Reed's Armory -- A Malcolm Reed Fanfiction Archive ..

Title: Superfluity

Author: Lexx

Author's e-mail: [email protected]

Fandom: Enterprise

Pairing: Tucker/Reed

Rating: G

Category: Slash

Summary: Getting to the point in the nicest way possible.

Comments: Just a silly wee thing. I wish this would happen to me, sigh.

Archived to Reed's Armory on 11/23/2003.

"A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous."

--Ingrid Bergman

---

Malcolm, dressed in his sleep-clothes and stretched out on Trip's bunk, propped up against the bulkhead, peered over the edge of his leather-bound book and sighed. Trip was still at it, blathering away about completely pointless things and trying his best to indefinitely forestall the 'news' he had to tell his mother. Malcolm raised his eyes briefly and sighed. It wasn't like his mother was going to mind. Not at all; at least, that was the impression Malcolm had gotten from Trip.

Yet Trip was still there, talking about silly little things and growing more flustered by the minute. And there had been a lot of minutes in the letter already. Malcolm let his book drop to his chest, and he turned his head towards the computer terminal and the flustered engineer, trying not to laugh.

Why couldn't he just say it? Malcolm shook his head. He would never understand Trip, he knew.

Unable to stand anymore of Trip's superfluity, because it was likely the man would never actually get to the point, Malcolm set his book on the bedside dresser and slipped his legs over the side of the bed. His walk was nonchalant as he crossed the room to the computer terminal where Trip was still babbling to his mother, trying to explain the point of his unexpected letter.

Malcolm nodded at the screen in greeting to Mrs Tucker. Trip looked up at him, brows knitted in confusion. Malcolm smiled softly at him, and took Trip's face in his hands. He moved in slowly and claimed Trip's lips in a tender embrace. Trip willingly acquiesced, but seemed to remember and abruptly pulled back. Trip alternated between staring at Malcolm as if he had never seen him before, and gaping at the screen, dumbfounded.

Malcolm patted Trip's head and smiled towards the screen.

"I think that was what Trip was trying to tell you, Mrs Tucker. Have a good day."

Malcolm padded back across the room, chuckling at Trip's wide-eyed, open-mouthed stare. Malcolm gave him a tiny shrug and a fond smile. There. Now Trip wouldn't have to say any more on the matter. Malcolm picked up his book again and feigned reading it, but really watching Trip over the edge. Trip had turned back to the monitor and was rubbing at the back of his head.

"Umm..."

Malcolm let his head drop back against the bulkhead with a sharp crack and sighed.

That was going to be one long letter.

~the end~