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When Nurse Chapel smiles at Spock, you can see her dimples. She stays quiet around Nyota, pure professionalism from head to toe, but with Spock, she laughs easily. Nyota thinks it’s kind of cute how obvious she is.
“She has a crush on you,” she teases Spock later. He raises one amused eyebrow. “What?”
His lips curl in the faintest smile. “It is not my presence that elevates her heart rate, Nyota,” he says. “I believe you have mistaken the subject of her desire.”
“Huh?” Nyota says, and then, “oh,” cheeks going hot. “Really?”
“Why should you be surprised? You are a very attractive individual.”
“Very attractive, huh? You sweet talker, you... “
-
She and Spock have been over for three years by the time their five-year mission ends, and their friendship is finally on solid ground again. Her heart feels light when she squeezes his hand and he trades her a sincere smile in return. “You will call?” she asks one more time, grinning when she catches fond exasperation in his eyes.
“I will keep in touch, Nyota. I promise.”
She spends most of the Leaving Party collecting the same words from her closest friends. Eventually, she finds herself sharing a drink with Chapel.
“You know, Spock used to think you had a crush on me,” she says, laughing and giddy from wine.
Chapel laughs, too. “He wasn’t wrong,” she says, and grins at Nyota. Her dimples pop out, and Nyota blinks, heat curling in her stomach.
-
“I’m going back home to finish my degree,” Christine whispers before leaving Nyota’s quarters the next morning. “Look me up if you’re on Earth?”
“I will,” promises Nyota, but her chest feels hollow.
-
Two years later, they serve on the same crew and get their second chance. This time, there are no miscommunications.