I loved the pining and longing and love that it didn't go on for too many years. Life is short for humans and youth is even more fleeting so I'm always glad when Jim and Spock can get together fairly young.

That was realy angsty and well done.

Spock pulls away from Jims' lips just as the door whooshes open and Bones sees them standing there, Spocks' arms the only things keeping Jim from melting into a gooey puddle on the ground, an identical look of bliss on their faces. There is an extended second and Bones says "oookay," and shuts the door, and he can only imagine how Bones would be reacting to that but he can't really because Spock is kissing him again.

*snort*

I love the fic, honestly, I do, but what I love the most is my imagining of the nonplussed expression on Bones' face.

*thumbs up*

Oh my god sweetheart, this was... just... oh WOW.

I mean... I'm quite, quite speechless. The way you write, the beautiful angst in Jim's struggle and, "Him? In love? Yeah right. And somehow his own sarcasm is bitter on his tongue, and he's reasonably sure he's fallen really hard" I LOVE THIS SO MUCH OH MY GOD "But the falling itself is breathtakingly effortless, air-resistance negligible. Falling for Spock was as natural as falling for gravity, and he hadn't yet landed" ALL OF IT!

Breathtaking is the word!

Omg. I can't believe I left this gem sitting in my inbox for as long as I did!

This is beautiful and heartfelt.

You captured Jim's state of mind brilliantly. Then entire fic is just teeming with moments that feel like they've been transplanted directly from Jim's brain.

The opening paragraph is intricate and lovely, I keep reading it over just because the wording was just so perfect.

Bones and Spock make the whole thing come together. Their hovering care and intervention type confrontation, just showing how desperate they are to figure out what's wrong.

The ending is wonderful. I couldn't have asked for a better resolution for the angst that Kirk was going through.

You are awesome.

Never stop with your awesome-ness!

Shatterwing

My crappy day just got better :)

Overall I think it's a really good piece. I like the lack of any real fluff (except, perhaps, a little bit at the very end).

I feel like the first four paragraphs where you describe the "chains" are a little bit overdone, too philosophical or existential or something. I like the concept, especially since you revisit the "chains" imagery at the end to bring the whole story around full-circle. That's good. But I think you could cut out paragraphs 2 and 3. That way we get the right idea (Jim and Spock are separated by a perceived chasm of duty and differences, and the separation is, at least to Jim, both preoccupying and distressing), but we're not being overloaded with abstractions.

After that point, I love the tone of the story. It's beautifully rambling and thoughtful. My favorite parts are 1.) your description of privacy on the starship as being "an illusion born of respect for others" (just a great turn of phrase!) and 2.) the paragraph starting "Can one fall hard..." Really, it's just what you'd expect from a genius with a major crush going on too little sleep and too much caffeine. :-)

Anyway, "Chains" is a good read and made for a nice break between classes for me today. You should try something like it again. Thanks for writing!

this was... really REALLY good. it was deep, but not grossly angsty and had just the right amount of romance.

i have the sudden urge to bake you cookies! :)

you're amazing, keep on writing! your fics are wonderful and i LOVELOVELOVE reading them!

Hey, Great story!

My computer is now fixed. How are you doing?

-Save the Sharks

-Gail

wow nice i just loved it it was perfect lol great job

"You do not wish to disclose the identity to me?"

That was honestly my favorite part of the story, right behind the window scene. Spock's voice is wonderfully consistent throughout, and this is just enough emotion to make it stick but still be *him*. Lovely.

Oh. Mercy. This is dark but very beautiful. The boys being torn apart and put together. I want to keep this to read, because it touches something very deep inside me. Thank you eternally.

Oh, lovely. Really, really wonderful! I loved the imagery and the writing style, and I personally don't think anyone was out of character. Good job, and thanks for sharing!

Being left at a loss for words by the sheer magnificence of a story is a wonderful thing - but it kinda sucks when you're actually wanting to review...!

First off - wow. An absolutely AMAZING triple-scoop of Jim, Spock and Bones for my b-day? Better than cake, by a mile. Thank you SO MUCH!

And what a story concept. This isn't your usual - and you know I love your usual - but this style is wonderful as well. It's polished and emotionally raw at the same time, and just the sheer FEELING is breathtaking.

The little references to physics, etc. here and there were just absolutely perfect:

"Can one fall hard, or is the landing itself hard? The velocity of impact is proportional to the height from which the object fell and to the acceleration of free fall which is itself dependent on the gravitational pull of the body in question. So maybe he hasn't fallen hard, because physics says that's stupid."

I mean, YES! This guy is a Starfleet captain, and he would think that way. And Jim in a downward spiral, emotionally and physically, due to all the feelings he is holding back... just, wow.

The scene where Jim was considering Pike's window was just... well, *gasp*, lump in the throat, that sort of thing. I could FEEL Spock and Bones' terror when they walked into the room - and what kinds of amazing friends are they when they can just SEE what Jim is thinking, even when it wouldn't be evident to anyone else at all.

And when Spock is waiting, he thinks, for Jim to tell him that he's in love with someone else... my heart just broke for him. I got all teary-eyed and had to go back and read it again when I'd blinked a little bit.

I realize I've probably used the word "just" in this review about 30 times. You'll *just* have to forgive me. :-)

This piece is, quite simply, a slice of perfection; I don't know what has hit you recently, but I'm seeing a difference in the way you're writing. I've always loved what you write - but now I'm realizing that you've got hidden depths that I don't think you even knew about, and it's downright exciting to wait for what you'll come up with next!

Love you,

Lyri