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Leonard changed into clean scrubs on autopilot before collapsing into an out of the way corner somewhere until he was needed again. It wasn’t exactly the most comfortable position, but he learned in med school that the greatest skill a doctor—particularly a surgeon—could have was the ability to fall asleep anywhere, in any position, with anything going on in the background.
What he was still perfecting, however, was the ability to wake up before his body was ready. If he was in a bed or a cot or a couch, he could do that without an issue, but outside of that? He needed coaxing with either coffee or another hypo of stimulants, which he was pretty sure he reached his limit on.
The smell of fresh roasted beans hit Leonard like a punch to the face. His eyes blinked open halfway and he lifted his head, wiping drool from his chin. But the coffee moved and he was forced to get up. Then it kept moving, though it thankfully slowed down whenever he stumbled. He followed it all the way out of sickbay and into the corridor and he was getting pissed. “Boyce, I’m gonna murder you if you don’t gimme that damn coffee now.”
“I need you to debrief the new acting captain on the captain’s condition, but if I give you the cup now, I know you won’t move until I get you another one.” Boyce kept it out of reach and Leonard didn’t have the energy to lunge for it. Once they cleared another doorway, though, he finally forked it over.
Leonard chugged the mug like it was a pint of beer and perked up with each sip. He let his eyes wander around the room, which likely contained this acting captain who he didn’t care a lick about… Until he saw who it was. He half inhaled, half spit, and all choked. The mug slipped from his hand and he dropped to a knee, with Boyce frantically trying to pick him back up while simultaneously patting him on the back. He felt his eyes throbbing and he was pretty sure the coughing fit was bursting a few already stressed blood vessels. Leonard cursed internally, he was not a hot doctor right now. This was not what he wanted Chris to see.
“Boyce, I’m confused. I thought you said it was a cadet who aided you on the captain’s surgery.” Chris stalked over and picked up the pieces of the broken mug and discarded them before coming back to offer Leonard a hand up, which he took.
“He is a cadet and he didn’t aid me, he led the surgery.” Boyce gave him a firm pat on the back and puffed up his chest. “Captain Pike, meet my protégé—though I admit his skill already surpasses much of my own—Dr. Leonard McCoy.”
“We’ve,” Leonard wheezed, “met.”
“You’re a cadet?” Leonard nodded. “Any reason you didn’t tell me?”
“Didn’t think it was ‘mportant.” Leonard finally stood up straight and couldn’t help looking a little defiant in his wrinkled scrubs and two day old beard.
Chris pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a long, hissing sigh. “Boyce, please tell me this cadet is nowhere near my chain of command.”
Boyce shot glances between the two of them. “His roommate is, but McCoy here’s all mine. Other than the self-defense and diplomacy classes, anyway.”
Leonard's eyes boggled and he made noises before he made words. “You’re a goddamn instructor at the academy ?!” He immediately slapped a hand over his mouth and looked nervously at Boyce. Leonard needed more coffee before he really messed up.
“What’s going on?” Boyce demanded.
Chris paced a few steps to the left and then back to the right. The laps were tight and short and he looked like he wanted to say something each time he got back to Boyce. He looked pissed and that made Leonard equal parts pissed and turned on. The captain’s uniform looked damn good on him, and he never did have time to take that cold shower. His brain, which was firmly in the id functioning levels—barring brief outbursts of intelligence—could only focus on the way Chris’s uniform was moving on his body through his movements. It hugged all the right places, made him look distinguished and proud. Hell, even his angry voice was captainy in this uniform. Probably sounded that way outside of uniform.
Leonard jerked his head back when Chris’s fingers snapped at him a few centimeters from his face. “Focus, cadet .”
“Captain Pike, Dr. McCoy just had a thirty-eight hour shift and I wouldn’t be surprised if he hasn’t had any sleep in the last forty-eight hours. Give him some grace, he saved seven Starfleet personnel who would otherwise be brain dead, paralyzed, or without one or more of their senses or limbs.” Boyce put his hands on his hips and glared at both of them. “Now what in the hell is going on here?”
Chris sighed and stopped pacing. He quickly glanced at Leonard before staring up at the ceiling. “We met at that bar you always talk about and we were in the middle of getting to know each other when we were called in.” He scratched his right eyebrow with his thumb. “And here I was thinking I’d whisk away some lieutenant commander after dealing with some cadet’s report on the captain which Boyce could have delivered himself.”
Leonard stepped forward and poked a finger right in the middle of Chris’s chest. “Listen here, you punk ass captain. I’m a goddamn doctor , whether or not I’m a cadet. I graduated college, then med school, in half the time, with offers from every hospital I applied to. I’m an award winning researcher in neural grafting techniques and I led the ER department at Atlanta fuckin’ General before my divorce and my daddy’s death left me without a damn dollar to my name and enough depression to collapse the earth. But I’ll be damned if I let some hoity toity captain tell me my worth just ‘cause I don’t have some fancy bands on my sleeves.”
Boyce and Chris stayed in line after a few seconds of dead air so Leonard ended his tirade and presented the report on the captain and the other officers that were injured, as well as their positive prognoses and estimates for when they’d wake up, be ready for discharged, and when they’d be up for light and full duty. It was thorough, but to the point, and by the end he knew he’d impressed both of them. Boyce more than Chris, based on the smug look of satisfaction and his jaunty tilt as he eyed Chris, waiting for him to respond.
“Can you give us a minute, Boyce?”
“Can you get me more coffee? Or a bed? Or both?”
“Why don’t you two call me when you’re done, I think Chris plans on getting you both of those things.” Boyce grinned and waved as he headed toward the door. “And remember, Starfleet only cares about relationships with sub-twenty-five students. All others have to be approved by advisors, and I approve. You both look like you could help each other.” He escaped before either one could respond.
Chris was the first one to move and it wasn’t a good move. He turned to Leonard with his jaw tight and his fist clenched. He still looked pissed, but there was something else. If Leonard had more coffee in him, he’d probably be able to tell, but he didn’t, so he honestly thought he was about to die. Which, if he had to die in space, this was the best way to go. He certainly had a good view, pity that he didn’t get to have more fun, though.
“Earth to Leonard,” Chris said as he snapped in his face again. Leonard swatted at his hand. “You keep zoning out.”
“I need coffee if you expect me to not zone out.”
“No, you need sleep.”
“If you wanna talk, I need coffee.”
“Do you want to talk?”
“Not really, kinda want to kiss you. Also kinda want to punch you.” Leonard frowned. “Haven’t decided yet.”
Chris choked out a laugh and shook his head with a sigh. “I feel the same way. Not that I’d ever hit a cadet or a romantic partner, but if anyone else had the audacity to say that to me, I’d have them demerited so thoroughly that their recruiter would feel it.”
“To be fair, you shouldn’t be such a dismissive ass about someone just ‘cause their rank ain’t as fancy as yours.”
“Fair point.” Chris stepped forward and put his hand on Leonard's cheek briefly before moving his hands to the nape of his neck.
The second Leonard started feeling his head being tilted down onto Chris’s shoulder, he pulled back. “Big nope on that one. If my head goes down, my body’s going with it. I am ‘bout ready to curl up in the corner.”
Chris nodded and walked past Leonard toward the door, waving for him to follow. While Leonard had no idea how long they walked or where they went, they eventually got to a room and Chris was helping him out of his scrubs and getting him in bed. If anything was said, he didn’t remember. He thought he remembered a kiss, but that could have been a dream. He also thought he remembered waking up, sometimes with Chris holding him, other times with no one in the dark room, and again sometimes with Chris on the opposite side of the bed looking at him.
Eventually, though, Leonard had to wake up for real and the smell of brewing coffee was a good incentive. He grumbled and waved his hand around under the blankets to his left, feeling it slightly warm but empty. “Is it just you out there or did Boyce sneak in?” Once he was assured that it was just Chris, he skipped putting his scrub bottoms back on and waltzed out to the lounge area in his Starfleet issued boxer briefs.
Chris was in his captain’s uniform and he looked freshly showered and shaved. Leonard knew he was staring but he really didn’t care. “You might’ve only gotten to see ugly doctor, but I’m real happy that I got to see hot captain.” Leonard sat at one of the barstools on the other side of the kitchen island as Chris poured him a mug and set it in front of him. He took a sip, hardly caring that it was nearly painfully hot. “I’m definitely applying for the Enterprise.”
“Luckily for you, that’s what Boyce has been planning all along. Did you know that he never refers to you by name? He just says ‘my protégé’ did this, ‘my protégé’ did that.” Chris rolled his eyes and took a drink from his mug. “Dr. Puri’s getting CMO of the Enterprise, but he’s set to retire in a few years. You’re slated to learn from him and take over--are you even listening?”
Leonard was too busy staring at how good Chris looked in his uniform and he shook his head with a dopey smile. “Sorry, darlin’, you just look too good in that uniform. Y’know, I think I’ll have to see it more often so that I can get used to it.”
“Finish your coffee,” Chris ordered and Leonard had no choice to obey. That tone, with that uniform, with that face, with that Chris. Damn . When he was finished, Chris rounded the island, grabbed him by the arm and dragged him to the bathroom. Leonard was then pushed up against the counter and he was expecting a kiss, which would probably be gross considering how much long it’s been since he brushed his teeth, but then he heard the faucet turn on and a rag was slapped over his face. “You can’t start that shit while looking like shit, Len. Clean yourself up, take a water shower, and let me know when you’re done. Don’t shave.”
Leonard pulled the rag off his face with a smirk. “Like my beard?”
“Stars no, it’s like kissing a porcupine. But I have other plans, so hurry up.” Chris shoved Leonard's rag hand back up to his face and stalked out, leaving Leonard to do his business.
The bathroom was swankier than he’d expect for guest quarters, so this was likely one of those VIP suites that Jim rambled on about. Being the kid of a Starfleet hero who died in the line of duty had one perk, at least. He cranked up the temperature dial to his desired cooled-lava setting and stripped off his briefs before stepping in. He noticed that the showers had multiple heads, some of which looked like they were positioned for a damn good massage, but he didn’t want to waste time or water. He slapped some conditioner on his beard to soften the whiskers and then got to scrubbing.
When he was done, Leonard put on the plush robe that was waiting for him and worked a small towel over his hair. He felt almost a million times better, and leaning over the sink to give his teeth a quick sonic cleaning brought him to that million. After taking one last look in the mirror and smoothing down his whiskers, he left the bathroom and was slapped in the face by the best smell in the world: bacon, eggs, sausage, and ham. His mouth watered and his stomach yelled. “That smells damn good for something replicated!”
“It’s not replicated, I brought it with me. Once I got the call to head out, I figured it was the same emergency and planned ahead.” Chris deposited the last of the skillet’s contents onto a large serving platter and motioned for Leonard to take a seat. “Either I got a hot breakfast with the hot doctor like I was planning, or I got a hot breakfast alone. Not exactly a win win, but I got non-replicated food either way.”
“Smart man,” Leonard said as he picked up a strip of bacon with his fingers and took a bite. “Wait, you thought I was gonna spend the night?”
“I was hoping.” Chris turned the stove off and walked over to the chair next to Leonard to sit down. “I wouldn’t have pushed it, but…”
Leonard put a scandalized hand over his chest. “You thought that I would spend the night with you , on the first date ?” He grinned and popped a piece of egg in his mouth. “Bribe me with breakfast and I’ll stay every night. The view ain’t bad, either.” He finally picked up a fork, fearing his mother’s wrath from several lightyears away, and started eating like a proper southern boy. “Though I guess we did that anyway if my brief bouts of consciousness were tellin’ me the truth.”
Chris laughed and got back up to grab two mugs of coffee. “For the record, you came over to my side to cuddle.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt that.” Leonard thanked him for the coffee and took a few sips. “That’s, uh, what I miss most about bein’ married. Everyone focuses on the sexual things in marriage, or lack thereof, but it’s the intimacy that’s the best part.” Chris nodded in agreement and sat back on his stool to face Leonard. He set his outside foot on the top rung of Leonard's stool, still in uniform, and he got distracted again. “Y’know, I never thought of myself as having a thing with uniforms, but seeing you in one… Well, you could order me around any day as long as you wear that.”
“I seem to recall you giving me orders just a bit ago, Doctor McCoy.”
Leonard blushed and hid behind his mug sheepishly, he nearly forgot about his outburst. “Yeah, well, maybe next time you’ll think twice ‘bout insulting someone’s skill level based on their rank. Actually, Starfleet as a whole has a big problem with that. You ain’t the first officer I’ve had words with.”
Chris acknowledged his mistake again and they went back to eating their breakfast between playful jabs. When Leonard was finished, Chris pushed the rest of his away, took off the outer uniform top—much to Leonard’s dismay—and grabbed him by the hand, leading to the bathroom. “Finally. I’ve been waiting to do this since I made the mistake of kissing you before you passed out.” He sat Leonard down on the countertop and pulled out an old fashioned single blade razor set that was very similar to the one Leonard had at his dorm. “Can I do this for you?”
Leonard nodded enthusiastically and parted his thighs as Chris moved between, brush and lathering bowl in hand. He’d never had a romantic partner—if that’s what they were—do this for him, ever. When he was making the big bucks, he paid someone to do this for him on occasion, but it was never like this. Having Chris’s rapt attention, his touch, his everything focused entirely on him? He could get used to this. Leonard tipped his head however Chris wanted and he was breathing harder with each scrape of the blade across his cheek and neck. When his head was tipped all the way back so Chris could get under his chin, he had to bite his lip to stop a groan from spilling out.
“Enjoying this?” Chris asked, a little breathless himself.
“Is the giant tent in my robe not obvious enough?”
Chris moved the blade across the underside of Leonard's chin, wiped it on the nearby towel, and continued stroking across the side of his neck, right over the jugular. “Haven’t even looked.”
“You might give me a run for my credits with those hands of yours. Steady as a surgeon’s.”
“You talk an awful lot for someone with a blade to his throat.” Leonard took that as a subtle order to shut up and he did, allowing the shaving to continue. With a layer dry, dead skin being taken away with the hair, his face prickled with sensitivity. He could feel every breath from Chris wash over that brand new skin. It was more intimate than sex, and it was probably turning him on more than their grinding session on the couch however many days ago. “There, done.” Chris emphasized his words by running an appreciative finger from cheekbone to collarbone.
“Does this mean I get a kiss now?”
“No, I’ve got to get to the bridge.” Chris gave him a pat on the thigh and walked out of the bathroom with Leonard staring daggers at his back.
Leonard sputtered but couldn’t convince his body to get off the counter and chase after him. “You’re just going to leave me like this?”
Chris popped back in with a smirk and his uniform top back on. “Yes, and you’re going to stay here and relax for another five hours until you’re allowed back on duty.”
“Is this because I yelled at you?”
“Yes and no.” Leonard lifted an eyebrow and prompted for Chris to keep going. “If we start anything now, I’ll be late for my shift and you won’t get the rest you still desperately need.”
“Oh, terribly sorry, I wasn’t aware that you were also a doctor. Where did you get your M.D.?” Leonard’s drawl got heavier with each sarcastic word.
Chris put his hands up. “Orders were directly from Boyce.”
“Didn’t know Boyce was such a sadistic bastard.”
“Boyce doesn’t want his protégé off his game.” Chris walked closer and took Leonard's hand in his, flipping it over to kiss his palm. “Get some rest, work on your reports if you’d like, and I’ll see you after shift.”
“What about lunch?”
“Not enough time.”
“What in the hell do you plan on doin’ with me?”
Chris gave one last kiss to Leonard’s palm before setting it down. “Anything and everything you’ll let me get away with. Speaking of which, feel free to work up a consent form for me. I’ve already done mine and forwarded it to your PADD.” He walked briskly out the bathroom door and toward the main one. “If you don’t fill it out, we don’t do anything.”
Leonard rolled his eyes at the ‘threat’, he was a doctor, of course he’d fill out those forms before going any further than a handy. He looked down at his current problem and debated whether he wanted to fix it himself or let it go away on its own. This was the weirdest sort of orgasm denial he’d dabbled with, and he wasn’t sure if Chris was meaning the shave to be sexual or not. With one more curse, he hopped off the counter and took another shower. Ice cold.
Once his problem was more or less fixed, Leonard dried off again and headed out to the living quarters to start working on his reports. He was awake, well fed, and caffeinated, and he might as well use it to be productive. Sure, he’d take another nap before his next shift, and he’d probably pop a supplemental hypo, but he felt good for now. His patients could use some more attention, he’d had enough time to take care of himself. First, though, Leonard had a message for Boyce.
// I hate you both. //