Fic: The Slumber Party
Title: The Slumber Party
Series: ST XI
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~3500
Pairings: Kirk/Spock (with mentions of Pike/McCoy, Scotty/Uhura, Chekov/Sulu)
Disclaimer: They're not mine, unfortunately.
Notes: Based on a conversation I had with mga1999 ( here) and was written as I recovered from general anaesthetic. Ridiculous and silly, and it turned out slightly shippier than I originally intended.
Summary: Jim throws a slumber party. He forces everyone to play Truth or Dare, he has gossipy girl talk with Uhura, and he ends up in a closet with Spock.
Jim ran to the door at the sound of loud incessant knocking. He hit the button and the door whooshed open to reveal McCoy standing outside, bottle in hand, and a dignified but slightly embarrassed looking Admiral Pike standing behind him.
“What'd you bring?”
“Bourbon, of course. What the hell else would I bring?”
Jim frowned a little as McCoy shoved the bottle at him.
When he sent out the order -cleverly disguised as an invitation- for a slumber party, Jim had specifically stated that all guests must bring something - a meal, a desert, snacks, a party game, a movie, some music, whatever.
Sulu and Chekov had shown up with Sulu's video game system and a stack of Chekov's games. They'd been there for several hours already, having arrived shortly after dinner in the mess, and had been alternating between silent and focused game play and fits of yelling and arm punches when something went either positively or negatively in their game.
Spock had arrived at precisely 21:00 hours, as per the order invitation. He was carrying a thermos which held some sort of thick hideous-smelling liquid, which Spock identified as Plomeek soup. He was still wearing his uniform, but had apparently left his boots in his own quarters and padded over in his sock feet. Jim was unsurprised to see a stack of papers under his left arm.
“It is unlikely I will partake in the festivities tonight, Captain, so it seemed logical to bring these documents and allow myself an opportunity to catch up on some neglected paperwork.”
Jim hadn't argued, only watched Spock retreat to a corner and seat himself cross-legged on the floor.
Uhura and Scotty arrived within minutes of each other, and Jim suspected Scotty had been instructed to count to an undetermined number before ringing Jim's buzzer so as not to cause suspicion among their fellow crew members - despite the fact that nearly everyone aboard the Enterprise knew they'd been dating for months. Uhura brought a bottle of wine, and Scotty was carrying a platter piled high with sandwiches.
*
“Wanna play truth or dare?”
“You know how that would end, Captain. Spock would be flustered, McCoy would be angry, and you'd be naked somewhere.”
Jim sighed in agreement. His feet were draped over the edge of his chair, and he watched as Uhura painted his toenails blue.
Scotty was asleep in the chair next to her, Sulu and Chekov were on their seventh attempt at a level in the game they'd been playing since they'd arrived, and Spock was still sitting in the same corner with his face buried in papers. McCoy was on the couch, huddled under a sleeping bag, and Jim wasn't positive but he was pretty sure Pike's hands were under there too.
Uhura glanced up at him. “What's the deal with those two? I thought the Admiral was here on orders from Starfleet.”
“He is. His own orders. Really he's just here to see Bones. They got to know each other after the Narada incident, Bones 'nursed him back to health' if you know what I'm saying.”
He gave Uhura a wink and she laughed. “I think it's really sweet.”
“Yeah, that's Bones. Sweet.”
Jim glanced over at Scotty, who was sound asleep with an unfinished sandwich clenched in his hand.
“So what's the deal with you two?”
Uhura didn't look up from Jim's toenails. “What do you mean, Captain?”
“Don't 'Captain' me, and you know what I mean. You and Scotty. I don't know why you guys are keeping it a secret, everyone knows.”
Uhura glanced up at him and then over at Spock. “We're just trying to keep it quiet. You know.. to avoid any awkwardness.”
Jim followed her gaze over to Spock. “I'm pretty sure he knows, and I don't think he cares. No offense, of course. I mean, it's Spock.”
Uhura nodded. “Good point.”
She glanced back to Jim and seemed to consider him for a moment. “So what about you two then?”
Jim's whipped his head around to meet Uhura's gaze again. “You two, who??”
“You, Jim. And Spock.”
“What're you talking about?”
Uhura sighed. “You are so blind.”
Jim frowned and attempted to give her a kick, but she grabbed his foot and held it still. “Don't, you'll mess up my paint job.”
*
Jim was munching on the last sandwich as he made his way over to the game console.
“Off!” he ordered as he punched buttons on the front of the machine.
“Keptin, we are nearly finished this level.”
“Slumber party happening here, guys. This thing's going off.” Jim finally hit the right button and the screen went blank.
Chekov frowned and Sulu stared at Jim with mild interest.
“Let's play a proper game. Something we can all play together.”
“Truth or dare?” Sulu suggested, chancing a glance at Chekov.
“That's what I was thinking,” Jim responded. “But Uhura thinks it's a bad idea.”
“Two against one!” Sulu shouted, jumping to his feet.
Uhura sighed as she elbowed Scotty, attempting to wake him. “Fine, you guys. But don't blame me when someone ends up naked or crying. Or both.”
Jim grinned as he headed over to Spock's corner. “Up, Commander.”
Spock tilted his head to glanced up at Jim. “Captain?”
“You heard me, it's game time. Get up.”
Spock piled his papers neatly beside him and rose to his feet. He followed Jim to the couch where McCoy was lying.
“Come on, Bones. Game time.”
McCoy frowned at him. “I'm not movin'. If you want me to play, I'll play from here.”
Pike, whose hands were now above the sleeping bag, grabbed hold of McCoy's feet through the fabric. “Come on, Len. Just one round.”
“Yeah, come on, Len.” Jim teased.
“Fine fine..” McCoy groaned, shifting under the blanket. “But I'm doing this for you,” he said to Pike, “not Jim.”
*
After establishing the rules of Truth or Dare, Jim announced he would be going first.
“Okay, someone ask me, truth or dare.”
McCoy spoke up first. “Oh goddamn it. Truth or dare, Jim?”
“Dare.”
McCoy rolled his eyes. “I know you want me to dare you to do something stupid like run through the halls naked, but I'd rather save my eyes the pain. So.. I dare you to.. sing something over the ship's comm.”
“Sing what?”
“I don't know.. Twinkle twinkle little star.”
Jim frowned as he made his way to his computer. “What a waste of a dare..”
He pressed the button for the comm and gave a rousing rendition of 'twinkle twinkle little star' over the ship's speaker system, drawing out the last note with a smirk at McCoy.
“Okay, Bones, your turn now. Truth or dare.”
“Truth.”
Jim grinned. “Okay, if you could marry any Starfleet personnel who would it be?”
McCoy stared at Jim, not willing to give him the satisfaction of seeing him cast a glance at Pike. “Well it sure as hell wouldn't be you.”
“Cop out!” Jim shouted with a laugh. “You didn't answer the question.”
Pike shifted uneasily in his chair. “Jim, how about a different question?”
“No!” McCoy said quickly, turning to look at Pike. “I'll answer it. Everyone knows it anyway. It'd be you. It'd be Christopher Pike.” McCoy turned back to Jim. “Happy?”
Jim nodded. “Ecstatic! Congrats you guys!”
Pike gripped McCoy's hand under the table as McCoy's cheeks went red.
“Okay, who wants to go next? Sulu?”
Sulu shifted in his chair, suddenly unsure if he wanted a turn after all. “Maybe Uhura or Scotty would like to go next?”
Jim looked at the two of them, Uhura giving him a death glare and Scotty snoring softly next to her.
“Nope, your turn,” He said quickly, turning back to Sulu. “Truth or dare?”
Sulu considered his options carefully. “...Dare?”
“Well, you can thank Doctor McCoy for this one. I dare you to run naked up the corridor, and back.”
Sulu's eyes went wide. “You can't be serious.”
“Of course I'm serious. Truth or dare is a very serious game.”
“How far up the corridor?”
“Just a few doors up. Three doors, how's that sound?”
Sulu didn't respond as he got up from his chair. He made his way to the door with Jim on his tail, and Chekov shyly trailing behind.
When they reached the corridor Sulu peeled his clothes off quickly, using his hands to cover his front and backside. “Three doors up and that's it.”
Jim nodded.
“And if you take off with my clothes or lock me out here, I won't hesitate to cause you bodily harm, Captain.”
“I will watch him for you.” Chekov said quietly from the doorway.
Sulu smiled at Chekov before taking off at a sprint. He hit the third doorway and spun around, heading back to Jim's quarters.
“Done,” he said, as he quickly redressed. “And I'm going to get you for that.”
Jim laughed as they made their way back to the table. “Whose turn now?”
*
Truth or dare wound down quickly as Jim's dares became more elaborate and the truths became more intrusive.
They did discover that Spock loved cats, Pike wore red underwear, and Chekov had a crush on a senior crew member. Jim had pushed for more information, but had been distracted by Uhura who dared him to dance a jig in only his boots.
Not willing to refuse a dare, Jim had stripped down quickly, causing everyone to groan exaggeratedly and shield their eyes as he danced around the table. Uhura kept her eyes on Spock, who was attempting to covertly watch his Captain.
*
“Anything else? Drinks? Chips?”
Jim was standing at the replicator, taking orders. He'd already punched in codes for various kinds of ice cream for Chekov and Uhura, chocolate for Sulu, more sandwiches for Scotty, and tea for Spock.
McCoy was still happily sipping his bourbon, and Pike was too distracted by McCoy to ask for anything.
Jim punched in one last code, producing a beer for himself, and then took a seat at the table.
“What else are you supposed to do at slumber parties? Watch movies? Do hair?” Jim snickered to himself as he glanced around the room.
“Chekov! Can we braid your hair?”
Chekov glanced up from his spot on the floor. “No Keptin, absolutely not!” He reached up to cover his hair, flattening his curls with his palm.
Jim glanced around the room, stopping when he spotted Spock's perfectly smooth locks. “Spock. Can we braid your hair?”
Spock raised his head slowly, a look of terror seeping through his neutral expression. “I- I would rather you not, Captain.”
Jim shot a look of disappointment in his direction which Spock seemed to consider for a second.
“Well, if it would please you, I will allow it.”
Jim's eyebrows shot up. “Seriously??”
Spock stood and made his way back to the table. “If it will amuse you.”
“It would, yeah.”
Taking a seat, Spock glanced nervously around the table. Uhura was sorting bottles of nail polish as she painted a sleeping Scotty's nails various colors.
“I would ask that you not paint my fingernails, however.” Spock said quietly.
“Yeah, no, don't worry about it.” Jim replied with a laugh.
He stood behind Spock and ran his hands through the sleek brown hair. He picked up a few strands and twisted them around his fingers.
“So, are you having a good time?”
“I am having an acceptable time.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means my evening has been somewhat positive thus far.”
“So you're having a good time.”
Spock paused before answering. “Affirmative.”
Spock sat silently for a few minutes, allowing Jim to continued twisting his hair around.
“Is your 'slumber party' satisfactory, Captain?”
“It's Jim, Spock. I've told you a million times. Call me Jim.”
“Jim, is your slumber party everything you had hoped for when you sent out the order?”
“It was an invitation Spock! And yeah, it's alright so far.”
Jim twisted a few more strands of Spock's hair before pressing his fingers into the front and running them through to the back of Spock's head. Spock's hair briefly stood on end.
“How is the braiding coming, Jim?”
“To be honest, I don't have a clue how to braid. I'm just messing around.”
Uhura glanced up at Jim with a knowing look. He ignored it.
*
“Seven Minutes in Heaven, don't tell me you've never heard of it.”
“Yeah, of course I've heard of it. I just don't get why you want to play it.”
It was 02:00 hours and Jim had decided it was a perfect time to fit in one more game before bed.
Spock was still seated at the table, watching Jim attempt to rouse everyone for one more game. McCoy was back on the couch, and Pike was nodding off at his side. Chekov was curled up at the foot of the couch sound asleep, with his head on a pillow and his feet on Sulu's lap. Sulu was casually stroking Chekov's sock-covered feet. Uhura had joined Scotty in his tabletop slumber, her head resting on his arm.
“Okay, so it's basically you, me, Sulu, and Spock. Pike maybe too, if the old man can stay awake.”
Pike laughed in his half-sleeping state, while McCoy continued to glare at Jim.
“Pavel can play too.” Sulu said quickly, giving Chekov's feet a squeeze in an attempt to wake him. Chekov started awake at the motion, and gave Sulu an embarrassed look as he slowly pulled his feet from his lap.
“Okay then, you, me, Chekov, Sulu, and Spock. And maybe Pike. That's enough I guess.”
“Jim, this is stupid.”
“You're stupid.”
“Infant.”
“Grump.”
McCoy didn't reply, and Jim smirked at him from across the room. “Come on, grumpy, get over here and play.”
*
The five of them had managed to assemble by the closet door, with Pike observing sleepily from the couch. Jim had taken charge, as usual, and was attempting to convince Sulu and Chekov to be the first players to take the seven minute plunge. Both looked interested, but were unwilling to go first.
“Just do it.”
“No, Jim, why don't you go first?”
“And who the hell would I go with? I'm not kissing Bones.”
No one replied, but there was a sudden scramble of arms and hands and people were shoving, and suddenly Spock was in the closet. Sulu gave Jim a hard shove and he tumbled inside after Spock, and the door slammed shut behind them.
Then there was darkness.
“What the hell guys??”
Jim slammed his body against the door, cursing the old style doorknob which refused to turn and was likely being held by someone on the other side.
“You wanted to play,” McCoy's muffled voice traveled through the thick door. “So play.”
Jim gave one last shove against the door before he turned to face Spock, or where he assumed Spock was standing in the darkness.
“So I guess we have seven minutes.”
“Currently, we have 6.15 minutes.”
“Okay, 6.15 minutes then..” Jim's voice trailed off.
“Could you elaborate on the point of this game, Jim?”
“It's- It's just a stupid game. You're locked somewhere with someone for seven minutes, and you're supposed to.. kiss.. or whatever.”
Spock was silent for a moment, and Jim could hear him shift in the small space.
“Kiss, Captain?”
“Jim.”
“Jim.. the purpose of this game is to kiss?”
“Yeah, or whatever.”
“And the other players would know?”
“Yeah, they'll know.”
“And how do you determine the winner of this game?”
Jim laughed. “You don't play this one to win or lose, Spock. It's just a game to get people to mess around in a closet. Or to get people.. together.”
“I see..”
“Anyway, we don't have to do anything. I know it's not your thing. Any idea how much time we have left?”
“Approximately 4.75 minutes.”
“Great.” Jim tried the doorknob again, but he still met resistance. He imagined McCoy or Sulu on the other side, gripping the doorknob tightly as they laughed at him.
“Open the door!”
Sulu's voice responded. “It hasn't been seven minutes!”
“As the Captain, I order you to open the door.”
“Sorry, Jim, no Captains allowed at slumber parties.”
Jim sighed and gave the bottom of the door a swift kick.
“Jim..”
Spock's voice seemed deeper in the darkness, but also more hesitant than usual.
“Yeah, Spock?”
“We have 3.67 minutes remaining. May I suggest we attempt to play the game?”
“Play the game?”
“Yes. Kissing.”
“You wanna kiss me?”
“Is that not the purpose of the game?”
“Well, yeah, but.. I didn't think you'd--”
Spock kissed him then. Quick and perfect, right on his lips, and for a second Jim admired Spock's precision in the darkness.
“Wow. That was weird.”
“Weird, Jim?”
“Not weird, not weird. I mean unexpected.”
Spock didn't respond, and Jim kicked the door again. “We're done! Let us out!”
McCoy's voice answered through the door. “No chance, Jim. You're in there for the full seven minutes.”
Jim turned back to Spock in the darkness. “How much longer?”
“Approximately 2.25 minutes.”
“Well, that's not so bad.”
“Would you like to play the game again?”
Jim nearly choked and then burst out laughing. “You're brave in the dark, you know that?”
“You do not find my bravery admirable in the daylight, Captain?”
“Yeah, no, I mean.. I'm talking about a different kind of bravery. Never mind.”
Jim stood silently for a moment, contemplating the situation.
“I guess we could kiss again if you want.”
“I would not be opposed.”
“This is surreal,” Jim muttered as he leaned in, his mouth searching for Spock's in the darkness.
Their lips met and Jim noted the distinct metallic taste of Spock's mouth. There was also an undercurrent of herbs from the soup Spock had been eating all evening.
“You taste good.” Jim said, pulling away briefly.
“You taste of alcohol.”
“Sorry.”
He'd just pressed his mouth to Spock's again when the door swung open and they were hit by a bright steam of light. Jim pulled back, lifting his hand to shield his eyes. “Damn it, guys.”
Sulu burst out laughing and McCoy looked disgusted. “Close the goddamn door again, no one needs to see that.”
Jim pushed his way out the door, not willing to be locked in again, and Spock followed him.
“Okay, game over,” Jim said, drinking down the last of his beer.
“But we just started,” Chekov spoke up from his seat at the table.
“If you and Sulu want to lock yourselves in there, be my guest. But I'm done.”
Chekov raised an eyebrow at Sulu and the two of them slowly made their way to the closet, pausing to grab sandwiches and drinks, hoping to remain inconspicuous.
“Sleep time,” Jim announced as he made his way to the living area. “Bones, you and Pike have already claimed the couch. Uhura and Scotty can have my bed. I don't know about those two-” Jim motioned to the closet. “They can figure it out later I guess. Spock, you can sleep next to me on the floor if you want.”
“That would be acceptable, Jim.”
Spock watched as Jim spread blankets and pillows on the floor. He placed two pillows side-by-side, and motioned for Spock to pick whichever side he wanted.
McCoy was already curled up next to Pike as Jim managed to shake Uhura and Scotty awake.
“You two can have my bed.”
Uhura nodded sleepily. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, of course. But, say one word about my Enterprise sheets and I'll throw you both in the brig.”
Uhura smiled as she led Scotty past the couch. “Not a word, Jim. I swear.”
She paused as she noticed McCoy sleeping contentedly with his head tucked under Pike's chin. She waved at Jim to get his attention, and pointed to the sleeping pair.
“Psst.. What did I tell you? So sweet.” She whispered across the room.
Jim nodded and whispered back, “Yeah, yeah, you were right. It's pretty sweet.”
He made his way over to his pile of blankets and pillows, and flopped down next to Spock.
“You alright? Want anything? Hot chocolate? Warm milk?”
“I am satisfactory, Jim, and as a Vulcan it is unwise for me to ingest chocolate.”
“Alright, good to know.” Jim instructed the computer to set lights at five percent, and turned towards Spock.
“Popcorn.”
“Jim?”
“I forgot to make popcorn. And we didn't watch a movie.”
“I fail to see the problem.”
“Just stuff you're supposed to do at slumber parties. I forgot.”
“Jim, your party was acceptable without popcorn and a movie.”
“You had fun?”
Spock turned on his side to face him.
“Indeed, Jim.”
Jim reached across and placed his hand palm-up on the blanket next to Spock.
“I'm glad.”
Spock hesitantly placed his hand in Jim's, and Jim smiled into the dim light.
“Best slumber party ever.”
Series: ST XI
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~3500
Pairings: Kirk/Spock (with mentions of Pike/McCoy, Scotty/Uhura, Chekov/Sulu)
Disclaimer: They're not mine, unfortunately.
Notes: Based on a conversation I had with mga1999 ( here) and was written as I recovered from general anaesthetic. Ridiculous and silly, and it turned out slightly shippier than I originally intended.
Summary: Jim throws a slumber party. He forces everyone to play Truth or Dare, he has gossipy girl talk with Uhura, and he ends up in a closet with Spock.
Jim ran to the door at the sound of loud incessant knocking. He hit the button and the door whooshed open to reveal McCoy standing outside, bottle in hand, and a dignified but slightly embarrassed looking Admiral Pike standing behind him.
“What'd you bring?”
“Bourbon, of course. What the hell else would I bring?”
Jim frowned a little as McCoy shoved the bottle at him.
When he sent out the order -cleverly disguised as an invitation- for a slumber party, Jim had specifically stated that all guests must bring something - a meal, a desert, snacks, a party game, a movie, some music, whatever.
Sulu and Chekov had shown up with Sulu's video game system and a stack of Chekov's games. They'd been there for several hours already, having arrived shortly after dinner in the mess, and had been alternating between silent and focused game play and fits of yelling and arm punches when something went either positively or negatively in their game.
Spock had arrived at precisely 21:00 hours, as per the order invitation. He was carrying a thermos which held some sort of thick hideous-smelling liquid, which Spock identified as Plomeek soup. He was still wearing his uniform, but had apparently left his boots in his own quarters and padded over in his sock feet. Jim was unsurprised to see a stack of papers under his left arm.
“It is unlikely I will partake in the festivities tonight, Captain, so it seemed logical to bring these documents and allow myself an opportunity to catch up on some neglected paperwork.”
Jim hadn't argued, only watched Spock retreat to a corner and seat himself cross-legged on the floor.
Uhura and Scotty arrived within minutes of each other, and Jim suspected Scotty had been instructed to count to an undetermined number before ringing Jim's buzzer so as not to cause suspicion among their fellow crew members - despite the fact that nearly everyone aboard the Enterprise knew they'd been dating for months. Uhura brought a bottle of wine, and Scotty was carrying a platter piled high with sandwiches.
*
“Wanna play truth or dare?”
“You know how that would end, Captain. Spock would be flustered, McCoy would be angry, and you'd be naked somewhere.”
Jim sighed in agreement. His feet were draped over the edge of his chair, and he watched as Uhura painted his toenails blue.
Scotty was asleep in the chair next to her, Sulu and Chekov were on their seventh attempt at a level in the game they'd been playing since they'd arrived, and Spock was still sitting in the same corner with his face buried in papers. McCoy was on the couch, huddled under a sleeping bag, and Jim wasn't positive but he was pretty sure Pike's hands were under there too.
Uhura glanced up at him. “What's the deal with those two? I thought the Admiral was here on orders from Starfleet.”
“He is. His own orders. Really he's just here to see Bones. They got to know each other after the Narada incident, Bones 'nursed him back to health' if you know what I'm saying.”
He gave Uhura a wink and she laughed. “I think it's really sweet.”
“Yeah, that's Bones. Sweet.”
Jim glanced over at Scotty, who was sound asleep with an unfinished sandwich clenched in his hand.
“So what's the deal with you two?”
Uhura didn't look up from Jim's toenails. “What do you mean, Captain?”
“Don't 'Captain' me, and you know what I mean. You and Scotty. I don't know why you guys are keeping it a secret, everyone knows.”
Uhura glanced up at him and then over at Spock. “We're just trying to keep it quiet. You know.. to avoid any awkwardness.”
Jim followed her gaze over to Spock. “I'm pretty sure he knows, and I don't think he cares. No offense, of course. I mean, it's Spock.”
Uhura nodded. “Good point.”
She glanced back to Jim and seemed to consider him for a moment. “So what about you two then?”
Jim's whipped his head around to meet Uhura's gaze again. “You two, who??”
“You, Jim. And Spock.”
“What're you talking about?”
Uhura sighed. “You are so blind.”
Jim frowned and attempted to give her a kick, but she grabbed his foot and held it still. “Don't, you'll mess up my paint job.”
*
Jim was munching on the last sandwich as he made his way over to the game console.
“Off!” he ordered as he punched buttons on the front of the machine.
“Keptin, we are nearly finished this level.”
“Slumber party happening here, guys. This thing's going off.” Jim finally hit the right button and the screen went blank.
Chekov frowned and Sulu stared at Jim with mild interest.
“Let's play a proper game. Something we can all play together.”
“Truth or dare?” Sulu suggested, chancing a glance at Chekov.
“That's what I was thinking,” Jim responded. “But Uhura thinks it's a bad idea.”
“Two against one!” Sulu shouted, jumping to his feet.
Uhura sighed as she elbowed Scotty, attempting to wake him. “Fine, you guys. But don't blame me when someone ends up naked or crying. Or both.”
Jim grinned as he headed over to Spock's corner. “Up, Commander.”
Spock tilted his head to glanced up at Jim. “Captain?”
“You heard me, it's game time. Get up.”
Spock piled his papers neatly beside him and rose to his feet. He followed Jim to the couch where McCoy was lying.
“Come on, Bones. Game time.”
McCoy frowned at him. “I'm not movin'. If you want me to play, I'll play from here.”
Pike, whose hands were now above the sleeping bag, grabbed hold of McCoy's feet through the fabric. “Come on, Len. Just one round.”
“Yeah, come on, Len.” Jim teased.
“Fine fine..” McCoy groaned, shifting under the blanket. “But I'm doing this for you,” he said to Pike, “not Jim.”
*
After establishing the rules of Truth or Dare, Jim announced he would be going first.
“Okay, someone ask me, truth or dare.”
McCoy spoke up first. “Oh goddamn it. Truth or dare, Jim?”
“Dare.”
McCoy rolled his eyes. “I know you want me to dare you to do something stupid like run through the halls naked, but I'd rather save my eyes the pain. So.. I dare you to.. sing something over the ship's comm.”
“Sing what?”
“I don't know.. Twinkle twinkle little star.”
Jim frowned as he made his way to his computer. “What a waste of a dare..”
He pressed the button for the comm and gave a rousing rendition of 'twinkle twinkle little star' over the ship's speaker system, drawing out the last note with a smirk at McCoy.
“Okay, Bones, your turn now. Truth or dare.”
“Truth.”
Jim grinned. “Okay, if you could marry any Starfleet personnel who would it be?”
McCoy stared at Jim, not willing to give him the satisfaction of seeing him cast a glance at Pike. “Well it sure as hell wouldn't be you.”
“Cop out!” Jim shouted with a laugh. “You didn't answer the question.”
Pike shifted uneasily in his chair. “Jim, how about a different question?”
“No!” McCoy said quickly, turning to look at Pike. “I'll answer it. Everyone knows it anyway. It'd be you. It'd be Christopher Pike.” McCoy turned back to Jim. “Happy?”
Jim nodded. “Ecstatic! Congrats you guys!”
Pike gripped McCoy's hand under the table as McCoy's cheeks went red.
“Okay, who wants to go next? Sulu?”
Sulu shifted in his chair, suddenly unsure if he wanted a turn after all. “Maybe Uhura or Scotty would like to go next?”
Jim looked at the two of them, Uhura giving him a death glare and Scotty snoring softly next to her.
“Nope, your turn,” He said quickly, turning back to Sulu. “Truth or dare?”
Sulu considered his options carefully. “...Dare?”
“Well, you can thank Doctor McCoy for this one. I dare you to run naked up the corridor, and back.”
Sulu's eyes went wide. “You can't be serious.”
“Of course I'm serious. Truth or dare is a very serious game.”
“How far up the corridor?”
“Just a few doors up. Three doors, how's that sound?”
Sulu didn't respond as he got up from his chair. He made his way to the door with Jim on his tail, and Chekov shyly trailing behind.
When they reached the corridor Sulu peeled his clothes off quickly, using his hands to cover his front and backside. “Three doors up and that's it.”
Jim nodded.
“And if you take off with my clothes or lock me out here, I won't hesitate to cause you bodily harm, Captain.”
“I will watch him for you.” Chekov said quietly from the doorway.
Sulu smiled at Chekov before taking off at a sprint. He hit the third doorway and spun around, heading back to Jim's quarters.
“Done,” he said, as he quickly redressed. “And I'm going to get you for that.”
Jim laughed as they made their way back to the table. “Whose turn now?”
*
Truth or dare wound down quickly as Jim's dares became more elaborate and the truths became more intrusive.
They did discover that Spock loved cats, Pike wore red underwear, and Chekov had a crush on a senior crew member. Jim had pushed for more information, but had been distracted by Uhura who dared him to dance a jig in only his boots.
Not willing to refuse a dare, Jim had stripped down quickly, causing everyone to groan exaggeratedly and shield their eyes as he danced around the table. Uhura kept her eyes on Spock, who was attempting to covertly watch his Captain.
*
“Anything else? Drinks? Chips?”
Jim was standing at the replicator, taking orders. He'd already punched in codes for various kinds of ice cream for Chekov and Uhura, chocolate for Sulu, more sandwiches for Scotty, and tea for Spock.
McCoy was still happily sipping his bourbon, and Pike was too distracted by McCoy to ask for anything.
Jim punched in one last code, producing a beer for himself, and then took a seat at the table.
“What else are you supposed to do at slumber parties? Watch movies? Do hair?” Jim snickered to himself as he glanced around the room.
“Chekov! Can we braid your hair?”
Chekov glanced up from his spot on the floor. “No Keptin, absolutely not!” He reached up to cover his hair, flattening his curls with his palm.
Jim glanced around the room, stopping when he spotted Spock's perfectly smooth locks. “Spock. Can we braid your hair?”
Spock raised his head slowly, a look of terror seeping through his neutral expression. “I- I would rather you not, Captain.”
Jim shot a look of disappointment in his direction which Spock seemed to consider for a second.
“Well, if it would please you, I will allow it.”
Jim's eyebrows shot up. “Seriously??”
Spock stood and made his way back to the table. “If it will amuse you.”
“It would, yeah.”
Taking a seat, Spock glanced nervously around the table. Uhura was sorting bottles of nail polish as she painted a sleeping Scotty's nails various colors.
“I would ask that you not paint my fingernails, however.” Spock said quietly.
“Yeah, no, don't worry about it.” Jim replied with a laugh.
He stood behind Spock and ran his hands through the sleek brown hair. He picked up a few strands and twisted them around his fingers.
“So, are you having a good time?”
“I am having an acceptable time.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means my evening has been somewhat positive thus far.”
“So you're having a good time.”
Spock paused before answering. “Affirmative.”
Spock sat silently for a few minutes, allowing Jim to continued twisting his hair around.
“Is your 'slumber party' satisfactory, Captain?”
“It's Jim, Spock. I've told you a million times. Call me Jim.”
“Jim, is your slumber party everything you had hoped for when you sent out the order?”
“It was an invitation Spock! And yeah, it's alright so far.”
Jim twisted a few more strands of Spock's hair before pressing his fingers into the front and running them through to the back of Spock's head. Spock's hair briefly stood on end.
“How is the braiding coming, Jim?”
“To be honest, I don't have a clue how to braid. I'm just messing around.”
Uhura glanced up at Jim with a knowing look. He ignored it.
*
“Seven Minutes in Heaven, don't tell me you've never heard of it.”
“Yeah, of course I've heard of it. I just don't get why you want to play it.”
It was 02:00 hours and Jim had decided it was a perfect time to fit in one more game before bed.
Spock was still seated at the table, watching Jim attempt to rouse everyone for one more game. McCoy was back on the couch, and Pike was nodding off at his side. Chekov was curled up at the foot of the couch sound asleep, with his head on a pillow and his feet on Sulu's lap. Sulu was casually stroking Chekov's sock-covered feet. Uhura had joined Scotty in his tabletop slumber, her head resting on his arm.
“Okay, so it's basically you, me, Sulu, and Spock. Pike maybe too, if the old man can stay awake.”
Pike laughed in his half-sleeping state, while McCoy continued to glare at Jim.
“Pavel can play too.” Sulu said quickly, giving Chekov's feet a squeeze in an attempt to wake him. Chekov started awake at the motion, and gave Sulu an embarrassed look as he slowly pulled his feet from his lap.
“Okay then, you, me, Chekov, Sulu, and Spock. And maybe Pike. That's enough I guess.”
“Jim, this is stupid.”
“You're stupid.”
“Infant.”
“Grump.”
McCoy didn't reply, and Jim smirked at him from across the room. “Come on, grumpy, get over here and play.”
*
The five of them had managed to assemble by the closet door, with Pike observing sleepily from the couch. Jim had taken charge, as usual, and was attempting to convince Sulu and Chekov to be the first players to take the seven minute plunge. Both looked interested, but were unwilling to go first.
“Just do it.”
“No, Jim, why don't you go first?”
“And who the hell would I go with? I'm not kissing Bones.”
No one replied, but there was a sudden scramble of arms and hands and people were shoving, and suddenly Spock was in the closet. Sulu gave Jim a hard shove and he tumbled inside after Spock, and the door slammed shut behind them.
Then there was darkness.
“What the hell guys??”
Jim slammed his body against the door, cursing the old style doorknob which refused to turn and was likely being held by someone on the other side.
“You wanted to play,” McCoy's muffled voice traveled through the thick door. “So play.”
Jim gave one last shove against the door before he turned to face Spock, or where he assumed Spock was standing in the darkness.
“So I guess we have seven minutes.”
“Currently, we have 6.15 minutes.”
“Okay, 6.15 minutes then..” Jim's voice trailed off.
“Could you elaborate on the point of this game, Jim?”
“It's- It's just a stupid game. You're locked somewhere with someone for seven minutes, and you're supposed to.. kiss.. or whatever.”
Spock was silent for a moment, and Jim could hear him shift in the small space.
“Kiss, Captain?”
“Jim.”
“Jim.. the purpose of this game is to kiss?”
“Yeah, or whatever.”
“And the other players would know?”
“Yeah, they'll know.”
“And how do you determine the winner of this game?”
Jim laughed. “You don't play this one to win or lose, Spock. It's just a game to get people to mess around in a closet. Or to get people.. together.”
“I see..”
“Anyway, we don't have to do anything. I know it's not your thing. Any idea how much time we have left?”
“Approximately 4.75 minutes.”
“Great.” Jim tried the doorknob again, but he still met resistance. He imagined McCoy or Sulu on the other side, gripping the doorknob tightly as they laughed at him.
“Open the door!”
Sulu's voice responded. “It hasn't been seven minutes!”
“As the Captain, I order you to open the door.”
“Sorry, Jim, no Captains allowed at slumber parties.”
Jim sighed and gave the bottom of the door a swift kick.
“Jim..”
Spock's voice seemed deeper in the darkness, but also more hesitant than usual.
“Yeah, Spock?”
“We have 3.67 minutes remaining. May I suggest we attempt to play the game?”
“Play the game?”
“Yes. Kissing.”
“You wanna kiss me?”
“Is that not the purpose of the game?”
“Well, yeah, but.. I didn't think you'd--”
Spock kissed him then. Quick and perfect, right on his lips, and for a second Jim admired Spock's precision in the darkness.
“Wow. That was weird.”
“Weird, Jim?”
“Not weird, not weird. I mean unexpected.”
Spock didn't respond, and Jim kicked the door again. “We're done! Let us out!”
McCoy's voice answered through the door. “No chance, Jim. You're in there for the full seven minutes.”
Jim turned back to Spock in the darkness. “How much longer?”
“Approximately 2.25 minutes.”
“Well, that's not so bad.”
“Would you like to play the game again?”
Jim nearly choked and then burst out laughing. “You're brave in the dark, you know that?”
“You do not find my bravery admirable in the daylight, Captain?”
“Yeah, no, I mean.. I'm talking about a different kind of bravery. Never mind.”
Jim stood silently for a moment, contemplating the situation.
“I guess we could kiss again if you want.”
“I would not be opposed.”
“This is surreal,” Jim muttered as he leaned in, his mouth searching for Spock's in the darkness.
Their lips met and Jim noted the distinct metallic taste of Spock's mouth. There was also an undercurrent of herbs from the soup Spock had been eating all evening.
“You taste good.” Jim said, pulling away briefly.
“You taste of alcohol.”
“Sorry.”
He'd just pressed his mouth to Spock's again when the door swung open and they were hit by a bright steam of light. Jim pulled back, lifting his hand to shield his eyes. “Damn it, guys.”
Sulu burst out laughing and McCoy looked disgusted. “Close the goddamn door again, no one needs to see that.”
Jim pushed his way out the door, not willing to be locked in again, and Spock followed him.
“Okay, game over,” Jim said, drinking down the last of his beer.
“But we just started,” Chekov spoke up from his seat at the table.
“If you and Sulu want to lock yourselves in there, be my guest. But I'm done.”
Chekov raised an eyebrow at Sulu and the two of them slowly made their way to the closet, pausing to grab sandwiches and drinks, hoping to remain inconspicuous.
“Sleep time,” Jim announced as he made his way to the living area. “Bones, you and Pike have already claimed the couch. Uhura and Scotty can have my bed. I don't know about those two-” Jim motioned to the closet. “They can figure it out later I guess. Spock, you can sleep next to me on the floor if you want.”
“That would be acceptable, Jim.”
Spock watched as Jim spread blankets and pillows on the floor. He placed two pillows side-by-side, and motioned for Spock to pick whichever side he wanted.
McCoy was already curled up next to Pike as Jim managed to shake Uhura and Scotty awake.
“You two can have my bed.”
Uhura nodded sleepily. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, of course. But, say one word about my Enterprise sheets and I'll throw you both in the brig.”
Uhura smiled as she led Scotty past the couch. “Not a word, Jim. I swear.”
She paused as she noticed McCoy sleeping contentedly with his head tucked under Pike's chin. She waved at Jim to get his attention, and pointed to the sleeping pair.
“Psst.. What did I tell you? So sweet.” She whispered across the room.
Jim nodded and whispered back, “Yeah, yeah, you were right. It's pretty sweet.”
He made his way over to his pile of blankets and pillows, and flopped down next to Spock.
“You alright? Want anything? Hot chocolate? Warm milk?”
“I am satisfactory, Jim, and as a Vulcan it is unwise for me to ingest chocolate.”
“Alright, good to know.” Jim instructed the computer to set lights at five percent, and turned towards Spock.
“Popcorn.”
“Jim?”
“I forgot to make popcorn. And we didn't watch a movie.”
“I fail to see the problem.”
“Just stuff you're supposed to do at slumber parties. I forgot.”
“Jim, your party was acceptable without popcorn and a movie.”
“You had fun?”
Spock turned on his side to face him.
“Indeed, Jim.”
Jim reached across and placed his hand palm-up on the blanket next to Spock.
“I'm glad.”
Spock hesitantly placed his hand in Jim's, and Jim smiled into the dim light.
“Best slumber party ever.”