Title: In Search of a Spark
By: Karahkwa Ross, Yelsha Wiles, and T'Yanna Wiles
Codes: ST:V, K/?
Size: 60 KB ?
Date: 3 January 2002
Rating: NC-17
Summary: AU, Set in Season Three.
Spoliers: Blood Fever.
=/\=
Tuvok stared out the windows of Observation Lounge 6. The longer
they were out in the Delta Quadrant the more he became concerned
about the state of the younger male Vulcans on board. Despite the
secrecy around Vulcan Pon Farr, Tuvok knew Vorik was nearing his time.
After much thought, Tuvok had decided to advise Vorik to approach
Harry Kim as a mate. He was, after all, the most logical choice.
They were about the same age, had similar interests, and a good
working relationship. Additionally, Harry was a quarter Vulcan so he
would see the logic of the match.
Tuvok did hesitate for a few moments over the decision. Harry was
three-quarters human and therefore unpredictable. There was also the
fact that Vulcans of Harry and Vorik's generation seemed much more
particular with their physical preferences.
However, Tuvok was not one to be deterred by such things. They were
a logical pair and he was sure he could make them see that.
~/\~
"No way. No way." Harry stepped back and had his hands up in front
of them as if to ward the two of them off. Both Tuvok and Vorik
remained seated.
"It is logical pairing, Ensign Kim," Vorik said. Thankfully, Vulcans
can't be offended easily.
"See? How can I be married to him if he doesn't even use my first
name?"
"No matter who you marry on this ship, Mr. Kim, they will be required
to use your title when on duty. I believe your human side is getting
the way of your logic."
Harry snorted. "No kidding, Tuvok. I kinda like it like that."
"Calm down, Mr. Kim. You should give this some thought. Even though
you are only a quarter Vulcan, you too will experience Pon Farr. You
will need a mate who will be able to understand what you are going
through. Another Vulcan is the logical answer. You are of similar
ages, have similar interests. Yours would be a fine match."
"Yeah, but I'm human. What if I fall in love with someone else?
Just because there aren't that many Vulcans on board, I'm gonna be
stuck with Vorik for the rest of my life."
"Not necessarily. Once we reach the Alpha Quadrant, the marriage can
be dissolved, if you wish, and you can each find new mates."
"And if we never make it back?"
Tuvok had to admit Harry had a point. However, that didn't mean he'd
won this debate. "You will need Vorik until a suitable mate can be
found for both of you. As you said, suppose you fall in love with
someone, someone who can't handle you during Pon Farr. What then?
You will need another Vulcan. You know I'm right, Ensign Kim."
"No, I don't know that." Harry headed for the door. At the last
moment he turned back and spoke to Vorik. "You'd have better luck
convincing B'Elanna."
=/\=
Okay, so that B'Elanna comment was a bad idea.
Harry couldn't help but feel bad about that whole fiasco. He still
couldn't believe Vorik had actually tried to get B'Elanna to mate
with him. He'd only meant it as a joke. But then again, most
Vulcans mean and take things literally. And being part Vulcan, Vorik
must have thought he was making an actual suggestion.
Either that or he was all ready starting to lose it.
As he listened to the gossip flying around the mess hall, Harry
frowned into his plate. Maybe Tuvok was right. Maybe choosing a
mate on logic would be for the best. He certainly wasn't very lucky
in love. Then again, Vorik?
Something else Tuvok had said was bothering as well. Pon Farr. He
didn't have pointy ears and kept his eyebrows trimmed, but it was
something he had to think about. He hadn't even told Libby that his
grandmother had been Vulcan.
Tom's voice broke his reverie. "Hey, Harry, did you hear?"
His head whipped around. "Hear what?"
"About Vorik."
Harry grinned. "There's been talk of little else, Tom. Unless it's
something other than what happened on the surface."
"I heard that he's considering another mate. You know, in case the
beating he took didn't completely wipe it out of his system."
Internally, Harry shook his head. Of course, Vorik was purged;
that's how pon farr works. But not everyone knew that. Harry
decided to play along. "Any word about who?"
"Well, another Vulcan would be the most logical but Tuvok's taken and
adultery isn't his style. So everyone's got a guess."
"Hmmm. Well let me know you hear more."
Harry made it outside the mess hall before bursting out in laughter.
Humans really were clueless about Vulcans. "Wiped it out of his
system" in deed.
"Is something amusing, Ensign?"
Harry looked up into Vorik's face. "You should hear how clueless
they are in there. It's… Well, I thought it was funny."
"I see. So I'm still the topic of conversation." Vorik turned away
from the mess hall and proceeded towards the turbolift.
Harry fell into step beside him. After a moment, he
commented, "Don't you want to know what they are saying?"
"Why would I? Pon Farr is part of Vulcan life. In seven years it
will come up again but by then the crew will not care."
"They're not sure that it's over."
Vorik stopped. "What do you mean?"
"The current rumor is that you're looking for a mate, in case the
fight didn't `wipe it our of your system.' Their words, not mine."
"My system has been `wiped', Ensign, and I am still willing to mate
with you."
Harry's eyebrow flew into his hair. "What? But what about B'Elanna?"
"I admire Lieutenant Torres; I do not wish her for a mate."
"Then why did you…"
Vorik took a deep breath, the Vulcan equivalent of a sigh. "I was
thinking of our encounter and your comment about Lt. Torres stuck in
my mind. I was not my most logical that morning."
"I suppose not. But I rejected you. Why are you still willing to
mate with me?"
Vorik turned to look Harry squarely in the face. "The same reasons
apply now as before, only now… I understand now why Tuvok was so
insistent. Pon Farr is… not something you should go through alone.
Even though you're not fully Vulcan, it will not be any less
difficult for you, but we have time before your time. Think about
this conversation. We will talk again."
Harry stood in the hallway as Vorik took the turbolift back to
Engineering. "Oh I'll think on it."
~/\~
As Vorik stood in the turbolift he tried not to be uncomfortable with
his current notoriety. It was his own fault for loosing such
control. On a ship like Voyager, where gossip was everything, such
an error was harmful to one's pride. Not that Vulcans had pride.
Still, he hoped that neither Tuvok nor Harry had to go through that
when their times came.
He was certain that Tuvok would be fine. He was after all the model
of Vulcan maturity and mated. For an instant he wondered if Tuvok
knew how very lucky he was in that regard. He allowed himself a
small smile in the privacy of the lift. He was certain Tuvok was.
As for Harry, that was another matter entirely. He had no idea how
someone, anyone, as emotional as a human could withstand Pon Farr.
He'd felt as if he had been going out of his mind. If Harry's time
was anything like his own, he just hoped Harry found some one in the
interim.
He quickly gained control of his thoughts as the turbolift slowed.
Vorik found it very difficult to share the space with other gawking
engineers but made do. The staring was beginning to become old, but
he endured knowing that it would only last a few days. However, he
was hoping that Lt. Torres saw the smirk on Lt. Carey's face and
kindly remove it for him.
He stood at the back of the growing group of engineers waiting for
the after lunch assignments. He had not yet had an opportunity to
ask forgiveness of the chief engineer and was not anticipating it
going well. That was, of course, assuming Lt. Torres stopped
avoiding him.
He was contemplating the merits of a written apology when it
happened. Crewman Henley took offense to his being back on duty
after trying to "force his grubby attentions onto B'Elanna." She
then began to hit him. Thankfully, she was not strong enough to do
any damage. Vorik thought about defending himself, but realized that
any action on his part would perpetuate the myth that he was still
volatile.
"Crewman, please, restrain yourself. I assure you it will not
happen again."
That did not seem to appease her. Vorik inhaled deeply and decided
to try Tuvok's trick for controlling unruly humans. He looked her
straight in the eyes and raised an eyebrow. That too did not deter
her. Finally, Lt. Torres came to his rescue.
"That's enough." She waited for silence to fall and Henley to back
away. "While you are on duty, you will behave as if nothing has
happened. Further more, what has happened is none of your concern.
Act accordingly, is that understood?"
The crowd nodded, though Henley looked mutinous. The assignments
were than given out and Vorik was surprised to find himself working
with Lt. Torres to recalibrate a plasma converter. It was not an
easy task and he found it refreshing to be able to focus on something
other than his previous behavior. However, that did not stop him
from approaching the lieutenant at the end of the shift.
Again he was taken unaware by her. "Don't apologize Vorik. I know
you are sorry. Otherwise you wouldn't have let Henley beat on you
like that."
He stiffened. "Why did you allow it to go on if you were aware?"
She grinned. If he believed in such things, he would have said she
looked quite evil. "I had to get a little revenge didn't I?"
Vorik waited until she left to shake his head. Humans were the most
confusing creatures.
=/\=
If he weren't Vulcan, Tuvok would have grinned. Harry and Vorik sat
together, having what looked to be an intimate dinner. Perhaps both
were realizing the logic of their match.
So why did that little place in the back of his brain that warned him
of danger keep acting up? They were a good match, one that would
last if not out of emotion then out of common denominators.
"You seem pensive, Tuvok." Tom Paris sat down beside him. "But then
what else is new?"
"Can I help you, Mr. Paris?" Tuvok didn't mind the nosy pilot but he
had to figure out what was wrong with Harry and Vorik, if anything.
Tom followed Tuvok's eyes and shook his head. "Who would have
thought it, huh? Harry and Vorik?"
"They are a logical pairing. They are approximately the same age.
They have common interests. An excellent working relationship exists
between them."
"Yeah, so? That sounds great if we're talking about friendship. But
for a real relationship, there has to passion, desire… you know a
spark."
"Spark is not required. Many successful marriages lack this spark."
"Maybe, but can the spouses truly be happy?"
Tom rose, leaving Tuvok to think about happiness. As a Vulcan it
wasn't a term he often contemplated. Content, yes; happy, no. He
was sure that both Vorik and Harry world be content with a marriage
between them. They would be able to work through nearly any
situations. Would they be happy?
Probably not. And to Vorik that wouldn't be a consideration.
However, Harry would care and eventually contentment would not be
enough for Harry's human side.
So how to fix the problem? How indeed?
~/\~
"Tuvok keeps staring at us."
"Does that bother you? That people are seeing us together?"
Harry shook his head. "No. Just Tuvok." He was silent for a moment
then spoke something that had been bothering him for a while. "How
do you think Tuvok will handle Pon Farr?"
"Most likely he will meditate."
"It didn't work for you."
Vorik tipped his head to the side. He was starting to see where
Harry was going with this line of conversation. "He is older than
I. He has more disciplined."
"What if it doesn't work?"
"Holographic representation of his wife?"
"A hologram didn't work for you either and I would think he'd be more
particular about his Pon Farr having had several."
Vorik nodded. It was logical. "Holographic fight to the death?"
"If a hologram won't work for sex, what makes you think it will work
for a fight?"
Vorik tipped his head to concede the point. Where is this
going? "So what would you suggest for Tuvok?"
"I don't know if it would apply only to Tuvok… If it's logical for
the two of us to mate, wouldn't it be just as logical for Tuvok to be
looking for one as well?"
Vorik cocked his head again. He could see the wheels working in
Harry's head. "He could believe that we will be home by then."
"I doubt that is the truth. There must be other reasons."
"Which are?"
"What about his marriage? He may feel compelled to stay faithful to
his wife."
Vorik could see the argument working; however, there were some
holes. "Is it logical to keep fidelity to a woman if it means dying
60,000 light years away from her?"
"Is it anymore logical to keep fidelity to someone a light year away
from oneself?"
Vorik answered both of their questions. "It's a matter of honor."
"If there is no love, isn't a marriage bond hollow?" Harry said
somewhat bluntly as he tried to make Vorik see his point.
Vorik rose his eyebrow at the statement. However, he chose not to
address it. "Are you still interested in exploring an arrangement?"
Harry looked at Vorik and smiled. He has great eyes. "Yes."
=/\=
"Captain, can I have a word with you?"
Janeway looked up and grinned. "Of course, Tuvok. What can I do for
you?"
"I require your assistance… in a personal matter."
This piqued her interest. As far as she knew, Tuvok had never asked
anyone for help with a personal matter. In fact some of the crew
would probably say he didn't have personal matters.
"Have a seat. What can I do?"
Tuvok took a deep breath. "I have undertaken a project that is…
stalled. I was hoping you could give me some advice on how to get it
going again."
Janeway nodded. How this was personal she didn't see yet, but she
was sure Tuvok would get to it. "What is this project?"
"I am attempting to arrange a marriage between Ensigns Kim and Vorik."
"Matchmaking? You, Tuvok?" Tuvok would never come to her again if
she didn't take this seriously but she really wanted to laugh.
"It is a logical match. They are both young, have similar interests
and work ethics. They have an excellent working relationship. And
Mr. Kim is part Vulcan and will need help with his Pon Farr when it
is time."
Janeway nodded. "Yes, but Harry is mostly human. He may not look at
marriage logically."
"So I am aware. I have gotten them to consider each other but… They
lack spark."
"Spark?"
"It's what Mr. Paris called it. I think chemistry might be a better
term for it."
"I see. And what exactly is it you want me to do?"
"How to do I create a spark between them?"
~/\~
Harry Kim frowned at his computer terminal. He was being granted
shore leave, but he hadn't requested any. Perhaps it was a mistake.
He glanced at the chronometer. If he didn't hurry he was going to be
late for his breakfast appointment –he wasn't ready for the term date-
- with Vorik.
As he stood in the empty turbolift, he straightened his jacket and
ran his hands through his hair. Ignoring the fact that he was
grooming himself as if for a date, he tried to think logically about
the situation. He had not quite a year until his time and didn't
need to make a final decision for some time. In fact, neither Vorik
nor Tuvok was pressuring him to do so still, he felt their
expectations.
It puzzled him, the amount of effort Tuvok was expending in arranging
this match. Something about it made him uneasy about his upcoming
Pon Farr. Then there was Vorik. They had only spoken of his time
once, and that had not given Harry any information. The fact that
two older Vulcan males felt that mating was the best way for him to
survive Pon Farr was a compelling argument. Yet, the human part of
him rebelled at the idea of bonding for life to someone based purely
on analysis.
As he exited the turbolift and found Vorik waiting by the messhall
door, he wondered if it was really that bad of a way to decide?
Vorik was punctual, attentive, a good date by most standard. He
wasn't the best looking male on the ship but he certainly wasn't
ugly. He was a six on a scale of one to ten. And Harry could live
with a six.
"Good morning… Harry."
Harry smiled. They were making progress. "Good morning, Vorik."
They walked through the doors of the mess hall together. By silent
consensus, they were careful not to touch. Even when they stood side
by side in line, each was sure not to bump into the other.
As they sat across from each other at one of the tables for two,
Harry felt a slight nervousness. He never knew what to say to
Vorik. There just was no small talk with him.
"What are your plans today, Harry?"
Harry's eye brow rose. Vorik making small talk? "Uh, I don't know.
I got a message giving me shore leave. I didn't request it."
"I received unrequested shore leave, as well."
Harry frowned. "You don't think… Tuvok arranged that."
"It is possible, but not probable. He does want us to make an
arrangement but I don't think he would do anything that would intrude
with our duty assignments. The ship means too much to him."
"You're right of course. It's just an odd coincidence."
Vorik nodded once. "If it's not too bold, would you like to spend
part of your leave with me?"
Harry grinned. Had he mentioned polite and considerate when he was
listing Vorik's virtues? "I'd like that very much."
=/\=
Tuvok looked over the shore leave list and raised an eyebrow at the
captain. "Are you sure about this list, Captain?"
"Of course I am. You wanted spark, Tuvok. Trust me. If they don't
find spark on Kellian, they won't find it. Neelix tells me it's
rather romantic."
"Isn't this a little… obvious?"
"Except you would never go so far as to mess with duty rosters. But
an overly romantic captain…."
Tuvok nodded once. "Very well, Captain."
~/\~
Harry sighed as he stepped into his hotel room. The day had been
wonderful. He and Vorik had met in the central market of the city
for lunch and had spent the afternoon browsing for souvenirs. Vorik
had even bought a ridiculous hat that looked remarkably like forehead
ridges. Harry wondered if he would really give to Tom. He smiled.
The dry sense of humor Vorik kept hidden surprised him. There was a
lot about him Harry was beginning to discover and appreciate.
Especially, Vorik could dance. That evening they'd gone to a small
well-known club and then dinner at a small café over looking the
ocean. There was something very sexy about slow dancing together
while still maintaining their no touching agreement. It was teasing
and exciting and Vorik really did have the most amazing brown eyes.
Seeing the light of Kellian's three moons reflected in them had made
Harry break their bargain and take Vorik's hand and they'd strolled
down the beach a few minutes ago.
After all that, Harry wondered why he was going to bed alone. Okay,
so maybe this whole courtship thing was being done because it was
logical to try and woo a human, but Vorik was really putting effort
into it. The more he was around him, the more he genuinely liked
Vorik, and he was beginning to think of him more as an eight than a
six.
Harry got ready for bed and sighed. He wouldn't get much sleep. His
mind was too troubled. He eased himself to the floor and tried to
mediate. It didn't take him long to realize just how futile it was.
Not even the warm red plains of Vulcan comforted him. When he
finally crawled into his bed, it was to lie staring at the ceiling
for a long time.
=/\=
Vorik breathed deeply as he came out of a sound sleep. He'd had to
use a trick form his childhood to get his mind to shut down the night
before. He was developing the most disturbing affection toward
Harry. He supposed it was not necessarily a bad thing in regard to a
potential mate, but it was dangerously close to the surface.
A knock sounded on his door. Vorik opened his eyes for the first
time. It was still night. A previous knock must have been what woke
him. He frowned and got up. Many of the crew on shore leave were in
this hotel. Harry was across the hall, in fact. He hoped nothing
was wrong.
Vorik slowly crossed his room, shaking off the last of his sleep.
Despite himself, he was pleased to find Harry at this door.
"I've decided it's logical to find out if we're physically
compatible."
Vorik blinked. Harry, who only a few hours ago wouldn't touch him
while dancing, now wanted to copulate? He did not understand what
had brought on the change, but he could find no reason to say no.
Moreover, despite himself, he really wanted to. He allowed a small
smile to cross his face, as he stepped back to let Harry in.
Logically, he waited for the younger man to make the first move. As
it had early that night, Harry's hand found his own. Again, Vorik
was surprisingly pleased by the warmth of it. Harry's body
temperature had to be almost as high as his. As they crossed his
room back to the bed, Vorik wondered how many traits they had in
common that weren't visible.
They sank down to sit on the edge of the mattress. Vorik could see
the tension in every line of Harry's body. He felt a matching
anxiety and wondered at what it was about Harry that made him feel
so… volatile.
Harry's voice broke his thoughts. "No mind melds, okay?"
Vorik felt his eyes narrow. Something about the quiver in his voice
made Vorik want to slap the human Harry had been engaged to. He
found that desire perfectly logical, as it was obvious she had
stunted Harry's growth in that aspect of Vulcan life. However, he
cleared his mind and nodded his ascent.
Watching Harry lean toward him for a kiss, he felt a surge of heat
through his veins. It was a pleasant sensation so he met Harry half
way. It grew as the heat from Harry's surprisingly warm lips spread
throughout him. Those lips were as full as they looked and Vorik
found it highly stimulating to watch Harry close his eyes and then
let his emotions cross his face.
His own eyes drifted shut as the kiss deepened. He had not
understood the human fascination with "French kissing" before, but as
he and Harry explored each other's mouths he began to understand.
The taste was remarkably familiar yet complete new and unexpected.
There was intoxication in this act that he'd never felt previously.
Vorik's skin jumped at the sudden touch of Harry's hand underneath
his pajama top. He felt Harry smile against his lips. Perhaps there
was something to fornication without melding. There was a certain
excitement to not knowing what your lover plans to do next.
Following Harry's lead, he slid his arms around Harry and pulled him
closer. The feel of his body warmth increased Vorik's heart rate.
They broke apart for breath and Vorik found himself being drawn into
those uniquely beautiful eyes. The color was brown like his own, but
there was something about the shape and the almost imperceptible
beginnings of laugh lines that enthralled him.
Vorik moved his hand to the back of Harry's head to draw him in for
another kiss. His other hand remained at the small of Harry's back
to clutch at the back of his shirt. Both of Harry's hands had moved
to caress the skin of Vorik's side and back. The sensations were
almost overwhelming.
Harry pulled back for a moment. He looked as overcome as Vorik felt,
but is was only a momentary break as Harry whipped Vorik's shirt over
his head and threw it to the floor. He pressed his lips to the side
of his lover's neck and nipped gently. The sensation brought back
the all too recent memories of his Pon Farr. Vorik found himself
ripping Harry's shirt and pushing him farther onto the bed before he
realized that he was doing. He almost expected to pull away but
instead his passions met Vorik's own and he found himself struggling
for breathe as Harry pressed closer to him.
"We need to get rid of your clothes… uh… um… Mine too… I mean it's
only logical."
In response, Vorik rose from the bed and quickly removed the rest of
his sleepwear. He watched the sudden dilation of Harry's eyes with a
certain sense of… satisfaction. It was most gratifying to find Harry
was as stimulated as he was.
Reaching out, Vorik rose an eyebrow in inquiry. Harry smiled softly,
took the proffered hand, and rose. His smile widened as he reached
to undo the drawstring at the waist of his pajama bottoms. Vorik's
hands met his.
"May I?"
Harry's heart did flip flops. Why did Vorik asking to undress him
turn him on so? "Please do."
Vorik undid the tie at his waist and slowly eased the pants down
Harry's golden legs. He was slightly shocked to see no underwear,
but it was a pleasant surprise. He looked up into Harry's eyes and
delighted in the amused glint found there.
Harry stepped out of his pants and took Vorik's hand again. He
pulled them back to the bed and soon they were lying on their sides,
facing each other in the center of the bed.
Harry reached out and stroked the edge of Vorik's ear. He'd always
loved playing with his grandmother's and mother's ears and was only
slightly surprised to enjoy the feel of Vorik's auricle as much.
Vorik, sensing that Harry wanted to take this very slowly, reached up
to caress the side and back of Harry's head. His hand slid through
the slight springy hair, to caress that long, straight neck. His
fingers slid down to caress the nearest shoulder blade and then slid
under his arm to caress the ridges of his ribs.
Harry laughed slightly and slid closer. "I'm a little ticklish," he
said as he slid his hand to the back of Vorik's neck.
Vorik opened his mouth to comment but found Harry's lips and tongue a
worthwhile distraction. He leaned into the kiss and allowed his hand
to rise to frame his lover's face.
After a moment they pulled apart. Harry grinned at Vorik. "You are
really good at that."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Vorik suppressed a grin and slid his hand toward the back of Harry's
head. As his palm slipped across Harry's ear, he gasped. Vorik
froze. "Did I hurt you?"
Harry shook his head. "No. My ears are just… a little sensitive."
Vorik raised an eyebrow and ran his fingers along the edge of Harry's
ear. Harry shivered and pressed his body closer to his lover's. He
shuddered when Vorik blew a puff of air passed his ear lobe.
Vorik pulled back slightly. "Harry, you never told me you were part
Ferengi."
Harry laughed but he found himself arching his neck into Vorik's
touch like a cat begging to be petted. Vorik shivered at the sound
and pressed himself closer to Harry's warmth. It wasn't more than a
moment or two before he forced himself to removed Vorik's hand. The
sensations were hot, perfect, and much too intense. He rested his
head against Vorik's shoulder as he tried to catch his breath.
Harry's mouth found Vorik's in a passionate battle for dominance.
His hands and fingers ran wild over the smooth body before him. He
delighted in the little shivers of need, gasps of pleasure, and sighs
of desire he pulled from his lover. He couldn't help his own
shivers, gasps, and sighs as Vorik's hands did a thorough
investigation of his own body.
All too soon, it was not enough for either of them. Their bodies
pressed against each other desperately, but that too was
insufficient. After twisting to find a better alignment, Harry
finally rolled to pin Vorik beneath him. As his body began to move
with Vorik's toward culmination, Harry felt his mind detach from the
moment. He stared down into his lover's face. Vorik lay eyes closed
the battle between control and passion clear on his face. Harry
smiled. He'd made his decision. His hand found its place on Vorik'
visage and the moments that followed were ones of completion:
physical, mental and spiritual.
~/\~
Captain Janeway smiled as Harry and Vorik walked into the mess hall
together. They'd just gotten back from their shore leave and the
fact that they were holding hands boded well for her plan.
"Harry looks very happy."
She looked up at Chakotay and smiled. "Yes, he does." She turned to
face her other table companions. "What do you think, gentlemen?"
Tuvok raised an eyebrow and picked up his tray. As he stood, he had
only one comment. "I believe even Mr. Paris would have to agree
they… spark."
Chakotay looked after Tuvok with a frown. What did he mean by that?
Why was Tom sputtering? And why did the captain think it was
hilarious?
The End
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