A/N: Here one more, although I must admit to be oblivious to what is Arbor day, enjoy

Spoilers: Shore Leave (finally to touch into one episode)


As Spock put his hands on Captain's back part of his mind concluded that the offer was a mistake, but Captain displayed clear signs of relief so that conclusion was canceled by benefits it brought to the Captain and his comfort.

Soon he felt that the muscles beneath his fingers are relaxing and that the contact is no longer necessary but his hands strayed a second longer hesitant to break the contact. It was like they have a mind of their own and that they considered the contact to be pleasing in some manner. That was the reason it was a mistake from Spock's side of matters. In a moment he freed his hands from the contact and composed himself.

Spock considered probable futures and where would his seemingly unimportant offer lead. Before he touched the Captain he thought it couldn't be anything that would impact their working relationship. But afterwards it seemed different, like he committed himself in some unexpected ways. He was just to state that it was an exception, which Vulcan's tend to avoid necessity for such favors but then Captain turned to him smiling widely.

"Thank you Mister Spock" he said with his voice low "I feel immensely better, let's greet those locals with all Federation flare."

After that he marched through the woods and Spock considered his own reactions too crude and cautious. After all it was just a small favor that saved his Captain some discomfort.

But of course his predictions were right and Captain kept exhibiting his pain more directly and Spock felt obligated to respond. Even when his fingers would establish that there is no real cause for such discomfort he stayed quiet. It seemed like small price to pay for something that seemed to lift Captain's moral. Maybe it was the fact that he could rely on Spock that made him in lighter mood.

Spock himself decided that he doesn't mind the contact. On contrary there was something primal in that contact that reassured him in his position on the ship. After all he was a stranger among alien species, contact that would be allowed and repeated on his home world weren't practiced by humans, and things they did made him feel uncomfortable. Contact with the Captain came naturally, without need to explain or explore, it was just statement of the body that he wasn't alone.

That was the way things were until that unfortunate incident on the bridge. Till that moment it happened that the Captain always displayed his discomfort when they were alone, but this time he sat in his Captain chair.

"There's a kink in my back" Captain said and Spock looked at his back knowing instantly that it was one of those times Captain didn't suffer any real discomfort so he kept his hands behind his back. It seemed inappropriate to indulge such request for contact on the bridge. It would probably go unnoticed and they would not commented it but then young yeomen stepped in and initiated massage without asking permission.

Spock felt annoyed by her forwardness. Even more annoyed was he when it turned out that Captain can't differentiate between yeomen's hands and Spock's. That's why when Captain started to speak, and it wasn't hard to determine what he's going to say, Spock stepped forward so Captain could see him.

As expected Captain stopped himself in the middle of speaking Spock's name and told yeomen to stop.

They looked at each other. There were no need for words. Captain asked this favor one time too many. It was unclear to Spock why he felt the need to do it on the bridge especially when there were no signs of real pain in his posture. But it was clear that some invisible line was crossed and Captain stopped asking for contact or showing his pain.

At first Spock was just fine with that, but as time passed it felt somehow unsatisfying to keep that kind of distance. That's why Spock himself took lead and just offered his skills any time he would observe that Captain's posture would get stiffed by pain. It was the least he could do for maintaining his Captain's health.


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