McCoy sits down on an insignificant evening and reads a staggering letter from his old friend and current Captain, Jim Kirk. He's asking for some kind of relationship. But the letter isn't clear on what Jim's doing about his current and very serious boyfriend Spock. And McCoy's got a crush on both of them, so it's looking like it won't work out.
Then Spock knocks on the door.
mcspirk, 4,563 words for the @leonardmccoyevents Valentine's event Love Letters
Bones,
This one isn’t the easiest to write, so sit down and try to think kindly towards me.
We’ve been friends a long time now. I value that, more than anything else I have. More than anything I could be offered. But
And things are good right now, I’m not trying to mess it up. Things are good with you and me, and Spock and me, and you and Spock. And all three of us.
We’re religious men, is there a prayer that helps someone get to the point?
Vulcans do relationships differently. Marriage between two people, different genders, very old fashioned. Not that we’re looking at marriage, I just say it to highlight what Spock’s used to. Now, beyond the simplicity of that kind of marriage, whatever makes a couple calm and productive is encouraged. It’s not secret, exactly, it’s more like this free love world simmering under the lid. I think you’d warm to it as a style of dating.
I know you’ve only ever looked at that kind of marriage as the way of things for you, but you know there’s other ways relationships can form. I know you know that. I hope you’re not against it, personally, I’ve never been bold enough to bring it up even hypothetically. Which feels like an error now.
It’s fun dating Spock. He’s private, like you. He’s not romantic, but he pays attention and he wouldn’t appreciate me saying but there’s an affection in him.
I’m going to break a promise to you now, Bones. That night at the academy, when I got stood up and you came out to have a drink and help me look less pathetic. I know you regret it, but I don’t. I mean, I didn’t love it when you stopped kissing me back, but I don’t regret making a move. And the way it’s going now, I can’t stop from offering again. I know there’s risk in this, but I just have to think it’s worth the shot.
Come by, and stay a bit later.
With more love than you know about,
Jim
McCoy sat back with a sigh. He wished it were more of a shock, really. He’d been sure Jim was hitting on him, but he’d convinced himself otherwise. Made no sense, he was years into a perfectly suited relationship with Spock. But those lingering touches to his shoulder, whispered jokes… He glanced up at the half finished bottle of quite illegal Romulan whiskey he adored, which Jim had slipped him a few weeks ago. It wasn’t so appealing right now.
Or maybe it really was. Christ. His gut was curling uncomfortably. His skin was hot. Where the fuck had Jim even gotten real paper to write on?
Worst thing was he didn’t hate the idea. McCoy squeezed his eyes shut. No, that wasn’t the worst, the worst thing was that Jim hadn’t said a fucking thing about what Spock thought. Just that Vulcans apparently didn’t mind a bit on the side if it kept a marriage calm.
Was that it? What the fuck was this? He slammed a hand onto the table and read the passage about Vulcan marriages again. Nothing about what Spock wanted with him, if anything. It was as useful to him as a damned encyclopedia entry.
What was Jim asking? And did Spock know about this damned letter?
Ok so, I need to ask this for my own sanity- do you like it when people write things in the tags that arent necessarily related to the fic on ao3 specifically? Like here's an example of what I mean that I did-
"#McCoy wears makeup #because he does in canon?? #but I never see anyone mention it #at least in fics that is"
or do you find that annoying and unnecessary?
I love when people do that!
No thank you! Only relevant information in the tags please!
I don't particularly care, but if there's a lot of tags I'm less likely to read
I don't particularly care, this kind of thing doesn't effect my decision to read
I don't particularly care, but sometimes it's nice to see
Other (please comment!)
Voting ended onSep 11, 2023
Thank you for participating!
Also, if you're seeing this post again, thats because I forgot to specify that this was for ao3 not tumblr and I know the tagging system and etiquette is very different for the both of them and I couldn't fix it unless I just deleted the old post and made a new one
It's a sunny day on the planet they've beamed down to, Revena V, pretty turquoise skies and a rainbow arching across it. Kirk smiles at his first officer, who gives him an eyebrow raise in return, then looks back at his tricorder to analyze the data he's been collecting of fauna and small critters. He's glad to have peaceful moments like this on away missions where he can walk beside Spock, hands intertwined as they amble about. Their last mission had ended up in a battle and many injured crewmen, so thankfully they had been given some time to rest and explore more tranquil and serene planets in the latest system that had yet to be mapped on a star chart.
McCoy had opted to stay on the ship because last time he beamed down with them he'd fallen down a ditch and sprained his ankle. Jim tried not to laugh as he cursed everything around him when they were beaming back up—of course he was worried, but Bones was so grumpy and in the end it had been fine. They cuddled to make up for it, Jim taking in the sight of both his partners. Spock had made McCoy a hot chocolate and took care of him whilst
Jim got the man to be quiet and accept the care, at one point Jim considered giving Bones a taste of his own medicine, stabbing him with a hypo.
At least, when it’s just the two of them, there are no huffs and complaints about the mission to collect more data, just avid discussions about said data and observations about the pretty plant life.
“What do you think of this planet, Spock?”
“It is fascinating, I will have to take further samples of some of the fauna as they have intriguing properties that could be used in medicine. There are also many small animals that look interesting. This planet is very diverse in its plant and animal life.”
“I love visiting all these cool planets, better than being attacked by Klingons or whatever.”
“Certainly. I only wish that Doctor McCoy had joined us, even if he does tend to complain.” Spock smiles at him slightly.
“Yeah, but after the last mission he’s afraid he’ll get hurt and then he’ll have to get taken care of by us. He’s allergic to accepting help.”
“Indeed he is.”
Jim smiles and glances at Spock again, appreciating his side profile: curved pointy ears that he oh so loves to touch gently, hazel eyes that look at him with affection, silky black hair that sits perfectly on his head, and finally his nose. Jim enjoys booping it, which makes Spock blush. Jim's always been one to appreciate both of his lovers' features—McCoy especially, since he needs encouragement and positivity. He's a little more self conscious than Spock in that department. Of course, both of them have their flaws. So does he.
Jim looks back to his surroundings. He notices a flower that is almost the same height as him. It glows a warm yellow and has pink spots on its petals.
Without thinking, he stops and leans forward a little. Then he thinks, oh, shit. The flower spews spores at his face. He groans and staggers backwards. Spock catches and steadies him but he barely notices it because his eyes feel as if they are being set alight. Briefly, he thinks that McCoy is going to be very mad. He then passes out, distantly hearing Spock shouting his name as he succumbs to the darkness.
-
Slowly, hearing the steady beat of the heart monitor and vaguely feeling a warm hand enclosed in his own, he comes back to awareness. Jim opens his eyes. To nothing. To darkness, only making out blurry shapes. His heart rate skyrockets. He's panicking as the monitor beeps loudly, making his ears hurt. Why can't I see? Why can't I see, wh-
“It's okay, Jim,” says a voice he recognises to be Spock. “You are safe.”
Jim turns and can't make out Spock's face, only a blurry figure that's trying to comfort him and God, he can’t focus on that gentleness, only registers that he's blind. What if he never sees Spock or Bones’ face again? What if he'll never be able to look into both of their deep brown eyes and get lost in them? Oh, God. He'll lose his captaincy, lose Spock, lose Bones.
Jim.
Jim, breathe.
He does. Inhale. Exhale. Just like McCoy taught him when he had panic attacks at the Academy. Sound comes back to him. He didn't even realise his ears had been ringing. The overwhelming panic and fear had overtaken any rational thought. He sighs and turns his head in the direction that Spock’s voice had come from. Cold hands graze his face and rub a soothing motion down his cheek, another hand on his shoulder. It must be Bones, no doubt hovering over him like the mother hen he is.
“Spock…Bones...I-I can't see you.”
“Don't worry, kid, we'll find a cure to this, Spock and I. You know we'll try our hardest, darlin’. Just relax for me, okay? We've got you.” Bones’ voice relaxes him. Jim sinks back down into the biobed and grabs Spock's hand back for comfort.
“I miss seeing your faces…” he says quietly.
“Do not worry, Jim. We will find a cure, Ashaya.”
“Can you take me back to my room?”
Jim attempts to look at them both. Spock guides Jim's hand to his and McCoy’s faces. He feels Spock's pointy ears and brushes a hand through Bones’ soft hair, a mild comfort to him.
“Yeah, alright. No harm in that, just be careful, okay?”
“You know me, I'm always careful.” Jim laughs—he can hear Bones’ eyes roll and Spock's questioning eyebrow raise.
Slowly, he gets up (mostly) by himself, Spock's hand in his and Bones' arm around his elbow. He's glad they're here to help him through this ordeal. In the future, he'll make sure to steer clear of pretty glowing flowers on alien planets. His partners guide him back to his room at an even pace. It's odd not being able to see. Jim had taken that ability for granted and not appreciated the beauty of sight until it was ripped away from him. He's pretty confident that Spock and Bones will find a cure promptly, though, they've been through thick and thin, after all, and Bones is nothing short of a miracle worker by now. He’s an angel watching over Jim through life and death. He means that literally, now, since he'd been brought back to life by the doctor and all.
He hasn't really been paying attention and if they weren't here to help, he surely would have knocked himself out on a wall or something. He keeps his eyes closed, not wanting to see all the blurry figures and outlines that'll probably make him want to throw up. It's very disorienting. Spock squeezes his hand reassuringly. They've stopped walking now, so they must be at his room. Wordlessly, one of them enters his passcode, and then all of them step through. He's guided to his bed, which he's grateful for. All he wants to do is to sleep in his lovers’ arms and be reassured by their warm presences beside him.
“I love you both…thanks for helping me.”
“Of course, just promise me you’ll be more careful next time, sweetheart?” McCoy says gently, sparing him the angry lecture this time and instead putting a hand on his thigh.
“I'll try.”
They all know that it's unlikely that he won't land himself in danger. At least he has Spock to protect him and Bones to patch him back together again and again. Quickly, he rids himself of his shirt and trousers and then pulls them down to cuddle with him. Bones huffs but obliges him. Frankly, he doesn't care if it's the morning or afternoon, he just requires immediate snuggles before he rests. Jim moves to Spock's chest and puts his arms and leg around him, then hooks his other leg around Bones, who's hugging his waist. Neither of them care about the time, either. Even Spock allows Jim this comfort. His nose brushes against his Vulcan’s bare chest and finds himself drifting off quickly into dreams about stars and lovers.
-
After only three days of being sightless, during which his doctor and science officer work tirelessly, they finally find a cure. Jim has by then become more used to not being able to see, has learned to rely more on his hearing and special awareness, which he sorely lacks after crashing and tumbling over almost everything. Bones had berated him after finding him trying to get to the bridge but tripping over a crewman’s foot and faceplanting ungracefully. His nose thankfully stayed in one piece, but his body is probably littered with tiny bruises by now, if the doctor's lecture is anything to go by.
“I believe we have found a cure Jim, do not worry. The doctor and I will come to you. Stay put.” Spock’s voice chirped. He sounded tired.
“Hey! I'm not a child. I can handle myself, Commander,” Jim sasses, getting up and walking to the door.
Jim doesn't quite make it to the door. Instead he trips over his boots and almost slams into the wall by his door but catches himself, cursing out loud and hoping Spock hadn’t heard that. He had, though. Of course he had.
“Jim, please do not injure yourself further unless you want Leonard to lecture you again,” Spock chides. He mutters the word “illogical” under his breath.
Begrudgingly, he makes his way back to his bed and flops down on it. He hopes this’ll work. If it doesn't, he just might cry even if they eventually find one. It could take months or even years, or maybe he's just permanently blind, sight taken from him by some stupid flower on some dumb planet. If he didn't beam down to that planet and instead stared out into space or just wrote some boring reports, then maybe he wouldn't be stuck in misery. Well, it's not all bad. Still, Jim can't help but feel melancholy about losing such a core part of himself. He huffs and rolls over, and his door swishes open to allow his boyfriends to enter, ready to hopefully save the day.
“You ready, Jim?”
“Yep! Stick me, Bones.” McCoy sighs at that but jabs the hypo into his neck.
At first, he doesn't feel anything, but then his head starts to spin. He groans, squeezing his eyes shut and clutching at his head. For a minute, it's agony. Spock is gripping his shoulders and trying to ease the pain through touch while McCoy worriedly dotes over him and does something or other. The nausea and pain fade to an ache behind his eyes and he peeks an eye open. He's met with a slightly less fuzzy Spock leaning over him.
The scared expression in his chocolate brown eyes comes into focus, and then Jim breaks out into a wide grin and hugs Spock tightly. He gestures for Bones to join and he does. Jim feels happy again. His vision is almost back to normal, and he can see both of them again. They look tired but relieved, and he pulls away to admire them. He loves Bones’ light-hearted scowl, the freckles dotting his face, his pouty lips and smooth hair. Jim kisses Spock and it’s electric. His relief and affection trickle through to the Vulcan as they passionately embrace. Without wasting any time, he breaks apart to kiss Bones, who gasps in surprise but leans into it. Bones puts a hand in his hair, making him groan, and then Jim leans back to appreciate his gorgeous face.
“You okay, Jim?” Bones looks at him worriedly and Jim realises he's crying.
“I'm okay.” He smiles and puts his head on Spock’s shoulder.
Spock had moved to sit on his bed next to him while Bones was kneeling in front of him.
“I am glad the serum worked…I do not know what I would've done if it hadn't,” Spock says quietly.
“You'd do what you always do. Try and try again. That's why I love you, both of you.”
“Love ya too, kid,” says Bones, as Spock says, “Taluhk nash-veh k’dular,” then Bones stands up and leans over Jim. Gently, he wipes away the tears running from his eyes, like rain on a sunny day that blooms into a rainbow. He feels good and lucky to have both of them to take care of him.
Jim knows they'll always take care of him when he dives headfirst into danger, or gets blinded by some flower, or whatever it may be. At least he can laugh it off now.
finally posted yet to be discovered, my Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country mcspirk fic! A sequel to my fic shore leave at yosemite, take two, this fic takes place during Undiscovered Country and directly after! Both fics are super smutty, but additional cw for recreational drug use and anxiety attacks as a result of drug use. Read the tags for additional information
SUMMARY:
A fic that answers the question on everybody’s mind: what if Jim got too stoned on space-weed while in the Klingon prison at Rura Penthe and Leonard had to keep him from having an anxiety attack?
This started as a bit of a ridiculous crack-fic idea and somewhere along the way turned into a tender smut fic that’s also got some character study crammed in there. In which Jim’s husbands have to put up with his usual bullshit, but hey, at least they get laid afterwards.
Leonard, Jim, and Spock struggle to recover from the aftershocks of a mission that brings out the best and worst in them.
Or OT3 holding it down when the nasty bits come bubblin' up
Am I writing a Kirk/Spock/Bones fic that is an AU of the 1971 film Sunday Bloody Sunday dir. by John Schlesinger? Yes. Am I doing it while listening to opera? Also yes.
(I bought the out of print screenplay for this so I’d better damn finish writing it)
