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bridge2sickbay drabbles from 9/26/10
Sep. 27th, 2010 01:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bluegeekThe theme this week was office supplies.
Prompt: Kirk, McCoy - Desk Lamp
Consequences
″Why do I have to fill out the requisition?″ Jim pouted slightly as he held up the PADD.
″Because its your lamp and your desk.″ Leonard had little sympathy for him, dealing with his own overwhelming list of requisitions for Sickbay. Given the dangerous nature of their mission and the foolhardy nature of the crew, ensuring that the Sickbay was fully stocked with everything they could possibly need – and more that they hadn't yet realized they'd need – took up a not-insignificant portion of his and Nurse Chapel's jobs.
″But you're the randy asshole who shoved the lamp off the desk.″ Jim glared at him, though the heat behind the expression was not the heat of anger.
″Because I needed more room to properly have my way with you and the lamp was in the way.″ Leonard set the PADD aside for a moment and met Jim's gaze with raised eyebrows. ″You're the one who set up that little seduction, mind you, and you should have properly planned for such casualties. You deliberately goaded me into fucking you six ways from Sunday in your office rather than in a nice, comfortable bed and now you have to suffer the consequences.″
″Fine, but see if I offer to help you next time things get a little out of hand in the Sickbay storage cabinet.″
His attention once again on his PADD, Leonard replied distractedly, ″Everything in that cabinet it locked up behind unbreakable plastic. The worst we risk down there are leaving obvious fingerprints behind.″
Jim thought about that for a moment and then grinned. ″Hey, Bones?″
After a moment, Leonard looked up at him. ″Yeah?″
″When we finish up here, wanna go down to Sickbay and test that theory?″
***
Prompt: Kirk, Scotty, Chekov, Gaila - Office chairs
Flexible
″Scotty! I'm glad I've finally caught up to you.″ Jim flagged down the Engineer, who drew to a halt with a wide smile on his face.
″Sorry Cap'n, I've been crawling around in the Jeffries tubes again trying to track down a few wee glitches I'd like to see taken care of afore we leave spacedock. Damned glad to be out of confined spaces for a wee bit.″ Scotty did look a bit worse for wear that usual, his hair – long overdue for a trim – was messy and one tuft even looked singed.
″Sounds like a good plan, Mr. Scott. I hope you don't mind a short interruption; I received your report and would like to talk to you about the changes you proposed to-″
″Ah, to the shield efficiency grid? I was hopin' to go over the plans for that, sir. Step over here into my...″ Scotty trailed off outside the door to his office when it didn't obediently slide open for him. The window was also tinted to the most opaque setting. ″Hmm, that's strange, I didn't do anything that ought to interfere with the mechanisms on this end of the ship.″
Curious about what parts of the ship Scotty might have interfered with, but willing to overlook it while they were still docked, Jim raised an eyebrow. ″So what else might the problem be, Scotty?″
Scotty opened a nearby panel and pressed several buttons without effect. ″Hmm, I've been locked out.″ His face was stormy. ″Locked out of my own bloody office! I'll have someone's head for this prank.″ He continued to mutter as he fiddled with the wiring within the panel. ″If I can't get it dealt with in short order I'll hunt down Gaila and ask her who was last-″
″Umm,″ Jim interrupted, his eyes riveted to the now transparent windows. Though the doorway remained closed, Scotty had apparently managed to fix part of the wiring controlling the window tint, and he;d recognize that hair anywhere. ″I don't think you'll be able to ask her just at the moment, Scotty.″ Jim began to grin.
Scotty looked over at Jim curiously. Jim, merely nodded his head to the office. Scotty turned to look into his office and narrowed his eyes. ″I see. It would appear that I won't be needing to ask her anyways.″ He snorted. ″Well, I have been working my crew rather hard during this refit, but honestly a bit of decorum wouldn't be misplaced.″
″She had the decency to wait until you were supposed to be elsewhere on the ship. And to lock the door against interruptions.″ Jim met Scotty's eyes and grinned, shrugging.
The occupants of the room hadn't yet noticed their audience, far to wrapped up in each other – quite literally, in fact, given how flexible both participants appeared to be – to care.
″Course this means two fewer people actually getting any work done,″ Scotty grumbled. ″And that's my new chair! I haven't even christened the damned thing yet!″
Jim chose to address Scotty's first statement only, banishing the second to the bowels of his brain. ″They are volunteers, after all, given that this is your personal project and not one deemed absolutely necessary by the fleet. Besides, it's only Gaila from your crew.″ Jim pointed to the gold tunic tossed haphazardly across the small room.
″Hmm, I wonder who-″ Scotty's jaw dropped. ″Is that Ensign Chekov?″
Jim jerked his head around and his eyes bugged out.
Ensign Chekov was, it would appear, extremely flexible.
***
Prompt: Kirk, Gaila - Ledger
Keeping Track of You
Now that she had turned Jim into a captive audience with the help of several scarves and her own body weight pressing down upon his hips, it was time to have a little chat with the man who, within these quarters, was not her captain, but her lover.
″I have been keeping track,″ Gaila reached over to the bedside table and produced the PADD on which she had been keeping her data. Despite the dimmed lights she caught Jim's grin. She made a show of examining the information it displayed, though certainly did not actually need the reference. ″Of our sexual encounters since we embarked upon this mission with you as Captain and me as your Chief Engineer's Second.
At this, she could feel him stiffening below her, and not in the good way. She chose to continue anyways. Once begun, this was a conversation that must be finished to ensure that there would be no ensuing communication problems.
″Of the twenty-three sexual encounters we have had and the additional sixteen times we have shared a bed without engaging in sex, only once were you the initiator of a liaison. That one time occurred on a brief shoreleave when neither of us were in uniform, a fact which I believe important to this discussion.″
Jim wouldn't meet her eyes and she could see his hands, curled into fists, twisting against the bonds that held him in place. She sighed and could tell that this conversation was not going to have the desired outcome if she could not break through to him.
″Gaila, I'm so-″ His voice, when he started to speak, was low and rough, and she did not want him to finish that sentence.
″No,″ she interrupted. ″I am not complaining, exactly. Nor am I looking for an apology. My concern is that the reason for this inequality in our initiation rates is due to a bad assumption on your part.″
His gaze remained fastened on the bulkhead above, and his lack of eye contact was beginning to distress her. She stretched herself out atop his body keeping her knees to either side of his hips and pressing her hands atop his. After a brief hesitation, he allowed her to interlace their fingers. That's when she knew that there was still hope to make herself understood. She hovered above him, their faces inches apart and her curls hung like a curtain around them. He could no longer avoid meeting her eyes, and the new confidence in hers seemed to banish part of the worry in his.
″I wish you to know that when we are together, we mate as lovers and equals. Not as captain and subordinate.″
Jim didn't respond, but he kept looking into her eyes as she spoke, as though drawing the truth from her.
″I am not here because you are the captain and I think of our time together as an order, and if you were to ask me to have sex with you and I did not wish to, I would feel able to turn you away without fear of reprisal.″
The tenseness in Jim's body began to fade away, she could feel the muscles underneath her loosen slightly, and his face became less strained in appearance. She had been correct about his hesitation. She felt it appropriate to reinforce her words.
″I would not lie with you if I did not wish to be here, and I know that you are not the type of man to coerce or force me to do so against my wishes. I am safe here with you, and wish us to continue our association with a clear understanding of the situation.″ She leaned down to kiss him and he met her lips with eagerness and heat. After a few moments she pulled back. ″And if in the future these concerns return, simply ask and I will answer you truthfully.″
Gaila waited for his nod of agreement, and once she had it, leaned in again. This had been a successful venture, and she had good reason for celebration.
***
Prompt: Kirk, McCoy - Rubber Bands
Snap
″So how's it going, Captain?″
Jim narrowed his eyes as he turned away from the window to see Bones smirking at him.
″Just fine, Bones. What can I do for you?″ He tried his damnedest to make his voice cool and professional, but from the assessing looks Bones was casting over him, he doubted he could hold out for long.
″Oh, nothing much. I just stopped by to see if you were getting any work done.″
Jim frowned at him. ″Quite a lot actually. It's been a very productive day.″
″Oh has it?″ Bones' voice was deceptively innocent. ″I'd have thought you'd be... distracted by our little wager.″
″It hasn't distracted me in the least, Bones,″ Jim lied. Through his teeth.
Bones snorted and crossed his arms over his chest. ″I'm surprised you've had time for anything else, frankly.″ Bones shifted his stance, straightening his shoulders, which caused his uniform shirt to pull tightly across his chest. The fucking cheater.
Jim glared. ″Contrary to popular belief, Bones, I am capable of getting some damn work done without stopping for a sex break.″
″That's true, Jim.″ Bones kept smiling. ″But that doesn't mean you don't think about it, now does it.″
Jim assumed the Spock stance, standing with his hands behind his back as he offered a token vehement denial. Despite his attempt to cover the sound, they both heard the sharp snap.
Bones looked like he wanted to crow in triumph. ″Show me your arms.″
Scowling fiercely, Jim held out his right arm. Bones merely raised the Eyebrow of Doom at him until he sighed angrily and raised his other arm alongside the first. Bones reached out and pushed Jim's sleeves back off his wrist, revealing a thin rubber band encircling his left wrist. The skin beneath it was fiercely reddened, though not broken.
″Good job, Jim.″ Bones pushed his finger underneath the band and pulled it away from Jim's skin before allowing it to snap back into place. Jim's breath hitched at the brief flare of pain, a sound that Bones had definitely heard given the way his eyes dilated and he licked his lips.
Jim allowed himself a small smile. He may have lost the original bet, but if Bones' current state was any indication, he was well on his way towards victory in the little side wager he'd made with himself.
***
Prompt: Spock, Uhura - Calendar
warnings for references to difficulty in conceiving
The Fourth Day
″Nyota?″ Spock caught her attention with a soft, tentative – or what passed for tentative in a Vulcan – query.
″Yes?″ Nyota looked up from the PADD she was reading as they sat at the small table in their quarters sharing their morning meal.
″I have noted that for each of the past four mornings you have added an additional step to your morning routine.″ Attuned to her as he was, Spock did not miss the way her fingers tightened on the spoon in her hand. He had earlier noted that she was tense as she left the bathroom following her morning ablutions and she had spoken little as they ate. This data, had it occurred independently, would not have been cause for concern, but occurring so closely together was unlikely to be a coincidence.
″After rising from bed and performing your morning stretching, you now stop by the computer terminal and spend approximately forty-point-two seconds observing a visual representation of an Earth calendar prior to entering the bathroom for your morning shower.″ Though he had noted this change in her habit from the first day, it had not given him cause for concern until that morning when he had seen precisely what she had called up onto the monitor. ″I must inquire as to whether I have somehow forgotten an important event that is distressing you.″
Nyota's eyes widened slightly, and she quirked a slight smile. ″No, Spock, you haven't forgotten an anniversary or birthday or anything.″ Spock could sense that she was amused, and so chose not to correct her assumption of his concern.
″May I inquire as to the reason for your change in routine?″
″I'm-″ She paused as though unsure of how, or whether, to continue. After a moment Spock could see her straighten her shoulders and take a deep breath before continuing. ″I'm late, Spock. Four days. I have decided to wait for five days before I go to Sickbay to see if...″ She trailed off and Spock could sense the brief flare of pain that she felt.
Spock had, of course, been aware of her cycles and that her most recently due menstruation was delayed, but she had never before waited for so long to determine if what they had both hoped for had occurred. He reached for her hand where it rested on the table and stroked a finger across her palm. ″What is the significance of five days?″
″I wanted to wait to be sure, or at least more sure, that it might be real and not just another false alarm. I've been telling myself that if after five days I still haven't gotten my period, then it might be real this time, and I can hope.″
Hope was important to the nature of humans, and to his bondmate in particular. ″The referencing of the calendar is an act of bolstering confidence?″
Nyota smiled at him, the sweet curve of her lips more pronounced this time. ″In a way.″
Spock pondered his next statement. Now that he knew the cause for her demeanor he should allow them to continue on with their day and not allow this new possibility to distract him from his duties, but, to the shame of his Vulcan ancestors, he was... impatient. He could not bring himself to feel that shame, however, as the curiosity and anticipation were far more welcome.
″Do you still wish to wait for the fifth day?″ He had not meant voice that question, had intended to try and restrain his wonder, but it had slipped past his guard unhindered.
Nyota gripped her hand around the fingers still pressed to her palm. ″If you want to, we could-″ She paused a moment in thought. ″I would like to know, and as long as you are with me, whatever we find out...″
Spock rose from the table and walked around it to her. He pulled her chair away from the table and knelt to the floor beside her.
″Spock, what are you-?″
Nyota sat very still when Spock raised his one hand to a spot low on her abdomen and entwined the fingers of the other with her own. He remained still and silent for a long minute with his eyes closed and head tilted ever so slightly to the side. When he opened his eyes it felt almost as though their quarters were... brighter, though he knew objectively that such a thing could not be true. He also knew that his lips were curved into a faint smile and did not care to school his features into their normal impassive expression. Through their link, he knew Nyota was being buffeted by his emotions: joy, honor, expectation, a tinge of worry...
″Spock, am I- are we-?″
As tears began to fall down her cheeks, Spock rested his head against her stomach and she threaded the fingers of her free hand through his hair.
***
Prompt: Kirk, McCoy - Desk Lamp
Consequences
″Why do I have to fill out the requisition?″ Jim pouted slightly as he held up the PADD.
″Because its your lamp and your desk.″ Leonard had little sympathy for him, dealing with his own overwhelming list of requisitions for Sickbay. Given the dangerous nature of their mission and the foolhardy nature of the crew, ensuring that the Sickbay was fully stocked with everything they could possibly need – and more that they hadn't yet realized they'd need – took up a not-insignificant portion of his and Nurse Chapel's jobs.
″But you're the randy asshole who shoved the lamp off the desk.″ Jim glared at him, though the heat behind the expression was not the heat of anger.
″Because I needed more room to properly have my way with you and the lamp was in the way.″ Leonard set the PADD aside for a moment and met Jim's gaze with raised eyebrows. ″You're the one who set up that little seduction, mind you, and you should have properly planned for such casualties. You deliberately goaded me into fucking you six ways from Sunday in your office rather than in a nice, comfortable bed and now you have to suffer the consequences.″
″Fine, but see if I offer to help you next time things get a little out of hand in the Sickbay storage cabinet.″
His attention once again on his PADD, Leonard replied distractedly, ″Everything in that cabinet it locked up behind unbreakable plastic. The worst we risk down there are leaving obvious fingerprints behind.″
Jim thought about that for a moment and then grinned. ″Hey, Bones?″
After a moment, Leonard looked up at him. ″Yeah?″
″When we finish up here, wanna go down to Sickbay and test that theory?″
***
Prompt: Kirk, Scotty, Chekov, Gaila - Office chairs
Flexible
″Scotty! I'm glad I've finally caught up to you.″ Jim flagged down the Engineer, who drew to a halt with a wide smile on his face.
″Sorry Cap'n, I've been crawling around in the Jeffries tubes again trying to track down a few wee glitches I'd like to see taken care of afore we leave spacedock. Damned glad to be out of confined spaces for a wee bit.″ Scotty did look a bit worse for wear that usual, his hair – long overdue for a trim – was messy and one tuft even looked singed.
″Sounds like a good plan, Mr. Scott. I hope you don't mind a short interruption; I received your report and would like to talk to you about the changes you proposed to-″
″Ah, to the shield efficiency grid? I was hopin' to go over the plans for that, sir. Step over here into my...″ Scotty trailed off outside the door to his office when it didn't obediently slide open for him. The window was also tinted to the most opaque setting. ″Hmm, that's strange, I didn't do anything that ought to interfere with the mechanisms on this end of the ship.″
Curious about what parts of the ship Scotty might have interfered with, but willing to overlook it while they were still docked, Jim raised an eyebrow. ″So what else might the problem be, Scotty?″
Scotty opened a nearby panel and pressed several buttons without effect. ″Hmm, I've been locked out.″ His face was stormy. ″Locked out of my own bloody office! I'll have someone's head for this prank.″ He continued to mutter as he fiddled with the wiring within the panel. ″If I can't get it dealt with in short order I'll hunt down Gaila and ask her who was last-″
″Umm,″ Jim interrupted, his eyes riveted to the now transparent windows. Though the doorway remained closed, Scotty had apparently managed to fix part of the wiring controlling the window tint, and he;d recognize that hair anywhere. ″I don't think you'll be able to ask her just at the moment, Scotty.″ Jim began to grin.
Scotty looked over at Jim curiously. Jim, merely nodded his head to the office. Scotty turned to look into his office and narrowed his eyes. ″I see. It would appear that I won't be needing to ask her anyways.″ He snorted. ″Well, I have been working my crew rather hard during this refit, but honestly a bit of decorum wouldn't be misplaced.″
″She had the decency to wait until you were supposed to be elsewhere on the ship. And to lock the door against interruptions.″ Jim met Scotty's eyes and grinned, shrugging.
The occupants of the room hadn't yet noticed their audience, far to wrapped up in each other – quite literally, in fact, given how flexible both participants appeared to be – to care.
″Course this means two fewer people actually getting any work done,″ Scotty grumbled. ″And that's my new chair! I haven't even christened the damned thing yet!″
Jim chose to address Scotty's first statement only, banishing the second to the bowels of his brain. ″They are volunteers, after all, given that this is your personal project and not one deemed absolutely necessary by the fleet. Besides, it's only Gaila from your crew.″ Jim pointed to the gold tunic tossed haphazardly across the small room.
″Hmm, I wonder who-″ Scotty's jaw dropped. ″Is that Ensign Chekov?″
Jim jerked his head around and his eyes bugged out.
Ensign Chekov was, it would appear, extremely flexible.
***
Prompt: Kirk, Gaila - Ledger
Keeping Track of You
Now that she had turned Jim into a captive audience with the help of several scarves and her own body weight pressing down upon his hips, it was time to have a little chat with the man who, within these quarters, was not her captain, but her lover.
″I have been keeping track,″ Gaila reached over to the bedside table and produced the PADD on which she had been keeping her data. Despite the dimmed lights she caught Jim's grin. She made a show of examining the information it displayed, though certainly did not actually need the reference. ″Of our sexual encounters since we embarked upon this mission with you as Captain and me as your Chief Engineer's Second.
At this, she could feel him stiffening below her, and not in the good way. She chose to continue anyways. Once begun, this was a conversation that must be finished to ensure that there would be no ensuing communication problems.
″Of the twenty-three sexual encounters we have had and the additional sixteen times we have shared a bed without engaging in sex, only once were you the initiator of a liaison. That one time occurred on a brief shoreleave when neither of us were in uniform, a fact which I believe important to this discussion.″
Jim wouldn't meet her eyes and she could see his hands, curled into fists, twisting against the bonds that held him in place. She sighed and could tell that this conversation was not going to have the desired outcome if she could not break through to him.
″Gaila, I'm so-″ His voice, when he started to speak, was low and rough, and she did not want him to finish that sentence.
″No,″ she interrupted. ″I am not complaining, exactly. Nor am I looking for an apology. My concern is that the reason for this inequality in our initiation rates is due to a bad assumption on your part.″
His gaze remained fastened on the bulkhead above, and his lack of eye contact was beginning to distress her. She stretched herself out atop his body keeping her knees to either side of his hips and pressing her hands atop his. After a brief hesitation, he allowed her to interlace their fingers. That's when she knew that there was still hope to make herself understood. She hovered above him, their faces inches apart and her curls hung like a curtain around them. He could no longer avoid meeting her eyes, and the new confidence in hers seemed to banish part of the worry in his.
″I wish you to know that when we are together, we mate as lovers and equals. Not as captain and subordinate.″
Jim didn't respond, but he kept looking into her eyes as she spoke, as though drawing the truth from her.
″I am not here because you are the captain and I think of our time together as an order, and if you were to ask me to have sex with you and I did not wish to, I would feel able to turn you away without fear of reprisal.″
The tenseness in Jim's body began to fade away, she could feel the muscles underneath her loosen slightly, and his face became less strained in appearance. She had been correct about his hesitation. She felt it appropriate to reinforce her words.
″I would not lie with you if I did not wish to be here, and I know that you are not the type of man to coerce or force me to do so against my wishes. I am safe here with you, and wish us to continue our association with a clear understanding of the situation.″ She leaned down to kiss him and he met her lips with eagerness and heat. After a few moments she pulled back. ″And if in the future these concerns return, simply ask and I will answer you truthfully.″
Gaila waited for his nod of agreement, and once she had it, leaned in again. This had been a successful venture, and she had good reason for celebration.
***
Prompt: Kirk, McCoy - Rubber Bands
Snap
″So how's it going, Captain?″
Jim narrowed his eyes as he turned away from the window to see Bones smirking at him.
″Just fine, Bones. What can I do for you?″ He tried his damnedest to make his voice cool and professional, but from the assessing looks Bones was casting over him, he doubted he could hold out for long.
″Oh, nothing much. I just stopped by to see if you were getting any work done.″
Jim frowned at him. ″Quite a lot actually. It's been a very productive day.″
″Oh has it?″ Bones' voice was deceptively innocent. ″I'd have thought you'd be... distracted by our little wager.″
″It hasn't distracted me in the least, Bones,″ Jim lied. Through his teeth.
Bones snorted and crossed his arms over his chest. ″I'm surprised you've had time for anything else, frankly.″ Bones shifted his stance, straightening his shoulders, which caused his uniform shirt to pull tightly across his chest. The fucking cheater.
Jim glared. ″Contrary to popular belief, Bones, I am capable of getting some damn work done without stopping for a sex break.″
″That's true, Jim.″ Bones kept smiling. ″But that doesn't mean you don't think about it, now does it.″
Jim assumed the Spock stance, standing with his hands behind his back as he offered a token vehement denial. Despite his attempt to cover the sound, they both heard the sharp snap.
Bones looked like he wanted to crow in triumph. ″Show me your arms.″
Scowling fiercely, Jim held out his right arm. Bones merely raised the Eyebrow of Doom at him until he sighed angrily and raised his other arm alongside the first. Bones reached out and pushed Jim's sleeves back off his wrist, revealing a thin rubber band encircling his left wrist. The skin beneath it was fiercely reddened, though not broken.
″Good job, Jim.″ Bones pushed his finger underneath the band and pulled it away from Jim's skin before allowing it to snap back into place. Jim's breath hitched at the brief flare of pain, a sound that Bones had definitely heard given the way his eyes dilated and he licked his lips.
Jim allowed himself a small smile. He may have lost the original bet, but if Bones' current state was any indication, he was well on his way towards victory in the little side wager he'd made with himself.
***
Prompt: Spock, Uhura - Calendar
warnings for references to difficulty in conceiving
The Fourth Day
″Nyota?″ Spock caught her attention with a soft, tentative – or what passed for tentative in a Vulcan – query.
″Yes?″ Nyota looked up from the PADD she was reading as they sat at the small table in their quarters sharing their morning meal.
″I have noted that for each of the past four mornings you have added an additional step to your morning routine.″ Attuned to her as he was, Spock did not miss the way her fingers tightened on the spoon in her hand. He had earlier noted that she was tense as she left the bathroom following her morning ablutions and she had spoken little as they ate. This data, had it occurred independently, would not have been cause for concern, but occurring so closely together was unlikely to be a coincidence.
″After rising from bed and performing your morning stretching, you now stop by the computer terminal and spend approximately forty-point-two seconds observing a visual representation of an Earth calendar prior to entering the bathroom for your morning shower.″ Though he had noted this change in her habit from the first day, it had not given him cause for concern until that morning when he had seen precisely what she had called up onto the monitor. ″I must inquire as to whether I have somehow forgotten an important event that is distressing you.″
Nyota's eyes widened slightly, and she quirked a slight smile. ″No, Spock, you haven't forgotten an anniversary or birthday or anything.″ Spock could sense that she was amused, and so chose not to correct her assumption of his concern.
″May I inquire as to the reason for your change in routine?″
″I'm-″ She paused as though unsure of how, or whether, to continue. After a moment Spock could see her straighten her shoulders and take a deep breath before continuing. ″I'm late, Spock. Four days. I have decided to wait for five days before I go to Sickbay to see if...″ She trailed off and Spock could sense the brief flare of pain that she felt.
Spock had, of course, been aware of her cycles and that her most recently due menstruation was delayed, but she had never before waited for so long to determine if what they had both hoped for had occurred. He reached for her hand where it rested on the table and stroked a finger across her palm. ″What is the significance of five days?″
″I wanted to wait to be sure, or at least more sure, that it might be real and not just another false alarm. I've been telling myself that if after five days I still haven't gotten my period, then it might be real this time, and I can hope.″
Hope was important to the nature of humans, and to his bondmate in particular. ″The referencing of the calendar is an act of bolstering confidence?″
Nyota smiled at him, the sweet curve of her lips more pronounced this time. ″In a way.″
Spock pondered his next statement. Now that he knew the cause for her demeanor he should allow them to continue on with their day and not allow this new possibility to distract him from his duties, but, to the shame of his Vulcan ancestors, he was... impatient. He could not bring himself to feel that shame, however, as the curiosity and anticipation were far more welcome.
″Do you still wish to wait for the fifth day?″ He had not meant voice that question, had intended to try and restrain his wonder, but it had slipped past his guard unhindered.
Nyota gripped her hand around the fingers still pressed to her palm. ″If you want to, we could-″ She paused a moment in thought. ″I would like to know, and as long as you are with me, whatever we find out...″
Spock rose from the table and walked around it to her. He pulled her chair away from the table and knelt to the floor beside her.
″Spock, what are you-?″
Nyota sat very still when Spock raised his one hand to a spot low on her abdomen and entwined the fingers of the other with her own. He remained still and silent for a long minute with his eyes closed and head tilted ever so slightly to the side. When he opened his eyes it felt almost as though their quarters were... brighter, though he knew objectively that such a thing could not be true. He also knew that his lips were curved into a faint smile and did not care to school his features into their normal impassive expression. Through their link, he knew Nyota was being buffeted by his emotions: joy, honor, expectation, a tinge of worry...
″Spock, am I- are we-?″
As tears began to fall down her cheeks, Spock rested his head against her stomach and she threaded the fingers of her free hand through his hair.
***
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