[So I Caught This Giant Space Fish] -- [Jim and Bones] -- [Risa]

[kirktastic]

Thanks to some hunting by them both and a few calls around, they discovered Crescent Lake on Risa. It was tucked into the absolute middle of no where, so deep in the woods Jim hid his cycle beneath a tarp and they walked the rest of the way, then suddenly there was nothing but blue and green as far as his eyes could see. It was probably one of the most gorgeous sights he ever saw. Absolutely pristine and perfect.

They made camp along the shore of the lake, got things like wood and stones together, and loved every moment of it.

Their tradition was well set, and each year it just got a little better. Something new that improved, better equipment, better location, more time... everything. Jim was happy as long as it wasn't a raining miserable mess and Bones was there. And maybe a bag of cheese curls.

Speaking of those cheese curls... Jim had one very impressive picture to prove the power of cheese curls as fishing bait.



Yea, that was his sexy man with one giant ass space fish. Now it was hanging up, drying out, and there was a light debate on how hard it would be to hang on the wall in their shared quarters back on board.

Comments

[dctr-mccoy.livejournal.com]

Bones maintained that to cut up the fish and/or destroy it in any way was a crime against all that they held sacred. "Might even be in the Prime Directive," he joked, leaning back against the fire.

Hard as it was to believe, the lake and mountains looked even better in the twilight than it had during the day, when Bones had spent hours luring his monster of a fish onto his pole. Weather was perfect, twinkling stars peeking out above them, and Jim, poking at the fire, looking more relaxed than Bones had seen him since...

- well, since their last camping trip (http://dctr-mccoy.livejournal.com/38316.html). "You're not chopping him up."

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

"What the hell are we honestly doing with a fish that big otherwise? It could feed a small country. Besides, it is not going in our bedroom. It'll stare at me when I sleep." Jim looked over suspiciously at it. Those eyes staring at him all the time would give him nightmares. "Maybe it could be in one of the lounges? With a plaque?"

[dctr-mccoy.livejournal.com]

Bones didn't want to listen. Jim was right, but still.

It was a great fish. But in a couple days it was going to get stinky. "Shit," he muttered, looking back over at him. "Guess we could eat him," he said mournfully.

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

Jim thought about it, then offered up, "we could make an exception to our 'no contact' rule and call up to the ship. They could beam it on board and stash it somewhere." It would be such a bullshit reason to contact the ship, but by the grin playing over Jim's lips he was seriously considering it.

[dctr-mccoy.livejournal.com]

Bones' lips curled up in the corners, a little smile that got wider. He leaned over, reaching across the space between them to find Jim's mouth and press his own against it. "You're the best, you know that?" he said, kissing him once more before pulling back and looking at his fish.

"I'm gonna call him 'Tiberius'."

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

"Like hell you are!" Jim sputtered, getting up and digging out his communicator from his pack. He flipped it open, and spent about 10 minutes explaining what he wanted to the ensign who was laughing his ass off on the other end of the comm.

"Just do it!" Jim finally groaned, face palming.

"Yes, sir." Sporfle.

Jim looked to the fish and then to Bones. "I am never going to live this down."

[dctr-mccoy.livejournal.com]

But the ensign on the other end seemed to understand his job. Bones looked up and saw Tiberius dematerialize and then vanish into nothing. "Goodbye," he called out with a laugh, then lay back down and looked up.

"Which one is the ship?" he asked. He remembered asking last year, on the warm purple beach.

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

Jim went back to his seat and sat back, looking up at the sky in search of the right one. It took a few moments, studying, before he pointed. "There." Knowing that would be about as helpful as anything, he moved, stood behind Bones, and pointed again so Bones could use it like a cross hair.

[dctr-mccoy.livejournal.com]

Turning around, he wrapped his arms around Jim. "I'm glad we made it here." Even though they'd been on vacation for a couple weeks, a lot had happened for both of them.

His head turned, looking over at the bag of food they'd brought with them. "Hungry?" Lots of leftovers from their barbecue dinner yesterday afternoon with the guys.

[dctr-mccoy.livejournal.com]

They slept outside under the stars in their giant make-shift sleeping bag. Bones woke up feeling Jim's arms wrapped around him, so damn good. Rolling over, they rubbed against each other slowly as the sun rose over the water.

They ate fruit for breakfast, lazily enjoying the cool morning air and reading. Bones found himself watching Jim, the way his face moved so expressively as he read. Exciting scenes, troubling scenes, happy scenes - Jim's face showed them all.

But after a while Bones wanted to get up and do something else. Munching on his berry muffin while he sat, he pulled off little bits and threw them at Jim as he read.

Childish? Maybe... but lots of fun.

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

Jim lifted a brow as he looked up from his book at Bones, giving him a long look before asking, "didn't your Mama ever tell you it was bad to waste food?"

So Jim picked up a fallen piece of muffin and pegged Bones between the eyes with a mischievous smirk. "Mine didn't."

[dctr-mccoy.livejournal.com]

Bones tossed it back at Jim's mouth as he stood. Stuffing the rest in his mouth, he reached down for Jim's hands. "Up."

The water was calling him.

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

Jim took those hands and grinned even more. "Not yet, but if you give me ten seconds of you naked, I will be."

[dctr-mccoy.livejournal.com]

Bones leaned in for a quick kiss, holding Jim's face in his hands.

Then he stepped back, pulling down his shorts and kicking them off until he stood there, bare ass. "Gotta catch me," he called out, as he moved backward toward the water, his feet hitting the surf.

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

...Fuck that man had a gorgeous ass.

Jim started stripping as fast as he could, kicking things off and letting them fall where they would on the grass, then took off after Bones. The water was cold, but not freezing cold. It was a hell of a wake up call though, and Jim just ducked under as soon as possible to start getting used to it.

[dctr-mccoy.livejournal.com]

Bones was not getting in the water that fast. He waded out waist deep, watching as Jim flipped around like a fish.

Feeling more comfortable, he paddled out a little further.

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

Like Jim was going to let him be a pussy about this. Suddenly Jim came lumbering at Bones, with the obvious intent of pull Bones under water the second he got his hands on him.

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

The dream made no sense at all, and it made perfect sense. He was watching Bones talk with Sybok, and like an Andorian movie translated, the words didn't seem to fit the motions of their mouths. He was talking about Spock, talking about himself and Spock, and their relationship. Sybok told him that while Jim remained, he couldn't be fully with Spock. Put a hand on Bones' forehead...

Jim jerked awake in their sleeping back, breathing hard as he looked around, then down at the man asleep beside him. He rubbed his face a few times, the last tendrils of the nightmare wrapped him. To get rid of them, he slipped out of the sleeping bag and went to the edge of the lake, splashing his face with some water. Hell of a way to wake up on Christmas morning.

[dctr-mccoy.livejournal.com]

Bones slept on a bit longer, unconsciously stretching out in their large bag. After a while he reached out and felt nothing there, and his eyes opened enough for him to see that he was alone.

Bones sat up and rubbed his eyes. He could see Jim standing on the shore, looking out into the water, and from experience Bones knew that only two things would get Jim up early and out of bed on a morning like this - sex or nightmares.

He watched another minute, then stood and walked over to stand behind Jim, letting his footfalls be loud enough to announce his presence.

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

Jim tilted his head just enough to see Bones from the corner of his eye, then looked back to the water. "...sorry, if I woke you up," he said roughly, still tired. He knew he woke up Bones sometimes with his nightmares, had actually kicked a bruise once on Bones' ribs one night and sent the doctor spilling out of the bed, but it wasn't supposed to happen on their vacation of all times.

[dctr-mccoy.livejournal.com]

He stepped behind Jim, his naked body chilled by the morning air but it felt warm next to Jim. Wrapping his arms around Jim, he rested his head on his shoulder and looked out at the water. "Looks so calm and peaceful."

He ran a hand over Jim's hair. "You okay?"

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

Jim was silent to the question for a while, staring across the water. It was still and calm, so peaceful, the opposite of everything he was feeling inside. "Bones, do you love Spock?" Love was hard for Jim. His mother was gone, again, leaving a vacancy there, and while he cared about his father, twenty-five years without him made it hard to fill the void. He might have started to love Spock, if things hadn't gone down as they had.

The only thing he was sure about love was what he felt for Bones. Nothing could change that.

[dctr-mccoy.livejournal.com]

Of all the things Jim could have asked him, that would have been on the very bottom of his list.

"I'm almost positive I don't understand that question," he answered quietly, "or where its coming from." He turned Jim's body, so they were facing each other. "I love you."

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

"That doesn't answer my question," Jim said so sharply that it was clear despite his voice he was almost afraid that Bones didn't answer it. He was tight in Bones' grip, just watching him with those eyes gone dark.

[dctr-mccoy.livejournal.com]

It wasn't right, the way Jim was looking back at him. "No, Jim."

There was something there, between them, between all of them, and that wasn't going to change, but love? "I don't love Spock." He reached up and lifted Jim's chin. "And you know that."