Touching and Touched (Star Trek: TOS story by Cynthia Drake)

Fanfiction
Title:	Touching and Touched
Author(s):	Cynthia Drake
Date(s):	1982
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	Star Trek: TOS
Relationship(s):	Kirk/Spock
External Links:	Touching and Touched online, Archived version, Touching and Touched (Ao3, restricted access)
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Touching and Touched is a Kirk/Spock story by Cynthia Drake.

It was published in the print zine The Final Frontier #1.

Reactions and Reviews

1982

The major story of the zine [The Final Frontier] is Cynthia's novella, "Touching and Touched", which at 98 pages affords the author the scope to tackle a much neglected aspect of K/S literature — following up that "first time" to examine the adjustments necessary to accommodate these two strong personalities in an intimate relationship. Several areas of conflict are examined as they crop up and are dealt with. Definitive solutions are not always possible, for relationships change as those involved change and grow, but here Kirk and Spock are shown confronting them. The matter of trust, embracing' as it does aspect of insecurity, fear, withdrawal, jealousy and rejection, comes in for repeated attention. Response to outside pressures, mutual support, independence and the struggle to strike,a balance of control in the relationship are also considered. There is still plenty of leeway for further speculation, but Cynthia is definitely on the right track.

I admit to not being totally satisfied by the too-pat solution to the mystery in which Spock and Kirk become involved as a sub-plot, but I believe the story achieves its main objectives remarkably well.