Title: Five ways Jim tried to ask Bones to marry him but failed- and one time Bones asked Jim
By: Jedi Princess Clarrisani
Pairing: Kirk/McCoy, a touch of Spock/Uhura and Chekov/Sulu
Fandom: Star Trek
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own... unfortunately.
Notes: Huge thank you to my betas and advisors - nikki4noo ,aquila_star , and of course, 7ofeleven.
Summary: space_married Proposal Prompt 13: "Five ways Jim tried to ask Bones to marry him but failed- and one time Bones asked Jim."***
The First Time...
Jim Kirk was reclining back on his bed, watching as Leonard McCoy fussed around at the corner of the room where they kept their small fridge and kettle, the elder man going about making coffee. It had been a long day for the both of them. As they came closer to graduation, their assignments began to pile up from their various classes, along with the knowledge that exams were just around the corner as well meaning that it was time to study.
While Jim knew that both he and Bones were fine in regards to passing – they were top of their respective classes after all – they both wanted to be prepared for any nasty surprises that might lurk around the corner. Just the other day one of his teachers had sprung a pop quiz on the class, and Jim had been thankful that he had gone over the notes from the previous lectures and tutorials just the day before meaning that he had breezed through it. Some of his classmates hadn't been so lucky.
He shifted slightly, resting his chin on the palm of his hand as he drummed his fingers lightly against his PADD. He watched with a small smile the way Bones' shirt pulled tight across his back when he stooped over just so. Bones cursed slightly under his breath when he almost knocked down a cup while reaching for the sugar, Jim's gaze drifting downward as Bones opened the fridge and bent over to look around for something to eat with his coffee.
"Would it really hurt for them to put a food processor in here?" Bones grumbled, closing the fridge and causing Jim's eyes to snap back upward. "Save a lot of time when making the damn coffee."
"No, because that would be convenient." Jim rolled onto his back, stretching and tucking his arms behind his head. "I think they expect us to walk down to the common room every time we want one. A little bit of extra exercise."
"Like we don't do enough walking as it is." Bones tucked a small package under his arm as he picked up the two mugs, moving back toward the beds and handing one to Jim. "Of course, if you got off your lazy arse and helped it wouldn't take as long."
Jim smiled and shrugged, sitting up and crossing his legs to sip from his mug as he watched Bones sit down. "But you take such good care of me."
"Don't. Start." Bones warned.
Jim fluttered his eyelashes at him, almost choking on his coffee with laughter at the glare he got in return. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, watching as Bones pulled at the package he'd brought from the fridge. Realising what was in it, Jim straightened. "Is that chocolate?"
Bones didn't even bat an eyelid. "You're not getting any."
"How come?" Jim glanced up at him, frowning. "I did your laundry, didn't I?"
"I paid you," Bones reminded him, breaking off a piece and popping it into his mouth. "And don't try pouting. You know that don't work on me."
Jim straightened his lower lip, simmering for a moment before dropping his chin and widening his eyes. Seeing no reaction he set his mug down, shifting so that he was lying lengthways across the bed. He buried his face into his arms, looking at Bones over the top and making sure to widen his gaze as much as possible.
Bones didn't even look up from his PADD. "The cute routine doesn't work either."
Jim groaned, flopping onto his back and staring up at the roof. "You're no fun."
Bones grunted, breaking off another piece of chocolate and dropping it onto his tongue. Jim's eyes shifted to look at him, watching from his upside down point-of-view as each dark piece disappeared through those full lips, and every so often they would wrap around the tip of a finger to catch small melted droplets. Frowning, Jim brought his attention back to the roof, knowing his train of thought would lead to a problem, and the last thing he needed was anyone to see said problem as he slipped down the hall to the bathroom.
"Did you see the way Richards and Trosky were looking at us this morning in class?" Jim asked, looking for something to distract his mind. "I think they were talking about us."
"They were," Bones said, shifting to stretch out on the bed, his PADD on his lap as he sipped his coffee.
"I wonder what about."
"They were saying how we act like an old married couple."
Jim blinked, glancing at him. "Really?"
Bones looked down at him. "Yes really. And stop laying like that. You'll get a headache and then I'll have to put up with your bitching."
Jim shot him a glare but nevertheless swung himself back around to sit up. He placed his foot on ground and quickly reached across to steal a piece of chocolate, managing to escape before Bones could swat him. Jim grinned at Bones' glare as he dropped back onto his bed, picking up his coffee to take a sip.
"Did they say why they think we act like an old married couple?" Jim asked.
"That's when the lecturer walked in," Bones said, sipping from his own drink and wincing slightly. No doubt he'd made it to its usual potent strength. "Probably because of the way we bicker all the time and live out of each other's back pockets."
"Well, we do kinda know what each other's thinking a lot of the time," Jim agreed. "And we can finish each other's sentences."
"And we know how to get under each other's skin," Bones agreed, swatting at Jim as he stole another piece of chocolate. "Fuck off and get your own."
"I did. You ate it." Jim nibbled on the piece, frowning. "You know, we do kinda act like we're married."
"I guess so," Bones said, frowning. "Not sure if that's a good or bad thing."
"Both, probably." Jim looked sideways at him, taking in Bones' profile. He chewed the inside of his lip, frowning. "Maybe we should get married. We act like it, and we do take care of each other."
Bones snorted, taking another sip from his drink. "Just hurry up and drink your coffee before it gets cold."
Jim's frown deepened as he felt a small sense of rejection wash over him. He sighed, dropping back onto his bed and obediently picking up his own mug to drink from it. He stared at the far wall for a moment. "Did you see that girl earlier that was running late? Nice pair of legs on her."
------
The Second Time...
Jim feels a chill wash over him as he stands in the doorway, eyes wide as he takes in the damage before him. Bones had told him that the sickbay had taken a hit, but this was the first chance Jim had had since they'd defeated the Narada to come down and actually see for himself what damage had been done.
Letting out a long breath, Jim cast his gaze over the injured and wounded. In the far corner he could see the sheet covered bodies, knowing the ship's former CMO, Doctor Puri, was no doubt under one. He brushed off the thought of how that could have been Bones under there, and hearing his name he looked up to see his best friend alive and well.
"Shouldn't you be on the bridge, Captain?" Bones asked as he finished tending to a member of security, the man awkwardly holding an arm that Jim could see was broken and gashed open.
"I gave the conn to Spock so I could come down and see the damage for myself," Jim replied, looking around. "Find out how many we lost."
"It's still too early to give you the figures, Jim," Bones told him, glancing down toward the sheets. "Right now we're focussing on the living and keeping them that way."
"Fair enough." Jim ran his eye over Bones, taking in the his posture and knowing just from the way he was standing that he was exhausted, from the way his gaze was darting around slightly that he was anxious and had a million things running through his head. "Are you all right?"
Bones nodded, looking back at him. "After this is over I think I'm going to sleep for about three days, but I'm fine. How about you?"
"About the same. I'm aching a bit but I'm fine." He saw a frown cross Bones' face as the elder man reached for his scanner. Jim brought his hand up, resting it on top of Bones as the doctor made to check him over. "I'm fine."
Bones' concerned gaze met his and held it, Bones eventually nodding and bringing his free hand up to rest on top of Jim's. Jim was almost tempted to raise his own free hand, but kept it down by his side as the warmth of Bones' hands swept up his arm. He let out a long breath, leaning forward and ducking his head, closing his eyes when Bones leaned into him, their foreheads resting together gently.
"We made it, Bones," Jim said softly, gaze on where Bones gently stroked his thumb over the back of Jim's hand. "We survived."
"It's not over yet," Bones said softly, Jim closing his eyes as he felt Bones' breath warm on his face. "We've got to stabilise a lot of people before we can move them."
"I'm not going anywhere until everyone's safe," Jim assured him. "I'll be the last person off the Enterprise."
"We'll be the last," Bones told him.
"Okay. We." Jim brought his free hand up to rest behind Bones' neck, idly stroking the fine hairs there that were soft beneath his fingers. "We'll leave together."
Bones tilted his head slightly, Jim's breath catching in his throat as Bones' nose brushed against his. Jim swallowed hard, returning the gesture as he tightened his fingers ever so slightly on the back of Bones' neck. He fought the urge to tilt his head up, to take Bones' lips with his and push him back into the wall. To suck the breath from Bones' lungs and to finally taste that oh so tempting mouth.
"Sometimes I think I can't let you out of my sight," Bones said softly, Jim shivering slightly as he could feel the almost butterfly caress of Bones' lips so close to his own, Bones' breath warm on his face.
Jim smiled, brushing Bones' nose with his own again as Bones trailed his thumb across the back of his hand. "Maybe you should marry me so you can keep an eye on me." He glanced up into Bones' so close eyes, seeing them open slightly to look at him. "We'd at least be each other's emergency contacts."
"We already are," Bones told him softly. "I changed it over a few months ago when I saw you didn't have one, and since I didn't either..."
Jim felt his stomach flutter slightly at the thought, while at the same time feeling a little grain of disappointment at having his half proposal ignored yet again. He was tempted to ask again, but the sound of someone calling Bones' name off to the side reminded him that both he and Bones had a job to do. He sighed, bumping his nose to Bones' once more before stepping back. Bones gave his hand a light squeeze before he released him.
------
The Third Time....
They were in orbit around a shore leave planet. That was nothing unusual and far from their first shore leave planet, but this one was different to the others. Jim had heard the tales of the surface below, of the beauty and almost magic that had already had several of his crew come back on board either in a relationship, engaged, or even married.
They were seven months into their five year mission, and Jim was learning fast just what it took to be a captain. While he was a good leader in the hard times, it was the slow periods that drove him mad. Bones had given him suggestions of how to bide his time when they were simply mapping a new region of space or hovering above a shore leave planet and he wasn't due to go down yet, but most of the time Jim found himself left to his thoughts.
These days he found his mind focused on his CMO more than ever. It was like they were dancing to some complicated dance, and Jim really didn't know the steps.
Ever since that day after the defeat of the Narada their relationship had been a little more complicated. Jim found himself flirting with his best friend more than ever, but every time he tried to make a move Bones pulled away. Even when he was sure Bones was flirting back, that wall would come up leaving Jim wondering just what he was doing wrong.
But now, below them, was a planet that his crew reported made true feelings finally blossom to life, and Jim was not about to waste an opportunity. He smoothed his shirt, wandering along the corridors of the Enterprise seeking out his CMO. He'd already been to sickbay, but Chapel had told him that Bones had taken a break for lunch. Jim had checked a few of Bones' usual haunts, and now he was heading for the galley.
He heard Bones before he saw him. He could tell just from the sound of his voice that Bones was frustrated and annoyed, and edging toward anger.
He slowed, stopping just outside the door and gazing in.
Across the room at a table by the wall he spotted Bones glaring at Scotty, his hand clutching his cup of coffee tightly as Scotty ducked his head and seemed to looked apologetic and like he wanted to slide under the table.
"Let me tell you this right now, Scotty," Bones was saying. "There is no way I'm going down onto that damned planet. I've heard what it's like down there, and I know that the half of the crew that ain't trying to get into Jim's pants are trying to get into mine. I'm not interested in a relationship, and I sure as hell ain't interested in getting married. One bad marriage was enough for me. So no one, not you, not Starfleet, not even Jim, can convince me to go down there."
Jim swallowed hard, barely hearing Scotty's apologies as he headed back to his room. There would be no shore leave for him after all.
------
The Fourth Time...
"You know, Scotty accused me of being a workaholic today. Scotty." Jim chuckled, setting down two cups onto the table in his cabin. He glanced across at the other who was fussing over their dinner, something that he had grown to know as a usual habit. "I don't work that hard, do I?"
"I can't really comment, Jim," Bones said, finally setting down their plates and sliding into his place at the small table. "Just the other day Christine told me that if I didn't get out of the medbay and get some sleep she was going to sedate me for a week."
Jim chuckled, joining him. "I'd like to see her try."
"Wouldn't be a first time," Bones admitted.
Jim had to concede the point. He remembered well that day after a long mission where they'd found themselves under attack with a lot of injured he'd come across Bones slumped at his desk. Just as he was starting to panic about the fact he couldn't wake the other, Nurse Christine Chapel had looked in around the doorway and reassured him that his CMO was fine - he was just having a sedative induced nap via her hand. After she had threatened to do the same to him, he'd made a hasty retreat to his cabin.
"But still, Scotty, the guy that seems to be attached to the Enterprise's engines by some sort of strange device like it's an extra limb or something." Jim shook his head, taking a mouthful of food and frowning to himself.
"Jim, if it bothers you that much maybe you should bring shore leave forward and go down yourself," Bones said, watching him with a fork half to his lips. "When was the last time you went on shore leave anyway?"
Jim frowned. "I haven't been."
"Thought so," Bones said, finally taking the bite.
"Like you're one to talk," Jim countered. "You and Spock are both always coming up with some excuse as to why you can't go down to the planet. Spock claims he doesn't need shore leave, and I'm betting it's your phobia to the transporter that keeps you from going down."
"It's not a phobia," Bones growled. "I just hate that damned thing. It isn't natural."
Jim smiled faintly, knowing Bones' rant about the transporter breaking them up into atoms and reassembling them not completely as themselves quite well. He still found it fascinating that a man that feared dying while in flight and hated transporters so much could ever have joined Starfleet. Not that he was complaining of course.
"So what do you make of Chekov and Sulu?" Bones asked, prodding at his meat with a small frown.
"Saw it coming a mile away," Jim told him, shrugging it off. "They've been flirting since day one. I was beginning to wonder if they were just going to keep flirting and never get around to actually doing something about it."
"At which point you would have stepped in and tricked them into going into some room together where you would have locked them in."
"And thrown away the key," Jim said with a smirk.
Bones rolled his eyes, gesturing to Jim's plate in a 'hurry up and eat your food' gesture that had Jim return an 'I know, I know' look and tuck in. They were silent for a long while, Jim frowning to himself and occasionally glancing up at the man across from him, at the way a stray hair had slipped down to play over his eyes as if it were enticing him to brush it aside. Unfortunately the last time Jim had tried that it had ended up a glass full of wine in Bones' lap and Jim with blue balls.
It was only two months now since they had actually gotten together. Jim had started to have daydreams about Bones kissing him after he almost got killed on a mission (as always), or perhaps after a romantic meal, or even by sneaking into Bones' office and pinning him to the desk. He never imagined it would be in the briefing room while they were going over mundane reports on the crews physicals. Bones had just reached over, caught the back of his neck and dragged him forward, kissing him almost senseless. Almost, because Jim had still had the sense to call for the computer to lock the door, block the security footage and prevent any override, even from Spock.
"Earth to Jim." He looked up and spotted Bones watching him with a raised eyebrow. "Penny for your thoughts, or don't I want to know."
"Do you ever want to know?" Jim asked.
Bones pondered for a second. "Not really."
Jim laughed, cutting the corner off his piece of meat and nudging Bones' foot with his own. He sobered slowly, the meal returning to relative silence. Normally Jim wouldn't have allowed them to go so long in silence without is mind wandering or him breaking it, but Bones' foot had brushed back against his. "So, how was your day?"
Bones looked at him. "You already know; you were there."
Jim shrugged. "Come on Bones, humour me."
"Okay." Bones thought for a second, swallowing his mouthful. "I went down to a planet with the landing party and watched my captain almost get killed because he couldn't keep his mouth shut."
Jim pouted. "I was being diplomatic!"
"You were being an arsehole." Bones glared at him. "Just because the negotiations aren't going your way doesn't mean you can start verbally attacking them."
"It was aggressive negotiations," Jim countered.
"It was being a prick." Bones narrowed his eyes. "And stop pouting. What are you? Three?"
Jim scowled, going back to his dinner. He watched Bones out the top of his eye, noting the faint worry lines that had started to fade after they'd returned to the ship. Bones had always looked out for him, and Jim knew for a fact that Bones hated planet side missions because he didn't like it when Jim got hurt. And today had been a close call. If Spock hadn't grabbed Jim and pulled him out of the way of the spear when he had, Jim probably wouldn't be sitting here right now.
It had scared Bones, who was starting to accompany them more and more rather than sending one of the other medics. Jim didn't mind, especially since he knew that Bones was the most competent medic on the Enterprise, but he did know it was partly so that Bones could keep an eye on him. And Jim had a sneaky suspicion that Bones and Spock had started to compare notes.
Glancing up at Bones again, Jim gestured down towards his almost eaten dinner. "Has anyone told you you're a good cook?"
"Not recently," Bones replied.
"Well you are," Jim gave him a broad grin. "I prefer your cooking over the galley any day."
"How the hell did you manage to get yourself a stove anyway?" Bones asked, looking across at him. "It took me two days to get someone to replace my blown out light."
"The privileges of being the captain," Jim said with a grin. He chuckled at Bones' skeptical look. "I also found Scotty a crate of vintage whiskey."
"Should have known," Bones said with a roll of his eyes.
"Just got to know how to play it, Bones," Jim said with a wink. He ate the last bite of his meal, neatly dropping his utensils down onto his plate and leaning back in his seat. He sighed with satisfaction. "You know Bones, you're going to make someone a good wife."
Bones glared at him. "Don't make me slap you, Jim."
Jim shot him a grin. "Slap me where?"
"Nowhere you'd like."
Jim laughed, watching as Bones went about eating the last of his dinner. Jim sighed contently. He liked this. Sitting here having dinner with the man he now admitted to having fallen in love with years ago, although he wouldn't tell Bones that. It just felt so right to be able to do things like banter over dinner, bitch about who stole the blankets last night, or just sit in each others arms without talking.
Jim glanced up at Bones, a question running around his mind. He'd asked that question so many times in the past, but not since they'd actually gotten together. He had contemplated buying a ring, or even just asking Bones at some random time. But now that they were together, asking Bones to spend the rest of his life with him seemed harder than ever before. Every time the question came to his lips it caught in his throat, a hot flush rushing through him as butterflies he so rarely felt settled in his stomach.
"Jim?"
He blinked, noticing Bones watching him with a mild look of concern. "Yeah?"
"You all right?"
"I'm fine," Jim said, swallowing the lump in his throat. It seemed tonight wouldn't be the night he asked either.
------
The Fifth Time...
It wasn't often that they got a quiet moment alone together, especially since there was always something happening. It was even rarer that they got to spend a full day together, and that day had been no different to any other day. They had learnt long ago never to even attempt to make plans, since they knew they would only end up disappointed when something came up.
This time it had been Bones that had been dragged away. One of the crewman had had a bright idea to have a party with a few of his friends and someone had brought an item of food they had picked up from the last planet. It had turned out that when eaten in large quantities that item became poisonous to humans, and Bones had spent the better part of the afternoon trying to find the antidote and making sure everyone was out of harms way. He had succeeded, of course, and now all of the affected members of the Enterprise were in their cabins sleeping it off.
"And you know what the worst thing is?" Bones asked, gesturing with one finger. "Spock found the package the blasted cake came in. It actually says on the box in large print that humans should not consume more than two portions in twelve hours."
"Chekov did say it tasted good," Jim said, gently running his fingers through Bones' hair. They were both on the couch in Jim's cabin, Jim sitting on one end with Bones' stretched out lengthways with his head resting on Jim's lap.
"Chekov will try anything and he told me he never saw the box," Bones said, scowling. "Sulu, on the other hand..."
Jim chuckled, remembering how Sulu had told him sheepishly how he'd seen the box and shrugged it off after seeing a few of the other guys eat more than they should and tell everyone how it was like getting high. None of them had realised that the full effect of overeating wouldn't kick in for another hour. Jim was sure Bones had given them all a lengthy lecture on the digestive system none of them would forget for a while.
"I'm sure they won't do it again," Jim reassured him, trailing his thumb lightly across Bones' forehead, following the path of the faint frown lines. "Besides, I've decided to bring in a regulation where all food and beverage products brought from alien planets needs to be cleared by the medical department before it can be consumed."
The frown lines deepened. "Dammit Jim, I'm a doctor, not a customs officer!"
"Relax, Bones." Jim laughed, reaching down with his free hand to find one of Bones' clenched ones, covering it with his own. "You're the Chief Medical Officer. I'm sure you'll find someone to palm the job off onto."
Bones' eyes sparkled. "You mean like you palm most of your jobs off onto Spock."<
Jim blinked. "No I don't."
Bones laughed, unclenching his fist and turning his hand to take Jim's in his. "I know you do most of the work, Jim, despite what the rumours say."
"Which ones?" Jim asked, smirking. "That I'm an intergalactic playboy who spends most of his time sleeping around rather than captaining? That I don't know a thing and got my job by sleeping with the right people? Or that Spock's really the Captain and I am only so in name because the Federation are uncomfortable with the idea of a Vulcan being in command because they might want revenge?"
Bones scoffed. "I haven't heard that last one."
"Spock told me this afternoon," Jim frowned. "He overheard a couple of the crew talking about it in the galley."
"I hope he assigned them somewhere bad."
"He didn't," Jim said, shrugging. "Once I got the names out of him I assigned them to engineering and gave Scotty strict orders to give them all the crappy jobs."
"He'll enjoy that."
"I could almost see the ideas running through his mind before I'd even finished telling him," Jim said with a smile.
Bones brought his other hand up, trailing his thumb so lightly along Jim's palm that he couldn't help but shudder. He'd realised fairly early on that Bones almost knew him as well as he did, seeming to know just what to do to evoke certain reactions out of Jim. It had made Jim begin to wonder that maybe, just maybe, Bones had been watching him just as closely over the years as Jim had been watching Bones.
"I was tempted to bring in an outright ban on bringing unknown food products on board," Jim said, trailing a finger lightly along Bones' hairline and smiling at the way Bones tilted his head back into the touch. "Uhura overheard me suggest it to Spock. She said it wouldn't be fair to punish everyone for the mistakes of a few. Spock said her reasoning was logical."
"Of course he agreed with her," Bones said, bringing Jim's hand up to gently kiss the back of his wrist. "He wants to get laid tonight."
"Shame that's not how it works with you and me," Jim said innocently.
"Don't make me bite you," Bones threatened, his eyes betraying his amusement.
"Sometimes I wish you'd bite me," Jim said, tugging lightly at Bones hair.
Bones chuckled. "This a fetish you haven't mentioned before, Captain?"
Jim couldn't help but shudder slightly. "I like it when you call me that in that voice."
"I know you do."
Jim pulled lightly at Bones' shirt, Bones getting the message and pushing himself up slightly so that Jim could kiss him gently on the lips. Bones caught Jim's lower lip between his teeth and nipped it slightly, causing Jim to gasp against his mouth. He spotted Bones' amused look as the man dropped back into his previous position.
"Keep that up and I'll have to order you into my bed," Jim teased.
"Who says you'd have to order me." Bones gave him a sly wink, reaching up with one hand to give Jim's nose a teasing flick. "Besides, who says I'd follow your orders once I got there anyway."
Jim laughed, unable to help the ideas that were now rushing through his mind. He knew quite well that while he was in charge in their professional relationship, when it came to their private relationship it was more a battle for control. However, Jim would never admit to it, but he did like it when Bones took command.
He gazed down at the man in his lap, gently smoothing down Bones hair and shuddering faintly as Bones caught his other hand and tugged a finger between his teeth, flicking his tongue over it in a teasing manner that had Jim contemplating throwing Bones onto the floor and making him put that mouth to use on other parts of his body.
It just seemed so right, him and Bones. It had taken so long for them to get to this point, but now that they were here Jim just couldn't think of being away from the him. He had since found out that Bones wasn't averse to marrying again, just that he wanted to be sure that he was with the right person. He had told Jim this not long after they'd began seeing each other, and ever since Jim had contemplated various ways to ask the question that had been on the tip of his tongue for so long.
"Bones?"
"Hm?" Bones released his finger, dark eyes opening to gaze up to meet Jim's own. "Yes Jim?"
"Bones..." Jim swallowed hard. Well, now was as good a time as any. "Will you-"
The sound of a siren ripped through the air, causing both men to jump and Bones to spill from Jim's lap onto the floor. Jim glared at the flashing red light above his door as he stood, pulling his shirt down.
"Dammit." Bones picked himself up, smoothing his own clothing. "Every damn time..."
Jim had to agree silently as he headed for his intercom and hit the button. "Captain to Bridge. This had better be important."
------
And the One Time...
It wasn't unusual for Jim to come back to his room and find a note sitting on his bed or table. In fact, it'd long become a habit of his, formed at the academy, to look for a note from Bones when he got back to their room. Bones seemed to have realised fairly early on that Jim liked to know where he was if he wasn't where he said he would be, and to keep Jim from worrying he'd begun to leave little notes. They were always short, sharp and too the point, ranging from "pulling overtime" to "out with a friend", and sometimes with a footnote such as "don't mess up the room" or "stay out of my damn liquor".
For his part Jim wasn't as organised. He tried to leave notes when he could, but often he would be in such a rush that he never had the time and would return to either a glare or a few choice words, and on the odd occasion he'd turned around to find Bones standing across the room with an eyebrow raised. The latter always happened when Jim had been out for way longer than he'd intended and he'd forgotten to let Bones know.
Come to think of it, they were like each other's mothers.
Jim brushed the thought off with a shudder as he picked the note up off the table, glancing at it and seeing four words that surprised him: "On the observation deck". Given Bones' known fear of flying he often avoided the observation deck, particularly when they were in orbit over a planet like they were at the moment. His curiousity piqued, Jim set the note back down and headed out of his room.
Sure enough, he found Bones on the observation deck standing in front of one of the many windows gazing out at the planet below. Jim couldn't help but raise his eyebrows at the sight as he closed the door behind him, hitting the lock in order to give them some rare privacy.
"Last place I ever thought I'd find you," Jim said as he stepped across the room, joining Bones in looking out.
"The only way I'm going to get over my fear is to confront it," Bones said, an element of tightness to his voice that betrayed his uneasiness."After all, as someone once pointed out to me, Starfleet does operate in space so I better get used to it."
"Mm-hm," Jim set his jaw, amusement playing through him. "Does this have anything to do with the fact you prefer taking the shuttle to the transporter?"
"A little," Bones admitted, glancing at him. "Also, Uhura insisted I come take a look at the planet."
"I'll have to second that," Jim smiled, taking in the way the system's sun played off the surface of the planet, causing it to sparkle.
He looked across at Bones, noticing for the first time the glasses and bottle sitting on the ledge nearby and had to laugh. "Brought a little something for your nerves?"
Bones gave him a wry look. "You didn't expect me to come up here defenceless, did you?"
"Care to share?"
Bones rolled his eyes, reaching toward the bottle and pouring out a glass and handing it to Jim. After topping up his own he set the bottle down, Jim raising his glass in a silent toast. Bones returned the gesture, the two downing the drink in one shot. Jim couldn't help but cough as his throat closed on him, the fire ripping down his throat as he thumped his chest with a fist to force the air back into his lungs.
"What the hell was that?"
He was a little annoyed to discover that Bones was unaffected and laughing at him. "You don't want to know."
Jim glared at him. "One of these days you're going to kill me."
"That's if you don't kill yourself first," Bones said, pouring himself another glass and offering the bottle to Jim who turned it down. "And I'll be the one putting you back together."
"Like always," Jim said with a smile.
"Where'd you be without me?"
"I've thought about that," Jim said, setting his glass down and glancing back down at the planet once more. "I don't like the answers I come up with."
Out the corner of his eye he saw Bones turn his head to look at him, his own frown on his face as he swirled the liquid around his glass. "Take it you want to keep me around then."
Jim snorted. "There's a reason I fought so hard to keep you on the Enterprise. Sometimes I don't think you realise just how hard that was."
"I have a rough idea."
He looked to the side as Bones downed another glass, and Jim had to wonder exactly how often Bones had drunk... whatever it was. It was definitely an acquired taste. He was about to ask Bones what it was when Bones put his glass down with a hard click on the table and turned to him, taking Jim's head in his hands, a set look on his face.
"Marry me."
Jim felt like someone had dumped hot water on him, his breath catching in his throat as he wondered if he had heard correctly. "W-what?"
Bones jaw set even firmer. "James Tiberius Kirk, will you marry me?"
He hadn't been hearing things. He knew he was staring, and could see the lines in the corners of Bones' eyes tightened. Jim knew that he had to say something now, but was finding it hard to talk. He sensed Bones beginning to move, and he forced his arms to come and catch Bones' hands and keep them in position.
"Bones." He saw Bones frown and knew what he was going to say just from the look in the other man's eyes. "Don't you dare say forget it."
Bones' frown deepened. "Jim..."
"You took me by surprise." He curled his fingers around Bones', bringing their hands down in front of them and stroking his thumbs along Bones'. "You have no idea how many times..."
"Since the academy," Bones said with a smile. He must have spotted Jim's surprised look as he leaned forward and rested his forehead against Jim's, brushing their noses together as Jim let his eyes fall closed. "I noticed, Jim. But I wasn't sure..."
Jim tilted his head, capturing Bones' lips with his. At first he teased Bones with a few quick kisses before pressing harder. Bones' hands fell from his as his hands once more came up to Jim's face, Jim allowing Bones' to coax his lips apart with his tongue. Jim took a step forward, sliding his arms around Bones' waist and pulling them flush together as he sucked Bones' tongue into his mouth, stroking it with his and feeling Bones' body shudder.
Bones pulled back, drawing Jim's lower lip between both of his and sucking on it, giving it a playful nip that caused Jim to gasp. Bringing one hand up behind Bones' head Jim turned his head slightly so he could capture Bones' mouth more fully, sweeping his tongue inside as he felt one of Bones' hands come down to his lower back and pull him closer as Bones' moaned softly.
At the back of his mind Jim became aware of a pain beginning to form in his lungs and had to curse his bodies need to breath. He pulled back from the kiss and was silently pleased to find Bones' panting just as much as he was. Jim smiled, resting his forehead against Bones until he had control and pulled back and waited until the other man opened his eyes.
"Yes," he said, still slightly breathless. He saw Bones' eyes light up as the corner of his lips twitched. "Yes, Leonard Horatio McCoy, I will marry you."
END***