SMOOTH FEATURES QUICKLY turn stormy when words fall from steve’s tongue. jim isn’t oblivious to how much effort it takes steve just to voice these buried thoughts. eyes narrow, knuckles turning bone white. already, jim is forming a plan of who’s knees he needs to blow out for making his brother suffer in this way.
   “then why didn’t they come after me?” he counters, brow arching. the blonde isn’t sure if he’ll be able to get an answer out of steve but if starfleet has continued and used his brother against him, there would be hell to pay. there was nothing like the vengeful wrath of a kirk.
   jim then pushes himself up and goes to crouch in front of steve. a hand rest on his brother’s shoulder. “did starfleet manipulate you to spy on me?”
         “I don’t know.” Simple, honest. Said with only a pause in between. Steve wasn’t given all the details, just the ones that would help him do his job right. He’s exhausted. The pounding in his head that before was just a minor throb, is now pulsing at his temples. His attention falls to his hands in his lap and Steve tightens his fingers around his wrist. Nails bite into his skin and stings.Â
   He doesn’t look up when Jim crouches in front of him. He looks away, and that feels like a dead give away. Steve knows he ought to look right into Jim’s eyes and say no. He should do it. It wouldn’t make this escalate any further.Â
           “You should transfer me.” It’s as much as an answer as Jim is going to get. Steve doesn’t have the energy to fight the trained response, and he doesn’t want to.
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