Disclaimer: I don't own Spock.
Special thanks to beta Notes from the Classroom (but I made last minute changes, all mistakes are mine…)
Before the movie...
...the Better Part of Valor
Spock moved his chess piece.
"So, Lieutenant Spock, have you spoken to your mother recently?" asked Professor Toshi Matsumura. He was trying to distract Spock from the game. It was all part of what his opponent, Lieutenant Commander Patrick O'Hara, and Toshi called '5 D chess.' They played 3D chess for time -- the fourth dimension of the game -- and tried to distract Spock with queries of a personal nature -- the 5th dimension of the game.
Because of Spock's aversion to personal queries, he sometimes lost -- which he found satisfying. He enjoyed a challenge.
Also, to be fair, Toshi and Patrick did not touch some subjects that would be extremely taboo for a Vulcan. They never asked him anything that would be vaguely indecent -- about him anyway. Never anything so much as, 'Have you ever kissed a girl?'
Lieutenant Commander Patrick O'Hara shifted a chess piece in response to Spock's move.
"As a matter of fact, just last night, Professor Matsumura," Spock replied.
Spock eyed the Lieutenant Commander's move, decided it was time to go on the offensive on the board, made a move of his own...and then, rather boldly, Spock decided to go on the offensive off the board as well.
"Professor," Spock said, "it has come to my attention that your maternal grandmother was quite a respected mathematician at the University of Tokyo."
Patrick made his move.
"Why, yes, that is true Spock," said Toshi. Spock looked up to see Toshi delicately sip some tea from a simple Japanese tea cup.
"She was the first person to really show me the beauty of mathematics..." Toshi said in his normal soft tones. "And in fact encouraged me to study Vulcan...it being the language of mathematics and science, of course."
Spock responded to Patrick's tactic and then said, "Is that so?"
"Why yes. I suppose my subsequent interest in computer science can be traced to her as well. She also enjoyed history very much...which is what led me to study the early Terran experiments with quantum drives..."
Patrick moved a pawn and snorted.
"I did not realize it was your interest in history that led you to your breakthroughs in quantum computing," said Spock responding to Patrick's move.
Spock's strategy for moving the conversation away from personal topics was going amazingly well. Nyota was the one who had suggested bringing up Toshi's mathematician grandmother...
"The problem, for quantum computing in the early 2000's, was decoherence..." explained Toshi, his voice getting even softer, his words even slower. "Of course, utilizing Vulcan technology..."
"Toshi, stop it!" said Patrick. "He's trying to get you to talk about physics!"
Toshi went silent. Spock lifted his eyes from the board. The professor's eyes were wide, his teacup was poised in mid air.
Patrick slammed a piece onto the board. "Getting out-psyched by a Vulcan..." Patrick grumbled. "Where is your human pride, Toshi?"
Spock turned his attention to the board and reacted to Patrick's apparent strategy.
"Eh..." Toshi said softly.
Patrick made a move and said, "Okay, Toshi, I'll take over here for a minute. Spock, did you that know your assistant, Cadet Uhura, has a boyfriend?"
Spock's hand paused in midair. He did know...because in fact he was said "boyfriend," although he found the description did not do full justice to his relationship to Nyota. He swallowed...how to diffuse this topic gracefully?
"I consider Cadet Uhura a colleague," said Spock slowly. "As a rule I do not discuss romantic relationships with colleagues." He made his next move and exhaled a long breath satisfied this would end this particular line of inquiry.
Patrick was not attuned to subtlety. Responding to Spock's move without even looking at the board, he said, "Yeah, well, one of my assistants told me she had a rather large hickey on the back of her neck...almost a bite mark..."
Toshi let out a breath that came out as, "Eh?"
Spock went hot and fought to keep his face from going pea green...but was certain his ears, at least, had taken on a distinct olive tinge. He really thought he had aimed below the uniform line...
Looking up, Spock saw Patrick shake his head at the board. "Someone is a wee bit careless."
"Or a wee bit territorial," said Toshi.
Spock looked up in surprise…the professor was staring hard at his teacup.
Spock looked down again quickly. Actually, that was the exact reason behind his compulsion…it was a Vulcan thing.
…but how did Toshi know? Did Toshi know?
"Someone should be a wee bit more discreet," said Toshi. "Wouldn't you say so, Lieutenant Spock?"
Spock's eyes flicked to the professor. The little man's gaze met his own and held it...which was unusual. Normally Toshi was not one for extended eye contact.
"Yes," said Spock softly.
Toshi's eyes slipped down to the chess board and he took a slow sip of tea.
A/N:
Ha! I meant to put this into Descartes but didn't. Hope you enjoyed. If you want to know how Professor Toshi Matsumura got to know Vulcans so well you might want to read "The Devil Likes Chocolate". Just fun stuff…
Also if you want to know how Spock discovered this compulsion or just want an S/U origin fic, please have a look at Descartes Error.
And if you were entertained please review -- I'd love to know!