Going back to the loft alone had given Jim a few minutes to reflect upon all that had happened since he'd awakened. It wasn't that he hadn't wanted Bones along, but even he had to admit everything had been moving fast for the past month. As he had packed up the last box of things to bring to the house, he'd reflected that maybe it had been a test, this last trip alone. Just to make sure he had no regrets.
But the loft still felt cold and empty, a showplace he'd never quite grown accustomed to since picking it up and putting the work into renovating the space in his down time. When he'd come back here after waking up, he'd recognized that it wasn't home. He didn't want it to be.
No, Jim thought as he pulled the car up outside the house. He looked up and saw Bones coming out the door to help and knew that home wasn't anything so mundane as a physical space. For Jim, it was wherever this man was, and he just hoped his calm certainty didn't scare Bones off. He climbed out of the car, unable to help the smile that tugged at his lips as
( ... )
Jim shifted so that he could rest his head comfortably against Bones' shoulder, enjoying the fact that neither of them felt the need to rush to dress or be anywhere else. He wasn't sleepy but he felt so relaxed, and he could feel their breathing slowing down and the steady thump of Bones' heart beneath his hand. It was so peaceful he didn't want to move, but when the call came through he raised his head, his nose brushing against Bones' cheek as he gave him a questioning look.
His lips curled into a smile when he heard that little voice greet Bones. Jim stayed quiet, wanting to give Bones the opportunity to handle this however he thought best, but his fingers tangled with Bones' and he squeezed his hand tight.
Leonard's eyes flew open. "JoJo!" It was always a nice surprise to hear from his little girl, but her timing was likely as bad as his was, it seemed.
Reaching for his t-shirt, he scrambled to sit up, careful not to dump Jim on the ground in the process. "Um, gimme a minute, sweetheart, Daddy's just a little- everything okay?" he asked, hopping on one foot as he pulled his underwear up. He tossed Jim's t-shirt at him before sitting down in front of the monitor, hoping that there was nothing too incriminating left in the view screen.
Pressing a button, he saw her six year old face fill the screen, smiling widely. "There's my girl. How are you- Jo, where's your front tooth?"
"Right here!" she said proudly, holding it up for the camera. "Who's that?" she asked, looking behind Leonard's shoulder.
Jim laughed quietly as Bones tossed him his shirt, but when he felt the damp spot from where he'd used it to clean up earlier he put it down on the sofa and reached for his jeans first. He pulled them on before trying to slip out of the room to find a clean shirt, but when he heard that question he hesitated, standing just out of range and lifting his eyebrows at Bones.
Out of the corner of his eye spotted one of his bags sitting near the bookshelves and walked over to rummage through it. Jim grabbed the first shirt he laid hands on and tugged it over his head, the old Academy t-shirt a little snug through the arms now, worn and comfortable. All the while, though, he was listening to Bones talk to Joanna, wondering what he was going to say about him.
"Oh, that's my friend Jim. Yeah," he added, looking at the moving boxes scattered around his living room. "You remember Captain Jim, honey, he was Daddy's friend at the Academy. I think you chatted with him a couple times on the video channels."
"Is he the one you always had to fix up cause he was fighting?"
Leonard bit his lip, trying not to laugh too hard. "Yeah, baby, that one. I guess I mighta mentioned that a time or two." Turning away from the screen, he saw Jim off on the sides, dressing himself quickly. "Well, he's moving in with me. Gonna be my... roommate while we're here in San Francisco."
Beckoning Jim over toward him, he turned back to Joanna. "...I guess you'll get to meet him in person, if you're still coming down this summer for a visit."
Jim bit his lip and moved over toward the desk so that he was standing slightly behind Bones' shoulder. He leaned in, one hand resting on the back of the chair as he grinned at the little girl. "Hey there, Joanna. It's good to see you again." He let his fingers brush against Bones' back as he crouched down to be more on the same level as the others. "Your dad was helping me move my things in today."
He glanced at Bones, then smiled broadly when he saw how happy he was. The prospect of getting to have Joanna here for a visit, plus everything that had changed between them... Jim loved seeing this side of Bones, so happy and relaxed. "You're coming to visit?" Jim asked her. "That's awesome!"
Leonard knew he couldn't help the smile on his face when Jim's fingers stroked his back. Right now, he was elated and nervous and flustered all at the same time. This... thing with Jim had happened a little fast, he knew that, and while he always planned on telling his family and friends, his daughter owned his heart and always would. She was too young to truly confer her blessing on their relationship, but he did want her to grow to know Jim and love him as much as he did.
One glance at Jim, standing there with that grin that melted hearts all over the universe, and he knew that wouldn't be a problem. "Hi Mister Jim," she said in her most polite little girl voice. Leonard couldn't believe his little girl was getting all shy now, as she held up a tooth for both of them to inspect. "Can you see it?"
Jim grinned when he saw the tooth Joanna held out. "I sure can. I bet you'll be getting a visit from the Tooth Fairy tonight." He chuckled, his eyes bright. "I used to like checking under my pillow in the morning to see if she'd left something for me." It was an old tradition, something he'd almost forgotten about, but he remembered the sense of wonder when he was small and found a little toy or treat waiting for him.
He glanced between Bones and Joanna, an idea forming in his head. "You know, I don't think I've ever been to the zoo here," he said, glancing back at Bones with his eyebrows slightly lifted. "And I hear the aquarium is pretty cool, too." Jim knew how much it would mean to Bones to have one-on-one time with his little girl, but at the same time he wanted to make sure that Bones knew he wanted to get to know Joanna, too.
Leonard didn't know who's smile was brighter - Jim's or Joanna's. The two of them already looked like a pair of scamps, planning out her summer vacation out in California. Judging from JoJo's squeals, she was excited about everything Jim suggested. "I went to the one in 'lanta last year with my class. You gotta come see it! They got all the fishies in one big tank!"
He laughed at that. "We can go to all those places, if you want, baby girl. You make sure you get that tooth under your pillow tonight, okay?"
"'kay, Daddy!" Then she began to chatter about something that happened at school, and what she had for lunch, and how her dog needed a bath because of an encounter with a skunk. "Daddy, when can I come see you?" she asked, and his heart ached with how much she loved him.
He didn't deserve it. "Once school is out, baby. I'll talk to your Momma about coming for a nice visit."
He listened while Joanna described the aquarium in Atlanta, his eyes alight with interest. "That does sound pretty awesome," Jim agreed. He made a mental note to talk more about the idea with Bones, and maybe see what else they could plan as a surprise when Joanna came to visit. "Maybe I'll get out there one of these days
( ... )
A few more minutes and the call ended, Jocelyn promising to send dates for Joanna's visit, so that Leonard could make sure he had the time off. He sat there and stared at the screen for a long moment after the screen went black, thinking about JoJo... and Jim.
He walked toward the kitchen, and watched another minute as Jim prepared dinner. It took a moment to remember how old Jim was - twenty-six? Twenty-seven now? Not a kid anymore, but young enough that he could be out sowing his oats and not a soul would blame him. And where was he?
Standing in Leonard's kitchen, making him dinner and planning to take his daughter out for the summer trip of her life. He took a few steps and stood behind Jim, hands on Jim's shoulder, them moving lower. "Thank you," Leonard said, his arms wrapped tight around Jim's waist. How many men would step in so readily and accept a child into their lives like Jim just did, not only being nice to his daughter, but actively wanting to be a part of her life. "That meant a lot to me, Jim."
Jim put the knife down when he felt Bones move in behind him, those arms wrapping around his waist. He leaned back into Bones' embrace, smiling at the feel of warm breath against his neck as Bones spoke. He hadn't expected thanks, or any other kind of reward, for talking with Joanna. She was a bright little girl, curious and a little shy--or at least, she seemed shy when he talked to her, since Bones had mentioned before that she usually chattered nonstop when she was excited or happy about something. But Jim genuinely liked her, and he remembered what it had been like to be smart and curious at that age, so he'd just wanted to get to know her
( ... )
Leonard just watched Jim as he spoke, so earnest and honest, his face an open book. He wasn't saying any of this to try and make things better between them. Jim genuinely liked his daughter - and that pretty much sealed the deal as far as Leonard's feelings went.
His hands found Jim's. "...let's not worry 'bout dinner right now," he whispered into Jim's ear, tugging him toward the door. Boxes still lined the hallway and living room, but they had time to take care of those later too. Right now, all Leonard wanted to do was hold Jim for a little longer. Didn't matter that they'd spent all that time on the sofa, either. There was one place more than any other in this house that Leonard wanted Jim to feel like he belonged, like this was his home.
Walking arm in arm, they made their way upstairs, finding their way to the large bed in Leonard's - no, their bedroom. "Welcome home," Leonard murmured, kissing Jim soft, over and over, the two of them laying there wrapped up in each other until the first stars peeked out in the night sky.
But the loft still felt cold and empty, a showplace he'd never quite grown accustomed to since picking it up and putting the work into renovating the space in his down time. When he'd come back here after waking up, he'd recognized that it wasn't home. He didn't want it to be.
No, Jim thought as he pulled the car up outside the house. He looked up and saw Bones coming out the door to help and knew that home wasn't anything so mundane as a physical space. For Jim, it was wherever this man was, and he just hoped his calm certainty didn't scare Bones off. He climbed out of the car, unable to help the smile that tugged at his lips as ( ... )
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His lips curled into a smile when he heard that little voice greet Bones. Jim stayed quiet, wanting to give Bones the opportunity to handle this however he thought best, but his fingers tangled with Bones' and he squeezed his hand tight.
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Reaching for his t-shirt, he scrambled to sit up, careful not to dump Jim on the ground in the process. "Um, gimme a minute, sweetheart, Daddy's just a little- everything okay?" he asked, hopping on one foot as he pulled his underwear up. He tossed Jim's t-shirt at him before sitting down in front of the monitor, hoping that there was nothing too incriminating left in the view screen.
Pressing a button, he saw her six year old face fill the screen, smiling widely. "There's my girl. How are you- Jo, where's your front tooth?"
"Right here!" she said proudly, holding it up for the camera. "Who's that?" she asked, looking behind Leonard's shoulder.
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Out of the corner of his eye spotted one of his bags sitting near the bookshelves and walked over to rummage through it. Jim grabbed the first shirt he laid hands on and tugged it over his head, the old Academy t-shirt a little snug through the arms now, worn and comfortable. All the while, though, he was listening to Bones talk to Joanna, wondering what he was going to say about him.
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"Is he the one you always had to fix up cause he was fighting?"
Leonard bit his lip, trying not to laugh too hard. "Yeah, baby, that one. I guess I mighta mentioned that a time or two." Turning away from the screen, he saw Jim off on the sides, dressing himself quickly. "Well, he's moving in with me. Gonna be my... roommate while we're here in San Francisco."
Beckoning Jim over toward him, he turned back to Joanna. "...I guess you'll get to meet him in person, if you're still coming down this summer for a visit."
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He glanced at Bones, then smiled broadly when he saw how happy he was. The prospect of getting to have Joanna here for a visit, plus everything that had changed between them... Jim loved seeing this side of Bones, so happy and relaxed. "You're coming to visit?" Jim asked her. "That's awesome!"
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One glance at Jim, standing there with that grin that melted hearts all over the universe, and he knew that wouldn't be a problem. "Hi Mister Jim," she said in her most polite little girl voice. Leonard couldn't believe his little girl was getting all shy now, as she held up a tooth for both of them to inspect. "Can you see it?"
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He glanced between Bones and Joanna, an idea forming in his head. "You know, I don't think I've ever been to the zoo here," he said, glancing back at Bones with his eyebrows slightly lifted. "And I hear the aquarium is pretty cool, too." Jim knew how much it would mean to Bones to have one-on-one time with his little girl, but at the same time he wanted to make sure that Bones knew he wanted to get to know Joanna, too.
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He laughed at that. "We can go to all those places, if you want, baby girl. You make sure you get that tooth under your pillow tonight, okay?"
"'kay, Daddy!" Then she began to chatter about something that happened at school, and what she had for lunch, and how her dog needed a bath because of an encounter with a skunk. "Daddy, when can I come see you?" she asked, and his heart ached with how much she loved him.
He didn't deserve it. "Once school is out, baby. I'll talk to your Momma about coming for a nice visit."
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He walked toward the kitchen, and watched another minute as Jim prepared dinner. It took a moment to remember how old Jim was - twenty-six? Twenty-seven now? Not a kid anymore, but young enough that he could be out sowing his oats and not a soul would blame him. And where was he?
Standing in Leonard's kitchen, making him dinner and planning to take his daughter out for the summer trip of her life. He took a few steps and stood behind Jim, hands on Jim's shoulder, them moving lower. "Thank you," Leonard said, his arms wrapped tight around Jim's waist. How many men would step in so readily and accept a child into their lives like Jim just did, not only being nice to his daughter, but actively wanting to be a part of her life. "That meant a lot to me, Jim."
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His hands found Jim's. "...let's not worry 'bout dinner right now," he whispered into Jim's ear, tugging him toward the door. Boxes still lined the hallway and living room, but they had time to take care of those later too. Right now, all Leonard wanted to do was hold Jim for a little longer. Didn't matter that they'd spent all that time on the sofa, either. There was one place more than any other in this house that Leonard wanted Jim to feel like he belonged, like this was his home.
Walking arm in arm, they made their way upstairs, finding their way to the large bed in Leonard's - no, their bedroom. "Welcome home," Leonard murmured, kissing Jim soft, over and over, the two of them laying there wrapped up in each other until the first stars peeked out in the night sky.
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