So... I've had lots of Star Trek ideas going through my head lately. I just watched Into Darkness a couple days ago, and all of that Spirk (because face it, they might as well be cannon) has given me a bit of inspiration.
Here's the first one I'm posting! It's called Sounds, or the five sounds Spock makes that Kirk doesn't like and the one that he loves to hear.
Warning: Pre-spirk. Spock/Kirk slash. Nothing too bad, just a couple kisses and a bit of fluff! Also, a bit of OOCness. I'm still trying to get a hang of writing Spock... I'm not totally proud with the result, but I think he's just one of those characters that will take me a bit of time to get a hang of. :P
Allons-y!
-Rayne
1. Shouting
The first time Kirk was honestly afraid of his First Officer was just after they had begun their five-year mission.
The two were in Kirk's quarters playing chess. They'd established these chess games about two weeks prior, and now twice a week, the Captain and Spock could be found hunched over a chess board and pondering their next moves. They hardly ever spoke to one another; both had quickly learned that they preferred the silence. They weren't friends, barely even acquaintances, and so when they were in each other's company, finding things to speak about was often difficult.
Tonight, though, Jim decided that the silence could be broken for the sake of a few questions he'd been meaning to ask Spock.
"Do you ever consider feeling? I'm not talking about a slip of your Vulcan stubbornness. I mean have you ever thought about willingly feeling?"
Spock moved a bishop. "No."
"Not even once?"
"No," the Vulcan repeated, looking up to meet Jim's curious gaze.
Jim frowned. He captured Spock's bishop with a knight, only to lose the knight to Spock's pawn. Jim swore under his breath, wondering how he could have missed that. "Have you ever considered that it might make you a better man?"
Spock's eyes narrowed. "I am in no need of bettering myself."
"Don't you ever wish that you could forget your Vulcan side and be human? Just for a little while?"
"Never," Spock snapped. He gestured to the board. Jim ignored the movement.
"Why not?"
"Because I have no need for human emotions."
"You feel them, though. I know you do. You just don't display them. But you feel."
"A disadvantage, I am afraid," Spock answered coolly.
"Emotions are hardly disadvantageous."
"They have gotten you into trouble time and time again."
Kirk knew that at this point, he was only trying to get a rise out of the usually stoic man. He also knew exactly how to do just that.
"Emotion saved your father and quite a few other Vulcans." He watched as Spock's fists clenched. He didn't respond, though. "Although, it was also emotion that made losing your mother so difficult, was it not? Not that it should have been, of course. Not if Vulcan's are incapable of emotions, including lo-"
The word hadn't even left his mouth before Spock rose abruptly, one palm slapping against the table, the other pushing the game to the floor. Spock grasped Kirk by his shirt and pulled him up and halfway across the table. Fury flashed through his eyes and his mouth was pulled down in a scowl.
"You've insulted me once before, Captain. Don't think you know me. Don't you DARE think you know me and what I am capable of." Spock's voice rose as he continued, shaking his superior. Kirk remained silent, allowing his First Officer to continue yelling. "And don't you dare, Captain, DON'T YOU DARE insinuate that I did not care for my mother. Just because we aren't dimwitted enough to allow ourselves to fall victim to our emotions does not mean we are completely incapable of caring for those who matter to us."
Jim was staring, wide-eyed, at the Commander. He'd never seen a Vulcan act this way before. While Spock was terrifying when he had his hands around your neck, there was something particularly intimidating about him when he was shouting at you. Jim knew Vulcans were not the kind of being you wanted to anger, but now, he saw why.
Spocks chest rose and fell with each deep breath he took. Anger was still clearly visible in his eyes, but he seemed to calm down as he realized what he was doing. He quickly let Kirk go and stood straight. The scowl had disappeared, as well as the trace of any emotion in his eyes. Jim couldn't even see a trace of regret.
"I apologize, Captain," Spock said softly before turning and quickly leaving Jim alone in his quarters, eyes still wide and heart pounding wildly.
No one questioned why Spock refused to meet Jim's eyes the next day, or why the Captain seemed to want to maintain a distance of at least a few feet between he and Spock, but neither the Captain nor his First Officer missed the confused looks they received due to their odd behavior.
2. Commanding
Kirk knew he didn't deserve Captaincy as much as his First Officer did, but Spock didn't seem to mind following his Captain's requests and orders. He never questioned Kirk, so long as Jim's reasoning was sound, and was always very quick to follow his orders.
Spock had been acting strangely as of late. During each of their chess games over the last four months (for those had begun again a week after Spock lost his temper.) Jim had asked Spock if he was alright, if anything was wrong, but each time, the Commander said he was fine and resumed the game, obviously dropping the subject.
Kirk was getting fed up. Spock was not working as well as he usually did while on the bridge, he was keeping to himself as often as he could, and talking to the Vulcan was even more difficult than usual. So one evening, after Alpha shift was finished, Kirk pulled his First aside to speak.
"Alright, Spock. Enough is enough. What's going on with you?"
"Nothing. I am fine, Captain."
"No, you aren't. You've been acting odd and I can't figure out why. So now, I'm asking you to tell me. Actually, scratch that. It's an order, Commander."
Kirk had expected Spock to either tell him, though he evidently didn't want to, or shake his head and respectfully request that the subject matter be dropped.
What he didn't expect was for the man to stand up to his full height, square his shoulders, and narrow his eyes. His stance screamed dominance, and although usually Kirk would stand up to him, the Captain found himself fighting the urge to take a step back.
"I will not answer your question, as it is none of your business. You will leave the subject alone, sir. That is an order."
The words were forced out of Spock's mouth with such venom that Kirk did take a step back. He'd never heard Spock speak in such a tone, not even while he had been the one in charge, and he shivered at the thought of ever having to hear it again.
Spock didn't say anything else. He turned and retreated to his rooms once more.
Later, in the mess while he was eating with his crew, Uhura admitted to breaking things off with Spock the week before.
Heartbreak, Jim realized with curiosity. He's feeling again and he doesn't like it.
3. Growling
They were at each other's throats once more. Nearly a year into their five-year journey, and Captain and First Officer still didn't get along.
Spock's father and a few other Vulcans were aboard the Enterprise for a few days. They had been called out when the crew found an uninhabited planet that very closely resembled Vulcan in it's climate and terrain and the surrounding areas. While the guests were on the ship, though, one of Sarek's companions had felt threatened by and even gone so far as to attack Doctor McCoy.
"Pon Farr," Spock was saying. The First Officer had been very reluctant to bring the subject up, but with a little persuasion and a few threats, he'd begun to talk. "This is to be expected. We just need to get him back to the Vulcan Ship."
"That's a four day journey though, Spock. He's going nuts. I want him off my ship. And there's a perfectly good planet down there."
"You want to strand him there to die?" Spock asked. Kirk could see the irritation in his eyes as easily as he could hear it in his First's voice. "That is what will happen to him if we don't return him, sir."
"We can leave the rest of them here, too." Kirk realized a moment too late that he may have said something rather stupid.
This was evidently true when Spock bared his teeth at the Captain and growled. All movement on the bridge stopped as everyone stared at Spock.
It was a deep, grumbling noise from the very back of Spock's throat. He was hunched towards Kirk, ever so slightly, so that his narrowed eyes were even with Kirk's. Every muscle in his body had tensed. His fists were clenched at his sides. The image that came to Jim's mind was that of a wolf with it's hackles raised, ready to attack. It's what Spock sounded like as well. Jim took a wary step back, holding his hands up to show he meant no harm. The growling ceased.
"You would do well to remember, Captain, that this is my father and his friends you are speaking about."
"What the hell else am I supposed to do with the guy then?"
"Put him in the brig for now. He'll be fine for four days. It's only been a few hours since it began." Spock hadn't straightened. His body was still tense. He had taken on a neutral expression once more, though.
"What is this whole Pon Farr deal, anyway?" Jim asked, truly curious. What would drive a Vulcan, a usually calm and passive being, to attack another person?
Jim noticed with surprise the green tinge that lit up the tips of Spock's ears. "We do not speak of it," he answered.
"Well I'm speaking of it now."
Uhura was the first of the rest of the bridge to speak. "It's a sort of mating season, sir," she said. "And Vulcan's really do find it uncomfortable to talk about to outsiders."
A flash of annoyance passed through Spock's eyes. "That's enough, Lieutenant."
"Thanks, Uhura," Jim said, glaring at Spock. "Fine. You can take him down to the brig. You're in charge of him, and if anything happens, if he hurts another member of the crew, he's outta here."
Spock nodded. "Yes, sir."
When Spock had left, Jim turned to the rest of the crew. "Well? Come on, folks, get us away from here! We have a horny Vulcan to deliver."
There were a few chuckles and a couple amused comments. Jim didn't hear any of it, though. Instead, he was wondering how many of their adversaries would shy away if he had a growling Vulcan on the front line.
4. Pleading
Another three years had passed. The Enterprise was nearing the end of her mission. New Vulcan had been established and the race was flourishing beautifully. Spock had been given the opportunity to join his father and the rest on the new planet, but had turned it down and chosen to stay aboard the Enterprise and continue working with Jim.
Kirk and Spock were getting along. It had taken a while for them to really get used to each other's company, but once a tentative truce had been formed, everything else had fallen into place. For the last two years, Kirk and Spock were two names you rarely ever heard without the other. Their superiors bragged about them to new Starfleet members. Other Captains and First Officers strove to have a working relationship that sailed as smoothly as those aboard Enterprise. Stories had been told about them across the galaxy.
On the bridge, they worked together like they were one machine. If the Captain so much as looked to the left, Spock was there, seeing exactly what he saw and offering guidance Kirk didn't even need to ask for. They balanced each other out in a way that no one else had before. They had been complimented and told that nobody had ever seen a ship sail smoother.
Off the bridge, they spent most of their spare time together. Chess games were played almost every night, meals were eaten in each other's company, and they could be seen spending time with the same people. Many of the crew had speculated that there was more to the relationship than met the eye.
Unfortunately, in Jim's opinion, there wasn't. Everything between them was very platonic, even though Jim had made a pass or two at his oblivious counterpart. He found the Vulcan very attractive; a fact that had startled him quite suddenly when he found himself staring at Spock while he concentrated on the game between them. He already knew they got along well. He enjoyed spending time with Spock and began to find himself increasingly attracted to his personality as well. He'd learned quite quickly that despite his trying to suppress his human half, Spock had a sense of humor and wit that Kirk never tired of. Spock did feel passion, and quite often proved it when discussing various bits and pieces of technology at length. He was wonderful at listening intently to anything Kirk had to say and was always ready to offer the Captain sound and logical advice.
Presently, Jim was sitting in his chair in the briefing room, thinking about the meeting he had just finished.
They were orbiting a potentially hostage planet and he had to decide on a landing party. They would beam down in a few hours and try to make nice with the locals. It was risky and he wasn't sure what the outcome would be, but he had to do it. He refused to let Spock on the team, despite all of the Vulcan's complaints about the decision. He needed someone he could trust with his life on the bridge. Because it might come down to that, if things didn't go well.
Someone cleared his throat, alerting the Captain to his presence.
"Spock."
"Jim." It had taken some coaxing, but after some time, Spock had finally agreed to call the Captain by his given name when they weren't working.
"My decision hasn't changed."
Spock sat down in his usual seat. Jim turned to his right, where his trustworthy First Officer always sat. He attempted to clear his mind of his thoughts and smiled at the Commander.
"Please, Jim."
Kirk didn't think he'd be more surprised if Spock had kissed him. His eyes narrowed. "What?"
"Please." Spock, stable, trustworthy, stubborn, predictable Spock was pleading with him. He studied the man's face for a moment. He'd never seen Spock look so vulnerable. His eyes were filled with what Kirk could have sworn was concern, though his voice didn't waver as he continued. "Jim, there is a seventy nine point seven eight percent chance that things will go badly. You need someone with my strength with you."
"I already have a team, Spock, and I feel perfectly safe bringing them with me and leaving you here."
"Do not lie to me, Jim. I know you well enough to see through it."
Jim swore under his breath. Damn Vulcan. "My answer is still no."
"Let me go in your stead then."
"No. Absolutely not."
"Captain-" Spock caught himself. "Jim." His perfect posture broke as he leaned towards Kirk. "Please."
Kirk thought for a moment before responding. "How is sending you down instead of me at all logical?"
"These people are more closely related to my own race than they are to humans."
"You are half human."
"But I am also half Vulcan. There is a sixty seven percent chance that they will listen to me more than you."
"And if they are more like us humans?"
"I shall let my own human side appeal to them."
Kirk laughed. "Of course, Spock. You've been so in touch with your human side over the last thirty years."
Spock frowned. Kirk would have told Spock he was being sarcastic had he not known the Vulcan was already been well aware of that fact. "I will not be able to convince you, will I?"
"You need to stay safe here in the Enterprise."
Spock frowned. "Why is my safety so imperative to you, sir?"
Kirk faltered. He looked down at his hands, clasped on the table. "You're more valuable than me."
"That's not true."
"Why is my safety so imperative to you, Commander?" Kirk challenged. Once again, he was unprepared for Spock's response.
"Because I... find that I care for you."
"You... care for me," Kirk repeated dumbly.
Spock nodded hesitantly. "Yes, Jim, I do. More than I should. I shouldn't allow emotions like this to get the better of me, but I can not help but think that an exception in this case is... illogical, but acceptable."
Kirk tapped his fingers on the table top. "Yet another reason to keep you here."
"Sir?"
"I am not about to send the man I care about down into a potential danger zone."
"Take me with you."
"No."
"A year ago, you would have agreed to let me come." Kirk could tell Spock was getting frustrated.
"Perhaps."
"What has changed?"
"My feelings for you," Kirk immediately responded.
It was Spock's turn to startle. The tips of his ears turned a little green. "You should not let them control your actions, sir."
"Yeah, well, I'm not Vulcan, am I? I'm human, and when you're human, sometimes your emotions do control you." Kirk rose from his seat with the intention of leaving.
"And I am half human. Sometimes, I allow my emotions to control my actions as well. This is me allowing them to take control, sir. Please. Take me with you."
"And if something happens to you? To me?"
"I will be more than honored to have fought alongside you. To have died protecting you."
"Spock," Kirk said with a heavy sigh.
Spock rose and took the two steps to Jim. "Jim, please."
Kirk sighed. "Fine. Fine, if you are that desperate, then yes, you can come with us."
"Thank you, sir."
His First Officer didn't leave. He continued staring at his Captain. Kirk thought for a moment that he looked slightly dazed. But that couldn't be right, because Vulcan's didn't get dazed.
"Spock? Something else you needed?"
"In case things go badly tonight, sir," Spock answered, reaching out and grasping Jim's wrist with one hand and dragging his forefinger and middle finger along Jim's own. Jim shivered as a warm, tingling sensation ran up his arm and spread throughout the rest of his body.
"What was that?"
"A kiss for luck," Spock murmured before turning and making his way out of the briefing room.
Jim touched his fingers to his lips, smiling as he followed Spock out.
5. Groaning
Just as Spock had predicted, everything went south the moment they touched down. They were shot at the moment their feet touched the ground. There was shouting, mostly from Kirk, as he instructed his startled team to get down and find cover.
Kirk glanced around once he was hidden, trying to see where his crew had ended up. He could see two red shirts, about four feet behind him and a few more to the left. The top of McCoy's head twenty feet to his right, and the tips of Spock's ears about eight feet in front of Bones. He couldn't see where the sixth member of his team had gone, but he had bigger things to worry about at the moment.
He started firing quick shots at the approaching natives. "Keep your phasers at stun!" he shouted. He heard five responding, "Aye!" and five more phaser guns began shooting at their targets.
The natives weren't being so generous. He ducked a beam and watched in horror as one of the security personnel behind him was struck. The charge went straight through the man's left shoulder. They couldn't survive a hit like that. Not all of their enemy was shooting with phasers. Others held old-fashioned guns.
"Spock, get a hold of Scotty! Have him beam us the hell out of here!"
"Yes, sir!" Spock shouted back. Kirk watched Spock out of the corner of his eye as the Vulcan pulled his communicator out and opened it.
Suddenly, one of the natives rose from the brush, holding one of the ancient guns, aiming it straight at Spock. "SPOCK!" he shouted, a moment too late. Spock looked up at Kirk for a brief second before the metal ball struck him in his side. With a surprised shout, Spock was knocked to the ground.
Throwing caution to the wind, Jim rose from the brush. He started towards Spock, shooting the attacker as he went. He fell to his knees next to the gasping Vulcan. Spock was lying on his back, hands clutching at his side. His hands shone green with his own blood. His eyes were squeezed shut and his mouth had fallen open in a silent cry. McCoy landed beside Kirk.
"Goddammit, Jim! What happened?" he asked.
"I don't know," Kirk managed. "Spock- I told him to- but then- and now-"
Spock opened his eyes. "Jim."
"Spock."
McCoy was pulling a long strip of cloth out of the bag at his side. "There's not much I can do right now other than try to stop the bleeding. It's bad though, Kirk. It might have hit his heart." He pulled his Communicator out and barked quick orders to Scotty.
Kirk frowned. "His heart? But they hit his-"
"My heart is not in my chest, Jim," Spock managed. Bones gently moved Spock's hands away from the wound, immediately trying to mop up a bit of the blood and begin wrapping the wound. Spock let out a loud, low groan of pain. Kirk's entire body tensed at the sound. He hated that sound more than anything else he'd heard in his life. "That would be the most illogical place for it."
"Stop talking, Spock," Bones instructed.
Spock grimaced again. He lifted a hand towards Jim. Jim didn't hesitate in grasping it. Spock pulled away two of his fingers. Jim followed suit, wrapping his first two fingers around the blood-stained ones that had been offered to him. Bones glanced over at their hands. If he realized what the gesture was, he didn't say anything.
When Kirk looked up again, They were aboard the Enterprise. "Let's get him to a biobed," Bones was yelling. "Kirk, I get the feeling that you should be with him for now."
"Please," Spock muttered as Bones and two Ensigns lifted Spock onto a stretcher.
"Don't talk," Bones growled at him.
"Jim," Spock said, ignoring McCoy's demand, "if I don't-"
"Don't you dare say that, Spock. McCoy is going to fix you right up. You're going to be fine."
"I don't want to go without telling you that I-"
"Spock, please, don't."
Another groan tore from Spock's lips, followed by a barely-spoken, "T''hy'la." Spock's eyes closed.
+1
Jim woke up in an unfamiliar room. He realized after a few seconds that he was still in the chair beside Spock's biobed. His hand was clasped firmly in Spock's. Spock was sleeping. Jim wanted nothing more in that moment than to curl up beside him. Spock's eyes flashed open.
"Hey," Jim said weakly.
"Good morning, Jim," Spock said with a slight nod.
"How are you feeling today?"
"Much improved, thank you."
"I thought I'd lost you."
Spock's eyebrow shot up. "Lost me?"
"You were shot, Spock."
"I know."
"You can tell me."
"Tell you what?"
Kirk smiled. "What you were going to tell me. After..." Kirk paused. It was difficult to even think about.
Spock knew what he meant, though, and Jim felt Spock squeeze his hand. "As I am not in danger anymore, I do not think it needs saying."
"Yes it does," Jim insisted.
"You already know, therefore telling you is most illogi-"
"Spock."
The Vulcan was silent. His hand slipped out of Jim's. Jim immediately missed the contact until Spock shifted over and pulled the blanket back. Kirk watched him in confusion. "This is what you wanted, yes?"
Touch telepath, Kirk suddenly remembered. He felt his face heat up as he reluctantly sat on the edge of the bed. A strong arm reached out and pulled him down, and much to his surprise, he found himself with an armful of Spock as the Commander made a pillow out of his chest and wrapped his arm around Jim's waist. Kirk immediately reached up and began running his fingers through Spock's soft hair, occasionally brushing against the tips of his ears or stroking his neck.
Spock's hand slipped underneath Jim's shirt. Jim started at the contact, pausing his movements, before he felt Spock press against his mind. Spock was pushing emotions towards Kirk, he realized. He let them in. Warmth spread through him as the familiar feelings of gratefulness and fondness and relief and affection swelled through him. He held Spock tighter and let his fingers play with Spock's hair again.
A few minutes later, when the rush of emotion had ended and he thought Spock was asleep again, he felt something vibrating against him. The movement wasn't very noticeable, but it was just enough to catch Jim's attention. When the vibrating got stronger, so did the sound coming from Spock's chest.
The Vulcan was purring. Jim wasn't sure whether he should laugh at the absurdity of it or smile because of how endearing he found it. His fingers began to brush against the back of Spock's neck. The purring continued. He laughed. The sound stopped as Spock was shaken awake again.
"Jim?"
"Did you know that you purr?" he asked, grinning down at Spock.
Spock's cheeks turned a lovely shade of green. "Yes, I did know that. It's a Vulcan reaction to various things." He seemed extremely embarrassed about it. If Vulcan's could feel such a thing, anyway. Spock's face betrayed no emotion other than his blush.
"It's cute."
"... Jim?"
"Yes?"
Of all unexpected things the Vulcan had done in the years Jim had known him, this was probably the most unexpected of them all. "Kiss me."
Jim immediately sought out Spock's hand, dragging their fingers together.
Spock shook his head. "No. Kiss me."
Jim's eyes widened when he realized what Spock meant. He grinned and put two fingers under Spock's chin, pulling the Vulcan's face up to his and pressing his lips against Spock's.
I had a lot of fun writing that one! I love this pair. I shipped them together before I even knew what shipping was. So i figured I'd give them a shot!
Please leave a review and let me know what you thought!
Thanks for reading!
-Rayne