"Len, this is Uhura, she's majoring in Xenolinguistics. Uhura, this is Leonard McCoy. He's a doctor." Gaila practically curled herself around that word, pressing herself against the cadet's arm; he awkwardly shifted so his arm wasn't buried in her cleavage. He gave her an annoyed look and she shrugged apologetically.
"Pleasure." The cadet introduced as McCoy, stuck out his hand and Uhura grasped it. His hand was bigger than hers, and warm as toast. All the doctors she knew had cold, bony fingers. The first thought that popped into her head was 'comfort'. She supposed that was right, seeing as he was a doctor. He ought to have comforting hands.
"Same here. Will you excuse us, for just a second?" McCoy shrugged and turned back to the bar. Uhura grabbed Gaila's arm, dragging her a few feet away. "What is wrong with you?"
"What?" the Orion asked innocently.
"Setting me up with Jim Kirk's best friend, are you insane?"
"Look, it's Friday night, and from what I hear, you two are the only ones who habitually spend them studying. You both need to get your heads out of the PADDs and labs and libraries and focus on more important things." Nyota rolled her eyes,
"Come on," she pleaded "He's really nice once you get to know him, and, look at him-" she did, "He's gorgeous!" Uhura blushed then, "And if you'd come here more often in something other than your uniform, maybe you'd get lucky-"
"Okay- okay! I'll stay. Is the lecture over?" Jim Kirk suddenly walked into the bar, Gaila saw and grinned.
"It is now." She started towards Jim as Uhura turned towards the bar again, "Hey,"
"What?"
Leonard saw Gaila pull Uhura close so only she could hear, the Orion whispered something to her, and Uhura's eyes grew wide, she smacked her arm, glancing, shocked, at him as the Orion scampered off, giggling to herself. Supposing whatever Gaila had said was about him, he turned away; motioning to the bartender he was ready to order.
She slid onto the barstool next to his,
"She finished giving you the sex talk or what?" Uhura grinned.
"Says we spend too much time studying."
"No offense, but usually that's where I prefer to be. I mean, I ain't as young as Jim," he nodded back to Kirk, who was dancing with Gaila.
"Well, you're not old either." Uhura said, the bartender came back to them, setting a shot of Jack in front of her. "I didn't order this-"
"I did, you looked like you needed one."
"Thanks." She knocked it back, "Anyway, you're not old." She said, "You're what?" she looked him over, trying to guess. "Mid-thirties?"
"Thirty-two." He said, polishing off his drink.
"So, you're studying to be a doctor?"
"Already am one." He said "Graduated from the University in Mississippi. Came here because I got nowhere else to go. Figured I could take a refresher, which I am now, and I'm free to take any other courses I want, I'm in one of your classes actually, forget which one, the one you help teach- with that Vulcan. I mostly spend my time studying alien physiology, figure I'd be better off reading up on that if I'm gonna be traversing the galaxy." He waved the bartender over "You good for another?" she nodded and he ordered two more drinks "I work in the medical bay at the Academy when I'm not in class, so if you ever got a problem you can look me up."
"So you don't do house calls?" she asked, he looked at her with such a funny look on his face she nearly choked on her drink.
"Was that a come-on, or are you just really bad at flirting?" he asked, smiling and she blushed again.
"I'm out of practice." She laughed,
"Me too." He said "You wanna go somewhere else?" she looked at him, then around at the crowd.
"Like where?"
"I dunno, could go for a walk. Supposed to be a meteor shower out…or there's a film festival going on in Battery Park, I think across the Golden Gate Bridge there's an open-air concert." She glanced around the bar, considering her options. She disliked being on display on a blind date, especially with Gaila and Jim so close.
"Can we just walk for now?"
"Fine with me." He shrugged, paid the tab and ushered her out, his warm hand on the small of her back so they wouldn't get separated in the crowd.
"Dang, there's Jim and Gaila." She hissed, he cursed under his breath,
"C'mere, we can go out the back." He said in her ear, so she could hear him above the pounding music. He took her elbow and they snaked through the crowds, Leonard waved to one of the bartenders, and he nodded the okay for them to pass the "DO NOT EXIT" sign in back.
Out in the warm August air, they started for the quad.
"You hungry?" he asked, she shook her head
"I ate before Gaila dragged me out here."
"Well I'm starved; hope you don't mind me grabbing something."
"Go ahead." She said and he led the way to a particular street that hosted nothing but street vendors, food carts and restaurants, all hailing the best in the city, best on Earth, or best in the Galaxy. Leonard found a particular favourite among the cadets, a small hot dog stand that also sold fried octopus, Hasperat and Tarvorkian Cakes.
"You sure you don't want something?" he asked, and she peered at the sign, the sweet powdered cakes coming fresh out of the vendor's oven were awfully tempting, he saw her looking. He grinned and ordered a cake along with his two corn dogs.
"I didn't say anything!" she insisted when he handed her the confection and waved goodbye to the vendor.
"It'll do you some good to put some meat on them bones." He said "You're so skinny if you stood sideways and stuck out your tongue you'd look like a zipper." Uhura couldn't remember a time when a guy made her laugh so hard. His comments weren't meant as insulting, just teasing, and she was glad he was already so comfortable to do so. Nothing ruins a good time like someone too nervous about stepping on toes.
They sat down on the wall facing the Golden Gate Bridge, the sidewalk about half a meter or so from their feet, the sand from the beach creeping into the cracks of the path. He'd already finished one of the corndogs; he started on the other now while she peeled back the sticky wax paper and pulled a bit from the cake.
"You wanna bite?" he asked, mouth half-full, he offered the corndog to her, she leaned over and bit the end off, mumbling something about the spicy mustard he'd generously added to it, then offered the cake to him, he pulled off an equally large piece and set it on his knee. She looked at him, her cheek bulging with hotdog and cake, he burst out laughing then. She managed to swallow it all before choking.
"What?"
"Nothin, I guess I figured you were a vegetarian or something." He said, "And seeing as you're teacher's pet in more than one class, I never thought I'd be eating on the beach with you."
"Well, if it makes you feel any better I never thought I'd be sitting here with Jim Kirk's best friend." He grinned, nodding
"I always figured it was more him than me. You don't seem like his type."
"That's because the first thing on my mind isn't sex and how many people I can have it with."
"Definitely not his type." She shivered then, a slight breeze from the ocean drifting over them. "You cold?" not waiting for her to answer, he pulled off his jacket and set it on her shoulders, "Maybe we should go back." He said, scanning the sky for storm clouds.
"No," she said "I like it here. Unless you want to go back."
"Naw." He shrugged. "And in case you're wondering, I'm not looking to hook up or whatever it's called these days."
"Well, to be honest, I am seeing someone." He perked up at that.
"Oh yeah? He treating you alright?"
"Well…we're not exactly seeing each other…" she said slowly "We- it's more like we're-"
"Like what you and I are doing now?" he offered, and she nodded "But I guess you'd like to go a bit further with him." Again Uhura nodded. "So long as he treats you right." he said, crumpling up their food wrappers, he tossed them in the metal bin and stood up. "You wanna go walk in the sand?" she looked at him, it was such a simple request, it had never been put that way to her. It didn't matter really, but she decided his way sounded much nicer, and she knew the request was as innocent as he meant it to sound. Uhura nodded, pulled off her shoes and set them on the walk. He'd already rolled up the cuffs of his pants, his boots under his arm, he looked ridiculous, she couldn't help but stifle her giggles. He only rolled his eyes
"Shut up."
They talked about their goals in Starfleet, their families, where they hoped to be stationed after graduation, things you get to talk about when you know you're going to be close friends with a person. If any other guy asked her if she wanted to walk on the beach on a blind date, she might've thought they were looking for action, but she didn't get that vibe from Leonard. He seemed sincere, genuinely interested in what she had to say and nothing more. He even asked her about Spock, the aforementioned gentleman she wanted to get to know better.
"Does he feel the same way 'bout you?" he asked, they'd been walking up and down the beach, re-tracing their footsteps. She swung her boots back and forth.
"I think he does." She said after a moment.
"I guess you're probably the only one who could read a Vulcan. I sure as hell can't tell one way or the other." Uhura smiled then.
They walked back to her dorm, carrying their shoes and a few pieces of coloured glass she'd found in the sand, their edges worn down by the ocean.
"Hey," Leonard said suddenly, they were halfway back to her room. "I don't even know your first name." she smiled then
"Nyota." he was quiet a moment.
"That's real pretty. Suits you."
"How can a nice guy like you be friends with a guy like Kirk?" she asked, studying him carefully. He looked at her, a little embarrassed.
"I guess…he was the first one I talked to at the Academy. He pulled me out of a real rough patch. I know his manners aren't what they should be, but his heart is in the right place…most of the time. He's actually pretty normal, when there aren't any girls around."
"Meanwhile, he's cocky, rude, presumptuous, thinks he owns the-"
"Hey-hey! I don't judge your friends." He said and she stopped then.
"Sorry."
"Still sore about that time at the bar?" Uhura shook her head.
"I don't know why he gets under my skin like that."
"Because you don't fall for his bull, and he expected you to. You like proving the genius farm-boy wrong." He shrugged "Trouble is, he's not a farm boy anymore, don't think he ever was. Got to realize darlin', he was meant for somethin' better. Probably better than all of us on this whole planet."
"You're very loyal to him." Nyota said after a while.
"Well, someone's got to keep him out of trouble."
"You're doing a hell of a job."
They arrived at her dorm room; he gave her the pieces of glass from his pocket that he'd been carrying for her.
"Thanks, hey listen," she said, hitting the keypad, the door slid open behind her. "If you ever want to do this again, get a few drinks or maybe grab something to eat, I'd love to."
"Are you asking me out, or are you asking me to ask you out?" Nyota laughed,
"Both I guess." She said. He smiled warmly then,
"I'd like that." They stood quietly for a moment, before he shifted his bare feet on the cold dorm floors. "Can a gentleman kiss a lady goodnight?" she nodded and he bent, pressing a warm kiss to her smooth cheek. When he straightened, he saw she was blushing, "S'matter?"
"Nothing." She said
"I'd like it if we could get to know each other better, as friends." And Nyota smiled.
"So would I." he gave her arm a light squeeze before he started down the hall, whistling to himself. "Hey!" he turned around again "When are you gonna pick me up?"
"Lunch on the quad?"
"I'll bring the cake." He grinned and nodded, waving goodbye once more before he headed back to the room he and Jim shared.
Next Friday Night
"You guys made it!" Gaila hugged her friend and Kirk slapped Leonard on the back, "You guys look great together." Gaila said quietly to Uhura,
"Thanks," she said, giving Leonard a knowing look, he'd heard. "But we're not together. We're just friends."
"Sure you are." Jim said, winking at Leonard before he pulled Gaila out to the dance floor. Leonard gave Nyota an apologetic look but she only shrugged, taking a sip from her Cardassian Sunrise. Uhura watched while the music grew louder, people were cheering, clapping and whistling as an old favourite came on.
"Hey, if you wanna go dance, you can, don't let me hold you back." Leonard said in her ear over the bass. She smiled then,
"I've got a better idea," she jumped off the bar stool and grabbed his hand
"What- no! I don't-"
"It's easy, C'mere, just move to the beat."
"I'll look like an ass." He said, trying to keep his hind-end firmly planted on the bar-stool. She pulled him away, toward the dance floor.
"So we'll be ass-buddies. Now move it." She started bobbing to the music, and he reluctantly followed. She swung her hips, snapping her fingers in time to the beat. By the end of the night, Leonard managed to get some kind of rhythm, and even pulled her onto the dance floor once or twice. He endured teasing from Kirk for part of the night, but Leonard took it in stride. A few weeks later, the Fleet Bar hosted a Swing Craze, involving a fast-paced jazz rhythm. The best part was that Bones had them all whipped. At first, he wasn't going to dance, he saw several couples awkwardly trying to perform the vintage movements and he hollered over the music to Uhura that he could do what they were doing.
"Really?" she gasped "Show me!" she dragged him onto the floor, and he glanced around nervously, but as soon as the music picked up, he shouted at her to get ready to go. By the end of the night, people were slapping him on the back, buying them drinks and asking him to show them how to dance like that.
On the walk home, they carried their shoes again, his jacket slung over her shoulders. They were laughing as they stumbled down the street.
"Where'd you learn to dance like that?" she asked
"My momma used to teach dancing and stuff down in Georgia. Made me come with her on slow days, taught me all the ballroom junk. Swing was the only one of them that stuck though."
"How come you don't dance more often?"
"I dunno. No one to dance with I guess." He said "Ex-wife hated to."
"She didn't even want you to teach her?"
"Naw, thought I'd drop her on her head."
"Well I don't care what anyone says, you really good." he turned a rosy colour, looking at his feet.
"So, how're things going with you and Spock?" it was her turn to blush.
"He wants to take me to the Symphony this Saturday."
"Shoot, and me keeping you out till all hours, why didn't you say something?"
"It's fine Len, really, I wanted to come. Besides, I told him Fridays I go out with my friends so those aren't-"
"Listen," he said, stopping her on the walk "Don't you even think about me, when it comes to you and him, that's all you gotta worry about. He's gonna mean more to you than anyone else, so you put him before me." She looked as if she might cry then.
"Well I like keeping Friday's with you, if you don't mind." She said, trying her best to snap at him, but it was clear she was touched by his words. He smiled then and wiped her tears away.
"Come on, darlin', you know what I mean. If he asks you out on a Friday, say yes. Don't worry about me. You're the only girl I dance with anyway." She nodded then, understanding.
"Better be." She said teasingly. Leonard was the only guy at the Academy that she actually felt comfortable touching. In the library, they could usually be found taking up a table, him stretched across two chairs, her legs draped over his as they studied. There was nothing sexual or lewd about their actions toward each other, they had simply fallen into that comfortable state with each other, not caring if they looked their best or not, if they shared food or she put her legs on his lap or if he only danced with her. Jim Kirk made certain that everyone knew the two of them weren't dating either. Not a rumour was whispered about them. And everyone knew that Leonard McCoy held the deepest respect for Uhura, and she him. They were, what the new Russian Cadet called "Deep friends" they'd laughed at his pronunciation, but as they thought on it, they realized it was true. They'd only known each other for a short time, but something had clicked between them, of a deep, everlasting friendship.