#malcolm reed x hoshi sato

[deadheaddaisy]

It became time to create a timeline for several of my works that it turned out weren't exactly stand-alone, especially since some of them now align with works in the universe created by @more-better-words. All works are rated G or T except where noted, and pretty much all are focused on Hoshi and Malcolm at this point.

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Little moments

Timing: begins in 2151 at the launch of Enterprise and continues up to and including Terra Prime in January 2155 (TATV is a poorly-constructed holographic historical fantasy / someone's sick fever-dream and didn't occur in this world). 

Series info: Bits and pieces in the slow burn, pre-relationship Hoshi & Malcolm phase, showcasing how these two became close friends and trusted colleagues. Some of the pieces might be moved around to fit the timeline as I deem necessary, and depending on which element I decide to write at which time in the series.

Holding on (by the skin of my teeth) - 2151

Learning The Ropes - 2151

Ramble On (But Tell No Tales) - 2151

On the edge of dreaming - 2151

Going Under - 2152

Dynamite Comes In Small Packages - 2153

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Somewhere I Belong

Timing: Aligns with more-better-words' From the Ground Up (February-November 2155) and What We Build Here (December 2155-July 2156)

Series info: How Hoshi and Malcolm finally moved beyond friendship into something more. The series is fluid in terms of what is written and published when. See above for timeline shenanigans as it suits me.

Place Your Bets coda - 2155 (in progress)

Outrun - 2156

Words That Fall From Your Lips - 2156

Close Enough - 2156

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My gift to myself based on the above series, as drawn by the wonderful @heart-sprout:

Leaning In

Timing: Aligns with More-Better-Words' Chosen - March 2166 and onward

Series info: Post-Romulan War

Better With You (And The Angels Sing coda) - March 2166

A trick or treat short written for me by more-better-words and including Malcolm Reed - 2166

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Outtakes and Side-Quests

Fics that align with the timeline above but are in an Explicit series of their own, to be on the safe side:

It's Oh So Quiet - 2155 (E)

Calling the shots - 2155 (E)

Outrun - Outtake - 2156 (E)

Mutually Beneficial - 2156 (E)

The Princess and the Warlord - 2156 (E) (Not written by me but a gift related to Outrun - Outtake and meant to follow Mutually Beneficial)

Can't Get Enough (Of You) - 2166 (E)

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Then some of my other, more stand-alone fics:

Nothing To Fear (in progress)

A Hint of Salt, A Taste of Sweet 

Bedtime Stories

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Lock & Load

Standalone smut series.

Revisiting Risa (E)

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AU/canon-divergent fics that don't align to any standard timeline:

Better the devil you know (in progress)

Winter Heat

[labrats-and-clonetroopers]

I’ve been intrigued by the Hoshi/Malcolm romantic pairing lately, but I’m back and forth on whether to include that subplot in my little enterprise series (Brittle, Inconsistencies, Unnatural) or not. Narratively, it would suit the story well, but I don’t want it to be off-putting to those who have followed the story thus far.

If you have any input, I would appreciate it!

[trip-tuckers-hyperspanner]

i've recently discovered i am the only one alive who ships Malcolm and hoshi and I guess I brought that upon myself but you know what? I'll captain this ship and go down with it

[deadheaddaisy]

YES. Especially smut where they love AND like each other and no matter what happens they care about what the other person feels and wants and they just enjoy being together. Add some banter into the mix and I will be your devoted follower forever.

@more-better-words I do believe they're playing our song!

My favourite kind of fics to read and to write

[warpfive]

SAVING THEIR LIFE (AND GETTING HURT)

protecting the enterprise crew, and getting injured in the process

CW: gn!reader, small depictions of violence and injuries

CREW: jonathan archer, t'pol, trip tucker, malcolm reed, hoshi sato, travis mayweather

JONATHAN - it’s difficult for jon not to immediately get angry when you take a phaser hit for him. he’s had some trouble separating his feelings from his work - you only make things much more complicated and jon has to tell himself that if any other member of the crew did that, he’d just just as pissed. but he knows that’s not completely true, and it shows in the way his hands shake as he scolds you while t’pol comms for the shuttlepod. jon takes his responsibility as captain very seriously, so coupled with the fact that it’s somebody he deeply cares for (loves?), it muddies the waters and that only frustrates him more. later on, once phlox has stabilized your wound and orders you on a few days of bedrest, jon makes damn well sure you follow it, short of posting guards outside your quarters. he doesn’t go quite so far, but he visits you late in the night. scolds you again for getting hurt to protect him, makes you promise not to do it again, tells you how he doesn’t want to lose such a good officer and friend and… he doesn’t go much further. he doesn’t have to. when you tell him you don't regret it, and would so it again to save his life, jon wants to argue back. instead, he takes your hand and promises himself it would never come to that.

T'POL - vulcans are naturally stronger and more resilient than humans - it’s a fact often forgotten, t’pol’s noticed. especially in the chaos and confusion of a cave-in, where all the members of the away team are running away and simultaneously trying to help their colleagues out. t’pol was in charge of the away mission - it was her responsibility to assure her team’s survival. that’s all she was focused on, and not the rock moments away from falling and crushing her into a thick green soup. to give you some credit, you were fast and focused. t’pol barely registered what had happened - only that she felt your arms around her, a shove, and shortly after, your cry in pain that elicited something close to fear in her chest. phlox told her that the rock had broken your leg, and that you were lucky the break wasn’t another couple inches higher, or you would’ve been a real trouble. t’pol takes easily to scolding you, calling you reckless, making sure you knew how much she disapproved of your decision to save her. and yeah, you were in and out of sleep from pain medication. still, you found her hand and squeezed it and told her to court martial you, because you’d do it again in a heartbeat. though, you noticed in the next couple weeks that t’pol has been bringing you tea and finishing your work for you - she’s not completely as vulcan as she hopes.

TRIP - it’s all his fault, of course. if trip had been more careful, more astute; if he had somehow known this would lead to that and that would cause his console to blow, he could’ve prevented the whole thing. he was just too damn focused on the problem with the engine. with the ship shaking and the captain yelling over the comm, it was difficult to focus on anything else until he heard your name and felt you push him. trip wasn’t a small guy - in the moment, he was shocked you managed to push him over. but the shock fell away to panic once he figured out what just happened. the air was smoking, someone called out your name (maybe it was him), and he saw the angry red marks over your face and neck. phlox insists the burns aren’t all that bad, but trip doesn’t really believe him. if they weren’t so bad, then why did the sight of them turn his stomach so much? he tries to keep a good attitude, but part of him was so angry that you got hurt. not angry at you, of course. trip could never truly be angry with you. he was mad at himself, and after forcing a smile and turning away, the tight grit of his jaw was somehow worse than any burns he might’ve gotten in your place.

MALCOLM - he knows, logically, that he taught you hand-to-hand combat for this exact scenario. malcolm wanted, above all else, for you to be able to protect yourself if he wasn’t able to do it personally. yet, none of that made malcolm feel even a little better when he crouched beside you, a hand ghosting over the side of your face that was quickly swelling and bleeding. yeah, you smirked up at him. asked him if he was okay, and if he saw that move you pulled to disarm the man who’d pointed a weapon at him. malcolm insisted this was no time for jokes, and he said it in a rather harsh tone. of course, he was mainly frustrated at himself. if he’d disabled the attacking aliens quicker, you wouldn’t have had to intervene. and he says as much while pulling you up to your feet. you don’t seem upset - of course you weren’t, malcolm thought. you were still trying to ask if he was alright and malcolm had to eventually assure you he was, but he was also more worried about you. though, it wasn’t until you cupped his cheek and told him you were fine did he really believe you. still, in the days to follow, he couldn’t look at your black eye or hear your pained grunts without feeling guilty.

HOSHI - she didn’t even see the man coming. that was a flaw when she got so utterly sucked into her task - nothing else even existed. not even a large man with an energy weapon aimed right for her head and would have fired if you hadn’t intervened. the fight was long and brutal - hoshi heard the chaos of it from behind, but her focus needed to be on the task at hand. too much was riding on its success. it wasn’t until much later, when the crew was safe and the enterprise at warp, did hoshi come by sick bay. and of course, your spirits were high - talk of good teamwork and making you proud hit hoshi’s ears, but she just couldn’t match your energy. not when you were this battered and bruised from defending her. yeah, you talk of duty, saying that it was your job to make sure hoshi did her job. she didn’t feel much better, so you went a step further - telling hoshi that you loved her, and even without their duties to the ship, you would’ve defended her anyway. that did elicit a little smile, but when hoshi tried to give you a kiss, you were still a little too battered. you both compromised by holding hands until phlox had to run some more scans.

TRAVIS - when he came to, travis didn’t expect to be laying on a soft bed of grass, and not the hard metal floor of the shuttlepod. the sun shined right in his eyes, and when he squints against it, the motion pulls on a nasty lump on his brow - right, the one that knocked him out. and it takes only a few seconds of consciousness to sit straight up and search for you in a panic. the mental image he had of you being sucked out into space during the crash landing was thankfully laid to rest when he found you leaned up against a tree, looking more worse for wear than travis would have liked. when you saw him awake, you didn’t move to greet him. in fact, it seemed like just sitting there was causing you a lot of pain, despite working diligently to get the homing device back online. it wasn’t until travis stumbled his way over did he discover you’d broken your leg and probably a few ribs - a small price to pay, you told him, for successfully landing the shuttle (though, successful was a gracious word to use.) logically, he knew you were right. yet, it doesn’t make travis feel any better knowing he’d been in charge of getting the two of you to the surface, and you’d broken a leg when he failed to do so. he apologizes, you don’t understand what for. it just made him feel a little better.

[more-better-words]

Had this kicking around my drafts for a minute. Hoshi and Malcolm are scheming.

Trip laid his palms flat on the table and pushed himself up, smiling genially at his mess hall companions. "Well, I gotta get back to work. I'll see y'all later." And he sauntered cheerfully out of the mess, leaving Malcolm staring suspiciously at his back.

"He's been in an awfully good mood lately."

Hoshi shrugged slightly, taking a bite of her fruit parfait. "He's getting laid."

"Excuse you?"

"What? He and Commander T'Pol are back together. Or…finally together, or whatever you want to call it."

"How do you know that? T'Pol's certainly not the gossipy type, and he-"

Hoshi laughed. "Isn't telling because he's a gentleman?" She took another bite, looking like some arbiter of secret knowledge. "But I can tell."

"Oh really?" Malcolm leaned over the table, a glint in his narrowed eyes. "Care to make this interesting?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"First one to get either of them to admit to it wins."

"Stakes?"

"Loser covers the winner's next shore leave, all expenses, no questions asked."

"Next two leaves if it's T'Pol," she countered.

"Fair."

"You have a deal." She extended a hand. "May the best snoop win."

"May the best snoop win."

[lokismusings]

I did a thing. But please, if anyone has another idea for a fic where Malcolm finds out about the alien life form earlier in the episode, go ahead and write it!! I want all the fics of this because it’s under appreciated. Also, I’m excited to delve into the scientific and health-related process of this fic because the fetus being attached to Trip’s pericardium?! That could be so dangerous! I wish the episode would have focused on that, too, but I get that they were going for a more humorous approach.

[deadheaddaisy]

Not that I'm pointing fingers at @more-better-words and @talshiargirlfriend for enabling my addiction, of course...

Also let's be real, I'm my own enabler for being completely batshit about Malcolm and Hoshi.

i hope i am not only a mutual to you but also someone you can point at a fictional character and go "oh shit that guy on tumblr is super fucking mentally unwell about that one" about

[trip-tuckers-hyperspanner]

Logical Candidates (A Sub-Commander's Guide)

A series where Sub-Commander T'Pol and her husband-to-be, Commander Tucker, navigate engagement, marriage, and family life with the Enterprise crew (feat. Malcolm Reed/Hoshi Sato!).

Five Times Trip Was Dumb and One Time He Wasn't

T'Pol assumed the logical thing was to prime Charles "Trip" Tucker III for matehood. After all, they were close and compatible. But sometimes a Florida man doesn't read between the lines. Five times Trip didn't take the hint. One time he dropped the hint himself.

Five Times T'Pol Kept A Secret and One Time She Didn't

Some things are better left unsaid. Whether it’s her own betrothal, Lieutenant Reed’s plans on proposing, Trip’s unexpected tears, Hoshi’s worries, or Lieutenant Briggs’s nasty comments, T’Pol finds she should just keep her mouth shut. A Sub-Commander’s Guide to keeping a rather unorthodox engagement under control.

Old Adages and Appreciative Beauty (A Sub-Commander’s Guide)

T'Pol and Hoshi have four things they need: something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. Malcolm and Trip have a lot more than four things they're planning. A Sub-Commander’s guide to being a perfect bride.

@mytardisisparked

[sl-walker]

Ad Astra News - 5/21 - 5/27

State of the Archive

Currently the archive is up, running and stable on otw-archive.  Technical issues include: Links from e-mails not landing on the correct subdomain, so if you want to join up, you have to add beta.adastrafanfic.com/[insert validation link] in order to validate your account.  If you don’t want to or can’t, though, just hit me up and I’ll do it from the back end!  Another technical issue is that dates/times aren’t populating correctly on newly posted stories, but that’s a pretty minor thing.  If you see a bug, let me know!

If you do join up and want to post, please make sure you read the Tagging FAQ.

The original eFiction archive will become a static-only monument on September 1st, 2023.

Weekly Challenge # 6

On our chat server that starts with a D, the current challenge is New Homes; between 100 and 700 words of fic about new homes, be they literal places, new ships, new crews or people in general.

Stories Archived

Star Trek: Enterprise

By Jespah

The New House - G - Malcolm Reed/OFC

By @merfilly

The Unquiet End - T - Takashi Kimura/Hoshi Sato

Star Trek: The Original Series

By @beatrice-otter

Undiscovered Stars - G - James T. Kirk/Lando Calrissian (SW x-over) The One Great Choice - T - Cleante al-Faisal, T'Shael, Jasmine al-Faisal

By @merfilly

A Breath of Fresh Air - T - Emony Dax/Leonard “Bones” McCoy Dreams - G - Hikaru Sulu Feelings - G - Spock Introspection - G - James T. Kirk Diplomacy - G - Mara, Pavel Chekov Storyteller - G - Nyota Uhura Serenity - G - Leonard “Bones” McCoy, Julian Bashir (x-over with DS9) So Much - G - Montgomery “Scotty” Scott Enterprise - G Contemplation - M - David Marcus/Saavik Strong Ones - T - Una Chin-Riley/Nyota Uhura A Gift - T - James T. Kirk/Spock One Friend Lost... One Gained? - G - James T. Kirk A Shore Leave to Remember - G - Leonard “Bones” McCoy, Nyota Uhura Necessary - T - Leonard “Bones” McCoy The Sound of His Engines - G - Montgomery “Scotty” Scott Frayed - G - Christine Chapel Sippin' Time - G - Leonard “Bones” McCoy Complications of Empire - G - Kang Farewells - G - Christopher Pike Just One Man - G - Leonard “Bones” McCoy Change of Command - G - Christopher Pike, Robert April Points of Communion - M - David Marcus/Saavik She Would Have Known - G - Spock Acceptance - G - James T. Kirk, David Marcus Memories of Smoke - G - Nyota Uhura Assumptions - G - Spock, Sarek

By @sl-walker

'Cross the River - G - Spock Iron - T - Montgomery “Scotty” Scott & Spock Not Too Soon - G - Sarek, Amanda Grayson, Spock Maps, Rules and Moderation - G - James T. Kirk & Leonard “Bones” McCoy

Star Trek: Alternate Original Series

By @beatrice-otter

Those Left Behind - G - Christopher Pike, Sarek

Star Trek: The Next Generation

By @beatrice-otter

the simple secret of the plot - G - Guinan/Jean-Luc Picard Hope of Thee (The Zombie Remix) - G - Lwaxana Troi, Kestra Troi Processing - T - Data, Deanna Troi Reboot: The Chase - G - Jean-Luc Picard (x-over with Stargate:SG1) Reboot (Legacy) - G - Jean-Luc Picard (x-over with Stargate:SG1)

By @merfilly

Game in Town - G - Q Intimidated - G - Worf Admiral Compensations - T - Jean-Luc Picard Fell For Him - G - Beverly Crusher

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

By @beatrice-otter

Nerys and the Emissary - G - Kira Nerys & Benjamin Sisko In Due Season - T - Prophet/Joseph Sisko (Rape/Noncon) Ornament - T - Kira Nerys, Lupaza

By @merfilly

In a Different World - T - Elim Garak (Mirror)

Star Trek: Voyager

By @sl-walker

Idle - G - Kathryn Janeway, Chakotay

Expanded Universes

By LordMcCoveyCove

Communiques - G The New Threat - M - Tenth Doctor (x-over with Doctor Who)

[deadheaddaisy]

Oh, the IDEAS ... so many WIPs with just this premise!

shipping two characters you love equally is difficult because on one hand, you want them both to be happy, but on the other, you want one of them to be put in danger and the other one to go absolutely batshitfucking insane to get them back

[ozzie-starfur]

Does anyone know of an ENT Chatroom or discord server I could join? I’m dying to talk to people about it/my pairings. If not would anyone be interested in joining one if I created it?

why is there no tag for Travis Mayweather x Malcolm Reed 😦

[nonbinaryvulcan]

Star Trek Enterprise crack because I guess I'm the first person to do it??

[orchidtreks]

Zombie movie edition

[trip-tuckers-hyperspanner]

Actually Trip has the floppy hat and the sunglasses too bc T'Pol is worried about his skin and she conveniently ALSO has the floppy hat and sunglasses (what a coincidence???!!)

Enterprise Beach Day Outfits

T'Pol: wetsuit/burkini

Trip: the ugliest, brightest patterned trunks you've ever seen accompanied by a plain white t shirt

Archer: unfortunately, a speedo. Carries a water polo ball with him as well

Hoshi: pretty pastel one piece and ear plugs bc she does get swimmer's ear

Travis: usually just normal trunks and googles, but I know in my heart of hearts he also enjoys scuba diving, especially in dangerous and unexplored places- so if that's an option, he'll bring his gear

Phlox: swims nude. Is fascinated that the humans are uncomfortable with this, eventually borrows one of Archer's speedos in the name of cultural exchange

Malcom: his full uniform- he's not going anywhere near the water. Still gets sunburned anyway

[rainydaydream-gal18]

(Star Trek: Enterprise) Archer x Reader: Crush

                                                  “Crush”

Author’s note: This was a story I published on my old account, but I’m bringing it back! Enjoy!

Trip, Hoshi, and Malcolm try to figure out who Y/N likes.

             “Chef has really outdone himself this time,” Trip mumbled through a mouthful of food.  You nodded in agreement as you savored the taste of steak and mashed potatoes.  It was the taste of home.  You had become accustomed to life on the Enterprise, but there were moments when you got just a tad homesick.

              “Hello,” Hoshi greeted the two of you as she took at a seat at the table.  While Trip had wasted no time in digging into the meal, Hoshi seemed a little more preoccupied with a language book.

              “Hey, Hoshi,” you said.  “What’s up?”

              “Oh, just brushing up on some languages, particularly Klingon.  If I rely on the universal translator too much, I lose touch with what I’ve learned.”

              “I can imagine.  That’s a lot of languages to keep up with.”  You shook your head in amazement at the thought.

              “What can I say?  I’m a prodigy,” she glanced up from her pages to smirk playfully before returning to her studies.

              “So…”  Trip leaned in slightly.  “Has anyone seen what’s going on between Nate and Lillian?”

              “Who?”  You gave him a confused look.

              “Two of my people down in engineering.  They seem to be getting pretty…close… lately.”

              Hoshi looked up once more from her book, raising an eyebrow.  “I didn’t think you were one to gossip.  Since when do you care about relationships aboard the ship?”

              “Since he can’t have one himself,” Malcolm replied, setting his tray down on the table.  He took a seat between you and Hoshi.  “He’s forced to live vicariously through others because of his own lack of a relationship.”

              “Hey, that’s not true,” Trip insisted, his eyebrows furrowing in irritation.  “I just like to know what’s going on with the crew, that’s all.  As a commander of this ship, it’s important to keep track of these sort o’ things.”

              “Of course,” Malcolm replied, though the amused expression on his face suggested he wasn’t so convinced.

              “An’ it’s not like I don’t have a relationship ‘cause I can’t get one, or anything.  You know it’s against the rules for us to date subordinates.  It ain’t appropriate,” Trip added.  

              “Sure,” you joked.

              But you were familiar with the rule all too well. It was one thing that stood between you and a certain Captain Jonathan Archer.  Well, that and the fact that you weren’t sure if he felt the same way about you.  You couldn’t ask.  He was the captain and you were a subordinate.  It just couldn’t be.  And if you ever happened to bring it up, you knew that Jonathan would have to refuse anyways, being that he’s such a responsible captain that abides by the rules. It’s one of the reasons you admired him.

              “I know,” Malcolm said with a sigh.  “I also have to submit to that rule.”  He shook his head and pulled out a PADD, probably to resume work.  You wondered if he ever took a break…

              “What about you, _______?” Trip asked suddenly, making you look at him uneasily.

              “What?”

              “You’re not under the same rule.  How come you’re not dating?”  You could tell he was trying to be nonchalant, but you detected the hint of suspicion.  For whatever reason, the question caught the interest of the others at the table. Hoshi and Malcolm paused their work to look at you curiously.  Apparently, the whole crew had been wondering.

              “I don’t know…I just haven’t found the right person, I guess.”

              “Well, of course you haven’t,” Trip chuckled. “You barely spend time with anyone outside of command.”

              “Maybe I don’t feel the need to.  I’m here to work, not find a boyfriend,” you responded, hoping he would get the message that you weren’t interested in this subject.

              “But come on,” he continued.  “I know you.  You can’t tell me you haven’t even thought about it once.”

              “I mean, I have, but-

              “Is there someone back home?” Hoshi joined the conversation.  

             “Nah, she would have mentioned him at some point.”  Trip snapped his fingers.  “But that’s gotta’ be it.  You’re holding out for someone.”

              You shook your head, hoping that this conversation would end.  You had spent quite some time trying to keep your feelings a secret, to not draw attention to yourself.  There was no way that you would be discovered.  Not like this.

              Unfortunately, your facial expression betrayed you.

              “Yep, look at her,” Trip folded his arms and leaned back, pleased with himself for figuring it out.  

              “What are you even talking about?” you mumbled, turning your face away to hide your blush.

              “Is it someone aboard the ship?” Trip asked.

              “It has to be,” Hoshi replied.  “You said it yourself that she spends most time with the commanders of the ship, so…”  They both looked at you with wide eyes.

              “You like someone in command,” Trip concluded. “An’ since he has a no-fraternizing rule, you don’t want to say anything.”

              “I know you think you have me figured out, but I don’t like him,” you insisted.  

              “Who?” he asked quickly.

              “Captain Archer,” you replied before thinking.

              “Woah, there.  Hold up. I didn’t say anything about Captain Archer,” his smirk broke into a full-on grin as you stared at him completely speechless.

              Malcolm looked up from the PADD to gaze at you with wide eyes.  Hoshi’s mouth fell open in surprise.  Trip just kept grinning.

              “I-I mean.  No, it’s- I….Oh my gosh,” you covered your face with your hands, mortified that everyone in your group found out like this.  “I know that it’s not appropriate, but I assure you that I won’t let it interfere with work, and-”  You were just about to excuse yourself from the table, when Malcolm rested a hand on your shoulder.

              “Hey, relax,” he said reassuringly.  “It’s alright.  We understand what you’re going through.”

              “Yeah, don’t you think I’ve had feelin’s for a crew member or two that I couldn’t do anything about?”  Trip agreed.

              “And you’ve spent a lot of time with Archer,” Hoshi pointed out.  “It’s not exactly unheard of that you’d have feelings for him.”

              “But ya’ know the rules, ________.  Nothing can happen between you and the Cap’n. Besides, here are plenty of other crewmembers aboard the Enterprise.  Just because we can’t have relationships because of the rule doesn’t mean you can’t.”

              “I’ve thought about that, but…”  You sighed.  “I can’t be with anyone else.  Not with the way I feel about…you know who.”

“That’s really sweet,” Hoshi smiled.

“To be honest, I think I-”

              “Good afternoon, crew!”  Archer walked up to the table out of nowhere, making the whole lot of you freeze.  He noticed your reactions and furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.  “And what might you all be talking about?”

              You noticed the smug look on Trip’s face and shot him a warning glance.  Oh no. He had better not…  

          ��   “We were just askin’ _________ about her boyfriend,” he said causally, earning a few more warning looks from Hoshi and Malcolm.

              “Oh?”  Archer looked less confused and more concerned.

              “Don’t you think it’s strange that a pretty girl like her doesn’t have one?”

              “Oh,” Archer visibly relaxed.  “It’s most likely a personal choice.  There’s nothing wrong with that.”  He was about to walk away when he paused.  “What’s it to you, Trip?  You wouldn’t happen to be inquiring on the basis of personal interest, would you?”

              “No, sir,” Trip shook his head.  “I’m not startin’ anything.  Promise.  That would be against the rules, after all.”

              “Exactly.  Good. I knew I could count on you,” Archer said with a half-smile.  “And ________?”

             “Yes, sir?”

            “If anyone gives you anymore trouble, just send them my way.”

            You couldn’t hold back the smile.  “Thank you, sir.”

              After he left, Hoshi giggled.

            “Did you see how tense he got when he thought you had a boyfriend?  I think he was jealous,” she said.   You blushed and shook your head.  Then, you turned to give Trip a look.

              “What?  Just because I understand what you’re going through, it doesn’t mean that I’m not gonna’ have a little fun with it.”

              “You’re so mean,” you responded, though you were still smiling.