Disclaimer: You know the drill .Not mine ,broke and all that.
Christine stretched lazily, relaxed and content; she watched the flames in the little firepot. Faint music drifted into the night air thru the open cabin door.
Behind her she heard footstep lightly approaching. She smiled welcomingly at her visitor. "The music's not carrying to far is it?" she asked.
"It is not." Spock answered. "He held a bottle out to her label first. "Doctor McCoy sent this for you."
She grinned recognizing his favorite brand. The three men were sharing a nearby cabin and Spock had taken to visiting her in the afternoons.
"Join me?" she asked.
"I will get the glasses." He said before disappearing into the cabin.
He returned quickly handing her an ice filled glass. He pulled his chair closer to her chaise, filling both there glasses with the amber liquid before setting the bottle down on the deck between them.
"So what are Len and the captain up too? "she inquired .
"Fishing .However as they are on their second bottle of bourbon not much is being accomplished."
She laughed and they fell into a companionable silence. Since his rebirth Spock seemed so much more relaxed in her presence. Their previously uneasy friendship had begun to slowly deepen.
She watched the fire unaware he was watching her. As he refilled their glasses, he caught himself watching her. The way the flames danced off of her face and hair, and how pretty she was in the moonlight.
He was becoming increasingly frustrated by his inability to move past friendship. He had somehow become firmly entrenched in the" friend zone" as he had once heard Sulu refer to it.
He had accepted McCoy's gift of the bourbon even though he was not sure how it was supposed to help. Surely McCoy did not intend for him to get her drunk? Perhaps he was the one who was supposed to become intoxicated .On his third glass, he did feel rather relaxed.
Impulsively he reached out and took her hand in his.
She turned to him startled. "Are you aware that every time I touch you your heart races. "he murmured.
"Well I do like you Mr. Spock." she said blushing.
He still held her hand and now he was absentmindedly rubbing it with his thumb. She wanted to pull it away but she was afraid she'd hurt his feelings.
He looked at her uncertainly .She was frowning, just the tiniest of expressions, her brows drawn together. The expression aroused him as much as it confused him.
"Spock what are you doing?" she asked gently disentangling her hand from his. He reached out and recaptured it holding it firmly. "I remember everything." he said softly. "That you once loved me."
"I still love you." she whispered back "I'm just not a silly young girl anymore.'
"I do not believe you were ever silly.' He answered. Then because it seemed the appropriate time to do so, he leaned forward and kissed her. It was a simple kiss undemanding but more than a kiss meant for a friend. He felt her surprise through their clasped hands, mixed with confusion and pleasure at the feel of his mouth on hers.
"Oh Spock Why now?" she cried as he ended the kiss.
"After my experiences with Gol and Vger I began to regret many things. There is much I wish I had done differently. I wished I had pursed a relationship with you. "
Now it was his heart that was racing .He could not judge her reaction. Her emotions were tumultuous and indecipherable and the faint frown still marked her features. He was starting to wonder if he had erred in expressing himself.
"Do you love me?" she asked.
"I do not know." he replied honestly. "Love is not something I know how to quantify."
"It's not just sex you want?" she asked .She could feel the tension in him, wondered if that was the source of it.
He allowed himself the briefest of smiles. "Sex would be desirable but it is not necessarily what I am seeking. My next Ponn Farr is not expected in the near future .It has not factored into my reasoning."
She took another swallow of her drink, letting it burn its way down her throat, spreading warmth across her chest." How do you know I'm not already in a relationship?"
"I do not believe you would have spent the past week alone in your cabin if you were. Also I asked Doctor McCoy. "
She took another sip of bourbon Len was in for a long talk about privacy in the future.
He relaxed as the frown slowly faded away. As appealing as the expression was he did not know what it meant. Thankfully she had not tried to pull her hand away.
"Do you think it worked? "McCoy asked
"I don't know." Kirk replied. They had both been surreptitiously watching the other cabin for signs of movement ever since Spock headed that way hours ago.
"Well I hope so .That was the last bottle in the good stash .I'd hate to see it wasted." He grumbled.
McCoy had been both surprised and flattered when Spock had come to him for advice on how to further his relationship with the ex-nurse.
"Well" Kirk sighed "If that cabin is like ours then that is the bedroom and it doesn't look like anyone's in there."
McCoy exhaled noisily "So you wanna go over there and keep them company?"
"May as well." Kirk agreed. "The fish are asleep anyway."
They trudged up the path dragging their bottle with them, glasses in hand. Kirk could hear music faintly as he turned the corner. Next he heard soft feminine sounds and Spocks answering voice, low and murmuring.
He did not know enough Vulcan to know what was being said but Christine's half of the conversation was fairly easy to puzzle out.
"Never mind. "Kirk said as McCoy clumsily bumped into him.
McCoy's eyes widened as the voices drifted over to his hearing. He grinned "We'll come back later."
They turned around and trudged back the way they came Christine's soft moans following them out into the night.
Spock reappeared the next morning looking fairly innocent.
"Want some coffee?" Kirk offered.
"I have already had some." He replied "I must speak to Doctor McCoy .Privately" he added as Kirk started to follow him inside.
The Vulcan came out a few minutes later his pack slung over his shoulder going back in the other cabins direction. McCoy came out grinning. "Well we've lost a roommate "he said happily.
"So I see." Kirk uttered "but why all the secrecy?"
"Oh that." McCoy laughed gleefully "He had a bug bite. " McCoy paused still giggling. "On his ass."
Kirks laughter joined McCoy's.
My take on the typical cabin in the woods story. Now i need a stuck in a cave /crashed shuttle story.