Scientific Progress goes 'Boink'

[smartass_captain]

There's a message stuck to a door, last door on the left of a certain apartment complex in a certain New York. It's replicated paper, definitely a different sort of feel to it than one would expect in 2013.

Paper isn't the preferred message delivery device in the 2250s. Replicated paper and replicated ink.

Clint

Head to my place when you get this. Bring Ver.

Bones knows you're coming, he'll get you where you need to go. Don't bring your bow, we're not leaving home.

See you soon hopefully,

Jim


((Feel free to post without me until you guys actually get through the door to the Enterprise. I'm stuck in training/meetings and won't have another solid break for 2.5/3 hours from now. Will post actively after that time.))

Comments

Definitely not. They're family now. Weird family, but what other kind would they have?

[aw_hawkguy]

Hugs. This is how you family, Jim, when you're not, like, punching out your supervillain bro for pretending to be an Avenger and scamming people.

Clint chuckles. "Oh, well, I dunno about that. I've never had to work with a bossy lady before, y'know." Such a lie, but he's obviously joking.

They're not THAT kind of hillbilly family.

[smartass_captain]

No, see, Jim wanted Clint to pretend to be him so he could scam his crew into drinks and thinking he was a better shot than he is. It's the same thing, except way way less large scale.

Jim is the least skilled Barton/Kirk. Not a shred of super hero in this guy. It's a good thing Verity's a part of the family now, because then he's not the smallest.

"Like you weren't before? I think we'll live." Jim leans his head forward and bumps it gently against Verity's for good measure of point proving.

Thank goodness

[brave_heart_verity]

Jim is totally a superhero. He saves planets and stops wars. All Verity's got is sass and honest sass. But yes, she's definitely the short one in the group, so if that gives him comfort that's good enough for her.

"Ha ha." But she's tilting her head up into the touch with a smile. "You two are hilarious."

[aw_hawkguy]

Jim skydove from orbit onto a platform smaller than the dance floor in a third-rate disco, that's total superhero work. In fact, invite Clint next time, that sounds super fun.

Clint grins. "Runs in the family."

[smartass_captain]

Yeah but Verity makes friends with actual Gods and has even been on a field trip to see Doctor Doom and not gotten beat all to hell for it. And Clint is an actual Avenger and even Barney is built like a truck made of biceps.

Hanging with Marvel people makes one insecure sometimes, is all. Coming from the man who does space jumps and captains his own starship. Which are super fun, by the by when redshirts aren't getting themselves killed and bringing down the party.

"C'mon you two, I'll take you back to Engineering. Clint's got some pictures to take of Skull guy losing his mind, and Verity's gonna drag me by my ear to my quarters if she can find it." Or worse, call Bones and tell on him.

"And then yes, I will go to bed as soon as alpha shift is over. Or as soon as you're gone, if Spock says they've got it covered."

[brave_heart_verity]

Try living there, Jim. There's a reason nobody will ever convince Verity she's pretty. So. Many. Issues. (And then they start renumbering them and it just gets super confusing.)

"Pretty sure the doctor would tell me if I asked," she points out. "And don't tell me you wouldn't sleep better if I stay." It's not like she's got anywhere to go.

[aw_hawkguy]

"Yeah, I'd kinda like to hear Spock say they've got it covered and you get some shut-eye. 'Cause you know he's gonna," Clint chimes in.

[smartass_captain]

It's Spock, of course he will. Jim grins an easy smile and slowly turns them away from the observation deck so they can head back to the lifts and toward Engineering.

Don't be too sad you guys, space will still be there next time you visit.

"I'm sure I would, Ver. But you don't have to trouble yourself over it. Wouldn't want a certain someone to get jealous, would we?" And just like that, everything is back to the way it should be. Jim's laughing, Clint's chiming in with the brotherly advice....

And Verity just heard a huge lie in that first sentence, despite how natural Jim looks. He really is that used to lying when it comes to himself. No one would know any better, if they didn't have the abilities she does.

[brave_heart_verity]

Yeah, she heard it, but she's still blushing from the teasing.

"He'll understand. And you slept really well that night we all got drunk, so maybe you should give me some credit." She'll reach for his arm, intending to stop him so they can talk before they get anywhere public. "If you want to insist on waiting until your shift is over, okay. Give me something to read and I'll wait too. But you're too important for me to give up on easily."

[aw_hawkguy]

"We both will," Clint adds. "Maybe with less drinking, this time."

[smartass_captain]

"My bed isn't that big you guys." Jim's laughing now, but he stops when Verity pulls at his arm. His quarters is slightly larger than most because rank, but it would be a pretty tight fit to get three people anywhere near comfortable on his bed. "And yeah, there's nothing in there to drink at the moment. I paid off Scotty and Chekov with the last of my liquor."

Booze well spent if it will save a world.

"Anywhere else you'd like to see before we leave?" Jim isn't quite sure why they're being stopped, but he's not arguing.

[brave_heart_verity]

"Jim, sweetie, I know you're big mister boss man around here usually, but you need to accept that I'm not going." Deal with it.

She did warn them about the bossiness.

"I know you have a relationship with your crew that I'll never really understand, and I'm not trying to compete with that. But you don't have to be the stoic, unflappable captain with me. You can accept help from me without it being anyone else's business."

[aw_hawkguy]

"Hey, you surfed my couch, I'll surf yours," Clint counters with a grin.

[smartass_captain]

What, no. No that's not how this works. They just.

Jim swallows a lump that's suddenly in his throat. He can't say no to Clint. Like, literally can't. That argument pretty much sums up their status. Jim does owe him a couch surfing. And his couch is awesome, it would be ten kinds of rude to say no.

And Verity.

Well. Verity's world is exploding like right now how is he going to be a dick and throw her out?

He isn't.

And they know it. Okay....Okay! Plan B it is then.

"Ahahaha! You got me there. Guess we're crashing at my place." Jim grins and nothing is amiss except that laugh is a total lie. What is going on here? Seriously? They turn toward a turbolift and Jim keys in to go down to his quarters. Leads them down a rather quiet hallway. Punches in his personal code and lets them into his quarters. Clint's seen it before, but it is surprisingly sparse and clean. He has a computer terminal and office in the corner, a couch with a small coffee table stacked with PADDs of paperwork he has to do, and his bed on the far side over by his closet.

"I share my bathroom with Spock; his quarters is next to mine. I can get spare toothbrushes and the like easy enough--gotta warn you though. Sonic showers aren't nearly as relaxing as ones you're used to." A spare blanket and set of pillows gets chucked onto the couch easily. "You guys argue over who's sleeping where, I"ll take the couch even, I don't mind. I'm gonna go comm Spock and let him know I'm taking off early." Jim points to his terminal and wanders over there.

[brave_heart_verity]

At this point, she'll let him think that's what's going on if it gets him to stop arguing. But someday Jim's going to have to face the fact she loves and adores him enough to fight him on these things.

The lack of biometric locks is going to make it hard to keep her out in the future. Just saying.

She has a little look around when they get to his quarters, but while he's getting a blanket and pillow for the couch she's moving to sit on the edge of the bed. "I'm sure we'll survive." The sonic showers are clean so they don't do the spinny throw of pain like in the Sims, right?

Once Jim's back is turned, Clint gets a curious look. "You're staying too?" Doesn't he have a world to save and a mafia to fight? Then the couch gets a look. He's sleeping over there.

She doesn't have much time with Jim not looking and a PADD in her hand. Future Wikipedia, tell her all about Tarsus IV.

[aw_hawkguy]

"It's gonna be a while before they get all that math back on a thumb drive, he said," Clint points out. "And I'm tryin' to help."

[smartass_captain]

You know, Verity, between how you open his magic space radiation door and your Wikipedia search, there's gonna be an awful lot of squicky information in your hands in a moment there. The only way this could be more of a depressing internet search was if Jim's childhood in Iowa was on that PADD. Which it isn't. That's something only Pike knew about, and he's dead too.

Jim is unaware of Verity's search as he settles into his station. There aren't biometric locks; his captain's override is usually enough to get him security. And no one knows what that is.

"Spock? Yeah...we've finished. Hey listen I--" Beat. A chuckle. "I was just going to ask that, actually. You don't mind? Sure. Yeah. Comm me the second anything happens." Everything seems okay from the bridge. Jim gets up and heaves a sigh, wanders into the bathroom. Takes care of his hygiene needs and grabs a sonic shower.

Conveniently offscreen for whatever Verity is about to learn.

[brave_heart_verity]

Yeah, but how often does he use it when he's not in his quarters? Because he might be coming back from his shifts to surprise cake or something, you never know with a troublemaker like Verity. (She's pretty sure she can bribe Keenser to not tell anyone he saw her.)

That's good because her poker face is pretty much nonexistent. She's half listening to the conversation while she takes off her shoes, and then he's out of the room and she's reading.

Hey Clint, feel free to come get in on this horrible horrible discovery.

[aw_hawkguy]

Clint's seen faces like that before. Quietly, gently, he asks, "Verity? What is it?"

We're all Trekkies we already know.

[brave_heart_verity]

She glances toward the door Jim left through before turning the PADD to Clint.

"Remember when he freaked out so bad about the food he might have eaten at your place? He begged me not to make him talk about this." He can read for himself what happened. "You cannot bring this up with him. Clint. Seriously. We have to be careful with this."

[aw_hawkguy]

Clint reads, expression growing grim as he puts it together. "...yeah. Yeah, okay. Reed's gettin' a smack, though, so if I'm banged up next time you see me, Susan Richards kicked my ass."

Nobody knows except everybody knows.

[smartass_captain]

How in the hell was he going to deal with this? He wasn't hopped up on pain meds, and he sure as hell isn't drunk. Jim groans with a sigh as he pulls his briefs and regulation pants back on. Not gonna put a shirt on, but pants are definitely happening if he's sharing a bed.

He can either not go to sleep, or hope everything is okay. He'd managed to keep his night terrors to himself while at Clint's place, startling awake and shaking quietly in the chair by the window or on the couch. Barney gave him an odd look once or twice, but Jim refused to talk about it.

He'd been up for over two days. He should totally be able to sleep. But if they found out....the shame is a snake uncoiling in his guts, coursing through him like poison. Jim just got a family again. He doesn't want them to see how broken he really is.

Jim kicks the door open with a foot and scrubs a hand through his hair as he wanders back in. He's just going to have to deal with it and make sure he doesn't wake up screaming. Luckily he's noisy enough for concerned people to not be huddled together making worried faces when he gets out.

"You guys figure out who's crashin' where yet? Bathroom's free t'clean up with."

The First Rule about Cuddle Club is: you don't talk about Cuddle Club

[brave_heart_verity]

Verity turns the PADD off when Jim comes in and gives him a faint smile. "Clint's sleeping on the couch. Last thing he needs is to be sharing a bed with another woman while he's trying to fix things with his girlfriend. Or anyone, really." He could be an equal-opportunity girlfriend-offender, she doesn't know.

"I'm going to brush my teeth. No plotting while I'm gone." If she comes back to some kind of sexy guy pillow fight...

...she's just going to be really confused.

The Second Rule of Cuddle Club is: you don't wear anything sharp or chafing.

[aw_hawkguy]

"Yeah, the couch is definitely me. Besides, I wanna know what space-future couches are like!" He flashes a grin.

Once Verity's gone, Clint observes, "you look pretty wiped, man."

Jim's idea of a pillow fight is to put a pillow on someone and then punching them

[smartass_captain]

Jim is wiped.

He seems to brighten even more once Verity is off into the bathroom. It's like he knows that no one can tell him he's full of shit now. If only Jim knew how wrong he was.

"I worked two alpha shifts in between the work I had Scotty and Chekov helping me with on that drive. That's a hell of a lot of coffee. None of it good." Jim snorts and flops down onto his bed, throwing an arm over his eyes.

"Lights, 25%." And the lights dim. Shiny. Ohhhh man. Not-sleeping may not be an option. His bed is really nice, you have no idea. So is the couch, Clint. Starfleet knows its crews tend to run long loooong shifts. "I know it's two years out, but...I wanted to give you as much time as possible." Pause.

"And I was hoping I'd be able to magically save verity's world, too."