#recklessheroism

recklessheroism:  he’s mesmerized by bones’s eyes. his face. every line & curve fascinates him. he finds himself staring more often than he’s willing to admit. it’s not right, bones is his friend. his chief medical officer. he needs to get a grip, focus.       he remembers this for a moment — but promptly forgets when he feels bones’s hands holding his own. for a moment, he’s confused. but then he feels an object being pressed to his palm, & he’s brought back to reality.       eyes moving to their hands, he blinks in surprise.  “ what — what’s this? ”

“It’s-” He stops speaking abruptly, a crease forming in his brow. Leonard has the uncanny ability to sense something amiss miles away, and while he may not yet know what’s going on now, he can tell Jim’s not quite right. 

“You alright, Jim?” If the Captain’s not careful, his behavior will usher in the doctor’s kit, and all manner of gadgets and tools meant to make him suffer. If Bones catches even the barest whiff of a fever about Jim, there’s nothing on this entire ship that’ll be able to stop him. 

Leonard had made his fair share of assumptions in his life, but this was getting ridiculous.

It began with a passing observation made by his mother, towards the end of his days in Starfleet Academy. Perhaps he had no one but himself to blame—at the time, he admittedly spoke far too much about Jim.

In his defense, their roommate situation often plagued Leonard’s thinning patience. Who the hell else was he going to complain about? Especially the nights that Jim made too much fuss before exams. You may as well have asked Leonard to walk on his hands.

It had gone like this, and in retrospect, Leonard should have realized this was the defining moment that he was fucked.

“—and if you come back down to Georiga, Len, you oughta bring that darlin’ boyfriend of yours—” “I’ll try to catch a bus there, Ma, but I can’t promise— Hold up. Boyfriend? I’m not datin’ anyone. Jim’s my roommate.”

OATS SQUAD !!

     “ of course, kiddo! i don’t mind at all, it’s fun for me too. ”  he smiles, glancing over at them.  “ spock & data will be fine. for people who don’t show a lot of emotion, they sure do worry a lot. ”  he’s only joking, of course, as indicated by the teasing look in his eyes.  “ it’s just ‘cause they care. but believe me, this bike will be perfectly safe by the time we’re done with it. ”

   Shore leave.

   It was meant to be a time of relaxation, yet Aella had still be encouraged away from spending her time in her quarters, working. So here she was, in a public place, attached to her PADD -- reading and drinking theris-masu, rather absorbed in her book.

   Thus, when Aella glanced up to give pause to the words she had read, she could not have calculated how long the person leaning over her table, staring at her, had been there.

   “Hello,” she said, evenly, despite quite instantly feeling at unease -- an unease she hoped did not translate on her face. 

   “Hey there, pretty lady. What’s your name?” 

   Pretty lady? Her breath came in shallow. “Lieutenant Aella Moore.” 

   “Lieutenant, huh? You’re from that fancy ship that’s docked here?” 

   “Yes, sir.” 

   “Sir? Wow, wow, wow... how nice of you...” 

   It had been habit, nothing more, that had called sir to her lips -- and now crimson touched her cheeks in discomfort as one of his fingers reached out, began to draw circles around the back of her hand. She felt herself frozen in shock. He was touching... her hand. He was touching...