MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Or, you know, happy Bodhi Day, Hanukkah, Saturnalia, Yule, Diwali, Ramadan, Kwanzaa, New Year, or whatever else you guys celebrate!
Rachel :)
PS. My 'Lewis' fic is up and running, and it's called 'Deliverance' if you want to check it out!
Chapter 33
Jim frowned as he caught Bones staring at him once again.
For the past week, they had been acting strangely towards him, being just that little bit too chatty, a little bit too friendly, and a little bit too flirty, despite that fact making absolutely zero sense.
Not that he minded the extra attention, of course, as flirting with both men was... like... a life-long goal of his.
But still, if they were trying something...
And now, here he was, playing a game of chess with a talkative Chekov, and on the other side of the room, sat Bones and Spock, the former giving him strange looks and the latter fully emerged in a book about quantum physics from the 22nd century.
"Your move".
He blinked and turned back to the blonde in front of him, who was smiling brightly.
"Sorry?"
"It's your move" Pavel repeated, gesturing at the board in between them, "I moved my pawn to D4, remember?"
"Oh... Oh, right, yes, of course" He replied quickly, scanning the chess pieces before reaching out and pushing his bishop forwards.
Chekov frowned, "... Are you sure?"
"Sure of what?"
"Are you sure of the move you just made?" He said, and Jim frowned again, his gaze already drifting back to the doctor in the far corner of the room, "I... yes?"
His grin widened, "Your hearts really not in the game today, huh?"
"My... Sorry, what?"
He laughed, "It's alright, we don't have to play if you don't want to".
He stared at him, "... No, no, sorry, I'm just... My head's just elsewhere, you know?"
"That's alright" He smiled, "Is something bothering you?"
Jim tasted the air around the Russian, and only got genuine concern and a hint of worry in response.
"... It's nothing" He finally replied, "I just... Never mind, it's nothing".
"Are you sure?" He asked, ducking his head to catch his eye, "Because you look like something's troubling you".
"Honestly, I'm fine. Just a little... confused about something, that's all".
"Something to do with Doctor McCoy, perhaps?"
He turned back to him, startled.
"It's just... You keep looking over at him, and him and Spock both... Is everything alright between you three?"
"Yes" He answered automatically, before sighing, "No. I mean- I think so. I don't know. They've both been acting strangely the last few days... I don't know why".
Chekov frowned, "Well... Are you arguing with each other?"
"No! Nothing like that! We're still friends and everything, and Spock's acting no different at those god-awful therapy sessions than he was before, but there's just something... I don't know... strange about them".
Jim shook his head and forced a smile, turning back to the blonde, "Anyway, there's no need for me to be burdening you with my problems. It's your move, I believe?"
"It is" He agreed, reaching forwards and moving his rook three squares to the right, "But if you ever do need to talk..."
The air smelt faintly like affection.
"Well" He finished, "You can always come to me, alright?"
He slowly nodded, "Yea... Yea, alright, Pavel... Thanks".
The blonde merely grinned back, with something dangerously close to adoration shining in his bright eyes.
The same strange looks and slightly-too-casual touching, an arm around his shoulders here and a gently grasp around his wrist there, continued for another few days before Jim finally had enough.
He wanted to ask them nicely, of course, just what the hell was going on, and had even decided to question McCoy first, thinking he'd get a more emotional if not honest answer from the human rather than the Vulcan.
The problem was, he never could do things halfway.
Taking a deep breath, he stood in front of the doctor's door, and knocked, loudly.
Nothing.
"... Bones?" He called hesitantly, "I know you're in there! Chapel said your shift was over".
Silence.
He rubbed a hand over his eyes before resting his forehead against the door, "I need to talk to you, and you know damn well what about".
There was no movement from inside.
He sighed, "I swear to god, Bones, I will teleport inside your room if I have to!"
Still no answer.
Teleporting it is then.
Closing his eyes, he focused on the door, and pushed.
A split second later he landed on the other side.
"Jim!"
"About bloody time" He muttered, reopening his eyes.
Once open, however, he froze.
Standing in front of him, shirtless and startled, was one very flushed doctor McCoy.
And kneeling in front of him, doing something that really didn't require an audience, was Spock.
Also half-naked.
And also tinted a rather alluring light green.
Silence.
Jim blinked.
McCoy swore.
And Spock carefully rose to his feet.
"... Jim-"
"What the fuck?"
It took him a second to realise that it had been him who had spoken.
He blinked once more, "What... the actual... fuck?!"
"Jim-"
"No!" He snapped, holding up a hand, "No! Just... Just what the fuck? What are you- No, actually, don't answer that, I know exactly what you're doing. Just-"
He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath, "... I'm going to go now".
"No, Jim, wait, let us-"
"Let you what?!" He snapped, spinning back around to face them, "Let you explain?! What's there to explain? It's pretty bloody fucking obvious that you two are- are- are together, or some shit! So just... just finish or whatever, I don't care!"
He had reached the door before they snapped out of it again, and he felt a tight grip on his wrist the same second Spock spoke.
"You're right, we cannot explain this, but at least let us explain everything else".
"Let me go".
His voice was strained.
"Jim-"
His felt his hands heat up.
"I said let me go!"
Spock jerked back, fingertips scorched, and the blonde angrily shook his hands to try and put out the flames.
As usual, it didn't work.
"Calm down" Bones commanded softly, carefully reaching out, but Jim whacked his hands away, not caring that he burned the man in the process.
"No! All along! All along you two have been together like- like that at the very least! Letting me think that you were single, that you were remotely interested in me. And here was I flirting with you, flirting with both of you, like I- I- like I actually stood a chance!"
"You do stand a fucking chance!" McCoy snapped, managing to grab his flailing arms, "And if you'd calm down for five fucking seconds we'd be able to explain it to you!"
Jim abruptly stilled, "... What?"
"Let us explain" He replied, softer this time, "Please. We'll tell you everything if you just let us".
Glancing around, the blonde made eye-contact with Spock, who nodded gravely.
"... What the fucking hell is going on?"
His voice broke halfway through, and Bones smiled at him, "Take a deep breath, tone down this dragon of yours, and let us tell you".
He slowly nodded, allowing himself to be led over to the couch and sat down.
Sighing, Bones stared at him for a minute, before glancing over the boy's head to meet Spock's gaze.
"Well" He began, "So much for doing things carefully".