Chapter Text
Despite the amazing start of her new semester at Starfleet, it didn’t take long for Kealoha to slowly become more then a little overwhelmed with the amount of classes she had chosen to take on. It wasn’t that any of them were irrelevant to her final major, she had yet to decide which specialty she would be taking up, Kealoha simply wanted to get a feel of everything before she decided on a specialty.
Her Tūtū had told her just how important it was to pick a specialty and stick with it to the end. Kealoha had heard one too many stories from her Tūtū of how people wouldn’t be able to decide what they wanted to do once they got into Starfleet and they would loose track of themselves.
But that was not about to happen to Kealoha.
She wasn’t about to loose sight of her goal.
And if that meant taking on more classes then any other student, then she would do so.
She was up before dawn, and out the door within the hour. A few hours at the library, before rushing off to her first class. While other students enjoyed free hours here and there, Kealoha schedule was packed. Even her lunch hour was spent finishing up an assignment or doing some reading that was required.
Not to mention the extracurricular she had signed herself up for. She had calculated that since there were five days of the week, she could join five clubs. Which was why she had joined the Xeno-Biology Club, Combat Club, Swim Team, Xeno-Flora Club and, just because she thought it would be fun, Xeno-Culture Club. Since she was a First Year, she couldn’t volunteer to head any clubs and such, but Kealoha was eager to get started on that as well, once the year was up.
While her first few weekends had been free, as the month wore on, those days became packed with extra work and club duties as well.
Perhaps she had bitten off more then she could chew?
It was no surprise that with her hectic schedule she had no time to really make friends. There were people she would say hello to here and there, but nothing more.
She hadn’t even had the chance to get to know her roommate since that first day. Kealoha was sure he had his own classes he was busy with, they did share a few classes here and there, but her timetable just didn’t give her any free time to actually sit down and speak to him. There were fleeting moments, where she would feel guilty about ignoring him. But it wasn’t her fault. She just had so much to do.
Whenever she returned to their shared rooms she would be so tired from the running around, the studying, the extracurricular activities, and the clubs that she would just slump into bed once out of the bathroom and fall into an exhaustive sleep.
And that was her schedule for the first one and a half month at Starfleet.
It was another beautiful day in the city of San Fransisco. The sun was shining and despite warnings of a thunderstorm approaching, most of the student body at Starfleet Academy had chosen to ignore the impending weather change and simply enjoy the clear day.
Kealoha, however, was not having a good day.
Or even a good week.
She had barely gotten any sleep and with the first set of exams approaching, she was beginning to feel the pressure of everything bearing down on her. She did her best not to show it, only breaking out into frustrated tears when she was alone, but it was beginning to get harder and harder.
On that particular day, she had been running from one building to the other to get to her classes. She hadn’t had breakfast and was clearly beginning to feel the effects of running around on an empty stomach. So, when a call came on the Intercom, informing the students that there wouldn’t be any more classes the rest of the day, on account of the Professors and Tutors being called away to the Starfleet Headquarters, Kealoha nearly sobbed in relief.
But free time didn’t mean she could laze about.
No, it meant more time to study.
It wasn’t until she had nearly reached the library that she suddenly realized she had forgotten her PADD back in her room.
A frustrated sound fell from her lips, before she began to trek back to the dormitories. The heat of the afternoon sun bore down on her, and she felt a slight wave of dizziness wash over her, which she quickly pushed aside.
Punching in the code to her room, she was greeted by the sight of Spock lying on his bed and reading a book. He appeared more relaxed then she felt in that moment, ironic given that he was half-Vulcan and they didn’t do emotion.
He glanced up to catch her eye. “Greetings Ms. Wailani.” She rolled her eyes. “How many times do I have to say it Spock? Its just Kealoha. Or even Kay, if that’s too difficult to remember.” Quickly giving her side of the room a once-over she frowned when she didn’t see her PADD. “Spock have you seen my PADD? I can’t find it.” Kealoha laid down on her stomach to look under her bed. Of course there was no possibility of it being there, but she had to check.
But when she went to stand back up, she did so a little to quickly. The sudden shift in balance, not to mention the empty stomach, lack of sleep and running under a hot sun culminated in another wave of dizziness, this one much stronger and faster then the previous one had been.
Her world went dark for a few........seconds, perhaps minutes. She had no idea how long.
What she did know was once her eyes flickered open, she managed to make out the blurred image of her roommate leaning over her. “Are you alright Ms. Wailani?” His voice sounded as if it were coming from the other end of a corridor. She moaned softly, turning her head away. Unable to formulate words, she only gave a small nod.
She felt him move away from her before returning a few moments later. This time she felt him wrap an arm around her shoulders before carefully helping her sit up. A glass of water was pressed to her lips which she drank greedily. As the coolness from the water soothed her, Kealoha began to become aware of her surroundings once more.
And found her ability to speak when she said. “Shouldn’t have skipped breakfast this morning.” She muttered, raising a hand to rest against her forehead where her head still felt like it was spinning.
“It is the most important meal of the day.” Spock so helpfully reminded her. She only made a small sound of approval, before slowly beginning to slide her way to the edge of her bed to lean against it instead. “I could sleep for days.” The young woman muttered to herself as she raised a hand to muffle a yawn that escaped her.
“Given your over-packed timetable I am not surprised are your exhaustion Ms. Wailani.” Kealoha opened one eye to look at him where she was still sitting on the floor in front of her. “How did you know?” She asked, not really in the mood to guess how he had figured that out.
If Vulcan’s could blush, Kealoha suspected he would have. Instead he looked away from her and replied. “You once left your PADD open on your timetable while in the bathroom. I happened to pass by and though I had no intentions of prying, I couldn’t help but glance at it involuntarily. I apologize if it was an intrusion of your privacy.” He added, to which she simply shook her head.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve accidentally looked at your PADD a couple times as well. No fault in being curious.” She was starting to feel a little better, which prompted her to open both her eyes and finish off the rest of her water. “I'm sorry if I disturbed you Spock.” She said, referring to the fact how she had fainted just then. He frowned. “What are you apologizing for Ms. Wailani? You did not faint deliberately.” His voice was so serious when he said those words that it prompted Kealoha to give a small laugh. “No, that only happens in movies. But then you have no reason to be so nice to me. I haven’t exactly been a good roommate.” She mused, suddenly looking guilty.
“And how did you come to such a conclusion?” He moved to sit down cross-legged in front of her. Finding that speaking helped focus her, Kealoha shrugged. “Well, I assume this is your first time on Earth for so long away from your family, and I bet it hasn’t been easy. I know I miss my family and home, and they’re only a ride away. But you? You’re light years away. When I say I haven’t been a good roommate, I mean that I haven’t been around to ask you if you need any help or if there is anything you would need. And that is just really rude of me.”
There was a moment of silence before Spock spoke. “While I appreciate the thought Ms. Wailani, I have not needed any assistance. I am perfectly capable of handling things on my own.” She looked at him, frantically shaking her head. “That is not what I mean. I’m sure you are more then capable, but I’m just being a bad person for not offering any help. My mother would surely tell me off before throwing a sandal at my head. She’s always saying she did not raise a bad person.”
It seemed the mention of her mother was a point of interest for Spock. “Why would your mother throw a shoe at your head?” He asked, previous irritation at her assumption that he was not capable diminishing slightly. Kealoha gave a small laugh. “Well, you see my brothers and I had a habit of getting in trouble when we were children. And to show that she was very serious about her scolding, Mama would throw sandals at our heads. Never to hit us. Just to get her point across. Then again with nine of us and only one of her, she had to use tactics that agreed with her.” She giggled softly as Spock raised an eyebrow at her. “Nine?” He asked, a little perplexed.
Kealoha nodded. “Yeah, nine. My father, me, and my seven brothers.”
This had to be the first time she actually saw a positive emotion in his gaze. Honestly, no one could hide their reaction when she told them how many brothers she had. She grinned. “Yes, I have seven brothers and I am the only girl. Actually the only female to be born in perhaps, three or four generations.” She admitted. “What about you? Do you have any siblings?”
The half-Vulcan shook his head. “No.” He responded simply, to which Kealoha frowned. “Didn’t you get lonely?”
Did he?
Truthfully Spock hadn’t allowed himself to think it over. At least not as an adult. When he was a child, he couldn’t help but wish for a sibling. Someone to share his time with. A childish impulse, he deduced later on. But as he got older, he accepted he would be an only child.
And that was that.
“I have never thought about such things. And I was never alone. I had my parents.” He watched as his roommate hummed a little in response. She looked like she was about to reply, but then a low gurgling sound echoed in the room.
Despite the tanned tone of her skin, Spock could clearly see the blush that stole across her face. “Well I suppose that is my cue to get something to eat.” She slowly stood up, careful to not have another blackout. Spock was ready in case she faltered even a single step.
“I do not mean to pry Ms. Wailani.” He began, despite his mind telling him not to ask her such a personal question. But he was curious. “Why have you signed up for so many classes and activities. Taking on so much will only effect the final result.” Kealoha hummed under her breath as she pursed her lips. “That's a bit of a long story. But if you come down to dinner with me, I can tell you all about it.” Perhaps it would do her some good to take a break. The world wouldn’t end if she didn’t do something productive for a few hours. Besides, being near Spock seemed to do wonders for her frayed nerves.
“That will be acceptable.”
Fifteen minutes later
“Is it the norm for you to skip breakfast?”
“Not really. But I woke up a little late this morning and had to skip it, otherwise I would’ve missed my class.”
“Yes, I do recall you nearly falling over when you entered the Lecture Hall at the very last minute.”
“Yes well, not one of my finest moments.”
Half an hour later
“-and I figured if my Tūtū could do so much and still have a successful career, be an amazing wife and a good mother, then I could at least get a head start with the first one.”
“Seeking inspiration from another source is acceptable, but you should not have to overwork yourself just to prove to yourself to her.”
“That's the thing. I don’t think I want to prove myself to her.”
“Your family?”
“A little, but not entirely.”
“Then?”
“Myself.”
An hour later
“-and I believe that was the first time I allowed my emotions to overwhelm my logical thinking, resulting in a fist fight, as well as being sent to the Headmaster, with my Father in session.”
“Well, you couldn’t help it. They insulted you and your mother. If it were me, I would’ve done the same thing.”
“Yes, but you are human and I am half-human and Vulcan. I should not have allowed my emotions to get the better of me.”
“Still, please tell me the other kid looked worse then you did.”
“I am not one to condone violence, but I do believe I broke his nose and his jaw.”
“Remind me never to make you angry.”
Two hours later(Maybe)
“What exactly was the purpose of such an act?”
“It was just for fun. But mostly to get revenge on her for breaking my brother’s heart.”
“So in retaliation you poured sugar into her hovercar?”
“I would’ve done worse. But my Father, talked me out of it.”
“Why would you fight for your brother? Would it not be better for him to fight his own battles?”
“I suppose it would. But in our family, if you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us.”
“That is a rather.....an interesting way of looking at things.”
Three hours later(????)
“For what logical reason would your parents oppose to your having a male for a roommate?”
“Not my parents. Mama and Papa, trust my judgement. I have seven brothers Spock. And each one of them is as over-protective as they come. Not only because I’m their only sister, but also because I’m the youngest.”
“Does such a dynamic exist in all families with siblings?”
“Well yeah, I suppose, for most of them.”
“It is rather strange that they would be so protective of you. Do they not believe you are capable enough to defend yourself?”
“Oh, they know I am. Its just because......well, they love me. And they want to protect me.”
“But I am of no danger to you.”
“Yes, I don’t see it that way. But they’re my brothers. All they will see is their little sister sharing a room with a male.”
“Ah, I see now.”
“Oh good, because I had no intention of going into further detail with you.”
Time is an irrelevant construct
"Spock?”
“Yes?”
“I think the Dining Hall is closing.”
Their gazes quickly shifted away from one another to look around. They were the only ones left, and it had been hours since they had both arrived. Kealoha flushed a little at the fact that the both of them had been speaking for so long, and neither had thought of looking at the time even once.
“We should get back to dorms?” Spock suggested as he stood. She nodded, standing up as well. Once the both of them had deposited their trays back on the counter, they were quick to exit the building.
Night had fallen and it was unnaturally quiet. Kealoha glanced at the clock tower, blinking in astonishment once she realized what time it was. “We were in there talking for hours?!” She exclaimed, turning to look at her roommate who appeared just as surprised as she was.
“I must admit I have never spoken to someone at such length before.” He revealed. Kealoha couldn’t help but feel a little bubble of pride at such a prospect. “Well you could’ve stopped me anytime you liked.” She joked, lightly nudging her elbow against his arm.
He gave a little frown at her action, but let it slide. “Why would I have stopped you when I did not wish it?” Kealoha’s steps slowed slightly, before she resumed her previous pace, walking next to him and keeping with his much larger strides easily.
“So are you saying you liked talking to me?” She asked, grinning up at him. There was a long stretch of silence following her question. But not an uncomfortable one. Kealoha could practically see the gears in his head shifting as he searched for an answer to her question.
“I found speaking to you to be a rather pleasant way to pass the time.” He finally concluded, to which she hummed in agreement. “As did I. So, drawing from both our conclusions, would it be safe to assume that we are now friends?”
Once more he was a little slow with his response, though there was no reluctance in his expression when he spoke. “Yes, it would be.”
Kealoha grinned in response.