The Vacancy

By Karmen Ghia

Disclaimer: Copyright 1999 by Karmen Ghia. This is an original work of amateur fiction based on Star Trek. It makes transformative use of Star Trek and is intended only for noncommercial purposes. This work makes "fair use" of Star Trek copyrighted material; it is not intended to infringe on the intellectual property rights of Paramount, Viacom or other owners of copyright in Star Trek or any of their assignees or licensees. The author's copyright extends only to the original material in this work.

Archive: Okay to archive provided that headers, disclaimers, my name, and email are attached. Please archive complete text only and drop me a note at karmen_ghia@yahoo.com to let me know where it is. Thank you in advance.

Beta by Jane; proofread by Sigrid (aka Anne). Many, many thanks.

The Vacancy

By Karmen Ghia

"Come visit me in Bremen, lad, there'll always be room in my bed for ye." Scott cheerfully kissed Chekov on the mouth as he swung out the door with his pack. Everything else had been hauled away before Chekov got home.

Chekov was still standing on the porch with Blue, the dog, when Spock came home.

"Mr. Scott left a message that he was going to Bremen to work on the new courier class warp drive. Do you know when he returns, Pavel?"

"NEVER."

***

'Dear Jim,

'Congratulations on your new posting in San Francisco.

'There is a vacant bedroom in the house I share with Ensign Chekov. You may make temporary or permanent use of it if you wish.

'Spock'

***

'That's not the bedroom I want to move into, Spock,' Kirk thought wryly, dressing for dinner with Chekov in Manhattan. Chekov's new posting required him to be in New York now and again and Kirk usually spent some time with him on these visits. Kirk's esteem for the youngster had gradually warmed into affection and sexual attraction but the captain simply dismissed it by assuming that Scotty would never leave him a clear field. As we and Kirk know, the situation had changed rather abruptly. This would be Kirk's first view of the ensign since Scotty had walked out on him.

At the end of the five year mission, the crew of the Enterprise had been reassigned. Kirk to the Fleet's diplomatic mission in New York, McCoy to a teaching hospital and research facility in Stockholm, Uhura to develop a new translator implant in Buenos Aries, Commodore Keane snapped up Sulu as his flagship pilot and was headed for the outer rim. Spock was in a lab at the Institute, Scott at the shipyard in Oakland and Chekov assigned to Admiral Calhoun's staff and all of them in the San Francisco bay area.

Kirk had looked the other way when Chekov and Scotty started sleeping together on the Enterprise so he was only mildly surprised when they moved in together. He had never thought of Scotty as the type for settling into domestic arrangements with anything but a core generator but he was wrong. However, it was more of a shock when Kirk received a change of address from all three that indicated they were moving into the same house together in Orinda. Apparently, Kirk had been looking so far the other way on the Enterprise, he'd failed to notice that Spock was sleeping with Chekov occasionally as well. According to Scotty, Chekov only spent Tuesday nights with Spock. It was inconvenient for 'the lad' to have to commute, so when Spock found a house he fancied enough to buy, he'd suggested they all move in together and not only save on expenses but save wear and tear on Chekov. Also, these three had worked and socialized in harmony for so long on the Enterprise they were comfortable enough with each other to live peacefully under the same roof. Kirk might have pegged Scotty as the jealous type, but then again, how could anyone be jealous of Spock one night a week? This arrangement appeared to have worked very well until Scotty was seduced away by the siren's song of warp drive technology and jumped ship.

Kirk was contemplating this when Chekov arrived soaking wet.

***

Spock paused in the solitude of his temporarily Terran-free house and considered staying up all night. Chekov was in New York and did not need comforting. Therefore, there was no reason to go to bed at all.

The navigator was so restless the first night after Scott's departure that Spock had brought the young human into his bed. Never intending this to become the usual arrangement -- Spock was perfectly content with Tuesday nights only -- they had continued to share the Vulcan's bed every night.

Until tonight when Pavel was in New York. With Jim. It would be twenty hundred hours now. They would be dining. With that thought, Spock turned his attention to his own dinner.

But first he bent to scratch Blue's ears in acknowledgment of the dog's welcome. Spock then changed out of his uniform and took the dog for a run.

***

"You're drenched, Pavel."

"Yes, sir." Chekov pushed his dripping bangs off his forehead. "Is it always impossible to find a taxi here when it rains?"

"Yes. You should have ducked in somewhere and called me."

"What would you have done?"

Kirk paused. "Gone out to find an unfindable taxi."

"Then we'd both be soaked."

Kirk smiled. "There's a robe in the bathroom. Take a hot shower if it will warm you up. I'll order in; is Thai Andorian all right?"

"Yes. As long as it has dead flesh in it. I've been cooking for Spock and I'm sick of grains and vegetables," Chekov tossed over his shoulder as he made his soggy way into the bath.

Kirk made quick work of the food order and took a moment to recall the story Pavel had told him on his first visit. How Spock acquired a dog, a house and two housemates all in one afternoon.

According to Pavel, Spock's driver had swerved but failed to avoid the dog, which was partially crushed under one wheel. After determining that the animal was alive and had a good chance of survival, Spock had lifted the screaming creature into the car and been driven to the nearest veterinarian. The Vulcan and his much abashed driver, had returned to the scene of the accident and found a very distraught family, made nearly hysterical by seeing their pet's blood on Spock's uniform. The neighbors came out and they were upset as well. The children were hustled away from the scene.

Eventually, the father of the family calmed enough to have a serious discussion, re: the injured dog, with Spock. They were joined by the next door neighbor, who had her own interest in the subject. The case was simple: the family was moving to Kabul in a week and under a great deal of stress because they had not sold their house and also because they could not take their dog, Blue, the one that Spock's driver had nearly crushed to death. The neighbor spoke up at this point to inform Spock that she had agreed to take Blue, the dog, into her care until she could find him a new home. This task would be complicated to the point of impossibility considering that the dog was now maimed.

Spock looked at the distressed faces before him, looked at the rambling wood frame house, the large unkempt yard with its huge shady oak tree and clumps of wilting grass and made an appointment to meet the father of the family at the real estate broker's office first thing in the morning. Since Spock paid cash, the title changed hands quickly and smoothly.

'And Blue?' Kirk had asked.

'Well, that's my fault, I think,' Chekov had admitted.

Blue sustained such serious injury to his left hind leg that it had to be amputated. However, the hip reconstruction was a complete success. He would have to be in the veterinary hospital for several weeks. The veterinarian suggested that it was possible for the dog to live a full and happy life with three legs if Spock could not afford a prosthetic leg or chose not to spend so much money on a multi-breed animal. Ascertaining from the vet that Blue was young enough, strong enough and healthy enough for the prosthetic surgery, Spock gave the go-ahead and even took the morning off work to observe the surgery, which he found fascinating. That evening when the dog was conscious, Spock went to see him on his way home. When Blue was strong enough for physical therapy, Spock assisted the animal handler each evening he had free.

Having moved into the house by then, Chekov noticed that Spock was stopping to see the dog on his way home. Intrigued, Chekov asked to accompany the Vulcan on one of these visits. The Russian squatted by the cage, took one look into those big brown dog eyes and was finished. He asked what Spock was going to do with Blue. Spock replied that once the dog was in good health, he would be turned over to the neighbor, who would find him a home. Chekov looked up at Spock with his big brown Terran eyes and Spock had added 'unless you think we should keep him.'

***

Spock finished his run with Blue and, as always, listened to the mechanisms in the animal's prosthetic left hind leg. It sounded 'limber' and in good condition to the Vulcan, who, aside from Blue himself, was the only one who could hear it. A quick visual scan informed him that Blue was in good spirits and only slightly fatigued so they circled the block again.

On the second lap, Spock recalled that Blue had not reacted well to the engineer's departure either. The dog had sat on the porch each evening at the usual time for Scott to come home. Sometimes he howled. After a week, Blue gave up and stopped waiting for what was not going to happen.

***

"So," Kirk said, as he settled next to Chekov on the couch with an after dinner cognac, "was it a shock when Scotty left?"

"Yes," Chekov sighed sadly. "Very much so. Montgomery had introduced me to his entire family, all his friends and was living with me. I was under the mistaken impression it was a long-term arrangement."

"I see." Kirk placed a comforting hand on Chekov knee and left it there.

"He also told me he loved me," Chekov continued, bolting his wine. "I seem to have misunderstood that, too."

"Not really, Pavel," Kirk soothed, refilling the ensign's snifter. "I'm sure he does love you. He just loves warp drives more."

***

Blue loved Spock enough to eat the meat-free slop the Vulcan fed him when no one was around to open a can of proper dog food. Casting one final look of canine devotion at his master, Blue began scarf up the slop.

Spock rinsed the can, put it in the recycler, washed his hands and focused on making his own dinner.

***

"Have you answered, Spock yet?" Chekov asked.

"No."

"It's a very nice house and the dog is well-behaved. You'll have a car and driver but there's transport nearby. Lots of trees and quiet and…"

"Pavel, I don't need convincing. Even Spock's description made it sound perfect."

"But you hesitate."

"Yes."

"Why?" Chekov leaned closer and unintentionally looked 'come hither' in his intensity. "Don't you want to?"

Kirk brushed the ensign's hair out of the ensign's eyes. It was something he'd always wanted to do. "Part of it - most of it - depends on you," he murmured. "On what you want, Pavel."

***

Blue leaned against Spock's legs and laid his head on Spock's knees.

The Vulcan reached down and patted the dog's shoulder. He left his hand there to reassure the dog and forestall any pushy behavior from the animal. Spock reflected that were Chekov home, the ensign would be curled up next to him on the couch. Patting Blue, Spock wondered why he was thinking of Chekov. The Terran had stayed closer than usual but that was due to the trauma of Scott's abrupt departure. Several weeks had elapsed and, although he was still sleeping in Spock's bed, the ensign seemed to be completely recovered. On the other hand, Spock had done nothing to discourage the ensign's presence in his bed. In fact, the Vulcan rather enjoyed the extra warmth.

'Soon he will find someone new,' Spock mused. 'Perhaps he will leave here to live with him or her when that time comes.' He scratched Blue's ears and listened to the silence of the house and decided he could live with it. He would even enjoy it. However, this was not a serious possibility; Kirk would most likely move in whether Pavel lived here or not. The most ideal arrangement would be for Kirk to take Scott's place and… Spock turned off that train of thought, rose and went into the kitchen to make some tea.

Blue went with him in case he needed company in there.

***

"Me? How does it depend on me?"

Kirk ignored the question and cut right to the chase: "I'd like to kiss you now, Pavel."

Chekov leaned forward and marveled at the softness of Kirk's lips. He had always thought, when he'd given it any thought at all, that they'd be harder.

Unaware of this train of thought, Kirk kissed him, holding his mouth against Chekov's and gently sliding the tip of his tongue in between the Russian's lips. Chekov met it with the tip of his. As they touched, they each got a sensation a little like an electric shock. Impressed, Kirk stroked Chekov's warm brown hair and deepened the kiss.

***

Ushering Blue to his climate controlled doghouse in the yard, Spock decided to spend the rest of the night meditating.

***

Breathless, Chekov broke the kiss and rested his forehead on Kirk's shoulder. He listened to the older man's mellow chuckle as the captain pulled the robe loose and slipped his hands around Chekov's waist.

Kirk slid his hands to Chekov's ass and pulled him close as he reclaimed the younger man's mouth. Feeling Chekov relax, Kirk drew back to look at him: flushed cheeks and bruised lips below warm, glowing eyes. 'Is this what Scott saw every night but Tuesdays?' he mused. 'No wonder he was happy.' Keeping one arm around his waist, Kirk pushed Chekov onto his back. His other hand moved to stroke the Russian's arching cock. Kirk brushed away Chekov's hands as he tried to undo his pants, "Shhh, later," he crooned, bending to graze on the nicely defined chest and rock hard nipples beneath him. Caressing further south, Kirk nuzzled into to the soft pubic thatch and around the base of Chekov's erection before devouring him.

Chekov gasped and would have thrust up but he was held too securely. He ran his fingers through Kirk's golden hair and stroked the powerful shoulders. "… slow down, I can't…" He felt the captain growl his refusal around his cock and came in a long, back arching wave of pleasure that shook him to his core.

Kirk swallowed and lingered a few moments more before lifting his head to behold the charming sight of pure sexual bliss in front of him. The robe was open to reveal Chekov's rosy heaving chest, parted lips and tousled hair. This was worth seeing and Kirk was enjoying the view.

Stretching voluptuously, Chekov opened his eyes to find Kirk studying him as if he were memorizing him. He met and held the older man's gaze, waiting for the next thing.

"Let's go into the bedroom, Pavel."

Chekov reached for his cognac snifter and took a leisurely sip as if he were thinking this request over before he rose from the couch. "May I call you Jim?"

"I should think so," Kirk laughed, realizing he'd never given the ensign permission to use his first name. He watched Chekov smile shyly, pull the robe together and saunter into the bedroom.

Always a good host, Kirk yanked the covers back and pushed Chekov into his bed. Quickly dispensing with his own clothes, Kirk joined him in bed and lay full length on him. He ran his hands over as much of the soft skin stretched over hard muscle he could reach. 'Ah, youth,' he mused, noting Chekov was getting hard again. "Did you wear Scotty out?" he asked, propping himself up on his elbows.

Chekov stretched a little. "No, it was the reverse. He is better at pacing than I am," he said, thinking Kirk was also better at pacing. He took a few steadying breaths through his nose to slow his body down. It seemed to be working until Kirk reached over to play with his right nipple.

"And what do you and Spock do?"

"Sleep."

"Sleep?"

"Yes, sleep. We even wear pajamas. In the morning Spock makes me coffee and oatmeal and sits on the bed drinking tea while I eat."

"Oatmeal, eh?"

"Sometimes a baked apple or fresh fruit," Chekov admitted. "I don't know how he makes those decisions." He watched Kirk smile. "Then he gets dressed and runs the dog."

"Blue."

"Yes, Blue. He's very good to Blue. And to me," he added quickly.

"Are you angry with Scotty?"

"I was but I realized that if I had gotten a ship…"

"You'd what?" Kirk prompted.

"I'd have at least stayed the night and then gone."

"I see," Kirk said with a smile and pulled Chekov to him. He played a gentle kiss over the younger man's lips until they opened to him. He felt the subtle shift that he'd been waiting for all evening. It was something all of Chekov's lovers must have consciously or unconsciously waited for; that moment when the Russian's body relaxed, in a way that signaled his faith and trust in his lover. In that moment, Kirk was sure that a sweeter emotion, even love perhaps, could not be far behind it. He held Chekov close and wondered how Scotty could have walked away from all this. But perhaps you had to be Scotty. After all, the engineer had seen what a good thing Chekov was long before Kirk realized it. Contemplating this, Kirk nibbled on Chekov's earlobe, which Chekov enjoyed immensely. "So," Kirk murmured, "Scotty's been gone, what? Five weeks?"

"Yes."

"So you're a little out of practice."

"Yes. I hope you'll go slow."

"We needn't…"

"But I want to."

This sounded vaguely like an order Kirk would be happy to obey. He reached under the pillow for a tube of gel. He rolled onto his back and pulled Chekov astride his hips. He was pleased when the Russian adjusted his own hips to be able to rub their erections together in a most provocative fashion. Spreading a generous amount of gel on his fingers, Kirk began to gently probe the entrance to Chekov's body. He slid in one finger and watched the Russian shimmer with pleasure. Kirk moved his finger carefully inside his lover until he found the spot that made Chekov writhe and catch his breath. Carefully teasing the spot for maximum erotic stimulation, Kirk stretched his lover with two, then three fingers.

Thrusting against, Kirk's fingers, Chekov was more than ready and becoming concerned about being able to hold back. He was relieved when Kirk removed his fingers to spread a liberal amount of gel on his cock. Chekov declined the invitation to be on top. He lay on his back and hooked his legs over Kirk's shoulders as the older man rolled him forward. He tensed slightly when he felt the head of Kirk's cock on his anus.

Kirk felt it and paused. He steadied his breathing and looked reassuringly into Chekov's lovely eyes. Seeing, as well as feeling, the younger man relax, Kirk very carefully pressed the head in with tiny thrusts. He stopped there to let them both adjust and then sank all the way into the Russian with a gentle rocking motion.

Spread beneath Kirk, Chekov allowed himself to realize that he'd always wanted this with this man. He pulled the captain down for a kiss and thrust up to meet Kirk's long even strokes. Chekov clung to the broad shoulders and through his own ecstatic haze, watched Kirk throw his head back in a powerful climax. Feeling Kirk, gasping and shaking with ecstasy, thrust all the way in, tipped Chekov into his own climax. His clenching made Kirk thrash with a secondary jolt of pleasure the captain had not expected nor ever experienced before.

They lay in a panting, sweaty heap; Kirk careful to keep his weight propped on his elbow so as not to crush Chekov. When his breathing returned to nearly normal, Kirk carefully withdrew and rolled onto his back. He pulled the Russian, still shaking from his climax, into his arms and soothed him. "Could you stand six nights a week of this, Pavel?" he asked, kissing Chekov's forehead.

"Without a doubt."

***

Spock returned from his morning run with Blue to find a message from Kirk that the captain would be pleased to move into the house in three weeks time.

He replied that this pleased him and would please Ensign Chekov as well. He put Blue in the yard, showered, dressed and went to his lab.

***

"In three weeks, then." Chekov smiled at Kirk, who was seeing him off at the station. His errand had taken three days. He'd not been near his hotel room except to check-in and check-out. In those nights he had become Kirk's lover, body and soul.

"In three weeks," Kirk said tenderly and bent to kiss Chekov. "Until then."

***

Spock came home on the afternoon of that day to find Chekov in the kitchen moodily making corn chowder. He was pleased to see him and he enjoyed eating corn chowder so his pleasure was times two. He patted Blue's head as he greeted the ensign. "How is Captain Kirk?"

"Quite well," Chekov said neutrally. On the ride home, he'd had time to think about Kirk. He'd also thought about how fond he was of Spock. Unfortunately, he'd been comparing them and Kirk wasn't doing very well. 'Five minutes away from him and I'm filled with doubts,' Chekov thought sadly. He'd come the conclusion he wanted the impossible. He looked up to find he was under Spock's gentle scrutiny. "Yes, I went to bed with him," he answered the unspoken question. "And I enjoyed it very much. So did Jim," he added needlessly.

Spock said nothing but simply washed his hands. "He arrives in three weeks," he said after a small silence.

"Yes, I know."

"Does it displease you?" Spock asked, puzzled.

"No." He hesitated. "I'm pleased but… If we could have something like this, Spock…" He trailed off, feeling ridiculous.

"Chekov, you have always understood the limitations of our relationship," Spock said gently after a moment. "Why are you confused now?"

"I feel consumed by him in a way I do not feel consumed by you." Chekov said slowly and carefully so he himself would understand.

"Is this a negative aspect of your sexual joining?"

Chekov blushed. "Not exactly negative. I am just not used to it. I like it when it's happening but not when I think about it."

"I see." Spock said dryly. "Perhaps you should not think about it too much."

"Do you want me in Kirk's bed?" Chekov asked bluntly.

"I want you to be content, Pavel."

"I am content with you."

"That would not have lasted. You would have grown restless without sex, as you were before your trip to New York."

Chekov nodded because it was true. Celibacy was a bore for him; a restless, fidgety bore.

"Shall I ask Jim not to come here?" Spock ventured into Chekov's continuing silence.

"No. Everything is fine. I’m worrying about nothing," Chekov said and meant it. How good it was to talk to Spock; it cleared up even the most thorny problems.

"Good. Have you walked Blue?"

"Yes, but he looks like he'd like another one."

"Then I shall return in twenty-two point eleven minutes."

Chekov glanced at the chrono. It was Tuesday and they went to bed early on Tuesdays. "Fine. Dinner will be ready in twenty-three minutes." He smiled at Spock's back as Blue bounded out the door beside the Vulcan. 'There can never be more than this with you, Spock, and so what we have must be enough,' he thought and knew that it was enough.

The next morning Spock made him a baked apple for breakfast and that night he slept alone until the next Tuesday, and the next Tuesday, and so on.

Kirk moved in as promised three weeks later, on a Tuesday, as a matter of fact. He was somehow glad he was very tired from his trip and the move or he might have been annoyed when Chekov wished him goodnight and put himself to bed in Spock's room. He played an amicable game of chess with the Vulcan and all was well. After all, how could any sane man be jealous of one night a week with Spock?

And all was well that could be well and life went on very pleasantly for everyone including Blue, who now had someone new to walk him and open cans of proper dog food.