Last Updated: 10-9-11
Oh ho ho ho! So soon? :D
Title: Young Hearts
Pairings: McCoy/Spock, slight Kirk/Spock but only one-sided
Warnings: YAOI! It'll be my first attempt. Oh boy...
I guess you could say it's AU... It's supposed to take place in like modern times... yeah... They're all about 11 or 12 at the moment. So yeah...
Later on, I intend to give it an M rating. It'll be my first time doing something like this. So take it easy on me. I really really really want to finish this one. And heeeeeere weeeeeee gooooooooo!
:EDIT:I forgot... I don't own Star Trek... TxT What kind of trekkie am I?
It was a few weeks into fifth grade when he transferred in. There was nothing special about his arrival. None of the class really bothered. At first.
It took a few moments before we all registered his appearance. He was well dressed. Just short of a suit and tie, but it was a little proper for his age. His black hair was neat and his bangs were ruler straight. To add to his up kept attire, he seemed as if he had a pole down his back. His eyes blank and his lips a solid line.
I looked over at Jim and we raised our eyebrows in unison. He was a complete stiff! Jim chuckled under his breath and I looked back at the boy. A couple of the kids noticed them already and I couldn't help but smile. Those ears were the most redeeming features on the boy. They were pointed and curved. They reminded me of fables about elves that my mom had told me. Like half of the class, he had humanoid features. His ears were the only thing that defined him as alien.
"This is Spock. He's come here all the way from the planet Vulcan. You all be nice and show him around," Mrs. Reener knelt down to face Spock and spoke softly. "If you need any help, you can come talk to me or one of your fellow classmates."
He simply nodded. Nothing more. Nothing less.
She motioned over to the only empty seat in the class. Right by me. Of course... Jim straightened and looked ahead. I too repositioned myself, only glancing at Spock a few times. He only looked at his new seat as he made his way down the aisle. His eyes never strayed. Never parted from his target.
Mrs. Reener didn't wait for Spock to be seated before she began her lesson. I still don't remember what it was about. I'm sure it wasn't anything important. Else Jim would have noticed my constant staring. I had never seen anyone so focused. All he did was absorb and write. His hand whisked across the pages of his notebook. His handwriting didn't have any flourishes and loops like I thought it would. No. It was simple, blocked, and clean. Just like him. One thing I began to notice, his facial expression never changed. Always blank. He didn't look as if he was interested. Simply... understanding.
"Leonard!" A shove broke my train of thoughts.
"Wha-?" I looked down at the brown paper bag in front of me and suddenly realized I absently made it to lunch. Jim beside me started to laugh heartily.
"What's up with you? You've had that same blank stare for a few hours now," he clapped my back. I keep forgetting how strong he is. "You look just as clueless as the new kid."
He pointed over a couple tables down. Students in the cafeteria usually sat according to grade. But Spock had managed to find an empty table. He was eating something I couldn't name. Maybe a home planet dish? Not far from reach was a thick binded book. What fifth grader would read that kind of book?
"You'd think he'd try to make friends on his first day," I finally reached into my bag and pulled out the lunch Mom had packed.
"Vulcans don't make friends. They make connections and acquaintances," Jim flicked a couple peas over to seventh grade table.
"What do you mean?"
He avoided eye contact with the annoyed seventh graders and smirked. "You really oughtta learn your species. Vulcans live their lives with logic and reason. They traded their emotions for smarts," Jim tapped his head.
The rest of lunch was spent with Jim performing his usual actions. Wooing the girls and talking up a storm. You get used to it after a couple years. I had to hand it to him. He had a gift.
At recess, a good portion of the school gathered around the tether ball court to watch the ever fierce battle between Jim and a burly sixth grade boy. I never lasted long in a match, but Jim was a relentless foe. These two have been at it for the past few days. As soon as one got the ball close to wrapping around the pole, the other would undo it and the whole ordeal would start again. Some students had taken sides and a few even made signs. I had also noticed the taking of bets. I just couldn't help but laugh.
Of course... I'd never admit to Jim that I had placed a hefty bet on him to win.
Amongst the cheering, I looked around the playground. The little ones played on their own jungle gym down the way. Many others played soccer or basketball. A few jumped around on the gym and monkey bars. But as I looked around, I noticed one person out of place. They didn't run, didn't laugh. Didn't even observe.
Spock sat against the wall and read his book. He was so focused. His eyes just darted from one side of the page to the other, never straying. And it was such focus that kept me interested. I couldn't tell why he was so buried into that book. Was it curiosity? Determination?
I jumped when the bell rang and noticed that Spock was gone. Lost in the crowd of happy, laughing kids.
The rest of the week was like that. Right when he stepped through the door, he was all business. Lessons, notes, lunch, and recess. Just business. He barely talked, except to the teachers. They all thought he was a doll. Well behaved, quick learner, and really into his work. He was a regular teacher's pet. Even if he wasn't aware of it.
The students, however, weren't so thrilled. They began to talk and whisper odd rumors. Some thoroughly believed that he was some new kind of android that the Federation were trying out. Most just made side comments. That he was too quiet, that it wasn't normal to read a huge book like that, and that he never showed an emotion. I tried to shrug off the comments, but the more I listened, the more I agreed...
"Heads up!"
Too late. The red ball collided with my forehead and down I went. When would I learn that deep thinking and games don't mix? My head throbbed and my palms burned from taking the fall to the concrete.
"You alright?" Jim held out his hand to help me up. I grabbed it and he yanked me up. Too fast. "Maybe you should see the nurse."
I steadied myself and waited for the dizziness to cease. "Nah. I'll be fine," I leaned against the tree. "I think I'll just sit this one out for a bit." Jim just shrugged and went back to his square. A new round of two square had begun.
Looking over my shoulder, I spotted Spock, once again with his book. Except this time, he wasn't reading. He had been watching us play! When he noticed me watching him, his eyes grew big in surprise and he quickly looked back at his book.
Odd...
For the next couple days, Spock became more and more interested with the students. He still ate his lunch alone, but he never brought his book back. Out at the playground, he'd drift from group to group but he took an interest in ours. It felt like he was studying us like animals. His stare was just so intense...
After a while, Jim caught the ball and paused the game. "You want to play?"
Spock and everyone else was taken off guard. It took a second before he recovered and simply answered, "Play?" I had half expected him to have the deep voice of a grown man, but surprisingly, it was soft and fine.
"Yeah. You know, play?" One of the other kids piped up.
He looked confused for a moment and then his face brightened a bit. Not much though. "Oh! You mean a form of social interaction between you human children involving physical activity?"
We all stared at each other in bewilderment. Jim half smiled in confusion. "Uh...yeah. That. You wanna join?"
Spock looked at the ball and then at all of us around the squares. "I suppose it would be necessary to partake in such social interactions to familiarize myself with human customs..."
Say what now? Did he always talk like this? Or was he just trying to make us feel like dumb monkeys on display?
"Of course it would," Jim just went right along and handed Spock the red ball. "Here. You can take my square. Now, the point of the game is to get all the other players out and advance to the King's square, " He pointed over to me. Jim had changed the court layout. He was in the King's square. I was in the peasant square and just started my turn when he had paused our game. "You have to take out McCoy whose the King."
"He's a king? Of what country? And why must I...'take out' King McCoy? Was he a poor matriarch?"
It didn't make sense! I saw him get hundreds on all of his homework papers. He knew the answer to every question Mrs. Reener asked. There was no way that this genius was an idiot! How does he NOT know how to play four square?
Jim gave a small laugh. "He's not really a king."
"Then why refer to him with a tittle that is not appropriate?"
"That's just how you play the game."
"Then I fail to see the logic of this game. It makes absolutely no sense at all."
"It's a game, you pointed-eared hobgoblin!" He was analyzing every aspect of it! I didn't think he'd be this thick when he actually started talking. "It's not supposed to make sense! You just play it and are supposed to have fun playing it!"
Spock just stared at me and I stared back. I wasn't about to back down from his gaze, even though it was unsettling... Then he raised one eyebrow and tilted his head. "Fun?"
I would've tackled him if Jim hadn't jumped in front of him. And I would've escaped his hold if the bell hadn't rung.
"I do believe that that means it is time to assemble back in the classroom," He turned on his heel, dropped the ball, and strode off.
The next day went on like nothing had happened. Spock was back with us, just standing even more intensely. No doubt trying to understand the game. Whenever he'd come by, I would purposely get myself out. I didn't want to be the object of his studies. Although, that just gave me time for him to become the object of MY studies. I started to notice that the more that he hung out around the kids, the more his face changed. When he first came here, his eyes were dull and cold. Now every time that bell rings, they become bright and eager. He raised his eyebrows more and even his mouth would twist into a crooked smile or smirk on occasion.
I'm not sure why, but I was a little unsettled when he began to get close to Jim. At first Jim would only clue Spock in on rules and why the kids did what they did. He was really the only one who tolerated him and wasn't put off by his endless stream of questions. But soon, he started to discuss homework with Jim. It was like they were study buddies or something! At one point, Jim even invited Spock to join our table at lunch! Not matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get away from him. Nor keep him away. I blame the last part on Jim himself. Not only was he comfortable around the girls, but he was also comfortable around the guys. He always had that kind of charm about him...
By the middle of September, Jim had his first absent day. I had finally realized again that Spock's seat was next to mine. He went back to his quiet, secluded self and all progress that was made over the weeks was gone. I was always upset when Jim was gone, but I never went anti-social over his absence. Unfortunately, I didn't help the situation. I quickly ate my lunch and left Spock at the table. I had listened to their boring discussions for the past week or so and I was perfectly content leaving him there.
I walked to the edge of the field, away from the prying eyes of the teachers on duty, and found my favorite tree. With ease, I climbed it and rested there. Regrettably, it wasn't long before the walking encyclopedia found me.
"You don't like me very much, do you?" He was too straight forward for my taste.
"Not really, no."
"I am sorry that I cannot appeal to your better nature," There he goes making elaborate sentences. "Your friend James seems to find me quite a catch."
The last few words sounded as if Spock was unsure of their meaning. Apparently Jim had told him that phrase and never bothered to explain it. "That's just Jim. He always makes friends with everybody."
"Perhaps if you told me on ways that I could better myself, then we could be fri- OW!"
I looked down at Spock and saw him looking at his hand. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing!" His face was calm, but I paid more attention to his cradled hand.
With one swift movement, I jumped from the branch and landed on the soft dirt. "Let me see," I tried to reach for his hand but Spock quickly moved away.
"No! I'm fine. Really."
"Just let me see it!" I grabbed his hand and pulled it closer to me. No matter how hard he tried to pull away, I kept a firm grip on his hand to hold it steady. "It's just a splinter. Hold on," Whenever I got splinters, my mother always managed to suck them out. She preferred it rather than tweezers, which pinched and often hurt worse than the splinter itself. And it was the method that I used on Spock. I placed his finger to my lips and began to suck on the wound. His hand went limp and it took awhile before I got the sliver of wood and spat it out.
"There," I let go of his hand and looked up at him. His cheeks were tinted a slight green. At first, I thought he was sick. But I quickly realized that he was actually blushing.
"Uh... Thanks," I simply nodded back. We kept our gazes for a tad longer than we needed until the bell made us both jump. He turned and headed off without a word.
I raised my hand up to my cheek and found that they were warm...
Jim came back the next day and for that, I was grateful. I honestly don't think I'd last another day with just me and Spock. I don't know why it became so awkward to be alone with him. All I did was remove a splinter. Didn't all caring mothers remove them like that? Or did they torture their kids with the cruel invention that is the tweezer?
But now every time I think about it, my heart skips a little and I find that my cheeks feel (and probably look) like they're sunburned.
It didn't take long for Jim to jump right back into his usual routine of flashy smiles and kind words. He'd tell jokes and jab Spock with his elbow, signaling him to laugh or smile, and only receiving a blank stare and a confused expression. I'm not sure why, but it put me on edge when Jim acted like that towards Spock. He behaved like that with everyone else in our class (Or in our grade, rather), but it was just different with him.
One day at the playground, we walked past a group of girls as they laughed the embarrassing tune that made any kid want to head for the hills. Spock just stared at them and turned back to us. "That chant makes no logical sense."
"It just a joke Spock. It's not supposed to make sense. They're not really going up into a tree to kiss."
He just tilted his head in the manner that always made me think of a dog. "Kiss? What's that?"
Jim froze. I could hear the gears in his head moving. He turned towards Spock with a fake look of surprise across his face. " 'What's that?' "
"Well, it's-"
"-It's how one person shows trust and affection towards another," Jim butted in. Spock thought it over for a few seconds before he nodded in understanding.
"I see. Do you humans do this often?"
"All the time!"
"And is such an action completely necessary?"
"Of course! It's a sign of respect! Here. I'll show you," Without another word, Jim gently grabbed Spock's chin and brought it up to face him, and kissed his cheek.
My heart stopped. I wanted to deck Jim right then and there. But why? Because he gave Spock a peck on the cheek? He did that with all the girls. He even did that to Nancy and I never flinched. So why now did my heart race as Jim dared to touch Spock so tenderly?
Jim finished showing his 'respect' for Spock and stared at him, as if admiring his work. Spock just stared straight ahead. It was a while before he answered back. "Thank you."
"You are very welcome," said Jim with a big grin upon his face.
He looked from the ground to Jim then back to the ground. "Do I kiss you back now?"
Jim's face lit up like fireworks on the fourth of July. He had won. "Well sure!" He wrapped his arm around Spock and pulled him in a little closer. "You know, if you really respect someone, you kiss them on the lips," No. It took every fiber in my body to resist to slap him. Spock admired Jim! He was like his little lap dog!
Why did I care so much?
Spock seemed to consider his offer. With out another word, Spock reached up and quickly kissed Jim on the cheek. Both Jim and I stood frozen. We had been sure of his action. Certain that he'd go for his lips.
We... were wrong?
The bell rang and, as always, Spock walked off to class. As for us, we stayed rooted to the ground. Jim touched his cheek in defeat. I clenched my heart in relief.
Jim and his older brother had been called out early that day. So when it came time to go home, Spock and I were alone waiting for our parents.
I won't lie, it was awkward. We were shrouded in silence. I from uncertainty, and him, well, because he rarely talked. The silence made my skin crawl. Any longer and I would ram my head into a pole.
"I thought you liked Jim," I forced the words off my tongue and added more venom than was necessary. I immediately regretted the words as soon as they were free. I really did not want to know... Kinda.
"I do," I flinched. "But that doesn't mean that I greatly respect him."
I faced him at last. "What do you mean?"
Spock focused on a bush across the street. "I've seen the way he interacts with the other kids. Sure he's kind and a good leader, but he flashes his emotions needlessly and can be easily angered," He took his eyes off the apparent interesting bush to look at me. "You on the other hand," My stomach jumped. "You reserve your emotions for when they are needed. Though childish at times, you have more sense than anyone else here."
It took me a minute to realize that all the time that he had been talking, he had been inching closer and closer. I could feel the rush of blood to my face and the heat off my cheeks. Spock's face turned it's sickly green blush from his cheeks to his pointed ears. His lovely alien ears...
Before I had a chance to blink (and now that I think about it, thank God I didn't), Spock quickly pressed his lips on mine. Their warmth faded as fast and it came when he stepped back.
I guess that Spock's parents had told him what kissing really was, for he never did nor spoke about it again.
But every time we'd see each other, my heart would skip, my palms sweat, and my stomach sink. And I could swear, that the corners of his lips would twitch. But never a smile.