{Original post is here: xstarsandsmiles dot tumblr dot com /post/76846084662/love-is-a-burning-thing-and-it-makes-a-fiery-ring}
The first time Spock met Willow was when Jim dragged him and Bones (literally, he dragged them) to a music event, where apparently his sister had got a spot to perform, after years of trying.
The blonde bombshell had hugged him after introducing herself, and seemed quite nice all in all. They'd stayed to watch her perform, and Spock had to admit her voice wasn't unpleasant to listen too.
They kept in contact, and to his surprise, Spock found himself thinking of her in the way he used to think of Nyota, as more than just his friend.
The second time he saw her was on the ship. Jim had almost fallen out of his chair at his first officers attempts to ask his sister on a date. When he ended his sisters confusion towards Spock she had agreed, seeming rather excited.
The first time Spock ever saw her cry was on the fifth of May, when he had taken her flowers, having been told by his captain it was a human custom to take a romantic partner something for their birthday. He hadn't been able to come over on her actual birthday, as he had desired. But it was four days late, and Jim had explained to his sister.
That was when she told him how she came to be a Kirk. How she'd been adopted. She opened up to him in a way nobody else seemed to trust him enough too. He had always assumed that she was happy was bouncy all of the time.
But now he saw how easily she broke. How thinking that the only possibly reason for being left on a doorstep barely a week after being born was that she was a mistake.
Spock considered that the first time he felt the emotion humans referred too as 'pity'. He pitied whoever had left her, because they missed out on watching a wonderful, talented, smart young woman grow up.
She never seemed to believe him on that matter.
The first time Spock saw her speechless (according to Jim this was an incredibly rare occurrence when it came to Willow) was half an hour before she was due to perform, on an arena stage, for the first time in her life. He was waiting with her backstage, her small hand clutching his as she bounced in excitement, impatient.
He had to resist the urge to roll his eyes, even after almost two years she was still as bouncy and excitable as they day they met.
He'd handed her a flower, her favourite, making her laugh slightly. Until she noticed the ring tied to it.
Well now, he couldn't do something normal to propose to someone like Willow could he?
The silence had pressed down on him, as she stared at the ring, blinking, before she untied it and looked at him as her lips stretched into a wide smile as she slid the ring on the appropriate finger.
"I assume that is an acceptation of my proposal?"
"Could it be anything else?" he'd smiled properly as she hugged him, a small giggled escaping her lips as she squeezed tightly, as she always did.
As he watched from the side of the stage, he had to admit; this performance was certainly more energetic and her smile was wider than in any others he'd witnessed.