Heart | Soul
Mind | Body
"Are you ready to properly meet your ship, boys?" Scotty asked excitedly, "Because I'll tell you what, she's sure excited to meet you."
Kirk took a deep breath as he paced around the room but it did nothing to calm his pounding heart- after months of waiting, he would finally get to physically interact with the Enterprise's A.I.- with Tex, as she called herself. No more drawing hearts on the arm rest of the Captain's chair or leaning against the walls- he was going to actually get to hug her--- with her permission, of course.
"We've been awaiting this day for 274 days," Spock answered before smoothly taking Kirk by the arm and holding him gently if not firmly in place, "I do believe we are all in agreement that we are indeed quite ready." Unlike Kirk who even now was tapping his hand against his thigh, Spock stood perfectly still, but his heart too beat erratically at the mere anticipation of placing a face to the fourth member of their polycule.
It had felt unfair, cruel almost, knowing Tex could see them and talk to them but not touch them like they could touch one another and although Spock wasn't very physically affectionate himself, he could still understand the bittersweet atmosphere Tex's lack of a vessel carried.
"Now, remember what I told you," Scotty warned, "ya better not have any preconceived notions about what she's gonna look like-"
"We don't, promise," Bones assured the chief engineer, the calmer of the three although that wasn't saying much as he stood on Kirk's other side and wrapped an arm around the fidgety man's waist, "hell, we don't care what she looks like either, we just want to see her." It was true; they didn't care, although Bones really hoped that she'd keep her programmed southern drawl- it was comforting, reminding him of home when he needed it most.
"Well, I'm glad to hear it because she picked everything out herself." Scotty said proudly, "Everything from the height perimeters to the individual freckles on her skin." He turned around to the open doorway and said in a gentle croon, "Alright lassie, come on out. They're ready when you are."
Nobody spoke as they watched a petite android walk into the room wearing a starfleet dress uniform but unlike the traditional blue, red, or yellow, it was instead silver, and paired with black cowboy boots. The android herself had long, curly dark hair, brown skin, and wide, russet eyes as she stopped in front of them directly beside Scotty and smiled at them with a pair of dainty cupid's bow lips.
"Howdy y'all," she said, and in that moment the three pressed into each other, supporting each other up even as their knees wobbled underneath them. Bones stared, wide-eyed and slack jawed while Kirk beamed and Spock, all too aware of Scotty in the room, schooled his features the best he could and flushed from his nose to the tips of his pointed, curved ears.
Scotty stared at Spock before remembering his manners and cleared his throat, "I'll just go tell the others you're catching up with the boys," he said, "I'll see you all later in the rec room for the party." He gave Tex a hug and kissed the top of her head before leaving and when the door shut, Kirk spoke first.
"Can we touch you?" Kirk blurted before pulling away to take a step towards her, yanking Spock and Bones with him, before stopping again, "I mean, can- can we hug you? Is that alright?"
Tex grinned, opened her arms, and in a flash the three of them pulled her in to a big group hug. Spock wasn't sure how long it lasted, but it didn't seem to matter- nobody was moving. Nobody wanted to move. Eventually though, Tex said something, or tried to say something. One by one they all pulled away so she had more room to speak.
"What was that Darlin'?" Bones prompted sweetly.
"I said, 'I feel perfect.'" Tex answered softly.
Spock cleared his throat, "You once described me as the mind of our relationship, Leonard the heart, Kirk the soul."
Tex blinked up at him and cocked her head, "I did. Where are you getting with this?"
Kirk, catching on, grinned. "It's just, if we're all those things, then you're the body- you're what contains us- shields us. You always have been, even when you were the Enterprise itself. You feel perfect because this is always how you were meant to be- here with us, like this."
Bones laughed weakly, his eyes dangerously stinging with potential tears, "Mind, heart, soul, and now body. Hell, and they say good things only come in three's."
