Inside Jokes
(A/N:This work references my earlier story "The Promise". It's not completely necessary to read but will provide context.
Spock's relationship with humanity has always been…complicated, to say the least. Discounting his biological connection to humans, his upbringing and early life had been centered on a Vulcan attitude, especially regarding emotional matters. When he had rashly—for him—declared his intentions to join Starfleet to the Vulcan High Council, he hadn't anticipated the fact that it would be so closely centered on human cultural expectations, ensuring that his time there constituted of a series of culture shocks.
Frankly speaking, the constant culture shock hasn't stopped, mainly thanks to his effective but unorthodox commanding officer, James Kirk.
Kirk is unconventional for countless reasons: his style of command is lassiez-faire in many ways (like his lack of adherence to the Prime Directive) but strangely strict in others. He's reckless and impulsive, but occasionally demonstrates an almost terrifying genius that makes it clear to Spock that his near-perfect Academy performance had been utterly deserved.
But one of the most mystifying things about Kirk is, as with many other humans, his approach to his professional and personal relationships. While Kirk is more prone to act familiarly with his crew than other starship captains, his friendships are completely par for the course and are demonstrative of many qualities that Spock finds frustrating in humans.
One particularly vexing quirk is best exemplified in Kirk's friendship with his CMO, Leonard McCoy, as the bulk of their communication seems to center in memories and references that only the other understands.
Spock first notices this tendency in his fellow officers soon into Kirk's first official captaincy and into the long journey back to Earth after the Narada incident. Granted, at the time, Spock had not been at his most emotionally stable—having lost both his home world and his mother had been shockingly difficult and he had not been prepared for the mental fallout—and so had been especially sensitive to culturally unfamiliar emotional expressions.
He had just gotten off Alpha shift and was searching for the Captain Kirk in order to express ways in which the ship could accommodate the Vulcan guests aboard. The Enterprise's computer had located the Captain in the sickbay—unsurprising, as he had been injured from what seemed like a sandwich-related engineering accident—and it was while Spock entered sickbay that he hears the arguing emit from a curtained-off biobed in the corner.
"You idiot, look around you the next time you decide to bring a fire hazard into the only room on the goddamn ship that works in flammable materials…"
"Okay, so first of all, it was a sandwich and not a 'flammable material', and second, you can totally blame Scotty for this one and I maintain my innocence in this case."
Spock makes his presence known before Doctor McCoy can respond, inquiring "Doctor McCoy, would it be possible to speak to the Captain? I have some matters I wish to discuss with him regarding our Vulcan guests."
"Sure, come on in, Spock!" Kirk says before Doctor McCoy can reply. Responding to the Captain's seniority, Spock ducks behind the curtains to see Kirk, sitting on a biobed and grinning at him cheerfully despite the presence of second-degree burns across his right arm and side. Doctor McCoy, apparently in the middle of examining the burns, offers him a scowl. "Could you maybe wait a couple seconds?"
"Nah, Bones!" Kirk says. "Come on, shouldn't take too long to fix this up, right? Spock and I could chat while you do what you're doing."
Doctor McCoy redirects his glare to Kirk. "Really, now." He says. "You know how important it is that burns are fixed on time. Do I have to remind you of The Cafeteria Incident, Second Year?"
Surprisingly, that seems to do the trick. Kirk offers McCoy a weak smile and does not protest when Spock is shooed out of the room and told to "wait just a couple of goddamned minutes" and does just that.
He waits patiently until the Captain emerges, nodding at him, and is not offered an explanation of The Cafeteria Incident, Second Year. It should not irk him, but it does.
This tendency of referencing events and offering no explanation is a staple of Kirk and McCoy that Spock continues to notice in his time on the Enterprise. The next time this occurs is when the Enterprise finally nears Earth after weeks of space travel. As they approach the planet, the Captain orders a meeting with the top officers on the ship to discuss final preparations, including the Chief Medical Officer. Doctor McCoy is belligerent about his presence there, insisting on returning to sickbay, before Kirk mentions a "Jocelyn" and manages to get him to stay. "Jocelyn" is never explained either.
One time, after the crew of the Enterprise reunites at a special ceremony given for the heroes of the Narada incident, McCoy grumbles something about Axanar that has Kirk laugh so hard that he has to temporarily sneak out of the room to gain his composure. Spock knows Axanar as a Federation world and does not see why its mention would be funny. He is never told why.
Strangely enough, these moments are not always predicated on cheer or humor. On one memorable occasion, the Enterprise is sent off-world and Kirk is separated from the landing party in the aftermath of a large rockslide. McCoy finds him first, trapped under a large boulder, and Spock hears him talking to the Captain as he approaches to help.
"Jim," McCoy says, choking on his words. "Kid, you stop right there. You're veering into cheesey territory now. Remember?"
This reference makes no sense to Spock, nor does Kirk's confused reaction, which seems to upset McCoy further.
Having reached the Captain and McCoy, Spock asks "Is the captain in need of immediate medical attention?" and for the first time seems to stun McCoy into silence.
He doesn't take the time to bask in the strange reversal, having seen the Captain injured, and repeats "Doctor McCoy, What may I do to help the captain?"
As McCoy rattles off instructions, Spock grimly acknowledges that he does not feel the need to be privy to the information presented this time.
It is soon after this that something changes. Spock finds himself involuntarily included in this strange communication between Jim and McCoy, routinely being offered questions or references to past events shared by them that many around them do not understand. Jim begins to accompany such comments with a quick pat on his shoulder or a sharp grin: clearly, he is either unaware of a more standoffish Vulcan cultural norm or unbothered by it. Spock finds that he does not mind this as much as he thought he would.
McCoy also begins to include him in these inexplicable comments, especially after the incident in the Franklin. For weeks afterwards, Spock is assailed with Shakespearian nicknames and is quoted lines on occasion. He is certain that this confuses whoever else is in earshot that did not witness the initial exchange, but cannot bring himself to care about that much.
It is only much later, during a chess game with Jim in the officers' break room, does Spock understand the phenomenon he had noticed but had not been given a name to. When asked why he kept requesting sandwiches from Mr. Scott, Jim grins and says "It's an inside joke, but I can explain it to you if you want."
Spock raises his eyebrows, but Jim answers his question before he can ask it.
"Okay, so it's a little strange, but no weirder than the ones you or Bones or I have, promise. We're just unique like that."
Spock experiences a flurry of thought that goes something like this: inside joke/joke/humor/friendship/expression of friendship/oh. It's a realization that's reasoned logically but is paradoxically completely illogical.
Jim, not noticing Spock's realizations, simply says "Check, by the way."
As Spock studies the board, he surmises that humanity continues to be a culture shock. However, it is one that he can circumvent, even learn from, and gain something more in the process.
Spock moves a piece. "Checkmate." He says smoothly, over Jim's surprised sputtering. "As you have failed this match, I believe I can call my maneuver the Kobayashi Maru, can I not?"
He raises an eyebrow for good measure, and is rewarded by a sincere chuckle from Jim. The puzzled looks around them only seem to make it more meaningful.