Work Text:
McCoy inched the silver 1967 Mustang with the leather maroon interior up the hill in second gear, the engine sputtering a little. He stopped again, foot on the brake pedal. He pressed in the clutch, down shifted into first as he waited. "Dammit," he hissed. At this rate the lunar eclipse would be long over with by the time they made it to the parking lot.
Spock sat next to him in the passenger seat, as relaxed as McCoy had ever seen him. Spock was obviously starting to enjoy these periodic date nights, after protesting many a time before about the human concept of 'dating' being highly illogical, when they were already partners of several years. 'Nothin' illogical about keeping romance alive', McCoy had insisted with a killer eyebrow. Spock had given up trying to convince him and as the saying went: 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.'
Anyway, Spock's favorite hangout on Earth was the observatory, so he could look at the stars and the Milky Way Galaxy's planets up close from Earth's point of view. Didn't matter which observatory, in whatever city. They'd been to many all over the planet. Even the Enterprise's observation deck didn't compare to the observatories on Earth. Tonight it was the Griffith Observatory, smack dab on top of the hill in Griffith Park in Los Angeles. They were staying at the Beverly Hilton hotel. McCoy had rented the vintage Mustang which was similar to the one he owned back in Georgia--no time to have his own car shipped out here, they were only here on shoreleave for a couple days, so this one had to do for date night.
McCoy got a little too close to the bumper of the hovercar in front of him. He slammed on the brakes, stalling out the engine. The Mustang, the only vehicle that seemed to have real Goodyear tires on around here, rolled back a few inches. He turned the ignition switch and started it back up, but not before lurching it forward.
Spock glanced up from his dataPADD. "Would you like me to drive?"
"What...now?" McCoy replied. "How in the hell are we gonna switch? It's not like having sex, you know. Can't just swap around in an instant like that."
"Set the parking brake and jump over to the passenger side, I will come around."
"No, no, no. Don't be ridiculous, Spock. I don't need you to drive. You tryin' to say I don't know what the hell I'm doing? I have news for you, I'm doing just fine. It's this damned queue to get into the parking lot that's backed up all the way down the fucking hill. Go back to your damned texting, or whatever the hell you're doing."
"I am reading the 'Yelp' reviews," the Vulcan replied, glancing back down at the app on his dataPADD.
"Y'all already know the Griffith Observatory is good, why are you checking out 'Yelp', Baby?"
Spock shrugged. "Why not?"
"Is there a 'Yelp' discount on there for the observatory? In case we wanna head on inside or something."
"Twenty percent off. However, I have a lifetime membership to the Griffith Observatory, so we do not have to pay admission. Besides, we are not going inside." Spock held up a high powered viewer, a 'viewerscope' he had built himself. "We will view the lunar eclipse out on the front lawn."
They and all the thousands of other looky-loo's congregating here. "Of course you would have a lifetime membership. Don'chya want to look at the eclipse through the telescope? See those lunar points of interest. Least it won't burn our eyeballs out, it being a lunar eclipse and all."
"Negative. The front lawn is sufficient to view it through this."
"Y'sure now?"
"I am."
"Wouldn't you like to see Luna up close with the telescope? You know you want to."
"This viewerscope will enable me to watch it on the lawn, thank you."
"It's cold outside, Baby."
"I have you to keep me warm." Spock glanced down at his dataPADD.
McCoy chuckled and shifted into second again as the line moved quicker. "Yes, you have me to keep you warm. Good thing you can rely on ol' Bones here. To keep you nice and warm." He laughed outright.
*
Finally they were able to pull into a parking space in the lot. McCoy set the parking brake and turned off the engine. Spock moved to open the passenger door.
"Come here, Baby," McCoy breathed out.
"For what?"
"For what. For what. What the hell do you think?" McCoy leaned over and gave Spock a long, filthy kiss. "Hmmm." he said when they parted. "Why don't we stay in the car?"
"Then I will be unable to view the eclipse," Spock said, holding up his viewer again for emphasis.
McCoy laughed again.
*
McCoy carried the sleeping bag and extra blanket and the pillows. Spock was wearing his heavy black pea-coat and his woolen beanie hat and his striped scarf, bless him, and clutching his precious viewerscope. After a short walk they reached the front lawn. They began wandering around for an available patch of grass where they could park their asses. Goddamn it, they'd be squeezed in tight, there were so many goddamned people here. Having lunar eclipse parties.
"Shoulda brought along some snacks," McCoy mused, looking at the others. "And some booze, why didn't I think of booze?"
"Because you are driving a motor vehicle."
"Oh right." McCoy made a face at that. After several more moments, finally they found a free patch of grass. "Here's good!" McCoy declared.
"Excellent."
McCoy flipped out the blanket then laid the sleeping bag for two on top. He plopped down the pillows, then unzipped the fastening. "Get in here, Baby. Freezing my ass off. I'm sure you are, too." He crawled inside. Spock got in with him. McCoy zipped up the sleeping bag then snuggled right on up to the warm Vulcan, laying his head on Spock's shoulder. Spock's arm went around him, holding him close. It was cool but clear on this autumn southern California night, perfect for prime moon viewing. "Comfy, Baby?"
With his free hand, Spock undid his coat. He dug into his inside pocket and pulled out a large silver foil bag. He handed it over to McCoy. "Snacks."
McCoy took it from him. "Ohhh!" he said. They were pretzels. Too bad he didn't have anything to drink with them.
Spock dug in his coat again and pulled out a can. "Beverage."
"Oh my God, you didn't! You angel!" McCoy took the can of Coors from him. "How many you got in that coat of yours?"
"Four. That is all that would fit. They are rather warm from my body heat, I apologize."
"I don't mind at all. Hey, you don't drink Coors beer. Are they all for me?"
"Precisely."
McCoy opened up the can and took a sip. "Did I ever tell you how much I love you? Huh?"
Spock shrugged. "Car keys."
McCoy dug deep into the pocket of his jeans, pulled them out and handed them over. "You just wanna drive back, donchya."
*
After a half hour of looking at the lunar eclipse though Spock's viewerscope McCoy was a little bored. He handed the 'scope back to Spock, snuggled back up to the Vulcan-- with those pointy ears hidden under his beanie--as they stared up at the sky. Spock was softly dronning on and on about the lunar eclipse, the rare astronomical phenomenon occuring. Tonight was an event known as a 'super blood moon'. A so-called super moon which occurs when Luna is closest to Terra in its orbit, coinciding with a lunar eclipse, leaving the moon in Earth's shadow. The two phenomena do not align very often. Only about every thirty odd years or so. McCoy half listened as he already knew all about what Spock was telling him. To be honest, Luna, without Sol's light reflecting off of it, resembled a piece of dead flesh right about now.
"The Griffith Observatory," Spock went on, "was founded by Griffith W. Griffith--"
"Yeah, yeah. His last name was the same as his first," McCoy replied.
Spock turned his head to give him an annoyed look.
"You told me this stuff already, Baby," McCoy said. "I think this is the fifth time I heard this."
"I have not mentioned this to you before."
"Yes, you did."
"Hmm. Well, did I mention that Luna is reflecting all the sunrises and sunsets across Earth at this very moment?"
"Wow, really?" McCoy said. "That's amazing."
"Indeed."
"You told me about that already, Baby. A couple of times."
Spock sniffed at that.
"Sorry," McCoy said. "I know you're excited. I am too." Spock muttered something he couldn't quite catch in response and went back to his viewerscope, finally falling silent.
But really, it was enjoyable snuggling with Spock amidst all these other people staring up at the same object in the inky sky.
Except for one thing.
"Spock?"
"Yes, Beloved?"
"I have to pee."
Spock lowered his viewerscope and did one of his patented put upon sighs. "You should have gone before we left the hotel."
"Seriously? I just had a couple of beers, Honey."
"Your bladder is the size of a Vulcan t'lean'teliea."
"What the hell is that?"
"Something quite tiny."
"At least it's only my bladder that's small and not...something else more important." McCoy waggled his eyebrows.
"Leonard," Spock hissed. "There are children in the vicinity."
"Where?" McCoy craned his neck around. "Oh. So? I'm not saying anything dirty."
"You were thinking it."
"Oh, really?"
"Indeed, I can sense your arousal."
"Can you blame me? Snuggling with you, like this?"
"We are not alone and cannot engage in sexual activity," Spock whispered.
"I know. I know. I know. But seriously, I have to pee. Just wait here. I'll be right back. There's a bathroom inside the observatory. Isn't there?"
"You cannot get in free without my retina scan. I must accompany you. Can you not hold it?"
"No, I can't." McCoy scowled and got up.
Spock sighed again.
*
Spock passed the retina scan and the door obediently popped open for them. "Where's the men's room?" McCoy wondered.
Spock pointed. "That way."
They held hands inside the observatory's foyer as they walked through, their shoes tapping on the tiles. They didn't hold hands very often, just wasn't proper aboard ship, and McCoy focused on the contact. Sure felt good. Spock's warm hand in his. They reached the toilets which weren't very far from the entrance. Spock let go of his hand and McCoy set down the blanket/sleeping bag/pillows on the table next to the mirror. He unbuttoned his jeans, used the urinal and noticed Spock doing so, also. "Nice in here since they refurbished the place, huh?" McCoy muttered.
"Indeed. They do so every seventy-five years."
McCoy tucked himself back in, buttoned his jeans and stepped back from the urinal so it could flush. Spock did the same. They washed their hands. McCoy scooped up their belongings, shoving them back under his left arm so he could hold hands again with Spock with his right. "Back outside, Sweetheart?"
Spock leaned over and kissed McCoy on the top of the head. Something about that just warmed McCoy's heart. "We might as well go upstairs to the telescope, k'diwa," Spock replied. "Since we are now here."
McCoy grinned. "Now you're talkin', Darling."
________________
the end.