Joyride [7/?]
Title: Joyride [7/?]
Author: witblogi
Fandom: STAR TREK
Pairings: Spock/Uhura
Rating: PG
Warnings: (still?)BAMF!Spock, you are warned
Summary: Obstacles present themselves
Notes: a new chappptteerrr things are exciting
Beta: wyntreaurora
7.
Uhura frowned down at her PADD. She had just come out of an incredibly long and boring interspecies ethics lecture and was walking back to her dorm when she’d received a new message.
It was from Spock, not unusual, he said he’d message her- but what was strange was the content. No lesson this week, and nothing about her paper. It was completely the opposite of what he said he’d do.
Had her paper been so bad that he didn’t even want to be near her? So bad he didn’t want to tell her, even in an electronic text message? She paused for a moment and shook her head. No, no way. Spock was the king of constructive criticism; if her paper was that unfounded he would have sent her a novel outlining counter arguments. Besides, if it was being shipped off to the periodical of her dreams as a necessity, not a desire, it had to be leading to something…right?
She spent the rest of her walk looking down at the note, trying to decipher any underlying meanings. The word arrangement in his sentence structure felt uncomfortable, as if he wasn’t happy about canceling - what was he really thinking? Keying the code to her dorm she shrugged. At least it wasn’t her driving him off, but then, what was?
They seemed to have a fairly good foundation for a friendship…maybe she could coax whatever was bothering him to the surface. She set the PADD aside and began taking off her uniform lost in thought. Gaila would be busy for the rest of the afternoon at least, creating a silence in their shared room, peaceful but creepy.
At least the absence of her roommate gave her the chance to catch up on some reading, video conference home, and perhaps outline her plan of attack with Spock without being bombarded with bouncy green questions.
Perhaps with enough time, a piece of pie and a trusted ear Spock would shed some light on his other obligations. It could just be another particularly annoying student asking for tutoring outside of classes, but she had to find out.
--
When they finally did get around to that lesson he was waiting for her outside the diner. Already saddled on the bike, he didn’t take his helmet off to greet her. He was definitely in a mood of sorts and she immediately felt guilty for what she’d had planned. Who was she to try and pry information from him, something could be seriously upsetting him…like perhaps a death in his family. She winced to herself picking up her helmet and slipping it on as she got onto the vehicle behind him.
He felt tense beneath his jacket and for the first time since their initial ride she was tentative to wrap her arms as tightly around him as he’d first shown her. She didn’t say anything as they took off, and the tension escalated ever higher and higher as they accumulated speed.
He took a sharp corner, flinging their weight to the side. Uhura yelped feeling her tentative grip break. Heart pounding in that split second, her whole body shifted back, one arm flinging loose, her thigh dragging over the seat as she was about to be tossed- And then a large hand had her forearm and she was being pulled back in. She gasped pulling her other arm in tightly to wrap around her own wrist crowding fearfully against Spock’s back, panting.
“Hold on tightly.” His voice crackled over the connection in her helmet. He removed his hand from her arm and returned it to its handle.
“S-sorry.” She closed her eyes tightly; this was not how this lesson was supposed to go at all. She was supposed to be well on her way to becoming his friend, nodding sympathetically to his woes as they shared coffee and pie.
She barely noticed how the time had passed, but they were already at the training grounds and gliding to a stop. She reluctantly let go of her astonishingly tight grip around him and took off her helmet when he did his.
“You have forgotten the most important rule of two person commute on a non enclosed aircraft.” He slipped off the bike to stand before her, lips practically pursed with annoyance or anger or whatever it was that was making his eyes flash like they were. She steeled her own expression, it wasn’t her fault.
“I’m sorry, but you weren’t exactly projecting approachability. And I didn’t think-”
“ Correct. You did not think. Your emotions clouded your judgment-”
“Hey! I wasn’t the only one being emotional back there. You’ve never driven that recklessly before. You canceled that lesson and you didn’t say anything about my paper and now this…” she deflated realizing it was all coming out anyway she might as well stick to her original plan. “Are you okay?”
“I am fine. I do not wish to discuss the reasoning behind my cancellation with you.” He approached the bike where she still sat perched atop it and unclasped a large bag that had been saddled to the side, “Continue your practice with maneuvering. I shall set up the necessary apparatus for the lesson,” he turned on his heel marching out across the sand while she sat frustrated and feeling blown off.
“Fine.” She muttered as she stuffed her helmet back on, “Just fine.” She fired up the engine of the bike and released the clutch with a roar, taking off down the beach narrowly missing hitting his dumb Vulcan behind as she passed.
“Good going Nyota,” she whispered to herself. “Great attempt at being a friend, really, because he needs you a sniveling stupid little student poking into his business.” She grit her teeth and did a few sharp turns. Wishing she knew three-dimensional travel already so she could soar through the air, weightless, thoughtless and finally free, she settled for doing a dozen figure eights at increasingly fast speeds.
“The lesson is ready.” Spock’s voice interrupted her focus and she blinked, he didn’t sound so tense now, and she didn’t feel so useless. She meandered her way back to where Spock was a small dot in the distance and stumbled upon what looked like a complicated obstacle course, with small hovering pylons and large strips of something metallic on the ground.
When she came to a stop beside him, he reached over the control panel and deactivated the thrusters, leaving her hovering. She pulled off her helmet to hold while he gave his lesson. Spock took a step back from her, pulling his arms behind his back, looking relaxed for the first time that day.
“I must apologize for my earlier behavior. It was…emotional and unnecessary. I put your safety as well as my own in danger, and while unforgivable in nature I shall endeavor to never do so again,” he said, sounding as chagrin as Unura imagined him able. She shook her head.
“Lets just forget about it. I should have known better, we’re both at fault.” She gave him a weary smile and received a nod in return.
“As you wish. Today’s lesson, as you can see, are obstacles. If you would disembark I shall begin with a demonstration.” He gestured for her to hop off waiting patiently before he resumed her place. Instead of pulling on his helmet and firing up the thrusters however he merely sat.
“The first thing you need to always be aware of with obstacles is the balance of the vehicle’s air cushion beneath you. While it feels stable you have already learned it can be quite volatile. This can be your asset in the correct situation.” He did not grasp the handles, merely rested his hands upon his thighs.
“With the correct application of force,” He rolled his hips sinuously- Uhura almost choked on her saliva. The bike bucked under him in imitation of his movement, “You may assume a level of control detailed enough to avoid the smallest of obstacles.”
He began to outline the different ways you could rock the vehicle, basic leans and holds that would keep her stable while riding. Mostly she watched in a daze as he moved and gestured to his various muscle groups doing all the work with his weight. Finally he sat properly in the seat again firing up the thrusters.
“I shall demonstrate how these maneuvers will be used in tandem with piloting.” He waited for her nod of understanding. She blinked and bobbed her head taking a step back as he slipped his helmet on and grasped the handles.
He directed the bike forwards and around to what Uhura assumed was the start of the obstacle course. He paused then and she watched as what she’d assumed were just strips of metal began to unfold into a series of new obstacles including large spikes, something that glowed menacingly and what looked like a nul-gravity field by the way the sand around it started to float.
She had barely managed to take it all in when he finally shot off like a rocket, his posture different on the bike, weight balanced precariously, feet planted on the posts, thighs tensed. She proceeded to watch with wide eyes as he swerved and leaned slid, spun, and at one point even managing to press down and jump the bike over his various obstacles. When finished he relaxed back into a regular sitting ride and came to a stop beside her.
“You will complete this course,” were the first words he spoke after removing his helmet. Uhura looked blankly into his eyes for a moment and then sputtered a laugh waving her hand to dismiss and potential offense he might take.
“Are you serious?” She chuckled watching him dismount, “All that stuff-” she looked back over the obstacles, “There’s no way-”
“You will learn. It is not as difficult as it looks.” He held out her helmet to her and they stood there looking at each other for probably far too long before she shrugged.
“You are the instructor,” she smiled and shrugged trying to downplay her insecurity. She was never going to be able to do all of that. Once saddled up she guided the bike to where Spock had started and looked to him for instructions. He stood beside the bike with his comm in hand so she could hear him properly through the helmet.
“I will guide your initial run through by hand. We will only get through half of the course.” He began to walk, “Please follow at the same pace,” he intoned into the mouthpiece and Uhura was quick to follow him pulling the throttle back.
The first obstacles were hovering bumpers of sorts in completely inconvenient places requiring her to turn the bike tightly and almost vertically to get past.
“You must use the strength in your legs to push the cushion in the direction you wish the body of the vehicle to reject, holding your core steady as not to lose control.” He pointed to the posts that she stretched her feet to and then stood upon, making the bike quiver under her.
“I’m not sure I’m strong enough…” She grit her teeth pushing down; it had looked so effortless for him. She huffed and sat down.
“The circumference of your thigh indicates your quadriceps are within the necessary stress range - try again, faster.” Uhura pursed her lips but did as he said standing and pushing hard and fast, crowing quietly with joy as she passed the first bumper.
“Again…” Spock was already onto the next task, pushing her to for the first time really physically exert herself. She did not have an easy time, struggling with holding her weight steady and keeping her direction in line. It was more difficult than she’d imagined. For the first time she flirted with regretting these lessons. Her thighs burned and arms ached, but Spock growing impatient with her fatigue started becoming more hands on in her tutorial. He repositioned the angle of her torso and poked the muscles she was not using to their complete efficiency. The thought of regrets washed away embarrassingly quickly after that.
When they reached their stopping point for the day Uhura tiredly chucked her helmet and flopped back on the seat of the bike allowing her hair to slide in its tied bunch over the back end of the seat wherever it pleased but Spock was already moving it aside and back over her shoulder with two fingers.
“Do not allow your hair to become caught in the flight mechanisms,” he sounded neutral, calm and slightly chiding but she was tired and not thinking about her hair of all things right at that moment.
“Right, don’t want to seriously mess up your bike,” she sighed, stretching her legs awkwardly as he gathered up the obstacles back into their bag.
“I am more concerned for your well being than that of the machine.” Uhura winced, she hadn’t meant that he wasn’t concerned about her necessarily-
“If you believe my actions have illuminated personality flaws, or that I am unconcerned for your safety, I remind you that you may decline lessons and my company at any point. I will respectfully accept your decision.” He said without looking at her and she sat up with a frown.
“Spock, no, I didn’t mean it like that.” She huffed, resting her elbows on one of the handlebars. “You’re just…distracted, I guess,” he slowed in his packing of the bag and made his way over to her.
“Distracted. Vulcans do not become distracted.” She frowned but nodded and felt dumb, like she’d unintentionally insulted him again, “But I am not wholly Vulcan,” he paused, eyes dropping to some unknown point in space.
“I do not wish you to think your concern, your friendship nor yourself as ‘stupid’ because of anything I have said or done.”
Uhura pulled back with a confused frown, she had said that to herself. “I was setting the communicator frequency as you began your ride.”
She squared her shoulders, mulling over how to handle this situation and came up merely grateful she hadn’t said anything else aloud to herself.
“I…was just frustrated with my inability to help.” She turned her head and looked him over, “Your cancellation message held all the indicators of distress and unhappiness.”
Spock finished strapping the bag of obstacles to the back of the bike.
“My parents are in the city,” he said at last, “ My mother has been pressing upon the already…strained relationship between my father and I. She does not take no for an answer.”
“Oh.” Uhura had never actually expected him to so readily tell her what was going on and now reeled for something useful to say.
“There are also numerous other obligations and professional functions that I must attend to as well at this time that cannot be canceled. Your lessons, while important, are categorically leisure time spent and are the most logical to reschedule.” He cocked his head a moment, thinking, “ I have not yet had the chance to read your paper and that is why I was unable to comment upon it.”
“Oh, well…those are certainly good reasons to reschedule,” she nodded hesitantly, “Completely rational stress factors.” She noted sliding back on the seat while he took his place before her, resetting the controls for regular flight. She marveled for a moment that he actually trusted her with this information and let her joviality fill her up to brimming. They both pulled on their helmets and Uhura smiled for a moment.
“Your mom sounds like mine. She chased me around all last summer trying to get me to eat something ‘You are too skinny Nyota! Look, I could snap your bones with one finger!’” She imitated her mother’s accent as she wound her arms tightly around Spock’s middle.
“They do sound alike. While I was a cadet my mother was also entirely too preoccupied with my weight…”
They exchanged amusing stories for the rest of the ride, Uhura grinning secretly as she felt him shudder under her in what could only be accurately interpreted as a laugh when she regaled her epic adventures of a ten year old trying to set free the family goat.
What had started off rocky had turned into the start of something good, very very good.
<6 . 8>
Author: witblogi
Fandom: STAR TREK
Pairings: Spock/Uhura
Rating: PG
Warnings: (still?)BAMF!Spock, you are warned
Summary: Obstacles present themselves
Notes: a new chappptteerrr things are exciting
Beta: wyntreaurora
7.
Uhura frowned down at her PADD. She had just come out of an incredibly long and boring interspecies ethics lecture and was walking back to her dorm when she’d received a new message.
It was from Spock, not unusual, he said he’d message her- but what was strange was the content. No lesson this week, and nothing about her paper. It was completely the opposite of what he said he’d do.
Had her paper been so bad that he didn’t even want to be near her? So bad he didn’t want to tell her, even in an electronic text message? She paused for a moment and shook her head. No, no way. Spock was the king of constructive criticism; if her paper was that unfounded he would have sent her a novel outlining counter arguments. Besides, if it was being shipped off to the periodical of her dreams as a necessity, not a desire, it had to be leading to something…right?
She spent the rest of her walk looking down at the note, trying to decipher any underlying meanings. The word arrangement in his sentence structure felt uncomfortable, as if he wasn’t happy about canceling - what was he really thinking? Keying the code to her dorm she shrugged. At least it wasn’t her driving him off, but then, what was?
They seemed to have a fairly good foundation for a friendship…maybe she could coax whatever was bothering him to the surface. She set the PADD aside and began taking off her uniform lost in thought. Gaila would be busy for the rest of the afternoon at least, creating a silence in their shared room, peaceful but creepy.
At least the absence of her roommate gave her the chance to catch up on some reading, video conference home, and perhaps outline her plan of attack with Spock without being bombarded with bouncy green questions.
Perhaps with enough time, a piece of pie and a trusted ear Spock would shed some light on his other obligations. It could just be another particularly annoying student asking for tutoring outside of classes, but she had to find out.
--
When they finally did get around to that lesson he was waiting for her outside the diner. Already saddled on the bike, he didn’t take his helmet off to greet her. He was definitely in a mood of sorts and she immediately felt guilty for what she’d had planned. Who was she to try and pry information from him, something could be seriously upsetting him…like perhaps a death in his family. She winced to herself picking up her helmet and slipping it on as she got onto the vehicle behind him.
He felt tense beneath his jacket and for the first time since their initial ride she was tentative to wrap her arms as tightly around him as he’d first shown her. She didn’t say anything as they took off, and the tension escalated ever higher and higher as they accumulated speed.
He took a sharp corner, flinging their weight to the side. Uhura yelped feeling her tentative grip break. Heart pounding in that split second, her whole body shifted back, one arm flinging loose, her thigh dragging over the seat as she was about to be tossed- And then a large hand had her forearm and she was being pulled back in. She gasped pulling her other arm in tightly to wrap around her own wrist crowding fearfully against Spock’s back, panting.
“Hold on tightly.” His voice crackled over the connection in her helmet. He removed his hand from her arm and returned it to its handle.
“S-sorry.” She closed her eyes tightly; this was not how this lesson was supposed to go at all. She was supposed to be well on her way to becoming his friend, nodding sympathetically to his woes as they shared coffee and pie.
She barely noticed how the time had passed, but they were already at the training grounds and gliding to a stop. She reluctantly let go of her astonishingly tight grip around him and took off her helmet when he did his.
“You have forgotten the most important rule of two person commute on a non enclosed aircraft.” He slipped off the bike to stand before her, lips practically pursed with annoyance or anger or whatever it was that was making his eyes flash like they were. She steeled her own expression, it wasn’t her fault.
“I’m sorry, but you weren’t exactly projecting approachability. And I didn’t think-”
“ Correct. You did not think. Your emotions clouded your judgment-”
“Hey! I wasn’t the only one being emotional back there. You’ve never driven that recklessly before. You canceled that lesson and you didn’t say anything about my paper and now this…” she deflated realizing it was all coming out anyway she might as well stick to her original plan. “Are you okay?”
“I am fine. I do not wish to discuss the reasoning behind my cancellation with you.” He approached the bike where she still sat perched atop it and unclasped a large bag that had been saddled to the side, “Continue your practice with maneuvering. I shall set up the necessary apparatus for the lesson,” he turned on his heel marching out across the sand while she sat frustrated and feeling blown off.
“Fine.” She muttered as she stuffed her helmet back on, “Just fine.” She fired up the engine of the bike and released the clutch with a roar, taking off down the beach narrowly missing hitting his dumb Vulcan behind as she passed.
“Good going Nyota,” she whispered to herself. “Great attempt at being a friend, really, because he needs you a sniveling stupid little student poking into his business.” She grit her teeth and did a few sharp turns. Wishing she knew three-dimensional travel already so she could soar through the air, weightless, thoughtless and finally free, she settled for doing a dozen figure eights at increasingly fast speeds.
“The lesson is ready.” Spock’s voice interrupted her focus and she blinked, he didn’t sound so tense now, and she didn’t feel so useless. She meandered her way back to where Spock was a small dot in the distance and stumbled upon what looked like a complicated obstacle course, with small hovering pylons and large strips of something metallic on the ground.
When she came to a stop beside him, he reached over the control panel and deactivated the thrusters, leaving her hovering. She pulled off her helmet to hold while he gave his lesson. Spock took a step back from her, pulling his arms behind his back, looking relaxed for the first time that day.
“I must apologize for my earlier behavior. It was…emotional and unnecessary. I put your safety as well as my own in danger, and while unforgivable in nature I shall endeavor to never do so again,” he said, sounding as chagrin as Unura imagined him able. She shook her head.
“Lets just forget about it. I should have known better, we’re both at fault.” She gave him a weary smile and received a nod in return.
“As you wish. Today’s lesson, as you can see, are obstacles. If you would disembark I shall begin with a demonstration.” He gestured for her to hop off waiting patiently before he resumed her place. Instead of pulling on his helmet and firing up the thrusters however he merely sat.
“The first thing you need to always be aware of with obstacles is the balance of the vehicle’s air cushion beneath you. While it feels stable you have already learned it can be quite volatile. This can be your asset in the correct situation.” He did not grasp the handles, merely rested his hands upon his thighs.
“With the correct application of force,” He rolled his hips sinuously- Uhura almost choked on her saliva. The bike bucked under him in imitation of his movement, “You may assume a level of control detailed enough to avoid the smallest of obstacles.”
He began to outline the different ways you could rock the vehicle, basic leans and holds that would keep her stable while riding. Mostly she watched in a daze as he moved and gestured to his various muscle groups doing all the work with his weight. Finally he sat properly in the seat again firing up the thrusters.
“I shall demonstrate how these maneuvers will be used in tandem with piloting.” He waited for her nod of understanding. She blinked and bobbed her head taking a step back as he slipped his helmet on and grasped the handles.
He directed the bike forwards and around to what Uhura assumed was the start of the obstacle course. He paused then and she watched as what she’d assumed were just strips of metal began to unfold into a series of new obstacles including large spikes, something that glowed menacingly and what looked like a nul-gravity field by the way the sand around it started to float.
She had barely managed to take it all in when he finally shot off like a rocket, his posture different on the bike, weight balanced precariously, feet planted on the posts, thighs tensed. She proceeded to watch with wide eyes as he swerved and leaned slid, spun, and at one point even managing to press down and jump the bike over his various obstacles. When finished he relaxed back into a regular sitting ride and came to a stop beside her.
“You will complete this course,” were the first words he spoke after removing his helmet. Uhura looked blankly into his eyes for a moment and then sputtered a laugh waving her hand to dismiss and potential offense he might take.
“Are you serious?” She chuckled watching him dismount, “All that stuff-” she looked back over the obstacles, “There’s no way-”
“You will learn. It is not as difficult as it looks.” He held out her helmet to her and they stood there looking at each other for probably far too long before she shrugged.
“You are the instructor,” she smiled and shrugged trying to downplay her insecurity. She was never going to be able to do all of that. Once saddled up she guided the bike to where Spock had started and looked to him for instructions. He stood beside the bike with his comm in hand so she could hear him properly through the helmet.
“I will guide your initial run through by hand. We will only get through half of the course.” He began to walk, “Please follow at the same pace,” he intoned into the mouthpiece and Uhura was quick to follow him pulling the throttle back.
The first obstacles were hovering bumpers of sorts in completely inconvenient places requiring her to turn the bike tightly and almost vertically to get past.
“You must use the strength in your legs to push the cushion in the direction you wish the body of the vehicle to reject, holding your core steady as not to lose control.” He pointed to the posts that she stretched her feet to and then stood upon, making the bike quiver under her.
“I’m not sure I’m strong enough…” She grit her teeth pushing down; it had looked so effortless for him. She huffed and sat down.
“The circumference of your thigh indicates your quadriceps are within the necessary stress range - try again, faster.” Uhura pursed her lips but did as he said standing and pushing hard and fast, crowing quietly with joy as she passed the first bumper.
“Again…” Spock was already onto the next task, pushing her to for the first time really physically exert herself. She did not have an easy time, struggling with holding her weight steady and keeping her direction in line. It was more difficult than she’d imagined. For the first time she flirted with regretting these lessons. Her thighs burned and arms ached, but Spock growing impatient with her fatigue started becoming more hands on in her tutorial. He repositioned the angle of her torso and poked the muscles she was not using to their complete efficiency. The thought of regrets washed away embarrassingly quickly after that.
When they reached their stopping point for the day Uhura tiredly chucked her helmet and flopped back on the seat of the bike allowing her hair to slide in its tied bunch over the back end of the seat wherever it pleased but Spock was already moving it aside and back over her shoulder with two fingers.
“Do not allow your hair to become caught in the flight mechanisms,” he sounded neutral, calm and slightly chiding but she was tired and not thinking about her hair of all things right at that moment.
“Right, don’t want to seriously mess up your bike,” she sighed, stretching her legs awkwardly as he gathered up the obstacles back into their bag.
“I am more concerned for your well being than that of the machine.” Uhura winced, she hadn’t meant that he wasn’t concerned about her necessarily-
“If you believe my actions have illuminated personality flaws, or that I am unconcerned for your safety, I remind you that you may decline lessons and my company at any point. I will respectfully accept your decision.” He said without looking at her and she sat up with a frown.
“Spock, no, I didn’t mean it like that.” She huffed, resting her elbows on one of the handlebars. “You’re just…distracted, I guess,” he slowed in his packing of the bag and made his way over to her.
“Distracted. Vulcans do not become distracted.” She frowned but nodded and felt dumb, like she’d unintentionally insulted him again, “But I am not wholly Vulcan,” he paused, eyes dropping to some unknown point in space.
“I do not wish you to think your concern, your friendship nor yourself as ‘stupid’ because of anything I have said or done.”
Uhura pulled back with a confused frown, she had said that to herself. “I was setting the communicator frequency as you began your ride.”
She squared her shoulders, mulling over how to handle this situation and came up merely grateful she hadn’t said anything else aloud to herself.
“I…was just frustrated with my inability to help.” She turned her head and looked him over, “Your cancellation message held all the indicators of distress and unhappiness.”
Spock finished strapping the bag of obstacles to the back of the bike.
“My parents are in the city,” he said at last, “ My mother has been pressing upon the already…strained relationship between my father and I. She does not take no for an answer.”
“Oh.” Uhura had never actually expected him to so readily tell her what was going on and now reeled for something useful to say.
“There are also numerous other obligations and professional functions that I must attend to as well at this time that cannot be canceled. Your lessons, while important, are categorically leisure time spent and are the most logical to reschedule.” He cocked his head a moment, thinking, “ I have not yet had the chance to read your paper and that is why I was unable to comment upon it.”
“Oh, well…those are certainly good reasons to reschedule,” she nodded hesitantly, “Completely rational stress factors.” She noted sliding back on the seat while he took his place before her, resetting the controls for regular flight. She marveled for a moment that he actually trusted her with this information and let her joviality fill her up to brimming. They both pulled on their helmets and Uhura smiled for a moment.
“Your mom sounds like mine. She chased me around all last summer trying to get me to eat something ‘You are too skinny Nyota! Look, I could snap your bones with one finger!’” She imitated her mother’s accent as she wound her arms tightly around Spock’s middle.
“They do sound alike. While I was a cadet my mother was also entirely too preoccupied with my weight…”
They exchanged amusing stories for the rest of the ride, Uhura grinning secretly as she felt him shudder under her in what could only be accurately interpreted as a laugh when she regaled her epic adventures of a ten year old trying to set free the family goat.
What had started off rocky had turned into the start of something good, very very good.
<6 . 8>