Drabble
Title: Coffee & Tea
Author:
i_msoashamed
Rating: PG-13 (no sex, tho it is implied)
Summary: Mind melds, even partial ones, can have interesting side effects.
Pairing: Spock/McCoy
Word count: 904
Warnings: Pure fluff.
Disclaimer: Paramount is watching us masturbate.
Kirk thought it was unusual when Spock sat down beside him at breakfast with coffee on his tray, but didn't say anything. If his first officer had suddenly decided he wanted to partake of mild human stimulants, he wasn't going to question it.
It was when McCoy sat down across from them with a cup of Vulcan spice tea on his tray that Kirk realized this was going to be fun. But you didn't get to be the captain of a starship without being able to do three things at once, so he was able to continue talking about needed course changes while watching as, intent on him, his two best friends removed tea bags or stirred in sugar. Then, as synchronized as a pair of Olympic swimmers, his first officer and the ship's doctor picked up their respective cups and sipped from them.
Spock's eyebrow went up at the same time McCoy sputtered, "Dammit, I don't even like tea!"
"And I appear to be drinking your coffee, McCoy."
"And you saw," said McCoy to Kirk as he blotted tea off his uniform, "and you didn't say anything!"
Kirk gave him one of those grins that had melted so many Starfleet cadets out of their uniforms and said, "I just wanted to see how long you'd go without noticing."
Bones rolled his eyes. "I suppose we should switch," he grumbled to Spock, "as long as you don't mind drinking where I've been."
"Not at all." Kirk was about to make some crack when his first officer added, "After last night, I've had my mouth in far too many other places to worry about such things."
This time it was Kirk's turn to choke on his French toast, and looking up to see Bones and Spock regarding him with identical, Do you find something amusing, Captain? expressions didn't do anything for his control. "You two!" he gasped finally when he could talk. "Oh god, you even both have the eyebrow thing going on..."
This wasn't the first time such things had happened. Yesterday Kirk had found Bones standing outside Spock's door, and was about to say something about lonely hearts when McCoy had started like he just realized where he was and started swearing. On the way to Bones' quarters they'd met Spock, coming back after realizing he'd gone to the doctor's room instead of his own.
"Y'know, this bond was supposed to be an asset," said Kirk as he speared another piece of french Toast. "But lately it's seemed like you've had more mix-ups than anything else."
Bones shrugged. "It's only the first week, give it time."
Spock looked as close to troubled as it was possible for him to look. "McCoy is unusually suggestible. And this is not even a full bond."
"Last time you said I was, 'An unusually strong broadcaster.'"
"That as well, else I would not have made the mistake of programming your beverage into my replicator." To make his point he picked up his coffee again and took a sip. "How do you humans manage to drink something so nerve-jangling?"
"I dunno, Spock." McCoy was giving the Vulcan a dreamy look. Kirk swore the man could change orientations at the drop of a hat: one minute he would be glaring with his hairy arms crossed across his chest, every inch the masculine ship's doctor, and the next his eyes would be half-shut and he'd be giving Spock that goofy grin that showed the slight gap in his front teeth.
"Well," said Kirk, "at least he's quieter." A couple days ago Spock had said "Illogical" at the same time Bones had said, "Nonsense!" and the whole bridge had just stared at the doctor and the first agreeing, was the world coming to an end?
"Affirmative," said Spock, his eyes never leaving McCoy's.
Kirk moved closer to the Vulcan and said sotto voce, "But you should have never let him fuck you. Now he'll follow you around like a puppy."
Bones put a baby tomato between his teeth and bit down so it squirted in the direction of his captain. Kirk laughed and said, "All right, all right!" Bones might be picking up some new habits, but he was still Bones.
Still, Kirk reflected as they finished going through the roster and put their trays in the recycler, there was something just a little bit creepy about it. When Spock had explained to Kirk how making a semi-permanent mind meld with McCoy would be a good idea, he'd spoken of it strictly in terms of how it would be beneficial to the ship. Spock would have access to McCoy's medical knowledge, and McCoy would be able to understand how to maneuver the ship if things came to crisis. What he hadn't expected was that they'd suddenly be finishing each other's sentences, picking up each other's mannerisms, or McCoy's unprecedented ability to play the piano.
But the biggest change of all was yet to come, just before they were about to part ways: he and Spock for the bridge, McCoy for the medbay. "Hey," said Bones, taking the Vulcan by the arm, and kissed him in front of everyone in mess hall. And Spock, instead of just standing there, kissed him right back.
Well, well, thought Kirk. Perhaps this wasn't such a bad thing after all.