"Stay on your side, so it's even." Nyota rolled up the sleeves of her shirt and passed Jim a brush. "It has to look right, so stay in the pencil lines I drew." They were each sitting on opposite ends of a long roll of paper spread across the classroom floor.
"I know how to stay in a line, Ny." Jim rolled his eyes and took the brush.
He had no idea how he got roped into helping her make decorations, but hanging back after the last club meeting to flirt with Spock seemed to be his initial downfall. With just the three of them in the room, he couldn't say no when she asked. Apparently Spock could though, as he said he had a prior commitment. Jim had a feeling that was a lie to get out of helping, but he'd never known Spock to lie before.
"What are these for again?" He rolled up his own sleeves and dipped the brush in the paint before carefully starting on the banner.
"I told you. It's for recruitment. When students come to the recruitment meeting to see if they want to join the club for the spring semester, we'll have an advantage. In addition to decorations, Gaila's helping me make snacks and stuff…I got the idea from one of the people that runs the Model Federation Club."
"Model Federation…" He chuckled. "Even bigger nerds than this club. Well, you're actually on the right track with snacks. Nothing bribes people like free snacks."
"I just need a few more members to make up for the people who might leave. I don't want people to leave, though." She sighed. "If too many people leave the club, they'll shut it down."
"Don't worry, no one's gonna leave. They like it. They're nerds!" He chewed his lips nervously as he bent back over the banner.
He'd actually wondered whether he was going to remain in the club next semester. On one hand, he liked spending time with Spock. On the other, there was waking up early…and doing the readings…Not to mention that by next semester, he and Spock's relationship would be approved, so they wouldn't need an excuse like the club to see each other.
"You liked it, right?" She looked over at him, the end of her ponytail swaying dangerously close to the wet paint. "You had fun…it's a fun club, right?"
"Uh…" He looked back down at the banner, his knuckles whitening on the grip of the brush. "It's very…informative."
"Great." She growled. "You hate it, and everyone else hates it, and they're all gonna quit!"
"Will you relax?" He hissed as a few flex of paint went outside the lines. "I'm just not cut out for clubs. I can't stand authority…it's why I always argue with you and Spock."
"Oh, wow, good thing you're not a low ranking Cadet." She said sarcastically.
"Maybe now." He grinned. "But someday soon, I'm gonna be in charge. Captain has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"
"I think that's very…ambitious of you." She looked very much like she was trying not to laugh. He wanted to be annoyed, but he found himself laughing too. She always managed to do that to him.
"Be nice to me, or I won't let you on my ship!" He jabbed his brush in her direction, and she gasped as flecks of paint landed on her clothes and face.
"Stop! You're gonna mess up the banner!" The death-like glare she sent him told him she was serious.
"So, how did Spock wiggle out of helping?" He was still grinning as he went back to work.
"He had a meeting with the Academic Honesty Council. He caught a Cadet cheating on the midterm."
"Really?" Jim looked up in surprise. "Doesn't the guy know the first rule of cheating is…don't get caught?" He tried to imagine a scenario when he'd ever actually cheat in school…well, maybe if the test was really unfair.
"It's not funny." She rolled her eyes. "Spock was really mad. He hates cheaters."
"I know." Jim chuckled again.
"Wait…what do you mean?"
"It's just…a couple of weeks ago, we were gonna hang out. I stole some of my roommate's cologne, and when Spock smelled it on me, he thought I'd been cheating." He couldn't help but laugh at the memory.
At the time, Spock was mortified once he realized he was wrong, but Jim forgave him without much thought. The way he saw it, it was proof that Spock wanted to be serious. Not to mention that the possessiveness was actually pretty hot.
After a second, he realized Nyota's brush wasn't moving anymore. He glanced up and she was just staring at him. "So…you're still seeing each other…privately?"
"Yes." He said through gritted teeth as he realized where this was going. "And I really don't need you to tell me it's against the rules, because I know it is, and I don't care."
"But Jim –"
"I said I don't care." He jabbed his brush onto the paper with more force than necessary. "I already get hell from Bones about it like every day, and neither of you can change my mind. I can't not be with him…"
"I love him." He thought to himself. He'd yet to be able to say those words to Spock, but he was positive of them now.
"It's your life, and you can ruin it however you want." She looked very much like she wanted to argue, but just went back to painting.
"Thanks…it's just, Bones acts like we're being so irresponsible, but he doesn't really get it. No offense, but you don't either."
"Don't I?" She asked incredulously.
"No, you don't. You've never been in…" He paused, his face flushing and his hand still over the banner.
"In love?" She finished for him, her voice both compassionate and full of amusement. "I haven't. Maybe you're right…"
"See?" He was surprised to hear her say that, but ran with it anyways. The small victory of being right spurred him on more. "And not just that. I mean, we're soulmates. Soulmates. They're laws and stuff to protect our right to be together. If the school board wants more proof, we'll just tell them about our mind link thing, and maybe they'll –"
"What!?" Nyota jerked her arm back in shock, nearly knocking over the can of paint, which teetered ominously for a moment. "You've been linked? How…when?!"
"It was an accident." He suddenly felt a great need to defend it, even if he didn't understand it. "It just happened. Spock said it was because we had compatible minds…"
"But how does something like that just happen?"
"If you must know…it happened when we slept together." He felt so weird about saying that to her, but not as weird as he felt with the way she was just staring at him.
"Don't you know what that means?"
He shook his head. All he knew was that despite it, they still couldn't read each other's minds.
"According to Vulcan law…you're married."
"…No way." He dropped the wet brush onto the banner as he started laughing. Pure unfiltered excitement and amazement was coursing through him. There was only a small bit of disappointment at the fact that they missed the chance for one of them to pop the question.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he remembered that first time together, and how Spock told him that marriage was a big commitment. "Why…didn't he tell me?"
"He might not see it that way. Spock is very serious about Vulcan tradition. Because the link wasn't done on Vulcan in an official ceremony, he might not even see it as an official marriage."
"But it is?" His heart was still hammering with excitement.
"If you go to Vulcan and tell them you're linked, legally, they'll see you as married. I'm not entirely sure what the laws are about that on Earth, though." She went back to painting as if it was nothing.
"So, Spock was right…I mean, this will help our case. We tell the school board that we're already hitched, and –"
"You can't tell them that!" She made a noise somewhere between exasperation and anger. "How's that going to look to them, that you got linked when you weren't even supposed to be seeing each other? Where are you going!?"
He'd stood up and was now unbuttoning the smock he'd been wearing to protect his clothes. "I gotta go…" He prayed Spock was out of that meeting by now. He really needed to talk to his boyfriend…his husband.
"That's how it is then." She sighed. "You know…you were both friends with me first, and now I hardly ever see either one of you."
"I'm sorry…" He paused, one arm hanging out.
She was sort of right. He couldn't remember the last time they'd actually hung out. She'd asked him to study for midterms a few times, but he'd always been busy. Plus, he'd been a little paranoid at the time that she just wanted to check his notes to see how much better she was doing in the class than he was.
"It's okay, really, go talk to Spock." She chuckled, standing up to get a better look at the banner. "You sort of messed up your side of the banner anyways, but I can fix it. You just have to promise that you'll help me set up for the recruitment meeting, and you and Spock will both come and talk to the interested students about how fun the club is…okay?"
"Yeah, sure, I don't have a problem with lying." He laughed and barely dodged the paintbrush she threw at him as he darted out of the room.
Married…
They were really married…and, he was oddly excited about it. All of the stuff he thought of when they first met and he thought they'd get married…waking up together, making dinner together…it was all sort of already happening now anyways.
Married…
He wondered if Spock saw it that way, and was just keeping the reality of it hidden from Jim. The idea that he didn't see it as a real marriage because it'd happened involuntarily and not in a real ceremony was actually dejecting.
Once outside on the quad, he reached in his jacket for his phone. Spock had informed Jim that he was going to block his number to keep from receiving any more inappropriate messages, but Jim really hoped he wasn't serious.
Are you still in that meeting? I need to talk to you, it's super important!
He took a seat on the edge of the ornate fountain in the quad as he waited for a response. His feet kept jiggling, the nerves making it impossible to sit still.
|| I am. It will be another hour at least. I apologize for this inconvenience.
UGH!
Okay but this is kind of a big deal so…can I have the access code to your place to wait for you?
He half expected Spock to refuse, but he grinned to himself when Spock agreed and sent him the code. It was also followed by a wall of text that Jim merely skimmed and got something akin to "do not share this code with anyone, and I expect you to be responsible and behave yourself in my apartment blah blah blah."
There was also something else that took Jim by surprise.
|| Vulcans do not worry, but I am merely concerned. This important matter, is it something good or bad?
It's good. I think it's really good, actually. I hope you think so too…
Jim walked to Spock's place and put in the code, only half expecting it to work. It was sort of strange to be all alone in Spock's apartment. There was still the faint smell of incense as well as something else he couldn't place.
He hung his jacket up instead of tossing it on the floor and decided to take a quick snoop around. There wasn't anything scandalous in Spock's medicine cabinet or under the bed.
He sat down at the computer and after a few tries, was able to crack the password. He wasn't really expecting anything scandalous there either, but his interests immediately perked up when he noticed something in the internet history.
Buried under pages and pages of research, was evidence of research of a different kind. It was all about different sexual kinks and how they could best be performed with a partner.
Half of him wanted to keep looking, as if desperate to finally found out exactly Spock was into, while another part of him thought this was too private. Still, it had to be okay. It wasn't like Spock ever acted particularly shy about that.
"And he didn't even use a private browser…" Jim chuckled to himself as he scrolled down. "Come on, man…"
There were a few pages on anal sex and exactly how it was done. It was full of so many big words and diagrams to the point that it wasn't even sexy anymore.
Deciding to do a little research of his own before Spock came home, he opened a blank search page and after pondering for a moment on what to say, just typed in "Vulcan porn."
The first page was entirely in Vulcan. Apparently he'd been truthful when he'd told Nyota that her club was informative. He found that he had a pretty good grasp on the Vulcan language, and was able to understand majority of it, occasionally skipping over words he didn't know.
"Hands!?" He nearly choked, leaning forward in his chair until his nose almost brushed the screen. Why didn't he think to do this kind of research before? According to this page, the hands and fingers were one of the most sensitive parts of a Vulcan's body, which was one of the reasons they kissed with their hands.
He would definitely have to remember that for when his husband came home. Husband. He zoned out for a moment, smiling like a dork. Snapping out of it, he decided to go into the kitchen and distract himself by cooking something for Spock.
A little while later, he was in the middle of stirring brownie batter, when the door opened. Jim gave him a small wave before wiping his batter-smeared hand on his apron.
"How was the meeting? Did that guy get expelled?"
"I do not know. It was not up to me. Admiral Barrett will make the final decision." Spock's eyes did not leave Jim, even as he set his briefcase down on the coffee table. "What are you making?"
"Come taste and see." Jim gave it one last stir and held the spoon up as Spock approached.
Spock looked at the dripping spoon for a moment, blinking as if in contemplation. Jim's arm was starting to hurt from holding it up. "Vulcans are not normally supposed to eat chocolate."
"Oh…" His arm fell dejectedly, the spoon hitting the batter and splashing it onto the counter. "Well, I can make something else…This probably wouldn't be that good…I had to replicate most of the ingredients." He wasn't sure why he felt so down now. He'd just had such a nice idea of the two of them eating brownies and talking about their marriage.
"I should rephrase. Vulcans can eat chocolate; it just has a certain effect on us."
"What kind of effect?" Jim swiped at his face with the back of his hand, unknowingly leaving a chocolate smear on his cheek that Spock's eyes were immediately drawn to.
"One not unlike the effect alcohol has on humans." Spock answered somewhat quietly, as if anticipating the emotional outburst.
"Woah, really!? You meet you'll get drunk?" Jim's eyes practically gleamed. "Then you have to eat some! Only…if you want, I mean."
Spock looked down at the bowl for another moment. "Perhaps it would be best to wait until it after it is fully cooked. In the meantime, we can discuss the important issue you mentioned."
"Okay…" Jim's nerves spike up again as he poured the batter in a pan and put it in the oven. He set the timer and realized that he had about half an hour to get it all out. "Okay…" he said again, taking a nervous breath as he undid the chocolate stained apron and hung it over the back of the pantry door.
"Jim," Spock seemed to sense his nervousness. "You said this was something good."
"I think it is." Jim nodded, unable to stop a small smile from forming on his lips. "Go change, and then I'll make us some tea and we can talk."
Spock looked at him one last time before reluctantly departing to the bedroom. Jim tried his best to make tea the way he'd seen Spock do before, and when it was does, the place was filled with the aroma of relaxation as well as chocolate.
He placed the tea and honey on the coffee table and sat down just as Spock emerged from the bedroom wearing soft pants and a sweatshirt with the Starfleet logo on it.
"Cold?" Jim asked, unable to think about anything but how adorable Spock was.
"It is winter…I am always cold." Spock stirred honey into his tea, the sleeves of his sweatshirt covering his fingers like paws.
That's my husband…
"Okay, so…listen," Jim didn't even try to hide the fact that he couldn't stop smiling.
He paused again to collect his thoughts. It all stemmed from that first night together, he knew. What was it that Spock had said? Their minds were so completely compatible that they felt it in their skin…
They'd been sitting just like this, sharing tea and battling wits over chess. Jim remembered the actual physical ache from wanting to kiss Spock…he remembered it like it was yesterday because he was feeling it again right now. He ducked down and hid his blush by taking a scalding sip of tea.
"Jim…" Spock's voice was soft as he stopped his stirring. "What is it?"
"Okay…" He gasped a bit, his tongue still burning. He placed his tea cup down onto the saucer with a clatter. He couldn't look into Spock's eyes without becoming some sort of flustered mess, so he settled for starring fixated at a spot just over his left ear. "So, do you remember after our first…time together, when you said our minds got linked?"
"Yes." Spock said.
"And today, I was talking to Nyota, and I told her about it." His hands started to shake, rattling his cup in its saucer. "And she said that since we're linked, it means we're married." He took another gulp of tea, scalding his tongue once more, and doing little for his nerves.
When he placed his shaking hands back on the table, Spock's immediately went to cover them. The shaking stopped and Jim's eyes were finally able to meet Spock's.
"Jim, you do not have to worry." Spock said calmly. "She is wrong."
"She's –wrong?" Jim felt like his heart was being shattered, but he maintained a neutral expression.
"While Nyota does have an excellent grasp on the language, her knowledge of Vulcan social customs is still lacking." Spock pulled his hands back to gesture, and Jim quickly moved his own hands to his lap in case another touch would have his telepathically read.
"She's wrong?" Jim repeated, keeping his eyes glued to the spot above Spock's ear and begging himself not to shake.
"She had an educated guess, but she is missing important elements. You see Jim, when Vulcan children reach the approximate age of seven, they are betrothed to one another so that they will have a mate once they reach maturity. These betrothals are made by finding two young Vulcans of compatible minds and linking them in a ceremony."
"That happen to you?" He had to ask softly, for it felt like there was a lump in his throat causing it to close up. He took another drink and found that it almost wouldn't go down.
"Yes. My father's work on Vulcan is very important, giving my family a somewhat...higher social ranking. A ranking that was tarnished some when my brother disgraced the planet. This…coupled with my undesirable biology, made finding a mate for me quite a feat for my parents."
"What?!" Jim nearly rose up from his sitting position. "There's literally nothing undesirable about you."
"Thank you, Jim." Spock gave him a soft look. "My peers did not see it this way, and in the end, the only suitable match my parents could find was a very…unkind Vulcan girl."
"Hold on…" Jim was starting to feel a bit sick. "You're not still…betrothed to her, are you?"
"Of course not." Spock turned slightly green at the accusation. "I wanted it terminated as soon as I knew of you."
Jim felt as if the broken shards of his heart were magically flying back into place and repairing themselves. He placed his hands back onto the table and Spock covered them with his own once more.
"Wait, so, still what does this mean?" Jim asked.
"When these betrothals are done," Spock continued. "They are done in ceremonies performed by elders. It seems as if our minds were so compatible, that they were able to bond on their own."
"So…we're not married. Just engaged?"
Engagements were nice. They meant rings, if you were traditional. Jim didn't really think he and Spock were that traditional.
"These bonds have little-to-no legality on Earth."
"But on Vulcan?" Jim prompted. "I mean, if we went to Vulcan right now and, I don't know…tried to lease a house. Would we have to say we're engaged on the form?"
"The landlord would have no way to know if we were telling the truth. It would take a separate individual to delve into our minds and check for certain that the bond was there, in order for it to hold any significance."
"Spock." Jim sighed, a small smile on his lips. "I just wanna know…if I can call you my fiancé?"
Spock looked completely taken aback by this. His hands pulled back from Jim's and he blushed bright green. "Well…I suppose…if you truly wanted to…"
Jim laughed before reaching across the table and taking one of Spock's hands again. "So, that's the thing then?" Jim asked, casually rubbing his thumb across Spock's knuckles.
"You were expecting more?" Spock asked quietly.
"I don't know." He shrugged with a sheepish smile. "I like what Nyota said…but we don't have to talk about that right now." He noticed there was something different in Spock's face now, and he really didn't want to freak him out any more.
"We will both be optimally fit to discuss our future…" Spock paused, closing his eyes for a second longer than a blink before continuing. "Once our relationship is approved. We only have a few more weeks…"
"Are you okay?"
Spock was turning slowly greener, and he wasn't meeting Jim's eyes anymore. For a split second, Jim was worried there was something in the tea, when he glanced down and noticed his hand on top of Spock's, idling stroking his knuckles.
He tried to hide the realization from his face as he continued to stroke his hand. This had to be what that page online had been talking about.
"Spock?" Jim tried to sound innocent as he casually flipped Spock's hand over and starting stroking his palm. The effects were immediate. Spock blushed deeper, squeezing his eyes shut as his breathing grew shakier.
"Jim…" Spock's free hand gripped the edge of the table.
"You like this, don't you?" He asked, dropping the innocent façade.
Spock only moaned softly in response. Still holding his hand, Jim went around to the other side of the table just as he had done that first day. Spock turned his body just enough for Jim to climb into his lap.
"I think we still have a while before the oven timer goes off…" Jim was now cradling Spock's hand in both of his. "Do you think…do you think you could come for me in that time?"
Spock whimpered something that sounded like Jim's name as Jim nudged his shoulders until he was sprawled back on the floor. Jim straddled his hips, already feeling how hard he was. He must really be liking this if he was complaining about being on the floor.
"Does this feel good?" Jim asked throatily, massaging Spock's palm with both of his thumbs. Spock shivered, his eyes fixated on his hand in Jim's, his pupils dark and blown wide.
"Jim…" Spock's voice was just as gravely. "What are you doing?"
"Just something I'd thought you'd like." He smirked, his thumbs still kneading into Spock's hand. "You have really sensitive hands, you know…"
"Yes." Spock moaned softly, his eyes still not leaving Jim.
"So, you do know…" He switched to stroking each finger one by one. "Do you ever do this to yourself? Do you ever touch yourself when I'm not around?"
"Yes…" Spock whispered, somehow managing to act embarrassed about it.
"Show me." Jim shifted his hips, grinding his own hardness down against Spock's. "What do you do?"
Instead of finding the words, Spock pulled his hand from Jim's and reached up to brush his thumb along the curve of Jim's lip.
"Lick me…" Spock blushed more than Jim had ever seen before as he gently pressed his thumb against Jim's lip.
Jim's eyes didn't leave Spock's as his tongue darted out and licked Spock's thumb. Spock moaned, his hips shifting beneath Jim and grinding upwards.
"You like that, baby?" Jim grabbed Spock's hand again, holding it steady as he licked across his palm.
Spock moaned again, his eyes finally squeezing shut as Jim carefully licked the pad of each finger before sucking each finger in turn.
"Jim…" Spock began grinding upwards with such force that Jim could feel his whole body moving.
"Are you close, baby? You can come, you just have to beg for it." Jim softly kissed each knuckle.
"Please, Jim…please." Spock's hips didn't stop moving.
Spock didn't seem to hold the same pride in withholding the way Jim did, but Jim found it somehow even more erotic, the ease in which Spock broke.
Jim drew two of Spock's fingers into his mouth and sucked, swirling his tongue around them. Spock let out a very animalistic growl, his free hand reaching up to grab Jim's waist. Jim felt it as Spock came, the warm dampness spreading beneath where he was straddled.
"God, that was so hot…" Jim leaned down and kissed Spock, pulling back afterwards with a small smile.
"How…how did you know about Vulcan hands?" Spock asked, his breath still coming in small pants.
"Internet." Jim chuckled.
"Of course…" Spock said as if it were obvious.
"You're so amazing, you know…" Jim took advantage of the opportunity, and reached down to gently brush back Spock's hair. "I love you."
He hadn't been planning to say it, it just sort of came out. His hand stilled in Spock's hair, as Spock's eyes snapped to his, wide in surprise. The deep blush he'd had during their activities now returned.
Jim was unsure what Spock would say, but was grateful for the sound of the oven timer to serve as a distraction. "Snack break." He smiled, climbing off of Spock and going to the oven.
When he returned to the table with the plate of brownies, Spock was still lying on the floor. He was gazing at the ceiling with a focused look.
"What's up?" Jim returned to his position on top of Spock.
"I am simply attempting to articulate what I feel for you, so that I may accurately respond to what you have said to me." Spock's head was turned, and he was staring somewhere off to the side.
"Take your time, I'm in no rush." Jim reached over to the plate on the table and grabbed a brownie. Despite the replicated ingredients, it was pretty good.
"I believe," Spock started, turning his head to look at Jim now. "That it is time to say that I love you as well. I have felt this for a long time."
"Oh, thank god!" Jim was filled with relief as his dropped his half-eaten brownie onto Spock's chest so that he could cup Spock's face with both hands and kiss him. "Now eat one of these brownies."
Jim found that tipsy Spock was a lot of fun. Sex with tipsy Spock was quite interesting. He was louder, moaning each time that Jim slammed into him. He was also more handsy, reaching around Jim's back to scratch him.
Afterwards, more brownies created someone that Jim was endlessly amused and confused by. Drunk Spock was very entertaining.
His chess skills were not dulled in any way, but his tactics were different. Spock seemed it effective to speak aloud to the board, commanding each piece as if he were the general of a small army. He gasped dramatically whenever one of his knights or pawns was defeated.
"Rookie, you served us well…perhaps in another life time…" Spock's voice was slightly slurred as he dropped the defeated piece onto the table.
A knock on the door broke the sleepy atmosphere. Spock attempted to stand and almost knocked the board over.
"I got it." Jim said, going to the door. He peered through the peephole and groaned. "Oh, great, it's the fun police…"
He opened the door to reveal a slightly disheveled looking Captain Pike. Pike walked in without looking at Jim. "What are you doing here?" He demanded.
Jim blinked in surprise when he saw Pike was addressing Spock. Spock looked up at Pike from the table but didn't respond.
"You're supposed to have office hours today until eight." Pike explained. "I've been looking everywhere for you…"
"I'm sorry, sir." Spock looked confused. "Is this about the academic dishonesty case from this morning? I believe I already told Barrett what should happen to Cadet Carmen."
"No, no." Pike shook his head, scratching at his slightly stubbled face. "They've been trying to reach you, but you weren't in your office, and your phone's off…I have bad news."
Spock just looked up at Pike, the glazed look fading from his eyes as he fixated the other man with unblinking seriousness. A seriousness that was only slightly dampened by the chocolate crumbs on his shirt.
"The embassy on Vulcan was attacked…your father's been injured. His in a hospital in ShiKahr."
Spock was silent, but Jim gasped out loud, causing Pike to take notice of him for the first time. They then both immediately looked to Spock who was trying to stand.
"I must leave…must go to Vulcan." He knocked over the chess board as he got to his feet.
"What's wrong with him!?" Pike asked as Jim rushed to grab onto Spock and keep him from falling over.
"Nothing! He's just a little drunk." Jim tried to hold Spock, who was now thrashing.
"Drunk!?" Pike tried to grab Spock's other arm. "Listen, Spock, it's gonna be fine. They've arranged for a shuttle to take you tomorrow morning. We can get another teacher to cover your classes."
"No…no!" Spock struggled in their clutches. "I must go…"
"Hey, listen…" Jim tried to sound soothing as Spock nearly wrenched out of his grasp. "It's gonna be okay…"
"No, no, I'm going to be sick…" Spock moaned, doubling over.
Jim immediately let go of Spock, and Pike followed suit a second later. Spock stumbled from the room and down the hallway. A moment later they could hear retching, and Jim prayed he'd made it to the bathroom in time.
"I'm going with him." Jim stared at Pike defiantly, as if daring him to object.
"Now, Jim, you know you only get days off for family emergencies." Pike started.
"Dammit man, this is an emergency!" Jim shouted, reminding himself very much of Bones. "And he's my family!"
"Then, I guess there's no point in arguing." Pike crossed his arms.
"Nope." Jim mirrored him.
Jim only had the upmost respect for Pike, who despite having no obligation, had at least tried to act as somewhat of a parental figure in Jim's youth. The fact that both Pike and Winona Kirk spent most of Jim's adolescence in space only meant that they got to yell at him from over video screens rather than in person.
But Pike did not yell now. He didn't even launch into a speech about the rules, which had been what Jim thought was his original reason for visiting. He just looked at Jim with something that Jim actually thought was respect.
"You'll take care of him?" Pike asked, though he looked as if he already knew the answer. "You'll get to the station on time? Five am, Jim."
"Yes sir." Jim's respect for Pike was showing now. He subconsciously straightened his posture.
"Good." Pike nodded. "I'm glad he has someone. I never knew it'd be you, but I'm glad you have someone like him."
"How're you friends with Spock, anyways?" Jim asked, reaching for the teapot, which Pike waved his hands to decline.
"Took him under my wing as soon as he enlisted. He's a genius, and I thought he'd be great on a ship. He never wanted deployment with me, though. I guess now I get why…"
There was a moan, and they turned to see Spock coming back down the hallway. He was swaying slightly and holding his head. "Jim…"
"I'm here." Jim moved to stand beside Spock, one arm going around his middle to keep him steady. "I'm gonna stay with you tonight, and we'll go to Vulcan tomorrow."
"I should head back out." Pike checked the old-fashioned watch on his wrist. "I'll send you the rest of the details tonight." He clapped Jim on the shoulder and hovered his arm awkwardly in Spock's direction before leaving.
"Come on, lay down…" Jim led Spock into the bedroom and pulled back the covers for him. "I'm gonna go to my place and pack a bag. I'll pack one for you too when I get back, okay?"
Spock nodded, pressing his face into the pillow as Jim covered him back up. Jim went back to his dorm room to find Bones and Christine both there. He explained the situation as he attempted to shove all of his clothes into a backpack.
"What about class?" Bones asked.
"I'll get the notes from Ny, or something." He shrugged, not really caring. It was weird to think that just days ago, his grades seemed to matter so much, and he'd do anything to avoid having to share notes with Nyota.
"I'll see you when I get back." Jim slung the backpack over his shoulders and was gone again.
Back at Spock's, he entered quietly before placing his bag by the doorway. He then went around the apartment, cleaning up the brownie crumbs and chess board.
In Spock's bedroom, Jim tried to move quietly so as not to disturb him. With the light off, he could barely see what he was grabbing, so he just shoved pre-folded stacks of things from drawers into a rolling suitcase from the closet.
Once that was by the door too, he stripped down to his boxers and climbed into the bed behind Spock, wrapping his arms around him and pressing his chest to Spock's back, just as Spock had done for him that first night.
"You're gonna be just fine…" Jim said reassuringly, kissing a spot on Spock's back. It was a moment before Spock replied. Jim wasn't sure if Spock was only pretending to be asleep, or if Jim had woken him.
"It is not me I am concerned for." His voice was muffled from the pillow.
"I know…" Jim tried to soothingly rub Spock's arm. "But your dad's gonna be fine too."
"You have no way to know if that is true…but I very much want to believe you."