Chapter 39

Jim slowly woke up at the sound of a door clicking shut, and frowned when he realised he was moving... but he wasn't walking.

Flickering open heavy eyes, he was met with the cool fabric of his favourite Vulcan's shirt, and realised with growing apprehension that said-Vulcan was currently carrying him.

In his arms.

Bridal style.

He already dreaded the oncoming headache.

"Where will we put him?" Spock asked quietly, his chest vibrating with the sound.

"On the bed. He's not in any state to be left alone, and quite frankly I don't want him out of my sight right now".

Jim's frown deepened.

Was that... Bones?

"I agree" came the calm response, and the blonde felt himself being carefully placed down on a soft blanket.

And then Spock went to pull back.

Now that wouldn't do at all.

"No!"

It was out of his mouth before he realised it, and suddenly two walnut brown eyes were staring down at him, surprised.

He flushed and avoided the man's gaze, "I- I mean, I... I just... stay? Please?"

He felt more than saw him exchange a knowing look with Bones, and immediately backtracked, "You don't have to! If you- if you don't want to, of course. I'm not- I don't want to- to- to make you or- or- or-"

"Let me find my pyjamas".

And really, a serious and stoic Vulcan saying the word 'pyjama' should have been hilarious, but Jim found himself too tired and cold to care.

He shivered.

It really was cold.

"You should get under the covers" came a quiet voice from behind him, and he jumped, spinning around only to find a weary-looking doctor gazing evenly back at him.

Bones gave him a small smile, and pulled back the duvet, "Come on, Spock will be back soon".

Jim readily obeyed and couldn't help but ask, "Will you stay too?"

"... Sure, kid. God knows you could do with as much heat as possible right now".

The second his head hit the pillow, he felt sleep catch up with him again, but forced his eyes open once more as two solid weights settled on either side of him, the one on the right turning off the lights as he did so, plunging the room into darkness.

Jim couldn't help but turn towards his left, knowing that it was Spock purely based on the amount of heat he was giving off, instinctively seeking out the unnatural body warmth as he continued to shiver.

That didn't mean he'd forgotten about Bones, however, and he cautiously reached out underneath the covers until he found the man's hand.

The older mutant huffed in response, but got the hint, and pressed himself closer until a warm chest settled against his back, their hands remaining intertwined even as Spock pulled the blonde nearer so his head was tucked against the Vulcan's neck and an arm was draped around his shoulders to keep him in place.

Jim felt drowsy, content, but couldn't push all the questions from his mind.

And eventually, he found that he couldn't going without knowing for any longer.

"How did you know I'd be with Pavel?"

Bones swallowed thickly, "We, uh... we met your mother and... and she said you were missing, so we just..."

"Started looking" Spock finished, feeling the blonde tense up in his arms, "We checked all the usual places, and when you weren't there... well... if you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth".

"... You met my mother?"

"She came to our door in tears because you'd stormed off" the doctor explained, and Jim closed his eyes as they began to sting wetly, "I'm sorry".

"... What for?"

"For you having to meet her" He replied, and Bones gave an abrupt laugh, "Well, granted, it wasn't exactly how I planned to meet the parents, but it wasn't your fault that she came to us... She was pretty worried".

"She hates me".

"Kid-"

"No!" He snapped, squeezing his eyes shut even tighter, "She does, okay! She hates me and I hate her and we both have legitimate reasons!"

Spock carefully began tracing patterns along the blonde's arm, attempting to calm him, "It is highly unlikely that she hates you, Jim. Perhaps dislikes, over a... family feud, but not hate. It's very difficult for a mother to hate her offspring in any species".

He gave a choked laugh, "Yea, well, throw an ex-husband into the mix, and those statistics become a little skewed".

"... Your stepfather".

"My mother's ex-husband!"

"Why 'ex'? I was under the impression that they were still married?"

Jim took a deep breath, simultaneously feeling comforted and trapped by the warm arms surrounding him.

"... His name was Frank" He began, feeling almost compelled to explain, "And we... we, uh... we didn't exactly get along".

"You... argued?" Bones asked cautiously, not wanting to startle the younger mutant into closing up on them again.

He slowly nodded, "Yea... Yea, we argued... We argued a lot... and when things started to get worse, my mother never stopped him".

Both men immediately stilled.

"... What do you mean by 'worse'?"

Jim buried his head in Spock's shoulder, "He... He used to hurt me. Every day, he'd just... he'd find something to blame me for, and... and he'd punish me for it".

Internally, his boyfriends seethed in anger, but the blonde continued to ramble on before they could interrupt.

"He'd hit me and kick me and... and he had this set of knives that... and sometimes, he'd use his belt, but that was only if I did something really stupid, like that time I crashed the car, but... he... he enjoyed it. Causing me pain. Watching me bleed like that, he... my mother never stopped him".

Bones took quite a few steadying breaths before daring to speak.

"How long?"

"How long-"

"How long did he abuse you!" He growled, before quickly calming down once more as the blonde flinched away from his angry tone, "Aw, darlin', I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap".

Jim hummed happily at the pet name.

"... I like it when you call me that".

In the darkness it somehow seemed easier to admit.

Bones smiled softly, "I know you do, darlin'... But will you please tell me for how long?"

The blonde reluctantly reopened his eyes as he tried to count back the years, his vision annoyingly blurred by tears.

"Oh, um, I don't know... I mean, he married my mother when I was... about... four-ish? But I knew him a year or two before that, so... I don't know... I suppose... an odd thirteen years or so?"

It took every bit of willpower for the doctor not to run screaming from the room.

Across from him, he could just about make out Spock's furious expression in the dark.

"... Bones?"

He turned his attention back to Jim as he gave the unsure question.

"... Yea, kid, I'm alright. And you will be too, you hear me? First thing tomorrow morning and I'm tracking that mother of yours down and giving her a piece of my mind!"

He sniffed and gave a watery laugh, "Well, you can try but I doubt she'll listen... God, would you hear me, I sound like a complete mess. And I probably look even worse".

Spock pulled him even closer, his first movement since the conversation began, "Personally, I think you're rather beautiful".

Jim blushed and scowled at him in the dark, "I thought I told you to stop calling me that!"

"You did" He agreed, "And yet I distinctively remember refusing to do so".

"Spock-"

"Both of you" McCoy interrupted, "Go to sleep. It's late, and we can finish talking in the morning, alright?"

"Alright" Jim reluctantly agreed, "Night Spock".

"Goodnight ashalik".

"Night Bones".

He smiled into the blonde's hair, "Goodnight, darlin'"