For this one I decided to post the whole thing (including the previous part from November 1, so you don’t have to go back and find it.)
Spock had only been seeing Jim for three weeks when Jim announced he would be leaving for a good part of the month of November.
They’d met at the beginning of the school year. Spock had already done all the course work for the Academy and graduated. Jim was behind him a few years but he was speeding through his courses and was teaching a battle tactics class for extra credit. Everyone Spock knew was highly impressed with the young son of George Kirk who had never known his father.
Spock among them.
It took him until the middle of October before he asked Jim out. It was for something simple, coffee and tea. Jim had accepted with this soft smile that showed his bunny teeth and Spock had been smitten.
They’d taken things rather slowly, in Spock’s opinion. In the three weeks they had seen each other nearly every night, they had shared a few kisses, but nothing more.
He’d gotten advice from Pike one day and he had shared with Spock that despite appearances and rumors that Jim was actually shy.
When Jim told him he would be going away for November, Spock had been stunned into momentary silence.
“Nothing to say?” Jim asked, with that same soft smile.
“Are you leaving the Academy?”
“No.” Jim laughed though Spock didn’t know what was funny. Jim laughed a lot and it often puzzled Spock but it was such an infectious laugh, Spock didn’t mind. “I’ve cleared it with them. I’ll be back before the end of the month. My friend will be covering my battle tactics class while I’m gone.”
“Where are you going?”
“I have a friend I need to visit on a faraway planet.”
He never said what planet and after he left, Spock realized he should have asked. He’d only said he would be back on November 21 in the afternoon.
Jim had said before he departed, “Don’t worry, Spock, I’ll be back before you know it.”
That turned out not to be true. Spock knew that some said time flew but all Spock realized that each day with Jim gone was agonizingly long.
Spock had fallen in love with Jim without even knowing it. And when Jim did come back, because Spock found himself almost praying that he would, Spock would make sure Jim knew.
At some point Spock began to become concerned that this “friend” Jim went to visit was a lover. He hadn’t explained and Spock hadn’t thought it was right to ask, but now he wished he had. There were so many things he wished now.
In the meantime, he would have to wait until November 21st.
It was agonizing.
Spock had made the decision as the date for Jim to return approached to try to guess what time Jim would be arriving so he could be there to wait for Jim. He didn’t want to waste another moment.
He had narrowed it down to two shuttles as Jim had indicated he’d be back in the afternoon.
One was a direct shuttle flight from Venetia and the other one connected from Tarsus IV to Space Station 6 and then to San Francisco.
It was this second one that gave Spock pause. He was familiar with the story of Tarsus IV and with dread he realized, maybe by instinct, that this was where Jim had visited.
This likely meant Jim had spent time there himself if he knew an occupant, and that, to Spock, explained his rather shy, reserved behavior.
Spock was determined more than ever to be waiting there for Jim.
To be absolutely certain he was not mistaken, Spock waited at the shuttle bay for the Venetia shuttle arriving first that afternoon. No Jim stepped out of the crowd getting off that shuttle.
After that he had some small amount of anxiety that Jim would not be on either shuttle, and had, in fact, decided not to return. After all he had received not a single message from Jim since he’d left.
But he tamped down that insecurity. No need to look for trouble where it might not exist.
And when that other shuttle arrived, Spock tried not to hold his breath. At least for too long.
But about way through the exodus of passengers, Jim came down the ramp toward the direction Spock waited.
At first he didn’t appear to notice Spock. But then at the bottom of the ramp his steps fumbled just a touch and then he smiled brightly.
“Spock!”
That removed any doubt that Jim would find him waiting there unwelcome. And for some completely unVulcany reason, Spock opened his arms at Jim’s approach.
If Jim had hesitated even an instant, Spock would have been overcome by extreme embarrassment. Because yes, Vulcans could be embarrassed, despite protestations to the contrary.
But Jim went straight into Spock’s arms and wrapped his own around Spock, drawing him in close.
It felt like home.
So much so that Spock was reluctant to let go and step back, but mindful of prying eyes, always, he eventually did.
Jim continued to smile warmly at him. “I didn’t expect you to be waiting here.”
“I could not resist,” Spock admitted. “I found I missed you more than I had expected.”
“God, I missed you too. Seemed like torture.” Jim reached for Spock’s hand and held it.
“Your-your visit went well?”
Jim nodded. “Yeah, it went okay.” He looked around and then back to Spock. “Listen, can we get out of here and go where somewhere where, uh, we can be alone?”
Spock’s insides churned. “I’d like nothing better.”
Jim leaned in then and kissed Spock so quick it was almost as if it hadn’t happened, except that Spock’s lips tingled.
“And I’m back right in time for Thanksgiving.”
“Thanksgiving?”
“I have a lot to be grateful for. And you will too after tonight.” Jim laughed then, turning a little pink.
“Yes,” Spock murmured. “I believe you are correct.”
They grabbed Jim’s luggage and then headed for the exit, Jim still keeping hold of Spock’s hand in a most unseemly way. Spock didn’t mind.
“Jim.”
Jim stopped and turned to Spock. “Yeah?”
“I…uh…I find that I have fallen in—”
Jim grinned and squeezed Spock’s hand. “Me too, Spock. Come on.”
Jim was quite right, Spock felt a lot of gratitude. And later, he would learn just what Jim’s connection to Tarsus IV was, but for now, he was content to have Jim where he belonged…with Spock.
Spirk (with a small dose of Pinto) 