They didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t bother with dressing. It was hot, and they had plans that didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t include clothes for after the Bonding. Together they laid out their sleeping pads and spread out blankets on top. It might be hot, but the rocky ground was hard, and they weren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t used to sleeping rough. It was only logical to think ahead, Jim thought.<\/p>\n
Jim pulled the package with Sybok\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s gift out of his backpack. The name of the drug, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Water of Life\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, implied something nice and wholesome, like good Scottish whisky. The Arrakis version was anything but. It was gross. Seriously, catalyzed bile of a dying sandworm? The stuff was also stronger than any version of Spice he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d used before \u00e2\u20ac\u201c during the years after Tarsus. When he hadn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t minded that his eyes changed color and that he couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t recognize himself in the mirror anymore. Then, he would have jumped at the chance to try \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Water of Life\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. But things were different now. He <\/i>was different now. His apprehension must have shown, because Spock caught his wrist.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You do not have to do this,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Spock said softly. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Any of this. Just your friendship is enough for me.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Somehow that typical Vulcan selflessness helped. Because it made Jim angry.<\/i> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153But it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not enough for me<\/i>,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he retorted. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I want everything we can have, and more.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d He took a deep breath. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Also, facts. Spice? This is the drug that allowed your mother to form a Bond with you long enough that you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re even here. Your brother may not be a messiah, but he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s definitely a kind of Vulcan supermind. And the two of us? We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve already been through a hell of a lot together. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t believe it will be all pancakes and maple syrup from here on out. So, if your brother tells me that this drug can make us stronger? I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll take it.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jim lowered his eyes to Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hand, those long fingers wrapped around his arm. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I just …\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he started, stopped, tried again, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Spock … if that makes the addiction come back, please … please don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think less of me.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Which was a stupid thing to say. Because a) a relapse was out of his control, and b) if Spock were to think less of him because of his Spice habit as a teenager, he already did so. To his surprise, Spock released him and raised his fingers to Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s face. His hand was close enough to the meld points that Jim could sense the heat of his higher body temperature on his skin. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Never, ashayam<\/i>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Alright.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jim sighed and lifted the phial. It was a small glass flagon, filled to the brim, holding no more than a shot of transparent liquid. He pulled out the stopper and almost sneezed at the sharp scent of cinnamon tickling his nose and the back of his throat. He took a deep breath and upended the small flask, swallowing before the acid bite of concentrated Spice could make him gag.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Bottom\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s up.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Jim had no idea if he even managed to say that out loud; the drug hit him so quickly. It seared through the mucous membranes of his mouth, burned into his stomach, and its scent went straight to his brain. Within seconds his vision changed, and Jim no longer felt connected to his body.<\/p>\n
The drug opened up his mind like a flower, unfolding him petal by petal. A mere remnant of focus remained, barely enough to see Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hand, to meet his eyes. He thought that Spock must move, must touch his face, must meld with him. But the air \u00e2\u20ac\u201c time itself \u00e2\u20ac\u201c turned solid around him. He tried to reach for Spock. But each movement stretched out in weird dimensions, as if his hand was dissolving into strands of sticky syrup. Or as if he had forgotten what a hand was. He couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t speak. When he moved his lips, silence spilled from his mouth. He sank into the stillness of space. But the streams of the stars didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t progress in a linear fashion anymore. Numbers were nameless and language lost all meaning. Instead, Jim was trapped at the center of a whirling web of times and places. Lives and deaths and rebirths spun in and out. Petal by petal was ripped off the blossom. The future turned into memories and morphed into a life never lived.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153My mind to your mind.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Five.<\/i> Words. Fingertips on his face. A number, a word. Meaning. Like the birth of a star in the silence of space. Memory. Like a rebirth from darkness and death. A sense of identity returned, an awareness of his body, mirrored in another mind. SpockSpockSpock<\/i>. He was crying with the effort to pull his mind together, to direct it toward those words, those heated touches. He jerked under the hand that held him down. Not because he wanted to escape but because he no longer knew the difference between body and mind. Spockspockspock<\/i> …<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153My thoughts to your thoughts.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
SONOFABITCH! <\/i><\/b>Jim was slammed into a hard surface. A fist kissed his lips with a punch that rocked his head and made him see stars and dark, dark eyes. A ta\u00e2\u20ac\u2122al<\/i>, a smart turn on his heels: Live long and fuck you<\/b>.<\/i> Blue eyes. Hazel eyes. Such a crooked smile. A boy tumbled out of a car, stumbled away from a mass grave. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t believe in no-win scenarios.<\/i> He threw himself into the fight with wild abandon. He was just a hick, and an addict, and next time, prison would be for real. He was viltah<\/i>. He was at best a disadvantaged hybrid, at worst the bastard of a traitor and a whore. He was just a child who did not belong, a child who wanted to love his mother and didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know how. Nothing to lose is a win-win situation.<\/i> A hand wrapped around his throat. Fingers dug in deep, defining bruises and a friendship. Asphyxiation burst into a supernova in his mind. Not confined by his skin, it exploded into alien senses. Fingers clawed into his wrist. Nails marked tender skin with green crescents and a mind forever. They both gasped for air and only wanted to feel the other again. Instead, they got missions and misunderstandings. Destiny\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a bitch <\/i>… and lonely drinks in a bar. And an ancient voice, light-years away: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Your path is yours to walk and yours alone.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bullshit! <\/i><\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Our minds, one and together.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
So you do feel …<\/i> The messy awkwardness of sex, the strange exhilaration of love. The gentleness, the brutality of it. The naked vulnerability. I have been and always shall be your friend.<\/i> Bodies entwined, thrusting into each other\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s depths. Hands pressed against glass. The needs of the one.<\/i> Sealed doors again. The universe was full of doors. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m scared … help me not be … <\/i>Hands, minds reaching\u00e2\u20ac\u201d<\/p>\n
Desert heat enveloped his naked body. Sweat trickled down his back. Vulcan-hot touches seared his forehead, temple, cheek, and jaw. The pressure of fingertips held his head in place with inhuman strength. Finally, deep breaths.<\/p>\n
Then, thoughts: \u00c2\u00bbHoly shit! Spock, what we just did, that shouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even be possible!\u00c2\u00ab<\/i><\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00bbThe only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture past them into the impossible.\u00c2\u00ab<\/i><\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00bbIn other words: We cheated, and you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re all for it. Now what?\u00c2\u00ab<\/i><\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Nam-tor du na’telan<\/i>?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i> Spock asked, without relinquishing the meld.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I am,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jim replied and opened his eyes. He hoped they were still hazel. Why he was so obsessed with his eye color, he couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t say.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Are you prepared for Bonding?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jim reached out for Spock and framed his face with his palms. With his thumbs he gently wiped away Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s tears.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Nash-veh nam-tor,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i> Spock whispered and leaned into Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s tender touch. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Kashkau wuhkuh eh teretuhr.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Our minds, one and together,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jim repeated.<\/p>\n
Chaos and order, emotion and logic, passion and serenity. How does that even fit together? Principles of the universe. And the universe in us.<\/i> The connection deepened. Control didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t matter anymore. Oh. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not that different, after all. No …<\/i><\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Estuhn wi ri estuhn,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/i>Spock said, his voice gentle. His lips moved against Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s, almost, but not quite a kiss.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Touching, yet not touching,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jim replied and had no compunctions about deepening the soft touch into a kiss.<\/p>\n
The need to touch was shocking in its intensity. He could sooner stop breathing than he could stop touching. But touching was wrong \u00e2\u20ac\u201c inappropriate<\/i> \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and touching hurt \u00e2\u20ac\u201c mental discomfort that needed to be controlled<\/i> \u00e2\u20ac\u201c because to touch meant to know, and knowledge was pain \u00e2\u20ac\u201c emotional transference<\/i> \u00e2\u20ac\u201c because he was never enough \u00e2\u20ac\u201c inadequate by Vulcan standards, ill-equipped for human relations<\/i>. But the need to touch was awesome<\/i>, a thing of damn beauty. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d rather stop breathing than stop touching and being touched. Never mind how kinky that was, he thrilled at the memory of a hand around his throat. He wanted more of that. But other touches were good, too; a pat on the shoulder, a hug, a kiss, the human way or Vulcan style, a shared nap. He reveled in every friendly touch. In his own way, Jim knew what it was to go without \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and to be reduced to a playground for the wrong kind of touches, the cruel, the hurtful, the debasing.<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00bbTouching, to be touched, that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a basic human need. It doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to hurt. (Look at it this way, Spock: Touching triggers a release of oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin. That reduces stress hormones. And <\/i>that is beneficial for the balance and serenity of a half-Vulcan mind. You see, touching is logical. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll show you.)\u00c2\u00ab <\/i><\/p>\n
Spock barely withdrew from the kiss. Each syllable fluttered against Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s lips: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153K’wuhli wi ri k’wuhli.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Apart, yet never apart.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jim returned the whispered kiss.<\/p>\n
Not a supernova in their minds. Instead, a desert sunrise. Light. Clarity. Warmth. Connection. Surprisingly simple. Natural, even. Healthy.<\/i> In this universe and in all others. Now and forever.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Nam-tor etek wuhkuh.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i> Spock withdrew his hands from Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s face. To Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s surprise the connection remained. Its warmth, its intimacy, and the instant knowledge of Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s thoughts.<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00bbThe influence of the drug, Jim. For now you are as much a telepath as I am, if not more so. But that will fade.\u00c2\u00ab <\/i><\/p>\n
A hint of concern melted through the Bond. Jim shook his head and captured Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hand with Vulcan kisses. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We are one.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00bbWe\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be fine,\u00c2\u00ab <\/i>he thought at Spock. \u00c2\u00bbWe are one. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m yours.\u00c2\u00ab<\/i><\/p>\n
His nipples tightened in anticipation. He noticed how Spock focused on that small sign of arousal, how his eyes drifted lower and darkened as he took in Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s growing erection … Spock inhaled, a deep shuddering breath through the mouth. The last three days, Jim had spent a considerable amount of time thinking how a connection between their minds would change their experience of desire. He did not expect Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s lust to hit him like the rush of heat and steam in a 230\u00c2\u00b0F sauna. In spite of the heat, he shivered. From one second to the next, his cock was achingly hard.<\/p>\n
Jim gasped for breath. To tear his gaze away from Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s black-blazing eyes took real effort. His reward was to watch Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s erection unfolding. Oh fuck, yeah.<\/i> He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d had this irrational idea that Spock would be magnificent. Now he knew that it had been a good decision to use the bigger plug to get his body used to the idea of bottoming again. Also, he swallowed hard, those barbs were definitely bigger than the ones in the picture. Thankfully they didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t look sharp. More like interesting. Kinky.<\/i> That thickening base of Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s penis, too. Also, if not exactly self-lubricating, he was definitely slick, thanks to the sheath\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s inner membranes, probably. Even without the special lube, it shouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be too uncomfortable. Jim wanted to touch Spock and tell him how beautiful he was. He wanted to ask Spock what he wanted, and he wanted to give it to him. All of that, damn it, and more. Spock kept doing that to him: to want more, to be better.<\/p>\n
As he handed Spock the lube, he remembered M\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Benga\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s and Sybok\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s instructions. That supremely awkward conversation three days ago …<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Thank you for taking the time to meet me,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jim said and nodded at M\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Benga and Sybok, who\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d settled into the visitors\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 chairs in front of his desk. He wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t comfortable with going behind Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s back, but there was too much at stake. He folded his hands on his desk to keep from fidgeting. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153M\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Benga, what I want to discuss with you is primarily a private matter. However, the issue does concern Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s health and my own, so I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll leave it to your discretion how to handle documentation. For the time being, I only request that you do not inform the CMO. Is that okay with you?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yes, Captain,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d M\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Benga replied calmly. Jim liked that about the ship\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s expert on Vulcan medicine. He was as imperturbable as any Vulcan, but with all the warmth of human compassion. As a result he was easy to talk to.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Jim, please,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he asked. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Private matter, okay?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d He wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t a prude to start with, and his long recovery in the wake of the Marcus conspiracy had further inured him to sharing intimate details of his body. But he didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t care for being addressed as captain when the topic was essentially what happened to his ass.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Very well, Jim,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d M\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Benga agreed. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Since Mr. Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s brother is here,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he inclined his head politely toward Sybok, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153and you have mentioned Mr. Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s health as well as your own, I assume that you are considering a Vulcan Bonding.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Jim allowed himself to take a deep breath. Thank goodness for smart guys like M\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Benga. That made this conversation a lot less awkward. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yeah,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153That. So we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d have had this discussion at some point anyway. But Sybok alerted us to the fact that there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a risk in putting it off.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
M\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Benga turned to Sybok. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Is the compatibility that strong?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Sybok nodded. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153When we met yesterday, I greeted Jim with a simple handshake. The emotional transference was extreme.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Jim frowned at M\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Benga. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153So you were aware of a problem concerning the two of us already?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
M\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Benga shook his head. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t put it that way. I know that Mr. Spock is not Bonded, and that he is already late in undergoing pon farr<\/i>. In addition, I have been advised that it is likely he will experience it at some point during the next five years.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d The doctor regarded Jim with sympathy. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Everyone on the ship is aware that you and Mr. Spock are very close. Taking into account Mr. Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s situation, I confess that I have been hoping the connection between you might grow beyond friendship. But I am not a telepath. Since both of you have refused to see Dr. Elbrun for an evaluation, I am not in a position to assess the extent of your compatibility or the effects of mutual mental attraction. If a Vulcan mind healer \u00e2\u20ac\u201c who is also a close relative of Mr. Spock \u00e2\u20ac\u201c is worried about your mental safety, I am concerned, too.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yeah, well, then I guess it will reassure you that we intend to go through with the Bonding as soon as I can get us some shore leave on Arrakis. Probably in three days, if nothing comes up,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jim said. Now he felt really bad for refusing to work with Dr. Elbrun.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Congratulations, Cap\u00e2\u20ac\u201c\u00e2\u20ac\u009d M\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Benga broke off and smiled his relief. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s good, Jim.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Thanks, M\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Benga.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jim realized with a start that M\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Benga was the first to congratulate him on his, well, marriage. In spite of the differences that was still the best term, as far as he could tell. Jim scratched his head. Talk about things he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d never expected to do in his life. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Why I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve asked to meet you, what I want to discuss is, well, Spock is …\u00e2\u20ac\u009d He didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think \u00e2\u20ac\u0153freaking out\u00e2\u20ac\u009d was a good way to put it, even if Spock was doing just that. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Well, he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s concerned for my safety. So I was wondering what I can do. To reassure him, to make things safer. I know there are traditional uh…<\/i> Vulcan security measures, which are unavailable on the ship. But if there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s anything I can do, I want to know.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153That is both logical and beneficial,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Sybok said approvingly. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153There are indeed several techniques you can employ to increase your safety. I have overseen the Time of the members of the Vulcan colony on Dune for the last seventeen years. While injuries are inevitable, there has been no death so far. The most important element is a strong Bond. Your Bonding creates the foundation for pon farr<\/i>. The more resilient a Bond is, the easier the Time will be for both partners. There are several methods to strengthen a Bond. For adults Bonding outside of pon farr<\/i>, the most important method is to have sexual intercourse during or directly after the Bonding.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Jim nodded. That made sense. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Spock said it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s more dangerous for two men?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153That is correct,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Sybok said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Any male will be considered a challenger at first. However, if clear roles are defined from the outset, the risk is lowered significantly. Especially if only one partner will ever go into pon farr<\/i>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153So, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re saying if I bottom from the start that will help when pon farr<\/i> rolls around?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jim asked. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d done that before and liked it. At the Academy, with Gary. No problem there.<\/p>\n
Sybok frowned. Human sex slang was beyond him. Thankfully M\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Benga was present to translate. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Sybok, please correct me if I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m wrong. But it is my understanding that there is more to that technique than taking on the passive role colloquially called \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcbottom\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 among Humans. Jim, in the context of pon farr,<\/i> what we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re talking about is complete submissiveness until the partner at risk \u00e2\u20ac\u201c in this case, you \u00e2\u20ac\u201c has been recognized as Bondmate instead of challenger. The goal of Sybok\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s strategy is to make that recognition instinctive. If the Bond itself is established on that basis, the risk of an escalation of violence should be much lower.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Sybok nodded. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153That explanation is accurate.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Okay,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jim agreed. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Can do.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d do whatever it took. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Two questions, though. One, how submissive are we talking here? Can you give me parameters of acceptable behavior? Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not Bonded; he has zero experience. If he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not in pon farr<\/i>, how is he supposed to act that dominant? I mean, he definitely has his moments,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jim couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t suppress a grin, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153but as a rule he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not that aggressive. Two, is there sex life beyond the limits of pon farr<\/i> role play? Not that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m going to complain, but is it going to be safe at some point to hmm…<\/i> diversify?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
M\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Benga leaned forward. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Jim, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re still thinking in human terms. But human standards do not apply in this case. This is not \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcrole play\u00e2\u20ac\u2122. We are not talking about who gets to penetrate, we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not talking about erotic dominance and submission, we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re talking about an uncontrollable biological drive. There are no safe words in pon farr<\/i>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d M\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Benga didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t manage to keep his concern from showing on his face as he went on, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Also, your perception of Spock as placid is skewed by your own propensity for aggressive behavior. For a Vulcan, Spock has a precarious history of violence. Near lethal<\/i> violence. Violence that is already focused on you<\/i>. If the details were known, he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d be regarded as dangerously unstable. The High Council might even pull him out of Starfleet and force him to undergo Kolinahr<\/i>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
For a moment M\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Benga paused, letting his words sink in. Then he added with quiet authority, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153When Sybok and I talk of submissive behavior, what we mean is that you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t do anything except breathe on your own. You don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t move. You don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t talk. Just let it happen … whatever happens. Technical problems should not be an issue. Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s development has been overseen by the medics of the Vulcan Science Academy. He has been taught all relevant details of human and Vulcan sexuality.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
M\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Benga\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s words hit him like a punch in the gut, and now Sybok looked worried, too. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153What kind of violence has Spock displayed in the past?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Sybok asked.<\/p>\n
Jim winced. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153After the destruction of Vulcan, Spock was emotionally compromised, but he could not admit to it. I had to provoke him, make him lose control. It was my fault. There was an altercation. A fist fight, on the bridge. He choked me. I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t faint, but it was close. When your father intervened, he let me go at once. Then last year I was badly injured. After I collapsed, Spock went after the man he held responsible and nearly beat him to a pulp.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I did not know that. It is indeed worrisome; I will have to reflect on that.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Somehow Sybok sounded taken aback at this news. But how should he have heard of that before, here on Arrakis? Neither story was common knowledge, and it wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t as if Sybok was still in contact with Sarek. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153But to answer your questions,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Sybok went on, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the doctor is correct. You should remain as passive as possible until the Bond has been fully formed. For Vulcan couples that takes around three days. You may need more time. To aid the process, frequent intimacy in form of intercourse and mind melds is recommended. Once the Bond has become resilient, you are free to diversify as you please outside of pon farr<\/i>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I can do that,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jim said. Under different circumstances he would have welcomed the prescription of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153fuck as often as you can\u00e2\u20ac\u009d with a lewd joke. Right now he didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t feel like laughing, though. His mouth was dry. He had an inkling why Pike had pushed so hard to get him<\/i> away from Earth on this five-year mission, and he was immensely grateful to his mentor for that. What he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d never quite understood so far was why Sarek had supported the plan so vehemently (well, vehemently for a Vulcan). Now the Ambassador\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s motivations were a lot clearer … Damn. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s all my fault,<\/i> Jim thought. Spock, how do I keep you safe?<\/i><\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153When you have arranged your shore leave, please come and see me about the relevant medical details,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d M\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Benga requested, very calm and matter-of-factly.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Details?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jim asked. Hadn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t they just discussed those?<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I can replicate traditional Vulcan lube for you, which Spock should be more comfortable with than the standard medical version,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d M\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Benga explained, as casually as if the topic was standard inoculations. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153There are also ways to make anal intercourse easier on a body. Due to Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s physiology and his greater physical strength, preparations are advisable.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d He didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t say it, but \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Captain\u00e2\u20ac\u009d was the form of address that echoed in the silence of the office.<\/p>\n
Jim was getting to the limit of his endurance in terms of sexual responsibility real fast now. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Great,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said without any real enthusiasm. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll do that. Thank you, M\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Benga.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d He rose to his feet, the other two men following suit. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Sybok, if you have the time, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d like you to meet someone. A Vulcan boy we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve picked up along the way. His name\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Thorby. Thorbehrak. He has problems, and our Betazoid counselor hasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t been able to get through to him …\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6<\/p>\n
Yours<\/i>, Jim thought.<\/p>\n
He reached out and pulled his pillow toward him. Then he shoved it unceremoniously under his ass. Without taking his eyes off Spock he rose to his knees. Yours.<\/i> (He wanted to reach for Spock and pull him into his arms. He wanted to kiss Spock and tell him that he fucking loved him, and then he wanted to fuck<\/i> him.) With a careful gesture, he tilted his head to the left, exposed his throat. (He wanted to bury his hands in Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s black hair and ruin his logical looks. He wanted to bite kisses into Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s neck and call him dirty names until Spock protested how illogical he was and kissed back just as hard.) Without a word, he lowered himself onto the pillow again. As if in slow motion, he leaned back, further and further, until he lay on his back, arms at his side, ass tilted upwards, thighs spread wide. Yours.<\/i> (He wanted to grab Spock and press himself against his body. He wanted to reach for that damn beautiful green cock of his and ask Spock if he liked his hands around his dick.) He closed his eyes and breathed<\/i>.<\/p>\n
Jim felt the heat of Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s body before the first touch. An electric current surging right into his dick. Holy shit.<\/i> But Spock hesitated. As if he didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know what to do … or perhaps \u00e2\u20ac\u201c a sense of glorious anticipation began pulsing in Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s balls \u00e2\u20ac\u201c because he couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t decide what to do first, where to touch, what to taste.<\/p>\n
The first touch was fluttering fingertips, stroking his sides, his waist, over his hips to the juncture of his thighs. His own skin was soft and cool like silk, while Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fingertips were fiery embers on his body, and Jim felt both at the same time. He clenched his teeth and tried to focus on breathing. In and out. Out and in. But then a Vulcan-hot sigh scalded his cock. Just a soft exhalation, but by now Jim was so aroused that sensation went straight from damn hot to painful<\/i>. He gasped for air. Breathe. Breathe. Just breathe. <\/i>At least the pain kept him from grabbing Spock. Next came the careful, flat-palmed touch from before, measuring, assessing. Jim groaned. He couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t help himself.<\/p>\n
That one small sound sufficed as a trigger.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Mine,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Spock growled.<\/p>\n
Spock ground himself against him. He pressed his penis against Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s cock and covered his body with his weight. Settling his forearms on Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s shoulders, he held him in place, trailing burning fingertips around his neck. Jim arched his back, instinctively pushing upwards, seeking relief. He couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t control that reaction any more than he could stop breathing. Jim might bench-press twice the weight Sulu did now, but Spock pinned him down easily, still twice as strong. The red-hot touch of Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hand on his throat. The icy realization that M\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Benga was right. Yours.<\/i><\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Mine.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Feverish fingers pushed into his ass. Not one, but two at once, digging in greedily. Again, the sensation doubled in Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mind. On one level, he was being fingerfucked in his ass in the most perfect way he could ever have imagined. On another level, his hyper-sensitive fingers were sheathed in the silky flesh of his lover\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s body, and that sensation was more intense than anything he could ever do with his penis. Joy and pain and sheer exultation.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Jim.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Spock pressed his face between Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s neck and shoulder and nuzzled him, mouthing kisses and sighs into his skin. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Oh, ashayam<\/i>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Guh.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i> Jim thought he was losing his mind all over again. Involuntarily he pressed himself against Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fingers, into his palm, demanding more.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Is that satisfactory?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Spock asked suddenly, desperately. \u00c2\u00bbAm I doing it right?\u00c2\u00ab <\/i>his thoughts whispered.<\/p>\n
Jim couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t bear it any longer. He slung his arms and legs around Spock, holding on as tightly as he could, drowning, in over his head, perhaps in mortal danger, and still happy. With a kiss, he silenced his almost-lover. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Love you. Love you. Love you.<\/i> Now please <\/i>fuck me.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Spock pushed in with a hard, awkward thrust. Jim discovered that the barbs were harder than they looked. He very nearly screamed. When Spock surged into him again, Jim nearly blacked out in bliss. Whoever managed to replicate that <\/i>as a dildo would own the universe. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Spock, Spock, Spock!<\/i>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he chanted, the need for silence forgotten as he urged his partner on, and on, and on, until the exquisite balance of pleasure and pain became too immense for him to hold, and he came in an incandescent explosion of lust and semen.<\/p>\n
A moment later Spock slid his fingers over the meld points on the left side of Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s face. The connection between them intensified to the point that Jim felt himself slipping in and out of Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mind with each thrust. To do nothing but breathe became easy. Jim floated. Beyond orgasm, beyond caring. But Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s urgency was still increasing with each stroke, each movement, each touch, Vulcan control getting in the way of his need for release.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Spock, Spock, Spock …\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/i>Jim arched into his rhythm, impossibly aroused all over again, refractory period be damned. But it wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t enough. He tangled his legs with Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s. Still not enough. One hand reached for Spock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s face, the other grasped his neck, sliding around his throat. Not.<\/i> Enough.<\/i><\/p>\n
A hoarse order, shouted: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Now, Spock, now, damn you!<\/i>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u2122\u00a6<\/p>\n
Spock knew exactly what an orgasm was (the sudden discharge of accumulated sexual tension during the sexual response cycle, even for Vulcans or half-Vulcans a process controlled by the involuntary nervous system; resulting in rhythmic muscular contractions in the pelvic region as well as other involuntary actions; characterized by sexual pleasure and a general euphoric sensation). He had experienced it three times in his life. Often enough to be familiar with the procedure and its effects. He had found it not unpleasant and was not averse to experiencing it again, especially with Jim.<\/p>\n
What he was not prepared for was the crazy clamor of love and lust that claimed him the moment he touched his new Bondmate.<\/p>\n
At first Spock found himself caught unawares in the alien sensation of a San Francisco April shower, of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yours\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\/\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yours\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\/\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yours\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/i>hitting him like hail. Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s desire drew him out into the rain and painted goose bumps on his body in the heat of the desert. When he reached for Jim, he staggered into the currents of a relentless river, soaking up Iwantyou\u00e2\u20ac\u201ckissyou-fuckme\u00e2\u20ac\u201cyourstupidhair\u00e2\u20ac\u201csogorgeous\u00e2\u20ac\u201cmarkyou\u00e2\u20ac\u201ckissme\u00e2\u20ac\u201cfuckingwantyou<\/b> <\/i>through his skin until he couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t breathe. Until he had to kiss Jim, had to claim him as his own \u00e2\u20ac\u201c or drown.<\/p>\n
Spock was drowning: He was sinking into Jim or into an ocean. He couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t tell. You were not supposed to dissolve into another\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s body, you shouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t lose yourself in another\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mind. But Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s desire rushed into him with the force of a tsunami. With his right hand he clung to Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mind, his only anchor now. His lust flooded his senses, until all he could feel was Jim, his penis pressed against Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s, his fingers buried in Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s ass. Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s arousal surged against him, into his mind, scraped him raw. For a delirious fraction of a second, Spock came up for air. He gripped Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hips without regard for bruises and positioned himself. The sight of his penis pushed against Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s anus startled him, shocked him. Spock stumbled more than plunged into Jim. He was going under, losing himself in these terrible waves. In and out, in and out, an inescapable rhythm. Helplessly he flailed in the currents sweeping him on and on and on.<\/p>\n
Until Jim screamed at him: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Now, Spock, now, damn you!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/p>\n
A scalding riptide crashed over him and tore his control asunder, as he spilled himself into Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s depths, body and mind, and he couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t stop, couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t stop, couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t …<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6<\/p>\n
Leonard\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s day started going wrong at 0300 hours, when Scotty woke him with a frantic comm: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve gotta get down here. The girls are back from shore leave, and they are completely pissed. I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get them decent on my own. They\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll drown themselves, giggling like that. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve sealed off access. Override code is the captain\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s birthday. Hurry!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Then Leonard heard a shrill scream and a splash. He was out of his room and in the turbolift before he realized that he was still in his PJs. When he barged into the spa area on deck 21, the scene that greeted him should have been a sight for sore eyes, balm for the soul of any man this side of the grave.<\/p>\n
In the pool, giggling and squealing, frolicked Lieutenant Gaila, Lieutenant Amell, Ensign Canningham, and Lieutenant Carolyn Paul. Gaila, Amell, and the Wraith were buck naked, while Carolyn was wearing some kind of long shirt. Scotty was still trying to convince the women to emerge and get decent. High-pitched, drunken laughter told Leonard that Scotty wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t getting through. A second look at the frisky females told him that they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d need reinforcements.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll need help with them,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he told Scotty. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I’ll call Gwaloth’s husband.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Aye,” Scotty replied. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I’ll call Chekov. He’s friends with Gaila, maybe he can convince her to get out.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Leonard hurried to the next comm line. Had the universe gone mad? It was a woman\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s duty to come and retrieve her drunken man, not the other way around!<\/p>\n
When he turned back to the pool, the threat of her husband\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s involvement had made Canningham come to her senses. She swam to the steps and hurried to her clothes, catching the towel Scotty threw at her. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153My husband is never going to let me hear the end of this …\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m still not coming out,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Carolyn Paul cried, hiding behind Gaila. The Orion just laughed and swam away, leaving Carolyn exposed. With a shriek, the woman went under, flailing.<\/p>\n
Leonard did the only thing he could: He jumped into the pool and grabbed Carolyn.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Out we go, Missy, bath time\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s over,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he growled and dragged her to the stairs. To his surprise, she gazed at him with adoring eyes and let herself be towed off without protest. That was almost too easy. When she refused to walk up the stairs, he was not surprised and hoisted her up into his arms. He couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t help enjoying her solid weight, her lush curves.<\/p>\n
That way he managed to get her out of the pool. But to find himself with a squirming armful of happily drunk, soaking wet, half-naked Carolyn Paul had an immediate and unfortunate effect on his body. If he hadn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t noticed the slogan on her shirt next, he wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t sure what he might have done. But the thin fabric plastered to her breasts inevitably drew his eyes \u00e2\u20ac\u201c to the slogan: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153All I want for Christmas is the damn CMO.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/i>His reaction was as unprofessional as that damn shirt. He pressed himself against her, hard enough to take her on the spot. Then he dropped her on the tiles like a hot potato.<\/p>\n
Once reinforcements arrived, Gaila, Elena, and Gwaloth could be persuaded to dress. However, that didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t help much. The shirts they grudgingly pulled on so Leonard and his helpers could herd them off to sickbay were no better than Carolyn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s, except that they were dry. Gaila\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s read \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Naked Muse of the Navigator Inside\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. Elena\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s spelled out \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Thrusters On Full!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. Only Gwaloth\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s was mostly harmless with the sigline \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Mushiebrew Is Not For You\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. Damn right.<\/i><\/p>\n
By 0400 hours Leonard had the women detoxed and maliciously sent them off without a hangover remedy. Cold, wet, and with the bluest balls in the history of mankind, he returned to his quarters to get ready for Alpha shift.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6<\/p>\n
At 0700 hours Leonard hadn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even told his yeoman to get him a cup of coffee, much less given thought to inappropriate doctor\/patient relationships when Lieutenant Paul waltzed into his office, looking hung over like hell, to declare that he was no longer her doctor or her therapist.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You gonna press charges?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he asked, incredulous, still a vision of that damn shirt stuck to her full breasts in his mind. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153For heaven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s sake, I couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t help myself.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
That was not quite true, and the reason for his bad mood. His arousal may have been involuntary. But drawing her tighter into his embrace, pressing himself against her body, even if only for a moment? Not so much.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153What? Me? You?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d She stared at him in shock. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Are you out of your mind? You didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t do anything wrong. I behaved like an idiot and all kinds of unbecoming an officer. As a result I have disciplinary action heading my way, and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll take it without a chirp of protest. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve put you in an impossible position, and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s my responsibility to rectify that situation.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
He hadn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really believed she would report him. Hadn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t had that kind of impression of her. Had even come to like her. But he knew all about bitches who would stop at nothing. He had good reasons to stay away from women beyond a fuck for fun.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153And how did that even happen?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he asked, indicating a long shirt with a vague gesture.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153How do such things happen?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she retorted, rolling her eyes. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Hormones? Pheromones? I collapsed at your feet and liked your shoes. You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re the doctor, you tell me. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m sorry, though. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s such a clich\u00c3\u00a9.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d She made a face and continued, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m also sorry for getting shitfaced and letting Gaila talk me into that shirt. And for interrupting your sleep. And for errr…<\/i> provoking you.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d She blushed like a little girl. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I should have switched doctors right away, when I realized I was developing inappropriate feelings.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Switching doctors? And how is that supposed to work for you?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Leonard chose to ignore her rambling excuses and poked an accusatory finger in her direction. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Because I know very well you weren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t going by protocol giving me access to your file when you couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t keep it together after Pyrithia.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m better,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Carolyn said stubbornly. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Our last three meetings we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve only talked about Jo, Thorby, Chekov\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s novel, your project for improving medical treatment guidelines for alien crew members, and how irritating Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock are. The meds are working. I sleep well most nights and haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t had any panic attacks lately. If I need to talk, I can go to Guinan. She\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll listen even if I replace every important fact with \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcblubber nitwit oddment tweak\u00e2\u20ac\u2122. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not allowed on any away missions anymore, so presumably the worst medical emergency I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll have is a cold I catch from the kids at school. To treat a common cold Dr. Chapel doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need access to my complete file.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re only stuck on board because there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been no real reason for sending you into danger,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Leonard argued. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153That can change the second Sybok pries the data out of Thorby\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mind that Colonel Baslim put there. Pyrithia messed you up so bad because I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have the necessary medical information about you from the start, and I know you cannot hand that to Chapel like a piece of cake.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Carolyn shrugged. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll have to deal. And in an emergency I trust you to be professional and ignore that I have a stupid crush on you.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Jesus, woman. Who even calls that a crush anymore? Except Jo, of course.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Leonard forked his fingers through his hair in frustration. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Also, while I guess you can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t blame gravity for it, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not exactly your fault. Such things happen. And you never let on when you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve interacted with me up until now.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d He had no idea why that pissed him off.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Perhaps. But I shouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have gotten drunk over it or jumped into that pool wearing that shirt. I should have been professional.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Damn right about jumping into a pool while you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re drunk off your ass.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d He shook his head. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Remind me again how old you are?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Twenty-three.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Lord have mercy and bourbon I pray.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Leonard groaned. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153How about I just forget what you did, how I reacted, what you said, what I said, and we both go back to acting our age and being professional about it all?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153No.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153What? I just handed you a peace treaty, ready for signature and you refuse? Why would you do that?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d He wondered if murder before coffee would be ruled as justifiable homicide.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Possibly because I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve decided that I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to be professional where you are concerned.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d She gave him a hard stare. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Also, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll still switch doctors.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Then she turned around and walked out on him. Just like that. Also, there was no way she was switching doctors. Not while he<\/i> had anything to say about it.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6<\/p>\n
At noon, Leonard found himself missing Jim, who more often than not joined him for lunch. He scowled at his sandwich. Jim on shore leave on a desert planet where the leisure activities included riding giant sandworms \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Leonard didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even want to imagine how wrong that vacation must go. And the only thing he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d been able to do about it was to remind Jim to put on sunscreen.<\/p>\n
A moment later his PADD chirped to alert him to a message. A text from Jim, obviously written in advance and programmed to spoil Leonard\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s lunch.<\/p>\n
\nHi Bones,<\/i><\/p>\n
Sorry to tell you this way. But that shore leave Spock and I are taking, there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a special reason for it. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve decided to get together the Vulcan way, Bond and all. I could give you details, but that will just make you twitch and\/or break out the booze, so I won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t. M\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Benga and Sybok will tell you everything you want\/need to know. Suffice it to say that Vulcan voodoo requires real privacy, and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m looking forward to having a good time, too. Just in case and so you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t freak out completely,<\/span> I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve listed the coordinates below. Fair warning: If you decide to peek with your scanner, I won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be held responsible for what you see. <\/i><\/p>\n
Take good care of the crew, especially Jojo and Thorby. See you in three days.<\/i><\/p>\n
Jim.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6<\/p>\n
Stardate 2260.249, 1900 hours, Deck 7, Sickbay<\/h3>\n
At 1900, Leonard was in his office and waiting for Sybok to finish his third session with Thorby. Leonard had come to care for the boy; not just as a doctor or because his daughter had become fast friends with the kid, but because he admired the boy\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s stubbornness and innate resilience. In some ways, Thorby reminded him of Jim. They\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d both survived atrocities and emerged … not unscathed, no, but … unbroken<\/i>. And that gave Leonard hope in his own private hell.<\/p>\n
In the last five days since Sybok had first beamed aboard, Leonard had learned more about Vulcans since medical school. That man was intense \u00e2\u20ac\u201c think Spock squared, without the filters of logic and rationality normally installed by Vulcan biology and culture. Damn weird. But Leonard wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t look a gift hobgoblin in the mouth. Especially if the information he got out of Sybok might help to keep the two Vulcans in his life safe. (And that damn fool Human getting mostly married to one of said Vulcans down on the planet right now.)<\/p>\n
Leonard was doing his level best not to freak out. Judging from Nurse Oli\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s wary looks, he wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really successful. At least he hadn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t gotten out the bourbon yet, although he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d been damn tempted several times already (starting with the pool incident last night). Because even without Jim announcing his Vulcan marriage via PADD message (never mind that Sybok and M\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Benga had done their best to reassure him that Bonding was \u00e2\u20ac\u0153beneficial\u00e2\u20ac\u009d for Spock and harmless for Jim), it simply was that kind of day (starting with fishing three drunk girls and a drunk Wraith out of the Enterprise pool in the middle of the damn night because they were too far gone to find the damn stairs or their shirts on their own).<\/p>\n
Sybok entered his office and slumped on a visitor\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s chair in a posture that was light-years from his brother\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s most relaxed way of seating. Leonard took in the long hair, the ragged beard, the expressive face. Once again he wondered if the universe had a master plan that currently focused on teaching him that he knew absolutely nothing about anything, starting with his own child and his best friend, and ending with Vulcans and women.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Any progress?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Leonard asked. (If he concentrated on Thorby\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s problems, he wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t go crazy worrying about Jim.)<\/p>\n
Sybok sighed. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Not really. It is very possible that your Colonel Baslim has found a fool-proof way of securing data in a messenger\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mind. Of course it won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be easy to replicate the method as it hinges on a Vulcan mind\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s reactions to profound trauma.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Leonard was torn between his \u00e2\u20ac\u201c grudging \u00e2\u20ac\u201c respect for Vulcan demands for privacy and his curiosity as a doctor and xenobiologist. Sybok noticed and raised an amused eyebrow. But he didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t seem to mind explaining. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153What keeps getting lost in translation between Humans and Vulcans is that Vulcan emotions are not just stronger than human feelings, but inherently different. Even more important, so are the emotional processes.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Fascinated, Leonard leaned forward. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153What exactly do you mean with that?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think Vulcans nearly managed to extinguish their species even before we invented nuclear weapons because we used to be such an overly emotional bunch, did you? Not even Humans managed that spectacular feat of stupidity.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Sybok\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s sarcasm was tinged with bitterness. He rubbed his palms together thoughtfully. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Human emotions, they come and go, isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t that correct, Doctor? You experience various emotions at different stages of your life, triggered by a variety of impulses, minor and major, inside and outside. For you it is normal to eventually overcome your emotions and move on, and to experience them all over again. Letting go and making peace with the past is an important part of your mind-healing lore.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Hmm. Psychology is a complex area of study for any species,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Leonard hedged. However, he was willing to play along. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153But so far, so good. Go on.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Vulcan emotions don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t work that way. If a healthy Vulcan falls in love, he stays in love. There is no way the feeling can lessen or grow more intense over time. Love is love. Pain is pain. There is no escape. That is why we need logic and control. Once Vulcan emotions reach a certain threshold of intensity, they cannot<\/i> be overcome. Just as you cannot heal a broken leg by sheer force of will, a Vulcan overwhelmed by the rage of war cannot make peace. It is neurologically impossible. There are exceptions, of course. Surak was one, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m another. A genetic quirk allows us a more versatile approach to emotions, even though it is still a far cry from the dynamic, flexible way of how Humans handle their feelings. That is how Surak could break the self-destructive cycles of Vulcan emotions in the first place. That is why I can embrace emotions up to a point, why I can ease the trauma of an injured mind,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Sybok explained. He offered Leonard a crooked smile. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153My brother has inherited the benefits of both our species. He experiences the full depth of Vulcan emotions as well as the full flexibility of Human emotions. Unfortunately, I think he doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t appreciate how fortunate he is \u00e2\u20ac\u201c if he is even aware of it.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Suddenly, all academic curiosity and even his concern for Thorby were driven from Leonard\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mind. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Wait a moment. Do you mean to tell me that Spock may not know how his own mind works? And he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s down there in the desert right now, trying to Bond with my captain?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153There is no need for concern,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Sybok reassured him. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Spock is an extremely talented and versatile telepath in his own right. For Vulcans to form a Bond is an instinctive, natural form of telepathy. There shouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be any problems.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Leonard shook his head. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Please forgive me, but I have to check that myself.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
He jumped up and hurried to the remote medical scanners in the main area of sickbay. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d already saved the coordinates Jim had provided. So far he simply hadn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t checked on them. He did trust them. (Up to a point.) And he could not bring himself to begrudge them their right to privacy, to intimacy.<\/p>\n
Thankfully, the weather was good, so the scans took just a few seconds to complete. Leonard stared at the results. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d never seen anything remotely like that before. His blood pressure skyrocketed, pounding in his temples. With icy fingers he tapped the panel to bring the scans up on the screen for Sybok. But his hands didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t shake. His reaction to crisis was that of a surgeon \u00e2\u20ac\u201c perfect control, foul language, and a vicious temper.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153What the bloody hell is happening to them?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he snarled at Sybok. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Are those scans supposed to look like that? Or are modern diagnostic tools beyond your Vulcan voodoo?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Sybok stepped next to him. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I am familiar with brain scans, Doctor. I did study at the\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u009d He broke off and stiffened. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153No. No, those scans are not supposed to look like that, not at all. Doctor, I need to examine them at once.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153McCoy to bridge. Medical emergency on Arrakis, involving the captain and the first officer. Beaming down ASAP.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
He only took the time to call Carolyn and ask her to look after Jo and Thorby while he was gone, then he dragged Sybok to the sickbay transporter room.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6<\/p>\n
Stardate 2260.249, 2010 hours, somewhere in the deserts of Arrakis<\/h3>\n
Ten minutes later, Leonard ripped open the flap of a standard Starfleet tent somewhere in the deserts of Arrakis and froze.<\/p>\n
Unconscious and naked, Jim and Spock were lying on the floor, their limbs entangled. Jim was on his back, a pillow under his ass, exposing him to their unexpected audience. Spock had buried his face in the crook of Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s neck. His right hand was still fastened to Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s face in a mind meld, while the fingers of his left were intertwined with Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s right. His penis was still firmly embedded in Jim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s ass. For a second, Leonard could only stare in shock, at the lewd display of their paralyzed, naked bodies, at the fragile ecstasy on their lifeless faces.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153What the fuck?!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he cried and aimed his tricorder at them. The machine lit up with a dozen lights, trilling alarms. Throwing it aside, he moved to tear Spock away from Jim.<\/p>\n
But Sybok caught his arm in an iron grip. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Do not interfere just yet. You could kill them both. I shall initiate a superficial meld with Jim to ascertain what is going on.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Leonard froze. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Why with Jim?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Spock initiated the meld. To disrupt his focus could be disastrous.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Sybok knelt next to Jim and trailed his fingertips over his forehead, a gentle, swift touch. Concern turned into anxiety. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I was right to stop you from separating them. For some reason they have joined in the mode of plak\u00e2\u20ac\u2122tow<\/i>, the blood fever, even though Spock is not in pon farr<\/i>. They are physically tied together \u00e2\u20ac\u201c an idiosyncrasy of the Vulcan member that normally comes into play only during the fever. They are also deeply melded, in the throes of their new Bond. Tearing them apart now would end them both, make no mistake about that.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Jesus.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i> Involuntarily Leonard took a step backward and swallowed hard. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153But we can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t just leave them here like that!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153No, that would not be advisable,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Sybok agreed. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Jim is not used to the climate. It is already affecting him. Could you beam them on board of the Enterprise the way they are? Without jarring their position?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yes,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Leonard said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s impossible to get them directly to a room from here, but once they are beamed up, they can be transferred to sickbay in a second step.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d He pulled out his comm unit. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153McCoy to Enterprise. Scotty, you there?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Aye, what can I do for you, Doctor?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I need you to prepare for beaming Jim and Spock up and then to quarantine room one. They are unresponsive and in … in something of a state. Can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be carried on stretchers.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jesus. <\/i>But how was he supposed to describe what condition they were in? \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Get everyone out of there, Scotty. We don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need an audience. Have M\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Benga expand the bed to double. Can you make sure that they are not jostled in the process?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Sure can do. Give me a moment to clear the way and double-check their exact position \u00e2\u20ac\u201c then I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll get them up without a molecule or hair out of place.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
He pulled Sybok backward, so they wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t interfere with Scotty\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s analysis of the coordinates. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153What the hell happened<\/i> to them?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he hissed at the Vulcan.<\/p>\n
Sybok shrugged helplessly. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I do not know. It must be the Spice.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Spice?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Leonard asked and shook his head. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153No. No way. Jim would never use that again. It messed him up bad enough as a teenager. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been very careful here. The most he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s had is some Spice water. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d never take the drug.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I am afraid that is my fault,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Sybok admitted. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I insisted that he should take \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcWater of Life\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 before the Bonding. I did not expect that it would affect both of them. Spock should have been able to control it easily. The meld must have transferred the effects.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Why the hell would you do that?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Leonard demanded. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Did you want to kill them all along? What kind of a sick bastard are you?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I wanted to save their lives,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Sybok replied, his voice shaking. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153There was no other way …\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6<\/p>\n
Somewhere, Somewhen<\/h3>\n
Jimspock drifted in space, and space was black and silent. But space was not empty. A silver web stretched out across the abyss. Spockjim drew closer, curious. Iridescent strands spun out and pulled them in. At the core they found a living, breathing entity of pearly spheres or soap bubbles or the almost translucent petals of magnolia blossoms. A world? Or a ship? Or maybe both?<\/p>\n
As they glided closer, an eerie music greeted them. Trills and wails and rumbles, tinkling, warbling, rumbling. Welcome back?<\/i> But they had never been here before … Jimspock hesitated. One of the spheres moved towards them, enveloped them, in light, music, and a profound sense of peace and freedom. After a while, it withdrew again. Not yet. Not yet, but one day.<\/i> A promise.<\/i> The worldship or its inhabitants pushed them away, off into the depths of the unknown, toward unfathomable coordinates.<\/p>\n
What remained was the silver bond that tied them together. The loose ends of the bond extended far into the blackness of space. One end disappeared in a distant, glowing ribbon, a nebula maybe, or some kind of energy anomaly. Spockjim sensed a pinprick of light at its center. A tiny spark, perhaps a lost golden star. The other end of the bond was tied to a precious, silver teardrop. Jimspock knew what these tears would taste like when they licked them from each other\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s faces \u00e2\u20ac\u201c of ashes and bitterness and love.<\/p>\n
Naked, they clung together. After a while, they began to move in a gentle rhythm. They pressed against each other, flowed into each other. Desire pulsed deep inside them, drove their bodies and their minds to completion once more.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6<\/p>\n
In the desert
I saw a creature, naked, bestial,
Who, squatting upon the ground,
Held his heart in his hands,
And ate of it.
I said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Is it good, friend?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153It is bitter \u00e2\u20ac\u201c bitter,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he answered;
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153But I like it
Because it is bitter,
And because it is my heart.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\u00e2\u20ac\u201c Stephen Crane, In the Desert<\/i><\/p>\n\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6\u00e2\u2122\u00a6<\/p>\n
\nAuthor\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Notes<\/b><\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2 The first effects of the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Water of Life\u00e2\u20ac\u009d on Jim follow the description of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Dune\u00e2\u20ac\u009d canon; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The universe is full of doors\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is also a quote from \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Dune\u00e2\u20ac\u009d by Frank Herbert.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2 Vulcan phrases and rituals are based on \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Vulcan Rituals and Ceremonies\u00e2\u20ac\u009d at the Star Trek Online Geekipedia.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Blubber nitwit oddment tweak\u00e2\u20ac\u0153 is from \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Harry Potter\u00e2\u20ac\u009d by J. K. Rowling.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2 The final scene features a worldship cameo from Vonda N. McIntyre\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s tie-in novel \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Enterprise: The First Adventure\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Because It Is Bitter, And Because It Is My Heart Stardate 2260.248, somewhere in the deserts of Arrakis They didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t bother with dressing. It was hot, and they had plans that didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t include clothes for after the Bonding. Together they … Continue reading