"I fucked Kirk."
The group of women turned their attention away from snacks, screens, and cosmetics and back to Nyota.
"How was he?" Carol bumped her eyebrows.
Nyota sighed and flopped onto her bed, "Fun! Well, I mean, he learns fast. One, I just needed to get laid. But, two, it was nice to sleep with someone who doesn't overthink it, you know? Like someone who isn't calculated, just man plus woman plus sweat and grinding."
"Very romantic," Christine teased, "Was it a one time thing or..."
"I don't know yet." She grabbed a sour straw and flopped it back and forth. "Anybody else have an interesting shore leave?"
"I don't remember," Carol shook her head, "That Romulan ale fucked me up before we left the ship."
"Vivian," Nyota snapped her teeth on the candy. "You get any?"
Dr. Vida stopped applying a facemask, "I assume you are asking if I found a partner to have intercourse with: yes." She nonchalantly returned to her task. The women got excited and beckoned her to say more. "That is not relevant. It is not likely to occur again."
"Why not?" Nyota pushed.
She sighed, "Because..." She looked around at the women and finally gave in to their whimsy, "This stays between us...I have a sa-kugalsu."
"YOU'RE ENGAGED?!" Nyota stood upright. Carol almost choked on her wine.
"I should really learn Vulcan," Christine sighed.
"I am scheduled to be married in approximately fourteen months."
"Holy shit...But you said you just-" Carol chimed in.
"It's not a love marriage. It's a Vulcan arrangement- efficient, productive-"
"Forced?" Nyota was concerned.
"In a way...but I have a responsibility to New Vulcan and its people-"
"Now you sound like Spock." She scoffed, unaware of how right she was.
Later, Uhura would find herself in the Captain's quarters, again. It became a regular event, and, before they knew it, it turned into more than just sex. In spite of her best intentions, she'd developed feelings for the blue eyed leading man.
Kirk approached her from behind, took her hips in his hands, and kissed her neck, "I hate it when you get dressed to leave."
"I'm sorry Cap-er-Jim... but SOMEBODY has to run your ship." She smiled in the mirror and reached to try to zip her dress.
The Captain, still in a love haze, exhaled hot air in her ear and nibbled it. "That's what a first officer is for."
She froze, and he noticed her stiffen. "Speaking of...Should we tell him?"
"Tell who what?" He moved his hand to her thigh.
"Spock...should we tell him...about us? Just, as a courtesy you know. Friends dating exes...it can get complicated." While her new lover's hand felt nice, she felt some guilt in his relationship to her ex.
Kirk rolled his eyes and grabbed a handful of ass. "Whatever you want to do, he won't care."
"What do you mean he won't care?" She furrowed her brow.
She got spun around to face her new boyfriend again who kissed her, deeply, trying to pull her back down into the moment with him.
"Shhh, nothing. He's busy-probably wedding planning- I don't know-"
"Full stop." Nyota pulled away with a stern expression. "Did you just say WEDDING planning?"
Kirk groaned, "Yeah, Vulcan arranged marriage thing." He tried to catch her again.
"Oh my God!" She began to pace. "Don't they do that when they're kids? Because he told me he was arranged but then she broke it off. Is this the same person? Or did he lie-no Spock can't like. CAN he though? Then again...I mean who knows maybe this is a recent thing and he just rebounded with a whole ass marriage. Wait wait, no, yeah, this makes sense. Duty to New Vulcan and all that bullshit." She threw on her shoes with vigor.
"Why do you care? He's moved on. So have you, I thought."
Across the ship, Spock experienced troubles of his own. He'd woken up more fatigued than usual and felt soreness in his muscles, particularly his chest. The day before had not been particularly strenuous. He wondered if this related to the food poisoning he'd experienced not too long ago. Despite his strange symptoms, he went on to work. When he sat down at his station, his pants felt tight. He made a mental note to pay more attention to healthy dietary choices.
The first sharp pain hit him while he was seated. It felt as though someone delivered a punch on the inside of his belly button, causing him to jerk forward in his chair. Again, he considered food poisoning, or, perhaps the opposite- constipation. Dr. McCoy would take entirely too much joy in finding the colleague he often referred to as "constipated" actually was.
The next pain came when he was standing upright, relaying information to his Captain. He inhaled sharply and flinched.
"Spock? You okay?"
He caught his breath. "Yes, Captain. Continuing..." He finished relaying his report as his pain shifted to somewhat more mild but more constant pain in his lower abdomen and groin area. After an hour, he excused himself to sickbay. A blonde sat behind a lab counter scrolling on a tablet.
"Greetings Nurse Chapel. Where is Dr. McCoy?" Spock asked, peaking around the corner to find McCoy existing a consultation room.
The Nurse lit up, "Commander Spock, I-"
"Why are you here?" Dr. McCoy looked up from his device briefly.
"Charming bedside manner doctor. I find myself in need of a medical consultation."
"If I must," McCoy groaned before grinning and whacking his friend in the arm with the tablet. "Give us a minute." He led his patient into the room, "Table."
Spock complied. "Shirt." More compliance. He began to wave a meter over his chest. "So what seems to be the problem? That's what I'm supposed to say, right?"
"I believe I am experiencing food poisoning-"
"No no, you tell me symptoms. I give YOU the diagnosis."
Spock raised an eyebrow, "Very well...When I woke up this morning I felt unusually fatigued. My pectoralis muscle group is sore as if I overexerted myself, which I have not. I find my abdomen to be swollen and I had been experiencing sudden, sharp pangs behind my umbilicus. It has since morphed into a more constant throbbing sensation."
McCoy only kept a straight face for a moment before laughing heartily. "Aw okay then, champ. Lemme getcha some chocolate and send you on your way."
"I do not understand-"
"There's nothing wrong with you. Your vitals, readings, it's all fine. But what you're describing, friend," McCoy pat his shoulder sarcastically, "I hear similar complaints all the time."
"Truly? Other crewmembers have experienced similar symptoms?"
"Oh yeah! Just about half, but don't worry- its only once a month."
"I still-"
"Spock you're jerking me around, playing a joke. Haha, very funny, now please I do have actual patients to see." The doctor moved towards the door.
"Doctor why are you not taking my complaints seriously?"
"Because you're talking about a menstrual period: cramps, bloating, fatigue. So let me just grab ya some tampons-"
"Dr. McCoy, you know I have the external genitalia of a male. Annually you grab-"
"Gah- that sounds weird. You can just say I do your physical, got it?"
"Where would I even insert-"
"I could make a suggestion!-"
Spock sighed in frustration. "My pain makes my work difficult. Perhaps you can prescribe something."
"Lordy lordy, you're serious. You're ACTUALLY being serious. Spock, you don't have a uterus!"
He was quiet for a moment before making a connection. Perhaps the doctor was right, and he was experiencing menstruation. While he didn't have a uterus, he definitely knew of someone who did.
"You're probably just constipated."
Spock left from the med bay and headed directly to the life sciences deck.
Dr. Vida's new arrangement with Starfleet included a small lab space, office, and accompanying examination/treatment room on the life sciences deck of the Enterprise. While she didn't have full time staff to assist in her research, she did have access to lab assistants who could be designated to her service, were she to need them. That meant the task of arranging lab stations and stocking medicine cabinets fell to the scientist herself, which is exactly what she was doing when she was interrupted.
"Dr. Vida, do you have a moment?"
Vivian looked up from the petri dish she was cleaning to find Spock in her doorway. She sighed, "Yes. Please close the door."
He followed her instructions. "I will be brief...I would appreciate it if you would take a pain relieving drug."
Her eyebrow raised, "Why?"
"To treat the menstrual cramps you are experiencing."
"Are you in my mind again?"
"No, I'm in your body." He made the assertion confidently before wavering, "That came out strangely. What I meant is that sometimes, because of our mental connection, I feel things that you feel."
Her mood shifted from distaste and confusion to amusement. "You're having period pain?"
"Yes, and I find it both disruptive and unpleasant. If you treated yourself, I could return to my work."
A small smile reached the corner of her mouth. She thought of the phenomenon as what he deserved for laying claim to her. Nevertheless, she dug up a bottle of something so they could each take a tablet. "Are your breasts sore too?" She teased, more adept at human humor than her counterpart.
"At least one of us is amused..."
"You'll feel better shortly." She went to return to her work, but hesitated. "Spock?"
"Yes?"
It took her a moment to gather her words, "I apologize for lashing out at you on New Vulcan. I was and am angry with the situation, which made you an easy target."
He raised his eyebrow in surprise, "Thank you...for that...In a way, I likely owe you an apology as well. You should know that I did not create this bond intentionally. I do not wish to force you into any arrangement. My intention with the council was to free you from further questioning or disciplinary action in addition to securing your position aboard Enterprise."
"I am grateful to you for that. I also understand that this impacts you, adding an another obligation."
"This is not an additional obligation, but a way to fulfill an existing obligation."
"My presence restricted your options."
"I restricted my own options." He sighed, a hint of sadness flickering in his eyes. "I have...previously...had feelings...for a human woman...However, I understand my duty to New Vulcan...so I terminated our relationship in hopes of finding a Vulcan partner to continue the species with. It was a difficult, but necessary decision."
His thoughts flickered through her mind, "You still care for her."
"Yes."
"...I have a companion here too...He's human...I care for him...While I understand the necessity, walking away will be difficult."
"You do not have to walk away at present."
She was confused. He was neither surprised nor offended.
"You knew?"
"I know our biology. Vulcan female reproductive tracts lie dormant outside of the Pon Farr cycle but can be disrupted by mating. If you're experiencing this now, it would suggest you have a partner...I only ask that it is called off within a reasonable timeframe prior to the koon-ut-"
"To assure paternity," She could read his thoughts, to a degree, with significant effort. "I understand."
He felt her mood shift downward. "I know this is difficult for you...know, however, that this is not something you are experiencing alone."
She nodded, "Thank you...Perhaps...we should allot time to...get to know one another better...Most of what I know about you came from unwilling information exchange...I would rather hear from you...Additionally...we have a wedding to plan, I suppose."
"That would be...logical." While he didn't say it aloud, he looked forward to their newly allotted time. "You think more familiarity would lessen the discomfort of our situation."
"I think if we are to be life partners, then forming a foundation of friendship would be wise."
"Agreed." He turned to leave, but hesitated in front of her. "While I prefer caution over optimism...perhaps someday...we can form such a relationship...that it feels as though we had chosen this for ourselves."
Her mouth twitched again with the beginning of a smile. "This was a productive conversation." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "I hope your work day is similarly productive."
He nodded and made his way to the door. As he rounded the corner, he suppressed a smile.