Eleven

"All I'm saying is, that mission could've gone by a lot more smoothly if Kirk hadn't gotten his pants all twisted in a knot," Leonard complained as they sat together in the shuttle.

Emily held back a sigh of frustration while listening to the complaints. Most of them had gone on in silence through their mental link. With Kirk not sitting far away, she couldn't blame the kid for blocking out Leonard's complaints. She envied Kirk for having the ability to block out complaints. Considering the fact that Leonard had put up with just about everything when Jim dragged him along to Nibiru. In his defense, Leonard had every right to complain about that notion.

Their lives were in danger for a short time, she reminded herself silently.

If it hadn't been for Jim's quick thinking and the fact that Leonard had acted quickly, neither of them would have made it off the planet safely. And that thought alone terrified her to the core. She didn't want to think of what would happen if she lost Leonard. He was still her Imzadi, and that hadn't changed. Still, there were times she wished Leonard would understand when enough was enough. She needed a mental break from all the chaos that occurred throughout work and everywhere else.

Between constantly being ambushed and having to deal with the reporters that harassed them, Emily didn't know what was worse. Her thoughts had been churning with renewed anxiety as she recalled how she and Leonard had been ambushed when they were on their way to the hangar bay. Both had been fully dressed in uniform along the way, and the reporter in question had asked whether or not they were on their way to another mission. Neither had felt obliged to answer, though one withering look from Leonard was all it took for the reporter to back down.

She was used to dealing with the constant hassle of reporters ambushing her. After working alongside Tony for so long, it became second-nature. Leonard on the other hand was a different story. He hated being pressed for information on his personal life, especially when the reporters asked about previous relationships.

"It can't be any worse than having to deal with the reporter from the other day," she reminded him with a pointed look.

Luckily the shuttle reached Earth fairly quick. Relief swept through Emily when she dragged Leonard away from the hangar bay. Fellow crew members who were on board the shuttle had given her sympathetic looks when they noticed Leonard's complaints. She knew how to handle his complaints... hell, she had been for the past twenty years. Though she had to admit, she wished that she'd taken some aspirin with her before they left.

"No, it ain't much worse," Leonard let out an exasperated sigh. He hadn't realized until then that she was leading him back to the apartment. He was still dressed in the wet suit he and Jim had been forced to wear. Emily noticed with a start just how complimenting the wet suit was on him. "What annoys me so damn much is that this isn't the first time a mission has gone horribly wrong."

"In Jim's defense, he hasn't once lost anyone on his watch," she pointed out.

Leonard rolled his eyes at that, though he didn't bother refuting her comment. She continued rubbing the temple of her forehead as he finished his rant. By now she had gotten used to dealing with his complaints, but that didn't stop him from continuing until he was red along the face. The sight was something to behold, and she was fairly certain reporters were lurking nearby watching them.

"Doesn't make the fact that this happened in the first place any better," he rolled his eyes once more.

Emily smirked in amusement as she led the way into the apartment, ignoring the fact that a couple of reporters had tried reaching them. Leonard was already riled up enough as it was; the last thing she wanted or needed was to get involved in a confrontation with the nosy reporters. She had little doubt there would be a story revolving around how she'd dragged the good doctor into her apartment while still dressed in his wet-suit, providing them with a sight few were lucky to see.

She suddenly spun around and kissed him firmly on the lips. Leonard stopped his ranting almost immediately, stiffening in surprise when her arms wrapped around his neck. She was struggling not to grin at his expense when he threw her an incredulous look. The wet suit was made that much funnier when she noticed the tent forming down below, giving her the telltale signs of what his other head was desperate for.

"That's better," she whispered with a sigh of relief. Leonard rose an incredulous eyebrow when he realized what she was implying. "I love you, Leonard, really I do. But your ranting can be a bit much after a long day on the ship."

"And this is your way of distracting me?" he quipped.

"Well, I'd say the solution is working," she replied with a knowing smirk. As if to prove her point, her hand skirted over to the tent, causing him to let out an intake of air. Emily gave him a pointed look, knowing full-well she was crossing the line by teasing him. "And if I was being honest with you, I think we can both have a little fun this evening."

Her other free hand pricked along his neckline, and it took every ounce of self-control he had not to take her then and there. Leonard swallowed hard as she led the way upstairs, swinging her hips along the way as she did so. She had to admit, she loved teasing him to the point where he nearly lost control. Fortunately it didn't take long for him to register what was on her mind. Though she made it easier by dropping the wall between their mental link.

They'd made an agreement to use it only as a means of communicating whenever they weren't on shift, or if there was an emergency. After the near-disaster moment they had when she first brought the suggestion to light, Leonard began to realize that she made a valid point. He suddenly understood the need to keep the link closed when he was in the middle of a surgery, or whenever she was in the middle of a mission. The last thing either of them wanted was to make a mistake while they were distracted.

She tried pushing those uneasy thoughts aside as she reached the shower. She was already working off her uniform when Leonard finally reached her, still dressed in his wet suit. Emily rose an eyebrow in amusement when she noticed his growing frustration. The wet suit unfortunately happened to be a single piece of clothing, making it that much more difficult to change in and out of.

"Let me," she reassured him before he almost snapped the zipper off.

"Why do I get the feeling this is just another ploy to tease me?" he grumbled when she slowly pulled at the zipper. Emily just smirked in response as he tried glaring at her, but she was behind him. Her fingers massaged his skin carefully, causing unexpected reactions as a result. "Good Lord, woman!"

Emily chuckled at his response. It was exactly what she had been hoping for. From there she finally pried off the rest of his suit, tossing the latex material to the side. His skin was a hot mess from being stuck in the suit for so long, and not having had the chance to shower after their mission. Emily chewed the bottom of her lip as she led the way into the shower. The rest of her clothing was already off next to his suit, and as she leaned into his back, he could feel her breasts poking against his bare skin.

"I have to admit, it is fun watching you squirm," she whispered into his ear.

And squirming he certainly was. By now she was struggling not to laugh at his expense when he tried turning so that he could face her. She merely held him down and kissed him firmly on his neck, ignoring the primal sound that followed as the water started running. Warm steam began billowing into the air as they stepped inside, closing the glass door behind them.

'Goddammit Coulson!' he finally growled through their mental link.

Her smirk widened when she noticed he was practically ready to burst. She hadn't realized until then just how close he was when she finally spun him around to face her, only to find precum leaking from his tip. Emily merely gave him an innocent look when Leonard all-but-rolled his eyes at her. He knew at that point that she would continue teasing him until he came even without touching him.

'I knew you were excited to see me naked again, but I didn't realize you were this excited,' she remarked.

'Dammit woman, you're gonna be the death of me,' he complained. She merely rolled her eyes at that. She was already streaming wet by the time she reached down and took his cock fully into her mouth. The moment she did was when Leonard let out a string of curses. His fingers dragged into her hair, carefully guiding her along as she sucked him off quickly. He knew better than to physically hurt her, especially after everything she had been through prior to them meeting up again. Though at that point a little pain wasn't on her mind. She continued bobbing her head up and down, the feeling of precum dripping in her mouth told her everything she needed to know. He was getting close, and it didn't take long for him to finally explode into her mouth. 'Fucking hell you have an amazing mouth!'

'There are those who would suggest otherwise,' she said dryly.

Still, Emily couldn't hide the sheepish smile that followed when she swallowed it all. She stood up and faced him, eyes swimming within those rich hazel eyes. They were full of compassion and love. Emily realized with a start that that was one of the many reasons she had fallen in love with him. Though if she was being honest with herself, she had many reasons for falling in love with Leonard McCoy. Leonard rose an eyebrow when he heard those last thoughts loud and clear. Try as he might to hide it, there was no denying the love and affection he felt towards her. She drove him up the walls and had a tendency to give him major headaches, but that didn't stop him from loving her.

He kissed her without hesitation, capturing her lips with his. Emily fell easily into the kiss, relishing the way he seemed to fit into her so easily. The feeling of his tongue grazing against her lips caused her to moan a little, giving him full access to her mouth. Leonard took advantage of the situation, plunging his tongue hungrily into her mouth as his own hands reached her waist. She knew she wasn't going to last much longer when his fingers reached her moist entrance. She was already streaming wet, and Leonard's fingers dug into her opening at a pace that left her gasping for air. Her legs practically buckled from his touch, and it took everything she had not to cry out from the sheer pleasure that followed.

'And you say I'm feeling needy,' he said through their mental link. Emily rolled her eyes, but she wasn't given the chance to snap back when he kissed her once more. He played with her clit, making every movement impossible for her to concentrate. She was already on the verge of reaching her climax when he suddenly reached her g-spot. It was in that moment when she came, letting out an explosive stream of cum around his waiting fingers. 'Good Lord you're a waterfall.'

Emily rolled her eyes once again at that comment. Of course she was a fucking waterfall. Leonard was doing things to her that would make any woman cum. But for her, it was that much better since he was her Imzadi. She clung onto his arms as she panted for air, letting her muscles relax in the warm steam from the shower. Leonard held her firmly against the back of the wall, ignoring the fact that they were in a rather uncomfortable position in that moment.

'You are a pain in the ass, Leonard,' she complained.

'And yet somehow you're still willing to put up with me,' he remarked coyly.

Her eyes lit up when he pressed against her. His cock twitched with anticipation as it aligned against her entrance. It was still stiff from their earlier activities, and he could easily go for another round. That was just what Emily had been hoping for. She kissed him tenderly on the lips, relishing the way he tasted as he kissed her back with equal passion.

'If I was being honest with myself, that was the best choice I could have made,' she reassured him. 'You are and you always will be my Imzadi. Nothing will change that.'

Seeing the love he had to offer left her wondering how Pamela could have been so blind. She tried not to dwell on those thoughts when he suddenly thrust into her. Emily bit back a gasp of surprise at his sudden intrusion, though it didn't take long for her to adjust. He filled her in a way that no other man had, and she wanted the moment to last. Leonard pounded into her in a rhythm they were both comfortable with. Her walls clenched around him as she held on for dear life, wanting nothing more than to get lost within the sensations he provided.

Her own thoughts were becoming chaotic and muddled. It became harder for her to concentrate on the task looming ahead as she moaned into his skin, burying her face into the crook of his shoulder. She could hear his own groans echoing against the bare walls as well, neither of them deterred by the fear of rousing their neighbors in the process.

'Fuck, I'm getting close,' Leonard warned her through their mental link.

'I want the moment to last,' she groaned.

She knew he wanted the moment to last as well. Leonard timed his thrusts as best as he could, but even that wasn't enough. Her walls clenched around him just as she reached her climax, and she let out an embarrassingly loud groan in the process. He came seconds later, filling her warm entrance with his seed. For a moment, neither of them moved as they recovered from their climax. Hell, Emily didn't want him to leave her in that moment. She realized with a start how good it felt to have him inside of her. As if to prove his point, Leonard kissed her neck tenderly, relishing how warm and salty her skin tasted.

"I'll admit, that's a pretty damn good distraction," he muttered when he finally pulled out, though with some reluctance.

She couldn't hide the sheepish grin that followed when she kissed him back without hesitation.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier," she whispered. "I understand your frustration with Jim, really I do. I just needed a break."

"I know," Leonard let out a sigh of his own as they began cleaning off. Once they were rinsed off and fully dried, Emily wasted no time in following him to the bed where they could cuddle. His arm wrapped around her torso, holding her close against his bare chest. She normally preferred sleeping in bed naked… after all, it wasn't as if anyone else would walk in on them. "Lord knows there'll be more from there. Kirk knows how to rile me up."

Emily couldn't help but glance at him thoughtfully. She knew that something else had been eating away at him since this mission. Ever since her talk with Director Fury, Leonard had been getting more and more antsy. She couldn't shake off the feeling it had something to do with what they talked about, but Leonard wouldn't share what was bothering him.

"This wouldn't happen to explain why you were feeling the way you felt before this mission, does it?" she asked curiously.

She felt Leonard shift with unease when he realized what she was implying. She was far too observant for her own good. That much Leonard had learned the hard way. They'd promised not to keep anymore secrets from them, though that hadn't stopped her from keeping a few from her darker days. She knew she would have to sail that ship sooner or later, but for now, she wanted to focus on what was bothering him.

"Actually, I've been meaning to talk to ya about something," he suddenly admitted. Emily rose an eyebrow when he turned so that he was facing her. She could feel the worry churning within him, along with renewed guilt and anxiety. It was enough to leave her wondering and worrying over what was eating away at him. "We've talked about getting married before…"

"Yeah, and we both agreed that it's best to wait until we're ready," she pointed out.

"I know," Leonard let out a sigh and ran a gentle hand through her hair. Emily glanced at him thoughtfully as he seemed to consider his next words carefully. "Hell, I was scared that day at the hospital when Pa dropped the question… I should've never ignored you when you were released from the ICU. It's still one of my biggest regrets."

Her face softened when she realized what he meant by that. She'd known how guilty he felt. Hell, those feelings never went away, and a small part of her understood why. It was enough to leave her feeling guiltier than ever for putting him in that position. They both had been through hell and back, enough times that they didn't need the trend to continue.

She didn't want him to feel rushed into something he wasn't ready for. That was half of the reason she hadn't pushed him before that mess. Now that he finally implied something, she wasn't sure if she was ready for that step. The last thing she wanted was to ruin what they had, especially since they worked so hard on fixing their relationship.

"Leonard, I've already told you that you can't keep beating yourself up over this," she reminded him. "Hell, we've both made mistakes that we're not proud of. Just because we've made those mistakes doesn't mean we have to live with regret for the rest of our lives."

His face melted as her words hit home. Despite the hell she had been through over the years, she was still willing to forgive him. Emily kissed him affectionately, knowing full-well this was something he needed to contend with on his own.

"You really are amazing," he whispered after holding her close. Emily couldn't hide the broad smile that followed as their eyes met. "I'm more than willing to spend the rest of my life with you."

"And I you, Imzadi," she whispered back without hesitation.

His heart swelled with joy upon hearing those words. As they settled in for the evening, Emily buried herself into his bare chest and allowed his warmth to wrap around her like a protective blanket. She realized with a start that she felt safer now than she had in years. And she never wanted the moment to end.