A/N: Alrighty, so this chapter isn't super plot heavy (actually it's more along the lines of hot and heavy... haha I'm funny... it's way too late at night... I should really be in bed). Warnings include language and sexy times. Hooray, don't we all love cursing and sex. Here you go. Enjoy, and don't forget to review!

Burn

2200 hours couldn't come quickly enough for Ella. When her shift finally ended, she sent Spock a quick text message, telling him that she'd be there in under half an hour, she just needed to shower and change out of her uniform. He acknowledged her, and said that he "anticipated it favourably". This was essentially Vulcan-speak for "you'd better fucking get here soon because I am DYING of excitement".

She rushed to the quarters assigned to her on B-Deck. It took her a few minutes, given she hadn't bothered to find them yet. Finding the door unlocked, she strode in and found the room already occupied by a young woman, dancing quite wildly to what Ella recognized as the early 21st century artist "Lady Gaga", and singing along at the top of her lungs. The woman's face was familiar, and she hadn't noticed Ella yet. Ella waited, leaning against the doorframe and smiling slightly. Finally the need to get moving with her evening became too pressing, and she delicately cleared her throat. The dancing woman whirled to face her, ordering the computer to stop the music, and Ella suddenly found herself engulfed in a firm hug. Much squealing ensued as Ella was reunited with her Academy roommate, who she hadn't seen for four years.

Once they had calmed down a bit, Charlie flopped down on one of the two beds in the room and grinned at her friend.

"They told me I was getting a new roommate, but they never told me it'd be you, Ellie!" she proclaimed. Ella started to root through one of her bags, searching for something to wear that night other than her uniform.

"I would've thought this would give it away," Ella said, pulling Akhil's bat'leth out and laying it on her bed. "And don't give me that look, I can tell you snooped in my stuff."

"I was just curious, and I didn't make it as far as that old sword of yours," Charlie said. "Besides, what was I supposed to do? I was told my new roommate would be arriving this morning, not fifteen hours later."

"I was... unavoidably detained this morning," Ella said evasively, suppressing a smile as she went through that morning's activities in her mind. "Then I had a shift in sickbay. Sorry."

"And you're not still there? Don't you usually stay an extra, like, five hours a day in that place?"

"I... have plans for the evening," Ella said, pulling out a skirt and tank top that she'd bought in Europe during the few weeks she'd had between graduation and being posted on the Perseus. She'd never worn the embroidered shirt from Spain or the knee-length tiered skirt from Paris before, having had no occasion to do so. They would do nicely for that evening, however.

"Plans? What plans? With who?" Charlie asked, mildly alarmed. "We were at the Academy for four years and I don't think you went out once of your own volition; you're here less than a day and you already have plans? Did you change drastically while out in the middle of nowhere? Because if so, I'm not sure how I feel about it. I liked my introverted roommate, just as she was."

"No, I'm still the same old Ella," Ella replied, stripping off her uniform and regulation undergarments and heading for the bathroom. "Just with a few notable improvements."

"Improvements?" Charlie repeated, following her into the bathroom. Any awkwardness between them had long since faded, and Charlie perched on the toilet seat as Ella jumped into the shower. As Ella washed her hair and shaved her legs she gave Charlie a rundown of her morning and the events eight years ago that had contributed to it. The only thing she wouldn't give her was the name of the man. Finally, once Ella had finished in the shower and started to dry her hair, Charlie lost her admittedly fraying patience.

"Who's the guy?" she exploded. "Tell me!"

"Hey, want to know something funny and coincidental? Turns out that guy I told you about, the one at Ole' Miss? Yeah, that's the CMO. Crazy shit, huh?"

"I'd be so much more interested in that at some other time than right now," Charlie said, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting. Ella applied some faint tinges of makeup and strode out of the bathroom in only a towel. Charlie followed, stomping out of the bathroom in an attempt to make her irritation heard. As Ella searched in her bag for some underwear that was at least marginally sexy, Charlie continued to attempt to wheedle her into giving her the name. Ignoring her, Ella chose a matching, ivory coloured bra and panty set and pulled it on, donning her outfit over top of it. She tugged on her boots, the only pair of shoes she had that weren't buried at the bottom of a bag, and stood up, fluffing out her long, loose curls and sighing contentedly.

"Oh no, I know that look," Charlie said. "You have fallen hard, sister."

"I should hope so," Ella said as she headed out the door. "After all, Spock is my soul-mate."

The door closed behind her, cutting off her friend's reaction. Ella knew that she'd get chewed out when she returned to the room, but she didn't think that would happen until at least the next day. In any case, she wasn't worried. Charlie was bound to understand.

Ella felt giddy as she walked through the corridors on the way to Spock's quarters. The thought of spending time with him made her head spin with delight, and as she'd been leaving that morning, she'd already been counting the minutes until she would be with him again. It was like her mind was making up for the years they'd been apart when she hadn't missed him. She quickened her pace, fairly leaping for the turbolift as the doors were shutting, startling the two engineers already inside. She gave them an embarrassed smile, then started to rock back and forth on the balls of her feet, willing the turbolift to go faster.

Finally it reached his level. She almost flew out of the turbolift, clipping her shoulder on the door as she passed it. She ignored the sting and power-walked down the corridor until she reached his room. After taking a moment to compose herself, she pressed the intercom. The door slid open as soon as she did, and she eagerly slipped inside.

He met her at the door. Before she could utter a greeting or any sort of acknowledgement, his lips were pressed to hers, sealing their mouths together in a searing kiss. She combed her hands into his smooth hair, pressing herself against him and smiling against his lips. His hands encircled her waist, pulling her in closer, the heat of his slim fingers warming her skin through the fabric of her top. She stood on tiptoe, wanting to be as close to him as she physically could. His tongue slipped past her lips and slid against hers, and the bold move had her weak in the knees. Their coupling that morning hadn't been leisurely or involved: it had been an imperative for them, intense and beautiful as a lightning storm and over almost as quickly. After so much time apart, they couldn't have viably taken their time. But now... Now they had the time to take it slow, appreciate everything.

After several minutes, they broke apart.

"Hello to you, too," Ella said breathlessly. She placed a hand on his chest. "How was your day?"

"Unremarkable between approximately 1400 hours and now. Other than that, the day has been more than satisfactory."

"Well, I guess that's something," Ella said. She glanced around the room. It was darkened, and a table had been set up by the window. Several candles burned brightly in glass holders, and a single orchid floated in a bowl of water in the center of the table. Silverware and plates had been meticulously set up, and Ella bit her lip. It was perfect.

"I researched human courtship rituals, and evidently a 'nice dinner' is one of the staples," he said, seeing her looking at the table. "I hope it is appealing."

"Spock, it's perfect," Ella said, walking over to take a closer look. "How did you know that I liked orchids?"

"I inquired with the Captain," he said. "He was most forthcoming with your preferences with regards to... everything, it seems. It was most useful."

"I'm sure it was," Ella said, giving him a bemused glance. She looked around, and gasped as she took in what she'd missed before. Tiny clusters of tea lights twinkled around the room, and vases with every variety of orchid imaginable were placed on various surfaces. The ceiling lights weren't even on; the only light in the room came from the candles.

"Where did you get all these flowers? And won't people get mad at you or something for burning candles?" Ella exclaimed, eyes wide as she surveyed the beautiful space he'd created.

"The flowers are from the hydroponics bay, with the exception of the one in the bowl. That was a donation from Lieutenant Sulu, whose botanical collection is quite remarkable. As for the candles, I have permission to burn them, as well as incense, given it is necessary for my meditation."

"Ah," Ella said, still slightly shell-shocked. She turned to him with a gleam in her eye. "Well, I'm not hungry just yet. Anything you can think of that we could do to remedy that?"

Spock came over to her and laced his fingers through hers. Electricity zinged through the contact, and Ella shivered with anticipation. Their clasped hands were the equivalent of a Vulcan make-out sesh, and it left her breathless.

"Physical activity can often make participants feel hungry," he said in a low voice, thumb tracing along the lines in her hand.

"I believe you're right, Mr. Spock," Ella said, feigning surprise. "Shall we adjourn to the gymnasium, then?"

"I believe it would be in both of our best interests if we performed the physical activities that I have in mind here. I do not wish to alarm anyone," he added, and Ella smiled. She loved it when his sense of humour peeked through.

"Agreed," Ella said. She looked down at their joined hands and a thought struck her. Slowly, with her eyes locked to his, she brought their hands up to her lips and kissed the tip of his index finger. He sighed, and his eyelids fluttered unconsciously. Encouraged by his reaction, she ran her tongue along the length of his finger. He groaned, deep in his throat, and his other hand grasped her arm in a death grip. When she took his finger in her mouth entirely, his breath hitched and his head tipped back. He pulled her closer, and she could feel that her ministrations to his hands had had a very direct effect on other parts of him.

A few more moments of this and Spock's facade of calm dissolved. He pulled his hand away from her mouth and placed it on her hip, slim fingers digging into her flesh hard enough that she knew they would leave bruises. His other hand twisted into her still slightly damp hair, pulling her face up to his for a blisteringly passionate kiss. She moaned against his lips, hands fisting in the fabric of his shirt and tugging him closer. She started to move backwards, towards the bed, and he followed her, tumbling down with her when they reached it. They continued kissing there, and Ella arched up towards him. He pushed at the fabric of her shirt, sliding it up and off. He tossed it to the floor and began to administer hot kisses to her belly and ribcage. He moved up, trailing kisses between her breasts and along her collarbone, gently suckling at her neck just enough to leave a faint mark.

"That necessary?" Ella asked quietly, but with an amused smile on her pink, swollen lips.

"I simply wish to make it abundantly clear that you are taken," he said, returning to kissing her neck. As he did so, Ella pulled his shirt upwards and off. As soon as it was off he moved back up to kiss her full on the lips, hands skimming over her waist and up to the clasp of her bra. He worked it off and it joined both of their shirts on the floor. He cupped her breasts in his warm palms and ran his thumbs over her nipples. She gasped and pushed up towards him, grabbling at the muscles in his shoulders like a drowning woman seizes a lifeboat. His hands on her skin, his lips against hers... it was all enough to make her simply come apart. She was putty in his hands.

Her skirt was next. It joined its brethren on the deck, and his pants soon followed.

"You are... so... exceptionally beautiful," Spock breathed between kisses. They were both panting now, and a sheen of sweat gleamed on their skin. His quarters were always warmer than normal, but at that moment it felt almost as though they were surrounded by desert instead of cold metal and icy vacuum.

Ella could feel his erection through the thin fabric of their underwear, and she bucked up against him. He moaned, pressing down on her, and the delicious friction had Ella tossing her head back against the mattress. His finger hooked into the waistband of her panties and tugged them off with one swipe. Before Ella could think, before she could reciprocate, he had delved a finger between her legs. White-hot arousal blasted through Ella, and she keened, her legs falling open further in order to give him better access. Through the connection their minds now made automatically she could feel how good it felt for him to have his hand, one of the most sensitive parts of him, touching her there. His thoughts devolved into a stream of disconnected notions as they came to her across the bond.

...

His fingers brushed that spot and Ella saw constellations and galaxies as her eyes fluttered shut and she hissed his name. She was perilously close to the edge, and she didn't want to go over without him. He felt this through the bond and reluctantly withdrew those exceptional digits. Ella's hands trembled as they went for his waistband, and she felt like she couldn't get them off fast enough.

"Please, hurry... can't wait much longer," she slurred as he kicked the underwear off. She wrapped a hand around the base of him and he shuddered. Gathering her up in his arms, he sat up, pulling her into his lap and sinking into her to the hilt. She cried out, having forgotten in the space of twelve hours how goddamn hot he was. He thrust up into her, hands cupping her rear for leverage. She threw her head back, and he buried his face in her neck and heaved for breath as he started to move faster.

Just then, Ella's stomach growled.

"We have been successful," Spock said, pausing for breath and to almost-smile at Ella. She beamed at him for a moment before returning her attention to their joined bodies, moving her hips in a way that made him groan and tighten his grip. He picked up his pace again. Ella leaned down and kissed him, crying out into his mouth as her orgasm crashed over her. She shuddered and tensed around him, and a few seconds later he joined her, tensing and calling out her name.

Once the last aftershocks had passed, they collapsed, panting, sweating and spent onto the mattress, limbs still entangled. Ella took a deep breath and sighed happily, placing a light kiss on the tip of her beloved's pointed ear.

"Can I take you up on that offer of dinner now?"