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A meditative Dr. McCoy sat in front of a bottle of bourbon. He was emotionally exhausted. Several days of doubt and uncertainty had finally condensed into a trembling flashpoint of raw exhaustion. Calls, consultations, requests for favors, stress and despair. He was running out of time, and decisions had to be made against the clock.
The light was dim and the temperature was pleasant in his room. His door opened suddenly. Jim and Spock walked in, almost in unison. Jim noticed the unused bottle.
Leonard raised his head and pointed absently at the valuable liquor."I was saving it for a special occasion."
"Have you thought about what we talked about, Bones?"
"A three-way marriage? I think it's crazy, Jim. It must be contagious." He looked at Spock, fixing his eyes on him, as if trying to pierce him.
"It's the most logical solution." The semi-darkness of the room emphasized the Vulcan's elegant posture, who remained standing
"Do you think it is logical that the best man at a wedding on New Vulcan marries the two grooms, a few months later? You are out of your mind!"
"Starfleet regulations state that members of a legally constituted marriage cannot separate. They must continue to serve on the same ship."
McCoy touched the bridge of his nose, wearily. "I know. Well, I can find other candidates, with those with whom I have less emotional involvement."
The Vulcan raised an eyebrow. "Do you find anyone more attractive on the ship?"
"I can always sit in the middle of the Sickbay with a sign indicating : I'm just a country doctor looking for a partner for a fictitious wedding."
Jim smiled, broadly. "I don't want you to leave, Bones. I've tried everything in my power."
Spock's face remained expressionless. "I never imagined I would refuse a Starfleet order. Your transfer order is unfair. I am going to miss you."
"Why? I never thought I'd hear this, Spock. I never thought you'd appreciate me."
Spock stiffened. "I think my respect for you has always been clear."
"I can't believe I'd miss you too."
"I get the sensation that you want to abandon the Enterprise and leave us. You may be of the opinion that I am not a suitable partner."
Leonard gave Spock a sad look. "I thought you knew me better. I thought you were able to see beyond our disputes and controversies." He accompanied his words with a few gentle taps on his desk.
The atmosphere in the doctor's room became close and intimate. Kirk uncorked the bottle, with McCoy's approval and poured himself a long drink, moistened his lips. The warmth of the alcohol running down his throat made his cheeks flush.
The first officer was silent for a moment, and was moved by that statement. "Then, Leonard, marry both of us."
"Spock, Marriage is not a noun; it's a verb; it's not something you get. It's something you do. It's the way you love your partner every day."
"On the one hand, this marriage arises from the need not to lose you. On the other hand, I want to affirm that it will not be fictitious. We Vulcans respect our vows when the emotional conditions exist that bind us to each other."
The CMO had finally lifted a drink to his mouth, and choked noisily when he heard his friend's words. He furrowed his brow, trying to get his ironic intellect to come up with a witty response, but he simply couldn't answer him.
Len's tears flowed naturally down his cheeks. His crying was quiet and contained. Spock had proposed to him. "That damned, deceptively insensitive Vulcan!"
"I remind you that the captain's quarters are very comfortable and spacious." Jim winked at him, and Leonard caught his mischievous beautiful blue glow.
"I have no desire to be a voyeur, while you cuddle and kiss, or make love. I need to sleep among you, and for my body to enjoy the Vulcan warmth and Iowa energy. If not, believe me, I'm going to feel like a little boy curled up in white sheets."
"Bones, I refuse to believe that you feel I won't take an active part in our relationship. I mean, It's not just desire, Bones, it's also ....true and unconditional love. I love you."
James Kirk was an 'I love you' guy. He loved Spock. He loved his crew. He also loved things, like the Enterprise his bed, his computer, the sweet affection and the adoration on anything that brought him joy.
Leonard raised an eyebrow and added amused, "Jim, I lost my romanticism in a poker game many years ago. But I have not lost my capacity to love."
"I would love to show you a small sample of what we can offer you." Jim held his friend's chin, and kissed him.
Spock let out a soft purr and brought his fingers close to those of the CMO. "I would be honored if you would kiss me, Vulcan-style." Spock looked like a sweet, respectful but determined feline.
"That requited love!" Then, he felt that he was being courted. McCoy, without realizing it, began to fantasize about those moments that would make it all worthwhile, these quiet, domestic nights, with his head pillowed on his lovers' chests as they slept together. He would never have imagined that one day he would find such peace and contentment.
A gentle smile bloomed on Leonard's face. His trembling mind tried to find some near relief from the intense bewilderment he felt, and the surprising realization of his most hidden desires. "I suspect I need to get drunk." He raised the glass he had left on the table. Jim intercepted his friend's hand and took it.
"What you just said is not true. You have always been a romantic, Bones. We'll have to do this the old-fashioned way." Kirk rested his knee on the floor and continued to hold his hand.
"Would you marry me and Spock?"
"Damn it, yes and a thousand times, YES!"