Here we are at the end of another Christmas in July. Next Friday is August. No particular theme.

“Wow, I can’t believe you’re here.”

Jim chuckled for she’d said those words five times since he’d arrived in Riverside.

“Of course I’m here.”

Granted, he couldn’t blame his mother at her wonder for his being in Riverside, Iowa for Christmas. When had they all been together for Christmas? Certainly not since he was a boy and even then, he wasn’t sure it ever really happened despite vague memories.

It was actually just him and his mom at the moment, but later they would go to the shuttlebay to collect Sam, Aurelan, and their son, Peter, and daughter, Megan.

It was four days before Christmas and it was extremely unusual for Jim to have leave at this time. But there’d been an attack on the Enterprise that had damaged the hull enough to require some major repair and so they’d been given the time off.

His bridge crew had pretty much dispersed in all directions.

Bones to Georgia to see his daughter, Sulu to Yorktown to see his husband and daughter, Chekov to Russia, and Spock and Uhura to New Vulcan. To formally bond or marry. Whatever. Jim tried not to think too hard on that.

So here he was with the Kirk family Christmas. Weird but so far pretty nice.

“You don’t think it will snow, do you?” Mom asked hopefully.

Jim laughed again. “It’s a bit early for a snowstorm. We didn’t get much of those until January.”

She sighed. “I know. But I always wish. More coffee?”

“Please.”

She’d served him homemade waffles for breakfast and they were just finishing up. Behind him in the living room the Christmas tree shone brightly next to the lit fireplace. Maybe a little cliched and corny but it was all right. Jim could use a little bit of that now.

When the ship had been attacked, Jim had been injured badly. Cracked his head on his chair and he’d sustained burns over twenty-five percent of his body. He’d been repaired, obviously, but the memory of those injuries was still there and so he was very happy to have the distraction of Christmas with his family.

With his coffee refilled and not needing to leave to fetch his brother and his family yet, they adjourned to the living room to admire the tree. Jim was waiting for the moment his mom would ask about his love life. She usually got around to it at some point and generally she didn’t ask in front of others.

And here it came.

“So, honey, anyone special in your life?”

“Not really.”

She sighed softly. “Must be pretty lonely on the ship.”

“Sometimes sure. But being the captain, everyone is my subordinate. Makes it kind of hard to go there, you know?”

“I suppose.”

He didn’t need to tell her that even now the one he really wanted was even now bonding with someone else. He didn’t want to think about it himself. There had been times when he’d almost thought his feelings were not just his own but it was so fleeting he convinced himself he had imagined it.

“Anyway, let’s not spoil our time with talk about that.” Jim smiled. “Okay?”

She smiled back. “Okay.”

****

It was two days later, the house full of noise and family, when his mother kept looking anxiously out the window.

“What’s your deal? Still waiting for the snow to start?” Jim teased.

She laughed. “No. But, uh, we do need more firewood. I’d ask your brother but he and Peter are playing a game and—”

“Say no more. I can bring in firewood. I’m not a weakling.”

“I know you aren’t, honey. But you are still recovering from the attack and I worry.”

He kissed her forehead. “Don’t. I’m okay. The burns are gone without scars and almost all the headaches are gone. I’d be cleared for duty if the ship didn’t need repairs.”

She sniffed. “Bureaucrats know nothing.”

Jim chuckled. “Can’t argue there. Be back in a jiffy.”

“Take your time!”

Jim grabbed a coat and wrapped a scarf around his neck as it had become bitterly cold out even without any snow.

“Though the weather outside is frightful, here it’s so delightful, and since we’ve got no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow,” Jim sang as he approached the door to outside.

“You sound like a moose,” Sam called out.

“He does not!” Aurelan exclaimed. “Don’t listen to him, Jim!”

“I usually don’t!” Jim called back as he opened the door and went outside.

He let out a long exhale as he watched his breath mist around him. Then he took several steps forward toward the wood pile before he noticed someone standing there dressed in a heavy coat with a hood.

Startled, Jim stopped, realizing there was something familiar about the way the figure stood. He glanced behind him, back to the house, and noticed his whole family, kids included, had their face plastered to the window staring out at him.

“What the hell?”

Pursing his lips, Jim moved forward toward the person and the wood pile. Now quite convinced he knew their identity. His heat pounded so hard in his chest he thought maybe he was having a heart attack.

“Sp-pock?” he asked, his voice faltering. Hope was not something he gave into.

The figure lowered the hood and he came face to face with Spock.

“Captain. Jim.”

“What?” Jim paused, gathered his thoughts. “What are you doing here? Is Uhura here too?”

Spock moved forward, closer to him. “Negative. I…we are not…we are no longer together.”

Jim blinked. “You aren’t?”

Spock shook his head. “We could not continue our romantic pairing when it is you that I love.”

“You…I’m sorry?”

Spock looked vaguely devastated as he took the last step to stand directly in front of Jim.

“If you cannot return my regard—”

Jim threw his arms around Spock and kissed him silent. He could swear he heard cheering from the farmhouse.

“Do they?”

Spock nodded. “They were aware I was arriving today. Your mother made arrangements.”

Jim laughed. “I see.”

“Jim, does this mean that you do return my regard? Your mother anticipated so, but I would not force you to feel something you do not feel.”

“Yeah, you know what? Know when to keep quiet.”

“Jim—”

But he shut Spock up with another kiss. This one so thorough if Spock didn’t get it, he was just being stupid.

Jim then kissed Spock’s nose. “Your nose is frozen.”

“It is unbearably cold out here,” Spock replied, clutching Jim to him.

“Okay. But if we go inside there’s no avoiding them.” Jim gestured with his thumb toward the farmhouse.

“Is that not the point of these holidays? To spend time with family?”

Jim laughed. “Is that the point? I wondered. I’m kidding. Yeah. It is. You may as well be tortured and meet them.”

“Why would they torture me?”

Jim shook his head. “Never mind. Just a few more kisses out here first.”

“Very well. That will be tolerable.”

Jim grabbed the hood of Spock’s coat and raised it up over his head. “Cover those ears, Pointy.”