Ship Olympics: Triathlon: Team Jim and Bones
Title: My Best Friend
Creators: imagined_haven, sullensiren, dftreaper, jem80
Universe: STXI
Rating: PG-13/R for one of the songs in the mix
Summary: Jim knows exactly when he first thought he and Bones could be great together, and it wasn't when everyone seems to think it was.
Disclaimer: None of us own any of this! It all goes back to the respective owners as soon as we're done playing.
Notes: Our song was "My Best Friend" by Tim McGraw. Apologies for being almost an hour behind the extension deadline! *curses real life some more*
Jim knows exactly when he first thought he and Bones could be great together, as friends or otherwise, and it isn’t the moment everyone seems to think it was. They didn’t form an instant bond on that shuttle ride; in fact, Jim had thought Bones was more than a little strange and just a bit more eccentric than the copious amounts of alcohol could account for.
It wasn’t when he rushed into his first class thirty seconds before the professor started to take attendance, sitting down to be greeted by an inquisitive eyebrow from the somewhat-familiar man seated beside him, either. They didn’t talk much that day, mostly because Jim still wasn’t quite sure what to make of Bones.
No, their epic friendship started one month, two days, and seven hours after their first meeting, when Jim found Bones holed up in a corner of the library and dragged him out to a club.
Of course, Jim isn’t too sure why he’s thinking of this now. Bones certainly doesn’t seem to be thinking of much, sprawled as he is beside him with a lazy, sated grin. He should be thinking simple thoughts, like ‘fuck, that was amazing’ or something similar, not reminiscing.
“Hey, Bones,” he asks, trying to sound casual.
“Yeah?” Bones’ voice gives no hint that he’s caught on to Jim’s sudden tension. Maybe he really hasn’t; maybe his brain is normal and uses the moments after sex as a time to relax.
“You think... you think we could do this again sometime?”
Bones grins. “Yeah, kid. I do.”
~*~
Jim looks up from his padd and smiles at the sight in front of him. Bones’ hair is mussed and he’s muttering as he makes notes on his own padd. Jim loves being on the bridge of his ship, loves being with his crew, but this is his favorite part of his day. He and Bones are on the couch in their quarters (he still gets a thrill from saying their quarters), just quietly sitting and working together. If anyone had told him even a short time ago that he could be this content with one person, he would have laughed in their face. But the last few months have opened his eyes as to how amazing it was to share his life with someone, to wake up with him every morning, to come home to him at night, to be building a life with him. And the fact that it’s with his best friend makes it even better. Jim had been hesitant at first. Bones was the first person he had really cared about and he was afraid that being a couple would ruin things. But it had only gotten better. Being lovers had brought them closer together.
And in the time they’ve been together he knows he’s changed and grown as a lover and partner. Bones has taught him the difference between sex and intimacy. And while Jim relishes the times they make love, he has come to love the times when they don’t even more. Jim never realized how soothing it could be to simply lay together in bed talking about their hopes and dreams for the future. It’s a comfor to know that Bones will never judge him, never berate him for needing comfort after a bad day or when he isn’t feeling well. And for the first time in his life, Jim feels secure, cherished, and wanted. The pains and hurts from his childhood have faded, and all that’s left is Bones and his unwavering love and affection.
Something taps him on the head and he’s broken out of his train of thought. He looks over at Bones, who has been staring at him, the look on his face wavering between concerned and amused.
“I’ve been calling your name for the past couple of minutes. Must’ve been some deep thoughts goin’ on in there.” Jim looks down and away, not coming back with one of his usual quips. Warm fingers tilt his chin up to the level of Bones’ eyes. He looks more concerned than amused now.
Jim swallows and speaks, looking away again. He knows this will sound utterly sappy and uncharacteristic of him but he needs to say it anyway. “I’m alright. It was just...I know I don’t say it a whole lot but... I wanted you to know that I love you. So much. And I’m so grateful that you’re here with me.”
Bones is silent for a moment and Jim is almost afraid to look at him. But when he does, he’s glad he did. Bones’ eyes are lit up and a smile of pure joy stretches across his face. He pulls Jim into his arms and presses a soft kiss to his lips. “I love you too, darlin’. And there’s no place in this universe I’d rather be than right here with you.”
~*~
Bones hasn’t ever been been here before, and he somehow doubts he'll make another trip unless someone drags him by the hair. For one thing, the atmosphere around the planet isn't transporter friendly, which meant taking a shuttle down. Call him crazy, but any planet you couldn't get a quick pass off if things went down badly wasn't a planet he wanted to visit. Or at least, it wasn't one he wanted to visit while he was with Jim, Sulu, or any of the other half-crazy yahoos who'd taken the chance to get off ship and eat at one of the supposedly famous local restaurants.
Bones had protested them going planetside at all, since it was a diplomatically useless planet, and so far out of the 12 planets they'd taken R&R on, six had ended up trying to kill them, four had wanted to kidnap them to arrange for elaborate Federation trade negotiations, one had carnivorous plant life that Sulu smuggled aboard and then accidentally almost let eat a yeoman, and one had declared Jim a god.
It was mostly that last one that made Bones never want to venture off ship unnecessarily ever again. The last thing Jim Kirk's ego needed was worshippers. He'd spent weeks trying to convince everyone to call him "His Most Holy and Rapturous Captain", and wriggled his eyebrows at Bones and mentioned how he was "in need of a little worshipping at his temple" every night until Bones had started threatening to bring tranquilizers to bed to shut him up.
But Jim had persisted, and Nyota had stopped him mid-complaining to tell him that "really, he needed to do as he was told, this once, Leonard" with a significant stare. That likely still would have convinced him, but he'd heard Spock recording his video log and planning to make use of the down time to run some surprise drills.
So planetside it was.
So far, he is completely unimpressed. The "authentic southwest earth" restaurant seems to consider oversized hats and a plethora of fake (and inexplicably blue) cactus decorations to be southwestern. They do at least have steak from actual cows. Jim sits opposite him, fidgeting with his silverware in a way that looks random but that Bones had come to understand meant he was probably mentally calculating how he could use it to build an elaborate bridge across the table because he was bored. Sometimes, Bones thinks he should take everything away but a spoon and cut his meat for him just to thwart him. "Where the hell is everyone, anyway?" he asks, cutting into a roll and checking to see that it was actually bread and not some strange alien hybrid bread-creature. You never could be too careful.
"Not coming," Jim answers absently, balancing a knife carefully against a fork to make them both stand upright. Bones can’t resist knocking the table with his foot, making them drop with a clang against the plate he'd used as a base. Jim looks up and frowns, more uneasy than annoyed, meeting Bones’ raised eyebrow of silent questioning. "I figured it could be just us."
"You said 'we're all going out to dinner', Jim," Bones reminds him.
"I didn't technically define who 'all' included." Jim pauses a shade too long and then explains. "All of us in this room."
Bones looks around suspiciously. "Is this a date?"
"Yes. It's a date. Shut up, stop poking the bread, and eat, Bones," Jim tells him, flashing a too-charming smile. Bones never trusted that smile. It means Jim is Up to Something, and it makes him want to search Jim for contraband almost as much as it makes him want to kiss him. Either one usually leads to trouble.
"If I end up with food poisoning, it's your fault," Bones informs him. He ignores the warm flush he feels, though Jim's smug grin says it’s probably showing up as a red-cheeked flush. Damnit.
The food, when it comes, is shockingly decent. The potatoes are grainy, and the wine has bubbles where there shouldn't be any bubbles, but Bones isn't much of a wine connoisseur anyway, and the steak is tender and just the right amount of pink, so he’s in a forgiving mood about the rest of it. Jim is strangely quiet, conversation stopping and starting in spurts that have Bones wondering what the hell is wrong with Kirk, who could usually talk through anything, up to and including natural disasters and bad birthday parties, as he'd proved several times.
He’s full after using the last piece of bread to lop up the tail end of the steak-juice on his plate, having resolved that Jim's strangeness aside, he is going to enjoy every damn bit of the precious dead cow in front of him. Beneath the table, his legs are comfortably stretched out and Jim's ankles are hooked over his in a way that’s at once comforting and unnerving. Those are conflicting emotions he’s used to around Jim, though. Jim's suggestion that they get dessert is strangely stringent, and Bones gives in, even though he’s pretty sure his stomach is going to explode if he actually eats any.
Beside them, a couple are laughing over a shared chocolate thing. Bones hesitates to call it a cake; it looks more like what happened to a cake when someone left it out in the rain. They'd been cooing and laughing throughout the meal, and beside the empty plates pushed off to one side of the table were a pair of cards that read "happy anniversary!" in bright letters, a series of photographs flashing over the front of the cards. Tacky as hell, Bones thinks, but then he'd once given his ex almost the exact same card, so maybe he isn't one to judge.
From the corner of his eye, he sees one of the cards flash to an image of the couple dancing, both wearing grass skirts, and Bones changes his mind and decides he’s actually qualified to judge, and it is tacky.
"We could have that," Jim suddenly says, and Bones takes a moment to connect what he’s saying to the couple next to them. He stares blankly, and Jim goes on, balancing silverware again. "Anniversaries."
"Anniversaries celebrate annual things, so technically we already do. Just because we've known each other more than a year. For instance, we have an anniversaries of the first time you made me give you an IV to beat a hangover," Bones answers.
"I had an exam," Jim replies, waving his hand dismissively. "And that's not what I meant."
"What did you mean?"
Kirk makes a frustrated sound, and then perks up as the waiter sets down some sort of apple and ice cream concoction in front of them. "Try it."
"I'm full," Bones tells him. Plus, the apples have a strange metallic sheen he doesn’t altogether trust. He reaches for his scanner and Jim kicks him under the table. He bites back a yelp - damn him, always managing to hit the shin. "What the hell was that for?"
"You were about to scan it for poison, weren't you?" Kirk asks. Bones doesn't bother to deny it. It isn't his fault that he’s sensible and Jim’s an idiot who just eats apples even when they gleam. "Just eat it, all right?"
Jim's jaw is set stubbornly, and Bones peers at him, and then at the dessert, deciding to give in. He slides a spoon into the ice cream on the side, since they did have cows, and that looks safe at least.
Jim kicks him again, and Bones grimaces, kicking back and throwing a napkin at him. "Would you stop it!"
"Just eat the damn dessert. Don't analyze it. Don't complain about it. Just take a bite. From the middle," Jim orders. He has his Captain voice on, but Bones has long since stopped listening to that when Jim is off duty. He gives in grudgingly, spoon dipping into the middle of the soppy, metallic mess hard enough that it almost manages to send a vanilla splash onto Jim's hand, but not quite. Unfortunately.
The spoon thunks into something hard and metallic. Jim's smile takes on a strange quality that Bones silently decides is nervous. It’s damn unnerving to see on Jim. His stomach tightens with expectation and he scoops into the dessert, pulling out a sticky round shape.
Bones stares at the wedding band in mute shock. He looks up to find Jim staring at him. "This is a ring."
"Yes."
"You're giving me a ring?"
"Yes."
"What is wrong with you?" Bones demands.
Jim's face falls slightly, but he rolls his eyes. "Many, many things, according to you." Bones stares, and he sighs, reaching across to snag the ring and then dropping it in his water glass, rinsing it off and then pulling it out again, wet fingers reaching for Bones' hand. "We share quarters, we're practically damn married anyway, and were even before you realized you couldn't resist me-" he smirks and Bones resists the urge to tell him, again, that he looks like a smug squirrel when he does that- "and I just thought..." Jim shrugs. "We'll get bigger quarters as a married couple?"
"You're asking me to marry you. For bigger quarters. When you're the Captain?" Bones asks.
"There might be other reasons, too." Jim’s staring at him, rolling the ring between his fingers, chin down enough that he’s watching Leonard through his lashes. "So will you?"
"I've done this once before you know. It didn't turn out so well," Bones answers slowly.
"That was the warm up," Jim answers, tone confident but expression unsure, eyes still searching Bones' face.
Bones' mind is racing, running through all the ways this is a bad idea, but the part of him that had ignored his own good sense in the first place and slept with Jim to begin with has that strange, rushing feeling of exhilaration and certainty that he'd only ever felt with Jim, who was maddening but always unique. He reaches out for the ring Jim is still spinning, sliding it onto his own finger. It sticks over his knuckle for a second, and then slides down into place, and Jim's smile widens. "You know, you're meant to be on one knee," he tells Jim.
"Captains don't kneel." Jim pauses and then flashes a wide, wicked grin. "In public. Unless you ask very, very nicely." Bones flushes and hisses at him to shut up, since their little drama had attracted more than a few watching eyes and listening ears. Jim ignores him, wriggling his eyebrows wickedly. "You know, His Most Holy and Rapturous Captain could use some temple worsh-"
He’s cut off by Bones leaning across the table to kick him, Jim's breath huffing out in a pained laugh as Bones kisses him and kicks him in the shin at the same time. Around the restaurant, their fellow diners break out into good-natured applause and Bones does his best to ignore them.
~*~
Jim’s breath freezes in his chest when he catches sight of Bones, and he’s glad he got here first. He’s rooted to the spot, and wouldn’t move for the world. Bones is walking towards him, his confident gait a stark contrast to the nerves Jim knows he was feeling just hours ago. His hair is combed back and gently falling forward with every step. The suit is classic, black and white, and fitted perfectly.
Bones is smiling at him, looking into Jim’s eyes as he comes to a stop. He’s gorgeous. Jim swallows around the lump in his throat and smiles back.
He’s been waiting for this, waiting to get that ring on Bones’ finger and that paper that says he’s really Jim’s. Today is the day, and somehow, some way, everything has managed to be perfect.
The happy chatter in the background begins to fade away as Chris Pike clears his throat and steps forward. Jim had forgotten he was there, but still isn’t able to look away from Bones long enough to acknowledge him.
Pike starts talking, addressing the assembly. His voice is strong and airy as he speaks, bouncing off the walls of the assembly hall. Jim pulls his eyes away from Bones and turns to Pike, but he isn’t able to separate completely and reaches out to take Bones’ hand.
Warm flesh meets his fingers, and he smiles, clutching Bones’ hand against the onslaught of excitement and anticipation.
Pike keeps it short and sweet and heartfelt, and when it’s time to exchange the vows and the rings, Jim takes a deep breath. He turns toward Bones and takes his other hand, can see the crowd out of the corner of his eye, knows they’re all waiting, but can’t bring himself to care.
He takes a step forward, inhales, and looks Bones’ in the face.
“When I was growing up, I never I had anyone I could count on. And by the time I joined Starfleet, I was so tired of being let down and searching for who I thought I wanted to be. Then you walked into my life when you sat down on that shuttle.” Bones gives him a watery, happy smile, and his eyes are a little bright. Jim’s voice stutters to a stop, and he can hear how silent the room is. He clears his throat before he continues.
“You’ve stood by me, and you believe in me, like no one ever has. When everything starts to go crazy, you save me, every time, and you made me realize that I’ll always have something to come back to. For the first time, I’m not alone.” Bones snorts a little, but squeezes his hands. It makes Jim glad he’s hear, thankful that he can see Bones like this, let him know how much he really means.
“You’re my best friend. No one will ever be able to make me feel the way you do, Bones, and I love you with everything I have.” Tears are leaking out of Bones’ eyes, light ones that barely cut shiny paths down his cheeks. His breathing is shallow, and is whispering through his nose. Jim might be crying a little, too.
Pike holds out Jim’s ring, and Jim can barely look away long enough to secure it.
“I want to spend the rest of my life proving that to you, Bones. Can I?”
Leonard is already nodding. Jim slips the ring onto his finger, and brings his hand up to kiss it. Leonard inhales shakily a few times, composing himself. When he opens his mouth, no sound comes out, and he has to swallow before he can speak.
“Jim, when I met you, I never thought I’d fall in love again. But you stuck with me and helped me, and you let me throw up on you on the shuttle to San Francisco and during my first flight sim.” Bones smiles, and Jim gives a weak laugh. A little wave of laughter floats over the crowd, and their friends in the front row all smile.
“I was tired of hurtin’, and you helped me get over everything and get my life together.” Bones’ drawl is coming out, thick and gravely with love and tears.
“I fell in love with you, Jim, and I don’t know where I would be if I didn’t have you here with me. Life with you makes sense, more than it ever did before, and every time I look at you I fall in love again.” Jim is really crying now, fat tears rolling down his cheeks. Bones is crying, too, but his voice carries as he soldiers on.
“You’re more than my lover, and you’re more than my best friend. You’re the love of my life, Jim, and I don’t think I could do any of this without you. I want to call you my husband, and I want to love you for the rest of our lives. Can I?” Bones mimics, and Jim can barely nod, can barely hold back a happy sob, but Bones takes it for a yes and takes the ring from Pike’s outstretched hand, and slips it on Jim’s finger.
Bones doesn’t wait for the order and brackets Jim’s face in his hands and lays his mouth over Jim’s lips. Jim is clutching Bones’ jacket, wrinkling the expensive material to pull Bones closer.
Bones is chanting to him, a soft litany of I love you, I love you against Jim’s lips, and they’re both crying, tears slicking the friction between their cheeks. The cheering of their friends and family is loud, working in counterpoint to Jim’s heart pounding in his ears, but Jim couldn’t pull himself away from Bones if he tried.
They don’t stop until the tears are gone, and Bones wipes Jim’s face with his thumbs and gives him another soft kiss. “I love you too, Bones.”
Alternately, if I fail, the mix can be listened to HERE or downloaded HERE.
Creators: imagined_haven, sullensiren, dftreaper, jem80
Universe: STXI
Rating: PG-13/R for one of the songs in the mix
Summary: Jim knows exactly when he first thought he and Bones could be great together, and it wasn't when everyone seems to think it was.
Disclaimer: None of us own any of this! It all goes back to the respective owners as soon as we're done playing.
Notes: Our song was "My Best Friend" by Tim McGraw. Apologies for being almost an hour behind the extension deadline! *curses real life some more*
Jim knows exactly when he first thought he and Bones could be great together, as friends or otherwise, and it isn’t the moment everyone seems to think it was. They didn’t form an instant bond on that shuttle ride; in fact, Jim had thought Bones was more than a little strange and just a bit more eccentric than the copious amounts of alcohol could account for.
It wasn’t when he rushed into his first class thirty seconds before the professor started to take attendance, sitting down to be greeted by an inquisitive eyebrow from the somewhat-familiar man seated beside him, either. They didn’t talk much that day, mostly because Jim still wasn’t quite sure what to make of Bones.
No, their epic friendship started one month, two days, and seven hours after their first meeting, when Jim found Bones holed up in a corner of the library and dragged him out to a club.
Of course, Jim isn’t too sure why he’s thinking of this now. Bones certainly doesn’t seem to be thinking of much, sprawled as he is beside him with a lazy, sated grin. He should be thinking simple thoughts, like ‘fuck, that was amazing’ or something similar, not reminiscing.
“Hey, Bones,” he asks, trying to sound casual.
“Yeah?” Bones’ voice gives no hint that he’s caught on to Jim’s sudden tension. Maybe he really hasn’t; maybe his brain is normal and uses the moments after sex as a time to relax.
“You think... you think we could do this again sometime?”
Bones grins. “Yeah, kid. I do.”
~*~
Jim looks up from his padd and smiles at the sight in front of him. Bones’ hair is mussed and he’s muttering as he makes notes on his own padd. Jim loves being on the bridge of his ship, loves being with his crew, but this is his favorite part of his day. He and Bones are on the couch in their quarters (he still gets a thrill from saying their quarters), just quietly sitting and working together. If anyone had told him even a short time ago that he could be this content with one person, he would have laughed in their face. But the last few months have opened his eyes as to how amazing it was to share his life with someone, to wake up with him every morning, to come home to him at night, to be building a life with him. And the fact that it’s with his best friend makes it even better. Jim had been hesitant at first. Bones was the first person he had really cared about and he was afraid that being a couple would ruin things. But it had only gotten better. Being lovers had brought them closer together.
And in the time they’ve been together he knows he’s changed and grown as a lover and partner. Bones has taught him the difference between sex and intimacy. And while Jim relishes the times they make love, he has come to love the times when they don’t even more. Jim never realized how soothing it could be to simply lay together in bed talking about their hopes and dreams for the future. It’s a comfor to know that Bones will never judge him, never berate him for needing comfort after a bad day or when he isn’t feeling well. And for the first time in his life, Jim feels secure, cherished, and wanted. The pains and hurts from his childhood have faded, and all that’s left is Bones and his unwavering love and affection.
Something taps him on the head and he’s broken out of his train of thought. He looks over at Bones, who has been staring at him, the look on his face wavering between concerned and amused.
“I’ve been calling your name for the past couple of minutes. Must’ve been some deep thoughts goin’ on in there.” Jim looks down and away, not coming back with one of his usual quips. Warm fingers tilt his chin up to the level of Bones’ eyes. He looks more concerned than amused now.
Jim swallows and speaks, looking away again. He knows this will sound utterly sappy and uncharacteristic of him but he needs to say it anyway. “I’m alright. It was just...I know I don’t say it a whole lot but... I wanted you to know that I love you. So much. And I’m so grateful that you’re here with me.”
Bones is silent for a moment and Jim is almost afraid to look at him. But when he does, he’s glad he did. Bones’ eyes are lit up and a smile of pure joy stretches across his face. He pulls Jim into his arms and presses a soft kiss to his lips. “I love you too, darlin’. And there’s no place in this universe I’d rather be than right here with you.”
~*~
Bones hasn’t ever been been here before, and he somehow doubts he'll make another trip unless someone drags him by the hair. For one thing, the atmosphere around the planet isn't transporter friendly, which meant taking a shuttle down. Call him crazy, but any planet you couldn't get a quick pass off if things went down badly wasn't a planet he wanted to visit. Or at least, it wasn't one he wanted to visit while he was with Jim, Sulu, or any of the other half-crazy yahoos who'd taken the chance to get off ship and eat at one of the supposedly famous local restaurants.
Bones had protested them going planetside at all, since it was a diplomatically useless planet, and so far out of the 12 planets they'd taken R&R on, six had ended up trying to kill them, four had wanted to kidnap them to arrange for elaborate Federation trade negotiations, one had carnivorous plant life that Sulu smuggled aboard and then accidentally almost let eat a yeoman, and one had declared Jim a god.
It was mostly that last one that made Bones never want to venture off ship unnecessarily ever again. The last thing Jim Kirk's ego needed was worshippers. He'd spent weeks trying to convince everyone to call him "His Most Holy and Rapturous Captain", and wriggled his eyebrows at Bones and mentioned how he was "in need of a little worshipping at his temple" every night until Bones had started threatening to bring tranquilizers to bed to shut him up.
But Jim had persisted, and Nyota had stopped him mid-complaining to tell him that "really, he needed to do as he was told, this once, Leonard" with a significant stare. That likely still would have convinced him, but he'd heard Spock recording his video log and planning to make use of the down time to run some surprise drills.
So planetside it was.
So far, he is completely unimpressed. The "authentic southwest earth" restaurant seems to consider oversized hats and a plethora of fake (and inexplicably blue) cactus decorations to be southwestern. They do at least have steak from actual cows. Jim sits opposite him, fidgeting with his silverware in a way that looks random but that Bones had come to understand meant he was probably mentally calculating how he could use it to build an elaborate bridge across the table because he was bored. Sometimes, Bones thinks he should take everything away but a spoon and cut his meat for him just to thwart him. "Where the hell is everyone, anyway?" he asks, cutting into a roll and checking to see that it was actually bread and not some strange alien hybrid bread-creature. You never could be too careful.
"Not coming," Jim answers absently, balancing a knife carefully against a fork to make them both stand upright. Bones can’t resist knocking the table with his foot, making them drop with a clang against the plate he'd used as a base. Jim looks up and frowns, more uneasy than annoyed, meeting Bones’ raised eyebrow of silent questioning. "I figured it could be just us."
"You said 'we're all going out to dinner', Jim," Bones reminds him.
"I didn't technically define who 'all' included." Jim pauses a shade too long and then explains. "All of us in this room."
Bones looks around suspiciously. "Is this a date?"
"Yes. It's a date. Shut up, stop poking the bread, and eat, Bones," Jim tells him, flashing a too-charming smile. Bones never trusted that smile. It means Jim is Up to Something, and it makes him want to search Jim for contraband almost as much as it makes him want to kiss him. Either one usually leads to trouble.
"If I end up with food poisoning, it's your fault," Bones informs him. He ignores the warm flush he feels, though Jim's smug grin says it’s probably showing up as a red-cheeked flush. Damnit.
The food, when it comes, is shockingly decent. The potatoes are grainy, and the wine has bubbles where there shouldn't be any bubbles, but Bones isn't much of a wine connoisseur anyway, and the steak is tender and just the right amount of pink, so he’s in a forgiving mood about the rest of it. Jim is strangely quiet, conversation stopping and starting in spurts that have Bones wondering what the hell is wrong with Kirk, who could usually talk through anything, up to and including natural disasters and bad birthday parties, as he'd proved several times.
He’s full after using the last piece of bread to lop up the tail end of the steak-juice on his plate, having resolved that Jim's strangeness aside, he is going to enjoy every damn bit of the precious dead cow in front of him. Beneath the table, his legs are comfortably stretched out and Jim's ankles are hooked over his in a way that’s at once comforting and unnerving. Those are conflicting emotions he’s used to around Jim, though. Jim's suggestion that they get dessert is strangely stringent, and Bones gives in, even though he’s pretty sure his stomach is going to explode if he actually eats any.
Beside them, a couple are laughing over a shared chocolate thing. Bones hesitates to call it a cake; it looks more like what happened to a cake when someone left it out in the rain. They'd been cooing and laughing throughout the meal, and beside the empty plates pushed off to one side of the table were a pair of cards that read "happy anniversary!" in bright letters, a series of photographs flashing over the front of the cards. Tacky as hell, Bones thinks, but then he'd once given his ex almost the exact same card, so maybe he isn't one to judge.
From the corner of his eye, he sees one of the cards flash to an image of the couple dancing, both wearing grass skirts, and Bones changes his mind and decides he’s actually qualified to judge, and it is tacky.
"We could have that," Jim suddenly says, and Bones takes a moment to connect what he’s saying to the couple next to them. He stares blankly, and Jim goes on, balancing silverware again. "Anniversaries."
"Anniversaries celebrate annual things, so technically we already do. Just because we've known each other more than a year. For instance, we have an anniversaries of the first time you made me give you an IV to beat a hangover," Bones answers.
"I had an exam," Jim replies, waving his hand dismissively. "And that's not what I meant."
"What did you mean?"
Kirk makes a frustrated sound, and then perks up as the waiter sets down some sort of apple and ice cream concoction in front of them. "Try it."
"I'm full," Bones tells him. Plus, the apples have a strange metallic sheen he doesn’t altogether trust. He reaches for his scanner and Jim kicks him under the table. He bites back a yelp - damn him, always managing to hit the shin. "What the hell was that for?"
"You were about to scan it for poison, weren't you?" Kirk asks. Bones doesn't bother to deny it. It isn't his fault that he’s sensible and Jim’s an idiot who just eats apples even when they gleam. "Just eat it, all right?"
Jim's jaw is set stubbornly, and Bones peers at him, and then at the dessert, deciding to give in. He slides a spoon into the ice cream on the side, since they did have cows, and that looks safe at least.
Jim kicks him again, and Bones grimaces, kicking back and throwing a napkin at him. "Would you stop it!"
"Just eat the damn dessert. Don't analyze it. Don't complain about it. Just take a bite. From the middle," Jim orders. He has his Captain voice on, but Bones has long since stopped listening to that when Jim is off duty. He gives in grudgingly, spoon dipping into the middle of the soppy, metallic mess hard enough that it almost manages to send a vanilla splash onto Jim's hand, but not quite. Unfortunately.
The spoon thunks into something hard and metallic. Jim's smile takes on a strange quality that Bones silently decides is nervous. It’s damn unnerving to see on Jim. His stomach tightens with expectation and he scoops into the dessert, pulling out a sticky round shape.
Bones stares at the wedding band in mute shock. He looks up to find Jim staring at him. "This is a ring."
"Yes."
"You're giving me a ring?"
"Yes."
"What is wrong with you?" Bones demands.
Jim's face falls slightly, but he rolls his eyes. "Many, many things, according to you." Bones stares, and he sighs, reaching across to snag the ring and then dropping it in his water glass, rinsing it off and then pulling it out again, wet fingers reaching for Bones' hand. "We share quarters, we're practically damn married anyway, and were even before you realized you couldn't resist me-" he smirks and Bones resists the urge to tell him, again, that he looks like a smug squirrel when he does that- "and I just thought..." Jim shrugs. "We'll get bigger quarters as a married couple?"
"You're asking me to marry you. For bigger quarters. When you're the Captain?" Bones asks.
"There might be other reasons, too." Jim’s staring at him, rolling the ring between his fingers, chin down enough that he’s watching Leonard through his lashes. "So will you?"
"I've done this once before you know. It didn't turn out so well," Bones answers slowly.
"That was the warm up," Jim answers, tone confident but expression unsure, eyes still searching Bones' face.
Bones' mind is racing, running through all the ways this is a bad idea, but the part of him that had ignored his own good sense in the first place and slept with Jim to begin with has that strange, rushing feeling of exhilaration and certainty that he'd only ever felt with Jim, who was maddening but always unique. He reaches out for the ring Jim is still spinning, sliding it onto his own finger. It sticks over his knuckle for a second, and then slides down into place, and Jim's smile widens. "You know, you're meant to be on one knee," he tells Jim.
"Captains don't kneel." Jim pauses and then flashes a wide, wicked grin. "In public. Unless you ask very, very nicely." Bones flushes and hisses at him to shut up, since their little drama had attracted more than a few watching eyes and listening ears. Jim ignores him, wriggling his eyebrows wickedly. "You know, His Most Holy and Rapturous Captain could use some temple worsh-"
He’s cut off by Bones leaning across the table to kick him, Jim's breath huffing out in a pained laugh as Bones kisses him and kicks him in the shin at the same time. Around the restaurant, their fellow diners break out into good-natured applause and Bones does his best to ignore them.
~*~
Jim’s breath freezes in his chest when he catches sight of Bones, and he’s glad he got here first. He’s rooted to the spot, and wouldn’t move for the world. Bones is walking towards him, his confident gait a stark contrast to the nerves Jim knows he was feeling just hours ago. His hair is combed back and gently falling forward with every step. The suit is classic, black and white, and fitted perfectly.
Bones is smiling at him, looking into Jim’s eyes as he comes to a stop. He’s gorgeous. Jim swallows around the lump in his throat and smiles back.
He’s been waiting for this, waiting to get that ring on Bones’ finger and that paper that says he’s really Jim’s. Today is the day, and somehow, some way, everything has managed to be perfect.
The happy chatter in the background begins to fade away as Chris Pike clears his throat and steps forward. Jim had forgotten he was there, but still isn’t able to look away from Bones long enough to acknowledge him.
Pike starts talking, addressing the assembly. His voice is strong and airy as he speaks, bouncing off the walls of the assembly hall. Jim pulls his eyes away from Bones and turns to Pike, but he isn’t able to separate completely and reaches out to take Bones’ hand.
Warm flesh meets his fingers, and he smiles, clutching Bones’ hand against the onslaught of excitement and anticipation.
Pike keeps it short and sweet and heartfelt, and when it’s time to exchange the vows and the rings, Jim takes a deep breath. He turns toward Bones and takes his other hand, can see the crowd out of the corner of his eye, knows they’re all waiting, but can’t bring himself to care.
He takes a step forward, inhales, and looks Bones’ in the face.
“When I was growing up, I never I had anyone I could count on. And by the time I joined Starfleet, I was so tired of being let down and searching for who I thought I wanted to be. Then you walked into my life when you sat down on that shuttle.” Bones gives him a watery, happy smile, and his eyes are a little bright. Jim’s voice stutters to a stop, and he can hear how silent the room is. He clears his throat before he continues.
“You’ve stood by me, and you believe in me, like no one ever has. When everything starts to go crazy, you save me, every time, and you made me realize that I’ll always have something to come back to. For the first time, I’m not alone.” Bones snorts a little, but squeezes his hands. It makes Jim glad he’s hear, thankful that he can see Bones like this, let him know how much he really means.
“You’re my best friend. No one will ever be able to make me feel the way you do, Bones, and I love you with everything I have.” Tears are leaking out of Bones’ eyes, light ones that barely cut shiny paths down his cheeks. His breathing is shallow, and is whispering through his nose. Jim might be crying a little, too.
Pike holds out Jim’s ring, and Jim can barely look away long enough to secure it.
“I want to spend the rest of my life proving that to you, Bones. Can I?”
Leonard is already nodding. Jim slips the ring onto his finger, and brings his hand up to kiss it. Leonard inhales shakily a few times, composing himself. When he opens his mouth, no sound comes out, and he has to swallow before he can speak.
“Jim, when I met you, I never thought I’d fall in love again. But you stuck with me and helped me, and you let me throw up on you on the shuttle to San Francisco and during my first flight sim.” Bones smiles, and Jim gives a weak laugh. A little wave of laughter floats over the crowd, and their friends in the front row all smile.
“I was tired of hurtin’, and you helped me get over everything and get my life together.” Bones’ drawl is coming out, thick and gravely with love and tears.
“I fell in love with you, Jim, and I don’t know where I would be if I didn’t have you here with me. Life with you makes sense, more than it ever did before, and every time I look at you I fall in love again.” Jim is really crying now, fat tears rolling down his cheeks. Bones is crying, too, but his voice carries as he soldiers on.
“You’re more than my lover, and you’re more than my best friend. You’re the love of my life, Jim, and I don’t think I could do any of this without you. I want to call you my husband, and I want to love you for the rest of our lives. Can I?” Bones mimics, and Jim can barely nod, can barely hold back a happy sob, but Bones takes it for a yes and takes the ring from Pike’s outstretched hand, and slips it on Jim’s finger.
Bones doesn’t wait for the order and brackets Jim’s face in his hands and lays his mouth over Jim’s lips. Jim is clutching Bones’ jacket, wrinkling the expensive material to pull Bones closer.
Bones is chanting to him, a soft litany of I love you, I love you against Jim’s lips, and they’re both crying, tears slicking the friction between their cheeks. The cheering of their friends and family is loud, working in counterpoint to Jim’s heart pounding in his ears, but Jim couldn’t pull himself away from Bones if he tried.
They don’t stop until the tears are gone, and Bones wipes Jim’s face with his thumbs and gives him another soft kiss. “I love you too, Bones.”
Alternately, if I fail, the mix can be listened to HERE or downloaded HERE.