#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

Three For One And Room For None

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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 (standalone - for now)

Money or Nothing (E) (current version complete, sequel underway)

[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]

The Time She Almost Didn't - 4

5 Times T'Pol Kept a Secret and 1 Time She Didn't

Sub-Commander T’Pol was sitting in the training room with Ensign Sato, stretching her arms. “You’re preoccupied,” she said as she watched her friend stare off into space. “That can lead to recklessness.”

Hoshi snapped out of her thoughts with a shake of her head. She tossed her hands into the air. “Oh, yeah,” she said. “Sorry.” She wiped the side of her face. “It’s just that Trip and Malcolm have been acting really odd lately. He won’t tell me what it is, but I think it’s got something to do with whatever project they’re working on. Trip’s avoiding me too.”

T’Pol, thoroughly exhausted by the human need for surprise, only sat closer to her friend. “Does this bring you concern?”

“No, not majorly.” She hugged herself. “It’s not the fact that they’re acting funny, it’s that I don’t want to get excited if it isn’t… if it isn’t a…”

“A proposition of marriage?”

She nodded hesitantly. “It’s silly. Isn’t it?”

T’Pol sat up. Human females tended to require more emotional navigation and care — she didn’t want to appear as a negligent companion to Hoshi. “No, it’s not silly,” she informed her. “You and Lieutenant Reed have known each other for many years — it’s perfectly reasonable to desire a closer relationship than what you currently have.”

“You think so?” she asked, knitting her brow. “Things usually aren’t so simple back on Earth. There’s all sorts of stuff you have to do and so many variables you don’t see. Last time I had a boyfriend, I didn’t even know if I wanted to go to prom with him, much less marry him.”

T’Pol relaxed ever so slightly, intrigued by the response. “If you want to marry the lieutenant, it would be in your best interest to tell him so.” 

“We’ve talked about it, but… Don’t you think it would be rushed?” 

“Not at all. I see no reason not to. The most healthy marriages are the honest ones.” T’Pol tilted her head. “When did you realize you wanted to take the lieutenant as your mate?”

Hoshi blushed. “You mean marriage? I guess I knew about three weeks ago for sure. Remember? With the leech?”

T’Pol stayed silent, but the answer was in the air. 

Ensign Sato went on, visibly eased by the confirmation. “Well, anyway, he just reacted so quickly and stayed so calm during the whole thing. I guess I realized he was worried that I was hurt instead of worrying if he would lose a friend or not. And he’s never tried to push anything, either — everything between us has been so natural and casual. I think I noticed I wanted to marry him because I was never going to stop missing him if I ever lost him.”

“That is quite similar to the same conclusion I drew when I decided to propose to Commander Tucker.” She stood off the bench. Hoshi followed. “I have less… emotional reasoning, but this is a rare occasion where emotion and logic dictate the same thing.”

“You never did tell anyone why you wanted to marry him. You could have had a Vulcan man if you wanted. Why Trip?”

“I could.” T’Pol assumed the position. As did Hoshi. “Commander Tucker was the mate I desired. He makes the most logical sense.”

“As compared to a Vulcan?” she asked. She was clearly confused, and with good cause — it was unorthodox. T’Pol was seen as a superior being, even to humans she spent most of her time around. She raised her fists as T’Pol did. 

“He will be able to fulfill all my needs throughout his lifespan. When I eventually outlive him, I can always take up another mate.” She began to tackle her as carefully as she could, putting pressure against her sparring partner. This wasn’t to develop T’Pol’s skills, after all. 

Hoshi held her off for a second, puffing breath. “So he’s only a temporary mate?” she asked. The judgement in her voice was clear.

T’Pol flipped her onto her back, exercising caution as well as thoughtful execution. Her friend hissed lightly. 

“Are you hurt?”

“No.” Just as she had calculated. Hoshi pushed herself off the ground. “But okay, I get it. You like Trip.”

“I have developed a strong attachment to him,” T’Pol countered. “He has an attachment to me as well. I did not want him to live his life without me.”

“So even though you’ll outlive him, you want to marry him because you love him,” she summarized. “Everyone knew he loved you, but we all thought…”

“You were incorrect.” T’Pol quirked her brow. “It is a common misconception. I thought perhaps he would ask me to enter a courtship with him, but he seemed… hesitant.”

“It’s because he thought you were kind of scary. Who could blame him? A hot, smart, strong woman who could break his heart at any given moment isn’t really someone you want to risk ruining a friendship with.” Hoshi laughed. She began to head over to the bench again, putting her uniform back on over her skivs. “He would always talk about you, even though you guys fought all the time.”

“He would?”

“Yeah, all the time. We wondered what kind of intellectual torture you’d put him under. At first, it was nothing but complaining and then it turned into something… I don’t know, weird. There wasn’t a day your name didn’t leave his lips. Malcolm and I finally put the pieces together after the whole Fraydik incident.”

“That was not long ago.” 

“I know, right? How long did it take you to find out he’s in love with you?” 

T’Pol changed into her own clothes, pulling her sleeves over her forearms. “I knew about sixteen months ago. He realized it himself at eleven.” 

“And you didn’t confront him?” Hoshi’s eyes went wide. “When did you realize you wanted him, too, then?”

“A year ago. I had seriously debated reminding the commander his feelings would be inappropriate when I could not give him what he wanted.” She zipped up her jumpsuit, then carefully fluffed her hair back into place. “Upon deeper consideration, I realized I no longer wanted to withhold myself from him.”

“You take care of your appearance,” her companion pointed out. Hoshi Sato had always spent limited time with T’Pol. Usually, during sparring, they faced opposite ends of the room when they changed. 

T’Pol, however, was delighted by this… as delighted as her repressed emotions would allow. “Vulcans appreciate beauty,” she said. She turned to Hoshi and let her shoulders down. 

“I like it.” She smiled. “It’s nice to know more about Vulcan culture. I’m a little sad to know that you guys won’t be having a Vulcan wedding.”

“A Vulcan wedding would be held on the Vulcan homeworld. I would prefer to have more freedom with my ceremony; I would also like my mate to be accepted by my loved ones. Vulcans are nearly as prejudiced as humans toward those unlike us.” 

“Really?” Her jaw dropped.

Humans were very expressive, T’Pol thought once again. It never ceased to amaze her just how little was required to awe them. Perhaps Vulcans were stubborn and hard to impress. Perhaps humans were still green to exploration. Whatever the reason, it never stopped a blush or a blink or a gasp from someone.

“Quite.” She paused, wetting her lips. She would need to hydrate soon. “Many would see my marriage as… inferior, as well as illogical.”

“I can understand why,” Sato replied. They both started walking out of the training room together. “Our instincts kind of control us. Why would a logical Vulcan want to marry an irrational human? But then again, your reasons have to be sound. It’s not like you to make a decision without weighing all the pros and cons.”

“Precisely. Others would fail to see that perspective and only focus on the first half of the argument. Some would say I have gone soft from spending too much time around humans.” 

“That’s the logical thing to do — adapt where necessary.”

“While still maintaining your identity.”

“We seem to understand each other very well,” Hoshi said, holding back a laugh as she looked at T’Pol with pride. 

“That we do, Ensign Sato,” she replied. She puffed her chest. “I must find Commander Tucker; I hope I won’t offend you by parting now.”

“Oh, go ahead! I have to find Malcolm anyway.”

And so, Sub-Commander T’Pol and Ensign Hoshi Sato bid each other farewell and left in their respective directions. When T’Pol eventually found Commander Tucker, he was tinkering on the floor of her quarters with a few pieces of metal. These days, he spent more time with her than in his own quarters; while nothing of any sexual nature happened most nights, he very much preferred to be in her arms while he slept. Neither of them could complain — it made things much more efficient. Her quarters were at the halfway point between the Bridge and Engineering. His warmth made the ship feel more like Vulcan. Not to mention they could easily spend more time together without having to arrange it beforehand. 

“Oh, hey, honey,” he said, not looking up at her. “How was your evening with Hoshi?”

“It went as expected,” she said, sitting down beside him. “Are you not exhausted yet?”

“I was waitin’ for you,” he hummed, a small smile on his face. “I know you like to talk before bed.”

“You mustn’t deprive yourself of sleep just because I’m not home,” she said. There was a slight edge in her voice. Trip barked a teensy laugh.

“I’m not depriving myself of anything, missy,” he said, turning his head to give her a brief — yet sweet — kiss. “What’d she say today? Anything interesting?”

She briefly thought back to her fretful behavior over Reed’s proposal. “No.” 

“Didya tell Archer about our wedding, yet?”

“It will happen soon,” she reassured. She tugged his shirt up. “You need rest, Trip.”

He raised his arms in the air, letting her pull it all the way off. “Then we’ll go to sleep. Don’t get your panties in a twist,” he chuckled. Trip stood and brought her over to their bed. As they climbed in, he snuggled into her side. The physical contact was sometimes overwhelming, but it wasn’t tonight. Tonight, she enjoyed it. 

“Comfortable?” she asked when he finally stopped moving.

“Mhmm. Goodnight, darlin’.”

“You call me many names. Is there just one that you enjoy?”“Can’t decide. You’re too wonderful for just one,” he said, tucking his head on hers. “Now, sleep. You get real ornery when you don’t get enough rest.”

[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.

[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]

The Time Archer Got Suspicious - 1

5 Times T'Pol Kept a Secret and 1 Time She Didn't

Archer stood by on the bridge and watched his tactical officer, his science officer, and his linguistics officer stare at each other and attempt to make some silent conversation. He had his suspicions about Lieutenant Reed and Ensign Sato, but that was because every time they disappeared down a corridor together, they were loud and giggled a lot. They could have just been friends, but if the rumors on a ship this small were true, there was no way it stopped at that. T’Pol, on the other hand, had no conceivable reason to be involved in the mischief between them.

Malcolm raised his eyebrows in response to something Hoshi had mouthed. He made some sign language which she nodded along to. T’Pol looked back and forth between them before quietly muttering something in Vulcan as if it were to herself rather than for Hoshi. 

But Jon knew better. He had been captaining these kids for eons, now, and he knew each one’s body language a little too well. Malcolm was usually a stick in the mud; T’Pol usually kept her eyes on a screen; Hoshi would be in la-la land when she had a spare moment. The three of them talking like that? It had to mean something. There was no way it didn’t. He couldn’t get after them, anyway, since they all had about twenty more minutes before their off-hours. He just leaned against the rafters and watched the odd sight. 

Hoshi laughed out loud. “T’Pol!” she scolded with a hiss. Jon was surprised he even heard it. He lifted himself off the rafter and moved in closer to hear the rest of the conversation. Hoshi continued: “What if Trip heard you say that?”

“He knows perfectly well what I think on the subject,” the Vulcan replied. She peered behind her and saw Archer before going back to Hoshi. “Pecan pie is not a delicacy I wish to consume. I see no point in nutritionless food at all. The captain, the commander, and I have had this conversation numerous times before.”

Hoshi beamed when she saw Archer. “Hi, Captain,” she greeted. “I’ve turned in my report already, so all that’s left is to stay alert for emergencies.”

“I figured,” he said, smiling a little. “What are you guys talking about, exactly?”

“What kind of cake we’d have at our weddings,” Sato responded. “T’Pol doesn’t like the idea of cake.”

“Vulcans have cake at weddings?” Archer asked. 

“We do not. Hoshi was simply informing me about your matrimonial customs,” T’Pol explained. She was hyper-focused on her console again. “Commander Tucker and Hoshi happen to agree on the same type of cake for their wedding days.”

“Oh? What kind?”

“Strawberry,” Reed mused from the other side of the bridge. Archer turned his head. “It’ll be interesting to taste, but I suppose I can’t exactly complain. It won’t be my decision.”

Hoshi rolled her eyes and chuckled. “You’ve never had it? In your thirty-five years of life, you’ve never once had strawberry cake? How have both Trip and I had it but you haven’t?” 

“I just haven’t; it’s not exactly easy to convince your English family that anything that isn’t boiled and salted is good.” He laughed, shaking his head. “What do you think, Captain? Have you ever had it?”

“I’d have to agree with T’Pol on this one,” he said, “I’m not much of a cake person. What’s all this talk about weddings, anyway? Is there one I should worry about in the lower ranks?”

“There are no weddings among the crewmen that I recall,” T’Pol said, finishing her tapping. She looked up and turned to Archer. “Everything is in order; we should have a smooth voyage until the morning.”

“That’s great. Thanks.” He chewed his cheek. “Wait, how do you know what kind of cake Trip wants for his wedding day? Who’d he tell? When did Trip start planning for his wedding?” He knew the guy for eleven years already — there was no way he was the type of man to be invested in his dream wedding without being serious with someone. The only time he had even mentioned thinking about weddings was at someone’s wedding. 

T’Pol was fast with an answer: “For a human male, he is quite the romantic. Currently, weddings are on his mind. He’s spoken about them often enough.”

Archer smirked. “Do you think he’s met a girl?”

“I wouldn’t put it quite like that,” Reed said, sticking his tongue out as he worked at his own console. “More like he’s got a big, fat crush on someone he already knew before all this wedding talk.”

“Well, I knew that,” Jon said, batting the words away. Malcolm was always a tease. “On a ship this small? Everyone’s met each other already. Who do you think it is? My money is on Lieutenant Briggs.”

“Gossiping about Commander Tucker’s love life while he is not present to deliver the facts is not wise,” T’Pol reminded the captain gently. Sometimes Jon forgot the two of them were friends, now; they always fought around him but never stopped talking off-duty. “As you said, the ship is quite small. Rumors tend to inflate faster than average.”

“So you don’t think he likes Lieutenant Briggs?” Archer asked, chuckling. “Everyone’s seen him flirt with her.”

“I simply do not see the likelihood of a relationship between Commander Tucker and the lieutenant occurring,” she stated, clasping her hands behind her. Hoshi and Malcolm looked ready to howl with laughter.

Jon wished he knew why. 

“You’re awfully defensive. Okay, so it’s not Briggs,” Archer hummed. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Does the girl not like him back or what?”

“She cares for him quite deeply. I believe they are well-suited, Captain. I simply do not think it would be fair to Commander Tucker to judge his romantic life without him present.” 

“Don’t worry, Sub-Commander,” Hoshi chirped. “I think he’s in good hands.” She turned in her chair, and then added in a rush, “Whoever she is. Since I don’t know, of course.”

The captain lifted an eyebrow. “Right.” He turned back to T’Pol. “How would your wedding go? I’ve never been to a Vulcan ceremony.”

T’Pol looked around the bridge. Everyone but the helmsman (Crewman Quincy) had gone to bed, and he usually kept to himself. Satisfied, she said, “I intend on having a human wedding when the time comes. My mate will ultimately be human and it is only fitting I honor his traditions.”

“Your mate will be human?” he repeated, a little surprised. “I didn’t expect that from you. I thought Vulcans were betrothed at an early age.”

“We are, but I found a more logical lifepath. Do not feel bad you didn’t see my choice coming — neither did Commander Tucker.”

The lift to the bridge opened as soon as she said it. Speak of the devil! It was Trip. “Sorry I’m late with my report, Captain, I got caught up dealing with an ensign about what not to stick into the polarity amplifiers. I think there were some tears afterwards but in my defense, it would have been pretty bad if I didn’t —” 

Trip stopped when he noticed Malcolm, T’Pol, Archer, and Hoshi staring at him. 

“What? Is there something on my uniform?”

“These guys were just telling me about how you’re planning your wedding,” Archer teased. “With the strawberry cake.”

Trip immediately looked at T’Pol. He seemed confused. He pointed at her, then Captain Archer, and then Hoshi. Malcolm got a dirty stare. “Who outed me about the strawberry cake?”

“I did,” T’Pol said. “The captain inquired about our culinary preferences.”

“Okay.” Tucker sighed, then seemingly softened. “I s’pose I should expect that more often, right?”

“T’Pol doesn’t even think your wedding planning is that weird,” Archer continued. “Who’s the bride?” Trip could be secretive, sure, but he wouldn’t hide this information for long. If there was someone he wanted to settle down with, everyone would know eventually. He knew his buddy couldn’t resist showing off his girl.

“Who is she? Oh, she’s someone special,” he smirked. “And it’s just daydreamin’, so cool your jets. When I’m ready to get married, you’ll know; don’t worry.”

“You aren’t even going to ask who Hoshi’s groom is?” asked Reed with a short giggle. He stood up from his console and moved over to the group. He folded his arms and looked pretty smug. “What about the poor bloke who’ll be forced to suffer through her strawberry cake?”

Jon looked between Trip and Hoshi. Both were talking about weddings… both acting funny… both being secretive about it all. And Malcolm and T’Pol were involved in it! He had a mind to ask if the girl Trip was interested in was —!

He stopped. “T’Pol, can I talk to you for a minute? Alone?”

She gave a low nod and followed him into his ready room. “Of course, Captain.” 

“What’s goin’ on?” Trip asked, frowning.

“Just a second, Trip,” Archer said, walking into his ready room with T’Pol on his tail. When the door was closed and they were far enough inside the walls, he turned to his first officer and set his hands on his hips. He stared her down.

“Is something wrong, Captain?” she asked. She kept her eyes on him steadily. 

“You’re the only logical one, comparatively, so just answer me this: are Hoshi and Trip involved?” he asked. “I don’t care if they are; they don’t work directly with each other often. I just don’t want any secrets when it comes down to a life or death situation.”

T’Pol tilted her head. “Captain, Ensign Sato and Commander Tucker are not involved with each other. The Commander’s fiancée is someone entirely different.”

Archer’s jaw dropped. “Fiancée?” he asked, completely shocked. “He is getting married?”

“Indeed. He has only been betrothed for a short while — four weeks. There hasn’t been an appropriate time to say anything.”

“How come he’s told you but not me?” 

Jon felt pretty deflated. It was like one of his best friends had just forsaken him. How could he do that? Whatever happened to their friendship? Did he ruin it?

“I was there when his betrothed asked him to marry her,” she replied gently. “I advised him to wait until you’re less busy; you were one of the first people he wanted to tell.”

“And he didn’t tell me because I’m the captain,” he surmised. He felt anger building up. “He didn’t want to get in trouble.”

“On the contrary: you’re a busy man, Captain. Your plate is quite full already, and waiting would only serve you well. If you’re offended, do not be angry at Trip — I was the one who told him not to say anything.” T’Pol used Trip. She was defending him. She really must have been behind this!

Archer relaxed immediately, starting to pace his ready room. “You’re covering for him? So he probably really wanted to say something.” 

“He did. He was fretful for several days.” She unclasped her hands. “Ensign Sato and Lieutenant Reed are certain to become engaged, but I’m not certain whether or not their betrothal will be sooner or later. They have not been hiding their relationship, so I feel comfortable informing you.”

Archer whipped around. “Malcolm?” he asked, voice high. “She’s seeing Malcolm?”

“If you believe they are unfit, I assure you, they are quite a good match.”

“Then who’s Trip’s fiancée?”

“That is not my place to say. All I can tell you is that she is not under his direct command.”

“But you two are so close!” he protested, now smiling. “You guys do everything together. There’s no way you don’t know, not to mention you just said you were there when she popped the question.” He had to laugh. He had always imagined Trip being the one to ask! It was kind of nice to hear it was the other way around.

“If you are worried I may take your place as ‘best man,’ you are quite incorrect.” She almost seemed amused. “I was informed you are the only person who takes that role.”

“But he’ll tell me? Soon?”

“As soon as he is ready, I believe.”

Archer smirked. “Then I approve. It’s not orthodox, but I approve.”

[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)

[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 😦

[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

[nonbinaryvulcan]

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

[orchidtreks]

Zombie movie edition

[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.

[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

[make-me-imagine]

Match-Up Scenario Game - Star Trek Universe (Tv Shows)

This includes male and female characters from the following Star Trek TV Shows: Discovery, Strange New Worlds, Voyager, and Enterprise

Rules/What you do: Just match the month/day/letter to yourself and you got yourself a cute little scenario to imagine lol. And you can also leave in the tags or comments, what your scenario is :) Tag others/mutuals as well!

Requests: You can use these scenarios as requests for fics/headcanons as well (only when requests are open obviously)

(Scenario Game Masterlist)

------------------

Your Birth Month:

January: Cleveland Booker // Nhan

February: Trip Tucker // Kathryn Janeway

March: Spock // Hoshi Sato

April: Gabriel Lorca // T'Pol

May: Jonathan Archer // Michael Burnham

June: Christopher Pike // Erica Ortegas

July: Dr. M'Benga // Seven of Nine

August: Tom Paris // Una Chin-Riley

September: Sarek // Nyota Uhura

October: Malcolm Reed // Sylvia Tilly

November: Harry Kim // La'an Noonien-Singh

December: Chakotay // Christina Chapel

------------------

Your Birth Date:

1: Brings you your favorite dessert/candy... 2: Surprises you after being apart... 3: Gives you a token of their affection... 4: Makes you dinner... 5: Surprises you with flowers... 6: Surprises you with shore leave... 7: Proposes to you... 8: Takes you on a picnic... 9: Asks you to move in with them... 10: Surprises you with a trip... 11: Writes you a love-letter... 12: Gives you random gifts throughout the day... 13: Asks you on a date... 14: Suddenly kisses you... 15: Brings you breakfast in bed... 16: Makes you a hand-made gift... 17: Takes you dancing... 18: Hugs you so hard they almost knock you off your feet... 19: Surprises you with random kisses throughout the day... 20: Tells you how much they love you... 21: Surprises you with your favorite food... 22: Gives you a piece of jewelry... 23: Surprises you with a rare alien plant... 24: Throws you a party... 25: Builds you a pillow fort... 26: Surprises you with a fancy dinner... 27: Leaves you an anonymous letter... 28: Takes you star-gazing... 29: Gives you a heart-felt gift... 30: Leaves you secret gifts... 31: Takes you to a new planet..

------------------

First Letter of You Name (Or Username):

A-E: For your birthday.

F-J: Because it's your anniversary.

K-O: To cheer you up.

P-T: Just to make you smile.

U-W: Because they are in love with you.

X-Z: Because you are they're favorite person.

--------------

I apologize if your combo/matchup does not make sense, it is hard to make sure that every single combination does.