I don't own Star Trek...maybe someday, but not right now.

It had been the first thing McCoy had noticed about Jim.

His smile.

The grin that never actually left his face, no matter what the situation was; even when he was serious, the grin was still there, although it was overshadowed by other emotions.

Maybe that was why McCoy had decided that he liked Jim after he'd been set free from the depression of his divorce; and would have gone with Jim even if he hadn't liked the kid, but still…

That smile just… drew you in. Made you want to like Jim, want to trust him. And because of that, it was a damn good thing that it turned out that he could.

If it wasn't so obviously genuine, McCoy would have thought it was an incredibly clever façade.

"I'm bored," Jim said, from the other side of the pitiful little cave that Jim thought of as a safe hideout, waiting for the rest of the crew to rescue them from this hell hole of an ice planet they were stuck on.

"Mm," McCoy answered. So was he. Again, Jim grinned at him.

"They'll find us soon."

"How can you tell?" McCoy asked, raising an eyebrow. Jim shrugged, not particularly worried.

"Everything'll work out. They'll find us." He paused. "Or they won't. But they probably will." All that said, while still smiling.

"If you say so," McCoy said finally, leaning back against the side and closing his eyes. Might as well catch a nap. It wasn't like they were actually going to be found any time soon. Besides, he trusted his best friend/captain, for whatever reason. He trusted his instincts, and they almost always proved correct.

In his mind's eye, he could see Jim's smile, and it assured him that yes, they would be found.

It had been the first thing he'd noticed, that smile. And as he drifted off into a dreamless sleep, it was the last thing he forgot.

'Kay this is my first fic, and not even sure it reads right, so... thoughts?