It was hard. You liked Spock, and you were sure that someday, you could possibly love him. But you wanted more out of life than that, and right now, a relationship didn't fit into your schedule. Spock understood, but it didn't make your last two days on the Enterprise any easier.
On your last morning, he visited you in your quarters. You were folding the last uniform, which you had sent to the ship's laundry for cleaning and repair. He stood without saying a word for a long while, but as you stuffed the uniform into your bag, he addressed you.
"I have seen a lot of officers come and go aboard this ship," he said.
You zipped your bag up and turned around. "Usually when they go, they're in body bags," you said testily.
"Indeed." He picked up your bag for you and shouldered it. "But you . . . are different."
"Because I'm not dead?" you teased.
"Because I am glad that you are not."
"That's a human emotion."
"You have an unusual habit of stimulating my human side into greater prominence."
You grinned, shaking your head, and stepped out into the corridor. He followed you down it.
"I think I really could love you, Spock," you said, watching his profile in your peripheral vision. He held himself straight and tall, as professional as always. "But I've got other stuff to deal with right now. And a future to meet."
"I know."
The toneless words did not deceive you. You tried to grin. "Hey, cheer up. Maybe someday I'll be ready for you."
"I shall attempt to wait."
You stepped into the turbo lift. "Transporter rooms. In all seriousness, don't hold your breath. It'll be a long, long while. A relationship wouldn't work well with my future. I want to captain my own ship. I want to reach admiral. I want to retire."
His voice dropped to a rumble. "You will," he said.
You flashed a quick smile. "So, willing to wait for me that long?
The lift stopped, but neither of you moved. "If you are willing to return after that long, I will wait," he promised quietly.
You stepped into the corridor. Five more meters to the transporter room. Five more meters until you left this behind, forever. You took your bag back.
"Who knows," you said, leaning up for a final kiss on his cheek, "you might even end up stationed on my ship someday."
At long last, his lips twitched. "It would be an interesting experience, I am sure," he said.
You entered the transporter room and stopped.
""This is the part of the story where the leaving person leaves some thoughtful gift for the other to remember her by, isn't it?" You paused. "I'm sorry, Spock. I don't have anything."
"I doubt very highly that I shall forget you, regardless," he said.
Neither of you wanted to kiss in front of the transporter engineer, but perhaps that was for the best. "Now, you stay alive," you warned. "I won't be here to save your ass anymore."
"Likewise."
You stepped onto the transporter pad. He stepped back.
"Energize," you ordered.
He spread his fingers in the gesture you recognized as the Vulcan salute. "Live long and prosper, (Y/N)," he said, eyes never leaving yours.
You smirked, and using something you had taken care to learn before you left, said, "Sochya eh dif, Spock."
The last thing you saw of the Enterprise was Spock's raised eyebrows.
