An Unexpected Attraction - Part 2
See Part 1 for heading/disclaimer information.
*Malcolm*
The
stupidity of my behavior that evening was simply breathtaking. I don't know if
it was the alcohol or the fact that I haven't been with anyone in so long that
I lost my mind when I saw what Trip's been packing in that uniform all this
time. He's been avoiding me since. Not so that anyone else would notice.
We still
ate the odd meal together at the same table, but the connection that we had was
gone. His body was there, we conversed, but like a turtle when it's
threatened, he'd somehow retreated inside himself. Keeping me at arm's
length. I acted like a hormonal teenager and as a result, have lost both a
colleague and a friend. And perhaps the chance for anything more.
We were
eating lunch; Trip, Travis and I. Coincidentally, it was movie night again.
Trip and Travis were discussing something that happened on the bridge when I
wasn't there. I wasn't paying much attention until my brain registered the
word 'movie'.
"So
Commander, what's on the movie schedule for tonight?" Travis smiled
broadly, looking back and forth between the two of us. "Nothing like last
week, though, huh?"
Trip
flushed and flicked his eyes my way. "Not sure, Travis, I've been pretty
busy. I'm sure it'll be something entertaining."
"Yeah,
guess so. I think it was the steward's department's turn to pick. They
usually go for something action-packed." He pushed back his chair and
stood up. "Have to get back to the helm. Later, sirs."
Trip and I
echoed his farewell and sat silently. I drank what was left of my tea and
moved to get up. Trip startled me by putting his hand on my arm.
"Malcolm,
hold up a sec."
I settled
back into my chair and looked at him. He had trouble meeting my eyes and
started fiddling with his cutlery.
"What
happened last week, y'know, what we talked about?"
"Yes,
I remember." Vividly.
"I was
thinking, if y'know, you still wanted to, I might be interested in like, a
trial run?" He finally met my eyes. "After the movie, maybe, we
could, uh, meet up in my quarters?"
Oh, he's
just adorable when he's flustered. I should put him out of his misery.
"You
want to try me on for size, then?" I couldn't resist the urge to tease
him just a bit, now that I knew he's interested. That he wanted this too.
"Shit,"
Trip panicked for a second and checked to see if anyone was around. The mess
hall was nearly deserted now, we'd taken a long lunch.
"Uh,
yeah, I mean...it's been a long time and...well, you *are* pretty hot looking.
For a guy and all."
I had to
laugh. I couldn't help myself. Then I noticed he looked a little wounded.
"I'm
sorry, Trip, but you should see your expression."
"Malcolm..."
Trip winced
and rubbed his hand over his face. I interrupted before he could take it
back.
"No,
I'm sorry. That was thoughtless of me. And I think you're pretty *hot*
yourself. After the movie, then?" I laid my hand over his and gave it a
squeeze.
"See
you later." I got up, but before I left, I bent over and spoke softly in
his ear.
"It
*will* be fun, Trip. Trust me."
I carried
the image of his sexy smile with me for the rest of the day.
***
*Trip*
The movie
was pretty good, something called "The Matrix". But the real
attraction was the short film clip that ran beforehand. I don't know how she
did it; frankly I don't *wanna* know; and if the cap'n asks me, I'm gonna have
the worst case of amnesia in history. It was what they used to call a music
video. Hoshi "just-call-me-research-girl" Sato had dredged up an
actual song video by that duo that Travis had mentioned last week, the Captain
and Tennille. But she'd doctored it quite expertly and the faces on the singers
were those of *our* captain and his Vulcan side-kick.
Lord, it
was hilarious. Something about muskrats in love. I nearly bust a gut
laughing. Once he got over the initial shock, the captain laughed too. T'Pol
seemed a little confused by the whole thing, but she suffered through it like a
real trooper. I heard the captain trying to explain it to her. That was
hilarious, too. All in all, it was an enjoyable evening. Took my mind off
being nervous about later.
Malcolm
showed up just as Hoshi's video was about to start and took the empty seat next
to me. I'd saved it for him. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but all we
did was sit and watch the movie, just like always. I did share my popcorn with
him. After the movie was over, we teased the captain about building a stage
and having him and T'Pol do a live encore performance. Malcolm waited
patiently, hanging out unobtrusively on the fringe of the group until I was
ready to leave. He fell in beside me as I left.
"Still
care for some company?" he asked casually.
"Yeah.
Sure. My place?" I couldn't manage to put two words together
coherently. Malcolm seemed completely at ease.
"That's
fine."
The next
thing I knew, we're inside my quarters and I was offering Malcolm a drink.
Just like the last time he was here.
"I'm
out of bourbon, you want a beer or some, uh, scotch?"
"Single-malt?"
"Uh,
yeah. Glenfiddich, actually."
Malcolm's
eyes lit up. "Oh yes, please."
For some
reason his pleasure made me ridiculously happy. I handed him his drink and sat
down across from him on the chair. I was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a
room full of rocking chairs. I told myself that this was just Malcolm. My
friend. My good friend.
"Trip."
His soft
voice startled me, and I realized I'd been staring at my glass for more than a
few minutes. I shook myself mentally and gave him a smile.
"Sorry.
Wool-gathering."
"It's
okay, you know. If you've changed your mind, that is. I'm not some crushing
schoolgirl who's going to be devastated if you reject me." Malcolm was
smiling, but it seemed stretched a little tight around the corners.
"No,
it's not that. I haven't changed my mind. It's not even that you're a guy,
not really. It's just that it's...you." I paused. "I'm sorry, I
guess I'm not making much sense here, Malcolm."
"No,
no, I understand. I value our friendship, Trip. I don't want to jeopardize
it. Let's just leave it at that, shall we?" Malcolm said, taking a
good-sized gulp of his drink and smiling faintly at me. He looked gloomy.
Well, more so than usual.
"And
if I don't *want* to leave it?" I asked, moving from my chair to sit
beside him on the bed. He looked at me speculatively.
"Kiss
me."
"Huh?"
My brain didn't quite process what it just heard.
"Let's
start with something basic. Kiss me."
Malcolm set
his drink aside and shifted sideways to face me. I put my drink down as well,
then leaned toward him. Malcolm was staring straight into my eyes and had just
the tiniest hint of a smile on his lips. I stared back and kept my eyes fixed
on his when our lips touched.
The kiss
I'd intended to give him was a soft, gentle, hello-there caress of lips. When
that changed I'm not sure, but once our mouths connected, they definitely
developed minds of their own, because in no time at all I found Malcolm's
tongue dancing in my mouth while mine was off exploring his.
One of my
hands was clutching the soft hair on the back of his head, pressing him into me
hard enough to hurt some. Someone somewhere was moaning, and Malcolm's hands
were busy stroking from my neck to my back and down to my ass. We eventually
had to come up for oxygen, so we disengaged our mouths, leaned our foreheads
together, and drew in great big whooping lungs-full of air.
"Holy
shit!" I gasped. Malcolm looked a little dazed.
"What
the hell just happened?"
"I
think," Malcolm said, running his tongue over his lips and staring hotly
at me, "we just discovered that we're compatible." He reached out
for me again, but I leaned back and stared into his face.
"I'm
not going to attack you, Trip," he paused. "Unless, of course, you
*want* me to..."
And the
smirk.
I reached
over and put my hand on his thigh.
"That
won't be necessary," I told him.