A for Acrobat

The bar was filled with loud music, chatter, the smell of alcohol and laughter. The U.S.S. Enterprise was currently in an orbit around Earth whilst they awaited their next mission to come through from Starfleet command and Jim had given the crew permission to beam down for some shore leave. Kirk honestly hoped that they were going to give them some time off; he needed a break from running across planets when something went wrong. It annoyed him even more when Spock had predicted the slim chances of their plan succeeding or not and it turned out he was right. Kirk never really paid attention to the odds his First Officer gave him, but when he was sprinting through a dense forest away from some angry alien he really wished he had paid attention.

"I used to love the circus!" Came Sulu's raised voice from beside him and so Kirk swivelled in his seat to face the people cluttered around the table. Most of them were red in the face from alcohol, all beside Spock who was sitting there rather stony faced. Kirk had managed to drag him along and it was clear to say that he wasn't really enjoying it. "My favourites were always the magicians."

"No way," cut in Uhura with a grin. "The clowns were always the best part."

"The clowns scared the hell out of me," Kirk responded bluntly as he took another swig from his class. Plonking it back on the table, the Captain turned his bright eyes behind him as seventeen year old Chekov stumbled over, his face a bright red colour like a tomato.

His blonde curls bounced as he pulled up another chair before squeezing in between Sulu and Bones. "The circus was inwented in Russia," He pronounced proudly as he beamed at the crew squeezed around the small table.

Laughter spilt out amongst the crew as glasses were clinked together, the contents sloshed over the rim onto the table. There was defiantly going to be some heavy hangovers the following morning, but no one seemed to mind this. They had been stuck in space for months at a time when they were allowed off on shore leave it was like paradise. The usual drill of getting into certain danger was just life aboard the Enterprise, especial when Jim was the Captain, but most of the crew actually enjoyed that aspect. But sometimes you just needed to unwind in a bar someplace and get completely pissed until you couldn't see straight.

"I liked the acrobats," Kirk added as he raised the glass to his mouth again before gulping down another shot. Reached across the table and grabbing the neck of the bottle, Kirk picked it up before pouring another shot into his glass with shaky hands. He placed the bottle on the table again before picking up his glass and raising it to his mouth, but instead of swallowing he paused before lowering to back to the table. "For a while I actually wanted to be an acrobat. The circus didn't really come to Iowa that much, but one time it came around when my mother was on planet and she took me. Probably one of my fondest memories was watching the acrobats fly through the air. I always wanted to fly like that." All eyes were turned to him and so Jim gave everyone a slurred smile before downing yet another shot from his glass. "But I suppose having my own Starship is another good way to fly."

More laugher and agreed nods came from the crew as more shots were poured out and handed around the table. "I even tried to teach myself some flips and stuff. Heck, I even tried to run away and join the circus at one point." Kirk continued as he poured himself another shot. "The coppers found me within an hour and I hadn't really considered it since."

"Could you show us something?" Chekov asked excitedly, his curls bouncing with enthusiasm.

Heads bobbed with enthusiasm as Kirk considered the point for a moment before a wide grin slipped onto his face as he pushed himself away from the table. It was at this point Spock finally decided to speak up.

"Captain, it would be illogical too try-" But Kirk brushed it off with an airy wave of his hand as he stood up on wobbly legs.

"Watch and learn, Spock," he grinned broadly before without a second thought he pushed himself away from the ground into a front flip.

People around him moved out of the way with surprise and everyone sitting in the tables around were watching with curiosity as Kirk spun in the air. Though it was obvious he was not going to land on his feet as he quickly fell back the ground before landing on his back with a loud groan. Hoots of laugher broke around the whole bar as Kirk pushed himself into a sitting position, but he was still grinning madly as he turned his icy blue gaze towards the group crowded around the table.

"Idiot," Bones muttered to himself as he picked up his non-alcoholic drink before taking a large sip of it from the tall glass. Little did he realize that Kirk had just fallen into the seat beside him with a large grin plastered to his face and his eyes set on the science officer.

"How about you give it a go, Bones?" Kirk slurred happily, his arm reached out and flung around the other man's shoulders with some force. "I think you would make a real great acrobat."

With a scrunched up nose, Bones pushed Jim away from him so he didn't have to smell the stench of alcohol coming from his open mouth. "Dammit Jim, I'm a doctor not an acrobat!"

There was a moment of silence before more laugher was thrown up amongst the drunken crew members and the talk quickly changed subject away from the circus, the failed flip and acrobats long forgotten.