AN: This is mostly from "ST: The Final Frontier". However, the last two sentences reference an episode in TOS, wherein, long story short, Kirk and Spock meet a woman, and she gives them her opinions on where she thinks they both belong. It is one of the sweetest lines, and I can't understand how these two can't be viewed as cannon. I will admit this was written really quickly; this plot bunny has been nibbling at me since yesterday, and it's like ignoring the elephant in the middle of the room. You try it, it's quite hard!

warnings: Nothing explicit! Typos and tense-change are my arch nemesis, and with something written as quickly as this tidbit, there are bound to be plenty of them.

"Jim," Spock warned, watching his Captain come dangerously close to hugging him, "Not in front of the Klingons." Captain Kirk paused, his hands already against his Vulcan First Officer's upper arms.

"Oh, yes. Sorry."

Kirk felt a twinge of something in his gut, even as he smiled at Spock, saw the gleam of a return smile in those dark eyes and at the corner of that rigid mouth. He'd nearly died, and Spock was still going to be so goddamned logical? For first time since he gained the friendship of Bones and Spock, Kirk had been sure of his eminent death.

After he had thanked Korrd for his work in saving Kirk's life – he'd thank Spock if the man would let him – Kirk whipped out his communicator and gave the word for Scotty to beam them up.

Once aboard his own vessel, Kirk quickly made his way to the bridge, Spock on his heels, Scotty not far behind. As he stepped off the turbolift, he was greeted with a bodily hug from his CMO, and all-around cheers from the crew.

"Mr. Sulu,"

"Aye Captain?"

"Set a course for Nimbus III. We shall drop off the colonists, and the ambassadors."

There was a quiet murmur of agreement from the mentioned parties, and Captain Kirk gave himself a mental pat on the back.

"I am going to retire to my quarters," he murmured to all, wiping a hand across his brow. "I just survived a fist-fight with God." He paused, staring at the main screen, watching as they passed back through the Barrier. "Mr. Spock—"

"Actually, Captain," Spock interrupted quietly, his voice low and close to Jim's ear. "I would appreciate it if I could speak with you privately."

From his current position, Captain Kirk could barely turn without butting heads with Spock, so he settled for a faint nod.

"Mr. Sulu, you have the conn."

"I need a shower," Kirk told Spock as the turbolift descended.

"Perhaps it would be better if you took care of your hygiene and procured new clothes," Spock started, hands clasped tightly behind his back, "When you are ready, I invite you to visit me in my quarters."

Kirk nodded, staring at Spock from the corner of his eye. The Vulcan was very uptight and serious, which was altogether not odd, however, given that he was alone with Jim, of all people, it was slightly out of character. Before he could question how Spock was doing – he had just lost his only brother – the turbolift arrived at the level of his own quarters.

"I will see you shortly, Captain." Spock said in a loose goodbye before the doors slid closed.

The shower was heavenly, as was the feeling of fresh clothing. The warm water had also served to settle his frayed nerves, reminding him that this was he loved about being a Starship captain, even as the years had begun to catch up to him. There was nothing to compare with being in a life-or-death situation for the sake of all of humanity. Or, at least, whatever humanity happened to be on your ship.

However, the thought foremost on his mind was whatever Spock had planned for their conversation. Even after so many years serving as a Captain alongside his closest friend, the Vulcan side of Spock combined with his warring Human attributes always left Kirk guessing. Even as he brought his hand down in a knock against the door to Spock's quarters, he was anxious, excited, and nervous. There were so many ways that this conversation could go, and his brain was scrambling to find every single pathway.

"Come in,"

The door opened silently, allowing Kirk access to the room that Spock called his own. The space was dark, swirled with warmth – Vulcans operate at a much higher body temperature than Humans – and the underlying smell that meant Spock had been meditating. Indeed, the Vulcan was standing in between his window and the giant seafaring ship's steering wheel that he had had installed, meditation garb around his shoulders.

"How are you doing, Spock?" Kirk murmured, stepping further into the room. "You seem a little… off."

"I can assure that I am quite well, Jim," Spock reassured his Captain, his voice smooth with calm.

"How… That is…" Kirk paused, both verbally and physically, just a few feet from Spock. "Cybok… He was your brother," he finally said, knowing that Spock would read the fragmented sentence perfectly.

"Half-brother, Captain." Spock replied, one of his hands reaching behind him and grabbing hold of one of the knobs of the steering wheel. "As I am sure you have already guessed," There was a touch of amusement and warmth to his voice as he said this, "I have been meditating. My emotions have been properly categorized. I… I felt the loss of losing him the moment his left Vulcan, Captain."

Kirk nodded his head solemnly, even though he knew Spock could not see the motion.

"I still want to say I'm sorry." He murmured, reaching out a hand to touch Spock's shoulder.

"Captain—"

"I also wanted to say thank you," Kirk continued, watching as Spock turned around in order to give him a proper eyebrow raise. "For the first time since I … well, since before I can remember, I felt one-hundred-percent sure I was going to die." Spock opened his mouth to speak, so Kirk quickly continued. "That's twice you've saved my life in the past few days, Mr. Spock."

"As your first officer-" Spock began, stopping when Kirk broke into a barking laugh. After a moment, Kirk realized that Spock had done that on purpose.

"You're getting better at this whole 'Human sense of humor' thing every day, Spock. Now, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Spock's relaxed posture suddenly became tight. His mouth straightened into a serious line, his hands moved behind his back.

"Ah, yes. Well, Captain… you remember how Cybok caused both McCoy and myself – along with the rest of the crew – to experience our 'pain', and to face it?"

Kirk's jaw tightened. "Of course I do, Spock."

"Jim, since that interaction… I have begun to discover emotions that I was previously unaware of."

"Spock, if this is about your father—"

"No, Jim, this has nothing to do with my father. Our differences are no longer a point of insecurity for me. I accept that he loves me in his own way, although he at first had trouble grappling with the idea of a half-human son. These are emotions I had never allowed myself to take note of… emotions that I must have subconsciously fought to keep at bay. However, thanks to whatever strange 'trick' Cybok used, I can no longer ignore them."

Kirk again felt a strange twinge in his gut. He was unsure how to reply to such a comment… Spock had never been very good at working with his emotions, let alone admitting them out loud.

A sudden light crunching noise broke through the otherwise silent moment. Shocked, Kirk saw that Spock had caused a splinter in on of the knobs on the wheel.

"Spock…?"

"Jim, I am unsure of how else to state what it is I am feeling, and so I am forced to state them plainly and without etiquette. For this I apologize in advance."

"Spock, how many times do I have to tell you, it's alright, we're friends-"

"Jim, I believe that I love you."

Kirk felt the air whoosh out of his longs in a sharp backwards gasp, was aware of how his eyes must be comically wide and his mouth must be agape.

"I am sorry if I have in any way offended you. I can assure you that this will in no way change my ability to work professionally with you, though I of course can understand that it may become uncomfortable with being in close proximity with me. We are currently on our way to Nimbus III, and I believe that afterwards Starfleet will allow us to continue our shore leave. If you wish, I can request a transfer the moment you are no longer in need of my services."

Curse the Vulcan ability to say something like that, deadpan, and not let it affect them at all. Spock's facial expression was unreadable, as if he were simply listing off the main components in a sample of rock, instead of admitting that he harbored romantic emotions towards his commanding officer. Kirk was still standing there, gape mouthed, his brain struggling to come up to speed. Because of this, the only response he could come up with was a weak, "…What?"

"I understand that Humans often have a hard time being in close proximity with—"

"Not that, you—I mean… how… you're just… One little moment with Cybok and you're going to just--!"

"Captain, if I may…" Spock held up his hand, his fingers in the familiar pose of an impending mind meld.

"Of course, Spock," Kirk replied vehemently, shocked that he was asking permission. They'd been friends for nearly over a decade, and suddenly he was getting shy? He stopped short of grabbing Spock's hand and guiding it to his psi-points, because he remembered at the last moment that hands were erogenous zones for Vulcans. God, was he blushing?

"My mind to your mind—"

--My thoughts to your thoughts.

The feeling of Spock's mind and his own together was seamless and familiar. At once, Spock began to shift through his own mind, bringing forward what felt like a massive container. There were no emotions emanating openly in Spock's thoughts – for once the space felt empty and cold – but the container seemed to radiate warmth and light.

Spock, what is this?

This, Captain, is what Cybok has brought about.

Before the sentence was complete, there was a feeling like a dam breaking, or a wall being removed, or an epiphany being had, and then were emotions, so many that Kirk went into shock at the sudden change from sterile and blank to crashing and loud and infectious.

The emotions ranged from friend, comfort, laughter, to fear, anger, and anxiety. As those skittered away, however, Jim was left to face a roiling wave of family, want, admiration, awe, hunger, possessive, Mine, love, lust. A strange word lolled in and out of the space, Thy'la, but Jim was too overwhelmed to try and think about a random word in Vulcan. The force of the sheer amount of emotions sent Jim staggering back, out of the mind meld. He gulped in a lungful of air, shaking from head to foot.

"Jim!" He could feel Spock there, not only in the head radiating his body, but the fraying bits of thought that fought to cross the now broken link. "I merely meant to give you a way to understand, I did not mean to—"

Jim surged upwards, grabbing Spock behind his head and pulling him down to connect their lips. It lasted only a moment before he pushed away, breathing heavily, his eyes stinging with tears.

"Spock- Spock--!" He was overwhelmed. Which of his emotions were his own? Was this a part of Cybok's work or was it, as Spock has said, simply emotions that he had never given the chance to flourish?

Spock had somehow come to put his arms around Kirk's waist, his hands now placed at the small of Jim's back, holding him up. Jim slid his hands up those familiar arms, to those broad shoulders, his eyes staring a hole in Spock's badge across the breast of his blue uniform shirt.

"Jim, I must express my apologies." Beneath the smooth cadence, Jim was certain he could detect a small waver. He could also feel that Spock was shaking, not physically, but emotionally, mentally, he was a wreck. "I did not mean to cause you such distress."

"S'not… it's not…" Jim finally worked up the courage to look Spock in the eye, and was only slightly surprised when he couldn't see anything but calm and collected. "I…" His hands had moved up to cup Spock's jaw, his skin warm underneath his fingers. "Kiss me, again."

Spock reacted instantaneously, pulling his Captain flush against his body as he melded their lips together, one of his hands rubbing soothing motions up and down the length of Jim's spine. For a timeless moment, he did not move; doing nothing but allowing the kiss, traveling the space of his mind for a reaction, a way to make this all make sense.

There was a sudden change in Spock's demeanor, and Jim had barely registered it across the new mind-link caused by their close proximity before Spock had coaxed his lips open and was purring into his mouth. This unexpected sound confused Jim even as he whined back, his hands fisting in his First Officer's uniform shirt.

"Spock," he exhaled, the sound too much like a sob.

"Jim," Spock was steady, his voice just as even as ever, no hint of heavy-breathing or emotional stress.

"I- I don't—"

Spock silenced him with his tongue, and Jim could not find any reason to dislike this approach. Quite the opposite; he was shamefully aroused by the motions that warm tongue was making. He felt like he was experiencing a first kiss all over again; his knees were weakening, his heartbeat skyrocketing as the seconds passed and they only clung tighter to each other.

"Stay," Spock murmured, more a statement of fact than a question, but Jim nodded anyway, that low voice and the way it rumbled through his mouth—

"You, too," Jim hissed, a warm hand pulling at the hem of his shirt and snaking up his back. "With me, at my side."

Spock nodded again, gently laying Kirk down onto the bed, not allowing for a separation of their lips.

"It is my place, Jim."

oOo

"And where do I belong?"

The woman stared at Spock for a long moment, before smiling. "You? At his side, as if you've always been there, and always shall be."

End Note: I hope you all enjoyed this. Sorry it's so rushed and ew. Love you all~