Iowa Bros in Space! The Spacening. Starring James T Kirk and Clinton Barton

[smartass_captain]

Fighting with Verity had done something for Jim despite all the vitriolic feeling swimming around his system. It had made him determined to go home. It wasn't as though he couldn't anymore. He knew exactly where the doorway leading back to the Enterprise stood. It was just...making himself open the door. Jim stands in the long hallway lined with doors to other worlds, staring intently at the 'Caution: Radiation risk' etched into the glass of his world's door. Shaking fingers reached for it, to push it open. Retracted.

He couldn't do this. No, bullshit. He was Jim Kirk, he could open a stupid door. Just. Not at the moment. Apparently. Jim shouts a string of fluent Orion curses at the door before stalking back off into the Nexus. To the plain door with the sideways 8 on it that leads to CLint's world. He pulls up a chair and waits. Clint would come sooner or later. He'd ask him to come with. Been meaning to show him around the ship anyway, might as well do it now.

Why couldn't his time have comms anyway? Jim smacks the back of his head against the wall while he waits, idly replaying the argument between himself and Verity in his head. What better way to kill time than to hate yourself?

Comments

[brave_heart_verity]

She's skipping over any questions or statements about being okay. Of course she isn't okay. Don't be stupid.

"I didn't have time to read it all, but from what I understand, our section of the multiverse is collapsing around us. Incursions open between two weakened universes and the Earths crash into each other unless someone destroys one of them first. Maybe with a head start..." She shrugs a little. She's about run out of steam now. "You should go. And don't worry, I'll lose your number. I know the last thing either of you want is to worry about a liar and a coward."

[aw_hawkguy]

Clint needs a moment, a little openmouthed, to wrap his head around this. Once he does, though, his jaw firms, he takes the thumb drives, and places a hand on Verity's shoulder. "Thank you. We can talk about the rest later. I've gotta get a start on this, but... there'll be a later, and we talk. I won't be mad." He means it. Before straightening up, he gives her shoulder a little squeeze. "You're not a coward, Verity, or you never coulda done this. You wanna come in for some coffee while I get going?"

He lets go of her shoulder and straightens up, glancing to Jim and mouthing, "you didn't tell me?"

[smartass_captain]

We were fighting, she wouldn't let me help. Said I'd go running to you right away.
Jim's hands talk for him. Genius level repeat offender means he's gotten pretty decent at sign language since coming here.

Jim sighs and drops his head. She's still acting like he hit her or something. For how bossy she can be, she's surprisingly delicate.

"Ver." He's not looking up. "I don't fucking hate you or anything." He shouldn't really be surprised that Verity was bailing on him. Everyone did that, eventually. But he cared about Verity, dammit. He sucks in a deep breath. "I'm not walking away unless you tell me to fuck off."

[brave_heart_verity]

The reassurances get a little smile from her. She wouldn't have blamed him for being done with her, but it's nice to know he's not. "Thanks, Clint. I'll come make you coffee if you want, but I don't think I could stomach it right now." If he's got a hand to spare for helping her up, she'd be grateful.

Verity doesn't know sign language, so, she misses all of that. She does notice that Jim needs to calm the fuck down. Her entire world is going to die. Most people would give her a pass on being delicate at the moment. Or has he forgotten what Spock went through?

"Do you like me enough to not yell at me anymore?" It's the kindest reply she can manage at the moment.

[aw_hawkguy]

Clint has done more than his share of technically-wrong-but-for-the-right-reasons things. He just took over an apartment building so some decent people could have a life, as a for-instance. With the flash drives in one hand, he does in fact have one to spare for helping her up.

"You're not up to coffee? Damn, this is serious." Opening the door, he adds an over-the-shoulder question to Jim: "are you free for this, or do you need to get back?"

[smartass_captain]

Her mother might still have a chance if--okay, no. He knows how much that wrecked Spock. It's why he doesn't want Verity to experience it. He remembers how it hurt both of them. Getting throttled by his Spock, sharing a mind meld with the older Spock. He'd do anything to save Verity from losing her mother as well as her world. But it's too late.

"Don't got anything to yell about."

Jim wishes Verity was a touch telepath right now. He could explain all of it so much easier. Instead he moves around to grab the door to Clint's world so he can help Verity in.

There's nothing he could say that wouldn't be a fake smile (he's very good at those but fuck it all, she can tell because that counts) and a bold faced lie. So he doesn't say anything and follows them in.

[brave_heart_verity]

Would either of them mind if she just hugs them both for a minute or two? Because she could really use the hugs right about now. Also, the hugging is a lot easier right now than having to try to say things out loud.

[aw_hawkguy]

Hugs are good. Verity can have all the hugs she wants. They've got two years, they can spare two minutes.

[smartass_captain]

Jim doesn't mind exactly. He's just not expected to be included in this. He was pretty sure she was still pissed at him or didn't even want him around.

As such he looks a little bit shocked when it's his turn, giving Clint this kind of bewildered expression before he wraps Verity up in his arms and holds her close as long as she needs it.

And usually Clint's the awkward one.

[brave_heart_verity]

Maybe Jim should stop assuming the worst and accept the fact she's contradictory sometimes (or more accurately, full of antisocial defense mechanisms). There are more hugs in it for him that way.

"I talked with my mom." This is directed at Jim since Clint doesn't know what they were fighting about. "I explained what's happening and made sure she had a way to get here. Whether or not she comes is entirely up to her, now. I know that's not what you want me to do." He's going to have to live with that, and so is she.

[aw_hawkguy]

Clint isn't privy to the situation, but he's picking up the clues pretty quickly. The world is ending, her mom is in it--but has a way to get to the Nexus. And she and Jim were arguing about that? It would explain his mood when he met Clint.

[smartass_captain]

"You did what you could." Jim hopes he means that enough not to set her off. He doesn't want to fight anymore. She had done what she could. Jim would have done more, but Jim isn't Verity. He Holds her close and nods against her so she can tell he's listening.

He'll shuffle her into Clint's world though, to get her out of the public eye in case she needs or wants some more privacy.

"I'm glad you talked to her though." At least he means that 100%?

[brave_heart_verity]

She doesn't need them to agree with what she did. She'd like them to accept that she's made her choice. No more fighting. There's no more fight in her. She's no hero, not like them, and she has nothing left to fight for.

"Me too." She'll lean on Jim if he lets her, letting herself be shuffled around. "...where were you guys and what happened to Clint?"

[aw_hawkguy]

"We went to a bar," Clint explains, "where the little blue guys and the big green guys don't like getting beaten at their own hustle." Closing the Nexus behind them, he goes to open the door into his apartment. It looks like Barney's out flirting with the neighbor again. "Good news, though, space medicine is awesome."

[smartass_captain]

Goddammit Clint. They weren't going to tell Verity about the barfight. You putz. Jim is already giving him a look from the safety of over Verity's head. Seriously, that is the worst way to open a story ever.

"I took your advice," Jim clarifies. "And asked Clint to come with me back to the ship. So...so I wasn't using the door alone. We were near a star base, so the plan was to go out for a few drinks and relax." Truth, all truth. That was the plan.

[brave_heart_verity]

Oh, Jim. She doesn't need to be told what happens next. She knows you both.

"Well. So long as you're okay." That's the only important thing right now. It would always be the most important thing, but today she doesn't even care about the rest of it. "So they have Kree and Skrulls too?"

[aw_hawkguy]

"Kinda. The kree guys had white hair and little doodleboppers comin' outta their foreheads, though." Clint gets out his laptop and gets it booting up (he has a lot of extensions). "Also, I got Jim's doctor to believe this place is real, so that's something."

He hoists a brow Jim's way--an unspoken, "do you wanna tell her, or should I?"

[smartass_captain]

"Andorian." Jim clarifies again. "I still never got to do my strip tease. He was getting into it too." He heaves a sigh and pulls Verity away from him gently, his teasing smile already back in place.

"Not that you're not gorgeous, Ver, but you should have seen this guy. Unf." He gives her the eyebrow raise. Yeah, that good looking. "Oh, yeah. Bones knows about this place now, which is pretty neat. He didn't take it too well when he found out Clint has antibodies in him from 2013 viruses and germs."

There's a nervous sort of chuckle as he licks at his lips. He knows, Clint. This si still just really wierd.

"Or...when he got a blood sample off Clint."

[brave_heart_verity]

She can't help but roll her eyes. "I'm sure you'll have no trouble finding someone willing and able to enjoy the show. Clint knows a lot of pretty people, have him take you to the next Avengers picnic."

They really are ridiculously pretty, the heroic set. It's just not fair. Maybe it's for the best she can't introduce him to Loki. She'd never see either one of them again.

"Let me guess, Clint: you're half Kree and half Atlantean and half centaur?" She can tease and make coffee at the same time. It's better than thinking.

[aw_hawkguy]

"Weirder. I'm Jim's great-something grandpa." He grins, but he's not teasing.

[smartass_captain]

"And now I'm really really glad I got that weird ass vibe from you, or I'd have tried something that we'd both be regretting right now." Jim sighs, squeezing his eyes shut in mock pain.

He's chuckling a moment later.

"Bones just about shat a warp core when he saw the lab results."

[brave_heart_verity]

She stops to think about that. Literally stops with a scoop of coffee halfway from the bag to the machine, and just stands there for a minute, thinking about it.

Welp. "That explains a lot."

[aw_hawkguy]

Clint is enjoying seeing Verity stuck like that. It's kinda funny. "We're pretty sure it's some alternate-universe Clint Barton. Not, like, me-me."

Ooh, hey, the computer's booted up, time to plug in a flash drive and see what's on it.

[smartass_captain]

"Its enough generations out where it's not like you're my dad or some shit. It's fine." Jim rolls his eyes. "As far as I'm concerned, I picked up a new brother today." He snorts that last bit out with a shake of his head.

"Hell of a way to end a perfectly ordinary night out." Because all perfectly normal nights out end in fights, innuendo, and hyposprays.

[brave_heart_verity]

"At least it was good news." She glances over at the computer, then looks down at the coffee preparations. There's not much to do but watch it brew, but that is so much better than seeing the plans to destroy countless other worlds full of people, and the equations ending in the probability of it not working someday. She understands enough of it to understand what's happening. That's enough.