[TWBI] Better Instructor
Title: Better Instructor
Series: That Would Be Illogical
Fandom: Star Trek XI
Rating: PG13
Length: 1,228
Pairing: Kirk/Spock
Summary: This is not the first illogical action I have ever participated in because of James Tiberius Kirk. I doubt it will be the last. Masterlist
Previous: Muddy
"I was under the impression you would be teaching me to swim in the pool on the Enterprise," I say, giving Jim a flat look.
"Yeah," he agreed, standing knee-deep in seawater. "But every time we're supposed to have a quite travel time something happens. We've got some time, so why not do it now?"
I suppress a frown and look down to my feet. I dug my toes into the sand. It feels warm and comfortable under my soles. It reminds me in a way of the sands of Vulcan, though here it is softer and damper, especially on the shore.
Water and foam slide up on the beach. The water laps at my ankles and takes the sand surrounding feet with it back into the water.
My analytical mind thinks of the cause: the gravitational fields of the moon and the sun causing the fluctuation in sea levels. The rotation of the planet allows two high and low tides every designated day. While the sun's effects on the tide are far less than that of the moon, it can reinforce the tides the moons cause.
"I would prefer calm water," I say.
"It's a bay, Spock," he said encouragingly as he began backing up. "There's a little movement but there really isn't a lot. Especially compared to a regular beach."
I give a nod. It was true. This water was stiller. For the past two days we have gone to a common public beach where large waves crash onto the shore. While Jim did not spend his entire time in the water, he did go in for an average of 9.7 minutes roughly every 32.25 minutes.
While it was illogical to feel alone in those short periods when he was swimming in the water, I could not help but feel so. I am more conscious of eyes on me. Few aliens have seen the skin beyond above the neck or on the hands, perhaps to the elbow, on a Vulcan. I believe that is the reason they stared. As Jim refused to allow me to wear any clothing that would cover those areas, I was given swim trunks that only covered from the hips to mid-thigh. While I am comfortable in such wear when we are alone, I prefer to wear more in the presence of others.
At least when Jim was with me they did not stare. Or perhaps I was merely sufficiently distracted and did not notice. I would have to remember to observe later. Either way, I would have preferred to go with Jim into the water rather than wait.
Luckily, the secluded bay Jim had discovered from questioning the natives had few people, all of whom did not seem to pay either of us any mind, preferring to read quietly instead. I much I prefer this calm beach to the other noisier one.
I slowly walk further into the water, stopping an average of 2.4 steps to acclimate to the water, which feels colder the further I walk, once more. I finally make it to my waist. My shoulders are lifted and my forearms are at a horizontal position over the water.
I hear a poorly stifled laugh and look up. Jim looks extremely amused. I assume it is because of the tense position my arms are in.
"The water is colder than you lead me to believe," I explain.
Jim sighed, giving me a pointed look. "Is it really that unbearable or are you just whining to stall for time?"
I give a slight glare.
"It's better if you just go in all at once," he says. "Just crouch down."
I consider the advice. "It could be a shock to put so much of my body into such low temperature water."
"Do it and get over here," Jim said, apparently running out of patience. "Or I'm coming over there and dunking you down myself."
Wishing to avoid such a scene, I exhale heavily before quickly bending my knees and submerging myself to my neck. My body tenses from the sensation and I wrap my arms around my torso. I cannot suppress a violent shiver.
Jim easily swims forward towards me. He takes my clenched hands under the water and guilds me forward until we are crouched slightly in water roughly 4.3 feet deep. I shiver again and he pulls me forward, wrapping his arms around my waist to press me against his warm chest. "Still cold?"
I pause a moment before shaking my head in the negative. "Not quite so much as before."
Jim grins before nuzzling against my ear. I turn my head to allow him better access.
"I have never been submerged so fully before."
"Other than that one time?" he asks, amusement coloring his voice.
"Indeed," I say, glancing over to his blond hair with a raised eyebrow.
"What do you think of it?"
I consider my body a moment. The current of the water moving against my skin is much akin to a wind, and yet the force and feeling of it is much stronger. The buoyancy caused by the water lifts both Jim and I up and down, almost giving a feeling of fluctuating gravity. "It is strange," I conclude.
"All that time thinking and that's your response?" Jim asks with a laugh.
"I do not make flippant remarks."
He smiles. "You want to go deeper?"
I look past him to the vast expanse of ocean. I find it daunting. "Not especially," I admit.
He grins. "Alright. We'll just practice floating for now." He drifts away from me. "Put your arms out, take a deep breath and just lift your legs up."
I do as I am told. However, when I lift my legs, I find myself quickly sinking below the water. I quickly stand and shake my head of the excess water in my hair.
"Okay, that didn't work," Jim says.
"Obviously," I say flatly. "I believe my body is too dense to float. Vulcan muscles and bones are heavy and solid do to the conditions of Vulcan."
"Well," Jim says slowly, "you'll just have to kick and move your arms to keep yourself up, I guess."
I raise an eyebrow. "You guess? I was under the impression you knew how to swim."
Jim shrugs. "I do, but that doesn't mean I know how to teach it."
I give him a flat look. "Perhaps waiting for lessons from a more experienced instructor would be best," I say and turn to leave the water. My fingertips have become wrinkled and uncomfortable.
"What? No!" he says and wraps his legs around my waist and his arms around my neck, pressing his chest against my back.
I continue wading through the water, ignoring the weight held onto my back.
"Come on, Spock. Don't just give up. I'm not going to let you die."
I pause before exhaling heavily. "Very well. But think before giving me instructions. I do not wish to be injured."
Jim barked a laugh. "Considering we're in 3 foot water, I doubt you're going to drown, Spock. If worse comes to worse, you can do like you did last time and flail back to the shore."
I give him a heated glare over my shoulder before changing my mind. I walk back onto shore with Jim protesting and clinging to my back the entire way.
Next: Anniversary
Series: That Would Be Illogical
Fandom: Star Trek XI
Rating: PG13
Length: 1,228
Pairing: Kirk/Spock
Summary: This is not the first illogical action I have ever participated in because of James Tiberius Kirk. I doubt it will be the last. Masterlist
Previous: Muddy
"I was under the impression you would be teaching me to swim in the pool on the Enterprise," I say, giving Jim a flat look.
"Yeah," he agreed, standing knee-deep in seawater. "But every time we're supposed to have a quite travel time something happens. We've got some time, so why not do it now?"
I suppress a frown and look down to my feet. I dug my toes into the sand. It feels warm and comfortable under my soles. It reminds me in a way of the sands of Vulcan, though here it is softer and damper, especially on the shore.
Water and foam slide up on the beach. The water laps at my ankles and takes the sand surrounding feet with it back into the water.
My analytical mind thinks of the cause: the gravitational fields of the moon and the sun causing the fluctuation in sea levels. The rotation of the planet allows two high and low tides every designated day. While the sun's effects on the tide are far less than that of the moon, it can reinforce the tides the moons cause.
"I would prefer calm water," I say.
"It's a bay, Spock," he said encouragingly as he began backing up. "There's a little movement but there really isn't a lot. Especially compared to a regular beach."
I give a nod. It was true. This water was stiller. For the past two days we have gone to a common public beach where large waves crash onto the shore. While Jim did not spend his entire time in the water, he did go in for an average of 9.7 minutes roughly every 32.25 minutes.
While it was illogical to feel alone in those short periods when he was swimming in the water, I could not help but feel so. I am more conscious of eyes on me. Few aliens have seen the skin beyond above the neck or on the hands, perhaps to the elbow, on a Vulcan. I believe that is the reason they stared. As Jim refused to allow me to wear any clothing that would cover those areas, I was given swim trunks that only covered from the hips to mid-thigh. While I am comfortable in such wear when we are alone, I prefer to wear more in the presence of others.
At least when Jim was with me they did not stare. Or perhaps I was merely sufficiently distracted and did not notice. I would have to remember to observe later. Either way, I would have preferred to go with Jim into the water rather than wait.
Luckily, the secluded bay Jim had discovered from questioning the natives had few people, all of whom did not seem to pay either of us any mind, preferring to read quietly instead. I much I prefer this calm beach to the other noisier one.
I slowly walk further into the water, stopping an average of 2.4 steps to acclimate to the water, which feels colder the further I walk, once more. I finally make it to my waist. My shoulders are lifted and my forearms are at a horizontal position over the water.
I hear a poorly stifled laugh and look up. Jim looks extremely amused. I assume it is because of the tense position my arms are in.
"The water is colder than you lead me to believe," I explain.
Jim sighed, giving me a pointed look. "Is it really that unbearable or are you just whining to stall for time?"
I give a slight glare.
"It's better if you just go in all at once," he says. "Just crouch down."
I consider the advice. "It could be a shock to put so much of my body into such low temperature water."
"Do it and get over here," Jim said, apparently running out of patience. "Or I'm coming over there and dunking you down myself."
Wishing to avoid such a scene, I exhale heavily before quickly bending my knees and submerging myself to my neck. My body tenses from the sensation and I wrap my arms around my torso. I cannot suppress a violent shiver.
Jim easily swims forward towards me. He takes my clenched hands under the water and guilds me forward until we are crouched slightly in water roughly 4.3 feet deep. I shiver again and he pulls me forward, wrapping his arms around my waist to press me against his warm chest. "Still cold?"
I pause a moment before shaking my head in the negative. "Not quite so much as before."
Jim grins before nuzzling against my ear. I turn my head to allow him better access.
"I have never been submerged so fully before."
"Other than that one time?" he asks, amusement coloring his voice.
"Indeed," I say, glancing over to his blond hair with a raised eyebrow.
"What do you think of it?"
I consider my body a moment. The current of the water moving against my skin is much akin to a wind, and yet the force and feeling of it is much stronger. The buoyancy caused by the water lifts both Jim and I up and down, almost giving a feeling of fluctuating gravity. "It is strange," I conclude.
"All that time thinking and that's your response?" Jim asks with a laugh.
"I do not make flippant remarks."
He smiles. "You want to go deeper?"
I look past him to the vast expanse of ocean. I find it daunting. "Not especially," I admit.
He grins. "Alright. We'll just practice floating for now." He drifts away from me. "Put your arms out, take a deep breath and just lift your legs up."
I do as I am told. However, when I lift my legs, I find myself quickly sinking below the water. I quickly stand and shake my head of the excess water in my hair.
"Okay, that didn't work," Jim says.
"Obviously," I say flatly. "I believe my body is too dense to float. Vulcan muscles and bones are heavy and solid do to the conditions of Vulcan."
"Well," Jim says slowly, "you'll just have to kick and move your arms to keep yourself up, I guess."
I raise an eyebrow. "You guess? I was under the impression you knew how to swim."
Jim shrugs. "I do, but that doesn't mean I know how to teach it."
I give him a flat look. "Perhaps waiting for lessons from a more experienced instructor would be best," I say and turn to leave the water. My fingertips have become wrinkled and uncomfortable.
"What? No!" he says and wraps his legs around my waist and his arms around my neck, pressing his chest against my back.
I continue wading through the water, ignoring the weight held onto my back.
"Come on, Spock. Don't just give up. I'm not going to let you die."
I pause before exhaling heavily. "Very well. But think before giving me instructions. I do not wish to be injured."
Jim barked a laugh. "Considering we're in 3 foot water, I doubt you're going to drown, Spock. If worse comes to worse, you can do like you did last time and flail back to the shore."
I give him a heated glare over my shoulder before changing my mind. I walk back onto shore with Jim protesting and clinging to my back the entire way.
Next: Anniversary