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"Don't be fucking rude."
Kirk shut his eyes and grit his teeth before turning to the person interrupting his conversation. “I’m not being rude, but you are, by sticking your nose into a conversation that isn’t any of your business.”
McCoy moved his fork up to hide the grin on his face as he watched the exchange in front of him. Jim wasn’t being that rude, to be honest. He was used to worse from him, to be honest, when he was in a foul mood after he’d booted Jim out of his room and forced Jim to go back to his own room for a couple of days. But seeing someone else step in and call him on his behavior was more amusing than he wanted to admit.
“Well, you’re obviously harassing Dr. McCoy and you’re being a dick,” the young woman was saying. “He doesn’t need to put up with it.”
“I have no idea who you are, but stay out of it,” Kirk said, glaring at her.
“Jim, relax,” McCoy said. “This is Christine Chapel. She’s one of the students who I work with at the clinic. Training to be a nurse. Christine, this jerk is my friend, Jim Kirk.”
Christine eyed him warily. “This is the infamous James Kirk?”
“Infamous?” Kirk said, smirking slightly. “I kind of like the sound of that,” he said. He gestured to the other seat at their table. “Guess we got off on the wrong foot. Normally I’m a lot more charming but I got sent back to my dorm by an uncaring best friend.”
“Oh?” she asked, taking the seat.
“Jim thinks we share a dorm room,” McCoy said. “Normally I don’t care but with twelve-hour rotations at the clinic because we’re understaffed with the bouts of Ankaran flu going around I want my sleep when I get back, and that means I want my room to myself.”
“If you think I’m rude, that’s nothing on my roommate,” Kirk said, leaning in towards Christine. “He’s a prick of world class proportions.”
“I don’t know. I’ve heard you have your moments,” she said, beginning to sort out her food.
“Do I?” Kirk said, beginning to pour on his charm. McCoy rolled his eyes at that.
“You have a reputation…?” she said, leaving the end of the sentence on a questioning note.
“Jim,” he said, giving her a wide smile.
“If you’re going to flirt I’m going to vomit,” McCoy grumbled, shaking his head.
“What?” Kirk said, turning to McCoy. “I’m just showing her I’m not an asshole of epic proportions, that’s all. She just caught me on a bad day.”
McCoy rolled his eyes. “Yeah, you say that now. Next thing you know, you two are going to be making goo-goo eyes at each other and you’re going to forget I’m even here, and then somehow you’re going to conveniently forget that ‘no women allowed in my dorm room’ rule and I’m going to come back after a shift to find my bed occupied by the two of you.”
Christine chuckled by that as Kirk shook his head and turned back to her. “He’s overreacting,” Kirk said.
“Ah,” she replied. “So that isn’t your plan?”
“Nope. I’m just going to have a nice, civil conversation. Between all three of us,” he said, giving McCoy a pointed look. McCoy snorted in response. “You want to make a bet or something, Bones?”
“Like what?” Bones asked.
“I don’t know. I’ll stay out of your room for a week if I lose or something,” Kirk said.
McCoy mulled it over. “And if you win?”
“I get to come back in tonight,” Kirk said.
“Deal,” McCoy said, setting down his fork and extending his hand to Kirk. Kirk reached over and shook his hand, sealing the bet. “So what should we talk about? I think the topic was veering towards Jim’s legendary exploits in the short time we’ve been at the Academy.”
“You know, we can change the topic,” Kirk said, shaking his head.
“No, I think that could be an interesting topic to discuss,” McCoy said, a smirk on his face. “It isn’t often a man gets to hear about his own reputation firsthand.”
“I have wondered how much truth there is to it,” Christine said thoughtfully. “I mean, not that I’d want to find out firsthand and all.”
McCoy’s smirk grew at the momentarily disappointed look on Kirk’s face that was quickly replaced by a grin as he leaned forward. “Yeah? And why is that?” he asked.
“Well, I mean, if each woman is merely a tally mark, what makes them special?” she asked.
“That’s not what it is,” Kirk said. “It’s not a tally mark for conquests thing. It’s a matter of enjoying each others company for a time. Sometimes it’s only once, sometimes it’s a few times. Having fun. You like to have fun, don’t you?” His smile grew at that.
“Maybe,” she said. “It depends, though.”
“On what?” he asked.
“Just what type of fun we’re talking about,” she said, leaning forward as well.
“Well, that depends on a lot of different things,” he said. “But that could be a conversation we should have between us and, as this is supposed to be a conversation between the three of us...” He turned to McCoy. “I’m not an idiot, you know. I know you maneuvered the conversation to try and get me to lose the bet. Not going to work. I should make you forfeit right here and now.”
McCoy shook his head and leaned back in the chair. “Can’t you just suck it up and stay in your dorm till the end of the week to give me a chance to get through this hell week?”
Kirk looked at McCoy and then sighed. “Fine, but you owe me. If I kill Jacobson in his sleep you have to testify at my trial.”
“Deal.”
“I think I can offer up an alternative solution,” Christine said. “You can sleep in my dorm when I’m not there. I don’t have a roommate at the moment and I’m in the mixed dormitories so no one will mind.”
Kirk gave her a wide grin. “I owe you.”
She grinned back and nodded. “Yes, you do. And trust me, I’ll find a way to collect.”
Kirk glanced at his watch. “I have to get going but I’ll see you guys later,” he said, picking up his tray and heading away from the table.
McCoy looked over at Christine, raising an eyebrow. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” he asked.
“Not entirely, but I’m sure I won’t regret it too much,” she said.
“You say that now,” McCoy said, going back to his food. “Just wait.” She gave him a look in return and he shook his head. She'd learn. They always did.