"Uhura! You're never going to believe this."
Gaila, with that shit eating grin she always had on, bounded into their room. Her bright red curls bounced with each step, which made Uhura slightly more irritated than it should have. All day, all fucking day, she'd had this splitting headache and no amount of pain relievers seemed to be doing the trick. Doctor McCoy said that it should go away on its own and suggested she take a nap to relieve some of the stress. She didn't need to rest, nor could she when the new Subspace Transmission professor was a complete pain in the ass. He was from Vulcan . . .Commander Something or rather.
She had to admit his expertise in a great number of subjects made her wonder why he had not decided to join the Vulcan Science Academy. The thought lasted a moment the second he began teaching. Their workload, already enough to send Uhura over the edge into a mental institution, was doubles without a second glance back to the class. All of them, herself included, sported either dropped jaws or unified groans. She had been part of the former group as any sound made would not have been able to adequately express her frustration.
Still, Uhura kept her chin high and accepted the extra assignments with grace. After all, she'd have to get used to taking orders even from people as troublesome as the commander. Although, Uhura had to admit, working for him would be far preferable to people like Jim Kirk. He'd probably get them stuck in a firefight on their first mission. The thought made Uhura chuckle softly to herself as she clicked the link to the next section of reading on her PADD. Sighing, she placed the device by her side and sat up with crossed legs.
"Yes, Gaila?"
"Turns out I'm free tonight."
Uhura fought to keep the smile from cracking through her stern features. "What's his name?"
"Whose?" Her attempt at innocence was about as successful as her trying to keep Jim Kirk from constantly seeking out her first name. The guy was obsessed.
"The guy you suckered into writing your paper for you."
"Cadet Sweet Ass." Uhura raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Oh, you know," she flickered her wrist nonchalantly. "Blue eyes, tall, dark skinned. Completely gorgeous! We have him in survival training. He kept checking me out."
She now remembered the guy all too well. Uhura had nearly decked him when he tried his moves on her. Her nose wrinkled, how in the name of Vulcan verb conjugates was that guy smart in any sense of the word?
Gaila merely laughed at the emotional show displayed across Uhura's face. "I didn't think he was smart either until I saw him working on an assignment for Commander Spock's class. The one you have with subspace frequencies."
"Don't tell me. Whatever-his-name-is fell for your, 'I'm just so hopeless', rant?"
"It works like a charm. I haven't had to write papers all year."
"Gaila. That is cheating."
A half-smirk played across her roommate's face. "Only if you get caught." Her laughter was clear like a bell with just a tiny hint of mischief woven in. "So you're coming with me tonight, right?"
Uhura shook her head. "I have an assignment. It's due tomorrow."
"Didn't you have that done like last week?"
Uhura crossed the room to pour herself a cup of coffee. "A little editing never hurt anyone. Besides, this assignment is really important to me."
************************************************************************
"What?!?!" Uhura's frantic hiss sent the people in front of her to exchange a glance and shrug before turning back to whatever had caught their attention in the first place.
Commander Spock stood at the front of the room, going on and on about something Uhura should have been paying attention to. Instead her attention was focused on the assignment grades that had been mailed to their PADDs during class. Curious, she opened the message and her jaw went slack and her eyes wide. She refused to believe the grade she'd gotten. Everyone else looked slightly disappointed while some others were silently cheering to their friends from across the room. Cadet Daniels was one of those people. She narrowed her eyes on the lazy imbecile. How in the hell had he possibly done better than her?
"Tonight I want you to read chapters five and six. I expect a full report by Monday."
The whole class groaned. Monday? Today was Friday. No self-respecting Cadet did homework on Fridays and Saturdays were beyond out of the question. Looks like Sunday night would be a night of coffee and other hangover treatments while trying to write the report. Luckily she'd befriended one of the doctors and he gave her access to the patented hangover cure.
She waited patiently for everyone to file out. Her walk was slow, allowing her to keep tabs on Spock as she let everyone bump into and pass her. He watched the disappointed cadets with the same emotionless fascination he regarded nearly everyone with. Still, Uhura actually kind of liked the way he kept things hidden. It was like a tightly wrapped birthday gift that wonder if it's really worth opening. Of course, like all things, the effort made the spoils all the more enjoyable.
Uhura stomped to the door and pounded against the metal.
"Enter."
The door opened to Spock sitting straight as a street pole in his chair. His chocolate brown eyes were glued to something in front of him. They looked up temporarily and took in Uhura's irritated appearance.
"Please, have a seat." She grumbled but eventually complied. The chair was soft and helped to take the edge off her anger. "Now, what can I do for you?"
"You might want to start by explaining this. I poured my heart and soul into this assignment and all I get is a C-."
"I apologize for the inconvenience, Cadet . . ." He trailed off, keeping his gaze locked with hers.
Uhura released a tense breath. "Cadet Nyota Uhura."
"Ah, yes." He started looking over something on his PADD. The corners of his lips twitched into a small frown before he set the device on the desk to the far right. "Nothing that cannot wait," was his response. "Now. What do you wish to know?"
"Do you hate me?"
"Hate is a human emotion."
"Look at this." She showed him her PADD where her paper, and his ridiculous notes were written in the digital print.
"I believe that is the assignment I gave you and your completed work along with my grade and comments. Is there something wrong?"
"Something wrong?" She did nothing to hide the mocking tone in her words. "I spent hours pouring my heart and soul into this topic. Cadent Daniels got a higher grade than me and he knows nothing about his topic. He probably squandered it."
"Do you have proof?"
She opened her mouth but then shut it with hate building in her features. "What about my grade? A C-?"
"It's completely respectful given the circumstances."
"What circumstances are you talking about?"
"Your age prevents you from considering all points of view. There were parts that were rather heavy sided on one end of the research and not the other."
She actually didn't completely disagree with him. Of course, that didn't mean she had to like it.
"You shouldn't feel upset."
"Oh and why's that?"
"You have great potential in the communications field. I am merely testing your loyalty to it."
Uhura wanted so much to throw the statement back into his emotionless face but decided prudence would be wiser when dealing with a superior officer.
"Are we done, Cadet Uhura?"
"Yes, sir." She gathered her things and stormed out.
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A couple months later and Uhura was at the lab late one night. Gaila probably had dragged home a guy and she wasn't in the mood to kick the guy's ass out of their room so she could sleep. Besides, it was here Uhura always did her best thinking. The topic of tonight, Commander Spock.
As Uhura continued her studies, she began to take Spock's advice. And, as a result, they became closer. The line between their student and teacher relationship grew hazier by the day, not that Uhura minded. Once those ears meant frustration and annoyance. Now they signified nerves and a refueled vigor to succeed when others doomed her to failure. Her success wasn't going unnoticed either. She'd had several offers above various ships. Of course, there was only one that caught her heart. The Enterprise was a wonderful ship and Uhura would do anything to get on it, even as a janitor if she had to stoop that low.
Spock's face flashed to her mind. His brown eyes that wonderfully angled facial structure, Uhura had to sigh. He was quite the catch if one could look past the infuriating logic and constant suppressed emotions.
Her mind went back a couple nights to a night just like this.
She'd been studying and he'd walked in, not knowing she'd be there. They exchanged greetings before getting back to their respective works.
The whole time he was there, Uhura just couldn't concentrate. And it didn't help matters when Spock asked for her assistance. She hustled over to find he needed help with something so trivial. Why did he need her help?
That's when she noticed how close they were. It would have been so easy to have kissed him right then and there. But, as usual, her common sense kept her just far enough back. Spock, meanwhile, was going through a similar battle. It would have been easy to give in and kiss her. They moved closer and were mere inches, mere millimeters away from fulfilling Uhura's dreams when the door opened and a young recruit stood in the doorway. Uhura had to run the kid down and beg them to secrecy. A light drizzle had fallen, which began to drench Uhura as she ran back to the lab.
Only once she got there, Spock was gone.
Uhura bit her lip and took off to the officer's quarters, the most logical place to find Spock.
She reached the door and pounded on the metal.
It opened and Spock stood there looking down at Uhura who was now thoroughly soaked from the major downpour.
"Cadet Uhura. You're presence here is illogical."
"Spock. I don't care about being illogical around you. What almost happened the other night, did you want that? Because I still want it too."
"Perhaps a towel first?"
Uhura nearly gasped. She'd just ran half a mile and confessed one of her biggest insecurities. Now, after all that, all he could do was ask if she would a towel.
"I can see you are angry."
"You better," she huffed, "believe it."
"Come inside. Standing in the cold rain without adequate protection will make you fall ill."
Uhura somewhat smiled. That was the closest thing to concern she'd ever heard coming from him. Spock motioned for Uhura to enter. Butterflies flitted through her stomach, though for what reason Uhura couldn't figure out. Sure Spock was one of her professors, but there was just something about him. Something that made her feel safe in his presence almost like a protector.
For being a Vulcan, Spock's living quarters were filled with quite the collection of art. She drifted into the living room and admired the different pieces. Her interest was caught on an old Picasso painting when she heard the sound of someone clearing his throat behind her. She turned with embarrassment flooding her cheeks. Spock held out a towel, which Uhura gladly took and started to dry her damp hair.
While she dried, Spock tried his best not to think about the sudden red color that had come to her cheeks. It was a lovely shade, very complimenting to her skin tone. This woman fascinated him. Her clothes were still wet and the first thing she decided to dry was her hair. Her habits were odd but fascinating nonetheless.
"I'll take a drink now."
"I apologize. I do not typically consume alcohol."
Uhura shook her head. "It's an Earth expression. I did not mean alcohol."
"Then what do you require?" He stood attentively like he was taking an order from the President of the Federation.
"Some tea would be nice."
"Very well." He disappeared, leaving Uhura to glance at the artwork on the walls once more. Another piece caught her eye. It was a sunset from the viewpoint of the Vulcan consulate. The woman and her sparkling eyes immediately drew her eye. The sunset behind her captured the glow that was radiating from her skin. A wide smile and bright, round eyes were turned towards a man, a Vulcan man. His stone-faced expression was so out of place at first glance, but as Uhura looked closer, she could see the love hiding just beneath the surface. The man's hand was placed over the woman's stomach while hers was laying on top of his. Their fingers were laced together, the only indication of a shared moment of intimacy.
"My mother and father. That was painted the day they found out my mother was pregnant with me. My mother always had a fascination with paintings. She said I'd need a picture of them and insisted I take this one." Spock was right behind her, holding out a cup. The fumes brought the lovely scent floating into Uhura's nose. She took the warm cup, letting the heated glass heat her near freezing palms. She took a sip and sighed.
"Is it agreeable?"
She laughed. "Extremely. I haven't had tea like this for a long time." Uhura looked back to the picture. "Your mother is very beautiful."
"Thank you."
"Why did you decide to leave Vulcan?"
"The ministers and I had a disagreement." The slight deviation in Spock's inflection led Uhura to detect a bit of resentment.
"Over what?"
"The reason is not relevant. What matters is I decided to join Starfleet instead."
"I'm glad for that, but Spock I have to know something." She crossed the room and settled into one of the comfier chairs. The hot liquid slid down her throat, warming her from the inside out. "What are we? I mean, are you even interested?"
"Isn't the answer obvious?"
"Humor me."
"It is curious that you humans need verbal reassurance."
Uhura scoffed. "This coming from a person who is half human himself."
"Yes, but I can control my tendencies."
She shifted uneasily in the chair. "You haven't answered my question." Nerves coursing through her entire body, Uhura could think of no better cure for her fidgeting than to stand and begin to pace around the room.
"I mean. That night when something almost happened between us. I don't think either of us wanted it but maybe we need it. Maybe, our bodies tell the truths that the mind keeps hidden. I can't help but wonder what would have happened if that recruit hadn't disturbed us. I know I am your student—"
"Cadet Uhura."
"No," she threw up a hand. "I am the one talking here. Just let me finish. I know you are also my professor—"
"Nyota." He said her name with such urgency that she forwent the usual look of annoyance when her dark brown hairs connected with his. That's when she noticed something was terribly wrong. His hands were gripping the chair's arms so that his knuckles turned white. A thin trail of emerald liquid trickled from where he was biting his lip.
She leapt to his side, trying to shake him back to awareness. Immediately his eyes refocused and turned to her. There was such pain lurking in their muddy brown depths.
"I've been," he gasped, "Poisoned."
"Shit," she swore, ignoring the look of reprimand on his face. "What do you need? Tell me."
"Ice. Get me ice."
She ran to the kitchen and threw four ice cubes into a plastic bag. Spock grabbed it from her and crunched down on the cubes, one by one. His breathing was a little faster while his heart was beating in overtime.
"What else?"
He mumbled something she didn't quite catch before beginning to choke. He gasped and cleared his throat. "Ceremavol. A herb from Vulcan. Spice cabinet."
She dashed back with the strange green powder and watched as Spock dumped a moderate amount into his mouth. A thin layer of sheen had now covered his face.
"Come on, Spock. I'll alert medical."
"Only need . . .one more thing."
"What?"
"A shock."
"How in the hell am I supposed to deliver a shock?"
"Not an electrical shock." The rest of his words were lost to his rapid gasping. With his strength fading fast, Spock found himself falling to the floor. He crashed face first, his body succumbing to erratic spasms.
"A shock?" Uhura's mind went racing through everything that she could possibly do that could surprise a man of such mental discipline. For once, she hated Vulcan logic. She tried rising, knowing this was beyond her control, when Spock's hand caught her wrist. The look on his eyes was pure torture. Uhura bit her lip and tried shaking him to keep his eyes opened.
"A shock, huh? Alright, big shock, coming right up." With every bit of strength she could muster, Uhura dragged Spock's shaking body so that he was leaning against the chair. Her hands went to either side of his face, and she began to silently pray that this would work. Without another thought, her mouth crashed into his.
Spock's eyes flew open. The sensation of her soft lips moving over his with such passion and longing, as if she'd wanted nothing but this, made him realize that deep down, this too was what he had wanted. Only the Vulcan side of himself was dominant over his human half and had therefore led him to believe his feelings for Nyota were entirely professional. But now that wasn't the case. If there was one thing he knew for sure was that Nyota mattered to him.
He could feel his strength returning, so he used his good arm to push her away. He heard a soft thud as she fell back onto the floor. A sharp pain erupted in his body, moving until it collected around his heart. His breathing was highly irregular but he suffered, knowing it would be over soon. Sure enough, within a few moments, a white vapor rose from his throat and exited his body.
When his vision became clear again, he focused his eyes onto Nyota. She was curled into a sort of small ball at the other side of the room. One hand held the other close to her chest. He fought the urge to frown and try to comfort her.
"Are you alright?" So much for fighting the urge.
"I should be asking the same question of you. What the hell was that?"
"A purging. It is sometimes necessary to perform one when poison has entered the bloodstream and there is not enough time to summon a doctor." He tried standing but his legs were still a little wobbly. Of course that wasn't because of the purging. "I apologize if I frightened you. Is your wrist alright?"
"Yes. I just landed on it wrong."
Spock approached and held out his hands. "If I may?"
Reluctantly, Uhura sent out her wrist only to have the gentle touch of Spock's long fingers wrap around the injured area. For a few moments, they sat in silence until Uhura couldn't take it any longer.
"I'm sorry for the. . ."
"The kiss?"
"Yes."
"There is no need to apologize. You behaved admirably."
"Well. Considering what we had been previously discussing, I realized my actions must have made you uncomfortable"
"I assure you they did not."
"Are you ok now?"
"The poison is gone."
"How did it get in there?"
Spock raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps someone has been tampering with my synthesizer. I must go talk to Starfleet Command at once."
Uhura grabbed his arm, feeling him tense under her touch. It was a small movement but still somehow very noticeable. "You should go to sickbay first."
"I assure you my physical state is undamaged."
"But isn't there a possibility? I mean what if there's a hidden poison."
"You humans and your worry."
"Again, you are half human. Don't talk like you're not one of us."
"I am not one of you. I am not one of the Vulcans either. I am different."
Uhura stood with him and advanced a little closer, so he couldn't run away. She brought a hand to his arm, a very intimate gesture considering they still maintained a student/professor relationship.
"Please."
"Why are you so infatuated with my safety?"
"I'm a woman, Commander. We worry."
************************************************************************
Three weeks later it was Uhura's birthday. She thought it was going to be a good day. After all, who doesn't have fun on their birthday?
Of course, Uhura was horribly wrong. First Gaila had left without even a mention. She didn't even know what the hell she'd done to piss off her roommate. Then Commander Spock was gone, apparently called off planet.
She walked into the lunchroom and sat at the normal table or at least what she thought was the normal table. A quick glance around told her she was at the right place. The only problem was, her friends were nowhere to be seen. Her gaze, defeated and on the verge of tears, fell to the table. Her heart suddenly stopped. There on the table was a PADD that was definitely not hers but in a piece of paper written across the top was her name. With a quick glance around the mess hall, she sat and opened the unread message.
Uhura-
Don't worry we haven't abandoned you. We're preparing a special dinner for you tonight. Come by the address shown below and dress to impress.
Love ya doll face,
Gaila
Uhura checked the address. It was somewhere in a residential district. Her mind kept going back to it all day, which made her professors slightly annoyed when they caught her daydreaming.
At the end of the day, she stumbled back to her dorm to find a vibrant lilac gown hanging in the doorway. There was another note.
We figured you'd be running late so we picked the outfit for you
Uhura sighed and reminded herself to thank Gaila later. After a quick shower and change, Uhura was practically running out the door. She gave the taxi driver the address and let her mind wander the whole way there. Soon they had arrived. She paid the man and walked up to the nice looking house.
The doorbell rang twice, causing Gaila and several of the other girls to break out into hysterical fits of laughter. Gaila reached the door first, pulling it open to a slightly weary Uhura.
She placed a long finger to her jaw. "Yeah," she drawled. "About your hair."
"What's wrong with it?"
Another girl, short but with the feistiness of a million warp reactors, bounded around the corner. Her gasp was slow and melodramatic. "Oh my god," she exclaimed. "What isn't wrong with it?"
Gaila checked the time. "Thank god. We still have time."
"Time for what?"
"Just shut up and let us do this."
For the next twenty minutes, they primped Uhura until she looked like a smoky seductress. Uhura hated it.
"Guys. I'm just seeing you. There's no need for this."
Gaila tapped her shoulder. "You'll thank us later."
The doorbell rang at the exact point the time reached nine o'clock. The girls erupted into another fit of giggles. Gaila ran from the room while the others led her to the dining room where a table was already set up. The food smelled so good and Uhura had already eaten all day.
"Sit," Hannah said. "We're sending in your surprise. But, until then," she unwrapped the ribbon from around her waist. "There's no peaking."
Uhura twitched her nose, knowing it'd be futile to argue. "When do I take it off?"
"Oh," she giggled. "You'll know."
Uhura heard footsteps run from the room, preceded by sharp fits of giggles. Then another set of footsteps entered her ears. Whoever they belonged to must be strong and confident. Therefore, Uhura wasn't so surprised when she heard a sharp breath.
"Cadet Uhura?" Was that surprise Uhura heard beneath the control in his voice?
She ripped away the blindfold to find Commander Spock.
"Commander," she stammered. It was the only thing she could think to say. "I—I'm sorry. My friends—"
"Yes, your friends. They enlightened me that today is your date of birth. I believe it is human tradition to bring a gift." His eyes went to the table where the food was laid out.
"You," she gasped. "Made all this?"
"Indeed." He drew a chair next to her and sat in it with his usual grace and poise. Only his eyes, his human eyes, betrayed the control his body so rigidly held.
"Why?"
"To thank you for all that you have done."
She didn't believe that for one second but decided to stay quiet. Uhura didn't realize she hadn't started eating until Spock raised an eyebrow. "Of course if you are not hungry—"
"No," she protested. "I am. Whose place is this?"
"Mine."
"Don't you think this is highly inappropriate?"
"Highly, but if you recall, you kissed me first."
Uhura's jaw dropped. "It's not like you didn't want it. After all, you kissed me back. Surely you must have wanted it as much as I did."
"You're right."
"And furthermore I—wait what?"
"I said you're right. When you kissed me, something inside awoke that I've never felt before. You're quite fascinating."
For once, Uhura was speechless.
"You seem distressed."
"When a man compliments a woman, he usually doesn't call her fascinating."
"What words would you find more pleasurable?"
She stabbed the vegetables on her plate and filled her mouth so she wouldn't have to talk. Spock waited patiently, devouring his own meal in silence. Finally Uhura sighed, "I don't want you to do anything you don't want to."
"As don't I. Yet, there is a part of me that wants you to want to kiss me again."
"You think I don't want to? You were the one who avoided me for three weeks."
Spock closed his eyes for a moment before opening them and locking gazes with her. "I had to think about this. I truly want to be with you, but the accusations of favoritism would be devastating."
"You're a respected officer who could find a position anywhere. I hardly think something this small would make a difference."
He swallowed the last remaining remnants of his meal. "It was not to me I was referring."
Uhura blinked back surprise. He was concerned about how their relationship would affect her reputation?
"I can handle any rumors."
"They wouldn't be rumors if they had basis in fact," he corrected her.
"Regardless. I can handle myself."
The rest of the night flew by in conversation about topics they knew and loved. She was utterly fascinated by this man, everything about him drew her in. As for Spock, he hadn't felt this relaxed in months. Talking to Nyota was a pleasurable experience. After dinner they walked out onto the backyard and lied on a blanket under the stairs. During one of their long conversations, Spock had noticed Nyota shivering. Without saying a word, he took off his jacket and laid it across her.
She snuggled into the garment and loved the way it smelled. Unlike most guys who douse ungodly amounts of cologne on, Spock had a sort of natural smell. It was Earthy and yet foreign. Musky but sort of flowery. Whatever his secret, he could make millions if he could bottle the stuff. The idea tickled Uhura and made her snuggle closer.
They had fallen into of their silent lulls when Uhura looked up at him. "Do you want to kiss me again?"
"Only if you wish to kiss as well."
"I would have thought you knew the answer was obvious." She didn't wait for him to respond, instead pulling him down into another kiss. Unlike the first one, which was hurried and awkward, this kiss was slow and methodical. They were like two explorers, delving deep into the mystery that was their intimate life.
Uhura pushed herself up so that she leaned over him, her fingers splayed in his hair. She could feel the hesitation in his every movement and so decided to pull back. After all, this may be too much too soon. But she found that the instant she started to pull away, Spock had brought a hand to the small of her back and another around her neck. He used both to push her down against him while his mouth briefly touched hers.
The following morning rose with the promise of something great. Uhura was beginning the journey to consciousness when she felt her body naked against sheets that felt far too expensive to be hers. She stretched and opened her eyes, though she had to rub them and blink rapidly to make sure what she was seeing was in fact real.
There was a tray at the end of the bed with some coffee and an Earth breakfast. English muffin and strawberry kiwi yogurt, her favorite. A note accompanied the meal.
Nyota-
I apologize for not being there when you wake up. Starfleet called me in to discuss what happened with the incident three weeks ago. I hope this breakfast is sufficient in fulfilling any hunger needs you may have upon awakening.
Happy Birthday,
Spock
P.S. I must also remind you that your assignment is due today so don't sleep in too long.
Uhura devoured the meal with glee and hunted through the room for her clothes. She found them along with an extra cadet uniform. Thank god she wouldn't have to do the walk of shame. She arrived at the Academy still fairly early, hopefully early enough so that Gaila would be asleep
Alas, she would have no such luck. Gaila and the rest of the girls were waiting for her when she entered the room. Uhura couldn't keep the smile from spreading across her face. A round of high fives were shared amongst Gaila and the other girls before one of them laughed and said, "Yeah, girls. We done good."
Gaila stretched out across her bed. "So," she drawled. "How was it?"
"I have no comment on the matter." Though she tried to conceal her feelings, they were written all over the grin that spread wildly across her face.
"Right. Well, Happy Birthday Uhura."
Uhura smiled and grabbed her stuff for class.
This was one hell of a birthday.
*
Author's Note: Well it's official…I am eighteen years old. I've been saving this story for my birthday because I would freakin' love to spend my birthday with Spock!!!! I tried to keep the characters as in character as possible but it's like 2:50 a.m. and I'm so exhausted!!! Anyways, check out Hunger (my newer McCoy/OC story). Kinda ran into a rough spot with it so any reviews would be fantabulistic!!!
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Reviews make my day!!!
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-Trekky18