Hello everyone! Let's find out about the newest trouble in town.

Hope you all will like it.:)

Last –

"Arrgh… great! Seriously, why do we always get stuck in such messy situations?"Jim complained while looking at Spock over his shoulders.

Jim saw Spock's eyes narrow at something before he replied, "Ah, Captain… I believe the situation is about to get… messier."

XxXxXxX

"What?" Jim exclaimed, his head swivelling back towards the river bank. A curse escaped his lips as he spied one of the natives moving along the river bank in their direction. Of course, nothing could be easy when they were involved.

"Spock, you better have some clever idea to deal with this particular mess," Jim griped, worrying his lower lip between his teeth. "In fact, as your Captain, I'm ordering you to get us out of this."

Spock suppressed an exasperated sigh. "Captain, it is illogical of you to order me to…"

"Spooock, shut up! Use that bloody brilliant brain of yours to think of something," Jim hissed. 'Because there is only one thing I can think of,' he silently added in his mind, 'and we're not doing it unless there is no other way.'

A few precious seconds passed during which Spock thought about the various options available to them and swiftly discarded all but one. Unfortunately, it was the one running through his Captain's mind – going underwater.

Spock could feel the reluctance and latent fear which that option was inducing in Jim. He frowned, unable to understand why an adrenaline junkie like him would be afraid of such a simple task. A moment later, the answer hit him like the proverbial sledgehammer.

Jim would not be able to breathe… just like in the warp core when he was dying. Spock felt his arm tighten involuntarily around Jim's slim waist. 'Perhaps, it will be prudent to tie him to a bed in future – my bed preferably – where I can keep him safe from every harm,' the thought popped randomly in Spock's mind and his eyes widened, alarmed at the sudden direction his thoughts had taken. Even more alarming for him was that he did not know which part of him was responsible for such a reflection – his human or the Vulcan part.

xxx

In the meantime, the native was steadily getting closer to the spot from which they would be in his direct line of sight. Jim had tensed, feeling like a cornered animal, when the native suddenly stopped and crouched down in order to observe something on the ground.

Jim relaxed his clenched jaw and remarked drily, "Spock, if you've found a way then this would be the right time to come out with it. That humanoid over there might be tracking us."

Spock, who had tensed himself, replied immediately, "Captain, I'm afraid the only course of action available to us involves the one you are so reluctant of following. There is simply no other possible way we can evade being sighted."

Jim jerked in surprise. How did Spock know what he had been thinking and feeling? Wait… was he... could he be reading his thoughts?

Jim's eyes narrowed as he turned to stare at Spock.

"Yes, but I assure you that it is unintentional, Captain," Spock replied to Jim's unspoken question, brown eyes meeting blue ones unwaveringly. It wasn't as if he was embarrassed; because it would be illogical to be embarrassed about something not in his control. He hadn't got an opportunity to meditate for nearly thirty six hours, resulting in the decline of his mental shield strength by 11.86%. Though the damage was minor, his mind's high compatibility with Jim's was allowing him to pick up the other's thoughts easily. Also the fact that Jim was pressed against him was certainly not helping.

Jim, meanwhile, was staring at the slight greenish tinge which had materialized in Spock's ears with barely hidden glee. 'Sweet Lord! An embarrassed Spock is so fucking cute,' Jim thought, suppressing the chuckle which was threatening to erupt.

Spock pursed his lips, glaring at Jim. He was not embarrassed and most definitely not 'cute'.

"Cute!" Spock muttered to himself, quite affronted.

"Well, you do know what they say about eavesdroppers Spock, don't you? They never hear any good of themselves," Jim quipped, grinning shamelessly. "Though I have no idea why you dislike being called cute. Even your eyebrows are sooo cute."

Spock did not dignify the ridiculous statements with a reply. Instead, he queried, "How long will you be able to hold your breath underwater, Captain?"

Jim sobered at once. It was the exact thing which he had been trying to avoid thinking about. He let out a small sigh before answering in a small voice, "I can do it for three minutes tops."

Spock nodded. "Inhale as deeply as you can, Captain. We will be submerging together."

xxx

Jim looked at Spock and then at the native and then back again before giving a reluctant nod. Unwilling to waste another moment, Spock adjusted Jim in his arms so that they stood face to face instead. He was about to inhale deeply when he stilled.

In his arms, Jim's body was so tense that it seemed almost brittle. Even in the muted light he could clearly see the panic Jim was trying to hide. He could feel the fear and anxiety threatening to overwhelm Jim – and those were unacceptable to Spock. Without further ado, he pulled Jim even closer to him; letting out a small sigh when Jim buried his face in the crook of his neck.

The action suddenly triggered a suspicion in Spock's mind. Now that he thought about it, whenever he roused Jim from his nightmares, whenever they lost one of their crew members, whenever something distressing took place… Jim had a habit of doing this while seeking comfort from him. How had he been so oblivious? Had he not seen his mother seek comfort from his father in a similar way in the privacy of their home? And though he had never witnessed any other couple displaying such behaviour, he knew that it was common among bonded ones as their scents contained unique pheromones which were capable of soothing their mates.

But, Jim and he were not bonded. Then how was this possible? Yes, their minds were highly compatible but…

'Oh!' Spock drew in a sharp breath, shocked. Was something like that even possible? Could Jim be – 'Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.'

Spock stared at Jim reverently. 'T'hy'la.'

xxx

Jim knew that he was making a fool of himself. He could come up for air anytime, for God's sake; also the native was not going to camp out there. And then there was Spock; he would be right beside him all the time.

"Captain… Jim… please relax. Though I often find you acting foolishly, it is not true for this situation. Your worry is justified; but I give you my word that you will be safe," Spock reassured him in a calm, soothing voice. "I will never allow any harm to befall you," Spock vowed, eyes shining with sincerity.

Enclosed in Spock's arms and faced with such unconditional regard, Jim felt his fear abating. Taking in another lungful of Spock's scent that smelt like home, safety and bliss, he relaxed even further. "I too will never allow anything to hurt you, you idiot," Jim whispered, smiling. He knew Spock could hear him loud and clear with that Superman hearing of his.

"I know, ashayam," Spock replied softly.

Wondering what the Vulcan word meant, Jim returned to his original position and tilted his stubborn little chin upwards. "Alright then, let's do this."

xxx

Spock stood alert, eyes locked on the native, waiting for the appropriate moment. He let the native approach as close as he dared before finally giving the signal for them to submerge.

"Now, Jim."

Jim inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with as much air as he could. Spock did the same and after one last nod they went underwater.

XxXxXxX

As soon as they submerged, Jim's fear returned with a vengeance. He forced himself to be still, trying not to panic. 'I'm not inside that warp core,' he found himself repeating it like a mantra. 'I'm not.' Their safety… Spock's safety depended upon this and he would be damned before allowing his fear to put Spock in danger.

Spock could feel the fear trying to overwhelm Jim once again. As if the small tremors running through his t'hy'la's body wasn't a proof enough, Jim's terror was also in Spock's mind... swamping him. And he could no longer ignore it. He splayed his fingers over Jim's psy points and slipped into his mind easily.

Spock had melded with Jim quite a few times in the past, but this was the first time he did it without asking for Jim's permission first.

Not that Jim minded. Oh, he did not mind at all.

Warmth and pleasure flooded his mind, like it always did whenever Spock was inside. And instead of fear, the rightness of Spock inside him overwhelmed him. It was how they were meant to be… joined so deeply that nothing could ever set them apart.

'Jim… you are with me,' Spock's voice echoed inside his mind. 'You are safe. Breathe… one small release of air at a time. Breathe with me.'

Jim followed Spock's lead with no hesitation whatsoever, and soon they were breathing out almost synchronously.

xxx

A minute passed and then another. Jim dug his fingers into Spock's arms in alarm. He was losing air.

'Spock…'

Spock did not waste time replying. He simply caught Jim's face in his hands and leaned forwards, feathering his lips over Jim's.

Jim froze. Before he could form an argument of any kind, Spock breathed into his mouth slowly; allowing him to take the air deep into his lungs. Once he was done, Spock moved away.

'Dammit!' Jim dug his fingers deeper into Spock's arms, his eyes huge with worry. 'You always do this, Spock. What about you?'

'My respiratory system is more efficient than yours as it is adapted to extract oxygen from Vulcan's thin atmosphere. I also require a much lower quantity of oxygen to function. You need not be alarmed on my behalf, Jim.'

'Need not be alarmed… my ass! If something happens to you… I need you Spock. I can't lose you. Promise me you'll stop doing such things.' It was hell of a time for confessing, but Jim had to make Spock understand how important he was to him. He impatiently waited for Spock's promise.

And waited... and waited.

Finally he prompted, 'Spock?'

'I'm afraid I cannot make a promise I will not be able to uphold.' Spock's face was stoic. 'If ever a choice has to be made between you and me, I will always choose you.'

Jim was gobsmacked. He half wanted to strangle Spock and half wanted to kiss him silly. But considering the situation, he did neither.

'Did anyone ever tell you how annoyingly stubborn you are?'

'I believe you and Dr. McCoy always do.'

'Well, you are lucky that you are so cute.'

...

'… Cute?!'

Jim mentally snickered.

XxXxXxX

'Spock, surely the native must have gone by now.' Jim knew he was whining but did not care. His need for air was that great. And besides, it was Spock; the only one who could handle him at his worst. Not even Bones could do that.

'I'll have to resurface in order to confirm that. Wait here, I will be back within a few seconds,' Spock replied.

Before Spock could break their meld, Jim grabbed his hands. 'Absolutely not. Don't you dare… I'm coming with you.'

Spock considered it while eyeing Jim. Once they resurfaced, Jim would automatically start gasping for air; and if the native was nearby, he would be alerted of their presence. This could potentially compromise their safety and it would only be logical to leave Jim behind.

Jim narrowed his eyes.

'As you wish; let us proceed,' Spock stated before breaking their meld.

xxx

Jim was hit by a keen sense of loss when Spock's mind left his, just like always. And as always, he hated it. He hated it more than he hated Winona and that was saying something. It should have been the other way round though. He should have hated his privacy being violated so blatantly; as the case would be if someone other than Spock tried melding with him. But with Spock, it just felt… natural and right. It felt good… so good… to have Spock inside of him. Perhaps it was because of their 'highly compatible' minds.

Jim and Spock re-emerged slowly; barely breaking the surface of the water. Jim, as Spock had predicted, began gasping for air immediately to meet his body's oxygen demand; while Spock's eyes meticulously sought out the native. He found him – back with his companions near the river bank and they seemed to be leaving.

Spock felt the tension leaving his body. His eyes sought out Jim next - and the sight took his breath away. Bathed in the glow of the sunset, Jim was absolutely stunning. The wet, golden hair shone like a halo while the blue eyes sparkled with vigour and vivacity. All the while those cherry red lips smiled at him softly.

"Yes! We make an awesome team," Jim exclaimed smugly. His breathing had returned to a much more sedate pace. "Now get me out of this damn water, and you might get real lucky tonight."

That seemed to be the last straw for Spock. Interacting with humans for several years had made him quite familiar with their lingo. He knew exactly what Jim meant and lost the battle to remain unfazed in the face of pure temptation that was his mate, his t'hy'la.

"I certainly hope you will be able to keep your end of the deal, ashayam," Spock growled, not recognizing his own voice.

xxx

Jim blinked at the sudden change in Spock's demeanour. But before he could process what Spock had just insinuated, strong hands clutched his waist and he was yanked forwards into Spock's waiting arms. A single sound of surprise escaped his lips before they were crushed under Spock's.

Jim froze in shock for a moment but then moaned out loud when Spock gripped his bottom lip in between his teeth and suckled it into his mouth, hard.

Waves and waves of hunger, need and heat swept through him, driving him wild.

xxx

Spock growled at the first taste of those soft, plump lips which had teased and tormented him endlessly over the years; it was exquisite. But he needed more… he wanted more. He pulled Jim even closer, his hands running over every inch of his mate's delicious body; sliding down the strong column of his back to finally stop at his bottom. He cupped the heated, plump flesh and squeezed.

Jim gasped; and taking advantage Spock probed his tongue deep inside Jim's mouth, warring with Jim's for dominance. Nothing but his mate's complete submission would sate him.

xxx

Jim kissed Spock back with everything he had; years of unspent sexual tension finally finding its release. And it was nothing short of explosive. Spock was exploring the inside of his mouth, mapping and tasting every inch of it; leaving him nothing but a shuddering mess of want and need.

He heard a keening sound and realized that it was coming from him. It was too much. He was drowning in Spock; his intoxicating smell, his lips, his wicked tongue, and his hands which were fondling his body all over. Spock was relentless.

Soon, Spock took complete control of the kiss and Jim surrendered.

xxx

It was only when Jim really needed to breathe that Spock pulled away reluctantly. But his heated gaze never left Jim's.

Jim groaned; he was so hard that his trousers seemed to be strangling him. "Let's get out of here," he whispered shakily, a fierce blush staining his cheeks; and Spock wordlessly nodded.

xxx

xxx Smutty scenes deleted. Sorry, but it's against Fanfiction rules. xxx

XxXxXxX

"Kid… wake up," Bones whispered urgently while shaking Denak gently to rouse him from his sleep.

Denak opened his eyes blearily, an adorable pout gracing his lips, and Bones' lips twitched. It seemed that seeing these kinds of expressions on a Vulcan would never stop amusing him.

"What?" Denak grumbled.

Bones rolled his eyes. "Look, I heard some disturbances and want to check up on Jim and Spock. With their luck… anything can happen. I want you to stay here, okay."

Denak's eyes widened in panic and as quick as lightening, he clutched Bones' shirt. "No. Stay."

Bones sighed. He too did not want to leave the kid alone but Jim and Spock could be in trouble.

"Hey, tell you what… I'll be gone and back before you wake up from your next nap, okay," Bones smiled imploringly.

"I do not take naps." Denak narrowed his eyes and glared at Bones stubbornly for a while before his face wilted and he reluctantly let go of Bones' shirt. "Sorry. My behaviour is illogical."

"Denak, you were nearly mauled to death today. You can be as illogical as you want," Bones grumbled and was rewarded with a small smile.

"I'll be back soon, just stay here," saying so for one last time, Bones took his leave.

Denak kept his unwavering gaze on Bones up till the moment he could see him no more.

Hello again! I'm sorry about the deleted smut scene. But if you guys are interested then you can read it in ao3.

By the way, I'll be eagerly waiting for your comments.

Solo16 - I hope this was to your liking. Thank you reading and commenting.:)

Until next time then. Love and kisses.^^