Jim stopped his hover car in front of the farmhouse. For a moment, he just sat there. It wasn’t as though he was afraid to get out or anything. Or even actually afraid of his husband. He wasn’t. That would be categorially stupid. Spock wouldn’t hurt him for anything. Excepting of course that incident long ago before they really even knew each other.

He pursed his lips and opened the door. Because yeah, he was no coward. Even if he was about to be lectured.

Vulcan disapproval was sharper than any other.

Speaking of, his wonderful husband had just opened the front door to peer out at him as he went to the trunk of the hover car to get his purchases.   

“What did you get?” Spock asks, as he steps off the steps toward the car. He knows Spock will offer to carry everything.

“Oh, uh. You know this and that.”

“This and…that?”

His shoulders slumping slightly, Jim smiled. “Groceries, of course.”

Spock looks at Jim and then into the trunk. “And?”

He shifts. “They, uh, they had their autumn stuff out already at the store.”

When he was a kid they hardy ever got to decorate anything, and sure he’s overcompensating. He knows.

Spock’s glance moves back to Jim’s face. “You already have a lot of fall decorations, Jim.”

“I know, I agree.” His face is flushed red. He knows it is. And some of it is shame and that doesn’t feel good. “They had this pumpkin garden stake with a crow on it and I, uh, I really liked it. So I got it.”

He lifts it out of the trunk to show it to Spock, who is, of course, unimpressed.

“You have ten pumpkin garden stakes.”

Jim nodded.

“Five scarecrow garden stakes. Several Halloween garden stakes. Even a couple with leaves and turkeys.”

Jim looks away. He thinks about how he’s probably going to have to take this garden stake back. Because Spock isn’t wrong.

Suddenly Spock’s hand, gentle as can be, touches his jaw, and bids him look. “One more garden stake is perfect. I know just the spot we can put it.”

He blinked for a few seconds, and then warmth infuses him. “Yeah?” He is nearly breathless.

“I love you.”

“As much as you love fall?”

Jim laughed. “Yeah. Maybe a little more.”