Not feeling great (two day headache, seems like a migraine)
And I had this for breakfast
Yep one of those days
It’s doubtful I will have anything ready to go for Cosmic Love tomorrow. Hopefully I’ll update soon.
Spock did not know what giddiness felt like. He’d read about it, heard about it, but as a Vulcan the idea, the concept, seemed foreign to him, and yet he wondered if the nearly ridiculous sense of pleasure at having Jim seek him out in his dorm room was akin to that giddy feeling.
He’d invited Jim to stay for dinner and yet…Spock had nothing to cook for him. He’d been meaning to go to the store, but he simply hadn’t, and all he had was the replicator. Therefore, he’d be unable to duplicate what Jim had done and cook a meal from scratch.
“Something wrong?”
Spock turned to see Jim standing just outside the kitchen, looking as gorgeous as any human or any thing really, had a right to. He’d taken too long and Jim had begun to wonder.
Spock cleared his throat. “Unfortunately, I lack the ingredients to make dinner myself. I do, however, have replicators that I am able to use to create food. They are the latest models and are quite efficient.”
Jim laughed. It was a sound that filled Spock with unexpected warmth. “Sounds fine to me. Don’t stress over it.”
“Stress?”
“You look a little harried. I’m not at all picky, Spock. You can replicate scrambled eggs and I’m okay with it.” Jim smiled. “It’s just nice spending time with you.”
“Very well.” Spock nodded. “Sit at the table and I will bring you something.”
And that’s what Spock ended up bringing for Jim. Eggs, potatoes and toast, whereas for himself he simply replicated a salad.
As he sat beside Jim at the table, Spock commented, “In truth this probably tastes better than anything I could make. I am not much of a cook as my education did not include those types of lessons.”
“Growing up in Riverside, we didn’t have fancy replicators,” Jim explained. “Never really put them in the house as my dad’s parents preferred making their own food there. Growing it too. My ex-stepfather hated to cook and refused to do it, so my brother and I had to learn or we didn’t eat.” He shrugged.
“You had a difficult childhood.”
“Only in comparison to some. Doesn’t sound like yours was that much better.”
Spock hesitated. “Perhaps not. Though I did not exactly have an abusive parent.”
“Frank was mostly emotionally abusive. Used to say we didn’t matter, that kind of thing. Hit Sam a couple of times. And me once or twice. Worst thing he did was send me to Tarsus and by the time I got off that planet of hell, he was gone.”
“That he hit you at all sickens me,” Spock replied. “If I am ever unfortunate to meet him, I will gladly punch him in the face.”
Jim laughed. “Okay. Well. I don’t really think that’s necessary. How about your parents, what were they like?”
“When I was young and Mother still lived on Vulcan, they argued a lot. My father was very strict and insisted on adhering to only the Vulcan way, which ended up being far more difficult for my mother than she anticipated. I believe that she loved him and went into the marriage with the best of intentions, but the arrival of me changed things for her.” Spock shook his head. “In the end, my father’s coldness became too much for her and she wished to take me with her to Earth, but he would not allow it, and with Vulcan elders backing him, she lost.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I was sent to the school on Tarsus IV because my father believed I had a rebellious nature that could be curbed there with instruction. When he brought me home, and later, all that happened there came to light, my mother was furious. They barely speak now.”
“That really sucks, Spock. I get where your mom is coming from, but to be fair, no one knew what would happen on Tarsus IV, so in that regard, it’s not his fault.”
Spock agreed. “Quite. But Mother is an emotional being and it was her opinion that he should have listened to her and sent me to school on Earth near her as she wanted. In any event, when I returned to Vulcan after we were evacuated, my instruction was quite regimented. I was being groomed to attend the Vulcan Science Academy.”
“And yet here you are.” Jim smiled. “I’m glad.”
“As am I.”
Today was a rough day. Probably leading to other rough days.
Had a half day at work so I could go sit with my mother while my sister had her second Covid shot. Mom was pretty zonked out and incoherent most of the day. I stuck around for the hospice nurse who arrived later and basically “Ma” has definitely declined and could die any time. That was the conversation. Yeah we knew but it’s still…rough. They told my sister to prearrange with the mortuary as the hospice will call when she passes. Anyway I am home now but it’s…rough. I say that again.
So…I’ll update what I can when I can. And that’s all I can do now.
Thank you for listening.
Now that Jim stood before the door of Spock’s dorm, he had second and third doubts. He’d come without his glasses, usually only needing them for close up. He’d worn a nice shirt in blue that he knew flattered the color of his eyes and charcoal slacks that he knew were just tight enough to accentuate his rounded butt.
Was it too much?
Jim sighed and knocked.
He was a little startled when the door was opened almost immediately. And even more startled that it was opened by Uhura.
He was disoriented and thought maybe he had the wrong room.
But then just beyond her was Spock.
“Sorry,” Jim mumbled. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“You are not,” Spock said, coming forward to hold the door open wider. “Nyota was just leaving. Goodnight.”
She smiled slightly in Spock’s direction. “Night.”
And she was gone, Jim staring after her.
“Please come in, Jim.”
Somewhat cautiously, Jim entered Spock’s dorm.
“I really didn’t mean to interrupt anything.”
“You were not as I said. Nyota is merely a friend. We had been discussing one of our mutual courses, but she needed to leave for a date.” Spock closed the door. “It is a pleasure to see you.”
“Is it? Good.”
“Indeed. You have frequently been on my mind since I was at your dorm. Please have a seat. Can I get you anything?”
“Not just now.” Jim noticed a sofa in the main room, so he went and took a seat there. “We have to exchange contact information, Spock, if this is going to work. I mean, cool that Uhura is just your friend, but it could have been pretty awkward if she wasn’t.”
Spock also sat and then he said, “I do agree. However, I wish to make it quite clear that there is no one else that I am pursuing in that type of relationship besides yourself.”
Jim smiled genuinely now, feeling somewhat relieved. “That does make me feel a lot better. I came over to ask you, well, my friend, Bones, Leonard McCoy, and his girlfriend, Christine, has asked me over to dinner on Friday, and they said I could bring someone, so I wondered if—”
“Yes.”
Jim laughed. “Okay. So you’ll come?”
“I will, yes.”
Jim nodded. “Great. I asked that they have something you’d be able to eat. So everything should be good.” He put his hands on his knees to get up. “I’ll come and pick you up at around six. So if there’s nothing else, I’ll get out of your hair.”
“Jim?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you currently have plans?”
“Well. No.”
“Have you eaten?”
“No.”
“Would you stay here then and let me make you dinner?”
Jim sat back down. “I would like that.”
For anyone wondering, I have had no side effects so far other than a sore arm and a teensy bit of dizziness. I feel pretty good.
So yesterday I had a mental health day off from work. Did a bit of shopping and writing (I updated the last two chapters of Clarity the past few days and I am proud to have finished another one).
But just after lunch I got a text from sister to go pick up Mom who had fallen again. She had a big blood bruise on her back but otherwise seemed mostly okay. But those are the kinds of things I can expect at any time.
Today, sister gets her hair done and she’s now afraid to leave Mom alone, so I’ll be going over there shortly for several hours to watch her. This consists of me mostly sitting on the couch while she dozes in her chair.
Monday I go for my second doze of the Pfizer vaccine. I am anxious to get it over with. I have that day off too as the vaccine is in the morning and I decided might as well take the day in case of any side effects. I generally don’t get them from vaccines but you never know. I’ve been reading that, much like a flu shot, you’ll likely need to get additional shots as the years pass. Interesting times we live in for sure.
Anyway, I should have the next chapter of Cosmic Love up Monday, though I have yet to write it. Probably will tomorrow. Other than Cosmic Love, I am now down to only 6 wips. That is excellent for me. I once had 13 going at once. I’m running out of new ideas though, so maybe, I’ll stop after those 6? We will see. I mean how many times can we read about Jim meeting Spock at the Academy or Spock finally breaking up with Uhura to be with Jim?
Spock found himself somewhat reluctant to leave, so he, perhaps, lingered over his coffee overlong.
Jim had an engaging personality, an animated way of speaking and acting, that Spock found, admittedly, inordinately fascinating.
He’d told a story of how a couple of years ago he and his mother ran into his ex-stepfather in the city proper of Riverside. And that they hadn’t had to do or say anything because “Frank” had managed to make an ass out of himself in public without their help.
Spock did not generally appreciate the humor behind people humiliating themselves, but given what he gathered from Jim’s stories, in this case, he would make an exception for this man.
“Hey. You hungry? I can make us some fried rice.” Jim smiled. He smiled a lot, actually. “Vegetarian of course.”
“You are a vegetarian?”
Jim laughed. “Nope. But I know you are so I can make it sans meat.”
He jumped up from the chair he had been sitting in, but never without constant motion, to go into a cabinet in the little kitchenette. He grabbed out a frying pan and the went to the refrigerator for other ingredients.
“Unless you’re in a hurry to go home?” Jim asked.
“Negative,” Spock said quickly. Home, his own dorm room in the next building over, would be especially lonely without this effervescent man there. He never really had minded being alone, but just then the idea was incredibly unappealing.
He watched while Jim added already cooked rice and assorted vegetables to the pan.
“You know, you mentioned that day that you’d been having an unpleasant conversation with the group you hang out with. Anything you want to share with the class?”
Spock hesitated for two reasons. He did not wish to admit that he was somewhat the butt of jokes and those that had teased him had since apologized for the situation getting out of hand.
“I was…being teased about my nature and I did not react well.”
Jim frowned. “Teased?”
“Yes. About being Vulcan and different than the rest of them.”
“That’s fucked up.”
“Well. They have since apologized and advised they meant no harm.” Spock paused. “I am somewhat sensitive about it due to some issues with Vulcan classmates as a child. I likely overreacted.”
“Or more likely they are a bunch of insensitive jerks.”
Spock found himself smiling just slightly in spite of himself. “Perhaps.”
Jim grinned back. “Rice is done.”
He dished it out then on two plates and brought it over to the table.
“It’s made worse when it’s done by people who are supposed to be your friends, I imagine,” Jim said, handing a fork to Spock.
“It really is a small matter, Jim. And as I said, they did offer apologies.”
“Mm.”
“This is quite good,” Spock said, because it was true, and he wished to change the subject.
“Thanks. Mom taught me how to cook when I returned from Tarsus. Funny how so much of my time after that ended up being about food and nutrition.”
After Spock finished the rice and helped Jim wash the dishes, he had to realize that he probably ought to leave before he overstayed his welcome.
“I will be on my way now, Jim. I very much enjoyed my visit here.”
“I did too.” Jim walked him to the door. “See you soon.”
If Spock maybe had hoped for a goodnight kiss, he was disappointed, as one was not forthcoming. Jim opened the door and smiled, and Spock exited.
A moment later he left Jim’s dorm building and headed to his own.
I’ll be honest, not sure this story will be finished by the end of the month so it might continue into May
With Spock dressed in a big fluffy dark purple pullover sweater and black dress pants, Jim felt decidedly underdressed in his pajamas. But, well, he hadn’t been expecting anyone. And this was his own dorm room after all.
He brought two steaming mugs of coffee over to the couch and handed one to Spock. He had put away his ice cream. He hadn’t felt much like being in display in front of Spock shoveling mouthfuls of Almond Fudge ice cream into his pie-hole.
He poured cream and added sugar to his and then sat down beside Spock.
“Well. This is unexpected.”
Spock seemed startled by this. “Is it? I did express an interest in seeing you again.”
“Yeah. I guess you did. But I figured you were just being polite.”
“I am seldom polite.”
This startled a laugh out of Jim. “Well, you definitely won’t get an argument out of me on that. Both times I’ve talked to you prior to now you were…brusque.”
There was just the barest hint of color to Spock’s cheeks and on anyone else he would have thought it was blushing, but he couldn’t imagine anything making this Vulcan blush.
“Anyway, water under the bridge, I guess. I’m glad you came by. I didn’t really think you would.”
Spock paused to take a sip of the coffee Jim had made. “Though admittedly I am not very skilled at expressing it, I am…interested in you. I find you quite fascinating.”
Jim’s lips curved. “Not sure anyone’s ever put it quite like that.”
“Perhaps not.” Spock’s gaze went to a photograph Jim kept on the wall of Jim and his mother. “Is that from right after Tarsus?”
“It is. We’d just returned to Riverside then. Just a little after that I learned of Captain April’s fate.” Jim looked away. “And some others. The family I was staying with.”
“Yes,” Spock said, softly. “There were several I knew who did not make it as well. It is not something I generally like to talk about which is why I reacted badly to your introduction on campus.”
“Yeah, there are a lot of survivors who are reluctant to talk about it, but honestly, that’s not what I was looking for, you know, to form a club or anything. I’d be fine never to talk about it again.”
“Me too.” Spock sighed. “That time was not one I would like to recall altogether though obviously I do. My father sent me to the school there after my parents separated.”
This surprised Jim.
“Your parents are divorced?”
Spock shook his head. “Vulcans do not recognize divorce in the same sense that other humanoids do. My mother resides on Earth since their separation but there has been no official dissolution of their marriage. She found that she could no longer support my father’s dictates toward his family. She wished for me to go to Earth with her at the time, but my father forbade it.”
“And then shipped you off to Tarsus IV.”
“Essentially, yes.”
“That sucks. Do you see your mom now? Is she nearby?”
“Yes, she is in British Columbia. Her family is from there. She is currently teaching students.”
“Your mom is a teacher and yet your dad sent you to a school on Tarsus?”
“Yes.”
Jim shook his head. “Crazy. My dad died. On the Kelvin. You’ve probably heard.”
“Yes,” Spock acknowledged.
“Mom married an asshole and he’s the one who sent me there. I told you about him. Anyway. You want more coffee?”
Spock paused only for a moment. “Yes.”
Spirk (with a small dose of Pinto) 