Interlude for Tea
Since what Spock had just described sounded scary – and wrong - as hell, Jim kinda had to agree. He didn't think he should say that, though, so he just didn't say anything.
After a second, Spock came back over and sat, again, in his own chair. Reaching toward the tray, he poured two cups of tea. When he had replaced the pot, he picked up one of the cups, with its saucer, and handed it to Jim.
He took up the other cup. He lifted it. His eyes closed for a second, and Jim thought maybe he was smelling the steam.
Jim raised his own, and, sniffing, found that the scent was very faint – weaker than he would have expected. He looked over - Spock's eyes were on him.
"Do not worry," the Vulcan said, equably, "It is Terran."
It struck Jim forcefully that that was a pretty telling thing for a Vulcan to say. Pretty awful, actually. Especially since Spock was clearly trying to be kind, and put him at ease.
Was that really the automatic Human reaction to all things Vulcan: Fear?
Jim started to be pissed, a little, at that – but then he wasn't sure whether he was pissed at the easy Vulcan assumption – or at the implied Human reaction (which he suspected Spock was actually right about, by the way (ugly as that was)) – or at himself for being an embodiment of the whole problem.
Maybe he was just pissed at his own reaction to the comment.
Was he pissed at Spock – or for him?
And what's with calling it 'Terran', anyway?
Now Jim ruefully realized that he was just clutching at straws to not have to think about the Fear thing. Or maybe he was thinking about the Fear thing so he wouldn't have to think about the Mating thing.
'Either, which', as one of his childhood friends had often said.
Maybe he should just fucking grow up.
He had a sip of the tea. It was good. He had a second sip, and glanced at Spock - just as Spock looked away.
Spock slowly took a sip of his tea, his eyes closing as he did.
Jim wondered at that. He had never paid attention to that before – But it appeared to be a habit, or a reaction, maybe. By and large, Spock didn't blink much, compared to other people – and here he'd just closed his eyes, more than a blink, two times in about as many minutes…
Jim kinda found that fascinating.