Casual Fridays aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise…
…And the Ensuing Complications.
Chapter One – "Casual Friday, sir? I do not understand."
Author's Note: Slash. S/K. I hope you like. :D It's a new style for me so feel free to concrit.
"Casual Friday, sir? I do not understand." Spock was standing next to the captain's chair as Kirk scribbled something official-looking onto his PADD.
"Casual Friday? Sounds interesting- any guidelines, Captain?"
"Just be…just be awesome, Lieutenant Sulu."
"Alright, Captain, can do."
"Sulu." Chekov turned to the pilot, who had returned to his miscellaneous calculations. "Casual Friday is Russian inwention."
"Did someone say Casual Friday?" Uhura had just then entered onto the bridge, and her expression was a compromise between incredulous and amused.
"Yes, Lieutenant. Casual Friday. Consider it an order."
"Jim, you're the most half-assed starship captain I've ever met. I'm a doctor- I'm wearing my goddamn uniform. It's sterile."
"Oh, hello, Bones. Nice to see you- what brings you to the bridge today?"
"…Captain, what is a Casual Friday?"
Kirk ignored Spock. "Just wear a hat or something, Bones."
"I don't own any hats."
"Commander Sulu, what is a Casual Friday? Is it a holiday in which humans wear hats for ritualistic purposes?"
"You should probably ask Lieutenant Uhura, Mr. Spock. She's our cultural expert, after all."
"I could make you a hat," Jim offered helpfully. "Out of paper or something."
"No, Jim. No."
"Lieutenant Uhura, what is the purpose of a Casual Friday? I have gathered that it involves,, ah, being, as the captain stated previously, ah, 'awesome', doctors not wearing their uniforms and the utilization of hats. I am most curious as to the purpose of such a holiday. What is its cultural significance?"
"Spock, you don't have to wear a hat. Or necessarily be awesome."
"Lieutenant, that does not clarify the origins or purpose of such a holiday. Now the only relevant information that I have obtained is that doctors do not wear their uniforms on a Casual Friday. Lieutenant? You appear most distracted."
"…ah, just thinking. About…Friday," Uhura said, her gaze very pointedly fixed on the ship's doctor.
If Spock had been human, he would have sighed. As it were, however, the half-Vulcan raised an eyebrow at the exchange between the two and turned to the doctor in a rather put-out fashion. "Doctor McCoy, what is a Casual Friday? The only information I have gathered-"
It was here he paused, casting a long glance at Uhura, who was rather overtly "checking out", the Terran phrase was, the Chief Medical Officer.
"-with the assistance of Lieutenant Uhura- is that doctors do not wear their uniforms and headwear is not necessarily involved, although due to her inflections and changes in posture I would perhaps infer that headwear is, in fact, encouraged. However, no one has been quite clear in defining this holiday to me, and thus I apologize if I have misinterpreted the function of this Friday, but I still require the historical and cultural connotations of the date."
The captain and the doctor stopped their bickering, glanced at each other and then turned to Spock. Uhura was still eyeing McCoy appraisingly. The doctor raised an eyebrow and Spock's eyebrows furrowed in a decidedly un-Vulcan manner- he appeared downright impatient.
"Spock, a Casual Friday is a day when you wear something…other than your uniform," Jim finally said, breaking the silence that had fallen as the CMO and communications officer seemed to come to some unspoken conclusion and turned to Jim. "Usually something that you find comfortable, or that you would wear on shore leave. What you'd wear if you didn't have to be in uniform. Um, it's been around since God knows when- my first job when I was like eight had a Casual Friday. But, um, that's irrelevant."
"…ah. I understand. Thank you, Captain." It occurred to Commander Spock that the Captain had been rambling again- he'd been doing that a lot as of late, and normally Dr. McCoy's reaction was one of utmost amusement. However, the good doctor was currently examining the Vulcan's ex-girlfriend and seemed rather pre-occupied.
Spock returned to his post. Sulu was laughing to himself.
Later that day they had a brief shore leave on an industrialized world with an economy heavily based on gambling, strip clubs and shopping. McCoy took Spock shopping.