Work Text:
There's a sprig of holly in Trip Tucker's hair. Not real holly of course, someone has obviously been making Christmas decorations, which explains why the thermoplastic recycling bins were a little light this month. Reed has grown accustomed to the petty pilfering that goes on, and no longer reports missing toothpaste, apples or low-grade recyclables. At least this time the missing plastic turned up as something fit for public viewing, unlike Ensign Mayweather's attempt at making fake breasts.
Reed hasn't been thinking about Christmas. He's aware that back home the date is December 5th, but hadn't made the connection. He has a sudden moment of relief that he had an excellent excuse not to attend Christmas dinner with his parents. It's followed by a pang of disappointment that he won't get to see his sister, before his eyes are drawn back to the holly in Trip's hair.
Odd how something as simple as that can give you a whole new perspective on someone. Trip looks... 'pretty' isn't exactly the right word, but its close. There's a twitch from parts that haven't been taking much notice of anything recently, and Reed quickly moves behind a console and counts the minutes until he can escape from engineering and return to the bridge.
Reed doesn't like working in engineering: the tone of command there is too casual for him to be comfortable. While he considers Trip his friend, he doesn't understand how Trip can be so friendly with his underlings and still retain their respect. If any of his security staff punched him on the arm and called him a 'silly sod', they'd be working third watch for a month.
There's just something about Trip that makes him likeable. Reed knows he's not likeable; he has charm, and can use it when he wants, but it's the entertaining sort of charm, not the kind that makes people trust you. He can attract men and women for a while, but long-term relationships... even long-term platonic friendships are a mystery. He has charm, Trip has charisma. It's like the difference between fake holly and the real thing
Reed's eyes find their way back to Trip. He considers the fact that their friendship has lasted longer than most. They have their disagreements and niggles, but nothing really shakes the foundations. Which makes the sudden revelation that Trip looks sexy with holly in his hair rather startling. They've been friends for over two years and he's only just noticed?
Well, that's not true, he'd noticed before, but in an abstract 'no, bad idea' sort of way. There had been one or two embarrassing dreams when they'd first started working together, but as their friendship grew the dreams had vanished. They'd popped up again briefly after Trip's sister had died and Trip had spent a night drunk and crying in Reed's quarters, but since then... nothing.
It occurs to Reed that Trip throwing himself into the Christmas spirit might be an attempt to forget that he'll never spend Christmas with his sister ever again. Reed's erection shrivels away at the pain the thought brings. If it had been his sister that had died, he'd be throwing that holly in the disposal chute and yelling at everyone, but that's not Trip's style. He'll make sure everyone is having a good time, then go hide in a corner somewhere and brood.
Reed checks the corners. There's plastic mistletoe hanging in the shadowed spots. The officer in him is appalled, but the man in him wonders if he can wangle an invite to the engineering Christmas shindig. After all, if Trip is going to brood in corners, he'll need some company.