"I hate this, Gai! It's like being back in high school," the slender cadet complained. She sat on her bed, elbows on knees, head in hands. "This morning in class, the thought 'He doesn't even know I'm alive!' actually crossed my mind. I mean, how ridiculously juvenile is that?"

"Aww, sweetie, I understand." The green-skinned redhead plopped down on her roommate's bed and slung an arm around her dejected shoulders. Her friend glanced at her and raised a skeptical brow.

Gaila grinned.

"Okay, so maybe I don't," she conceded, bumping her forehead against Uhura's. "But I can sympathize, even if I can't empathize. And now… now, I think it's time I brought out the big guns."

Uhura tried to frown, but couldn't quite stop an amused mini-grin from escaping her control.

"Gods, Gaila! This is not the time to ask to me go toy shopping with you," she whined. "No means no! Just this once, let me mope in peace, all right?"

That only sent the Orion woman into manic spasms of laughter that jolted the roommate she still held in a near-headlock.

"Ow!" Uhura exclaimed, wrenching her neck free then throwing herself backwards on the bed. Gaila's giggles reached the point where she could no longer remain upright and she fell over onto her roommate's lap, still shaking convulsively.

Covering her eyes with a forearm, Uhura took in three deep breaths, searching for calm. Once she felt she'd found it, she reached down and patted the still-trembling Orion on her glossy red curls.

"Ugh," she muttered. "This isn't like me. Gai. Tell me I don't usually get like this over guys. Oh gods! You haven't seen me like this before, have you?"

Gaila went still, then pushed herself up to peer at her roommate seriously. Then she had to yank her friend's arm off her face so said roommate could return her regard.

"Ny, I didn't even know you liked guys until this year," she told her, all amusement gone from her voice. "Honestly, for the first year and a half here, I suspected they'd roomed me with an android to prevent any pheromone accidents. If I hadn't seen you on the dance floor second year, I would have been convinced of it."

She scrambled off the bed and knelt on the floor. Ducking halfway under her bed, she continued her chatter, "But, anyway, there's no need to do any shopping, 'cause I've already got just the toy you need riiiiight… here!"

Uhura lifted her head just enough so that she could watch as Gaila slithered back from beneath the bed dragging a small gold rectangular box and frowned.

"Yuck, Gaila. If you think I'm going to take one of your used toys—" she began.

Her roommate cut her off.

"Gross, Ny! I know you think I'm super-randy— Well, okay, so maybe I am, but I'm also hygienic," she said with a frown of her own. "I'll have you know I had this made – at great personal expense, mind – just for you. But now I'm not even sure you deserve it!"

Standing, she stalked back over to Uhura's bed. When her roommate didn't sit up, she grabbed a smooth brown arm with the hand not holding the box and yanked. While her friend was occupied with stopping herself from falling to the floor, Gaila plopped back down next to her.

"Here," she said, dropping the box onto her roomie's lap.

Uhura eyed first Gaila, then the box, with suspicion.

"What is it?" she wanted to know.

Gaila flashed a beatific smile.

"Open it and see."

With obvious reluctance, Uhura began carefully undoing the gold wrapping paper.

"Oh, for the love of Zetlek, Ny! Just open it, already." Gaila made a grab for the box, but her friend swung it out of her reach.

Still, she obediently began ripping off the heavy wrapping to reveal an unadorned brown cardboard box. She slipped her eager-looking roommate another doubtful glance before pulling off the top.

Her first sight of the contents elicited an involuntary gasp.

She reached in and pulled out the sixteen-inch toy and cradled it in her arms.

"Oh," she murmured, sounding a little breathless.

Gaila grinned cheekily.

"I was gonna make it bigger – life-size would have been ideal," she told her, "but probably would have been too hard to hide."

Uhura beamed at her friend as she absently stroked the toy in her arms.

"No, Gai, this is perfect just the way it is." Suddenly, she hugged it to her chest. "I love it!" she squealed.

After at least three minutes of ardent hugging, Uhura stopped and grew serious.

"Wait a sec," she said, her tone hesitant. "What am I supposed to do with it?"

Gaila huffed and shook her head.

"Zetlek, Ny, if I have to explain that, you're more repressed than I thought!"

Uhura laughed at her friend's theatrics.

"No, no! I meant, am I supposed to sleep with it?" she asked. "Or did you expect me to stick pins in it?"

Gaila shrugged and stood up.

"Whichever makes you happy, sweetie," she said as she flopped onto her own bed. "I just need you to get over all the gods damned mooning, already."

Uhura smiled and raised her Lieutenant Spock plushie to her lips.

A/N: Because back in the day, when I used to fall asleep cuddling my brother's Mr. Spock piggy bank, I always wished I had something softer.