Travis spotted Malcolm sitting alone at lunch, considering the past three days, he found it odd. "Mind if I join you, Lieutenant?"
Malcolm looked up at him with bleary eyes. "Hmm? Oh...sure."
"You look tired."
Malcolm tried to stifle a yawn. "Yeah...guess so." The past four nights had really taken a lot out of him, but damn if it hadn't been a hell of a ride, so he wasn't about to complain.
"Having lunch alone? Where's the Commander?"
"I don't know. He should have been here twenty minutes ago. Sir isn't going to like him skipping lunch."
"Sir?"
"Uh...yeah. The Captain. I don't know. I'm tired."
Travis shifted uncomfortably. "So...uh...what the hell is going on with the three of you anyways?"
Malcolm eyed him for a moment. "What do you mean?"
"Come on. It's all over the ship. Some kind of three-some or something."
Malcolm sighed. "We're in a relationship. All three of us."
"A tri-nogamous relationship? I've heard of that, but never actually knew anyone that was part of one. Well...other than Phlox's species, but that's a bit diffrent. What's it like?"
"The same as any other relationship, only there's three involved instead of two."
"I don't know Malcolm. Sounds like it could be fun and exciting at first, but aren't you worried that someone could get hurt? I mean, it could end up being you."
"Why would you think anyone will get hurt? Why do you think it'll be me?"
"Well, the Captain and Commander have been together a long time...before Enterprise. You're kind of the new guy. One of them could very easily start to look at you as an intruder, trying to take the other away from him."
"It's not like that. We all know where our place is. Sir just wants us all to be happy."
Travis chuckled. "Why do you keep calling the Captain "sir"?"
"I don't know. I'm very tried. Maybe you're right. Maybe I will be the one to get hurt, between the two of them...they're going to end up killing me if I don't get some sleep soon." Malcolm looked up and saw Trip making his way to the food cubicles and grabbed an apple then turn to rush back out.
"Hold on there." Malcolm called to him as he got up and rushed after him.
"Look, Mal. I don't have time right now."
"You don't think you're going to get away with just an apple do you?"
"Malcolm, I don't have time for a full lunch. I've been up to my elbows in coolant all morning dealing with the valve seals and I still need to purge the systems to get the antimatter chamber going again."
"You didn't even eat your breakfast this morning. Sir is going to be very upset with you."
"I don't like oatmeal."
"Why did you ask for it then?"
"Because chef won't make grits."
"What? Whatever. You'll sit down and have a sandwich."
"Malcolm. Seriously. I don't have time. Tell sir if you want. I gotta go." Trip took a big bite of his apple, turned and walked away as Malcolm's hand twitched.
XXX
The three sat at the dinner table in silence. Malcolm's head propped up onto his hand as he was starting to fall asleep. Jon sat, amused, watching his head jerk back and forth as Malcolm tried to fight the sleep. Trip pushing his food around, taking a nibble here or there in between sneaking food to Porthos under the table.
Malcolm's head gave a sharp jerk as his eyes snapped open. "Eat your lunch!"
Trip and Jon looked at him and snickered. "Malcolm. It's dinner." Jon said chuckling.
"Lunch, dinner. Whatever. Just eat Trip. Why the hell are you starving yourself anyway?"
"I'm not starving myself."
"Yes you are! You didn't eat breakfast or lunch and you've barely touched your dinner. Porthos has eaten more of your meal than you have."
Trip shot Malcolm a look. Jon looked under the table and ordered the pup to his bed. Malcolm glared at Trip. Jon looked at Trip. "You know Trip, maybe its time to give you a spanking. A real spanking!"
"What? Seriously? Just because I was too busy for lunch today? Everybody skips a meal sometimes."
Jon let out a sigh. "Trip...we've been going through this for over ten years. It's not you skipping a meal because you got busy. I know what you're doing and so does Malcolm. What I don't understand is why."
"Gawd! The two of you act like it's a crime to miss a meal." Trip huffed out.
"Trip-" Jon started then stopped when Malcolm put a hand up at him.
Malcolm quietly pulled Trip's plate to him, cutting up half of what was left of the prime rib, that didn't go to the dog, and cut the baked potato in half, then pushed a larger than half portion of the broccoli next to the other foods he cut. He pushed the plate back to Trip. "Eat that much at least. Ok?"
"Half of the potato? Too much starch."
"Ok, fine. Half of the half, but all of the broccoli then." Malcolm was starting to feel like he was negotiating with a stubborn child.
Trip looked down at the plate and muttered. "Yes sir." As he stabbed his fork into a piece of broccoli.
It didn't go unnoticed by Jon or Malcolm that Trip had called Malcolm "sir", but neither one said anything about it.
After dinner, Jon took his "boys" back to his quarters. Malcolm stood to the side, leaning against the wall, not saying anything as Trip shifted uncomfortably, knowing that this wasn't about a fun time in the sack, this was about him.
"Trip. What are we going to do with you? Huh? You can't go though life like this. Why do you do this to yourself?" Jon tried to sound concerned, as he was, but there was an edge of anger in his tone.
"I need to lose some weight. Look, between the two of you force feeding me all week, I've gained like twenty pounds!"
"You've gained two pounds if that." Jon scolded.
"Two pounds, twenty pounds...still fat."
"Trip, will you just-" Jon started.
Malcolm pushed himself away from the wall. "Jon, sit down. Trip, take off your clothes."
Trip and Jon both blinked at him. Malcolm sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "Just do as I ask." He said exasperated.
Jon sat on the bed. Once Trip was undressed, Malcolm took him in front of the full length mirror behind the bathroom door, standing behind him, quietly said. "Tell me what you see."
Trip looked at his reflection. "I see a fat gut. Flabby love handles. Thighs too big. And a huge ass."
Malcolm wrapped his arms around Trip's waist and ran his hand down his stomach. "Honey. There's barely an ounce of fat on you. Your abs are like a washboard, your thighs are the perfect size. That ass? I could bounce a quid off that beautiful ass, and what love handles?"
"These!" Trip grabbed at his skin on his sides, not enough elasticity to pull on.
Malcolm ran his fingers through Trip's hair. "Honey, you are so beautiful and in excellent shape. You have strong muscles, glorious abs, and an ass I would kill for. What you think of as "fat," sweetheart...it's all in your mind. You need to start seeing that before you hurt yourself by making yourself sick."
Jon sat on the bed smiling as he listened to all of this. When his boys came back in the room, he moved over so they could sit with him. "Malcolm is right. You're perfect the way you look." His voice as soft as his face as he ran his fingers through Trip's hair.
Trip looked down at himself. "But if I eat too much...I'll get so fat and you won't want me anymore."
Jon cupped his face. "Honey, I'll want you no matter what. I just don't want you making yourself sick. Remember when you passed out on Mars? I don't want that to happen to you again. You have to eat better, love."
"That goes for me too, sweetheart." Malcolm added.
"I eat. I just eat smaller portions so I don't get too big. I just wish the two of you would stop making me gorge myself."
Malcolm nodded. "Ok Trip, make a deal with you. Neither myself or Jon will say anything more to you about eating, but you have to keep a journal. Everything you eat, what time you ate, and how many bites you actually consume. In a week, we'll all sit down together and take a look at it. Deal?"
"You mean like a food diary? I don't know. Seems kinda pointless."
"But it'll get us off your back for a week." Malcolm pointed out in his attempt at negotiating.
Trip thought for a moment. "Ok. I'll do it."
Jon took his hand. "You have to be honest in your journal. Honest about everything."
"I understand. I will sir."
The three spent the night in each others arms in a pile of warm love.