A figure loomed over him, shadow falling across Bones' face as Jim--the older one--came into view. His smile somewhat strained, he smiled nonetheless, greeting the doctor.
Opening his eye, Bones saw the familiar stance on a less familiar figure. "Hey there," he said, sitting up and grinning sort of shyly.
They'd nodded at each other at the bar, and then again at the meeting before they'd all boarded the ship, and said a few words at Kirk's meeting, but hadn't had much time to do more than greet each other in the hallways since that night they'd all spent together - the four of them. Still, it wasn't as awkward as it might have been. "How are you doin' this morning, Jim?" he asked, wiping some sweat off his brow.
Jim didn't feel all that awkward, despite the pretty images that flew through his mind. He could separate those things, although it might have been closer to the truth to say he could reconcile them with one another. But he was aware of the potential awkwardness for others, which was why his manner was reassuringly normal.
"Could be better, but nothing a little workout won't help." He didn't say "fix," because it wouldn't, but it would take his mind off things. Things that should have been there, a soft buzz in his brain, now quiet. "You?"
"Good," he sighed tiredly, loose and relaxed from the run. "Tired, but in a good way."
There was something off - other people might not notice, but Bones could read Jim Kirk like a book - even if it was another Jim Kirk. He was about to ask after Spock and McCoy when he wondered if perhaps that might be the problem. "Things all right with you?" he asked, genuine concern in his eye.
Jim waved a hand. It wasn't that he necessarily had secrets from Bones or Jim, but the situation was fairly complicated and, with luck, could be bettered by time.
"I guess I am a bit like him," he said. "If you know me that well, already." He smiled. "It's fine. I just need to blow off some steam. What's your poison?" He gestured to the gym; clearly Bones had already completed whatever it was he was doing, but Jim was curious. His Bones grumbled as much about taking exercise as he did about making other people do it.
"I ran," he laughed at the idea. "No idea what got into me, just felt like doing back down on Risa and guess I needed it today, too. Lots of things going on up here," he said, pointing at his head. "Sorta clears them up."
Bones stood, stretching. "Just so you know, you need someone to talk to - maybe someone you're not bonded with, or isn't you from another universe," he grinned a little at that one, "I'm a decent sounding board. And I'm here, if you need."
Jim smiled genuinely. "Thanks," he said. "That narrows the field considerably. I might take you up on that, sometime. For now I think I'll try your method. Maybe with less running. I never was much for running for its own sake."
His look turned slightly concerned, and he gestured towards his own head. "Everything all right? For you, I mean."
"Just been a strange last couple of weeks," Bones answered. "The shore leave was amazing," he said quietly, his face flushed from more than the exercise, "but it didn't change the problems we had before, you know, all the new people. Hell, now we've got more and we're no closer to figuring out the what's going on."
He pressed his towel to his face, catching the last bits of sweat, hesitating. "And... I think there's some stuff going on, stuff that Jim's dealing with. He's just got a lot on his mind right now. Worries me a bit," he frowned.
Jim frowned, concerned. Problems, other peoples' problems, were more his speed.
"Is there anything I can do? For him? Or for you--this is a transition for you as well, and... I know it's not quite as easy as the sex might seem to make it at times. As for the people arriving," he grinned, "I'm just part of the problem, I guess."
"I like to think of you three as more of a happy accident," Bones laughed. "You three, having you here, I can really feel like that's something that was supposed to happen. It just feels right, you know?" he said thoughtfully, not talking about the bond or the sex or any of that - just having them there had become more comforting than anything else.
Jim... "You know," Bones shook his head, a faint look of weariness mixed in with affection, "I've been dealing with Jim for long enough to know when to back off and wait for him to tell me what I need to know." He waited a moment before adding, "And he will, eventually."
He looked back up at the other man. "The rest of us just wish we could help you captains out more than you let us."
Jim raised his eyebrows. "Help me? If I were doing anything, that might be an issue." The only help Jim needed was something to occupy him. "I'm glad you feel that way, about us. I can't say I regret meeting you, any of you. But it doesn't feel 'right,' not to me. Not when my ship is out there, missing all of us."
"I'm sure the others feel that way too," Bones replied. "You know, Leonard and Spock - I'm sure they've felt that way, wanting to make your load lighter somehow."
"Bones, if the load were any lighter, I'd drift away." He grinned, but it was worn around the edges. "Oh, I know, the not-knowing is a weight of its own. But I'd feel better if I was doing something."
Less restless, less lost, less confused about whatever was going on with Spock.
A snort. "My dad used to say - be careful what you wish for. Maybe once you guys take on shifts, it'll get better." Bones shifted as he stood, knowing nothing would take the place of being on his own ship, being captain of his own ship.
Then he thought about his Jim, what would happen if he were suddenly somewhere else, taken away from his Enterprise, and his stomach tightened. "We'll get you home, Jim. It'll happen, I know it will. And until then..." he chuckled. "Once we get back on schedule with our missions, I imagine you'd enjoy an away mission or two."
"I know. And I would enjoy that, very much." He smiled at Bones. "Thanks." He'd been so distracted, since coming on board, with Spock and Jim and things. With access to Spock--not merely sexual, of course--curtailed, Jim was suddenly at a loss.
"I don't know about your Jim," he said, "but I've only ever wanted this." He spread his hands, indicating the Enterprise, implying not just command but everything that went with this ship.
"You are a man in need of a project," Bones told him. "I don't know, tell Jim to give you something - something to research, some department, something that you have some autonomy over. Wish I could think of something..." There had to be a problem or project on board that Kirk could relinquish to his counterpart.
These Kirks and their spaceships... "Him too," he shook his head, a chuckle on his face. "I mean, Jim's had his eye on the prize ever since I've known him, but something about this ship... she was built in his hometown, so he'd watched her grow up, so to speak." McCoy looked around at the walls of the ship, his home for the indefinite future. "Loves being a captain, more than anything, and he's so damned good at it," he added, a hint of pride in his voice. Bones loved watching Kirk acting in his official role, something that seemed as natural to him as breathing.
"Bones," he said. "Nice to see you."
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They'd nodded at each other at the bar, and then again at the meeting before they'd all boarded the ship, and said a few words at Kirk's meeting, but hadn't had much time to do more than greet each other in the hallways since that night they'd all spent together - the four of them. Still, it wasn't as awkward as it might have been. "How are you doin' this morning, Jim?" he asked, wiping some sweat off his brow.
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"Could be better, but nothing a little workout won't help." He didn't say "fix," because it wouldn't, but it would take his mind off things. Things that should have been there, a soft buzz in his brain, now quiet. "You?"
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There was something off - other people might not notice, but Bones could read Jim Kirk like a book - even if it was another Jim Kirk. He was about to ask after Spock and McCoy when he wondered if perhaps that might be the problem. "Things all right with you?" he asked, genuine concern in his eye.
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"I guess I am a bit like him," he said. "If you know me that well, already." He smiled. "It's fine. I just need to blow off some steam. What's your poison?" He gestured to the gym; clearly Bones had already completed whatever it was he was doing, but Jim was curious. His Bones grumbled as much about taking exercise as he did about making other people do it.
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Bones stood, stretching. "Just so you know, you need someone to talk to - maybe someone you're not bonded with, or isn't you from another universe," he grinned a little at that one, "I'm a decent sounding board. And I'm here, if you need."
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His look turned slightly concerned, and he gestured towards his own head. "Everything all right? For you, I mean."
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He pressed his towel to his face, catching the last bits of sweat, hesitating. "And... I think there's some stuff going on, stuff that Jim's dealing with. He's just got a lot on his mind right now. Worries me a bit," he frowned.
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"Is there anything I can do? For him? Or for you--this is a transition for you as well, and... I know it's not quite as easy as the sex might seem to make it at times. As for the people arriving," he grinned, "I'm just part of the problem, I guess."
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Jim... "You know," Bones shook his head, a faint look of weariness mixed in with affection, "I've been dealing with Jim for long enough to know when to back off and wait for him to tell me what I need to know." He waited a moment before adding, "And he will, eventually."
He looked back up at the other man. "The rest of us just wish we could help you captains out more than you let us."
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"Bones, if the load were any lighter, I'd drift away." He grinned, but it was worn around the edges. "Oh, I know, the not-knowing is a weight of its own. But I'd feel better if I was doing something."
Less restless, less lost, less confused about whatever was going on with Spock.
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Then he thought about his Jim, what would happen if he were suddenly somewhere else, taken away from his Enterprise, and his stomach tightened. "We'll get you home, Jim. It'll happen, I know it will. And until then..." he chuckled. "Once we get back on schedule with our missions, I imagine you'd enjoy an away mission or two."
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"I know. And I would enjoy that, very much." He smiled at Bones. "Thanks." He'd been so distracted, since coming on board, with Spock and Jim and things. With access to Spock--not merely sexual, of course--curtailed, Jim was suddenly at a loss.
"I don't know about your Jim," he said, "but I've only ever wanted this." He spread his hands, indicating the Enterprise, implying not just command but everything that went with this ship.
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These Kirks and their spaceships... "Him too," he shook his head, a chuckle on his face. "I mean, Jim's had his eye on the prize ever since I've known him, but something about this ship... she was built in his hometown, so he'd watched her grow up, so to speak." McCoy looked around at the walls of the ship, his home for the indefinite future. "Loves being a captain, more than anything, and he's so damned good at it," he added, a hint of pride in his voice. Bones loved watching Kirk acting in his official role, something that seemed as natural to him as breathing.
It was obvious that it was the same for this Jim.
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