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DISCLAIMER: I Don't Own Star Trek. And I'm not making any money from this.

It may seem off topic...but its not!

Meditations & Professional Destinations

"Spock, move your leg."

It was Sunday morning, they were in bed. She was lying on her back; he was on his side with one leg casually thrown across her stomach. Except for his leg she was uncovered. Except for his leg he lay under the duvet, partially cocooned. They were still working on an appropriate compromise for the temperature of his quarters. Consciously modulating his internal thermostat all the time required too many internal resources.

"I am confused. You have professed an interest in physical contact of a non-sexual nature, but now you are requesting I desist from this act that clearly qualifies."

"I cannot breathe...and your leg is making me hotter than I already am."

Apparently their temperature compromise was still too warm for her. But he recognized the double entendre and the opportunity to make light of the situation. He raised an eyebrow.

She smiled at him, "Ha...ha...thanks. And we have to get ready to go. Come on; let me check your back."

They needed to confirm that the dermakit Nyota had borrowed the day before from her absent Orion room mate had done its work.

Spock raised an eyebrow, this time in annoyance. He pulled away from Nyota, rolled onto his stomach and brushed off the duvet.

"Don't be grumpy, Spock....Your back is all better. Except for those three scratches on your left shoulder you asked me to leave. Wow, that dermakit did work fast."

Fast was so vague. It had taken twenty four hours precisely to work. Nyota had gone out the day before to get the kit. He had been forced to stay in. The 'love bite' on his cheek had made venturing into public unwise. Not that he had minded; it had given him a chance to meditate without distractions.

He was surprisingly unfazed by their bout of 'Vulcan-style' love making. It might have been because Nyota's reaction to it had been so calm. Logical even. She just accepted it as a normal biological Vulcan drive, one that brought them mutual pleasure. She had a few conditions, "Never again bite me in my sleep, and always below the uniform line." At which point she had touched his cheek, winced and added, "Both rules go for me too." There was one more condition. "We stay linked when we do it Vulcan-style...its kind of like our safe word."

Once she realized he was happy about his sore back and really didn't mind the pain it caused she didn't seem too uncomfortable about it. She was confused – and relieved she admitted that he didn't seem to have any desire to 'return the back scratch fever'. Spock suspected it was because the little bites Nyota left just weren't as powerful as his. He needed something a little more from her. Granted, she tried hard when she bit, and it warmed his heart that she did, but she was only human after all.

He was slightly disturbed by the fact that the emotion behind his marking instinct only seemed to go one way. Nyota called it 'Vulcan Love'. She could sense it through him. She described it more fully as "black and deep and pure...and sexy as Hell." But although she responded to it, she did not feel it, other than as an echo from him. Still, her human emotions were true enough…

Also, she participated in the acts he needed because it gave her pleasure to do something for him. Not because she needed it. But maybe that was enough?

Since Friday night there had been no more bouts of Vulcan love making. Spock didn't have much more than the desire to nip playfully...which he did a lot during plenty of bouts of 'human-style' love making. Except for Nyota's brief run to her dorm they had not left the bedroom much.

Their couplings weren't as emotional as the first time, or as physically stressful. They were, as Nyota said, "Just really fun." Spock enjoyed it; he was surprised how much he enjoyed it. After their intense experience he had thought maybe less intense intimacy would be a let down. But it wasn't. It was a separate thing entirely. His body was more than willing -- and since it brought them both mutual satisfaction...

Presumably a Vulcan woman would have been interested in the more intense experience. Spock wondered if a Vulcan would have indulged him in these more playful bouts of affection -- and they were 'playful'. Although, of course, perhaps only Nyota would recognize this, his face had not suddenly become expressive; his voice had not suddenly developed more inflection.

All in all he felt like two halves of a whole had been united, which only cemented his belief that their unconventional bonding was genuine. And if the bond was genuine, then expression of the emotions within the confines of the bond was acceptable.

Of course, control still needed to be maintained. Even if it weren't for the unconventional circumstances of the bond it would be unseemly to show outward signs of it beyond the world of him and her, and beyond the physical walls of his apartment. Meditation would be helpful for this.

Turning her head and lifting her hair, Nyota asked, "How about me?"

Sadly, the mark on the back of Nyota's neck was gone too, as were the ones on her clavicles. She had left the bite on her shoulder...for Spock's sake. He knew she wasn't particularly fond of the circumstances around that mark. But it was the most discreet. And of course there were some bruises on her hips just from their normal intimacy; he had problems controlling the strength of his grip in certain situations.

Spock had kept the bite on the inside of his arm and the one on his chest. But the ones on his wrist had to go in case a sleeve accidentally fell back. The things you learn from your parents' mistakes.

He stared fixedly at the mark on his arm and raised an eyebrow. "Nyota, this marking behavior does suddenly make me consider the high necks, long sleeves, and hoods on the fashions of my people in a new light."

Nyota laughed. "Yes it does. Ugh....The guys in the Vulcan Interspecies Council....I'm going to try not and think too much about that." She winced.

Spock blinked. "I will apply the same mental restraint."

"Okay," Nyota said switching the subject, "The plan is that you get there first, and I'll arrive a little later. There is a shuttle every thirty minutes, and it's just a short walk to your other favorite irrational human's house."

"That is not an appropriate way to refer to Commander Sharpton." Spock said.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Sorry, Lieutenant." She saluted then began to slip on some underwear.

Vulcan's try not to let tiny irritations get them down, nonetheless Spock was a trifle annoyed about the prospect of having to go to Commander Sharpton's informal end of semester gathering. She had one every year. And every year Spock had declined to attend.

This year the commander had said to him, "Spock, are you coming this year? Even your assistant is coming...she's practically part of the department now..." And of course Spock had accepted. But that had been when he was still trying to maintain their relationship as friendship only. Now he'd rather stay in. He wanted to be selfish and keep Nyota for himself during her last days before she went to Africa.

A thought occurred. "Nyota, I have not taken a single sick day since I have come to the Academy."

"You're going to call in sick, Lieutenant?" They weren't linked. He was fairly sure she was getting annoyed though. She had called him Lieutenant, one eyebrow was up, her head was tilted, and she folded her arms across her chest. And then she kicked him with her heel.

Yes, definitely annoyed. He was pleased that he was able to read her so well.

"Would it be possible to say something unexpected had come up?" He lifted an eyebrow. "I have had students make such excuses to me from time to time." He grabbed the leg that had just kicked him and tried to reel her in.

The other leg shot out and kicked him again. "Very funny. Still too close to lying for you..."

Of course it was too close to lying. He was joking. And she knew it. He felt a pleasant sense of satisfaction in this.

Nyota continued, "...and anyway I want to go. It is good for both of our careers to interact socially with our superior officers. And I like your other favorite irrational human...she is supposed to be an excellent hostess. And Patrick, Toshi and their wives will be there. Besides, her house is right next to Muir Woods and she always offers her guests a tour. The only way you can get in now is with a private invitation. I'm not even a big nature lover and I want to go there."

"Muir Woods?"

"You didn't know?" Huffing she got up and went to the other room. She came back with a PADD and handed it to him.

"Here. Read. You'll want to go."

She continued to get ready. Pulling the duvet back up until it was all the way up to the tips of his ears Spock read the PADD. "Fascinating."

Nyota laughed. "See, told you." She came back over to the bed, pressed her forehead to his, gave him a kiss and said, "Remember, its informal. Wear shoes you can get muddy. See ya there..."

Muir Woods changed Spock's life.