The Enterprise was on the way back from Mn'ha, where Leonard had done surprisingly well at getting the inhabitants to open up about how male pregnancy worked for them. He did, in fact, find people to commiserate with on the planet, and they were also aware of the somewhat dubious nature of the Abrbonians' helpfulness. An interesting coincidence, to say the least. The Mn'ha had shared the downside of what happened when one entered into a pact with the Abrbonians, as one of their communities had done just that and had later let the nature of that agreement slip out. It was not a pretty picture. The consequences of that indiscretion were not light and it reinforced Leonard's conviction to to never let the true nature of his deal with the Abrbonians come to light.
Nyota had been present during the storytelling, as translators did not always handle the words of the elders well and were not fluent in standard the way the younger generations were. However, it was the duty of the elders to share the knowledge they had gathered, and to allow one of the youngers to be the one to tell the tale would be in violation of tradition and could simply not be allowed. It had struck Leonard that Nyota appeared to be taking even more interest in the action of the Abrbonians than he had, which was a little unexpected. After all, Leonard had a vested interest in how the Abrbonians worked that Nyota did not, unless she, too, had entered a pact with the aliens. It seemed strange, though, that the Abrbonians would enter into separate agreements with two individuals aboard the same ship. He would add that he didn't recall her having any close dealing with the individuals who had been aboard the Enterprise, but it was simply possible that he didn't remember her having any dealings with them. He could just remember the parts of the last several months that were directly related to his own agreement. There had been nothing to stop the Abrbonians from altering his memories, otherwise. Since Leonard was giving himself a headache as he considered all the possibilities, he finally just told himself that there was no way that a deal could have been struck with anyone else. He really hoped there was a one deal per group policy.
Now, back on the ship, awaiting the torture that was surely to arrive once Jim, who had recruited the assistance of Nyota and Christine, carried out his devious plans, Leonard tried to avoid certain individuals as much as possible. Not that it was all that easy as he did work directly with Christine. He had considered asking Spock to switch the shifts the two of them worked in order to escape the little looks of glee, but Spock would just tell him he was being illogical. Hard to argue with that as he knew damn well that he was. Maybe he should remind the planners that the point of a baby shower was to bestow gifts on the expectant parents, not a variant form of water torture, as they might be confused by the term 'shower'. If he could, Leonard would put a stop to the farce, but once Jim got a bee in his bonnet there was no stopping him (and Leonard still thinks Spock was perfectly aware of the fact that he didn't mean Jim was actually wearing a hat of any sort, bonnet or otherwise).
Interestingly enough, the doctor found that he was spending more time alone with Spock since Jim was off conspiring against him. Spock insisted that party planning was not conspiring, but Leonard just shook his head and told the Vulcan he would have to learn the hard way. After all, he had never had a party thrown for him courtesy of one James T. Kirk, but Spock did have a birthday in his future: one without Nyota to protect him. Leonard had learnt some new information about Spock in that time, such as the reason why the Vulcan had kept staring so much at his hands when he'd been knitting. Spock had never actually seen someone knitting in person before and had found the movements quite fascinating. It would appear that instructional videos did not capture the craft in quite the same way.
It was enjoyable hanging out with just Spock once again, capturing at least some of the camaraderie that they had come to share prior to the Abrbonians' first visit. Leonard had missed that. He also missed the romantic aspects of the previous relationship, but he was taking what he could get. When the Abrbonians had first left, there had been little left of anything from the prior months, barely a friendship at all, so Leonard was happy to be making any progress in that area. He might have had courage to push for more if not for the pregnancy. That had to be one of the most twisted parts of the whole thing, even more so than being pregnant, that Leonard couldn't try to push further. He couldn't risk getting too close and having Spock find out via a slip of the mind, not that the Vulcan was going to find out anyway, given that Leonard might never get off the ship, but the longer he could put off that confrontation the better.
Speaking of the Vulcan, Spock had followed him back to his quarters, holding what Leonard assumed was food. The doctor rarely skipped meals anymore, but, this particular evening, he had decided it was worth it as he was tired and wanted rest more than nutrition. He figured he could munch on some power bar supplements. He must have mentioned something of his plan out loud without realizing it, probably around Christine, as someone had ratted him out, or, at least, he hoped so. Otherwise, Spock might just be a little too attuned to him for comfort.
As the door to his quarters opened, Leonard stood to one side and waved Spock and his tray in. "Since you've brought something, I guess you should put it on the table."
"You should not plan to skip meals, regardless of how tired you are," Spock replied as he carefully set the tray down. "It is ill-advised for a person in your condition. As you would know because you are a doctor, as you are so fond of reminding the crew."
"And you've appointed yourself my mother because I don't have one of my own anymore?" Leonard teased. "Are there beverages included in this service, or should I put on the kettle?"
"I assure you, Doctor McCoy, I have not appointed myself as your mother, nor would I want my actions mistaken for that of a parental figure," Spock said as he took the cover off the tray to show a simple meal of soup and sandwiches. It had become a favourite meal of Leonard's of late, especially tomato soup flavoured with Vulcan spices. The spices were a new touch, as the kid was already asserting that one quarter Vulcan side. Leonard was lost in thought, taking in the food on the table, and almost missed the rest of what Spock was saying. "If you would take a seat, I will prepare the tea."
"Huh?" Leonard gave his head a little shake to clear his thoughts and then gave a roll of his eyes as Spock's final comment sunk in. He did as he was told, but not without complaint. "Dammit, Spock, I'm pregnant not an invalid. I'm perfectly capable of making my own tea."
Spock glanced over at Leonard from where he was preparing two mugs of tea. "It is doubtful I would be able to forget as it is evident you need to remind someone of the exact nature of your situation every time he or she attempts to do something for you."
"I don't want people getting the idea that I've become helpless just because..." Leonard gestured toward the distension of his abdomen. "Treat a woman as being helpless the same way some people have been treating me, and these same people would be handed their asses, so I've been showing some constraint, all things considered."
"I do not consider you helpless," Spock said, correcting the man as he crossed the room with two cups of tea. He placed one in front of Leonard and took a sip out of the other, once he had taken a seat across from the doctor. "I understand that it is customary to do something considerate for those you consider friends once in a while, to demonstrate your appreciation for that relationship."
Leonard gave a quiet chuckle and stated, "One could argue that bringing a meal to me because you heard I wasn't going to bother was more than enough, and that I should have made the tea as a way of expressing my thanks."
"One could also argue that a beverage is part of a meal, and that my gesture would be incomplete if I allowed you to prepare it," Spock countered before moving his dinner off the tray to begin eating.
"As I'd rather eat than argue," Leonard admitted, as his stomach rumbled a little from the tantalizing smell of the soup teasing his senses, "I am going to let the whole thing slide. I'm also not going to ask which little birdie sang, as I'm sure it would be like pulling teeth."
A flash of indecisiveness flickered across Spock's face, as though he could not determine what in that statement he most wanted to address. After a few moments, he uttered words that prompted a full out hearty laugh from Leonard. "I would not expect you to pull teeth as you are a doctor, not a dentist."
The negligible upturn of the corner of Spock's mouth was enough evidence for Leonard to know that the Vulcan was joking. With a slight shake of his head at the behaviour of his friend, Leonard too started in on the meal that had been brought for him. He found the soup as enjoyable as his other senses had promised, as the two men ate in a companionable silence.
Once finished, Leonard stood up and stretched. He found the chairs from the crew quarters and mess hall lacking in support and tried to avoid sitting in them for long periods of time. He strolled over to the small couch, more a love seat sized sofa, that offered its own set of challenges. Truth be told, Leonard would love to have his office chair, or one like it, in his quarters. It offered the best support of the choices on board. The Captain's chair might have better, but Jim would notice if he tried to sneak that down to his quarters.
"That hit the spot," Leonard admitted while settling on the sofa. He waved Spock over as the Vulcan started to gather the dishes. "Leave that unless you are planning to eat and run."
"If it is acceptable, there is a subject I would like to discuss," Spock stated as he finished putting the dishes, other than the mugs, which were Leonard's, on the tray. "I am uncertain as how to best broach it with you."
Leonard's head was tilted back against the edge of the couch, his cheek leaning on the crook of the arm he had spread out comfortably along the back, his eyelids drooping a little as the day caught up with him. Stifling a yawn, he replied, "I'm guessing it's not more of a lecture on nearly missing a meal, then. If you want to talk to me about something, I suggest you stop what you're doing and come sit. I'd rather not have to be twisting myself around to be able to see you."
Spock walked to the edge of the sofa and stared down at the other man. "You appear overtaxed. This would not be an appropriate time for my query."
Leonard rubbed his temple in frustration. He wanted to hear whatever it was Spock had to say. The Vulcan had been acting as though he'd had something on his mind for the last few days and, now that he'd admitted it, Leonard wasn't letting him leave until he found out what it was.
"Sit down," he growled.
Spock hovered indecisively for a few more moments before taking a seat next to Leonard. He then proceeded to simply sit and stare. Leonard shook his head and prompted. "Well?"
Spock's reply surprised the doctor. "I am still uncertain how to broach the subject."
Leonard's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he tried to figure out what could have made the normally forthright Vulcan hesitant. "Well, the direct approach generally works best."
Apparently, Spock's interpretation of that statement was to skip words completely and use actions instead as he leaned over and placed his lips against Leonard's. The doctor gave a surprised gasp, and Spock took advantage of the moment to deepen the kiss. It didn't take long for Leonard to become an active participant as well as he slid his hand up to the Vulcan's neck and gave as good as he got. This lasted for a few minutes until Leonard's brain caught up to the rest of him. A panicked thought regarding how dangerous this was had him reluctantly pushing Spock away, exclaiming, "I can't do this!"
Spock looked confused and hurt, breaking Leonard's heart. He needed to say something, and it couldn't be to deny his interest, not after his reaction to the kiss. "I can't... I can't deal with this right now. It's too much," Leonard explained, hoping Spock would understand what he was trying to say.
The Vulcan looked away from Leonard, but gave a slight nod in acknowledgment of his statement, while saying nothing. Taking a deep breath, Leonard added, "You... Your friendship has been a great help. I just I just am not in a place to start anything with anyone. If I were, it would be with you." Leonard really wished he could say otherwise, but he knew that the Abrbonians would not accept the fact that he had revealed the truth by accident because he was involved with a telepath as a legitimate excuse. They were not reasonable.
"Understood," Spock stated as he stood and straightened out his uniform. "I shall not delay your rest any longer."
Leonard watched him leave, fighting the urge to call him back and pick up at the point where he had interrupted. He also wanted to lie down and cry. He did neither, however. Instead, he crawled on to his bed and stared at the ceiling, cursing the unfairness of it all.
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