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T'Pock prided herself on her emotional control. Her vulcan half stayed calm, always analyzing things thourghly and logically. She was subject of many a joke directed towards her logical tendencies. The captain even, Kirk, would tease his first officer, trying to provoke an emotional reaction from her, but T'Pock held a tight lid on her emotions.
It had been a long star-day. The Enterprise had delivered some cargo to Gemicira, a Federation planet, for the colonies living there. At long last, though, the bell rang briefly, signalling the end of the current bridge crew's shift. T'Pock said nothing, but could feel herself relax inside, on her human half. She strode quickly to her room, not bothering with the elevator. Reaching her room, she entered quickly, ignoring the confused officers in the corridor. T'Pock sunk onto her warm bed, finally letting the human part of her take dominance.
Most people-well, most humans- thought that T'Pock was all logic, never allowing emotion to arise. Even her closest friends-James, Leonard, even her father- did not know that this was only for when company. When she was all by herself, T'Pock let her emotions flow, destroying the temporary barriers that were set up during her normal work days. Only one other person in the universe knew that she released her emotions, and that person was her mother- Amanda.
***
It had been a particulary stressful day on her home on Vulcan. She had gotten into a fight with some Vulcan boys because they kept calling her things like "human baby," and "filthy mixed blood." This made little T'Pock very angry.
"Why can't you just leave me alone?" She sobbed, black hair whipping about in the desert wind. The boys looked at her.
"Misguided human child, cannot even control her emotions," the leader of the pack, a slight vulcan girl named T'laxa, said emotionlessly.
T'Pock felt herself grow angry, despair replaced by rage. "Don't call me that." She said, head bowed.
"Vulcans cannot tell lies, you emotional imbicle," T'laxa said again, a ghost of a smirk playing across her features.
T'Pock snapped. Driven by anger and forgetting logic, she ran and punched T'laxa, surprising the boys, and they formed a circle. T'laxa fought back. Eventually, Sarek and T'laxa's mother had to be summoned to retrieve their children. This shocked Sarek (although he didn't let it show), and he frowned while retrieving his child.
After a stern talk, T'pock was sent to her room. She sobbed into her pillow, regretting the events of that day. A bit of green blood remained on her scraped and cuts. T'Pock didn't notice the door opening. Her mother had walked in, and was now sitting beside her young daughter, stroking her hair. T'Pock froze, mortified.
"It's okay, T'Pock. I won't tell Sarek. Can you tell me what's wrong?" Amanda cooed reasuringly.
"I pr-promised father I w-wouldn't let my emotions sh-sho-show..." T'Pock had said, wiping her tears. "But th-they were t-teasing me, and I felt s-sc-scared and..." She lowered her head. "I'm s-sorry, Mother."
Amanda then hugged her, consoling her, telling her that everything was fine. As she wiped away the blood, Amanda added words that put T'Pock's mind at ease.
"I know you try to be Vulcan to fit in, but remember your human half too, okay? It's okay to let your emotions show."
***
Now, sitting at the console in her cabin, T'Pock felt at ease, if not a little tired. She got up, stretching and yawning, grateful for the umpteenth time that she was alone. She began disrobing, shedding her boots, then her dress, then her stockings, leaving her in a bra and knickers. T'Pock sung a song she knew while she located a night gown.
"Part of it is loneliness and knowing how to steal, but most of it is weariness from standing up, and trying not to kneel. She discovered three new ways that, she can help the dead. Sometimes she must raise her hand, to tell you what she said. And standing in a landslide, she suddenly becomes, the girl who's called St. Matthew, and she is on the run. " She sang, unhooking her bra, facing the door.
Suddenly the door opened. T'Pock shrieked, covering her breasts. A very confused Kirk stood in the doorway, staring at his first officer in shock. A slight trickle of blood ran down his nose. "Out!" T'Pock yelled. Kirk backed up quickly and the door closed.
T'Pock quickly pulled her nightshirt over her head, horrified. What had he seen? More importantly, why was he down in her quarters anyway? Seeking answers, she walked back outside and quickly pulled Kirk in.
"Why are you requesting me, Captain?" She asked, emotions masked.
"I, uh... I was going to ask you if you would like to play a game of chess before bed, but it appears you have other plans." Kirk said clearing his throught. T'Pock's eyebrows skyrocketed. Kirk scratched the back of his neck uneasily.
"You are usually better at lying, Captain," T'Pock remarked. Kirk smiled.
"Well, in all honesty, I don't think I have the- oh, hell. T'Pock, I came down to tell you that I like you." Kirk said, looking away. T'Pock could only blink.
"Excuse me, Captain?" She asked incredulously.
"Oh, why can't you call me Jim!? Must you always be so formal?"
"Jim, I-"
"And I don't care if you return the feeling, I don't even know if you have the capacity to return the feeling but I had to tell you, or I would burst, y'know?"
"Jim, its-"
"So I'll just go back to my cabin and sulk for a bit, then I'll be better by tomorrow and-" Kirk was cut off by the lips crashing into his. Those perfect, green-tinted lips were finally on his. T'Pock deepened the kiss, her tounge prodding at Kirk's lips, formally requesting enterance, to which she was eagerly accepted. Finally, she pulled away. A look of pleasant shock registered on Kirk's face.
"I do return the feeling, Jim," she said, brown eyes meeting blue.
And on that day, one more person learned what was behind the half-vulcan's mask.