Jim felt vaguely silly carrying the stuffed animal he held in his arms to a convalescing Vulcan, but he was doing that actual thing.
He heard low voices as he approached Spock’s hospital room and for a moment he hesitated, thinking Uhura was probably in there with him, but just as he took a step backward, a somewhat harried looking nurse appeared.
“You here for Mister Spock, Captain?”
He nodded.
She grimaced. “Good luck.”
Then she walked away.
With a slight shrug, he went through the doorway and into Spock’s room. The Vulcan was sitting up, his usually impeccable bowl cut mussy. He cradled a cup of tea in his hands and in front of him was an untouched plate of food.
“Hey,” Jim greeted him with a smile.
“Captain!” Spock straightened like he planned to salute or something.
“At ease, Spock. I’m not here as your captain, but your friend.” Jim thrust the stuffy at him. “Uh. This is a…”
Spock stared at the stuffed creature in his hands. “A sehlat?”
Jim felt his face flush. “Yeah. Um, so your dad—”
“My father?”
“Yes. He told me where I could get one.” Jim chuckled self-consciously. “Your dad’s okay.”
Spock’s gaze moved to the sehlat. “Thank you.”
Jim smiled and put it on the table beside the bed. “Uh, I don’t know if I…did I properly thank you for saving my life yet again?”
“Thanks are unnecessary.”
“They probably are.”
Spock shook his head, his gaze rather intense.
“Well, uh.” Jim cleared his throat. “We weren’t even on the ship.”
“An assassin attempted to end your life, I have no regrets.” Spock paused. “Fortunately.”
Jim licked his lips. “I’m just glad you’ll be okay. And that fucker was taken into custody. Did they say when you’ll be released?”
“Two more nights,” Spock said, sounding bitter. “I do not believe it is required. They think otherwise.”
Jim hid a smile. “I ran into one of your nurses.”
“A most disagreeable woman. You should sit, Captain.”
“Jim.” He looked around for a chair, but Spock padded a space on the bed. Surprised, Jim blinked and sat on the small space there. “I’m surprised Uhura isn’t here with you.”
“Nyota was here earlier to see me but she left some time ago.”
“She coming back later?”
Spock frowned slightly. “Perhaps tomorrow.”
“Oh? I thought she’d want to stay close the whole time you are here.”
Spock shook his head. “We are not together.”
“What?”
“Jim, we dissolved our relationship before the attack on Altamid.”
“But…I thought after you helped rescue her and at my party you guys seemed to be reconciling.”
“We considered it for a brief time,” Spock acknowledged. “But it became clear that it would not work considering the depth of our emotional attachment to each other had altered.”
Jim shook his head to clear it. “Uh. Okay.” Sometimes he really wished Spock would find an easy way to say something. “Why is that?”
Spock held out his hand toward Jim, who though surprised, took Spock’s hand in his.
“My affections are for someone else,” Spock said simply.
“For someone…” Jim’s eyes widened as he looked into those dark chocolate eyes. “Oh.”
Spock’s lips curved into an almost smile. “Yes. Oh.”
Jim laughed, feeling rather giddy as he leaned forward for Spock’s kiss.
Spirk (with a small dose of Pinto) 