Jim waited at the bar, playing with his drink, watching the neon alcohol ripple with the movements of his spoon. He went to the club often, though his casual smile and flirtatious attitude was not apparent this night.
The bar tender seemed to notice. "You alright?" the alien woman asked as she wiped the counter.
"Yeah everything's fine," he looked up, attempting a half smile. "Just got back from an intense mission is all."
"That's nothing new for the famous Captain James T. Kirk," she teased as she leaned against the counter. "You're one of my best customers, so out with it. What's wrong?"
Jim sighed as he put his drink down. He was drunk enough not to care, and bartenders were known as free therapists after all. "We ran into some unexpected fire," he motioned for another drink. "And it just…caught me off guard."
She quickly set up her mixers. "I didn't know you got frightened so easily. Some of the stories I've heard about you seem to beg to differ about being scared of a little combat."
He looked up at her, insulted. "I wasn't scared about myself! I've been dead for a little while before, I was just…" he shook his head. "Just make me the drink."
She handed him the glass, a slight grin on her face. "Well who is it?"
"Who's what?"
"The person who you were scared for, you can't deny it."
Jim's face was flushed from the alcohol which he was grateful so she couldn't see him blush. "I…it's…dammit," he took a shot. "It's Bones."
She appeared genuinely surprised. "Dr. Mccoy?"
"Yeah, went to a planet in Federation Space just to do a check up on the colonies there when we were attacked by raiders. It was nothing serious, nothing a ground team couldn't handle, but he almost…I thought he…" He motioned for another shot.
"Well, I didn't know you cared for the doctor so much," she prepared another drink.
"Well I don't, or maybe I do, I just—" He shook his head from the burn down his throat. The bartender simply smiled and motioned her head to the left. Jim's eyes grew wide, as Bones went to sit down next to him. "Bartender, a-another drink!" he commanded, attempting his best to act natural.
"I knew I'd find you here, dammit Jim, you can't go off and get drunk after every mission." Bones shook his head when offered a drink. "As you're physician, I'm telling you if you keep drinking and running around with a different woman every night you're going to die young!" He sighed loudly as Jim took another shot. "Dammit Jim!"
Kirk looked up at him, his sapphire blue eyes soft. "Bones," he took a heavy breath. "There aren't any girls around me right now. I'm here to get drunk. Drunk because I got scared." He made a bold move by placing his hand on Mccoy's. "I was scared for you today, that I'd lose you in something as stupid like a raiding attack because I didn't take proper precautions." Leonard looked at Jim, with a confused almost dazed expression. "And I realized that I can't handle that. I need someone to rely on, Bones. I need you." Mccoy cocked his eyebrow in that way he did so well that Jim squeezed his hand. He looked for signs of repulsion or of acceptance, but he couldn't tell. He had to wait. He swallowed hard.
"Well…." Bones started taking his hand away from Jim's. "I—I had no idea…"
"I need an answer doc, I can't just not know." Jim bit down on his lip, almost certain of a fatal rejection.
Bones gazed around the bar, as if he expected this to be a huge prank or a dream. He frowned with his eyebrows as he grunted, "Dammit Jim", and grabbed his captain by the collar and pressed his lips against his. Jim's eyes grew, but he then wrapped his arms Bone's waist and continued the kissing. Bones broke his mouth away, both of them panting heavily. "How's that as an answer." Jim smiled and kissed the corner of Bone's mouth.
"It's good, really good," Jim could not stop grinning as he looked at Bones in close proximity. "But I bet it can get better."
Bones turned his head to the side laughing. "Maybe another time Jim, but not tonight." Kirk nodded as he placed his hand on Bones's thigh.
He smiled one of his wicked grins, more than happy with tonight's results.
"Just say the word, doc."
