Okies! On with the entertainment of Spock and Chris on Shore Leave! *insert evil cackle here*
2258 – September 5th 1300 hours
Chris leapt headlong into the ocean, hardly feeling the bite of the colder water for the bliss of being back. She'd always loved the sea, loved to swim, loved to wander the beach. She surfaced and took in a deep breath before turning and glancing at her friend. Spock stood at the waters edge, the wave she'd dove under just lapping at his toes. He winced at the cold and took a step back. She laughed.
"Spock, come on, don't deny yourself the experience." She teased as a wave passed her, lifting her a few feet before it passed and rushed to shatter itself on the beach. The waves were rougher than she'd expected but she was a more than capable swimmer.
"It is hardly 18* Celsius. I am Vulcan Chris." He answered firmly. "We are not well adapted to the cold."
With a sigh she caught the next big wave in, letting it drag her body onto the shore. She stood and walked out of the knee-deep wake, up to her friend. "You are half Vulcan, Spock, and it's not that cold. Besides, we both know Vulcans can survive just fine in the cold, you just don't like the feel of it."
She watched his eyes narrow very slightly. "Vulcan have no preferences to temperature of environment. We are simply most accustomed to the desert."
She grinned, realizing she had won, and grabbed his arm after scooping up two snorkels and masks. "Good, then you'll come snorkeling with me. We can study the local animal life. It's a quick swim to the reef."
Spock did not particularly enjoy the idea of entering fully into the cold salt water, however the prospect of studying something he was intrigued by was appealing. As was the idea of pleasing Chris and spending time with her. However… he took two steps forward and had to control the involuntary urge to leap back as the cold wave hit his ankles and feet.
"No Chris. It is cold." He said firmly, stepping back.
She pouted and shoved one of the two masks into his chest and turned. He grabbed for the plastic tool as she stormed into the waves. She said nothing but he knew in an instant that he had upset her. It was cold, but he would become accustomed to the cold…
Dark blue, curved fins caught Spock's eye as he watched Chris swim, her face down in the water as she used the mask. Panic rose in his chest. What animal on earth, with dark, curved fins tended to swim in the ocean off California? Sharks.
"Chris!" He yelled, attempting to get her attention. "Chris, return at once!" She either did not hear or ignored his cries, as she did nothing. Panic and fear bubbled up, past his control and his heart rate increased, his breathing quickened and every muscle in his body tensed. Pulling the mask over his face he ran headlong into the ocean.
With his fear and panic like fire in his veins he did not feel the cold of the waters as he swam, powerfully, toward Chris. Within a few moments he was by her side and the finned creatures were much closer. He grabbed her arm and hauled her against his chest.
She spluttered, her head coming up and her eyes narrowing on him. "Spock, what the hell?"
"Swim," He ordered, pushing her toward the shore. "Swim quickly."
"Spock what?" Her eyes slid from his face to the fins behind him and her expression shifted from a mask of annoyance to a bright smile. "Spock! Look behind you! It's dolphins!"
A warm something butted against his mid-section, forcing him flush against Chris. Looking over his shoulder he felt like a complete idiot, a feeling he was totally unaccustomed to. "Dolphins?" He asked, staring, eyes wide. She nodded. "I see."
She giggled, from her mind (his hand was still wrapped on her bare shoulder) he saw her figure it out. "You thought they were sharks, didn't you?" He nodded, ashamed. "You are so SWEET!" She said brightly just before a warm pair of lips pressed to his cheek. "You came to save me."
His body, which was finally feeling the cold, warmed all over; his breath hitched and his hand tightened involuntarily on her. The creatures swam around them, nosing, prodding, and Chris pulled free from him, running her hands over the animals. For a long moment he couldn't pay attention to the fascinating animals, so enthralled was he by the joy and child-like wonder in her eyes.
A wash of water splashed over his head and Chris laughed. Looking behind him he saw the dolphins jumping, doing flips, in general playing around them. Chris closed her hand around the fin of one and suddenly she was pulled over fifty feet from him, giggling. His lips quirked up as he watched her play with the dolphins, he turned his eyes from her every now and then to examine the aquatic mammals.
Below her own bright and roiling happiness Chris could feel the fluttering of Spock's excitement and curiosity. She stroked the back of one of the animals while she studied the Vulcan.
He looked good, his hair plastered to his head, his powerful arms and legs keeping him afloat. If only his idea of a swimsuit hadn't been a frikin' dive skin. Only a millimeter thick it offered no warmth but it shielded his skin from the sun as it covered his well muscled, tall frame from knees to elbows in a deep red cloth. Still though… he looked good.
The dolphins eventually got bored with the slow bipeds and swam off. She was pleased to find that once his panic had worn off Spock had not returned to the beach but agreed to follow her to the reef. Chris felt his contentment once they reached the collection of rocks and coral outgrowths. Catching sight of a sea urchin she took a deep breath and dove for it. Slipping her hands under the creature she made sure she didn't squeeze it, instead she lifted it gently to the surface.
Spock's brow arched in interest as she gently extended her hands to him. "Palms flat, don't squeeze it." She ordered, settling the hedgehog of the sea into Spock's large palms. His eyes grew slightly wide a moment later and Chris assumed it was using its suction cup appendages to grip onto his skin.
"It has attached itself to me." He commented, treading water effectively with just his legs. Dark eyes flickered to Chris'. "What is this creature?"
Chris smiled. "It's a sea urchin. They're the not dangerous type; the long spiked things are the more dangerous cousins. This breed is pretty neat though."
Spock closely examined the critter, placing his masked face into the water and looking it over intently. Chris smiled and left him to it for a moment, searching for other, equally interesting, sea animals. Along the bottom, half buried in the sand, something caught her eye. Not an animal, but the remains of one.
Taking a deep breath Chris dove into the water and swam for the object. Nearly thirty feet down the sandy bottom was deep and her lungs burned as she reached it. Curling her fingers gently around the remains, Chris swam powerfully up, exhaling to make her lungs burn less with the Carbon monoxide.
When she hit the surface she panted, gulping air greedily for a few moments. She felt Spock's eyes on her before she looked up to see them watching her as intently as they had the sea urchin. She swam to him, smiling.
"What do you think of it?" She asked, nodding to the living critter in his hands.
"A most fascinating creature." He answered. It might have bothered someone else but Chris felt his emotions and she knew from experience that 'most fascinating' was a very high compliment from her stoic friend.
She laughed, excited and pleased. "So I'll swap you and return it to it's home." With one hand Chris broke the little animal's grip on Spock's flesh and balanced it on one palm. She pressed her find into his empty hands. "This is what one looks like once it's died."
As he studied the sea urchin remains she returned the living critter to the place where she'd found it. When she resurfaced Spock offered her the 'shell'.
"Should this, too, be returned?" He asked.
She shook her head. "Naw, it's all yours. I figured you might like it." She admitted. The very slight twitch to his lips and the dark blue flare of contentment and joy were the only clues to how much the statement affected him.
"You are correct, I do find it intriguing and am not opposed to keep it." He said softly, his arms brushed hers as they tread water together. "As you were correct about the intrigue this holds for me. I thank you for pushing me into joining you."
Chris smiled slightly and fought the urge to wrap her arms around her friend. Instead she just nodded. "My pleasure. I'm really glad I get to share this with you." And if she kept it to herself well enough he would never need to know how much it meant to her.
2258 – September 6th 0700 Hours
Spock looked up at Christopher, startled by the offer. "I know you two might have plans for today, but, you know. If you're interested." It did not take a genius to see that the Admiral's eyes flickered to Chris and he looked… a little sad. Spock knew that until the Academy Chris had been close only to her Father and they saw very little of one another.
"Well," Chris was saying, looking guilty and torn. "I was planning on taking Spock to…"
"Chris." Spock interrupted. "I would be most intrigued to 'go sailing' with your Father. Perhaps we might plan the Zoo trip for another day?" He had been looking forward to the Zoo, but sailing was an intriguing possibility.
The Admiral smiled slightly. "I haven't been to the Zoo since you were ten." He said to Chris.
Spock saw another opportunity. It would be awkward, spending time with both of them, as he often felt like an outsider when with the two of them, but Chris' eyes were distant and her lips curled into a smile at the memory.
"Perhaps we might make a day of the two?" Spock asked. "The three of us could go sailing this morning and to the Zoo this afternoon and evening."
The Admiral shot Spock a grateful look as Chris eagerly nodded her head. "That sounds great." Chris exclaimed, beaming. "When should we leave?"
The admiral glanced at the clock and Spock wondered if the man could handle the ship alone given his slightly weakened state. "I'll call the guys." The Admiral stated. "We should leave the dock by… 0930 hours. So We'll leave in two hours time."
Chris nodded and began collecting the used plates. "So I'll have time to wash up and grab my things." Spock realized she intended to wash up alone, again, and decided it was most uncouth to allow her to do so every day. He began to collect his used dishes and utensils. "Spock," Chris said, her hand gently stilling his with a touch that created a pleasant jolt of heat, "I can do this."
He shook his head. "No Chris, I shall aide you and you shall have more time to prepare." He stood seamlessly and removed the plates from her hands. She laughed and shook her head but said nothing. For a moment he was afraid he had done something to upset her as the action of shaking one's head was a usual human sign of annoyance.
But he saw the humor and the gratitude in her eyes and realized that, as with many human actions, a single act might have many possible causes. She was not annoyed, nor upset with him. He set the dishes into the sink and Chris set the water running and added the soap.
"You wash, I'll dry and put away?" Chris asked softly as the Admiral spoke in soft tones to someone over the video communicator. "Since you don't know where everything goes?"
Spock did not mind dirty work and the water was warm, and he did, indeed, not know where anything belonged. "That is acceptable." He informed her, dipping his hands into the hot water.
An hour later Spock stood in Chris' bedroom doorway. He had come to ask her what he ought to wear and bring on the boat, he was quite out of his depth when it came to sailing. A feeling he was becoming more and more accustomed to the longer he knew Chris. However he was stalled when he opened the door at her beset and saw her.
Her hair was up in twin horsetails, fully exposing her shoulders and mostly bare back. The pale sun glistened through the windows and made her hair look like white gold and her scars almost glitter, though it wasn't possible. She glanced over her shoulder at him, a sweet smile on her lips that died as soon as she saw him.
"Is that what you're wearing?" She asked, her voice almost incredulous.
He glanced down at his black slacks and long sleeved shirt. "Yes." He stated simply. "Is it not appropriate?"
She rolled her eyes. "Spock, tell me, do Vulcan's suffer from sunburn?"
The question surprised him. "No, we do not." What did sunburn have to do with his choice of dress?
She rolled to her feet gracefully and strode to him. "Do you even own shorts? A T-shirt?"
"I do not." He informed her easily. Why would he wear clothes which allowed for accidental skin to skin contact?
"Do you have jeans? A regular button down shirt?" She asked, looking up into his face, her eyes unreadable.
"I do not." He answered, wondering where the discussion was going.
He watched Chris glance at the clock and do a rapid calculation with her fingers, which he knew was completely unnecessary. "We don't have time for a shopping trip today, so tomorrow you and I are going to but you some normal, human clothes."
For the barest moment he felt self-concious. "Is what I wear not acceptable?"
Chris shook her head and laid her hand on his, her mind brushing against his and flooding him with ease. "It's fine. Just slacks and nice sweaters are so… formal. You could use a few casual things." She eyed his clothes. "Besides, if they get wet won't they chafe?"
They would, indeed, chafe if wetted down, particularly the sweater. "Am I mistaken about the purpose of sailing? We shall ride above the water on a boat." His clothing should not get wet…
She snickered. "Well, yes. But the water will splash, you will get a bit wet."
The look of very mild distaste in Spock's oh-so human eyes told her how distasteful the idea of becoming wet was to him. "Indeed." He said blankly.
Chris snickered and strode to her closet. Digging through the mass of hanging shirts she found her stash of men's shirts. Soft as cotton could be, light and airy, and huge, she usually wore them as dresses. Pulling a dark red one from the hanger she threw it over her shoulder at Spock.
She turned to see him examining it. "It'll be more comfortable to wear if it gets a bit damp than the sweater." She explained.
"Thank you." He said simply and she felt the quick wash of gratitude as he strode from her room into his borrowed one. A minute later he walked out, the deep crimson looked good against his pale skin.
He'd tucked the shirt in, buttoned it to the collar, and the sleeves were a little too short. Chris smiled at the image he portrayed as he walked to her side. "You are correct, this is quite soft and will likely not chafe if dampened." He told her, looking slightly uncomfortable.
Chris took his hand and began rolling the sleeves, ignoring his twinge of shock. "Do you own regular button downs? Aside from the one I gave you and your silk, suit one?"
"I do not." Spock informed her, relaxing slowly into her newest form of space invasion.
"Well you look far too formal still." She told him gently. "There are a few great ways to make formal or semi-formal clothes look casual." She smiled at him softly. "We're friends Spock, so there's no need to look formal with me or my Dad. So you can roll the sleeves to your elbow," she finished with his sleeves and reached for his collar. He stiffened again but did not step back, a clear sign f his trust for her. "And unbutton the top few buttons of your shirt." Standing so close she could feel the heat of his breath as if wafted across her face. For a moment she couldn't remember what she had been doing for the …interesting… mental images the feeling provided her with.
She undid the collar one and the one directly below it, spreading them to expose a little of his chest and the very slight tuft of dark chocolate chest hair she didn't know he had. Turning she pointed toward the reflection in her mirror. "What do you think?" She asked.
He viewed himself critically and she took the opportunity to do the same. He looked good… damn good. "Interesting." He said, studying him self. "I do see the difference, thank you Chris."
Chris brushed off the thanks. "No biggie Spock, that's what our friendship was based upon, remember?" The slightly awkward talks about human interaction, the even more awkward first few outings, the easy relaxation of the musicals and plays, the total comfort and sense of belonging with him that she had finally reached…
"I do remember." He said, though the question had been mostly rhetorical. She'd have to work with him a little more on rhetorical questions and sarcasm, he was still having difficulty with those…
Spock felt the rocking of the boat as he watched Chris step aboard, he knew that her balance was adequate enough for her to maintain her footing but that knowledge did not stop him from stepping forward to offer her his hand in aide. He was, as Jim would say, 'beaten to the punch' by a young human man who stepped forward smiling in a most familiar way at Chris.
She accepted the man's aide before looking him full in the face, her expression a mingle of uncertainty, joy, and oddly enough horror.
"Luke?" She asked, her voice most unsure.
"Hello Chrissy." The human said familiarly, pulling Chris into a full body hug, which she returned after only a moments hesitation. "You look good."
"Luke I can't believe you're still working for my Daddy!" She exclaimed, tightening her hold on the man… boy. "How are you?" She pulled back from the hug to press her lips to the man's cheek, which was dark with stubble.
The boy… man returned the gesture. "I'm good, and of coarse I am, for the summer and fall semesters. I took a break when I heard what happened." The man helped Chris down the little stairs and onto the front of the boat, motioning for her to lay on the pillows sprawled about. "I'll be your bartender today, so if you want anything, you just ask me, alright sugar?"
It was odd how the same dark rage from the Klingon attack returned, blended with a dark, sickly green emotion that made him want violence. The same emotion he had felt when Chris told him about her unrequited feelings but worse. He quivered slightly with the force of the emotion and his displeasure at being ignored. He needed to CONTROL the emotion… Why wasn't Chris noticing?
But in his distraction they had continued talking. "…And this is Spock, my closest friend." Chris glanced at Spock and shot him a sweet smile but her eyes were worried. "Spock, come here and meet my high school boyfriend, Luke."
He moved stiffly to her, sinking beside her with a farce of his usual grace. Immediately she moved her hand toward his, two of her fingers just barely touching the back of his hand but the simple touch was more than enough. He relaxed, not because of her gift but because of the warm comfort of her mind against his.
You alright there Spock? She asked him silently while regaling her human friend with the story of how they had met. You're feeling all twisted up under than Vulcan control of yours.
I am quite controlled now, thank you. He didn't want to try and explain something even he didn't understand fully.
The human, Luke, was extending his hand toward Spock and it took a moment for Spock to understand what he desired. His lifted his hand, feeling mildly ill at the thought of touching Chris' old boyfriend when Chris' hand covered Luke's.
"Luke, Spock is Vulcan. They don't touch strangers, or even their lovers most of the time. They're touch telepaths." Chris explained quickly.
The human simply smiled as the boat moved under them and shifted from the dock, the little motor humming. His hand reached up and brushed a lock of Chris' hair behind her pointed ear, deliberately, as far as Spock could tell, brushing his finger along the shell of the sensitive organ. "You seem to like being touched well enough."
Spock sensed the explosion of raw lust and panic from Chris, felt the emotions with her as their minds were connected. He twisted his hand and curled his fingers around hers, thinking the most unappealing thing he could at that moment, which was the physics professor at the Academy, a truly ancient old human woman in the most revealing of Chris' bathing suits he had seen thus far.
It worked, startling a laugh out of his friend and generating enough disgust to combat the tide of lust and allow her logical mind to regain control. Chris pulled away from the touch and closer to Spock, nearly into his arms.
"I feel like a bottle of water." She said simply, offering a slight grin to the human, Luke. "You Spock?" She asked.
"That would be most appreciated." He said, shifting slightly closer to Chris, positioning himself, without touching, as he had often seen Jim with Uhura. Chris had explained it laid a claim without being too overt. It seemed to work as the Human's brown eyes flicked from himself to Chris twice before he nodded and left Spock and his friend alone.
AN: I am terribly sorry. It's been a helluva week since I got back. You ever feel like you have all this shit to catch up on after a vacation that you need another vacation again? Well that's how the last six days were. AND My car broke down, AGAIN. Just a week before a planned road trip and three weeks before classes start up again! Arg. Anywho, I know I promised cookies but they had to wait since… well… I had such a blast on my sailing and snorkeling and diving that I had to toss some of it in there!
So, next chapter is Spock and Chris sailing, at the Zoo, cookie baking, and clothes shopping! Spock in jeans, wife beater and button down! I think I just gave myself the chills…
Also, ideas for birthday gifts?! Party ideas?! HELP ME!!! I LIVE off the plot bunnies of my fans! Seriously, without them I'd like… die. Crash and burn baby.
And for my friend Miller330, your latest idea is wonderful but I dunno if I'll use it now or later on. But I am so going to use it! Love you babe!
