Star Trek fic: Blind Dating, PG McCoy/Kirk 3/3
From Part 2
For story notes, read part 1
“What are you doing?”
James Tiberius Kirk didn’t move, and kept his attention focused on the console in front of him that he was “seeing” with his fingers. “There may be a tribble outbreak on the base.”
“Ah, the trouble with tribbles… Anyway, free to grab dinner or will the tribbles take over if you pull yourself away for an hour?” He asked to be polite, but if Jim didn’t come with him, McCoy was prepared to use force.
Always able to read his best friend’s voice, Kirk smirked and pushed away from the console. “I think we can stand a few more tribbles around here. Besides, it’s always fun to hear Spock’s reaction.”
“The two of you are going to kill each other one of these days.”
Jim laughed out loud. “Pot, kettle!”
*
They were in the middle of dinner when McCoy just said it. “So when are you going to try to have sex with me?” He considered the splutter and spillage of food to be a good beginning to the vengeance he had every intention of visiting upon his best friend for all those moments when he had to run to keep up with him.
“I beg- excuse me? What?” Jim couldn’t quite regain his equilibrium, which was not a feeling he was used to.
McCoy leaned forward and lightly touched Jim’s fingers so the young man would have something to hold on to. “I’ve been watching, and you’ve officially tried to seduce everyone on this base over the age of eighteen. Now, what makes that a little less obnoxious is that you’ve failed pretty often”- he ignored Jim’s indignant cry and continued-“but regardless, there have been a lot of attempts on pretty much everyone on this base, except for me. Now, if I was a less self-confident man, I’d assume that was because you didn’t find me attractive. But seeing that you’ll hit on anyone, or anything, I have to think that you are just a little terrified of hitting on me.”
Kirk swallowed. “Um, maybe it’s the whole friendship thing.”
“Shut up, kid. That excuse went up in smoke the day I caught you making out with Spock and Uhura behind the hothouses. And before you say anything, I know you and Spock are just as close as you and I are, just in different ways.”
“And you and Christine are, in different ways,” Jim pointed out. “But it is different, Bones. You’re the person I come home to, in every way but one.”
“So why not the one?”
Jim bit his lip, twisted his fingers. “I lose everything, Bones. Everything. And maybe it’s not exactly what I wanted, but since I’ve met you, I’ve gotten more than I dreamed possible. Being with you… well it would probably be worth risking all of that. But it’s not worth risking you, or Jo. It isn’t.”
“I have to think,” McCoy responded, taking Jim’s hands in his, “that of everything in this world, loving you is worth it.” Then he leaned forward and kissed Jim softly.
*
EPILOGUE
“Commander Kirk?” Scotty’s brogue was loud enough to break through Jo’s sobbing.
Jim yelled for Scotty to wait a second before he stooped down so Jo could look him in the face and see the confidence he had in his own words. “Baby, I know you’re scared, but your Dad will come back soon. It sucks that he has to be away right now, but he’s okay and will be back. My promise.”
Jo was now eight, several years past the tantrums, but it was the anniversary of her mother’s death and her father had been out of communication for a full day now. Putting aside his own worries, he let Scotty in and asked him to wait while he explained why communications were being disrupted and what had led to the delay. Finally, when the little girl had calmed down enough to go to her room, Jim turned to Scotty. “What is it?”
Scotty put something curved and metallic in his hands. “It’s an idea I have, sir, and one that will require years and lots of help from Dr. McCoy and Mr. Spock before it’s done.”
“But when it’s done?”
“It will maybe let you get on a starship. I mean, it will never let you fly, I don’t think it will be perfected to that extent in either of our lifetimes, but it should let you on a starship.”
As Scotty went on about light reflecting on surfaces and being picked up, information going to his brain, and being able to “see,” Jim started to become excited. He hadn’t seen for so long, and it would be great to have his restrictions halved in the upcoming years.
But five minutes later, when the communicator informed them that the landing party was being beamed back onboard, safe and whole, and Jo and he raced to meet his lover, he realized that for the first time, he wasn’t desperate to get on a starship. Oh, he wanted to be there and when he got there, he’d be brilliant. But he didn’t need it. Not when he had his daughter in one hand and his husband in the other, when he was surrounded by good friends and coworkers, and when he was practically leading one of the best starbase teams in the universe.
THE END
For story notes, read part 1
“What are you doing?”
James Tiberius Kirk didn’t move, and kept his attention focused on the console in front of him that he was “seeing” with his fingers. “There may be a tribble outbreak on the base.”
“Ah, the trouble with tribbles… Anyway, free to grab dinner or will the tribbles take over if you pull yourself away for an hour?” He asked to be polite, but if Jim didn’t come with him, McCoy was prepared to use force.
Always able to read his best friend’s voice, Kirk smirked and pushed away from the console. “I think we can stand a few more tribbles around here. Besides, it’s always fun to hear Spock’s reaction.”
“The two of you are going to kill each other one of these days.”
Jim laughed out loud. “Pot, kettle!”
*
They were in the middle of dinner when McCoy just said it. “So when are you going to try to have sex with me?” He considered the splutter and spillage of food to be a good beginning to the vengeance he had every intention of visiting upon his best friend for all those moments when he had to run to keep up with him.
“I beg- excuse me? What?” Jim couldn’t quite regain his equilibrium, which was not a feeling he was used to.
McCoy leaned forward and lightly touched Jim’s fingers so the young man would have something to hold on to. “I’ve been watching, and you’ve officially tried to seduce everyone on this base over the age of eighteen. Now, what makes that a little less obnoxious is that you’ve failed pretty often”- he ignored Jim’s indignant cry and continued-“but regardless, there have been a lot of attempts on pretty much everyone on this base, except for me. Now, if I was a less self-confident man, I’d assume that was because you didn’t find me attractive. But seeing that you’ll hit on anyone, or anything, I have to think that you are just a little terrified of hitting on me.”
Kirk swallowed. “Um, maybe it’s the whole friendship thing.”
“Shut up, kid. That excuse went up in smoke the day I caught you making out with Spock and Uhura behind the hothouses. And before you say anything, I know you and Spock are just as close as you and I are, just in different ways.”
“And you and Christine are, in different ways,” Jim pointed out. “But it is different, Bones. You’re the person I come home to, in every way but one.”
“So why not the one?”
Jim bit his lip, twisted his fingers. “I lose everything, Bones. Everything. And maybe it’s not exactly what I wanted, but since I’ve met you, I’ve gotten more than I dreamed possible. Being with you… well it would probably be worth risking all of that. But it’s not worth risking you, or Jo. It isn’t.”
“I have to think,” McCoy responded, taking Jim’s hands in his, “that of everything in this world, loving you is worth it.” Then he leaned forward and kissed Jim softly.
*
EPILOGUE
“Commander Kirk?” Scotty’s brogue was loud enough to break through Jo’s sobbing.
Jim yelled for Scotty to wait a second before he stooped down so Jo could look him in the face and see the confidence he had in his own words. “Baby, I know you’re scared, but your Dad will come back soon. It sucks that he has to be away right now, but he’s okay and will be back. My promise.”
Jo was now eight, several years past the tantrums, but it was the anniversary of her mother’s death and her father had been out of communication for a full day now. Putting aside his own worries, he let Scotty in and asked him to wait while he explained why communications were being disrupted and what had led to the delay. Finally, when the little girl had calmed down enough to go to her room, Jim turned to Scotty. “What is it?”
Scotty put something curved and metallic in his hands. “It’s an idea I have, sir, and one that will require years and lots of help from Dr. McCoy and Mr. Spock before it’s done.”
“But when it’s done?”
“It will maybe let you get on a starship. I mean, it will never let you fly, I don’t think it will be perfected to that extent in either of our lifetimes, but it should let you on a starship.”
As Scotty went on about light reflecting on surfaces and being picked up, information going to his brain, and being able to “see,” Jim started to become excited. He hadn’t seen for so long, and it would be great to have his restrictions halved in the upcoming years.
But five minutes later, when the communicator informed them that the landing party was being beamed back onboard, safe and whole, and Jo and he raced to meet his lover, he realized that for the first time, he wasn’t desperate to get on a starship. Oh, he wanted to be there and when he got there, he’d be brilliant. But he didn’t need it. Not when he had his daughter in one hand and his husband in the other, when he was surrounded by good friends and coworkers, and when he was practically leading one of the best starbase teams in the universe.
THE END