The BLTS Archive - Shirtless Shockwaves by Sara (scarab@blueyonder.co.uk) --- Spoilers: Spoilers for Shockwave II. Archive: My page on Nautika's, the list Archive and anywhere else you like... just remind where it's going! Feedback: Yes please, helps feed the bunnies! Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't own Enterprise or her crew, Paramount does (although if they ever get tired of Trip, he can put his boots under my bed anytime!) Summary: Trip finds Malcolm's shirt! Author's notes: After watching Shockwave II I just thought what would Trip say if he was in a relationship with Hoshi and found Malcolm's shirt! --- Trip Tucker was angry. It wasn't often that he really lost his temper with a fellow crewmember and in this case, it was someone he considered a friend but what he had just found out had upset him to the point where he wanted to hit something. As he neared his destination, he took a moment to calm himself. He knew that she had probably warned him that he was on his way, but Trip still didn't want to create a scene. He walked into the Armoury, his prey looking up. "Lieutenant Reed, can I talk t' you?" He tried to keep the anger and hurt from his voice, "In private." "Yes, of course Commander," Malcolm Reed put down his datapad and walked towards the door. They walked into the hallway and Malcolm noticed the Chief Engineer was tightly holding a piece of material and from the colour recognised it immediately as the shirt he had given Hoshi when she had arrived at his quarters topless. This information had not been put on the official report for two reasons, firstly Malcolm had wanted to save Hoshi from embarrassment and secondly he also knew that her boyfriend would not be too pleased if he knew Malcolm had seen her body. The second reason had now come true as Hoshi's angry boyfriend stood glaring at him. "Care t' explain this?" Trip waved the shirt in front of the Armoury officer's face. "It's my shirt." He admitted quietly. "Care t' explain why it was in Hoshi's quarters?" "There is a perfectly logical explanation." "There'd better be Malcolm otherwise I'm gonna kick the shit out of you.." Trip took a deep breath, "If you two have." his words trailed off and he looked down, his anger disappearing. "God Trip, you don't honestly think that Hoshi has been seeing me behind your back?" Malcolm was shocked that the thought had even entered the engineer's head. "What am I supposed to t' think?" He looked up and Malcolm saw the fear in his eyes, "I go to see Hoshi and she's in the shower and then I find your shirt by the bed and then Hoshi tells me it's yours." "Did she tell you why she had my shirt?" Trip looked uncomfortable for a moment. "I didn't give her a chance, I was so mad that I.." He looked down again. "You really love her don't you?" Malcolm was a little surprised by the depth of emotion in his friend's eyes. He had found out quite early on that Trip and Hoshi had become lovers and although Hoshi had confided in him that she really loved Trip, she was unsure whether the relationship was that serious for him. The question seemed to drain the last of the anger from Trip and he leant heavily against the wall sliding down to the floor, still holding the shirt. "Yes I do," he looked up at Malcolm, "Is that so hard to believe?" he looked down again, "But what difference does it make, she clearly doesn't love me." Malcolm sat down on the floor next to his friend. "You are so wrong about that." He sighed, "There was something that was left out of the report we gave the Captain concerning the Suliban taking over the ship." Malcolm paused, "When Hoshi reached me she was..ummm. topless," he looked at Trip whose head had shot up and quickly continued, "apparently her top had caught on something as she jumped down from the duct and she reached my quarters.." "..Topless." Trip finished for him. "Yes. I admit I was stunned at first and then she asked me for a shirt." He indicated the shirt in Trip's hands, "I swear Trip that I didn't look at her once, except for when she arrived and I suppose in all the excitement of getting the Captain back, she forgot to give it back to me." "Okay, but why didn't she tell me?" Trip sighed heavily, "I can understand leaving it out of the report, but why didn't she tell me." "I can't answer that, " Malcolm shrugged, "Maybe she's been waiting for the right moment, I mean things have been a little hectic around here for the past couple of days." "Maybe I was embarrassed." The two men quickly got to their feet, as they heard Hoshi's voice above them. "Embarrassed?" Trip looked at her confused, as Malcolm discreetly walked away. "Yes embarrassed. I mean you ask me to do something and I can't do it without something going wrong." She took the shirt from Trip's hands, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you." She wrapped her arms around him and leant against his chest. "I thought you and Malcolm were.." He looked down at her and she saw the hurt and fear in his eyes. "Oh God Trip, I am so sorry but you have to believe that there is only one man on this ship who I love and that's you." She reached up and kissed him sweetly, "Even though you do tend to jump to conclusions." She smiled as the uncertainty in his eyes was replaced with love. "I'm sorry Hoshi, but sometimes I can't believe that of all the guys on this ship, you love me." He shrugged, "I mean I'm nothing special and you're beautiful and caring and sweet and..", she silenced him with another kiss. "Sometimes Charles Tucker the Third.. you talk too much." She smiled at him, "Let's take this to my quarters." --- The End