Chapter Text
McCoy wasn’t exactly sure what was happening as his back hit the nearest bulkhead with a loud thud.
As the static cleared from his vision, Leonard found himself nose to nose with Mr. Spock. A seething, green-in-the-face Mr. Spock.
Just how had this started exactly?
***
Leonard had tried just about everything to get Spock in sickbay short of dragging him there. He was the last crewman due for his quarterly physicals. This in itself was not out of the ordinary; however… Leonard would’ve called his demeanor agitated if it was anyone else.
Any attempts he had made to broach the subject logically were not met with the usual volley of reasonable excuses. Spock had callously brushed him off, ignored him, and growled at him during one memorable instance. Leonard was truly at the end of his rope. That’s when he had the genius idea of cornering Spock in the science labs.
“Mr. Spock.” Leonard started neutrally as the door wooshed shut behind him. Now that he was finally alone with the man, maybe he could figure out why he was being more recalcitrant than usual.
Spock’s head snapped toward him for a second and Leonard swore he saw his eyebrows twitch together before he turned back to the microscope he was working on.
“I was unaware of any medical research taking place today, Doctor .” Spock’s voice was just a touch colder than usual. Leonard ignored the urge to shrink at that; he had a job to do, damn it.
“I would remind you that you are stationed in sickbay for another hour,” Spock began as Leonard sidled up to the workstation next to his. His eyebrows twitched again, “but that has never prevented your absenteeism before.”
“Ouch, Spock,” Leonard splayed a hand over his chest in mock hurt for a second before resting his weight delicately against the neighboring microscope, “But I think we both know I’m here on ship’s business.”
Spock continued staring resolutely into the apparatus. His fingers tightened around the dial, “I won’t go.”
Leonard tried to will away his frustration by tapping the smooth, cool surface of the lab bench, “Spock, be reasonable—“
“It would be illogical to subject myself to another probing. You prod me every few months, yet all you remember about Vulcan anatomy—“
“Oh, I remember just enough to piece you back together every other mission,” Leonard narrowed his eyes momentarily before he continued scanning Spock’s reactions carefully, “Maybe you need a good probing so I can brush up on your anatomy without you ending up on the operating table first.”
“But it’s not just that,” Leonard’s tone softened as he tried to broach this delicately, “Spock, haven’t you noticed you’ve been acting a bit…”
“Projecting your emotionalism on me again, Doctor?” Spock asked after a beat; brow quirked. He was still refusing to look at him, but Leonard could see that he was watching from the corner of his eye. Leonard hoped Vulcan peripheral vision was detailed enough to catch his unimpressed look.
He couldn’t stop a cheshire-like grin from spreading across his face as he purred, “Spock, you’ve repeated the same measurement 3 times.”
Spock’s hand froze on the dial.
“Seems like I’ve been more observant than you thought,” Leonard's voice grew low and his eyes narrowed as he pressed on, “You’re distracted .”
Spock’s eyebrows pinched together and the corners of his lips drooped incrementally. Leonard knew how to read Spock well enough now to know that this expression meant ‘furious’. Leonard was also well versed in putting his foot in his mouth.
“Admit it,” Spock’s shoulders hitched up toward his ears. Leonard leaned closer, “you know what this is and so do I.”
Spock straightened to standing facing Dr. McCoy, closed his eyes as he took in a deep breath… and immediately turned tail.
“ Spock! ” Before he thought better of it, Leonard was reaching out and grabbing Spock’s wrist. Spock froze in place and looked down at their hands in wide eyed bewilderment. The two stood silently for a long moment. A light yellow-green dusting made its way to the tips of his ears and wasn’t that just something . Leonard mentally chided himself for deriving some pleasure from what was likely Spock’s mortification at being seen in this state.
Spock’s eyes narrowed as his face fell into a frown. It wasn’t the most intimidating expression, but seeing any expression on Spock’s face was jarring enough. His voice was low and gravely as he spoke, “It would serve you well to let go of me.”
“Are you threatening me? I’m trying to help you, you green blooded hob—“ and before Leonard could register what was happening, he was slammed into the nearest bulkhead. His teeth made a loud clack as they knocked together with the force of the impact.
The first thing Leonard registered once his head stopped ringing was the sound of Spock’s ragged, quick pants. Then he noticed that Spock was radiating heat. He felt himself start to sweat.
This was just his luck wasn’t it? Leonard had found himself unfortunate enough to be in Spock’s warpath every time he reverted to his ‘baser urges’. He opened his mouth to say as much, but snapped it shut as soon as his vision focused on the sight before him.
Instead of the furious expression Leonard was expecting, Spock looked dazed. His eyes were glassy and dilated under his lowered eyelids. His mouth hung open as he took in each whooshing breath. Leonard noticed Spock’s eyes were fixed on one point, which he followed to a gaping tear in the shoulder seam of his uniform. Spock must have ripped it open as he flailed Leonard back.
Spock’s anger bled out of him as he took a moment to observe McCoy up close. His eyebrow was raised, but Spock was quickly distracted by the movement of his lips. He noted that the doctor’s bottom lip was naturally full, even when pulled taught by a consonant or wrapped delicately around a vowel. He allowed his gaze to wander lower to the thin skin covering the musculature of his neck, then to that sliver of pale shoulder.
The contrast between blue and pale peach made the spot stand out. The skin revealed was paler than his face, but still flecked with solar lentigo. Spock could extrapolate that the doctor had spent ample time under the Georgia sun as a young man. Spock pictured him in the typical swim uniform of that region of earth; all skin above the hips exposed. Spock thought back through their countless missions and lamentably realized he’d never seen McCoy shirtless. Was the doctor’s skin supple? Would it give and dimple willingly beneath his fingertips? How much force would it take to leave a mark? The idea of marking McCoy— of claiming him reverberated loudly through his skull.
“— Spock? Spock? ” The spike of pure concern lancing through McCoy’s façade of irritation made Spock pause. How long had his shields been down? Spock struggled to reestablish a telepathic barrier as the distracting torrent of McCoy’s surface emotions whirled around his already blurry mind.
As Spock reestablished some restraint, he found himself with his head tilted a mere centimeter from the exposed sliver of shoulder. He could feel his own ragged, hot breaths curling up from McCoy’s flesh. This closely, Spock could hear the rapid thrumming of McCoy’s heartbeat. Spock wretched himself away as if he had been burned.
“… Do not call me that again, Doctor.” Spock grit out as he lowered McCoy back onto the carpet. Spock all but ran as he fled from the science labs.
Leonard clung to the bulkhead for a moment as he regained his balance. As he waited for his knees to unliquify, Leonard vowed to never make another comparison between vampires and Vulcans if Spock was gonna get the idea to do whatever that was. He took a moment to rub the goosebumps from his skin. He felt a little ashamed to admit he couldn’t tell whether they had appeared from fear or… Leonard jabbed the button on the communications console harder than necessary.
Leonard sucked in a breath and willed his voice not to shake, “Dr. McCoy to Captain.”
“Captain speaking.” Jim’s voice filtered through the speaker. His usual professional demeanor was undercut by something that sounded an awful lot like worry. Leonard had a feeling that meant Jim had had his own little run in with the First Officer.
“Jim, I need you to meet me in my office. It’s urgent.”
“On my way.”
***
“I have a feeling I know what you’re going to say,” Jim said the moment the door had closed behind him. He began pacing as he continued, “Mr. Spock hasn’t taken up any offers to eat with me in two days, he ran out on me halfway through a sparring match, and he’s spent most of his last few shifts staring off into space.”
“Now, that could all be… exhaustion, preoccupation,” Kirk narrowed his eyes, “but Mr. Spock asked me for early dismissal from his shift just moments before you called.” Kirk finished. Leonard’s eyes widened at that. They both knew the man would rather die than voluntarily take a sick day.
Kirk’s eyebrows turned up at the gaping hole in Bones’ medical uniform, “Do I even want to hear about the stunt he pulled in here?”
“I think your ‘restrained’ first officer was about a moment away from ripping out my jugular.” Leonard pulled on a humorless smirk in a tepid attempt to mask his worry with his usual good humor. Based on the way the crease between Jim’s eyebrows deepened, he suspected it fell flat.
Jim brought a hand to his chin as he continued to pace. He glanced up at Leonard for a moment before turning back to look at the wall.
Jim moved to face Leonard on the opposite side of his desk, not quite meeting his gaze. Instead he watched his hands move into place to support him leaning over the surface. Bones could hear him swallow before he looked up at him with glassy, hazel eyes, “What are we– What can we do, Bones?”
“Jim…” Leonard shifted his jaw. He wished he knew what to do just so that he could wipe that kicked puppy look off Jim’s face.
Jim let his head hang loosely between his shoulders as he let out a defeated sigh, “You remember last time, Bones, he was so…”
“Bloodthirsty?” Leonard supplied another half hearted smile.
“Afraid,” Jim’s usual radiance was undercut by his gloom. The soft apples of his cheeks seemed to droop with the weight of his frown. His gaze darted around the room as he continued, “Of the fever, of himself… of our reaction— us , Bones.”
“ Distasteful ,” Jim scoffed. He pulled his head to look up at Leonard again. He looked older with the wrinkles creasing his forehead and the corners of his mouth. He took in a breath, fractionally softening his expression, “I don’t want to push him away.”
“Spock isn’t the same man he was 7 years ago. He’s… you know. He smiles sometimes, for god’s sake,” Leonard cocked his head to the side. Jim turned his face down again, unsure. Leonard put a hand onto his shoulder, “He trusts us. He trusts you , Jim.”
Jim opened his mouth, but Leonard stopped him before he could continue with the self flagellation, “Look. I’m sure Spock’d be madder than a wet hen if he heard me say this, but I really think he could use a friend right now. It seems like this caught him off guard all over again and there’s nothing worse than being afraid and alone.”
“You should be the one to talk to him,” Leonard gave Jim’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. The two shared a meaningful gaze. Jim gave him a different sort of sad look he couldn’t really read. Something like pity. Leonard felt a pang in his chest and tore his gaze away. He slapped on another thin smile as he lifted his other hand to put the tear in his uniform on display, “I don’t think he likes me much right now.”
“Alright,” Jim cracked a smile at that. Leonard beamed back, glad to have relieved some of the tension.