Still using the manip J did for me!

I had this done and am still not ready with WTE chapter so I figured, why not?

This is the OMS from my own story The Closer I Get to You. I thought it would be fun to revisit them here as Jim cares for an under the weather Spock.

Jim was feeling his age, all his aches and pains, and he wasn’t too happy about it. No one lived forever he knew and guessed he had fewer years ahead than those he left behind.

But at the moment, he couldn’t focus on the pain in his creaking knee. Spock, normally in much better shape than him, had a terrible cold.

They’d both been surprised he’d managed to get one. But had one Spock had.

So Jim was currently stirring Plomeek soup in a big pan on the stove of their Yellowstone cabin. Spock was grumpy. It was winter and he hadn’t wanted to come to the cabin in the winter and Jim had insisted.    

Now with his cold, he was grumpier still while maintaining he was not at all in a bad mood.

Jim guessed Spock might be in a worse mood had he known that Jim received a very strong email from the Fleet asking him to do a publicity run for the newest crew of the Enterprise. The Enterprise-B.

“You’ll be retired. It won’t be you in command anymore. But they’re going to ask you to be there, to make it some sort of stunt, to look good for Starfleet, to hand it off to the younger guys, and…don’t.”

“Don’t what?”

“Accept.”    

And yes, Jim remembered every word his counterpart from…well Jim didn’t know where he was from exactly, but those words still rang in his head.

The soup heated, Jim ladled out a generous portion with some home-baked Kreyla (not by him of course) and brought it on a tray to Spock who rested in bed in their room.

The Vulcan’s hair was adorably rumpled even as he almost glared at Jim.

“I brought you soup and bread.”

“It’s cold.”

Jim smiled and set the tray on the bed in front of Spock. “I turned up the heat, you should feel it soon.”

Spock picked up the spoon and placed it in his soup. He took a tentative sip. “It’s not terrible.”

Jim chuckled. “I made it from your own recipe. I did have to synthesize the Plomeeks, though. They don’t grow in Yellowstone.”

“Too cold to grow anything,” Spock groused.

That wasn’t quite true, but Jim understood the sentiment.

If it was up to him, now that they were retired they’d live at the cabin full-time. Spock emphatically disagreed.

Jim sat in a chair by the bed and once more looked at the message from Starfleet.

“You should say no. For him.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I know you don’t, and I’d say more but I’m sure my Spock wants to kick my ass as it is. Just…please. Don’t. It’ll mean so much to me, to him. Don’t.”

“What is that you are doing, Jim?” Spock asked with a sniff.

Jim smiled. “Nothing really. Just about to reply to an email.”

“From?”

“An admiral of Starfleet.”

“You are retired,” Spock unnecessarily reminded him.

I respectfully decline. At the moment, I am taking care of my husband and bondmate. Ask Commander Scott.  

Jim hit send. Looked back up at Spock.

“You have a birthday coming up. What shall we do for it?”

“It is—”

“Illogical, yes I know. But let’s do something anyway.”

Spock arched a brow. “Such as?”

He laughed. “I don’t know. But I’ll think of something.” He rose from the chair and leaned in to kiss Spock’s forehead. His husband harrumphed, but Jim saw the warm mirth in his dark eyes before he could hide it.