𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐑 ➪ 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐤²

|| 𝐀 𝐉𝐞𝐤𝐲𝐥𝐥 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐲𝐝𝐞 𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫 ||

Samsa had been given very clear instructions not to peek until Jim finished prepping their meal. After continuing what they started before Spock interrupted them - and almost burning dinner as a result - they were nearly ready to eat.

By then Samsa was starving. A glass of blood sat on the laid table which she had politely refrained from devouring before Jim was ready to eat as well. Her senses were still being drawn to his heartbeat, even though she desperately wanted to ignore it. Maybe the cold had increased her appetite for some reason?

"Dinner is served!" Jim announced triumphantly.

Samsa turned from her position washing dishes at the sink and grinned at the two beautifully arranged bowls of Spaghetti Bolognese, completed with a single leaf of basil perched on top. "Oh, Jim!" She grinned. "It looks delicious!"

He took a bow and Samsa became aware of an adorable blush blooming on his cheeks. She dried her hands and moved closer, snaking her arms around his neck.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Anything for you, Hon." Jim smiled and bent down to close the space between them.

There it was again. The hunger. The longing. That excruciating desire to consume his blood. Samsa pulled away and pressed a kiss to his throat, feeling the throbbing of his jugular artery against her lips. She widened her jaw and angled her teeth towards his skin...

A call on Jim's communicator brought her back to reality. Only then did Samsa realise what she had been about to do. She froze. Every nerve in her body tensed and tears scorched the back of her throat.

"Yes, Mister Scott?" Jim asked, retrieving his communicator. Thankfully, he seemed unaware of Samsa's intentions mere moments ago.

"Captain, there's something you should see in the transporter room, right away, Sir."

Jim winced at the Engineer's message. "I'm on my way," he eventually said. When the communication ended, he ran his hands down Samsa's arms with a sigh. "I'm sorry, Dollface. You go on and eat without me. I'll be back as soon as I've dealt with this."

Samsa didn't reply at first, still trying to comprehend how close she came to hurting him. She shook her head and forced a convincing smile. "No, that's okay, I'll go with you. In the meantime, we can keep your fabulous cooking warm in the oven."

Jim grinned at the compliment but frowned slightly. "You sure?"

Samsa nodded. "I'd much rather have our romantic dinner together. You go and I'll catch up after sorting the food out."

Jim smiled and gave her one final kiss before heading to the transporter room. As soon as he was gone, Samsa grabbed the glass of blood and emptied it in three swift gulps. She felt the tears from earlier finally breach the surface.

If Jim's communicator hadn't interrupted them...Samsa would have bitten him. She would have given in to the bloodlust. Unable to stop. Forgetting who she was. Forgetting who Jim was. He would be bleeding out. Possibly already dead.

No.

Samsa buried those frightening thoughts and, despite it doing little to tame her hunger, finished off the dregs in the glass. She set the oven on low heat to keep their meals warm and changed into her uniform before making her way out.

☆☆☆

After grounding every shuttle in Engineering, the other Samsa made her way back to the upper decks to find her partner in crime. While passing the science labs, she ended up bumping right into Carol Marcus - an unfortunate encounter that couldn't have been avoided.