Cross Culture
Chapter 9
Month 1, Day 3

Spock woke up in the night from the memory of her lips against his. He remember feeling possessive of her. He'd lost control and he ground his teeth together.

He couldn't lose control like that. What's worse was that had been four days ago. Since then he'd been trying to avoid her. But that was getting more and more difficult. Every part of him needed to be near her.

His very Katra called for her. He knew he shouldn't have left the room as abruptly as he had but he'd felt his control slip. That alone shook him. It was illogical, how connected to her he already felt after only a month. Still, he knew more about her than he knew about anyone. He understood her mind like she understood his.

Standing up he moved to his sonic shower, knowing he needed to get her off his mind. Nearly forty-minutes later he had been unsuccessful. After another attempt to meditate her away also failed he decided to face her.

Changing into his appropriate attire he moved through the house, leaving the residence. Then he went to the Gym where he knew she would be.

Upon entering he stopped. He was greeted by a sight he had not foreseen.

Already sparring, on the mat was Tibby against a human male. The human male was clumsy against her graceful moves. He was unpracticed. When she got him down she then helped him up, instructing him.

She said something and Spock heard the human male snort indignantly. Jealousy boiled through Spock who had to control himself as there was a part of him that wanted to throw the human male away from Tibby. He wanted her to know she was his though she was not. Not really, especially after the way he had behaved these last few days.

Two minutes later the male called it quits saying she'd worn him out. Then he kissed her cheek before leaving past Spock.

"Hey, Tabs, your Vulcan's here," the male called before exiting the room. Tibby turned to look at him and he saw something flash through those eyes akin to anger.

"Come to spar?" she asked while straightening up while dropping the towel she'd been holding back on the bench.

"I have come to apologi…" he begins but she cuts him off.

"I'm not in the mood for an apology. Either we spar, or I head back to my room," she said and he nodded before moving to her side, slipping off his shoes. Once there she barely gives him a moment to collect himself.

He is unsurprised to find her actions more aggressive than they normally were. Her anger radiated from her in waves.

After forty-five minutes of fierce sparring she collapsed to her knees exhausted. He is not sure what to do when she speaks.

"You shouldn't have run off like that. I would have apologized for making you uncomfortable. Instead you left me there feeling like I'd been completely stupid. And then avoiding me made me feel more alone than I've felt in a very long time," she told him. "I might as well have been back on earth."

"I apologize. When it comes to you my… logic is skewed by emotions I can hardly control," he tells her.

"That would almost be taken as a sweet compliment," she says while standing up. She avoids looking at his face though he can see she is crying like his mother would when his parents argued over what was best for him.

"Who was that male?" he asked trying to sound uncaring but he failed at that. She tensed.

Her eyes squinted as she appraised him then she scoffed. "You're jealous. You're jealous of him… you are way off base there, Spock," she told him. He was not sure what she meant by that. She smirked while looking at him. "His name is Lucas and he's gay, meaning he would be more interested in you than me."

Spock was confused by that.

"I do not understand the logic in being attracted to somebody of the same gender," he told her and she actually laughed.

"Well, nobody ever said that sexual attraction was logical," she told him before looking at him. "And don't ever react like that again, Spock. Otherwise, the next time I won't wait for you to apologize. I'll be gone. After all, I won't wait for something I have no way of knowing whether will really come."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I'll only wait for someone if I know they will be back. With you, I don't have any reassurances. So, you do that again don't expect me to be waiting," she stated again. He nodded, knowing it was true. With him there weren't any reassurances, not unless they bonded.

Changing the topic they went to get breakfast.