After he had left, Nyota chided herself as she swam off the rest of her workout. How could I have been so childish? He's a Vulcan for Christ's sake! He's not going to give in to me let alone show any interest in the matter—especially towards a cadet.
She showered quickly in the women's locker room and dressed in her thick uniform sweater and her favorite skirt. Speedily making way to the study lounge, she noticed Spock sitting in a far, quiet corner, away from others softly chatting. He had already changed back into his dark grey uniform, hiding away any skin.
Spock stood as she approached, "Good evening Cadet, please," he motioned to the seat across from him.
"Thank you," she said as she placed down her materials on the desk that now separated them. He's going to pretend that nothing happened just an hour ago, great.
They began their session by quietly reading a Vulcan passage, then discussing the author's intentions on context. It was an ancient tale that Spock had chosen to write an essay on when he was a cadet merely five years ago.
"So what do you believe the hero's journey is?" Spock asked quietly, even though other cadets around them were not obeying any sort of quiet policy.
"Well, from this tale, the hero doesn't know who he is yet or what his destiny is," she explained.
"So you believe he is destined to be the hero, no matter the circumstances?"
"That's a matter of opinion."
"Elaborate."
"Because one thing that I believe could be good and true—hero-worthy per say—could be unreasonable and," she searched for the word to send the right message, "illogical to another reader."
Spock was no fool and caught onto her undertones immediately, "It may not be a matter of opinion for one personality of the tome but rather the character of the hero would come into question by the secondary characters and what they believe to be right and just."
"Like the Board of Education?" Uhura interjected, not wanting to tip-toe anymore.
Spock raised an eyebrow, "It is not lost on me Cadet that you are frustrated by the fact that I have clearly rejected your advances on me. It is accurate that any sort of expressed feelings in our arrangement would be inappropriate and ill-advised."
Uhura was deflated in her chair, but she took a deep breath and leaned forward, "You feel nothing then?"
He could smell her. Lavender and chlorine.
He could see her fear of rejection in her brown eyes. Captivating.
He could see her frown slightly, conveying pure human emotion. Fascinating.
Underneath his uniform, his temperature was rising. He would have to avert this collision course quickly, or his body was going to produce the hormones to begin plak tow—something that would be unforgivable. He would have to tell her the truth.
"Nyota," he began softly, "I am currently arranged to be wedded to a Vulcan woman. It was established by our parents when we were very young. When I left Vulcan and denounced the Academy of Science, she has seen me as a pariah and has no interest in my human half—something that I am regretfully becoming quite fond of."
Nyota had so many questions about his confessions: What was her name? When did he last see her? Did he love her, care for her? Did they mate? Did he have a child out there somewhere? Instead she opted for a different question, instead of looking like a jealous little girl.
"Why do you regret being half-human?" She looked at him with compassion and concern, something that she knew that he needed.
His lip quirked at one corner, sadness in his eyes, "Being here on this planet has been eye-opening. I thought that I could repress my feelings but I am rather proud as to what human culture and the human condition has to offer. Being my father's son, I am questioning if I could ever have a place in the universe and I think that my journey has merely begun, here, on Earth." He wanted to add the words with you but he knew that she still had suspicions about him breaking any ethical code.
"Like the hero?" She smiled sadly.
He tilted his head as he spoke, "Not quite, I'm afraid."
There was a long silence between them, looking awkwardly from each other's eyes, to the crowd, to the material before them.
Spock finally spoke, "Shall we continue?"
Nyota sighed inwardly. Nothing can happen between us, can it? She thought distantly as she nodded her head in response.
