The rec room went practically silent as the door opened and the two came inside, his arm around her waist.
If they noticed, it didn't seem to bother them.
Chekov whispered conspiratorially in Uhura's ear; whatever he said drew a genuine laugh from her. His eyes sparkled mischievously, hers gleamed.
They really weren't doing much to discourage the rumors that were flying, Kirk mused.
But what could they do? Appear to be seeing other people? That would have only caused further rumors. Avoiding each other would have done no good either.
They sat down at the table, one on each side of Sulu. Uhura leaned in to tell him something, and Chekov shot her a petulant glare. The realization hit Kirk that this was how they always acted around each other, and that it had always looked as if there were something going on between the three of them.
Sulu smacked Chekov in the back of the head, and Uhura applauded. Chekov scowled and crossed his arms over his chest, looking for all the world like the kid Kirk had originally thought of him as rather than a well-trained Starfleet Officer.
Uhura slipped off to talk to Scotty, and Sulu pulled Chekov into a headlock and held him like that for a few seconds, Chekov trying in vain to get loose all the while.
An alert sounded, and the two straighten up, all business now. Uhura too was ready for action.
As Kirk reported to the bridge, he realized how lucky he was to have such a skilled and unique group as his Senior Officers. He really didn't need to worry about the situation between Chekov and Uhura; they could take care of themselves.
The rumors would eventually fade away and be forgotten.
Disclaimer: Star Trek does not belong to me.