This is another scene that didn't fit in Bound to you. Sulu needs some love too.

A Kiss is just a Kiss

For several days after that botched Halkan mission, Uhura had trouble readjusting to her surroundings. At night she had dreams about the things that had happened to her on the ISS Enterprise, and during the day she ran into people and places that triggered some bad experience. She steered clear of the corridor where the ISS ship had its agony booth. And she avoided Sulu whenever she could.

He hadn't done anything to her, not really, but that Sulu had given her the creeps. That Sulu had looked at her as if he would do bad things to her. Very bad things. And Uhura had the feeling that he had tried it and hopefully failed. The scar on his face looked as if it were made by a dagger, the kind of dagger Uhura found sheathed in her thigh-high boots.

Rather than face Sulu and confront her feelings, she decided to avoid him. She wasn't used to the anxiety attacks that she found herself suffering when she was on the bridge. This was her home, her job, her friends; why was she feeling so jumpy?

Sulu noticed her discomfort too and decided to confront her about it.

"Ny," he said as he stood next to her at her station. She nearly jumped out of her seat at the sound of his voice behind her.

"Oh my god, Sulu what are you doing sneaking up on me like that?" Uhura said clutching her chest.

"I don't sneak. But I'm sorry I startled you. You were so deep in thought over here. You know sharing is caring," Sulu said playfully.

"I'm sorry Sulu" Uhura laughed at her silliness. "I can't believe I reacted that way. I've just been-"

"Avoiding me?" Sulu finished the sentence.

"What makes you think that?"

"I don't think it I know it. And it started when you returned from that mirror vessel."

"Sulu I'm sorry. I can explain."

"I'm sure you have a really good reason. Care to join me for lunch?"

"Okay its a date."

Still a bit nervous, Uhura agreed to meet Sulu in his quarters where he would prepare her a home-cooked meal. Sulu was not only an excellent helmsman, but he was also an expert cook and Uhura was actually looking forward to his food even if she had to venture to his private quarters to enjoy it.

She'd had lunch with Sulu before no big deal. But as she got closer and closer to his assigned rooms she began to second guess herself. What did he want with her? Why couldn't they eat in the rec room?

She felt like little riding hood waltzing off to meet the big bad wolf.

"Knock it off", she chided herself. Sulu was her pal, he was not some predator. Besides, she could take care of herself and she could handle Sulu if she had to.

She didn't have to wait long at his door before she as greeted by the smell of something delicious wafting out. So at least she knew he had made lunch. She rang his buzzer and the door slid open a second later.

"Welcome, fair maiden. Your feast awaits" Sulu escorted her into his suite with fanfare and soon she was seated at his little dining table that was decorated with lit candles and fine tableware.

"Wow, Sulu you didn't have to do all of this."

"Hikaru. We're off duty now so just call me Hikaru, Nyota" he stressed her first name.

"Ok, Hikaru" She smiled.

They talked about casual things like ship gossip and federation politics over lunch and finally, Uhura felt the need to explain herself. She apologized for her behavior these past few days and confessed how frightening it was sometimes to be a woman in Starfleet, being so vulnerable to males and aliens who often had superior strength. She recounted that her experiences so far had been getting her mind wiped by nomad, being slapped around by one of Kahn's goons, having her voice silenced by Charlie Evans, and on an on.

Sulu commiserated with her and told her he understood.

"I've had my mind fiddled with too. Remember the Archons? And what about the Spores or the water intoxication? Seems like space likes to play with our minds."

"I love my job," Uhura said, "but sometimes..."

"Yeah, I know. Sometimes the work is overshadowed by the danger."

They took their wine glasses and moved to Sulu's sofa.

"That meal was magnificent!" Uhura declared as she patted her full belly. "I miss a good home cooked meal. I'll let you in on a secret, I'm a terrible cook."

"I don't believe you. I know for a fact that you can and I quote, "throw down" in the kitchen."

"Who told you that?"

"Janice. She said you kept her from starving her first few weeks aboard."

"Janice is a pet. She thought everything I threw at her was gourmet. I can cook some traditional staples but by and large, I'm a hack."

"Well you'll have to reciprocate this meal and I'll judge for myself."

"You're on. Never let it be said that Nyota Uhura does not pay her debts."

They talk and talk and after a while, it was time for Uhura to go. This was her half day and she had planned to spend some time in the rec room. She could usually count on Spock to be there with his lute just fooling around.

She was preparing to leave when Sulu took her hand.

"Nyota, thank you for coming today, I know you were hesitant especially to be alone with me."

"Oh, Hikaru, I'm so sorry I treated you like that. It was silly. I knew you'd never do anything like that to me, but I can't explain it. That other Sulu was you but it wasn't you, you know?"

"I get it. No harm done," He said.

Uhura was so grateful for his forgiveness, she leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks," She said. And then before she knew what was happening, he kissed her back. On the lips. Like a man kisses a woman. It was weird because she didn't feel anything for him, no spark, no rush of adrenalin no arousal. It was just like kissing her brother or something.

Once they broke apart they looked at one another for a moment and then both began to giggle.

"Why did we just do that?" Uhura asked.

"I suppose we got carried away, 'kiss and makeup' and all that jazz," Sulul said.

"Well, let's not do that ever again ok?"

"Agreed. Not, that you are not a very beautiful woman or anything like that," Sulu reassured her.

"And not that you are not a very handsome man. I just didn't feel any...spark."

"Yeah, it was like kissing my little sister."

"I didn't know you had a sister."

"I do now," He said draping his arm over her shoulder.

From then onward they were the best of friends having shared their fears about life in space and in Starfleet. It bothered Sulu to think that somewhere his counterpart was out there harassing women and terrorizing them and he vowed that he would do his part in this universe to make sure women felt safe, especially around him.

Nyota said that was probably why seeing him bothered her so much because Sulu had always been the chivalrous type and his dark counterpart was just the opposite.

"Those people were the product of their corrupt environment. When they beamed aboard this ship Mr. Spock knew right away that they were imposters. He immediately placed them in the brig to keep them from running wild or causing mischief."

"Really. Did you interact with them? What was I like?"

"You were stunning of course. And frightening. You actually looked like you would cut a man down to size," Sulu shivered.

"So I was bad?" Uhura was fascinated by the idea of being bad.

"You were more badass. But if you really want to know what you were like you should ask Mr. Spock. He spent more time with you than anyone else."

"Me? Why?"

"You asked for a meeting with him. He took you into the briefing room and you were in there for a while. A lot of people wondered about that meeting."

"Why, what happened?"

"No one knows, but before the imposters beamed out, Mr. Kyle says there was something going on between them."

"Something like what?"

"He says Mr. Spock did one of his mind melds on her. And she kissed him."

"Get out of here!" Uhura shoved Sulus's shoulder.

"I'm just reporting the gossip, I didn't start it" Sulu protested as he rubbed his shoulder.

"I kissed him? I mean, she kissed him?" Uhura foolishly felt jealous of herself.

"Apparently," Sulu said.

"And what did Mr. Spock do?" she asked.

"He let her."