Here is your second chapter, my lovelies.

Jim trudged forward, Vulcan's gravity constantly bearing him down. He was distinctly aware of his own body. The feel, the downward press as the planet tried to smother him. It couldn't be mentally healthy to be jealous, Jim decided, of the Vulcan strolling peacefully along beside him.

Jealous of a Vulcan. Look how far Jim Kirk had fallen.

A Vulcan with all that emotional repression and stupid freaking haircut. Were they trying to prove something? Did they actually have some sort of aesthetic bias towards the bowl cut? It was enough to make Jim shudder. The gods knew, he himself had a few rather unflattering dos but it really was God awful.

And he'd had to go through puberty here. With nothing but angry eyebrows and sleek bangs for as far as the eye could see. If one discounted Amanda and his own mother, of course. Which was a given. They were both... lovely women but not exactly his style. T'Pring was the closest thing to 'aesthetically pleasing' and she was a down right cold bitch. How Stonn put up with her, Jim would never know. And never cared enough to ask. Stonn was mostly a douche anyway.

Jim could admit that Vulcans had their own positives. The strength and endurance was actually really awesome. And they were so smart, sometimes Jim felt normal. Disregarding the guy next to him. Overachieving ass.

The telepathy, he was on the fence about.

On one hand, it was like a real life super power. Which was, well, it opened possibilities. On the other, he'd been in a meld before and it was kind of scary. Someone else being privy to everything. Having no power to shield yourself. At their mercy.

Of course, he'd also picked up things. They'd just been kids, after all. And the meld was accidental. Fingers simply happened to fall in the wrong place at the right time. Right place, wrong time? Right place, right - oh who cared? Point is, they fell, they melded, they flung themselves apart and decided that it, logically, meant nothing. What the old people didn't know, wouldn't hurt them. They'd been in enough trouble as it was. And I-Chaya. He hadn't made it.

So, they'd never spoken of it. Jim had gone back to being a recluse who didn't venture near the Ambassador's villa and the comfort of Amanda's soothing presence. Spock had been, Spock.

Which bought Jim right back to the present. Childhood anecdotes could wait.

Jim was turning his back on the VSA. Had already turned and was more than half way home, in fact. And he wasn't really sure why. The heat, the excitement of the day, were getting to him. It had something to do with Spock. And the council being bigoted assholes. But when, in the last ten years he'd been living on this rock, had Vulcans ever been anything else? They'd said something about disadvantage. Spock's Human disadvantage, despite him being the only candidate in history to ever receive full marks on the entrance exam. Better than centuries of full blooded Vulcans.

"My enemy's enemy is my friend." Jim murmured into the heat.

"You do realise that the man attributed to that proverb was later betrayed and decapitated by his own subjects."

"Has anyone ever told you, you're a ball of sunshine?" Jim said, raising a hand to cover his eyes from the harsh glare so he could, in turn, glare at Spock.

"My mother, once. In largely the same tone. It is a highly illogical statement." There was that look again. It almost seemed, teasing, maybe.

And then the shoe dropped.

"You're way too smart not to understand Human colloquialisms. You've been making fun of me for a long time, haven't you?"

"I assure you, Vulcans do not joke. Nor do they 'make fun'. You are being most illogical, even more so than your usual. Perhaps the heat is negatively effecting your higher functions?" Jim squinted up at Spock's slightly widened eyes. Deceptively innocent eyes, more like it.

"Sure Spock." Jim stumbled, just slightly. Actually, it seemed like the heat was effecting him worse than he'd thought. Although, it wasn't a habit of his, to be walking around at midday.

A warm chest pushed against Jim's back as Spock bent slightly, hooked his arm under Jim's knees and lifted him up. Oh gods, no. This really was shaping up to be the most embarrassing day of his life. With Jim's poor luck, his mother would be home, waiting with a camera at the ready. And she'd call up Amanda and squeal over the comm about how they always knew it was coming and when the wedding was and when would they expect grandchildren. And Amanda would find that one photo of them curled up on I-Chaya from when they were seven.

Jim buried his face in his hands, his mind running through different scenarios faster than a starship at warp. He couldn't exactly escape Spock. The guy was strong. And fast. And Jim really wouldn't be able to make it much further in this dead heat. He couldn't reason with him. It was logical for Spock to 'assist' Jim to his residence when Jim couldn't do it himself. Especially when his counter argument was his own emotional well being.

Fuck.

And there was his house coming into view. And there was his mother, standing on the covered veranda with Amanda.

Oh look, he'd been wrong about that comm call. Maybe, no, he could see the photo album in Amanda's hand. The photo was here. It was days like these, Jim wished religion was still a thing. He really wanted someone to blame right now.

"Jimmy! Spock! We're so proud of you." Winona called out as they approached the stairs.

"Spock, your father called and told us what happened. I've told you before, but I'll tell you again, I'm so proud to be your mother." Amanda gushed walking closer and pulling them both into a hug. Jim took the opportunity to elbow Spock in the ribs. He wasn't let down. Instead, Spock followed Winona and Amanda inside and took his customary seat on the couch. His arm slipped from under Jim's knees and took the offered glass of water, handing it to Jim with infinite care.

Oh lordy may, the guy thought he had heat stroke again. You vomit on a guy one time, or several times in quick succession, and you never hear the end of it.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Leave me alone." Jim complained as he untangled himself and pushed Spock's hands away. When their skin touched, that same sense of Spock, sparked under Jim's skin. He drew away from the touch quickly and Jim didn't mention it.

"So, I hear you're going to Starfleet after all..."Winona trailed off, something melancholy lingering in the air between them.

"Aaaaahhh. Yeah. I didn't meant to- I know you don't." Jim struggled to get his thoughts in place. This was turning out to be worse than the teasing would have been.

"It's alright Jimmy. You're father died doing something amazing. I know we don't talk about him and I know that we should. George was just as crazy, just as smart, just as incredible, as you are. I've never been anything but blessed to have met him, to have had you and Sam. Starfleet wont change that. You're still my baby boy. My Jimmy." Winona dabbed at her eyes.

For all the shit Jim gave Vulcans and their emotional suppression, his house had never been big on sharing their feelings. Winona was a military woman. She currently worked as an Ambassador but before, she'd been part of Starfleet. A Commander on a starship. Married to the Executive Officer. She'd been an explorer. A part time linguist, part time botanist. She'd been on more than a few First Contact missions, had been the first to speak previously unknown alien languages. She was Jim's real hero. Her approval meant more than even he'd imagined.

"Thanks mum. I don't know what to say. This isn't the conversation I imagined we'd be having." Hurt and guilt replaced the tears in Winona's eyes.

"Jim did not mean to imply that he expected anything other than your support." Spock spoke up from beside him. Amanda and Winona glanced at each other.

"What do you mean, Spock?" Amanda inquired politely, leaning slightly into their space.

"I do believe he expected a certain amount of ridicule. There was a 76.83% chance you would, I do believe the term is 'affectionately tease' us about our personal relationship, when I had to carry Jim here."

Amanda bit her lower lip in an attempt to stop the rapidly growing smile spreading across her face.

"Oh Spock, we wouldn't tease you about the adorable picture you made, walking up the hill and over the threshold with Jim in your arms like a new bride!" Amanda's eyes crinkled at the corners.

"Certainly not. I personally think it was all the hand touching and bedroom eyes which gave the game away, boys." Both women smiled and Jim began to squirm uncomfortably.

"You know Winnie, they might be travelling to Earth to elope."

"Oh, steamy romance! The father who doesn't approve! The cultural differences forcing them apart!"

Jim stole a look at Spock. His face was completely impassive. Which, in Jim's experience, was bad. There was always some level of emotion in Spock's eyes. Right now, they were blank.

"See how they can't keep their eyes off each other?" Jim blushed, caught out and both women laughed. It wasn't like what they said meant anything. Winona and Amanda just liked to poke fun at them. They didn't believe what they were saying. No one did. Except that one time Sarek had come home early. Amanda had explained that they were simply being illogical Humans but, Sarek looked at Jim differently now.

It didn't matter. He didn't like Spock. And Spock, Spock didn't like him either. Which was good. It would be pretty awkward otherwise. And now they'd be living together at the academy which would be weird enough. No one needed to add feelings to the mix.

Objectively, Jim could admit Spock was a good looking guy. With the whole tall, dark and handsome thing going on. Jim could also point out that both Amanda and Sarek were good looking people as well. It didn't mean he wanted anything from them. And he didn't want anything more than this weird frenemy thing with Spock. That would be stupid.

Wouldn't it?

Disclaimer: Spock and Jim belong to each other. Everything else, that's Paramount's or something.

Thank you to everyone who followed and/or favourited. I've seen a few names I recognise from my other K/S stories and it makes me all bubbly inside. You're all awesome and the support for my stories makes me unbelievably happy.

:D