Title: Balance
Fandom: Star Trek: TOS
Characters/Pairing: Kirk with Kirk/Ruth, Kirk/Gary, Kirk/Ruth/Gary
Rating: R
Words: ~4,000
Summary: Many people had gone into making Jim what he was.
Notes: I wrote this, initially, as backstory for a roleplay I'm active in. As such it was an exercise in exploring the reasons behind choices my Kirk was making and attitudes he had developed towards relationships--and it may not reflect attitudes and choices (or endings) I'd have made otherwise. But I'm posting it because it might be of more general interest outside that context.



He was young for an Academy instructor, but in those days he was older than his years anyway. He told himself he was taking responsibility, but in reality, "responsibility" was code for filling time and keeping to himself.

Gary Mitchell was making that difficult.

"See ya, Jim."

"Mitchell," Jim said warningly.

"Gary," Mitchell returned in the same tone.

( 'Lieutenant Kirk,' Jim corrected, )