Work Text:
"So," Jim said as he clapped Leonard hard across the shoulder, "your first anniversary is tomorrow. Do you have anything special planned?"
Leonard blinked slowly and dropped his meal tray to the table with a clatter. No, he most certainly didn't have anything planned because he had completely lost track of time. He admitted that time was flying by, especially with how close they were to the end of their five-year mission, but the main reason Leonard didn't think about the date was because it'd felt like they'd already spent a lifetime together. Spock fit so nicely into his life that it felt like they'd always been together. That Spock had already been home to Momma, and Jo approved—she did, but not in person—and they'd been married fifty years despite not even being forty.
Was it really their first anniversary already? Only the first anniversary?
"I take it you don't have anything planned?" Jim teased as he stole Leonard's parfait.
Leonard stole it back and sat down with a grumble, shoving his face in his hands. "No, I didn't even realize how close we were."
"Sucks to be you," Jim hummed. He took a bite of his pancakes before nonchalantly waving his fork in Leonard's face. "You have nearly twenty-four hours to plan a spectacular date, though. Unless you think Spock is planning something?"
"He'd have said something if he was, he's practical like that." If Jim could have lifted a singular eyebrow, he would have, though Leonard didn't know why. Jim knew Spock as well as he did. Although more romantic than Leonard had ever thought, Spock had never intentionally surprised Leonard with anything. All dates were prearranged, though they had the occasional spontaneous date after a lab sess— I got it. I know exactly what I'm gonna do!
"You should still check with Spock," Jim advised before stuffing more pancakes into his mouth.
Leonard shrugged. "Like I said, he'd have told me if he had something planned. Do Vulcans even celebrate dating anniversaries?"
"Lucky you, we have someone who knows that on board this very ship!" Jim grinned. "Want me to ask her?"
"No, thank you, Jimmy," Leonard said with an eye roll. "I've relied on Nyota far too much this year, it's time I start relying on my own experiences."
"I mean, it's not like you two aren't friends." Jim pushed Leonard's plate toward him, reminding him to eat. "I'm sure she'd help if you asked her."
Leonard waved it off, picked up his fork, and pointed it at Jim. "I got it covered, Jimmy. Now if you'd stop ramblin', I can start eating."
"I'm almost finished, you can't blame me for your slow eating."
"Yes, I can."
"Well, it's not true."
"Says you!" Leonard emphasized his point by stealing back the parfait Jim had stolen again at some point and devoured it swiftly.
"Hey, I was going to eat that, Bones!" Jim whined, falling back into their usual routine.
Leonard volleyed back with the regular retort: "Go get your own, then!"
They finished their breakfast with gentle jabs and food stealing, parting ways at the nearest turbolift. Jim would head to the bridge, and Leonard would head down to sickbay for inventorying...and anniversary planning.
—
"Spock! Just the guy I was looking for." The captain squeezed Spock's shoulder as he came up from behind and fell into step.
"Captain," Spock greeted, unsure whether the captain intended to start a social or work conversation. Based on his demeanor and overly friendly physical displays, Spock predicted it would be social. However, it was more pragmatic to greet him formally, as it would be acceptable in either outcome.
"No need to be so formal, Spock! We aren't on the bridge yet," Jim said as he increased his speed in order to reach the turbolift first. "I didn't see you at breakfast, is everything alright?"
Now, knowing the nature of Jim's interaction, Spock relaxed his posture and tone. As well as his list of social scripts. "I had a project that I was preparing for this morning."
"Oh, are you planning an anniversary date for Bones?" Jim clapped Spock's shoulder and shook it in his exuberance. "I knew it!"
"Our..." Spock paused, and his many synapses—more than Leonard and Jim's combined—started sending signals in quick succession. "Our anniversary."
"You forgot, didn't you?" Jim said with a jovial tone. While Spock was embarrassed for his oversight, it must not have been a great offense if Jim was so cavalier about it. "It's fine, Bones wasn't sure that Vulcans celebrated anniversaries anyway."
"While Vulcans do not celebrate anniversaries as humans do, we still reflect on and acknowledge the importance of our relationships in regular intervals." Spock's brow furrowed as he tried to remember when he last performed a satisfactory acknowledgment. However, Vulcans who are in relationships with humans indulge in their cultural practices. "I thank you for bringing this misconception to my attention."
"No problem, Spock." Jim smiled and stepped into the turbolift that had just arrived. "You should talk with Bones, though."
Spock followed Jim into the turbolift and commanded it to go to the bridge. "I do not believe that will be necessary." He chose not to elaborate, given Jim's close relationship with Leonard. Spock's partner adored grand romantic gestures, and he did not wish to risk the surprise if Jim were to find out and inadvertently expose him.
"Suit yourself," Jim mumbled uncharacteristically. "Well, let's get the day started, shall we?"
"Yes, Captain," Spock replied formally. "Preliminary reports suggest that our science teams are interested in the contents of a nearby dark nebula. Its atypical density suggests that there may be complex phenomena that might prove interesting."
The captain waved off the commentary as he sat in his chair and asked the nearest yeoman for coffee. This was another uncharacteristic behavior, though Spock had no time to ruminate before the captain spoke again. "How long til that nebula, Mister Spock?"
Spock walked to his science station and brought the report onscreen, though the action was unnecessary. He knew the charts from memory and could readily provide the numbers, but starting the shift so early with numbers did not stir eagerness in the humans as it did himself. "It will take us two days to reach the nebula at the current pace, Captain."
"Are there any nearby planets that would be suitable for shore leave?" the captain asked, turning his chair until he gained line of sight without turning his head beyond eighty-five degrees.
Spock nodded. "Yes, Captain, there is a nearby stellar system that has three planets within its parent star's habitable zone. One is inhabited and on agreeable terms with the Federation, the second is a preserve, and the third has been terraformed and colonized as a resort planet."
"Sounds perfect," the captain said triumphantly as he returned his chair to its home position. "Alright, send the coordinates to Sulu and let's get our girl out there."
"Yes, Captain." Spock did as he was ordered and sat down at his seat at the science station. There was very little active work when they were between missions, and it had been quite some time since he had an active astrophysics project to keep his idle mind busy, which left him with a high probability of becoming bored. However, since his social conversation with the captain, Spock did have a project idea. It was not considered work, but neither were his astrophysics projects. Spock calculated the probability of being caught—minor—and further calculated the likelihood of the captain being upset with him—insignificant—and decided to continue with his plan: a romantic gesture to celebrate his pairing with Leonard for one standard year.
—
There was little about the job that Leonard hated more than inventorying. In the olden days, when they had to scan and count by hand, the task would have appealed to his appreciation of repetitive tasks. However, with the latest technology, all Leonard had to do was pull out a tray and press a button, and the computers did everything else. No counting, no verifying numbers, no thinking at all. It was repetitive, sure, but only physically. Leonard wondered why humans relied so much on technology when they had perfectly good ways of manually counting, but he didn't wonder enough to change course. This did, however, give him the freedom to put his brain to good use: planning an anniversary celebration.
Leonard's conversation with Jim that morning left him with a pretty good general idea, but narrowing that down to a specific idea would be more difficult. Spock wasn't human, and if Leonard learned anything this past year, it was that dating Spock was not like dating humans. Spock's idea of a romantic date was reading, discussing, and debating newly released papers over dinner. Leonard liked it, too, but only because it was with Spock. It was probably because they'd done it so often pre-dating that it was almost a ritual, one he'd missed in their early days of dating when Spock tried to act more human. Leonard grimaced. That was a weird time.
Knowing that Leonard's love thought he had to literally change himself to keep Leonard's favor made him even more determined to give him the anniversary date Spock deserved. And what better way to celebrate than to spend a day in the lab together? Yes, even Leonard was starting to get excited at the thought. Sure, it wasn't exactly romantic in the typical human sense, but it was romantic for them. Now all Leonard had to do was find a project that would keep them both interested and, more importantly, on the same page.
Leonard racked his brain for anything in his to-be-researched pile that could be short and sweet, but all of them were multi-day ventures or something Spock would disagree with. No, this had to be something they could do in a day and bond over. Another tray, another thought squashed. Two more trays, three more ideas out the airlock. By the eighth tray, Leonard was starting to lose hope, but that also happened to be the time when the Arxiv roundup sent out notices of popular new articles. And that little ding reminded him of something they'd had fun with on one of their dates.
Seven months ago, a popular(ly bad) article on the Arxiv proposed a new, 'more efficient' method for radiation burn treatment. However, there was nothing efficient about the new process. The equipment was difficult to obtain and even harder to maintain, and only the largest facilities could replicate it. Sure, it cut down on healing time and lifelong impact, but it wasn't practical. It could only fit on the largest of starships, which meant it couldn't be shipped out on a medical schooner to distant planets in need. Leonard and Spock talked at length about how awful this proposal was and even more about what an ass the primary investigator was. However, after ranting for a day, they faced a typical Enterprise emergency and never circled back.
This, however, was the perfect opportunity to circle back. They'd come up with hypotheticals during their date, but now they could turn those hypotheticals into real science. Sure, a day might be pushing it, but they could at least put in some substantive work before a nice dinner in their quarters—
Leonard paused.
Technically, Leonard and Spock still had separate quarters with an adjoining bathroom. Perhaps that was something he should bring up during their anniversary date? Leonard's lips pursed in thought, causing Christine to comment.
"What's with the grumpy face?" Christine teased. "Actually, all your expressions this morning have been interesting."
"Oh, nothin'," Leonard started as he continued to dwell.
Christine smirked and bumped Leonard with her hip as she passed by. "Nothing, huh?"
"Tomorrow is my anniversary with Spock and I'm thinkin' about asking if we could move in together." Leonard pushed the tray he was working on back into its slot and stared at the successful green readout. "You don't think it's too soon, do you?"
"I think the more important question is where you two will be living in six months."
Leonard froze.
"You forgot about that, didn't you?" Christine chuckled and patted him on the shoulder. "From what I've heard from Ny, Vulcans move faster than humans, so I don't think you have anything to worry about."
"Oh my god, are we moving too slow??!" Leonard cursed and pulled out the next tray. "Dammit all, I was trying to be respectful! Why don't Vulcans tell us anything about Vulcan culture?!"
Christine's chuckles turned into a laugh, and she leaned against the nearest desk to catch her breath. "Ahh, I haven't laughed that much at work in a long time."
"You referring to that time Jim stuck his finger in a hole we all told him not to and got stuck?"
"Of course! It's a shame he didn't let us keep the pieces of wall to frame for sickbay," Christine sighed. "Anyway, Spock's a smart man. He knows you're a catch and won't let you go for petty reasons like moving too fast or too slow. You two have a conversation about your needs and you'll find a compromise that works for both of you."
Leonard sighed and joined Christine by the desk, sitting on top of it and crossing his arms. "Thanks, Christine. I needed that check."
"So what are you planning for your anniversary?" Christine asked as she dropped an arm around Leonard's shoulders, clearly getting ready to conspire with him.
"You know that bullshit article a few months back that devised a new method for radiation burn treatment but was impractical as all get out?"
"Yes, you had to stop me from sending hate mail."
"Well, Spock and I aren't your typical couple, and I think the perfect anniversary for Spock would be working in the lab all day and developing an actually functional new method." Leonard grinned proudly and puffed up his chest. "I'll woo him with science!"
"He's already wooed," Christine teased. "But as long as you'd find that a satisfactory—the way you use the word, not Spock—date, then I think it'll be lovely."
Leonard cocked his head to the side and looked Christine up and down. "What're you gettin' at?"
"I know of your collection, Len." Christine smirked, and Leonard blushed. "Is a first anniversary in a lab truly enough for a classic romantic like you?"
"It's fine, it'll be fine. It might not be romantic to me, but it'll be romantic for Spock and that's all that matters!" Leonard stood up abruptly and marched back to the medicine cabinet. "Anyway, we should get back to inventorying, but if you want to help me get organized on our break, I'd appreciate it."
"I'd love to, Len!" Christine smiled, beautiful and bright, and gave Leonard another hug. "But I think you should talk with Spock about this and other things."
"Yeah, yeah, that's what Jim said." Leonard took out the next tray and smirked. "But it can't be a romantic surprise if I tell him about it!”
—
Spock's morning was spent reporting the occasional number, answering questions about the nebula, and planning his grand romantic gesture. He had already privately reserved the smaller portion of the observation deck and sent Lieutenant Sulu a message regarding a private tour of the arboretum. The latter inquired about the reasons, and Spock knew he would have to let some in on his secret. Sulu was trustworthy and the only member of the alpha bridge crew—his closest companions—in a relationship that Spock wished to see himself and Leonard mirror in the near future. Nyota also had a high probability of supplying physical support to his ideas. Setting up, decorating the dinner area, and providing him with music recommendations.
The positive replies also came with suggestions. Spock evaluated Lieutenant Sulu's suggestion that they pick vegetables and herbs from the gardens for their dinner, which they would then cook together, and deemed it satisfactory. He then mentally explored Nyota's suggestion of playing the lute for Leonard to acceptable results. However, Spock ignored her comment about making the date for both of them as it was irrelevant. Spock enjoyed time with Leonard regardless of their activities, and he didn't need an anniversary celebration to mark the passage of a successful year. The measurements of time regarding relationships were arbitrary, but Spock knew it meant a great deal to Leonard, and he would honor that by constructing a date perfect for Leonard.
Having a general plan formed, Spock began reserving the facilities and supplies necessary to put it on. He asked to use the captain's entertaining space, primarily the kitchen, which was granted. He finalized the timing with Sulu for the gardens, informed Sulu of the fruits, vegetables, and herbs they would pick, and reserved harvesting equipment. The only portion of the evening Spock was unsure of was the music. While the Vulcan lyre was superior to Leonard's "fiddle" regarding the music Spock preferred, it was not suitable for the music Leonard favored. However, Leonard's human ears could not decipher the difference, no matter how aesthetically pleasing they were.
The final necessity for the evening was alcohol, and it was the most suitable time for Spock to reveal one of the gifts willed to him by his counterpart: the mint julep recipe that Leonard's counterpart had left to Ambassador Spock. While the ambassador did not reveal the nature of their relationship, it became readily apparent in hindsight when Leonard and Spock started dating. The fondness with which his counterpart interacted with Leonard, the surprise when he joined them on a mission without Leonard, the sadness when he said his farewells, which finished with Leonard, and the general freedom Ambassador Spock felt to express those feelings. Spock was still coming to terms with the expression of his feelings, and the death of Ambassador Spock had a mixed impact on his progress, but he was clear in one regard: Leonard would never have to question his feelings for him.
After sending the recipe to Commander Scott and requesting all the necessary ingredients, Spock moved on to ensure that Leonard's schedule was free. While it may be an abuse of power, it was also Spock's duty to see that lower-ranking officers were given adequate opportunities to show and improve their skills. Putting Leonard on leave would ensure that other medical crew could get experience in the tasks he and M'Benga typically oversaw together. M'Benga would also be provided with the opportunity to regain his familiarity with training others, which he'd lost during the incident they experienced under then Captain Pike's leadership during their previous posting. Yes, Spock altering Leonard's work schedule was a logical choice that benefitted multiple people. However, when Spock opened up the scheduler, he found that he and Leonard were both given the next day off. Initiated and approved by the captain.
Even more curious, they had three days of leave scheduled to start the day after they arrived at the nebula, which was also initiated by the captain. Spock lifted his eyebrow and turned his seat toward the captain. "Captain, I see that you have given myself and Doctor McCoy leave—"
The captain turned his chair and winked. "Consider it an anniversary present."
"That does not explain the extended leave—"
"Spock," the captain said in a tone that Spock would describe as exasperated. "First of all, and I speak for everyone on the bridge right now, you and Bones deserve a much nicer anniversary getaway than a single day together on the ship." This statement was met with words of confirmation from Nyota and Lieutenant Sulu, a 'thumbs up' gesture from Lieutenant Chekov, and a smile from Yeoman Rand. "Second, I gave all your senior science staff leave for the first three days after arriving at the nebula. You all need a break; let your junior staff do the data collection without supervision and help them with the data processing and analysis after."
The captain used the same logic I had for Leonard, Spock thought to himself and nodded in return. It was an acceptable answer, though the captain should have discussed the scheduling changes and left the decision to Spock. He would discuss it later—
"You know you're both stubborn about taking time off," Nyota teased quietly from her nearby station. "Let your friends do this for you."
Spock sighed internally and acquiesced. "Thank you, Nyota."
—
Breakfast was quiet and intimate that morning. Leonard was briefly worried that they'd have clashing date plans when Spock greeted him with coffee, kisses, and a sweet 'Happy anniversary, ashaya,' but that worry was quickly quelled. They both acknowledged the date—Leonard was giddy that Spock remembered—and Spock didn't indicate that he had planned anything for him. Surprises were never up Spock's alley, and Leonard didn't do them often enough for Spock to be suspicious of him, so this was working out perfectly. The only downside was that Leonard had to leave him to finish setting up the lab, and Leonard struggled to get himself out the door. If it wasn't for Spock also having things to do that morning, he wasn't sure if he'd have been able to pry himself away.
Leonard, with Christine's help, set up the lab the night before, but there were still minor tweaks and additions Leonard had to do to make it perfect. Spock would likely request more equipment and materials once he knew the details, but that was part of the fun for Leonard. Seeing how his beau ticked when working together always fascinated him, even when it irritated him. Spock was so meticulous in his ways, but those differed depending on the experiment, and they hadn't yet had the time to experiment enough to experience all the types out there. Leonard would be willing to bet that even if they did, Spock would still find ways that they were different, and he smiled at the thought.
Christine dropped off the final batch of sample supplies and materials as Leonard organized the table to Spock-level detail. She laughed at him and slapped him hard on the back. "This is your boyfriend, Len, not the professor you're trying to impress so you can join his research team."
"If by 'professor' you mean Spock and by 'research team' you mean 'another year together,' then yes, yes he is." Leonard did stop toying with the flasks and stepped away from the table, though. "What time is it?"
"Late enough that Spock will start looking for you to make sure you eat lunch."
Leonard looked at the nearest chrono and cursed. "Dammit, this took way too long!"
"Because you made it take so long," Christine chided. “Go have fun with your boyfriend! Trust me, your weird lab date looks perfect for Spock. I'm not sure how perfect it is for you, though."
"Yeah, so you all say," Leonard groused. "This is something we both talked about doing and it'll be fun to do together on our anniversary."
Christine laughed softly and walked up to Leonard to kiss him on the cheek. "Good luck wooing your Vulcan, Doctor."
"Thanks, Christine." Leonard sighed and reached for his communicator. "Welp, time to get this show on the road!"
—
For once, Spock was grateful that his partner enjoyed sleeping in on his days off. This allowed Spock to finalize last-minute details, replicate and procure decorations, and meditate. When it was two minutes before Leonard's alarm, Spock woke him up in his preferred fashion: gentle kisses along the nape and a lower back massage. One of the many illogical practices of his partner was to sleep on his stomach despite the pressure it put on his lower back. Spock eventually convinced him to rest on his back, but Leonard would ultimately roll over during the night no matter how Spock held him. It was, as the humans say, adorable despite the harm it caused.
After the massage, Spock fetched coffee for Leonard and officially woke him with a "Happy anniversary, ashaya." Breakfast was their traditional spread, though Spock could not enjoy it while he harbored a secret. Leonard enjoyed grand romantic gestures, but Spock preferred clarity and openness. Keeping the anniversary date a surprise was a far greater burden than Spock had anticipated, especially when Leonard did not indicate he had any plans for the day.
That was until Leonard left for the labs. In his uniform.
Spock was perplexed. While Leonard occasionally worked on projects on his days off, it was usually with Spock and not in uniform. Seeing his partner briefly wave from the hallway door before disappearing behind it left a metaphorical hole in his stomach. If Leonard was busy and had plans, Spock's date would interrupt them, and Leonard would not be pleased. Then Spock wondered why such a sentimental human would choose their anniversary—a marker of time they both recognized—to work on a side project without his partner. The potential reasons for Leonard's decision were uncomfortable to contemplate, and Spock decided he would put even more effort into making this date a success.
Nyota and Sulu met Spock in the arboretum as they walked through the path Spock intended to take Leonard on. It was lovely and filled with a variety of Earth, Vulcan, and alien plans working together to create an ecosystem unlike any other, much like he and Leonard. The metaphor was romantic, and Spock would highlight it on their trip. Another highlight would be the vegetable and herb gardens at the end of their tour through the arboretum. Sulu pointed out each of the ripe ingredients and showed him how to harvest them. This preparation was necessary for an uninterrupted date, which was Spock's goal. Any interruptions would lead to a delay, which could metaphorically topple his entire plan, inevitably upset his partner, and ruin the anniversary.
"I love the date, Spock, and I think McCoy will, too," Nyota started.
Spock lifted an eyebrow. "As Leonard would say, I sense a 'but' coming."
Nyota sighed and leaned against the wall of Sulu's botany lab. "But, where are you in this?"
"Aside from the meticulously timed and practiced schedule," Sulu said with a tone that indicated teasing.
"What greater form of love is there than sacrifice?"
Nyota and Sulu rolled their eyes in tandem.
Knowing that he would not get any further convincing them that this date was perfect, Spock bid them farewell and left to go to the arboretum entrance. It was time to send the first message and invite Leonard to their date.
—
McCoy >> Spock @ 1129: Hey, darling, I got something to show you in our lab. I think you'll like it!
Spock >> McCoy @ 1130: Good morning, Ashaya. I trust that your morning activities have been pleasant. I request that you join me in the arboretum promptly.
Spock >> McCoy @ 1132: Is what you intend to show me in the lab time-sensitive? My event is time-sensitive.
McCoy >> Spock @ 1133: Can the arboretum wait? I need you in the lab.
McCoy >> Spock @ 1135: Sorry we keep talking over each other, you go ahead.
Spock >> McCoy @ 1135.25: Apologies, ashaya, you go first.
McCoy >> Spock @ 1140: Please meet me in the lab, Spock. I promise it'll be worth your while!
Spock >> McCoy @ 1145: If you insist.
—
"Hey Len?" Christine asked after Leonard put down his comm with a stupid smile.
Leonard blushed as he remembered Christine was still in the room. "What?"
"Are you going to wear your uniform to a date?"
"Sheeeit!"
—
"Spock!" Nyota shouted as she ran up to Spock. "Please don't tell me you invited him already."
Spock lifted an eyebrow. "I did, though he requested I meet him in the lab, and I agreed."
"Don't forget to change!"
Spock looked down at his clothes. His uniform. He would have scowled if he were a human with the same inclinations as Leonard.
—
McCoy >> Spock @ 1149: Meet at 1230?
Spock >> McCoy @ 1149.4: I request a slight delay in order to change clothes.
Spock >> McCoy @ 1151: 1230 is satisfactory.
McCoy >> Spock @ 1152: See you there, darlin'!
—
After a mad dash, with help from Christine and M'Benga, Leonard found and changed into a decently fitting pair of slacks and a dress shirt. He waited eagerly for Spock to come to the lab, rocking up onto the balls of his feet and back down as he stared at the door and practiced his greeting. After two seconds, Leonard thought again. He put on a crisp white lab coat, grabbed another for Spock, and slicked back his hair like his momma taught him during his cotillion days. Though Leonard could never get his cowlick to cooperate like his momma could. While it wasn't how he'd typically dress on a date, it was perfect for their date, and that's what mattered. It wasn't comfortable, but it looked good. Proper. Spock would take one look at him and lose his composure, guaranteed.
And Leonard was right, just not the way he was expecting.
Spock came into the lab looking adorable in his hand-knit sweater, one of the special ones his mom made him. Leonard didn't know what the Vulcan collared shirt equivalent was called, but Spock wore it underneath the sweater, and he looked so damn good. So damn good that Leonard forgot how to speak, and his well-practiced greeting turned into gobbledegook that not even the translator could pick up.
"Leonard?" Spock asked, posture tensing and brows furrowing.
Leonard held his arms stiffly to his side and hid a pinch to his thigh. "I, ah, sorry. You look real nice, Spock."
Spock relaxed with a half-sigh and extended his first two fingers for a Vulcan kiss. "I thank you, Leonard. Now, what is it that you wish to show me? I would like us to get to the arboretum within the hour."
"Uh, I suppose we can take a break? Yeah, we'll probably be ready to take a break by then." Leonard nodded confidently, gestured to the lab table, and followed Spock. "Remember that article about radiation burn treatments?"
"I do, indeed. It was one of our longest dates." Spock smiled ever so slightly and moved his fingers over the various equipment laid out. "I presume that you wish to improve on their methods?"
"We are gonna perfect them!" Leonard grinned and took the extra lab coat from the table, offering it to Spock. "Let's getcha out of that handsome sweater of yours and get you into a lab coat."
Leonard and Spock worked together smoothly, like hot butter over toast, and devised an initial plan based on their earlier debates in less than twenty minutes. They would first attempt to replicate the other doctors' process, if it was even possible, and then make it a million times better. If they couldn't replicate their process, Leonard and Spock would jump back to the idea board and start from scratch. Improving the method would be faster, but they both knew they'd likely need to develop an entirely different method. The process was that bad, which made Leonard frustrated all over again.
Still, by the end of one hour, Leonard and Spock managed to reach a good stopping point. Modifying their equipment to replicate the other paper's results was doable but required Scotty, who would only be a third wheel on their date. Leonard used the excuse, 'Let's outperform those jerks so much that they're only included in the background section of our paper!' and Spock accepted it without fuss. In fact, Spock didn't fuss at all and barely let Leonard finish before he started exchanging his lab coat for his sweater. Strange, Leonard thought. However, he wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth, and he happily ditched his lab coat to follow Spock to the arboretum.
—
Spock was not necessarily displeased by what he saw in the lab, though his curiosity was piqued. Leonard mentioned nothing about their anniversary and got to work promptly when Spock reminded him of the conflicting plans. Does Leonard truly intend to work during their anniversary when they have the day off? It was perplexing, but Spock could not resist the temptation of a scientific endeavor that benefitted the well-being of many...while also potentially humiliating the so-called scientists who considered a barely improved method to be groundbreaking and award-worthy. Spock did not want to admit the latter motivation, even when Leonard muttered it to himself while writing their plans on the board.
An hour passed, and Spock was again reminded that they worked efficiently together when they agreed. And Leonard looked, as the humans say, cute when he busied himself with lab equipment and theory. Spock would say that this was an adequate and enjoyable date if it had not been at the expense of the date he had planned—and out of character for a 'romantic' like Leonard. However, they had to return to the arboretum and harvest the ingredients they would use for dinner. Leonard would get a shortened version of the planned tour, but Spock did not want to rush the harvesting as Leonard often complained about not having access to 'homegrown' fruits and vegetables.
When they got to the arboretum entrance, Spock began the tour, pointing out everything that Lieutenant Sulu said would be of interest. The pace was swift, but that speed came with efficiency. They reached the end of the tour and approached the vegetable and herb gardens at the time Spock originally planned for, and Spock began instructing Leonard how to harvest them. That was, apparently, not the correct method of getting Leonard's involvement.
"You do know that we grow our own food back home, right?" Leonard scoffed as he rolled up his sleeves and crouched to the ground. "I know how to harvest a damn carrot."
"Apologies, I was not implying that you did not know—"
"It's fine," Leonard grumbled. "I just don't know why you have me out here pulling carrots when we could be in the lab."
Spock forgot to inform Leonard of his intentions, which is the reason for Leonard's displeasure. "I wanted us to make dinner together from ingredients that we harvested ourselves, as you have often shared your desire for doing so when we return to Earth after our mission."
Leonard's expression faltered, though Spock did not quite know how to read it. "That sounds lovely, Spock." He paused and pulled two more carrots from the ground. "I'm sorry for being crabby on our anniversary."
"I apologize for not informing you of my intentions."
"Well, while we're being' forthright," Leonard began as the left corner of his lips curved upward. That was all the warning Spock was given before Leonard grabbed his hand and pulled him to the ground. Had Spock's footing not been sound, he would have fallen. "You better not be making me do all this hard labor for our dinner tonight!"
"Of course not," Spock assured with a faint smile. "The goal was to perform this task together."
"Well let's do that and then we can drop our bounty off in our quarters and then we can get back to the lab." Leonard attempted to assist Spock with rolling up his sleeves despite his dirtied hands, and Spock pulled away. "Oh, right, the sweater. Why'd you wear nice clothes when we were going to get dirty in the garden? Highly illogical," Leonard chided.
"That..."
"Didn't think of that, eh?"
Spock looked down, somewhat ashamed. "My mother was the gardener; I merely held the basket."
Leonard again chuckled and clapped off the dirt from his hands, pressing one palm to Spock's cheek. "Then go get the basket, darlin', and I'll pick us a fine feast."
—
The next morning, Leonard and Spock sat sheepishly before a barely contained Jim. The damn fool's lips kept twitching because he wanted to laugh but was too nice to actually let one slip. Leonard knew that he knew exactly what happened on their anniversary, but Jim was sure as hell going to ask anyway—
"So how was the anniversary date?" Jim asked, his smile finally breaking across his face.
Leonard scowled. "Which one?"
Spock stared intently at his breakfast and did not comment.
"Whichever one started first, let's hear it." Jim's grin faded to a more endearing smile. "Can't be all that bad if you two are still in one piece and together, though you did try to set my ship on fire in two places."
Leonard groaned and slapped his hands across his face. "Don't remind me!"
"Consider this payment for the damage," Jim teased."
Spock huffed and said, "Neither of us informed the other of our date plans." Leonard knew it wouldn't satisfy Jim, but a man could hope.
Jim leaned forward, elbows on the table and arms folding no-nonsense like. "How did two of my highest ranking officers manage to set two fires in one day?"
"Well it started out fine," Leonard mumbled. "We had an hour in the lab, then an hour in the arboretum."
"The switching of dates was passable until we began running experiments while simultaneously cooking," Spock added.
Leonard rubbed his forehead and leaned back in his chair with a sigh. "We tried running back and forth to keep up both, but then we'd lose track of time...." Spock reached over and pressed his fingers into Leonard's temples, releasing some pressure. "Thanks, Spock."
"We needed to replicate a variety of radiation burns on synthetic flesh, and the process takes between twenty and forty-eight minutes. We set the shorter experiments at the beginning of our lab time and reserved the longer exposures for when we were about to leave."
"And that was all fine and dandy until we started a debate on knife techniques when cutting the damn onions!"
Spock removed his hand and sat up straighter, clearly not pleased by the subtle accusation.
"The methods I suggested were shown to be—"
"I'll cut onions however I damn please!" Leonard snapped.
"Boys," Jim chided. "Focus."
"Anywho, we were ten minutes late getting everything into the pot and the tofurky in the oven, and then we heard the alarms." Leonard rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "We got to the lab, and our samples were up in flames, with a good chunk of the enclosure being radiated to death. Smoke everywhere, but nothing radioactive breached the secondary enclosure."
"Well that's good to know," Jim said sarcastically. "And let me guess: You two got distracted with that fire and over-roasted a fake bird?"
"Charred."
"I cannot name a federation species who would find it edible."
"Ruined the oven, too."
"I'm aware. It was my oven." Oh, oh, Jim was not pleased, despite the smile that wanted to break out. "Did you two at least learn your lesson?"
Leonard looked at Spock, Spock looked at Leonard, and then they both looked at Jim.
Jim smiled at them, sweet as pie, but the vein in his forehead gave him away. "Talk. To. Each. Other."
"Uh, right," Leonard said oh so eloquently.
Spock nodded with a more formal "Affirmative."
"Great! Now, as your mutual best friend with the help of our other friends, I bequeath unto thee, an actual anniversary date!" Jim made fake trumpet noises that got way too much attention as he slid a PADD with a brochure across the table. "Three days at the resort planet. Couples mani-pedis, massages, meditation and yoga rooms, and more. All you have to do is submit a review and, if positive, they'd like to use you in their advertising. They're trying to get more Federation visitors and the Federation is trying to get them to join."
Leonard blushed, more out of embarrassment than shyness, and solemnly nodded. "Yessir, we hear you loud and clear."
"If you set one more fire, so help me—"
"We assure you that there will be no more fires due to our negligence." Spock put his hand over Leonard's, which was on the PADD. "Thank you, Jim. We appreciate the thoughtfulness of our friends."
"Good, because I'm sending you both on a shuttle right now before Scotty finds out what he has to fix today and why."
—
The two barely managed to escape before Scotty found them, and their engineering friend had to settle for a scathing message instead. Leonard laughed as Spock piloted the shuttle away, and they could see Scotty running into the shuttle bay. While Spock may not have found it humorous, he did appreciate the timing and was certain that Jim played a role in it. Regardless, they were on their way to an anniversary date that took both of their needs and desires into consideration. They would be inspecting a potential shore leave destination and Federation hopeful while relaxing and enjoying each other's company; it was truly the ideal scenario.
After checking in and arriving at their room, Spock and Leonard exchanged their uniforms for robes and settled on the large, central cushion that appeared to be the equivalent of a sofa. Leonard immediately fell sideways and rested on Spock's lap, crossing his right ankle over his left knee as he held a PADD aloft. His partner always found such fascinating ways to ‘lay about’ despite how uncomfortable it looked from an observer's standpoint. Endearing.
"Mm, so what activity do you want to do first?" Leonard asked as he perused the PADD.
Spock pressed his first two fingers to Leonard's forehead before running his fingers through Leonard's hair. "I suggest that we each take a day and plan it for the other."
Leonard's laugh was warm and vibrant, originating deep in his chest. "To clarify, we each take separate days, right?"
"Indeed."
"Well, we're here for two half-days and two full days. What should we do with the halfs?" While Leonard's tone did not indicate he had already formulated a plan, the subtle smirk and eyebrow lift did.
Spock returned the eyebrow. "I will defer to you for today, if you defer to me on the day of our return."
Leonard grinned broadly and sat up quickly, which caused the PADD to topple to the floor. Before Spock had a chance to counter, he found himself straddled by an eager doctor leaning in close. Spock felt hot breath on his ear, a spot Leonard knew was sensitive to his ministrations. His partner did, indeed, have a plan.
"Wouldn't mind if you took me to bed and we made up for our lost eve— Woah!"
Leonard's limbs flailed momentarily as Spock lifted him from the seating cushion but ultimately wound around Spock. Spock supported Leonard's posterior, though it was much higher than originally planned. Spock's nose was to Leonard's chest, and he could not see properly. However, Spock had already inspected the room and had a mental map of everything, including Leonard's discarded duffle bag in the middle of the bedroom. So, without delaying his partner's desired activity, Spock started walking.
"H-hey! Not so high! What are you doing? You don't usually carry me like this?" Leonard's legs wrapped tightly around Spock's chest, and his arms wound tighter around Spock's shoulders. "Watch out— How did— How in the hell are you walking so well?!"
Spock was momentarily pleased with his partner's praise and was a second away from boasting as they crossed the threshold into the bedroom. However, Leonard's head was six point three centimeters taller than typical, and the average height of the species of this planet was shorter than that of humans and Vulcans. This unfortunate pairing of circumstances led to Spock inadvertently walking Leonard's head into the top of the doorway with a resounding THUNK! Spock froze. Leonard froze. It was not Spock's intention—
Leonard's chest started quivering. Slow, staccato, with metered breaths.
"Ashaya, are you hurt?"
Leonard's voice cracked as he slipped down Spock's body, but it was a crack of laughter. "Oh, hun," he started between bursts of giggles. "I just... I just got done praisin' ya and then, hah, you ram me right into the doorframe!" Leonard clutched his stomach with one hand and his head with the other as he turned away to continue his laughter. "You are never gonna live this down!"
Spock huffed and pressed his palms against Leonard's shoulders, pushing him the rest of the way inside. "I would rather this incident persist over the rumors of us causing two fires on the Enterprise in the same day."
"Unfortunately, I don't think there's anything more scandalous we could do to outshine that." Leonard rubbed the back of his head once more with a lopsided smile.
"I fear that your hypothesis is correct."
Leonard's smile turned to a smirk, though Spock did not see why his statement would lead to that. "C'mon, Spock, we both know I'm always right!" Ah.
Spock's right eyebrow rose, as did the corner of his lip. "Would you like a chronological list that counters that statement?"
"Not if you want to kiss me."
"An activity that is equally enjoyable," Spock teased as he closed the gap between them and kissed Leonard, both with his lips and hands. "Happy anniversary, Leonard."
Leonard smiled softly and rocked on the balls of his feet, another endearing habit, before rocking into another kiss. "Happy anniversary, Spock."