Anniversary Gift

Fanfiction
Title:	Anniversary Gift
Author(s):	Kate Singer
Date(s):	1992
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):
Relationship(s):	Kirk/Spock
External Links:
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Anniversary Gift is a Kirk/Spock story by Kate Singer.

It was published in the print zine T'hy'la #12.

Summary

"Spock gives Jim a statue of an Aztec fertility god for an anniversary gift, causing unforseen effects in both of them."

Reactions and Reviews

1992

This is a very short story, basically just a sex scene, but it is transformed into something memorably by the excellence of the writing. Spock arrives home on the evening of his and Kirk's anniversary with a gift. He hides it, and then the two of them are consistently lured away from the dinner Kirk has prepared, and any other gift giving, by their sexual desire for each other. In the end. they discover that Spock's present to his bondmate is a statue of an Aztec god that has been influencing their behavior, making their sexual appetite almost insatiable... The words in "Anniversary Gift" are clear and crisp, and at the same time they retain a wonderfully poetic grace: the combination makes the story a satisfying vignette. But I had some real problems with the "Aztec" influence. If the Aztecs or their 'gods' of clay had a direct line to the libido, I think we humans would have discovered it by now. And especially since Spock's sexual behavior turned a little violent in the end, uncomfortably reminiscent of pon farr. I had a hard time believing they both accepted the little statuette so calmly. Seems a lot more likely to me, and logical too, that Spock would take it to a lab, or lock it up somewhere instead of calmly placing it on the nightstand, with the implication that there it would remain. Looks like he and Jim are in for a life of continual rut, and even our sexy guys have to get out of bed and go to work sometimes. There was also a small problem of clarity. I was confused by the reference to "the seven-year cycle" and that in turn led me to wonder exactly what anniversary it was they were celebrating. The yearly anniversary of their bonding, and this just happened to be the seventh one, or were they celebrating seven years since the pon farr and the likely reappearance of the next one? I hate sounding obtuse, but I really couldn't figure it out. A pleasing effort from a very talented writer. I wish it had been much longer.

The teasing between the two men in this story reflects a long, loving relationship and adds realism to the final

'joke.' Well done.

1993

Spock cones home (after a long day at the office?), and is greeted by Kirk who has made an anniversary dinner. A gift of an ancient fertility god relic causes problems, and you can guess how! A little too much of the narrative side that sacrifices insight into the characters for ordinary explanations. Whether or not it's true, this story had the feel of a beginning K/S writer. Which is not to say it's bad, at all. In fact there are soime very good qualities, but, there are some, shall we say, unusual descriptions. Like: "double ridges and double head"? What's that mean? And "Kirk felt only the cozy afterglow of the Vulcan's love through their bond, basking in it like a thermal blanket..." And "They simply ate their fill in silence, earnest as a pack of wolves." At one point in the story, as Kirk and Spock are alone together, WHY did they "talk" to each other through their mind link instead of just out loud? And Kirk is embarrassed because he has no chest hair?

It's not developed enough to be erotic. There's just a line or two and abruptly, they do it. But, I have to say that if, in fact, this is a first effort, the author truly snows a great deal of promise and I look forward to more.