Happy Pride Month 3
Spock stared around the room with a blank expression. Well, to most people, all his expressions were blank no matter what the situation, but Jim could tell the difference between the faint flickers of emotion his boyfriend swore he didn't have and true blankness. This is expression was it.
So, the Vulcan was confused. Jim let him have his moment of trying to work things out, his sharp gaze flicking from the rose petals scattered messily around the room, the candles on the table, the dim lighting and the soft melody playing in the background. Spock was not unaware of human romantic traditions, of course, but why now? He and Jim had been romantically involved for a almost a year now- no, precisely a year, if his calculations were correct- and he had never attempted something like this.
"Jim, if this is an attempt to woo me, surely you know that this is unnecessary." He glanced at the human with a raised brow, hands closed behind his back. "You have already succeeded."
And Jim could have just melted at that matter-of-fact statement. Somehow Spock always managed to say the sweetest things so casually, as if he were giving a science report, and despite the lack of traditional emotion behind his speech, it hit home exactly the way it was meant to. He chuckled and rubbed his neck nervously, nodding. "Yeah, I know, but tonight is special."
"Because it is our anniversary." Spock quirked a tiny smile in understanding. Of course his human boyfriend would find these little things important to celebrate. He was on board with it, if only to make him happy. "Very well. I suppose that is an adequate reason for strewing our quarters with dead flowers."
Jim laughed, drawing Spock into a quick kiss, hands firm around the other man's waist. "Yes, well, that too. But it's not the only reason. Why don't we sit down?"
Now Spock was intrigued, Jim could see the flicker of it as it crossed his face. He simply nodded and took his seat at the table, staring curiously at his boyfriend as he did the same. The candle flames danced teasingly in the air between them as Jim poured them both some wine- real stuff, by the smell of it, not the synthehol that he just loved to complain about.
"So," Jim started, taking a sip of wine before he continued. He looked out of place in such a sophisticated scene, more suited to sculling whiskey in a bar than drinking wine over candlelight, but that was neither here nor there. "We've been together for a year."
Spock dulled the urge to point out that they had 'been together' for longer that that, as they had worked in close proximity on the same ship for years now, and simply answered "Yes."
"And we've known each other for a lot longer."
"Yes."
"So, what do you think of... us, so far?"
Spock blinked. "Are you referring to how I view our relationship as progressing in the last year?"
"Yes," Jim echoed his boyfriend's curt answers.
"I think we are growing in closeness and intimacy and that we will continue to do so," he answered smoothly. To anyone other than Jim, he would have sounded nonchalant, indifferent. To anyone other than Jim, those words wouldn't have stirred hope and love in the deepest fibres of their being.
"So you definitely see a future for us?" It wasn't a question that really needed to be asked at this point, but Jim asked it anyway, yearning precise answers that would give him the go-ahead for his plan.
"Of course." Spock definitely sounded surprised by the question, expecting the answer to be the most obvious thing in the universe. "Do you... not?"
That tiny pause showed a world of vulnerability in a moment. Jim hastened to clear it away. "I do! Of course I do! I was just-" he trailed off, starting to chuckle as he shook his head. "I do..." he muttered softly, the simple little words making his heart beat in triple time. We didn't want to wait and draw things out like this. God forbid he chickened out and didn't end up doing what he came here to do. He shoved his hand in his pocket, fumbling for the velvet casing that seemed to want to ruin the most important moment of life like by catching on the fabric.
"Jim. If you are attempting to propose marriage to me, as I suspect you are about to do, I will save you the effort of kneeling." Spock eyed him wrestling with his pocket, a peculiar look crossing his face, and in that moment Jim felt the world stutter to a halt. Surely he wasn't... he wasn't going to... Not after all this time...
Spock was pulling out a ribbon from his pocket, and holding his hand out expectantly, when Jim let himself breathe again. He stopped wrestling and sat up straight, reaching out. Spock took his hand and wrapped an end of the ribbon around his fingers, slow and methodical, before wrapping his own in turn and resting their hands together. He quirked a smile at him, his expression warmer than he had ever seen. "What-?" Jim swallowed quickly, confusion taking over. He knew some Vulcan rituals, but not all, and this wasn't on the list.
"I was already going to ask you to join me in koon-ut-so'lik," the Vulcan said softly, sounding amused. "I was simply looking for the right time."
"What?" Jim said again, the ribbon soft against his shaking fingers. Why was he shaking? He was so confused.
"I'm proposing to you, Jim," he elaborated.
Jim felt his world stutter to a halt for the second time, before he reached into his pocket and this time managed to pull out the box. Opening it one-handed and presenting it to his boyfriend, a smile spreading over his face, so wide that it hurt. "And I was proposing to you, Spock."
"I take it that your answer is affirmative, then?"
"And I take it that you accept?"
Spock smiled, then. He didn't smile often, but a marriage proposal seemed to be the appropriate moment to do so. It was like the sun, Jim mused dazedly. "I do."
"I do," Jim echoed, grinning stupidly. He let Spock entwine their hands, the brush of their fingers actually making him shiver a little at the lightness of his touch. A Vulcan kiss. Nice.
Spock let him pull him in for the human version, dinner forgotten. They had plenty of time for it later. The rest of their lives, in fact.