Jim's Personal Quarters

Pock felt his grip tighten, and she smirked against his chest.

"Good morning," she whispered, her voice low and rough from sleep. She took a deep breath of his scent, then exhaled slowly through her nose.

"Mmm..." he hummed slightly, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. "Morning," he murmured, voice equally rough. "How'd you sleep?"

"Well," she said. That was an understatement. She had slept exceptionally well beside him: better than she had in years. "Was your slumber of acceptable quality as well?"

He smiled. "It was." Master of understatement, you are, his brain quipped at him. You slept better with her at your side than you have in a long time. Admit it already.

He was content to lay there, and not move. He glanced at the clock on his bedside table. He had half an hour before he absolutely had to move to get ready for shift.

She hummed slightly against his chest, lost in thought.

"We should prepare for the day," she said softly, readjusting herself so that she was looking at him. She knew that her hair was unkempt, as was his, but she did not mind. In fact, she found the raw, nonpristine nature of his aesthetics to be oddly endearing. It was as if he were trusting her to see him in this way, and she was returning the favor.

He smiled as she hummed against him.

He wrinkled his nose slightly. "Now that doesn't sound like a good idea," he whispered moving some of the hair that had fallen out of her braid and tucking it behind her ear. "What does sound like a good idea is not leaving this room."

Jim really didn't want to leave this room at all. Not while he had Pock lying next to him.

She chuckled quietly as he brushed her hair away.

"Though I admit this idea is possessing of a plethora of positive qualities," Pock said, her eyes warm with affection, "it is not viable. We have a Starship to command."

She had to admit, though, it wasn't a bad suggestion. She could see a lot of positive points to spending the day in bed with Jim, just lying there.

Jim pretended to pout, but not able to hide the amusement in his eyes. "Aw, damn," he said. He wasn't sure if he manage to totally hide the laughter in his voice. He sat up, leaning back to look at his partner. Even in the early morning, with her hair slightly mussed, he thought she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

And apparently, he was a sap first thing in the morning.

She met his blue eyes with her brown ones, adjusting herself so that her arm was draped over him, her hand still lingering over his heart. She rubbed circles against the skin above the throbbing organ, a small smirk playing on her lips. "A tragedy, I know."

Jim wanted to do nothing more than to just pull her up and kiss her. Her hand rubbed circles over his heart, as if claiming it. She didn't need to claim it though. She'd owned it for a while, even if she didn't know it.

"Definitely a tragedy."

He smiled down at her, meeting her eyes. He sighed. "We should give up, shouldn't we?"

"Indeed," she sighed, her voice light and playful. "Resistance, I fear, is futile."

She knew that there was a bit of time between now and when she needed to get up, but it would be no easier then than it was now. She was comfortable beside Jim Kirk: possibly too comfortable. Maybe it was wrong to be so open and dependent on each other after not even 24 hours together. Maybe, she thought, it would be best to take a step back.

The problem was, though, that she didn't want to.

She never wanted to go back.

Jim sat up, dislodging her hand from his heart. "You can have the bathroom first," he said. Things that he knew about for the mission that they were to go on were already racing through his mind. Once he'd convinced himself that they couldn't stay in bed all day, he'd started slipping into what he called Captain Mode.

They were going to be diplomats. He definitely wanted Pock and Uhura to go down with him. If there was one thing he hated about being a Captain, it was he paperwork and the diplomatic missions.

Pock sat up as well, untangling herself from the blankets.

"I thank you," she said. She climbed out of the bed and stood. Before she left, she leaned down and pressed a quick parting kiss to Jim's lips, before slipping out of the room into the bathroom. Once there, she immediately disrobed, undoing her hair and stepping into the shower, where she quickly cleaned herself.

As she did, Pock pondered all that had happened in the past 24 hours. She'd embarked on a relationship with her captain, kissed him, and spent the night in his company. It was exhilarating, and terrifying, and she was unsure of how exactly it had come about, but still it was a positive thing, she thought.

She stepped out of the shower and moved to her own room. Once there, she got dressed, ate a light breakfast, and sat at the foot of her bed in meditation.

There is time, Pock reasoned. And she was in desperate need of a clear head after the events of last night.

Jim reciprocated the quick kiss and watched as Pock left his rooms. Once she left, he fell back against the bed, a goofy grin on his face. He looked over through the open door to the closed door of the bathroom, where the light was on, indicating that it was in use. He sat back up, wondering how such a woman was interested in him. He couldn't believe it, really.

When the light flicked off, he grabbed his uniform and placed it on the counter. He hopped in the shower, and thought about the past day or so. Sometimes he wondered what it was Pock saw in him. He turned off the shower and stepped out. He brushed his teeth. He dressed and looked around the room. Satisfied he wasn't forgetting anything, he made his way to the bridge.

((NEW THREAD))

Pock stepped into Jim's room, then moved off to the side to leave him room to enter. She stood diligently, back straight, arms folded behind her, fingers interlaced. She looked tired. Her eyes were slightly brighter than they had been before, though, and that was something.

"Do you require assistance, Captain?" she asked.

Jim sighed, stepping into the room. His arm was still in the sling. "No, I don't. Bones is just being a mother-hen..." He shook his head.

He'd had the whole walk to his room to observe his First Officer. When he'd finally figured out what he was looking for, it had been rather easy to see that Pock was exhausted and still worried about him. "However, I could do with a hug from my partner." He held out his good arm slightly, letting Pock decide whether or not she wanted to hug him.

She eyed him for a moment.

Pock was still tired, and thus her resolve was lowered. Plus, as a partner to the Captain, it was her job to ensure his health. From here, she was to ensure his recovery. Therefore, it was only in the parameters of her duty to oblige him any emotional needs he sought solace from her to relieve.

Telling herself this, she stepped closer to him, awkwardly wrapping an arm around him and pulling him close to her.

It was all for him, she told herself. It was what he needed.

On some level, she knew that wasn't the case.

Jim smiled slightly, tucking her into him with his good arm. He pressed a tired kiss of his own to her temple.

To be honest, the events of the mission had tired him out, but in a completely different way. "Thanks, kitten," he murmured.

She spoke into his chest, her voice low. It was only just a hair stronger than a whisper. "It is of no consequence, Jim. I am happy to oblige you in your time of need."

Jim smiled slightly, barely catching the words. There wasn't much he could say to that, so he just hummed, deep in his chest. He tightened his arm around her, holding her closer to his chest.

He hadn't meant to scare her, though given where the shot had landed, he understood if she'd thought he'd died. That was one of the things Bones had checked twice.

He pressed another kiss to her temple, and breathed in the unique scent of Pock and the shampoo she used.

Pock's eyes closed slowly as he pressed a kiss to her temple. She pressed a kiss of her own to his chest, just under his bandage. Just over his heart. The shot had come so close to that paramount temple of vesicles and veins, so close to burning a hole through the center of the blood-bearing roots that branched out all over his body. It would take so little to take Jim away from her.

"I am relieved that you are well," she said softly.

She didn't know how she would have reacted if he hadn't been.

She knew, though, that it would not have been good.

Jim smiled, face still tucked into her head, at the feel of her pressing a kiss of her own over his heart. "I'm relieved I'm okay too," he murmured.

He stood there, holding her for a minute as an idea slowly formed in his mind. "Bones ordered you to stay with me, yeah?" he asked slowly.

Pock furrowed her brow, curious about the question.

"Affirmative," she said. "I have been ordered to ensure that you do not strain yourself, cause yourself further harm, or attempt to disobey Dr. McCoy's orders."

Jim gave a small smile. "I'm a bit tired, so I was going to go lay down. Do you want to join me?" he asked.

No, he wasn't manipulating Bones' orders into spending more time with Pock.

She pulled away just slightly, so that she could meet his eyes. She had to crane her head upward a bit in order to do so.

"I do not believe Dr. McCoy's orders included me lying with you," Pock said with a smirk. "Or was I absent for that portion?"