The Art of Kissing

Title: The Art of Kissing

Author: Sue Christian

Author's e-mail: [email protected]

Date: Posted to EntSlash 14th February 2004
Archive: Permission to archive granted to EntSTCommunity, Our Perfect Couple, MEGA, Reed's Armory

Category: Slash

Rating: PG-13

Status: Complete

Pairing: Tucker/Reed

Summary: First time Valentine fluff. No plot was damaged in the writing of this story.

Warnings: None

Beta: None. No time!

Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Paramount, except the scene and the quotations.

Author's notes: The quotations are from 'The Art of Kissing' by Hugh Morris, first published in 1936. The have been 'gender adjusted' to suit slash. They were printed in The Guardian newspaper on 13th February and were just too good a resource to leave lying around unused.

For further excerpts from this invaluable volume, check here:
http://www.globusz.com/ebooks/Kissing/00000010.htm

How to approach your target.

''In kissing someone whose experience with osculation is limited, it is a good thing to work up to the kissing of the lips. Only an arrant fool seizes hold of such a person, shoves his face into his and smacks him on the lips. Naturally, the first thing you should do is to arrange it so that your target is situated in such a way that he cannot edge away when you become serious in your attentions.''

'Trip! Wake up, will you. I can't hold this in place much longer.'

Trip started guiltily at the exasperation in the other man's voice and hurriedly passed him the securing clip.

'Sorry, got distracted.'

Distracted by your delicious butt sticking up in the air right in front of my face. By your thigh balanced on the lip of the hatch. By your shirt stretched tight across your back. By the smell of your sweat. By not being able to touch you in the way I really want to 'cause you're straight and the most dangerous guy on the ship and I'm scared what you'd do. That you might punch me, or report me. Or stop being my friend. That would be worst.

Malcolm sighed in a manner that managed to suggest that getting distracted was at the same time both incomprehensible in a senior officer and completely normal for Enterprise's chief engineer and carried on with his work.

The two of them were in the bowels of the ship, installing a new power grid for the aft phase cannon. The maintenance shaft was cramped and over-warm and they both had the tops of their jumpsuits tied around their waists. Trip knelt on the floor, ostensibly Malcolm's assistant, while the armoury officer was half standing, half lying with the top half of his body inside an access panel.

'I don't know why you insisted on being here yourself,' Malcolm grumbled. 'All I needed was one of your crewmen to fetch and carry and assist with the awkward bits. At least with a crewman I could reprimand him when he got 'distracted'.

True, Trip admitted to himself. But no way was I going to pass on the chance to spend some time in close quarters with you. It's the closest I'm likely to get to heaven. And to hell, he sighed as Malcolm adjusted his position, sliding his butt a few centimetres closer.

'Sorry,' Trip said again. 'What's next?'

'I need to tie in a temporary bypass to isolate this section of the grid.' Malcolm pointed to a nest of wiring about a metre and a half inside the narrow access way and Trip seized the opportunity to lean closer as he peered over the other man's shoulder.

'That's a ways in,' he said, doubtfully. 'Can you reach? Want me to do it?'

'Thanks, but I can manage,' Malcolm replied, a little sniffily. He hoisted himself further inside the opening and reached towards the wiring. 'Damn,' he muttered.

'Problem?'

'No. Well, yes actually,' Malcolm conceded. 'I can reach all right, but I need both hands. I can't work and keep myself balanced. Could you grab hold of me? Stop me falling in arse over tit?'

'Er, yeah, hang on.' Trip edged closer and grasped the back of Malcolm's jumpsuit where it bunched around his waist. 'That better?'

Malcolm wriggled a little further forward reaching with both hands.

'No. All you're doing is pulling my uniform off! Get a proper hold.'

Trip forced back the images of pulling Malcolm's uniform off that leapt unbidden to his mind. He took a deep breath and wrapped both arms around Malcolm's waist, trying to ignore the feelings aroused by the muscular, sweaty body pressed closely against his own.

'That's good,' Malcolm said, making Trip's predicament worse. 'I feel a lot safer now. Just don't let go.'

Trip held Malcolm securely in his arms for the next five minutes as the man worked on the wiring bypass. Finally Malcolm gave a satisfied grunt and started to wriggle out of the hatch.

'Ow! Shit. There's nothing I can push against in here. Help pull me out, will you,' he called.

Trip helped, pulling Malcolm towards him, shuffling backwards as he did so. Malcolm's feet touched the floor, but Trip didn't let go, his arms still wrapped around Malcolm. Malcolm was kneeling and still Trip kept hold.

Stupid! This is really, really stupid, his brain shouted at him, but he had a hot and sweaty Malcolm in his arms, and 'wonderful' overrode 'stupid', making him throw caution to the wind.

Malcolm managed to turn around, still held in the circle of Trip's arms. 'Trip?'

'Malcolm.' Trip licked his lips.

Malcolm's tongue flickered out over his own lips in what Trip was sure was just a reflex reaction.

What the Hell, he thought. Now or never. Do or die. Death or glory. And without giving himself time to change his mind he leaned forward and planted his lips firmly on Malcolm's, shut his eyes and squeezed the man to him in a bear hug.

***

Approved methods of kissing.

''You must be able to sweep your partner into your strong arms, tower over him, look down into his eyes, cup his chin in your fingers, and then bend over his face and plant your eager, virile lips on his moist, slightly parted, inviting ones.''

'Mmmf.'

Malcolm went rigid in his arms. Trip clung on, determined to get the most out of the kiss, in case it turned out to be his last. Seconds passed. Malcolm didn't relax, but neither, Trip eventually realised, was he pulling away.

Trip opened his eyes - to see Malcolm staring back at him. He didn't look horrified, like he was going to land one on Trip. He looked surprised. And...and...something else. Trip broke off the kiss and pulled back slightly.

'Malcolm?'

Still Malcolm just knelt there in front of him with that surprised, and something else, expression on his face.

Trip started to loosen his grip, unclasping his hands and letting them slide from Malcolm's waist, resigned to whatever followed.

What followed was that Malcolm's hands closed over Trip's forearms, holding them in place.

'Don't.' Close though they were Trip had to strain to hear the words. 'Don't let go. Please.'

'Malcolm. You okay?'

'Why did you do that?'

'Because...' Because you're hot and sexy. Because you're adorable. Because you're so damned self-sufficient you don't let anyone close. Because I've wanted to for months. Because I think I love you. 'Because...'

Nothing seemed right and he was terrified of saying the wrong thing, of saying something to make Malcolm withdraw inside his protective shell. Unable to find the right words, Trip chose action instead.

Disengaging one of his arms from Malcolm's grasp, Trip reached to gently cup the other man's face with his hand. His fingers ghosted over a cheekbone, while his thumb traced the outline of Malcolm's jaw before stroking softly along his lower lip. Malcolm inhaled sharply and parted his lips, his tongue once again sliding out to moisten them.

'Because this, Malcolm,' Trip murmured, as he leaned forward, pulling Malcolm once more into his arms.

This time the hug and the kiss were gentle, loving, shy almost. And this time, joy of joys, this time Malcolm slid his arms around Trip's shoulders and kissed him back.

***

The French 'soul' kiss.

''There is more to your tongue than its tip. Probe further. Gently caress each other's tongues. For, in doing this, you are merging your souls.''

Shortness of breath eventually forced them to part and Malcolm relaxed against Trip's shoulder with a sigh.

'I take it you're okay then?' Trip asked with a happy smile.

'Okay doesn't begin to describe it. If only you knew.'

Trip's fingers tangled in Malcolm's sweat dampened hair and he ran his other hand down the armoury officer's back, holding their two bodies closely together. He gave a little huff of laughter.

'Sounds like maybe we've both been waiting for this for a while.'

Malcolm lifted his head and looked up at Trip, his eyes positively glowing.

'I've been waiting for this all my life, Trip.'

They leaned into the next kiss together. Trip felt Malcolm's tongue slip between his own parted lips and tentatively begin to explore his mouth. Opening his mouth further, he allowed Malcolm full access and sucked gently on the invading tongue . Malcolm moaned into his mouth, his hands sliding under Trip's shirt, moving their bodies apart just sufficiently to caress an already hard nipple.

Eagerly Trip thrust his own tongue into Malcolm's mouth, licking and tasting the man he had desired for so long; battling his tongue, nipping his lips, thrusting as deeply inside Malcolm's mouth as he could.

He knew there would be other pleasures to come, later, when they were off duty and in a more private and more comfortable place. But for now he was just happy to be kneeling in the cramped maintenance shaft, Malcolm in his arms, in his mouth, invading all his senses. Malcolm hot, eager, accepting - demanding - his kisses. Malcolm holding him tiight, kissing him back.

Happy? Hell, he was ecstatic.

***

Only Mankind Kisses.

''Only mankind has the reason, the logic, the happy faculty of being able to appreciate the charm, the beauty, the extreme pleasure, the joy, the passionate fulfilment of the kiss! Nature kisses, in her way, but nature hasn't the brains to profit from the kiss. Only man can do this''

And Trip and Malcolm did indeed appreciate the passionate fulfilment, and profit from their kisses!

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