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

Title: The Big Secret

Author: Madeline_Reed2003

Author's e-mail: [email protected]

Fandom: Enterprise

Pairing: Reed/Sato

Rating: G

Category: Het

Summary: Malcolm confides in Trip about his personal feelings towards Hoshi.

Comments: This is my first ever fan-fiction story, so please be kind.

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

He thought of her in the armory, in his quarters, while he slept, and when he was face to face with her on the bridge. He had no way of getting rid of his strong feelings for Hoshi. Whenever she passed him in the corridors or mess hall, his entire body would start to shake, just like a little boy going to school for the first time.

Malcolm thought it was ridiculous for a grown man to be acting like a scared schoolboy in front of a woman he had known since the launch of Enterprise.

"Stop it Malcolm, Stop it! You're getting yourself too bloody worked up!" Malcolm told himself. "She's your fellow officer and nothing else, so come on, get a hold of yourself!" As he started walking again, he heard a loud voice coming from behind.

"Hey there, Lieutenant, wait up!" Malcolm looked to his left and realized it was Trip.

"Where are you going so fast, is there a fire?" Trip asked.

"Oh, no, of course not, I was just heading to the messhall to get some dinner before it was all gone." Malcolm turned away in embarrassment.

"Oh I see", Trip replied. Well, would you be up to having some company then, cause I was just on my way there too."

"Oh, of course Commander, I don't think that would be a problem."

So as they were eating away, Trip noticed that Malcolm wasn't paying any attention to him.

"Hey, Malcolm?" Trip Yelled.

"Oh, I'm sorry Commander, I just wasn't--"

Trip jumped in. "paying attention, right. So what's going on"?

"What do you mean"? Malcolm asked.

"Well you've been playing with your dinner. And looking out at the stars all evening, care to tell me your problems?"

Then as Malcolm reached for his drink, he noticed Hoshi come in. Right away he became very nervous and spilled his drink right on the commander's uniform.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Commander, here, let me get some towels to clean that up for you."

"No"! replied Trip. "I mean, that's alright Lieutenant. I'll just go to my quarters and get a new uniform instead."

"Mind if I join you, Commander?" Malcolm asked.

"Sure, Malcolm, be my guest."

Then as they stood up and started walking towards the messhall doors, Hoshi suddenly came up to Trip and noticed the stain on his uniform.

"Oh my, what happened here, Commander?"

Malcolm just pretended that he wasn't with him and started talking with one of his armory officers about how everything was going. Then Hoshi called out to the shy Lieutenant as well.

"Hello there, Malcolm!" she replied.

Malcolm turned to face her again. "Hello, Hoshi. How have you been?"

"Oh pretty good, considering that I will be working on the bridge for the nightshift again. I saw the Commander's uniform, somebody splashed him good, whoever it was."

"Oh yes, very," Malcolm shyly replied.

"Well I guess I'll go and have my dinner before I head to my nightshift on the bridge, so talk to you later sir."

Then Malcolm approached Trip with mad eyes and a sense of annoyance on his face.

"What"? Trip asked.

"Nothing, let's just go to your quarters," Malcolm said with impatience.

So as soon as they got to his quarters and Trip began cleaning away at the stain, Malcolm thought to himself that this might be the only chance to tell Trip of his true feelings for Hoshi. Then as Trip hung his wet uniform, Malcolm just came out and said it.

"I think I might be in love with Hoshi!"

The Commander paused for a moment. "What?"

"I think I might be in love with Hoshi!" Malcolm said once again.

"Oh so that's why you spilled your drink on me when you saw Hoshi come in."

Malcolm then walked over to the Commander's bed and lay straight across with his whole body filling up the space.

"I keep telling myself that it's nothing and I'm not really feeling these things for Hoshi."

"Well, do you think you are falling in love with her"? Trip asked.

"Yes!" Well I don't know if I am or not. I do know that I have deep feelings for her, feelings I haven't had for a woman in a long time. So, Commander, what should I do?"

Trip pulled up a chair close to the bed.

"Well, all I can suggest to you is just come out and confess your feelings to her. But of course not really fast or anything. Just try to find the right moment in telling her. Or when you feel ready to, right?"

Malcolm then sat up with his hands on each side of the bed. "Why did I get myself into this? I never even had a close relationship with another woman before her, so I don't even know if this relationship will work out."

Trip hesitated for a moment, then said, "Well you won't know until you try."

Malcolm then stood up and said "Yes, you're right, Commander, I will confess to her when I'm ready to, though god knows when that will be. When I get the courage to, that is."

Trip suddenly made a little laugh with the Lieutenant and said, "Oh, you will, my friend, don't worry."

Then Trip walked the armory officer to his door and wished him all the luck in the world and asked him to tell the Captain that he would meet him in his waiting room momentarily.

"I would be happy to, Commander," and thanks for all your help."

"It was no problem, Lieutenant, but isn't it almost time for you to be back in the armory again?" Trip Asked.

"Oh, you're right, I should be getting back there, Thanks," Malcolm replied in shock. "I will notify the Captain from there."

"Thank you, Malcolm", Trip replied with a smile on his face. So see you later, Lieutenant, or should I say "Stinky!" He laughed.

"Ha, ha, very funny, Commander. I'll get you back somehow."

Then the two of them walked separate ways. Malcolm still had Hoshi on his mind, now more than ever.

~the end~