Prompt: Pike, Kirk, McCoy - Jane Austen-ish AU
Elegance and Expectations
″Really, Leonard? Lord Pike and Viscount Kirk?″ Nyota Uhura's dark eyes met his own as they danced and she had a habit of peppering him with questions and comments whenever the steps of the dance allowed them to pass close enough to converse over the sound of the music filling the room. ″Pike's been a bachelor pursued by many and caught by none for years and Kirk has quite the reputation as a rake, you know.″
They both glanced over at the two men standing by the door, both clearly looking for someone – likely himself, Leonard mused. They stood close to each other, far closer than simple friendship would explain, and Kirk had a hand on Pike's shoulder as he spoke into the other man's ear. Their presence did not go unnoticed by the rest of the room, though their positions and connections did not allow them to be openly shunned by the rest of the guests.
Leonard rolled his eyes as he spun Nyota around once and returned her to her place in the line, but not before she'd added, ″You'll have society in an uproar, what are you thinking?″
″Society needs an uproar from time to time or else they'd all die of extreme boredom.″ Leonard cast a significant glance to the periphery of the room, packed with gossip-mongers eager for any stray tidbit of information to exaggerate and pass along as truth.
The next time he took Nyota's hands to pass her down the line of dancers he added, ″Besides, it's been four years since Jocelyn died, I've ensured the continuation of my name and line, and it's time for me to live my life the way I would like to.″
Though it was several moments and dance steps before he met Nyota again, her eyes still betrayed her sorrow as she caught his gaze. When the dance steps brought them together, shoulder to shoulder, she whispered, ″You're right, Leonard. You deserve all the happiness that companionship can bring, gossip be damned!″
Leonard knew that Nyota herself had been the victim of the sharp tongues of many with her surprising engagement and marriage to the man known to many merely as Spock, a wealthy and influential foreign businessman. Having already suffered through what he was likely to soon face, he knew she could empathize with his predicament.
Like Nyota, Leonard would not allow the expectations and criticisms of society keep him from those he held most dear.
″Thank you, Nyota.″