Disclaimer: Not mine
Notes: Spoilers for the TF/WF crossover
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"And this is what you need, right?" Max handed Trip what sort of looked like a wrench."Yes, thanks." Trip took the tool and began tinkering with one of the open consoles. "Kilohertz is normal, but the quantum ratio is still in the red. It's going to be at least a week before we can go back to 3001." Max noticed that Trip didn't seem particularly upset about that.
"No offense Trip, but I would have thought a ship that could go through time would be a little more... durable." Max took in his surroundings as he spoke. He supposed that he should be more impressed that he was on a time traveling ship with an alien... but after a few months living on a floating island (with giant animals that could turn into various giant robots), he had learned to take everything in stride.
"None taken." Trip pushed bright green hair out of his eyes as he kept working. "The problem is time travel takes a serious strain on the systems. The last time we traveled to this era in one of these, it blew up." He flashed Max a quick grin before turning his attention to another console. "Believe it or not, this is the best case scenario."
"Oh, I believe it." Max was about to lean against a wall... but then he remembered what Trip had said about time ships being sensitive and blowing up and decided to keep standing, just to be safe.
"Well, nothing to do now but let the core recharge for the night." Trip began to put his tools back in his bag. "I gotta get going anyways. Katie and I are supposed to go out for pizza tonight."
Max frowned. "Is it just me, or are you and Katie spending a lot of time together..." The frown faded as it suddenly became clear to him.
"No way. You and her?"
Trip was smiling again, even though his face was significantly redder than earlier. "Yep. Me and her."
"You are one lucky Xybrian."
"I know." Trip slung his bag over his shoulder. "If you want, you and Danny could come along for a double date--"
"Danny and I aren't together."
"I-I'm sorry, I just assumed--"
"No, it's okay." Max tried to smile as he waved a hand at Trip. "Believe me, I wish you were right, but... he likes someone else. Or at least he did," Max added as he remembered how Danny's last visit with Kendall had gone. "I just don't think he sees me that way."
"Um, you know," Trip began in an awkward tone, "I used to think Katie didn't see me in that way, either."
"Really?"
"We met back at Time Force Academy, but we didn't even kiss until well after Ransik had turned himself in." Trip smiled again as he touched Max's shoulder gently. "Things like this take time."
"Trip..."
He tilted his head, and the light caught on his gem. "Danny feels the same way-- trust me, I know. It'll just... take awhile longer for him to realize it, that's all."
Despite everything, Max felt himself smile back. "Yeah. I just hope I don't have to wait until we defeat the Orgs."
"Well, you don't necessarily have to..."
Max watched as Trip punched in the code to open the hatch doors. "What do you mean?"
Trip led the way out. "The invitation for pizza still stands. You could ask Danny to come with you... and see how things go from there."
This... was something he would not have expected Trip to say, especially after his speech about things needing time. "I thought Danny needed time to realize his feelings."
"Well, yes, but there's nothing run with trying to speed things up a bit, right?"
Max decided it was a lost cause as they walked down the beach and Trip started asking Max what toppings he wanted. He still wasn't sure if speeding things up was such a good idea... but if they were going to do that, then who better to help him than a time traveler?