“Please.”

The sound of pleading in his own voice disturbed him.

“Help me to understand. Why would you…why would you choose intimacy with him?”

“God.” Jim’s expression crumbled and for a moment, Spock feared his captain would cry. How would Spock handle such a thing if he did?

“Jim—”

“Because he wanted me.”

“There are many who want you,” Spock pointed out.

“I can’t believe I have to spell this out. He was a replacement for the one I really wanted.”

Spock took a step back. “Me?”

Jim laughed. “Yeah. Stupid, right? So incredibly stupid.”

“You never said. Never gave any indication that you thought of me in any such way.”

“Was I supposed to? You were with Uhura! For years. How exactly did you expect me to tell you? And I don’t go after someone else’s partner.”

Spock stared, taking that in. Analyzing it. “But you did precisely that with the other Spock if he was with his captain.”

This time tear drops appeared on the edge of Jim’s eyes and Spock felt instant remorse.

“Yeah, you got me there. It was a moment of weakness. The object of my every dream wanted me with so much intensity I couldn’t resist. And now I’m dealing with the fallout from that.”

“Fallout?”

“Having something for a brief time that I don’t actually have. I’m here and he’s there, back presumably with his captain. And here? I’m alone.”

And just like that, as though their conversation was over and so many things were left unsaid, Jim made to move past him.

Before he allowed himself to think, Spock reached out and grabbed Jim’s wrist to prevent him from leaving.

“You are not alone.”