Chapter Text
The door chime wasn’t welcome. Leonard considered ignoring it. It was late, after all. Whoever was on the other side, standing in the hallway, waiting for his answer, was bound to think he was asleep if they stood out there for too awful long. At least, that’s what he hoped as he leaned back in his desk chair and closed his eyes. But the chime rang a second time and tore that hope away. Persistence. Who was so damn persistent this late? Leonard sighed, sat up, and looked towards the door.
“Come in,” he said.
The door hissed open. If Leonard really thought about it, he would have expected Jim to walk through his door. Instead, it was Spock, with his arms tucked behind his back and the same stoic expression plastered across his face that he always carried. Leonard was glad he hadn’t changed for bed yet. After the day he, rather they, had, the last thing he wanted was to share with Spock what he slept in.
“I’m sorry to disturb you at this late hour, Doctor,” Spock said. No, he wasn’t, but Leonard let that slide.
“What do you want, Spock?” Leonard tried to sound like a gracious host, but he wasn’t sure it passed. Spock didn’t seem deterred by his tone.
“I wanted to return the compliment.”
Leonard tilted his head up and blinked.
“Compliment?”
“You said that you believed I was the best first officer in Starfleet.”
Leonard sighed and leaned his face onto his right hand, which was propped against his desk.
“God, don’t remind me,” he groaned.
“I must, and I must also tell you that I find that you are one of the best chief medical officers that Starfleet has and there is no one else on this ship that I would rather see after facing blindness.”
Leonard blinked again. Then he lifted his head from his hand and looked, really looked, at the Vulcan. Spock was toying with him. He had to be. There was no way he meant that. But there was nothing but that stoic sincerity scrawled across the man’s face. He must be sick. Delusional. Insane! Any of these things. Yet heat still rose to Leonard’s cheeks. He could almost feel his face reddening with each second.
“Are you feeling alright, Doctor?” Spock asked.
“How could you say something like that and then ask me that?!” Leonard asked.
“I had only intended to share the truth.”
“The truth?!” Leonard rose from his chair. “Dammit, Spock, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to flirt with me.”
Silence. Spock’s expression didn’t change. Leonard stared, mouth agape.
“Are you?” Leonard asked. His voice was hushed then. Spock still didn’t respond. “Spock, if this is a joke–”
“I would not attempt humor in this situation.”
“Then you are trying to flirt with me?”
“Yes.”
It was stated in such a neutral, unemotional way that Leonard nearly sputtered out a disjointed, unintelligible sentence. Somehow he managed to keep his damn mouth shut. It didn’t prevent the heat from his cheeks to increase.
“You’re blushing,” Spock said.
“That’s what happens when you flirt with a man that isn’t expecting it, Spock.” Leonard’s voice wasn’t terse, but there was an edge to it that he’d rather not be there.
“While I do find the change in color fascinating, I do find the normal pigment of your skin more enjoyable to look at.”
Heat crept up the back of Leonard’s neck.
“You’re not helping!”
“Then you wish me to stop?”
“I didn’t say that.” Leonard paused and averted his eyes. “You’re a logical man. I didn’t expect you to come barging in here in the middle of the night and start flirting with me. In fact, you were the last person I expected to do that.”
“Perhaps you do not know me as well as you believed,” Spock said.
There was always that. He always disregarded Spock’s feelings because the man was overly logical. Perhaps there was something there he missed. Something he wouldn’t mind exploring, the more he thought about it. Leonard tucked his hands behind his back and bounced onto his toes.
“Alright, so what is it your after then?” Leonard asked. He looked at Spock. “A date?”
“A date would be agreeable.”
“Fine. A date it is. When?”
“Tomorrow at nineteen-hundred hours would suffice.”
“Great. I’m assuming you want this to be a private thing.”
“If you wouldn’t mind.”
“I don’t. My quarters or yours?”
“Mine. I believe I may be able to set a mood that will be enjoyable for the both of us.”
“Alright.” Leonard said. “Well. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“Tomorrow.” Spock nodded and made his way to the door. Before he could get close enough for it to open, he turned back around. “Oh, and Doctor?”
“Yes, Spock?”
“While it is true that I am a Vulcan, I am also half human. Beauty is not beyond my understanding, especially when it comes to you.”
The little heat that had dissipated from Leonard’s cheeks rose again like a flame. Spock nodded and left. He said that on purpose to get that damn blush out of him again. That green-blooded bastard. Leonard smiled.