Cats and Canaries
Spock moved to stand in front of Selina's door so that the sensor would announce his presence. Jim and Bones looked at each other for several interminably long moments before the door slid open and Selina's voice called "Come."
Jim peered over Spock's shoulder to see her handing a large box to Sulu and exhaled slowly, only then realizing that he had been holding his breath. Spock paused at the threshold. "Forgive me. I did not realize that you already had a guest."
"That's okay, Commander," Sulu said. "I was just on my way out."
"Please do not leave on my account," Spock replied politely.
"No, that's okay." Sulu grinned at Selina, and patted the box. "It seems I have a very interesting match to prepare for."
"I did promise to make it up to you for only going one bout," Selina told him, walking him out the door. "Humlaalu is a First Sword and most eager to test if a human can compete using a Trubese saber."
"Are you sure?" Hikaru asked once more.
"You defeated me fairly," she said. "I leave defending the honor of the Federation in your very capable hands."
"Then I shall do my best, milady." Sulu gave an imitation of a vid swashbuckler's bow.
Selina returned a small curtsy. "I have every confidence that we will celebrate your victory later."
Sulu's grin was practically glowing when he nodded to Jim and Bones as he walked out and headed down the hallway. Lucky Bastard, Jim thought and McCoy's shoulders slumped slightly.
Selina looked at the three men standing around her doorway. "Spock, please come in. It appears you have brought me additional guests?"
"A purely coincidental gathering," Spock said, but moved forward, allowing room for Jim and Bones to follow him inside.
"We were just looking for Spock and figured we'd find him here," Jim explained.
"It appears you have." Selina looked faintly amused. She turned to Spock. "And was there a purpose to your visit?"
"I had come to inquire if you wished to join us for dinner later." Spock inclined his head slightly and the phantom of a smile flickered across his face. "But perhaps you have already made other plans?"
"I am entirely free for dinner and would be delighted to join you, sa-kal-kam," she said mildly.
Spock placed his hands at the base of his back, assuming a posture of somewhat stiff parade rest. Although technically a term of endearment, it is recognized by nearly every humanoid species of brother that when an adult sister refers to you as 'dear brother' it is seldom a good sign.
She turned to Jim and Bones. "And will you two be joining us for dinner as well?"
Jim and Bones looked at each other and then at Spock. "We had planned to dine in the ship's lounge," Spock said after short pause. "You would, of course, be welcome."
"Would we?" McCoy looked hopefully at Selina.
"Certainly," she said. "My temper is spent and I believe you have both been sufficiently chastised."
.
Jim used the time before dinner to track down Hikaru. He was in the gym testing the feel of a slender black-bladed saber with an elaborately worked hilt.
"Is that a Trubese saber?" Jim asked.
"Sweet, isn't it? And I get to fight someone who really knows how to use one!" Hikaru looked like a kid who'd been given the entire Macy's toy department for Christmas. "Selina really knows how to pick a reward!"
"That's your reward?" Jim was surprised. "I thought, you know..." He moved his eyebrows up and down.
"No. Not that that wouldn't have been nice" he sighed, "but we had a talk about what we saw when she kissed me."
"Saw?" Jim asked. "You mean other than me and Bones standing there with our jaws on the floor?"
"Yeah, other than that," Sulu laughed. "The thing is, there was moment when we each sort of caught a glimpse of what the other one was thinking. That's how she knew I was thinking of d'Artagnan and Constance. And well..." He looked down. "...she was not the Constance that first came to mind."
"Ouch." Jim grimaced. That had to be somewhere on the level of calling a girl by another's name. "How'd you get her to forgive you for that?"
"Actually, she wasn't mad since she'd totally surprised me. In fact, she apologized for slipping so that we saw anything. But she made a suggestion about that first Constance that I think I might follow up on." He grinned.
"Really?" Jim said. "So... does that mean you're off the field, so to speak?"
"For now." He punched Jim in the arm. "Just remember: if that suggestion doesn't work out, I'm already 30 points ahead."
.
Jim Kirk met Spock, Selina, and Bones in the lounge on 10 Forward. After his very enlightening conversation with Sulu, Jim was in a far more optimistic mood than Bones - not that that was anything new. As he'd thought about it, he'd decided that no one would dish that sort of payback if she wasn't a little interested. The game was still on (and he had 30 points to make up). The question was how. The most promising response he'd gotten from her yet was when he tried to make her laugh. Since she was off duty and allowing herself to smile a bit, he'd see what he could do with that.
They took a table near the large viewport and both he and McCoy made to pull a chair out for Selina, but stopped when they noticed the way Spock's eyebrow had lifted. Right, he thought, back off and approach slowly.
"Surely Nyota will be joining us?" Selina queried Spock, as he held the seat for her.
"She should arrive shortly," Spock replied. "You will be departing soon and she thought some others might wish to share a meal with us. If you will excuse me, I should inform her that the Captain and the Doctor are already here." He left and walked over to the wall intercom.
"So," Jim said with a grin. "That was quite a prank you pulled on us."
"Thank you, Captain," she acknowledged.
The Captain frowned. "If I said I was really sorry, could I get you to go back to calling me Jim?" He did his best puppy-dog eyes. "Please?"
Her mouth compressed against an amused smile. "Apology accepted, Jim."
That was almost too easy. Thank you Mr. Sorenson, he thought. "Excellent. Now if I could only get that to work on Spock."
"That I'd like to see." McCoy chuckled looking over at Selina. "I don't do puppy eyes so well, but I hope you'll forgive me too."
"Of course, Len," she said. "I like you too well to think of you as 'Doctor', in any case."
"Someday, you're gonna have to explain to me what it is you've got against doctors," he drawled.
Selina looked sharply at Jim to warn him against injecting, but Spock returned before she could answer.
"Lt. Uhura will be joining us shortly." He sat down, "It would appear that both Nurse Chapel and Lt. Sulu will be unavailable for dinner." Spock tilted his head, looking across the table at Selina, who wore the faint look of a cat happily digesting canary.
"Well, at least the two of us won't have to sit and watch you and Spock double date," McCoy said.
"That would hardly have been the case, Len." She gave him a slight smile and then looked directly at Spock. "Hikaru is quite charming, but I would make a poor Constance."
"Seems to me a man could be pretty damn happy with Elena," McCoy said, brightening a little.
"Do you fence, Len?" she asked and Spock's face took on an expression of mild disbelief.
"I could sure enough be persuaded to learn," Len drawled.
"If you're auditioning for a Zorro," Jim jumped in, raising his hand like a schoolboy and flashing a silly grin, "I already fence."
"If you can call that fencing." She raised a sardonic eyebrow.
Jim put a hand to his chest dramatically. "You wound me, milady!"
She shook her head, but smiled. "Jim, you are incorrigible."
Jim crowed inwardly. Had that just bordered on flirting? He looked at Spock. Yep, the eyebrow said it all.
"Thank you," Jim said, making a small flourish with his hand. "Can't have Spock and Sulu take all the honors for acting."
"Jim," Len admonished, "calling that acting is an insult to thespians everywhere."
"Et tu?" Jim emoted outrageously, pausing between every other word. " 'These words ..are razors.. to my ..wounded heart.' "
Spock's brow furrowed. "I believe you are confusing Julius Caesar and Much Ado About Nothing, Captain."
"Jim," Kirk said. "How many times do I have to tell you? When we're off duty, it's Jim." He did the puppy-dog eyes at Spock.
Spock's eyebrows lifted in confused dismay, but Selina had closed her eyes and covered her mouth with one hand. Score! He was right on the edge of getting an actual laugh.
Bones shook his head. " 'Lord, what fools these mortals be.' "
Selina turned and smiled at Bones, laying a hand on his shoulder. " 'Well said: that was laid on with a trowel.' "
Dammit. Bones was stealing his scene! "Any other parts you'd like to see me try?" Jim asked.
She mouthed two syllables quietly, her eyes going wide.
"Huh?" But he had lost her attention. She was looking over his shoulder to where Uhura had just arrived at the table, nearly dragging Sorenson along with her.
Sorenson looked at them and gave a small, tentative wave. Selina's face broke into a real smile. She stood and went to him and taking both of his hands in hers. "I cannot believe it," she said.
De ja vu. Jim thought miserably. And just when I was making progress.
Selina stepped back and looked up at Sorenson. "Is it possible that you have somehow grown even taller?"
"I sincerely hope not," he deadpanned.
A faint sound came from Selina. A small laugh - Jim was sure of it. One line and the damn Viking had gotten a laugh! Jim comforted himself with the thought that it was only because he had warmed her up.
"Sorry we're late," Uhura said, looking over to Sorenson. "I had to twist someone's arm to come."
"Thank you for dragging him out of his lair," Selina said. She shook her head at him. "I should have had you go as Fafnir rather than Fafhrd for that party."
He smiled down at her. "You were already too tall for Mouser, but you would have made a really odd looking Sigurd."
Jim was just about to feel jealous, when Selina put her hands on her hips. "Just how long have you been hiding from me, Faf?"
'Faf' held his hands up defensively. "I just got here this morning. And you've been kind of busy."
"He has too," Uhura added. "He's the one who hacked into the casino systems for us."
"So you were watching the whole time?" Selina asked, one eyebrow climbing upward.
His cheeks turned a light scarlet. "D-don't get upset. I didn't even know it was you until the Captain said your name." He nodded to Uhura. "I have a witness."
"Completely true." Uhura held her hand up in scout pledge. "He was mortified once he knew it was you."
Selina did not look particularly mollified.
Spock stepped forward. "Now that we are all present," he interjected, "perhaps we should go and select our repast?"
AN: Although more frequent in TNG, Shakespeare was referenced in several TOS episodes, and featured in Conscious of the King. (Selina's line btw is also from Much Ado About Nothing). And I had to give AU Kirk a chance to emote like Shatner.
Fafnir is the reclusive gold-hoarding dragon of Norse mythology. In the Norse and Icelandic versions of the saga, the hero who slays him is Sigurd (Seigfried in Germanic versions). Fafhrd is the towering, red-bearded Northern barbarian who is the boon companion of Grey Mouser, the former sorceror's apprentice and master swordsman of Fritz Leiber's Nehwon tales. Sorenson resembles Fafhrd in little other than appearance, while Selina looks not so much like Mouser, but has some other things in common with him.
Spock is good friend to come to Sorenson's rescue, but must hope that his presence will deter Selina from forcing him to watch her flirt with his two bottom picks wrt a match for her.
