McKirk AU where Bones is a single dad and Jo needs a costume (Halloween, cosplay, School drama?) And Leonard wanting to be the proactive dad goes to a craft store to learn how to make it himself, and is so overwhelmed. Enter Jim, cosplay expert (maybe went to fashion school?) And all around good guy, a bit full of himself maybe, to save the day.
Joanna picks up theater club. Of course she does. Which, you know, it’s fine. Bones is a proud parent and makes sure to invest time into learning whatever theater club entails whenever they’re together. Inevitably, at some point, that means she needs costumes. Jocelyn can afford those costumes for Joanna just fine, but Bones is that proud (maybe envious) dad who offers to pay for them instead.
They walk into a costume shop, and Joanna is just instantly gone. Trying on different outfits that have nothing to do with the actual drama she’s playing in: from a Wonder Woman costume to Hermione Granger. “You’re Ariel, Jo,” Bones calls out to her some 20 minutes later when she rushes past him to try on a Beauty and the Beast dress, “you don’t need to try out every other Disney princess.” “Just this one!” Joanna calls out while she runs to the fitting booth. “You’re only going to find those overly sexualised Ariels in this shop,” someone calls close to Bones, and Bones glances at the other. Tall, blond, blue eyes that shouldn’t look at him with such interest. “Okay? I’ll just.. give her a cardigan, or something.” “No, no,” the other says, “all you need to do is find a simple t-shirt, attach that to-” “That sounds like a lot of effort,” Bones interrupts him, and the other shrugs. “I do it all te time. Why don’t I get your daughter a nice Ariel costume, instead?” “You would?” Bones asks, and the other nods. “Sure, just give me your number.”
Jim Kirk is more than a fashion school graduate. He’s a bartender (which is straight up Leonard’s alley), and he’s a real charmer. Talking smooth, texting flirty, and though Bones is afraid to open the photo Jim just sent him; it turns out it’s just an update on Ariel’s dress, and it looks adorable.
Bones picks up the dress a few days before Joanna’s play. Jim hands it to him, and it looks incredible. “How much do I owe you?” Bones asks, and Jim shrugs. “No, it’s okay.” “What? No, you spent hours on this. Let me pay you,” Bones insists. “No, no, c'mon, just have a drink with me,” Jim says, sitting down on the couch in his small apartment. It’s a mess of clutter, but it’s not exactly dirty. Somehow, that seems to suit Jim’s personality. “I’m driving,” Bones says. “Well,” Jim suggests, “you don’t have to be driving back right now.”
They get way too drunk, and Bones doesn’t even make it home. He sleeps over at Jim’s place, and in the morning he slips out before Jim wakes up. He thinks about texting Jim, but then he’s not entirely sure what to say. Thanks for the sex? No, that’s not happening. So instead, he stays quiet, probably overthinking it all until Jim visibly wakes up, because he’s spammed with text messages, ranging from “how did Jo like the dress?” to “I can’t believe you didn’t even leave me breakfast”, and that’s reassuring enough.
Jim keeps making Joanna costumes. Often for her plays, sometimes just because she asks him, and sometimes because he wants to practice his skills. He makes beautiful things, too, making cute little dresses and showing up with the occasional fancy ties for Bones. Bones finds himself wearing them frequently at work. The funky colors and patterns work out quite well with the sick children he’s treating.
Joanna plays a female Peter Pan in her next play, and she insists Jim makes the outfit for her. Jim’s happy to oblige to that, and Bones doesn’t think he’s ever seen Joanna so excited when she tries on the green costume. “Are you coming to see play?” Joanna asks, and Jim turns to look at Bones before he answers. “If you want to,” Bones says, though really, he’s actually looking forward to that. “Then yes, of course! Everything’s better than Bones’ terrible photography skills and hearing him gush about your play,” Jim says, and Bones huffs. “My photographer skills are not terrible!”
“So,” Jim says when he catches Bones alone, “you know, when I go to that play and Jocelyn is there, how should I introduce myself?” “As Jim,” Bones replies. “I– you smart ass,” Jim says, “am I your friend, or what?" Instead of that awkward talk, Bones decides to skip feelings altogether. "No," he says, and he leans in to kiss him. Jim's arms are instantly around Bones' shoulders. Those arms go nowhere even when Bones pulls away, and Jim stays close to him. "I can't believe I fell for the guy with the worst fashion sense ever," Jim says, and Bones raises an eyebrow. "I do have a fashion sense." "Yeah, it's called terrible," Jim laughs, fingers brushing over Bones' cheeks, “but it’s not entirely bad. I like those clothes especially when they’re on my bedroom floor.”
