"I was thinking-"
"God save us." Bones said, cutting off Jim. Jim rolled his eyes and continued.
"I was thinking we should go fishing. In the river." Kirk told his companions. they were walking along from the house to the barn. not for any reason really. More because Jim was bored and as Bones had told Winona 'We're taking him for a walk-should we take the dogs too?'
"Oh. Well that was a lot less...it was more reasonable than anything I thought you'd pull out." Bones told Jim "You up for it, Spock?"
"I've never been fishing before and would prefer it to remain that way."
"what? But why? Come on we've hardly done anything this summer yet let's do this!" Jim insisted.
"Fishing is meaningless and cruel activity when one does not eat fish." Spock commented, "therefore it is best I do not participate."
"oh." Jim said "well, we'll...well..."
"Well nothing. He doesn't want to do it even though we'd eat anything he caught." Bones pointed out.
"It's not merely wasting them that I'm concerned about." Spock said. "I do not need to kill them for my survival so why should I cause them pain?"
"I guess you shouldn't...but they're just fish...well whatever you're comfortable with, we'll find something else to do." Kirk told Spock.
"I wouldn't be adverse to you still going if you wanted to. As well as you, Leonard." Spock said.
"But it was supposed to be for all of us." Kirk insisted.
"Perhaps it would be good for you two." Spock said though. "considering Leonard's absence at the academy for the last few months."
Bones glanced over at Spock...he was right...he had barely had the time to talk to either of them the last semester but they'd had plenty of time together...why shouldn't he get time with Kirk without Spock looming about?
"I think we should go, Jim." Bones said.
"...sure! It'd be fun." Jim said. "We'll go tomorrow-you'll be alright, right SPock?"
"I'll find ways to occupy my time."
"Great! Bones and I will go tomorrow then!"
"It's weird." Bones told Jim the next day while they sat by the river. "I didn't think anywhere was quieter than my hometown but...it's pretty quiet out here."
"You mean dull?" Kirk said, casting out his line. "This place made me go crazy as a kid: same people, same stuff, same day every day, y'know?"
"Oh, I know." Bones said, casting as well. "I thought I was going to scream my head off some days just to do something different."
"yeah...hey Bones?" Kirk asked. "did you ever try to run away?"
"What?" he looked over at Kirk. "No. I mean, I wasn't that happy I guess but my life didn't suck that bad that I wanted to just...ditch it."
"I did." Kirk said. "I couldn't stop thinking about it. Even without transporters I could make it to New York easily and quickly...So I stole car and left."
"You what?!"
"I stole a car and left." Jim repeated. "i was fourteen and I made it to New York...then I got stopped because I broke some traffic law and got locked up at the police station until I finally told them my parents number because I was a fourteen year old running away from home. and I was driving a car."
"Wow." Bones said.
"Yep." Jim said. "Then my parents shipped me offworld because they finally realized I was unhappy and well...you know that story."
Bones nodded. He did. and He knew Kirk hated telling it.
"Anyway, They got me back, I went offworld, I came home, I studied hard enough and well enough and got into the academy and met you...and got out of this town...I miss it sometimes though."
Jim got a bite on his line and managed to reel in a decently sized fish and dumped it in the bucket. Bones glanced at where his line dipped under the water but then back to Kirk.
"I miss home too. But see, difference is you miss it but you're still trying to get far away. I want to be on Earth. Work on Earth."
"I don't get that." Kirk said. "Starfleet can take you anywhere! You could see the entire universe! Well, what can reach of it so far...and you want to stay here? On Earth. Not just on Earth but in our own country? really?"
"Not everyone wants to travel, Kirk! Good god man! just because it's not millions of miles away doesn't mean there's nothing worth staying here for." Bones said.
"Is it because of Jocelyn? Is that why you want to be tied to Earth?" Kirk asked.
"No! That's not why!" Bones said. "It's part of it but-"
"-You'd give up that chance to travel for her?" Kirk asked.
"That's not why! But I would though."
"Why?" Kirk asked.
"..." Bones stopped what he was doing and simply stared at Kirk. "...wow."
"What?"
"You've...really never been in love before..."
"Sure I have. I've dated people, gone out on dates-"
"-I know that-half the girls back at school have a crush on you! But you haven't been in love before. Even if you have dated." Bones said. "...you know what? forget about Jocelyn for a minute. We can talk about her and me again when you've met someone you'd give up everything until you're nothing but bones for in a heartbeat without a thing in return."
"...sure. I'll get back to you on it then." Kirk said quietly.
"good." Bones said. he grabbed his fishing rod from where he'd stuck it in the river bank-and just in time to stop it from being pulled into the river as a fish began yanking viciously on it.
"Reel it in! come on, Bones!" Jim said, watching excitedly as his friend began reeling in the line.
"I am!" He said, managing to bring in the fish. "Now shouldn't you be getting your line back out?"
"I am, I am." Kirk said. "that's a nice one."
"Thanks." Bones said, getting the fish off of his hook and into the bucket. "Come on, let's get a few more before heading back."
"Sounds good, Bones. Sounds good."