“Jim!” Bones yelled at him.

Jim laughed, putting his hand up to his heart. “You trying to give me a heart attack?”

“No. I’d just have to fix you. Where the hell are you going? It’s almost midnight.”

“I’m looking for—”

“Spock. Of course you are.” Bones pointed at the double doors. “He went through those.”

“Thanks.” He moved toward the doors.

“Jim, you’re supposed to do the countdown!”

He waved at Bones, opened the doors and went outside.

At first, he didn’t see the Vulcan, and turned back to go back inside after all. It was cold. Colder than it had felt to him in a long time. Snow had begun to fall and for a moment he was startled. He hadn’t experienced snow in years. There was no snow on the ship nor in San Francisco. But they were in New York for the New Year and the wet flakes hitting his face did a frigid job of reminding him of that. 

And really, now that he thought about it, maybe this wasn’t the best time to talk to Spock about this after all. Yeah, it was a new year and all that came with that, but, well, it really hadn’t been that long since—

Something moved along the edge of the balcony, just by the green bushes to the left.

“Spock?”

Spock emerged from that area, lightly dusted in snow, his cheeks green. “Captain?”

Then it occurred to Jim. What if Spock had been out here with someone else? What if all his plans, all his calculations…everything…was all for nothing because Spock already had someone else he was interested in?

His gaze went past Spock to the greenery, trying to see if Spock had been there with someone. “Uh. Hi.”

“Are you in need of something?”

He shook his head. He couldn’t see anyone else, but that didn’t mean they weren’t hiding. “No. I…sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt you or-or them.”

“Them?”

“Aren’t you out here with someone?”

For a moment, Spock looked confused, and then he shook his head. “Negative.”

“Oh.” Jim allowed himself a feeling of relief. “Why are you out here in the snow, Spock? You’ve got to be freezing.”

Spock tilted his head. “I needed some air and then found that I had locked myself out. I was trying to locate another way inside when you came out.”

Jim glanced back to the bushes and then frowned. “Tell me you weren’t planning on scaling the building.”

“Well—”

“Spock, you could have broken your neck. What about contacting someone?”

“I did not have my communicator.”

Jim sighed. “You could have got frostbite or something.”

Spock’s lips twitched. “It is not that cold, Jim. It was uncomfortable though.”

Jim stepped closer to him, eying the snowflakes in his hair. “You look cold and wet.”

“Yes. I had not intended to be out here long. I wished to be inside when you gave the countdown. You were looking for me?”

”Yes, I—”

Just then they could hear the sound of Bones’ voice doing the countdown.

“Woops.”

“10, 9, 8, 7, 6—”

Jim stepped closer to his first officer. “Spock.”

“Jim.”

“5, 4, 3, 2…”

“I love you.”

“I love you.”

“1…Happy New Year!”

Jim smiled bright, his heart light and free as Spock’s lips descended on his. Perhaps that night was a good time to confess after all.