Fragile Barriers

K/S Fanfiction
Title:	Fragile Barriers
Author(s):	Andrea Arat
Date(s):	1987
Length:
Genre:	slash
Fandom:	Star Trek: The Original Series
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Fragile Barriers is a K/S story by Andrea Arat.

It was published in Charisma #1.

Summary

"Kirk has a difficult time dealing with Spockʼs need to take a wife for pon farr, and hurt that he is not able to see his lover through it."

Reactions and Reviews

I can't remember how many times I've gone back and reread this story. Kirk's feelings of jealousy, sadness and inadequacy come through strongly. His rejection of Spock when he first returns from Vulcan and his new wife is totally believable. And his ultimate acceptance of the situation after Spock's gentle reassurance is told in a very touching and poignant scene. The author shows in a very well-written story that life does not always have easy answers.

I can understand being hurt so badly that you just feel dead inside. I can understand lying on your bed for hours, feeling "non-feeling", unmoving, your eyes open. I can understand Kirk's non-reaction to Spock's attempt at making love. What I have trouble following is the apparent speed at which Kirk seems to get over his trauma. I think Spock shouldn't have been able to get through to him because Kirk would still be dead to the world around him, not registering until he would be ready to crack the barriers from within. I don't feel as if I've been given enough time to go through the motions with Kirk or I need more time to heal.

[part of a much longer review] Really interesting, potent descriptions of feeling deeply hurt and sad and questioning your whole relationship. Though actually that can be fairly uncomfortable to read, *because* the fic’s good at invoking that state (I can’t remember that many good literary depictions of this situation). I like that we have people having a grown-up, real problem, because they DID talk about something but not *enough*. And maybe you can’t talk through this one and escape with NO damage. No one’s really at fault here, but they’re making it worse as well, and can’t help themselves. And Healing Cock this isn’t–a very believable ‘let’s sex it better’ attempt is about as sexy as a dead fish and just ends in everyone feeling hurt and rejected. Note the use of lube and the prep. Also, Spock’s wife isn’t described as a heinous shrew for being a woman our slash-pairing-half character has sex with (though I sort of hope she has her own romantic life rather than just having to hear about Spock’s, endure his sex frenzy and maybe breed him some babies–though actually, the way Spock talks about her, she could be an ace person who wants kids, and that’d be chill). There’s a brief nod to other cultures having different sexual norms, respecting personal freedoms–the groundwork I need to engage with this fic seriously. Note also that sex isn’t de facto SO MUCH BETTER!! with your magical true love here–it’s not good sex in this situation *because* they love each other, and feeling invested and hurt can curtail feeling oh-so-sexual.