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Fluffcation ~ Prompt: Sleigh Ride

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Made some Christmas (Star Trek) cookies~ 💛💙❤️

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In Our Favor

Part 395

McCoy

Scotty tensed in McCoy’s arms, and McCoy himself held his breath.

Slowly he disentangled an arm from Scotty and leaned backwards to grab the chirping device.

“Hello?” he said as he rolled back towards Scotty then sat up. Beside him Scotty pushed himself up to sitting as well. His face showed his anxiety.

“Hello Leonard,” David answered.

“Father,” he said with relief in his voice.

“Where are you now son?” David asked.

“We went home, Scotty and me. Well, Jaylah and Aporal too.”

“A good idea.” They heard David let out a deep breath. “Sural is still locked up.”

McCoy looked at his husband as he made a small noise.

“Are we sure?” he asked the king. “Scotty knows what he saw.”

“Yes Leonard. Starfleet connected me to his prison, and the commander in charge showed me a live feed.”

Relief went through McCoy, yet he tensed again barely a second later.

“Do you trust what they showed you really was live?” He knew he must sound petulant, but this concerned Scotty.

David paused as if remembering what his son must be thinking.

“I spoke to him.”

“Ye did?” burst out of Scotty. He looked at McCoy in surprise.

“I did, and I am satisfied he is still locked up safely.”

Anxiousness flooded McCoy with an icy chill. Who had Scotty seen then? Once again he was convinced he had seen one of their enemies; what would this do to him?

Quietly McCoy looked over.

“I saw him,” Scotty whispered in a small voice, face pale.

Cora’s question came back to the prince then.

“We have to find out about his family! Scotty knows what he saw, and if it wasn’t Sural, then it had to be someone close, family, to look so much like him!”

“I’ve done what I can do from here Leonard,” the king said gently. “Anything Starfleet may have learned about Sural— he could have lied to them about his family, his home, any of those things. And— I hate to say it— but in a crowded place such as a club with lights going, creating shadows…”

Scotty’s face began to twist in anger so McCoy spoke quickly.

“We’ll contact security here and see what they can do. Get video from the club or, or, I don’t know!”

“I don’t mean any harm,” David said, still gently. “But we’ve been down this path—”

“I know,” McCoy said haughtily. “But I trust Scotty. Thank you for helping us with what you could.”

“Leonard.” The king was sharp. “I will forgive your tone because I know you are upset. I hope this will all turn out to be a misunderstanding again. For now, get some rest and I will speak with you again soon.”

Short goodbyes were said and McCoy set the comm back down on the bedside table, perhaps harder than he meant to.

“We’re on our own,” Scotty said softly.

McCoy wrapped his arm around Scotty’s shoulders and pulled him tight to his chest.

“No we aren’t. We have our friends and we have all of Starfleet. We’ll go to security in the morning and tell them. They can investigate, find out what they can from the club, from Sural.”

Scotty murmured something but it was muffled against McCoy’s shirt.

“Let’s get to bed darlin’. Then it’ll be morning sooner and we can get this sorted,” McCoy said.

Part 396

Scotty

He was back. He was back on the Romulan ship, running through the many corridors, breathing frantically. This place was just too big and he didn't know his way around. The risk of a dead end waiting around every bend was very high, but he had to at least try to escape.

Scotty could hear them. Footsteps following him. They were only half as fast as his own and yet they seemed to be getting closer and closer.

The Scotsman let out a pained cry as a sound rang out and a shot hit his left leg. He staggered and had to cling to the wall for a moment, but when he heard a voice behind him, he limped on as fast as he could.

"Give up, human. You can't get away from me."

Oh yes, he could! Scotty gritted his teeth and stifled a sob. His leg hurt just so badly, but he wouldn't give up. Never!

The next corridor looked exactly like the previous one, but Scotty could feel that he was getting closer to his point of destination. The exit must be very close and Leonard would be waiting for him there. He was sure.

A cold laugh rang out and a moment later another pain shot through Scotty's body. This time it was the other leg and the Scotsman fell straight to the ground.

Finally, he could no longer hold back his tears. With a tear-streaked face, he crawled along the corridor, slowly pulling himself forward. He couldn't stop! He had to escape! He had to get to Leonard!

The footsteps and laughter came closer and closer and suddenly a foot crashed down on his back, pinning him to the floor.

Scotty tried to move forward as best he could, but as hard as he tried, he couldn't move.

"N-nae, nae, please," he pleaded miserably, shaking his head as he glanced up over his shoulder and saw the barrel of a phaser.

But Sural just grinned, playing with the trigger.

"There's no escape this time. I will destroy you. You and your prince. And no one will stop me."

Scotty's eyes widened and he opened his mouth, wanting to plead for his life, but he didn't get that chance.

A shot rang out. Then everything turned black.

Scotty cried out as he woke up from his sleep and sat upright in bed. He barely noticed a few hot tears streaming down his cheeks. However, what he did notice was a familiar pair of arms wrapped around him, holding him close and a warm voice reassuring him.

"Shh, it's all right. It's okay, leannan. We're safe. Everything's fine."

Leonard. Leonard was with him. They were in their room. They were at the academy. They were unharmed.

"Do you want a pill?"

It took Scotty a moment to understand what his husband meant, then he nodded.

Leonard had the pills — the ones that Dr. Boyce had prescribed for them after their abduction — on his side of the bed. Due to his fear of flying, he had been the one who had needed the sedatives over the last few weeks. But now it was different.

Scotty was the one with the greater fear. Scotty was the one whose nightmares were back. And he would take all the help he could get.

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I love you DVDs, I love you VHS Tapes, I love you Cassettes, I love you Records, I love you CDs, I love you Books, I love you Journals

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Fluffcation ~ Prompt: Cuddling

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Fluffcation ~ Prompt: Baking Cookies

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In Our Favor

Part 393

McCoy

McCoy could see the doubt on all their friends' faces as he quickly crouched next to Scotty. He hated himself for it, but he had his doubts too.

But this wasn’t the time for that.

“Scotty saw what he saw,” he said in a firm voice as he laid a hand on his husband’s back. “Father is finding out if there has been any kind of prison break.”

“How would—” Chekov began, but he grunted as someone elbowed him quiet.

“I don’t know,” McCoy answered, defenses up, ready to protect Scotty. “Whoever Scotty saw must have slipped out somehow, or hid somewhere we can’t look.”

He got an arm around Scotty and helped him back to his feet.

“Did this guy have family?” Cora asked. She was pressed tightly to Eugene’s side against the cold air.

McCoy’s eyebrows lifted. “I- I don’t know.”

“That was not something that was addressed at the trial,” Spock said.

“How could someone else have gotten across the neutral zone? Starfleet took Keenser’s equation.” Sulu looked at the short alien.

“I saw him,” Scotty whispered near McCoy’s ear.

“Look, I don’t know,” McCoy said in exasperation. “All I can do right now is wait to hear from Father.” He glanced at Scotty’s pale face. “But we’re going home.” McCoy shook his head. “There’s too many people and places to hide here.” A brief pressure touched his hand as Scotty squeezed his thanks.

Disappointment flashed in a few pairs of eyes.

“I guess we’ll get our coats,” Jim said.

“Nae,” Scotty said barely above a whisper. “Don’t leave cause of me.”

Everyone looked at each other.

“We’ll go with you.”

Aporal had taken a step forward with Jaylah.

“We will make sure you get home safe,” Jaylah agreed.

“The rest of you can keep your eyes open here,” Aporal turned around and said.

It was a few more minutes before they were standing outside the club. Jaylah had gone to their table for their coats and they stood on the sidewalk pulling them tight. When their arms were free again McCoy quickly grabbed Scotty’s hand.

They walked towards campus quietly, but McCoy noticed that Aporal’s head seemed to be on a swivel, alert to everything around them.

“How long do you think the king will take?” Jaylah asked from Scotty’s other side.

“I don’t know. It’s the middle of the night. I don’t know who he might have to wake up to get connected to the right people,” McCoy said quietly. Somehow he knew it would be pointless. Sural was still sitting in a cell, he had to be.

He squeezed Scotty’s hand again. He did not want to fight with Scotty, but how could he have seen the Romulan?

What Cora had asked, did Sural have family? Would they have been angered at Sural being locked away in Federation space? Could they have done something?

Aporal’s head turned quickly as a loud group came around the corner as they passed.

“I know you saw someone,” McCoy whispered for only Scotty to hear. He felt Scotty tense beside him. “Someone that scared you, but I hope it wasn’t him.”

If it had been Sural, it would mean there was something very, very wrong somewhere in Starfleet.

“I saw him,” Scotty whispered stubbornly back.

McCoy shivered at his husband’s cold voice. He didn’t want to go through another fight.

“Do you think the club has cameras?” he asked aloud. He regretted the question as soon as it left his mouth. Scotty’s hand loosened and dropped from McCoy’s.

“Of course they do,” Jaylah said. Her voice was tight from the cold air.

“I’m sure security could persuade the club to let them look through,” Aporal said.

Aporal and Jaylah left them at the door of their room. McCoy tapped in their code and Scotty stepped through.

“Call when you know something,” Aporal said.

“Call if you need anything. Anything,” Jaylah added.

McCoy nodded, then followed Scotty in, shrugging out of his jacket as he did. He tossed it towards his desk chair. Scotty stood still in the middle of the room.

“Leannan—”

“Ye don’t believe me,” Scotty said coldly as he turned to face McCoy. “Ye didn’t believe me the first time and ye don’t now.”

“Scotty- I do believe you saw someone! But whether it was Sural…” McCoy hesitated. “I just don’t understand how he could have gotten free.”

Part 394

Scotty

It wasn't like Scotty meant want to argue. Not at all. But anger bubbled in his belly. No one but Aporal really seemed to believe him. Everyone doubted his words. He knew himself that it was unlikely, but it wasn't impossible. And he knew what he had seen!

"There are enough corrupt people like Marcus! Why shouldn't there be someone to help Sural escape!" He didn't want to raise his voice, but he had to do something about this anger inside him.

"Please calm down, leannan." Leonard cautiously reached out to his husband, but he took a step back and shook his head.

"How am I supposed to calm down when there's someone out there somewhere on those streets who kidnapped us and hurt us and almost killed us!" Anger mixed with panic and once again Scotty felt his heart and pulse start to race.

"We... we should just wait and see what Father finds out. Until we know more, we should... not worry too much. It's important that we keep a cool head."

Scotty just snorted and crossed his arms. He felt tears in his eyes and blinked against them.

"I..." He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what. Any words seemed to fail him at that moment. The emotions simply overwhelmed him.

Without an explanation, the Scotsman stormed into the adjoining bathroom and slammed the door behind him. He could still hear Leonard calling after him, but he simply ignored it.

"Scotty–"

He needed to be alone. He had to escape from this unbearable situation. Slowly, he slumped to the floor with his back against the door and the tears finally made their way out of his eyes. He sobbed, gasping for breath.

Why? Why didn't life finally let them put their past behind them? Why couldn't they just be happy?

It took a while before a noise behind the door showed him that Leonard was sitting down on the floor just like him.

"Scotty, I... I want to believe you, but... I'm scared. I'm afraid to believe that he could really be back. After everything he's done to you – what he's done to us..."

Scotty swallowed hard. Memories flashed through his mind. Memories of how he had been hurt. Memories of how Leonard and he had sat in separate cells waiting for their end.

The last thought gave his heart a stab. He had never wanted to be separated from Leonard and now? Now he had barricaded himself in this room. He had shut himself off from the one he loved above all else out of fear and anger.

"I... I just don't want it to be true. That's why I'm holding on to my skepticism." Leonard's voice sounded filled with worry and sorrow.

Slowly, Scotty stood up and with a tentative movement, he opened the door. Leonard was still sitting on the floor, but he looked up at his husband. There were tears in his eyes too.

A short moment later, the prince stood up and the couple fell into each other's arms, holding each other tightly.

"Mo ghràdh," Scotty sobbed loudly and Leonard stroked his hair soothingly.

"Shh, I'm here. I'm with you."

Even though Leonard didn't say the words, Scotty knew it was a silent promise that Leonard believed him and that he would do anything to protect him and stay with him.

After they had both calmed down a little, Scotty and Leonard lay down in bed. They just lay there, their arms wrapped around each other and their foreheads pressed together.

They tried to give each other comfort and peace. They tried not to think about what had happened to them.

And then Leonard's communicator rang.

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Thanks so much for the answer 🤗 I love your art style!!

Could I request a drawing of my Star Trek OC Miss Farie?

Hey there~ I saw that you take requests and I wanted to ask if you draw OCs too or just fandom related stuff?

Hello! AND YES! I also intend to draw OCs of mine and of requests (maybe requests take a little longer but I will do it without a doubt) and other fandoms, so much so that I recently saw about a solo RPG table

And I'm organizing myself to make a Star Wars themed one, I plan to post a little about it here later and I've even made sketches of the OC characters for the solo RPG table here's a preview:

Oh and sorry for not answering before, I had to do a lot of things and forgot to answer😅.

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In Our Favor

Part 391

McCoy

McCoy couldn’t help but laugh as he noticed his dance partner glancing towards the bar. Aporal was standing with Scotty ordering drinks.

“You aren’t trying to make someone jealous are you?” he teased.

Jaylah flushed and turned her eyes back to him.

“Why would I need to make Montgomery Scotty jealous?” she grinned.

McCoy laughed again. Jaylah looked ready to slap at him so he raised his hands defensively.

“Hey hey!” he said through his chuckles. “As long as he treats you well it doesn’t matter to me what you two are.”

Jaylah’s face flushed again.

“I wish everyone else would not care,” she said just loud enough for him to hear.

“If it matters I think it all makes Pavel jealous,” McCoy leaned in and said. “I think he misses you all to himself to argue with.”

Jaylah gave a snort and rolled her eyes. “Pasha has his eyes on any girl in class who will look at him! Aporal and I are—” Suddenly Jaylah stilled and the color that had risen disappeared, leaving her face its pale color once again. “Something is wrong.”

McCoy turned his head to see what Jaylah was looking at just as she grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the dance floor.

Scotty was pale and wide eyed at the bar and Aporal was holding his arm tightly speaking quickly.

“What is wrong?” Jaylah demanded as she pulled McCoy to stop in front of the other two.

“Scotty?” McCoy stepped to his husband’s side and grabbed his hand. “What happened?” McCoy directed the words at Aporal as Scotty didn’t answer.

“I don’t know. We were laughing and then this.” Aporal shrugged. “He said something. ‘Swirl?’ Or something like that.”

Fingers tightened on McCoy’s hand and he glanced down.

“Sural.”

The name sent a chill down McCoy’s spine and he looked back at his husband’s face. Fear was in his eyes as he looked at McCoy.

“I- I saw him, Len.”

“It couldn’t—”

“He left the bar. He’s in here somewhere!”

McCoy drew a deep breath. This situation felt very familiar.

“Which way did he go?” He tried as hard as he could to keep his voice even. Sural and his Romulans had been sent to a prison colony, there was no way he could have escaped.

Scotty lifted his other hand and pointed.

“Stay with them,” Jaylah told Aporal. “I’ll get the others to help look.” She disappeared into the crowd.

“Sural is…?”

“The Romulan who pretended to be Vulcan and kidnapped us,” McCoy answered. Aporal’s antennas twitched.

“How could that be?”

“I saw him, Len. I really did.”

McCoy nodded, memories of Georgiares and a boy who looked like Khan flashing through his mind. He and Scotty had fought then. He didn’t want to do that again.

But it couldn’t really be Sural.

They would have been informed of a prison break.

Wouldn’t they?

McCoy hesitated before he spoke.

“Are- are you sure?”

Scotty’s head whipped around to look at him. McCoy didn’t want to look up and see anger in his husband’s eyes, but he had to ask.

“I know who I saw!”

“I know, just, you said that on Georgiares too,” McCoy said softly.

“Not the time.” Both boys looked over at Aporal. “I don’t know what you’re referring to, but now is not the time to fight. Jaylah’ll get the others and we’ll scour this place.”

“Right,” McCoy agreed. Either Scotty had seen Sural or he hadn’t. He let go of Scotty’s fingers and instead slid his arm around his husband’s waist. Whoever he had seen, it had given Scotty a fright and he needed to know he was loved and supported, no matter what McCoy might think.

Part 392

Scotty

"I... need some fresh air." Scotty felt his legs trembling and he feared he might collapse at any moment. The air in the club was warm and stuffy and he felt dizzy.

"The others will take care of everything. Let's go to the balcony." Leonard's voice was gentle and understanding as he carefully led Scotty towards the door leading outside. Aporal followed them wherever they went, never taking his eyes off the surroundings. He would do anything to protect his friends.

There were no other visitors outside. It was night and no one wanted to stand on the balcony in the cold darkness.

Scotty closed his eyes, took a few deep breaths and tried to calm down. He couldn't let the panic and fear win. He had to try to breathe slowly and evenly. But...

"It was him. It was Sural."

It was a face the Scotsman would never forget in his life. Even though there were far fewer nightmares, the memories came back from time to time and haunted Scotty's dreams.

Sural and his accomplices had done terrible things to him. They had kidnapped and tortured him and threatened to kill him. It had been the most horrible hours he had been through in his entire life.

"I will call Father. If Sural really has escaped, he'll find out the quickest." Leonard pulled out his communicator. Scotty wasn't sure what he could read in his husband's gaze. Concern, fear, but also... doubt. The question Leonard had asked him before had clearly shown Scotty that the prince did not fully believe him. And that hurt beyond belief.

Of course, Scotty was aware that he had been wrong once. It hadn't been Khan on Georgiares that he had thought he saw, but... this time it was different. Scotty was quite sure that it had been Sural! The stature, the facial features – everything was identical! And then there was the reaction when Scotty and Aporal had come near the bar. Why else would the person have disappeared into the crowd so quickly if they had nothing to hide?

"Father? It's me. Leonard. I know it's very early in the morning at your place, but... something has happened."

Scotty wanted to listen. He wanted to hear Leonard speak to the king, but his head was pounding and his husband's voice sounded muffled. Too many memories were flashing through his head and he couldn't concentrate properly.

"It's all right, Scottish boy. I'm right here. I won't let anyone get to you."

Aporal's voice filtered through the jumble of memories and Scotty looked cautiously at the Andorian. His brown eyes reflected confidence and determination. Aporal believed him. Aporal didn't think he was crazy.

"Father will call us back as soon as he knows anything." Leonard's voice finally sounded clear again and Scotty's gaze moved from Aporal to him.

The Scotsman fell helplessly into Leonard's arms. He was scared. He was so scared!

What felt like an eternity passed before all their friends gathered on the balcony.

There was concern for Scotty, but there was also something else in their gazes. Scotty didn't know exactly what it was at first, but then Jim spoke up. The blond looked down at the floor as he spoke.

"We... we searched everywhere, but... we haven't found anyone. No one who looks like Sural. Not even any Vulcans. I'm... I'm sorry, Scotty."

Once again, the Scotsman shook his head. He knew what he had seen! He knew it had been Sural!

"I... I'm not crazy. He... he was there. I..." His voice trailed off and tears filled his eyes. Then he fell to his knees.

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Oh no! The two major Scotty ships ended up paired together in the first round. Uhotty is implied to be canon in The Final Frontier, and here on Tumblr I’ve noticed a pretty sizable Scones fandom. Which Scotty relationship will triumph?

If you want to send propaganda of your favorite ship, drop it in my inbox! Feel free to reblog in order to help this poll reach the most people! Remember to vote on the other polls in this round, listed here.

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Fluffcation ~ Prompt: Building a Snowman

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In Our Favor

Part 389

McCoy

Still in uniform, the pair stood out in the restaurant. McCoy smiled secretly to himself; perhaps in a cadet uniform he wouldn’t be recognized so easily.

Soon they were seated and looking through the menu. The prince glanced over his menu at his husband. He knew Scotty was trying hard to make him feel better and he appreciated the effort. He looked back down at the menu, and let out a soft sigh. Scotty was right; it was only his first class back and he would be a better pilot again soon. He’d just keep trying.

The waitress had gone with their order when Scotty’s face fell and he let out a groan. McCoy reached across for his hand.

“What’s wrong?”

Scotty gave a quick nod towards the restaurant door and then turned his face away.

“Madison just walked in with another instructor.”

McCoy glanced quickly over his shoulder, then turned away like Scotty had. He sighed. Surely cadet reds stood out and long time Starfleet members would notice. Though maybe, McCoy hoped, someone like Madison would ignore cadets in public.

“Oh thank goodness!” Scotty exclaimed in relief. “The hostess took them the other way.”

McCoy glanced back again, and found he had been holding his breath. He let it out with a nervous chuckle.

“He isnae really going to make us sit apart do ye think?”

“I don’t know.” McCoy gave the hand he was holding a squeeze. “You’d think he’d have to make assigned seats for the whole class or it would look like he was just after us.”

“Maybe,” Scotty said slowly.

“Can you imagine what our classmates might think if we suddenly stop sitting together?” McCoy smirked. “Think of the ‘trouble in paradise’ rumors that might make their way to the press.” He laughed.

Scotty managed a weak smile. “Aye, imagine having to explain that to Leah.”

“Ugh!” McCoy made a face. “No thanks.”

The meal was delicious and the couple decided it was a place they would come to again. Out on the sidewalk McCoy heard Scotty blow out a breath of relief. Madison had not seen them. Or if he had, had not bothered them.

“Let’s go home, maybe watch a movie,” McCoy suggested.

“I’ve got reading and a paper I should maybe look at starting,” Scotty said. McCoy could hear his frown.

McCoy kept from sighing. “I know, me too. But tomorrow is Friday and then we’ll have all weekend.”

“Not if Jim has his way,” Scotty shook his head.

A small smile pulled on McCoy’s lips. He knew Scotty was right; they and their friends were likely to be out dancing and drinking on Saturday evening.

“We can watch a show? Then curl up and read homework?”

Scotty reached for McCoy’s hand. “Alright love, that sounds more doable.”

Part 390

Scotty

"Let's go! I bet I'll drink you all under the table today!" A wide grin was on Jim's lips as he led the group of friends walking towards the club.

Uhura just rolled her eyes, but had to smile a little too. "Don't act like that's something to be proud of."

"Ny's right. Too much alcohol is far too unhealthy," Christine agreed with her friend and this time it was Jim's turn to roll his eyes. He groaned.

"Oh come on! It's not as if we do this every weekend. You're allowed to celebrate a little more exuberantly when you get the chance." The blond patted Scotty on the shoulder. "Scotty here certainly sees it the same way! He understands me."

The Scotsman laughed.

"Aye, usually I would. But I've got a test coming up on Monday and I've got to be completely sober by then."

That caused Jim to pout.

"Spoilsport! I really thought I could at least rely on you!"

"Hey, it doesn't mean I'm not going to drink anything."

A grin crossed Jim's face.

"Perfect!"

It was a lot warmer in the club than outside and Scotty didn't regret opting for a shirt instead of a sweater. Most of his friends were already on the dance floor, but he wanted to have a drink first.

Scotty smiled at the sight of his husband, who was dancing with Jaylah at that moment. The alien girl had asked Leonard to dance as soon as the first notes of one of her favorite songs had sounded and the prince had of course not been able to refuse her request.

"Aren't ye jealous at all?" Scotty raised his voice a little so that Aporal, who accompanied him to the bar, could hear him better. The question just slipped out.

But Aporal just grinned.

"Jealous? Of whom? Your prince? Ha! As if he could hold a candle to me."

Scotty had to grin too. He was surprised, however, that Aporal didn't deny that he might have a reason for jealousy. Usually he was the first to say that he wasn't in love with Jaylah.

"Oh, believe me, he's superior to ye in quite some ways."

Aporal snorted.

"Oh really? Do I want to know what those ways are?"

"That's my secret, laddie. I won't ever –"

The grin on Scotty's face faded in an instant and he stopped in the middle of his sentence when his eyes fell on a figure leaving the bar and disappearing in the crowd.

His breath caught in his throat and a shiver went down his spine. That... couldn't be. It was impossible! Scotty didn't even notice that he was shaking his head in disbelief. A moment later his breathing quickened.

"Scottish boy? Hey! Scottish boy! What's wrong?" Aporal touched his arm and that caused Scotty to jump.

His eyes were wide with fear and only slowly a word left his mouth.

"Sural."

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Fluffcation ~ Prompt: Snow Sport

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Fluffcation ~ Prompt: Hot Chocolate

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In Our Favor

Part 387

McCoy

The prince walked to the simulator hall with his stomach twisting in knots. He had gotten so used to Uhura and Jaylah flying with him; how would anyone else be? And would Lt. Flores let him pair up with Cora and Keenser? He was fairly certain the instructor would.

McCoy walked into the room and looked around. Cora was talking to another cadet, but saw him and waved him over. He joined the two girls with a smile, but secretly hoped Cora wouldn’t want the other girl to join their shuttle group.

“Hi.”

McCoy glanced next to him and saw that Keenser had joined them.

“Hey Keenser,” McCoy greeted him with a nod. Cora greeted him with a smile and introduced her friend.

“Cadets!”

Lt. Flores strode into the room and stopped near McCoy and his friends. The other cadets in the room gathered around.

“I’m glad to see all of you here,” the lieutenant smiled. “You’ve all made excellent progress in your first semester and should be proud. By the end of this semester you will be capable of flying real shuttles.”

A murmur of excitement went through the gathered cadets, but McCoy’s stomach twisted tighter as his hands clenched at his sides. What would happen if he panicked on a real flight while he was flying? Thoughts of crashing, of being injured, of being kicked out of Starfleet flashed through his mind.

“We’ll start with some basics today as a refresher. Please listen for your simulator assignments…” Lt. Flores looked down at a PADD in his hand.

McCoy sat behind Keenser in the simulator and tried to keep from bouncing his knee nervously. His hands clenched and unclenched.

“Ok,” he suddenly blurted out before Keenser could begin to start the program. The small alien and Cora both turned to look at him.

“Leonard? Are you alright?” Cora asked with concern on her face. “You’re very pale!”

“I- I- I’m scared of flying,” he said quickly. He looked down at his lap. “I just- you should know. I crash nearly half the time. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Keenser said. He stretched a hand back and patted McCoy’s knee.

“We’ll help!” Cora said, smiling encouragingly at McCoy. “Ny and Jaylah did too, didn't they?”

McCoy nodded. “What Flores said, about real flying by the end of the year—”

“We’re here,” Keenser said. McCoy could sense the support from him.

“I just don’t want you to be surprised when I get in my own head and I’m terrible,” McCoy said quietly.

Cora glanced at Keenser who nodded back at her.

“It’ll be ok,” she reassured him.

Three turns at the controls, three crashes.

Relief flowed through McCoy as he saw Scotty heading towards him as he crossed campus after class. He was on his way to his appointment with Dr. Cuthbert and could use some comfort from his husband first.

Part 388

Scotty

Scotty was waiting right where he had promised Leonard to wait. When the prince stepped out of the building, he didn't look nearly as miserable as he had looked before the therapy session, however Scotty could see that his comfort was still badly needed.

"Ye wanna take a wee walk or should we head to our room right away, mo ghràdh?" the Scotsman asked once they started moving hand in hand. He sent his love a worried glance.

Leonard shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know. Maybe fresh air will be good for me. Helps me clear my head," he mumbled half-heartedly and Scotty smiled softly.

"How about a walk through town? Maybe we can find a nice spot to eat dinner? I mean... it's not like the food at the academy is bad, but... I'm quite sure there are better places in town."

Leonard apparently couldn't help the smile forming on his lips either. He nodded.

"That sounds good. Who knows? Maybe we'll find a new favorite restaurant."

"That's the spirit."

They walked in silence for a little while until they were off campus. It was nice to just enjoy each other's company, but Scotty knew that he needed to be the one to get a conversation started.

"So... how was yer session with Dr. Cuthbert?"

Leonard sighed deeply.

"It just felt horrible. To tell him about all the setbacks I made. Three times! I crashed three times in the simulator. I really thought that I had gotten a hand on the controls by now. But apparently I'm still as much as a failure as I was in the beginning."

It was quite obvious how badly this was gnawing at the prince. But Scotty didn't like how hard his husband was on himself.

"Ye're not a failure, Leonard. Ye never were. It... just takes a wee bit of time to get back into flying."

Leonard snorted.

"Not for Keenser. He flew the shuttle perfectly."

Scotty rolled his eyes.

"Aye, well. Ye're talking about Keenser. The wee lad loves ships and shuttles almost as much as I do. Ye cannae compare yerself to him."

"Then what about Cora? She was good too! She crashed one single time and then, after that, everything went fine." Leonard didn't seem about to give up and Scotty only shook his head. This was going to be a tough one.

The Scotsman stopped and cupped Leonard's face in both his hands.

"Listen to me, mo ghràdh. Stop comparing yerself to others. It doesn't matter how good or bad they are. It doesn't matter how good or bad ye are. All that matters is that ye do the best ye can. And then ye'll get back to the point ye were at. Trust me."

For a long moment the two of them just looked each other in the eyes. Emotions and thoughts were exchanged silently and eventually Leonard nodded.

"You... you're right, leannan. I can do this. I... I trust you."

Scotty nodded too before he pressed a kiss to Leonard's lips.

"Now... let's grab something to eat. I feel like I'm about to starve!"

[hummingbird-of-light]

In Our Favor

Part 385

McCoy

“You ready for this lab tomorrow?”

McCoy looked over at Eugene walking beside him.

“Not in the slightest,” he grinned.

“I am glad we’re starting with an easy one for review,” Eugene mused.

“Well they probably assume we forget everything we learned over vacation.”

Eugene laughed. “Some of us probably did. There’s one or two familiar faces missing in our classes.”

“Couldn’t cut it in medical or Starfleet I wonder. I hope we both make it.”

“Course we will! We’ll be the two best doctors Starfleet has ever seen!”

McCoy laughed at the exaggerated smile on Eugene’s face.

“You think we’ll get assigned to the same ship someday?”

McCoy’s eyes turned thoughtful. “It might be kind of silly to have the two best doctors on the same ship…”

“True,” Eugene agreed with a smile.

“We’ll probably be assigned together at some point when we get further in. Training on ships and that.” As McCoy spoke the words, a tightness went across his chest. He knew at some point he and Scotty would be assigned to ships to utilize their learning in practice and end up apart. How would either of them stand it?

“Hey? Leonard?”

McCoy blinked quickly and looked over at Eugene.

“I'm sorry, what?”

“You kind of zoned out,” Eugene frowned lightly. “I said a training cruise will be awesome.”

“Yeah,” McCoy agreed half heartedly.

“Ok?”

McCoy sighed. “Just thinking of how strange it’ll be when we get to that point and I have to go out—” he gestured up at the sky, “—without Scotty.”

Eugene nodded sympathetically. “Maybe you’ll both be assigned to the same ship for training. And if you don’t it’s only a few months at a time.”

McCoy couldn’t help a small smile at Eugene’s attempt to make him feel better. “True, but we’ve never really been apart for more than a couple weeks.”

“Maybe you’ll enjoy time apart.” Eugene shrugged. “Might make you even closer.”

“I think we should all go out this weekend!” Jim declared when they were all gathered at dinner.

“Ooo! Da!” Chekhov agreed quickly.

“Why?” Christine asked.

“Cause we’re all back together again,” Jim said as if it should have been obvious. “You know, before we all get bogged down in harder studies.”

“Maybe,” Uhura said as she looked around the table. “Let’s see how the week goes? How new classes are first.”

“They’ll be fine.” Jim dismissed the thought. “First week is always easy.”

“Not true,” Sulu shook his head. “I already have two papers and we have a short exam on Friday in med basics.”

“We got that covered. Scotty’ll get the answers from Bones, then tell us,” said Jim.

“I won’t,” Scotty protested. “Find yer own med student.” He winked at McCoy next to him, and the prince just shook his head with a smile.

Part 386

Scotty

The following days actually went pretty well. Scotty made a special effort to make a good impression in any of the engineering courses. He really wanted to be selected for Admiral Winston's project! Not only to impress her, but also because he was very interested in the project. It was a once in a lifetime chance. Something he just had to be part of.

On Thursday, the Scotsman met with his engineering friends during a free period.

"So what do you think? What is the best way to get selected for the project?" asked Jaylah. She looked from one boy to the other, looking for ideas.

Aporal shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't think we need to worry too much about it. At least, I don't." He pointed his hand exuberantly at himself.

Scotty rolled his eyes, but couldn't suppress a smile at the same time. By now, he was quite used to Aporal's ways.

"Oh, but of course. Because nobody's better than ye, eh?"

"That's right." Aporal nodded with a grin, ignoring Keenser's amused grunt and Jaylah's annoyed groan.

"We all have a realistic chance, but we should still make an extra effort in the upcoming tests and tasks. That way we can ensure that we will get picked," Scotty said.

"Do you really think we can do it, Montgomery Scotty?" It almost seemed as if Jaylah had very strong self-doubts. Something that wasn't very typical for her.

The Scotsman gave his alien friend a smile and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Sure thing, lass. We're already among the best in the class. If we try a little harder, we can become the very best."

Jaylah smiled back cautiously. Then she nodded, her gaze more determined.

"You are right. Well then... Let's start practicing!"

They would be the best of the best. And no one could stop them.

After his last lesson that day, Scotty met up with Leonard and accompanied him to the counseling building. It was good that he finally had the time to be there for his love. It had always been so hard to sit through his last Wednesday lesson, knowing what Leonard was going through. But that was over now.

"How was yer first flying lesson after vacation?" the Scotsman asked cautiously, snuggling a little closer to his husband. He could sense something being wrong.

Leonard sighed.

"Just as to be expected," he replied sadly and Scotty nodded understandingly. He could very well imagine what that meant.

"Shall I... accompany ye to yer session with Dr. Cuthbert maybe?" he suggested, but Leonard only shook his head. He gave Scotty a wry smile.

"No, thanks. I think... it's better if I do this alone." He pressed a kiss to Scotty's cheek as they came to a stop in front of the building. "I'll tell you more about the lesson in the simulator later."

"All right. I'll wait here for ye."

They kissed once more before Leonard entered the counseling building. Scotty waited a little longer before he decided to take a little walk. He would come back when Leonard's lesson was over.

[hummingbird-of-light]

Cute ~ 🥰💕

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