Title: Standby

Author: d8rkmessngr

Pairing: Kirk/McCoy

Warnings: implied past abuse, attempted non-con, strong language

Author's Notes: This was a prompt from st_xi_kink: st_anon, thank you for this meme and getting me into writing in this fandom! The complete prompt is on the bottom. Thank you all for your reviews and your support!

It was a total of nine days and two hours later before Jim finally had his epiphany. Two hours because that's how long he stared at Adam's photo and the file the computer had pulled up in his quarters after his shift. It was like that missing line of code slotted in and suddenly, everything made sense. Holy shit.

A quick punch of keys, a few short beeps and Jim strode through as soon as Bones's door slid open. The great thing about being captain was the master code he got that unlocked everything.

"I figured out why I didn't like Adam," Jim declared by way of entering. "He—" He skidded to a halt.

"Jim!" Bones bellowed, which was pretty impressive considering he stood there in only a tiny towel, dark hair still dripping wet. "What the hell?"

"Oh," Jim bleated. His knees wobbled. He stared at the defined torso that twisted around to grab a pair of clean shorts and sweatpants from the bed.

"It's not like we never walked in on each other before," Jim protested faintly. He averted his eyes, though, as Bones pulled up his briefs and Jim tried to keep his eyes on the ceiling but after a peek (he just wanted to see if Bones was done, that's all), Jim was riveted to the muscular ass now in front of him as Bones hurriedly hopped into his pants.

"That was before!" Bones seemed to have trouble getting his right leg through completely and his jumping did interesting things in front of Jim.

"B-before?" Jim swallowed, his mouth dry because really, he knew Bones was fit (he wasn't lying about walking in on each other back then), but shit.

"Before we..." Bones balanced on one leg, kicking out the other furiously. "Damn it!"

"Want some help?" Jim offered weakly.

Bones froze and glared at him through a flop of wet hair and oh, God, Jim felt a stirring deep in his belly.

"What couldn't wait," Bones growled as he shimmied—fuck—into the sweatpants with a lazy roll of hips that made Jim a little lightheaded, "until I was properly dressed?"

"Well, don't get dressed up on my account," Jim quipped and he hoped the grin he gave wasn't too hysterical.

Bones scoffed. "I never do." He tugged the pants past his hips, yanked at the tie strings and he gestured at Jim as he grabbed a t-shirt Jim recognized from back in the Academy.

"Go on. You were about to share with me some of that patented Jim Kirk wisdom." Bones was muffled as he stuck his head into his top.

"I said I know why I hated Adam now," Jim said as he stared at Bones's exposed stomach and the light sprinkle of hair pointing downwards in invitation. His Adam's apple bobbed and he forced himself to stare past Bones's shoulder.

Bones's head popped through the neckline. "You mean besides the fact he was a bastard who couldn't take no for an answer?"

Jim made a face, partially because of Adam, partially because Bones was now slipping on socks.

"No, because he was dating you." Jim grinned because, hey, big revelation and he hadn't felt this...high since space diving the very first time. He was the only one in his class who didn't vomit inside his helmet after twenty five thousand feet.

"You mean because I was dating him," Bones corrected as he vigorously scrubbed his hair dry with a towel.

Jim's smile faded. Come on, Bones, try and keep up.

"No," Jim said slowly, "because he was dating you."

The towel froze, hiding Bones's face.

"Oh."

"Oh?" Jim bristled. "That's it? I just told you—"

"I know what you just told me," Bones huffed as he padded over to his desk and grabbed the bourbon he got from Scotty after beating his ass in poker. Jim's brow rose when Bones poured himself a generous amount and gulped it down in one shot. Bones hissed at the burn, waved his empty glass at Jim.

"So you're telling me..."

"I didn't like that he was dating you." Jim shrugged. "This was before we knew he was an ass, before...everything. I didn't like him way before that. Now I know why."

Bones stared at Jim, then poured himself another glass which he downed just as quickly.

Jim scowled. "You know, I rather you stay sober for this conversation, Bones."

"I'm not drunk," Bones wheezed. "Not yet. Damn it, Jim. Look I know that kiss had bothered you—"

"It didn't," Jim cut him off.

"Huh?"

Jim gestured towards Bones, then himself. "I mean, it should, right? I think I was more bothered by the fact that I wasn't bothered by it." Jim took a deep breath.

"I want to give this a try, Bones." Jim grinned at him. "Us two."

Bones gaped at him, his throat working before he opened his mouth and hoarsely said, "No."

No? Jim scowled at Bones. He wasn't expecting Bones to fling his arms around Jim (that would have been weird), but he thought that Bones would be happy, at least.

"Jim, you're—I don't know what the hell you're thinking—but you've never wanted this thing before."

"I didn't know we had this thing before," Jim argued.

Bones's eyebrows shot up in an "ah hah" expression. "Exactly. So what? Now you're interested? Just like that?" Bones dropped to the edge of his bed, glass at hand. He shook his head at Jim.

"Things don't happen like that, Jim."

Now Jim needed a drink. He poured himself a glass and refilled Bones's before continuing.

"It wasn't 'just like that'," Jim said, sobering. He sat down next to Bones and stared into his glass.

"Look, you...you're my best friend," Jim tried, "you are the one person who really did stick around and...I...I trust you, Bones." Jim blinked. Actually, he did. Huh.

"Thanks," Bones rasped. He bumped shoulders with Jim. Jim nudged him back.

"I think there was always something there," Jim went on, haltingly, "but I didn't really know what it was until now."

"And that is?" Bones prodded.

Jim squirmed. Being called out by the Council about his third Kobayashi Maru was easier.

"I think of you as more than just my best friend," Jim confessed, his voice dropping to a whisper, "but Bones, I really don't know what it is because inside me." Jim opened his hands, his glass sloshing as he waved his hands helplessly. He swallowed. "I'm just so screwed up, I know that. Ship, being here in space, it gets better, but I know I'm not...I'm not there yet. I...I don't know what to call it, but I do know I want more between us." Jim dared to raise his eyes at Bones.

Bones stared at Jim for a long time, studying him as if peeling away the layers. He turned back and took a sip of bourbon, rolled it around his mouth before he laughed to himself.

"What?"

"Damn it, I shouldn't, but yeah, all right, let's give this a try. We shouldn't, hell, I was finally convinced that it would never happen but okay."

Jim's mouth curved. "Yeah?"

Bones scoffed. He still looked a little like he was in disbelief, but he was smiling. "Yeah." He shook his head and tilted his glass back.

Jim watched that throat work as he swallowed. He gave Bones's bed a tentative bounce, waited, his knee jittering until finally:

"So you gonna fuck me or what?"

Luckily, Bones wasn't facing him when he choked on his drink.

"What?" Bones managed as he dropped his glass to the floor and grabbed his nose. "Christ that burns—What?" Bones glared at Jim with bloodshot eyes.

Jim grinned sheepishly and waggled his eyebrows as he patted the bed.

"Dammit, Jim. When you said give it a try, I thought you meant like a date or something, not a fucking test drive!" Bones glowered at Jim, his hands still clamped over his nose.

Even nasally, Bones still managed to sound annoyed. "Do you know what a waste of good bourbon that was going up my nose?"

Jim winced. He gave Bones an easy smile but Bones still looked ready to rampage.

"Sorry, hey, we've been hanging out all this time, like doing everything, doesn't that count as dating already? I mean—what are you doing?" Jim started when Bones leaned forward.

Bones huffed as he scowled. "Will you hold still, damn it? I'm trying to kiss you but not if you're twitching like you have the Rigillean shak—mmpf!"

It was decided, Jim thought, that since Bones had instigated the first kiss, it was only fair that Jim started this one. Before Bones could continue his rant, Jim surged forward, their glasses tumbling to the floor and sealed his mouth over Bones's, his hands already greedily cupping the back of his head, fingers tangled in still damp hair.

Bones tensed at first, but with a rumble that originated deep within his throat and vibrated into Jim to pool in his belly, he pressed forward. His mouth was possessive, demanding, scraping teeth across Jim's lower lip, his warm hands mapping Jim's back with sure touches that thrummed down Jim's spine.

And Jim didn't whimper when Bones's hands snaked over to grip his thighs, his thumbs massaging deep into his thighs to coax them to part. Jim also didn't moan Bones's name when he felt surgeon's hands, sure and confident to the point of arrogance, slipping into his snug trousers to cup his buttocks.

Somewhere, somehow, Jim found himself on his back, his trousers bunched around his ankles, trying to match thrust for thrust against Bones as his cock glided against his, hot, rigid and leaking. Jim didn't whimper again when he felt a finger ghost his entrance, circling the tight opening with such a tease. Jim slammed up his hips, crashing against Bones's erection hard enough that Bones groaned his name.

Jim felt fingers tracing his mouth, his collarbone, down the ridged indents of his ribs before curling around his cock and damn it, that callus on Bones's thumb rubbed over the head of his cock, his other fingers grasping him firmly as Jim arched his back.

"I got you, I got you," Bones drawled as he pumped Jim with a sure pace as if he'd done this with Jim a thousand times, his other hand slipping underneath to caress the sensitive entrance with a finger before breaching, preparing, torturing.

Jim groaned out something that could have been "bastard" but ended up being a hungry "Bones" as he felt himself stretched, filled and something just fucking clicked when Bones slid in completely, chest against chest, mouth now breathing hit and moist on his throat.

Even as his head spun, Jim managed to move his legs up, locked his ankles behind Bones's still-damn back and pull him in, a silent demand for more. Bones obliged, if not directly to his request, his eyes glazed as he rocked into Jim's body, his mouth set in concentration as if he was trying to memorize each stroke, each touch.

Jim's body ached with the initial burn. Then he grew heady with the sensation of being sealed into another life and wanted, cherished, devoured. He jerked when Bones pulled back, rejoiced when the pain/pleasure returned in full force.

Jim snaked a hand between them and when Bones groaned at Jim's touch, Jim felt it deep within him. He was sure even Bones could feel it, humming, vibrating his body like an instrument. But that was all forgotten when Bones began rolling his hips, hitting a new angle that had Jim convulsing with the need for more.

"Mine," Jim panted as he pulled Bones's head lower. Bones grunted in agreement even as he picked up his pace and ohgodharderdeeperdon'tevergo flared under Jim's skin and it felt like he was boiling. Jim pressed wet, open-mouthed kisses down Bones's throat, a hardened nipple, his left bicep, any place he could reach as they rocked across the bed, too tangled into each other to part.

Heat collected in Jim's groin as Bones's hips snapped forward, diving deeper and harder into Jim, harder still at Jim's gasped encouragements, faster as Jim palmed Bones's ass, holding on as each stroke lifted him off the bed and higher to oblivion.

"Mine," Bones hissed, partially because he was breathless, mostly to voice the triumphant gleam that darkened his eyes as he stared at Jim. "Mine, dammit," Bones grunted and he punctuated his claim with one final push that slapped Jim against the bed, sent bolts of heat into Jim and it felt like Bones nailed him into the bed, forbidding him to go.

Jim came wordlessly, his fingers drawing blood as they dug into Bones's shoulders. His body clenched, Bones gasped and heat flooded inside Jim, painting him, marking him.

Mine, Jim thought drowsily as Bones collapsed on top of him, heaving, half-slurred obscenities breathed out into the shell of his ear. Jim pressed his flushed face against Bones's brow. He licked the line of sweat trailing down the profile of a face Jim had always known, never realized he knew but was sure he would be content (he dared to think it was possible to feel that way) to study this profile forever.

"To think," Jim said low, husky as he drew a lazy smirk against Bones's ear, "if you weren't such an idiot back then, we could have had the best sex in the fucking universe for over two years now."

Bones, still winded, huffed against his throat. "Got a lot..." Bones panted, "to make up for...two years, huh?"

Jim rubbed a strand of dark bangs between two fingers and was tempted to taste it.

"You think you might stick around for that?" Jim asked casually.

There was a heated hardness pressed against his thigh, a dark smile, sly hands slipping down his body and Jim felt something uncoil deep in his chest.

"Try to keep me away," Bones whispered before he descended down to seal his mouth over Jim's in promise.

The End

Author's Notes: For those of you wondering about the jump, there is a sequel/companion planned to fill in the gaps. Bones needed a turn to have his say. :) The sequel "Reinventing Pavlov" which fills in the Academy years in Bones's POV is being drafted and still needs to be edited but hopefully it'll be up in six weeks!

Prompt: During their academy time, Bones doesn't really date. After a year or two, Bones finally gets a boyfriend - a very hot boyfriend. Jim is very surprised, mostly at how much he immediately hates the guy. He tries to be a good friend and like the dude, takes him drinking, etc. Inside, he is coming to terms with the fact that he is pissed as hell that Bones is dating anyone but him.

The first moment that boyfriend dude and Jim are alone? Boyfriend is all over Jim. Jim rejects him, which pisses boyfriend off. He threatens to tell McCoy that Jim seduced him if Jim doesn't have sex with him. Jim still rejects him and, not knowing what to do, bolts. He avoids Bones for a few days, assuming that Bones will believe boyfriend dude and be pissed at him.

Finally, the truth comes out, Jim makes his move on Bones, and they have happy, you're-all-mine sex.

Bonus if Bones never really doubted Jim and was suspicious of boyfriend dude as soon as he accused Jim.