Give me what you alone can give [wedding]

[genius_level]

It all came down to this.

The weeks of planning and waiting were over. No more messages from Guinan, who had taken over the bulk of the planning for today but still had cornered them with the strangest questions whenever he and Bones had made an appearance in the lounge. (Jim still wasn’t sure what was the difference between “tuxedo” and “

Comments

[dctr_mccoy]

Yeah, it had seemed silly at the time, sleep apart the night before the wedding. But it was one of those old, ingrained traditions that lingered, and Leonard liked the idea of 'missing' Jim, of looking forward to the next day, when they'd stand together in front of Pike and the crew and say their vows.

When the time came, it was just as he imagined, maybe even better. Jim had never been more handsome than when he stood there in his formal suit. The two of them joined hands when Pike instructed them to do so, and Leonard repeated the words, his wedding vows, just as he had practiced.

Leonard's heart was full to the brim of love and emotion, standing there in front of that room full of their friends, crew mates, Spock standing stiffly beside them, holding their wedding bands.

It was everything he'd hoped for, and more.

[genius_level]

The ginger ale had helped, or maybe it was that first sight of Bones when they'd joined Pike and stood there together. Jim had felt the smile dawning on his face and couldn't stop it. He was pretty sure he'd smiled throughout the brief ceremony, all of it a blur as they exchanged rings and spoke their vows in front of their friends and crew... and family, he thought when he saw Blake sitting there with Guinan.

None of it seemed quite real until the end of the ceremony, their kiss almost chaste as their guests cheered and applauded. To their other side he could see Spock and Pike, a study in contrasts. Jim grinned, his forehead touching Bones' as they stood there a moment longer, just taking it all in.

He linked their hands after a moment, his fingers lacing through Bones' and feeling the cool metal of his wedding band.

[dctr_mccoy]

After the ceremony, Leonard and Jim found themselves on the makeshift dance floor, holding each other close. Leonard had long decided that today of all days, he needn't worry about being overly demonstrative about his feelings for Jim. Today was the day to celebrate those feelings.

A slow song started, and a few people began clapping as they moved together across the floor. Jim was so fucking graceful, standing there in his dress and Leonard felt like the luckiest man in the galaxy.

He bent his head to reach Jim's ear. "Looks like everyone is having a good time."

[genius_level]

He didn't feel particularly graceful. But Jim was too fucking happy to care, not with Bones in his arms, dancing with him in front of everyone. He wasn't sure when he'd smiled or laughed so much... when either of them had, for that matter. Today of all days, they both deserved to just let themselves enjoy the moment. They moved together like they'd been doing this forever, he decided, his eyes crinkling with laughter when Bones murmured in his ear.

Everyone was having a good time, he realized as he looked around. Sybok appeared to be in his element, overseeing the tremendous spread of food on one side of the room. His father... Jim grinned when he spotted Blake talking to a crowd of nurses, then nodded at M'Benga when the other man caught his eye. "I'm glad," he said, nosing against Bones. "You look amazing." He pulled back just enough to meet Bones' gaze before kissing him again.

Just because he could.

[guinan_listens]

Guinan mingled throughout the reception, knowing that the best hostess stayed out where everyone could see her, in case they needed anything. But right now, things were smooth as silk. The music played some soft jazz, people danced, small groups in corners danced, and the food was flying off the trays as fast as Sybok could replenish it.

She spotted the captain at the bar, waving away a glass of champagne being offered to him. "Was there something else you wanted, sir?" she asked, worried. "Some brandy or wine?"

[genius_level]

Jim smiled at Guinan, shaking his head and resting a reassuring hand on her arm. "Everything is perfect. I guess it's just nerves on my part." Giving her a sheepish look, he chuckled. "I think I'll stick with ginger ale today."

No sooner had he asked than another glass had appeared at his elbow. Jim thanked the ensign and turned back to Guinan with a grin. "I don't know how you pulled all of this together so quickly, but I'm impressed. And grateful," he added, raising his glass.

[guinan_listens]

"Please...," she shook her head at him. "It was my pleasure, Captain. Nothing better to get a crew's morale up than a celebration." She reached for a glass of champagne of her own, taking a small sip. "I'm honored you let me help with yours."

Looking over Jim's shoulder, she could see Leonard dancing with one of the Science ensigns, Collins, Guinan thought her name was. They were laughing, and he looked relaxed. "Your husband looks happy over there," she smiled.

[genius_level]

He turned and looked, then grinned when he saw Bones and Paula dancing. She was laughing at something Bones had said, and when Bones joined in Jim felt his heart squeeze tight in his chest. No worried lines on Bones' face today; his face lit up with every smile, his manner relaxed and easy even though Jim knew he detested the dress uniform. It looked good on him, though, all lean and clean lines.

Jim realized he was staring and chuckled, his face flushed as he sipped his soda. "He does look happy," he replied, wondering how long it was going to take to stop grinning like a fool at the words your husband.

[dr_blake]

He always felt under-dressed at these occasions. The last wedding he had attended, he had been in full armor, surrounded by the court and violent celebration. Yet now such memories felt distant, to be replaced with this gentler revelry.

Blake took a glass of champagne off the bar and sipped at it leisurely while he mingled between circles and tables: the nurses first, then the young assistants from the biological labs, and finally the men from security who he had become so familiar with during Loki's imprisonment.

Soon, all the activity and walking began to get to him and his knee, so he took a seat at a table on the far side of the room. One hand beneath the edge of the table against his thigh, he checked his communicator. Do you want me to send a golden boat? one message read, and Blake chuckled as he snapped it shut again.

[dctr_mccoy]

This was one conversation that had been long overdue... yet as Leonard approached Donald Blake, he felt like he still wasn't ready for it. But after what happened, what was still happening inside Jim - it was time they talked about it all.

"Doctor Blake," Leonard called out when he reached Blake's table. "It's good to see you again," he said, holding out his hand.

[dr_blake]

"And you." He stood briefly, one hand ever-faithful on his cane while the other shook Leonard's hand. Then he sat back down (for his knee). "Congratulations on your marriage...I never thought I'd see the day, or with my own eyes."

Truth be told, it made Blake feel old, but he would take his son's happiness over his own.

[dctr_mccoy]

Donald Blake brought out such conflicted thoughts for Leonard - reminding him of the terrible news of his illness, then finding out he was Jim's absent father, and finally - the whole Norse god thing.

But right now, Leonard was happy, and wanted to share that with Donald. He suspected that there were turbulent feelings inside Blake, but today was not the day for that. This was a celebration. "It meant a lot for Jim to have you here today. Me too," he added, chuckling at the idea that this man was now his father-in-law.

[greengirlgaila]

Gaila meandered contentedly through the reception area, dressed in her best wedding finery (it involved sparkles - a liberal amount of them) and bearing a glass of something bubbly in one hand. She'd had to duck out to the nearest head after the ceremony itself to fix her eye makeup. Not that she had been crying, or anything like that, because she most assuredly had not. It just smudged sometimes.

Jim and McCoy, bonded for life - Gaila could hardly believe it. She was sure the ridiculous charmer she'd fallen for at the Academy would have laughed to imagine himself ever getting married, but...things definitely changed.

[scotty_1701]

"Lass, are ye crying?" Scotty asked as he strolled over to her, a hint of incredulity in his voice. "Come now, its not that bad. Maybe the good doctor will be innna good mood from now on." It was a small hope.

The man was a menace to all those who wore red shirts.

[greengirlgaila]

"Speak for yourself; the doctor is always in a good mood around me." Gaila was a bit embarrassed at having been caught out. "And I wasn't crying because it was bad. I mean, I wasn't crying at all," she hurried to add. "But if I had been, it would have been okay, right?"

[scotty_1701]

But Scotty just laughed. "You've a good heart, bairn. Of course ye can cry. Would be strange if ye didn't," he added at the end.

"It was a lovely ceremony," Scotty continued, eyes dancing as he looked around the room. "So," he leaned in conspiratorially. "Which one do ye' expect is the bride?"

[geekiwi]

He appeared to have landed in the middle of a party.

Surprisingly enough -- or perhaps unsurprisingly -- nobody seemed to take much notice of him. Grimacing briefly down at his jeans (everyone else was so nattily dressed!), Karl set off in search of a familiar face.

[genius_level]

Jim had just spotted his father and Bones deep in discussion on the other side of the room. He was fairly sure he knew what their topic was, but after observing them for a few minutes he decided there wasn't likely to be any bloodshed (they were both doctors, after all, he told himself) and got himself another ginger ale, wishing it was something stronger.

He had just spotted Pike waving at him when someone else caught his eye. Jim blinked, then looked again as the familiar face approached. He glanced down at his glass suspiciously. "...Well, that's just great."

[geekiwi]

There was somebody. "Pine? Kirk?" Karl patted someone on the back in apology as he squeezed between them and the edge of a table. His question was cleared up when he finally got to the man, and got a look at the outfit - undoubtedly a Starfleet uniform, if a fancy one.

"James T. Kirk." He grinned. "What's up? Are you all still partying from New Year's?"

U.S.S. Enterprise, party ship. He liked that.

[genius_level]

Something flickered in the back of his mind at the unfamiliar name, a hint of a memory. Jim grabbed at it like a trailing thread and like a thread, the memory spooled in his mind. Something else the old Spock hadn't meant to share... another universe, actors who looked the spitting image of all of them. Mind-bending stuff, if you thought too hard.

And he was here now, this Bones lookalike. Jim shook his head, grinning a little. He could at least answer those two questions. "You're a little early," he advised as the man--Karl Urban, the memory supplied--approached. "It's Christmas, in fact." Here, his grin widened a bit more. "And, as it happens, my wedding day."