fluffnstuff | Floof to the doof

[ Let's have some fun.

That had been the whole of her announcement, and even as Spock argued that certain endeavors engineered for the sole purpose of fun could often be pointless and illogical, he still agreed to join her in whatever it was she had in mind. She didn't tell him, of course, because few things are as satisfying to her as trying and succeeding to catch the Vulcan off-guard.

She can't be sure that'll be the case this time around but she's going to try anyway. Besides, it's not every day they get some shore leave back on Earth, and while that may make little difference to Spock, she fully intends to make the most of it.

So she sets up a date and time, tells him to be waiting for her outside and to dress comfortably. (And then hope 'comfortable' for Spock is also some variation of trousers and a shirt.)

A couple of minutes after the agreed time, Spock will hear something loud and definitely old rolling down the street on two tires that actually touch the ground, coming to a halt right in front of him. Jane kicks the stand down so the bike's perfectly balanced, then takes off her helmet to greet him with a grin. ] Hey! Ready for some excitement?

[ Let's have some fun has been, in Spock's experience with Jane Kirk, a phrase that inevitably leads to some form of chaos. He does not grasp the idea of fun, not in the way humans do, and certainly not to recharge their energy or whatever it was that humans claimed. But he does understand bonding, the desire to spend time with other individuals, and whatever Jane has planned, it is bound to be... fascinating.

(Not to mention that Spock is as much a risk-taker as Jane and there is a certain illogical thrill in joining her.)

Comfortable is a variation of trousers and shirt, along with a jacket, because no matter how warm Earth is, he is entirely warm on the planet. When she pulls up, he eyes the bike, familiar enough with hover-bikes and the like that he can at least identify the contraption.

He refrains from sighing or pinching his nose, but a brief expression of disbelief crosses his face. At least he does have a jacket on, which means if they crash his skin is covered. ]

Captain, excitement is not necessary. However, I am ready to accompany you on this venture, wherever we are headed.

[ Chaos can be pretty fun, though. Depends on the kind. She figures a bike ride along the coast is far from the kind of scenario that might lead to disaster, if only she can sweet talk Spock into joining her.

Turns out it doesn't take a lot of sweet talking, and he's surprisingly quick to agree to the whole thing. Jane doesn't bother questioning it, and she only beams a wider smile at him, twisting around in her seat a little so she can unfasten the second helmet and hand it over to Spock. ]

Just so you won't claim I don't care about safety. [ She finds these completely unnecessary, honestly, but fine. Whatever. She doesn't want to get pulled over because she's not wearing one either, so. ] Excitement is absolutely fundamental. Trust me, you'll feel it. [ Even if he claims he doesn't. She tips her head to the empty spot just behind her. ] Hop on.

[ When it comes to chaos, Spock often finds it better to simply agree to join her and exert some calm and logic into the situation than to completely brush it off altogether. There is no other reason why he joins her, and so easily, too; certainly not because he needs a certain level of excitement and thrill in his life that is rarely found on shore leave on Earth. ]

How wise, Captain. Dr. McCoy must have discussed the necessity for helmets at great length. [ That is really the only reason he can see for her to have helmets for them both. He takes it from her and straps it on, finding the fit acceptable, and climbs on the back of the motorcycle.

There's a moment of pause as he considers what to do with his hands, but he has encountered enough such vehicles before, and so he rests them on her sides, careful to watch his strength. ]

[ See, that's one of the reasons why they go so well together. He can often be a balancing force, a weight on the other end of the scale so she doesn't tip too low or get too high. Of course she too likes to inject some excitement and unpredictability into Spock's life, even if the Vulcan is more emotional and impulsive than he'd care to admit, even to himself. ]

Are you kidding? Dr. McCoy would have my head if he knew I'm riding one of these "death traps". [ She does the air quotes and all, then tugs on her own helmet and fastens it, waiting until Spock's settled behind her to rev up the engine. He's probably going to have to hold on a little better than that but she doesn't say anything, kicking off the stand instead and starting down the street at a slower speed while they're still in the city. ]

[ It is one of the reasons why they are a good team, something Spock has no qualms about admitting. It is a balancing act, his logic and her unpredictability, and it works for them.

He refrains from commenting about McCoy's reaction - which is meant as an exaggeration, Spock is sure, though he suspects it is not far from the truth - and settles in for the ride. There is no need to hold on too tight, not with their current speed, and he can even manage to observe the streets they wander.

It is unusual, to not be hovering in the air, and to simply be moving forward with no destination. If there is a destination, Spock has no knowledge of it, and thus this ride is vastly different from any of his experience. Spock has always moved with purpose, not one given to wandering. ]

[ The speed is surprisingly slow and steady for someone like Jane, but then it shouldn't surprise Spock much. It also shouldn't surprise him that as soon as they break through the city limits and are out on open road, she kicks up that speed a notch.

Well, a few notches, actually. Nothing that could be considered dangerous as long as there's no one else on the road and no unexpected turns. Besides, Jane's a pretty good driver on these things. Something that Spock is likely aware of, even if he's never experienced it quite like this, before.

But it is nice, she hopes. It's freeing and calming, and they do get a beautiful view as she takes the blissfully deserted highway that leads them along the coast. ]

[ There is little reason to fear, as Spock has seen Jane drive a motorcycle before, and is aware of the chances of falling, calculating it to a percentage in his head as they drive, and finding it not significantly greater than the majority of missions they receive. But still, his fingers tighten slightly, until he realizes that the best way to hold on is to link his hands together. That forces him to press closer to Jane's back, which is not entirely unusual, though the situations where he invades her personal space, or she invades his, are generally far more tense and usually of shorter duration.

Spock had never spent much time on Earth before he joined Starfleet, and then his time had been constrained by Starfleet and resulting duties. So he has never explored - not that it was of a concern for him - and thus the view of the ocean is both new and impressive. ]

[ She doesn't find that invasion of personal space the least bit bothersome. Actually she wouldn't even go so far as calling it an invasion, as she more than welcomes Spock's closeness, especially when it's such a rare thing. Jane's never had that many boundaries when it comes to the people closest to her, and if she keeps physical distance in mind with regards to Spock it's only because she knows how that's more important to him than to most other people.

So maybe she takes a particular kind of pleasure that she gets to have him this close, when there's a supposed need for it but no imminent danger like during their missions. It also might be the reason why she drives for a while longer until she decides to look for a spot to take a break, finding a large empty field by the side of the road that overlooks the ocean.

She pulls over there, making sure to park the bike a good and safe distance away from the highway, kicking the stand down and turning off the engine before she takes off her helmet. ]

Now, that wasn't so bad, was it? [ She turns her upper body to the side just enough that she can grin at him over her shoulder, not in any particular rush to get off the bike or away from him. ]

[ It is inaccurate to say Spock does not touch people, as it is often unavoidable in the line of duty. But in his private life, outside of situations that arise where he needs to assist someone up or remain close to sneak past a line of guards, Spock rarely touches anyone, and most of his crewmates respect his reserve. Even Jane, who is more free with physical affection than most humans of Spock's acquaintance, refrains from most unnecessary touch, and Spock finds a certain amount of appreciation for that.

There is still a part of him, carefully hidden and never acknowledged, that craves touch and enjoys the moments when someone - usually Jane, sometimes Uhura, infrequently McCoy - forget and touch him.

Which all leads to this: he finds, perhaps not unexpectedly, that he does not necessarily object to the lack of space between them. Even the fact that they are on a motorcycle does little to diminish the fact that the evening is rather pleasant.

When she finally pulls off the highway, and they have both removed their helmets, Spock knows that he should pull back, put some distance between them, but he refrains. ]

It was not, as you said, "bad." [ Far from it, not that he will say such a thing. ] We are still in one piece and admittedly, the view is rather grand.

[ To be fair, Jane usually takes the lack of verbal opposition as a sign that Spock doesn't always mind being touched, which is why she doesn't always hold back from doing it. Granted, a few times she doesn't think twice of it, but she probably would be a lot more careful if Spock were to say anything about it, or to show in any way that he minds.

And maybe it's just an excuse to get away with stealing a few casual brushes and touches, but she can live with that. She's done worse. Probably. ]

Grand? That's some high praise, coming from you. [ She teases him, hanging her helmet on one of the handles of the bike, leaning back only slightly against Spock. ] Sun's about to set. That'll make for an even better view.

[ Spock is no stranger to people pushing him to answer questions he is not prepared to answer and can understand the benefit in that. But the way in which no one actually questions it when he allows someone to touch him is something he appreciates; he does not have to acknowledge that in him which wants to be touched.

He keeps quiet about it now, though he knows his actions are not stealthy as he hangs his helmet on the other handle and settles his hands around Jane. The bike is not the steadiest piece of equipment, or so he tells himself. ]

A change in light often provides a different perspective.

[ It's kind of difficult to be stealthy when they're sitting this close, and there's practically nothing else around to catch her attention. Even the slightest shift from Spock doesn't go by unnoticed, but she refrains from commenting on it.

She has a feeling that if she said something, whatever that might be, it would be enough to make him regret his actions and pull away, and she likes the feel of his arms around her far too much to be alright with it ending so soon.

She closes her eyes instead, taking that touch as a sign that he doesn't want her to move. Her form relaxes further against him, the back of her head resting against his chest as she takes a deep slow breath. ]

True... in a lot of different ways.

[ It is rare that Jane is still or quiet but she is for the moment, and as she relaxes against him, so too does Spock relax. Which means something entirely different for him, as there is no slumping, but his shoulders are not quite as stiff as they are under normal circumstances.

Spock glances down at her before he looks back to the sky, where the sun is starting to set, the edge appearing to sink beneath the water. Vulcan that was lacked large, extensive oceans of water but there are times when the sea reminds him of the sand dunes, shifting beneath the winds into waves that seemed to flow beneath the intense sun.

The colors are wrong, however; and Spock is not so fanciful to imagine sand dunes in the water. ]

I am unsure of your meaning, Captain.

[ Jane likes this better than home. Maybe Iowa just never got to grow on her, even if she does get a hint nostalgic on rare occasions, but it's more than that. Iowa was always fields and plains and dirt as far as the eye could see. The most exciting thing there was the shipyard in Riverside, and even that only managed to sink the chip on her shoulder even deeper more often than not.

There's a sense of freedom here, though, that she never once got there. The ocean looks endless; she knows it isn't. But if she closes her eyes and it takes a deep breath, it almost seems like it.

She debates on what to say to that, and ends up smiling and shaking her head. ]

It's alright, Spock. You don't have to understand everything, you know. [ And in this case it might just be for the best that he doesn't. ] And we're off duty. Told you to call me Jane.

[ Freedom is a concept that should not translate into a sensory perception - it is not something felt. But freedom is much more than a simple concept, and Spock is no closer to articulating how it is something that can be felt now than he was before he understood just how one could feel freedom.

It is not something he would ever attempt to explain to another Vulcan.

But he feels it there, watching the sunset over the ocean and free from the duties and expectations of his position and his heritage. It is peaceful -

Until Jane talks. And it's not so much her speaking (Spock does enjoy her conversation) as it is what she says. He looks away from the vista before them to study his captain, a faint furrow between his brows. ] I will admit, I am torn about your comment. There is that in me that desires to understand everything, but I confess to not understanding humans and accepting that I will probably never understand such an illogical race of beings.

[ The idea of not understanding is abhorrent; Spock wants to know and understand the universe, part of his reasoning for joining Starfleet.

But he is also intelligent enough to understand that there are aspects of the universe he will never understand, even if he were to ignore the emotional dynamics of human individuals. ]

Floof to the doof

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