The rest of the night and morning is spent in a light, restless doze. It's not just the shifting of their bodies but their minds against one another that rouses them every so often.
Spock is able to shrug the sensation off more soundly but for Nyota the movement inside her head is like waking up to a whole other sense. As much as it tires her, the feeling also thrills her with the same enthusiasm that an infant would have at learning how to sit up or crawl.
In the encasement of her sleep, their dreams merge and sensations blur into a deep sense of buoyancy. Against his chest, Nyota feels buoyed above the vast ocean of space, nothing but a massive, shapeless void engulfing her until Spock moves and sends a wave of color across her mind's eye like a nebula in bloom. It was more than glorious, it was heaven.
But as always the other shoe had to drop and Spock opens his big mouth to spoil her rapture.
" Nyota. It is nearly time to leave to report for work." he informs her, rubbing a hand at her back.
She ignores his warning and instead concentrates on the small circles his drawing over her skin with the tip of his fingers.
" Nyota?"
" I heard you." she murmurs giving in a bit to the responsibility that riding them both. " I just don't want to go."
" The feeling is mutual, as you know."
" Then why are you bothering me about the time instead up prepping yourself up? I don't see you making any moves to get out of bed." she accuses playfully.
When he rolls them over and rises from the bed, Nyota groans in defeat as her teasing backfires on her. " No, no, no! Come back Spock! Please! Dammit! Get back here." she orders him with a whine.
Spock shakes off her grip as she tries fruitlessly to drag him back into the bed by his leg, sending mirth tickling at their ribs. " We shall be late."
" Late, shmate. Get back in the bed! If we start now we can still report for processing with time to spare."
Spock gives a heated look over his shoulder as he draws out his clothing from the dresser. " Are you trying to bribe me?"
She glances down at the sheets coquettishly and pulls at the duvet beneath her. " Bribe you? I wouldn't say that my affection is a bribe. Could anything that's freely given be a bribe?"
Spock studies her for a moment before replacing his clothing. Quietly, Nyota swallows and runs her tongue over her lips as he slowly starts towards her with a look that bores into her. " Bribe, to persuade an action in one's favor, usually in an underhanded or covert fashion, by a gift…" he croons with his head tilted to the side.
He stops at the foot of the bed and watches her flop back onto the mattress in a manner no doubt meant to entice him. "...a gift of money, merchandise or other temptations…"
She bites her bottom lip to stifle her laughter but shivers with a hum as he runs his hand across her bare belly. He traces the light spilling in through the blinds that fall across her skin, following the path they highlight along her torso. When his fingers glance across the slope of her hipbone, his eyes widen at the sound of her gasping. " By definition, you are bribing me, Nyota."
His hand closes over her hip and strokes against the velvety exchange there with the pad of his thumb. She can vaguely feel him considering what to do, calculating time and weighing consequences if he forsakes caution and indulges himself once more. His ambivalent hesitation teases out a smile out of her.
Spock could make all manner of things adorable, even making out. A huffy little grunt leaves his lips at the insinuation but makes no further protest. He's too distracted, too enthralled with the idea of joining them once more. Residual feelings born out of last night coupling sinks in through his fingers and make her squirm just as much as when she first felt them.
" Spock." she whispers. Spock snaps his eyes up towards her face and pins her place with a look makes her clench. Placing her hand tightly over his, Nyota meets his eyes with her own and lowers her lids coyly. " Consider this a gift."
The muscle in his jaw twitches as he wars with the joy of having her and duty but before she can try and wrestle him free from the pressure of having to choose, his large frame is caging her against the bed, reminding her of just a few hours earlier. " We risk being late." he says staring down at her.
Nyota turned her head against the pillow and watches him through the hair that lands over her face. " A risk, I believe, we can both agree is worth taking. Better yet, a gift worth receiving, not a bribe, darling."
Spock narrows his eyes as he sniffs at her scent and that of her arousal while muting the growl reverberating inside his chest. " You give as a gift but for this one you have always been a temptation." he rasps as his closes his mouth over hers.
They're not late but neither did they rush.
Back aboard the Yorktown
Nyota smiles to herself as she monitors the progress of her communications team, listening to M'Ress and Hawkins jovially punch through subspace calls and video feed while trying and failing to flirt covertly between calls. Nyota lets them slide out of empathy and, if she were being honest, out of the entertainment value. Listening to the Jr. Lieutenant trying to purr out a traditional Caitian compliment towards his fellow crew member was just too rich to pass up. Besides, he was actually making some leeway with the tawny coated miss.
The turbolifts opens but she barely glances over to the figure she knows is there. His steps a steady and even, boots tapping with a light air about them. You'd never knew he once had a staggering limp, never know that behind his crisp blue tunic lies a silvery gash running from his side to his pelvis.
She knows though and every day of recovery was worth the pain. When he crosses the bridge to give a nod to the captain, Nyota knows he does so in genuine contentment. He's put himself back together and everything has fallen in place. Lt. Darwin's voice sails above the chatter of beeps, clicks and whistles as she greets the first officer from her post in navigation.
He pauses near her and tells her something in hush tones that makes her sniffle. " Thank you, sir. Pavel wasn't just a boyfriend...he was my best friend."
Nyota doesn't turn around to see how Spock reacts to her grief of losing Chekov but his words are delivered in a heavy timbre. " I grieve with thee."
" Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."
The commander resumes his rounds while making his inspection, a PADD in hand only to convey consoles and machinery in need of a re-eval and reconfiguration to engineering. His steps come closer and Nyota spies his hand extending out towards her console. A small clink issues from his fingers and when he withdraws his hand she sees the earrings she had been searching for earlier that morning.
She looks up towards his face just in time to see the ghost of a smile cross his face as he goes over towards his station. He leans over and taps in his co sign and Starfleet number into the console to bring the science station online.
Nyota tilts her head in the direction of his backside and smirks as she threads on her neon green hoops. She couldn't wait for that evening, had been bouncing in her seat at the very thought of it but she tears her eyes away from Spock's butt to go through all her duties.
It's the day of their maiden voyage but a different sort of Christening is happening on the observation deck tonight courtesy of Jim and his everlasting loyalty towards to the two of them.
Spock peers over at her in a look she knows to mean her excitement is bubbling over onto him. He's not upset or even bothered, just merely amused by her giddiness over their wedding just hours away. Though she doesn't hear it the words soon come to mind as he stares at her before abandoning his post to stand at the side of their Captain.
If you had asked her five years again where she imagined herself, she wouldn't have thought to say about to be married to the first officer, promoted for bravery and exhibiting courage in the line of duty and the happiest that she's ever been serving aboard the Enterprise.
" Lieutenant Commander. Commander. Everything good to go in science and communications?"
" Affirmative, Captain." Spock replies, slowly coming to attention.
" Second that. Scotty out did himself with the retrofitting! This buttons on this console move smoother than a baby's bottom."
She sees Spock give her a quick blink of exasperation at her phrasing but nod his head in agreement. " The upgrades are very much a welcome sight and long overdue. I have noted only 18 consoles in need of review."
" Agh, a simple thank you woulda been enough, sir." Scott pipes in passing on his way to the next machine. " No appreciation. I canna get one thank you, for keeping us up and running with what I was given on this mission and now that the Enterprise has her nacelles polished and her decks all done up, all of ye wannu take her away from me or still complain that I don't have her looking and running like the jewel we know she is! Leave meh lass alone, ya curmudgeon!"
Spock's eyes flutter and his brow raises gracefully in surprise. Scotty swallows and shrugs off his sudden ire and sheepishly gives a salute. " Sir. Far be it from me to wag my tongue at you on your wedding day."
" At your posts, you three. This get the ship up and outta here. Lt. Commander, please alert Yorktown we're prepared for departure. Lt. Darwin confirm our course for heading 613 mark 421. Mr. Spock you have the con. I have a wedding to prepare for."
Aye ayes calls out from each corner of the bridge as the crew there sets itself to work while their Captain leaves the bridge.
In the flurry of activity, Nyota coordinates the ship's departments for departure, before giving her final hail to the Yorktown base for permission to undock. Once granted, her grip tightens on the edge of her console as the ship bobs free of its tethers.
She sees Spock from the corner of her eye, turn in his chair and lean forward towards Hikaru. " Mr. Sulu prepare for launch and for go on my mark."
" Aye, Commander." Sulu replies, engaging the inertia dampeners. A new photo replaces the old one of Demora, one with the whole family looking charming and happy. She doesn't know how he convinced Kirk, Spock or Scotty to let him down it but Hikaru also has a small potted fern, her fern's progeny on the top of helm station. She chuckles to herself quietly and thinks to name it Groot and tease Sulu with the name Rocket. It's almost fitting actually.
" Ready for your mark, Commander."
A dry sort of static races up her arm along with a pulling tide of...grief, followed up quickly with a wave of amusement. She turns her chair towards Spock and sees that he's already watching her. He was thinking of his former Captain, his friend and countless others but he was remembering them the way that he came to care about them.
Not everyone that they knew had made it up to this point but in their time away and their coming back together Spock made it his commitment, a new mission of sorts to live his life to the fullest in their remembrance. She can feel that he thinks they would have approved, his mother, Pike, Chekov and countless others and that he had stepped out of the shadow of Val-pak and taken time to stand in the sun.
A warm blush of affection curls up from her middle and reflects back her own. Spock's excited about the events of the day as well, eager to tackle the mysteries of the universe with her as his wife by his side. He's happy to live again and they made him that way.
Turning back to the screen and observation port, Spock leans back in the Captain's chair and steeples his fingers and lifts a brow in humor. " Punch it."
A/N: Ahhh, as JJ Abrams would say " I'm in love that they're in love." This is what I wanted to have happen...kinda...more sex really and a Vulcan wedding as well but yeah I wanted A wedding at least on this voyage! Thanks everyone for the pms, reviews and just reading my stuff in general, I've been plagued with RL going ons and sickness so I haven't been able to work as much. That and I dropped my phone. Busted up that sucker good, homes. I didn't include the wedding scene because of I was going to include the wedding night which TOTALLY wouldn't have been T rated so that will have to be heavily contested for by you all and a written up one shot/add on by me. I tried my best and probably failed at keeping it totally T rated but hey I tried. Thank you so much for reading and I hope to go back and edit this puppy after I get done with Between two suns. Live Long and Prosper, buddies.
