The first morning Jim and Leonard have to themselves following the aftermath of Krall. A morning of comfort and love and cuddles.
They’re both pretty exhausted and rundown after all the mandatory meetings with High Command are concluded. Because it is one of Starfleet’s talents to grill captains and their CMOs with endless reports, hearings and virtual chats that last for hours at a time. They haven’t properly slept for what feels like a lifetime or two, both men don’t even feel themselves falling into the darkness on top of their blankets in their temporary quarters on Yorktown. They were still dressed in their grey uniforms.
A slight breeze prickles the hair on Leonard’s arms and he jerks awake, taking a few moments to notice the empty space beside him. He groans, rubbing his eyes before sitting up and looking around the room. It was bright, too bright for his liking so he shuts his eyes again and falls backwards, his head missing the pillow. And then he’s aware that his upper body is naked. Jim.
On cue, Jim walks into the bedroom, also half naked and a pair of swears hanging low on his narrow hips, holding two cups of what Leonard smells is coffee and beams when Leonard drags one eye open and looks at him.
“Bones!”
“Use your inside voice, Jim,” Leonard groans, but gratefully accepts the stretched out cup.
“It’s a beautiful day,” Jim says, sipping his own drink and leans down to kiss Leonard’s forehead.
“It’s bright,” Leonard retorts, squinting his eyes. It’s not news that Leonard McCoy is so not a morning person.
“The sun does that, yeah,” Jim teases, adjusting the glasses sitting on his nose.
Leonard glances up, his eye steadily roaming over Jim’s face and it once again hits him just how young Jim really is. Sure, he’s grown over the years, both in wisdom and years, but in moments like these, when he’s not Captain Kirk but Jim, it tugs at Leonard’s heart when he thinks about everything sitting on the kid’s shoulders.
Leonard finds himself extending his arm and cupping one of Jim’s cheeks, feeling the blond lean into the touch. Jim’s eyes are bluer than usual, but Leonard notices some redness sitting on the edges.
“Your eyes hurt?”
Jim nods. "More like burn.”
Leonard sighs. Damn Jim’s allergies. Usually Jim would be wearing his contact lenses since of course he’s highly allergic to the eyedrops that fixes his sight. He doesn’t have problems with the contacts but when he overuses them, just like these past few weeks and the hectic schedule he was keeping, it was expected to happen. Still, doesn’t mean Leonard likes it. The doctor does, however, like how Jim looks wearing said glasses.
“You need to get more rest, Jim.”
“I’m fine, Bones.”
“Like hell you are.”
Jim sighs. Leonard is right. He’s not fine, neither of them are fine. “I just...I don’t know, these past few weeks have gone by so fast and there was always something to be done. Meetings, crew members to be taken care of, more meetings, family calls...and now that everyone’s done,” Jim trails off. “It’s all gonna come running back, and I don’t know how to deal with it.”
“We’ll deal with it, together. It’s going to okay, I promise,” Leonard brushes a kiss to Jim’s temple and hears him sigh softly. And then he eases the cup out of Jim’s hand and places both of them on the floor next to their bed. He reaches out and removes the glasses from Jim’s face, putting them on his nightstand. “Come here,” Leonard lies back down, pulling Jim down with him.
Jim’s octopus mode immediately switches on and he tangles his legs with Leonard’s, draping an arm over the doctor’s broad chest and nuzzling his face into Leonard’s neck. “I was so scared I’d lost you, Bones,” he whispers.
“I was real scared too, darlin’,” Leonard tightens his arm around Jim’s shoulder. “I didn’t know if you’d made it off the ship.”
Jim looks up, his blue eyes finding Leonard’s hazel and gives him a small smile. “We’ll be okay, right?”
“I’ll make damn sure of it,” is Leonard’s answer before capturing Jim’s lips in a tender kiss, full of promise and love.
“So, what do you wanna do today?” Jim asks when they break apart. “First morning to ourselves since, well, since forever really.”
“Stay right here,” Leonard answers instantly. “Don’t want to leave this bed today.”
“Staying right here it is,” Jim chuckles, dropping a kiss to Leonard’s bare chest, right above his heart.
They fall into comfortable silence and Leonard’s breathing evens out, Jim thinks he’s fallen asleep but he tries. “Bones?”
“Hmm?”
“I’m glad you’re here.”
“No where else I’d rather be, darlin’.”
“You need to change out of your dress pants before you fall asleep again, Bones.”