They stopped at his door. Their quarters were near each other and it was
logical that they walk together from the mess hall. T'Pol was growing more
accustomed to Commander Tucker's habit of teaching her new things. Most of
it she tolerated. Some of it she found…pleasing. She reluctantly admitted
that this evening was one of the latter.
"Wanna come in for a minute?" Trip asked.
"Why?" T'Pol asked point blank. They stood and stared at each other for a moment.
Trip looked away first. "Thought maybe you'd wanna wash the rest of that cookie down with some tea," he suggested, trying to find a focal point.
T'Pol could sense his discomfort. She could even understand it. There was a nagging pull in her abdominal region whenever she looked directly at him.
"I do not think it's a wise idea for me to stay with you any longer this evening, Commander," T'Pol stated coolly. It was her turn to avert her eyes.
Trip nodded. "Why not?" he asked. He was not one to give up easily. He'd found something on the bulkhead that held his attention. She had to think of a reason to not be in his company anymore tonight.
"I…have a lot meditation to do. More than usual," she said quietly. She stood like a soldier at ease, hands clasped behind her back. She glanced up at him. This time he was looking directly at her. T'Pol fought the urge to look away again.
"C'mon, T'Pol," Trip said softly. He reached out a hand and gently brushed her shoulder. He searched her face. She held his gaze, all the while her resolve grew weaker.
At last she nodded her assent. "One cup of tea, Mr. Tucker. No more."
Trip grinned broadly then, opening the door to his quarters. He stepped aside to let her enter first. "Please, have a seat," he gestured to the small desk. T'Pol wandered over to it, examining his quarters. They were neat, yet there was a certain disorder to it. She noted books on the shelves were more or less tossed up there, in no particular order. His desk was scattered with papers and odds and ends, yet there was a clear work station. Her ruminations were interrupted by the engineer's banging around in the bathroom, gathering water for the teapot, washing a couple mugs. T'Pol found her attention turned to him again.
"I hafta admit, T'Pol," Trip said shyly, poking his head out from the bathroom. "I kinda had ulterior motives for invitin' y'in here." He looked briefly down at his shoes and disappeared again.
"I can see y'archin' that eyebrow," he called from the other room. "I'm sure you've thought of the worst possible motive a guy could have. I can assure you, it ain't that."
T'Pol sighed inwardly with relief. This evening had already far exceeded the boundaries she thought she had set in place for herself when she came on board the Enterprise. "Dare I ask, Commander?" she called back to him.
Trip emerged with two steaming mugs of tea. He set one on the desk next to T'Pol. "I just wanted to ask your opinion on some specs I've been workin' on for Engineering," he replied with a smug grin. He turned her chair so it was facing the monitor on his desk and reached around her to flick it on.
Trying to ignore his close proximity, T'Pol ventured to ask, "What specs? I wasn't aware you were working on anything new." She leaned forward to get a better look at what was on the screen. Trip leaned forward with her, putting an arm around the back of the chair so he wouldn't topple over onto her. His free hand extended and pointed a long, lean finger at the monitor.
"Right here's where I'm havin' trouble with the refits. Can't seem to stabilize 'em enough to continue. Any suggestions?" he spoke quietly into her ear.
T'Pol tried to focus on the specs in front of her. She studied them blindly for a minute, trying to gather her wits. Trip was leaning into her, his mouth next to her ear. She tried to control the gooseflesh that popped up, fortunately under her uniform.
"What are you trying to accomplish here?" T'Pol asked, staring at the monitor.
"I wanna make this thing move faster," Trip said. "We can push it past warp five. Maybe even more."
T'Pol tried not to think of his lips brushing against her earlobe. "What is the fascination humans have with speed?" She felt him shrug against her.
"Dunno…we're just an impatient race, I 'spose," Trip whispered. Was he nuzzling her? I must leave…quickly she thought.
"May I have a copy of these to peruse in my free time?" she asked softly, not moving a muscle.
"Sure! That'd be great, T'Pol," Trip replied. "I'll send 'em to your quarters." But he didn't move either.
It was too much for her. T'Pol meant to push away from the desk and exit Commander's Tucker's quarters. But she turned her head towards him instead. His face was too close for her to see it without going cross-eyed. She closed her eyes. When his lips touched hers, she noted they were soft, warm and just a little wet.
T'Pol vaguely noticed her control slipping away when her mouth opened, seemingly of its own accord. She felt Trip's lips part and her tongue poked out cautiously, gliding over his bottom lip. He leaned in closer, his tongue met hers, eager to explore. She felt him shudder, heard him moan. It snapped her back to reality.
T'Pol broke away from the kiss, her eyes wide with horror. Trip was staring back at her, mirroring her expression. She did push away from him and his desk this time, the tea and specs forgotten. Trip stood and backed away, running a hand through his hair.
"Oh no…oh god…um…I should…I should go," he stammered, making a hasty retreat to the door.
"Commander," T'Pol halted him. He looked over at her, his eyes wild, face flushed. Trip's mouth opened and closed, at a loss for words.
"These are your quarters," T'Pol replied softly and brushed past him out to the corridor. She did not look at him as she left. She heard the door to his quarters hiss shut as she hurried on to the sanctuary of her room, her meditation candles. This was going to be a long night.
~ ~ End Chapter Two
"Wanna come in for a minute?" Trip asked.
"Why?" T'Pol asked point blank. They stood and stared at each other for a moment.
Trip looked away first. "Thought maybe you'd wanna wash the rest of that cookie down with some tea," he suggested, trying to find a focal point.
T'Pol could sense his discomfort. She could even understand it. There was a nagging pull in her abdominal region whenever she looked directly at him.
"I do not think it's a wise idea for me to stay with you any longer this evening, Commander," T'Pol stated coolly. It was her turn to avert her eyes.
Trip nodded. "Why not?" he asked. He was not one to give up easily. He'd found something on the bulkhead that held his attention. She had to think of a reason to not be in his company anymore tonight.
"I…have a lot meditation to do. More than usual," she said quietly. She stood like a soldier at ease, hands clasped behind her back. She glanced up at him. This time he was looking directly at her. T'Pol fought the urge to look away again.
"C'mon, T'Pol," Trip said softly. He reached out a hand and gently brushed her shoulder. He searched her face. She held his gaze, all the while her resolve grew weaker.
At last she nodded her assent. "One cup of tea, Mr. Tucker. No more."
Trip grinned broadly then, opening the door to his quarters. He stepped aside to let her enter first. "Please, have a seat," he gestured to the small desk. T'Pol wandered over to it, examining his quarters. They were neat, yet there was a certain disorder to it. She noted books on the shelves were more or less tossed up there, in no particular order. His desk was scattered with papers and odds and ends, yet there was a clear work station. Her ruminations were interrupted by the engineer's banging around in the bathroom, gathering water for the teapot, washing a couple mugs. T'Pol found her attention turned to him again.
"I hafta admit, T'Pol," Trip said shyly, poking his head out from the bathroom. "I kinda had ulterior motives for invitin' y'in here." He looked briefly down at his shoes and disappeared again.
"I can see y'archin' that eyebrow," he called from the other room. "I'm sure you've thought of the worst possible motive a guy could have. I can assure you, it ain't that."
T'Pol sighed inwardly with relief. This evening had already far exceeded the boundaries she thought she had set in place for herself when she came on board the Enterprise. "Dare I ask, Commander?" she called back to him.
Trip emerged with two steaming mugs of tea. He set one on the desk next to T'Pol. "I just wanted to ask your opinion on some specs I've been workin' on for Engineering," he replied with a smug grin. He turned her chair so it was facing the monitor on his desk and reached around her to flick it on.
Trying to ignore his close proximity, T'Pol ventured to ask, "What specs? I wasn't aware you were working on anything new." She leaned forward to get a better look at what was on the screen. Trip leaned forward with her, putting an arm around the back of the chair so he wouldn't topple over onto her. His free hand extended and pointed a long, lean finger at the monitor.
"Right here's where I'm havin' trouble with the refits. Can't seem to stabilize 'em enough to continue. Any suggestions?" he spoke quietly into her ear.
T'Pol tried to focus on the specs in front of her. She studied them blindly for a minute, trying to gather her wits. Trip was leaning into her, his mouth next to her ear. She tried to control the gooseflesh that popped up, fortunately under her uniform.
"What are you trying to accomplish here?" T'Pol asked, staring at the monitor.
"I wanna make this thing move faster," Trip said. "We can push it past warp five. Maybe even more."
T'Pol tried not to think of his lips brushing against her earlobe. "What is the fascination humans have with speed?" She felt him shrug against her.
"Dunno…we're just an impatient race, I 'spose," Trip whispered. Was he nuzzling her? I must leave…quickly she thought.
"May I have a copy of these to peruse in my free time?" she asked softly, not moving a muscle.
"Sure! That'd be great, T'Pol," Trip replied. "I'll send 'em to your quarters." But he didn't move either.
It was too much for her. T'Pol meant to push away from the desk and exit Commander's Tucker's quarters. But she turned her head towards him instead. His face was too close for her to see it without going cross-eyed. She closed her eyes. When his lips touched hers, she noted they were soft, warm and just a little wet.
T'Pol vaguely noticed her control slipping away when her mouth opened, seemingly of its own accord. She felt Trip's lips part and her tongue poked out cautiously, gliding over his bottom lip. He leaned in closer, his tongue met hers, eager to explore. She felt him shudder, heard him moan. It snapped her back to reality.
T'Pol broke away from the kiss, her eyes wide with horror. Trip was staring back at her, mirroring her expression. She did push away from him and his desk this time, the tea and specs forgotten. Trip stood and backed away, running a hand through his hair.
"Oh no…oh god…um…I should…I should go," he stammered, making a hasty retreat to the door.
"Commander," T'Pol halted him. He looked over at her, his eyes wild, face flushed. Trip's mouth opened and closed, at a loss for words.
"These are your quarters," T'Pol replied softly and brushed past him out to the corridor. She did not look at him as she left. She heard the door to his quarters hiss shut as she hurried on to the sanctuary of her room, her meditation candles. This was going to be a long night.
~ ~ End Chapter Two