Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek.
Warnings: Slash-Fluff. Spock and Kirk love. But a PG love, and only PG because Bones cursed I think…St 2009-verse.
Kirk thought that his first actual meeting with his Vulcan first officer was during when he was accused of cheating on the Koubiyashi Maru, but Spock remembered meeting his before that. Even if it was a passing moment and they didn't even bother asking each others names.
It was a cold day at Starfleet academy, and the skies had been threatening to snow for some time. So late into the winter season, Spock was amazed that it hadn't snowed before, and blamed himself for being careless enough to not think to bring the necessary clothing he would need with him to his classroom that morning. Now he stood inside the empty room slowly packing his bag up, all his student already gone to create strange globes of snow to throw at each other, or stare at the frozen water and comment on how pleasing it was for them to see the freshly fallen snow on the surface. He was more pleased that it had stopped snowing before his class ended so he wouldn't have to walk threw it home.
Spock couldn't understand why humans, and indeed many other of the races here at the academy, enjoyed this season. He was thankful that the academy he was assigned to was located in a climate where snow was a frequent sight in the winter passing, but that still left him with the occasional drift that chilled him uncomfortably. His higher body temperature already called him to wear thicker clothes then what was deemed normal here, but adding the snow…
Spock fully buttoned his long black over his academy teacher's uniform, thankful that he purchased one that blocked out the cold well even if it was a bit pricey, and slid the strap to his messenger bag over his shoulder before tugging on the thick gloves to protect his hands from the cold. Walking out of the building was easy enough, and to his credit he remained perfectly neutral to the biting cold that hit him face first, being the only skin not covered, and didn't even flinch as he felt his internal body temperature struggle to not fall against the cold atmosphere he found himself in.
Knowing that the trip to his quarters wasn't close, but still not far enough that the cold air would cause him any lasting pains, he calmly made his way across the campus grounds along the walkways made from other students and teachers. The sun was out, making the white snow even more blinding as he walked threw the courtyard with it's few empty black trees clinging snow to them, and it was relatively quiet with most classes still in session. It would actually be peaceful to the Vulcan man if not for the slowly numbing cold penetrating his pant legs, causing his face to flush a slightly pale shade of green he would be affronted to see but knew he could do nothing about.
He paused slightly, barely redirected his eyes from the path in front of him as he saw two students rushing down one towards him to his left, shouting at each other as they tried not to slip in the snow. He quickly deducted that they were students late for class when the glaring dark haired man shouted at the slightly laughing blond man.
"Damnit Jim! How can you break the alarm and NOT tell me!" Spock slowed his steps, pausing at the intersection of the paths as the one who shouted ran passed without so much as a glance at his person, the one called 'Jim' jogging behind him not appearing as worried. He raised his eyebrow as they slipped on a patch of ice a few feet away, toppling on top of each other into the snow. One sputtered curses that would make his mother blush while the other laughed.
Jim pushed himself into a standing position first, wiping off chunks of snow from his jacket as the other scrambled to his feet. "Geez Bones, it's not the end of the world if were late. Dr. Nimoy is a cool teach, plus he understands that students are late from time to time…"
"From time to time, maybe, but we've probably missed more class then anyone else because of you! I swear if he fails me-!"
"Yeah, I know, you'll kill me and make it look like an accident or stuff. You're pretty uptight for an old man in school you know?" Jim laughed and quickly dodged a wad of snow thrown at his head as Bones snatched up his books and took off again.
Spock watch the hostile but friendly interaction blankly, stepping back as the snowball Jim dodged landed in front of him. He stared down at it a second before lifting his eyes back to the student, only to meet piercing blue ones and a curious smile.
Jim bent and picked up his books and fallen scarf before stepping over to Spock, who felt compelled to continue standing there even as the cold air effected him more, and returned the wave with a blank nod. "Hey there, sorry about almost plowing you over and hitting you with the snowball. Bet we looked like a couple of idiots huh?"
"Indeed. I do believe you are also late for Dr. Nimoy's class?"
Jim blinked at him and grinned, scratching the back of his head and chuckling, "Yeah, but I'm not worried. I'm a genius like that." The younger man's eyes quickly looked him up and down, and Spock felt for a movement that the flush on his cheeks was from embarrassment over his untraditional appearance. "Just a guess, but are you cold?"
He stared at the amused blue eyes and raised eyebrow directed at him before trying to supply him with a logical reason why, though most of the other students had jackets and gloves, his was thicker and meant for even colder climates. "Unlike humans, my body temperature is higher and requires me to wear more insulated attire even in lightly chilled air." He couldn't fathom why he was actually conversing with this student though, when normally he would have already sent him to class and continued home, but the amused look compelled him to defend himself for some reason. "My home planet is substantially warmer and we don't have times of the year where 'snow' occurs."
"Uh-huh, sounds like a pretty warm place to me. Maybe I'll visit someplace like that, someday." The amusement didn't fad, but the look did change into a more thoughtful one. Jim reached down and pulled his scarf from the pile of books in his arm and shook it out, flinging any remaining snow to the ground, and stepped up to his person far closer then he was comfortable with.
He stiffened, on guard as the blond paused slightly, "I inquire about what you intend to do with that scarf, cadet."
Kirk chuckled, "You just look cold is all." Spock blinked and was to shocked to stop him as Kirk stepped forward the last foot and wrapped the scarf around his neck lightly, the dark red material not clashing horrible with his all black attire but still feeling out of place. Kirk stepped back and grinned at him, tossing him a wink as he took another step away and began to turn, "Consider it a gift to apologies for almost running you over and covering you in snow." Before Spock could stop him the younger man turned away and took off down the path the same way his friend did what felt like ages ago, but was only a short moment.
Spock stared after the retreating back, bringing up his left hand to lightly brush against the surprisingly warm material, and blinked. Logically, a simple apology would have been enough, and a gift was way out of line for such a minor offence, and logically the man would need his scarf back if it got colder. The Vulcan adjusted the material to better wrap around his neck and began walking towards his home, knowing that standing out here in the cold air wasn't going to change anything and deciding that if he ever found out who the cadet was that he would return the passing gift.
However, that didn't mean that he couldn't wear it till said time that he did meet the cadet again. The winter's on this planet were much colder then he was use to, and he had not yet purchased his own scarf to combat the cold. To not use such an item as it was intended simply because a cadet with no sense of boundaries or rules gave it was illogical.
Only he didn't find out who said cadet was until much later in his years at Starfleet academy, when he recognized the same amused look being directed up at him threw the windows above the simulation platform as a reckless cadet beat and test designed to be unbeatable. He didn't remember him as the cadet who gave him the scarf until much later, after the incident with the test was over, after Nero's attack, after his mother's death and the destruction of his planet, and after Kirk was mad into a permanent Captain of the USS Enterprise.
His mother would have enjoyed knowing who was the strange man that had given him the lovely red scarf. She often gave him a knowing look whenever she saw him wear it, one he still did not completely understand.
-
Spock folded the red scarf and set it on top his bed sheets along with the rest of his clothing, having been going threw his personal items in his room on bored the USS Enterprise. He tilted his head slightly towards the door as someone rang, walking over and opening the door to see his Captain standing there grinning at him. "Captain."
"Hey Spock, can I come in?" Spock nodded and stepped aside, Kirk quickly stepping around him and surveying the room, whistling. He then chuckled at Spock's raised eyebrow as the man shut the door and returned to packing his belongings neatly. "I sometimes forget how warn it is in here. The rest of the ship must be freezing to you."
"It's manageable."
Sitting down on the bed gentle to not disturb the items on it, Kirk's eyes caught upon the red scarf and he blinked, trying to remember something as Spock started placing his clothes inside boxes. He pick it up and fingered the material as the Vulcan placed the rest of the clothes in the box. "Where'd ya get this?"
Spock gave a low hum in his throat, not pausing as he moved to another box and started placing books inside this one. "It was a gift."
"A gift huh? From Uhura?"
"No, it was given to me prior to my arrangement with her."
"Ah, like when you were a kid?" Spock didn't pay attention to the slight hesitation in this question, knowing Kirk was probably thinking about his mother.
"No, my mother did not get if for me either. It was something I received during my teaching's at Starfleet Academy."
Kirk raised an eyebrow at this, standing up and still holding the scarf in front of him as he came up behind the older man who was still packing neatly. "Hmm, should I be worried? Some nameless stranger gave you a gift a while back and you still keep it?"
"Indeed, I thought it strange as well, but I was unable to locate the cadet for some time afterward to return it, and by then other priorities had arisen."
"Uh-huh. Ever plan to give it back?"
"Certainly, the opportunity had not presented itself until now, however." Spock stood up straight and turned around, taking the scarf from the amused man and folding it again. He then held it in front of him blankly as his Captain stood there, "I believe this is yours."
"Hmm, the thing is Spock," Kirk picked it up and undid it again, making an annoyed huff of air escape Spock that mad e him smile, "I remember I gave my scarf to some cold professor out in the snow who wasn't use to Earth's cold winters." He stepped forward and Spock dropped his hands as he invaded his space to drape the red scarf around his neck again, holding onto it as his hands came to rest against the Vulcan's chest. "It will be kind of rude for him to give it back, don't you think? Highly illogical to give back a gift."
Spock raised his own hands and loosely held onto Kirk's, nodding slightly. "However, giving away one's source of warmth is also illogical."
"I'll just have to keep you around me then to keep me warm." Kirk gave him a kiss, reaching up to the older man who dipped his head down to meet him.
-end-
