Apart (Beyond Measure Series - Star Trek XI Fanfic)
Title: Apart
Part 5 of the Beyond Measure series.
Part 4 is here.
Author: therumjournals
Pairing: Kirk/McCoy, Kirk/Spock
Rating: R for language
Description: An angsty story told in 10, 100-word drabbles
1.
“I’ll only be gone for two weeks.”
“I expect that we will engage in frequent communications.”
“I’ll miss you, too, Spock.”
“I regret that I am unable to accompany you to the transporter room.”
“It’s okay. I’m a big boy.”
“I’ll only be gone for two weeks.”
“Yeah, yeah. Get the hell out of here, will ya?”
“I’ll miss you, too, Bones.”
“Don’t expect me to come kiss you goodbye in the transporter room, either!”
“I think I can deal.”
Bones nearly crashed into Spock at the door to the transporter room. Jim grinned at them as he beamed away.
2.
That first night, they slept in Jim’s bed, forgetting momentarily that there was any other way.
But the space between them was a vivid reminder of Jim’s place in their universe, the bright, beautiful center of gravity that kept them from spinning out of control.
When Bones reached out for Jim in his sleep, his hand brushed Spock’s heated skin, and he pulled back as though burned.
They told themselves - it was only two weeks. They were adults. They had jobs to do. There had been a time before Jim.
None of it worked.
The next night, they slept alone.
3.
“Uhura. Status report. How’s my girl?”
“The Enterprise is fine, Captain.”
“How are my boys?”
“Actually, we have kind of a situation up here.”
“Shit. Are they fucking or fighting?”
“The latter.”
“Dammit. What’s the damage?”
“They have matching black eyes. Actually, it’s kinda cute.”
“Take a picture for me. And then tell them to knock it the fuck off.”
“I don’t think they’ll listen to me. Tell them yourself.”
“And let on that I’m getting updates on them behind their backs? I don’t think so.”
“See you in a week, Captain.”
“Hope I can wait that long. Kirk out.”
4.
It had been easy to ignore the women on campus, easy to ignore the boredom during hours of training. It was harder to ignore the empty bed and the green-eyed cadet who wanted to fill it. With one smile, he offered Jim what he thought he’d missed - sex without connection, without tension, without whatever-the-hell-it-was that was going on up there. Then the cadet kissed him sweetly, and Jim felt acutely the absence of sensation, of the bond that was as strong with Bones as it was with Spock. He bought the cadet another drink and returned to his room alone.
5.
Bones appeared on the vid screen.
“Where’s Spock? I wanted to talk to both of you.”
“He’s outside the door. I refuse to be in the same room with that pointy-eared bastard.”
“What the hell happened? I thought you guys were getting along!”
“Yeah, well, it’s all fun and games until the Vulcan strangles someone.”
“Jesus, Bones, what did you say to him?”
Bones crossed his arms.
“Bones…”
“I was pissed, okay? I… well, I may have followed your little tutorial on Vulcan provocation.”
“What? You told him he didn’t love his mother?”
“I told him he didn’t love you.”
6.
"What did you say to him, Spock?”
"I told him he was scared of losing you."
"Why?"
"I perceived it to be the truth."
"And then?"
"He told me I would be afraid of losing you, too, if I really loved you."
Jim saw the line of Spock's jaw tighten. His nostrils flared slightly.
"Spock. Calm down. Come on. We both know the truth."
"I am having trouble controlling my emotions, Jim. Please expedite your return."
"I know, I know. Imagine I'm there, okay? Pretend I'm rubbing your shoulders right now."
"I do not 'pretend'." But his shoulders relaxed nonetheless.
7.
“Uhura. I need help.”
“Can I get that in writing?”
“Funny. Look, I need someone to talk to them. A neutral party. Doesn’t the Enterprise have some sort of counselor?”
“Doctor McCoy is qualified to provide psychotherapy, evaluation, and emotional support to crewmembers.”
“HA HA! Ha. Sorry. That’s just…wow. Really?”
“Captain, permission to speak freely?”
“Uhura, I’m bitching to you that I’m in a love spat with two of my officers. I think you can say whatever the hell you want.”
“You’re going to have to handle this one on your own, Kirk.”
“Dammit, I was afraid you’d say that.”
8.
“Now listen to me, both of you. I miss you, so much. I love you. And when I get back, I’m going to fuck each of you so hard into the mattress that you'll miss at least two shifts getting back out.”
He looked at them to gauge the impact of his little speech. Bones was biting his lip. Spock’s eyes had widened slightly.
“But - I will not so much as give you a handshake if you don’t behave yourselves and stop fighting.” He took a deep breath. “We need to get through this… we need to be okay.”
9.
“What did you say to them, Captain?”
“Why, what’s going on?”
“Well, they were really getting along for almost two whole days. It was quite pleasant.”
“Was…?”
“There was a little altercation on the Bridge yesterday.”
“Oh God.”
“I think Dr. McCoy has a broken arm.”
“Shit. And Spock?”
“Got a tooth knocked loose, I think.”
“Dammit. What were they fighting about?”
“Supposedly? About Spock’s command decisions.”
“What’s to command? I left you guys in the most boring part of space ever!”
“That’s not really what they were fighting about.”
“Yeah.”
“With all due respect, Captain…get your ass back here.”
10.
Jim's stomach clenched with nervous excitement as he prepared to beam aboard.
But his grin faded as he materialized in the transporter room. He had been expecting smiles and sloppy hugs, not scowls, not crossed arms and rigid stances. Bones and Spock were looking at him, their faces utterly serious. Jim had spent the past two weeks picturing the joy in their eyes at his return, and instead he saw sadness mixed with pain.
"This isn't working, Jim."
"I agree that our arrangement is no longer logical."
Bones said the words that echoed across Jim's nightmares. "You have to choose."
Continued: Choice
Part 5 of the Beyond Measure series.
Part 4 is here.
Author: therumjournals
Pairing: Kirk/McCoy, Kirk/Spock
Rating: R for language
Description: An angsty story told in 10, 100-word drabbles
1.
“I’ll only be gone for two weeks.”
“I expect that we will engage in frequent communications.”
“I’ll miss you, too, Spock.”
“I regret that I am unable to accompany you to the transporter room.”
“It’s okay. I’m a big boy.”
“I’ll only be gone for two weeks.”
“Yeah, yeah. Get the hell out of here, will ya?”
“I’ll miss you, too, Bones.”
“Don’t expect me to come kiss you goodbye in the transporter room, either!”
“I think I can deal.”
Bones nearly crashed into Spock at the door to the transporter room. Jim grinned at them as he beamed away.
2.
That first night, they slept in Jim’s bed, forgetting momentarily that there was any other way.
But the space between them was a vivid reminder of Jim’s place in their universe, the bright, beautiful center of gravity that kept them from spinning out of control.
When Bones reached out for Jim in his sleep, his hand brushed Spock’s heated skin, and he pulled back as though burned.
They told themselves - it was only two weeks. They were adults. They had jobs to do. There had been a time before Jim.
None of it worked.
The next night, they slept alone.
3.
“Uhura. Status report. How’s my girl?”
“The Enterprise is fine, Captain.”
“How are my boys?”
“Actually, we have kind of a situation up here.”
“Shit. Are they fucking or fighting?”
“The latter.”
“Dammit. What’s the damage?”
“They have matching black eyes. Actually, it’s kinda cute.”
“Take a picture for me. And then tell them to knock it the fuck off.”
“I don’t think they’ll listen to me. Tell them yourself.”
“And let on that I’m getting updates on them behind their backs? I don’t think so.”
“See you in a week, Captain.”
“Hope I can wait that long. Kirk out.”
4.
It had been easy to ignore the women on campus, easy to ignore the boredom during hours of training. It was harder to ignore the empty bed and the green-eyed cadet who wanted to fill it. With one smile, he offered Jim what he thought he’d missed - sex without connection, without tension, without whatever-the-hell-it-was that was going on up there. Then the cadet kissed him sweetly, and Jim felt acutely the absence of sensation, of the bond that was as strong with Bones as it was with Spock. He bought the cadet another drink and returned to his room alone.
5.
Bones appeared on the vid screen.
“Where’s Spock? I wanted to talk to both of you.”
“He’s outside the door. I refuse to be in the same room with that pointy-eared bastard.”
“What the hell happened? I thought you guys were getting along!”
“Yeah, well, it’s all fun and games until the Vulcan strangles someone.”
“Jesus, Bones, what did you say to him?”
Bones crossed his arms.
“Bones…”
“I was pissed, okay? I… well, I may have followed your little tutorial on Vulcan provocation.”
“What? You told him he didn’t love his mother?”
“I told him he didn’t love you.”
6.
"What did you say to him, Spock?”
"I told him he was scared of losing you."
"Why?"
"I perceived it to be the truth."
"And then?"
"He told me I would be afraid of losing you, too, if I really loved you."
Jim saw the line of Spock's jaw tighten. His nostrils flared slightly.
"Spock. Calm down. Come on. We both know the truth."
"I am having trouble controlling my emotions, Jim. Please expedite your return."
"I know, I know. Imagine I'm there, okay? Pretend I'm rubbing your shoulders right now."
"I do not 'pretend'." But his shoulders relaxed nonetheless.
7.
“Uhura. I need help.”
“Can I get that in writing?”
“Funny. Look, I need someone to talk to them. A neutral party. Doesn’t the Enterprise have some sort of counselor?”
“Doctor McCoy is qualified to provide psychotherapy, evaluation, and emotional support to crewmembers.”
“HA HA! Ha. Sorry. That’s just…wow. Really?”
“Captain, permission to speak freely?”
“Uhura, I’m bitching to you that I’m in a love spat with two of my officers. I think you can say whatever the hell you want.”
“You’re going to have to handle this one on your own, Kirk.”
“Dammit, I was afraid you’d say that.”
8.
“Now listen to me, both of you. I miss you, so much. I love you. And when I get back, I’m going to fuck each of you so hard into the mattress that you'll miss at least two shifts getting back out.”
He looked at them to gauge the impact of his little speech. Bones was biting his lip. Spock’s eyes had widened slightly.
“But - I will not so much as give you a handshake if you don’t behave yourselves and stop fighting.” He took a deep breath. “We need to get through this… we need to be okay.”
9.
“What did you say to them, Captain?”
“Why, what’s going on?”
“Well, they were really getting along for almost two whole days. It was quite pleasant.”
“Was…?”
“There was a little altercation on the Bridge yesterday.”
“Oh God.”
“I think Dr. McCoy has a broken arm.”
“Shit. And Spock?”
“Got a tooth knocked loose, I think.”
“Dammit. What were they fighting about?”
“Supposedly? About Spock’s command decisions.”
“What’s to command? I left you guys in the most boring part of space ever!”
“That’s not really what they were fighting about.”
“Yeah.”
“With all due respect, Captain…get your ass back here.”
10.
Jim's stomach clenched with nervous excitement as he prepared to beam aboard.
But his grin faded as he materialized in the transporter room. He had been expecting smiles and sloppy hugs, not scowls, not crossed arms and rigid stances. Bones and Spock were looking at him, their faces utterly serious. Jim had spent the past two weeks picturing the joy in their eyes at his return, and instead he saw sadness mixed with pain.
"This isn't working, Jim."
"I agree that our arrangement is no longer logical."
Bones said the words that echoed across Jim's nightmares. "You have to choose."
Continued: Choice