FIC: Shaped by the Stars (7/7) - (PG-13) - Star Trek AOS
Title: Shaped by the Stars (7/7)
Author: Zippit
Fandom: Star Trek AOS
Character(s)/Pairing(s): James T. Kirk/Nyota Uhura/Hikaru Sulu
Rating: PG-13
Content Notes: N/A
Word Count: 1,505 / 10,691
Disclaimer: The characters portrayed within are not mine. This is merely a loving response to the original work.
Author’s Notes: This has been a challenge to write but it's been fun. I hope people enjoy.
Summary: The first day back on Earth after a five year mission leaves no one feeling like they're right in their own skin.
Nyota steps inside the apartment they’re lucky to see every five years and hopes her boys have made it home but the silence that greets her lets her know otherwise. She drops her bag on the end table and kicks off her boots before she moves through the kitchen to the actual fridge she insists they keep in the place and fills a glass of wine.
She takes a sip as she pads into the living room and sinks into the extra plush couch Jim convinced her and Hikaru was a good investment. A contented sigh escapes her and maybe Jim hadn’t been too far off the mark. It’s been a long damn day. She picks up a PADD off the coffee table and sees a slew of notifications waiting for the three of them. She sorts through it, deleting the obvious trash and forwarding the rest to their respective PADDs.
They all still have their own places in the city. Hikaru’s a native of San Francisco while Nyota’s here more often than not during the mandatory two year leave between exploratory missions. Her family’s in Kenya and she has a trip planned in the next several months. Jim’s the only one who doesn’t have actual family though truth be told the Enterprise crew might as well be it.
Hikaru’s the one that manages to remember to swing by their respective apartments to check on things. It’s more for the illusion of separation than anything else. It’s common enough knowledge among their friends that they’re more likely to be found at Jim’s place than either of their own.
She tucks her feet under her once that’s done and glances at the clock. What’s taking them so long? She normally beats Jim home but not usually Hikaru. They’ve barely had two seconds to themselves with the debriefings and meetings they’ve been tied up in.
Unsettled energy runs through her and she’s up off the couch shortly walking to the window to gaze out at the city. Festooned with glass buildings and the draping of technology, San Francisco gleams in the light but clouds are rolling in off the horizon and soon the city will be quiet and muted.
She hits the display on the side board to see if she’s missed any messages. Nope, nothing from either of them. She blows out a breath then retreats back to the living room where she picks up her glass and downs a bit more wine. She doesn’t feel settled. None of them ever do in the immediate weeks after a return to Earth’s gravity.
There’s no hum under their feet or the familiar curving walls around them. No displays and monitors or the millions of little tasks they do in the course of their jobs. The Enterprise is more a home to them than the places they have in San Francisco.
Nyota pulls her hair out of its long ponytail, shaking it out over her shoulders. It hasn’t even been five minutes since the last time she glanced at the chrono. Where are they?
Taking the wine with her, she heads into their bedroom and then to her section of the closet where she strips out of her Starfleet uniform and tosses it in the laundry basket. She slips into a pair of comfortable sweats and picks out a favorite old t-shirt of Jim’s to pull on. It’s musty from disuse and she doesn’t remember why she hadn’t taken it with them before the last mission.
It’s one of her favorites. It’s a faded blue that used to match Jim’s eyes and hangs down past her waist. Wearing it reminds her of the first time she kissed Jim, barely off duty and away from prying eyes. He’d been shell shocked and wary, wondering if it was an elaborate prank.
After some coaxing to convince Jim that it wasn’t a prank, she’d dragged him off on a joint shore leave. They spent more time avoiding being seen by their crew than anything else.
It also reminds her of when she broached bringing Hikaru into things because Jim wasn’t going to be the one that risked losing what they had for something more. As non-risk prone as he was on missions, he was far more cautious in his personal life. But Nyota had seen the way Hikaru had looked at them both and decided to take a chance.
It’s been working so far and between the two of them they’ve managed to keep Jim relatively safe. She smiles when she hears the distant chime of the door. Someone’s home. She takes her wine with her as she heads back down the hall to see who it is. She moves on silent feet hoping they won’t notice her things already there. She makes it to the end of the hallway to see Hikaru flopped over face first on the couch.
She leans against the wall with a hip cocked away from it. Looks like she wasn’t the only one with a long day and just wanting the chance to decompress at home. “Hey handsome,” she calls out.
Hikaru pushes himself up and glances in her direction with a tired smile. “Hey, didn’t realize you were home.” He lets his eyes run over her a second time and his smile brightens. “You definitely have the right idea.”
He stretches and tucks himself against one of the couch arms then pats the seat next to him. She comes over and shifts to lay against him with her head against his shoulder. His arm comes up around her shoulders to trail lightly over her arm. She soaks up the warmth of him and hands him her wine to set on the end table so she can slide an arm around his waist.
Nyota feels a kiss pressed against her hair. “Jim still not home?”
“Meetings must’ve tied him up again.”
“Why’d we ever take up with him again?”
“Because you love surprises,” Jim says.
Both she and Hikaru jump and look up to find Jim smirking at them from the entry hall. His hair’s ruffled like he’s been running his hands through it repeatedly and his shoulders are tight with tension.
“What kept you so long, asshole? We were getting tired of waiting,” Hikaru says.
Jim shrugs and lifts a hand to his mouth to cover a yawn. “The usual bullshit. Glad to see you two got started without me.” He shoots them a lecherous grin. “You know how I love to interrupt things.”
Nyota rolls her eyes and rises to her feet then walks over to him for a kiss. He still melts like he always has and wraps his arms around her. His hand cards through her hair and he pulls her tight against him. He breaks the kiss to bury his face against her neck. She grips the back of his neck and holds on just as tight.
He pulls back after a moment and the smile on his face is the real Jim, not the persona he plasters on to cater to the brass. She kisses him softly cupping his face with her hands before stepping to the side to let Hikaru get his share.
Her boys eye each other then Hikaru grabs Jim by the shoulders and pulls him in close. Jim laughs and gives a play shove before collapsing into Hikaru’s arms. He gets his hair messed up even more than he’s hauled up into a kiss nowhere near as tender as hers and Jim’s was.
The kiss ends when Hikaru breaks it and puts Jim in a headlock. She rolls her eyes at them both. Jim breaks free and Hikaru snags an arm while she grabs the other then says, “I think we can all agree it’s been a long day.”
“Yeah, no kidding.” Jim’s already stifling a yawn. He’s not even pretending to be awake anymore now that he’s with them.
Without even speaking, she and Hikaru start dragging Jim down the hallway toward their bedroom. “I’m all for calling it a night.”
Jim’s practically nodding off while they walk and it’s Hikaru that shoves him down onto the bed. He and Nyota share a look before they pull off Jim’s boots. Hikaru kicks off his own before he pushes and shoves Jim into the middle of their bed. He crawls onto the bed and curls against Jim’s side until he’s comfortable. He shoots her a look but he can’t blame her for liking the look of her boys curled up together. She swats at him as she climbs over them both to her side of the bed and spoons up beside Jim.
He’s just about out but murmurs “home” as he shifts into the warmth of them both. She tucks her chin against Jim’s shoulder and stretches an arm across him to lace her hand with Hikaru’s. He squeezes hers and tucks his head against Jim’s back. She finally feels like she’s in her own skin.
“Yes, you are, Jim. We all are.”
Author: Zippit
Fandom: Star Trek AOS
Character(s)/Pairing(s): James T. Kirk/Nyota Uhura/Hikaru Sulu
Rating: PG-13
Content Notes: N/A
Word Count: 1,505 / 10,691
Disclaimer: The characters portrayed within are not mine. This is merely a loving response to the original work.
Author’s Notes: This has been a challenge to write but it's been fun. I hope people enjoy.
Summary: The first day back on Earth after a five year mission leaves no one feeling like they're right in their own skin.
Nyota steps inside the apartment they’re lucky to see every five years and hopes her boys have made it home but the silence that greets her lets her know otherwise. She drops her bag on the end table and kicks off her boots before she moves through the kitchen to the actual fridge she insists they keep in the place and fills a glass of wine.
She takes a sip as she pads into the living room and sinks into the extra plush couch Jim convinced her and Hikaru was a good investment. A contented sigh escapes her and maybe Jim hadn’t been too far off the mark. It’s been a long damn day. She picks up a PADD off the coffee table and sees a slew of notifications waiting for the three of them. She sorts through it, deleting the obvious trash and forwarding the rest to their respective PADDs.
They all still have their own places in the city. Hikaru’s a native of San Francisco while Nyota’s here more often than not during the mandatory two year leave between exploratory missions. Her family’s in Kenya and she has a trip planned in the next several months. Jim’s the only one who doesn’t have actual family though truth be told the Enterprise crew might as well be it.
Hikaru’s the one that manages to remember to swing by their respective apartments to check on things. It’s more for the illusion of separation than anything else. It’s common enough knowledge among their friends that they’re more likely to be found at Jim’s place than either of their own.
She tucks her feet under her once that’s done and glances at the clock. What’s taking them so long? She normally beats Jim home but not usually Hikaru. They’ve barely had two seconds to themselves with the debriefings and meetings they’ve been tied up in.
Unsettled energy runs through her and she’s up off the couch shortly walking to the window to gaze out at the city. Festooned with glass buildings and the draping of technology, San Francisco gleams in the light but clouds are rolling in off the horizon and soon the city will be quiet and muted.
She hits the display on the side board to see if she’s missed any messages. Nope, nothing from either of them. She blows out a breath then retreats back to the living room where she picks up her glass and downs a bit more wine. She doesn’t feel settled. None of them ever do in the immediate weeks after a return to Earth’s gravity.
There’s no hum under their feet or the familiar curving walls around them. No displays and monitors or the millions of little tasks they do in the course of their jobs. The Enterprise is more a home to them than the places they have in San Francisco.
Nyota pulls her hair out of its long ponytail, shaking it out over her shoulders. It hasn’t even been five minutes since the last time she glanced at the chrono. Where are they?
Taking the wine with her, she heads into their bedroom and then to her section of the closet where she strips out of her Starfleet uniform and tosses it in the laundry basket. She slips into a pair of comfortable sweats and picks out a favorite old t-shirt of Jim’s to pull on. It’s musty from disuse and she doesn’t remember why she hadn’t taken it with them before the last mission.
It’s one of her favorites. It’s a faded blue that used to match Jim’s eyes and hangs down past her waist. Wearing it reminds her of the first time she kissed Jim, barely off duty and away from prying eyes. He’d been shell shocked and wary, wondering if it was an elaborate prank.
After some coaxing to convince Jim that it wasn’t a prank, she’d dragged him off on a joint shore leave. They spent more time avoiding being seen by their crew than anything else.
It also reminds her of when she broached bringing Hikaru into things because Jim wasn’t going to be the one that risked losing what they had for something more. As non-risk prone as he was on missions, he was far more cautious in his personal life. But Nyota had seen the way Hikaru had looked at them both and decided to take a chance.
It’s been working so far and between the two of them they’ve managed to keep Jim relatively safe. She smiles when she hears the distant chime of the door. Someone’s home. She takes her wine with her as she heads back down the hall to see who it is. She moves on silent feet hoping they won’t notice her things already there. She makes it to the end of the hallway to see Hikaru flopped over face first on the couch.
She leans against the wall with a hip cocked away from it. Looks like she wasn’t the only one with a long day and just wanting the chance to decompress at home. “Hey handsome,” she calls out.
Hikaru pushes himself up and glances in her direction with a tired smile. “Hey, didn’t realize you were home.” He lets his eyes run over her a second time and his smile brightens. “You definitely have the right idea.”
He stretches and tucks himself against one of the couch arms then pats the seat next to him. She comes over and shifts to lay against him with her head against his shoulder. His arm comes up around her shoulders to trail lightly over her arm. She soaks up the warmth of him and hands him her wine to set on the end table so she can slide an arm around his waist.
Nyota feels a kiss pressed against her hair. “Jim still not home?”
“Meetings must’ve tied him up again.”
“Why’d we ever take up with him again?”
“Because you love surprises,” Jim says.
Both she and Hikaru jump and look up to find Jim smirking at them from the entry hall. His hair’s ruffled like he’s been running his hands through it repeatedly and his shoulders are tight with tension.
“What kept you so long, asshole? We were getting tired of waiting,” Hikaru says.
Jim shrugs and lifts a hand to his mouth to cover a yawn. “The usual bullshit. Glad to see you two got started without me.” He shoots them a lecherous grin. “You know how I love to interrupt things.”
Nyota rolls her eyes and rises to her feet then walks over to him for a kiss. He still melts like he always has and wraps his arms around her. His hand cards through her hair and he pulls her tight against him. He breaks the kiss to bury his face against her neck. She grips the back of his neck and holds on just as tight.
He pulls back after a moment and the smile on his face is the real Jim, not the persona he plasters on to cater to the brass. She kisses him softly cupping his face with her hands before stepping to the side to let Hikaru get his share.
Her boys eye each other then Hikaru grabs Jim by the shoulders and pulls him in close. Jim laughs and gives a play shove before collapsing into Hikaru’s arms. He gets his hair messed up even more than he’s hauled up into a kiss nowhere near as tender as hers and Jim’s was.
The kiss ends when Hikaru breaks it and puts Jim in a headlock. She rolls her eyes at them both. Jim breaks free and Hikaru snags an arm while she grabs the other then says, “I think we can all agree it’s been a long day.”
“Yeah, no kidding.” Jim’s already stifling a yawn. He’s not even pretending to be awake anymore now that he’s with them.
Without even speaking, she and Hikaru start dragging Jim down the hallway toward their bedroom. “I’m all for calling it a night.”
Jim’s practically nodding off while they walk and it’s Hikaru that shoves him down onto the bed. He and Nyota share a look before they pull off Jim’s boots. Hikaru kicks off his own before he pushes and shoves Jim into the middle of their bed. He crawls onto the bed and curls against Jim’s side until he’s comfortable. He shoots her a look but he can’t blame her for liking the look of her boys curled up together. She swats at him as she climbs over them both to her side of the bed and spoons up beside Jim.
He’s just about out but murmurs “home” as he shifts into the warmth of them both. She tucks her chin against Jim’s shoulder and stretches an arm across him to lace her hand with Hikaru’s. He squeezes hers and tucks his head against Jim’s back. She finally feels like she’s in her own skin.
“Yes, you are, Jim. We all are.”