Valentine’s Prompt: McKirk’s first valentine’s day as married husbands and their reaction to an now young adult Joanna McCoy dating Kevin Riley who was one of the children with Kirk on Tarsus IV. (I’d might’ve send something similar for the McKirk FanFiction, but I’d suppose it doesn’t matter 💕🙈😃)
“Jim, you sure you don’t want to reschedule? I wouldn’t be disappointed. You and my dad should do, like, married couple things on Valentine’s Day.”
“Jo Jo! Our Valentine’s extravaganza is tradition and we do not eschew tradition in this family.”
Jim could almost hear his daughter’s eye-roll.
“Kay. Um, is it okay if I bring someone?”
“A friend shaped someone or a date shaped someone?”
“To be decided.” Jo muttered.
“Ooh, is this your meet the parents moment? Do I need to prepare scary dad lectures. Or maybe I should leave that to Bones. He can be kinda intimidating.”
“No, oh no. Jim, you can’t tell dad that this is potentially date-like.”
“Are you serious? Because I’m worried he’d get all weird or have like a coronary or something. He still thinks I’m a kid.”
“Hate to tell you, princess, you are a kid.”
“I’m not a princess. I’m just a girl who wants to bring her sorta boyfriend to meet her dads.”
Jim went quiet for a second as the warmth of that, as it always did, filled him. He was someone’s dad. Damn proud of that fact.
“Okay. I won’t tell Bones. But comm me his name. I need to run a few background checks.”
“Jim!” She groaned and hung up and Jim tried to wipe the stupid grin off his face as he headed to the kitchen where his husband was making baked ziti.
Jo didn’t comm him the name nor give any indication about who this sorta boyfriend was but Jim did his best to pepper suggestions about Jo meeting someone and being happy making new friends, yada yada yada so that this new person showing up on their doorstep wasn’t going to send Bones over the edge.
When the doorbell rang, Bones set down the dishtowel he was using to dry some dishes and went to the door, Jim following anxiously behind and wondering if Bones would think he was nuts if he body checked him and answered first.
“Hi, daddy!” Joanna stepped over the threshold and hugged her dad. Jim peered around them to see a light blonde haired freckled kid who looked to be in his late twenties to Jo’s early twenties.
When the boy saw him, he paled, which considering how pale he was, made him look like a ghost.
“JT.” He breathed, and then fell sideways, as if nothing could hold him up anymore.
“Kev? What’s wrong?” Jo shifted so that she could hold on to him, eyes frantically searching his face.
Jesus Christ. This was little Kevin Riley. Practically a baby on Tarsus, Jim had spent most of his time on the colony with the squirt’s arms around his neck. Kevin’s parents had died on Tarsus and had been next door neighbor’s to his aunt and uncle’s. He was babysitting a bunch of kids–the only thing he felt like doing so far from home–when Kodos had sent out his proclamation.
And then like Jo had with Bones, Kevin launched himself at Jim with the same spider-monkey limbs that Jim remembered from when he was a kid.
“Oh my god, JT. I thought–I didn’t know if you were still…”
The last time Jim had seen Kevin was when Kevin had to be ripped away from him as Starfleet medical and emergency personnel worked on him. He’d passed out after fighting one dude who was trying to sedate and intubate him at the same time, scrambling for Kevin with the last strength he had left–it wasn’t much.
Jim hadn’t been able to find much out about the kids he’d been with on Tarsus. The nurses and caseworkers assigned to him had thought that he’d been through enough and only gave him the necessary updates on the six kids he’s been with–he saved, they said.
They made their way inside, Kevin wiping his eyes and apologizing for blubbering over Jim. Bones brought them glasses of water and they settled into the living room, Jim following Bones into the kitchen to give Jo and Kevin a moment.
Jim pressed his forehead against Bones; chest, as the other man held him.
“What do you need?” Bones said softly.
“I don’t know. I just didn’t expect him.” Jim felt Bones kiss the top of his head and then he pulled away, looking back toward the living room where his daughter was ready to introduce Kevin Riley to them.
“Should we be worried?” Jim kneaded his palms into his eyes. “I know how fucked up I am because of Tarsus. And how easily I could have fucked up this” He gestured between the both of them. “I mean, you’ve put up from so much for me and I’m so grateful even though I barely feel like I deserve you and Jo most days.”
“Hey,” Bones reached out and lifted Jim’s chin so that their eyes could meet. “Besides the fact that you’re an idiot for ever thinking that–I want you to know that you deserve everything. Tarsus was and will never be your fault. What happened there and how you reacted was all a part of your survival and you should never be ashamed of that. I love you. I will always love you no matter what, you hear?”
Jim nodded, feeling a wave of warmth spread from the tips of his fingers to his ears. “Thank you.” He said, around a lump in his throat.
“I’m sorry.” He said, finally. “I’m sure he’s a good kid. I just want to make sure Jo finds someone who will treat her right.”
“Of course.” Bones said with a soft smile. It was the same smirk he got whenever Jim talked about Jo as his daughter, like he was still in awe at the thought of it, just as Jim was.
“Let’s go give him a chance.” Jim said. He grabbed a platter of hors d’oeuvres that Bones had prepared. Jim had plans for Riley. He knew how much it helped to have people in his corner and if Kevin was okay with it, he would have Jim along with Jo and Bones.
“Let’s get this Valentine’s Day extravaganza on the road!” Jim said, smiling widely as he entered the living room to see Jo and Kevin stuffed together on the couch, arms entwined, foreheads touching.
Jo gave him a grateful smile but didn’t jump away when Bones entered with another platter.
“So, Kevin, what’re your intentions for my daughter?” Bones asked and Jo groaned and Jim laughed and Kevin’s pale freckled cheeks grew pink.
Yeah, this kid had no idea what he was in for but Jim was ready to help him out along the way.
