Into the Wild Black Yonder
Chapter Fifty-four - Poker Night
On the Enterprise
Mid April 2259
Spock
He awoke, laying quietly in the warm dark, her body still draped across his. He bent his face just enough to nuzzle against her neck. She sighed in her sleep and moved just slightly against him. He had no wish to wake her, so he carefully drew back. He lay there for some time, organizing his thoughts. Finally he begin to untangle himself from her, slipping silently out of the bed. He found the tee shirt and pants he had been wearing, there on the floor and quickly pulled them on. He tucked the covers around her. Good, she was still sleeping soundly.
He rounded the corner into the living area. If he swiveled the com link around to face in the other direction, the light would not bother her. He quietly moved a chair into position and activated the com link, checking for messages. There were the acknowledgements from Kirk, first for the cohabitation request, and then for the quarters reassignment, both signed and approved. He saved those documents into his permanent storage. As he was doing so, something occurred to him. Humans valued tracking dates. He did remember now, from the research he had done, back at the Academy. Anniversaries were important. And he had not acknowledged any of them with Nyota. He would have to determine which ones she felt were important. And if they were planning three weddings, would that mean three different anniversaries to celebrate? And would this date be one she wished to celebrate as well? He felt momentarily confused, it was almost too much. He would have to figure out how to approach this question. He did want to know her true feelings on the matter.
There was not anything else in his messages that required immediate attention. That was usual for a Monday morning. Later in the week there would be more to deal with. He shut down the com link and moved to the area where he had set up his meditation spot. Would it wake her if he lit the incense? Probably not, she had been very used to that scent in his quarters at the Academy, and here, in these rooms as well. Although he had not meditated while she slept very often, it seemed like a very good time to do so. Unless she was meditating with him, using time when she was sleeping would leave more time to do things together when she was awake. Decision made, he settled down on the floor pillow and lit the incense, clearing his mind and sinking easily down into a deep trance.
Some time later he surfaced enough to realize that she had settled down beside him. He felt her calm gently at the back of his mind as she started her relaxation and drifted back down, satisfied. When she stirred and rose, he began his own ascent. By the time he was fully aware again, he could hear the water in the shower. Quickly he rose and headed in that direction. He would get to do this every morning from now on!
***
She stood in front of the mirror, checking the skirt of her uniform dress. It was very short, something that he appreciated as long as it was only himself doing the admiring. He was not nearly as comfortable with it when other males ogled her body. She turned, ready now for breakfast. He linked his fingers with hers and they headed for the mess hall.
***
They were about to leave the mess hall when Jim slid into the chair across from him. "Hey, Spock, Wednesday night is poker night. Why don't you join us? You don't mind, do you, Uhura? A little male bonding would be good for him."
She had a look of astonishment on her face. "Are you serious?"
"Of course I am. I've been trying to get him to go for months now. Just tell him it's okay, all right?"
She looked at him. "Spock, if you want to go, I have no objection. You might actually like poker. It's very mathematical."
He felt only calm from her, besides that slight astonishment that told him that she really had not expected this invitation. Since it was the twenty-seventh time that Jim had asked this same question, he was not astonished at all. However, if Jim thought male-bonding was that important, and Nyota thought he might actually like the game, perhaps he would try it. He looked at her again and she nodded, just slightly. He turned to Jim. "I will join you this week. I will 'try it out'."
"Great, great. My quarters, 1900. See you guys on the bridge." And he was off.
***
The week progressed smoothly. There was no more sneaking about. No getting up from a warm bed and traversing halls. When he wished to talk to her, she was there. When she needed help with something, he was there. It was the most acceptable circumstance that could be possible.
Tuesday evening they sat on the couch and read poetry together while she leaned against him, making little circles on his palm with her fingers. It was extremely acceptable.
Wednesday morning, they went to the gym and ran before breakfast. And back in their quarters, she wrapped herself around him in the shower and made him shake and roar. He was very relaxed on the bridge that morning. After supper, she made him change from his uniform into casual clothing. She kissed him and sent him off.
When he entered Jim's quarters, he was glad he had listened. None of the others were in uniform. He sat down at the single empty place at the table, greeting the others. McCoy, Sulu, Chekov, Scotty - he should have know who the other members of the poker group were. He had done some research on the rules of this game, but he listened with great care to the instructions he was given by the others. Nyota had thought to ask what they used for bidding, so he had come prepared, with a small bag of various types of candies and other small objects. What he had not been prepared for was the primary topic of conversation. Women and sex. He would have to ask Nyota if this was typical.
Jim dealt the first hand. He looked at his cards. This hand did not appear to have any value at all. When Jim asked him how many cards he wanted, he replied five and laid down all his cards. The others all looked at him like he was dim-witted. Perhaps five was not the usual answer. He took his new cards and looked at them. Not much better. He made one bid and then folded. Immediately he was castigated. Apparently he was supposed to 'bluff'. He would have to do more research.
He listened to the conversation around him, but did not contribute much to it, in spite of several pointed questions from the others. He would not divulge the things that Nyota did to him and with him in the privacy of their quarters. He was not so gullible as they seemed to think. And this conversation was surely not appropriate before one so young as Chekov.
He got better at the game as the evening wore on. He even won a 'pot'. His bag of 'chips' had almost as much in it at the end of the evening as it had at the beginning, due in large part, he was sure, to his refusal to bid when he knew his hand was poor. The evening had not been as tedious as he had been afraid that it would be. He easily assented to return the following week.
***
For some reason, which he could not ascertain, McCoy, Chekov, and Sulu seemed to be easier around him in the weeks that followed. He had already developed a good working relationship with Scotty during the time they had worked together to adjust the treadmill. And he and Kirk worked closely together every day, often meeting together in the captain's ready room to go over reports and problems. He could not say that they were close friends, but they were definitely friends now. Perhaps there was something to this male bonding. It was also definitely a fact that they all continued to try to pry details of his physical relationship with Nyota out of him. He was very careful with the answers he gave them. He had absolutely no wish to tell them anything that might make her angry with him, no wish at all.
