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When Spock told Leonard about the new planet they’d be visiting and, in particular, the area they’d be landing in, he was ecstatic. It was safe, didn’t have large critters or sentient life, and had salty lagoons that were geothermally heated. Not only would that make for a delightful evening swim, but he could also use it to coax Spock into enjoying water a little more. Yes, it was perfect. Leonard would finally get to teach Spock the joys of swimming—or more like floating. Just enjoying the water without needing to constantly tread because your body is too dense to float.
Yes, Leonard had it all planned out. Even got it approved with Jim, and Nyota helped him with some of the finer details. They’d have a romantic picnic on the lagoon’s pristine, sandy beach, and then they’d change into swimsuits and go exploring. Leonard figured that Spock would be more likely to join him if he added a scientific reason for this. Well, Spock would join him either way, but he’d be more likely to enjoy it if he was studying something while having fun in the water. The bioluminescent algae was just plain cool, in Leonard’s opinion. Spock would find it fascinating, guaranteed.
They beamed down in a larger than average group, did their duties, no one got hurt, everything was as it should be. (Leonard had long since stopped using the phrase “as expected” because he now expected everything to go wrong.) Once alpha shift was over, he checked out with Jim and Nyota and grabbed his stuff to get ready while his friends distracted Spock. Jim helped him pick the location, and Sulu checked the area for any potentially harmful plants and animals, but Leonard still did a once over to make sure. Once the tricorder cleared it, he got to work.
An hour later, Leonard had a mighty romantic sprawl on the beach. A large picnic blanket between two trees, strings of lights spread between and around them, and a PADD playing Vulcan lute music that Spock enjoyed. It was turning out great, and after Scotty sent them a little care package of hot food and cold drinks, it became perfect. Well, almost perfect. Leonard realized he still had his uniform on, which would not do for a hot date, so he started stripping, getting fully naked before grabbing his swim trunks.
“Leonard?”
Leonard was startled. cursed and tripped over the trunks he was in the middle of stepping into. “Ah! Jesus! Spock! Why do you always do that?”
“Apologies. I noticed you were absent from the landing party and… What are you doing?”
“Jim and Ny were s’posed to hold onto you for—” Leonard looked at his watch “—twenty more minutes!” He grumbled and stood back up to wipe the sand off his rear end before hiking up the shorts, tying them, and strolling over to Spock to give his confused face a kiss on the cheek. “Welcome to your romantic dinner date.”
“We are on a mission,” Spock said as he glanced around. His eyes landed on Leonard’s choice of attire and then the lagoon.
Leonard chuckled and pinched Spock’s ear fondly. “Relax, darlin’. We’re off shift, I got Jim’s permission, and I promise I’ll getcha in the mood first before we try something as wild as taking a dip in the lagoon together.”
Spock rolled his eyes with a sigh but otherwise followed Leonard’s lead. He stripped his uniform, got into the swim trunks that Leonard supplied him with, and they both put on lightweight button-up shirts and floppy hats. All that was missing was a stripe of sunscreen across their noses, which Leonard was happy to apply. Ah yes, proper beach attire! And boy was his Vulcan looking good in it. Leonard settled them down onto the blanket and looked up at his beautiful boyfriend, who was kneeling and sitting prim and proper. Even if it didn’t work out, at least Leonard had a fantastic view.
“I admit that my tensions have lessened since you have supplied food, drink, and music that is to my taste,” Spock finally admitted after Leonard dished them up some delicious Vulcan curry. “Though I do not anticipate being entirely willing to go forward with your obvious plan of getting me into the lagoon.”
“Don’t knock it ‘til you try it, Mister Spock.” Leonard reached over and traced a finger along Spock’s shin. “Do you remember what’s special about these lagoons?”
“Of course. The lagoons are known for the algae that appears to be potentially beneficial for a variety of ailments and is actively beneficial as a conditioner for skin similar to ours.”
“And what about the lagoon’s environment makes this variety of algae thrive while it doesn’t even exist on our planets?”
“The lagoon has a high salinity.”
“And what does salinity do to the density of the water?”
Spock paused and looked out at the lagoon before turning back to Leonard. The wheels were definitely turning, and Leonard got to see a variety of minuscule expression changes while he thought through it. “I would float.”
“Damn skippy, you’d float!” Leonard grinned and finished the last few bites of his curry before tucking his plate away. “If I did my calculations correctly, you’d feel the same as if you were fully human and taking a dip in a pond back in Georgia.” He stood up and moved to Spock’s side, snuggling in. “And I could be your personal floatation device if you need it.”
“There is no dessert?” Spock asked, clearly looking for an excuse to prolong the pre-swim festivities.
Leonard kissed Spock’s shoulder before biting it. “I’m your dessert, and you’re my dessert, though we should probably beam back to the Enterprise before we indulge.”
Spock sighed and set down his empty bowl. “I am not sure of this, Leonard…”
“I won’t make you do anythin’ you don’t want to do, but hear me out.” Leonard waited for Spock to nod but instead got Spock’s head on his shoulder and figured that was a yes. “I know you’re afraid of large bodies of water, and you have every right to be. You’re Vulcan! Desert dwelling, denser than I thought was physically possible, and not having the greatest experience with Starfleet forcing you to swim in the San Francisco Bay during survival training exercises.”
“The experience was difficult, yes.” Spock leaned more into Leonard. “I am unsure of this, Leonard. Please do not interpret this as me not trusting you.”
“I know, sugar, I know.” Leonard kissed Spock on the top of his head and snuggled in. “I love swimming in warm water; I have a lot of fun with it. I prefer smaller bodies of water myself, but this lagoon is pretty enclosed, and we can pretend it’s just a small lake. But just this once, because we have the opportunity, I want you to experience something that I find fun under conditions I’d typically experience it.”
“Very well.”
Leonard chuckled and forced Spock’s head off of his shoulders so he could straddle Spock’s knees and kiss him. “I want you to float for a full sixty seconds, about three feet from the shore. That’s all I’m asking for right now. Test the waters, and then we’ll go from there, alright?” Spock nodded, and Leonard stood up, offering his hand. “Alright, Spock, let’s go have some fun.”
Spock took Leonard’s hand and tentatively followed him up and to the edge of the water. Leonard watched as he carefully stuck one bare foot in and then another before wiggling his toes. “You are certain I may find enjoyment in this?”
“You want a taste test? If you sit down about chest deep, you can hold my hand while I float. Let down your shields and see how I like it.” Leonard shrugged and brought Spock’s hand up to his lips to kiss. “I won’t force ya to do anything, Spock. I even promise not to tease ya.”
“You certainly went out of your way to make this appealing,” Spock grudgingly admitted.
Leonard kissed Spock’s hand again and slowly backed them up, one step at a time, until Spock could sit down in the calmly rippling water. He tried sitting down first, but he had a hard time getting his bum on the ground for more than a second before he was floating again. Leonard was delighted by the feeling and wanted to fool around, but he had to get Spock situated. Spock, for his part, was watching Leonard with an eyebrow raised and their hands still connected. Leonard was pretty sure his shields were letting feelings in, though they still blocked outgoing feelings.
“I wasn’t expecting I’d become a literal flotation device for ya, but I’m starting to think that’s how this is gonna go.”
Spock lowered himself into the water and sat down in the sand. Leonard watched him scoop up water and let it filter through his fingers before repeating the motion. It was similar to what he did during their baths, probably a texture thing. Leonard held onto Spock’s hand as he moved to a horizontal position, floating effortlessly. The waves kept gently rocking him into Spock and away, repeating every fifteen seconds or so. It felt amazing, and he didn’t hide anything about how he was feeling: floaty and bubbly, adoring Spock, loving Spock—probably should have hidden that one. Whatever.
“You are enjoying this,” Spock commented as he turned Leonard so that they were pointed in the same direction. He looked down into Leonard’s eyes with a small smile.
Leonard reached up to pull Spock down for an awkward upside-down kiss. “Yeah, I am. How do you feel?”
“Your emotional nature, as always, is stoking my curiosity.”
“I could stroke your curiosity, too.”
Spock rolled his eyes and turned Leonard again, choosing instead to hold onto his foot. “You are spending too much time with Jim.”
“I agree, we should spend more time together.” Leonard lifted his head to grin at Spock as he wiggled his foot. “I’m kidding, though.”
“I assume there is more to that statement.”
“Yeah. I checked the pH; it’s not ideal for little Spock.” Leonard chuckled at the look of disgust that passed over Spock’s face and sat up, which was surprisingly hard due to the buoyancy. “Let me know when you want to give it a try, I’m just gonna float until you say otherwise. Wish I brought sunglasses, though.”
Spock turned Leonard around again and shielded him with his bulk. “I wish to attempt floating with you.”
Leonard smiled from ear to ear and flipped over so he could hug Spock tightly. “That’s great! You can trust me, Spock. I won’t let anything happen to ya.”
They both stood up and waded further out into the water, going up to about chest height. Well, the water was chest high on Spock. Leonard had to work way too hard to keep more than half of his body in the water, so he just tucked his knees in and floated beside Spock. Leonard wrapped Spock’s arms around his shoulders and then nudged his shins until Spock lifted his feet. There was a brief moment of panic, followed immediately by a blush when Spock realized he wasn’t sinking. The blush got deeper when he relaxed his muscles and truly floated.
“There ya go, Spock. That’s how you do it!” Leonard cooed. “Let me know when you’re ready to try this on your own.”
“I would prefer to remain attached to you, Leonard.”
Leonard smiled and gave Spock a big smooch. “Good, ‘cause I didn’t feel like lettin’ ya go.”
Spock spent ten minutes in a treading water position before getting confident enough to relax onto his back. Leonard was right there with him, floating beside him with one arm tucked under Spock’s head. It was an almost surreal feeling to not even have to try to float. No matter how hard he tensed, Leonard barely sank. If he wanted to dive in the water, he’d have to expend twice as much energy at least. Which didn’t bother him a lick since Leonard had no interest in seeing what sort of critters were at the bottom. Out of sight, out of mind.
“I would like to try swimming,” Spock said after he’d played around with various floating positions. “I am beginning to see why you enjoy this activity.”
“Y’know, I bet we can get the salinity in the pools changed every week or so so all y’all dense types can enjoy a few laps.” Leonard did a few one-sided backstrokes, his other hand still holding Spock, and circled him with ease. “I would say I’d join ya for a swim, but I’d probably just float until I fall asleep.”
“That is an excellent idea, Leonard.” Spock held tight to Leonard’s hand and started his own one-handed backstroke. They made four lazy circles with very few kicks, and Spock grew more confident with each loop. Spock even allowed some of his feelings to be transmitted through their connected hands. He was delighted, having fun, and most importantly, Leonard was pretty sure he wasn’t alone in the in-love department. “You are not.”
Leonard snickered and tugged Spock over to him for a kiss. “Was gonna wait for a more romantic moment before sayin’ it, but I was planning on sayin’ it today.”
Spock rolled onto his side and on top of Leonard, kissing him deeply. “I believe overcoming a fear with one’s partner is considered romantic. I certainly consider it so.”
“Well, I guess I’ll say it first, then.” Leonard grabbed Spock’s face and said the three little words, kissing Spock’s left cheek, right cheek, and forehead between each one. “I love ya, you pointy-eared, overgrown elf.”
“And I am quite fond of you, you insufferable human.”
Leonard snorted and pulled away—slowly so that he didn’t startle Spock— to splash water at him with a playfully disgruntled “Ass!” Spock uncharacteristically splashed right back, leaving Leonard shocked. “What? What! Do we get to actually play in the water ?”
Spock answered him by lifting an eyebrow, deliberately cupping some water, and tossing it Leonard’s way. “Absolutely not.”
“Alright, what are the ground rules? Just splashing, or are we talking tackling, dunking, and tossing?”
“All of the above. Prepare yourself, ashayam.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Leonard was distracted long enough for Spock to lunge and tackle him into the water. He surfaced, sputtering, “Now who’s been spending too much time with Jim!”
They moved to shallower water, where Leonard didn’t have to fight the water as much and commenced a wrestling match the Greeks of old would be envious of. They grappled, took turns dragging, and then flinging each other through the water. At one point, Spock tried to dunk Leonard only to have Leonard pop right back up and catch him in the chin. That ended their match, which Leonard was thankful for—he was downright exhausted. Leonard barely had enough energy for ‘dessert,’ which he reminded Spock about with featherlight kisses along his chin.
After checking in with the landing party staying planetside, the two beamed back aboard and rushed off to Spock’s quarters. They shared a thorough shower to get all the salt off—though Leonard could still taste it on Spock even after two washes—and indulged in their first dessert. Then they took it to the bedroom, and Spock managed to coax out two more dessert courses from Leonard before the night was through, and Leonard managed to coax out the L-word from Spock.
The next day worked much like the last, though Leonard didn’t plan anything special this time. Instead, when the work was over, they headed off to their private lagoon with a small pool float that had built-in drink holders and a pair of lounge chairs. Jim was jealous and wanted to go with him, but Leonard held him off, saying he and Spock needed time alone. Of course, Jim only promised them a few hours, but that was probably as much as they needed anyway.
Leonard set the chairs up, tossed the floaty aside, and started changing. “Want to try goin’ into deeper waters today?”
“I do not. I would, however, like to float as you did yesterday when we started.” Spock stripped himself of his uniform, folded it neatly, and then put on his swim trunks. “I wish to experience the feelings you transmitted first hand.”
“I like your style, Spock. We can do that!” Leonard smiled and moved over to smack Spock on the rear. “Can we float around like little sea otters?” Spock lifted a skeptical eyebrow, and Leonard explained, “I’d settle my back on the actual pool float, then you’d relax on my chest, and we’d just float around.”
Spock tilted his head as he considered, then nodded. “That sounds agreeable.” Leonard grinned, grabbed the pool floaty with one hand, and then carefully scooped his boyfriend up over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. “I did not agree to this part, Leonard,” Spock huffed. He didn’t move, probably out of concern that he’d fall or one of them would get hurt.
Leonard shifted Spock on his shoulder and carefully balanced so that he could spank him again. “Don’t be a spoilsport. You do this to me all the time—”
“When you refuse to leave your work and get rest.”
“Well, this is a reminder that I can do the same thing to you whenever I want!”
“I admit that I occasionally disregard your physical strength.”
“You an’ Jim both,” Leonard muttered as he carefully made his way to the water and tossed Spock in.
Spock immediately swiped Leonard’s legs out from under him and sat in the chest-high surf with him. Leonard laughed, Spock smiled. “I am grateful for your presence in my life.”
“And you’re the best damn rival I’ve ever had.”
“You are hardly a rival outside of your field of expertise,” Spock teased.
Leonard splashed water at him and then got up when he realized he was missing something. “Almost forgot!” He jogged back to their gear and pulled out two pairs of sunglasses. He put on his aviators and then rejoined Spock, placing the sunglasses on him with a kiss. “There, now we’re ready for lounging! Also, keep a mental, metaphorical eye on the clock. I think we’re due for more sunscreen in an hour or two.”
Spock lifted an eyebrow again, “We? Surely, a man of your education and position is aware that Vulcans do not need sunscreen as we do not get skin cancer.”
“Still gonna put stuff on ya ‘cause it’s a great excuse for a massage,” Leonard leered.
“I suppose that is somewhat logical.”
Leonard kissed Spock again and then waded out further with Spock at his side. They found a still portion of the lagoon, off to the side and further from the shore than they were yesterday, and Leonard turned around to lean back onto the float. It was a thin mat with cup holders on either side. They designed it so that Leonard or Spock could float slightly higher than they would be without it. While they enjoyed being level with the water, both could do without water constantly lapping into their ears.
Spock took a few seconds to decide how he wanted to get on Leonard and ultimately chose to go chest to chest. He hooked his hands under Leonard’s shoulders and rested his head on Leonard’s chest. Spock snuggled in like he really was a sea otter, and Leonard’s heart melted. Leonard combed through Spock’s hair, kissed the top of his head, and settled one hand on his back and the other at the base of his neck. “Comfy, Spock?”
“My comfort would be multiplied threefold if you scratch gently at my nape.”
Leonard smiled to himself and did exactly that, with Spock starting to purr less than sixty seconds later. He wanted to shower Spock with praises and adoration but worried that speaking would spoil the mood and cause Spock to stop. Unfortunately, the mood was spoiled anyway by their Good Friend Jim being a nosy dick. Leonard didn’t spot him at first, who knows how long he was out there, but then he heard a wolf whistle, which startled Spock, and tipped them sideways.
“Dammit, Jim! We were comfy!”
Jim bounded out into the water as Leonard was righting a Very Disgruntled Spock and hooked an arm around both of them. “I agreed to a few hours, and it’s been three. I snapped pics before I disturbed you two, though.”
Leonard blinked and looked between Spock and Jim. “We were out there for three hours?”
“Yeah. Also, you look really red, Bones. Well. Kind of. You have a pale vaguely-Spock-shaped shadow on your chest, and the rest of you is red.”
“Dammit,” Leonard said with a groan and stomped out of the water. “I’m never gonna live this down.”
“Hey!” Jim shouted, “At least you can say that you distracted Spock long enough to let yourself get a sunburn!”
Leonard whipped around, and his grin lifted as the words sank in. “Y’know what, Jimbo? That’s an excellent way of looking at it!”
“I object to this reasoning,” Spock added as he followed Leonard out of the water.
“Two against one, Spock!” Leonard announced with a cackle.