THE RUNES--part IV

AUTHOR: T'Prillah
Rating: NC-17
Author's Note: A 25th Wave story. In response to the challenge: "Write a S/Mc that delves into the culture of one of the boys." Written in FIRST PERSON, McCoy's POV. Takes place about a month after Amok Time. Part four features graphic m/m.

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THE RUNES--PART IV





"Doctor?"

"Hmmm?"

"Your report, please." Jim Kirk drummed his fingers on the table. Twelve pairs of eyes in the Level 3A conference room, were suddenly trained on me.

I grinned sheepishly. I must of dozed off... actually...I knew my mind had been on something else.

"Doctor M'Benga is fitting in nicely," I grunted. "He's fantastic. He's a godsend. The flu epidemic is eradicated." I took a long swig of my now cold coffee; polishing it off, wondering, why in the world did Jim have to make this thing at 2000, instead of 0900 in the morning, the time the 'Department Head' meeting was normally scheduled.

Unless he...

I played with my empty coffee cup. "Other than that," I continued on, nonchalantly. "There's nothing."

"That's all you have to add, Bones?" he demanded.

"Yep," I grunted again. Oh...come on...Jim. Call it a night. I snuck a look over at Spock across the table. At that instant our eyes met with a laser beam of desire. My stomach lurched and I looked away. We definitely had other things on our mind. "Until we're in orbit around Celus IV," I mumbled. "There's just not much going on. We make orbit in two more days...right Spock?" I grinned over at him.

"That is correct, Doctor."

Oh yes. That is correct Doctor...Doctor. Lately, I'd been loathing the occasions when Spock had to call me by my title, and that was whenever we were out in public-- away from our bedroom--uh--out of Spock's quarters. I was getting used him using my first name so sensually. I closed my eyes, sighing softly.

Then I realized that my little sigh had been louder than I thought. I caught a sharp look from Uhura. I needed to be careful.

Meanwhile, I could still hear Jim's droning on and on about something. God...I wanted to get out of here. I found my thoughts shifting to the other evening. That erotic massage Spock had given me.

I never knew Spock was capable of performing such a wonderful act. I was never usually capable of receiving such a pleasurable act. I knew that erotic massage was often used in sex therapy to treat a variety of sexual dysfunctions and anxiety. Since I was not the greatest lover in the world, at least Jocelyn had reminded me of that on a weekly basis, I had to admit that I was feeling a great deal of trepidation in eventually having sex with Spock. So it seemed rather--uh-- logical, for this Rune to introduce us to touching each other, really exploring each other's bodies without the pressure of sex.

I could still feel him expertly combing my hair with his fingers, massaging my scalp. He'd poured some spicy scented oil on his hands and kneaded the tense spots in my shoulders, then worked on my arms and hands, turning me into putty. Then he wound his down my back, to my ass. Kneading my cheeks. Then, I felt those hot fingers working on my thighs, shifting to my inner thighs, then down to my calve muscles and finally to my feet. Being on the receiving end; it drove me to weeping hardness. He knew it, and at first I'd been terribly embarrassed, but not anymore. Simply by touching me he knew what I liked. He straddled me. I was on my stomach, pinned against his bed, and so damn aroused. I got aroused at even the slightest touch from him these days.

Then we switched over. I did the same to him, or at least I tried to, as well as he did. And, just as I thought I couldn't stand the arousal anymore, Spock had said something about my needing a release...or however'd he put it...oh so calmly as he usually did. With that slight smile, he now favored me with he said he had to leave his quarters while I masturbated, otherwise he would be able to hear me. Apparently he wasn't supposed to see me or hear me yet.

After he'd left, I'd dove into his bathroom, grabbing hold of myself as soon as I could get underneath the water in his shower. The resulting orgasm had been so powerful that it nearly knocked me off my feet. And yes, I hated to admit, the whole time I had been fantasizing about Spock secretly listening to me on the other side of that door. I'd moaned a little louder than normal just in case he was. Which he wasn't. At least I don't think he was. Maybe he was. Secretly. Oh wouldn't' t that be something. I wondered if he'd needed a release too. Oh, to have been able to secretly spy on him.

I was getting hard again. Right here in the conference room. I shifted in my seat and crossed my legs the other way in an attempt to stifle it. I cursed these damn tight trousers, they hid nothing. What the hell was I doing, fantasizing about Spock in a staff meeting? What happened to concentrating on my job? My professionalism that I'm such a stickler for? Gone out the proverbial window. I guess. I'm supposed to be paying rapt attention to Captain James T. Kirk, not sitting here lusting like a hormonal teenager; exchanging sly looks with the first officer.

I caught another look from across the table. Oh Spock...

"Doctor McCoy..." A throat being cleared brought me back to the present.

"Yes, Jim. I'm with ya. Till we make orbit, I've got nothing else to say," I continued. "Unless you want me to make something up."

Jim sighed, loudly. "Alright. Then, if no one else has anything further?" Everyone in the room, the captive audience, it seemed, emphatically shook their heads 'no', "Meeting adjourned. Dismissed," said the captain.

The entire company of department heads shot out of the conference room and I noticed Jim Kirk rolling his eyes at them in their swift wake. Spock and I nodded our goodbyes to the captain and began to make our way out. "Uh...Spock," said Jim.

Spock turned back. "Yes, Captain?"

"How about a game of chess tonight? We haven't started a new one in weeks."

Spock glanced towards me, then back at the captain, with an uncertain look in his eyes. "Forgive me, Jim. I am...fatigued this evening. Perhaps another time."

"Fatigued? Oh..." said Jim. He narrowed his eyes. He knew Spock was fobbing him off. Spock never fobbed off his captain. Dammit why didn't Spock just say he was working in the lab? Well, that would be a lie and he never lied, and but he also never turned down a chess match. Jim tried me. "Bones? How about joining me in my quarters for a drink?"

"How about another night, Jim?" I muttered. "I'm...uh...fatigued too."

"Uh huh."

I could feel Jim's eyes boring into my back as Spock and I made our hasty exit.



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"He's on to us, Spock." I stood brushing my teeth at Spock's bathroom sink. "We might as well have skipped out of that conference room arm in arm. You should have played chess with him."

"Time grows short," Spock replied. He came up close behind me, his chest touching my back, chin resting on my shoulder as he watched me through the mirror. "We have business to take care of."

I got tingly at that little comment. "Yes...we sure do," I smiled. I finished up, turned round in his grasp and planted a kiss on his lips. I wriggled away from him; and lay my toothbrush down on his dressing table, where my toothbrush seemed to be living lately. "We do have only two more hours."

"It is getting late," he said.

"And you're getting eager," I noticed. I checked the chrono and nodded. It was nearly 2200. We never dared start even a minute over 2400. I grabbed the velvet Rune bag, shook it and pulled out a stone.

I anxiously watched Spock squint over it. "Well?"

"acharie'll," he said. "Use of an inanimate object--"

Oh come on. I slapped a hand on my thigh in frustration. "You're killing me! That's it?"

"In a manner befitting of foreplay," he finished.

"Foreplay? So that excludes sex?"

"Affirmative."

My eyes went electric in wonder. Foreplay, utilizing an object? An object? What kind of object? This was going to prove interesting. My sex life had been so average before. Never done this before. With a snort I realized that in this short time, I'd done a lot of things that I never would have dreamed of doing before. And I would do much more.

An object. I found myself thinking of a Wrigley's Pleasure Planet stage show I once saw. Jim had been with me that time, as we'd sat there, blowing our pay on Romulan Ale and probably a couple of lap dances. As we'd watched this show our eyes nearly popped out of our skulls. Damnedest thing I'd ever seen. Three girls with a piece of fruit. God that was hot... what fruit was it? A banana...

Yeah it had been great to watch, but actually doing it yourself with a piece a fruit... "Damn... kinky... ancient... Vulcans!" My voice was harsh, but my dirty smile betrayed me. "What kind of object are we supposed to use?"

He gave a slight smile in return. "We can use anything. I have no preference. I also have no experience in this area."

I raised an eyebrow in a perfect impression of him. "You sure about that?"

"Positive."

"Well, I've never done this before either. Who the hell do you think I am?"

"Not even on Wrigley's pleasure planet?"

I laughed, feebly. It seemed like I hid nothing from him. "No...."

"Then, have you any specific ideas, Leonard?"

I thought about that one. What could we use? A feather? Oooh that might be nice. Tickling Spock with a feather could prove interesting. But my mind kept going back to those three girls with that banana. Something edible. Whipped cream? maybe, chocolate?...hmmmm. "Fruit," I declared. "I did see a stage show on Wrigley's, you're right about that. It looked like alot fun. But Spock I don't want to use your Pla-savas fruit...it took me ages to get rid of that blue stain on my teeth."

"That is the only fruit I can offer," he said.

"I know. I know. Here, permit me." I walked up to his food re-constitutor and expertly typed in a code that I had memorized and used on occasion. The doors opened up and revealed a big, ripe, velvety peach. I picked it up and hefted it. Nice big, heavy. Perfect. "This, my thy'la, is a genuine re-constituted, Georgia peach." I plopped it into Spock's outstretched hand.

"Fascinating."

"Obviously the taste won't be as great as a real one. But this'll have to do in an emergency," I said. He examined the fuzzy fruit closely as I quickly pulled off my blue tunic and black undershirt and trying not to appear too excited or too nervous about what we were about to do. "I love eating a nice ripe peach with a glass of Saurian Brandy," I snickered, then looked down, self-consciously.

"How does it taste?" he wondered.

"Here, find out." I pulled the peach out of his hand and took a bite out of it. With one arm, I pulled him roughly to me and kissed him deeply. The juice dribbled down my chin as I did so. He responded by licking up the juice with his tongue.

"Hmmm. It is rather good," he agreed.

I laughed. Then to my amazement, he pulled the peach out of my hand, took a bite, grabbed my by the scruff of the neck and kissed me just as roughly. I found myself sucking the juice from his mouth; tasting him, tasting the peach. He pushed me against the bulkhead, kissing me passionately, grinding his erection into my hips.

It was amazing...Spock was becoming more erotic and sensual than I'd ever imagined our logical first officer to ever be. I'd been trying for two years to get him to loosen up and now... "Spock..." I noted as he handed the peach back to me, with a satisfied look on his face. "You seem... so different somehow. You seem like you are really enjoying-- this."

"I am."

"Yeah, but I never thought--"

"Shhhh--" he said and ripped off his own tunic and undershirt in one move all the while still pushing his hip into mine. I stared at his chest. I mean really stared this time. I knew he must have nipples but I couldn't see them, not under all that black hair. I reached out and traced his very prominent clavicle; ran my finger down to his thin but very strong arm. He shivered slightly at my touch. "Your hands are clammy," he said. He placed his own warm hands on my chest, running them through my own chest hair, then down my belly to the fastening of my trousers. "Your skin is so cool to the touch, Leonard."

"I'll warm up if you--"

"Quiet.." he commanded. ohhh God...whenever he ordered me like that.... Now my swiftly painful erection was trapped in my underwear. He knew I liked being commanded like that. He undid the fastening of my trousers, and inched them down.

One handed, the peach still clutched in my left, I worked simultaneously at the fastening of his. Took me longer than it had taken him. Finally, successful in getting it undone with some help from him, I pulled down his trousers revealing his fleet issue underwear. Kneeling in front of him, I noticed that this guy had absolutely no hair on his legs but a healthy amount on his chest. Go figure. I stood up awkwardly.

I had deliberately avoided checking out the hard bulge in his underpants. To be perfectly honest, it still made me just a little squeamish to think about what we were going to eventually do one of these days. Well I did sneak a little look...it was like a flitter crash..you just had to look at it, even if you didn't want to.

Both of our black trousers around our ankles; we simultaneously stepped out of them. He gathered me up in his arms, like I'd often picked up Jocelyn, and carried me over to his bed with me still clutching this wonderful peach. He gently laid me down and worked on pulling off my boots. He let one then the other drop onto the deck. My breaths got more intense with each drop. I watched him pull off his own and drop them. One after the other; very deliberately. Both of us were clad only in our underwear, and very very hard. He laid down next to me and pulled me close.

"Spock," I whispered. "Here's a question."

"Yes?" he murmured and gently kissed my neck. I shuddered, feeling that dry, hot mouth of his on my skin.

"I'm not going to be able to--you know--hold out for very long. Can I--uh--" somehow, even though we were in bed together, it still felt odd asking him something so intimate. "How far can we go with this?"

"I do not understand your phraseology."

"I mean, the difference between foreplay and sex. There's kind of a fine line."

"Is there?"

"Yes."

He stopped kissing me and looked at me.

"Great," I said. "Neither one of us really knows what we're doing. Do we. Neither one of us has been with a man before. I mean...how are you going to know how to--"

"Give you pleasure?" He finished and nodded. "I will know."

"You're that certain, huh?"

"Yes. By touching you, I know how."


"Really? Just by touching me?"

"I have also, taken the liberty of doing some research."

Suddenly the visual of Spock viewing a porn-vid sprang into my mind, but I shook it away. "That's great, but--"

"You will again have to have a release, privately. However, I will make certain that you do not achieve an orgasm in my presence," he stated, and resumed kissing my neck.

I'm glad he was so confident about it, because I sure wasn't. "Uh...not if you keep doing that."

"I am a touch telepath," he reminded me for what seemed the hundredth time. "I will be able to feel when you are at that point."

"And then what?"


"I will stop it."

"Stop an orgasm? Oh..." I gasped as he bit down on my neck. This was going to be torture. "When we finally do get to fuck," I managed to get out. "I'm going to pop off like a torpedo."

"Quiet," he ordered again. I moaned at that. He pulled the peach out of my hand, took another bite, and kissed me hard, forcing his tongue into my mouth. Well, he didn't have to force very much...I opened up to take that juicy tongue in. Pulling off some of the peach and mashing it in his hands, he ran the juicy mess down my body. Then proceeded to lick it all of it up with his warm tongue, in-between bites on my skin. I was amazed at the loud moans coming from my own mouth. His mouth clamped down onto my left nipple, then my right.

I lifted off the bed, my head tilted back. Satisfied with my response, he started kissing farther and father down my body. Nuzzling my chest hair, then kissing down to my belly. He moved further till his face rested on my public hair. He looked up at me with those beautiful brown eyes and murmured as he grasped my penis. "There is an ancient Vulcan word for oral ministrations...called mi`Inoah."

"Mmmmm. Gotta love those ancient Vulcans…" I gasped.

"Indeed. It is very rare for contemporary vulcans to engage in this act. But for the FthinraKathir, it was an integral part of the sexual act." He bent down and kissed the head of my cock, gently teasing my foreskin with his teeth and running his tongue around the head.

"Don't.." I tried to pull away. "It's too much. I can`t control it. I''ll--"

He kept it up. "I can feel where you are," he insisted. "You are close but not yet." He took my full length into his mouth.

I groaned. "Spock don't...I'm going to--" Without stopping the action of sucking me, two fingers from his free hand pushed onto a pressure point in my thigh. An energy from that touch shot up my body and into my brain. I felt a presence intertwining in my mind, controlling my physical responses. It immediately took me way back from the edge. I gazed at him, panting, amazed. He was going to keep pulling me back, as long as he wanted.

The peach a sticky mess all over me, the bed, everywhere, he continued his assault on my skin. Touching, caressing, kissing, and biting till I couldn't stand it any longer. Then back to my cock. I pushed him off of me, and ran into the bathroom. I stepped into his shower to take care of business and leaned my head back in the cool water spray.

I came out, grinning like the Cheshire cat and looking at the mess on his bed. "I'm synthing up another peach. This is too much fun. It's your turn to fight off an orgasm."



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It was late the next evening when we were finally able to adjourn to Spock's quarters with about two hours to spare.

Sweaty from working in the sickbay all day, I took a shower, toweled off then pulled on one of his vulcan robes I'd brought with me into the bathroom. I'd deliberately picked one with a bunch of tricky fastenings to give him something else to undress. Took me a few minutes to figure out how to fasten it. The silk fabric of his robe felt nice against my skin. It would take forever for him to undo this. And, I did like it when he methodically stripped me.

I exited the bathroom, his robe brushing the door as I moved through to the bed chamber.

"You look agreeable in my robe," he noticed. He grabbed me into an embrace and nuzzled my wet hair. "Your scent is also, pleasing."

"Come on, times- a- wasting." I wriggled out from his grasp, picked up the velvet bag, pulled a rune out and handed it to him.

"KuhAuh'Sail," he said, softly, in that Vulcan tongue of his.

"Sex," I murmured. I nodded in agreement. I knew. Finally. We just stared off into space, me in a certain amount of shock. "Well... this is it." I plunked down heavily onto his bunk and continued staring into nothingness.

"It is." He sat down next to me.

For a few long moments we did nothing. Said nothing.

I waited for him to make a move, then decided that I would. I took a deep breath, wondered where to begin and just dove right in. I pulled him to me by the chin and into a kiss. "I'm really glad... to be honest," I murmured as I broke off the kiss, slid my arms around him and admitted, "I don't think I could stand much more foreplay, could you?"

He shook his head. We stopped to just gaze into each other's eyes. As I held onto him and regarded the doe-eyed first officer... I wondered if he knew how much I respected him, loved being around him, being with him. "Yes. I do," he said in response.

"Stop reading my mind," I laughed. Then sobered. How was he able to read my specific thoughts? I thought he could just sense my emotions. I made a mental note to ask him about it...later.

Extremely nervous, but eager to get this under way, I shifted on his bed till I was sitting directly behind him. My legs on either side of his. I moved my hands up to his shoulders, kneading them. I played with the tunic zipper at his neck, pulled it down, exposing his black undershirt and more of his neck. My mouth found its way over to that neck and bit down, getting a response from him.

With a single finger I touched the point of his ear. 'These ears are so big', I noted as I traced the ear back and forth. Encouraged by him turning into me, I decided that those ear points would look much better if they were in my mouth. Plus I wanted to see if they qualified as a Vulcan erogenous zone. They did. I heard a soft intake of breath from him as I sucked on them, then a soft little moan from him as I bit down. `God, I love these things,' I thought to myself, the ear still in my mouth.

"You stated... on a previous...occasion... that... my pointed ears were un-attractive," he managed in between sucking in his breath, every time I bit on his ear.

"I never said that..." I pulled his face close to me and into a kiss.

He pulled away to protest, "You did. You distinctly stated--"

"Spock...Shut up and kiss me."

Just then the bosun's whistle sounded. I jumped up like I had been prodded with a branding iron.

"Bridge to Spock." It was Jim. I moved away from Spock so I couldn't be seen.

He flipped on the viewer next to the bed. "Spock here."

"I need you on the bridge."

Spock sighed deeply. A little too deeply to be perceived as normal. "Is there something wrong, Captain?"

"We're achieved orbit around Celus IV. I thought you might like to do some preliminary scans of the planet." I flopped down on the bunk, stiffleing a groan. Spock looked back at me then back to the viewer. "Are you sure this cannot wait till the morning, Sir?"

"No...Spock. Come up to the bridge."

"Is that...an order...sir?"

"Why? Were you in the middle of something?" Jim, was growing more and more suspicious at this strange response Spock was throwing at him. Granted, it was late, but, Spock normally would have jumped to do some preliminary scans, no matter what time of day or night it was. He and Jim often stayed up all night, minding the store. I shifted uncomfortably on the bed and bit my lip.

"I was," Spock answered truthfully. "In the middle of something. You are correct."

"Like what?" Jim laughed. "You're weren't mediating, you've still got your uniform on. You're obviously not asleep. Get your ass up here. And yes. That's an order." Spock glanced over at me, looking for assistance.

"Just go, Spock," I said softly, trying not to have my voice detected. But the computer picked it up anyway.

"Bones?" I knew there was the unspoken: What are you doing in Spock's quarters at this hour?

"Yes, Jim." I darted my eyes. I knew he couldn't see me; just hear me. Go on Jim. Ask me. What am I doing in Spock's quarters at this hour? I debated whether or not I should move into view so he could witness me wearing Spock's robe. If I tell you the truth will you just leave us alone?

He didn't ask.

Spock stood up stiffly. "I shall be on the bridge in four point seven minutes. Sir. Spock out." As the viewer turned to grey he turned and saw my agitation. He mirrored it in his own eyes. "I shall return to you shortly."

"Can`t you have a private life Spock? Must you jump whenever he calls you?"


"Doctor McCoy," he said formally. "May I remind you that we both have our duties. We are on-call no matter what the time. I cannot refuse a direct order from the captain."

"I know, I know" I sighed in dismay. I wondered why I had forgotten that again. It was becoming very easy for me to forget that we were Starfleet officers first and foremost. I was a doctor, on top of that. What was happening to me? "But... please Spock..." I found myself begging. "Make it quick up there. We don't know what will happen if we start even a minute after 2400."

With a kiss on my lips Spock was out of the cabin in a flash.

I flopped down on Spock's bunk, staring for a while at his firepot. Then dozed off.

I woke up with a start after what felt like just a few moments later.

I checked the chrono. It was now 0745. The morning! I was still alone. Spock hadn't returned. And I was going on duty in fifteen minutes. Shit! We'd skipped the Rune. Now what the hell were we going to do?

I got up from the bunk and flipped on the viewer. "McCoy to bridge," I growled.

"Spock here."

"Good morning... Mister Spock."

"Good morning, Doctor McCoy."

"McCoy out."

As I toggled the button to off, the bosun`s whistle sounded: "Sickbay to Doctor McCoy."

The onslaught was returning, already.



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Celus IV.

I stood anxiously in the transporter room, to see off Kirk and Spock.

There was nothing inherently unusual in my own behavior, except that Spock and I appeared to be intently studying one another.

It was enough for Jim to notice. He glanced back and forth between us quizzically. "Gentlemen?"

"Hmmm?" I shifted my anxious gaze over to the captain.

"Is there something wrong? What's going on?"

I shook my head uneasily. I sneezed into my stripe and a half on my velour clad arm, swallowed with my sore throat and reluctantly walked back to where Scotty stood at the controls.

"Bones," said Jim. "You look like hell."

"You try having to run yourself ragged to treat everyone on this ship and see how you look!" I thundered back a hundred times too forcefully.

"I meant," Kirk said kindly. "You're falling ill."

"Yeah, well. Was bound to happen sometime."

Spock and Jim stepped onto the platform. "Take something for it, Bones."

"Yeah, yeah, Jim. I will." I resumed my staring at Spock. Spock returned my intense gaze.

"That's an order, Bones. Take care of yourself." Jim nodded to Scotty. "Energize."

I watched Scotty's hands to verify that there was nothing amiss in the beam down, then watched Jim and Spock sparkle and disappear.

Damn transporter shifting molecules, sending them god knows how far and expecting them to reassemble just like that. It was unnatural.

"When are they supposed to return?" I demanded of the chief engineer.

"In exactly fifteen minutes."

"I'll wait." I sneezed again. Then again and again.

"That's some powerful sneeze you've got there, Lenny," laughed Scotty.

"Scotty, don't start with me." I gazed intently at the empty transporter platform, clenching my fists. Please be safe.

"Well," smiled Scotty warmly. "It'll make the time pass quicker if I wait with ya."

"I thought you were supposed to be fixing the warp drive," I muttered absently. It had gone out again.

"I am!" Scotty retorted. "But--I'll be needin' Mister Spock's assistance, when he returns."

"IF they do."

"Just what in the hell are ya meanin' by that, Doctor McCoy?"

"Nothin' Scotty. Just my usual unfailing confidence in the transporter."

Scotty snickered and shook his head. After a beat he asked, very softly, "I've been meanin' to ask you somthin' Doctor. Did I get ah--" he cleared his throat, "--a blowjob from the--ah-- green skinned woman with a red eye in the center of her forehead?"

"Scotty," I admonished. "If you can't remember what happens to you on leave, perhaps that's a sign you should cut down on the booze a little."

"Aye." I could tell that Scotty meant it, too. We fell into an uneasy silence for the rest of the wait, both of us intently staring at that god-damned platform.

Jim and Spock re-materialized in exactly fifteen minutes to the second.

"Well, that went well. Nothing too terrible," Jim said happily as he hopped off the pad.

"Everything okay, Jim?" I stepped up and frantically performed a visual inspection of the captain. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

"Fine, Bones. Status report, Scotty?" Jim sauntered out of the transporter room, with Scotty following him, giving him detailed explanations of the warp core status.

With Kirk gone, I turned my attention over to Spock who stood there quietly, hands clasped behind his back. "Well? Did anything happen?"

"This," said Spock as he pulled his hand around for my inspection. On his wrist, there was a small green scratch.

A scratch? By a poisonous plant? Maybe a poisonous creature? Oh no…there was antidote to be cooked up, we were running out of time, but first I had to ascertain just what sort of creature attacked the Vulcan. "What scratched you?"

"I did it on my tri-corder."

"Oh…" I furrowed my brow in thought. "Your tri-corder? As you were being attacked by a poisonous creature?"

"No. When I pulled it out to scan a leaf, I accidentally caught my wrist on a exposed metal portion of it."

"Oh.... OH!" I suddenly laughed like a hyena and gratefully lunged over to embrace him. "That's fantastic!"

The lift doors swooshed open. Jim walked through them and froze as he spied my arms around the Vulcan. "Bones? Spock?" Jim continued to stare at us in shock.

"Yeah?" I smiled and turned my head around. I didn't even bother to release Spock. Spock didn't bother to move away. I kept holding him tightly and smiling broadly.

Jim shook his head. "I've never seen anyone get that excited over a little scratch."



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We traveled down the lift from the bridge to the sickbay, Jim and I; all the while Jim eyeing me warily. He noted jokingly, that I was in an especially crabby mood. Good, I'm glad he noticed. I wonder why.

I'd spent a full ten hours in sickbay mostly treating broken bones and also some rather contrite Gonorrhea victims. Some of the ensigns who were afflicted were just kids really, on their first tours of duty and possessing absolutely no sense when it came to shore- leaves on friendly alien planets. It irritated me, the chances people took with their own health. All these young crewmen had paid a visit to the brothels on Berengaria and were now drifting into the Sickbay to get treated for that particular strain. I'd mused that whoever was in charge of the girls would have watched them for signs of disease but I guess not.

That'll teach these damn kids to take care of themselves.

Then later, I hung around the bridge for the better part of an hour, picking petty fights with Spock as if to show the bridge crew or mostly Jim that there was nothing out of the ordinary between him and me. Then I wondered if I'd fooled anyone. Then I wondered why I was being so paranoid. My sneezing was getting worse, and now I guess Jim was taking it upon himself to escort me back down to the sickbay, to make sure I got something for this damn virus I'd managed to contract.

"Everything okay, Bones?"

"Fine Jim," I said tightly.

As Jim kept his eyes pinned on me, I could see the wheels turning in his head. He was dying to ask me a personal question in the relative privacy of the lift, but he seemed hesitant. Debating whether or not it was his command prerogative to inquire about his officer's personal life.

"Something on your mind, Jim?" I prompted.

He shook his head 'no'...but I knew he was dying to ask. Go on...ask me Jim.

"Bones--"

"Yeah?" I fixed him with a cold, challenging stare. Go on…ask me.

"I hate to pry, but--"

"Yeah? You want to ask me something, Jim? Well go ahead."

"What were you doing in Spock's quarters last night? Is he okay?"

"He's fine."

"Were you treating him for anything?"

"Nope."

"Oh…I see."

"You want to know Jim?" I snapped, kept up my piercing gaze, adding a sinister smile. "You really want to know? Well, I'll tell ya. We're sleeping together."


He laughed the rest of the way down to the Sickbay interspersing it with: "You? And… Spock? That's a good one Bones!"

I knew even before he and I had stepped into my consulting office that nothing could really be done for this new viral strain, after taking a hypo full of anti-viral I was just going to have to ride it out. I snapped a, "I'll go on the sick-list for a shift. M'Benga can see to any consults."

"That's a great idea, Bones. I think you need some rest." He chuckled a little, remembering what I'd told him in the lift.

I grumbled a response that sounded like: "I'll be in my quarters." That appeared to satisfy Jim and he left me alone to go.

I entered the quarters that I rarely visited anymore, except, periodically, to get a change of clothing when I'd run out of my uniforms I'd now kept in Spock's cabin. I realized how lonely and cold it was in my sparsely furnished quarters, but for a few skulls, books and now yellowing plants. I turned the heat up to a comfortable level and plopped onto my bunk, falling asleep fully clothed, face down.

...They'd called it: 'Alie'tulu'.

The 'horror'...

the guards had found the knife in the princess' hand. The prince and princess were both dead.

'She has dishonored her family' they have said...

The v'LauDuKharir decreed that her people, will also be murdered in this way. Their throats cut from ear to ear. The way the princess murdered her prince... Every last man, woman and child of the FthinraKathir...burn their records, their scrolls, the receptacles of their katras, their music, their art....everything…

I can hear the bone chilling screams of the children as the v'LauDuKhari warriors crash through in a rampage...slitting their throats...the rivers of red blood flows amongst the trees...

I started awake. I found myself in Spock's arms; him asleep. As soon as I opened my eyes, he woke up. I sighed dreamily. "How long have you been here?"

He handed me a glass of water, then hugged me close to him as I drank it. "Six point four hours. You have been feverish. I fell asleep when your fever broke."

"I was having an awful dream..."

"Were you?"

"Mmmm. More crap's been happening because we skipped a damn Rune, isn't it."

"We are merely very late. We are able to rectify the situation," he said.

"How? I'm ill, Spock, I feel like hell. This is a different strain. I might pass it on to you."

"That," he said. "Is a chance that we shall have to take. It is time." He took the empty glass from me and set it down on the bedside table. After a beat, our lips met tenderly, softly. He began gently disrobing me. I gave in to his ministrations, feeling the gentleness, the soothing warmth of his fingertips on me as he removed my uniform.

I no longer felt like hell.

He slid my underwear off, slowly, in a manner that he'd now done many times before. Then I watched as he pulled off his own uniform.

I ran my hands down his warm, naked body, letting my hands explore and caress him, bringing him to arousal. I could hear his breaths quicken with my touch. I let my hands drift down to his hard cock. Slightly bigger than mine, I could feel the buzzing energy in it. I began to stroke it, gently, in a way I would like mine to be stroked, I pumped my hand up and down on his shaft. It had felt so strange the first time I'd done this to him, touching another man in this way. But I had gotten used it, quickly. Now I was rather adept.

As I lay flat on my bunk, he shifted position to straddle me, lining up his own very warm, nearly hot cock, with my own. I grabbed hold of the both of them, and held them together for a while, without moving, the warmth of his nearly bringing me over the edge.

By touching me, he could feel I was close, and he backed off me. He slid down till his face rested next to my cock. He took two fingers and let them rest on my length. A laser beam of desire shot up into my brain and I writhed and moaned. I was nearly in pain as the pleasure was too intense for me to handle. Realizing this he pulled his fingers away and simply took my cock into his mouth. "Ohhh yes.." I hissed. This was gentler, better. I felt his warm mouth, surround me, his tongue teasing my head. He tasted my balls, then moved back to my length. I moaned louder and louder, bucking my hips into his mouth, urging him to take me in deeper and deeper.

My head hit the back of his throat, then he pulled up and circled his tongue around my head, tasting my pre-cum, then dived back down, swallowing me. Then I was at the edge and then over; coming and coming and coming, spurting my seed down his throat as I cried out in ecstasy, lifting my head up; arching my back.

Spent, my head fell back onto the pillow. I lost my hold on reality for a moment. When it returned, I felt him move back up to lay next to me, taking me in his arms. It was a long while before I could string together a sentence. "Oh...my...God..." I panted.

"Feeling better?" he asked, innocently. His eyes were alight.

"Shut up," I laughed breathlessly.

After a few more minutes of holding me, I heard his voice very softly in my ear. "Leonard?"

"Hmmm?"

"Have you any… lubricant?"

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END OF PART IV. STAY TUNED FOR PART V...