I know this isn’t exactly Spock and Kirk but I couldn’t resist using it here.

“I’m going to have to speak to my father.”

Jim eyed his husband over his morning coffee. The truth was he was pretty sure Spock had been speaking for a while. It wasn’t that he was in the habit of ignoring his husband, but that morning he had something of a truly rotten hangover from the Hanukkah Party they’d attended the night before. Jim had quite enjoyed himself, eating and drinking everything in sight. But he was paying for both today. His head hurt like a bitch and he had some major indigestion.

When he’d complained about his stomach the night before he’d gotten a mini lecture about how he wasn’t as young as he once was and it was likely more and more foods would begin to upset his stomach.

He hated thinking about being old, but each time he looked in the mirror, his gray, thinning hair and poochy stomach left him no doubt what his future included.

“About?” Jim was proud of himself for getting that much out.

Truth was they’d just seen Sarek and Amanda, Spock’s parents, at that party they’d been to last night. It had been a very festive event with no extravagance spared by the Grayson family.

“He and my mother had a fight last night.”

Spock’s tone told him that he should know this. It was both disapproving and accusatory in that way Spock had of speaking that generally told Jim he had failed some major Vulcan test.

Jim wracked his brain trying to remember if he’d noticed tension at the party from Spock’s parents.

When he came up without a specific thing, he asked, “What did he do this time?”

He couldn’t imagine anyone really fighting with Amanda. Okay, sure, way back when on the Enterprise she did get a bit…difficult…and slap Spock but…Spock had logically convinced Jim to forgive her given the situation.

Normally she was a very kind woman and mother-in-law.

Fortunately, Spock was well aware of his father’s deficiencies with regard to sensitivity.

“He expressed his derision for the excessive festivity of the event.”

“It was a party,” Jim pointed out.

“As my mother also replied.” Spock finished his tea and got up to put his cup in the kitchen.

Jim shook his head. “Want me to come with you?”

“No. I think you would just…cause further aggravation.”

Jim leaned back in his chair. “I’ll try not to take offense at that.”

“None is meant. It is simply the situation. I suggest that you spend the day resting from you hangover and stomach upset. We are supposed to have my parents over for dinner tonight.”

“Think that’s still on?”

“That is the purpose of my visit to my father. I will return later to begin frying the latkes. Be warned Mother did indicate she might come early this afternoon to assist in preparing the Hanukkah food.”

Jim nodded. “Okay, I’ll take one of Bones’ hangover cures before then.”

Spock replied, “That would be wise.”

And then he was gone. Jim rose, got out a Hanukkah cookbook Bones had given them as a gift and began to peruse recipes.

Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate.

Noodle Kugel

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