THE RUNES--part V

AUTHOR: T'Prillah
RATING: NC-17



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THE RUNES PART V


"Have you any…lubricant?" Spock asked me, once again.

"Hmmm?" I struggled out of my satiated stupor to glance over at him.

"Lubricant," he breathed into my ear. "I wish…I wish to be within you."

Oh… "You'll have to make a req from stores," I muttered.

He nodded, rose up out of bed; walked into the other room with his erection leading the way. My increasingly widening eyes followed him, nervously. Calm down McCoy. You knew it all was leading up to this. However, I noted with alarm that his penis was a little too big for what was about to happen. It had never seemed much bigger than mine before, but right now this second, it looked huge.

After a few moments Spock beckoned at me from the other side of the partition. "I need your chip."

"My what?" I asked, in a daze.

"Your data-chip."

Right…he needed my card to requisition an item from the ship's stores. And knowing me, I probably threw it absentmindedly over in the corner with all of my reports and I was going to have to get up out of my bunk and help him look for it.

With food, an Enterprise officer or crewman could synth up anything they wanted, though I'd put many of the crew on special diet cards. However with any kind of toiletries or other personal articles, we had to requisition each item from ship's stores. Any item was then immediately beamed over by the Enterprise computer. And…there was a record kept of all requisitions, so I knew that meant the duty officer will know the CMO is asking for sexual lubricant...and the duty officer--Lt. Commander Jones, was one of the biggest gossips on board ship.

Okay…I certainly had a right to order sexual lubricant if I wanted to. I might be asking for some for medical reasons, (however I'd really be req'ing that from the sickbay.) "The chip is--uh--over there--somewhere behind my desk," I said, hesitantly. "I think. You'll have to look around for it."

After patiently digging through my stuff on the ledge, Spock found the chip. He scrolled through the menu with his thumb. "There is nothing entirely satisfactory in the ships stores," he called out. "For future couplings, I shall have to create my own lubricant from scratch."

Future couplings? We're going to do this again? "They've gotta have something adequate," I called back. "Just hurry up and pick something."

He returned with a small bottle and handed it to me. "This shall do for now."

I looked at it. "What's wrong with this?"

"The scent is not pleasing to me. Appropriate scents during love making are very important to Vulcans. Especially ancient Vulcans." He lay down on the bed next to me, pulling me close to him again. "Are you ready, T'hy'la?"

He wasn't wasting any time, was he? I gulped, "I...uh... suppose so." Now things suddenly seemed very awkward between us.

"Turn over," he commanded.

"Wait, wait!" I laughed and laid a hand on his chest. "Slow down. You have to get me warmed up again, first. Kiss me."

He pulled me to him by the chin. Even after a few minutes of kissing him, I still felt my heart pounding terribly.

"Relax…" he whispered into my ear.

"Listen Spock. Ordering me to relax isn't going to just suddenly make me relax," I found myself snapping at him. "I'm trying to, okay? This is a new experience for me, you know."

"I can sense your reluctance to do this."

"You're right, I am reluctant," I admitted. "But, I know we have to do this." I smiled in an attempt to sooth us both. "I'm sure it'll be fine. Come on Spock."

He laid his hands on me again and sighed. "Leonard."

I laughed again. "What?"

"I can still sense your reluctance."

I looked away, ashamed. "Don't worry about it, Spock. It's nothing personal. It's just--"

"You are frightened of being penetrated."

I nodded. I was fucking terrified of being penetrated.

"Do you trust me?" he asked.

I didn't answer him. Instead I asked him, "Why can't I penetrate you?"

"You have already achieved sexual satisfaction," he replied calmly. "I wish to penetrate you in order to achieve mine."

"Great," I huffed and folded my arms. "So, we have to do it your way!"

He pulled my arms out of their folded position and said, "This is meant to be pleasurable. I will not injure you."

"I know that." I kissed him. "It's okay." Then I thought of something. Maybe it was silly but it was worth a try. "Hey, Spock, you know when you kissed me for the first time with just your fingers and it felt like you were really kissing me with your mouth? Can't we do that with sex?"

I actually got a smile from him for that one. With teeth showing. Well, almost. Fascinating. I guess for him that was akin to a laugh. "There is," he said. "However, the Runes demand real physical copulation."

"Do they, now?" I said and rolled my eyes. How the hell did he know?

"Will you lie back?"

I finally did what he asked of me. He sat between my legs and rubbed my thighs for what seemed like an eternity, then gradually he inched my legs apart, squirted some lube on his fingers. He gently touched a warm finger to my asshole. I groaned softly, closed my eyes and forced myself to enjoy the touch. Then, I felt him slowly slide a finger in. My eyes flew open. "Oh…no..."

He pulled it out. "Relax."

"Look. I'm trying…"

"You are extremely tense."

I sat up on my elbows and glared at him. No kidding. Yes, I'd had internal exams performed on me in the past. I'd also performed hundreds of them on patients, when a scanner wasn`t cutting it. However, a clinical exam was nothing like Spock touching me like this, right now. I'd never felt anything remotely like this before.

Finally, I gave in and flopped back down, nodding at him to continue. His overheated finger inside me gave a weird combination of pleasure combined with the urge to defecate. I'd never had a woman do this to me. I probably never would have let her.

Spock left his finger in place for a moment letting me get used to the sensation. Slowly he drew it out. Equally slowly he slid it in again. "huhhh," I gasped. It was starting to feel good. I hoped to hell he knew what he was doing. With his other hand, he began stroking my penis. This was even better and eventually, I began writhing; enjoying his invading finger and surrounding hand.

I felt the finger move across my prostate gland. I jumped, "It's too much."

"Shhhhh," he said, continuing to stroke my cock and gently probe my rectum for long long minutes. I did appreciate that he was taking all the time in the world, too. Then it was two fingers, then later three. Starting to really enjoy it, I squirmed up then back onto his fingers.

He inched up, so I could grab onto his cock, so I did, stroking him, very softly. I could feel the pulsing.

Suddenly, slowly, he pulled his fingers out of me. "Flip over," he commanded softly. I nodded and rolled over onto my stomach. I felt his hands on my waist inching me up onto all fours. He leaned over me, biting me on the shoulder, murmuring softly in my ear, to the point where I could barely hear him: "Your physique is agreeable, you feel cool to the touch, your skin is soft…" then he bit on my ear, then my shoulder, then onto my other ear.

He bit my shoulder again and I leaned my head back into the sensation as he did so. I wanted him to bite me harder, and as if sensing what I wanted, he bit onto my shoulder, hard this time, till he could probably taste blood.

He rubbed my shoulders again for awhile, tending to the knots; I loved the feel of the commanding heat radiating from his long fingers. I wanted him to bite me again, and he did. I groaned this time.

He moved his hands down my back down to my lower back, to my waist. I heard him pour more lube into his hands. I moaned as I felt hot fingers caress my scrotum. God...he acts like he knows what he's doing. How does he know what he's doing...just from watching porn? Wait a minute--he never said he actually did watch it... he just said he had done research...but... what kind of research...? "Uh...Spock... are you a--?."

"Shhhh," he ordered again. He pushed a finger up inside me. I moaned again and looked back at him to watch him lube his own penis with his other hand.

I kept my breaths even, and tried not to think. He remarked softly: "I anticipate that you will feel slightly uncomfortable at first--"

"I know," I grimaced.

"I am not going to injure you. Will you remember that?"

"Yes--yes--get on with it," I grunted.

He hesitated and carried on telling me, "If you feel any serious discomfort, I shall feel it too and stop. Is this acceptable to you?"

"Uh huh," I agreed into the pillow. Get on with it.

He inched his hips up to me, placing the tip of his cock to my ass, but merely kept it there, rubbing the entry with it, and reaching round to stroke my own penis with his other hand. I concentrated on relaxing my muscles. After pushing, he managed to slip the head in.

It hurt. A lot. Oh...Jeezus!... did it ever. I cried out sharply in pain, but he held it there, waiting for me to calm down. I struggled to move away, off of him, but he grabbed onto my hips and held me still. "You are fine," he reassured me. Yeah right. Trying to adjust to the unique feeling of him inside me, I tried to relax again. I was absolutely willing myself to do it. I knew that my tension was causing it to hurt more than it probably should. I had expected there to be some pain, however, just not this bad. Why didn't he let me move off of him? "Spock…" I gasped.

"Leonard," he said. "Trust me."

After a few minutes, he slowly slid in a little more. I tensed up again, then caught it and forced myself to relax again. He inched in a little more. I tensed again. This was going to take a lot of getting used to.

"Tell me what you are feeling," he said, softly.

"Don't…you…already...know?"

"I wish you to vocalize it."

"It's not too bad." To my embarrassment, my voice cracked on that last word. Immediately knowing I was being untruthful, he pulled out of me then positioned me to lay on my right side. Spooning me, he held me close for a few minutes enveloping his arms around me.

I lay back into his arms, feeling his chest hair tickle the back of my neck.

I laughed ruefully. I was actually trembling. "God… I'm sorry," I smiled. He didn't answer me, but caressed my hair for a few long moments with long fingers. "Go on. Try it again," I insisted.

I guess was, by now, determined to get through this.

Pulling my leg over his, he applied, (very generously I noted) more lubricant, then with a hand he centered his cock on my asshole once again, and gently pushed his head in. This time it was better, alot more comfortable, and I let him get it in further.

"This is…immensely pleasurable…Leonard," he murmured.

He was feeling immense pleasure? Because of me. Upon hearing him tell me that, an intense wave of passion crashed over me. "Huhhh," I moaned. I relaxed immediately and let him get the rest of the way in. The pain dissipated and his cock inside me started to feel really… really good. I moaned louder as his penis suddenly hit my prostate. The prostate putting pressure on the back of my penis felt like nothing I'd ever experienced before.

I couldn't believe I'd never done this before.

Spock continued to gently thrust into me, continuing the rub on my gland with a slow steady pace. I felt his hand closing around my cock.

I was touched by the care he was taking with me. He wasn't letting passion overtake him; he was going slowly. Though, now, he could go a little faster...Oh! Now he was. He could tell instantly what I was feeling and obey my commands.

"Yes, I can," he confirmed, out loud.

The motion of us together propelled his hand clasped around my penis. It was wonderful to hear soft moans coming from him, first sporadically, then continuously. That low voice of his, making noises I'd never heard him make before, joined with the sounds I was making, was highly arousing. Knowing I was the reason for his moans pushed me closer and closer to climax.

I came first, gasping a: "Ohhgod…" probably waaaaay too loudly... then about two seconds after me, he came too, inside me, clutching me and gasping.

He lay his head on my sweaty shoulder for a long while, then as he got soft, he gently pulled out of me. Both of us fell back onto the bed.

He scooped me up and I lay in his arms, exhausted and satiated. I realized that I'd climaxed twice in one night. I'd never done that before. Ever. Never before had sex felt so… "Spock, that was wonderful…" I murmured and drifted off to sleep.

I woke up, looked over at the chrono, gazed over at him and snuggled closer to the sleeping Spock. I wanted to keep waking up and snuggling closer. It was bliss. I felt so loved and cared for. I fell asleep again. This was what I always wanted. Never to be alone again.

I woke up again; checked the chrono. Two hours till I had to go on duty. Noted that I was held firmly ensconced in the sleeping Spock's arms. I gently touched his face to wake him up. "Spock..."

"Hmmm?" came the dozy baritone voice in the dark.

"That was wonderful."


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In Spock's quarters, I handed over the Rune I'd chosen for tonight.

"Fascinating." He closed his fist over it.

"What?" I asked impatiently. "What is it?"

"a'T'lehsai. Use of an object to facilitate lovemaking," he replied.

"Sex, again?" I groaned and cradled my head in my hands. He looked at me askance, till I chuckled, "I'm just kidding. So, sex utilizing an object, huh?" This was getting more and more interesting. "It shouldn't be the same object we've used before during just foreplay, correct?"

"Affirmative. However I am at a total loss as to what we should use… this time."

I came over and slid my arms around him. "It should be...something sensual," I breathed.

"I have nothing suitable in my quarters for us to use."

I thought back to my shore leave exploits on Barengaria and on Wrigley's. "I know what we could use!" For some reason I was very excited about this. "Hang on. I'm nipping over to my cabin; I'll be back in seven minutes," I said, then added. "Seven point two to be exact."

I saw his eyes dart up to the ceiling at my choice of words as I darted out of the doors. My laughter trailing out with me.

I was back in five.

"Hey, look what I've got," I pulled a little something out from my medi-kit. (Well I didn't know where else to stick it while I transported it over here) "If Jim Kirk knew I had this--"

"What is it?" Spock gazed at the cooing little ball of fur in my hands. He was as intrigued as I knew he would be.

"Why my dear Mister Spock." I flashed him my most seductive, sultry smile. "This little ball of fluff is called a tribble."

"A tribble?" He continued to stare at it, entranced by the purring. I placed it into his hands. "I… am unfamiliar with such an..."

"This is an animal, Spock."

"I see that, Leonard. However, it is unlike any one I have ever seen. How does it eat or breathe?"

"I don't know, I haven't figured that out yet," I chuckled. Spock stared down at it, then immediately started to pet it. It was as if he was in a trance. I nodded as I noticed the effect it was having on him. "Well Spock, the Rune didn't specify if it had to be an inanimate or an animate object, did it?"

"What is its function?" Spock asked as he continued to pet it.

"Does everything have to have a damn function to you?"

"Yes."

"Its purpose, Mister Spock, besides staying alive, is that it loves."

"Loves?"

"Sure `nough," I confirmed in the thickest drawl this side of Atlanta. Then I asked him sweetly, "Have you ever made love… using a… tribble?"

"No… I have never--" He couldn't finish. He was entranced by the trilling noise. "I have… never...." He swallowed, hard. "Is this not--considered---"

"Bestiality?" I finished his thought. "Well, maybe it is," I chuckled. "Well....no...not really. We`re not having sex with it. Just using it to have sex."

"There is…a difference…?"

"Don't think about it."

"Len?"

Len. He must really be out of it. "Yes?"

"I am… finding it difficult to form any… coherent thought."

I laughed. "Yeah...I know. There's a tranquilizing effect in the trilling noise. Directly affects your central nervous system. Don't worry; it wears off in a few minutes if you put it down. I've examined it already with a tricorder. The effects are not permanently damaging, not even to that Vulcan brain of yours."

He kept on petting the soft brown fur even as he said, "A tranquilizing effect? Yes...I find that I am severely… affected by this creature."

"I know," I smiled, evilly. "More so than I was."

"How...how… did you acquire this?"

"From a prostitute on Berengaria," I said innocently.

He looked up me with an undisguised shocked expression, not even trying to hide his emotions anymore. "A prostitute gave you this?"

"Yeah, this is what I found in my pocket, instead of my credit chip."

He swallowed. "I see."

"And being as she helped herself to my credit chip and I`m still upset about it the more I think about it, I figured I'd better put this little tribble to good use. Right, Mister Spock?"

He swallowed again. "I do not know…I am not certain--"

I came closer to him. "Spock, do you trust me?"

"Implicitly."

That hit me right there. Somehow that was the greatest compliment anyone had ever given me. Especially since it came from Spock. "Want to try something probably a little out of your comfort zone, but some harmless fun?"

"Fun," he repeated.

"Yeah. But I know you're able to tell what I'm thinking at the moment, so can you block out my thoughts for a little while? Block my thoughts out. Completely."

"If you wish."

"Then do it, and hurry up." He eyed me suspiciously, then reluctantly disengaged a hand from the tribble and placed that hand on his temple for a few seconds.

I put my arms on his shoulders as he resumed petting the tribble. "Now. You won't be able to anticipate every time I touch you tonight."

He raised an eyebrow. "What have you got in mind?"

"Shhhhh," I commanded. I pushed him backwards, him still holding onto my dear little tribble; pushed him all the way back into the sleeping chamber and down onto his bed. I climbed on top and straddled him.

"Are you still blocking me out?" I asked. He nodded again. I fished a black cloth out of the medi-kit that still hung at my waist. I tied the cloth around his eyes, blindfolding him.

To test his vision, I waved my hand in front of his eyes, then suddenly dove my hand underneath his tunic and tee-shirt, causing him to twinge perceptively. I smiled, satisfied. I took off my medi-kit and gently lay it down on the bedside table and removed my uniform. I wanted to get all of that out of the way. I let my boots slowly and deliberately drop out of my hands and onto the deck, one right after the other, so he could hear it and know what it signified. I saw his breathing increase slightly in response and he waited, expectantly.

"Keep petting the tribble," I commanded. He obeyed. I didn't have to order him twice. "Are you okay?" I asked.

He breathed. When he finally spoke his voice was dozy and pitched higher than usual. "I am blind. In more ways than one. I cannot sense your thoughts with your touch. The effect is slightly disquieting, but tolerable. From the tribble…I feel a…large sensation… of pleasure and calmness radiating up to my cerebral cortex from my spine."

"Good," I said. Amused at the long winded response to my simple question. I pulled the zipper down at his neck then swiftly removed his blue tunic and the black t-shirt and then tossed them both very deliberately onto the deck. He had released his hold on the little breathing ball of hair only to facilitate their removal, and then once again he stroked the creature, as I'd commanded him to.

I looked at the rise and fall of his bare chest as I caressed the black hair on his sternum. I felt him jump again. "I keep catching you by surprise, do I?"

"I am--"

"Quiet," I said. I traced a finger down the thin strip of hair to rest on his belly. I watched him as he slowly stroked my little tribble.

Yes of course, I was already aroused as hell and I noted that the same thing was happening to him, I could see the trapped erection in the black trousers he still wore. But I wasn't going to remove his, not yet.

I took the tribble out of his hands and gently set it on the bedside table as I bent down to kiss him. At first he was startled by the contact then responded to me, rather hungrily, I might add.

I roughly pulled away from him.

I thought for a moment, then decided to just go ahead and do it. I pulled out some restraints that I had in my kit for patients that fought me; remembering that once or twice I'd even had to use them on him in the past. But, this time would be different.

I tied his wrists to each side of the bunk.

"Have you done this before?" he managed.

"What, in bed? No I haven't," I whispered back. "But, I've always wanted to try something like this."

With Spock now properly restrained and blindfolded to my satisfaction, and him appearing... oh.... so very vulnerable, I picked up the tribble. Still straddling Spock, I touched the ball of warm breathing fur to his face, very gently running it down his cheek, under his chin, to the other side. I heard a low gasp come from him and saw his arms flex against the restraints. Excellent. The tribble started to coo louder, it obviously liked all this attention too.

"Are you enjoying my little tribble, Spock?" I asked him softly.

"Hmmmm," he murmured. I kept up rubbing his face with the tribble, over his lips and dragged it up to tease his ear. He leaned into the sensation, moaning softly. I couldn't get over that. The sound of his soft little moans of pleasure. As I was stroking his ear with the tribble, I traced other ear tip with my fingers. I saw him flex against the restraints again, and moan softly again. Taking his ear into my mouth, I alternated sucking on his ear and tickling the other ear with the tribble.

"Leonard," he gasped. "I cannot--"

"Shhhh, you're doing fine." I did back off a little bit, to allow him time to recover from the sensation, then I dove in again. Just so I could hear him moan again, softly. This time I also got from him a sharp intake of breath.

Lying down along side of him, I pulled his face over and covered his mouth with mine, biting down hard on his lower lip as I traced the ball of fur down his neck to his chest, circling the nipples I could never see because of all that black chest hair.

I moved the tribble down to his belly, then back up to his pectorals, then back down to the belly. His penis moved in response, trapped by his trousers, diverting my attention. I could tell he was so very achingly, hard, as I was. I detected the telltale spot of pre-cum, but I wasn't going to touch him there, not yet. I traced the tribble up one of his bound up arms, to his fingertips. Somehow that was more intense for him then it being on his chest. He gave a soft cry out.

"Okay?" I pulled it away for a bit. I wanted to pleasure him, not torture him. He nodded. "Want me to touch your fingers again?"

He nodded.

"Ask me, Spock."

Without missing a beat, he asked. "Will you touch my fingers again?"

I giggled. Yes I did, this time. "Do you like that, thy'la?"

He nodded again. I complied and slid the soft little tribble up his other arm, tickling the hair under his armpit, then up his forearm to his wrist, to his long fingers. He writhed and moaned again. Then I slid it down, to his chest to his other arm, up to the fingers.

God, we could do this all evening, just this. However I knew it was starting to be too much for him.

I decided to finally pull off his trousers. In the meantime I rested the little ball of fur on his belly, watched as it moved across his body on its own. I say, move, because I don't know how the tribble propelled itself. Walked? I don't know. I smiled at that. Meanwhile, I busied myself with divesting Spock of the rest of his uniform, especially his underwear.

I heard his voice, very high pitched, very soft, suddenly say, "Leonard. I need a release. Touch me."

"Where?" I asked.

"You know where," he gasped.

"No...I don't know," I teased. I slid the fluffy tribble down his hips, avoiding his penis, then down one of his legs, all the while hearing his moans get louder. Then I moved it down to his feet. As as I tickled them, he jerked them, nearly kicking me in the face. "Careful," I chuckled.

"My apologies," he panted.

"Shhhh." I moved up his other leg, again avoiding his cock then down the other leg, to the other foot. He seemed to be beyond caring what I thought or whoever heard in the next cabin and was starting to moan even louder. "For fuck's sake, be quiet...Jim might hear you," I shushed him.

"Leonard," he repeated. "I need a release."

"When I get good and ready, Spock."

"Leonard."

"I want you to beg," I insisted.

He paused and said very softly: "Leonard, I cannot. I fear...I fear...I am losing my dignity."

Dignity? Dignity? That’s a laugh. "Spock, you and I both left our dignity at the door when we decided to use these Runes. Now,” I said. “Do what I wish or you won't get anything."

"What…what…” He still couldn’t form a sentence without stuttering apparently. “What…"

"Beg me," I demanded. And smiled. Like the devil himself. "Go on. I want to hear you beg. Now."

"Leonard..."

I picked up the tribble and held it away from him. "Beg me, or you get nothing."

"Leonard..." Flex..

"Do it!" I demanded.

"Please, give me a release," he said. "Please." I paused and looked at him. He groaned: "Please."

I chuckled. "That was very nice of you to ask. Thy’la.” Now. I decided to end his misery. However, at this point, I was unsure. Do I touch his cock with the tribble? Is this crossing the line into bestiality? Do I dare? Who cares? I went ahead and set the tribble back down onto his belly.

I watched my darling little tribble move on its own, slowly, down to his thigh. It moved very close to the vicinity of his black pubic hair. As I saw him once again flex against the restraints, It gave me a thrill to see how he was powerless to do anything to help the situation, he could not touch himself or me, as bound up as he was. His arms flexed again and I heard him groan even louder. "Do you like that sensation, Spock?" I cooed. So did my little tribble.

"Yes..."

"Tell me how much you like my tribble, or I pick it back up."

"I like your tribble a great deal," he gasped.

“A ‘great deal’ doesn’t sound very logical my dear Mister Spock,” I chuckled.

I rewarded him, by picking up my dear little tribble, and rubbing her soft little fur onto the length of his penis.

He jerked his head back and came instantly with a strangled cry out, his cock jerking hard and shooting a large amount of wetness onto his stomach. As all of this was going on, he managed to free an arm, ostensibly to reach for me, but instead brought it down viciously onto my face, effectively punching my lights out.

I flew off the bed and collapsed onto the deck along with the bedclothes into a tangled heap.

I believe was actually out for a few seconds, maybe a few minutes... I don't know. "Shit..." I muttered in a daze as I dabbed at my eye.

"Are you injured? I cannot see you." He felt around for me, till I sat up and grabbed his hand.

"Damn lunatic." I untied his other arm and took off his blindfold.

"I have injured you, Leonard." He noticed, eyes wide and fingers reaching out to touch my face. "I apologize."

Laughing hysterically I said, "I guess that's what I get for tying you up!" I could feel the spreading warmth on my face where it was starting to swell up.

"You should have it attended to in sickbay."

"What? Now? Are you kidding me? I have my kit here. I'll take care of it...later." I took the tribble off of Spock's belly. "Good girl," I cooed at it, kissed my tribble and laid it very carefully on the bedside table.

I reached over, grabbed a towel to mop up Spock’s belly and to pick up the new lube Spock had made up the other day.

I opened the tube and allowed the scent of the lovely spices to waft though my nose. "Now..." I commanded as I looked down at my still very prominent erection. "Flip over, Spock..."

"Doctor McCoy."

"Hmmmm?" I looked up directly into the face of Geoffrey M'Benga.

"You were a million light-years away just now."

I looked around the deck 7 science lab and to where I was standing, at my microscope studying slides of the various flora and fauna found on Celus IV.

I chuckled at him and touched my eye. It still hurt from last night.


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"Morning Jim." I nodded politely at the captain as he joined me in the lift.

"Hi Bones." He graced me with the biggest smile I`d ever seen from him. "Coming up to the bridge?"

"Yeah, why not?" We rode on in silence for a few moments.

"Wonder where Spock is this morning," Jim said casually. "I didn't see him at breakfast."

I grew quiet for a moment, suddenly found myself searching inward, found myself replying: "He's in the hydroponics lab." My eyes widened. How the hell did I know that? Spock hadn't told me where he was going this morning before his shift. "He will be present on the bridge in four point three minutes," I added, succinctly.

"Oh," said Jim. "Thanks." He studied me. Then he said, again very casually: "I've missed playing chess with him, but he's been rather…you know. Busy."

I was getting sick of this already. "Jim," I said. "Do you remember our conversation from the other day? I meant what I'd said before. Spock and I are sleeping together. Okay?"

He laughed. Laughed! "Bones…please."

"Jim!" I insisted. What the hell was his damn problem? Was he that obtuse? My voice getting a little louder, I snapped: "Jim...listen to me... I'm not joking!"

Just then, the lift doors opened up to the bridge.

And...right before walking out, Jim turned to me and hissed into my ear: "Don't you think I already… fucking know that… LEONARD?"

With his face this close to mine, I could see the pain radiating from his eyes.

I gaped at him, stunned. I watched him turn on his heel and exit curtly, leaving me gaping in his wake. I felt about four centimeters tall.

I stumbled over, punched the button to close the lift doors and immediately rode back down to the Sickbay.



---------------------------



I entered Spock's quarters after a long thirteen hour shift. Still absolutely seething. "Spock!"

"I am in the shower," he called out, calmly. I already knew that, but I didn't want to know that.

I stalked into his bathroom. "Jim knows!"

"If you will be patient, Leonard, I shall discuss that with you when I have completed my ablutions. Unless you wish to join me in the shower."

"No. I do not wish to join you in the shower, Spock!" I stalked out of the bathroom and went over to Spock's desk to dig around for his data-chip. I needed some eye drops; my eyes were killing me. "Where the hell's your fucking chip, Spock?"

He came out and stood behind me. "Where it usually is. Right here." He picked it up and handed it to me. Glaring daggers at him I made a selection from the stores.

When I turned around again, I realized that Spock was completely nude. I found myself lost in thought, staring at his body, then becoming highly aroused. Then remembered I was still angry. I pulled my scanner out of my medi-kit and aimed it at him. I looked at it and frowned. His heart rate was slightly elevated. Was that because I was here with him, or was it because of some other reason...

"I want some answers out of you. Everyone on this ship is acting bizarrely," I snapped. "You, Jim. Especially me. I don't feel like myself. I've been having strange dreams. I'm also obsessing about sex with you. When I'm supposed to be on duty, I'm fantasizing about you."

"Fascinating."

I paced the length of the cabin, pausing once in awhile to shoot a glare at him. "No it's not 'fascinating'. Worrying is what it is. I'm slowly not being able to function properly. And… what's worse, I can sense where you are in the ship. I can feel your location, without you telling me where you`re going. How do I know that, Spock?"

He didn't answer me.

"Spock! What the hell is going on with you? Jim already knows about us."

"Of course," he replied. My eyes widened as he continued: "You are aware that Jim's quarters are right next door."

"He can hear us. I figured that. He was telling me as much in an indirect way. Probably because you make so much goddamn noise in bed--"

"As do you."

I studied Spock. He seemed very unconcerned about it all. He pulled me into his arms.

"Don't you care?" I tried to pull away from him but he held on very tightly. And when Spock held me tightly there was no getting away.

"Am I concerned that the captain knows about us? No," he replied calmly.

There was something that had been bugging me all day, and now was the time to confront him about it. "Spock? There's something going on...between...you and Jim. Isn't there."

"We have more Runes to get through," he replied.

I finally managed to push him away from me. "Were you lovers?" I asked. Then I realized... "Wait a minute....you still are. Is that it? Am I right? I get to have you just until these Runes are over and done with, then he gets to have you back. Isn't that right? Mister Spock?" I found myself screaming at him. "Isn't that right, you fucking bastard--"

"Calm yourself, Doctor."

"Why is your heart rate and adrenalin up?"

"Time grows short," he said.

My hands flew up. I felt myself starting to panic. "If I didn't know better I would swear you're slipping into pon farr again."

"Take a shower," he ordered. His eyes flashed in anger.

"No!" I shouted. "Answer me! You're conveniently using me to satisfy your sexual urges, good thing I found these Runes. Huh? No wonder you were so keen on using them with me!"

"Take a shower. Now is not the time for this discussion."

"No." I said defiantly. "I will not. You bastard! Why didn't you tell me about Jim?"

"Leonard," he said softly, pulling me close again and bringing a hand up to caress my hair. "I am not his lover. I will explain many things to you, however, now is not the time. We have another Rune to get though, which we must do, before 2400. Do you understand?" I stared a long time at him. I found myself calming down and capitulating. "Fine," I said. "I'll take a damn shower." I went towards the bathroom.


------------------------



I entered Spock's quarters.

I knew he wasn't there. I knew he was still up on the bridge. I tried not to think about him though. I took the opportunity to finish some work at his terminal and slowly finish writing some of my overdue reports.

After about an hour of this my eyes started to go buggy. I'd spent too long in the sickbay and now I was pushing it. Before I signed off, I noticed something on the right hand side of the monitor. Labeled `The Runes`.

I hesitated, then clicked on it.

And read.

And read

And read some more.

My blood went cold at what I'd read but I forced myself to finish the document.

Stumbling up, my mind reeling, I closed down the monitor and went to bed trying to process the information.

Somehow, I must have dozed off. Because a short while later my eyes shot open.

I knew he was in the corridor outside. The doors swooshed, he entered, walked over and sat down at the foot of the bed. I continued to lay there for awhile, eyes closed, wanting to ask him about what I'd read. Wondering if he'd knew I'd seen it. Expecting him any minute to say something, to join me in bed. I wondered if he knew I wasn't asleep.

But, he just sat there.

Staring into nothingness.

I propped up onto my elbows and caught a glimpse of him in the low light, sitting there at the foot of the bed, still in uniform.

He continued to just sit there. "Spock?" I attempted, very softly.

He behaved as if he hadn't heard me and kept staring off. This was totally unlike him. "Spock?" I said a little louder. He turned to me, shocked, for an instant, his normal control slipped.

For an instant I saw in his eyes…cold fear.

Then the control was back, like nothing had happened. He said nothing to me. He just sat there. I was at a loss as to what I should do. Do I comfort him, or not? I wanted to ask him about the document. But something held me back.

"Spock?" I ventured again.

After a few more long moments of silence, I made a decision.

I shifted to sit behind him and simply... put my arms around him.


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END OF PART V