Work Text
Chapter 1
Jim blinked.Around him, ash drifted through the air like charcoal-coloured snow, and he felt an odd sense of serenity as he gazed at the crumbling walls and the blackened charred wood smouldering on either side of him. The floor was still smoking, golden embers flickering in the night breeze.
The same flames that simmered in his hands and spluttered at the ends of his fingers.
Black dust and cinders hung in the air and invaded his lungs, the sound of shattering glass and creaking beams still ringing in his ears, the beginnings of sirens echoing in the distance.It seemed only seconds ago that his stepfather had been standing in front of him screaming.Glancing down, he stared at the pile of ashes by his feet.Not even a single article of charred clothing remained.Jim blinked once more, and then slowly began walking through the burning wreckage, the flames licking at his clothes and almost caressing his skin, but no marks were left upon him.He could still smell the acrid scent of burning flesh.Stopping outside his (burned) bedroom, he gently reached up and pushed at the door. It fell to the floor with a resounding *crack* and he was momentarily overwhelmed by the pure heat that rose as a result.Stepping into the room, he distantly noticed that the sound of sirens was getting closer and closer. Whether police cars, ambulances, fire brigades, or all three, he didn’t know. But what he did know, was that he’d be arrested on sight if he was found.He was too young to go down for murder.Picking up his pace, Jim quickly marched over to the semi-collapsed wrought iron bed and fell to his knees. Reaching underneath, the blond sent a wave of heat to snap the floorboards and pulled out the slightly-singed-but-otherwise-intact backpack from underneath.He always swore to himself that he’d run away.Guess it just took him exploding to do so.Sharply looking up at the sound of doors banging, he recognised the blue and red flashing lights through the haze.Police.Fuck.Spinning around, he ran for the remains of the back door, swinging the bag on his back as he kicked it open. From behind him, there was a yell.Grabbing his bike, he jumped on and spun around in a single movement, pedalling with all his might past the house, past the cars, past the men in uniform screaming for him to “Stop! Stand down! You have the right to remain silent-”He blocked them out and continued, ignoring the yelling, ignoring the fire engines on the other side of the road, ignoring the wet tears as hot as the flames that embraced him in a protective ball of heat from the onslaught of a bad temper and too much liquor and pain and pain and pain and-Jim didn’t know where he was going.He didn’t have any family asides from his mother, stepfather, and brother.His mother was on a three-year-long expedition to some planet a million miles away, his step-father was now staining the floor in what used to be his home, and Sam had gotten out years ago and Jim hadn’t spoken to him since.
He had no one.
That was okay though, he reasoned, because he was used to fending for himself. It wasn’t as if Frank had ever provided for him anyway, no matter what he told his mother.The adrenaline made the highway rush by.Jim wasn’t stupid, he knew what shock was.And he knew that when the panic and excitement and oh my fucking god what the fuck did I just do?! wore off, he was going to crash, and he was going to crash big time.And his last crash?Well, that had resulted in arson and first-degree murder.It took him three days to reach Nevada.Between a mixture of cycling, pawning, hitchhiking, and hiding as a stowaway with no real aim in mind, he found himself heading west. He passed through the gently rolling hills of Nebraska, the cold forested Rocky’s of Colorado, the pine woods in Utah, and the northwest corner of Arizona, before finally ending up in the desert basin of Nevada.He intended on finishing the last two-hundred-odd miles to reach Los Angeles, or perhaps turning North to Sacramento, or even going further south to San Diego.Direction didn’t matter when you didn’t know where you were going.Once he hit Sin City, however, those plans quickly got derailed.Just like every other wanderer before him, he was immediately enraptured by the bright lights and exotic dancers and the shiny glitzy skimpy outfits of the smiling showgirls and the smirking showboys.Despite his stepfather’s opinion, Jim was a very smart fifteen-year-old. He may not have had the patience for school rules, or the concentration to focus in English or Math class, but if he was interested in something, then the devil himself couldn’t stop him from learning.And one thing in particular that he had a serious interest in?Counting cards.And where better to use that skill than in downtown Las Vegas?
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Chapter 2
Okay, so, maybe getting away with counting cards wasn’t as easy as it looked, Jim thought as he was roughly thrown from the casino.“How many times do I have to tell you don’t come back!” the guard snarled.Jim threw on his signature grin as he stumbled to his feet. “Yeah, yeah, I love you too, cupcake!”The man took a threatening step forwards.“I'm warning you, kid. You’re blacklisted on every casino’s rota for a reason”.“Yeah, because I'm just that good!” he shot back, ignoring the tourists staring from either side of him, “And you know it too!”The security guard turned on his heels, rolling his eyes.“Don’t come back, brat. I’m warning you”.“See you tomorrow, then” he retorted cheekily, dusting off his clothes.Watching as the man couldn’t hold back an affectionate twitch of the mouth, Jim waited until he had shut the casino doors behind him before turning and walking away.He couldn’t help but grin.It wasn’t the counting cards part that was difficult, it was the not-getting-caught part. Apparently, an obviously under twenty-one-year-old kid sneaking into every casino in Las Vegas and beating the system attracted attention.It hadn’t taken him long to make a name for himself.Ducking in through the backdoor of a run-down theatre, he shot a flirtatious wink at the lingerie-clad dancers and a salacious smirk at the lion-taming boy. He could identify everyone here by name thanks to the reputation he’d built up over the two years since he’d arrived. He could point out the aliens, the humans, the mutants. The showgirls who were half Orion, the gymnasts from Europe, and the tightrope walker who taught him how to teleport in one terror and awe-filled afternoon.Jim had taught himself how to survive.Between playing in the casinos, updating the security in the casinos, helping out around the theatre shows and circus acts and fighting in illegal matches at night, he easily made enough money to get by. He had a small flat, plenty of acquaintances, and an abundance of people who owed him favours should he ever need one.And for the first time in seventeen years?James T. Kirk was happy.Knocking on the old wooden door, he opened it and stepped in, immediately being hit with the scent of incense and candles. Smiling, he turned around and was immediately embraced by a short round woman.“Jimmy! It is so good to see you!”“Hello Martha, still practising, I see”.She pulled back, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. “I haven’t grown old enough yet to lose the Sight”.“Ah, yes, the Sight” he teased, taking a seat on one of the numerous cushions placed on the floor around the room, “Any chance of a reading?”“Hmm, let us see” she replied, taking a seat across from him and placing a small crystal ball in between, both hands remaining on the clouded glass, “I believe, Jimmy, that the possibility of you winning this year’s title is... quite high”.He snorted. “Hate to break it to you, ma’am, but I could have told you that myself”.She narrowed her eyes at him and reached across to flick his ear. “I’ll have you know, James Kirk, that any ridiculing of my talent will only bring bad karma upon yourself!”He grinned. “I’m sure it will, Martha. Just as I’m also sure you have quite the penny bet on me for Friday night”.“Well, a woman’s allowed to use her power for the greater good, is she not?”“Even if that ‘greater good’ is said woman’s own pocket?”She smiled knowingly. “Especially if it’s for her own pocket. Not many people believe in the Gift of Sight, you know”.“Yet if you told them that you were a mutant and actually could see the future...”“Then all the magic would be gone from it” she replied decisively, “It wouldn’t be any fun if what I predicted was guaranteed to happen. Just as it wouldn’t be any fun for you if you admitted to the boxing referee that how you fight isn’t exactly normal either”.The blond grinned guilty, ducking his head. “I can’t help having Enhanced Combat, you know that. It’s not my fault I picked a fight with the wrong kid in third grade. I barely even knew what I could do back then, let alone what power that boy had!”“I know, just as you can’t help having half a dozen other powers either” Martha replied quietly, voice twinged with sadness, “You gain any more since I saw you last?”Jim shook his head. “No. Nothing, thankfully. My mental shields are as strong as ever, and I’ve been careful about who I touch”.“It really is a terrible curse”.He gave a bitter smirk. “Some people would call it the ultimate gift”.She slowly nodded. “It’s easy for them to say that when they don’t have to deal with it. Being able to absorb any physical power used on you, it’s... it’s not something I’d wish upon myself, especially when you can’t control it”.He awkwardly shifted on his knees. “Yes, well, ever since you showed me how to create a mental shield, and ever since the rest of the circus found out what I can do... It’s been better. Easier. They know not to use their powers on me, and even the incredulous ones backed off after that juggler got too close”.“And it also helps that you’re retaining the underground boxing championship title for the third year, I hope?”He laughed. “Yes, well, I’ll try my best”.“Jimmy. Everyone’s too scared to go up against you. Ever since you brought that muscle head to the ground when you were only fifteen... I say you won’t have much competition this year”.“Let’s hope so” he replied, teasingly flexing near non-existent muscles, “Cause I’d hate to have to explain how I brought down a guy three times my size again. Saying I have ‘good luck’ really only lasts for so long”."And speaking of" Martha continued, "Are you betting on yourself again?"Jim pulled his casino winnings from an inside jacket pocket and handed it over."Six hundred dollars. Double or nothing. Can you make it happen?""Have I let you down yet?" she shot back, carefully but quickly tucking the money underneath her brightly-coloured turban, "But I want ten per cent"."Five" he immediately countered."Nine"."Six"."Nine"."Seven-and-a-half. Final offer".She hummed, thinking for a moment before holding out a calloused hand. "Fine. Seven-and-a-half. But when you win, you promote my fortune-telling gig"."Deal" Jim agreed, and Martha smiled. "Deal. And now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s getting late. and I still have customers to please”.The blond quickly stood up. “Try not to tell them too many lies”.“I only lie, Jimmy, because they wouldn’t like the truth”.“Oh, and you know that for certain, do you?” he teased, and Martha smirked, tapping her nose. “I can do you one better. I have seen that for certain”.Shutting the metal door behind him, Jim paused to breathe in the cool night air, before smiling once more and beginning the short walk home. All around him, tourists were dazzled and awed by the bright lights of the city, and to be honest, despite having lived here for two years now, he occasionally got star-struck as well. But their dazed reactions tended to benefit him more often than not, as it allowed him to easily swipe the occasional wallet or watch from an unsuspecting visitor.Now, however, he was in too good a mood to allow Sin City to live up to its name and happily made his way through the crowd, content enough to keep his hands safely in his jean pockets. Jim never expected to stay here this long, but if he were being completely honest with himself, then he hadn't even expected to survive this long either.He had plenty of acquaintances, but that was it. Martha was the closest thing he had to a friend, and even that relationship was based on mutually benefiting transactions. No family, no friends, no pets. He wasn't even that attached to his minimal apartment, simply grateful for the fact that the landlord had looked the other way when he couldn't produce any ID. It wasn't much, but for now, it was enough. Jim only had one year to go before he hit eighteen, so until that happened, he was stuck in Vegas. He had everything he needed, and here, at least, he was safe.Until he realised he was being followed, that was.It wasn’t uncommon to be going in the same direction as someone, not in a place as crowded as this, but Jim had always been a little paranoid, and that paranoia had paid off many times before. He felt eyes on him, he knew he felt eyes on him, and not just one pair either.It probably wasn't the cops; he hadn't done anything especially illegal since he was sixteen, and the casinos begrudgingly accepted his occasional underaged wins because he always pointed out how they lost afterwards. It also couldn't be a thief or pickpocket since Jim was far from being the best mark while surrounded by wide-eyed tourists, and besides, most criminals around these parts knew him by sight.So if it wasn't the police, and it wasn't casino security, and it definitely wasn't anyone looking for an easy target... then who the hell was following him?!Pausing outside a shiny store window, he pretended to look at the suits inside while actually using the bright lights to source out his followers. His eyes quickly latched onto the hazy reflection of a dark-skinned woman and a light-skinned man. They were the only two who had stopped when he did, and right now, they were quickly trying to come up with a reason why.He smirked.Amateurs.Staring into the clothing store for another minute, he abruptly turned on the spot and started heading straight for them. It wasn't that he was particularly arrogant or anything, but he was confident in his own abilities and if these were amateurs then he wanted to know why they were here and why they were following him and-
Fuck it.
He just wanted to see what they'd do.Jim kept his attention on the pair but carefully avoided eye contact to avert suspicion. He sensed more than saw the obvious panic that came across the couple's faces, and couldn’t hold back an amused smirk. Walking dangerously close, he avoided all contact until he was right next to the woman, and then accidentally stumbled against her.“Oh, sorry!” Jim apologized with an easy grin, one hand brushing back his hair as a distraction while the other slipped into her pocket, “I wasn’t watching where I was going”.“No!” she said quickly, “I mean, yes, I mean, no, that’s- that’s okay”.His smile turned just that little bit more genuine, already liking her dark caramel eyes and the audacity to reply to her target.“Well, sorry anyway” he replied, stepping back, "Have a good night!"Turning, Jim continued walking away, immediately noticing when not thirty seconds later, they began following him again. He rolled his eyes. How much more obvious could they get? His own little stumbling act had been painfully obvious but they'd apparently fallen for it, so he was gonna go ahead and just assume that they were idiots as well as amateurs.Glancing down at the purse in his hand, Jim smirked and pulled it open. Inside, was the ID card of the brown-haired woman, along with the necessary basic details.
Nyota Uhura.
Mutant.
Earth.
Jim frowned, not recognizing the name. Pocketing the purse for future research, he waited until the last second before ducking into a dark alleyway and immediately teleporting away.Scotty swore as the blond kid disappeared down a side street.“Come on!” Uhura said quickly, picking up the pace, and they both jogged down to the alley he had turned into.The alleyway that was currently empty.“Fuck!” Nyota yelled, kicking a nearby trashcan.It smashed to the ground, and a pair of rats scampered away.Scotty swallowed thickly. “Maybe 'e jus'... I dinnae. The lad could've gone 'ome?”“But we don’t know where that is!” she growled, “Two years, Scot! Two years we’ve been searching for this kid, and then when we finally find him he just-”She cut herself off with an aggravated sigh.“I know, lass” he replied quietly, “But at least now, we know for sure that the lad’s 'ere”. She sighed and glanced around the deserted alley. “... You think he made us?”“I think it’s very convenien' that 'e bumped into yous, o' all people”.“And there’s no such thing as coincidence in our line of work... What are we going to tell Pike?”“That we found 'im”.“And that we let him get away?”“An' that we kept our distance. Like we're meant to. The lad ain’t goin' to move all of a sudden, no' when 'e’s been 'ere for two years”.“But how do you know?” she pressed, and he sighed, “Because 'e’s still a child, Nyota. A child with no 'ome or family to return to, so 'e made one for 'imself 'ere... 'E ain’t gonna uproot 'imself, not cause two strangers suddenly took a wee bit of interest”.Uhura slowly nodded. “Any idea what his power is yet?”Scotty shook his head. “Couldn't tell ye. Chris didn't know?”“Pike only said that he knew the kid's family and that the kid himself was a mutant... but he doesn't know anything about what the kid can actually do”.“Then... I guess we call i' a night” he finally replied, “Continue lookin' for 'im tomorrow. Now that we know for certain 'e’s 'ere, we can ask 'round 'bout the lad. See what kind of name 'e’s built for 'imself”.“And maybe get an idea on what he can do” she finished with a sigh, “Yeah, you’re right. Let’s go”.He grinned as they began walking away. “I’m always right, lassie”.She playfully shoved him away. “Oh shut it, Scotty! That was one time-”And as they began their bickering, both were blissfully unaware of the two sky-blue eyes studying them from a rooftop above, and of the boy’s own inner turmoil of why the hell does the name Chris Pike sound so familiar?!
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Chapter 3
Over the following three days, Jim became very acquainted with one Nyota Uhura and her Scotsman indeed.Not that they knew about it, of course.After stealing the woman’s ID, he’d done some research of his own and had found some articles identifying her as Christopher Pike’s head recruiter for the Starfleet Academy for Mutants itself. He still wasn't sure what his connection to the man was, but he’d heard of the school, not many hadn’t, and he knew that they posed no threat. In fact, chances were, they were trying to do the opposite, and actually recruit him.The idea wasn't as laughable as he wanted it to be.Jim quickly sent out the word; there were two mutants following him, he didn’t want their treasure hunt to be interrupted, and he didn't want them to find him just yet. He wanted to hear them out, at least, and Jim had to admit, he was curious to see how long it took them to figure out where he lived. And so, he told everyone to tell the truth if asked, on every detail, except one.His power.Jim wasn’t stupid, he knew how powerful he was, and knew how powerful he could be if he so chose.He didn’t choose.If it were up to him, he’d have gotten rid of this fucking curse many years before, and he’d be damned if these ‘recruiters’ only asked him to join them based on his potential power.So, instead, he waited.“You sure this is where he lives?” Uhura whispered, and Scotty nodded, focusing on the electronic lock preventing them from entering the apartment.He could feel the wires and circuits rerouting under his hands as he replied. “Certain, lassie. The fortune teller wasn’t exactly shy with 'er info”.She glanced around the long cream corridor, which looked more like a hotel than an apartment block. “Sure is fancy for an underaged kid with no job”.He shrugged. “Nae our place to say. For all we's know, 'e could be livin' with someone”.She turned back to the door. “How much longer?”The electronic lock hissed.He smirked. “It’s open”.Pushing open the door, they cautiously stepped into the dark room, Scotty quickly redoing the lock before turning around. The lights of nearby casinos and fountains basked the apartment in a pale-yellow glow, bright enough to stop them from tripping over anything but not bright enough to see much else.“How long do ye think it’ll take for the lad to come 'ome?”Uhura shrugged. “No idea. But we’ve waited two years, Scot. I think we can afford another two hours”.They didn’t have that long to wait.Hearing a beep from the door, they both spun around as it was pushed open, and their target stepped in. Shutting it after him, he dropped the duffle bag he was holding and leaned his forehead against the door, letting out a slow breath. Nyota frowned, partly concerned by how unaware he was, but mostly worried about the hand that he had clasped tightly over his stomach.Against her better judgment, she took a step forward. “Hey, kid, are you-”Jim started and spun around, giving them just enough time to see wide panicked eyes before suddenly-
He disappeared.
They stared at where the blond had just stood in shock, the space now only occupied by a gear bag.Nyota blinked. "... What the fuck? Since when can he teleport?!""I've no idea, lass. But it certainly explains 'is vanishin' act in that alleyway".Scotty slowly walked over to the bag and reached down to open it.“Don’t”.This time, they were the ones who jumped.Spinning around, they found the boy standing at the window, back turned to them as he stared out into the night. In his hands, he held a glass of water and two pills. He downed them both in one movement, the city lights causing the window to reflect and betray his wince as he did so.Scotty slowly straightened back up, noticing the bruises that trailed down the blond’s jaw and disappeared beneath the collar of his shirt.“Ye alright, lad?”“Oh, you know, just peachy” he replied breezily, “Not like I came home to find two strangers after breaking into my apartment or anything, so why do you ask?”The Scotsman couldn’t help but smirk in amusement at the sarcastic response.Jim eyed them warily through the reflection of the glass. "... Why are you following me?”“We want to- to talk to you” Nyota replied hesitantly, and he scoffed, rolling his eyes at her. “And you couldn’t have found a payphone somewhere?”“It’s not exactly something we can discuss in public”.“Well then, Ms Uhura, the stage is yours”.They froze.“How do you know my name?” she asked, voice barely a whisper.His reflection smirked. “You’d be surprised what I know. Christopher Pike send you?”“He did” she cautiously replied, “You already know why we’re here, then?”“... I know the concept, but not the details” Jim admitted, “Starfleet Academy is very hush-hush about those. What do you guys actually do there anyway?”Nyota couldn’t shove down the smile caused by his childish curiosity seeping through the tough-guy persona.“You’d be a student” she explained, “It actually is an Academy, you know”.He made a face. “I’m not one for school”.“We noticed”. She smirked. “But we save the boring stuff for choice subjects. The only thing you’re actually required to do is to learn how to control your abilities”.“And if I say I can already control my abilities?”It didn't escape her notice how he responded in the plural.“Ye’re seventeen, lad” Scotty replied, “I’d barely registered that I actually 'ad an ability at yer age”.“Yeah, well, I became quite aware at a fairly young age” he shot back.Nyota wasn't surprised. They'd been tracking him for two years, after all, but according to Pike, Jim had shown mutant abilities before he'd even started middle school. And they hadn't come all this way just to lose him now.“That may be” she agreed, “But we can still help you, even if it’s just to perfect a few minor details or to work out some kinks you might be having. It’s not permanent, you can always leave after a few days or weeks or months or however long you like. No one would try to stop you”."Easy for you to say that now" he immediately shot back, "What happens if I join and a few weeks down the line you decide I'm a danger to myself and others and lock me up and throw away the key? Would no one try to stop me from leaving then?"She studied him carefully. "You can teleport. I wouldn't call that a dangerous power".He remained silent, shoulders tense.Uhura realised her theory of the kid having multiple powers was becoming more and more likely, and she wanted desperately to reach out and touch him. Once she had her hand on his skin, she'd be able to read his emotions like an open book, but Jim remained standing at the other side of the room, and she didn't want to break the fragile trust that was starting to build up between them. Her numerous years as an empath had taught her a few things though, and she didn't need to be touching him to feel the suspicion fear hope fear suspicion rolling off of him in waves."... I can’t make a decision right now”.“Of course not, lad” Scotty quickly said, “Take a few 'ours, a few days... 'ow long do ye think ye need?”The blond seemed to consider something for a minute before finally nodding towards the bag at the man’s feet. “Smallest pocket, left-hand side. Open it”.He frowned, but did as told, and pulled out a wallet and a group of what appeared to be business cards.Nyota grabbed the first item from him almost immediately. “Hang on, is that- is that my-”“Yeah” Jim interrupted, “Sorry not sorry”.She stared at her purse in shock. “You pickpocketed me?!”He turned to them for the first time that night and crossed his arms defensively. “Hey! I didn’t know who you were. You could have been planning to kill me!”She raised an eyebrow in disbelief, and he scowled at her. “Oh, don’t give me that look. You’d be surprised how many people I’ve pissed off”.“You know what kid? I honestly don’t think I would be”.He took a deep breath, forcing down the heat that threatened to bubble to the surface, and glanced over at the older man. “Take two of the cards”.Scotty tossed the others back in the bag but held the remaining two in confusion. “Is this for a... a boxin' match?”“Of sorts” Jim admitted, “The championship’s this Friday”.Nyota stared at his five-foot-seven scrawny frame in disbelief. “And you’re in it?!”He glared at her, gesturing towards the bruises littering his jaw. “You don’t get this pretty patchwork for nothing, you know”.She softened and took a step forward.He immediately took a step back.“Don’t”.“I can help!” she protested, and he stared at her distrustfully. “How?”“It's part of my ability. I can't heal the bruises, but I can- I can take away the pain, at least!”He paused."Through touch?"Uhura frowned at the rather unnecessary distinction but nodded all the same.“No” Jim turned back to the window. “Get out”.“What? No! You can’t just-”“Get out, or I’ll show you just how I’m in the championship” he threatened, voice low and posture stiff.She made a move to speak again, but Scotty quickly put a hand on her shoulder. “Alrigh' lad. We’ll leave... 'ow do we know when ye'll 'ave an answer?”“The cards. They’ll get you into the match, and the locker room's at the end of the tunnel. It’s finished at eleven, so if I’m going with you... I’ll meet you there”.“An' if ye’re not?” he asked sharply.Jim smirked. “Then you’ll have just had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see Underground Las Vegas... See you then”.It was Pike’s idea to go early.Having immediately phoned the professor after leaving Jim’s apartment, they explained the situation, mentioning how the boy had Teleportation but had also hinted at being able to do other things as well, and then told him when and where the so-called ‘championship’ was on, the address handily printed on the back of both cards.Jim had told them that the match ended at eleven and that he would meet them then. Pike had called that move for what it was. Defensive. The blond didn’t want them to see him fight. And so, of course, the professor ordered them to do the complete opposite.They arrived at the ring at half-nine.Nervously stepping into the dimly lit basement, Scotty repocketed the cards he'd shown at the door, and turned to Nyota questioningly.She shrugged. “I guess we just... follow the crowd?”Because there was a crowd, and a surprisingly large one at that considering this whole ‘Underground Las Vegas’ thing was meant to be relatively secret. They slowly trailed after the mass of men and women making their way through the shady-looking tunnel, before finally emerging into a large open space, a boxing ring in the middle with tiered seats on two sides, and standing areas occupying the rest of the room.“Seats?” Scotty asked, pointing to two in the top row, relatively hidden in the shadows.Uhura nodded, and they quickly made their way over.She was unsure how Jim would react if he saw them, so the dark corner was the perfect place to hide yet still observe. She had to admit; she was curious. Like the kid had said, you didn't make it to the championship without being good, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that his second power had to be combat-related. He really was tiny, after all, so Uhura thought it was safe to assume that he had a little extra help when it came to fighting. They had only been sitting down for ten minutes before a makeshift referee swung under the ropes and grabbed a microphone.“Ladies and gentlemen and everything in between, are you ready for tonight’s Championship match?!"The crowd roared in response, and he grinned. “Alright then! Our first contender is-”“I don’t see him” Uhura whispered, glancing around at the crowd.“'E’ll come in when 'is name's called, it’s tradition” Scotty replied, and she gave him a questioning look.He shrugged sheepishly. “I 'ad a... very eventful youth”.“Uh-huh” she agreed, smirking. “Remind me to ask you about that later".“Ladies and gents, give a round of applause for the man defending his Champion title for the third year running, JIM KIRK!”Ninety per cent of the crowd leapt to their feet and began screaming one name.“JIM! JIM! JIM! JIM! JIM!”Both mutants stared in shock at the near-fanatical reaction, their eyes drawn to the one scrawny figure sliding under the rope in the boxing ring below.Jim.He was wearing a pair of dark shorts, both hands wrapped in white gauze his only form of protection, and he was shirtless.
They could see his scars from the top tier.
Without knowing so, Uhura grabbed Scotty’s arm, and squeezed tight, as this mere child walked to the center of the boxing ring, seeming indifferent to the pure mass of his muscled opponent.“We have to- We have to stop this!” she hissed quickly, “He can’t- We can’t let him- He’s going to get killed!”Scotty kept a firm grasp on her hand, sending his own calming and reassuring emotions across their temporary bond.“'E’s the defendin' champion, lassie. 'E’s won before. Twice, in fact. An' based on the standin' ovation 'e got... I’d say the lad's a fine fighter indeed”.She turned to him, clear terror written across her features, and he quickly soothed her.“Let’s jus' see 'ow it plays out. E's gotta be good to get this far. An' if anythin' does happen to the lad... I’ll cut the power. Ere’s a socket behind me, one tap of my finger an' the lights go out. E'll be fine”.Nyota slowly nodded, still worried but understanding the logic behind what the Scotsman said. It also helped that the tranquillity he felt was genuine, and she allowed it to smother her own panicked emotions. Turning back to the ring, she focused instead on the match that had already started... and she was immediately mesmerized by the boy’s every move.Jim was quick, graceful, and light on his feet. He knew when to strike, where to strike, and how hard to strike. He had enough balance to stay standing but was still flexible enough to duck and bend and weave around his large opponent. He kept his guard up at all times, only dropping it enough to execute the perfect uppercut to send his opponent reeling. Even when the hulking mass managed to get half a dozen hits in, it seemed to be planned on the kid's side as he used those openings to his benefit. From the second the bell rang and they started fighting, he held all the winning cards, owned the upper hand, and had it all at his fingertips.It was almost as if he could predict his enemy's next move.The sound of the bell ringing once more was what finally snapped them out of it, and when they blinked and actually processed what they were looking at, they could only sit in shock.Jim had won.Jim, seventeen-year-old tiny skinny Jim Kirk, had won.Jim Kirk had won against a man four times his size all in the first round.“Did that... Did that actually just happen?” Uhura asked, beyond confused, and Scotty slowly nodded. “Aye, lass... I believe it jus' did”.
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Chapter 4
They found him in the locker room ten minutes later.“Jim! How the hell did you- That was- I mean, you just-”He immediately tensed and spun around to face them, and the words died on her lips as she saw the bloody lip and black eye. He might have been an incredible fighter, after all, but that didn't mean that he was invincible. “... You’re here” he finally said, “You... You watched the match. Why did you watch the match?!”She blinked and took a step back at the sudden change of topic. “I... We just- We wanted to-”“To see 'ow ye fight, lad” Scotty finished. “We mean' no 'arm. We's were curious, that’s all. An' for what it’s worth? Ye’re a pretty damn great boxer”.Jim swallowed, a red flush forming high on his cheeks, but slowly relaxed and began unwrapping his hands, revealing bloody, bruised knuckles underneath. Nyota winced in sympathy and immediately stepped forwards.The second she touched his wrist, everything came crashing down.Jim froze as he felt an all-too-familiar shock, eyes widening, breath stuttering, panic and terror and oh god no and immediately, he was surrounded by emotions, emotions belonging to himself, to her, but not to the Scotsman, not to everyone but her her her her emotions they were- they were loud and they were imposing and they were fucking horrifying and in the back of his brain, his mind (un)helpfully listed every single one.He spoke without meaning to.“Emotional Empathy”.His voice was a mere whisper but she still heard him.Nyota lept back as if stung, and he only got a glimpse at the shock surprise fear what how?! before her hand left his and he could finally breathe again.She stared at him in shock. "... What did you just say?"Jim abruptly jerked back, staying well out of her reach as he tore at the bandages around his hands."What? What did who say? What are you talking about?!”“You just... You just said-”“I just said nothing”.And he knows she can tell he's lying because he can tell he's lying and he's only had this new fucking horrendous power for a full five seconds and she's had years to master it and-“You said Emotional Empathy” she repeated, staring at him in part awe and part wariness, “You know what I can do, but I never told you... How?”“I've no idea what you're talking about!” he spat, throwing his bag over his shoulder just that little bit too aggressively.“No! I know what I heard” she pressed, before her eyes suddenly softened, “Is that what you can do then? Tell what people are? What their powers are? Just by- by touching them?”He took a jerky step backwards, head shaking unconsciously because there were too many emotions, he blocked out his feelings for a reason but now they were there they were constant like flashing neon lights inside his own skull and he can't handle this he can't handle this he can't handle this he can't-“I fucking wish”.Scotty took a cautious step forwards.“Ye wish ye could, laddie?" he asked, voice uncharacteristically soft, "Or ye wish it were that simple?”Jim abruptly turned to him, movements uncoordinated and sudden and nervous. “What do you do?”“What?”“What do you do?!” he snarled, taking another step back, reminding the pair far too much of a cornered alley cat.Scotty frowned. “Well, I... I control machines”.“Machines?”“Aye. I can get 'em to do what I please. Machines, technology, some vehicles... Anythin' with a wee few wires an' a battery, really”.“Not people? You can't control people?”“Even though I know a few who act like robots, lad, unfortunately not".This seemed to calm him, and Nyota was pleased when she saw his shoulders minutely relax, even if she still wanted nothing more than to reach out and speed up the process.“Not people” Jim muttered, as if talking to himself, “Not people. Nothing to do with people”.She shared a concerned frown with her partner before turning back to the boy. “Does that... change things?”“Change things?” He looked up at her, eyes unfocused and dazed until suddenly- they weren't. He abruptly straightened up, mask back in place although just that little bit more frayed at the edges.“Change things?” he repeated, “Of course not. Why would it change things?”He scoffed and adjusted the shoulder strap on his bag.She swallowed thickly. “Alright then. It doesn't change things... So why did you want to know?”“Curiosity” Jim said shortly, before turning back to Scotty, “Machines, huh? I bet you could show me a thing or two about those”.It was deflection, plain and simple, but the Scotsman didn't want to risk scaring him off again.“Aye, laddie. But ye'd 'ave to come with us to find out”.He seemed to have expected this answer.The blond slowly nodded. “Alright. Then let's make a deal. You go back to this school of yours and tell Pike that he has no fucking clue what he's getting himself into-”“I think we can handle some teenage angst, kid”.He paused. The older woman was painfully transparent, and despite not touching her, he could still tell some of what she was feeling from her eyes and posture alone.Authority.Determination.Hopefulness.And he could almost taste the distrust that just reeked off of himself too, a vile, acrid, pungent smell that seemed to sour the very air around them.“You want me to come with you” Jim said suddenly, “Why?”“So we can help you” Uhura replied immediately.“Why do you want to help? You can't help. I'm not like anything that you've dealt with before!”“Then we'll both learn together”.“And if I say no?”“Then we'll leave you alone”.He resisted the urge to reach out and touch her, and instead zoned in on how her gaze flickered to the side as she answered. As she lied.“Wanna try that again?”She shifted uncomfortably. “We'll... We'll sort of leave you alone. We won't try and recruit you again, but...”“You'll keep tabs on me”.“... Yeah”.Well, at least she was honest.Jim frowned and considered his options. One on hand, he had a life for himself here, in Las Vegas, a life he had worked hard to build and create and develop and-And he was never going to amount to anything if he stayed.Plus, he also had this new power that he’d have to learn to deal with. Thank fuck he was already so cautious about touching people, cause he already had a headache from everything his own stupid brain was telling him he felt, and if he had to deal with another set of complex emotions on top of that again then-Jim sighed and tiredly scrubbed at his face with bruised and bleeding hands. It’d be something new, at least.“... Alright” he finally said, “Alright, yes, I’ll... I’ll come with you. For a- a trial run, of sorts. No commitments, no promises”.Uhura grinned a brilliant white. “That's fine. That's good. Great. Fantastic, even. You ready to leave now?”He gestured at his bag somewhat sheepishly. “Yeah. I, uh... I kind of guessed that something like this might happen. I’m ready to go if you are”.It took eight hours to drive to Presidio, San Francisco where this Starfleet Academy was supposedly based. Jim spent the entire ride asleep, or, at least, pretending to be, and for a number of good reasons too.Number One, so they couldn’t ask him any questions about himself because even though he agreed to check this place out, that didn’t mean he’d get all best-friend-sy with them.Reason Number Two, was so he could listen to their little hushed conversation upfront, not that it was a very interesting or informing conversation, thus leading him to wonder if this whole sensing-emotions-thing could tell if people were genuinely sleeping or not, considering that Uhura reached back to lightly touch his wrist from time to time.And finally, Number Three, was because he was just so fucking tired but didn’t trust them enough to willingly lose consciousness in front of them. Resting his eyes, it was then.He'd collected his winnings from a grinning Martha before they'd left the tunnels, a neat little twelve-hundred dollars, and had then given her an envelope with his house keys to pass onto the landlord. There was probably something in his tenancy contract about not being allowed to move out in the middle of the month, but honestly, him living there first day was illegal so he didn't think the landlord would throw too much of a fit about it. Once that was done, he was ready to go. It was rather depressing when he thought about it. Two years of his life all tied up with a backpack and a five-minute conversation. He knew he had commitment issues a mile wide, and he didn't exactly put much faith in relationships either after growing up with the people he did, but to have two entire years of his seventeen-year existence end so quickly and so easily was... disturbing, to say the least. Jim wasn't sure if that said more about Las Vegas or him.They arrived at the Academy early the next morning, Uhura and Montgomery "call me Scotty" Scott having taken turns driving through the night. Jim took his time taking in the oddly modern glass building, the twin peaks of the Golden Gate Bridge just about visible over the roof of it. He’d been expecting old red bricks and green ivy and silent students in uniforms studying by birdbaths or some shit, but not this.Swinging his bag over his shoulder, he eyed the laughing happy plain-clothed students distrustfully as he passed, trailing after the recruiters into the contemporary, brightly-lit Academy. He could feel Uhura's worried gaze on him as she tried to surreptitiously study his reaction. He kept his expression carefully blank but didn't protest as she paused for a moment in order to fall into step with him. He was fully expecting the careful brush of her fingers against his wrist, but the sudden barrage of extra emotions flashing behind his eyes caused him to miss a step. He didn't stumble, thankfully, but his awkward half-skip was enough for him to feel her sudden suspicion. He knew what his own emotions were telling her because he could feel the waves radiating off of himself too- unease, anticipation, confusion, agitation, wariness -but what Uhura didn't know, was that it was now a two-way street.She was still slightly suspicious, but it was borne from concern rather than paranoia which was both incredibly stupid and strangely kind of her. She was still determined, still authoritative, although that one, in particular, had lessened now that she was back at the Academy. She was still worried about him, his powers, his reaction to the place, but again, it seemed to be genuine. Jim decided that he couldn't trust her. Simply because he didn't trust anyone. But... But maybe he'd give her as close to trust as he could get. She deserved that much at least."Scotty will take your bag to your room while I bring you to Professor Pike" Uhura explained as they passed steel doors and large windows."My bag? Can't I keep it with me?""If you like" she shrugged, unconcerned, "But Scotty's good people, and we're not gonna search through your stuff or anything. I just thought it'd be one less thing for you to worry about after you talk to the professor".Jim carefully adjusted the strap on his bag and decided that while, yes, he was trying to trust this woman, that didn't mean he had to become stupid to do so. He'd keep the bag, for now. It literally had his entire life in it, after all."You keep calling him 'professor'" he said instead, "I thought he was the headmaster of this place?""He is, but he also teaches the psychic students. Telepathy, Empathy, Telekinesis, and so on. 'Professor' kind of just stuck" she smiled. "He's a good man. You can depend on him"."Depend on him for what?"Uhura gave him a slightly confused, concerned look, and he carefully kept his hand out of her reach."For... For everything. You can trust him".Jim hummed noncommittally.The name was familiar, that much was certain, but from where he still didn't know. And Jim really didn't like not knowing. So until he found out if this professor was friend or foe, he was going to keep his 'dependence' firmly on himself."Every new student has to have a meeting with him" Nyota continued, "It's nothing serious, don't worry. Just the usual who you are, where you're from, what you can do. It's so he knows where to put you, class-wise. Most of the subjects here are mixed, but depending on your abilities, you might need specific classes, like the psychic students I told you about. Pike is pretty good at figuring out where you belong".Jim gave a sardonic smirk.
Good luck to him.
"And here we are!"They came to a stop in front of a set of double metallic grey doors and Uhura reached up to knock twice."Come in".Turning to face Jim, she gestured for him to go inside. “First meetings are private, I'm afraid, but I'll wait out here for when you're done. Ask him whatever you want, no matter how stupid or strange you think the question might be, because trust me, he's heard them all before".Uhura winked at him, reached past, and pushed open the door. It didn't escape his notice how she purposefully brushed against his arm as she straightened up, nor did he fail to realise that the sudden wave of calm that came over him was most certainly not his own.She could send him emotions as well as take them away then. That was a neat trick. He'd have to ask her about it sometime.Turning to face the open steel door, he took a deep breath and stepped inside.
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Chapter 5
Shutting the door behind him, Jim turned to find a dark-haired man sitting behind a large desk, face passive but eyes positively beaming at him. He frowned, the thin mouth and bright blue gaze somewhat familiar but-Pike gave a sad smile. “I don't suppose you remember me, huh?”
-that voice.
That voice was the same voice that had spoken to him at his father’s memorial service when he was two years old before he knew he was different before he knew he was a mutant before Frank came into his life.Jim stared at him."... You knew my dad”.“I did indeed... Your dad was a mutant”.“I figured”.Pike inclined his head as a silent question. The blond slowly took a seat in front of the desk, his bag falling to his feet.“It's hereditary, isn't it? Maybe not from parent to child, but certainly no more than two or three generations apart”.“And you assumed that your father passed it on to you?”His face darkened. “Well, it sure as fuck wasn't from my mother’s side”.Pike winced, knowing all too well that the only thing George and Winona Kirk ever fought about, was her disgust of mutants and his ability to manipulate ice.“So, I gathered it had to be him. She always did say we were too alike”.He slowly nodded. “Your dad could control ice. Create it, destroy it, manipulate it... However, despite it being a hereditary gene, it's the ability to have powers that's inherited, not the power itself. It's highly unlikely, if not impossible, that you can do the same as him”.It was a blatant follow-up question.
So what power do you have?
Jim didn't answer.Chris coughed and sought out the familiar mind just outside the door, Nyota letting him into her head without a second thought.
'Is he still not telling?'
'No sir' He blinked, sighed, and studied the boy in front of him. Because that's all he was, really. Just a boy. George's boy."... You look a lot like him, you know"."I'm not".He paused, brows furrowing, and Jim winced."I mean, I'm not- I'm not him. Not that I don't look like him, I just... I'm not just George Kirk's son. I never even knew the man, so I'm sure as hell not him".Pike felt a pang in his heart; grief for his long lost friend, anguish for the son he never knew, and hopelessness at the sight of this distrustful boy sitting warily in front of him, a child forced to grow up far too soon in a world that was far too cruel to someone far too young."I know" he finally replied, throat strangely tight, "I know you're not George. But it'll... it'll be hard, for... for me to get used to that. So, I'm sorry, in advance, if I slip up. Your father was one of my closest friends, and... and I'll never forgive myself for letting you disappear".Jim shifted uncomfortably in his seat. This was getting far, far too close to feelings for his liking."You weren't responsible for me" he eventually settled on, internally wincing as the man's expressive eyes only got sadder."No, I wasn't. But that doesn't excuse my actions. Your mother wanted nothing to do with me, threatened to take legal action if I ever even visited you, and... well, I was more concerned about my career than I was about you"."You weren't the only one".And- shit, now his eyes were glossy what the fuck was he meant to do now?! "Winona's still spaceside, then? She left you with- with-""Yeah" Jim smoothly interrupted, "Or, at least, she was, back when I... when I left. Can we please move on?""Of course" Pike quickly cleared his throat, thankfully knowing a touchy subject when he heard one. "Has Nyota told you what we do here?"Jim shrugged. "School stuff. But, you know, for mutants. Controlling your power and all that shit"."Language. This is an academy and I am still your headmaster, no matter what connection I have to your family" he replied sternly, "But yes, you're right, for the most part. We have compulsory classes for all students; maths, physics, xenobiology and so on. A lot of other 'traditional' subjects such as history and Terran geography are optional. In addition, we have numerous electives to choose from, some of which are taught by our own students, based on their levels of expertise. We encourage everyone to take at least one elective, depending on their interests and career choices. After that, classes and tutorials are based on mutant abilities"."And if I can already control my... abilities?" He gave what was probably meant to be an amused smile, but instead appeared somewhat nervous."Well, there's always something to be learned. And if nothing else, Starfleet Academy can provide basic education, one which, if you'll forgive me for saying, you likely haven't had over the last few years".He stared at him in disbelief. "So you're taking me in out of the kindness of your heart to ensure that I don't end up an idiot?"Pike at least had the decency to blush."If you want to put it bluntly... then yes. Albeit, not in those words... I don't know what you plan to do with your life, James, or if you even have a plan. If you do, then I hope that Starfleet can help you get to where you want to be, if you don't... then at least you'll receive a decent education while you come up with one"."And if I want to spend the next ten years hustling casinos in Vegas?""Then that's your choice" he replied evenly, "But from what I've heard, it'll be a hell of a waste of a great mind".Pike was convincing, Jim had to give him that much. The man had a quiet sense of charisma, not the sort that would start riots or inspire the masses, but a personal sort, the type that could make you feel like you were worth something or persuade you into doing something stupid.Something stupid like joining a school for mutants.He was considering it. Damn him, he was actually considering it. Jim had nowhere else to go, after all, and Pike struck a good deal. Free room, free food, free education. He'd be hardpressed to find even one of those by himself, and even then he'd likely have to keep his 'abilities' a secret. As advanced as planet earth was, quite a number of its natives still held outdated views, and mutants didn't tend to be welcomed with open arms in the more haute parts of towns.
You can depend on him. For everything.
Uhura's words still rang in his head, swiftly followed by confusion hope bewilderment hope wariness hope. The professor hadn't done anything to make him doubt coming here so far, after all, and yes, Jim was very aware of how painfully low that bar was fuck you very much, but the fact was, Pike was already ten times more trustworthy than anyone else in Jim's life right now.But if Frank had taught him anything, it was to never trust someone that you haven't seen angry.So Jim decided to rectify that.Immediately.Standing up, he walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window that stretched across the southeastern wall of the office. The sun was high in the sky, students were laughing on the grass, and the Golden Gate Bridge gleamed in the background. He considered his options, turned back to face the man, and kept his expression blank."I'll try it".Pike blinked, surprised before a small but pleased smile came over his features and he reached forwards to pick a file off the edge of his desk."You'll- That's great, that's- that's-""I'll try it" he interrupted, "But I'm not telling you what I can do".There was a beat of silence and Jim fought the urge to smirk in satisfaction."... James-""Jim"."I'm sorry?""My name" he said purposefully, "is Jim"."... Okay. Jim, then. I can't help you if I don't know what you're capable of”.
Well, this was going to be easier than expected.
He laughed, humourless and harsh. “Oh, believe me, sir, you don't want to know what I'm capable of”.Pike sat back in his chair and frowned. “James- Jim... I have trained people who can control fire, people who can teleport, and people who are emotional empathics. Whatever you can do, whatever ability you have, we can work it out”.The blond smirked, quick and dangerous, and leaned forward.“How about all three?”Pike couldn't hide his shock. Or how his eyes widened. Or how he accidentally dropped the file in his hands. It made an echoing thud on the steel desk, and Jim leaned back once more, cold tendrils of satisfaction twisting behind blue eyes.“... What do you mean by all three?”“I mean I can do all three” he replied flippantly, “Plus a few more if you're counting”.“But that's... that's not possible. Not with such varying powers. They'd have to be closely related for you to have more than one and even then, you'd only have two or three at most”.“Not if you aren't born with them”.Chris stared back at him, confused and shocked and beyond bewildered. Jim had a feeling the man wasn't caught off guard that often, so he relished every moment he could.“But how did you get the extra abilities if you weren't born with them?”He smirked. “Well, that'd be telling now, wouldn't it?”“James”.“Jim”.“Excuse me?”“My name. It's Jim. James is what my stepfather used to call me. It doesn't exactly bring back fond memories”.“Why not?”He considered the man in front of him for a few minutes, remembered his plan to make him angry, and then decided fuck it.“Just how, exactly, do you think my old house burnt down?”“Leaky gas pipe”.“Try again”.Pike frowned, taking in the predatory smirk and the dangerous gleam in the boy’s eye. “... You did it?”He held up one hand, snapped his fingers, and grinned as the professor jerked back with a startled yelp as they suddenly caught fire.“I did it” Jim answered, staring at the flame, “Purely by accident, of course. I didn't intend on causing such a large explosion... But hey, these things happen, I guess”.“That explosion killed Frank” Chris said slowly.“I know. That bastard was the reason for it”.He stared at the boy in thinly veiled horror. Perfect.A tiny insignificant part of him felt somewhat slightly guilty for clearly unsettling the man who was once his father's best friend, but at the same time, his father's best friend had left him to fend for himself in an abusive household so a little 'unsettling' was really the least he could do."He was your stepfather”.“That doesn't define what type of man he was”."... No, you're right, it doesn't. Your mother stopped me from visiting you when you were about five, but even then... I thought something was wrong. I didn't know what, but I just knew that something was..."Oh, fuck, he was going from angry back to sad again. Jim internally panicked and then blurted out the first thing he thought of and-"The only thing I feel guilty about is that the old barn cat got burnt to a crisp just like he did”.-and holy fuck, that was a bit much, now wasn't it?!Jim studied the man’s reaction carefully. Chris was clearly uneasy at the admission, scared, even. But he didn't seem... judging, for some reason.“You're not going to turn me in?” he asked curiously.The professor sighed. “Even if I wanted to, Jim, they couldn't prove it... A lot of mutants here come from troubled homes. And the one thing I've realised after all these years? It's that all of them were fully justified in what they did”.“Even murdering a man?”“... Yes, Jim, even murdering a man”.
Guess he was just impossible to anger then.
Jim turned back to the window, frustrated. He'd tried to get Pike to show his true colours, to get him angry enough, furious enough, that he wouldn't watch his words. Furious enough that Jim might get hurt in the process, but finding out the truth was far more important than avoiding any cuts or bruises.But then the bastard had to go and actually care about him.
How fucking dare he.
"... You're not what I expected".Jim gave an abrupt, somewhat bitter, laugh. "Yeah, well, I get that a lot"."Nyota said you made them the first night they followed you. Pickpocketed her, too".He kept his gaze on the cloudless sky outside. "It wasn't exactly difficult; your spies are terrible at blending in"."Recruiters" Pike corrected automatically, "And usually, they don't have to blend in"."They still need training"."You offering?"Jim jerked in surprise and found himself turning back to the man who was looking far more composed than he'd been a few moments ago."... Offering implies that I'll be here long enough to finish a semester"."Drop the tough act, Jim. You and I both know that you've nowhere else to go".Which, yeah, obviously, but it still hurt to hear it said out loud. Jim turned back to the window instead. "Are all of your recruiters that obvious?""Yes" Pike replied easily, "But not many of our students are that suspicious".That suspicious. Meaning, suspicious as you. "Only the paranoid survive, and all that" he replied wryly."You think this is a setup?""I wouldn't put it past you"."It's pretty elaborate, don't you think? Too elaborate, in fact"."Like I said. I wouldn't put it past you"."Is that a compliment or an insult?"Jim huffed a laugh despite himself and turned back one final time, reluctantly heading back to his seat since the man had more than proved himself."If I say insult, will I get detention?""Hmm. Maybe not this time, but you only get one insulting-a-superior freebie a year, so I'd be careful about how you use it".Jim laughed again and Pike softened at the sight, smiling in a way that made the corner of his eyes crinkle and knocked ten years off his age."... I think this place would be good for you, Jim"."Even if I don't tell you what my power is?"Because he might- might -be starting to like the man, but that didn't mean he was going to blurt out all his secrets on day one."It isn't ideal" Chris admitted, "But I've bent rules for students before, and quite frankly, your well-being comes before any education. If not telling me what you can do makes you... happier, makes you feel safer, then... we can put a pin in it for now. Wait a few days, a few weeks, see how you're getting on, and then readdress the issue. Deal?"Jim slowly nodded, almost but not quite convinced. Since the man was a well-known telepath, however, and the blond had mental shields that rivalled a Vulcan...He held out a hand to seal the deal.Pike looked appropriately surprised but stood to reach forward and shake it without a hint of hesitation. Considering that he didn't know everything Jim could do, had just heard him confess to murder, and watched his hand catch fire, but was still willing to make skin contact, only raised the blond's opinion of the man.The second their hands touched, Jim felt a wave of warm protect happy confused protect trust worry happy protect warm wash over him and his entire body buzzed like he'd just downed four shots of vodka.Jim smiled, slowly but genuinely, as he felt the tendrils of hope in his heart burst into something more."Deal".
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Chapter 6
Doctor Leonard H. McCoy was having a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day.It started the second he woke up when he found that his favourite coffee had run out. Then, while getting dressed, he realised that he’d forgotten to do his laundry last week and so, had no doctor’s scrubs to wear. Once he reached the Academy’s infirmary, it was to find that not only was literally every other nurse off sick but that same sickness was called the vomiting bug. And it looked like half the school had caught it. And so, having spent his morning getting thrown up on, he finally went back to his rooms to change, only to get accosted by Montgomery bloody Scott, and told that there was a new kid after joining the Academy and that he, said Doctor Leonard H. McCoy, was therefore required to not only do the standard physical but also to stitch the brat up because he’d decided to get in a fight and was bleeding and shit. And so now, despite the fact that it wasn’t even lunchtime yet, he was waiting in the infirmary for some stranger, who he hadn’t even known existed before today, to appear for his check-up.Just fucking great.Jim pushed open the door to the Academy’s hospital, cautiously returned Nyota’s reassuring smile from the corridor behind him, and stepped in.Pike had only just finished explaining that yes, this is a school and therefore you are expected to follow rules and attend classes according to your timetable, and now, it seemed that a physical was required. What they hoped to gain from that, Jim didn’t know, but he was pretty sure that he had bruised a rib or two (or three) in the championship match and so, surprisingly, he wasn’t going to complain.“James Kirk?”“Jim” he automatically corrected before even turning around, but once he did- oh my fucking god he’s hot.In front of him stood a young man, not much older than he was, with dark spiked hair and stubble. He had a jawline that could cut diamonds and his eyes were the colour of ice. It also didn’t help that he looked like a rockstar, with a grey v-neck shirt, dark green leather jacket, and skin-tight black jeans. The only accessory worn to complete the look was the man’s scowl, and Jim found that he couldn’t help but grin at the ruggedly handsome dreamboat in front of him.“You’re the doctor?”“Is that a quip against my appearance, kid?”He smirked and looked him up and down appreciatively. “Oh, believe me, doc, your appearance is damn fine... It’s your age I’m wondering about. You’re like, what, twenty?”“Twenty-three” he corrected, before pointing at the raised bed next to him. “Sit. Now”.Grinning, the blond left his backpack at the infirmary door and happily did as told, already foreseeing the numerous ‘accidents’ he would be getting into in the near future. Hopping up on the edge of the gurney, he glanced the doctor up and down once more and decided that if nothing else, at least his staying here would provide some rather... charming views.“I’m Jim. Jim Kirk".The man continued to stare down at the PADD in his hands. “I know”.The blond waited for another response but didn’t get any.He frowned. “This is usually the part where you introduce yourself as well”.“I know that too” he quipped, the corner of his mouth twitching up at the side, and Jim internally cheered for the small victory. “Alright then” he replied, “If you’re not going to give me your name, then I’ll just have to name you myself”.“I’m not a dog, kid”.“And I’m not a kid, Bones”.This made the man pause.Jim grinned cheekily as the ice-blue eyes finally lifted off the PADD and latched onto his own.“Bones?”“That’s your name now” he replied seriously, and the doctor frowned. “Bones? It’s not very... imaginative”.“Well, you put me on the spot! I didn't have much time, you're definitely not a 'quack', and I had to improvise. Sawbones is the old-timey-wimey word for doctors but it's a bit of a mouthful so Bones it is” Jim said, “I can think about it tonight, if you like, and get back to you tomorrow about a better name”.Bones stared at him for a minute.“What if I just tell you my actual name?”“Nope. Too late. You had the chance. You’re Bones now”.“... My name is Leonard. Leonard McCoy”.The blond made a face. “Leonard? Your name is Leonard?! You don’t look like a Leonard”.The man smirked. “So tell me, brat, what do I look like?”He blinked. “Like a Bones”.The doctor let out a low chuckle that did things to Jim’s stomach that had nothing to do with the bruised ribs. Placing the PADD on the bed next to the boy, Bones turned to face him fully.“Alright kid, do whatever makes you happy, I guess”.“You know what’d make me even more happy?” he asked innocently.“What’s that?”“For you to stop calling me kid. I’m not twelve, you know”.Bones smirked once more. “You’re still underaged, though. That makes you a kid in the adult world. Plus, you're like... tiny”.He glared at him, and the doctor couldn’t help but smile at the sight. “Oh please, I'm five-foot-seven, you’re just unnaturally tall and, by the way, only six years older than me!”“Which makes you a kid” Bones finished. “Now come on, are we getting this physical done or what?”Jim grinned a salacious smile. “Well, that depends entirely on what type of physical you’re talking about, doc”.McCoy glanced over at him and couldn’t help but smirk as he shook his head. “I take it that you’re going to be a regular troublemaker, then?”“Only the best for you, Bonsey”.He didn’t even dignify that with a response.Going over to his stack of shelves, he crouched down and began routing for the required items, Jim unabashedly ogling his ass from behind.“Scotty said you got in a fight” Bones started, pulling out a selection of injections and antiseptic, “You hurt? Asides from the obvious, of course”."I didn't get in a fight. I won a fight". He licked at the blood that had welled up on his lip from all his recent grinning and then shook his head. “It's just a bruised rib or two, bloody knuckles, nothing serious”.Bones nodded, straightening up once he found what he needed, and walked back over to the blond, holding up both hands once he reached him. Bruised ribs would only take half a minute or so, and as long as none of those knuckles were broken, he could heal the brat in five minutes, tops. Based on Jim's salacious smirk and come-hither look, he wouldn't exactly object to being touched either.McCoy was therefore completely unprepared for the blond to scramble back and literally fall off the other side of the bed as soon as he reached out.“Woah, woah, woah, man, what the fuck are you doing?!”He stared at him, hands still held out in shock. “... Checking for internal injuries”.“With your hands?!” Jim exclaimed, scrambling to his feet.“With my hands” he agreed, slowly lowering them. “That's what I do. I can... heal things, for lack of a better word”.“No”.Bones blinked, getting more and more confused by the second. “Excuse me?”“No. No, you can't- I- I won't- You don't-”“Kid!” he snapped, immediately switching into doctor mode at the suddenly panicked patient. “In plain English. What's wrong?”“... Don't use it”.“Use what?”Jim spun on the spot, clearly agitated, and gesturing wildly as he started to pace.“Your- Your power- Your- Your healing thing! I can't let you- I don't want you to-”“-to use it. Yeah. I got that. Any particular reason why?”“I don't... I can't tell- I just-” he slowly trailed off with a heavy heart, “... Because I don't want you to?”Bones stared at him for one full long minute, but despite the hint of confusion in his eyes, there was also a calmness and acceptance and I don't understand this but it's clearly upsetting the kid so for now I'll just do it anyway.Eventually, the doctor nodded.“Alright... Alright, kid, I won't heal you that way. But I still have to check you over, so can I at least do it the old-fashioned way? With a stethoscope and a couple of injections and shit?”Jim half-turned back to him. “... Not with your hands?”“Well I'll need them to hold stuff, obviously, but I won't use my power if that's what you're asking... Would wearing gloves help?”Yes, yes it would, Jim thinks, remembering that time it was snowy out and everyone was wearing gloves in school and when he held Thomas's hand crossing the road he didn't get any shock despite knowing for a fact that the boy could warp memories with just one touch cause of that time in kindergarten with Lisa and the dare and-He nodded.“Okay then” Bones agreed calmly, “You sit yourself back up on the bed there, and I'll... go find a pair of gloves somewhere”.Making sure to move slowly and carefully, he made his way back over to his stack of shelves, covertly keeping one eye on the blond who, up until two minutes ago, had been full of life and flirtatious remarks and good humour.That same boy was now sitting on the hospital gurney, trembling, and clenching his fists tight enough to bruise as if afraid of what they’d do if he didn’t.McCoy silently pulled out his communicator, sending a short, quick, message to both Uhura, Scotty, and Pike.
*Just what the hell can this kid do?*
Straightening back up, he pulled on the sterile disposable gloves, rolled up both sleeves, and grabbed a pack of antiseptic wipes. Heading back over to the blond, he made all his moves predictable and obvious. The whole 'therapy' side of things was more his boyfriend's area of expertise, but McCoy was no stranger to anxiety and what looked like a healthy dose of PTSD, so for now, at least, he had to be the one to step up."I need to clean away the blood to see your mouth properly" he stated calmly, "I can do it, using this disinfectant, or I can give it to you and you can do it yourself. Which would you prefer?"Cautious blue eyes peered up at him, so completely unlike the cheeky brat that had waltzed in here with an attitude and a smirk ten minutes before. Pike usually gave him the heads up if a new student came from an abusive household, so either the man in question somehow forgot, didn't know, or else McCoy had been so busy all day that he hadn't heard his communicator beep. The fact that the boy hadn't shown any obvious signs of abuse until he brought up his abilities, however...Jim cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly."You can- You can, uh, do it".He nodded once. "Okay. It's gonna sting a little, but I can give you painkillers afterwards if you want, once I know what I'm dealing with"."I'm no stranger to antiseptic, Bones. I know it's gonna sting".His smirk was small and oh-so-fragile, but at least it was a step in the right direction."Yeah?" McCoy replied casually, "You get in fights pretty often, then?""You could say that".The blond winced as the disinfectant came into contact with his lip, and the doctor muttered an apology as he began cleaning away the blood."You do realise how tiny you are, right?"He got a glare in response, his mouth currently being held shut by gloved hands, and McCoy didn't doubt for one moment that that was the only thing saving him from a particularly acerbic response."I'm just saying, kid, maybe you should focus on talking things out than going straight for the throat. You certainly have a tongue on you".And there it was, a familiar spark in electric blue eyes that promised inappropriate remarks and a whole lot of blatant flirting. McCoy secretly smiled, pleased to see that the kid was calming down and returning to what seemed to be his default state. Pulling back, he tossed the bloody gauze on a nearby tray and tilted the blond's head up to the light."Hmm... no medical stitches, thankfully, and you're lucky it's not infected either, but I'll give you a tetanus shot, just in case".Jim nodded, reaching up and cautiously poking at the split lip before McCoy slapped his hands away."Hey!""Oh shut up, I don't need you reopening the cut just because you're too damn curious for your own good!" he grumbled, "I'll put a steri-strip on it, give you the shot, and then we'll see about those bloody knuckles".Finding the necessary box, he pulled out the smallest sticky strip he could find, and carefully closed the small but deep wound with it, all the while ignoring the dirty look the kid was still giving him."There. It's done. Brat".Pulling off his gloves, it didn't escape his notice how the blond immediately tensed once more. McCoy remained calm, picking up the antiseptic wipe, the gloves, and the suture packaging and disposing of them in the rarely-used metal trash can.He returned to the shelves to get another pair of gloves, a hypospray, and also to surreptitiously check his communicator. Still no word from Pike, but both Scotty and Nyota had replied, the former claiming that the kid could teleport, and the latter adding that he'd hinted at having more than one ability.McCoy frowned.His own power wouldn't affect a teleporter in the slightest, and any additional power that the boy would have to be similar. Telekinesis, perhaps, or maybe even some sort of space-time distortion. Neither of which his healing power would threaten or even react with at all. So just why the hell was this kid so scared?Saving his questions for later, he headed back towards the gurney.“You ever get an injection before?”Jim nodded, immediately paling, and McCoy couldn't help but smirk.“You feel sick after it?”The blond blinked in surprise. “Yeah, actually. How’d you know?”“It’s a mutant thing” he explained, “Those injections were invented for humans, and humans only. They... attack our powers, as such, because they’re meant to attack anything that shouldn’t be there, and... well, we’re called mutants for a reason”.He held up a clear cylinder tube. “This is called a hypospray. I invented it a number of years back. It works just like an injection, minus the needle, and uses compressed air to transport whatever’s in it, into the body. It also doesn’t affect mutant powers, so you should feel fine after it”.“You invented that?” he asked, amazed, “How?!”“By trial and error” he replied, “I told you what my power was. I can heal people, and I automatically heal myself a hell of a lot faster”.He stared at him. “... You tested it on yourself?”The brat was giving him an appalled look not all that dissimilar from Spock's expression when he'd found out about the experimentation too, and McCoy sighed.“No one can do what I do, so it was the only logical option”.“Well, yeah, but, that still doesn’t-”“I’m going to stab you now”.“Wha- Ow!” Jim jerked back as the hypo pinched his neck. “I wish I didn’t know you!”“Don’t be such an infant”. Bones scowled, tossing the empty canister up on the tray next to him, and pulling on the disposable gloves. "Now, show me your hands".He sighed over-dramatically but did as told, and the doctor immediately tutted when he saw bloody and bruised skin."Hit first, ask questions later, huh?""No, actually" he snapped, "I was boxing"."Without gloves?""It wasn't exactly a legal match".He pinned him with what his patients not-so-affectionately called his 'done-with-your-shit-doctor-look' and tore open another pack of antiseptic wipes."Explain".Jim let out another sigh and then promptly flinched as the doctor none-too-carefully poured disinfectant over his hands."I was in Vegas, that's where they found me. You know, Las Vegas, Sin City-""I know what Vegas is, brat"."Really? But you seem so uptight".Bones glared and pressed the gauze down slightly harder than necessary on his split knuckles. Jim winced but still gave an innocent smile in response."There's an underground boxing ring, and a new championship every year" he explained with a shrug, "I won".The doctor blinked."... You won? You? Seriously? You?!""And just what the hell is that supposed to mean?""You know full well what that means. You're tiny and I've seen more meat on a skeleton!""... What were you doing looking at a half-decomposed skeleton?""That's beside the point" he said, waving a hand dismissively, "Just how the hell did you win a boxing championship?""With my good luck and charm?""Try again".Jim sighed and kept his gaze on the bandage the doctor was now wrapping around his hands."... It's got something to do with- with my power"."Teleporting?"Almost immediately, sharp eyes flashed up to his own. "Who said anything about teleporting?"Shit."... Scotty mentioned it" Bones reluctantly admitted, "I texted him after you... kind of freaked out".Jim raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "You went behind my back?""I'm a doctor, brat" he replied gruffly, taping the bandages in place "I need to know these things. And since you were just so forthcoming about your abilities-""Abilities? More than one? Who told you that?"Shit."... I may have also messaged Nyota"."Traitor!""Yeah, well, I'm a traitor concerned with your wellbeing!" he finished, finally letting go of the blond's hands. "Your knuckles are good, by the way, nothing broken, just bruised. What about your ribs?""They're fine"."I think I'll be the judge of that"."And I think I'll be the judge of your betrayal, you traitor"."Kid-""My ribs are fine, Bonsey, they don't even need to be wrapped, trust me"."Trust you? When you won't even tell me what your power is?!""Well- Just- Just, believe me, then! I've had far worse done to my ribs, so believe me when I say they're fine!""Fine"."Fine"."Okay"."Good"."Great"."Fan-fucking-tastic".McCoy stared at the scrawny bristling alleycat in front of him for another moment, before snorting and pulling off his gloves. Reaching across, he grabbed the medical PADD from the foot of the bed and then gestured for the blond to shuffle back a bit.“Right, well, in that case, the physical part’s done-”“Well, we could always extent-”“No” he cut off, “All that’s left now, is the paperwork, so shove over”.
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Chapter 7
"I hate paperwork" Jim grumbled, even as he obediently shuffled to the side so the doctor could hop up on the gurney next to him. Their thighs brushed against each other as he settled, and the brief contact most definitely did not send chills up and down Jim’s spine, thank you very much."You're not the only one, brat" McCoy replied, "But it has to be done. Right then. Name?"“Jim Kirk”.“Full name” he corrected, and the blond sighed. “James Tiberius Kirk”.“Date of birth?”“January fourth, twenty-two-thirty-three”.“You’re only seventeen?”He sounded surprised."You've been calling me 'kid' for like half an hour already"."... Fair enough. Allergies?”"This is boring".“I’ll just put down ‘not being a pain in the ass’ then"."Don't you dare!""Powers?"And suddenly it wasn’t so boring anymore.Next to him, the boy froze, shoulders tense, posture stiff.McCoy slowly put down the PADD. “... Kid?”He didn’t move.“Jim?”The boy swallowed, and slowly relaxed.Bones smelt smoke.Glancing down, he saw scorch marks on the hospital bed sheets. Both his eyebrows raised.“You part dragon or something?”No answer.He looked back up at the kid’s face. “Jim?”He resolutely avoided his gaze.“Look, kid, if you don’t want to tell me, I’ll just call Pike and-”“He doesn’t know”.“... What?”“Pike doesn’t know” Jim said, turning to him, and the doctor could clearly see the nervousness that flashed in the blond’s blue eyes.“How does he not know?”“I didn’t tell him”.“And he let you get away with that?”"We, uh... We kind of struck a deal? He said we'd come back to it in a few weeks once I figure out if I want to stay or not. I also... kind of... scared him a bit?"Bones blinked. “You? All scrawny five-foot-seven seventeen-years-old of you scared Christopher Pike?”He folded his arms defensively across his chest, and McCoy had to admit that the sight of him pouting was adorable.“Yes, all scrawny five-foot-seven seventeen-years-old of me scared Christopher Pike!” he growled, “And I’m not telling you how or what my powers are!”“Powers?” he asked quickly, “As in, more than one? Nyota was right?”He turned away and remained silent.Bones sighed once more. “Kid... Jim, you need to tell me”.“Why?”“Because I’m your doctor!” he snapped, “I need this information! If anything ever happened to you, and I had to give you medicine then I need to know what I can actually give you. The dosage of everything changes per mutant, and I’m the only one qualified in this entire state that knows how much to give based on your power. For all I know, you can run a mile a minute, in which case I’d have to give you a shit load of medicine to keep up with your metabolism! Your Teleportation by itself has already changed a few things, so chances are the rest of your abilities will need to be taken into account as well. I need to know what you can do!”Jim slowly glanced over at him. “... Will you tell Pike if I tell you?”“No" he replied immediately, "Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t. Doctor-Patient confidentiality and all that. Whatever you tell me stays in this room”.The boy nodded to himself, seeming to think for a minute.“... Alright” he finally said, “I... I can sort of... It’s called... It’s, uh, it's called Empathic Mimicry”.“Holy shit”.Jim turned to him in surprise, only to find the doctor staring back at him in absolute shock, eyes wide and cherry-red lips parted. It was a good look for him, he decided, brain already running on overtime trying to figure out how to make him do it again.He startled as Bones abruptly stood up and began pacing.“Empathic Mimicry? That’s not... That can’t be...” He seemed to be talking to himself as he frowned. “I mean it’s been theorized, but I never thought that... that it was actually... actually possible...”He suddenly turned back to the blond, his eyes practically glowing with pure and unadulterated awe.“Show me”.Jim frowned. “What?”“Your powers” Bones explained, actually grinning at him, and holy fuck did Jim’s heartbeat race at the sight.“What can you do?” he asked again, “How many powers do you have?”“I don’t know... Only half a dozen, or so?”“Half a- Half a dozen?!” he exclaimed, “Only half a dozen?”“It’s not big a deal, Bones”.“Not a- Of course it is! You may quite possibly be the most powerful mutant in America!”He shrugged somewhat awkwardly, shoulders hunching over, and the doctor immediately sobered.“That’s why you didn’t want me to use my power on you. Cellular Acceleration would physically affect your body, so you'd absorb it... It must pretty difficult to live with, huh?”Jim nodded. “It’s... a curse, to be honest. Always watching what I’m touching, who I’m touching... I have to think my every single move through before I do it, just in case”.“... You burnt a hole in the bed” McCoy said, slowly walking back over, “How’d you manage that?”He held up a hand, and a second later, it burst into flames.The man stared at it. “... That’s cool”.Jim smiled.“Can you control it? Manipulate it?”He nodded. “Pyrokinesis. Anything I want it to do, it does. It’s the same with man-made fire”.“How did you get it?”“Back when I was in school, there was this... senior, who I may have... had a small crush on" he explained, "We flirted, got a bit handsy, and... well... turns out the heat I felt around her, was real after all”.Bones snorted, sitting back up next to him, and the blond grinned in response.“What else can you do?”“Emotional Empathy”.The doctor sharply looked up. “As in-?”“She doesn’t know she did it” Jim said quietly, “Uhura has no idea what I can do”.“Or what she gave you... She’s going to feel guilty, you know”.“I know. But I’ll deal with that when I get to it... I can also teleport. That’s pretty handy. And... Enhanced Combat, of course. That’s how I got into fighting, to begin with”.He let the change of subject slip. “Anything else?”“Not a power, as such, but... well, I've got strong enough mental shields to keep even the best of telepaths out”.McCoy blinked. “... At seventeen?”“Well, see, I met this fortune-teller, right, and-”“Wait, hang on, a real fortune-teller?”“Yeah, her power is Precognition. But, anyway, she thought me how to put up... mental shields, as such, to block out mental abilities. I can only absorb physical powers, which... well, it's a small mercy, considering, but the point is, the power has to physically affect me in order for my own power to learn it. Teleporting physically moves me from place to place, I got Pyrokinesis when I was physically burnt by it, Enhanced Combat cause of a stupid physical fight on the playground when I was in third grade, and Emotional Empathy cause Uhura had to physically touch me to read my emotions"."So, mental powers don't affect you in the slightest?"Jim gave a wry smirk. "Oh, no, they affect me alright, the same way they affect most people. I just don't absorb them. The mental shields are for my own protection. If anyone decided to casually invade my mind and found out what I can do...""You'd attract the wrong sort of people" Bones finished quietly, "People who'd see you as a weapon"."Exactly. And I've seen enough pain for a lifetime already, so... so obviously, I don't want that to happen. I can't risk anyone figuring it out, the same way I can't risk touching anyone, because... because I don't know what they'll do to me".McCoy's heart just ached. To be that scared of contact, to have to be that scared of contact, never knowing who to trust, being forced to mistrust everyone on principle just on the off-chance that they'd use his powers for their own gain... His mental tally of the kid's conditions was increasing by the second, and the doctor would gladly put money on 'touch starved' being another contender. And he was only seventeen, christ-"So, you gonna write all that down in your little tablet there?"McCoy blinked and zoned back in as the kid forced himself to act nonchalant. Unfortunately for him, the doctor didn't need Empathy to get a good read on someone, and he could see the tension in his shoulders and jaw and the faint reddening in both hands that spoke of flames to come."... No".Bones hit the off button on the PADD and tossed it on the bed behind them. Jim sharply turned to him, clearly surprised, and the fact that he was expecting the doctor to betray him so soon only made his heart break that much more."No?""No" McCoy repeated firmly, "I need to know these things since I'm the chief medical officer, but I meant it when I said I wouldn't tell anyone outside this room what you can do. If no one else has to know, then there's no point in making a record of it, is there?"For a split second, he thought the kid was going to cry. Then for another second, he thought the brat was going to hug him, and honestly? Bones would have preferred the tears. Thankfully, however, he did neither and instead gave the doctor a small but genuine smile before looking away to subtly wipe at glossy eyes.McCoy gave the kid a moment and busied himself by throwing away the second pair of gloves and bloody gauze. When he turned back, Jim was composed and as snarky looking as ever."So, you good?"He gave him a cheeky grin. "I don't know, doc. Maybe you should kiss me better"."Yeah, you're good".Jim pouted and McCoy had to look away to stop himself from fulfilling his wish. He had a boyfriend, for fuck's sake, and he wasn't going to jeopardise a very happy and loving relationship for a once-off kiss with this spiteful little twink."I'll put you down for a check-up appointment in a few days" he said instead, clearing his throat, "Make sure that everything's healing okay and all that. But if you have any problems in the meantime, or if your ribs act up, come straight back here, alright? I'll put a short note in your file so the nurses know to wear gloves, just in case I'm off-shift, but I'm usually here all day. Sound good?""Sounds good" he agreed, jumping off the table, "Thanks, Bones"."You can thank me by dropping that ridiculous nickname"."Nope. Nu-uh. You had your chance, you're Bones now" Jim grinned, heading for the door, "See you later"."Based on your magnetism for trouble, it’ll probably be sooner rather than later” McCoy replied dryly, picking back up the PADD to edit his file.The blond laughed and the doctor's cheeks flushed at the sound. Quickly turning away, he cleared his throat once more."Oh, and Jim?"He paused, one hand on the door."Yeah, doc?""... Thank you for telling me".His grin softened into something more genuine, despite the fact the older man couldn't see him, as he reached down to pick up his backpack."Thank you for listening".Stepping out into the hallway, Jim hadn’t even fully shut the door behind him before turning around and crashing into someone.“Fuck! Sorry! I didn’t mean to-”He abruptly stopped once he saw the man.Or rather, the what-he-thought-was-biologically-male alien.Standing there, in all his well-over six-foot glory, was perhaps the hottest creature that he had ever seen, and he had slept with Orions. Tall, slim, lithe, the man’s dark shirt clung tightly to his chest and left nothing to the imagination. His entire body was that of a dancer’s, with powerful shoulders and long legs that Jim just ached to wrap himself around as they-
Woah. No. Bad Jim!
Blinking, he looked up from the scuffed army boots, unfairly tight jeans, ripped dark gloves, and a black leather jacket, to see the man’s face.And of course, he thought sourly, that is just as perfect as the rest of him.He had a strong jawline and high cheekbones, a straight nose, and a full-lipped mouth. Walnut brown eyes studied him emotionlessly, and angular eyebrows led to mussed-up ebony hair, two pointed ears sticking out from either side of the messy hairstyle and-
Wait.
Jim’s jaw dropped. “You’re Vulcan?!”He immediately turned beetroot red. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to- to- to let that slip out!”That sounded even worse.“Fuck! I mean, it’s not that I didn’t- I don’t mean to- to offend or anything, I just- I just was- I was surprised, that’s all! I didn’t mean to say it in- in that way, or, you know, not that way, not that way’s good too! I just- I don’t want to- to- I’m sorry”.He finished by blushing even brighter and ducking his head.When the man remained silent for another full minute, he decided he probably wasn’t going to get punched in the face for his rudeness, and cautiously back glanced up. The Vulcan was staring down at him silently, his face impassive save for a solitary raised eyebrow, but those warm eyes now held just a hint of amusement.Jim distantly wondered if this whole Emotional Empathy thing would work on Vulcans too.He abruptly held out his hand. “I’m Jim. Jim Kirk”.The man glanced down at the offered introduction, and some of the amusement darkened into sour-tasting unease.And then it hit him.Jim immediately dropped his arm. “Oh, yeah, of course, sorry! Again. You guys don’t really do hand contact, do you? Or, like, any contact cause of the whole touch-telepathic and bonding thing. Which is totally fine too, by the way! No contact, that is. Not that it wouldn’t be fine either, of course! Personally, I don’t touch many people either, not because I don’t want to, or- or cause of my culture or race or whatever, but because of- of- of another reason. And now I’m rambling, which is just great, cause you guys are all about logic, and rambling is most definitely not logical so sorry about that, again, I don’t mean to-““Spock”.And holy motherfucking shit is that a bedroom voice.The boy blinked slowly, brain already on overdrive from the man’s appearance, but his voice?! It was richer than chocolate, like smooth velvet, and he seriously believed he would die if he didn't hear it again.“... What?”
Nice one, Jim.
“My name” the Vulcan repeated, and oh fuck, “is Spock”.“... Is that your first name or your last name?”His eyes softened once more. “Humans can’t pronounce my first name”.“Try me”.
And oh my fucking god did he just not have a filter today?!
Spock’s lips twitched. “Perhaps another time... Jim”.
Holy fuck he was going to die.
“Yeah, yeah, of course! Some... Some other time, then”.The Vulcan continued to stare at him rather pointedly, and it was only then that Jim realised he was still standing in front of the infirmary door.“Oh, sorry!” he blurted out, quickly stepping aside.The corner of the Vulcan's mouth twitched up in a brief smirk before he walked past and shut the door behind him. The second he was out of sight, Jim collapsed back against the wall and slowly slid down to the ground, head in his hands.“I’m such an idiot!”Jim had been his usual self with Bones, the flirtatious remarks coming as easy as breathing to him, and he knew that the doctor had found it charming if not downright adorable. But then, suddenly, he meets a just-as-attractive Vulcan and he starts stammering like a fanboy?!
Where the hell had his tongue gone to?!
It wasn’t the alien's physical appearance that had thrown him, the man registered on the same good-looking scale as Bones did, albeit each for their own reasons, so what was it?The fact he was Vulcan?Maybe.Jim hadn’t expected to meet any aliens here, let alone one from a planet as far away as Spock’s was. Not that he was a typical Vulcan, though, with the leather jacket and mussed hair and all. That alone would warrant further interaction with the man, even if Jim somehow had found him repulsive, because Vulcans may have been a private lot, but one thing that was very public about them was their conformity. Ceremonial robes, two-piece jumpsuits, and bowl cuts were in. Skinny jeans, fingerless gloves, and sex hair were very much out.In saying that, Jim was no stranger to... shall we say... dishevelled aliens, so that didn't really explain his sudden lack of intelligence either.This needed further investigation.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chapter 8
Spock wasn’t sure what to think when the tiny blond teenager crashed into him outside the infirmary. Irritation and anger were immediately squashed with a sharp illogical. Once the boy turned to face him, however, he found he didn’t even need to push them away.He was just too damn adorable to be mad at.Messy blond hair fell into vibrant blue eyes. He was short and slight- the perfect size to fit under his arm -and was wearing a beat-up jacket, a dark shirt, and even darker jeans. The only things that marred his near-aesthetically-perfect features were a split lip, a faint black eye, and the bandages wrapped around his knuckles. The injuries made him feel irrationally angry, a surge of protectiveness that he'd only ever felt for his partner before.Spock would have remembered meeting this particular student before.He was new, then.“Fuck! Sorry! I didn’t mean to-”The boy abruptly stopped and stared at him, his wide-eyed gaze rather obviously raking him up and down. Spock wasn’t vain, but that didn’t mean he never noticed how his appearance turned a few heads, and he couldn’t help but feel somewhat amused.Then the boy’s eyes latched onto his pointed ears. “You’re Vulcan?!”He immediately flushed a bright red. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to- to- to let that slip out!"Spock raised an eyebrow as he began rambling, finding the usually annoying act quite... endearing on this small human. When the boy blushed, it only increased his charm. Cautiously glancing up from behind long lashes, the Vulcan couldn’t help but admire his eyes. Blue was the common vernacular for the colour, but Spock didn’t think it did the swirling clouds and electricity and waters any justice at all.That thought made him pause. Leonard had told him numerous times that finding others aesthetically pleasing did not mean that he was betraying their relationship, that it was only natural to find others attractive without ever acting on it, but Spock had never quite understood. He knew what his boyfriend meant, of course, and understood the theory behind it, but the problem was, he had never actually found another person as aesthetically pleasing to him as his partner was. Until today, apparently.“I’m Jim. Jim Kirk”.He glanced down at the outstretched hand and inwardly sighed.Did he have to go through this with every single human-The hand suddenly dropped.“Oh, yeah, of course, sorry! Again. You guys don’t really... do hand contact, do you? Or, like, any contact cause of the whole touch-telepathic and bonding thing. Which is totally fine too, by the way!”Spock found his attention riveted to the boy's words.
Cause of the whole touch-telepathic and bonding thing.
He... knew.This student, this boy, knew about Vulcans.It wasn’t that they were a rare species, having approximately the same population as Earth, after all, but no one on Earth actually knew about their culture. Not many Vulcans came to the planet, preferring warmer, drier climates, and Spock wouldn’t have come here himself if it weren’t for his mother passing down a mutant gene on his human side and his father-Well.This boy was clearly an exception to the lack of basic xeno-anthropology knowledge at the Academy and between that, his pleasing appearance, and the strange surge of emotions he caused within the usually emotionally controlled Vulcan, Spock couldn't help but find him rather... fascinating.“Spock” he said suddenly, cutting off the incessant rambling, a necessary rudeness if only to allow the boy to breathe again.The blond floundered for words. “... What?”“My name” he explained, oddly amused, “is Spock”.“... Is that your first name or your last name?”That, too, was a rarely asked question.“Humans can’t pronounce my first name”.“Try me”.He had to bite back a smile.Now, that was a question that he had never been asked.“Perhaps another time... Jim”.The name rolled off his tongue fluidly.He liked it.The boy flushed. “Yeah, yeah, of course! Some... Some other time, then”.He was surprisingly looking forward to it.Spock glanced at the door above the blond’s head, not wanting to be rude but-“Oh, sorry!”He couldn’t help but smirk as Jim stepped aside, and calmly made his way into the infirmary, just about hearing a mumbled “I’m such an idiot!” before the door shut behind him.Bones glanced up as he heard the door re-open only moments after Jim’s physical, and couldn’t help but give the soft smile that was reserved only for his boyfriend.“Hey, Spock, I wasn’t expecting to see you till later”.He quickly put down the bloody bandages he had been cleaning up and walked over, the Vulcan readily returning the chaste kiss he asked from him, before pressing their fingertips together in the traditional Vulcan way.“What are you doing here?”He glanced at the clock above the door. “It is four-point-three minutes to your preferred lunchtime, Leonard. Unless you have become otherwise occupied-”“What? No, no, of course not!” he reassured, “I just lost track of time, it’s been... well, it’s been a hell of a morning”.Spock frowned, head tilted slightly to the side. “A ‘hell' of a morning?”“Busy” he clarified, returning to the counter, “My scrubs are still in the wash, the nurses are all out with the vomiting bug, as is half the school apparently, so I’ve been dealing with that all day, and then I had to do a physical on a new student... You know, it’s a pity you didn’t come a few minutes earlier, I could have introduced you two”.“We are acquaintanced".Bones glanced over in surprise. “Already?”“He walked into me outside the infirmary”.“Ah. I don’t suppose it damaged his outrageous flirting skills?”Silence.He spun around to face the Vulcan, only to find him frowning. “Oh my god, it did... What did you do to the kid?!”“I merely listened to his ramblings and introduced myself”.McCoy winced. “Handshake?”“Negative. I was... pleasantly surprised”.“Seriously?”“He initiated the contact, but quickly rectified himself”.“... Huh”. The doctor threw the last of the bandages in the bin. “And he didn’t flirt with you? Not once?”“He... ‘checked me out’ I believe you would say, but verbally his skills were sub-par”.McCoy grinned. “You dazed him. I don’t know whether to be proud or worried”.Then he caught the slight smile on the Vulcan’s face.He dropped the empty packaging. “Hang on, you... you like him”.“Leonard, considering I have only just met the boy, it would be illogical-”“No, no, no, save that illogical bullshit for someone who actually believes it, Spock” McCoy replied, walking closer, “You’re actually intrigued by him”.“Jim is... potentially a worthwhile companion”.The doctor reached up and wrapped both arms around his boyfriend’s neck. “Do I need to be jealous?”“I would not reject an offer of friendship from him”.“I thought I was your only friend” he teased, and Spock sighed. “I have a multitude of friendships, Leonard. You know this. The boy is merely... intelligent. He knew about Vulcans, about their culture. It is... refreshing”.McCoy smiled. “I’ll be sure to set up a play date then. Perhaps you can discuss the wonders of pointy ears”.Reaching up, he affectionately tugged at the tip of one, and Spock leaned into the touch, eyes closing contently and a deep rumble starting low in his chest."There is no need. Professor Pike will request that I organise a meeting to assess the student's needs".His partner immediately froze.Spock reopened his eyes with a small frown. "Leonard?"The doctor slowly pulled back from him."Leonard? Is something wrong?"He swallowed thickly. "Jim, uh... Jim won't like that"."Has he told you this?""Well, no, but... He's a good kid, Spock, a really great kid, but... but from what I could tell, he doesn't exactly have a great past"."Do you think that his family did not accept his mutant ability?"McCoy looked at him, at his boyfriend, his partner, his t'hy'la. At one of the very few people in the Academy who could probably actually empathise with what Jim went through."I think he was abused".If it were anyone else, they probably wouldn't have noticed any change in the Vulcan. McCoy, however, had known him long enough by now to hear the sudden catch in his breath and see the twitch of long fingers."... What led you to this conclusion?""The way he acted. The way he pretended to act. He has a lot of the typical signs; anxiety, self-sufficiency, poor concentration. He almost had a panic attack at one stage but managed to snap himself out of it, meaning it was far from being his first. He also refused to let me check his bruised ribs, so either he's had broken ribs enough times to know what they feel like, or else he didn't want to remove his shirt because there are visible scars or... or for other reasons. Neither possibility exactly reduces the likelihood of abuse"."... Agreed" Spock finally replied, "Was he recruited directly from his family?""I can't say for certain, but I don't think so. Jim said he was living in Las Vegas when Scotty and Nyota found him, but his accent's different. Sounded more... mid-west, than anything else. Nebraska, perhaps. Iowa, Missouri, that general direction... He also said that he won an illegal boxing championship, and something tells me he wouldn't be fighting like that if his folks were around"."Statistically speaking, it is unlikely" he agreed, his gaze a mile away, "He will resist any form of therapy, then?"McCoy shrugged, leaning back against the nearest counter while his boyfriend maintained an almost comically straight posture."Hey, the kid might end up surprising both of us, but based on my own opinion of him... I don't think he'll fight therapy out of spite, I think... I think he's genuinely scared about confronting what he lived through. Displays a few classics of post-traumatic stress disorder as well. Always on his guard, mood swings, superficial happiness. He sure as fuck has a high pain tolerance considering how easily he moved with those ribs, and he's overly suspicious of everything that breathes too... You're gonna have your work cut out for you, that's for sure"."Mutant abilities reflect directly back on the mutant. Could any of his behaviour be explained as a result of his power?"He stilled.It was common knowledge around the Academy what everyone’s powers were, after all, as no one had any reason to hide them. Considering that Spock was the head guidance counsellor for both new and existing students, McCoy regularly told him what everyone could do after their initial physicals to give the Vulcan a heads-up before his own meeting with their newest member. New students had never asked him to keep their abilities a secret before, after all. With Jim, however...“... I can’t tell you”.Spock tilted his head to the side and studied him curiously, and if they were having any other sort of conversation, McCoy would have immediately teased him for letting his 'feline ancestors' bleed into 'the modern Vulcan species'."Jim asked you to keep his power a secret?""Yes. And for good reason, too"."Fascinating... Does Professor Pike know?”“No”.Spock blinked once, a measured display of surprise."Based on your immediate response, am I correct to determine that Jim has already met with Professor Pike?""Apparently they struck a deal" McCoy replied with a wry smirk, "That, and the fact that the brat supposedly terrified him with something, means that he's none the wiser"."Terrified him?"Spock blinked twice in rapid succession, a rather outrageous display of surprise for a Vulcan."That- That short-statured charming child scared Professor Pike?""Oh, I am so telling Jim that you called him charming. And a child. And short". McCoy grinned, stepping forwards so that he could lean against his boyfriend's chest. "And also that he made you stutter. You know, Spock, I'm becoming more and more jealous by the second"."Any young man with basic xenocultural knowledge that's capable of frightening Professor Pike is a man worth knowing, Leonard" he replied, a touch scolding even as he wrapped both arms around his partner's waist, "I also-"He cut himself off, and the doctor hummed in acknowledgement. "I... I also found him to be... aesthetically pleasing".McCoy didn't tense in his arms, but it was a close thing."... Should I be jealous?""Negative. I am pleased with our relationship, Leonard"."Oh, well, as long as you're pleased". He leaned back and sighed, looking up at expressionate brown eyes and pointed ears. "... He is kind of adorable, huh?"A faint green dusted high cheekbones. "He is not dissimilar to a... particularly dishevelled alleycat"."And we all know how you feel about cats, now don't we?"McCoy cut off his immediate protesting with a quick kiss on the lips."I’ll meet you down at the canteen for lunch, alright? I just got a few things to finish up with here. Ten minutes, tops"."Affirmative" Spock replied, stepping back, "I will meet you in ten minutes".The doctor watched as his boyfriend headed for the infirmary door, and couldn't stop himself from calling out one last time."Spock?""Yes, Leonard?"McCoy paused, considering his words very very carefully."... He’s powerful" he finally said, "Really powerful”.Spock studied him for a moment, before giving a sharp nod.“Understood”.Stepping back out into the hallway, Spock’s eyes were immediately drawn to the mysterious boy on the floor and the confused-looking woman crouching down next to him."-sure it wasn’t that bad".Jim was sitting back against the wall, his bag at his feet and his head in his hands. Spock felt a sudden pang of unfamiliar panic, before observing Nyota's calm if slightly confused expression. The boy in question also didn't appear to be in pain, though given Leonard's warning about high pain tolerance, that thought wasn't exactly reassuring.“It was mortifying. I was a mess. My life is over. I can never see him again”.Spock cleared his throat as he shut the hospital doors. “Nyota”.The boy froze before suddenly scrambling to his feet, flushing once more, even as Uhura calmly turned to him and smiled.“Oh, hey, Spock”.He glanced over at the startled-looking blond. “Jim”.The boy looked too in shock to reply, and Spock squashed a smug smile as he walked past. He may have had a bad past, he may have suffered abuse, and he may have been one of the most powerful mutants in the building if Leonard's words were accurate, but despite all that, he still was just a boy.And as he turned the corner, Spock just about caught the pained groan and the annoyed words. “It’s just not fair!”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chapter 9
“Jim!”He looked up at the startled yell, only to find Uhura coming around the corner, picking up her pace when she saw him sitting on the ground outside the infirmary.“Hey, are you alright?” she asked quickly.“No!”“What happened?!”She was genuinely worried, he realised, as she crouched down next to him, her eyes panicked as they searched him and hands hovering just above his own, obviously wanting to get a read on him but thankfully hesitating without his permission.
Trust is a two-way street, brat.
The voice in his head sounded suspiciously like Bones.Jim sighed and held out a hand. Uhura blinked, clearly surprised, but the second she touched him he could feel her satisfaction trust happy worry panic trust. He knew what his own emotions were telling her in return, could see the flashing neon lights- embarrassment panic shame surprise desire confusion excitement -in his mind.A moment later, Nyota pulled back, clearly bewildered but thankfully a lot calmer now that she knew he wasn't hurt."What happened?" she asked again, sitting down in front of him and crossing her legs.Jim took a deep breath and then let out a heavy sigh.“... I embarrassed myself in front of a hot guy”.She blinked.Then blinked again.Frowned.And gave one final blink.“Oh... kay” she said at length, obviously not entirely sure what to do in this position.“He was really hot” Jim continued, pouting, “Like super hot. On the same hotness level of Bones, and that’s a pretty high level, and I just... I looked like an ass in front of him”.So many things about that statement confused her, so she played it safe and gave a generic, “I’m sure it wasn’t that bad”.“It was mortifying. I was a mess. My life is over. I can never see him again”.“Nyota”.Jim quickly staggered back to his feet at the man in question re-emerged from the infirmary, and he could feel his face heat up once more. Uhura turned to him and smiled, getting to her feet in a far more graceful manner."Oh, hey, Spock”.
How was she able to function around him?!
He glanced over at the still tongue-tied blond, “Jim”.
Sweet mother of god his name from those lips was going to be the end of him.
By the time he got his thoughts together, and, you know, his brain, the Vulcan had disappeared around the corner, and the blond collapsed back down on the floor, groaning into his hands, “It’s just not fair!”Uhura raised an eyebrow at his antics, before reaching out with a warm hand to pull him back to his feet."Come on, drama queen, I'll show you to your room".He reluctantly allowed her to pull him up, somewhat embarrassed when he realised how easy it was for this twenty-something-year-old woman to practically pick him up off the floor. Maybe Bones had been getting at something when he'd called him tiny...Shouldering his backpack, he walked side by side with her as Uhura led him down one of the many many halls."So, when you say 'room' are we talking about a dormitory situation or what?"She snorted. "Oh, hell no! Have you seen the size of this place? We've got more than enough rooms for everyone, which is just as well, really, when you consider the fact that a lot of powers can do a lot of damage when combined. We seriously don't need an explosion that blows up half the building just cause a pyrokinetic got into a fight with an energy manipulator over shower times".Which, you know, fair, Jim mused, considering that his last Pyrokinesis explosion had levelled a house and also kind of a person."Nope, we all get private rooms, so situations like that don't end up happening" Uhura finished, leading him up a metal staircase, "There are a few double rooms for married staff and the like, and students in relationships can share too, as long as everyone's over eighteen. Asides from them, however, everyone's got an individual room. Bedroom, ensuite, small kitchen area, the works. The majority of students just eat in the mess, though. It's like one ginormous canteen that can easily seat a few hundred. I'll give you a proper tour once you've showered and slept a bit"."Is that a pointed remark?" he teased, and she smirked. "Perhaps. No offence, kid, but you didn't shower after that boxing match and then spent eight hours in a car. We could both do with some soap and sleep".Jim laughed as they reached the top of the stairs and took a right. Everyone they passed stared at him curiously, no doubt recognizing a new face when they were so few and far between, but to his surprise, Jim didn't find the attention threatening. Everyone he'd met so far was polite, if not downright kind, and they'd all respected his no-touch boundaries unless he said otherwise.If he didn't stay on his guard, he could see himself actually liking it here."And here we are!" Uhura announced, stopping outside yet another steel door that had the numbers three-two-two carved into it just below the peephole. Turning to him, she held out a small rectangular card."This is the physical key which you can use for now, but when you finally decide to stick around, we'll key your voice into the computer, and the door will open and close when you ask it to"."Thanks" Jim replied slowly, taking the keycard, "You seem awfully sure that I'm here to stay"."We haven't had a student leave yet" she replied, with a somewhat secretive smile, "You seem to like defying expectations kid, but I doubt even you will surprise me on this one".She gestured at the door and then started walking away before he could even formulate a response."Shower, eat, sleep. I'll be back at sixteen hundred hours to give you the tour. See you then!"Jim blinked, watched her leave, and then shook his head and turned back to the door to--to his room.His room.
Huh.
Slowly reaching up, he entered the keycard, waited for the affirmative beep, and then pushed open the door. Maybe Uhura was right. Maybe Bones was right. Heck, maybe even Pike was right.It had been a long time since Jim had belonged anywhere, after all.So maybe, just maybe, he would find his place here.As promised, Uhura returned to his room that evening to show him around. Jim had spent almost an hour in the shower, an actual electric high-pressure water shower, feeling cleaner than he had in his entire life. His apartment back in Vegas only had a sonic shower, and growing up, things like 'baths' had been considered a luxury by Frank and "bad children don't get luxuries, Jimmy boy". He felt warm and refreshed and clean and barely had enough time to get a cheeseburger from the food replicator and eat it before he collapsed face-first on the frankly ridiculously soft bed and passed out.A few hours later he was woken by a knock on the door and Uhura's ever-so-lovely voice telling him to "get your ass up in the next five minutes, kid, or I'm coming in no matter how naked you are". He pulled on clean clothes from his backpack, slightly rumbled but serviceable, and ran a hand through still-damp hair before throwing open the door with a flirtatious grin.She glanced him up and down once, raised an unimpressed eyebrow, and promptly informed him that he had drool on his face.“And finally, this is the rec room!” Uhura said, finishing the tour with one grand sweep of her hand.They had already passed through the school block, the gym, the massive kitchen area, and the various ability-specific rooms. The older woman had given him quite a few pointed looks while talking about the last part, but he'd kept his mouth shut about his own powers and she'd thankfully let the matter go.“The rec room?” Jim asked, confused.“Recreational. But that’s a bit of a mouthful, so we just stick with the word ‘rec’. It’s where we all hang out after class and stuff”.“And there’s no class today because-?”“Because it’s Saturday, idiot” she teased, “Not even Professor Pike is that cruel. We have weekends off, as well as holidays, so people can go back home and see their families”.He slowly nodded. “And for the students that... don’t?”She frowned. “That don’t return home? There’s not many. You met Spock, he doesn’t. I think he just stays around here... And speak of the devil”.Jim followed her gaze only to find the pointy-eared man sitting at a rustic-looking chess table, playing a match against a curly-haired boy who was even younger than he was.Uhura grinned. “Come on, you have to see this!”Cautiously following her over, he noticed that an Asian man was also watching the game. An Asian man that had leaves in his hair.“Sulu, meet Jim Kirk. Jim, this is Hikaru Sulu” she introduced, “Who’s winning?”“Do you even have to ask?” he said dryly, and she turned back to the blond, smirking. “Spock hasn’t lost a game yet”.Jim frowned, glancing down at the board, the two players too absorbed to notice his staring. “Yet?”“No one’s ever won a chess match against him, and that includes the professors” she explained, “Not even Pike has beaten him. Pavel here managed to put him in check once or twice-”“Zree zimes!”Jim turned back to the board as the curly-haired boy spoke.“Pavel Chekov” he introduced, holding out his hand, and the blond looked down at it warily. “Jim Kirk... I, uh... I don’t really...”“No touching rule” Nyota supplied, and he turned to her in surprise.The other three occupants took it in their stride, however, and although Chekov's gaze lingered on his split lip and black eye for a moment, he dropped his arm without a fuss. Guess living in a school of mutants had them accepting anything.“I put him in check zree zimes!” Pavel continued, glaring up at Uhura, and she rolled her eyes at him, turning back to Jim. “The Russian whizkid here is only fourteen. Tactical Genius”.She mistook his widening eyes as a sign of confusion rather than oh thank fuck his ability isn't physical I can actually shake his hand now and elaborated.“He sort of... calculates probabilities. Of literally everything. And then he uses those statistics to create a plan that, in theory, should be foolproof”.“In theory?”She nodded at Spock. “Apparently it doesn’t work on Vulcans”.Jim found his gaze drifting back to the leather-clad man, whose eyes so far had remained studiously on the board. When the blue eyes landed on him, however, his own gaze rose to meet them, and Jim quickly coughed and turned back to the young teenager before his body had the chance to betray him by blushing.“Put him in check three times, huh? Ever come close to checkmate?”“Yes” He replied, at the same time the Vulcan said, “No”.Chekov scowled at him across the table, but the man merely raised an eyebrow in response. Despite his passive face, his eyes were strangely expressive, and Jim could clearly see the amusement that danced in those walnut orbs.Uhura turned back to Jim.“Well, we’re pretty much done with the tour now. You want to stay and watch for a while?”He slowly nodded. “Sure. It’d be interesting to see how it turns out”.
And not at all interesting to have an excuse to study the unfairly attractive Vulcan in front of him.
What Jim didn’t tell them, was that his Enhanced Combat could be applied to a chess match as well as a boxing match. Predicting his enemy's next attack could be applied to predicting his opponent's next move, once he thought of the game as a battle. So, it came as no surprise to him when only a few minutes later, he saw the curly-haired boy lift a piece that was going to finish the game.And not in his favour.“No!”He hadn’t meant to say it, honest. Chekov paused, the rook in his hand still suspended over where he intended to place it. Everyone turned to Jim, and he couldn’t help but flush slightly, “Oh, um, sorry, I didn’t- I didn’t mean to- to-”“To let it slip out?” Spock finished, face impassive but eye just screaming amusement.Bastard.In revenge, Jim turned back to Chekov. “You make that move and the game’s over”.He frowned and turned back to the board. “I do not... how?”He cautiously took a step forwards and pointed at the black rook. “You’re forgetting he can lower the tiers. You'll move your queen, leaving the king unprotected, he'll drop the level, the rook will come in from behind, and the game’s over in four moves”.He glanced back up only to find everyone staring back at him, surprised, and his cheeks reddened once more.Chekov abruptly stood and pulled back his chair. “Zit”.“What? No! No, I didn’t- I don’t want to- I wasn’t trying to- to-”“нет, I inzist” he replied, smiling, gesturing at the seat, “Please, zit”.He looked over at Spock only to find him staring back impassively, and then turned to Uhura because what the fuck do I do now?!She smirked at him. “What Pavel’s trying to say, Jim, is that we all want to see Spock get his ass kicked”.He frowned, confused, and she elaborated. “You just predicted a move that even Chekov didn’t see... If anyone’s going to beat him, I’d bet money on it being you”.He swallowed thickly. The last time he'd played chess was... well. It didn't exactly hold any good memories for him, but the monster who'd taught him was long dead. It was just a game now, a harmless stupid game that he'd backed himself into playing and-Jim took a deep breath and slowly took his seat.“Reset board” Spock told the computer, staring at the blond with unbridled curiosity.Jim smiled awkwardly and gestured at the Vulcan’s newly arranged pieces.“White moves first”.He could pinpoint the exact moment that Spock knew he was going to lose.Having stared at the board for an entire five minutes, he eventually moved his queen two spaces in front of the king. The second his hand left the chess piece, however, he realised his mistake, and his eyes snapped to Jim’s even as they widened and his lips parted in a silent oh.And since he had been such a smug bastard earlier, the blond decided to return the favour, and he happily grinned as he reached across with his knight, knocked over the white king, and satisfyingly declared:“Check. Mate”.Silence.“Holy shit” Uhura finally said, and Sulu slowly nodded. “Yeah... Well, at least I can cross that off my bucket list”.Jim ignored them, and instead raised his gaze back to the Vulcan’s, strangely nervous all of a sudden. Spock studied him quietly, unable to completely hide the pure unadulterated wonder in his eyes before finally, finally, he gave a tiny smile.“You are an... adequate opponent”.Jim grinned. “So are you”.And as the Vulcan’s smile widened, by just a fraction, he found it wasn’t possible to shove down the gooey warmth that had decided to drown his heart.Oh boy, was he fucked.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chapter 10
An hour later, Jim moved a bishop up two tiers. Across from him, Chekov frowned and tried to work out his next move. Spock had unfortunately left mere minutes after his loss, whether because he was meeting someone or because he wanted to lick his wounds in private, Jim wasn't sure. But the second he'd left, he'd been dragged into another game by the Russian whizzkid that no amount of protesting could get him out of.To make matters worse, word got around campus pretty quick that a scrawny seventeen-year-old managed to beat Spock at chess, and the rec room was soon packed with curious and disbelieving mutants.Some of them had wanted to shake his hand or pat him on the back, and he was never before so grateful to have an angry woman standing next to him. Uhura's look scared off all but the most zealous of fans, and those who persevered were quickly prevented from reaching him by thick green vines that appeared out of literally nowhere.A questioning glance at the leaf-haired Asian next to him, however, resulted in a wink and a burst of daisies materializing out of thin air. Sulu expertly folded them into a flower crown, before slowly, cautiously, holding them out to Jim.He blinked.From what he could tell, the man could only control plants. And since plants couldn't physically affect him any more than time or the weather, he ended up giving the man a small nod.Sulu grinned and put the flower crown on his head, and Chekov promptly declared him "zee most beautiful flower prince zat I have ever zeen"."Prince?" Jim asked, ignoring Nyota's snickering, "Why aren't I the king?"Hikaru grinned and bumped his shoulder. "Cause you're looking at 'im, daisy"."Don't you dare call me daisy!""I zink you are a wery pretty daisy"."Chekov!"The younger boy grinned and Jim narrowed his eyes at him."You know what? Just for that-"He reached out, moved a black knight two spaces to the right, jumped his queen up a level, and-"-checkmate, blondie!"They all stared at the board in shock.A buttercup slowly fell out of Sulu's hair.Chekov blinked and looked back up at him, reverence in his eyes."Zell me your zecrets".Uhura sighed, still looking at the board. "Well, there goes the Vulcan theory. If Jim can beat you, then it's got to be your power that's the issue, rather than the human versus alien"."But... But I don't understand. It works on everyone else" he mumbled to himself, and Jim felt a pang of guilt for bringing this fourteen-year-old's world crashing down around him."Well... Maybe it doesn't apply to chess at all" he suggested, "Maybe you're just that good a chess player naturally, and... and you haven't played against anyone better than you before".He didn't look entirely convinced."Tactical Genius, right?" Jim continued, "So you, what, you've got a string of numbers behind those baby blues of yours?"Chekov glared but nodded."Do you still see the numbers when you're playing?""Of course!""Specifically relating to the game?""I-"He stopped. Frowned. Looked back down at the board and-"... нет. I don't"."Well, there you go" Jim finished, smirking, "It was never your power that let you win. You were just that good".The curly-haired boy grinned, immediately perking up and Uhura snorted and ruffled his hair."Tactical Genius, my ass. You idiot! How did you never notice that before?"He shrugged, blushing. "I always zee ze numbers, zey just apply zo different zings. I never realised zere were no numbers for zee board".He turned back to Jim, eyes wide."How did you know?"Whoops."Just a... guess" Jim finally settled on, somewhat awkwardly. Thankfully, the Russian took it at face value. Unfortunately, Nyota most certainly did not, and based on Sulu's expression, he wasn't too far behind her either.Chekov hummed. "... Play again?"The others laughed as Jim groaned, but he couldn't hold back his own smile as the so-called genius reached forward to reset the board.It was another two hours and three chess games later before Jim could finally escape. He won the first two as easily as he'd won their first match, but he purposefully threw the final game just to have an excuse to leave. He was fairly certain Chekov knew he'd let him win, and Uhura and Sulu definitely knew, but thankfully no one mentioned it and he was able to finally, finally, slip away for the night.It wasn't that he didn't like them, because he did, almost frighteningly so. But Jim hadn't had a normal conversation in... well... ever, really. His stepfather certainly hadn't been forthcoming with intelligent words, he hardly ever saw his mother, at school he just did his best to blend in, and even the few people he sort of knew in Vegas only spoke to him when they needed something, Martha included. So for him to go from that to five maybe-possibly-potential-friends? All in one day? It was more than a little overwhelming.So he made his excuses, claiming exhaustion after last night's drive which, technically, wasn't actually a lie, considering how drained he currently felt. The only not-truth about the whole thing was that he wasn't exhausted in an I-need-sleep-immediately type of tired, it was more of a my-entire-life-has-changed-in-twenty-four-hours-and-I'm-lowkey-freaking-out kind of tired.You know, the unhealthy kind.He wanted nothing more than to collapse on that insanely soft bed in the room that he still couldn't believe was his and just pass out until lunchtime tomorrow when he could finally deal with everything that was happening around him.A scheduled mental breakdown.
How nice.
Shoving open the door to his room, he headed straight for the food replicator and tapped in the code for the largest cup of hot chocolate on offer. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had cocoa, but it was likely as a toddler, back when his mother was still around and Frank was still pretending to be nice and Jim was still normal.He downed half the cup in one go and impatiently waited for it to refill. Once that was done, he made his way over to the bed with its quilt and blankets and pillows and carefully set the mug down on the bedside table before throwing himself on top of them.He had approximately two-point-five seconds to appreciate their softness before there was a knock on his door.Jim cursed viciously.Reluctantly stumbling back to his feet, he grabbed the cup of hot chocolate, took another mouthful, debated just ignoring them, and then sadly trudged over to open the door anyway.Christopher Pike stood there.Jim narrowed his eyes at him.Pike glanced him up and down, raised an eyebrow at the cup of cocoa, raised the other once he saw the daisy flower crown still on his head, and then gestured at the room behind him."May I come in?""Do I have a choice?""Not if you want to keep enjoying that chocolate, you don't".Jim sighed and obediently stepped aside, closing the door after the professor as he calmly strode in, taking a seat on the couch that sat in the middle of the room. The blond eyed his loving soft warm comforting bed for another minute before reluctantly following the man and collapsing down in the solitary armchair across from the sofa."I hope I'm not interrupting anything".He maintained eye contact and took an obnoxiously loud sip of hot chocolate in response.Pike's expression remained stern, but his eyes gleamed in amusement."Good. There's something I want to discuss with you"."Discuss? As in I'll actually have a choice at the end of it?""Of course. Nobody can force you to do anything you don't want to, Jim. There are, of course, things that we expect you to do. Obey the rules, do your homework, don't start fights, things like that. But if you truly don't want to do something, and you can give a valid reason why then we won't force you to do it".
Wait for it.
"... That being said".
There it was.
"You're not going to want to do this" Pike finished, "But it will help you, and it is for your own good"."Funny. That's exactly what my mother said when she first locked me in my room for three days".He looked subtly horrified and Jim took another sip of hot chocolate in satisfaction."... She should never have treated you like that"."I know"."Do you?"Jim eyed him carefully. Pike was clearly hinting at something, and that something had to do with his mother, his past, and potentially his powers, too. Something that Pike knew Jim wouldn't want to do, something that he knew he would fight against, something like-"I set up a meeting for you with a therapist".He choked on a mouthful of cocoa."You did what?!""It will help you, Jim. Starfleet Academy offers more than just an education. Sometimes, we get students who come from... less-than-favourable households, and those students need help. Just like you need help. I'm not asking you to blurt out all your secrets or- or to even talk about a fraction of your past. But you need to talk about some things, at least, and we have people here dedicated to that"."No!" he immediately argued "I don't need- need help or whatever! I'm fine! I've always been fine and I always will be fine and I've survived this long without pouring out my feelings to some backward shrink so I don't need anyone to talk to about them now fuck you very much!"Pike merely leaned back in his seat and raised a solitary eyebrow at him.Jim suddenly realised that the burning he could smell wasn't his hot chocolate.Quickly placing the cup on the coffee table in front of him, he yanked both hands into his lap and tried to slow down his jagged breathing. Sparks leapt from his fingertips, flames licking the bandages around his knuckles and- fuck, Bones wasn't going to be happy about that.That thought, more than anything else, forced him to calm down, and he watched as the fire started to flicker out and eventually vanish with a small puff of smoke. His hands were still red, the edges of the bandages burnt and frayed, but his breathing had evened somewhat and his heart rate was starting to slow.A quiet cough reminded him rather embarrassingly that he wasn't alone, and he felt his cheeks flush as red as his hands had just been."You need help, Jim" Pike said softly, "If only to learn how to control your powers better. I'm not asking you to tell your therapist everything, I'm not even asking you to tell him anything, I just... I'm just asking you to try it... I don't want to see you burn out, Jim, literally or figuratively. So will you at least give it a chance?"He was so fucking earnest that Jim felt his heart clench in sympathy. Pike was genuinely worried about him, he genuinely cared, and- and if going to this stupid meeting was enough to- to keep him even some bit happy then-"... Just once?""Just once" he agreed quickly, "All new students have to meet a therapist when they first arrive anyway, just to figure out how they're doing. I've scheduled you for half nine tomorrow morning. One meeting, that's it, and then... then we'll see how it goes. Set up a weekly routine, if it suits you, or- or never bring it up again if it doesn't".Jim slowly nodded. It was... reasonable if nothing else."... Okay" he finally replied, "One meeting. Half nine tomorrow. I'll- I'll be there".Pike smiled and stood up, brushing down the front of his suit to straighten out the handful of wrinkles that had formed while sitting."That's all I ask, thank you. And- Jim? I hate to sound like a cliché, but... but therapy will only work if you let it. I know you're only agreeing to this to keep me happy, but will you at least try?""... Can I get a second insulting-a-superior freebie if I do?"He chuckled and headed for the door. "Maybe. We'll see how you get on, first. Remember, half nine, tomorrow morning. It's just down the hall from my office, you can't miss it"."And wouldn't that be convenient" Jim muttered, reaching forward to pick back up his cup of hot chocolate.Pike smirked and knocked on the door frame as he passed through. "Don't even think about it, brat. Get some sleep. I'll see you sometime tomorrow".Jim was pissed off.In fact, he was more than pissed off.Because instead of enjoying his Sunday afternoon in peace and solitude in order to psyche himself up for the dreadful week of school ahead, what he was he doing?He was getting up at half eight in the bloody morning to go see some half-brain-dead ‘therapist’ in order to ‘help’ him. He scowled and knocked on the door that was very blatantly labelled as promised. He was pissed off and angry and angsty and annoyed and- holy shit that’s a fine-looking Vulcan.Jim blinked in surprise at the man standing at the door.The Vulcan raised a single eyebrow.“Jim”.“... Spock” he finally replied, half-confused and half-in-awe-of-this-magnificent-leather-clad-creature, “You’re...?”“Head therapist” he nodded, “Or student counsellor if you prefer”."Being perfectly honest, I'd prefer not to be here at all".His head tilted to the side, a strangely feline gesture. "You do not agree with Professor Pike's concerns?""He can concern all he wants. What I don't agree with is him declaring that I need help".The corner of Spock’s mouth twitched. “I believe, Jim, that that's for me to decide”.He gestured into the brightly lit office behind him. “Shall we?”Stepping into the room, Jim looked around at the steel and glass furnishings. One wall was made entirely of glass, revealing the Golden Gate Bridge behind it, and Jim suddenly realised that this office must only be two or three rooms down from Pike's. Same view, same sky, same gardens. Thankfully, however, it was too early for the happy smiling students to be spread out on the grass, but the memory brought another thought to mind instead."Is that window one-way glass?"Spock closed the door behind him and glanced up with what appeared to be surprise."Yes"."Mirrored?" he guessed.Spock straightened up, a PADD now in his hands as he calmly walked over."Negative. Although it would undoubtedly suit our purposes during the day, it would serve inadequate privacy after sunset. Due to the various schedules of both myself and the student body, some students are only available to meet at night".Jim hummed, realising his mistake."And since the lights would be on in here, but outside it'd be dark, the mirrored window would flip perspective. Anyone outside could see in, but you'd struggle to see out... Tinted, then"."Affirmative. Any person outside who is looking in during the day will see a mirror. At night, it becomes black glass, which reduces the visibility from inside this room also, but considering that it is nighttime, there is very little of note that can still be seen outside anyway".Jim liked this. He liked having intelligent conversations, he liked the fact it felt like he had a purpose, and he especially liked the fact that looking out the window stopped him from staring at this ridiculously attractive alien whose appearance would no doubt reduce him to a stuttering idiot again.So, of course, Spock had to ruin it."Please, sit down".The Vulcan walked over to the stylish couches and coffee table in the middle of the room and gracefully perched on the edge of one.Jim briefly entertained the idea of sitting right next to him just to see if he could break apart that emotionless exterior, but then remembered that a happy Vulcan was three times stronger than a human male at the best of times, so perhaps being that close to an angry Vulcan wasn't one of his better ideas.He sat down on the couch across from him instead.
Let the games begin.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chapter 11
Out of the remaining three walls of the room, one was bare and painted with what was likely supposed to be a soothing shade of yellow, but to Jim, it just looked like mustard that'd been left in the sun for too long. The other two walls were comprised of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, one of which was very obviously files and folders, but the other was filled to the brim with actual proper books and Jim's fingers just itched with the urge to see what type of Terran literature a Vulcan would find interesting.Turning back, he found Spock staring right at him, and it was only through years of learning to stay still that stopped him from jumping in surprise.He blinked."... Am I meant to lie down or something?""If it would make you more comfortable, then you may"."Nah, I'm good" he replied immediately, not wanting to be in the vulnerable position even if it was just Spock in the room.The only saving grace of this entire thing was that he was still too annoyed and worked up to turn into the rambling idiot he’d been yesterday in the Vulcan’s presence, so at least for now, they could hopefully have a somewhat casual conversation where Jim could convince him of his stability and happiness and general normal-human-ness and Spock could rubber-stamp him and Pike could stop worrying like an idiot and-“Shall we commence?”He took a deep breath.“Sure”.Spock typed a quick note into his PADD and despite Jim knowing that there was like a ninety-nine per cent chance it was just his name or the date or something equally boring, he already got the absurd urge to jump forward and yank it out of the Vulcan's hands."Do you know why you are here?""Cause Pike's a fretting mother hen with no sense of personal boundaries?"The corner of Spock's mouth twitched and Jim couldn’t help but revel in the thrill it gave him."Professor Pike is... concerned, yes, but not, I believe, without adequate reason"."What would you define as adequate?""He briefly mentioned that he once had a personal connection to you and your family and that he was troubled by what he saw and how you spoke to him yesterday morning. In addition to this, Leonard had also voiced concerns-""Hang on, who the hell is Leonard?"Spock blinked. "The physician who tended to your wounds approximately twenty-point-four hours ago. Doctor McCoy-""Oh, Bonsey, right!" he realised, already feeling like an idiot, "Wait, hang on, again, he said what?""He voiced concerns about your well-being"."Well, yeah, but, I mean I didn't need stitches and nothing's broken so it wasn't bad".The man tilted his head to the side once more and holy shit that shouldn't make a fully grown Vulcan male who could snap him in half like a twig look so fucking adorable."... We shall address your pain tolerance and what constitutes as 'bad' at another date-""Or, never, never works for me, too"."-but you misunderstood. I was referring to his concerns about your mental wellbeing"."My- what?" Jim frowned, "But he just... he just patched me up, we didn't- we didn't talk about anything... mentally"."Nevertheless, the brief conversation that did transpire between you both informed him enough about your mental well-being for him to bring those concerns to my attention as student counsellor"."That traitorous bastard".Spock looked rather pained by his language, but Jim ignored him and instead jerkily got back to his feet and marched back over to the window. The sun was reflecting off the Golden Gate Bridge and turning the water below it an almost violent shade of orange. The first of the Academy's students were up and about as well, and a particularly cute blond and quite frankly terrifying-looking brunette had taken their breakfast outside.The cut on his lip was sore, his knuckles were stinging underneath burnt and blackened bandages, and his ribs just ached. The last thing he wanted to do right now was sit here in this stuffy stupid office and listen to how everyone he'd just met had run off to a stupid fucking therapist the first chance they got to wax lyrical about their concerns for his mental fucking wellbeing.And this was only day two.Christ.Jim stood there in righteous anger for an entire minute before he heard movement behind him, but even then he refused to turn back around. There was a young blackbird sitting on the hedgerow just outside the window, blissfully unaware that there was someone lurking just behind the mirror she was singing to.He heard Spock turn off the PADD, close its protective cover, and then set it down on the coffee table with a jarring sense of finality.Fucking great, Jim thought bitterly, all he had to do was keep it together for five fucking minutes to convince the pointy-eared menace that he was fine and he couldn't even do that much without blowing it and- "Come".He blinked and glanced over his shoulder. Spock stood at the door to the office, one hand on the handle and the other holding a key card."What?""Come" he repeated, "Unless you would rather stay here?"Jim didn't quite teleport across the room, but based on Spock's raised eyebrow and barely contained shock, he had moved just that little bit too quick to be human.They stepped out into the hall without a word and Spock locked the door behind them, before gesturing down the opposite hallway that Jim vaguely remembered led to the kitchens."Uh, no offence, pointy, but I'm not really hungry".He followed him anyway.“Pointy? Is that a derogatory reference?”Jim turned to him in exasperation, only to find the impassive Vulcan almost smiling at him, brown eyes dancing in amusement."... You know, you're strangely expressive for a Vulcan".The amusement immediately shut down and Jim wanted to kick himself."Not that- Not that that's bad, or- or good or anything! It just- It just is really and I didn't- I didn't mean to- to offend you or- or to-"Spock raised a placating hand and he wanted the ground to swallow him whole."I am not offended, merely... surprised" he admitted, "I know that I express more than what Vulcans would consider appropriate, but in comparison to both humans and mutants alike, I have been referred to as 'an emotionally buttoned-up idiot'".Jim snorted and promptly slapped a hand over his mouth, mortified. Spock, however, seemed to find the motion almost endearing, and his expression softened as his eyes lit up once more."It is simply rare that I meet a human who can notice my emotions, let alone identify them as accurately as you seem to. To borrow an analogy, although I may be on one end of the emotional extreme for Vulcans, I am quite on the other end for Terrans. You did not offend me, you... astonished me".Jim could feel his cheeks reddening at the compliment and- holy shit he just got complimented by a Vulcan he didn't even know Vulcans could do that -and now he wanted the ground to swallow him up for an entirely different reason.Thankfully he was saved from having to reply as Spock came to a stop outside a door two up from the kitchen. Guess they weren't eating then."Open".The metal door did as told, and Jim blinked as bright sunlight suddenly assaulted his eyes. They were... They were going outside? He shook his head and followed Spock onto the paved pathway and across the lawns until they came to a small but beautifully carved fountain in the centre of the garden. It was in a hollow, right in the middle of a small gravel area sheltered from the worst of the wind by plants and trees, which also hid the secluded area from passerby's.And there, on each of the four sides of the fountain, were chess tables.Spock pulled out a chair for him and gestured for Jim to sit.Jim swore that his face could never get any redder.The Vulcan walked around to the other side of the table and told the computer to set up a new chess game, all tiers, no timer. Spock got white, and so he made the first move."You seemed... uncomfortable, having to discuss such a sensitive topic when there was nothing to distract you from doing so". He kept his eyes on the board. "If I was remiss in my actions, please inform me and I shall rectify the situation immediately".He was... worried, Jim realised with a pang. He was actually worried about overstepping, about making him even more uncomfortable and-"No" he said, "I mean- shit, I mean yes! Or, wait, no, I mean-" He hurriedly moved a pawn as he took a moment to breathe. "I mean that this is... good. Or, well, not good but- but better".He risked a quick glance at the man and was immediately relieved to see relaxed shoulders and a very very very very very faint but still there smile."I am glad" Spock replied honestly, "I understand that this is difficult. It is a large change for you and most Terrans that I have met do not react well to change"."Must be 'cause of those pesky human emotions, huh?"The nonexistent smile widened ever so slightly."Perhaps, but those emotions are valid and important nonetheless. I do not wish for you to associate therapy with bad emotions, likewise, I do not wish for you to feel like this change in your life was a mistake"."Hence the sun, fresh air, and chess game?""Throughout my research of the human race, it quickly became clear that the weather, rather illogically, has a considerable impact on the nuances of human emotion".Jim paused, the bishop in his hand hovering above the board as he raised a disbelieving gaze to the alien in front of him."Did you seriously bring me out here with the hope that the sunshine would make me happy?!"The man didn't reply, but the faint dusting of green across high cheekbones spoke eons."Oh my god". He set down the bishop. "Oh my god. You think I- That I'm- You're treating me like a flower that needs to photosynthesize!"Spock cautiously glanced up at him, his brow furrowing ever-so-slightly in confusion."I... do not understand. Your words speak of anger and yet your expression is that of... amusement?"He stared at him in disbelief."... You know, if somebody told me even a week ago, that there would come a day I'd be explaining human ridicule to an emotional Vulcan while we played chess in a garden because apparently, my species converts light energy into happiness points... I'd probably commit them"."Commit them?""To an asylum, Spock. For the mentally disturbed. Also called the madhouse"."Mad house? I fail to see the connection between anger and insanity". Jim paused, opened his mouth to reply, and then caught the mischievous gleam in the man's warm gaze. He sighed, exasperated, and rolled his eyes instead."You're ridiculous"."There is no need to insult my intelligence, Jim".He picked up a pawn and stabbed it in his direction."Oh yeah? And just how many people fall for that whole oh-woe-is-me-I'm-just-a-simple-alien facade? I know you understood everything I just said, pointy, that feigned-ignorance-getup doesn't fool me!"Jim set down his pawn with just a bit more force than necessary, still shaking his head at the naive front the Vulcan had put up since meeting him. He wasn't even annoyed, actually, he was almost impressed; he usually saw straight through the masks of others, and the fact that he hadn't realised Spock was pretending to be a hell of a lot more obtuse than he really was for so long reflected badly on him if anyone.He captured one of the Vulcan's pawns, made sure that he hadn't left himself open for attack, his Enhanced Combat running the numbers behind his eyes as easily as breathing but twice as fast. When it came up with nothing, he nodded once, satisfied, and then sat back, looking up to see what his opponent's next move would be.Spock was staring at him.Spock was staring at him.Lips slightly parted in shock, cheeks flushed pale green, walnut eyes warm and surprised and almost golden in the morning sunlight and Jim couldn't remember ever seeing something so goddamn beautiful.He swallowed thickly, mouth suddenly dry.Spock slowly blinked, far too slow for it to be anything other than intentional. Or, at least, subconsciously intentional anyway, and Jim distinctly remembers reading something like that once but he doesn't know where and then the Vulcan blinked again, faster this time, and then twice more in quick succession and-"Fascinating".Jim felt himself blush and he quickly ducked his head in case he turned into a stuttering idiot again."You truly are a remarkable human being, Jim Kirk".
That voice and those words should be fucking illegal.
"You can't just- just say shit like that!""On the contrary. It is, as you Americans state, a 'free country'" Spock replied, casual as you like the absolute bastard."Yeah, well, in my experience, you get nothing for free" he grumbled, resolutely focusing on the game which he was slowly but surely winning."Do you wish to talk about those experiences?"The absolute smooth bastard."Not particularly" he bit out, "There's not much to say"."Then we should get through them quite quickly".Jim let out a groan of frustration and collapsed back in his seat."And we were having such a lovely time... Alright. Fine. Let's talk about my experiences then, shall we? My father died when I was approximately thirty seconds old, my mother claimed to love me right up until the mutant gene kicked in, and then I was left with a drunk of a stepfather while she flew off to space for the next ten years until I accidentally burnt the house down and ran away to Las Vegas. Quick enough for you?"He could feel the flames lurking just beneath his skin, the wind in his hair doing nothing to quell the heat, and he could feel Spock's eyes, just as burning, studying his defensive posture and carefully blank expression."... Your father was George Kirk?""Yep. The great hero who sacrificed his life to save over eight hundred people"."You sound bitter"."Well, I'm not exactly happy, Spock, sunshine or not!"The Vulcan paused. “... He died saving your life. Do you feel regret over that?”Jim swallowed and stared at the man’s hand as he reached forward to move a knight, long graceful fingers moving in an almost sensual manner that-“Shouldn’t you be writing this shit down or something?”“I have an eidetic memory”.“Of course you do”.The boy sighed and reluctantly reached forward to move his own knight, all but wishing that he could go back to babbling incoherently in the Vulcan’s presence as opposed to inadvertently telling him how fucked up his life was, therapist or not.“Jim?”“What?”“Do you feel regret?”“Would you?”“That’s not what we’re trying to distinguish here-”“Then what are we trying to distinguish here?” he interrupted, “Cause as far as I know, you lot think I need help or whatever despite the fact no one's explained just what exactly that even means so just what the hell does regretting my dad's death have to do with anything?!""Early childhood trauma is an underlying factor in most adult mental health disorders"."Okay, well, first of all, I don't think early applies to literally a minute old, secondly, I'm seventeen, pointy, so not quite an adult, and thirdly, do you seriously think that I have all of these- these pent up emotions because my dad died saving me? I never even knew the man!"For a moment, Spock looked thrown, and Jim wondered whether it was because of his age or his whole outburst in general. The heat beneath his fingertips was getting stronger by the second and he vaguely wondered what the Vulcan would do if he just... exploded on him.Spock composed himself almost freakishly fast and moved another pawn as he replied.“Then, perhaps, you feel regret at never having the chance to know him”.Jim stared at him in disbelief.“We really need to talk about your bedside manner”.“Reverting to avoidance insinuates you agree”.The blond stared at him, annoyed at how easily the man could read him, annoyed at how easily the man could get under his skin, annoyed at how much he wanted the man to get under his skin.“So what if I’m pissed? What if I do feel regret? I never knew my dad, I’ll never get to know him. Wouldn’t you be a little angry if you were in my situation?”For a split second, something terrifyingly similar to pain flashed across the Vulcan's face, but it was gone so quickly that Jim wondered if he'd just imagined it.“I would be... irritated, yes”.“Then that doesn’t make me some sort of... unstable kid who needs help”.“Perhaps not, but it does contribute to it”.He scowled. “Oh- Fight me!”“That would be illogical”.“You’re illogical!”Spock tilted his head to the side, frowning. “That statement is illogical”.“Just- Just shut it, pointy!”"Glad to see you boys getting along".Jim startled and spun to the side at the voice, hands unconsciously raising to defend himself from the intruder that--that was Christopher Pike.He forced himself to take a deep breath and slowly lowered his sparking hands, not noticing the Vulcan's curious expression as he did so. Pike, however, definitely caught the rather interesting look and decided to store that particular thought away for later."You know, when I found the office empty, I was worried that I'd have to grab a shovel and help someone bury a body"."Which someone?" Jim immediately asked, which, yeah, okay, was probably a little morbid but, fuck it, both men had already decided that he needed help so they could bloody well deal with it.Pike considered them both for a moment before replying."You know, usually I'd say Spock because, well, let's face it, he is the most likely out of all of us to get away with murder, but... I don't know, brat. I've got a feeling you have a few things up your sleeve".The blond practically beamed and sat back with a little satisfied smile on his face that had Spock's interesting look kick up a notch into full-on fascinating. Pike was beginning to wonder if putting these two together wasn't the best idea he ever had."I heard arguing. You both good?" he asked instead."Oh sure" Jim replied breezily, "I was just telling Spock here all about my experiences that caused the early childhood trauma that eventually became an underlying factor in my current mental health disorder".Pike blinked.Spock openly smirked.Jim glanced down at the chessboard and then grinned."Checkmate".
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chapter 12
Spock had received very little more information from Leonard during their daily lunch date.He learned that Jim was scared, likely abused, and had a very powerful ability. He learned that he had a superficial black eye, a split lip that needed plastic sutures, and bruised ribs that the doctor wasn't allowed to see. He even learned that the blond was cheeky and flirtatious and had a "wicked sense of humour".It wasn't enough information to form a suitable hypothesis with.So, after their lunch was finished, after he walked his partner back to the infirmary, and after their customary one-physical-one-mental kiss goodbye, he made his way to Professor's Pike office.Most of his Saturday appointments were either early morning or late evening, as students liked to use their weekend afternoons to become up-to-date with their assignments and meet their friends, so he was presently untroubled with a time schedule. It was unusual for him to visit the headmaster about a student before their mandatory first meeting, but from what he had seen and heard, Spock was quickly coming to the realisation that the boy in question was unusual himself.Jim Kirk. A young man who knew more about Vulcan culture than the Academy's most senior and well-travelled professors. A bright cheerful blinding boy who hid his pain and his past behind electric blue eyes. A mere child who was already so far from home and yet still running.Spock briefly frowned and then shook his head free of the thoughts.Leonard's nineteenth-century literature collection was clearly affecting the Broca's area of his brain.Professor Pike hadn't provided any more substantial information, but he had given a copious emotional insight into the mutant that was James T. Kirk.His father had been one of the headmaster's closest friends before he'd died when Jim was an infant, and although he had continued to visit the boy for some time after, when Jim was approximately five years old his mother had forbidden him from ever calling again.Professor Pike believed that that was when Jim's mutant gene activated, and Spock had to agree.He voiced his concerns to the headmaster, both his own thoughts from his brief interaction with the boy as well as his partner's own observances, and the trio's knowledge combined painted a somewhat disturbing image.Spock was loath to confirm his hypothesis without having a proper meeting with the student in question, but based on his own childhood and the profile he had created based on past students who had been in similar situations...Jim was the product of an abusive upbringing.Professor Pike had also confided in Spock, purely from a headmaster to a counsellor's point-of-view as opposed to their usual friendship-based conversations, that Jim's stepfather had been "a right piece of work" and that he had been killed in the same explosion that had destroyed Jim's childhood home.He hadn't explicitly told Spock that Jim had been involved in that explosion, but likewise, he hadn't explicitly denied the allegation either.And then the boy had beaten him at chess.Spock had acknowledged the strange flurry of emotions that rose up inside of him as he saw Nyota lead the clearly exhausted yet animated blond into the rec room that evening.There was a growing sense of pleasure, happiness, perhaps, at having the opportunity to converse with someone who knew of Vulcan customs. There was also concern, which was an entirely illogical emotion to feel in any situation so he quickly compartmentalized it and let curiosity rise up in its place. Curiosity was acceptable and even encouraged to a certain extent, for there had never been a scientist to date, Vulcan or Terran or otherwise, who did not have an intense desire to learn about something.Or someone, as the case may be.Nevertheless, he kept his emotions in check and continued to observe the chessboard. Pavel Chekov was a... less-than-adequate opponent, but his Tactical Genius had made him so far come the closest to being worthy. Spock did not find fault in him, in his strategy, yes, but not in the Terran himself. Vulcans were a logical race first and foremost, and many of their young learned how to play chess before they could even talk. Pavel, for all of his enthusiasm and abilities, was no match to someone brought up in the way that Spock himself was.Still, he kept one ear firmly on the conversation happening to the side of their match and therefore heard the tension in the blond's voice as he rejected a handshake. Thankfully Nyota figuratively came to his rescue before Jim could become too panicked, and the momentary crisis was averted.That didn't stop Spock from wondering, however. Leonard had mentioned the boy's animosity for physical contact, but as it was only skin-to-skin contact that he protested, Spock was led to believe that it was related to his abilities rather than his general disposition. Amongst the ramblings of the blond during their own first meeting, he had stated his dislike for touch, which only furthered his belief.And yet.Nyota's fingers gently brushed his wrist every time he spoke. And Jim did not protest.Spock had to curb the completely illogical surge of jealousy that rose up inside of him at the sight. He knew theoretically that there was a logical explanation as to why Jim allowed Nyota's touch when he had not allowed Spock's partner the same luxury, but his instinctual reaction was to yank them apart anyway.He had not allowed Leonard to make skin contact, and neither Sulu nor Chekov were made exceptions either. However, Professor Pike had claimed that Jim had shaken his hand, and not just shaken it, but had initiated the contact to begin with, just as the boy had with Spock himself. And here he was again, permitting Nyota's occasional empathic readings.Spock wondered what it all meant. He knew that Leonard knew why, and the fact that his partner refused to tell him all but confirmed his theory of it being power-related. But if Jim's reasoning for rejecting physical contact stemmed from his ability, then it was logical to assume that his reasoning for accepting physical contact was a result of the same ability.The blond knew what Nyota's power was, and likewise, he knew Professor Pike's also. But that theory didn't uphold further experimentation since Leonard told him that Jim knew what he did as well. He disregarded his theory completely when Pavel and Hikaru's abilities were respectively explained and clearly on show and Jim still didn't initiate contact. The boy's reasoning was related to the type of ability then. It was a sound argument, but unfortunately offered far too many variables and Spock found himself growing frustrated at the lack of knowledge he had for this hypothesis. Jim could reject contact from powers that specifically reacted badly with his own, which would explain why Nyota and Professor Pike were allowed to touch, as both of their abilities, while important and quite powerful in their own right, were still mentally-Oh."-it doesn’t work on Vulcans”.Spock refocused his attention on the group surrounding him, just in time to form eye contact with the oddly endearing human before he quickly turned back to the board.Perhaps it was only physically manifesting powers that Jim's own ability reacted poorly with. It would certainly explain why the mentally-based mutants could hold his hand but the physically-based mutants such as Leonard and Hikaru and-Negative.Pavel's own ability was a mental manifestation, which now rendered his new theory incorrect. So he was back to square one, as Leonard would say. Jim's abilities were clearly the reason for his dislike of skin-to-skin contact, and yet those with certain powers were still allowed to touch him while others were not. Spock had yet to find a logical explanation for the reasoning behind which powers fell into which category. Given more time to conduct his research, however..."No!"It was only his Vulcan upbringing that stopped Spock from startling at the sudden exclamation. The blond himself seemed startled at his own outburst as well, however, leading him to believe that he hadn't meant to vocalize his disapproval. In fact, he flushed a rather enticing shade of red once all eyes landed on him.“Oh, um, sorry, I didn’t- I didn’t mean to- to-”"To let it slip out?" Spock couldn't help but finish, the endearing stammer reminding him of their first conversation when the boy had likewise unwillingly made such an exclamation.Jim's mouth shut with an audible snap and he narrowed his eyes at the Vulcan in such a way that screamed revenge before turning to Pavel and-"You make that move and the game’s over".Spock barely kept his shock in check. How had he-? Was Jim a telepath? No. He dismissed that thought almost as soon as it rose. His own mental shields couldn't even be dented by Professor Pike and he was by far the most powerful telepath that the Vulcan had ever met. And yet, even as he pondered, the curious blond laid out his entire plan of attack, predicting his every move as accurately as if he'd read them in Spock's mind himself.Thirty seconds later, he was being ushered into Chekov's chair. Jim was cautious, that much was certain. He didn't appear to entirely distrust those around him, he was simply... withholding his trust. Until when Spock couldn't be certain, but as the boy took the seat across from him, there was something else in that vibrant gaze as well.Fear, perhaps, but it wasn't urgent. It was not dissimilar to what Spock had seen in other students while they were recalling bad memories, but how one would have a poor recollection of chess, one upsetting enough to have once caused terror... he wasn't sure.“Reset board” Spock told the computer, staring at the blond with unbridled curiosity.Jim smiled awkwardly and gestured at the Vulcan’s newly arranged pieces.“White moves first”.And then, against all odds, the boy had won.Spock didn't want to say that he had left the room wounded, but his pride had certainly been diminished by the bright-eyed messy-haired menace that beat him at his own game not thirty minutes into playing.He claimed dinner plans, which wasn't technically a lie, and left, sending a brief but comprehensive message to Professor Pike as soon as the rec room door shut behind him. He had scarcely returned the communicator to his pocket before it beeped with a response, and Spock was glad to see that the man agreed with his suggestion to have Jim's counselling session move up.For his own well-being, of course. Not because Spock found him... well... fascinating. Of course not. That would be... illogical.
*How does half nine tomorrow morning sound? -CP*
Spock's hands gave a minute tremor, but he put it down to his diminishing blood sugar levels rather than barely contained excitement.
*Acceptable -S*
On Sunday morning, he was expecting reluctance from the boy. Nerves, as well, most likely, with a dash of fear borne from a life of struggling to survive. So, Spock ensured that he reached his office five minutes earlier than he usually did, having blatantly ignored Leonard's teasing as he confirmed that his clothing was presentable before he left their rooms.A quick survey of the office revealed it to be as organized as it always was, so he raised the window blind as high as the mechanized sheet could go, and cleared his desk of everything save his work PADD and the table lamp. Jim struck him as... not flighty, but something similar. Cautious and wary both came to mind, but he also suspected that the boy would have no problem throwing himself headfirst into dangerous situations given enough incentive, so neither of those terms fully encapsulated this aspect of his personality either.Guarded, was closer to the truth. Or, perhaps, watchful.Either way, Spock believed that he would appreciate the natural light coming in from outside, as well as a more... minimally designed room. Fewer things to observe, to keep track of, to be seen as a potential threat. Unfortunately, it also posed fewer distractions, but that was something Spock thought Jim could benefit from. The boy was obviously uneasy being the centre of attention, which was rather the whole basis of therapy. Since he was already going to be on edge, the least Spock could do was make the process easier for him.Or so he told himself as he straightened the novels on the bookshelf for the fourth time in as many minutes.Yes. Spock was expecting reluctance. Anxiety. Dread. Perhaps even panic.What he was not expecting, was the angry spiteful bristling kitten that stood just outside the door looking like a half-drowned alleycat waiting to be left in for the night.Spock was not prone to exaggeration, nor was he a fan of unnecessary metaphors or inappropriate diminutives.It was therefore much to his own consternation that as he stared at the bruised and bloody scrawny five-foot-something paradox in front of him, the first thought that came to mind was adorable.The start of their session went approximately as well as Spock had expected it to go, which was to say, not well at all. Jim was defensive from the start, and appropriately so, given what little he knew of the boy's past. His observation of the one-way glass had been a pleasant surprise, however obvious the distracting conversation had been.Jim observed everything and Spock couldn't help but observe him in return as they sat across from each other, the figurative and literal barrier of a coffee table between them. Humans had a strange relationship with proximity, the Vulcan had quickly learned. Although they craved affection and needed it to live fulfilling lives, there were some scenarios where closeness was the least of their desires. Turbolifts were a satisfactory example. Humans did not enjoy close contact in turbolifts, no matter their relationship to the other person, and Spock had even observed a strange phenomenon once where a couple holding hands stepped into the lift, immediately ceased physical contact, and then resumed hand-holding as soon as they stepped out on their floor.The coffee table was another appropriate example; according to Leonard, when two chairs faced each other, designed for conversation, that conversation would "feel weird" if there was not a barrier in between. Spock had observed this illogical occurrence too. Chess tables were built with the chairs on opposing sides of the board, the kitchens had numerous tables in between the metal benches, and even here, in his office, there was a low-rising table of indeterminable function placed exactly equidistance from both couches. It was incredibly illogical, but apparently a requirement for human comfort, which was the only reason that Spock allowed the absurdity to exist inside his office in the first place.In fact, the first time that he had ever seen the appeal of such a setup was when Jim automatically sat directly opposite him, clearly feeling an illogical sense of security with the table in between them. But it allowed Spock to observe his full profile, something which he, unfortunately, had not had the opportunity to do before.His original perception of the boy's stature had been correct. Jim stood no taller than five-foot-seven if his mentally-calculated measurements were accurate, and he was angular enough to cause Spock concern. He made a mental note to bring up the boy's weight with Leonard at a later date. In addition, his hair was blond with darker undertones, his eyes an electric blue, and his skin not quite tan but far from pale. He had a... pleasing jawline and rather agreeable curved ears as well. His build, although small, appeared lean and strong.Spock had no doubt that he would be a worthy combat opponent, and he made a quick note on the PADD to bring up the topic of Jim joining the Academy's self-defence class with Professor Pike. It would provide a safe outlet for some of the stress he was unquestionably feeling, and if what Leonard had told him was correct, then he was a proficient fighter already.The boy flushed when he realised that Spock was staring at him, and the Vulcan couldn't help but notice how the pleasant shade of red travelled across his cheeks to meet at the bridge of his nose.What soon followed was... disordered, to say the least.Spock hadn't fully thought through his actions before he found himself standing at the door and asking Jim to follow. His earlier assessment of the blond being uneasy in a confined space had been correct, and although it was illogical for him to feel safer outside considering the increased risk of attack, he could see the appeal in having an open space to run or hide in, should the need arise.And then, once again, the boy had overwhelmed him."... You're strangely expressive for a Vulcan".He heard Leonard's own words echo back at him from their first meeting many years ago. The doctor hadn't been as polite, of course, and he hadn't phrased it quite so delicately, but the fact that Jim was the only other person that had ever even come close to noticing Spock's emotions this early in their acquaintance was...He quickly found himself becoming compromised, and he was glad to reach the back door that led outside. Jim, however, seemed equally dazed, and they made their way to the fountain area without a word. Spock pulled out the chair for him on reflex, so caught up in his own thoughts, but he found that he couldn't regret the outrageous move when the boy flushed a pretty red once-He shook his head.
A pretty red.
He needed to meditate.Jim was strangely quiet as he set up the chessboard, and Spock suddenly realised with a jerk how his previous actions could be misconstrued as... unprofessional."You seemed... uncomfortable, having to discuss such a sensitive topic when there was nothing to distract you from doing so". He kept his eyes on the board. "If I was remiss in my actions, please inform me and I shall rectify the situation immediately".Jim blinked, surprised. "No. I mean- shit, I mean yes-"For a split second, Spock felt his heart freeze.Which, of course, he knew was impossible, but this boy seemed to defy all expectations of logic just as he defied the rules of attraction and chess and knowledge of Vulcan culture and-"Or, wait, no, I mean- I mean that this is... good. Or, well, not good but- but better".Spock let out a silent sigh of relief, and the game began.Jim's reaction to Professor Pikes' sudden appearance was... intriguing to say the least.Spock had heard the man approach, recognised his military gait, and deemed it safe for him to join them. The blond, on the other hand, clearly had not noticed his admittedly quiet footsteps and had startled.Badly.Jerking around quicker than Spock thought human reflexes could move, both hands raised at once. At first, the Vulcan thought it was a defensive move, to protect his head, face, neck, the most vulnerable parts of his body, and his heart figuratively clenched. Then he realised that Jim's hands were too outstretched to be defensive and that there were... sparks?!Jim's fingertips were sparking, tiny bursts of flame jerking out towards the perceived threat, skin reddening but not blistering and wasn't that intriguing even as the bandages Leonard had secured around the blond's damaged hands started to burn along the edges. Once the boy realised who it was, however, he immediately dropped both arms and took a long deep breath. The sparks vanished almost immediately.Professor Pike didn't react with the astonishment that Spock felt the situation deserved, leading him to believe that the headmaster had seen his ability before. "You know, when I found the office empty, I was worried that I'd have to grab a shovel and help someone bury a body"."Which someone?"That was... an intriguing question."You know, usually I'd say Spock because, well, let's face it, he is the most likely out of all of us to get away with murder, but... I don't know, brat. I've got a feeling you have a few things up your sleeve".Jim beamed and gave a content smirk at the thought of him being able to overpower a fully-grown Vulcan and Spock couldn't quite hide the pure unadulterated awe he felt for this curious emotional little creature."I heard arguing. You both good?" Professor Pike asked, a touch of concern in his voice, but Jim waved him off. "Oh sure. I was just telling Spock here all about my experiences that caused the early childhood trauma that eventually became an underlying factor in my current mental health disorder".It felt like his heart was going to burst and he was simultaneously fascinated and terrified."Checkmate".They all looked down at the board. After a moment, Pike sighed and glanced back up at them."Same time next week?"Spock opened his mouth to protest because they hadn't made an adequate start in this therapy session yet, let alone discuss the possibility of future meetings, but to his surprise, Jim simply reached forward, reset the chessboard, and nodded."Sounds good".
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chapter 13
Spock would be lying if he said he wasn't looking forward to his next meeting with Jim. Professor Pike had given him a knowing look as he'd left them to their chess game the day before, a look that said he knew exactly how fascinating Spock found the blond.It was much to the Vulcan's consternation that the only two humans who knew him so well; the headmaster and Leonard, were also the only two humans in his life that actually dared to tease him.Nevertheless, he ignored the man's amused and slightly baffled expression as he completed an additional two games with the blond, the first of which he won and the latter a draw. He had not asked any more invasive questions, having determined that the best way to get Jim to open up was to earn his trust. Spock knew it would be a slow and well-fought battle, but he was strangely optimistic about the whole ordeal.They had parted ways at the chess table, Spock to meet his next student on time and Jim to, presumably, return to his room and rest. An entire week seemed far too long to wait before seeing the blond again and as illogical as it was, Spock found that the remainder of Sunday, as well as the entirety of the following Monday, seemed to be prolonged.Emotions thrummed just under the surface of his skin, much in the same way his usual energy waves moved, and it eventually got to a stage where he could no longer keep his thoughts about the boy to himself.Explaining them to Leonard on Monday evening, however, proved to be... challenging.It had been a long time since Spock had been at a loss for words, and to find that this tiny angry Stubentiger had managed to render him speechless so quickly was figuratively breathtaking.Jim had been pleased with the change of scenery during their therapy session, he had gladly played the chess game, teased him about photosynthesis- which Spock was not too proud to admit took him a few seconds to understand -and then, once again, the boy had completely confounded him."He... He saw me, Leonard. He saw me".The doctor hummed from where his head was resting on Spock's lap, the Vulcan's fingers gently carding through dark hair."I understand that you cannot reveal his abilities at this present moment, yet I find that I must ask... Is his power the explanation for his insights?"McCoy lowered the book he was reading and stared up at his boyfriend curiously."You're serious about this, aren't you?""Leonard, I do not jest".He raised an eyebrow."... About matters of importance" Spock reluctantly allowed."So this kid really shook you up, huh?""He saw me" he repeated, "He can read my emotions almost- almost as easily as you".His partner frowned, tossing the medical journal up on the table next to them before sitting up. Spock reluctantly let his hands fall from the man's hair as he turned on the couch to face him."... It's not a result of his abilities" McCoy eventually replied, "But... But I can't say any more than that-""Nor do I expect you to" he interrupted softly, "It simply... bewilders me. I was, perhaps rather futilely, attempting to find a logical answer".The doctor smiled. "You should know by now, hobgoblin, that when it comes to humans, things are rarely logical"."Is it so wrong to be hopeful that your species will someday correct itself?""Hey!" He shoved his shoulder teasingly. "You're part of this illogical species too, mister, whether you want to be or not!"He hummed thoughtfully. "Ah yes, my dubious heritage. How very emotional of you to mention it in order to win an argument"."I wasn't aware we were arguing" he shot back, "But if we are, there a few choice other things I could call you if you prefer".Spock couldn't help but smile at the quite frankly absurd human in front of him, and McCoy's face immediately softened, reaching up to tug at a pointed ear tip."You're ridiculous".He leaned into the touch, helpless to resist. "Jim said the same thing, yesterday".McCoy studied him for another minute before frowning, posture becoming almost... hesitant."Spock? Have you... Have you considered the fact that he can read you so well is- is because you're both so alike?""Alike? Leonard, he is a young human-""You know exactly what I mean".Spock took a deep breath, a rare show of outward emotion, and let it out slowly."I cannot confirm childhood trauma unless he tells me"."But if you had to guess?""... Then I would infer that he was systematically abused from the ages of five to fifteen; neglect and intentional disregard from his mother, physical and verbal abuse from his stepfather".His partner's hand immediately dropped."Christ".Spock couldn't help but agree. Silently. In a... logical manner."Ten years" McCoy breathed, "That's over half of his entire life"."We have some similarities in our pasts" Spock allowed, "But to assign his... acute observational skills solely to a shared background seems... flawed".The doctor's response was interrupted by a beep, and he groaned, reaching for his communicator."I swear, if Christine calls me in on my first night off in over a month..."He glanced at the message, paused, and then handed the communicator to Spock."Looks like you'll get your chance to test that theory directly".Spock's brow furrowed as he looked down at the message.
*Make sure your boyfriend's home, I'm bringing the brat to you -CP*
Spock opened the door on the second knock and-Stopped.Professor Pike stood there in casual clothes- evidentially his night off too -one hand in his jeans pocket, the other firmly clasped around the collar of one James Tiberius Kirk, holding him up by the scruff of his neck much like a mother cat would hold her kitten. Jim didn't exactly dissuade the image either, both hands swinging and scratching and clawing as he struggled to escape the man's firm grip.Once the headmaster saw Spock, the look of relief that came over his face was obvious, and he unceremoniously dropped the feisty menace at his feet."I'd rather not expel him on his first day if it's all the same to you"."Rude!" Jim hissed at the man, straightening out his rumbled clothes, before finally seeming to take in his surroundings. When he noticed Spock, a wide smile spread across his face."Hey, pointy!"The Vulcan raised a solitary eyebrow."Jim".Professor Pike sighed. "Please please please talk to him, I am begging you!"Spock wasn't sure whom he was addressing that plea to, but he supposed logically it didn't make any difference."Has something happened?""I have five separate complaints from five separate professors" he replied flatly, "Jim, how many classes did you have today?""... Four".Spock blinked."Then how were there five-""Don't ask. Do not ask" Professor Pike interrupted, "Just... sort him out, alright? Before he upsets the remainder of my staff tomorrow".Jim scowled at the man, folding his arms across his chest in a way that likely meant to be threatening, but Spock found rather endearing instead."Don't make me burn you!""You made your math teacher cry!"There was a loud snort from just inside the door, and they spun around to find McCoy looking out over Spock's shoulder. The headmaster immediately glared at the man, no doubt believing him to be setting a bad example for the blond, but when Jim caught sight of the doctor his earlier smile returned in full force."Bonsey!""Brat!" he returned, with very obviously fake enthusiasm, and Jim pouted again."Just talk to him, okay? For all our sanities?"Once more, Spock wasn't entirely sure whom the headmaster was addressing, but he nodded all the same, and with another exasperated yet clearly fond look at the boy between them, Professor Pike turned on his heel and walked back the way he came.The Vulcan turned his attention back to the cause of all this trouble, only to find Jim trying desperately to flatten down his hair where the Professor's hold had caused it to stick up. Instead of using a comb, however, the boy was licking his palm and then running his fingers through the blond mess.From just behind him, McCoy gave a low chuckle."I believe you called him a particularly dishevelled alleycat?"Spock sighed, mentally rearranged his entire evening schedule, and then stood back to allow the boy inside."So" McCoy began, leading the way inside, "You made ole' Lasley cry, huh?""He deserved it" Jim replied distractedly, too busy looking around the room that was a curious mix of squeaky-clean and lived-in, "The man's an idiot"."Jim" Spock scolded, but the blond merely raised an eyebrow in response. "Do you disagree with that statement, Counsellor Spock?"His mouth twitched and Jim knew he'd won."A person's intelligence, or lack thereof, does not give you the right to agitate them"."Is that what you tell yourself every night before bed?"Spock pursed his lips in response and Bones snorted again."Asides from your idiot math teacher, how was the rest of your day?" "Why Bones, you almost sound like you care!"Although the words were said jokingly, the doctor could hear the underlying hint of insecurity, and a quick glance at his boyfriend proved that he'd caught it too."Course I do" he replied casually, "I didn't stitch you up just for you to injure yourself again".It was said as flippantly as the original question had been, but McCoy knew he'd done the right thing as the boy's shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly. Spock gave him a slight nod of approval, before gesturing for the blond to take a seat.Jim immediately chose the armchair, leaving the Vulcan to return to his place on the couch, while the doctor made his way to the kitchen."So?" he called over his shoulder, "How was your first day of school?"Jim let out a heavy breath and sank full-bodily into the chair. "Boring".Spock blinked in surprise. "Boring? You are not stimulated in your classes?""Okay, first of all, please don't ever phrase it like that again, and secondly... yeah. I mean, they're... alright, I guess, but... not exactly anything I haven't heard before"."You have already learned the course material?"Jim immediately turned defensive. "Hey, just cause I dropped outta school when I was fifteen doesn't mean I'm stupid!""I never believed you were" he replied calmly, "I am merely asking because currently, you are attending the lessons typically assigned to your age group, being seventeen years old. Professor Pike requested my opinion on the matter after our session yesterday, and I assured him that you were intelligent enough to join that age group as opposed to the fifteen-year-old classes that he initially intended to place you in"."Oh". All anger quickly dissipated. "... Thanks"."It was logical" Spock said simply, "Yet you already have knowledge of the current course material?""Half the stuff I heard today, I already taught myself when I was ten".The Vulcan tilted his head to the side, considering the teenager in front of him for a moment."There are two possibilities based on this information. The first, which is unlikely, is that the Starfleet Academy's education syllabus is below average in both level and knowledge. The second possibility... is that you are highly intelligent"."No need to sound so surprised" Jim muttered, even as his cheeks flushed and he studiously avoided the man's gaze.McCoy thought now was as good a time as any to rejoin the conversation, and he stepped back in from the kitchen with a small first aid box in hand. He set it on the table, then joined his boyfriend on the couch, keeping a respectable distance between them for Jim's sake more so than anything else. He doubted that the boy had ever seen a healthy relationship, after all, given what little they knew of his mother and her... partner, and he didn't want to add any more feelings into what was already a loaded conversation."What Spock means to say" he added, giving the Vulcan a look, "is that if you really are that smart, then you can do a few placement tests, and we'll shove you into the appropriate class. Were you a few grades ahead at your old school?""I-" He paused. "... No. Technically"."Technically?""I mean... I was kind of... meant to be? The teachers wanted to move me but that- that would mean getting a guardian involved and my- my mother was... away which left my stepfather but he- he was, um... look, I had to... I had to at least seem normal, alright? It was bad enough that I was a mutant, I didn't need to give him any more reason to-"Jim cut himself off, blinking rapidly and very clearly trying to disappear into the oversized armchair. Or perhaps he just was undersized, Bones thought, eyeing up his scrawny frame in a new light. George Kirk had been quite tall, by all accounts, so maybe the kid wasn't short by default, maybe he was just small due to... due to malnutrition.Any more reason to- what? Beat him? Starve him?Next to the doctor, Spock had tensed up considerably, his internal emotions likely the same as the blond's external expressions. His voice, however, was as calm as ever when he spoke."You do not have to continue if you do not wish to"."Good" Jim said shortly, still avoiding their gazes, "I don't wish to"."And that is your choice" he replied, voice remaining level, "If you wish to join the advanced classes now, I can inform Professor Pike and schedule a time for you to take the placement tests"."I- Yeah... Thank you"."It is logical".The blond's lips twitched with a ghost of a smile and his shoulders relaxed minutely. McCoy looked between them."... Is now a good time to ask what you did to make Lasley cry?""Leonard!""Bones!"Christ, they even scolded him the same."Come on, straighten up" McCoy ordered the blond, unlatching the first aid box.Jim frowned. "What for?""So I can phaser you, brat, what the hell do you think 'what for'?"He narrowed his eyes at the doctor but reluctantly did as told."Your check-up isn't meant to be till tomorrow, but since you're here now..." he explained, taking a seat on the edge of the coffee table. "Look up for me".Jim raised his head obediently, and the man took gentle hold of his chin, turning his face to the light."Hmm... that split lip of yours seems to be healing nicely. Any swelling? Blood? Pain?""Stings a little, but other than that it's fine"."Good. The steri-strip should come off itself, so don't panic if it does. Are your ribs any worse?""Nope".The doctor raised an eyebrow at him. Jim stared back innocently. The second eyebrow rose to join the first... Jim caved."They're slightly stiff. But only slightly! And, well, laughing hurts, but- but they're fine! All good!""Uh-huh. And I don't suppose you'll let me see that for myself?""No need. Like I said, all good".Bones studied him for another few seconds before deciding to let the matter drop. The brat at least seemed to always tell him the truth, so if things did get any worse, then he'd probably tell him that too. Or so he hoped."Alright, fine. What about your hands?"Jim immediately looked guilty."Kid?" he pressed, a touch of warning in his voice, "What did you do?"The boy sighed and cautiously held out both hands, revealing the once-white bandages that were now blackened at the edges and very obviously burnt."I'm, uh... kind of... a fire hazard?McCoy let out a slow breath and reminded himself that murder was very much frowned upon."... Okay. These need to be rebandaged"."What? No! Come on, I'm fine- Ow!"Jim jerked his hand back and held it protectively to his chest, middle knuckle stinging from where the doctor had poked it."Traitor!" he hissed with, quite frankly, an adorably mad expression."I thought we'd already established that" he replied mildly, "Show me".He warily returned his hands to the doctor's own, and McCoy wasted no time in unwrapping the bandages and letting them fall to the floor while he examined the split and bruised skin."Any stiffness?""A little".Bones glanced up and gave him a look."... A lot of a little".He shook his head at him, bending his fingers this way and that."You're lucky you didn't break anything... Alright. Hobgoblin, come here, time to make yourself usual".Spock obediently rose, having been studying the pair in fascination for the previous five minutes, and came to a stop next to Jim's armchair. Jim, who had just processed what the doctor had said, and was now starting to grin, slowly but widely at the realisation of-"Hobgoblin?"McCoy gave him a dry look."I dare you to take one glance at those ears and tell me that he doesn't remind you of an elf!""Well, yeah, sure, but- but hobgoblin?! What, was 'elf' too mainstream for you? Also, hobgoblins are tiny"."Yeah, like you, you little menace"."How dare you! Spock, he's attacking my honour!""Oh no, don't expect any help from him! What was it he called you? 'Short-statured' and 'charming'?"Both Terran and Vulcan blushed and Bones counted it as a win."Right, come on, I want to get these bandaged before midnight. Spock, will you grab a roll of gauze for me?"His boyfriend nodded and stepped back around the table to search through the first aid kit. McCoy turned his attention back to the boy's hands. The bruises weren't as violently coloured as they'd been when he'd first seen him, and most of the small cuts and nicks had started to close quite nicely as well. Jim's skin was pleasantly warm, too, and the doctor wondered if the kid naturally ran hot or if it was a side effect of being part-dragon. Either way, it made his examination of the boy's hands a lot more agreeable and-
-and he wasn't wearing any gloves.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chapter 14
Bones froze for a split second, before his years of doctor reflexes kicked in, and he dropped the kid's hands as if burnt.Which. You know. Entirely possible.Jim frowned at the sudden movement."Bones? Are you-"Then it clicked.The doctor watched as he suddenly realised, and the boy's eyes widened almost comically before he was scrambling backwards, practically falling over the back of the armchair which in any other situation would have been kind of hilarious but not now not when his breathing was racing and his expression was panicked and he started having a mental breakdown.McCoy carefully leaned back from the startled frightened terrified child, and slowly rose both hands in a placating gesture."I didn't use it. Jim, I swear to you, I did not use my power. I told you I wouldn't use it on you without permission, and I meant it. You're okay. You're safe. Nothing happened. You can trust me. It's okay".Wild eyes darted around the room, lingering on Bones and the first aid kit and Spock and-"Hey, hobgoblin" the doctor said, forcibly calmly, "You want to maybe step in here? You know, being a therapist and all?"There was a beat of silence before Spock walked past, his fingers briefly brushing the McCoy's wrist and sending waves of calm love warmth reassurance love calm thrumming through their bond before the contact ended and the Vulcan pressed a roll of bandages into his hands. Spock kept the barrier of the armchair between them but otherwise moved as close as possible to the boy."Jim? Can you hear me?"His voice was slightly lower than usual but controlled. The blond blinked, rapidly, chest still heaving, but nodded all the same."You're having a panic attack. Your heartbeat is quickening, you're struggling to breathe, and you're likely feeling faint and dizzy. This will not last forever. Do you understand?"Another nod, jerkier this time."Good. You are currently in my living quarters, Professor Pike brought you here earlier this evening. Doctor McCoy offered to conduct your check-up here and you agreed. Do you remember that?"More nodding."Very good. I am proud of you, Jim, and I want you to know that you can get through this. You are safe here. You are with myself and Le- and Bones. You are safe. I would like for you to concentrate on your breathing. Can you do that for me?"The boy let out a gasp, eyes still panicked even as his arms wrapped around himself and his legs started to shake."It is perfectly acceptable if you cannot do that right now" Spock continued evenly, "What you are currently feeling is scary, but it will not hurt you... May I touch you?"McCoy held his breath, feeling miserable and guilty and worried and abso-fucking-lutely furious at the bastards in Jim's life who had reduced him to this trembling boy in their living room.After another tense moment, the blond nodded, and less than two seconds later, Spock had both arms around him. Jim let out a heartwrenching sob and immediately collapsed against the man, and only his Vulcan strength kept them both standing, even as the boy wrapped both arms around his waist, burying his head in his chest and clinging onto him so hard that Spock wondered if he'd have bruises tomorrow morning. He said nothing, however, and started to run one hand up and down Jim's back in a soothing manner, the other sinking into those blond locks and pressing the side of his face more firmly against his shirt. He felt a brief stab of guilt at using this moment as an opportunity to touch the wild hair he'd been so curious about, but he also knew that petting humans unlocked a primitive sensation of calmness and safety, both of which Jim needed right now... Also, his hair was soft."You can get through this. You are doing a great job" he repeated quietly, "Focus on the present. You are safe here. Your emotions cannot hurt you. You are safe, I won't leave unless you want me to".At the mere suggestion of his leaving, the boy somehow tightened his grip and frantically shook his head insomuch as Spock's hold allowed him to. The Vulcan quickly shushed him, starting to sway side to side in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. After a few seconds, the boy calmed somewhat and the hitch in his breathing started to level out."Very good" Spock murmured, "You are safe here, Jim. You will get through this... Can you feel my breathing?"A pause, and then a hesitant nod."Good job. Will you try to copy it for me? It's also acceptable if you cannot".He got a faint hum in response, which was a step in the right direction."You are doing great, Jim. Let's try to inhale for one... two... three... Very good. Now exhale, one... two... three... four... Excellent. Inhale again".It took another four minutes and fifty-seven breaths before the boy could calm down and McCoy counted every single second of it.Then Jim made a low noise in his throat, and Spock carefully let go of his hair so he could pull back. His face was blotchy with tears and embarrassment, his cheeks were slightly puffy, and his eyes were red-rimmed and glossy. Bones wanted nothing more than to race over and wrap himself around the boy and never let him go ever again never ever ever ever-"Do you feel calmer?" Spock asked quietly, and the doctor took note of that too. Calmer, not better, not okay, not good. Calmer. He guessed it would be pretty hard for someone to feel good after a six-minute panic attack.Jim hesitantly nodded, fully extracting himself from the Vulcan's hold. He sniffed, cleared his throat, and roughly ran a sleeve over his eyes."... Sorry"."There is no reason for apologies". No reason, not no need, because no need could mean that there was a reason to say sorry and there wasn't."Still. I, uh... I kinda got your shirt all wet". He gave a shaky smile. "Also you... you touched me and I know that's- that's not a thing that Vulcans do but I- but I practically forced you to and-""Jim, I mean this with all due respect, but you are tiny" Spock interrupted, "You could not force me to do a single thing that I did not wish to do. I was more... concerned about damaging you than I was about touching you or having a damp shirt".He raised an eyebrow at the boy and he gave a weak, somewhat watery laugh."Do you wish to sit back down?"He nodded shakily and allowed Spock to guide him back to the armchair with a carefully light hand on his shoulder. McCoy, still perched on the edge of the coffee table, immediately turned to him."Jim, fuck, kid, I-""It's okay" he interrupted, "It wasn't your fault"."I should have realised. I'm a doctor, dammit!""Yeah, and I'm the guy who's been living with it for thirteen years" he replied tiredly, "We both should have known. Let's just... leave it at that, okay?""... Okay"."Bones, I'm serious. It's alright. You didn't do anything wrong, I don't blame you for- for anything".He was still shakey, still trembling, and still crying without seeming to realise it, but despite all of that, Jim was trying to make sure that he was okay.McCoy wondered if his heart could break more than once."Okay" he repeated, "We were both idiots. No permanent damage done, right?""Right... And for what it's worth? I... I know you wouldn't have used your power on me. Not intentionally. I just... It was a sudden shock, you know? And I- I freaked out. But that's on me, that wasn't because of you, you know that right?"His ocean eyes were so fucking earnest that McCoy quickly realised that yes, in fact, his heart could break twice in one night. The extraordinary brat was still worried about him, him who had caused the fucking panic attack in the first place because he'd been stupid enough to forget about the fucking gloves that were-Bones startled as warm fingers touched his cheek, and he blinked himself back into focus. Jim still sat in front of him, Spock having disappeared to who knows where, and the blond's hand was-Was touching him. Directly. On his face.Jim gave a small almost nervous-looking smile. "It's okay. It wasn't your fault"."It wasn't yours either" he automatically replied.The boy frowned slightly, and let his hand drop until it rested on top of McCoy's own hands, and he was surprised to find them trembling.Christ.This was almost as bad as when Spock had first panicked in his presence, only back then he had no therapist or experience to fall back on, but now he had and he was still freaking out over it and-"If it's not my fault, then it's not yours, either" Jim said firmly, drawing his attention once more.The hand on his squeezed tightly, a show of immeasurable trust that terrified and honoured him at the same time."All or nothing, Bonsey. Either we're both idiots, or neither of us are. Pick one".He couldn't help but give a huff of laughter."You know, I'm the one who's meant to be comforting you"."I don't need comforting, I need sleep! And, you know, maybe some alcohol-""You're seventeen!""Oh yeah? And how old were you when you had your first shot, Mr I-know-what-Vegas-is?"It was a distraction tactic, plain and simple, but McCoy let it slide because, in all honesty, he wasn't sure if the kid was trying to distract him or himself.A quiet cough prevented him from answering, and they both turned only to find Spock trying to balance three steaming mugs."Although it is not alcohol, I do believe that 'hot cocoa' has a similar soporific effect. In addition, Professor Pike informed me of your... fondness for the beverage, leading me to believe it will be a source of comfort".Jim blinked."Well, yeah, I mean, I- I like it but- Hang on. I thought chocolate made Vulcan's hor-""Yes" he interrupted quickly, "Yes. It does. Which is why I am having tea".He set down the three mugs while Jim grinned and waggled his eyebrows at Bones who rolled his eyes in response. He reluctantly pulled back his hands from the blonds and resumed his seat on the couch next to his boyfriend. They each grasped their respective cups, savouring the warmth after the cold bucket of ice that had been poured over them from the shock.They were three minutes into their comforting silence when Spock spoke again."How long have you been experiencing panic attacks?"McCoy wanted to kick him.Jim merely stared at his hot chocolate for another moment before meeting the Vulcan's gaze evenly."Have you ever had one?"He blinked, somewhat surprised but answered honestly all the same. "Yes. Unfortunately".Jim gave a faint smile."You know that pressure you feel in your chest? That- That tightness? Like something terrible is about to happen?""Affirmative"."Yeah, well... I can't ever remember a time when I didn't feel that".The doctor quietly cleared his throat. "Constant tightness in the chest is a common symptom of anxiety. It would explain the panic attacks too... It's also a symptom of depression"."I'm not depressed, Bones"."No? You telling me you don't have issues with your self-worth? You don't feel tired all the time? Hopeless, sad, guilty-""I didn't come here to be psychoanalyzed!" he snapped, "Fuck, it's bad enough dealing with one therapist without you joining in too, and don't think I've forgotten that you went behind my back and told him shit either-""Jim" Spock cut him off, quietly but sharply, "Leonard is expressing his concern. As am I"."I don't want your fucking concern!""No, but you need it" McCoy replied flatly, "And yes, I went behind your back and told Spock what I thought. I didn't want to betray your trust like that, but I'd rather have you hate me than wind up dead!""Oh please, I'm not gonna off myself, I'm not-"This time, he stopped himself.Spock tilted his head to the side. "You are not-?"He focused on the half-empty mug of hot chocolate in his hands. "... Nothing. It doesn't matter"."On the contrary, your well-being is very important to both myself and Leonard. We wish to help you. Asking for a support system is not weak, it is logical".The boy remained silently, mulishly running a finger around the rim of the cup, clearly uncomfortable, clearly upset, clearly exhausted."You know what I think?" McCoy said suddenly, "I think you've been struggling to survive for so long that you've forgotten how to live".His jaw clenched, but he continued to avoid their gaze even as he finally answered an entire minute later."... I'm not suicidal. Too stubborn for that". He gave a humourless smirk. "And... And I've survived too much shit just to end it all now, but... but I've never really... belonged anywhere, you know? I mean, fuck, my own mother didn't even want me, so- so what chance do I have with anyone else?""Kid-""No. No, it's... it's okay. Or, well, it's... it's not, it's- it's really really fucking not but... but I've accepted it. That's just the way it is, and- and I doubted it would ever change but... but then I came here and-"His voice cracked and Bones immediately put his mug on the table so he could reach out and hold him. He hadn't even taken a single step before a hand reached out to stop him, and he turned to Spock in furious disbelief. The Vulcan kept his eyes on the boy, however, his face strangely passive, but through their bond, he sent the simple message wait.McCoy slowly sat back down and sent back a just as fierce message you better fucking know what you're doing.Jim cleared his throat and tried to subtly wipe his eyes, but he only succeeded in smearing the tears over flushed cheeks. He was curled up in the armchair like he wanted it to swallow him whole, looking tiny and scared and vulnerable."I came here. Reluctantly, but- but I still agreed... And then I met Pike and I thought... I thought maybe there were worse places to be. I knew there were worse places to be. And then I met you and- and Uhura and Scotty and Sulu and- and even Chekov and you were all... you were all so nice, so... so genuinely kind and I thought... I thought maybe, for the first time ever that... that there was a place I could belong"."So you're right" he finished, looking up with ocean-filled eyes, "You're right, Bones, I... I've spent my entire life surviving but... but I don't think I've- I've ever actually lived and... and I want to. I want to live, Bones, I swear, I just-""Fuck- Kid-"This time, Spock didn't stop him, and McCoy rushed to his side, barely pausing to take the cup from his trembling grasp and put it on the coffee table before he yanked the boy into his arms and held him tight. There was a ragged breath and then an almost-silent sob, and suddenly he had an armful of crying seventeen-year-old in his lap, potentially the most powerful mutant in the world, sobbing into his chest because he'd never received a single kind touch meaning that now even the most basic form of politeness was too staggering to accept.Meaning that the mere absence of abuse was enough to send him over the edge."I didn't realise" Jim said suddenly, voice so quiet that Bones struggled to hear it. Spock, of course, heard him from halfway across the room with his super Vulcan hearing skills that honestly scared his partner from time to time."What didn't you realise?""... The emotions" he whispered, voice muffled by the doctor's t-shirt, "Your emotions. Normally they... they scream at me like- like flashing neon lights right behind my eyes but... but yours don't so... so I didn't notice the physical touch before".McCoy's hand, which had been firmly clasped over the back of the boy's neck, tensed.Shit.He'd forgotten that the boy was an emotional empathic, forgotten that he couldn't switch it off, so now, every single thing that the doctor was feeling was being projected full force directly to the blond's brain and-Jim giggled.Bones froze. Blinked. Sent a quick, questioning glance over his shoulder to Spock who was looking just as bewildered and-Another laugh.The doctor slowly, cautiously pulled back so he could see the boy he'd squished against him because oh christ please don't tell me he's having a psychotic breakdown my heart can't take anymore-Exhausted, teary, laughing blue eyes looked back at him.When he saw his disturbed expression, Jim grinned. "Your panic".The doctor felt a wave of relief wash over him, and the blond's grin only widened despite his tear-stained cheers and quite frankly birds-nest hair."Seriously, Bones, it's fine"."I thought you'd lost it!""Can't lose what you never had".He narrowed his eyes at the absolute brat who was looking more and more smug by the second."Your concern is touching, really. As is all of that internal turmoil about worrying if you're overstepping or not".Bones held his breath. "Am I?""... No" he finally replied, before promptly face-planting against his chest once again.McCoy sighed and looked over his shoulder. Spock was staring at them, his expression blank and something unreadable in his eyes, which was never a good sign. The doctor glanced back down at the exhausted boy he clutched against him, a boy who was undoubtedly falling asleep even as he stared, and decided that here and now, just this once, he'd deal with one problem at a time.
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Chapter 15
To say that Jim was mortified when he woke up the next morning was putting it lightly.He'd awoken on Spock's armchair, in Spock's room, with what he felt safe to assume was Spock's blanket thrown over him. He was still fully dressed but someone had taken off his shoes at one point which only fueled the embarrassment. And if all of that wasn't enough, he'd also, oh yeah, drooled.The previous evening had been a mess of emotions and secrets and Jim could only blame the panic attack for what he'd said. He hadn't meant to empty his purse, as such, not this early and definitely not to the only two people in the entire damn academy that he felt some level of attraction to.
Good luck with that now.
Maybe he could go to Pike this morning and ask him to switch his therapist so he wouldn't have to face the Vulcan ever again. Jim didn't even like chess, not with all the memories that came with it, so he didn't need Spock for that either. And Bones himself had said he worked the day shift and was off at nights, so all Jim had to do, was be super careful about not getting hurt, and in the off chance that he couldn't stitch himself up, he would just wait until midnight before going to the infirmary.There.Problem solved.In a totally completely definitely logical manner.Jim silently stood up, folding the blanket neatly on the chair before spying his shoes paired by the door. Silently creeping over, he promised himself that he'd never see the pair again because no matter how much he'd miss them, it was nothing compared to facing them after-"Walk of shame, huh?"He froze."And you weren't even gonna leave a note".Jim squeezed his eyes shut, took a deep breath, and wondered if he could just teleport back to his own room right now, shoes be damned."Don't even think about it, brat".With a sigh, he finally around, and-"Bones?!""Well, I'm not the hobgoblin" he replied sardonically."But- Why- What- What are you doing here?"This was Spock's room, Jim was sure of it. Or, at least, ninety per cent sure of it. Pike had said so last night, right? Yeah. It had to be. Why would he bring him to a doctor unless he was injured? Unless-"Kid, I can hear the gears turning from here" McCoy interrupted, "Stop overthinking, and put your damn shoes down".Jim reluctantly did as told, before trudging back across the room to where the doctor was sitting at the small kitchen island, a book in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. He used one sinfully long leg to push out the barstool next to him, and the blond jumped up with yet another sigh.Bones folded the corner of the page and shut the book."What's up?""You mean asides from the fact I want to leave? And, you know, actually can, by the way"."What's stopping you?" he immediately shot back, "There's no point in regretting last night, kid"."Why, Bones, I would never regret a night with-""Jim".His mouth shut with a snap.McCoy studied him for a moment before letting out a heavy breath, and Jim wanted the ground to swallow him whole. Now that the man knew how fucked up he was, there was no way that he'd ever like him like that so he didn't know why he was even surprised that he'd been shot down so quickly, and honestly, he'd be lucky to still even have him as a friend after this if that's what they even were cause he never really had a friend before but he likes to think that maybe someday they would be and-A warm hand cupped his cheek and- warmth trust compassion worry reassurance trust concern warmth -Jim blinked.He cautiously raised his gaze until he met the older man's eyes, and Bones gave him a small but genuine smile as he let go."You keep overusing that brain of yours and you're gonna wear it out"."That's impossible. You're a doctor, you should know that".He huffed a laugh that still sent heat shooting through Jim's stomach despite knowing for a fact that the man would never reciprocate whatever the hell it was that he felt."Nothing's changed, kid".At his disbelieving snort, he smirked."Okay, fair enough, things have changed... but not for the worse. We don't think any less of you. If anything, we're just... grateful that you told us. I know it wasn't easy for you, so... thank you. For telling us".Jim smiled slightly, remembering his first conversation with the doctor which already felt like a lifetime ago."Thank you for listening".McCoy laughed again, and slowly reached out to take Jim's hands in his own, broadcasting his movements so obviously that the boy could've kissed him."We never got 'round to rebandaging these last night" he said, running a gentle fingertip over bruised knuckles and split skin, "You up for it now?"Jim nodded, and Bones gave him another smile before standing and walking around the kitchen island, pulling open a cupboard door and taking out the first aid box. He seemed to know his way around Spock's kitchen like it was his own, and Jim wondered just how close the men were. Friends, clearly, and probably best friends considering he'd yet to see them with anyone else. Spock had played chess with Chekov, of course, but Bones would've been working so maybe he was just keeping himself busy? And, actually, speaking of the Vulcan..."Where's pointy?"Bones sat back up on the stool as he began dismantling the first aid kit."He had an early appointment this morning, and was planning on talking to Chris about your placement tests after. He should be back soon, though".Which explained why the doctor was here, he realised, considering that Spock wouldn't have wanted to leave him alone in his room while he was asleep in case he suddenly woke up.Jim nodded and held out his hands for Bones to wrap. The man paused and glanced up at him, so earnest and concerned and just-"You sure? I can grab a pair of gloves if you pre-"Jim grabbed his hand.
Warmth worry trust hope worry happiness wariness trust hope.
He sent back his own emotions in response, not entirely sure what he was doing but wishing for it to work all the same.
Trust nerves hope warmth happiness affection worry hope.
Bones blinked."... Guess that's that decided, then".Spock returned just as the doctor was taping the last of the bandages in place. When he saw his partner physically holding the boy's hands is his own and realised that neither mutant was panicking, he gave a small tiny minuscule smile and told himself that being concerned for his partner's well-being was only logical."And no more fireworks, you hear me?" McCoy finished, securing the final strip of gauze.Jim stuck out his tongue at him. Spock tried not to visibly melt at the sight, and instead focused on his partner's scowl."I mean it, brat. Save the Pyrokinesis for when you aren't wearing these oven gloves, alright?"Which-Spock had known, of course, that Jim had at least one fire-related power, the sparks when he was startled by Professor Pike told him that much, as well as the comment the boy had made himself the night before about 'burning' the man. But Pyrokinesis? That was... interesting.McCoy glanced up as he saw his boyfriend return, sending him the small honest smile reserved for such occasions. Jim twisted to follow his gaze, and Spock was oddly relieved to see no trace of the trembling child from the night before in his expression. Instead, he looked... happy."Hey pointy!""Jim" he greeted, "I am glad to see you are well".He flushed and ducked his head. "Yeah, well, after last night, so am I".The Vulcan briefly frowned and sent his partner a curious look. McCoy merely shook his head and mouthed 'later' before starting to tidy up the first aid kit in front of him.Spock accepted the delayed explanation and made his way to the kitchen, fingers brushing against his partner's back as he passed, reassured by the happy thrumming he momentarily felt. He refilled the coffee pot, knowing that the doctor would be itching for a second cup by the hour's end, and pulled out his own special box of Vulcan tea."Jim? May I offer you a beverage? Or sustenance?"The blond blinked before turning to McCoy. "Does he seriously call them that?"The doctor let out a long-suffering sigh. "Unfortunately, yes".Spock raised an eyebrow at the pair and Jim snorted as he turned back to him."Alright then, pointy, I would indeed care for a beverage. Got any more hot chocolate?""For breakfast?!" Bones demanded. "I wasn't aware it was a time-specific drink"."You cannot have hot chocolate for breakfast, brat! Do you want to give yourself diabetes before you hit twenty?!""Okay, first of all, I'm like ninety-nine per cent certain that that's not how diabetes works, and secondly, you should be happy I'm having breakfast at all, hot chocolate or not!"There was a beat of silence before-"Why don't you usually have breakfast, Jim?"McCoy's voice was deceptively calm. The boy, seeming to sense that he was swaying into dangerous territory, gave an awkward one-shouldered shrug."I don't know, I just... don't? Three meals a day wasn't exactly a priority for me before; I was lucky to get one and... well... I mean, I'm... I mean, growing up I was... I just, I'm- I'm not- Now, I'm-""-not used to it?" he finished, voice very much not calm anymore.Jim carefully avoided his burning gaze. "... Maybe?"Bones opened his mouth, likely to yell, but a sharp gesture from his partner stopped him in his tracks. He sent a questioning and ever-so-slightly furious look the Vulcan's way, but Spock merely pursed his lips and gave a single shake of the head.McCoy took a slow, deep breath and forced himself to calm down.He may have been the doctor, after all, but it was his boyfriend who was the therapist, and Jim's relationship with food was clearly a mental health issue no matter how much it affected him physically."Okay" he finally said, "Okay, that's... that's not exactly... ideal, but... but we can work on it. I'll put together a meal plan for you to follow, and you better follow it to the letter, do you hear me?!"Jim quickly nodded, looking equal parts anxious and relieved, and Bones reluctantly had to admit that Spock telling him to not make a big deal out of it, was probably the best thing to have done.Then the Vulcan in question slid a cup of hot chocolate across the counter, and the doctor was immediately furious again.Jim, however, grinned, wide and childlike, and grabbed the mug with both hands like a toddler who'd been given ice cream for the first time. He took one long sip, closed his eyes, and sighed in contentment.McCoy wanted to say something, his doctor side was practically screaming at him to tell the boy all about food groups and vitamins and sugar intake and--and Jim was happy. And if such a simple thing could put the clearly damaged boy in such a good mood so easily and so quickly then...
Fuck it.
He'd adjust the meal plan accordingly."Professor Pike has agreed to let you sit the placement test today" Spock said, sipping daintily from his cup of tea as Jim all but face-planted his cocoa."Today?" There was a hint of nervousness in his voice. "Don't I need to- to- to study for it or something?""Negative. This is simply an aptitude test. It is not your knowledge that is being questioned, it is your intelligence"."Oh, wow, and that makes it sound so much less scary, thank you, Spock".McCoy snorted. "Kid. Relax. You're smart, you'll do fine. And even if you don't, so what? Worst case scenario, you stay in the classes that you're currently in"."And forever be haunted by the sight of Lasley crying over polynomials". Jim took another gulp of hot chocolate. "Fuck, I better do well in this test. Speaking of, pointy, did Pike give you a time?""Eleven-hundred-hours" he replied, "You have approximately two-point-four hours until you are required to be present in Professor Pike's office. You will be excused from the class that you're meant to be attending"."I still have school today?!""It's day two, brat, how the hell do you expect to survive the rest of the year?""Well, Bonsey, you see, the great thing is, I might not be here at the end of the year!""Oh yeah?" he countered, "Got better places to be, do you?"Jim scowled at him before turning his gaze back to his mug.McCoy sighed. "Look, brat, I didn't mean... I just want what's best for you, alright? And being here, being surrounded by people who are like you and- and care and shit... that's what best for all of us"."I thought you weren't a therapist"."I'm not. I'm a doctor, dammit, but I've also got two eyes and half a brain, and even a blind idiot could tell you that the Academy helps!""Did it help you?" he challenged, but the older man met his gaze evenly."Yes, brat. It did".Spock quietly cleared his throat."I believe what Leonard means, Jim, is that Starfleet Academy is equipped to deal with mutants of all ages and abilities. It is simply illogical for you to deny yourself a stable helpful environment because of your own fears"."What, you think I'm scared of this place?""I think you're scared of commitment" he replied unflinchingly, "I think you're scared of staying in one place long enough that it starts to feel like home"."Bold of you to assume I even know what home feels like"."Don't you want to find out?"
That sly bastard.
"Finish your hot chocolate, Jim" Spock finished, looking suitably smug, "You have seventeen minutes before your first class begins".His second class of the day, and the one that he would be missing, was math. Jim wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. Thankfully, Pike had contacted Lasley directly himself, so he wasn't required to awkwardly pass a note to the fully-grown-ass man he'd made cry the day before, but in his defence, it was entirely that idiot's own fault.Either way, he gratefully bypassed the door to the math classroom, ducking around the nearest corner so he was out of sight before picturing the door to Pike's office in his mind and teleporting.He landed with an oof and shook his head from the dizziness before looking up.Both Spock and Bones were staring at him.Jim blinked.Spock tilted his head.And McCoy let out a dramatic sigh."Well. That sure is one way of getting here"."Admit it, Bones, you're just jealous"."Oh yes, definitely" he replied dryly, "I am so incredibly jealous of not having to walk the entire twenty meters to Chris's office and instead wasting valuable energy and almost falling flat on my face and-"The office door swung open behind him."Are you still complaining?"McCoy raised an unimpressed eyebrow at the headmaster. "Are you still eavesdropping?"Pike narrowed his eyes at the man. "... Touché".Stepping back to allow the trio to pass, he gave the blond a warm smile. "Jim"."Sir" he replied, somewhat sarcastically, "You should probably prepare yourself for more staff complaints"."For more- You've only had one class!"He paused. "... It was an eventful hour".Pike rolled his eyes at the boy, beyond exasperated but also a little bit amused, before turning to the last of their small group."Spock".He inclined his head in greeting. "Professor Pike. I hope your day is currently satisfactory"."Finally! At last, someone who respects me!""Oh, I wouldn't say that, Chris" McCoy replied, a teasing glint in his eyes, "There might still be some hope for the brat, after all"."Nah, I'm good". Jim shrugged. "Why are you here, by the way?"Bones raised an eyebrow at him. "I take it back. There really is no respect".Pike shut the door behind them and gestured for Jim to sit in front of his desk, where a small pile of papers were stacked."I asked him to come here" he explained, "There are a few things I want to talk to Leonard about, and while we're doing that, Spock will supervise your exam".Jim slowly sat down, eyeing the two men warily. "A few things about me?"Pike paused, which was more or less a yes, before glancing over at Spock who busied himself reorganizing the papers, and then at McCoy. The doctor had no such qualms about speaking up."Yes" he said unashamedly, "We are talking about you, brat. Topic number one is your meal plan. As headmaster, Chris has to be informed about serious health conditions, and malnutrition is one of them. I assume there are a few things he wants to ask me as well, but I will not be telling him anything you wanted me to keep secret. Understood?"The blond glanced between them for another moment before cautiously nodding."Understood".He turned back to the desk in front of him as Spock held out a pencil and the first set of papers."There are five sections in the exam. Language, mathematics, quantitative, reading, and verbal. It has multiple-choice questions and will take approximately two and a half hours"."Two and a half hours?" Jim asked, a challenge in his eyes, "I'll do it in one".
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Chapter 16
Pike silently gestured at the door, and McCoy nodded and followed him out of the room, leaving the Vulcan acting as invigilator to the already deeply immersed boy. They started walking down the hallway with no particular destination in mind."A meal plan, huh?" His voice was light, but Bones could clearly see the worry behind blue eyes."The kid's underweight. Not dangerously, from what I can tell, but even you have to admit that he's more scrawny than skinny"."Is it... by choice?"The doctor let out a heavy sigh."Honestly? I think... I think part of it is. Not consciously, not in the sense of an eating disorder, but... but I think he went without food for so long that... well, he just doesn't believe he needs to eat that often".Pike frowned. "But if it's subconscious, then he isn't actively going out of his way to avoid food, so why wouldn't he just eat when he's hungry?""Because he might not get hungry" he replied, voice uncharacteristically soft, "It's widely theorized that one of the reasons babies cry so much is because they can feel digestion. As humans start to grow up, our brains eventually learn to block out the pain because it is so constant. It's like... It's like how you can't see your nose even though it's constantly in your line of vision because your brain just accepts that it's there to stay, so it ignores it"."And... And James- Jim has done that with- with hunger?!""Children who grow up hungry, learn how to block out that hunger... Chances are, the kid rarely ever gets the urge to eat. His body needs a certain amount of food to survive, but anything more than that is deemed unnecessary simply because he never had any more than that".Pike looked appropriately horrified."You knew his father, right? George Kirk? Was he tall?""He was taller than me. Six feet, at least"."And the kid's mother?"The professor's jaw tensed as something dark entered his eyes. Although Jim had never spoken about his parents to Bones directly, he'd gotten the general impression that he and his mother weren't on the best of terms. Spock's own theory of her neglecting him- if not worse -only contributed to that idea, and now, it would seem, Chris was very much against the woman too."Not short" came the brusque reply."Well, there you go, then" McCoy finished, "Statistically, not to mind genetically, Jim should be as tall as his ole' man, if not taller. He already got the mutant gene from him, so it's safe to say that he should've gotten a few other things from him too"."... He's the spitting image of him" Pike said quietly, "When I first saw Jim, I thought... for a split second... I thought it was George".The doctor shifted uncomfortably, not that great with emotions in general, but definitely not that great with his employer's sadness. Thankfully, after another moment, the man composed himself. Their aimless walking had led them towards the kitchens, and two doors up from it, the headmaster stopped and gestured. McCoy nodded, asking the computer to open the door before both men stepped out into the warm afternoon sunlight, silently agreeing to head towards the small fountain and its seating area."So, you said you had a... meal plan?""Not yet" Bones replied, "I have a few basic ones of course, but I want to weigh the kid before making any commitments, so I know what we're working with"."And that will help him? Get him back to... a healthy weight?""If he sticks to it, then sure. But we all know how that brat feels about rules".Pike laughed as they reached one of the chess tables, the doctor taking the far side while he sat closest to the pathway. He found himself setting up the board automatically, despite the fact McCoy wasn't a fan of the game."There is one other thing" Bones said suddenly, keeping his gaze on the fountain next to them, "And... And you're not gonna like it"."Oh, of course, because our conversation about a malnourished abused teenager has been incredibly enjoyable so far".He narrowed his eyes at the man. "You don't get to be the snarky one, Chris. I'm the snarky one"."Then start snarking".McCoy rolled his eyes in exasperation before growing oddly sombre once more."For Jim to be as... undersized as he is... I don't think child abuse covers it"."What do you mean?""I mean that... that the level of starvation required for the kid to be as skinny and short as he is now... if someone did that to a child, it would kill them".His hand paused above a pawn as blue eyes flickered up to meet the doctors. "... I don't understand".McCoy gave a frustrated sigh and moved a chess piece at random."I just... Look. I know that Jim's stepfather was a right piece of work, and I know that his mother ran off to space the first chance she got. It's safe to assume that he was abused, at least verbally if not physically, and keeping in line with that, there's a pretty damn good chance that the stepfather withheld food from the brat too... But even with borderline starvation as a baseline... the kid is still far too small for it to make any sense".Pike slowly leaned back in his chair, a frown marring his face."So, let me get this straight. You're saying that Jim was practically starved while growing up... but that he was somehow literally starved at some point as well?""Exactly. The problem is, I don't think it was his stepfather. Abusers rarely change their patterns because it's that exact consistency that they rely on to ensure that they don't get caught. It doesn't make any sense for the bastard to suddenly stop giving him food completely for a few months and then return to what he considered normal"."Can you tell when it happened?""Not for definite. Or, at least, not for definite without asking Jim, but we all know what he'd say to that... If I had to guess, based on the amount of damage that- that temporary starvation did... probably early teens? Either just before or at the very start of puberty, when he should have shot up like a weed. Any younger than that, and he wouldn't have survived it"."Jim left home at fifteen"."Too late". Bones shook his head. "Twelve, thirteen... maybe even fourteen years old, but... No. No, by fifteen, the damage was done. And besides, the first thing the brat likely did after escaping was steal some food for himself. This level of- of abrupt starvation... it sure as hell wasn't by choice"."I lost contact with him when he was five" Pike admitted reluctantly, "It was only because the house blew up when he left Frank that I'd even realised what happened. I always kept an eye on his part of the world, and the explosion was all over the news. A year later, I managed to track him down in Nevada, and eventually, Nyota and Scotty found him... But I don't know a single damn thing that happened in those missing ten years".Bones sighed and reached forward to blindly move another pawn."Well, whatever the hell it was, it sure as fuck left a mark".They played silently for ten more minutes until McCoy, predictably, lost the game. While Pike waited for the computer to reset the board, he recalled how the boy had looked when he'd first seen him that morning.Messy hair, wrinkled clothes, rebandaged hands, and wary eyes ever-so-slightly red."Was everything okay with Jim last night?"His voice was forcibly calm but Bones caught on immediately. He narrowed his eyes at the man suspiciously."Why are you asking?""Because I sent him to you hoping that Spock could talk some sense into him" he replied mildly, "Instead, he looks like he spent the whole night crying. What the hell did you do to the kid?""... We listened".At the headmaster's confused look, McCoy sighed."He was... angsty, for lack of a better word" he explained, "His teachers were stupid, his classes were boring, and his intelligence was just another abnormality that his stepfather found fault in. I checked over his injuries to make sure they were all healing okay, and... well... I forgot to wear gloves".Pike didn't react. Bones frowned."... Just how much about Jim's power do you not know?""Try everything"."Okay, well, what do you know?"The chess game was abandoned between them."I've seen him control fire, so I'm assuming Pyrokinesis, but he also told me that he's an emotional empath and can teleport"."He can"."Without being born with them? Leonard, it's impossible-""Well clearly it isn't" Bones interrupted firmly, "The kid's powerful, Chris, he's more powerful than- than any other mutant that I've ever even heard of... He wasn't lying when he said that he can do all those things"."But how?!""That's a story for Jim to tell you" he replied, "But the point is, I should have been wearing gloves, I didn't, and the kid freaked out... He had a panic attack. A bad one. That's why he looks so rough right now"."... Anxiety?""Given his childhood?" McCoy snorted. "I'd be more worried if he didn't have it. PTSD, too, while we're at it. Possibly depression, but he's got a survival instinct like no other. Touch starved, affection starved, starved starved... Chris, the kid's a walking disaster"."Can he be helped?"He didn't hesitate."Yes. Given enough time and resources and- and a caring stable environment, but... well, it sure as hell ain't gonna be easy".They arrived back in the headmaster's office an hour and a half later, intending to quietly slip in and check on Jim's progress before leaving him to complete the exam. What they weren't expecting, was for the blond to be stretched out across Pike's couch tossing a ball of rubber bands in the air while Spock gracefully perched on the armchair across from him, a stack of familiar-looking pages on the coffee table between them.Chris cautiously stepped into the room. "Everything okay in here?"Jim glanced over at him and grinned. "Told you I'd do it in an hour".The professor blinked."You- Wait, what?""I'm finished" he said, swinging his legs back to the ground so he could sit up, "Also super bored. I wanted to use your computer but Spock said I couldn't cause I didn't have the password so then I said I'd hack into your computer and... well. That's why he's sitting between me and your desk".There was a beat of silence before McCoy snorted and walked over to grab the stack of tests."So all that's left is to-" He stopped, frowned, and then looked back up. "Are these already graded?!""Affirmative" Spock replied calmly, "It took Jim fifty-eight-point-seven minutes to complete the exams, and a further thirty-six-point-two minutes for me to grade them".The doctor turned to the blond in disbelief."I think he was trying to make a point" Jim stage-whispered, completely misunderstanding the reason for his shock.Pike quickly walked over and took the exams from his hands, flicking through them one by one."... These are near-perfect test scores"."Like I said, no need to sound so surprised".Spock ignored him, instead turning to address the headmaster."Jim scored in the top five percentile of this Academy, and the top fifteen per cent countrywide. He is undoubtedly overqualified for his current class group"."You know, pointy, that almost sounded like a compliment".He was ignored once again."So, which class should he be in?" McCoy asked, "Do we even have classes for students at this level?""Affirmative. There are a number of Advanced Placement courses from which to choose from, and if that should not suffice, then attending online lectures from a college or university is not unattainable".The trio all turned back to Jim. He looked up at them with wide eyes and an innocent smile."I did say that I wasn't an idiot"."No" Pike agreed, "You're just a damn prodigy".He turned from the headmaster to the doctor, and something strange and unfamiliar fluttered in his chest at the sight of quiet pride behind those eyes. A quick glance at Spock revealed an emotionless expression as usual, but there was warmth in those eyes and a trace of satisfaction too. The feeling in his chest grew and Jim couldn't help but give a small but genuine smile in response.It was still highly unlikely that either man would ever find him as interesting as he found them, but if he could just keep them as his friends then... then maybe that would be enough.
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Chapter 17
Since Jim had finished the placement exams an hour ahead of schedule, he had an hour to kill before his next class. He could, technically, jump into his math lecture halfway through but Pike felt like he'd traumatized Professor Laskey enough for one lifetime, and gave him permission to skip the remainder of class.As if Jim would have returned to that idiot's so-called teaching anyway.So Bones suggested that they head to the mess hall, both to avoid the lunchtime rush, and also because he was acutely aware that the blond hadn't eaten anything yet today. Spock had no more meetings until that evening and Jim had a free hour (and also wanted to stay with the duo) so the pair happily agreed.Until the boy was handed a plate of brightly coloured monstrosities, that is."What the hell is this?""Food" Bones replied evenly, "Healthy food"."... No hot chocolate?"The doctor gave him a dry look and he pouted in response, looking so genuinely upset that for a split second he actually considered it."No" he said instead, "Not until you eat all that anyway"."But Bones!""No! Now sit down and shut up!"Spock, now holding his own bowl of Plomeek soup, looked between the pair with poorly concealed amusement before leading the way towards the table he and Leonard usually ate their lunch at. The blond sighed over-dramatically but did as told, throwing himself down on the chair in a way that had to have hurt his ribs, before picking up a metal fork and stabbing the first green thing he saw.He glared at the doctor the entire time.They ate in silence for a few minutes, Bones rather obviously making sure that Jim was eating the plate of vegetables in front of him, his leg occasionally brushing his boyfriend's beneath the table. Spock himself was happy to quietly observe the blond as well, having never seen him eat before and finding something oddly charming in the way that he ate. He held his fork in a truly illogical manner, a complicated hold that allowed him to spear his food but then required an awkwardly twisted wrist to actually eat, which was very time-effective but incredibly inefficient. When he ate, the corner of his mouth quirked up as if the thought of eating subconsciously made him glad and Spock really didn't want to read into that too much. He chewed carefully, savouring every single bite despite his clear distaste of the food in front of him before swallowing, and the Vulcan found his gaze captured by the movement of that slender throat every time the blond ate.Jim speared another vegetable, raising it halfway to his mouth before pausing."What's this?"McCoy glanced up at him."What? You ain't never eaten a carrot before?""Not an uncooked one!""It's just raw, brat. It's good for you!""It's poisonous!""It's not-" McCoy put down his own utensils and sighed. "... Do you want me to cook it for you?"Jim raised an eyebrow at him and flicked his wrist.There was a burst of flames, the smell of smoke, and then suddenly, the carrot held on the end of the fork was perfectly roasted.The doctor narrowed his eyes."Show off".The boy grinned and took a large bite.Spock continued to stare long after the freshly cooked vegetable had vanished into that clever, clever mouth. He knew that Jim could manipulate fire to a certain extent, and had seen the sparks with his own eyes, but to have that much control over something so volatile..."What's up, pointy?"Oh. Apparently, his observations hadn't been as subtle as he thought."What is... up?""You know exactly what I mean. What's bothering you?"Spock glanced over at Leonard, the doctor supposedly invested in his own meal, but the Vulcan knew him well enough by now to know when he was secretly listening in on something. He didn't want to upset the blond and consequently 'ruin' their lunch but at the same time..."You have... Pyrokinesis?"Jim stilled."... What's it to you?""It is an... emotion-fuelled power"."What, my- my father's death wasn't good enough for you? Now you're blaming it on what I can do?!""Is that what you do?"The boy was illogically tense, and next to him, Spock felt Leonard stiffen up as well."Can you- Just- Just don't-" Jim took a calming breath. "... Can you just not be a therapist right now? For one hour? Is that too much to ask?!"He tilted his head to the side. "I'm not asking you as a therapist, Jim. I'm asking as... as your friend".The blond seemed... startled. Spock knew that he was difficult to read. Understanding his own emotions was occasionally a challenge, which made it impossible for most humans. Jim, however, had somehow gained that ability, whether because of his own past, such as Leonard believed, or because of his high empathy, which Spock was becoming more and more convinced was the reason for quite a number of the boy's actions. So for him to be so surprised at the thought of friendship..."... Why?"Spock blinked. "Why?""Why do you want to know?""Curiosity" came the immediate reply, so immediate that Jim unwillingly gave a quick smile in response."What aspect of my power makes you curious?"He wasn't making this easy, but the last thing Spock wanted to do was miss-step, so he chose his words very very carefully."Powers are linked to the personality of the mutant" he started slowly, "I have not had the privilege of knowing you for very long, so I am... interested in getting to know you better. Learning the traits and quirks of individuals takes time, time which, I must admit, I am too impatient to wait for. Understanding what your ability is would give me an automatic insight into your personality... Put simply, if you can control fire, then by default, you are fiery by nature"."... Was that a pun?""That was the explanation you requested" Spock finished, "Is Pyrokinesis your power?"The blond swallowed thickly. "... One of them"."You have multiple powers?""Spock" Bones warned, but the pair ignored him."Yeah, you could say that"."You do not wish me to know".There was a pang of something in his heart, but Spock pushed it away with a sharp illogical.Jim gave a small sad smile. "I don't want anyone to know, pointy. Don't take it personally"."Why?""Because- Because they'll treat me differently!" the boy snapped, "Like I'm some- some time bomb, just waiting to go off! And if they don't freak out, then chances are they're just plotting something, something that- that they'll do to me so they can- can use it for themselves or- or- or worse! So yes, Spock, I don't want you to know, cause like you said, we haven't known each other that long, and no matter what I- I - I think about you now... that doesn't mean that at some point in the future, you still won't betray me!"There was a beat of silence, a sudden realisation that 'miss-step' didn't even begin to cover it, and then Jim tossed his fork on his now-empty plate and got unsteadily to his feet."Kid-""I'll talk to you later, Bones".And he was gone.The door had barely shut behind the boy before McCoy turned on his boyfriend."You fucking idiot!"Spock jerked back from the pure unadulterated fury in the doctor's voice. His partner hadn't spoken to him with such anger in almost two years, and the last time he had... well. Spock had needed him to in order to 'get the message across' as Leonard had put it, and so, for the man to be using the same tone of voice now-"You absolute illogical fucking idiot!"-it meant that he had really miscalculated."What the fuck were you thinking, Spock?!" McCoy demanded, "You're a therapist! You should know better than anyone that pushing an abused child for answers doesn't work, and especially an abused child with a past like Jim's! He told you he didn't want to talk about his powers, I told you he didn't want to talk about his powers, and yet you shoved and shoved until he was forced to answer!""Leonard, trust me, I did not mean to-""Trust?!" he exclaimed, "You want to talk about trust?! We both agreed that the only way to get through to that kid was to give him time! What you just said- What you just did?! You'll be lucky if he ever even looks at us again, let alone confides in us! And you talk about being friends?! What were you thinking?!"For the first time in a long time, Spock felt completely wrongfooted. He knew, logically, that he shouldn't have pressed the boy for answers- because that's all he was, a boy, a boy who had started to slowly, ever so slowly, put his trust in him -and he had carelessly disregarded the consequences of his own actions. It went against everything he was as a Vulcan, as a therapist, and if he were being completely honest, then it went against everything he was as a human.He had let his scientific curiosity take control over his counsellor's empathy, and it was Jim who was paying the price.Leonard easily saw his inner turmoil of realisation, regret, and disappointment, and although the doctor's face softened somewhat in response, his eyes remained hard."Apologise to him" he said, also standing, "Now. And if you don't... then don't bother coming home tonight".Spock finished the rest of his soup quickly and quietly. Three-point-seven minutes after Leonard had left, Nyota had entered the mess with Montgomery and once she noticed him, she immediately came over.”Hey Spock, was that McCoy I just saw storming out?”The Vulcan didn’t believe he could have felt any worse, but apparently, he could.”You'se two have a lil' domestic?” Montgomery asked, his words cavalier but the tone of his voice betraying his genuine concern.”I… made a mistake” he reluctantly admitted, “Leonard is justifiably displeased”.”Well, buy him a bunch of flowers and that Andoran ale he likes” Nyota suggested, but Spock shook his head in response.”It is not Leonard that I have wronged, it is Jim”.”The scrawny lad? E’s only been ‘ere a few days, what on earth d'ye do to 'im?””I pressed him for answers when he was not ready” Spock said simply, not wanting to give too much detail and betray the boy’s trust anymore so than he already had.To his surprise, and especially his curiosity, the pair gave each other a somewhat consternated look. After a silent communication, they both turned back to Spock before promptly taking a seat on the bench across from him.”Ye're the lad's therapis', aye?””Affirmative”.”Good. Cause we's were plannin' on tellin' the doc, but…””But that was before he looked like he was plotting a murder” Nyota finished succinctly, “It’s not really our place to tell you-“”-and if it were nae for the lads best interest then we wouldn’t-“”-but since you’re his counsellor, you’re probably the next best person to tell after McCoy”.Spock felt his heart rate increase and wished fervently that none of his internal concern or panic were outwardly noticeable. Not that it would make much of a difference, of course, if Nyota were to simply take his hand. But being Vulcan aside, the older woman always respected people's no-touch boundaries, so there wasn't a very high likelihood of that happening anyway.”This is about Jim”.It was an illogical and unnecessary sentence but they both nodded anyway.”Did he tell you about- about the fight?” Nyota started carefully.”He mentioned to Leonard that he was briefly involved in… a boxing match?”Montgomery snorted. “That's puttin' it mildly”.At the Vulcan’s raised eyebrow, he explained.”The lad won a fight against a professional boxer four times 'is size. And 'e didn’t just win, Spock, 'e destroyed 'im”."It was the Las Vegas Underground Championship” Nyota continued, “And apparently, it was Jim’s third year in a row winning… But that’s not the worrisome part”.A tiny scrawny fifteen-year-old illegally boxing a professional fighter four times his size and winning wasn’t the worrisome part?!“Explain” he said shortly.The pair shared another look as if debating whether or not to actually tell him and Spock felt a flare of anger swell up inside of him at the thought of not knowing.”We watched him fight” Nyota finally replied, “We weren’t meant to; he didn’t want us to see him until after the match, but Pike said it’d be helpful to see what he was capable of”.Logical, if a little devious.”So we went an' sat on the top tier” Montgomery continued, “Jus' far enough away so the lad couldn’t see us even if e’d been lookin'”.”But we could see him, and…”Another shared look.“If this is in Jim’s best interest, then it is vital that I know” Spock said shortly, and with a deep breath, Nyota nodded and turned back to him.”… He has scars”.Spock froze.He knew, of course, that Jim had a troubled past. His leading hypothesis even stated that he was likely physically abused for over ten years, and that combined with two years of being forced to survive by himself meant that it was only logical to assume that there were physical marks left upon his body.To have it confirmed, however…”He has scars” Nyota repeated quietly, “A lot of scars. His chest, his back, his arms… Like Scotty said, we were sitting as far away as we could, but… but we could still see them”.”It’s nae our story to tell” Montgomery finished, just as quietly, “An' frankly, Spock, we dinnae know a single damn thing about that story to begin with… But we thought ye oughta know. Ye, or Doc McCoy. Chances are, the lad ain't gonna tell ye 'imself but…””But someone needs to know. Someone who can help him. Someone who can- can heal him”.
Because Spock had done such a great job of that so far.
“… Understood” he eventually replied, “Thank you for telling me. I shall inform Leonard once he begins speaking to me again”.Montgomery smirked. “I wouldn’t take too long apologising to the lad, if I were ye, Spock. Considering that the doc already 'ad a soft spot for 'im means ye’re gonna spend a hell of a lotta nights on the couch till ye do”.Or in a different room completely, he thought rather sardonically.It was only further proof that his emotions were compromised, but perhaps his current state would be easier for Jim to talk to than his usual logical front.”Thank you for that suggestion, Montgomery” he said, standing up with a respectful nod, “I believe I shall do so immediately”.
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Chapter 18
Much to Spock's dissatisfaction (and borderline concern), he couldn't find Jim before the blond's next class began. On one hand, it gave him more time to formulate an appropriate apology, but on the other, he didn't want the boy to remain upset for one more second let alone the entire afternoon. Unfortunately, once the hour struck, that decision was no longer his to make, and he found himself returning to his office with a heavy heart.He tried to console himself with the thought that at least now he knew where the boy was, and he could wait outside the correct classroom for him to emerge once his lecture was over.It was little comfort.Permitting himself to give a single, short sigh, he stepped into his office and let the door slide shut behind him. Spock turned towards his desk, taking a seat with his usual grace but without his usual control. He placed his communicator in front of him, just in case, before turning on his PADD and pulling up his meeting schedule. He had it long since memorized, of course, and his eidetic memory ensured that he couldn't forget it even if he'd wanted to but he found himself feeling restless. Perhaps he could test his power on the new training simulation Professor Pike had mentioned...His communicator beeped.Spock's gaze flashed to it in an instant, and he was slightly embarrassed to find his hand moving towards it before he told it to.
*Jim skipped his afternoon class. Is he with you? -CP*
The Vulcan felt his heart stutter.Which, of course, was entirely impossible not to mind illogical, but the very second that his mind registered what he'd just read his entire body felt as if it had gotten an electric shock. And not his own form of electric shock, either.
*Negative. We had a disagreement one-point-four hours ago and I have spent the previous one-point-two hours searching for him -S*
He half expected the device to start vibrating in his hands as Professor Pike demanded a full-length explanation, but to his surprise, there was silence for another seven seconds before-
*Keep me posted*
Spock felt his shoulders relax minutely and wonders how he even would have reacted to an admittedly deserved berating right now. Thankfully, he did not have to find out. He stared down at the message for another moment, pondering his next course of action. If Jim was not in class, then it was only logical to assume that he was still on Academy grounds somewhere. There weren't many places that Spock hadn't checked already, which vastly reduced his search parameters. In saying that, the previous five-point-nine minutes that he'd spent in his office had given the boy ample time to switch hiding places."I'm sorry".Vulcans do not yelp.... Full-blooded Vulcans, that is.Spock's communicator creaked ominously in his hand as his head jerked up in shock surprise panic at the sound of the quiet voice. His eyes searched the room somewhat frantically, looking for the intruder the attacker the anyone before his gaze finally landed on the barest edge of a beaten-up shoe sticking out from behind a bookcase. Due to the size of the shelves, there was a small gap between the side of the bookcase and the window of the floor-to-ceiling glass wall. The space was barely a foot wide and a mere foot and a half in depth, but apparently, it was still big enough to fit a person."I'm sorry" the voice repeated, "I didn't mean to run out on you like that, I just... I just panicked".Not just any person.Jim.Spock sent a brief message to Professor Pike- *He's safe* -not even bothering to sign off, which truly was an unforgivable lack of control on his part, before slowly standing and cautiously making his way closer. As he rounded the side of the desk, he realised that from the door, the boy's hiding place was blocked from view by the couch in the middle of the room, and unless you were specifically looking, you likely wouldn't see it from any other angle either. The Vulcan inched closer and finally, the boy in question came into sight.Jim was curled up on himself, firmly wedged into the cold unforgiving space between the metal bookcase and the window. His back was pressed against the wall, his legs drawn to his chest, both arms wrapped around them so tight that it had to hurt, and Spock didn't even want to consider what it was doing to already-bruised ribs. His clothes were rumbled, his hair a mess, and there were dried tear streaks on both cheeks. All of Spock's therapist training seemed to vanish. Jim was hurt, he was upset and lost and hurt, and Spock wanted nothing more than to yank him close and never let go. Instead, he took a deep breath and-"How did you enter my office?"-and that was definitely not what he wanted to ask!Jim glanced over at him and met his eyes almost challengingly. "I teleported".Spock blinked.It could, potentially, be in jest. The blond had a rather macabre sense of humour, after all, and even to this day Leonard said things that Spock didn't understand, but in saying that... Jim had appeared rather suddenly outside Professor Pike's office this morning, and during their first therapy session, he had made his way to the door just a little bit too quick to be normal as well.So. Pyrokinesis and Teleportation. Both. Together. Against all odds.Impossible.... Fascinating.Jim had turned his gaze back to the sky, but his body remained tense, waiting for the Vulcan's response. Waiting for the inevitable questions, he realised with a pang. It was time that he fixed this."You have nothing to apologise for, Jim. I should not have pressed you for answers, especially not when we were discussing such a sensitive topic".He startled in surprise, but then gave an awkward shrug, made even more awkward by the tight space he'd somehow managed to cramp himself into, but his eyes remained focused on the sky outside."Still. I shouldn't have run out like that. You deserve a proper explanation, at least"."Jim..."Spock glanced around as if suddenly expecting someone else to appear, before deciding very-uncharacteristically-Vulcan-like fuck it, and gracefully sinking to the floor in front of the blond. He crossed his legs and rested his hands on his knees in a relaxed meditation pose, careful to leave enough space between them so that Jim could still run if he so wished. He definitely wasn't intending to upset the boy again, but likewise, he didn't want to make him feel trapped either."I am not deserving of anything from you. What I did was inexcusable" he said quietly, "I should have known better, I did know better, and yet I forced you to answer my questions anyway. I told you that I was your friend, and then immediately acted like your enemy. I... I understand completely if you never wish to speak with me again, and Professor Pike will gladly transfer you to another therapist-""Spock".He paused and glanced up. Jim had turned slightly so he could face him directly, but despite his teary eyes, he was giving the Vulcan a small genuine smile."It's okay" he said, just as quietly, "I mean, it... it wasn't, at the time and- and yeah, what you did sucked but... but I know that you weren't trying to hurt me, and I know that- that to a Vulcan, scientific curiosity comes as easily as breathing... It's only logical that you wanted an answer".Spock returned his faint smile."To me, apologies are illogical. It does not make sense to forgive someone that has done you wrong simply because they put the Standard language in the correct order. Apologizing is as useless as regret. Things happen, and you have no other option but to move on... In saying that, Jim, I do understand that humans are illogical and that those three words... they hold meaning. More meaning, I confess, than I will ever likely understand".He met the boy's gaze evenly, despite his increased heart rate and uneven breathing."But it is because of that, that I want to apologise, to the best of my ability... I am sorry".Jim's smile softened, the tears in his eyes overflowed, and Spock immediately panicked."Jim? Jim, are you- You're- You're crying- I will- are you- I must- I- I will call for Leonard-""No, no, pointy, it's fine, I'm alright, I'm-"Nimble fingers caught the sleeve of his leather jacket, and the Vulcan froze. Jim smiled at him, widely and honestly, despite the tears that were streaking down his face."It's just a human thing" he said softly, "Completely illogical"."You... You are not... sad?"He gave a burst of laughter which only caused his eyes to fill more and Spock had never seen anything so fascinatingly paradoxically beautiful in his entire life."No. No, pointy, I'm not sad, I promise. I'm just... I'm just overwhelmed, I guess"."I did not want to-""I know" he soothed, tugging his jacket sleeve until the Vulcan slowly sat back down, "I know you didn't mean to upset me. Either time. And I'm not upset, I swear, I just..."He huffed and shook his head as if that answered anything. Still, Spock obediently sat back down, inching forwards ever-so-slightly so the boy could continue to hold onto his jacket. It wasn't skin contact, not even a little bit, but neither of them were exactly the best at doing that anyway and the small amount of contact it did offer was enough to ground them both."I understand that another important aspect of apologies is promising not to repeat the incident again" Spock started cautiously, "Jim, I... I cannot promise that. As you said, curiosity is... the embodiment of Vulcan culture... Statistically speaking, I will ask again, and likely will ask other questions that will cause you distress. If I do- When I do... I need you to tell me that you do not want to answer"."I thought therapy was all about give and take?""I'm not speaking as your therapist, Jim, I'm speaking as your friend. That is... if you still wish to be my friend?"It was only now, for the first time ever, that Spock fully understood the phrase 'to have your heart in your mouth', and he swore that he could hear it beating furiously in his ears as the boy turned his gaze back to the afternoon sky, one hand still wrapped around his legs, the other pulling at a loose thread on Spock's jacket."... I do".He let out a heavy breath."I do want to be your friend, pointy, but... but I don't trust you. I can't. Not yet"."That is... disheartening, but understandable" he replied slowly, "I do not expect your trust, Jim, not before I can earn it".He got another smile, this one thankfully a lot less wet, and Spock gave a small smile as well.It was slow and cautious and not very reassuring, but it was a start, and right now, that was all that the Vulcan could ask for.Jim continued to stare at the sky, and Spock continued to stare at Jim in return. He was watching the clouds pass overhead almost like he'd never seen a cloud before, and the sun shone brightly in his eyes, changing the electric colour to an almost silvery icy blue. It was beautiful."Have you chosen your electives yet?"Jim blinked, surprised, and glanced over at him."The optional subjects?" he asked, "No. Thought I was having so much fun with my current four idiots, I couldn't possibly take on a fifth".Spock felt amusement despite himself but quickly shoved it down in case the blond read it on his expression."We have an Astrophysics course" he said instead, "As well as Stellar Cartography. You should consider them"."Why?""You have a tendency to stare at the sky. In fact, I have yet to spend an hour with you, where you do not stare at it" Spock replied, "Are you interested in space?""Because of my father?""Because of your own unique hobbies and desires" he said calmly, refusing to rise to the bait, "What extracurriculars do you enjoy doing?"... I don't know" Jim replied honestly, "I haven't exactly had a lot of downtime over the last few years... Cards, I guess. Fighting"."Fighting?" He leaned forward in interest. "Leonard mentioned that you were involved in a boxing match. Is this something that you enjoy?"He gave a one-shouldered shrug. "I guess. I mean, I don't not enjoy it... Why are you asking?""The Academy has a self-defence class. Leonard suggested that I ask you about it, but I did not wish to trigger any unpleasant emotions or memories if it was something you simply did to survive rather than something you enjoyed".Jim gave a wry smirk. "Can't it be both?"Which was-Intriguing."Self-defence, huh?" he continued, "You guys any good?""We do not compete professionally. It is merely... an outlet, if you will, for students to express frustration or to make use of any extra energy they may feel".Jim was starting to look interested, and Spock figuratively held his breath while the boy thought."... When's it on?""The class takes place twice a week, on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons at sixteen hundred hours"."So it's on tonight, then?""Affirmative. Do you wish to... observe a class?"Spock could barely contain his excitement when the boy grinned and nodded."Wait- I don't have to, like, get Pike's permission or anything, do I?""Not to watch" he reassured, "If you are interested in joining, then yes, you are required to inform the Headmaster, but it is merely a technicality. Professor Pike does not prevent anyone from joining as long as their counsellor believes it will benefit the student". Jim smirked and playfully tugged on the leather sleeve that was still being held between warm fingers."Well then. It's a good thing I'm friends with my counsellor, isn't it?"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chapter 19
Spock, the absolute traitor, gave Jim an ultimatum for attending the self-defence class that evening, and he reluctantly agreed to complete the school day as normal so he'd be allowed to observe. Thankfully, he had long since missed the idiot math professor's lecture, and so, only had one class remaining before he was done. Which... didn't exactly go to plan."Jim".The boy looked up in surprise as he quickly left the classroom, only to find the familiar Vulcan waiting outside for him. There was something oddly domestic about the whole thing, like how the boys in those old twentieth-century movies his mother liked would lean against school corridors to pick up their girlfriends after class. He felt his heart race at the thought, and his cheeks flushed."Spock? What are you doing here?"There was a pointed cough from behind him."Mister Spock"."Professor Gill". He bowed his head respectfully.The older man nodded in return before giving Jim a somewhat dark look."Are you Kirk's counsellor?""Affirmative, sir"."Does he have a session right now?""Yes sir"."Good".He turned on his heel and walked away. Spock stared after him for a moment before turning back to Jim, raising a single elegant eyebrow at his sheepish look."Should Professor Pike be expecting more complaints?""It wasn't my fault this time, honest!""Implying, of course, that all previous complaints were, indeed, your fault".Jim paused. "... Technically?"Spock gave a silent sigh and they began walking through the student-packed halls."Professor Gill is an intelligent man. A well-liked man. I must admit that I am impressed by how he treats history as causes and motivations rather than dates and events. His publications on earth history helped me immensely when I first arrived on this planet". He gave him a sideways look. "You do not concur?""I... don't not concur" he allowed, "He seems... nice. Kind. Gentle. Definitely not how I pictured the history teacher"."Then why is there a dispute between you?"
Jim sighed and adjusted his grip on his backpack.
"He just... He had expectations for me, you know? Being a history professor and all, means that he's spent quite some time studying the Narada's attack on the USS Kelvin".
Spock blinked. "... I see".
"Yeah. And apparently, his expectations for George Kirk's son don't exactly match up with me".
"You are your own person. It is illogical to think you would be similar to a man you never knew".
"Yeah, well, humans are illogical". Jim sighed. "This isn't the way to your office, by the way".
"No, it is not" Spock agreed, staring straight ahead.
"Then I... don't have another therapy session?"
"Negative".
"... But you told-"
"I lied".
Jim abruptly halted in his tracks.
Spock glanced back at him, also coming to a stop, and frowned. "Is there a problem?"
The blond stared at him. "Only the fact that you, a full-blooded Vulcan, just lied to a Starfleet Professor!"
The older man paused and then decided to extend the proverbial olive branch, as it were.
"Half-blooded".
"What?"
"Half-blooded" he repeated, continuing down the hall again, "I am only half Vulcan".
"Wait, seriously?" Jim asked in shock, jogging to catch up, and he nodded. "Yes. My mother was human".
"... Are you fucking with me right now?"
Spock paused, and frowned, ears slowly flushing a pale green. "No".
And then Jim realised what that sounded like when taken literally.
He immediately blushed. "No! No, I don't mean- I didn't take it as- Not like- I just-"
He took a deep breath, cursing his mouth and wondering whatever happened to that rambling idiot he'd been four days ago.
"It just means... like... are you messing with me? Joking, or- or teasing, you know?"
"Are you messing with me?" Spock confirmed, carefully avoiding his gaze, and the blond nodded. "Yeah! That's it! I didn't- I didn't mean anything... you know... like... that".
"... Understood".
Jim wanted to ground to swallow him whole.
"So, uh, where are we actually going?" he asked instead, quickly changing the topic.
Spock gestured at a steel door at the end of the hallway. "The gym. The self-defence class does not start for approximately seventeen minutes more, but it is logical to arrive early to allow time for possible errors".
"Oh". And now he was blushing again. "You didn't have to- I mean, I- I could've... found this place on my own. You didn't have to- to walk me here".
He inclined his head in acknowledgement.
"It was unnecessary, perhaps. But it was... my pleasure to do so".
And what the fuck was he meant to say to that?!
Jim wanted nothing more than to reach out and take hold of the Vulcan's- half Vulcan's -hand, to read all of those emotions that he kept so carefully locked away, because as far as he could tell, Spock was being genuine right now but surely, surely, there was no way that it was true, right?
"Leonard has also informed me that friends... attend events together and that it benefits relationships to spend time with one another, especially when it's unnecessary".
Well fuck. Jim could get used to the Vulcan saying the word 'relationship' while talking about him, and that was dangerous territory to drift into.
"... Thanks, pointy" he said instead, quietly, "He, uh... He wasn't wrong".
"So, um... are you... I mean, you're not... you know..." Jim slowly trailed off, unsure.
For the last approximately seventeen minutes they had been standing at the far side of the gym waiting for others to trickle in. They'd received a few curious looks, but whether that was because Jim was new, he was sitting next to a Vulcan, or for some other reason, he wasn't sure. But now, the class was about to start, and Spock...
Spock wasn't leaving.
Jim wasn't complaining, obviously, but it kind of felt awkward, him sitting up on a pile of blue exercise mats while Spock stood all prim and proper next to him. Was he going to stay and observe as well? Was he a member of the self-defence class? Was he taking Bones' support and relationship advice to a whole new level?!
He didn't know. And he really didn't like not knowing.
"Everyone is now present" Spock said suddenly, "Are you adequate to remain here?"
"And just observe?" Jim asked, confused, "Sure".
The Vulcan gave a single nod, before turning on his heel and walking away. To the blond's never-ending surprise, however, he didn't walk out of the room.
He walked to the top of it.
"S'up daisy?"
Jim blinked, startled, and turned as a familiar Asian man made his way closer.
"Don't call me daisy".
"Alright, buttercup".
He grinned despite himself. "How about you just stick to Jim, yeah?"
Sulu smirked. "Nah. Jim's far too common. Daisy's are quite rare".
He rolled his eyes at the man, exasperated.
This has got to be some sort of karma for nicknaming Bones.
Sulu hopped up on the mats next to him, pointedly keeping a careful distance so that they didn't touch, and Jim could have kissed him for it.
"You thinking of joining?"
It took a second for him to realise what the man was talking about.
"I don't know yet" Jim admitted, "Spock told me to observe or some shit, and that we'd see after that".
Sulu laughed. "Don't worry, man, he does that to every new member".
But wait, that would mean-
"He's the...?"
"Instructor? Yeah" he replied easily.
Jim paused. "Well. That explains a lot".
"He didn't tell you?"
"No, he didn't" he said, eyes drifting back to the Vulcan who had removed his leather jacket to reveal a sinfully tight black shirt underneath.
And now the son of a bitch was smirking at him.
Jim scowled and narrowed his eyes at him, but Spock ignored it, instead, starting to warm up with stretches that most definitely did not make his mouth water dammit!
He turned back to the Asian and found his eyes immediately drawn to the leaves sticking out of the man's hair.
Sulu caught his gaze, and gave a rueful grin. "The plants?"
"... Yeah".
"I've Botanokinesis".
"Botano-what-now?"
"Botanokinesis" he repeated, smirking, "I control plants".
"Like... plant plants?"
"Is there any other kind?"
"... All of them?"
"All of them".
"... We're on a planet that is sixty-per-cent vegetation, and you're telling me you can control all one-hundred-per-cent of that?!"
"Yep".
Jim stared at him. "Then why the hell haven't you taken over the world yet?"
Sulu burst out laughing, and the blond felt Spock's eyes on him once more.
Well fuck you too, Vulcan, you had your chance.
"I like you, kid".
"Not a kid" he replied automatically, and Sulu smirked. "Alright then. Guess I'll just have to stick with daisy. That okay with you, daisy?"
"Sure thing, flower king".
The man laughed once more, before jumping off the stack of exercise mats.
"Right, well, Spock's giving me a dirty look, so I'm probably holding up the class. See you around, daisy".
"See you around" he agreed faintly, watching the admittedly quite attractive botanokinetic take his rightful place in the group.
Turning back, he had just enough time to see Spock's brown eyes bore into his own before the man averted his gaze and addressed the class instead. Jim frowned. There had been a hint of something in those walnut-coloured eyes, something dark and... and what? Possessive?
No. Jim shook his head. That couldn't be right.
Shifting into a more comfortable position on the mats, he shoved the thought to the back of his mind and instead focused on the group in front of him. Spock started leading everyone through a warm-up exercise, not all that dissimilar to what Jim himself used to do before a boxing match, and he found the repetitive and familiar motions almost calming.
It also helped that Spock's t-shirt was exquisitely tight.
Tight clothing notwithstanding, Jim quickly realised that not only was the Vulcan a good defence teacher, he was also incredibly flexible.
The hour-long class passed surprisingly fast, most of it spent staring at the gorgeous alien in skin-tight jeans and fingerless leather gloves across the room, and Jim had to stop himself from drooling on more than one embarrassing occasion. Before he knew it, the class was over, and Sulu was smirking suggestively at him as he left, so Jim winked and blew him a kiss in retaliation. The older man laughed and gave him a cheeky grin before disappearing out the door, and within minutes it was just Spock and Jim left in the gym.
The blond jumped off the mats and turned to face him, mouth immediately watering at the pointed ears and messy hair. Spock, on the other hand, looked oddly... stiff.
"Jim. Did you approve of what you saw?"
"Oh, I approved very much, pointy. You can count me in for Thursday".
Spock nodded. "Affirmative. I shall speak to Professor Pike, but he may wish to contact you directly".
"I'll be here". He shrugged, picking up his backpack as they headed for the door.
The Vulcan nodded once more but remained silent as he swung around and pulled on his jacket in one flawless movement that made Jim equal parts jealous and kind of turned on. He quickly pushed that particular thought to the side as he studied the strangely quiet man.
"You, uh... You okay?"
Spock tensed but didn't look at him. "Affirmative".
"Okay, but like, is that an affirmative as in affirmative or is that an affirmative as in you completely forgot about our date night and now you're asking what's wrong but I'm too tired to argue so I'm just gonna go ahead and say affirmative affirmative?"
The corner of his mouth twitched, and Jim felt the tightness in his chest dissipate considerably.
"Have you experienced the latter affirmative?"
He flushed and ducked his head. "Not... exactly. I'm, uh... I'm not that great at relationships. Unsurprisingly".
"On the contrary, I find myself very surprised. You are intelligent, attractive, and kind. All of these traits are key factors in having successful relationships".
Jim stumbled.
No, like, literally stumbled.
Tripping over thin air was a great look, after all, and it was only made that much better when the Vulcan quickly reached out to steady him and Jim had to grab onto his sleeves to stop himself from face-planting the ground and in doing so his fingers brushed soft skin and-
concern trust affection ??? warmth panic trust ??? worry affection
-and he hurriedly jerked back as if burned which only caused him to stumble again except this time he fell backwards instead of forwards and one entire mortifying minute later he found himself all but collapsed against the wall of the corridor with a very concerned-looking Vulcan standing mere inches in front of him with one hand pressed against the wall next to the blond to balance himself and-
Spock was tall.
Jim had already known that, of course, objectively, but he'd never stood this close to the man before so he hadn't fully realised just how much of a height difference there was. Spock was easily an entire head above him, Jim's own eyes just coming up to the base of that sinfully pale throat that he just ached to-
He swallowed and quickly averted his gaze.
Spock's other hand was still outstretched as if he was about to catch him again, and even as Jim's heartbeat started racing and he could hear his own ragged breathing in his ears, those elegant fingers slowly rose until they hovered just a fraction of an inch above his cheek. The Vulcan let out a slow breath that ghosted across his face, warm and minty and the blond found himself wanting to lean forwards, wanting to lean into that touch, to close the gap between them and feel that wave of affection warmth trust rush over him again and again and again until he was dizzy from it.
"Jim..."
Laughter.
Spock leapt back as if burned, the shock on his face almost comical as he pressed himself back into the wall opposite. Jim frowned, turning to where a group of students had emerged from one of the classrooms at the other end of the corridor, none the wiser to what they'd just interrupted.
To what they'd just almost interrupted.
He turned back to Spock only to find him expressionless once more, despite the tension in his jaw, despite the tightness in his shoulders, despite the anguish in his eyes.
"I... I shall discuss your placement in the self-defence class with Professor Pike. Goodbye".
And before Jim could blink, he was gone.
What. The. Fuck.
Stepping into their shared rooms, McCoy immediately spotted Spock sitting cross-legged on the floor at the end of their bed, eyes closed.
Meditating, then.
Sighing, he worked around the Vulcan, changing out of his scrubs and getting ready for bed. Meditating usually meant silence for an hour or so, and after the eventful and tiring day that he'd had, he was more than okay with it. He was therefore quite surprised when, as he passed his boyfriend, a pale hand reached out and caught his leg.
He looked down at the Vulcan, only to find his eyes now open but still avoiding his gaze.
"... I'm sorry".
McCoy sighed once more. "It's not me you should be apologizing to".
"I know. I apologized to Jim as well and we... made up, as you would say. Nevertheless, I should have listened to your warning and respected both of your wishes not to ask further questions... I am sorry that I did not".
The doctor studied him closely, noticing the tense shoulders, the hardened eyes, and the stiff body. In other words, the complete opposite of what meditating usually did for the Vulcan.
He slowly sat down in front of him, frowning in concern. "Are you okay?"
He laughed. Spock laughed. Abrupt and brief and hysterical and McCoy immediately wanted to drag him to medical.
"Jim asked me the same thing".
He cautiously held out both hands, and the Vulcan gladly took them, his body relaxing somewhat as he felt the doctor's calming emotions. Bones, on the other hand, was immediately barraged with confusion affection guilt ??? concern relief which did not help him in the slightest.
"What happened?" he asked quietly.
Spock closed his eyes and leaned forwards until he could rest his forehead on the older man's shoulder.
"... Jim observed the self-defence class today".
"All... right" McCoy said slowly, "Is that... bad?"
"No. No, it's not bad. He... He enjoyed it. Asked to join the class full time".
"And that's bad?"
He felt the Vulcan swallow thickly and their bond thrummed with a wave of new emotions. "Jim was... flirting with one of the other students. I... did not like it".
"Okay, well, that's... understandable, I guess. I mean, you are his therapist, and his friend too, so... so it only makes sense that you'd want to... to protect him, as such".
"That was my initial conclusion as well, but it feels... it feels like there's something more than that" Spock whispered, "Something that I can't explain, something that... that I don't believe I have ever felt before... I'm still trying to identify that emotion".
McCoy nodded, his heart racing as he felt something strange himself. It wasn't necessarily a bad feeling, but it was far too close to anticipation for his liking.
"And this is what has gotten you upset?"
Spock hummed, his head heavy on his shoulder.
"This and... and the incident that occurred shortly after".
The anticipation burst into apprehension and Bones wondered if this was how mutants with Precognition felt all the time.
"What happened after, Spock?"
The Vulcan slowly pulled back, keeping their hands interlaced with a barrage of love love guilt love affection guilt love as he met his eyes evenly.
"Jim tripped, as we were leaving the gym. I reached out to steady him and he... We ended up inappropriately close against the wall".
McCoy could hardly hear him over the sound of his own heartbeat.
"And? Then what?"
"Then I... I rose my hand as if to touch his face and..."
"And?!"
"... And we were interrupted" Spock finished, lowering his gaze, "A group of passing students startled me and I stepped away. Nothing untoward occurred between us, Leonard, I swear to you".
McCoy slowly nodded, breathing ragged even as felt the truth radiating through their bond.
"Don't worry, I believe you".
Some of the tension left the Vulcan's shoulders and he cautiously met the doctor's eyes once more.
"Leonard... The reason that I am upset, is because- because if I hadn't been startled... then I'm not entirely sure what would have happened".
Bones took a slow measured breath and tried to even out his racing heart. He pulled Spock closer until their foreheads were touching, and stared into those beautiful pained earnest brown eyes that held nothing but love and affection and concern for the doctor he was staring back at.
"It's okay, hobgoblin. Like you said, nothing happened, and... and if it ever does happen-"
"Leonard-"
"If it ever does happen" he interrupted firmly, "Then... Then we'll talk about it. Okay? But for now... let's just go to bed, alright? We've both had a long day".
Spock clearly didn't want to let the conversation go, but just as Bones could feel his emotions, the Vulcan could feel the doctor's in return, and thankfully, he realised that now wasn't the time. Standing up, McCoy pulled him to his feet and gave him a faint smile and a gentle shove in the right direction.
The second they lost contact, he took a shuddering breath.
Spock hadn't cheated on him. He hadn't. He may have, possibly, been going to, but now they would never know. What Bones did know, was that firstly, Spock loved him unconditionally and that he loved the Vulcan just as much in return. Secondly, was that the mysterious emotion that Spock hadn't been able to label had felt suspiciously like jealousy to him. And thirdly, what he also knew, was that the thought of his boyfriend actually kissing James Tiberius Kirk...
Well.
That probably shouldn't be as appealing a thought to him as it currently was.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chapter 20
S'chn T'gai Spock was having a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day.It started the second he woke up when he found that his favourite Vulcan tea had run out. Then, while getting dressed, he realised that his customary leather jacket was still damp from last night's laundry and so, had no protective overcoat to wear. Once he reached his office, it was to find that not only was literally every other student off sick, but that same sickness was from a relapse of the vomiting bug. And it looked like half of his patients had caught it. And so, having spent his morning rearranging all of his appointments for the week, he finally went to the infirmary to have lunch with Leonard, only to get accosted by Nurse Chapel and told that there was no possibility of Leonard taking a break today and that he, said S'chn T'gai Spock, was therefore required to not only dine alone for lunch but also for dinner. And so now, despite the fact that he had to teach defense in four-point-six minutes, he had yet to see his partner even once today, and he was currently sporting the worst migraine that he could ever remember having.
Most displeasing.
Spock focused on his stretches as the members of the class started to fill into the gym. His head was pounding, his eyes were stinging, and his productivity levels had hit an all-time low. His admittedly poor mood only worsened as he saw a familiar blond appear side-by-side with Sulu.He hadn't talked to Jim since their... altercation on Tuesday. He'd spoken to Professor Pike about him joining the class, as promised, and had then none-too-subtly left it up to the headmaster to inform the boy that he was allowed. It was cowardice, he knew, but Spock had been feeling a vast variety of rather tumultuous emotions since his last defense class, and quite simply, he didn't have enough control right now to trust himself around the blond. He already felt guilty about the possibility of him kissing the boy, a culpability that had heightened since he'd told Leonard what had happened. The school-wide sickness had peaked during Tuesday night, which meant that they hadn't had a chance to further discuss the incident since. Not seeing Leonard in general, put Spock in a bad mood, but now he had the addition of worrying about what his partner was currently feeling and thinking. The last thing he wanted was for Leonard to suffer for something that Spock had almost done. He hadn't thought things could get any worse until he woke up this morning to an empty bed yet again along with a throbbing headache, but apparently, they could.When Jim saw him, he grinned and waved, looking happy and energetic and excited and Spock hated himself for hating the boy because of it.He didn't wave back.Jim frowned, his smile slowly falling until only an unhappy pout remained and Spock's fingers itched with the urge to grab him and pull him close. But then the Asian man next to him nudged his arm- and since when had Sulu been allowed to touch?! -and the boy turned back to him and laughed at something he said and something dark and deep and ugly flared up inside of Spock that left him itching for a proper fight.He reached out a placed a hand on the wall to steady himself.Such thoughts were- were deplorable. Completely illogical. He was not a violent man, he did not come from a violent race, and to not only accept a bloodbath but to actively wish for it was- was- was unthinkable.Impossible.But, as usual, the scrawny seventeen-year-old brat pushed him to new heights.Shaking his head free of such thoughts, Spock desperately tried to gather his emotions and lock them away behind the steel door of his mind. It was difficult and draining and it did absolute wonders for his headache and the Vulcan realised that if he was resorting to sarcasm then there was probably something dreadfully wrong. His mental shields were as strong as ever, but they didn't seem to be under attack. If anything, the problem seemed to be internal which caused an entirely other level of concern.He could examine it later. Right now, however, he had a class to teach, and if he was lucky, then pushing his body to the limit might just shut his mind off for a while.Taking a deep breath, Spock steadied himself and called for everyone's attention.Jim knew that there was something wrong the very second he saw him.Spock looked... rough for lack of a better word. He was somehow paler than ever, there were dark circles beneath his eyes- and wasn't that interesting? A Vulcan with sleep deprivation -and every few seconds he would wince, his fingers twitching and occasionally raising to press against his temples. A headache, then, and the mother of all headaches if the emotionally-buttoned-up Vulcan was showing the signs so clearly.When the older man glanced up and saw him, Jim smiled and waved and... was ignored. Completely and utterly ignored.Huh.Jim tried to pretend that didn't upset him as much as it did. He hadn't heard from Spock since the almost something two days ago, despite getting dragged into Pike's office yesterday to be told 'the good news'. In all honesty... he wasn't sure what to think. Jim hadn't entertained the possibility of his attraction being returned since he'd gone and had a fucking panic attack in front of both Spock and Bones, but then...There was something. There had to be. No way that Spock pressed all his patients against abandoned corridor walls, and considering the Vulcan was a touch-telepath, there was definitely no chance of him casually reaching up to- to what? To stroke his face? To- To touch him? To... To kiss him? Either way, it was illogical behaviour and so Jim felt pretty confident in saying that it wasn't a regular occurrence. But for Spock to almost something and then just... ignore him? What the ever-loving hell what that about?!"You alright there, daisy?" Sulu asked, carefully nudging him, "I can hear the petals turning from here".He snorted despite the terrible joke, and turned back to him. "Yeah, flower king, I'm alright. Just thinking, that's all"."About Mister Tall Dark and Handsome over there?"He didn't deign the nickname with a response."Does Spock seem... I don't know... off to you?""I'd be hard-pressed to tell what mood he's in on a good day" Sulu replied, "But I'll take your word for it... He does look a little paler than usual, I suppose".The Vulcan placed a hand on the wall next to him and Jim immediately flashed back to that same muscular arm trapping him in place against a different wall. Vulcans may be three times stronger than human males, after all, but even a blind man could see that Spock was fit even by their standards. Fit and muscular and strong and able to snap him in half like a twig-"You're drooling"."Oh, shut up!" he complained, lightly shoving the man and getting a laugh for his trouble.At the front of the room, Spock cleared his throat."Let us begin".Two hours later and Jim was pleasantly aching. His entire body thrummed with adrenaline and energy and the satisfaction he only ever gained after a good workout. Spock hadn't gone easy on them, that was for certain, and despite half the class calling it quits halfway through, the Vulcan himself didn't even look remotely out of breath. Jim's own ribs were aching from his panting, and he was pretty sure that one of his knuckles had split open again, but he couldn't even be annoyed about that because at least it gave him an excuse to see Bones later.Sulu was lying on the ground next to him, stretched out like a starfish as he tried desperately to catch his breath."You're insane" he gasped, staring up at the still-standing blond, "Absolutely completely irrevocably insane. How the hell are you still breathing?!""Cause I'm actually in shape, flower king" he teased, giving the lean man a once-over and realising that it was probably a lie."Yeah, well, sue me!" he panted, "I currently like where my lungs are, thank you very much, and I'd very much like to keep them there".Jim smirked and held out a hand to help him up. "Come on, Sulu, you've got a bed somewhere in this huge ass building. Go use it"."Care to join me?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows far too much to be considered salacious.The blond pulled him to his feet and kicked at the vines that had started to wrap themselves around his legs."No, actually, I do not. So stop pestering me with green things and go hit the showers".Sulu was already heading for the door but paused at his last remark."The showers, huh? You, uh... You care to join-""No!" he snapped, still grinning, "Get out of here!""Whatever you say, daisy" he called over his shoulder, "I'll wear you down one day!""Keep dreaming, flower king".The man's laughter was cut off by the door shutting behind him, and suddenly, Jim was the only student left. He turned to Spock with a grin, determined to cheer him up, and bounded over with far more energy than he thought possible after their brutal workout. The Vulcan didn't look up as he reached him, instead focusing on the PADD in his hand."Hey pointy!""... Jim"."Thanks for letting me join today. Really. I know that you said Pike-""Professor Pike".He paused. "... Right. Professor Pike. Anyway, I know that you said that he makes the final decisions around here, but, well, I wouldn't have even known that this class existed if you hadn't told me and- and it really did help so- so I just... I just wanted to say thank you"."Gratitude is illogical".He continued to tap at something on the tablet's screen. Jim felt his heart sink, and much to his mortification, his eyes started burning. He wasn't sure what he'd expected, but he at least thought that the man would have the decency to look at him while he snapped out insults. Had the almost something incident really bothered him that much?"... Right" he eventually said, "Well, that's, uh... That's true, I guess... I'll just... see you around, then".Spock didn't even blink.Jim turned his back to the man and started to walk towards the door, his eyes stinging and his heart aching in synchrony with his ribs. The Vulcan clearly didn't want to talk to him, which meant it was likely his fault that Spock was in such a terrible mood, to begin with. Since they hadn't spoken since Tuesday, the only thing that could have caused it was the almost something.But Jim hadn't started that, he hadn't asked to trip and he hadn't asked for the Vulcan to catch him and he definitely hadn't asked for the man to pin him against the wall with a smoldering gaze and flexing muscles.That was on Spock. Not him. And he was through with letting himself suffer for things that weren't his fault.Jim stopped.Spun around.And arched straight back to the Vulcan, grabbed the PADD out of his hands, and flung it to the side."Actually, you know what? No. No! I refuse to feel guilty for this. There are plenty of things that I have fucked up in my life, but this? This is not one of them. So fuck you, Spock! You don't get to- to ignore me and treat me like I'm- I'm nothing just because you can't cope with what you started!"The Vulcan blinked. Blinked again. Frowned. And then blinked a third time.Jim stood in front of him, chest heaving, and wondered if he'd maybe overreacted just a little."... I do not understand. To what are you referring?""This!" he exclaimed, gesturing pointlessly between them, "You! You're clearly in a bad mood for some reason, you've ignored me for the past two days, and the only logical explanation, pointy, is that both events are connected!"Spock's hand clenched into a fist by his side. "Jim... Jim, you are mistaken. This has nothing-""Of course it does! Look at you!" he snapped, "You're obviously itching for a fight and the last time you looked this wound up was when I waved at you earlier on. The only constant in both cases is me!"Spock looked to the side and took a deep breath and that was as good a confirmation as he was going to get."Alright, you know what?" Jim angrily shrugged out of his jacket and threw it away from them. "Come on then".Spock glanced back at him and frowned. "Excuse me?""Come on then!" he repeated, gesturing widely, "You clearly need to burn off some steam and I've needed to punch something since I got here. Let's go a few rounds"."... Jim, that would not be wise-""Why the fuck not?! The gym's empty, we're both warmed up, and if you won't talk to me then maybe getting a few punches in will sort you out!"Spock studied him carefully for a moment before slowly, ever so slowly, nodding. He took a step back and then led the way to the centre of the room.
"Nothing below the belt and nothing that causes permanent damage".
Those were his only rules?!
"Fine" Jim agreed, now definitely thinking that he had overreacted more than just a little.
He turned to face the Vulcan and fell into a defensive stance with a facile smirk on his face.
"White moves first".
Within minutes, three things became very clear.
One, Spock was holding a shit ton back in class, because the way he was fighting now, made earlier on look like a kitten compared to this lion.
Two, the blond was completely, positively, incurably losing, and boy, was he gonna feel it tomorrow.
And three, the most important realisation, was that the boy quickly found out that maybe Chekov was getting at something when he said that the Vulcan was immune to his probability power because apparently, he was also immune to Jim's Enhanced Combat.
He was surviving the fight by the skin of his teeth, relying on pure muscle memory to get him through it, and it was just so fucking frustrating not being able to predict the Vulcan's next move.
Is this how normal people fight? Jim distantly wondered as Spock landed a solid blow to his face, the new blood gushing from his nose combining with that flowing from his re-split lip. And fuck, did his ribs hurt again.
"Probably should have mentioned that earlier" he mumbled, ducking under another hit and retailing with a punch of his own, finally managing to land it hard enough to wind the Vulcan, with the downside of it hurting his own hand as well.
They had only been sparring for a few minutes, and Jim already wanted to curl up and die. His entire body ached, and it wasn't the good kind of ache either that came from a decent workout or getting wasted on cheap vodka and expensive whiskey or going home with a pretty showgirl. Or showboy. Or anyone, really.
The point was, he hurt.
It was less than ten minutes later when things finally came to a head, Spock having kicked his legs out from under him and Jim not scrambling back up fast enough. And so, he just lay there, on the gross sweaty gym mats, staring up at the Vulcan who had one foot on his neck.
A killing blow, if he only pressed a little harder.
He wondered what he looked like to the man, lying there on the floor, blood pouring from his mouth, his nose, the cut on his hairline, the gash on his cheek, everywhere, staining his skin and the blue mats beneath him.
And in his adrenaline-and-pain-induced haze, his arms were refusing to cooperate with him, meaning that he couldn't reach for the pale ankle near his face either, so not only did he not have his Enhanced Combat, but he also didn't have his Emotional Empathy abilities, which, you know, he didn't want to begin with but now that he did have them, he sure as fuck was going to use them.
Spock's face was as emotionless as ever, and Jim couldn't even guess what he was thinking from the less-than-emotionless walnut-coloured eyes.
And so, to put it briefly, he was hurt, sore, and pissed off.
They remained in that position for a moment, both trying to catch their breath, so at least Jim had the satisfaction of knowing he'd made the Vulcan work up a sweat. As his adrenaline began to fade and the pain started to catch up with him, Spock's gaze seemed to sharpen, and once he realised what he was staring at, he quickly took a step back.
"I... Can you stand?"
Jim wasn't sure if it was for his own benefit or the Vulcan's that the man didn't offer to give him a hand, but he didn't comment on it. Instead, he slowly sat up, head fuzzy and mouth full of blood, before staggering to his feet. He swayed on the spot rather dangerously, unable to remember a time that he'd ever been so obviously beaten before, the "lessons" from dear ole' Frank notwithstanding. Eventually, Spock cautiously reached out to steady him, careful to hold onto his shirt rather than bare skin.
"I'm bringing you to the infirmary".
The Vulcan threw his arm over a pointy shoulder before the blond had a chance to protest. Not that he could, of course, based on the number of spit buckets and Listerine he was going to need.
Jim half stumbled, half lent against Spock as they made their way through the hallways, the latter strangely quiet. He wasn't sure if his genius master plan had worked out after all, and he still couldn't read the Vulcan's emotions in order to check, either. If nothing else, then at least Spock had worked out some of his anger and frustration, and if the cost of that was Jim being his punching bag...
Well.
It was a small price to pay.
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Chapter 21
Eventually, the Vulcan stopped outside a set of familiar doors and silently pushed them open, dragging the blond in after him. Jim hadn't really noticed them arriving, hadn't really noticed anything since the gym, and he vaguely wondered if anyone had seen them on the way here."What the hell happened to him?!"And- oh look, there was Bones!"We... sparred" Spock replied quietly, obediently following the doctor over to the nearest gurney."You sparred?" McCoy demanded, "Was the intention to kill each other?!"Jim was carefully lowered onto the hospital bed, the bright lights of the infirmary causing his head to spin and multicoloured dots to flash behind his eyes."Negative"."Well, it sure as hell looks like it!" he snapped, yanking open drawers and cupboards to pull out antiseptic wipes and bandages. He tossed them all on a tray before quickly wheeling it over to the swaying boy on the bed, his balance relying entirely on the gentle hold that the Vulcan still had on his shoulder.Jim blinked at him, slow and dazed as his stomach twisted and turned."Hey Bonsey!"The doctor held out a basin as he promptly threw up."You're alright, kid, you'll be just fine" he murmured, rubbing soothing circles up and down his back as the boy continued to dry heave long after his stomach was empty. Spock watched them, feeling strangely out of focus."You're okay" McCoy continued, "Your body's just had a shock, that's all. You been sticking to that meal plan I gave you?"Jim groaned in response, which honestly could have been a yes or a no."Well, I hope for your sake that you have, brat. Cause either this is a simple side effect of fight or flight, or you skipped lunch"."M'sick" he grumbled, head still buried in the basin, "You’re no’allowed to giv'out t’me!""I'm gonna take that as a no lunch then".McCoy sighed and handed him a glass of water as he finally sat back up. Jim gladly took it, his hands trembling even as he brought the glass to his mouth, and Spock felt just as sick as the boy looked when the water was tinted red afterwards."There you go, you absolute menace" Bones said, taking the glass from him, "Now, look at me. You still feeling nauseous? Lightheaded? Dizzy?"He nodded and then immediately winced. The doctor frowned, tore open an antiseptic packet, and began cleaning away the blood from his face."Right. You might have a concussion then. I'll do a CT scan just to be sure. Anywhere else hurt?""Mhmm... m’ribs"."Bruised?""... Not an'more"McCoy paused, stared at him, and then carefully lowered one hand to the boy's waist, using the other to carefully poke and prod at his chest. He got about halfway up to his sternum before the blond-"Fuck!"Spock visibly jumped.The doctor took a deep breath and let it out slowly, before hitting a button to raise one side of the bed."I need you to sit back a bit, okay? Here, put your legs up, lie back against the- easy does it, yeah, that's it, good. Just- Just try to breathe normally through your mouth, alright?"Once Jim was sitting upright against the raised gurney, McCoy pulled out a hypo and uncapped it. The boy immediately tensed."It's just a painkiller, kid, and- no, don't you even try to convince me that you're not in pain right now! Shut up and stay still!"He jabbed it into the side of Jim's neck, and almost instantly, all tension left his frame."Good. You're alright, kid, just try to relax... Nurse Chapel!"The older woman appeared a moment later. "Yes, doctor?""Get the CT scanner ready, and- and then find me a damn bone-knitting laser!"Spock frowned and stepped forward. "Leonard-""Not now"."I merely-""I said not now, dammit!"He obediently fell silent as the doctor pulled on a pair of disposable gloves and ripped open a suture kit."Alright kid, I'm gonna start stitching up your head wound, okay?"Dazed blue eyes blinked back at him, the morphine thankfully having already kicked in, and Bones gave a strained smile as he threaded the needle.Bones sat on the edge of the bed so he could reach him more easily. Cleaning away the blood from the boy's forehead, he carefully pinched the skin together and pulled the first strand of nylon string through it. Jim was too drugged up to feel the pain, but he definitely felt it, it being the tug of his face being put back together, and despite not hurting, the sensation was still strange. And not the good kind of strange either."Here's the CT scanner and bone regenerator, doctor" Chapel announced, an instrument in either hand, "Where should I begin?""Chest and abdomen" McCoy said shortly, "Fractured ribs. From what I can tell, his seventh and eighth are cracked, but there might be costal cartilage damage as well".Spock felt faint."Understood".She immediately got to work, not pausing for even a microsecond to ask why he couldn't just use his ability to heal the boy instead, and that was only one of the many many reasons that Bones was glad Chapel was his second-in-command.Tying off the last stitch, he carefully washed away the blood surrounding the wound before covering the thread with a butterfly bandage and sticking another, smaller one on the cut on his cheek. Picking up the bone knitter, he held it above Jim's face and winced."You've got a broken nose, kid, so this is gonna hurt".With a press of a button, the laser shot out and sealed the break in the bone. Jim immediately whimpered and Spock wanted to vomit."You're okay, you're okay, it's nearly over" McCoy shushed, "Nurse?""Fractured eighth and ninth, but his seventh is broken completely. No cartilage damage"."That same". He sighed. "Alright, kid, listen up. The laser only works on clean breaks, so while I can fix one of your ribs, the knitter can't help the others".Jim blinked again, brain sluggish and ever-so-slowly processing the doctor's words."So you've got two options" Bones continued, "Either we leave them be, and they'll heal by themselves in a few weeks... Or we break them fully now and then heal them from scratch".Spock startled. "Leonard-""Shut up!" he snapped, eyes not straying from the boy in front of him, "It's up to you, kid. A lot of pain for a short time, or a little pain for a long time. What's it to be?""... 'ow bad 're they fractured?"The doctor glanced over at Nurse Chapel who held out the mini-CT scanner."Not so bad" he answered, studying it, "Just mild contusions, really. The top rib took the brunt of the punch, but we can fix that... Honestly, the only reason the others were cracked at all was because they were already bruised. Three, four weeks heal time, tops".Jim slowly nodded. "... Leave 'em"."You sure?""'M sure. Fractured ribs ain't that bad 'n I've dealt with 'em by myself before".McCoy's hands tightened briefly around the medical scanner before he forced himself to relax."Alright... Alright, okay, we'll see how you go. For now, let's heal the one that's broken and then check for a concussion. Seventh, you said?""Yes, doctor".He stood up and reluctantly pointed the bone knitter at the boy's chest."Okay, kid, just count to five and this will all be over".Ten minutes later and Jim was curled up on his good side, half-drugged and half-asleep. The blood had been washed away from his face, revealing what would truly be a colourful palette of bruises tomorrow morning. Although there was no concussion, there were stitches at his hairline, fresh bandages around freshly torn knuckles, and yet another steri-strip holding his lower lip together. All the healing he'd done since arriving at the Academy had been completely and irrevocably undone, and to say that McCoy was more than a little pissed off, was putting it mildly.Waiting until the blond had settled, the doctor turned, grabbed Spock by the arm, and hauled him over to the other side of the room."What the actual fuck were you thinking?!""He... He held his own"."What?!""Jim. He- He almost won" Spock repeated, somewhat dazed, "If I were human, then he would have".Bones stared at him. "So you're telling me that you used your Vulcan strength on him?!""I didn't mean to-""He was injured, Spock!" McCoy snapped, "He had bloody knuckles and a split lip and bruised ribs which now, by the way, are fractured!""... Can't you heal him?""Not in the way you're thinking"."Why not?""Because he doesn't want me to, Spock. And unlike some people, I actually respect his boundaries! He'll just have to walk it off for a few days"."... Cracked ribs take approximately four to six weeks to hea-""I know, you hobgoblin, I'm a doctor, dammit!"Bones took a deep breath and ran a tired hand over his face, too bloody exhausted and frustrated and just ugh to continue fighting."... They're only hairline fractures. If we're lucky, they should take half that time to heal, at most".Spock gave a sharp nod, and the doctor studied him carefully. It wasn't like his boyfriend to ever lose control like that, let alone lose it so much that he ended up hurting someone he genuinely cared for. They still hadn't talked about the full extent of that care, but McCoy quickly pushed that thought to the side. Right now, the most important thing was making sure that the kid got fixed up, and then figuring out just what the hell had happened. Part one was more or less done; he'd let the brat sleep off the worst of the morphine here before sending him home for the night. Part two, however...The Vulcan was standing stiffly in front of him, both hands clasped behind his back, head high but eyes unfocused. There was blood on his shirt, but the startling redness revealed it to be Jim's rather than his own, and asides from a faint bruise on a particularly sharp cheekbone, he seemed uninjured.
He held his own. He almost won. If I were human, then he would have.
That admission led to a whole other load of problems, the key one being, just why the hell hadn't the brat used his Enhanced Combat?! Or, perhaps more worryingly, had he been using it? Did Jim's Enhanced Combat not work on aliens the same way Chekov's probability didn't work on alien chess? Or maybe it did work and Spock was just that good of a fighter.A bubble of pride swelled in his chest at the thought, and Bones quickly shoved it down. He hadn't spoken to his boyfriend since briefly on Wednesday morning, so he wasn't sure when this huff of his had started, but clearly, for all their sakes, it had to end now."You're never like this, hobgoblin" he said quietly, "What happened?"Spock swallowed thickly, his emotions on show, and that was enough to set alarm bells off in his boyfriend's head. Silently, he held out his hands, but although the Vulcan started to reach for them, he paused halfway there and shook his head."Migraine" he said simply, "I do not wish for you to suffer from it as well"."You want a hypo for it?""Please".Bones nodded and walked back over to the cupboards opposite them to find the right pain relief. Heading back, he passed by Jim's bed, and his heart plummeted once more at the sight of blood and bruises on such a young face."... You know, I'm almost tempted not to give it to you". Spock tilted his head in acquiescence, and the doctor snorted."Self-pity isn't a good look on you, hobgoblin. Hold out your arm".One whush later, and the hypo was empty."Better?"The Vulcan closed his eyes. "... Negative".McCoy started, double-checked the label on the hypospray, and then frowned."It should be. This one's always worked for you before, so... it's gotta be internal... But it can't be a result of our bond, or else I'd feel it too. Is there something up with you and Chris?"He shook his head, eyes still closed as he tried to locate the source of the headache. His partner waited patiently, knowing that this wasn't something he could help with. Instead, he took the time to study the Vulcan more closely, feeling a pang of concern as he noticed the dark rings under his eyes and the hollowness of his cheeks. It was clear that this was more than a simple headache, but he struggled to come up with a reason why. It wasn't the vomiting bug, since he was lacking the most obvious symptom, and Spock rarely got sick anyway. In fact, the only other time that McCoy could remember his boyfriend ever looking so bad was..."Oh".Christ, he was a fucking idiot.Spock reopened his eyes and gave him a curious look."Leonard?""What date is it?"He frowned. "The date? It is February elev-"A beat of silence."... Oh" he echoed, "February eleventh... It is her anniversary today"."Spock, shit, I am so sorry, I completely forgot between Jim arriving and that fucking bug making a relapse and-""Leonard" he interrupted quietly, "It is understandable. I, too, lost track of the date with all that has happened with Jim. At least now I know the cause of my... current state".Current state meaning the migraine, grief, and belligerence that came like clockwork each year as the broken bond flared up in anguish. They had both been so busy over the last few days, they hadn't had time to prepare. Every other year, Spock had taken the day off, too at odds with his own emotions to trust himself around the students.Glancing over at the bloody and bruised boy curled up on the hospital bed across from them, McCoy suddenly realised that he kind of had a point. God forbid that Spock had sparred with someone he didn't like..."Chris didn't say anything to you?""Negative" the Vulcan replied, "I have not spoken with him yet today, and he did not mention it yesterday. He... respects my decisions"."Despite the fact you wouldn't have made this decision, had either of us remembered what fucking day it was" McCoy grumbled."You have an important job, Leonard, I do not expect you to keep track of a specific date instead of your patients. It is... illogical for me to feel remorse-""Bullshit!" he snapped, "You have every right to be upset, she was your mother!""... I should not have taken it out on Jim"."No, you shouldn't have" he agreed, "And I'm not saying that the broken bond can be used as an excuse... but what happened is understandable, even if it can't be justified. I'm still mad at you, but... well, I'm definitely not as mad, you stupid green-blooded elf!"He got a small smile in return, but it was little comfort when he now knew just how much pain the Vulcan was feeling. Bones was by no means an expert in Vulcans, but since forming a bond with one, he'd picked up a few things. And although he hoped to god that he'd never have to face a broken bond himself, he knew full well just how much agony and heartache they caused to all those involved.Carefully reaching out, he took both of his boyfriend's hands in his own, despite the wave of pain he received by doing so, and focused on sending all of his love and care and concern and affection and love back towards him."Go back home and lie down for a while" he said quietly, "I've got another hour or so here before I can clock out, but I'll see you then, alright?""Affirmative. And... And if Jim-""I'll let you know" he reassured, "But he's pretty much out of the woods now; I'll be sending him home too. We can both talk to him tomorrow, okay?"Spock slowly nodded before cautiously holding up two fingers, and McCoy readily returned the Vulcan kiss."Go on, hobgoblin. I'll be home soon".He gave a somewhat jerky nod, before turning on his heel and leaving.Bones watched him go, his heart heavy, before making his way back over to Jim. The blond was still curled up on the bed, arms held protectively close to his chest, legs pulled up tight, but when the doctor reached him, unfocused blue eyes reopened and pinned him in place."'re you mad at pointy?""A little" he admitted, "Are you?"The boy shook his head, immediately wincing when the movement worsened his pounding headache."'e needed to... to punch somethin'".He raised an eyebrow. "And that something had to be you?""Better me than... than an'body else".McCoy's heart seemed to get even heavier, and he quickly busied himself with preparing another hypospray so the kid wouldn't see him rapidly blinking."You know, one of these days, Jim, we're gonna talk about your issues with self-worth. But for now-"He sneak-attacked him with the painkiller, injecting it into the boy's neck before he knew what was happening."-now you just gotta go back to sleep, okay?"He slowly blinked, blue eyes wide and childlike and so fucking earnest."... M'kay Bonsey. I s'eep".He shuffled around a bit to get comfy, before suddenly stilling and looking back up at the doctor with a bright smile. "By a'way, you 'ave really pretty eyes".McCoy huffed a surprised laugh. "Yeah, alright, I think that's enough morphine for you, kid. Come on, lie back... You're in for a rough night".
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Chapter 22
Rough night was an understatement.Jim groaned and rolled onto his back, before hissing and immediately turning onto his stomach once more. He couldn't sleep unless he was on his back- easier to get to his feet more quickly that way -but whenever he turned he found it near impossible to breathe. He couldn't lie on his stomach because of his ribs, he couldn't lie on his right side because of the same reason, his left side was sore from being constantly laid on and the stitches at his hairline hurt from being pressed against his pillow.The result?One seriously annoyed and sleep-deprived James Tiberius Kirk.He hadn't stayed in the infirmary that long after Spock had left; only an hour or so until most of the morphine had worn off. Bones had walked him back to his room after his shift had ended, waiting long enough for him to collapse on his bed and pour him a glass of water before calling it a night himself.After another hour of restless sleep, he'd woken up cold and sore and hungry. He tried to find Bones' meal plan, before realising that he'd left his bag in the gym, so he ended up with a mug of hot chocolate that he sipped slowly and carefully while trying his best not to die. The rest of the night had passed in a similar manner. Jim just couldn't get comfortable no matter what way he turned, and as the late hour became early morning, he thanked everything he had that Bones had promised to mention his little accident to Pike so he'd have no school that day. Since it was Friday, he now had a solid three days to heal and get better and feel vaguely human again before Monday.Jim was already dreading it.What could make this day any worse-
*Bang Bang Bang*
He was going to murder someone.Glancing over at his door where the knocking had originated from, Jim silently waited to see if the person would repeat the painfully loud noise again.They did.He growled."FUCK OFF!"Silence."... I came to return your personal belongings".Jim frowned.Was that... Was that Spock?"Come on, kid, open up, we know you're in there".And... And Bones?"Give me a minute" he eventually called, struggling to get up.His ribs twinged with the movement and his head positively throbbed, but he wasn't too proud to admit that he was looking forward to seeing his sort-of friends now that he was actually sober enough to remember it. He'd cried on them, and bled on them, so the fact that they were still willing to stick around could only be a good sign, right?Staggering to his feet, he winced and pressed a hand to his side as he stumbled over to the door. It was only when his hand was on the handle that he remembered he'd taken off his shirt during the night. Jim paused for a moment, decided fuck it, and flung open the door anyway.In front of him stood the doctor and the Vulcan, the former with a medical bag, and the latter holding a very familiar-looking jacket and backpackHe frowned. "Is that my...?"Spock cautiously held them out. "You left them in the gym yesterday"."... Thanks" he replied slowly, taking them with one hand, the other still resting against his bruised chest. An area which the doctor was currently frowning at, his gaze clinical and somewhat bothered."Was that it?" he asked, and McCoy's gaze snapped back up to his. "No, actually... Can we come in?"Bones didn't know what to think when one very pissed-off Jim Kirk flung open the door and glared at them. What he did know, was that a scowling-shirtless-sleep-ruffled Jim Kirk shouldn't be that adorable to look at.What he also knew, was that no child or teenager or adult in the entirety of the fucking Federation should have that many scars. Jim's right hand was pressed against his side, clearly pained, and McCoy frowned, scanning over the red, purple, and blue bruises that littered the boy's skin. The outline of his ribs was clearly visible beneath the multi-coloured splotches and years-old pink and silver lines, and he quickly made a mental note to print out more copies of the brat's meal plan for him."Was that it?"He glanced back up at the sudden question, only to find the boy staring back at him."No, actually" he replied, "... Can we come in?"Jim gave a half-hearted shrug and backed away, leaving the door open as he left.They took that as a yes.Stepping into the room, the doctor placed a reassuring hand on Spock's shoulder, giving him a soft smile as he shut the door after them. Following the boy to the opposite side of the room, he nodded at the bed, his medical bag in hand.“Sit".Jim smirked back at him. "Why Bones, if you wanted to get me into bed that badly all you had to do was ask".He rolled his eyes at him. "Shut it, brat. Now sit!""Okay, okay!" he replied, obeying the doctor, "But you could have at least bought me dinner first".Ignoring the blatant suggestion, he knelt down in front of the blond before immediately looking back up when he heard a gasp. Jim stared down at him, a mischievous gleam in his wide eyes."Doctor McCoy! You dirty old man!"Bones frowned, before suddenly realising what a suggestive position he was in, kneeling in between the boy's legs. He scowled. "Okay. Are you going to behave? Or do I need to get Spock over there to knock you out?!"Jim glanced over the man's head to meet Spock's curious gaze from where he was sitting on the small couch. His face was impassive, as always, but the emotions in his eyes were flickering in... what? Jim frowned. Was that... confusion? He wasn't even sure if Spock himself knew."Well? Do I need to call him over here?"Jim turned back to the doctor. "Can he do that? Knock me out?"McCoy stared at him. "Yes. Easily".The blond sighed and leaned back against the wall behind him. "Fine then. I'll behave. Do your worst".As the doctor pulled on his gloves, the boy spoke again with a salacious smirk."Or your best".Ten minutes later, McCoy finished examining the surprisingly still silent Jim, and he lent back on his heels as he pulled off the disposable gloves in satisfaction."Well, the good news is that you're already healing pretty fast. I say those ribs will be fixed in no more than three weeks, and everything else should be healed before then"."And the bad news?" Jim asked."You'll definitely be able to go back to school on Monday"."Fuck".Bones frowned as he repacked his bag. "You don't want to go back?""Of course not!" he snapped, "All the classes are boring, the teachers are stupid, and the students keep asking me what my power is!""You could always just tell them"."What? No! Are you insane?!""What's the worst that could happen, kid?"Jim stared at him. "... You mean asides from everyone treating me like I'm a ticking time bomb?!""It wouldn't be that bad-""It would so totally be that bad! Everyone staring at me, wondering when I'm going to- to explode, wondering whether to touch me or not and-"He abruptly stopped.McCoy frowned and followed his gaze to where Spock remained seated on the couch, staring at them with a tilted head and a curious look on his face. Which actually gave him an idea..."You should tell him"."What?! No! Why?""Because he's your counsellor, brat". Bones sighed. "And it'll make his job a hell of a lot easier if he knows"."You don't know that"."Yes, kid, I do. You weren't the only one who came here with trust issues, you know".Jim turned to him in surprise, and Bones met his gaze evenly."I'm grumpy by nature, kid, but I used to be a hell of a lot worse. And as unlikely as it may seem, Spock helped me. So let him do the same for you!"The blond frowned, glancing over at the Vulcan once more, obviously reluctant to give up even a fraction of his secrets. The doctor sighed before making his decision. If neither of these idiots were going to sort out their trust issues themselves, then he was just going to have to do it for them.Standing up, he held out a hand to Jim and then immediately squashed a happy smile as the boy took it without a hint of hesitation. Leading him across the room, he gently but firmly shoved him down in the armchair opposite the Vulcan. Taking a seat on the edge of the coffee table between them, he gave them both a pointed look."It's about damn time that you two got over yourselves, so I propose a trade. A power for a power. Go".Jim immediately frowned. "He doesn't have a power, he's Vulcan"."Half Vulcan" he corrected.The blond froze."... And half human".He abruptly turned to face Spock, only a slight wince and the still visible bruises betraying his injuries."You inherited a mutant gene?!"He nodded. "From my mother, yes"."Holy shit... So, like, you've got both Vulcan powers and a mutant power?""Affirmative"."... That is so fucking cool".Spock gave a small smile, genuine and somewhat surprised, and McCoy couldn't help but shake his head at the two idiots."So, do we have a deal?" he asked, "A power for a power?""... He has to go first" Jim finally decided.The doctor rolled his eyes at the childish antics but turned to Spock all the same. "Well?""Energy Wave Emission".The blond blinked. "Energy what?""Energy Wave Emission" he repeated, "It's... I can send out waves of pure energy. Those waves can shield me from physical attacks and heal minor wounds, as well as blinding, paralyzing, or even killing others"."... Holy fuck"."Thank you, Spock. Jim?""Is that the first time you've ever actually used my name?""Don't change the subject, brat" Bones warned, only getting a grin for his troubles."That's more like it... Okay. Fine. Alright. I, uh... I... kind of... you know... have Empathic Mimicry?"Spock sharply looked up.Jim stared back at him in silence."I... did not believe that was possible"."That's exactly what I said too" McCoy said, smirking, "Until Jimmy here proved it for me"."Empathic Mimicry... It explains quite a number of your actions. The lack of touch from strangers, how some mutants were allowed once you knew what their abilities were, how others are still not allowed despite knowing their powers. I had theorized that it was manifestation related; you did not reject contact from most mentally-based mutants, but you did reject contact from physical-based powers such as Leonard's, but then Professor Pike told me that he shook your hand, and then I saw Nyota touching you, which disproved the mentally manifesting power hypothesis and-""Spock!"He blinked and glanced up. Leonard was giving him a rather pointed look, and when he adjusted his gaze he realised why. Jim looked... scared, for lack of a better term. And given how few people knew of his ability, it wasn't hard to figure out why.Spock frowned. "I will not disclose your secret to anyone without your permission, Jim"."Including Pike?""... Including Professor Pike, yes".His shoulders immediately relaxed, and the Vulcan felt a surge of happiness as the boy took him at his word and believed him."May I ask what powers you have absorbed?"Jim collapsed back in the armchair with a sigh and then a wince."All of them? Okay, let's see... I've got Pyrokinesis, you knew about that. I've got Teleportation, not as fun as it sounds, Enhanced Combat, which, by the way, apparently doesn't work on Vulcans... Emotional Empathy, after I met Uhura and... Oh yeah, a mental shield that could probably even rival yours"."That... explains a lot".Bones snorted. "Yeah, tell me about it. The kid's as no-touchy as you are"."Which, actually, now that you mention it..." Jim trailed off, looking back at Spock somewhat awkwardly."I will never use my power on you without your permission, Jim"."Good. Great. That’s, uh... Glad we're on the same page".The doctor gave a rare grin that had both their hearts melting. "Well then. Now that... not everything, but some things are out in the open... What's next?""What do you mean?""Well, are you hungry?"Jim frowned. "... What does that have to do with-""I'll take that as a yes. You're too skinny anyway" McCoy replied, standing up, "So we're going down for breakfast. Doctor's orders"."I really don't want to-""What part of doctor's orders do you not understand, brat? So go put a damn shirt on! We're going whether you want to or not. At least this way I can make sure that you're eating what's on your meal plan!"Jim scowled at him but stood up anyway before marching over to his wardrobe and pulling on the first thing he saw. Neither Spock nor Bones could ignore the sense of regret as those sharp collarbones and taut stomach disappeared beneath the dark material, bruises and scars and all.It also didn't escape their notice that despite willingly showing them the faint marks on his chest and arms, Jim had been very careful not to turn his back to them so far, and Spock couldn't help but recall Nyota and Scotty's warning about the boy's scars.Just what on earth was James T. Kirk hiding?
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Chapter 23
Leaving the kid's room, Bones purposefully strode ahead so that his boyfriend and Jim could walk together. Revealing each other's powers had been a step in the right direction, after all, but there was still that tiny little matter of hey we kinda sorta maybe almost kissed that needed to be dealt with. He knew that Spock was happy with their relationship, and he definitely knew that he wouldn't cheat on him, if not because of said happiness, then because he was a Vulcan and Vulcans took bonds and lifemates very seriously. So McCoy wasn't jealous of the brat. Far from it, in fact. He enjoyed Jim's company, liked his sharp tongue and wicked sense of humour, really liked how pretty he was, and just... well, the point was, he liked the kid. He wasn't sure if that also contributed to why he didn't feel threatened by the blond or not. Of course, he trusted Spock, but even with that, surely he should be feeling something other than happiness with the boy that his boyfriend almost kissed? Was his faith in Spock really so definite? Or... Or was it something else?He could remember all too clearly the day he'd first met the brat, after all. After his panic about revealing his powers, and after the doctor had reassured him that his secrets were safe and then asked him how he was, Jim had joked-
I don't know, doc. Maybe you should kiss me better.
-and Bones... Bones had almost considered it.He couldn't not like the kid. He was smart and funny and cute to look at, and he was so selflessly kind sometimes that it hurt, especially since it was all but confirmed that he'd had an abusive upbringing. The scars on his body told a story; a long dark twisted story full of pain and anguish and tears and for someone to be so kind after all that, to be so kind and sweet and bright after everything that the kid had undoubtedly lived through...How could McCoy not fall in love with him, just a little?It was a dangerous train of thought to go down. He knew that Spock liked Jim, perhaps even more than liked, considering that he'd never seen the Vulcan take to someone so quickly and so thoroughly before. He could even guess why his boyfriend liked the brat too. Personality and appearance asides, Jim did seem to know a lot about Vulcan culture, and he was able to read the man's emotions almost as easily as Leonard and Chris could as well.So maybe his lack of jealousy and anger and grief wasn't because he trusted Spock so much. Maybe it wasn't because he knew that the younger man loved him completely. Maybe it wasn't even because his boyfriend's Vulcan heritage made it impossible for him to cheat on his bondmate.Maybe the reason he was so okay with Spock liking Jim was because... because he liked him too.He was abruptly snapped out of his unexpected realisation when he heard Spock speak behind him, and McCoy suddenly remembered just why he'd walked ahead by himself in the first place."Jim, I… I wish to apologise"."I thought you didn't believe in apologies? 'It does not make sense to forgive someone that has done you wrong simply because they put the Standard language in the correct order'".It sounded so like Spock that McCoy actually stopped and turned around to make sure it wasn't him who was speaking. The Vulcan had stopped too, equally surprised, and Jim sighed and gave him a somewhat scathing look."You're not the only one with eidetic memory, pointy".McCoy blinked. So Spock had said it, had said that exact phrase to Jim before, likely during a therapy session or when they spoke after their argument and the kid could just recite it? Just like that?!... Could he remember everything he'd survived so clearly?The Vulcan met his gaze over the boy's head and Bones knew instantly that his boyfriend was thinking the same thing. Clenching his jaw, he firmly shoved the thought to the back of his mind and started walking once more."Nevertheless, I wish to apologise" Spock continued after a moment. "I... I do not mean to hurt you, and yet I find myself unwillingly doing so on a regular basis. I should not have agreed to spar with you. I was compromised, although I did not realise why at the time, but that is not an excuse for my actions. I... I am sorry that I harmed you, Jim"."It's alright"."No. No, it is not alright. I should never have hurt you and it is never alright when somebody does so, no matter how much you feel like you deserve it".Jim's footsteps faltered, but Bones forced himself to keep walking, to keep staring ahead, to keep himself from reaching out to grab the kid and run. This was Spock's mistake and Spock's apology only, no matter how much he wanted to be there for both his partner and the brat he was so unsettled by."I... I'm sorry too, then" Jim replied, "I knew you were... well... not yourself, but I... I yelled at you anyway, and- and pushed you into accepting the fight because-"He stopped but the Vulcan refused to let it drop."Because...?"A beat of silence and then-"... Because I thought that it would help. You were clearly frustrated about something, and- and it seemed like you had a killer headache too, so I- I knew that you were annoyed and angry and- and just wanted to- to punch something, so... so that's why I suggested the fight"."You offered to spar with me... because you knew that I would hurt you?"Spock sounded appropriately horrified and McCoy clenched his fists by his side to keep himself walking."Not that you'd hurt me! Or, well, at least not- not because of that. I wasn't... I wasn't looking for a fight, I didn't want to- to get beaten up! I just... I thought that you'd feel better, and- and you did, so... so it was okay".Their footsteps stopped once more and Bones allowed himself a single glance over his shoulder. Spock was standing in front of the blond, both hands on his shoulders, knees bent slightly so that they were at the same level as he waited until the boy met his gaze before speaking."It is not okay, Jim. It is never okay for you to get hurt. Never. I understand your thought process and I- I am grateful for your reasoning, and I cannot adequately express my appreciation for what you did for me. But that does not, under any circumstances, negate that I was wrong. You did not deserve to be hurt, and no matter how much your pain improved my well-being, the fact that it caused you pain means that whatever I felt was irrelevant. You do not deserve to be hurt, Jim, regardless of how that hurt may benefit others".The boy was staring at him, wide-eyed and- and so fucking confused that it took every single atom in McCoy's body to keep his feet firmly planted where they were."You do not ever deserve to be hurt" Spock repeated, voice unwavering and unyielding in equal measure, "I do not know what your childhood was like, Jim, and although I have numerous hypotheses, not a single one of them is... pleasant. But you did not deserve to be hurt back then, you did not deserve to be hurt by me, and if- if anyone, including myself, ever hurts you again in the future, then you will not deserve that either. Do you understand?"Still wide-eyed and now slightly teary, Jim jerkily nodded."Good" he finished firmly, "And if anyone... if anyone ever does hurt you, or tries to, or threatens to, or- or does or says anything that could cause you pain... then you must inform me at once, and they shall be dealt with accordingly".The boy gave a somewhat hysterical laugh. "My own Vulcan bodyguard, huh?"Spock straightened up and glanced over at the doctor who was doing a really bad job at pretending to not listen in."It is not me that they should fear".The blond followed his gaze and electric blue eyes widened once more."You?!"McCoy cracked his knuckles and smirked, quick and dark and dangerous and Jim immediately felt all air leave his lungs in one single whoosh."Me" he agreed, "You're not the only one who can fight, brat".Jim stared at them. Stared at the doctor dressed like a rockstar with three days worth of stubble and a sharp jawline and a tight shirt. Stared at the Vulcan dressed like an anarchist with ripped gloves and scuffed boots and dishevelled hair. Stared at the two most insanely attractive intelligent compassionate people that he had ever even heard of, both of whom who'd just declared war and not-so-subtly hinted at beating the absolute shit out of anyone who even so much as glanced at him wrong."... I feel like I'm dreaming".Bones snorted and turned to start walking again."Well, let me put it this way brat. If anyone ever does hurt you, then I'll make them feel like they're in a fucking nightmare".“Hey, daisy!”Jim turned, haphazardly balancing the plates on his tray, and grinned as he saw a familiar Asian walking towards him.“S’up flower king?”He frowned when he reached the blond, taking in the stitches and butterfly bandages on his face."Woah. What the hell happened to you?"“Spock” he admitted, and the man whistled. “What did you do to him?”“We were just sparring. After you left defence class last night, I went up to him to see if everything was alright and he, uh... he was kinda having a bad day”.“Tell me about it” Sulu said, examining the bruises littering the boy's jaw, “You two alright now?”“Yeah, we’re good”.“Great”. He nodded. “Cause, you know, if you weren’t, then I’d have to beat him up to defend your honour and virtue... or what’s left of it anyway”.He playfully hit his shoulder. "Hey! You take that back!"“Make me”.Jim grinned suggestively. “Oh, believe me, I have my ways”.“I’d like to see you try”.“You know you love me”.There was a pointed cough behind him.“Well, I should hope not”.They both turned at the voice, and Jim frowned as he saw another man step around him to throw an arm over Sulu's shoulders.The Asian man smiled. “Ben, meet Jim Kirk. Jim, this Ben Jung, my boyfriend”.“Boyfriend?” he exclaimed, looking between them, "You- You have a- You're- You're cheating on me?!”Sulu pretended to consider it."Well... I mean, technically... you're the side piece. So really, I'm only cheating on Ben"."Oh, cruel world" his partner deadpanned, "How can I ever recover from this heartbreak?"Jim laughed at Sulu's annoyed expression."I take it that flower king here is a serial flirter, then?""Oh, like you're one to talk!"Ben smirked and glanced down at his boyfriend."Flower king, huh? That's a new one. I like it"."Don't worry, sweetheart, I'll always be your king"."And that's my cue to leave" Jim announced, causing both men to laugh."Well, don't feel too left out, daisy". Sulu smirked. "We'll find you a cute blond here eventually".He immediately wrinkled his nose and shook his head."Not into blonds?" Ben continued, completely missing the point, "That's alright, we've got plenty of brunets to choose from too"."And speaking of brunets..."Jim followed his gaze and couldn't help but smile as he saw a familiar doctor walking over to them with a tray piled high with food in his hands."You causin' trouble, brat?""Of course not!" he protested, "I'm just innocently chatting up some handsome young men, Bones".McCoy gave the couple a quick glance over before turning back and rising a solitary eyebrow at him."Innocently chatting up some handsome young dating men?""... Well, when you put it like that, I sound like a homewrecker”."Are you not?" he asked wryly, and Jim immediately clasped a hand to his chest."The accusations! Flower king, I demand that you beat him up to defend my honour and virtue!""Sulu, if you take one more step towards me then your yearly physical is gonna come up real soon".The man paused, opened his mouth, closed it, and then quickly stepped back."Sorry, daisy"."Coward!""Oh, stop acting like an infant!" McCoy shot back, "Spock got us a table. You have your food?"He nodded. The doctor glanced down at his tray."… Really?"Jim scowled at him. "What’s wrong with my food?""It’s unhealthy. That much bacon? Really?""I’m young. Sue me"."Your body will with that high a cholesterol!"“Well, what do you want me to eat? Porridge?!”"Yes"."You- Are you serious?! You cannot possibly be serious!"McCoy rolled his eyes in exasperation and began swapping the plates on their respective trays. Out went the black pudding and sausages and hash browns and on went the porridge and apple slices and low-fat buttered toast. When it came to the plate of bacon, however, Jim grabbed it before he could take it off."No"."Yes"."No"."Brat, I'm warning you"."Three pieces"."No"."Five pieces"."No!"Jim paused, glanced down at the plate of bacon held between them, and then bit his lip."... Ten pieces?""In what world does that even make sense?!" he exclaimed, "Why the hell would I agree to more bacon?!"The boy looked up at him and pouted."One piece? Please? Pretty please?"Bones stared at him, stared at his ridiculous floppy hair and wide mournful eyes and stupidly pouty lips and-"... One piece. But that's it!"He quickly yanked the largest piece of bacon off the plate and immediately hid it beneath a piece of toast, as if scared that the doctor would change his mind."Thanks, Bonsey, you're the best!""Yeah, yeah, whatever, you absolute menace. Now scram! Spock's sitting by the window over there, so go bother him instead".The boy grinned and took off after a rushed goodbye to Sulu and Ben, the former of which narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He watched as McCoy tracked the boy's movements across the room until he reached the Vulcan, before nodding to himself with a small smile. There was something strangely akin to affection on his face, a look that Sulu had only ever seen directed to one person, and one person only, before.A quick glance at his boyfriend revealed that the older man had seen it too."Hey, doc, you're still dating Spock, right?""What?" McCoy seemed to shake himself out of it and turned back to them. "Yeah. Yeah, of course I am, why wouldn't I be?""Oh, no reason" he replied breezily, "Just wondering".The doctor gave him an odd look before muttering a goodbye and heading back to the replicator to get new food. They watched him go and wondered if he had any idea of just how smitten he appeared whenever he looked at Jim.Wondered if he had any idea that the boy in question looked back at him in the exact same way as well."Huh" Ben said, watching them go, "Looks like my earlier comment about brunets wasn't so far off the mark, after all".
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Chapter 24
Jim slid into the bench opposite Spock with his tray of disgustingly healthy food."Hey pointy, what's up?"The Vulcan raised a solitary eyebrow."The correct response, I believe, is the ceiling".The blond gasped."Did you just- Did you just make a joke? Are you feeling alright? Cause Bones should be here soon and he's a doctor and he can check you over and-"The corner of Spock's mouth twitched, and Jim couldn't help but grin stupidly at the small victory."So, come on, what happened?""You seem rather certain that something has occurred since I last spoke to you four-point-nine minutes ago"."Well, yeah. You've got that-" He made a vague gesture with his hands. "-look".A sculpted eyebrow rose once more. "A... look?""Yeah, you know, the whole 'I have received information pertaining to you but I am unsure how to inform you' look. That look".Spock blinked at him, simultaneously in awe of the fact the boy could read him so well but also somewhat disturbed by how the boy could read him so well after only knowing him for a single week."Professor Pike messaged me" he finally said, "I told him about our... incident, and have accepted all responsibility. If you wish to press charges, then-""Woah, woah, woah, hang on!"The spoon full of porridge that was raised halfway to his mouth clattered back into the bowl below."Why the fuck would I want to press charges?!" Jim exclaimed, "Spock, I literally started the fight. I knew full well what I was getting into and I encouraged it! It was no one's fault but my own and- and you've already apologised like a million times!""... One time"."One time too many!" he snapped, "Spock. Listen to me. I asked you to spar. And, yes, it kind of got very out of control but... but I knew what I was getting into. It wasn't your fault that happened, and I'm sure as hell not going to- to punish you for something that I caused"."I should not have used my Vulcan strength-""You're right, you shouldn't have. But I still knew it was a possibility" he interrupted, "I'm not pressing charges, pointy. End of".Spock stared at him, at the curious emotional little alleycat that had somehow wandered his way into their lives. He was bruised and bandaged and beautiful and for someone so damaged to have such a large capacity for kindness was... staggering."Was that all that Pike wanted to say?""... No. No, he also wished for me to inform you that you will be starting your advanced placement classes on Monday"."Oh. Alright, cool, thanks".Jim picked back up his spoon and reluctantly took a bite of plain porridge. He immediately hated the fact that it didn't taste as bad as he thought it would. A moment later, Spock turned back to his own gespar fruit and they ate in silence until McCoy returned with a new tray and sat down next to his boyfriend."You're being suspiciously quiet"."Me or Spock?" Jim immediately countered, and the doctor gave him a look. "You, brat, rather obviously. Something happen I should know about?""Spock told Pike he beat me up and now pointy wants to be arrested for it".McCoy paused, a piece of toast raised halfway to his mouth."... And are you? Going to press charges?""What? No! Of course not!""Good".Spock gave his partner a disbelieving look, but the doctor held his ground."You were emotionally compromised, hobgoblin. Yeah, you still shouldn't have agreed to the fight, a fight, which, by the way, the brat over there started, but you weren't exactly in your right mind, either. Why the hell should you be arrested for something that wasn't fully your fault?""Exactly what I said!""It was still partly-""Shut up" Bones interrupted."Leonard-""What did I just say?""... I must-""No" he cut off, "Eat your freaky Vulcan fruit, hobgoblin, and accept the fact that you're forgiven".Spock looked suitably chastised and Jim grinned at the doctor in response."Pike also told him that I'm starting my new classes on Monday"."Yeah?" he purposefully kept his voice level, "How do you feel about that?""I feel quite well, Psychiatrist McCoy"."Watch it, brat. Am I not allowed to care about your happiness?"That drew Jim up short. He knew, theoretically, at least, that friends cared about each other, and he also knew that Bones and Spock were easily the closest things to friends that he ever had. They'd even sworn to beat up his playground bullies for him, too. But still, there was something strangely different about knowing hypothetically that they cared and actually hearing it from the sources themselves.As if sensing his inner turmoil, the doctor's face softened."I meant it when I said I'd look out for you, kid" he said quietly, "The hobgoblin too. I know that we're technically staff and all, but... but you're still our friend, alright?""... Alright, Bones"."Good" he finished, somewhat gruffly, "Now let's never bring that up again. You got your timetable yet?"He smirked and shook his head. "Pike will probably drop it in some time, or call me to his office or something. Do you know what my classes are?"McCoy turned to Spock expectantly, and the Vulcan nodded once."You have been added to the register for the advanced placement classes for each of your previous four subjects. You also have the option of taking an elective, or two, if you so wish, though I would dissuade you from attending any more classes than that until you can balance your workload".The blond took another spoonful of porridge and chewed slowly."Two electives, then. Astrophysics and Stellar Cartography, right?"Spock gave him a surprised but pleased look, and McCoy had the feeling that they'd talked about this before.Jim ducked his head and gave a one-shouldered shrug. "You, uh... You said I'd find them interesting, so... so I might as well give them a try, I guess"."That... is a logical decision"."You know, I'm not always ruled by those pesky human emotions" he teased, "Occasionally I am actually capable of making a good decision"."Very occasionally" McCoy added dryly."Hey!""Oh, I'm sorry, do you need me to give an example?" he challenged, "Let's start with the fact that you're seventeen years old and decided that illegal boxing was somehow a good idea. Then you pickpocketed two strangers who were following you, made them chase you halfway across Las Vegas, and then decided to join them straight after a fight. Then you refused to tell Chris what your power was, tried to refuse telling me, your doctor, what your power was, and then adamantly protested against the therapy that you so obviously need. Then you decided that challenging an angry Vulcan to a sparring match was a brilliant idea-" "Okay, okay, I get the picture!""Do you?"Jim stuck out his tongue at the man, a ridiculously childish move that should not have been so cute, before shoving the last spoonful of porridge into his mouth and shoving his bowl away.Bones raised an eyebrow at him and Spock poorly hid an amused smirk.Still maintaining eye contact, the boy very purposefully reached underneath his slice of toast, picked up the piece of bacon, and took a large bite.They were almost finished with their breakfast when Jim first saw him.Or, more accurately, heard him.A bark of laughter caught his attention and he turned his gaze to the centre of the room where a dozen people were crowded around one table. In the middle of the group, perched on the table instead of the bench and very clearly the source of everyone's amusement, sat a rather harsh-looking man.Yet despite his less-than-traditionally-handsome features, there was something almost... attractive about him. Jim had often been told that he had a natural air of charisma, no matter how fake a mask it was, but for this man... for this man, that mask was real. He was tall and broad and grinning and there was something cruel in that grin, something that promised trouble, but at the same time... Jim couldn't help but want to smile back. He had bright eyes and a captivating look and was by far the most interesting thing he'd seen all day.Picking up an apple slice at Bones' insisting look, he nodded in the man's direction."Who's that?"The doctor followed his gaze and immediately scowled."Not anyone you want to know, kid, trust me".And wasn't that a curious answer?"Why?" he pressed, "Who is he?""You don't want to know"."If I didn't want to know, then I wouldn't be asking"."Leave it, brat".Jim frowned and studied the man closely. McCoy was tense, obviously so, and there was something hard in his expression. Whoever this mystery person was, he'd clearly crossed paths with Bones before. A quick glance at Spock revealed a similar countenance. The Vulcan's face was strangely blank, and his eyes were downcast and guarded. The stranger had upset both of them, then."What did he do?""What?""Giggles over there" Jim continued, "You clearly have some complaint against him. So, what did he do?"McCoy glanced at Spock and surreptitiously took hold of his hand beneath the table. He sent a wave of calm and love and trust even as he turned back to the boy in front of them and gave him a warning look."It's a long story. But trust me, kid, he's bad news. So stay away from him".Jim couldn't help but bristle, a deep-rooted animosity for authority rising up inside him at the blatant order."And if I don't?"McCoy's eyes flashed in anger."Then he'll poison you and drag you down with him! So don't go near him!"The blond hummed noncommittedly, wondering just what the hell the stranger had done to get Bones so quickly riled up, and he found his attention drifting back to the source of the problem. The man was still grinning, his fan club laughing around him as he spoke, and Jim got the strangest urge to get closer, to hear his voice, to become one of his followers-He blinked and shook his head, turning back his food tray.To become one of his followers? Where had a thought like that come from? Jim hadn't followed anyone a day in his life and he sure as hell wasn't going to start now.... Still, though, there was something undeniably attractive about the stranger, and Bones' insistence that he stay away only made him want to get even closer.Maybe his charisma was power-related? Something told him that McCoy wouldn't answer even if he did ask, and Spock was starting to look oddly ill. There was a story there, that much was for certain, and one that involved both Bones and the Vulcan. Maybe that story was the reason they were such close friends today... Either way, the attractive stranger was definitely mysterious and there was nothing that Jim loved more than a good puzzle.And besides.What Spock and Bones didn't know, wouldn't hurt them, right?
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Chapter 25
Jim was somewhat... troubled.After his breakfast with Bones and Spock Friday morning, the atmosphere had remained tense. The doctor had left immediately after to work in the infirmary, and although Jim tried, so obviously painfully tried, to keep the conversation going with the Vulcan, he had soon declared he had meetings with students to attend to as well. The blond had returned to his room alone and had stayed there until evening.Pike dropped in his timetable and class syllabi Saturday morning, along with a very stern lecture about 'don't antagonize compromised Vulcans'. Jim only paid half attention to him, instead wondering whether or not to question the man about the stranger in the canteen. In the end, he decided against it, both because he literally didn't even know the man's name so chances were it would be futile anyway, but also because Pike looked genuinely worried as his sharp gaze roamed over the bruises and bandages on his face.He didn't want to give the man any more reason to regret bringing him here.When he left, Pike clapped a hand on his shoulder, his thumb brushing the side of Jim's neck, and a wave of concern worry compassion sorrow trust relief exasperation concern crashed over him."Take care of yourself, Jim. I'd hate to see you get hurt again".Which only caused his own emotions- worry distrust happy surprise confusion warmth -to flash like neon lights behind his eyes. It made him wonder if seeking out the mystery man was not such a great idea after all. Whoever he was, he was clearly dangerous, because there was no way that that level of charm and charisma came naturally to anyone. In finding the answers to his questions, Jim would very likely get hurt in the process, and then Pike would be sad again.But then Jim remembered that he always gets hurt, no matter what he does, and decided fuck it, let's find out who this guy is.His new resolve was only strengthened Sunday morning when he met Spock by the secluded fountain for their therapy session. They only played one game of chess, albeit a long one, and their conversation was stiff and stilted. Whoever the stranger was, he'd seriously done a number on the Vulcan considering that Spock was still so obviously agitated two days after asking about him. If nothing else, then Jim wanted to find out the story behind that, even if it was just to kick the brunet's ass in retaliation for upsetting his friend.So. The decision was made. Jim would somehow track down this mysterious stranger again, do some recon, and then maybe strike up a conversation with him.What he hadn't been expecting, was for the mysterious stranger to track him down first.Monday dawned clear and bright and Jim was in an unusually good mood. The steri-strip on his split lip had come off naturally, he'd removed the bandages on his face and knuckles by himself the night before, and even his ribs weren't as achy as they usually were.He had a check-up with Bones scheduled that evening, his new teachers weren't idiots (so far, at least), and by his last class of the day, he was feeling strangely optimistic about his new... home.He had Quantum Chemistry next, a subject that was technically only available to university-age students, but it helped to have the headmaster of the Academy on your side. Pike had convinced Professor Sofak to let him sit in on a lesson or two to prove his intelligence, and that they'd then see how things went from there. So for the first time in a long time, Jim was excited."James Kirk?"He obediently made his way to the woman standing at the top of the room and nodded."Yes ma'am".She glanced him up and down, seemingly unimpressed."You're here to listen in?"He nodded again."... Fine. Sit in the back. Take notes. Stay quiet. Understood?"He refused to get annoyed at her coolness towards him."Understood".Turning, he ducked his head against the curious stares of the other students, before almost stumbling as he caught sight of one very familiar face indeed. The mystery man sat in the middle of the room with a lazy grin and a bored expression. As Jim passed, his head turned to follow, and the boy was acutely aware of those fever-bright eyes tracking his every movement until he took a seat in the last row of the room. The moment he sat down, however, Professor Sofak called for everyone's attention, and that piercing gaze disappeared.Jim was left feeling strangely bereft.What followed was the most fast-paced high-brow incredibly-intelligent class that Jim had ever attended. His hand ached from taking notes, his brain ached from all the new information, and his jaw ached from his ridiculous grin at the realisation that now, at last, he was somewhere that provided him with a challenge.As the bell rang, the other students quickly packed up to run to their next class. Grateful for his free hour, Jim took his time and wasn't surprised when Professor Sofak walked down the aisle and stopped next to his desk."Well?" she asked, face expressionless, "Shall I inform Headmaster Pike that you are best suited to basic chemistry like the rest of your age group?"His grin immediately fell."Actually, ma'am, I think this is exactly the class I belong in".She raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow."Oh really? Then tell me, Kirk, how are interatomic interactions represented in adiabatic chemical dynamics?"He'd never before been so grateful to have an eidetic memory."As single scalar potentials, also called potential energy surfaces. First defined by Born–Oppenheimer approximately in the early twentieth century, it was later developed to include the transition state theory which now enables the method to create simple estimates of unimolecular reaction rates from just a few characteristics of the potential surface... ma'am".Her eyed widened in surprise, and then slowly, ever so slowly, she gave a minuscule smile."Correct... Don't fall behind".And with that, she spun on her heel and strode from the room.Jim let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding and shakily got to his feet. Tossing things into his bag, he couldn't help but give a satisfied grin. He was in, which meant he could actually learn something, which meant that even if this whole mutant-Starfleet-Academy thing didn't work out, he'd at least be better off leaving than he had been arriving.The sound of slow applause startled him, and he spun with both hands already outstretched to defend himself only to find-
Mystery man.
He was leaning on the edge of his desk, smirking, even as he continued to slowly, almost patronizingly, clap."That was quite a show" he said, and- holy fuck did he have a smooth voice, smoother than rich chocolate and honey and bourbon all wrapped up into one, "I was almost impressed"."Almost?""I'm hard to impress" he countered, pushing himself up and prowling closer. "I don't believe we've met".Oh, but two could play at that game."You're right" Jim replied breezily, "You would've remembered".The man's smirk slowly widened into a treacherous grin, and the blond started to realise that he did everything slowly. Slowly, purposefully, always in control."I don't doubt that for a second". He held out a smooth-skinned hand. "The name's Mitchell. Gary Mitchell. And you are?"Jim contemplated replying with your worst nightmare before deciding that was a bit much even for him."Jim" he said instead, "Jim Kirk. And I, uh... I don't really do the whole close contact thing".The man- Mitchell -lowered his arm with another smirk."Oh, well, now that's a shame. Here was I, hoping that we could get very close indeed... Any chance of making an exception?"He was so bloody sure of himself."No" Jim said shortly, beginning to wonder if Bones had been right to warn him away from this guy."Not even for poor ole' me?"There was something dangerous flickering in those russet-coloured eyes."Not even for poor old you" he snapped, "Excuse me".Jim shouldered his backpack and tried to walk back, but Mitchell put a hand on top of both desks on either side of him, caging him in. Since he was in the last row, he had the wall to his back, but the blond quickly shoved down any and every inkling of fear as he reminded himself that he could quite literally teleport."I noticed you staring at me, the other day. In the mess hall"."What can I say? I'm too curious for my own good".He laughed, a warm cheerful sound that still managed to chill the boy to the bone."You know, that’s the part where most people blush and try to deny it"."I’m not like most people"."... You’re right. You’re not" he replied, "So tell me, princess, why don't you do the whole close contact thing?"Jim internally seethed at the patronizing nickname."Maybe I've just got high standards for those I let touch me".And oh, he did not like that. Mitchell's eyes flashed in anger, his grin immediately turned to a snarl, and for a split second, Jim actually wondered if he'd be able to teleport faster than this predator could pounce.But then, just like that, the man was smiling again.At the exact same time, Jim felt a piercing pain in his mind.He reacted automatically, mental shields crashing down around his memories as he forced the intruder out of his head even as externally he automatically teleported away to protect his physical form too. He landed with an oof at the other side of the room, the door on one side and five rows of desks between him and Mitchell on the other Mitchell who, for all intents and purposes, looked shocked.Slowly turning to face him, it took a second for him to cover up his surprise, but when he did, his smirk was as wide as ever."Now I'm actually impressed. Teleportation and Telepathy?""No".He frowned. "Psionic Manipulation?""Nope"."... Psychic Navigation?"He shook his head."Then how the hell is your mental shield so good?”Jim smirked. "Oh honey, I'm good at everything".Mitchell slowly grinned, lecherous but seemingly genuine, and gestured at the door."May I walk you back to your room?""Why?""Why not?"The blond thought for a minute, realising that it'd be kind of hypocritical of him to say no considering that he lived his own life by the why not mantra too, before finally nodding. It would at least give him the chance to confirm his suspicions of the man - if he really was as dangerous as Jim thought, and not the good fun kind of dangerous either. And besides, he could always teleport.Mitchell's grin widened."After you".The telepath seemed to have learned his lesson, and as they made their way back to the dorms, he didn't try to enter his mind again. Jim still remained cautious though, having spent far too much of his life living by his survival instincts to give up now. He intended to teleport away before they reached his room, because there was being friendly and then there was leading an apex predator directly to your front door, and he was much much too smart for that.Mitchell, completely unaware of his plans, was talking animatedly despite his sharp gaze memorising every stair and corner that they took. And as much as Jim loathe to admit it, the guy was actually pretty interesting. They discussed the Quantum Chemistry lecture, delved off into a tangent about Quantum Mechanics, and even discussed the pros and cons of the latest slipstream drive aboard Federation starships, and Jim was smugly satisfied to find out that he knew a lot more than Mitchell in that regard.Once they were one staircase and two turns away from his room, Jim halted, and Mitchell turned to him with a frown."Why did you stop walking?""Because this is where I leave you" he replied, smirking, "Goodbye, Mitchell".A laser-quick hand shot out and grabbed his arm before he could blink."Not so fast, princess. We weren't done with our conversation".Jim felt the first inklings of panic. He could still teleport away, of course, but the problem was, with Gary's vice-like grip around his wrist, he'd be brought along too. "Let go of me".The man's grin was smooth and charming and positively vicious."But don't you want to invite me in?"Jim could feel his skin starting to heat up, the flames rising to the surface to protect him like they always did."Not particularly" he bit out, "Now let me go before I deck you!"He laughed. The bastard actually laughed."Oh, I don't think so, princess. Is that any way to treat your friend?""You're not my friend!"Mitchell's grin abruptly dropped and his eyes burned with a sudden ferocity that had Jim reeling back in fear."Then I think it's about time we changed that, don't you?"His hand slipped down to touch bare skin, there was another piercing pain in his head, a stabbing agonizing shattering of his mental shields and then- Nothing.Jim slowly blinked and took in his surroundings.He was in his room, lying on the couch with his backpack at his feet. His shoes were thrown haphazardly on the floor next to him, and his jacket was slung over his chest and shoulders.Strange.He didn't remember taking that off."There you are".He startled at the voice, head snapping to the side but his arms got tangled in the jacket as he tried to raise them, leaving him defenceless until he could-"Mitchell?" Jim blinked, but the man didn't change. "What are you doing here?"There was a brief flash of... something in his eyes before it vanished once more."You invited me in, remember?""No, I... I don't".He gave an easy grin. "Oh well, I'm not surprised. You collapsed immediately after"."I... what?"His expression turned concerned."You collapsed, princess. Right after you asked if I wanted to come inside. I used your keycard to open the door and carried you as far as the couch. I also made hot chocolate, cause you said you liked it, so, here".Jim slowly sat up, letting his jacket fall to the ground as he reached out with a slightly shaky hand to accept the mug.So much of that just- just didn't make sense.To begin with, he still couldn't remember inviting Mitchell inside. It wasn't something that Jim would do, not with someone he'd only met half an hour ago and definitely did not know. There was also something bothering him in the back of his mind, something about Mitchell and bringing him to his room and teleporting? But for the life of him, he couldn't grasp why.A quick scan of his mental shields revealed them all to be intact and just as strong as ever, so he wasn't sure why his head was feeling so fuzzy. But Mitchell said he'd collapsed, so... maybe that was why? But why had he fainted in the first place? Maybe because of his head wound? But that didn't make sense either, because he'd been fine all day and he hadn't felt lightheaded since Friday. So, in theory, the only possible logical conclusion that he could make, was that Mitchell was telling the truth. "You alright there, princess?"Jim realised he'd been staring at the mug of hot chocolate for far too long."Yeah... Yeah, I'm good". He gave the man a tight smile. "Thanks, for, uh... you know"."Of course" he replied, smirking, "I mean, what are friends for?"Something pinged in the back of his mind, but it was gone before Jim could examine it closely."... Yeah" he echoed, "Yeah, what are friends for".He didn't need to be touching the man to see the smug satisfaction that radiated off of him.Turning back to the cup in his hands, Jim took a cautious sip. It was definitely hot chocolate, and from his replicator too, but he didn't remember talking about food with Mitchell at all, and him telling the man that he loved hot chocolate was... weird. He never told anyone anything about his likes or dislikes or him in general, really, because knowledge meant power and power meant they could hurt him. So for him to tell a complete stranger what his favourite drink was when he hadn't even told Bones was-"Oh shit" Jim blurted, "Hey, what time's it?""Just after four, why?""Shit!" he repeated, struggling to get to his feet, "I'm late for a doctor's appointment, oh man, Bones is gonna be so mad-""Bones?" Mitchell's gaze sharpened. "Who the hell is Bones?”"My doctor. Bones. McCoy. Uh- Leonard, I think? Leonard McCoy" he rambled, putting his cup on the table and tugging on his shoes, "I call him Bones cause- well, it's a bit of a long story but the nickname fits and he likes it even though he pretends he doesn't and- and that nickname's pretty much the basis of our friendship so-""Stop".Jim paused and glanced up, confused."What?"Mitchell was glaring at him."I said stop. That- That bastard is not your friend!""I- what?!"The older man walked over, took his second shoe from his hands, and none-too-gently shoved him back down on the couch."I said, he is not your friend!" he snapped, "He's just a doctor and not a very good one either!""Woah, hey, hang on a minute-""He's not your friend, Jim, he will never be your friend!" Mitchell looked almost manic. "Don't you see? He's lying to you! You even said it yourself, he hates that stupid nickname just like he hates you and-""What the fuck are you talking about-""Listen to me!" he snarled, gripping either side of his face in a vice-like hold, "McCoy is not your friend. And neither is that filthy half-breed! They're just playing you!""Holy fuck, do you even hear yourself?! What the fuck is wrong with you-"A harsh mouth slammed against his own.Eyes wide, Jim bit down, hard.Mitchell yelped and jerked back but kept both hands clamping his head in place."What the actual fuck?!" Jim yelled, "What the fuck are you- How could you- Are you literally insane?!""Princess-""No! No, shut the fuck up, Mitchell! What the fuck did you just-""Listen to me!"Jim's mouth shut with an audible snap."Listen to me" Mitchell repeated, eyes dark and deep and dangerous, "McCoy is not your friend. Spock is not your friend. You have no friends or relationships except for me. I am your friend, Jim, I am your only friend. Now you are going to apologise, you are going to kiss me, and you are going to skip your doctor's appointment because McCoy does not care about you, he does not want to help you, and he most definitely does not want to be friends with you. Do you understand?!”A few minutes later, Jim blinked as a fog seemed to raise from his mind. He was lying on his couch, one of his shoes was on, the other one strangely absent, and his jacket was on the floor next to him.Gary Mitchell was currently lying full-bodied on top of him, sharp teeth mouthing at his neck.But was okay too, because they were in a relationship now. Jim wasn't quite sure how he knew this, because he definitely didn't remember talking about it but- but they were. They were together and- and dating and in a relationship- his only relationship -because they just were. It wasn't until he was lying in bed, cold and alone, later that night, that Jim realised he couldn't remember a thing that had happened after he left Professor Sofak's classroom.
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Chapter 26
Bones was more than troubled.He'd avoided Jim, like a coward, ever since their breakfast on Friday morning, too afraid of what the kid would ask about Mitchell but far more afraid of his own inability to say no to the brat. As much as he was involved in Spock and Mitchell's past, it was still firmly Spock's story to tell, and he didn't want to upset his boyfriend by revealing too much if Jim had asked. And Jim one-hundred-per-cent would have asked.So, he avoided him like the plague, ate all his meals at home, and pretended that he wasn't being ridiculously intimidated by a tiny scrawny blond little twink.He'd even considered asking Nurse Chapel to take over the boy's check-up appointment on Monday evening, before deciding that that was taking things too far. Instead, McCoy braced himself for the inevitable list of questions, determined to keep things professional, or, at least, as professional as the smart-mouthed menace could be.So when three-thirty rolled around, he gathered his PADD and every medical supply he might need, set them up on a tray next to the kid's usual bed- and how much of a trouble magnet was this brat to already have a usual bed? -and then sat back to wait.Four o'clock arrived, and the infirmary doors didn't open.Four-fifteen, no sign.Four-thirty, and Bones messaged Chris asking if anything had come up with the kid to prevent him from coming, but he only got a negative response.Four-forty-five, and he resigned himself to rescheduling the appointment with anger and annoyance and more than a little bit of apprehension.Five o'clock, and he left.The rescheduled check-up was due just after dinner the following day, but Jim skipped that one, too.Bones returned home in a bad mood and with an even worse headache and it was all that stupid brat's fault for making him worry about him.Spock also hadn't properly spoken to Jim since the disaster that was Friday morning, although to be fair, the Vulcan wasn't going out of his way to avoid him either. They still had their weekly therapy sessions, but his boyfriend had admitted that their most recent conversation had been stilted at best and purely professional. Asides from that, the boy attended Spock's self-defence class twice a week, and McCoy was hoping beyond hope that Jim would hang back this evening and talk to the Vulcan afterwards.Heading straight for the replicator, Bones dialled in the code for a mint julep and took a much-needed sip. The only good thing that had happened that day was the official declaration of no more vomiting bug, which was a relief for the entire infirmary. A school full of hormone-riddled teenage super mutants wasn't exactly an accident-free zone, so they were kept plenty busy every day as it was. Now that no one was getting sick anymore, things would hopefully start to settle down to their more usual activity level.A knock on the door made him pause, glass raised halfway to his mouth, and for a split second, McCoy allowed himself to wish desperately that it was Jim.Striding over, he hit the computer panel, flung open the door and-"Sulu?"The man gave him gave a tight smile."Hey, doc. Mind if I come in?""'Course" he replied, frowning in confusion as he stepped to the side, "Shouldn't you be in the gym right now?""I should" he allowed, brushing past, "And I'm sure Spock'll give me hell later on for skipping class, but... well, this couldn't wait".Shutting the door behind him, Bones held up his glass with a silent question, and Sulu nodded gratefully.That alone was enough to set him on edge because in the four long years he'd known the man, the doctor hadn't seen him touch alcohol once.McCoy gestured at the couch before making his way back to the replicator, returning with a second cocktail a few minutes later. Sulu nodded in thanks and downed half the glass in one go. Slowly sitting down in the armchair- Jim's armchair -across from him, Bones gave the man a worried look."Is everything alright?"The botanokinetic stared into his glass."... I'm not sure"."Do I need to get a medkit?""No! No, it's... it's not me"."Is Ben okay?""Yeah, yeah, he's fine, it's, uh... This is actually about Jim".Bones was immediately on full alert."What about Jim? Is he alright?!"Sulu drained the rest of the glass, put it on the coffee table in front of him, and then leaned forwards, elbows on knees, as he finally met the doctor's gaze."Have you spoken to him recently?"Which didn't answer his question at all."No. We... had an argument, on Friday. I haven't talked to him since, and he skipped his last two appointments at the infirmary"."Spock?""They met Sunday morning, briefly, but as far as I know, that was it. Sulu, what is this about?"The older man sighed and shook his head."... I don't know whether or not to tell you"."So you came all this way for a mint julep?""No! Of course not, I just... Alright, fine. Daisy can yell at me all he wants later, but... but this is for his own good".Now Bones was really on edge."I passed him in the corridor today, after class" Sulu started, "I hadn't seen him since Friday, so I stopped to say hi and... and he was... he was weird".McCoy raised an eyebrow. "Weird?""Look, I know how it sounds, alright? We're in a school full of mutants; every single one of us is weird. But this was... different, and not a good different either. Jim was... dazed, almost. He's one of the smartest kids I know, but it was taking him entire minutes to reply to even the most basic of questions"."Maybe he was having a bad day"."Bad enough to need a full thirty seconds to remember my name?" He shook his head. "No. No, doc, this was... this was weird. Like, super weird. Like... Like he wasn't all there, you know? He didn't use that ridiculous nickname for me once, all his answers were brief and- and almost clinical, and when I asked if he was going to Spock's defence class tonight he just... he just stared. Blankly. Like- Like he hadn't even heard the question".The doctor's heart thumped loudly in his ears.
Confusion, numbness, dissociation.
He knew all those signs very well."Was he alone?""What?""Was he alone?" Bones repeated, a touch sharper than necessary, "Was Jim alone when you were talking to him?!""Yeah".He relaxed minutely."Or-"Fuck."I mean, he- he was when we were actually speaking, but afterwards, I turned to watch him leave, you know? I mean, daisy was so out of it, I wondered if he could even walk straight, and I didn't want him falling down the stairs or anything. But just before he turned the corner, an older guy stepped in to walk beside him"."Who?!" he snapped."I don't know. I mean, I recognized him, but- but I don't actually know him. He's that tall guy with the dark hair everyone's always following around". Sulu shrugged. "A telepath, I think".Gary fucking Mitchell.It took every single ounce of willpower that McCoy had to not madly run through the halls to find the brat after Sulu had left. Or better yet, burst into the gym to get Spock and then find the brat. But no. He couldn’t. To begin with, Spock had a duty to his defence students and he shouldn't disrupt that. Secondly, if Jim was being mentally manipulated like Sulu described, then finding him would do absolutely nothing. And finally, if Bones knew Mitchell, and oh boy did he know Mitchell, then there was a pretty fucking high chance that the bastard was currently with Jim already, ready to lie and cheat and brainwash the kid into ignoring everything that the doctor said.Instead, he paced.He paced until his legs were aching, he paced until his head was dizzy, he paced until there was a fucking path in the carpet and then, only then, did Spock return home.Bones spun to face him, absolutely livid."Mitchell's got Jim".The Vulcan froze. Blinked. Blinked again. Blinked so rapidly that the doctor seriously wondered if he was having a mental breakdown, before-"Reiterate, please"."Gary fucking Mitchell has got Jim!""... I see". His voice was dangerously flat. "And how did you reach this conclusion?"McCoy angrily scrubbed at his eyes, annoyed to find them filling with furious tears."Sulu dropped by. Asked if we could talk. He said that the kid's acting like a zombie; that when they spoke there was no recognition at all... And he said that when Jim left, he left with a man fitting Mitchell's exact description".Spock slowly lowered his gym back to the floor, and considered his words for a moment before abruptly spinning on the spot and marching back to the door. Bones immediately rushed after him, only just barely managing to reach the computer before his boyfriend did."What are you doing?"The Vulcan blinked, his head tilting to the side with that same worrying blankness on his face."Leonard?"He carefully stepped between him and the door."I said, what are you doing?" he repeated, "I know that look, hobgoblin, and that look means trouble. So what the hell are you planning to do?!"Spock's gaze drifted back to the door, unconsciously clenching and unclenching his fists. "Mitchell"."What about him?""I have to... to... I need to-""-to kill him? Yeah, me too" McCoy replied quickly, "But you're forgetting about Jim".He frowned. "Jim? The only reason I find myself unable to suppress this violent outburst is because of Jim. I do not forget, Leonard".The doctor rolled his eyes. "Well, obviously, Spock. And believe me, before I even met the kid, there was nothing more in this entire universe that would have made me as happy as killing that bastard and you know this... But now we've got that brat to think about. Was Jim at defence tonight?""... Negative"."He missed his second check-up, too" Bones replied, "He's under, Spock. Mitchell has already played with his head, and the fact that he's been avoiding us means that he's been warned away from us, too"."We must help-""How, Spock?!" he exploded, "Damnit man, don't you think I want to help the brat? That I want to- to grab him and run and never look back?! That I want to kick Gary fucking Mitchell's smug teeth in?!""Why don't you?""You know why!" he snapped, "You're half Vulcan, Spock, so I need you to repress the absolute shit out of your human side right now and think about this logically!"His boyfriend studied him closely for another moment before giving a tight nod and closing his eyes. Bones watched as he took measured breaths until his hands relaxed and the look of murder left his face. When he reopened his eyes, they were calm and clear and endless."You good?"Spock carefully nodded once more, before turning and making his way over to the couch. McCoy followed and collapsed back in the armchair he'd been sitting in earlier."We need to be smart about this" he started, "You know as well as I do that if Mitchell's got control of his head, then Jim isn't going to listen to a damn word we say. Worse than that, Mitchell's going to realise that we care about him, and just what the hell do you think he'll do if he knows that boy's got leverage over us?"It wasn't exactly a question, but since Vulcans didn't understand rhetorics, Spock answered anyway."He will use it to his advantage. Mitchell desires to cause us pain, and he will not hesitate to hurt Jim if he thinks it'll help him achieve his goal"."Exactly" Bones finished bitterly, "We need Jim to turn away from Mitchell himself if we're going to have any chance of succeeding. He needs to find out what that bastard's powers are"."Mitchell will have set up mental blocks to prevent him from processing the information"."From us, yeah... But maybe not from Chris".Spock tilted his head to the side."Do you believe that Jim will listen to the headmaster?""I believe that Jim knows Chris cares about him, and that he wouldn't lie to him. Not when he doesn't have any reason to" McCoy replied slowly, "But with us, Sulu, Chekov, and the rest of the students... Chances are, Mitchell's put in some form of persuasion that'll make the kid reject the idea that we're his friends"."... He was already damaged" Spock said quietly, "It... It wouldn't have taken much".Bones felt a twisting sick sense of wrongness in his stomach and he silently stood up to join his partner on the couch, swinging his legs up to the side until they rested over the Vulcan's lap, and wrapping both arms around his chest until they were completely intertwined. Turning, he buried his face in his boyfriend's neck and breathed in the familiar soothing scent of sandalwood and peppermint."... I don't want anyone else to suffer the way you did" he finally said, "Not while I can prevent it"."Then what do we do?"The doctor sighed. "... I'll message Chris in the morning. Tell him what's happening. Tell him to- to go and put the fear of God in the brat so that he doesn't miss his next check-up... That way, at least, we'll be able to see him ourselves"."Professor Pike should inform him of Mitchell's powers in the infirmary" Spock added, "It's a... safe place, for Jim. He... He'll need it".Bones nodded against his shoulder and then gave a somewhat strangled laugh."The brat's not going to listen to a damn word we say, is he?""Based on previous interactions... it is unlikely"."Yeah, well... We'll just have to make him listen, then, won't we? We did promise to look out for the kid, after all, and I plan on taking that promise very seriously".
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Chapter 27
Jim groaned as he kicked off his shoes, dropped his bag, and then collapsed face-first on his bed."What's wrong, princess?"He reluctantly rolled over and smiled up at his boyfriend."Nothing, now that I'm here with you".Gary's eyes flashed with pleasure, and he wasted no time in crowding the boy on the bed so he could kiss the living daylights out of him."Good answer". He nipped at his throat. "Let me rephrase the question, then. What was wrong before you got here?""Pike called me into his office today".Mitchell immediately tensed."Oh yeah?" He kept his voice deliberately light. “What does the old fool want now?""Apparently, I'm not allowed to skip doctor appointments". Jim rolled his eyes. "He's rescheduled that check-up I missed for tomorrow morning at ten"."I'll go with you" Gary immediately replied, and Jim smiled at his boyfriend's considerate nature."You can't, silly! You've got that biology exam, remember? From ten till twelve?""I'll skip it".Jim pulled back to give him a look."It's worth thirty per cent of your entire grade. And I thought your professor said there'd be no make-ups?"His boyfriend glared at the realisation, and the blond quickly reached up to kiss his anger away."Thank you for offering to come with me, but I'll be fine! You can't afford to miss that test, and- and it's only a quick check-up anyway. Ten, fifteen minutes tops"."Did Pike tell you who it's with?" he asked tightly.Jim frowned and hummed as he thought. "Nurse... Chapel, I think the name was".He immediately relaxed."Good. That's- That's good, princess. Chapel is... good"."Good" he repeated teasingly, "I'll see you after, alright? We can go and get lunch together? Maybe... Maybe have a picnic?""Picnics are stupid" he replied dismissively, "We'll eat in my room as usual"."Oh... Okay then. Your room it is".Jim felt a pang of disappointment and- and something in his heart, and that odd little voice at the back of his head was screaming incomprehensibly at him again, but he quickly shoved them both down. Gary was right, picnics were stupid, and Jim hated himself for even mentioning it. Gary wanted to eat in his room, so they'd eat in his room. If Gary was happy, then Jim was happy. It was as simple as that. Jim left for the infirmary the next morning after walking with Gary to his biology class. He got thoroughly kissed before the telepath had to reluctantly let go, and now he was smiling like an idiot as he made his way through the halls. It was lucky that he found Gary because Jim honestly didn't know how he ever survived without him. They were with each other constantly, from sunrise to sunset - only the fear of getting caught kept them apart at night. Even now, as he approached the infirmary doors, Jim felt strangely bereft without his boyfriend by his side. Hollow, almost. Like... Like he was just half a person.Shaking his head against those ridiculous thoughts, he pushed open the double doors and stepped inside. Across from him, stood Bon- Doctor McCoy, Spock, and Pike.Jim froze."... Hey, guys". He gave a somewhat nervous laugh. "You know, this kind of feels like- like an intervention of some sort".They shared a look that did nothing to quell his rising nerves."Take a seat, kid".The doctor gestured at the hospital bed he usually sat on."Oh, uh, no, no, that's... that's alright, actually, I'm meeting Nurse Chapel so-""No, you're not" Pike interrupted, "I just told you that to get you here. Your appointment is with us".His fingers twitched and he automatically took a step backwards. With a flick of his wrist, the headmaster locked the doors behind him.Jim panicked."What the- What the hell?! What are you doing?! You can't- You can't lock me in here!""So teleport away" Bo- McCoy challenged."I... I can't".He immediately took a step forwards."Why not?"
Because Gary didn't like him using his powers.
"I just- I just can't, okay?!"All three men, even the Vulcan, looked distraught.They don't care about you, Gary's voice echoed in his mind, they only pretend to care so they can lie to you and trick you and use you for something.He felt his hands start to shake."Why am I here?" he asked, voice trembling too, "Why did you lie to me? Why did you trick me into coming here? What do you want?!"Spock briefly closed his eyes and took a steadying breath. Pike suddenly looked incredibly old. And McCoy sighed, pulled on a pair of disposable gloves, and gestured at the hospital bed once more."I want to give you the check-up you've been avoiding, brat. The sooner it starts, the sooner it'll be over".
The sooner he could return to Gary's classroom to wait for him.
"... Okay" he agreed, slowly making his way over, "That's what you want, but what do they want?""We just want to see you happy, Jim" Pike replied quietly."I am happy. What's making me unhappy is being trapped in a room with you three!"He jumped up on the gurney and watched the doctor distrustfully.
He hates you, he's not your friend, he's just playing you.
"So teleport".He can't! Don't they see that?! Using his powers makes Gary unhappy and he can't make Gary unhappy because when Gary's unhappy then Jim's unhappy and-"Jim".-and Spock was suddenly standing three inches in front of him.He yelped and stumbled backwards, almost falling off the bed in the process, before a strong hand grabbed his wrist and hauled him back before he could hit the ground.
Trust concern panic worry affection concern fear trust panic affection-
Jim yanked his arm back with wide eyes.Spock stared back at him, his emotions just as visible on his face as they were on his skin.But- But that wasn't right. It couldn't be! You couldn't lie to an emotional empath, that was one of the major benefits of being one, as well as a major drawback, always knowing exactly what a person thought of you no matter how hard they tried to bury it or cover it up or- "Jim" Spock repeated quietly, "Everything- Everything that Gary Mitchell has ever told you is a lie".Gary wouldn't do that, of course he wouldn't, he loved him, he said it himself and Jim trusted him, he had to trust him because Gary didn't like him using his powers which meant he wasn't allowed to read his emotions which meant he couldn't actually check if he was telling the truth but he had to be because-"He lied to you" Spock continued, voice oddly gentle, "He's been lying to you since you met him and he will continue to do so until... until he no longer finds you interesting".There was pain in the Vulcan's eyes, the sort of pain that came from deep-rooted anguish, from days, weeks, months, years of abuse and hurt and betrayal."He has manipulated your mind and planted lies in your brain, twisting your every thought until all you can think about is him. He has brainwashed you, Jim".He shook his head, slowly first and then more quickly."No... No, no! He- He hasn't, he can't, he... he's just a telepath!""Gary Mitchell has two powers" Pike said, stepping forwards, "It's not unheard of, especially not for espers. I have Telepathy, but I also have Telekinesis. Gary Mitchell has Telepathy... but he also has Mental Manipulation"."It's the ability to change people's thoughts" McCoy explained, "He can control how you think, suppress certain memories, modify how you feel about something or someone... Manipulation in its highest form".Jim stared at them, head reeling from the sudden barrage of information. It didn't make any sense, none of it made any sense! Gary was a telepath and- and he knew that, he knew what he was, he wasn't- he couldn't be- because that- that meant that he'd... he'd been controlling him since day one."... I don't believe you" he whispered, "I- I can't".Spock nodded once, still pained looking, and stepped back so McCoy could take his place. The doctor kept his expression and hands professional, carefully tilting Jim's head up to the light to see the black stitches more clearly. He frowned, briefly, concern flashing over his features as he saw the inflamed skin on either side of them.
McCoy does not care about you, he does not want to help you, and he most definitely does not want to be friends with you.
Gary had poked and prodded at the cut on his hairline, telling Jim that he hoped it'd scar because he liked his boyfriends to have scars. Jim had let him, even though it had hurt, because if Gary was happy then-"These will have to stay in another few days" McCoy said, "But everything else seems to have healed up nicely. How are your ribs?""Fine"."Fine as in actually fine? Or fine as in Jim Kirk fine?"There was a teasing smirk on the man's face, eyes full of warmth and mirth and affection, and Jim felt more at ease than he had since-Since before he met Gary.
He hates that stupid nickname just like he hates you.
Jim studied the doctor in front of him for another moment, long enough for the man's smirk to fall and a frown to replace it and concern to fill up those beautiful crystal-coloured eyes."Kid?"He slowly, cautiously, held out a hand. The doctor glanced at it, gave a small smile, and then tore off his gloves without hesitation so he could reach back.
Concern trust hope worry affection warmth concern.
Jim blinked."... Do you really get annoyed when I call you Bones?"
Shock surprise concern hurt confusion worry.
"What? No! Of course not! Why the hell would you think-"
Realisation anger concern agitation regret dismay.
McCoy looked away and clenched his jaw. Taking a deep breath, he willed himself to remain calm before turning back to the boy. Letting go of his hands, he reached up and held onto both of his upper arms instead, pushing up the blond's sleeves as he did so to maintain the physical contact."Kid, Jim, listen to me. We're friends, do you hear me? You and I? We're friends. And there is nothing, nothing, that you can ever say or do that'll change that. I care about you, you bloody menace, and no matter what stupid stupid life choices you make like Gary fucking Mitchell, I will always stick by you because we are friends. Got it?"Trust hope affection warmth embarrassment fondness trust affection worry truth truth truth-"Got it, Bones" he whispered back and was immediately rewarded with a devastating smile.Fuck, how the hell did he ever even look at Gary when he had this personification of a Greek god in his life?!But then again, if what they said was true, then...Then Jim hadn't looked at Ga- Mitchell.Straightening up, Bones started to let go of him before suddenly pausing with a frown. Reaching back, he pulled up the boy's left sleeve further, revealing-
-revealing a hand-shaped bruise.
"... What happened here, then?"His voice was dangerously even.Jim frowned too, craning his head to get a better look as he tried to remember."Uh... I think I... I wasn't walking fast enough? Gary wanted us to get back to his room after class and- and he didn't want to... you know... wait".McCoy slowly let go of his sleeve, trembling finger skimming over a strong shoulder and angular collar bone before reaching his neck. He carefully took hold of the shirt's collar and pulled it back.Jim's entire throat was covered in bruises.Spock took one look, snarled, and then stormed towards the door.Without even turning, Bones pulled a phaser from his pocket, pointed it over his shoulder, and fired.The Vulcan collapsed to the ground, unconscious.McCoy took a deep breath, eyes still latched on the mass of mottled colours around the boy's neck, and then wordlessly held out the weapon for Pike to take. The headmaster frowned but started to make his way towards them."Not that I condone the use of violence or guns in my school, I am quite grateful not to have a murderous Vulcan go on a rampage" he started, "But what, exactly, triggered it?"Bones handed him the phaser and then stepped to the side. Jim blinked at the headmaster, confused, but the older man's gaze was more focused on the marks that littered the boy's neck. His hand immediately tightened around the weapon."... Leonard, would it terribly irresponsible for me to give this back to you so you can shoot me with it too?""Funny" McCoy replied dryly, "I was just about to ask you to stun me as well".Jim frowned at them."I don't get it. Why are you all so mad? And where did you get a phaser? And why the hell did you shoot Spock?!""In reverse order, because he was about to commit first-degree murder with far too many witnesses, I might have possibly commandeered it at some point, and remember, a few minutes ago, when I said we were friends?"He nodded, still confused."Well, you see, kid, the funny thing about friendship, is that it usually leads to beating up each others' enemies or exes or pretty much anyone who upsets or hurts your friend. And one of the worst forms of hurt that one creature can inflict upon another is-"He cut himself off, entire body vibrating with barely concealed fury."Jim" Pike continued, "Jim, did... did Gary Mitchell do this to you?"His frown only deepened."Well... yeah. I mean, we are dating so-"Bones swore. Loudly. Viciously. In multiple languages. And then kicked the bedframe.On the floor halfway across the room, Spock groaned as he started to wake up.Jim still didn't understand what all this fuss was about."Kid- Kid, look at me".McCoy held out his hands for further proof, and the boy gladly took them."Do you believe that I'm your friend?""I... Yeah"."Good. Do you believe that I care about you? That I would never intentionally hurt you?""'Course, Bones"."Then do you believe that everything we told you about Mitchell was the truth?"He yanked his hands away before he could read the doctor's emotions, and McCoy gave a sad, bitter smile."You still think we're lying to you"."Not- Not lying" he corrected quickly, "Just... Just not... not-""Not what, kid? We told you what Mitchell's power is. He manipulates and he lies and he fucks with people's minds for the hell of it! If you don't trust me, then- then fine. If you don't trust Spock, then whatever. But why the hell would Chris, of all people, lie to you about that?!"The blond looked back at him unsurely, before turning to face Pike because-Because yeah. What reason did the headmaster have for lying to him? The man cared about him, he'd proven that literally the same day he'd arrived, and there was nothing that Jim had or could do that would benefit him in any way. He didn't need Jim to trust him or- or to even like him, and there was no scenario where knowing him would benefit the older man. He quite literally had absolutely zero reasons to lie."... Gary has Mental Manipulation?" The professor nodded gravely."And... And he's using it? On- On me?""It certainly looks that way"."... So he's dangerous?""Immeasurably so"."Then why the fuck is he here?!"Pike sighed, world-weary and old. "Because... Because he has nowhere else to go. There's not a prison in the world that could hold Gary Mitchell, and believe me, I've searched. Quite frankly, as dangerous as he is here... In the outside world, he'd be eminently worse"."So it all boils down to damage control, huh? The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few?""... If I could change it, if- if I could find a locked room, somewhere where- where he'd be safe and everyone around him would be too... then I'd send him there in a heartbeat, Jim. But right now... right now, keeping him here is the best option. As much as it pains me to say it".Jim's head was reeling.He couldn't believe them, he just- he just couldn't, no matter what they said, no matter how much sense it made, no matter how much he knew in his heart that it was true.He couldn't believe them.Because believing them meant that- that he was a victim and Jim had sworn to himself, sworn, that he would never become a victim again. Not after his mother, not after Frank, not after- after fucking Tarsus and-Bon- McCo- Bones cautiously reached out to touch him but Jim leaned back, away from his hand. "Don't".The doctor nodded once, tightly, and lowered his arm.He just... He just needed to think, that was all. He needed to process everything they said, everything about- about Gary and his- his powers and- and just everything and he wouldn't be able to do that here under all of their worried eyes."... You need to give me time"."Of course" Bones replied immediately, "Whatever you need- Anything that you need. We'll be here".He slowly nodded and hopped off the table, giving the men a wide berth as he headed back towards the door. Pike unlocked it with a twitch of his fingers and then looked away, and McCoy started to busy himself by organising medical supplies, but Jim could still clearly see the concern and pain and resignation in their expressions.Spock had woken up fully by now but was still sitting on the floor as his body shook off the last of the stunner's effect and- actually, now that Jim thought about it, he wondered how the electric shock had even felt considering that Spock's own power was Energy Manipulation which was technically a form of electricity so did he just absorb it and add it to his power bank like Jim absorbed powers or could he still be electrocuted like everybody else or did it actually hurt him even more considering that he already had so much energy or-Jim wanted to ask him.Wanted to sit down on the floor next to him and lean against him and stare at those ridiculous ears and talk and laugh and ask and never get up again.But he also knew that if he did sit down now... he probably wouldn't get up again.Instead, he slowed down as he passed, not trusting himself to stop completely, and gave the Vulcan a small smile. Spock smiled back, just as faint, but there was murder in his eyes and Jim couldn't help but remember-
You do not ever deserve to be hurt. If anyone ever does hurt you, or tries to, or threatens to, or does or says anything that could cause you pain, then you must inform me at once, and they shall be dealt with accordingly.
He glanced back at Bones and recalled the flash of sharp teeth and messy hair and-
It's me that they should fear. You're not the only one who can fight, brat.
Even Pike, with his bright eyes and weather-beaten face and warm hands and-
Take care of yourself, Jim. I'd hate to see you get hurt again.
... When had Gary ever said that he cared about him?
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Chapter 28
Jim knew that Gary knew that something was up.He'd been quiet since his so-called 'appointment' at the infirmary, his mind still trying to process everything even as one part of his brain shot down every conclusion. The fact that it was taking him so long to figure things was not a point in Mitchell's favour. It was like he was submerged underwater, his head fuzzy and his actions not entirely his own. It was only when he compared just how clear he'd felt without Gary the day before that he realised just how dependent on him that he'd become.And Jim didn't do dependence. Ever.Which meant that Gary was definitely doing something to his mind, but whether it stopped at simple persuasions here and there or extended to full thought control, he didn't know. So Jim did what he did best.He stared danger in the eye and he poked it.It was simple enough to blame his quietness on exhaustion from the check-up with Nurse Chapel, and his desire not to be touched on skin sensitivity after a hypospray. The fact that Gary believed that that was even possible made Jim seriously wonder how he even survived in the advanced placement classes, which, of course, led him down the entirely different route of does he brainwash his professors too?!He'd have to mention it to Pike sometime.So Jim kept himself quiet and distant and thought. Gary claimed to love him, which, again, now that he wasn't drowning in fog, was an utterly ridiculous idea considering they'd only met each other for the first time four days ago. As loveable as Jim was, he didn't think his attraction was quite that powerful. Which led him to think about why he found Gary attractive too and, spoiler alert, he quickly came to the conclusion that he didn't.The man was aggravating at best and repulsive at worst. Everything Mitchell did had to be controlled and precise and all about him. No wonder he didn't like Jim using his powers- and the blond thanked Christ when he realised that Mitchell only thought he was a teleporter and nothing else -because when Jim used his powers, all the attention was on him, and if all the attention was on him, then Gary, obviously, wasn't in control.Mitchell was... a nightmare. Everything had to be done his way, every topic of conversation was chosen by him, even the bloody clothes that Jim wore every day were liable of being yanked away if they weren't up to Gary's standards.I just want you to look good, princess, you do want to look nice, don't you actually meant I want you to look so good that everyone will be jealous of me for dating you, but I still want to look better than you.No, you shouldn't eat that because that's bad for you was really no you shouldn't eat that because you'll gain weight and I prefer you looking like a corpse.I know you don't like the nickname princess but I think it's cute meant I know you don't like the nickname princess but I'm going to continue to call you this traditionally feminine name anyway because I'm insecure about my own masculinity.I didn't mean to tear your shirt but you just made me so mad was I didn't mean to tear your shirt but I'm going to put all the guilt and blame on you so I don't look responsible for it.You shouldn't hang out with anyone else because they'll never appreciate you the way I do meant you shouldn't hang out with anyone else because then you're not paying attention to me and you might realise I'm an abusive asshole.That last thought made him pause.If Gary really was manipulating him... if he really was doing all of this by controlling Jim's thoughts and making him feel things that weren't real and suppressing any memory of them arguing or him wanting to do something else or- or him saying no, then... then Mitchell really was an abusive asshole.Jim hadn't started doubting Bones or Spock or Pike or Sulu or- or even Chekov until Mitchell first came into his life. He hadn't trusted them immediately, of course he hadn't, but he had started to, so how the hell could he go from tentatively trusting good people to immediately trusting this arrogant self-centred bastard?!The obvious answer was that he didn't.Things finally reached a breaking point Friday evening.Mitchell's exam hadn't gone well on Wednesday, Jim had completely ignored him on Thursday, and then they'd had a huge argument that night when Mitchell refused to let him go to Spock's defence class.
Like he fucking owned him.
Jim could pinpoint the exact moment that Mitchell realised he was going to lose the fight because his patronizing smirk fell, his eyes darkened, and there was a piercing pain in his head. So he immediately teleported the fuck out of there.Jim landed in his own room with a gasp, staggering forwards against the couch as the intense pressure suddenly left his mind and wasn't that just the fucking icing on top of the cake of proof?!He kicked off his shoes, tore off his jacket, and asked the replicator for a hot chocolate. It hadn't even been two hours after the whole I also made hot chocolate, cause you said you liked it scene before Mitchell had told him- told him -that he didn't want Jim drinking it anymore because it's full of sugar and chocolate and bad for your health, princess which, of course, was really it's full of sugar and chocolate and bad for me because I want you to stay skinny and underweight so you're easily overpowered.There was a twisted sense of irony in the fact that Mitchell didn't know about his Enhanced Combat.So he sat on his bed angrily, drank four mugs of hot chocolate very angrily, and thought about what had just happened abso-fucking-lutely angrily. Mitchell had just tried to manipulate him, which meant that he'd done it before since he knew that he could manipulate him, which begged the question of just how many times had he done it before?!Harnessing the power of his favourite Vulcan, Jim tried to think about this logically.Fact one: He and Gary Mitchell were dating. Problem one: He didn't actually want to date him.Fact two: He cared about and possibly even loved Gary Mitchell. Problem two: He didn't even care about and love himself, much less that odious prick.Fact three: He agreed with everything that Gary Mitchell had said and done since they met. Problem three: The only thing that Jim could even imagine agreeing with him on was his obsessive need for isolation. Now if only Jim could isolate himself from Mitchell too...The point was, no matter what way he looked at it, emotionally or logically, there was just no way in hell that Jim had ever agreed to any of this.He managed to avoid the man most of Friday.Jim stayed in his room for the majority of the day, teleporting to class mere seconds before and after the bell rang, and skipping all of their mutual classes altogether. He was too angry to eat breakfast, too nervous to have any lunch, and the thought of eating by dinner time made him feel sick. Mitchell was likely too in shock after Jim had stopped him entering his mind and then teleporting away from him to track him down, and for a brief split second, the boy actually considered that maybe he'd just leave him alone. Fate had never been kind to him, however, and Friday evening had Gary Mitchell banging on his door and demanding to be let in.Jim didn't want to do this in his room and he had kind of hoped that it would be in a public place cause Mitchell was scary as fuck when he wanted to be and he really didn't want to be alone with him ever again, but if this had to happen now then...Well. There was no time like the present, as they said.Shoeless and jacketless, he teleported to the hallway outside his room. Mitchell spun to face him, his furious eyes quickly softening into a facile image of love and concern once he realised who was there."Princess, why didn't you open up your door? You know how I feel about you using your power".And there it was, the honey-eyed sickly sweet tone of voice covering up the controlling words it said."I know you don't like me using my power" Jim replied evenly, "But I do, and it's my power, so I'm going to use it whenever the fuck I like".His eyes flashed and warning signs started to scream in the back of his mind."What are you talking about, princess? I just don't want you to exhaust yourself, that's all. I'm trying to do what's best for you"."No, actually, you're trying to do what's best for you, as usual!" he snapped, "I've realised quite a number of things these last few days, Gary, and none of them end well for you"."Princess-""Don't call me that!""But I want to call you that!" he yelled back, "And I always get what I want, princess. So why don't you just calm down, stop making a scene, and let's go into your room and talk about this, alright?""So you can manipulate me again? I don't think so".Mitchell jerked back in shock and Jim couldn't help but smirk as the man started to finally understand that he was losing control."Yeah. I know all about your little extra power. Mental Manipulation, right? And here was I, thinking we were just having a good time... but no. You have to coerce that out of people too, don't you?""Look, prin-""Shut up!" Jim snapped, "And for once in your miserable little life, Mitchell, listen! We're through, you hear me? I don't ever want to talk to you again, I don't ever want to hear from you again, I don't even want to be in the same room as you again. So get the fuck out of my life and stay that way".Gary stared at him for another moment, his shock morphing into confusion, and anger, and disbelief."... You don't mean that. I know you don't. This is- This is all just one big misunderstanding, alright? I can fix it if you'd just let me-""You take one more step towards me, and I swear I'll disintegrate you into ashes!""Oh yeah?" Mitchell took another step closer. "And just how do you plan on doing that, princess?"Jim immediately rose his hands, sparks already jumping to the surface, but before he could so much as think about-
SMACK.
He was sent reeling back, collapsing against the wall and sliding down to the floor, the entire left side of his face on fire. And not his kind of fire either. "I'm sorry, princess, I didn't mean to do that, but you just- you make me so angry sometimes that I can't-"His skin was burning."Gary?"He could taste blood in his mouth."Yeah, princess?"Jim glared up at him."Go fuck yourself".And vanished.He landed with a thud against the familiar door, his head still spinning and his cheek still smarting and his heart still pounding loudly in his ears because what if he follows him what if he finds him what if manipulates his own thoughts against him again and-"Jim?"He blinked, somewhat dazed, and gave a cautious smile as he realised the door had opened in front of him."Hey, Spock... Any chance I could come in?"The Vulcan silently stepped to the side, his gaze remaining on the red handprint that covered half of the boy's face. Jim awkwardly hovered in the centre of the room, so completely out of sorts and uneasy in a place where he used to feel safe, and Spock got the illogical urge to scream.Instead, he gestured at the armchair as he brushed past. "I shall return in a moment".Typing the correct code into the replicator, he sent a quick message to Leonard.
*Jim is here. Mitchell hit him -S*
*Fuck. Does he need a medkit?*
*Negative. I shall update you if the situation changes -S*
*Alright, call me if you need backup*
The replicator whooshed and a bag of ice landed on the counter. Picking it up, Spock pocketed his communicator and made his way back to the living room. Jim was sitting on the very edge of the armchair, as if ready to flee, and the mark on his face wasn't after fading a fraction.He came to a stop a respectable distance away and held out the ice. Jim gave him a faint smile and gladly took it, pressing it against his face with a wince. Although it wouldn't stop the area from bruising completely, it would at least keep the swelling to a minimum.Spock walked back to the kitchen and requested a mug of hot chocolate and a cup of spicy Vulcan tea. Returning to the main room, he saw that the boy hadn't moved an inch. Setting the mugs down on the coffee table between them, Spock sat on the couch without a word. The scene was oddly reminiscent of when Professor Pike had handed the boy over to him almost two weeks previous. Last Monday, the blond had looked like a troublesome kitten; hissing and swatting at the hands that held him. Now, he resembled a half-drowned stray, beaten down and trodden on and using every ounce of energy to just survive.He did not like that comparison.Taking a sip of too-hot tea, he prepared to wait silently until Jim spoke first.It did not surprise him that he had to wait a while."I don't know why I'm here".Spock blinked and raised his gaze, but Jim firmly avoided it."I mean, I... I know why I'm not there". He gave a humourless laugh. "But... But I don't know why I'm- why I'm here"."I presume you teleported?"He gave a jerky nod."Then what was your last thought before doing so? It is my understanding that Teleportation does not need a clear image of a location in order to work. It can be a feeling, a particular memory, even a past conversation that the teleporter thinks about before jumping. If you were not thinking about this place in particular, then what were you thinking about?""I was scared" he confessed quietly, "I thought... I thought about someplace that I could hide, somewhere that... somewhere that he couldn't find me, someplace that I was safe".Spock couldn't help but preen at the admission."And you landed here. That's why"."... I'm sorry".He tilted his head to the side, confused."What for?""For- For, I don't know, everything?" He ran a tired hand over the not-injured side of his face. "Coming here, for starters. I mean, it's Friday night, I'm sure you've got better thing to be doing than- than giving me ice and hot chocolate and listening to me ramble like this like- like an idiot-""Jim" he interrupted, quietly yet firmly, and the boy shut his mouth with a snap.Spock barely refrained from sighing, recognising the signs of conditioning even if the boy himself did not."... Would you like to play a game of chess?"He blinked, surprised. "Would I... alright. Alright, yeah, sure, let's... let's play a game of chess".Spock smiled and pulled the travel-sized set out from beneath the couch, setting it up on the table between them while Jim shuffled forwards and lowered the ice pack in favour of the mug of hot chocolate. He took a long sip and immediately smiled, his shoulders relaxing and his features softening and the Vulcan vowed to ignore Leonard's meal plan and sneak the boy ten cups of cocoa every single day if something so small could make him so happy.He leaned forwards on the couch and gestured for the blond to make the first move.
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Chapter 29
"You know, it's kind of funny how I can apply my power to this".Spock glanced up as Jim spoke halfway through their games."Well, not funny funny. More like... interesting, I guess" Jim explained haltingly, "I mean, when we spar, my Enhanced Combat doesn't work at all, but whenever we play chess, it's like... it's like the chess pieces are doing the fighting, you know? So my power works, because, despite the fact it doesn't work on Vulcans, my brain sees it as me versus the game, rather than me versus you"."That... is interesting" he agreed, and the blond hummed. "It just makes me wonder if Chekov can beat you after all".The Vulcan's hand paused over a rook."... Unlikely".Jim huffed a laugh, and the Vulcan felt his heart warm.Which, logically, wasn't possible, of course, as hearing was not directly related to the temperature of the heart, but... well. He liked to give in to his human side now and then. Especially where this particular illogical human was concerned.They played in silence for another few minutes, before Jim finally built up enough courage and spoke."So, Mitchell slapped me".And despite the fact that Spock already knew, it somehow dealt a harder blow hearing it come from Jim's mouth rather than his own thoughts."After I told him to fuck off but before I told him to go fuck himself".Spock's hand stilled and he raised his gaze only to find Jim smirking back at him, his cheek already bruising and betrayal in his eyes but fire in his heart."I got the last word in, at least" he continued, "And I always do like going out with a bang"."You are... no longer... together?"The boy turned back to the board in front of him, fingers tightening around the mug in his hands."... I don't think I ever agreed to date him, to begin with" Jim replied quietly, "I mean, he told me we were together and- and I knew that we were but... but I didn't know how I knew, if that makes sense? It was like... It was there was this whole big blank space in my mind where those memories should have been, except... except they weren't".Spock felt his breath quicken and he quickly fought down the urge to message Leonard."I knew something was wrong. There was this- this voice at the back of my head screaming at me to... to do something, but every time I tried to reach for it, it just disappeared again"."Mental blocks" Spock explained, "Mitchell can tear them down as well as build them up. He would have... encaged your natural instinct to run. To flee. Your mind knew that something bad was happening to it and it tried to warn you... He just preempted that"."... So he really has been controlling me since day one, huh?"The Vulcan carefully moved his queen down a tier."That depends. Are there any blank spaces from the day you met him?"He thought for a moment, still cradling his warm mug, and recalled the confusion he'd felt waking up on his couch, not knowing where he was or how he got there or how Gary had even known he liked hot chocolate and-"... Yeah"."Unfortunately, then, there lies your answer". He forced his voice to remain level. "Gary Mitchell thrives on control. He's arrogant, and egotistical, he needs... power to feel like he's in charge of a situation. He uses his ability to win arguments, to brainwash others into flattering him, to control the lives of his partners... Without that control, he can't cope".Jim studied him carefully, taking in his tense shoulders and clenched jaw and fathomless painfilled eyes, and remembered the pure anguish in the man's voice when he spoke to him at the infirmary, the distraught look he had when Jim confirmed that Mitchell was controlling him, the- the familiarity he seemed to have with the man himself.He knew there was a story there, between Spock and Bones and Mitchell.He just hadn't expected that story to be something like this."... You're speaking from experience, aren't you?"Spock's hand gripped the edge of the table, hard."Affirmative".His voice was clipped, flat, and obviously forced."You... You have a history with him? With- With Mitchell?""... We were romantically involved. I was fifteen years old. It lasted one year, seven months, two weeks, and six days"."Holy shit".Jim sat back in the armchair."Holy shit".He blinked. Blinked again. And then a third time."Holy shit".The corner of Spock's mouth twitched. "So you've said"."You-? And- And-? And he was- And- And you- you were- were- and- and Mitchell- You two-""Dated, if you wish to use a... mockery of a term for our relationship. It... did not end well"."Yeah, no shit... Holy fuck" Jim said again, mind refusing to put Mitchell, Gary-fucking-mind-manipulating-Mitchell, with Spock, young-innocent-fifteen-year-old-Spock. Which-"You were fifteen?""Affirmative. Starfleet Academy had been built approximately thirteen months beforehand, I was the only alien here at the time, and Mitchell found me... exotic, for lack of a better word. I was young, foolish, illogical... and he took advantage of that"."You were fifteen" Jim whispered, horrified and more than a little pissed off, "That- That prick, that- that fucking manipulating asshole had no right to- to fucking groom you like that! What a fucking creep!"Spock gave a faint smile and took a sip of spicey tea."I was merely two years your junior at the time, and yet the age gap between yourself and Mitchell does not seem to be something with which you are angry about"."Yeah, well, I've-" He glanced away and swallowed thickly. "... I've been through some shit. And I'm not exactly the blushing virgin either. You're Vulcan, you have- have principles and morals and- and fucking dignity! Partners are sacred to you, it's not- it's not something that humans are very good at understanding, much less actually doing. Also, given your species' lifespan, you were even younger than fifteen by Vulcan standards and he just- fuck! I need to- to- to punch something!"Spock felt his ears flush at the blatant concern and care and protectiveness that this curious emotional little creature was showing. It was completely illogical for him to be so angry, of course; he had not known Spock or Mitchell at the time, had likely not realised that the Starfleet Academy for Mutants even existed, much less have been able to attend. And still, for him to be so furious on the Vulcan's behalf, and to actually know so much about Vulcan culture, it was... captivating."Did he hurt you?"Jim's voice was barely a whisper, but a vicious steeliness undercut the low tone."Not physically. Not directly" Spock replied honestly, "At the beginning, I entered into the relationship willingly. As I said, I was... particularly naive, at the time. It was not long after when we had our first argument and...""Blank spaces" he finished knowingly, "He manipulated you to win every fight, too"."Yes. For most humans, Gary Mitchell can use Mental Manipulation on them as easily as breathing. For humans with similar mental abilities, such as Professor Pike, or for those with unusually strong shields, such as yourself, he needs to make physical contact in order to break into their mind".
Physical contact.
A flash of familiar corridors, of not so fast, princess, we weren't done with our conversation, of strong arms grabbing him and let me go before I deck you and is that any way to treat your friend? and then a cold hand slipping down to touch bare skin and a piercing pain and the shattering of his shields and-"You've just remembered something".Jim blinked rapidly and found that his breathing was ragged."... Yeah" he replied, "Yeah, I, uh... Do they all come back? The memories?""Affirmative" Spock said, "Given enough time and patience. The longer that you are exposed to his manipulation, then the longer it takes to recover"."Fuck". He ran a tired hand over his face. "And you- you had this, you- you dealt with this for- for almost two years?!"He tilted his head to the side with a small frown."Mitchell did not attempt to control me until approximately two months into our relationship. After that first success, it was another four months before he tried again. I believe he was... scared that I would inform someone what he had done. Professor Pike and I are... close. Mitchell was worried about what the headmaster would do, should he find out"."You didn't tell anyone?!""I wasn't aware of what he had done until many months later. I believe that you know yourself, Jim, how things become clearer in hindsight. He suppressed my memories of the incident, and I believed the momentary blankness was a failure on my behalf"."Until he did it again"."... As difficult as it might be to believe, Gary Mitchell was quite unassuming when he first arrived. He was older than most of the other students, had been passed through numerous foster homes growing up, always the new boy at school, always the mutant that- that the other children would bully... I felt a kinship with him" Spock admitted quietly, "He was so afraid of his own powers at that point, that he himself did not yet know the full extent of his abilities. As he started to learn, his... arrogance grew. He began to see himself as a god, an all-powerful entity able to control the entire human race with a snap of his fingers... I began to pity him. And he resented me for it"."What happened?""He knew that, as part-Vulcan, I had the strongest mental shields that he was ever likely to come across. He wanted to see just how far he could push his abilities, and as he began to get more and more powerful... I began to matter less and less. One year into our relationship, I was nothing more than a test subject. The ultimate test subject, in his mind... So he tried to force me to bond with him".Jim swore. Viciously. Using more curses than Spock had ever even heard of, and given who his partner was, that was no small feat."I attempted to explain the severity of such an action to him. How, in becoming bonded, we would be the Earthian equivalent of married. Except, instead of divorce, there was death... He did not listen. Mitchell... questioned me, questioned my worth, questioned how much I cared about him. He was blinded by his power, blinded by arrogance and hubris and he did not care about the consequences"."But you stopped him, right? I mean, obviously, you stopped him, cause- cause if you didn't then- then you wouldn't even be here right now and- and- that fucking asshole!""My sentiments exactly... When I refused, he tried to manipulate me into agreeing. He hadn't used his powers against me in- in such an extreme way ever before. I had strong mental shields, the shields of a Vulcan... and he cut through them like they were nothing" Spock whispered, "For such a logical race, our mental shields are everything. Many species harbour the misconception that Vulcans do not feel. In fact, the opposite is true. Vulcans feel more strongly than most of the races in this galaxy, but it is through logic and reason that we are able to suppress these feelings and keep them contained behind our mental shields"."So when he broke the shield..."He gave a facile smirk."... Quite a number of emotions poured out"."Did you- Did you stop him? Did Pike stop him?""Leonard, actually" he corrected, "He had... suspected something for quite some time at that stage. I was acting differently, had become more withdrawn, I was walking around the Academy in a state not dissimilar to your fictitious zombie. As a doctor, he had been trained in identifying mental conditions as well as physical, and eventually, he worked out what was happening"."Good job, Bones"."Quite... When Mitchell broke down my mental shield, I lashed out. I became uncontrollable, uncontainable. I may be half-human, after all, but I inherited my strength from my Vulcan side. That, combined with my own rather forceful power led to approximately half the Academy crashing to the ground"."Holy shit" Jim blurted, "No wonder you dress like an anarchist, you are one!""Professor Pike was... most displeased with my actions"."I'll say. So, what, Bones just... loaded you up with tiger tranqs?""In essence, yes. He realised what had happened, informed Professor Pike, and... and Gary Mitchell was sedated and I was medicalized... It took me three months to rebuild my mental shields"."And- And what, that- that bastard was just- let go?!""There is nothing else Professor Pike could do. Believe me, Jim, the headmaster was furious. He was angrier than I had ever seen him before, and I've yet to see him even reach half of that level since... But there was nothing to be done. Keeping Mitchell sedated would be expensive and inefficient, there are no institutions that are strong enough to contain his powers, and short of murdering him...""I'll do it right now if you ask me to".Spock sharply looked up at the adamance in his voice, only to find the boy staring back at him with uncompromising resolution in his eyes that spoke of nothing but the truth.Jim had just offered to murder a man for him.Given his own reaction to seeing the so-called love bites that had covered the boy's neck two days ago, however... He wasn't entirely surprised."... As grateful as I am for the suggestion, I'd quite prefer to have you here and not in prison"."Bold of you to assume I'd get caught"."The ex-boyfriend is usually the first suspect police question"."Then I'll break out of prison and come back here"."Jim-""What? You don't think I couldn't break out of prison if I wanted to?""I believe you can do anything you put your mind to"."That's settled then. Murder Mitchell, break out of jail, and return here"."That wasn't a challenge"."You sure? Cause it sounded like a challenge to me".Spock opened his mouth, closed it, and only just barely refrained from rolling his eyes at the ridiculous boy in front of him.Jim smiled, wide and genuine, and downed the last of his now-cold hot chocolate."Thanks for keeping me out of jail, pointy".It was the first time the blond had used that nickname since before the entire Gary-Mitchell-debacle had started, and Spock didn't realise how much he needed to hear it again until it was said. It felt like the world was finally being put to rights, with Jim sitting across from him drinking hot chocolate and a forgotten chess game in between them. Leonard would almost be done his shift at the infirmary now too, so he would be home soon as well. And everything would be back to normal.Spock glanced up warily as Jim suddenly stood, illogically wishing for him to stay put for a while longer. Or even, perhaps, forever. He was therefore equal parts relieved and confused when instead of heading for the door, the boy walked around the coffee table towards him instead, sitting down on the couch next to him and tucking both his legs up beneath him and-Spock blinked. "Where are your shoes?"Jim glanced down at mix-matched socks almost sheepishly."Oh. I, uh... I kind of had to leave pretty quick, so I left them behind".He blinked once more. "Understandable. Illogical, but... but understandable".Jim smiled again and held out both hands. Spock hesitated for a split second. On one hand, he knew that the boy simply wanted to read his emotions, to make sure that he was telling the truth, and possibly to look for reassurance, too. But on the other hand, as well as his Emotional Empathy worked on humans, to use it on a Vulcan was opening up a two-way street."I know" Jim said suddenly, "I know what's going to happen, and I'm completely fine with that, so- so unless you don't want to-"He told hold of his hands.Immediately, both mutants were struck with a barrage of warmth concern trust affection concern worry affection trust."Thank you for telling me, pointy" Jim said quietly, "I know that... that couldn't have been easy for you, so... so thank you. Really"."Thank you for feeling safe enough to come here" Spock replied, "I know that trust isn't your first instinct. It... pleases me that you believe I am worthy of it".The blond's smile widened before he suddenly huffed a laugh."Look at us, a couple of well-adjusted mutants with a terrible taste in men"."It truly is fortuitous that our paths have crossed".Jim laughed again, a beautiful warm addictive sound, and Spock only realised that some of his feelings on the matter had passed through their hands when the boy flushed an endearing red not a second later. He awkwardly cleared his throat and resisted the urge to pull back."Can I, uh... Would it be alright if... if maybe I..."Jim was being unusually hesitant, and Spock could feel a wave of apprehension and nerves rush through their connection."There is not much that I would deny you, Jim. Please, ask".And now that incredibly human red was dashing across his cheeks again."Could I... Could I stay here tonight?"Stay... here... tonight. Stay here as in- as in stay here which would be Jim staying here tonight as in staying here and staying here tonight which is-"Or if not, that's totally cool too!" he rushed, "I just don't know if Mitchell somehow got into my room or not but- but I'll just track down Sulu or- or Chekov or someone else cause- cause like I said, it's Friday night and- and you've already spent way too much time here with me so I- I completely get it if you wanna say no or- or- or-""Jim" Spock interrupted gently, "I would be honoured if you wish to stay"."I- Really?"He glanced down at their hands and raised an eyebrow rather pointedly."Yes. Really. It would... please me to know that you are safe, also"."Oh. Cool. Alright, then, that's, uh... That's good. Thanks".
Trust warmth affection gratitude relief affection trust.
"It is only logical" Spock replied, reluctantly standing to retrieve their spare set of bed linens, "Would you care for another hot chocolate before you rest?""I- No. No, I, uh... I shouldn't".Something in the tone of his voice made the Vulcan pause, and he glanced back to see a very familiar conflicted expression on his face.His hands momentarily closed into fists and he considered continuing with his original plan to just murder Gary Mitchell himself, before remembering that the outcome would still be prison. Instead, he let his therapist side take over and flicked through the numerous files in his head for dealing with eating disorders."Are you positive?" he asked lightly, "I am making tea for myself, so I shall be using the replicator anyway. There is no extra effort necessary on my behalf".Which, technically, wasn't a lie. Not if it worked, anyway."... Okay. Okay, then, yeah, sure, I'd... I'd like that, pointy, thanks".And besides, there really was no extra hardship when it came to Jim's happiness, anyway.When Bones returned from work that night, he was both physically and emotionally drained. It had been a tough week, between dealing with the last of the vomiting bug, trying to convince Jim to leave that manipulating bastard, and the general everyday mutant accidents on top of all of that. He was incredibly looking forward to collapsing on his bed for the night, sleeping twelve hours straight, and then just relaxing for the weekend until he had to go through it all on Mondy again.Knowing that it was late and that Spock would very likely be asleep already, he used his keycard to open the door instead of raising his voice to activate the computer. Stepping into the dark room, he hit the control panel on the wall and turned the lights up to ten per cent, just enough to see by without waking up his boyfriend. Turning back, he came to an abrupt stop.In front of him, Spock was half-sitting half-lying on the couch, his back to the armrest and one leg stretched across the cushions. That alone would have been enough to make the doctor pause, but what really made him stop was the sight of the drooling blond stretched out on top of him. Jim had both arms wrapped around the older man's waist- and oh boy was McCoy going to be making Vulcan teddy bear jokes for the foreseeable future -his legs lay between Spock's own, and his face was smushed against the man's shirt. One of the Vulcan's hands was even half-tangled in the blond's hair, the other resting lightly on his back, placed almost indecently low.Closing the door behind him, Bones found a stack of spare bedsheets abandoned on the armchair opposite the sleeping pair, along with an empty hot chocolate mug and a half-full cup of tea on the coffee table between them. There was a chess game partially played next to the mugs, a quickly melting bag of ice on the floor, and a surprising absence of shoes.McCoy sighed fondly, shook his head at the sight, and then began to get ready for bed.There would be plenty of time for questions in the morning, and as long as Jim wasn't with that abusive bastard, then he was perfectly fine sleeping alone tonight.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chapter 30
Jim gradually woke to the sound of low humming, and blearily blinked open his eyes, only to find his vision blocked by a soft grey material. He frowned, confused."Mornin' sunshine".He slowly blinked, only then noticing the steady rise and fall of his makeshift pillow."You alright there, kid?"Was that-"Bones?"His voice was muffled, rough from sleep, and, really, all that came out was one short garbled syllable, but the doctor seemed to get the message anyway, and his pillow shook with silent laughter."Yeah, kid, it's me".Jim blinked once more, his awareness coming back much slower than he would have liked. He was still at Spock's place, that much he knew just from the grey-painted walls and the Vulcan-level heat that the room always seemed to have. But the man himself was nowhere in sight. Or, well, very little was in sight anyway, considering that his face was currently smushed against Bones' chest.He hoped to god that he hadn't drooled.As far as he could tell, he was, for all intents and purposes, clinging to the doctor. Pressed against his side, both arms were wrapped around his waist, and his legs were intertwined with McCoy's right one, the man's left leg bent at the knee and what sounded like a... a book? propped up against it. Bones himself seemed entirely at ease with his new teddy bear delegation, his right hand running through blond hair while his left turned the pages in the novel.It was... nice, Jim finally concluded. He felt drowsy, warm, safe, and he hadn't felt that in a very long time.Within seconds, his eyes were slipping closed once more, as he drifted off to the hazy protective land of sleep..."You're quite the octopus, you know".He froze."... Kid?"He felt his body tense."Hey, kid, you alright?"He immediately lept into action, detangling his legs from the doctors, pulling back his arm thrown across the man's waist, and lifting his head just enough to clear the older mutant's chest."Woah, woah, woah, what the hell do you think you're doing?"He paused.Blinked.Frowned."... Gettin' up?""Why?"He carefully avoided looking at the man's face. "Because... Because you... I... You said... Octopus?"There was a beat of silence before Bones snorted, and Jim felt the hand still tangled in his hair gently push him back down, his head, his shoulders, his body."I never said I didn't like it, brat"."But-""No buts. Go back to sleep. It's still early".He cautiously lowered his head to rest on the man's chest once more. "... Spock?""Had an early meeting with a student. Counsellor stuff" Bones explained, "He asked me to watch over you while he was gone, and I've been meaning to read this new medical journal for a while anyway, so here we are".Jim's brain took a few seconds to process the information."... Were you humming Lynyrd Skynyrd?""I'm surprised you even know who Lynyrd Skynyrd is".He smiled against his shirt."Spoken like the true old man you secretly are, Bones... That band broke up in the early twenty-first century"."And what a tragedy it was". He sighed. "Still, Sweet Home Alabama is a classic, even if it does feel like a betrayal to my Georgian roots".Jim yawned and frowned. "I thought the band was from Florida?""What, that tiny little state that sunk below the Atlantic a hundred years ago?" There was the sound of another page being turned. "Huh. I guess we're all traitors to our upbringing then".He mumbled an agreement, his initial panic slowly dissipating as his mind realised it was safe, and McCoy lightly tugged at his hair to get him to settle again."Go back to sleep, kid. I'll still be here when you wake up".The gentle fingers carding through his hair sent a pleasant buzz of warmth trust affection safe warmth through his entire body, and Jim found himself slowly falling back asleep, the calm warm safe emotions wrapping around him like a cosy blanket and lulling him towards blissful oblivion.So, of course, as only his luck would have it, when Jim next woke, he found himself in an even more compromising position.He was sprawled across the doctor's chest.And he meant sprawled.Lying flush against the man, on top of him, both arms now wrapped around his chest, both legs wrapped around his waist, and his head pressed firmly against his neck, breathing in the calming familiar scent of jasmine and ginger and something that was purely Bones. Jim simultaneously wanted to die of embarrassment but also never again let go."Maybe half koala, instead?"His eyes shot open."I mean, you were definitely an octopus before, but this... this is more like a koala. So maybe half octopus and half koala? What do you think, kid?"He groaned. "I think you need to shut up".Bones chuckled, the sound vibrating deep in his chest and thrilling Jim to his core."And I think that you're not a morning person".He pulled back just enough to blearily glare at the man. "Actually, I'm a great morning person. What I'm not, is an octopus and/or koala!""Speak for yourself" he shot back, gesturing at the various limps wrapped around him, "I had to give up reading half an hour ago because you kept grumbling and swatting my book away... Though now that I think about it, that does make you seem more like a disgruntled kitten than anything else".Jim glared at him, feeling a flush high on his cheeks, before reluctantly detangling his limbs from the doctor's and rolling over.He expected to fall off the couch and land on the floor below, and he even braced himself for the impact, because any other alternative of extricating himself honestly seemed like a worse option. What he hadn't expected, was to not only stay level with the man but to land on something soft and warm and-Jim blinked."... Is this a bed?""Yes"."... I'm on a bed".Bones looked distinctly amused."Yes".Jim ran a hand over his face and tried to concentrate."... Why am I on a bed?""Spock carried you when he woke this morning. You pretty much slept through it".Oh, well, if that was all.The boy closed his eyes, counted to ten, and then reopened them.
Nope.
He was still lying on a bed next to an insanely hot doctor with all of their clothes still on having been carried there by an insanely hot Vulcan with all of his clothes on while he very likely drooled."... It's too early for this shit".Bones gave him an amused look. "It's just after ten, brat. It's well past being early".Jim groaned and rolled over again so he could swing his legs over the side of the bed and stand. He was still wearing yesterday's clothes which made him feel weird and stiff, so he stretched his arms over his head to try and feel vaguely human again.He didn't notice how the doctor's gaze immediately latched onto him as his shirt rode up and the barest glimpse of a sharp hipbone and a flash of tanned skin became visible."Who the hell gets up before ten on a Saturday?""Morning people" McCoy replied, quickly raising his gaze to less dangerous places as the boy turned back to him, "Which, obviously, once again, you're not"."Hey! I am a morning person when said morning isn't before eleven!""So... you're an afternoon person?"He barely dodged the pillow aimed for his head.Bones grinned, relaxed and genuine, which caused Jim to flush even more at the rare sight. Jumping up, the doctor tossed the pillow back on the bed and headed for the kitchen."Come on, brat, let's get you something to eat".Jim scowled, making him look oh-so-cute before reluctantly following."Sit" Bones commanded, gesturing at the two-stooled breakfast bar, and after another full minute of glaring, just to prove his point, Jim did as told."So" McCoy started, pulling various ingredients out of even more various cupboards, "Spock said you two... talked, last night. How'd that go?""... I understand why you want to kill Mitchell now" he admitted, "Quite frankly, so do I. I mean, even if I'd never met him but I heard what he did to Spock...""I know" he replied quietly, "That's why I warned you to stay away from him"."Well, I didn't exactly go looking for him!" he exclaimed, "He's the one who found me! Fuck, Bones, I barely said two words to the guy before he-"He cut himself off, and the doctor very pointedly did not crush the bag of flour he was holding."... He used his power on you when you first met?""He's in my Quantum Chemistry class. The professor wasn't too happy being handed a seventeen-year-old, so she asked me a few questions after the lecture. I got all the answers right, and Mitchell... he said I almost impressed him". Jim gave a bitter smirk. "The second he opened his mouth, I know he was bad news. So I tried to ignore him, and when that didn't work, I insulted him... He took the entire damn thing as a challenge"."He manipulated you?""He tried to. I... I didn't know what he was doing, but... but I could feel it, feel him, trying to get into my head... I teleported out of there before he could break down my shields, and- and then he said that I'd really impressed him"."You let your guard down" Bones finished quietly, gathering all the ingredients on one counter, and Jim nodded."Yeah. Yeah, I, uh... I thought he was just a telepath, you know? So we started talking and he offered to walk me back to my room. I... I don't remember everything that happened next, but... but I remember trying to leave and- and he grabbed my arm and said something about being friends and I threatened to- to punch him and... and then... nothing... I'm guessing that's when he first used it"."Wait, you threatened to punch him?""Still will, if I get the chance".Bones snorted and shook his head in exasperation. Jim watched as he started mixing eggs and milk and flour together and was suddenly struck with a thought."Hey, what's the punishment here for beating up another student? I know Spock said that I could press charges against him if I wanted to, but something tells me he went a little overboard"."That's putting it mildly" he muttered, "Honestly? Unless it's pretty bad, not much. I mean, we're in a building full of hormone-ridden teenagers, so there's bound to be some fights every now and then, and considering that everyone here has a power of some sort... things can get messy. Usually, Chris lets them go with a warning, but if it's serious enough or they're repeat offenders, then he'll suspend them"."Has anyone ever been expelled?"He shrugged, pulling out a frying pan from an overhead cupboard."Hasn't happened yet, that I know of. There's not really a whole lot that Chris can do. Half the kids in here have nowhere else to go, and the other half are not the type of mutant you'd want to kick out into the streets and leave them there angry. Thankfully, nothing really bad has ever happened, asides from that one particular asshole, so we've never had to deal with it before"."So... If I were to... I don't know... Maybe beat the absolute shit out of Mitchell?"Bones gave him a look over his shoulder."I don't condone violence, brat"."I'm not asking for your permission, doc, I'm asking about possible consequences"."You would risk your place here, risk your home, your friends, your education, everything, just to get the chance to wipe that smirk off his face?""After what he did to Spock?" Jim replied adamantly, "Yes".McCoy stared at him for another minute, heart pounding in his chest, taking in the boy's honest eyes and the firm set of his shoulders and how willing he was to give up his entire future just to defend his friend, before quickly looking away again before the brat could see him smile.
He didn't condone violence, dammit!
"Chris has got a soft spot for you, kid" he eventually replied, "And considering who your... hypothetical victim... would be, he'd probably let you go with a stern warning and a few extra counselling sessions"."You mean more time with Spock?"The doctor's mouth twitched, knowing exactly where the boy was going with this."Don't even think about it, brat. That'll only work for so long before they change your therapist"."Speaking from experience, there, Bonesy?""Perhaps" he replied ambiguously, "But even if I wasn't, I can guarantee you that you wouldn't get away with it".McCoy tossed some butter in the frying pan and turned the heat on high. Jim watched him, the back of the doctor just as pleasing as the front, with a soft t-shirt clinging to strong shoulders and sinfully tight dark jeans."... You said before that Spock helped you with trust issues. Was that true?""Would I lie to you?""Probably. Everyone else does".The doctor stilled, a pained look coming over his features, before he forced himself to relax, instead taking his anger out on the mixture in front of him, whisking the batter with perhaps just a little bit more force than necessary."I will never lie to you, kid. Ever, alright?"Jim shifted uncomfortably on the stool. "Well, you say that...""I mean it! Never, do you hear me?" he snapped, spinning around so he could hold out both hands. They were calloused and rough and currently covered in flour, but the boy reached back all the same."I will never lie you to, kid, not if I can help it. Okay?"
Truth affection anger warmth concern truth.
"... Yeah. Okay, Bones, I- I believe you"."Good" he growled, turning back to the counter and pouring some of the mixture into the frying pan, "But to answer your question, yeah, he did. And let me tell you, it was pretty damn humbling getting therapy from a skinny sixteen-year-old when it was almost legal for me to drink"."Wait- Legal for you to- How old were you?""Twenty, at the time. A bit younger, when Chris found me"."But- But if you were twenty and- and Spock was sixteen... and you said before that you were- were a few years older than me which would now make you-""Twenty-three. So?"Jim stared at him in disbelief."So, Spock's only nineteen?!"Bones gave him an amused look as he turned to grab a pair of plates from a cupboard."Yeah. Didn't you know that?""No!" He exclaimed, "No, I did not know that! Oh my god, he's practically a child!""Pot, kettle, brat".He waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, you know what I mean! He's so... young. Especially for a Vulcan. Wait- how long has he been here for?""About five years, give or take. He was actually the first mutant at the Academy. I arrived about a year later, and the whole Mitchell showdown happened a few months after that. Three years later, and here we are".Grabbing a fork, he spun back around to face the blond and put a plate down in front of him."And now, here you are".Jim glanced down at the plate and stared. "... Are those pancakes?!""The healthy kind, yes. Less sugar, substitute some of the flour for oats, natural ingredients..."As the boy continued to stare at the food, Bones started to look somewhat unsure."Do you... not like pancakes?""... I've never had pancakes"."What?! Why not? How the hell have you never had-"Jim looked down at the table and McCoy suddenly realised that his shoulders were tense. A split second after that, he remembered just who, exactly, he was actually talking to."... Guess that stepdad of yours wasn't a big fan of home-cooked meals, huh?"He wordlessly shook his head. Bones sighed and reluctantly pulled out the jar of maple syrup that Spock tried- and failed -to keep hidden from him. He slid it across the counter to the brat even as he mentally lamented the changes he'd have to make to his meal plan. Jim caught the glass bottle with one hand and glanced up at him, confused."Well, go on then! Welcome to America, the home of high fructose syrup and disease-inducing sugar!"That, at least, prompted a small smile from the blond, and he slowly uncapped the bottle. Turning around, McCoy busiest himself with tidying up so the boy wouldn't feel stared at."They're Spock's favourite, you know"."They're what?""Pancakes. They're his favourite earth dish. Not that he'd tell you that, of course, but it's his go-to comfort food whenever he has a bad day. His mom used to make them for him growing up on Vulcan, and apparently, hobgoblins are just as susceptible to nostalgia as the rest of us lesser beings".Jim laughed, an infectious sound, and Bones made sure that the brat couldn't see his face as he grinned in return. Setting the dishes aside to dry, he listened to the sound of a fork dragging across the plate, and then silence as the boy presumably ate, before the sound of cutlery on ceramic returned, twice as loud. Smirking, McCoy turned back to face the boy and-The jar of maple syrup was half-empty.Most of the pancakes were gone too.And his fork was nowhere in sight.Bones took a deep, calming breath, and tried his damndest to stop his doctor-side from screaming in anguish at the absolute disaster that was now the blond's meal plan. Jim blinked back at him innocently, obviously completely unaware of the sticky substance covering his entire face."... I take it that pancakes are a success, then?"The boy calmly licked his fingers in response, and McCoy quickly fought back the string of inappropriate thoughts that came to mind at the sight. Clearing his throat, he turned back to the counter so the brat wouldn't see just how affected he was."Well, you better appreciate them, kid, cause I'm not the one who has to Spock where all his maple syrup went".
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Chapter 31
When Spock returned home at eleven, he was met with the rather suggestive sight of a shirtless Jim Kirk sitting at the breakfast bar with one Leonard McCoy kneeling on the ground between his legs. Letting the door slide shut behind him, he raised an eyebrow as the boy noticed his arrival, but only received a playful smirk in response."Quick, Bones, hide! We've been caught!"McCoy jumped, managing to fall backwards and trip over the first-aid kit on the floor next to him, before catching sight of Spock and immediately scowled. Standing up, he glared at the grinning blond and whacked him lightly over the back of the head."You absolute menace! I could have broken my neck!""From two feet off the ground?""I'll show you two feet off the ground" he muttered, gathering up the medical supplies, "And your ribs are fine, by the way. So glad that I offered to check them only to get a heart attack as repayment!"Jim's grin softened into something more genuine and sweet that had both the doctor and the Vulcan's heart rates increasing."Thanks, Bones. Really"."Yeah, yeah, whatever, brat. Another week or so and they should be healed. Let me know if anything feels weird before then".Spock walked across the room as McCoy started to put away the first-aid box. Their fingers brushed as they passed each other, and the doctor gave his boyfriend a warm smile, reassuring him that yes, our boy is fine even if he is shooting his mouth off, and Spock's lips twitched upwards in response. Taking the seat next to the blond, the Vulcan shrugged out of his jacket and slung it over the back of his chair. On his other side, Jim spun around to face him, a salacious grin on his face."Hey, pointy".He raised a solitary eyebrow at him.Bones snorted. "Ignore him, Spock. Turns out, not only does sugar make him awake and somewhat coherent, but it also ups his flirting game"."Aha! So you do admit I have mad skills!""No, brat, I didn't say you were skilled at flirting, I said you flirted too much!"Listening to their banter, Spock couldn't help but notice that the boy was still shirtless, and now, with one elbow resting on the counter and the other arm thrown over the back of his chair, it gave the Vulcan quite the... pleasant view, of the trim shoulders, toned chest, and taut stomach. That was why, perhaps, it took him a second too long for him to realise that the boy in question, was now calling his name."Spock... Spock... Spock!"He blinked and raised his gaze to meet amused electric blue eyes. Jim flexed in a rather fascinating manner and grinned unabashedly across at him."See something you like, counsellor?"Although it was said in jest and the boy was brazenly showing off his attractive features, there was a touch of insecurity in his voice. Considering that this was only the second time that he had permitted them to see him shirtless, and thus only the second time that he had shown them his litany of scars, it was not difficult for Spock to guess why."Aesthetically speaking, you have what I believe humans call a Dorito shape, a pleasing body type to look at, though personally, I believe the phrase ectomorph is more accurate, as you have a high percentage of lean muscle despite being underweight. Therefore, speaking specifically as both an emotional half-human and a scientific half-Vulcan, I do, indeed, like what I see".Jim stared, wide-eyed and shocked.McCoy snorted, amused and just a little bit turned on."Well, you got what you asked for, kid"."Shut up" he muttered, cheeks flushing an enticing red as he turned away and ducked his head, and Spock couldn't hold back a fond smile at the sight.It did not escape his notice, however, that his boyfriend's lips were graced with a similar expression."Right" McCoy said, grabbing a cup of much-needed caffeine from the replicator, "I think it's high time we showed ourselves to the outside world, don't you?""No" Jim answered immediately, and both men turned to him, surprised.He continued to avoid their gaze. "I just... I don't want to... I mean, if I see him, I'll-""You won't be alone" Bones said firmly, "We'll be right behind you, no matter what, but even if we weren't, you'll have to face him sometime"."I know, but I... I can't... I don't want to- to-""Hey" McCoy interrupted gently, "Don't worry. We know what Mitchell's like better than anyone... We won't let him hurt you again-"Jim snickered.They blinked in shock."Sorry!" he said immediately, before snorting again. "Shit, sorry, I swear I'm not- not laughing at you or- or you saying that- that you'll prevent him from doing anything cause, well, I- I appreciate that, really, I do, but... I'm not afraid of Mitchell hurting me, I'm afraid of decimating him!"Spock frowned slightly. "You are anxious about... about you hurting him?""Well... yeah" he replied, as if it was obvious, "I mean, after what he did to you, and then forcing me to date him, not to mind all the people in between... I might actually kill him".It was concerning how unperturbed he was about that statement."Also, he still thinks I'm just a teleporter" Jim added, "Something tells me he wouldn't have let me go so easily if he knew what I could really do".Both Spock and Bones stilled as they realised the horrifying truth in that statement. Mitchell was drawn to power, of course, and obsessed with controlling it. The fact that he'd wanted Jim so much when he thought he just had a common ability... If he found out about the boy's Empathic Mimicry, they didn't even want to consider the lengths he'd go to just to own it."... Right, well, let's put a pin in that murder plot of yours" McCoy eventually said, taking a sip of coffee, "But you know you can't stay hidden forever, kid"."I know I can't, I just... I need another day or two" he admitted, "It's only Saturday; I have class with him on Monday anyway, and Professor Sofak is way too terrifying to even consider skipping her lecture. I'll be able to keep a lid on it then, but right now... I'm kind of itching to burn, and I don't think I could stop my Enhanced Combat even if I wanted to".Spock blinked, struck by the odd turn of phrase, and found his curiosity winning over his politeness."Even if you wanted to?"Jim frowned, glancing over at him. "What?""Even if you wanted to" he repeated, "That is what you said. Logically, that sentence implies that if you did wish to, you could, in fact, stop your Enhanced Combat"."Yeah". He shrugged. "What about it?"Now, McCoy was staring at him too, coffee abandoned in front of him, and the boy started to feel like he'd done something wrong."What?" he asked defensively, resisting the urge to run, "Why are you both looking at me like that?!""You are able to... repress your individual powers?""Of course I am, why wouldn't I-" He cut himself off. "Hang on, are you- are you saying that you can't switch it off? Either of you?""Kid, I've never heard of anyone who could just switch it off" Bones replied, "Not apply it to something, sure, like how I didn't use my Cellular Acceleration on you when you first arrived, but it's always there in the background and it's always doing... something".Jim glanced between them, simultaneously uncomfortable and flustered by their sudden attention."I thought- I thought everyone could do it. I mean, yeah, there are some situations when it's- it's pretty damn difficult to dial it down a notch, but... fuck, if I had all of my powers turned on at once I'd probably explode... again".There was a story there, and an interesting one at that, but before either man could ask about it, the blond turned back to Spock."What about you? Energy Wave Emission, right? Wouldn't we all be feeling electric shocks right now if you couldn't reign it in?""I have some measure of control" he allowed, "Though whether that is due to my half-mutant heritage or Vulcan upbringing, I cannot say. However, the primary reason that you are not getting... shocked, as you put it, is because of my apparel".Jim blinked.Blinked again.And then blinked again for good measure."Your... apparel" he slowly repeated, "As in... As in what you're wearing, as in... as in all that leather?!""Affirmative".The boy stared at him. At his fingerless leather gloves, the dark leather jacket, the tough leather army boots, everything was... leather."... You're kidding me, right?"His brow furrowed. "Kidding?""Joking. Messing around. Lying to me. You have to be"."I would never lie to you, Jim".The blond shivered at the echo of McCoy's same words only that morning."So you're telling the truth?! You only wear that much leather because- because-""Leather is a powerful insulator" Spock finished, "It helps... ground me, for lack of a better description"."Oh my god... You are literally the Duracell bunny".Bones snorted and then tried to cover it up by taking a gulp of caffeine. The Vulcan gave him a vaguely irritated look anyway, before reluctantly nodding at the blond.Jim felt himself starting to grin. "Oh my god, that's... like... wow... Is that not absolutely horrible?""Only as horrible as your own power, I should imagine"."Huh... But, wait, what do you do at night? Do you just electrocute people when you're asleep? Cause that's worse than stealing the blankets, pointy".The corner of his mouth twitched and Jim counted it as a victory."I meditate before resting. Since I do not need to fully control my power during the day due to my apparel, I am able to successfully subconsciously do so at night"."Oh, well, that's a relief. Cause I mean, all that leather during the day is one thing, but bringing it into the bedroom? You didn't strike me as that type of guy, you know?"Bones choked on his coffee and Spock felt the tips of his ears flush bright green. Jim grinned back at them unashamedly as the doctor spluttered and coughed and still somehow managed to glare at him even as he struggled to breathe."Right, that's it, we're getting outta here" he finally wheezed, "Before you give me a damn brain aneurysm! Go put your bloody shirt on, brat, and then fix that haystack on top of your head! Now!""Anything for you, Bonsey" he agreed happily, jumping off the barstool and grabbing his t-shirt. He pulled it over his head as he turned and headed for the bathroom, but didn't quite manage to tug it down quick enough before they saw his back. The scars there were somehow worse.Bones felt all annoyance and reluctant amusement immediately vanish at the sight of the pale marks blemishing tanned skin. He was no stranger to dealing with the aftermath of abuse; both from the students at the Academy who came from bad homes, but also from his brief time working in a hospital before that. The scars that littered Jim's back, however... put all of those to shame.McCoy was a doctor. Looking at the multitude of inch-wide pink lines that covered the boy's shoulders and roped down his spine and curved around to his ribs, he found it very difficult to keep his gaze clinical. Even from this distance, he could see the thinner unusually parallel lines that had to have come from a metal buckle of some sort. The detached part of his mind reported laceration, untreated, hypertrophic scar tissue but the more emotional side of him wondered if the belt had belonged to the boy's stepfather or someone else.And then, a moment later, the marks were covered by the blond's t-shirt, and a second after that, he disappeared into the bathroom.Bones slowly turned back to Spock and based on his sudden paleness, he'd seen them too."... Can you determine their age?"The doctor swallowed thickly."Not very precisely, but... but based on the colour and stage of healing... I'd say the most recent are at least two years old"."Approximately the same time that Jim left his stepfather's house" Spock said, voice quiet so that the boy in question couldn't overhear, "Can anything be done for him now?"Bones shook his head. "It's too late; they already healed, badly, at that, but they're still too old to apply a regenerator to... There might be something we could do to fade the scars a bit, but considering how deep they looked from here... I'm just not sure how effective it'd be"."A small improvement is still improvement, Leonard. When Jim feels secure enough to tell us about the scars himself, we can ask. If he wishes to reduce their clarity, then the option is there".As calm as his words were, the Vulcan was anything but, and the doctor downed the rest of his now-cold coffee in one go before walking around the island counter to take his hands in his own. He was immediately swarmed with concern and anger and regret and he knew that his own emotions were likely, if not exactly, similar."He's safe now" he reassured, trying to believe it himself as well, "He's here, with us, and- and that bastard of a stepfather is gone, is dead and- and he's not here, and that's the main thing. He won't ever hurt the kid again. Nobody will; we'll make sure of it".Spock's eyes darkened in agreement, both men promising a swift and brutal attack if any asshole ever tried to hurt the boy again. Jim was safe here, or at least as safe as he could be with Gary fucking Mitchell prowling about, but Bones would be damned if he ever let the kid out of his sight again.And, speaking of..."Hey, brat, you ready to go?" he called over his shoulder.The bathroom door was open, but there was no reply.McCoy frowned and glanced at Spock, who looked equally perplexed. Letting go of his hands, the doctor turned and took a few steps towards the other room."Kid? You alright in there?"Still nothing.Feeling the first pangs of worry clawing at his heart, he decided fuck modesty and strode purposefully towards the bathroom, only coming to an abrupt stop once he reached the door. But even then, his concern didn't dissipate.
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Chapter 32
Jim stood in front of the mirror, his shirt fixed, both hands on the sink, and a strangely blank look on his face. In the reflection of the glass, Bones could see the confusion in his own expression, as well as the slight downturn of Spock's mouth as he walked up behind him."Kid?" he asked again, "You alright?"Jim continued to stare at his reflection, the empty almost hollow look in his eyes remaining. The doctor tried to understand what he was seeing.The brat's hair really was a haystack, blond strands sticking out in every direction, darker at the roots but sunbleached at the tips. There was a faint bruise on his left cheek, with Mitchell written all over it, but thankfully, icing the mark the night before had prevented it from blossoming any darker. Other than that, Bones wasn't sure what else the kid could be so focused on. His split lip was almost healed completely, the stitches in his forehead weren't looking any worse than yesterday, and the various scrapes and bruises that used to cover the rest of his tanned skin were now gone.Well. The bruises that used to cover his face, McCoy corrected, considering that the so-called love bites on his neck were still-Oh.Jim was staring at the bites and bruises that littered his neck, his throat, and even his collarbones. Bites and bruises that Mitchell had put there, after he'd brainwashed the boy into thinking that they were dating. Bites and bruises that Jim did not consent to.Christ, this was probably the first time the kid had even seen them."I didn't realise why you were angry" Jim said suddenly, eyes still zoned in on the marks, "Back in the infirmary, with- with you and- and Spock and Pike and... and I never worked out why you were so furious".Now, evidently, he had."... I think I might actually kill him" the boy continued, "I don't think I've ever hated someone this much, not even-"He cut himself off, raising a slightly shaky hand to prod at the worst of the bruises. Bones felt his heart clench at the lost look that appeared in his eyes."I didn't ask for this. I didn't- I didn't want this- I wanted none of this, I-""We know" McCoy interrupted, quickly stepping forward, "We know, kid, that you didn't want any of this to happen, and you didn't deserve for it to happen to you either"."I didn't go looking for him, Bones, I swear. I mean, I- I considered it but- but before I could make a decision he found me and- and I didn't find him first-""It's okay, kid, I know you didn't, it's okay" he quickly shushed, giving in to the temptation and wrapping his arms around the boy. Jim immediately turned to face him and buried his face in his shirt."I hate him. I hate him so fucking much, Bones. For- For what he did to Spock and me and who knows who else. I just- I'm so furious and- and pissed off and- and I didn't want this! Mitchell k-kissed me and- and fucking bit me without my permission or- or even vaguely willing consent and- and I know it isn't that important cause it wasn't that bad and, let's face it, he could have done a lot worse but-""Hey!" he interrupted sharply, "Stop that! This wasn't your fault, kid, none of it was. And it doesn't matter how bad you think it was or wasn't; that bastard still kissed you without your consent and that makes it important. Christ, kid, assault isn't a fucking competition. It happened to you and it was bad and it doesn't matter what could have happened because you don't need to justify abuse. Got it?""But-""No buts"."But" he pressed, voice muffled by the doctor's shirt, "But it could have been worse, Bones! It could have been so so much worse and- and fuck, Spock was with him for almost two years; that's a hell of a lot worse than my stupid fucking week!""Jim". Spock's voice sounded pained as he took a step closer to the pair. "Jim, Leonard is correct. Abuse does not need to be justified and it is not a competition. Pain is relative. What may break one human might not even scratch another... However long I spent with Gary Mitchell means nothing in comparison to how long you spent with him. In addition, if you recall our conversation last night, you will remember that I willingly entered into a relationship with the man, many months before he first used his powers on me"."Yeah, but you were just a kid!" he snapped, pulling back out of McCoy's hold to face him, "You were- You were fifteen, Spock! I don't give a damn how much you- you liked him or- or loved him or- or however willing you were, the fact that you were fifteen meant he took advantage of you! He- He fucking groomed you, don't you see that?!""I do" he admitted quietly, "I do see that, Jim. Even though I do not believe that it was his intention, the simple fact that such a significant age gap did exist while I was a minor means that Mitchell inevitably groomed me in order to create an emotional relationship so that I felt dependent on him. I... I accepted that fact long ago".The boy immediately inched closer, all traces of anger gone from his face and an apology on the tip of his tongue."Spock-""What I do not accept" he interrupted firmly, "is your passivity to your own situation. I entered into a relationship with Mitchell out of my own free will. Yes, I was young at the time, and yes, it was... illogical for me to do, but the fact remains that I chose him. You, however, did not. So if you absolutely must compare who had the worst experience... Then it was undoubtedly you".Jim jerked back as if he'd been struck. Bones put a hand on his shoulder and gave his boyfriend a warning look, which, of course, the Vulcan promptly ignored. Instead, he took another step towards the boy."You speak of him subconsciously grooming me, of building dependencies and fostering an emotional connection to reduce the likelihood of me ever leaving, even though he did not realise he was doing it himself... Yet you do not believe that he groomed you, despite the fact that he was knowingly and enthusiastically manipulating you from the very first time you met; making you doubt your friends, changing what you ate, controlling when you used your own powers. He abused you and created a one-sided dependency in order to exploit you for his own amusement... Is that not the very definition of grooming?"Jim looked numb.Bones was horrified.Spock took another step closer."You are convinced that Gary Mitchell groomed me accidentally, but you completely reject the idea that he was grooming you despite its transparency... The only difference is our age. I was fifteen years old when it started, two years your junior. But I was exactly the same age as you are now when it ended. You considered me a child, but not yourself. Why?""Spock" the doctor warned, the very tone of his voice promising the Vulcan pain and terror if he let his curiosity get in the way of the boy's mental health again. Unfortunately, the Vulcan in question was a damn good therapist, and after a lot of trial and error, he now knew exactly just how far he could push the blond."You did not consider yourself a child when you were fifteen. Why is that?" he pressed, "Leonard believes that your short stature is due to malnourishment growing up. Not the constant lower level of malnourishment that your stepfather undoubtedly caused, but a brief period of extreme malnourishment. Starvation, even. Theoretically, it could have also been your stepfather's doing, however, it is unlikely. You would have starved somewhere between the ages of twelve and fourteen, old enough to not be killed by the lack of food, yet young enough that it still significantly impacted your growth".Jim was starting to shake in McCoy's hold, his face ashen white and worryingly blank. Spock took one, final step forwards until he stood directly in front of the blond."You are independent, self-sufficient, a survivor. Some of this is a result of your upbringing but to this extent... it cannot solely be attributed to an abusive household. My... hypothesis, if you will, is that whatever caused you to starve at approximately thirteen years of age, is exactly the same reason why you no longer saw yourself as a child at fifteen".He paused, taking in the boy's defensive posture and wide, mournful eyes."Jim... What forced you to grow up so quickly?"The blond licked his suddenly dry lips, an action that was tracked by two pairs of eyes, before reluctantly looking up to meet the Vulcan's gaze. He gave a somewhat bitter smirk, despite his sickly paleness."Shouldn't we be saving this for tomorrow's therapy session, counsellor?""If you like" he allowed, "However I have estimated that if you are willing to tell me, then there is a ninety-two-point-six per cent chance that you are also willing to tell Leonard... There is also a high chance that you do not wish to tell this story twice".Jim slowly nodded, gaze lowering and flickering around the room as he thought."If I do tell you, and- and that's a big if, pointy... but if I do decide to tell you... then I sure as hell ain't telling you in the middle of your bathroom".There was a beat of silence before suddenly Bones snorted and Spock's eyebrows twitched as he tilted his head in agreement."That is... understandable. Shall we relocate?"Spock turned on his heel and walked out of the bathroom without any further words between them. As angry as Bones was at him for pushing the kid, and, really, that wasn't very angry at all considering that the kid in question didn't actually seem traumatized from it, what was remaining of that anger quickly dissipated as the Vulcan left the two humans alone to recollect themselves."You alright, kid?"Jim nodded, slowly at first, and then more surely."Yeah... Yeah, I'm good, Bones"."You may be many things, brat, but good is not one of them".The boy scowled at him, looking more like a disgruntled kitten by the second, and the doctor couldn't help but smirk back."He doesn't mean anything bad by it, you know" he said as the blond turned back to the bathroom sink, "Spock. He's only asking because he cares, but then that Vulcan side of him kicks him, and the questions come out all unfeeling and... logical".Jim turned on the tap and splashed some cold water on his face to calm down."I know he... cares, and- and I'm happy that he does, but... it's just... it's-""A little too much at once, sometimes?"He gave the doctor a surprised look over his shoulder, and the man's smirk widened."I told you he was my therapist for a while, kid. You're not the only one who had a few things to work through. I mean, don't get me wrong, I thought that he'd have learned at least some tact by now, but..."The boy laughed and ran both hands over his face, and then through his hair to give it some semblance of order. With that down, his arms fell to his side again and he found himself once more staring in the mirror at the bites and bruises that littered his neck. It had been just over twelve hours since he'd last dealt with Mitchell, and two days since he'd last been manipulated, but his head was only now starting to get back to normal. It was as if a fog had been lifted, leaving him achy and muddled and more than a bit shaken up. It was the hangover from hell.Fuck, he'd been an idiot.Letting Mitchell use his power against him, manipulating and brainwashing and controlling every aspect of his entire existence. Spock was right; the bastard had been grooming him. Making him cut his friends out of his life, deciding what and where and when they would eat, deciding what clothes he'd wear every day, making him drop the self-defence class, forcing him to- to date him and kiss him and-A sudden weight on his shoulders made him snap out of it, and he blinked in surprise at his reflection. McCoy had taken off his jacket and draped it over him instead. It was pale green in colour, made of a lightweight, synthetic-leather material, and most importantly, it smelt like Bones. Jim had never been a fan of flowers before, but he could get used to the scent of jasmine near him, around him, on him, in him-"There" the doctor said gruffly, straightening out the jacket's collar, "Now you won't be cold when we head out".Jim got the sudden hysterical urge to propose to the man."What- What about you, though? Won't- Won't you be cold?""Nah, I'll be alright. I run hot, after all". He grinned in the reflection of the mirror, and the sight of sharp teeth and crinkled eyes made something ache in the boy's stomach.
As well as further down than that.
Quickly clearing his throat and banishing all such thoughts, he turned around to properly face the man. "Are you sure?""Yes, brat, I'm sure". He rolled his eyes in exasperation. "I wouldn't have given it to you if I wasn't, and besides, look! Long sleeves".He tugged at the soft grey fabric by his wrists in emphasis and Jim snorted before brushing past him, sliding his arms into the older man's jacket as he headed for the door.It hadn't escaped his notice that when Bones had fixed the jacket's collar, he'd managed to cover up most of the bruises on his neck too, and his heart panged for the simple yet incredibly thoughtful gesture from the usually grumpy man.When Jim emerged from the bathroom wearing Leonard's jacket, Spock almost purred.He quickly bit back any such illogical reactions, including the primal voice at the back of his head that rumbled deeply with desire and possession and mine. The boy in question was painfully oblivious to his thoughts, too focused on fixing the jacket's sleeves and not-so-subtly burying his face to breathe in its scent. He could empathize with the blond, Leonard always did smell particularly ravishing, almost intoxicating in his sweetness. Between that, the boy's own natural beauty, and the freshly-touseled hair, Spock was only ever-so-slightly ashamed at how... stimulated he now felt.He finally dragged his gaze away from the boy, only to find his partner leaning back against the bathroom door frame, arms folded across his chest, and a rather pointed look on his face. Spock could only imagine how dark his eyes were right now and found himself flushing in response. Leonard raised a solitary eyebrow at him, glanced over at Jim, gave him a once look over, and then smirked.And oh Surak, Spock knew that smirk. That smirk promised trouble. Usually of the enjoyable-and-private kind, so for Leonard to be using that look in relation to Jim was-"Hey hobgoblin, why don't you lend the kid over there a pair of boots?"
-intimate.
Jim frowned and looked up, still oblivious as ever as to what had just transpired due to his new appearance."A pair of what?""Boots" McCoy replied easily, pushing himself away from the door frame, "You're missing your shoes, right?""I... Well, yeah, but-""-but nothing" he finished, "Spock's been here since he was fourteen and he's a not-so-secret hoarder, so he's definitely got something in your size"."But I don't want to- to make him lend me-""Hobgoblin?"Spock had gotten distracted by his carnal instincts again.Rapidly blinking, he nodded once and turned towards the wardrobe across from the bed. "Leonard is correct, Jim. I am certain that I have shoes that will fit you adequately"."I don't want to... to inconvenience you" he replied somewhat awkwardly, subconsciously tightening his hold on the doctor's jacket, and seeing that just made both men want to please the boy even more."It is not an inconvenience. These shoes are no longer comfortable for me to wear, so it is only logical that they be given to someone who can make use of them"."Given to-? What? No! No, Spock, I am not going to take your shoes!"The Vulcan found the particular pair that he was searching for and turned back to the blond with a slight frown. "I can no longer wear them. It is illogical for you not to take them, since you can"."But-""Just take the damn shoes, brat" McCoy interrupted with an ever-suffering sigh, "Vulcans don't sweat, so they're almost as good as the day they were bought and you need something to wear anyway and if you don't take them and then come running to me because you stood on something sharp, then I will repeat this exact moment for you, word for word, and then laugh and walk away!""... God damn, Bones"."Put on the bloody shoes!"Jim cautiously reached out and took them from Spock, still reluctant and slightly unsure, and staring up at him with wide, half-adoring, half-confused eyes and it broke the doctor's heart to see the boy looking so bewildered over someone doing something nice for him. They'd have to fix that way of thinking. Immediately.Unceremoniously dropping to the floor, he tugged on one combat boot and then the other, remaining on the ground as he tucked his jeans inside them and tightened the laces, before standing. The heels made him half an inch taller, and for a moment, he stopped, blinked, and then grinned. Both men felt their hearts swell at the sight. Glancing back down, Jim took an experimental step forwards, then backward, and then to either side. They were clearly heavier shoes than he was used to, but considering that the blond was still grinning, Spock counted that as an advantage for the boy rather than a drawback.Spinning on the spot, the leather jacket splaying out the military boots shining, Jim laughed. "So? How do I look?"Spock's hand jerked out automatically to catch Leonard's, but the boy didn't notice as he spun around in another circle, still grinning.
He looks like ours.
The Vulcan wasn't sure which of them thought it, but he found himself wholeheartedly agreeing. Jim was wearing Leonard's jacket and Spock's shoes and he resembled them and smelt like them and looked like theirs.And both men suddenly realised that there was nothing more they'd rather have.
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Chapter 33
Jim had always been independent.Yes, a lot of it was a result of Frank, and even more of it was because of Tarsus, but even as a toddler, he'd had to be pretty self-sufficient. His mother had never abused him, hadn't even neglected him in the strictest legal definition. From when he was born until he was five years old, he was given just enough of everything to survive. Enough food to not starve, enough clothes to not freeze, enough pats on the head with vacant eyes to not wonder who this uncaring woman was. Anything more than that, however, and Jim had to fend for himself.He didn't resent his so-called family for making him independent, in fact, it was one of the very very few things he was actually grateful for. If he hadn't been surviving on his own for so long with Frank, he never would have survived on Tarsus, and if he hadn't survived on Tarsus, then he never would have survived Las Vegas. He was glad that he was independent because dependencies meant trust and trust meant he would end up getting hurt.In saying all that... there was something incredibly comforting about feeling owned.With every step he took, Spock's old army boots made a satisfying thud on the ground, and every time he moved his arms or chest or neck, he got another breath of Bones' scent from his too-big jacket. He'd had to roll up the sleeves so that they didn't completely cover his hands, and the fact that the jacket reached mid-thigh made him feel ever-so-slightly ridiculous, like a kid playing dress-up in their father's clothes. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how he looked at it, what Jim felt for the doctor was far from familial, and it was likewise for the Vulcan. So walking through the Academy, wearing their clothes, smelling like them was... a rather heady feeling. He felt owned, like he belonged, like he was their possession, their partner, theirs, and it was a feeling that he was quickly becoming addicted to. And if he was right (and he liked to think that he was) then based on the look both men had given him as he twirled in front of them... they weren't exactly opposed to the idea, either. Dating Bones would be a dream come true. Dating Spock would also be a dream come through. But dating both of them?!Jim honestly thought that he might die if ever got the chance.But he's used to not getting what he wants, sometimes not even getting what he needs, so for now, at least, until he gets further evidence that the pair are interested in him like that, he won't get his hopes up. Or at least, not a little bit. Or maybe a little bit and just not a lot. Or maybe even a medium bit and-"Kid? You coming?"He blinked and found the pair in question stopped outside glass double doors, Spock already outside in the afternoon sunlight, Bones waiting for Jim to step through before letting the door slide shut. Then again, once he tells them about Tarsus, they'll want nothing to do with him. So maybe even considering the possibility of getting his hopes up is a stupid idea, to begin with.But he owes them the truth. Owes them a lot, really, but... but he'll start with the truth."Yeah" Jim replied, forcing a smile, "Let's go".Spock automatically made his way towards their secluded fountain- and wasn't it weird how he'd only been here two weeks and it was already theirs? -and Jim and Bones followed him. There were a whole bunch of sparrows and one or two blackbirds washing in the flowing water, but other than that, the area was deserted. Which was great for him to tell the story.What was not great for him to tell the story, were the chess tables at each point of the fountain.On good days, Jim had very little to no issue with chess. It was illogical, as his favourite alien would say, to be scared of a game that couldn't hurt you, just because someone who did hurt you used to play the same game too. On okay days, he could manage seeing the little pieces all lined up even though he couldn't stomach the thought of actually touching them. On bad days, however, he wanted nothing to do with it.Today was a good day. But it was a bad story. And right now, Jim didn't want any physical reminder of what he was about to remember."Can we... Can we move... somewhere else?" he asked somewhat awkwardly, eyes still focused on the four innocent chess tables surrounding them. Bones gave him a bit of an odd look, but Spock merely tilted his head, studied him for a moment, and then nodded."Where would you suggest?"Jim looked around. Since it was warm and sunny and also lunchtime, there were bound to be a lot of students eating outside, and he definitely didn't want any interruptions for what he was about to do. In saying that, he also couldn't stay here, even though it was isolated, or he might just throw up on Bones and/or Spock, and them seeing him get sick once before was already one time too many. Taking a few steps back onto the short-cut grass, he spied a large oak tree a few feet away. It was still hidden enough to keep them from being seen, without being in direct view of the chess tables."How about over there?"Both men nodded and followed him. Once they reached the shade, Jim sat down on the soft ground, his back to the tree trunk. Bones threw himself down on his left-hand side, while Spock briefly wrinkled his nose at the ground before gracefully sitting to the right.Then they were there. Sitting. Waiting.And Jim had no fucking idea how to start.He sat stiffly, knees pulled up to his chest and arms wrapped around them. He didn't like not being able to face Bones and Spock, didn't like how he wouldn't be able to see their expressions, but at the same time, he's not sure how he'd cope if he was sitting directly in front of them. He could see, now, why Spock had always proposed they played chess during his therapy sessions. It gave him something to do, something else to focus on, something that he knew Spock was focusing on which meant that he couldn't be focusing on him because that much attention made him tense up and start to sweat and panic and oh god what was he thinking he couldn't do this he couldn't tell them he couldn't tell them he couldn't-"Oh for- Come here, you idiot!"Then suddenly, familiar hands were pulling and prodding and pushing and when Jim finally remembered to breathe again he found himself lying down. His head was in Bones' lap, warm fingers gently carding through his hair, and his legs were thrown across Spock's, the Vulcan holding firmly onto both of his ankles in a way that made him feel more grounded than trapped."There" McCoy said, "Better?"He stared at the man's jeans directly in front of his face and realised that even they smelt like jasmine and ginger so it must be whatever washing detergent the doctor used that made him smell so good.There was a rather pointed tug on his hair, and he smiled."Better" Jim belatedly replied, "... Thanks"."I could hear your brain running a mile a minute, brat. Sometimes, you need to switch that thing off"."And manhandling me is the switch?"There was another tug."It worked, didn't it?"McCoy's lap was strangely comfortable, and Jim was glad that he picked a seat in the shade, or else he'd definitely have fallen asleep with soft fingers petting his hair and the sun on his face and the solid stable Vulcan tying him to the earth...Instead, he focused on the worn dark denim in front of him and cleared his throat."I, uh... I can't tell you everything. Not yet, anyway"."Nor do we expect you to" Spock replied calmly, briefly tightening his hold on the boy's legs, and Jim couldn't help but smile once more."I guess I should start at the beginning, or... or sort of the beginning, I guess".He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and focused on the hands anchoring him in place."You both know what happened to my father. Starfleet captain for twelve minutes and he saved over eight hundred lives... When he died, so did my mother. Inside, at least. She's not- not emotionless, but... detached, I think. Thereotecially, I knew she loved me, growing up, she just... didn't like me. Didn't like what I represented, what I reminded her of... Hell, my birthday's the same date that her husband died".Jim paused for a moment, listening to the birds cheeping by the fountain, before continuing."I look like him, apparently. Like my dad. Pike says I'm the spitting image of him... It just gave her another reason to ignore me. By the time I started school, she couldn't stand the sight of me, and then, when I was five, the mutant gene kicked in and... Well. And that was it, really. That was the last time she ever truly saw me, you know? I think she could have gotten over my birthday, could've gotten over what I look like, but... but my dad was a mutant, and it was the only thing about him that she hated. Her parents were old-fashioned, really old-fashioned, so she was brought up with all these- these horror stories about mutants and- and the damage and destruction and death that we can cause and... and she made my dad swear that he would never use his power again after they married... So when I suddenly started acting up, making things happen without wanting to, doing things that were seemingly impossible... that was the last straw. A week after the tests proved that I was a mutant, she left"."Left?" Bones exclaimed, "What do you mean, left?! Left you? Alone? You were five!"He snorted. "You know, if I had been left alone, then I probably would have turned out better... No, she, uh... She'd remarried, by that stage. Another Starfleet officer, grounded cause of some injury or something, although he always looked fine to me"."Your stepfather" Spock clarified."Yeah. Frank. He was, uh... interesting, to say the least. Triple-A parent, all the way".Bones scoffed and the Vulcan gave him a confused look."Triple-A parent" he explained, "Stands for 'abusive alcoholic asshole'. Quite fitting in this situation".Jim nodded."He was pretty pissed that he couldn't fly again, and then when my mom left... Let's just say things didn't exactly get any better" he continued, well aware that he was glossing over a good eight or nine years or so, but considering that Frank wasn't the main part of this story, he didn't feel bad about ignoring him for a while.Or forever, if he could get away with it."So, mom left, I grew up in Iowa, and Frank... disciplined me until I was almost thirteen years old".Both men stilled, Spock's grip temporarily tightening around the boy's ankle while Bones' hand froze in the middle of petting blond hair. Thirteen years old was their estimated age for his starvation, after all, which meant that Jim was going to tell them what happened, why he was starved, why he was self-sufficient, why the hell he'd grown up so quickly in such a short amount of time."When I thirteen, I got a bit handsy with this pretty senior at school, and ended up absorbing her Pyrokinesis"."Hang on- You were thirteen? And she was a senior?!"Jim smirked and shifted slightly so he could see the man's shocked expression."I did tell you that I had mad flirting skills, Bones"."How old was she?!""Sixteen". He shrugged. "What can I say, I was a cute kid"."You give cute kids ice cream! You don't make out with them at school!""Leonard" Spock interrupted, equally irritated about the actions of this nameless girl, but likewise wanting to find out what happened next. His boyfriend gave him a disgruntled look before reluctantly gesturing for Jim to go on. The boy settled more comfortably on his lap and continued."Up until then, Frank could... pretty much ignore the fact that I was a mutant, really. All I had was Enhanced Combat and the beginnings of a mental shield so... so it didn't affect his life, you know? I tried to act as normal as I could and- and we both just ignored it, until... until I set fire to the barn"."You did what?!"He smirked, eyes slowly closing as the doctor's rhythmic petting of his hair lulled him to a calm, safe place."I set fire to the barn. There was nothing all that valuable in it, of course. Or, well, nothing valuable anymore... There used to be a 1965 Chevy Corvette convertible stored in there"."Used to be?" Bones asked faintly, already seeing where this was going."I... might have... possibly... driven it into a quarry?"He winced at the sudden yank on his hair, the only thing that betrayed the doctor's shock."I was fine... mostly. But that's a whole other story. Look, the point is, after I crashed the car, Frank was furious. But after I burned the barn down... I very quickly realised that I didn't know the meaning of the word furious". Jim gave a humourless snort. "And Frank, he, uh... He had enough. Enough of me, enough of the trouble I caused, enough of being stuck state-side with a brat he never even wanted... So he sent me away".This was where the story started getting difficult."There was a small planet in our solar system at the time that had a relatively new earth colony living on it" he started carefully, "They needed workers; slave labourers, really, to do all the heavy lifting before the infrastructure got to the point where they could get machines involved. Children, especially, were in high demand because they could climb into awkward and small places that adults couldn't. For every child you sent to work there, they'd get bed and board, and the parents or guardians were paid a small sum each month"."It was barbaric" Spock whispered, and Jim almost started laughing. "Trust me, pointy, you don't the half of it... Not yet, at least... Anyway, Frank sent me along to, uh, help the war effort, I believe he put it... It was a win-win for him. He was getting rid of me, and he was being paid to do so"."What about your mother? I know you said she was distant, but surely she would not condone such actions against her own son?""My mother didn't know". He shrugged. "She was a few lightyears away, out of communicator span. And besides, the work was only meant to last six months, and mom's mission wasn't due to finish for at least another year... Frank thought he'd get away with it"."But he didn't?" Bones actually sounded hopeful."He didn't" Jim agreed, a familiar pang in his heart, "... Just not for the reasons you're thinking".He took a deep breath, squeezed his eyes shut, and tried to convince himself that them knowing wouldn't change a thing."The colony I was sent to... The plant's name, it was... it was Tarsus IV".Jim kept his eyes firmly closed. Bones' hands had frozen in his hair. Spock's grip had tightened so much that he knew he'd have hand-shaped bruises tomorrow morning. Even the birds that had been washing and chirping happily in the fountain were now strangely absent. There was no noise, no sounds, nothing."What?"Bones' voice was deadly quiet and held so much anger and promised so much pain that Jim couldn't help but flinch despite knowing that none of those emotions were directed at him. He pulled away from the doctor's hold, wanting- needing -to know that he could teleport away safely if he had to, but even as he struggled to sit up, the doctor's hands firmly pushed him back down."No. No, you stay right there, kid, and say that again. That planet was what?!"He slowly stilled and squeezed his eyes shut once more."... It was Tarsus. Tarsus IV, the, uh... the colony I was sent to, it was... it was-""Tarsus" Spock breathed, shock and turmoil and horror filling his usually calm voice."You..." The doctor's voice failed him so he tried again. "You were... Y-You...""I was on Tarsus IV" Jim repeated, "With- With Kodos? It was, um... It was about four or five years ago, now. The whole... let's-murder-half-the-planet thing? That Tarsus?"Spock's punishing grip slowly relented."You survived the Tarsus massacre" he whispered, "You- You saw it... You saw it burn to the ground".It wasn't exactly a question, but Jim couldn't stop himself from nodding jerkily anyway."It was... It was not fun, I can tell you that much. The colony just... shattered... It disintegrated before my eyes... Starvation... Rioting... Disaster"."How long-" Bones cleared his throat, voice rough. "How long were you...?""There?" he guessed, "I landed a few weeks after my thirteenth birthday. Did the work I was assigned to... You know, it wasn't that bad really. The work itself was... difficult, yes, and- and definitely not something any child should have been- should have been made to do but... well, Frank wasn't there, which was the main thing, and- and even though it was hard, it was... rewarding. Every day, you could see what you had done, whether that was planting crops or- or helping build the houses... I made my first real friends on Tarsus... And I lost them, too... I worked for three months before the disease hit. It took another fourteen before Starfleet arrived"."Seventeen months?! Christ, you were there- you were there for- for all of it!""You survived Tarsus" Spock repeated quietly, as if still trying to process that fact, "You were... You are one of the four thousand survivors".Jim burrowed further into Bones' lap and shook his head."You- You aren't one of the four thousand survivors? But you are here, you- you survived it, I don't-"The doctor's hands, still buried in his hair, suddenly trembled as he realised the horrifying truth."Spock" he said hoarsely, "Spock, he isn't- he isn't one of the four thousand... He's one of the nine".
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Chapter 34
Jim buried his face, genuinely prayed for a natural disaster, and tried to pretend that they would never look at him any differently after this."You are... You are one of the-" Spock stopped, head clearly still reeling from the influx of information, before trying again. "You survived the Tarsus massacre and... and you are one of the nine survivors... out of the four thousand that... that saw Kodos' face?"The boy found himself rambling an explanation before they could ask any more questions."I was- I was thirteen and- and a half? I think? When- When the whole thing really started, I don't... remember a lot of- of what happened and- and it took me months and months and years, even, to- to be able to repress those memories so- so right now it's... it's hard. Really really hard to even think about it, let alone actually tell you guys, but- but yeah, I, uh... I was one of the nine. The workers, we were- we were pretty much bottom of the food chain, you know? Quite literally, in this case. When things started getting bad and- and the crops all failed, we were left to fend for ourselves. Our managers didn't care; they had their own families to worry about and- and most of the kids were orphans anyway, which is- which is why they'd been brought there to work first day so we were on our own. There were- They were about sixty of us? I think that's what the list of the... Anyway, so, there were about sixty kids and- and some of them broke off into- into their own groups but a lot of them hung around cause they were- they were young and scared and hungry and... and I was one of the oldest, so I took control. There was me, and- and five others who were- who were teenagers, in the broadest sense possible and the rest were all under ten, so- so they needed us. They needed our help to survive and- and I swore that I'd protect them".His voice broke and hot tears spilt from closed eyes.
"Jim-"
He shook his head and kept his face hidden."At first, it was- it was okay. Not the worst I'd ever lived and- and there were bunkers and cellars and- and places where food was stored that we could stay for a few days. But then- then the kids started getting weaker and- and the food was running out, so I always gave them my share cause they were only kids and- and they needed it more but still, they kept getting weaker and weaker and... Four months later, she... she died. The first kid. Her name was- was P-Perdita and- and she was only four years old and... and I buried her".The memories flashed behind his eyes; barren landscapes filled with dilapidated houses and starving children, feral animals so haggard that you could count each rib, a wasteland of pain and anguish and hunger."I buried her and... and by the end of that week... I had buried three more. A few months later, Kodos decided to... to wipe out half the population. He- He said he'd sent a message to Starfleet, and he had, technically, he'd just... he'd sent it the longest route possible... Palace guards were sent to- to round people up. The elderly, the disabled, the... the weak. I kept my kids hidden as long as I could and- and I snuck out every night to steal food. Sometimes... Sometimes the guards saw me and I fought my way out. I had my Enhanced Combat, after all, so- so I always won, but- but sometimes they didn't fight, they'd just- they'd bring me back to the palace and- and p-punish me with- with whips and- and beatings and- and laughter. They were always- They were always laughing, every single time and... and eventually, I... I couldn't go on. I gave the kids all my food, everything that- that I could find or steal or beg for... and I got weaker and weaker and... and eventually... one day... we got caught".He could hear the guards shouting, hear the smash and shattering wood as they kicked in the door to their hideout, hear the terrified cries and yells and screams of his children as they were ripped away from him one by one and-"I don't know how many survived" Jim said quietly, "There were twelve of us left, then, the others had all... I read the list of the dead, a few weeks after we were rescued and- and when I saw one of their names, I just... I just stopped. I couldn't, I- I had already buried so many of them- so many- so many children that were- that were innocent and helpless and- and just hungry... We were brought to the palace, to- to Kodos. We were all weak, starved, half-dead... I knew instantly what was going to happen and... and in one sense, I was relieved, you know? I thought- I thought that this was it. This was the end... The end of everything. No more pain, no more hunger... nothing".His tears stained Bones' jeans, dampening the scent of jasmine and ginger, but Jim was too worried and too scared and too fucking exhausted to move elsewhere."The guards separated us, probably too scared to keep us together in case- in case we tried to escape... I can still hear them screaming. The kids. They... They didn't understand. A lot of them were too young to understand. They kept- They kept reaching out, reaching back for me, just- just screaming my name over and over and... and I couldn't do a single fucking thing to help them. I couldn't stop it. Even if the guards hadn't been holding me back, I was too weak to even walk at that stage. I tried burning them, I tried- I tried setting the guards on fire, I tried everything I could despite barely being conscious because- because they were still screaming, my kids needed me and- and if I could save just one of them... But it was no use. I watched them drag my kids away from me... And I never saw any of them ever again".The hands still petting his hair were trembling with repressed emotions, and Spock's hold on his legs had tightened to a painful level."I passed out. When I next woke, and- and believe me, I had not expected to wake up again... When I next woke, I was lying on a four-poster bed and- and there was food, actual food, right next to me... I thought I was dead. I- I hoped that I was dead... And then Kodos himself walked in".There was a sharp intake of breath next to him, but he wasn't sure who from."He'd heard of me; of course he had... the boy with the strange powers, the boy who- who could win a fight against three of his men just to- to get a single loaf of bread... When I burned his guards trying to get to my kids, when- when I created fire out of thin air, he was... he was intrigued" Jim whispered, "He'd never met a mutant before, never even seen one... and he found me captivating"."Jim". Bones' voice broke on that single word. "Jim, I- I have to ask, you know I- I have to- to-"One of Spock's hands left his ankles and trailed up his leg to rest reassuringly, almost possessively, on his hip."Did he- Did- Did Kodos ever-?" Bones trailed off, unable to finish that sentence. Jim felt the doctor's hands shake, though whether in fear or anger or murderous intent, he wasn't sure. Either way, he decided it didn't make much difference to his answer, but considering that neither man had run away screaming yet, he felt that he owed it to them, to tell the truth.And this particular truth was a hell of a lot more difficult to talk about.Slowly straightening up, he let the doctor's hands fall from his hair and wrap around his shoulders instead. Spock's hand on his hip moved to encircle his waist, and within seconds, he was being pressed against both men on either side of him, warm and secure and safe from the echoing screams in his mind.Blinking against the tears clinging to damp eyelashes, Jim drew his knees to his chest and pulled Bones' jacket around him tightly."Kid?" the doctor prompted, "Did- Did Kodos...?""... He tried" he admitted, and immediately, both arms around him tightened as the human loudly cursed and the Vulcan actually growled."He, uh... like I said, he thought I was... interesting" Jim continued, "By then, I was fourteen. I- I didn't know it, of course, I'd- I'd lost track of time a while earlier. A few days, a few weeks... I don't know... But I was fourteen, and- and I looked older, despite being short and skinny because- because everyone was short and skinny, there was no food, so... I think he thought I was older than I really was... I hope he thought I was older, but then again, considering he happily murdered four thousand people, I wouldn't be surprised if he liked them young"."But he never-?""I didn't let him. He tried. More than once. But I always- I always shot down his... advances and when he started getting more forceful, I- I burned him or- or made him so mad that he'd start a fight and that fight I could always win so... so he never got the chance. He got angry, of course, Kodos wasn't exactly used to not getting his way, but that usually just led to- to a beating or- or whipping or something. Never... never that"."Thank fuck" Bones breathed, turning his head and burying his face in Jim's hair.Spock also drew him closer, until he was practically sitting on the Vulcan's lap, his voice a low rumble that promised warmth and protection."What happened next, kyi'i aushfa?"Jim focused on a loose thread on his jeans."Kodos spent nearly every day with me. He wanted to learn all about mutants, what we were, how we worked, why we existed... He gave me food once or twice a week, nothing big, nothing even- even small, but... but after nothing at all, even that tiny amount was enough to survive on. I think... I think he wanted to keep me, like... like a science experiment or- or a pet... He liked having someone to talk to, liked having someone who was willing to learn... So he taught me a few things. Propulsion and anti-matter, interstellar politics and diplomacy, even gravimetrics and eugenics... And then he taught me how to play chess".Spock immediately tensed.
"Jim-"
"No" he interrupted, "No, pointy, it's... it's alright. Really. You- You didn't know and- and usually, I don't mind playing, but... but sometimes I have- I have bad days and even seeing a chess board is the last thing I want to do"."That's why you wanted to move" Bones mumbled, voice muffled by Jim's hair, "Earlier on, with the tables at the fountain... You didn't want to see them"."I... I know it's stupid, to be afraid of a game. I mean, statistically speaking, there's probably been hundreds and thousands of maniacs and murderers who used to play chess"."But none that you knew personally" Spock finished, "I agree that a fear of chess is... illogical. However, that does not make your fear any less valid".Jim felt his eyes burn once more, and he quickly squeezed them shut to stop the tears from falling. He didn't understand how- how accepting they were, how Bones could continue to pull him close, how Spock could try and justify something that he as a Vulcan should have been repelled by. He didn't deserve them. Didn't deserve their care and worry and warmth and-Spock's hand, still wrapped around his waist, slowly moved up and slid beneath his shirt until Jim could feel warm fingers brushing against the bare skin on his hip and- affection concern panic anger affection trust admiration regret reverence concern affection -Jim jerked away as if scalded.The Vulcan looked back at him calmly, even as Bones grumbled when he had to sit up or else face-plant the tree behind them.Spock smiled, small but genuine and oh-so-honest."You are worth it, t'nash-veh kyi'i aushfa. You deserve our care and worry and warmth. You deserve everything we give you and more".At his confused and somewhat bewildered frown, the older mutant's smile widened a fraction."Touch telepath" he said simply, "I'm afraid Vulcan's come with built-in Emotional Empathy. I did not access your memories; your mental shields would not have allowed it even if I'd tried. I merely skimmed the surface of your mind to see your fleeting thoughts and emotions. I would not do anything else without your permission, Jim".He studied him for another moment before slowly nodding and settling back down between the men. Bones immediately pulled him close once more and gently but firmly pressed the boy's head against his shoulder. Spock's arm wrapped back around his waist, hesitant at first, but more surely when Jim didn't protest."I do not know how long it will take to convince you of your worth" the Vulcan said quietly, "But we will keep trying until you do".Jim buried his head in Bones' neck and tried- and failed -to stop his tears."That bastard better be glad that he's dead" the doctor added roughly, "Or I'd strangle him with my own bare hands!"And- really, such blatant admissions of violence should not be this attractive to the blond but-"You would have difficulty locating his neck, Leonard, once I was finished with him".-but holy shit."How does the hell does everyone think you two are so nice?" Jim mumbled."We are nice" McCoy shot back, "To people who deserve it. Like you, and Chris, and... huh. That's it, really".He snorted. "Glad I made the list, then"."Of course you did, aushfa" Spock replied, tugging him even closer, "You are most worthy of our kindness. I cannot help but commend you in everything you do, least of all telling us about Tarsus IV. I cannot even begin to comprehend how difficult this is for you and I... I am grateful that you think us deserving to tell"."What the hobgoblin really means" Bones interrupted with a long-suffering sigh, "is thanks for telling us, kid. And also be prepared for us to never leave you out of our sight ever again"."I think I can live with that". He smiled, turning so that he could see the grass and the trees while keeping his head on the doctor's shoulder. "I, uh... I kind of half expected you to run- well, more than half expected, really. Fully expected would- would actually be a better description"."And run where?" he shot back, "Even if we were hypocritical cowards, you're too intertwined in our life now for running to do much good. We'd still see you everywhere"."Well, yeah, but... but you could ignore me". Jim shrugged. "Assign me a new counsellor, kick me out of defence class, tell Pike I'm too insane to keep and have him commit me to a mental asylum somewhere"."Kid, even if we did want nothing to do with you after telling us all this, we aren't cruel enough to ruin your life" he protested, and on his other side, Spock nodded. "Indeed. If for some illogical reason, we now wished to cut ties with you, kyi'i aushfa, then the last thing we'd wish to do was continue to make your life difficult. We are not so petty"."I know. I know you're not, I just... When Kodos... kept me, it was- it was another three months before Starfleet arrived... They tried to find relatives, for all the kids that survived, tried to- to find family or- or friends or anyone at all that would take them in, so... so they managed to contact my mother and they explained to her about Tarsus and I talked to her and told her some of the things that'd happened and... and she didn't believe me"."What?!" Bones snapped, "She didn't- She- Did she even look at you?!""Oh, no, she believed that- that Tarsus had happened, I mean, it was all over the universe, but... but she didn't believe me. What I'd done, how I survived, why- why Kodos had been so- so interested in me and she... she didn't believe me"."... I don't want to scare you, kid, but I think I'm actually gonna kill your mom"."You'd have to find her first" he mumbled, breathing in jasmine and ginger and automatically relaxing as a result. "But... But the point I'm trying to make is... my own mother didn't believe me, and- and she's not stupid, she's- she's actually super smart even if she is dead inside, so... so I don't think that she genuinely didn't believe me, I just... I think maybe she did but- but she was too scared to admit it because admitting it would make it real... She ignored everything I said and cut me even further out of her life because- because she couldn't handle it... I wasn't sure if you'd react the same way or not".Spock sighed, or, at least, gave the Vulcan equivalent of a sigh which was really just a slightly more forceful exhale."She was wrong, t'nash-veh kyi'i aushfa. It was real, it did happen, and you lived through it. You survived it" he said, "And it is entirely her own fault for not realising how incredible you are for doing so".Jim smiled, his eyes starting to sting with exhaustion and the sudden lack of tears."Thanks, pointy"."There is no need, aushfa".He frowned and shifted slightly so he could see the older mutant."You keep calling me that. Aushfa. What does it mean?"Although the word was mangled and the correct pronunciation non-existent, Spock suddenly felt a surge of heat at the sound of the boy speaking Vulcan.He quickly cleared his throat. "It is... a term of endearment, if you like".Over the blond's head, Bones gave him a disbelieving but amused look."I do" Jim replied softly, "I do like, I... I like it a lot"."I am glad, t'nash-veh aushfa".The boy smiled back but was soon interrupted by a large yawn. Bones chuckled, which sent heat traversing through both other mutants, and teasingly ruffled the blond's hair."I think someone could do with a nap, don't you think?""'m not a baby!""No, you're just a brat" he shot back, before softening once more, "Come on, kid. You've had a hard week. Let's get you back to bed".Jim straightened up and pouted at him- which was fucking adorable -and the doctor had to forcibly stop himself from jumping the brat right there and then. "You're exhausted, kid" he said instead, "Maybe not physically, but definitely emotionally... We'll still be here when you wake up, alright?"Even as he watched him, those electric blue eyes started to close, but the boy still shook his head determinedly."Jim... Aushfa" Spock corrected, "We think no less of you, now that we know what you've lived through. In fact, my... esteem of you has risen to a new level... We will not abandon you, aushfa. Ever".He stared at him for a moment, distrust slowly morphing into hope, before reluctantly nodding."Okay... Okay, fine. But- But I want to go back to your room! And- And have hot chocolate!"He was acting like a mouthy little twink but Bones found himself grinning anyway."Deal. Now, are you still awake enough to walk, or does the hobgoblin need to carry you?"Jim's eyes widened and his gaze snapped to the Vulcan."Can... Can you do that?"Spock held out both hands in response, and the boy wasted no time in scrambling away from Bones and all but launching himself at the older man. The Vulcan gave a quiet oof at the sudden weight in his arms, but it was only a matter of seconds before he was standing, the blond wrapped around him like an overbearing octopus.Bones couldn't help but smile fondly at the sight as he stood, and while Spock was distracted with adjusting the boy's hold on him, he quickly took out his communicator and snapped a picture to send to Chris.Which.
Actually.
"Hey, kid?"He got a pleased hum in response, head buried in Spock's neck, legs wrapped around his waist, both arms refusing to let go."Would it be alright if... if we explained all this to Chris? About what you told us? About- About Frank and Tarsus and- and Kodos?"The boy immediately tensed, and the Vulcan automatically tightened his hold on him in response."... Why?""Because he cares about you. Because he wants to help, in whatever way he can... Because he wants you to be happy, and he can't do that unless he knows about your past"."... You don't know everything about my past"."I know" he replied calmly, "And that's alright, too. We're not going to force you to tell us anything, and- and we'll be here for you if you ever want to tell us... But I really think Chris should know"."Myself, as well" Spock agreed, "Professor Pike truly does care about you, aushfa, and he would never misuse this knowledge. He will believe you, Jim, and he won't abandon you as your mother did".There was a beat of silence, and for a moment, Bones wondered if the brat had already fallen asleep. But then, still silent, he gave a small nod, and the doctor gave a sigh of relief."Okay. Good, that's... that's good, kid. Thank you".Jim remained silent, and Spock pulled back slightly to see his face. Turning back to his boyfriend, he smiled."Kan-bu"."Knocked out, huh? I'm not surprised". He shook his head before sending the photo, along with a quick message, to Chris. "Come on, let's get him back to ours. He'll probably sleep for a few hours, but we can wake him for dinner".Spock nodded, and together they started heading back towards the Academy. They purposefully took the scenic route to reduce the likelihood of them meeting anyone, and Spock quickly realised that he wasn't exactly displeased at spending more time with Jim in his arms.Not that he'd ever admit it out loud, of course.Not yet, at least.
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Chapter 35
Jim slowly woke to the feeling of someone petting his hair. He automatically leaned into the inviting touch, before suddenly realising those aren’t familiar hands.He frowned. Above him, there was a low chuckle.“It’s only me, kiddo”.He opened his eyes, blinked, and then blinked again.“… Pike?”The man sighed. “You know, I think it’s about time that you start calling me Chris”."You say that to all your students?""No" he replied evenly, "Only my favourite".The headmaster was sitting next to him, a PADD in one hand and his other still lightly laying on his head. Jim's frown only deepened, but his next question was interrupted by a huge yawn, and he pouted. Pike- Chris -laughed again.“Yeah, Len said you’d still be tired. There was an emergency at the infirmary, but he should be back for dinner, don’t worry, and after that, you can sleep the night away”.Jim yawned again. “Spock?”“Counsellor stuff. He left about half an hour ago, though, so he should be back soon too”.“So... So you just… waited here? And- And petted me?!”“Well, to be fair, you are very pettable” he replied, smirking, “Spock thinks you look like a disgruntled kitten half the time and… well, I’m not inclined to disagree”.Jim scowled at the man and immediately reached up to swat his hands away. Pike- Chris grinned, the corner of his eyes crinkling and making him look ten years younger even as his bones creaked as he stood. Jim belatedly realised that he was back in Spock’s room, curled up on his bed with Bones’ jacket thrown over him. He remembered jumping into Spock’s arms, only half teasingly, and then being pleasantly surprised when the Vulcan agreed. They’d said a few more things before heading back inside, but then all Jim could remember was… nothing.He’d fallen asleep in Spock’s arms.God, his inner romantic was squealing right now."I don't need a babysitter, you know" Jim said instead, sitting up and feeling only slightly dismayed when Chris took another step back instead of returning those warm hands to his hair."I know" he replied lightly, "But I didn't have any meetings, and you'd be surprised how much work you can get done on a PADD".He slipped both arms back into Bones' jacket."Any reason you were doing that work here instead of in your office?""I was concerned. Sue me".Jim narrowed his eyes at the man but his expression gave nothing away."Concerned about what?""... Last time we spoke, you weren't exactly in a good place".His mind flashed back to his check-up in the infirmary, with Spock's pained expression, Bones' righteous anger, and Pike's world-weary guilt. It had only been three days since then. It felt like a lifetime ago.
We just want to see you happy.
Jim had argued with the professor, had cursed and snapped and lashed out in confusion and anger and fear. And the man had just stood there and taken in all the abuse and then tried, again, to help him.“You’ve been through some wars, kiddo” Chris said quietly, expression sad as he reached up, slowly and obviously, to gently trace over the stitches on his forehead. Jim allowed the touch, revelled in it almost, but frowned all the same because-“Why are you… doing that?”His hand lowered. “Doing what?”“Just… Just touching me. Maintaining physical contact. You’re… You’re acting weird”.The corner of his mouth twitched. “Good weird or bad weird?”“I don’t know. Just… weird. Why are doing all of this?!”Chris shrugged. “I’m a tactile person”.“No, you’re not”.“And how would you know?”Jim's frown only deepened. “Because- Because I’ve spoken to you! I’ve met you! More than once and- and you’ve never been… tactile with me before!”The headmaster sighed and sat back down on the edge of the bed, and the boy obediently shuffled over to give him more room.“Well, let’s review the facts, shall we? Our first meeting, you were a mutant with unknown powers and- well, you still are, I guess, but now, at least, I know that whatever the hell your power is, it doesn’t react badly with mine” he started, “The second time we met was in your room when I tried bribing you to go to therapy, a topic which you were very much against so I did everything I could think of to make you feel more comfortable with an already uncomfortable situation. Touching you any more than a friendly shoulder pat would have been detrimental to that. And our third and final meeting, was when I tricked you into going to the infirmary where I then ambushed you and said that your so-called boyfriend was an abusive son of a bitch who was manipulating you into staying in an unhealthy relationship... What part of that screams I'll let you hug me now?"Jim stared at him.Those were good points, he’d give the man that much.But they were also incredibly complicated and, not to quote Occam's Razor or anything, but-“They told you about Tarsus”.Chris sighed in defeat."... Yeah”.-but the real answer was usually a lot more simple than that.“So, what, you’re- you’re petting me and- and hugging me because… because you feel guilty? Because you- you pity me?!”“No!” he said sharply, “Believe me, Jim, pity is the last thing on my mind. Yes, I will admit, when Len first told me what had happened, I felt guilty. Guilty that I had abandoned you back when you were too young to even remember me. Guilty that I hadn't followed up on that gut feeling when I thought that something was wrong. Gulity that I hadn't taken you from that- that- that bastard your mother remarried to and stopped you from going to Tarsus altogether... But I didn't pity you. Not once. I was guilty and upset and furious but... but pity implies that... that there's a level of emotional detachment. That I think you're... inferior to me, somehow, because of what you couldn't control. Pity means that I'm incapable of helping you and I'm not. I refuse to be".Chris turned to him with piercing blue eyes and reached out to take both of Jim's hands in his own."I wish none of this had ever happened to you. I wish I could go back in time and fix it... I even wish that I could stop you from killing Frank just so I could go to Iowa and do it myself. But I don't pity you. And I don't think I ever will".
Affection warmth truth concern worry truth affection concern truth-
"... Okay" Jim finally replied, "I believe you".The headmaster smiled at him, small but genuine, and patted his hands once before standing back up."Good. Now, I don't know about you, but I could seriously go for a plate of bacon right now".Jim eagerly jumped up as well, before stopping short when he remembered the meal plan Bones had given him. A meal plan that most certainly did not include bacon. It had been a struggle to get the doctor to allow him even just one piece the week before, so he couldn't exactly imagine him approving an entire plateful.As if sensing his guilt, Chris paused and glanced back at him, a knowing, almost mischievous gleam in his eyes."You're not the only one watching your cholesterol, kiddo. I won't tell Len if you don't".Ten minutes later, they were sitting side by side at the breakfast bar in the tiny kitchen, bacon and eggs and toast in front of them. Chris seemed content to eat in silence, which Jim was grateful for as he tried to wrap his head around everything that happened in the last twenty-four hours.Frank, his mother, Tarsus.Bones knew, Spock knew, and Pike knew. And none of them were treating him any differently, not yet at least, and none of them had reacted badly to his story either. If anything, the trio had seemed to get even closer to him, nothing but anger and concern and regret about what had happened to him. Jim knew that there were still a good few days worth of tales from his past and that their reaction to those could still change but... but for now, at least, they were still firmly on his side.He didn't want to think about what Bones and Spock would do once he told them that he murdered Frank. It was an accident, of course, but he didn't feel guilty about it in the slightest. He was glad the bastard was dead, and apparently, so was Chris. And if he had reacted well to it, or, at least, hadn't reacted badly, then... then maybe the others would, too?Jim had to admit that he wasn't expecting to like it here. He'd only come to the academy first day because he had nothing else to do, and free food was always a bonus. But now he had friends, actual real friends for the first time in his life, and maybe even more than that. He had people willing to defend him, to protect him, to care about him and... and he suddenly realised that there was nowhere else he'd rather be.He paused, a piece of bacon raised halfway to his mouth, before slowly lowering it back to his plate.Chris glanced over at him with raised eyebrows."I..." Jim cleared his throat and avoided the man's gaze. "Uhura said... Uhura said that I could key my voice to the door computer? In- In my room?""You can" he replied evenly, voice giving nothing away, "We can set it up after breakfast if you like?"He nodded, somewhat jerkily. "And, uh... about the- the electives?""You want to take one?""Two. I want to- Can I take two?""Of course, as long as your timetable doesn't clash. What do you have in mind?""Astrophysics and Stellar Cartography. I was going to ask before, but... well, then Mitchell happened and... anyway, Spock, uh... he thinks I'll like them" Jim replied, risking a glance at the man next to him.Chris was smiling, but it was more bittersweet than happy. "The stars, huh? Must be something in that Kirk blood of yours"."Maybe" he allowed, cautiously picking up another piece of bacon, "I don't know. I just... find them interesting, I guess. Endless space for millions of miles... You could spend a lifetime up there"."I did" he smirked, "Thirty-odd years or so. Made it to Captain before retiring, got my own starship and all... but I doubt I saw even a fraction of the universe".Jim gave him a curious look."Do you miss it?""Sometimes" he admitted, "But what I'm doing now? Here? It's good work. It's helpful work. Every seven-year-old kid dreams of training in Starfleet someday, but until I came along, nobody had even considered training mutants. There are a few places in Europe, one down in Australia too, but nothing this side of the Atlantic... Eventually, I started to wonder what the hell I was fighting for. Why I was helping aliens out there when our own kids needed it just as much"."Spock's an alien".The corner of his mouth twitched. "Spock's a special case... I'd considered setting up a school like this for years, but Spock... he's the one who finally got me to do it"."Bones said he was the first mutant here. First student, I mean" Jim said, now fully engrossed in the story as he finished his plate."He was. And let me tell you, kiddo, there's an entire story behind that recruitment. Longer than yours, even"."What? How?! Now you have to tell me!""Ask Spock when he comes back" Chris replied, smirking, "It's... well, it's not all happy. I'll leave it up to him to tell you".Jim grumbled into his last piece of bacon but didn't protest. He knew better than anyone, after all, about telling people your past at your own pace. The least he could do was return Pointy the favour.Standing up, Pike grabbed both their plates and walked around the kitchen counter to hide the evidence from Bones. Jim felt strangely... relieved, as such, about how well their conversation had gone. He'd practically admitted that he was sticking around, after all, between setting up the door to his room and choosing extra classes, but thankfully, the man hadn't made a big deal out of it.He was also kind of disappointed.Jim had expected more of a reaction if he was being honest. Hopefully a good reaction, and he definitely wouldn't have said no to another hair ruffle or pat on the shoulder, but he thought the man would at least do something!Now that he thought about it, however, he realised that there was only one secret left that would cause such shock, and considering that Jim had already told him everything else...
Fuck it.
In for a penny, as they said."There's actually, uh... one more thing".Chris glanced over his shoulder with a smile as he cleaned the dishes."What is it?"Jim swallowed thickly and played with the salt and pepper shakers in front of him."My, uh... My power? It's... It's Empathic Mimicry".Bones and Spock returned together fifteen minutes later, and the doctor took one look at Pike's wide-eyed stare before smirking."Oh good. You finally told him, then".Chris had frozen when he'd told him the truth, the plate in his hands slowly sliding down onto the counter below. After one minute, Jim started getting worried. After five, he cautiously stood up and approached the man. After ten, he'd half-pulled half-shoved him towards the couch, before finishing the dishes himself. Now they sat across from each other, Jim curled up in his usual armchair, and the headmaster remaining exactly where he'd left him, seemingly in shock."He's been like this a while" Jim replied, frowning, "Should we... I don't know, poke him or something?""How long is a while?" Bones asked, kicking off his shoes at the door."Like... fifteen minutes?"Spock frowned and took a step forward, but the doctor gave him a quelling look before walking over the headmaster sitting on the couch and snapping his fingers in front of his face twice. Chris blinked, blinked again, and then slowly turned to him."You good?"He opened his mouth, paused, and then closed it again. Then he blinked a third time and turned back to stare at Jim with barely concealed horror."Yeah, he's good" Bones said, "Probably just realised you could burn his school to the ground if you wanted to. Quite easily, too"."No, I wouldn't!""I know you wouldn't, brat, I'm just saying that you could" he shot back, "There's never been a mutant here more powerful than Chris before. The hobgoblin comes pretty close, but he's half Vulcan, and, you know, arson is illogical and all that"."Not always" Spock replied mildly, finally taking a seat next to the headmaster now that the man wasn't at risk of an imminent heart attack, "It is only logical to accept the fact that there could potentially be a situation where arson is the only solution".Jim briefly flashed back to Frank and the scent of burning flesh and a blackened charred house crumbling down around him while ash drifted through the air and-"-id? Hey, kid, you with me?"He startled and quickly turned to face the doctor."Sorry, what?"Bones looked ever-so-slightly concerned."I asked if you were onboard the arson train, but you seemed to zone out for a minute. Everything alright?"Chris finally seemed to zone back in at the question, and his gaze turned questioning as he looked back at the blond.
Are you going to tell them?
"... Yeah" Jim belatedly, "I mean- I mean, yeah, yes, everything is... alright. And I'm also one-hundred-per-cent onboard for arson. It helps to have a built-in lighter"."Speaking from experience there?" he teased, completely unaware of the burst of anxiety that question caused. Unfortunately for him, the therapist in the room wasn't so oblivious."Jim?" Spock asked quietly, "Have you... committed arson?""... Committed makes it sound like I did it on purpose"."Wait, what?!" Bones exclaimed, also sitting down across from him, "You- You burned down a building?!""A house" he reluctantly admitted, "My house, but... Look, can we- can we not talk about it? For- For now, at least?"Spock tilted his head to the side and studied him closely for a moment."... Affirmative"."What? Spo-""No, Leonard" he interrupted smoothly, "Jim has already given us a lot of information about his past today, and I know first-hand the damage that pressing him for more information can do".He gave the doctor a somewhat pointed look and Bones reluctantly gave in, albeit with a scowl and a few choice words grumbled under his breath."Okay, so... You have Empathic Mimicry" Chris finally said, eyes still a bit too wide and voice slightly strained."Yep"."And... And power-wise? Individually, I mean. You have...?""Four" Jim said shortly, "Teleportation, Pyrokinesis, Enhanced Combat, and Emotional Empathy. Plus strong enough mental shields to keep even you out".He stared at him, blinked, and then gave Spock a sideways glance. The Vulcan simply nodded. Taking a deep breath, Chris momentarily closed his eyes before turning back, eyes unreadable. Jim looked back at him, heart pounding in his chest, palms sweating, and the start of a headache making itself known.This was make or break, after all. This was the very reason Jim didn't think he'd be allowed to stay at the Academy, after all. The very reason he was afraid of being locked up or used as a weapon or kicked out or controlled or collared or-Bones kicked Chris in the shin, hard.The headmaster blinked."Okay then".-or maybe none of those things were going to happen after all.Jim held his breath, almost too afraid to even twitch in case it snapped the man out of it and he suddenly realised that he was staring back at a ticking time bomb."... That's it?""Would you prefer me to run from the room screaming?""... Do you freak out about anything?!"Bones snorted and even Spock gave a small smirk."You'd be hard-pressed to make Chris lose his composure, kid"."That sounds like a challenge"."Jim, no!"He couldn't help but grin, hope and relief and warm safe trust safe love trust warm home in his heart."Jim, yes!"
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Chapter 36
The next few weeks were good, were really good, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Jim was genuinely truly happy.Bones and Spock were everything he’d ever dreamed about, kind and caring and just so fucking perfect it made his heart ache with every gentle touch and warm smile. They always asked for permission to kiss him. Always. And after everything he’d been through, both with his mother’s husband, his life in Vegas, and that disaster of a relationship with Mitchell, it was... refreshing.Jim grinned as Bones leant in close again, a question in his eyes, and he nodded, closing the gap between them for a chaste kiss. From behind him, Spock’s grip tightened on his waist, and he hummed appreciatively, leaning back against the man’s chest with a content sigh.On the chair opposite them, Uhura rolled her eyes, “How about toning down some of that PDA, huh?”“Oh, shut up” He teased, “You’re just jealous!”“Oh yes, that’s definitely it” She commented dryly, “Jealous of having to watch the three of you finally come to your senses and now act so sickly sweet I want to vomit?”“As I said. Jealous” He finished, sticking out his tongue at her, before pulling Bones in for another kiss just to rub it in.“Oh, go get a room!”The doctor laughed against his lips before pulling back, “She does have a point, kid”.Jim mock glared at him, “Traitor”.Spock huffed a laugh against the back of his neck, and he turned to face him, a smirk playing at his mouth, before leaning in and placing a kiss on his cheek, “You’re on my side, right?”“I’m not much for public displays either”.“Well you sure don’t act like it” He shot back, gesturing at the Vulcan’s possessive hold on him as he sat in his lap.“You are quite... cuddly”.“And I don’t see you protesting either”.“Alright!” Bones finished, “We’ll tone it down a bit. Happy?”It was much to the trio’s chagrin that the entire room responded with a loud “Yes!”Jim smiled as he finally left his last class, finding Spock leaning back against the wall outside the room, waiting for him.“You know, I’m getting a serious case of déjà vu here” He commented, as the Vulcan straightened up with graceful ease and fell into step next to him, “It almost feels like you’re about to tell me you’ve spoken to Pike and I can join your defence class”.Spock gave him a wry look, “You’re already in my defence class”.“I know. And god, is it tantalising seeing you in those tight t-shirts just... stretching”.He was rewarded with a light green flush dashing across the older man’s cheekbones.“Yes, well, it’s Friday night, and our first month’s anniversary. Leonard’s cooking”.“So it’s edible, then?”Because for all his genius, logic, and memory, Spock still burned water with ease.“Yes” He replied tightly, causing Jim’s smile to widen, “It is... edible”.“Good” the Blond said, “Let me get changed back at mine, and I’ll be over then. Is it a black-tie event?”“That... would be preferable, yes, but wear whatever you like” Spock finished, as they arrived at the younger mutant’s room, and Jim turned to him, holding out his hands.The Vulcan smiled, and met the boy half way with his two fingers, a simple kiss, before nodding once and turning on the spot, walking away to leave Jim to get ready by himself. He still had to bribe the cook for a bottle of wine, after all...Laughing, Jim stumbled out of Spock and Bones flat much later that night, more than a little tipsy and his with tie hanging undone around his neck. The bowtie had been a joke, of course, but both the doctor’s and the Vulcan’s eyes had darkened when they saw him in it, so the blond counted it as a success.“Come on, I’ll walk you back” Bones smirked, the more sober of the three.Turns out not only could Spock not cook, he also couldn’t hold his liquor, and even now he was swaying slightly as he leant forwards to pull Jim back into his arms.“May I kiss you, my beautiful petakov?”He didn’t know what the Vulcan word meant, but he nodded all the same. The older man placed one, gentle kiss on his forehead, then his nose, causing him to laugh “You’re drunk!” before finally, finally, on his mouth.Jim pulled away, smiling, and allowed Bones to tug him away from the warm inviting body in front of him.“Come on, kid, you’re hardly sober yourself”.He gave Spock one last fleeting look before walking with the doctor down the hall, hand in hand.“I had fun tonight” He admitted, and Bones smiled softly at him, “I’m glad. So did I”.“Plus, you know, you can make one mean vegetarian curry”.“I pride myself on my work”.Jim snorted, swinging their hands back and forth, completely at ease with the casual touch, knowing full well that he could trust his boyfriend not to use his power against him. And based on the small smile the doctor sent his way in return, he was proud of the very small yet very significant gesture.Coming to a stop outside his room, he turned to face the older man, and gave him a wide-eyed innocent look, “I don’t suppose there’s any chance I could entice you to... oh, I don’t know, maybe come in?”Bones snorted, “Not a chance. We agreed to take this slow, kid, and none of your raging teenage hormones or puppy dog eyes are going to change that”.“Damn” He sighed, “Well, at least it was worth a shot... Goodnight kiss, then?”He made a big show of rolling his eyes and huffing, “If I must...”And before Jim could even begin to doubt himself, the doctor had leant in and placed a gentle, tender, loving kiss on his lips, pulling away with a chuckle, “Goodnight, kid”.“Night Bonesy” He grinned in return, managing to snag the man’s shirt collar and drag him down for a much less innocent kiss before finally realising him and opening his door, “See you tomorrow”.“Brat” He called after him, affectionately, but Jim only stuck out his tongue in response before disappearing into the dark room, shutting the door behind him and collapsing against with a grin rivalling that of a love-sick teenager.Well, he mused, that certainly was one word for him...Turning around, he flicked on the light switch with his left hand and reached up to grab the bowtie with the other. Blinking against the sudden brightness, he tore off the choking contraption and tossed it to the corner of the room.“Still not picking up after yourself, then?”Jim froze.A split second later, he had teleported to the other side of the room and had spun around, both hands raised and flames flicking at fingertips, to face the unknown intruder.Except, the problem was, he did know her.He knew her very well, in fact.Because directly across from him, perched gracefully on the edge of his couch, blond hair swept back into a loose ponytail and blue eyes as piercing as ever was...Jim blanched.“Mother?!”
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Chapter 37
“Mother?!”The woman smiled tightly and stood up, “Hello James”.“Jim” He corrected automatically, still too much in shock to say anything else.She slowly nodded, “Jim, yes, I... I forgot”.“... What are you doing here?”“I just got back” She explained, “We did a rescue mission on a sleeper-ship. It was a success, of course, and as a reward, we’ve been given a month’s leave”.“So you decided to find me?” He asked incredulously, hands itching at his side as he tried his best to repress the desire to burn.“Well, after- after Frank, I thought... they did never find him”.“He’s dead” He replied unflinchingly, and she gave a sad smile, “Yes, I... I feared as much... What happened, Ja- Jim?”“He burned” He growled, feeling the sparks leap from his fingertips, “Just like he deserved to”.“But why? Why?! What did he ever do to you that-”She was cut off by a vicious bark of laughter and took a step back in fright as both hands suddenly fully caught fire.“What did he ever do to me? What did he ever do to me?!”Uncaring of his flaming hands, he tore at his suit, tearing off the jacket and burning through the shirt.“What the fuck do you think he did to me?!”And there, under the bright lights of the dorm room, and the even brighter lights of his fiery hands, the tens and hundreds and thousands of silvery white lines were impossible to miss.Winona stared in shock, rooted into place.“This, mother, is what he did to me!” He growled, “Night after night when he was too drunk to walk in a straight line! When he was angry, when he was upset, when he was just fucking bored!”“I... I never knew-”“Yes, you fucking did!” He snarled, “But you didn’t want to admit it. Didn’t want to see it. Because if you saw it, you’d have to do something, then, wouldn’t you? You’d have to stop going away, stop leaving me, stop abandoning the child you never wanted in the first place because what if he turns out like his father?!”He swung his arms out wide on either side of him, eyes burning with tears.“Well guess what mother? I did turn out like him! A mutant! And that just gave dear ole’ Frank yet another reason to beat the absolute shit out of me every single fucking day!”She looked crestfallen but remained determined.“So, you murdered him?”Her voice was cold, cold enough to make him flinch back.“No one deserves death, Jim, no matter what they did”.“Well, that’s where you’re wrong” He replied quietly, voice low to conceal his emotions.He took a step towards the door, and she did the same.“Where are you going?!”“Anywhere but here” He said, “So get out of my way”.“No. We need to talk, properly talk about what the hell has happened over the last three years!”“And we can do all that in the morning-”“No, Jim, we’re doing this now!” She snapped, planting herself firmly in front of the door, and he snarled at her, walking closer “Get out of my way”.“No”.“Don’t make me move you”.“You wouldn’t dare”.“Wouldn’t I?” He asked darkly, finally coming to a stop a mere foot away from her, stretching up to stand at his full height.Which, granted, wasn’t very tall, but it still made him taller than her.Jim saw her swallow, nervous, and smirked at the simple defeat, “You’re scared of me”.“You’re a mutant”.“And that makes me... what? Dangerous?” He guessed, “Volatile? Unpredictable?”“... You’re still my son” Winona finally replied, and he scoffed, shaking his head incredulously, “You really have no idea, do you? I went through hell because of you. And now that I’m here, finally, finally things are starting to get better... I won’t let you ruin this, mother, and I don’t give a fuck how we’re related”.He ignored her protests as he forcefully shoved her out of the way, flinging open his door and slamming it shut behind him, long-forgotten memories blinding his vision as they forced themselves into his thoughts. He barely registered the door being reopened and his mother stepping out, yelling after him, loudly, come back, Jim, please, let me just explain things-He spun on the spot and disappeared.Quickly walking down the Academy’s cold halls, Jim shivered, the shock of all that had just happened extinguishing his flames and chilling him to the core. He didn’t realise where he was going until he had stopped outside the familiar door and found his hand half raised to knock.It was late.Any normal person would be asleep by now.
... But he didn’t have anywhere else to go.
He swallowed thickly, before bracing himself and rapping on the door twice.McCoy grinned as he watched Spock finally sober, and inevitably recalled everything that he’d said and done in the past hour.The Vulcan’s ears suddenly flushed, “... Did I call Jim ‘my beautiful petakov’?”“Yes” He replied amused, and the younger mutant groaned, hands coming to cover his face, prompting the doctor to laugh, “Don’t worry though, he doesn’t speak Vulcan. Yet. I’m sure he has no idea that you called him cute”.“You can’t tell him. He’ll take it the wrong way”.“You mean he’ll take it that you compared him to a kitten?” He continued to tease and Spock glared at him, “Leonard, your continuous referencing to cats is beginning to mildly irritate me”.“I know darlin’” He replied, relishing in the miniscule shudder he got in response from the nickname, “But I still just can’t wait ‘till the day that Jim realises you purr”.“Leonard, I do not-”.
*BANG BANG BANG*
Both men frowned and turned to face the door.“... Did someone just knock?”Spock nodded, “It would appear so”.“What time’s it?”“Almost midnight” He replied, and McCoy raised an eyebrow at him before stiffly standing up, walking over.It was well past the acceptable visiting hour after all.Sighing, he reached up and undid the chain, pulling open the chain in one swift move.He blinked.Standing in front of him, was a short teary-eyed and familiar-shade-of-blonde haired woman.“Please” She said quietly, voice cracking, “You have to help me find him”.He stared at her, shocked into silence.
Who the fuck-?
He was briefly aware of Spock coming up to stand behind him, and the stranger’s eyes flickered over his shoulder to glance briefly at him, before turning back to McCoy.“I... I saw you with him, earlier on, you... you walked him back to his room and- and you kissed him goodnight... Is he here?”Alarm bells immediately started blaring in his head.“There’s no one in here but us” Spock replied calmly, having only caught the end of the conversation, “Who, exactly, are you looking for?”She turned to him at the same moment that McCoy managed to place where he saw that same shade of harvest gold blonde.“He’s missing” She said simply, “You have to help me find him”.“Who?”Leonard swallowed thickly, knowing full well who this stranger now was.“Jim” He replied quietly, “We have to find Jim”.
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Chapter 38
The woman turned to Spock at the same moment that McCoy managed to place where he saw that same shade of harvest gold blonde."He's missing" She said simply, "You have to help me find him"."Who?"Leonard swallowed thickly, knowing full well who this stranger now was."Jim" He replied quietly, "We have to find Jim".Immediately, Spock went tense next to him.“What happened?”The Vulcan’s voice was as harsh as ice, and Leonard could feel his own anger quickly bubbling to the surface. Jim had only ever mentioned his mother once or twice before, after all, but never with any hint of love.“We... We were talking” She began to explain, “And I said we needed to- to- to discuss what’s happened over the last few years, and... and he left”.“What do you mean, he left?” Spock asked tightly, arms folding across his chest, and she swallowed nervously, “He... Jim left. He stormed out. I tried to stop him, but... he just vanished... I never knew he could do that”.“Well, maybe if you’d actually been around more, you would have!” McCoy snapped, before rubbing a hand over his face tiredly, “No, no, I shouldn’t have... This isn’t the time or place to argue with you, no matter how much you deserve it... How was he?”“What do you mean how was-”“His emotions!” He snapped, “Was he angry, upset, shocked? We can’t find him if we don’t know what he was feeling!”“... Upset” She finally replied, her own tears overflowing, “He... I think he was crying”.McCoy swore, and Spock quickly shut the door behind them, “We need to tell Professor Pike. Upset narrows it down, but not by much. He won’t be in the gym, at least”.Winona looked between them, confused, “How do you know-”“Like I said” the doctor interrupted as they began quickly walking down the corridor, “Maybe if you’d stuck around, you would know”.Pike was just as worried as they were, and with good reason too.The last time Jim had been this upset, after all, he’d burned his childhood house down and committed murder.He wisely kept that remark to himself, however.They gathered all senior staff and quickly explained the situation; a reckless, emotional, and very very powerful mutant was not something to be taken lightly after all, and then spread out to look, Bones and Spock searching specific places while the others did a more general search.“How bad do you think it’ll be?” McCoy asked quietly as they made their way down the hall of the dorms.They had already woken up Sulu, Uhura, and Scotty asking if Jim was with them, but none of the mutants had seen the boy since the day before.Spock slowly shook his head, “Honestly? I don’t know, Leonard. His mother suddenly showing up with no warning, dragging long-forgotten memories back to the surface... it won’t have done Jim any good”.“... She seemed to genuinely care for him”.“Looks can be deceiving” came the non-committal answer in return.Taking a deep breath, both men came to a stop outside their final destination, the plain wooden door and silence from behind doing nothing to calm them.“Do you think he’s in there?” Spock asked quietly, and Bones shrugged as he reached up to knock loudly, “Let’s hope so...”It was only seconds later when the unassuming door was flung open and a harried and worried looking Pavel Chekov stood there staring back at them, Starship pyjamas on and hair sticking up all over the place, but surprisingly not at all tired-looking.“Oh cлава Богу! I am so glad you guys are here!” He rushed out, hurriedly rambling, “I didn’t want to leave him but I knew I had to find you, despite zee late hour because he’s not at all in zee right mind and I was wery worried but I couldn’t leave him alone and he’s not zalking and he keeps flinching back from my zouch and I don’t know what’s wrong so-““Chekov” McCoy interrupted insistently, “What are you talking about?!”“It’s Jim” He finally finished, breathless, “He’s here!”He had barely finished the sentence before they had shoved past him into the room beyond.And immediately came to a stop at what they saw.Jim, their Jim, was curled up on his side on the couch in the corner of the room, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and a pillow clutched tightly to his chest, suit trousers haphazard and shirt missing, entire body trembling and tears streaming down his face.He slowly looked up and gave a sob when he saw them.They cautiously took a step forwards, hearts aching but knowing full well that it was up to Jim as to what to do next. It took an agonizingly long minute, but suddenly, he dropped the pillow and reached out for them with both arms.A split second later, they were next to him, Spock pulling the blond into his lap where he held him in a tight embrace, McCoy lightly running his hands over the boy’s bare skin, checking for any injuries. Apart from the early signs of hypothermia, he was unharmed.Bones quickly crouched down in front of Jim, carefully wiping away the tears that stained red cheeks, “Hey, hey, hush, you’re alright darlin’, you’re okay, we’ve got you, you’re safe now”.If anything, that only made him sob even harder.Spock rocked him back and forth gently, muttering sweet nothings in his native tongue to try and calm him down, and thankfully, after a few minutes, he did.“’m sorry” Jim mumbled, hiccupping, “I didn’t want to wake you an’... an’ I thought maybe... maybe I’d be alrigh’ but then I wasn’t an’- an’ this room was the closest an’- an’- an-”“Hey, hey, calm down, you’re okay” McCoy soothed once more, “I need you to take a deep breath for me darlin’, alright? Just take a deep breath, nice and easy”.The blond quickly complied, and within seconds his breathing evened out somewhat, though the shivering remained. Spock quickly pulled him even closer, his naturally high body temperature helping to warm the boy up, while the doctor frowned in concern, “Jim? How long were you walking about for? You’re freezing!”He sniffed, eyes red-rimmed and heavy, “I don’ know... A while? I didn’t- I didn’t want to bother you an-”“You wouldn’t have bothered us, kid” He interrupted, “You were upset! You still are, for that matter... It doesn’t matter what time of day or night it is, if you’re upset, you can come to us, okay? Always”.He slowly nodded, eyes beginning to droop, and McCoy sighed, looking up at Spock, “He’s emotionally drained, we’re not going to get any information out of him now... Think you can carry him back to our room?”The Vulcan smoothly stood up as an answer, the blond held carefully bridal-style in his arms, head resting on the older mutant’s shoulder as he began to dose off.“Go to sleep, slorkhaf-spol” He whispered to him, “We can talk in the morning”.Heading back to the door, McCoy quickly shook Chekov’s hand in thanks.“For taking him in” He explained, “If you hadn’t... I honestly don’t know what would’ve happened”.“It was нет problem” the teenager replied, smiling sadly, “He would have done zee same for me... Zake care of him?”“Of course” He replied, stepping back into the hall, “Sorry for disrupting your night, Chekov”.“Just zell me how he is in zee morning, da?”Bones smiled and nodded, before joining Spock in the long walk back to their room, sending a quick message to Pike to tell him to tell him to call off the search, they’d found him. Almost immediately, he got a response.
He is okay, isn’t he?
The doctor sighed heavily, and turned to look at the sleeping blonde held carefully in the Vulcan’s arms, Jim’s face tear streaked and his hands gripping the older man’s shirt tightly, as if scared they’d leave him even in his sleep.Then McCoy glanced back down at the message, rereading it twice.He didn’t reply.
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Chapter 39
Jim slowly woke up at the sound of a door clicking shut, and frowned when he realised he was moving... but he wasn’t walking.Flickering open heavy eyes, he was met with the cool fabric of his favourite Vulcan’s shirt, and realised with growing apprehension that said-Vulcan was currently carrying him.In his arms.
Bridal style.
He already dreaded the oncoming headache.“Where will we put him?” Spock asked quietly, his chest vibrating with the sound.“On the bed. He’s not in any state to be left alone, and quite frankly, I don’t want him out of my sight right now”.Jim’s frown deepened. Was that... Bones?“I agree” came the calm response, and the blond felt himself being carefully placed down on a soft blanket. And then Spock went to pull back. Now that wouldn’t do at all.“No!”It was out of his mouth before he realised it, and suddenly two walnut brown eyes were staring down at him, surprised.He flushed and avoided the man’s gaze, “I- I mean, I... I just... stay? Please?”He felt more than saw him exchange a knowing look with Bones, and immediately backtracked, “You don’t have to! If you- if you don’t want to, of course. I’m not- I don’t want to- to- to make you or- or-”“Let me find my pyjamas”.And really, a serious and stoic Vulcan saying the word ‘pyjama’ should have been hilarious, but Jim found himself too tired and cold to care. He shivered. It really was cold.“You should get under the covers” came a quiet voice from behind him, and he jumped, spinning around only to find a weary-looking doctor gazing evenly back at him.Bones gave him a small smile, and pulled back the duvet, “Come on, Spock will be back soon”.Jim readily obeyed and couldn’t help but ask, “Will you stay too?”“... Sure, kid. God knows you could do with as much heat as possible right now”.The second his head hit the pillow, he felt sleep catch up with him again, but forced his eyes open once more as two solid weights settled on either side of him, the one on the right turning off the lights as he did so, plunging the room into darkness. Jim couldn’t help but turn towards his left, knowing that it was Spock purely based on the amount of heat he was giving off, instinctively seeking out the unnatural body warmth as he continued to shiver.That didn’t mean he’d forgotten about Bones, however, and he cautiously reached out underneath the covers until he found the man’s hand. The older mutant huffed in response, but got the hint, and pressed himself closer until a warm chest settled against his back, their hands remaining intertwined even as Spock pulled the blond nearer so his head was tucked against the Vulcan’s neck and an arm was draped around his waist to keep him in place.Jim felt drowsy, content, but couldn’t push all the questions from his mind.And eventually, he found that he couldn’t lie there without getting answers for any longer.“How did you know I’d be with Pavel?”Bones swallowed thickly, “We, uh... We met your mother, and she said you were missing, so we just...”“Started looking” Spock finished, feeling the blond tense up in his arms, “We checked all the usual places, and when you weren’t there... well, if you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth”.“... You met my mother?”“She came to our door in tears because you’d ran off” the doctor explained, and Jim closed his eyes as they began to sting, “I’m sorry”.“What for?”“For you having to meet her” He replied, and Bones gave an abrupt laugh, “Well, granted, it wasn’t exactly how I planned to meet the parents as it were, but it wasn’t your fault that she came to us... She was pretty worried”.“She hates me”.“Kid-”“No!” He snapped, squeezing his eyes shut even tighter, “She does, okay! She hates me and I hate her and we both have legitimate reasons!”Spock carefully began tracing patterns along the blond’s arm, attempting to calm him, “It is highly unlikely that she hates you, Jim. Perhaps dislikes, over a... family feud, but not hate. It’s very difficult for a mother to hate her offspring in any species”.He gave a choked laugh, “Yea, well, throw an ex-husband into the mix, and those statistics become a little skewed”.“Your stepfather?”“My mother’s ex-husband!”“Why ‘ex’? I was under the impression that they were still married?”Jim took a deep breath, simultaneously feeling comforted and suffocated by the warm arms surrounding him.“... His name was Frank” He began, feeling almost compelled to explain, “And we... we, uh, didn’t exactly get along”.“You... argued?” Bones asked cautiously, not wanting to startle the younger mutant into closing up on them again.He slowly nodded, “Yea... Yea, we argued... We argued a lot... and when things started to get worse, my mother never stopped him”.Both men immediately stilled.“... What do you mean by ‘worse’?”Jim buried his head in Spock’s shoulder, “He... He used to hurt me. Every day, he’d just... he’d find something to blame me for, and... and he’d punish me for it”.Internally, his boyfriends seethed in anger, but the blond continued to ramble on before they could interrupt.“He’d hit me and kick me and- and he had this set of knives that... and sometimes, he’d use his belt, but that was only if I did something really stupid, like that time I crashed the car, but... he... he enjoyed it. Causing me pain. Watching me bleed like that... My mother never stopped him”.Bones took quite a few steadying breaths before daring to speak.“How long?”“How long-”“How long did he abuse you!” He growled.The blond flinched.Bones forced himself to calm down.“Aw, darlin’, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap”.Jim hummed happily at the pet name.“... I like it when you call me that”.In the darkness it somehow seemed easier to admit.Bones smiled softly, “I know you do, darlin’... But will you please tell me for how long?”The blond reluctantly reopened his eyes as he tried to count back the years, his vision annoyingly blurred by tears.“Oh, um, I don’t know... I mean, he married my mother when I was... about... three? Maybe? But I knew him a year or two before that, so... I don’t know... I suppose... an odd twelve years or so?”It took every bit of willpower for the doctor not to run screaming from the room. Across from him, he could just about make out Spock’s furious expression in the dark.“... Bones?”He turned his attention back to Jim as he gave the unsure question.“Yea, kid, I’m alright. And you will be too, okay? First thing tomorrow morning and I’m tracking that mother of yours down and giving her a piece of my mind!”He sniffed and gave a watery laugh, “Well, you can try but I doubt she’ll listen... God, would you hear me, I sound like a complete mess. And I probably look even worse”.Spock pulled him even closer, his first movement since the conversation began, “Personally, I think you’re rather beautiful”.Jim blushed and scowled at him in the dark, “I thought I told you to stop calling me that!”“You did” He agreed, “And yet I distinctively remember refusing to do so”.“Spock-”“Jim-”“Both of you” McCoy interrupted, “Go to sleep. It’s late, and we can finish talking in the morning, alright?”“Alright” Jim reluctantly agreed, “Night Spock”.“Goodnight, ashalik”.“Night Bones”.He smiled into the blond’s hair, “Goodnight, darlin’”
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Chapter 40
The next morning was eventful, to say the least.Waking up between two ridiculously gorgeous men who just happened to actually be his boyfriends now, was pretty awesome, Jim had decided. What was not awesome, was the fact that now, half an hour later, he was running after said-boyfriends to Professor Pike’s office in a desperate attempt to prevent them from murdering his mother.Which, you know, wasn’t actually to protect her life, but rather to stop them from destroying their own.“Guys, would you just wait a minute!” He panted, cursing his short stature and their well-over-six-feet frames, “We haven’t even had breakfast yet!”“And I promise that I’ll feed you after I scream at one Winona Kirk” Bones replied tightly, “How do pancakes sound?”“Fantastic! You know what sounds fantastic? Not murder!”Spock sighed silently as they turned the corner, “Jim, ashalik, I promise that there will be no murder-”“I don’t” Bones muttered, but both men ignored him.“-but we still wish to find out your mother’s reasons for leaving you in that household”.“Because she hates me!” He exclaimed, trying to tug on his shirt hard enough to stop him, “We’ve been over this, Spock! She hates mutant, and guess what? I’m a mutant!”“She married your father”.“And forbade him from ever using his powers around her!”“She had a child. You. She had to have known the gene would be passed on”.“She had two children” He corrected, “And my brother’s perfectly human, thank you very much”.That did cause them to stop.Bones frowned down at him, “... You have a brother?”“Yea. Sam. He, uh... he left”.“He left... you behind?” Spock carefully finished, knowing how to read between the blond’s words, and Jim swallowed thickly, avoiding their gaze, “... Yea. The second he turned eighteen. It was... It wasn’t long after that that I-”“That you...?”“... That I ran away” He finished, unwilling and unable to explain the whole ‘oh yea so by the way I murdered my step father when I was fifteen!’ story right now.Bones nodded.“Well then. That settles it” He announced, “After we kill your mother, we’re gonna look up Sam Kirk in the phone book”.Jim awkwardly hovered behind the pair as Spock knocked loudly on Pike’s office doorway.He hadn’t been able to dissuade his boyfriends from tearing down the halls to scream at Winona, and nothing he said could change their minds either. So now, here he was, half hoping that she had left during the night, as usual, and the other half hoping that she was still here, so that Spock and Bones could yell at her the way that he, himself, couldn’t.Turns out, for the first time ever, she actually had stuck around.“Spock? Dr McCoy? What are you-”They barged passed the confused Headmaster.“You!” Bones growled, spying Winona sitting in front of the Professor’s desk, right where he’d predicted she’d be.Spock looked just as furious.And it was truth universally acknowledged that you did not fuck with an angry Vulcan.So, it was with some smug satisfaction that Jim watched his mother jump up, her hand flying to her belt where the Starfleet issued phaser usually resided. The only problem was, she was currently off duty.“How dare you!” Bones began, “You call yourself his mother?! After abandoning him to that sick twisted man?! Time after time again?! You disgust me!”Winona tried to run for the door, but a simple flick of Spock’s wrist sent her spiralling back down into her chair, paralysed from his energy wave.She stared up at him with wide eyes, “You’re Vulcan, but... but you’re a mutant?”His gaze was hard, “Unfortunately for you”.Pike immediately rushed forwards to stand between them, “Spock! McCoy! Just what on earth are you two doing?!”“Something that should have been done a hell of a long time ago!” Bones snapped, “He was abused for fucks sake! And she just left him there”.“She has already paid enough for-”“Bullshit! She will never be able to pay enough for what she did”.The doctor took a step forwards again, towards Winona, and Jim saw his anger flash around his entire body. As well as his desire to punch.He immediately teleported himself to stand in front of his boyfriend, grabbing his wrist just as he went to raise it.“Don’t!”Bones’s face immediately softened, “Jim-”“No!” He growled, “Violence doesn’t solve violence, McCoy!”He stilled under the use of his real name.“And despite how much she deserves it, despite how much I would quite frankly love to see her suffer... It won’t change what happened” He continued quietly, “And it won’t make her feel any guilt either”.Spock slowly released the invisible hold he had on the woman, and she jumped up, coming to stand behind Pike. Bones studied his youngest boyfriend carefully, noting the fear, the sincerity, the pain behind his eyes, and slowly nodded, forcing himself to relax.“Alright... Alright, I’ll... I won’t hurt her”.Jim glanced past him to meets Spock’s gaze, and the Vulcan gave a single nod of promise also.“Good” He finished, before taking a deep breath and turning to face his mother, “... Why are you here?”“I wanted to see you-”“Fuck off” He snapped, “In case you haven’t notice, Winona, I’m a mutant. And one of my many, many fucking horrendous powers, is being able to tell if you’re lying or not... So. I’ll ask you again. Why are you here?”She glanced over at Pike and he nodded solemnly.Turning back to her youngest son, she sighed, “... It’s got to do with my last mission”.“You had a rescue mission, on a sleeper ship” He replied, “You already told me this”.“Yes... but the part I didn’t tell you, was that we actually found people on it”.From behind them, Bones frowned, “Found people? On a shut-down Starship? But... they would have had to have been frozen or- or hibernating or something in order for them to survive for so long”.“And they were” She replied gravely, “Over six dozen Terrans, all of whom have been in cryogenic suspension for the last twenty years”.The doctor swore.Jim frowned, “I don’t understand. Why are you telling me this? What has that got to do with coming back here?”“Because when we entered their ship, some of them woke up. Seven officers were killed by... shall we say... unnatural powers”.“They’re mutants” Spock summarised, and Winona nodded, “Exactly. And the mutant in charge, Khan, escaped, promising revenge on the single man who put them there”.Pike sighed heavily and stepped forwards, “And that man... would be me”.
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Chapter 41
“Khan Noonien Singh” Pike began, bringing up his photo on the large projector screen, “He is, for lack of a better word, a superhuman”.The mutants in the room all frowned, confused, and Jim sighed quietly from his place curled up in Spock’s lap, legs tucked beneath him and both arms wrapped around the Vulcan’s neck as the man’s own arms kept a secure grip around his waist. For the last hour, the school’s most powerful members had been all sitting in the Headmaster’s office, rather cramped given the amount of them, and Jim was honestly sick to death of Pike avoiding directly answering their questions and Winona shooting him furtive looks from her place in the corner.From her place as far away from the disgusting mutants as possible.Nyota raised her hand, “What, exactly, do you mean by a superhuman? What are his powers?”Christopher let out a heavy breath, “He’s... got a lot of them, as such. Intellectual genius, superhuman strength, durability, speed and resilience, highly skilled in close-range combat, marksmanship and knifes, and on top of all that, he’s a master strategist... As I said. Superhuman”.“Can he be controlled?” came a voice from the back, and Jim felt himself sour at his mother’s careless words.Everyone else, as it turned out, did as well.“What do you mean, ‘control’ him?”“We’re not some animals, lady!”“Zat is net what we need zo do!”Hell, even Chekov seemed pissed.Pike immediately held up both hands to calm them down, “What she means, is that would it be possible to stop him from attacking us”.“And the answer?” Bones asked dryly, eyes never straying from Jim’s face.“... No” He finally replied, “Why do you think I froze him to begin with?”“So, he can’t be... shall we say... manipulated?”Next to him, Jim heard the doctor growl lowly.
Because of fucking course one Gary Mitchell happened to be included in the meeting.
Pike shook his head, as oblivious as ever, “No. His shields rival the world’s strongest telepaths, so mental control won’t work. Believe me. I’ve tried”.“Aye, but surely there’s somethin’ that can stop him” Scotty continued, “What if I were to... I don’t know... electrocute him?”Jim snorted at that, before quickly burying his face in Spock’s neck as everyone turned to stare at him, not catching the fond glances they sent his way.“His body is able to regenerate fairly quickly” Pike replied, “I don’t know if it’d work or not”.“What if I covered him with leaves?” Sulu shot back, “Suffocated him with trees, shrubs, flowers, that sort of thing? Oh, what if surrounded him with poison ivy?”“Same result”.Jim sighed loudly, turning back around to face them, “How about I set him on fire?”Winona scoffed, “Well, considering how you did-”“Shut up!” He snapped, scrambling out of Spock’s hold, “You have no say in this!”“I brought you the information”.“And you’re also the only reason he was defrosted and escaped to begin with!”The Headmaster frowned, “Fire... That might work... How hot can you make it?”“Hotter than the fucking sun” He glared, “So it’s decided then. I march in there, wherever there is, and I burn the son of a bitch to the ground”.“You want to kill him?”“Well how else do you propose we stop him from coming back for more?” Jim snapped, scowling at the headmaster who had the audacity to look surprised, “I waltz in there. And I kill him”.He was mildly irritated to find everyone staring at him in shock. So, he did what he did best. He fought back.“Oh please, don’t give me those looks! It’s not as difficult as it seems!”From behind him, both Bones and Spock froze.“It’s not like the- the- the movies” the blond continued, “There’s no- no heart wrenching death scene, no long-lasting guilt! You don’t even feel remorse once the bastard deserves it! And considering how many people this Khan guy has already killed? He sure as hell does!”They remained silent, staring at the young boy talking so easily about murder in mute horror.“James, it is not as easy as-”“Jim”.Pike frowned, “What-”“My name is Jim” He snapped, sick to death of everything that was going on right now, “For fucks sake, Pike, how many times do I have to tell you?! James is what that bastard-”He stopped as someone grabbed his arm.Sharply turning, he found Bones’s firm gaze looking back up at him. Glancing down at the strong hand grasping his wrist, he stared at the flames that sparked from his clenched fist. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, forcing his hand to unclasp.Once the fire was safely out, he tugged at his arm, “I’m good... I said I’m good, dammit!”Bones reluctantly let go, his cells already regenerating his burnt fingertips, but unable to heal the large crack that was slowly forming in his heart.Turning back, Jim glared, “Someone needs to stop him before he kills anyone else. And if you won’t do it, then I will”.“I will not let you use your powers to-”“Then I won’t use them!” He yelled, “I’ll use a fucking gun, if I have to! God knows I know how!”Spock paled, immediately turning to Pike and broadcasting his thoughts loud enough for practically the entire room to hear.
‘What does he mean by he knows how to use a gun?’
‘This is not the-’
‘No, this is the perfect time, Christopher, just what the hell does my t’hy’la mean he knows how to use a gun?!’
‘... It is not my place to tell, Spock’
Ignoring all other responses, the professor turned back to the blond, “Jim I will not allow you to kill anot-”He abruptly stopped.But it was already too late.“Kill what, Pike? A man? Another man? Cause that’s what you were going to say, wasn’t it? I won’t let you kill another man”.“Ja-” He stopped himself, and took a deep breath, “Jim. I can’t... I can’t ask this of you. Not when you’re so young, not when... There are plenty of more experienced mutants in this school than you”.“But none of them know what it’s like to kill someone!” He shot back, angrily turning towards the door.Once there, however, he stopped, and then glanced back at the headmaster once more.Jim slowly shook his head, gazing sadly at the man.“... I already have a ledger, Pike” He said quietly, “Don’t add one to one of these guys lives just because you don’t want to make mine any redder”.
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Chapter 42
The second the door shut behind him, Spock turned to his eldest boyfriend and quickly took his hand.
‘We need to go after him’
‘We also need to yell at Pike’
‘Which is your preference?’
‘Well, to go after that stupid brat obviously, but...’
‘But...?’
‘... I think you’re able to relate to him a hell of a lot easier that I am. You should go and check on him’
Standing up, Spock ignored Pike calling after him and headed for the door with a determined stride. He barely had his hand on the handle before Bones started laying in to the Headmaster and the Vulcan couldn’t help but smirk in satisfaction.He finally found the teenager, rather unsurprisingly, in his and McCoy’s own room, curled up underneath the quilt in the middle of the bed.Spock paused, suddenly unsure.“May I... join you?”Jim didn’t jump at the voice.“No”.The Vulcan frowned, calculating the risks before finally coming to a conclusion.“I do not accept your declination”.The hidden lump in his bed moved slightly, and he could practically hear the boy’s smirk when he replied.“You know what Spock? I thought you might say that”.His boyfriend gave a small smile before walking over, kicking off his shoes in an uncharacteristically messy manner, and tugging the large king-sized quilt over his head, crawling around underneath the covers until he finally settled next to the small shivering blond.Faces inches apart, Jim gave him a small, almost shy smile, “Hi”.“Hello” Spock replied pleasantly, “Leonard sent me to... ‘check’ on you, I believe his exact words were”.“Yea, Bones is an old softy like that”.He tilted his head quizzingly at the boy, “The percentage of people who would disagree with that statement is far larger than the ones who wouldn’t”.He gave a small smile, “I thought you might say that too. But you and I know better, don’t we? You, of all people, should agree”.“Yes, I find that I must. Leonard is... how you humans would say... quite the romantic”.Jim snorted, eyes bright, “Never thought I’d hear those words coming out of your mouth”.Spock smirked back to appease him, but knew they couldn’t skirt around the issue any longer.“Jim... Vulcans are not the best species for being subtle”.“I noticed”.“As a result, I find myself unable to reword this question in order to put it more gently for your human brain to comprehend”.“That sounded like an insult”.He ignored the remark, and instead, caught the blond’s eye so he could look at him directly, “Jim... Who did you kill?”“My mother’s husband”.The Vulcan blinked.He hadn’t expected to get an answer straight away.Jim gave a crooked grin, “You weren’t expecting it to be that easy, huh?”“I... admit that your honest answer caught me momentarily off-guard, yes”.He shrugged, “Figured you’d find out eventually. Not like I regret it or anything, I just... don’t like talking about him in general”.“Because he... hurt you?”“Understatement of the year” He muttered, turning to bury his face in the sheets, “Frank and I... well... he was a dick”.“A very accurate description, I’m sure, based on what he did” Spock replied dryly, gaining a winning smile in return, “There we are! And people say Vulcans can’t make jokes”.He did not smile back.“You killed your step father”.“Yes”.“In what degree?”“Murder-wise or temperature-wise?”Spock frowned, “I... I do not understand”.“Well, are you asking was it intentional or accidental? Or are you asking how hot it was?”“... I fail to see what the weather had to do with-”“I burned him”.The Vulcan abruptly stopped.Jim continued on, unperturbed, but refused to meet his gaze, “My step-father. My mother’s husband. I set him on fire. Accidently. That’s how he died; he burned to death. Took out the entire house in the explosion, too”.“You... exploded?”“In a manner speaking” He explained, “Not physically, obviously, cause the majority of my body is still here, but power wise? Oh yea. Power wise, I exploded big time”.“And that’s what brought you onto Professor Pike’s radar” He realised, and Jim nodded, “Exactly... Of course, I wasn’t going to make it easy for him, and it took a good few years for him to finally find me, in Las Vegas, no less, but... yea. He’d heard about what happened. And what a whole lot of good that did”.They were interrupted by the sound of the door opening, someone stepping in, and then those same footsteps suddenly coming to a stop at the foot of the bed.“Should I be jealous?”Bones.Jim grinned, tugging down the quilt just enough so he could see the man standing with his arms folded across his chest and a solitary eyebrow raised.“Jealous? What of?” Spock replied, also sticking the top of his face out of their little cocoon.Bones gestured at the pair of them, “Well, I mean, I thought we had agreed to get him into bed together. I’m rather offended that you went ahead and started the party without me”.Spock flushed and glared furiously at him, while Jim let out a cute little high-pitched squeak that had the doctor laughing.“Oh, come off it kid, you know I’m only messing” He replied, toeing off his shoes and throwing his jacket over the back of a nearby chair, “Any chance I could squeeze into this blanket fort with you?”“Well I don’t know” Spock replied, fully intend in getting his revenge, “Jim and I were perfectly happy before you came along. Maybe we should just make you watch”.The man’s eyes darkened at the same time his cheeks did, and the Vulcan knew that he had won. Jim stared at them, gaping, “Now just hang on one bloody minute, what the hell is going on here?”“Shove over” Bones said gruffly, his voice suddenly hoarse, and he shot a smirking Spock a dirty look as he climbed underneath the blankets.The Vulcan merely raised a challenging eyebrow in response.Jim huffed at the pair but did as told, and within minutes he was being sandwiched by his boyfriends underneath the warm quilt. Sighing, he gave a content smile, eyes closed and unaware of the fond gazes he was getting in return. Wrapped up in between the pair, Jim never felt safer, and he found himself slowly drifting... drifting... drifting...Within minutes, he was fast asleep.Still staring down at the blond, Spock cleared his throat, “... How did the meeting go?”“It didn’t” Bones replied simply, “I yelled at Pike. He yelled back. I yelled even louder... The rest of the team are on our side. On Jim’s side”.“And... the killing Khan part?”“... It’s still undecided” He admitted quietly, “What did you find out here?”“Frank”.Even hearing the name made them both boil with anger.“That was who he killed?” McCoy asked, and Spock nodded, glancing up at him, “He lost control of his powers. Metaphorically exploded”.“He burnt him to death?”“Accidently, yes” He replied, “But at the same time, he doesn’t regret it”.“Good” the doctor said firmly, “Because hell is the only place that bastard deserves to be”.Settling down next to his boyfriends, Spock wrapped a gentle hand around the younger’s waist and stretched the other out to the older mutant, locking hands with him.“... What do you think is going to happen?”Bones let out a heavy breath, the weight of the world on his shoulders, and stared down at the peacefully sleeping boy between them, “I don’t know, Spock... I honestly just... don’t know”.
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Chapter 43
“... Jim?”“Hmm?” came the sleepy response, and Bones couldn’t help but smile down at the teen in his arms, his eyes slowly closing against his will, trying to fight the urge to sleep.“Can I ask you something?”“M’kay”.The doctor shared a look with the Vulcan over the blond’s head, and Spock took a deep breath before nodding once.Bones turned back to his youngest boyfriend, “Jim... earlier on, with Pike and the... the whole ‘killing Khan’ incident... what did you mean by you knew how to use a gun?”The boy immediately stiffened, eyes flying open, all traces of sleepiness suddenly gone.“... Nothing”.“Jim”.“It’s America?”“Jim”.“Everyone knows how to use a gun here”.“Jim!”“... It’s not a very nice story” He finally replied quietly, and once more Bones glanced over at Spock, a worried frown on his face.“That’s okay. We’d still like to hear it, if you’d be willing to tell us”.“... It makes me even more fucked up”.“Jim, you are not fucked up. Fucked up things have happened to you, but that does not mean that you-”“I tried to kill myself”.Silence.Both men stared down at him in shock.He took a deep breath and continued, “I... I tried to kill myself. With a gun. In Las Vegas... It was a few days after I got there, I was hungry and cold and I couldn’t teleport or- or use telekinesis or even build up a mind shield yet because I hadn’t met those people yet... I didn’t want to continue living like that”.“What stopped you?” Spock asked quietly, his grip around the youngers waist tightening protectively.Jim gave a small smile, “Martha... She’s a fortune teller, in one of the circuses there, has precognition, and she saw what was going to happen and stopped me just in time... Gave me shelter, food, a way to survive. If it weren’t for her...”He slowly trailed off, and Bones swallowed thickly before sitting up, causing the other two mutants to turn to him in surprise. Ignoring their confused gaze, he took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and held out both arms in front of him. Almost immediately, Jim stilled, eyes latched on the silvery white scars that littered his skin from wrist to elbow. Slowly sitting up, he carefully reached out, running a warm fingertip along the deepest, most jagged mark.“... This should have killed you”.He gave a sad smile, “And if my power wasn’t able to bring me back from the brink of death... it would have”.“... You said you used to be suicidal, you told me, weeks ago” the blond continued, “You said you were a doctor that smoked and drank and got into fights and- and yet, I- I never expected this”.Bones eyed the scars critically, “Yes, well, I wasn’t known for having the greatest coping methods back then... Or when I first came here, to be honest”.“When did you stop?”He frowned, thinking.“I don’t know... somewhere around three years ago?”“Do you still want to?”“To cut? No” He replied firmly, “I should never have begun first day, and I can see that now. But back then... I wasn’t exactly in a good place”.“And that’s why Pike assigned you a counsellor when you came here?”“Exactly” Bones nodded, “I mean, it took some time, a lot of time before I realised that what I was doing wasn’t healthy, wasn’t safe, and it took even longer before I found something else to do instead, to distract me until I no longer felt the need to harm myself”.“And that worked?”“Oh, I think shoving my tongue down Spock’s throat was a fairly good distraction, yes”.The Vulcan flushed green and ducked his head, and Jim couldn’t help but lean over to kiss his cheek, grinning.“Oh, don’t be embarrassed, pointy! You are rather distracting”.He awkwardly cleared his throat, “It was a rather unorthodox method-”“But it worked” the blond finished, smiling softly at him, “And that’s all that matters... Now come on, it’s your turn”.He frowned and glanced back up, “My turn? For what?”“For revealing your tragic backstory and unhealthy coping mechanisms” Jim replied simply, “I used a gun, Bones used a blade, what was your shameful desire?”“What you did was in no way shame-”“Spock”.The Vulcan paused, before returning his gaze to the quilt wrapped around them, aimlessly tugging at a loose string.“... I ran away”.“I know” Jim replied, “You already told me that part”.“But I didn’t tell you why”.The blond frowned, lying back down next to the older man to listen.Spock stared at the leather gloves covering part of his hand.“... I’ve always had my power. I’ve been controlling energy for as long as I can remember... But when I was child, it was hardly noticeable. Just little waves here and there. Nothing to draw attention to myself, nothing to stand out, nothing to... to make me even more different from other Vulcans my age”.He took a deep breath.“My mother was a mutant. And against all odds, I had inherited that trait from her... She was the only one I ever showed my power to. I knew that no one else would understand, most of them had never even met a human after all, before my parents got married. They didn’t know what a mutant was... And so, my mother was the only one who ever saw it, and she helped me use it, control it, much like Professor Pike does at this academy... And then the Romulans attacked”.“There was a war” Jim recalled quietly, and Spock nodded, “Yes. Their leader wanted to destroy my home planet. He was no match for the Vulcan soldiers, of course, and it only took a few days to regain control. But by then... the damage was done”.He swallowed thickly and avoided the blond’s concerned gaze.“My mother... my mother had been killed” He choked out, “And when my father came to tell me, I lashed out. I lost control. My power just... took over... My father, Sarek, didn’t even know I was a mutant at that point, I had never told him and it was the only secret my mother had ever kept from her husband”.“What happened?” Jim asked quietly, and he gave the worried teen a small smile, “The force of the energy wave threw him across the entire room. I don’t think I ever saw him so shocked looking... He was uninjured, though, he was still alive and able and- well. Let’s just say that the only damage done was familial”.“He hated you because of your power?”“He was terrified of me because of my power” Spock corrected, “My mother had only minor abilities, nothing to cause him such... concern... But the power that I displayed, triggered by such an illogical emotional response... It wasn’t acceptable. So, I left”.“You became a stowaway on Pike’s Starship”.He slowly nodded, “Yes. I did. They had stopped to resupply and... I had heard of their captain. I knew what he was, what he could do. So, I hid until it was too late for them to return me to Vulcan, and I plead my case to him”.Jim let out a heavy breath before suddenly laughing.Both men turned to him surprised.He couldn’t help but smile back, “Just... what are the chances?”“Of what?” Bones asked confused.“Of us finding each other” He replied, “The three most fucked up mutants in this entire building ending up together... Rather poetic, don’t you think?”“Oh just-” the doctor grabbed the pillow from behind his head and hit him with it.“Hey!” Jim protested, reaching for his own one to fight back, “Spock! Help me! I’m under attack!”“You will be under attack once I get my hands on you!”The Vulcan smiled fondly at the bickering pair, unable to shove down the warmth that surrounded his heart. They may have been the ‘three most fucked up’ mutants here, after all.But they were the three most fucked up mutants together.And right now?That was all that mattered.
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Chapter 44
The next day saw nearly everyone back in Professor Pike’s office, albeit this time without one Winona Kirk, much to Jim’s relief. Today, he was sitting front and foremost at the headmaster’s right-hand side and they poured over an intergalactic map.“Okay, so according to Winona’s intel, Khan should be coming straight here, meaning that we’ve got approximately three days before he touches down on Earth at the nearest space base”.“And we can’t blast him out of the sky in space?” Sulu asked, but Pike shook his head, “There’s no guarantee that we’ll have a direct hit or kill everyone onboard, never mind the debris that would need to be cleaned up as a result. It’s too risky”.“So, we let him come here” Bones finished, “And then we... what? Shut down the most popular space base on the west coast? Get three dozen Starfleet officers lined up and ready to fire?”“We could” He agreed, “But I doubt anyone would take the threat as seriously as we do. To Starfleet, he’s just another mutant. They don’t know the full extent of his powers, very few do... There’s no way that humans alone will be able to take him down. If we can catch him unaware, then we’ll have some chance, so we need him to bring the fight to us”.“But we cannot risk any civilian casualties either” Spock said, “This Academy is too near the city for there not to be backlash”.“There’s also the younger students to think about” Uhura chimed in, “We can’t let them get caught in the cross fire”.Chekov nodded, “And even if ve did find a suitable and safe location to lead Khan zo, how would ve actually lead him zere to begin with?”“So basically” Jim summarised, collapsing back in his chair, “We’ve got nothing”.“I’m afraid so” the professor replied, “We need somewhere neutral, somewhere safe... But by doing that, we’re making it an even playing field, and we need the upper hand of a familiar territory to win this battle, but we can’t use the academy either”.They all paused, thinking hard for the solution, Jim idly playing with the flames flickering across his fingertips.“Well, he is coming here solely for revenge” He said, and the others turned to look at him. The blond glanced up at them, “He wants to kill Pike. That’s his only reason for coming to Earth to begin with, isn’t it?”“And?” Uhura questioned.“And... doesn’t that give us the upper hand that we so desperately need?”Spock hummed thoughtfully, “It is true that Khan will have no interest in us, only in the headmaster”.“What are you thinking?”“He’s coming to the academy because of the professor” Jim finished, “But what if the professor wasn’t here to begin with?”“You’re suggesting to move me” Pike realised, “To relocate to the ideal battle ground, and hope that Khan will follow”.“And insure that Khan will follow” Kirk corrected, a slow grin spreading across his face, “I’ve got a few friends who owe me favours. I’ll give them a call, get them to spread the word that the famous Christopher Pike has gone into hiding... It won’t take too much time to spread through the mutant community, and if this Khan guy is as smart as you claim? It’ll take even less before word gets to him”.“So, we lay a trap” Bones smirked, beaming with pride for his younger boyfriend, “Make him think that Pike has gone underground alone, or with one or two other mutants, make him lower his guard a little”.“And then” the blond grinned, “We leap out and attack”.Three and a half hours later, and they had their plan.And one James Tiberius Kirk was fuming.“So, let me get this straight” Jim said, glaring, “You want me, me, by the way, being the most powerful weapon that you’ve got, you want me to stay here?!”“Yes” Pike said simply and the boy took a deep breath.“... Why?!”“Because knowing you, you’ll charge in head-first, over estimate your abilities, and end up dead!” McCoy snapped, and his boyfriend pouted, “But Bones! I’m your best shot at killing this guy!”“Which is why we’re not killing him” the headmaster announced, “Khan may have done a lot of wrong in this world, but no one deserves death”.“Yea? Well try telling that to the families of the Starfleet officers he killed!”He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath, “Jim. Please. We will recapture him, we will transport him back to the Starship he came from, and we will put him as well as his friends back into cryogenic suspension”.“Until what? He wakes up in a hundred years’ time and becomes somebody else’s problem?!”“Until the Starfleet Council makes a just and democratic decision as to what to do with him!” Pike replied, “If you kill this man, despite all that he may have done, he will be treated as a victim by the Federation, and you as his murderer”.Jim stot up from his seat and began pacing furiously, only stopping when he stood in front of Spock for the fourth time.“And you? You’re okay with this?”“I would rather not lose you so soon” He replied quietly, face softening in the way it only ever did for the young mutant.Jim refused to fall for it.“But it’s okay for me if I lose you?”The Vulcan let out a heavy breath, “Jim... T’hy’la... After you, I am perhaps the most powerful and well experienced mutant in the academy. It is only logical that I go with Professor Pike to protect him”.“Logical? Logical, my ass!” He snapped, resuming his pacing, “It would be logical to prevent this man from killing again, it would be logical to let me go with you even if just for protection, and it would be logical to stop assuming that I’m a ticking timebomb about to go off!”“Jim, you know that’s not-”“I want to go!”“And I’m forbidding it!” Pike snapped, “I’m not arguing with you on this Jim. I don’t want you in front of the Starfleet Council for murder, whether done intentionally or not. The power that you have... I can’t risk it”.“... So, what now?” the blond finally asked, “I just... sit here? Wait? Hope that you come back alive?”“It’s all you can do” Bones replied quietly, wrapping an arm around his shoulders to still his pacing, “But if it’s any consolation, I’ll be right here with you... And hey, it won’t be that bad! We can even organise a little surprise for when Spock gets home”.Pike made a very pointed cough and the Vulcan flushed to the tips of his ears... but at least it got a small smile out of the pouting blond.And Bones counted that as a win in his book.
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Chapter 45
“Remind me why we’re doing this again?”Jim looked up at the Vulcan’s wry remark, only to find the man giving him a bemused look.“So, I’ll be ready” He replied simply.Spock dodged a fist aiming for his head.“Ready for...?”The blond rolled his eyes and jumped back just in time to avoid a blow to the ribs.“Ready for the bad guys, obviously”.His boyfriend suddenly stilled, frowning, “Jim... We have already discussed this. You are not coming with us to-”“-to fight Khan, yea, I know” He pouted, relishing in how the Vulcan’s dark eyes immediately latched onto his lips, “But Khan ain’t the only bad guy out there, and when the next guy rolls around, I want to be ready”.“And you couldn’t have waited until after I returned from this mission?”“That’s exactly my point!” He snapped, managing to land a particularly vicious swipe to the man’s legs, “What if you don’t come back?”Sighing, Spock spun around on the ground and kicked the blond’s legs out from under him.“Jim, T’hy’la, I will come back... I give you my word”.Collapsing down next to him, the boy narrowed his eyes and pointed a finger accusingly, “You can’t promise that”.“... Maybe not” He admitted, “But I can swear that returning alive and able is at the top of my priority list”.“And if it comes down to you or Pike?”Walnut brown eyes carefully scanned the otherwise empty gym.“... Then I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it”.Letting out a heavy breath, Jim scowled, “I still want to come with you”.Spock turned back to him, smiling faintly, “I know”.“I’m the most powerful mutant in this building”.He crept forward, gently taking hold of his shirt collar, “I know”.“I’m your best shot of defeating this guy”.And with one firm tug, he had the blond sprawled inelegantly across his chest, “I know”.Sitting up, Jim straddled the Vulcan beneath him, not quite unhappy with their new position but at the same time-“You’re just trying to distract me” He accused.Leaning back on his elbows, the mutant stretched up to place a chaste kiss on the younger’s mouth.“I know that too... Is it working?”Jim paused, “... No”.He playfully nipped at his boyfriend’s lower lip.“And now?”“Still no”.A not-so-chaste kiss and then-“What about now?”He grinned cheekily, “Nope”.With a growl, Spock lurched forward, spinning them around until he was the one on top, strong hands pinning Jim’s wrists to floor beneath him.“How about now?”The blond writhed under the intense gaze and low, sultry voice.“Okay, now we’re getting somewhere”.“And by somewhere, I hope that means the Starship?”Spock immediately tensed, but Jim merely grinned, neck straining back as far as it could go in order to give the doctor a salacious however upside-down grin.“Hey Bonsey”.The man sighed, before stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him and didn’t that just do wonders for the blond’s racing heart? Slowly strolling towards them, he took in the rather suggestive sight and Spock’s deep brown eyes, darkened in a way that only Jim could manage to cause.“Aren’t you two meant to be sparring?”“It takes two to tango, Bones... Or, rather, three, in our case”.Rubbing the bridge of his nose, McCoy sighed once more, before collapsing on the gym mats next to them, “I take it this was why you were so eager to fight, then?”“Not at all” Jim replied innocently, lying still even as the Vulcan sat up, “This is merely... a positive side effect”.He didn’t believe him for one second.“Sure, kid”.Pouting, the boy turned back to Spock with wide eyes, reaching up with one tanned hand to gently tug at the tip of a delicate ear, “I honestly didn’t set any of this up. You believe me, don’t you, pointy?”A low rumble emerged from deep within the man’s chest, and he possessively reached forwards once more to claim the blond’s mouth with a passionate kiss. Next to them, Bones sighed for the umpteenth time that minute and leant back until he was lying down next to the younger mutant, staring up at the white ceiling above him as illicit sounds tumbled out of the boy’s mouth to his left.Less than two minutes later, however, a rather disgruntled Vulcan was shoved over him to his other side as a warm body with two inquisitive bright eyes latched onto him instead. Smiling shyly, with flushed cheeks and bruised lips, Jim looked positively delectable.And based on the way his sky blue gaze danced with mischief, the brat knew it too.Casually linking his arms around the boy’s waist, he smirked up at him.“How kind of you to drop by”.“Well, I couldn’t just leave you lying here”.“Looked like I was feeling down, was I?”“Hmm, yes, but I think some time slouching about might fix that”.Next to them, Spock groaned.“Enough with the lying down puns already”.Blinking innocently, Jim stared at him for a few seconds, before turning back to Bones, “... He has a terrible sense of humour”.“And so would you if he’d led you on like that only to toss you to side when someone else walked in. You even had him purring, for god’s sake!”The blond frowned, “But it wasn’t for someone else. It was for you, and I haven’t seen you all day”.“Yes, but I’m still going to be here tomorrow, whereas the hobgoblin is being shipped out tonight”.Jim glared.McCoy raised a solitary eyebrow.The boy finally sighed, propping himself up on his elbows to look over at the rather miserable Vulcan.“... Hey Spock?”He got a non-committal hum in return.“You wanna continue making out?”Brown eyes sharply turned to him, large and dark and want and-Bones smirked, “I’m going to take that as a yes”.Their time together was rather unfortunately cut short only three hours later with a call from Pike and the three simple words, “Time to go”.Standing in front of the Starship that would bring them to the abandoned base in the countryside, Jim was latched onto Spock and refusing to let go.“I don’t want you to go”.Long fingers lovingly threaded through blond hair.“I don’t want to go either”.Wide mournful eyes stared up at him.“Then don’t go. Stay”.“You know I can’t do that, Jim”.“Then take me with you!”Bones carefully unwrapped the boys tight hold around the Vulcan’s waist, and pulled him back into a secure embrace.“He’ll be fine, kid. They all will”.“You don’t know that”.“... Maybe not. But what I do know? Spock is one hell of a fighter. It’s gonna take a lot more than one pissed off mutant to bring him down”.The blond said nothing, but found his eyes drifting towards the Starship as the other mutants got on. The other mutants and one very-much-not mutant. Glaring, he narrowed his eyes at the human.“Well if I can’t go, then how come she’s allowed to?!”“Because your mother is the only one who can identify the mutants planning the attack” Spock replied patiently, having already been through this a dozen times with the teen, “We need her there to make sure that we’re not fighting back against innocent civilians”.He opened his mouth to argue further, but before he could, a hand clapped down on the Vulcan’s shoulder.Pike gave a strained smile, “Are you ready to go?”“Yes sir”.Turning to face his boyfriends, Spock gave them both a quick kiss and a promise to be home by the weekend, before turning and making his way towards the ship.Pike, however, remained where he was, looking suddenly and despairingly old.“Jim... He’ll come back. Alive”.The blond looked up at him mistrustfully, Bones hands tighteningly warningly on his shoulders.“Be sure to it that he does, professor, or I may not be held accountable for my actions”.With a sharp nod, the headmaster turned, only to pause and glance back at the academy behind them.“Professor?” McCoy asked confused, but the man merely shook his head in response, “Oh, never mind, doctor. I merely thought that Mr Mitchell was going to accompany us, but... well. It seems I must have been mistaken. A lot has happened over the last few hours... I’ll see you boys soon. This shouldn’t take any longer than two or three days, but if all goes according to plan, then we should be back by this evening... Until then”.“Until then” Bones echoed quietly, watching as he made his way towards the Starship, eyes immediately latching onto Spock as he appeared by a window facing them.“... He’ll be okay” his boyfriend said suddenly, “We all will. We’ll be okay”.And as the Starship rose and flew further and further away, a cool dread settled in the base of McCoy’s stomach, and he distantly wondered just which of them, exactly, was Jim trying to convince.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chapter 46
Three days, Spock had said.They’d be gone for three days, at most.It was now day five.Bones sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose against the oncoming headache. Looking around, he counted no more than three dozen students, sitting at various places throughout the rec room. They had sent all the younger student’s home for the week, both because of the lack of professors still on campus, and so that they wouldn’t freak out if things with Khan turned south. A few of the older members willingly left too, happy for the impromptu holiday allowing them to see their friends and family.But for Bones and Jim and many other members of the room, all of their friends and family were currently MIA.He glanced over at the blonde sitting across the room.Chekov and Jim had started a game a chess well over two hours ago.They both had yet to make a move.Standing up and ignoring how everyone’s gaze immediately shifted to him, he walked over and wrapped his arms around his youngest boyfriend’s shoulders, smiling at how he unconsciously leant back into the warm embrace.“Bones?”“Hmm?”“... When will they be back?”He felt the others attention latch onto him, waiting for the response.“I... I don’t know, kid”.“Shouldn’t they have called by now? If there was a change of plan?”“I suppose so, yea”.“So why haven’t they?”McCoy sighed and took a step back, before spinning Jim’s chair around and crouching down to face him.“Kid. Listen to me. Spock’ll come home to us, one way or another. The fact that they haven’t checked in doesn’t necessarily mean anything bad has happened! No news is good news, and all that-”
*BEEP-BEEP BEEP-BEEP*
Everyone abruptly stilled, all eyes snapped to the innocent looking communicator resting on the coffee table. Slowly standing up, Bones walked over and flipped it open.He swallowed thickly.“... It’s Spock”.Almost immediately, everyone rushed towards him, crowding around the small table. Squeezing between them all, Jim grabbed the doctor’s phone off of him and hit the speaker button.“Spock?!”There was only static from the other side.And then, a high-pitched whine, a beep, and-“’en’ord?”Bones quickly leant forwards, “Yea, I’m here, what’s happening?”“We- attack -ust out and heavier tha- expected”“Spock? Spock! We can’t hear you, you’re breaking up”.“Attac- too many- -arship gon- destroyed- many dea- more -njured”.The sound of yelling cut him off.“Starship brok- and we ar- on foot bu- take some tim-”More static.McCoy angrily hit the communicator off the table.The static faded once more.“You -ave to listen -o me. Ther- -econd attac- on th- academy we were -et up!”“Hey, slow down, what’s this about the academy?” Sulu asked, shoving himself closer to the phone.“-ttack! Second att-“The Vulcan was abruptly cut off by a loud bang, and they only heard muted curses and a painfilled groan for a one entire heart stopping minute before-“Khan -s coming soon bu- won- make it- you hav- to prepare!”A gasp, the thud of something or someone hitting the ground, and then-“Many injur- Pike alive- Winona -irk killed-”The line went dead.Everyone stared at the communicator in shock-filled silence.Spock.A worse-for-wear pained-sounding currently-fighting-while-talking-to-you Spock, but still, Spock.And he had just told them that-Jim abruptly straightened up, catching everyone’s attention.“We need to prepare”.Bones frowned, “We need to- wait, what?”“Prepare” He said quickly, squeezing back out from between everyone into the open area in front of the fireplace, “We need to- to- to get ourselves ready for the attack. He said there’s going to be another attack, here, at the academy. Spock said that their Starship was destroyed and that there’s- there’s more bad guys than anticipated and that they’re coming here next!”“Jim-”.“So we need to make a game plan, we need to sort out everything, who’s going to do what and where and when and how and who and- oh, well, that’s rather stupid cause obviously we know who, it’s Khan, it’s always fucking Khan and-““Jim”.“-we need to prepare ourselves, we need to barricade doors and windows and try to keep them out for as long as possible until Spock and the other’s come back cause he said they were on their way, that it was just going to take too long cause of their Starship being ruined and I already said that, didn’t I? Anyway, it doesn’t matter cause-”“JIM!”“What?!”Bones stared at the rambling blonde in front of him with the most heart wrenching look on his face.“Kid... Kid, he just said your mother is dead”.Jim swallowed thickly, feeling his traitorous eyes staring to fill up, and he quickly wrapped both arms around himself, shocked and scared but wanting to hold it all together- needing to hold it all together so he wouldn’t break he wouldn’t burn he wouldn’t-“I know. I know what he said, I was here, Bones, I heard everything you heard”.“Jim...”And then suddenly, he realised that everyone else was staring at him as well, the small crowd of mutants with every face after the other giving him a sad, pitying look, and he hates that, he can’t stand that, he doesn’t want their pity-“Oh, just stop staring at me like that!” He finally snapped, “Don’t- Don’t make this any bigger than it needs to be! We hated each other!”Jim heard his voice crack, and both arms angrily came up to scrub at watering eyes.“We hated each other, it doesn’t even matter. I never liked that woman anyway, and she sure as hell didn’t like me! We hated each other. We- We- We-”And then suddenly, Bones is there, standing right in front of him, with that deep knowing look in his eyes and-“Oh, darlin’”.-and then he can’t stop the tears from falling.Bones immediately pulled him forward into an almost suffocating hug, and Jim just as immediately latched onto him, clutching his jacket with strong fists as he sobbed into his shirt.“I hated her! I hated her, Bones, I swear, I hated her!”But the doctor only pulled him closer in response, chin resting on soft hair, hands running sootheningly up and down his back.“I know you did, darlin’, I know you did”.
What the hell were they meant to do now?!