JIM

Over the next few weeks Jim learned Spock's schedule. He met him before school, between classes, and at lunch and tried to talk to him. Of course talking to Spock was a lesson in patience. Mostly he would act as if he didn't hear the human.

Like most days he followed Spock to lunch, chatting about anything he could think of and getting just as many responses as he would get talking to a brick wall, but there was something different today. He seemed on edge.

"and then Kevin nearly broke his wrist jumping off th—"

"Is it human custom to follow a person around and speak endlessly about meaningless things?" Spock snapped cutting him off. He scrambled to think of a response not expecting Spock to say anything.

"Umm it is if you're trying to befriend them?" He responded unsurely.

"Vulcans have no need of friends." He turned and started walking away. Jim panicked and grabbed the hand closest to him trying to pull him back. Spock ripped his hand away with a growl. "Do not touch me." He remembered his Vulcan lessons far to late. He realized he had touched Spock inappropriately only as the first fist hit him in the jaw and knocked him to the ground. Shit. He curled up in a ball as Spock kicked him in the ribs.

"I do not need friends." He snarled climbing on top of Jim and continuing to punch him. "I do not need a healer. I do not need bonds." Jim heard the anger turn to desperation and looked up to see tears running down the Vulcans face. "I do not need my father. I do not—"

"Ni'droi'ik nar-tor. S'ti th'laktra." He said weakly. Spock stopped at hearing him speak Vulcan to him. His eyes widened as if he just realized what he had done.

"No it is I who is sorry. I will call someone we should get you to a hospital. Your nose atleast is broken and I may have broken your ribs."

Amanda

"Mother. I need you to pick me and Jim up from the school and take him to the hospital." Spock spock almost frantically through the comm.

"Spock slow down what happened?" She asked not understanding.

"I hurt him." Was his only reply before he hung up. She raced there as fast as she could, but nothing could prepare her for the sight of the two boys. Spock looked panicked, his face flushed and were those tear tracks? While Jim was passed out on the ground blood covering part of his face and covered in already forming bruises.

"What Did You Do?" she screeched as he picked up the passed out human and started carrying him to the hovercar.

"I don't know mother. I snapped and blacked out again. He spoke to me in Vulcan and pulled me out of it. I was on top of him about to punch him again. I think I need to see a healer."

"Fucking hell Spock of course you need to see a healer." She practically screamed at him as they got in the car.

"I am sorry."

"I'm not the one to apologize to."

The ride to the hospital was silent, tense and thankfully short. Jim came to just as they were pulling in. They got him checked out and found out that other that a broken nose and some major bruising he would be just fine.

Spock

He was nervously silent the whole time Jim was being checked out. As they were about to leave he grabbed Jim's arm to pull him aside to speak to him privately. He flinched but followed eyes downcast like he was afraid to look at him. What have I done?

"I apologize Jim." He looked up and smiled slightly at the use of his shortened name. "I have no excuse for my behavior. I will do everything in my power to make sure it never happens again."

"Hey it's not the first time I've had the shit beat out of me and ended up in the hospital." He said with a indifferently. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have grabbed your hand. I know better than that."

"You speak Vulcan?" He asked suddenly remembering the word that brought him back to himself.

"Not much. I'm learning it though."

"Your pronunciation is quite skillful for a human."