Thanks to everyone who read and to She-Elf23, LauraCynthia, and sunsethill for reviewing.
Real life is crazy, so it goes, but I think (although I'm not always great at estimation) that the outline leaves about three chapters left.
"I assure you, Doctor, that like all Vulcans my sense of object permanence was quite thoroughly developed before the end of my first year of life, and as such I am uncertain as to what you believe the blanket accomplishes."
Jim gave up all pretense of interest in his PADD and broke down in laughter, and a hand emerged from under Leonard's blanket and swatted him in the back of the head.
"Ow! He said it! Anyway, shouldn't a doctor avoid giving people head injuries?"
"He's too far away, and it's probably culturally insensitive to smack Vulcans anyway. Besides, with your thick skull it's not like I'm risking anything."
Cultural insensitivity would not have been the primary reason that Spock would have given regarding refraining from physical combat with Vulcans, but it was not technically incorrect. He raised an eyebrow as Leonard sighed and straightened again, letting his blanket fall into his lap. "If you desire, I can recommend several remedial courses regarding appropriate interspecies interactions."
A snort, followed by a particularly illogical "I desire you shove those somewhere inappropriate," and then Leonard stood. "I'm going to get another drink, would either of you like anything?"
Jim held out his mug. "More chocolate, please."
"Another cup of tea would be appreciated."
Leonard nodded and turned for the kitchen, and Jim sighed and set his PADD aside, shifting down onto his back. "Seriously, if you want to put on the cryptography documentary you flagged earlier, it's fine with us. Odds are we'll both be out for the night within an hour anyway."
"Would it not then be appropriate to retire to your rooms?"
He shrugged. "Eh, wouldn't be my first time crashing down here. And he sleeps in sickbay, sometimes on purpose."
While the first statement was likely true and the second certainly was, neither provided an answer to his question. On the other hand there was nothing displeasing about their presences, and Jim, at least, would likely find the documentary of interest for as long as he remained awake.
Leonard returned with drinks, retaking his seat after passing Jim's and Spock's over. "So fire it up, then. Bedtime by way of mathematician."
"Your lack of enthusiasm indicates that you would prefer to select an alternate option."
"Nah, it's fine. Although based on what we saw of him earlier, anything he ever had approaching enthusiasm drained out his pointy ears long ago so I hate to think what a doc with him as the lead researcher is going to look like."
"While obviously a Vulcan experiencing aural discharge would seek prompt medical attention, enthusiasm is an entirely conceptual notion. Perhaps a review of xenobiology would also be appropriate?"
"I'm sorry, did I just hear the Vulcan who has to be threatened into accepting care while he's actively bleeding out just try to voice a medical opinion?"
"Are you having difficulties with auditory processing?"
Leonard's jaw worked, but for 1.3 seconds no sound came out. "Two words, Commander: mandatory physical," he finally said. "And guess who makes the schedule?"
That was more than two words and did not, in fact, require any guesswork on Spock's part, but in this instance he didn't need Jim's wide eyes and quick headshake to know when to cease direct engagement. "Additionally, when interviewed previously Dr. Spurrov's focus was on the infection tree backtrace and logical reference points therein. Even you can hardly dispute the superlative nature of his research despite the fact that it was outside his nominal field of study." A pause. "In retrospect, I believe that his early work comparing and contrasting cryptographic progression in pre-warp civilizations would have made a fascinating addition to my advanced linguistics class, although obviously his more recent studies have diverged significantly."
That got a groan as Leonard shifted down to mimic Jim's position. "Thank God I never ended up in any class that you taught."
"Although I see no reason to credit any form of divinity, I also find that fact entirely satisfactory."
"Computer, start playback: Dr. Spurrov, Nonlinear Advances in Quasiphasic Cryptography," Jim said, laughing again as Leonard grumbled, and Spock shifted slightly and focused on the entertainment center.
Spock blinked up into deep shadows. Per his mental chronometer it was an entirely correct time for him to awaken, leaving him two point seven hours to meditate prior to his planned communication with Nyota, but as he had not meditated last night and indeed did not recall falling asleep in his current location, he was somewhat at a loss.
The location itself was not a mystery. He was in the common room at Jim's house, and the two figures off to his right were Jim and Leonard. Asleep themselves, as was appropriate given the hour and human sleep requirements, however guilty the pair might be regarding the frequent disregarding of those same needs aboard ship.
He sat up, an action that required the removal of a stack of blankets considerably more numerous than he recalled claiming last night when he'd shifted from his initial seated position to a horizontal one similar to those of his companions, and began to fold them automatically even as he reviewed what he did remember.
While he remained uncertain as to Leonard's level of interest on the subject in question, both he and Jim had found Dr. Spurrov's work quite fascinating—Spock had been particularly impressed with his unwavering position in the face of a pair of detractors who were also from the New Vulcan Science Academy—and upon conclusion of the initial documentary had located a slightly older reference work which said doctor had cited several times.
Unfortunately, while the researchers in the reference work had been quite invested in the subject as well, their presentation skills had been somewhat...lacking. Spock could not speak to when Jim or Leonard had fallen asleep, but for himself he did not recall reaching the end of the recording.
He was not entirely certain that he'd viewed a full fifty percent.
A low light on the entertainment center indicated that it had gone dormant due to lack of input, and after setting the stack of now-folded blankets on the couch behind him and confirming that both humans' sleep was peaceful, he stood and shut it down manually and then collected the mugs that the three of them had been using last night. He did require meditation, and that would not be improved if one of the others awakened due to rolling either onto or into the remains of a drink.
The Temple Complex model that he and Jim had begun was on the side table where they had left it, barely visible in the low light through the windows. While the base was appropriately laid out and the Halls surprisingly well-detailed, obviously in print rather than tile and stonework but of an acceptable quality despite the mass-produced nature of the kit, Spock had discovered that the paired towers at the gates and indeed the majority of the wall pieces had had oddly skewed proportions. Nothing that he could not correct, but doing so would require tools that he did not have at hand, and Jim had acceded to his request that they pause construction until he had time to rectify the errors. The portions that they had completed appeared to be holding together quite satisfactorily, though, and he continued on to the kitchen before retiring to his temporary quarters and his meditation mat.
He steadied his breathing as he unrolled the mat and took a seat. While they had been working on the Temple Complex both Jim and Leonard had asked several tentative questions about his visits there, and although discomfort would have been illogical, he had also not expected to find satisfaction in recounting details. Obviously his eidetic memory meant that he had a clear recollection of each visit, but he had not previously had occasion to vocalize any of it, at least not beyond discussions with his parents. Or, specifically, his mother.
And there had been no expectation that he continue speaking after he had indicated that he would prefer otherwise, either, even if the conversation that had followed had left him somewhat concerned regarding the failure of Leonard's teachers to correct nonsensical recitations about 'ghosts and ghoulies' and other obviously-nonexistent inhabitants of historical structures near his ancestral home. Perhaps in retrospect it did explain some of the man's more current questionable declarations, though. And Jim had only laughed about the stories, although it was obvious from what little Jim had said about his own childhood that he had required far greater supervision than he had received. Spock did not care to contemplate the response of a Vulcan elder to a child climbing a temple.
He closed his eyes and took another deep breath, sinking into meditation.