Fic: Say It With Flowers

[withthepilot]

Title: Say It With Flowers
Fandom: Star Trek XI
Rating: R
Pairing: Chekov/Sulu, established Kirk/McCoy
Notes: ~7,200 words, a healthy dose of crack. starsandgraces is the friendly beta.
Summary: Sulu obtains a special plant as a way to romantically break the ice with Chekov. When things go predictably wrong, McCoy and Kirk provide drugs, restraints and a bit of inspiration.



Sulu cradled the flowerpot in his palms carefully, admiring the large bloom sprouting from its soil. He darted away from the crew members who raced down the corridors of the ship with a grimace each time. They were all either on the move from one destination to the next, as if their quarters were on fire, or they were chatting and flirting in pairs, not watching where they were going.

"Damn kids," he muttered. His protective nature toward his plants always made him come off as a grumpy, old man. Not unlike McCoy, he thought. People just had no respect for flora in general, which consisted of some of the universe's most delicate creatures. Well, aside from those plants with teeth, large enough to consume people—those guys could hold up on their own.

He'd obtained this Catrellan love blossom as a special gift for Chekov. It resembled a Terran Rhododendron lochiae with its familiar bell shape, but with silkier petals of a dark pink hue that seemed to shimmer with gold. It also had a long, pronounced syncarpous gynoecium—a pistil, to those who didn't take the Advanced Botany elective) that gleamed with the invitation to touch, though his Catrellan dealer had explained that a touch came with a price. The flower was referred to as a "love blossom" because it sprayed pollen that resulted in a similar effect to one of Cupid's arrows: touch the gynoecium, get sprayed, and you'll fall in love with the first person you see. "For the length of one Catrellan day," the dealer had gruffly explained, his antennae wiggling. A quick conversion on Sulu's part had revealed this length of time equaled around thirty of Earth's hours.

It wasn't perfect, he reasoned. Not the best way to win the ensign's heart. But he was terrified to tell Chekov how he really felt, considering that they had adjoining quarters, shared a bathroom and would be sitting next to each other every day for the remainder of their five-year mission. Maybe it would be easier to discuss after Chekov had a glimpse of what it was like to have feelings for him, even artificial feelings.

He considered it...an icebreaker.

Sulu carried the blossom to sickbay, as opposed to Chekov's quarters, because he knew his friend had his quarterly physical scheduled. Sure enough, when he got there, he spied him sitting on a biobed, looking away with his eyes scrunched closed as McCoy took a blood sample from his arm.

"Kid, stop being such a...kid," McCoy said. He grunted and finished up quickly, his hands moving over his equipment as deftly as Sulu liked to imagine his own did when he fought in hand-to-hand combat. He placed a bandage over the spot he'd pierced, near the crook of Chekov's elbow. "I'm all done, so you can open your eyes now."

"I am sorry, Doctor," Chekov said meekly, taking McCoy's suggestion. "I have always been a bit squeamish of blood, ever since I was young boy."

"You're still a young boy, so that explains it." Chekov pouted at him but McCoy didn't notice, handing off his vials to a nurse for labeling and tests. "What do you do when you're on all those cockamamie away missions and Jim's constantly throwing himself into minefields and fists? Just close your eyes and think of the motherland?"

"A cut or a broken nose is not bad," Chekov said, waving a hand. "But to see all that blood coming out at once is not so nice. I like to keep my blood inside of my person." Sulu couldn't help but grin at that awkward turn of phrase and how cute Chekov managed to sound saying it.

"Then I'd stay away from Jim altogether," McCoy sighed. Chekov giggled and Sulu almost did as well. They both knew full well, as did all of the ship by now, that McCoy and Kirk were currently engaged in a relationship, and all of the captain's bravado and the doctor's complaints were practically foreplay for the pair. McCoy stood and nodded to Chekov. "I just gotta make sure you're not due for any inoculations or other tests. If not, you'll be outta here in a minute."

"Thank you, Doctor," Chekov said, nodding politely. Sulu saw his chance to pounce when McCoy walked away, finding himself unable to wait until the end of the physical. He was almost vibrating with excitement about the love blossom's potential and wanted to give it to Chekov as quickly as possible. He approached Chekov as quietly as he could, holding the flowerpot behind his back, out of the young man's sight.

"Hey, Pavel," he whispered.

"Hikaru!" Chekov said, beaming at him. He glanced from McCoy's back to Sulu again, sporting a look of happy surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I got a special package from Catrellas today. Something I thought you'd like." He made sure McCoy was distracted before he presented the blossom to Chekov, smiling tentatively. "I guess I couldn't wait any longer to give it to you."

"Ohh...Hikaru, my goodness, it is beautiful. And so thoughtful! You always have exquisite taste in flowers."

Chekov gingerly took the potted plant, fingering one of its shimmery petals with a reverent exhalation that nearly made Sulu melt. He was always amazed at the way Chekov could appreciate the beauty in everything and never took anything but a strong, fervent interest in things he knew Sulu enjoyed. When everyone else was busy snickering at Sulu's "plant fetish" or calling him out for sporting a "flower boner" (he was almost sure Kirk had coined that one), Chekov offered to help water his vast collection of flora and borrowed his botany books to learn more about the various plants. Sulu chalked it up to Chekov's youthful enthusiasm and his ability to soak up any and all information like a sponge. As an added bonus, it made him feel a little less weird about his hobby.

"It made me think of you," he said. He could feel himself tingle with anticipation at what was about to come. A quick glance across the room assured him that McCoy was still busy, though he seemed to be finishing up. "It's alluring, isn't it? You can't help but want to touch it."

"Da," Chekov agreed. He kept caressing the petals, which made the stigma of the gynoecium glow with a hazy halo of light. Chekov went wide-eyed at the sight, his forehead wrinkling adorably, and then looked up at Sulu. "Is okay to touch?"

"Yeah, of course," Sulu rushed to say, nodding fervently. Here it comes, he thought, watching the tip of Chekov's index finger rise and gravitate toward that glowing stigma. He licked his lips nervously, unaware of the sound of McCoy's voice across the room, coming closer.

"Hey, what the hell is—"

Chekov's fingertip landed on the stigma for a gentle stroke and then it happened: a strong puff of golden, glittering pollen blew out from the bell-shaped blossom, right into his face. He inhaled without thinking and then gave a violent-sounding cough, nearly dropping the pot, which Sulu dove to catch before it fell to the floor. Before he could congratulate himself for saving the flower, McCoy was there by the biobed, pushing him clear across the room, out of the way. Sulu stumbled, suddenly panicked.

"McCoy, don't—"

"What the FUCK do you think you're doing, Lieutenant, bringing a goddamned flower from god knows where into my goddamn sickbay without my clearance? Are you out of your damn mind?! And the kid just had blood taken—now I have to dig up his allergy chart—for all we know, that stuff could peel his skin off and—I mean, goddamn it!"

He started pawing at Chekov's neck, checking his glands and patting him on the back to help him with the coughing. When that initial reaction to the pollen died down, McCoy moved his hands to Chekov's temples, lifting his eyelids with his thumbs to make sure his eyes hadn't gone bloodshot or dissolved in their sockets. Sulu lurched forward and grabbed at McCoy's arm to stop him, hissing another plea for him to cease his examination, but it was too late. Chekov had looked at McCoy. And, well...Sulu could never claim his Catrellan dealer wasn't trustworthy.

"Doctor," Chekov whispered. His face shifted into a puppyish expression and he sucked in a deep breath as he blinked up at McCoy, his lips parting with adoration. It was love in his eyes, all right. He stared at McCoy as if he'd never seen a more angelic, perfect being in his life. "I have never noticed what a gorgeous man you are."

McCoy blinked in surprise, dropping his hands. Then he groaned. Sulu winced.

"Aw, hell. Don't tell me this thing's got some kind of sex pollen in it. What a cliché."

"Catrellan love blossom," Sulu murmured, looking down in shame. "He's kind of, um...in love with you now."

"Yes," Chekov said, nodding seriously. "That is it, exactly! I am in love with you, Doctor McCoy. You will be my true love, da? My one and only?" Chekov threw his arms around McCoy's shoulders and the doctor wrestled himself free quickly, nearly causing the ensign to fall forward off the bed. McCoy pulled him back upright, then threw his hands up in a "hell, no" pose.

"I assure you, you're not in love with me, Ensign. You're under the influence of a foreign intoxicant. It doesn't even matter how you feel right now because you're gonna feel completely different in..." He squinted at Sulu warily. "How long does this stuff last?"

"I think...about thirty hours," Sulu sighed.

"Thirty fucking—okay. Okay." McCoy took a deep breath and looked at Chekov severely, frowning at the sight of the dancing hearts still in the Russian boy's eyes and the ridiculous smile on his face. "I'm going to do some research on this Catrellan whatchamahoozy with the love jizz, here. You're going to go do your bridge shift and then spend the rest of the time that you're high on this stuff sitting alone, quietly, in your quarters. I'll give you something to put you out if you want, so the time passes faster."

"Oh, Leonard," Chekov said, looking close to a swoon. "You're so cute when you get uptight over things. Which is why you are cute all of the time!"

At that, McCoy pulled a face and pointed at Sulu. "On second thought, you get to take care of him."

"Me? But, McCoy—"

"Save it, Sulu. You're the one who unleashed this horny teenager on me, and you're the one who has to take responsibility for him."

"I am not horny! I am merely bursting with blissful fountains of love for you, Leonard!"

"Yeah, yeah. Put it in a greeting card, kid."

McCoy grunted and turned toward his private office, stopped in his tracks by a near-tackle from the young ensign, who launched himself at McCoy and perched atop his back, holding him tightly.

"Leonard, do not fight our romance!" he cried out, pressing his face to McCoy's hair. "We are like Vulcans and logic! Peanut butter and sardines! We belong together!"

"Kid, you have three seconds to get off me before I—" McCoy paused, mid-growl, to furrow his brow. "Peanut butter and sardines?"

Sulu nodded slowly. "I've seen him eat it. He's kind of insane."

At that moment, Kirk exercised his special gift for good timing and strolled into sickbay, munching on a banana and stopping dead in his tracks when he saw the three men. He paused in his chewing and cocked his head at the sight of Chekov climbing McCoy like a tree. After a few moments of quiet observation, he swallowed his mouthful.

"Okay," he finally said. "I missed something good." He looked around, arms outstretched. "Anyone care to give me a quick recap on this episode of Sickbay Theater?"

McCoy managed to shrug the much smaller and lighter Chekov from his back, pulling at the hem of his top with a huff. "He's high on sex—excuse me, love pollen."

"I accidentally, ah...brought a Catrellan love blossom in here," Sulu said, trying to look as innocent as possible. "Regrettably, it affected Pavel." Yeah, he thought to himself in annoyance, regrettable because he saw the wrong person. Damn McCoy.

"Huh," Jim only said. He finished his banana and pocketed the peel, walking up to Chekov, who was obviously struggling to regard his captain instead of McCoy. "Pavel, do you think you're capable of handling your shift today? Or do I need to call someone up from beta shift?"

"Oh, I..." Chekov cringed and Sulu could sense the mental gears whirring in overdrive as his best friend shifted between desire to be near McCoy and his devotion to his work. He balled his hands into fists and made a disgruntled sound. "Ach...no, okay, I will go. It is not necessary to find replacement, Captain."

"I still need to do research," McCoy said, folding his arms over his chest. "But if Mr. Sulu here is right about this Catrellan stuff, the pollen shouldn't hamper Ensign Chekov's ability to perform his duties. Though he might be a little...distracted."

"Right," Kirk said, pulling an apple from another pocket and taking a large bite. Sulu wrinkled his nose; Kirk seemed to carry a fruit stand around with him at all times. "Well, we don't have anything too strenuous on the bill today. Are you the only target of his adoration, Bones?"

"Yes, Leonard is the only man in the universe I adore," Chekov said. He grasped McCoy's folded arms, which earned him a small sneer from the doctor. Sulu could feel his shoulders slump further.

"Whoa, whoa," Kirk interjected, stepping forward to pry Chekov from McCoy. "This is cute and all, this little love pollen thing, but it's not gonna fly. Bones is taken, if you catch my drift, Pavel." He arched a brow to punctuate his point and Chekov huffed indignantly.

"I do not catch anything but lovebug for Leonard. 'Bones' is terrible nickname, very unromantic. I will be much better boyfriend for him."

"Like hell you will," Kirk drawled, stepping forward with his hands on his hips, suddenly looking rather possessive. Chekov squared his shoulders and nearly bumped chests with Kirk, and the two men stared each other down. McCoy clasped a hand over each one's shoulder and gave Sulu a death glare.

"Get out of my sickbay," he gritted out. "Before I inject all three of you with Andorian shingles."

"Yes, Sir," Sulu said, swallowing thickly. "I—I'll keep an eye on Pavel."

"Yeah, me too," Kirk said, turning his nose up at Chekov. The ensign merely rolled his eyes and kissed McCoy's cheek.

"See you soon, my darling Leonard," he chirped. "I will count the seconds."

He dashed out of the sickbay before Kirk had a chance to catch him. Sulu exhaled and followed after his friend, leaving two extremely pissed-off senior officers behind him. They grumbled to themselves before Kirk looked at McCoy and held out his apple, lifting his brow. McCoy regarded him with a grunt before accepting the apple and taking a bite.

Alpha shift ended up being a complete nightmare. Chekov was doing his job in his normally efficient manner, but he couldn't stop babbling to Sulu about McCoy for one damn second. Sulu stared at his console miserably and wished for a random Klingon attack to take the edge off. It also didn't help that Kirk was staring at them both for the entire shift, probably listening closely to every sappy word Chekov said. Sulu could feel the captain's eyes boring holes into his back. He only dared to turn his head to look back at him once; if looks could kill, Sulu's skin would have melted right off his bones.

"The doctor has nice hair, da?" Chekov said to Sulu. "Is like molten milk chocolate, very silky." It was probably the eighteenth feature Chekov had chosen to wax poetic about since the shift started; Sulu was beginning to hate the sound of his voice.

"Yeah, it's great. The silkiest," he grumbled.

"I would like to run it through my fingers...perhaps when the doctor and I make love later tonight." Chekov smiled happily to himself and Sulu thought he could hear Kirk digging his fingernails into the arms of his chair behind them. He leaned close to Chekov, grabbing his arm tightly.

"Will you shut the hell up about McCoy already?" he whispered. "Kirk can hear every single word you're saying. He's going to throw you in the brig if you don't keep your mouth shut."

Chekov blinked and turned to give the scowling captain a sweet smile, then shook his head at Sulu. "He will not. He is not used to competition and quick to resort to threats. But I am not worried." He leaned in close and smiled at Sulu, almost conspiratorially. "I have true love on my side."

"But Pavel," Sulu said, squinting. Maybe he could appeal to Chekov's logical side, as hindered as it was by the love pollen. "You've never shown an ounce of interest in McCoy before today...don't you think he's right when he says it's just the pollen? And he's involved with the captain and seems happy with that. What if he breaks your heart? I mean..." He swallowed, looking down at his console again, fiddling with a lever. "There's nothing worse than being on the wrong end of unrequited love."

Chekov's expression shifted to one of sympathy as he touched Sulu's shoulder. "Da, that is true. I have never liked it." Sulu looked up again, about to ask when Chekov had ever been a victim of unrequited love—who would say no to him, aside from the already committed McCoy?—when Chekov continued. "But I have always been sure of what I want. It is how I became youngest member of Starfleet. I wanted it, always knew this, so I did it. And now I want Doctor McCoy."

Sulu exhaled as he took in his friend's determined expression, not knowing what to say. Who was he to stand in the way of love—even if it was unnatural, drug-addled love? But he had orders to keep Chekov away from McCoy for the duration of the time the pollen remained in his system, and he had to hold fast to that. They only had, oh...nineteen hours to go. Piece of cake.

"Gah." Sulu shut his eyes briefly and then held up his hands to Chekov, as if to relent. "Okay, Pavel, listen. You are under the influence of the blossom's pollen right now, and there's no denying that, so that's why no one's taking you too seriously. But if you wake up tomorrow and decide that you're still in love with McCoy, then...no one's gonna stop you from getting what you want. Well, Kirk might, but I won't. But until then, I'm in charge of watching over you and making sure you stay out of trouble and leave McCoy alone. Got that?"

"Of course, Hikaru. You are very dedicated and obedient Starfleet officer." Chekov turned his gaze back to his console, but Sulu could see a devious smile playing at the corner of his mouth. "But I am dedicated, also."

Sulu sighed inwardly. Okay, so leveling with Chekov wasn't a problem. Outsmarting him, however? That was a different story. It was almost impossible to think faster on his feet than Chekov did, and hell, that was what he loved about the kid. But when Chekov started in about McCoy's kissable lips, Sulu's affection couldn't cap his sudden thoughts of a swift lobotomy for the kid.

He received a communication from McCoy, just before the end of their shift, to bring Chekov over to sickbay for a quick check-up. He was surprised that McCoy was willing to see Chekov again in his current state, but the man was nothing if not a thorough physician. He could admire that. He was about to turn and tell Chekov where they were going as the shift's final seconds counted down, when the ensign jumped from his chair and went running off the bridge, before Sulu could even say a word.

"Sulu, keep him away from Bones!" Kirk shouted, rising from his chair.

"Yes, Sir!" Sulu replied, though he knew it was useless when Chekov had a head start like that. It was difficult enough to keep up with the kid's speed on a level playing field. He jumped to his feet and went sprinting down the halls, heading toward sickbay and just knowing Chekov was easily going to beat him there. He puffed out harsh breaths as he ran, figuring he was going to be greeted with the sight of a flustered and screaming McCoy, trying to yank a desperate Chekov off his body.

But when he got there, completely out of breath, McCoy was sitting at a desk, idly writing on a PADD. He looked up at Sulu blankly, offering only a mere lift of his brow at the lieutenant's condition.

"Well, I didn't say to hurry," he said with a drawl. "But I appreciate the punctuality."

"Where's Chekov?" Sulu said, gulping at the air.

"I figured he'd be with you. He's not?"

"No, I...I was gonna bring him here, but he ran off somewhere. So I ran, too, figuring he was heading over here."

"Haven't seen him. Unless he's hiding under a bed somewhere." McCoy paused to look around the sickbay suspiciously and Sulu saw him surreptitiously pocket a small hypospray. "Well, as long as he's not crawling all over me, I don't care where the hell he is. The main reason I called you in is to tell you that you were pretty much right about the pollen's effects, and that Chekov's gonna be fine. It might even flush out of his system earlier than thirty hours in, since he's young and has such a high metabolism. So I'd make sure he gets lots of fluids in the mean time, and just keep him busy. He'll wake up tomorrow and be himself again."

"That's a relief," Sulu said, pushing the sweaty hair back from his brow. He pursed his lips as he looked at McCoy, the picture of grumpy professionalism, and felt a wave of guilt wash over him. Catrellan love blossom. I'm such an idiot, he thought. "Listen, McCoy...I'm sorry about bringing the blossom in here without your permission."

"Yeah, well, you should be," he grunted.

"I just couldn't wait to give it to Chekov."

"And why's that?" McCoy asked. He looked up with an expression that said he already knew too well. Sulu hesitated, shifting uncomfortably, and McCoy shook his head, relieving him of the discomfort of answering. "Damn it, Sulu. You got something against plain old flowers and candy?" He paused, then held up a finger. "Roses. Roses and candy."

"I just wanted him to look at me for once and...really see me," he whispered.

McCoy laughed faintly at that and Sulu scowled, expecting to hear something gruff and smart-assed along with it, completely surprised when the doctor said, "Yeah, I know what you mean." He signed off on a PADD and sighed, leaning back in his chair. "I felt like that 'round Jim for ages. Seemed like he'd jump on anything that moved except me. 'Course, when I finally said something about it, he said it was because he had too much 'respect' for me. Can you believe that crap?"

"So, what did you do?" Sulu asked, very curious. He'd never heard this story before, as he wasn't really close with either Kirk or the doctor.

"I said, 'Damn it, Jim, you can respect me in the morning; I want to go to bed with you now.'" He grinned and Sulu couldn't help but laugh. "You know Jim, he couldn't say no to that. But then I woke up the next morning and, what do you know, there's a goddamn bouquet of calla lilies next to me in the bed." He quirked a small smile and looked up at the ceiling, propping his feet on his desk. "Bet you didn't know our captain was a secret romantic."

"I never would have guessed. Sounds like a happy ending." Sulu smiled fondly, ignoring the small voice in his head that told him he'd never get his own happy ending. "I guess I haven't built up that kind of courage yet."

"Well...you will. Give it time. And whatever happens, at least you'll know it was real and not the result of some kind of Catrellan hypno-voodoo." McCoy picked up a hypospray and held it out to Sulu. "Speaking of, use this tonight if the kid's too busy writing love poems to go to sleep."

Just then, Chekov burst through the entrance to the sickbay, holding up a large bouquet of blood-red roses and a heart-shaped box of chocolates, grinning. "Leonard, I am sorry for my delay! I had to go to the replicator to obtain these gifts of affection." He ran over to McCoy's side, handing him the presents and kissing his cheek. "For you," he said. Sulu almost thought he could see the doctor blush.

"Ah...thanks," McCoy said, clearing his throat. Sulu slipped the hypospray into his pocket and moved to pull Chekov away from McCoy. "It's okay," he said, looking up at Chekov's earnest face with a sigh. "As long as you don't kiss me again."

"May I sit on your lap?" Chekov asked brightly.

"Hell, no. You can sit next to Sulu over there," and he pointed to the other side of the room, "and watch me as I get my work done."

"I will watch you in rapture!" Chekov said, letting Sulu lead him away and push him down into a chair. He leaned forward and gazed at McCoy with his chin in his palm, looking lovesick, but otherwise content.

"Great." McCoy cleared his throat again and shuffled some papers around, trying to put himself at ease. "And for future reference," he said, turning his head, "I prefer calla lilies."

The doctor went back to his work and Chekov looked up at Sulu, pained. "I did not know," he whispered.

"It's not your fault. Only people who know McCoy really well would know that." Sulu faked a smile and patted Chekov's knee, amazed when it seemed to pacify him.

After McCoy went off duty, he and Kirk were generous enough to allow Chekov to eat dinner in the mess with them, as long as Sulu sat next to him and kept an eye on him. Sulu got the idea that it was more of McCoy's generosity at work than Kirk's, as the captain kept growling at the look of puppy love on Chekov's face and kicked the ensign under the table when he tried to play footsie with McCoy. Sulu kept forcing Chekov to drink water, as per his earlier instructions, and apart from a few bites of pasta, that was all he consumed. McCoy put his fork down with a clatter when he finished his meatloaf and stood abruptly.

"All right, gentlemen, this has been great fun, but Jim and I are going to retire to our quarters now."

"I will come, too!" Chekov said, standing as well.

"No, you'll stay right here with Sulu." Jim got to his feet and motioned to Sulu, who nodded and joined the three of them in rising.

"Yeah, come on, Pavel, I'll stay with you in your room tonight," he said.

"But the doctor and I have much lovemaking to do!"

The other three men exchanged incredulous looks.

A few moments later, Chekov and Sulu were shoved forcefully into Chekov's quarters and Kirk called out that he was using a special captain's code to lock the door from the inside. "I'll come back in the morning to remove it!" he called as his footfalls faded away, causing Chekov to whimper.

"Don't worry about it, Pavel." Sulu shucked off his uniform and left his boxers on, going over to help Chekov undress. He tried not to pay attention to the beautiful, pale expanse of skin beneath his fingers. "The sooner we go to sleep, the quicker the morning will come, and you'll be rid of the aftereffects."

"Da...I suppose you are right, Hikaru." He waved him off with a faint smile. "I can undress myself, but thank you. You are a good friend."

Sulu nodded faintly and tried to muster a smile. Good friend, right. He sure was. He resisted the urge to punch himself in the face as he went to Pavel's bed and got under the covers. He'd slept there many times before, as he often nodded off there after some of their more interesting nighttime conversations, so the overwhelming scent of Pavel wasn't as jarring as it could have been.

He was fast asleep by the time Chekov managed to override Kirk's code and let himself out, which was only twenty minutes later. It was another ten minutes after that when Sulu was roused by the door chime and the captain's voice, demanding that he wake up immediately. He sat up in the bed, groggy with too little sleep, and roused quickly when he realized Chekov wasn't there beside him.

When the door opened, Kirk was standing there in his boxer-briefs, holding a completely naked Chekov by the scruff of his neck. "I believe this belongs to you?"

On went the virtual handcuff, snapping closed around Chekov's thin wrist, the other half secured to his bedpost. Chekov writhed around in protest and Sulu tried not to look directly at him. He was very wriggly and very, very nude.

"That oughta hold him," Kirk said, nodding with his hands on his hips. He clapped Sulu on the shoulder. "And Hikaru, buddy, if he interrupts me and Bones while we're, uh...in flagrante delicto again, I'm gonna throw both of you in the brig."

"But I didn't do anything!"

"You were asleep when you should have been watching him. Give the kid what Bones gave you, and in the mean time, stay the fuck up."

"Captain, release me this instant! Please!" Chekov yelled, practically begging.

"It's for your own good, Pavel! You'll thank me tomorrow." He went to the door and Sulu followed him, exhaling in frustration.

"I'm sorry, Jim. I'll do a better job this time."

"Good," Kirk simply said. He stepped out and the door whooshed shut behind him. Sulu looked at it for a moment before turning away, when the chime sounded again. He reopened the door, blinking at the reappearance of Kirk. "Oh, and Sulu?"

"Yeah?"

"Your l'il buddy forgot this." He tossed Chekov's briefs at Sulu. They landed on his head.

"...Thanks," he murmured. Kirk smirked as the door closed and Sulu heard him punch in another code, likely a new one. He pulled the briefs off his face and turned to scowl at Chekov, who was still thrashing around on the bed. Sulu went over and climbed back on the mattress, pushing Chekov down by his stomach. He'd had enough of this crap already, and he found himself hissing down at Chekov. "Pavel. Cut the shit, quit moving around and go to fucking sleep. Oh, and put on your damn underwear." He threw the briefs down at Chekov, who ignored them.

"Please, I need the code! I want the handcuffs off, please give me the code!"

"There is no code! You need a chip to unlock them and I don't have it, Kirk does!" That only made Chekov kick his legs harder, rolling around and sobbing. Sulu did his best to hold him down in one place, shouting now. "And stop being such a baby! You're going to get us both in trouble and I'm tired of having to watch you like a hawk!"

"That is easy for you to say, Hikaru! You are the one who did this to me, and now I am in love with someone who would rather have sex with Captain Jerk! This is worst feeling in the entire world! You are a monster!"

Sulu looked down at him in shock, slinking back onto his haunches in horror as Chekov started to openly cry. He covered his face with his hands and took a shuddery breath. God, all he'd wanted was for Chekov to see him in a new light. How had it gone so terribly wrong? Even when Chekov got over the pollen, he was never going to forgive Sulu for humiliating him like this. In the end, he'd done nothing but hurt someone he cared about.

He was startled from his thoughts when Chekov grabbed his wrist with his free hand, sniffling with tear-stained cheeks. "Please, no...Hikaru," he whispered, hiccupping lightly. "I am sorry. I did not mean to say that...please don't hate me, too."

"No one hates you, Pavel," Sulu murmured, fighting back his own tears at the sight of Chekov so upset.

"Not true...McCoy hates me...and Kirk hates me for loving McCoy." He bit his lip hard and finally stopped moving, his chest heaving with the effort. Tears now flowed openly from his large eyes. "Why does McCoy not love me back?" he whispered. "Am I so horrible?"

"No, Pavel, no, you're not horrible at all...you're the most special person I know, the most important person to me on this entire ship. Anyone would be crazy not to love you."

"So McCoy is crazy...?"

"Not crazy, he just...he's really, truly happy with Jim. Difficult as that is to believe. Those two belong together." Sulu shook his head, reaching down to wipe his friend's wet cheeks. "One day you'll find someone just as good, if not better, who loves you just like that...who can give you back all that love you have inside you."

Chekov managed a small smile and Sulu marveled at how it lit up his entire face. "You mean this, Hikaru?"

"I can't not believe it. It wouldn't make sense to me any other way." Sulu smiled back faintly and then sighed, watching Chekov's placated expression. "Are you tired?"

"Not really," Chekov whispered. "I wish I were."

"Well...McCoy gave me a sedative I can administer, if you need it. Want it?"

The young boy looked away in thought, blowing a stray curl from his forehead. He finally nodded. Sulu got up and retrieved the hypospray from his uniform, crumpled on the floor, and went back to the bed. He gave Chekov's hand a squeeze before sinking the hypospray into his neck. The boy hissed faintly and then sighed, seeming to finally relax as his eyes drooped closed. Sulu tossed the empty hypospray away and got back under the covers, making sure Chekov's form was covered as well.

"Lights off," he said, and after the room went dim, "'Night, Pavel." He shut his eyes.

Sulu woke up before his alarm went off and then realized he wasn't even in his own room. That explained the lack of alarm. He turned to look at Chekov, still fast asleep beside him, looking peaceful and angelic for the first time in over a day. Sulu turned his head again when he heard a rustling sound coming from the other side of the room. He walked over to the door and retrieved a small envelope with the virtual handcuff chip inside, as well as a note: Don't let this happen again. Tell the kid how you feel, dumbass Sulu. Hugs and kisses Sincerely, JTK & LM.

Sulu rolled his eyes, a bit fondly. It was obviously a collaborative effort.

He went to the bed and used the chip to undo the virtual handcuff, watching as it dissolved into thin air. Sulu perched on the edge of the bed then, lightly rubbing along Chekov's hand and forearm, trying to return some circulation to his limb. He worked on massaging the boy's palm, looking up when Chekov's nose wrinkled cutely, the sleepy haze lifting from his visage.

"Mmm...that is nice, Hikaru." He opened his eyes a few moments later, blinking in shock at the sight of Sulu, who smiled down at him. Chekov looked ready to blush down to his toes. "Oh! Hikaru...I didn't know you were really here."

"Who else would it be?"

"Well, no one, but...I thought it was a dream." He did blush then, wriggling his fingers with a furrowed brow. "My arm is napping."

"You mean it fell asleep? I know." Sulu couldn't help a grin. "It was in the same position all night because of the handcuffs."

"Handcuffs?" Chekov repeated, confused. It took a moment before realization dawned over him, and Sulu supposed that they wouldn't be so lucky as to benefit from unknown, memory-lapsing Catrellan side effects. "Oh, god...yesterday! I remember everything! I did not leave Doctor McCoy alone all day, I—I brought him roses! And chocolate! Oh, my god, I cannot believe I did all of those things...I am so embarrassed!"

"Pavel, don't worry. The only people who know about it are you, me, McCoy and Kirk, and I'm sure they would both be happy to never discuss it again." Chekov gave him a positively filthy look and Sulu immediately tried to backtrack. "I mean...they won't tell anyone or hold it against you. They know you were drugged; it's okay."

"Yes, I was drugged. By that horrible plant you gave me." Chekov pouted and carefully took his arm back from Sulu, flopping back down on the bed. "Why would you give me such a thing? I do not believe you could not have known what it would do to me. You know too much about plants." He gave Sulu a cross yet saddened look, his voice small. "Hikaru, why did you want to make me into a fool?"

"I...I didn't, Pavel, I swear." And here it came, the words right on the tip of Sulu's damn tongue and it was still an effort to get them out. He could do this—McCoy told him so, and he owed it to Pavel to tell him the truth and okay, here it was, right here, he was going to do it, right now. "I...fuck, I'm so sorry, Pavel."

"I am, too. For trusting you as my friend."

Chekov gave him an icy glare and then picked up his briefs, pulling them on and climbing out of bed. Sulu fisted his hands in his hair and nearly pulled some out, shutting his eyes tightly and telling himself he had to say it, just say it say it say it.

"I wanted you to fall in love with me."

The Russian stopped dead in his tracks then, turning and giving Sulu an almost disbelieving look. "You what?"

"I...Pavel, it was all a terrible mistake. I bought the love blossom for you because I wanted you to fall for me. But McCoy pushed me out of the way and then I couldn't get back in your line of sight before..." He tugged at his hair again and squinted before dropping his hands altogether. He knew he looked pathetic, sitting there topless with Pavel's sheets bunched around his hips, and he sounded pathetic to match, but he couldn't stop now. "It was a really stupid idea to give you that flower. I know that now. I just wanted you to see me the way I see you."

"And how do you see me?" Pavel said, returning to the bed and climbing atop it. Sulu was practically blinded by him, how beautiful and languid he was.

"I...I think you're gorgeous." He swallowed heavily, willing himself to go on. "And smart, so fucking smart. And talented, and funny, and...the way you always throw yourself into a challenge and how you always remember to water my plants when I'm on an away mission..." He laughed to himself then, and Pavel laughed as well, nodding. Sulu brightened a little, hearing that. "And, well...the fact that you even take an interest in my plants at all—that you like them as much as I do."

Chekov wrinkled his nose, waving a hand. "Ah...I do not like them so much."

"Huh? You don't? But I thought..."

"Hikaru. I like them because you like them." He crawled closer to Sulu on the bed, sitting close enough then to nearly steal the lieutenant's breath. He smiled sheepishly, his rose-tinted lips stretched wide. "Because I like you."

"You do...?" Sulu blinked at him in shock, unable to believe this turn of events.

"Of course I do. Have you not noticed the way I am always hanging all over you? Is what I meant when we discussed unrequited love yesterday. I feel sometimes I throw myself at you and you are more interested in trees." He pouted faintly at Sulu's shocked look. "I mean it. Wanting McCoy seemed very...unnatural, inside. It was not real. I could feel it in my sleep when the pollen wore away...in my dream, the man there with me changed from McCoy into you." He lifted his brow and leaned closer to Sulu, laughing when the other man nervously licked his lips in response. Chekov placed a hand on his wrist to calm him. "I do not need a plant to feel something for you."

Sulu lightly grasped Chekov's wrist in response, reaching up on instinct to toy with the boy's bouncing curls. He didn't know where to look first: his hair, the endless depths of his blue-grey eyes, his adorably pointed ears. Looking at his mouth was out of the question, or Sulu would be far too compelled to kiss it.

"I am a dumbass," he whispered. Chekov laughed brightly.

"Only if you don't kiss me now."

"Well, in that case, I have to defend my honor."

Sulu grinned and leaned in to erase the distance between them, brushing his lips against Chekov's, feather soft. The light touch earned him a lovely sigh from the ensign's lips and encouraged him to deepen the kiss, taking the smooth planes of Chekov's face in his hands and stroking his cheekbones. Even with a hint of morning breath, Chekov's mouth was the sweetest that Sulu had ever tasted. He was probably biased, but he didn't mind.

Chekov broke the kiss with a quiet sound and licked hotly across Sulu's mouth, dizzying him. "How long until our shift starts...?"

"We've definitely got a few hours."

"Good." Chekov scooted further back onto the bed, pulling Sulu along so that he was stretched above his body. Sulu leaned down and kissed him once, twice, earning him a brilliant smile. "I see now what this means," Chekov whispered.

"What's that?"

"I owe you a proper courting, the way I tried with Doctor McCoy. Is only right."

Sulu scoffed but smiled fondly, lying along Chekov's side. "That's sweet, Pavel, but I'm not really a fan of roses."

"Of course not. Your favorite flowers are Talaxian tiger eyes. Anyone who knows you at all knows that."

Sulu blinked, looking at Chekov in wonder before kissing him tenderly. What had he been thinking? People who belonged together didn't need icebreakers.