(no subject)
Loved the new Star Trek movie, although I'd never seen TOS. I'm working on fixing that, but this fic is most definitely exclusive to XI. As most of the fics do that I actually finish, this one kind of popped into my head fully formed.
Rated: G
Characters: Spock Prime POV, Spock/Kirk friendship/preslash implied
He’d heard they were coming well before they arrived. He’d automatically calculated how long it would take them to arrive with the ease and accuracy born as much of long practice as native intelligence, and decided that perhaps it would be prudent to use that time to find himself a task to occupy himself away from the single operating Starfleet base for at least most of the duration of their brief stay. His time had passed, left behind one year ago and a hundred years from now, and he shouldn't impose himself on the lives and relationships of the people he'd once known.
However, he couldn't quite resist the opportunity to see them again. It may be for the last time, he knew. He was old now and tired, but he woke early the morning that the USS Enterprise entered orbit and was watching from a distance when the team beams down with the first of the promised supplies. Scotty was there, to assist with repairs and tuning (and knowing him, modifications) to vital equipment, Uhura was already offering warm greetings in Vulcan to the group that had assembled to greet them, but his attention was fixed on the other two. Captain James T. Kirk and at his side, always at his side in this life as in the one they’d never live, his half-Vulcan First Officer Commander Spock. Unseen by any of them, the elderly half-Vulcan Ambassador smiled.
As he watched it became obvious however that the young men, little more than boys even now to his aged eyes, had not yet jelled into quite the same confident and trusting command team that he recalled from his own history. They bickered when they were away from the council, alone together or with just their own team present. From the others' reactions it appeared to be a common occurrence, something expected. It began to concern him until he caught the amused glance between Uhura and Scotty, saw the bright grin Kirk turned on his young counterpart when the Vulcan raised an eyebrow at something the Captain said, and he realized that maybe it wasn't really arguing after all. Watching more closely, he could see the way Jim gained his first officer’s attention by a touch on the shoulder or arm instead of a word, and the way the other accepted it. The way that occasionally, the young Vulcan would do the same. He watched them for a long time that day, and though he left reassured a part of him mourned for what was lost, and may never be again.
He returned at the end of the week to see them off, though he still kept his distance. The last of the supplies for the colony had been packed away, the last supplies that the Enterprise was to take on had been beamed up, and most of the crew who’d taken advantage of the opportunity for a brief shore leave had gone back up as well. Now it was just the original group saying their goodbyes. Or rather, Lt. Uhura and Scotty were, as the Captain and First Officer stepped off to the side. The Ambassador watched them closely but neither spoke. They only exchanged a long look, holding each other’s eyes, an entire conversation passing in a moment of silence and subtly shifting expression. Spock nodded slightly and Jim smiled, clapping his shoulder with one hand and giving it a friendly shake. As one they turned and went back to the group, to shake hands and make promises to return. The Council moved away, and before calling up to be transported back to the ship Jim looked around for one last look at the colony. He was about to depart when the young captain's eyes found him. Almost to his surprise a smile spread across the too familiar features and Jim waved, reaching to jostle Spock's shoulder for attention. The younger Vulcan's expression did not change, he wouldn't have expected it to, but he gave a small nod and raised his hand in a Vulcan salute. Behind them he could see Scotty whispering to Uhura, whose eyes widen before they waved as well. He returned the salute and allowed himself a slight smile as he waved back. Jim made a valiant attempt at the Vulcan salute before his attention was apparently drawn by his communicator. He grinned at the others as he spoke into it, and a moment later the glow of a transporter beam shimmered around them and they faded out of sight. As Ambassador Spock turned away, he couldn't help his smile growing at the way the Captain's hand hadn't left his younger counterpart's shoulder.
It wasn’t love.
It was barely even friendship.
But it was a beginning.
Rated: G
Characters: Spock Prime POV, Spock/Kirk friendship/preslash implied
He’d heard they were coming well before they arrived. He’d automatically calculated how long it would take them to arrive with the ease and accuracy born as much of long practice as native intelligence, and decided that perhaps it would be prudent to use that time to find himself a task to occupy himself away from the single operating Starfleet base for at least most of the duration of their brief stay. His time had passed, left behind one year ago and a hundred years from now, and he shouldn't impose himself on the lives and relationships of the people he'd once known.
However, he couldn't quite resist the opportunity to see them again. It may be for the last time, he knew. He was old now and tired, but he woke early the morning that the USS Enterprise entered orbit and was watching from a distance when the team beams down with the first of the promised supplies. Scotty was there, to assist with repairs and tuning (and knowing him, modifications) to vital equipment, Uhura was already offering warm greetings in Vulcan to the group that had assembled to greet them, but his attention was fixed on the other two. Captain James T. Kirk and at his side, always at his side in this life as in the one they’d never live, his half-Vulcan First Officer Commander Spock. Unseen by any of them, the elderly half-Vulcan Ambassador smiled.
As he watched it became obvious however that the young men, little more than boys even now to his aged eyes, had not yet jelled into quite the same confident and trusting command team that he recalled from his own history. They bickered when they were away from the council, alone together or with just their own team present. From the others' reactions it appeared to be a common occurrence, something expected. It began to concern him until he caught the amused glance between Uhura and Scotty, saw the bright grin Kirk turned on his young counterpart when the Vulcan raised an eyebrow at something the Captain said, and he realized that maybe it wasn't really arguing after all. Watching more closely, he could see the way Jim gained his first officer’s attention by a touch on the shoulder or arm instead of a word, and the way the other accepted it. The way that occasionally, the young Vulcan would do the same. He watched them for a long time that day, and though he left reassured a part of him mourned for what was lost, and may never be again.
He returned at the end of the week to see them off, though he still kept his distance. The last of the supplies for the colony had been packed away, the last supplies that the Enterprise was to take on had been beamed up, and most of the crew who’d taken advantage of the opportunity for a brief shore leave had gone back up as well. Now it was just the original group saying their goodbyes. Or rather, Lt. Uhura and Scotty were, as the Captain and First Officer stepped off to the side. The Ambassador watched them closely but neither spoke. They only exchanged a long look, holding each other’s eyes, an entire conversation passing in a moment of silence and subtly shifting expression. Spock nodded slightly and Jim smiled, clapping his shoulder with one hand and giving it a friendly shake. As one they turned and went back to the group, to shake hands and make promises to return. The Council moved away, and before calling up to be transported back to the ship Jim looked around for one last look at the colony. He was about to depart when the young captain's eyes found him. Almost to his surprise a smile spread across the too familiar features and Jim waved, reaching to jostle Spock's shoulder for attention. The younger Vulcan's expression did not change, he wouldn't have expected it to, but he gave a small nod and raised his hand in a Vulcan salute. Behind them he could see Scotty whispering to Uhura, whose eyes widen before they waved as well. He returned the salute and allowed himself a slight smile as he waved back. Jim made a valiant attempt at the Vulcan salute before his attention was apparently drawn by his communicator. He grinned at the others as he spoke into it, and a moment later the glow of a transporter beam shimmered around them and they faded out of sight. As Ambassador Spock turned away, he couldn't help his smile growing at the way the Captain's hand hadn't left his younger counterpart's shoulder.
It wasn’t love.
It was barely even friendship.
But it was a beginning.