Fire Hearts

Fanfiction
Title:	Fire Hearts
Author(s):	JS Cavalcante
Date(s):	1993
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	Star Trek: TOS
Relationship(s):	Kirk/Spock
External Links:
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Fire Hearts is a K/S story by JS Cavalcante.

It was published in Charisma #17.

Summary

"Kirk doesnʼt know whether to be relieved or upset when Spock returns to Vulcan to be betrothed."

Reactions and Reviews

1993

I have always been interested in the situation of Spock making a marriage of convenience that allowed for K/S and the corollary that Spock's betrothed also had her reasons for not wanting a full mating bond. I look forward to a sequel in which T'Khari finds happiness too. I also liked seeing that Uhura was the acting first officer while Spock was absent on Vulcan. Uhura is rarely given a chance at command responsibilities and I'm sure she's fully qualified. I do have a couple of minor criticisms. Kirk has a security program that locks his quarters when he needs privacy, but I consider it odd that he doesn't ordinarily lock the outer door. I understand that he would want to keep the connecting door open for Spock, but why would he want to receive unexpected visits from crew members during his off-duty hours? I also wonder about the idea that a society of touch telepaths would have no nudity taboo. Surety touch telepaths that value their privacy as much as Vulcans do would want to discourage a situation where there might be accidental skin to skin contact.

1994

Right from the very beginning is a wonderfully atmospheric story, brimming with Vulcan mysticism and cultural attitudes. So carefully done with details of clothing, language, ceremonies, family histories, clans, the people and even references to Vulcan musical instruments all make this a thoughtful, interesting story, dense with ideas.

The opening scene is especially well structured. We see Spock at his marriage ceremony and through his eyes we see the others - T'Pau, Sarek, Amanda and Spock's bride to be. As the scene progresses, we enter his thoughts and memories.

So well researched and thought out, all this care gives this story a wonderful realism and immediacy.

Spock begins to daydream and: "He heard T'Pau's commanding voice call his name, felt himself drawn back from his stars suddenly, assailed by gravity." Isn't that exactly how one feels when thoughts wander and then suddenly you pay attention?

There's so much careful attention to detail- such as how Spock sees Sarek. How his exterior is "austere" but how he knows the warmth and caring of the man.

An unusual twist here - one that done by a lesser author could be a disaster - it is well into the story before the issue of Kirk comes up.

The Vulcan culture is so vivid-including touches of oriental and Indian-"The garden was cool and beautiful, the sand raked meticulously to simulate ocean waves..." More touches of detail include a scene when Spock meets his bride-to-be and asks what she does. She replies that she's a scientist "...employed by the mining firm of T'Karas, Sehlu, and T'Riadh." What great realism of a firm named like that, plus two of the partners are women in this matriarchal world. Even such detail as when the Vulcans' hearts beat, they beat in the sides of their bodies.

I also enjoy the follow through of details from other stories by this author, She will use imagery or language that she has established in other stories. As an example, Spock sees "...her black eyes were like obsidian chips ablaze with inner light, like the sun glinting off the L-langon hills..." This was how Spock would relate to something no matter the situation.

I am impressed with how much knowledge and realism J.S, imparts concerning military protocol, technology and ship's business.

On top of this, she can write some of the hottest sex in K/S ever! It's so funny to be reading beautiful, poetic language, then come across such hot scenes! I could repeat so much from the love-making scenes. They are vibrant and drop-dead sexy. They are filled with regard for Kirk and Spock, yet loose and free with sensuality. "Spock was stroking his hair, the side of his face. Suddenly he longed to feel the Vulcan's kiss again. He lay back on the bed. 'Come to me now.' Oh boy!

So, guess what? I liked this story.

A elegant, gentle story. A basically simple but unique scenario with very interesting details, and much depth of feeling.

A vivid scene on Vulcan-really fine visually.

Spock is betrothed to another. While the betrothal ceremony is going on, we are privy to Spock's musings and other fascinating observations. And his feelings of regret.

Previously, on the ship, Kirk and Spock had talked about the betrothal arrangements that had been made. Kirk is apparently just glad Spock will have a bondmate for his next pon farr. But he is...bothered by it too.

I loved the one private conversation between Spock and T'Kahri before their betrothal. I'm glad they turned out to be on the same wave length. She's very perceptive, honorable, a worthy mate. Very likable, if there has to be someone to have a heir with Spock, for both families. She suggests only a light bond, a bond-of-necessity, for pon farr and no more. They are thus both free to seek others. It seems she is aware they both have special someone in their hearts. Their agreement is really healthy and logical, and I like their obvious respect for each other.

The description of the actual creating of the link-of-necessity in their minds was really well- written inside-the-mind stuff.

Sometimes some exposition (I think it's called that) disturbed the flow, almost like asides, explaining some background information of something that was going on. For instance, about Spock's having a choice of two offices to go to. It was only a sentence or two, but seemed unnecessary and took me away from Spock's sojourn right then. The way such information is conveyed can take us away from a focus on a character's perceptions, and to some totally objective, outside observer explaining something to us, the reader. I just realized what it is: in this mode it makes it obvious there is a reader to explain something to; whereas sometimes we can go along and not be aware we are totally outside the story.

And maybe there were more details of ship's business than necessary (as I've said before, the definition of "necessary" in fiction is debatable) when Spock returned to the ship in the middle of the night and before he went to Kirk. A few paragraphs of all the activities he needed to involve himself in or check on in some way, didn't really add to the story. I suppose in a novel or long story all these side- details are desirable, very much so, but not in a short story. Witness just a little later, the business Spock has to attend to was referenced without disturbing any flow.

It certainly takes a lot of words to explain what was really a very minor point. I wonder why I even noticed it-probably something I've been questioning in my own current writing. Sorry for taking up everyone's time with this, while I work something out for myself that maybe others are already aware of.

I do note that earlier, when we are in Spock's observations as he is attending to the betrothal ceremony with only half his attention, we learned this and that fascinating detail about the people or the place or the customs attendant to that scene, and those details did not seem out of place at all, because we were seeing them more directly through Spock's eyes.

After Spock has returned to the ship, Kirk is drinking alone, and Spock comes to him. Kirk's a little surly; admits his jealousy-I'm glad he did (as opposed to denying it). A wonderfully intense scene: "She'll still have one thing with you that I'll never have." Wow! Spock, heatedly: "There is nothing I would give to her I would not give to you!" Ahh... Admissions are out in the open now.

I wonder though about Spock's being so forceful now, as the revelation that Kirk also feels love for him is brand-new information to him, not something he might have earlier felt as a possiblity and thus been prepared for, gotten used to in his imagination or something.

I love that Spock experiences the fire of the kiss as a "natural, wholesome, exciting feeling," rather than like the consuming fire as in Pon Farr.

Everything happens kind of fast I think because of Kirk's inebriation. They're so easy and flirtatious with each other. Quite nice, but not this author's usual intense erotic tension.

I like that Vulcans are as "notoriously unselfconscious about their bodies as they were ashamed of their emotions." I love how Spock lies so blatantly naked, exposed, unguarded before Kirk. "Spock's face the most naked part of him." T'Kahri and T'Zenya in the deep-sisterhood sense-l had figured as much. Kirk and Spock communicate gratitude to her over the link, and she starts to think about same-sex relationships, that maybe she can have one too. I hope so.

A rather quiet story; very lovely.

2001

Tire Hearts" is another excellent story by J.S. Cavalcante. Once again she gives us a fascinating view of Vulcan customs and traditions that is very well thought out and entirely believable. (Warning: important plot details revealed.) In this story Spock has gone to Vulcan to be betrothed to a woman. I loved the depiction of T'Kahri in this story. Hopefully this sort of Vulcan woman is more the norm than T'Pring! The conversation T'Kahri and Spock have before the betrothal ceremony is delightful, and very revealing. Spock finds she is not interested in any more than the lightest of bonding links, a "bond of necessity" that is not a true bonding, but that will save his life during pon farr. This will leave each free to be with another, and it can be easily broken at any time by their mutual consent. She has her own reasons for this, which are not so different from Spock's for agreeing to such an arrangement. After the ceremony, Spock returns to the Enterprise, and the next day goes to Kirk's cabin where he finds Kirk drinking heavily. Kirkmakes a few indiscreet comments that let slip his real feelings for Spock, and the story proceeds from there very satisfactorily. This story is from Spock's POV. We know his thoughts and feelings, whereas Kirk's are only revealed through the dialogue. And what a good job J.S. does—I always find her depiction of Spock to really ring true, and this story was no exception. I just love J.S. Cavalcante's writing style, which adds so much to her stories. I highly recommend this one!