"Bones," she whined, all but writhing on her bed, "Bones."

"What?" he snapped, setting his PADD down on his lap to look at her, shoulders tense with irritation. His hair stuck up in all directions, from him pulling on it while studying, not even realizing he was doing it. Jim couldn't help but grin at him, hanging upside-down off her bed, blonde hair swaying in its ponytail.

"I'm cold."

He rolled his eyes, breath coming out in a puffy huff, sinking deeper into his pillows and tapping at his PADD again. "You're in your bed, use your blankets. Or better yet, put on some pants."

"I can't do that," she told him, sock-covered feet setting against the pale white wall of their dorm, "I just shaved my legs, it would be a waste."

He didn't answer, but she could see him roll his eyes.

It was silent for a few moments, Bones' tapping echoing against the room, Jim stippling her own fingers against her stomach, before, "Bones?"

"No."

"You don't even know what I was going to say."

"I don't care what you were going to say."

Jim was quiet again, face scrunched up into a pout before she sat up, twisting her body, feet landing on the floor. Even through the socks, the ground felt like ice, and Jim wasn't sure if it was due to winter or the air conditioning. San Francisco's "winter" wasn't nearly as cold as Iowa's, but fuck, someone should have at least turned the heater on.

Even though Bones didn't say anything, or even lift his head, Jim knew that he was watching her out of the corner of his eye, both worrisome and curious as to what she was doing. Keeping her face blank, Jim opened Bones' dresser, not pausing when he suddenly sat up in his bed. She rummaged through his things, finding what she was looking for and pulling out the dark brown hoodie. It was from his high school days, however long ago that was (Jim knew it was only a decade, if that) but it was the most worn-down piece of clothing she had ever seen... but also the softest.

"Jim," he said warningly. When she glanced over, the PADD was set down on his bed, and he looked like he was ready to stand up and take the hoodie from her. She knew he was attached, but she didn't think he'd tear it from her freezing cold fingers.

Closing the drawer, she turned to look at him completely, catching his full gaze. Her eyes were wide and blue and (mostly) innocent, and Bones couldn't help but tear his own away, eyes trailing down, catching sight of the goosebumps on her arms. "Fine."

Jim counted it as a win, not being able to help herself from smiling as she pulled the fuzzy fabric over her head, letting the hood settle over her hair and pulling the hem down across her waist. She returned to her bed, climbing in under the covers, all but cuddling into them. She let out a soft breath of pleasure, relaxing into the sheets.

Looking back over at Bones, she watched his expression soften before he went back to studying for his test, and if Jim could slacken anymore, she would have probably melted. (Which was a little problematic, she wasn't supposed to be this comfortable with domestics, but... damn, it made her chest warm and her heart flutter.)

Jim wasn't sure when she fell asleep, but suddenly she was pulled from her comfort and (most of) her warmth when the blankets were suddenly snatched from her, landing on the ground beside her bed. Blinking, she asked, more confused than anything else, "Bones, what the hell?"

"You wouldn't wake up," he said, towering over her, but he was probably the least threatening man she knew. Sure, he could probably kill her with some sort of toxic hypo, but Bones was too much of a softie to do anything but threaten her with colorful metaphors.

"That's because I'm tired," she complained, moving and reaching over for her blankets. Bones kicked them further away, towards his bed. She noticed he was barefoot, and thought he was more than a little crazy for it, but he was also wearing flannel pajama pants, which was the opposite of her completely bare legs. "Why are you-"

"I want my hoodie back."

Sitting back down on the bed, Jim looked up at him, though half of her bangs were in her face. She let her hands settle in her lap, and blinked, saying as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "But I'm wearing it." Bones didn't answer, only crossing his arms and raising his eyebrow. Jim sighed, standing up and realizing immediately that one of her socks was probably entangled in the blankets that were half-under Bones' bed.

Instead of taking the hoodie off, Jim grabbed Bones' hand, small and thin tangled with large and calloused. Clearly he wasn't expecting it, showing it by how easy it was for her to tug, a second hand joining the first, and pull him to his own bed.

"Jim, I don't-"

"Shush," she ordered, settling on top of his covers, pale blue compared to the bright pink of hers. (Bones detested yellow, refused to let her use the first sheets after the first week. Jim didn't really think he hated it, it was Joanna's favorite color, she thinks it was revenge for how she took control of the bathroom.) "Lie down with me."

"I'm studying," he argued meekly. Jim could tell he wanted to, but he also wanted his tearing, brown, blanket-that-you-can-wear back.

Smiling wider, she insisted, "So study while lying down."

Grumbling, he climbed into bed with her, though he pulled her off before pulling the sheets back, first. When they were finally settled, Jim with her arms wrapped around his middle, head on his chest, Bones' own arm wrapped around her and hand covering almost her whole hip, Jim let out another soft breath, even more relaxed than she was before. At the sound of her gentle breathing, she felt Bones slowly slip from his tense demeanor, letting her curl into him and letting his head fall back, himself. Sometime later, the PADD was set on the bedside table, and Jim could have sworn she felt a kiss on the top of her head, against the fluff of her hair.

Neither woke up until late the next morning, both rushing to get ready for their classes, not paying attention to the hoodie, left forgot and half-folded inside-out on the floor.

-xxx-

Jim's classes ended before Bones', mostly because Bones had a mandatory lab that he had to attend and Jim didn't. She enjoyed having the dorm to herself, being able to blast music or lay in Bones' bed when he wasn't looking or even twirl around in one of the desk chairs. (All right, she'll admit, it was more tame than what she used to do, but bringing back one, two, or even three guys wasn't an option anymore.)

By the time Bones got back, Jim was curled up on her bed, PADD in her hands, and in that goddamn hoodie, which was more comfortable than she'd ever admit, though she really didn't have to. Bones knew, she knew, and now she was practically stealing it.

However, one look from Bones and she knew he wasn't going to let it go this time. He looked tired and worn, hair messy and out of regulation, uniform wrinkled, as though he had been bending over the same way for a long period of time. Jim figured he could use the comfort more than she did.

"Rough day?" she asked amusedly, standing up and stretching, arms flying up and above her head, elbows popping. She pretended she didn't notice the way Bones' eyes looked her up and down before turning away to strip from his uniform. Jim's own was lying across her chair, which was an improvement from the day before, which was thrown lazily across the floor.

"You could say that," he said stiffly, removing his uniform top, back to her.

Jim frowned, quickly and silently crossing the room and wrapping her arms around his middle from behind, standing on her tip-toes to rest her chin on his shoulder. "What happened, Bonesies?" she murmured quietly. "Did something go wrong?"

"No," he answered tersely. Jim sighed, retracting her arms, fingers splaying across the hem of the hoodie. By the time Bones turned around to look at her, it was already halfway off her body, material stretched over her head, shirt riding up. She felt Bones' fingers pull the gray tee down, barely grazing her skin, and she smiled, though it was small and he couldn't see it anyway.

"Here," she said, offering him the piece of clothing. Her hair was a mess and nearly falling out of its bun, but he couldn't say no when she was practically giving in. He took it from her when she extended her arm even further, silently insisting, or perhaps even pushing it onto him.

Jim took a step back, watching him appreciatively as he slipped into it. The air was chilly on her newly exposed skin, but she still watched him, hands on her hips. His mouth was still set in a grumpy line. He was just being stubborn, she realized, tired and cold and not wanting to admit that her giving it to him had actually helped. Rolling her eyes, Jim turned on her heel, hands rising above her head to adjust her hair as she made her way to the replicator that was on the other side of the room.

"Want anything?" she called out over her shoulder, catching a glimpse of him slipping out of his pants. He didn't answer, but she got him hot chocolate anyway.

Ten minutes later, they were settled on the couch, watching some ancient movie he had stumbled onto. Jim absentmindedly sipped at her drink, still nervous after burning her tongue the first time. Bones was blowing on his, holding it in the hand that wasn't around her shoulders.

Still, despite the cozy winter setting, Jim could tell he was still upset, the same way he had been the night before. She thought he was just tired then, irritated with her incessant complaining, but that didn't seem to be the case. Setting her mug down on the coffee table, she asked, "Come on, Bones... I gave you your hoodie back, what gives?"

"It's not you, Jim," he responded.

"Then what is it?" she demanded, shifting and pulling out of his grip, turning to look at him and sitting on her knees.

"It's nothing," he mumbled, but he refused to look at her, color coating his cheeks. Jim blinked, lips parting, a long, endearing sigh coming out of her mouth.

"Bones," she chastised, moving in closer and crawling over him, settling over his hips, legs parted and straddling him, thought she was more playful than anything else. "You could have just said so."

"Jim," he said, startled, "I-"

"Just have to ask," she finished for him, bending forward and kissing him, softly on the lips. It was fast, chaste, because she pulled away just as quickly as she bent forward, saying quietly, "It's not as though we haven't done this before. Is this a southern gentleman's thing? Because really, it's not as though I mind."

"No, no," he started to explain, twisting his hips to accommodate her more easily, hands gripping her own hips, "I didn't want to impose, you've been busy with midterms and I didn't-"

She silenced him with another gentle kiss, slowly trailing her way down his jaw, to the curve of it and then behind, lips barely grazing his neck. "Believe me when I say that you are never imposing." She could tell what he wanted to ask, so she whispered sweet promises into his ear, promises that made him twist on the couch, fingers digging almost-bruises into her skin, even through the tanktop she was wearing.

"But," she countered, pulling back and off of him, back into the spot she was before, "not until after we finish the movie."

He looked at her incredulously, but she only lifted her mug from the table and took a long, smug sip.