I'm dozing. It's nice and quiet in the ready room, Jon is sitting at his desk, studying some of the newly acquired star charts of the Delphic Expanse. Unconsciously he keeps rubbing his forearm over the edge of the table.

Suddenly he jumps up and I almost fall off my pillow. "ARGH! I just can't stand this anymore!"

Quickly he walks over to the mirror. His fingers dart to his face and he starts scratching the bruised skin.

"Stop that!" I bark and sit up, trying to get his attention. He looks over at me, still scratching.

"I know, pal, I shouldn't be doing this but it's driving me nuts!"

"JONATHAN!" I bark again and stare at him, my head poised to one side, as he keeps rubbing at his face and arms.

"Porthos, stop watching me like that! I bet Hoshi and Malcolm are doing the same, why don't you go and bark at them, too!"

The door bell chimes and he reluctantly stops scraping. "Come in!"

Expectantly I walk over to the door, wagging my tail and aforementioned Lieutenant Reed steps through the opening panel.

"I've got the updates you wanted to see, Sir!"

He stands perfectly straight, feet spread shoulder-wide, one arm behind his back, the other holding out the PADD to Jonathan. His breathing quickens, as it does every time he is close to his captain.

My master eyes the man he's in love with and I can almost feel his heart beating faster.

"Yes, thank you, Malcolm!" Jon says through clenched teeth and I just know he's barely able to refrain from scratching his chest in front of his armory officer.

The gray eyes of the Brit take on a pained look and he almost winces.

"Is something wrong, Lieutenant?" Jon asks anxiously and I yelp conspiratorially.

"No, Sir, everything's okay!" Malcolm clenches his fists, his jaw muscles are moving all the time.

"It's the itching, isn't it?"

Malcolm sighs and nods. For the first time his fingers move to his neck to scratch one of the last reminders of the Loqueques' virus.

"It's maddening! Especially when you can't reach the itching parts!"

Boy, do I know how that feels! Have you ever tried scratching your back when all you've got to do it with are four clumsy paws?!

"I would even consider continuing to eat those mites if only the itching would stop!"

The two of them smile at each other, remembering their little dinner in Sickbay. The memory makes me shudder.

"I know exactly what you mean! Every time you finally approach the spot it starts somewhere else!" Jon twists and turns and tries to rub at a stain on his left shoulder-blade.

Reed steps closer towards him. "Uhm…I don't know if…shall I…?"

Jonathan blushes and he turns around. "That would be great!"

I look from my master to the lieutenant and I can feel the temperature in the room rising as the security officer slowly raises his hands and carefully touches Jon's back.

"Here?" Malcolm's voice sounds different and he swallows.

"A little to the left…Yep, right there! Gosh, that feels good!"

Amusedly I stare at Jonathan. Malcolm can't see it but he's got his eyes closed and his face is glowing like a light bulb. His fingers are twitching and I can see his left knee wobbling.

A shadow of regret runs over his face as the lieutenant lowers his hands. "Glad I could be of assistance, Sir!"

The Brit turns around and heads for the door.

I look at Jonathan who stares at Malcolm's back and I nudge his right leg. He looks down at me and I growl quietly.

"Uhm…Malcolm?"

The armory officer turns around. "Yes, Sir?"

Jonathan blinks at me again and I yelp encouragingly.

"Uhm…it would only be fair for me to return the favor!"

Hah, he's not that stupid after all!

The Brit blushes. "That's not necessary, Sir!"

"Yeah, it is! Come on, where?"

With a little sigh Malcolm surrenders and turns around. "Just below my left shoulder, Captain."

Jon walks towards the Englishman, his eyes fixed on the muscled back. He lifts his hands and holds his breath before his fingers touch the crude fabric of the blue uniform.

"About here?"

Malcolm just nods and wriggles delightedly.

"Wonderful!" he almost purrs and he blushes as soon as he hears himself saying it.

The comm channel buzzes into action.

Regretfully both the captain and the lieutenant look at each other and Jonathan answers the call. "Go ahead!"

"Cap'n, it's me, Trip. Have you seen Malcolm? I need him to take a look at the torpedo hatches with me!"

"He just showed me the updates, I'll send him down. Archer out."

He turns towards Malcolm who already stands at the door.

"Thank you, Malcolm."

The Brit blushes again. "You're welcome, Sir."

He opens the door and steps onto the bridge and I can hear Jonathan whispering as the door closes. "Maybe we can repeat that sometime."

He slumps down next to me and lifts me into his arms.

"WOW! That was neat!"

He doesn't have to say it, his whole bearing seems to scream these words. His eyes are glowing, he sports a radiant smile and he keeps looking at his fingers like he couldn't believe he had just scratched the back of his beloved lieutenant.

"You know, if this communal scratching would go on between me and him…I would gladly put up with the itching!"

With that he stands up and resumes his studies.

I look at him. He's getting there, I've got the feeling that he's on the verge of an immense change in his relationship with Malcolm.

I would love him to be, he deserves it. He's a good master.