Title: Home (Multichapter fic with 35 parts)
Beta: Lissaea at Livejournal
Warnings, Themes and Tropes, etc.: bondage, torture, prostitution, explicit sex, drug use
Summary: The Vulcans need a new home planet, so the Enterprise and her crew set out to find one for them.
"They'd come all the way for this? Which mad astronomer had sent them out here? Whose twisted idea had it been?"
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek or any of its characters.
– Home-Part 12 of 35 –
They waded on and were lucky the next chamber was above rather than below them. The water tore away at Jim's energy and threatened to freeze up his muscles; the current pelted his body relentlessly. He leant into it and clenched his jaw. If he went on, he'd lose his footing and be dragged off by the torrent to a watery grave.
"Can't go on alone," he choked. "If I take one more step, I'm gone."
"I too do not dare to move," he heard Spock say behind him above the thundering noise of the moving water.
Jim couldn't turn around, the movement might cause him to lose his balance, but with his free hand he reached to search for Spock.
"I am too far behind you," Spock said.
"What now?"
"I do not know."
Jim bit his lip. His fingers had gone stiff, but he slowly opened his hand. The torch dropped into the water, plunging them into absolute darkness. The roaring sounded even louder now and the pressure on his chest from the cold water seemed to increase tenfold.
"You're right behind me? If I let go," Jim said, taking a pause to suck in more cold air, "you can catch me. We'll both lose our footing but if we hit the wall behind us together," he emphasized that word as best as he could, "we can get around the chamber, along the walls."
Jim swallowed hard, then said in a clearer voice, "We can get all the way across this chamber together, I know it."
The water lapped at his neck and splashed into his mouth. He spat it out.
"Let go," Spock replied.
As soon as the words left Spock's mouth, Jim lost his footing and was swept backwards with the current. He felt Spock's arm and lunged around to hold onto him with both hands; he was pulled under by the current-but he had a hold of Spock's body! Spock was trying to pull him in a direction; since Jim no longer knew where up or down was he tried to push himself towards Spock with all the strength he had. When he finally surfaced he took a deep breath and was rewarded with a mouthful of cold water.
Then they slammed into the wall. Jim choked on the water in his mouth. He'd surely broken at least a few ribs just then. Now the current was pulling at them sideways too, towards the passageway they'd just come through. Jim wondered if it was completely underwater now.
"We have to start walking along," Spock said, "Along the wall. We will never be able to swim against the current and the water is still rising. If it gets much higher we will not be able to touch the floor at all anymore."
Jim squeezed Spock's shoulder tightly. He was still too winded from the impact to talk. It was slow going, but together they managed to reach one corner. And then the other.
"Nearly there," Jim panted.
Finally they reached the next passageway. It was as narrow as Jim remembered. This meant he would have to let go of Spock, but they could use the wall, which was just as well, as the water was now up to his mouth and he didn't think he'd be able to get much grip on the floor at all.
"You first," Spock insisted, and Jim was in no position to argue. It was the logical choice.
Being able to use the power of his arm muscles to help him move against the current was a big help as they struggled uphill. It was a lot better in the next room; they held onto one another once more and shuffled along the wall.
"The current," Jim said, "I can hardly feel it anymore. The worst of the storm might have passed."
They stopped and Jim was glad for the opportunity to catch his breath, though he could feel his muscles starting to seize up.
"Spock?"
"The water is rising up from the centre of this room," he replied.
Jim nodded, although he knew Spock couldn't see the gesture in the dark. "I know."
The water really was rising, trying to crawl over his chin, to cover his mouth. They were nearly out, nearly dry; there was the chamber with the pit and beyond that the entrance hall. Suddenly Jim felt his whole body lifted up off the floor. He had to tread water to stay afloat.
"The current is weaker, but it is still present," Spock said, "and it will be very strong in the next tunnel. Our chances of success are not high."
"That," Jim sputtered, "is an understatement. It's pitch black, I can't see a thing and we have to find a hole in the floor-which I can't feel anymore by the way-and then we have to swim through it. It was a tight squeeze last time!"
"Do you have any alternative suggestions?"
"Let's do it!"
"I can still feel the floor," Spock said, "hold onto me."
Spock could indeed, Jim realized, but only by submerging himself almost completely. To breath Spock had to push himself up out of the water. Jim knew Spock was as blind as he was, but he hoped Spock's sense of direction was better than his. Suddenly Spock fell. Jim clung onto him, and swum against the current, trying to keep them both from being dragged away by the water.
"The tunnel," Spock said, when he surfaced again.
Jim understood-Spock had stepped into the entrance in the floor.
Spock pushed him gently. "You first."
"Spock-."
"Go!"
Jim took a deep breath, ignored the pain in his cramping legs and his battered ribcage and pushed himself off Spock to get down to the floor. He wanted to let out the breath, make it easier to descend, but he held it in. He'd need the oxygen. His hands could feel the edges of the tunnel now. All the strength he had left went into kicking his legs about madly, trying to move forward through the tunnel. It was tight; he scraped his hands and knees raw on the walls. His lungs were burning furiously by the time he managed to get to the end of the passage.
Where was Spock? His lungs were on fire, but he didn't let the air out, he didn't dare risk a lung full of water. He pushed himself away from the entrance and up-he hoped it was up-and gasped when he reached the surface. He was still treading water, but he was able to take a few deep breaths. Breathing had never felt so good.
"Spock!" he called out.
The sound of his voice was completely drowned out by the din. They-, he was in the room with the hole in the ceiling. He imagined the water falling through it from above, all the water that the storm had released onto the mountain-side, crashing into the pit, creating the small waves which were now hitting him relentlessly. He tried to swim away from the waterfall, towards the ledge. His fingers found it and held on for dear life as blackness was starting to creep into his mind. Once more he shouted out for Spock, but there was no response.
His eyes stung and he felt a wave of despair rip through his insides. He mustered the entirety of his remaining energy, drawing on reserves he hadn't known he possessed.
"Spock!"
Nothing. No reply.
Jim knew he should get out of the water. He braced himself against the pain and tried to pull himself onto the ledge. His arms buckled under the strain. As he collapsed back into the water, body limp, he felt something against his leg.
His muscles sprung to life again, he twisted around and reached out with his hands. They brushed against fabric-then a strong hand grasped his right wrist. He pulled and then reached out with his other hand to draw Spock even closer. His fingers dug into his friend's shoulder as he gathered him to his chest and held him tight.
Jim ran his hand up Spock's spine to the back of his head. "Are you ok?"
He felt Spock nod his head.
Taking Spock's hand in his, he guided it to the edge of the pit. "The ledge is here."
"I will help you up first," Spock replied.
With help this time, he was able to lift himself onto the ledge. Then he got up onto one knee and grabbed Spock's arms.
"Now," he shouted, and pulled as hard as he could. It was enough to help Spock up.
They both said nothing for a while as they lay panting, slumped against the wall.
"We made it!" Jim finally said.
He laughed. They'd both made it out alive! From here on it would be dry, they just had to find the strength to walk the last stretch. He knew he was far too cold, had broken some ribs and was bruised all over, but coursing through his blood was still enough adrenaline to keep him going.
He felt the air move next to him as Spock got up. Jim's hand found his friend's leg as he reached out for him-then Spock helped him stand. Because the ledge was incredibly narrow there was not much room and he was cold, so he ended up leaning against Spock, pinning him to the wall. Neither of them moved for a while as Jim fought his muscles and the blackness. All his body wanted, was to give in, to collapse back onto the floor.
"I'm … I think I'm ok now, Spock," he said after a while.
But Spock didn't let go. Jim was aware that they were both soaking wet and that it was freezing cold, but between them, where their bodies were touching was a small haven of warmth; he could feel Spock's breath against his neck.
He pressed himself into that touch, to further warm them both. Spock moved his head back, as it to look at Jim. It was pitch black, but Jim needed to 'see' him, so he ran one of his hands up one strong Vulcan arm, to Spock's neck and cupped his chin. Then he ran his hand over his face, tracing the line of his eyebrows and of his high cheekbones.
They were so close; it was impossible for Jim not to notice that the other man was holding his breath. Jim was giddy and he felt his own chest tighten. He tilted his head up slightly, as if to look into Spock's eyes, although he knew it was too dark to do so … and as he did, his lips brushed against Spock's.
His heart was pumping furiously. Despite the roar of the waterfall behind him, Jim was sure Spock would be able to hear the sound of his heart beat.
The feel of Spock's lips so close to his and then, when they both let out the lungful of air they'd each been holding, the feel of their breath mingling in the space between … it all turned his mouth dry. Although he was already blind he closed his eyes and brought his hand down along Spock's jaw so his fingertips were resting just underneath Spock's chin, stroking it gently.
Then they kissed. Their lips pressed closer, moved against each other slowly. It was a timid kiss. Water was dripping from their hair down their face. It fell onto their joined lips.
Jim's heart was still pounding away in his chest; it was starting to hurt. His blood felt as if it were on fire with once more increasing amounts of adrenaline. He pulled away slowly.
He …, now that they were apart, … he couldn't deny that he wanted nothing more than to feel Spock's lips on his again. So he pushed his body further into Spock's and as their lips touched once more-he caught Spock's lower lip gently with his teeth.
In the pit of his stomach a curious feeling was forming. His fingers felt their way along Spock's cheek, past his ear and eventually buried themselves in the hair at the back of his neck as he deepened the kiss. It was no longer a timid brush of lips. The kiss had evolved, it was hungry-and it was exciting. Jim was an explorer by nature, he couldn't help it.
He didn't know how much longer he could stand upright; he was feeling dizzy.
All of a sudden Spock broke the kiss and turned his head away abruptly, though his grip on Jim's body tightened. He was about to ask what was going on when he saw it too. Light! He twisted his upper body around so that he could look behind himself and was just in time to see a whole team of people with bright flash lights enter the room. As less of his body was now in contact with Spock's he immediately felt the chill on his chest and started shivering. The rescue team was on their way over to get them. He could fight off the cold for a few more minutes, he thought just as the shadows finally enveloped his mind.