Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek or its characters. I make no profit from this work of fiction.
Leonard considered the wedding invitation in his hand. It had been a long time since he had been back to Iowa. It seemed like a lifetime ago, before Jocelyn ...
He shook his head. It had been a few months since the divorce was finalized, but it still felt like attending a wedding was the last thing Leonard wanted to do.
Then again ... maybe I could use the break and change of scenery. It's not for another two months anyway. And it's been forever since I've seen Sam.
He checked off an affirmative on the response card to the Kirk wedding and went to find a stamp.
Leonard had just set down his suitcase on the hotel bed when his cell phone rang. He peered at the number; it was an Iowa number, but it wasn't popping up as Sam.
"McCoy."
"Hi, Leo, this is Jim."
Leonard blinked. "Jim Kirk?"
"Yeah, it's me. Listen, the guys and I are takin' Sam out tonight, and he told me to call you. You free?"
"For Sam's last night as a single man? I reckon I can tag along."
"All right. Meet us at the Filthy Farmer at nine."
"See you then." Leonard clicked off the phone and chuckled softly. It had been a long time since he had seen Sam but even longer since he had since his younger pain-in-the-ass brother Jim. The little squirt caused so much trouble, he should have been declared a disaster area.
It seemed like he and Sam could hardly have any time to hang out alone without Jim showing up and begging to tag along. Sometimes Sam would let him, but it never ended well. When they had snuck off to light fireworks, Jim had accidentally tossed a lit ground bloom flower into the box of unlit fireworks. The group of young boys had hit the deck as the box exploded, colorfully. Sam had dragged Jim home, yelling at him the whole way. Leonard had been left to dispose of the evidence of their abruptly abbreviated show.
Leonard shook his head, marveling at how any of them had survived to adulthood. Especially, since he and Sam had sometimes teamed up against Jim for revenge. They once got him in trouble for eating an entire pan of brownies his mother had baked.
When the McCoys moved from Georgia to Iowa when Leonard was nine, Sam was the first kid that didn't pick on him for his accent. They were fast friends, and Sam liked taking refuge from Jim when they spent time together.
They had kept in contact all through college and beyond. He knew the man he had become. Jim, on the other hand, he could only remember as a mouthy little brat. Oh well. Troublemakers are always good to have around for bachelor parties.
Leonard should have recognized Jim by the way the man couldn't stand still; he never had when he was a kid. But, as it was, he nearly passed by the tall blond bouncing on his heels in front of the bar.
"Leo?" an incredulous voice asked.
Leonard turned and suddenly those blue eyes looked amazingly familiar. "Jim?"
Jim grinned, and Leonard felt his heart stutter. He held out his hand. "Hey, man, it's been a long time!"
Leonard blinked and then grasped the outstretched hand. "Yes - it has. Uh, wow. I didn't recognize you."
"I almost didn't recognize you either," Jim said, letting their hands drop. "Sam will be along in a minute. He's still at the rehearsal dinner after-party-thing, playing nice with relatives and in-laws-to-be. He sent me ahead to play host."
Leonard nodded after a minute, realizing that he had been staring at Jim - checking him out. He coughed. "Sounds good. Anyone else here yet? Will I know anyone?"
Jim chewed on his lip, and Leonard found himself incredibly distracted by the sight. "No, I don't think so, actually. But Sam insisted that you be invited."
Leonard felt himself blushing a little as he realized Jim might not exactly be thrilled about seeing him again. He was about to say something about it when a group of guys approached them, and Jim greeted them eagerly. He shook his head and waited for Jim to introduce him around.
Alcohol, Leonard should have known, did not improve his situation at all. His eyes were even more drawn to the graceful way Jim made his way through the crowd, the curve of his ass, and the muscles under his t-shirt as he leaned over to shoot pool. The way his eyes fucking lit up when he laughed. But there was more than that, too. There was a deliberation to every move he made, every touch. While he kept the drinks flowing and the jokes running, he also kept an eye on his brother and guests. He intervened smoothly if they were bothering other patrons or the staff, and he made sure no one drove drunk. Damn mouthy brat grew up to be ... be ...
"Leo, you gonna sulk all night?" Sam groused, leaning on the bar heavily.
Leonard smiled. "I'm havin' a fine time, Sam. I just don't know anyone, that's all."
Sam knocked back another shot of Jaegermeister. "I'm yankin' your chain, Leo. You're just a little more quiet than I remembered. I'm really glad you came."
Leonard slung his arm around Sam's shoulders. "So am I, Sam. Thanks for havin' Jim invite me."
Sam laughed. "You two haven't seen each other in years. It's weird, isn't it? He's almost responsible now and shit. Well, responsible for Jim."
Leonard laughed uneasily. "Yeah. Weird. Does he, uh ... he's not mad at me or anything?"
Sam shrugged under Leonard's grasp. "Nah, I don't think so. He was kinda surprised when I asked him to call you, but I told him we'd been in touch over the years. And believe me, I did a lot worse things to him than we ever did together."
"Well, yeah, but you're his brother."
Sam raised an eyebrow. "Something you want to tell me, Leo? Come to think of it, you've been lookin' at him a lot tonight -"
He was cut off as his younger brother tackled him from behind. "SAM! I haven't seen you, for like, a whole fifteen minutes!"
Leonard had to laugh; the scene was so familiar.
Sam managed to shake Jim off but was drunk enough not to notice his brother's signal to the bartender. "I'll be outta your hair soon enough, Jim. Then you'll go back to being most eligible Kirk in Riverside." He blinked at the glass of ice water the bartender slid to him before drinking it thirstily.
Leonard felt an eyebrow go shooting up. Hell, when did Jim start taking care of Sam?
"Doin' okay over there, Leo?" Jim asked.
Leonard nodded and quickly took a sip of his bourbon; he didn't trust himself with words.
"It's been a rough year for Leo," Sam slurred, slinging an arm over Leonard's shoulders. "He got divorced."
Leonard felt himself flushing. "Sam, clearly you never learned in college how to hold your liquor."
"It was terrible," Sam continued to Jim. "He said she took everything, and all he's got left is his bones."
Jim just gave an uncomfortable smile and pushed the water back into Sam's hand. "Drink up, big bro. As your best man, it's my duty to make sure you actually make it to the altar tomorrow."
The party broke up about an hour and a half later, and Leonard helped Jim pour Sam into the car of the designated driver.
"You got a ride?" Jim asked Leonard.
"Nah, I'll just get a cab. Or walk."
"Are you sure? We could -"
"There are way too many damn people in that car already. I'll be fine, Jim."
Jim stuck his head into the car long enough to make sure his brother would be delivered home safely and then slammed the door shut.
Leonard watched the car drive off. "I'm not that drunk, Jim. You don't have to look out for me."
Jim grinned at him. "Maybe I want to. The streets of Riverside are more dangerous since the last time you were here, Bones."
Leonard groaned as they started walking down the street. "That was supposed to have been a private conversation."
Jim laughed. "Yeah, Sam gets really mouthy when he's drunk. Sorry about that."
"Ain't your fault, kid."
"Seriously? Kid? You don't think I've grown up at all?" Jim was making what almost might have qualified as "puppy dog eyes."
Leonard tried to scowl and failed. "Maybe a little."
They walked on in companionable silence for a while. Leonard concentrated on walking straight and not looking over at Jim in his thin gray t-shirt and jeans. He had sweat right through the shirt, and it was sticking to his back, revealing the first muscles underneath - WAIT, shit. No, not looking at that.
"So, what's your future sister-in-law like?"
"Aurelia? She's a saint. I don't know how she puts up with him."
Leonard laughed.
Jim chuckled, tucking his chin down against his chest. "Seriously, though, she's great. Sam's really lucky to have found her. She's smart, funny, beautiful ..."
"Practicin' your speech for tomorrow?" Leonard teased.
Jim laughed. "A little. But I meant it. She's great. I'm glad she's gonna be part of the family." After a bit he asked, "So, what's it like comin' back to the old stomping grounds?"
Leonard fished for an appropriate answer that didn't involve any references to getting into Jim's pants. "It's been a trip." The moment the words left his mouth, his toe caught on a crack in the sidewalk, and he pitched forward.
Jim caught him before he hit the ground. "Whoa! You okay?"
Leonard felt his heart start hammering at Jim's touch as he got back to his feet. "Yeah … sorry, just trippin' over my own damn feet."
Jim's hands hadn't left his shoulders yet, and the younger man reached out to grasp his chin and peer into his eyes. "You sure?"
Leonard stared into those incredible blue depths a moment too long before growling out, "I'm a doctor, damn it."
Jim laughed and let him go. "Sam told me about that. Doctor McCoy, huh? I can hardly believe it."
"What about you, Jim?" Leonard asked as they plodded onward. "Sam seemed to indicate that you still live 'round these parts."
Jim shrugged. "Yeah. Guess I haven't quite figured out my escape plan yet."
And then Leonard's inhibitions went right out the window. "You should come visit, ya know. I ain't got much now, but my money's still good at the bars in Atlanta. They have better bourbon."
Jim laughed, and there was that light in his eyes again. "Bones … are you asking me on a date?"
Leonard flushed and fumbled before stopping dead and turning to face Jim. "What if I am?"
There was still a hint of a smile on Jim's face, but his eyes had become unreadable. "C'mon, Bones. Let's get you back to your hotel. I think you've had a little too much to drink."
Leonard took the answer as a refusal and didn't argue when Jim grabbed his arm and tugged him along down the street until they reached his hotel. He even escorted Leonard right to his door and made sure he didn't hit his head in the bathroom before passing out on the bed.
To be continued!