FIC: Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, (Kirk/McCoy, PG/R)

[the_water_clock]

Author: Clio
Title: Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
Pairing: Star Trek: James T. Kirk/Leonard "Bones" McCoy
Rating: PG to R
Summary: Eleven moments in the lives of Jim and Bones.
Length: 1100 words
Notes: Written as birthday drabbles for my fellow mods at jim_and_bones. Inspired by the Elton John album Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy. Drabbles are in album order but otherwise unconnected.

For weepingnaiad, based on "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy."

we've thrown in the towel too many times
out for the count and when we're down
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
from the end of the world to your town

"It's raining."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious."

"After last night," Jim said, stretching, "I'd think you'd be calling me Captain Fantastic."

"I’m no cowboy," Bones replied.

"Yes, you are," Jim said, chuckling.

Bones grunted in response.

Jim smiled; repetition had worn this particular exchange down to its shorthand. He stroked Bones's hair, pushing his bangs out of his eyes.

"Any plans for today?" Jim asked.

"Nope."

"Food in the house?"

"Yep."

"Reason to get out of bed?"

"None," Bones said, "but I'll give ya a reason to stay."

"Yippie ki-yay," Jim said, and let Bones pull him back under the covers.


For lindmere, based on "Tower of Babel."

someone called us Babylon
those hungry hunters
tracking down the hours

Bones held his breath until their shuttle and its cargo were within sight of the Enterprise and out of range of any of the planet's weapons.

Jim, predictably, hooted like a teenager taking a joyride.

"How in the hell did we get away with that?" Leonard asked.

"My natural ability and your charm, Bones. Starfleet Intelligence will be glad we got this."

"And blame us if it goes sour."

"Maybe, but as long as you and the rest of the crew and Pike know the truth, the rest can go hang."

"That's fine," Bones said, "so long as we don't."


For emiliglia, based on "Bitter Fingers."

I'm sick of tra-la-las and la-de-das
No more long days hacking hunks of garbage
Bitter fingers never swung on swinging stars

Bones glanced at the comm Jim wasn’t answering.

“Told them I’d meet in a month,” Jim said. “Not talking ‘til then.”

“They’ll just keep calling.”

“Let ‘em. I’m tired of playing cruise ship for admirals and then cleaning up their messes. They sent us on a diplomatic mission but never let us actually do anything.”

“You’re planning something,” Bones said, wagging his finger. “You’ve got that scheming look.”

“Maybe,” Jim replied.

“And it’ll work?”

“Probably. Anyway it has to.”

“Gonna let me in on it sometime?”

Jim grinned. “How could I not?” he said. “You’re my ace in the hole.”


For hitlikehammers, based on "Tell Me When the Whistle Blows."

will the street kids remember? can I still shoot a fast cue? has this country kid still got his soul?

Bones said, “Let’s go play pool.”

“Get out of the house,” Jim said. “Sounds good.”

But he saw ghosts of himself in every corner. As the bar filled up with locals and shipyard workers, older ones nodded their greeting, but the younger ones couldn’t see the local hero Starfleet poster boy in the scruffy man shooting pool.

“Play you for the table,” said a kid and her buddy, as banged up and defiant as Jim had ever been.

“I think we can take ‘em,” Bones said.

Jim smiled for the first time since they’d walked in. “I know we can.”


For abigail89, based on "Someone Saved My Life Tonight."

sweet freedom whispered in my ear

“This is where you lived?” Jim asked, looking around the imposing entrance hall of the large house.

“Yeah,” Bones said, shifting nervously from foot to foot. “Not exactly homey, I know.”

“Homey?” Jim asked. “More like a mausoleum.”

“Well I felt like I was dying most of the time I lived here.”

Jim stood closer and held Bones’s hand.

He sighed. “Dunno how I managed to get on that shuttle.”

“You knew you’d meet me!” Jim said. “Obviously!”

“Of course.” Bones rolled his eyes, but he was laughing when Jocelyn walked in.

“What’s so funny?” she asked.

“Life,” Bones said.


For norfolkdumpling, based on "(Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket."

feel no pain, no regret
when the line's been signed you're someone else

It was a lifeline to a starving man, but it unsettled Jim that Pike could see right through him, when he'd tried so hard to hide.

He wasn't feeling any too sparkly walking onto that shuttle, for all his bravado about three years. The loudly protesting aviophobic drunk slumped next to him would have had him worried if he hadn't known that Starfleet rejected those with severe personality disorders.

Then Bones said, "I just need to start over." Those hazel eyes saw all of Jim and didn't flinch one little bit.

"Me too," Jim replied, looking right back at him.


For pixelmayhem, based on "Better Off Dead."

if you ask how I am
I'll just say inspired

On bad days like this one, Bones seriously wondered if joining Starfleet hadn't been the worst decision possible. He was weary of the monotony of clinic, had handed in a sub-par lab report for XenoBio 45, and needed to spend that evening chasing down his fellow committee members for that damn aviophobia conference that Pike had talked him into. What he wanted was sleep.

Then he met up with Jim, who over dinner chatted about a future where they'd be captain and CMO and take the galaxy by storm, and it all fell into place. Best decision possible, no question.


For the_dala, based on "Writing."

maybe steak and eggs
waking up to washing up
making up your bed

Jim was on the porch when Bones got out of the shower, glasses on and tapping the end of a stylus against his lips, which meant he was working a crossword puzzle. Probably in Klingon. It wasn’t fair that someone that pretty should be that smart, but Bones wasn’t complaining.

“Beautiful morning,” Bones said.

Jim looked up at him, smiling. “Gorgeous now,” he said.

Bones blushed and looked away. “Thought I’d fry up some eggs to go with that leftover ham. Maybe biscuits.”

“All that and he can cook too?” Jim said. “I’m a lucky man.”

“Me too,” Bones said.


For sangueuk, based on "We All Fall in Love Sometimes."

aching legs that often told us it's all worth it
we all fall in love sometimes

“How many times have we fucked today?”

“In all the excitement I kinda lost track.”

Bones chuckled.

“Hey, don’t laugh while I’m fucking you,” Jim said.

“Don’t quote 20th century action movies while you’re fucking me and I won’t laugh.”

“Or,” Jim replied, and switched from slow and loving to hard and fast, pulling up on his knees and bringing Bones with him.

“Or.” Bones wrapped his legs around Jim’s waist, because he could shift gears just as fast as Jim could. Didn’t take long after that.

“Five,” Jim said when they were done. “And that was the best one.”


For withthepilot, based on "Curtains."

and just like us
you must have had
a once upon a time

"Could they be more adorable?" Jim asked.

"Not without rotting our teeth," Bones replied.

"They’re so bendy."

"I’m getting a crick in my neck just watching them."

"Think they’ll do it right there in the booth?"

"They just might. It’s that kind of bar."

Jim sighed. "Were we ever that young?"

Bones rolled his eyes. "You’re only three years older than Hikaru."

"True. And Pavel isn’t a kid anymore."

"Also, I’m still pretty damn bendy. Wanna do it up against that wall?"

Jim grinned and raised his eyebrows. "Inspired, old man?"

Bones smiled. "Let’s show those youngsters how it’s done."


For blcwriter, based on "House of Cards."

you're just playing the game but the stakes are too high

Jim knew that many people had warned Bones about him. Heck, some of them had even bragged about it to him.

Sure, sometimes Jim's attention was temporarily captured by the new and shiny, and sometimes Bones's jealousy was warranted. And Jim had never responded well to being held too tightly.

But unlike the others, Bones was always a challenge, never boring. So far it was easy not to stray, to always return.

What those nay-sayers didn't understand was, it had always been Jim orbiting Bones, not the other way around.

Bones might growl on occasion? But he knew it, too.