From a little Spirky something I have on the back burner.
“Captain.”
He turns, seeing Spock standing at the door of the stall. He turns back to his untangling. “She’s restless,” he says, sniveling against his allergies. “I’d bet hard latinum she’ll deliver tonight, or in the morning, probably before the sun comes up.”
“Indeed?” Spock asks. “You seem to be well acquainted with the husbandry of these animals.”
Jim carefully works a thick knot out of the coarse red strands as the mare whuffles in her hay. “My aunt and uncle bred horses. Quarter horses. I stayed with them for awhile when I was a kid. Before the mass—” he stops, jaw tightening, and regroups. “I used to help, while I was there.”
Spock watches for a moment. “I admit I found them somewhat intimidating on my prior visit. They appear nervous in my presence. I believe my scent is quite foreign to them.”
Jim looks him over for moment. “Come in here.”
Spock lifts the latch, approaching cautiously.
“To the side, like me,” Jim says, “They have a blind spot right in front of their nose. Just make sure she can see you.”
Spock obeys, and Jim retrieves a peppermint from his pocket to drop in his palm. “Flat fingers, let her smell it. It will disguise your scent a bit with something she likes.”
Spock does as directed, and the mare investigates, her ears moving back and forward before her big velvety lips take the candy with hot, moist breath, making a low sound as she crunches through it, tossing her head. Spock pulls his hand away quickly. “Fascinating.”
Jim chuckles, stroking her long nose, eyes soft on Spock.
Tag: K/S Day
In Honor of K/S Day…
I thought I’d post a bit more of my Spirk wedding day stuff. This is not a wedding fic, per se (sorry trekbedtimestories), but it does have a wedding in it, so… (and thank you suedescripture and suckmykirk… with your help I sussed out that keep reading thing)
The morning
was crazy. The Enterprise still
needed him, and though his mind gravitated to the large gong now on the Observation Deck, he was
happy for the distraction. There was no
time to be nervous.
He
ended up only seeing Spock for about a minute before his First Officer was called
into the science labs to look over diagnostics on the repaired systems. Uhura was running all over the ship
organizing various things. A shuttle
docked at one point, and when he asked for details on the passengers, she just
said “wedding stuff” in a very frazzled voice.
He gave permission and didn’t ask further. Jim saw Spock again in the transporter room
when they greeted the Vulcan guests.
Then Uhura told him he was off duty the rest of the day, and to go get
ready. And he didn’t really remember promoting
her to Captain, but was happy for the out.
He
made his way to his quarters, Bones filing into position beside him, already in
his dress uniform.
“You’re
going to help me?”
“I’m
the best man. My only real job is to make sure you’re at the altar on
time, in clothes, and not stinking drunk. Speaking of which—”
Jim
felt a sharp jab in his neck. He stumbled slightly as he slapped the hypo
away.
“What
the hell was that for?”
“Just
in case you’re still feeling the effects of last night’s festivities.”
“I
had three shots, Bones,” Jim said, punching the code to his door and
letting them in. "That’s barely enough for me to fee—" Jim
stopped abruptly, his sentence ending in an “oomph” as Bones plowed
into him from behind.
Jim
was too stunned to notice the doctor’s soft curses or the hiss of the door
closing.
Spread
out on his sofa was a set of Vulcan robes made of rich gold and copper fabrics.
The outer robe — which had no sleeves but had a large hood — was edged in
embroidered swirling Vulcan calligraphy, shimmering threads of dark bronze against
the copper cloth. The slim pants and
knee length — at least on one side — tunic were lighter gold with a darker
thread woven through, rich and shimmering. Glyphs also adorned a wide obi-like belt that
matched the outer robe. He recognized
the IDIC symbols and the T’hy’la shields, but others seemed more abstract.
More calligraphy embellished another looping, strappy…. thing.
There were five pieces in all, but Jim honestly didn’t know what they were
all for. These were a far cry from the
simple, rough robes he’d seen on the colonists.
“That
looks… complicated. Any idea how to put it on?”
Jim
studied the garment. "I’m guessing the pants go on first, and that
big robe goes on last, but I have no idea what to do with the rest of it.
It’s beautiful, though,“ he said, trailing a finger along the
embroidery, wondering what it said.
"Get
your grubby hand off of it. Hit the sonic and I’ll see what I can find
out in the Vulcan libraries.”
Jim
nodded, excitement simmering in his stomach. He was getting married —
bonded — in a few short hours. The robes appearing out of nowhere made it
feel real in a way that all the running around getting the ship fixed and the
ceremony planned the last few days hadn’t. And he couldn’t help laughing as he
stripped and got into the sonic shower, because if he was wearing that,
he couldn’t wait to see what Spock was wearing.
And that was really not a reaction he’d expected of himself.
By the
time he made it back into the living room, freshly scrubbed and shaved in
briefs, Bones was cursing at the console.
“Any
luck?”
Bones
shook his head. "I had no idea Vulcan robes were so variable.
I’ve looked at fifty pictures in the ship’s library, and nothing quite
matches this get up. But I think you’re safe putting the pants on
first.“
They
were pretty sure the long tunic went on next, which was easier said than done.
A curving row of small buttons extended from the raised collar across his
right collarbone before curving down and extending 30 cm down the side of
his chest. It took three tries before they got them all fastened without
skipping any, and when they finally did, the tunic lay flat and smooth against
his skin, not binding, but fitted.
"It’s
like it was made for you,” McCoy observed, smoothing nonexistent wrinkles
along the shoulders.
“That
doesn’t seem likely considering we started planning things just days ago.”
McCoy shrugged
and lifted two more pieces of silk.
“This one next?” he asked, lifting the mess of straps and buckles, “or
this one?” he motioned to the ornate, wide obi.
Jim grabbed the obi and then nodded at the straps, postulating how they
might go around his shoulders. Minutes
later, Jim was completely tangled, and sure that this couldn’t be right,
and trying to get back out of the strap thing without tearing any seams when
the door chimed.
“Come,”
Bones said before Jim could get his elbow past the now-too-narrow opening, so
his arm was pinned awkwardly when Uhura stepped in, froze, and burst out
laughing.
“Get
in here,” Bones said, pulling her in so the door would close behind her. “If you have any idea how to make this look
like formal wear, we’re all ears.”
Uhura’s
hand was still covering her mouth. “I
brought your kluf,” she said, holding up a pair of soft, high leather
boots.
“Well,
that’s great, but we’re not worried about his feet at the moment. More like his arms…”
Uhura
threw her head back laughing again as Jim struggled to get his elbow free.
“Are
you going to help, or are you enjoying this too much?”
“I’m
sorry, I’m sorry… you’re right. I
think… I think we’ve got to start over.
Take all of that off.”
Bones
glared at her.
“Well,
not the pants! I think you managed
those. And not the koma, you
actually got that buttoned properly. But
the rest.”
Jim
finally managed to free himself, removing everything but the tunic and pants.
“How
did you even manage that?” Uhura asked, smoothing the parts of the costume that
Jim removed and laying them on the sofa again.
“Hey,
I’m used to clothing that’s bilaterally symmetric. And we couldn’t find any robes in the
computer that had any of these parts,” he said, pointing to the loopy thing.
“Well,
these are sort of amalgams,” she said, taking the obi and wrapping it around
his hips and waist. It was asymmetrical,
too, dipping lower in front as if protecting his belly. Uhura took the thinning straps and tied them
at his left side, above a thick embroidered design. “These are normal Vulcan robes with some
extra pieces that are more reminiscent of the old warrior culture, to pay
homage to the T’hy’la bond,” she said, picking up the loopy thing and pushing
his left arm up so she could slip his arm through two of the straps. She moved to the other side and fastened a
buckle under his left arm. “Its all
ceremonial… no actual weapons, but the shapes are reminiscent of baldrics and
scabbards that could house weapons.”
Looking in a mirror, Jim could see that despite the fact that the fabric
looked rich and satiny, the piece was shaped as though it should hold a spear
or sword on his back. Bones helped him
with his boots and he turned to look in the mirror as Uhura straightened and
smoothed the various components of the costume.
And he really did look like an elegant version of a soldier. It was both more intimidating and more
dignified than his dress uniform, the layers rich and shimmering and shades of
gold and bronze.
“How
did you know how to put it together?” he asked as Uhura smiled at him and held
up his large robe with the hood — the piece that really made it look like
Vulcan robes and softened the soldier look.
“I saw
it come off the transport.”
“Transport? From wher—”
the door chimed again.
“Expecting
someone else?” Bones asked as he moved to the door.
Jim
shrugged. He hadn’t expected Uhura, but
he was glad she’d come. Bones signaled
the door to open, and on the other side stood a very frantic looking Ensign
Kane. His face broke into a wide grin
when he saw Jim.
“I’m
not too late,” he said, holding up a small box.
“You
got them done?” Jim asked incredulously, barely able to contain his
excitement.
Bones
rolled his eyes and pulled Kane into the room so the door could shut behind
him. “Jim, we have someplace to be. I told you: I have one job—”
“Well
you’re about to have two, Bones. The
best man holds onto the rings,” he said as Kane opened the box. Bones’ eyes widened and Uhura’s hand went
over her mouth as the rings were revealed.