Last Holiday chapter for this fic-Enjoy, Guys!
Sledding was not something people did in Georgia. Most likely because of the lack of snow. The same condition existed on Vulcan.
So when Jim and his brother Chris suggested they all go sledding Spock and Bones might've understood the concept but not what it would actually be like.
"This is not worth the risk." Spock said, standing at the top of the hill.
"This is a really bad idea." Bones said, looking down the same way as Spock.
"Don't chicken out-Chris and I survived doing this when I was six and he was four you'll make it as...how old are you guys again? Twenty One and Twenty?" Jim said. "Point is this is a great idea and definitely worth the risk."
"So can we go down now or what?" Chris asked, holding the toboggan they had brought.
"Okay-Who wants to steer?" Jim asked cheerfully.
they all managed to fit on the oversized toboggan with Chris in front, followed by Spock, Kirk, and finally Bones.
"Ready?" Jim said but didn't give a chance for response as he and Chris used their feet to push them off.
Bones clung to Jim for dear life, eyes shut tight.
Then they hit a rock buried under the snow.
Bones felt his stomach lurch and tightened his grip but managed to not fall off somehow.
They slowed down as they reached the bottom of the hill.
"...did we make it?" Bones asked. Jim laughed.
"What? did that little speed bump halfway down scare you?" He said. "we used to pack more snow on top of those things as kids to make real jumps!"
"We were never going at a velocity that was truly dangerous, Leonard." Spock said.
"Come on, let's do it again-Bones can be int he front this time!" Chris said, starting to drag the sled back up the hill.
"What? No!" McCoy said, running up the hill after him
Bones ended up sitting in the front of the sled the next time down anyway.
"You don't even have to actually steer Bones-the rope is just there so you have something to hold onto." Jim said as he pushed them off.
Bones had decided that he'd try to keep his eyes open this time...and got a face full of snow and ice for his efforts.
he let go with a hand to wipe the sludge off of his face as they hit the speed bump again.
he didn't fall off this time either. But Spock did and the Toboggan turned sideways and proceeded to spin the rest of the way down the hill.
Jim and Chris laughed as they finally tumbled over and crashed, both young men sitting up and brushing the wet snow off of themselves.
Bones laid on his back staring up at the light blue sky above them.
"Need a hand?" Jim asked, offering him one. Bones groaned and took it.
"Where'd Spock go?"
"He's up there." Jim nodded to where Spock was standing watching them from where he'd fallen off about halfway down the big hill.
"Lucky hobgoblin-you two seriously find this fun? I feel like my face is gonna freeze off!" Bones said, looking incredulously at the Kirk brothers as they started back up the hill.
"That's part of why it's fun, Bones!" Jim said.
"Maybe you have to grow up with it." Chris shrugged. "but stuff like this really is enjoyable."
"I'll take your word for it." Bones grumbled, trudging after them.
Bones and Spock managed to put up with going down the hill a few more times before letting Chris and Jim ride down once or twice on their own before starting back for the house, having walked here.
"So what day do you guys go back to the academy?"
"January second-so in two days." Jim said. "And you're leaving on the seventh?"
"Yeah." Chris said. "Not much longer then-you three got plans tonight?"
"I was gonna go see Jocelyn but she's getting dragged out to dinner with her parents. Good thing I went to see her the few days ago." Bones said. Kirk rolled his eyes but kept his mouth shut...he knew he had no say in Bones's continuing long-distance relationship...
"Nope." Jim said. "Same as last year-just gonna try to keep Spock awake until midnight."
"The New Year will Come without disrupting my sleep schedule." Spock said.
"Don't be like that, Spock. It's tradition! It's fun!" Jim said.
"I thought it was an excuse to get drunk or get kissed because that's how you treat it." Bones told Jim. Chris laughed.
"six minutes." Jim said. They were all sitting up waiting for midnight in his room
"That's nice." Bones said sarcastically, eating the last of the 'christmas' cookies. "Either of you have New Year's resolutions?"
"Not really." Kirk said. "Graduate?" he laughed. Bones rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, Bones! That's one we could all make and do! the point of these is to do them."
"It's one you two could make and do. Not me." Bones said.
"...what?" Kirk said.
"Leonard is a medical student." Spock said. "He has two years of schooling left after this one."
"I was aiming to be done in five but after that semester in Louisiana I fell behind where I was by Starfleet standards." Bones said. "So. Six years total-two more after this one."
"Three minutes." Spock had glanced over at the clock.
"Oh..." Kirk said quietly. "Well...good luck?" he said.
"Thanks. and My resolution is to spend more time on Jocelyn." Bones said. "Oh, and to do well in school-Maybe I really can do five years total...probably not but I can sure try."
"Your determination is admirable." Spock said.
"What about Spock? got a resolution?"
"No." Spock said. "I think gradual and constant, small, self-improvements is better than proclaiming lofty resolutions to achieve every year."
"Fair En-" Kirk was cut off by the alarm going off on the clock they'd set.
"Happy New Year-yaaay." Bones said but then laughed with Kirk.
"Happy New Year." Kirk told Bones and Spock. "Here's to a good one!" He raised the drink he had and toasting Bones who had an open bottle too.
"I can drink to that." Bones said.
Spock watched his roommates before glancing towards the window and the stars he could see in the clear night sky above them.
He couldn't tell from here which star was which...but he knew the Denobulan Star was visible this time of year from this area of Earth...where Christine was...
"Happy New Year." Spock finally said, looking back to Bones and Kirk before standing. "I think I'll go to bed now."
"Okay sleep well because I'm waking you up to go sledding again tomorrow!" Kirk said.
"Oh god please don't." Bones groaned. Kirk laughed as Spock left the room and turned in for the night.