Just to clear up any final confusion after Chapter 8, Jim only absorbs others powers when they are USED on him, not when he just touches them!
Also, I kinda like the thought of Jim losing all flirting skills around Spock, but going into flirting overdrive with Bones.
Thoughts?
Rachel :)
Chapter 9
Stepping out into the hallway, Jim hadn't even fully shut the door before turning around and crashing into someone.
"Fuck! Sorry! I didn't mean to-"
He abruptly stopped once he saw the man.
Or rather, the what-he-thought-was-biologically-male alien.
Standing there, in all his well-over 6-foot glory, was perhaps the hottest creature that he had ever seen, and he had slept with Orion's for god's sake! Tall, slim, lithe, the man's dark shirt clung tightly to his chest and left nothing to the imagination. His entire body was that of a dancer's, with powerful shoulders and long legs that Jim just ached to be wrapped around him as they-
Woah. No. Bad Jim!
Blinking, he looked up from the scuffed army boots, unfairly tight jeans, ripped dark gloves, and a black leather jacket, to see the man's face.
And, of course, he thought sourly, that is just as perfect as the rest of him.
He had a strong jawline and high cheekbones, a straight nose and a full-lipped mouth. Walnut brown eyes studied him emotionlessly, and angular eyebrows led to mused up ebony hair, two pointed ears sticking out from either side of the messy hairstyle.
Jim's jaw dropped.
"You're Vulcan?!"
He immediately turned beetroot red.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to- to- to let that slip out!"
That sounded even worse.
"Fuck! I mean, it's not that I didn't- I don't mean to- to offend or anything, I just- I just was- I was surprised, that's all! I didn't mean to say it in- in that way, or, you know, not that way, not that way's good too! I just- I don't want to- to- I'm sorry".
He finished by blushing even brighter and ducking his head.
When the man remained silent for a full minute, he decided he probably wasn't going to get punched, and cautiously glanced up at him.
The Vulcan was staring down at him silently, his face impassive save for a solitary raised eyebrow, but amusement clouded the air around him.
The blonde abruptly held out his hand, "I'm Jim. Jim Kirk".
The man glanced down at the offered introduction, and some of the amusement darkened into sour-tasting unease.
And then it hit him.
Jim immediately dropped his arm, "Oh, yea, of course, sorry! Again. You guys don't really... do hand contact, do you? Or... like... any contact. Which is totally fine too, by the way! Not that it wouldn't be fine either, of course! Personally, I don't touch many people either, not because I don't want to, or- or cause of my culture or race or whatever, but because of- of- of... another reason. And now I'm rambling, which is just great, cause you guys are all about logic, and rambling is most definitely not logical so sorry about that, again, I don't mean to-"
"Spock".
And holy motherfucking shit is that a bedroom voice.
The boy blinked slowly, brain already on overdrive from the man's appearance, but his voice?! It was richer than chocolate, like a smooth velvet, and he seriously believed he would die if he did not hear it again.
"... What?"
Nice one, Jim.
"My name" the Vulcan repeated, "is Spock".
"... Is that your first name or your last name?"
His eyes softened in amusement, "Humans can't pronounce my first name".
"Try me".
And oh my fucking god did he just not have a filter today?!
Spock's lips twitched, "Perhaps another time... Jim".
Oh my god he was going to die.
Mouth strangely dry, the blonde quickly agreed, "Yea, yea, of course! Some other time then!"
The Vulcan continued to stare at him pointedly, and it was only then that Jim realised he was still standing in front of the infirmary door.
"Oh, sorry!" He quickly exclaimed, stepping aside.
The man merely smirked, before walking past and shutting the door behind him.
The second the Vulcan was out of sight, Jim collapsed back against the wall and slowly slid down to the ground, head in his hands.
"I'm such an idiot!"
Where the hell had his tongue gone to?!
He was his usual self with Bones, the flirtatious remarks coming as easy as air to him, and he knew that the doctor had been flirting back in his own way.
Then suddenly he meets a just-as-hot Vulcan and he starts stammering like a fanboy?!
It wasn't his appearance that had thrown him, the man registered on the same good-looking chart as Bones did, each for their own reasons, so what was it?!
The fact he was Vulcan?
Maybe.
Jim hadn't expected to meet any aliens here, let alone one from a planet as far away as Spock's was.
Not that he was a typical Vulcan, though, with his biker jacket and spiky hair.
So, it was because he was surprised that he lost his voice, that's all.
Yes.
That was most definitely it.
"Jim!"
He looked up at the startled yell, only to find Uhura coming around the corner, picking up her pace when she saw him.
"Hey, are you alright?" She asked quickly.
"No".
"What happened?!"
She was genuinely worried, he realised, as she crouched down next to him, her eyes panicked and emotions frazzling in the air around her.
He could only guess what his emotions were telling her.
"Hey, Jim, what happened?" She asked again, calmer once she realised he wasn't injured.
He sighed, "... I embarrassed myself in front of a hot guy".
"... Okayyy" She said at length, obviously insure what to do in this position.
"He was really hot" He continued, pouting, "Like. Super hot. On the same hotness level of Bones. And that's a pretty high level. And I just... looked like an ass in front of him".
So many things in that statement confused her, so she played it safe with the generic, "I'm sure it wasn't that bad".
"It was mortifying. My life is over. I can never see him again".
"Nyota".
Jim quickly stumbled back to his feet at the man in question re-emerged from the infirmary, and he could feel his face heat up once more.
Uhura turned to him and smiled, "Oh, hey, Spock".
How was she able to function around him?!
He glanced over at the still tongue-tied blonde, "Jim".
Sweet mother of god his name from those lips was going to be the end of him.
By the time he got his thoughts together, the Vulcan had disappeared around the corner, and the blonde collapsed back down on the floor, groaning into his hands, "It's just not fair!"