Star Trek Imagines

9. Tense (Leonard 'Bones' McCoy)

(Published December 1, 2023) 

   If there was one thing I hated, it was breaking atmosphere.  There was more of a chance of things going wrong during that time period than there was for any other part of the trip.  And while outerspace was dangerous and threatening enough, at least it didn't have the horrible gut sloshing, breath stealing, mind jostling effect that breaking the atmosphere did.  At least if things went wrong in space, it was a gentle death... in most cases.  Thinking like this wasn't helping my nerves.  
   Suddenly, the door to my quarters slid open, and a familiar snarky voice interrupted my thoughts.  
   "Looks like we're being delayed." 
   I opened my eyes from their tightly squeezed position and found a suspiciously content Bones heading my way.  Raising an eyebrow, I gave him an inquiring look.  He came to a stop in front of me, arms crossing as he quirked an eyebrow.  I probably looked ridiculous with my hands clenching the seat beneath me and my spine as stiff as a board.  Releasing the seat, I set my now sore fingers in my lap. 
   "You look terrified."
   I frowned at him, which only made his lips quirk up on one side.  My heart stuttered.  Damn, I loved that hint of a smile.
   "Let me rephrase that, your entire being screams discomfort.  C'mere."
   He walked over to the foot of my bed and stood there expectantly.  I stood slowly, not wanting to wrench any of my tense joints with a sudden movement.  I dawdled some on the walk towards him, keeping my expression a frown while letting my eyes enjoy the view.  His blue shirt complimented his dark hair in this lighting, which in turn seemed to electrify his eyes.  Had no idea what I had done to deserve him, but I sure got lucky!
   I stopped walking about three feet from him, unsure of what he wanted me to do.  He gestured to the foot of my bed.  I obliged, sinking into a sitting position on the mattress.  To my surprise, he climbed on the mattress behind me, kneeling on the soft material. 
   Gently, his hands slid onto my shoulders.  With a firm grip, he began massaging my tight muscles.  I couldn't help but let out an approving hum.  His thumbs rubbed along my spine, and his fingertips worked the kinks in my neck.  I sighed contentedly, unable to resist the special treatment that I would normally object to. 
   "Want to tell me why you're all worked up, darlin'?" He murmured. 
   "I hate breaking atmo."
   He groaned.  "Me, too.  It's worse than space.  I can't even list all the things that could go wrong."
   "Right?" I spun around to face him, freeing myself from the entrancing massage.  "One malfunction and we're toast.  At least in space, there's a fighting chance of survival, assuming you can get to an escape pod."
   He grinned at me.  "Lucky for us, we're planet bound for a bit yet."
   "Which means I get to be terrorized again in an hour or so." I rolled my eyes, grinning back because I just couldn't help it.  When he smiled, I smiled.  And his smile seemed to be growing slightly, which meant my lips weren't going to stop anytime soon. 
   Bones leaned towards me with that enthralling smile playing with his mouth.  Before I knew it, his lips softly captured mine.  I kissed back, naturally, moving at the speed he chose.  He suddenly chuckled against my mouth.  His hands snuck out and grabbed my waist, pulling me closer to him.  I smiled into the kiss, letting my hands curl around his neck. 
   Once I was close enough for him, he focused on the kiss again.  He nipped playfully at my bottom lip between kisses, laughing softly when I jumped in surprise.  The kisses were kind of slow, but it was a delicious speed.  It was like he wanted to savor each one.  My mind seemed to get lost in the moment and all I knew was that I was kissing the love of my life and loving every second of it. 
   Before I was ready, he pulled away.  He didn't go far because a moment later his cheek pressed lightly against my temple. 
   "Your kisses just might help me survive space, darlin'."
   "Mmm," Was all I could manage for a response.  My brain hadn't returned from it's love haze yet. 
   He pulled away again, this time to look at me.  "Mara?"
   "Mmm."
   "What's two plus two?"
   "Leonard."
   Yeah, my brain was definitely on hiatus. 
   He just grinned widely.  "That's what I thought."
   Shaking my head to hopefully jostle some part of it back into place, I managed a halfhearted glare at him. 
   "What?" He chuckled. 
   "You numbed my brain," I grumbled. 
   "Your brain numbed itself, darlin'.  All I did was kiss you."
   I wrapped my arms around his neck once again and rested my head on his chest for a moment. 
   "I should've known better than to date a doctor," I teased.  "First they make your heart skip beats, then they numb your brain.  What's next?"
   "Well, I was going to suggest continuing the back massage, but if you're scared of doctors then I have a new problem on my hands." His tone was completely serious, but the visible twinkle in his eyes gave the teasing away. 
   "And how will you cure this new problem, Dr. McCoy?"
   The side of his mouth quirked up again and I lost a few more heartbeats. 
   "Mind numbing, naturally."
   I let out a soft laugh.  "Mmm, better get on that, then.  I feel the fear setting in."
   He chuckled and brought his mouth back to mine for another playful kiss.