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[he pauses at the insignia. It's an interesting design and he memorizes it to put down on paper later.

His anticipation is very high by the time they get to that door. The excitement from James rubs off on him]

Absolutely.

[ Jim has his own pin insignia here in the Quarantine, actually, but he doesn't even realize he hasn't shown that to Victor yet. ]

Great. [ His eyes glint excitedly, and he finally opens the door. They step through and onto one of the corridors of his Enterprise. It's deserted save for the two of them. ]

[Victor pauses to gape. If his lab was a step into the past, this is a step into the future. He lifts a hand to run it across the wall. He knows that this isn't all of it, but it's still pretty amazing]

[ Jim knows it's a lot to take in for someone who isn't used to it, so he gives Victor a bit of time to ease into it. Eventually he steps closer, settling a hand on his back and gently guiding him along the hallway and towards the door leading out to the bridge. ]

[he lets James guide him along to the bride. He's probably going to get a crink in his neck from how he's trying to look at absolutely everything along the way]

You should close your eyes, [ He suggests with a smile. ] More impressive that way.

[ Once Victor does as he asks, Jim opens the door, carefully leading him into the bridge. He stops him right next to the Captain's chair, making sure the viewscreen is turned on and showing a view of what would be the space outside the ship. ]

Whenever you're ready.

[he quirks an eyebrow but does as he's told, closing his eyes and letting James lead him through the ship. He opens his eyes, and his jaw drops. He's looked up at the stars all the time, but this is different: they surround him.

His breath stops as he marvels, his hand on the captain's chair. Slowly he turns back to James]

I don't often say this, but I think it fits: this is awesome.

[ Jim smiles, eyes glinting with pure delight at Victor's reaction. He was expecting nothing short of awe and amazement, and he's absolutely not disappointed by the look on Victor's face. ]

Yes, yes it is.

[ He's proud of his baby, alright? Even if technically she's crashed in Altamid back home, and he's currently a shipless Captain. Details. ]

You can look around all you like.

[he starts wandering around, running his fingers over the screens and instruments. He feels like he stepped inside a science fiction movie. Eventually Victor makes his way back to James, reaching for the captain's hand]

So this place... It's the piece of your home you love the most, like my lab is for me. Is that right?

[ He smiles when Victor reaches for his hand at first, though his smile wavers at the question. He's missed his ship terribly, even before coming here. Granted, there's a new one being built, but Jim knows it would've been months before it was ready. ]

That's right, yes.

[he squeezes the man's hand, lifting his hand to brush across James's cheek]

Then I'm honored to be here.

And I'm glad that you're here.

[ He smiles a little wider again, catching Victor's wrist in his hand, thumb brushing across the skin. Heaving out a soft sigh, he continues. ]

Actually... the truth is, before I came here, me and my crew got into some trouble. The Enterprise crashed, she was completely totalled. We managed to find a way back to the nearest starbase, but... I don't actually have a ship back home, at the moment.

[his skin is tingling from the contact, but not so much he can't concentrate on what James is saying. He tries to imagine how that would feel, having a place you love completely destroyed. And he nearly scoffs as all the times Storybrooke was attacked come to mind]

I'm sorry. But... I'm not very sorry that the captain didn't go down with the ship. What about your crew?

I should have. [ For all the horrible things Khan did, he was right about one thing: No ship should go down without her Captain. ] I almost did, actually.

[ He presses his lips thinly, head canting just so. ] Most of them made it. But— not everyone. Even those who got out through escape pods were captured and taken in by hostile forces on the planet, and...

[ He remember Ensign Syl suddenly, and his breath stutters a little. He shakes his head. ] It was a mess.

[he doesn't know what to say. So this is how James understood Victor's pain of loss: he too lost those he was responsible for, ones he should have protected but couldn't.

His lab, this ship. They aren't just the places Victor and James love the most-- they're the places the two man have felt devastating loss]

You don't need me to tell you this, but you can do so much good in this world. In any world you set foot on. Those ghosts wouldn't want you to carry them forever.

[maybe James has forgiven himself, Victor doesn't know. But if anyone knows anything about holding onto guilt and blame, it's the doctor]

[ It's only one of the ways that Jim's experienced loss, but it's true. Losing people on his crew has always been hard on him, all the more so when he hasn't really ever opened up to anyone about it.

Victor's right— Jim doesn't need to hear it. But he still likes to, anyway. It soothes him, and he smiles warmly at Victor's comforting words. ]

Neither would yours. [ He catches both of Victor's hands, pulling him in close. ] You can do some good in this world, too.

[it's terrifying, how James makes him feel. How did a random message on a friendr profile turn into this? He liked James from the start but this... What's the word for it? A crush? Smitten?]

In other words, baby. Kiss me.

[he doesn't wait for James to obey: Victor leans in to do it himself]

[ Jim lets out a soft laugh at that, grinning wide as Victor leans in, lips still stretched into a smile even as they kiss. His insides do a funny little twist but it's overall a pleasant feeling. He doesn't even try to fight it.

He cups Victor's face in his hands, keeping him in place as he kisses him back, tasting his lips with a soft hum. ]

[he lets out a soft sigh of contentment, sliding his arms around the captain. They aren't really on James's ship any more than they were really in Victor's lab, but he feels like they've gotten closer by sharing these pieces of their home with each other.

Victor had said he wanted to know James body and mind. Somehow they've both agreed to also know each other's hearts. And that makes him really, incredibly happy]

[ It always etches a smile across his lips when Victor sighs like that whenever they kiss, and this time it's no different. He nips lightly at Victor's lips, tongue dragging softly across them right after, breaking the kiss after a few seconds even though he doesn't put any actual physical distance between them. ]

I'm glad we shared this. [ A little bit of their homes, and their stories. It doesn't make Jim feel vulnerable. It makes him feel closer, and he likes that feeling. ]

[he groans, pressing a little closer. The need he has to be close to James right now feels comparable to when he was tripping on that colored powder. He's shared more with this man than anyone. It's terrifying.

It's also wonderful]

Me too.

[ He manages to hold back a soft gasp at that reaction, biting a little on his lower lip and closing his eyes. His lips stay close to Victor's, not really kissing him but not completely breaking the contact just yet. ]

I love it when I get those sounds out of you.

[he lets out a breathless little laugh, curling his fingers gently into the man's hair]

You do it a lot, so I would hope so.

We should... [ He purrs warmly against Victor's mouth, closing his eyes. The doctor's fingers curling into his hair are making it very hard for him to think straight right now. ] Should go. Get, uh... dinner, maybe. Before I decide to make a mess of you on my Captain's chair.

[his eyes spark and a grin moves across his lips]

And speaking of noises we like. But all right, food first. Then I'm yours to make as much of a mess as you want.

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winscenario - 2018-03-06 17:58 (UTC) - Expand

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jolting - 2018-03-06 18:16 (UTC) - Expand