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It’s over a game of chess that Jim finds out from Spock that Vulcan’s kiss with their fingers.
He makes an interested noise and thinks to himself that Spock touching fingers with Uhura is not quite as disturbing an image as them actually kissing.
He doesn’t think much about it after that, not until he’s down in medbay for his post-mission checkup and David, one of the newer nurses, starts cursing under his breath while attending one of the ensigns who’d gotten himself hurt.
“Sit still, I can’t do the stitches if you keep moving around.”
Jim sees Leonard roll his eyes before he mutters a “be right back, Jim” and makes his way over to David.
Leonard’s posture screams annoyance but when he stands next to David and explains that it’s not the stillness of the patient but the steadiness of his own hands he’s all teacher-like, albeit an impatient one.
Jim loves this part of Leonard. All right, he loves all parts of Leonard but this one is special. This one he almost never gets to see and it warms his heart as much as it saddens it, thinking of Joanna and how good a father he can imagine Leonard to be.
On the other side of the room, Christine is watching Leonard and David with amusement. “Easy to say for the man with the steadiest hands I’ve ever met.” She chuckles and makes her way over to the two. “Why don’t I take care of this while you go back to the Captain, Doctor.”
As Leonard resumes his checkup, Jim finds himself thinking he’d almost like to have a cut now, if only for the fact he’d get to feel those steady hands on him.
It all goes downhill from there, really.
While on the bridge the next day Jim thinks he actually doesn't know what Leonard's hands look like. So when they meet for a drink that night he pays close attention.
And boy, Jim is not disappointed by Leonard’s hands. They’re large but not out-of-proportion, long fingers graceful as they’re holding the bottle of whiskey. His nails are clean, short and the slightly tanned skin looks soft.
So different from a woman’s hands, Jim realizes. Stronger, probably a bit rougher as well and when he realizes that that thought definitely turns him on more than he thought it would he promptly downs his drink.
Later, after Leonard’s gone and Jim on the verge of sleep he imagines what it would feel like to have those long fingers thread through his hair.
Leonard’s fingers are also very nimble Jim finds out a few days later.
His certainly aren’t so when he’s trying to get the knot out of the complete mess that’s Uhura’s necklace – which he needs to give back to her in one untangled piece – he feels like he’s only making it worse. The chain is delicate and small and his fingers are too thick to do this, really. But despite the fact he’d found it on the ground in a tangle already he can’t return it like this.
She might kill him.
He sighs in frustration, drops the chain on the table in front of him before he loses his temper and throws it across the room.
“Can’t untangle a necklace?” Leonard sits down next to him and raises an eyebrow at the necklace.
Jim huffs. “It’s too delicate!”
“Your patience is, you mean.” Leonard laughs.
It’s not that Jim likes to throw in his own windows but sometimes his brain-to-mouth filter just isn’t working and in those moments he’s all suggestive remarks and stupid comments. This time, he’s not sure which of the two it is as “why don’t your legendary hands have a go at it then,” escapes him.
Leonard’s eyebrow shoots up and there’s mostly amusement in his eyes as he looks at Jim for a moment. “Sure,” he nods and brings the necklace close to him. He starts to untangle it slowly, patiently and with quick, swift fingers that slip and slide and separate. “I’ll show you my legendary hands.” He murmurs, voice dropped to a low murmur and a smirk on his lips yet his eyes never leave the necklace and his hands don’t stop working.
Jim can’t take his eyes away from Leonard’s fingers, the words an echo in his mind the rest of the day while his body seems to be constantly thrumming with excitement. When his shift is over he flees to his room, strokes himself to completion on his bed imagining it’s Leonard’s fingers around his cock.
Leonard's hands are also incredibly soft.
Jim finds out by accident because of course he's not handing things to Leonard in such a way their fingers must brush. Come on, he's not desperate - although he is.
They're on the Bridge and Leonard is handing him a PADD with his report about the sudden influenza that seems to have breaking out under the crew.
He stands on Jim's left, tirade about how Ensign's should not be stupid and miss their vaccinations for something so mundane - stern eyes on Jim, too - leaving his mouth.
Jim waves at him to hand the PADD over and when Leonard does Jim dares a quick glance at his hands.
He resists the urge to lick his lips. He definitely understands the idea of kissing with fingers although he'd much rather be kissed all over his body in that case.
His mind is so caught up that when he blindly reaches for the PADD and feels soft skin brush under his fingertips a shiver rakes through his entire body.
Leonard stops midsentence and when Jim dares a cautious, hesitant glance up at his friend there is an unreadable expression on Leonard's face.
"It's a bit chilly in here, isn't it?" Leonard asks and raises an eyebrow.
Before Jim can respond – too busy kicking himself for being so stupid – Spock chimes in, asking: “It is not warmer nor colder than usual, Doctor. Are you well?”
“Peachy, Spock, thank you.” Leonard sounds annoyed and by the time he turns back to Jim, Jim’s got the PADD in his lap and pretends to be reading the report.
Jim is in his quarters waiting for Leonard’s shift to finish and for his friend to come over for their weekly drinks.
He sighs and leans his head against the back of the couch.
Leonard, his hands, those hands in his hair, stroking over his skin, around his cock. It's all Jim can think about and if he's not careful he'll end up either making a complete fool out of himself by moaning when their fingers touch or confessing his feelings for Leonard and please, please touch me.
It’s unfair, in a way.
He’s been in love with Leonard for what seems like ages now. But he’s ignored it, denied it even to himself because this is his best friend. This is the man who stays with him through everything, Jim’s family and he’d rather long from a distance than make things awkward and basically ruin their connection.
But it seems even that was a bubble waiting to burst. Now all he wants is Leonard and he knows that underneath the sexual frustration is a desperate need to be loved in return.
He startles when his door opens, Leonard walking in like he always does.
Jim tries to shrug off the heavy feeling in his chest and for a few moments it's easy conversation and jokes just like normal.
Then Leonard gets out a bottle of something and pours them a drink, offering one to Jim.
Jim takes the glass, lets the tips of his fingers linger against Leonard’s. He's not sure why he does it but it's a nice feeling. Not sensual but it is somewhat comforting to touch Leonard like this.
To touch, he thinks and suddenly his eyes widen and he wants to grab the glass and pull away.
But Leonard doesn’t hand over the glass. Instead he pulls it back and sets it down onto the small table in front of the couch and Jim knows he’s just fucked up.
Leonard props his left leg up on the couch so he can sit and face Jim properly. There’s an hopeful yet apprehensive look in his eyes and his voice is slightly hesitant when he mumbles “Jim,”
Jim lowers his eyes to his lap. “It’s nothing.”
He wants to ask Leonard to pretend this isn’t happening because damn it, please don’t let him ruin their friendship.
But Leonard shakes his head, doesn’t adhere to the silent plea in Jim’s eyes and instead says: “Your pupils are dilated, your breathing is normally a lot quieter than this and,” Leonard reaches out one of his hands, places two fingers – soft, warm fingers – against the pressure points of Jim’s neck, “your heartrate is definitely not saying it’s nothing.”
He lets the words hang in the air, gives Jim the opportunity to pull away.
But Jim doesn’t. Couldn’t leave now even if he wanted to. Not with Leonard’s dark eyes pining him down, a fierce determination burning in them. Not with those fingers against his skin that don’t hold him back at all but to Jim it feels like they pin him to the couch.
He can’t leave because the air is heavy with anticipation suddenly, with unspoken emotions and a disbelief settles in Jim’s gut because this simply can’t be.
“I’m a doctor, Jim." Leonard speaks up again. His eyes definitely shimmering with affection as they’re set on Jim. "You can hide your emotions from me but not your physical reactions. Not when I’m this close.” He finishes softly, a small smile tugging at his lips.
Jim feels naked under Leonard's gaze. Scared but also hopeful because this feels so much like all of his dreams coming true. But he can't admit anything until he's certain so instead of proclaiming his undying love for Leonard he blurts: “It’s Spock’s fault. If he hadn’t said Vulcans kiss with their hands I would never have…” He trails off, turning his eyes away because God, is he stupid? Why did he say that?
But Leonard’s fingers are still against his neck and maybe Jim’s imagining it but it feels like he’s sitting closer as well.
“Hands?” Leonard cocks his head to the side, smirks in a way that’s dangerous and promising and then he slides his fingers up Jim’s cheek, into blond locks. “You like my hands?”
Jim sucks in a breath and his eyes snap up, finding Leonard’s. There’s more apprehension in Leonard’s eyes than his cocky comment had suggested and the smile on his lips is fond and gentle unlike the teasing fingers in Jim’s hair.
“Bones,” Jim breathes. This is serious. This is the moment in which they both decide if they’re going to change their friendship forever. And Jim almost trembles with the sense of how right it feels. How he’d never really thought he’d have this even though Leonard was always within reach. But he’s also terrified of losing the one person he can’t bear to lose.
But this isn’t something he dares decide on his own.
“Are we really doing this?” His voice is a hoarse whisper and one of his hands finds its way up to Leonard’s shoulder, gripping tightly almost to make sure his friend doesn’t disappear.
Leonard huffs and then smiles, stroking the pad of the thumb of his free hand over the corner of Jim’s lips. “If it took that hobgoblin for us to get our heads out of our asses and realize we’ve both been pining for nothing I’d say it’s about damned time.”
Jim’s close to laughing but before he can do anything Leonard’s kissing him.
It’s soft fingers in his hair, chapped lips pushing, exploring, loving against his own and Jim’s whole world fades down to Leonard.
That night, Leonard takes Jim to bed and maps his entire body with just his fingertips.
He strokes, teases, scratches and lingers the tips of his fingers over the entire expanse of Jim’s body, his chest almost merged with Jim’s back as their bodies are touching from head to toe.
And Jim doesn’t hold back anymore. Sighs of pleasure, begging moans and breathless groans escape him in a stream of utter devastating pleasure.
Leonard’s hands, it seems, truly are legendary.