It was not the first time Spock had heard Jim cry out. Generally he was tempted to check on him, but he had never done so since he had not wished to invade his captain’s privacy.
At the moment, they were on a temporary ship, presented to Jim basically to get rid of him because he was driving everyone crazy on Yorktown constantly asking for updates on the Enterprise. It was still far enough out for completion that they decided to send Kirk out before he got too antsy.
The new ship, the Enterprise that was, would no longer have these shared bathrooms between the captain and his first. Spock had seen the layout and each had a large bathroom of their own. The captain had expressed delight over this. As well as the overall expanded quarters.
This temporary ship did not have that, though, and he shared a bathroom still with Kirk.
And there was a particular element to this cry that alarmed Spock to the point that he could not block it out. So, he crossed through their shared bathroom and into the captain’s quarters, uninvited.
Jim, who had obviously been in bed, was now up and pacing the sleeping area of the quarters. He wore only pajama bottoms, no shirt. His hair stood on end and the color of his face was nearly as white as the sheets on the bed.
“Spock?”
“I apologize for the intrusion, Captain, but you did sound distressed and I was quite concerned.”
He stopped his pacing to wrap his arms around himself. “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you.”
“You did not.” Spock hesitated. “At least not in annoying fashion. I am disturbed only out of concern.”
Jim exhaled and gave Spock a very slight smile. “A really bad dream. Really bad.”
Spock knew that his captain was plagued by such things. He didn’t know how often.
“I tell myself it wasn’t real. But…”
“Would you care to talk about it?”
“Not really, no. It just…it was related to my time on…Tarsus.”
Spock stilled. He recalled that Jim had mentioned he’d been on Tarsus very very briefly when Spock had noticed his reaction to the name Kodos. Jim would not elaborate then. Nor apparently now.
“I grieve with thee.”
Jim ran a hand over his hair. “Thanks. Uh. Yeah.”
“Would you like to go back to bed? Perhaps I can assist you in sleeping?”
“No. No. Not at the moment. Was thinking about…eating.”
The soft, almost strangled way he said it made Spock’s heart squeeze in his side. His gaze went to a display of Valentine Cards on Jim’s desk. He’d forgotten what day it was. There were boxes of chocolates and cookies too.
Spock arched his brow.
Predictably, Jim noticed. He laughed. “Gifts from the crew.”
“Attempting to win your romantic favor?”
“Nah. I don’t think so. Just being nice, I guess.”
Spock stepped over to the gifts. One appeared to be a chocolate cheesecake. “Do you desire to eat some of this?”
Jim walked over. “Probably should since they went to all that trouble.”
“Have they been scanned?”
Jim gave him a wry smile. “You think my crew wants to poison me?”
“For known allergens to your person,” Spock said dryly.
“Oh.” Jim laughed. “No. Not for that. I’m sure it’s fine though.”
Spock was not. “I will scan them.”
“I really need a cup of coffee,” Jim said, moving off to the replicator. “You don’t really need to bother with that, Spock. In fact, why are you even here? Shouldn’t you be with Uhura?”
Pausing in the middle of scanning Jim’s gifts with a tricorder, Spock glanced at him. “Why would I be with Nyota?”
“Because it’s Valentine’s Day, Spock. Some lovers think that’s an important day.”
“Captain, Nyota and I ended our relationship before the events on Altamid.”
“Yeah. But, um, after you were injured and she was rescued, thanks to that necklace, I thought…you two seemed pretty cozy. Bones said you two were together at my party just last month.”
Spock put down his scanner. Shook his head. “Nyota and I remain on good terms as friends, but we have not reunited.”
“No?”
“There is no point to maintaining a relationship with someone when they love someone else.”
“Oh.” Jim nodded. He turned to get his coffee and then with it cradled in his hands, took a sip. “Who does she love then?”
Spock glanced down at all the Valentines on Jim’s desk. The cookies, the candy, the cheesecake, flowers. He wondered how one person could be that blind. But then he knew that Jim didn’t always have the love he should have. Spock hoped he was about to change that.
“I do not know,” Spock replied. “I do not wish to spend Valentine’s Day with her because I would rather spend it with who I am in love with.”
Jim took another sip of his coffee, oblivious to the last. “Yeah? Then why are you in here with me?”
Spock sighed. “I am spending it with the one I am in love with.”
Jim blinked. “Wait. What? What are you saying?”
“I love you.”
Jim set his coffee down and rushed at Spock. He grabbed Spock’s arms, his blue eyes wide with wonder. “Spock…”
“Jim. Be mine?”
