Despite being in a quadrant of space far from home, the crew felt right at home on Thorg. The indigenous species was friendly, the music was good, the food was delectable and the surroundings were so breathtakingly beautiful that there was no room for complaints.
Everyone on shore leave was having the time of their life, except Spock. But his stoic facial features gave no sign of his internal…distress.
"Isn't this place spectacular Jim?" Bones asked, slapping his captain on the back.
And it was. The ground had sprouted the material for the building, so the walls were the same rich aqua color of the grass. Intricate murals abounded on nearly every wall, and the dim lighting shimmered off the skin of the Thorgans. They only wore the bare necessities when it came to clothes - a fact that Scotty, Kirk and Bones were coming to appreciate.
The music was loud but deep, rhythmic, methodic almost. Just watching the Thorgans dance to it was a sight to behold. They moved with such grace and skill that one might postulate that they were born to dance.
The Thorgans were beautiful, muscular creatures. Their skin seemed to glimmer with pearl-essence, their smiles were warm, their conversation enthusiastic. They had pointed ears, like the Vulcans, but they were smaller. Rich forest green hair cascaded down the backs of most of the females. While more rare Thorgans had teal and violet hair. The men's heads were all but shaved - just a hint of stubble atop their head that transitioned down into stubble on their face.
But most stunning were their huge, hypnotizing purple eyes. They tilted slightly up and were fanned with long sumptuous eyelashes.
Any human, any specie, would be damn lucky to befriend one of these tall opulent creatures.
Which is why Kirk gushed inwardly at all the attention he was getting - from males and females alike. Many Thorgans approached him at the bar, batting their fan-like eyelashes and hanging on every word that came out of Kirk's mouth. To them, he, Scotty and Bones were exotic, while Spock seemed a more familiar stranger.
Currently, Jim was laughing with a beautiful woman over a navy cocktail. She giggled and drew closer as he continued with a story of bravery and triumph fit for a captain. Bones was off chatting up a beautiful creature, and Scotty had already made it on to the dance floor.
So Spock sat and watched as his captain whisked his young suitor away to the dance floor.
The crew spent most of their time dancing away and Spock found it an opportune time to sit and reflect.
The rage that so violently reared it's head earlier had died down. He managed to collect himself and remind himself that he had in fact turned Kirk away. But what Jim failed to realize was why, why Spock had turned him away.
The Vulcan took a sip of the blue concoction, despite the fact that the dink had no effect on him. His dark eyes scanned the dance floor and soon found Jim, as if his captain were a magnet whose pull he could not escape.
But the girl Jim had giggled and flirted with earlier was not dancing with him. In her place was a Thorgan male. The being was tall, about 6'6, and his skin shimmered pearl and purple beneath the lights. A dusting of teal hair covered his shaved head and jawline. He wore very little clothes, which let his chiseled muscular frame take the spotlight. But even the muscles held nothing to his beautiful violet eyes. They seemed lighter than the other Thorgan's eyes.
He swayed with Jim.
It had gotten rather late and the music slowed it's pace.
Suddenly, the jealousy that Spock had put to bed earlier was startlingly awoken. It spiked like a jolt of electricity in his side and spread throughout his body. He stood, before he even knew what his next course of action was.
He sliced through the crowd, the image of Jim and this stranger becoming ever clearer. But before he reached the gyrating duo, he stopped. He stopped and he fought an internal war within himself.
Being the only unmoving creature on the dance floor, it was easy for Jim to lift his heavy eyelids and spot his first officer.
Spock stood stone still, about two yards away from Kirk. Emotion raged beneath his usually stolid mask and threatened to bubble over, but Spock wouldn't allow it.
Through the darkness Jim tried to read his friend's face. He sought the answers to the ever present mystery that was Spock's facial expressions, but he was just too tired. The alcohol and the music and the strong arms that held him brought Jim Kirk to a level of relaxation that he seldom experienced.
So rather than think, he decided to politely part with the beautiful Thorgan and walk towards Spock. But Spock was already walking away. He followed the familiarity of the shrinking blue shirt as it drifted towards the club's exit.
"Spock…hey…wait up," Jim shouted as he reached the street and jogged towards his friend.
Spock stopped and turned to face Jim.
"What is your problem?" Jim asked, out of breath.
"I do not have a problem," Spock said matter-of-factly.
"The hell you don't!" Jim shouted.
"Look Spock, you can't have it both ways. You can't reject my advances towards you and yet expect me to remain forever single!"
"Single," Spock repeated. "So you are seeking a serious relationship with that Thorgan?"
An awkward silence passed between them.
"It doesn't matter what I'm seeking with Vlick because you lost your right to have a say in it!"
"Was that the point of coming here Jim? To make me jealous? To hurt my feelings?"
"OH, so you have feelings now?!"
Spock scowled, stepping closer to Jim. His eyes were boiling with rage and his fists were clenched so tightly that green veins bulged out from them. A shot of panic leapt through Jim's body at the sight of a 210 lb. angry Vulcan getting so close to his face.
"For being as intelligent as you are James T. Kirk, it never ceases to amaze me how childish and foolish you can be."
Kirk returned the invasion of space, getting even closer to Spock, whose toes he now touched with his own.
"And for being as intelligent as you are Spock, it never ceases to amaze me how stunted you are when it comes to putting logic aside and taking what you really want. Do you even know what you want?"
Before Spock had the chance to answer the question, Jim was turned and walking away - back into the club.
Spock watched as his golden form grew smaller and disappeared inside the door he had so recently emerged from.
WIth his fists still clenched he turned and headed toward the Thorgan lodge that would house the crew for the night.
Kirk's words reverberated in his mind, they pushed on his nerves and eroded his sense of calm.
For the first time he considered the notion that he wasn't familiar with what he really wanted. But at the same time, he knew Kirk wasn't either.