Star Trek fic rec

[kathleen_dailey]

I was sick last week and thus couldn't post this rec in time for More Joy day. This story certainly gave me joy, though, so I'm hoping that late is better than never. (The story was written in 2010, and I've no idea whether the author is still active in fandom.)

"The Orion-on-Vulcan Method" by anodyna

Chapters: 1/1
Words: 6,963
Category: F/M
Fandom: Star Trek (2009)
Rating: Teen and Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Spock Prime/Gaila
Characters: Gaila (Star Trek), Spock Prime
Additional Tags: Het, Vulcan, Rare Pairing
Author's summary: Gaila needs somewhere to recuperate after being injured in the Battle of Vulcan. What better place than with Spock Prime on the Vulcan colony world? Hijinx, cultural misunderstandings, and unlikely romance ensue.

"Rare pairing" and "unlikely romance"--those two phrases are the epitome of understatement in the context of this story. I never would have imagined this pairing, and yet it hits every target for me.

As I said in my comment on AO3, I seldom read reboot fic. But the author has written a smart and observant Gaila, and a Spock Prime who is a self-assured, insightful, wryly perceptive, emotionally stable ADULT. After decades of enduring fanfic that portrays Spock as the exact opposite of all those things, I was delighted to find this work. (It's the first part of a four-part series.) The story is both satisfyingly layered and highly entertaining, and the author's command of the craft is impressive.

Recommended reading, even if you're not a fan of the reboot universe.