exastris_scientia | holiday open post

[ it had taken some doing, but eventually they'd found a place to lay low. steve wasn't prepared to bring bucky in to shield or whatever they liked to call themselves these days after the fall of the triskellion.

so they technically did to clean up for them, but steve didn't trust them. call him old-fashioned, but fool me once and all that jazz. it didn't stop him from doing rounds after they were settled, scouting the surrounding area, and being extra careful when either of them had to go back into town for supplies.

he was just finishing up a walk when he decided to pick up some more firewood before the snow covered the smaller piles completely, and headed inside. ]

It's really coming down out there.

[ he wasn't exactly the snow's biggest fan. he doubted bucky liked the cold that much either, considering. ]

[He had wandered out alone in the cold for some time after the fall of Triskellion. He had no real destination in mind, save to get away and lick his wounds in peace.

And eventually, the Captain, no Steve had come after him. He'd half expected his old friend to bring him in to SHIELD or some other alphabet organization but instead they've moved from small town to even smaller towns and eventually holed up here. Just in time for the first snow storm of winter to come in.

He wasn't fond of the cold but there could be worse places to wait out inclement weather than a tiny cabin in the woods in the middle of nowhere.

As Steve came in, he turned his gaze from the window he'd been looking out of to greet his friend. As normal people do.]

Newscast says a snow squall's coming in. Big one.

[ if steve had thought he could trust what was left of SHIELD at all, he might have. but the list of people who he trusted to have his back these days was growing smaller and smaller as the days wore on. so if he decided to play these cards close to his chest, well, that was his prerogative.

but here he tried to put that to the back of his mind, because helping bucky was at the forefront. he was his friend. everyone expected him to fall back into line. learn the steps of this new dance when he never even learned a basic one to start---and steve just wasn't interested. bucky came first, the man was always there for him, even if he did sometimes have trouble remembering all of it at once.

he'd be damned if he wasn't going to be there for his best friend in the same capacity. ]

I heard. The little corner store is cleaned out, it's a good thing we stocked up last week. I was thinking I could make us dinner, but then I decided that I wanted hot chocolate first.

What do you say?

[ the academy grounds were devoid their usual robust life once the air got more crisp, and the holidays rolled around. of course, it wasn't just earth holidays, but most cadets, if they were from off-world, would have a friend who would drag them off for some holiday things.

that really wasn't jim's thing, and he didn't exactly have a family to go home and visit. his ma had been on deep space missions pretty regularly since he was really little, and it only got more frequent after his brother sam ran away. the only person still in town where he was from, was his uncle frank, and he'd already promised himself he wasn't going to go back until frank was the hell out of the state.

so, earlier in the day he'd stopped in at brewsky's off-campus, got a triple espresso, and something to eat, then headed back to his room. he already figured bones had left by then, so he was a little surprised to see him in there packing. ]

Hey, man. I thought you were already on a shuttle out.

[ he tossed his jacket over the back of his desk chair, and unceremoniously flopped onto his rack. ]

[ This trip's been on Leonard's mind for months. He hasn't said much to Jim about it outside their disastrous conversation about holiday plans and spending time with the family. Leonard felt pretty bad for bringing up that one, even if Jim acted like he wasn't all that perturbed by it. It weighed heavily on his best friend's mind for a while, until his guilt began eating away at him, shaming him for planning to leave Jim behind. To spend Christmas week alone in their dorm.

He tried to push the thoughts away. When he did, they only came roaring back stronger. He started packing his suitcase when his roommate scampered off, hoping that if he got his stuff together and left before Jim could return, it'd make the guilt a little more easier to swallow.

Wishful thinking. He reached for his comm, sent a quick message to his mother and sighed. He was a bleeding heart through and through, there's no denying it now. The doctor drapes himself on the edge of the mattress, finger tapping against his leg as he tries to think of ways to broach this idea of his with Jim.

He starts packing things up for appearances, though, when the younger man finally returns to their room. Bones folds the last of his shirts away and, without looking up, grumbles, ]

I was waitin' 'till you got back.

[ In Jim's defense, he didn't think the conversation went that disastrously, but then he makes idle jests and offhand comments about the state of his childhood when it does get brought up. It isn't often, but it's his way of coping. It wasn't exactly the best and brightest time of his life.

He looks over at his best friend from where he's flopped on the mattress, blue eyes crinkling at the corners when he smiles. ]

Were you waiting on me to see you off on the shuttle? I could bring flowers for when you come back if you want.

[ Cause that's definitely what they're talking about right? I mean, if Bones is waiting. But he sees his posture, sees the wrinkle in the bed from where he must have been sitting for a while, and he only does that when he's being particularly broody. He sits up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, and braces his elbows back behind himself to prop up part way. ]

No, come on, seriously. What's up, Mr. Grinch?

Don't call me that. [ It's easy for him to feign annoyance when Jim's ribbing him with something like that. It gives him an extra moment to think, to toss the top of the suitcase over the neatly folded stacks of clothes.

There's no telling what Jim's going to think of the idea. If he would even want to come back with Bones to Georgia. What if he says no? Should he get onto that shuttle anyway and leave his best friend here?

He's not sure if he could. The older man sighs, ]

You said you didn't want to go home for break. [ His gaze finally lifts to meet Jim's, his hazel eyes anxious, betraying his earlier put-on demeanor. ]

But what 'bout goin' somewhere else?

I'm only calling it as I see it. What happened? Did your heart shrink instead of growing? You should look into that, you are a doctor after all.

[ He grins as he says it, still sitting half-propped up in the bed. He's really got no idea what it is that has Bones all twisted up. Is he not wanting to go home suddenly? All he's been looking forward to lately is getting home to see his little girl.

He even showed Jim pictures. Cute kid. ]

I'm pretty sure what I said is that I hate Iowa, and I won't go back until Frank is out of state, but yeah, basically. [ He cants his head as Bones looks over at him, clocking the anxious look to them, and his frown deepens. He finally sit back up to give his attention in earnest. ]

What? Like Risa or something? I don't really think I'm in the mood. Anyways there's plenty of trouble I can get into here.

[ Because it hasn't honestly occurred to him that Bones might be ready to invite him home with him for the holiday. ]

Edited 2016-06-22 06:26 (UTC)

[ Bones isn't even sure he can muster up the courage to ask at this point. But he's trying to find it, or at least some semblance of it while he fidgets with the zipper of his suitcase, exhaling with something of a feigned huff. ]

I sure would if that weren't a medical impossibility. [ Not unless he locked himself in an anti-grav chamber for the next seven months — not that he would ever be able to stomach something like that. Not when he very nearly threw up on Jim's shoes within minutes of meeting each other, on a cross-country shuttle ride from Riverside to San Fran.

It's gotten a little better since then — the motion sickness, the crippling fear of dying in some freak shuttle accident. The anxiety is still there, though, but that'll take a little longer to shake. More months of therapy and hours in the flight sim.

He looks away from his best friend and shakes his head slightly. ]

You could get into trouble in a convent. Aren't you gettin' tired of bein' kicked out of the same bars all the time?

[ All Jim knows is Bones is acting off all of a sudden and it's really weird, ok? Super weird. ]

You know, one day you're gonna have to go on an actual starship. I think that's the day you actually do throw up on me. Which is gross, by the way.

[ The laugh his best friend's comment pulls from him at that comment is vibrant, and he grins wide enough to hurt his cheeks. ]

I could get into trouble in a convent. It could go either way, nuns are hot. But have you seen some of the priests? That's gotta be some kind of crime, but hey, bless me father for I have sinned. Come on, it's a joke. [ Mostly. He shrugs a bit. ] Maybe I'll go down to Tijuana and see if it is all it is cracked up to be.

Yeah, well. Better it be you than someone else. [ At least he knows Jim would forgive him for it. That's more than he could say for anyone else, much less some unsuspecting stranger. And yeah, he would feel a little guilty about it, but he doesn't feel guilty about making Jim think he'd only throw up on him because he's a little shit that deserves it.

That's what he's hoping to convey, anyway, with the way he shrugs his shoulders. Unsympathetic to the man's plea, and even more so, when he makes those subsequent comments. Bones has to fight the urge to drop his head in his hands. ]

I doubt that. [ He knows you, Jim. ] I don't know where the convents are around, but maybe we could go to a church. See if it's true that someone can burst into flame while steppin' through. I'll bring an extinguisher for you. [ Now that is a joke. An incredibly morbid and dry one, but that's to be expected, coming from Bones. ]

And you're fine with that, just spendin' the whole break alone?

That's so gross. [ Yeah, he already said it, but it bears repeating. ]

Oh, it is a joke! I mean, it's also true, cause I'd totally be down for that, but that doesn't make it less of a joke. [ He tilts his head and watches as Bones elaborates on what they could do, then laughs. ] Aww, for me? Such a gentleman.

I mean, I'll call ma, but yeah. It's what I always do.

[ Bones still doesn't seem entirely convinced. But that might just be because he wants to give Jim a hard time, by throwing a side-eye glance at him from across the room. ]

Nah. I jus' don't want the building to burn down, is all. [ Saving his best friend would only just be a happy consequence of that. It's not like Bones actually cares about him or anything. He almost wishes that he didn't, maybe then he wouldn't be getting so worked up about this holiday break thing. The doctor sighs a bit. ]

You know that's not much of a Christmas, kid.

[ That it was joke or not? Come on. ]

Oh, ouch. That's cold. [ Jim doesn't believe it for a second though. He knows Bones would totally save him. ]

I wouldn't know, would I? Never really had one. Unless---[ He trails briefly, getting a little somber as he thinks about the few times with his big brother that weren't awful thanks to Frank or their ma being gone. But he doesn't talk about that. ]---nope. Never really had one.

holiday open post

Any MCU Character | Good with any point in canon

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