Title: Shore Leave

Fandom: Star Trek: Reboot/Star Trek: TOS

Beta: OhSlashy

All Remaining Mistakes are mine :)

They arrived at a seemingly congenial planet in the Omicron Delta system on Stardate 3025.3, with little disturbance on the way. Spock was on conn for the moment and Captain Kirk had stepped out to see Doctor McCoy and Lieutenant Sulu beam down to the planet surface with some of the other crewmembers in order to investigate the planet. Spock took careful readings of the planet's surface and, after concurring with other crewmembers, found that the planet held no humanoid life. It was virtually empty except for the flora that could be seen from the planet's surface; so Earth-like that many crewmembers had begun to reminisce about their previous lives. Spock had no such thoughts as he made his way back to his station, stopping only when the Captain stepped out of the turbo lift and sat in the Command chair.

Spock sat in his seat after a brief nod of acknowledgement towards Jim who grinned at him before turning his chair to speak to a young Yeoman. The Yeoman was assigned temporarily while Yeoman Rand was recuperating from a 'cold' that she'd refused to have treated by Doctor McCoy. It seemed illogical to Spock that one should refuse medical care for something as contagious as a viral infection. He took note to limit his exposure to the Yeoman and stood up to report his findings to the Captain.

The Captain was signing on the PADD the Yeoman had and, seeing Spock out of the corner of his eye, pushed the PADD towards her and turned to the Vulcan. In turning, Spock heard the slight crack of bones closely associated with mild discomfort and soreness that was a result of the Captain's activities of the previous night, fencing with the agile Mr. Sulu. Spock raised an eyebrow at the Captain, still standing behind him, as he winced and began to explain himself.

Yeoman Barrows, in an attempt to help the Captain, began to massage his back while Spock stood behind the Captain's chair, face black and fist clenched behind his back. The captain moaned and directed the Yeoman in the massage's direction before moaning again and leaning forward on his elbows.

"Umm," The Captain moaned. "a little to the left. Yes, right there, Mr. Spock."

Spock arched his eyebrow once more, this time in amusement, and took a step to the side of the chair where Jim would be able to see him. Apparently, the Captain thought it was Spock who was massaging his back. Which was highly illogical; touch telepaths avoided as much physical contact as possible. The moment Spock moved to the side, Jim stopped moaning and straightened up in alarm. He turned slowly, a scowl evident on his face, and thanked the Yeoman, dismissing her without another glace. His eyes were directly on Spock, he could feel them on the side of his face but wasn't about to let any amusement seep through. And it was amusement he felt as he tried to suppress a smile as the rest of crew looked at one another before laughing silently.

"All right!" The Captain yelled. "Get back to work."

Spock turned to the Captain then, his face blank of any expressions and relayed the information he, and others on the bridge, had found regarding the planet they orbited. He faced the Captain, although his eyes never looked at him, and told him everything they knew and answered any questions he had. Jim didn't say anything about Spock's behavior, but once Spock had returned back to his science station, he gave him a long hard stare, one that Spock logically chose to ignore.

Few things made James Tiberius Kirk, Captain of the U.S.S Enterprise embarrassed. Getting nerves pinched by a Vulcan from behind, or getting choked out by said Vulcan in a very suggestive position, or even getting forced to think of world ending consequences by said Vulcan only 129 years older... no problem. Moaning out your First Officer's name while getting a back rub from a Yeoman... a very BIG problem.

How could he have mistaken those small, frail, weak hands on his back for the hands of his Vulcan First Officer? How could he have, almost by accident, revealed that he did indeed want to be touched by said Vulcan? Were his mental capacities that weak that he naturally assumed that, after expressing pain, a Vulcan (that should have been his first clue) would revert to his human half and actually touch him as to make him feel better? It was all, as Spock would say, illogical.

After getting the crew, who were giggling amongst themselves, back to work and receiving a few glares from Uhura, he waited for the blush that had most likely crept along his face to disappear. It returned not long after when Spock, who had – for the longest time, Jim noticed – been standing next to him, turned to debrief him on his findings. Their eyes never met and for once, Jim found himself glad of that. Should the half Vulcan look him in the eye he could not be sure what his reaction might be. Spock, a professional to the end, relayed everything the crew had found and patiently waited for questions or orders. Jim had very little to ask; the planet was practically Eden.

Spock nodded and returned to his station, graceful as a cat and without another word or look at Jim. He stared at the back of Spock's head for the longest time, well aware that some of the bridge crew could be watching, trying to figure out what had happened. Spock ignored him, as he generally did, and eventually Jim returned to whatever it was he was supposed to do, which he still hadn't really figured out. As Captain he had duties but most of the time all he did was get hand cramps from signing so many PADD's, a sore throat from recording the captain's log and a headache from staring into the viewing screen or the back of everyone's head. For such a precious position, it was all rather boring.

The exciting part came down on the planets surface. Most of the time, the away party would consist of himself, Spock, McCoy or Sulu and a few security members. Most of the time they split up and, much to his pleasure and without ever having agreed on it, Spock and Jim would team up. Sometimes McCoy would tag along, sometimes he wouldn't. But it was those few acts of rebellion (all three high ranking officers leaving the Enterprise alone and not to mention Jim somehow always left the conn to Chekov) that were the highlight of his day. Not to mention seeing his-the –Vulcan First Officer at work (his hands carefully calibrating the tricorder, his mind calculating risk factors while simultaneously keeping record of everything they were seeing) was just fascinating.

There were no further confrontations between the two men-it all ended when they saved Earth from Nero's crazy, destructive stunt. Jim would always feel responsible, in part, for not destroying the drill in Vulcan fast enough. He would always have the mental image of Spock beaming back up, his hand out stretched towards his mother who, along with several billion others, died along with the Vulcan planet. The moment Spock materialized, Jim had the strangest feeling in his chest; that was, he suspected, the moment everything changed. Well, not to mention being marooned on Delta Vega; almost being eaten alive by a strange spider lobster creature; meeting Spock Prime; beaming aboard a vessel going at warp speed; emotionally compromising a Vulcan and being choked out by the Vulcan... just to name a few things off the top of his head. At away missions, they worked in perfect harmony, almost to the point of moving in synch. They were, as Bones would joke, almost like twins. They shared a single thought and that was to keep the other safe. A perfect, but complicated dynamic that up to now worked with efficiency. On board, however, things were much different. They remained 'twins' in emergencies, but during boring, run of the mill missions when everything was tedious, things got tense.

Jim had a tendency for innuendoes and practical jokes, both of which Spock could not, or would not, grasp. He couldn't wrap his half-Vulcan mind around the fact that Jim was bored about 90% of the time and that he, as a perfect straight man not to mention Vulcan, made a great jokes even better. Sometimes, if he looked long enough, Jim would see the faint sign of a smile forming in those beautifully green blushed lips that would, the moment it began to take form, be suppressed quickly. And that was one of the reasons why things got tense. Jim would flirt with anything and anyone, no matter what gender or race, and that included Spock. The Vulcan who, as he said many, many times, did not appreciate being 'sexually harassed or propositioned' and, Jim suspected, especially disliked being made fun of. He never took things to heart however, because sometimes that faint smile would appear and Jim's day was satisfied.

This mission was one of those, and he was about to get up when Uhura informed him that Doctor McCoy was on the comm. And that was around the time things went to shit.

"SULU!" McCoy screamed over his shoulder at the young Lieutenant who was crouched down examining some flowers. McCoy's eyes looked to the path in which the girl, who'd just past right by him, had gone. Gone after a talking rabbit with a vest who, according to what he told McCoy, was late. Sulu came running to his side, his hand reaching out to McCoy's arm and asked what was wrong. "Did you see them? Did you?" McCoy asked pointing to the path. "The girl and the rabbit?"

"I don't see anything," Sulu said looking towards the path as well. "What are you talking about? I don't see anything?"

McCoy just stared, unblinking at the narrow passage of trees, his mind trying to figure out what it was that he'd seen. He must have been going crazy - yeah that was it - and it was all part of his imagination. Yes, he reasoned, the stress has finally gotten to me.

"What's the matter, Doc?" Sulu asked concerned.

McCoy shook his head, snapping himself out of his thoughts and said, "I need to contact the Enterprise. I need a rest, I think I'm seeing things..."

He took out his communicator and, after blinking a few times, contacted the Enterprise. Spock was sure to make fun of him, in his Vulcan way, but he had a duty to report what he saw and by God he just had to report the large white rabbit with the vest and the small blond girl chasing after it.

Jim was sitting down, his hands clasped together in front of him and eyes tired as he looked at his departing Yeoman with annoyance. Why did that woman always want to baby him so darn much? Did he look that tired that she thought he needed taking care of?

When Spock came into view, right after the Yeoman left, Jim straightened up and tried his hardest not to blush. The memory of this morning's incident was fresh on his mind, and likely Spock's as well since he had an eidetic memory. As Spock came to attention by his desk, one hand behind his back, the other holding a PADD, Jim couldn't help but wish that those hands would... Think Captain-like thoughts, he chastised himself, now is NOT the time!

"Mr Spock, we're beaming down the starboard section. Which section would you like to go with?" Jim asked.

"Not necessary in my case, Captain," Spock replied. Jim turned to Spock, a smile on his face. Spock could be so stubborn sometimes. "On my planet, 'to rest' is to rest: to stop using energy. To me, it is quite illogical, to run up and down on green grass using energy instead of saving it."

Uhura's voice rang out throughout the intercom and connected him to Bones who had been down on the planet's surface for quite a while now. What Bones told him, and Spock by proxy, was unbelievable. A white rabbit with a gold watch and a vest followed by a little blond girl disappearing through a hole in a hedge was just the sort of thing that made Jim sometimes wish he had a traditional 9 to 5 day job. Sometimes space was too much, too vast and too empty. And sometimes, perfectly normal men would loose their minds. Sometimes even the sanest - though Bones wasn't exactly the most stable man he knew - would succumb to space madness.

Spock had an eyebrow raised, his lips on the verge of becoming a full-blown smile, when Jim cut off the link to Bones and turned to him. Jim stood and stretched out his tired muscles. His back was hurting, badly, but he wasn't about to admit it out loud - especially not to Spock, who was sure to go straight to Bones and tag team him into taking a break. Spock did that sometimes, go behind his back to the Doctor when Jim got too stubborn and refused to let Bones know what was wrong.

"He wants me to beam down," Jim told Spock with an unbidden groan. "I'm afraid I won't take the bait."

"Very well, Captain," Spock said with a short nod. "Something I did come to discuss."

"Yes," Jim prompted. "What is it, Mr Spock?"

"I picked this up from Doctor McCoy's log," Spock said looking at the PADD he had in his hand. Jim moved to get a look at the PADD but Spock wouldn't let him, he merely continued explaining. "We have a crew member aboard showing signs of stress and fatigue- reaction time down 9-12%, associational reading norm minus 3."

Jim tried to think of whom Spock was referring too. Bones maybe, Uhura, or even Scotty who never, like himself, took a break. But their work wasn't suffering; they were still the same people as always after their shifts, so it couldn't be them.

"That's much too low a rating," Jim said softly as he continued to think of who it might be.

"He's becoming irritable and quarrelsome, yet he refuses to take rest and rehabilitation. He has the right to refuse but-"

"No," Jim interrupted. "His rights end when hazard to this ship begins. Now, that man will go ashore on my orders. What's his name?"

Spock looked just a bit smug as he looked down at his PADD and back up to Jim. "His name is ... James Kirk. Enjoy yourself, Captain."

"Damn blasted, smart fucking Vulcan," Jim whispered to himself as he made his way around his quarters. He was pacing back and forth, awaiting his Yeoman, with a furious pace. He was the Captain of this beauty and his First Officer had outwitted him. "I should've known he'd do something like this, he's been spending time with Bones."

When his Quarters rung, a sign that someone was awaiting entrance, he stopped pacing and sighed. Just because Captain Kirk is on shore leave, doesn't mean James T. Kirk is. He'd ordered his Yeoman to get as much paperwork as she could to keep himself busy. That will show, Spock! When the doors hissed open he was surprised to find Spock entering his quarters, not his Yeoman.

"Captain," Spock said with a nod of his head. "I came to apologize for my trickery and to ask you for what purpose do you need all this paperwork?" Spock held up a PADD and looked at Jim pointedly.

"I... I decided to take your advice and so what Vulcan's do," Jim explained. His mind was trying to remember what exactly Spock had said earlier about shore leave. "To cease using energy and rest, isn't that what you said?"

"Doing paperwork is not restful, Jim," Spock replied putting the PADD down on Jim's desk. Jim was about to reply when he realized that Spock had used his first name. He never used his first name. Man, he must be really worried about me, then.

"Perhaps you're right, Spock." Jim walked over to the Vulcan and sighed. "Maybe I've been too strung up lately, tired, and I deserve a shore leave but so do you. You work twice, three times as hard as anyone on board this vessel. Its amazing that you haven't passed out of exhaustion."

"As a Vulcan-"

"Yes, you don't have to sleep as much as humans, I remember." Jim shook his head and gave him a levelled look. "I also seem to recall your being half Vulcan half Human... meaning one part of you needs as much rest as the rest of us, does it not?"

Spock seemed to consider that before, reluctantly, nodding. His eyebrows rose in what Jim could only call amusement before speaking. "What do you propose I do, Captain?" Jim couldn't help the smile that spread through his features as he clapped Spock on the shoulder and turning to leave.

"We're going on vacation, Mr. Spock," Jim said as he leaned down to get his communicator and inform his Yeoman she was no longer needed. Who needed a Yeoman when he had a tall, dark, and handsome Vulcan waiting for orders?

Yeoman Barrows stood outside the Captain's quarters, her finger poised to push the bell on the wall. Her hands held three different PADD's, each with different request from different sections of the Ship. Why they couldn't they just put their requests on one single PADD she didn't know. She pushed the little button and waited for the doors to open. When they hissed open, she stepped inside where Mr Spock was patiently standing by the desk while the Captain looked around his desk for something.

"Oh, there you are, Yeoman!" Captain Kirk exclaimed as she made her way to his desk. Mr Spock moved off to the side letting her through, his posture a bit stiff, his eyes never leaving that of the Captain's. Barrows sighed internally. How could they not realize how perfect they were for each other? Did they not see the look of longing they each had for the other? Where they that blind?

"You will not be needed today, Yeoman," Spock said behind her as she placed the PADD's on the desk. "You may take shore leave with the rest of the crew at your assigned location."

She looked at Captain Kirk for confirmation. He shrugged and nodded apologetically. She nodded in return and said, "Very well. Have a good time, Captain. You too, Mr Spock." She exited without further comment, walking to the turbolift with a smile on her face. It was going to happen! They were finally realizing what they meant to each other!