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“Forever,” McCoy said gazing straight into Spock’s dark eyes. “That’s how long I want it to be with us. Forever.”Spock frowned. He didn’t understand. McCoy had never sounded that serious before about their relationship. He certainly had never tried to define it in terms of depth or importance as he was doing now. It had just been something that had developed beyond their being Star Fleet officers on the same starship. Of course, being best friends with that starships’s charismatic captain had thrown them together, too. James T. Kirk was well-known throughout their part of the universe for his cunning strategy, daring exploits, and personal charm. It had been a very heady experience for both Spock and McCoy to be that close to a genuine legend. A lot of his glory reflected on them.“Look, I know that we kinda drifted into this thing,” McCoy continued. “People just kinda got used to seeing us together. We were, ah, like built-in dates for each other.” He shrugged. “Nothing official.”Spock had not realized that he and McCoy were thought of as a twosome by their crewmates. He’d sort of let McCoy guide the direction and intensity of their relationship, because McCoy was more of the experienced one with failed marriages on his record. But now Spock thought that he needed to speak up. And for some impulsive reason, he decided that a social idiom would convey his feelings on the subject much more than any long-winded discussion would. Spock didn't even try to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. “What exactly do you mean by 'nothing official?' Does that mean what we already are? Friends without benefits?” Spock almost snarled.McCoy had the grace to blush. "I'll be damned," he muttered. "Now you pick the time to use an idiom.""Was it not used correctly? Would another expression have served equally as well or perhaps even better than what I used?""Oh, your meaning came through, loud and clear." He couldn’t blame Spock for sounding snide. They hadn’t ever kissed or rubbed fingers together, let alone doing anything more intimate. Hell, they’d never felt up each other in all those interesting looking places, even though there had been several wonderful opportunities to do so. Opportunities like supporting each other as they’d run from a sudden mine cave-in. Or dancing together at that romantic cotillion barely the month before. Each had looked so handsome in their dress uniforms and the Spring weather had been so intoxicating as it had come drifting in through the opened terrace windows, that it was difficult to ignore that it was an evening meant for lovers.It looked like a lost cause for any romance with Spock now. The Vulcan seemed to have put up some barriers. Perhaps McCoy had moved too fast. Maybe he should back off. But then he remembered the stirrings he had experienced that night of the cotillion, and he decided to try again.“Look, I, ah, know it might seem awkward at first, our being a couple--” McCoy started.Spock grabbed him roughly and kissed him.“Not for me,” Spock replied smoothly as McCoy gasped wildly for air. Then, before he could breathe properly, McCoy wanted to know: “How in blue-blazin’ hell did you learn to do that?!”“Not from you, obviously,” Spock snipped.“So, you’ve been around.” McCoy was amazed at the sharp jab of jealousy that robbed him of breath. “So what?”Spock turned away with an exaggerated huff.“Look, don’t be mad. I didn’t mean to insult you.” “Do not judge the actions of others by your own,” Spock called back over his shoulder.“Look, I doubt if you’re as experienced as Jim Kirk.”Spock turned and rolled his eyes to show his disdain.“Or that you’ve been practicing your technique on the back of your hand, either.”That earned McCoy another eye roll from Spock.“I figure you fall somewhere in the middle of those two extremes.”Spock gave him a ‘get real’ look.“I figure that most people do, too,” McCoy finished lamely.This scene wasn’t working out the way McCoy had planned. Not at all. Yet that kiss hadn’t been so bad. The Vulcan just needed some gentling down, that was all. And apparently Spock had been doing some thinking of his own. Otherwise, he couldn't have come up with that kiss the way he had.McCoy decided on a different approach. “Look, do you wanna try that kiss thing again, with maybe a little bit more finesse from you? And maybe a little more warning, so I know what you’ve got on your mind?”“I thought that you were a man of action. I wanted to get your attention.”“You got it,” McCoy muttered. And how! McCoy’s lips were still tingling.Spock tried to explain himself. Never a good idea. Not when it came to McCoy listening to him. Because McCoy heard only what he wanted to hear. But Spock plunged ahead anyway. “I know that I do not have the same amount of experience with romance that you do--” “Look, if I’d only wanted someone experienced, I coulda gone to any whore house--”Spock felt his face color. “I am not quite THAT inexperienced--”“Don’t go getting that face any deeper green than it already is--” McCoy bit his lips together. He seemed to be mired down in a mess that he couldn’t get out of. “It wasn’t my intention to get you mad.”“Just what were your intentions, Leonard? Can you tell me that?!”McCoy felt a thrill. He had never seen Spock so worked up. Now if McCoy could only divert that passion, that feeling, toward him--“I want you to love me,” McCoy said softly. “That’s all, darlin.’ Just love me.”Spock thought it over. “I believe that I can do that.” He nodded. “Yes. Yes, I can. I believe that I can.”McCoy arched an eyebrow and feigned boredom. “Well, don’t go straining anything major.”“Do you want to do this, Leonard? Really?! With me?!”“Hell, yes! It might be a little rough on us, that’s all I’m sayin.’ We seem to be bringing the awkwardness out in each other.”“Leonard. Nothing has ever been simple between us. Why should we be any different now?”McCoy grinned and winked. “We might lose some of our frustrations, if we learn to, ah, channel them in other directions.”“So, ah, how do you want to do this?” Spock asked.They both tried to put their arms around each other, with the results that their arms crashed and banged around, but never did succeed to encircling each other smoothly. It was as if they were octopuses with twelve arms too many between them.“Seems we did it a lot more smoothly the first time,” McCoy muttered, frowning at their failure to achieve a simple embrace. “It was more spontaneous,” Spock explained. “You did not know what was coming.”“Are you saying that I’m not spontaneous?!” McCoy ranted. “Why, I’m known as the king of spontaneity!”Spock grabbed him and enveloped him in a demanding embrace. McCoy sputtered in alarm, but Spock managed to wrestle him into a deep kiss.“On the other hand, I might be willing to give up my crown to a new king,” McCoy said happily after many long minutes of silence. “You’ve got a helluva mouth on you, Vulcan. Did you play some wind instrument in the school band?”“Shut up, Leonard, and put your mouth to better use than talking,” Spock growled with a severity he really wasn’t feeling. He just wanted McCoy to shut up and kiss him again.“Yes, darlin,’” McCoy said meekly, but he was grinning all over himself as he went in for another kiss from the Vulcan with the exquisite lips.This is going rather well, McCoy thought awhile later. Maybe the Vulcan will be ready for the next step, sooner or later.Spock ran his hands down McCoy's back, cupped his butt cheeks, and pulled McCoy against him so McCoy could feel the hardness that he had waiting for him.Make that sooner, McCoy thought happily as he rewarded Spock by squirming against him. Then he gasped as Spock returned the squirm. Spock had his own rewards waiting for McCoy.Amend that sooner prediction, McCoy decided. Make it sooner than that. (Gulp!) Much sooner.Wow!Much, much sooner!