from karikes

Koi No Yokan: The sense upon first meeting a person that the two of you are going to fall in love. 

Nyota has exactly three hours after class to pack before she is leaving for her internship on the Lunar Comm Center. Finals have been absolutely brutal, but she knows she made it through okay. She hurries towards the door of the classroom, depositing her padd on Commander Reaves’ desk on her way out.

Commander Spock is standing in the doorway, waiting for the stream of students to cease pouring through the doors. Nyota has never met the commander, but she knows who he is. She’s taking a class from him this fall.

Students who are here for the next class start coming in, despite Nyota’s class not being completely out yet, so she finds herself trapped just inside the door next to the commander. After a second or two, she looks at him, only to find he is doing the same.

“Commander Spock,” she says. “I’na’shau nash-veh odu. I now greet you (with respect.)” she says, her eyes not moving once from his face. She’s never really noticed how beautiful he is, never been this close to him.

“Kaing i’puna’shau kesaing. You are equally greeted in return,” he replies, his face smooth of expression.

“Cadet Uhura,” Nyota provides. “I’m in your Advanced Morphology class this fall.”

The commander tilts his head ever so slightly, and Nyota can feel the warmth of his gaze sliding down her spine. She does not have time for this: the inexorable feeling that the commander, standing less than a foot away, is going to mean something besides teacher to her; that he will touch her, that she will want him to.

Nyota realizes that she has been unconsciously leaning towards Commander Spock, waiting for him to reply. She straightens suddenly and clears her throat. Her time is ticking away, and Academy class sizes are huge. The last of the students passes through the doorway, and finally the commander says something.

“I will see you in class, Cadet Uhura.”

She twists to look at his face as she starts to leave, pulling away from the desire to stay with him. “Have a good summer, Commander Spock.”

Nyota thinks of him all summer, every minute inhale and inclination of his head in their two minute exchange. She knows that there is nothing she can do to stop this, the magnetism between them. She does not want to.

from karikes

25. Each time we climb the stairs, something changes.

The first time they climb stairs together, Nyota is clad in her cadet uniform and Spock in his grays. She’s his TA then, and they spend an inordinate amount of time together that spring. It’s not like either of them is going to acknowledge their attraction when one of them is half-Vulcan and the other spends all her free time trying to forget how little she has of it.

The next time, it’s the stairs up to her dorm building and the tension in the turbolift and then the fumbling at each other’s clothes in Nyota’s bed because it’s summer and Gaila is off world on some engineering internship. And then it’s Nyota standing on shaky legs and walking him out and watching him walk down the steps alone, because her RA would flip their shit if an instructor was caught sleeping in a dorm.

It’s a year before they encounter stairs again, because this is the 23rd century, and turbolifts exist for a reason.

The next time, though, is Nyota climbing steps hewn from red rock and breathing in air sharply due to the low oxygen content. Spock’s hand steadies her back as they reach the top and he quietly asks her if she will be alright.

“I’m fine, Spock. Thank you.” Nyota smiles and squeezes his arm before they turn and greet his parents.

It’s four years before another set of stairs come their way, this time on a different desert planet. Nyota can breathe easier, and it’s all the better, because her gown is incredibly ornate.

“Whoever said Vulcans don’t have a flair for the dramatic is wrong,” she mutters, and she can feel Spock laughing through their bond. Their Earth wedding was simpler in every way imaginable, but this was important to Spock, and therefore to Nyota.

His hand brushes hers and she can feel the rising tide of his affection that does not disappear with his hand. It’s strange, having Spock inside her head all the time now, but it’s a good strange that she wraps her brain around carefully.

“Now I have to go eat loads of Vulcan food and pretend I’ll be able to do anything except roll away from the table,” she says, staring at the steps they managed to avoid on the way up.

“I will carry you if you are incapable of walking,” Spock replies, and starts his descent.

from jamest-kirk

Okay, ignoring the Academy, consider this:

• Sulu is the first to know, alright? Sulu catches up on that shit faster than anyone else. He sees those glances. Recognises the way Uhura smiles at him, because that’s how he smiles at Ben, too, when the other speaks about work. Spock is mostly quiet and reserved, but to Uhura he speaks his mind. They sit together in the recreational areas - closer than most friendly coworkers would, and they talk. Uhura’s all wild gestures and office gossip, Spock listens intently, and adds on to whatever gossip Uhura doesn’t know yet. Uhura might back off a little when she catches Sulu looking, but Sulu knows better. They are absolutely dating.
  
• Chekov is a little more oblivious, but he catches them outside Spock’s quarters. He’s just minding his own business, but he catches sight of Spock leaning in to kiss Uhura’s cheek, and since then - he’s paying attention. Sulu laughs about it when Chekov tells him, saying a simple: “I know”, and the two of them spy on Uhura and Spock now and then.
  
• Bones knows, too. Of course he does. He’s not very subtle about it, either. “There anything you wanna tell me?” he asks Spock during his medical checkup, and Spock shrugs lightly. “You are the professional here,” Spock says, “I expect you to tell me if something’s wrong.” “Nothing’s wrong, Spock,” Bones says, “you’re as healthy as a Vulcan should be.” “Good,” Spock nods, and he’s quiet for a few seconds. Hesitant, before adding: “I know you illegally brought Jim on this ship.” “Illegally? No,” Bones replies, “merely bent the rules to my advantage.” “That’s cheating.” “You need him on this ship.” “Arguably.” “Just like you need this,” Bones starts, now hellbent on making Spock uncomfortable, and so he reaches out into the drawer of his desk, placing a handful of condoms in Spock’s hands, “can’t have unprotected sex on this ship. You can thank me later.”
  
• He doesn’t. 
  
• Even though he’s secretly grateful.
  
• “Aye, fuck sake,” Scotty complains loudly when he catches yet another couple in a quiet corner down in the engine room, “git a room! And I dinnae mean this one!” But he falls silent when he recognizes Spock and Uhura, smiling at them a little uncomfortably, because that’s his First Officer and his Communications Officer right there. Like most, they’ve found a quiet corner down in engineering right after the alpha shift ended, and just before the beta crew is entirely into place, so it’s usually more quiet. It’s not the first time Scotty’s found people hiding out for makeout sessions, but it’s the first one he finds the two of them here. Much to Scotty’s disapproval, though, it’s not the last time he runs into them.
  
• But Jim, Jim is fucking clueless. By now, Spock and Uhura suspect everyone knows, so they’re not even subtle about it. They share coffees in the morning, talk quietly and don’t hold back from gentle touches in public. But apparently, Jim’s none the wiser. It explains his surprised look when he joins Uhura and Spock in the transporter room, getting ready to rescue Pike off Nero’s ship. “Come back to me,” Uhura says quietly, and Spock nods. “I promise, Nyota.”  Jim frowns, trying not to invade that conversation, especially not when Uhura shoots him a warning glare, but the moment they beam aboard - rather than following their direct mission, Jim walks closely next to Spock. “Her first name’s Nyota?” He asks quietly, and Spock huffs. “Can we focus on our current objective?” “You two are dating?” Jim presses, a little louder. “Yes, I thought that much was clear,” Spock hisses quietly. “Clear to whom?” Jim asks, and Spock sighs. “Everyone.”