Fic: Marked Man (Kirk/McCoy)
Title: Marked Man
Pairing: Kirk/McCoy
Summary: Jim’s observation period continues
Rating: Teen/PG13
Word Count: 3950
A/N: #4 in the Two Men & a Starship series. Follows #3: Observation Period. Thank you to everyone who reads/comments! I really appreciate it. ♥
The feel of something wet licking his face makes Jim open his eyes quickly, no longer dozing after being startled in such a way. He grimaces when Athos swipes his wet tongue over Jim’s cheek again. “Athos, what have we talked about regarding you getting on the bed?” he mutters as he scratches the beagle behind his ears. “The bed is people space. The blanket in the corner is Athos space. I don’t sleep on your blanket, and you don’t get in my bed.”
Athos cocks his head to the side as if he’s listening before he yips once and licks Jim again.
“I think he must have missed you.”
The drawl catches Jim off-guard, and the events of recent days all come flooding back as he moves from that dazed ‘barely awake but not still asleep’ place. He glances over to find Bones leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom. His uniform pants aren’t buttoned, just resting low on his hips, and he hasn’t put on his shirt yet. The fact that his hair is also disheveled and his face is relaxed all mixes together to make Jim drool, just a little.
As he stares at Bones, Jim notices a mark on his neck. Bones has a mark on his neck, obviously a sexual one, and what the fuck is with that? Jim curls his fingers into his hand as his lips shift from the lazy grin to a frown. “Of course he missed me,” he says tightly. Athos wags his tail at Bones before he yips again and licks Jim’s face. This is one time when Jim wishes that the damn dog disliked Bones just as he dislikes the majority of people he’s interacted with on the Enterprise since being discovered. It would be satisfying right now if Athos would growl at Bones when Jim wants to.
“You’re good with him,” Bones muses, as if the idea that Jim being able to take care of a dog is surprising. It’s sort of insulting. Or maybe Jim’s just too pissed off about the fucking sexual mark on Bones’ neck to not take it personally.
“Yeah,” he says, glaring at the wall as he pets Athos and gets a wet hand for his efforts.
“Damn it, Jim. What’s with the pissy attitude?” Bones asks sharply. “Are you in pain? How are your legs feeling?”
Since Jim can’t really admit to being in pain because someone’s been marking Bones, he purses his lips and shakes his head. Who could have done it? Scotty seems to be one of the only people who Bones actually hangs around with, but, petty jealousy aside, Jim can’t see Scotty getting into Bones’ pants. It’s probably Christine or one of the other hot medical staff who hero worship Bones even when he’s being a cranky asshole.
“What the hell is your problem, Captain?” Bones demands as he crosses the room. He grips Jim’s chin and forces him to look at him despite Jim’s admittedly immature attempts to ignore him.
“My problem? I’ll tell you what my problem is, Doctor,” he sneers, continuing to scratch Athos behind his ears to keep him from getting agitated. “You push me away, act like I’m a leper whenever I try to touch you, yet you don’t seem to care if someone else bites your fucking neck. Who marked you, Bones? Who are you seeing now that you’ve finally realized you can do better than me?”
Bones blinks and the tension in his shoulders seems to get worse as he stares at Jim. “You did, you asshole,” he growls. “Oh, but I’m the one who doesn’t trust you, right? It looks like that goes both ways, Jim. Only, you have no reason to even think that I’d be tempted like that whereas your entire past since I met you would indicate that you might be.”
“Don’t turn this into another attack on my past. You were married for fuck’s sake, yet I’m not always accusing you of planning to do all that again, am I? It’s almost the same thing, only you were committed to one person and even had a kid, which is a lot more threatening than my casual fucking in a lot of ways.” He scowls when he realizes that he’s just voiced one of those nagging concerns that he usually just ignores. He stares at Bones’ neck and asks, “What do you mean I did?”
When Bones doesn’t say anything, Jim raises his gaze. Bones sighs and his shoulders slump slightly. “You need to calm down. You still aren’t recovered completely,” he mutters, and Jim knows what he’s doing. He’s not so doped up on pain meds that he can’t recognize it today when it happens. Hiding again, only this time in the ‘I’m a doctor’ bullshit instead of avoidance.
“I am calm,” he says simply, rubbing Athos on the tummy when the dog rolls over. “This is just me and you, Bones. Not doctor and captain. So stop freaking out about my blood pressure because you don’t want to talk about this.”
“I have no intention of running off and marrying someone and doing the whole domesticated husband and father thing. I failed at it once, so I don’t care to try again,” he tells him firmly. “It’s absurd to think that I would, even if we weren’t--“ He waves his hand between them as if that explains what they are to each other now.
“But it isn’t unreasonable for you to act like my past is just waiting to be repeated?” he asks pointedly. “This is clearly a big issue for you, Bones. It seems like we argue about it every little bit, and you claim that you trust me and say that you believe I’m sincere about being happy with trying this monogamy thing, but then we end up fighting about it again. Never with any reason, either. What’s going to happen when I am flirting? Because that’s part of who I am, you know? I’m friendly and I like to flirt even when I have no interest in sex or anything. Are you going to assume I’m fucking anyone that I talk to?”
“Yeah, it’s a big issue,” Bones agrees quietly. “I’ve watched you play your games for years, Jim. I had to hear all about every conquest, most in detail, and you never even pretended to want more than one night with any of them. Maybe I’m still finding it difficult to believe that you’re suddenly turned over a new leaf, especially when it’s for me.”
“It isn’t for you,” Jim tells him. “It’s for me. I like sex, and I never wanted to be with just one person before. Thought it’d be boring. Well, that was my excuse but, mostly, I didn’t want to give up control like that. It can’t hurt if there’s no one there to leave, you know? But it’s not that way now. Sure, it’s with you, and you’re my best friend, but I’m changing for me, because I want to. Which, yeah, that’s scary to acknowledge, but maybe you need to hear it.”
“I know about the hurt when someone leaves. If I could, I’d never feel that vulnerable and powerless again. But it’s part of life, I guess, and I don’t want to become some bitter old man who never lets anyone inside and dies alone because of stupid emotional hang-ups,” Bones admits with a wry smile. “As for your flirting and shit, I don’t know what it’ll be like to deal with. I might not like seeing you flirting with other people, but it is who you are, and I like you. Changing something like that would make you not Jim, and that’s not what I want at all. But I’ve been burned in the past, and I can’t promise that I won’t get angry sometimes or have doubts, despite trusting you.”
Athos playfully nips at Jim’s hand before he jumps off the bed and walks over to Bones. Jim watches the dog whine until Bones leans down to pet him. There isn’t much he can say about Bones’ worries, because he knows he can’t just fix them, but he really wishes it wasn’t something that kept coming up because he can’t do anything about it. All he can do is keep giving Bones a reason to trust him and, hopefully, Bones will start to get past it.
Besides, it’s not like Bones doesn’t get flirty on occasion, especially when he’s around female friends that he considers safe but that Jim knows would accept a serious advance from Bones in a heartbeat. He’s going to have to deal with his own jealousy, cause that’s what it is even if Jim likes to think he’s not the jealous type, so Bones will have to handle his, even if his is wrapped up in ex-wife issues.
“What about the mark?” he asks, changing the subject before it gives them both a headache. He watches Bones’ long fingers as he scratches Athos. Lucky damn dog.
Bones glances up at him, and the intensity makes Jim catch his breath. “It happened in your sleep,” Bones murmurs, voice low and husky. “I woke up to find you plastered against me, gnawing on my neck while you rutted against my thigh and kept saying my name. You didn’t even wake up when you came.”
Jim can feel warmth in his face, which is ridiculous because he doesn’t blush. “Oh.” He licks his lips and looks down, raising the sheet so he can look at his boxers. The proof is there, dried and slightly uncomfortable now that he’s focusing on it. “Did you…”
“No.” Bones clears his throat. “I thought about it, how could I not, but things still aren’t working properly. Physically.”
“It’s been nearly two months, Bones,” Jim says, looking back up. His not-embarrassment, because he so doesn’t get embarrassed, is forgotten as he studies Bones. “Is that normal? You said it’d probably only last a few weeks.”
Bones shrugs and straightens up before he finishes walking to the bed. He sits on the side and moves his hand to rest on top of Jim’s hand. “It lasted several months when I was working on the inoculation program, but it’s usually only been three to four weeks in the past. That time, I was just so stressed and focused on my work that the rest of me sort of shut off, I guess. I didn’t expect it to last this long, but, fuck. I don’t know. I’m not even stressed over work and training the staff now but I can’t seem to let go and just feel. Not when I try, though morning erections are still common. Biological and all that, but my thinking too much just makes them go away if I don’t take care of them immediately.”
“In that book I stole from you, it said that it can be psychological and mental kinds of stuff sometimes.” Jim doesn’t want to push, not after they’ve already argued over a mark that he couldn’t remember making. He moves his fingers so that they’re entwined with Bones’ fingers and raises his other hand. When he notices it glistening with Athos’ drool, he brings it back down and wipes it on the blanket before reaching up to touch the mark on Bones.
It’s going to be a tough one to hide, at the point when Bones’ neck curves into his shoulder, and he can see the faint bite mark beneath the colored skin. He must have been sucking and nibbling for a while, and Bones didn’t stop him. He looks up into Bones’ eyes, noticing that his irises are more brown than green, and he moves his thumb over the mark. Even unconsciously, he has a need to make Bones his, and he’s not even the biter. Bones is the vampire, yet Jim’s neck and shoulders have been unmarked for weeks.
Bones makes a face even as he curls his fingers around Jim’s. “It’s probably all the changes and the new environment, not to mention training and working and getting everyone’s files in order,” he mutters. He smiles wryly. “But maybe it’s just in my head now. I don’t know. Earlier, I wanted…God, you were making these noises and saying my name in your sleep, and it’s been weeks since I’ve seen you like that. You’re so damn pretty.”
“You’re not so bad yourself,” he says softly, moving his fingers from the bite along Bones’ collarbone then resting his palm above Bones’ heart. “I won’t nag you to talk about it yet. You'll tell me when you're ready, won't you?”
“You’ll nag because you’re too damn curious to just let it drop,” Bones grumbles. He moves his thumb over Jim’s palm and leans forward, pressing their foreheads together. “I could have lost you to poisonous alien beasts, and I wouldn’t even be able to explain why I’d been pushing you away. Hell, I can't even explain it yet to myself, much less anyone else. But, yeah, I'll tell you when I'm ready.”
Jim bites his lip and wonders if his pushing is part of the problem. He knows he’s been doing it, but it’s just sort of who he is, so he doesn’t really make an effort to curtail it unless he really needs to. "I'm serious about the nagging, Bones, but I might completely fail at it. I mean, maybe you can smack me upside the head if I’m getting too pushy?”
“I’d probably end up smacking you all the time then, and you’d be risking a head injury after a while,” Bones mutters even as his lips curve into a familiar crooked smile that Jim hasn’t seen much of lately.
“Stop being a doctor for a few minutes.” Jim leans over and presses his lips against the corner of Bones’ mouth. “Stop worrying about my blood pressure or injuries.” He moves his hand from Bones’ chest to the back of his neck, gripping it lightly as he kisses the other corner of Bones’ mouth. “Stop thinking of reasons to stress and become anxious about this thing between us.” He licks Bones’ lips hesitantly, uncertain whether this is pushing or not. When Bones parts his lips and makes a noise low in his throat, Jim becomes more confident. “Stop putting yourself down and thinking that I’ll get attracted by something new and shiny when you’re all I want.” He kisses Bones then, closing his eyes as the kiss deepens and Bones actually kisses him back.
“God, Jim,” Bones whispers when they break the kiss. Bones has his hand on Jim’s throat, his fingers reaching up to cup his jaw, and they stare each other, panting and flushed, before they kiss again, more desperate than before. Jim sucks on Bones’ tongue, tugging on his hair as he presses closer. The sound of growling and barking interrupts the kissing, and Jim frowns as Bones pulls back.
“Athos, hush,” he mutters, looking over but not seeing Athos. Oh, well. That’s odd. He had thought Athos was just worried that Bones was hurting him or something, since there hasn’t been any kissing or anything else since Athos appeared. “Where is he?”
“I don’t know.” Bones makes a face when Jim looks at him and flutters his eyelashes, just a little. “Fine. I’ll go look. Damn those blue eyes and pouty lips of yours.”
“You like my lips.” Jim smirks as Bones stands up. He can’t help but notice that Bones isn’t hard, not even partially, and that makes him lose the smirk. While it was just kissing, it was really good kissing. His cock certainly stirred and started to say hello, at least. When Bones is pulling his black undershirt over his head, Jim hears the whoosh of his door opening. His eyes widen slightly and he pulls the sheet more firmly around him as Bones gives him a look of panic that would be adorable if Jim wasn’t also freaking out at the moment.
“Captain, I have waited one hundred and fifty seconds following my initial knock before entering your quarters, as per our discussion about privacy and boundaries,” Spock announces as Athos continues to yip at him.
Jim looks at Bones and mouths ‘He knocked?’
Bones shrugs a shoulder and glares at him as he fastens his pants. ‘Was a little too busy to be listening’, he mouths back. Jim smiles slightly because he can totally hear the ‘you dumbass’ tone despite the fact that Bones didn’t even speak.
“Commander, I thought we agreed on a five minute wait,” he calls out, admiring how quickly Bones has managed to get dressed. His lips are still swollen and wet, totally showing signs of having been kissed thoroughly, but he doubts Spock will be staring at Bones’ mouth to notice. At least, he’d better not be.
“Due to the extenuating circumstances regarding your recent injuries, I found it logical to halve the originally agreed upon time,” Spock informs him. “Permission to enter your living area, Sir?”
“Permission granted,” Jim says. He really hopes that Spock hasn’t been standing by the door the entire time, but, somehow, he figures that he has. “I’m confined to bed at the moment, so come around here unless you prefer to speak to me through the partition.”
“That would not be agreeable, Captain,” Spock says haughtily as he walks into the bedroom area. He arches a brow when he sees Bones leaning against the wall, trying to look nonchalant and mostly looking adorable and rather sexy, not that Jim’s biased or anything. “Doctor McCoy.”
“Commander,” Bones says, nodding slightly. “The captain isn’t going to be released for another couple of days, as I mentioned in the report I gave you last night.”
“I am aware of that, Doctor.” Spock looks at Jim. “I have come by to inquire about the state of your health, Captain.”
Jim smiles slowly. “Awww, it’s nice to know that you care,” he coos, delighting in the other raised eyebrow as he wonders if Spock is already thinking about ways to hurt him or if it’ll take longer. “Rest assured that I’m feeling much better and will be back to work in no time.”
“In two days, at least,” Bones interrupts. He’s picked up Athos as some point, and the dog’s stopped growling at Spock, which is understandable considering Bones is holding him and petting him. Jim wouldn’t aggravate Spock nearly as much if he were being held and petted by Bones. “If you try to return sooner, you risk damaging the healing process.”
“Right. Two days.” He rolls his eyes and looks away from Bones before he starts ogling or something silly like that. He looks at Spock and smirks. “Do you miss me, Spock?”
“The crew will appreciate having their captain return to service,” Spock says diplomatically. “Ensign Murtaugh, in particular, will be pleased to know that there is no lasting damage from the attack. She persists in accepting responsibility for your actions, and it is not my place to point out that your imprudent behavior predates the recent events on Planet 932A.”
Bones snorts and merely arches a brow when Jim frowns at him. Jim focuses back on Spock. “Don’t worry, Spock. I know that you miss me. If you didn’t, you’d have just called to check on me,” he says smugly. Spock’s lips quirk ever so slightly into a frown, which means that Jim’s actually right, which is even better.
“I do not understand your fixation on having your absence noted and grieved,” Spock informs him briskly. “You are the captain, so it is only logical that I, as First Officer, should inquire about your health and learn the details of your recovery.”
“Which were in the report I sent you last night,” Bones points out, sounding somewhat amused even as he scowls in Spock’s direction. If Jim’s going to really try to develop a working friendship of sorts with Spock, he’s going to have to make those two get along at some point or another. Maybe they can bond over their disdain for his recklessness and be worrying old women together.
“I had to ensure that the report was accurate,” Spock says simply, which is basically a big ‘you might have been wrong’ to Bones. Before Bones can get defensive, Jim decides to interrupt.
“Bones, my leg itches. The left one,” he says, making a slight face when he realizes that it is actually itching. Damn. He also needs to pee, but he doesn’t really want to get out of bed when Spock’s there. Not after there was already eyebrow-arching at Bones being in his bedroom and when Jim’s boxers have dried come on the crotch.
“Damn it, Jim. How long?” Bones mutters as he puts Athos down and walks over to the bed. He shifts the blanket over Jim’s left leg and begins to unwrap the bandages.
“I don’t know. I just noticed it,” he says honestly. He reaches down to scratch but his hand is slapped away.
“Get me that bag,” Bones tells Spock, pointing to the bag he brought up from medical. “Make yourself useful, man. Get a glass of water, too. He’s refusing hyposprays, so he needs to take the old-fashioned pills.”
“Are the hyposprays necessary for his recovery?” Spock asks, actually taking the orders that Bones is barking out without even a glare. Jim wants to know how Bones does that because Spock rarely ever listens to him. It’s not fair. He’s the captain!
“No, they’re to help with any pain while his legs heal. He’s too stubborn to admit when he’s in pain, usually, so I give him hyposprays to protect him from his own obstinacy,” Bones explains curtly.
“Fascinating,” Spock murmurs as he watches Bones remove the bandages and begin to apply the lotion. This time, Jim doesn’t get aroused. Instead, he sulks because they’re babbling about skin grafting techniques and nervous system shit that he doesn’t really know anything about. Athos jumps on the bed and gives Spock a dirty look, Jim’s sure of it, before he prances over and licks Jim’s face.
“Do you have any idea what germs are probably in his saliva?” Bones asks, shaking his head as he works his fingers against Jim’s itching skin. “He licks his own ass, you know?”
“You’re a doctor, not a veterinarian,” he points out as he pets Athos. “Don’t listen to the grumpy man. He’s just jealous that you’re cuter than he is.”
“Captain, I must return to the bridge. I will stop in later to provide you with a full report of our current circumstances,” Spock tells him, and Jim hates that he can’t read his face or notice any change in tone to determine what he’s thinking right now. “Good day, Doctor.”
“Yeah,” Bones mutters as he keeps working on Jim’s no longer as itchy leg. That lotion really works, though Bones’ massaging fingers are good, too. “You can come by tomorrow. He’s on observation today, so no work talk.”
“Commander, when you return, tomorrow, plan enough time for a chess match or two. If I’m stuck on bedrest, you’ll have to help entertain me,” he says matter-of-factly.
“Perhaps the doctor will reevaluate your case after twenty-four hours instead of waiting a full forty-eight,” Spock says dryly before he leaves.
Jim waits until he’s sure he’s gone before he looks at Bones and whines, “I need to piss.”
“You also need to change your shorts and clean up.” Bones leans forward and gives him a quick kiss. “Come on. I’ll take care of you.”
Jim smiles and reaches out to touch Bones’ jaw. “I know you will.”
End
#3: Observation Period | #5: Escape Attempt
Pairing: Kirk/McCoy
Summary: Jim’s observation period continues
Rating: Teen/PG13
Word Count: 3950
A/N: #4 in the Two Men & a Starship series. Follows #3: Observation Period. Thank you to everyone who reads/comments! I really appreciate it. ♥
The feel of something wet licking his face makes Jim open his eyes quickly, no longer dozing after being startled in such a way. He grimaces when Athos swipes his wet tongue over Jim’s cheek again. “Athos, what have we talked about regarding you getting on the bed?” he mutters as he scratches the beagle behind his ears. “The bed is people space. The blanket in the corner is Athos space. I don’t sleep on your blanket, and you don’t get in my bed.”
Athos cocks his head to the side as if he’s listening before he yips once and licks Jim again.
“I think he must have missed you.”
The drawl catches Jim off-guard, and the events of recent days all come flooding back as he moves from that dazed ‘barely awake but not still asleep’ place. He glances over to find Bones leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom. His uniform pants aren’t buttoned, just resting low on his hips, and he hasn’t put on his shirt yet. The fact that his hair is also disheveled and his face is relaxed all mixes together to make Jim drool, just a little.
As he stares at Bones, Jim notices a mark on his neck. Bones has a mark on his neck, obviously a sexual one, and what the fuck is with that? Jim curls his fingers into his hand as his lips shift from the lazy grin to a frown. “Of course he missed me,” he says tightly. Athos wags his tail at Bones before he yips again and licks Jim’s face. This is one time when Jim wishes that the damn dog disliked Bones just as he dislikes the majority of people he’s interacted with on the Enterprise since being discovered. It would be satisfying right now if Athos would growl at Bones when Jim wants to.
“You’re good with him,” Bones muses, as if the idea that Jim being able to take care of a dog is surprising. It’s sort of insulting. Or maybe Jim’s just too pissed off about the fucking sexual mark on Bones’ neck to not take it personally.
“Yeah,” he says, glaring at the wall as he pets Athos and gets a wet hand for his efforts.
“Damn it, Jim. What’s with the pissy attitude?” Bones asks sharply. “Are you in pain? How are your legs feeling?”
Since Jim can’t really admit to being in pain because someone’s been marking Bones, he purses his lips and shakes his head. Who could have done it? Scotty seems to be one of the only people who Bones actually hangs around with, but, petty jealousy aside, Jim can’t see Scotty getting into Bones’ pants. It’s probably Christine or one of the other hot medical staff who hero worship Bones even when he’s being a cranky asshole.
“What the hell is your problem, Captain?” Bones demands as he crosses the room. He grips Jim’s chin and forces him to look at him despite Jim’s admittedly immature attempts to ignore him.
“My problem? I’ll tell you what my problem is, Doctor,” he sneers, continuing to scratch Athos behind his ears to keep him from getting agitated. “You push me away, act like I’m a leper whenever I try to touch you, yet you don’t seem to care if someone else bites your fucking neck. Who marked you, Bones? Who are you seeing now that you’ve finally realized you can do better than me?”
Bones blinks and the tension in his shoulders seems to get worse as he stares at Jim. “You did, you asshole,” he growls. “Oh, but I’m the one who doesn’t trust you, right? It looks like that goes both ways, Jim. Only, you have no reason to even think that I’d be tempted like that whereas your entire past since I met you would indicate that you might be.”
“Don’t turn this into another attack on my past. You were married for fuck’s sake, yet I’m not always accusing you of planning to do all that again, am I? It’s almost the same thing, only you were committed to one person and even had a kid, which is a lot more threatening than my casual fucking in a lot of ways.” He scowls when he realizes that he’s just voiced one of those nagging concerns that he usually just ignores. He stares at Bones’ neck and asks, “What do you mean I did?”
When Bones doesn’t say anything, Jim raises his gaze. Bones sighs and his shoulders slump slightly. “You need to calm down. You still aren’t recovered completely,” he mutters, and Jim knows what he’s doing. He’s not so doped up on pain meds that he can’t recognize it today when it happens. Hiding again, only this time in the ‘I’m a doctor’ bullshit instead of avoidance.
“I am calm,” he says simply, rubbing Athos on the tummy when the dog rolls over. “This is just me and you, Bones. Not doctor and captain. So stop freaking out about my blood pressure because you don’t want to talk about this.”
“I have no intention of running off and marrying someone and doing the whole domesticated husband and father thing. I failed at it once, so I don’t care to try again,” he tells him firmly. “It’s absurd to think that I would, even if we weren’t--“ He waves his hand between them as if that explains what they are to each other now.
“But it isn’t unreasonable for you to act like my past is just waiting to be repeated?” he asks pointedly. “This is clearly a big issue for you, Bones. It seems like we argue about it every little bit, and you claim that you trust me and say that you believe I’m sincere about being happy with trying this monogamy thing, but then we end up fighting about it again. Never with any reason, either. What’s going to happen when I am flirting? Because that’s part of who I am, you know? I’m friendly and I like to flirt even when I have no interest in sex or anything. Are you going to assume I’m fucking anyone that I talk to?”
“Yeah, it’s a big issue,” Bones agrees quietly. “I’ve watched you play your games for years, Jim. I had to hear all about every conquest, most in detail, and you never even pretended to want more than one night with any of them. Maybe I’m still finding it difficult to believe that you’re suddenly turned over a new leaf, especially when it’s for me.”
“It isn’t for you,” Jim tells him. “It’s for me. I like sex, and I never wanted to be with just one person before. Thought it’d be boring. Well, that was my excuse but, mostly, I didn’t want to give up control like that. It can’t hurt if there’s no one there to leave, you know? But it’s not that way now. Sure, it’s with you, and you’re my best friend, but I’m changing for me, because I want to. Which, yeah, that’s scary to acknowledge, but maybe you need to hear it.”
“I know about the hurt when someone leaves. If I could, I’d never feel that vulnerable and powerless again. But it’s part of life, I guess, and I don’t want to become some bitter old man who never lets anyone inside and dies alone because of stupid emotional hang-ups,” Bones admits with a wry smile. “As for your flirting and shit, I don’t know what it’ll be like to deal with. I might not like seeing you flirting with other people, but it is who you are, and I like you. Changing something like that would make you not Jim, and that’s not what I want at all. But I’ve been burned in the past, and I can’t promise that I won’t get angry sometimes or have doubts, despite trusting you.”
Athos playfully nips at Jim’s hand before he jumps off the bed and walks over to Bones. Jim watches the dog whine until Bones leans down to pet him. There isn’t much he can say about Bones’ worries, because he knows he can’t just fix them, but he really wishes it wasn’t something that kept coming up because he can’t do anything about it. All he can do is keep giving Bones a reason to trust him and, hopefully, Bones will start to get past it.
Besides, it’s not like Bones doesn’t get flirty on occasion, especially when he’s around female friends that he considers safe but that Jim knows would accept a serious advance from Bones in a heartbeat. He’s going to have to deal with his own jealousy, cause that’s what it is even if Jim likes to think he’s not the jealous type, so Bones will have to handle his, even if his is wrapped up in ex-wife issues.
“What about the mark?” he asks, changing the subject before it gives them both a headache. He watches Bones’ long fingers as he scratches Athos. Lucky damn dog.
Bones glances up at him, and the intensity makes Jim catch his breath. “It happened in your sleep,” Bones murmurs, voice low and husky. “I woke up to find you plastered against me, gnawing on my neck while you rutted against my thigh and kept saying my name. You didn’t even wake up when you came.”
Jim can feel warmth in his face, which is ridiculous because he doesn’t blush. “Oh.” He licks his lips and looks down, raising the sheet so he can look at his boxers. The proof is there, dried and slightly uncomfortable now that he’s focusing on it. “Did you…”
“No.” Bones clears his throat. “I thought about it, how could I not, but things still aren’t working properly. Physically.”
“It’s been nearly two months, Bones,” Jim says, looking back up. His not-embarrassment, because he so doesn’t get embarrassed, is forgotten as he studies Bones. “Is that normal? You said it’d probably only last a few weeks.”
Bones shrugs and straightens up before he finishes walking to the bed. He sits on the side and moves his hand to rest on top of Jim’s hand. “It lasted several months when I was working on the inoculation program, but it’s usually only been three to four weeks in the past. That time, I was just so stressed and focused on my work that the rest of me sort of shut off, I guess. I didn’t expect it to last this long, but, fuck. I don’t know. I’m not even stressed over work and training the staff now but I can’t seem to let go and just feel. Not when I try, though morning erections are still common. Biological and all that, but my thinking too much just makes them go away if I don’t take care of them immediately.”
“In that book I stole from you, it said that it can be psychological and mental kinds of stuff sometimes.” Jim doesn’t want to push, not after they’ve already argued over a mark that he couldn’t remember making. He moves his fingers so that they’re entwined with Bones’ fingers and raises his other hand. When he notices it glistening with Athos’ drool, he brings it back down and wipes it on the blanket before reaching up to touch the mark on Bones.
It’s going to be a tough one to hide, at the point when Bones’ neck curves into his shoulder, and he can see the faint bite mark beneath the colored skin. He must have been sucking and nibbling for a while, and Bones didn’t stop him. He looks up into Bones’ eyes, noticing that his irises are more brown than green, and he moves his thumb over the mark. Even unconsciously, he has a need to make Bones his, and he’s not even the biter. Bones is the vampire, yet Jim’s neck and shoulders have been unmarked for weeks.
Bones makes a face even as he curls his fingers around Jim’s. “It’s probably all the changes and the new environment, not to mention training and working and getting everyone’s files in order,” he mutters. He smiles wryly. “But maybe it’s just in my head now. I don’t know. Earlier, I wanted…God, you were making these noises and saying my name in your sleep, and it’s been weeks since I’ve seen you like that. You’re so damn pretty.”
“You’re not so bad yourself,” he says softly, moving his fingers from the bite along Bones’ collarbone then resting his palm above Bones’ heart. “I won’t nag you to talk about it yet. You'll tell me when you're ready, won't you?”
“You’ll nag because you’re too damn curious to just let it drop,” Bones grumbles. He moves his thumb over Jim’s palm and leans forward, pressing their foreheads together. “I could have lost you to poisonous alien beasts, and I wouldn’t even be able to explain why I’d been pushing you away. Hell, I can't even explain it yet to myself, much less anyone else. But, yeah, I'll tell you when I'm ready.”
Jim bites his lip and wonders if his pushing is part of the problem. He knows he’s been doing it, but it’s just sort of who he is, so he doesn’t really make an effort to curtail it unless he really needs to. "I'm serious about the nagging, Bones, but I might completely fail at it. I mean, maybe you can smack me upside the head if I’m getting too pushy?”
“I’d probably end up smacking you all the time then, and you’d be risking a head injury after a while,” Bones mutters even as his lips curve into a familiar crooked smile that Jim hasn’t seen much of lately.
“Stop being a doctor for a few minutes.” Jim leans over and presses his lips against the corner of Bones’ mouth. “Stop worrying about my blood pressure or injuries.” He moves his hand from Bones’ chest to the back of his neck, gripping it lightly as he kisses the other corner of Bones’ mouth. “Stop thinking of reasons to stress and become anxious about this thing between us.” He licks Bones’ lips hesitantly, uncertain whether this is pushing or not. When Bones parts his lips and makes a noise low in his throat, Jim becomes more confident. “Stop putting yourself down and thinking that I’ll get attracted by something new and shiny when you’re all I want.” He kisses Bones then, closing his eyes as the kiss deepens and Bones actually kisses him back.
“God, Jim,” Bones whispers when they break the kiss. Bones has his hand on Jim’s throat, his fingers reaching up to cup his jaw, and they stare each other, panting and flushed, before they kiss again, more desperate than before. Jim sucks on Bones’ tongue, tugging on his hair as he presses closer. The sound of growling and barking interrupts the kissing, and Jim frowns as Bones pulls back.
“Athos, hush,” he mutters, looking over but not seeing Athos. Oh, well. That’s odd. He had thought Athos was just worried that Bones was hurting him or something, since there hasn’t been any kissing or anything else since Athos appeared. “Where is he?”
“I don’t know.” Bones makes a face when Jim looks at him and flutters his eyelashes, just a little. “Fine. I’ll go look. Damn those blue eyes and pouty lips of yours.”
“You like my lips.” Jim smirks as Bones stands up. He can’t help but notice that Bones isn’t hard, not even partially, and that makes him lose the smirk. While it was just kissing, it was really good kissing. His cock certainly stirred and started to say hello, at least. When Bones is pulling his black undershirt over his head, Jim hears the whoosh of his door opening. His eyes widen slightly and he pulls the sheet more firmly around him as Bones gives him a look of panic that would be adorable if Jim wasn’t also freaking out at the moment.
“Captain, I have waited one hundred and fifty seconds following my initial knock before entering your quarters, as per our discussion about privacy and boundaries,” Spock announces as Athos continues to yip at him.
Jim looks at Bones and mouths ‘He knocked?’
Bones shrugs a shoulder and glares at him as he fastens his pants. ‘Was a little too busy to be listening’, he mouths back. Jim smiles slightly because he can totally hear the ‘you dumbass’ tone despite the fact that Bones didn’t even speak.
“Commander, I thought we agreed on a five minute wait,” he calls out, admiring how quickly Bones has managed to get dressed. His lips are still swollen and wet, totally showing signs of having been kissed thoroughly, but he doubts Spock will be staring at Bones’ mouth to notice. At least, he’d better not be.
“Due to the extenuating circumstances regarding your recent injuries, I found it logical to halve the originally agreed upon time,” Spock informs him. “Permission to enter your living area, Sir?”
“Permission granted,” Jim says. He really hopes that Spock hasn’t been standing by the door the entire time, but, somehow, he figures that he has. “I’m confined to bed at the moment, so come around here unless you prefer to speak to me through the partition.”
“That would not be agreeable, Captain,” Spock says haughtily as he walks into the bedroom area. He arches a brow when he sees Bones leaning against the wall, trying to look nonchalant and mostly looking adorable and rather sexy, not that Jim’s biased or anything. “Doctor McCoy.”
“Commander,” Bones says, nodding slightly. “The captain isn’t going to be released for another couple of days, as I mentioned in the report I gave you last night.”
“I am aware of that, Doctor.” Spock looks at Jim. “I have come by to inquire about the state of your health, Captain.”
Jim smiles slowly. “Awww, it’s nice to know that you care,” he coos, delighting in the other raised eyebrow as he wonders if Spock is already thinking about ways to hurt him or if it’ll take longer. “Rest assured that I’m feeling much better and will be back to work in no time.”
“In two days, at least,” Bones interrupts. He’s picked up Athos as some point, and the dog’s stopped growling at Spock, which is understandable considering Bones is holding him and petting him. Jim wouldn’t aggravate Spock nearly as much if he were being held and petted by Bones. “If you try to return sooner, you risk damaging the healing process.”
“Right. Two days.” He rolls his eyes and looks away from Bones before he starts ogling or something silly like that. He looks at Spock and smirks. “Do you miss me, Spock?”
“The crew will appreciate having their captain return to service,” Spock says diplomatically. “Ensign Murtaugh, in particular, will be pleased to know that there is no lasting damage from the attack. She persists in accepting responsibility for your actions, and it is not my place to point out that your imprudent behavior predates the recent events on Planet 932A.”
Bones snorts and merely arches a brow when Jim frowns at him. Jim focuses back on Spock. “Don’t worry, Spock. I know that you miss me. If you didn’t, you’d have just called to check on me,” he says smugly. Spock’s lips quirk ever so slightly into a frown, which means that Jim’s actually right, which is even better.
“I do not understand your fixation on having your absence noted and grieved,” Spock informs him briskly. “You are the captain, so it is only logical that I, as First Officer, should inquire about your health and learn the details of your recovery.”
“Which were in the report I sent you last night,” Bones points out, sounding somewhat amused even as he scowls in Spock’s direction. If Jim’s going to really try to develop a working friendship of sorts with Spock, he’s going to have to make those two get along at some point or another. Maybe they can bond over their disdain for his recklessness and be worrying old women together.
“I had to ensure that the report was accurate,” Spock says simply, which is basically a big ‘you might have been wrong’ to Bones. Before Bones can get defensive, Jim decides to interrupt.
“Bones, my leg itches. The left one,” he says, making a slight face when he realizes that it is actually itching. Damn. He also needs to pee, but he doesn’t really want to get out of bed when Spock’s there. Not after there was already eyebrow-arching at Bones being in his bedroom and when Jim’s boxers have dried come on the crotch.
“Damn it, Jim. How long?” Bones mutters as he puts Athos down and walks over to the bed. He shifts the blanket over Jim’s left leg and begins to unwrap the bandages.
“I don’t know. I just noticed it,” he says honestly. He reaches down to scratch but his hand is slapped away.
“Get me that bag,” Bones tells Spock, pointing to the bag he brought up from medical. “Make yourself useful, man. Get a glass of water, too. He’s refusing hyposprays, so he needs to take the old-fashioned pills.”
“Are the hyposprays necessary for his recovery?” Spock asks, actually taking the orders that Bones is barking out without even a glare. Jim wants to know how Bones does that because Spock rarely ever listens to him. It’s not fair. He’s the captain!
“No, they’re to help with any pain while his legs heal. He’s too stubborn to admit when he’s in pain, usually, so I give him hyposprays to protect him from his own obstinacy,” Bones explains curtly.
“Fascinating,” Spock murmurs as he watches Bones remove the bandages and begin to apply the lotion. This time, Jim doesn’t get aroused. Instead, he sulks because they’re babbling about skin grafting techniques and nervous system shit that he doesn’t really know anything about. Athos jumps on the bed and gives Spock a dirty look, Jim’s sure of it, before he prances over and licks Jim’s face.
“Do you have any idea what germs are probably in his saliva?” Bones asks, shaking his head as he works his fingers against Jim’s itching skin. “He licks his own ass, you know?”
“You’re a doctor, not a veterinarian,” he points out as he pets Athos. “Don’t listen to the grumpy man. He’s just jealous that you’re cuter than he is.”
“Captain, I must return to the bridge. I will stop in later to provide you with a full report of our current circumstances,” Spock tells him, and Jim hates that he can’t read his face or notice any change in tone to determine what he’s thinking right now. “Good day, Doctor.”
“Yeah,” Bones mutters as he keeps working on Jim’s no longer as itchy leg. That lotion really works, though Bones’ massaging fingers are good, too. “You can come by tomorrow. He’s on observation today, so no work talk.”
“Commander, when you return, tomorrow, plan enough time for a chess match or two. If I’m stuck on bedrest, you’ll have to help entertain me,” he says matter-of-factly.
“Perhaps the doctor will reevaluate your case after twenty-four hours instead of waiting a full forty-eight,” Spock says dryly before he leaves.
Jim waits until he’s sure he’s gone before he looks at Bones and whines, “I need to piss.”
“You also need to change your shorts and clean up.” Bones leans forward and gives him a quick kiss. “Come on. I’ll take care of you.”
Jim smiles and reaches out to touch Bones’ jaw. “I know you will.”
End
#3: Observation Period | #5: Escape Attempt