Jim laughed and Spock had to admit that he didn’t understand that reaction at all.
He opened his mouth to ask, but stopped when Jim suddenly buried his face in his hands and let out a rather long and loud exhale.
“Jim? Are you…well?”
“No. I mean, who would be?” Jim laughed again, but then lowered his hands from his face. His eyes looked a little wet. “This is nuts. I finally meet a guy I really like and he’s an outer space alien capable of mind control.”
Spock stiffened. “It does not work like that.”
“Maybe not. But how do I really know? Humans…or Earthlings, from now anyway, we don’t just have mind connections, bonds of that sort, with anyone else.”
“I am aware.”
Jim nodded. “And yet you look offended.”
“I am offended,” Spock agreed. “I would never attempt to control your mind or any other part of you, Jim. In your interactions with me thus far have I given you any reason to believe in any way I would seek to harm you or master you?”
“No,” Jim said, softly. “But put yourself in my shoes, Spock. If I came to where you lived and said I was from the future and we were fated mates, how would you react to that?”
“I do not know.”
“It’s just…this is a lot to process all at once.” Jim stood. “Anyway, we should probably get our stuff together and check out. We have a bit of a drive ahead of us.”
“Very well.” Spock stood too, intending to fetch his overnight bag.
Jim put his hand on Spock’s chest. “I will process it, though. I don’t know where this leaves us.”
Spock nodded. “I only know that with our being T’hy’la, it is going to be very difficult for me to be parted from you.”
“It will anyway. And I wish I could say we’ll figure this out, but I don’t know that we can or even how we would begin to. You can’t stay here. I mean, unless we can’t send you back, and God, I hope, we can.”
Spock said nothing to that.
“You must know how impossible it is for you to stay here, Spock. With that green blood—
“My heart is also in my side,” Spock explained.
Jim’s eyes widened. “Damn.
“Yes, another complication.”
“Anyway, let’s get on the road.” Jim leaned in and kissed Spock, and it was somehow even more thrilling, more poignant than even before.
Jim woke in the morning to Spock carefully studying him.
It seemed that Spock had been up for a while as he was dressed, and the drapes were pulled from the hotel’s sliding glass doors to reveal morning in Bodega Bay. Predictably misty and foggy as usual.
Jim felt a little groggy still, so he accepted the cup of coffee Spock handed him gratefully.
“Morning.”
“Good morning, Jim.”
Spock was staring at him much more intently than he normally did, so Jim knew something was up. And then there was the really strange clarity he suddenly felt.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“We need to talk. There are…something has occurred which you need to be aware of.”
Jim took a sip or two more of coffee, and let his gaze stray out the window. “I really have to pee,” he said suddenly. He set the coffee down, got up, and did his business in the bathroom.
Afterward he stared at his reflection. He looked pretty much the same and yet…
“Jim?”
He steadied himself for a moment by grasping the edge of the sink. He heard Spock speak with his ears and also…
Jim opened he bathroom door and looked out at Spock.
“Are we…are we still melded?”
“Not exactly.” Spock took his hand and led him over to the table and chairs where they’d sat last night. He brought Jim his coffee. “I advised you last night that we are touch telepaths.”
“Mm.”
“Vulcan also have telepathic bonds with each other. Familial bonds for example between a child and his parents. And many Vulcans are bonded as children to eventually marry their bondmate and live their lives as a bonded pair.”
Jim frowned. “Were you bonded as a child?”
“Negative. Vulcan children generally are, but in fact I am half Human and half Vulcan.”
“Yeah? I didn’t know that.”
Spock nodded. “My mother is Human. Given the unknowns with regard to my future, it was decided I would not be thus bonded. My mother argued for me to be allowed the bond of my choosing and in this, quite unusually, she was successful. Because of this, I simply never realized.”
Jim took another swallow of coffee. “Realized?”
“That I had a T’hy’la bond that awaited me. It is difficult to explain in your vernacular, but it is somewhat close to a fated soulmate.” He paused. “Last night when we melded while making love, we…consummated that bond and it fully formed between us.”
Jim stared at him. “Wait. Are you-are you saying I’m your fated soulmate?”
“Yes, we formed a telepathic bond last night. In simple terms, we are married.”
Spock found himself speechless and staring at Jim, unable to think what to say. He’d been found out. Now Jim obviously knew he was not “normal” and yet he didn’t look particularly bothered by Spock’s secret.
Jim sighed just a little then. More of a soft huff of breath.
“You know what? Let’s take care of your cuts first. The rest can wait. Lower your pants or take them off.”
He made it sound like an order and Spock wasn’t sure why, but he obeyed. He turned a bit from where they stood, undid his trousers and lowered them to his feet, and then stepped out of them.
Jim bent down and picked them up. “They’re definitely ruined. I hope you brought another pair.”
“I did,” Spock spoke softly. He was worried. He couldn’t deny it and it was not a pleasant feeling.
Jim smiled, unexpectedly. “It’s all right.” He opened the bag and took out bandages and a small container of peroxide. “I can use this, right?”
Spock nodded.
He poured some out on a cotton ball, then knelt on the floor of the room in front of Spock.
“Just a few scraps is all. I was afraid you’d cut it bad enough for stitches.” Jim shook his head. “I’d have to find a way to sew it up myself obviously.”
“Jim.” But he stopped, not knowing what else to say.
“Does it hurt?” Jim asked after wiping the scrapes with the peroxide soaked cotton balls.
“Just a dull sting.”
Jim glanced up at him. “You can take your hat off, Spock.”
Spock did, still staring rather dumbly at this unusual Human.
Next Jim opened a couple of bandages and put them across the scrapes. He then sat back a bit to look at them.
“Good as new. Or almost.” He looked up at Spock again. “Want to help me up?”
Spock reached down and easily tugged Jim to his feet.
“You’re pretty strong.”
“I…have three times your strength.”
Jim’s tongue came out to trace his lips. “Do you?”
“Yes.”
Jim put his hand on Spock’s hipbone. “You want to put on a robe or something while we talk?”
“Perhaps, yes.”
Jim moved away and Spock felt a bit bereft by that, though that felt foolish.
He went into the hotel room closet and pulled out one of the terrycloth robes there and handed it to Spock, who put it on without comment.
Jim gestured to the table and chairs in the room. “Wanna sit?”
Spock let out a long breath and did so. He was surprised when Jim moved to the small kitchenette in the room and made them both cups of hot tea. The fact that Jim wasn’t running screaming from him was rather remarkable. Spock thought based on what he knew, this was quite remarkable.
Jim put the cups of tea on the table and then took the other chair.
“Honestly, Spock, that explains a lot.”
“Does it?”
Jim nodded. “Green blood, pointed ears. I never…they just look natural, I guess. The slightly different way you act. Just several things. You aren’t from here, are you?”
“I am not.”
Jim smiled faintly. “Or Massachusetts.”
Spock shook his head. “Not from Earth at all. And from the future.”
“Yeah?”
“You do not seem surprised.”
Jim shrugged. “I’m a little drunk but not that drunk. There are many things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
“Shakespeare.”
“Yeah. But it applies. I’m a scientist. I know there are many things we don’t know. And that we don’t know we don’t know.”
“I am from Vulcan. Many years from now, our species makes first contact with Earth. How am I here? A colleague and I were on a routine mission when our ship—
“A space ship?”
“Indeed. A Vulcan ship. We were on a supply mission. We encountered some anomaly that thrust us into your timeline and then your air force became aware of our existence, though I do not know what they thought of us. They attempted to shoot us down and we crashed.”
“Crashed?”
“Yes. My colleague perished. I was able to survive and bury much of the wreckage. As far as I know my appearance here has remained a secret until you as I have been here for months trying to find a way back to where I came from.”
“And that’s why you say you are here temporarily.”
“Yes. I know it sounds fantastical but…all that is correct.”
“I see the evidence before my eyes.” Jim sighed and rubbed those eyes. “I just…I don’t know what to do about any of it right now.”
“Some Humans might wish to turn me into the authorities,” Spock said, carefully.
Jim gave him a look. “Why would I do that? And have you taken to some secret area in Roswell? Spock, I love you. I’m just…this is a lot to process.”
Spock was stunned. “You love me?”
Jim snorted. “Of course I love you. I just wasn’t aware I was in love with an alien from outer space.”
“I…have an attachment to you as well.”
Jim laughed then. “Good to know. We can’t do anything about any of this right now. Why don’t we finish our tea and go to bed?”
Spock nodded. Now that it was all out in the open with Jim it somehow felt better. And worse.
Photo by George Dolgikh @ Giftpundits.com on Pexels.com
It was evening now and Winona was trying not to be disappointed she hadn’t heard from Jim. That morning she’d gotten a message from Sam, his wife, Aurelan, and their son, Peter from Deneva where they were living.
But not a word from her baby.
She knew he was in space on a starship likely out of contact with Earth, but it was Mother’s Day and she was missing him.
So she took out a pint of strawberry swirl ice cream and she ate directly from the carton.
She didn’t get to hear from Jim often. He was an important captain in Starfleet, sent on many missions to save millions of lives. He’d called her on her birthday and before that on his. She never heard from him at holiday time.
Winona thought she should be used to it but she wasn’t really. And it had been even longer since she’d seen him in person. He’d been in a hospital in San Francisco after receiving some injury he wouldn’t give her details about. She’d heard the name Khan whispered by that doctor friend of his. And saw his Vulcan first officer standing sentinel by his side. She didn’t really know anything else.
But she’d gotten to hold him for a full ten minutes.
The door bell rang as she was about to finish off her ice cream and she went to the door slowly. She guessed she was getting a flower delivery, probably courtesy of Jim. He’d asked someone to ask someone to ask someone to get flowers to her.
It was something, anyway, though she would rather hear his voice.
There was a knock this time as she reached for the knob.
“Okay, Okay. Keep your shirt on.”
Winona opened the door and there he was.
Her baby.
She burst into tears as he pulled her close and held her.
Happy Mother’s Day out there in the US. It’s a sad day for me. We lost Ma a year ago in May (21) and last year was the last Mother’s Day with her, though in all honesty she wasn’t very alert even then.
Everything had been going well between them until Spock tripped on a rock coming out of the restaurant and fell to his knees on the hard pavement.
It wasn’t like him to be clumsy, but his shoe rolled on the rock and down he went.
Spock felt his trousers tear at the knee where he fell and the sting of pain from the tearing of his flesh there.
“Spock!” Jim cried out, reaching for him, but it was too late, and the damage had been done. “Are you okay?”
“I am…undamaged.” Spock paused. “Mostly.”
“Yeah, you fell right on your knees. That had to smart.”
Jim hooked a hand under Spock’s arm to help him stand. His gaze went to the tear at Spock’s trousers.
“Looks like you scraped your knees. Ripped your pants too.”
Spock tried very hard not to panic. But it was summer and still quite daylight as they left the restaurant.
“I will take care of it back at the hotel room,” he said, trying for calm, though his heart raced hard in his side.
Jim was staring at his damaged knees though. His expression hadn’t changed or anything, but he was definitely staring there.
His gaze rose then, blue eyes searching Spock’s face. Spock expected to see some kind of recoil in those eyes that had become so precious to Spock, but there was no hint of anything like that.
“Yes, there should be a first aid kit there. Let’s go,” Jim replied.
He hooked his arm in Spock’s arm like there was nothing out of the ordinary and Spock began to believe that he had made a very close escape.
Outside the hotel office, Jim smiled just a bit. “Wait out here. I’m going to ask them for first aid stuff. Be right back.”
Spock watched as Jim flirted with the desk clerk, who produced supplies to Jim in a small paper bag.
Jim returned. “Lord, that was a pain.”
“Meaning?”
“I had to swear up and down you didn’t fall on the grounds and we wouldn’t sue. California’s a litigious state, my friend.” He grinned. “Come on, let’s get you taken care of.
They made their way to the room and Jim let them in.
Spock reached for the bag. “I’ll just go into the bathroom and clean this up myself.”
“God, that’s just…incredible,” Jim breathed against Spock’s mouth.
“I agree.”
Jim’s chuckle was hot against his face. “No, I mean…that you’d buy a coffeemaker just so I could…you know what? Who cares. We need to be…do you have the stuff?”
Spock was distracted from answering by Jim’s lips on his again. He liked Vulcan kissing, he did, but it had nothing on the way Humans kissed. And Jim was obviously an expert.
Jim pulled away, looking a question.
“Stuff?” Spock asked, unable to think about anything but having Jim’s mouth on his again.
“Condom and lube?”
Spock blinked, stared, and then shook his head. He hadn’t even thought far enough ahead to think about actual sex with Jim. And he absolutely should have because he’d be lying if he said he didn’t want it.
There were complications though.
While his penis looked very similar to a Human male’s penis, and Spock was half-Human himself, he couldn’t hide that his blood was green and therefore that would cause his penis to be a different color than Jim’s. His penis also secreted some amount of self-lubrication.
He’d also forgotten sexually transmitted diseases would still be an issue in this time period, and therefore condoms still widely used. Perhaps a condom might hide some of the difference in color should Spock wear one, but the fact of the matter was he did not have any such “stuff” as Jim called it.
“I do not,” Spock admitted reluctantly. “I had not thought—”
Jim kissed him again, hard and soft at the same time. When he pulled back, Spock refused to let him get far.
“Hang on, hang on. I do. I have them. I just…” Spock nibbled on Jim’s jaw, which pulled the most erotic moan out of Jim, Spock had to almost bite his own tongue to keep from coming. “I have to-to go next door and get them.”
“Yes,” Spock agreed.
“You have to let go of me to be able to get them,” Jim said with another warm laugh.
Spock nodded and released his hold on the Human.
“I’ll be right back.”
And Spock let Jim go, leaning against the wall, closing his eyes, panting.
“What the heck is that?” Jim asked Nyota as she unwrapped her lunch in front of him.
They were sitting on a park bench in the park directly next to the university where they both taught. While Jim was all physics, Nyota taught linguistics.
“It’s a veggie wrap, Einstein. The wrap itself is made from spinach so it’s gluten-free.”
“That doesn’t look like real mayo.”
“It’s a vegan alternative. And before you ask, no of course there’s no cheese.”
Jim wrinkled his nose. He opened his paper bag. He’d picked up McDonald’s on the way to the park. It was literally right next door. He’d gotten two cheeseburgers and a small fries. After all he didn’t want to overdo it.
“How’s the visit go with your folks?”
“Good. My dad’s on the mend. It was good to see them, but man traffic was a bitch.”
She eyed him as he took a big bite of his cheeseburger. “Smaller bites or you’ll choke.”
“Mm.” Jim chewed and swallowed. Took a sip from his coke. “You ask Scotty out yet?”
“No. I mean I want to, but…” She shrugged. “I guess I’m old-fashioned and I want him to pursue me.”
Jim rolled his eyes. “Let me know how that works out.”
“How about you and that weird neighbor?”
“I was making some sort of progress, but I screwed it up and now it’s a no go.”
“How so?”
“Remember his cosplay ears?”
Nyota nodded, biting delicately into her wrap. “Sure. Legolas or whatever, right?”
Jim sighed and shook his head. Took another fortifying bite, slightly smaller since she was giving him her judgmental eye, and then chewed and swallowed. “It’s not.”
“Not what?”
“For cosplay. I guess it’s like a birth defect or something. I mean, he said he was born with the pointy ears. Anyway, I, um, I asked if he spoke Elvish.”
“Elvish?”
“Some of them do. You know they get into all that. Absolutely the wrong thing to ask him as he got obviously offended and told me he was born with his ears and it wasn’t cosplay. The rest of the evening was pretty strained. We were supposed to maybe have dinner together tonight, but he mentioned not a word of it. So…”
“Hmm. Might be for the best.”
“How so?”
“As it happens.” She paused to smile. “I have the perfect girl for you to go out with. She’s free Friday night and you could take her to see the latest Marvel movie. She loves them.”
Jim groaned. “Marvel? Man, those are so stupid. All those stupidly bulked up actors.” He popped a fry into his mouth. “What’s her name?”
“Candy.”
He gave her the side-eye. “Like cotton candy?”
Nyota laughed. “No. Well, her name’s Candace, but everyone calls her Candy. Since she was a little girl. Anyway, she loves wine.”
“So?”
“So? Your family has a vineyard.”
“My dad and brother do, yes. But I sure as hell don’t.”
“I’ve told her all about you and I showed her your picture from my phone and she thinks you’re hot.”
“Which picture?”
“The one from last year’s Halloween.”
Jim sighed and sucked down more coke. “Does she know I’m bi?”
Nyota rolled her eyes. “It’s not like that’s the first thing I say about you, so no. But why should it matter?”
He shrugged. “It does to some. They don’t like thinking of me sleeping with guys.”
“I don’t think she’s like that.” Nyota took out her phone and swiped her finger across the screen. She then handed it to him. On her screen was a picture of a long-legged model type brunette.
“She is pretty,” Jim admitted.
“Then you’ll go?”
Something was making Jim hesitate and he just wasn’t sure what it was.
“I’ll think about it and let you know tomorrow.”
Nyota sighed, but returned her phone to her purse. “Fine. But if you don’t go out with her, someone else definitely will. You aren’t my only hot friend.”
“Yeah, yeah. You surround yourself with hotness.”
She sniffed. “Just let me know as soon as you can.”
Jim had to admit he hated seeing his big strong dad sitting in a recliner chair with a blanket draped over his shoulders and he felt the need to punch Sam in the nose for his earlier assurance their dad was okay. It brought home for Jim that his parents weren’t going to live forever. No one did, of course. But…
“There’s my baby!” His mom rushed at him, pulling him into a very tight and long hug.
“Don’t maul the boy, Win,” his dad grumbled.
“I’m not a baby or a boy,” Jim protested as his mother dragged him forward.
“Sit down on the couch there across from Dad. What can we get you? Are you hungry? Do you want a sandwich? I have fish in the freezer. Or maybe you’d rather have steak?”
Jim laughed. “Mom. I’m good.”
“You left right after work though right? You didn’t eat? You didn’t eat one of those awful, greasy fast food burgers while you were driving, did you?”
“Mother, leave him alone.” But Sam was grinning.
“Well.” She sniffed. “He’s probably hungry.”
“In a bit, Mom. I want to see how you and Dad are.”
“Fine, fine. You didn’t have to come all this way,” Dad said. “But since you did, how about a game of chess later?”
“You’re supposed to rest.”
“Chess isn’t going to wear him out, Mom.”
She stuck her tongue out at Jim’s brother.
“Jim almost brought someone with him.”
Jim almost did kick him then. “Shut up. Why did I tell you?”
“Because you tell your brother shit like that.”
Mom looked at Jim doubtfully. “You met someone, Jim?”
“Why do you all react like that?”
His father chuckled and patted Jim’s leg. “Because you’re bookish.”
“I am not bookish. I’ve had plenty of dates and things. They’ve all just not worked out.”
“Who are you sweet on?” his dad asked.
Jim groaned. “I’m not sweet on anyone. I just…I like my neighbor. I only just met him which is why I didn’t bring him.”
“If he’s like that Gary person, no thank you.” His mom shuddered. “He gave me the creeps.”
“He’s nothing like Gary.”
“What about Ruth? She was snooty,” Sam pointed out.
“I still say she stole my bracelet.”
Jim buried his face in his hands. “He’s not a snooty thief either.”
Dad laughed outright. “What’s loverboy’s name?”
Jim stood. “You know what, Mom? I am hungry. Starving in fact.”
“Okay, okay.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the kitchen. “You do look too skinny.”
Jim loved them. He did. But man was he glad he hadn’t brought Spock.
For a long time, the Human who’d introduced himself as Jim just looked at Spock. There was no fear on his face nor even open curiosity. His expression was simply blank. He rivaled any trained Vulcan Spock had known.
When the silence stretched on, Spock finally spoke.
“You do not seem surprised.”
“Well. I’m not sure exactly where Vulcan is,” Jim said honestly. He really was quite a handsome man. “Is it part of another country?”
Ah, that explained it.
“Do you not see my ears?”
Jim nodded. “Cosplay?”
“Cosplay?”
“Uh-huh. Like for an elf. Lord of the Rings I’m guessing. You just come from a convention?”
Spock frowned. “I am not an elf. My ears are…real.”
Jim cocked his head. “Plastic surgery? It’s cool. Whatever gets your goat.”
“Gets my…”
Jim smiled then. It was an appealing smile. “So not a monk?”
“I am not.”
Jim opened the pizza box. “You have any paper plates?”
“They are wasteful.”
“That a no?”
“It is, yes.” Spock gestured to his dining room table. “Perhaps we’d better sit down.”
Jim moved to do just that as Spock got out two non-paper plates from the apartment’s cupboard. He also poured himself a small cup of Sake.
“Do you wish a glass for your malt beverage?”
Those plump lips curved. “I’m good.”
Spock brought his Sake to the table and took the offered plate from Jim with a slice of pizza.
In truth, since his unexpected arrival there, Spock was not in the habit of explaining his appearance. Both in theory and physical. Most Humans would have trouble believing anyway. So Spock was uncertain what cause himself to lower the hood to expose his ears.
In general when leaving his apartment, Spock wore a hat or hood to cover his nonconformity.
“New here huh?”
“I have recently come to occupy this apartment, yes.”
He had been stranded on Earth for several months now, but found it necessary to leave the first place he stayed.
“I resided on the Eastern side of town until recently.”
“Rent increase?”
Actually, the warehouse he had been hiding in had been demolished.
“Something like that.”
“What do you do?” Jim asked. “Like I said before, I’m a teacher. I teach physics. Full name is Jim Kirk.”
Spock nodded. “As it happens, I am looking to get a position as a teacher myself at the Science Institute. I have interviewed and expect a decision at any time. In the meantime, I am waiting tables at an Asian Fusion restaurant on the corner.”
“Oh, yeah, I know that place. Good food. So are you a scientist?”
“Correct.”
“Cool. I’m glad we have so much in common. What’s your name?”
“As I said, Spock.”
“No, I mean, your whole name.”
“Spock.”
“Oh. Okay. Like Cher or Bono. Gotcha.”
Spock did not know what Jim got but he let it pass.
After he finished a couple of slices of pizza and his cup of Sake, Spock waited for Jim to decide to leave. He liked Jim and didn’t mind the company, but he hadn’t failed to notice several yawns from the Human.
“Sorry, long week. And my dad’s in the hospital, so a bit stressful.”
“I am sorry to hear it. Is he gravely il?”
“Not anymore. He had bypass surgery though. I’m going to drive out there to see them next week.”
“Where is out there?”
Jim laughed and it was a pleasing sound. Not that Spock could get close to Jim. Or anyone. His main goal was to return to where he came from. If that was possible.
“Originally Iowa. Riverside. But we moved away from there a few years back. The family unit now lives in Napa. My dad has a small vineyard. Sam helps him run it.” Jim smiled. “Sam’s my older brother. And now I’m babbling my life story. It’s just…you’re really easy to talk to.” Jim stood then and picked up his empty pizza box. Spock noted he had eaten quite a bit of it.
“I’ll let you get back to whatever you were doing. I hope to see you again, Spock. It was nice to meet you.”
Spirk (with a small dose of Pinto) 