Chapter Four: Discomfort

Captain's Log: Stardate 2265.45: We are on route to New Vulcan, at the great displeasure of Starfleet Command. I did not betray any confidence and I promised that that we would be back on course to Altair VI within the week. However, my requests have been rebuffed. If I remain on this course, I will face disciplinary action.

I don't like being short my Science Officer and Head of Communications. I've gotten so used to having Spock and Uhura on my bridge. I only hope that whatever is happening to them will truly be corrected by this detour...

Jim ended his log with a press of a button. He sighed and rose to his feet. Starfleet was on his ass for abandoning the mission to Altair VI with no explanation. He wished he could have told them more. How was it possible that Starfleet didn't have any protocols in place for Pon Farr? Vulcans were one of the founding members of the Federation! Couldn't they have worked out a way to get leave for when... This happened?

Jim wasn't sure why Spock hadn't told him about it before. They were friends. Spock could have trusted him. Now not only was Spock in danger, Uhura was too.

Of course, Jim knew Spock hadn't meant to put Uhura in danger. Spock would rather die than do something to hurt her. Still. Jim was out two officers because of the mess.

He got up and left his Ready Room, walking towards the bridge. Along the way he passed by Spock and Uhura's quarters. Bones was standing in front of the door, holding a tray with one hand. The other was pressing the comm button.

"Come on! Open up! No one's seen you in three days! You haven't come out to eat anything and I'm betting you haven't had anything to drink either."

Jim looked at the tray, filled with fruit and protein bars. "They really haven't eaten in three days?"

"I can't even tell if they're still alive in there," Bones groused. "Okay, I can because their monitors are still online, but I don't know what kind of damn condition they're actually in."

Jim moved Bones aside and went to the comm. "Spock, Uhura... It's the Captain. If you don't open the door, I'm going to do an override."

After about a minute of no reply, Jim began to type in the override. He didn't want to do it. Spock had told them specifically what he planned to do with Uhura until they got to New Vulcan. But they couldn't still be doing it. Not for three whole days...

Evidently, they could. Jim let out a strangled yelp as he set eyes on his wayward officers. Uhura's long, slim legs were wrapped around Spock's waist while he surged into her, holding her hands over her head with one hand. His other was pressed to her cheek in what Jim recognized as a mind meld. They were kissing each other with a ferocity Jim had never seen before.

"Spock!" Jim shouted. "Spock!"

Spock stopped moving mid-thrust. He went perfectly still. "I did tell you what we would be doing, Captain."

"We were worried about you. Bones wants to look you two over and make sure you get some food. He's waiting outside."

"Would you please turn around while I decouple from Lieutenant Uhura?"

"Sure." Jim turned around to wait for them to make themselves decent. While he'd obviously known Spock and Uhura were intimate, it was weird to actually see it. Being witness to a few kisses was very different than seeing them go at it. Even though they lived together, Kirk sort of thought they spent their nights playing chess together or reading reports.

"Why'd you stop?" Uhura begged. "Come back."

Jim turned back around to see Spock was now wearing black boxers. He was cupping Uhura's face, kissing her tenderly. "I'll be back soon, K'diwa. The Doctor needs to make sure you're okay."

Uhura sat up, only a sheet shielding her naked body. She hooked an arm around Spock's neck, trying to bring him back down to kiss her again. He groaned and went in, climbing back onto the bed- and back on top of Uhura.

"Spock!" Jim shouted.

Spock pulled away with a displeased grunt. Uhura whimpered and laid down on the bed.

They looked well and truly fucked. Both of them had very rumpled hair. Jim hadn't realized Spock's hair could get rumpled. He also had a very prominent amount of stubble on his face. Uhura had dark purple marks on her neck and the swell of her breasts, while Spock had similar green bruising on his neck and chest. There were light green scratch marks over Spock's arms and shoulders. Jim suspected he had them on his back as well. But neither of them had that sleepy, happy look that Jim associated with a marathon sex session. What they were doing didn't seem to be fun. They did not appear to be sated at all. They looked exhausted, dark circles under their eyes. But they were also vibrating with tension, like drug addicts looking for a fix.

"If Leonard would like to examine us, it would be best to do it now," Spock warned Jim.

"Bones, it's safe to come in," Jim called into the corridor.

Bones entered and slammed the tray down on the desk near the bed. "First of all, you two eat something. I don't know about Pon Farr, but starvation will kill you just as well."

Uhura rose from the bed. Utterly unselfconscious, her entire backside was bared, her front only covered by the sheet Spock had thrown over her. Jim quickly turned his head. When she was back in her right mind, Uhura would be furious with him if he peeked. He also didn't want to incur the wrath of a territorial Vulcan in heat.

Uhura was scarier though.

Spock looked down at Uhura with glassy eyes. He nuzzled into her shoulder, while she sucked at the pointed tip of his ear. Their hands were busy roaming over each other, but they didn't seem really aware they were doing it.

"Could ya two stop for five minutes so I can actually get separate readings?" Bones asked, putting a hand between Spock and Uhura to pry them apart.

Bones ran a tricorder over both Spock and Uhura. Bones shook his head. "Well, you're starving and dehydrated, the both of ya. No serious injuries, but Spock... You have friction burns on your penis."

Spock arched a brow."I thought that felt unusual. I would have thought Nyota's ample lubrication would have prevented that."

"Maybe I should go!" Jim exclaimed, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Captain, I would like an update as to our journey to New Vulcan."

Jim finally opened his eyes. Spock was carrying Uhura back to the bed. He gave her a soft kiss. "Let the Doctor examine you far enough away that the Captain will stop blushing."

Uhura smiled at him. "I like when you make jokes."

Jim scowled. Was that a joke? No wonder he had no chance with Uhura if that was what she thought humour was.

Spock actually smiled back at Uhura. He smoothed down her hair and kissed her nose. "I will make more jokes when I return."

Uhura looked in a bit of a daze. Jim's brave, intelligent communications chef was lost in a haze of fever and lust. She wriggled closer to Spock, grabbing his ass with both hands. "You said you wouldn't leave me. And we didn't finish."

Spock cupped her chin. "I will be back very soon. Eat something and try to get some rest. I will wake you up in a way that has proven effective on thirty-five different occasions. I haven't had the chance to taste you since..."

"Spock!" Jim yelled.

Reluctantly, Spock pulled away from Uhura. He walked back to Jim. "There is a problem."

Jim nodded. "Yeah. Starfleet's on my ass to get back on course to Altair VI. And they're not happy I won't explain to them why I need to go to New Vulcan."

Spock nodded slowly. "Yes. That is not unexpected. Rerouting the whole ship for two crewmembers is quite against protocol."

Jim sighed, shaking his head. "I don't know what to do, Spock. I might lose the chair if I keep going against them. You're making a big ask. So I need to have a reason for it other than letting you and Uhura bone."

Spock put his hands behind his back and looked deep in thought for a moment. He then walked to his comm unit. "Computer, contact the Federation Ambassador to New Vulcan- emergency channel."

Within a moment, the image of a very pretty dark skinned woman appeared. Her curly hair was cropped short. She smiled pleasantly at Spock. "Spock. What's wrong? I don't think you're using an emergency channel for a game of chess."

"Unfortunately not, Michael. I must impose upon your position. I require you to contact Starfleet and request the Enterprise for immediate diversion to New Vulcan."

The Ambassador arched a brow in something approximating the way Vulcans usually did. "And why do I need the Enterprise so suddenly?"

"I am positive you can come up with a reason," Spock replied.

Jim crowded in close. "Okay, what's happening here? Hi, Ambassador- Um..."

"Ambassador Bunham," she filled in.

Jim blinked. "Wait... Michael Burnham. Of the Discovery. The Mutineer. You're an Ambassador now?"

Ambassador Burnham sat up very straight. "A more logical choice that you would assume, Captain Kirk."

Jim puffed out his chest. Imagine that. "You know who I am?"

Ambassador Burnham glanced back to Spock. "Even if you hadn't saved the Federation multiple times, someone speaks quite highly of you. I wasn't looking to leave Discovery, but I had a personal interest in assisting with the relocation of the Vulcan survivors. The most strategic way for me to do that was as Ambassador. I had some very good recommendations for the posting. Well, at least I know you're not trying to commandeer the Enterprise, Spock." She looked him over. "You look... Terrible. I've told you beards don't work on you."

Spock leaned in close. The green flush of his face increased. "Michael. I need to come home."

Ambassador Burnham's eyes went very wide. She gave a quick nod. "I understand. I'll put in the request immediately. If they give me trouble... I'll argue with them until they give in."

Spock nodded. "You are quite accomplished at that."

Ambassador Burnham smiled. "I'll see you soon."

Spock cut off the communication. Jim was still confused as to what had happened. It seemed he'd very quickly lost control of his ship. "Spock, how the hell did you convince the Federation Ambassador to get our orders changed?"

Spock ran a hand through his rumpled hair. "I rarely use my personal relationships to my own gain, but it was the quickest way to achieve the desired goal."

"Your 'personal relationship'?" Jim repeated. "What? Is she like your ex? Wait, did I just figure out your type?"

Spock tilted his head and arched a brow. "Ambassador Burnham is my sister."

Jim blinked in surprise. "Your sister? I never would have guessed that. You two have different..." He gestured to the side of his head. "Ears."

"I believe what you are trying to allude to is that Michael is black," Spock replied evenly. "She is my adoptive sister. My parents gave her a home after her parents were killed by Klingons."

Jim let out a sigh, shaking his head. He hadn't realized Spock had any siblings. "We've been on this ship all this time and you never mentioned you had a sister? How does that slip your mind?"

"It was never relevant to our situation," Spock replied. "In truth, it is hardly relevant now. Now that our situation has been rectified, I would very much like to have privacy with Lieutenant Uhura. My arousal is becoming very intolerable."

Jim couldn't help but glance down. He then looked up at the ceiling. "Spock... You have a boner."

"I am quite well aware of that, Jim."

Jim grimaced, squeezing his eyes shut. "Have you had a boner this whole time?"

Spock let out a grunt. "I suspect I will be at least partially turgid until the Pon Farr is complete."

Jim covered his face with his hands. "Oh Spock ... You just talked to your sister while you had a boner..."

"I did tell you this was a terribly uncomfortable and embarrassing time for me. I am not prone to exaggeration." Spock sighed in exasperation. His hands were on Jim's shoulders, pushing him out the door. "Now Captain... With all due respect, would you please leave so I may resume fucking your communications officer?"

"Whoa!" Jim finally looked back at Spock. "Uhura really lets you kiss her with that mouth?"

Spock pushed him out the door. His expression could only be described as smug. "Lieutenant Uhura greatly enjoys that mouth. Especially when I use it- as I promised her- to perform cunnilingus. Good-bye, Captain."

Jim stood outside in the corridor, slightly dumbfounded. Bones joined him a moment later before the door shut behind them. Jim then leaned against it. He could hear the muted sounds of Uhura shrieking inside. He scrubbed his face with his hands. "I'm starting to understand why Vulcans don't talk about this."