So I wasn't actually meant to update this week, much less an update nearly 2000 words long, but... well... I'd honestly prefer to write a million chapters of this than study for the multiple tests I have this week, so lucky you!
Rachel :)
Chapter 24
Jim slowly woke to the sound of low humming, and blearily blinked open his eyes, only to find his vision blocked by a soft grey material.
He frowned, confused.
"Mornin' sunshine".
He froze.
Who the...?
He blinked, only now noticing the steady rise and fall of his makeshift pillow.
"You alright there, kid?"
And fuck, did he know that voice.
"... Bones?"
His voice is muffled, rough from sleep, and really, all that comes out is one short garbled syllable, but the doctor seems to get the message.
His pillow shook with silent laughter.
"Yea kid, it's me".
Jim blinked once more, his awareness coming much slower than he would have preferred.
He was still on Spock's bed, he realised, despite the fact the Vulcan was nowhere in sight. Or, well, nothing was in sight, really, considering his face was smushed against Bones's chest.
He hoped to god that he hadn't drooled.
As far as he could tell, he was, for all intents and purposes, effectively clinging to the man.
His right arm was wrapped around the doctor's waist, his left curled protectively close to his chest, and his legs were both intertwined with McCoy's right one, the man's left leg bent at the knee, and what sounded like a... book? propped up against it. Bones himself was fairly relaxed, his left arm turning the pages on the novel, and his right slung causally across the pillows next to him, resting just above Jim's head.
It was nice, the boy finally concluded.
He felt drowsy, warm, safe.
And that was a feeling he hadn't felt in a long, long, time.
Within seconds, his eyes were slipping closed once more, as he drifted off to a hazy protective land...
"You're quite the octopus when you sleep, you know".
Jim stilled.
"... Kid?"
He felt his body tense.
"Hey, Jim, you alright?"
He immediately kept into action, detangling his legs from the doctors, pulling back his arm thrown across the man's waist, and lifting his head just enough to clear the older mutant's chest.
"Woah, woah, woah, what the hell do you think you're doing?!"
He paused.
Blinked.
Frowned.
"... Getting up?"
"Why?"
He carefully avoided looking at the man's face, "Because... Because you... I... You said... Octopus?"
Silence.
Bones snorted, and Jim felt the arm lying above his head lower itself until a gentle hand was pushing back down his shoulders, his arms, his body.
"And who said I didn't like it?"
He tried to get up again, "But-"
"No buts" Bones replied, tugging him even closer to his side, "Go back to sleep. It's still early".
Jim found that his body couldn't resist the command, despite how much his mind wanted to disobey.
He cautiously lowered his head to rest on the man's chest once more, "... Spock?"
"Had an early meeting with a student. Counsellor stuff" Bones explained, "He asked me to watch over you while he was gone, and I've been meaning to read this new medical journal for a while, so... Go back to sleep, kid. I'll wake you for breakfast".
And this time, no matter how much he didn't want to admit it, he found his mind agreeing with his body's calm lulling towards blissful sleep.
When he next woke, he found himself in an even more embarrassing position.
He was sprawled across the doctor's chest.
And he meant sprawled.
Lying flush against the man, on top of him, both arms wrapped around his chest, both legs wrapped around his waist, and his head pressed firmly against his neck.
"Maybe half koala, instead?"
Jim's eyes shot open.
"I mean, you were definitely an octopus before, but this... this is more like a koala. So maybe half octopus and half koala?"
He breathed in the doctor's scent, dark and earthy and somehow clean.
"What do you think, kid?"
He groaned, "I think you need to shut up".
Bones chuckled, the sound vibrating deep in his chest and shaking Jim lightly.
"And I think you're not a morning person".
He pulled back just enough to blearily glare at the man, "Actually, I'm a great morning person. What I'm not, is an octopus and/or koala!"
"Speak for yourself" He shot back, gesturing at the various limps latched around him, "I had to give up reading half an hour ago because you kept grumbling and swatting my book away".
Jim couldn't help it.
He blushed.
Bones hummed scientifically, "Perhaps you've got some mandrill in you too, huh?"
"Shut up" He scowled, reluctantly removing his arms and detangling his legs, in order to roll over and collapse on the bed next to the man.
He rubbed at his face to try and wake up, "What time is it?"
"Just after half ten" Bones replied, sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed, "Spock should be back any minute now, his appointment was at nine".
Jim grumbled and also stood, stiffly stretching his arms over his head, not noticing how the doctor's eyes latched onto him as his shirt rode up and the barest glimpse of a sharp hipbone and a flash of tanned skin became visible.
"Who the hell gets up at nine on a Saturday morning?"
"Morning people" He replied, quickly dropping his gaze to less dangerous places as the boy turned to him, "Which, obviously, once again, you're not".
"Hey! I'm a morning person when said 'morning' isn't before eleven!"
"So... you're an afternoon person?"
He barely dodged the pillow aimed for his head.
Bones grinned, causing Jim to flush even more at the rare sight.
The doctor, of course, just found his anger adorable.
Picking up the pillow, he tossed it back on the bed, "Come on, let's get you something to eat".
Jim scowled, making him oh-so-cute, but reluctantly followed the man over to the small kitchenette at the other side of the room.
"Sit" Bones commanded, gesturing at the three-stooled breakfast bar, and after another full minute of glaring, just to prove his point, he did as told.
"So" McCoy started, pulling various ingredients out of even more various cupboards, "Spock said you two... talked, last night".
"... We did".
"And?"
"... And I understand why you hate him now" Jim admitted, "Quite frankly, so do I".
"So you're no longer dating Mitchell, then?" He asked, carefully still avoiding looking at the boy.
The blonde slowly nodded, "Yea... I mean, according to Spock, chances were we never were dating to begin with, but... yea. I'm done with him now. I might even punch him when I next see him".
Bones smirked, "Just 'might' punch him?"
"Well... What's the punishment for beating up another student here? If they press charges, I mean?" He asked, remembering how not even five days ago, Spock had unleashed utter hell on him.
God, had that really only been five days ago? It felt like weeks had passed since then.
"Usually some form of detention" Bones answered, drawing him from his thoughts, "If it's really back, then suspension, but I'd say you'd have to all but murder someone to actually get kicked out".
"So if I were to punch him...?"
He placed a frying pan on the stove and paused, "... Probably just a warning from pike and extra counselling sessions".
"You mean, more time with Spock?"
The man's mouth twitched, knowing exactly where the blonde was going with this.
"Don't even think about it, kid" He warned, "That'll only work for so long before they change your counsellor".
"Speaking from experience, there, Bonesy?"
"Perhaps" He replied vaguely, "But even if I didn't, I can guarantee you that it wouldn't work".
Jim eyed him carefully, "... You said before that Spock was your counsellor, when you first came here... Is that true?"
"Would I lie to you?"
"Probably. Everyone else does".
The doctor stilled, a pained look coming over his features, before he forced himself to relax, instead taking his anger out on the eggs as he whisked them in with the flour.
"... I will never lie to you, kid. Ever, alright?"
Jim shifted uncomfortably on the stool, "Well, you say that..."
"I mean it! Never, you hear me?!" He snapped, pouring in the milk with a bit more force than necessary.
The blonde stared at him for a minute, before slowly nodding, "Yea... Yea, alright, Bones".
"Good" He growled, clenching his hand around the frying pans handle hard enough to dent.
He quickly changed the subject.
"But yea, Spock was my counsellor. All skinny 15 years old of him".
Jim's eyes widened, "15 years old?! Just how long has he been here?!"
"Since he was 14. Pike recruited him" He explained, "He was the first mutant here, actually. The first student, I mean... When I came along a year later, however, there was a good twenty of them".
"Okay, so, Spock was your counsellor, despite the fact he was only 15, and you were... what? 16, 17?"
"Try 18" He replied, "And let me tell you, taking orders from a child was no walk in the park either-"
"Wait, wait, wait, hold up" Jim interrupted, "If you were 18, and he was 15... and you're 23 years old now... then doesn't that make Spock 20?"
"19" He corrected, pouring the batter into the pan.
The boy stared at him, "... He's 19? Spock's only 19?!"
"What? You thought he was older or something?"
"Well obviously! I mean, yea, he looks young, but he acts as old as Pike!"
Bones grinned, "And I'm sure he'll greatly appreciate that comparison".
Flipping the frying pan, he held it over the plate before returning it and picking up the food, spinning around to place it in front of the boy.
Jim stared at it for a minute, before glancing up at him, "... Pancakes? You made me pancakes?!"
McCoy frowned, "Do you... not like pancakes?"
"... I love pancakes".
"Then what's the problem?"
Jim continued to stare at him with wide, half adoring, half confused eyes, and it broke the doctor's heart to see the boy look so bewildered over someone doing something nice for him.
"... They're Spock's favourite" He finally said, wanting to break the somewhat-uncomfortable silence.
The blonde blinked, "... What?"
"Pancakes" He explained, leaning across the counter on his arms, "They're Spock's favourite Earth food. That's why we have all the ingredients".
"... You could have just replicated them" Jim said, "I wouldn't have minded".
"But where's the fun in that?" He replied, smiling crookedly, and the blonde turned back to his plate in order to hide his blush.
"So, eat up" Bones finished, straightening up, "Because after that, we've got a lovely medical to start".
Jim groaned, and the doctor couldn't help but grin in response.