[he feels like something unsaid is going on behind Sulu's words, something that should be a promise and that Kirk will believe in the front of his mind and fear in the back of it. their line of work didn't really allow for those kinds of promises, George Kirk's death had set that up for Jim long before he'd gone into Starfleet, defiantly disregarding the rules of not just the Federation but of the universe. but Jim remembers some of what those two said when they came out of the ship, about not being able to leave if you give too much up.
his grip tightens, just a fraction on Sulu's shoulder. Sulu might say I'm not going to leave you here, but Jim knows there wasn't a chance he'd be able to leave this universe if he didn't take his crew with him. if they got to the end, and for some reason Sulu or Spock or Bones or any of them couldn't make it back—
well, Jim knows what his decision would be.]
Damn right. [he agrees, and he pushes the smile onto his mouth, urges confidence into his tone because as a captain, that's what he does. he knows he's as much the root of his team as they are the root of him. Sulu isn't okay, Jim is aware of it even if he doesn't know how, and for that reason he needs to be stronger.]
no subject
his grip tightens, just a fraction on Sulu's shoulder. Sulu might say I'm not going to leave you here, but Jim knows there wasn't a chance he'd be able to leave this universe if he didn't take his crew with him. if they got to the end, and for some reason Sulu or Spock or Bones or any of them couldn't make it back—
well, Jim knows what his decision would be.]
Damn right. [he agrees, and he pushes the smile onto his mouth, urges confidence into his tone because as a captain, that's what he does. he knows he's as much the root of his team as they are the root of him. Sulu isn't okay, Jim is aware of it even if he doesn't know how, and for that reason he needs to be stronger.]