What a day.

In the past twelve hours, I have been attacked by a parasitic alien species, taken over, forced to endure extreme pain for nearly six hours stright, and blinded in an attempt to get rid of the parasite that was causing it all. For about 6 hours and 10.4 minutes, I had to endure every nerve ending in my body feeling as if it was on fire. It was as if I was suddenly in what humans typically refer to as "hell". I wasn't kidding when I told Jim that losing my eyesight was an equitable trade for getting rid of the creature. Honestly, it was quite an effort to keep myself composed that whole time, never letting the others know how much pain I was in.

After a 12-hour shift, I am looking forward to using my spare time to meditate and forget about this whole ordeal. As I walk down the familiar hallway, I find myself quite eager to escape to the solitude of my quarters. At this point, I want nothing more than to rid myself of this unecessary tension.

Finally, I reach my quarters. After the day I've had, a little solitude is just what I need. The doors whoosh open as I approach. I enter quickly and the doors whoosh shut. With a push of a button, they are locked. Now, no one can see the relief that comes over my face as I collapse on the bed.

Slowly, I tense and relax every muscle in my body, reveling in the fact that I am no longer in pain. For several minutes, I simply lie there, enjoying the fact that the parasite is destroyed. The searing flames that had plagued my body for most of the day were finally gone, and I was free (for the next eight hours, anyway) to enjoy their absence in peace.

Suddenly, the ship's intercom switched on. What was it now?

"Plot a course for Earth.", Jim ordered over the loudspeaker. "My parents have agreed to take him in." This didn't seem like the usual message that was sent over the intercom.

"What about you?" Scotty's voice responded. Apparently, the intercom button had been pressed by mistake, and no one had caught the error yet. I breathe a sigh of relief. There is no emergency, and I can continue to enjoy my solitude.

"A United Federation Starship is no place for a child.", Jim replied. "Considering the dangers involved in this line of work, I can't allow an innocent child – especially my own nephew - to get hurt."

There was a soft whoosh heard in the background as someone entered the bridge.

"Captain," an unfamiliar voice interrupted, "The intercom is on."

"Little tyke must have fallen asleep on the button.", I heard Jim mutter. With that, the intercom was quickly cut off.

Just as I was about to begin meditating, there was a knock on the door. Annoyed, I quickly hid my emotions beneath my usual mask. Barely ten minutes had gone by since I had entered the room, and I really did not wish to be interrupted. Hiding my annoyance behind an indifferent façade, I pressed the unlock button and the doors whooshed open. Standing on the other side, with a look of worry on his face, was Jim.

"May I come in?", he asked.

"Of course, Captain", I told him, keeping my own demeanor professional. He stepped inside, the doors closed, and the button was pressed again. "I trust everything is going well?"

Translation: Is this a personal visit, or has something gone seriously wrong?

"Everything's going well.", Jim answered. "I just came by to see how you were doing. Are you all right? " His expression seemed to suggest that something was troubling him.

I nodded. "I am quite well, captain.", I told him. Honestly, I had displayed to him that my eyesight had returned and that the creatures were all dead. As soon as I told him I was all right, however, his demeanor changed. The anxiety faded from his features and his trademark smile began to take its place. Was that really the only reason he was so worried? How illogical!

Illogical, yet adorable. While I dared not show my emotions, I still truly appreciated the gesture.

"Is that all, captain?", I asked. The captain shook his head.

"I was just thinking…have you ever had a back rub before, Mr. Spock?"

I shook my head. Where did that come from? Jim, of all people, ought to be well aware of the fact that Vulcans are not exactly the type of people who go around touching and rubbing each other. Humans may have a strange desire to be touched, rubbed, and cuddled. We Vulcans, however, have no such need past infancy. If I wasn't already bonded with Jim, I never would have agreed to perform that service the few times he had asked. What made him think I would go up to someone and ask for that?

I gave him a look that made it perfectly clear that his question was ridiculous. Jim merely grinned.

"I'll take that as a no.", he replied. "I was just wondering if you might want one after the day you've had."

The desire for grown Earth humans to want to touch each other always perplexed me. It was illogical to desire such things, especially since such an activity did not seem to appease any biological requirement. I could never understand such a lack of logic.

Still, it is a service that I have performed for Jim multiple times. Each time, he seems to have enjoyed it immensely. I have always simply dismissed it as a human thing. Now that the opportunity has presented itself, however, I am tempted to investigate why Jim enjoys these things so much.

"I suppose there is no harm that could come of…"

Before I could finish my sentence, Jim's hands were on my shoulders. A rather large grin came across his face as he led me over to the bed and sat on the edge. I did likewise.

"You're going to love this." Jim grinned as he began to rub my shoulders. "Now, just relax."

Slowly, smoothly, his hands began to move back and forth on my shoulders. I could feel Jim's hands pressing and rubbing on my shoulders, back and forth. Slowly, he presses and rubs his hands towards the middle of my collarbone, then outwards towards the top of my neck.

"How's that?" Jim asked, pressing his palms into my shoulder blades.

"Interesting.", I responded. Indeed, it was. Honestly, it was quite wonderful. I was beginning to see why Jim liked these things so much. Of course, I wasn't about to admit that, nor was I about to allow myself to display such emotion. Still, I had to admit that it was far better than I expected.

Jim chuckled, moving his hands from my shoulder blades down to the middle of my back. I briefly closed my eyes as the pleasant sensation rolled up my spine. When I opened them, I turned around to see that Jim's expression was quite smug. Adorable, but smug nonetheless.

"I must admit that it was quite different from what I expected.", I conceded.

"Are you feeling better?", he asked, rubbing his hands across my shoulders and down my back. After about a minute, I reluctantly nodded. Jim's eyes seemed to dance as he continued to move his hands up and down, back and forth. Slowly, soothingly, up and down my back and shoulders. His hands pressed and eased in all the right places, making the entire experience far more pleasant than I had ever thought it could be.

Of course, I wouldn't admit that out loud. Right now, I was trying not to let my reaction show on my face. Somehow, though, Jim knew.

On it continued. After fifteen minutes of this, I began to feel Jim's fingers slip beneath my shirt. There was a coy smile on his face as he slid his warm hands over my bare back. I briefly gave him a questioning look, but did not resist this new development. It was pleasant. It was wonderful. Somehow, those warm fingers massaging my bare back soothed the tension away like nothing else ever could. The warmth, the contact, it was quite indescribable in the most wonderful way. I was really beginning to see why Jim enjoyed these so much.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Mr. Spock?", Jim asked. There was a certain smugness to his voice. He knew. Had my reactions to this really become that noticeable? Had I really slipped in keeping my appearance of stoicism in place?

Jim pressed his warm hands gently down my back again, and I realized that I slight smile had come over my face, despite my attempts to hide it. It wasn't nearly as big as Jim's, but it was still present enough to alert him to the fact that I was not exactly indifferent to him running his hands up and down my back. Quickly, I suppressed the offending expression, hiding it beneath my usual mask. Jim chuckled.

"That was emotion there, wasn't it?", Jim asked flirtatiously. He already knew the answer to that question, and was trying to make me say it out loud.

I tried to think of an explanation, but could find none. If I simply, denied that I had expressed emotion, Jim would see right through my denial in an instant. There would be no logical point to that. If I ignored his question, he would probably continue to ask me until I answered. What logical reason would there be to smile, if not to express emotion? It seemed there was no logical explanation I could give him to explain this away.

"I am beginning to see the appeal of your ritual.", I finally answered. There was no point in denying what my bondmate had already figured out for himself.

Jim grinned, while continuing to press and rub in all the right places. "I thought so.", Jim chuckled. "It seems you are becoming more human all the time, Mr. Spock."

"I should hope not.", I replied. Really, there was no reason for him to insult me.

Suddenly, I felt his warm hand side gently over my heart. It was beating a light-year per earth minute at this point, and I felt my face involuntarily flush emerald green.

Rather than the smug smile I was expecting, however, Jim's face seemed to suddenly become concerned.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Jim asked, a sudden tone of seriousness coming into his voice. He was genuinely worried now. Why humans have these mood swings, I haven't the slightest idea. We had been together in the room for approximately 32.45 minutes, and it had seemed to me that his distress was abated as soon as I had told him I was all right. Nothing had happened in the past few minutes that would change my status from anything other than "okay". In fact, I was far better than okay at this point. Why was Jim suddenly worried about me? Had he been worried the entire time? How illogical!

At that moment, I had the strongest urge to kiss my captain. Being a Vulcan, of course, I suppressed that urge immediately. Within a few seconds, though, I realized my captain desired the same thing that I did. I could see it in his mind, and it only strengthened my own desire to kiss him. Since there was no one else around to see or hear us, there seemed to be no logical reason not to…

Before I could even get that thought out, Jim gave a slight, flirtatious smile and slid his palm into mine. In an instant, the nerve endings that filled my palm all seemed to fire at once, in the most extraordinarily pleasant way. I could feel my eyes close in sheer bliss, as Jim wrapped his arm around my waist. Every trouble I had experienced that day seemed to completely leave my mind. I was wonderfully unaware of the world around me, as my mind seemed to focus on the man who was holding me tight.

With a smile, I leaned forward and pressed my lips onto my captain's. For twelve minutes and twenty-eight seconds, nothing else seemed to matter. I was the luckiest man in the galaxy, and there was no man in the universe that could ever replace the treasure I had in my arms. For twelve minutes and twenty-eight seconds, every matter on my mind seemed unimportant compared to this very moment. Despite such an event's logical impossibility, it was as if the rest of the universe ceased to exist. I was with my bondmate, and no other concerns could trouble me. It wasn't until the ninth minute that I realized that this must be what humans commonly refer to as love. Fascinating.

My captain, my t'hy'la, my love