Work Text:
The sun was beginning to sink beyond the mountains in the far distance on a large asteroid they landed on to get more accurate readings beneath the magnetic field running interference. Sulu readjusts the pack slung around his shoulders. He leans over trying to make sense of the tricorder’s readings.
His foot slams diagonally into some hard, sending him tumbling forward. Sulu tucks the tricorder into his arm, as he rolls his body sideways readying himself for contact. Red dirt is tossed up as he lands on his left arm.
Sulu slams his eyes shut. They burn and itch as he pushes himself up into a sitting position.
Soft fingers rub furiously at the bottoms of his eyelids. His throat starts to constrict, and dry out. With his next breath he starts a dry cough, as his eyes water. He tucks his hands into his sleeves and covers his mouth and eyes until the fit passes.
When he can finally breathe without coughing up his lungs, Sulu dares to open his eyes again. A bit of water still sits in the bottom of his eyes. He blinks the unshed tears away. Once he’s able to see the helmsman stands up, and starts to look for what tripped him.
The source of his minor misfortune lays at his feet. It’s a decently-sized rock, with an odd shape to it. Sulu picks the rock up as he stands. It almost looks like-
“Chekov come look at this!”
The ensign hurries over, but his feet immediately slow as he notices the dusty reddish-brown rock in Sulu’s hands. A less than amused expression crosses his face, as Chekov folds his arms. “It is a rock.”
“A little more enthusiasm please?” His own sarcasm reaches it’s peak.
“Hey, cool rock!”
Sulu rolls his eyes. “Take a closer look.” He suggests lifting the rock up to the ensign.
Chekov leans over. His eyes narrow as his lips part in silent surprise. “Is that?”
“Captain Kirk? Looks like it.”
“That’s ri-”
Sulu grabs Chekov’s hands and quickly drops the rock into them. “And yet that’s exactly what it is.”
The pair look at each other, grinning. It seemed they were on the same page as they both start to speak,
“We have to show him.”
“He can never know.”
Sulu frowns as Chekov looks taken aback.
The helmsman moves to take the rock back. “What do you mean he can never know?” Sulu starts to pull the rock away. “He’ll get a kick out of this.”
Chekov roughly tugs the rock away. “If you mean he’ll kick us for comparing him to a rock, then yes he will.”
Sulu rolls his eyes. “The captain can take a joke.”
Chekov still seemed unconvinced. “Maybe we show Doctor McCoy and Mr. Spock first?”
With a sigh, Sulu agrees, “If that’ll make you feel better.”
“It would.”
“We’ll ask Doctor McCoy after the mission then.”
When they returned from the mission, the pair made their way directly to Doctor McCoy. It wasn’t difficult to find him. The man was always in one of four places. His sickbay, his room, the bridge, or the captain’s room. Today they found him in the sickbay, chatting away with an ensign about the importance of glove use even in a sterile environment.
“Just because the ship is clean, doesn’t mean everything on it is.”
Thoroughly admonished, the ensign quickly departed from the sickbay. Their metaphorical tale tucked between their legs, and a face that was blushing so hard, it made Sulu cringe from memories of his days as an ensign. The doctor raises an eyebrow at the pair. Sulu takes the rock away from Chekov and shows McCoy.
A smile breaks out across his face. “You have to show Jim.”
Sulu smile smugly at Chekov. The younger man rushes to say, “We’ll ask Mr. Spock. He’ll agree with me.”
As the pair leave, McCoy stops them so he could tag along. The doctor was a great help in finding Mr. Spock quickly. The vulcan was in his room, which gave Sulu and Chekov pause. Doctor McCoy was quick to hit the door chime, and was easily allowed access. He had the two wait in the hallway as he went in to fetch Mr. Spock. The pair come out with McCoy still amused and Mr. Spock decidedly not so.
The vulcan cranes his head slightly downward. He looks back at Doctor McCoy.
“It is a rock.”
McCoy elbows Spock’s arm. “Who does the rock look like?”
Spock raises an eyebrow but looks back down at the rock. After a second of consideration, he turns his gaze back onto them and states, “I assume you are going to show the captain next.”
Sulu’s grin grows as he feels victorious. He turns and catches Chekov’s gaze.
Chekov weakly announces, “Yes,” with a look of tired, utter defeat on his face. “I suppose we are.”
The group makes their way towards the bridge. McCoy and Spock in the lead. Sulu and Chekov follow behind them. When the group step off the turbolift together, the captain glances back briefly. He quickly does a double take, followed by him stepping out of his chair.
“Gentlemen? I know you aren’t all reporting for duty.”
“Look at what the lieutenant found while on the asteroid.” McCoy announces stepping out of the way and by Jim’s side.
Sulu steps forward holding out the rock. Chekov hesitates before walking beside him.
“It looks just like you sir!” Sulu blurts out. His eagerness getting the best of him.
“You can’t deny that it has your cheeks, Jim.” McCoy teases, laying an arm on Jim’s shoulder.
“The shape of the rock near where your hair would be is similar to your own style.” Spock nonchalantly comments, stepping closer to Jim’s other side.
Kirk nods slowly, before crossing his arms. He leans back until he’s practically sitting on one of the bridge’s red bars. “And what exactly do you all plan to do with this captain-shaped rock?”
Heads turn. They all take turns looking to each other.
Out of his pheriphereal Sulu spies Uhura whispering something to Scotty. The engineer is less quiet as he replies.
“What? No lass, he’ll never go for it.”
“Go on.” Uhura insists, waving Scotty over.
Sulu does his best to hide a smile as Scotty gives in. His approach is quiet, and careful. “Sir?”
“Yes, Mr. Scott.”
“We could hang it up on the bridge sir.”
“Where would you suggest we do that?” Kirk makes a show of looking around the bridge. “Last I checked there weren’t any shelves on the bridge, Mr. Scott. It appears to me, that there still isn’t.”
“Not at this moment, but I could add some, or well one.”
“And where would that go?”
“Right above the turbolift’s doors sir.” Scotty points at the empty wall space above the door, and makes a click with his tongue. “Wouldn’t take more than an hour to make the shelf and ten minutes to put it up.”
“Well I- you see- it seems to me-” but the captain stops as his eyes pass over the faces of his crew. He sighs in defeat. Lazily tossing up a hand he announces, “Very well Mr. Scott.”
The bridge erupts is a soft chorus of hurrays, and other cheering.
“Alright, alright back to your stations everyone! Those who are off the clock need to leave the bridge.” Kirk announces and Sulu tries to ignore the pointed look sent his and Chekov’s way.
Everyone starts to disperse.
“May the thing break before then.” Captain Kirk mutters, as he gets back in his chair.