Fic: Colors
Title: Colors
Series: STXI
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~1825
Disclaimer: They're not mine, unfortunately.
Notes: Originally posted here at st_xi_kink_meme.
Summary: Coffee is a hallucinogen for Vulcans. When Spock accidentally ingests some before his shift, Kirk has to deal with the aftermath.
Spock had mentioned the disastrous effects of chocolate and the embarrassing side-effects of coffee, and Kirk had to admit he'd always been curious but he never expected to witness it first hand. Spock was usually too in control and observant to let something so seemingly humiliating happen to him.
And yet, it had happened.
The first hour of alpha shift had been relatively uneventful as they cruised at warp factor four. Kirk had been sitting in his chair, signing reports and reading briefings on his PADD. He hadn't paid much attention to the other crew members on the bridge. It seemed like a regular shift, no different from any other.
It wasn't until he needed to question Spock about a science report, and he received no response from his usually prompt and responsive first officer, that Kirk turned his focus to Spock's station.
The Vulcan stood, bent over his viewer, hands clasped around the rectangular screen and eyes focused intently on whatever was being projected.
“Mister Spock, are you picking up something on the viewer?”
There was no response. Spock didn't even shift his stance.
“Spock?”
Still no answer.
Kirk leapt up from the Captain's chair and made his way over to the science station.
“Commander! Explain what has you so entranced.”
He was half-joking, of course, it was unlike Spock to be entranced by anything. But he reached the viewer and there was still no response from Spock.
“Spock..?” Kirk whispered urgently, as he placed his hand on Spock's shoulder.
Finally Spock turned his gaze away from the viewer and looked at his captain. His eyes were wide, and a slight smile seemed to be plastered to his face.
“Hello Jim.” he said, the edges of his mouth curling up a little further. “What are you doing?”
Kirk furrowed his brow as he stared at Spock. “I'd ask you the same question, Commander.”
Spock's eyes were like dark saucers on his face as he stared back at Kirk, shifting his gaze to the viewer, and then back to his captain.
“Have you picked up on something, Spock?” Kirk asked, his voice barely above a whisper so as not to draw attention from the rest of the crew.
“Indeed Captain.” Spock said, nodding. “Colors.” He pointed to the viewer and raised his eyebrows at Kirk suggestively.
“Colors..?” Kirk said, tilting his head towards the viewer. It was whirring as normal, projecting the usual radar readings. Kirk shook his head still not comprehending.
He turned to look at Spock again. Those same dark eyes peered at him, questioningly, seeming to be waiting for a response.
“Are you feeling alright, Commander? You're not ill or.. something?”
Spock grinned at him. Actually grinned. “I feel quite well, Captain, thank you.”
Kirk glanced around the bridge, wondering if he was the only one witnessing this phenomenon, but no one else seemed to be paying attention.
“The colors, Captain,” Spock continued. “How do you feel about them?”
“How do I feel about them..” Kirk echoed, turning his attention back to Spock.
“Spock, I don't-” He paused, staring into Spock's enormous pupils. “Commander, what did you do this morning?”
Spock pondered the question for a moment before responding. “I woke up in your bed-”
Kirk shushed him quickly. “After that, Spock,” he whispered. “What did you do after you left my quarters this morning?”
“I proceeded to the mess hell, where I had an enjoyable breakfast conversation with Chief Engineer Scott.”
“And what did you eat?”
“Replicated toast, omelette, and tea.”
“Nothing else?”
Spock sighed, tilting his head, as if trying to recall what else he might have ingested that morning.
“Mister Scott did offer me a small edible sugar product. 'To cleanse the palate' he said. It was quite tasty.”
Kirk placed a hand over his mouth, trying to mask his growing smile.
“What did it taste like?”
Spock pursed his lips. “Sugar.”
“Sugar.. anything else?”
“It was not a flavor I was familiar with, Captain. But it was quite delicious.”
Kirk sighed and let out a small laugh. He placed his hand on Spock's shoulder and pushed him down into his chair. “Just sit here for a minute, okay?”
Spock nodded as his gaze turned to his station. His eyes lit up as if he was noticing the screens and colorful buttons for the very first time.
Kirk strode quickly to his chair and paged engineering.
Scotty responded immediately. “Scott here.”
“Mister Scott, can you confirm that you ate breakfast with Mister Spock this morning?”
“Affirmative.”
“Tell me, did you give him some sort of candy?”
“Ay, Captain.”
“Did it have coffee in it?”
There was a slight pause. “Ay.”
Kirk's lowered his voice to a whisper. “Mister Scott, were you aware of the hallucinogenic effect coffee has on Vulcans?”
There was a longer pause. “I'd rather not say, Captain.”
Kirk sighed, trying to stifle a laugh. “We'll have words later, Mister Scott.”
“Ay Captain.” Scotty replied, and Kirk could almost hear the grin in his voice.
He was about to page McCoy when there was a rumble behind him - the sound of a chair tipping over, and someone running.
Suddenly Spock rushed by the captain's chair, hands flailing and hair askew. He paused for a second and turned back to look at Kirk.
“Jim!” He shouted, his eyes enormous, and his fingers pointing at the main viewing window.
“Jim look! Space!”
Kirk's mouth gaped as he glanced around at his surprised crew. Their eyes were locked on Spock.
He turned his gaze back to Spock, who had reached the main window and pressed himself against it. His arms were splayed wide, his forehead resting against the glass, and his head flicked gently from side to side as he watched the space debris fly by.
“Jim!” He shouted again. “This is fascinating!”
The bridge crew watched Spock for a moment before they began turning to Kirk, looking at him questioningly.
“Mister Spock is under the influence of a mild hallucinogenic.” He said quickly. “Nothing to be alarmed about. He just needs to sleep it off.”
Finally Kirk stood and made his way over to Spock. He touched him on the shoulder, watching the Vulcan's eyes move excitedly as the universe rushed by.
“Spock..” he said quietly, giving him a gentle tug.
Spock slowly pulled himself away from the window, turning to face Kirk. Spock's face lit up again as their eyes met.
“Jim..” he sighed happily with a half-smile.
Kirk couldn't help but smile back. “Come on, Mister Spock. We need to get you to your quarters. Mister Sulu, you have the conn.”
He grabbed Spock by the elbow and pulled him towards the lift. Spock went along willingly, his gaze moving from one thing to the next as they crossed the bridge. He waved to Uhura, and then Sulu, and then reached his fingers out to touch Chekov's curls. The ensign's first instinct was to duck, and he did slightly, before allowing the Vulcan to pat him on the head.
“I like your hair,” Spock said as he continued being pulled along by Kirk.
“Thank- thank you, Sir.” Chekov stuttered, unsure of the correct response.
*
As they rode the lift Spock's fingers floated over the buttons on the console, and he stared intently at the tiny information screen.
Spock's attention snapped to Kirk when he began speaking. “I'm taking you to your quarters. I think you'll be alright after a couple hours of sleep.”
Spock looked at him, before glancing up at at the ceiling and then down at the floor.
“It feels like we're flying.”
Kirk laughed. “We sort of are.”
Spock pondered that and then nodded.
The lift stopped, and the doors slid open but Spock didn't move.
Kirk clasped his hand around Spock's wrist, pulling him out of the lift. “Come on, Spock.”
*
Kirk didn't really know what to expect when they reached Spock's quarters. He had hoped the Vulcan would simply lie down and fall asleep, but when they entered the room and Spock became enraptured by the woooosh of the door, Kirk realized it wouldn't be that easy.
He left Spock standing by the door pressing the open button, and made some tea.
*
“Spock,” he said loudly, causing Spock to jump. “Come over here and drink this.”
Spock crossed the room and Kirk held up a mug for him. He glanced from Kirk to the mug and back again.
“Tea.” Kirk said, shaking the mug in his hand slightly.
Spock smiled again, reaching to take the mug from Kirk's hand and taking a sip before dropping it to the floor. Kirk lunged to catch the falling drink, but was unsuccessful. The handle on the mug broke off and tea splashed across the floor.
“Seriously, Spock, what the-”
“It's okay, Jim.” Spock said, a hint of laughter in his voice. “It's okay.”
They stared at each other for a moment. Spock's eyes locked on his.
Finally Spock spoke. “The colors,” he said quietly. “How do they make you feel?”
Kirk furrowed his brow. “The colors..? They're great, I guess.”
Spock nodded, and Kirk gave him a curious look.
“Why, Spock..? How do they make you feel?”
Spock was still for a moment, his eyes still locked on Kirk's.
“They make me feel...” he paused, taking a step forward and leaning in to rub his cheek against Kirk's. “Happy.”
Kirk grinned, and tilted his head to kiss Spock's cheek. “That's because you're high, my friend.”
The smile faded from Spock's face, and a fleeting look of frustration took over. “No,” he said loudly, shaking his head. “It's not because of that.”
He gave Kirk a pleading look, as if willing him to understand. “The colors always make me happy.”
Kirk nodded quickly, running his hands down Spock's arms. “Okay, yeah, always.”
Spock's half-smile returned, and he locked his gaze on his captain again, his eyes darting back and forth across Kirk's face.
Kirk placed his hands on Spock's hips and began pulling him towards the bed. “Come on, you need to get some sleep.”
*
Spock allowed himself to be pulled, undressed, and gently pushed down onto the bed.
When Kirk was fully undressed he climbed into bed next to Spock. He wrapped his arms around the Vulcan, and by Spock's half-lidded gaze Kirk could tell the effects were beginning to wear off.
Kirk brushed the messy hair from Spock's forehead and then kissed him gently.
“Just sleep now.”
Spock nodded. His eyes closed, then opened, and then closed again. He seemed to be fighting a losing battle with sleep.
“Jim..” he said softly, willing his eyes to open one last time, meeting Kirk's gaze and staring affectionately into the bright eyes before him.
“Yeah, Spock?”
“Have I ever told you what my favorite color is?”
“No.. what is it?”
Spock's eyes closed again, but he managed to whisper one last word before he fell asleep.
“Blue.”
Series: STXI
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~1825
Disclaimer: They're not mine, unfortunately.
Notes: Originally posted here at st_xi_kink_meme.
Summary: Coffee is a hallucinogen for Vulcans. When Spock accidentally ingests some before his shift, Kirk has to deal with the aftermath.
Spock had mentioned the disastrous effects of chocolate and the embarrassing side-effects of coffee, and Kirk had to admit he'd always been curious but he never expected to witness it first hand. Spock was usually too in control and observant to let something so seemingly humiliating happen to him.
And yet, it had happened.
The first hour of alpha shift had been relatively uneventful as they cruised at warp factor four. Kirk had been sitting in his chair, signing reports and reading briefings on his PADD. He hadn't paid much attention to the other crew members on the bridge. It seemed like a regular shift, no different from any other.
It wasn't until he needed to question Spock about a science report, and he received no response from his usually prompt and responsive first officer, that Kirk turned his focus to Spock's station.
The Vulcan stood, bent over his viewer, hands clasped around the rectangular screen and eyes focused intently on whatever was being projected.
“Mister Spock, are you picking up something on the viewer?”
There was no response. Spock didn't even shift his stance.
“Spock?”
Still no answer.
Kirk leapt up from the Captain's chair and made his way over to the science station.
“Commander! Explain what has you so entranced.”
He was half-joking, of course, it was unlike Spock to be entranced by anything. But he reached the viewer and there was still no response from Spock.
“Spock..?” Kirk whispered urgently, as he placed his hand on Spock's shoulder.
Finally Spock turned his gaze away from the viewer and looked at his captain. His eyes were wide, and a slight smile seemed to be plastered to his face.
“Hello Jim.” he said, the edges of his mouth curling up a little further. “What are you doing?”
Kirk furrowed his brow as he stared at Spock. “I'd ask you the same question, Commander.”
Spock's eyes were like dark saucers on his face as he stared back at Kirk, shifting his gaze to the viewer, and then back to his captain.
“Have you picked up on something, Spock?” Kirk asked, his voice barely above a whisper so as not to draw attention from the rest of the crew.
“Indeed Captain.” Spock said, nodding. “Colors.” He pointed to the viewer and raised his eyebrows at Kirk suggestively.
“Colors..?” Kirk said, tilting his head towards the viewer. It was whirring as normal, projecting the usual radar readings. Kirk shook his head still not comprehending.
He turned to look at Spock again. Those same dark eyes peered at him, questioningly, seeming to be waiting for a response.
“Are you feeling alright, Commander? You're not ill or.. something?”
Spock grinned at him. Actually grinned. “I feel quite well, Captain, thank you.”
Kirk glanced around the bridge, wondering if he was the only one witnessing this phenomenon, but no one else seemed to be paying attention.
“The colors, Captain,” Spock continued. “How do you feel about them?”
“How do I feel about them..” Kirk echoed, turning his attention back to Spock.
“Spock, I don't-” He paused, staring into Spock's enormous pupils. “Commander, what did you do this morning?”
Spock pondered the question for a moment before responding. “I woke up in your bed-”
Kirk shushed him quickly. “After that, Spock,” he whispered. “What did you do after you left my quarters this morning?”
“I proceeded to the mess hell, where I had an enjoyable breakfast conversation with Chief Engineer Scott.”
“And what did you eat?”
“Replicated toast, omelette, and tea.”
“Nothing else?”
Spock sighed, tilting his head, as if trying to recall what else he might have ingested that morning.
“Mister Scott did offer me a small edible sugar product. 'To cleanse the palate' he said. It was quite tasty.”
Kirk placed a hand over his mouth, trying to mask his growing smile.
“What did it taste like?”
Spock pursed his lips. “Sugar.”
“Sugar.. anything else?”
“It was not a flavor I was familiar with, Captain. But it was quite delicious.”
Kirk sighed and let out a small laugh. He placed his hand on Spock's shoulder and pushed him down into his chair. “Just sit here for a minute, okay?”
Spock nodded as his gaze turned to his station. His eyes lit up as if he was noticing the screens and colorful buttons for the very first time.
Kirk strode quickly to his chair and paged engineering.
Scotty responded immediately. “Scott here.”
“Mister Scott, can you confirm that you ate breakfast with Mister Spock this morning?”
“Affirmative.”
“Tell me, did you give him some sort of candy?”
“Ay, Captain.”
“Did it have coffee in it?”
There was a slight pause. “Ay.”
Kirk's lowered his voice to a whisper. “Mister Scott, were you aware of the hallucinogenic effect coffee has on Vulcans?”
There was a longer pause. “I'd rather not say, Captain.”
Kirk sighed, trying to stifle a laugh. “We'll have words later, Mister Scott.”
“Ay Captain.” Scotty replied, and Kirk could almost hear the grin in his voice.
He was about to page McCoy when there was a rumble behind him - the sound of a chair tipping over, and someone running.
Suddenly Spock rushed by the captain's chair, hands flailing and hair askew. He paused for a second and turned back to look at Kirk.
“Jim!” He shouted, his eyes enormous, and his fingers pointing at the main viewing window.
“Jim look! Space!”
Kirk's mouth gaped as he glanced around at his surprised crew. Their eyes were locked on Spock.
He turned his gaze back to Spock, who had reached the main window and pressed himself against it. His arms were splayed wide, his forehead resting against the glass, and his head flicked gently from side to side as he watched the space debris fly by.
“Jim!” He shouted again. “This is fascinating!”
The bridge crew watched Spock for a moment before they began turning to Kirk, looking at him questioningly.
“Mister Spock is under the influence of a mild hallucinogenic.” He said quickly. “Nothing to be alarmed about. He just needs to sleep it off.”
Finally Kirk stood and made his way over to Spock. He touched him on the shoulder, watching the Vulcan's eyes move excitedly as the universe rushed by.
“Spock..” he said quietly, giving him a gentle tug.
Spock slowly pulled himself away from the window, turning to face Kirk. Spock's face lit up again as their eyes met.
“Jim..” he sighed happily with a half-smile.
Kirk couldn't help but smile back. “Come on, Mister Spock. We need to get you to your quarters. Mister Sulu, you have the conn.”
He grabbed Spock by the elbow and pulled him towards the lift. Spock went along willingly, his gaze moving from one thing to the next as they crossed the bridge. He waved to Uhura, and then Sulu, and then reached his fingers out to touch Chekov's curls. The ensign's first instinct was to duck, and he did slightly, before allowing the Vulcan to pat him on the head.
“I like your hair,” Spock said as he continued being pulled along by Kirk.
“Thank- thank you, Sir.” Chekov stuttered, unsure of the correct response.
*
As they rode the lift Spock's fingers floated over the buttons on the console, and he stared intently at the tiny information screen.
Spock's attention snapped to Kirk when he began speaking. “I'm taking you to your quarters. I think you'll be alright after a couple hours of sleep.”
Spock looked at him, before glancing up at at the ceiling and then down at the floor.
“It feels like we're flying.”
Kirk laughed. “We sort of are.”
Spock pondered that and then nodded.
The lift stopped, and the doors slid open but Spock didn't move.
Kirk clasped his hand around Spock's wrist, pulling him out of the lift. “Come on, Spock.”
*
Kirk didn't really know what to expect when they reached Spock's quarters. He had hoped the Vulcan would simply lie down and fall asleep, but when they entered the room and Spock became enraptured by the woooosh of the door, Kirk realized it wouldn't be that easy.
He left Spock standing by the door pressing the open button, and made some tea.
*
“Spock,” he said loudly, causing Spock to jump. “Come over here and drink this.”
Spock crossed the room and Kirk held up a mug for him. He glanced from Kirk to the mug and back again.
“Tea.” Kirk said, shaking the mug in his hand slightly.
Spock smiled again, reaching to take the mug from Kirk's hand and taking a sip before dropping it to the floor. Kirk lunged to catch the falling drink, but was unsuccessful. The handle on the mug broke off and tea splashed across the floor.
“Seriously, Spock, what the-”
“It's okay, Jim.” Spock said, a hint of laughter in his voice. “It's okay.”
They stared at each other for a moment. Spock's eyes locked on his.
Finally Spock spoke. “The colors,” he said quietly. “How do they make you feel?”
Kirk furrowed his brow. “The colors..? They're great, I guess.”
Spock nodded, and Kirk gave him a curious look.
“Why, Spock..? How do they make you feel?”
Spock was still for a moment, his eyes still locked on Kirk's.
“They make me feel...” he paused, taking a step forward and leaning in to rub his cheek against Kirk's. “Happy.”
Kirk grinned, and tilted his head to kiss Spock's cheek. “That's because you're high, my friend.”
The smile faded from Spock's face, and a fleeting look of frustration took over. “No,” he said loudly, shaking his head. “It's not because of that.”
He gave Kirk a pleading look, as if willing him to understand. “The colors always make me happy.”
Kirk nodded quickly, running his hands down Spock's arms. “Okay, yeah, always.”
Spock's half-smile returned, and he locked his gaze on his captain again, his eyes darting back and forth across Kirk's face.
Kirk placed his hands on Spock's hips and began pulling him towards the bed. “Come on, you need to get some sleep.”
*
Spock allowed himself to be pulled, undressed, and gently pushed down onto the bed.
When Kirk was fully undressed he climbed into bed next to Spock. He wrapped his arms around the Vulcan, and by Spock's half-lidded gaze Kirk could tell the effects were beginning to wear off.
Kirk brushed the messy hair from Spock's forehead and then kissed him gently.
“Just sleep now.”
Spock nodded. His eyes closed, then opened, and then closed again. He seemed to be fighting a losing battle with sleep.
“Jim..” he said softly, willing his eyes to open one last time, meeting Kirk's gaze and staring affectionately into the bright eyes before him.
“Yeah, Spock?”
“Have I ever told you what my favorite color is?”
“No.. what is it?”
Spock's eyes closed again, but he managed to whisper one last word before he fell asleep.
“Blue.”