Title: Underestimated
Characters: Spock, Scotty
Rating: K
Word Count: 100
Summary/Warnings: Set pre-Where No Man Has Gone Before. Speculation as to the TOS canon; I personally like to think (and intend to explore this idea through some fanfiction eventually) that Scotty was on the Enterprise during Pike's captaincy as well. I have no idea if that's considered c(f?)anon or not, just as there's a lot of speculation as to when McCoy came aboard and so on.
After their new captain had exited, winking shamelessly and beaming brighter than the nearest pulsar, Montgomery Scott (the only current senior officer who had known him before the captaincy turnover; as such the only crewman save Captain Kirk who did not slightly mistrust him) cautiously cast him an amused eye.
"How long has it –"
"Nine years, four months, and seventeen days."
"Ouch." Scott grinned. "The lad has more brainpower than ye'd think from the rumors, eh?"
"Indeed. Rumors, Mr. Scott, are rarely accurate."
Including the one that said no human could ever beat a Vulcan in chess, apparently.
Fascinating.