88. Fireflies

88. Fireflies

McCoy remembered when he was eleven and one of the boys that lived on his street told him it was childish to catch fireflies.

Well, he remembered now; it was really the first time in many, many years that he'd thought about it.

But watching Chekov, Scotty and Uhura dashing around and grasping at the luminous creatures, he couldn't help but smile.

Sitting down next to Jim, he nodded at Sulu and Spock, who were trying to capture some of the insects in a jar. "What're they up to?"

"Want to study them a little." Jim said. "Trying to figure out the gene that causes the blue hue in their lights.

"Ah. Of course, they can't just appreciate the beauty, they have to look for something science related..."

Jim chuckled and leaned back against a tree. "I like this... Moments like these come so rarely. I'm glad everyone's having a good time."

Taking in the three golden-orange moons and deep navy skies, the lush trees and flower dotted bushes, and the fluttering and floating specks of blue lights, McCoy had to agree.

"...Do you want to catch some?" Jim asked, blushing slightly.

"...Hell yes."