#bones imagines

There she was - his y/n. Sitting on the kitchen counter, legs swinging lazily, one of his soft blue button-ups two sizes too big on her perfect body. Her hair framed her face and fell messily around her shoulders in the best way possible. Underneath the piece of clothing she claimed as her own, there was delicate lace panties that clung to her hips and the soft curve of her thighs. A small container of vanilla ice cream was nestled between her thighs and in her hand was a spoonful of ice cream, the way she licked it slowly, deliberately, making the simple act look impossibly erotic.

He swallowed hard, feeling his pants suddenly too tight. Goddamn, she looked like a walking wet dream in his shirt, legs spread slightly on the counter, completely unaware of how fucking sexy she was right now. The way she licked that spoon... Fuck it.

“Hey, Honey” y/n said innocently - or she tried to sound innocent. It was contradicted by the way her eyes met his blue ones when the spoon slipped past her lips.

“Hey yourself” James managed to say, his voice coming out rougher than intended. He slowly unbuttoned his suit jacket, absently tossing it to the side, his eyes never leaving hers. He knew exactly what she was doing - driving him wild with that innocent act.

“missed you today” she mumbled. She picked the carton up, spreading her thighs as James positioned himself between them.

“Mhm” He hummed noncommittally, his hands coming up to rest on her thighs, thumbs brushing against the edge of those fucking distracting panties. He leaned in closer, nuzzling his nose against her neck and inhaling deeply. She always smelled so good.

“Want some?” she asked softly, a spoonful of ice cream out to him.

James nipped at her neck before pulling back to look at the offered spoon. He wrapped his lips around it, sucking it clean while his eyes stayed locked with hers. The cold ice cream melted against his tongue, but it was nothing compared to the heat building between her legs. “Mm, not as sweet as you” he murmured, his hands slowly inching up her thighs.

His thumbs hooked into the waistband of her panties, pulling them aside. He leaned in closer, his breath warm against her ear as he whispered, “Lift your ass up” It wasn’t a request, but a command - one she eagerly obeyed without hesitation.

James gripped her ass firmly, pulling her closer to the edge of the counter. He could feel himself getting harder by the second at the sight of her spread out before him. Without any further hesitation, he leaned in and captured her mouth in a fierce kiss while his fingers immediately tangled in her hair.

Y/n moaned softly against his lips, the taste of vanilla lingering between them. She pulled away from the kiss, pressing her forehead against his. “the ice creams gonna melt” she whispered, obviously hinting at something as she dipped her first two fingers in the softening ice cream.

James chuckled darkly against her lips, understanding her hint immediately. His eyes dropped to watch as she coated her fingers with ice cream. Before she could do anything else, he caught her wrist and brought those sweet-coated fingers to his mouth instead. He sucked them clean one by one while holding her gaze intensely.

He gave a low growl, pushing her back until she was flat on the counter. The cool surface sent a shiver through her, but he quickly warmed the chill with his hands, fingertips tracing every curve. He lifted one leg, hooking it over his shoulder, leaning closer.

“Such a tease” he muttered, dipping two fingers into the tub of ice cream collecting just enough to drip thin, smooth ribbon onto her inner thigh. Y/n's breath caught at the cold touch, and before she could protest, his tongue followed, tracing the path, licking up the sweetness, savoring the shiver it drew from her.

He repeated the action on her other thigh, his tongue swirling around the ice cream before he licked it off her skin. His hands gripped her hips tightly as he spread her legs wider apart without warning - exposing everything to him under the kitchen lights.

“J-jamie...” she moaned, her hand finding his hair. “please”

Jamie smirked against her thigh, loving how desperate she sounded. He knew exactly what she wanted, but he wasn't about to give it to her just yet. Instead, he went back to the ice cream and dragged his fingers through it, gathering a bigger scoop before bringing it back to her core.

Y/n gasped, tugging at his hair. He slowly painted her folds with the cold, sweet treat before blowing gently on the ice cream covered area - making her squirm and shiver at the sudden temperature change. Only then did he lean in, flattening his tongue and lapping at her like she was his favorite dessert - ice cream and all.

“shit, James!” y/n's hips arched off the counter.

He groaned against her, the vibrations sending shivers through her core. The ice cream was melting quickly against her hot flesh, creating a sweet mess between her legs that he was more than happy to clean up. He circled her clit slowly, teasingly with his tongue while sucking gently.

He could feel her getting closer, her legs trembling around his ears. With one final long lick from her entrance to her clit, he sucked the sweet treat off her sensitive bud and pushed two fingers inside her - curling them upwards instantly hitting that spot that made her cry out his name loudly.

James hooked his fingers upward, hitting her g-spot deliberately as he sucked hard on her clit - the combination sending her over the edge instantly. “shit, I'm coming!" y/n cried out as she came apart on his fingers and tongue.

He didn't let up, riding out her orgasm with his mouth while his fingers kept moving inside her, drawing it out until she was a shaky, boneless mess on the counter. When she finally stopped trembling, he pulled back slowly, licking his fingers clean with a satisfied groan.

James stood up, his eyes dark with desire as he looked down at the woman splayed out on his kitchen counter. She was gorgeous, messy, and completely satisfied - at least for now. He unbuckled his belt slowly, his voice low and commanding: “Stay right there”

He pushed his pants and boxers down just enough to free his hard cock, giving it a few pumps. God, she looked so fuckable right now - all boneless and covered in melting ice cream and her own arousal. He stepped between her legs again, his tip nudging her entrance.

Without warning, he grabbed her hips and slammed into her completely sheathing himself in her wet heat with one thrust. “Fuck” he groaned, eyes rolling back slightly at how good she felt. He started to move immediately, setting a rough pace that had the counter shaking beneath them.

“shit, James!” she gasped. "Don't stop”

He wouldn't dream of stopping now that he was finally inside her again after days without this sweet pussy wrapping around his cock perfectly like it was made for him alone. He leaned forward catching her legs over his shoulders opening her wider for deep strokes that hit her cervix each time making them both moan loudly together.

Just as y/n broke eye contact to let her head fall back she felt something cold drip from her collarbone down one of her breasts. He had scooped more ice cream from the container with his free hand, drizzling it down her chest. James smirked slightly as he watched the melted ice cream drip down her chest, following it with his eyes before leaning down to lick it off her breast and up her neck before capturing her mouth in a messy kiss that tasted like vanilla and her.

Y/n gasped, fisting his hair in her hands. James loved how clingy she got during sex - her legs wrapping around his waist, her arms around his neck, her mouth always seeking his. He was fucking her hard and fast against the counter, ice cream smeared between them, and she was perfect. “Gonna fill you up…”

“shit, yes!” y/n said, her voice coming out in a tone that teetered between a squeak and a moan. “Jamie, please”

Hearing her call him Jamie during sex always did something to him. It was intimate, needy - exactly how he wanted her right now. He snapped his hips forward harder, hitting that spot deep inside her that made her eyes roll back. “Fuck baby…”

“James!” she cried out, nails digging into his shoulders. “I need to cum”

“I know you do, baby” He groaned, feeling her pussy clamp down on him desperately as he kept a punishing pace. He reached between them to rub her clit roughly with his thumb while he leaned down to bite and suck at her ice cream covered tits. “Come for me”

Y/n exploded instantly, her pussy squeezing him like a vice as she screamed his name. He loved how responsive she was - how she always came so easily for him. He kept fucking her through her orgasm, drawing it out until she was shaking and soaking wet. “Good girl…”

He felt his own orgasm building, his balls tightening as he chased his release. He buried his face in her neck, biting down hard on her shoulder as he came undone with a loud groan. He filled her up like he promised, pumping her full of his hot cum while his hips jerked against hers spastically.

James then pulled out slowly, watching as his cum leaked out of her red, swollen pussy. He looked down at their bodies - ice cream smeared on her chest, hickeys on her breasts, his release leaking down her thighs.

“Damn” y/n said softly and breathlessly.

James groaned in agreement, running a hand through his messy hair. “Jesus fuck” He looked at her for a moment before letting out a dark chuckle. “You're a mess,” He said, wiping some ice cream off her cheek with his thumb. “And I fucking love it”

“I'm all sticky…”

“Mmm, sticky and full of my cum” He smacked her ass lightly, smiling when she giggled. “And ice cream, don't forget the ice cream” He leaned in and licked her neck, tasting vanilla and sex.

Y/n giggled softly, lazily pushing at his chest because she was ticklish there. She couldn't help but love how he could be so dominating during sex then immediately going back to the doofuses she knew and loved.

James caught her hands, bringing them to his mouth to kiss her knuckles. He was hard again already - watching his cum leak out of her was honestly the hottest thing he'd ever seen - but he knew she needed a break. Y/n cupped his jaw, gently brushing his cheek with her thumb.

He leaned into her touch like a puppy, his eyes closing briefly as he enjoyed the gentle moment after their intense round of countertop sex. He turned his face to press a soft kiss to her palm before nuzzling against her hand like an affectionate puppy.

“I need a shower” she sighs.

“Mm, me too,” He said, looking down at their bodies again. “We're basically a porn scene right now,” He laughed softly, watching as more of his release leaked out of her. “You wanna shower together?” He asked quietly, already knowing what her answer would be.

“You want round 2 in the shower?” y/n smirked lazily as she slowly sat up on the counter, wrapping her arms around his neck.

James smirked back, wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her closer. “Baby, I always want round 2 with you,” He murmured against her lips before kissing her deeply. “And yeah, shower sex sounds freaking perfect right now” He lifted her up easily, carrying her towards the bathroom.

He carried her down the hall, kicking the bathroom door open. The warm spray of water filled the room in seconds as James reached in and turned the handle. Steam curled around them both.

He set her down gently, eyes dragging over her body like he was memorizing every sweet-smudged inch. “Get in,” he murmured, voice low, “before I put you back on the counter and start over”

Y/n stepped under the water, letting it wash over her skin, sighing as the heat melted the last of the stickiness away. James followed her in, shutting the glass door behind him. His hands were on her instantly - her hips, her waist, her jaw - pressing her back against the tiled wall as the water streamed over both of them.

Y/n’s breath caught. “James -”

He kissed her hard, water dripping from his hair onto her lips. “Round two,” he murmured against her mouth, voice deep and hungry, “and this time… no ice cream to distract me” His hands slid lower.

And now you’re the one finding yourself hurled into danger for what feels like the dozenth time this week. At least you’re not twiddling your thumbs, hoping for something to do, but at least boredom doesn’t get you killed. At this rate, with Jim’s latest half-mad plan to get you all out of the latest crisis, you have no idea if you can say that about your position on the Enterprise.

The Enterprise’s latest incident is going to take place in a few hours. There’s been a situation on a backwater planet where an escape pod from an imploding shuttle was accidentally stranded without any chance of rescue. Unfortunately, the travelers in the pod managed to crash land on a planet with a toxic atmosphere, so they’ve been forced to stay inside their pod lest they breathe in the poisonous gas. They’ve only got a short while before their life support systems give out, which is why it’s time for the Enterprise to step in.

The only problem is that this planet is way more hostile than original scans made it out to be. What was meant to be a one man mission has quickly unraveled into a far more complex plan. More crew members will have to be sent down, and you’ll need contact with the ship so you can quickly beam everyone up before they get hurt.

You suppose you shouldn’t be surprised to receive a summons to the bridge. You’ve known Jim for a while now, and in turn he knows that he can rely on you in dangerous times such as these. You’ve more than proven yourself capable of handling extreme pressure and risks, so your caution and quick thinking pay off by plunging you back in danger again.

Jim wants a group to travel down to the surface and retrieve the pod with its survivors. You’ll go along with Sulu, Uhura, and your captain, as all of you work well together and can handle tough situations like this. Jim gave you the option to stay back on the Enterprise, of course, he’d never force you into something as perilous as this, but this won’t be the first time that you’ve risked your life to save innocent lives, and it certainly won’t be the last.

Jim had known that, but he’d still smiled with obvious relief when you agreed to take part in the mission. “Glad to have you with us,” he’d said, clapping you on the shoulder, “Now, we’ve got to get moving, and fast. You’ll have to swing by the med wing to get cleared for surface interaction. Meet us back here as soon as you can so we can finish going over details before we head out. And thanks again, Y/N.”

You’d waved off his gratitude with an easy smile. This is what you do best, after all. You accept the risks and you take the challenges. All in a day’s work. Still, the more difficult part has yet to come. This planet’s atmosphere is no joke. Even a few minutes of unadulterated skin contact on the surface of that planet could burn away your skin. That’s why you’ll need to head over to the medical wing so they can decide you’re in good enough condition to risk it, as well as give you necessary supplements to provide some protection against the acidity of the atmosphere. Besides, it’ll give you a chance to catch up with a friend, and you’ve never turned that down, either.

Your footsteps are quick as you hurry out of the bridge and down the sprawling corridors towards the medical wing. It’s as busy as ever, with blue-shirted figures darting in and out wherever you look. Still, in all of their chaos and yours, you manage to locate the one man you’re here to see in record time.

Doctor Leonard McCoy, known to some as the most intimidating medical professional on the Enterprise and to his friends as Bones, has just finished sending one patient on their way when he’s confronted with the sight of another one. Unlike most of the invalids to cross his path, though, Bones doesn’t greet you with an unhappy harrumph, nor even a sarcastic comment about what you did to land yourself in the med wing. Instead, he almost smiles. 

“Y/N. Good to see you. I don’t suppose you’re here to help out or do something nice for me?” He says dryly.

You grin. “Afraid not, Bones. I need a favor.”

He arches a dark brow, crossing the room to replenish a container of syringes. “What favor? If it’s anything more than verbal, you’re going to have to join the patient waitlist.”

You wince. “See, I was hoping you wouldn’t say that. I need you to clear me for contact with the planet. ASAP.”

Bones actually stops moving for once in his life just so he can stare incredulously at you. “Are you out of your mind? I thought Jim declared any activity on that planet to be a risk to life and resources.”

“He did,” you admit, “but that’s why I’m joining the party. The more the merrier, apparently. Uhura says she wants someone down there with functioning critical thinking skills so she can balance out Jim. We’ll be fine so long as we stick together, but I need you to clear me first.”

Bones folds his arms across his chest. “So all I have to do to stop you from going into a trap this big is to just refuse to check your condition? Done.”

You pull a face. “Bones, I’m not kidding. We have to do this.”

“Neither am I,” he fires back. “This is a stupid move and Jim knows that. I’m not letting him lose half the superior officers of this ship all at once. You’re all going to get yourselves killed. Hate me if you want, sweetheart, but I’m keeping you alive. That’s what the medical officer is supposed to do, by the way, in case you forgot.”

You sigh. “I appreciate you looking out for me, but we have to do this, you know that. Besides, if you won’t clear me, I’ll just find someone who will. Would it make you sleep easier at night if you refused to take a look at me so I made an intern give me the meds I need to breathe down there? I’m sure they’d get the prescription right on the first try.”

Bones blows a sharp breath out, but when it becomes clear that you aren’t willing to back down, he purses his lips and relents. “Fine. You’re too damn stubborn for your own good, by the way.”

You crack a grin. “From you, Bones, I’ll take that as a compliment.”

He hems and haws while he runs the necessary scans, but when you walk out of the med wing, you do so with the perfect combination of supplements and injections to enable you to breathe the toxic atmosphere on the planet without dying. You’ll all be in thick suits anyway, but just in case, it’s important to take these steps to protect yourselves now. Hopefully, you won’t need them, but the downsides of skipping them are much worse than the inconvenience of a couple extra shots.

Bones makes sure to remind you of this before you go. He warns you to stay out of trouble, knowing full well that there’s no chance of that, but you nod along anyway. You glance over your shoulder right before you leave the med wing, and catch a glimpse of him staring after you, brow knit with anxiety. At this point, you have to return from this mission intact not just for your own good but his as well.

Jim and the others are finalizing the plan when you get back to the bridge. He feigns surprise when you walk in, although he can’t hide a broad grin. “Bones let you go that easily? Maybe he’s losing his touch.”

You arch a brow. “What does that mean?”

Your captain laughs. “It means he’s very protective of you. It’s cute.”

You make a face. “I didn’t think I’d ever hear you call Bones cute, and now I wish I never did.”

Jim rolls his eyes. “I’m just trying to connect to you, Y/N. I thought you’d agree with that. You two only ever spend time with each other anyway, aren’t you—”

He’s studiously interrupted by Uhura calling everyone to focus so you can get down to the planet as soon as possible. You don’t miss the pointed look she gives to Jim the second they think your back is turned, but you’ve been seeing a lot of those lately, and they only get easier to ignore. 

Contrary to what is apparently the popular belief on the Enterprise, you’re not in a relationship with Bones. It’s startling how many people here think you are, but you’re not. You’re just friends. No matter how many times Jim points out that Bones is oddly friendly and warm towards you, and offenses committed by Jim that earn hours of yelling only receive a small frown when you repeat them, the truth is the same. Jim may have a romantic goal for you and Bones, but it’s not happening. 

What is happening, however, is the mission at hand. After conferring for a while longer, you have Scotty beam all of you down to the planet surface. The ground underneath your feet is rocky and uneven, so you’ll have to be cautious. One bad spill could leave you with a torn suit, and even with your medical boosters, you want as little contact with the toxic environment as possible.

You and the others quickly make your way to the downed escape pod. Once there, you spread out, spreading a connective net between all of you before setting it on the ground and activating it. A temporary shield forms a dome in the air, sealing off the ground from the poison clouds floating low through the air. Once the life support cycles through, it’s safe for anyone without a suit to breathe. It’ll wear out soon though, especially while taking a continuous beating from the noxious gas outside, so you’ll have to move quickly.

You hurry over to the pod, knocking twice on the side before calling for them to come out. Slowly, a hatch on the side retracts, and five travelers come out, eyes wide and scared. Uhura hands them some suits, urging the victims to put them on quickly. They don’t need to be told twice, hurriedly pulling on the suits while you count down the seconds before you need to move again.

Although helpful when combating the toxic atmosphere, you won’t be able to beam up while you’re in the shield dome due to the energy signature currently keeping you alive. You’ll have to slowly let people out of the dome and hope that their suits stay stable long enough for Scotty up above to lock onto their signatures and safely retrieve them. 

One by one, the members of the doomed escape pod leave the safety of the dome. You watch them get beamed up one by one, listening to your earpiece to know when to send up the next one. Finally, the last of them is ready to be sent up, and you breathe a quiet sigh of relief. At last, an Enterprise mission that goes according to plan. 

See, you should have known better than to jinx it like that. It’s common knowledge around here that the moment you decide something is going according to plan, you’ll be proven wrong in a heartbeat, and the galaxy likes nothing better than to mess with all of you. 

So, of course, not a fraction of a second later than the time you think you’ll be alright, you notice a gap between the dome and the ground. The surface of this planet is rocky, you noticed it when you first landed. One of the escapees must have knocked into the dome generator while you were pulling them out. It wouldn’t have taken much to disrupt the field, not when it’s been fighting the acidity of the environment around you for so long. 

And, as you watch with horrified eyes, the toxic sludge from outside has already started to make its way in. All it takes is one drop. One drop, to start to wear away at the protective coating of the generators. One drop, to make its way inside the machinery. One drop, to cause a chain reaction that ends with the energy of the dome cycling back in on itself and exploding.

You have just enough time to shout for everyone to take cover before the thing goes nuclear. The last person stuck on the doomed escape pod is right beside you, and you fling your body over them to protect them from the blast. The impact slams into you a heartbeat later, knocking you to the ground. Your suit can take a beating from the toxic gas, but not a self destructing energy shield generator, and if it wasn’t already weakened from the blast, tumbling over sharp rocks is more than enough to tear holes in the side.

Instantly, the toxic gas rushes in. You scream out, feeling the poisonous fumes eating away at your skin. Everything is metallic and agonizing, the taste of copper radiating through your mouth. Somewhere in the background, you can hear Jim yelling for Scotty to beam you up now, but it’s hard to hear him distinctly when your vocal chords are taut in one constant cry of pain. You manage to endure another few seconds before blacking out, and although unconsciousness is always a bad sign when you’re on a foreign planet, your last satisfied thought before you pass out is that at least you won’t have to feel the pain anymore.

It’s quiet for a long time, dark and quiet. Peaceful, almost. You wake up slowly. It hurts to open your eyes because it’s so bright compared to the hazy blackness behind your lids, but it gets easier after a while. When you’re finally able to piece together the fact that you’re on a bed in the med wing, secluded from the main hustle and bustle so you can heal in privacy, you also realize that you’re not alone. Bones is sitting in a chair drawn up close beside you, head in shaky hands.

Bones. Oh, he must be irate. All those warnings about keeping you safe and then you went and hurt yourself like this. It wasn’t like you wanted to have your skin melted off by a toxic planet, but that’s how it goes when you try to save people. Bones, however, doesn’t care about the rest. He cares about you, as he’s put it plainly several times.

You reach over, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. “Everything alright, Doc?”

He jerks up, startled, although the panic in his eyes starts to abate when he realizes you’re conscious. “I think I should be asking you that. You’re the one who came back in a pool of your own blood.”

You wince. “How bad was it?”

“Very,” he says, and that one word contains with it the gravity of a lifetime.

You can imagine how it must have gone for him, then. Bones, biding his time up in the med wing, patching up patients to distract himself from not knowing what was going down on the surface of the planet. He would have told himself it would be fine because you said it would be fine, and just as he got halfway to believing it, Jim would have rushed through the doors carrying your unconscious, bleeding, actively diminishing body. What a ghastly scene.

“You patched me up pretty well, though. I don’t feel anything.” You tell him, mostly to try and lift that desperate look on his face.

Bones lets out a shaky laugh. “Yeah, well, that’s what a cocktail of painkillers will do for you. You’ll take a while to recover, though. I can’t stop that.”

From the way he keeps shooting nervous glances at your side, though, you can tell that he wishes more than anything that he could stop it. The two of you wait in patient, terrible silence, and then Bones gives in and says what he’s been holding back all this time.

“It’s just– Dammit, Y/N, I thought you were going to die. When they brought you in, you weren’t moving. Your heart was barely even beating. I can keep giving you pills and bandages when you need them, but that won’t be enough to bring you back from the dead. I can’t lose you, Y/N. I could lose the ship, I could lose the rest of the crew, I could lose myself, but I can’t lose you.”

Your breath is shallow in your chest, and not just because of the injury. “Why?”

“You know why,” he says, refusing to look at you.

“I want to hear you say it,” you tell him.

A silence. A drawn breath. “I love you,” he says at last, “I love you, Y/N. More than anything. Didn’t know it until I thought you were dead. Didn’t think I’d have to say it until you woke up.”

Bones is not one to beat around the bush, but he still waits a beat or too longer before forcing himself to look back at you. His eyes cut to you in one clean jerk, like ripping off a bandage. You’re not here to hurt him, though. Not anymore.

“I love you too,” you tell him. “Probably longer than you.”

“There’s no reason to make this a contest,” Bones chides you, but he’s starting to smile at last.

“Why not? Scared I’ll win?” You laugh.

Bones tries to glare, but the corners of his mouth refuse to tamp down into anything sober or serious. “Cut that out.”

“Make me,” you challenge him, and he takes you up on your word by leaning forward abruptly to kiss you.

Of all the things to make you go silent, that might be your favorite. It’ll take you a while to heal, but maybe it’s not the worst thing to be stuck in the med wing for a while longer. You and Bones have plenty of things to talk about in the meantime.

star trek tag list: @w1shes43

“You’re leaving.” Spock stood in the doorway to your bedroom, arms hanging at his side, shoulders stooped ever so slightly. His tone and expression were carefully crafted to not give any hint that he might be experiencing an emotion. At fourteen he was already well on his way to becoming the man he would grow to be. 

You didn’t look up from your packing. “I’m to be on the ship to Earth tomorrow. I am going to stay with the Graysons.” 

The Graysons. That’s what you had called them. It took you two years to refer to them as your grandparents. 

“You knew I would be leaving,” you said in his mind. You had always preferred the privacy that telepathy provided, even if casual usage wasn’t approved of by the High Council. 

“I knew he wanted you to leave,” he said in yours. 

Telepathic communication was one of the few of your less desirable behaviors he endulged. You didn’t understand why until you were much older and you realized that you had pushed him away too far and might never have this connection again. 

“What do you expect me to do?”

“Fight.”

Finally, you looked up at him. His eyes bore into you. They had such an intensity that anytime he let himself loose even just a little it felt like staring directly into a star. 

“You always fight. Why are you not now?”

“There’s nothing to fight. I want this.”

He moved further into you’re room. “You want to leave?” 

“I want to be somewhere else. Somewhere I am understood.” 

“And you believe that is Earth? Will they not just misunderstand the other half of you?” Spock asked. 

You sighed, rubbing a hand across your face. ”I’m tired, Spock. I’m tired of being ostracized for understanding that we were born with more than just a capacity for logic. I am tired of being treated like a failed experiment.”

There was more than that. You were tired of seeing him hurt. You were tired of watching him take the harassment. You were tired of being told just to accept the harassment and constant implications that you were less than. You were tired of being penalized for standing up for yourself and your brother. But you left it unsaid. Unthought, in case he was listening. 

“Human society is still young and ignorant. They will not accept you.” His eyes searched your face. “They will not understand you.”

“Maybe not, but at least I’ll be free to be me. I won’t be suffocated under the pressures of being the Ambassador’s hope for a greater relationship between our two races.” You sat down on your bed and stared out the window. “At least I will be told that I am loved.” 

A breeze blew through the leaves, partially obscuring your view of the red mountains and the rich orange sky. 

“I won’t miss it here,” you said out loud. You needed to hear it. You needed him to believe it. 

Now all you saw out the window was darkness and passing stars. You would never see the richness of those orange skies again. A fact the conference was intent on reminding you. 

Normally being around that many Vulcans was exhausting because it required you to choose between putting on an act or dealing with the unfettered scorn of the entire group. Neither option was without its downsides. But this event was focused on how to ensure the survival of the people and cultures of Vulcan now that it was gone. Not even Vulcans can fully suppress the level of sorrow that comes with losing a planet and having that many grief-stricken telepaths in one starbase was overwhelming. 

The favor you had paid Leonard only worsened your exhaustion. What had been bubbling out of you in aggression was now dripping out in fatigue. Your head felt heavy and cloudy. 

You had come to the rooms provided by the Captain with the intention of sleeping, but your mind was bent on replaying memories over and over and not giving you a moment's rest. 

Hauling yourself out of bed, you pulled your robes back on. One of the many concessions you had made in order to have your voice heard was to wear a traditional Vulcan dress. 

The bottom of your dress and robe swept across the floor as you walked through the corridor. You followed the smell of food and drinks. Even with your nasal numbing agent, it was strong. You hadn’t fully realized how many smells there would be on a ship this size. You didn’t know how Spock dealt with it every day. 

The smell led you to what looked like a bar. 

You walked a few paces from the door and clasped your hands, trying to figure out if there were replicators you were supposed to use or if there was someone you asked for food. 

“You should be resting,” Spock said, coming to stand by you. 

“I’m fine,” you answered automatically in his head, something you hadn’t done in years. You were suddenly more willing to fall back on old childhood habits than speak. 

He raised a brow at you but responded in kind, “You have not slept in days.” 

“I am well within the healthy limit.” 

“Not after such a taxing event.” 

“But I supposed it wasn’t taxing for you?” 

He bristled, realizing that he must think his next words more carefully if he wished to avoid an argument. “It was. However, my mind has always been less open than yours. You take on the suffering of those around you.” 

If only he knew just how true that was. 

“I’m fine,” you told him again. 

“Your mind is cluttered.” 

You glanced around the bar. “There’s a lot of people on your ship.” 

He looked you over, then spoke out loud, “Come with me.” 

You hesitated. You really just wanted to get something to eat and then go back to bed, but reluctantly, you followed him. 

The two of you moved quietly through the ship until you were in a smaller room with significantly fewer people. 

You exhaled. 

When you had denied the Vulcan teachings on emotional control, you had also denied the teachings on telepathy control. They went hand in hand under Serak’s teachings. Telepathy was turned inward to help suppress one's emotions. Without doing this you were left with far more unchecked telepathic power with no one to teach you what to do with it. At least no one you were allowed to talk to as a child. 

You had eventually figured it out and learned to control it and use it for good when you could, but you had never built up defenses the way most did. You hadn’t wanted to. Your mother had said that greeting the universe with an open heart and open mind made you more ready to learn. She was a sentimental woman. But she had also told you it would come at a cost. You knew that at least to be true. 

The thoughts of those around you were always in your head. Like murmuring from another room. You couldn’t make them out with conscious effort, but they were there. You had learned to tune them out when you were a teenager, but when you were tired and surrounded by others, they started to overtake your own thoughts. 

Spock led you to a table and told you to sit. You rested your head on your hand and waited for him to return. When he did, he placed a bowl in front of you. You stared down into the orange broth. 

Plomeek soup. 

You had despised it as a child. It was so bland and boring and never seemed to satisfy you. 

Picking up your head, you lifted a spoonful to your mouth. Your eyes slipped shut as you took in the subtle flavor. It tasted remarkably similar to the one your mother used to make. 

Finally, you spoke, “Thank you.” 

Spock nodded, watching as you slowly sipped the soup. 

“Have you considered meditating?” 

You rolled your eyes at the suggestion. 

“It has helped Vulcan’s for generations. Why you think it woul-” 

“Because I don’t subscribe to the idea that I need to suppress my emotions.” You focused your attention on your meal as you projected your thoughts into his mind. 

“A bit of suppression might benefit you.” 

“And a bit of expression might benefit you,” you responded in turn. 

Now it was his turn to roll his eyes. 

“See, don’t you feel better?” You took another sip of soup. “And I did meditate.” 

“You could have just said that.” 

“Where’s the fun in that?” 

He rested his hands on the table. “It appears you are also feeling better.” 

“I’m starting to.” 

“Good.” His head turned as something else in the room caught his attention. “Excuse me. I need to converse with the Captain for a moment. I will be back.” 

You gave him a quick nod of recognition. He returned it and walked off. You focused your attention on your soup. The smell, the taste, the feel of it in your mouth. If you focused hard enough, everything else would fade into the background. At least that’s what you hoped would happen. 

Instead, a voice cut through your soup thoughts, “There you are.” 

You looked up to find Leonard smiling down at you. Glancing around, you saw that he was alone.

“I thought you were giving Jo a tour,” you said. Your voice sounded odd even to your own ears; horst and hallow.  

“I was. Just dropped her off to work on homework. When she saw you weren’t there anymore, she made me promise I’d find you and make sure you’re okay.” 

You raised an inquisitive eyebrow. 

“Jo’s worried you’re going to be attacked by a salt vampire.” 

“I think those safety lectures of yours did more harm than good,” you told him, dropping your chin to look straight ahead. 

“You alright, sweetheart?” 

You stiffened at the pet name. 

“Look worn slap out.” He put a hand on your shoulder. 

The images of his thoughts filled your mind, perfectly formed. You jerked away before you had time to process any of them. You couldn’t deal with anyone else in your head today. 

“Don’t touch me.” 

He didn’t deserve the sharpness in your tone. You knew that, but you couldn’t stop it from being there. Full and biting. 

Leonard held his hands up to show you he wasn’t going to touch you again. “I thought we got over you making me the bad guy when I let you into my head the other night.” 

“No one’s making you the bad guy.” You rested your forearms on the table so you could lean towards him. “Do you have to react dramatically to everything?” 

“I’m not the one who almost bit someone’s head off for putting a hand on your shoulder.”

“Expecting you to respect my boundaries is not biting your head off.” 

“You’ve got to be kidding me. You’ve never met a boundary you wouldn’t cross.” 

You pulled your chin in and raised your brows. “I beg your unbelievable parton?” 

“You brought my twelve-year-old to a starbase!” 

You rolled your eyes and leaned back. “I have to hand it to you, Doctor. you can hold on to things for an exceptionally long time.” 

He crossed his arms. “You could start an argument with an empty house, you know that?” 

“You wouldn’t even need the house.” 

“I can’t do this right now. Find me when you’re done yo-yoing me around.” He waved a hand over his shoulder as he started back towards the door.

“Oh come on, Doctor. I already know how good you are at walking away. Show me something new.” 

He ignored your harassment and your eyes followed him out into the corridor. Then you dropped your head to your arms with a groan. 

“You ‘let yourself into his head’?” Spock repeated the phrase as closely as he could in Vulcan.

Stifling the urge to groan, you lifted your head just enough for you to be able to peak over your arms and stared up at your brother. 

“What does that mean?” After spending three days with other Vulcan’s his accent was stronger than it had been. It made you realize in retrospect how much his time in Starfleet had affected it. His consents were tighter. His vowels moved at a different pitch. You wondered if he was aware of how much he had changed.

“Nothing,” your Vulcan words were muffled slightly against your sleeve. “Don’t worry about it.” 

Silently, he sat down across from you. He carefully folded his hands on the table and straightened up, watching you. 

“Don’t do this,” you grumbled. 

“Don’t sit down with you?” 

“No, don’t do that silent judgy thing you do right before we get in a fight.” 

“I do not have a silent judgy thing.” 

“I can feel the angry thoughts churning in your head.” 

“Anger is a human emotion.” 

You rolled your eyes and dropped your head again. “Just say what you want to say.” 

“I have nothing to say.” 

You scoffed but didn’t look up. 

“You are going to do what you want to regardless of what I say. I don’t know why I ever bothered trying to give you advice.” 

“Advice?” Now you lifted your head fully. “You told me to avoid the doctor completely. How am I supposed to do that without offending his family, who are some of my closest friends? I’m his daughter’s third emergency contact. It goes Donna, then Fred, then me, then Leonard. Do you expect me to just leave him out of the loop in the case of an emergency with his own child?” 

“Of course not.” 

You pulled your shoulders back so he could get the full effect of your ‘so then what’ expression. 

“There are many other forms of relationships between avoiding entirely and performing intimate telepathic bonds together.” 

“If it’s so intimate-” It was incredibly intimate. You knew that. “-why do you use it on what are essentially criminals.” 

“Sometimes it is necessary to cross that boundary for the good of the many.” 

“And sometimes it’s necessary for the good of the one.”

His brows lowered at your flip of the traditional Vulcan motto. 

“He was suffering. I wasn’t just going to sit there when I could help.” You leaned back in your seat. “I thought you wanted me to avoid him because you feared I would pick a fight. I thought you would be pleased that we’re are… getting along.” 

“You appear to be managing to do both.” 

“Why does this bother you so much?”

“You have a tendency to,” he hesitated as he searched for the right words, “become emotionally invested. Were that to happen with a member of this crew who is less than understanding of many of your Vulcan traits it could become difficult for that person to continue working with me.” 

“You’re professional relationship is so fragile that my forming a friendship with him would create difficulties?” 

“Not for me alone. Your brash, unregulated emotions have gotten you into trouble before. Combining them with the doctor’s could create complications.” 

“I am not combining emotions with the doctor.” You stood up. “But if I was, it wouldn’t be any of your business. I can combine whatever I want with whomever I want.” 

“Where are you going?” 

“Well, I was going to go get some tea, unless you’re worried that I’ll run into the head engineer on the way to the replicators and become emotionally invested.” You didn’t wait for a response before walking away.

The light from the replicator stung your over tired eyes but you didn’t look away. It seemed the easiest place to look.

“Brothers, huh?” a nearby voice asked. 

You turned to see Jim still sitting at the table, a PADD in one hand and a mug in the other. 

“Brothers,” you agreed, grabbing your tea from the machine. 

“Always disappointed about something. I swear I don’t know why mine’s mad at me half the time,” he joked. 

“That must be nice.”

He chuckled. “I’m my experience with Spock he usually has a good, logical reason for everything he does and says.” 

“And in your experience with brothers?” you asked. 

“They usually mean well.” He gave you a sympathetic smile. “Even if they’re doing the wrong thing.” 

“Are you speaking as someone with a brother or someone who is a brother?” you asked. 

“Both.” He set his PADD down. “But mostly someone with a brother. I’m a great brother.”

You smiled at his playful cockiness. 

“Can I ask you another question?” 

“Of course.” 

You carefully pry some of the remaining skin off the skull, gently placing the material onto a plate to send to Hodgins for testing later on. You can barely hear Booth and his partner arriving on the scene of the lab, Bones’ voice coming to your ears as she starts explaining the few discoveries you guys have found. 

“Hello.”

You stop your movements right as you were about to pull more skin, your eyes slowly looking up to see Booth’s partner standing a few feet away. You quirk an eyebrow when you notice his lips stretched out onto his cheeks, a strangle sparkle in his eyes.

“... hi.” You ignore his smile widening at your answer, your eyes looking back at the skull so you can continue your hard task. “May I help you with something?”

“I’ve never seen you around before.” He tilts his head at you, curiosity taking over his features. “Are you new here?”

“I’m not.” You put some more skin onto the plate, barely bothered by the guy’s questions. “But I only come in when Dr. Bones needs me.”

“Hm. Interesting.” He puts his hands into his pants’ pockets, his lips parting so he can talk some more. “My name’s James. I’m Booth’s partner.”

“I’ve noticed.” You look at him once more, your head making a small move towards the skull. “If you don’t mind... I’ve got work to do.”

“What?” He chuckles, showing his teeth for a second. “Are you tired of me already?”

Your lips stretch into a grin upon hearing those words. “Not yet.”

“Hey, Aubrey!” 

You turn your head towards Booth as soon as he calls out your name, curious as to what he would want to say to you. You part your lips to ask him what he wants, but to your surprise, James beats you to it.

“What is it?”

Booth makes a move with his hand as he annoyingly stares at his partner, as if he were trying to push him away from you from his place. “Just leave Dr. (Y/N) alone, will ya? She’s a very busy woman, she doesn’t have time for you.”

James scoffs, his smile hardening for a second. “Seriously? I’m just talking!”

“Stop whining and just come over here!” Booth squints his eyes at him when he doesn’t even move an inch, slightly tilting his head in a warning. “Aubrey...”

James gives out a long sigh upon hearing his name in that tone, unaware of the confused look you’re giving him as he slowly walks away. That’s when Brennan seems to take an interest in your work, her eyes looking at the state of the skeleton from afar.

“How’s the cleaning going, Aubrey?”

James frowns in confusion at Brennan’s question, slightly opening his mouth to ask why he’d know anything about this.

“Quite nicely, actually.” You answer before he can even utter a word out, his head snapping back towards you in a second. “I’ll probably be done in an hour or two.”

Brennan gives out a satisfied smile and nods. “Good.”

James’ lips stretch into another grin, the man already walking back towards you with a determined glint in his eyes. Booth gives out a frustrated sound as he sees this, his eyes turning towards his wife to send her a silent look filled with annoyance. She just shrugs at him as an answer, the two of them entering a silent conversation just as James reaches your table.

“Your name’s Aubrey too?”

“It’s my first name, actually.” You answer James’ eager question without even batting an eye, still hunched over the skull. “I’ve never met anyone who had it as a last name, though.”

“Well, there’s a first to everything.” His words makes you crack another smile, which is enough of a hint for him to continue talking. “So what would happen if we ever got married? Would you be called... Aubrey Aubrey?”

“I’d probably keep my last name. Unless you insist of a last name change, then you can take mine.” You look up at him once more, your lips stretching into a teasing grin. “Although, I think you’re getting quite ahead of yourself, James.”

“Oh yeah?” He quirks an eyebrow at you, unsure of what you referring. “Why is that?”

“We’ve barely met and you’re already talking about marriage.” His eyes widen once he realizes the words he blurt out merely seconds ago; though, it’s your next set of words that manage to bring a slight hint of blush to his cheeks. “You  should know to ask me out for dinner, first.”

“Ah... I mean...” He struggles with his words, a nervous chuckle coming out of his mouth as you stare into his eyes. “Well... I wouldn’t hate that...”

You snort, gently putting your instruments down so you can take your gloves off. “Is that your way of asking me?”

“I... um...” He watches you take a pen and a piece of paper from a nearby table, his eyes watching you scrubble something on it. “... I guess...?”

“Great.” You hand him the piece of paper as soon as you’re done, your lips stretched onto your cheeks. “Here’s my number. Call me when you’re free?”

He dumbfoundedly takes the paper from your hands, his eyes staring at you with a look of pure disbelief. “S-Sure... I mean...! I will.”

“I’ll look forward to your call then.” You make a small head move towards Brennan and Booth, the two now hushering about something. “We’d better go back to work.”

“I... yeah... yeah, we should...” He takes a step away just as you put new gloves, his eyes not quite able to look away from your form. “I’ll... I’ll call you! I promise!”