Spock had a double-shift; first the bridge, then Science Lab 1. Which meant that Jim got all of ten minutes with his bondmate before Spock had to leave. Jim was sitting at the table in their quarters, smiling as he watched Spock feed Soren. He never would have believed it if he didn't get to see it almost every morning; when Soren opened his bright blue eyes, squealed and made grabby hands at his sa-mekh, Spock smiled softly, picked him up, and cuddled and kissed him until Soren wanted something else.

Spock was a good sa-mekh. Jim was totally gonna reward him later that night... multiple times.

'Jim?'

Jim blinked back to himself and looked up. Spock was feeding Soren tiny pieces of Vulcan and Terran vegetables and fruits, Soren gobbling them up like he hadn't eaten in weeks. Before Soren was born Spock had requested that they raise the boy vegetarian with the proper nutritional supplements. Jim had seen no reason not to agree; Soren could always change his mind and eat meat when he was older.

Of course, Jim liked to tease Spock and remind him of the multiple cheeseburgers the Vulcan had craved and eaten when he was pregnant.

'Yeah?' he said.

'You appear to be dazed and tired,' Spock said. 'Did you not sleep sufficiently last night?'

'Yeah, I did,' Jim nodded and sipped his coffee- real coffee. With recycled water, but still! Bones had found an awesome little shop on the last stare-base they'd visited and picked up twenty pounds of Terran coffee beans. Jim loved Bones, he really did. Would marry him if he wasn't completely head-over-heels for Spock.

Spock must have caught that last thought, because he frowned and raised an eyebrow.

'Kidding,' Jim grinned and nudged Spock's leg under the table. 'I'm fine, Spock. I was just thinking about how adorable you are with Soren.'

'Vulcans are not "adorable", Jim,' Spock scolded. He then looked down at Soren, who was mashing a fori and pla-savas together. 'Soren, stop that,' he ordered. The baby, of course, ignored him. 'Pehkau,' Spock repeated. He earned a hand covered in blue fruit to the face for his troubles, and Jim laughed as his husband sighed and reached for a napkin to clean himself. 'Jim.'

'Sorry, sorry,' Jim giggled. 'Stop that, Soren, and eat your breakfast!'

'Banaba!' Soren declared. Spock sighed softly and reached for the remaining piece of banana on Soren's little plate. The baby took it with glee and shoved the entire piece into his mouth, chewing messily and beaming at his parents.

'Are you certain that you can watch Soren today?' Spock questioned. 'My shift finishes at 1300 and-'

'It's fine, Spock,' Jim said. 'I slept just fine and I can watch our son for a few hours. I did it last night. And the day before. A few days ago I even had him for-'

'I did not mean to imply that I do not trust your abilities, Jim,' Spock interrupted. His voice had softened and Jim smiled at him.

'I know, Spock,' he said. 'But I'll be fine. We'll be fine.'

'Very well,' Spock said. He stood and rounded the table, depositing Soren in Jim's lap. Jim held onto the toddler firmly as Spock bent down to press a kiss to Soren's forehead. 'Rom-halan, sa-kan.'

'Sa-sa!' Soren responded, making grabby-hands at Spock's uniform tunic. Jim quickly pulled back and Soren fell short, a pout immediately forming on his lips.

Jim smiled and leaned up for his own kiss, which Spock happily gave. 'Have a good day, ashaya,' he said.

'And you as well, T'hy'la,' Spock responded. 'I will see you at lunch.'

Jim nodded and, with one last look at his small family, Spock left their quarters. Jim sighed when the door swished shut behind Spock, but his attention was immediately stolen by Soren, who decided that Jim just had to have blue fruit in his hair.

'You think you're funny, don't you?' he said.

Soren clapped in response.

{oOo}

After cleaning Soren (and himself) up, Jim grabbed the bright red baby carrier, put Soren in it, grabbed the baby bag that had to be dragged everywhere Soren went, and headed off. It was just past 0900, but Jim figured that it'd be fine to visit Bones. How many people could be sick and/or injured at nine in the morning?

Ten, that's how many. Jim frowned as he looked the beds over, but when he saw that nobody was seriously injured he wandered across the room to knock on Bones' office door. Nurse Chapel was in Medbay rushing about, but she stopped briefly to wave her fingers at Soren before darting off again. Jim smiled in amusement until Bones' office swished open.

'Who the hell is annoying me when I just said-'

'Bones!' Jim gasped dramatically and put a hand on Soren's head. 'Really, the language you use! And around a baby no less!'

'Shut your trap,' McCoy grumbled. His face quickly turned into a smile, though, when Soren started squealing and waving in Bones' general direction. 'Well hey there, little hobgoblin.'

'Are you ever gonna stop calling him that?' Jim asked.

McCoy grinned as he ruffled Soren's messy black hair. 'Not unless I come up with somethin' better,' the doctor said. 'I'm thinkin' "Little Kirk" if he turns out like you, and I'll just stick with "Little Hobgoblin" if he acts like Spock.'

'Whatever,' Jim shrugged a shoulder. 'Wanna do something?'

McCoy raised an eyebrow. 'Like...?'

'Uh...' Jim hummed, then frowned, hummed a bit more... 'Play chess?' he suggested.

'Play... Jim, my shift started six hours ago. This is my break. My very nice, very captain-free break. And you wanna ruin it?'

Jim pouted. 'But you love me. And I've got a little hobgoblin with me, too!' He turned so that Soren faced Bones and silently urged his son into joining in with the puppy-dog eyes. 'How can you just turn us away?'

'Easy,' McCoy deadpanned and slipped back into his office. The door whooshed shut in Jim's face.

'Meanie,' Jim muttered. 'Isn't Uncle Bones a meanie, Soren?'

'Mm-bah,' was Soren's helpful response.

Jim sighed. 'Fine, I'll go find someone else to hang out with!' He turned and stalked away, Chapel waving and a few of the sickbed occupants watching as he went. Jim ignored them all and wandered down the hallway, no particular destination in mind. What did he used to do when he didn't have a husband and child?

Hmm... hung out with Spock, sometimes. Most of the time... all the time. And it took us how long to get together? Jim thought to himself in amusement. He looked down at Soren as he bounced the baby. 'Your daddies are silly, Soren. Don't you agree? Aren't your mekhlar silly?'

Soren blinked at him, then went back to chewing on his fingers.

'Wow, nobody loves Jim today,' Jim muttered. He sighed and stopped before a turbolift, head tilted as he tried to think of something to do. Finally he just shook his head and decided to hell with it. He stepped into the turbolift, quickly riding it to the appropriate level. When he stepped out he nodded hellos to various crewmembers, then smiled when he caught sight of Spock sitting in the captain's seat. 'Soren, look who it is!'

Spock swivelled in the seat, one eyebrow already raised. Jim turned Soren and the baby squealed in delight when he saw Spock.

'Sa-sa, Sa-Sa!' he shouted and drooled and generally made a fool of himself. But he was a baby, so it was cute, Jim decided.

'Jim, Soren,' Spock said. He stood when they got closer. 'Is something wrong?' Spock asked. Their bond pulsed with slight concern from Spock's end, and Jim sent reassurance back.

'Everything's fine.'

'I see,' Spock mused. He reached over to pet Soren's scruffy hair. 'Then you are here because...?'

Jim flushed slightly and ignored the snickers that came from Sulu and Chekov, the smirk that was plastered on Uhura's face. 'Uh... I love you?' he ventured. Spock's eyebrow inched higher. 'Soren missed you?' Now there were two raised. 'Okay, fine!' Jim snapped. 'I was bored and I have no friends and I wanna stare at your ass when you bend over your science station!'

'Jim!' Spock scolded, but Jim just grinned, unperturbed. Soren was giggling to himself- over Jim's words, or the zipper of Jim's sweater that he was playing with, either one. Spock sighed almost noiselessly and reached out to take Soren from his father. 'Very well,' he said, 'if you insist on interrupting my shift you will at least be useful.'

Jim blinked. 'Say what?'

'Did you truly believe that I would not realise you had left several separate pieces of paperwork unfinished when your last shift ended?' Spock questioned.

Jim cursed under his breath. Instead of reading them and signing them, which would have meant staying back twenty minutes and missing putting Soren to bed, Jim had just left them... he'd assumed Spock would go over them when his shift started, like he usually did...

'But...' Jim pouted for the second time that morning, 'I've gotta watch Soren.'

'I currently find myself with twenty minutes free,' Spock replied immediately. He gave Jim the Spockian-equivalent of a grin. 'I can watch Soren while you finish your work, Captain.'

'But Spoock-'

'Captain,' Spock interrupted.

'Fine!' Jim snapped. He ducked forward to peck Soren on the cheek. 'Your sa-mekh's mean!'

Soren babbled at him in baby talk, which Jim assumed was his agreement.

'That's right,' he said and stepped around his husband and son. He felt Spock's annoyance over their bond and sent waves of love and affection as well as the image of him smirking back.

"Bath'paik!" was Spock's response and Jim snickered. He dumped Soren's baby bag by his feet, took the baby carrier off, and then flopped into the captain's seat

'Good morning, Kepten!' Chekov called from his station.

Jim gave the young man a small wave before grabbing the PADD Spock had left on the seat. If he had to do paperwork, then Spock had to go half-an-hour without his PADD.

Jim swivelled his seat around as he loaded one of the requests he'd been sent the day before. Spock was sitting at his station, Soren on his lap. The baby was trying to grab the desk but Spock expertly kept him away from the bright, shiny buttons and flashing screens. Jim smiled as he watched Spock run his fingers over Soren's back, straightening the black onesie Jim had put on him after breakfast.

He could totally do paperwork if he got to watch his husband and son while he was doing it.

{oOo}

'I thought that you could take care of Soren for half of one day,' Spock said when they sat down to lunch in the mess hall.

Soren was asleep in the baby carrier, apparently able to sleep through the noise of a hundred men and women eating at once. Spock didn't want to wake him, and Jim figured that they could feed him his lunch after his impromptu nap.

'I can!' Jim said. 'I took care of him last Wednesday, remember?'

'Indeed,' Spock said. 'And I found you both asleep in the Medical Bay.'

Jim blinked. 'Oh, yeah.' He'd gone to visit Bones, and they'd chatted, and Soren had fallen asleep, and Jim had followed, and McCoy had left them both on one of the biobeds. 'Well Bones wouldn't play with us today!' Jim added. 'He's a meanie.'

'I see,' Spock mused, but it was clear he was only humouring Jim.

Jim frowned. 'Don't you love us, Spock? Don't you wanna see us all the time?'

'Of course I do,' Spock said. 'However, it is difficult to work when you and Soren are entertaining the crew in the corner of the bridge.'

'Don't act like you didn't love our re-enactment of The Lion King,' Jim huffed.

Spock raised an eyebrow at him. Their bond said that Spock very much disliked said act, but Jim brushed it aside. He was a damn fine actor of 20th Century animation, and Soren was, too!

They fell into idle conversation as Spock ate and Jim tried to eat; having a baby strapped to your chest freed your hands, but made eating a chicken sandwich difficult. Spock watched him struggle for about fifteen minutes before finishing his own lunch and holding his arms out.

It was a gesture both fathers were familiar with, so Jim quickly handed Soren over then removed the baby carrier. He groaned in relief, the sound cut off when he crammed half of his sandwich into his mouth. Spock made a soft noise of disgust and ignored Jim's food-filled grin when the captain looked at him.

Jim chewed slowly as he watched Spock bounce Soren in his arms. The boy snuffled a bit, and his bright blue eyes opened sluggishly, but when Spock started murmuring to him softly in Vulcan, Soren quickly fell back asleep. It made something in Jim's chest tighten.

It was a nice feeling. Jim loved when Spock spoke Vulcan to Soren, making sure that the baby learned both Standard and the language of his sa-mekh's people. Jim had learned Vulcan years ago, back when Spock had become his First Officer. It was a difficult language, but could be beautiful when you knew how to use it.

Jim had to keep a tight leash on his side of the bond when Spock started singing very softly to Soren; it was a Vulcan lullaby, and Jim sang along in his head as he ate. For a race of purely logical people, Vulcans sure were sweet.

{oOo}

That night, after Soren had been put to bed and Jim had collapsed onto his own, he rolled over and kissed Spock thoroughly. He didn't want to start anything, but he felt Spock's warmth, love, and desire flare at the contact.

'Jim?' he questioned when they broke apart.

'I love you,' Jim said.

'And I, you,' Spock replied.

Jim grinned. 'Do you know how freaking awesome it is seeing you and Soren together?'

'I find myself similarly affected when I see you with Soren,' Spock admitted.

'It's awesome, isn't it?' Jim said. 'I mean... we created him, Spock! He's a little you and me!'

'Yes,' Spock said, amusement plain on his face. 'I remember you making similar statements just after he was born.'

'Well it's awesome, it bears repeating,' Jim announced.

Spock chuckled shortly and draw Jim closer. Jim settled against him, eyes shut but mind still working.

'Jim?' Spock prompted when he felt his T'hy'la's mind still working.

'Do you ever think about having more?'

'More children?' Spock queried. Jim nodded against his chest. 'Certainly,' Spock said. 'I believe that I would find joy in raising a larger family with you.'

'Yeah?' Jim asked. 'How many?'

Spock pondered that for a beat before saying, 'Three would be a satisfactory number.'

'Satisfactory,' Jim echoed with a laugh.

'Yes,' Spock confirmed. 'How many children do you desire?'

'I think three's a good number,' Jim mused. 'Then Soren gets to be a big brother.'

'Indeed,' Spock said. 'However, I do believe that we should wait. I have no wish for my work to be interrupted by you and three children.'

'Shut up!' Jim huffed and slapped Spock's chest. 'I don't interrupt you that much!'

'Indeed,' Spock repeated.

'I hate you,' Jim huffed, moving so he could bury his face in Spock's neck.

'2.7 minutes ago you declared that you loved me.'

'Shut up.'

Jim felt Spock's smile and bit his lip to stop his own from forming.

After a few minutes had passed, Jim said, 'You know...'

Spock hummed slightly. Jim could feel his drowsiness, but he pushed at their bond slightly to get Jim to continue.

'We should practice making babies, just in case we forget,' the blond said.

'I doubt that we could ever forget, Jim.'

'I know,' Jim said, 'but... just in case.'

'I see,' the Vulcan hummed, 'shall we practice in the morning before Soren wakes?'

'Totally,' Jim said.

'Very well.'

Another pause. 'Love you, Spock.'

'And I you, T'hy'la,' Spock responded.

Vulcan:

Fori – A type of Vulcan vegetable

Pla-savas – A sweet blue to black-coloured Vulcan fruit

Pehkau – Stop

Rom-halan – farewell/goodbye

Sa-kan – son

Mekhlar – parents

Bath'paik – damn you!

Author's Note: I have no idea what this is. I just wanted baby!Soren, 'cause I haven't really written any baby!Soren. And it turned into "Jim loves watching Spock and Soren", so... there you go! Man, I haven't written any Stark Trek stuff in ages! It's blasphemy, I tell you, 'cause I love Stark Trek.

Anywho...

Cheers!

Dreamer