#svemayara

In short, he feels like shit.

He’s laying on top of the covers on his too-small dorm bed (because everything aches and he can’t get his arms to work right), facing the wrong way with his head hanging off. It’s really, really not helping, in fact it’s probably making everything at least ten times worse, but Jim can hear the sounds of Bones just getting home and he loves nothing more than to complain and get under the doctor’s skin.

“I’m dying, Bones!” Jim calls out, except his nose is stuffed up and he feels gunk in the back of his throat from being upside down so what actually comes out is more like, “dyig ‘ownz.”

Bones, used to Jim’s theatrics, is at least nice enough to spare him a glance and throw him a bottle of cough medicine he seems to have pulled out of thin air before continuing to strip out of his uniform.

Jim takes a swig, mildly miffed that Bones hasn’t even said anything about his ability to catch a cold because he’s a doctor, dammit--Jim has a working theory that Bones gets off on berating others (read: Jim) about proper health procedures.

But the next thing Jim knows is Bones is manhandling him into laying properly on the bed, removing his shoes and uniform, and dumping the world’s reserve of blankets on top of him. Jim tries to ask what the hell is going on but under the blankets it comes out a muffled mess, and Bones decides to take a page out of Jim’s bein’ a smartass book and replies with, “What was that? Can’t hear you.” Jim just sighs as best he can with his stuffy nose and let’s it happen.

Bones moves Jim’s limbs and the blankets, wrapping him up expertly into a cuddly burrito, before climbing into bed behind him and arranging the rest of the blankets as a nest around them. It’s a tight fit in the tiny bed that’s hardly big enough for one grown man, but they make it work like they always do.

Despite seeming like he was just brushing Jim off when he threw the bottle of medicine, Bones wraps his arms around burrito!Jim and hooks his chin over his shoulder. “Just relax, darlin’. You’ll be better in no time,” he grumbles softly.

Jim tips his head back, rubbing his cheek against Bones’, comforted by the slight rub of stubble and the smell of cologne that still lingers on Bones’ skin. “Read to me?” he asks, milking his cold for all it’s worth.

Bones huffs, “Infant,” but Jim can hear the smile in his voice as well as feel the curve form against his cheek.

A PADD is produced from the bedside table, an old classic pulled up, and Bones clears his throat and begins to indulge. “The year 1866 was signalised by a remarkable incident...”

A fond smile flit across Leonard’s face every time they came to a new exhibit. Jo wasn’t like a lot of the kids surrounding them who just wanted to see the animals in action before losing interest and running ahead to the next display. She studied the animals intently, read the information plaques, and even asked intelligent questions.

Jim kept up a running commentary of interesting facts about each type of animal they saw. Leonard wondered how his brain hadn't exploded yet--he could almost picture sparks and smoke streaming out of Jim’s ears--overloaded by all the knowledge he seemed to an endless supply of.

**

They had made their way through most of the exhibits and had decided to stop for a quick lunch break. All the while Jim and Leonard asked Joanna questions about the animals they had seen, upholding an educational side to the fun outing.

“So Jo,” Jim started as they began to gather up their trash, “what’s been your favorite animal to see so far?”

Jo was thoughtful for a moment before answering, “The lemurs!”

“Why’s that kiddo?” Leonard asked.

“They jumped really far through the trees!” She frowned. “At first I was scared they were going to fall, but then Uncle Jim told me that they use their tails to help with their balance,” she said, looking over at Jim.

“That’s right,” he said, ruffling her hair and making her giggle.

“Where to next, Jo-Jo?” Leonard asked once they had thrown their trash in a garbage bin.

Her eyes lit up and she could hardly contain her excitement as penguins burst out of her mouth in a rush.

Leonard chuckled. “Penguins it is.”

“Onward to Penguin island!” Jim proclaimed in a poor imitation of an English accent, one hand pointing forward in the direction they would be headed and the other commandeered by Jo to pull him along.

**

Penguins were currently Joanna’s favorite animal, so when they got to the penguin exhibit Leonard allowed her to wander around on her own, keeping her in his eyesight at all times but otherwise letting her go freely. Jim stayed by his side as they stood quietly, watching the penguins splash around in the water.

Jim’s hand found it’s way into Leonard’s, their fingers tangling together. Four penguins grouped up into a diamond shape and shot off across the surface of the water.

“Penguins mate for life y’know,” Jim said nonchalantly.

your wish is my command (normal version first, shall we?)

jim was happy. he couldn’t remember the last time his heart had felt so light. everything had been going his way lately and he felt like the luckiest man in the world; he was a bird soaring through fluffy white clouds against a bright azure sky—free. things had been going even better with bones; jim had decided to do a cliche proposal on christmas—only hours away. which was how he found himself with a ring in his pocket and a pie from the bakery down the street in his hand on his way back to their apartment.

His cheeks are so cold they feel like they’re on fire, and he can’t feel his toes or his nose, but Leo has to admit he’s having fun. It isn’t every day that he gets to throw things at Jim. Even though he hasn’t actually managed to hit him. Yet. It’s cathartic in its own way.

The taunts are getting a little old, however.

Leo picks up a perfectly round snowball from the pile at his frost encrusted boots. He lets out a steady breath, watching the visible puff swirl and disappear into the air; Jo’s voice in the back of his head gleefully saying, “Look, Daddy, I’ma dragon!”

Distracted with thoughts of his daughter, Leo looks up over the snowbank just in time to see Jim jump out from behind his tree. He’s out in the open and moving closer to Leo. It’s finally a real chance to hit him. Joanna’s spirit beside him, he pulls back his arm and lets the snowball fly.

And miraculously hits Jim square in the chest.

Leo feels a moment of triumph watching Jim dramatically fall backward into the fluffy snow--revenge for all the times earlier that day when Jim pelted him unrelentingly with hard-packed snowballs--followed by a moment of panic as Jim continues to lay there; he might have hit his head on a buried rock and knocked himself out. With Jim’s luck, it isn’t an unreasonable fear.

Leo vaults over his fort and trudges through the deep snow as fast as he can to Jim’s side. His heart stutters in his chest upon seeing Jim close-up and spread-eagle in the snow. Bright golden hair and flushed pink cheeks against blinding white.

Leo drops to his knees beside Jim’s head, tentatively checking for blood. What he doesn’t see is Jim moving his arm ever so slightly to grab a handful of snow. So he also doesn’t see it coming when Jim pulls him down by the front of his jacket and smashes the snow down the back of his neck with the other.

Leo howls, the sudden cold sending shivers dancing down his spine and chilling him straight to his already frozen feet. Laughter paralyzes Jim; he rolls around on his back with his arms wrapped around his middle as wave after wave of giggles hits him.

And bless Jim for being so oblivious, he doesn’t even notice Leo looks about ready to murder him until it’s too late. He tries to get away and leap for freedom, but Leo is right behind him, tackling him to the ground. They grapple, rolling around like lions, each trying to be the one who pins the other.

Leo finally prevails, only because Jim can’t stop laughing. He sits back on Jim’s upper thighs, using his weight to restrain him from struggling further, and folds his arms across his chest.

“You’re an asshole,” Leo grumps. He scowls and Jim has the audacity to smile.

Jim leans up, able to do so since only his lower body is truly the only thing immobilized, and kisses Leo on the nose, hoping to melt anger out of his eyebrows. And it works, if only for a few seconds. “You love me,” he says.