AN: Thanks to everyone that reviewed, I really appreciate it. *gives cookie* Now, enjoy the first chapter.

The captain of the Enterprise sat fidgeting in the chair. He couldn't stop moving, adjusting his position once more and letting out a quiet sigh. The past month had been so uneventful that the crew was rather bored. Jim could not exclude himself from those affected by the lack of action.

Jim looked around the bridge, eyeing everyone's sullen expressions. He needed something to happen right now. An attack from an alien vessel, a summons from Starfleet, a distress call from a fellow ship, anything. Hell, even a breakdown in Engineering might be welcome if he thought that it would wipe the boredom from the crew's faces.

They had been on the five-year mission for half a year now and the only event worth mentioning was a small incident in which a governor on a foreign planet had taken an instant dislike to Jim therefore not allowing the crew to chart the planet. Jim supposed this was yet another occurrence in which his brash attitude had been less than helpful.

There was one person that this lull between events had no effect on. This person was one Commander Spock. He simply carried on doing whatever it was that Spock did with no change in his Vulcan exterior. While intelligent, Jim lacked the common knowledge of things similar to his First Officer's job description.

Now that Jim pondered the thought, Spock tended to be an exception to most aspects in his life. Ah, that. It seemed every one of these monotonous shifts left Jim's mind whirring with his feelings for Spock. It filled Jim with dread to know that he was sitting there thinking about his love for Spock when the Vulcan was only a number of steps away.

Jim reached a hand up to his throbbing temple. He had once again, without avail, attempted to push away the unwanted thoughts. All his mind was focusing on was Spock's behavior recently. Spock had been acting a little odd around him, avoiding his gaze and not engaging in conversation over their evening chess games.

Perhaps Jim had been too flirtatious as of late and Spock had seen through it to his real intentions. No, not possible. Whatever was throwing the man off, it wasn't Jim's flirting. Jim wanted to snort at the very idea for crossing his mind. Jim flirted with most everyone, it was just his way. It just so happened Spock wasn't an exception to this rule.

The sound of giggling broke Jim from his thoughts and Jim glanced up to notice his pilot, Lieutenant Sulu, and his navigator, Ensign Chekov, were engaged in a conversation in which something was clearly funny. Jim felt his heart ache a little, he wished that Spock and him could have that easy going of a relationship. He continued to see their happiness as Chekov turned in his seat to check something or another with a large, dopey smile on his face. Sulu chuckled once more, shaking his head and grinning.

Jim suddenly remembered something that Nyota had mentioned to him a few weeks prior. She had said that the two had announced the romantic implication of their relationship to her on the pretext of wanting to have at least one trusted friend to know. Jim remembered smiling and telling Uhura that maybe she had been the wrong friend to choose. She had responded by hitting him rather hard.

Now, however, the meaning of their confession affected him more than it had upon hearing it. The fact that they were romantically involved had not given Jim too much surprise. They had been very close friends and had never made a fuss when someone assumed the two to be dating. No, this was not what troubled Jim. His troubles laid in the fact that he wanted what they had. It was simple. What Chekov and Sulu had, Jim wanted with Spock.

He wouldn't ever have it though, couldn't. There was a small voice in the back of his brain telling Jim that he might be able to, that there might be a chance. It was worth a try, to be able to have Spock's love in return. And God, he wanted that more than anything in the world. The only problem with this was the fact that Jim was terrified of rejection. If the admission of his love scared Spock away, he would lose everything.

Jim couldn't lose Spock, he needed him like the air he breathed. If being Spock's friend was all he got, then that was that.

As Jim continued to wonder over all of this, he suddenly felt a cool hand on his shoulder and almost jumped out of his skin.

"Jesus, Spock! Don't sneak up on me like that!" Jim cried, shifting in the chair for what was probably the thousandth time to look at Spock's always impassive face.

"I apologize Captain, I did not wish to cause you distress nor was my approach to you intended to be "sneaking" in its manner. However, I only came to alert you of the fact that your shift is over." The smooth, flat baritone never wavered causing Jim to sigh yet again before standing and stretching. He hated how much that voice affected him. Jim always felt a certain warmth bloom in his chest upon hearing it and cursed Spock for the vulnerable state he was rendered to around the Vulcan.

"Really, already?"

"Affirmative, Captain. Your shift is indeed over."

"Well, I guess time flies when you're having fun," came Jim's dry reply. A few snickers here and there issued around the bridge. Spock merely raised an eyebrow, letting the sarcasm of the human expression fly over his head before moving around Jim to ask Chekov a question about the course of navigation.

Jim watched Chekov twitter away happily in his thick Russian accent for a moment before shaking himself and turning to head towards the lift. Once inside, Jim leaned his head against the cool wall and awaited his arrival. He quickly decided to visit Medbay; his headache was slowly subsiding into the dull pain of a migraine.

He also wanted to talk to his Chief Medical Officer, Doctor Leonard McCoy, about his predicament. Jim hadn't told anyone of his less-than-professional feelings towards his First Officer but he trusted Bones, as Jim called him, enough to keep it a secret. Not that Bones would share, he wasn't exactly the gossiping type.

Right as Jim smirked at that thought, the lift doors sprung open and spit Jim into Medbay where he was promptly greeted by the gruff sound of his best friend's voice.

"Dammit, Jim! I don't have all damn day to talk to you, there are actual sick people here. This is a sickbay, you do realize that don't you, you selfish bastard?" While this may have seemed harsh to outsiders, Jim knew that Bones considered him a close friend and this type of greeting had a certain underlying affection that only Bones managed to convey.

"Yeah, I know. I'm not as stupid as I look," Jim paused as he moved to sit on one of the near hospital beds, "But I'm not feeling so well so if you don't mind...could you give me a hypo? This headache is a real pain in the ass and I want to be able to actually rest before next shift." Jim then watched as Bones' eyes bulged out of his head and his eyebrows popped up to his hairline.

He gaped silently for a moment before exploding, "Jim Kirk, the most whiny, infantile man I've ever met, willingly asking for a hypospray? God help us all!" This was spoken as a hypo flew out of nowhere, jabbing mercilessly into Jim's neck.

Jim groaned, rubbing the offended area. He was considering asking where the hell it had come from but refrained from doing so when he realized he did not wish to know. What if he just kept those damn things on him at all times?

Bones simply rolled his eyes and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like the word "infant".

Jim responded with a mumbled, "Asshole" before going to get up. Bones threw an arm out to stop him. Jim gave him a questioning look and Bones cleared his throat.

"Look, I know how much you hate those things. Something bothering you, kid?" Normally, Jim would've just cast his friend's concern aside with a joke and a smile but found that today he couldn't lie.

He stayed silent for a minute before, "C'mon Jim, no snappy comeback? What's gotten into you?"

"I'm in love."

This had been blurted it out. Jim's face slowly turned into a mess of red embarrassment and he looked away.

"With who?" It had been spoken softly and Jim appreciated the serious nature that Bones was handling with this with.

However, when Jim didn't reply Bones said, "As long as it's not me. I don't think I could quite handle that much from you, Jim." The grimace that followed this statement dissolved Jim into a bout of laughter strong enough to have tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Okay, not me then. Hey, settle down, Jim! It wasn't that funny!"

Finally, Jim's laughter ebbed away.

"Sorry, Bones. Haven't really laughed in awhile. It's tough being in love." The last part had been meant to be humorous but instead Jim's voice broke off weakly.

"Well, kid? Who is it?" Bones looked ready to stick another hypo in his neck so Jim decided to stop avoiding the question and just answer.

"Uh, you'll laugh." Hey, he'd tried.

"Dammit Jim, just-"

"No." So much for this going well.

"I hope whoever this person is, they can handle your shit."

Jim went back to silence.

"Jim, you can tell me. It's pretty clear this is important to you and-"

"Fine! It's Spock, okay! It's Spock." And waiting for the onslaught...

"WHAT? WHEN? How long! I don't..." What had started with a roar ended in sputters until, "Are you fucking with me, Jim?"

"No! I am one hundred percent certain of this. I promise you that, Bones. I promise you."

Bones didn't say anything for a long time and Jim decided to just let him handle it.

Finally, "I don't think you could've picked a worse person to fall in love with, Jim. This is the green-blooded hobgoblin we're talking about here."

Jim smiled softly at the insult and Bones just grumbled, shaking his head. Jim's expression at his mention of Spock had turned alarmingly gooey.

"Jesus, Jim. You're so fucked."

"Yeah, Bones. I'm in deep shit."

Most people wouldn't have been quite so grim discussing love but love did not come easy to either of these men.

They sat in a companionable silence for awhile, each lost in their own thoughts. Bones studied Jim's face, he wore an expression of anguish. This pained Bones to no end, he hated when Jim was hurt.

Upon noticing there was also a hint of exhaustion, he told Jim to get out of his sight and go get some sleep.

"Aye, aye, Captain," Jim said, winking. He left with a wry smile. He walked blindly through the ship to his quarters, his body on autopilot and his mind preoccupied.

There would always be more time to discuss this, to answer all of the questions but for right now, Jim only wished to sleep and forgot he was hopelessly in love with someone that couldn't return it.

While intelligent, Jim lacked the common knowledge of things similar to Spock's mutual love.

AN: I bet you weren't expecting that. Well, hope you liked it thus far. If you have, maybe you could tell me all about it in a review? That sure would be nice. Update soon.