Jim Kirk, Later that Day
Jim fell asleep reading his book. He woke up sprawled across the bed, feeling like he'd been on leave for a week.
He thought of all the times that Spock had refused to take shoreleave, expressing his preference to remain aboard. Maybe the guy had something, there, after all.
'Geez, Jim,' his brain told him, 'let up with the Vulcan, already.'
He reached back to put the book on the shelf, then slowly stood up. Stretching languidly, he realized he really did feel good. Lightly, without analyzing his motives, he decided to leave off the Gold for the rest of the day.
He walked through the corridors of his ship on the way to nowhere in particular. Some people smiled and nodded, knowing exactly what he was doing. Some were as formal as they ordinarily were; although, as Captains go, Jim Kirk didn't much stand on ceremony. Still others ignored him completely as though, without a Color, he was invisible. And a few just squinted a little, like they weren't quite sure who he was.
He was almost to the Officers' Mess when he saw Uhura further down the corridor.
He had noted this phenomenon before: Some days there was that one person you kept running in to, over and over... In this case, he really didn't mind.
She was walking toward him, obviously concentrating on something displayed on her padd. He was thinking of calling out to her when another crewman rounded the corner.
It was apparent Solas wanted to talk to her: He hurried to catch up with her, walked alongside her, touched her hastily to get her attention.
She stopped, and shifted her padd up in front of her, against her chest.
The two talked for just a minute. She shook her head. His smile was too broad, trying too hard to persuade - She looked a little uncomfortable, defensive. Jim wondered whether he should intervene; and just for that instant, he wished he wasn't the Captain. Solas said something and waited, standing just a touch too close. When she didn't answer, he said something else, and then, turning, went back the other way. Uhura stood still a moment, frowning, before walking on.
When she looked up, and saw Jim standing there, she seemed to hesitate, perhaps considering a retreat.
At last she smiled, and came toward him.
"Captain Kirk," she said, "have you had a good day?"
He thought about it; then answered cautiously. "Yes, Lieutenant, I suppose it's been good. Interesting, certainly."
She took another step toward him, looking at him a little more carefully. "Really. Is that so?"
Her eyes were wide, the corners of her mouth curled with the last traces of the smile still lingering on her lips. But yet there was that something reserved about her, withdrawn, that he had glimpsed as she spoke with Solas.
He felt like he was standing on the edge of a cliff, not one tall enough to kill him, if he fell, but one just high enough to hurt him badly. He was remembering some of the things that had been said the previous evening – the way she looked in a swimsuit – the look on the crewman's face just now, as he turned to walk away; her hesitation. There were so many things Jim Kirk wanted to talk to this woman about…
He was aware that this was dangerous territory, and he didn't want to damage his tenuous relationship with her – and the hard-earned one even now growing with Spock - by asking any of the questions that he really wanted answered. This was diplomacy of the highest order, and a kind not taught in Command School.
He shrugged. "I dunno, I've just been seeing things from a new perspective."
She smiled, and the smile was genuine - pure Nyota – warm and tender, caring. "Seems like that should be a good thing."
"Yes. I suppose it should," he said, a little slowly, "but…"
Her smile was faltering, turning to a look of concern.
He hastened to reassure her. "Oh, nothing earth-shattering, really. Just… different, you know?"
She nodded; and he thought maybe she did know.
They stood there in silence for a few moments. Uhura looked him in the eye, then, and smiled. She gently touched his arm – closing the gap between them with an impulsive gesture of sympathy. "Maybe it'll turn out to be just what you needed, to see things a little differently. Uncomfortable, maybe, but good in the end?"
"Yeah. You're right." He grinned a little, and a little more. "As always."
She laughed, then, and leaned forward, surprising him when she kissed him on the cheek. Her voice was low and laughing, too: "Oh, no, Jim-honey," she said, "that's Commander Spock, not me!" She gave him an impudent little grin of her own, with two raised eyebrows, before continuing on her way down the corridor.
Watching her go, Captain Kirk found his world view shifting by another degree. He noticed the fresh bounce in her step and thought that - just maybe - Uhura had needed a friend, for a moment, just as much as he had.
Watching her go, Jim was glad he'd left off the Gold.