Spock Fic: The Benefits of Fresh Air, Part 1
Listen, it got me writing again. Whoa, am I out of practice! It was fun to explore the new Kirk/Spock/Uhura characters against the TOS versions. (And no, I'm not planning a threesome. Sorry!)
Title: The Benefits of Fresh Air, Part 1/24
Characters: Spock/Uhura, Kirk, and other Enterprise buddies
Rating: PG for deep thoughts and shallow suggestiveness
Warnings: None
Summary: After losing his mother and home world, Spock needs a vacation.
A/N: This story follows the events of the 2009 Star Trek movie and uses the alternate universe incarnation of the characters.
The Benefits of Fresh Air
After logically assessing the
situation from every angle, Spock was forced to conclude that he needed a
vacation. The notion was inescapable; he was fatigued, distracted, irritated by
trifles. Worse, he couldn't concentrate. It was most disquieting. He'd be on
the bridge, and find that he'd long since lost the thread of his thought and
had spent minutes merely listening to the beeps of the equipment. Or suddenly
his attention would shift from his instruments to the murmur between two
consulting colleagues, becoming so intently focused on their conversation
(which typically was routine enough) that it seemed he had joined them. The
effect was odd and intrusive.
More embarrassing was when
someone else (almost invariably Nyota) noticed his lapse. Usually, she would
speak his name softly, and he'd come to himself with a start. If he looked her
way (a reaction he was striving to overcome), he'd find her watching him
earnestly, sympathetic pain evident in her gentle features. Discreet as she
attempted to be, her mute concern only made the matter more humiliating.
Therefore, a vacation was in
order. He'd never taken a vacation; he'd never before seen the need. But
clearly the time had arrived to... extend himself.
Unsure of the protocol (as he'd
never been in a romantic relationship before, either), he broached the subject
over a quiet evening meal in Nyota's quarters. At this young phase in their
relationship, they tended to prefer meals with just the two of them-although if
Spock were entirely honest, avoiding the discord of the mess hall would have an
enduring appeal.
Seeing no benefit in delaying
the discussion, he brought up the subject between bites of salad. "I have
come to the conclusion that a vacation is in order."
Nyota’s fork froze in midair.
“Really.” He couldn’t tell if she was confused or merely startled. “This is
sudden.”
"You disapprove,"
he speculated. He had hoped that she would not oppose him, but her strained
reaction suggested misgivings.
"By no means," she
said quickly. "I'm just a little surprised. The Enterprise has only
been underway for a month."
Forty-one days,
Spock mentally corrected, but was too wise to interrupt.
"Doesn't it seem a
little early for you to... I don't know- abandon our mission?"
Spock stiffened at the
implied criticism. "I do not intend to 'abandon our mission,’ Nyota. But I
can no longer ignore the fact that I have been performing at subpar
levels."
"You've had more than
enough on your mind lately to affect your work," Nyota replied. The fact
that she didn't refute him confirmed to Spock that his concerns were valid.
Reassured in his course of
action, he continued his justifications. "My operational readiness has
deteriorated. My usual stress-reduction methods are proving to be insufficient.
Therefore, I have concluded that the best way to regain my previous efficiency
is to remove myself entirely from the situation. Or, as a human might say, try
a 'change of pace.'"
Nyota looked slightly sad,
although he didn't understand why. "I should have known you'd have worked
this out thoroughly." She sighed. "All right, a vacation it is. Where
would you like for us to go?"
Spock froze. He had not
foreseen this development, although logic informed him that he should have been
prepared. Gently, he said, "I did not consider that we would go
anywhere."
"You want to go by
yourself?" She set her fork wholly aside. Spock reconsidered his tactics;
perhaps bringing up the discussion over dinner had been a miscalculation.
Neither of them was making much progress.
"The thought distresses
you," he ventured.
"No! It’s just that, I'd
have thought..." She fiddled with the edge of her plate. "I thought
you'd want me to go with you."
Spock reached across the tiny
table to touch her wrist. He'd found tactile contact to be effective means of
soothing her. "Nyota, this is not an endeavor in which you assist me. I
seek to... re-center myself. I find myself drifting, unfocused. Even attending fully
to this conversation is difficult for me. I must have a sustained period of
time with no competing calls on my attention, nothing to distract me from the
object at hand." He stroked her wrist lightly with his thumb. "Do you
understand?"
"Yes." Nyota made a
game effort to smile, but he could see the unhappiness pouring out of her, feel
it through the wrist that pulsed lightly under his fingertips.
"But you don't
approve."
"It's not for me to
approve or not. That's up to the captain. But I don't like it."
"Do not humans take
vacations with routine frequency?"
"It's not that. It's
just... I don't think you should be alone at this time."
Spock considered. "If I
were human, I should consider your analysis accurate. But I am not. I am...
different."
"Vive la différence,"
Nyota said softly. She drew a finger across the part of his hand that was in
reach. "All right. I'll take your word that being alone right now won't
harm you."
"I assure you, it is the
best course of action. I have become weak in body and mind. To recover, I must
take prompt and vigorous action."
"Weak in body and
mind?" Nyota half laughed. "Spock, you're the strongest person I
know."
"I find that
debatable."
"I don't. Spock,
consider all that you've done, how far you've come-"
"Circumstances do not
excuse poor performance. An objective assessment of my abilities would reveal
me to be substantially impaired. Meditation is unavailing, and I find the
execution of my duties insufficient to fully engage my attention."
Nyota's smile grew.
"Only you would find the position of First Officer on a starship
insufficient to engage your attention."
"Nyota."
She rose, her eyes glimmering
in a way that often signaled a mood of playfulness. She crowded onto the chair
beside him, draping her legs across his lap, and traced a fingertip around his
ear. He shivered from the contact, startling himself; was his physical control
so eroded? But she only smiled.
"I think, my dear
commander..." She lightly kissed his ear, "that we need to find some
activity that will more fully engage your attention."
Spock felt his defenses
crumbling as she nibbled his earlobe. "This... activity is not meant to be
a substitute for my vacation, is it?"
Her tongue flicked against
his ear, making him shudder. "Consider it an inducement to return."
He turned to face her.
"I will always return to you, Nyota."
She pulled him in for a kiss.
"You'd better."
Her distraction proved to be
fully engaging. Later in the evening they found their half-eaten salads to be
completely unsalvageable.
Continued in Part 2
Title: The Benefits of Fresh Air, Part 1/24
Characters: Spock/Uhura, Kirk, and other Enterprise buddies
Rating: PG for deep thoughts and shallow suggestiveness
Warnings: None
Summary: After losing his mother and home world, Spock needs a vacation.
A/N: This story follows the events of the 2009 Star Trek movie and uses the alternate universe incarnation of the characters.
The Benefits of Fresh Air
After logically assessing the
situation from every angle, Spock was forced to conclude that he needed a
vacation. The notion was inescapable; he was fatigued, distracted, irritated by
trifles. Worse, he couldn't concentrate. It was most disquieting. He'd be on
the bridge, and find that he'd long since lost the thread of his thought and
had spent minutes merely listening to the beeps of the equipment. Or suddenly
his attention would shift from his instruments to the murmur between two
consulting colleagues, becoming so intently focused on their conversation
(which typically was routine enough) that it seemed he had joined them. The
effect was odd and intrusive.
More embarrassing was when
someone else (almost invariably Nyota) noticed his lapse. Usually, she would
speak his name softly, and he'd come to himself with a start. If he looked her
way (a reaction he was striving to overcome), he'd find her watching him
earnestly, sympathetic pain evident in her gentle features. Discreet as she
attempted to be, her mute concern only made the matter more humiliating.
Therefore, a vacation was in
order. He'd never taken a vacation; he'd never before seen the need. But
clearly the time had arrived to... extend himself.
Unsure of the protocol (as he'd
never been in a romantic relationship before, either), he broached the subject
over a quiet evening meal in Nyota's quarters. At this young phase in their
relationship, they tended to prefer meals with just the two of them-although if
Spock were entirely honest, avoiding the discord of the mess hall would have an
enduring appeal.
Seeing no benefit in delaying
the discussion, he brought up the subject between bites of salad. "I have
come to the conclusion that a vacation is in order."
Nyota’s fork froze in midair.
“Really.” He couldn’t tell if she was confused or merely startled. “This is
sudden.”
"You disapprove,"
he speculated. He had hoped that she would not oppose him, but her strained
reaction suggested misgivings.
"By no means," she
said quickly. "I'm just a little surprised. The Enterprise has only
been underway for a month."
Forty-one days,
Spock mentally corrected, but was too wise to interrupt.
"Doesn't it seem a
little early for you to... I don't know- abandon our mission?"
Spock stiffened at the
implied criticism. "I do not intend to 'abandon our mission,’ Nyota. But I
can no longer ignore the fact that I have been performing at subpar
levels."
"You've had more than
enough on your mind lately to affect your work," Nyota replied. The fact
that she didn't refute him confirmed to Spock that his concerns were valid.
Reassured in his course of
action, he continued his justifications. "My operational readiness has
deteriorated. My usual stress-reduction methods are proving to be insufficient.
Therefore, I have concluded that the best way to regain my previous efficiency
is to remove myself entirely from the situation. Or, as a human might say, try
a 'change of pace.'"
Nyota looked slightly sad,
although he didn't understand why. "I should have known you'd have worked
this out thoroughly." She sighed. "All right, a vacation it is. Where
would you like for us to go?"
Spock froze. He had not
foreseen this development, although logic informed him that he should have been
prepared. Gently, he said, "I did not consider that we would go
anywhere."
"You want to go by
yourself?" She set her fork wholly aside. Spock reconsidered his tactics;
perhaps bringing up the discussion over dinner had been a miscalculation.
Neither of them was making much progress.
"The thought distresses
you," he ventured.
"No! It’s just that, I'd
have thought..." She fiddled with the edge of her plate. "I thought
you'd want me to go with you."
Spock reached across the tiny
table to touch her wrist. He'd found tactile contact to be effective means of
soothing her. "Nyota, this is not an endeavor in which you assist me. I
seek to... re-center myself. I find myself drifting, unfocused. Even attending fully
to this conversation is difficult for me. I must have a sustained period of
time with no competing calls on my attention, nothing to distract me from the
object at hand." He stroked her wrist lightly with his thumb. "Do you
understand?"
"Yes." Nyota made a
game effort to smile, but he could see the unhappiness pouring out of her, feel
it through the wrist that pulsed lightly under his fingertips.
"But you don't
approve."
"It's not for me to
approve or not. That's up to the captain. But I don't like it."
"Do not humans take
vacations with routine frequency?"
"It's not that. It's
just... I don't think you should be alone at this time."
Spock considered. "If I
were human, I should consider your analysis accurate. But I am not. I am...
different."
"Vive la différence,"
Nyota said softly. She drew a finger across the part of his hand that was in
reach. "All right. I'll take your word that being alone right now won't
harm you."
"I assure you, it is the
best course of action. I have become weak in body and mind. To recover, I must
take prompt and vigorous action."
"Weak in body and
mind?" Nyota half laughed. "Spock, you're the strongest person I
know."
"I find that
debatable."
"I don't. Spock,
consider all that you've done, how far you've come-"
"Circumstances do not
excuse poor performance. An objective assessment of my abilities would reveal
me to be substantially impaired. Meditation is unavailing, and I find the
execution of my duties insufficient to fully engage my attention."
Nyota's smile grew.
"Only you would find the position of First Officer on a starship
insufficient to engage your attention."
"Nyota."
She rose, her eyes glimmering
in a way that often signaled a mood of playfulness. She crowded onto the chair
beside him, draping her legs across his lap, and traced a fingertip around his
ear. He shivered from the contact, startling himself; was his physical control
so eroded? But she only smiled.
"I think, my dear
commander..." She lightly kissed his ear, "that we need to find some
activity that will more fully engage your attention."
Spock felt his defenses
crumbling as she nibbled his earlobe. "This... activity is not meant to be
a substitute for my vacation, is it?"
Her tongue flicked against
his ear, making him shudder. "Consider it an inducement to return."
He turned to face her.
"I will always return to you, Nyota."
She pulled him in for a kiss.
"You'd better."
Her distraction proved to be
fully engaging. Later in the evening they found their half-eaten salads to be
completely unsalvageable.
Continued in Part 2