Jim leaned against the kitchen counter. This Halloween party was a great idea. He and Bones had debated having costumes for a good week before deciding that yes, it would be a costume party.
Kirk was pretty pleased with his costume. He'd thought about digging out the pieces he'd used to be prince charming their freshman year but decided against it. after far too much effort his costume ended up being Jack Frost.
Bones had gone the simple and bloody route-crazy doctor. Labcoat, bucket of fake blood dumped all over himself, and he was good.
It was the morning of Halloween before Spock even had a costume. It had taken some convincing but the Vulcan had agreed to a vampire costume. a simple black suit, a cape lined in red. teeth appliance.
"Hey Jim."
"Scotty, Hey!" Kirk smiled at the young man who had come to stand next to him. "How are things?"
"Things are well with me. I had a question for you though."
"What is it?"
"Who's the Vulcan girl?"
Kirk looked where Scotty gestured to and sure enough one of the Vulcan exchange students was standing in the doorway.
"Don't worry." Bones had approached them. "I invited her."
"...why?" Kirk asked.
"I'll tell you later. You know that's T'Pring though, yeah?" Bones said.
"oh...Oh! That's her?!"
Bones nodded before walking over to the young Vulcan woman.
"Hi. Glad you came." Bones said tersely to her. She looked him over. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. Costume party. Don't worry, I'm sure no one will mind you don't have one." Bones didn't give her a chance to respond. "Come on, let me introduce you to some people, show you around."
"Your consideration is appreciated but I plan to simply speak with Spock to gain understanding of this kind of...gathering."
"Oh, Spock, Right. Well, he's busy." Bones said. "Don't worry, I'll do my best to keep up with you."
"Very well, what is Spock doing though?" she questioned.
"Oh, he's over there talking to Christine." Bones nodded to the corner of the room where sure enough, Christine and Spock were sitting in deep conversation. More than that Christine had made a costume choice that T'Pring may not have expected: a character that truly only she and Spock (and Christine) would recognize at first glance. A Vulcan children's story character of antiquity: Vulnera. Comparatively to Human stories she was a kind of fairy queen.
And Christine had all the details correct.
"Excuse me." T'Pring said, walking away from Bones and ignoring any attempts from him to get her to come back.
Spock had expected to take tonight as a mandatory function. something he had no personal interest in being involved with, but wouldn't harm him to attend and made his life easier to so he did.
But when Christine had arrived that plan had changed. He immediately got away from the wall he was standing against and went to her.
"Christine I feel compelled to comment on your attire. It's impressive a human would go through the effort to put together a costume based on an ancient folk story. especially a Vulcan one.
"Oh well, I started looking into some Vulcan stories uhm...well a while ago." She admitted to him. "Vulnera stuck out to me as interesting."
"You did an admirable job, I recognized who you were imitating right away." Spock said. "When did you become interested in Vulcan Folk Lore?"
"Oh I don't know, not long ago." Christine said, going and sitting down with Spock. "What about you? Any interest in fairy tales?"
They kept talking and Spock realized as they did how little he'd spoken to Christine the last two weeks. And that, underneath his control and logic he had missed it.
He'd missed her.
"Spock." A voice cut into his pondering and the conversation.
"Oh..." Christine said, looking up and seeing T'Pring. T'Pring ignored her.
"T'Pring. I was not expecting to see you here tonight." Spock said.
"Obviously." T'Pring commented. "Nevertheless I am here and would appreciate it if you would help explain the customs around this holiday to me."
"...Excuse me." Christine said, getting up suddenly and leaving.
T'Pring glanced at Christine as she left. "I'm surprised you tolerated her choice of attire. I find it disrespectful she'd impersonate a Vulcan-even fictional-for the sake of a costume."
"I...didn't think to find it offensive..." Spock said. "T'Pring, what is your purpose in being here?"
"I was invited." She replied.
"Spock! T'Pring." Bones came over. and handed them each a cup. "Here."
T'Pring took a cup, as did Spock.
"Well, Drink up! Or are you expecting a toast?" Bones said.
"Why?" T'Pring questioned, a question Spock thought but did not voice.
"Tradition...Just humor me they're very traditional drinks." Bones said. Spock decided he would express his concern with Bones strange behavior later and for now raised his glass. T'Pring did the same, all three glasses coming together with a soft Clink before they all drank.
Sock recognized the taste of his. Apple Cider. Something in it gave it the burn of alcohol. He assumed T'Pring and Bones had the same.
It was a logical assumption...but entirely wrong.
Bones excused himself almost immediately. Spock took note but was more...concerned would have to be the correct word with T'Pring.
she'd quickly downed the rest of her drink and as they kept speaking a green flush began to color her cheeks.
"T'Pring are you alright?"
"I'm fine." She insisted. Spock could hear irritation in her voice...that wasn't good.
"T'Pring are you ill?" he asked.
"No I said I'm fine-you ought to believe me." she told him sharply. Spock raised an eyebrow and glanced around, looking for a medical student-mainly for McCoy. but he wasn't around.
Christine was nearby though.
Spock walked over and touched her shoulder. "Christine, I'm concerned T'Pring might be having a reaction to something she a-"
Spock was cut off By T'Pring removing his hand from Christine and standing between him and her.
"Spock i said I'm fine and that aside I think that you ought to put some distance between yourself and this...girl." T'Pring said. Christine stood up.
"T'Pring, Spock's worried about you, I can maybe he-"
"-Spock is NOT worried he doesn't worry and neither do I. Or rather he wouldn't worry without bad influences like you in his life." she said. "So leave us alone."
T'Pring turned back to Spock. "Take me back to my room right now." Spock knew something was wrong now. T'Pring's ears and face were flushes and she was...emotional.
"...I will. Once you apologize to Christine. she has been good companionship for me these last few years-"
"-She is a problem!" T'Pring said. "she is a divide in your attention, devotion, and discipline. She's a parasite and delusional-you both are if you really think someone like her is suitable companionship for one of your intellect."
"STOP IT!" Christine shouted. the other guests began to take notice. "I have never done anything to you T'Pring so why do you treat me like this?! I was nice to you and you just seem intent on hurting me! Can't you accept Spock is my friend?"
"Vulcans don't have friends." T'Pring said. "Besides. Friendship hasn't been your goal here-so I will say this very clearly-stay away from my husband!"
"If I don't?!" Christine demanded, face flushed.
Spock had stayed out of this for the most part but intervened now, catching T'Pring's wrist before she could hit Christine.
"I'm going to take you back to your quarters now." Spock said calmly. "Christine..."
He tried to think of what to say. What would make this better. he couldn't apologize for T'Pring-it would be a lie to say she was sorry. He couldn't tell her he thought of her like she thought of him...even if he did it would be a horrible thing to do in front of T'Pring (and a public incident in a place like this)...
"...Goodnight Spock." Christine said when his pause dragged on too long.
Spock left after that. he ran into Kirk and Bones on the way out but wouldn't look at them as he took T'Pring away.
"I can't believe you care about someone like th-"
"T'Pring I don't know what is afflicting you but your actions have been dishonorable at best and A disgrace to our species at worst." Spock cut her off as they walked back to the campus.
"No they weren't! It was all true...you've let this place soften you Spock...you're so human."
"...I am Human." Spock said. "I am also Vulcan...I cannot deny either half, just learn to balance my biological and cultural backgrounds."
"You're intelligent enough to know that you ought to get rid of your humans urges then. Your Vulcan half is superior." T'Pring said. "Spock I want to be bound to you. Or at least I used to. Everything I heard about you was admirable and desirable...but you aren't in person...you care too much about people...that girl."
"Jealousy does not become you, T'Pring." Spock said. "I think we should make the rest of this journey in silence."
"...you're mad." T'Pring said after a minute or two of silence.
"...Yes. I'm furious." Spock said calmly. "But as someone who is so insistent that Vulcans are superior you should be able to appreciate I keep that controlled...or perhaps not considering how close you keep your emotions to the surface even when you're in right mind." Spock said.
T'Pring didn't respond.
Spock got her back to her room and entrusted her to the care of her roommate before going home.
He came back to the party guests gone and any remnants of the party cleared away. And to Kirk and Bones int he living room waiting for him.
Kirk looked furious.
"Spock you're back, good. Bones, you tell him what you did."
"Jim calm do-"
"You Tell him what you did!" Kirk snapped. Spock raised an eyebrow.
"...I gave you and me Cider and I gave T'Pring hot chocolate. Much chocolate as I could put in it and still have it be liquid." Bones said. "I had reasons."
"Such as what?" Spock said, even and metered. Bones explained how T'Pring had treated Christine.
"I dunno why she's like that but I wasn't gonna let her treat Christine that way just for having some crush on you." Bones said. "Which, by the way, you're an ass for ignoring-you know that right? That you're awful for picking that Crazy Vulcan over someone who actually loves and ares about you because of something like Tradition-"
"-Leonard. if you say another word I will hit you." Spock warned
"No you need to hear th-"
Spock sent McCoy sprawling with one well aimed punch.
"DO NOT presume to understand a culture you have lived in, DO NOT presume to know my feelings-however much I do or do not show them-toward Christine or MY WIFE." Spock stood over Bones. "And do not presume to have any right to interfere in my life or my affairs ever again just because you're my roommate."
"I'm also your friend." Bones said quietly.
"I don't need a friend who drugs someone close to me to make a point." Spock said. "I could have you arrested for this-i should have you arrested for this."
"Spock hey..." Kirk put a hand on Spock's shoulder. "I think he gets it..."
"...I should hope so." Spock said before going and shutting himself in his room.
It was three days before he spoke to Bones again. And that was to ask him to move out of his way.