An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 8/8
Fandom: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Original Series
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: James T. Kirk/Spock
Characters: James T. Kirk, Spock, Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Nyota Uhura, Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, Original Characters
Additional Tags: Worldbuilding, Episode Tag, Episode: s03e24 Turnabout Intruder, Hurt/Comfort, Telepathy, Vulcan Mind Melds, Vulcan Kisses, Canon-Typical Violence, Original Character Death(s), Slow Burn, Mission Fic, Five Year Mission, First Kiss
For every gasping breath that he took, for every shaky mouthful of air that he breathed into Spock, how many more did those desert-bred lungs actually need? Something hot and desperate was clamping down on his insides, even as he tried to keep each breath steady. He couldn’t do this, couldn’t breathe for Spock forever. In his mind’s eye, he pictured his — their — silver lady soaring high in orbit around the planet, circling over this vast body of water. Find me, Kirk thought, feeling his lungs beginning to burn with the effort of breathing for two. Find us. Bring us home.
Post-Turnabout Intruder, Kirk grapples with returning to his captaincy and with his feelings for his First Officer as the Enterprise crew becomes embroiled in the affairs of the utopian underwater city of Ark. Everything comes to a head when the diplomatic mission is complicated with variables outside their control, and Spock bears the brunt of the consequences.
Can’t quite believe that it’s finally STRBB posting day! It’s been amazing fun and a hell of a ride, and believe it or not, I’m going to miss churning out thousands of words for this :’) A huge thank you to @startrekreversebang for hosting this amazing event! And all the thank yous in the world could not express how glad I am for having the amazing @ghostwise as my partner; my friend, I absolutely adore your art and your input for the fic has been indispensable <3
You can check out her art pieces by heading over to @ghostwise at these links: Under the Water, Infinity x Infinity, Como, and Lt. Darya, or in the fic itself!
