The BLTS Archive - Licet Obseres Palatum (Dum Nostri Sis Particeps
by Regina Bellatrix (reginabellatrix@creativemachinations.com)

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Archive: Yes to EntStCommunity, others please ask

Spoilers: "Two Days, Two Nights" and "Stigma."

Beta: ShakespeareSpot

N.B.:  An answer to the Grrrl's first-kiss challenge, finished and
posted in celebration of the end of my thesis paper.  On the title:
it is from Catullus' poem 55 and means "you may seal your lips,/ so
long as you don't run away from my love" (G.P. Goold's  translation,
'cause I'm too lazy to work out a nice one of my own).   Don't ask why
I picked it -- I just like Catullus.  On the colours  of roses: red is
for romantic love, yellow is for friendship, and  orange/peach is for
passion.  ~RB

---

Shoreleave.  Shoreleave for the whole crew, free of charge --
non-monetary based economies had their highlights -- and over
Valentine's Day no less.  Trip Tucker was one happy man.  Granted,
it'd be better if he had someone to share it with, but he knew not  to
look gift-horses in the mouth.

Someone to share it with...  Trip knew that Malcolm Reed had  drawn
the same shoreleave rotation as he.  Maybe he could talk his  friend
into seeing the sights with him.  There would be no hitting  the bars
together to pick up women, not after the fiasco on Risa,  but Trip
didn't want to pick up women anyway.  After having a number  of alien
women, including the voracious Feezal, throw themselves at  him, he
was beginning to realise that he preferred Malcolm's company  to
theirs.

The Brit was less demanding, in some respects anyway, and  Trip felt
he had more of a connection to the man than any of the  women were
capable or willing to give him.  It was a small source of  pride to
him that he had been able to get the icy lieutenant to thaw  where
others on the ship, most notably Captain Archer, had failed.

Malcolm talked to Trip.  He joked and fought with the  Southerner as
he did with no one else on the ship.  Malcolm let  Trip's hair-brained
schemes lead him off the straight and narrow  path of perfection.
Most importantly in Trip's mind, he let the  engineer see his
vulnerabilities.

Trip loved that.  It made him want to reach out and cuddle  the
Armoury Officer.  He didn't, of course.  He still had a healthy
respect for Malcolm's ability to beat him silly should he so choose
and didn't fancy finding himself in a biobed because he couldn't
control his mothering instincts.

---

A few quick turns found Trip in the Armoury, Reed firmly in  his
sights.  The man didn't so much as glance up from what he was  working
on, but Trip knew that Malcolm knew he was there.  He always  did.

"So, what're your plans, Mal?"

"Plans, Commander?"

Uh-oh, Malcolm was using his rank.  He must be in a bad mood.

"You know, plans.  For shoreleave."

"I'm not going."

"What?!  You can't not go."

"I can, and I will."  Malcolm moved away, still not looking  at Trip.

"You need a vacation."

"I had a vacation, last year on Risa.  Half the crew didn't  get one
then.  You didn't seem overly concerned about them."

"Half the crew ain't you, Mal.  You stress and worry enough  for me
an' the cap'n combined.  You need a vacation."  Trip narrowed  his
gaze intently.  "Don't make me make that an order."

Malcolm's head shot up at that, and he glared at Trip.  "You
wouldn't."

"Wanna bet?"

There was silence as they faced off for a moment.

"Fine.  But I refuse to enjoy it."

"Great.  I'll have Hoshi book you a hotel room."

---

"Hoshi, do me a favour, will ya?"

"Sure, Commander.  What do you need?"

"Book me an' Malcolm into rooms in the same hotel.   Adjoinin' rooms,
if possible."

"Adjoining rooms?"

"Yeah, Malcolm's bein' a pest 'bout this whole shoreleave  thing.  I
wanna be able to keep an eye on him -- make sure he  relaxes 'n all."

"Oh."  Hoshi made a face.  "Good luck.  He's been an ogre  all week."

"All the more reason to drag him out kickin' an' screamin',  if need
be.  He works too hard."

"Don't say that to him -- he'll take your head off.  I  should know; I
tried it yesterday."

"Just make the reservations -- in a *nice* hotel -- I'll  take care of
our boy."

"Okay.  You're lucky, you know, getting to go down this  week.  I have
to wait until next week.  Valentine's Day shipside  when there's all
that nightlife waiting... ick."

"I hear ya."

Hoshi gave Trip a sidelong glance.  "You going to find  yourself a
date for Valentine's, Commander?"

"I'll have Malcolm."

"Malcolm," the linguist repeated in disbelief.

"Yeah.  Malcolm.  Remember?  The Englishman you're gonna  make room
reservations for?"

"I know who he is!  I just don't see why you'd want to spend
Valentine's Day, on an incredible new planet no less, with Malcolm –
especially when he's in a bad mood."

"And what, I'm supposed to j'st ditch 'im for the evenin'?   That'd
*really* improve 'is disposition.  J'st make the  reservations, Hosh.
Please."

---

"C'mon, Mal.  Hotel's this way."  Trip shouldered his duffle  and
motioned down the street with one hand, plucking at Malcolm's  sleeve
with the other.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this."

"Oh, quit yer belly achin'.  You're gonna have a good time,  whether
you like it or not."

Trip wasn't sure, but he thought he heard Malcolm  mutter, "Make me."

The hotel, when they finally found it, was incredible.   There was a
big, airy lobby with marble flooring and brass fixtures,  and bellhops
scurried about being helpful.  There was one problem,  however: the
hotel was over-booked.

"We're terribly sorry, Sir.  We just installed new software,  and
there were some glitches switching over…  The Honeymoon Suite is  open
if the two of you don't mind sharing."

"That'll be just fine," Trip answered for them both,  shooting Malcolm
a look that told the lieutenant not to argue with  him.  He took the
keycards from the smiling hostess and handed his  bag to the young man
she'd called over to show the Enterprise  officers to their room.

The suite was phenomenal.  The outer room was huge, dotted  with
comfortable looking sofas and chairs, a dining table in a nook  off to
the side.  Further inspection revealed a bedroom with a giant
waterbed, which could easily hold four people, and a bathroom with a
tub almost large enough to swim in.

"Wow."  Trip looked around appreciatively.  "Not bad for  free."

"I'll sleep on one of the couches."

Trip gave Malcolm a look.  "You kiddin' me?  Look at that  bed,
Malcolm.  It's bigger 'n a shuttlepod.  I think we c'n both  sleep in
it without encroachin' on each other's space."

Malcolm sighed heavily.  "If you insist."

"I do.  I didn't drag your sorry ass offa the ship j'st so's  y' could
be a martyr an' sleep on an alien sofa.  Now, go freshen up  an'
change inta somethin' nice."

"Why?"

Trip returned Malcolm's belligerent look with one of his  own.
"'Cause we're goin' out t' dinner, that's why."

"Out to dinner?"  Malcolm sounded mildly outraged.

"Out to dinner.  I made reservations at a fancy restaurant a  few
blocks from here."

"For us?  Why?"

"No, Malcolm, for the cap'n an' T'Pol.  Yes, for us!  Sweet  Jesus,
you're bein' a … a … an ogre!  J'st like Hoshi said."

"Why did you make dinner reservations?"

"'Cause it's our first night of shoreleave an' Valentine's  Day to
boot.  I'm not about to spend it sittin' around my hotel room  starin'
at the walls; I don't care how pretty the paint-job is!"   Trip hung
his head in frustration and then looked back up at Malcolm  with a
pleading expression.  "Please, Malcolm.  J'st cooperate with  me here,
will ya?  I'm only tryin' t' make sure we have an enjoyable  evenin'.
If you really want to stay in we can."

Malcolm gave Trip an exasperated look and snatched up his  bag.  "I
suppose we have to eat somewhere."

---

Dinner had been quite nice, even Malcolm had to agree to  that.
Unfortunately, while the Englishman had relaxed somewhat  during the
course of the meal, he was still being decidedly  unpleasant.  Trip
wasn't sure if he should try to figure out what  was bothering his
friend, or simply throttle him on the spot.

Being a generous soul, Trip opted to try to discern what was  going on
in Malcolm's head as they walked through the bustling city  streets on
their way back to the hotel.

"So, Mal, you gonna tell me what's up, or am I gonna hafta  guess?"

"Tell you what's up?"

"Yeah," he gave the smaller man a pointed look, "like why  you've been
in such a foul mood all week.  Somethin' happen?"

Malcolm gave Trip an unreadable look then broke eye contact,  staring
at the pavement passing beneath his feet.

"I just hate this time of year … this day is all."

"How come?"

Malcolm shrugged, stepping closer to Trip for a moment to  avoid a
group of giggling teenagers.  "It's depressing.  All of the
relationships I've had that have made it to Saint Valentine's have
died quickly thereafter.  They were all so demanding about it.  It
was always, 'Malcolm, didn't you get me any chocolates?' or if I
remembered chocolates it was, 'What, no roses?!'  I could never win,
and then they would yell at me for being insensitive and unromantic,
which would devolve into a screaming match and effectively end the
relationship.

"I don't see why I always had to be the romantic one."  He  shoved his
hands deep into his pockets, rounding his shoulders.  "I  would have
liked to have been given a box of chocolates once in my  life."

Trip had never seen Malcolm look so dejected before, and  what he did
next surprised even him a little.  He grabbed Malcolm's  near arm,
pulling him to a halt and swinging him around so that they  were
facing one another.  Malcolm was looking up at him in  confusion, and
Trip seized the opportunity to place a lingering kiss  on the
Englishman's lips.

When he pulled back, the shocked expression on Malcolm's  face
delighted him.  His delight faded as Malcolm began to look less
shocked and more outraged.

"What the hell was that for?!  So help me, Trip Tucker, if  you kissed
me out of pity, I'm going to beat you to a jelly."

Enlightenment dawned on Trip, and he was quick to reassure  the other
man.  "No, I j'st think I've been wantin' to do that for a  while now.
You looked so sad…  It kinda caught up with me an' I  couldn't help
m'self anymore."

"Oh."  Malcolm looked thoughtful for a moment and then  smiled
brilliantly at Trip.  "In that case, you have my permission  to do it
again."

"Don't mind if I do."

He cupped Malcolm's face in his hands and leaned in for a  tender
kiss.  Malcolm melted against him, slipping his arms around  his
waist.  They stayed like that for quite some time, the crowds  moving
through the city streets slipping past them like water.

---

Trip stretched carefully in the huge bed, not wanting to  wake
Malcolm.  He shimmied out of his lover's embrace and padded to  the
suite's bathroom to relieve his straining bladder.  That done,  he
tiptoed into the outer room.  He had a call to make to room  service
that he didn't want Malcolm to overhear.

Malcolm awoke to the sensation of someone nibbling on his  neck.
Prying one eye open, he smiled at Trip, who traded nibbling  on his
neck for his lips.

"Mmmm…  Now that's a lovely way to wake up."

"Thought y' might enjoy that.  Why don't y' git up an' throw  on a
robe, lover, so we can order us some breakfast from room  service?"

"Can't we just stay here all day?"

Trip's eyes crinkled in a smile.  "In bed?  All day?  Never  realised
you were such a sensualist, Mal."

"With the proper motivation…"  He reached for Trip, who slid  out of
range.

"How about breakfast, then we decide where to spend the day."

Trip looked determined, so Malcolm gave in with a huff of
exasperation.  "Fine.  Breakfast it is."

He took the robe Trip offered him and followed the blonde  from the
bedroom.  What he saw when he stepped into the outer room  made him
stop and stare.

The room was packed with flowers.  Every flat surface had at  least
one arrangement on it, some two or three.  The dining table  had a
large bouquet of a flower which was a reasonable approximation  of a
rose, in red, yellow, and an intense peach colour.  Arranged  around
it were platters of food.  Croissant-like breads were  surrounded by
fruits and dark chocolates, or something very like  them, and a bottle
of sparkling wine sat in a bucket of ice next to  two delicate
glasses.  Malcolm felt an intense desire to pinch  himself to be sure
he was really awake.

"Happy Valentine's Day, a day late, Mal.  I figured we went  through
the whole 'be mine' thing last night, so I could stretch out  the
holiday a bit for a romantic morning-after breakfast."

"Oh Trip, I…  Thank you.  This is the single sweetest thing  anybody
has ever done for me."

"You're welcome," said Trip, kissing the top of the smaller  man's
dark head.

"When we're done with breakfast, can we bring the left-overs  into the
bedroom with us?  I'm going to need to thank you properly,  after all,
and I should hate to be interrupted by the need to eat."

"Works for me.  Lemme feed you your breakfast now, darlin',  so we c'n
get on to that thank-you."

Malcolm smiled and let Trip lead him to the table.  As Trip  lifted
the first piece of fruit to his lips, he conceded to himself  that
this shoreleave might not be as agonising as he had thought.

---

The End