One
When she was first asked what to expect out of a four-month mission aboard the Enterprise, Emily wasn't sure how to answer. She knew in the back of her mind that she was terrified of going anywhere near a Starship again. After her last few encounters, she knew nothing good would come out of it. But McCoy had convinced her otherwise.
She was only just beginning to understand what it meant to be apart of a crew. Thanks to the Battle of Vulcan, she was forced to face that part of her past head-on. Now that she was officially part of the Enterprise crew, Emily found herself wondering whether or not she was sane.
She met up with Clint a few days prior to their departure for the Enterprise just to blow off some steam and catch up with him. Though Clint was still pissed off over the fact that she had chosen McCoy over the agency, he seemed to move on. Emily knew he would never get over what happened between them.
He'd seen her at her lowest point, and he was the one who helped pull her out of that low-point. He would always be her best friend regardless of what he said. The two of them had been jogging alongside each other as a way of catching up. She knew she wouldn't have much time left before she was forced to embark on the four-month mission, so it was now or never.
"Are you sure you wanna go through with this mission? It's four months in space spent with the same people who will more than likely throw you under the bus," Clint reminded her with a pointed look.
"It's four months in space with people who care about me," she rolled her eyes at the tone of his voice. "Plus it isn't as if I won't be a stranger to anyone. Leonard will be there too."
"That's what worries me," Clint retorted. Emily just snorted at his expense. She knew full-well he was on the fence over what happened between them. A small part of her understood why… he hadn't gotten over what happened between them nearly three years ago. And she had a feeling he would never fully get over that mess. "I'm more concerned over what's gonna happen to you while you're on that ship. If anything happens and we're not around to help out—"
"I'll be fine, Clint," she cut him off before he could finish. "It isn't as if I don't have friends going into this mission. Nyota will likely kick Leonard's ass if he crosses the line, and Hikaru and I pretty close too."
Clint rose an eyebrow at the mention of new names he'd never heard of before. Yet even he couldn't argue with the fact that something about her had changed within the past few months. He was only just beginning to notice that Laura had been right about her. She seemed happier now than she had been in years, and that was saying something.
Fortunately he dropped the subject on what her life would be like on the ship. The next four months would test whether or not she and McCoy really were capable of living together. They were given separate rooms thanks to the Fleet's accommodation settings, but her room was close by.
Since she didn't belong to any specific field, the Federation wasn't sure what part of the ship to place her in. It made sense for her to be close by in case there was any emergency, though Emily doubted that was necessary. She and McCoy had already made plans to share quarters, neither wanting to admit that they hadn't needed separate rooms.
'Lord knows how long this blasted mission is gonna feel like,' McCoy said through their mental link. Her duffel bag was already left in her quarters as she followed him through medbay. Since he was the ship's Chief Medical officer, he had to have quarters close by in case there was an emergency. 'I'm still not sure what the hell the kid was thinking assigning us to this mission so damn soon.'
'Consider this Jim's way of testing whether or not the crew works well together,' she reassured him. She smirked in amusement when McCoy threw her a wry look. 'I'm just saying, we need the experience for when he decides to sign up for a five-year mission. And I can guarantee you he will want to pull off that stunt.'
"Have you had a look at your quarters yet?" McCoy asked when he finally reached his quarters.
"From the videos we were sent mine are the same size as yours with similar modifications," she replied with a shrug. "Only difference is yours has a sonic shower and no timer with hot water."
Not that the warm water would be a problem for her. She'd been on enough SHIELD sanctioned missions to know how to handle such occurrences. She was trained in that sort of field to handle just about anything the world threw at her. Still, the idea of being able to use someone else's warm water didn't go unnoticed to her.
"You're more than welcome to use mine," McCoy said as if he'd read her mind.
Then again, he could read her thoughts. She almost smirked in amusement and nudged him as he typed in a temporary passcode. Everyone was given one; they had to change it to a passcode they would remember otherwise it would be easy for someone to break in. Though Emily had little doubt that Kirk was already planning on breaking into their quarters when he had the chance.
"I'm more than tempted to do so," she remarked with a coy smile. "Preferably now before we have to report to our stations."
She smirked in amusement when McCoy's eyes narrowed with renewed interest. Despite the fact that the walls were probably paper thin – an adjustment they would have to work on later down the road – even he wasn't above breaking the rules. Emily wasted no time in leading the way further into his room, not missing how sleek and futuristic it looked. Though it did have one quality that hers didn't: An eat-in kitchen with a small stove and a replicator. It also sported a queen-sized bed along with fitted sheets and a small window overlooking the view they had of space.
She rose an eyebrow at the sight. Her own quarters weren't nearly as immaculate or large, but they were suitable for temporary housing. McCoy dropped his duffel bag off on the bed and quickly followed her, though not without grabbing hold of her waist. By now she was struggling not to laugh at the hungry look he was giving her.
"If we do this then we need to do this right," he reminded her. "I'm not about to get caught having sex with my subordinate on our first day."
Her brows shot further than she thought possible when she realized what he was implying.
"Excuse me? Since when was I your subordinate?" she quarried.
"Since I became the Lieutenant Commander Chief Medical Officer," McCoy retorted without missing a beat. "Technically speaking, my directives override even Kirk's."
"And people say he has a big head," she rolled her eyes in exasperation. "For one thing, I am not going to be treated lesser than you, Leonard. And for another, my ranking outclasses your own since I've had to study and graduate every field at the Academy. So if we were speaking technicality, I am your superior officer."
If McCoy wasn't grinning before, he was now at her unveiled threat. She knew he was just teasing her, but at that point she wasn't about to back down from the challenge. She kissed him without hesitation, ignoring the surprise that followed when his hands fell to her waist with ease. They were mere inches from the sonic shower, and she was slowly leading the way inside.
"Alright, what are my orders, Lieutenant Commander?" he finally quipped.
"Your orders are to remain quiet until I say so," she replied huskily. Her eyes were dancing with mischief as she pulled him into the bathroom, though not without slowly but surely prying off his shirt. She could already see the tent forming in his pants. "If you so much as make a sound, I'll stop and have to punish you somehow."
If it wasn't for the fact that he knew she was joking, McCoy would have been downright terrified with the way events were turning. He was well aware of how dangerous she could be when provoked. But the moment she took off his shirt was when her fingers began slowly rubbing circles along his bare chest.
He knew what she was doing before she even started. Her slow, intricate movements was enough to send a shiver of pleasure through him. It didn't help that her free hand was already making quick work of his pants, soon followed by his boxers. His cock was freed seconds later, revealing just how hard he was.
'My my, someone is quite excited to see me today,' she crowed through their mental link. She kissed his bare chest tenderly while reaching for his exposed cock, relishing how thick and hard it was against the palm of her hand. 'Ah-ah, no talking.'
The smile that followed was absolutely mind-numbing. McCoy fought back a primal growl when she pumped him quick and hard. Her kisses continued feathering along his bare chest. She would nip his skin every now and then, leaving deep marks in the process. He was fighting an internal, losing battle. Her amusement never faded when she felt him pulsing in her hand.
He was getting close to reaching his climax. She slowed her pace, earning a growl of frustration. Emily tsked her tongue in mock disappointment and nipped his chest, smirking in amusement when McCoy finally began squirming under her touch. She knew he was slowly but surely losing control, and there was only so much he could do to stop himself from crying out.
"What happened to staying quiet?" she quipped, her voice lilting towards a hum as she continued playing with him. Her fingers made quick work of his balls, gently gliding over his rougher skin while she continued kissing him feverishly on the chest. "Unless of course you want to cheat?"
'Fucking hell Emily, I want your mouth on my cock!' he all but cried out through their mental link.
She struggled not to laugh at his expense.
'Well, why didn't you just think so?' she crowed.
Before McCoy could say something in his defense, she suddenly knelt down until her mouth was within inches of his cock. By now it was twitching with anticipation. He was so close to reaching his climax… so close yet so far away. Her teasing certainly didn't help, and the way her eyes seemed to glow with mischief and lust was enough to turn him on even further than he thought possible.
She finally took him in fully, relishing the way his cock filled her mouth without hurting her in the process. She bobbed her head up and down, swirling her head around the tip of his cock. She could taste the pre-cum, a salty yet musky taste that filled her to the brim. She wanted nothing more than to get lost within the feeling of his hands raking through her hair, or the sounds he was struggling not to make. Fortunately it didn't take long for him to finally cum. Emily smirked in amusement when he filled her mouth fully and she swallowed it all. Hearing his groan of satisfaction was far more alluring than it should have been.
Emily couldn't hide the sheepish grin that followed when McCoy finally pulled her up and kissed her without hesitation. Her heart swelled with joy upon feeling the love an affection he felt for her sweep through him. His hands slid down to her waist as he held her close against his chest, ignoring the fact that he was covered in deep looking bruises left by her teeth.
"That was a cheap shot, Coulson," he growled as he pushed her into the sonic shower. The water started almost instantly, warming her back as steam filled the room. "Now I'm gonna have to return the favor."
"And just how do you plan on doing that?" she quipped, tilting her head to the side with mock innocence.
If he wasn't turned on before, he was now by the look she was giving him. Emily bit back a groan of anticipation as he held her against the wall. Her back was pinned against it in a vulnerable position with her legs splayed apart. She was hardly given the chance to register what he had in mind when he suddenly pushed a finger into her entrance. Her eyes widened in surprise at his sudden intrusion, though it didn't last long when he added a second finger. Her mind was already going blank when his mouth wrapped around her breast. She couldn't bring herself to formulate a sentence even if she wanted to at the new sensations that followed.
His tongue glided along her nipple until it became a hard peck, and he moved onto her other breast. His fingers skillfully pumped in and out of her until she became a dam waiting to burst. She was struggling not to cry out from the surge of pleasure bolting through her like lightning. Once her other nipple was tender and hard, McCoy quickly changed his game and moved to her neck. She knew he was claiming her as his, just as she had with him. Only this time around she was more exposed thanks to the damn uniforms.
'Leonard,' she forced back a groan out loud, instead resorting to their mental link as her fingers dug into his shoulders.
The fact that she was using him for extra support spoke volumes. But McCoy wasn't deterred by her sudden squirming. If anything, it only seemed to fuel the fire as he continued pumping in and out of her entrance until she finally came with an explosion of cum. She let out an embarrassingly loud groan as she chased her climax. Her heart was still racing for a whole different reason when McCoy held her against the wall and aligned himself against her entrance.
"I love you," he finally said out loud. "Hell, you're amazing in every way."
Emily's heart soared with joy upon hearing those words. McCoy didn't give her the chance to respond when he suddenly slammed into her. It took everything she had not to cry out from the pleasure that followed as he continued this pace. She knew he was close to being spent that day. The warm water and the steam didn't help much… if anything it seemed to stimulate their senses, driving her wild as she came for a second time that day. She buried her face into his neck as he rubbed her clit furiously, relishing the way her walls clenched around him and seemed to pull him in even deeper than he thought possible.
"Fuck…"
She wasn't sure how he managed to accomplish that goal, but she came for a third time when he released his warm seed into her. McCoy thrust into her a few more times as he let out his own embarrassing moan, kissing her passionately as he came into her. She was only just beginning to realize how grateful she was to have a partner like him by her side.
"You are my Imzadi," she whispered as she finally recovered from her all-time-high.
McCoy didn't bother arguing with her. Instead, he kissed her once more firmly on the lips before reaching for soap to clean themselves with.
"Darlin', I don't know if we're gonna make it past four months on this ship," he admitted with a knowing smirk.
"Was that your first time fucking someone on a ship?" she quipped. McCoy rose an eyebrow in amusement at her question, not at all bothered by the fact that she'd ignored his comment. "I'll be honest, it was even better than I imagined."
"I'm glad someone feels that way," he rolled his eyes before cleaning off the last of the soap.
Emily smirked in amusement when she noticed the deep bruising left on his chest. His uniform did a fairly good job at covering most of the bruises. But there were a few just above his collarbone that were viewable. And she couldn't help but wonder what his coworkers would say when they saw them. She almost wished she could be there when they started asking questions. Then again, he would likely intimidate anyone who dared try.
She tried pushing such thoughts aside as she changed into her own uniform, though not without noticing the deep welt left on her collarbone. She rolled her eyes when she realized McCoy had left a hickey on her neck, visible for all to see. The smirk he was giving her told her this was exactly the kind of revenge he had in mind.
"Dammit Leonard," she swore under her breath. "How the hell am I supposed to hide this from someone like Jim?"
"Let that be a lesson the next time you try and pull off that stunt on me," he retorted with equal amusement.
He knew he would likely pay the price for letting such words fall on empty ears, but for now, he could at least enjoy the view.
.
.
Emily held back a sigh of frustration as she sank into a chair in the wreck room. After mapping out the ship and making sure she went from one post to the next, she was ready to pull the hair off of whoever asked her where the hickey came from next. Barely a full day of her shift had gone by without someone stopping to see the mark on her neck.
When they asked who the lucky guy was, she would usually give them a withering look that threatened to burn holes into their uniform. Luckily most of the crew members had quickly learned to avoid her when she was in such a mood. Unfortunately for her, Jim Kirk was not like most crew members.
"I see you and Bones have already gotten busy in your new dwelling," was the first thing he had to say when he reached her. Emily narrowed her eyes at him when he took a seat across from her. His cheerful expression was just a ruse. She knew from his gait that this was a serious conversation… he'd broken the ice by bringing up such an uncomfortable topic. "So I take it that extra room won't be needed?"
"I'd keep it just in case your sorry ass gets locked inside," she retorted without missing a beat. "What Leonard and I do on our own free time isn't any of your business. We're perfectly happy living our lives privately."
"Well, I'm glad that you feel that way, because the Council decided to send me one bombshell that might make Bones' head explode," Kirk deadpanned.
She grimaced when he handed her his data PADD. On the screen was a message she hadn't expected to see. But the moment she saw who sent it was when her fists clenched with annoyance. She should have known the Council would find some way of interfering with their lives. The last thing she wanted was for them to try and drag McCoy into this mess.
'Due to the evidence that has been brought upon us, we have decided to enlist Doctor McCoy to keep an eye on Liaison Coulson. His knowledge on her past will be used to protect crew members from any unexpected outbursts that might occur during the four-month mission.' — Admiral Barnett
That was like a kick in the teeth. Emily's jaw clenched when she realized that the Council didn't trust her. All because Kirk had given away her position to the Council. She finally looked at him to see him rubbing the back of his neck guiltily. It was clear he hadn't wanted this anymore than she did, but they had no choice once the orders were given.
"Look, you know as well as I do that nothing good would come out of Bones having to keep an eye on your mental health," he let out a heavy sigh as he took back the data PADD. Emily agreed with him fullheartedly. "Have you… talked to him?"
Emily pursed her lips together as she guessed what he was referring to. He'd seen those files that regarded her history. As annoyed as she was that he knew what happened to her in the past, at least he understood why she went to such lengths to keep those files hidden. She hadn't wanted McCoy to live with that kind of guilt. He already felt guilty enough for being the reason behind their failed relationship in the past. And while a large portion of their relationship had failed because of him, she knew she was equally responsible. She let out a quiet sigh and looked at nothing in particular.
"I've talked to him about it," she admitted guiltily. "It's not exactly something either of us are happy to discuss. But he knows what happened during our time apart."
Kirk gave her a thoughtful look. He of all people knew she had been through hell and back. It was part of the reason why he felt so damn guilty for giving away her position during his trial. The more he thought about it, the more he knew that he had been way out of line. She hadn't deserved that kind of treatment, especially since she still went out of her way to help as many people as she could.
"Well, at least that saves me from having to share that information with him," he muttered. He suddenly reached for her hand, not missing the way she stiffened from the sudden contact. Kirk's brows furrowed together when he realized she'd been through more than just mental abuse throughout the years. It was a wonder she trusted anyone after the way she had been treated over the years. "I am sorry for everything I've done… I wish I could take it all back and fix this mess."
She glanced at him in surprise when she heard the sincerity in his voice. Despite her earlier misgivings, she realized with a start that Kirk was trying. It was the first time she'd ever heard him apologize in such a way, and she knew in that moment that moving on was the best option they had. He was even more surprised when she gave his hand a light squeeze. She hadn't missed the fact that a similar connection was formed with him, though it wasn't nearly as electrifying as the bond she'd formed with McCoy or the rest of the team.
"Jim, I think it's time we moved past that incident and started looking towards the future," she said thoughtfully. Kirk looked at her with equal surprise as realization dawned on him. "I've learned not to hold a grudge on anyone… it only leads to disaster on my part."
For the first time since meeting her at the Academy, Kirk was finally beginning to grasp what she was really like. To her, loyalty and trust was everything. The moment said trust was shattered was when she turned her back on whoever broke it. And Kirk realized with a start that she was willing to look past that. It suddenly felt as though a weight was lifted off of his shoulders, and he couldn't be happier in that moment.