Time is a God and We Cannot See Her Face

PART 4

{Song: "Venus" by Lady Gaga}

After their ordeal with the parallel universe Enterprise, Spock and Jim agreed that a good segue back to normalcy would be to enjoy one of their routine games of chess. The night proceeded as usual. Dinner, music on Jim's stereo, and as had been the norm as of late, both men inwardly congratulating themselves on how remarkably normal they were acting. The new variables were Jim's three small glasses of wine, and the pair now engaged in a discussion on the differences— as well as the similarities— in their mirrored universe counterparts.

"Apparently," Jim was saying, studying his game opponent over the head of his second-level knight, "even the most diabolical of character qualities aren't enough to keep the two of us separated, eh? The two obviously had a sense of loyalty for each other over there, even despite the gruesome hierarchy they were a part of."

"Affirmative."

"Although... eh. Never mind." A strange flutter rose in Jim's chest as he moved his knight. Was he really going to try this?

"A problem, Captain?"

Jim grinned. "You're the most perceptive man I've ever met, Mr. Spock. Well, you see, our newly transferred science officer we met on the bridge earlier-"

"Officer Moroux." Spock studied his pawns with laser-like scrutiny.

"Yes, Marlena. She was the Captain's... I don't know, girlfriend, bed partner, something, over on their vessel. She seemed to be more concerned with seducing him than actually loving him, to be honest. It was another power play, the ship was riddled with them. I wonder if that Captain cared for her at all. And at the same time, your own counterpart clearly had a personal bond with their Kirk."

"Did he?" Spock set his pawn down with an audible clink.

There. Maybe Spock would take the bait after all. Sure, his tone was void of anything except maybe a slight annoyance, but Jim was too stubborn to divert from his course now.

"I think so, anyways. But he didn't seem to expect any kind of affection from the Captain either. I suppose that could have just been the way of things on that ship. But they pretty much confirmed for me that their science officer had some sort of feelings for his Kirk."

"Are you certain you are not conflating his singular allegiance to his Captain with your human notions of love?"

"Ah. Well, maybe. I mean at the very least, they had quite the bond of some sort. Not a telepathic bond, mind you, or I'm sure your Spock would have noticed who I was much quicker, right?" Jim's palms sweated with nerves.

"He would have discerned it immediately."

"So, perhaps they just had, I don't know, a 'friends- with-benefits' agreement." Jim tried to sound bored. "A brotherly bond built out of many more years of serving together. Or an open relationship. Maybe both us Kirks are polyamorous morons with trust issues, wouldn't that be funny? Who's to say." Why the hell would you say something like that out loud right now?

Jim chuckled nervously, instantly regretting how vulnerable he was being and his idiotic tumble of words. You'd better get back on course right now, Captain, or shut up.

"Though they are rare," Spock replied, "I do believe all of those scenarios have been successfully executed between humans and Vulcans."

Jim paused mid-move to raise an eyebrow at his friend. "Really? Some real successes among them?"

"I am evidence of that fact."

Well, fuck. Jim felt his face heat up. Spock couldn't mean—

"Uh... what?"