Chapter Text
“Home,” Leonard’s voice cracked. “I never thought we’d make it back again in one piece.”
It was a miracle. One that Jim didn’t take lightly.
“It’s as large as it ever was,” Jim mused. “You sure you don’t want to move to a bungalow or cottage or something?”
“I missed the house because it was yours. But, darlin’, I missed our home—you and me— more than I can say.”
“You haven’t lost your romantic touch, I see,” Jim said, smiling.
“I think I lost it for a time, but we’re here now, Jim. We’re here,” Leonard whispered, like a benediction.
Jim wished he could see the contentment on his husband’s face, but he settled for leaning into his shoulder as they stood outside the house. His sight was mostly gone, very poor at best. He didn’t expect it to change, even with future treatment, but Leonard remains hopeful for the two of them
“Looks like Ben and his family are throwing a party?” Leonard asked, sounding thoroughly confused. “For me?
“Just how many balloons are there?” Jim teased, imagining the sign they had made that congratulated Leonard on his sobriety.
“Too many,” Leonard grumbled.
“Never can have too many balloons. I used to gather them all up at my birthday party—and anyone else’s—and pretend they carried me away to the stars.”
Leonard hugged him tightly. “That sounds like something you’d do. Maybe this party is for you, you moron.”
Jim laughed. “No, no thank you. I don’t want to be the center of attention.” Which was why he refused to be on Gala’s show after all. It had hurt her feelings, but he couldn’t see how his blindness and Leonard’s homecoming would fare well if he was preoccupied with a big project like that.
Leonard grew quiet. “I would give anything for those days, Jim.”
Jim was used to hearing this from the man he loved, because Leonard, more than anyone, knew how much his work had meant to him.
He’d loved being an actor. There were things he didn’t like, of course. The tabloids, for one, but overall, the work had fit him like a glove. Even the lifestyle, for the most part. He’d met Leonard because of it, hadn’t he? His stardom had fizzled out quickly enough after he got sick. Ever since, he’d kept out of the news. Mostly. No one knew about his current health condition. Someday in the future he’d rectify that, but he wanted the next few months to be all about Leonard and their life together. He wanted lazy mornings, chaotic but delightful lunches with their friends and family, evenings when they could stroll the lawn arm-in-arm, breathing in the summer air. He wanted a life that infused Leonard with joy for the things he truly loved. He wanted what was best for both of them and would do anything to make that happen.
They’d called off the surgery, per Leonard’s request. Jim had an appointment with another doctor next week, a former colleague of Leonard’s, and he was confident it was the best decision they’d made in a while. He trusted his husband’s professional opinion, despite all they’d been through.
“You think they’d mind if I snuck in a nap first?” Jim yawned.
“We’ll let the party animals party until we both can make it,” Leonard said softly in his ear. “Is that all right with you?”
“As long as they save me a piece of that cake.”
“Hmm. It must be pretty big if I can see it from here.”
“Gala made it.” Jim admitted. “She wanted to do something nice for us.”
Leonard was quiet.
“She’s not here,” Jim felt the need to say. “Too busy, actually.”
“Not too busy to make cake,” Leonard mumbled.
Jim winced. “Just wait until you taste it,” he offered, hoping to smooth over the moment. “It’s your favorite.”
“It is, huh?”
“Well, it will be.” Jim grinned.
“Nothing is better than the family recipe.”
“Just wait.”
Leonard sighed. “I thought we’d escape Gala for a bit.”
He would have felt the sting of that comment a week ago, but he understood, now, how hard the subject of his past relationship with Gala was for his husband. Jim hadn’t made the best choices when it came to Gala. It might seem as if he still wasn’t.
But this was a new beginning. “I know you, Leonard McCoy,” Jim teased. “One bite will be all it takes before you become a glutton over the peach buttercream icing.”
“That does sound intriguing. Maybe we could get a slice before I whisk you away to our bedroom.”
Jim’s breath hitched. He slipped his hand into Leonard’s warm one. “Tell me more.”
He felt the rumbling of Leonard’s chest. “I’ll feed it to you, little by little, bite by bite.”
Jim licked his lips. “Yeah?”
“Maybe even let you lick the sweet buttercream off my fingers.”
Jim blinked.
“Maybe I’ll lick whatever gets on your chin,” Leonard added.
Jim was suddenly…lightheaded. It had been so long. Too long. He still wasn’t well and looked it, he assumed. Would he disappoint his husband? “Do you really want to…?”
“Darlin’,” Leonard’s breath was soft and warm on his ear. “There’s nothing in the world I want more.”
He threaded his fingers through Leonard’s and smiled. “Something tells me I won’t get to nap much.”
“Something tells me you won’t care,” Leonard said, and Jim heard the smirk in his voice loud and clear.
.
.
.
“Kanzi looks much better today,” Ben said, drinking his lemonade, the evening light still casting shadows on the porch, showing off the remnants of party streamers, glitter, and balloons.
Chris would agree, but he still had that gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach. Jim needed a life-giving miracle. He held his tongue, however, and nodded. “I believe we owe that to Leonard.” The man who single-handedly broke and repaired Jim’s heart in a matter of months. But Chris would give him this chance. He loved Jim too much to take that away from them.
Ben looked at him. “This hasn’t been easy for you.”
“Jim’s my son,” Chris said softly. “I don’t want to see him hurt.”
The statement was a cliché—but the truth. He’d put himself in harm’s way before he let anything else damage Jim.
“I think Leonard is in agreement.” Ben stared off into the yard, where his children were walking with the couple.
Technically, Chris knew this. His mind just had to catch up. But Ben was correct. Leonard had left to spare Jim pain, initially. He’d done the only thing he could have done. Yet, in doing so, it had created a rift between Jim and himself. One day maybe it would be as it used to be. For now, Chris would hold back, keep to the sidelines.
But he didn’t want to think about that now. He cleared his throat. “Will you be accompanying Jim and Leonard to the recording?”
Upon Kevin’s request, Jim had reluctantly agreed to attend the recording of Gala’s next episode, which would include one of the nation’s most popular movie stars, Kevin. Chris was attending, but Jim didn’t know that.
Not…yet.
Ben smiled, his eyes sparkling like he knew the secret, too. Which, of course, he did. “I will be there, per our agreement.”
Chris nodded. Ben was, and would continue to be until he found a suitable replacement, Jim’s bodyguard. “Thank you. I know it takes you away from your own family…”
“A contract is a contract.” Ben grew serious. “I never break a promise.”
“You think he is going to pull this off?” Chris asked.
Ben chuckled. “He will surprise Kanzi well.”
“Let’s hope so.” Chris sipped his lemonade, making a mental note to remind Winnie of tomorrow’s show. “Jim may be blind as a bat, but he can still see through people.”
“I think Leonard has done a good job at…pretending?” Ben said haltingly, as if testing the word, unsure if it fit the conversation. “I have been impressed.”
“Almost as good as Jim,” Chris noted, setting his glass down.
“Do you think Kanzi will ever return to acting?
Chris had hope. Jim’s former first love—his career—had taken a back burner but there was a movement in Hollywood for inclusion. “I’ll never say never to anything Jim wants to do ever again.”
.
.
.
“You’re here!” Kevin exclaimed, wrapping Jim up in a hug so tight he could hardly breathe.
“Ooph,” Jim mumbled into Kevin’s shoulder. “I forgot you were so tall.”
Kevin’s laughter rang out, loud and clear. “Wow, Jim. I forgot just how handsome you were in real life. Are you sure you're taken?”
Jim found himself blushing and let go of him. “Don’t let Leonard hear you say that.”
“Leonard already heard,” Leonard said dryly from behind him. “Ease up on the compliments, kid,” he retorted back to Kevin, wrapping an arm around Jim.
“Sure,” Kevin said, and Jim could hear the smile in his voice. “Just want to make sure Jim’s ego was where it should be.”
Leonard actually laughed. “Well, we all know he doesn’t need any help with his ego. It’s as bloated as ever.”
Jim rolled his eyes. “Don’t you two have something better to do than gang up on me?”
He wasn’t really complaining. He knew these things were said in jest, but they were cutting it close to taping.
“I always have time to say hello to you Jim,” Kevin said warmly. “We’ll talk more after the show?”
Jim nodded. “You bet. Knock ‘em dead!’
Kevin laughed as he walked away.
“Well, darlin’, we better find our way to the front.” Leonard led Jim to their seats in the first row of the studio.
Jim sat, suddenly feeling vulnerable in the sea of people, wishing he’d brought his cane, just in case.
“I forgot something in the limo,” Leonard murmured. “Wait here?”
"Well, shoot. Here was I, planning to go up on stage and crash the show."
"Smart ass."
Jim grinned. “Could you grab my cane, too?”
“Sure. Be right back.”
Leonard kissed Jim’s temple and was gone in a flash.
Jim sighed, hoping his mother and Chris were enjoying their time alone. They deserved it, after all Jim and Leonard put them through, in his opinion. It was about time they had a day to themselves, without worrying. His illness was a marathon, not a sprint, and sometimes they—all of them—forgot that.
A moment went by, and another. Jim wondered if the show would be starting late. It was time, wasn't it? Leonard and Jim had rushed here later than they'd wanted to because of him, of course. And traffic had been bad. He'd been surprised they made it with minutes to spare. He shifted in his seat, freezing when a hand squeezed his arm.
"This spot taken, Son?"
"Chris?" Jim asked, bewildered. "What are you doing here?"
"We came to see our baker in action. That cake was better than anything I've ever made. Maybe she'll divulge her secret."
"Mom?" Okay. Now he was really confused.
She kissed his right cheek, Chris taking the seat on the other side of Jim.
"You never said you were coming." Jim frowned. “If I’d known, we could have come together.”
"Well, it was Leonard's idea, actually. He wanted to surprise you.”
"Really." He couldn't believe Leonard had kept this a secret. And he had never even suspected. "Huh."
"We know how much supporting your friends means to you " Winona said. "We couldn't say no."
“Where is he, by the way?” Chris asked.
“He should be here—he went back to the limo.”
“Well, it looks like things are starting, sweetie,” Winona said. “I’ll watch out for him, don’t worry.”
Jim tensed. If Leonard wasn’t back yet, would they let him in the studio? “You sure you don’t see him?”
Chris wrapped his arm around Jim’s shoulders and squeezed. “I’m sure your mother will spot him, soon.”
He doesn’t know why he was worrying. The feeling came out of nowhere. “He has to get in here before—"
Before they closed the doors. Before Jim had an anxiety attack again….
“Good afternoon, everyone,” Kevin’s voice interrupted.
Jim froze. Nononono. Now it was too late.
“Kevin’s on stage,” Chris whispered. “Gaila is right behind him. She’s actually staring straight at you, Jim.”
Jim grinned and gave a shy wave, his attention drifting from Kevin and on what was taking Leonard so long. Was it Gaila? Jim’s smile dropped as he took a sharp breath. Had he gone off just to miss this entirely? On purpose? He knew Leonard didn’t like her, but to desert Jim like this…
“Hey, you okay, Jim?” Chris asked.
“I just—I just hope he gets back.” He wasn’t going to make more of the situation than it was. It had been ten minutes—more than that. They’d had prime parking, thanks to Gaila. There was no way they'd let Len in, even for the prerecorded.
“He will,” Chris promised.
“Do you think he wanted to leave because of Gaila?” Jim blurted out.
“What?” Chris whispered. “Jim—no, no. That’s not what happened. I’m sure he’ll return.”
“—so, before we start filming, I wanted to inform you all of a little change in schedule.”
“How can you be sure?”
“I’m not cooking with Gaila, after all.”
A collective disappointing murmur swept over the audience.
“But I’m not the only celebrity here today…”
“Did he leave?” Jim asked, panicked.
Chris patted his arm. “No, Jim. Listen, why don’t you pay attention—
“…my buddy, Jim Kirk-McCoy is here somewhere and so is his former bodyguard, now husband, Leonard McCoy.”
The crowd stirred.
Jim blinked. Shit. That was the last thing he had wanted. To be noticed. The center of attention. Eyes on him. Didn’t Kevin understand that?
“I hope you don’t mind me saying, Jim,” Kevin said, “but you two make a gorgeous couple. I’m just not sure who the audience is going to look at more during the show. Gaila—or her newest cohost—the multi-talented Leonard McCoy! Former doctor and bodyguard to heartthrob actor Mr. Kirk, he won first place in a high school fundraiser baking contest. Who knew?"
Jim’s mouth dropped. “What?” Leonard was cohosting? But he wasn’t here. Here with Jim. But he had been just minutes ago. “What did Kevin just say?”
“Hush,” Winona whispered. “I want to hear this.”
“But—"
His mother pressed a finger to his lips. “Just wait. I promise things will get clearer in a moment, Jim.”
“Thanks for trading places with me, Kevin.” Leonard’s drawl stuck a chord in Jim’s heart. His breath hitched. “There’s one thing I know for sure—this will knock the socks off my husband. Two of his favorite people, vying for the camera. That would be me and the lovely chef everyone came to see, Gaila. Sorry, Kev.”
The audience sniggered.
He felt dizzy. What was happening? “Len’s on the—the show?” he whispered. What the hell?
Kevin laughed. “I think we should give a hand to Gaila for working that out. Maybe you’ll get that husband of yours up on stage later, to taste test what you've all made?"
“Oh, I wouldn’t worry. I can sweet talk him into trying any dessert.”
Winona laughed. “Leonard just winked at you,” she murmured.
Jim didn’t know what to do as the audience clapped, the sound roaring in his ears, but he was certain he was blushing. Leonard was right about dessert—it was his guilty pleasure. But was Leonard actually talking to these people, in front of an audience? This audience? Was he actually going to tape the show with Gaila?
“Ladies and Gentleman, may I present your hosts for the evening…"
Jim laughed out loud, not even ashamed when his eyes grew wet.
Maybe no one in the audience realized it, but Leonard was jettisoning the past—and reaching for their future with bold, hopeful hands.
Delighted, love swelling in his chest, Jim grinned. He might be blind, but even he could see their future was bright.