In 2018 I wrote a song fic, How Am I Supposed to Live Without You? A Michael Bolton song but I preferred the Laura Branigan version.

I even got art for it.

This is a sequel to that short story.

“How long’s it been?”

Jim looked up from the test he was studying for. “I don’t know. Thirty minutes?”

“No, brainless. Since, you started seeing my teacher.”

Jim blushed. “I’m not seeing him. We just, we’ve gone for tea and coffee a few times.”

“Ten times.”

“That’s a few.”

Bones snorted and flung himself dramatically on to his back on his dorm room bunk.

“Sometimes we have muffins and cookies with it.”

“You’ve also been to dinner with him.”

“Just twice.”

“Three times. And don’t you have a date tonight?”

Jim sighed. “It’s not a date, Bones.”

“Going to the movies, just the two of you. You don’t like him?”

“I like him.”

“Don’t tell me you’re still mooning over Tommy?”

“I’m not.” Jim scowled. “I’m just…”

“If Spock isn’t who you want, Jim, you probably shouldn’t string him along. Isn’t he the one who keeps inviting you?”

“Yeah but…”

There was a knock at the door. Jim looked at Bones.

“That’s him. I gotta go.”

“Think about what I said.”

“Bones”. Jim shook his head.

He opened the door and smiled. “Hi. Let me just grab my coat.”

“Your scarf too. The wind is picking up and it will be quite cold when the movie is over.”

“Okay.”

Jim turned to get his scarf off the coatrack and saw that Bones was sitting up staring at Spock.     

“Good evening, Doctor McCoy.”

“Hello Spock.”

Jim bit his lip. “Want to-want to come with us?”

He was aware that Spock turned his head to stare him. He felt his cheeks warm.

Bones looked like he was biting the inside of his cheek. “No, that’s quite all right. Go on.”

They went out into the night.

Jim wrapped in his fleece coat and scarf, trying not to look in Spock’s direction. They made it out of the area where the dorms were before Spock stopped him.

“Jim, I believe we should forgo the planned movie to talk.”

Which absolutely filled Jim with dread. But he nodded.

“Where?”

Jim assumed he’d pick somewhere close and public and quiet. Where a quick exit could be made.

“My apartment is not too far.”

Well. That was a surprise and Jim wasn’t sure what to make of that, but he nodded and followed Spock there.

They hadn’t ever gone there. Or Jim hadn’t. So he didn’t know where he was going but the building was familiar.

Once inside, and in an apartment on the second floor, Spock turned to Jim.

“Jim, I am…”

“You’re leaving, right?”

“What?”

“Going back to Vulcan. Isn’t that it?”

Spock stared at him. “No.”

Jim closed his eyes and then opened them again. “What?”

“Jim, I have spent these many weeks asking you on dates—”

“Dates.”

“Trying to woo you and—”

“Woo me.”

“With your inviting along McCoy I can only surmise that you are not interested in a romantic pairing and that is your choice, and while, I am, admittedly disappointed, I wish to make it clear that a friendship is an acceptable alter…mm.”

Jim flung himself into Spock’s arms and kissed him.

Spock kissed right back.

And then, when they came up for air, Spock gazed into Jim’s eyes.

“Then I surmise you are interested. I do not understand.”

“Before, I had this guy, and I was crazy about him. So in love.”

“That was why you were crying on the ground when I met you.”

“Yeah. I never told him I loved him, and he wanted someone else anyway and he moved away. I thought …if I started to become too involved with you, that you would leave too, that you only wanted to be friends, just like him, and I didn’t want to-I was afraid for that to happen. If I allowed myself to think we were something more than friends, well, and you went to Vulcan or…”

“I am not going anywhere, Jim.” Spock pushed him against the nearest wall and kissed him again. “And I definitely want to be more than friends.”

Jim grinned. “Me too.”

“About the movie.”

Jim grabbed the collar of Spock’s sweater and drew him close. “What movie?”