Hello! I'm back, and I've decided to try Star Trek this time. We'll see how this goes. This will definitely have more chapters, but updating will be incredibly sporadic since I have school and my muse decides to leave all the time. This will also be slash, eventually. Not quite sure when that will happen, but it will. Let me know what you think of this, and if the characters are IC and if I should even continue this. Reviews, follows, and favorites are love!
Disclaimer: I own nothing. All characters belong to Gene Roddenberry. (Unfortunately)
Enjoy!
They had finally gotten shore leave, after they had been stuck in the Enterprise for five months. They had never stayed on the ship without a break for that long. It would be a nice change of scenery. The crew had decided to dock on Earth for the two week duration of their leave. Star Fleet had graciously provided transportation to anyone who wanted to travel farther than the state borders. Jim Kirk was torn. In one hand, he was excited to be home, on Earth. On the other hand, he had finally realized that he had nowhere he wanted to go. There was nowhere he could go anyway. However, he wasn't about to let his troubled past get in the way of everyone else's fun and good time. Once they landed, everyone cleared off the ship quickly, stopping to wish the captain and each other a good time. Scotty and Uhura planned to go to Scotland together; Sulu was going to Russia to visit with Chekov and his family. Each person was going their separate ways to spend their time off. Jim told each of them to relax and have fun. He had just started his checklist for making sure the ship would be okay for two weeks, when he felt a hand clap him on the shoulder
"Jim, I'm takin' off. You need me to do anything before I go?" Bones was genuinely offering his help. Jim knew he wanted to leave, but he wanted to help, too. Jim smiled.
"Nah, I got it. Have fun in Mississippi. Call your captain once in a while, okay? I have to make sure my chief medical examiner is taking care of himself." Bones scowled at him.
"Dammit Jim, I'm a doctor, not a teenager. I don't need you to tell me to behave," he retorted. Jim grinned good-naturedly and pulled the doctor in for a hug.
"Say hi to your mom and dad for me, and relax, Bones. Eat some junk food, sleep all day, veg out. Have fun! That's an order," Jim commanded.
"Sure thing, Captain Kirk. I'm heading out. I'll call you. I gotta make sure you're on track too ya know. Get some sleep, eat-"
"Eat right, no fatty carbs, no sweets, blah, blah, blah. I know Bones. Now go! I'll see ya in a couple weeks," Jim told him. Bones smiled at him, although he still managed to look annoyed.
"See ya then, kid." He left, and then Jim was the only one left on the bridge. He quickly went through his list and was satisfied when he was done. He shut everything down and turned around just as the lift opened to reveal another crew member.
"Mister Spock? What are you still doing here? I thought everyone bee-lined out of here as soon as we landed," he said, surprised that the Vulcan was still on deck.
"Indeed. Everyone did, because everyone had somewhere else to go. If you do not mind, Captain, I would prefer to remain on board for the duration of leave. I have a couple of experiments that I would like to monitor." Spock stood perfectly straight, hands clasped behind his back, his voice its usual monotone. However, Jim knew it was all bullshit. He knew Spock didn't have any important projects he was working on, and he could just barely tell that Spock was slightly embarrassed with the lie. Jim didn't have the heart to call him out on it.
"If that's really what you want, Mister Spock, then I see no reason to deny you. But don't you have anywhere to go? Anywhere on Earth that you've been wanting to go? At all?"
"As a matter of fact, there is not. I have been on Earth before, for an extended period of time, and I have seen all I cared to see. There is no longer anything of interest to me on your planet," Spock replied. Jim stared at him for a moment. He suddenly felt incredibly sad for his commander. Here was a man who no longer had anything-no home, no mother, no real friends to speak of, and no place to spend his leave. Jim took pity on him.
"You can stay here if you like, Mister Spock. You are my first commander, and I have no control over how anyone chooses to spend their break. However, I have no actual place to go either. If you wanted, I would be honored if you would spend your leave with me. It would be fun." Spock raised an eyebrow and Jim immediately felt stupid for suggesting the idea. Just because their professional relationship/friendship was doing better didn't make them friends and it certainly didn't mean that Spock wanted to spend his two weeks with his captain. However, Jim refused to refute his offer. Spock could decline if he wanted.
"That sounds...interesting. If you are unopposed to spending your shore leave with me, Captain, I would not be averse to spending it with you." Jim was definitely shocked. He didn't think Spock would actually accept his sudden offer. "Given, of course, that you truly have no other plans. I wouldn't want to burden you with my presence because you made the offer out of pity."
"Of course not, Mister Spock. I really don't have any plans. And I certainly don't have anywhere that I really want to go back to."
"Then, in that case, I am not opposed to spending our leave together."
"Gee, thanks. Didn't know I was such a downer." Spock's eyes widened in surprise for a moment.
"I did not mean to insult you, Captain. I merely meant-" Jim laughed.
"It's okay, Mister Spock. I was only teasing. Please don't take it to heart. That's just how I am."
"Of course, Captain." Jim looked around the bridge one more time before heading to the lift.
"Well?" he asked Spock. "Ready to go?"
"Indeed, Captain." Jim stopped and looked Spock straight in the eyes.
"One more thing. This is our vacation. We are spending it together as friends…acquaintances. Therefore, I would prefer it if you called me 'Jim'. 'Captain' just seems too formal."
"As you wish, Jim. Then, likewise, I would prefer you to call me 'Spock'". Jim grinned. This was a step forward-they were progressing.
"Of course, Spock." He made his way off the Enterprise, Spock following behind.
