Disclaimer: I don't own. I don't profit.

Special thanks to Beta Notes from the Classroom. Check out her "Crossing the Equator" in my faves for Spock/Uhura & Pike/Number One Goodness.

Chapter 12

T'Spock did not know what to expect when she entered Noyoto's quarters. That he would help her slip out of her coat was not unexpected. That he would kiss her again, that was not unexpected. Even pulling her gently into his bed was not unexpected. Humans were notoriously more sexually "expressive" than Vulcans.

That he would not push her to remove her clothes was unexpected. That he would kiss her eyelids and cradle her face in his hands without seeking anything more...that was unexpected. And that he would kiss her forehead and roll her over on her side and wrap his body around hers, gently holding her until they both drifted off to sleep - that was completely unexpected.

In the middle of the night she woke up from a dream with a start, gasping for breath, Sarek's body disappearing into a void replaying before her eyes. Noyoto pulled her tighter, kissed the back of her head, murmured softly and pulled the sweat-drenched hair from her forehead.

Reaching for that hand, she found his fingertips, held them tightly and let her mind find his. She found he grieved, but not as deeply. He loved her, but it was not as deep an emotion as that feeling she had for him, that expansive sensation of falling into the blackness between the stars.

A few days ago she might have been disappointed, but now with her father's memories she realized Noyoto was just human. And she was grateful that his feelings weren't as intense. She thought that maybe if they were as powerful as her own they would spiral into a loop of despair she wouldn't be able to pull herself from.

"I woke you," she said, pulling his hand to her mouth to kiss the backs of his fingers. It was a natural motion, a human motion; Sarek's memories told her that.

"It's okay," he whispered. "I'm glad you're here." And she could feel the sincerity behind his words. She held onto that one bright emotion. It sheltered her mind, just as his body sheltered her body. It was the only thing that allowed her to drift back to sleep.

When she woke up again their bodies had shifted. Noyoto was lying on his back. Her head was pillowed on his arm.

"You awake?" Noyoto asked.

"Yes," said T'Spock. That emotion, that darkness that was belonging and protectiveness, and maybe was what humans called love, too, was blooming in the pit of her stomach.

Noyoto traced a finger down her forehead to her nose, then to her lips. She felt sadness, but playfulness, too. She kissed the finger instinctively and felt a spike of desire, from her or him, or both she wasn't sure.

"I don't want to get up," he said.

Checking her internal chronometer T'Spock allowed herself to sigh. She didn't want to get up either. Despite the relative coolness of Noyoto's body, their combined heat still managed to make their cocoon quite snug. She was warm. If she tucked her nose against his skin and closed her eyes she could let her senses be overwhelmed by the smell of him, the feel of him underneath her, solid and real. She could forget everything else. The reason the Enterprise was so cold and dark -

She pressed her forehead more tightly against him and tried to push the images of Vulcans' last moments out of her mind.

Pulling her even closer, Noyoto brushed his fingers over her temple again. Clutching them she found the relative stability of Noyoto's mind. He was concerned, content, and aroused all at once.

Noyoto sighed. "Computer," he said. "Are the sonic showers still offline?"

"Affirmative."

Noyoto squeezed her tighter and pulled them both deeper beneath the covers. "An excuse to stay in bed a few minutes longer."

"7 minutes and 37 seconds," said T'Spock.

"I will savor every one of those 457 seconds," said Noyoto speaking T'Spock's thought out loud.

For a moment the universe fell away. She was safe and protected and understood. She broadcast her pleasure and happiness through her fingers.

"That made you happy?" He said pressing his fingers against hers. She felt the buzz of curiosity.

"Yes," said T'Spock eyeing the smooth skin on his neck, the color of forbidden chocolate. She felt a nearly irrepressible urge to bite him and flushed with warmth. Was that appropriate? Sorting through Sarek's memories she saw biting wasn't unheard of among humans, but it was her Vulcan portion that made it feel so...essential. She blinked. It would be something that would best be discussed before being indulged in... Her face went a little green as images of her parents intimacy flashed through her mind.

"What's wrong?" said Noyoto sensing her distress.

Pushing those thoughts from her mind, T'Spock said, "It is not important." Throwing a possessive leg over his body she froze. Even if he wasn't acting on his arousal, parts of his body were. As her thigh brushed over him she felt heat spark in her fingertips.

T'Spock had no practical experience with male anatomy, given this, the next word out of her mouth could be forgiven.

"Fascinating," she said idly playing with his fingers and letting the feeling transmit.

Noyoto jerked his fingers from her hand. "Ahh! That tickles my nose!" Turning his head he sneezed.

T'Spock blinked at him. "That is my mother's reaction to fascination as well."

Raising an eyebrow and giving a sniff he touched her fingers again. He was amused, aroused and annoyed all at once.

"You find that amusing don't you?" said Noyoto. She did, but could feel it wasn't really a question.

Grumbling he rolled her body on top of his. She could feel the full length of him pressed beneath her.

T'Spock's body went hot. She pushed her forehead to his, and clenched her jaw.

"It's time to go," he whispered.

She raised her head and looked down at Noyoto's eyes, brown not black. His nose was so distinctly African. His lips were full, just a shade darker than his skin and so bitable.

But he was right. "Yes," she said. And suddenly the weight of the world came crashing in.

"I'm sorry," said Noyoto.

She could feel his sorrow for her. All she could do was nod.

They slipped out of bed and into their ponchos in silence.

On their way to the bridge they stopped in the mess for some breakfast and luxuries of luxuries in the still dark, still cold ship, hot coffee. Trying to keep their fingers warm, T'Spock and Noyoto wrapped their hands around their paper cups. They spoke only of technical issues - the subspace array, the universal translator. And then looking around the mess, Noyoto said, "We picked up a lot more survivors than I realized. I'm glad."

T'Spock gazed around the room. It was nearly packed with crew members and Vulcans - for the most part not interacting with one another. But that wasn't what caught T'Spock's attention.

She should have known...

Vulcan males were regarded as more expendable than females and were more likely to be sent off planet.

She hadn't really thought of it...but now...

Nearly 88% of the Vulcans in the room were male. The universe suddenly became even heavier.

x x x x

Only 12 more hours and the Sugihara would rendezvous with the Enterprise. Noyoto shivered and adjusted his coat. The hallways were still dark and cold.

The Sugihara was bringing warp coil replacements. T'Spock said that after the rendezvous there would still be another 12 hours required to get them installed.

Stopping at the door to his quarters, Noyoto entered his combination and exhaled a long frosty breath. As soon as the door opened he shot into his tiny room, stripped off his coat, and kicked off his boots. The sonic showers were online. Captain Pike had issued a special order allowing all crew members to indulge in 8 full minutes under the warm sonic blast. Noyoto couldn't wait for the chance to be warm, to be clean, and to maybe shed some of the stress of the last few days with the grime. He'd manned the subspace arrays and had fielded questions his entire double shift from crew members inquiring about survivors from the Battle of Vulcan. Kirk alone must have asked him six times about the Farragut.

He stripped off his undershirt and shirt in one motion. Casting them aside, he bent down and began sliding off his socks. He was just about to slip out of his pants when the chime rang.

Noyoto stared at the door. He knew who he wanted it to be - but T'Spock had been distant all day. Last night he'd felt her emotions in that peculiar semi-telepathic state she described as an "empathic link". He'd felt her being overcome by tides of anguish and despair that would roll in suddenly without warning.

Really, what could he expect? She'd lost her planet and watched her father die in front of her. She hadn't told him this, but the whole ship knew how she materialized on the transporter pad, hand outstretched, screaming for him.

Last sleep cycle he thought maybe he'd brought her a bit more calm, a bit of relief. But then at breakfast she'd suddenly withdrawn when he'd commented on the Vulcan refugees and how glad he was there were so many. What an asinine thing to say - he was still kicking himself. So many! Out of six billion souls...How could she not be insulted?

The chime sounded again. It was probably Kirk come to ask about Gaila and the Farragut again.

Slipping his coat over his bare chest, Noyoto walked to the entrance. "Door open."

There was a whoosh, and he stood face to face with T'Spock. She stood in her own coat, hands buried in her pockets, her legs appearing thin and long beneath the coat's bulk. Her eyes went from his face to his chest, and then down to his bare feet that had to be turning purple with cold about now.

"I was..." He took a breath. Rubbing a hand over his head he said, "Just about to take a sonic shower."

Lifting her eyes to his, she said, "Do you mind if I join you?"

He felt himself go warm to the tips of his frozen toes.

Looking down the hallway, he verified the coast was clear. He wasn't sure he cared, but maybe she did.

They were alone.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he brought his lips to T'Spock's. Her lips, a little too dry, definitely too hot, responded. He felt her fingers go to his temples and there was that sensation of vertigo and then his vision went black and he felt something...an emotion he couldn't name; alien, but good. It was lust, and hunger, and possessiveness all in one. It made Noyoto feel alive, and feeling alive made him realize how much the events of the past few days had deadened him.

Noyoto pulled life, and T'Spock, closer. She raked her teeth down his bottom lip and that alien hunger deepened. Picking her up, he spun her around into his quarters and slammed the close door button with his palm.

A/N:

Sorry, no sexy shower scene depictions, gotta keep my PG-13 rating. If you read and enjoyed, please leave a review. It helps keep my posting!