Kirk was trying as hard as he could to focus on the lips at his neck, but his mind was wandering. He barely heard the annoyed huff, and was only jolted back to reality when teeth nipped the tender skin at the hollow of his collarbone. "Ow!" Jim exclaimed, staring up at Bones in indignation. "Jesus, Bones, that hurt."
"Good," the doctor snapped, leaning back onto his feet. "What's going on with you today?"
"I'm just not in the mood," Jim grumbled, not meeting his eyes.
"Don't give me that shit, Jim," Bones growled. "You're always in the mood." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Something's going on. The hobgoblin is suddenly unfit for duty, you're turning down sex—"
"Don't call him that," Kirk snapped.
"Whatever. Is someone dead?"
"No, no one is dead."
"Then what is it?" Bones slid his legs out from under him and lay down next to Jim. In a rare moment on tenderness, he brushed the hair from his face and gently settled his fingers against his forehead. "Come on, open up."
"Spock…he likes me."
"You've got to be joking."
"Yeah, like I'd joke about my Vulcan First Officer having feelings for me, Bones," Jim muttered, turning away. "It's awful, I've never seen him like this."
"Yeah, he threatened to beat me to a pulp."
"What?"
"I'm joking, Jim, I'm joking. He just wanted to be left alone." Bones reached out to Jim and squeezed his hand. "Is there anything I can do?"
"I'd ask you to go talk to him—"
"Jim, what am I, a doctor or a therapist?" McCoy snapped.
"But he's…jealous of you, I suppose," Jim replied, glancing at him with heavy eyes. "Can we stop talking about this now? It's weird, and I'm tired."
"I'd be jealous of me, too," Bones said with a smirk. "You're not exactly like every fish in the sea."
"'M not a fish," Kirk murmured, already falling asleep. He thought he felt the ghosting of lips over his and a murmured I love you, but he couldn't be sure; he was slipping into a soft, comfortable world of dreams.
When he awoke, McCoy was rushing across his room, muttering curses in a thick Southern accent. "Nnn…Bones…what time is it?"
"Time for you to get the hell out of bed," he snapped, "we're going to be late. And I don't need anyone seeing me coming out of your room in a shirt that isn't clean."
"Alright, alright, you go, I'll see you later," Kirk said, pulling himself from the bed and looking for a comb.
"See you at lunch," McCoy muttered. A moment after he had left the room Jim heard the annoyed "Aw, shit." The blonde-haired man walked out of his quarters and instantly realized how awful this situation looked: McCoy coming out of Jim's room still fixing his clothes and Jim, wearing no shirt, with hair mussed and a horrified expression on his face.
"I—um—" Kirk spluttered, trying to think of some excuse Spock would believe. The Vulcan merely inclined his head, jaw tight and a light greenish tinge on his cheeks.
"Captain," he acknowledged. "Doctor." He pushed past them, making a note to avoid Jim's bare chest, and silently walked down the hallway.
The rest of Jim's shift went uneventfully; he was thankful to escape the awkwardness of Spock sitting ten feet away and the boredom of absolutely nothing happening. Kirk stepped into the quiet hallway and stopped to look at something on his shoes.
"Excuse me, Doctor." Kirk looked up from his boots, his curiosity sparked by Spock's level tone from further down the hall.
"Nope, hobgoblin. We're gonna have a little talk." The hairs on the back of Jim's neck rose in alarm. He decided to listen from afar for now and see what happened. If he needed to break it up, he would.
"What is the reason for our conversation, Doctor McCoy?" Spock asked, his voice definitely rougher than before. He was irritated, no matter how much he'd like to say that he felt no emotion.
"You being an ass," Bones snapped. Kirk could almost feel his genuine glare boring into his eyes. "You need to get over the fact that Jim is mine, not yours, and that I intend to keep it that way."
"Doctor, if you please, I'd rather not discuss this."
"I don't give a damn, to be honest!" Jim could nearly see Spock bristling.
"Jim belongs to no one," the Vulcan snarled. The Captain was surprised by his tone; he hoped he'd never have to hear it directed to him. "He is a man."
"Yeah, he is, and so am I," McCoy growled right back. "You're a perfectly green-blooded Vulcan, at least you like to think yourself one." Jim, uncomfortable with where this was going, stepped around the corner. Spock's ears were flushed green, McCoy's face red. They were staring at each other with a harsh, outraged intensity.
"You better get it through your thick Vulcan skull that I love him, and he loves me, and we can because we're not pointy-eared logical computers. If he gets hurt, I'll actually act like I give a damn and help him while you spurt facts and just act like nothing is wrong! I will always be better for him than you, got it?"
"Bones!" Jim shouted. Spock took a couple of steps back, the blood draining from his face (and ears). "Bones, what the hell do you think you're doing?"
The doctor's head swung towards him, then to the Vulcan, and back to him. "I—you're like a goddamn cat!" he snapped.
"Bones, get out of here. Now." Jim could plainly see the hurt across the older man's face but right now he didn't care. McCoy swung around and stalked away, leaving the Captain alone with Spock, who had sunk to the floor in a completely illogical manner. Jim walked closer and kneeled beside him.
"Spock, are you all—"
"Leave me be, Captain."
Ah—Captain. Formalities now. This bothered him immensely, and so he reached out and grabbed Spock by the jaw. "No," Jim said, "I won't. What Bones said was way out of line; illogical, if you will."
Something flickered in Spock's eyes. "What is logic to me now?" he whispered, voice laced with defeat.
"What do you mean?" Kirk asked, perplexed.
"I mean that—how am I supposed to be logical, when hearing your voice makes me want to smile?" Spock whispered, his dark eyes glittering. "How am I supposed to be emotionless, when…when I look at you, and know that I am in love with you?"
"I-in love?" Jim repeated. Spock closed his eyes for a long moment and inclined his head. If he hadn't known better, Kirk could've sworn that he saw tears welling at the corners of the Vulcan's eyes.
Spock's eyes opened and he stared at Jim. Suddenly, he was wracked with terrifying pain, overwhelming passion, and then a sudden calm all at once. The Vulcan was looking at him as if he knew what had happened. "Spock, what was that?"
"I was testing a theory, Jim," Spock muttered, and he leaned forward and kissed him.
Several thoughts rushed through the Captain's head: "We're back to Jim", "Oh my god is he kissing me?", "Wow, he's a pretty good kisser", and "Hm. He tastes like apples. Peculiar". Too late, though, Kirk realized what was happening, and pulled away.
"Spock." His voice was ragged, which he cursed himself for; he could see the emotion sparking through the Vulcan's eyes, just waiting to catch. "We can't do this, Bones and I—" And then nothing. The spark was dead.
"Of course, Captain. My apologies." Jim was getting pretty good at figuring out when Spock was hurting and smothering it all; the Vulcan rose to his feet, smoothing his hair and shirt, and walked away.
"Dammit." Jim felt himself utter the word, although he wasn't positive why; he was just kissing someone who was not his boyfriend. He had to stop it.
"Done making out with the green hobgoblin?"
"Gah, Bones!" Kirk jumped to his feet. "Scared the hell out of me." The doctor stood accusingly at the corner, arms crossed against his chest.
"I'm glad." Bones didn't get angry and yell about serious problems like this; he didn't accuse, he didn't jump to conclusions, he didn't overreact or act preemptively. He hid the pain inside and was very, very rational. McCoy sighed and leaned against the wall, staring at him. "Jim, if you want to be with him, I won't stop you."
"Wha—no, Bones, I care about both of you, but…" Jim glanced at his feet and then at the nearly pained expression of his doctor. "I love you, Leonard."
"You're not acting like it," McCoy murmured, the hurt showing clearly on his face now. "God, Jim, I'll give up anything if it makes you happy, but I need something!"
"I'm sorry," Jim replied, moving closer. "I'm sorry." He watched Bones' face intently, looking for something to know he was forgiven. There was nothing.
"I trust you." The doctor took a deep breath. "I trust you, but I'm bound to get scared that you've been acting like this because you have feelings for him. And then I catch you two kissing out here…what do you want me to think, Jim?"
"There isn't anything I can say that will make this better, is there?" Kirk whispered. McCoy shook his head slightly. "I'll try anyway. I love you, I love you so much."
"I'm not going to forgive you this instant," he muttered, a smile twitching at the edge of his lips. "But I love you too."
"Thank you," the Captain said. "But—really, Bones? You had to yell at him right now?" The doctor's face reddened.
"Yeah, I know," he muttered. "Sorry." Jim smiled faintly.
"I'd really prefer if you two didn't try to rip each other's throats out on a daily basis, you know."
"But it's in our nature, Jim," Bones said, grinning. "Either we rip each other's throats out, or the universe implodes." The Captain rolled his eyes.
"Maybe a little less?"
"Are we going to stand here and discuss what we won't do, or go do what we should do, which consists of eating?" McCoy asked, stepping around Jim.
"Oh, all right, but if I catch you two fighting again I will personally shoot you out an airlock." Bones burst out laughing. "…What? What's so funny about that?" Kirk asked, confused.
"Oh, nothing," Bones gasped out around unbridled chortling. "Just reminded me of a conversation I had the other day."