Assumptions (Star Trek: TOS story by Jessica Daigneault)
| Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Assumptions |
| Author(s): | Jessica Daigneault |
| Date(s): | 1996 |
| Length: | |
| Genre(s): | slash |
| Fandom(s): | Star Trek: TOS |
| Relationship(s): | Kirk/Spock |
| External Links: | |
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Assumptions is a Kirk/Spock story by Jessica Daigneault.
It was published in the print zine Consort #1.
Summary
"Both Kirk and Spock wrongly assume the other is interested in him, and both wanting to give what the other wants, end up bonded."
Reactions and Reviews
1997
Spock overhears Kirk tell McCoy that Spock has a "great ass". Spock is so disconcerted that he doesn't eat lunch with them for two months. Then he overhears another conversation between Kirk and McCoy where Kirk says he's in love with Spock.Really great scene with all the other people around as Spock eavesdrops.
I loved Spock's thoughts on human "suffering" from unrequited love— "...assumption that denied love could cause pain over a long period, could it do so to Kirk?" This is an excellent premise for a story. Spock thinks of himself as having "no need for a more intimate relationship" than his family even though "he was fully functional"! I love it! Wait till he finds out! And really cute when he realizes he was eating Jell-O while being lost in thought about Kirk.
Some neat lines like; 'They had spent many evenings like this—Kirk engrossed in his project and Spock engrossed in Kirk".
Also terrific is the vow that Spock makes to himself; "As long as he could draw breath, Kirk would never have to do without him." Spock decides he couldn't tell Kirk this because he'd been eavesdropping and he couldn't admit it. So he decides he'll show him and "let Kirk make the first move".
Great scene: Spock asks Kirk to give his back a massage, then later Kirk tells McCoy that he thinks "Spock wants to go to bed with me"!
The whole time I'm reading this I'm wondering what Spock really overheard Kirk saying! I'm not usually held in suspense as to whether Kirk really loves Spock or not, but I was with this story.
Then we are privy to Kirk's thoughts on the subject- His emotion and turmoil is wonderfully done. He wants security and permanence, but he thinks he's not sexually attracted to Spock. Boy! Did this ever hurt good!
So up until this point in the story, I'm loving it. Then, something happened where all of a sudden I felt like I was reading a completely different story with a completely different tone. Kirk decides to sleep with Spock and calls him to his cabin in the middle of the night. Fine, okay, but then he has to brush his teeth first and tells Spock that he's going to.
Then...in one of the most incomprehensibly weirdest scenes I have ever read...Kirk impulsively tries to kiss Spock and it's, these are the exact words, "incredibly boring"! Then...they start some heavy petting but they have to stop because it's awkward and embarrassing because they both feel nothing....
Then...Kirk asks Spock if they can bond first and have sex afterward. Spock agrees and there's a ceremony onboard that Kirk needs a tranquilizer to get through.
By this time, I was mystified as to what in the world was going on. What was the author's intention? I wrote in my notes "This story is weird". I don't know if I ever have read a K/S story where they are actually kissing and it feels like they're kissing their Aunt Susie.[1]
Kirk has been under a Klingon mind-sifter and McCoy urges Spock to mind-meld with him to bring him out of the trance. Spock explains that there's a chance he could "become entrapped in his withdrawal."
The scene where McCoy watches Spock mind-meld with Kirk was wonderfully done. We get the feeling along with McCoy about how profound and how mysterious Vulcan mysticism really is.
I loved Spock's reaction: "A look of astonishment, then pleasure, following quickly by horror, flickered briefly before he clamped down with rigid, Vulcan control."
McCoy notices that Kirk, after recovery, becomes more dependent on Spock and at the same time, Spock becomes more passive. A number of months later, Spock tries to convince McCoy that he, Spock, should have a "medical leave". I adored it when McCoy doesn't buy it and says "Get your Vulcan ass back in here"! This McCoy is right on target—crusty yet compassionate.
Finally Spock admits he's approaching pon fair (countdown 16 days) and when McCoy suggests that Kirk could help, Spock walks out. Then Kirk goes to McCoy (no, McCoy doesn't tell him that Spock loves him!) to tell him that he's sexually aroused all the time.
All this is written so well and I just loved the whole setup to the inevitable where Spock is starting to lose control and in the growing fever, attacks McCoy. Spock thinks he's going to have to leave and go off and die.
A neat touch when Spock tells McCoy about "special" Vulcan women who service unbonded males. Spock says he can't go to one of them because he's unintentionally bonded—he doesn't say with whom—and McCoy assumes it's a woman until the whole thing dawns on him and he realizes Spock had bonded with Kirk when he had mind-melded with him.
Again, this is all written so well. The discussion between Spock and McCoy was really fascinating and so insightful. It's all about Spock's expectations of Kirk and his ability to be monogamous. McCoy speaks eloquently of the risk and the chance for love. "Don't destroy Jim by protecting him." What a fabulous line!
Spock comes to McCoy's door in the middle of the night He tells the doctor that he "wants" Jim. What a wonderful and realistic scene as Spock really doesn't know how to cope with his feelings or Kirk's feelings. Then an interesting twist—McCoy tells Spock to view a tape, a "gay-porno film" called 'The Seduction Of Bobby Miller". (Well...I guess I took all this with a wee grain o' salt....)
Kirk and Spock go for a "workout" (don't you love it?) in the gym. If ever there was a carpet-thrashing time—this was it! Ohh mmyy ggoodd...their wrestling turns into a kiss and the scene is absolutely mesmerizing. Spock is on top of Kirk and there's a frozen moment when they look at each other, then Spock caresses Kirk's face and leans down for a deep, penetrating kiss.
Spock tells him he wants him as a bondmate. He tells him it's a done-deal once it's done—Kirk can never be with anyone else.
Later they have some good sex (I mean, not as opposed to bad sex, the writing of the sex scene is good! Don't ask why I suddenly felt the need to explain that!) and I liked the point about human skin being smoother and thinner than Vulcan skin which is thick for protection against the sun.
A gorgeous accompanying Southern Cross drawing with beautifully muscled bodies and full erections as only that artist can do! It's a must see!
Just some strange things in the sex scene—a passing mention of "gonads" in Spock's back (what is this? Ripley's Believe It Or Not...?) and also some vague descriptions in lieu of specifics like "...he slowly breached Kirk's body" with no other explanation of the action. And the whole neat mystery of Kirk's unexplained increasing arousal was dropped and not mentioned again.
I really liked that Kirk lost control and the sex was mind-blowing even though it wasn't even pon farr yet!
It was a little disconcerting that Spock lapsed into "thees" and "thous" during this time.
Then Spock drops the bombshell that he could "kill thee in a mindless rage if thee struggled against me". Kirk says he won't. Spock says oh, okay. Then the story is over!
But despite these lapses, this was one terrific story and hopefully not to be confused with that other terrific story "Assumptions" in Consort 2.[2]