Title: Summer Beautiful
Author: Virgo_24
Pairings/Characters: Kirk/Mccoy
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None other than a helluva lot of fluff.
Summary: McCoy and Jim take Joanna to Iowa and McCoy reflects on his feelings.

Iowa in summer was really beautiful, the white oaks leaves gently blowing in the soft warm air, the orange sun fading into the distance creating a pink hue to the sky, the cold beer in his hand and of course the sound of a Captain James. T. Kirk being 'clawed to death' by Joanna, McCoy's 6 year old daughter added to the happiness that was swelling in his chest, threatening to burst. McCoy knew that this much happiness should cause some sort of pain, it felt too good to have no side effects. McCoy, from years wasted on a hurtful marriage with Joanna's mother, he knew that with every moment like this, as he sat on a rickety old chair on the porch watching the most precious things in his life look so care free and happy together, he knew there'd be a time when things weren't like this, when he won't be able to save Jim. He watched as Jim laid flat on the grass with Joanna held up in his arms faking fear, albeit with a face splitting grin, while Joanna growled and pawed at him, her giggle music to McCoy's ears.

He'd known Jim 7 years now; they'd first met on a Starfleet shuttle for new recruits which departed from the riverside shipyard, McCoy threatening to be sick on a hung over and battered Kirk. A normal person would have shied away from this, but Jim wasn't a normal person. They roomed through the academy together, Jim hitting on anything and hitting anything, McCoy patching him up no matter the time of day, lecturing him on the sexual diseases that the particular species that Jim had just fucked were riddled with, all the while hypo spraying him with the medication to get rid of them. Their relationship started off platonic, two kindred spirits, both out of place at the academy. One an old man compared to the young fresh faced cadets, someone whose life was waiting for him to speed up and live a little and the other a young man whose life seemed to be one huge ride just waiting for him to slow down. It was only when Jim got into a particularly messy brawl with a townie, falling into their apartment at 3.30 in the morning bleeding all over the floor, did McCoy realise how much this kid meant to him. The rest they say was history, which led them to being here, in Iowa at Jim's mother's house with Joanna, on a well deserved 2 week shore leave.

His musings were interrupted by a tired looking Joanna being dropped into his lap by a beaming Jim.

"She's dead on her feet, Bones." He tried, as hard as he could, not to grin at the stupid nickname Jim had stuck on him. He's starting to find it hard to play the grumpy old doctor with Jim around, making him smile, actually smile, dimples an all. The sort of smile that at first was painful, one that hadn't graced his face since long before the divorce, hell, long before the marriage, reminding him of the good times he had with Jocelyn, there were good times once upon a time, they wouldn't have had Joanna without them but the good times were outweighed by the hurt she'd caused him. But now the smile, the one threatening to break on his face right now, it was Jim's smile and because of Jim it didn't hurt "Thought we could tuck her in, and you know, after, you could tuck me in"

"Good job she's only 6, any older and she wouldn't have missed that innuendo, you over sexed brat." McCoy whispered, standing to carry his weightless little girl to her bed.

"You know you wouldn't have me any other way. Wait, did I hear your knees click there, old man?" Jim said with a laugh. McCoy promptly growled at Jim before kissing him chastely on the lips.

"No, it wasn't my knees, kid." McCoy fought back. "Perhaps it was that thing we normal folk call a brain clicking to life in your head, perhaps you had an idea." And before Jim could think of a decent comeback he turned and carried Joanna to bed, leaving Jim alone on the porch thinking of a decent jibe to hit Bones with.

Four stories later and Joanna finally asleep, Bones found himself being dragged into the room he was claiming as his own for the next 2 weeks.

"Jim... What are you-"Before he could finish the sentence, Jim's lips were on his and he was laid on their bed, Jim hovering over him.

"I saw you, watching me and Jo earlier; you looked so peaceful and happy, do you know how young you look when you're happy? Do you realise how beautiful you are, Bones?" Jim's vibrant blue eyes intense and focused solely on him.

"It's all you Jim. All of it, I don't mean to sound like a sentimental old fool, but...I adore you, I don't love you cause love just isn't enough to describe how I feel abo-" Again, his sentence was left unfinished by Jims mouth on his.

"I know, me too." Were the last tangible words that left Jim's mouth that night.