DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN Star Trek or any of its characters and I do not make any profit off of this. This is only for my pure enjoyment and those who wish to read. The inhabitants of the fictitious planet Inanis Tenebris (Latin for Dark Void) is based off of Slender Man.
CLAIMER: I OWN my original character Sarin.
WARNING: This is a MALE X MALE / SLASH fan-fiction. If you DO NOT like same-sex relationships, then this story may not be for you. This will be slightly AU.
BETA READER: There is no beta reader for this fan-fiction, so there will be mistakes that I have missed.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have recently been pulled back into Star Trek and just had to write this out for the lovely doctor. Please don't leave hateful comments. This is just for enjoyment, nothing more. Apologies to anyone OOC and for anything that does not make sense with the Star Trek verse.
RATED M FOR A REASON!
-Mature Content Ahead-
-oOo-
The ground of planet Inanis Tenebris was a dark gray that came from the ash-like sand that covered every inch of available surface. Decrepit treelike pillars made of a black charcoal substance seemed to be the only type of 'vegetation' on the entire planet. The only water source was more like a swamp and one had to be careful where they step or they run the risk of stepping into a thick mixture of ash and water that created a type of deadly quick sand. Exploration of Inanis Tenebris was extremely dangerous, made that way because of the dense fog that blanketed the very air and was barely breathable. It also carried the scent of decay. If not the cause of one's demise by being sucked down into milky ash or being forever lost in the endless fog to never again find your way; the inhabitants of Inanis Tenebris were sure the kill you.
From what was listed in the Federation description of the life found on Inanis Tenebris was that the inhabitants all grew to be around ten feet in height. Their build was slim, their limbs long and limber, and their complexion matched the landscape completely. Their dark, ominous figures tended lurked in the shadows cast by whatever ounce of light that had not managed to be sucked in by the dense fog. Their faces held no features whatsoever. There were no eyes, nose, or ears. The only orifice discovered was by holo-feed when a brave cadet volunteered to get a soil sample. The seemingly featureless head had split horizontally, revealing rows of thin razor sharp teeth that tore into the cadet within seconds. Inanis Tenebris has been labeled a Class Y "Demon" planet for the sole reason of its inhabitants. The only ones who dared venture onto Inanis Tenebris were those condemned to a death sentence and those seeking a myth; thought to be an ethereal silver flower that glowed like a beacon in the dark crevices on the planet.
It was this very planet that Captain James T. Kirk found himself stranded on after something went horribly wrong with the Enterprise's transporter. He and his crew were amid negotiations with an indigenous race of a newly discovered planet when something in the planet's atmosphere interfered with the ship's mechanics and the transporter had locked onto Jim before initiating a rogue sequence. If it were not for his heartbeat pounding inside his head and short bursting pants escaping him as he ran, there would be absolute silence. Running blindly through the dense fog was not ideal, but the thought of being caught by whatever creature chasing him kept Jim pushing forward despite the cramp beginning to form in his side. Blue eyes were blown wide in a futile effort to see ahead of him and blonde locks matted to his damp forehead. The moist fog caused the planet's ash-like sand to stick to him and his clothes, coating him in a dark gray dusting. The tip of his boot caught on an unseen object and Jim crashed to the ground in a rolling tumble that knocked the breath out of him.
'Shit, shit, shit!' Jim shouted in his head as he scrambled to get up and move.
Something darted out in front of him, causing the blonde to freeze on his hands and knees when he would have stood up. Jim could only assume that it was one of the inhabitants of the Class Y planet Inanis Tenebris, one of the few 'Demon' planets he remembered learning about while at the academy. Holding his breath, Jim hoped to every being in the galaxy that the creature could not hear his racing heart slamming against his ribcage. The creature seemed to be shifting around as if trying to smell him out, but Jim could see that the creature did not possess a nose.
'Does it hunt by sound?' Jim wondered, knowing that if it does then he might as well just lay down exactly where he is and hopes that his crew finds him and beams him out before he starves to death.
Something off in the distance went off; creating a loud explosion that had the creature darting off in the same direction. Jim swallowed an exhale, not wanting to test his luck more than he had to. It was by chance that Jim had appeared on a mound of charcoal like rocks near a slushy bog and that the water parted the fog enough for him to spot the creature making its way to him. He had run before realizing that he was even being chased. A hand clamped over his mouth like a vice grip, preventing the startled cry from escaping him and another arm gripped his waist. The hand over his mouth forced his head up to where his blue eyes locked onto a pair of amaranth red orbs and Jim would swear his life flashed before him in those seconds of staring into the blood red pools. Hair as black as pitch partially covered the unknown male's face, the dark locks disheveled most likely from their stay on this planet. For a moment, Jim wondered if the abalone gray skin tone was natural or if it was caused by the ash-like sand that seemed to cover everything.
The pitch-haired male released his hold on the blonde Captain and slowly stood up. Not a sound came from the raven as they appeared to listen closely for any sign of the creatures that inhabit the planet. An abalone hued hand reached out and Jim slipped his muddied hand into theirs. Blue eyes widened at the strength the male showed by practically lifting Jim to his feet without so much as a muscle twitch from the blonde. Jim was about to pull his hand back from the other's grip when he found himself being hauled up over their shoulder like a sack of potatoes. It was only the threat of more of those creatures showing up that kept Jim's mouth shut. The blonde suddenly realized why the other had picked him up when the pitch-haired man began running; the extra weight not seemingly hindering the man. It was the lack of sound that had Jim staring down at the man's booted feet, the soles of which were not leaving footprints on the ashy sand.
'How in the hell is he not making any noise while running?' Jim thought, not all that surprised about the man's strength considering all of the other species he has come across that are much stronger than him.
The run was not even all that uncomfortable to Jim. It was not bumpy and his hold was secure so he did not have to worry about slipping from the other's grip. The only annoyance the blonde was currently experiencing now that he was not being chased by a killing machine was that he was being carried at all. It was during the trek across ashy sand and through tall charcoal pillars that Jim tried to discover all that he could about the silent stranger.
'He's tall, probably stands at about six feet four inches. Muscular…god his shoulders are broad. Dark blood red eyes, which would have been beautiful if not for scaring years off of my lifespan,' Jim mused silently and caught the shift of the man's ebony military-style top. 'His skin tone is definitely abalone.'
With that new knowledge, everything Jim gathered about the stranger caused all kinds of red flags to rise up and blue eyes widened in shock. If this man was what he suspected, Jim was unsure if he was better off running from the creature from earlier or not.
-oOo-
After ten minutes of endless running on the raven's part, Jim felt them coming to a stop. Leaning up, the blonde peered around the raven as best he could to see why they had stopped and spotted a cluster of broken charcoal pillars. Jim flinched as strong hands gripped his hips before he found himself being carefully lowered to his feet. Blue eyes met amaranth for a split second before Jim was turned around by the hands still on his waist and an abalone hued hand pointed to an opening in the charcoal mound. With the briefest of hesitance, Jim got down on his hands and knees once more and crawled through the opening. Darkness engulfed him and he struggled to keep moving through the narrow passage. He was not sure how long he crawled until the passage spread out until the blonde was no longer feeling walls pressing around him from all angles.
A spark of light had Jim squint his eyes and he followed the source to what appeared to be a wreaked fighter jet. The design was unknown to him, the outside being made of some type of dark metal. From behind him, an abalone hand reached forward and pressed against a part of visible glass and a barely noticeable whoosh of air sounded before a side panel slid opened. A gentle push of a hand against his lower back forced Jim inside the aircraft where he was able to stand up. He turned around and watched as the raven closed the panel with a click of the latch sealing them inside.
"Are you going to eat me?" Jim asked suddenly, fighting back a wince at his uncontrollable mouth that Bones liked to point out that it gets himself into more trouble than not.
A flicker of amusement appeared in amaranth orbs, the only emotion Jim saw on the raven's otherwise neutral expression. Unsure of what to do, Jim glanced around before settling down on a supply box. Running a hand through his hair, Jim's face twisted into disgust at the sticky ash-like substance stuck in his hair. His head jerked up at the feel of something cool touching the back of his hand and he accepted the wet cloth the raven held out for him. Using it to wipe off his face, Jim sighed heavily.
"It could be worse," A mellow baritone broke the silence.
Jim swallowed the sudden lump in his throat as he fought down a shiver that wanted to crawl up his spine at the sound of that smooth deep voice.
"Oh yeah? How so?" Jim questioned, using the dirtied cloth in an attempt to clean his hands.
"The Umbra Percussor* could have gotten you," The raven stated, referring to the planet's inhabitants.
Jim blinked, confusion mixing with a sudden spike of fear and his movements paused.
"Is that what they're called? Why didn't you let it?" The blonde asked, honestly wanting to know why such a predatory species would help him. "What's in it for you?"
"Terras always need a reason for everything," The raven murmured, moving to the cockpit.
Jim's eye twitched with irritation at the other's words. The pitch-haired male sat in the sole chair and began flicking switches and pressing buttons.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Jim demanded, standing up and moving towards the front where the raven continued.
Amaranth orbs locked onto Jim's blue eyes, freezing him where he stood.
"Keep your voice down," The raven practically growled and Jim unconsciously took a step back while reaching for his missing phaser.
His weapon would have been at his side if it were not for the negotiations he and his First-Officer were conducting earlier. The raven noticed Jim's actions and scoffed.
"If I was going to kill you, I would not have wasted my time in helping you," The raven grumbled, turning back to what he was doing. "Have a seat, Captain, we'll be here for a while."
Jim paused in his pacing, having started when the raven began ignoring him in favor of whatever was on the holo-screen.
"You're familiar with the Starfleet ranks," Jim voiced bluntly. "Know thy enemy or something?"
"Are we enemies?" The raven questioned, his smooth baritone indifferent.
"Aren't we?" Jim shot back, tense.
Halting what he was doing, the raven pushed away from the console and turned his chair around in order to face the blonde. Crossing his left leg over his right, the raven took on a relaxed pose while Jim continued to stand awkwardly in the middle of the cockpit.
"Have we met? Do we know each other? Have we wronged each other in some way?" The raven asked, already knowing the answers to his questions.
"Strigoi* are enemies of the Federation," Jim pointed out, jaw clenched as he fought the urge to take another step back while those bright amaranth orbs were focused on him.
Tension hung heavily in the silence of the fighter jet, Jim becoming more unnerved with every passing second that the raven spent staring at him.
"What is your name?"
Brows furrowed at the question, but he answered anyway.
"James Kirk, Captain of the USS Enterprise."
"Sarin, now we've met and I saved your life instead of ending it," The newly named raven stated calmly. "Anything else? Shall I apologize to you for the actions of my race? Will that stop your whining?"
At first Jim was surprised at the raven introducing himself, but then anger began to creep in as the raven's words became sarcastic. Sarin watched as Jim's cheeks flushed with anger all the way to the tips of his ears. The corners of Sarin's mouth twitched as he fought off a smirk at the quick-to-anger human. Blue eyes narrowed as Jim stomped over to the raven and jabbed a finger against Sarin's chest.
"I've never met any of your species, but if they are anything like you then I can say without a doubt that they're a pain in my ass!" Jim seethed and blinked as a smirk finally broke out on Sarin's lips showing four very sharp canines among humanoid teeth.
Before Jim knew what was happening, he found himself straddling Sarin's lap. One abalone hued hand was pressed against the blonde's lower back, holding Jim chest to chest with the raven. Sarin's other hand was tangled in short blonde locks and had Jim's head positioned to the side as hot breath brushed over his ear.
"Is that what you want; me to be a pain in your ass?" Sarin asked, his smooth baritone going husky before giving Jim's earlobe a careful nip as not to break skin.
A shudder coursed through Jim even as he tensed up. Pressing his hands against Sarin's chest, Jim pushed away and the raven let him; having only been teasing the blonde. As Jim scrabbled off of the still smirking raven, blue eyes glared with anger, embarrassment, and even a little bit of fear. Sarin noted all three emotions in Jim's eyes, but chose to pretend he only saw the anger.
"If I get off this planet—,"
"When, not 'if'," Sarin voiced, having interrupted the blonde while turning back to the holo-screen. "I've sent a transmission to your crew. They should receive it within the next ten hours or so."
Jim gapped, stunned into silence for approximately five seconds.
"Why would you alert my crew of my location?" Jim asked quietly, his anger fading and he suddenly felt exhausted.
"My craft is beyond salvaging and you need to get off this planet as much as I do," Sarin stated and Jim exclaimed loudly.
"I knew it!"
Actually rolling his amaranth orbs, Sarin stood up and moved away from the cockpit.
"Quid pro quo, James," Sarin said, walking passed the blonde towards the back.
Jim's footsteps followed after the raven through the surprisingly spacious single manned craft. The blonde paused outside of what appeared to be the craft's sleeping quarters and watched as Sarin grabbed a change of clothes off of a shelf, the material identical to what the raven had on. Dropping the folded up clothes on the only cot in the room, Sarin motioned to a side panel to the left of Jim.
"You can get cleaned up in there. Toss your clothes in the bin for decontamination," Sarin told him, already stepping around him to go back towards the front.
Weighing the pros and cons of taking a shower or remaining covered in ashy filth, Jim pressed the button by the side panel that revealed a see-through half cylinder that contained over a dozen spray nozzles. Stepping into the cylinder, Jim began removing his uniform. As the last article of clothes entered the decontamination bin, the cylinder sealed shut and Jim found himself sprayed from the tips of his toes to the roots of his hair. The process lasted for a solid three minutes before shutting off. Jim did not have a chance to blink before he was blasted by warm air that dried him off completely. He was grinning as he stepped out of the cylinder and back into the sleeping quarters to dress in the change of clothes given to him. After securing the black tactical pants over his hips, Jim slipped on the long sleeve black military-style shirt and fastened the asymmetrical front latches. The material was comfortable yet durable and Jim caught himself running his fingers along the sleeves that were slightly too long, the cuffs brushing his knuckles. Glancing down at his soiled boots, Jim opted to go without them while inside the craft and made his way to the front where he watched Sarin sheath twin swords to his back, the metal as dark as the craft they were in.
"Off to battle or something?" Jim questioned, crossing his arms while leaning against part of a short counter that held some type of supplies that reminded the blonde of the med-bay.
Sarin gave Jim a fleeting look over his shoulder before moving to the panel that led outside.
"Hey, wait," Jim started, straightening up from his casual position when the raven made to leave. "Those things are out there."
"Is that concern I hear?" Sarin asked rhetorically, amusement clear in his tone. "How…touching."
Jim ground his teeth, his hands fisting at his side.
"Easy, James, you keep making that face and I won't be held responsible for my actions," Sarin teased softly, his smooth baritone carrying a hint of something that caused Jim to believe every word that just came out of the raven's mouth.
"Weren't you leaving?" Jim asked, not waiting for an answer as he turned on his heel and went back to the sleeping quarters where he took it upon himself to take a nap.
Blue eyes narrowed at the muffled chuckle that came from the raven before the blonde heard the panel hiss open and close, leaving him alone.
-oOo-
Grunting at the slight twinge of pain in his side, Sarin stepped into another foothold and pulled himself up to the next. The charcoal-like substance that made up most of the planet was slightly delicate, crumbling at the barest of pressure. His climb up a large plateau in order to get back to the top was slow and time consuming. If it were not for his quick reflexes, Sarin knew that he would had fallen to the bottom of the large crevice that surrounded the plateau, having stumbled across the gap at the last second because of the dense fog limiting visibility even to one with his advanced eyesight. It was bad luck that as he had stopped moments before the gap that the ashy ground gave way and sent him tumbling, fighting for a handhold in the charcoal-like rocks. The sound his fall had alerted three Umbra Percussor within the crevice of his presence and just as he caught himself on a jutting rock formation, one of the creatures shot forward and slashed his side with a tentacle-like appendage.
Halfway up, a hazy glow through the dense fog caught Sarin's attention and he focused on the small ethereal light. Amaranth orbs narrowed and he would have smiled if not for the fact that the glow was located on the other side of the crevice. Holding back a sigh, Sarin glanced upwards and noted the distance between his current position and the top. He glanced back at the glow, suspecting that it was the object he had been searching for the last five days. It was during one such scouting venture that he had spotted the human running for their life. After noting that the blonde was clad head to toe in Starfleet attire, Sarin opted to help the human for the chance of a way off of this dark planet. The raven had not lied about sending a transmission to the blonde's crew; he just needed to find the object for his reason of being trapped on this damned planet before they arrived. The lives of his people depended on it.
Drawing one of his swords, Sarin pressed his boots into the charcoal-like rock before kicking off. Using the momentum, he flipped over in the air before sinking the sharp blade of his sword into the opposite side of the crevice, stopping himself from sliding downward. Taking a moment to gather his footing, he sheathed his sword and moved towards the glow. Sarin felt his breath whoosh out of him at the sight of the silver flower that was all but a myth until now. In the legends of his people, it was said that the blue nectar of a silver bleeding heart could cure any ailment. Reaching into the pouch at his lower back, Sarin grabbed a stasis capsule. Pressing the button on the side, the protective casing vanished and Sarin moved the base to the top of the glowing plant. Pressing another button, the protective casing enveloped the entire plant including the roots. The casing then rotated until the plant was right-side up and a light fog drifted inside to mimic the planet's atmosphere in order to substance the plant. Securing the capsule back in the pouch, Sarin began his assent once more.
-oOo-
It was to the sound of a panel opening and closing that roused Jim from sleep. Sitting up groggily, the blonde rubbed his hands over his face. Peering down the short corridor from his position on the cot, Jim spotted Sarin placing something inside of a cabinet before the raven stowed his swords. Not looking away, Jim watched as the raven undid the latches of his own shirt before blue eyes locked onto a dark red substance coating Sarin's side along with two diagonal slashes. Forgetting for a moment that the raven was not a part of his crew, much less being his foe, Jim found himself getting up from the cot and closing the distance between them.
"Shit, that looks bad," Jim hissed, grabbing the first thing he could find to help stop the bleeding.
Jim missed the tensing of Sarin's shoulders as the raven fought his instincts to attack the blonde when sun-kissed hands pressed a clean cloth against the sluggishly bleeding wounds. Taking the cloth from Jim, Sarin stepped around the blonde and made for the cleaning station.
"Do you have a protoglaser or a dermal regenerator? Hell, even a micro-suture device will work," Jim voiced, a single step behind the raven. "I'm not a doctor, but I know my way around—,"
Sarin suddenly stopped right outside the cleaning station, the panel open for him to step inside. Having been right behind him, Jim bumped into the raven and whatever else the blonde was saying left his mind as amaranth orbs stared down at him.
"I liked you better when you were angry," Sarin stated quietly, although there was no heat in his tone.
Jim's brows furrowed.
"Are you seriously joking right now? You're bleeding all over the place and you're joking!" Jim said heatedly, his words getting louder as he spoke.
An abalone hued finger tapped Jim under his chin as the raven's mouth tilted up into a small grin.
"Yeah, I like you better when you're angry," Sarin declared, voice still soft and he left Jim standing outside the cleaning station speechless.
Ten minutes passed and Jim sighed from where he stood leaning against the wall opposite of the cleaning station, determined to catch Sarin when the raven exited. Just as he was beginning to tap his foot in boredom, the panel slid open to reveal Sarin naked as the day he was born. Jim gapped at the six feet four inches tall muscular figure standing in front of him. Raven locks were slicked back and Jim noticed slightly pointed ears for the first time. Sarin faltered at the sight of Jim waiting on the other side of the panel, amaranth orbs catching the tightening of Jim's fingers where they gripped the material cladding the blonde's arms. He watched as blue eyes seemed to trail down the entire length of him before Sarin cleared his throat. Jim jerked his gaze away, quickly turning around.
Sarin grunted in amusement as he stepped into the sleeping quarters and slipped into a pair of clean pants. These fit the raven perfectly as opposed to how they appeared to be slightly baggy on the blonde and a little too long in length. Leaving the shirts alone for later, Sarin walked to the front where a flushed blonde was waiting. Instead of speaking, Sarin opened a drawer below the cabinet where he stored the plant and grabbed a packet of gauze and medical tape. Normally he would have healed by now, that being the reason for lacking proper medical equipment. Whatever coated the Umbra Percussor's tentacles was preventing the raven from healing like he should.
"Aren't strigoi supposed to be able to heal within minutes of receiving injuries?" Jim asked snidely, still a little miffed from earlier.
Tearing open the gauze packet and pressing the sterile square against the oozing cuts, Sarin lifted the tape to rip a piece off when it was taken from him. He watch as Jim ripped off four pieces of tape before carefully securing the gauze in place. Blue eyes glanced up at Sarin, a frown marring Jim's mouth.
"Why aren't you healing?" Jim demanded quietly, setting the tape back on the counter. "And what was so damn important that you had to go out there in the first place?"
"The Umbra Percussor's poison is blocking my healing," Sarin stated with a shrug as he stepped over to the opposite side of the counter and typed a short sequence on the key pad there.
A small square panel opened to reveal five rows; two containing tiny red capsules and the other three containing with multicolored packets. Sarin grabbed a red capsule and popped it into his mouth, not hesitating in swallowing it. Selecting two different colored packets, Sarin closed the square panel before setting the packets into an even smaller square. Jim watched in curiosity as the packets were hit by some type of electrical charge before swelling*. Removing the packets, Sarin passed one to the blonde before taking a seat and opening his own packet. The smell of meat hit his nose and Jim spied Sarin bite into what appeared to be a pastry of some kind. Opening his open packet, Jim sat down on a supply box and noted that his food resembled a sandwich wrap.
"Surprise, we eat similar food," Sarin murmured without looking at Jim while he worked away at the holo-screen.
Taking a bite of his food, Jim sighed at finally having something to eat after what felt like so long. It had to have been hours, having gone without breakfast because of his nerves regarding the negotiations meeting he and Spock were to conduct. Jim quickly finished his wrap and tossed the empty packet in a nearby bin. He then turned his attention to whatever Sarin was doing.
"Wow, what type of plant is that? I've never seen one before," Jim voiced, standing up for a closer look at the holo-screen where a glowing silver flower in the shape of a bleeding heart seemed to be leaking blue nectar.
"Sanguinem Cordis*," Sarin answered around his last bite of food.
"A bleeding heart, huh? It's beautiful," Jim whispered, unconsciously leaning in for a closer look, one of his hands resting on the back of Sarin's chair.
"It's the last hope for my people," Sarin stated, pushing back from the monitor and forcing Jim to step back so that he could stand.
Jim looked at Sarin as the raven's words sunk in.
"That's why you're here. You're looking for this plant," Jim said, frowning. "What is wrong with your people?"
"It's none of your concern," Sarin voiced quietly, his thoughts more focused on the synthetic blood capsule he had consumed earlier not working.
Jim caught Sarin by the elbow and was dragged off his feet for the effort. The blonde grunted in slight discomfort, his back being pressed against the wall and his feet barely grazing the floor. Jim stared into narrowed amaranth orbs, watching as instinct began to fade into recognition. He felt himself being carefully lowered until his feet were once again on solid ground. Sarin hands that had been clutching the front of Jim's borrowed shirt moved to the blonde's hips.
"Stop forgetting what I am, James," Sarin told the blonde, voice soft and deep and it caused a shiver to travel up Jim's spine.
"I haven't," Jim whispered back, blue eyes remaining locked on amaranth.
"You seemingly have. I'm a predator, James, a warrior class assassin to my people," Sarin explained calmly. "You cannot grab at me and not expect anything less than death."
The corners of Jim's mouth twitched until the blonde was grinning.
"Then I guess you're losing your touch, seeing as I'm still alive," Jim pointed out and Sarin huffed a chuckled.
"Hm," Sarin hummed, shifting away from the blonde when he wanted nothing more than to nibble at the racing pulse of Jim's carotid.
The loose grip on his sleeve had Sarin glance back at Jim to find blue eyes filled with determination.
"Tell me, please, what's wrong with your people? Maybe I can help," Jim stated, letting his hand fall away and back to his side.
Sarin contemplated Jim's words for a moment before speaking.
"Unless you have access to a virologist, then I doubt it."
Jim's grin was almost blinding.
"I have something better. I have a McCoy."
Sarin's brow rose at that.
"And what, pray tell, is a McCoy?" Sarin asked, skeptical.
"Doctor Leonard McCoy is one of the best doctors in the Federation and he happens to be my CMO whom I like to call Bones," Jim stated practically buzzing.
With a slight nod of his head, Sarin stepped over to the cabinet and took out the capsulated plant.
"You have it already!" Jim exclaimed, blue eyes wide as he moved in for a better look. "That's why you left earlier. You were looking for this thing."
Sarin nodded.
"It is said that the nectar can cure any ailment," Sarin informed the blonde, setting the container back in the cabinet.
Seeing Jim's expectant look, Sarin sighed.
"A sickness is attacking the neurons of my people causing them to go into uncontrollable rages," Sarin explained, catching the shifting of Jim's feet from one to the other. "I was off-planet when it spread, so my commander sent me the order of finding this plant. I am not infected."
"Do they know where it came from or how it got started?" Jim asked and Sarin shook his head 'no'.
"We had suspected the jé-rouges*, but they too began to fall ill of the same sickness," Sarin stated, beginning to feel wary of the current situation.
Sarin could feel the gauze becoming damp with blood, his wound refusing to close up and heal. The blood capsule should have sped up his recovery, the synthetic blood almost as good as the real thing. The raven went to take another blood capsule from the cool-storage unit, feeling a warm trail of blood run down from the gauze.
"You're still bleeding. Why are you still bleeding?" Jim questioned and Sarin glanced at the blonde with furrowed brows.
"Calm down," Sarin huffed, popping another blood capsule into his mouth and swallowing it. "You'd think you were the one bleeding."
The last statement was muttered under the raven's breath, but Jim heard it nonetheless on account of his close proximity. Without turning around, Sarin could feel the anger radiating off of the blonde.
"The synthetic isn't good enough," Jim stated, staring intently at the blood still trailing from under the red stained gauze.
"Stop worrying your pretty little head. It is becoming rather annoying," Sarin voiced gruffly, feeling the synthetic blood rushing through his veins with no effect on his wound.
Jim exhaled loudly, throwing his hands up in the air and turning away only to turn back to face the raven.
"You don't have to like my help, but you will accept it," Jim told him, beyond frustrated with Sarin's attitude. "Here, maybe the real stuff will help."
Sarin paused in grabbing another sterile gauze packet, peering down at the bare wrist offered to him. Amaranth orbs trailed from the wrist and up to bright blues that reflected aggravation and concern. Instead of taking hold of the blonde's wrist, Sarin's amaranth orbs narrowed and he slowly turned to face Jim.
"Never offer your blood to my kind. Ever," Sarin hissed, his mouth twisted into a sneer as amaranth orbs darkening with fury.
Jim flinched at the pure wrath aimed at him and he wavered slightly where he stood. Seconds passed before Sarin watched as Jim straightened his spine and narrowed his own eyes at him.
"Listen, this isn't something I do on a whim. You need help and I'm offering you all the help I can. You need blood and I have plenty," Jim snapped, nearly thrusting his bare wrist into Sarin's face.
"That could be taken as a marriage proposal," Sarin growled, amaranth orbs flashing scarlet.
Jim swallowed the sudden lump in his throat and came to a decision.
"No one has to know, Sarin. It's just the two of us here," Jim explained, wanting to help the one who helped him.
Without saying a word, Sarin stalked off towards the back of the craft and entered the sleeping quarters.
"Sarin—,"
"I will know, James!" Sarin shouted, catching the blonde by surprise. "Blood offerings are only for those willing to mate for life. That is why I take blood capsules. Everyone who is not mated takes synthetic blood."
Jim licked his bottom lip, trying to alleviate his suddenly dry mouth. Opening his mouth to speak, Sarin cut the blonde off.
"The answer is no."
Sarin then sealed the panel to the sleeping quarters, leaving Jim alone. Fuming under his breath, Jim stalked over to the holo-screen and took a seat. He began typing into the information log.
"Stubborn bastard," Jim whispered, the words lacking his usual ire as the results of his search popped up. "A Claimer's Seal, what the hell is that?"
Jim continued to read up on the strigoi race and blood offerings. He paled slightly as he read about how blood offerings create a type of tattoo-like marking on claimed mates, essentially creating a marriage bond. Most strigoi choose to bite one another where their marks are visible, showing off their possessive claims.
"It's not like he has to bite me where the mark is visible," Jim murmured, standing up as an idea came to him.
The blonde began snooping around until he found what he was looking for. Taking the sharp knife, Jim placed his hand over a specimen jar before sliding the blade over his palm. Clenching his teeth at the stinging pain the action caused, Jim let his blood drip into the jar until he felt the amount of blood would be sufficient. Wrapping some gauze around his hand and messily tying it off, Jim grabbed the jar with his uninjured hand and walked to the panel separating him from Sarin. Pressing the access pad, the panel slid open revealing Sarin hunched over on the side of the cot with his fingers running through his hair. Amaranth orbs glanced at Jim through raven strands and an impatient exhale sounded.
"For the last—,"
Sarin started only for his words to get caught up in his throat at the smell of something sweet and slightly spicy. The scent reminded Sarin of rainstorms and starlight. He was on his feet and in front of Jim before he realized that he had moved. Jim appeared just as stunned, having been staring at the cot only the blink and have Sarin standing a hair's breadth away. Jim slowly lifted the jar until amaranth orbs seemed to focus on the contents instead of Jim's injured hand.
"I figured we could compromise," Jim stated, suddenly unsure of what he was risking.
"You shouldn't have," Sarin voiced, tone hoarse while not taking his eyes off of the fresh blood.
"Just drink it," Jim ordered softly, grabbing one of Sarin's hands and pressing the jar in it.
As the rim of the jar touched Sarin's lips, amaranth orbs locked onto vast sky blues. The first taste of the still warm blood on his tongue had a tremor course down Sarin's spine and an involuntary moan rumbled from his throat. The tip of Jim's tongue darted out between pink lips, lips that parted in silent wonder of his blood affecting the raven. Savoring the last drop of crimson, Sarin's abalone hued pointer finger wiped some of the residue from the corner of his mouth before sucking it clean off his digit. A shuddering gasp escaped Jim at the sight and the blonde's slightly baggy pants were the only thing keeping his sudden heat hidden…or so he had hoped. Darkening amaranth trailed down the length of Jim's body, pausing only for a moment where the evidence of Jim's arousal hid before traveling back up to lust-filled blue orbs. Within seconds of ingesting the fresh blood, Sarin felt his wound sealing and removed the gauze. It was only then that their eye contact broke and Jim watched in fascination as the last of the wound closed.
"Now, was that so hard?" Jim breathed out, his body still tingling from the sight of Sarin drinking his blood.
A haze of ecstasy seemed to cloud his judgment, preventing Sarin from stopping his movement. One arm wrapped securely around Jim's waist while his free hand tangled in short blonde locks, tugging Jim against the raven. Jim's protests went unheard as Sarin's mouth laid claim over the other's parted lips. Thrusting his tongue into Jim's mouth, Sarin practically devoured the blonde, tasting him as he mapped out the plains of the other's moist cavern. Jim's hands grappled at Sarin's shoulders, struggling to hang on to something…anything as his knees gave way beneath him. Fingernails bit crescent shaped moons into broad abalone hued shoulders and a moan vibrated from Jim, his lungs beginning to burn from the lack of oxygen. For a moment, Jim could not think. Jim's thoughts left him just as quickly as the strength to keep himself standing. It was only the arm wrapped tightly around his waist that kept the blonde upright. Fingers tugged at blonde locks, tilting Jim's head at a better angle and another moaned tumbled free of Jim earning him a nip on the tip of his tongue.
The scent of arousal filled the sleeping quarters like a heavy blanket, ensnaring Sarin's senses as the raven nearly consumed Jim's very being with just a heated kiss. Sarin broke the kiss, his hot mouth leaving a trail of fire along Jim's jaw and down the line of his throat. The blonde sucked in a shaky breath to relieve his aching lungs only for his breath to whoosh out as the raven found an extremely sensitive area right behind Jim's ear and gave the spot a hard suck. Jim felt his eyes roll to the back of his head and his nails scratched scarlet lines down Sarin's arms. A growl rumbled Sarin's chest from Jim's nails biting into his skin, causing his own arousal to sharpen. Giving the curve of flesh where Jim's neck and shoulder met an almost vicious suck that had the blonde crying out the raven's name, Sarin froze. Jim trembled in the raven's arms, struggling to keep a grip on the arms wrapped so tightly around him that it seemed to be the only thing keeping the blonde grounded. Fangs grazed delicate flesh and Sarin snapped his mouth shut and jerked away.
Jim found himself sliding down the panel to sit limply on the floor, his chest rising and falling with every pant. Jim's entire body felt hot and he wanted nothing more than to remove his clothes in order to cool down, but he thought better of it at the sight of an equally panting Sarin staring wide eyed at him. Without waiting around, Sarin bolted out of the sleeping quarters and locked himself away in the cleansing station. Taking a slow deep breath to gain his bearings and to steady his racing heartbeat, Jim closed his eyes. It was only a kiss, one powerful breathtaking kiss, but Jim could feel the stickiness coating the inside of his pants and inwardly groaned at how Sarin blew all of his other past experiences out of the water.
'It was only a kiss,' Jim thought, running his shaking hands over his face.
His heartbeat was beginning to go back to normal, but his skin still felt hot and every cell in his body continued to tingle from the unanticipated orgasm. Resting his head against the panel behind him, Jim opted to wait until he was able to have his turn in the cleaning station, feeling as though it would be a while until the raven ventured out.
-oOo-
Thirty minutes passed since Sarin locked himself inside the cleaning station, the raven cursing himself at what had almost occurred. He was seconds away from biting Jim, forever marking the blonde as Sarin's. The raven shook his head, pressing the palms of his hands against the glass enclosure as icy water beat down on him from all angles. He was so close to taking Jim up against the wall…Sarin shuddered. He basically did, having smelt Jim's essence the moment the blonde cried out his name and the raven loved it. Sarin loved how responsive Jim was when all the raven did was hold onto him and kiss him as if his life depended on it. For a moment there it seemed to.
'He's human. There is no way I will ever have a human as my mate,' Sarin thought, clenching his fists at the mere thought.
It was not that he was disgusted by humans…only of their short lifespan. Human years to strigoi might as well be a few months. Sarin refused to only have such a short amount of time with his mate. He wanted forever, being the selfish and possessive creature that he is. Finally shutting off the water, Sarin waited until the warm air dried him completely before snatching on his pants that he had hung on the hook by the panel door. Stepping out, he paused at the sight of Jim still slumped down on the floor. The blonde's breath came out slow and steady, signaling that he was asleep. Sighing, the raven carefully scooped the blonde up as if he weighted nothing and settled Jim on the cot, hesitating only for a moment before covering him up with the blanket. Grabbing a clean shirt from the shelf, he slipped it on. A beep sounded from the front of the craft and Sarin shut the panel so that the sound would not wake Jim. Taking a seat in the chair, Sarin tapped the holo-screen and noted an incoming transmission.
'That was sooner than I expected,' Sarin thought, opening the transmission from the USS Enterprise.
A static image appeared on the holo-screen showing the bridge of Jim's ship. Standing at attention in front of him was a Vulcan and a brunette human male. The Vulcan had a neutral expression on his face while the human was scowling deeply with worry. Sarin watched as the Vulcan's eyes seemed to widen slightly at the sight of him and the human bit back a curse.
"I am First-Officer Spock of the USS Enterprise. Where is Captain Kirk?" The Vulcan asked, his neutral tone not giving way to the flash of concern that would have been missed if Sarin's keen senses had not have seen it.
"Your captain is currently resting. I shall inform him that you are online," Sarin told them, standing to do just that when a muffled noise caught his attention.
"What is it?" Spock asked, seeing Sarin tilt his head to the side as if to listen more closely to something the Vulcan could not hear.
Sarin lifted a hand in a sign for them to remain quiet. Another swish sounded, closer this time and Spock and Bones watched as the raven tensed. There was an Umbra Percussor inside the collapsed cave, most likely having been drawn by the scent of blood. For a moment there was another swish of movement right outside the craft, before something else seemed to draw the creature's attention away. Straightening up, Sarin frowned.
"The Umbra Percussor are closing in on our location. It will not be long until they discover us," Sarin stated, amaranth orbs flashing darkly at the thought of those creatures.
"You saved our captain," Spock said, it not being a question, but a matter of fact. "You have our thanks, strigoi."
Sarin could hear a few surprised and fearful gasps sound out of sight of the holo-screen, but he paid them no mind. Turning away from them, Sarin walked to the back and opened the panel.
"James, wake up. Your crew is online," Sarin voiced, lightly kicking a visible bare foot with his boot.
Spock narrowed his eyes at the sight of movement towards the back, only really able to see the raven's back. A thud was followed by a muffled curse and the Vulcan relaxed at the sight of his disheveled blonde captain.
"Damn it, Jim, what the hell happened to your hand?" Bones demanded, shoving Spock out of the way for a closer look.
Jim gave a nervous laugh, scratching the back of his neck with his uninjured hand.
"It's fine, Bones, completely my fault," Jim stated, waving off his CMO's concern while catching Spock's narrowed gaze locked on the figure behind him.
Jim glanced over his shoulder to see Sarin leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and a bored expression on his face. Catching himself biting his bottom lip, Jim cleared his throat before looking back at his CMO and First Officer.
"Have you figured out what happened with the transporter?" Jim asked and Spock nodded.
"Mr. Scott discovered a malfunction in the transporter system caused by philote* energy emitted from the planet's atmosphere. He was able to trace your destination to Inanis Tenebris, a Class Y Demon planet on the outskirts of Federation territory," Spock informed the blonde captain.
"You have some kind of luck, kid," Bones spoke up, face still pinched in a scowl.
"Tell me about it," Jim agreed, grinning at his crew. "If it wasn't for Sarin, we wouldn't be having this conversation."
"What is a strigoi doing on Inanis Tenebris?" Spock asked, aiming his question at Sarin.
The Vulcan's question was met with silence, amaranth orbs locked onto unflinching mocha brown. It was Jim that broke the silence.
"Actually, I need the bridge to clear out. This is a discussion for my CMO and First-Officer," Jim stated, his grin slowly dropping as a serious look took over. "That's an order."
Fifteen seconds passed before Spock nodded the all clear. Jim turned to address Sarin.
"Do you mind sending everything you have on the virus to Bones so that he can see about isolating a vaccine?" Jim asked the raven, missing the raised brow his CMO aimed his way and Spock's own flash of surprise. "Bones, Spock, I need this to stay off of the logs. This cannot get back to Starfleet."
Now Sarin was astonished. Jim was risking a lot helping an enemy of the Federation…and to keep it off of the logs would not be easy.
"Captain, I feel that it is my duty to point out that anything involving an enemy of the Federation must be reported," Spock stated, his face blank. "It also appears that despite being enemies, your life was saved."
Bones rolled his eyes and shoved the Vulcan over with an elbow.
"What the hobgoblin is saying is that we'll do it. Just send everything you have to my PADD and I'll get started on it," Bones told them, his southern drawl prominent.
"Very well," Sarin sighed and stepped up to the holo-screen.
It took a few minutes to upload everything to the system and send it through, but once Bones received it, the doctor left the bridge.
"How far is the Enterprise out from our location, Spock?" Jim asked his First-Officer, wanting to hurry the conversation so that he could clean up.
The result of earlier was dried and uncomfortable, evident as Jim became aware of it and started to squirm.
"We are twenty-five hours out. Mr. Scott is pushing the warp core to full capacity," Spock answered, noticing Jim's waning attention.
"Good, that's good. Well, see you when you get here," Jim stated, grinning once again before disconnecting the transmission and making a quick sprint to the cleaning station.
Sarin felt the corners of his mouth twitch upwards in a smirk before he caught himself. Thoughts going back to the impending threat, Sarin frowned deeply. He was unsure of the durability of his craft's outer walls if the Umbra Percurssor discovers them inside. While the creature's tentacle-like appendage sliced through Sarin's flesh like butter, the raven was uncertain of how long it would take the creature to breech the inner shell of the craft. They moved like the very shadows that draped over Inanis Tenebris, which earned their name of killer shadow. Jim exiting the cleaning station pulled Sarin's attention away from the matter at hand and the raven closed his amaranth eyes at the sight of a very naked blonde attempting to sneak into the sleeping quarters for a clean outfit. An almost silent rustle sounding just beyond the craft's entrance panel caused Sarin's muscles to tense and the nerves at the back of his neck to prickle.
"I'm sure—umph,"
Jim grunted as Sarin practically snatched him back inside the cleaning station, a firm hand covering his mouth and the raven's other arm tight around his waist. Jim sucked in a shaky breath through his nose as something smacked up against the side of the craft. Crammed inside the glass enclosure, Sarin could hear Jim's heart rate picking up.
"Shh, they can't hear us from inside here. They must have smelt my blood," Sarin whispered against Jim's ear, his warm breath fluttering over equally warm skin.
Jim shivered at the sensation, knowing that the situation was not the time for his thoughts to veer off into desired wants. What the hell, James T. Kirk never did anything by halves. Turning around in Sarin's hold until the two of them were pressed chest to chest, Jim grabbed hold of Sarin's ebony uniform top and slanted his mouth over the raven's. Jim barely managed to trace the seam of Sarin's lips with the tip of his tongue before he was twisted back around, Sarin's hands gripping Jim's hips enough the blonde was guaranteed to have bruises later.
"What do you think you're doing?" Sarin hissed, voice carrying a dangerous lilt that caused Jim's head to roll back against the raven's shoulder.
Not giving up, Jim reached behind him and tangled his fingers in raven locks. The blonde then pressed himself against Sarin's front. Sarin's jaw clenched, his fingers digging a little more into Jim's hips and forcing a soft groan from the blonde.
"I'm trying…to seduce you," Jim stuttered around a breathless chuckle, the grip on his hips preventing him from moving.
"You don't know what you're getting yourself into," Sarin snarled viciously, pushing the blonde away as far as the confined space allowed.
It was not much, only leaving a hand's width of space between them. Jim turned back around to face Sarin, expecting to have to somehow calm the raven's anger. Blue eyes took in the lust-clouded amaranth orbs and Jim bit back a grin, choosing to go for a more straight forward approach.
"I know that I want you to fuck me," Jim stated calmly, gently gliding his hands up Sarin's chest until they rested on the raven's broad shoulders.
Jim watched the muscle in Sarin's jaw twitch and amaranth orbs narrow into slits.
"I already said—,"
"That biting me would mark me as your mate. If that's the only issue then don't bite me," Jim stated, interrupting Sarin without pause.
Setting his left hand on the glass beside Jim's head, Sarin cupped the blonde's chin with his right and leaned in. Jim's lips parted in anticipation of a kiss, frowning when Sarin stopped a hair's breadth away.
"Fighting the instinct that makes up most of my DNA is not something to mess around with, James," Sarin whispered, brushing Jim's bottom lip with the pad of his thumb.
Jim caught Sarin's thumb with his teeth, earning himself a growl from the raven.
"Stop telling me all of the reasons why we shouldn't," Jim murmured, using the fact Sarin was no longer gripping his hips to press himself bodily against the raven. "And just fuck me already."
No sooner had Jim finished speaking was his mouth covered by Sarin's. The sound of fabric being ripped away went unheard as Jim's struggled to keep up with the raven's demanding tongue. Sarin pressed a knee between Jim's legs, spreading them apart as well as giving the blonde some type of support. Jim moaned, the pressure against his arousal seemingly igniting his nerves. A shiver ran through Jim as his backside hit the cool glass and he suddenly realized how utterly naked he was. His sigh was swallowed by Sarin's punishing kiss. An abalone hued hand trailed down Jim's side, further down the blonde's thigh until it cupped the back of his knee. Sarin then hitched Jim's leg up to curve around his waist and thrust his hips forward. Jim's head smacked against the glass as the blonde released a tumbling moan at the friction. Steadily kissing back, Jim felt Sarin's other hand trail a burning path along his spine before nimble fingers circled his entrance. At the feeling of warm fingers breeching the tight ring of muscle, Jim shuddered and his hips unconsciously jerked back against Sarin's hand causing the raven's fingers to sheath completely inside the hot channel.
"Ah, damn," Jim moaned as Sarin's fingers crooked inside him, hitting a bundle of nerves that had the blonde cry out.
Having broken the kiss at the first strike against the bundle inside him, Jim missed the intense look on Sarin's face. Sarin watched the ecstasy flittering across Jim's face, the blonde's blue eyes barely open but darkened with pleasure. Feeling the muscles in Jim's thigh twitching with every thrust of his fingers, Sarin undid his pants and freed his erect member of the constricting material. Removing his fingers from the somewhat loosened entrance, Sarin ignore Jim's sound of protest of him stopping and lifted the blonde right off of his feet before bringing him down. Jim's mouth opened in a gasp of pain as Sarin bottomed out inside the blonde in one fell swoop. A shuddering breath rocked through the blonde as Jim pressed his face against Sarin's shoulder, the raven not moving an inch after entering the tight channel.
"…split me in half…," Jim murmured, his tight walls clenching and unclenching around Sarin's hardness as the blonde struggled to relax all the while digging bleeding crescents in the raven's shoulder blades.
Sarin nipped and sucked along the column of Jim's throat, paying special attention to the sensitive spot he had discovered earlier as his other hand took gentle hold of the blonde's waning erection. A few solid strokes had the blonde panting, his member hardening once more and Jim gave his hips an experimental squeeze that had them both groaning.
"Ready," Jim whispered, biting Sarin's earlobe before sucking soothingly on the stinging flesh.
Bracing Jim against the glass enclosure, Sarin began an intense rhythm of fast and deep thrusts, pulling almost all the way out before sheathing himself completely over and over again. Having no other choice but the hold on for all he could, Jim took the harsh pace without complaint. The blonde lost count of how many times the back of his head hit the glass wall, too busy trying to breathe through the orgasm overloading his system. Starbursts exploded behind his eyes and for a moment Jim thought he had passed out. The only thing keeping him somewhat present was the relentless pounding he was receiving.
Blue eyes grew damp and Jim tightened his arms around Sarin's shoulders, burying his face against the raven's neck as his body trembled from another orgasm shocking his already frayed nerves. A sob of relief racked through Jim as the sensation of being filled by Sarin's hot seed washed through his spent body. Sarin slowed down his thrusts in a bid of bringing Jim gently down from a third orgasm that left the blonde lightheaded and gasping for breath. Carefully pulling out of Jim, Sarin felt the blonde quiver with a moan as hot seed followed. Without letting the blonde go, Sarin turned on the water system despite him still being clothed and just held Jim, nuzzling damp blonde locks in a silent means of showing comfort.
"…never walk again…" Jim stated softy, his voice hoarse and breathless.
Sarin carded his free hand through Jim's darkened blonde locks, nudging his head up until he could stare into blue pools. Sarin took note of the red rimmed eyes and frowned. Cupping the blonds face as amaranth orbs traced over Jim's features, Sarin spoke.
"I hurt you."
Jim shook his head 'no', momentarily lost for words at the concern and shame creeping into amaranth orbs.
"No, you didn't hurt me," Jim finally said, willing the truthfulness of his words to show in his eyes. "I've never been ravished before."
A raven brow rose at that.
"Never?" Sarin asked in disbelief.
Jim laughed softly, the motion causing him to become fully aware of his soreness. The water shut off and Sarin barely waited for the blast of warm air to dry them completely before carefully lowering Jim down to where his feet touched solid ground. Jim's knees buckled and Sarin tightened his hold on him. The raven smirked at the light flush dusting the blonde's cheeks.
"You weren't kidding about not being able to walk," Sarin huffed with amusement.
"Yeah, well, take responsibility," Jim ordered without any bite to his words.
"I have every intention of doing so," Sarin stated with the utmost seriousness, though it was his amaranth orbs that showed his humor.
Moving to the exit panel, Sarin entered a code on a keypad Jim had not noticed before and watched as a square opened up at eye level with the raven allowing him to peek out at the rest of the craft. Seeing nothing, Sarin opened the panel and listened closely. Silence greeted them. Turning around, Sarin scooped Jim up from the floor and carried the blonde into the sleeping quarters where he set Jim on the cot. Catching Sarin's sleeve when the raven went to leave, Jim gave the ebony material a tug.
"Like I said, take responsibility," Jim murmured, coaxing Sarin to lay down with him.
Sarin took a moment to stare down at the blonde's naked form, the only item of modesty being the blanket precariously draped over Jim's lower half. In a few quick movements, Sarin stood bare for Jim to take in before slipping onto the cot. Jim accepted the fact that the cot was only meant for one person, allowing Sarin to position the blonde to lay on top of him. A relaxed sigh left Jim and within a few short minutes, Sarin found the blonde had drifted off into sleep while holding onto the back of the raven's shoulders. Closing his eyes, Sarin joined Jim in slumber.
-oOo-
*Umbra Percussor is Latin for killer shadow.
*Strigoi is from Romanian mythology; basically meaning vampire.
*Sanguinem Cordis is Latin for bleeding heart
*Jé-rouges is from Haitian mythology; basically meaning werebeasts.
*The food packet idea came from the film Spy Kids.
*Philote is from the Ender's Game series.