Incident In Vega

Title: Incident In Vega

Author: Starshadow
Feedback to: starshadow @ starshadow . net
Pairing: Kirk/Spock
Rating: NC-17
Challenge: "Cold, cold, cold--what's a Vulcan to do, except find warmth in the arms of his captain?"
Disclaimer: Paraborg/Viamount, etc. No infringement intended, no money being made. They want to keep the two lonely. I don't.
Beta: Tony Pearson, any mistakes mine.

They'd been running for what seemed like hours, through the dark and the pelting rain. Even Spock was tiring. He spared a glance at the Captain, whose clothing, designed to blend in with the garments worn by the people of this place, more decorative than utilitarian, was torn, wet and muddy. As he looked, the human faltered, and nearly fell, sliding in the mud beneath his feet. Spock instantly stopped, putting out a hand and catching him by the waist, neatly.

"No, Spock," came the hoarse gasp. "We can't stop now. We'll miss the target rendezvous."

"We nearly have anyway, Captain. We only have twelve more minutes, and with over two kilometers to travel, we cannot possibly get there in time. You must rest."

"NO! We CAN'T lose. Not when we're so close. Spock, those people will DIE."

Spock's eyes glinted in compassion. "Jim, they are already dead. And we are stranded here. Better we try to find shelter. I find myself weakening. The cold is..." his teeth threatened to chatter and he fell silent, trying to peer through the trees which dripped and froze over their bodies.

"Oh, God, Spock. What have I gotten you into? I shouldn't have let you come." Kirk touched his friend's arm, and could not hide his own shivers. It couldn't end this way. If only they had even a phaser between them.

Kirk hugged himself. "We have to at least keep moving. We'll freeze if we don't. You'll freeze."

Spock touched his arm, pointed. There was a low mound, with a narrow opening. "Perhaps there..."

"I only hope there aren't any predators. And that the ones chasing us have given up. Damn." He swore, thinking about how this sojourn had been so promising when they first spotted the system.

It had begun innocently enough. Two weeks ago and they'd surveyed a new solar system, far enough away from Orion space, the Klingons, the Ferengi and most major contentious governments to be safe from marauders, in one of the Vega star clusters.

There was an M class planet, and humanoid inhabitants, who, in spite of being barely industrial, had kept their cities clean and spacious.

They'd found dilithium in the hills. The people who lived nearby knew them only as pretty crystals, and decorated their homes with them, and sometimes wore them as jewelry.Spock and Kirk, as they had so many times before, beamed in, disguised appropriately,to negotiate with the city's inhabitants.

These people were peaceful. Spock had concealed a phaser and communicators in a knapsack, but when the ion storm which seemed to trigger a massive ground storm had hit, a dam had broken above the city and their belongings were washed away and were probably somewhere downstream of the huge expanse of river around which the city had been built.

And somewhere, somehow, the survivors had seen Spock with the head covering he'd originally worn torn off. And they were convinced that the storm and the flood and the devastation were the fault of the newcomers.

So those that had welcomed them had been targeted by the frightened populace, as well. Kirk and Spock had tried to get to the stronghold the ruling families had been taken to. The mob had announced their intention to publicly execute them in retribution for what they had been certain had been brought on them by the strangers--Spock and Kirk, who'd been chased and nearly killed themselves. They reluctantly had decided that their best hope was to make the rendezvous point. With no communicator nor phaser, and no way to be found except biosign scans, ineffective in the dampening effect created by the dilithium and other rare minerals this planet abounded in, any search would not be possible and they'd be presumed dead if they were not there on time

The Prime Directive was explicit. Any search could not be made without revealing who they really were. Mr. Scott had orders to head back to the nearest starbase if they did not come back.

And if the ruling families were dead, there would be no possible chance of even living quietly among these people. They'd have to hide in the wilderness and survive as best they could, possibly for years. That's if they lived through the next few hours.

For once, Kirk was worried about Spock, instead of the other way around. The low barrow- like entrance they'd found had led to a rather large cave, which had a stream of water trickling through the middle, but there was a small alcove with a dry though cold dirt floor. A a small breeze spoke of some passage for clean air, at least. But they were sopping wet, by this time, and had no fuel nor dry covering. And the air was damp. No sign of predators, luckily-but that was about as good as their luck seemed to be.

The Vulcan had curled himself into a ball and had not stopped shivering.

Kirk stripped off first his shirt, then Spock's. Under Spock's cloak and tunic, he found thermal underwear, not as wet as the outer garments. He left it on, and spread out the wet clothing on nearby rocks, hoping the garments would dry a little. Then he lay next to Spock and enfolded him in his arms.

"Don't go to sleep, Spock. You have to stay awake, and so do I. I think we're both hypothermic," his voice chattered in the chill air.

If the light hadn't been so dim, he was certain he'd see their breath. And that was his last conscious thought.

It was warm, and still dark, and though he could still hear rain from somewhere, he felt comforted and wrapped in some furry blanket, with his arms still around a very hot body beneath him. For a moment he snuggled into Spock's back and then his lids opened fully. If it was a dream it was tactile more than visual because he could feel fur. Almost, he jumped, but made himself hold still. The two of them were surrounded by a furry, otherwise snakelike body, which twined around them and breathed. A head lifted and the large animal's tongue snaked out and rasped across his face. Was that a purr --or a growl? It seemed like a cross between the two. The animal's head, with its large, yellow eyes blinking at him, rubbed itself across his hand, and he couldn't help himself. He stroked it, and the animal pushed back, harder.

"I get your drift." He found a spot between the eyes on the earless face and rubbed harder, and was rewarded by another raspy tongue stroke. "I hope that isn't hunger. I think you saved our lives. " He looked down at Spock, who appeared to be sleeping rather deeply, though his eyes were uncharacteristically closed, perhaps a sign of the hypothermia that had nearly claimed them. The animal rasped Spock's hand as it lay over a large coil of the creature's quite respectable length, and it snuggled against him rather like an oversized muffler. "I'm going to trust that you're friendly. I don't think I have the strength to do otherwise, and I'm pretty certain my friend doesn't either." Jim whispered to the creature, which blinked as if it understood, and half closed its remarkable eyes in what resembled the grin of a content housecat. It had fangs like a housecat too, and Jim hoped, sleepily, that the two of them didn't smell like its usual prey, whatever that may be.

Some hours later, Jim woke again and they were alone. But the animal, whatever it was, had left a nest of shed fur smoothed around them. Spock was still asleep and appeared a bit feverish. Jim touched his nape but couldn't tell for sure. He was no doctor, and he wasn't certain how much of the warmth was normal Vulcan body temperature.

By now the light was grey in the cave, and Jim desperately needed to urinate. He carefully disengaged himself from his embrace of Spock and ventured outside the tunnel opening.Rain was still falling and he spent as little time outside as possible. Reentering the tunnel, crawling again, his hand touched fur, cold and stiff, and he felt what seemed to be a smaller version of the animal which had warmed them both in the night. "So that's it. She lost her kit, and apparently we were a good substitute. Poor thing. I'm glad she was friendly," he thought to himself.

He went back to where Spock lay and checked on the clothing he'd laid out the night before. It was still wet. And he was shivering again. Spock, however, seemed even warmer.

Kirk rubbed his arms, trying to get the circulation going, and ventured to the water source he'd seen on the way in. Ironically, with all the water falling, he was thirsty and he was certain Spock would be, as well. He wondered if he could find something edible. Scooping up water in his hand, he quenched his thirst, then went back to Spock. He took his shirt and tore a strip off the edge, took it back to the streamlet, and laved it to make certain there was no mud, then wet it thoroughly and took it back to where Spock was lying. He sat down, and pillowed the Vulcan's head in his lap, touching the makeshift sponge to his lips. "Spock. You have to wake up. Spock..."

A mutter told him that Spock was far from well. But his lips opened and he did drink a few drops of the water. He tried, unsuccessfully, to sit up, but couldn't lift his head more than a few millimeters before falling back. His eyes were still closed.

He plucked at his clothing, muttering something in what sounded like Vulcan. It was almost a growl. But in his weakened state, he lapsed back into what seemed like a fitful sleep.

Kirk hadn't remembered taking off his boots the night before, but apparently had done so. He rubbed the Vulcan's feet, not as hot as his face, and pale as green ice. He took some of the fur the creature had left them and wrapped it around Spock's feet and hands and lay next to him again, and wrapping his arms around the curled body."For the warmth," he told himself, but he was far from certain that was all it was.

When he woke again, their friend was back. And she-for it was certain it was a female-was carefully and methodically rasp-cleaning Spock's head with her large pink tongue. Then she positioned herself carefully, arched her back, and a warm squirt of milk landed on his lips. In his sleep, his tongue came out and he licked his lips clean. Then she aimed one at Jim's mouth. He opened his mouth and got a delicious warm froth. She seemed to have adopted them as a substitute for her kit, all right, complete with nursing behavior.

Jim wasn't going to complain. He'd heard predator's milk was strong flavored, but if she was a predator, she apparently ate something that sweetened her milk. They were lucky she was a mammal and had full teats. Jim caught some of the milk in his hand, and held it to Spock's lips. His eyes remained closed, but he drank greedily, nonetheless. He hoped milk didn't violate Spock's vegetarian diet, but decided if it did, then Vulcan children wouldn't eat at all in infancy.

And he knew for a fact they were mammals, too.

Spock seemingly had enough.He closed his lips and turned his head after drinking a few handfuls.But his sleep seemed a bit less fitful, at least for now. Jim drank his fill. "Thanks, Mom. I think we need our beauty sleep now, if it's all the same to you." The mother creature blinked sleepily at him, licked his face again, and closed her eyes, too, again snuggling around them like an animated fur piece.

When he woke again, it had again grown dark.The Mother beast, as Jim had begun calling her, was again off on her own errand. Carefully, Jim stretched his legs, crawled outside, and did what was necessary. The people that had pursued them seemed to have given up, at least for now. It was a small blessing, but he'd take what he could.

Spock was muttering again. He wished he knew what was wrong. It could be anything, from a fever, to one of those healing trances he'd seen once, to some arcane affliction only Vulcans were prone to.

"Spock, can you hear me?" Jim bathed his face with the makeshift wash rag and sponge, dripping a few drops of water on his lips. Spock didn't seem to need it this time. But his eyes still didn't open and he still did not wake up, though again he muttered and plucked at his shirt. Jim wondered if Spock needed to answer nature's call. But he remembered something about Vulcans rarely urinating, which would make sense in a desert species.But Spock was half human.

Still, he gave no sign that he needed to. He'd certainly not soiled himself nor their makeshift bedding. "I'm not a doctor, I'm a ship's captain," Jim muttered to himself, and lay back down, again cradling the hot body.

The Mother beast hadn't returned, and Jim woke again to Spock's arms clasped around him and his hot breath in Jim's ear. He was murmuring again in Vulcan. And he felt warmer. Spock's hips moved against his spine and backside and his hands were gently touching Jim on his chest and belly. They slid lower, and seemed frustrated by the cloth of Jim's trousers. Jim twisted his face, looked at the Vulcan, whose eyes were now open and glinting, transfixing him.He appeared not to recognize Jim. Or himself. He still spoke in Vulcan, and his hands were stronger, and Jim could not escape their insistent touch.

He wasn't certain he wanted to move,though he suddenly realized what it was that Spock was burning up from. He'd seen him through this before. Last time there had been a woman. There had been the hot sands of Vulcan. And the madness he saw in his friend's eyes then was the same he saw now. There was no way he was going to lose Spock. He turned, touching Spock's lips with his fingers, then moved forward and their lips touched. Then a sudden twist inside his head and he felt the Vulcan's thoughts. "T'hy'la..."suddenly he knew the complex meaning of that word.

"A moment, Spock." Jim's hands helped Spock pull off clothing, trying not to tear the garments they'd likely have to wear for a long time, if they lived through this. For a moment, the Vulcan resisted, perhaps in his madness thinking Jim was leaving him. But the thoughts he sensed reassured him. He quieted, and allowed him to strip them both. Jim prayed the Mother beast would stay away. The last thing he wanted was a voyeur. Spock seemed beyond caring. He was one burning Need. So was Jim, touched by the thoughts of his friend and, yes, t'hy'la. The word rolled in his head . He lay his garments underneath him, and gathered the fur nest to cushion the hard ground. He was likely to be very sore for a long time. He didn't want it to be any worse than it had to.

Growling, Spock reached for him. His mouth hungrily sucked at Jim's. A human custom, this mouth touch, but feeling the urgency in Jim's thoughts, he adapted to it. His erection strained at Jim's belly, his own double ridges rubbing Jim's sensitive underskin. Spock had been virtually unschooled in the arts of love and sex, though not a virgin. Jim had not made love to another man for decades.It didn't matter. The Need was all. Jim pulled away from Spock's mouth. "Hold, lover." He moved his head down the furry belly of the Vulcan, moist kisses spiraling downward, ending with his mouth nipping at Spock's balls. The furry sac was tight. He sucked at them, and then tongued the twin ridges of the jade tinged shaft. His hands circled around Spock's hips, and found the primary testicles, the chenesi, in what was normally a pair of slight hollows by his spine, and gently massaged the hardened masses. He felt rather than heard the moan as the Vulcan's secondary balls tightened and his penis began lubricating.

"I need..." without finishing his sentence, Spock pulled Jim up and in a fluid motion flipped him on his back. Even in his urgency, Spock used his hands to massage Jim's cock , the sensitive fingertips setting off fireworks in the equally sensitive underside of the head which had already been leaking pre-ejaculate. Jim pulled his legs up and held the thighs as close to his sides as he could get. He needed this as much as Spock, but would have to trust that the lubrication the Vulcan was slippery with would be enough. Spock positioned himself and teased the opening with the head of his cock. He was operating on instinct, but somehow maintaining enough control to be as careful as he could. He felt Jim's thoughts.

* Now? * *NOW! * and as carefully as he could manage, he slid within the gate. But Jim pushed with his hips, now eager and ready, and the warm depths drowned them both, happily, as they rocked together. Jim's questing cock was not getting ignored, as with one hand, Spock grasped him as tightly as his need quickened. His grip was slippery with leaking fluids, but it didn't seem to matter. Jim felt on fire with Spock's volcanic raw need. For the long swim downwards, he knew what it meant to be Vulcan and he knew the ocean of Vulcan passion. He happily drowned.

For some reason, the Mother beast seemed to sense that they needed solitude, and she simply guarded the tunnel to the cave, as the storms slowly wore their way down, inside and outside. When Spock began to come to himself, he would have been chagrined had he not felt the warmth of Jim's love and affection. "Don't pull away, love.It's all right."

Now it was the Vulcan's turn to care for the human. "I hurt you, in my madness. That, I regret. I cannot regret the rest. You know my naked soul now. We are bonded." He kissed Jim's face, where he'd bruised him, and gingerly felt his body for hurts.

"Don't worry, Spock. I may only be human, but we're tougher than we look. And love? T'hy'la?" the previously unfamiliar word came to his lips easily. "I hurt GOOD."

Spock allowed a small upturn of his lips. "I am gratified. Now. Let me help you get well."

McCoy was impatiently bouncing on his feet, after having finally cleared the two for duty, once they'd taken his required twenty four hours rest. He was anxious to hear the rest of the story. He suspected something more than went in the official report.

"So, Jim, what exactly happened after that mother of all storms hit? You've read our reports, but seems to me something's missing. What in heck happened after that storm broke loose?"

"You first, Bones. I distinctly remember ordering the Enterprise to return to the nearest Starbase if we missed the rendezvous for any reason. Not that I'm not grateful. But how did you find us?"

"Well, Scotty made the decision to move away from the ion storm. It was either that or lose all power to the engines, and we couldn't rely on you getting any of those dilithium crystals if anything happened to ours. So we missed the rendezvous as well. We had to come back.And what did we find, but you two being feted as local heroes. What the heck was that all about?"

Spock looked embarrassed as Jim sketched in their sojourn in the cave.

Jim continued. "So the upshot was the locals were out looking for us with blood in their eye when they found what we called the Mother beast. Seems she's kind of a local legend Not many of the beasts left, and the ones that are left are shy-and the locals worship them as earth spirits. They're known for their compassion to the humanoid population. And despite the fangs, they're vegetarians. Fruitarians, to be exact. The fangs are defensive rather than offensive.So when they found us being nursed by our Mother beast-oh, she's known as T'la'lu'lai , which in their language, means Mother Goddess---they were favorably impressed. So they gave us all the dilithium we could carry, and we're invited to have more any time we want. I understand the funds we would have spent in trade will be used to enrich the local economy."

McCoy was puzzled. "But what was that thing they were calling you, that the translator rendered as 'The Bridegrooms' ? What was that all about?" This time he turned to Spock. Now it was Jim's turn to look embarrassed but he replied anyway.

"Apparently we fulfilled a local prophecy about two heroes who would be wed-to one another. When they found us, there was no place to really wash, and it was pretty obvious what had been going on. They took us back, bathed us, and put us in a bridal suite in the palace. They decided not to execute the local leaders, too, since they'd favored us. So all was well. But we were expected to ...well, bless their rebuilding by ...well, fertility rites. At least they let us have privacy."

McCoy looked astonished. "And you went along with this, Spock?"

Spock held his two fingers out to his Captain. "It seemed the logical course of action. To disappoint them would have proven...detrimental to relations between our peoples. They could not know how far away we actually are from them, of course."

Jim's fingers met Spock's in the ritual embrace. "Of course, Bones, this is doctor-patient privileged information. Our wedding will be private, as our relationship cannot be allowed to affect the performance of our duties. If any of this reaches Starfleet, we may be separated. It's up to you."

"What, allow the best team in Starfleet to be split up? Not on your life. In fact," McCoy said emphatically, "What happens in Vega, stays in Vega. "