Title: It's The Little Things
Author: Josephine
Email: Lovellama@aol.com
Pairing: T/H
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Just a little Hoshi/Trip interaction
Category: Romance
Begun: May 11. 2002
* * * * *
Chapter Four
"Will you let me?" Hoshi munched on a carrot as she watched Chef fold egg whites into a batter.
Chef gave her a sideways glance. "This wouldn't have anything to do with you doing better, would it?" He smiled as Hoshi refused to meet his eyes.
"Commander Tucker helped me out. A lot. I just wanted to repay the favor."
"Funny thing about favors. They're not meant to be repaid. That's why they call them favors."
"Well I want to repay this one. So can I?" Hoshi snuck another carrot. Or thought she did. Chef looked at her again.
"Catfish, huh?" Hoshi nodded. "What else do you want?"
A thin line marred the linguist's forehead. She dredged up a memory. "Collard greens?"
Chef barked a laugh. "Not if you want to see the Commander again. He hates them. Likes coleslaw though. Hush puppies go well with catfish too."
"I've never made catfish before." The line was back.
"I'll teach you how after dinner." Chef poured the batter in a pan. "You know I wouldn't do this for anyone."
"I know. And I appreciate it. Really."
"Mmm hmm. Have you thought about dessert?"
Hoshi and Chef smiled at each other. "Pecan pie," they chorused. "And ice cream?" Hoshi added.
"Sure. You can make the pie after you practice on the catfish."
"You'd let me make the pie too?"
"It means the most if you make it with your own hands. The way to a man's heart and all." Chef smothered a grin at Hoshi's blush. "Don't try to deny it," he said as she opened her mouth. "You wouldn't want to perjure your soul."
Hoshi wisely shut her mouth.
"The coleslaw is easy. You can make it tonight after the pie. I'll do the hush puppies, they have to fry. You can make the catfish right then on your hot plate."
"Thanks Chef. You're the best." Leaning over Hoshi kissed him on the cheek.
"Hmph. Young love." He smiled at her.
Hoshi stuck her tongue out at him as she left the galley.
----------
Trip smoothed down the front of his shirt as he stood in front of Hoshi's door. She had invited him to dinner to thank him for the white noise machine. He was a bit surprised it was to be in her cabin. Surprised and pleased.
It might not mean anything.
But then again it might.
He finally rang the chime.
"Trip!" A disheveled Hoshi answered the door. "You're early." She spun, looking at her chronometer. "No, I'm late. Hell."
"Can I come in?"
"Oh! Sure." She backed up, letting him enter the room.
A table and two chairs had taken up most of the extra space. The bunny slippers were in a corner, obviously happy to see him and his shoes again. Trip saw Hoshi's famous hotplate on her desk, next to a plate of …
"Catfish?"
"Yeah." A half grin graced Hoshi's mouth. "I hope I can get it right. Chef let me practice last night," she gently laid a fillet in the pan. "But as he didn't want to waste any food he only gave me one."
"D'you want some help?" He moved to look over her shoulder.
"This is supposed to be a thank you for the white noise machine." Hoshi's tongue peeked out as she unsuccessfully tried to turn the fish. "But I think I can use all the help I can get."
"You turned it too soon." Taking her hand in his Trip flipped the fillet back over.
"Thanks." Hoshi smiled at him.
"You look a lot better." Trip's free hand came up and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
"It's amazing what a few nights sleep will do for you." Her eyes fell under his gaze. "Now?"
Tip lifted up the edge of the fish. "Now." He guided her hand turning both pieces over. "One minute on this side."
"What would you like to drink? A beer?"
"That'd be fine, darlin'."
A few minutes later Hoshi and Trip were seated across form each other, fillets in front of them. "Well," Hoshi sighed, picking up her fork. "Here goes nothing."
She kept her eyes on Trip as he took a bite, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "How is it?"
"Good. Did you use mustard in the coating?"
Hoshi nodded, looking at him with a worried frown. Trip laughed.
"It's delicious. I've never had it with mustard before." He reached over and squeezed her hand. "I like it."
----------
"Hoshi, I could not eat another bite." Trip pushed his plate away, remnants of pecan pie and vanilla ice cream on it. "That was absolutely the best."
"I was wondering about the machine you made for me." Hoshi got up and cleared the dishes away. "If it sends out counter frequencies to the ones it picks up, why didn't my music get … negated? Or our voices?"
"I took readings from Miller's cabin next door and programmed those into its memory. So technically it wouldn't take care of all noises. If a new sound started up, I'd have to reprogram it."
"Well it works great." She walked over, took his face in her hands and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Thank you very much."
Trip looked up into her smiling eyes. He placed his hands over hers, pulling them off his face and tugged her closer.
"Archer to Sato."
He reluctantly let Hoshi go as she moved toward the comm. "Sato here, sir."
"Are you still going to take Porthos for his walk tonight, Hoshi? He's getting antsy."
Author: Josephine
Email: Lovellama@aol.com
Pairing: T/H
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Just a little Hoshi/Trip interaction
Category: Romance
Begun: May 11. 2002
* * * * *
Chapter Four
"Will you let me?" Hoshi munched on a carrot as she watched Chef fold egg whites into a batter.
Chef gave her a sideways glance. "This wouldn't have anything to do with you doing better, would it?" He smiled as Hoshi refused to meet his eyes.
"Commander Tucker helped me out. A lot. I just wanted to repay the favor."
"Funny thing about favors. They're not meant to be repaid. That's why they call them favors."
"Well I want to repay this one. So can I?" Hoshi snuck another carrot. Or thought she did. Chef looked at her again.
"Catfish, huh?" Hoshi nodded. "What else do you want?"
A thin line marred the linguist's forehead. She dredged up a memory. "Collard greens?"
Chef barked a laugh. "Not if you want to see the Commander again. He hates them. Likes coleslaw though. Hush puppies go well with catfish too."
"I've never made catfish before." The line was back.
"I'll teach you how after dinner." Chef poured the batter in a pan. "You know I wouldn't do this for anyone."
"I know. And I appreciate it. Really."
"Mmm hmm. Have you thought about dessert?"
Hoshi and Chef smiled at each other. "Pecan pie," they chorused. "And ice cream?" Hoshi added.
"Sure. You can make the pie after you practice on the catfish."
"You'd let me make the pie too?"
"It means the most if you make it with your own hands. The way to a man's heart and all." Chef smothered a grin at Hoshi's blush. "Don't try to deny it," he said as she opened her mouth. "You wouldn't want to perjure your soul."
Hoshi wisely shut her mouth.
"The coleslaw is easy. You can make it tonight after the pie. I'll do the hush puppies, they have to fry. You can make the catfish right then on your hot plate."
"Thanks Chef. You're the best." Leaning over Hoshi kissed him on the cheek.
"Hmph. Young love." He smiled at her.
Hoshi stuck her tongue out at him as she left the galley.
----------
Trip smoothed down the front of his shirt as he stood in front of Hoshi's door. She had invited him to dinner to thank him for the white noise machine. He was a bit surprised it was to be in her cabin. Surprised and pleased.
It might not mean anything.
But then again it might.
He finally rang the chime.
"Trip!" A disheveled Hoshi answered the door. "You're early." She spun, looking at her chronometer. "No, I'm late. Hell."
"Can I come in?"
"Oh! Sure." She backed up, letting him enter the room.
A table and two chairs had taken up most of the extra space. The bunny slippers were in a corner, obviously happy to see him and his shoes again. Trip saw Hoshi's famous hotplate on her desk, next to a plate of …
"Catfish?"
"Yeah." A half grin graced Hoshi's mouth. "I hope I can get it right. Chef let me practice last night," she gently laid a fillet in the pan. "But as he didn't want to waste any food he only gave me one."
"D'you want some help?" He moved to look over her shoulder.
"This is supposed to be a thank you for the white noise machine." Hoshi's tongue peeked out as she unsuccessfully tried to turn the fish. "But I think I can use all the help I can get."
"You turned it too soon." Taking her hand in his Trip flipped the fillet back over.
"Thanks." Hoshi smiled at him.
"You look a lot better." Trip's free hand came up and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
"It's amazing what a few nights sleep will do for you." Her eyes fell under his gaze. "Now?"
Tip lifted up the edge of the fish. "Now." He guided her hand turning both pieces over. "One minute on this side."
"What would you like to drink? A beer?"
"That'd be fine, darlin'."
A few minutes later Hoshi and Trip were seated across form each other, fillets in front of them. "Well," Hoshi sighed, picking up her fork. "Here goes nothing."
She kept her eyes on Trip as he took a bite, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "How is it?"
"Good. Did you use mustard in the coating?"
Hoshi nodded, looking at him with a worried frown. Trip laughed.
"It's delicious. I've never had it with mustard before." He reached over and squeezed her hand. "I like it."
----------
"Hoshi, I could not eat another bite." Trip pushed his plate away, remnants of pecan pie and vanilla ice cream on it. "That was absolutely the best."
"I was wondering about the machine you made for me." Hoshi got up and cleared the dishes away. "If it sends out counter frequencies to the ones it picks up, why didn't my music get … negated? Or our voices?"
"I took readings from Miller's cabin next door and programmed those into its memory. So technically it wouldn't take care of all noises. If a new sound started up, I'd have to reprogram it."
"Well it works great." She walked over, took his face in her hands and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Thank you very much."
Trip looked up into her smiling eyes. He placed his hands over hers, pulling them off his face and tugged her closer.
"Archer to Sato."
He reluctantly let Hoshi go as she moved toward the comm. "Sato here, sir."
"Are you still going to take Porthos for his walk tonight, Hoshi? He's getting antsy."
