Chapter Thirteen

Zuria had returned home after spending a good portion of the day with Bones. They had done primarily insignificant things; they had spent at least an hour in the mess hall before returning to his apartment and playing hundred year-old board games for a long period of time. It was just the sort of thing she needed to calm her before being confronted by Pallania.

Little noise could be heard in her dorm room when she entered it later in the evening. She moved into the kitchen, taking a glass from its cupboard and filling it with water from the sink. She leaned against the counter as she sipped from the cup, her eyes traveling to the refrigerator. A small note was taped to it. Making her way across the room, she held it between her finger and thumb, reading it.

"Out for a while. Be back later." It read. Those words were followed by Pallania's signature, which was then followed by "P.S., who'd you sex up last night?"

Zuria shook her head, crumpling the note and throwing it into the trash. She would have to think of a good cover story before her roommate returned home.

She walked slowly from the kitchen and into the bedroom, setting her glass down and picking several of her books up off of the floor, placing them on her bedside table. She plopped down on her bed, reaching for her glass and taking another swig of water before picking up her book of Vulcan poetry and opening it to a page that she had bookmarked. Each poem followed a perfect form; each was beautiful as well, though they were unsurprisingly vague.

The one that she had bookmarked, however, stood out from the rest. It was constructed with equal care and was written just as beautifully, but its author had been slightly clearer about the poem's theme; love. Reading of such affection from a Vulcan's perspective was insightful; it gave her the smallest glimpse into Spock's mind.

Setting the poetry book down, Zuria reached into her bag, pulling out her textbook. That moment seemed like an appropriate time to craft a lesson plan based on Vulcan poetry.

She spent the next hour flipping through her textbook and her poetry book, searching for any material that could be used in her lesson plan. She was relatively successful in this endeavor; that was, until breathy giggles announced the return of her roommate, along with another man.

"Oh, Jim!"

Rolling her eyes, Zuria stood from her bed, throwing several things into a bag, quickly exiting their bedroom. This was the perfect excuse for her to leave the dorm to be with Spock; without receiving any questions from Pallania, of course.

"Oh, hey, Zuria." Jim said, grinning at her before returning his lips to the other girl's neck. She looked as though she were about to speak, but Zuria held up her hand, cutting her off.

"Save it; I'm already leaving." She informed them, gesturing to the bedroom. "It's all yours."

She left before Pallania had a chance to say another word. It was fortunate that she did; her PADD notified her of an incoming transmission from Spock. She accepted it, his face then appearing to her on the screen.

"Good evening, Zuria." He greeted.

"Hello, Spock." She returned.

"You have a bag with you." He observed.

"Yes, I do; Pallania and Jim decided to conduct their session in our room tonight." She explained. He nodded in response.

"I do not believe that I need to extend an invitation for you to stay at my home tonight; you are welcome any time." He told her. She could only smile in return.

"I'll be right over." She assured him, ending the transmission.

True to her word, Zuria arrived at his apartment within minutes. She knocked on the door, allowing her bag to fall from her shoulder to the crook of her arm. Spock was there to open the door immediately after she knocked. She stepped into his apartment, dropping her bag onto the coffee table in front of the couch before turning to him and pressing a soft kiss to his lips. She could already feel heat building up in her abdomen, signifying that she was indeed ready to pick up where her morning so disappointingly left off.

"How was the meeting?" She questioned, brushing her fingers against his face.

"It was a matter of importance," He began, grasping her hand and holding it in his. "That is not to say, however, that I was pleased to attend."

Zuria chuckled. "I can understand why."

"And I am certain that you shared in my displeasure."

"I did, but I have to wonder; what was the meeting about?" She inquired, raising his hand and pressing it against her face. He stroked her cheek several times before speaking.

"We have encountered quandaries of late with the Klingon people. There have been strikingly more disputes between them and those who inhabit Chandra V." He told her. She nodded in acknowledgment.

"I get it. Star Fleet may have to cut in."

"Precisely."

Zuria inhaled before speaking. "I've got news."

"What news might that be?" He asked, brushing a piece of hair away from her face.

"I've been stationed aboard the Enterprise." She informed him. He remained silent for a moment before replying.

"I am very pleased that we will not be parted due to space missions." He said, kissing the tip of her nose. "We must be very careful, though. We cannot allow our relationship to be discovered."

"I know, but we've been very good about hiding… us. I think we should be fine." She assured him.

"I believe that we will be fine as well." He agreed, snaking his arms around her waist, pulling her against him. "But I have no desire to continue this discussion."

"Then what do you desire?" She questioned playfully, holding her mouth only centimeters away from his.

"To continue the events of this morning." He answered, closing the distance between them. Her lips parted, allowing his tongue to sweep through her mouth. She brought her hands up to his face, holding him to the kiss. A rush of warmth pooled in her core, causing her to gasp softly. Spock was sensitive to the sound, pulling his lips from hers and transferring them to her neck, nipping gently at the skin as he navigated to the bedroom. He pulled an arm away from her body, shutting the door before slowly lifting the top of her uniform from her and tossing it aside. He allowed his gaze to linger on her before unzipping her skirt, letting it fall to the floor. He traced a finger along her abdomen, causing her to shiver. She grasped his wrist, pulling his hand from her body and placing it at his side. She then gripped onto his shirt, raising it above his head and allowing it to join her discarded clothing.

Picking her up, Spock set her carefully on the bed, kissing the top of her head. He dropped a hand to her thigh, stroking it slowly as he lowered his lips to her collarbone.

"Spock," She moaned, pressing her hands against his head and back. She could feel his mouth curve upwards slightly, knowing that he was pleased at eliciting such a response from her. She held him to her, removing his pants from his body, leaving both of them in only their underclothes. He moved to kiss her again, but she placed a finger against his lips.

"Wait," She said, pulling her finger away, sitting up.

"Is there something wrong, Zuria?" He questioned, his eyebrows furrowing.

"No, no; everything is perfect." She assured him, inhaling deeply before brushing her lips against his ears.

"Then what has persuaded you to bring a pause to our interaction?" He asked quietly.

"I just needed to tell you something."

She could feel his heartbeat quicken against her chest.

"I welcome whatever it is that you desire to inform me of."

"Spock, I love you." She whispered. Spock drew back, his eyes meeting hers. He lifted a hand, placing it under her chin.

"I return your sentiments, Zuria; I am in love with you as well." He said, drawing her lips to his and kissing her briefly. "As I am Vulcan, I can assure you that it is next to impossible for me to ever discontinue loving you."

"I'm certainly no Vulcan," She began, giving a chuckle and pressing her lips quickly against his neck. "But I can make the same promise."

Pulling the sheets back, Spock slipped beneath them with her. Their remaining clothing was quickly shed, joining the pile on the floor. He pulled her into a passionate, desire-filled kiss before breathing:

"Excellent."

Hey guys!

Ok, I'm incredibly sorry. I know that it's been two weeks since I last updated, and for that I apologize. My computer is back to doing stupid stuff, so my current situation in terms of writing and uploading is rather unorthodox. There's also been a bit of stupid drama going on with my friends, so that's made it a bit harder for me to find time to write. Hopefully it'll all be over soon, though.

I'm hoping to have the next chapter up this weekend. I don't want you guys to have to wait as long as you did for this one. I really appreciate your patience; hopefully this chapter made up for the wait.

Thanks,

Harley