Here it is! A week early update!
It has a catch though, cause I won't be able to update next week due to school restarting and getting back test results that... yea... won't be so good...
Rachel :)
Chapter 34
Bones sat on his left and Spock sat on his right, both men still shirtless, and honestly if Jim wasn't so bloody confused right now, he'd be appreciating that view a whole lot more.
As it happened, however, he was bloody confused, and having those delightful bare chests on either side of him was making it a bit hard to concentrate.
"Jim? Jim!"
He jumped, and spun his head around to face the doctor.
Bones smiled softly, "You alright?"
"... Not really" He admitted, licking dry lips and not failing to notice how the man's gaze followed the action, "I... I don't understand what's happening".
"Well that's simple" He replied, "Spock and I are dating, and we have been for a long time... But we want to date you, too".
"What? Like... together?"
"Yes".
"At the same time?"
"Yea".
"All three of us?"
"Yep".
Silence.
"... It can't be that easy" Jim eventually said, and Spock frowned, "Nothing about relationships are easy, there's a lot of communication involved, and you have to consider-"
"No! Not- Not that!" He snapped, "But the actual fact that you both... you both..."
"Want you?" He finished, "I did call you beautiful, and I always mean what I say".
His cheeks flushed as he ducked his head, and Bones shot a grateful smile to his boyfriend over the boy's head.
"But... But... But you can't!" He exclaimed.
"And why not?"
He looked like a deer caught in headlights, "Because... Because... Because-"
"Because you're too good for us?" Bones suggested, "I mean, probably, but we're willing to give it a go if you are".
Jim stared at him, "... You can't be serious. You can't see me like... like... like that!"
"Well give us one damn good reason why not".
"Because... Because I'm erratic, uncontrollable!"
"And Spock's so calm he could be sensei, and I'm not afraid to tell you to cop yourself on!" Bones shot back, "See? We balance each other out. All three of us".
"But... But I..." He trailed off, beyond confused yet almost hopeful, "I just... why?"
"Why what?"
"Why... Why did you choose me? Why do you want me in that- in that way? What do I have that you don't?"
The doctor turned to him, suddenly serious, "Kid... People don't enter healthy relationships based on what the other person has... You date someone because you like them, because you love them, for who they truly are... Not for what they can give you".
"... So you like me? Both of you?"
"About bloody time you realised" He snarked, "We've been falling over ourselves for the last week trying to get you onboard".
And despite everything, Jim couldn't help but laugh.
"I know. That's what I came to talk to you about".
Bones grinned, which, of course, caused the other two to smile right back.
"So" He announced, clapping his hands together, "Does that mean we're in accordance?"
"I'm surprised you know what that word means, to be honest" Jim replied, and the doctor whacked him playfully over the back of his head, "Watch that tongue, mister".
"Or what?"
He eyed him up mischievously, "Or I might have to quieten you the way I quieten Spock".
The blonde swallowed thickly, once more consciously aware of his vulnerable position in between the two men.
Catching his reaction, Bones frowned, "Are you... You do want this, don't you? You're not just going along with it to please us? You've no second thoughts, right?"
"Of course I want this!" He exclaimed, "I just don't want to-"
He cut himself off.
"To...?"
"... To fuck things up" He finished quietly, "I don't have the best track record, no surprise there, and... well... you saw how my last relationship went".
"You won't destroy this, Jim" Spock replied softly, "It takes more than one to end a relationship, and Gary Mitchell isn't even worth considering in that aspect... And if he was, do you think Leonard and I would still be together? After I was with him for so long?"
He swallowed and stared down at his hands, "... How long have you two been together?"
"Oh, I don't know, about... 2 years now?"
"And you want me to... to change that".
"To improve that" He corrected, "Not all changes are bad, you know".
"... Why me?"
"Well... to be honest, I knew from the conversation we ever had that I liked you. That I liked you a little too much to just be friends".
"And I knew from when you retracted your hand and started rambling about Vulcan culture" Spock finished, "... Not many people bother to learn on Earth".
"And besides" Bones shrugged, "You were cute. Still are, by the way, but now we know the endearing personality that comes along with it".
Once more, his cheeks flushed, and he awkwardly looked away, missing the affectionate look both men gave him in return.
"Okay" He finally said, "Okay, I... I'll do this. I want to do this... But don't say I didn't warn you that I'm shit at relationships".
"Noted".
"And I'm terrible at remembering dates" He continued, "And I'll piss you off, both of you, constantly, cause that's just who I am... And I've got a fuck ton of baggage... And I can't cook or clean very well... And I'm so fucked up it's hard to believe-"
"Jim" Spock interrupted gently, before cautiously stretching out his arm and wrapping it around the boy's shoulder, "It's alright".
He swallowed thickly, shaking his head, "No. No, it's not, it's really not, cause there's so much messed up shit in my life, in my past, and I don't want to get too attached only for you to pull away once you find out and-"
"And that will never happen" Bones finished firmly, "No matter what, we'll still always be here for you, and whenever you feel like telling us something... we'll listen".
"I was on Tarus IV".
Both men immediately stilled.
"... What?" Bones whispered.
"Tarus IV" Jim repeated, playing with a loose string on the end of his sleeve, "With- With Kodos? The whole let's-murder-half-this-planet thing? The thing that happened... like... 5 or 6 years ago?"
Spock swallowed thickly, "You... You were one of the four thousand survivors?"
He shook his head, still staring at his long shirt sleeves, and the doctor frowned, "But... You're still alive, obviously, so how..."
Jim could pinpoint the exact moment he realised, as his skin palled dangerously and his hands trembled, "You weren't one of the four thousand... You were one of the nine".
On the other side of him, Spock tensed, and the blonde quickly rambled on to stop him from saying anything.
"I was... god, I don't know... 12? Maybe 13? I can't really remember... I can't really remember much of it to be honest... I was there with my- my mother and... and her husband... we weren't going to stay long, just... a few days... but once the disease hit, we weren't allowed to leave, in case it had spread to us and then we went on to spread it to other planets, and by the time they realised it wasn't dangerous to humans and the supply ships came... it was too late".
"Kodos massacred four thousand people... And you saw his face?!"
The blonde nodded jerkily, "I was just a kid, but... but my powers had shown already, and he'd never met a mutant before, and he was... he found me captivating".
"... Holy shit" Bones finally said, collapsing back against the couch, "I never thought... I mean, I knew there were survivors, obviously, it was all over the universe what had happened but... I never thought I'd actually meet one of them".
Jim gave a one-shouldered shrug, loosening Spock's arm that was still wrapped around him, "Well, now you know... And that's only scratching the surface".
He slowly nodded, "Alright... Alright, that's... Thank you".
Finally looking up, the blonde turned to him, surprised, "Thank you? For what?"
"For telling us" He replied, smiling, "That... That wasn't easy for you to do, so... thank you".
Spock's arm tightened, showing his agreement, and Jim frowned, confused.
They were... thanking him... for telling them something that everyone else would run away from?
That everyone else would treat him differently because?
That... That not even his own mother allowed him to mention?
Blinking, he turned his gaze back to the smiling men on either side of him, and he couldn't help but smile back.
Perhaps this whole dating thing could work out after all.