Vulcan - 12 Years Ago
Kov rolled his nude body off of Spock's and laid beside him so that they were both on their backs, looking up at the ceiling. Their copulation had been successful, and both were breathing mildly shallow breaths as a result of their exertion. Spock's climax had been sufficient to relieve his energy and tension and the fact that Kov insisted on staying beside Spock for a significant period of time after completion confused Spock.
"Why do you remain after intercourse?" Spock asked. His question was simply out of curiosity, and Kov did not take it in any other way.
"It is healthy to rest after cardiovascular exercise in order to return the system to its normal stasis," Kov said matter of factly. His brown eyes and uncommonly-curly brown hair were aesthetically pleasing according to his classmates. "Additionally, I find that I derive comfort from sharing your presence for prolonged periods of time."
Spock accepted this. He could not say that he shared the perception, but he was aware that for many people sexual congress elicited endorphins that encouraged the continuation of the experience in order to derive sufficient benefits. He himself did not feel any attachment to Kov and therefore his motives were purely for release.
Spock said nothing. Instead, he pondered the logic of sex. Obviously, sex was part of a healthy lifestyle for young Vulcan males. It was widely culturally accepted as essential, as their biological cycle settled into its own rhythm that it would adhere to for the remainder of their lives. Each Vulcan was different, and some would have their first Pon Farr much sooner than others. Sex during this formative time was crucial to a healthy cycle.
Spock was unsure how his own cycle might settle. Being half human, he did not experience the need for sex in the same way other Vulcan males his age did. When asked, they expressed that there was a biochemical urge in their brains that encouraged them to seek a warm body. Spock had not noticed his brain's chemicals exhibit any imbalances. Sex simply appealed to him as a form of loosening, releasing something in his chest that seemed perpetually tight.
This appealed to him first with Kov. When approached, Kov was amenable to the suggestion of copulation and they had been participating in such for 3.38 months now.
Kov did not stay long after that. He dressed and left Spock's room, presumably exiting his residence shortly after.
Kov and Spock fornicated only twice more. Spock thought it illogical to foster a longer relationship when it was apparent that Kov was interested in Spock romantically, and Spock was not interested in nurturing a romantic endeavor at that time.
Until Spock accepted Starfleet's offer of admission when he was 20, he continued to arrange sexual endeavors with other individuals. He was careful in choosing his partners from then on, making clear the expectations of their arrangement. He did not have any more talks like that one with Kov.
11 Years ago on Terra
Jim watched Gaia from his bed. He shivered beneath the sheets, cold. The muscles in Gaia's back contracted and rippled as she put her white tank top back on over her head. Her short dark hair bobbed around her shoulders and she turned back towards him, looking for her jeans which were at the foot of the bed.
"I don't know what to tell you," she said, slipping each foot into its respective pant leg. "You're just kinda… young. It'd be weird."
Jim rolled his eyes and threw his head back on his pillow. "Not too young to fuck, though," he said. Gaia looked over at him then, belt buckle forgotten. The senior girl's eyebrows darkened, and then she made a small, abortive shrug.
"Bye, Jim," she said, clearly expecting some kind of response. Jim turned over to face the window, bright light reflecting from the snow outside. He ignored her until she huffed and walked out of his bedroom.
They all wanted to fuck him, but god forbid they stay to keep him warm for an hour or two.
None of the girls his age were having sex yet, but the older girls thought Jim was charming, and maybe a little bit tall for his age. He brought them home to his house, empty as it was, and they fucked. But that was it. Jim supposed he wasn't sure he was looking for anything more than that.
He just hated being cold. And it felt so cold after they left.
Jim learned quickly enough not to expect much from sex. It was a good way to have fun, and what else was there to do in boring old Iowa? Not a whole lot. Basically you could sleep around or sleep. They weren't particularly exciting options, but Jim had experienced life off-planet once and he decided he'd much rather be bored in sleepy Riverside than stowed away on some cargo ship to see where it took him.
So sex was an acceptable pastime in Iowa. He stopped seeking out the warmth from those harried minutes, or hours if he was with someone with an admirable stamina. The physical exercise flushed his skin, but he was always cold. He got used to it.
When he was old enough, he joined Starfleet. There wasn't much left for him to do on Terra, wasn't anything or anyone keeping him there. He worked his ass off for three years, and soon he had his own ship, the youngest Captain in the fleet. His aptitude tests were off the charts and his limited experience on the decimated Farragut that made him into a hero looked good on his record.
He was given a Vulcan XO, a science officer. He was fresh off a scientific mission on the same ship, the Enterprise. Jim had a hard time dealing with his command style at first, but they came to tepid understanding of each other in the first few months. Spock tended to balance Jim's intense emotions with glacial logic.
Life on the Enterprise was fulfilling. Jim helped people, discovered civilizations and cultures. He explored uncharted space and made friends with his crew members.
Unfortunately, fraternization regulations and clearance levels made his socialization stilted in ways he was unused to. In those first few months aboard the Enterprise, he found that he wasn't bothered by this. But as missions piled up and orders piled in, he started to see why kids on the command track were always told to be their own best friend. Being Captain was a solitary effort in so many more ways than he'd expected.
The tension that built up after commands or classified information came through was challenging to ease. There was so much to do, and there was so little he could do at any one time. Even a starship crew of people couldn't make that kind of reality less cold.
