Some TOS OMS

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Spock had been meditating when Jim came home so when he had completed his usual afternoon hour of meditation, he sought his husband out.

After checking the house, Spock came to the conclusion that Jim was sitting outside on the small patio. He made Jim coffee and took the mug of the steaming liquid outside.

Sure enough, Jim sat on a lounge chair there looking rather hunched in on himself. Spock approached him and handed him the coffee.

Jim gave Spock a strained smile as Spock placed himself in the lounge chair beside him.

“Is something amiss?”

“No more than usual. I don’t really care for this planet or the assignment.”

They were currently residing on the planet, Armiron. It was not Spock’s favorite place either. It rained nearly every day and in fact that particular day was a rare day when it had not. It was a dreary, depressing place.

Jim had been promoted to a diplomatic admiral position within Starfleet and was being sent to various different planets. This was their third different one within the last few years. They also maintained homes in San Francisco, Riverside, and on Vulcan. They had not been awarded any length of time for any of those lately and it was wearing on both of them.

Spock had taken on the ambassadorship from his ailing father and had, on occasion, also been sent to a different place from Jim. Neither of them cared for this at all.

“It is only for six months,” Spock said, in an attempt to placate him.

“That’s what they said before when they sent me to Lorand and we were there for 18 months.” He sighed, frowned into his coffee, and then took a sip. “Perhaps it’s finally time to retire.”

Spock was understandably skeptical. Jim had talked of retirement before. After he’d been demoted to captain and then, finally, had the ship taken away from him for good. They’d promoted him again, once more to admiral. He was going to retire then, he’d told Spock, and yet, he couldn’t sit still even for a few minutes, and soon he was accepting this position which included so much diplomacy.

“I will support whatever decision you make, Jim.”

Jim sighed again. “I know. I’m tired of talking, Spock. I spend all day talking. Then I leave the conference and walk in the rain every day to come to this rundown place.”

It was hardly rundown. It was old though. One of the oldest homes on Armiron. They’d given him the home as a temporary residence believing it was an honor for them to stay in such an ancient revered home. But there were numerous challenges.

“I’m going to tell them. I’m giving it the six months and then I’m going back to Earth.” Jim drained his coffee. “First to our apartment in San Francisco. We’ll spend a month there. Then we’ll go to Riverside and spend maybe two there. And then to Vulcan to see your dad and a few months there.” Jim smiled then. “Doesn’t that sound good?”

“It does,” Spock agreed.

“Let’s plan on it.”

“Very well. When you are ready, I have soup warming for dinner.”

Jim handed his empty cup to Spock and then struggled to his feet. “I’m ready now. I think I just felt a raindrop. I never hated the rain before.”

Spock nodded and took Jim’s arm as they made their way inside. And even as he closed and locked the door to the patio behind them, the sky opened up and it poured again.