I apologize for this chapter ending at another teasing moment, but I love to keep people waiting. ^-^

By the time shifts had ended, Kirk was drained from his pent-up excitement.

He looked over at Spock's station, having seen him get up and leave in his peripheral. He'd wanted to ask when he could follow-up with the invitation Spock had offered…he wondered if he should simply follow him…no, that would look weird…unprofessional, at the very least. At this point, he felt more embarrassed than anxious, feeling like a child too afraid to ask for a cookie.

What was at first a simple debating game in his mind on what action to take turned into an agonizing when-do-I-go game, now that Spock was surely already in his quarters because of Kirk's hesitation. Whether or not Spock expected him immediately, later, or not at all on this particular day, ate away at Jim's process of elimination. He knew he was now just wasting time on trivial matters. Now he was just looking for an excuse not to go.

By the time the last crew member had left the bridge, he felt his stomach turning till he had to slump over.

I'm pathetic.

The Captain stood up unusually fast and speed-walked to Spock's quarters, stopping abruptly right at his door. He turned a bit and leaned onto the wall to cool off a moment and forget the tension. He reached into his back pocket to a metal case of Koem, something he swiped from McCoy's cabinets. Aside from the pain in dealing with his feelings, pressures of his normal duties had started to get to him more than usual lately, and he found no alternative. He couldn't have anyone know, including McCoy, that he was not in his right mind lately. If he were to be questioned, he would no doubt slip out something to do with a certain pointed-eared Science Officer. No…he had to let this work its way out privately…besides, the pills weren't dangerous, to his knowledge. He took them with his regular doses in the morning and at night; Kaaeo to keep him awake, Nemutte to put him to sleep, and Koem with each dose to keep him calm.

He swallowed back his insecurities and the small amount of vomit that burned the back of his throat. He straightened his posture, and almost automatically formed his mouth into a smirk. His eyes lowered, no longer looking frantic. He wasn't going to get anywhere by being a shy, nervous wreck. Especially with the calm First Officer. He pushed himself up off the wall, and immediately felt the drug take control of everything. Maybe he'd taken too much – whether he did or not, he could no longer remember how much he took. All he knew was that he felt just fine, all of the sudden. A wave of confidence overcame him. He stumbled to the left a bit, then straightened himself in front of the door. He pulled his shirt down a bit to smooth it out, and ran a hand through his sweaty mop of blonde hair.

I've got this. I'm James T. Kirk. I'm gonna march right in there and prove it.

Having heard a heavy thud outside his door, Spock rushed to look out into the hallway, only to find a limp, delirious Captain sprawled out on the floor.

"Jim!"

Spock, almost protectively, squatted down on Kirk with a hand behind his head and the other hand checking his pulse. Kirk blinked hard to focus the face above him, and once the ringing in his ears subsided, he was just starting to make out what the voice coming out of it was saying.

"Jim, are you alright? Your pulse is lower than it should be."

Kirk groaned and stood up quickly, which was a mistake. His head throbbed for a moment, but then everything became clear again. Yes, he'd definitely taken one too many, but if there was any occasion appropriate for misuse of the calming meds, this was it. He looked at Spock and for only a split second, his heart ached and wanted to burst, but the drug took care of that and put his heart back in its place.

"I'm…sorry for disturbing you, Mr. Spock. I don't think I've eaten all day, I…must have gotten light-headed…"

Before he mumbled out the last few words of his sentence, Kirk looked down over Spock's bare chest and immediately wished he'd taken even more when he felt himself quivering and something stirred in his pants.

"I had assumed you would be in your quarters by now, Captain. I would still be willing to discuss the Zavod plant life with you if you were coming this way for that purpose, but I must apologize for not being properly dressed, for reasons I just addressed."

Kirk felt paralyzed. He cleared his throat loudly and awkwardly, looking away. Luckily, the wave of confidence was still present in his mind, though clouded with urges to rub against Spock and tackle him to the floor.

Good lord, what would have happened by now had he not taken anything?

"Let's just get inside before someone walks by and gets the wrong idea." he said with a smile, turning to walk in.

"I fail to see what this 'wrong idea' would be, Captain." Spock said, puzzled, as he followed Kirk.