( propped up on his elbows, he hums in agreement, thinking of simple things like pocket squares and cuff links. formal attire at home was more often than not restricted to starfleet dress greys, cover and all, but he still knows his way around suits and ties.
he laces his fingers at his waist. )
Not much. Hell, I don't often talk about myself there either; just easier to listen.
( a habit long cultivated, one he knows itachi knows too. many of the orbers know him now, but none so well as the young man– and none but him and jim have ever been trusted with his deepest sins. )
They know she's gorgeous and clever. ( he smirks at him, batting his lashes like an old maneuver of jim's. ) That we met in the university library as stressed out undergrads; that she's got a heart for children, and she's a good mother to her son.
（ he snorts. it isn't difficult to imagine where mccoy might have picked that gesture up from, after all, and itachi would like to be excluded from this narrative please!!!
as he caps the eyeliner — ）
I suppose that's manageably effusive.
（ probably, that's code for 'not bad at spy stuff, mr. not-a-spy'. it's almost approval, if you squint. he regards mccoy a moment longer in the mirror, and then turns to face him more fully. he does not trouble himself to make it subtle, the way he studies him not unlike a crow. he flips the eyeliner pen between his fingers deftly, the way he would with a knife, and then: ）
Come here. Matching make-up is one way to coordinate.
( you know, he'll take the almost-approval, and thoroughly bask in it, rolling his wrist in the air like a stage performer taking a bow before his adoring audience. he supposes the credit goes mostly to his ex-wife.
itachi's command, however, sees mccoy's hackles up immediately, accompanied by the sort of flat look that a mistrustful cat might have, ears pressed to its head. the eyeliner pen is viewed with suspicion. )
（ you know, it's a curious thing that this is the first time in the entirety of their acquaintance that anything he's done has elicited that specific look. the man takes murder wholly in stride, but balks at a little make-up? a new and unusual presentation of a side of him he's not yet seen. itachi, therefore, has an instantaneous investment in uncovering the why of it all.
itachi gives the doctor a sweet smile that would be out of place if he currently resembled himself but looks just right on 'ophelia', and he waggles the pen in the air as if to demonstrate its lack of slavering fangs before he continues blithely, ）
It's quite common among the populace here regardless of one's biological sex. （ a beat. then: ） You'd look very handsome.
( murder, he'd argue crossly, was a different kettle of fish, )
I look handsome without it.
( It's an assertion that manages to be lofty without being too hugely egotistical. but god damn it, itachi's rapidly learning how fast a sugared smile from a gorgeous blond will weaken his resolve. he relents, folding in on himself with a slow sigh, before he hails himself up off the bed. many of his coworkers wear it, their male chief of medicine included, but bones is just not enthused about it. )
You do look handsome without it. But it would certainly not be a detraction.
（ he points bones into the chair sitting before the vanity, and as he stands before him with his hands perched on shapely, feminine hips he asks in a tone of almost artistic contemplation: ）
( like a child going to sit in the corner for time out, he reluctantly lets his feet take him to the chair, and has a seat. )
I'm perfectly happy working with what the Lord gave me. ( bones shrugs, eyes following the curve of one hourglass hip. he drags his gaze upward, brow quirked. )
( it's purely rhetorical. stubborn and bitchy as he is, he's still gonna do it! to drive the point home, he sits up straight, hands in his lap, and closes his eyes in obvious submission. )
（ it's said with a bit of a flick to mccoy's forehead, as he uncaps that pen and leans in. mccoy's skin is warm beneath the occasional touch of his hands as he works — leaving mccoy with eerily perfect eyeliner, perhaps a little subtler than his own. he steps back, leaning on one edge of the vanity without blocking the mirror to which he now gestures. ）
( the flick to his head is so incongruous that it delights bones, making him chuckle, and serves to settle him at last. itachi's fingers are a cool presence against his face, counterpoint to the feathery, barely-there stroke of the pen.
for someone as tactile as mccoy, it's unexpectedly soothing. when itachi moves away, he blinks owlishly at him, at the mirror, tipping his head this way and that way, examining the fine line of black against his lashes. )
I think you missed a spot.
( he's pulling his leg, of course, not even bothering to hide his smirk. )
（ the most insufferably smug man to have ever graced the ximilia, tbqh. he sets the pen back amongst the make-up he's acquired to maintain the ruse. then: ）
( how dare you not find him screamingly funny. bones notably keeps his eyes on his reflection, lowering them to study the line of cosmetics on the vanity. )
I think so, maybe. He got an invite, same as us. It isn't like Jim to miss out on a party.
（ he opens the door to the warddrobe, and pulls out a rack of clothing. idly, he begins sifting through a variety of dresses — mostly purchased on credit for the purpose of the ruse. he'd favoured vintage items mostly because the current fashions did not really appeal to him in any regard. it isn't that he couldn't make them work if he had to — but when you inhabit an act, it chafes less when you can bring something of yourself to it. in this case, his preference for more conservative cuts and fabrics that allow for ease of motion are laid bare. the one he selects, however, meets only one of those preferences.
a dress is taken from the rack, and tossed idly on the bed. ）
I cannot say how much longer we will be present in this world with any certainty, but if you wish to dance with him, we should ask him to cut in while the two of us dance. I'll make a show of knowing and being fond of him — it should alleviate any possibility of our 'relationship' being under strain in a way that may prove unwelcome to navigate in a professional setting.
（ also if mccoy does not avert his eyes right quick he's going to be seein' tiddy in that mirror as itachi casually and with a complete lack of shame hauls an overlarge t-shirt off over his head. the rest to follow. gonna shimmy into that dress, thank u. ）
Emphasis on 'if'.
（ there is perhaps a faint note of inquiry in his tone. an invitation, albeit one not strongly engraved. ）
( the dress is... wow. diaphanous and lovely, not at all something he'd picture itachi being drawn to, and yet still fitting perfectly with the image he's cultivated over their time here.
it's a proposition that draws his gaze right to itachi, in fact, and bones gets an eyeful before he swings his focus to the crown of itachi's head. to his credit, he doesn't blush like a schoolboy– naked bodies aren't a breathless mystery, and nothing in itachi's bearing has even a whiff of seductive intent, thank christ. he honestly wouldn't know what on earth to do with that. demand to know the name of the demon what possessed him, no doubt. )
That's a generous offer, but it won't be necessary. We're not together or anythin' like that.
( once itachi has the dress on, bones rises from his seat and gestures that he should turn around, intending to sweep aside itachi's hair and fasten up the back for him. )
（ he turns, permitting mccoy to do up the delicate cascade of buttons that chase the line of his spine. the dress was chosen to be comfortable to one who customarily wears the sort of loose clothing that can be easily and silently moved in, and simple enough to get out of should he need to.
(not in terms of the fasteners. he'd simply cut it apart if he needed to make a hasty egress)
the man's hands are a warm and steady presence at his back, and it strikes him just then that it's one of those very, very rare occasions where having someone unseen at his back has not drawn his shoulders up with the tension of anticipated attack. it is not often he feels overwhelmed by how deeply he trusts mccoy, but in that moment it is almost dizzying. (it should not hurt the way it does.)
one button — tightening the fabric across the ribcage where the swell of breasts add extra dimension to the fabric — is the slightest bit difficult to manage. he exhales pointedly to make it easier. ）
I imagine it must be complicated for you, given your shared history here, and his lack of those same memories. （ a faint pause. then, more gently — ） Have you spoken about this with anyone?
( it's a noncommittal noise, made in the back of his throat. bones carefully works the last button through its eyelet, pressing the fabric flat with his thumbs. 'complicated' is putting it lightly. )
Not really, no, ( he admits at last, taking a step back to check his handiwork. ) Aside from Jim, and... and we've both been completely gone for one another, for years. But for now, I think it's best to take things slow.
( bones drops to his seat on the corner of the mattress. )
（ he does not presume himself welcome in mccoy's space, and so returns to the chair before the vanity, turning it to sit. the shoes for the gala are nearby, delicate lacy sandals with ties that curl up the calves, and he begins the process of putting them on. he'd chosen them because they were comfortable, and not too high-heeled — one of the few things he found that weren't. ）
Finn and James had been... ah. 'Dating' before, yes?
（ there's a note of curiosity there. truthfully, polyamory is a new and unusual concept to one from a world where it was likelier to both marry and die young than to have the time, awareness or energy to explore the avenue of multiple lovers. still, there is no judgment to his tone. better to make space to love multiple people, he supposes, than hate them. even if the love is styled in a way he does not easily grasp, it is still the better option. ）
( mccoy's dress boots wait by the front door, his coat and suit jacket hanging neatly over the back of a chair. he watches itachi tend to the sandals as if preparing for a ritual, and leans forward, lacing his fingers between his knees. )
Yes. They were together when I first arrived, prior to Kilnan. Hardly a surprise there; Jim's easy to love.
( impossible to not smile at that, a private little thing. admitting to himself just what had been there all along was easier, somehow, after that harrowing mission. )
After Christmas, in Badrock, there were... ( for someone so blunt, he considers his words carefully. ) Challenges.
（ he can hardly disagree with that. while his own feelings for the man don't wend that way, he knows how easily people are drawn to those types. the leaders with an easy smile, a just heart, a kind word for all they meet. kirk has reminded him of namikaze minato since their earliest acquaintance. so he nods in understanding, and once his sandals are properly affixed he simply leans back in his chair. he finished up earlier than expected, and there's no true need to leave for a while yet.
given mccoy's tone, and the care taken with the selection of that word, he can draw a few inferences. relationships of all coat and colour are complicated enough, but having never experienced a romantic one himself he can only imagine it adds an additional layer. ）
Mm. Badrock was... psychologically difficult for many members of the crew. （ literally couldn't be him. what's a little starvation to a ninja? ） I can see where the events we experienced may have resulted in interpersonal friction.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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he laces his fingers at his waist. )
Not much. Hell, I don't often talk about myself there either; just easier to listen.
( a habit long cultivated, one he knows itachi knows too. many of the orbers know him now, but none so well as the young man– and none but him and jim have ever been trusted with his deepest sins. )
They know she's gorgeous and clever. ( he smirks at him, batting his lashes like an old maneuver of jim's. ) That we met in the university library as stressed out undergrads; that she's got a heart for children, and she's a good mother to her son.
no subject
as he caps the eyeliner — ）
I suppose that's manageably effusive.
（ probably, that's code for 'not bad at spy stuff, mr. not-a-spy'. it's almost approval, if you squint. he regards mccoy a moment longer in the mirror, and then turns to face him more fully. he does not trouble himself to make it subtle, the way he studies him not unlike a crow. he flips the eyeliner pen between his fingers deftly, the way he would with a knife, and then: ）
Come here. Matching make-up is one way to coordinate.
no subject
itachi's command, however, sees mccoy's hackles up immediately, accompanied by the sort of flat look that a mistrustful cat might have, ears pressed to its head. the eyeliner pen is viewed with suspicion. )
Make-up?
no subject
itachi gives the doctor a sweet smile that would be out of place if he currently resembled himself but looks just right on 'ophelia', and he waggles the pen in the air as if to demonstrate its lack of slavering fangs before he continues blithely, ）
It's quite common among the populace here regardless of one's biological sex. （ a beat. then: ） You'd look very handsome.
no subject
I look handsome without it.
( It's an assertion that manages to be lofty without being too hugely egotistical. but god damn it, itachi's rapidly learning how fast a sugared smile from a gorgeous blond will weaken his resolve. he relents, folding in on himself with a slow sigh, before he hails himself up off the bed. many of his coworkers wear it, their male chief of medicine included, but bones is just not enthused about it. )
Look, just don't go hog wild.
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You do look handsome without it. But it would certainly not be a detraction.
（ he points bones into the chair sitting before the vanity, and as he stands before him with his hands perched on shapely, feminine hips he asks in a tone of almost artistic contemplation: ）
May I ask what the objection is?
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I'm perfectly happy working with what the Lord gave me. ( bones shrugs, eyes following the curve of one hourglass hip. he drags his gaze upward, brow quirked. )
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If you truly don't wish to participate, I won't push it on you.
（ this is your Out, bones. take it or quit complaining!! ）
Though to be quite honest, I always took you as someone open to trying new experiences.
（ is that a gauntlet? it might be a gauntlet. ）
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( it's purely rhetorical. stubborn and bitchy as he is, he's still gonna do it! to drive the point home, he sits up straight, hands in his lap, and closes his eyes in obvious submission. )
no subject
（ it's said with a bit of a flick to mccoy's forehead, as he uncaps that pen and leans in. mccoy's skin is warm beneath the occasional touch of his hands as he works — leaving mccoy with eerily perfect eyeliner, perhaps a little subtler than his own. he steps back, leaning on one edge of the vanity without blocking the mirror to which he now gestures. ）
Well? What do you think?
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for someone as tactile as mccoy, it's unexpectedly soothing. when itachi moves away, he blinks owlishly at him, at the mirror, tipping his head this way and that way, examining the fine line of black against his lashes. )
I think you missed a spot.
( he's pulling his leg, of course, not even bothering to hide his smirk. )
no subject
I didn't.
（ the most insufferably smug man to have ever graced the ximilia, tbqh. he sets the pen back amongst the make-up he's acquired to maintain the ruse. then: ）
Is James going, do you know?
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( how dare you not find him screamingly funny. bones notably keeps his eyes on his reflection, lowering them to study the line of cosmetics on the vanity. )
I think so, maybe. He got an invite, same as us. It isn't like Jim to miss out on a party.
no subject
（ he opens the door to the warddrobe, and pulls out a rack of clothing. idly, he begins sifting through a variety of dresses — mostly purchased on credit for the purpose of the ruse. he'd favoured vintage items mostly because the current fashions did not really appeal to him in any regard. it isn't that he couldn't make them work if he had to — but when you inhabit an act, it chafes less when you can bring something of yourself to it. in this case, his preference for more conservative cuts and fabrics that allow for ease of motion are laid bare. the one he selects, however, meets only one of those preferences.
a dress is taken from the rack, and tossed idly on the bed. ）
I cannot say how much longer we will be present in this world with any certainty, but if you wish to dance with him, we should ask him to cut in while the two of us dance. I'll make a show of knowing and being fond of him — it should alleviate any possibility of our 'relationship' being under strain in a way that may prove unwelcome to navigate in a professional setting.
（ also if mccoy does not avert his eyes right quick he's going to be seein' tiddy in that mirror as itachi casually and with a complete lack of shame hauls an overlarge t-shirt off over his head. the rest to follow. gonna shimmy into that dress, thank u. ）
Emphasis on 'if'.
（ there is perhaps a faint note of inquiry in his tone. an invitation, albeit one not strongly engraved. ）
no subject
it's a proposition that draws his gaze right to itachi, in fact, and bones gets an eyeful before he swings his focus to the crown of itachi's head. to his credit, he doesn't blush like a schoolboy– naked bodies aren't a breathless mystery, and nothing in itachi's bearing has even a whiff of seductive intent, thank christ. he honestly wouldn't know what on earth to do with that. demand to know the name of the demon what possessed him, no doubt. )
That's a generous offer, but it won't be necessary. We're not together or anythin' like that.
( once itachi has the dress on, bones rises from his seat and gestures that he should turn around, intending to sweep aside itachi's hair and fasten up the back for him. )
no subject
（ he turns, permitting mccoy to do up the delicate cascade of buttons that chase the line of his spine. the dress was chosen to be comfortable to one who customarily wears the sort of loose clothing that can be easily and silently moved in, and simple enough to get out of should he need to.
(not in terms of the fasteners. he'd simply cut it apart if he needed to make a hasty egress)
the man's hands are a warm and steady presence at his back, and it strikes him just then that it's one of those very, very rare occasions where having someone unseen at his back has not drawn his shoulders up with the tension of anticipated attack. it is not often he feels overwhelmed by how deeply he trusts mccoy, but in that moment it is almost dizzying. (it should not hurt the way it does.)
one button — tightening the fabric across the ribcage where the swell of breasts add extra dimension to the fabric — is the slightest bit difficult to manage. he exhales pointedly to make it easier. ）
I imagine it must be complicated for you, given your shared history here, and his lack of those same memories. （ a faint pause. then, more gently — ） Have you spoken about this with anyone?
no subject
( it's a noncommittal noise, made in the back of his throat. bones carefully works the last button through its eyelet, pressing the fabric flat with his thumbs. 'complicated' is putting it lightly. )
Not really, no, ( he admits at last, taking a step back to check his handiwork. ) Aside from Jim, and... and we've both been completely gone for one another, for years. But for now, I think it's best to take things slow.
( bones drops to his seat on the corner of the mattress. )
I had an altercation with Finn, though.
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Finn and James had been... ah. 'Dating' before, yes?
（ there's a note of curiosity there. truthfully, polyamory is a new and unusual concept to one from a world where it was likelier to both marry and die young than to have the time, awareness or energy to explore the avenue of multiple lovers. still, there is no judgment to his tone. better to make space to love multiple people, he supposes, than hate them. even if the love is styled in a way he does not easily grasp, it is still the better option. ）
no subject
Yes. They were together when I first arrived, prior to Kilnan. Hardly a surprise there; Jim's easy to love.
( impossible to not smile at that, a private little thing. admitting to himself just what had been there all along was easier, somehow, after that harrowing mission. )
After Christmas, in Badrock, there were... ( for someone so blunt, he considers his words carefully. ) Challenges.
no subject
given mccoy's tone, and the care taken with the selection of that word, he can draw a few inferences. relationships of all coat and colour are complicated enough, but having never experienced a romantic one himself he can only imagine it adds an additional layer. ）
Mm. Badrock was... psychologically difficult for many members of the crew. （ literally couldn't be him. what's a little starvation to a ninja? ） I can see where the events we experienced may have resulted in interpersonal friction.