This is my first time writing for this archive, so, sorry if it completely sucks bum.
Summary: The one where Jim gets sick and Bones, in a rather I-try-not-to-care-but-I-do way, cares for him.
Doctor Bones:
"Bones!"
It was now the fourth time that damn kid had called him. The first three times were due to the fact that he wanted a back rub, alphabet soup and some decongestants. Though Bones had to hand it to Jim; the last one seemed a very sensible thing to demand, and he had given it to the blonde with no hesitation. The alphabet soup and the back rub, however? Bones had delightfully told his friend to frig off, and then administered the hypo he had been waiting to give the annoying, pain-in-the-ass captain all morning.
Now, that annoying, pain-in-the-ass captain was led sulkily on his bed in his quarters, a lump of blankets, an old fashioned hot water bottle and a teddy. His cheeks were flushed with an obvious fever, his eyes were glazed over like he had just smoked something, and his usually havoc blonde hair was stuck down on his forehead with sweat. Overall, if they were planet side and Jim had gone out drinking, the young captain would have come back alone, and sulking even more.
Bones sighed. As much as Jim was a pain in the ass, and obviously his ass only, Bones hated to see the kid sick. He was stuck in an angry, broody, sulky mood, frown on his face, and he always managed to grab that damn ratty teddy bear that he was currently hugging the life out of right now. The kid had his eyes turned up towards Bones, and Bones (he wasn't even Leonard in his own head anymore) was walking towards him.
"Yeah, kid?" He answered. "And you better not be demandin' a back rub, or a bubble bath."
Jim sighed as he wiped at his forehead and answered in a hoarse voice. "Bones, why do you always assume I'm going to ask for stupid things like that?"
"Because I know you, you dummy," He replied smoothly. "Though, I'd be turnin' gray less quickly if I didn't."
"Bones, you had gray in your hair when I met you," the sick man said, sniffing slightly before coughing, trying to make his voice a little stronger. "It's just with all my allergic reactions—"
"—and your stupid ass stunts, and your stupid germ attraction—"
Jim glared weakly before coughing up some flem and he nodded his thanks when Bones grabbed him a tissue. "—and your old age, it's caused you to have more gray in your hair."
"Old? Kid, I'm not old. Now what do you want, Princess, before I gut you?"
Jim coughed slightly. "Can I have some water and another blanket? I'm freezing." He shivered – though Bones had a sneaky suspicion that it was staged just to get him to do what the blonde wanted.
Reaching over for his tricorder, he ran it over the captain's body, looking for any signs that his fever had risen or something had gotten congested. Nothing was out of the ordinary, so Bones lay his tricorder back where it was and fetched the infant's glass of water and the blanket.
"Jim, I know it seems like you're cold, but it's just the fever," Bones said, but it was to avail as Jim snuggled down with that damn blanket and closed his eyes. "Don't listen to the doctor then, infant."
"I'm cold," was the muffled reply as Jim stuck his head underneath his pillow.
Bones rolled his head and walked over to the desk, where he decided to do something productive and fill out some paperwork. Knowing that he was way behind because of his stupid best friend's germ attraction, he knuckled down and got started.
About halfway through filling some stupid reports about the engineering lot (they always had the most stupid injuries) a snort came from the bed. Bones decided to ignore it, thinking it was just Jim snorting and being an infant. When it sounded again, Bones climbed out of his seat, frustrated that his work had be disturbed. He was about to give Jim a tongue lashing when he saw that stupid idiot curled around the pillow, mouth open, drool pouring out, snorting every now and then, his leg jerking when it did. Bones smiled slightly.
Even though he claimed that he didn't care, and was always gruff and grouchy, the kid had grown on him. Whether it was the fact that he got used to the hyperactive blonde when they were roommates back at the 'Fleet, or he tolerated him, the kid had wormed his way into Bones' heart and had become a permanent fixture in his life. After his divorce from Jocelyn, Bones had been alone and grumpy. Having that kid suddenly come into his life and mess everything up had been good for him, even though he would never admit that to anybody, let alone the culprit.
But, hopefully, he construed these feelings over the long rants he gives Jim about eating healthy and not drinking loads or the comments he makes after Jim wakes up from a medically induced coma after another life-threatening injury.
Smiling slightly again at the captain, Bones made his way back to the desk and sat, staring at the kid on the bed, before carrying on.
When Jim's fever did break, and his nose cleared up so he wasn't snotting everywhere, he had given Bones a big hug when he saw him in the hallway of the Enterprise.
"Damnit, Jim, I'm a doctor, not a teddy bear!" Bones had snarled, pushing his friend away.
"C'mon, Bones! You know that if you were a teddy bear, you'd be a great one!" Jim had yelled after his best friend who was currently stalking along the corridor away from him. "You'd be in some scrubs and they'd have Dr Bones written on them!"
"Shut up, Jim!"
"Dr Bones—Ow!"
Jim rubbed the spot where his friend had hit, and pouted slightly. "Bones, you're no fun."
"Boo hoo," Bones cried sarcastically. "Go get on with your shift, Jim, or that green blood hobgoblin is goin' to have your ass and mine."
"Why yours?"
"Because 'Doctor, you were not on time to your shift in the medical bay. In those precise four point three minutes that you were absent, a crew member aboard could have seriously injured themselves'."
"You've had that lecture?" Jim stared wide-eyed at Bones.
Bones nodded. "Uh-uh, and I don't want it again. Get your skinny ass up to the bridge pronto and don't come and see me until it's over. You're gettin' your physical early this year."
"WHAT!?"
Bones smirked. It was nice messing with the kid all the same; even if he was a major pain in the ass. He'll let Spock deal with the new healthy Captain Kirk, who was no doubt hyper now he was back to full health.
The doctor decided that next time, Spock can be the one to nurse the infant back to health. The mere thought of it made him chuckle ever so slightly.
Hope it was okay :D