Author's Note:

I just wanted to say thanks for all you people out there who favorited or added my story to their "story alerts." I mean legit I was scared that no one would like my story! "^_^ But thanks to the reviews and subscribers I have the confidence to continue The Battle Within! THANK YOU! :D You have idea what this mean to a newbie like me! :) I would also like to give the spot light to my amazing beta, All Knowing Alien! Without her, I'd be nothing! Once again, thanks for reading. Now, lets share our mutual love for these two beautiful men.

-YaOiFr3aK

Chapter One: The Initiated Spark

Spock's impeccable attention to detail and precision had always served him well in all instances. All, except this one, this one instance where he found himself lost in his captain's presence. He was conscious that his captain was engaging in conversation with him on the bridge but he was just too distracted…Distracted by Kirk's intoxicating breath, his tender smile, his entrancing body, and his heavenly voice…Such suggestive features…Such distracting features…Yes, distracting him when he was supposed to be paying attention…

"Spock."

Spock snapped himself back to reality. "Yes, Captain?" He tried making a sufficient recovery, but found that he failed in hiding his distraction. He secretly hoped his captain had not noticed.

"Are you alright? I said you could return to your quarters two minutes ago," Kirk said with that heart melting smile.

"I believe it was two point seven minutes ago, to be precise." Spock just realized he and his captain were the only ones left in the bridge. His heart throbbed for a second, pondering the thought that he and Kirk were alone.

"Oh? So you were paying attention?" he joked. "Heh, that's not like you Spock, spacing out like that," Kirk said looking up from his PADD and when he laid those murky blue eyes on him, Spock's heart merely melted. Illogical, to say the least.

Spock wasn't sure how to logically respond to this. His mouth was half open, ready for him rebut like he usually did.

Kirk laughed at his expression.

"I fail to see my own humour, Captain."

"You're just too cute, too cute for your own good," Kirk said shaking his head playfully.

Again, the logical response escaped Spock. Wait-did his Captain just call him cute?

"Captain, I-"

"Spock, we're off duty, just call me Jim. You should return to your quarters, get some rest. Honestly, you haven't been yourself lately on the bridge. Is something bothering you?" Kirk asked licking his lips. A normal and unconscious act, but one Spock took notice of, and hell, did he notice.

"I, too, have noticed my deficiency, I believe it is a result of my lack of meditation."

"Lack of meditation, huh? What's been keeping you?"

Spock found the daring to make eye contact with his cap-Jim despite his increase in… nervousness? He wanted to say "You" to answer Jim's question, but his Vulcan half didn't allow him to.

At that moment an alarm sounded on the bridge, a signal on the view screen came up, the contact having been initiated from Engineering. Spock briskly made his way from his station to Jim's side. Jim pressed a button on his chair and Scotty popped up on the screen. Both commanding officers noticed the steam hissing out pipes and the engine room's own screeching alarm.

"What seems to be the problem, Scotty?" Kirk asked, straight-faced, taking on his captain demeanor.

"Nothing all that serious, the temperature regulator just overheated. Since, you know, we had to put it into overdrive when entering this region of Galaxy T6," Scotty said, dodging a pipe that came flying over his head.

Kirk shared a glance with Spock, indicating his disbelief. "Ah, Scotty, it doesn't look like it's 'nothing all that serious'," Kirk said looking back at his Chief Engineer.

"What? No! This is really nothing all that bad! It just requires a bit of tweakin'." At that moment there was a scream from a man who was thrown back by a new hissing pipe. "Okay, maybe a lot of tweakin', but it's nothing my crew cannot handle, I assure you!"

"Right…So what does that mean for the rest of the ship?"

"Well, again, nothing all that serious, the temperatures in all rooms and sectors of the ship will gradually decrease over the course of this mission."

"That's a bit of a problem since this region of Galaxy T6 is sort of, oh I don't know, well below freezing temperatures!" Kirk exclaimed sarcastically.

"Captain, the ship's heat and temperature regulation levels have started to decrease," Spock said, eyes on the console across from him, and feeling it in the coolness of the air around him.

"Shit...," Kirk said biting his lip. "Scotty, can you get it fixed in a few hours?"

"You know I can," Scotty said beaming.

"Get it done. I want the temperatures back to normal as soon as possible, that's an order."

"Aye aye, Captain!" Scotty said.

"Kirk out," Jim sighed while disconnecting the transmission.

They both sat in silence until Spock spoke, "What is your plan of action, Captain?"

"Well, Mr. Spock, we have to prepare the ship and the crew for when hell freezes over." Before Spock could question his metaphor Kirk looked up at him with a commanding gaze. "Alert Sickbay; tell them to pull out the emergency temperature regulators." Kirk sprung into action, zipping around the bridge, responding to distress calls from his crew members.

"Are you referring to the furnaces?" Spock asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, the god damn furnaces!"

"That technology is...primitive at best, Captain."

"Don't you think I know how outdated they are? But they're all we have. Right now we need to keep the sick warm; they're the most vulnerable," Kirk said still zipping around.

Spock clenched his sweaty hands behind his back; seeing Jim take charge in his forceful nature made him anxious. In other words, it turned the Vulcan on.

"All decks, this is the Captain speaking. Scotty's just told me that we're having problems with the temperature regulator in Engine Room 3; meaning it's gonna get a lot colder ship wide. Since we aren't exactly in the warmest place in the galaxy, I want all crewmembers in their issued thermal wear. Take any other precautions you feel necessary, gloves, earmuffs, whatever – just keep to your normal shifts. Kirk out."

"Very logical, Captain."

"Do I hear a compliment, Spock?" Kirk teased with a smile dancing around his mouth.

"I was merely…"

Jim laughed at his loss of words. "I told you you were cute, Spock." Kirk winked at him and Spock felt a twinge of heat down his cheeks. He clenched his hands even tighter. Kirk smiled. "Just go inform Sickbay."

"Yes, Captain," Spock croaked, trying not to sound breathless. He stepped into the turbolift.

"Oh, and Spock." He turned to face Jim. "I know you're Vulcan, and cold temps aren't exactly your thing, so I want you to return to your quarters immediately after informing McCoy and find a way to keep yourself warm, that's an order." Kirk smiled. He couldn't find words to express his sense of bliss that washed over him, so he nodded. Jim was worried about him. He suppressed a twitching smile, and his Vulcan half smacked him mentally, but oh god he could not stop his human half from mentally leaping with uncontrollable joy.

Spock found himself in deep…deep depression, for it always followed great happiness. Depression? Happiness? Spock was mediating in the darkness of his room for this very reason; he was trying to suppress these feelings. These human feelings he felt for James T. Kirk. Why? Why him? Why my captain? A stubborn, arrogant, promiscuous man. But who was also compassionate, gentle, intelligent, and handsome. Both his Vulcan and Human halves fought within him, trying to establish dominance, as they had when he was a child.

The words of his older self rung through his body. "Do what feels right."

His father's words countered them: "Which path will you choose?"

New emotions submerged: anger and frustration, and they tore at him. It pained him to be so…so conflicted, so unsure of what he was, what he was feeling. He was so engulfed in his feelings he hardly noticed that Kirk was beside him in the dark, shouting at him, shouting something, but he could not decipher the mumbled words. But Jim was here, he was here, next to Spock. Spock allowed himself a slight smile when Jim put his hand on Spock's shoulder. Jim's touch was surprisingly warm. Like the Vulcan honey his mother used to put into his tea when his father wasn't around. His touch eased the heat into his veins just like the tea had.

He saw everything from a distance, a blur, he knew his captain was shouting his name, oh, how wonderful his name sounded when it came out of Jim's mouth, like it was right, like Spock was destined to embody this name so Kirk could say it. His Vulcan half slapped him again, but Spock was too busy drowning in the moment to care.

Drowning? He felt himself in water. The ribbons of hot velvet were flowing against his bare skin. That was the last thing he felt, other than Jim's soft palm on the side of his forehead, before his already drooping eyes closed.

"I'm here Spock, I'm here, you're alright."

Yes, Jim, I know you're here and it feels…it feels right.

Well! This is my first fanfiction! I am surprisingly very proud of it! :D This is only chapter one which means there is a lot left to be desired! Thanks for reading!

Next Chapter: Can or will Spock finally choose which side of his heart to follow? Are Jim's flirtatious moves real or just apart of his promiscuous behavior? Told in Kirk's point of view.