Advent Day 2

“The holly and the ivy, when they are both full grown, of all the trees that are in the wood, the holly bears the crown,” Jim sang enthusiastically as he pinned a branch of ivy with holly berries on his apartment door.

“O, the rising of the sun, and the running of the deer, the playing of the merry organ, sweet singing in the choir, the holly bears a blossom as white as lily flower, and Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ, to be our dear savior.”

The door to the apartment next to his abruptly opened causing Jim to jump. He adjusted the giant Christmas wreath he currently wore around his neck. He’d been about to add it to his door as well.

“Do you know what time it is?” the Vulcan who lived next door to him demanded.

“Uh. No?”

“It is midnight. Five minutes past.”

“Oh.” Jim nodded, giving him a sheepish grin. “Sorry. Did I wake you?”

“I was meditating. That is until you started singing loudly from the hall.”

Jim’s smile broadened. “I’m sorry, I just got carried away. I picked up all this greenery while I was out and didn’t want to wait to put them up.”

“There may be others trying to sleep on this floor of the building,” the Vulcan pointed out.

“Yeah.” Jim licked his lips and turned back to the door to hang the wreath. He removed it from around his neck and fastened it to the tiny nail he’d placed there. He turned back toward the Vulcan, wiped his hands on the front of his jeans and held out his hand. “Jim Kirk.”

For a moment, the Vulcan stared at Jim’s hand, giving him a chance to realize Vulcans probably didn’t shake hands or anything and he started to draw his hand back when the Vulcan took his hand at last.

“Spock.”

“Spock,” Jim said, softly. Spock hadn’t yet released his hand and Jim wasn’t sure how he felt about that. There was something that felt right about their hands clasped like this and Jim couldn’t have said what. “Well, uh, I should probably go inside and stop bothering you.”

Spock said nothing, but he did look down at their still held hands.

Jim took a chance. “Unless you’d like to come in for, uh, some peppermint mochas?”

“Does that include chocolate?”

“Uh, yeah. Is that a problem?”

Spock glanced toward his own apartment door and then back at Jim. “It…does not. Let me just get my sweater and I will be over.”

Jim smiled. “Great. I’ll start the mochas.”

And Spock released Jim’s hand. Jim almost grabbed it back, but managed to control himself. As he went into his apartment he continued humming his Christmas song.