The camera grafted to his right temple magnified the image according to his silent instructions, slender boom nearly invisible against the shimmering dark of his head. Hair "shwinged" softly as he brushed his bangs away from the camera lens.

The Circuits sizzled as the touched the gun to them. Technology so advanced they could beat the borg with it, and they were reduced to using old fashioned soldering irons to repair parts that should simply have been replaced years ago.

A soft whistle at the door drew attention away from his work briefly, and he directed the room's security cameras toward the sound. "Hi, Tom," he smiled.

"How long is this going to take, Harry?" Tom demanded from the door. "I've got a surprise for you,"

"About another hour," Harry replied calmly, grinning now. "Look up, Tom."

"What?" Tom asked, looking puzzled as he glanced toward the ceiling.

"Nothing. I just wanted a better look at your face." Tom turned pink, and Harry's grin widened. Tom got so shy when Harry asked him to move or turn so that he could get a better view.

"I'll be waiting in your quarters," Tom said.

"Okay," Harry replied. Tom came up with some very diverting surprises sometimes. This should be fun. "I'll be there in a little while, I just need to finish up here first. The captain would be very upset if none of the buttons on her console worked in the morning."

"Alright," Tom said, lingering. "I'll be waiting," he added wistfully as the door slid shut behind him.

Harry sighed, knowing that he worked too much. It wasn't as though this was something that couldn't be delegated, it was just that he needed a way to wind down when bridge duty got a bit rough, and mindless tasks like this usually accomplished that for him.

He was afraid if he didn't reduce his tension levels before going home to Tom that he'd say something angry he didn't mean. Not that he was mad at Tom, but on days like today, when nothing went the way it was supposed to and equipment started failing left and right, he tried not to talk to anyone at all if he could avoid it.

Tom seemed to understand that, leaving him alone for a few hours or arranging a "surprise" for him when he got home. Those surprises usually ended with one or both of them naked, but Harry had to admit that Tom WAS very creative about it.

There. Done. Now to reinstall it on the bridge, and then home to a soft, warm, and hopefully occupied bed.

end.