Thank you."
Her mind was still racing with all that she'd seen and felt and she placed a hand on his waist to steady herself. "I can see why you miss it so much."
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“Melds can go either way. Do you have an experience you wish to exchange?” He waited for her response, and pressed his fingers against her again. “Nyota, you must concentrate on a single memory. Try to recall the vision.”
He waited until she was prepared and began the meld.
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When he touched her, though, memories of her childhood raced through her. Flashes, even. One of her playing with other children in the garden outside her home; one learning languages early in her life in school; one as a young woman dancing; one when she was a teen telling her parents she wanted to join Starfleet.
The meld ended and she took a deep breath, leaning back just a bit. Shaking her head, she gave Spock a small smile and touched the side of her head where he had. "You could see those, too?"
She hoped he could. Hoped he could feel the joy and happiness she remembered, the love of her parents, the enjoyment of dancing and languages she'd had as a child.
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It wasn’t so much the images that overwhelmed him as it was the emotions. All of the moments he showed her were significant, and her intensity of what she felt fat outweighed anything he had felt before (aside from anger, at least).
When she pulled away he sat there for a moment, breathing heavily, before dropping his hand back to his side. He opened his eyes slowly, though his gaze was no one her as he tried to regain his composure, but the thoughts were still fresh in his mind. A smile had slipped across his face, much more than his usual smirk, and it faded slowly after a few moments back into his stoic gaze.
“Your home is very beautiful,” was all he could manage, his reaction just as shocked as hers was earlier.
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She'd seen the smile, just before it faded, and it warmed her from the inside out. Not because it was Spock smiling, but because he had been able to truly appreciate what he had seen in her mind and had been able to actually feel what she had felt. His emotions were genuine and she was grateful that he had been able to share those with her. She was grateful that she had been able to share the memories of his home with him.
In fact, Nyota was sure that the entire experience was one of the most uniquely wonderful things she had ever experienced. Not just because of the new-ness of the experience, but because it was Spock. He was here, with her, and he had chosen to share with her. It was so incredibly intimate and she felt closer to him now than she had before.
Between the connection with their minds and the gift he had given her - the book - Uhura felt as if something in their... their relationship had changed. Shifted. She wasn't sure how to articulate it, wasn't even sure if she should, but she felt it.
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