#the things malcolm and hoshi will do to win smdh

[more-better-words]

This was supposed to be a one off thing, but this is part three! And now I'm thinking there's going to at least be a part 4! I blame all of you for this! (you know who you are)

(thank you friends ☺️)

Parts 1 and 2

It had been occurring more and more often lately - whenever Trip and T'Pol parted company, one of them would offer the other their right hand, first two fingers extended, and they would briefly touch their fingertips before going their separate ways. It was a quick gesture, sometimes so fast you had to be looking for it to see it happen, but when it happened as T'Pol rose to return to the bridge, Malcolm saw his in.

"So what's that about?" he asked, cultivating a casual air as one would a bed of flowers. Trip, his fork halfway to his mouth, shrugged.

"It's a Vulcan thing."

"Obviously."

Trip, chewing, did not seem inclined to expand, and Malcolm realized this wasn't going be as easy as he'd hoped. "So I take the answer to my question regarding your intentions has changed?"

"Last time I checked, you're still not her father."

Malcolm fixed him with a narrow, reproving look. "Oh, come on! If you can't tell me-"

"What's there to tell, Malcolm?"

"Well, the hand thing is new."

Trip sighed, setting down his fork. "Look, things were...complicated with me and T'Pol, and-"

"Understatement," Malcolm muttered into his coffee cup. Trip glared.

"And they're not now! At least...not that kind of complicated." He glanced down at his plate, a little smile stealing across his face. "We're good, her and me. Really good." He looked up. "And I don't wanna jinx it, so you'll have to forgive me if I leave it at that, okay?"

"Alright." Malcolm raised his hands in surrender. "You've made your point."

"Anyway," Trip said, gathering up his dishes, "I got a list of re-calibrations as long as my arm waitin' for me down in Engineering, but if I get 'em knocked out, I should be done in time for the movie tonight. It's The Sea Hawk, right? Swashbuckler...right up your alley." He grinned. "See ya round, Malcolm."

Malcolm leaned back in his chair, stewing. The direct approach had been his best bet to get a clean, aboveboard win, and that had just failed miserably. And Hoshi had a powerful weapon on her side, one that Malcolm knew was capable of devastating results - Little Sister Mode. She'd bat her eyelashes and it'd be all over. No, if he wanted to win this, he was going to have to resort to dirty tricks.

There was nothing for it. He was going to have to get his best friend blind drunk.