Jim spotted Uhura going into her quarters holding a single red rose. She had a dreamy look on her face.
He knew Sulu had been experimenting with growing different varieties of Earth plants and flowers in his botany lab.
But Jim couldn’t help feeling…well not despondent. That was a little extreme. Disappointed? Definitely. Disheartened? Was that as bad as despondent? He didn’t think so.
Anyway, since rumor had been that Uhura had ended things with Spock for good this time, Jim felt the brief spark of hope he’d felt for his own chance with Spock fizzle out.
Strange, too, as he could have sworn during his recent flirting with Spock that Spock was reciprocating.
With a weary sigh, Jim decided he’d better mind his own business and enter his own quarters.
When he stepped inside his bed was covered in red rose petals. To the left of his bed, a table and chairs had been set up with two table settings, candlelight and glasses of champagne.
Jim blinked.
It was then Spock stepped into his view.
Jim grinned as Spock held out his hand for Jim to accept.
Jim couldn’t help but burst out laughing. It happened before he could stop it. Spock looked uncomfortable and contrite and vaguely offended. How he’d managed to look all three Jim didn’t know.
They’d been lying in bed peacefully absorbing the afterglow when Spock sprung the question.
“What?”
“I apologize if that is an inappropriate question.”
“It’s not. Well…it is. It kind of is. Just…why do you even want to know?”
“There is…ship wide speculation—”
“Oh there is huh? You’re listening to ship’s gossip or your former girlfriend?”
“Jim, I apologize.”
He nodded. “Well you should. I don’t even know why it matters. The past has nothing to do with us.”
Spock looked fully chastised now. “I realize.”
Jim sighed and then smiled. “But you still want to know, huh?”
“A matter of curiosity only.”
Jim snorted. “Yeah sure. Two things.”
“Yes?”
“Only one lover. You. The others were just sex. Two, being with you blows them all away.”
Jim looked around the outdoor restaurant Spock had brought him to for dinner. He’d thought it odd that they had outdoor restaurants on Vulcan but this was by far not the only one.
In deference to Jim, Spock had requested a table with shade, so it was fairly tolerable.
“Just nice?” Spock sounded dismayed by that assessment.
Jim picked up his giant glass of iced boba tea. “More than nice. When we say…nice…”
“It seems quite unenthusiastic.”
Jim laughed. “It can be. But it’s not what I meant in this case. I like it here. It’s serene. Quiet.”
“I had hoped you would find it romantic,” Spock admitted.
“I’m unused to a Vulcan considering romance. Isn’t that illogical?”
“Not entirely,” Spock said with a shrug. “My father spent some time wooing my Human mother.”
“Aren’t Vulcans bonded in childhood?”
“Preliminarily, yes. My father did have a prior wife before my mother. And they had a son together. The relationship ended went they both went against Vulcan modern teachings and the marriage ended between them. My father has been estranged from Sybok ever since.”
“And yet he romanced your mom?” He sipped his tea.
“Indeed. When in Rome I believe the Earth saying is. Anyway, he succeeded in obtaining her hand in marriage.”
“Aren’t you bonded? What about those others outside the café?”
“My bond was severed when my betrothed, T’Pring, requested it be so. She preferred another mate and I did not object given my own preferences.”
Jim nodded. “I see.”
“As for those other Vulcans they don’t seek any sort of permanent connection to you.”
He laughed again. “They just want to sleep with me?”
“Correct.”
“And you don’t?’
“It would be disingenuous of me to claim otherwise, but that is not all I am interested in. In fact, I would like you to meet my parents.”
Jim choked on the sip of tea he’d just taken. “Uh. Yeah, no. No offense or anything, Spock, but I don’t meet the parents on first dates. Or right after.”
Spock nodded. “I understand your hesitation. When would be an acceptable time?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll let you know.”
Spock leaned down and retrieved something out of a bag, which turned out to be a heart-shaped candy box. He handed it to Jim.
“A Valentine’s Day gift?”
“Rumor has it you have a great fondness for chocolate covered almonds.” He paused. “These are vegan, of course.”
Jim’s lips twitched. “Of course. Thank you, Spock. I don’t have anything to give to you.”
“I am pleased you accepted my invitation to dinner. That is all the gift I require.”
Jim shook his head and smiled. “Well, okay then. Let’s see where this goes, shall we?”
Now thanks to Gaila, Jim found himself looking at Spock differently as the Vulcan came through the tea shop towards where Jim sat waiting for him.
Spock had a thing for him? That seemed…impossible to believe.
“Good afternoon, Jim.”
“Hey. Are those three Vulcans still out there?”
“Three Vulcans?”
Jim nodded. “Gaila said they were out there wanting to give me gifts.”
Spock arched a brow as he took his seat. “There are no Vulcans out there currently.”
“Oh. Well then maybe she was wrong.”
“Perhaps.”
Jim shrugged. “Let’s get started then. You want some tea first?”
“Negative.” Spock hesitated. “Perhaps I should move closer.”
Jim eyed Spock. Okay that was strange. Was Gaila right? She’d gotten the three Vulcans waiting to give him Valentines wrong, but…
“Sure.”
Spock scooted his chair over until he was right beside Jim. He glanced at some of the things Jim had on the desk.
“You are intending to submit for the Vulcan Science Academy?’
“Hm? Oh. Yeah.”
“I assumed you were interested in Starfleet.”
Jim smiled. “Yes, I am. I don’t intend to actually attend the VSA.”
“I do not understand.”
“Just…I mean I’ve already been approved for Starfleet so I can’t even say I was hedging my bets. I want to prove to those old guys that a Human can be worthy of their prestigious school.” Jim laughed and felt himself blush. “You probably can’t understand.”
“You would be surprised.”
“Well, let’s just get to this.”
But shortly after they began, Jim felt Spock’s gaze on him instead of the material.
Jim looked up and sure enough the Vulcan was staring at him.
“Spock, can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Why are you coming to me for tutoring?”
“You are an expert in miliary tactics.”
“Okayyyy.” Jim leaned back. “But it’s occurred to me that you know all the answers before I cover the material. Spock, are you playing me?”
“Playing you?”
“Yeah. I mean, I don’t know, making fun of me or something. I can’t figure out any other reason.”
“You cannot?”
“Well. Gaila suggested you were interested in me romantically but—”
“She is right,” Spock said quietly.
Jim’s eyes widened and he noticed his glasses were fogging up. “What?”
“It is true. I apologize for the subterfuge but I attempted to obtain your attention when you first arrived and you did not appear to notice me.”
“Not notice you?” Jim laughed. “Are you crazy?”
Spock frowned. “I have no diagnosed mental illness.”
Jim sighed and grinned. “I’ve noticed you. Why not get straight to the pint and ask me to go out?”
“You do not seem interested in anyone. Those Vulcans outside—”
“Wait. They were out there? I thought Vulcans didn’t lie.”
“I sent them away so technically it was not a lie.”
“Technically?”
“Vulcans embrace technicalities.”
Jim leaned in and kissed Spock on the lips. “Maybe embrace me instead.”
Spock blinked. “When do you get off work?”
“Now?”
A few minutes later, Jim joined Spock on the sidewalk outside the tea shop. Three Vulcan males and two females stood nearby.
“James!”
And several held out heart-shaped cards and even boxes of chocolates.
“Uh.” Jim looked to Spock. “Am I really irresistible to Vulcans?”
“Apparently.”
Jim laughed, linked arms with Spock, and started walking away.
“Wait! Choose us, he’s only half Vulcan.”
Photo by Jessica Lewis ud83eudd8b thepaintedsquare on Pexels.com
“There are currently three Vulcans outside wanting to see you.”
Jim pushed the glasses that had fallen down to the edge of his nose back into place. He stared at his friend, Gaila.
He was sitting at a table near the Green Tea Café where he worked part time just to have something to do during too quiet times on Vulcan. And there were a lot of quiet times.
He’d come to live there temporarily with his mother while she was on assignment for Starfleet there. They had a couple of months still to go.
Ever since they’d escaped the famine on Tarsus, his mom wouldn’t let him out of her sight. He was an adult now and she still wanted him with her.
“What for?”
Gaila, an Orion girl, laughed. “To give you Valentines, of course.”
He made a face. “Isn’t that illogical? I mean they’re Vulcans. They don’t have Valentine’s Day.”
“Earthers do and that’s what you are. So they are giving you something appropriate to your species. Or something like that. Face it, Jim, you’re irresistible to Vulcans.”
“Get real.”
“It’s true. They come here constantly and it certainly isn’t for the weak green tea.”
“What am I supposed to do?”
“Tell them you already have a Vulcan boyfriend.”
Jim laughed. “I don’t.”
She rolled her eyes as she poured herself a cup of the weak tea. “Yes you do. Spock.”
Jim snorted. “Right. He’s not my boyfriend. I’m tutoring him in Military Tactics.”
Gaila took a sip of her tea, filled one for Jim, brought it over, and sat across from him.
“What are you doing?”
“Studying for the Vulcan Science Academy exam.”
“You aren’t actually going to go there, are you?”
“No,” Jim admitted. “I just want to show them I could get in if I wanted to.”
“Just bat those baby blues at the council and they will let you in.” Gaila shook her head. “You’re blind.”
“Huh?’
“Spock has it bad for you.”
“He does not.”
“Do you honestly think a Vulcan needs to be tutored? About anything?” She rolled her eyes. “He wants you. He just comes at it differently than those guys out there with their Valentine’s. And that makes him smart. He spends hours next to you, gazing into your eyes, right where he wants to be. While they’re all out there still trying to get you to give them the time of day.”
“Gaila—” He shook his head. The door of the Café opened.
She looked behind her shoulder and smiled. “Speak of your Vulcan Lover Boy. It’s time for a…” She did air quotes. “’Tutoring Session’”.
Spock accepted Jim’s welcoming kiss somewhat greedily. He would never tire of Jim’s kisses and he acknowledged that made him a sap.
“It was quite challenging until I thought, what would Jim do?’
Jim laughed. They were in the kitchen where Jim was preparing dinner. He handed a cup of steaming hot tea to Spock.
“A logical thought.”
Spock arched a brow. “Hardly. But as it happens I know you well enough to tell Amanda that we would just buy both of her purchases.”
“Bet that made her happy.”
“Indeed. For five minutes anyway.”
“Dad, Mandy’s cheating!”
“I am not. I just play better.”
“Dad!”
Jim sighed and laughed. “Seran, just…deal.”
There was a long-suffering sigh but the children quieted down.
“Did you acquire a Valentine’s Day gift for me?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Amanda told me you had and asked what I was getting you.”
“Don’t worry about it. I know gift giving isn’t your thing.”
“That is hardly the point,” Spock replied. “I am terrible at choosing presents, as you have repeatedly told me, but the effort must be made if you indulged me.”
Jim kissed him. “Just give me a rose. Or candy. Or something easy.”
“What did you get me?”
“Nothing extravagant. A special tea.”
Spock nodded. That wasn’t so bad.
“A teapot to go along with it.”
“Jim.”
“Maybe some matching cups. No big deal.” Jim smiled.
“I will never be able to compete with you, will I?” Spock asked dryly.
“Nope. So don’t even try. A small box of chocolate almonds will do the trick and make me your slave for life.”
Spock arched a brow. “For only a small box?”
“Mm. For a few hours then.”
“Father!”
“Oh dear.” Jim chuckled. “Now he’s going for the big guns.”
“I had better break up the melee.”
Jim gave him a lingering kiss. “Dinner in fifteen minutes.”
Spock gazed down at the little girl with blonde curls and pointy ears. She had a box of Valentine cards in her hands which she held up to present to Spock. The cards had cartoon dogs and cats with big pink hearts. She was choosing cards to give out to her classmates at school.
“Very well, Amanda. You have made your choice then?”
His daughter with Jim had been looking through the choices for more than thirty minutes.
She bit her lip and glanced at the other choices.
“This one or the princesses. Or maybe—”
“Amanda, we are about to be late to meet your daddy.”
“But I can’t make up my mind!”
Clearly, Spock thought. He tried to imagine what his husband would do in this situation. Knowing Jim he’d probably get all of them. That’s the way Jim’s mind worked, at least when it came to their daughter.
“What are you going to give, Daddy?” Amanda suddenly asked.
Spock drew a blank as he had not intended to give Jim anything for the made-up day. It was one thing for a child but…
“Is Daddy giving me something?”
“Course.”
Spock shook his head. He had no idea. But for now he decided he would take a page from Jim’s playbook.
“Let us just get both the dogs and cats and the princesses.”
“Yay!” Her smile brightened up the whole store.
A decision made, Spock and Amanda made it to the register to, at last, check out.
He smiled faintly at his husband’s voice, already aware through the bond they shared that Spock was on his way to find him.
“Doctor McCoy said you left the celebration.”
Jim nodded even as Spock came up behind him and pulled him into his arms, wrapping his strong arms around Jim’s middle.
“Not really in the mood for all that.”
“You are sad.”
It sounded faintly accusatory and Jim supposed from Spock it kinda was. But he knew Spock meant well.
“Just a bit. Been a trying day.”
“I heard that Ensign Walker didn’t make it.”
Jim nodded. “I knew his mom. You know, back in the academy. She wasn’t his mom then.” He laughed. “God I feel old.”
“You are in the prime of your life,” Spock insisted.
“Mm. Thanks to evil maniacal blood.”
“Blood has no emotions or such characteristics. It is simply blood.”
“Well, in his case not simple.”
“I am grateful for what it has done for you. What else has you sad?
“I don’t know. Just…sometimes it gets to be a lot.” Jim turns and buries his face in Spock’s neck. “But you here with me is the best thing ever. I love you so much.”
“And I love you, my T’hy’la. If you do not wish to return to the party there is a massage waiting for you in our bedroom.”
“Now I really love you.” He kissed Spock. “You really are the best. Ever. Thank you.”
“Geez, I’ve never been so cold in my life,” Jim complained. He’d been fiddling with the heater controls in the farmhouse for what seemed like hours but was likely no more than twenty minutes. “What kind of moron decides to arrive in the middle of the worst blizzard to hit Riverside in decades.”
“When the plans were made, no blizzard was anticipated,” the robot replied.
Okay, he supposed that was unfair. The robot was Spock and he wasn’t really a robot. Still, Jim was mildly annoyed with him so at present he didn’t give a damn.
He eyed the Vulcan who wore a big woolen sweater as he gazed blankly back at Jim. He had been of no help whatsoever since they arrived. Jim had gotten the fire going in the living room and now he was fiddling with the heater to try to get it to go on.
His family had never switched to a computer-controlled heat apparatus. They’d been convinced an old-fashioned heater was “charming”. Charming his ass.
“If I’m this cold you must be freezing,” Jim said as amiably as he could manage under the circumstances.
“As a Vulcan, I am able to—”
“Blah blah blah.” If Jim didn’t have his hands full of instruments, he’d be sticking his fingers in his ears. Immature? No doubt. “You know you didn’t have to come with me.”
Jim was sorry he’d come with himself. Or you know, whatever. Stupid blizzard.
They’d barely made it there and he wanted to turn right around and leave except the weather got even worse and they’d been stuck.
“You did not want me to?” Spock asked, neutrally.
He had wanted Spock to. They’d just started a…thing…er a whatever. Prior to this shore leave or break, they’d maybe had sex. Okay, not maybe, they had. Even though they hadn’t had the conversation as to what that meant at all. Jim didn’t really want to have that conversation. It made him sick even thinking about that conversation. And as far as he could tell the robot didn’t either.
But instead of answering that loaded question, Jim grimaced. “If I can’t get this heater started we’re going to be in a world of trouble. That fire isn’t going to do it to keep us warm enough.”
“I could look at it,” Spock offered.
And it was on the tip of his tongue to ask what a stupid Vulcan would know about an old-time heater, because he was that irritated with the world, but what the hell. He wasn’t having any luck.
He stepped aside and thrust the tools into Spock’s hands. “Knock yourself out. Well, actually, don’t. I don’t think I have any medical equipment for that.”
Spock didn’t bother to comment on that and Jim didn’t blame him.
With a sigh, he rubbed his neck and said, “I’ll be right back. I gotta pee.”
So he trudged up the basement stairs, shivering madly as he made his way up to the bathroom. He was really starting to hate this place and he was going to have more than a few words with his mom over it.
In the bathroom, having to lower his pants to pee, he thought his dick was going to break off it was so damn frozen.
He was eying the faucet and wondering how cold the water would be when he washed his hands when he suddenly heard the heater kick on.
A moment later a triumphant Spock came up from the basement, looking altogether pleased with himself.
“How did you—”
“Well, scientifically speaking, I—”
Jim covered Spock’s mouth with his to shut him up.
Spirk (with a small dose of Pinto) 