Jim watched uhura move around the empty bridge, she was humming softly to herself. She wasn't aware he was watching her until he rapped lightly against the nearest surface which happened to be the edge of her control panel.
On hearing the noise her head whipped around and seeing who it was she didn't know whether to frown or smile, so she settled for a nod.
"Hey, I never meant to hurt you, you know?" Jim said in a soft voice, trying to raise a smile to his lips as he perched on the counter. Uhura leveled him with an evaluative stare, trying to work out how serious he was being, she decided the answer was very serious. For once.
"Captain, you didn't hurt me. If anyone hurt me it was Spock. I just didn't expect to see what I saw." She replied diplomatically.
"Please, call me Jim. You deserve to after all the crap we've been through this last year and a half. I'm sorry you had to find out like that, really I am. Spock and I wanted to tell you properly." The blonde said, reaching out and placing a tentative hand on her elbow, not really sure what the gesture meant but knowing he had to make some effort to show his sincerity.
"I don't have a right to really feel anything about you and Spock being together. I mean, I broke up with him 10 months ago because what I had with him wasn't working out; we weren't compatible or whatever. He didn't cheat on me and he didn't really lie. And neither did you. You're blameless, Jim." Uhura said in a level voice, smiling reassuringly at her superior.
"Thanks, it's good to know you aren't upset about it. I've been freaking out thinking you hated me for dating him, and I wanted to let you know, whether you want to hear this or not I don't know so sorry if I'm putting my foot in it, that I really like him, and he isn't just a mean-nothing-lay to me. I really do think I might be a little bit in love with him, Nyota. I can call you that right? I don't want to overstep boundaries or anything. Also if you want me not to talk to you about Spock, that's cool. I mean I've got exes that I still won't talk about to anybody but my mom, like seriously. So if this is totally bad territory just tell me and I will shut up right now." Jim had started to ramble towards the end of his sentence letting his nerves bleed through into his speech. He always used to do that when he was a kid, it never turned out that well; apparently bullies and drunken stepfathers didn't appreciate babbling to fill the awkward time lapses in conversation.
"Oh Jim, I don't hate you for it. In fact I'm glad that you're happy with Spock, really. He deserves someone who can give him everything he wants, I could never fulfill it all for him, and it seems you might just be able to. I see the way he looks at you; you've got a totally smitten Vulcan there. You can call me Nyota; sure, this whole first name privilege goes two ways. You can talk about it to me all you want, just don't give me too much detail or I will get a bit jealous and bummed out that I don't have as great a boyfriend as Spock does. I rarely dish out compliments, so take it as you get it, captain." She stopped talking here to place a friendly hand on his shoulder and squeeze lightly, smiling at him and chuckling as he nodded but made suspicious eyes at her.
"But in all seriousness; I don't look at your relationship with Spock, or the fact that I found out about it by finding you kissing in a closet down in engineering, as hurting me in any way. So you shouldn't think that either. I'm over him. In fact I think there might be another guy on my radar. But it's sweet that you sought me out to apologise to, and I appreciate the gesture, Jim. Thank you for being so gracious about it." she continued, moving forwards and hugging him. He was surprised but gratified that she didn't hate him, and that he hadn't inadvertently hurt her in some way.
"Although, if you do think about hurting Spock, you will find yourself in for a whole world of pain, boy. Not even kidding. I'm friends with Gaila Vro, as you well know, and what she doesn't know about dick isn't worth knowing, so I'm sure she can tell me some inventive ways to injure 'little Jim' if the situation warrants it, are we clear on that?" Uhura finished up, the hand at his shoulder squeezing hard and her sparkly nails digging into the flesh a little.
Jim nodded and promised her that he wasn't going to hurt Spock, not if his life depended on it. with a smile as a goodbye she sashayed past him towards her quarters. Jim let out a sigh of relief at knowing he was free of guilt on uhura's part. He hated thinking that she blamed him or spock for what was happening between them. The situation with exes was always a delicate one, and had to be approached with utmost care and attention.
Before Jim could deliberate any more about what had just happened he felt a pair of warm, strong arms wrap around him from behind, and a familiar pointed ear rest against his skull.
"Hey, you. I didn't know you were listening to that…I…we're okay right?" Jim asked uncertainly, wondering whether Spock had heard the part about love. He felt the Vulcan nod against his shoulder.
"We are more than 'okay' T'hy'la. It is gratifying to know that the person I love shares my feelings. Also I would like to show my appreciation about your concern for Nyota's wellbeing. It has been on my mind as it has been on yours and you have appeased our concern in a satisfying way. Thank you for being such a caring individual Jim; it is one of the things that drew me to you in the early stages of our relationship." Spock said in his low voice, Jim felt it rumble through his ribcage and like how that felt. He touched two of his fingers to Spock's and smiled goofily for a short while at hearing his love declaration returned.
He then turned in his Vulcan's arms and wrapped his arms around Spock's neck, pulling his head downwards softly by those lovely pointed ears so their foreheads touched.
"Oh yeah? I just didn't want her to hate us, to hate me, for what happened. Her friendship means a lot to me and I didn't want to have messed that up. Also I've got a suggestion for how you can show your appreciation. But I think it's a bit pornographic for normal conversation so why don't I tell you in our quarters, Mr. Spock? Follow me?" Jim said, his voice turning a little seductive towards the end of his sentence. Spock raised an eyebrow at his boyfriend but shrugged, yeah, actually shrugged. It was something he had picked up from Jim, who had in turn picked up the gesture from doctor McCoy, and his brother Sam who were both quite nonchalant individuals, when they weren't drinking and grousing at everyone. It was a shame they hadn't met, because the captain often thought they would get along swimmingly.
"I will follow you always, Mr. Kirk. I would be more than amenable to hearing your suggestion in out quarters, and then carrying out the appreciative action you defer me to. I might even have an inkling of an idea of what you might suggest." Spock replied, a hint of playfulness in his voice, as he was dragged along the corridor to their room.
"Oh really? Well I might yet surprise you, Spock. You can never tell with crazies like me, don't you know, with my tendency to be rather unpredictable at all times? It could be feeding me roasted marshmallows dipped in chocolate for all you know. Although, your assumptions are probably right this time. It involves you, me, a bed, and a condom and your co-
Spock pulled Jim in for a kiss before he could tell the entire ship of what was about to occur. He had just fixed, well cemented their relationship with uhura, Spock didn't want to have to go around apologizing to the rest of the crew for scarring them by Jim regaling them with a play-by-play of their escapades.
Once they reached the door to their room, their lips were still attached and Jim's hands were running through Spock's dark hair. It appeared that Spock's assumption about the 'appreciative actions' were correct. And he fulfilled his duty very thoroughly. All night long. And in an adequate way; if Jim's moaning and groaning was anything to go by. Luckily for them, and the respective crew, the walls of the quarters had been made soundproof. So the captain could moan out his orgasms all he wanted without having to awkwardly explain away the noise at a later date. Spock did moan his way through it too, it was just that his enjoyment couldn't be heard over just how loud Jim was.