Title: Go And Take a Nap
Author:
Megan-MoonlightDate of Posting: December 13th, 2014 (original date)
Rating: G
Fandom: Star Trek AOS
Characters/Pairings: Leonard McCoy/James Kirk, Spock, Christine Chapel, Geoffrey M'Benga
Disclaimer: All the characters © Gene Roddenberry. I make no money from this.
Summary: Everyone, including the Captain, needs a time off sometimes.
Spoilers: None
Warnings: Canon Divergence
Beta:
ad00absurdumAuthor's Notes: Written for
happy-trekmas 2014, as a gift for
CaptainAlston.
Originally posted about two months ago, but I wanted to post it here as well.
Mentioned at: Originally posted at
happy-trekmas,
*HERE*; At AO3
*HERE* *GO AND TAKE A NAP*
“Leonard, I thought your shift ended a while ago?”
Geoffrey M’Benga stepped closer to Leonard’s desk and put his tricorder on top of a few boxes laying there. “When I met the Captain and Scotty they mentioned you will probably go and take a nap or something.”
“Well, they can go take a nap if they want to, God, Jim probably needs it more than anyone else on this ship, but the paperwork won’t finish itself. You go right ahead and start your shift. Lieutenant Hannity and Ensign Jordan mentioned they will drop by. One’s got constant headache, the other complains about hurting his hand in the self-defense class,” Leonard said, not looking away from the computer. “You deal with them, I’ll update the reports.”
“And you are sure you shouldn’t go to sleep?” Leonard could hear Geoff glaring and judging him silently, but fortunately, he was immune to it. He was a doctor, he was the one who cast this look most of the time.
“On this ship, if you don’t do this crap right away, you won’t have a chance to do it later, Geoff. People here are worse than teenagers and they keep coming here with everything. I have no idea how they’re not dead when they don’t even know what it means to ‘listen to your doctor’.”
“Why do I have a strange feeling you’re talking about the Captain?” asked Geoff after a while and it really wasn’t hard to hear the smile in his voice. Leonard rolled his eyes and was about to answer when he heard somebody else entering the room.
“Maybe because Leonard pays a lot of attention to the Captain’s health?” Christine Chapel said and judging from her expression, she was trying not to laugh. She didn’t do a very good job of that and soon Geoff laughed as well.
“That’s true,” he said and Leonard groaned.
“I should fire the both of you.”
“Who will help you with all the paperwork and reports then?” Christine asked, a small smile not leaving her face.
“And listen to your rants?” added Geoff.
Leonard groaned then. “I think you two are forgetting that you’re not the only ones who work here,” he moved Geoff’s tricorder off the boxes and stacked them on the floor. He would have to take them to the weapon specialists, maybe then somebody could tell him why the boxes were delivered to his office in the first place.
“Would you like me to remind you of that when you’re complaining about some of your coworkers?” Geoff raised one eyebrow in question and leaned against the desk, putting one hand on top of the monitor of the computer.
“Listen, I really want to finish this today and…”
“…and nothing. It will not disappear,” Christine interrupted him. “Really, Leonard, you should take a break. You can do all of this later. We know that you’d prefer to be somewhere else right now.”
“Christine…”
“Go check on Jim, Leonard. We’ll make sure no one besides us enters the office, okay?”
Leonard sighed, but nodded. It was true after all. Since Jim got back from the last mission they both had been busy because of their respective responsibilities. Right after the mission Jim let Leonard check if everything was okay, but later he and Spock were busy finding out why their original mission was interrupted by a not particularly friendly group of natives accusing them of stealing resources and why two of Jim’s crewmen got injured in the process.
Fortunately Jim’s wounds were superficial and everyone could get back to their duties within the next three days, but it still created a lot of paperwork, as the Enterprise received data about the weapons that were used on the crewmen. Which was why Leonard was in his office, trying to catalogue all the new data and update his reports on the injuries and treatment of the crewmen.
Jim always took seriously everything that harmed his crew and Leonard knew how stubborn the other man could be, so he left Jim to his work most of the time. However, he really was bothered by Jim actually forgetting to take care of himself when he was in one of his moods. This time he let him go and work since he had some work to do himself, but since Geoff and Christine pointed out that it was the end of the shift, Leonard felt like Jim should take a break as well, if he hasn’t done so yet.
Leonard briefly talked to Scotty and Uhura in the mess hall, and they told him that Jim, after talking to Spock on the bridge, went to his quarters. Uhura mentioned he looked tired when they saw him, which only confirmed Leonard’s worries. He left them to their dinner and went to the Captain’s quarters right away.
When he entered, Jim was laying on the couch, still in his clothes, his eyes covered with his arm.
“I told you, you should get some sleep. But what do I know, I’m only a doctor,” he said and knelt in front of Jim. He moved his arm and put his hand on Jim’s forehead. At least he wasn’t getting sick. “At least you got back to your quarters on your own.”
“Yup, and now I need a massage,” Jim said and smiled, leaning against Leonard’s hand.”You know I deserve a treat.”
“For what, not listening to me?” Leonard snorted at that, but he did not stop massaging Jim’s head. “Move over.”
Soon, Leonard was sitting on the couch, Jim’s head in his lap, his eyes closed. Leonard put his hand on Jim’s head again, his fingers running through soft, blond hair and a smile appeared on Jim’s face.
He definitely looked better than a few hours ago. It was obvious he was still tired, Leonard could feel the tension in his body, although fortunately it wasn’t as bad as it was a few hours ago. He must have learned enough if he took a break after all. “So, how did the meeting go?” he asked after a while. “You and Spock found out anything helpful?”
“Oh, that’s good,” Jim murmured and snuggled closer, and only then opened his eyes to look at Leonard. “We did, actually. We contacted the High Council about the attack. Apparently it was a misunderstanding and we were mistaken for a group of rogue hunters ,who had been attacking smaller villages for resources for some time now. Spock is looking into the details of this whole situation. We’ll get an official explanation and rectification in a day or two so until then we wait. Do you know Spock told me to go and get some sleep?”
“Well, at least this is the one thing we can agree about,” Leonard said and Jim grinned at the comment.
Jim shrugged and it looked like he was trying not to yawn.“Yeah, well, it’s not a bad idea, I guess.”
“Wait, does that mean you’ll actually stay in bed like I said you should?”
“Want to join me?”
Leonard smiled and suddenly he remembered the similar situation from when they were still in the Academy, Leonard thinking that Jim hadn't been getting enough sleep. He still couldn’t help snorting at the memory.
***
When he had entered Jim’s room Jim was sitting cross-legged on his bed and talking to Spock, who was sitting next to him. Jim didn’t stop talking nor gesticulating, even when Spock turned from him to look at Leonard. At this point, it looked more like Jim was talking at Spock and Leonard wondered what it was all about.
“Doctor McCoy,” Spock said in a way of greeting and Leonard nodded at him, taking off his jacket and putting it on the chair on Jim’s side of the room.
“Come on, Spock, focus,” Jim said and Spock turned to him, raising one eyebrow . “It’s not like I’m asking you to dance in front of a room full of people. I wouldn’t do that to you,” he added after a few seconds, and Leonard noticed he was trying not to smile at the idea.
“Like hell you wouldn’t,” he murmured and apparently that was what Spock thought as well, judging from the dubious expression on his face.
“If you say so, Jim.”
“Just promise me you will think about it?” Jim smiled and Spock nodded, getting up from the bed. “Great. I'm telling you, it will be great.”
Spock did not say anything to that. After he left the room, Jim lay back on the bed and covered his eyes with his hand, sighing. He didn’t even move when Leonard stepped closer, but when he sat down on the bed, Jim snuggled closer to him right away.
“What were you talking about anyway?” Leonard asked.
Jim grinned at the question and his whole face lit up. “A party. I’m trying to get everybody to just meet in one place at one time. I’m telling you, I should get a credit for my Tactical Analysis course for that. It’s more difficult than I expected…” he said and yawned right after that, which made Leonard shake his head at him.
“I told you to get more sleep yesterday,” he said. “Did you eat something today, at least?”
“Yes, I ate with Scotty and Uhura. And it’s not even evening yet.”
Leonard sighed. “Really Jim, I’m serious. You should sleep more. I do know you want to finish everything earlier and still have time for parties, but if you go on like this…”
“Oh, come on, Bones. Like you go to sleep when I tell you to.”
“Yes, of course, because I’m the one who is allergic to peace and quiet here,” Leonard rolled his eyes, but let Jim lean against him.
“You’d be bored without me, admit it,” Jim grinned and patted Leonard on the chest, biting his lip.
Leonard knew that was true, but he wasn’t going to admit that, especially not to Jim. However, he couldn’t argue, which Jim must have taken as an agreement. He looked entirely too smug, but unfortunately for Leonard, it was a good look on him.
“If we’re on the subject of relaxing and taking time off,” Jim leaned against his shoulder. “What are you doing later today?”
Leonard raised an eyebrow and squinted. The smile on Jim’s face, the kind that mean he had a plan, rarely ended well for Leonard. “I’ll be studying for my xenobiology exam. Why?” he asked finally and apparently this answer was acceptable for Jim.
“I know this exam is in about a week - don’t look at me like that,” Jim stopped Leonard before he could say anything. “I met Elkin and she told me. Anyway it means you have time to go to this party with me. I let you stay in the last time and I didn’t even complain too much, so this time you’re going with me.”
“Jim…”
“Come on. Please? And when we get back, or tomorrow, I promise to help you study.”
“Yes, I see how well that would go,” Leonard looked at the other man dubiously. “Just like the last time you were helping me with biochemistry. I had to do everything the night before the exam.”
“What can I say? Inter-species reproduction is much more interesting than photosynthesis.”
Leonard snorted at that and Jim sat up, kissing him, before getting up from the bed. “You know I’m good at many things.”
“Biology among them?”
Jim grinned, changed his shirt and took his leather jacket from the chair, also taking Leonard’s jacket, handing it to Leonard. “Come on, we’re going out.”
“Wait, this whole party is today?”
“Well, yes,” Jim stated. “But I’ve been planning it for about a week now. We’re meeting Sulu. Come on, Scotty and Uhura promised they will come and Chapel and M’Benga met me earlier and they may appear as well. Even Spock will be there.”
“As far as I heard, the hobgoblin said he will think about it. Besides, do I really have to tie you down to the bed to keep you there?”
“Maybe later,” Jim grinned. “Besides, Spock will definitely be there.”
“Wait a minute. Geoff and Chris said they will come?” Leonard raised an eyebrow and rolled his eyes when Jim waggled his eyebrows. Of course.
“You’re not tired at all, are you? Great, so that’s why they were smiling when I said I might take a break before reading the textbooks. Caring about my health. Right. It was because they talked to you. So what about your ‘important’ meeting with the instructors that apparently made you so tired that you wanted me to finish earlier as well? Was there even any meeting?”
“Yeah, there was. But it might have been less significant than I made it out to be. I just had to show them that I actually do know what Hodgkin's Law of Parallel Planetary Development is.”
Leonard sighed and shook his head. Jim always liked to show off and surprise people with how much he actually knew, so it wasn’t really surprising that he looked proud of himself. “Fine, fine. If you needed to bribe so many people just to get me to go to a bar, I can as well go.”
“It’ll be fun, you’ll see.”
***
This time Leonard knew Jim actually planned to stay in bed and leave any possible parties for later. His eyes were closed, the lines of worry disappeared from his face, and from the sound of Jim’s breathing and how calm he seemed, it looked like he fell asleep. His head was snuggled right there against Leonard’s stomach, one hand gently holding on to the material of Leonard’s shirt. Leonard couldn’t stop looking at him. Still running his fingers gently through Jim’s soft hair, it was hard not to smile. He leaned back against the couch and let himself relax, making sure not to disturb Jim, and closed his eyes for a moment.
After they woke up they both would have to get back to work, Jim and Spock still would have to make sure they were safely flying away and Leonard would have to make sure the sickbay was still running. For now, though, they could let themselves get lost in those moments of closeness between them.