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At first he doesn't really mean it as a challenge. Uhura takes it that way anyway. And he's lost when she gets that intense, focused, bring-it-on expression.
It's been four months since they ate dinner together on shore leave, four months since they bonded over spicy food, four months since she kissed him for the first time.
They're not together, except that they usually are. They're not monogamous, at least they pretend they're not. They're not serious, except for sometimes. They're not in love, but possibly maybe they're heading in that direction. Neither of them has the time or desire to worry about it.
They watch vids, eat crazy amounts of food, talk about everything and nothing, and sometimes have sex. It's not really a relationship, but they like it. For all their intensity in everything else in life, they're both oddly reserved about this.
When news of another shore leave comes around, they start talking about things to do. Uhura's been talking about spice rolls for months and Sulu is craving them too. It gets interesting when they're drinking with Scotty and he mentions the local cuisine of the chosen shore leave planet. He claims that no human can handle the spice.
It's possibly Scotty's exaggerating, as he's wont to do when he's had a couple drinks. Sulu rolls his eyes at first and makes an offhand comment, but Uhura latches on. She's stubborn and passionate and unbelievably intense and when she gets one of those hot-headed ideas in her head and that daring gleam in her eyes, Sulu can't think about anything else. It's the reason he's agreed to many things during the course of their not-relationship. She's gorgeous and brilliant and he can't help but agree with almost anything when she gives him that hot, taunting, not-quite-smirk.
It's how he finds himself roped into an eating contest on shore leave. As he looks around at the large table with plates upon plates of spicy fare from all over the galaxy, he wonders just what he's gotten himself into.
Scotty has appointed himself the official judge and Gaila and Chekov are both there, ostensibly to cheer on their friends, but really they just want to laugh at the watering, bulging eyes and pained expressions that they're sure they'll see after a few of the dishes.
They start out with the easy stuff, Earth curries and Risan spiced vegetable purees. They pause for water and small bits of bread to cleanse the palate between each new challenge. Sulu is slow, methodical, and determined. Uhura is slightly more dramatic and maintains a witty banter with the onlookers.
They make it through the Kahdorian spice rolls, both relishing the familiar flavor, both trying to blink back the spice-induced tears.
Uhura is sweating when they try the spicy bean curd from Halon III, her skin flushed and damp. Sulu is so distracted by the sweat dripping down her neck that he barely notices his own flaming taste buds.
Sulu's eyes bulge when they sample another alien meat dish with a shockingly yellow sauce. He's sure it must be comical, his eyes huge, red, and watering, because Uhura and Gaila are giggling like crazy and Chekov begins pounding him uselessly on the back.
When they finally make it to the local cuisine, the one that Scotty warned them about, the one that started the entire thing, their taste buds are nearly dull from the heat. Sulu glances over at Uhura, who is breathing through her mouth. He wonders idly if her lips are burning as much as his are.
They both stoically grab their spoons and bring the first bite up to their mouths. Pausing with their flatware hovering near their lips, they eye each other.
"This is ridiculous," Sulu finally mumbles, eyes darting back to the spoonful of promised brain-burning spice with apprehension.
"Ugh, you're right!" Uhura moans and drops her spoon loudly back onto the plate.
With a grateful groan, Sulu drops his spoon as well. Scotty begins debating out loud which one of them won.
"Hard to call, this one," he muttered. "Sulu spoke first—made the first move, but Uhura, you're the one who dropped the spoon first. Generally the action beats out the verbal in most betting circles, at least the more reputable ones, except when …"
"Call it even?" Sulu interrupts, looking at Uhura with a mix of impressed wonder, exhaustion, and a hint of a challenge; he knows how much she hates to admit defeat, including calling things a draw.
"Works for me," she says, though he can tell by the scheming look in her eyes that she'll be challenging him to a rematch someday.
With breathless laughs and watery grins, they push away the plates. Her eyes are red and shining and Sulu marvels for a moment at how beautiful she is. She kicks his leg lightly and he grins back.
It's always a challenge with her, always something new, always something exciting, always all or nothing. Sulu can't help but think that he's up to the challenge, the challenge of them and this, whatever it is. He wonders if, just maybe, she is too.