A/N: yay! new chappie! enjoy!
Chapter 11: Playful
"Thank you, Captain," Aaron grinned, shaking hands with Kirk as he stood in Medical Bay, the crew of the Kobayashi Maru not conscious and standing around them, ready to leave the ship as Kristine and McCoy stood a few feet away. "You saved our lives. I really can't thank you enough."
"Sure you can, and you just did," Kirk grinned back, patting the man's back as he turned him to the door leading into the hallway. "I don't wanna hear any more thank yous on our way to the hangar bay, alright?"
"Alright," Aaron nodded, letting the other man lead him through the doors, his crew following…all except one.
Jared started after the crew then stopped and looked back at Kristine and McCoy, seeming to figure out what he should do. He hustled toward the doctors, making McCoy step a little closer to Kristine as she frowned in wonder at him when he came up to her, grinning like an idiot.
"I wanna thank you two for your great doctoring," he smiled, glancing from McCoy to Kristine several times before looking at Kristine. "It was really appreciated, trust me."
"Well, that's our job," Kristine smiled nervously with a small shrug.
"You sure you won't reconsider that dinner?" he hoped, and Kristine heard McCoy give a subtle, but audible growl in his throat. The sound made Jared frown at him as Kristine's eyes shifted nervously.
"Jared," she called, drawing his attention back to her, which is where she wanted it, not at the increasingly angered McCoy, "If I weren't already seeing someone, I might have taken you up on that offer."
She shocked both men when she stepped closer to McCoy and slid her arms around him, leaning her head on his chest as she still looked at the man in front of her. Jared was giving the most confused frown he was sure he'd ever given and McCoy couldn't believe her blatant show of affection when anyone could have walked in looking for this guy in front of them. Deciding not to question her he simply let his shock subside and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, giving Jared a triumphant smirk.
"O-Oh," Jared breathed, glancing between them again. "I…I didn't know…"
"I know," Kristine smiled, pulling away from McCoy's embrace, much to his chagrin. "I'm sorry."
"No, it's ok," he smiled, but she could see the disappointment in his eyes. "I should've figured a pretty thing like you was taken already." He shrugged and started toward the door. "Thanks again, really. If you ever need anything, look me up."
Kristine only nodded, afraid to say anything that might make her reveal the empathetic lump in her throat at his obvious disappointment. Once he was out the door and out of sight she sighed and turned to McCoy.
"I feel really bad about that," she murmured, stepping around him to head to the computer.
"Why?" McCoy wondered honestly, following her as she sat down in the chair.
"I didn't wanna hurt him like that," she admitted, sitting back in the chair and swaying it from side to side. "He seems like a nice guy, really."
"Oh, sure, flirting with you makes him a nice guy, I'm sure," McCoy retorted, heading toward his desk.
"Ah, that's right, I'd forgotten all about that feeling you had about him when he asked me out," she shot back, sitting up to start working on something on the computer.
"It wasn't that," he argued from his chair and she stopped her work to look at him with a skeptical glare. "Alright, it wasn't just that." She rolled her eyes and turned back to her work. "I'm telling you, Kris, there's something about that guy."
"Well he's off the ship now," she replied, not looking from the screen. "So you don't have to worry about him anymore."
"Yeah," he hummed, leaning back in his chair, one arm on the surface of his desk as he leaned sideways on it, looking around the Sick Bay in boredom, Kristine hard at work. "What are you doing?"
"Looking up some of the things we might encounter on this planet that'll have everyone in here after shore leave," she smirked, not looking from the screen. "No doubt anyone rolling around in the plant-life will come back with something we'll have to take care of."
McCoy smirked, not being able to keep from saying it as he stood and walked toward her. She didn't look from the screen as he came up next to her and leaned close to her ear to murmur, "You mean if we start rolling around in the plant-life, don't you?"
Kristine's hands faltered on the keyboard before she gave a breathy scoff and replied, "Very funny, Leo."
"You're blushing, Kris," he smirked, nuzzling her face just below her ear.
"N-No I'm not!" she couldn't help but giggle and shrug to get him to stop, but that only made him smirk wider.
"And now you're lying," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her cheek before she lifted a hand and pushed on his shoulder, grinning like mad.
"I'm trying to do this," she giggled, pushing effortlessly on his shoulder as she still stared at the screen.
"You better not do this all the way to Capernium," he sighed, leaning a hand on the desk as he stood tall. "If you do, I might jump you when we get there."
"Ooh, I'm so afraid," Kristine retorted, still smiling and still not looking away from the screen."
"You should be," he smirked, leaning toward her ear again. "You haven't seen me in action yet."
"My God, Leonard! What hormones did you accidentally spill and inhale?!" Kristine squeaked, glancing at him as her blush turned to another shade of red.
"I think Jim slipped me something," McCoy admitted, standing tall again. "Then again, it could be you spilling out the hormones."
"Go find a cure for something," Kristine smiled slyly, trying to drop the conversation and he gave a chuckle before leaning down one last time to kiss her cheek again.
"I…" he trailed off, making her stop and finally look at him, a small smile on her lips. He shook is head and stood up to walk away but she frowned and caught his hand before he was out of reach. She knew what he was going to say and as he looked down at her, she still smiled and nodded her consent.
"You can say it," she voiced then added, playfully, "Maybe I'll surprise you one day and say it back."
"Well, until then," he smirked and bent down, leaning on the arms of the chair she was sitting in to bring his face close to hers and murmur, "I love you, Kris."
"I know," she smiled, feeling giddy as a school girl with a goofy grin on her face, but at the same time, her heart clenched at the fact that she couldn't bring herself to say it back. McCoy smirked and leaned forward to leave a tender kiss on her lips.
"All decks, prepare for launch," Spock's voice came from the overhead com.
McCoy stood tall to walk back to his desk as Kristine watched him the whole way, leaning on the desk she sat at. She made her decision then, that when they got to Capernium where the crew of the Enterprise would be taking a two day shore leave, she would tell him everything, whether she wanted to or not. He deserved that much if not more.
"You should take a break from that," he advised, startling her from her thoughts as he rummaged through his desk drawers for something. "It's almost lunch anyway. Take it early."
"What are you looking for?" she wondered with a frown, ignoring his suggestion and turning back to the computer to work.
"My pen," he muttered, not looking at her. "You can go. I'll catch up."
"I'm still doing research," she excused. "I can't just stop in the middle. I won't remember what I was doing."
"You have a better memory than I do," he smirked, but didn't stop rummaging through another door. "Just go eat."
"No," she blurted, turning a pout to him and that made him freeze and look up at her. She saw him staring at her out of the corner of her eye and decided to elaborate, admitting, "I don't wanna go without you. It feels weird not going to lunch or dinner without you."
He smiled when she stopped and looked at him before he said, "You can't do without me very long, can you?"
"I hardly made it through the days you were gone," she retorted with a cute shrug.
"Yeah, me too," he muttered, turning back to rummaging through his desk drawer.
Kristine smiled, widely as he grunted and growled, muttering curses under his breath before she saw noticed the lift doors open and saw Kirk stroll out. She instantly stood at attention making McCoy stop, frown at her then turn to see what she was looking at.
"I thought we were getting ready for the launch," he said, standing from his desk to step toward the captain. "What are you doing here, Jim?"
"Spock is driving me nuts," Kirk grumbled, plopping himself onto a bed and laying back with a loud sigh. "He won't take shore leave."
"And why would that drive you nuts?" McCoy wondered, stepping up next to the bed and waving at Kristine to sit down again before crossing his arms over his chest. "What do you care what he does with his time?"
"I don't know," Kirk muttered as Kristine sat at the computer again to work. "I just feel bad for him a little. Everyone else is taking their shore leave."
"Wait, Kristine, get the thermometer," McCoy ordered, hurriedly, slapping a hand on Kirk's forehead. "I think he's got a fever. He's actually feeling bad for someone."
"Oh, knock it off," Kirk snapped, shoving his friend's hand away as he sat up again and Kristine only giggled from her spot.
"Don't feel bad, Sir," she smiled, warmly. "As I see it, Commander Spock won't feel any good if he's not doing something productive. He wouldn't know what to do with shore leave."
"Hang on to this one, Bones," Kirk advised, jumping off the bed as he slapped his hand on the doctor's shoulder. "She knows us all better than we probably know ourselves. And she hasn't even spent a week here."
"That's a gift of hers," McCoy smirked back at her and she returned it. Kirk caught the exchange and gave a devious smile of his own as he walked toward the desk Kristine was working at to lean on it.
"You know," he murmured, leaning his head over the computer, "Bones over here is crazy about you. I can tell."
"I know," she smiled with a small shrug, as if it were common knowledge and Kirk frowned at her.
"You know?" he echoed.
"Yes," she nodded, still looking at the screen. "He told me." Glancing up at the captain and seeing the utter confusion on his face, she smiled widely as she leaned forward on an elbow, setting her chin in her hand and murmuring, "Thought you were gonna embarrass the good doctor, didn't you, Captain?"
"You were right, Jim," McCoy laughed, stepping up next to Kirk at the desk and crossing his arms over his chest. "She hasn't even spent a whole day with you and she knows you already." He turned a smirk to Kristine and complimented, "You got better at that."
Kirk stood and glanced between the two with a small scowl and muttered, "You two are taking your shore leave first."
"Why, thank you, Captain," Kristine smiled, turning back to the computer.
"I wouldn't take that as generosity," McCoy warned, making Kirk glare at him. The captain walked away without another word and McCoy couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head at the man as he marched out the doors to Sick Bay. "He can be such a child."
"Well, I hope you're satisfied," Kristine said, seriously. "Now the whole ship is going to know about you and me."
"And that's a problem?" McCoy frowned in wonder at her.
"No," she sighed. "I guess not. But it would have been nice to keep it secret a little while longer."
"I'm afraid you won't have that luxury on this ship," he smirked, stepping around the desk to stand behind her. "Everyone knows everyone's business here. Besides…" He placed his hands on her shoulders and began rubbing them, gently. "Everyone would have found out eventually since I can't keep my hands off you."
"You did fine until earlier," she sighed again, but didn't sit back from looking at the computer then scoffed, "And so did I until now." She placed her hands on his and turned around when he stopped rubbing her shoulders. "Let's go have lunch. I'm starving."
Mess Hall...
"What're you guys doing on your shore leave?" Kristine wondered, working on her food as she sat across from McCoy and Chekov with Tatiana next to her as they ate their own lunch.
"What's there to do on Capernium?" Tatiana asked back.
"There are plenty of dance houses," Chekov replied, making Kristine frown at him.
"I think you mean clubs," she corrected abut he shook his head at her.
"Nyet," he blurted. "They call them Dance Houses."
"Out of all the research you were doing earlier, you didn't find that out?" McCoy smirked and she glared at him, playfully.
"I wasn't looking up recreational spots, if you recall, Doctor," she retorted, and couldn't help what she did next, keeping up with the conversation.
"So, these Dance Houses," Tatiana cut in as Kristine inched her foot across toward McCoy's feet. "What kind of music do they play?"
"The local music is wery much like the music back home," Chekov replied as Kristine's toe tapped McCoy's. "Their dancing is different, though."
"How's that?" McCoy wondered, not feeling Kristine's foot tapping his as she lifted her foot, slowly.
"It resembles the dancing on Earth in the twentieth century," Chekov continued, then frowned at Kristine to ask, "What is word? Eto bylo v 1970-h godov…" (It was in the 1970s…)
"Disco," Kristine nodded for him, hooking her foot around McCoy's calf to rub it. He jumped, but didn't look up from his food as everyone looked at him, Kristine with a small smirk on her lips.
"Are you alright, Doctor?" Tatiana hoped with a frown.
"I'm fine," McCoy muttered lowly as Kristine continued rubbing her foot against his leg. "So the natives dance Disco, huh, kid?"
"Yes," Chekov nodded, still looking at McCoy warily, but said nothing else about why he jumped as he turned back to his food. "I may need assistance with it if we go to a Dance House."
"I'm sure you're a great dancer, Pavel," Tatiana smiled, widely as Kristine's foot started rubbing the back of McCoy's knee. He glanced at her as she sat forward a little on the edge of her chair to better reach him and she smiled a little wider when he swallowed, but she kept up with the conversation.
"Actually, Pavel is pretty light on his feet," she complimented, the toe of her boot now settled on the chair between McCoy's knees. "When he was younger and we played music in the house we used to call him, "Malen'kie Tantsovshchitsy.' Little Dancer."
"Sestra," Chekov whined at her, his cheeks suddenly pink as Tatiana gave a little giggle. "Dolzhny li vy smushchalo menya na glazah Tat'yany?" (Must you embarrass me in front of Tatiana?)
Tatiana and McCoy frowned at him then looked at Kristine as she raised a brow at him before leaning farther on the table to reply, "Rassmotret' yego okupaemosti dlya 'Biologiya Repetitor' istoriyu." (Consider it payback for the 'Biology Tutor' story.)
Chekov gave a pout as he sat back and picked at his food while Tatiana and McCoy still glanced between the two, reading their faces.
"Everything ok?" McCoy chanced to ask and Kristine only nodded, Chekov doing the same, mutely.
"So," Tatiana chirped, glancing around and changing the subject. "What are you going to do there, Kristine?"
"Certainly not roll around in the plant-life," McCoy couldn't help but mutter with a smirk before Kristine could answer. She shot her gaze at him as he only concentrated on his food and decided to teach him a lesson.
"What's that mean, Kris?" Tatiana wondered with a frown at her friend.
"Oh, nothing," she shrugged, slipping her foot slowly farther forward on his chair until she gently hit was she was aiming for. McCoy jumped so suddenly that time that his hand bumped his tray, making it jump as his head shot up, his eyes wide at Kristine who only smiled, deviously.
"Doctor---?"
"I'm fine," McCoy cut into Tatiana's inquiry. "I just…remembered something important I have to do later."
"Always the doctor," Kristine smirked, cocking an eyebrow at him when his eyes widened only slightly at her, pleading with her to pull back, but she didn't. "Tell us, Leo, what will you do with your shore leave?"
"I-I don't know yet," he sputtered, making Tatiana and Chekov frown at each other as Kristine only continued to smile deviously at him. "Maybe find a nice quiet bar for a drink."
"Oh, please," Kristine grumbled. "This place is gonna have everything we could want and you're gonna spend it drinking?!"
"Well, what else is there?" McCoy retorted, turning back to his food.
"Dancing," Kristine smiled, cutely this time. "As I recall you love dancing."
"Oh, that's right," Tatiana grinned, leaning on the table to glance between the couple. "You guys dated."
"What?!" Chekov chirped, sitting forward with wide eyes glancing between the two doctors. "The two of you---?!"
"Yes, mladshiĭ brat," Kristine cut in, sending a small glare to Tatiana who only looked away, 'innocently' as she took a bite of food. "The good doctor and I went out on a few dates, but I'd like it if that could stay between the four of us, please?"
"Alright, sorry," Tatiana sighed as Chekov nodded to Kristine as she looked at McCoy
who glanced at the two before taking the last bite of his food.
"Shall we head back to Medical Bay, Sir?" she asked seriously, her own tray empty of food. McCoy nodded, still chewing and she pulled her foot back to stand after him and put their trays away. "I'll see you two later."
Tatiana and Chekov nodded to her with smiles each and she couldn't believe how cute the two of them looked, thinking they made such a cute couple. She followed McCoy as he headed toward the exit and frowned when they silent during the short walk to the lift. It wasn't until they were in the lift and on their way to Medical Bay that he broke the silence between them.
"You like playing with fire, now, don't you?" he nearly growled, making her frown at him as he looked at her with a brow raised.
"What?" she shrugged honestly.
"Your little game of footsy back there nearly threw me out of my seat!" he hissed and Kristine couldn't help but let out a cough of laughter, making his eyes widen at her. "Damn it, Kris, it wasn't funny!"
"Oh, yes it was," she argued through a giggle. "Like you wouldn't take advantage of me like that."
"Not there," he admitted. "If I wanted to take advantage of you I'd do it in the privacy of a bedroom."
"Like that one time we were at your place, New Year's Eve?" Kristine smirked with a snicker as the lift doors opened and they both walked out.
"You spilled wine on your skirt," McCoy shrugged, his mood slowly changing. "What else was I supposed to do?"
"Not rip the skirt off of me, Leo," she retorted. "You were lucky I had an extra pair of clothes stashed in your closet."
"No, you were lucky," McCoy corrected as he followed her to the computer.
"Whatever," she blurted, staring at the computer screen. McCoy smirked, stepping around the desk to grip the back of her chair with one hand and lean on the desk with the other to look at the screen as well, his head right next to Kristine's.
"I promise," he murmured making her glance at him and swallow, "I'll behave myself when we go on our shore leave."
"Good," she choked and cleared her throat as McCoy's smirk widened. "Because if you don't, I won't tell you a secret I'm sure you're dying to hear."
McCoy frowned at her, turning his face to her to do so, but she didn't look away from what she was reading as he asked, "Which secret?"
Kristine gave a small smile, turned her head just enough to look at him and murmured, "You'll just have to find out when we get there, won't you?"
A/N: oh, i couldn't resist. yes, yes, the big reveal will be soon, i promise. i know some of you are just dying to find out what it is. i hope it lives up to the expectations though and isn't like a huge disappointment. the last thing i'd want is for anyone to say, "that's it?! that's nothing!" although, i don't think it's nothing. anyway, reviews?
