The Stars Above Us

Chapter 12

"Don't open 'em just yet," Bones said.

"Where are we, Bones?" she asked. Jim had no idea where they were. She doesn't like being in the dark and she doesn't like not knowing where she was. It was a good thing that she trusted him so much or she would've opened her eyes ten minutes ago.

"You'll see," he chuckled. "Open your eyes."

"An ice rink?" Jim looked at him. That explains the cold and the dress code he gave her before she got ready. "I uh… I can't skate."

"I can," he told her.

"How did I not know that?"

"Never came up. My folks used to take me to the outdoor rink they set up back home for the holidays. I haven't done it in a few years so I'm a little rusty but I know the basics. I figured I could teach 'em to you. Unless you want to do something else…"

"Are you kidding? This is so cool. Pun intended," she smiled as she watched the little kids on the ice. It can't be that hard if kids younger than them were out there.

"Well, alright then. Let's get our skates on and hit the ice," Bones said before leading her to one of the bleachers so they could switch their footwear. It only took them a few minutes then Bones had her walk around with her blade guards on to get her center before they were ready to hit the ice.

"So, how do I do this?" Jim asked.

"Relax but keep your legs steady. We're gonna stay along the wall until you're ready to let go. Even then, you can always hold onto me if you need to." Considering that he filled out –a lot- in the last year and a half, that was a very welcoming thought. She felt her face flush at the idea and Bones chuckled. "Head on the task at hand, Miss Kirk."

"You're the one who opened your mouth," she muttered. Of course, now she was thinking about his mouth. His lips were so warm and soft and perfect when his kissed her two days ago. She hasn't been able to think of much else since. Why was she a giddy little girl all of a sudden? This is Bones.

Bones who grumbles all the time. Bones who's clean but isn't really organized. Bones who… would do anything in the universe for her. The way he fought for her during and after Tarsus. The way he always listens to her craziness. The way he sometimes sleeps on the floor in her room when she's having a nightmare just so she feels safe. He's a bit of a contradiction but Jim realized that she likes it. She likes him. 'Crap,' Jim thought to herself. Miss Pippa was right, Jim just wasn't paying attention.

"Are you listening to me?" Bones chuckled.

"Don't look at my feet and don't lean back. I heard you," Jim said.

"Just checking. I thought I lost you for a second there," he smiled as they inched along the wall of the ice rink.

"I can think and skate, Bonesy," she said with a smile. "You don't have to wait for me."

"I know I don't but I'm going to."

For a while, Jim inched along and Bones skated next to her. When she finally got enough confidence, Jim decided that she didn't need to hold onto the wall. She almost fell on her ass a few times but Bones always caught her before she fell. That brought on a whole different thought process in her head. She liked being in his arms. On some level, she always known that. He was the only person she actually let touch her in the last almost two years. She thought it was because he was her friend but she was slowly realizing that it was just because he was Bones. Her Bones.

"Your Bones, huh?" he asked. Jim's eyes widened. "Yes, you said that out loud."

"My brain is all wonky right now."

"Because you think of me as being yours? That's not really wrong when you think about it," Bones chuckled. That's what Pippa said, more or less.

"And to think, we used to hate each other," she teased.

"Yea, well. We've grown up a bunch in the last… four years?"

"Almost. Three and a half," Jim shrugged. She also lost her balance and Bones grabbed her around the waist before she could fall. "Thanks."

"Any time," he said with a wink.

Jim looked at him for a long moment, "Did you bring Elizabeth and Pamela skating too?"

"No. I never went out with Pamela. I don't know what her damage is. I took Elizabeth to the movies and dinner. This one is all you."

"I feel so special," she smiled.

"You are special," Bones smiled back. Jim looked at him. "Don't give me that look. You are and you know it."

"Where'd you get all this charm from?"

"Always had it, you're just now noticing it," he said with a wink.

"Sorry it took me so long."

"Don't be. It took me a while to figure it out too."

"You're staring at me," she sighed as they had dinner. As promised, nothing fancy.

"I'm trying to figure out what to talk about. We already know everything about each other."

"No we don't," Jim said. "We know a lot but not everything."

"Okay. Tell me something I don't know about you," he said.

"I've watched you sleep before… but not in a creepy way."

"Not in a creepy way?" Bones asked.

"You remember that first Red Alert on the Olympus?" she asked. He nodded. "You were terrified and I was so calm but after I came back from you-know-where it was the opposite. Everything just had me on edge… You were so peaceful. I know it sounds crazy but watching you breathe put me to sleep on more than one occasion." Bones looked at her for a long moment. "Now I feel like a crazy idiot."

"No you don't. I watch you sleep sometimes. You twitch and cry when you're having a nightmare. I calm you down and stay to keep an eye on you. I fall asleep on your floor most of the time."

"That I noticed," Jim smiled. "You never mention it though."

"I don't think I need to. No matter how much you tell me about what happened on that colony, I'll never know what it's like to be in your shoes. You're entitled to your pain and your nightmares. I just do what I can do to help get you through 'em."

"You're such a sap," she whispered. It was really sweet how much he wanted to look out for her. All this time she thought she was taking care of him.

"Only where you're concerned, apparently," Bones chuckled.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

"So, normally, at the end of a date, I'd walk you home," he smiled.

"But since we share an apartment…"

"I'm gonna walk you all the way to your room," Bones said with a chuckle. "It's that or drop you off and walk around outside for a while."

"That's okay with me," she said as he hit the code to their door. Ever the gentleman, he let her through first. Jim could hear her heart beating in her chest. She was nervous, more so now than before.

"Relax," he whispered when they got to her room. Jim took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves. "I can't believe that I make you nervous."

"You don't," she mumbled.

"Yes, I do. I can see it in your face. So, I'm not gonna let you overthink this." Before she could asked him what he meant, he pressed a kiss against her lips. It wasn't long and little sloppy but it was also sweet. He pulled away with a smile. "Goodnight, Jim."

"'Night, Bonesy," she said before she stepped into her room. Jim closed the door and leaned against it. She was so confused. There was this warm feeling in her chest that she couldn't describe. Bones made her head all fuzzy and she didn't know which way was up. She ran through everything she could think of and it hit her. "Oh crap, I love him."