Fic: Red Team vs. Blue Team (R)
Inspired by these pictures at jim_and_bones. Community locked due to need for age verification, so join up to see! In case you don't see the pictures: there's a red-toned one of Chris Pine firing a gun, and a blue-toned one of a highly-armed Karl Urban.
Leonard sat on the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees, running his hands through his freshly-washed hair. He could still hear the sounds, still smell the cordite, feel the hot blood, still see the flashes that accompanied each pull of the trigger.
He jumped slightly when Jim sat next to him and laid a hand on the back of his neck.
"I'm really sorry, Bones. I thought it would be fun." He rubbed the back of Leonard's neck, and was relieved to feel some of the tension drain away. He didn't think he would have survived if his Bones had flinched away from him.
"I know you did, Jim. Hell, I thought it'd be all right, too. I mean, it was just a game. I just didn't get that it would feel so ... real," Leonard said. He ground the heels of his hands into his eyeballs one last time, and sat up, leaning into Jim.
Jim nodded, and sighed. "It was a hell of a realistic simulation. I'd never seen anything like it before. The sounds, the background, the smells ..."
"Especially the smells," Leonard said. "I think that's what set me off. I've done paintball before, and laser tag, but ... nothing like this."
"Yeah, these folks really have some advanced technology," Jim said.
Neither one of them said anything for a minute.
"I don't even really get what happened," Leonard said. "I mean, it's not like I had a traumatic combat experience that I was flashing back to. It was just that ... I shot you. And it was so realistic, I thought it was real. The blood, pumping from your chest, it felt real, smelled real. I thought we'd been set up, and that I'd actually killed you," he said, finishing in a whisper.
"Shhhh, Bones. I know. But it wasn't real. I'm fine. You're fine."
Leonard snorted. "Yeah, now that I'm not laying on the floor blubbering over your dead body, in front of half the crew."
Jim paused. "Maybe next time we should be on the same team."
"Next time? Are you insane?"
"Kidding, Bones. Kidding. But I guess it was in poor taste."
"Well, now you have to cheer me up," Leonard said. "And lemme tell ya, kid, it's gonna take a whole damned lot."
"I'm up to the challenge," Jim said, smirking.
"Of course you are," Leonard said, rolling his eyes.
"Good," Jim said. "If you can roll your eyes at me, I know you're okay." He ran a thumb tenderly over Leonard's cheek, dissolving any sarcasm or snarkiness they'd used to cover their feelings.
"Yeah," Leonard said quietly, squeezing Jim's other hand. "Just don't ever make me kill you again. Not even for pretend."
"It's a deal, Bones. Now c'mere, so I can do something spectacular to make you forget all about it."
Leonard sat on the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees, running his hands through his freshly-washed hair. He could still hear the sounds, still smell the cordite, feel the hot blood, still see the flashes that accompanied each pull of the trigger.
He jumped slightly when Jim sat next to him and laid a hand on the back of his neck.
"I'm really sorry, Bones. I thought it would be fun." He rubbed the back of Leonard's neck, and was relieved to feel some of the tension drain away. He didn't think he would have survived if his Bones had flinched away from him.
"I know you did, Jim. Hell, I thought it'd be all right, too. I mean, it was just a game. I just didn't get that it would feel so ... real," Leonard said. He ground the heels of his hands into his eyeballs one last time, and sat up, leaning into Jim.
Jim nodded, and sighed. "It was a hell of a realistic simulation. I'd never seen anything like it before. The sounds, the background, the smells ..."
"Especially the smells," Leonard said. "I think that's what set me off. I've done paintball before, and laser tag, but ... nothing like this."
"Yeah, these folks really have some advanced technology," Jim said.
Neither one of them said anything for a minute.
"I don't even really get what happened," Leonard said. "I mean, it's not like I had a traumatic combat experience that I was flashing back to. It was just that ... I shot you. And it was so realistic, I thought it was real. The blood, pumping from your chest, it felt real, smelled real. I thought we'd been set up, and that I'd actually killed you," he said, finishing in a whisper.
"Shhhh, Bones. I know. But it wasn't real. I'm fine. You're fine."
Leonard snorted. "Yeah, now that I'm not laying on the floor blubbering over your dead body, in front of half the crew."
Jim paused. "Maybe next time we should be on the same team."
"Next time? Are you insane?"
"Kidding, Bones. Kidding. But I guess it was in poor taste."
"Well, now you have to cheer me up," Leonard said. "And lemme tell ya, kid, it's gonna take a whole damned lot."
"I'm up to the challenge," Jim said, smirking.
"Of course you are," Leonard said, rolling his eyes.
"Good," Jim said. "If you can roll your eyes at me, I know you're okay." He ran a thumb tenderly over Leonard's cheek, dissolving any sarcasm or snarkiness they'd used to cover their feelings.
"Yeah," Leonard said quietly, squeezing Jim's other hand. "Just don't ever make me kill you again. Not even for pretend."
"It's a deal, Bones. Now c'mere, so I can do something spectacular to make you forget all about it."