Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek or any of its associated content

Nyota watched the spring drizzle from her father's apartment window. She liked a few lazy days of spring break but Nyota found that she got bored very easily. She was happy that she would be meeting Spock later in the day to help him with a research project. She had gotten an A+ in his computer science class and he had asked her, after the grades had come out, if she would be interested in helping him organize his comparative literature research. He'd told her that Captain Pike had made the suggestion.

Of course Nyota didn't have much free time, so she was only going to be able to help Spock during her breaks or when she had little else to do, but she was excited to be able to fit it in, even if it was for a moment here or there. She wished that he had asked her at the end of fall semester so that she could have helped over winter break; although she did get to spend some time assisting in the interpretation of diplomatic talks between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. Nyota had opted to attempt two majors, so she was taking almost double the course load of other cadets. She was still studying xenolinguistics but she was also finding herself more interested in protocol and ethics. Nyota still had time to drop one major if she chose to but she was fairly certain that she would be able to complete both. Fortunately, the work that Spock had offered her was right up her alley and she could certainly use the distraction.

Things had been going better with Noah, in some respects and more poorly in other respects. On the plus side, Noah had actually managed to kiss her. They had both been in town over the winter break and they had gone to see someone carve ice sculptures in Union Square before ducking into Ghiradelli chocolates to warm up. Nyota had wandered around the store looking at all the different types of chocolates that were offered. She had settled on a small box of specialty truffles. Noah had been teasing her and asking her to share. She was feeling playful in the warm, chocolate scented air. When she held a chocolate up, as though she would feed it to him, she popped it in her own mouth. He had finally pulled her close and pressed his lips against hers. After Nyota's initial surprise, she leaned into the kiss. According the Gaila, the kiss had been chaste and dull, but Nyota had loved it. It had been romantic, well timed and just the right speed for a bookish cadet.

In other respects, Nyota had begun doubting Noah. He would disappear for long periods of time and never told her where he went. He was generally upfront about his family but never mentioned any friends. She had never seen his apartment, which wasn't so bad since she never brought him back to her dorm room, but at least he knew where her dorm was. Nyota only had a vague idea of where Noah lived. Also, it was becoming clearer that they didn't have as much in common as Nyota thought ideal. While Nyota was content to study or spend a night in, Noah always wanted to go out. Nyota was sociable and had even been called perky by Len McCoy but even she sometimes wanted to cuddle on the couch and watch a holo. Finally, there was just something about Noah that was not sitting right with her. Usually when she was really feeling it and was just about to say something, he would take her in his arms and kiss her unchastely and it would be forgotten. Unfortunately, Nyota forgot for shorter and shorter periods. As she spent more time with Spock, even though her time with him was abbreviated at best, she noticed the difference between the quality of conversation. Nyota thought that if anything, talking to her boyfriend should be more exciting than talking to her professor.

Nyota walked into Spock's office and downloaded the correspondence that had come from the Federation Archival Library. Spock had given Nyota the access code to his office and to his Archival account so that she would be able to short though and organize the correspondence that he had found between Ancient Vulcan and the Ancient Star Empire. It was actually quite interesting to Nyota because when the Romulans moved off world they necessarily left family behind. She enjoyed shifting through each generation's correspondence with the other. She found that the progression in style, not to mention language, between the Vulcans and Romulans as decades went by was a better reflection of the impact of Surak than any book of his teachings, although she would never tell Spock this opinion. Nyota had sorted through 1200 articles of correspondence in the last 4 days. She was doing a simple sort presently, just by age, region and language.

"Cadet Uhura." Spock nodded at her when he walked in and saw her seated at his desk. He passed her by and sat in another chair with a PADD and stylus in his hand.

"Professor Spock, do you need me to move? I don't have to do this here. I can download this to a PADD and do it anywhere." Nyota started to get up.

"Cadet I am not in need of my desk. Please continue your work." Spock waved her down again. "I was working in the lounge when you arrived. I have plenty of space if I require it."

"Oh. Okay." Nyota shrugged and turned her attention back to her work.

The pair worked in silence for a while and then Nyota's personal communication device chimed. She looked embarrassed and rose to take the call in the hallway. Spock heard none of Nyota's conversation but it lasted for some time. Eventually she returned, sighed loudly and began her work again. A few moments later, the device chimed a second time. Nyota looked at it, rolled her eyes and hit the mute button. She looked at Spock apologetically and then stuffed the device into the pocket of her jeans. About 30 minutes passed when the device began buzzing. Nyota groaned and took the call at Spock's desk.

"Hello?" Nyota said tersely. "No. I can't. I told you I was busy." Nyota took a breath. "No, really. Not tonight Noah, I can't I've already got plans." Nyota looked down at her lap. "Listen Noah, you've been gone for weeks and then you pop up and expect me to drop everything?" Nyota paused. "I know I'm on spring break but that doesn't mean that I'm not working on something. Listen, don't call me anymore tonight ok? I'll call you tomorrow." Nyota closed the phone and looked at Spock. Spock pretended to focus on his PADD. "I'm really sorry Professor Spock." Nyota sighed.

"Is all well?" Spock felt he had been asking this over and over again.

"It's my boyfriend. He wants to meet up tonight but I'm committed to getting through the most recent download from the archives. There are at least another 700 from this download. If I focus I think I can get them done tonight."

"Your boyfriend?" Spock raised an eyebrow. "Cadet Uhura, if you wish to meet your... boyfriend, I will not object. This work is extracurricular and I understand that you are doing it as a courtesy to me."

"No, Professor Spock, it's fine. I don't want to meet up with him. I'm a bit cross that he thinks I'm meant to just be at his beck and call. Besides, even if I weren't, I think I'd rather be here." Nyota smiled at Spock lightly and turned back to her work.

"I see." Spock took a deep breath. "I take it that you will be here for the greater portion of the afternoon then? Is there anything that I can offer you to make your work go more smoothly Cadet Uhura, please do not hesitate to ask." Spock said quietly. He hadn't expected Nyota's response.

"Actually, since we're on break, would it be possible if you just called me Nyota and I just called you Spock?" Nyota said hopefully. "If you think it's inappropriate, then I understand completely. I just remember that night all those years ago." She smiled again.

"Certainly Ca... Nyota." Spock caught himself. "If there is anything else, do let me know."

***

Spock finally had to admit to himself that his interest in Nyota was not purely professional or platonic. The day that he had learned that she had a boyfriend he had been unable to focus enough to meditate. The only logical explanation, he deduced, was that he disapproved of her dating. There was no logical reason for Spock to disapprove of Nyota dating, he did not disapprove of anyone else's personal life, unless he had something in mind himself. Despite Spock's newly revealed interest he decided that he would keep it to himself. Spock wondered if being friends with a cadet was problematic; he knew being in a physical or emotional relationship with one would be. Still, Spock had agreed to call her Nyota while they were not in strict professor teacher mode. Spock thought it was fine, especially since Nyota was not currently in a class with him, however, Spock made sure to be very careful. He did not want a perception of impropriety to rise.

In truth, Spock had hoped that he would be able to resume their friendship and they had. Nyota spent several weekends during the spring semester in Spock's office, chatting about the communications that she was cataloging and her interest in them. Their conversations meandered from that topic frequently. They spoke of interesting development in physics, they spoke about a new life form found on Pares VII or they might speak about local news stories or the happenings in their respective departments. Nyota had committed to a major in xenolinguistics and had, where possible, tested out of the core classes. Spock had encouraged her to do so since he believed it would be logical in her pursuit of a double major. Spock had done much of the same when he was in Starfleet. Spock tried to disregard the fact that his encouragement of Nyota's advanced placement would require her to take his phonology course the following fall and decided that it could not be helped.

Nyota's ability to avoid certain required classes allowed her a more regular class schedule and Spock found her in his company more and more often. Nyota was focusing on her Ethics/Protocol major during the second semester so she frequently had interesting things to tell Spock that he was not readily aware of. Inwardly, Spock was content. The relationship that he had cultivated over a few short hours a decade ago had not diminished. Nyota was still everything that he had hoped she would be. She made no comment on things that he did that others had judged alien. She never decried his humanity. She remained interesting, articulate and kind. She even brought him a small canister of redspice from a grocery store that specialized in Vulcan food stuffs one evening when he was working late. The only problem that Spock could find in their relationship was her boyfriend Noah.

Spock still had no intention of pursuing her. In fact, after a significant amount of meditation, he believed that he was able to see Nyota in a completely non-sexual manner. Spock's problem with Noah stemmed partially from the one sided conversations that he happened to hear and the rare occasions in which Nyota would disclose something about her relationship. Spock's mother informed him that friends frequently disclosed information about their romantic relationships with one another, so Spock listened patiently when Nyota made certain complaints about Noah. Spock's mother had not, however, advised him that it was generally inappropriate to make unsolicited commentary on such relationships.

"I don't even know anymore." Nyota said to herself after turning off her communications device. It was a warm spring day. Nyota and Spock had moved from his dark office to a sunny tea house to work.

"Pardon?" Spock was not sure if Nyota was addressing him and he found it more logical to ask.

"Oh, sorry Spock." Nyota shook her head slowly. "It was Noah. He says I'm not taking him seriously. All of a sudden he wants to move things along."

"I do not understand." Spock cocked his head and looked at Nyota.

"No. Of course not." Nyota took a breath. "We've been going out for the better part of this academic year, almost eight months. For the first three and a half months we moved at a snail's pace. It drove me crazy. He wouldn't even hold my hand." Nyota looked out the window. "But now? Now he wants to know where I am and what I'm doing. I don't ever know what he's doing. And it isn't even the double standard that bothers me so much. Now he just wants me to stop my life to pay attention to him. He knows I'm a student. He knows I'm doubling up with my major, still, all he ever says is that I don't love him enough. He says that if I were serious about a future with him, I'd make more time for him." Nyota frowned. "Gaila says that this is just how relationships are. I don't know if that's true. I wouldn't ask him to rearrange his life for me. It's really frustrating."

"Perhaps you should cease your interaction with him." Spock said calmly.

"What?" Nyota's eyebrows went up.

"Perhaps you should cease your interaction with him." Spock raised his voice to ensure than Nyota could hear him.

"You think I should break up with him? Just like that? I'm just a little frustrated Spock." Nyota shook her head again.

"Perhaps he is correct." Spock continued, "Perhaps you do not love him adequately to meet his needs." Spock thought that what he said was perfectly logical however he was catapulted back to another time when he was confronted with Nyota's unhappy face. He'd seen it several times as a child and he tensed in preparation for what he knew would come next.

"What the hell do you know about it Spock?" Nyota whispered harshly across the table. "Like you've ever been in love."

"Have you?" Spock answered blankly as he sipped his tea. As usual, when Nyota was angry, Spock felt it more acutely than any of his own feelings. When Nyota was a girl, she had asked him a question and had taken actions in anger that occupied his thoughts and emotions for significant amount of time. Spock knew that he had never been in love though, so he did not understand why the question lingered at the front of his mind. He would have to take time during the summer to meditate upon it further when Nyota was not there to distract him.

"I can't believe you Spock." Nyota stood up abruptly. "I can't believe you would say that to me. I thought we were friends." Nyota's mouth had turned into a thin, hard line. She turned and stormed out of the teahouse as Spock watched her walk away.

Nyota no longer appeared spontaneously to assist Spock during the final weeks of the spring semester. He occasionally saw her from a distance, her ponytail swaying as she walked, but he never spoke to her. Spock asked Captain Pike what he might have done in such a situation and the Captain said that it would have been best to stay quiet, even if it was clear that the woman in question did not love her boyfriend. Dr. Perlman echoed the sentiment, albeit somewhat more boisterously. Spock felt like his office was empty now without Nyota's presence; however, he dutifully resumed her cataloging where she left off. He hoped that a summer apart might cause Nyota to forgive him, at least enough for Spock to apologize.

Author's note: Thanks to ayachan1412 for being my beta reader! Thanks to everyone for reading!