Hello everyone! Hopefully, I'm not doing any mistakes with the upload now. This is the first time that I'm writing something so long (it isn't, actually, but in this case it is, because it's not written in my mother tongue) in English and I hope there are not that much mistakes so you'll be spared from the pain in your eyes. I really hope this is not too bad. I'm kinda afraid haha. I've also uploaded this little piece on Tumblr so... yeah. Enjoy? :)

Obeying the Rules

The silence in James flat seemed to swallow any noises since he didn't even realize the sound of the bathroom door, which had closed behind him. The only thing he noticed was the quite hum of the small table lamp near his boyfriend. Khan sat on the couch, straight back and without moving half an inch. James knit his brows and finally shaking his head when he turned and went into the kitchen. He was tired and felt seriously exhausted – taking leave was the best decision he could have made. At least if Khan wouldn't challenge him every day – mentally as well as physically – this much.

James smirked when he brought a bottle of water from the kitchen. He would never think of complaining about that physically business. Not in his whole lifetime, but yet, after a distinct shower he felt heavily drained. All he just wanted was lying close beside Khan and closing his eyes for getting some rest.

He yawned loudly when he left the kitchen, but before he could enter the living room a cute sounding growl in front of his feet caught his attention. James stopped and looked down at the small Tribble family on the ground. They didn't move and if they wouldn't have done any noises James surely would have treaded on them. James sighted, bent down and grabbed the two of them – he didn't want to know where all the others had to be. For once he was just too tired for taking care of anything in his flat – even for taking care of the Tribbles.

The big brown one and the tiny, white offspring started purring when they sat on James' arm – still without moving. "Khan", James addressed his boyfriend with a subtle laugh. Once he reached the couch, standing behind the older man, he placed the bigger Tribble on Khan's shoulders. As soon as it huddled up to the man's neck it purred even louder. Its whole body vibrated through this sound. James could see how it helped his friend to relax. James heard him sigh – it was just a soft noise, he almost didn't noticed it – and when he sat by his site, Khan already leaned back against the soft fabric of the couch.

While Khan took the Tribble off of his shoulder, James put the bottle down on the ground and smiled weary at the other man. "You should get rid of them", he said amused. He lifted the white Tribble cub for making clear what he was speaking of. Not that he wouldn't like them as a pet, but he'd clearly no time and no space for them through their extremely fast reproduction. He didn't need hundreds or even thousands of Tribbles.

"Why should I?", Khan retorted in a low, calm voice – it made James plain that he didn't wanted an answer. He answered anyway.

"Seriously? I don't want them in my flat. I agreed to one or two of them not to the offspring of their offspring of… their offspring's offspring." Khan looked at him with an unreadable expression. "… You know what I mean", added the younger man with a mutter. "One day I'll come home, open the door and will be welcomed by an overwhelming amount of that wool. Dead wool, mind you." He poked the small animal with the pointer of his spare hand whereby it started purring happily. Cute, little things. Anyway.

James looked back to Khan and recognized that he petted the Tribble with lots of determination. "Look, they are not even doing anything. They're so sluggish. Why do you need a bunch, an army of Tribbles?"

"Stop complaining, James", Khan muttered with his bass voice. It sent chills up James' spine. "I will care about them, but not today anymore."

James grimaced. If there would only be a way of spaying and neutering them so the Tribbles wouldn't be able to increase their herd. "Yeah, not today and not tomorrow and at the end of the we-"

"I said stop that", Khan interrupted him, grabbing at his chin and made it impossible for James going ahead speaking. "Just stop it. You're tired."

The younger man opened his mouth, starred at his boyfriend dumbfounded, closed it again and mumbled something opaque.

"I am tired, of course", he admitted that Khan was right about it, "but that doesn't blow these fucking Tribbles off, Khan." James pretended being sulky when he placed his bare feet on the other's lap. "And now, put them away and sacrifice yourself for your exhausted captain." Since Khan didn't move so fast, James poked him with his toes in the thigh. "It's an order, Commander. You have to obey the rules."

Now, it was him who could see the smugly grin which appeared on Khan's face. "You of all people talking about obeying rules, Captain?", he asked in a low voice, finally he raised his eyes and returned his gaze. James didn't show his surprise, but kept his poker face. After a moment he let himself sink deeper into the couch. "We're not at work so you don't have to obey orders, okay, but move your lovely ass, anyway."

It needed a moment but in the end, Khan put the Tribbles away and laid himself beside James. When James talked about putting the animals away he wasn't talking about hand them to me. But now, the purring Tribbles were sitting on his chest he couldn't help, but laughed softly. He would watch his language but he chuckled about his lover and his attraction to these animals – it was something really cute.

James turned his head to Khan and smiled at him. "What was so difficult about it?" He teased the older man a little and put one arm around him. His hand lay on his back where he caressed him sluggishly. With his other hand he tenderly petted the older Tribble. Instead of an answer, James felt soft lips in his own. "Hmm", he muttered against them before he returned the kiss. A strong hand found its way into his hair, stroked and pulled at it – not in a rough way but gently. James had to take care not dropping out immediately, because the lovingly treatment lulled him more and more to sleep; he even got more tired as he already was.

"Khan", mumbled the young man into their kiss, eyes closed; his hand laid already motionless on his back. The only response he got was an Hmm, in a deep craggy voice. He could feel the vibration in his own chest; a shiver ran down his spine. He had to yawn again and pulled his face away from Khan, who seemed to make use of their broken kiss and placed his head on James' shoulder. The entire time, he had thought he were the only one who was tired like hell – almost too tired for taking a shower – but it seemed that Khan wasn't more awake either. Khan's hand slid out of his hair and just locked his arm around his neck. "Night", he whispered in James ear.

"Hmm mh", he replied very unclear and not understandable, which meant Good night. He didn't want to open his mouth again; he was just too tired. Sleep was everything he wanted now, since Khan was also exhausted.

When James woke up the next morning – the sunshine of the rising luminary already lightened the living room – the first thing he noticed was a collective purring. Dear God, no, James thought right before he slowly opened one eye; this cooing was a very – very – bad omen.

"No!", he moaned when he got his proof. James closed his eye right away and whined. "Put them away, Khan. Just… put them away!"

Khan, who was already awake for a long time, disgruntle stared at him. "Also a good morning to you", he replied. James watched how he grabbed one of the almost two dozen Tribbles, which he placed on his chest – the rest lay on his stomach or in some gaps between them both. Or on the ground, James noticed. "Say good morning to them", Khan said to him. James looked at him flabbergasted. "No", he repeated, when he found his voice again. "No. No. Khan. No. Get rid of them. You can't be serious." His boyfriend laughed briefly. "Probably you were right – I couldn't even see you until a couple of them fell from you to the ground. You should've seen you face." And now, the smugly smirk was back on Khan's handsome face.