Work Text:
Meddle, Schmeddle
“Grandpa – ” Jim’s frustration was loud and clear in his voice. “Why are you bringing this up? It’s our last morning together. Let’s talk about something else.”
Tiberius Kirk stopped dead and grabbed Jim firmly by the arm, keeping him from walking away. He’d been trying to get through to his stubborn grandson, and now he refused to take any more guff about this.
“Jimmy, what the hell are ya doin’? The man brought you back from the dead. You don’t think that says something?”
“It says that he’s my best friend,” Jim shot back as he pulled his arm away slowly, mindful of his grandfather’s age. “And a great doctor. The best there is.”
Sighing, Tiberius paused and slipped his hands into his pockets. He met his grandson’s defiant stare head on until Jim finally broke and bowed his head contritely as they stood in the middle of the quiet San Francisco street on which Jim lived.
“It shows a hellava lot more than that, and you know it, Jimmy.” It was time for his grandson to face some tough questions. “What are you so afraid of?” he asked softly.
They stood, facing each other, both stubborn Kirk men down to their toes. The morning sun, high in the sky, started to warm his shoulders as he waited his grandson out – and he would wait him out. Tiberius couldn’t see Jim’s eyes – he had those hidden behind dark sunglasses – but he knew that he hit close to home when Jim’s tongue sneaked out and licked his bottom lip. Jim never could control that nervous tell of his, no matter how much he tried.
A flicker of emotion shot across Jim’s face, and for a moment, it honestly looked like he was toying with the idea of lying. But never in all his days had that worked for his dad George, and it wasn’t going to work for Jim either. His grandson should know he didn’t abide with anything but the truth.
Tiberius cut Jim off before he could start. “Just tell him how you really feel.”
Jim ducked his head and avoided Tiberius’s eyes. “If I tell him how I really feel, I could lose my best friend.”
Enough of this dillydallying. “I have it on good authority that he’s just waitin’ for you to say something.”
Jim’s head shot up, eyes wide. “Who told you that?”
“Jim,” Tiberius said with a little smile, “you were in a coma for two whole weeks and that boy never left your side. We had a lot of time to talk.” He gave Jim a pointed look. “Now, are you gonna do something about that, or are you just gonna stand here, whining?”
Jim frowned. “Are you sure he said that?”
He had been absent for most of Jim’s childhood, not providing the guidance his grandson needed growing up. The times that he had spent with Jim, he’d been tough on him, giving it to him with “both barrels” and telling him exactly what he thought about Jim’s harebrained antics – like driving George’s car off a cliff.
Never once in his dealings with Jim had he ever shirked from telling the plain and straightforward truth.
And now? Now, he had the opportunity to make up for not being there for Jim and to see to it that his grandson was happy for once.
Tiberius tipped up his head, making sure that Jim could see the dead serious look on his face. “Would I ever lie to you?”
The previous day
Tiberius and Leonard McCoy stood patiently outside Jim’s building, waiting for Jim to change out of his uniform. The afternoon sun dipped lower in the sky, a soft breeze stirring the fresh spring air. This sure beat the cold temperatures they were having back in Washington County.
Tonight was his last evening in San Francisco. Tomorrow, he was taking the afternoon shuttle back to Iowa. With Winona stuck trying to get transportation back from a deep space assignment, Tiberius was glad he had been able to get here to be with his grandson.
The last three weeks had been stressful. He had lived through those two weeks with Jim lying in a coma by spending what time he could at his bedside. The last week, since Jim had woken up, had been spent getting to know him again as he recovered from his near death – or was it death? – experience.
Jim was finally back to full health, and tonight’s dinner was a time for celebration as well as a way to say goodbye.
Tiberius watched two birds swooping in the calm air, chasing each other in nature’s game of tag. He had appreciated the time he’d been able to spend with Jim, getting the opportunity to fix their relationship that had been torn during Jim’s unruly teenage years.
And, he thought, glancing to his side, he'd enjoyed getting to know the determined, kind-hearted and tall man beside him.
“He commed me ten minutes ago and said he’d be down in a little while,” Leonard said before brushing his hand down his blue tie.
The man knew how to wear clothes. Tiberius had to give him that. For almost the whole time he had been here, he had only seen Leonard McCoy in his white Starfleet Medical uniform. Tonight, though, it was a jacket and tie along with jeans.
Frowning, Tiberius adjusted the cowboy hat on his head. “Say, am I dressed okay for where we’re goin’?” he asked, looking down at his best shirt. “Am I gonna need a tie?”
Leonard shook his head. “Nah, you’re fine. Jim never likes to go anyplace fancy. I just thought I’d dress up for the occasion.” A blush broke out on his face as he fumbled to explain, “It being your last night here and all.”
Yeah, and it had nothing to do with celebrating that Jim was alive and well, either. Leonard’s eyes skirted away from Tiberius’ close scrutiny. These two boys had been dancing around each other ever since Jim had woken up. The looks they shot one another when they thought no one else was looking…
They weren’t fooling no one but themselves. He narrowed his eyes.
“You two been friends for a long time, haven’t you?” Tiberius asked.
The question seemed to take Leonard by surprise, but he nodded. “Yeah, for goin’ on four years now.”
“You care about him,” Tiberius stated.
Leonard looked at him, his eyebrows furrowed. “Yeah, he’s my best friend.”
“Uh huh,” Tiberius said noncommittally. “He says you’re his best friend, too.”
“Yeah, I know,” Leonard said, turning and staring off into the distance, looking as if that information wasn’t sitting as good as it should with him.
Hmmm. Now that was telling.
Tiberius let that stew for a second or two before he added, “Ya know, he cares about you. I mean he really cares about you.”
That brought Leonard’s attention back with a snap. “What do you mean?”
“I mean,” Tiberius emphasized, “that boy has feelings for you.” He looked Leonard straight in the eye. “And I have it on good authority he’s afraid that you just want to be friends, or otherwise he’d say something.”
“He told you that?” Leonard’s dubious thoughts were all over his face, but they couldn’t hide the small ray of hope in his eyes.
“Of course he did. I’m his grandpa,” he said as he slapped his hand over his chest. “But – ” He looked around surreptitiously as if he didn’t want to be overheard before continuing, “ – don’t say anything, or he’d be as pissed as hell that I spilled the beans, so to say.”
Tiberius didn’t miss the goofy smile that broke out over Leonard’s face as he turned back to face Jim’s building. Tiberius struggled to keep his own smug grin under control.
Sometimes all it took was a little meddling.