Kirk had always been a fan of staying up late.
But now aboard the Enterprise, it was different. He still enjoyed the luxury of staying up late, but for less then luxurious reasons. As a captain, your work was never done.
So tonight, like most nights, Kirk found himself awake in the early hours of the morning, unable to sleep, on account of the Enterprise.
Sure, for the past week it had been smooth sailing through calm seas, but that never put the young captain at ease. If it were up to him, he'd stay at his chair all day and all night, not daring to leave the bridge without his watch. But the crew cares for Kirk, almost as much as he cares for them, so in an un-caring fashion, every night they send him to his room for sleep.
But of course, sleep is out of the question. So for the past two hours Kirk's been doing the usual: pacing, thinking about the enterprise, sitting, thinking about the crew, pacing, thinking about upcoming missions, sitting, thinking about the crew, and so on and so forth.
Then . . . the overwhelming nag hit him like a bus.
He could check the bridge. Just. This. Once.
It would be empty, seeing as the ship was on autopilot from midnight to six in the morning. Kirk contemplated the idea, it would be just to put him at ease, to calm his nerves, assure him that all truly was well on the Enterprise, his baby.
The captain looked at himself in the mirror. If he stepped out like he was it wouldn't be so bad, he had snuck around the Enterprise in just his boxer briefs before. His crew didn't give him much credit for it, but Kirk could be a pretty stealthy guy.
He mussed up his hair, and pressed the button to open his door. The hallways were clear; the only guards on night watch would be far from his room, patrolling the halls where new recruits slept.
He found himself on the bridge. The lights were low, and everything seemed to be in fine working order. He walked over to his chair, and rested his hand on the arm or it. Kirk was reassured that everything was alright.
If only for a moment. Kirk was better prepared for an attack then a teenage Russian boy appearing in the doorway.
"K-keptin?" stuttered Chekov.
Kirk whirled around, and his jaw nearly dropped. Yes Chekov was here, yes Kirk was in his underwear, both of these things bothered him, combined they made the situation almost unbearable, but there was more.
Chekov, about five feet seven inches, looking like he weighed no more then 110lbs, was standing in the door in bright yellow Starfleet shorts and a black tank top, looked cute enough to eat.
The ensign rubbed his eye in a sleepy manner, and frowned, as if he didn't believe the scene, and figured he must be dreaming.
Kirk seized this opportunity to sprint back to the door of the bridge where Chekov stood, and simultaneously cover the young boy's mouth, and pined him against the wall.
In his own shadow, Kirk could just barely read the expression on the Russian's face. Chekov's eyes were wide, and he looked about ready to cry. It occurred to the captain that he might have pushed Chekov into something, and the boy was in pain. Kirk removed his hands from the young boy's mouth, and lowered his hands to his sides.
"S-sorry, Chekov, you just, ah, startled me." Kirk made up an explanation, in truth, he wasn't exactly sure why he had pinned Chekov up against the wall like that.
"Um, it's okey keptin, no vorries." Chekov refused to look the captain in the face when he talked, instead he focused on the floor . . . and blushed furiously.
Kirk could feel his own face growing hot with blood, and he was thankful that the little light in the room was to his back, so the ensign could not see.
"Keptin, vat are you doing down 'ere? It's ze middle of ze night."
"I, um, well ensign, I could ask you the same thing. The Enterprise is my ship after all, why shouldn't I be down here. You however . . ." Kirk told the boy, activating the captain in him.
"Ah, vell I um . . ." Chekov trailed off, looking like his cheeks were on fire.
Suddenly it clicked in his mind. Chekov, the blushing, the empty bridge, it all added up in his head.
So the captain leaned in.