Spock (alternate reality)/Relationships/Friendships/James T. Kirk

Spock and Kirk had a complicated relationship from the start. As an instructor at Starfleet Academy and the creator of the , Spock did not appreciate that Kirk had altered the program so he could beat it, openly accusing him of cheating and forcing Kirk to answer before an inquiry board at the Academy for his actions. Kirk was subsequently suspended and only with the help of Doctor was he able to come on board the Enterprise. Spock and Kirk continued to clash with one another over vastly different viewpoints and philosophies they held. Spock was highly disciplined, always honoring regulations and adhering to a strict code of conduct, whereas Kirk was self-assured, overconfident and had an unconventional way of approaching matters. However, despite having initially dismissed Kirk's theory about an attack on Vulcan, Spock heard him out and proceeded to support the hypothesis as logical. Spock's inner conflict following Vulcan's destruction caused him to lose what little tolerance he had for Kirk's ways, resulted in his throwing Kirk off the ship altogether. When Kirk later provoked him by referencing his mother, Spock lost all control and brutally assaulted him. After speaking with his father about the loss both had shared, Spock returned to his duties as first officer and teamed up with Kirk to stop Nero.
Unlike the other members of the crew who mostly followed Kirk at first as he was the next in line for captain, Spock followed his leadership without hesitation and called him "captain", which only Chekov, Scotty and Uhura (sarcastically) did besides him. He also displayed an understanding and somewhat acceptance of Kirk's unusual methods, commenting – when Kirk decided to join him in attacking Nero – that he himself could state the regulations against it but that he wouldn't do so, as he knew Kirk would ignore them. Besides saying that, Spock didn't object.
Spock subsequently fought side-by-side with Kirk in the attack, even trusting him to watch his back after having nearly strangled him to death shortly before. He also addressed Kirk by his first name, "Jim", at one point, while asking him to convey his feelings to Uhura if he didn't survive.
Spock's attitude toward Kirk softened, however, after his encounter with an alternate version of himself, who advised both of them to set aside their momentary irritations, revealing that, in his timeline, the two had shared a great friendship. After they worked side by side to save Earth and beat the Narada, Spock became Kirk's first officer aboard the Enterprise. ()
But both men's opposing natures would once again come to a head when Kirk broke the Prime Directive to save his life during a mission. After Spock's report resulted in Kirk's demotion, Kirk came to resent Spock's apparent lack of gratitude, though Spock was relieved that Kirk didn't receive a more severe punishment. Spock was stunned speechless when Kirk said he'd miss him, a reaction that annoyed Kirk. However, Kirk still wanted Spock on board as his first officer, and when Kirk was dying of radiation poisoning, he confided he had rescued Spock because he was his friend. Spock lost control of his emotions at seeing Kirk dying to the point he lost his temper and was even willing to kill Khan in revenge. His unusual method of defeating the Vengeance, tricking Khan into thinking he had sent him his crew while he had really sent him armed photon torpedoes, was also inspired by Kirk's unorthodox methods of handling situations rather than Spock's usual by-the-book methods, acknowledged by Kirk before his death, saying they both handled the situation as the other would: Kirk sacrificed himself for the greater good while Spock used unorthodox tactics against his opponent. ()