R.I.P. Leonard Nimoy, thank you for making us smile. Godspeed. Thrusts ready. Full speed ahead.
A/N: Just Spock
No beta, I just threw it out there. Bride of Spock feel free to proof this if you're still hanging around here somewhere
His new Captain stood too close to him. At first he found it disconcerting and uncomfortable but he withstood it because his studies of human behavior showed that proximity is usual to human beings. He haven't noticed it in practice until their new Captain arrived, but he observed it many times. Now when he himself was subjected to such proximity he examined all available data. Although initially uncomfortable he adjusted soon enough and discovered that proximity isn't such a troubling thing as he expected. At least when it came from his new Captain Kirk.
Captain seemed like a person easy to have around, or at least humans would describe it in such terms. Spock would say that his Captain hadn't had any characteristics that would cause discomfort or irritation. Although he often enough got Spock confused, which caused laughter in his Captain, confusion wouldn't be long lived. In some sense you could say that Spock got used to being amusing. It was the first sensation of amusement in his life and he didn't find it unsettling, but agreeable. You could go so far to say that even Spock himself was amused by that new moment in his life. Being close to Captain made him almost feel something. Not that he would ever admit that to anyone, but it would be unwise, especially for a Vulcan, to be untruthful to himself. That sensation, or, if you insist, a feeling, wasn't much defined one and Spock left it at that.
All he could admit is that he liked when his Captain smiled at him and that he found that his lips would involuntary mimic that expression in slightest curve up.
Standing inside that narrow path with Captain pressed closely against him provoked certain unexpected reaction in his body but Spock didn't give too much thought to it. Some reactions were involuntary, almost unnoticeable specks of his human half. Those kind of reactions were easily to cultivate, they didn't lead to anything menacing so Spock left it at that.
Somewhat unsettling was Spock's own inclination to respond to Captain's challenges with his own retort. Unsettling part was that his constructive mind divided a part of its strength to participate in those debates and pokes Captain would initiate. There were better ways of using intellect but his responds brought so much light into Captain's eyes that Spock considered it a sacrifice to ship's moral. After all ship's moral was in his job description.
When he thought about that job description Spock often thought that he was unusual choice for a First Officer. Most of usual duties were connected to crew and communicating orders to lower ranks but Captain had an easy way to discard those directions. Spock thought that if Captain wasn't so good in finding innovative ways in solving problems he wouldn't lasted very long in his position as first behind the Captain because crew didn't respond to his logical ways all too well. That was shown clearly when he had to take charge. Everyone decided just to disobey him one by one.
Any other Captain would consider to relieve him of his duty after that but not Jim. Spock smiled as he always did when he used his name, even in privacy of his own mind. He described it to the difference in culture and left it at that.
After that Spock had to notice and appreciate all the ways Captain adjusted protocol so Spock could fill his duty. There weren't a pride in human sense in Spock that would cause him to deny his own limitations. And his limitation were met when he had to deal with people and explain himself to them. That is everyone except Captain. It seemed like he understood Spock somehow, like he knew even something that was invisible to Spock and that something made him smile when he would look at Spock's face. That smile made it comfortable for Spock to submit to his leadership and to withstand his poking.
That was his duty after all on this ship. Communications of orders went through Uhura to lower ranks. Orders were distributed while Spock remained free to do what he does best, be a scientist. Moral was kept by Captain's smile full of optimism and maybe Spock did keep crew's moral because sometimes it seemed that he is responsible for that smile. At least in some extent.
