BABIES

[connike]

the babies meme

guidelines
→ Leave a comment with your character's name, fandom, and any preferences you may have.
→ Another character replies and suddenly you are a loving (??) couple with a child or multiple children!
→ Go from there! You can do literally whatever you want, from silly day-to-day domestic shenanigans to threads involving pregnancies to more serious topics. If you're short on ideas, you can look to other memes like The Domestic Meme or The Family Meme for inspiration.

Comments

[captaincocksure]

For a moment, Jim looks as if he's about to start ranting. But the baby has turned at the sound of McCoy's laughter, and she lets out a squeal herself. Jim shakes his head, and starts laughing, too.

"Guess I kind of walked into that one. But now I know better, don't I?"

That last is directed at the little girl in his arms, as he reaches to pull the napkin off his shoulder. There's no harm done to his uniform shirt.

[aviophobia]

"Just for the record, what did you think 'burping' entailed?" McCoy asks, hazel eyes still full of good humor. It's the happiest he's looked in a while, like having this little girl near him is rejuvenating him.

[captaincocksure]

"I never actually thought that far," Jim admits. "I just knew it was something you did with a baby, I never considered the actual mechanics of the act."

He takes a moment to wipe the baby's chin with the clean edge of the napkin. And then he sets it aside, picking up the cow and handing it back to her. She takes it and starts beating it against his shoulder gleefully.

"All right, Bones, what now?"

[aviophobia]

McCoy shrugs. "I guess we get her set up in your quarters or go see about her clothes." He looks at Jim again. "You sure you'll be okay with her in there?"

[captaincocksure]

"Yeah, it'll be fine," Jim insists. After a moment and a quick study of McCoy's face, he adds, "I know she'll probably wake up a lot. I can deal with that."

[aviophobia]

McCoy lifts his eyebrows as he crosses his arms over his chest. "And the midnight feedings?"

[captaincocksure]

"I can do those too," Jim insists, almost defiant. "Or the three am feedings, or both. Whatever."

[aviophobia]

Leonard nods. He's sure Jim can handle it, but the question is whether he'll want to. "I'm sure I'll have to change her diaper before tonight, so I can show you how to do that, too. Ever changed a diaper before?"

[captaincocksure]

He's tempted to say he can handle that, too, but he didn't speak up about the burping and he got puked on.

"I haven't."

[aviophobia]

"It's easy." Well. It can be. "And chances are good she probably won't pee on you."

[captaincocksure]

"Oh, well, that's good."

He looks down at the baby, who's been beating the cow against his shoulder. "You wouldn't pee on me, would you?" he asks, smiling at her. "You know what, though, if you did, I wouldn't be mad."

She coos at him, and he visibly melts, spreading a hand across her back.

[aviophobia]

McCoy feels something twist in his own chest at that smile, and he reaches for his water, taking a sip as he looks away.

"Rare situation, being able to say that to another human being," he comments wryly. "Especially for the captain of a starship."

[captaincocksure]

"How do you know I haven't--"

--said it before? It's obvious that's where he was going, his usual trolling smirk in place. But he glances down and meets those big eyes staring up at him over the cow's snout, in her mouth. And he remembers McCoy's warning in the hallway, the way he hadn't cursed in front of the kid.

And his expression softens and he doesn't say another word.

That's right.

Jim Kirk just willingly curtailed his smart mouth.

[aviophobia]

McCoy waits for the sentence to finish, and his eyebrows raise when it trails off instead.

"Jim," he says, "did you just not make some smart comment?"

[captaincocksure]

Oh, look, the tips of his ears and his cheeks are a bit pink.

"...I'm just following your excellent example."

[aviophobia]

McCoy smirks. "Also a first, but not something I'm inclined to stop from happening."

[captaincocksure]

"I'm just thinking of what's best for the kid," Jim protests, some of his usual smartass back in place. "So I'm guessing the dinner table is not the place to try out some diaper-changing?"

[aviophobia]

"Do you remember the phrase 'don't crap where you eat?'" Leonard returns dryly. "It's not just a metaphor, you know."

[captaincocksure]

Jim laughs. "I see, I see. Well."

And again, he's now talking to the baby and not McCoy. "Should we go see about getting you changed?" He rises to his feet, his free hand still at her back, holding her against him, and she kind of curls up against him, head on his shoulder.

[aviophobia]

Leonard tilts his head slightly, impressed but not entirely willing to admit it. Jim's got good instincts. "We'll take her back to sickbay; I'll show you how to do it."

[captaincocksure]

"Good."

They head back down the hall, Jim cradling the little girl against his shoulder. They're both sort of subdued, Jim taking care to navigate without jostling her, and she curled against him, probably getting drowsy now that her belly is full.

Jim is thinking, too, quiet as he turns a curiosity over in his mind. He can't ask about it directly, but he has an idea.

"So about these middle-of-the-night feedings. I can do them and I don't mind, but... did you want to help? Or take a few shifts, too?"

[aviophobia]

McCoy tries to cover the way his heart leaps at the idea, and he shrugs a little, so cool, so composed, so not completely thrilled at the thought of being able to take care of her.

"Yeah, sure, I can do that. Won't do any good for the ship's captain to be a wreck because he didn't get enough sleep."

[captaincocksure]

"Great, so..."

...Damn. He hadn't considered the logistics.

"I guess maybe you'd better crash in my quarters a few nights a week. I think that's easier than making two setups for her and moving her all around."

[aviophobia]

McCoy stares at him for a moment too long, nearly stumbling in their purposeful stride back to medbay.

"Do you have room for me and a baby?"

[captaincocksure]

"We'll figure something out. Move furniture around, whatever we need to do. It'll be fine."

He'll make it work. Bones is doing a good job hiding how he feels but Jim is convinced he really wants to take part in this. And that's good enough for Jim, he'll make this work, whatever it takes.