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Leonard didn’t want to leave Spock, but he’d been tending to Spock the past two days, and Jim was feeling lonely without them. They haven’t missed a chess night in months, and he didn’t want to break their streak, even if he was terrible at the blasted game. Leonard gave his sleeping boyfriend one last kiss on the forehead, tucked him in, and… was promptly seized. Then he was grabbed by even more limbs as the blanket was flung off. “How many arms and hands do you have? Christ almighty!”
Spock only grumbled and wrapped his arms and legs tighter around Leonard. “Are you an octopus, or are you a Vulcan?!” Leonard exclaimed with exasperation as he struggled to escape.
Luckily his question distracted his flu-addled friend, and Spock sat up with the most indignant look and pointed to his ear and eyebrow. “I. Am. VULCAN.”
Leonard laughed, smoothed down Spock’s eyebrows, pinched his pointy ears, and guided him back down to his bed. “Yes, dear, you’re a mighty Vulcan. Now can I go be your stand-in for chess night so Jim doesn’t send me pouty emojis all night?”
Spock gave his own pouty emoji face, and Leonard almost fell for it. “Oh, Spock, don’t give me that look! I’ve spent the last two days with you, helping you get over your flu. Jim is lonely. He needs attention, too.” Leonard combed Spock’s hair back into place and pressed their foreheads together; half to check his temperature, half for intimacy. “Just nap here like you were gonna, and I’ll be back before you know it!”
Only…
“You did not, in fact, come back before I knew it,” Spock pouted from the door to Jim’s quarters. He was wrapped up in a comforter, wearing Leonard’s robe over his own and Leonard’s fuzzy slippers. “You lied.”
Jim stared in shock, and Leonard snickered and waved Spock in. “Oh, darlin’, I hope you know what you just unleashed.”
“Spock is adorable,” Jim stated, incredulous. “No wonder you stayed with him.”
Leonard grinned at Jim and held his arms out for Spock, who shuffled in quickly and collapsed onto Leonard’s lap. “He’s very clingy and strong, so it wasn’t entirely my choice.”
“You did not want to leave, Leonard. Do not lie,” Spock mumbled as he snuggled his face into Leonard’s shoulder.
“And you wouldn’t have let me,” Leonard teased. “But I enjoyed spending my time with you.” Leonard adjusted his grip around Spock so that neither one fell and looked over to Jim. “Promise you won’t tease him too much about this when he’s back to normal.”
Jim shook his head and planted his elbows on the table so he could lean over and oggle. “I might need to schedule an appointment with the dentist.” Leonard lifted an eyebrow, but Jim finished before he was asked, “Because this is so sweet, it’s giving me a cavity.”
Leonard rolled his eyes but hugged Spock closer to him anyway because he felt the same. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t tell anyone, though. Can’t have the big, intimidating Vulcan commander’s reputation ruined.”
“Do you still want to play?” Jim asked as he went back to the board and moved a piece.
“Does what I’m doing really count as playing?”
Jim shrugged. “You’re moving pieces at random, and that’s actually been an effective strategy.”
“Does that mean I’m winning?
Jim and Spock crushed that dream at the same time with an echoing, “No.”
“Damn, not even sick Spock will give me a break,” Leonard said with a laugh and moved a piece. “But yeah, let’s finish this—”
“Check,” Jim said before Leonard even finished.
Leonard grumbled and moved the troubled piece out of the way, only for Jim to counter and recheck him. The game wrapped up in the next volley, and they decided to move to the couch to watch some holos. Spock took the center seat, Leonard holding his legs in his lap, and Jim took the other side. “According to Uhura, Vulcans tend to get sick every five years or so. Something about their healing trances shorting—”
“That is not an adequate description.”
“Do you want to explain?” Leonard asked with a raised eyebrow. Spock glared up at him and shook his head. “That’s what I thought. Anyway, years of warding off minor illnesses adds up and eventually comes to a heel whenever there’s a lull in activity. Since we’ve been doing practically nothing for the last month, his body decided to, well, this.” Leonard gestured at Spock, who was worming his hands up Leonard’s shirt so he could get even closer.
Jim smiled and leaned back against the arm of the couch, watching the two like a hawk. A fond hawk, but still an effective bird of prey. “Why are you telling me this, Bones?”
“Because you’re gonna be taking care of him tomorrow. Y’know, since you scheduled me to work while you get a day off.” Spock started fussing, but Leonard calmed him down with a couple kisses on his nose. “You’ll be fine, Spock. Jimmy here will take care of you.”
“I… didn’t agree to that, Bones.”
“And I told you to not put me on the schedule. These are your damn just desserts!”
“I can stay in your office,” Spock practically begged.
Both Leonard and Jim turned to Spock and softened with pity. “Oh, sugar plum, I can’t do that. You know I can’t. You’d be upset with me if I did. Y’know, when you get better, and your brain comes back.”
“My brain has not left my body, Doctor McCoy,” Spock huffed.
“I’m deeply uncomfortable with how cute Spock is right now.” Jim’s smile betrayed him; he clearly loved it.
Leonard kissed Spock’s frown away and settled him back against his shoulder. “I know, Spock. I know. So are you gonna watch him, Jim?”
“Yeah, I guess. What do I have to do?”
“Give him a scan every hour or two, make sure he’s hydra—” Leonard was interrupted by Spock convulsing against his chest in a painful sounding, dry coughing fit. Leonard rubbed Spock’s back and massaged his clenching hands, assuring him he’d be fine. He waved Jim over to show him what to do, mostly assuring Spock that he wouldn’t die, and then told him to make some tea. After a full five minutes that made Leonard’s own abs hurt, Spock stopped and collapsed fully onto Leonard’s lap.
“Holy shit, that sounded bad. Is he going to be okay, Bones??”
“He will be. Uhura said it usually lasts about four days.” Leonard soothed Spock’s hair down and then massaged his hands. “Gonna be miserable for the rest of it, though, which is why I’m pissed at you for forcing me onto the schedule.”
Jim brought over the tea and set it on the coffee table before the two maneuvered Spock to a sitting position on the floor between Leonard’s legs. Poor Spock had his knees up to his chest, still coughing intermittently and looking miserable. Leonard leaned over, brushed Spock’s hair back, and kissed him on the forehead. “You think you can drink some tea?”
Spock nodded weakly and clutched at Leonard’s sleeve. “Do not leave me, Leonard.”
"How are you not murdering me for putting you on the schedule?” Jim asked as he carefully handed Leonard the tea. “I’m obviously taking you off, but damn, Bones.”
Leonard took the mug and gently moved Spock’s head until he had the proper drinking angle. “Well, I was considerin’ it, but I figured sticking you with Spock for a day would get you to see the light.”
“I am not a lesson to be learned, Leonard,” Spock grouched before taking several drinks of tea. “Thank you.”
“No more talkin’, sweetpea. You need to conserve your energy and save your throat; those coughs are only gonna get worse.” Leonard massaged Spock’s throat while getting him to drink more tea. “Jim, I’m gonna need you to get a couple things from our place, if’n you don’t mind.”
“Wait, you’re staying here??”
“Well, I wasn’t plannin’ on it, but—” Spock had another coughing fit, and Leonard held his hands while Jim, sitting in front of them, rubbed his shins. “Uhura says that once the coughing starts, it’s best to not let him move around.”
“Alright, what do you need me to bring, and should we get him in bed first?”
“Gonna need you to bring his bath soaps, it’s all in a little caddy by the bathroom door, and his tea that’s in the blue tin on the counter. I also need you to grab the worn copy of Alice in Wonderland that he keeps in his nightstand. Got all that?”
Jim pat both of them on the shoulder and even threw in a squeeze. “Yeah, Bones. I’ll be back soon.”
Leonard knew it wouldn’t take Jim long, so he brought Spock to his feet and ambled them over to Jim’s swank bathroom. The tub was bigger than the one he and Spock shared, and he made a mental note to convince Jim to let them borrow it on occasion. Well, on occasions where no one is sick and they just want to have a little fun with all their elbows, knees, and feet in the water. Leonard let Spock lean as much as he wanted, though the Vulcan was still stubborn on that front, and sat him down on the corner bench in the shower area. “You sit tight, Spock, while I get the water just the way you like it.”
“I do not like water.”
“You like bubble baths, and those require water.”
Spock huffed and crossed his arms with a petulant, “If you insist.”
“Remember what I told you about talkin’, Spock.”
Jim returned, Leonard made the bath and politely kicked Jim out. Spock had agreed to let Leonard take care of him however he saw fit, but he did not agree to be bathed by Jim. He made quick work of it, though, and Spock’s dislike of the slightly colder bath to lower his fever made the task easy. Once Spock was scrubbed clean with a few menthol-y essential oils and Spock was noticeably breathing better, Leonard helped him out of the bath and dried him off.
“Oh shit, I didn’t get Jim to bring your brush!” Leonard cursed in the middle of drying Spock’s hair. Spock just shrugged and dropped his head to Leonard’s shoulder. “Y’know that doesn’t help me dry your hair,” he groused but ultimately managed.
However, when Spock’s hair was dry, and he pulled back to look pitifully at Leonard, his hair… was curly.
Leonard blushed and stammered, not knowing what to say or do because he’d never seen Spock like this.
“What?” Spock demanded with narrowed eyebrows.
“You… have curly hair.” Spock moved to cover it with the towel, but Leonard yanked it back. “No, no, it’s not bad, it’s… I love it, Spock.” Leonard wanted to stick his hands in Spock’s hair and play with the curls. They didn’t curl terribly much since his hair was relatively short, but they were wavy and, given their towel-dried state, made Spock look disheveled. “How come I never see you with curls?”
“Because I do not like them.”
Leonard frowned and ran his thumb along Spock’s cheek. “Lemme guess. This has some tragic backstory of childhood bullying, hm?”
Spock looked away with a blush. “They said my hair was unprofessional and a sign that I could not be controlled.”
“I personally guarantee that not all Vulcans have straight hair, Spock.”
“No, but all Vulcans in public settings are expected to maintain a certain level of presentation—”
Leonard shook his head and kissed Spock to shush him. “Well, they’re wrong. Your curls are perfectly presentable. I can even show you some of the gel I use if you really have to.”
Spock pushed Leonard away, and he swayed on his feet, right back into Leonard’s arms. “You misunderstand. My hair requires a specific straightening oil, cream, brush, and drying method for it to be—”
“Hush, darlin’. I’ve let you see my cowlick from hell, why don’t you trust me with these adorable curlicues?” Spock didn’t say anything, which was probably good, and Leonard dressed him. Robe liner—fresh, bless Jim because Leonard forgot that, too—followed by Spock’s sleeping robe, Leonard’s sleeping robe, and finally a blanket. Jim also got him some sleeping clothes of his own, which Leonard changed into awkwardly while still trying to keep Spock upright. “Now let’s getcha to bed, and we’ll read a book with Jimmy, hm?”
“That is adequate.”
Leonard led Spock out to Jim’s living room and motioned for Jim to keep his lips shut as he saw his friend start to get that look. That golden retriever, pretty boy, I-want-to-play look that was dangerous. Thankfully Jim recognized Leonard’s death glare just as much, and the two got Spock in bed between them, and they settled in for tea and storytime. The three each had a cup—Spock’s bath having revitalized him enough to hold his own mug—and they were sitting up, propped against Jim’s plush headboard.
Spock finished his tea first and then tipped gracelessly into Leonard’s side, snuggling in. “Please read, Leonard.”
“Yeah, Bones, let’s hear it!” Jim took Spock’s mug and set it aside before continuing. “I’ll take on back rubbing duties so you can hold the book.”
Leonard snorted, finished his tea, and exchanged the mug for the book on Jim’s nightstand. “I haven’t read this version, so ‘scuze me if I get parts wrong. We, uh, got the less scary version for Jo when she was a baby.”
Spock let out a belabored sigh, “Just read it, Leonard.”
“Yes, dear.” Leonard and Jim made eye contact over Spock, and they both stifled their laughs. He got comfortable, opened the book, and started reading. The characters were at least familiar, so he used the voices he’d already developed for them with Jo. Spock had his head on Leonard’s left shoulder, looking down at the book, and Leonard reached back to stroke his pointed ear between each page turn. They made it a quarter of the way through before Spock had another coughing fit and two quarters more before Spock fell asleep purring.
Leonard was about to put the book away and turn off the lights when Jim, who was still rubbing Spock’s back, leaned over and gestured toward the book. “Don’t stop! I want to know how it ends!”
“You know damn good and well how it ends,” Leonard hissed quietly.
“But not how you read it!”
“God, you’re a child,” Leonard huffed, though he continued anyway.
Jim made it seven more pages before he, too, fell asleep.
“Well, that’s just typical.”