Alas, I don't own Star Trek. It is a shame, for truth. Nor do I own Sweeney Todd or any references to it.
And to those of you who have expressed aggravation at the urge to review on mobile devices, sorry.
… .. . .. … … .. . .. … … .. . .. …
"Whoa." Jim leaned down over Spock's station, invading his personal space like it was nothing, which, all things considered, it probably was. "Is that all a thunder storm?"
"Yes, Captain." Spock shifted the array focus out to show the breadth of the storm. "It appears to be covering approximately 321.869 kilometers diameter. Peak winds appear to be approximately 153 kilometers per hour. It is a considerable storm."
Jim whistled. "Yeah. I guess so. Any other mega-storms?"
"None of this magnitude." Spock pulled up the current list of storms they were keeping track of. "As you can see, Captain, they are predominately limited to 40.234 kilometers in diameter. There are seven notable rain storms, two of which are experiencing thunder, four snowstorms of importance, one hail storm, twenty windstorms and a storm formation that appears it will soon develop into a tornado."
Jim hummed. "No one's beaming down near that. How many biomes?"
"There appear to be approximately 9 differentiated biomes on the planet." Spock informed him curtly, shifting the screen to show the somewhat hypothetical map they were starting to form, showing the separation of the biomes.
"Hm." Jim furrowed his brow. "What are the numbers on these storms? It seems like they're cropping up awfully fast."
"Indeed. I believe Ensign Chevok is currently calculating the numbers. It has made predicting and tracking the storms exceedingly challenging."
Jim laughed at the little gleam in his Science Officer's eyes. "Carry on Mr. Spock."
With a grin, he skidded across the bridge, flinging himself into Chekov's space with a wild look in his eyes. "A little green elf told me you have some numbers for me Ensign."
Chekov giggled. "Da. I am hawving numbers Keptin."
Jim leaned down to look, oblivious of the looks his bridge crew were giving him. "Oh wow. Is the science crew feeding these to your station directly?"
"Da."
"Keep up the good work." Jim turned around to face the rest of his crew, deciding where to go next.
Everyone snapped around in their chairs at once, back to their stations. Well, except for Uhura. She was grinning at him. Jim felt kind of bad, because she didn't have a lot to do while they were making this report. So while his crew was having fun observing, she and her department were working on their own pet projects. Jim jogged over, a charming smile on his face. If it was at all possible, her smile brightened.
"How is my magnificent communications officer doing?" Jim leaned against the console there.
She shook her head. "Just happy to see you're acting like usual."
"Usual?" Jim frowned, trying to think about what he was doing.
"Well..." She cocked her head to the side. "Maybe a bit more excited than usual."
Jim leaned a bit closer, dropping his voice. "I didn't think about it. What do I usually do?"
"Just this." She admitted softly. "You run around up here until everyone gets tired of you asking questions every few minutes, which usually takes a day or two, and then you start seeking out individual reports down among the rest of the crew."
"Huh." He folded his arms across his chest, thinking how many times in the last year he had done something like that. "Isn't that a little unprofessional on my part?"
Uhura rolled her eyes. "No Captain. It really isn't."
"Okay..." Jim hummed. "That's...weird..."
"No. It isn't." She narrowed her eyes, leaning forward a bit. "Stop it right there. You are doing good things. Now take a look at my report, smirk and then go back to pestering Spock."
Jim blushed, but followed her orders. He was surprised by just how insistent she could be. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing being a bit like her. She clearly had a far better handle on how he acted normally than he did. That was starting to get really annoying.
… .. . .. …
"No wait. Hear me out." Jim insisted.
Spock and McCoy continued to stare at him. Clearly they were not keen on his idea. Jim raised his hands, attempting to seem marginally less crazy.
"Look. Spock'll be right there next to me, in case anything even starts to look like it'll go wrong. It'll only be for a little while, and the second he says we're done, we're done. I won't protest. It's an important experiment anyway. If I notice anything wrong, I'll put a stop to it. No pushing limits I shouldn't." Jim finished with a winning smile.
"No."
Jim fixed McCoy with a flat look. "Oh come on."
"I find I agree with Doctor McCoy, as regrettable as that may be."
Jim pouted at Spock, widening his eyes to look hurt. "I thought you'd be on my side."
Spock shifted in his seat, just a little, and Jim didn't miss it that time. "Captain..."
"Oh no you don't." McCoy growled. "Don't even start playing those mind games. This I why I say no. Because Spock won't be able to think rationally about how safe you are."
Now Spock looked affronted, raising an eyebrow. "I believe you are underestimating me, Doctor. I am quite capable of behaving logically, even in proximity to Jim's emotions."
"Oh really?" McCoy saw his eyebrow and raised him a second one. "Because I have multiple occurrences I can site that prove otherwise. Besides, your productivity will plummet and Jim will be as useful as a road-lizard in a tea kettle."
"I'm not even going to pretend I understand what that idiom means." Jim scowled at him.
Bones rolled his eyes. "I'm still not convinced that it's safe, anyway."
"We went over this Bones." Jim sighed. "All of the tests said it would be fine. I want to do this. You said I should, even."
"That is not what I said!" McCoy choked out an indignant gasp.
"I find I am not curious to know your opinion in that regard." Spock glanced between them. "Jim, what you propose is potentially dangerous. It would be the longest such act you have yet to undergo."
Jim laughed. "Spock! I've been camping before."
"Camping in a familiar and already explored territory has different requirements to an expedition on an unfamiliar planet." Spock scolded.
"Besides," McCoy interrupted. "I don't like the plan of splitting everyone up in pairs. You should have larger teams than that."
"Again." Jim rolled his eyes, tapping the lunch table distractedly. "Every group has at least one person trained in basic field medicine, not that it'll be necessary because we're going to be in contact with the Enterprise the entire time. Larger groups will make navigation and safety more difficult. Don't roll your eyes at me. You know how easy it is for something to go wrong in a large group. Besides, I'm not sending more of my crew down there and I'm not cutting back on the number of exploration parties. My entire science crew assures me that we'll get the best information from these spots."
"Why am I staying on the ship then?"
"Because I need my chief medical officer up here in case someone falls off a cliff or has an allergic reaction to something or some other purely random and highly unlikely occurrence. Just in case." Jim noted the unimpressed look on his faced and tried another tactic. "Besides, do you really want to ride around in a shuttle and be beamed down on an unknown planet, potentially through a storm?"
McCoy blanched. "No. And I don't want you to either. Why do you have to go in the middle of a storm? And why Spock? Why not take an actual medical personnel?"
"My medical training, while not a primary area of study, more than surpasses the requirements for Starfleet Officers." Spock protested blandly.
"That." Jim pointed to him with a smile. "And the fact that Spock's the Science Officer, so he deserves to go to the best spot on the planet, and thirdly, because Spock can get in my head and find me if I do happen to do this hypothetical stupid thing you seem to expect so much of me. So really, you have nothing valid to complain about. My only question is why Spock doesn't want to go along with it."
Spock raised an eyebrow in acknowledgment that he was supposed to start defending his position. "It is illogical for the captain to leave his starship. Further more, you are likely to be a hindrance."
Jim gaped at him. "Gee, why don't you tell me how you really feel?"
Spock's eyebrow twitched disapprovingly. "I do not mean that to cause you distress, Jim. However, it is highly likely that you will prove to be a distraction while I am attempting to gather scientific data. It is therefor more logical that I do not have a partner or, barring that, am allowed to choose one that will not detract from my intended work."
"So I'm a distraction now?" Jim purred in amusement, shifting how he was sitting to brush his calf against Spock's.
Spock raised an eyebrow at him. "The logical action for you would be to attempt to disprove this, not provide further evidence to prove my hypothesis."
Jim straightened himself out, coughing awkwardly and dropping his smile. "Yes. Well. Come on Spock. When have I been anything less than professional during a landing or an exploration?"
Spock glanced at McCoy and Jim knew he had won. He strove for professionalism, for distance, and for being careful. There had been a few mistakes over the last year, but none Jim was responsible for. He had a spotless record, and that was something they couldn't argue against. McCoy sighed, turning back to his food first. Considering that argument won, Jim turned back to his lunch.
"Also." Jim muttered around a mouthful. "I want to practice having our bond open."
McCoy spit out his drink, which Jim found impressive. If he knew he could get spit takes from surprising his friend, he might have tried more often. Spock's grip on his fork loosened, and finally he set it down. Apparently this was intense discussion worthy. Considering they'd already had the discussion before, Jim wasn't sure why he was getting that specific look. Maybe because they hadn't talked about it with McCoy? With a sigh, he set his own cutlery down and leaned back in his chair.
"What?"
"You're joking." McCoy hissed, wiping at his mouth. "That is the worst idea I've ever heard."
"Really? Because I think it's great." Jim protested. "We're already working on it. I need to be able to not go into a panic attack every time the shield is dropped, especially if we're beaming down. It would be even better if we could just leave the bond open so it wouldn't be a distraction."
"As we are, as you have stated, already working on it...I can only presume you are suggesting we extend these efforts to work hours." Spock was completely stiff again, bad sign.
"That!" McCoy declared loudly. "That! And the fact that it'll be an even bigger distraction."
"It will not."
"It will, Jim." Spock countered.
Jim sighed. "Fine. Not during the mission, but I promise I'll be significantly better behaved on the bridge. If not a continuous thing, then he can drop the shield at random times so I get more used to the sensation. That way, if I go missing or something you don't risk me getting into a worse spot when you try to find me. Let me work on this. Please?"
McCoy growled. "I'd spend the rest of my shift on the bridge."
"I'm okay with that." Jim insisted, before turning his eyes pleadingly on Spock.
"Very well Jim." Spock nearly sighed, Jim could just tell. "I will, at my discretion."
"That's all I can ask."
… .. . .. …
"How you doing Jim?" McCoy cackled gleefully as Jim rubbed his temples for the third time in six minutes.
Spock was playing havoc on his mind with the sharp drops of the shield. Jim was ignoring it as best he could and, with the exception of one time he stood up sharply, hadn't made a movement towards Spock. That was great. As was the subsiding panic each time. He still twitched and his heart twinged painfully, which McCoy did not approve of at all. It did get easier, though, so even though his lungs felt like they were going to close up, he though he was getting the hang of it. He could recognize the feeling, before Spock dropped the shield, and he was trying to brace for it more. In no time Jim was sure the headache would fade and he could focus on his work.
Spock didn't seem to have lost any of his productivity.
"I'm fine." Jim grimaced, glaring at McCoy. "Don't you have an ensign to hypo or something?"
"I've got plenty of free time for you." McCoy grinned devilishly. "Now hold still while I run a tricorder over you again."
Jim huffed, glaring ineffectually at the view screen when people started looking in his direction. "Laugh it up Bones. I'm still going planet side without you."
Bones froze, glaring at him. "Don't make me hypo you."
Jim opened his mouth to protest, and was cut off by Spock dropping the bond. He whipped his head around to glare at him. Spock glanced back over his shoulder, innocently expressionless. Jim felt 'smug' radiating off of him. Jim smiled sweetly, focusing just enough to send a pang of annoyance through the bond. Spock's expression tightened and he turned back to his station. Victory; Jim. His smugness was cut off by the shield snapping back up. Who knew Spock could be a sore loser? This was something Jim was going to explore.
When Jim returned his attention to McCoy, he found a tricorder in his face. He squeaked, flailing a bit. A few snickers reminded him he was on the bridge. Bones was making him look bad. Jim huffed, settling into his seat. A few more hours and he could just leave. And then it was one more day until he was down on the planet.
… .. . .. …
"Okay." Sulu announced, looking up from the controls. "We're in the right spot. We'll beam you down here. You should be able to reach the Enterprise if anything goes wrong. Be sure to check in every now and then."
Jim glanced up from where he was pulling the backpack on his shoulders. "Seriously Sulu? We know."
"Thank you Lieutenant." Spock nodded, to Sulu's delight.
"Any time commander." Sulu turned back to his controls, positively beaming.
Jim took the moment to glance between them. Sulu was positively soaking in the...what? Compliment? Praise? Thanks, at least. It was positive attention from a commanding officer, something small, though. Something that probably shouldn't mean that much. Well, except it was Spock saying it...and Jim was being an asshole. He shot a smile Sulu's direction when he looked back and the pilot nodded happily.
"Let's get this show on the road." Jim ginned, rubbing his hands together.
Sulu seemed to take that as a go, because seconds later Jim was standing next to Spock in the middle of a tropical storm. The rain was hot and well...wet. So yes, Jim was having a moment of playing Captain obvious. The tall, luscious jungle around him was a little distracting. He could barely see through the canopy above, but those little glimpses were fissured with truly awe inspiring flashes of lightning. Most of the leaves above them were deep, gorgeous shades of purple. Those closer to the ground were brighter, but no less intense. Thin veins of black that eased to red or green, depending on the plant, made their way through the leaves. They reminded Jim of an Earth plant he had seen once, though he couldn't remember the name.
Of the many bushes and grasses around their legs, he found a continuous trend. They looked as though they had been washed in silver, the red and green and purple leaves dipped in translucent paint that left them shimmering and splendid. The colors were all at once overwhelming and somewhat muted. The water falling around them was heavy. So incredibly heavy. Jim felt as if he were going to be washed away.
"Captain." Spock drew his attention.
Jim glanced over to see his absolutely soaked first officer looking up from his tricorder readings. "Yeah?"
"I believe it would be prudent to explore our surroundings and ascertain a secure place for us to establish our camp." Spock tucked his tricorder away.
Jim was remotely grateful that they were waterproof. "Sounds like a plan. Do you have any idea which way we should start, or do we just walk?"
"Initial scans suggested the existence of a cavernous outcropping approximately 4.83 kilometers to the east of this location." Spock inclined his head. "It would be most gratifying to explore this structure, even if it is not suitable as shelter."
Jim grinned, and how the hell was he supposed to say no when Spock used words like gratifying at him. "Alright Mr. Spock. I leave myself in your capable hands. Let's get started."
That proved minutely more difficult than first planned. Not finding east and getting started, that was easy. The walking proved difficult. The rain slowed their pace considerably. Spock took the slow pace in stride, cataloging everything he could and just observing. The wet didn't seem to bother him all that much, though the warm temperature was a likely helping. Jim, however, was not enjoying the trip.
He was wet,again, this was obvious, and felt like his uniform was chafing more than was strictly fair. His lungs burned from the humidity, though he suspected Spock would have preferred a more arid environment in that regard too. The soft moss and tree debris and mulch was turning to mud under them and Jim was constantly risking slipping or sinking. Jim felt hot, overexerted in the moist jungle air. His eyes were bleary from the rain and his head was throbbing. It was altogether disgusting, unsettling, and annoying.
"So." Jim called when he felt like staying silent any longer was going to kill him. "Tell me about this cave we're headed to."
Spock glanced up from where he was scanning a flower he had plucked while walking. "It appears to be a large structure composed of crystalline substructures. It is predominantly subterranean."
"So..." Jim smirked. "It's a giant geode."
"Essentially, yes." Spock inclined his head to allow Jim his little victory. "I am curious to scan the composition of the crystals it is composed of. Further, I wish to inspect just how large this structure is."
Jim nodded enthusiastically, an encouraging smile on his face. Content that he had fulfilled Jim's questions, Spock returned to his work. Jim started looking for other things to entertain himself, such as picking up rocks he found along the way. Spock glanced at him when he initially started doing so, but was mostly ignoring him at this point. Jim kept finding really interesting rocks in fun colors. His favorite was a little, perfectly round black one.
He also had a weird little green one that was jagged on one side and smooth on the other.
Jim found it surprisingly distracting, which was good because otherwise he was going to be bored out of his mind. Not even doing warp core physics could distract him from the miserable nature of their walk. Normally he would love the whole nature excursion thing, but that was being dampened...ha...by the rain.
Jim leaned down while Spock was running scans over something or another to find another rock. This one was red. Actually, it was also smooth on one side and jagged. Jim, in his brilliance, dug the other one out of his bag and started seeing if he couldn't get the two stones to fit together. Yes, sometimes Jim was a little boy, but anything to dull the mind numbing walk. He hadn't realized he stopped walking, focusing intently on his puzzle. His tongue was poking out the corner of his mouth and he had narrowed his eyes.
"Captain."
Jim jumped in surprise "Gah! What?"
Spock raised an eyebrow and Jim glanced down at his hands. Apparently the stones had seen fit to fall into place after all his hard work. It was rough, and some of the points overlapped, but there were no holes between them. Jim felt his face heat up, because it looked a lot like he was holding a heart shaped rock in his hands. Albeit one that was green and red with a fissure in it.
"You are playing with stones." Spock accused.
And yeah, it was an accusation.
Jim rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, shifting the stones to one hand. "Uh...well, I thought they looked like they went together, so I was trying to figure the puzzle out."
Spock raised an eyebrow. "They do not appear to be made out of the same material Captain. There is no logical reason to believe they would fit together."
Jim rolled his eyes. "So what? Things made of different material can't go together? I mean...look. They do. They look like a heart."
Spock glanced down at Jim's hand. "The two stones do not appear in any way similar to the cardiac muscle of any known species."
"I'm talking about the Earth symbol called a heart, Spock, not an actual muscle." Jim sighed.
Spock cocked his head to the side. "Ah. You are referring to the ideograph Terrans have used to denote the concept of the heart. It is also sometimes used as a logogram. That is most illogical and I do not see the resemblance."
Jim felt an eye roll creeping up. "Yeah, well, I'm illogical. Here. Take the red one."
"I do not wish to take one of the rocks."
"Well, too bad. I want you to." Jim smirked. "I used to have something like this with my brother. They were these things called friendship charms. There were two charms, one for each person, and they looked like broken halves of a heart when they were apart. Put together, they made a whole heart."
Spock raised an eyebrow. "Why would I desire to poses only half a heart?"
Oh yeah, there was that eye roll. "The point is that someone else has the other half of your heart."
"Do you and your brother still posses there charms?"
Jim shook his head. "No. Sam threw his in the fireplace and I threw mine into a quarry...not a good day. So yeah. Anyway. It may be a bit juvenile, but it's fun. You keep the red one, because that's my color, and I'll keep the green one because it's yours."
Spock glanced down as Jim deposited the wet, smooth stone in his hand. It was highly unorthodox, unusual, and illogical. Jim's bright eyes shone with anticipation and Spock closed his fingers over the stone. It seemed to weigh inexplicable heavier in his palm than just moments before. Jim grinned, positively beaming.
Highly illogical.
… .. . .. …
Jim was gaping. He was highly aware of this fact because he was about half a second form having to spit out a mouthful of water. That or drown.
The geode was mostly buried in the ground, composed of a series of exceptionally tall and jagged rocks. The whole structure seemed to be a hundred feet in diameter or so, by Jim's completely not professional estimate, and about half as tall. It was still impressive. There were a few outcroppings, like points that burst as it bubbled up, sparkling with the promise of more open geodes or nodules. If this was mostly subterranean, he could imagine why it had peaked Spock's interest. It was beautiful, in a somewhat scary way.
There was an opening, somewhat covered by bushes, that was on ground level. It was approximately eight feet tall at the opening, sloping back until it rounded off and reached for the ground, ten feet across, and about the same back.
Spock was standing there, in the middle of the beautiful, glittering grayish-white crystals.
Jim shook his head, spitting out the accumulated water before he trotted over. "So? Like what you see?"
Spock glanced up at him, one eyebrow in his hairline. "Captain."
Jim rolled his eyes. "I wasn't flirting that time. I was serious. What do you think of your geode? Do you like it?"
Spock pursed his lips ever so slightly. "It is illogical to like a geological structure, Captain."
Jim chuckled. "Okay. Fine. Be like that. This looks like it's just about the perfect size to put up our tent though. What do you think? It would offer added protection from the rain and a pretty awesome base camp. At least for the night. Do you think we can set up base here?"
Spock tilted his head in acquiescence. "We may proceed with a camp when I have finished my initial scans."
Jim grinned, shaking a little water from his hair. "Awesome. I'm going to wander around and look at this thing a bit. I promise I won't go climbing in any strange holes or touching weird looking things."
"Indeed." Spock didn't look impressed, returning to his scans.
With that settled, Jim wandered off to go look at other things. Spock could find him when he wanted help with something. The scenery hadn't changed much, but Jim was enjoying it all the same. Somehow it was different when you were exploring as opposed to walking to a destination. Jim had to admit to himself, it was nice out, even with the sticky, hot, gross rain. Chekov had estimated that the storm would be over about half way through their second day. That was just fine with Jim. He was looking forward to getting to dry out a little. Still, the whole place was wonderfully bright and interesting. What more could he ask for?
Jim didn't find anything interesting enough in his wandering to keep him out in that rain for much longer, so he headed back the direction he came, looking for Spock. He was not disappointed. Spock was still drenched, seemingly not bothered by that fact, kneeling in the dirt in the 'cave' looking at its composition. There was a strange shimmer on his skin and hair that wasn't from the rain that made Jim pause. He looked for a moment like he was glowing, a halo of light sparkling off of him. Jim had to stifle his laugh before he approached, or Spock would spend the next three days glaring at him.
When he got himself under control, he trotted over, immediately realizing what he was looking at. "Hey Spock."
"Captain." Spock nodded to him. "I am almost done."
"Good. Good." Jim reached down and buried his hand in Spock's hair.
Spock bristled ever so slightly. "Captain?"
"You're covered in crystal dust." Jim explained. "It's sticking to you because you're wet. That's going to suck later. It's like glittery sand."
Spock hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I will remove the dust at a later point."
Jim chuckled, retrieving his hand. "You should take some back to the ship for Uhura."
"I see no reason why Uhura would desire powdered crystals." Spock turned back to his work in what could almost be called a huff.
"Trust me." Jim insisted. "It'll be great."
Spock stopped responding then, so Jim just leaned against a set of less pointy crystals protruding from the wall and watched him. He could already see the sparkles all over his shirt. Oh well. If his biggest problem on this mission was beaming back up sparkling like an Orion nightclub dancer on Risa during Mardi Gras, then he was filing that under one of the best missions ever. Just so long as it didn't end up being one of those super fine powders that clogged up the ship computers.
Jim grimaced, gingerly standing up from the wall.
A few minutes later Spock stood up from his work and started removing the camping gear from his bag. Jim was more than happy to help. The tent did fit nearly perfectly in their little cave opening and Jim considered that a win on his part, even though no one had said it wouldn't.
"So now what?" Jim asked.
"It is approximately time that you should consume your noon meal." Spock glanced over to see him pulling a disgusted face. "Starfleet protein nibs are perfectly acceptable food, Jim. I do not understand your and Mr. Scott's illogical distaste of them."
Jim pouted, pulling open the tent to go inside. "I don't think your taste buds work."
Spock declined to answer that, because really, he knew better than to argue with Jim on silly things, and followed him into the tent. Jim was already seated on the floor, pulling his boots off and vainly attempting to remove some of the mud with his hands. Spock removed his own quickly and placed them by the entrance to reduce the spread of the mud. He then peeled off his over shirt and set it aside to dry. When he glanced up next, Jim was staring at him.
"Captain?"
"We're on lunch." Jim scolded automatically, before glancing away bashfully. "It's nothing. I was just wondering why I didn't think about changing into something dry."
Spock looked him over, taking note of how the wet clothing clung and it was making Jim very self-conscious. "It will likely prove necessary to don our rain gear for further exploration."
Jim chuckled at the conversation change. "I'll remind you that you were the one who protested it in the first place. Something about it being unnecessarily cumbersome."
"Given the unknown density of the plant life," Spock gave him a scathing eyebrow raise. "Rain gear had the potential to slow down our progression considerably."
Jim nodded, pulling off his shirts in one smooth motion. "As wonderful as that is, I'm soaked. Like, completely."
"Eat, Jim." Spock reminded him, handling his own clothing change briskly.
Jim changed his pants forthright, but left the shirts off. He was already sticky and hot, he didn't need to be sweating all over a fresh shirt. The protein nubs were as dissatisfying as always. Jim relaxed a bit, watching as Spock focused on his PADD, documenting his current findings. Jim stretched out, poking Spock's calf with his foot. Spock ignored him the first five times he did it, but apparently the sixth was the charm because he looked up at Jim flatly.
"Yes Captain?"
Jim rolled his eyes; they were getting quite the work out. "We're on a long expedition trip, would it kill you to call me Jim?"
"No, Jim." Spock acquiesced.
Said blue eyed captain smiled. "Awesome. You do realize Chekov is up there telling everyone that we're making out, right?"
That got Spock's attention. "I did not."
Jim grinned. "Oh yeah. He totally is. He's going to be on about it for days, insisting he can see the signs of how we totally confessed our love for each other, how obvious it is, etc."
Spock raised both eyebrows. "I believe you are doing a disservice to the Ensign."
"I don't know." Jim shrugged. "You tell me. You know him better than I do. Why does he think we'll 'come to our senses' and start liking each other?"
Spock dropped his eyebrows sharply. "Your point has been made, Captain."
Jim stretched again. "I can just imagine how it's playing out in his head. One of us freezing from the rain-" "The rain is more than adequate temperature for both of our needs captain." "-cuddling to stay warm. Or a slip, spraining an ankle and you carry me back to the tent. A tender, quiet moment. A simple kiss, on accident because I just can't control myself. And that unleashes an unbridled passion in you."
"Unbridled passion." Spock repeated dubiously with a quirked eyebrow.
Jim cackled, pleased with that reaction. "Oh obviously! That's how it goes in holovids when two people are secretly in love with each other and haven't even admitted it to themselves."
"And how is one to determine the characters are in love?" Was it his imagination, or was Spock humoring him in this illogical conversation.
"Pft." Jim waved a hand dismissively at him. "That is easy. The sidelong glances, the blushing, the awkwardly sweet moments, the rushing to their side, dolling themselves up to see them when they don't realize they're doing it, all short hand for being in love."
"I see." Spock seemed to be considering something, before he met Jim's eyes with a strange look in his own. "You are in love with me."
Jim turned violet. "I am not! How did you come to that conclusion?"
"The frequency of your attentions towards me has increased drastically. You are quite often, as you are now, blushing in my presence when we are not discussing work. You have turned to me repeatedly when Doctor McCoy's opinion would be acceptable, and you yourself have described many of our supposedly romantic interactions as 'awkward'." A little smirk stole through the corners of his mouth. "By your own admission, does this not mean you are in love with me? I am given to understand this is not a willing choice, Jim. You need not be ashamed."
Jim gaped at him. "You're teasing me?!"
"That would be highly illogical and unproductive Captain."
He threw his head back laughing. "You almost had me there! No way. If anything you are the one in love with me."
"I respectfully disagree with your assessment Captain." Spock glanced back down at his PADD.
Jim's eyes were twinkling with mischievous intent. "Oh no. You fit even better into the holovid set up. You lied to protect me, even though it goes against everything you stand for. You accepted a wacky proposal. You had a greater investment in our initial relationship, no matter how that may have changed. You have constantly been letting me get away with awkwardly intimate gestures for my 'comfort'. And you can hardly take your eyes off of me. If any one here is in love, it's you."
Spock raised an eyebrow. "A Vulcan has no use for love, Jim."
He smirked. "No, but humans do."
There was a little moment between them acknowledging that both statements were partially wrong and more than accurate enough. And, of course, completely irrelevant. Jim finally broke down laughing, and he could see that little amused look in Spock's eyes. No laughing yet, but he'd get there. After a few good minutes, Jim relaxed back against his bed roll. Spock returned to his work, but he still seemed amused. It was nice to see that he did have an effect on him, even if it was minor. Jim watched his fingers dance over the PADD.
"Hey Spock, would it be so bad?" Jim muttered.
"Would what, Jim?"
"Loving me?" Jim caught the surprised glanced and sat up a bit straighter. "Not...personally. Or...I mean. This just got awkward. Geez. What I meant was, am I a good person? Do you think I could ever be good enough? Or would loving me be some kind of awful torture?"
Spock set aside his PADD, which made Jim incredibly anxious. "No Jim. I do not believe loving you would be bad by any definition of the word."
Jim's heart jumped a little in his chest, and he gave a hopeful little smile. "You think?"
"Yes Jim." He inclined his head a little, thinking on something seriously before he said it. "If the feeling were to be reciprocated and I were given a choice, I find it would be quite logical to be in love with you."
And his heart stuttered. "W-why?"
"Because Jim, you are loyal, smart, strong, and largely selfless. Though you may be impetuous at times, you are capable of deducing a logical and desired outcome from a seemingly illogical action." Spock leaned forward a little. "Your faithfulness is unmatched, as is your capacity for forgiveness. You are courageous and you are bold. You have no need to be humble, as you exceed even your own expectations time and again. You are an exceptional being, Jim and anyone would be privileged to share that with you."
Jim gasped. "Spock...I..."
Spock leaned back. "I do not, however, love you."
Jim gave a nervous chuckle, because it broke the tension, before grinning. "Yeah, well, I think it'd be pretty awesome being in love with you too. Probably wouldn't choose anyone else if I swung that way."
Spock raised an eyebrow. "Indeed? I would have presumed you would prefer Doctor McCoy."
Jim laughed. "No. Just, no. I love Bones, but he'll always be family and I could never think of him like that." Apparently not even in a situation where he was hypothetically attracted to guys...
"I see. I do not understand your rational for choosing me, however."
"That's easy." Jim leaned in like he was telling him a secret. "You're super smart, and kind, and funny and you're super loyal. Like, willing to go to extremes to be there for me when I need you. You're perfect at grounding me, and helping me. You are the most logical person I know, and you are passionate. You can be incredibly intense and you can be overly cautious at times but you aren't intimidated and I've never seen you ever truly afraid. You're an amazing guy, Spock. Plus, you're totally hot and we'd look fantastic together."
The little attempt at levity did nothing to change the charged look Spock was giving him.
So Jim tried a different tactic, running his bare foot up the side of Spock's calf. "Besides, I'm willing to bet the sex would be mind blowing."
Spock blinked, possibly in shock. "Jim..."
Jim grinned. "Possibly literally if you would show me that whole brain orgasm thing."
Spock glanced away, and was that a hint of an eye roll Jim spied? A laugh would be coming in no time. "Highly illogical."
Jim chuckled. Spock returned to his PADD and Jim moved to peer out the tent, watching the rain fall. Spock would let him know when it was time to do more exploring. He had already known he wouldn't be too much use, aside from holding various items and helping keep an eye out. Spock had said as much, anyway. Still, Jim was grateful to be included.
… .. . .. …
The rest of the day passed relatively quickly. They did a few more explorations of the area, though Spock decided they would leave climbing for after the storm passed. Jim was grateful for that, because the rock looked particularly slippery. With his personal track record, that whole sprained ankle part might just be a little more realistic, though considerably less sexy. Still, he wanted to see the higher nodules soon. It promised to be an interesting exploration. The rain suits thankfully kept them sufficiently dry, but it was a bit like a steamer for Jim. It was far too hot and next time he was taking a beach or something over the tropical jungle.
Actually, the thought of Spock on a beach was equal parts amusing and saddening. Spock would probably spend the entire time sciencing it up.
"So tired." Jim muttered kicking off his boots as he entered the tent.
Spock politely ignored him. Jim had behaved all day, helping as best he could, and not complaining in the slightest. Well, after lunch anyway. Their usual shifts were largely meaningless, however, so they spent a considerable amount of time exploring. Spock could hardly fault him for his exhaustion. The not inconsiderable effort that went into traversing the foreign jungle in the rain was physically draining even to Spock.
Jim flopped back onto the ground after he changed into his sleep clothes, eying his bed roll apprehensively. He wasn't getting to sleep without unrolling it. Conversely, unrolling it meant actually getting up long enough to do work. He could do that or he could just lay there until he mustered up the desire to actually go to bed. He glanced over to see Spock staring at him. He didn't care how immature he looked just then, he was going to lay directly on the floor of the tent for a little while longer.
"Do you desire aid in preparing your sleeping area, Jim?" Spock gave him this little look that could almost be condescending.
"No. I'll get around to it." Jim muttered, staring up at the tent roof.
"Jim-" Spock started to scold him and Jim cast him an annoyed look. "You are tired, Jim. Allow me to assist you."
Jim rolled over to his stomach and pushed himself up. "I've got it, Spock. You don't have to coddle me."
"I am not attempting to coddle you Jim. It is foolish of you to delay your rest. This mission is labor intensive. If you are not up to the task-"
"Damn it Spock." Jim growled with no heat. "Are you trying to call me a weakling? Or is that just a happy coincidence?"
Spock cocked his head to the side. "I am not attempting to do any such thing. I apologize if my words or actions have any such negative connotation."
"I know." Jim side, rolling out his sleeping bag. "You're just being protective. I know."
Spock watched his sharp, agitated movements for a moment before gently placing a hand on Jim's shoulder. Jim glanced up in surprise.
"Jim...may I remove the shield on the bond?"
Jim bit the inside of his cheek, trying to keep the shock off his face. "Yeah. I mean, if you want to."
Spock's look didn't change, but suddenly, with the bond singing at the back of his head, Jim could feel all of the uncertainty in his eyes. Spock actually thought he was mad at him. That...was cute. Jim wasn't going to deny it. Even if it was a weird word to use to describe his first officer, it was too perfect.
Spock furrowed his brow ever so slightly. "I did not intend to insult you."
"Spock," Jim reached up, cupping the side of his face gently. "It's okay. I know you didn't mean it."
"I am sorry." Spock looked like he was having a particularly hard time with the thought that he had somehow distressed Jim with his choice of words.
Jim's chest was tight, and the bond was positively quaking in the back of his head and Jim was sick and tired of it. "I know."
So Jim leaned in. It was just a friendly gesture, he told himself. Spock didn't shift, his muscles already as tightly coiled as they could be. His mouth was firm against Jim's, completely still. It was a chaste kiss, not least of all because of that. That was fine with Jim. He'd worked with worse. Once, when Galia was mad at him she had-
"Do not think of others when you are kissing me." Spock told him flatly, pulling back.
Jim chuckled. "Okay. Sorry."
When he leaned back in, Spock was remotely more receptive. Gently, hesitantly, he relaxed, his muscles easing. Jim looped his hands behind Spock's neck, his forearms burning a line down his chest, tilting his head to the left a little as he moved his lips to create gentle friction between them. With no small amount of trepidation, Spock brought his hands up to Jim's shoulders. He kept a firm grip on him, even as he leaned in a bit. Jim sighed, letting his eyes fall shut and his shoulders drop. It wasn't until Spock started to kiss him back, properly, that the bond fell silent.
It was always like that, though. Not just any touch would do.
Spock pulled back first. Jim blinked his eyes open tiredly, a lazy smile on his lips. Spock's cheeks were flushed, eyes wide. Jim slipped his hands from Spock's neck, pushing gently on his chest. It occurred to him, in that second, how ridiculous they must look; Two Starfleet officers, standing slightly stooped in a tent, dressed in their night clothes and clinging to each other in an embrace that any outsider would consider intimate. Jim chuckled, resting his head against Spock's collar.
"I'm sorry." He murmured. "That was weird."
"I am not given to assigning such designations to your actions, Jim." Spock's voice was tight, though his muscles were still far looser than when Jim first kissed him.
Jim laughed. "So you're completely fine with me randomly kissing you?"
"I do not believe it would at all be productive to direct any measure of my thought process to being discontent with your affections Jim." Spock squeezed his shoulders gently. "It makes no notable difference whether your gestures are Vulcan or Terran in origin."
Jim leaned back, looking up at him with a smirk. "You do realize this technically makes Chekov right, right?"
Spock raised an eyebrow, easing his grip on Jim's arms. "You have 'come to your senses' and realized your affections for me?"
Jim rolled his eyes, slapping Spock's chest playfully. "You had better stop teasing me Spock, or I'll start thinking you're pining after me. You seem awful eager for me to want you."
Spock let go, stepping back and placing his hands at his back. "I was not the one who initiated intimate contact, Jim."
Jim's eyes widened and Spock realized immediately what he had done. He reached out quickly, wrapping his hand around the back of Jim's neck in a comforting manner. The bond was not so troublesome that Jim needed the contact immediately, or constantly, but Spock did not wish to risk any fatigue that might be caused. Jim stared at him wide eyed for a moment. He seemed completely frozen. Spock awkwardly squeezed Jim's neck, just putting a light amount of pressure on him, aware that it was usually seen as a comforting gesture. Jim coughed awkwardly, ducking his head a little in acknowledgment of Spock's effort.
"So..." Jim blushed fiercely. "Can we pretend this whole thing didn't just happen?"
Spock gave him a look tinged with incredulity. "I do not believe that will be possible."
"Not literally." Jim insisted. "Just...can we never bring up the fact that that happened ever again?"
"We need not discuss the matter if it causes you discomfort."
Jim folded his arms over his chest petulantly. "Fine. Put the shield back up please. I'm tired and I want to sleep. And I don't want you in my head while I'm dreaming."
"Indeed." Spock raised the shield and removed his hand from Jim's person. "Nor would I wish to be."
"Funny Vulcan." Jim deadpanned. "Very funny."
Jim lay down on top of his bed roll, far too hot to bother covering himself up. He was starting to wonder if maybe this wasn't one of his more awesome ideas. He was hot, tired, and had two more days of guaranteed awkwardness with his First Officer. His only hope was, now that they had fulfilled their awkward quota for the next few days, the universe would take pity on him and let the rest of the trip be uneventful. He wasn't going to bet on that for even a minute, but he could certainly hope.
With a sigh, Jim closed his eyes, listening to the sound of the heavy rainfall.
He could feel grit in his mouth and imagined his teeth were probably sparkling. Fabulous. Who said camping was bad for your dental hygiene? Protein nibs however...
Jim needed to shut his brain off. Now. … Okay, now. Damn. He sighed, flopping over on his back to stare at the roof of the tent. He let his eyes drift over to where Spock was sleeping. Curled up on his side. Was that illogical? Probably not. What ever made you sleep easiest, right? It seemed weird though. Like, shouldn't Spock be sleeping like one of those fairytale princesses?
Not that he was a princess or anything, but it seems more prim and proper that way.
The whole laying perfectly on the back with his arms straight at his side or folded over his chest. That always looked like such a stiff and uncomfortable way to sleep. That seemed to fit Spock perfectly. That or maybe sleeping sitting up in a meditative pose. Either way. But no, he slept curled up on his side with his arm under his head and his hair getting messed up. Was he asleep already, and just instantly curled into that position once he stopped exercising complete control over himself? Or was he laying there staring at the inside of his eyelids, well aware of the fact that he was laying on his side? Did he know Jim was looking at him?
Jim glanced away, realizing how creepy that sounded in his own head. What did it matter anyway, how Spock slept? It wasn't like it hurt anyone. Jim rolled back over towards his side of the tent. What had happened to that awesome feeling in his head after the bond had been open? Was he only allowed that occasionally? That hardly seemed fair at all. Maybe he'd bring it up when they had some free time tomorrow. Spock might know what it's all about.
Content with his decision, Jim finally started to drift off.
… .. . .. …
First order of business, stretch. Second order of business, find out how the sparkle dust managed to get into his bag and coat all of his shirts. Third order of business, try to find something edible on the planet that is not a protein nib. Fourth order of business...pants. Pants should probably be the first or second actually.
Jim ruffled his hair a little, wincing as a painful yawn cracked his jaw. Spock didn't break from his morning routine. A thought occurred to him, and Jim couldn't keep the grin off his face. That apparently got Spock's attention, because he glanced over and raised an eyebrow in silent question. Jim liked to think Spock noticed his smile because he liked it and not because he naturally assumed some disaster or shenanigans were bound to follow.
"Morning Spock." Jim beamed, mischievousness inherent in his cheery tone.
"It is." Spock agreed, though his eyes were doing that thing Jim was starting to realize was sort of like a smile.
"Hey Spock." Jim singsonged, climbing off of his bed and getting ready.
"Yes Jim?" Spock was apparently in a good enough mood to humor him, because he wasn't staring at him like he was crazy.
"Do Vulcan's have facial hair?"
Spock paused, turning to give Jim a proper eyebrow raise. "Are eyebrows not considered facial hair, Jim?"
"Ha. Ha." Jim nearly tripped pulling his pants on. "You know exactly what I mean. Can you grow a beard?"
"I am capable. I do not, however find facial hair to be conducive to my work environment."
"What? Don't be ridiculous. It has nothing to do with your work. You just don't like it because you think it's scratchy, hu?" Jim stuck his tongue out at him, but his back was currently turned.
"If that is what you wish to believe Captain, I will not argue the point."
"That means yes, but you don't want to admit it." Jim told him. "Do you have to will it to grow or are you actively forcing it not to?"
"Neither, Jim. I need simply not shave." Spock glanced over his shoulder. "Do you not maintain a similar regimen for yourself?"
Jim shrugged. "I usually get laser hair removal done so I don't have to worry about it for a while. And this is so not about my manscaping techniques. Do you have to shave every day? Did you shave while I was asleep?"
"Vulcan hair follicles do not grow at the same rate as a humans." Spock didn't elaborate, so Jim was going to take that as a 'I can totally control my body functions so you don't get to see me with scruff'.
"Hu." Jim started looking for his rain gear. "I totally see you as the kind of guy who uses those old fashioned straight razors with the strop and everything. You'd be like a Vulcan Sweeney Todd, without the killing."
"I do not understand your musical reference." Spock informed him curtly.
"That's okay it's like an 1846 penny dreadful that-" Jim paused, letting Spock's words sink in. "Ohhoho really now? You don't get my musical reference?"
Jim turned, grinning like a cat. Spock continued to ignore him, but Jim was not going to let that one slide. As he turned back to his work, he started humming. Even though Spock didn't say anything, Jim just knew that counted as his win. Meanwhile, he would be trying his hardest to imagine what a scruffy Spock looked like. It wasn't easy.
"If you are ready Captain," Spock didn't even ask him to stop, talking right over his humming. "It would be prudent that we begin our work soon."
Jim nodded, fastening up the last of his gear. He thought he looked pretty cool in the tight rain suit. Before he had a chance to really go anywhere with that thought, he found a ration pack shoved in his hands. Spock was not receptive to the puppy eyes Jim was making at him, so with a sigh he ate the crunchy, nasty little things. The least Starfleet could do was find a way to make them flavorless, or coat them in yogurt or something.
"Okay. I ate, can we go now?" Jim whined.
"Yes Captain." Spock agreed.
Jim narrowed his eyes. "Wait. Did you eat?"
"Yes Captain."
Jim gave him a sidelong look for a little longer before shaking his head and stepping out of the tent. It was still raining, but not as heavily as the day before. The wind had picked up, however, making it sting a little bit more when if found a piece of exposed skin. He was sure Spock was absolutely loving the weather somewhere inside that repressed heart of his.
They spent the first part of the day exploring the perimeter of the crystal structure, looking for more openings close to the ground that they could explore. There were a couple they spotted with different colors, one with black crystals. Spock found that to be just killer. Jim didn't know much about geodes, but it was probably strange to have so many openings, let alone with different crystals. Or at least so clearly separated from each other. Jim did come to the conclusion that the sparkly black dust was significantly cooler than the rest though.
"How old is this?" Jim asked when they continued their walk.
"It is difficult to ascertain. I will need to run certain tests when we return to the ship to have an appropriate estimate." Spock was watching him carefully, probably to see if that was a satisfying answer.
"Hm." Jim was really more interested in the structure than anything else. "What kind of massive geological event must have made this?"
Jim wasn't looking at Spock though, and his voice was soft. It was not difficult for him to deduce that Jim's question was rhetorical. Jim was walking as closely to the structure as he could, occasionally flinging his arm out to skim his hand on the often rough surface. He could feel Spock's eyes on him. Part of him wanted to tease, to tell Spock it was illogical to be observing him instead of the planet they were exploring. A larger part of him was wondering what Spock could see. If anyone could tell Jim who he was, would it be Spock? Had he observed him to such a degree that he could calculate his actions, or would Jim always be a mystery to him?
Did Spock continue to watch him because he felt as though it was the only way to even begin to understand him? Or was he watching him out of some fondness for the familiarity? Some respect for the power he could see in his movements, like once watched a predator stalk its territory? What did Spock think when he looked at him?
Jim glanced over, meeting his First Officer's eyes. Spock watched him a moment longer, eyes not intense, but curious in comfortingly familiar way. Jim smiled. Spock glanced away, returning to his work.
The rain stopped not long before midday. It was great to be dry. They hadn't gone so far that it took too long to head back, so they spent lunch in their tent again. Jim had the distinct feeling that was because their climbing gear was in the tent and Spock was not waiting any longer for the chance to go exploring that rock in depth. Jim was just glad they hadn't found any holes that went deep into it yet or they would end up lost inside a giant geode. Well, Jim would anyway.
Jim looked up from where he was doing some of his 'very important' work at a strange sound. Spock also raised his eyes, cocking his head to the side to better hear.
Jim scuttled out the front of the tent. He could hear Spock quietly following him. He didn't bother turning back to look though, because something far more interesting had his attention. Seated not far away on a tall bush, Jim just assumed that was what it was, was something vaguely similar to a bird. It was harsh whites and yellows, opalescent in its feathers and pearlescent in its skin. It's body looked to be about the size of Jim's palm, with a crest nearly twice as long of clear feathers that seemed to pulse on occasion with luminescent colors.
It gave a little cry, and it sounded like harp strings vibrating.
Jim was enthralled. He had just enough presence of mind to hope Spock was recording it, because it was beautiful. That and it was the first wildlife they'd seen since beaming down. A fact likely caused by the sudden weather change. Jim finally wrenched his eyes from it, because he noticed Spock was moving right next to him. Spock was being a good scientist and not being caught up in how pretty it was.
Spock had gotten close enough to run tricorder scans on it, and Jim fought down a smile.
Definitely a fairytale princess.
Spock continued to observe it until it flew off, no longer humoring them. Seeing that he was going to be distracted with that for a while, Jim started looking for new means of entertainment. Entertainment that was readily provided when he started climbing a tree. It was made significantly easier by this tree being a series of sealed together wooden strings, like the twined muscles inside a body. He had managed to get up to about twenty four feet when he realized that probably wasn't the safest means of entertainment.
He pulled himself onto a low branch, though it looked more like a tree growing out of a bundle of trees. It probably actually was, now that Jim though about it.
Sitting damn near thirty feet up, Jim had one hell of a view.
He also had moss, on everything. It was purple moss. Everything was purple, wasn't it? He slumped a little, wiping his hands on his pants and finding that didn't help the crushed, purple moss that was staining his fingertips. Climbing down was going to be fun, if it didn't kill him. He scanned the ground, peering through tall bushes and low hanging tree limbs until he spotted glossy black hair and a science blue shirt. Spock didn't seem to notice that Jim had disappeared yet. Who knew what he would do when he did notice.
Jim liked it up there. It was quiet, private. He wasn't going to say he had problems with Spock being in the area. Frankly, Spock could be sitting up there with him and he'd still feel pretty good. It was like, even if Spock was there, Jim could still feel like he was in private or something. Spock wasn't an intrusion. Jim didn't feel like he had to be in public around him. Now wasn't that quite a curious little discovery? Jim was used to being private around Bones. He'd have never survived the academy, let alone his first year in command, if he hadn't given up on that pretense of Bones being public fast. But Jim wasn't even fully private with his mother.
Spock was someone he could be private with, though. Spock was safe. Anything Jim did with Spock that was private would stay private. Spock was a private person, a trustworthy person. Jim would never think to go around sharing all of Spock's private moments, were he privy to them. He'd keep that stuff to himself and silently gloat that no one else got to see Spock truly acting in private.
"Jim!" Spock called up from the foot of the tree.
Jim glanced down, beaming at the currently tiny man. "Come on up!"
He could see Spock cock his head to the side, and could perfectly imagine the raise eyebrow. "To what ends, Captain?"
"A new prospective." Jim challenged, rocking a little on the branch.
He was secretly pretty happy that Spock was actually raising his voice. Obviously he had to in order to assure Jim could hear him, but he also could have taken out his communicator and told him to get down. Spock may have just been humoring him, or assuming he wouldn't answer if he did that. Then again, Spock may just actually not feel like being utterly, perfectly logical. Who needed to think every little thing through?
Jim felt like his heart had started climbing again with out him, because when he saw Spock start up the tree, he found his heart was about ten feet above his head. He scooted out farther on the branch, in anticipation of Spock getting up on his level. It wasn't going to take long, by the swift, easy movements he could see. Spock's muscles stretched elegantly, swinging himself up in a graceful, continuous movement. There was no hesitation, no awkward repositioning, just a dangerous predator climbing swiftly for its prey.
Okay. Jim needed a different thought. Because that was vaguely unsettling.
Spock was up and on the branch with a quick swing, eying Jim curiously. "Jim?"
He laughed. "Not that I'm not flattered, but you should consider looking at the awesome view, not me."
He glanced over to see Spock staring at him a moment longer. He felt his cheeks heat up and Spock turned away, looking out at the jungle around them. It was a nice view.
Jim leaned over, pressing his shoulder to Spock's. "It's nice out here."
Spock didn't answer immediately. "Indeed."
"So." Jim cocked his head to the side, bumping it on Spock's chin. "Find out anything interesting about the boy bird?"
"Why are you assured it was male?" Spock didn't move away.
"Well." Jim chuckled. "The males of most species tend to have prominent means of display, including their calls, more...ostentatious coloring, and tend to be the prettier ones."
Now Spock did shift, apparently to look down at Jim. "Indeed. As you have yet to see the counterpart you can not ascertain that this specimen was the more colorful or noticeable of the species. You can not determine the gender from one specimen alone. Nor can you determine, based on statistical likelihood, the actual gender of the bird in question without a thorough examination."
Jim snorted. "Okay Spock. I get it. I'll call it something other than 'boy bird' from now on."
"You need not alter your method of referring to the specimen, Jim." Spock was starting to sound amused.
Jim hummed, letting his eyes fall shut. "So what you're saying is I'm going to be illogical anyway and that is the least troublesome name I could have come up with for it."
Spock was silent for a moment before Jim felt his hand press at his lower back and he figured he was probably swaying back or something and about to fall off. "I was capable of retrieving quite a bit of interesting data, Jim. You are welcome to read it if you desire."
Jim smiled, opening his eyes and straightening up so he could give Spock a grateful look. "That'd be fun. Later. Right now, I've got the feeling we're going to go climb that geode and do some more exploring."
"Is that what you wish?"
Jim rolled his eyes. "We're here for a reason Spock, not to sit in a tree."
"Indeed."
Jim hesitated only a moment before extending his fingers for a Vulcan kiss, innocent smile on his face. Spock regarded him for a moment curiously before meeting the gesture. Jim decided it felt different than just holding Spock's hand or tangling their fingers. It was the difference between rescue breathing and kissing. One was a gesture of affection, the other meant to save a life. As Spock withdrew and started down, a fleeting question passed through Jim's mind; which one was which?
Jim shook his head and started down himself.
… .. . .. … … .. . .. … … .. . .. …
So yeah. Things are starting to heat up a little. I'm thinking I should probably change this from Friendship to Romance right about now.
The purple leaf plant Jim is thinking of is Persian Shield. Not that anyone probably even remembers the plants at this point.