Spirk (with a small dose of Pinto)

Jim stood on an outdoor patio overlooking a water feature Yorktown had adorned with glittery garlands, shiny bells and holly. All around him it was decorated for the Terran winter holiday season.

Yorktown, being an enclosed space station, a snow globe as Bones had alluded to, was able to control their weather. With few exceptions if there happened to be instability in space. There was not now, though, and someone in charge had decided to make it festive they would ensure a light snow fell on Yorktown’s outdoors.

They had dropped the temperature too and though some, like Spock, had complained, Jim found himself reminiscing about such weather growing up in Iowa.

He wore a coat. He’d pulled it on before leaving the holiday party inside the facility that owned the patio he now stood on.

In a few short weeks he’d spend yet another birthday on Yorktown. He had hoped they’d finish the rebuilding of the Enterprise in time to be on their way, but alas no. The estimation was the beginning of February.

“Captain?”

Jim turned to see Spock approach, fully enveloped in a heavy coat with a scarf and woolen hat completing the look. For some reason he reminded Jim of a garden gnome.

“Hi Spock.”

“You left the party.”

Jim smiled faintly. “I needed some air. It was getting a bit overwhelming in there. Lots of noise.”

“It is a happy occasion, is it not?”

“Oh it is. Just…feeling a bit lonely and sorry for myself.”

“Lonely? I do not understand. There were over three hundred people in there, Captain.”

Jim laughed. “Oh I know. But I don’t have a personal relationship with any of them. So yeah. Just a bit. It’s no big deal.”

Spock looked pensive. “You have friends among them, so I believe you mean something specific when you refer to personal.”

“Mm.”

“You mean…an intimate personal relationship,” Spock surmised. “Someone you are sleeping with.”

Jim sighed.

“I have irritated you? I did not mean to overstep.”

“No, you haven’t. But yeah. I mean, that is what I am talking about. But maybe more intimacy than just sex. Which obviously is part of it but I want more. Which is weird.”

“Why is it weird?” Spock wondered.

Jim shrugged. “I’ve grown up I guess. I want more from life than a series of throw away lovers.”

“And that fills you with sorrow?”

He snorted. “No, the fact that there is no one out there for me does.”

Spock glanced away. “I believe they are shortly going to do a sing-along of Christmas Carols.”

“Mm. I said I’d do it with them.”

“You do have an admirable voice. But perhaps before we go inside there is something I would like to do.”

Jim turned to face him. “Yeah? What’s that?”

Spock’s gaze rose to above their heads. Jim followed his gaze and saw Spock holding mistletoe.

“What–?”

Spock covered Jim’s mouth with his in what was anything but a brief mistletoe kiss. When they finally parted, Jim was left breathless and a little dazzled.

“Merry Christmas, Jim.”

“It is now.” Jim grabbed the collar of Spock’s coat and pulled him into a kiss.