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

Title: Double-crossed

Author: Taryn Eve

Author's e-mail: [email protected]

Fandom: Enterprise

Pairing: Reed/Sato

Rating: R

Category: Het

Summary: Lt. Reed deals with the aftermath of being possessed in The Crossing.

Spoilers: The Crossing, Shockwave 2

Comments: Inspired by the LJ icon A. made and the Britspeak discussion at EWB and the shouts for R/S fics as well as something David said about Snoopy. Thanks, everyone.

Archived to Reed's Armory on 10/15/2003.

My mission last night was very important. It was a matter of honor, you see. Five days after our unfortunate incident with the non-corporeal life forms whose names I will not utter, I began hearing things. The giggles. The smirks. And, most abominable, the nickname.

Shaggy.

I'm the tactical officer. I deserved the respect of the crew despite whatever the aliens forced me to do. I was possessed, damn it.

After my duty shift, I went down to the gym in an effort to work off my growing rage. Reed anger isn't pretty and I wanted to calm down before I hunted down the person who had given me my new nickname. After all, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to bounce a fellow crewmate off a bulkhead. I wanted to have a calm, rationale discussion with my nemesis before I asked for and received an apology. I decided I might even forgive the mankey bastard.

I walked into the gym and the group of women there tried to shush Hoshi.

"You are female," she was saying in a dry voice that sounded a bit British. "I am male. Shagging shall now begin!"

Clenching my fists with rage, I walked up behind her as Liz Cutler and the others backed away from the ensign.

"What?" Turning around, she blanched at the sight of me.

I folded my arms and glared at her. How dare she?

A frightened look passed over her face. With as much dignity as I could muster, I put my hands on my hips and stared into Hoshi's doe-like eyes.

"Rowr!"

I backed away from her after my pronouncement, wondering what had come over me. A look of disbelief came over Hoshi as the girls started giggling again. I walked out of there with my male pride in tatters. The lion returned to his lair and paced for quite a bit. Who would have thought that sweet little Hoshi could do such a thing to me? I felt so betrayed. I tore off my gym clothes and threw myself on my bunk, having been double-crossed by a woman I had considered my friend.

The door chimed twenty minutes later. "Come in," I said, rising and wrapping the sheet around my waist. Something had been wrong with the new relays I'd installed that morning and I'd asked Commander Tucker to let me know if he needed my help. Of course, he could have just used the comm like any reasonable person.

The door opened and Hoshi walked in, barely clad in a little black dress that revealed that she was truly female, much moreso than that time that Trip called Suliban Smackdown when Hoshi lost...well, nevermind what she lost.

"I came to apologize," she said, holding out a white rose.

I glared at the flower. Like Hoshi, it looked beautiful and innocent, but it had thorns that were quite cutting.

She brushed the petals against her cheek and smiled at me. "Do that sound again."

I blinked. "Rowr."

Hoshi shivered in apparent appreciation.

I raised my eyebrow at her. "Anything else, Ensign?"

She tapped my arm with the rose. "There you go again, running away behind words. My name is Hoshi. Say it."

"Hoshi," I said, making my voice husky out of spite, hoping to tease her.

She blew out her breath. "Mmm."

Ignoring the temptation and her ad hoc apology, I went to the door and opened it. "Good night, Hoshi."

"Actually, I had a better idea," she said. "Let's...talk."

I held out my finger and shook it. "No, I've heard quite enough talk from you, my dear."

I took her arm and gently pushed her toward the door.

"But you're a man of action," she said, wriggling in protest.

I shut the door.

"I'm female!" she shouted.

Indeed.

I tossed the rose on my desk and hunted for some clothes so I could go to the Mess Hall. I wanted to eat and escape the place without having to hear my appalling nickname.

Exiting from my quarters, I found Hoshi, rubbing her ankle. A pair of high-heeled shoes was abandoned on the deck beside her.

"What's wrong?" I asked, filled with concern for her.

She frowned. "The strap of my shoe suddenly broke and I sort of twisted my ankle."

I rolled my eyes. Damn women's shoes. Between Hoshi, the other women, and T'Pol, I'm surprised Phlox didn't have more broken legs stampeding his Sickbay. Sometimes Enterprise felt like the catwalks of Milan instead of a professional starship.

"Come inside," I said in a gruff voice.

I picked up her shoes and gave her my arm. We struggled inside and she eased herself down onto the bunk.

"Let me look at that ankle and I'll call Phlox," I said.

"Okay," she said, sounding faint.

I probed her ankle carefully. "It's not even swollen, Hoshi."

"Look more carefully."

I sighed impatiently. "Yes, ma'am."

It was an ankle attached to a nicely shaped leg. The hem of her dress ended at the mid-thigh point and her hands were resting on her hips. She smiled at me and I noticed the way that her hair brushed the top of her dress above her breasts. Suspicious, I picked up her shoes. "They're not even broken!"

"I am female," she said slyly. "How would you like to earn your nickname?"

I gave her a look I hoped was frosty. "Despite whatever you happen to think of me, I'm not interested in being used like a toy."

Her tongue darted out and caressed her lips. "I know."

I considered her offer for a moment longer. Hoshi. Subordinate officer. Half-naked woman in my bed. And, when the day was done, a very sexy woman. The alien who possessed me may have had a point in considering T'Pol the most attractive woman on the ship, but now there was no doubt in my mind now that Hoshi was the most desirable.

I dropped the sheet.

"Ooh, male," Hoshi purred.

Rowr.

~the end~