Title: Papers in the Roadside
Fandom: Star Trek XI
Pairing: Kirk/Spock
Categories: AU, Drama, Romance
Length: Epic (49,637 words)
Warnings: Brief, non-graphic mention of abuse and non-con in a supporting character's past

Author on LJ: kianspo
Author Website: Kianspo

Author's Summary:

Non-Starfleet AU. Jim owns a small bar in Chicago, keeps on picking up strays and taking care of everyone no matter how hard it makes his own life. Spock is a journalist writing feature articles for the Chicago Tribune; he depicts the world with uncanny skill, but hides more than one personal drama and is possibly under surveillance from the Vulcan royal family. They meet by accident just before their lives start to spin out of control.

Review:
I think the thing I appreciate most about non-Starfleet AU's is the opportunity to see what an author can make of the characters in an entirely different setting. The characterizations in Papers in the Roadside are really excellent. I love the way Kianspo has written Spock in this story. His experiences have created a version of him that is softer, somehow -- more human, and yet still recognizably Vulcan.

Jim feels very much like his movie self, although because we are privy to his innermost thoughts and feelings I think we see a little more vulnerability and insecurity than we do on screen. He may not be Captain of the Enterprise, but he leads and cares for his people just the same. There is one neat little element to his character that I think Kianspo uses to great effect -- as a bartender, Jim uses his talent for reading people to create "surprise" cocktails for his patrons. His ability to predict the type of drink this person or that person will like is a small thing, but it really shows that sort of "trust your instincts" component to Jim's character in a way that is relevant this setting. While he's not making world-saving tactical decisions, he is acting in a way that is very in character.

Kianspo also did a great job developing the relationship between Jim and Spock. One of my favorite things about this pairing in general is how Jim's larger-than-life personality and brash charm play against Spock's logic, self-discipline and more ascetic nature. Although Kianspo's Spock is a little more human, this dynamic is preserved. There is a terrific chemistry between them from the first moment they meet, and their relationship evolves very believably and naturally. And the pining; oh the pining is delicious. I can really appreciate a slow build when the payoff is this good.

Papers in the Roadside