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"While I respect the role you played in preserving our culture, your overtly emotional and public response to your mother's death was nevertheless a discredit to our race. You have been carefully engineered to function as a Vulcan, and allowing your human genetics to gain mastery over your rationale is a poor reflection on Vulcan scientific practices."
Leonard went perfectly still, standing beside the door to rec room three, his stomach lurching most unpleasantly. He couldn't see in the room, but he recognized the sound of T'Pau's voice, having become uncomfortably familiar with that cutting tone since they had brought the Vulcans aboard.
"Your captain informs me that we shall be disembarking in two hours. Will you be aiding in the rebuilding of our race, or will you be reapplying for a position on board this ship?"
As the uncomfortable silence lingered, Leonard distantly wondered whether Vulcans knew that disdain was an emotion. He couldn't stop himself from peeking his head around the corner, praying that the Vulcans weren't looking in his direction.
At the sight that met him, Leonard forced himself to not grind his teeth together, afraid that it would be audible. Spock was standing ramrod straight, hands clutched behind his back, and his face frozen into the type of mask Leonard hadn't seen since the first few hours after Vulcan was destroyed. T'Pau was facing him, her expression less emotive than a statue's, and neither of them were looking in Leonard’s direction.
"I have not yet decided."
There was something almost vulnerable about Spock's voice, and T'Pau picked up on it with frightening ease. Her expression never changed, but she seemed to be doing the Vulcan equivalent of curling her nose with disdain. Leonard fought the sudden urge to march in there and pull on her stupid ears, knowing that – if Spock’s strength was anything to judge by – then T’Pau was probably just as capable of breaking Leonard in half.
"Perhaps, Spock, your services would be better employed aboard this ship. While I understand that most humans develop an emotional attachment toward their parents, you are not a human, and your display of anger against Captain Kirk was most distasteful. Your actions demonstrate an inexcusable lack of control, and Vulcan society has no place for those who cannot adhere to Surak's principles."
When Spock's eyes flicked down to the floor, Leonard was moving forward before he could stop himself, despite knowing that Spock was going to kill him later. His skin was crawling with anger, and he wondered if he’d be able to do this without yelling.
"Hey, Spock." He completely ignored T'Pau, finding far too much pleasure in the way her irritation clearly showed through the slightest tightening around her eyes. "Sorry to interrupt –” his overly cheerful tone clearly labelled that a lie, and he flashed Spock a cocky grin – “but I need your help with recalibrating some of the damaged equipment in sickbay, and I was wondering if now would be a convenient time. I hate to admit it, but you’re easily the smartest guy we’ve got onboard this ship, and I don’t think I can do it on my own.”
Although Spock barely reacted, Leonard would have bet good money that his pointy-eared brain was trying to figure out why Leonard was suddenly being so affectionate, and showering him with compliments. T’Pau was still motionless, but Leonard could almost feel the waves of displeasure that were coming from her.
“Doctor, I do not understand –”
“Please, Spock?” He had heard the hesitance in Spock’s voice – his desire to leave warring with his respect for his elders – and he wasn’t about to leave Spock alone with this monster. “I know everybody on this ship needs you for something or another, but humour me for a bit, and come help me out first? You can go fix the warp rooms and the bridge later.”
There was silence for a painful moment, and then Spock seemed to clue in.
“If this is urgent –”
“Well, sickbay’s still overflowing, and we need that equipment to be functional. So, yeah – yeah, now would be a good time.”
Spock turned to T’Pau with an apologetic nod, and although she said nothing, the not-at-all-visibly-angry-but-still-somehow-incinerating look she shot Leonard would have sent even Sarek running for the hills. He met it with an easy grin, too angry to be at all frightened.
“G’day, ma’am.”
Putting as much Southern charm into his voice as he could, he tilted his head mockingly and left the room, Spock hot on his heels. He didn’t slow his pace until they were safely down the hallway, and then he tugged on Spock’s shirt sleeve, surprised when Spock followed him without argument into another rec room.
“Doctor, that was not necessary.” His dark eyes were confused when they turned to face each other, and he stepped back to put some space between them, his hands returning to rest behind his back. “I do not understand why you intervened. T'Pau has no understanding of human emotions. Her words were not meant as insults.”
"Sure they weren't." He couldn't stop the slightest snort, thinking that Vulcans knew far too well how nasty they could actually be. “Did you really think I was going to leave you there? Spock, there’s a saying about kicking a man when he’s already down – and right now the last thing you need is some overbearing Vulcan ripping into you for being who you are.”
Spock simply stared at him, and Leonard let out an exasperated breath, fighting the urge to run his hands through his hair.
“Look, Spock. I get that you don’t like me, and yeah, I’m not all that fond of you. But my little girl’s down on that planet, safe and alive thanks to you and Jim, and that’s a debt that I’ll never be able to repay. Do you really think I’d be okay with letting some ungrateful Vulcan tear you apart over something as goddamn simple as having a heart?”
He hadn’t mean to get agitated, his voice developing more of a bite than he’d intended, but something seemed to soften around Spock’s eyes. He wavered for a second longer, and then visibly relaxed, returning to the normal level of tension he always seemed to carry with him.
“I appreciate your efforts, Doctor. Should we not correct the malfunctioning equipment before we beam down to Earth?”
Something twisted pleasantly in Leonard’s stomach, and he couldn’t stop a laugh, suddenly realized that part of him actually wanted Spock to stay around. “For someone with a brain like yours, you’re actually kind of clueless, ya know. Just cause Vulcans are apparently incapable of lying, doesn't meant there's any such stipulation for humans.”
Spock’s lips didn’t twitch, but his eyebrow quirked up in a way that somehow seemed to express humour, and Leonard couldn’t seem to wipe the smile from his space. Maybe it was the stress of the last few days finally bleeding out of him, but he suddenly had the weird feeling that things were going to work out after all.