Work Text:
“HE’S HERE!” Jim exclaimed, running through the house to the front door.
“Shut up,” Sam fussed from the couch.
“Jim, don’t run!”
“MY BEST FRIEND IS HERE…oof!” Jim tripped and fell just before the door. Sam looked over the back of the couch and shook his head. Jim jumped up. “I’m fine! HE’S HERE!” Jim threw open the door and rushed outside.
“JIM! PUT ON A COAT!”
Jim ran back inside, grabbed his coat, and quickly put it on before dashing back outside. He nearly slid down the steps but managed to stay upright, barreling towards the hovercar that had just stopped next to his mothers in the driveway.
“SPOCK!”
Spock had just opened the back door and stepped out of the car when Jim got to him.
“Jim…oof!”
Jim crashed into Spock and knocked them both down into the snow pile next to the driveway.
“James Tiberius!” his mother called from the porch.
“I’m fine!” Jim sat up on Spock’s chest and looked down at him. “Are you okay, Spock?”
“You are sitting on me,” Spock replied.
“YOU’RE HERE!” Jim leaned down and hugged him tight. “Can’t believe it! We’re going to have so much fun even if its just for the day and then we can spend the night and we can stay up all night and play!”
“I am cold,” Spock said after a moment of laying in the snow with Jim on top of him.
“Sorry.” Jim stood up and held out a hand to Spock who took it and stood as well. The little sparks ran up both their arms. Jim didn’t let go of Spock’s hand. “C’mon, I’ll show you the farm.” Jim went to pull Spock forward to lead him away, but his mother stopped him.
“Young man, you and Spock will help us get bags into the house.”
“Okay, okay.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Spock agreed before going around the car to his mother and assisting with bags.
In the house, Jim watched his mother hug Spock’s mother and greet Spock’s father. Jim was so happy they agreed to come for a visit. Amanda had told his mother that they were going to Vancouver for the holidays so a stop for the night in Riverside worked out.
And it was the first night of Hanukkah, so Amanda said she’d make a feast.
“I insist you let me help you cook,” Winona said to Amanda.
Most of the bags had been from the local grocery store. Just a few were the overnight bags for Spock and his family.
“Can I show Spock around now?” Jim asked, tugging on the end of his mother’s blouse.
“Take his stuff to your room and then yes, you can go outside for a bit.”
“Yes!” Jim turned and waved his hand at Spock to follow him. “Upstairs, Spock! Follow me.”
“Alright.” Spock picked up his bag and followed Jim upstairs.
“That’s my brother’s room,” Jim pointed at one down the hall. A door with lots of posters taped to the front with a large sign that read ‘keep out or else’. “If you don’t go in there, he won’t punch you but if you go in there, he’ll punch you, so I don’t go in there. And he’s not allowed in my room either or I can punch him. Mom doesn’t know because she said we can’t keep hitting each other but if I don’t tell and he doesn’t tell, it's okay.”
“Okay,” Spock said.
Jim pointed out his mother’s room and then the bathroom he and his brother had to share before taking Spock to his room. There was a few stickers and posters tapped onto the door as well as a sign that also read ‘keep out’.
Jim pushed open the door. “This is my room. I cleaned it up. Well, mostly mom cleaned it up, but I did some of the work.” Jim kicked his pajamas that were on the floor from that morning closer to the hamper. “I got a trundle bed thingy.” Jim walked to his bed and pulled out the bed that slid underneath his. It was already made up. The two pillows for it were on Jim’s bed. Jim tossed the pillows onto the bed. “Welcome!”
Spock nodded and looked around. It was just as he pictured and also the same as the last video call he and Jim had had. Spock looked to the computer terminal by the window on the desk in the room. Jim had two bookshelves filled with books and knick-knacks. On his dresser, Legos and other building block contraptions.
There was also a small Christmas tree in the corner of Jim’s room.
“Your room is…cozy,” Spock said. His room on Vulcan was far neater but he liked how this room felt like Jim.
Jim beamed at him. “Thank you!”
Spock put his bag down on the bed that would be his for the night.
Jim moved towards him and grabbed his hand. “C’mon, I’ll show you the farm. Well, it's not really a farm anymore. Farmland. We have a barn but no animals. But Mr. McDaniel’s farm that borders ours, has horses and mini cows and sometimes they come up to our fence line and I can pet them.”
“Alright.”
Jim pulled Spock out of the room, downstairs. Jim went through the living room and pointed out the Christmas tree.
“It's not real,” Jim said. “But it's still nice. Sam and I made popcorn garland.”
Spock looked it over. Lots of lights and ornaments and garland. “It is pleasing to the eye. It reminds me of my grandparent’s tree in Vancouver.”
“Mines better, right?”
“Yes.”
“Yay! C’mon, outside time!”
“Boots, hats, and mittens,” his mother told him as Jim headed towards the back door.
“But, mom,” Jim whined.
“It's still freezing outside. We don’t want you and Spock catching a cold, now do we. You were already in the hospital this time last year because of pneumonia.”
Spock looked at Jim with wide eyes. “Put on the proper attire or we will not go outside.”
Jim sighed. “Fine.”
They went and put on the boots. Spock’s parents had packed some as Amanda’s family said they had gotten a lot of snow as well. They both bundled up and received their mother’s okay to head outside. Spock’s father sat in the living room in front of the fireplace with Sam who played a video game on a handheld device. Both content to sit silently with each other while Amanda and Winona worked in the kitchen.
“It snowed a few days ago,” Jim said as went out back and walked through the few inches still on the ground. Jim took Spock’s gloved hand and led him towards the barn a few yards from the house.
“My mother’s family stated they received nearly a foot last week,” Spock replied. “However much has melted but enough remains.”
“Do you like snow?”
“Not particularly. Vulcan is a desert planet. I prefer to be comfortably warm. No cold.”
“But when it's cold you get hot chocolate, and you can snuggle up under blankets.”
“I cannot have chocolate.”
“I remember,” Jim said. It was a few months ago that they had a video call where Jim showed up his big trick-or-treat haul. Jim ate several pieces on the call and then got a tummy ache. Spock said he couldn’t have chocolate. “Maybe warm apple cider then? Or white chocolate. White chocolate doesn’t have cocoa in it.”
“I have had white chocolate before. Too sweet for my tastes.”
“Then apple cider! My mom makes some in the crock pot. It's really good. Maybe she’ll make some tonight.”
“That would be nice.”
“Yeah.” Jim pulled Spock to the barn and opened the large wooden door. It creaked from old age. They entered and Jim let go of his hand. “This is it. The big barn.” Jim went over to what used to be a horse stall. “Grandpa said they used to board horses when he was a kid. And when his grandpa was a kid, they had so many animals and crops.” Jim stood in the middle of the stall and spun around. “I wish we had horses.”
Spock stood in the entranceway and looked around. It was quite hold and clearly hadn’t been used in a while.
Jim approached him. “My mom said that my dad always wanted to retire here and make it a working farm again. Not like a big farm but just enough to have some crops and some animals. Like cows and goats and donkeys.”
“I am sorry that dream will not come to fruition,” Spock said.
Jim shrugged. “Maybe it will. After we go to the VSA and Starfleet, maybe we can retire here, Spock.”
Spock looked down at the younger boy. “We can retire here?”
Jim nodded. “Yeah! C’mon, let me show you the loft.” Jim grabbed his hand and pulled him over to an old ladder.
“That does not appear safe.”
“It is. I helped my uncle Chris build it after the other one broke.” Jim let go of his hand and started to climb up. “Now that one wasn’t safe. I fell and broke my arm.” Jim waved said arm. “But it's all good now.” Jim continued up and into the loft. Spock followed behind.
They sat up in the loft together.
“At one time, they had hay up here but not anymore which is good because I’m allergic to hay.”
“Isn’t hay necessary for a farm?” Spock asked.
“Yeah, but you can just handle the hay. I’ll do everything else.”
“Logical,” Spock agreed. He looked around. “This is pleasant. Your own safe space.”
“It was,” Jim sighed. “Then my brother and his friends messed it up. Mommy grounded him but then said I shouldn’t keep stuff outside where it can get messed up, so I had to take all my stuff out. I didn’t have much. Just some books and a record player.”
“My brother once rearranged my entire room while I was at school. It was most illogical.”
“Brothers suck.”
“Indeed,” Spock agreed. “Mine is much older and does not come around often. I believe the last time I saw him was three years ago.”
“I gotta see mine every day.” Jim plopped back on the loft floor. Spock laid down beside him. Above them, Spock saw stick on stars.
“They glow in the dark at night,” Jim said. “Sometimes during the spring or summer when it's not to hot outside, mommy will let me camp out. She has to spray for spiders first because I don’t like them but once its fine, I stay up here. Maybe next summer you can come back and spend the night with me again.”
“I would like that.”
Jim turned his head and smiled bright at him. “Good. I’d like it too because you’re my bestest friend.”
“You are my best friend as well,” Spock replied with a little smile of his own.
“Do you wanna see if the neighbor’s animals will come to the fence?”
“Yes.”
Jim at up and together they left the barn. Jim grabbed his hand and pulled across the yard back to where a fence bordered their property. The snow got a little deeper that far back. Jim didn’t seem to mind, and Spock wasn’t going to complain.
They got to the wooden fence. Jim let go of his hand and climbed up onto the first wood slat on the fence. Spock copied him.
“Marigold!” Jim called out. “Queenie! Sassy!”
Three horses wearing coats trotted over. Jim laughed as one nudged her head against him. “Hi, Queenie.” Jim rubbed the fur along her snout. Spock reached out to one of the others and gently touched her mane. The horse bucked her head back, giving Spock a startle. He dropped down from the fence.
“It's okay,” Jim said. “They are really friendly.”
Spock nodded, trusting Jim. He climbed back up and tried to pet the horse again. This time she stood still and let him.
“They are going to have babies nearly next year. Queenie’s a champ. Her babies win a lot of prizes. Sassy makes troublemakers, Mr. McDaniel says. And Marigold has the sweetest ones. Sassy’s foal last year was gelded, and mommy almost let Uncle Chris buy him for me and Sam but then she got busy at work and said maybe another time when she was home more. Chris grew up on a ranch and had lots of horses.”
“We will have a horse one day,” Spock suggested.
Jim gave him that smile again. “Yeah, sounds like a plan, Spock.”
They jumped down from the fence. Jim took his hand again and lead him back to the house. They took off their boots outside so not track snow into the house. Jim’s mom was waiting by the back door to take their coats and gloves and hats.
“When’s dinner?” Jim asked.
“Not for a few more hours,” his mother said. “Why don’t you go put on a movie in the living room for you and Spock. Maybe Ambassador Sarek would like to watch one as well.”
Spock raised a brow at that. His mother chuckled nearby.
“What?” Winona asked.
“Sarek isn’t all that fond of Terran films.”
“Maybe because he hasn’t watched any good ones,” Jim suggested. He grabbed Spock’s hand. The tingles came back. “C’mon, Spock, lets watch a Muppets Christmas Carol! It’s a classic!”
His father left to sit in the dining room ten minutes into the Muppet movie despite Jim’s repeated attempts to point out how good it was and to give it a chance. Jim gave up though and sat next to Spock with his head on his shoulder. Spock couldn’t help but lean his cheek against Jim’s soft hair against him.
When the movie ended, Jim was asleep still leaning against him. Spock sat as still as possible, not wanting to break the moment and disturb his friend. Spock closed his eyes as well and decided to meditate while waiting for Jim to wake up.
“Aw, they look so cute.”
Spock opened his eyes in time to see his mother and Jim’s mother hold up their coms and snap pictures of them. Spock narrowed his eyes.
“Oh, don’t look so grumpy,” Spock’s mother said softly. “You and Jim had a nice nap.”
Jim stirred against them then pulled away and stretched before yawning. He opened his eyes, saw their moms before them and asked, “Dinner time?”
“Yes, it’s ready.”
“Yes! C’mon, Spock, time to eat!” Jim grabbed Spock’s hand and pulled him from the couch.
“Wait, since it’s the first night of Hanukkah,” Amanda said. “We will say the prayer and light the first candle.”
“Oh, okay. Can I light the candle?”
“Certainly.”
It was just after sunset, Jim and Spock noticed as they gathered with Jim’s mother, brother, and Spock’s parents around the hanukkiah. Jim stood next to Spock and watched as Amanda started the festival of lights. Amanda lit the shamash candle first.
“She will now say the first blessing,” Spock whispered to Jim.
Jim nodded.
Amanda said, “Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha'olam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Hanukkah.”
“The second blessing,” Spock said.
“Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha'olam, she’asah nisim l’avoteinu, b’yamim haheim bazman hazeh.”
“Then the shehecheyanu as it is the first night.”
“Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha'olam, shehekheyanu, v’kiyamanu vehegianu lazman hazeh.”
Amanda picked up the shamash and beckoned Jim over. Jim took the candle and lit the first candle on the left. Amanda then took the candle back and placed the shamash candle back in its slot. She looked at them and smiled. “Who’s hungry?”
“Starving ma’am,” Jim said.
Spock went to the hanukkiah and picked it up. He walked it over to a windowsill facing the front and placed the menorah in the window. Spock then joined Jim and everyone in the dining room. He sat next to Jim.
Amanda and Winona sat across from them with Sam sitting at one end of the table and Sarek at the other.
The food smelled wonderful.
“Are these traditional Jewish dishes?” Jim asked.
“Mostly,” Amanda replied as she picked a dish. “We have red wine braised brisket with carrots, spinach noddle kugel, challah bread, potato latkes, green beans with pecans and date syrup, and winter-vegetable salad.”
“Let’s dig in,” Winona said.
Jim’s mother made him a plate, to make sure he ate enough. Jim pushed the spinach kugel away from the brisket on the plate.
“Try it, please,” Winona told him.
Jim made a face.
“It is good,” Spock said. He took a bit of his own kugel.
Jim made another face but tried it. He chewed and swallowed. “No thanks.” Jim then ate a big helping of the brisket.
“He’s so picky,” Winona said to Amanda. “I had to have him on special formula and supplements when he was younger just to get some weight on him.”
“Spock’s always been a stick, but he does eat regularly. Vulcan metabolism.”
“Sam eats…Samuel, small bites!”
Jim looked at his brother and saw he stuffed with food.
“What?” Sam asked with a mouthful of food.
“Mom, can you make some of the apple cider?”
“I already have some going in the crock pot,” his mother replied.
“Yes! I told Spock about it because he can’t have chocolate and he doesn’t like white chocolate so I told him you can make hot apple cider that’s really good. Oh, with whip cream too!”
“Yes, with whipped cream, too.”
Jim nodded. He ate some of the potatoes and green beans as their parents all talked about federation things. Jim turned them out. He looked at Spock. “How is school?”
“Satisfactory. I am currently finishing a research project on cold fusion. Entirely theoretical but perhaps when I am older, I will have more resources to make it a reality.”
“That would be cool. What would you use it for?”
“Unknown but I am certain it will be something good.”
“Maybe you can explode it in a volcano,” Sam spoke up. “Make it go inert.”
Jim looked at his brother and shook his head. “That wouldn’t be a good idea.”
“It would not,” Spock agreed.
Jim nodded. “Yeah. When I’m captain I’ll make sure you get all the money and resources to do all the research you want.”
“Thank you. When I am…when I am your co-captain, I will also give you all the resources you need to be the best captain.”
Jim smiled and at up straighter. “Yeah, we’ll be a good command team.”
“Affirmative.”
Jim looked away from Spock to Sarek. “Hey, Mr. Sarek?”
Sarek looked at Jim. “Yes, James?”
“Since Spock and I are going to be in the VSA one day, can’t you just tell Vulcan to give us a starship? Then Spock and I can explore for Vulcan and maybe discover cool stuff but mostly have our own ship. If not, then we’ll just go to Starfleet too and that way we can take the ship they are building at the shipyard. I think it’s going to be the Enterprise. Uncle Chris says it’s his, but I don’t think so. He’s getting old and captains should be young like me and Spock but maybe you can get us a ship before that one is built.”
Sarek stared at Jim without saying a word then slowly his eyes drifted to Amanda across from Jim.
Amanda smiled. “I am certain you and Spock will have a ship one day. Probably while serving in Starfleet.”
“Okay, but we’re going to retire early so we can live on the farm together and have chickens and horses and some crops and maybe mini cows like Mr. McDaniel has.”
“That sounds like a lovely plan, Jim,” his mother said.
“Indeed, it does,” Amanda agreed.
Jim nodded.
Spock nodded as well. Jim’s plans were logical.
When they were done with dinner, Amanda surprised Jim and Sam with Hanukkah gifts. Jim opened his gift bag which was heaver and found a box set of books.
“Oh cool! Thank you!”
“I don’t know if you’d read any of Roald Dahl and Spock didn’t know either.”
“I haven’t yet.” Jim looked at the books. It was sixteen paperback books in the set that Jim couldn’t wait to dive into.
“COOL! Thanks a lot!”
Jim looked to his brother and saw him holding up two new video games. Jim shook his head. His brother and his nerdy stuff.
Spock opened up a small bag which had a new knit scarf and hat from his mother. Spock thanked her.
Winona brought out cups of cider. Jim loaded his with whipped cream and convinced the rest of them to put on Elf to watch.
When the movie ended, it was late. Jim yawned and went upstairs to go to bed with Spock. Jim took a turn in the bathroom, changing into a flannel pajama pants and a top. Spock was next, coming back into Jim’s room wearing solid deep green pajama pants with a matching top.
Jim shut the door. “Do you want to play a game?”
“It is late. Humans require more sleep than Vulcans.”
Jim walked to where Spock sat cross legged on the trundle bed. “Yeah, but if I go to bed now, then it’ll be morning soon and then you’ll leave. If we stay up, we’ll have more time together. I can sleep tomorrow.”
Spock could not argue with Jim’s logic. He, too, was not quite ready to part from his friend. “I have something for you.”
“You do?”
Spock nodded and grabbed his suitcase from next to the trundle on the floor. He opened it and took out a small, wrapped gift. “I bought it myself from a craftsman in the market square.”
Jim took the gift and unwrapped it. He opened the lid to the box and found a beautiful necklace. A deep blue gem hung like a pendant around a silvery chain. “It’s pretty, Spock.”
“I was unsure if you care for jewelry or not. My father presented my mother with one when they started cour…um…anyway, I wanted to get one for you.”
Jim beamed then hugged Spock tightly before letting him go. “Thank you so much. I love it.” Jim took it out of the box and slipped the chain over his neck.
“It is a vokaya gem, native to my home world.”
“Pretty.” Jim stood up and went to his desk. Spock watched him open a drawer and take something out. He walked back over to Spock and sat down. “Here, I got you a gift too. My mommy had to buy it because I didn’t have enough of my allowance saved but I’m going to pay her back.”
“I do not require gifts.” Spock opened the box and found a small metal starship figurine. He picked it up from the box.
“Mom took me and Sam to San Fransisco last month for a trip as she had to do some Starfleet stuff. There was a gift shop, and they had this replica of the ship they are building here in Riverside. I thought you’d like it, so you’ll remember that we’ll be co-captains one day.”
Spock held the small figure in his hand. His eyes cast up from it to Jim’s bright blues. “I love it. Thank you.”
Jim breamed. “You’re welcome! Now, let's play chess or something so we don’t’ have to go to sleep yet.”
“Affirmative.” Spock packed up his little promise from Jim and put it in his suitcase for safekeeping.
Spock woke up before Jim and found the blonde splayed out on his stomach beside him on the trundle bed, his shorter legs wrapped up with Spock’s legs under the blanket over them. He did not remember falling asleep. Nor a blanket from Jim’s bed being put over them.
It wasn’t important, though. Spock turned his head and stared at Jim’s peaceful expression. Spock felt he could lay there forever.
Until Sam banged on the door.
“TIME TO GET UP!”
Jim jolted away, sitting up wilding and looking all around. “Huh?”
Sam banged on the door again then walked away.
Spock sat up as well as Jim rubbed his eyes. “It seems we are due to wake up now according to your brother.”
“He’s a jerk face,” Jim said before yawning and looking at Spock. Jim’s hair was every which way on his head.
“Your hair is messed up,” Jim said.
“So is yours,” Spock replied.
Jim blinked and then plopped back down onto the trundle bed. “It’s too early.”
“It is nearly eight.”
“When I’m captain, everyone will get to sleep in until like ten.”
“I do not believe the ship will function properly if everyone sleeps in.”
“Oh, I guess so.” Jim sat up and touched his necklace. “You have to go now.”
“Yes,” Spock replied. “My mother’s family is expecting us, and father has to return to Vulcan shortly thereafter for work.”
Jim looked sad but nodded in understanding. He stood up. “C’mon, maybe we can play outside for a bit before you leave.”
Spock nodded, wanting nothing more than to stay but he knew he couldn’t.
After breakfast, Jim and Spock only had an hour more to hang out before Spock had to leave. Jim hugged himself as he stood on the porch and watched Spock and Sarek load up the car. Amanda touched Jim’s shoulder. He turned and looked up at her.
She knelt down next to him. “Can you keep a secret?”
Jim nodded.
“Well, don’t tell Spock, but your mother said you can come to Vulcan in the summer for two whole weeks.”
“What? Really?” Jim’s eyes widened.
“Shh. Remember. Secret. You’ll surprise him.”
Jim shut his mouth and nodded. Amanda kissed his cheek then stood back up. Jim giggled to himself as Amanda walked away to Winona to bid goodbye. Spock came up the porch to Jim. He arched a brow.
“What?”
Jim shook his head. “Nothing!”
Spock’s other brow raised.
Jim stepped close and hugged Spock tight. “I’m going to miss you.”
“And I will miss you as well. Perhaps my parents will allow us a video call on Christmas day.”
“That’ll be nice.” Jim stepped back and smiled at Spock. “Happy holidays, Spock.”
“Happy holidays, Jim.”
Jim went back to hugging himself as Spock said goodbye to Winona and Sam then walked with him mother to the car. Sarek gave a Vulcan salute before the three left for the transport station. Jim lifted one hand and touched his necklace before going back inside with his family.