Title: Butterflies

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: Mild Language

Summary: Kirk is determined to have the perfect first date with Spock but fate, it seems, doesn't agree with him.

Prompt: Our First Date

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. But I can play with them if I want to as long as nobody's paying me. ^_^

Butterflies

James T. Kirk had faced countless dangers during his time as captain of the Enterprise. None of the monsters, threats of death, or impossible odds made him as nervous as the thought of his first real date with Spock. Stepping out of the sonic shower he felt a shudder ripple across his stomach. He tried not to think of butterflies as he stared at his choice of apparel. Not much to choose from when you only had various permutations of uniform. He put his favorite green shirt on along with the black uniform pants and shoes. Kirk knew this feeling; it was full of undeserved hopes and possibilities and frustrating indecision when it came to what to wear.

Finally leaving his quarters, Kirk headed toward the turbolift. He couldn't help but smile a little when he thought of the location of tonight's date. The gardens down in botany would be the perfect romantic setting, and the fact that Spock had a mild interest in plant-biology was only the icing on the idyllic cake.
"Captain Kirk!" came the voice of his helmsman, Hikaru Sulu. Turning, he could see Sulu's head poking out of the door to the deck five rec-room. There were various yells and sounds of dismay coming from within the room itself.

"What is it, Mr. Sulu? I'm in a bit of a hurry."
"I'm sorry, Sir. I know you have a date to get to, but this will just take a moment."
"What?" Kirk entered the room to find a mass of people huddled around the room's replicator, to the extent that the machine itself couldn't be seen. "How did you know—"
"No time, Sir. Come and see."
Breaking through the group he could see the replicator was going haywire and looked in danger of exploding any second.
"Back away, everyone." They did so and he approached the replicator, opening the panel on the front, ignoring the grinding noises and smoke coming from the mouth of the machine. The work was quick and fairly simple. Anyone with a basic knowledge of replicator functions could have done it. He sighed amidst the applause of his crew and started backing away from the machine when it suddenly spewed a mixture of what looked like oatmeal and mango chunks onto his chest and all over his favorite shirt. The silence that followed was almost unbearable.
"This was really a job for an engineer, Mr. Sulu," Kirk quipped, releasing the tension. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go change my shirt."
"Yes sir," Sulu replied, fighting a valiant battle against his laughter, "good luck on your date."
After a brief visit to his quarters to pull on a regular, boring uniform shirt, the captain finally made it to the turbolift. About halfway to deck nine the turbolift stopped suddenly and opened to reveal Dr. McCoy, whose face, upon seeing Kirk, took on an almost crazed look.
"Hello, Bones," the latter said amicably, "Where are you headed? I'm bound for deck nine, myself."
"Don't you 'hello, Bones' me, Captain Sir. You never came into sickbay for your last medical checkup." The mildly grumpy older man grabbed the handle of the turbolift, "Deck five" he all but snapped.
"B-but, Doctor," protested a bewildered Kirk, "I have to go to deck nine. I'm already late as it is."
"Late for what? Your meeting of 'Sickbay Avoiders Anonymous'? You're coming with me and that's final."
The lift stopped and Bones took his friend's arm firmly in his hand, pulling him towards sickbay.
"Bones, I really don't have time for this," Kirk said almost frantically. The doctor was hardly listening, pulling hyposprays out of a drawer.
"What could be more important than your health, Jim?" He rounded on the captain, looking him in the eye, eyebrow raised to full height. "Give me one good reason to postpone this checkup."
"I—" Kirk faltered. But the good doctor wouldn't let him off easy.
"Yes?"
"I have…"
"Dammit, Jim, out with it, man!" McCoy barked, grabbing Kirk's arm and shaking him.
"I have a date with Spock!" There was silence as the echo of Kirk's declaration faded and Bones straightened up, regarding Kirk with something like satisfaction.
"Well, why didn't you just say so?" he laughed. "You better get going or you're gonna be late, Jim-boy."
It wasn't what he said so much as the smirk on his face that gave him away.
"You knew!" Jim said with a burst of intuition, "Why the tricks? Why… drag me all the way up here?"
"Aww," the doctor grinned, "I just wanted to hear you say it, that's all." He couldn't help but laugh at Kirk's expression which, despite its chagrin, also looked like it was about to break into a smile. "Just go have some fun, Jim." McCoy chuckled to himself as the captain left sickbay at a jog.
All the way to botany on deck nine Kirk was grinning. There had been mishaps, but that meant nothing else could go wrong. He should have known better. When he got to the gardens the table was there surrounded by idyllic scenery and yet something was missing from the picture.
"Spock?" It came out as little more than a gasp. He had been… stood up? By his own best friend and trusted first officer? Was it because he had been late? His breath came short, his stomach heaved and he leaned against the table for support.
"Captain?" Kirk turned, already knowing it was Spock from the butterflies he felt. "Are you feeling ill?" Kirk's grin was back in full force.
"Spock, this is a date. Call me Jim. And I am so sorry for being late."
"No need for apologies Jim, I am late as well. There was a malfunction with-" Spock suddenly found himself unable to speak, mostly due to the presence of Jim's lips pressed against his own. Spock responded, kissing his captain passionately.
It was the best date they had ever had, so far.