I can imagine. [ Understatement of the week. Anyone with at least one mission under their belt expected things to go sideways. Only a murder on their hands before the day was out was excessive even by their fatalistic standards. ]
There's a mini-bar in my cabin, and you're welcome to it. [ Both hands slid to Leonard's forearms, thumbs gently pressing down to feel the living warmth beneath the fabric as he guided the other towards a nearby cabin. ]
Oh, walking on airs as a newlywed. [ He shrugged, they all had their roles to play. ] Doesn't mean we can't catch up.
Sure, what are friends for? [ The amicable laugh that erupted out of Drift was such a well-practiced farce that one would be tempted to look around for a stage director.
Watching over Leonard's shoulder the entire time, Drift walks backward and nudges the cabin door open with his foot. The honeymoon suite was still a tightly packed train cabin — now littered with black and white dresses and garments over every bit of furniture and Drift's own limited wardrobe, but it was private, and they could drop any facades. ]
How am I doing? Leonard, we've been here a day, and you've already had to investigate a murder victim so our friends don't rot in some alien prison. Comparatively, I'm doing just fine.
( There was an odd familiarity to the setting, the specter of a former life he'd lived in and detached from, put behind himself. Pamela could easily be there, somewhere, rifling under skirts for a shirt of his she'd borrowed, tossed aside absently, and forgotten about.
Leonard turned back to Drift. )
Now, don't you start. It's hardly a contest, ( he bristled, and he meant well by it, stubborn as he continued, ) The man can't get anymore dead. But you all... I'm allowed to worry about you too, so hush up and let me.
Anyone ever tell you that 'hush up' isn't a practical antecedent to 'talk to me'? [ Drift grabs a handful of black satin chemise draped over the couch and tosses it towards the bed, a few more articles follow as he clears space. A depressed flock of black and grey fluttered onto the bed. Then he turned and set himself to the task of pulling a rocks glass and bottle of something strong off the bar. ]
I know it's not a contest, and you're not— [You're not Ratchet the thought comes unbidden and as gentle a punch to the back of his skull. It was a disorienting reminder of where their friendship had gotten so muddled that it made the corners of his human eyes start to sting. Drift sets the glass and bottle down, closes his eyes, and draws in a deep breath. ]
You're not the only set of shoulders here to carry all that weight. [ Drift looks back at Leonard with a tired expression tinged with fondness, one he's worn a thousand times before. ]
( The idle arc of a hand in the air answers the rhetorical question; Drift knew what he meant. Leonard knew better than to disturb a woman's things, but stopped a dark slip of matte silk from spilling onto the floor, flicking it back atop the rest.
I know lodges in his throat, because Drift went ahead and cut through what would have been at least a few more rounds of back and forth, Are you sure you're all right exchanges. Leonard even looks flummoxed, then serious, understanding, settling into fond relief. )
I'm glad. ( The cabin is crossed in two steps, and Leonard wraps Drift in a warm hug. ) I'm so glad to hear that.
[ While clearing the room, Drift thinks he spotted Leonard's face curdle with something like disapproval or apprehension — no idea why. They were just clothes, and they weren't going anywhere far.
That Drift wasn't interested in indulging platitudes or some anticipated runaround like the world's most depressing iteration of Who's on First had caught Leonard off guard. That split-second shift let Drift react accordingly when the other closed the gap, ready to return the embrace. ]
Have a lot of sleepless nights over twenty-something foot death machines covered in swords, doc? [ Drift chuckled around what felt like a fist wedge in the back of his throat. Pulling Leonard in tighter until the crown of his head of dark hair tickled his nose. It was odd and a little exciting to be this close without existing through holomatter. ] Only you.
[ Drift blinked, the ease with which Leonard said those exact words had him at a loss. Stunned wasn't the right word — confused, maybe. Or even a little frightened. Leonard McCoy had a patient soul made of granite that pressed down on Drift's contrite heart. A sheltering weight that made this old giant feel terribly small. ]
I've always felt nearly as much as a baseline human like this, [ Drift explained, carefully prying Leonard's hands from his jacket and bringing them up to his face. Guiding the tips of the other's fingers to the very real stubble of his cheeks and the warm breath that ghosted over the back of careworn knuckles. ]
My attention isn't so divided this time around, that's all.
( He wasn't expecting that look from Drift, brief as it was, and for a moment Leonard was concerned that he'd upset him, however unintentionally. Drift went and moved them neatly past that though, taking Leonard's hands, touching his face.
McCoy hesitated, but soon traced Drift's jawline, feeling the prickle of new growth under sensitive fingertips. Anyone who hadn't spent intimate hours with Drift might not have noticed the difference, but for Leonard it's astounding: the weight behind his very real frame, the warmth he emanated that no hologram could match.
[ Drift would be kidding himself if he claimed not to be self-conscious about how he appeared around the station. Anyone he's been alone with noticed the little discrepancies after a while, the small reminders that he was hiding behind a very advanced but illusory mask. Leonard never appeared to mind, and his fascination with this more refined iteration of the smoke and mirrors only encouraged Drift. ]
Well, enjoy it while it lasts. [ He said, the corners of his eyes crinkling in a smile. ]
( Drift wasn't human, that was never really been difficult for Leonard to square with. The man before him wasn't flesh and blood and a beating heart, he was living metal and a spark, and the face that came to mind when Leonard closed his eyes wasn't this holoform, handsome as he was.
He smiled too, small and soft, and very simply drew Drift in for a kiss. )
Now, how about that dr- [ Drift had half-turned in the direction of the narrow table to reach for the decanter, but Leonard had him penned him. Before the last syllable could fall from his lips, the gap had closed. On his tongue lingered the smokey taste of whatever Leonard last drank mingled with the sharp bite of menthol from mouthwash. ]
Drink. [ The word dropped like a stone between the weighted silence. Drift had only pulled back for an instant to look at Leonard. Marveling at this return to a familiar and much-missed intimacy that wasn't stained with grief before fervently returning the kiss. ]
( In the brief moment when Drift pulled away, Leonard was struck by a sudden prickle of cold fear; that he had erred in assuming, that he offended him, and worst of all, that Drift was simply going to pull away completely and politely show him out. It was the look on his face that kept Leonard rooted, waiting, until Drift kissed him in return.
This time, his hands slid over Drift's shoulders, thumbing his shirt collar and curling his fingers over his nape, surging hungrily against him. )
[ That fleeting instant where they froze a hairsbreadth from each other sent a wave of tension rippling through Drift like an agitated river current. An overwrought split second or two where he felt directions and vulnerable to the possibility Leonard would second-guess this.
All of those frayed nerves eased when Leonard slotted against him, a grounding and solid weight that quieted his mind. Drift's hands slipped to Leonard's waist and started to walk him back until his legs were bumping against the edge of the bed. ]
[ The incidental consequences of sharing a cabin meant that Yennefer, understandably, wasn't going to hesitate before approaching the door to their suite — lavish, by train standards — and certainly wasn't going to anticipate that Drift had brought back any form of company, familiar or otherwise. Yet the sight that greeted her, not just one set of shoulders known to her eyes but a second beyond it, had her pausing just over the threshold, when she would have otherwise breezed in had they only been pursuing something as innocuous as partaking of a shared bottle.
This, however, was something altogether different, and she could only school her face into a particular level of neutrality before quietly clearing her throat — provided they hadn't heard the hiss of the cabin door opening to herald her arrival, in the first place. ]
And on our honeymoon, dearest, of all times? [ Her voice wry, her gaze glinting with enough mirth by the time both of them looked in her direction to make it clear she wasn't actually upset by her discovery. ]
( Yen's lilting voice drew McCoy away from his thorough investigation of Drift's beautiful mouth, drawing back to meet her violet gaze over his shoulder. His wet, kiss-bitten lips pull into a ready smirk, feeling slightly reckless and liking it, as he latches on to her tone, and curls a hand loosely around Drift's nape. )
[ Senses pleasant numbed to anything outside this stolen moment. An explosion could have gone off outside the cabin, and it would have all been disregarded white noise. Teeth scraped his bottom lip just as their combined weight was near to tipping over the bed.
— Then, a pleasant sound but discordant to their rhythm lanced through that bubble of intimacy with a pointed bite.
Leonard still was all coy and fluidly pinned against him at their discovery, but Drift's kneejerk reaction was considerably different. On that panicked combination of impulse and reflex only the distractedly horny suddenly under the spotlight had, Drift found his hands around Leonards's waist — and launched the other man effortlessly onto the bed behind him like a dirty sock he was caught not putting away. ]
Yennefer — I, well [ Drift's mind and tongue stumbled and stuttered until reality interested itself. Realized he had just thrown Leonard in a bid to hide his non-existent affair from his fake wife. ]
[ It wasn’t as if Yennefer was under the previously mistaken impression that Drift hadn’t ever taken any other bed partners — nor had she ever been convinced that such pursuits were exclusive to her. Whatever encounters they’d shared she hadn’t really thought beyond at all, which was why it proved more than a little startling — and slightly amusing — that the only one who proceeded to behave as if they’d been caught doing something red handed was Drift himself.
She’d only caught the briefest glimpse of Leonard’s face shortly before his sudden upending, and from her estimation, the man hadn’t seemed all that bothered to be imposed upon — quite the opposite, in fact.
So it was why Yennefer glanced between a fumbling Drift and a doctor now sprawled across the mattress not of his own volition, and pursed her lips to hide a smirk of her own. ]
At least he had some of my dresses there to cushion the landing. [ A pause, and then: ] Unless this is some new act I’ve never heard of?
( It happened so fast, as Leonard one moment was perfectly upright and invested in the lovely new development that was Yennefer, and then he was flat on his back.
And mildly outraged for it, squirming around atop the pile of lace and velvet and crepe de chine to grab a handful of his coat, and hiss: )
Drift, what the Hell! Hello, Yennefer– ( he adds after a protracted moment, )
[ The spiraling out of that moment hadn't unraveled fast enough, and in its aftermath, Drift only sunk onto the velvet padded at the foot of the bed. Even when Leonard twisted on the bed, he barely moved and landed an accidental kick between his shoulder blades. ]
Give me a second. [ Drift scrubbed a hand over his face and shook his head ] I'm getting a feel for how awkward this situation is.
[ Apparently, not much at all. This wasn't a terrible situation to be in, all things considered. Only Drift couldn't help but feel he was letting something potentially explosive get out of control. ]
In my defense, I couldn't guess who organizes their clothes by decorating the floor and the furniture.
[ The verifiable hunch that passes through Yennefer's shoulders could definitely be constituted as a shrug — either way, she's not that broken up about whether or not any of the dresses tossed across the bed are currently in the midst of being mussed, not as she crosses the small cabin space over to the drink bar with the aim of pouring herself something dark and strong. ]
Is it awkward? Doctor.
[ An acknowledgment for Leonard, paired with an expression over her face that has since resembled more nonchalance — although there's a subtle note of interest there too. ]
Well, given that you deposited him there out of instinct, I'd argue you were thinking less of the dresses and more of what was about to happen on top of them. [ She takes a measured sip of the drink she serves for herself, eyes shifting between both of them over the rim of the glass. ] You don't need to stop on my account.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
There's a mini-bar in my cabin, and you're welcome to it. [ Both hands slid to Leonard's forearms, thumbs gently pressing down to feel the living warmth beneath the fabric as he guided the other towards a nearby cabin. ]
Oh, walking on airs as a newlywed. [ He shrugged, they all had their roles to play. ] Doesn't mean we can't catch up.
no subject
Well, that's understandable. You know what they say: "happy wife, happy life".
( Behind closed doors, he let the sort of half-embrace linger before he dropped it, made to seek his hands but hesitated, and looked at him closely. )
Seriously now, how are you doing?
no subject
Watching over Leonard's shoulder the entire time, Drift walks backward and nudges the cabin door open with his foot. The honeymoon suite was still a tightly packed train cabin — now littered with black and white dresses and garments over every bit of furniture and Drift's own limited wardrobe, but it was private, and they could drop any facades. ]
How am I doing? Leonard, we've been here a day, and you've already had to investigate a murder victim so our friends don't rot in some alien prison. Comparatively, I'm doing just fine.
no subject
Leonard turned back to Drift. )
Now, don't you start. It's hardly a contest, ( he bristled, and he meant well by it, stubborn as he continued, ) The man can't get anymore dead. But you all... I'm allowed to worry about you too, so hush up and let me.
Talk to me, Drift. Please.
no subject
I know it's not a contest, and you're not— [ You're not Ratchet the thought comes unbidden and as gentle a punch to the back of his skull. It was a disorienting reminder of where their friendship had gotten so muddled that it made the corners of his human eyes start to sting. Drift sets the glass and bottle down, closes his eyes, and draws in a deep breath. ]
You're not the only set of shoulders here to carry all that weight. [ Drift looks back at Leonard with a tired expression tinged with fondness, one he's worn a thousand times before. ]
I'm fine, and I have you to thank for that.
no subject
I know lodges in his throat, because Drift went ahead and cut through what would have been at least a few more rounds of back and forth, Are you sure you're all right exchanges. Leonard even looks flummoxed, then serious, understanding, settling into fond relief. )
I'm glad. ( The cabin is crossed in two steps, and Leonard wraps Drift in a warm hug. ) I'm so glad to hear that.
no subject
That Drift wasn't interested in indulging platitudes or some anticipated runaround like the world's most depressing iteration of Who's on First had caught Leonard off guard. That split-second shift let Drift react accordingly when the other closed the gap, ready to return the embrace. ]
Have a lot of sleepless nights over twenty-something foot death machines covered in swords, doc? [ Drift chuckled around what felt like a fist wedge in the back of his throat. Pulling Leonard in tighter until the crown of his head of dark hair tickled his nose. It was odd and a little exciting to be this close without existing through holomatter. ] Only you.
no subject
( He drew back but didn't go far, just enough to meet the other man's gaze, fingers curled loosely in his jacket as he pressed: )
But really, this– ( Indicating all of Drift, this non-holo form, ) –Are you comfortable? Is there anything I can do for you?
no subject
I've always felt nearly as much as a baseline human like this, [ Drift explained, carefully prying Leonard's hands from his jacket and bringing them up to his face. Guiding the tips of the other's fingers to the very real stubble of his cheeks and the warm breath that ghosted over the back of careworn knuckles. ]
My attention isn't so divided this time around, that's all.
no subject
McCoy hesitated, but soon traced Drift's jawline, feeling the prickle of new growth under sensitive fingertips. Anyone who hadn't spent intimate hours with Drift might not have noticed the difference, but for Leonard it's astounding: the weight behind his very real frame, the warmth he emanated that no hologram could match.
He drew a thumb over Drift's chin. )
Remarkable.
no subject
Well, enjoy it while it lasts. [ He said, the corners of his eyes crinkling in a smile. ]
no subject
He smiled too, small and soft, and very simply drew Drift in for a kiss. )
no subject
Drink. [ The word dropped like a stone between the weighted silence. Drift had only pulled back for an instant to look at Leonard. Marveling at this return to a familiar and much-missed intimacy that wasn't stained with grief before fervently returning the kiss. ]
no subject
This time, his hands slid over Drift's shoulders, thumbing his shirt collar and curling his fingers over his nape, surging hungrily against him. )
no subject
All of those frayed nerves eased when Leonard slotted against him, a grounding and solid weight that quieted his mind. Drift's hands slipped to Leonard's waist and started to walk him back until his legs were bumping against the edge of the bed. ]
no subject
This, however, was something altogether different, and she could only school her face into a particular level of neutrality before quietly clearing her throat — provided they hadn't heard the hiss of the cabin door opening to herald her arrival, in the first place. ]
And on our honeymoon, dearest, of all times? [ Her voice wry, her gaze glinting with enough mirth by the time both of them looked in her direction to make it clear she wasn't actually upset by her discovery. ]
no subject
In his defense, I started it.
no subject
— Then, a pleasant sound but discordant to their rhythm lanced through that bubble of intimacy with a pointed bite.
Leonard still was all coy and fluidly pinned against him at their discovery, but Drift's kneejerk reaction was considerably different. On that panicked combination of impulse and reflex only the distractedly horny suddenly under the spotlight had, Drift found his hands around Leonards's waist — and launched the other man effortlessly onto the bed behind him like a dirty sock he was caught not putting away. ]
Yennefer — I, well [ Drift's mind and tongue stumbled and stuttered until reality interested itself. Realized he had just thrown Leonard in a bid to hide his non-existent affair from his fake wife. ]
Oh, right.
no subject
She’d only caught the briefest glimpse of Leonard’s face shortly before his sudden upending, and from her estimation, the man hadn’t seemed all that bothered to be imposed upon — quite the opposite, in fact.
So it was why Yennefer glanced between a fumbling Drift and a doctor now sprawled across the mattress not of his own volition, and pursed her lips to hide a smirk of her own. ]
At least he had some of my dresses there to cushion the landing. [ A pause, and then: ] Unless this is some new act I’ve never heard of?
no subject
And mildly outraged for it, squirming around atop the pile of lace and velvet and crepe de chine to grab a handful of his coat, and hiss: )
Drift, what the Hell! Hello, Yennefer– ( he adds after a protracted moment, )
Sorry about the dresses.
no subject
Give me a second. [ Drift scrubbed a hand over his face and shook his head ] I'm getting a feel for how awkward this situation is.
[ Apparently, not much at all. This wasn't a terrible situation to be in, all things considered. Only Drift couldn't help but feel he was letting something potentially explosive get out of control. ]
In my defense, I couldn't guess who organizes their clothes by decorating the floor and the furniture.
no subject
Is it awkward? Doctor.
[ An acknowledgment for Leonard, paired with an expression over her face that has since resembled more nonchalance — although there's a subtle note of interest there too. ]
Well, given that you deposited him there out of instinct, I'd argue you were thinking less of the dresses and more of what was about to happen on top of them. [ She takes a measured sip of the drink she serves for herself, eyes shifting between both of them over the rim of the glass. ] You don't need to stop on my account.