Still Too Sexy For His Shirt.

You may wonder how there could possibly be a sequel to 'Too Sexy For His Shirt'. Wonder no more. Here it is. It is still T/R slash and slightly more so than the first story, but still nothing explicit.

Disclaimer: Paramount owns everything. I own nothing, except a few OCs, and I'm not getting paid for this.

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Chapter One

Malcolm is not happy. The Admiral has come up with another of his hair-brained schemes.

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"You know, Trip," Lieutenant Malcolm Reed held his thumb and index finger a mere millimetre apart, "I'm just a teensy-weensy bit miffed."

"Oh, right." Commander Charles Tucker III looked across the dinner table which they were sharing with Ensigns Hoshi Sato and Travis Mayweather, "and with the British propensity for understatement, I guess what that really means is, you're madder'n a wet hen."

"Yes, I am madder'n a wet hen." Malcolm mimicked Trip's Southern drawl perfectly, which as usual amused the other three, so making Malcolm even madder.

He glared at them in such a way that they all endeavoured to put on serious expressions.

"So what's eatin' you, then Mal?" Trip asked his fiancé.

Malcolm picked up his mug of tea, wrapped his hands around it, and inhaled the aroma deeply before speaking; "The Captain called me into his ready room just as I came off shift. He'd had a message from Admiral Forrest. You'd never believe what hair-brained scheme the admiral has come up with now."

"We're obviously not going to be able to guess," observed Travis, "so why don't you just tell us?"

"I will if you'd stop interrupting. Where was I? Oh, yes. It seems that somebody - I can't imagine who, but he's probably got four pips on his uniform - told Forrest all about that little competition we had a few weeks ago."

"Oh," squealed Hoshi, "so he knows about you being the sexiest man on board? Is he going to give you a medal or something?"

"Hoshi, really!" The interruptions were frustrating Malcolm and he spoke rather sternly to her.

"Sorry," she sighed, looking anything but.

"Just tell us, Mal." Trip put his arm around Malcolm's shoulders encouraging him to continue.

"Forrest liked the idea so much he wants to make it a Starfleet-wide thing."

The others looked at him in amazement.

"You mean...?" Hoshi for once seemed lost for words.

"I mean, that he is instigating a competition to find the sexiest person in Starfleet. All other ships and the land based institutions, like the Training and Medical Centres, are to choose their own representatives to compete in a Grand Final."

"And you are mad because...?" Travis had to ask, although he was sure they all knew the answer.

"I will have to go to this 'Grand Final' to represent Enterprise."

"Oh, Malcolm," Hoshi gushed, "We're so proud of you. You're bound to be the overall winner. I think it's a wonderful idea."

Malcolm put his head in his hands and groaned. "I thought all this nonsense was over and done with."

"Hey, don't worry, darlin'." Trip rubbed his hand over Malcolm's back. "It might be a bit of fuss for a couple of weeks, but then we'll all be able to get back to normal."

"I hope you're right. Perhaps I could persuade the Captain to send Keely instead. After all she was the runner-up, and therefore could be a stand-in for me."

"Now the cap'n won't go along with that, Mal." Trip countered. "You'd have to have some seriously good reason for being unable to go."

"Are you thinking about alien bugs again? Because I bet you still don't have any." Malcolm was referring to an earlier time when he was trying to get out of the first competition.

"No, sorry." Trip replied. "Of course, if you were no longer in Starfleet, you would not be eligible."

"You're suggesting that I resign from Starfleet?"

"No, just going through the options."

"Some option that is." Malcolm finished his tea, put his mug down in a very deliberate fashion, looked at Trip and said, "I could think of one way they'd have no choice but to send Keely."

"And what would that be, Malcolm?" Travis was puzzled.

"If I were dead!"

"MALCOLM!" Trip shouted so loud that other diners turned to look. Trip lowered his voice but still spoke forcefully. "Don't you dare even think about it!"

"Oh, come on, Trip. I'm not that stupid. It's just another option."

"Thank goodness for that." Trip breathed a sigh of relief. "I know you'll find it embarrassing, but it really won't be that bad,"

The two ensigns looked relieved, too.

Travis stood up. "Well, Hoshi and I - er - have things to do. We'll see you in the morning."

"Yes, goodnight," Hoshi smiled, "Don't worry, Malcolm, we'll get you through this."

The two of them took their trays and left the mess hall giggling together. Trip knew full well what 'things' they had to do in Hoshi's quarters.

"She's right, you know." he assured Malcolm. "Your friends will help you through it. Just don't be afraid to ask."

"I know, love, but I can do without this sort of thing, and it will be a much bigger affair than ours was."

"Well, don't worry yourself sick about it before you have to. Now, if you've finished playing with your dinner, perhaps we should go, too."

"OK. This is cold, anyway."

They picked up their trays, dumped the contents into the recycler, and headed for Trip's quarters, which were a bit bigger than Malcolm's, so they tended to spend most of their time together there.

Once inside Trip pulled Malcolm into his arms and kissed him. The kiss was returned warmly and eagerly, till Trip pulled away.

"Tell me, Mal, you really didn't mean what you said - about that other option - did you?"

Malcolm brought his hands round to play with the zip of Trip's uniform, pulling it down a couple of inches, then up again.

"No, love, I wouldn't do anything so foolish, not when I have so much to live for. I'm looking forward to spending many happy years with you."

"That makes two of us. Now will you stop playing with that zip and do something serious, like taking it right down?"

"You're giving me the distinct impression that you want me to undress you."

"Now why would I do that?"

That zip had never moved so fast!

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Well, how do you like it so far? Please let me know.