[ Damn. Jim's logic is sound. His prolonged exposure to the bond, such as it is at any rate, would have prepared him for future mind melds. Possible infection of profound grief or madness aside, that is. He hadn't really planned on Jim remembering his words on it.

He could argue that even that amount of exposure wasn't sufficient to hold back the maelstrom that Spock expects from the depths of his own mind. He could ignore his own statements of his preference for mind melds that he's made to others like Gregor and Miles. He could even claim that he would require meditation after the deep emotional exposure of the night before, to prepare a calmer mind for a meld.

But more than any of those arguments, he feels Jim's determination, that stubbornness that is uniquely Jim. This is Spock's no-win scenario that he will lose: he ultimately can't say no to Jim.

Besides, it's infinitely harder to pull away when Jim is literally sitting on his lap.

It's almost a full minute that Spock evaluates Jim's request, his eyes downcast and focused on one of the bruises purpling in the middle of Jim's chest. His thoughts are purposefully muted from their link, only their bond hinting at the difficulty of such a submission. ]

... I would ask that you allow me to direct the meld, to not probe into areas that I am not yet ready to expose for your safety.