Work Text:
Bones' daughter Joanna and ex monster move to San Fran and his daughter's 18 birthday just happens to be the same day as her classes senior Prom.
Kirk doesn't know how he got stuck doing the crepe paper streamers. The traditional earth high school gym smells like he'd always imagined it would, dark and musty and vaguely of the sweat and awkwardness of teenagers. The work he was doing was for a good cause, he thinks to himself, scowling at the surprisingly springy paper he'd been subjected to.
He glares in the general direction of Spock, who with Chekov and his mad skills have taken over the electronics section of making the outdoor stage. Bones sits on the ground beside him wrapping crepe paper flowers out of the ugly left over bits that have faced Kirk's wrath. Sulu stands several feet away, growling under his breath about inappropriate childhood milestones.
"Come on Sulu, You went to your high school prom right?" Bones grumbles back. "Like five years ago?" Sulu turns his glower to the doctor.
"I didn't finish school at the same time as my age group. I was three years ahead. Can you imagine a fifteen year old guy asking an 18 year old to take him to prom? It would have been humiliating." He fusses with the balloons he's been trying to wrangle into an archway. "Why can't they just do a pizza party or something? Why prom?" Throwing his hands into the air he huffs loudly. "Honestly, this is all beneath me, creatively."
Jim Kirk, Captain of the most beautiful flag ship of the Federation, snorts indelicately. "We're making prom decorations. Creatively, it's beneath all of us." His blue eyes flick to Bones who's head seems to have sunk into his shoulders. "But it's Bones' daughter. She's his family and he's our family. We do anything for family." He raises an eyebrow at Sulu who looks slightly guilty. "If this was your daughter, and we were available, you know we'd do anything you or Ben needed."
"Of course, Jim. Sorry McCoy, you know I'm happy to help you or Joanna however I can." Sulu says, beginning to grapple with the latex balloons again.
"Oh, leave off, Jim. You and I both know the only reason I'm even being asked to help is so the Monster can tell all her new high society friends that the famous Crew of the Enterprise brought recognition on her baby's birthday." He nods to Sulu and Jim can tell he's pleased despite his words.
Spock makes his way over then. "Doctor, I believe the sound is as proficient as it's going to become with the subpar equipment."
McCoy stares at him sighing and shaking his head. "We're on leave. You can call me Leonard, Spock. Or Bones, if that's more your style." He cracks a smile for the first time since Kirk said he'd recruit people to help decorate. "Never mind. I forgot who I'm talking to." He holds the flower he'd been working on up to Kirk.
"Aw, Bones, You shouldn't have."
"I didn't. It's the only pay you're getting for helping out." Bones rolls his eyes.
"Ah, well. I'll treasure it." Jim tucks the flower behind his ear. "Now, get up off the ground and actually do something." He laughs, throwing another roll at his friend. "We've only got another hour before we have to be out of the way." He shudders in discomfort. "Nothing worse than teenagers."
"I do not understand. You were a teenager. You have made these forays into social interactions before." Spock says in the way Jim knows he uses as a mocking taunt.
"I took my GED. I couldn't be bothered with real school." Kirk's mouth lifts in a half smirk, self-deprecating. "I didn't have the experiences normal children had." He raises his head from the packaging of a particularly stubborn roll of tulle. He can feel the stares of his crew. "Oh, don't give me those looks. I've had plenty of," he sends a truly different smirk towards Spock. "social interactions. Not these ones, but I didn't care about prom."
McCoy clears his throat and tosses a bottle of yellow liquid towards Spock, "Go put this by the stage. Punch is going to be over there so someone can keep an eye on it." He grabs a few bottles of his own.
"Why must the beverages be watched?" Spock asked, genuinely confused.
"Have you ever heard the term 'Spiking the punch'?"
--
Kirk is exhausted by the time he wrangles the crew away from last minute decorating fixes. Uhura is uprooted from speaking with the DJ and caterers in a back office, Chekov from being the one to spike the punch. Kirk heads toward the ship's dock, longing for his sonic shower and a bed.
"Jim, I owe you guys for helping out, I've got some fine whiskey from our last trip to Yorktown. You're all welcome to help me drink it."
"What happened to this being about helping family?" Kirk teases.
"I'm a doctor, not a slave driver." Bones's face turns lightly pink, "I... You guys did a pretty great job for a daughter I nearly only mention to grouse about her mother. I really am grateful for the help."
"That's a lie if I've ever heard it. We know you love your daughter. She's practically the only person you even like." Jim smiles at him. "But if you insist, then I guess it'd be rude to turn you down." He wraps an arm around his friend.
"Perhaps we might have such a social gathering on the Enterprise." Spock speculates. "It would be beneficial to crew moral and also to teach other species the intricacies of Human Youth Behavior."
Chekov guffaws unattractively, with Sulu breaking into giggles just behind him. "Only eef you ask Keptin to ze party yourself, Commander!"
Spock blinks. "Why would asking the captain to such an event be a laughing matter. It would be logical to arrive together, as we would be traveling the same distance and from the same direction."
Sulu shares a laughing glance with Chekov before clearing his throat. "It's part of the social event to invite someone you'd like to spend the whole night with."
"Ah," Spock said. "So you would invite Ensign Chekov?"
"Not that I don't love spending time with Pavel, but I'd rather bring Ben." Sulu grins. "It's more of a romantic event than just a social one."
Spock blinks. "I see." He says some what doubtfully. "So your initial request of me asking the captain to a similar event was to create humor." He raises his eyebrow at Chekov, who blushes. "I fail to see how this is humorous, objectively."
Sulu blinks at him. "Sorry Commander, he was just trying to poke a little fun." The helmsman ruffles Chekov's hair in passing.
Bones walks up to them. "You guys joining me in rec room three? Jim and I are sharing a drink," he glances at Chekov's blush. "What's going on over here?"
"Lieutenant Sulu and Ensign Chekov were attempting to cause an emotional outburst by indicating I should invite the Captain to a social event." Spock intoned. "As I do not feel embarrassment, there was no danger of such an emotion happening."
Bones stares. "They were trying to get you to ask Jim to prom." he says flatly.
"Indeed." Spock tilted his head. "I would feel no embarrassment, regardless, as his agreement to any such question would irrefutably be positive."
The three humans stare at him as Jim wanders over from where ever he'd been.
"Guys, Drinks? We still on?" his gaze filters through their expressions and comes to a stop on Spock. "What were you guys talking about?"
"The illogical shame attached to an agreement of friends to attend social functions together." Spock says, as if he hadn't just blanked the minds of the other crewmen. "I postulated that if I were to ask you to the human youth gathering as my romantic attachment, you would not say no."
Jim stares for a moment before grinning wickedly. "Why, Mr. Spock, I thought you'd never ask. Of course I'll go to prom with you." He turns to his bridge crew. "Come on guys, Yorktown Whiskey is the only reason I'm still standing right now." He heads into the waiting shuttle, leaving his main crew-mates behind.