Ch 4: Vacation

Kirk's fingers drummed impatiently on the arms of his chair as he waited for his shift to end. To the annoyance of his fellow crew members, he had been fidgeting like this since he came aboard the bridge. The planet they were exploring was just another boring hunk of rock floating in space, save the abundance of dilithium crystals on its surface. They made sure to add the planet to their list of resources in this quadrant so they could report it to Starfleet. Within months, Kirk was certain Starfleet would set up a mining base at this planet; they weren't one to ignore a good thing when they found it. Other than that though, he was bored senseless and anxious for Spock's return.

When Uhura announced that the Santa Maria had just dropped out of warp on their port side, he flew out of his seat. Almost running straight into the elevator door out of excitement, he instructed her to send them a message giving Spock clearance to be beamed aboard and rushed into the elevator. While he waited for the elevator to descend to the floor the transporter room was on, he jogged in place so he could zoom out as soon as the elevator door opened. Nearly running into at least four crew officers in the process, he raced to the transporter room.

Skidding to a halt before he could pass the room up, he ran into the room and looked at the ensign that sat at the post. Nearly shouting, he asked, "Do you have a lock on him yet?!?" The ensign stared at Kirk with wide eyes and replied, "No Sir, I just got the go ahead from Uhura to beam him aboard. I was just about to do that…"

"Well what are you waiting for?" Kirk said, gripping tightly on onto the transporter console and giving the ensign a crazed look. "Hurry it up!"

"Y-yes sir!" the ensign stuttered. As swiftly as he could, he searched for Spock's signature in the Santa Maria transporter room and began to beam them aboard. Kirk did a dance as he waited for his body to materialize on the transporter pad. Under his breath, he muttered, "Come on, come on, come on, COME ON!"

Finally, Spock rematerialized aboard the Enterprise. Instead of his Starfleet uniform, he wore a dark grey Vulcan suit. It didn't matter to Kirk what it was that he wore though, he was simply happy to see his face. Grinning wildly, he rushed over to Spock before he could give the Vulcan greeting and pulled him by his arm. Shock kept Spock from speaking verbally to his betrothed, but mentally he asked: Jim! Where are you taking me? I just got here!

Just come with me! You'll find out soon enough!

Spock felt a rush of excitement course through him from Kirk as he was led into the elevator. Their anniversary wasn't for another day, so why was Kirk so excited today? He kept silent as Kirk pulled him out of the elevator and led him to his room. The hand that had pulled him by his arm had slipped down and grasped tightly onto his hand. Electric currents danced upward from Spock's hand, up his arm, and down his back. He tried to keep his heart beat steady, but the emotions that flowed into him from Kirk's touch made it incredibly difficult. Spock felt himself becoming excited too, though he had no idea what lay in store for him.

It wasn't until the two came barreling into Kirk's room that Kirk's grip on Spock's hand released. He faced his fiancé and grinned, his perfect white teeth gleaming in the dim lighting of his room. "Okay," he said, breathless from pulling the Vulcan behind him from the transporter room. "Take a look at what's on the monitor."

Spock walked over to the glowing monitor and examined the colorful advertisement on it. He read out loud, "'Kalthoria, a planetary paradise. Escape the worries of everyday life. Starfleet officers welcome!'" Spock turned his head and looked at Kirk. "Jim, I am not sure I understand…"

"It's where I'm taking you for our year anniversary!" Kirk said, squirming excitedly. "Since we've all been exploring continuously since we started our mission, the crew's in need of a vacation anyway, and Starfleet did say that we could take breaks as we needed them. So I figured I could take us all to Kalthoria, give the crew a break, and celebrate our anniversary there! It's a perfect place; there's literally something for everyone there!"

Returning his attention to the monitor, he scrolled down and looked at the attractions offered by the planet. As he looked, he found several attractions in particular that caught his interest. Some of them were things he already held a profound interest in; others were new things that sounded exciting and would likely be enjoyable for Kirk as well. He walked over to Kirk, wonder flashing in his deep brown eyes.

"Jim, this planet really is as you say. I find myself…excited. I am not used to this emotion. I feel charged and jittery. How long before we arrive there?"

Kirk smirked and said, "I was waiting for you to come back before we plotted a course, but I had Sulu give me an estimate on how long a trip there would take. From where we are now, we'll be there be there sometime tomorrow morning. All I gotta do is give Sulu the word and we'll be off!"

Moving to his intercom, Kirk rang the bridge. "Mr. Sulu. Set a course for Kalthoria, warp seven." Sulu's voice played over the intercom: Aye Captain. After getting confirmation of their new heading, Kirk pressed the intercom again, this time making an announcement to the entire ship. This is Captain Kirk speaking. We are currently heading towards the planet Kalthoria, where we will be taking a week of shore leave. Please begin packing immediately, as we will be arriving sometime tomorrow morning.

Kirk released the button and walked over to his bed. Sitting down, he patted the spot next to him and smiled at Spock. "Now that you know what I've been up to while you were gone, why don't you tell me how things went on New Vulcan?" Spock nodded and sat with Kirk on his bed. He repositioned himself on the bed so that his head lay in Kirk's lap. Allowing himself to show the fatigue he felt, he closed his eyes and said, "There is much tell…"

Eliza Montalban was walking down the ship's corridor with her Sirian friend Astinder when she heard the news. Stopping in the middle of the hall, she turned to the furry science officer and grinned. "Did you hear that?" she asked excitedly. "We're finally getting a break!"

Astinder's tail wagged rapidly from side to side as she looked at her half-Orion companion. "Yes, yes we are! I'm so excited! Kalthoria is run by many of my people, so it will be nice to visit with them again!"

"No way," Eliza said. "Kalthoria is run by Sirians?"

Astinder nodded enthusiastically, her tail wagging even faster. "Yes indeed it is! Well, only the main continent really. Kalthoria has many islands that surround the main continent that are either uninhabited or owned by individual races, but it was the Sirians that started the whole entertainment craze on the planet."

"Sirians have always had a very hospitable nature, and they discovered Kalthoria during an exploration mission. The entire planet had a suitable environment to turn it into a pleasure planet, so we began building hotels and other attractions. Since then, it's become the hot spot for Starfleet officers seeking shore leave! I should contact my parents right away and ask them if they have enough availability at their hotel for the entire ship!"

"Wow," Eliza said, her emerald eyes wide. "Your parents own a hotel? That should mean you're loaded right?"

Astinder giggled. "Technically yes, but don't think you'll get to borrow any money from me!" Laughing, the two continued on their way to their quarters to pack.

"That's very kind of you to offer your hotel for the crew to stay in during our shore leave Mr. Nayvolo," Kirk said. He had been called to the bridge when they had gotten close enough to Kalthoria to receive transmissions. The furry dog-like man before him grinned at him happily. Though he couldn't see it, Kirk knew that the man's tail was wagging.

"Oh no Captain Kirk," he said, "it's our pleasure to provide our daughter's crew with a place to stay. We're so very proud of her. She's the first person in our family to join Starfleet, which will surely add even more prestige to our family name! I'm sure in time the whole universe will know of the Nayvolo family!"

Kirk smiled kindly at the lively man, reminded of a dog he had when he was a boy back on Earth. "Well Mr. Nayvolo, we appreciate it very much. I'll be sure to pass along my thanks to your daughter as well. At our current speed we should arrive at Ninolgog City in about ten hours. I do hope that's ample time to prepare enough rooms for us all."

"Of course it is! You're fortunate that you're catching us in the off season. Our hotel is usually one of the most popular on the planet when tourist season is in full swing, so there wouldn't even be enough room for our own daughter if she came then!" The Sirian's laugh sounded remarkably like a joyous bark. "Not to say that our hotel's empty, but we have plenty of available rooms that have been kept in tip top condition for just such an occasion! We look forward to your arrival!"

"Thanks again Mr. Nayvolo. Kirk out." When the screen went black, Kirk let out a huge sigh of relief. Sirians were a very friendly race, but perhaps a little too energetic for Kirk's tastes. The hospitability was on par with the Japanese back on Earth, and their enthusiasm was probably three fold. In any case, he was glad his crew now had a place to stay, since he hadn't exactly thought about that when he picked the planet…

Spock looked at his wardrobe in quiet frustration. The planet they were going to visit was of a tropical climate, but the only things he had to wear were either his Starfleet uniform or traditional Vulcan clothing. The temperature of the planet was somewhat cooler than that of New Vulcan, which had almost exactly the same climate as Vulcan did, so his comfort was not an issue. His worry was that his clothing would not be appropriate for the various types of activities that he and Kirk would be engaging in.

In all his life, Spock had never had to worry about what to wear; he simply put on an outfit and went through his day. Vanity was not something he had to worry about, as that was a non-Vulcan emotion that he never experienced. Now that he had embraced his human side, he found that he was much more self-conscious about things like his ears and his clothing. These human emotions he now had to contend with on a daily basis were proving to be an enormous pain.

The door to his quarters opened and Kirk walked in. Curious, he asked, "Spock? What are you doing?"

"I am attempting to plan appropriate dress for our shore leave Jim. I am finding it rather difficult to choose what to bring with me."

"Spock," Kirk laughed, "you do realize that Starfleet officers visit this planet all the time, as well as races from various other planets? I highly doubt there will be anyone scrutinizing you for what you're wearing. Just bring some extra uniforms and some of your Vulcan suits, its fine."

Stubborn as a mule, Spock shook his head. "I am afraid I cannot comply. I find myself very concerned over what choice of clothing I should bring. I assume you will have what you refer to as 'casual' wear that you will be bringing with you. Regretfully, I do not have anything of the sort to bring with me. Considering we will spend a great deal of time together, I do not want to 'stick out like a sore thumb', as they say."

Kirk couldn't help but smirk at Spock. As annoyed as he could tell he was with his newfound vanity, Spock was unbelievably cute fretting over his wardrobe. It also made him feel special knowing that he had made a Vulcan self-conscious about his appearance for his sake. He took Spock by the hand and gently led him out of his room and down the hall to his. Spock silently followed obediently, like a child being led by his parent.

When they arrived at Kirk's room, Kirk began pulling clothing out of his dresser. He pulled out a pair of pants, a pair of shorts, a few t-shirts, and some socks. Closing the drawers, he handed a pair of shorts and a blue buttoned down shirt to Spock. "Here, try these on and see how they fit," he said, turning around to allow Spock to change.

Spock quirked an eyebrow as Kirk and asked, "Is there a reason you are turning away? You have seen me naked before; I do not see why you would avert your eyes while I change." Still facing away, Kirk said over his shoulder, "Yeah. And in case you haven't noticed in the last year and a half, watching you peel clothes off puts me in the mood for sex. If you want this to be productive, I'll need to face away while you change. Just hurry it up, will ya?"

Shrugging with his eyebrows, Spock removed his uniform, put on the shorts, and buttoned up the shirt. "I am done," he said after buttoning the final button and straightening the clothes out. Kirk wasn't the best at folding clothes, so his outfit was somewhat wrinkled. When Kirk turned around, he couldn't help but laugh at the Vulcan. It seemed that there was a big enough difference in their builds that made Kirk's clothes fit rather baggily on Spock.

Ears tinted green, Spock crossed his arms angrily. "I do not appreciate your laughter at my expense Jim." Still chuckling, Kirk wrapped Spock in a tight hug. "I'm sorry Spock, I don't mean to laugh. I just expected my clothes to fit a little better on you. Tell you what, change back into your uniform and we'll try asking Sulu if we can borrow some of his clothes. He's about your height and build, so his clothes should fit a lot better."

Nodding, Spock waited until Kirk released him and turned back around before he put his uniform back on. He tapped Kirk on the shoulder to alert him that he was finished. They left the room and made their way to Sulu's room. Luckily, when they knocked on the door, Sulu was in his room. A muffled "Come in!" came from behind the door, signaling that it was okay to enter.

When they entered Sulu's room, Sulu was in the middle of packing a bag full of his clothes. Kirk gave Sulu a smile and said, "Perfect timing! I'm glad we caught you while you're packing Sulu! Do you have any spare clothes that Spock could try on?"

Sulu raised an eyebrow at Kirk. "Why does Spock need to borrow clothing from me? Not that I'm trying to be a dick or anything, but I thought he had clothes of his own?"

"Yeah, he does, but he doesn't want to walk around on a tropical pleasure planet looking like the universe's biggest stick in the mud. He tried some of my clothes on, but they're pretty baggy on him. I figured since you guys are about the same build, he could try some of your clothes on and borrow them, if that's okay with you of course."

His eyes shifted from Kirk to the blushing Spock. "Well," he said cautiously. "I don't mind lending him some clothes, but you gotta promise you guys won't do anything…you know…while he's wearing them. If the mood strikes you, please, please make sure you don't do it in my clothes."

Kirk gave Sulu a wink. "Oh, you don't have to worry about that Sulu. Spock and I will definitely make sure we take your clothes off of him if we decide to do anything."

If it were possible for Sulu to turn red and green at the same time, he would have. Instead, his face decided to become devoid of any color as the thought of Kirk and Spock doing anything sexual, especially in his clothes, made him feel ill. "Oh God…I didn't mean…I…ugh, just…try on one of my shirts and a pair of jeans."

Kirk rummaged through Sulu's shirts and found a green one that looked like it would suit Spock. He then grabbed the first pair of jeans he saw and handed both the shirt and the jeans to Spock. Sulu and Kirk both turned to allow Spock to change. Sulu looked at Kirk and said, "Why are you turning around?"

Raising an eyebrow, Kirk asked, "Do you really wanna know why?" Sulu shook his head furiously. "No," he said, "no I don't."

Seconds later, Spock tapped them both on the shoulder to indicate that he was done changing. The two men faced Spock and examined how the clothes fit on him. Kirk was pleased to see that Sulu's clothes fit him much better than his had. Sulu also nodded in approval at how Spock looked in the clothes; he actually thought the Vulcan looked a little better than he did in them, a thought that filled him with envy.

"Looks good from the front Spock," Kirk said with a smile. "Turn around and let's see how they fit in the back." Sulu's attention switched to Kirk and back to Spock, who had turned to face the door and held his arms out. It had been clear from the front that the clothes fitted Spock perfectly and a view from the back was not needed, but quite obviously was desired by Kirk. The jeans fit Spock rather tightly in the back, fitting the form of his butt a little too perfectly for Sulu's taste. When Sulu looked at Kirk and saw him biting his lip, clearly holding back the wave of lust that swept over him, he fought back a gag.

"Oookay," Sulu said, spinning Spock around much to Kirk's disappointment. "The clothes fit you great Spock. I've pretty much got everything that I need for the trip clothing wise in my bag already. Take what you need from my dresser." Spock and Kirk began pulling clothes out of the dresser drawers when Sulu added, "Just…whatever you do, please make sure you wash my clothes before you return them. And spare me any and all details of what you do while he's wearing them."

Smirking, Kirk said, "Sure, I'll try to remember," giving a wink before he and Spock left the room with a week's worth of clothes in their arms.