[Prompt] Rules of Friendship - 1,469
Prompt: "Always know when to break the rules. There are times, and we've all been there. Just know when it's right to do something that's usually wrong." - Anonymous
Rating: PG
Summary: After the events of The Menagerie, Jim and Spock have their talk.
A/N: TOS!Verse. Set during the first season. Jim-Spock friendship fluff.
Despite his light comment when he left with Admiral Pike, the moments after Spock walked out of the transporter room were filled with an odd sense of nervousness. He gritted his teeth and attempted to push the sensation away; he had been willing to die for this mission, attacked innocent men, performed the act of mutiny, kidnapped a Starfleet officer, all without a hint of fear or guilt, but now, having to face Jim, alone, struck a chord of emotion in him. The hallways to Jim’s quarters seemed disturbingly long, and he found himself pausing before the door. It was ridiculous, acting in this manner. Facing Jim could not be much worse than seeing him sit across the table during the court martial, holding his fate in his hands and knowing that he had no choice but to condemn him.
He pressed the communication unit’s button. “Spock,” was all he said; he was left in silence for a moment before the call of ‘come in’ was finally audible. The doors slid open and he stepped inside. Jim slowly got up from his desk, standing where he was for a moment before striding towards Spock with sudden purpose. Spock wondered if he was going to be on the receiving end of some very physical aggression. He was shocked when instead the captain wrapped his arms around his shoulders and pulled him into a tight hug. The abrupt contact was jarring to him, but he recognized the desperate need for expression that those as emotional as Jim required.
“Never thought I’d have to say this,” Jim murmured to his shoulder, “But you are a dumbass, Mr. Spock.” The Vulcan quirked an eyebrow as Jim pulled away, holding him at arm’s length.
“Might I ask what idiocy I have portrayed, Captain?” He had expected the argument of acting on emotional impulse, but not an attack on his intelligence.
“You just about ruined your entire career, not to mention threw away your life. That’s pretty stupid on any level.” He shook his head, pulling away. “Come on, sit down with me. We need to talk.” Spock began to argue the point, but at the moment he was lucky enough to still have Jim’s friendship,; he most likely no longer had his position. He could not ask Jim to trust him as a First Officer again, not after the past seventy-two hours. He carefully accepted the chair as Jim sat on the edge of his bunk.
“You already know that I would have gone along with you, if you had only asked,” Jim finally began, running his hand through his hair. “You did a good thing. No Admiral might have believed you about Talos IV, but I would have. You know that.”
“Yes, Captain. I know.” He knew all too well; that trust was what had made it so easy for him to be able to steal the Enterprise. No one had believed him capable of it until he had done it.
“I’d of done it in a heartbeat. It’d of been so much easier; no mutiny, no fighting with the crew, no court martial until maybe we got back. So why did you not ask?”
“I told you already, Captain. It was illogical for both of us to be in danger. Only one of us needed to be, and I was the one with the information.” Jim scowled, leaping to his feet, voice suddenly rising in volume.
“It was illogical for you to risk your life for another person! It may have been the right thing to do, but it was stupid, unreasonable, and downright emotional to do it!”
“The right thing is always a rational thing to do,” Spock replied, voice soft.
“Don’t give me more of that bullshit. Don’t. I’m tired of this. I’m tired of the lies. I know you, Spock. Don’t think I don’t catch it every single damn time you slip up and let a little bit of what you feel show through. You feel all the time. You can hide it, you can play unflappable Zen master and fool everyone else on this ship, but I know. So stop insulting me by pretending that I haven’t figured it out.” He turned away, knuckles white as he grasped them behind his back. “I’ve let it go, because we’re friends. And I know it embarrasses you. That’s why I didn’t even know that that elusive human ancestor of yours was your own mother until a few weeks ago. You don’t want anyone to know how close to us you really are. But after this- no. On the bridge, out there, you can keep your game face on. You can stay as shut down and repressed as you like. But I will not stand for it here. Not when it’s just you and me. I’ll make it a damn order if I have to. Is that clear?” Spock stayed still, stunned for a long moment. Finally, he cleared his throat.
“Yes, captain.” Jim relaxed, settling back on the bed.
“Good.” He rubbed his palms on his pants, wiping the sweat off of them. Spock watched him in silence. “What is it?” he snapped, irritable.
“I am to be staying aboard the ship, then?” he asked, keeping his nervousness to himself despite Jim’s words. Jim looked as if he might smack him.
“Spock- of course you’re staying aboard the damn ship! Where the hell would I find a first officer that’s half as good as you? Think I’d throw you off at the next planet? Or what, assign you to science officer duty only? You’d be absolutely wasted.” He runs his hand through his hair again, frustrated. “And I plain old don’t want a different one. I trust you.”
“…I just committed mutiny, sir.” Jim chuckled, a tired, exhausted sound.
“Oh, I know. And the whole time I kept thinking that you had to have a good reason. That it wasn’t in your nature to do something like this without it being extremely important. And, you know, I was right. I could trust you to follow your nature, at least that far, even while betraying the Vulcan part of you. “ He got up again, pacing the floor. “I’m not saying I’m not pissed, or hurt, by what you did. But if we’re going by logic, you are still the best choice of second command for this ship. You’ve got the skills, the knowledge, the experience.”
“None of the crew will trust me again, even if you do,” Spock responded gently. Jim laughed.
“Mr. Spock, you’re missing one big thing. This is a human ship. The crew is fond of you, Mr. Spock. You might not subscribe to that like we do, but they do. Oh they get pissed off sometimes by your ways, your reason, your disregard for emotion- but that doesn’t stop them from liking you. That court marshal scared much of the crew as it did me. There’s a very large percentage of this ship that would protest seeing you go. They’ll accept what you did, Spock, in a little bit of time, and life will go on as normal on the Enterprise.” Spock sat silently, processing the information. Jim rubbed his hands together before speaking again.
“But before I reinstate you, we’re going to have to get some things clear, alright? Between you and me. It something like this ever comes up again where you feel the need - yes, feel - to do something so incredibly dumb, you come to me. That’s an order.”
“Captain, I must repeat: it makes no sense for both of us to be in danger.” Jim made a noise of frustration in his throat.
“Forget sense, Spock. These last couple days have been hell. I’m sure they were as bad for you as they were for me. Call it whatever you like, but next time you end up court marshaled? I want to be sitting beside you on the defendant’s chair, not behind the table. We’re a team, Spock. We’re friends. If you’re going to go down, I want to go down right with you. That’s what being a friend means, at least to me. It means I’ll fight like hell to keep you safe, and failing that I’ll take the fall with you.” He shook his head, waving off Spock’s protest. “It doesn’t have a thing to do with reason. But I’m not exactly a logical person, as you well know.”
“No, indeed not, captain.”
“But do you understand?” Spock took a moment to respond, looking up at him.
“Yes, Jim, I understand.” The man’s face softened into a smile.
“Alright, then. So- no more mutinies. That’s an order.” Spock felt the strangest urge to laugh.
“Very well, captain.” For the first time, the Vulcan shared a smile with his best friend.
Rating: PG
Summary: After the events of The Menagerie, Jim and Spock have their talk.
A/N: TOS!Verse. Set during the first season. Jim-Spock friendship fluff.
Despite his light comment when he left with Admiral Pike, the moments after Spock walked out of the transporter room were filled with an odd sense of nervousness. He gritted his teeth and attempted to push the sensation away; he had been willing to die for this mission, attacked innocent men, performed the act of mutiny, kidnapped a Starfleet officer, all without a hint of fear or guilt, but now, having to face Jim, alone, struck a chord of emotion in him. The hallways to Jim’s quarters seemed disturbingly long, and he found himself pausing before the door. It was ridiculous, acting in this manner. Facing Jim could not be much worse than seeing him sit across the table during the court martial, holding his fate in his hands and knowing that he had no choice but to condemn him.
He pressed the communication unit’s button. “Spock,” was all he said; he was left in silence for a moment before the call of ‘come in’ was finally audible. The doors slid open and he stepped inside. Jim slowly got up from his desk, standing where he was for a moment before striding towards Spock with sudden purpose. Spock wondered if he was going to be on the receiving end of some very physical aggression. He was shocked when instead the captain wrapped his arms around his shoulders and pulled him into a tight hug. The abrupt contact was jarring to him, but he recognized the desperate need for expression that those as emotional as Jim required.
“Never thought I’d have to say this,” Jim murmured to his shoulder, “But you are a dumbass, Mr. Spock.” The Vulcan quirked an eyebrow as Jim pulled away, holding him at arm’s length.
“Might I ask what idiocy I have portrayed, Captain?” He had expected the argument of acting on emotional impulse, but not an attack on his intelligence.
“You just about ruined your entire career, not to mention threw away your life. That’s pretty stupid on any level.” He shook his head, pulling away. “Come on, sit down with me. We need to talk.” Spock began to argue the point, but at the moment he was lucky enough to still have Jim’s friendship,; he most likely no longer had his position. He could not ask Jim to trust him as a First Officer again, not after the past seventy-two hours. He carefully accepted the chair as Jim sat on the edge of his bunk.
“You already know that I would have gone along with you, if you had only asked,” Jim finally began, running his hand through his hair. “You did a good thing. No Admiral might have believed you about Talos IV, but I would have. You know that.”
“Yes, Captain. I know.” He knew all too well; that trust was what had made it so easy for him to be able to steal the Enterprise. No one had believed him capable of it until he had done it.
“I’d of done it in a heartbeat. It’d of been so much easier; no mutiny, no fighting with the crew, no court martial until maybe we got back. So why did you not ask?”
“I told you already, Captain. It was illogical for both of us to be in danger. Only one of us needed to be, and I was the one with the information.” Jim scowled, leaping to his feet, voice suddenly rising in volume.
“It was illogical for you to risk your life for another person! It may have been the right thing to do, but it was stupid, unreasonable, and downright emotional to do it!”
“The right thing is always a rational thing to do,” Spock replied, voice soft.
“Don’t give me more of that bullshit. Don’t. I’m tired of this. I’m tired of the lies. I know you, Spock. Don’t think I don’t catch it every single damn time you slip up and let a little bit of what you feel show through. You feel all the time. You can hide it, you can play unflappable Zen master and fool everyone else on this ship, but I know. So stop insulting me by pretending that I haven’t figured it out.” He turned away, knuckles white as he grasped them behind his back. “I’ve let it go, because we’re friends. And I know it embarrasses you. That’s why I didn’t even know that that elusive human ancestor of yours was your own mother until a few weeks ago. You don’t want anyone to know how close to us you really are. But after this- no. On the bridge, out there, you can keep your game face on. You can stay as shut down and repressed as you like. But I will not stand for it here. Not when it’s just you and me. I’ll make it a damn order if I have to. Is that clear?” Spock stayed still, stunned for a long moment. Finally, he cleared his throat.
“Yes, captain.” Jim relaxed, settling back on the bed.
“Good.” He rubbed his palms on his pants, wiping the sweat off of them. Spock watched him in silence. “What is it?” he snapped, irritable.
“I am to be staying aboard the ship, then?” he asked, keeping his nervousness to himself despite Jim’s words. Jim looked as if he might smack him.
“Spock- of course you’re staying aboard the damn ship! Where the hell would I find a first officer that’s half as good as you? Think I’d throw you off at the next planet? Or what, assign you to science officer duty only? You’d be absolutely wasted.” He runs his hand through his hair again, frustrated. “And I plain old don’t want a different one. I trust you.”
“…I just committed mutiny, sir.” Jim chuckled, a tired, exhausted sound.
“Oh, I know. And the whole time I kept thinking that you had to have a good reason. That it wasn’t in your nature to do something like this without it being extremely important. And, you know, I was right. I could trust you to follow your nature, at least that far, even while betraying the Vulcan part of you. “ He got up again, pacing the floor. “I’m not saying I’m not pissed, or hurt, by what you did. But if we’re going by logic, you are still the best choice of second command for this ship. You’ve got the skills, the knowledge, the experience.”
“None of the crew will trust me again, even if you do,” Spock responded gently. Jim laughed.
“Mr. Spock, you’re missing one big thing. This is a human ship. The crew is fond of you, Mr. Spock. You might not subscribe to that like we do, but they do. Oh they get pissed off sometimes by your ways, your reason, your disregard for emotion- but that doesn’t stop them from liking you. That court marshal scared much of the crew as it did me. There’s a very large percentage of this ship that would protest seeing you go. They’ll accept what you did, Spock, in a little bit of time, and life will go on as normal on the Enterprise.” Spock sat silently, processing the information. Jim rubbed his hands together before speaking again.
“But before I reinstate you, we’re going to have to get some things clear, alright? Between you and me. It something like this ever comes up again where you feel the need - yes, feel - to do something so incredibly dumb, you come to me. That’s an order.”
“Captain, I must repeat: it makes no sense for both of us to be in danger.” Jim made a noise of frustration in his throat.
“Forget sense, Spock. These last couple days have been hell. I’m sure they were as bad for you as they were for me. Call it whatever you like, but next time you end up court marshaled? I want to be sitting beside you on the defendant’s chair, not behind the table. We’re a team, Spock. We’re friends. If you’re going to go down, I want to go down right with you. That’s what being a friend means, at least to me. It means I’ll fight like hell to keep you safe, and failing that I’ll take the fall with you.” He shook his head, waving off Spock’s protest. “It doesn’t have a thing to do with reason. But I’m not exactly a logical person, as you well know.”
“No, indeed not, captain.”
“But do you understand?” Spock took a moment to respond, looking up at him.
“Yes, Jim, I understand.” The man’s face softened into a smile.
“Alright, then. So- no more mutinies. That’s an order.” Spock felt the strangest urge to laugh.
“Very well, captain.” For the first time, the Vulcan shared a smile with his best friend.