Title: A Minor Irritation

Author: Kathy Rose

Rating: PG-13 (for innuendo mostly)

Code: S, R

Category: Humor/Romance

Sequel to "A Major Variation"

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to someone else, etc., etc., etc. I'm not making any money, I'm just having fun with the characters. Wish I'd thought of them first.

Summary: Malcolm's reaction to Hoshi's "private" training with Major Hayes

Author's Note: Thanks to smurf for a great beta, and for getting me on track for a better story. Any boo-boo's, however, are mine, all mine, I tell you.

Hoshi was idly stirring her tea, deep in thought as she looked at a padd, when Malcolm walked up to where she was sitting in the mess hall. He stood there holding his breakfast plate and a cup of coffee until she glanced up.

"May I join you?" he asked.

"Sure," she replied absently, looking back down and continuing to stir her tea.

He sat down, unfolded his napkin and put it across his lap, watching her all the while. She was staring at the swirls in her tea cup like she was trying to divine the future. He carefully tried a bite of his pancakes and found it not too difficult to chew, although his jaw was still tender from his fight with Major Hayes two days earlier. He took a drink of coffee, cleared his throat, and as innocently as possible asked, "How did your 'training' go last evening?"

"Hmm?"

"Your 'individualized training.' With Major Hayes. Last evening."

"Oh, that."

Malcolm snorted. "Yes, that." The "training" she and the major had set up on the spur of the moment had really been an impromptu date, and his curiosity was driving him crazy. When she didn't volunteer any information, he asked, "Well, are you going to tell me?"

Returning from wherever her musings had taken her, she looked at him with her full attention for the first time. He saw that her eyes were red-rimmed and puffy. She'd been crying, he realized. That thought was quickly followed by another - he'd kill the bastard if he'd hurt her.

"It was OK," she said, then looked back down at her tea and sniffed.

She sounded like she was trying not to cry, and Malcolm felt his protective instinct kick in to high gear. "OK? Pardon me, Hoshi, but you look anything but OK."

She sighed heavily and shook her head.

Malcolm set down his fork. "If anything has happened-"

"No," she cut in, waving her hand vaguely as if to push his concern away. "Nothing's happened."

His expression clearly said he didn't believe her. "Are you going to tell me, or am I going to have to go beat it out of Hayes?"

"What? No, Malcolm! It's not what you're thinking. Major Hayes was...all right."

"All right? He had to have done something for you to be like this."

He saw a smile grace Hoshi's lips for the first time since he sat down. He didn't know why she was amused by his concern when she was obviously so upset. The cuts and slowly fading bruises on his face were evidence enough of his opinion of Major Hayes, and despite the uneasy truce he had arrived at with the MACO, he was still distrustful of him. He had the impression that the major had relinquished his battle for control of security of the ship for an attack in a more personal arena.

"Do you really want to know what happened?" Hoshi cheerfully asked.

Malcolm nodded, not sure what to make of the change in her demeanor. First she was sad, and now when she was about to tell him what happened last night, she was smiling, blast it! He didn't like this at all, and not just because she had been hurt. A feeling which he belatedly recognized as jealousy was growing way out of proportion to the anxiety he had about her welfare.

"Believe it or not, we went to the gym," she said, her smile growing as Malcolm became more agitated.

"Did you actually spar with him?" he asked in outright disbelief.

"No. He wanted to show me some...techniques..." She paused to take a sip of her tea, and as Malcolm considered the possible techniques she was implying, he knew his outrage was visible on his face when she hurriedly added, "for handling weapons."

"Handling weapons," he repeated dubiously.

"Yes, handling weapons. He really did want to talk about training."

He drew in a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He reached for his cup and was about to take a drink when she said, "Actually, I was interested in something more physical," and he bobbled the cup, spilling coffee in his lap.

"Hoshi!" he hissed.

"Are you all right?" she asked as he dabbed at the wet spot. "I meant physical defense tactics. I wanted to see if the major knew anything you haven't already taught me."

Malcolm couldn't help himself. He had to ask. "Did he?"

"Well, there were a couple of moves he showed me..."

"And?"

"I'm pretty sure you know the moves. It's just that you've never tried them - I mean, showed them to me."

He spluttered and almost spilled his coffee again. Hoshi continued to grin at him. Damn if she wasn't baiting him, and it was working.

"Really, Malcolm. Nothing happened. Major Hayes was very nice, a total gentleman." He was somewhat mollified by her words, until she added devilishly, "Much to my disappointment."

"I'm not sure I like where this conversation is going," he growled, pinning her with his gaze.

"I'm teasing you!" she relented. "I'll tell you the truth, Malcolm. The whole time I was with him, I was thinking about someone else."

He absorbed this information and a stillness came over him. He swallowed and said, "I'm almost afraid to ask."

"Ask," she said quietly, all seriousness now.

"Were you thinking about...me?"

She nodded, her eyes never leaving his.

"Oh." He couldn't think of anything else to say and yet was unable to look away.

The revelation was surprising, though not unpleasant. He'd long harbored feelings for Hoshi, but had yet to find a way to make them known to her. Then last night at dinner, she had blatantly come on to the major. After worrying about her all night and seeing how upset she was this morning, he knew he couldn't wait any more. And now that he knew there was a chance she would return his feelings...

After an eternity, he found his voice. "Well, I like that."

He was rewarded with a smile from her, but he was still confused. "But you were upset when I first sat down. I don't understand."

She laughed softly and picked up the padd she had been looking at. "It's this. I was reading my great-grandmother's diary entry about how she and my great-grandfather met. It's so sweet that I can't help but cry a little. I probably shouldn't have brought it to the mess hall with me, but I didn't want to forget to read it today. It's something I do every year on their anniversary to honor their memory."

Relieved to finally find the source of her earlier sadness, Malcolm said, "It must be a powerful story."

"Oh, it is. They were in different fields, but occasionally he had reason to teach her something."

He was struck by the similarity between his current relationship with her and the relationship her grandparents apparently had when they first met, and he could tell by her shy smile that she was aware of the connection, too.

"Perhaps you'd like to tell me that story some time," he suggested gently.

"Perhaps...this evening?"

"Not perhaps - most definitely."