Finally, some Kirk impresses Spock action!
Rachel :D
Chapter 11
"And finally, this is the rec room!" Uhura said, finishing the tour with one grand sweep of her hand.
"The rec room?" Jim asked, confused.
"Recreational. But that's a bit of a mouthful, so we just stick with the word 'rec'. It's where we all hang out after class and stuff".
"And there's no class today because-?"
"Because it's Saturday, idiot" She teased, "Not even Professor Pike is that cruel. We have weekends off, as well as holidays, so people can go back home and see their families".
He slowly nodded, "And for the students that... don't?"
She frowned, "That don't return home? There's not many. You met Spock, he doesn't. I think he just hangs out around here... And speak of the devil".
Jim followed her gaze only to find the pointy eared man sitting at a rustic-looking chess table, playing a match against a curly haired boy younger than even he was.
Uhura grinned, "Come on, you have to see this!"
Cautiously following her over, he noticed that an Asian man was also watching the game.
An Asian man that had leaves in his hair.
"Sulu, meet Jim Kirk. Jim, this is Hikaru Sulu" She introduced, "Who's winning?"
"Do you really have to ask?" He said dryly, and she turned back to the blonde, smirking, "Spock hasn't lost a game yet".
Jim frowned, glancing down at the board, the two players too absorbed to notice his staring, "Yet?"
"Ever since he got here a few years ago, no one's won a chess game against him" She explained, "Pavel here managed to put him in check once or twice-""Three times!"
Jim turned back to the board as the curly haired boy spoke.
"Pavel Chekov" He introduced, holding out his hand, and the blonde looked down at it warily, "Jim Kirk... Ah, I don't... really..."
"No touching rule" Nyota supplied, and he turned to her in surprise.
The other three occupants took it in their stride however, and Chekov dropped his arm without a fuss.
Guess living in a school of mutants had them accepting anything.
"And I put him in check, three times!" Pavel continued, glaring up at Uhura, and she rolled her eyes at him, turning back to Jim, "The Russian whiz kid here is only 14. Tactical Genius".
At his frown, she elaborated.
"He sort of... calculates probabilities. Of literally everything. And then he uses those statistics to create a plan that, in theory, should be fool proof".
"In theory?"
She gestured at Spock, "Apparently it doesn't work on Vulcans".
Jim found his gaze drifting back to the leather-clad man, who eyes so far had remained studiously on the board.
When the hazel eyes landed on him, however, his own gaze rose to meet them, and Jim quickly coughed and turned back to the young teenager.
"Put him in check three times, huh? Ever come close to checkmate?"
"Yes" He replied, the same time the Vulcan said, "No".
Chekov scowled at him across the table, but the man merely raised an eyebrow in response.
His emotions betrayed him to the two empaths, who could clearly see the amusement dancing in the air around him.
Uhura turned back to Jim, "Well, we're done with the tour. You want to stay and watch for a while?"
He slowly nodded, "Sure. It'd be interesting to see how this turns out".
What Jim didn't tell them, is that his Enhanced Combat could be applied to a chess game as well. Predicting his enemies next attack, could be applied to predicting his opponents next move, once he thought of the game as a battle.
And so, it came as no surprise when only a few minute later, he saw the curly haired boy lift a piece that was going to finish the game.
"No".
He hadn't meant to say it, honest.
Chekov paused, the rook in his hand suspended over where he intended to place it.
Everyone turned to Jim, and he couldn't help but flush slightly, "Oh, um, sorry, I didn't- I didn't mean to- to-"
"To let it slip out?" Spock finished, face impassive but eye just screaming amusement.
Bastard.
In revenge, Jim turned back to Chekov, "You make that move and the game's over".
He frowned and turned back to the board, "I do not... how?"
He cautiously took a step forwards and pointed at the black rook, "You're forgetting he can lower the tiers. You move your queen, the kings unprotected, he drops the level, the rook comes in from behind, and game's over in four moves".
He glanced back up only to find everyone staring back at him, surprised, and his cheeks reddened once more.
Chekov abruptly stood and pulled back his chair, "Sit".
"What? No! No, I didn't- I don't want to- I wasn't trying to-"
"нет, I insist" He replied, smiling, gesturing at the seat, "Please, sit".
He looked over at Spock only to find him staring back impassively, and then turned to Uhura because what the fuck do I do now?!
She smirked at him, "What Pavel's trying to say, Jim, is that we all want to see Spock get his ass kicked".
He frowned, confused, and she elaborated, "You just predicted a move that even Chekov didn't see... If anyone's going to beat him, I'd bet money on it being you".
He swallowed thickly, and slowly took his seat.
"Reset board" Spock told the computer, staring at the blonde with emotionless eyes despite the air around him just radiating in curiosity.
Jim smiled and gestured at the Vulcan's newly arranged pieces, "White moves first".
He could label the exact moment Spock knew he was going to lose.
Having stared at the board for a full five minutes, he eventually moved his queen two spaces in front of the king.
The second his hand left the chess piece, however, he realised his mistake, and his eyes snapped to Jim's even as they widened and his lips parted in a silent oh.
And since he had been such a smug bastard earlier, the blonde decided to return the favour, and he happily grinned as he reached across with his knight, knocked over the white king, and satisfyingly declared.
"Check. Mate".
Silence.
"Holy shit" Uhura finally said, and Sulu slowly nodded, "Yea... Well, at least I can cross that off my bucket list".
Jim ignored them, and instead raised his gaze back to the Vulcan's.
Spock studied him quietly, unable to completely hide the wonder in his eyes, before finally, he gave a tiny smile.
"You are an... adequate opponent".
Jim grinned, "So are you".
And as the Vulcan's smile widened by just a tiny fraction, he found it wasn't possible to shove down the gooey warmth that decided to drown his heart.