Path: newsspool1.news.atl.earthlink.net!stamper.news.atl.earthlink.net!elnk-atl-nf1!newsfeed.earthlink.net!prodigy.com!news.glorb.com!hermod.ttsg.com!newsread.com!newsstand.newsread.com!POSTED.monger.newsread.com!not-for-mail Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated Approved: ascem@earthlink.net Organization: Better Living Thru TrekSmut Sender: ascem@earthlink.net Message-ID: From: "Jesmihr" MIME-Version: 1.0 Mailing-List: list ASCEML@yahoogroups.com; contact ASCEML-owner@yahoogroups.com Subject: New 2 U: "Exceeding the Speedo Limit" TOS K/S NC-17 by Jesmihr Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Lines: 1128 Date: Fri, 03 Sep 2004 02:55:26 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 209.198.142.218 X-Complaints-To: Abuse Role , We Care X-Trace: monger.newsread.com 1094180126 209.198.142.218 (Thu, 02 Sep 2004 22:55:26 EDT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 02 Sep 2004 22:55:26 EDT Xref: news.earthlink.net alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated:83396 X-Received-Date: Thu, 02 Sep 2004 19:55:33 PDT (newsspool1.news.atl.earthlink.net) Title: Exceeding the Speedo Limit Author: Jesmihr Rating: NC-17 Challenge: Speedos =96 the tinier the better! Summary: They both put on Speedos for a while. Exceeding the Speedo Limit James T. Kirk of the U.S.S. Enterprise scuffed the toe of his boot=20 against the fine red earth of the walkway and glowered at nothing in=20 particular. A few meters away, his Chief Medical Officer was=20 involved in a heated exchange with a street vendor. The argument=20 revolved around a trinket that Bones wanted to buy for Christine=20 Chapel, the seller's outrageously high asking price and the doctor's=20 ridiculously low counteroffer. It had gone on a long time; Kirk's=20 patience, none too plentiful these days as it was, had dwindled to=20 near zero. "Just give him the damn five credits, for the love of=20 God, so we can get the fuck out of here," Kirk muttered viciously=20 under his breath, glaring at his dusty toe as if his boot were=20 responsible for the whole excruciating business. Bones didn't hear=20 him, of course. He just kept on haggling. "=85one much better than that on Agena, for half the price."=20 "Ah, but I fear that you insult both me and the master craftsbeing=20 who so lovingly and skillfully wrought this." The vendor's tone had=20 become mournful; it was apparent he was losing ground.=20=20 Kirk grimaced. The poor bastard didn't stand a chance: Bones kept=20 his debating skills well honed by continually picking verbal fights=20 with Spock. Compared to the intractable, super-intelligent Vulcan,=20 this street merchant would be child's play. "C'mon, Bones," he=20 murmured. "Just move in for the kill and get it the hell over with." "All right," he finally heard his CMO say. "I still think it's too=20 high, but you've got an honest face. I'll take it." Kirk rolled his eyes. The street vendor was endowed with a pair of=20 the beadiest eyes he'd ever had the misfortune to see; they darted=20 about in a continual dance of evasion, right in time with the six- inch-long cerulean blue tongue that had zipped rapidly in and out of=20 the alien's mouth, anteater-on-speed style, throughout the course of=20 the transaction. Perhaps on whatever world the seller came=20 from, "honest" would be the first word that would pop into one's=20 head upon regarding his face. But for humans=85 well, the kindest=20 word Kirk could think of was "shifty."=20=20 "You are so full of=85" he began to mutter, but he was interrupted by=20 a grinning McCoy. "Hah! Nothing quite as satisfying as a bargain first thing in the=20 morning, unless it's a drink first thing in the afternoon," Bones=20 chortled, holding the hard-won necklace up for Jim to view. "I'm glad you're happy," Kirk said sardonically. "I just hope=20 Christine's not too old to wear it by now." "Very funny. You can't just let these folks take you for a ride =96=20 you gotta negotiate. And that takes time. But it'll be worth it,=20 because she's gonna love it. Look at that center stone =96 it just=20 matches her eyes." Jim shook his head, amused in spite of himself. Leave it to Bones=20 to notice, and to go to the effort to pick just the right gift. And=20 when he gives it to her, he thought, he'll just as likely bark at=20 her when she tries to thank him. Big softie. "What?" Bones demanded, noting Jim's smile with suspicion. "Nothing. Let's just=85 just move along. I've had about all I can=20 take of this bedlam." Jim scanned the chaotic street scene as he said this. The city of=20 Zibal-Zahir, on the planet Dsiban IV, flourished under the=20 government's strict NQA economy: "No Questions Asked." Merchants=20 of countless species were everywhere: packed into tiny stands,=20 lounging inside ornate tents, peering out of darkened doorways.=20=20 Goods of every imaginable sort were stacked, piled, hung, heaped,=20 spread out, draped, and mounded. Colors abounded. Smells=20 proliferated. And noise=85! Noise was a constant, cacophonous barrage. Mindful of the brutal competition, vendors shouted, brayed and=20 cajoled. They held up their wares and screamed of beauty, of=20 rarity, of the once-in-a-lifetime deal. They flattered the=20 customers, insulted the other traders, described and exclaimed and=20 pleaded. From every direction, in every place, came the yells,=20 clucks, whistles and bellows of those who wished to sell.=20=20 Kirk rubbed his forehead. He was getting a headache. Naturally.=20=20 It was the one thing he lacked in order to make his black mood=20 blacker.=20=20 "Yeah, it's kind of loud, isn't it?" Bones yelled over the=20 background clamor. He pulled out and unfolded a yellow sheet of=20 paper and studied it, then looked up. "It looks like if we head=20 over to the right and go about a block, we'll get out of all this=20 street stuff and find a row of stores. I bet it'll be quieter=20 there." "You don't need to ask me twice," Kirk told him grimly. "I can't=20 stand this." They trudged on silently for a time, Kirk staring at the ground and=20 McCoy staring at Kirk. Finally, Bones observed, "Tell me if I'm out=20 of line, but you seem to be just a little bit on edge these days." "You're out of line," Kirk said promptly. "Yeah, that's what I thought you'd say." Silence fell again, broken only by the increasingly distant sounds=20 of the vendor's cries and the two men's footsteps. McCoy gave his=20 captain a sidelong look. "It's probably just as well you don't want=20 to talk about it, anyway. Because I have a theory about what's=20 bothering you, and I'm sure I'm way off." He waited. When Kirk did=20 not respond, he continued, "See, I think it has something to do with=20 Spock, and with Shibok, and with how much time the two of them have=20 been spending together."=20=20=20=20=20=20=20 Kirk stiffened, but kept on walking. "And like I said," McCoy continued, undeterred, "I'm probably wrong." "Drop it," Kirk ordered, through clenched teeth. McCoy stopped in his tracks and grabbed Jim's arm, forcing him to a=20 halt. "Listen, Jim. As the only Vulcan on the ship, Spock feels=20 it's his duty to make Shibok feel at home. He's just being polite,=20 that's all." His piercing blue eyes bored into Kirk. "Don't you=20 trust Spock?" Jim bit his lip and looked away. "Of course I trust him," he=20 retorted. "It isn't that. I just=85" "Just what?" Kirk pulled his arm away from McCoy's grasp and started walking. "I=20 just miss him," he mumbled. McCoy shook his head in disgust. "Well, have you bothered to tell=20 him that? I'm sure if he knew how you felt, he'd=85" Kirk glared, and said fiercely, "No. I'm not going to beg him to=20 spend time with me. I'm not that far gone yet." They had reached=20 the promised row of stores; Kirk scanned them quickly and then=20 gestured toward one. "I'm going to look around in there," he said=20 abruptly. "Why don't we meet back here in about a half an hour?"=20=20 Without waiting for McCoy to answer, he strode off. McCoy stared after him, eyes narrowed. "Well, I'll be damned," he=20 said to himself. "I would have sworn Spock was the most stubborn=20 man on the Enterprise."=20 In his haste to get away from Bones, Jim had picked a store at=20 random. As he neared it, he belatedly read the sign that hung above=20 the door. Ostentatious gilt letters on a black background=20 decreed, "PERIOD AND REPRODUCTION CLOTHING =96 TEXTILES FROM AROUND=20 THE GALAXY." Crudely hand-lettered below the gilt was scrawled the=20 addendum, "Ask about our Alsafian socks." Jim stopped in the street, considering. Now that he really looked=20 at the place, it had sort of a decrepit, ramshackle look that was=20 far from promising. He could just make out, through the grimy=20 windows on the front of the building, piles of what he assumed were=20 bolts of fabric. They were by no means carefully stacked; in fact,=20 they appeared to have been dropped from the sky and then abandoned.=20=20 Hanging front and center in the right-hand window was a gauzy long=20 dress with six sheer sleeves. Pinned onto it was a sign that=20 read, "Getting Married? Lesathian Wedding Dress =BD Off This Week=20 Only." The sign was yellowed and tattered: it was obvious the=20 wedding dress sale had gone on a little longer than initially=20 expected. Kirk scowled and chewed his lip. He should have been=20 more selective when he chose a store =96 this one just didn't look=20 good. On the other hand, he really didn't want to shop anyway. And=20 let's face it, he thought. This is just as appropriate a place to=20 brood in as any other. With a little shrug of his shoulders, Kirk=20 entered. "They can sssend a Furudian to Outer Grafia. Why can't they make a=20 ssshirt with buttonsss that will ssstay on?"=20=20 Kirk blinked in the sudden darkness and tried without success to=20 trace the source of the soft, hissing voice. As his eyes adjusted,=20 he made out a seemingly impossible array and amount of fabrics and=20 articles of clothing, along with a jumble of benches, stools and=20 counters. But not a person was to be seen. "But no. They will not do it. They do not care about the quality.=20=20 They sssew them by machine, one by one, and one by one they all come=20 off. And then the poor ssshopkeeper or the unfortunate cussstomer=20 is ssstuck with sssewing them back on, by hand, asss ssshould have=20 been done in the firsssst place." This time, Kirk was able to discern that the voice emanated from=20 behind a tall glass counter. He walked up to it and peered over;=20 sure enough, there sat behind it what he assumed was the proprietor,=20 a bright orange dragon in a maroon velvet smoking jacket and a=20 multicolored fez. Kirk had seen so many life forms in his career=20 that he almost never stared, but he made an exception in this case:=20=20 he had never before witnessed a button-sewing dragon. But there he=20 was, wielding the needle with surprising dexterity in one claw,=20 fastening a button onto the shirt with a speed Kirk could only=20 describe as astounding. And it was a good thing, too: the shirt=20 had been made for some type of multi-limbed creature, and it looked=20 like about half of the fifty or so cuff buttons were loose. The=20 proprietor was going to be busy for a while.=20=20 The dragon looked at Kirk mournfully. "Do you sssew?" he asked. "Er, no. I'm afraid I don't." The dragon shook his head, his demeanor if anything becoming more=20 morose. "Of courssse you don't. No one doesss anymore. Ah,=20 well." With a shrug of what might have been his shoulders, the=20 dragon carefully laid aside the shirt and stood up. "But where are=20 my mannersss? I am Lessarth, the proud owner of this=20 esstablishment. Welcome to my ssstore, the greatessst and mossst=20 complete sssource of period and reproduction clothing in the=20 galaxy. May I asssissst you in finding ssomething ssspecial today?"=20 Kirk hesitated. He couldn't imagine there was anything in this junk=20 hole that he'd take if it were handed to him, but it doubtless would=20 be impolitic to tell Lesarth that. "Well," he finally said, "my=20 mother's birthday is coming up, and I=85" "Yesss," Lesarth hissed approvingly. "And a fine and dissscerning=20 sson you mussst be, to plan an extravagant birthday pressent for=20 your beloved mother." The corner of Kirk's mouth twitched. "I'm not sure=20 that `extravagant' is what I had in mind," he informed Lesarth=20 dryly. "Maybe more like `a small gesture.' She's a pretty=20 practical woman, and she=85" Lesarth made a raspy noise that Kirk could only interpret as a=20 laugh. "Of coursse," he replied. "But even the mossst practical of=20 beingss lovesss to be lavissshed with ssplendid thingsss." His=20 yellow eyes blinked at Kirk with knowing significance. "Your mother=20 isss beautiful?" "Of course, but=85" "Then ssshe desserves sssomething beautiful to wear. And I know=20 exactly what will jusst sssuit. Thiss way, pleasse =96 the humanoid=20 sssection iss to the rear." With that, Lesarth made his way toward=20 a doorway at the back of the room. Kirk followed reluctantly. All he had wanted was an escape route=20 from McCoy. Things seem to be getting a little out of hand here, he=20 thought, as the vivid dragon led him to the second room. If the front of the store had been crowded and jumbled, the rear=20 humanoid room was vast and impeccably organized. Along the walls=20 were hung all sorts of gowns, uniforms, costumes and suits, all=20 sorted according to species and time period. Various tags pointed=20 out whether the piece was contemporary, antique or reproduction;=20 every article also had a label describing the style and fiber=20 content. The center of the room was devoted to a series of bins,=20 most of which were teeming with smaller clothing items and with=20 accessories. Kirk noted that one held the much-vaunted Alsafian=20 socks.=20=20 Lesarth ignored all of this, walking purposefully to a far corner of=20 the room. "The Kitalphinsss," he announced, "are unsssurpasssed in=20 the desssigning and sssewing of beautiful clothing. Thisss-" he=20 flung his claw proudly toward a silken robe suspended from the=20 ceiling, "iss one of their mosst masssterful workss. It iss=20 absssolutely perfect for your mother." Kirk looked up at the robe. He had to admit, it was one of the most=20 gorgeous articles of clothing he'd ever seen. The material was=20 extraordinary: it literally glowed, making the intense green color=20 of the garment appear to shift and change. At one moment, it was=20 nearly black - the next, deep emerald. Covering all of it was gold=20 embroidery of stitches so minute it gave the gown the appearance of=20 being encased in a fragile, shimmering spider web. Fascinated in=20 spite of himself, Kirk reached out and touched one of its sleeves.=20=20 He couldn't restrain a little shiver of pleasure as his hand made=20 contact. Did it feel like the finest silk, or the softest fur? It=20 was neither, and it was both. It was sheer, unmitigated decadence=20 on a hanger, that's what it was.=20=20 Reluctantly, he drew his hand away. "I'm afraid," he told=20 Lesarth, "you don't know my mother. She lives on a farm. She never=20 dresses up. This is just not=85" "But ssshe isss beautiful?" Lesarth asked. Kirk made an impatient gesture. "I told you she is already. But=20 that's not the point. She just wouldn't=85" "Have you told her ssshe iss beautiful?" Kirk stared at the persistent dragon, exasperated. "Well, not in so=20 many=85" "Yesss," Lesarth said sympathetically. "It iss an apparent=20 weaknesss of your ssspeciesss. You humansss find it difficult to=20 expresss thesse thingsss." He grinned suddenly, exposing sharp pink=20 fangs. "And that isss precissely why garmentss like thiss exissst.=20=20 You will give thisss to your mother, and ssshe will know you think=20 ssshe iss beautiful. You will not have to go through the painful=20 processs of sssaying it at all."=20 Kirk tore his eyes away from the brilliant face of the dragon and=20 studied the robe. What would his mother do, he asked himself, if he=20 were to give her this totally frivolous, ridiculously lovely thing?=20=20 He pictured his hardworking, no-nonsense mother opening the package=20 and holding the gift up, her face transformed with amazement. Yes,=20 she would be amazed=85 but would she be delighted?=20=20 Kirk thought she might, now that he thought about it at all. He=20 had to admit what Lesarth had said did make some sense. If he gave=20 his mother this superlatively glorious item, he would show her that=20 he saw her as someone who was both beautiful and worthy of being=20 lavished upon. Which of course, she was =96 on both counts. "How=20 much?" he found himself asking.=20=20 "One hundred credits," Lesarth said quickly, his hiss mysteriously=20 gone. "What? You've got to be=85" "But as it happens," the dragon added hastily, "I am running a fifty=20 percent off sale on this very garment, this very day. So for you,=20 the price would be a mere=85" "Twenty credits," Kirk said. Lesarth made a pained noise that was somewhat like a rusty hinge=20 being dismantled by a rabid Yridian yak. "Forty credits, no less." "Twenty-five." Lesarth's back suddenly erupted in spasmodic motion, and for the=20 first time Kirk realized that the shop proprietor had a pair of=20 wings crammed underneath the smoking jacket. "I cannot possibly=20 sell this lovely work of art for such a paltry sum," he=20 whined. "Thirty-five credits." "I'll go thirty, and that's it. You know and I know that's an=20 absolutely outrageous price for a robe." Lesarth flashed his pink fangs ingratiatingly. "Split the=20 difference?" he wheedled. "Oh, for the love of=85" Kirk glared at the dragon and finally sighed=20 in exasperation. "All right, fine. Thirty-two fifty it is." "Sssplendid," said Lesarth, resuming his customary hiss. He reached=20 into his pocket and pulled out a receipt book. "I'll jusst write=20 that up for you, and=85" he cocked his head, hearing a noise in the=20 other room. "Oh, my goodnesss, I've got another cusstomer. I'll be=20 right back. Feel free to look around =96 I won't be a moment. Don't=20 forget to check out the binsss," he said over his shoulder. "Many=20 wonderful bargainss there, I promissse you." Kirk opened his mouth to protest, but the dragon was gone. Shaking=20 his head, he started to pace around the room, staring sightlessly at=20 the neatly displayed garments. The robe transaction had been a=20 momentary distraction, but now that he was alone, his thoughts=20 returned to what had been bothering him nonstop for the past twenty=20 days.=20=20 Spock. And Shibok. Kirk scowled and reached into one of the bins. He pulled something=20 small and stretchy out of it and played with it idly, not bothering=20 to try to identify the flimsy article. Damn it, it just wasn't fair. He finally =96 finally =96 had found the=20 courage to tell Spock how he felt about him, a mere two months ago.=20=20 He'd figured it was probably the biggest mistake he'd ever make in=20 his life, because he fully expected his valued first officer to turn=20 and run away as fast as his maddeningly slim, long, gorgeous legs=20 would take him. Kirk leaned his elbows on the bin and smiled faintly, twirling the=20 piece of material in his hand, remembering. I should have given you=20 more credit, Spock. I should have known you'd surprise me, just=20 like you always do. Closing his eyes, he thought back to that=20 night, the night of his long-delayed confession. He had blurted out=20 to the cool, impassive Vulcan everything he felt, and everything he=20 wanted. And=85 =85Spock hadn't run. He hadn't protested. He hadn't even pointed out=20 the total illogic of the situation.=20=20 He had instead gathered Kirk into his arms and kissed him so=20 thoroughly that the starship captain's feet didn't touch the deck=20 for a good six days. Jim shivered, recalling how they had made love for hours that first=20 night - how he lay awake long afterwards, Spock curled closely=20 around him, so full of love and gratitude and joy that his body and=20 brain practically sang.=20=20=20 And it had been like that every night since then.=20=20 Until. Kirk dropped the piece of material and picked up another one,=20 bunching it up in his fist.=20=20 Until Shibok.=20=20 Damnable, ramrod straight, prissy, obnoxious, asshole Vulcan Shibok. Kirk took a deep breath and let it out slowly in a vain attempt to=20 relax his shoulders, which were bunched more tightly than the=20 material he held wadded in his hand.=20=20 Some deskbound genius at Starfleet had decided that it would be a=20 great idea to hire Shibok, a department head at the Vulcan Science=20 Academy, as a consultant. Shibok was supposed to check out the=20 science labs on every starship in the fleet, assess their resources=20 and their procedures, and make recommendations for improvement. He=20 was supposed to be, in short, a pain in the ass.=20=20 And he was very, very good at what he did. Shibok had been on board the Enterprise for twenty days and had=20 another three to go. Provided he lives that long, Kirk thought=20 grimly. In that time, he had totally monopolized Spock, demanding=20 that the science officer call up all kinds of long-filed reports,=20 making him explain the procedures and the reasoning employed,=20 forcing him to defend every tiny decision that had been made and=20 every order he'd given. It made Jim mad to see Spock forced to put=20 on such a stupid dog-and-pony show for such a stupid reason. But=20 that was the business of consulting for you, and he had to admit=20 Spock handled it all with a grace he would not have been able to=20 muster himself. No, his real objection to Shibok wasn't the Vulcan consultant's job=20 duties.=20=20 It was the way Shibok looked at Spock. And it was the way Spock acted whenever Shibok was around, which=20 lately amounted to always. Jim glared as he pictured that insufferably speculative look he=20 always saw on Shibok's face whenever the consultant cast his eyes on=20 Spock. It was the universal look of someone who was sizing up a=20 potential sex partner, and nothing anyone could say would convince=20 Kirk otherwise. He knew the look very well. He'd been a giver of=20 the look many times; he'd been the recipient of it more than once.=20=20 And he under no circumstances enjoyed watching Shibok look at Spock=20 that way. "Don't you trust Spock?" McCoy had asked. But trust was never a=20 question with Spock: Kirk could leap off any given precipice and=20 know that his first officer, his friend, and now his lover would=20 catch him or die trying. No, Kirk had answered honestly when he had=20 told the doctor that the problem was that he missed Spock. And it=20 was more - and worse - than having Spock's physical presence taken=20 from him this soon into their new relationship. The crux of the matter was that Shibok's presence had caused Spock=20 to withdraw from Kirk in a much more essential way. As he stared sightlessly into the packed bin, Kirk recalled the last=20 time he had passed Spock in the corridor. Of course Spock had been=20 heading to the lab, and of course that damnable Shibok had been=20 pasted to his side. As Kirk had passed the pair of Vulcans, both=20 Spock and Shibok had nodded simultaneously at him and then continued=20 on their way, carrying on some obtuse, dry-as-dust conversation=20 about X-matrix field theory and the refractive index. Shibok's jet=20 black eyes had been slithering all over Spock; Spock, for his part,=20 was as stiff and straight as an offended Caruthian postulant. There=20 was no raised eyebrow, no little half smile thrown toward Kirk, to=20 soften the severity of Spock's expression as he proceeded down the=20 hall, intent on his conversation. Kirk had stopped in his tracks=20 and stared after his first officer longingly, wondering where in the=20 galaxy the beautiful, passionate lover who fucked with such sensual=20 abandon had gone.=20 In Shibok's presence, Spock became a total Vulcan. Kirk, on the=20 other hand, was in love with someone who was precisely fifty percent=20 Vulcan, no more and no less. And he had no intention of allowing=20 Shibok, or anyone else, to sequester away the true, unique, complete=20 Spock - the one that only James Kirk knew.=20=20 I've got to come up with a way, he told himself, to reclaim him=85 all=20 of him. "Ah, I ssee you have discovered the Ssspeedoss." Kirk jumped slightly, surprised to find that Lesarth had suddenly=20 appeared at his elbow. "Uh=85 Speedos?" Lesarth peered into the bin. "Yesss. An old Terran brand of ssswim=20 and exercissse wear. Known for innovative desssign, high=20 performance fabricss and ability to cling to the body. Thesse are=20 all reproductionss, produced from patternss more than two hundred=20 yearsss old." He reached in and carefully hooked a claw around the=20 waistband of one of the items. Drawing it up, he dangled it in=20 front of Kirk. "Thesse would be very nice on you. They are=85 let me=20 ssee." He fumbled for the tag. "Oh, yesss. Item Number 38-2446,=20 Sspeedo Optic Beam in Green. Featuring reinforced sseamss, full=20 front lining, and a non-ssslip drawsstring at the waisst." His=20 yellow eyes flicked toward Kirk. "The color and sstyle would be=20 mosst sssuitable for you." Kirk eyed the skimpy swimwear dubiously. "I don't know. They look=20 like they'd be pretty tight."=20=20 "Tight, yesss. But uncomfortable, no. They ssstretch, you ssee."=20=20 Lesarth demonstrated by pulling the tiny trunks to and fro like=20 taffy. "Nylon and ssspandex. An unbeatable combination of ancient=20 fabricsss." He flashed his pink teeth and added, "Most humansss=20 desscribe the fit and the feel asss ssexy." "I can imagine they do," Kirk said ironically, but nevertheless took=20 the garment from Lesarth's hooked claw.=20=20 Sexy. Yes, he could definitely see that aspect. It was pretty=20 obvious that they would hide absolutely nothing; that they would=20 cling in a way that bordered on the obscene, in fact. Kirk=20 considered them silently for a moment, rubbing the slippery material=20 absentmindedly between his thumb and forefinger. He pictured=20 Spock's dark hungry eyes raking over him as he reclined on the bed=20 clad only in these body-hugging trunks and a seductive smile.=20=20 Spock's hand reaching out to touch the smooth, slick contours of his=20 body, sliding over the rapidly hardening bulge beneath the fabric,=20 working impatiently under the non-slip drawstring=85 =85or would he rather be the one to do the reaching and the touching,=20 the sliding of fingers over taut stretchy spandex, while his lean,=20 wiry Vulcan lover squirmed beneath his hand, head thrown back,=20 gasping and panting and begging for release?=20=20 Spock in a Speedo. Now that would be a Wonder of the Universe.=20=20 "Do you have any in black?" he found himself saying. "Black, black, black=85 Let me ssseee," Lesarth said, pawing through=20 the bin. "Hmm=85 sssaphire=85 viper sssplice=85 tech check in red=85 I'm=20 afraid I don't =96 ah! Wait a minute. Wait jussst a minute. What=20 have we here? Yesss!" Triumphantly, he pulled out a garment so=20 infinitesimal its tag looked large by comparison. Peering down at=20 it, he said, "Item Number 36-2367. Classsic Sssolid Thong in=20 Black. One inch leg cut, reinforced ssseams." Pink fangs=20 flashed. "Ssstyled to keep the wearer well ventilated,=20 apparently." The dragon flipped the garment around, displaying the=20 miniscule butt strap in the back. "Iss thiss what you had in mind?" Kirk struggled to keep his tone neutral, a task made much harder by=20 the vivid image of Spock's slim, muscular ass cheeks framed in=20 stretchy black. "Maybe," he said carefully. "How much for both=20 pairs?"=20=20 Lesarth cocked his scaly head, calculating. "For both? Let'sss=20 ssee. Well, they're regularly sseven creditss each=85 I could give=20 them both to you for twelve." "Eight." Lesarth's pink smile stretched for light years, somehow managing to=20 look endearing and slightly threatening at the same time. "Sssold,"=20 he said. "And may you and your friend wear them in good health." = =20 Five minutes later, Kirk stepped out into the dazzling sunlight, two=20 carefully wrapped packages under his arm. He shielded his eyes with=20 his hand and scanned for McCoy, trying at the same time not to dwell=20 too much on the puzzle of how Lesarth had deduced he was buying one=20 of the pairs of Speedos for a friend. Is it that obvious to=20 everyone? he asked himself. Or just to orange dragons? Bones=20 emerged from one of the stores, and Kirk resolutely shrugged off the=20 question and hurried over to meet him. "Hey, Jim boy," the doctor beamed as soon as Kirk reached=20 him. "Perfect timing. Hold the door for me, would you?" "Uh, sure," Kirk said, grabbing the battered green door with one=20 hand. "Thanks." McCoy darted back into the dark opening. Kirk heard him=20 call out, "I'm all set, Xex. I'll have your wagon beamed back to=20 you just as soon as I get back on the ship. Thanks again for=20 everything. And let me know if that cough doesn't get better right=20 away." In reply, there came a sound very much like splintering wood,=20 followed by one of the most horrendous, phlegm-fueled coughs Kirk=20 had ever encountered. Instinctively, he drew back in an attempt to=20 avoid whatever airborne sputum might be zinging through the doorway=20 as a result of the paroxysm. "Great guy, that Xex," McCoy told Kirk cheerfully as he carefully=20 maneuvered the borrowed wagon through the narrow opening. "You=20 shoulda heard his story about the one eared Arrakian and the=20 catapult. I thought I'd die laughing."=20 "Mm," Kirk said noncommittally, as he surveyed the wagon. It was=20 packed nearly beyond capacity with bottles of diverse shapes and=20 sizes, all full to the brim with variously colored liquids. Xex=20 apparently had as wide an assortment of booze as Lesarth had of=20 Speedos. "Quite a collection," he told McCoy. "It sure is," Bones replied happily as he wheeled the clinking=20 contents onto the walkway. "It's been at least ten years since I've=20 run into Ruchbanian Thunderwater. But Xex had a whole shelf of it.=20=20 And you wouldn't believe his supply of Gianfarr Brandy =96 I've never=20 seen anything like it." He peered at Kirk. "So what'd you buy?" "Oh, er=85 a robe for my mother. Her birthday's coming up." "Very nice," McCoy said approvingly. "What else?" Kirk looked down quickly at the smaller of his wrapped bundles and=20 then glanced up at the doctor. "I'll tell you what," he replied=20 slowly. "You don't ask me any more questions, and I'll assume that=20 all of those bottles you're planning to bring onto my ship are=20 completely legal, and totally medicinal." "Hmm," McCoy said speculatively, and then shrugged=20 philosophically. "O.K., since you put it that way - you got=20 yourself a deal." A little over an hour later, Kirk emerged from the bathroom, rosy=20 from a warm shower and a brisk toweling, and pulled on the new=20 Speedos. Flexing his legs experimentally, he noted with=20 satisfaction that, true to Lesarth's sales pitch, they were both=20 clingy and comfortable. Not bad, he thought to himself as he=20 surveyed himself in the mirror. Maybe my ancestors really were onto=20 something with this nylon and spandex thing. They sure knew how to=20 show off everything they had, anyway. Thoughtfully, he moved away from his reflection and over to the=20 bed.=20=20 It was time to execute his assault. Ever since he'd left Lesarth's store, Kirk had been trying to work=20 out in his head exactly how he was going to lure Spock out of the=20 lab, away from the infuriatingly proprietary gaze of Shibok, and=20 into his quarters. It didn't take much thinking to figure out that=20 the direct approach probably wasn't advisable: "Spock, this is the=20 Captain. I'm horny as hell, I'm poured into spandex, and I've got a=20 pair of thongs with your name on them. Report to my quarters=20 immediately."=20 No, something subtler was definitely in order. He could, of course,=20 lie. He could call the lab and tell Spock he needed him to come up=20 and help him with some urgent ship's business. He knew Spock=20 wouldn't question that; probably Shibok wouldn't either. But Kirk's=20 code of ethics always had demanded that he separate duty from=20 personal desires. He never would have initiated an affair with his=20 first officer if he hadn't been convinced he could maintain that=20 separation. He certainly wasn't going to turn his back on those=20 standards now, no matter how much he longed for Spock's touch. With a determined look, he got on the bed and lay on his back,=20 staring up at the ceiling. What's the point of being in love with a=20 telepath, he asked himself, if you can't use it to your advantage?=20=20=20 With that, he shut his eyes and conjured an image of Spock.=20=20 For the past twenty days, Kirk had done everything he could to=20 suppress his desire. He'd worked out with fanatical devotion. He'd=20 thrown himself into every competitive game he could think of. He'd=20 spent long hours arguing ethics with Bones. He'd read long, dry=20 reports promptly, even eagerly. All in the name of keeping himself=20 from going stark, raving mad with want.=20=20 But now he changed his tactics. Alone in the dimness of his=20 quarters, Kirk allowed his love and his desire to flare within him=20 unchecked and uncensored. Spock. He pictured his gorgeous first=20 officer naked, writhing impatiently beneath his touch. He heard=20 Spock's voice, rough with passion, calling his name. Felt Spock's=20 warm, demanding hands upon him, drawing him close. Come to me.=20=20 Come to me. Come to me. Kirk squirmed on the bed as his erection=20 filled the tight, slippery fabric of the Speedos; he envisioned the=20 Vulcan's hard, hot cock sliding into him, filling him with heat and=20 slick wet seed. I need you, Spock. Come to me.=20 Was it hours or minutes until the chime at the door? Kirk had no=20 way of telling; he'd become too lost in his exquisite self-torture.=20=20 But at some point, the chime did sound, and Kirk answered, "Come,"=20 though he felt a slight twinge of anxiety as he did so. If this=20 isn't Spock, I'm going to have one hell of a time trying to explain=20 all this. The door slid open. "Captain, are you all right? I thought=85" The=20 Vulcan's voice trailed off as his eyes fell upon Jim. Kirk saw an eyebrow shoot up. He waited, his erection throbbing=20 insistently beneath the thin, clinging material.=20=20 The door swished shut. After a moment, Spock clasped his hands=20 behind his back and walked over to the bed, head tilted slightly as=20 he considered Jim's unusual garb. "Most decidedly non-regulation,"=20 he said softly. Kirk looked up at him with what he hoped was a seductive=20 expression. "The clothing, or the hard-on?"=20 Without removing his eyes from Kirk's body, Spock seated himself on=20 edge of the bed. "I do not believe that either," he replied=20 thoughtfully, "are Starfleet issue." He reached out and slid his=20 hand over the scanty Speedos, obviously fascinated. "No, they're not. But I'm off duty, so it doesn't matter." Kirk=20 smiled sweetly. "You are, by the way, currently fondling Item=20 Number 38-2446, Speedo Optic Beam in Green. Do you like it?" Spock slipped his hand lightly over Kirk's bulging erection,=20 ostensibly in order to caress the silky, taut spandex. "It is=85 most=20 interesting," he finally noted, a bit hoarsely. "I thought you'd think so. I got it in Zibal-Zahir. I bought=20 something for you there, too - it's in the bathroom. Try it on for=20 me."=20=20 When Spock hesitated, Kirk held his breath, waiting for the Vulcan's=20 reply. His erection had not abated; in fact, Spock's nearness had=20 only made it more insistent.=20=20 For an instant, a flicker of desire sparked in the fathomless dark=20 eyes and Kirk was sure he'd won. But just as quickly, the Vulcan=20 shields slammed down; the fire was squelched. Spock's voice was=20 toneless as he began, "I should like to. However, I fear that I=20 must=85" Enough is enough, thought Kirk, and sat up abruptly, his mercurial=20 eyes flashing. "No. Not tonight. Tonight=85 make us the priority.=20=20 Please." Spock stared wordlessly at his captain, a range of conflicting=20 emotions surprisingly apparent on his face. Finally, he leaned=20 forward and kissed Jim lightly on the mouth, reached up and touched=20 the human's face gently with his fingertips. "Of course," he=20 whispered. "Of course I shall. Forgive me." Gracefully, he rose=20 from the bed. "I will require a few moments to call the lab and=20 to=85" he scanned Kirk's snug attire once more, his eyebrow creeping=20 up. "=85 to change into your gift. I must confess I am most curious." Kirk fought the childish impulse to clap his hands with glee.=20=20 Instead, he grinned up at his lover, delight and anticipation=20 apparent on his face. "So am I," he told Spock. "So hurry up,=20 would you?" How does a Vulcan blow off another Vulcan? Kirk wondered idly as he=20 waited for Spock to return. Naturally, it would be done with=20 extreme restraint and with admirable efficiency. The efficiency=20 part was good: that meant Spock would waste no time in returning to=20 Kirk's side. The restraint part, on the other hand, interfered with=20 Jim's personal fantasy of having Spock tell Shibok something=20 like, "I am unable to return to the lab at this time because my=20 captain has requested that I don some type of sexually provocative=20 clothing in preparation for making passionate love to him. I=20 anticipate that the amount of time required to remove my uniform and=20 dress in the garment will be minimal: a mere 2.9 minutes. However,=20 foreplay, fucking and sleep shall occupy us for at least 6.8 hours=20 afterward, with fucking most probably consuming the greater=20 proportion of that time. I do not anticipate, therefore, that I=20 shall be returning to the lab tonight. I apologize for any=20 inconvenience." The opening of the bathroom door interrupted Jim's wishful reverie.=20=20 Spock emerged, lithe and leanly muscled, clad only in the skimpiest=20 wisp of formfitting black fabric. Kirk found himself suddenly=20 completely divested of his ability to breathe. "Oh, my God," he=20 finally murmured, once his heart started to beat again and his lungs=20 to function.=20=20 Spock paused in the doorway; seemingly oblivious of the effect his=20 appearance was having on his captain. "Jim, I fear that you did not=20 inspect this garment carefully enough before you made the purchase,"=20 he chided gently. "It is incomplete." "Incomplete?" The Vulcan first officer turned around, providing Kirk a delicious=20 view of bare ass cheeks. "Yes. The back apparently has been=20 inadvertently omitted." Kirk allowed himself a small hiss of appreciation before he=20 replied. "The back's been omitted, all right, but there's nothing=20 inadvertent about it," he told the Vulcan huskily. "Allow me to=20 introduce you to Item Number 36-2367, Speedo Classic Solid Thong in=20 Black." "Indeed," Spock replied, over his shoulder. His eyebrow rose in=20 inquiry. "And does this=85 classic solid thong=85 meet with your=20 approval?" Kirk tilted his head as if he were pondering. "Wellll," he=20 drawled. "It seems O.K. at first glance. But since you think I=20 didn't inspect it closely enough the first time around, maybe we'd=20 better play it safe. Come on over here, so I can look it over more=20 carefully." He moved over on the bed and patted the vacated space=20 invitingly. Slowly, Spock walked over to his captain, his movements so graceful=20 and unselfconscious that Jim shook his head in admiration and=20 wonder. Who else but Spock could maintain such aplomb while wearing=20 nothing but a microscopic thong and being scrutinized so thoroughly=20 and so lecherously? You are magnificent in every way, Kirk thought,=20 with a surge of desire so intense it strained even the super=20 flexible boundaries of his Speedos.=20=20 He sighed happily as Spock settled in beside him, then reached out=20 to gently caress the Vulcan's cheek. "I've missed you," he said=20 simply. Spock's dark eyes softened as he regarded the human. "It has not=20 been my wish to be apart from you," he whispered in reply as he took=20 Kirk's fingers and drew them to his lips, kissing them softly and=20 deliberately. Jim shut his eyes, partly from the pleasure of the sensation of=20 Spock's lips and partly from the remembered pain of Spock's=20 absence. "Why?" he murmured. "Why did you stay away so long?" He=20 held the Vulcan's gaze with his own. "I know you've felt you need=20 to be at Shibok's beck and call. And I know he's been unreasonably=20 demanding of your time and your=85 your attention." Kirk fought to=20 keep his voice under control: he was angrier with the consultant=20 and his commandeering ways than he really wanted to admit. "But=85"=20 his voice trailed to a barely perceptible whisper. "You haven't=20 even looked at me. Not once in twenty days." Spock hesitated before replying, then sighed and took Jim's face in=20 his hands. "If I looked at you, he would see." "See what?" "Everything. It would all be there on my face for him to read:=20=20 what you are to me, what we have shared, how I=85" he looked away for=20 a moment, shutting his eyes in shame, and then continued, "how I=20 feel about you. I do not wish for him to see these things. And yet=20 I cannot seem to conceal them when you are near." Kirk studied Spock's face carefully, considering his first officer's=20 words and the meaning behind them. He said slowly, "You think=20 Shibok would make things difficult for us - quote regulations, maybe=20 report us to Starfleet?" Spock nodded and pulled Jim close to him. "Yes." "He would, too, the bastard," Kirk said bitterly.=20=20 Regulation 32, Section A, the paragraph forbidding sexual relations=20 between officers, was ignored far more often than it was followed.=20=20 But Shibok was just enough of a tight ass to push the matter. Kirk=20 drew back a little and looked at his lover, his eyes narrowed in=20 suspicion. "So tell me this: how long was he on this ship before=20 he propositioned you?" Spock's eyebrow shot up in surprise, but he responded=20 promptly. "Two point four hours." It was Kirk's turn to be astonished. "Two point four hours? Pretty=20 fast work for someone who's so intent on following the regs to the=20 letter." He glared. "Fucking hypocrite." Spock tilted his head to one side, considering. "You are half=20 right," he finally told his captain, an impish glimmer in his eye. Kirk laughed in spite of himself and pulled the Vulcan into a close=20 embrace, nuzzling against the soft skin of Spock's neck and smiling=20 as he felt Spock's pulse start to race in response. "Nonetheless, I=20 think I'd better have a little talk with Shibok," he said, in=20 between little kisses along the Vulcan's throat. "Sooner rather=20 than later." "It is of no consequence," Spock assured Jim, tilting his head back=20 to allow the human's lips and tongue better access to the sensitive=20 skin of his neck. "He will be gone in three point=85 oh!" The=20 sentence ended in a gasp of pleasure as Jim's teeth scraped gently=20 against his Adam's apple. He pulled the human closer to him,=20 running his hands over the hard muscles of Kirk's back and his=20 rounded, spandex-clad ass.=20=20 "Mmmm," Jim purred in response, bestowing more kisses upon the=20 Vulcan's shoulder and collarbone and chest. Taking one of Spock's=20 dark nipples between his thumb and forefinger, he played with it=20 until it became hard, and then claimed it with his mouth,=20 alternately tormenting the inflamed skin with his teeth and soothing=20 it with his tongue.=20=20 Spock groaned under his ministrations and slid his hands to the=20 front of Kirk's waist, to the non-slip drawstring of Item Number 38- 2446. With his usual efficiency, he had it undone within seconds,=20 and Kirk was quickly divested of the clingy Optic Green Speedos.=20=20 Impatiently, Spock threw them to the floor and promptly turned his=20 attention to a thorough and unhurried exploration of the human's=20 nude body.=20=20 Under Spock's touch and his dark intense gaze, Kirk felt himself=20 catch fire. There was no one in the universe that made him feel as=20 revered or made him want so much. Yes, Spock's night-black eyes=20 were beautiful, as were his slender, expert hands. Any lover of=20 beauty might desire the Vulcan for those eyes and those hands=20 alone. But it was the wholehearted devotion that shone in those=20 eyes, that lived in the touch, that won Kirk's heart over and over=20 again, every time he looked at his first officer, his friend, his=20 lover. It was a devotion that gave all - courageously,=20 unconditionally, absolutely. And it demanded all in return. And I=20 give it to you, Kirk thought, trembling in ecstasy under Spock's=20 hands. I give it all to you =96 every human atom =96 body, brain, heart=20 and spirit. He gasped as Spock found his long, hard cock and began=20 to stroke it. "So beautiful," he heard Spock murmur, as if from a great distance=20 away.=20=20 Kirk reached blindly for the Vulcan, desperate to touch him in=20 return, and found that Spock's stiff rod was jutting lopsidedly out=20 of the tiny triangle of spandex. With a breathy laugh, he hooked=20 his fingers over the waistband of the stretchy garment and pulled it=20 down, liberating the Vulcan's engorged sex completely. "Too big for=20 your britches," he whispered. "I was afraid of it. Next time, I'll=20 buy=85" his sentence was cut off by a deep, passionate kiss. Kirk always considered it his personal mission to make Spock lose=20 control. There was just something about reducing the cool,=20 restrained Vulcan to a quivering mass of raw physical need that he=20 couldn't get enough of. And he was certainly not above committing=20 every ounce of his considerable sexual expertise to achieving that=20 goal. But this time, as Spock stroked and fondled him with=20 methodical and relentless fingers, the tables were turned: it was=20 Kirk who found himself writhing and half-crazed with=20 desire. "Spock, if you=85 if you keep doing this to me, I'll come,"=20 he finally gasped. "Yes," Spock ordered him, his warm breath falling upon Kirk's=20 neck. "I want you to. In my hands, Jim. Come now."=20=20 In your hands, Kirk echoed within his mind. A deep, secret part of=20 his soul acknowledged the rightness of that statement, at the same=20 time that he arched and shuddered in orgasm, shooting his slippery=20 cum into Spock's waiting hands. For a nebulous fragment of eternity, Jim floated halfway between=20 consciousness and awareness, his body and brain so relaxed that he=20 was no longer certain he still existed at all. Spock's rock-hard=20 penis was still clasped loosely in his own hand; he felt it pull=20 away from his grasp and whimpered softly in protest, already missing=20 the contact but somehow lacking the ability to move to reclaim it.=20=20 Through half-shut eyes, he watched the Vulcan reach down and begin=20 to stroke himself with semen-slick hands, lips slightly parted and=20 dark eyes locked upon Kirk's face. When his cock glistened with=20 Kirk's slippery fluid, he gently parted the human's legs and knelt=20 between them.=20=20 Kirk felt his lethargy begin to transform into a tingle of=20 anticipation. Wordlessly, he opened his legs wider and drew his=20 knees up in preparation for the long green cock he knew was soon=20 going to be jammed inside of him. "Jim," Spock exhaled softly as he shoved the head of his sex partway=20 into his captain's taut hole. Kirk gasped once at the pleasure-pain of the intrusion, and Spock=20 waited until he sensed that the human was ready to take more of=20 him. Slowly, in a series of gentle shoves and patient hesitations,=20 he gradually encased himself fully within his human sheath. For a moment, there was stillness, broken only by the sound of=20 ragged breath. And then Jim felt his cock start to stir to life=20 again and his heart begin to hammer. A single surge from Spock,=20 deep inside of him, and the passion flared up once more, just as=20 imperative as it had been before Spock's hands had given him=20 release. He found himself pushing against the Vulcan's increasingly=20 insistent thrusts, wordlessly urging, mutely commanding. Spock's voice, abraded with lust, called out Jim's name as he drove=20 his hot cock repeatedly into his captain's tight tunnel. Kirk threw=20 his head back, lost in the sensation of being filled over and over=20 again with the Vulcan's searing rod. He felt a hand reach up, find=20 his temple, search for the meld points. The door between the=20 lovers' minds suddenly flew open, bathing Kirk in the white-hot=20 light of Spock's pleasure. This is what you give to me broadcast=20 through the human's brain. And this is what you are to me, Kirk relayed back, offering up to=20 the Vulcan willingly all of the love and adoration that his heart=20 held. Spock trembled, stiffened, and shot his seed deep within Kirk, his=20 unleashed joy expanding outwards far into the human's self. Beneath=20 him, Jim cried out with the brilliant force of his own orgasm,=20 anointing Spock's lean belly with thick warm cum, filling the=20 Vulcan's brain with gratitude and delight. The first thing Kirk saw when he woke up was two tiny bunches of=20 castoff Speedos, crumpled and wilted-looking on the floor by the=20 bed. And I know just how they feel, he thought sluggishly. I too=20 must've been transformed into a big limp pile of nylon and spandex=20 while I slept. Probably those damn Klingons =96 maybe they've figured=20 out how to put a "Speedo" setting on their disruptors, or something. "You are awake." A deep, familiar voice rumbled behind him. "Mm. I think so." Kirk smiled lazily and rolled over to face his=20 first officer. "Somebody seems to have slipped in here and made off=20 with all of my bones and cartilage, though. Do I look like a=20 beached jellyfish, by any chance? Because I feel like one." Spock's eyebrow rose slightly. "You will doubtless be reassured to=20 know," he informed his captain solemnly, "that your resemblance to a=20 stranded free-swimming marine coelenterate is minimal at best." "Thanks. You Vulcans give the nicest compliments." Kirk stretched=20 and then snuggled back against Spock's warm, lean body. "I feel=20 like I could settle in for about six days straight. How long were=20 we asleep, anyway?" "Three point two hours." "That's not so bad." "No." A slight hesitation. "I should, however=85" Kirk grimaced. "I know, I know. How much longer until that=20 asshole's off this ship?" "Two point nine days," Spock replied, not bothering to pretend that=20 he did not know to whom his captain referred. "Well, he'll wish he were leaving sooner by the time I get done with=20 him. I'm going to tell that pain in the ass that he can just=85" "There is no need." Spock sat up and stared down at the human=20 calmly.=20=20 Kirk struggled to a sitting position as well, scowling. "You've got=20 to be kidding. He's using his position to force you to=85" "He has forced me to do nothing." "He propositioned you." "And was rebuffed." "But=85" "Jim." Spock leaned over and kissed Kirk. When he pulled away, he=20 said, "He will never take me away from you. His presence on this=20 ship alters nothing that is in my heart. Nothing =96 and nobody =96=20 ever will." Kirk exhaled slowly, and realized that his shoulders felt relaxed=20 for the first time in more than twenty days. "I know that," he told=20 the Vulcan softly. "But still, I=85 I needed to hear it anyway." He=20 placed his index finger lightly on Spock's lips. "From your own=20 beautiful mouth." Spock kissed the fingertip gently. "Then I shall endeavor," he=20 promised his captain, "to remember to inform you of that more=20 often. And now, I really must take a shower and return to the lab."=20 "Yeah, all right," Kirk agreed grudgingly, and got out of bed.=20=20 Glancing at the chronometer, he mused as if to himself, "I, on the=20 other hand, am still off duty for another couple of hours. If I=20 hurry, I should be able to make it down there and back in plenty of=20 time." "Down where?" Spock asked, puzzled. Kirk picked the Speedos up from the floor and dangled them in front=20 of Spock suggestively. "Down to Zibal-Zahir, to talk to the orange=20 dragon who sold me these. He had a little number called a `Viper=20 Splice' that would look fantastic on you. I bet he'll give me a=20 good deal on `em, too." Spock's eyebrow shot up beneath his bangs. "Sir, are you planning=20 to require me to wear small stretchy items of clothing every time=20 you wish to engage in sexual activity?" Kirk grinned at him. "Certainly not." Spock relaxed somewhat. "Good." Kirk gazed up at his first officer, his amber eyes glinting with=20 mischief. "Only when I feel I need to do something drastic to get=20 your attention." "I see," Spock said dryly. "I assure you, I shall certainly take=20 that under advisement." "See that you do," Kirk said crisply, dropping the Speedos into the=20 replicator. "After all, I'd hate to have to resort to bringing out=20 the Alsafian socks." "Alsaf=85?" Jim looked down at the Vulcan's bare feet, brow furrowed. "I wonder=20 if they come in argyle," he murmured. "Argyle would be very nice on=20 you, I think. I'll have to ask Lesarth." He looked up at Spock,=20 who gaped at him open-mouthed in a very un-Vulcanlike way. "Well,=20 don't just stand there," he instructed his first officer=20 blandly. "Hit the shower =96 Shibok's waiting." The End ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ASCEM messages are copied to a mailing list. Most recent messages can be found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ASCEML. NewMessage: