Work Text:
Spock's advanced senior academy class knew a few things about their private, careful Vulcan professor. The first was that he was a very competent man. This was quite obvious, from the way he handled his students and their lessons, his way of teaching inclusive and catered to those who were willing to work hard.
The second was that he had a husband. No one actually knew who the person was, or what he had done to warrant the affections of professor Spock, but every so often Spock would mention him, and every student would side eye the person next to them and file away the piece of information he had just divulged, however mundane it was.
So far, in all the school year, there was only one student who'd been there for every single lesson - her name was T-naia, and she kept a ruled and dotted binder with every time the mysterious husband was mentioned. She knew that he liked Vulcan cuisine, that he was considered important in Starfleet, that he was somewhat proficient in rummy, and that, halfway through their first term, he had gotten a bad cold.
The third thing was that Spock loved both his husband and his students. He never used those words, but as someone who kept their door open for students who were struggling, brewed tea for his whole interplanetary history class when their classroom heating was malfunctioning in winter time, and had a habit of letting little details slip about the man he'd married, it was hard not to say it counted as love.
T-naia thought it was. She was a Vulcan, and had not much thought for the concept of love, but if there was one person she would use as a base for her understanding of love and all that came with it, she would use him.
By term four, five things had been added to the notebook.
1. Husband enjoys the colour yellow, and frequently adds it into his wardrobe to professor Spock's (albiet very very muted) delight.
2. Professor Spock and Husband were married on a beach (location currently unknown).
3. Husband has an unusal amount of hobbies (perhaps the reason why professor Spock keeps coming to class in poorly knitted items).
4. Professor Spock and Husband have adopted far too many cats (do not know how many cats is too many).
5. Husband and Professor Spock love each other very much.
This list was kept hidden in the bottom of her academy satchel, and T-naia did not share it with anyone, except her roommate. One night, when they were resting on their shared couch together, her roommate Ali asked about it.
"Do you think you'll ever do something with the list? Share it around campus or something? That's the sort of thing that could easily become an academy legend, or at least some good lore."
T-naia debated this for a moment before shaking her head slightly. "I do not believe that would be wise," she said. "Professor Spock has at least some semblance of trust placed upon me, I would not wish to cause him harm."
"No, yeah, you're right," Ali said, sighing. They reached out and pulled T-naia towards them against their chest, trying to find a slightly more logical resting position. They did not have a large couch, and T-naia was used to being the recipient of their manhandling. She did not mind it all too much. "That kind of rumour probably isn't fun to deal with. I wouldn't want to have to put up with my students talking about my love life. But I still think the list is cool. Sort of a record of all the times he's admitted he loves the guy."
The list lay in front of them on their tiny coffee table. T-naia reached forward and picked it up, smoothing out a tiny crease in the corners. "Perhaps I should begin to go about this in a different way," she mused. "Instead of noting every time professor Spock mentions his husband, it may be an interesting mental and social experiment to research gestures of romantic affection and attempt to place them within the confines of his and his husband's relationship."
"I have no clue how you're going to manage that," Ali snorted. They squeezed T-naia's middle gently. "You'll figure something out though. Just... be careful about Spock's boundaries, alright? Don't overdo it."
T-naia nodded. "I will make sure of it."
__________
About a week later, Spock brought in a box full of pastries for his class. He deposited it on the lectern and leaned into the microphone to say, "Students, there are fresh pastries available for any of those who want to try. Please refrain yourself from taking more than one. My husband is a prolific baker, as he has recently discovered, but he is not quite so talented as to provide enough for my class two times over.”
T-naia's ears pricked up. She wrote in neat letters on the list: ‘Husband has taken up baking as a hobby.’ She looked down at the box of pastries and added ‘apple cinnamon, and almond, most likely gluten free.’
Then she tucked her book away, went down to the front, and plucked a pastry before they all disappeared. It was surprisingly good, and she gave a nod of approval. When she'd finished, she approached Spock, who'd retired to sit behind his desk in the corner, looking through papers before he had to start his lesson.
"Excuse me, professor," T-naia said politely, hands behind her back in a lax parade rest.
Spock looked up at her. He wore black Vulcan robes and a pair of poorly knitted blue fingerless gloves. "Yes, cadet?"
"I just wanted to extend my compliments to the chef," she told him. "Your husband's pastries are quite admirable."
At this, Spock dipped his head. "I will pass on your words." He shuffled a stack of papers into a neat pile and laid them down flush with the corner of his desk. "Did you enjoy the apple-cinnamon danish or the almond cardamom croissant more?"
"They were both good," said T-naia. "I had not realised that cardamom was one of the ingredients. It adds to the flavour in a delightful way."
Something in Spock's eyes looked a little pleased. "Ah. I am glad. He was hoping the taste would be noticeable. Now, cadet, I ask you to return to your seat so I may begin my lesson."
"Of course," she said, and turned to go back to where her notebook sat, feeling as though she'd discovered something sweet.
__________
A few days later Spock came in, his hair - longer and curlier than it had been back in his days of active duty - braided with blue beads at the back. He taught his class as usual, perhaps turning towards the students a little more so that the beads caught the light, but T-naia was certain that this was the husband's doing, and that he was showing it off a bit.
Sure enough, halfway through, he confirmed it. "I apologise if the adornments in my hair are at all distracting," he said mildly as he stood at the lectern, looking out at the audience. "My husband was trying his hand at hair-braiding."
A nineteen year old boy in the audience who T-naia knew to be called Shrew raised his hand. Spock called on him, and he stood up to say, "I think it looks right proper, sir. Tell him he did a good job."
"I fear that will only inflate his ego," Spock told the general class, who all tittered a little. "This is one hobby I wouldn't mind him quitting."
T-naia raised her hand, and when called upon, told Spock, "My classmate is correct, Professor. It is not a displeasing aesthetic choice. But, of course, your accessories are up to you ."
"I am well aware," Spock said, some amount of humour infused into his tone. "And thank you, T-naia. This is yet another compliment that shall return home with me, I suppose. Now, to class, before any of you get any more sidetracked."
__________
Rough Draft:
The Ways I See Professor Spock Showing Love (change title)
- He always brews his students hot tea on cold days, and days when the heating systems are broken. The cups are chipped and plain, but the tea is hearty and he makes sure there is enough for each person.
- When someone has a cold, they are excused from his class for the week, and if they must stay he finds them a blanket and brings them soup.
- (add more in next draft, next pages)
__________
"So, how's it going?" Ali asked over dinner one night, about two weeks after their initial conversation. "Any updates on the whole 'trying to figure out who Mister Spock's husband is to fulfil your personal curiosity?"
"That was not my original intention," T-naia all but grumbled at her from behind a piece of roasted vegetable. She'd been getting an underwhelming amount of sleep the last few days, and it was weighing on her, not to mention affecting her mood. Ali was being incredibly kind to her by making her meals and keeping her space tidy when her own mind was too frazzled to think about much other than school, studying, and Professor Spock's mysterious spouse. "And even if I did discover his identity, I would not share it with anyone."
"I know. But not even me?"
T-naia deflated a little. "I would tell you," she admitted. "But I am unlikely to come to a definitive answer, so that is somewhat redundant."
"Hey, what if I helped you?" Ali offered. "I'm a year above you, I've had a lot of professors. Let me think... how about Professor Noliss? He's pretty husband-like."
"He has a partner," T-naia said, swallowing down a blue-tinted vegetable. "Mx Elen. I have met them, they are a kind person. And I doubt either of them would have the stamina for a polycule of any sort, especially with Professor Spock."
Ali snorted, covering xeir mouth with xier hand. "No, yeah, that's true. They're much too vanilla."
"Can you think of any other candidates?"
Xe tapped a finger against xeir lips. "Could it be Professor Kirk, do you think? I think he's single, you know the whole 'ladies-man' thing, but it's a possibility."
"I do not believe so," T-naia said. "It is indeed a possibility, but the chances are low.” While they did serve together on the Enterprise, the facts she knew about Jim didn't quite line up in her mind with what Spock had revealed.
”Alright,” said Ali. “I can’t come up with anyone else right now. I’m sure you’ll figure something out though.”
“I’m sure I will.” She pushed her plate away slowly. “I apologise for being so absentminded these past few weeks, Ali, I do not mean to neglect your company.”
Ali reached out and put xeir hand over hers. “It’s okay, Naia. I’m here for you, even if you’re a mess.”
She really was lucky to have a friend like xem.
__________
Halfway through the term, her list disappeared. One day it was in her backpack, and the next it wasn’t. Frantically, she looked through the whole satchel, emptied it out and held each item. She searched her bedroom, the whole flat, and even in her classrooms when she could find a spare moment. But her efforts turned up nothing.
”I should never have written it,” she told Ali frantically, pacing. It was nearly midnight and they were both in their pyjamas, T-naia unable to sleep and Ali up to placate her. “It was illogical and unprofessional. What if someone discovers it and it comes out that I wrote it? I would lose Professor Spock’s trust immediately. Perhaps I deserve that fate. Do I?”
”Hey!” Ali said, shaking their head. “Stop it right there. Stand still, breathe for a moment, stop catastrophizing. Honey, this isn’t the end of the world. You don’t deserve anything bad. We don’t even know what happened to the list yet - and you didn’t write it with any malicious intent, or even with the intent of sharing it at all. Okay?” They strode forward and placed their hands on T-naia’s shoulders, looking into her eyes. “Maybe this whole thing wasn’t the best idea, but you can’t reverse it now.”
T-naia made a frustrated noise in the back of her throat. “What am I to do?”
”I don’t think you can do anything about the list now,” they said. “It’s out in the world now. But you could explain the situation to Spock, if you wanted, so that if it did turn into gossip at least he would be prepared. And anyway, it’s not like we know who he’s married to, so it’s not as if you’re violating his privacy.”
She heaved a long, un-Vulcanly sigh. “That is… less satisfactory than I’d hoped.”
”That’s kind of how these things work,” Ali said.
T-naia wished she’d never written the list.
__________
She didn’t want to go up to Spock the next day. The whole class she was on what humans referred to as ‘tenderhooks’, lips pressed together tightly, feeling supremely unpleasant. For once she barely took in any of the material they were covering, and kept looking around to see if anyone had their eyes on her, whether they knew her secret.
By the end of the class, once everyone had filed out, she was still sitting. She considered going up to the front of the room, but before she could gather her things, Spock began to make his way towards her up the aisle.
“Professor,” she greeted him, mouth dry.
”Cadet T-naia,” he replied, stopping at her row.
“May I speak to you for a moment?” she asked.
He nodded, and sat down next to her. “You may.”
She squeezed her eyes shut tight, and remembered Ali’s words.
“Cadet?”
”I have something to confess,” she blurted. “I apologise, professor. It is utterly illogical, but over the last few months, I have found myself strangely intrigued by the person you refer to as your husband. I have written a list of instances you have mentioned him, and… some other things. Recently, I have misplaced it, and I thought it prudent to let you know, so that you may take disciplinary action if you wish. I am aware that it was wrong of me, and I hope you might forgive me. I do not know where it is.”
For a while, Spock simply looked at her. She felt scrutinised. “I’m sorry,” she reiterated.
“Thank you for telling me,” he said after a few moments, raising one eyebrow at her. “It is admirable that you admitted to it. However, you need not worry whose hands it may or may not fall into.”
”Why?” she couldn’t help but ask.
He drew something familiar looking out of his pocket and handed it to her. “I found it beneath your seat when I was collecting PADDs. It made for interesting reading material. My husband enjoyed its contents too.”
T-naia’s eyes widened. “I apologise.”
”You need not, in this instance,” he told her. “Jim thought it was most delightful.”
”Jim?” she echoed.
”James. Kirk,” he said, a very small smile growing upon his face. “I assume you didn’t know, and I ask that you don’t tell anyone in this class outright. We enjoy the mystery.”
”Okay,” T-naia said, feeling a very strange mix of emotions.
Spock patted her on the arm very lightly. “Is there anything else you wanted to discuss with me, T-naia?”
She said that there wasn’t, and he agreed with her. But then he stood, and added, “I should say. I took the liberty of adding some points to your list. I hope they fit with the theme your were searching for.”
After that, they parted ways. But T-naia’s mind was a whirl, and she realised her question had finally been answered.
She had a lot to tell Ali.
__________
Love, I think.
- Professor Spock always brews his students hot tea on cold days, and days when the heating systems are broken. The cups are chipped and plain, but the tea is hearty and he makes sure there is enough for each person.
- When someone has a cold, they are excused from his class for the week, and if they must stay he finds them a blanket and brings them soup.
- He is dedicated to sharing the wisdom he has, and caters to each person’s learning style.
- He really, really loves his husband.
- He loves Jim.
- Whenever his husband gets a new idea, he finds a way to support him.
- He wears his husband’s little knitted gloves and socks and hats even though I think that they would be itchy and not of the best quality.
- That is correct, they are not the most comfortable items of clothing.
- But Jim has put a lot of effort into creating them for me, and so I cherish them. Life is too short to not appreciate the hard work of those around you.
- I also find his baking habits to be a source of happiness. So many of his passions come and go, now that he is not the Captain he once was, but baking is one that has been a part of him since he was young, and I am grateful to benefit from his experimentation.
- I love the way he smiles.
- He’s the one who convinces me to make you all tea, when the heating malfunctions. I do not always think of these things, but he does.
- He is the kindest person I know, and also the most stubborn.
- When he gets a cold, everyone gets a cold.
- It is somehow inevitable.
- Cadet T-naia, you are correct. I do not use the word ‘love’ to describe those around me lightheartedly.
- However, I love my students, and I love Jim.
- My husband.
- Even if his continual stream of new hobbies is taking over our house.
- That is love, I think.