James Tiberius Kirk is the master of bull shit. Bull shit and extreme evasive maneuvers. However, Bones had been onto him about his "declining health" for weeks and it was really starting to get on Jim's nerves. Jim often thought of how easy it would be to just tell Bones everything before remembering that he shouldn't burden his friend that way. It was scary enough that he felt comfortable even thinking about spilling his heart out to Bones. This would soon become the mantra he would repeat if he felt he was going to start divulging secrets.

The thing was, Jim's deteriorating stability was all due to his lack of sleep. His lack of sleep, was due to the dreams. Well, memories more like. He had been mostly rid of them a couple of months after everything had happened, but recently they had been occurring more and more frequently. As the days wore on, there came a point were neither Bones nor Jim could deal with Jim's bad mood and drowsiness any longer.

"Jim, dammit, you could at least clue me in to why the hell you're so grumpy lately," Bones huffed in annoyance as he walked with Jim to their science class.

"How many times do I have to tell you I'm fine? I'm. Fine."

"Apparently until you've driven me mad enough to believe that horse crap. Now tell me Jim I swear I will get the counselors involved if you don't-"

"Fine"

Bones was about to continue ranting until he had registered what Jim had said, changing a look of anger to one of mild disbelief and worry.

Jim sighed, running his hand through his dirty blonde hair, "Look Bones, can we talk about this when we get to your house?"

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

When Jim got started, he didn't hold back. He told Bones everything, his mother, Frank-… Well, everything except Tarsus because he was NOT going to pull his friend through that emotional wringer. For the most part, Bones listened to Jim with an attentive yet void of emotion expression, but when Jim began to talk about Frank, Bones' politely detached face morphed into one of controlled rage. It took Jim a good twenty minutes to convince him not to call CPS and ruin Jim's only chance of a fairly stable home.

After several minutes of coaxing however, Bones was able to get Jim to spend the night at his home making the point that it was "too late and pointless to go back now". Jim would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy staying at Bones' house. It was warm and inviting, unlike his own. And everything smelled like Bones too (Jim had given up on trying to repress his like of it), Georgia peaches and a warm day in spring. Jim set his head on a pillow as Bones walked out of the bathroom. Jim was trying so hard to repress his feelings seeing the mop of unruly brown hair and faded t-shirt.

{I don't like Bones that way} Jim denied {Sure he's hot but- wait what? NO! No no no goddammit…}

Jim rolled over facing the opposite wall as his eyelids grew heavy and dreams blurred into focus.

… ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

They were running again. Always running. Jim was in front of the other boy and took the opportunity to look back at their assailants. They looked to be 4 large men, not armed but still equally dangerous. Jim began to think that they could shake them. The boys made a sharp turn into the trees and just as he thought they were in the clear, there was sharp yelp and the smaller boy came crashing to the ground behind him. Jim spun on his heels to see the group of men advancing at an alarming rate. He began to sprint his way back before realizing that the group would get there before him. Jim stood, frozen, as he tried to make the split decision, heart beating nearly out of his chest. Guilt latching on like a leech, he began to run in the other direction

All he could hear was screaming.

The other boy screaming to be helped.

Screaming in agony.

Jim ran until there were no longer footfalls behind him, collapsing into a heap. And for once in his life he cried. He sobbed as the guilt ate away at him. He sobbed until there were no more tears, only pain. He thought of his friend. He had abandoned his only friend. He had lost a part of his humanity.

… ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

He snapped out of bed like he had been bitten, unshed tears just on the cusp of falling. It had been years but the guilt still felt like a hot knife in his stomach. He would never forgive himself. He kicked of the blanket and started to make his way to the bathroom by touch. Unfortunately, a particularly evil shoe decided to be right in his path causing him to collide with the hard wood floor.

Jim groaned, hoping more than anything no one had heard that before seeing a Bones shaped figure approaching.

{Well, shit… Maybe I can pretend I'm asleep?}

"Jim it's 3 a.m., why the hell are you sprawled across the damn floor?"

{Fuck.}

Jim looked up, preparing to make a smart ass retort before he looked up seeing what he thought to be a tattoo on Bones' hip and-

Wait no, that isn't a tattoo.

The realization hit Jim like a freight train. The little boy, his bright hazel eyes and messy brown mop of hair.

Lenny

Leonard

Bones

He was here, he was alive, he was-

Jim blacked out to the sound of his friends panicked voice.