Nice to see you again, Captain [Jim and Bones]
When Leonard had suggested that he and Jim pretend to be strangers, he had meant it as a lark, just to get rid of the awkwardness that had seemed to follow them from the Mojave. But it had turned out to be a great idea, a way of seeing each other through fresh eyes. The Jim Kirk that he took to the movies and walked hand in hand back to his house
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"Maybe a small hint," he decided as they walked down to the curb and he held the door open on the small, sporty car that had been another legacy from Pike. One he hadn't known about until he'd received a visit from Number One the morning before. "It's someplace I've wanted to go for a long time, and Nyota mentioned you had, too." That wasn't exactly true, but as long as they were using Uhura as their matchmaker he would go with it. She'd been bursting with excitement when he had admitted the day before that he and Bones were dating, anyway. "And it's in San Francisco," he teased.
He grinned at Bones, then went around and slid behind the wheel. "So I've been busy the past few days," he began as he buckled in. "I'm guessing you have, too, what with all of the rebuilding going on." Jim glanced over with a smile before setting out toward the restaurant.
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The car was new, and he wondered if was some sort of impulse purchase. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that a starship captain drives a sports car." Buckling himself in, he leaned back as Jim started the car, grinning at the rumble of the engine as they pulled out into the street. Inside his head he was trying to figure out where Jim hadn't gone, a place he'd wanted to go before. "Remind me to send Nyota a thank you gift later for introducing us."
Leonard nodded at the mention of being busy. "I haven't had to go into work yet, got another couple days left of my leave. But I have been working like crazy around the house, checking all these little things off my list. I mean, I know I'm going back up into space soon, my captain's not gonna let us get lazy here on the ground."
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He smiled a little as he drove on, and reached over with one hand to find Bones' and give it a squeeze. "I think the lady deserves flowers, at the very least." Jim listened while Bones talked about things, working on his house and getting caught back up. "I'm still on medical leave, myself," he said. "Got a checkup later this week, though."
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His ears perked up at the sound of Jim's checkup - chances are, he'd be seen by one of the doctors at Starfleet Medical and not him. "With any luck, you'll get a clean bill of health and be back in the air soon, once your ship is fixed. Any idea where you're going, what your mission would be?" Then Jim turned off the highway, and Leonard thought he knew where they were heading. "You were right," he said as they pulled into the parking lot of the upscale steakhouse.
"I have always wanted this." Leonard might have been talking about more than just dinner.
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"No idea. I hope..." he began, then hesitated. "If I'm fortunate enough to keep my command, I'll go where I'm needed, I suppose. But I'd like one of the new five-year missions." He didn't miss the look Bones gave him when he mentioned his checkup, and he nodded as he pulled into the parking lot. "If I do get cleared, it's thanks to my CMO. He takes good care of me--of everyone on the ship, don't get me wrong. Makes me take care of myself, too." Jim grinned as he pulled up at the valet stand. "But tonight's a treat."
He handed over the keys and they walked inside. The interior was dim; not so dark that they wouldn't be able to see, but cozy. Jim gave his name and smiled at Bones as they were led to one of the horseshoe-shaped booths. The high-backed, leather seat was comfortable, and once they were seated Jim murmured a thank you and then looked around, curious. "You know this place has been around under one name or another for over two hundred years?"
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Once they settled, menu's in their hands, he continued speaking. "I would imagine it's in a CMO's best interest to keep the captain safe. But something tells me that you like to bend the rules occasionally. I'd guess most of your trips to Sickbay aren't for cold and flu symptoms." He hadn't ignored Jim's talk about a five year mission. It wasn't a secret that the Enterprise was up for it, even if they had to wait for her to be fixed.
But... five years. Five years in space, that was longer than he'd ever anticipated being away from Earth. Sure, there were shore leaves and trips home, but his little girl would be so big when he got back - and who knew if Jim would want to go for another five years? Looking back at the menu, he pushed those thoughts aside. "I believe it. You picked good, Jim," he said, his stomach rumbling happily at the smells wafting in the air. "My father used to say you could tell a lot about a man from his favorite cut of meat." Nudging Jim's foot with his own, he added, "So I'm curious now as to what you are going to order."
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"I'm glad," he said, a little relieved despite having known Bones had been wanting to come here. "I thought it would be... something new, I guess. I've never been, but my mouth is watering just from the walk to the table." Jim grinned, taking a drink from the water goblet their server had just filled. "I don't even need to look at the menu. I want a bone-in ribeye, medium-rare."
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But before Jim could answer, the waitress came by to take their order. He heard what Jim wanted, and ordered a prime rib of his own, "medium rare as well. Pinkest piece you've got." That, a potato and a salad rounded out his order, along with a bottle of beer. "You probably shouldn't have picked an expensive place for our date tonight," he told Jim, watching the cute waitress smile at the two of them. "I got off cheap with two movie tickets and some take-out."
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Once they had ordered, Jim smiled and shook his head. "I honestly didn't think about the cost. I just wanted to do something I knew you'd like." He flushed a little. "It might be a little much for a second date, but..." He shrugged. "Going back to your other question, though, I like being on the ground, too, but... the exploration. Finding new worlds. That's what I like best about space."
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The word did suit Jim, who always seemed to be looking toward the future, unafraid of what was out there. "Must make it hard, having a relationship when you're job keeps you out there in the black."
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"I suppose I am. I like the adventure," he admitted. "But there is adventure to be found anywhere, in anything. It's not something I could only find there. I suppose space... I needed to get back out there and prove something to myself," Jim mused, reaching for his glass of water. He hadn't realized the truth of that before, not really. He glanced up when Bones spoke again, his words oh-so-casual. "I think it probably would," he agreed.
Jim grew quiet as he thought over his next words. "I've told you that I haven't really had many long-term relationships, and why. And I agree that the distance would make it hard, especially if these new five-year missions are approved. And there are pros and cons to having a relationship in space, too." He shrugged. "Especially for a captain, I suppose. It's hardly appropriate to have casual relationships among your crew, and then even between crewmates there's the question of what happens if things end badly." He paused, moistening his lips. "All of which is to say, I don't think there's ever a perfect time or place. You have to make it for yourself, you know?"
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But when Jim talked about needing to go back into space, he realized that Jim had grown too, had found that lost part of himself that the destruction of the Kelvin had taken away. "When I was a kid, I used to be more adventurous. I think I lost some of that when I got older, you know, and losing things, losing people became harder to bear." Bad marriage, death of his father - somewhere inside him was the person Leonard used to be. Jim seemed to bring that out, in the best way. "You think you're ready for something a little more serious? I mean, even if it's not with me, we just met and all."
He nudged Jim's foot again, to show that he was being silly, but there was something deeper in his words, an unasked question about the two of them, and their future.
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He took a deep breath, the conversation deeper than he'd anticipated, but it felt good saying these things to Bones, knowing he could tell him anything. "I think I am," Jim said with a nod, his eyes steady as he looked back at Bones. "Casual flings, or just picking someone up... I've done my fair share of that, maybe a little more depending on who you ask. But... it lost its appeal to me a while back. I guess what I realized is that what I'm looking for isn't something I'm going to find in those situations. That connection, you know?"
Jim nudged Bones back, his smile a little shy as he reached for his glass. "Would you be interested in that? Taking a chance on me, I mean. I know that's not really a fair question, since we've just met." He swallowed some water, his mouth gone dry. "But... I very much hope you will."
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Keeping an eye on the health and well-being of an entire ship, and her captain. "It's hard finding that sort of connection when you're limited to a thousand people that you have to work with, so I can understand not wanting to be casual with your affections."
Jim's hand was still on his. Leonard flipped his underneath it, letting their palms touch, his fingertips brushing against Jim's. He understood that this was still a game but this was also Jim, asking him to be his, asking Leonard to take a chance on him. "You know, Jim, I gotta admit," he began slowly, his lips curled up into a warm smile. "I like your style. And I like your face, too, you know? You're pretty good looking." He laced their fingers together. "But you gotta know, I'm probably not the easiest guy to be involved with. I got a temper and I'm stubborn, even when I'm wrong. Slow to apologize. Not a morning person. And like I said, I've got a kid, and she owns my heart. What she needs is what's most important in the world to me." He licked his bottom lip, catching Jim's eyes, feeling his heart beat faster in his chest. "But if you want me, Jim... I'm yours."
Just then the food came, and Leonard pulled his hand back as he admired his plate, making an appreciative groan. "You understand, if this steak tastes as good as it looks, you'll probably never get rid of me."
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He nodded, then looked down when Bones turned his hand over, the corner of his mouth lifting as their fingers brushed together. And when he saw Bones' face, Jim's breath caught, that warm smile one of the rare ones that made Bones' entire face light up. He liked that, liked knowing he'd caused it. "You're pretty handsome yourself," he replied, his voice low as he squeezed Bones' hand.
For a moment he was worried, a hint of something that felt an awful lot like disappointment flickering through him as Bones talked about all of the reasons he thought it might not work. That he might not be easy to get involved with. For just a second, Jim thought he was saying no, or that he wasn't sure. But then... his eyes tracked the movement of Bones' tongue and Jim felt his own heart racing as he met Bones' eyes, nervous and happy and so sincere. ...I'm yours.
He couldn't say anything, not with the waiter right there delivering their food, which looked and smelled delicious. But Jim smiled, his entire face lit up as he looked over at Bones. "It'd better live up, then," he murmured. "Because I don't intend to let you go." He cut into his own steak, groaning with pure pleasure as he took a bite. Beneath the table he nudged his foot against Bones', his eyes bright as he looked across at him.
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But maybe... maybe they didn't need that anymore. "Jim, you really mean this, right?" he asked, putting his fork down. "No fooling, you want to try this. You and me." Months and years of dancing around, was it really all over.
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