Spock and Uhura were seated at a large empty table in the Enterprise bar, drinks before them and menus in hand. The bar, a less popular dining option than the cafeteria, was empty except for them. As two newcomers strolled in, Uhura nudged Spock under the table. "Look." Her eyebrow raised, as did her boyfriend's.
Captain Kirk and Commander Chekova had strolled in. Neither of them seemed to notice their surroundings as they chattered animatedly. Anya swatted Jim's arm playfully and he held his hands up as if defending whatever he'd just said.
"I knew it," Uhura whispered.
"If you're referring to your assumption that Jim and Commander Chekova are engaging in a romantic relationship, I will give you my judgment after observing their interaction off the clock." Spock turned his attention to them. "Hello, Jim," Spock greeted him as they pair passed.
A look of surprise passed the captain's face. "Spock," Jim nodded after a moment. "Hey." He tried to ignore the suspicious look his first mate was giving him. He cleared his throat and grinned. "Fancy seeing you here, huh?"
"Hello, Anya," Uhura sang out. She smiled at the sight of them together. "This looks like a date."
"Just deenner," Anya replied breezily.
Jim's face fell, but he quickly tried to reconfigure his face into its usual smirk. The gut reaction surprised him. Is this a date?
Anya hadn't noticed. "Zis ees a big table for ze two of you – are you expecting more? Can we join you?" She turned back to the captain. "You don't mind, do you, Keptain?"
"Of course not," Jim replied, dropping into the chair next to Spock. "Who all's coming?"
"Mr. Scott, Jaylah, Dr. McCoy, Mr. Sulu-" Spock listed off.
"So everyone," Kirk interrupted. He rubbed his hands together. "Great!" He turned to Anya. "You've worked with the bridge crew, but you've never hung out off the clock. Strap in. You're in for a good time." Her smile made him forget his disappointment that their date had now been subjected to the scrutiny of the entire bridge crew.
Though night pressed on and drinks hit the table, Jim couldn't shake his nerves. The bridge crew plus Dr. McCoy had gathered around the table and shared plates of food and pitchers of drink. Conversation had flowed easily for everyone but the captain. Jim watched, entirely pleased that the lingering air of awkwardness the crew held toward Anya seemed to dissipate. Yet when he tried to speak to her, his words came out sounding dumb. Finally, he decided to just observe. When did this happen? Jim asked himself. Beside him, Anya was alluring and charming. The first time Jim had seen her, he'd hated her face, cringed at her accent. Now he hung on her words and unintentionally memorized the curve of her face. It was a miracle she only turned and caught him watching her twice.
"We haven't done this in a while," Scotty brought up over his Scotch. He nodded to Jaylah. "Remember the last time we were out? When Sulu fell off the bar stool and nearly broke his ass?"
Everyone laughed and began interrupting each other with recollections from their last gathering. Stories of broken pitchers, thrown insults, and Keenser dancing on the table.
Jaylah giggled. "Yes! And you try to fight James T.."
"He called the Enterprise a bucket of nails!" Scotty huffed indignantly. "She is a beauty, nae a bucket."
"I was joking! Anyway, I'd have put you on the floor," Jim replied.
"You didn't end up fighting, though," Uhura said, narrowing her eyes in concentration. "What happened? I can't remember."
"I believe they did fight. Perhaps that was a different evening," Spock pondered.
Bones sighed and tapped his glass down with a hard clink. Everyone watched him expectantly. "Chekov jumped between them and demanded that if they were going to fight, they have that stupid dance-off instead." He frowned.
Some laughed while others looked forlornly down at their drinks.
"I haff never heard zat story," Anya chimed in cheerfully. "Did zey dance?" She looked to Jim in delight. "You danced?"
Sulu grinned and nodded. "They sure tried to."
"That's somethin' I didn' think I'd have to ever think of again," Scotty groaned.
Beside him, Keenser was snickering.
"Shut up," Scotty growled.
"While these gatherings are still pleasant social engagements, they lack a certain enthusiasm without Mr. Chekov in attendance," Spock commented before draining his drink.
"Yeah," Uhura replied sadly.
"To Mr. Chekov," Jim toasted, raising his glass high. "One of the best among us – a better crew member and a better man than most."
"The sweetest man I've ever met," Uhura added.
"A good lad," Scott nodded.
"My eediot brother," Anya added to the group's delight.
"To Mr. Chekov," Jim repeated before raising his glass higher.
Anya rose her glass high, cheered with the rest of the crew, then enjoyed the burn as she finished the drink.
Anya leaned against her door and sighed happily.
Jim let his forearm rest against the cold steel of Anya's door and leaned so that his forehead was also pressed against it. "That was fun." He turned his head and grinned at Anya. "Did you have fun?"
"Mmhmm," Anya hummed. She giggled and blew hair out of her face. "Tomorrow ees going to be a long day." Her back slid down the door and she landed softly on her butt.
Jim laughed and followed suit. He watched the features of Anya's face tug upward as she giggled. The corners of her eyes crinkled and her nose wrinkled.
"Okay, okay, help me up," Anya panted through her snorts. She glanced at her wrist communicator. "Ees three o'clock! Aye, yi!"
Jim clambered to his feel and offered a hand to the navigator. "Well, we're right on schedule. How about chess?"
Anya laughed and took his hand. As she did, she stumbled into Jim. He dared to suspect she did it on purpose, but gave her the benefit of the doubt. "Oops," he chuckled, stepping back and finding himself back against the door.
"Oops," Anya repeated. She brushed her bangs back from her face and wet her lips. "Sorry, Keptain."
"Captain?" Jim asked. "Come on."
"Aye, Jim," she breathed, pronouncing the 'J' with an accent as she inched closer to him.
When her hands found his hips, he squirmed. "Hey." She brushed her lips against his, giving him further hesitation. "Anya. Anya. Hey." He been on the delivering end of these advances, but never on the receiving end. Suddenly he regretted a dozen encounters just that year.
"Hmm?" She batted her eyes, then let them drop closed with a content sigh.
"I think you need to go to bed." Jim quickly ducked out of Anya's grasp and dialed in her security code, which she'd given him during one of their 3AM Chess Club sessions. He spilled into her room and ushered her in. He'd again made the fatal flaw of assuming Anya was a perfect copy of Pavel. He could drink anyone under the table, then turn around and flawlessly calculate a warp path. Anya drank a comparative amount, but seemed like she wouldn't be able to even brush her teeth.
"Come with me," Anya whispered seductively, snaking an arm around his waist and pulling him toward the bed.
"Hey, no, no, no," Jim exclaimed, pulling away. He definitely couldn't let her kiss him in that state. His skin crawled at the thought that she'd awake the next morning feeling taken advantage of. "Let's take off your boots."
Anya surrendered and flopped onto the couch. "Okay, Keptain." Her head dropped backward onto the pillows as she offered her foot.
Jim chuckled and blinked through his own alcohol-induced haze at the series of buckles, zippers, and laces on the boot. "Anya." He looked up and found she'd already dozed off. Grinning, he pulled her boots off, removed her jewelry, then easily lifted her into bed. "Good night, Chekov."
