auspex_caelo | And the Stars Turned Back [for smartass

Entry tags:

And the Stars Turned Back [for smartass_captain ]

Once they’ve picked up Felix, Stratos leads the way back through their door. It’s left to his little brother to unseal the wards and stay back to set them back in place before following. The tribune-turned teenager conjures a light – that he can do, still – and shows Jim up the sloping tunnel beyond. The stone walls look like a mix of natural erosion and worn masonry, lit by intermittent torches mounted along the way.

It looks like a straightforward path, bending this way and that but leading steadily upward. Stratos, however, is well aware of the illusions laid to give that impression and he keeps Jim close. He’s frowning deeply as they climb, trying to ready himself for what’s to come. Trying to convince himself that all will go well when he presents himself to his subordinates.

It feels like a much longer climb than usual, though his legs can’t be that much shorter.

“Are you hungry?” he asks Jim over his shoulder abruptly. That’s one thing he can be sure of remedying anyway.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh honestly. Jim looks between the two brothers again and sighs. It always ruffles him whenever people have the grace of a decent family and squabble over things he thinks shouldn't really be important. Were he his proper age, he'd remind himself that everyone's business is their own and it's not his place to judge. As he is now, Jim just reaches out and grabs at Stratos's hand.

"Come with us?" He will use the best puppy dog eyes he can muster, looking up at Stratos though his face is still tilted downwards. "We can talk about what went wrong and work it out together. All of us." And sleep. Jim is so on board with that.

Stratos looks down at him, pressing his lips together unhappily. He doesn't want to say no to Jim, doesn't want to make the other kid sad again. But his own hurt and anger flare up at the thought of talking to Felix any more. He hates being like this. He hates Felix ~~being in the right~~ treating him this way, and he hates being small and not in control and unable to come up with a counterargument.

"...I can't. I've got to take care of things." It's only half a lie, it doesn't really count. "I'll come in a while and sleep. We can go look for Dr. Hill in the morning."

"Don't worry about him," Felix murmurs to Jim. "He likes being on his own when he's upset."

"..Okay.."

Jim lets go of Stratos' hand and doesn't say anything else. In truth, he'd love to argue and make a case for them to work and rest together, but he just can't muster up the willpower to care too much at this point. it's a wonder how he's still standing.

He allows Felix to lead them to their new sleeping location, ignoring any and all looks or comments thrown his way in the process. Felix has to lead him a bit by the hand; Jim's having a hard time keeping pace. He rubs at his eyes once inside the tent and pulls off his tunic as soon as the tent flap is shut.

"S'too warm underneath furs with this on too." He whines quietly, though acquiesces to insistences that he has to keep the rest of his clothes on. "I don't normally." Is the only whine he gives in protest.

"Precisely," Felix mutters, shaking his head. "This is a rather exceptional situation, Jim. Here, need a hand with your shoes?" Felix is happy to help, just as long as the boy keeps his breeches on.

The Imperial's barely got enough energy left to get his own boots and leathers off. His sluggish fingers fumble with the stays for far too long, but it's worth it to avoid the discomfort of falling asleep in his armor.

The good news is that Stratos' tent, while not extravagantly luxurious, is more cushy than his own. There's less of a draft, more space, a mat covering the floor... and importantly, a nice soft stack of furs on an actual bed frame. Felix doesn't hesitate to flop down, or to offer Jim snuggles once they're both settled.

"Sleep well. We'll get all this sorted... t'morrow... promise." Drained as he is, the conjurer drops off even faster than usual. If Jim stays awake long enough, it's up to him to watch for Stratos trudging in with a bedroll some time later, when weariness finally overcomes his need for solitude.

Jim nods, grasping Felix's hand draped around his waist and stays still while he listens to the Imperial drop off into a deep sleep. In truth, Jim would love nothing of the sort but to nod off too--he's exhausted--but his brain is refusing to allow him even this barest of peace. He's too busy running through what ifs, contingency plans if this isn't reversible.

What he's going to do if he loses everything because of this. His crew. Bones and Spock. Felix. Jim fights back a feeling of nausea as his own fears swirl like predatory sharks inside of him, just waiting for him to show weakness so they can strike.

Blue eyes snap to the tent when it opens later, and he wriggles out of Felix's grip as delicately as he can. "Lay it out over here with us." Jim whispers to Stratos, beckoning him over. "It's your place, an' all."

Stratos's grim frown breaks into surprised blinking at Jim. He didn't expect the younger boy to be awake and he's reluctant for a moment still. But he doesn't want to refuse Jim and he's too tired to argue even if he had anything to really argue over.

He comes over and fumbles with the bedding until it's laid out all right, then plonks down ungracefully to pull his boots off. And chide Jim in a whisper, "You should be asleep."

"...I can't sleep."

Jim admits, sitting on the edge of the bed and reaching for Felix's hand that had been wrapped around him earlier. He sounds as tired as he looks, and he looks completely miserably exhausted.

"I'm...trying to figure out what to do if this isn't fixable. I hate feeling so helpless."

Stratos pauses, finishes yanking his boot off, then curls his legs under him and scooches around to look up at Jim.

“Me too.” The admission carries the sound of his own exhaustion and frustration. Stratos sucks in a deep breath and reminds himself he’s the older one. “But you’re not helpless. And we’re not going to stay this way. It’s not like we upset a god or something. Curses like this take up a lot of power and they have to break eventually.”

He doesn’t really know that for sure, but he says it confidently enough to half convince himself. “Tomorrow you’re going to help us find Dr. Hill and we’ll get this fixed. Or he’ll tell us how we have to break it, anyway. That’s how it always goes in the books.”

"I can't lose my ship. Or..."

Jim chokes off, shaking his head. He can't even imagine losing Felix because of something like this. They'd never be able to be together with Jim in this stupid kid's body. Felix would leave him and--

Jim's shaking now, rubbing at his eyes with the heel of his hand. It's not fair. He finally gets something that makes him happy and then this happens?

"Jim..." Stratos pushes himself up to sit alongside him on the bed. He still doesn't know all of Jim's fears, but he understands the terror of losing what they have. He can't fight or command anyone like this, can't intrigue or organize adults. His family would be taking care of him all over again. Who would keep the Nexus protected from the Thalmor? Who would make sure the Empire has the spells they need if the Dominion attacks?

"We'll be all right. I promise. Even if it takes a while to break the curse... you can stay with us. We'll take care of y- of each other. We can figure out what to do about your ship too. It's just like you're on leave, isn't it? Like you got sick for a while."

"..Yeah. Yeah."

Jim clings to Stratos a bit, burying his face in the older child's shoulder and curling up next to him as close and as small as Jim can make himself. He hates this feeling of weakness. Of helplessness. but Stratos understands and they're here. As long as Jim can hide this from Starfleet, he can have Spock be acting Captain.

It's not an ideal situation, but it is something.

"Okay. just gotta...sleep. For now." easier said than done, but Jim is so tired. His fingers grip at Stratos's sleep shirt as he tries to still his own fears and shaking and allow himself to sleep.

"Good, exactly." Stratos blinks down at him in the darkness, but there's no way he has the heart to dislodge Jim now. It looks like he's sleeping with the others tonight. He curls his arm around the smaller boy, swallowing a lump in his throat as he thinks of the boy he used to curl up with this way, now fast asleep behind them.

"Come on," he mumbles, settling down between the two of them and letting Jim snuggle close before he pulls the furs over them. At least he has it easier, in a way. Concentrating on soothing his substitute little brother keeps his mind off his own problems, and slowly his breathing steadies as he dozes off.

He's going to regret that position when he wakes up, of course.

That bed is not made for three grown men.

What was snuggly and warm last night is oppressively warm and entirely too much skin to skin contact and weight from bodies being too close.

None of which bothers Jim in the least, who is entirely dead to the world even as others in the tent may or may not be stirring. He's more or less in the same position he finally fell asleep in, one arm curled up underneath himself while the other is draped over Stratos, who he's using more or less like a pillow. At least Felix is only crowded on his back, poor Stratos is squished up against Felix and has Jim on top of him, little snores leaking out from Jim every now and then belying just how exhausted the captain had been made by the day before's trying adventures.

At least he doesn't drool, but he's definitely still as shirtless as he was several hours ago.

It's lucky that Stratos' first impulse, when he comes to, is to hold still and stifle his panic reflex. He's too hot and something's pressing on his chest, constricting his clothes. There's no room to move.

He pushes himself up onto his elbows, sucking in a breath. Then he looks down to either side of him, and it finally comes back to him where he was, what they were doing. So does the realization that it's fixed, they're back to normal and dear Stendarr he needs to get these clothes off.

To say nothing of the eyeful he's getting of what his brother sees in Jim.

Carefully he tries to peel Jim's arm off him and extract himself from the man-pile. If the gods are kind maybe he can get out and dressed before either of them stirs.

The only noise Jim makes is a small grunt of discomfort at being moved, nearly a whine even, before he's rolling right back over to where Stratos was laying and snuggling up to Felix instead. As long as Stratos is quiet, JIm won't be waking anytime soon.

Especially since he's got his face buried in Felix's shoulder now and seems entirely too content with this.

He hurries to wrestle out of his undersized clothes and into a fresh set from his own chest. He shoots little glances at the bed as he does, just checking that the others haven't stirred. It's not until he's safely dressed that he stops to take in the way Jim's closed the gap and snuggled up to Felix. And the familiar way Felix shifts around to accommodate his weight, arm wrapping over Jim's waist without waking.

Even in the midst of his relief and pleasure at being restored - and thank Stendarr for that! - the tribune stops for a minute to take in that picture. He knew the two were fond of each other - half the Nexus must know by now. And yet he feels as if he somehow missed this. What he took for just another (though unusually well-chosen) affair seems as if it's become much more than that.

Maybe Captain Jim Kirk is here to stay.

Hopefully not in his bed, though.

He's almost reluctant to go back to his duties, but better he get out of here. He retrieves the armor left there yesterday and starts buckling it on while he calls to the others.

"Felix! Jim! Good morning!"

Felix mumbles in response and snuggles closer to Jim. Stratos rolls his eyes, wondering how long it'll take either of them to actually find out the good news.

"Nnnghhhhh whaaaaaaat?"

Jim on the other hand, has been trained by years of emergencies to respond when he's being hailed. The Captain sits up, eyes still blearily shut and with his hair everywhere.

"If it's not on fire, Mr. Spock, I don't want to hear about it....."

Yeah he's not...entirely...awake yet either.

"It can be arranged," Stratos deadpans, absolutely not smiling at his boots. "But I thought you would be pleased to know about our situation. Or rather our change in situation...""

"...Stratos?"

Now Jim sounds just plain confused. The look suits him the way his hair sticks up at every angle with a piece of straw sticking out of it. He shifts to get up and that's when it's become clear that Jim was a bit more prepared in his sleep than Stratos was. He's wiggled out of the far too small pants when they started becoming uncomfortable.

Woops.

"Oh. Oh! Shit yes."

Jim's eyes have finally flown open, brilliant and blue and shining with excitement at seeing Stratos the way he should. And himself after a quick glance but...oh. Uh. There's a delayed half-hearted attempt at decency when he pulls one of the covers over himself, more for Stratos' decency than his own.

"Clothes are going to be a must..."

"Hey. Felix." Jim can't keep the smile out of his voice when he calls over, before reaching and nudging the other on the shoulder, already unconcerned about matters such as getting dressed again.

Stratos diverts his eyes with a slight wince and a sigh - he's not sheltered after all this time in the army, but really, Jim. You're his little brother's lover and you were all piled into that bed together.

"They certainly are. I'll see about that in just a minute." He finishes securing his boots before he stands and rolls his shoulders, taking a moment to just appreciate being his own, fully grown battlemage self again.

"Mmmh. Jim, no need to rush. We don't have beeper alarm... things here." Felix just rolls closer and tries to pull the captain back. But Jim isn't as small as he was expecting, and Felix ends up blinking groggily at nothing before he rouses enough to look up at Jim. Give it a second for the pieces to join up...

"Holy Magnus." He pushes himself onto his elbows, wiping his face without taking his eyes from Jim. "You're back. You're already back." He'll notice Stratos in a minute, but for now he's just taking in Jim's face, a grin spreading over his own.

Jim is back.

Blue eyes, messy hair and...not dressed by any means apparently. Jim's grin could light up the room, bright and thrilled as it is. He pushes at Felix's shoulder again, laughter bubbling up as he does so.

"Didn't think you could get rid of me that easily did you? Stratos is fine too. Everything's...fucking fantastic, actually. I'm so goddamn happy right now.'

Jim's shove pushes him back down to the bed, but Felix just pulls himself into sitting up properly. He needs to press himself against Jim in a tight hug, nuzzling close and feeling the captain's warm presence back to the way it ought to be.

He catches sight of Stratos looking at them - thoughtful, sort of amused - and suddenly feels oddly self-conscious. He pulls back far enough to cup Jim's cheek in one hand.

"Thank all the gods we didn't have to go on some years-long quest to get you both back. Although you were a terribly cute ten-year-old. You'd hardly notice the difference with Stratos." He looks up at his brother. "But I am glad to see you back to normal, too."

Stratos nods stiffly, last night's argument still weighing on his mind. "As am I. Though now I must see to unmaking all of the arrangements I had to put in place. When you are... ah, ready, I suggest you help the captain find some clothing."

"Ah." Felix looks down, taking in the full view of Jim as his brother makes a strategic departure. He flushes a very little,, but he's grinning when he murmurs, "I suppose I had better. Since the tribune insists."

Don't worry so much Stratos. Jim has slightly more decency than to smother Felix in kisses while they're still in his tent. Slightly. The temptation is quite strong given how pleased Jim is, and how utterly gorgeous Felix looks staring up at him like he is.

He laughs at Felix's assessment of his child self, unable to find it in him to pout or even have a moments worth of embarrassment. He's just glad they're back, and the fears of the day before are waylaid and far behind him. Like a very vivd dream, really.

"Well, I don't mind walking around like this, but we might as well do as your brother says since we're in his place after all."

"Mmm." Felix can't deny that, and he's not going to fulfill his brother's fears on this occasion. But he does give Jim a long, tender kiss before he throws the fur over him and rolls out of the bed.

"You can stay right there. I'll be back with clothes."

It won't even take him long, since one of their friendly neighborhood cavaliers has read all these stories about curses and thought to keep a pile of clothes handy in case of further unexpected transformations.

"Anything for you."

Jim calls out playfully when Felix leaves the tent. He'll take a moment to stretch and appreciate that he's his proper self again. Being something other than that seems to be a thing in the Nexus Jim isn't sure he approves of for how common it seems to be.

It's a good distraction anyway from realizing he meant those words completely.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

And the Stars Turned Back [for smartass_captain ]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Anything else or scene?