Work Text:
Prompt: There’s people chasing us and I pulled you into the alley with me and wow you’re close
Captain Kirk surprised everyone by selecting Ensign Xu to join the landing party. Though her Fleet Academy records showed remarkable promise for a well distinguished Security Officer, she was green and could barely speak a sentence that didn't abort halfway into a stuttering conclusion. Jim had heard her speaking to other officers in wonderfully complete and flowing sentences, so he had simply assumed she was shy. He was of the opinion that there was no better way to get someone used to their role aboard the Enterprise than to throw them directly into the fray.
The mission on Cignii VI was not considered to be overtly dangerous, but neither was it expected to go simply. Commander Spock and an accompaniment of eager scientists were anxious to collect samples of a rare fungus that only grew on the planet's surface during the first few days after its rainy season. The fungus had shown promise, after previous expeditions to the surface, to further the research of a potential cure for the Crestian Flu - as well as many other fascinating properties, as Mr. Spock had explained, eyes shining with barely concealed interest. The preliminary results even had Dr. McCoy's curiosity piqued.
As the Ensign had not minored in any scientific areas of study during her tenure at the Academy, the Captain enjoyed the prospect of having at least one member, along with himself, of the landing party whose attentions would not be solely focused on the ground beneath their feet. Unlikely to become fascinated by green lichen, there would be at least someone else focused on the horizon and prepared for potential danger.
Given the nature of his luck, combined with the likelihood of a conflict-free expedition, the Captain was not surprised when their crew wandered, quiet by accident, up to a well-shielded encampment of Romulans.
By some stroke of good fortune that Jim was unsure he had at his disposal, they had not been immediately detected. He hissed for the team to get low, down into the underbrush. He unholstered his phaser, setting it to stun. He heard the corresponding clicks of phasers on either side of him as the two security personnel flanking him followed his lead.
Warmth came up behind him and he knew without turning that Spock had crept closer, leaning into his personal space.
“They did not appear on my tricorder, Captain,” he murmured, answering Jim’s question before he could even ask it. He hummed and chewed on the inside of his lip. “They appear to have some sort of shield technology to mask their presence here.”
“They look like scientists,” Jim mused, “don’t they look like scientists?” He chanced a glance back at his First Officer in time for him to look up from his tricorder and meet his eyes.
“Affirmative, Captain, likely here for the very same reason as us.”
Jim sat back on his heels, frustration mounting as he realized that this was the moment where he was not quite sure how to proceed. He had faced obstacles, too many to count, and yet this one left him thinking of nothing but static. There was a potential for danger here that they had not anticipated, especially given the planet’s hospitality to a multitude of terrifying, carnivorous creatures… but at the moment they were not facing it. How should he proceed? They needed to vacate the area - yet they were also presented an opportunity to potentially glean some insight into an enemy that was normally held at arm’s length unless you were about to be killed following painful questioning. However, backtracking their steps might reveal just how closely they had come to discovery without even knowing danger was present. How narrowly had they missed meeting the wrong end of a disrupter?
“What do you think, Mr. Spock?” He shifted, looking again to his First Officer and desperately hoping he had a logical conclusion. Beside him, Ensign Xu was quivering, the tip of her phaser dancing in the air, a very weak expression of the steady readiness he knew Officer Gark held on his other side. They were awaiting his orders.
“I think it might be best to--” Jim never had the opportunity to hear what wonderful insight Spock was about to bring to the situation - a phaser whined next to his ear and discharged at the same time a nervous shriek was let loose.
Ensign Xu’s phaser single-handedly alerted every single Romulan in the area to their presence.
The Captain had seen the results of her phaser accuracy exams, he had vetted this with his Chief of Security before signing her to the landing party. Her shot was excellent. Even with the stress on the first away mission and an active situation, he was still more than a little confused when her phaser discharged in his direction. The completely horrified and confused expression that tore across her face mirrored his own sentiments as pain seared in his shoulder when the blast hit, knocking him back into Spock behind him. His body seized violently, teeth clenched painfully, and his lungs refused to draw breath. The only thing that saved him from crumpling to the ground in a stunned heap was the arms of his First Officer circling around him faster than Jim could comprehend that he had been shot. In a fit of clarity, he was very thankful that the phasers had been set to their lowest intensity.
Then, the clarity vanished. Like he was not fully existing inside his own body, and was indeed very far away, he realized he had been scooped up and cradled. He distantly heard Spock call the order for immediate retreat, and the group dashed back through the foliage the way they had come. Hopefully, he thought as the greenery whipped past, before the Romulans realized what had happened and did not give immediate chase.
Good fortune, however, was disinclined to smile down on them after the first burst of positive luck, and the enemy aliens did immediately give chase, weapons drawn and firing rapidly. As they ran, Jim felt his mind resettle back into his own head and he gradually became aware of all of his limbs; he wrapped his arms around Spock’s neck to steady them as his First Officer zig-zagged between trees. He wished for his phaser, left behind in the dirt, so he could fire back at the aliens that were swiftly closing the distance between them.
“There!” Officer Gark called, “we might be able to lose them in that canyon.”
The group swerved, slip-sliding down a shallow embankment and Spock’s arms tightened around Jim who was immediately assaulted by the realization of exactly how closely their bodies were pressed together. He suppressed the desire to demand to be let down, knowing the action would slow them down and uncertain as to how well his own legs would support him - his toes were still tingling and he wiggled them in his boots.
They burst into the opening that cut into the hillside, trees and bushes giving way to packed dirt and rock. They dodged around boulders, and slipped unseen into shadows, the shouts of the Romulans behind them growing more and more distant as they pushed further in. And, because Jim was the only one looking behind them over Spock’s shoulder as they ran, he was the only one that noticed one particular boulder hid a very convenient cave.
“Wait - stop!” he hissed into Spock’s ear, who immediately ground to a halt, calling the rest of the group to do so as well. “Double back, there’s a place we can hide.”
“Oh my gods, oh my gods, o-oh gosh--” Ensign Xu repeated, panicked, eyes wide with fear and probably guilt. She stared at her Captain as they ducked into the jagged outcropping of stone that widened into a fairly substantial cavern, hidden from view and the back of which was shrouded entirely in shadow. Apologies, awkward and jumbled, began to pour from Xu’s mouth in a confused tangle of syllables and sentiment.
“Ensign,” Spock spat, gently setting the Captain back onto his own two feet, hands resting on Jim’s shoulders - just in case. “I am fairly confident the Captain heard your apologies the first time you uttered them and now would be an opportune time to cease if you do, indeed, desire to prevent our rediscovery.” Her mouth snapped closed. The small group of Spock’s team of scientists filed past them, further into the recess of the cave and away from the mouth as the shouts of enemy aliens drew closer again; Officer Gark posted himself at the entrance, leaning just out of view, phaser held steady and at the ready.
Jim faced Xu and sighed, kindly, smiling. He said, “it’s quite alright, Xu. If anything, this will be something to laugh at later. Besides, how many people can boast of shooting the captain ?” He tried to laugh, but Spock was tugging him further into the darkness against his chest. Xu swallowed audibly and opened her mouth to speak, but the Romulans suddenly appeared, in a flurry of activity, dashing through the canyon and right past their hiding place.
Spock grabbed at him, yanking him back and Jim reached out, taking a firm hold of Ensign Xu and pulling her with them. She stumbled, falling against his chest and he held her there, securely, willing her to be silent as the aliens ran past without a second glance, shouting.
The cave was a collective of held breaths, tense and quivering with anticipation. The thundering of heavily-booted feet roared past their hidey-hole, the sounds ricocheting off the stone walls. Eyes ever forward, the Romulans kept up their chase and passed by without looking back.
When the angry voices faded into the distance, Jim looked down at the officer pressed up against him; she was staring up at him with very wide eyes.
“Oh wow,” she breathed out, “you are very close.”
Had there been more lighting, she would have seen how his cheeks heated. He released her and she took two steps back. Spock, he noted and his cheeks grew warmer still, did not relax his own hold and instead his fingers tightened, ten painful points of contact on Jim’s arms.
There was only one thing to do, now that they were relatively safe and standing still, and he reached for his communicator and flipped it open, turning in Spock’s grasp to look up at his First Officer; his expression was as stone as the cavern walls around them.
“Kirk to Enterprise .”
“Scotty here,” came the crackled response.
“We require immediate extraction - can you get a hold on our location?” He paused for the affirmative; Spock’s fingers relaxing only minutely, “beam us up, Scotty.”
*
Despite the lack of physical evidence of any serious injury, the Doctor was on him, medical tricorder in hand and whirring, the moment he rematerialized on the transporter pad.
“I know you Jim,” he had said through gritted teeth, “when you request an emergency beam-up, something’s slipped sideways and you’ve probably been injured.”
“I’m fine, Bones,” he said at the same time as Spock, “he was shot by a phaser.”
The Doctor cried out in pained disbelief as Jim pinned his Officer with a soured scowl.
“Traitor,” he said as Bones pulled him away, very likely towards the Medbay. Spock followed, hands clasped behind his back.
"Why am I surprised? Only you, Jim, would be confused by which end points out."
The Captain met his First Officer's eye and very deliberately did not correct the doctor as he said, lightly, "oh you know how it is, panic in the moment. Surprise Romulans is not an exercise available in the combat training holodeck."
"Maybe it should be," Bones muttered, pushing the Captain into the turbolift. Spock's eyebrow reached astronomical heights as he followed.
“I shall commission the program to be created this evening, sir,” he said, stepping beside the doctor.
“You do know I’m actually fine, right?” Jim sighed.
“You’re not a medical professional, Jim.”
“I concur with the doctor, Captain.”
Jim pouted, but resigned himself to a complete medical workup. Spock stayed nearby then escorted him back to the Bridge once Bones gave the all clear.
“You do not intend to pursue disciplinary action against the Ensign,” he said as they walked. It was phrased as a statement, but Jim knew him well enough to hear the ‘ why? ’ at the end of it.
“Having Xu disciplined for an accident will not help her,” he paused as they rounded the corner before the turbolift bay and Spock also stopped walking when he realized the Captain was no longer at his side. “She needs encouragement, not harsh words from me. Besides, I’m fine!” He spread his hands by way of demonstration and Spock frowned. He could not disagree, they both knew, but his concern was heavy between them.
“Ashayam-” Spock started and Jim stepped into his personal space, grinning brightly.
“I’m fine , Spock,” he said, taking one of Spock’s hands and holding against his chest where he would feel the steady thrum of his heartbeat. “A little sore, but I’ve had much worse.”
“That is what troubles me,” the admission was spoken quietly and only because they were alone in the narrow corridor. He did not offer up such proof of emotion idly or in the presence of others. Jim pulled Spock’s hand to his face and pressed it to his cheek, turning so he could kiss the palm of it. There was nothing he could say that would dampen the disconsolation of the unknown, only offer assurance that, right now, in this moment, all was well.