Disclaimer: Star Trek is the property of Paramount/Viacom. This story is copyright (c) 2006 by SterJulie. Rated PG. A/N: T'Uva is based loosely (or not) on Turkey's figure skater Tugba Karademir.

I Met a Girl Today

Ster Julie

S'Evan came home in a daze.

Spock had seen the boy enter the estate's main gate just after sunset. His airskates were thrown over his shoulder, and his body leaned back against the ancient wooden gate. Lady Amanda, and perhaps Perrin as well, would have called the expression on S'Evan's face "a stupid, sloppy grin." Spock blew out his meditation candle and descended the terrace stairs.

S'Evan didn't move a muscle during Spock's entire approach. Spock didn't speak a word, knowing that S'Evan would speak only when he was good and ready.

"I met a girl today," S'Evan sighed dreamily.

"Thee acts as if this were the first time thee encountered a female," Spock quipped.

"No," S'Evan said, waving away his brother's silly remark. "Perhaps I should say I met an angel today."

Spock crossed his arms at the inane comment. "An angel?" he echoed. "And how did you meet this angel?"

"She was in the next dance class," S'Evan explained excitedly. "When I saw her, my liver began to quiver."

"Liver began to quiver?" Spock repeated. "Really, S'Evan-kam."

"Well, something was quivering inside me!" the youth explained excitedly. "I watched her practice some of her steps. Then our eyes met. Brother, my katra sang! I stayed to watch her lesson, and I thought that she would be a natural on the airskates! I stayed until her class was finished and I asked her name."

Spock looked at his brother expectantly, raising his eyebrow as of to say, "Well?"

S'Evan took in a deep breath and spoke her name with reverence. "T'Uva," he sighed.

Spock shook his head. He knew many of the local families, and he had never heard of a female named T'Uva. "To what clan does she belong?" Spock asked.

S'Evan pushed himself off the gate and paced away from his brother. "Does it matter?" he ground out. "I don't care what her clan is."

Spock merely dipped his head in a Vulcan shrug. "It was only a question. It matters not to me if she was from the lowliest of all the clans. I asked only because it would be unseemly for thee to become involved with a close relative."

"Involved?" S'Evan reiterated.

"From thy earlier behavior, I assumed that thee wished to court this young woman," Spock explained.

S'Evan blushed verdantly. He certainly wanted to do more than just court T'Uva! S'Evan distracted himself from having a physical reaction to thoughts of his ladylove by slapping on his airskates. He glided to a small clearing in the courtyard. "I showed T'Uva how easily her dance movements could transfer over to skating," the boy said as he mimicked the girl's graceful movements. Suddenly he grasped his own hands and shivered. "She has the most expressive hands!" he whispered. "So delicate!"

Spock studied his brother's antics. The boy was obviously smitten, yet Spock wondered what the girl's reaction was.

S'Evan carried on his narrative. "She let me put the airskates on her feet," he continued. "It wasn't a good fit so I had to hold her hands at first until she got a feel for the skates. Then she tried some of her dance steps." S'Evan smiled wide. "Her whole face lit up, Brother!" he cried, but then he blushed again and ducked his head.

"What happened?" Spock asked gently.

"She has these huge dark eyes," S'Evan continued softly, "and when she looked at me like that ... well, I guess I passed out a little because I fell at her feet. I tried to cover it by removing the skates." S'Evan's voice changed as he imitated her gentle lilt. He said in a formal manner, "She said, 'I would be honored to see thee perform some time.'" He grabbed Spock's arms. "Can you believe it? She wants to see me skate!"

Spock gently removed his brother's hands from his robe and held them. He studied his brother's expressive face. Spock decided not to squelch his brother's excitement by scolding him for his lack of emotional control, for this was truly a great event in S'Evan's young life. Spock only hoped the girl was unbonded, for S'Evan's sake.

"Then by all means," Spock said, "let us plan thy performance carefully so that she can see the best that thee can offer." S'Evan sighed happily and drew himself up to his full, impressive height. "But first," Spock began. S'Evan crumpled at his brother's words. "First, let us have endmeal. Then we can begin planning for a short while. Then thee need to address thy studies, and please try to meditate before you retire for the night."

S'Evan did not succeed at hiding his smile. Studies and meditation. It was a old argument between them already."

"Ah, Sa-Kai tal-kam!" S'Evan replied.*

END

*Yes, Brother dear!