Archive of Our Own ^omega

“One question,” Nyota insists.

“No,” Spock repeats.

Nyota blows a piece of hair out of her face, bored out of her mind. For the one evening she steals Spock away from Kirk, Spock is being a prude.

“I’ll go first,” she tries. “Equal exchange of information.”

Spock arches an eyebrow. “And why do I require the knowledge of who you believe is the ‘most attractive piece of booty in the medical division aboard the ship’?”

Nyota grins, despite herself.

Though Spock may deny it, he still likes spending these evenings with Nyota gossipping as they used to when she was his TA at the Academy. He’s always loved acting like a teenager, most likely because his actual teenage years were full of repression. So sad. When they were dating, they spent these evenings just sitting or kissing or meditating which was nice, yeah, but Nyota undeniably enjoys talking about why Yeoman Lorrke and Yeoman Iverson should just date and be over the dreamy eyes more than her and Spock's own dating activities.

It might be because she likes Spock as her best friend more than she likes anyone else to be, or him to be anything else.

“For blackmail?” she offers.

Spock barely curbs a twitch of his lips. Nyota almost cheers because that means she totally won. “Come on, Spock. I’ll go first: McCoy.”

Spock immediately turns sour in all of the subtle ways that he does. “McCoy? ”

“Yeah.”

“McCoy,” Spock repeats, and his tone is heavy with repulsion. “You chose McCoy out of the entirety of the medical division.”

Nyota rolls her eyes. “Yes! Now you tell me yours.”

“McCoy,” Spock mutters once again. He's quiet for some time, then, finally: “Nurse Kw'Ik'Ya.”

“Oooooh,” hums Nyota, a smile stretching wide across her cheeks. Spock does the thing where his eyebrows furrow for half a second and it's his version of rolling his eyes. “She really is gorgeous.”

Spock inclines his nod. “Furthermore, she provides intellectually stimulating conversation."

Nyota grins. “So does McCoy.”

Spock stares at Nyota, disappointment radiating off of him.

“Okay,” she says, eagerly, sitting atop her hands. “Science department, any of them.”

Spock furrows his eyebrows. “That would be extremely inappropriate of me as I am the head of the science department.”

Nyota barely doesn't roll her eyes. She sits patiently.

Appearing slightly sullen, Spock says, not without reluctance, “Lieutenant Addams.”

Nyota gasps. “You jerk, you said you didn't like her back when I told you that she told Crewman Powell who told Chekov who I heard telling Sulu that she had a crush on you!”

Spock arches an eyebrow lightly, meaning that he's disapproving of the illogic of the current conversation but is also kind of amused. “Though the Lieutenant is an interesting conversationalist and is aesthetically pleasing, that does not mean that I believe us to be romantically compatible,” he tells Nyota.

She blows air out. “Fine. I say Lieutenant Rojaz.”

Spock scrutinizes her. She grins back. 

“We are, indeed, referring to Lieutenant Rojaz who enjoys singing at any given opportunity?”

“Stop being so rude, grumpy,” Nyota berates. “I randomly break out into song, too.”

“Yes, you do,” Spock agrees, “but you actually have a singing voice pleasing to the ears.”

That chokes a snort out of Nyota, and Spock radiates smugness from where he goes back to looking at his PADD screen.

Nyota glares at him. “You're not funny.”

Spock furrows his eyebrows at that. “Though I do not try to exercise the human concept of humor, the Captain often refers to me as the, and I quote, 'funniest person he has ever met'.”

“That's because Kirk's convinced that you're the most superior being in the cosmos for some strange reason — ” Spock fails to hide his pride at this remark “ — also, was he still pissed at me for stealing you away for an evening?”

Spock arches a brow. “The Captain was not angry with you, simply disappointed that we were not able to continue our last unfinished chess match.”

Nyota rolls her eyes. “Right, because that explains the evil eye I got for the entirety of Alpha shift. Anyways, all I'm saying is that you're not funny. Next question: who in the engineering division.”

“Keenser,” Spock says without blinking an eye. Nyota gives him her driest possible expression. His shoulders slightly round. “The Captain would definitely have laughed at that.”

“I say Ensign T'Rihh,” Nyota offers. Spock's eyes squint a little — before he can start lamenting her choice, she says, “Yours?”

Spock purses his lips, just a bit. “Commander Scott.”

Nyota's surprise isn't hidden, so Spock explains, “Though I do not have any outstanding degree of attraction to the Commander, nor am I fond of his more reckless ideas, he does provide extremely intriguing conversation of various subjects in his wide range of knowledgeable topics.”

“Huh. I bet Monty would totally fall in love with you after you explain some of your wild theories that you're too shy to share,” she teases. Spock acknowledges it with a slight upturn to one corner of his lips. “Uh… Security?”

“Ensign Porika,” Spock says instantly.

Nyota blinks. Then a wide grin overcomes her features. “Spock… You've already thought about this, haven't you?”

Spock stares at his PADD pointedly. “Are you not going to offer your own answer?”

Nyota laughs at that, covering her mouth with her hand. “Fine, fine! Porika was a good choice, but uh… Maybe Layla.”

Spock gives her another disapproving look.

“I am struggling to find similarities between myself and the names that you have given this evening.”

“You're so sassy,” she huffs. “But I think that's it, so you're free…”

“The Command division,” Spock tells her. His ears then lightly turn green. Nyota feels a flush of affection at the sight of her best friend.

“Right,” she smiles, “but that's easy.”

“Indeed,” Spock nods.

They pause. Then:

“Sulu.”

“Captain Kirk.”

Spock blinks; Nyota blinks.

Then she grins. “Oh, really? Nice. But Sulu is the superior choice, he's truly one of the most charming guys on this ship — ”

“Nyota,” Spock interrupts, and that should have been a blaring red sign right away. “You are incorrect.”

Nyota's eyebrows shoot up higher than any Vulcan's has ever been.

“That's a very… Conclusive statement, Spock,” Nyota says slowly, and she feels amusement building up in her chest. “But I thought we agreed this was more of an opinion thing based on our own preferences.”

Spock stiffened. “Though your answer should be based upon your own preferences, you should also note that, over any crew-member aboard this ship, Captain Kirk maintains a status of the most attractive.”

“Ouch,” Nyota scowls, offended, and then her eyebrows sky-rocket, offense forgotten. “Wait a second — now it's crew-member, not just command officer?”

Spock seems unfazed. “Based off of continuous observation of the entire crew and its interactions with Captain Kirk over the past two years of our mission, I can support my assessment.”

Nyota rolls her eyes. “And I can support my assessment that Sulu is more attractive.”

Spock's eye literally twitches. “Though the Lieutenant has many favorable traits, in a context of relative comparison, Captain Kirk is — ”

“This has gotten less funny and more annoying,” Nyota sighs, standing. “Spock, I'm just not romantically interested in Kirk.”

“That does not comply with a general cons — ” Spock begins to argue.

Nyota shuts him up with her usual farewell greeting of a kiss on the cheek. He blinks. “Are you leaving, Nyota?”

She huffs. “Yes. Because not only do I want to watch Andorian Blue, but you are obviously missing our beloved Captain. I'll see you in the morning, Commander.”

“Likewise, I expect to see you tomorrow,” Spock replies, but there's a stubborn set to his brow, “However, I feel disdained at the idea of leaving you under the misconception that — ”

“Let it go, Spock!” she calls over her shoulder as she exits his quarters.

She now feels ridiculous for thinking that Commander The-Only-Reason-I-Don't-Always-Get-My-Way-Is-Because-I-Believe-In-Federation-Law Spock would ever actually let something go.

“Nyota.”

Nyota jumps at least six inches in the air. She glares hotly to her left, where Spock is staring at her intently — she can tell that the Vulcan is slightly amused.

She glares even hotter, and Spock finally says, “I apologize if I startled you — ”

“I hate you so much.”

“ — however, I request that you look over your shoulder to the Captain's chair.”

Nyota flings her gaze to said position. Kirk is sprawled comfortably in his chair (that he's kind of creepily attached to, Nyota thinks that something about that has to be popping up on his psych evals), looking over a PADD that a yeoman had brought forth. With dawning horror, she watches as he adjusts his position, his hips twisting just a little suggestively, and sees both the yeoman and a passing officer seem dangerously close to fainting.

She watches painfully as Kirk hands the PADD back to the yeoman, whose cheeks are a startling pink. Said yeoman quickly leaves the bridge, and Kirk cuts off his goodbye bemusedly at the abrupt departure.

Nyota looks back over at Spock, who's looking at her almost expectantly.

“All that proved was that the professionalism is questionable on this starship,” she says, “which. This conversation has already proven, so.”

“I highly disagree with that statement,” he says lowly. “The Enterprise is a starship with most of Starfleet's most intelligent and elite officers. The fact that the Captain can distract two crew members without trying to do so proves his superior attributes.”

“'Superior attributes',” Nyota quotes, then pretend-gags. Spock makes a nose twitch that's equivalent to a huff. “He's not hot to me, I'm sorry, Spock — ”

Spock pointedly beckons to Kirk's position with his eyes again, and Nyota rolls her eyes before looking over. Kirk has stood up and ventured to one of the engineering consoles, where Ensign Otis is staring at Kirk's profile. Kirk flexes his fingers and his grip on the chair at the console, and Otis licks his lips.

“Is this not concerning you about the Enterprise's professionalism?”

“It proves that he is the most attractive officer aboard the ship,” Spock says stubbornly, and Nyota almost rolls her eyes because how the hell is Spock so logical in everything besides this?

“It does not prove that,” Nyota whispers back.

“It proves it.”

“Does not.”

“It does.”

“Does — ”

“What are we whispering about?”

Both Nyota and Spock startle at Kirk's peering face appearing between them. At Spock's actual surprised expression and his sudden fixation with straightening his shirt, Kirk starts to look extremely intrigued — Spock is never surprised about anything, much less bashful.

Nyota's quick to shut down on any suspicion. “We were discussing what type of distractions are present on the bridge. Obviously,” she laughs, “whispering is one. Sorry, Captain.”

Spock simply nods in agreement, avoiding eye contact with Kirk.

“...Okay,” Kirk says skeptically. “How's progress with preparing the extra equipment for Starbase 12, Commander?”

“There are no foreseeable issues with neither preparation nor departure, Captain.”

“Excellent,” Kirk replies. “And, uh… I'll be seeing you this evening?”

Spock finally looks up at that, and Nyota almost gags for real at the soft look in his eyes. “Yes, Jim.”

Kirk's eyes soften right back, and Nyota has to clear her throat to hide her gag. Snapped out of it, Kirk's cheeks flush and he excuses himself to go bother Chekov.

“Nauseating,” Nyota says, but Spock ignores her.

“I find it appalling that you still have not realized the extent of the Captain's attractiveness,” Spock murmurs. Nyota rolls her eyes, still quiet.

However, after a second of remembering how their conversation ended before, she mutters, “Does not.”

It takes a moment, but there's a quiet: “It does.”

“Does not.”

“It does.”

“Does not.”

“It — ”

“Lieutenant.”

Of course, Spock doesn’t get yelled at, Nyota thinks begrudgingly.

The next day, Spock is sitting across from Nyota at lunch, which means that he'll either be silent because Kirk is in Sickbay and is probably on his deathbed (for the millionth time) or that he and Kirk are in a fight.

Given that Kirk is currently stabbing his noodles with McCoy rolling his eyes at him, Nyota sums up that it's the ladder.

On these days, Kirk likes to sit in the middle of the mess as a statement given that Spock likes to sit in the corner — they always split to said tables like a teenage couple. Nyota and McCoy have come to a mutual sacrifice of sitting next to their respective best friends and attempting (usually failing) to convince them to get over themselves. Sulu and Chekov always go to other tables (Monty probably making love to the ship somewhere), awkwardness in their every move.

Nyota sighs after Spock's third glare over her shoulder at Kirk. Twisting, she sees Kirk pointedly talking to a crewman, smiling forcibly bright. 

Looking back again, Spock is pointedly eating his salad.

God, she hates these men.

“So,” she starts, and Spock looks up at her, almost startled. She smiles sweetly. “Yes, yes, there are people here other than Kirk. On the topic of him: why are you guys arguing this time?”

Spock, in all of his little ways, bristles. “We are not arguing given that there are more than twenty meters presently between us and we have no way to argue other than verbally — ”

“Spock.”

“The Captain is under the impression that he should be in the landing party to Therisol III,” Spock says, voice tight.

Nyota 'ah's. “And, of course, you disagree with this because…?”

“I disagree with this because the only knowledge we currently have about the natives is that they had attacked the USS Cortes with no incentive and murdered three officers,” Spock replied sharply. “I hardly believe that is an environment that will be welcoming to Captain Kirk.”

“That environment won't be welcome to any of us, though,” Nyota points out.

“However, it is much more appropriate for the landing party to be led by the second-in-command rather than the Captain in the case that a similar situation occurred,” Spock argues.

“Yeah, because they probably won't ask for the Captain as a hostage in exchange for the party,” Nyota deadpanned.

Spock makes a tiny, nearly silent huffing noise, and Nyota takes that as a sign that he's thinking it over.

Usually after she lectures him, Spock will stay completely silent as he either broods or mulls it over. This time, however, it's not even two minutes before Spock starts speaking again.

“Captain Kirk works remarkably well with children,” he comments, and if Nyota didn't know any better, she'd think it was small talk.

However, she does know better. 

“That would be a very attractive trait to a person who was planning to have children,” she shoots. “Especially with someone from their workplace.”

Spock looks at her (she glares hotly back) and then goes back to eating his lunch. 

“Excuse me.”

They both looked up to see Nurse Iopa Kw'Ik'Ya looking at them. “Could I sit here?”

“Yes,” Spock says, and the nurse grins. Nyota blinks as she looks back and forth between them.

He's quiet for some time, then, finally: “Nurse Kw'Ik'Ya.”

She smirks. If she could set these two up, maybe Spock will lose some of that tension that's in his shoulders all the damn time.

Both Spock and Kw'Ik'Ya seem to be comfortable in eating in companionable silence, which Nyota would usually be 100% fine with, but this time she summons up her most innocent expression.

“So,” both of them look up at her, “it's hard to maneuver a romantic relationship in the middle of space, huh?”

Spock simply arches an eyebrow; Kw'Ik'Ya glances from Nyota to Spock, a tad confusedly.

“Um,” she says, “Probably?”

Nyota soldiers on. “And even harder to find someone...”

Nyota almost huffs exasperatedly when Kw'Ik'Ya pales and stammers, “I mean… Me, personally, I'm — You and the Commander — I mean — ”

Spock's eyes flitted to a point over Nyota's shoulder, then murmured under Kw'Ik'Ya's stutter: “Another exhibit of Kirk's aesthetically pleasing features taking reign is currently happening.”

Nyota shoves her face into her hands.

“Spock,” Nyota whispers.

Spock looks over at her, eyebrow arched as it usually is.

“Kirk,” she says helpfully.

Spock's eyes immediately scan the room, landing on Kirk, who's seemingly about to make a critical social signal to the Therisol III's — personally named Ure ma — Prime Minister's son. 

It makes sense that Kirk wouldn't know that leaning further than half a meter into someone's personal space to Uremas means that you're ready and eager for sexual intercourse, considering that he wasn't able to be present when Spock delivered information to everyone who was landing on the planet about the cultural mishaps.

Wincing, Nyota notes how this was obviously something to tell Captain I-Touch-You-To-Show-You-That-I-Recognize-You-As-A-Being-In-The-Universe Kirk.

As Spock speeds over, Nyota sighs in both exasperation and relief that she can always pin Kirk jobs on Spock, who takes them eagerly. 

The landing on Therisol III first was, expectedly, terrible. Ensign Williams and Nurse Renikovich were both severely injured, and the Captain was, of course, shot in the arm. Four hours after they were beamed back up to the Enterprise, Spock and Kirk had apparently argued to their heart's content and chose to take another approach: a shuttle. Which. McCoy had loudly voiced his dismay about this idea, and Nyota wholeheartedly agreed, but Kirk and Spock, after studying the society's approaches to developing technology, were persistent and, after all, their commanding officers whom they also trust.

They argued another hour about who was going to be included in the landing party, and then, finally, Kirk, Spock, Sulu, three security officers, and one medic were off to the surface in a damn shuttle. McCoy was stationed in the transporter room, where Scotty was waiting to hear any word or track any signal that indicated an emergency retrieval.

After two hours of dead silence and heavy debate on whether or not they should beam down or even send down another shuttle, the Captain's voice echoed throughout the bridge, gleefully reporting for the entire command team to immediately be sent to the surface for negotiations. He commanded Nyota to send word back to Starfleet before departing, and, in response, Starfleet offered the Enterprise to take whatever means necessary to acquire the planet's trust, and, of course, its pergium and other materials supply.

That, somehow, led to an enormous feast and party that involved everyone but the skeleton crew to shuttle down and celebrate "the joyous bonding of a planet and its sisters".

There was also a strange inclination toward females in this society, teetering on being oppressive of males, and most of the people they had met formally were female — however, said females treated Nyota's commanding officers with complete respect, and she suspects that this is less of a gender thing and more of the culture of the Uremas.

Currently, Nyota happily sips her mysterious-but-McCoy-approved drink as she nurses her third glass, and watches as Spock smoothly speaks and separates Kirk from getting closer to the Minister's son, who almost looks glum at this development.  Kirk beams at Spock, and Nyota gags again as she sees him leaning. Spock, to her slight surprise, stands still, consequently making the Minister's son deduct all of the wrong things and flushing a bit. Kirk looks a little confused at that, but he says his goodbye to the son who rushes away. He and Spock speak some more — Kirk's cheeks bloom red for a moment, and then they're splitting, Spock returning to Nyota's side.

Nyota squints at him. He avoids her eye contact.

“Yet another display of the Captain's attractiveness,” he says after a moment.

Nyota rolls her eyes, hard. “You're ridiculous.”

Spock looks at her. “I find it exceedingly puzzling that you have not seceded to the factual evidence.”

Nyota huffs. “I haven't because it's an opinion thing, not a fact thing, Spock.”

“Should opinions not be influenced by fact and logic?”

“Sure, but not when it's about physical attraction.”

Spock genuinely appears troubled by this. Nyota pities him. “Kirk isn't unattractive, Spock. And I honestly do understand why people think he's so gorgeous. It's just that my personal preferences differ from theirs. That doesn't mean I don't like Kirk or that I think that he doesn't have attractive qualities.”

Spock, extremely reluctantly, slowly nods at this. “I am beginning to accept this oddly illogical behavior of yours.”

Nyota barks out a laugh. “Anything to keep you on your toes. Also — Kirk.”

As Spock sped over to where Kirk was about to signal to someone that he's proud to be their friend and that they should attempt to strengthen their bond, Nyota enjoyed her drink some more. 

She tensed a little when a Urema approached her, but felt a giddy feeling spread throughout her limbs when she noticed just how beautiful this particular Urema was. She had enchantingly dark eyes and hair (both a reddish hue as all Uremas seemed to have), delicate lavender skin, and a slim figure with tempting curves. Nyota unconsciously straightened her own spine and bemoaned not being allowed to wear non-regulation clothing considering that they were still on duty.

“Human,” the Urema greeted, her voice expectedly throaty — it still made Nyota feel even more flushed. “Is it allowed of me to make your acquaintance?”

“I will allow it so,” Nyota replies, in the custom phrasing. The Urema looks pleasantly surprised, one of her antennae perking a bit. “Allow yourself to know my name, Uhura, Nyota. A lieutenant.”

“Allow yourself to know mine, Ureote, Liona. A water admiral,” she responds — someone who watches over the waters. “Lieutenant of the stars, an admiral of the seas. Appealing notion.”

Liona's antennae are slightly extended, and she's within a meter of Nyota. Nyota allows herself to lean forward, just a little. Liona's lips flare just a bit.

“It appeals,” Nyota offers. “Though it differs.”

“There is no personal search for anything the same,” Liona says. She's definitely in the half a meter zone.

Nyota feels her cheeks flush a little. “There is not a personal search for the same here either.”

It's a moment full of tension, and then Nurse Kw'Ik'Ya storms up to Nyota.

“Lieutenant,” she grits out, “a word?”

Nyota, blinking, looks over to the nurse, who has come from a group of officers who seem to have a mixture of reactions from appalled to angry to downright upset.

Nyota wants to tell Kw'Ik'Ya to go find Spock or Kirk, but relents when she realizes she's on duty and that must prevail.

“Allow my apology for my leave,” she tells Liona.

“It is easily allowed,” Liona says, and her lips are definitely flared as she takes a step back. “Allow me to see you once again tonight?”

“That can definitely be a— ”

“Lieutenant!” 

Nyota looks over at Kw'Ik'Ya, surprised, but then nods her leave to Liona, and follows Kw'Ik'Ya to the side of the room.

“Would you like to explain your display of unprofessionalism, Nurse?” Nyota asks, not a little irritated.

“I apologize, ma'am, but officers of the Enterprise including myself did not feel comfortable with you making those advances,” Kw'Ik'Ya snapped, and Nyota actually stepped back in surprise. 

Then, of course, she fired back with an overly sweet smile and an equally sweet reply: “I don't recall my personal life being a concern of the 'officers of the Enterprise' — ” the nurse opens her mouth but Nyota soldiers on, “ — especially in regard to my romantic relationships and how I choose to handle them. Considering that these aspects of my life affect the workings of the Enterprise in no way whatsoever, this behavior of you and any other 'concerned' crewmates is beyond inappropriate and unprofessional.”

Kw'Ik'Ya's jaw works, and she visibly has to collect herself — if Nyota wasn't so angry over the question of her character, she would be worried what about Nyota's encounter with Liona made the kind, mild-mannered woman become so angry.

Finally, Kw'Ik'Ya says, “It affects us because we don't feel comfortable seeing the Commander's significant other carelessly handle his trust.”

Nyota blinks. 

Then she bursts out laughing.

It's a minute or two when Nyota finally sobers, and by then, Kw'Ik'Ya looks passionately pissed.

“Lieutenant, I fail to see how this ordeal is at all humorous,” she hisses.

Nyota snorts. “Okay, my point still stands: none of you know neither my own nor Spock's personal lives and how we'd choose to go about it.”

“Everyone knows that Vulcans value a monogamous relation — ”

“Besides,” Nyota loudly continues, “the additional fact that Commander Spock and I had split over three months ago, Spock can take care of himself.”

Kw'Ik'Ya opens her mouth, then it snaps shut. Her tail curls around her legs, her skin flushing a light green. “I — Oh.”

Nyota pats the other woman's hand (touching any other body part is Urema social suicide). “Yep.”

Kw'Ik'Ya's tail then flicks alert. “I am so extremely sorry, Lieutenant Uhura — in hindsight, this was simply— Oh, gods, I'm so sorry, this was terrible and needless — ”

“You were looking out for Spock,” Nyota responds, not unkindly, “and he's still my very best friend, so I definitely appreciate it.”

Kw'Ik'Ya looks to the side, anxiously. “But a few days ago, in the mess, I thought you were offering…”

Offering… Oh, Nyota realizes. But, hey, that might’ve been fun.

Nyota laughs. “Stop worrying, okay? Now if you don't mind, I've got a very beautiful woman waiting…”

“Oh, yeah, of course!” Kw'Ik'Ya says, flushed. “I mean, now that I know, good luck! And great job on catching her eye.”

Nyota flashes a grin, then starts stalking toward Liona, who's leisurely watching the dance while, like. Five people drool over her. Insane and amazing.

She's about five meters from her when Spock stands in front of Nyota. 

“Spock,” she greets, exasperated.

“I was just speaking to the Captain and a total of four different suitors approached him,” he informs her. “Among their complimentary remarks, he was referred to as: 'a mirror of the god, Rinna', 'enticing as a mother's milk to her young', 'whom should allow me to slide my — '”

“Did you know that the crew still thinks that we're together?”

It successfully distracts him — Spock's eyebrows furrow, “In what sense of 'together' do you refer?”

“Like in a romantic relationship,” Nyota explains.

Spock blinks. “I was under the belief that the crew knew of our romantic separation.”

She huffs. “Yeah, me, too! But I was getting close to breaking the half a meter distance with the most beautiful person on this planet when Nurse Kw'Ik'Ya and some other officers decided to step in and defend your honor!”

Spock's quiet. Then he arches an eyebrow. “'The most beautiful person on this planet'? Unless you are referring to — ” Nyota gives him a scathing look, and he shuts up. “Why is this an issue, Nyota? I assume you corrected them?”

“Because we could've been getting laid for the past three months,” Nyota groans. Spock makes a face that's equivalent to a cat sticking its nose in the air and swishing its tail. “Fine, it's not a big deal. I was just surprised. Now I'm gonna go woo the most beautiful person on this planet and get out of here as soon as I can, because rumors fly and I'm not eager to get questioned by Chekov. Goodnight, Commander.”

Spock, despite himself, nods with an affectionate look in his eye. “Goodnight, Lieutenant.”

Finally free, Nyota walks past Spock to where Liona is waiting, smirk painted on her lips.

The bridge was silent today.

Now, Nyota prides herself in the fact that the crew of the USS Enterprise runs the most efficient ship in the 'Fleet. This, of course, means that they make up a focused, quiet workplace, including the bridge.

However, everyone knows that there are a few reasons why the bridge should never be silent.  

Reason 1: If Ensign Chekov's not gossipping to someone, he's probably on the verge of passing out or something. 

Reason 2: If a yeoman isn't yelling at a commanding officer to sign something, the whole ship should be on Red Alert. 

Reason 3: If Captain Kirk isn't speaking/laughing/yawning or breathing obnoxiously, that means that he's in a bad mood.

                 3a: If Captain Kirk is in a bad mood, that means that Commander Spock is in a bad mood.

                        1. If Commander Spock is in a bad mood, everyone's in a bad mood.

Despite her Special Spock Skill Set, Nyota has no idea why he's so grumpy today, especially since he was in a pretty good mood (as far as Spock's moods go) when they left Therisol III just last night. 

It seemed like a usual morning after a shore leave like last night. Nyota had walked on to the bridge with a slightly more smug grin on her face (ignoring Sulu and Chekov's gossipy giggles at her slight waddle), and smiled beatifically at Spock, who nodded at her.

“Good morning, Commander,” she greeted mildly.

Spock arched an eyebrow. “I presume that you are having an exceedingly good morning, Lieutenant.”

A gasp was heard behind them, and Nyota rolled her eyes. “Yes, I did. And not with you.”

Sulu whistled and McKenna was giving them a slow clap, which slowly turned into the entire bridge giving a roar of applause. Chekov was subtly typing something on his PADD, and Nyota was just relieved that the speed of this news traveled quickly — as it should have three months ago.

When the turbolift doors had swooshed open, Kirk entered the bridge in midst of the giggly atmosphere (even Spock had his version of an amused look). Chekov laughed out, “Keptin on the bridge!”

And it was a normal, giddy shore leave morning, but instead of his usual just-got-laid gait and easy smile and cheerful, ‘Good morning, my *insert flattering adjective* crew,’ Kirk's eyes landed on Spock, Nyota, the rest of the crew, and then he promptly snapped:

“This seems more like a slumber party than the bridge, actually. Did I interrupt something?”

It went quiet. Chekov looked to Sulu, awkwardly, and Nyota blinked. Spock, too, looked, in the least, confused.

“R-Right?” Chekov responded. “Sorry, Keptin.”

Kirk just raised his eyebrows briefly. “Are we on course, Lieutenant Sulu?”

Sulu cleared his throat. “Yes, Sir.”

“Excellent,” Kirk muttered, and he started voluntarily scrolling through paperwork on his PADD.

Nyota looked over at Spock. Spock raised an eyebrow in return, turning to his console, but Nyota had seen the disconcerted look in his eyes.

It wasn't long before Spock had gotten up to visit Kirk's chair (they visited each other at least ten times every shift; Nyota had found the average of fifty shifts).

“Captain, I was curious as to your assessment of the state of Starbase 12,” Spock started, which meant 'I disagree with what your illogical and idiotic report stated', but he couldn't follow it up with his usual essay-length argument because Kirk interrupted.

“The report is due in three Terran hours, Commander,” Kirk cut in, without looking up at Spock. “Do you agree that it deducts the general situation that occurred at the Starbase?”

Spock was silent for a moment. Then, he gave a short nod, “Yes.”

Still, without looking up, Kirk responded, “Then I fail to see what remains to be edited.”

And that, that's when the bridge got silent. Kirk didn't do it often, but he could give people lectures or politely rude comments easily as he breathed, but he never did it to Spock — if this was a classroom, Spock would be the teacher's pet, and he was treated like a golden apple. Even in their past arguments, they mutually ignored each other; not this weird one-sided thing.

Spock had stared at the back of the Captain's head for a moment longer, and then nodded again, his spine stiffened so much that he could double as a ruler. “Of course, Captain.”

Kirk didn't even dismiss him.

It's probably three hours into the shift when something apparently cracks because Kirk shoots up from his seat. “Sulu, you have the conn. Spock, to my ready room.”

Spock had frozen in his seat, eyes forward still, but eventually tightened further before standing up from his place in front of his console. Silently, they exited the bridge.

Someone lets out a low whistle. Sulu clears his throat. “Back to work, people.”

Nyota worries her lip, and can’t help but bring out her comm from beneath the table.

LEONARD MCCOY

<< Did Spock do something wrong?? 

<< It’s terribly awkward here on the bridge.

>> Damn right, he did!

>> He didn’t tell Jim about how you two broke up.

<< ?? Apparently no one knew, though?

>> Yeah, but with Spock, even when no one knows, Jim usually knows.

<< The fact that no one noticed is astonishing to me.

<< Still, this seems crazy for Jim to get so mad about this.

>> Then I say that you should talk to Jim about Spock more.

<< What’s that supposed to mean?

When Leonard doesn’t reply, Nyota rolls her eyes hard. All of her crewmates are so dramatic, she can't believe she ended up here.

It’s an anxiety-packed ten minutes until Spock finally enters the bridge, and Nyota furrows her eyebrows when Kirk doesn’t follow him.

“You are relieved, Lieutenant Sulu,” Spock says, taking a seat in the Captain’s chair.

Sulu visibly hesitates before asking: “Commander, where’s Captain Kirk?”

Spock arches an eyebrow. “The Captain found himself urgently needed by the ship’s engineering crew. He may not be back for the remainder of the shift.”

“Ah.”

Nyota tries hard to catch Spock’s eye, but he’s determinedly avoiding her gaze. She huffs, but resigns herself to deal with it later.

And though Kirk’s left, the bridge is still silent.

However, she can’t deal with it later - Spock’s apparently avoiding her now.

Okay, he’s apparently avoiding everyone but Nyota has to take it to heart because she’s his best damn friend and usually when he has a problem with Kirk, he’s talking her ear off.

Nyota and Leonard sit with Sulu and Chekov today at the neutral table, while Spock and Kirk are nowhere to be found.

“I don’t appreciate cryptic messages,” she shoots at McCoy.

McCoy huffs. “Think long and hard on it, Ny, and think on it again.”

She rolls her eyes. Chekov’s eyebrows radiate Concern. “I wish zee Keptin and Commander were not arguing. It causes stress to everyone.”

Sulu nods, sympathetically. “Not like it’ll last long, of course.”

Nyota snorts, but McCoy shrugs. “Maybe.”

Three gazes zone in on him. He narrows his own. “I’m not giving any details if that’s what you clowns are looking for.”

“You are truly the worst,” Chekov declares.

McCoy grunts. “Let’s remember who the real enemy here is, okay?”

“Their emotionally stunted asses are just a pain in all of our asses,” Sulu says. They all chew over that.

“Men,” Nyota summarizes ruefully, and the three around her sigh in agreement.

It’s another day of awkward tension and overall a terrible environment whenever Kirk or Spock are in the room together when Nyota is finally approached.

And not by the one she expected.

“Hey, Uhura,” Kirk exhales from where he’s just made it inside of the turbo-lift.

Nyota furrows her eyebrows when he manually stops the lift and looks at him. “Captain? Is something wrong?”

“No,” he answers. He scrunches his nose up. “Yes?”

“Is that a question or an answer, Kirk?” Nyota teases softly. It succeeds in making him smile a bit, but it fades.

“Look,” he starts. “I just wanted to check on you.”

Nyota arches an eyebrow. “For what reason?”

“Well, uh— You know,” he stammers, cheeks reddening a little, “about…”

Nyota’s about to ask him what the hell he’s talking about again when it hits her.

She laughs a little, but sobers quickly when he looks abashed.

“Sorry,” she apologizes, “but are you talking about the break-up? Because that happened so long ago. I was over it before it even happened.”

Kirk looks a little mixed up on that. “Hey, does… Does, uh… Does he feel the same way about it? You guys were together for a long while.”

Nyota smiles sympathetically. “Kirk. Don’t worry about us. Haven’t you seen us these past two months? We’ve hardly changed.”

“Yeah, I noticed that,” he mutters.

She squints at him. “You really didn’t know?”

“No,” Kirk scowls. Then he tries to cover it up with a smirk. “My crew forgets to tell me things.”

“Huh,” she says slowly. And then she thinks about it. Hard, as the doctor prescribed.

Oh. Duh.

“Hey, Kirk,” she begins.

“Yes,” he replies distractedly.

“Any chance you’d spend the evening with me?”

Kirk blinks.

“Horseshit.”

Nyota barely held in a snort. “I swear.”

Kirk looked at her, distrustfully. “I've seen you lie for less.”

Nyota gasps. “When?”

“Second week of the mission. When you told Chekov that they were handing out chocolate near the sickbay because Bones was in a worse than usual mood and was giving out vaccines,” Kirk points out. “Kid got hypo’d so bad, he was terrified.”

Nyota snickers. “He needed the vaccine, anyway.”

“Didn't he avoid talking to you for a week,” Kirk ponders.

“I just had to actually get him chocolate,” Nyota waves off. “Anyways, off-topic! I’m telling the truth here!”

“There is no way that Spock played this game.” Kirk shakes his head. “No possible way. Not only is it illogical, it’s emotionally charged and entirely for entertainment reasons.”

Nyota arches an eyebrow. “Come on, Captain,” she huffs, “you must know Spock enough that he isn’t all that strict on that, not in his leisure time. Though he’d never admit it himself, he likes to have fun. Every other six months.”

Kirk’s fingers move erratically on the armrest of his chair. “What did he even answer?”

“Please,” she scoffs. “He would kill me if I told you.”

“Then what do I get out of playing this game?” he says, fully unimpressed. 

“Who I think is the most attractive,” she replies easily, and curbs a smirk when Kirk has to hide his immediate expression of disinterest. She would be offended, but she just wants to get to the peak of the night.

Kirk’s shaking his head, again. “You can easily blackmail me right back. Not enough to go on, Lieutenant.”

She purses her lips, even if this is going exactly how she wanted it to. “Fine. If you get through all of the departments without hesitation on your answers, I’ll tell you one of Spock’s.”

Kirk seems to be weighing the opportunity costs of respecting Spock’s private conversations and knowing Spock’s secrets. Nyota holds her breath.

“Do I get to choose the department?” he asks, carefully devoid of over-interest.

Nyota took a second to look as if she was debating it, before saying, “Alright.”

After a moment where he barely hid his giddiness, Kirk shrugs. “Okay, let’s do it.”

Nyota holds back a victorious grin. Praise to Kirk’s - and her own - gray morals.

“I’ll say a department, you answer without hesitation, and then I’ll tell you mine - “ even though you don’t even care, she wants to say “ - okay? The medical division.”

Kirk doesn’t bat an eyelash. “Nurse Kw’Ik’Ya.”

Nyota gapes.

He blinks. “What?” Then his expression twists. “Was that Spock’s?”

“No,” Nyota denies, because no, not yet.  

“Then, what?”

“Nothing, it’s just - She’s the one who confronted me about ‘cheating’ on Spock on Therisol III,” explains Nyota. “I was happy to tell her that we weren’t, and she spread the news from there.” Kirk looked like he was about to stew (most likely sulkingly) over that, so Nyota hurriedly added, “McCoy.”

Kirk’s eyes snap to hers. “What?”

She rolls her eyes. “What do you think?”

A wide grin spreads across his lips, and genuine interest sparks in his eyes. Nyota suppresses a smile. 

“Ooh, ooh, ooh,” he hums. “I have the juiciest gossip, now, don’t I?”

“Hardly,” she says. “You should hear Sulu’s crushes.”

Kirk blinks. “How many different people have you played this game with?”

Nyota blazes on. “Next one, ready? And be completely honest, even if it’s a mutual friend. I was honest about McCoy.” Kirk waves her off. “Engineering division.”

“Ensign Richards,” he sighs.

Nyota squints. “You’re fond of stuck-up know-it-alls?”

“Are you?” Kirk shoots back.

She crosses her arms. “Fine. Okay. You have a point.”

“Though I have to admit that I did answer entirely on appearances,” he admits. “But have you seen him?”

Nyota barely doesn’t roll her eyes; the Ensign was tall, built, with dark hair and eyes. She wasn’t even as obvious as he is than her time crushing in the Academy.

“You?” Kirk probes.

“T’Rihh,” Nyota says.

“With the - ” Kirk gestures at his groin area.

Nyota’s eyebrows furrow. “What?”

Kirk leans back. “Nothing.”

Nyota makes a noise. “No, don’t ‘nothing’ me, what did - “ Nyota duplicated the gesture “ - that mean?”

Kirk’s shoulders start to shake, and Nyota kicks his shin, which makes his laughter bubble out. Before long, her own laughter spilled out, and Kirk clutched his stomach.

She nudges him, again. “You’re an asshole.”

“That’s your term of endearment for me,” Kirk says, pleased.

“Security,” Nyota says in lieu of answering.

“Laila,” he says.

“Yes!” Nyota cheers. “Same!”

“Really?” Kirk asks, grinning.

“Yeah,” she says, leaning back to stretch her legs out across his lap. He easily catches them, and she sighs. “She’s the whole package, Spock’s just an asshole.”

“Who did Spock say?” Kirk asks instantly.

Nyota tsks. “Patience, dear. Command division.”

“Sulu,” Kirk says, obviously attempting to get to the end already.

Another grin stretches across her cheeks. Sulu. Kirk said, Sulu. Take that, Spock. “Kirk, you’ve made me unbelievably happy.”

That makes him pause. “What?”

“Me, too,” she says instead.

“Deserved,” he says, hands resting on her ankles. “I think Sulu is an alright guy all around, but after you see him fence… Reinvents badass. When we first fought together, I almost popped a - ”

“Okay, we’re done here!” Nyota interrupts. Kirk smirks. “And I think that’s it, right? You passed - ”

“The science division,” Kirk blurts, then furrows his eyebrows and blinks rapidly, like he can’t believe he just did that to himself.

Too easy, Nyota internally sighs.

“Oh, okay,” she shrugs. “We’ll do it at the same time. One, two, three - ”

“Spock.” 

“Lieutenant Rojaz.”

The expression on Kirk’s face is peak deja vu. Nyota wants to frame it.

“You literally dated him,” Kirk says immediately.

Nyota purses her lips to avoid from giggling. “You’ve dated some people in Science,” she pointed out, “and you didn’t say them.”

“But - I mean - ” Kirk spluttered. “It’s Spock.”

“Yes,” Nyota agreed.

“He’s Spock, I mean.”

“Yes.”

“Uhura. Spock.”

“Mhm.”

“How?!” he blurts. “It’s Spock, he’s- You know! He’s undeniably the most attractive guy on this entire ship, even if we’re not talking about looks!”

“Hm.”

“I mean- Have you even seen him on the bridge? When he’s passionate about something? It’s like- It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before and I’ve met a lot of attractive beings. On missions? In the heat of a phaser fight? Or in the labs, when he’s juggling a million projects at once and still manages to prove all of his damn hypotheses, and- God, on shore leaves, when he lets himself relax for once and he’ll indulge himself in conversation and - ”

It’s about fifty compliments too late, but Kirk finally cuts himself off, realizing that he’s shown his hand- that he’s shown his whole damn heart.

Nyota doesn’t smirk at him. She smiles, softly. 

“You think so?” she asks gently.

Kirk’s lips part, then his gaze skitters away. “I didn’t- I’m sorry, I don’t want…”

“Would you like to know one of Spock’s?”

Kirk blinks, then rubs a hand down his face, glancing at her wearily. “I can’t,” he muttered. “Even when I thought he was still dating you, it was hard to act- civil. And I like you. I don’t want to know - ”

“I’ll tell you who he said in the Command division,” Nyota says decisively.

Kirk pauses. He looks at her, intelligent eyes working. 

Hm, Nyota mentally comments, he actually looks really hot when he’s thinking critically.

“Are you saying…” He trails off, an undeniable look of hope sparkling in his eyes. 

Nyota grins, taking her legs off of his lap and looking at him under her eyelashes. “Why don’t you ask him if he wants to play the game?” she suggests.

Kirk straightens, then tenuously beams at her. He leans forward, kisses her forehead, and hugs her, all within a few seconds’ time. Nyota laughs, pushing him away.

“I love you, Nyota Uhura!” he cheers, before racing out of her rooms. A few passing crewmembers glance in curiously, but Nyota just sends a warning look that has them scattering.

Commanding the door shut, Nyota sighs contentedly. She got all of that done and there’s still time before Andorian Blue starts.