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It was his dream to join Starfleet since he was very young. He'd been enrolled and looked forward to his first day for months, hardly sleeping and, for the first time, hardly eating.
James T. Kirk, he thought to himself as he made his way to his first class, you've finally made it, haven't you?

Jim sat somewhere in the middle of the class, watching as everybody else conversed with one another. He was normally very social and out-going, however today was different. He just wanted to experience everything as it came along.

He watched as unfamiliar faces spoke to other unfamiliar faces; smiling and laughing. The general excitement of the first day was enough to bring a smile to even the most stoic of faces.

Or so Jim thought. He looked up at the door to see a tall, dark-haired, almost poster-child Vulcan smoothly glide into the room. He stopped for just a second to look around and sat down at the only empty seat, behind Jim. He was the only Vulcan in the room and everyone could tell he knew. But his peers tried not to look at him or make him feel uncomfortable.

Jim was intrigued, though, he'd never met a Vulcan and his curiosity often got the best of him. He had read a little about them, but that was a long time ago and he'd forgotten a lot of it.

Feeling confident as usual and overwhelmed with curiosity, Jim turned around and shot the Vulcan a genuine, glowing smile. "Hey there," he said, "I'm Jim Kirk." He put his hand out in front of him for the Vulcan to shake.

The Vulcan just stared at it before glancing up at Jim. "I am Spock," he said, not even touching Jim's hand.

"Hey, Spock," Jim laughed, "well, aren't you gonna shake my hand?" He was beginning to feel awkward and suddenly regretted his decision to make conversation.
"Er-" Spock stumbled on his words in an almsot human-like fashion, "Vulcans do not 'shake hands'. Our hands are...sensitive."

"Oh," Jim pulled his hand back, feeling embarrassed, "sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."

Spock raised an eyebrow. "Offend? I am not familiar with that emotion."

"Oh...right, of course," Jim smiled meekly. "My apol-I mean, well I don't know a lot about Vulcan customs."

"Understandable," Spock blinked.

"...Yeah..."

The teacher strolled in just then so Jim turned around, feeling uncomfortable. Maybe it wasn't smart of him to jump into that situation, knowing nothing of the guy...Spock.

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Spock looked curiously at the person in front of him. Jim Kirk. He didn't understand why Jim was interested in talking to him. He had assumed he would be an outsider here just as he was on his planet Vulcan. However, it was...comforting almost to know at least one person was willing to speak with him. Despite the fact that it was generally awkward.

He decided not to think too much about it, and focused on the teacher's introductions and explanations of Starfleet Academy. Spock already knew all this, though, and was more interested in getting to the lectures.

After the class was over and Spock stood up to leave, Jim Kirk also stood up and spun around. He gave him another bright smile and said, "That was boring, wasn't it? I'd rather just get to the learning bit, right?"

"I have to agree," Spock said, picking up his books.
"I thought you might. Hey, are you doing anything later? Maybe we could eat lunch together. I've got a friend who's studying medicine and might be interested in Vulcan physiology. His name is Leonard McCoy."

Spock considered for a moment. "That would be agreeable."

Jim smiled warmly, "Good. See ya in the cafeteria."

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"A Vulcan?" Leonard McCoy asked. "That should be interesting. Wonder why he's studying at Starfleet Academy?"

"I dunno, I didn't ask. He seems a lot different from anyone I've ever met, Bones." Jim beamed, excitedly.

"Of course he does, he isn't human!"

"Okay, okay, well don't you wanna talk to him?"

"I guess so. Where is he?"

Jim looked around the cafeteria, although the crowd was kind of thick. He spotted the tall Vulcan, trying to avoid the crowd while scanning the cafeteria. "There he is," Jim said and stood up, waving to him.

It took a second before Spock noticed him, but he was soon sitting at their table with a salad.

"A salad? You should be a good influence on Jim boy, I can never get him to eat healthy," Bones joked.

"Vulcans don't consume meat, this is the only food that does not contain meat," Spock explained, the joke totally going over his head.

Bones scowled and Jim smiled.

"Jim told me you are interested in Vulcan physiology." Spock stated.

Bones shrugged, "Kind of, I haven't gotten the chance to study up on it."

The conversation was sparked and Jim watched and listened, taking the opportunity to learn something about Vulcans. Including why their hands are so sensitive, which made him blush as he thought back to the events from earlier that day.

Spock made no reference to it, though, and the three ended up having a somewhat pleasant lunch, despite Bones being grumpy as usual.

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Jim talked to Spock everyday at the Academy. Spock was very private and Jim didn't like to pry, so he didn't really know anything about him yet besides that he really enjoyed talking to him.

One day, after the last class, Jim spotted Spock as he was walking across the campus to his dorm building. He jogged to catch up with him.

"Hey, Spock, whatchya doin?" Jim asked.

"Hello, Jim," Spock replied, only glancing down once before looking straight ahead, "I am going to my dorm. I have to study for a test tomorrow and then...meditate."

"Meditate?"

"It is a Vulcan custom."

"I see. I've been reading a lot about Vulcan customs lately, but I guess I skipped over that part."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you reading about Vulcan customs?"

Jim flushed. "Well, because you're a Vulcan..."

"I do not understand."

"Well, you know, the first day I met you I tried to shake your hand and I just don't want to make another mistake like that..."

"Jim..." Spock stopped and faced him. "It is not customary for Vulcans to have close friends."

Jim looked down and kicked the dirt with his boot, "I know that-"

"Then it is illogical for you to continue trying to get to know me, is it not?" He asked it as though he was actually curious, as though he didn't know the answer himself.

"Well, come on Spock, I like you, this isn't Vulcan, you're....allowed to have friends here."

Spock sighed, "I am afraid I'm not able to."

Jim swallowed hard, trying not to look or even to be hurt. He knew it wasn't him and it was the Vulcan way that would prevent their friendship from growing, but...it still stung.

"I see."

"My apologies." Spock offered before gliding away calmly.

Kirk looked after him as he walked on, unsure if this was truly the end of what could have been, as Spock may have put it, a fascinating friendship.

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He wasn't sure why he did it. He saw the friendship becoming deeper as Jim approached him and he knew he could no longer allow it to go on.

His mother would have been ashamed. It was only human to have friends, and here he was denying his only chance at it simply because he couldn't be human.

That night, as he meditated, he tried to drive the hurt expression of Jim Kirk's face from his mind. He didn't understand the emotion, but he knew he didn't wish to inflict emotional pain onto a human who couldn't control it.

It wasn't working, he couldn't think about anything besides Jim Kirk and what he did to his only friend. Well, besides McCoy, but they disagreed so often that he wasn't really sure if they were friends at all. They definitely weren't friends the way he and Jim were.

Spock gave up meditating for the night and ended up tossing and turning in bed, wondering what the next day would be like.

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Jim had invited Bones over that night because he couldn't bear to be alone and thinking about what transpired between him and Spock.

He tried not to think about it while he and Bones played cards and drank brandy, but he couldn't keep his mind off the subject.

Bones watched Jim as he stared at his hand, mind wandering. "Jim? Are you feeling alright?"

Jim blinked hard and shook his head, "Er-yeah, I'm just...thinking."

"About what? Obviously not cards."

Jim smirked, "Bones, you're a soon-to-be-surgeon, not a soon-to-be-psychiatrist."

Bones nodded, "I'll drink to that...but something's really buggin' ya, huh?"

Jim shrugged and put down his cards, "Kind of, I don't know. It's not...important."

"It seems important. Why don't you tell me?"

"Well..." Jim hesitated, "...it's Spock."

Bones scowled, "That green-blooded, er-I mean...sorry...what happened?"

Jim sighed, unsure if he should continue. "Well, he told me after school today that we couldn't be friends anymore because it wasn't customary for Vulcans to have close friends. I guess he thought we were getting too close, but I still hardly know anything about him."

Bones nodded sympathetically, "I see...this is bothering you?"

"Well, sure, I just...thought he wanted to be friends." Jim shrugged innocently.

"It sounds deeper than that, Jim. Sounds like you like him a lot."

Jim's gaze shot up to Bones, whose deadpan face told Jim he wasn't kidding. Jim relaxed, he knew he couldn't lie to his oldest friend. "Maybe you're right. When he walked into class the first day, I was...intrigued. I told myself it was because he was Vulcan but...it's been something else the whole time. And here he is telling me he can't reciprocate because he's Vulcan."

"Well...I shouldn't say this, but he isn't completely Vulcan." Bones raised his eyebrows.

"What?"

"You know I have access to all the medical records of our classmates for my training. His records show that he's only half-Vulcan, his mother is human."

Jim stared in disbelief. He knew this meant something significant. This meant...a human and a Vulcan had been together before and it meant...maybe he and Spock had more of a chance than he thought. Maybe it meant he was scared of his human half showing all too much...

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The following week, Jim avoided Spock's eyes and ignored him any time he saw him. Spock sat at a separate lunch table, all alone. Jim stole glances at him all through lunch, feeling helpless.

By the end of the week, Jim was so miserable he cold hardly concentrate on what he was doing. He spotted Spock walking to his dorm after school, all alone once again. He made the quick decision to follow Spock to his dorm in order to confront him. He just couldn't take the strain of not being able to speak to him any longer, he hadn't realized before how fond he'd grown of the Vulcan.

He watched at the end of the hallway as Spock entered his dorm and waited a moment before deciding to knock on the door. Just before he reached the room, he felt unfamiliar butterflies in his stomach and wondered if this was a good idea after all. He'd always respected Spock's privacy before and it didn't make sense that he should even be talking to him after being told explicitly by Spock that they shouldn't be friends.

He was just about to turn and walk away when the door opened and Spock was staring down on Jim.

Jim's face went red as he stammered an explanation. Spock put his hand up to stop him before saying, "I was aware you were following me, Jim. I do not understand why."

Jim licked his lips nervously, "Well, I just, um...I like, I mean I wanted to...it's just...I...don't know."

Spock raised an eyebrow. "You may come in and explain." He stepped aside and let Jim enter. They sat down at a small table which had a chess set on it before Spock moved it.

Spock watched Jim expectantly.

"Spock..." he began, unsure of where he was going, "Well, it's just...I've grown...fond of you and our limited time spent together. I don't wish for it to be over, I...like you a lot."

Spock nodded and raised his eyebrows. "I was not aware of that. I apologize. Vulcans scarcely need to be aware of other's emotions."

"What...about your mother?"

Spock raised an eyebrow, "I fail to see the relevance."

"She was human. She married a Vulcan. Raised a half-Vulcan. Did you ever consider how she feels?"

"I can only assume you looked into my medical records with McCoy," Spock watched Jim guiltily nod his head. "It is true, my mother is human, I never ignored the fact that she had feelings, but they were never of importance on Vulcan."

"Spock, that's terrible!"

"It is not logical to take into account that which will not affect a situation."

"Emotions affect everything a human does. When you told me you didn't want to be friends anymore, it was my emotions that drove me to come here today. It was my emotions that drove me to talk to you in the first place! We humans can't simply...ignore our emotions."

"I...understand." Spock's cheeks turned green, "...What emotions drove you here tonight?"

Jim was taken aback. His mouth opened but no words came out. He was dazed for a moment, not knowing the appropriate way to respond. He found himself leaning across the table, taking Spock's blushing cheek in hand, and pressing his lips against his.

Spock grabbed Jim's wrist and pulled away, looking at him. "My father...he would not approve of this."

"Your father is on a whole different planet." Jim said, and pulled Spock back in.

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After that night, everything pretty much went back to normal. Except for small things, like the way Jim linked his arm into the crook of of Spock's elbow ("Holding hands would not be appropriate, Jim.") and how Jim stole kisses from Spock throughout the day, just little ones on the cheek, to see Spock blush. Also, how they studied together and played chess together every night and how Jim would lie down and read as Spock meditated; just how intimate they'd become.

Jim Kirk was in love with Spock and neither one really knew how far this could go, but for the time being they were happy. Everyone at the academy could see it, even Bones didn't mind having Spock around so much if it made Jim happy.

For them, it was the happy ending Jim Kirk never really imagined getting and which Spock never really thought about before.

                                                                                                                  THE END