Author's Note: Firstly, I don't own Star Trek. This story is a little slow to start but it gets better I promise. I hope you enjoy it, please keep any reviews constructive and friendly. I welcome your suggestions and comments as long as they are pleasant and helpful. Enjoy bond2012 x

Chapter 1: Falling and a Helping Hand

Jim Kirk was nothing if not a good sport so he laughed with the rest of the bridge crew at his spectacular trip on his way out of the turbo-lift.

It had been mortifying. He had slept in and so was in rather a hurry. Arms laden with PADDs he had sped down the corridor to the turbo-lift and rushed inside. Muttering under his breath in frustration, he urged the lift onwards. Finally, after an agonising eternity during which his mind had taunted him with the image of Mr Spock's judging eyebrow and the helmsmen's tuts of disapproval at his lateness, the lift stopped at the bridge. He breathed a sigh of relief. Just in time…

Falsely believing that he was safe, he had proceeded to strut onto the bridge, puffed up with naïve cockiness at his small victory over time. It was this strut that placed his right foot inconveniently in front of his left and sent him tumbling to the floor; arms flailing, PADDs scattering and most embarrassingly, voice squealing like a young girl whose skirt had just been blown up in the wind, revealing, in all their glory, her underwear to her hysterical schoolmates.

His screech had caused the entire bridge crew to turn in time to see him sprawl onto the floor. Some of the elder crew members supressed their amusement with a snort but the younger helmsmen, Sulu and Chekov, laughed unashamedly. Their cackling caused Lieutenant Uhura to begin giggling and then for Mr Scott to chuckle good naturedly.

"Careful laddie!' he remarked "Ye'll cause yerself a nasty accident!" he said before stepping over the captain and into the turbo-lift.

Realising that there was no other way to save face, Kirk laughed with them. Pulling rank and ordering them into silence would make him look like a douche-bag and only encourage exaggerated rumours in the mess hall. However, pretending that it had never happened, accompanied by his now crimson cheeks would only make his embarrassment more obvious. So he laughed and avoided all eye contact with the one person he wished had not witnessed his stumble, the one silent member of the bridge, the last person he wanted to embarrass himself in front of…Mr Spock.

Jim pushed himself up onto his knees and laughed.

"Woops!" he grinned sloppily, "I guess that's what you get for drinking whisky before bed! A lazy start and jelly legs!" This sent another wave of chuckling through the crew and they began to turn back to their respective jobs, much to Jim's relief. When he knew no-one was watching, he put his face in his hands and rubbed his eyes. He really hadn't needed that. Now his knees were stinging and his palms prickling uncomfortably from floor burns.

He pressed his hands into his eyes, admiring the tiny diamond stars that appeared in his vision. 'It's almost like looking at the view screen…' This thought jolted him back to reality and he opened his eyes to see a hand extended in front of his face.

It was a long-fingered, pale-skinned, elegant hand attached to a blue sleeve…Jim looked up to see Spock looking down at him. He raised an eyebrow when Jim continued to stare as if to say 'Do you want my help or are you just going to sit there looking at me all day?'

He smiled apologetically and took Spock's hand. Once he was standing, he dusted himself off (both physically and metaphorically) and thanked Spock, who nodded and bent down to start collecting up Jim's scattered PADDs. Jim joined him and soon his arms were laden once more.

"Thank you Mr Spock." He mumbled again, brushing the dust off his uniform pants.

"You are welcome sir." Spock replied, "I trust that you did not injure yourself?"

Jim blushed deeper, "No, no…I'm quite alright."

"That is pleasing to know." Spock replied.

Jim held Spock's gaze for a moment. It held a tint of amusement, something rarely seen in the Vulcan's eyes.

"Excuse me, Captain." Mr Spock said quietly. He turned and headed back to his station without a backwards glance.

Jim repressed a sigh and made his way to his chair, feeling less and less optimistic about the day ahead with every second that passed…