Friends, Husbands, Lovers

I still can't believe I have a husband, Nyoa said as she plopped down on the sofa in her quarters.

Sulu and Charlene took seats at her dining table.

"It's like a dream. I never even got to have a real boyfriend," she complained.

"What do you call Riley?" Sulu asked.

"A mistake," she answered without missing a beat.

"I don't even know what you saw in him," Charlene said, "he was totally not your type."

"And just what is my 'type'?"

"Tall, dark, and Vulcan." Charlene teased.

"Me?" Sulu said grinning

"Pooh to both of you. I never had time to develop a type. I never had time for dating before and now its too late. And I had all these things I always wanted to do with a boyfriend too."

"You mean torture?" Sulu said.

"No, things like long walks on the beach, holding hands as we sightsee different tourist spots, dinner and dancing and moonlit evenings..."

"Like I said, torture," Sulu said.

"Its never too late," Charlene chipped in, "do those things with Spock. Drag him down the beach and through the streets of strange cities. I'm sure he'd find it 'fascinating'."

"What? We're already 'bonded' Nyota said making air quotes, "that ship has launched."

"So what? You're not dead. If you want to date, date him, besides what better way to get to know someone? And it's logical. I mean you're already stuck with him, he might as well make himself good for something." Charlene teased.

"I agree with Charlene. You and Mr. Spock are in a relationship like it or not. Might as well make the best of it. Think of it as an assignment. You're a communications specialist. You've made the first contact now its time to build the means of understanding one another.

I think it would be fun. Just think, you already know where the dating is going to lead, it takes all the pressure off of you. You don't have to try to impress him or wonder what his intentions are. You can actually be yourself and have fun getting to know another being without all the games and subterfuge."

"I don't play games. And we already know one another, in the biblical sense no less," Uhura said hiding her blush. Uhura was still getting used to the idea that she had slept with Spock.

"Well, then what's the problem? Date him, let him buy you dinner and flowers, and expensive gifts like that harp he gave you. He owes you at least that much."

"I can't imagine Mr. Spock dating, he's just not the type. He's the throw you over his shoulder and carry you off type," she grinned.

"You know you liked it," Charlene accused.

"What makes you think he can't date?" Sulu asked. "He has already demonstrated his willingness to court you in the Vulcan fashion, let him do it properly this time."

"I don't know. Why does this feel like a bad idea?" Uhura said to no one in particular.

"Because you didn't come up with it yourself and you can't stand not being in control," Charlene answered

"That's not true, I'm a Starfleet officer, trained to follow orders. I don't need to be in control all the time."

"It is true. You said it yourself, you had your whole life planned out even before you joined Starfleet. And now that Spock has come along he has upended all your perfect plans. You may have gone along with the bonding but you resent that it wasn't your own plan," Sulu said and Charlene nodded in agreement.

"Life is unpredictable," Sulu continued, "but you still have some control. You may have had no choice in marriage but you do have a choice in how you live with your husband. You can decide how your relationship will move forward. And for what it's worth he is a much better choice than Riley."

"Riley was not a choice. I just felt sorry for him at a moment of weakness and I fell into his trap."

"Why are you so bitter about Riley? If you ask me you dodged a bullet when he uh... left." Charlene said.

"I just feel stupid for even giving him any of my time. I could have ended up with him." Uhura shivered.

"You were lonely and he was needy, that's what bad relationships are made of. Just be happy you escaped without too much drama. And I doubt Mr. Spock would have let you make that kind of mistake, he would have stepped up sooner or later. Spock has a way of getting what he wants and he clearly wanted you." Sulu said.

"Sulu why do you insist on painting Spock as my suitor?"

"Because he is your suitor!" Sulu was so tired of her denial.

"You make it sound like he had the hots for me or something."

"Well, I don't know how hot Vulcans can get but he certainly had feelings. You make Mr. Spock seem like some kind of neutered robot. He is a man just like I am, and believe me, I know when a man is interested in a woman." Sulu said

"Well, I'm a woman and I know when a man is interested in me."

Charlene almost spit out her drink. "Do you Ny?"

"Of course, I do!"

Sulu and Charlene gave each other doubtful looks.

"Do not sneak looks at one another, of course I know when someone is interested in me."

Sulu and Charlene shared meaningful looks again.

"Stop it! What are you two trying to not say?"

"Ny," Charlene said, "you don't have a clue."

"I don't have a clue about what?"

"About men," Sulu said.

"Oh come on, I've got two brothers, and countless cousins, uncles, and my dad. I know all about men."

"No, you just think you do. You don't know how men think and behave when they are pursuing a woman. Otherwise, you'd have noticed half the men on this vessel have had eyes for you."

"Oh, that's different. I know how men look at me, most of it is just harmless flirting. I flirt all the time too, it doesn't mean I'm interested in anybody."

"Ny, you may think it is harmless flirting, but some men take it seriously, at least until they get to know you better. When a man flirts with you and you flirt back they think you want something too. You've crushed a lot of hearts." Sulu said.

"What! like who?" Nyota was horrified to learn she may have hurt someone's feelings.

Sulu was quiet and dropped his eyes.

"Awe Hik, not you?" Nyota ran over and sat next to him at the table and hugged him. "Did I do that to you?"

"Its all right now, I think we're better off as friends."

"Did you really have feelings for me?" she asked in shock.

"I may have once, when we first met. But you were oblivious to my advances. Eventually, I realized that was just the way you are. When I finally got up the nerve to kiss you it was already too late."

"You make me sound awful," she said sadly. "I wasn't even thinking about boyfriends back then fresh out of the academy and new on this ship."

"I know, all you talked about was the Enterprise. It didn't take me long to realize you were more interested in my brain than my body."

"Oh Hik, I had no idea," she said squeezing him tightly. "But if I had a type it would be you."

"Oh no you don't," Sulu said extracting himself from her embrace. "Don't take pity on me. That is what got you mixed up with Riley. Guys will make you feel guilty for rejecting them. Its a scumbag tactic unscrupulous men will exploit."

"Amen," Charlene said. "Didn't your brothers ever warn you not to give a guy an inch?"

Nyota scrunched her face. "Is that innuendo"? Knowing Charlene something dirty was coming.

"No, but it should be. Give a guy an inch he'll take your virginity." Charlene teased.

"Ew," Uhura said covering her ears.

"You're just too innocent Ny. Its what draws people to you. You have pure intentions so you believe everyone else does too. I think you're too good for me, actually. I would have corrupted you," Sulu said.

"You're out of your mind. You and Charlene should date, you two have sex on the brain."

"That's not where my sex is," Sulu joked.

"Loosen up, you're a grown ass woman, a female astronaut! Stop being such a goody goody," Charlene complained.

"I'm no innocent goody-goody."

Sulu and Charlene exchanged glances.

"Would you two stop that!"

"Ny, you're as straight-laced and as goody-goody as they come."

"I am not," she said crossing her arms.

"No? Alright, but you have a kind heart, and that gets you into trouble sometimes."

Uhura still sat unconvinced.

"Don't sweat it," Sulu said. "I still love you. As a friend."

"I love you too, as a friend. I hope that's okay?" Uhura asked apologetically.

"I wouldn't have it any other way. You're spoken for and I don't poach. The crew would probably skewer me if I tried. Besides, I don't think I could handle you."

"What do you mean you can't handle me, what's to handle? I'm just a simple African girl."

Sulu and Charlene shared another look.

"Didn't I tell you two to stop doing that? What's wrong with me now?"

"Well," Charlene said, "I think you're the baby girl from a family of men, you're used to being catered to."

"And," Sulu said, "you're a lot to deal with. You're a rising officer in the fleet, you're gifted and talented, you're adventurous and outgoing, you're a people pleaser and therefore people seek you out, you're a perfectionist and you like things to go as planned-"

"Ok, ok, I get it. So I'm spoiled and bossy and a perfectionist and I do too much?"

"Did we say spoiled and bossy?" Sulu asked.

"You are what's called 'high maintenance'. You're used to being the center of attention and you're used to having your own way. You've got Spock skipping to your tune and you don't even know you're doing it. It's kinda fun to witness actually," Charlene grinned.

"I am not high maintenance and I am not doing anything to Spock."

"Ok girl, calm down. You're not perfect you know? And maybe Spock deserves a little comeuppance after the way things happened on Vulcan, nobody is faulting you for being standoffish after all that. Just don't forget he's your bondmate or whatever; you'll have to live with each other one way or another. So I advise if you're going to live with him eventually, then forgive him now and cut him some slack. He wants to make it up to you, so let him."

"Let him take you on those beach walks and moonlit rendezvous and buy you tribbles if that's what it takes to make you happy. Make him earn you."

"You mean I should date him?"

"Yes, Nyota date him!" Sulu and Charlene said in unison.

"Alright, you should have said that in the first place." Nyota huffed.

Sulu and Charlene just stared at one another in awe.

/*/*/*/

Later that night in her quarters Uhura confronted Spock with her request.

"Mr. Spock I have it on good authority that you and I have never dated," she said.

"Dated?"

"Yes, when two people meet, form an attraction to one another, and decide to spend time together getting to know one another."

"Ah yes, dating, human courtship rituals. I believe we have already done that. We are married." He explained patiently to her.

"No, we have not. We were just friends. Friends and lovers are two different things. You hang out with friends, you date your lovers."

"And so you want us to be lovers?" Spock asked in confusion.

Oh my god, this man! Uhura thought in frustration.

"We're married!" she stated. Obviously, they were lovers.

"This I know very well. But what is the answer to my question?"

"What question? You want me to answer if we should be lovers?" Uhura asked in astonishment.

"Yes," Spock said.

"Yes, what? What exactly do you want me to say?" Uhura asked.

"Yes, I want us to be lovers," Spock answered her question.

"Ok, if that's what you want, I'm willing," She grinned in triumph.

"That is not precisely..." Spock sputtered wondering where this conversation went wrong.

"Hmm, you mean you don't want to?" She said sadly.

"Nyota you know what you did." Spock accused.

"What did I do?" she asked innocently.

"You have maneuvered me into saying I want us to be lovers."

"Well, don't you?"

"I do," he said still not understanding what she was up to.

"Then what's the problem?"

She had a point. Spock had a feeling his human wife was going to outsmart him every now and then, and he quite enjoyed the prospect.

"Indeed."