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Leonard stumbled and Spock caught him under the arms, lifting him and propelling him down the steep slope. The powdered snow kicked up behind them, whirling into the dual moon-lit night sky.
“Doctor, we must make haste,” he said.
“You think I don’t know that!” Leonard tripped again and went sprawling. Spock bent. A gunshot went wild over his head.
Leonard’s eyes were very wide.
Spock picked him up and carried him bodily from the snow drift, running down the hill and twice the speed even with his human burden. Leonard grunted, legs peddling, as another shot rang through the night.
“Spock, just leave me,” he panted. “Just leave me and you can escape.”
“Doctor, I do not have time to indulge your flights of defeatism.”
“Defeatism! Those ears of yours clogged with snow? We’re being shot at!”
“I am aware,” Spock said calmly.
"Just leave me!"
"We go together or not at all."
Leonard went abruptly silent. He seemed to be struggling to escape Spock's grasp, and Spock could barely keep his grip firm around Leonard’s arm as he ran from the city and into the snowy plains. He counted a dozen more shots, each further and further away until Spock reasoned that they might be safe. He did not stop running.
“Spock,” Leonard said after a moment, panting heavy in an attempt to keep up, even as Spock carried him every two out of three steps. “Spock, slow down, we can’t see where we’re going.”
It was true. Spock had been running blindly into the night, like a fool. Embarrassed, he slowed to a stop and cast a glance over his shoulder. The city was a pale blight in the night behind them but he did not see anyone pursuing them. He let out a long sigh and realized suddenly his vision was fuzzy and he couldn’t breathe, his lungs were screaming from his bout of athleticism. He coughed, hacking, and managed to school his breath into something more dignified.
Leonard let out a panicked-sounding laugh, his own breath just as labored. “Well? Do you see anyone? Your night vision is a heck of a lot better than mine.”
Spock shook his head. “No. But we cannot go back that way.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.” Leonard tipped his face up to the stars, eyes closed for a moment as he centered himself, and Spock’s heart clenched at how close they had come to death once again.
Spock opened his mouth, a confession sharp on his tongue, and then he paused. Leonard probably did know that. “I can think of nothing you do not know,” he said instead.
“Well, that can't be true.” Leonard looked at him. He was grinning with humor and adrenaline. Then suddenly he sobered. “Let’s try our communicators again.”
Spock shook himself. He should have thought of that sooner. They took them out but whatever had blocked their signal in the city appeared to extend this far as well. Spock grew concerned that the dampening field was planet-wide.
“Very well,” Spock said, closing the communicator with a decisive click. “We will continue on foot to a more defensible position.”
“What about the weather?” Leonard asked, shivering.
Spock examined him quickly. In their haste to evacuate Leonard had only managed to grab his outer jacket and gloves. Spock had not fared much better. He also had his jacket, and he still wore his hat only because he had not had time to remove it before their diplomatic mission had become decidedly… undiplomatic. He knew that he could survive the night through the use of his mental discipline, but it would leave him vulnerable to attack as he mediated. And he was not sure that Leonard would survive even a few hours in the rapidly-plummeting temperature.
Quickly reassessing his plan, Spock added, “We will build a shelter when we are sufficiently far from the city.”
Leonard seemed to find this acceptable. He tucked his gloved hands beneath his arms and nodded, teeth already chattering in the cold.
Spock knew there was a forest only two kilometers West of the city, but the unfamiliar stars confused him momentarily. He picked a direction he thought was West and they headed for it.
The walked along the outer edge of the plain. Spock kept one ear tuned towards the city and they ducked behind snowbanks anytime he thought he heard something. It took them a long time to find the forest. A lot longer than he would have liked. The twin moons had moved far in the sky and Leonard was shivering furiously with his hands beneath his arms and his chin tucked against his chest. Spock had taken to walking near him, one hand resting at Leonard’s waist. He could feel how cold he was even through his jacket.
Finally, they found a snow drift suitable for a temporary shelter. They checked the communicators again, to no avail, and so Spock set them to emergency broadcast. If Enterprise was able to pierce the dampening field they would hear the signal.
Spock set to work clearing a shelter. He could feel Leonard hovering over where he was kneeling in the snow.
“Can I help?”
Spock shook his head. “It will not take long.” It was difficult to puncture the crisp outer layer of snow. Spock clenched his fist and hit it once, twice, until he cracked through.
Leonard hissed. “Spock, you’re going to freeze your fingers off. Here, take my gloves.”
Spock didn’t want Leonard getting any colder. “That is not necessary. I am fine,” he said, even though his hands were stinging and flushed green from the cold.
“Spock,” Leonard said, his voice a few degrees colder than the weather.
He turned and look up at Leonard, who was frowning down at him. Leonard was still shivering but Spock could see the determination bright in his eyes. Perhaps he needed to do something to feel less helpless.
“Very well,” Spock agreed finally. He watched the tension leave Leonard in a rush. The gloves came off and Spock accepted them. They hugged his hands tightly and were still slightly warm from Leonard’s body heat. It still frustrated him to wear them, an illogical reaction. Wearing gloves had always disturbed him slightly, given him a sensation he could only liken to the incident where he had been blinded by light rays. It was disconcerting. Despite this, he nodded. “Thank you.”
Leonard was smiling now, soft and happy, and that alleviated some of Spock’s stress. “You sure this is going to work?”
Spock anticipated Leonard standing over him and critiquing his building. While he would have enjoyed a brief argument, he knew that he did not have time to get distracted. “It will work,” he said finally. “Doctor, I must focus on this task.”
Something flashed in Leonard’s eyes. “Fine. I’ll leave you to it. I’ll just...keep watch, or something.”
“Please remain within eyesight,” Spock called after him as he stomped away. Leonard merely waved his arm in acknowledgment.
Spock returned to his digging.
It was slow going but methodical work and, he was forced to admit, his hands were warmer in the gloves than he would have been otherwise. He allowed himself to focus fully on the digging, his breath misting out and before him with each panting breath. It was cold. Unbearably cold. Even his eyelashes threatened to freeze together.
Finally, the shelter was dug. It was just long enough for him to crawl in feet-first, and wide enough that he and Leonard would fit shoulder-to-shoulder. He had poked a hole in the far end to allow for an airflow. He felt a flare of illogical pride which he tamped down. He stood, legs wobbly and toes numb in the cold, and turned to call for Leonard.
His voice froze in his throat.
Leonard was there, slumped against a tree and turned away from Spock. For a moment Spock could not tell if he was breathing, but the thought barely had time to register before a far more pressing concern made itself known.
The beast was tall--nearly three meters--with long, narrow arms that brushed the ground and a wide face with sharp, protruding lower teeth. It towered over Leonard, sniffing him, and Spock was moving before he quite had time to form a plan.
“Away!” he yelled, and the beast turned to look at him. "Get away from him!" Spock didn’t have a phaser. Why didn’t he have a phaser? He needed to protect Leonard.
But the beast straightened up, seeming to grow another meter in height. It huffed and took a lumbering step back. Spock threw open his arms to appear as large as possible, uncertain if the beast was intelligent. He shouted again and the beast made a huffing sound and turned, lurching, its awkward body carrying it surprisingly quickly into the woods.
Spock threw himself upon Leonard, gloved hands numb and unhelpful as he tried to check for injuries. Frustrated, he shucked off the glove and pressed his fingers to Leonard’s neck.
“Mm, Spock?”
Leonard’s heartbeat was slow. There was no blood that Spock could see, so the beast hadn’t had time to attack him. Spock curled his hand around Leonard’s jaw and shook him.
“Leonard, stay with me.”
“Jus’ saw...somethin’ odd.”
“I saw it as well.” He got his shoulder under Leonard’s arm and lifted him. “You should have informed me you were freezing.”
“Feel fine…” Leonard murmured. His didn’t seem to be in control of his legs. “How’s...gloves?”
“You should have kept them.” Spock felt his anger flare and he ruthlessly tamped it down. This was not the time for a bout of emotionalism. He took deep, steady breaths as he carried Leonard to their shelter, and by the time they arrived a great calm had overtaken him.
“It’s so small.” Leonard seemed a bit more awake, and he was blinking and shivering at the shelter.
“It will suffice.” Spock was already calculating the odds that their small shelter could withstand an attack from the beast. The odds were not good. However, they no longer had the luxury of being able to leave and find another. Leonard was too far gone. “Please, assist me.”
They crawled in together. Spock sealed most of the entrance with snow, leaving only a small opening for air. It grew very dark. Leonard began by pressing himself against the far wall, but with a sigh Spock pulled him closer. He opened his jacket and wrapped it around Leonard, trapping his own body heat between them.
Leonard chuckled drowsily. “Thought you said… no PDA.”
“We are not in public,” Spock said simply. He forced himself to relax. “Regardless, the circumstances demand such an action.”
“Hmph, circumstances.” Leonard’s nose was very cold against Spock’s neck.
“Perhaps I was...hasty, in demanding no physical contact in public.”
“You’re only saying that because you think I’m dying.”
Spock tightened his grip. “You are not.”
“You’re right, I’m not.” Leonard let out a deep sigh. His breath seemed to be the only warm thing about him. “Spock, I’m okay. I just got a bit chilled.”
“You were nearly comatose.” Spock did not appreciate arguing about Leonard’s health. They did so far too often. He pulled off his glove--the other one still abandoned by the tree--and grabbed Leonard’s hand. He forced the glove onto his fingers, an utterly pitiful attempt to delay the chill. “And you were nearly attacked by a member of the local fauna.”
He couldn’t see Leonard in the dark, but he could hear his voice change. “...That was real? Thought I was hallucinating.”
“You were not.” Vindictively, Spock wrapped his arms around Leonard again and held him close. Their body heat was warming the shelter slowly, but appreciably.
“What are we doing sitting here? It might come back.”
Spock gripped him more tightly as he tried to wiggle away. “I believe I frightened it away,” he said, although he was only about fifty-percent certain of that. “Regardless, you cannot travel in this condition.”
Leonard sighed and his chin came to rest on Spock’s shoulder. “...Should’a left me a long time ago.”
Spock knew that Leonard was not talking about their run from danger, nor their current predicament. He realized, sharply, that Leonard perhaps didn’t know how much he cared about him. “Leonard…”
“Shush, Spock. Just let me rest.”
“I cannot,” he said softly. “You must stay awake. You are too cold.”
Silence for a moment, and then, “What do you want from me, Spock?”
“When we return to the ship I wish to take you out. Please, describe for me your perfect date.”
Leonard burst out laughing and Spock held him closer still, if such a thing were possible. “Spock, I think the cold is getting to you.”
“It is not.”
Leonard stopped laughing abruptly. “I-I’m sorry if I made you think--Spock, our relationship is just fine. A quiet night in is perfect as long as it’s with you.”
Spock kissed the top of Leonard’s head and then his warm forehead, then down to his cold and chapped lips. Leonard followed as he tried to move back, kissing him a second time, a third…
With a sigh, Spock rested their foreheads together. “There is an illogical human need to… ‘show off’ one’s partner,” Spock said, picking his words carefully. “I find myself gripped by that very need.”
“Spock…”
“Please. Indulge me.”
Leonard laughed again, beautifully. Spock wished the darkness would abate so that he could see Leonard’s smile. “Well, dinner might be nice.”
“What would you prefer to eat?”
They chatted like that, discussing in intricate detail their date. They planned the meal (warm plomeek broth for Spock and chicken noodle for Leonard), where they would go (the recreation lounge), where to sit (right in the middle where everyone could see), and what they would discuss (the universe, and moving in together, both equally important discussions). They discussed the walk they would partake in afterwards, arms linked as they walked through the atrium. They discussed the kiss they would share at Leonard’s door.
The hours passed without notice. Leonard had stopped shivering and had even unzipped his jacket slightly to let out some heat. Spock had taken to holding Leonard’s one bare hand and he kept getting distracted when Leonard brushed a thumb over his knuckles. In the growing morning light Leonard blinked and smiled at him sleepily. His hair was fluffy and Spock smoothed it down before kissing him.
Spock pulled away and for a moment his resolve to remain emotionless crumbled unexpectedly. He realized he was smiling at Leonard, and although the light was still dim and the smile was slight, Leonard grinned hugely back.
“What’s got you so happy?” he asked.
Spock considered. “Vulcans do not experience happiness,” he said after a moment.
Leonard chuckled disbelievingly. “Sure. Tell me something I don’t know.”
“We do experience love,” Spock said instantly. “Very, very strongly.”
“Oh.” Leonard blinked, and his eyes were so bright that Spock felt as if his whole face was alight with joy. “Spock…”
He shuffled forward again, hands curling around Leonard’s neck to support his head, lifting it out of the cold snow. He could feel Leonard’s hands on his arms--one gloved, one bare— and he tipped Leonard’s face towards him, breathing over his soft lips as—
The communicator chirped.
Leonard jerked in surprise and kneed Spock in the calf. Spock grunted and shifted, barely managing to reach down and remove his communicator.
“Spock here.”
“Mr. Spock!” Scotty’s voice tricked through, bright and cheerful. “It’s a miracle we found you. Is Dr. McCoy with you?”
Spock eyed Leonard, who was chuckling quietly. “Yes, he is.”
“Ah, I see him. I’ve got a lock and I’ll get you both up here before you can say ‘boo.’”
Leonard jerked again. “Scotty, maybe you should—”
Mr. Scott, always a man of his word, had them on the transporter platform before they could disentangle themselves. Immediately, Spock was slammed with the heat of the ship and the brightness of the transporter room. Leonard was blinking and squinting and trying to move away from him. Spock gripped him more tightly.
“Oh!” Scotty exclaimed. “I, ah, I suppose it was a might bit chilly down there.”
Leonard was grumbling and trying to escape, and Spock felt a burst of fondness from his head to his toes.
“Indeed, Mr. Scott.” He looked over at Scotty from where he was lying on the floor.
Scotty was looking at him oddly. “Sorry, just a bit of an unexpected sight.”
Leonard had finally managed to extricate himself and he sat up, frowning as Spock stood up swiftly.
“You should prepare yourself for similar such sights.” He held out his hand to Leonard who looked at it, then to Spock’s face, then over to Scotty worriedly.
“The sight of you lying on the transporter pad?”
“No.” He waited patiently for Leonard to see he was serious. “For the sight of my displaying my affection for Leonard.”
Leonard’s breath hitched, and then his arm shot out and he grabbed ahold of Spock like he thought Spock might fly away. Spock hauled him up and Leonard wobbled, eyes wide, still glancing between Spock and Scotty like he couldn’t believe what was happening.
“Now, Doctor,” Spock said. “Perhaps we should visit sickbay?”
Leonard puffed up and abruptly dropped Spock’s hand. “Who’s the doctor, here?” he grumbled, but there was a light in his eye that belied his good mood. “And yes we should go to sickbay. You need to get those hands checked out.” He grinned as Spock arched his brow at him. Leonard strolled from the transporter room and smirked at Scotty, who merely shook his head.
Spock followed Leonard dutifully. He could hear Scotty mumbling to himself as they left, and heard him say quite clearly, “It’s about time they got over that.”
Spock found himself agreeing, and without a second though he reached out and laced his arm with Leonard’s, walking close enough to feel the heat radiating from his body.