A/N: Just a nice one-shot. Nothing more, nothing less. No romance, just great friendship between our favourite trio because I am ill and I wanted to cheer myself up if nothing else. Oh yeah, and I don't own Star Trek, as much as I wished that I did.

Contented

Happiness is not always the easiest thing to find. It can hide from us when we need it most, or pounce when we think that we're okay without it. Happiness, however, tends to be what keeps us going. If it was not for that feeling would we ever laugh? Would we ever crack a smile? We would not.

It had been a taxing day aboard the USS Enterprise, one that the Jim, Spock and Bones had all come to know. Bones had been stuck in the medical bay for the majority of the day because of an outbreak of an unknown sickness that had afflicted almost half of the crew. They had been complaining of stomach cramps and eventually one Lieutenant had emptied the contents of his stomach on to his desk on the bridge. Since that moment the crew had been arriving down at medical all day with similar grievances.

During this time, Spock had been stuck in an awfully cold room to instruct some ensigns on exactly how to write up their reports on the strange new material they had picked up from the previous planet they had stopped out. Something that the ensigns were simply not picking up - much to Spock's dismay. He battled with them for a long while, not understanding why they kept on using the most simplistic vocabulary and even, in one ensign's case, analysing the wrong part of the material entirely. Spock had made a mental note to keep an eye on him.

The sudden wave of sickness had affected Jim's day too. He himself was not sick, oh no. However, half of the crew members on the bridge had been throwing up around him for most of the day. Each time, Jim would have to give the command that they were able to go to the sickbay and would have to request for a crew member to take the position of the previous. Not to mention that the ship kept lurching from side to side because of meteorites that kept going undetected. He made a mental note to talk to Scotty about fixing that but it didn't stop him from having to take emergency action every time it happened.

Eventually the time for them to retire to their quarters drew closer. With only 30 minutes of his shift left to go Jim did not wish to go back to his own room straight away and so he pulled out his communicator, contacting Bones and Spock from his captain's chair. The two picked up almost instantly and were probably using it as an excuse to stop doing their own work.

"Guys," started Jim first, "It's been a rough day. I'd rather relax than go back to my own, rather silent, quarters."

"If you are insinuating that you wish for us to gather in someone's quarters then I would like to put my own forward for the use, Captain. I have been working in the laboratory all day and the temperature in there is much less satisfactory than one would be comfortable in. The temperature of my own quarters is the only one that I wish to spend time in." interjected Spock quickly, reminding the other two of his Vulcan needs.

"You could have just said y'know. I didn't need a whole report." replied Kirk with a roll of his eyes that neither of the other men could see.

"You have yet to tell me if my request was accepted." asked Spock, the line crackling slightly as he spoke.

"Just assume that it was." spoke Bones finally as he rested the communicator between his shoulder and his ear, using a hypospray to relieve a grateful ensign of his symptoms.

"Okay then." Kirk said, frowning down at the piece of technology.

"I'm going to have to go, Jim. Lieutenant Todson just threw up on my shoes. I suppose I'll be seeing you in Mr Spock's room." groaned Bones and his line went silent.

"I should also go, one of the ensigns has just spelled indubitable wrong."

"Cut him some slack, that's not an easy word to spell, Spock!" Jim tried to get out before Spock shut off his line as well. He wasn't entirely sure how much Spock had heard but he hoped that the message had got through. He chuckled to himself in pity for that ensign, spelling something wrong on Spock's watch? Well, he'd be doomed.

25 minutes later, Jim stood from the captain's chair. He stretched upwards and heard his back click from spending the majority of his day sat down in that chair. He decided that he would make his way to Spock's room by himself, he knew the pass code to get in. Of course he did. He was Spock's closest friend, what else would Jim have tried to weasel out of him?

The warm air hit Jim in the face as he walked in. It almost choked him at first but he decided he could get used to it. After all, the temperature of the bridge was controlled and set to his liking (within reason of course) so that he could be comfortable. Spock did not face that luxury when he worked. If he was on the bridge then Jim's temperature would of course be too cold for him and if he worked in the laboratories then the air conditioning would be constantly on to keep the machinery and equipment at the efficient working rate.

He took a seat on Spock's desk. On it. Not at it. He sat with his legs crossed and took in how neat his friend managed to keep the room. The pens were all stacked in the pot, with the pencils too. His ruler lined up with the edge of his clutter and paperwork free desk. His floor had not a speck of fluff attached to the cream coloured carpet and his bed was tidily made ready for the night. Jim observed that Spock had an extra covering than he and Bone's had in their own rooms. Was Spock really still cold at night, even with this amount of heating on?

It was not long until Spock himself had walked in. He took his shoes off at the door, something that the captain (who now had his feet all over the surface) had neglected to do. Spock was rubbing his arms with a small shiver that he instantly tried to hide upon noticing the captain sat on his desk.

"Nice of you to let yourself in, Captain." Spock said with a slight tone of annoyance.

"I figured you wouldn't mind." grinned back the captain with a playfully raised eyebrow.

"Of course you did."

"Are you mad?" asked Jim quickly, sensing that his friend wasn't exactly enjoying his joking reply.

"At you, Captain? No. I do not get angry. I am however feeling a sensation of frustration towards one of the ensigns that I had to direct today." Spock shook his head and took a seat on the ground. He pressed his back up against the radiator and rolled his head backwards a little, clearly enjoying the warmth that he was receiving from it.

"The one that couldn't spell indubitable?"

"Yes, however he also managed to analyse the completely wrong object for almost a quarter of the day."

The captain let out a snort of laughter and Spock raised an eyebrow at him. He shut up.

A gruff man's voice echoed through the doorway and into the room. He was grumbling loudly to himself and what seemed to be the whole of the Enterprise's crew at that volume. A body soon matched the voice as a disgruntled man in a blue, medical shirt appeared at the open door. He took one shoe off his foot and threw it into the corner violently. The other soon followed, zooming past Jim's head and landing with thud on the ground.

"Don't you dare complain you jumped up little bastard!" growled Bones at Spock, "You should be glad I took 'em off in the first place!"

Spock stood up and recoiled slightly at the unnecessary insult. It was his room after all, he had invited them in had he not?

"Bones!" Jim shouted at the doctor, standing to put an hand on Spock's shoulder. "Don't be quite so mean." The doctor walked over to the desk and sank down into the desk chair. He leaned into the puffy material and shook his head.

"I'm sorry..." he mumbled, "Rough day..."

"It is okay, Dr McCoy." Spock nodded, turning his head to look at the man he would generally call his friend. "And thank you, Captain, for coming to my defense." he nodded again, now turning to Jim.

Jim patted his shoulder once and returned to his place on the desk. He picked up a pen and began doodling across a piece of paper that he had found in one of the files on Spock's desk. Spock returned to his radiator. That lovely, warm radiator that he had been longing for the whole day. Why on Earth did the laboratories have to be quite that cold anyway? Spock knew why, he could still complain inwardly about them though.

Having calmed slightly Bones turned to Spock's direction and gave him a weak but meaningful smile of apology. He ran the tip of his finger across the shiny wood, his nail making a scratching sound but doing no harm.

"Everyone has been sick." he spoke calmly at long last, staring at the varnished surface. "Lieutenants were vomiting everywhere I looked, then the ensigns started. I even had Uhura in at one point."

Jim looked up from his doodles. He was aware that Lieutenant Uhura had been struck down from her duties by this plague of illness as she was one of the last that he had relieved from duty that afternoon. Not that she had gone willingly, he had all but forced and ordered her to leave her station and go to the medical bay. Only when she looked so pale that Jim was worried she might pass out on him had Nyota finally agreed to leave.

"Is she well at this moment?" asked Spock, a look of concern almost crossed his features as he raised his line of sight from the ground to the stressed out doctor.

"I gave her a hypo and she fell asleep in her quarters an hour or two ago. " responded Bones, turning the chair to look at the Vulcan. His tone was softer now and he nodded at Spock to reassure him.

After that the trio fell into a slight silence. Spock picked up a book from his bedside cabinet and buried his nose into it while Jim continued his drawing. He was hunched up, bending over his paper while Bones was trying his best to get a peak at whatever it was the captain was drawing. Finally Jim sat back up and turned to look at his first officer.

"Spock, can I use your speaker?" asked Jim eventually and the Vulcan raised his head from the words he was reading.

"Of course, Captain." he replied. He ran his foot across the soft carpet. It was fluffy and warm from his own body heat and that of the radiator. He brought his mind back to his book as Jim's music began to sound throughout the room.

For a while they sat in silence again. Spock was still reading as usual however now Kirk and Bones were having some friendly banter over one of the new Lieutenants they had both passed down the corridor that day. The doctor was boasting over how he got to hold her silky brown locks out of the way as she threw up into a bucket. Jim had yet to see how that was something to boast about. He himself had managed to "accidentally-on-purpose" crash into the woman on the way back from a lunch break he had taken and helped her pick up her fallen papers and files. Spock had been quietly listening and agreed silently that Jim had definitely had the better encounter there.

After the banter had come to an end Jim went back to drawing, a quiet hum escaping his lips as he did so. He kept to the tune of the music and a smile passed over his face. It was extended when the doctor, in his strong Southern drawl, attempted to add in his own contribution. The lyrics were not very fitting for his tone and accent. This made the captain crack up in laughter, nudging Bones' shoulder as he did so and attempting to replicate what he had just heard.

The mocking, being even worse than the original, sent Bones into a fit of chuckles and he let his head fall into his hands in an bid to try and stifle the noise he was emitting. Spock shook his head but was now finding it hard to hide a smile as he read. He was still basking in the warmth of this radiator and was enjoying it thoroughly.

Bones and Jim continued to snicker and mock each other. The drawing by Jim lay abandoned and knocked on to the floor. Little did he know that Spock would keep that drawing in one of his files for the rest of his time on the Enterprise.

Slowly, lazing in the warmth of his room and the company of his friends, Spock's eyelids began to droop. He let his head tip to one side as his consciousness left him and he fell asleep on the floor.

When Jim turned around to ask Spock what he thought of Bones' singing voice he saw his sleeping friend. Gesturing to one of the extra blankets from Spock's bed Jim asked Bones to get one for him. He took the soft material and gave it to the Captain who then stood. Jim crouched next to his friend, blanket in hand, and placed it over him quietly.

"Thank you, Captain..." Spock murmured sleepily as he felt the fleece cover his body.

"You're welcome, Spock." replied Jim with a smile and he returned to his seat on the desk. Bones and Jim continued their conversation, now in a more hushed tone. The laughing extended onwards for hours to come and Spock did not flinch, only slept. Bones followed suite, his head lay on the desk and snore was heard from his mouth.

Only when both his friends had succumbed to tiredness did Jim begin to feel the effects. He thought for a moment before sliding off the desk and slipping underneath the blanket that Spock was using. The captain let his head rest on his first officer's shoulder before drifting off into a peaceful sleep as well.