Welcome to Chapter Eleven!

My goodness this is a late update. I apologize for that but I kept running into one thing after another at home and it kept delaying my from my laptop haha.

Anyway, thanks for sticking with the story so far :D Thank you for the reviews and the lovely things you've said :D

Not much to say up here today. I just hope you enjoy the chapter and please remember to review! I love hearing from you guys. Oh! Before I forget, I made a twitter account for those that don't have tumblr or don't follow me on tumblr, that would like to follow to keep up with updates. I figured it'd be a good place to tell you if an update will be a bit late or anything else relating to the story. I'm always to chat on there as well so don't be shy!

Okay! On to the chapter!

"I told you cold pizza tastes better." Jim said, passing another slice to a very interested Vulcan as he bit into his third slice.

Spock finished off the last of his current slice, setting down the one Jim gave him on a plate. "I must admit, pizza does happen to be one of the few human foods I enjoy. But trying it cold does make it more tasteful." He smiled.

Jim smiled as well, munching on a stray pepperoni from the pizza box. He sat up, wrapping a loose bed sheet around his naked frame, shivering a little. "Man, when did it get so cold in here?" He asked.

"It was always cold in here, we just weren't aware while we were generating heat between us." He said, matter-of-fact.

Jim blushed, tossing a pillow at the other. "Geez, way to make a girl feel special." He muttered underneath his breath. A smile formed on his face though as he looked at the sheet pooling around Spock's waist.

Spock downed another bite, unaware of Jim's gaze. "Why do you always refer to yourself as a woman, Jim?"

Jim shrugged, regretfully looking away. "It's an expression, a saying." Spock's inquisitive eyebrow asked for further definition. Jim sighed and ran a hand through his hair before rewrapping the sheets around himself again. "I use to use it all the time back in Iowa. Sam said it one day and it just stuck."

Spock could feel the tension in Jim's shoulders tighten at the brief mention of his life before Starfleet. He wanted to press him, to ask more about his life growing up, but he figured that if Jim was this rigid with only a small piece of information that it probably wasn't best to implore further for now. Instead he nodded, understanding of the statement, and finished off his last slice of pizza.

"Well," Jim groaned, straightening his back until he heard a few pops. "I guess I should clear off the bed if we are going to sleep soon. We can always watch a movie another night." He said, moving to get off the bed and wrap the bed sheet around his waist. He reached out for Spock's plate but stopped upon seeing Spock's perplexing stare. "What? I said you didn't have to go."

Spock blinked and handed Jim the plate. "I wasn't sure if it was you talking or the aftermath of pleasure when you said so."

"Do you want to leave?" Jim asked, staring down at the other. Spock looked a little sad, a bit confused, but sad. Jim didn't want Spock to leave. He wasn't exactly ready for him to move in, but he was looking forward to waking up with Spock, possibly grabbing breakfast, and at least spending a good chunk of the day with him since their date turned a bit kinky at the start.

Spock looked down at his lap for a moment. This whole time they were eating he assumed he'd be leaving afterward. He hadn't really expected Jim to allow him to stay, seeing as from experience that Jim didn't normally let his tryst partners stay the night. He briefly thought for a moment that he'd stayed that one night a couple nights ago, but something in him wasn't quite sure on tonight. Maybe it was nerves.

"Spock?"

Spock looked up and smiled. He saw worry written in the face of his captain. He would know that expression anywhere, being so use to Jim giving that look aboard the Enterprise when one of his crew members were in a compromising position. He shook his head. "No, I do not want to leave."

Jim smiled. "Good. S'not like I was gonna let you leave anyway." He smirked, sauntering off to the kitchen with the sheet trailing behind him.

Spock sprawled out on the bed, relaxed and languid. He stretched and shut his eyes, smiling and recalling pleasant memories from the night before, from a couple nights ago as well. Something occurred to him suddenly and he opened his eyes just in time to see Jim crawling on top of him, straddling his hips. Spock brought his hands up to grip Jim's thighs as they spent a few moments in the glow of the moonlight peeking in through Jim's windows, to stare at each other.

"I am not pushing you into this, am I Jim?" Spock asked, brows furrowed in a mess of confusion, wonder, and a tiny bit of panic.

Jim shook his head. "No. I admit this is happening pretty damn fast, but no you're pushing me into anything." He moved off of Spock to lay next to him, one leg over one of Spock's, an arm flung over Spock's chest. He laid his head on the other's shoulder and sighed. "I need something in life to hold on to. I've been in the dark way too long. I was even starting to believe that I wasn't gonna be able to shake it all off, but you were there. You've always been there. It just took me a little longer to figure out why I wanted you to always be there."

Spock shifted, peering down at Jim. His chest seemed heavy and breathing suddenly was a little too hard, but Spock wasn't worried. He knew what this feeling was. Heart pounding wildly out of control, tips of his fingers tingling, tongue suddenly unable to help form words. It was love and it was filling Spock up inside. So much that he could barely contain it, ready to burst with it.

Succumbing to his human side seemed to have more benefits now.

But he couldn't say it just yet, couldn't say those three little words. He wanted to, oh boy did he want to. They lay pressed behind his lips, chained to them until the time was right. So instead he smiled at Jim and pulled him close, shutting his eyes and smiling. "I'll be by your side for as long as you want me to be."

ooooo

Bones was tired of being up so late. He had spent so many nights at the Academy studying in his room or in the labs, his nose constantly buried in a book. A couple of times he'd go almost three days without sleeping at night. Sure he'd catch naps here and there, a few in class during a lecture, but when he graduated he made sure never to take sleep for advantage.

So now, finding himself catching a cab in the middle of the night to his current patients' apartment, Bones was praying to the god of sleep to help with his problem so he could get back home and in bed as fast as possible. He sighed, telling the cabbie to pull over. He looked up out of the window at the apartment building where he'd placed George Kirk a few days ago.

"This better be good." He grumbled, clambering out of the cab. He wrapped himself up tight in his coat as a strong wind blew by and shivered, his teeth chattering together.

Normally, Bones would only go out of his way for a patient when it was dire but something in the senior Kirk's voice sent troubling chills down his spine.

"The things I do for guys named Kirk." Bones grumbled again, making his way to the second level of the apartment building. He rubbed his hands together to generate some heat as he knocked on the door. "Mr. Kirk? It's McCoy." He called through the door.

The door opened, a very distraught George Kirk on the other side, a glum expression covering his face. Bones was use to this look. He'd seen it grace Jim's face a majority of the time. Bones sighed and stepped inside, instantly grateful for the heated apartment.

"What's the matter? I brought some of my equipment to check up on you-"

George shut the door but did not turn around. "I called her. Winona." He said, leaning his forehead against the door.

Bones took around the room, noticing that only a single lamp brightened a small corner of the living room. A half empty bottle of liquor sat on top of the coffee table. No cup or the bottle top in sight. Bones sighed and removed his coat, laying it across an arm of the couch. "What is it with Kirk boys and wallowing in self-pity, drunk?"

George sighed. "She screamed at me, called me a liar, and said if I ever tried to contact her again she'd call the authorities on me."

"Well, what do you expect man? In this reality, you died thirty years ago. She's not gonna believe your alive."

George turned around suddenly. "What if she saw me? Then may-"

Bones shook his head. "Jim told you that it wasn't a good idea for you to see her."

"But-"

"But nothing. You can't go around messing with people's heads just because you miss them. Here, in this time, you're getting a second chance to start over. Not many of us can say that." A brief flashback played of Jim lying unconscious for weeks at a time in Bones' hospital bed.

George shook his head, walking over to the bottle of liquor. He grabbed it and took a nice long swig. "Yeah well, I don't want to "start over". Just a few weeks ago I was about to start a new life with my wife and son." He sat down, setting the bottle back on the table.

Bones sighed again and sat down on the couch next to George. "Why do people assume I'm a psychiatrist?" He asked to no one in particular. "I know how you feel…well sort of. I mean, I went through a divorce and only have shared custody of my daughter who I don't see as often as I should, so I quite know-" George looked over at him and Bones quickly shut his mouth. "Sorry." He let slip through before being quiet.

"No, I'm sorry. I dragged you out at an ungodly hour to be a part of my pity party." George ran a hand through his hair. "I just don't know anyone here, you're the closest thing I have to a friend."

A brunette brow quirked up. "What about Jim? He said you guys agreed on just being friends."

George smiled a little. "He must tell you everything hm?"

Bones shrugged. "Well sure, for as long as I can remember. We don't really have any secrets from each other…though I'd like there to be sometimes…" He mumbled the last part to himself at the memory of Spock sleeping in Jim's bed. He shook his head and attempted a smile at George. "Listen, Mr. Kirk-"

"George, please."

"George. Look, I know you're going to itch for your old life at the Academy or aboard a ship, but you just can't have it anymore." Bones shifted on the couch. "Jim is trying to keep your identity hidden from Starfleet so that he doesn't have to answer as to why we scooped you out of the stars and didn't report it."

George looked down at his feet and nodded. "Why didn't you report it?"

"Well," Bones started, moving to stand. "There are just some places people aren't meant to explore. I'm a man of science, but I think you were meant to be here for a reason."

Senior Kirk looked back up at the Doctor and nodded. "Thank you for coming by and listening to me." He smiled, albeit a little sadly.

Bones leaned down to swipe the bottle of liquor off the coffee table. "That's what I'm here for. Now, how about we stop drinking and wallowing and go to bed." It took almost a whole second for Bones to realize what he'd said and afterwards he stared at George for another fleeting second as George's eyebrows rose high on his forehead. Bones felt his face heat up. "I-I didn't mean that."

George laughed and stood, pulling the bottle top from under a cushion of the couch. He took the bottle back from Bones and capped it off. "I know, its' okay."

"Okay." Bones nodded as well, turning to leave. He'd almost made it out the door before George laid a hand on his shoulder causing him to jump. He turned around, certain that his face was now visibly on fire for how hot it felt.

"You forgot your coat." George said, handing over the black coat to Bones who swiped it from him a little too fast.

"Right, thanks." He said, teeth starting to chatter as he wrapped himself up in the coat. The wind was a little strong now, blowing his hair every which way. George dipped behind the door for a moment and returned with a scarf.

He held it out for Bones. "Here, you can borrow my scarf." George said, smiling.

Bones waved his hands. "No no, that's okay, I-"

"No go ahead, it's what friends do."

"Okay." Bones repeated, taking the scarf, slowly this time, and wrapped that too around himself. "Thank you, again." He said, forcing a small smile. "I'm going to go now." He stated, turning and making his way to the street to hail a cab home. George chuckled, shutting the door behind him.

In no time flat, a cab pulled up and Bones climbed in, telling the cabbie his address. He sat back in the seat, rubbing his hands together to warm them, shivering in his coat. Before he knew it, he was cuddling in the warmth of the scarf around his neck. He smiled, thinking of the kindness of George Kirk. The man seemed so much like Jim, hell Jim looked so much like George at this age, but at the same time so much different. He was nicer, that was for sure, but he strongly felt for his family as much as Jim did for his crew, a trait that Bones admired in others. And they both had a taste for the bottle when things in their life just wasn't going the way they planned.

But hey, George sort of deserved it right? He had lost his family and his home all in one swoop at such a young age, but…but…

Bones sat up suddenly, back straight as a board. He'd lost himself in his thoughts and the scent of George in his scarf; a musky, harsh scent that enveloped him. A mistaken turn of phrase was one thing, a feeling of embarrassment was another, but to sit there and pick out things that Bones thought were good about the other was a whole different thing altogether. Bones sighed and shook his head. He wanted to pull the scarf off and stuff it in his pocket but they had rounded the corner to the street that his apartment sat on so instead he sat back again, forcing himself not to breathe in too deeply and think too much until he'd made it inside his place.

Woo! So this chapter tipped a bit towards Bones more than Spock and Kirk, but I felt that I'd concluded the night on a good note and decided to fill you in on Bones' late night. Could something be brewing in my bag of tricks for ol' Bonesy and George? Stay tuned if you're interested :D

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and please feel free to leave a review :D

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