Kirk tapped his finger impatiently, McCoy and T'Leiarel weren't late yet, but it was awkward being in the dining room with Spock and not being able to really bring things up... Spock for his part said nothing, as calm and still as ever. Kirk smiled slightly at the thought that might change in the next ten minutes.
"Something amuses you Captain?" Spock enquired politely.
"Oh, no, I mean not really..." He shifted slightly, not wanting to give anything away, not that he really knew much of anything anyway. "Was there something you wanted to discuss?" Spock looked thoughtful for a long moment before he spoke.
"I was hoping to discuss something with Dr McCoy and yourself, a possibility, but I fear my father might have been... indiscreet in making some enquiries." He said softly. "I was wondering about the possibility of having T'Leiarel on board for a somewhat longer time. She is a very able physician from all the evidence I have seen and resilient. To the best of my knowledge she is the only Vulcan to have survived her condition without a great deal of... assistance." Which was a nice way to put 'locking up in an institute and forgetting about where people can watch them all the time' Kirk supposed. "I believe her unique perspective could be very valuable to the crew and..." There was a pause, Kirk waited, he had a feeling his first officer was about to say something he might not be likely to repeat if he was interrupted... he had gone from wanting the others to arrive to hoping they wouldn't just yet. "I would enjoy the opportunity to spend more time with her. For several reasons."
Kirk hoped that Sarek's 'indiscretion' hadn't caused too much damage between the two Vulcans, it would be good to see him happy for a change, though it was hard to tell if he was usually happy... Spock seemed to enjoy being on board, but it had to be hard with nobody who shared your culture on board. Not that it seemed to stop some of their crew from enjoying themselves, Keenser was the only Roylan on board and he always seemed cheerful, or at least cheerfully grumpy. Perhaps it was less about species and culture, and more about connection. But then didn't he and Spock and McCoy and half the bridge crew have a connection too? While Kirk was trying to figure out quite how to respond to his friend, and adjusting to a rare glimpse at the emotions behind the mask, the others arrived.
"Dr McCoy, good... T'Leiarel?" It was good to see Spock surprised. He was quick to recover though. "It is good to see you both." There was a slight eyebrow raise of confusion. T'Leiarel grinned at him broadly. "You are dressed... unusually."
"He means you look nice. Spock, tell her she looks nice." Kirk said, nudging his friend and receiving a glare. She did look good though, he knew McCoy tried to keep him away from the nurses, but he wasn't going to DO anything, he was in command after all. They were all off limits, but it was nice to look, at least some of the time, in a not creepy way. Maybe he was just doomed to be married to his ship... nah, that was a bit bleak. He'd just have to keep an open mind when he was off the ship, they visited plenty of planets. Still, he wondered whether he'd have something like the two of them, when they got around to actually telling each other.
"T'Leiarel always looks aesthetically pleasing, but that doesn't explain the uniform." Spock narrowed his eyes suspiciously at all three of them.
"Well apparently I'm to be the newest medical crew member." She did a spin. Kirk couldn't help but appreciate how short the skirt was, until he noticed Spock's disapproving eyebrow. He shrugged, he was only human after all. McCoy chuckled. "Should we eat? I am famished." The overly innocent tone and smile made Spock frown, even more suspicious. This was an unusually up beat reaction. They sat and the food was served, but other than small pleasantries with the servers none of them said much until the servers had left again.
"I take it that you are aware of my father's message to Starfleet and his enquiries about potential exceptions that could be made?" Spock asked.
"Captain, the chair is a little cold on my legs, do you mind if I sit with you?" T'Leiarel asked, ignoring Spock's question, which was answer in itself to a degree. As she sat herself down on his lap, Kirk gave a confused glance to McCoy, and shivered slightly at the icy rigid stare he was getting from Spock, who was even less emotive than usual. It was almost like he was carved from a stone. It was creepy. He just gave a shrug. He was about to get some food when he realised with one arm behind T'Leiarel it was somewhat difficult to actually get to his food... he hoped this would not take TOO long. As much as he cared about his first officer he did not want to be going to the bridge hungry. "Here, let me help you with that." And now she was feeding him... it was nice getting this kind of attention from a pretty young lady... but very very awkward given the company and the situation.
"Um... thanks?" The glare from Spock was getting more... not exactly intense, it was kind of like the opposite, it was less of a glare, less anger, but it was like an eerie calm instead. The silence stretched, growing more and more awkward. The emotions disappearing behind Spock's eyes. Very creepy. Very, very creepy indeed. And McCoy was no help, he just seemed amused by it all. Then just as Kirk felt like he was about to snap himself and call the whole thing off, whatever this was, Spock stood up abruptly, though his food was barely touched.
"Is something the matter Spock?" The sweetness had an edge to it as T'Leiarel asked the question.
"You are entirely free to do as you please. As you have made very clear, I am not your husband." He was looking straight ahead now, at a space over their heads. Still as calm and still as ever, but the words... was he jealous? Kirk fidgeted with the arm of the chair. There was a lot more going on here that the obvious, that much was clear. Though to be fair the sitting on his lap was odd in and of itself. He used his free hand to grab his glass to get a drink, all the tension was making his mouth dry.
"Really? Because it seems like I was set up for a position in this crew without being asked on the matter, that I was going to be told where to serve and in what capacity and to be given preferential treatment because of engaging in sexual relations with the first officer." The sweetness was dropped now, and it was stated simply. Kirk coughed on his drink. Though from the smirk on McCoy's face he'd already known or guessed what had happened between the pair. Spock looked between the three, before settling on T'Leiarel with a raised eyebrow that seemed to ask whether airing that personal detail was necessary. "So either you think you're my husband, and your father thinks I'm part of the family and is pulling these strings to ensure I am precisely where the pair of you want me to be, or this is some sort of thanks for services rendered, in which case clearly that is the kind of relationship I should have with senior officers on board if I want to get ahead." Kirk coughed, turning red somewhat. It was all rather dramatic over breakfast... but then he'd known she was planning SOMETHING and had let it all happen so he had nobody to blame but himself.
It was hard to imagine Spock having a sex life... though he supposed he probably did with Uhura before, but he'd always kind of imagined the Vulcan as being somewhat asexual, but perhaps he was just much more sneaky about it. Unlike Kirk himself who was more overt but actually didn't tend to do nearly as much as his flirty demeanour might suggest. He appreciated the female form and a bit of that might come out, but he wasn't a play boy to promise things he didn't plan to follow through on, he respected women too much for that... at least he was trying to do better at it now he had a ship to be a role model for and had his life saved by quite a few of the women on board on a semi-regular basis. Well the crew all saved each other and the ship repeatedly.
"I..." Spock sighed. "I had hoped you might want to stay on board. I had expressed that hope to my father who wanted to ensure it was an option, should you wish to do so." He was back to looking over their heads again, face calm, tone steady, but Kirk knew his friend well enough to feel something behind it. Longing and regret perhaps? It was hard to be sure... he'd been getting better at reading Spock lately, especially since he'd been getting to know the other Spock, but right now Spock was hiding his emotions better than ever. "I apologise for any offence that I may have caused by overstepping."
T'Leiarel slipped off Kirk's lap and he let out a small sigh of relief. She moved to stand facing Spock, it was several long moments before he turned to face her, and still more before he looked down the short distance to meet her eyes but she waited silently.
"Next time you want to help my career, ask first." She said softly. "I appreciate the help, what I don't like is the making plans for me, instead of helping me to make plans for myself." Or making plans together... but she couldn't quite bring herself to say that last part out loud, not yet when it was all still so new and uncertain. "Strawberry pancakes were a nice surprise, finding out Starfleet knew about plans to keep me on board before I did was not." She felt like she was almost repeating herself, in mildly different ways, but she needed to make sure it was all very clear. Spock nodded, seriously. "Good." She sighed, and then raised her hand before she could lose her nerve, holding up two fingers. Spock's eyes widened, but slowly he lifted his own fingers to touch hers.
It was only a glimpse before they pulled away, but the respect, the yearning for connection, the desire which remained even without the hormones... it was frightening. It was a depth of emotion she hadn't expected, and it so nearly matched her own feelings, aside from the lingering frustration among her thoughts, right down to the fear which burst out when he felt her fear. T'Leiarel swallowed hard. "Right... so..." She glanced at the humans who seemed to know something had changed but were mostly confused, and heavily amused in Leonard's case. "So... breakfast." She sat back down, in her seat this time. "I have heard humans say it is the most important meal of the day." She looked to Spock who nodded and sat, looking thoughtful.
Kirk and McCoy looked at each other and shrugged. Breakfast it was then. Hopefully this had sorted out whatever problem it was between them. Though McCoy made a note to suggest to Spock he might want to consider apology flowers or the equivalent... perhaps apology candles? Vulcans seemed to like candles.