Welcome to chapter eleven!
"So, I've got some pretty big news from Georgia." I say and Tro hums as she continues to paint my toenails. "Christmas Eve, I fell asleep when we were talking with his friends. I stirred when he picked me up to carry me to bed and I kind of accidentally overheard that he wants to marry me?" She pauses and looks up at me.
"And how do you feel about that?" She asks, her tone sounding cautious. I take a drink of my tea.
"I feel good about it. I'd probably say yes." I say and she nods before she goes back, moving onto my other foot. "There was this whole thing with his ex-wife and after that, I realized that he's the sort of man I would want to be with that way."
"Wait, a whole thing?" She finishes my pinky toe and then she looks up at me again. "Why didn't I hear about this sooner?"
"Because you would have come there and probably fed her intestines to her like spaghetti." I say and she raises her eyebrows. "It was only one big thing, but she called me a homewrecker and it escalated pretty fast. I almost lost my temper, but I was able to extract myself from the situation. I went to blow off steam with Leonard's brother and they got into a screaming match." She purses her lips. "Thankfully that part wasn't in front of Joanna, but anyway, I successfully mediated the situation and she isn't going to try and break us up anymore. Or so she says. I'm not sure that I trust her."
"I wouldn't." She says as she stands up. "Are you okay?" I smile and nod. "But really okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. He straight up told her to her face that he intended for me to be part of his life for as long as I would have him and it made me think about all that makes us work…and I just…it feels right." I say and she sits down beside me.
"While no one is good enough for you in my eyes, he'll probably be the closest you'll ever get. You have my blessing." She says as she pats my leg. I laugh. "All jokes aside, I'm kind of glad you two are together because he has been getting you over that fear of moving forward."
"He has." I agree and then I sigh. "I kind of already told him that I overheard them. I told him I'd probably say yes…but then I pretended to be asleep and I've pretended like I have no clue what he's talking about."
"Some things never change, do they?" She asks, laughing. "You're going to give that man ulcers."
"I'm not going to give him any more ulcers than he's already going to give himself." I say, unable to contain my laughter. "We need to not let it go so far in between hanging out like this."
"I know, I'm sorry." She says as she lays her head on my shoulder. "After those dry, let's go get something to eat."
"You are speaking my language." I say and then I lay my head back. "So what's new with you?"
"Well…" She starts and then she sighs. "I have a problem, actually." The smile leaves my face and concern fills it's place. "It's nothing bad exactly? Give me some more time to think through it before I talk about it?"
"Okay." I nod and put my arm around her shoulder to give her a side hug. "Whatever it is, I'm sure everything will be okay."
"Probably." She sighs and then she gets off the couch and stretches. "I'm going to change." She goes to her room. "So your anniversary is coming up, any big plans?"
"Actually, he just found out he has to go to a conference that weekend." I keep the disappointment off of my tone. "But I don't need some big gesture. I'm low maintenance that way."
"That still stinks. I'm sorry, Peaches." She says and I smile to myself. "Jim and I will take you out."
"That'd be great." I say with a laugh. "Or maybe the three of us could just have a movie night."
"Oh come on, it's been forever since we went dancing. I know it won't be the same without your McCowboy, but it'll still be fun." She says as she comes back wearing leggings as opposed to the shorts she had on. I bring my knees to my chest and check the nail polish. It's dry.
"We'll see. I've got a week to decide." I say as I stand up and go to my room to put on some shoes and a sweatshirt. We make our way to the mess hall and collect trays before we find a table and sit down. I smile as I see Josh and Juarez sitting together. "They make a good couple."
"They do." She agrees as she looks over. "And if not for him going outside of his comfort zone, you may never have realized that your brother was here."
"I'm sure it would have happened eventually. Some basic class overlap maybe? Bumping into each other in line here." I shrug. "But it definitely made it more interesting the way it happened."
"Of all the people, he specifically picked him out." She laughs. "I don't think he could do it again if he tried."
"Oh definitely not." I say and then someone sets a tray down beside me and slings his arm around me as he sits. "Hello James."
"You sound grumpy when you say it like that." He says, taking his arm back. "So you're not allowed to say no, but we're going out Saturday."
"Now I'm obligated to say no." I say and he gives me a look. "Your persistence won't pay off here, Kirk. I'm simply more stubborn than you are."
"We'll see about that. Bones is on board with this idea, so I'll just get him to work some magic." He says and I raise my eyebrows.
"That sounds like a challenge." I say and he shrugs. "You should have just asked me, I was actually considering it before."
"Way to go, Kirk." Tro says, looking at him with a very annoyed expression. "You couldn't just let me handle it."
"We work better as a team." He shrugs. "We'll table this discussion for now, pick up once you aren't hangry anymore."
"You're digging a deeper hole, boy." I say and then I shake my head. "Is that the only reason you came over here?"
"No. Bones and I were grabbing a bite to eat and I saw you guys, so I came over." He scoots his tray and moves to the seat beside Tro.
"Did he ask ya?" Leonard asks as he sets his tray down and sits beside me and kisses my cheek.
"No, he said that I wasn't allowed to say no. So naturally, the answer is no." I say and he looks amused at that. "He says that you're on board with this?"
"I don't think it's a terrible idea." He says and I roll my eyes. "So not even a movie night?"
"Nope. I want to be as far away as James T. Kirk as I can manage while staying on campus." I'm having fun with this now.
"Come on, Ollie. You know you want to go out with us." He's giving me his famous Jim Kirk smile that usually has every girl saying yes to him.
"Now it's a hell no." I say and that makes Leonard laugh. "Maybe a girls' night out. We could see if Uhura and Gaila want to come."
"I wouldn't be opposed." Tro says with a shrug. "This is why you should listen to me, Kirk."
"I'll worm my way in, I'm as persistent as you are stubborn." He has that famous look about him again. I roll my eyes.
"Anyway, I'll get with Uhura and see what they think." I look back to Tro who just shakes her head. I get an idea then. "Jim, there is only one way I will agree to let you come with us on Saturday."
"I do not trust that look in your eyes right now, but I'm listening." He says as he rests his chin on his hand.
"You have to wear a virgin killer sweater dress." I say and Tro spits water everywhere, laughing.
"Done." He says and I raise my eyebrows. "I had no idea you saw me that way, Ollie. But I guess there's a first for everything."
"Hold on a minute, what is a virgin killer dress?" Leonard asks and I pull up a picture. He raises his eyebrows.
"I guess I should have taken into account that you have no shame." I say as I close out of the images.
"None whatsoever." He winks at me. "Don't worry about it, Bones. I won't take your lady from you."
"Trust me, I've got nothin' to worry about. Especially with you." He says and I shake my head. "But you and I are gonna have to have a talk about this." He looks to me and I laugh. I kiss his cheek.
"So wait, what is Kirk going to be wearing?" Uhura asks for the third time, unable to contain her laughter this time. "I wish I could go to see him make a fool of himself, but I've got some lab work I need to do on Saturday."
"That boy has no shame." I say with a shake of my head. "Juarez?" He looks up from his tablet. "Quit being cute with my brother and tell me if you're in for Saturday or not."
"Oh, yeah, totally." He says and I smile. "So what are we celebrating? You never go out anywhere."
"Troian and Jim want to take me out because it's my anniversary with Leonard and he's going to be at some conference this weekend." I say and then he is hugging me to his chest. "I'm not upset…these things happen."
"You poor thing. You're in denial." He says as he pets my hair. "Don't worry, Uncle Mateo is going to take good care of you this weekend."
"That sounds especially weird considering you are dating my brother." I say and he grins. "And I'm not in denial. I don't need taken care of. I just want to go out dancing and have a good time. I deserve it."
"That's true." Uhura agrees with a nod. "So how is that going by the way? I feel like it's been too long since we've had an unhealthy interest in your relationship."
"It's going well." I shrug. "There was a thing with the ex-wife over break, but I used my skills in mediation to secure that she isn't going to bother us anymore."
"Oh, did you kick her ass?" Juarez asks and I laugh. "What? That is part of your skills as a mediator."
"No, we talked like adults." I say and then I can't help but giggle. "I found out that he has a thing for younger women though. She's three years younger than him."
"Good thing it would be creepy if he went any younger than you." Juarez says and I laugh again.
"He says it just happened to work out that way, but I'm not so sure." I look at the time. "But I've got to get going. I'll see you guys in class tomorrow. This test is going down."
"Absolutely. See you then." Uhura says and I smile as I gather my things and head out of the library.
"Hey Beautiful." A cadet says as I walk past, as I normally would, I ignore him and keep walking. "Hey, I was talking to you."
"Good for you." I say and then I feel an hand close around my wrist and I drop my tablet. "You have two seconds to remove your hand from my wrist."
"Oh, what are you going to do about it?" He asks and I throw an elbow into his gut. He doubles over. I kick his knee and as he stumbles I knock him onto the ground in a rather undignified way.
"Lay a hand on me or another cadet ever again." I dare him as I stoop and pick up my things. I look over and see Pete, as in One-Eyed Pete.
"Hey, the fuck you think you're doin'?" Pete asks, his thick east coast accent coming out full force. It's always struck me as weird that I couldn't place where exactly, but I think that's intentional. I look over and see the cadet trying to come at me again. He takes all of four steps over and shoves him away. "Keep your dirty paws off my sister." The cadet gives him a dirty look before he turns and walks away. "Yeah, keep walkin'."
"Pete." I say as I take him by the arm and drag him away. "What are you doing here? It's great to see you, but…"
"You were on my mind, so I thought I'd come check on ya. As far as Starfleet knows, I'm your other brother." He says and I shake my head. "But damn, look at you. You look strong, kid."
"I would say that's a fair assessment." I say and then I shake my head. "Wait, why does Starfleet think you're my brother?"
"It's another one of those things you shouldn't ask about." He says and I roll my eyes. "I'm gonna stick around for a while, make some friends on the west coast."
"In other words, you want eyes on me?" I ask and he shrugs, offering me a wink. "You're a weird dude."
"Hey, the fuck you lookin' at?" Pete asks over my shoulder. I turn and see Leonard walking towards us. I put a hand on his shoulder to keep him from going forward into another confrontation.
"Calm down, that's my boyfriend, Leonard." I say and then I turn to him. "Hey, you remember Pete?"
"As in your friend in the 'private sector'?" He asks, using air quotes. I nod. "Olivia." He pinches the bridge of his nose.
"Pete, this is Leonard McCoy. Leonard, this is Pete. He came to check on me." I attempt to restart the encounter so it's a more positive experience for Leonard at least. I know Pete doesn't really care that much.
"You treat her good?" He asks, daring Leonard to say otherwise. I can't help the small smile. "Because if you don't…"
"Why don't you ask her yourself? She's standin' right there." Leonard says as he gestures at me.
"Leonard is also my doctor, so it would be kind of going against his credibility to not treat me right." I say and he makes a 'not bad' face.
"Nice." He says and then he wipes his hand on his jeans before he offers it to Leonard. Leonard hesitates briefly before he firmly shakes his hand. "Don't worry 'bout it, Tough Guy. I'm just lookin' out for Olivia. I've seen that piece of shit put her through a lot."
"I guess I can't fault ya there." Leonard says and I smile at him. "If you wanna catch up with him, we can reschedule."
"Nah, it's fine." Pete says and then he lightly punches my shoulder. "You know where to find me, kid. Come catch up when you can."
"Okay." I smile at him. He flexes his arm then and I roll my eyes before I punch him as hard as I can.
"Damn, you've gotten better. I almost felt that." He says and then he pats my cheek. "See ya." He offers a wave to Leonard before he walks away.
"You know, when you told me you were friends with someone named One-Eyed Pete, that is not what I expected." Leonard says and I look up at him.
"What? You expected some rugged looking man in his late forties who looks like he's lived a long, hard life?" I ask and he shrugs. "Nah, Pete is just a year or so older than you."
"If I have a thing for younger women, you've got a thing for older guys." He says and I scoff. "Come on, we've got some joggin' to do." I take his arm and we start walking towards the gym. "So…you never had a thing for him, did you?"
"Leonard, I became friends with Pete at the height of all of the bull shit I went through. Men and women can be friends without them having a 'thing' for each other." I bump his hip with mine. "Besides, I'm not his type. He likes his women a little more busty and strawberry blonde. He thought it'd be funny to ask tipsy Olivia what kind of women she'd be into if she were into women and he justified it by telling me what kind of women he liked." I see the curiosity. "Really?"
"I need to know what I need to look out for." He says and I roll my eyes. "It's a healthy curiosity."
"Mhm." I roll my eyes. "Now I'm definitely not going to tell you. Let that keep you awake at night."
"I'll just add it to the list." He says sarcastically. "There's somethin' else we need to talk about as well."
"No, I will not speak French to you during sex." I say and he raises his eyebrows at me. "What? That's not it?"
"No, that is not it." He says as he looks around, he's amused but still embarrassed. "We still need to talk about what you'd say yes to."
"Leonard." I say with a sigh. "I'm telling you, I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about."
"That is horseshit and you know it." He says and I regard him dubiously. "I'm startin' to figure out that poker face of yours."
"Oh honey, I hope we never play poker together then." I smirk and he narrows his eyes at me. "But this isn't a poker face, this is just my face. I'm telling you that I really have no idea what you're talking about. What would there even be for me to say yes to?"
"You know exactly what." He says and I sigh. "Darlin', this is drivin' me nuts. Last time we came back from Georgia you were avoidin' your feelings for me. Now you're avoidin' telling me important information."
"Tell me what there would be for me to say yes to and we can see if that jogs any memories." I say and he purses his lips. We reach the gym. "You think about that while you get changed." I pat his cheek before I go to the women's locker room. If he has the nerve to tell me what he said, then I have to have the courage to tell him the truth. I change into my leggings and a long-sleeved shirt before I put half of my hair up in a bun and go out to start stretching. Leonard is already there. He's still thinking. I smile at him and we stretch in silence. Once we're finished, we head out and start our jog.
"Christmas Eve, you fell asleep while we were talkin' to Easton, Malachi, and Amalie." He says and I nod. "I picked ya up to take ya up to bed and Malachi…asked if I was gonna marry you and I said I wanted to."
"Oh, yeah, that? Totally. I'd say yes." I say like its no big deal and then I pick up the pace.
"I'm sorry, what?" He asks, catching up to me. "After two weeks of dancin' around the topic, you knew exactly what I was talking about and then you say it like it's no big deal?"
"If you didn't have the balls to tell me what it was then I didn't have to tell you anything." I say and he narrows his eyes. "If we're going to get married someday, you have to be just as fearless as I can be in telling me stuff."
"I don't like it, but you're right." He says and I smile. "So you're sure about that? You'd say yes if I asked you right now?"
"Well I'd hope you'd make it a little more special, but I guess I would." I say as I offer him a playful smirk.
"Alright, Darlin'." He says and we lapse into a companionable silence. "So I at least gotta know. If you were into women, would Sullivan be one of them?" I think about it.
"I guess she fits some of my parameters." I say with a shrug. "Jeez, it's like I was telling Ali. Some men never grow out of some of their boyish tendencies."
"So that's what you were talkin' about." He says with narrowed eyes. "I'm gonna have to learn some key words in some of these languages so I know if you're talkin' about me or not."
"Oh honey." I say with a sweet smile. "I don't do it often enough to warrant all that. That instance was specifically to show off my French speaking skills. You brag about all of these languages I know and yet no one has heard them." I shrug. "Also, the three of you do act like thirteen-year-olds who are allowed to drink sometimes."
"We do not." He says indignantly and I give him a placating smile. "You and Momma think you're so good at that."
"We're the masters." I say with a toss of my hair. We reach the turn around point and start heading back towards the gym. "I'll learn how to handle you McCoy boys no problem."
"I already can't tell ya no, what more do you want?" He asks and I glance over to see that he's teasing. Sometimes I can't tell. I smile. "And what's that about?"
"You're sweet." I say and he eyes me warily. "It's not a trick, I've always thought you were sweet. Grumpy and lacking in bedside manner, but sweet."
"You don't mind my bedside manner too much now, do ya?" He asks and I give him a look. He laughs.
"I was being nice and you have to go and do that." I shake my head. "Now I might have to tell your mom that you're being crass with me in public."
"Darlin', I feel like that was hardly crass. You know I can do better than that." He says and I roll my eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm glad you think I'm sweet."
"Mhm. I'll show ya sorry." I say with a shake of my head. We arrive back at the gym and I check my watch. He's got an hour-long class in twenty minutes. "Hey, I'm going to catch up with Pete while you're in class." He doesn't exactly look happy about that. I raise my eyebrows.
"I'm not typically a jealous guy. I'm confident in our relationship. That guy just…" He says and I feel a little sympathetic. I guess Pete could be considered attractive, but I've never really saw him that way. I stand up on my toes and kiss him with more enthusiasm than I normally would in public.
"Pete is the opposite of what I've realized my type is. He only fills out one requirement while you check off all the boxes. You have absolutely nothing to be worried about. I love you, have a good class." I peck his lips one more time before I take off jogging the opposite direction. When Pete said I'd know where to find him, he meant the seediest dive bar in this area. So that's where I jog to. I walk in and spot him sitting at the end of the bar. I walk over and take a seat on the stool beside him.
"I can't get over how healthy you look, kid." He says before he takes a swig from the bottle in his hand.
"A healthy one-twenty-two and I can bench one-forty." I say and he whistles. "I've learned krav maga, boxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and I'm working on Muay Thai. I'm pretty good at it."
"You've got the spirit of a fighter in you." He says and I smile. "Barkeep, a water for the lady." He looks at me then. "You still drinkin'?"
"No, the last time I drank anything was a glass of wine the Christmas before last. The boxing was to work on reflexes and to help me work out the nerves making me want to drink. That and yoga." I say and he nods.
"Good. You don't need that shit." He says and then he nods to the barkeep as he sets a glass in front of me. I take a drink. "So it kinda concerns me that you already got a guy."
"He's actually a good guy." I say with a smile. "Want to hear how we met?" He gestures me on. "I went to the shipyard we were departing from to come here and Marcus showed up and tried to stop me. I caught him off guard by knowing how to defend myself after getting punched in the face. Anyway, I kneed him in the face four times before security dragged him off. Then when I was walking away I almost ran into him. He looked like hell and smelled like a bar, but he made sure I was okay. We ended up sitting next to each other on the shuttle and then his roommate is childhood friends with my roommate, so we got to know each other better and…well here we are almost a year later." He nods and takes another swig. "He punched Marcus in the face once."
"Okay, now I like him." He says and I laugh. "So a doctor? Nice. He fills out all the requirements, doesn't he."
"Yeah, he does." I smile. "We drive each other nuts in a good way." I take another drink of my water. "So what's new with you?"
"You know, a little of this, a little of that." He shrugs. "I've already made some friends. They'll keep an eye on Fuckhead for me."
"He's in prison for now, I've got a little less than three years to come up with a plan that doesn't involve owing you a favor." I say and he looks amused at that.
"For you? I'd do it for free. What are brothers for?" He asks and I shake my head. "I know. You believe there's good in everyone."
"I believe that he is incredibly mentally ill…the last time he came after me…" I look into my water. "It was pretty bad, if not for one of my friends and our instructor…I'm not sure what would have happened. I was a good knock to the head away from being out to lunch."
"Mentally ill or not, I hope he rots." He says and I sigh. It's best to agree to disagree with him. "You know what I'd do to him if he hit my actual sister? She's not allowed to tell me no in those regards."
"I'm assuming this is a rhetorical question." I say and he laughs before he finishes off his beer. "How long are you sticking around for?"
"I don't know, I'll let ya know before I leave." He says and I smile. "Probably hang out around this fine establishment, make some more friends. I kinda like San Francisco."
"I know it's more of a me thing, but you should check out Alcatraz. Supposedly the ghosts of inmates still stick around." I wiggle my fingers spookily and he laughs.
"That is a very you thing." He shakes his head. "But hell, we'll see if those guys got what it takes to spook me."
"You can take 'em." I say and then I look at my watch. "I better start heading back so I can take a shower before I go babysit my cousin's baby."
"What? Did all of your sane family head out west to avoid the batshit crazy that your mom married into?" He asks and I laugh.
"Well, Josh is at Starfleet, he's a year ahead of me. Then my cousin Jasper is a year behind me. I inspired him." I say with a smile. "He moved his wife and baby out here. So I guess kind of."
"Jesus, that kid is what? Nineteen?" He asks and I nod. "Good for him. I don't gotta tell ya to be careful."
"I always am." I say as I punch his shoulder. He winks as he punches mine lightly. "I could hit harder than that before this."
"Yeah? I'm not the one who needs work on my punches." He says and I roll my eyes. "Get outta here." I down the rest of my water.
"Bye Pete." I say and then I head out of the bar and jog back to campus. I pick up my bag from the gym before I head back to my room and take a shower. I dress in jeans and a sweatshirt afterwards, before I load up my backpack and head out the door. Leonard is stepping off the lift as I approach it.
"Did you have a good time?" He asks as he leans down to give me a kiss. I smile and nod.
"I told him how you punched Marcus' lights out once and he likes you now." I say and he rolls his eyes. "Anyway, you want me to call you when I get back?"
"If you want to." He says as he kisses me again. "But you're in trouble, I guess Fairchild and Grace were nearby when you kissed me like that."
"Yeah, are you not allowed to kiss your girlfriend around your boyfriends?" I ask and he grabs my side. "Did they give you shit?"
"The entire hour." He says and I shrug. "But it did make me feel better." He tucks my hair behind my ear. "All the boxes, you said?"
"Every last one." I say and then I pat his cheek. "Maybe I'll tell you what the categories include later."
"I'd like to know, for future reference." He says and I wink at him before I step onto the lift and press the button for the ground floor and then head out to Jasper and Abby's place.
"I'm sorry I'm not gonna be here, Darlin'." Leonard says as he pulls me into a hug. I rest my head against his chest with a smile.
"Would you stop apologizing? It's not like you're going to be gone a month. You'll be back Sunday night, right?" I ask and he hums. "So we can grab dinner or something then. I'm not worried about it."
"You're the best." He says and I smile before I stand up on my toes and give him a tame kiss.
"Now go, you're going to miss your shuttle." I say and he makes a face. "Leonard, I know it's going to be difficult for you to be stuck with Grace and Fairchild for that long, but I have faith in you."
"I'm gonna need it." He says before he lets me go. "You know how to get ahold of me." I nod slowly.
"Be safe." I say and then he's walking away. I take the small bag of peanut butter cookies out of my bag. "Hey McCoy!" I call and he turns, I toss them to him. He looks at them before he grins. "An early present."
"Thank you, Darlin'." He says before he turns back around and walks away. When I turn to head towards the residence hall, Jim is standing right there.
"Jesus!" I exclaim as I jump back. "What the hell was that, Kirk?" I put my hand over my heart.
"That was probably the sweetest goodbye I've ever seen." He says and I eye him warily. "My outfit for tomorrow night came in."
"Is that what you were creeping on me for?" I ask as I step around him and head inside. He follows.
"No, I was creeping on you, as you put it, because I need some advice." He says and I eye him warily over my shoulder. "Humor me, Ollie."
"Fine." I say, pressing the button for our floor on the lift. "What do you need advice about?"
"Well…there's this girl." He says and I roll my eyes. "No, this one is different. I get why you react that way, but seriously."
"Okay…what makes this girl different?" I ask as I walk towards Tro and I's room. Jim, of course, follows until we're seated on the couch.
"I think I might be in love with her." He says and I raise my eyebrows. Jim Kirk…actually in love? I feel his forehead. "Ollie, I'm serious. What do I do?"
"You're asking me for love advice?" I ask and he nods. "Well…I'm not really a great example, but I guess just try to spend time with her and assess whether or not she feels the same for you. Or you could just straight up tell her that you have feelings for her. I take it this person is somewhat close to you since you're sure you love her."
"What if…this person has a difficult time expressing feelings." He says and I purse my lips.
"Look, Jim, if the feelings are mutual, then they will come out all by themselves in the end. My best advice is to just enjoy the relationship that you have with this person right now and then if it progresses to more, then that's great. If not? Well, you've got a great friendship." I say and he nods.
"So that's how you felt with Bones?" He asks and I nod. "Ah, that makes sense." He sits back and crosses his leg. "If there were ever gonna be anyone to make me fall in love, this one was gonna be the one to do it."
"I'm sure she's lovely." I say with a smile. "Now, I have a question for you." He looks at me attentively. "I feel like the lot of you are up to something."
"Ollie, you're being paranoid." He says with a roll of his eyes. "It's just going to be a bunch of us hanging out at the jazz club. There's nothing there for you to figure out."
"Now that makes me even more suspicious." I say and he gets that Jim Kirk look about him. "What?"
"Nothing. I've gotta go study." He kisses my cheek before he hops up and leaves the room. I roll my eyes before I go and change into yoga pants and a tee shirt and start studying. I thought that Jim might worm his way into spending time with me tonight since Leonard is at the conference and Troian is with Big Sull and his girlfriend for the night. It's been a while since I've actually spent time by myself and it was definitely by choice. I don't like being alone because it reminds me of what it was like before.
I shake my head to clear those thoughts before I get to work on my assignments for the weekend. I know that I'm not going to go out and get hammered tomorrow, but I don't want to have these nagging at the back of my mind. I start dozing around midnight, so I get up and go to sleep.
I feel as fingers gently trace patterns across my body. I jump and they pause briefly before they go back. Leonard must have come back early.
"You weren't supposed to be back until Sunday." I say as I open my eyes. It isn't Leonard though. Marcus is kneeling beside my bed. Ice runs through my veins. I jump out of bed and my back hits the wall.
"I wasn't supposed to be back at all, was I?" He asks with a sneer as he stands up. I run out of the room and try to hit the button on the panel by the door to call for security, but he grabs me by the arm and throws me onto the couch. Before I can even react, he's on top of me, punching me as hard as he can and then he's choking me.
"No!" I gasp as I sit up and nearly fall out of bed. "Lights!" I call and they turn on. No one is here. It was a dream. Marcus is in prison right now. "Come on, Ollie." I take a deep breath before I get up and grab a drink of water. I take a seat on the couch and sit cross-legged to try to clear my mind, but that definitely is not working. I look at the clock…it's two-thirty in the morning. I try calling Tro and she doesn't answer. Alright, that makes sense. No big deal. I try Jim because I don't want to bother Leonard while he's away, but he doesn't pick up either. They're not leaving me options. I don't want to bother Josh with this stuff and I'm not there yet with Uhura or Juarez. I sigh and I call Leonard.
"Darlin', is everything alright?" He asks and I can tell that he was asleep and I feel like a horrible human being.
"Yeah, everything's fine." I say, but my voice is off. "Obviously it isn't, huh? Oh boy." I sigh. "I had a bad dream and all of my usual things to settle myself back down aren't working. I'm sorry."
"You don't have anythin' to be sorry for, Darlin'." He says, sounding more awake now. "Do you want to talk about the dream?"
"Not really but maybe it'll get it out of my mind." I lay my head back. "In the dream, I thought that you came back early and you were waking me up, but when I opened my eyes it was Marcus. I tried to call security, but he got to me before I could get to the panel and he did what you would expect him to."
"But it was just a dream and he's still in prison and unfortunately, I'm still here with Grace and Fairchild." He says and I smile to myself. "He's not gonna hurt you anymore, Darlin'."
"I appreciate where that comes from, but I'm not so sure." I say and then I sigh. "I'm sorry, you have to be up early."
"Do I sound like a man who cares about that?" He asks and I smile to myself. "This is what I signed up for. Well, not specifically this, but this is part of it."
"Oh, you totally signed up for hearing the sweet, sexy voice of your panicked girlfriend at almost three in the morning." I say and he laughs quietly.
"Well, it's always nice to hear your voice." He says and I smile again. "I'm here for ya no matter what Darlin'. I don't care what time it is or where I am."
"Next time I'll skip trying to call Tro or Jim then. I expected Tro to not pick up, but Jim? That one surprised me." I say with a shake of my head.
"I don't know what you'd wanna call him for." The way he says it makes me laugh. "That kid…"
"He thinks he's in love with someone. I'll keep you posted on who it might be since we're a couple and I tell you everything." I say and he laughs lightly again. "I'll let you go back to bed."
"Are you sure you're alright?" He asks and I do a quick assessment of myself. "I could talk to ya until you fell back asleep."
"I'm not going to do that to you." I say with a roll of my eyes. "You have important doctor stuff to do."
"I'm only not complainin' about it because there's gonna be food." He says and that makes me laugh. "Go get back in bed, I'm gonna talk to ya until you're asleep."
"Oh, I'm so sleepy. I'm sleep talking now. Goodnight, Leonard." I say as I fake a huge yawn.
"You think you're so cute." He says and I laugh. "I'm serious, it'll be just like I'm there except you can't hold onto these biceps."
"Because that's what I hold onto when we cuddle in bed." I say as I get off the couch and go back to my room. "I'm in bed. Now what?" I fake a seductive voice.
"Now that is a whole other conversation for another time, Darlin'." He says, clearly amused. "You're not into that, are you?"
"I could be." I say, implying the shrug with my tone. "I just hope we're never apart long enough to have to get to know if I am." I pull the covers back up over myself. "Dim lights."
"I hope so too." He says and I can hear him getting comfortable. "How'd the rest of your night go?"
"It went okay. Jim followed me back and asked me for romantic advice and then after he left I did homework until I started to fall asleep." I say and then I shake my head. "I'm boring, what do you see in me?"
"I see an intelligent and dedicated woman." He says and I smile. "And besides, if you're boring, what's that make me?"
"Super boring." I joke and he scoffs. I can't help the giggle that comes out. "Did you like your cookies?"
"I think they're your best ones yet." He says and I smile. "I threatened Fairchild that you'd flip him again if he tried to take any."
"Hey, you can do that yourself." I say and he laughs. "But guess what? There's more where that came from. I went ahead and made a full batch which is three dozen."
"All for me? You really are the woman of my dreams." He says and I laugh. "How are you feelin', Darlin'?"
"I'm getting very sleepy." I say like I'm repeating after a hypnotist. "But really, I think this might be working. Though I miss the kisses all over my face."
"I miss kissin' all over your face. I got spoiled over break." He says and I smile. "You cuddled up right next to me."
"I can sleep anywhere vaguely horizontal, but I sleep the best next to you." I say and I make a face at myself.
"I also miss Sleepy Ollie because she's close to Honest Ollie and she says some pretty cute stuff like that." He says and I groan. "Darlin', I love it."
"I don't, everyone else gets to have secrets. I'm a blabbermouth." I say and he laughs again. I let out a real yawn this time. "Go to sleep, Leonard.'
"I will." He says and I make a noise faintly like a growl. "Did you just growl at me?" He's amused.
"I may have, what are you gonna do about it?" I ask, definitely heading deeper into Sleepy Ollie territory.
"Ask me again when I get back." He says and I smile to myself. "Darlin'?" I hum. "Are you asleep?" I hum again. "I love you, Darlin'. Goodnight."
"I swear Olivia, the two of you have the exact same playlist." Juarez says from the living room, meaning my brother and I. I chuckle to myself.
"Where do you think she got her fantastic taste in music from?" Josh asks and I chuckle to myself. I apply my lipstick before I get up and take a look at the dress Troian picked out for me. It might not be so bad once I get it on. I put it on and sigh. It technically covers the parameters I gave her.
"Troian, can you come here for a moment?" I call and a few moments later she's in my doorway. "Where is the back of this dress?"
"It called in sick, so you're going to have to suck it up." She says and I give her a look. "It covers all the requirements you gave me."
"I know, Miss. Technicalities." I say as I turn to look at myself again. It looks good on me…a shorter than I'm used to little number that doesn't exactly cling to me, but the way it falls accentuates the right parts of me. It covers the scar on my chest, but it makes up for the lack of exposed skin on my back which is totally open. The only part I think I like about this dress is the deep green that suits my complexion very well.
"Now get your shoes on, we're meeting Jim there. I guess he's shaving his legs." She says and I toss her a look. "You're so pretty when you smile at me like that."
"I'll show you smiling." I say as I sit down and put on the black, strappy heels. She picks up my favorite leather jacket and holds it for me to put on. I slide into it. I wonder if I can get away with leaving this on all night. We step out of my room and Juarez drops to his knees, clutching his heart.
"Olivia! You're a beautiful angel!" He says and I roll my eyes. He gets back up. "Sassy angel."
"Beautiful and sassy, I'll take it. Computer, stop playback." I say and the music cuts off. "You guys ready?"
"We are." Josh says and the four of us head out. I'm thankful for Juarez talking so much right now, because to be honest, I don't really feel like going out, but I'm trying to not let my mood sour everyone else's. I don't want to be upset that Leonard hasn't contacted me all day, but if I'm being honest with myself…my feelings are hurt. I know he's busy, but I figured at least a two-minute call while they took a break for lunch. As we exit the car, I plaster on a convincing smile and we head into the club where Tro immediately confiscates my jacket. Once we're on the dance floor, I do start to have fun.
"Hey Ollie, can I have this dance?" Jim asks from behind me. I turn and promptly die of laughter. "I look amazing in this dress. I might argue I look even better than you."
"Okay Jim." I say and he grins before he spins me and we start dancing. I can't keep a straight face though. As the band transitions into the next song, Tro takes my hand and spins me while simultaneously giving Jim a bag.
"I'm going to cut in now." She says as she spins us away. "You're just getting all kinds of swept off your feet tonight."
"I know, I think I might see what everyone sees in him now." I say with fake sincerity. She laughs. "He really has no shame, does he?"
"None whatsoever." She says almost fondly. When I spot Jim again, he's dressed how he normally would be. He comes over and takes both of our hands to spin us out and then into him.
"Alright, I'm going to get us some drinks." I say as I spin out of him with a wink. This leaves he and Tro to dance, because now I'm certain that she's the one he was talking about yesterday. I head over to the bar. "Can I get two Mrs. Parkers, two Bud Light classics, and a ginger ale?"
"You sure can." Sebastian, the bartender, says as he comes over. "It's been a while, Olivia. No tall, dark, and grumpy?"
"Unfortunately no, he's away at a conference, so he had our friends take me out for our anniversary." I say with a shake of my head.
"In that case, drinks are on me. The gentleman at your usual table will look after them for you." He says as he sets my ginger ale down on the bar. I take it and turn to look.
"Thank you, Sebastian." I say before I head over. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were stalking me, Pete."
"It's a good thing you know better." He says and I shake my head before I take my drink. "You're real good at pretendin' to have a good time."
"I don't know what you're talking about." I say as I sit down. "I'm here with three of my best friends and my brother."
"Yeah, but you feel like a fifth wheel. I almost feel like I gotta get up and dance with ya and I don't dance." He says and I roll my eyes.
"Thank you, Pete, but I'm fine." I take a drink of my ginger ale before I set it down. "Did you visit Alcatraz?"
"Not yet, kid." He says as he sits back. "So walk me through, who all's here? Obviously the tall one is your brother."
"The guy he's dancing with is my friend, Juarez. We're both in nursing and in linguistics classes together. The guy who came in the killer dress is Jim and he's dancing with Troian." I say and he nods. "They're good people." A newer waitress brings the drinks I'd ordered over and I smile my thanks.
"I know." He says and I shake my head. "You've only ever made a couple of questionable choices in friends. Me and Fuckhead."
"In spite of this reputation I don't really know about, I know you're a good guy. Thomas wouldn't have let you near me otherwise." I say and he's amused by that idea. "Between you and that kid from my class…"
"Yeah? Well he got ya to take the test, I got word out that you were gonna bitch out." He says and I raise my eyebrows.
"Thanks." I finally decide that it makes me happy. "He really was going to end up killing me."
"I'm not so sure he still won't try." He says and I nod. "Your friends are comin' over." I put my smile back on. "Faker."
"Ollie, who's this?" Jim asks and I take one of the Bud Lights and give it to him. He's on red alert.
"Guys, I'd like to introduce you to my friend Pete." I say and I can immediately tell that Troian is tense.
"Nice to meet ya." He says as he tilts his bottle towards them before he takes a drink. "This is definitely a better haunt than her previous choice."
"Hey, Scully's was the least likely place for me to go." I say and he's amused by that. "He used to handle Drunk Ollie the best."
"Someone had to. She's a spitfire." He says with a roll of his eyes. "You alright, Sweetheart?"
"Don't call me sweetheart." Tro says and he keeps eye contact with her before he finishes off his drink. He slides off the stool.
"I'm gonna head out so this one can relax." He says as he lightly punches my shoulder. I roll my eyes and punch him back. "Oh come on, like you mean it." I stand up and punch him as hard as I can. "There she is." He pats my cheek and then he's gone.
"What the hell was that? Do you realize how dangerous that man is?" Tro says through her teeth. They're all seated now. I take my own seat before I slide her drink to her.
"He may be dangerous, but he's a good man." I say evenly. "I know you may question my judge of character, but I just found out that if not for him, Pike probably wouldn't have come to talk to me." I watch her process that information.
"He seems nice enough. The punching thing is kind of weird though." Josh says and Tro nods slowly.
"I'm sorry…I just." She shakes her head. This probably has something to do with her past, which is something I definitely get. "I'm sorry. I do trust your judge of character. Has McCowboy met him?"
"Actually, he has." I say with a shake of my head. "Some asshole was giving me a hard time after I left the library on Thursday and he scared him off after he tried to come at me again."
"Must be new here." Jim rolls his eyes. "So what'd Bones think of ol' One-Eyed Pete, even though he definitely does not look like he should have that sort of nickname."
"Drop the one-eyed." I say as he would've had he heard him say that. "Well…he was shocked to say the very least."
"That guy gives off major daddy vibes." Juarez says and I laugh. "I'm serious. I'll bet McCoy was jealous."
"Well…when we were talking about it, he specifically said he wasn't typically a jealous guy because he's confident in our relationship." I say and he gasps. "What?"
"He just lost a bet." Jim says and I narrow my eyes at him. "I know Bones and that guy shook him."
"I remind him of his sister. That's all." I say and he gives me a questioning look. "He likes busty redheads."
"Oh yeah, you're totally out then." Tro says and I laugh. I'm glad to see her relaxing a little bit. She's pretending to be more relaxed than she actually is, but it's not all fake. She'll never trust him like I do and I can live with that. That's when Leonard and I's song comes on, which hurts.
"I'll have to tell you guys how I came by that information after I visit the little mediator's room." I slide off the stool and start walking towards the bathroom. A hand takes mine and spins me. I try to pull away until I see that it's Leonard.
"Sorry I'm late, Darlin'." He says and I feel as the smile on my face becomes genuine. I hug him.
"I thought you weren't going to be back until tomorrow." I say as I allow him to lead me onto the dance floor.
"Well if you knew I was comin' back tonight, I couldn't surprise ya now could I?" He asks and I smile. We lapse into an easy silence as we enjoy our dance. "I like the dress."
"Of course you do." I say with a roll of my eyes. "I, on the other hand, do not like it at all. It brings too much attention."
"Well, you've gotten well over a hundred percent of my attention." He says and that makes me smile. "This is what'd you be wearin' in that stranded on a deserted planet scenario."
"That's hardly practical." I say and he shrugs. Our song fades into a slower number and I get closer to him and rest my head on his chest. "I'm glad you surprised me." He brings my hand to his lips.
"The look on your face was worth it." He says as he gives me a light squeeze. "I'm sorry I couldn't call ya today."
"That's okay." I say gently. "I mean it's just a dating anniversary, it's not like it's that big of a deal, is it?" I feel kind of like it is because of all that we've been through in the past year. "Now if we do get married and you don't call me on our first wedding anniversary? My brother won't be the one stringing you from the flagpole by your testicles."
"That's good to know." He says and then he leans back so that he can look at me. "And I think today is kind of a big deal. Especially considering how much of a pain in the ass you are."
"I know, how can we stand to be together?" I ask and he smiles. "Hey, do you want to get out of here? Fifth wheeling has been rough."
"I was just about to suggest that." He says and I find Tro among the dancing people with Jim and blow her a kiss. She winks at me.
"Okay, let's go." I take him by the hand and pick up my jacket before we leave the club. "So how was the conference?"
"My favorite part was leaving." He says and I laugh. He takes off his jacket and drapes it around my shoulders.
"I am wearing a jacket, you know." I say as I put my arms through the sleeves anyway. I take his arm.
"That's hardly gonna keep ya warm, Darlin'." He says and I smile. "We don't have a far walk."
"So you have something planned?" I say and he shrugs. "How romantic." We lapse into silence as he leads the way to a restaurant, but instead of going to the host stand, we step onto the lift that takes us to the very top floor. Up here it is considerably more intimate with low lighting, but what is really stunning is the way that the walls and ceiling are transparent. There are a few other couples here as well.
"Dr. McCoy, your table is right this way." The host says in a low voice as he grabs two menus and leads us to our own private table. I give Leonard back his jacket which he drapes over his arm before he pulls my chair out for me.
"Thank you." I say to both he and the host as he sets the menus down for us. I decide to leave my jacket on because this dress feels incredibly inappropriate for where we are. "So, Tro knew the plan, didn't she?"
"Yes, she did." He says as he looks over the menu. "And I know what you're thinkin' and you need to stop. You're fine."
"Of course you know what I'm thinking." I say with a roll of my eyes as I open the menu and look it over. The waiter approaches holding a bottle, I read the label and see that it's a sparkling water. The host recognized Leonard on sight, so he must have said not to bring out wine, because this is definitely the sort of place for that.
"Good evening, my name is Androcles and I will be your server for this evening." He says as he pours the water into the wine glasses on the table. "Is there anything I can get started for you at this time?"
"Darlin'?" Leonard looks to me and I shake my head. "We'll need just a few minutes to look over the menu."
"Of course, sir, please, take your time. If I may recommend, the primavera stuffed chicken is very good." Androcles says and I smile.
"Thank you." I say and he returns my smile before he walks away to give us a minute. "And you were worried that you weren't romantic enough for me."
"It's still not spontaneous stargazin' romantic, but I like to think it's acceptable for a first dating anniversary." He says and I smile and look over the menu.
"Reading over this reminds me how much I actually miss cooking." I say with a small smile. "I'm just going to have to harass Jasper and Abby for their kitchen again. Also their baby."
"I was wonderin' when you had time to make those cookies." He says and I wink at him. "I never asked, how was Lydia?"
"She was an angel, of course." I say with a smile. "She is easily the best baby I have ever babysat. She had dinner, we played peekaboo, we watched her favorite show for a little while and then she went straight to sleep. Jazz said she was going to fight me on that. Abby asked me to come every night, so I just taught her my secret weapon instead."
"You've got a secret weapon?" He asks as he sets the menu down. "And what might that be?"
"No baby has ever been able to resist me humming Hey Jude by The Beatles." I say and he laughs quietly. "Classical music is the best." Androcles returns then.
"Have the two of you had enough time to review the menu?" He asks, folding his hands behind his back.
"Yes, I'll have the primavera stuffed chicken." I say with a smile at him. "Thank you for your recommendation."
"And I'll have the chicken marsala." Leonard says as he picks up my menu and gives them to Androcles.
"Of course, I will return with your salad in just a few moments." He says as he takes the menus and leaves again. I take a drink of water.
"So I've been trying to work out if there might be any other parts to this plan of yours." I say as I set the glass back down.
"Yeah? Have you worked anything out yet?" He asks, incredibly satisfied with himself. I hum as I look him over.
"You just confirmed that there is something, so there's that." I say and he narrows his eyes at me. "Subtle interrogation." I wink just as Androcles returns with the salad, he serves us before he leaves again. I shrug. "I finished everything for the weekend this morning, so I'm all yours tonight."
"That's good to know. So you're not gonna try and guess?" He asks and I shake my head. "Good, because you read me like a book."
"It's part of your charm." I grin. "I like knowing what to expect and I can usually pin down if something I'm doing is going to make you upset before I've even done it. It's useful in avoiding you."
"Now that I know you use this for nefarious purposes, I might have to try bein' unpredictable." He says and my grin turns into a fond smile. The rest of dinner is great and pretty soon we're heading back to campus. We arrive at our residence hall and he leads the way to my room and types in my code. As we enter, I notice candles everywhere. "This part was inspired by you. Somethin' we like doin' together, but a little more special."
"So watching movies until I fall asleep on you?" I ask as I take my jacket off and look up at him.
"Somethin' like that." He says and I smirk at him before I walk to my room and hang my jacket up. I step out of the high heels and go back out to him. I wrap my arms around him and rest my head against his chest. "So what do you wanna watch?"
"Our favorite." I say as I let go of him and take a seat on the couch. He pulls up Breakfast at Tiffany's and sits down beside me. I cuddle up to him.
"So when did this become your favorite?" He asks and I ponder that for a moment before I look up at him.
"I don't know when…but I know why. In the end the future doesn't really matter to them…all that matters is that in that moment they are happy and together." I say and he kisses me. "It makes belonging to someone not seem so terrible."
"Are you saying we belong to each other?" He asks and I shrug as I turn my attention back to the movie. "I don't hate that idea."