Disclaimer: I only own Star Trek in my dreams. :)

Yes, very unlikely that they would have started their relationship this early... But my reasoning behind this one is that, although improbable, the forward in time after the shuttle ride to the academy was "Three Years Later". Possibly in that first year they could have become romantically involved, although I highly doubt it. And hey, if not, I just liked to write it. :D

A short but sweet oneshot...

Candle light flickered against the bare walls, the shadows dancing to a tune too quiet for me to hear. It had taken all of my strength to drag myself up here, and I wanted nothing more than to just curl up in a ball and sleep. The day had been way too long.

I thought I had done a good job at hiding my weakness - evading his caresses almost playfully, bracing myself on tables and other furniture when I didn't think he would notice. Grateful for the dim light that veiled my growing bruise from his sight, I slowly undressed for bed, my red uniform gliding gently against the bruised skin of my side. I barely flinched, but the small movement was still enough to alert him.

His dark eyes snapped to me, his pre-meditation mentality even more observant than usual. "What is the matter?"

"Just a small bump - no big deal," I waved it off stiffly, slipping off my skirt. Of course my near nakedness didn't distract him as it would other men - although I could almost swear I saw his eyes linger, causing a slight blush to stain my cheeks.

"A large enough deal for it to pain you," he persisted.

I reached for my pajamas. His hand caught mine, and suddenly I found my eyes caught in his.

"Some of the students and I went to a bar last night when recruiting. There was just a stupid fight, but Captain Pike broke it up before anybody got killed," I admitted. And thank God for that. The hillbilly might have deserved a punch or two, but not the coma he was almost put into.

"Did you instigate it?" Spock asked, his voice calm. But his voice was always calm... I wasn't comforted.

"Of course not!"

Not exactly, I thought to myself, looking away from his searching gaze.

His pale hand gently caressed my hip, his knuckles brushing themselves against my ribs. I flinched again, my hand automatically taking hold of his wrist - a defensive reaction that ended up shining the minimal light on the bruise that was a few fractions darker than my skin.

"What happened?" he demanded. His voice, that always seemed to betray no emotion, was now... Angry, maybe? Defensive? It was so hard to tell with him sometimes. He seemed to almost shake with the emotion that he was trying to hold in check.

"It's not what you think, Spock. Some stupid, drunk hick ended up pissing off some of the cadets by insistently flirting with me. I was inadvertently pushed out of the way and into the bar," I explained, yanking my shirt over my head before he could protest.

"That is not nothing," he told me, and I sighed, sitting down on the bed behind me.

"I know. But with everything else that happened today, it seemed very unimportant."

He observed me for a moment before sitting down on the opposite side.`

"I find nothing concerning you to be unimportant," he told me in all seriousness and I brushed my lips against his before laying down, my head resting on his shoulder.

"Insistent flirting, you said?" he asked, his breath tickling my ear. I laughed, turning to him, careful not to hurt myself anymore.

I kissed him, so passionately and eagerly that I felt the aftereffects reach my toes. "You have absolutely nothing to worry about," I assured him, brushing my fingers along his dapper, shining hair cut.

"I would assume not - you are not returning to Iowa anytime soon, are you?" he asked me and I opted not to mention that Jim Kirk would be joining Star Fleet.

Not that it mattered - come Monday morning he was already faced with my Iowan friend and managed to show him just how unhappy he was through in class humiliation. I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

That's my boy.