Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Scotty couldn't sleep. Usually on nights like this he would read his engineering journals or Federation wide Starfleet communiques, but his tiredness had surpassed that, to the point that he couldn't concentrate enough to decipher the words. Another option was always uisage beatha, but Scotty had already overindulged two nights this week and he didn’t want to become too reliant upon it.

Instead he found himself roaming the halls, hoping the exercise would be beneficial to his slumber. On a whim he decided to enter the observation lounge, figuring it would be quiet at this time of night.

Upon entering he was surprised to see a small, familial figure standing before the expanse of glass. He went over to stand beside her.

“Good Evening, Lt. Uhura,” he whispered, not wishing to disturb her too much.

She still started.

“Oh, Scotty, I didn’t see you there. Shouldn’t you be asleep now?”

“I could say the same to you, lass.”

“Yes, I suppose you could,” she said, rubbing her brow. “It just doesn’t seem to be something I can quite manage currently.

“Is it because you keep thinking about... that strange place we visited?”

An awful universe, where everything was the opposite and their friends were cruel and callous. They been home a week, but it wasn’t someplace one easily forgot.

“Yes. On no, you too, Scotty?”

“Aye.”

“Every night when I close my eyes I find myself back there. I can barely look Sulu in the face. Sulu! Who is so kind and funny, but all I can see is the other one.”

Scotty knew that during their time over there she had been in greater personal danger than any of them. He trusted the captain, but he doesn’t think if he had been in charge of the mission, that he could've done the same.

“Have you spoken to medical?”

“Doctor M’Benga gave me a sedative, but I hate it! It traps me and makes unable to esacpe the nightmares. Then I’m worse off the next morning than I was before.

“Oh Scotty, I don’t know what to do,” she said, voice breaking, “if I don’t get some decent sleep soon I might just go mad.”

She swayed on her feet.

“Come here, lass,” Scotty said, putting an arm around her and pulling her into his chest. She clung to him as she cried.

A long while later, after the tears had been spent, and she leaned heavily against him, her engery depleted, he walked her out of the observation lounge.

“Where are we going?” she mumbled.

“Somewhere we can lie down.”

“No, Scotty, I don’t think—”

“You don’t have to sleep, just rest.”

He took her to his quarters. It felt strange, he rarely had a woman there, but he thought it might be helpful for her to be somewhere other than her quarters. He laid her down on the one side of his bed. He sat on the other side of the bed, back against the wall.

“Don’t worry, lass, I’ll look after you.”

She fought it, but soon drifted off. Scotty himself surrendered to slumber an hour later.

Scotty woke the next morning to find himself laying face to face with Uhura. At some point during the night he must have shifted downwards onto the bed.

“Good morning” she said, with a shy smile.

“Good morning, lass. Did you sleep well?”

“Surprisingly, yes. How did you know that would work?”

“I didn’t, but I thought it best you not be alone.”

“I’m sorry, Scotty, you also weren’t sleeping well, and I went and had a bit of a breakdown, making it all about me.”

“Nothing to be sorry for, lass. This was the best rest I’ve had in a week.”

“Well, that’s good to hear,” she said, brushing the hair back from his forehead. “You’re a good person, Montgomery Scott.”

“You are too, Nyota Uhura.”

Then she surprised him, by leaning over and kissing him softly on the lips.

“You didn’t need to do that.”

“I know,” she said, “but I wanted to. It’s not so often you find a knight in shinning armour on a spaceship.”

Scotty could feel his face flush. Uhura giggled.

“Come on, let’s go get some breakfast. For the first time in a long time I’m famished.”

Scotty had to admit he was too.

Chapter Text

The next night Uhura showed up at his door. Scotty didn’t say anything about it, just invited her in and turned back the sheets for her. This continued on for several nights, so much so, that Uhura’s things had taken over corners of Scotty’s bedroom and washroom.

Days turned into weeks. Scotty knew Uhura had spoken to Dr McCoy, who arranged for therapy for her. Her nightmares were fewer and coming less often, and yet Uhura seemed to show no indication of ending their impromptu arrangement. Scotty was glad he could help his friend, but to have a gorgeous woman he cared for in his bed each night and not be able to hold her close was torture. There had been no more touches or kisses, although the kiss they had shared Scotty thought was more about gratitude then anything else.

After a month Scotty was determined to talk to Uhura, and sat her down one evening after supper.

“Seeing the therapist has really been helping you, hasn’t it, lass? You seem to be having less nightmares.”

“It has, having someone to talk it through with has helped a lot.” She smiled.

Scotty hesitated to ruin the moment, but pushed through. “Have you thought about returning to your own quarters?”

The smile slipped from her face. “Oh, oh I see. I didn’t realize I was so much of a bother to you.”

“No, you’re not, not at all! It’s just... Uhura, I am a man.”

“I know that.”

“And you’re a beautiful woman, and it’s hard for a man to have a lovely women in his bed and not want to hold her, and kiss her, and... other things.”

“Oh. If that’s the case why haven’t you done anything?”

“Why haven’t I... I didn’t want to take advantage!”

“I’d hardly call it that, especially when I was the one to kiss you first.”

“But... but that kiss didn’t mean anything.”

“It certainly did, but you didn’t kiss me back, so I thought you weren’t interested in that type of thing—not everyone is you know—and I wasn’t going to push.”

Scotty hung his head, he was pretty sure he was an idiot.

“Uhura, its all I think about every night.”

“Well, lets make those nights a little easier.” Then she leaned over and kissed him, and this time he kissed her back.

A long while later, her head laying against his shoulder, she asked “Was it worth the wait?”

“Aye, but I hope I never have to wait so long again.”

Uhura laughed. “Considering the fact that I’m practically living with you I don’t think it should be an issue.”

“Why don’t you go ahead and fully move in?”

“Scotty, are you serious?”

It had been an impulsive statement, but it felt right in his heart.

“Aye, I am.”

She smiled.

“I think I might like that, but just so you know I come with a lot more clothes, and jewellery, and kick knacks.”

“I can handle that, as long as I can see your fine face every morning.”

“Why Scotty, you’re just a big old softy,” she said, pulling him in for another kiss. “My softy.”