Work Text:
Emoting
This first appeared as an Obsenad on the SENAD discussion list.
“So, Jim, who was your favorite Star Trek character?” Blair asked as he waited for the lights in the theater to go down. They were about to see Star Trek: Nemesis for the first time at the dollar theater.
“Well,” Jim mumbled through a mouthful of popcorn (with extra butter, which was one of the few unhealthy things Blair wouldn’t complain about, because he liked it too). “I was always pretty fond of Odo from Deep Space Nine. He reminded me a lot of me.”
Blair snorted. “Figures. He had a love/hate relationship with redheaded women, too. And he hated his special abilities.”
Jim shot his lover a sidelong glance. “Actually, I was referring to the fact that he was the station’s constable, liked 50’s detective novels, and didn’t like talking about his feelings.”
Blair blushed. “Oh.”
After watching Blair squirm for a moment, Jim decided to let his lover off the hook. “So, who was your favorite character?”
Inwardly breathing a sigh of relief, Blair said, “I always liked Data. I thought he was a very interesting dichotomy – on the one hand, he always uses perfect English, but no matter how much bad grammar gets on someone’s nerves, a person who never uses contractions will bug them even more. Not to mention the lack of emotion in his words.”
His eyebrows climbing up into his nonexistent hairline, Jim said, “What? Like ‘No, Captain, I do not believe it would be wise at this juncture to threaten Ambassador Troi with atomic dispersal. Counselor Troi would be most upset, and the trade negotiations with the Andorians would have to be put off. Perhaps you should wait until after the treaty is signed.’” He actually managed to do a creditable imitation of the android.
Blair chortled. “Man, that’s spot-on, Jim.”
Jim grinned back. “Well, I always liked the Next Generation best. Speaking of which...” the lights in the theater dimmed, “the movie’s starting.”
Snuggling as close to his lover as their separate seats would allow with the arms moved out of the way, Blair said, in a hushed voice, “Well, Jim, you may not like to talk about your feelings, but you do have them. Otherwise we never would have gotten together.”
Jim just shook his head at his lover’s unsubtle machinations. “I love you too, Chief.”