Chapter 2: Straight to My Lover's Heart
The Kyupit awoke to find himself locked in Sato's quarters for the day. He was further frustrated to discover the Oro would not be recharged to maximum for a few moments longer when she finally came back. His little sullen face followed Sato as she changed clothing, then the Kyupit darted out after her. He was determined to hit his target this time! And he intended to use its full capacity.
-----
Reed was in the armory waiting for Sato to show up for target practice, but instead it was Tucker who appeared. This was just too much!
"Really, Trip, the joke has continued far too long. Will you quit behaving as if you have a crush on me!" began Reed, not caring that he was using an angry tone at a commanding officer.
"Well, I'm glad you figured out it was just a bad joke on my part, Malcolm. I'm real sorry and promise it won't happen again," said Tucker. He was grateful the Armory Officer had by offered a plausible explanation for his behavior. The engineer had even been to sickbay to have himself checked out, but nothing was wrong.
"Look, I was in sickbay earlier and Phlox wanted me to bring you a new toy. It's that tranquilizer dart gun you've been working on. He's loaded it with a drug that's easily reversible, but he says don't try it on anything without his supervision."
"Wonderful. I wanted to test the dart release now that it has the weight of the drug. Thank you. This will do nicely as a peace offering," said Reed.
Tucker nodded and quickly left, relieved to find himself acting normally in Reed's presence. Next time, he'd make sure to find a woman on shore leave!
Reed checked the chronometer again once Tucker left. Five minutes late. She was never late! That's it, he was going to call her quarters-- No, better yet, he'd go up there himself. Just as he had made this decision, Sato entered the armory, coming to a skidding halt as she moved to stop herself. Neither she nor Malcolm saw the Kyupit fluttering into the armory.
"I'm sorry, Lieutenant. I just had to change quickly. I'm meeting someone after target practice and won't have time to change then," offered Sato as an explanation.
Reed was taken aback by her appearance. While her hair was still tied back, Sato was wearing a red tank top and white shorts resulting in much more of her skin being exposed than he was used to. Reed swallowed, remembering how much of her skin he had seen the previous night.
The Lieutenant relied on the Ensign's uniform to keep his thoughts about her in check. The uniform symbolized their professional relationship while still allowing him to be comfortable with his developing friendship with her. Reed had convinced himself he could simply see Hoshi Sato as a sister, but warm brotherly thoughts were far from his mind. He was enticed the bare arms and length of leg she was showing. This was going to be an uncomfortable session.
At this point the Kyupit had caught up with Hoshi and had his Oro aimed at her. As luck would have it, Reed dropped the phase pistol he was handing to her, still flustered by her unexpected attire. Sato bent to retrieve it, thinking that yet again she heard a buzzing noise, while Reed moved into the space she had previously occupied. He, too, thought he heard a faint buzzing, but forgot about it when he felt a sting on his shoulder
The Kyupit was incredulous. Did that vicious woman have some sort of shield protecting her? The Kyupit fumed and fluttered out, deciding to wait again in her quarters and nab her when his Oro was recharged on the next day. With a huff, he left the armory.
-----
In the meantime, Malcolm was having trouble talking to Hoshi without stuttering. She had such warm eyes! Her skin looked so soft and smooth that he could hardly keep himself from touching her. Malcolm quickly tried to think about weapons schematics. When he finally thought he had control, he said, "Alright, time to strip, uh, start. Let's get started."
Hoshi looked at Malcolm quickly, wondering if she had heard correctly. Malcolm simply nodded for her to proceed with his arms across his chest gripping himself tightly.
Hoshi began her practice session, thinking of a sequence of misconceptions Malcolm had about her as she sought each target. She had been surprised by how well that technique had been working for her lately. Tonight Malcolm seemed to be standing closer to her than normal. In fact, Hoshi could feel the warmth of his breath on her back. She missed several shots as shivers began to run up her spine.
Okay, so I changed out of uniform to see how he would react, Hoshi told herself. She had not expected Malcolm to be so flustered, though. He claimed he thought of her as a sister. She shivered further once he began to speak, his voice coming softly right behind her neck.
"Your accuracy's off today," said Malcolm as he leaned in a bit behind Hoshi. "Here, let's adjust your stance and grip."
While he sounded professional, his hands did a slow glide down her body from shoulders to hip as he positioned her. Then instead of stepping back, he brought his right arm to brush along the length of Hoshi's limb and wrapped his hand around hers to help her grip the phase pistol.
"Remember to keep your shoulders relaxed," he murmured in her ear, his lips practically touching her lobe.
Did Malcolm really expect her to be accurate? And why was he suddenly so hands-on? He barely gave her a tap on the shoulder when they had their sessions. His accent was seductive in her ear and Hoshi could feel the muscles in his chest and arm as he positioned her aim.
Hoshi turned her head to look at Malcolm. Then the unexpected happened. Malcolm lowered his head and kissed her. Hoshi felt Malcolm's mouth soft and warm on hers, exploring her lips and mouth lightly. Not only did he begin kissing her, but he lowered the phase pistol, letting it drop to the floor as he turned her around in his arms. He didn't even flinch when it clattered to the floor. He was moving her back against the wall to press his body into hers.
"Malcolm?" Hoshi asked once he finally released her mouth, "I thought you said I was like a sister to you?"
Malcolm had begun to nibble on her neck and right ear lobe. "Yes, you're right."
"Um," Hoshi's question was silenced by a kiss. Another brief gap as Malcolm attacked the left ear lobe allowed her to ask, "You kiss your sister like this?"
"Heavens no!" Malcolm managed to whisper, loving the feel of the soft skin under his lips as he trailed them across her shoulders. His hands were now roaming over Hoshi's body as he kissed her again, this time more deeply.
Hoshi was amazed at what showing a little skin had done to Malcolm's self-control. She was enjoying the attention he was giving her and at this point it seemed innocent enough. He was a gentleman; he would stop if she told him to.
"Hoshi," Malcolm began before bringing his lips to her other shoulder, "Don't ever show up to target practice in anything but your uniform."
Malcolm was pleased he was able to get that entire phrase out. What was happening to him? See Hoshi naked one time and suddenly he was all over her! He generally had better self-control, but it was almost as if he were watching someone else kissing Hoshi.
"Yes," said Hoshi as Malcolm continued his assault. "I can tell it's hard for you to deal with me like this."
Malcolm groaned as he moved his body against hers. He was moving a strap down on her tank top when he began to come to his senses. He slammed his hand against the console, hoping to prevent its movement back toward Hoshi's body when he heard the warning: Torpedoes being prepared for launch.
Bloody hell! Malcolm had enough focus to quickly shut down the order, all the while still pressing his body against Hoshi's.
"Is there a problem in the armory, Lieutenant Reed?" came the voice of T'Pol over the intercom.
"Just a false alarm. It's all under control," responded Malcolm quickly, trying to control his breathing and glad that Hoshi was staying quiet.
"Hoshi, I think I have a problem," he managed to get out again, willing himself to keep his mouth off of her body for a few moments. But he had to kiss her lips again before he was able to continue.
"I want you," Malcolm said before he stopped to kiss her again. Then he just placed his forehead against hers while he held her in his arms.
"You think there's something's wrong because you want me?" asked Hoshi, wondering how else Malcolm could insult her.
"I want you to run as soon as I let you go. Something's wrong here; I can't keep from kissing you."
"I like knowing I can make you lose control, Malcolm," admitted Hoshi.
"I think something's wrong," Malcolm began before moving his mouth back to hers, his hands now on her derriere. Breaking the kiss, he finished, "because of how far I'm willing to go to have you."
"Meaning?" asked Hoshi, now starting to get concerned about Malcolm's self-control. This wasn't some game he was playing with her. He was serious!
"If you don't get away from me, I'm going to take you right here in the armory," came his gruff reply as he captured her mouth for another deep kiss.
Malcolm pressed into Hoshi again and she heard him moan before he could continue. "On the table is a dart gun."
Malcolm leaned in to kiss her neck, his thumbs now doing slow circles along the front of her tank top. His urgency was now beginning to frighten Hoshi.
"Why do I need the dart gun, Malcolm?"
Malcolm's breathing was now ragged. He worked hard to regain his control, desperately clinging to the thought that it was his job to protect this woman. He willed his hands to quit exploring her body and kept his lips just above her ear as he had given his final instructions.
"Because when I let you go, I doubt I'll give you enough time to get out of the armory before I try to grab you again," mumbled Malcolm as his lips swept from her left shoulder to her ear. "I'm going to let you go now, I think. But if I come after you, you have to use the dart gun, understand?"
Hoshi merely nodded, opening her eyes to see the concerned look in Malcolm's eyes. This was serious business, not just some flirtation that had gotten out of hand. Malcolm moved his body away from Hoshi, leaning his arms against the wall to either side of Hoshi to let her pass.
Hoshi quickly grabbed the dart gun that was on the table. She ran for the door and looked behind her quickly. To her surprise, she saw Malcolm suddenly move to come toward her. She took the shot, one even a novice could hit at close range.
Hoshi looked in dismay at the body on the floor as she knelt beside Malcolm. How could she report this without smearing his reputation? She made a quick decision and hoped she wouldn't regret it.
Sato walked to the intercom. "Doctor Phlox, I had an accident during target practice. It's Lieutenant Reed. Please come."
------
Reed woke up in sickbay as soon as Phlox injected the antagonist to reverse the effects of the narcotic in the dart. The memory of recent events seemed hazy, but were still sufficient to mortify him. He looked at the ceiling, wondering what could have happened to make him behave the way he had with Hoshi. It frightened him to think he could be capable of hurting her, but he knew he had wanted her so badly that he wouldn't have stopped if she had said no. How could he have come to this?
"Ah, Lieutenant Reed, I see you're waking. Ensign Sato seemed very upset about the accident. I was surprised you wound up testing the narcotic in the dart gun on yourself. I thought we'd had discussions before about research protocol," began Phlox as if he were correcting a little boy.
"I assure you, Doctor, it was not my intention either," said Reed, raising himself to sit on the bed.
"The narcotic had an idiosyncratic effect on you. Why, your vital signs all indicated heightened autonomic activity. I would also say that your brain activity suggests a situation of low impulse control, high arousal, excessive activity in the hypothalamus. I don't think I've seen quite this pattern before. But, there's nothing here that would keep you in sickbay. I'll let you return to your quarters."
"Doctor, I think I might have some trouble sleeping tonight. Is there something you can give me that will be safe after that narcotic?"
Reed decided that if he were sufficiently sedated, Hoshi would not have to worry about him showing up at her quarters. He could override her security codes and he didn't want to put her at risk again.
"If you insist, I can give you a benzodiazepine." Phlox administered the hypospray. "You should have just enough time to get to your quarters before the effect is complete. Don't be alarmed by any strange dreams, however. That will just be a side effect of the drug."
------
Malcolm walked directly to his quarters, pleased that he had some control over his body again. Once he entered he looked at the picture of Rita Hayworth he had on his wall. At least she'd always be there to welcome him, pathetic as the thought was. Malcolm stripped off his uniform, but before getting into bed, he heard Hoshi's voice at his door.
"Malcolm? Are you alright?" asked Hoshi.
Malcolm felt compelled to open the door to let her in, but the sedative was now making its presence known in his system. The sound of her voice had been sufficient to stir his desire again, but the drunken feeling that was developing at least assured him he would pass out before he could do any harm.
"I think I'll be alright. The Doctor gave me a sedative. By the wooziness I'm feeling I think it's working."
"Good, I mean, I spoke with Phlox who told me he'd given you something to help you sleep. I'm glad you're alright," said Hoshi. She hesitated a moment before asking her next question. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer. "Can you tell me what happened back in the armory?"
"I'm not sure. Hoshi, did you notice anything strange these past three nights? Like a buzzing noise right before the aberrant behavior started?" asked Malcolm, hoping her sensitive hearing would provide confirmation of his perceptions.
"You're right, Malcolm. There was a faint buzzing noise each time," confirmed Hoshi. "I checked the scanner logs and found confirmation for the frequency I heard appearing each night that coincided with the behavior we witnessed."
"We have to tell the Captain, Hoshi. I--"
"I told him about the noise being associated with aberrant behavior. He's having T'Pol scan for it now."
"He knows you had to shoot me?"
"I just said you became hyperactive and that I shot you by mistake when you surprised me. That's all."
"Thank you, Hoshi. You didn't have to do that," said Malcolm. He found it hard to believe that she had such faith in him.
"No, I should be thanking you, Malcolm."
"What for? I would have forced myself on you, Hoshi. Didn't you know that?" admitted Malcolm, his self-loathing causing the bile to rise to his throat. He turned from Hoshi and stumbled a bit, the sedative now taking on more effect.
"I'm thanking you for caring enough to stop, Malcolm. Here, let me help you," said Hoshi, letting Malcolm lean on her as she led him to get some rest.
Hoshi heard Malcolm chuckle softly. "Now she's interested in getting me in bed." Malcolm plopped down, immediately closing his eyes while Hoshi covered him with a blanket.
"I'm sorry, Hoshi. I don't want to hurt you. We better cancel target practice tomorrow just to be safe," mumbled Malcolm before finally giving in to the sedative.
Hoshi sat on the bed for a minute looking at Malcolm. She lightly touched his forehead. "Malcolm Reed, what am I going to do with you, you poor, confused man?"
She kissed him lightly on the cheek and left.
------
Malcolm did have a strange dream that night. He was approaching his bed. There was a woman kneeling on the satin sheets with a seductive smile on her face. The woman was wearing the same nightgown that sheathed Rita Hayworth in the picture he had of the pin-up girl. But the hair was black, the eyes were almond-shaped and the face was Hoshi Sato. However, in his dream, he didn't have to stop his kisses or his caresses.
~~~~~~~
The next morning the Kyupit woke up to find that the vicious woman had evaded him again! He was so angry he began shooting projectiles from his Oro at any target he could find in her room. The projectiles did no harm to her personal effects; however, the little Kyupit felt satisfied. He could do this all day! He set about gleefully to his task, buzzing all over Sato's quarters.
-----
A short time thereafter, Captain Archer was surprised by a small vessel hailing them that appeared to be not much larger than a probe. The design gave it a strangely heart-shaped silhouette illuminated by a faintly pink cast. The most unusual aspect was the captain of the vessel who hailed him. The cherubic face made it difficult to establish the sex, but the fluttering little wings on his back were the most striking feature.
Sato worked quickly to translate the message. She had noticed Reed was avoiding the bridge this morning, so she opened the comm link to the armory so that the Lieutenant could hear the exchange as well.
"Greetings. We are the Kyupit and we seek one of our students. His field studies have taken too long and his funding has been revoked. We must recover this student and believe him to be on your ship. If you give us his coordinates, we can transport him home."
"That low buzzing noise we've been hearing. I bet that's him," said Sato from her station.
T'Pol quirked an eyebrow and proceeded with her scans for the low frequency. "Captain, I believe I have detected the intruder in Ensign Sato's quarters. I can transmit the coordinates to the Kyupit ship."
"This is Jonathan Archer, Captain of the Enterprise. We think we've located your student. My Science Officer should be sending you the coordinates now. I think your graduate student disrupted the behavior of some of my officers."
"Oh, I hope there was no serious harm, Captain. Our only weapons are the Oros, but as you can see, they couldn't do much damage to such a large species as yourself," said the cherubic Captain as he held up a little gold bow. The weapon looked quite ridiculous.
"No real harm done. We would like to extend an invitation for you to visit us on our ship so that we can get to know each other better," offered Captain Archer, smiling at the way the species sounded so much like the cupids of human folklore.
"Thank you, Captain, but we best be on our way. We have recovered the graduate student and he must prepare for his thesis defense. No time to waste."
And with that, they were gone.
------
Reed was in the armory regretting that Sato wouldn't be showing up for target practice today. He felt he was back to normal and fully in control of his desires. He set up the target holograph and took aim. He began his litany.
I will not think of her eyes. He shot.
I will not think of her lips. He shot.
I will not think of her soft skin. He shot.
He continued until he had reconstructed her entire body. Now all he needed was a cold shower and he would be fine!
"Lieutenant?"
Reed turned to see Sato standing at the door. He put the phase pistol down. Spreading his arms wide about him he said, "I think you should be safe. Whatever was causing the effects last night appears to have worn off."
Sato smiled and entered. "What did you think of the Kyupits? I thought they looked like those cupids you see on old valentines. Even their ship appeared heart shaped."
"I guess we were just subjects in a scientific study. I can't say I liked being a guinea pig. But, at least the intruder is gone now."
"It's nice to know we're back to normal," responded Sato. She was a bit disappointed that Reed was so fully recovered of his infatuation with her.
Reed eyed Sato a bit warily before offering, "Let me walk you to your quarters. I think I've had too much excitement lately."
They walked in companionable silence, but when they got to her door, Malcolm had a question in his eyes. "Hoshi, I don't mean to be forward, but, may I kiss you goodnight? I'd like to test something."
Hoshi looked into Malcolm's eyes and saw nothing but his question reflected in them. She nodded and stood still as he leaned down for a kiss. It was soft, gentle and sweet, but enough to make her heart go racing.
"Just as I thought," said Malcolm. "Good night, Hoshi."
And he turned to walk away. Hoshi smiled as she entered her quarters. It certainly had not felt like a brotherly kiss. Perhaps Malcolm was learning.
As Malcolm walked back to his quarters, he realized Hoshi was the most dangerous woman he had ever met simply because she was a friend. She was intelligent, talented, compassionate, caring, beautiful and sexy.
There was no way he could think of her as a sister now. He was doomed! Then he realized that when he had kissed her goodnight, she had kissed him back, too.
Bloody hell! He was completely doomed!
*****
The Kyupit awoke to find himself locked in Sato's quarters for the day. He was further frustrated to discover the Oro would not be recharged to maximum for a few moments longer when she finally came back. His little sullen face followed Sato as she changed clothing, then the Kyupit darted out after her. He was determined to hit his target this time! And he intended to use its full capacity.
-----
Reed was in the armory waiting for Sato to show up for target practice, but instead it was Tucker who appeared. This was just too much!
"Really, Trip, the joke has continued far too long. Will you quit behaving as if you have a crush on me!" began Reed, not caring that he was using an angry tone at a commanding officer.
"Well, I'm glad you figured out it was just a bad joke on my part, Malcolm. I'm real sorry and promise it won't happen again," said Tucker. He was grateful the Armory Officer had by offered a plausible explanation for his behavior. The engineer had even been to sickbay to have himself checked out, but nothing was wrong.
"Look, I was in sickbay earlier and Phlox wanted me to bring you a new toy. It's that tranquilizer dart gun you've been working on. He's loaded it with a drug that's easily reversible, but he says don't try it on anything without his supervision."
"Wonderful. I wanted to test the dart release now that it has the weight of the drug. Thank you. This will do nicely as a peace offering," said Reed.
Tucker nodded and quickly left, relieved to find himself acting normally in Reed's presence. Next time, he'd make sure to find a woman on shore leave!
Reed checked the chronometer again once Tucker left. Five minutes late. She was never late! That's it, he was going to call her quarters-- No, better yet, he'd go up there himself. Just as he had made this decision, Sato entered the armory, coming to a skidding halt as she moved to stop herself. Neither she nor Malcolm saw the Kyupit fluttering into the armory.
"I'm sorry, Lieutenant. I just had to change quickly. I'm meeting someone after target practice and won't have time to change then," offered Sato as an explanation.
Reed was taken aback by her appearance. While her hair was still tied back, Sato was wearing a red tank top and white shorts resulting in much more of her skin being exposed than he was used to. Reed swallowed, remembering how much of her skin he had seen the previous night.
The Lieutenant relied on the Ensign's uniform to keep his thoughts about her in check. The uniform symbolized their professional relationship while still allowing him to be comfortable with his developing friendship with her. Reed had convinced himself he could simply see Hoshi Sato as a sister, but warm brotherly thoughts were far from his mind. He was enticed the bare arms and length of leg she was showing. This was going to be an uncomfortable session.
At this point the Kyupit had caught up with Hoshi and had his Oro aimed at her. As luck would have it, Reed dropped the phase pistol he was handing to her, still flustered by her unexpected attire. Sato bent to retrieve it, thinking that yet again she heard a buzzing noise, while Reed moved into the space she had previously occupied. He, too, thought he heard a faint buzzing, but forgot about it when he felt a sting on his shoulder
The Kyupit was incredulous. Did that vicious woman have some sort of shield protecting her? The Kyupit fumed and fluttered out, deciding to wait again in her quarters and nab her when his Oro was recharged on the next day. With a huff, he left the armory.
-----
In the meantime, Malcolm was having trouble talking to Hoshi without stuttering. She had such warm eyes! Her skin looked so soft and smooth that he could hardly keep himself from touching her. Malcolm quickly tried to think about weapons schematics. When he finally thought he had control, he said, "Alright, time to strip, uh, start. Let's get started."
Hoshi looked at Malcolm quickly, wondering if she had heard correctly. Malcolm simply nodded for her to proceed with his arms across his chest gripping himself tightly.
Hoshi began her practice session, thinking of a sequence of misconceptions Malcolm had about her as she sought each target. She had been surprised by how well that technique had been working for her lately. Tonight Malcolm seemed to be standing closer to her than normal. In fact, Hoshi could feel the warmth of his breath on her back. She missed several shots as shivers began to run up her spine.
Okay, so I changed out of uniform to see how he would react, Hoshi told herself. She had not expected Malcolm to be so flustered, though. He claimed he thought of her as a sister. She shivered further once he began to speak, his voice coming softly right behind her neck.
"Your accuracy's off today," said Malcolm as he leaned in a bit behind Hoshi. "Here, let's adjust your stance and grip."
While he sounded professional, his hands did a slow glide down her body from shoulders to hip as he positioned her. Then instead of stepping back, he brought his right arm to brush along the length of Hoshi's limb and wrapped his hand around hers to help her grip the phase pistol.
"Remember to keep your shoulders relaxed," he murmured in her ear, his lips practically touching her lobe.
Did Malcolm really expect her to be accurate? And why was he suddenly so hands-on? He barely gave her a tap on the shoulder when they had their sessions. His accent was seductive in her ear and Hoshi could feel the muscles in his chest and arm as he positioned her aim.
Hoshi turned her head to look at Malcolm. Then the unexpected happened. Malcolm lowered his head and kissed her. Hoshi felt Malcolm's mouth soft and warm on hers, exploring her lips and mouth lightly. Not only did he begin kissing her, but he lowered the phase pistol, letting it drop to the floor as he turned her around in his arms. He didn't even flinch when it clattered to the floor. He was moving her back against the wall to press his body into hers.
"Malcolm?" Hoshi asked once he finally released her mouth, "I thought you said I was like a sister to you?"
Malcolm had begun to nibble on her neck and right ear lobe. "Yes, you're right."
"Um," Hoshi's question was silenced by a kiss. Another brief gap as Malcolm attacked the left ear lobe allowed her to ask, "You kiss your sister like this?"
"Heavens no!" Malcolm managed to whisper, loving the feel of the soft skin under his lips as he trailed them across her shoulders. His hands were now roaming over Hoshi's body as he kissed her again, this time more deeply.
Hoshi was amazed at what showing a little skin had done to Malcolm's self-control. She was enjoying the attention he was giving her and at this point it seemed innocent enough. He was a gentleman; he would stop if she told him to.
"Hoshi," Malcolm began before bringing his lips to her other shoulder, "Don't ever show up to target practice in anything but your uniform."
Malcolm was pleased he was able to get that entire phrase out. What was happening to him? See Hoshi naked one time and suddenly he was all over her! He generally had better self-control, but it was almost as if he were watching someone else kissing Hoshi.
"Yes," said Hoshi as Malcolm continued his assault. "I can tell it's hard for you to deal with me like this."
Malcolm groaned as he moved his body against hers. He was moving a strap down on her tank top when he began to come to his senses. He slammed his hand against the console, hoping to prevent its movement back toward Hoshi's body when he heard the warning: Torpedoes being prepared for launch.
Bloody hell! Malcolm had enough focus to quickly shut down the order, all the while still pressing his body against Hoshi's.
"Is there a problem in the armory, Lieutenant Reed?" came the voice of T'Pol over the intercom.
"Just a false alarm. It's all under control," responded Malcolm quickly, trying to control his breathing and glad that Hoshi was staying quiet.
"Hoshi, I think I have a problem," he managed to get out again, willing himself to keep his mouth off of her body for a few moments. But he had to kiss her lips again before he was able to continue.
"I want you," Malcolm said before he stopped to kiss her again. Then he just placed his forehead against hers while he held her in his arms.
"You think there's something's wrong because you want me?" asked Hoshi, wondering how else Malcolm could insult her.
"I want you to run as soon as I let you go. Something's wrong here; I can't keep from kissing you."
"I like knowing I can make you lose control, Malcolm," admitted Hoshi.
"I think something's wrong," Malcolm began before moving his mouth back to hers, his hands now on her derriere. Breaking the kiss, he finished, "because of how far I'm willing to go to have you."
"Meaning?" asked Hoshi, now starting to get concerned about Malcolm's self-control. This wasn't some game he was playing with her. He was serious!
"If you don't get away from me, I'm going to take you right here in the armory," came his gruff reply as he captured her mouth for another deep kiss.
Malcolm pressed into Hoshi again and she heard him moan before he could continue. "On the table is a dart gun."
Malcolm leaned in to kiss her neck, his thumbs now doing slow circles along the front of her tank top. His urgency was now beginning to frighten Hoshi.
"Why do I need the dart gun, Malcolm?"
Malcolm's breathing was now ragged. He worked hard to regain his control, desperately clinging to the thought that it was his job to protect this woman. He willed his hands to quit exploring her body and kept his lips just above her ear as he had given his final instructions.
"Because when I let you go, I doubt I'll give you enough time to get out of the armory before I try to grab you again," mumbled Malcolm as his lips swept from her left shoulder to her ear. "I'm going to let you go now, I think. But if I come after you, you have to use the dart gun, understand?"
Hoshi merely nodded, opening her eyes to see the concerned look in Malcolm's eyes. This was serious business, not just some flirtation that had gotten out of hand. Malcolm moved his body away from Hoshi, leaning his arms against the wall to either side of Hoshi to let her pass.
Hoshi quickly grabbed the dart gun that was on the table. She ran for the door and looked behind her quickly. To her surprise, she saw Malcolm suddenly move to come toward her. She took the shot, one even a novice could hit at close range.
Hoshi looked in dismay at the body on the floor as she knelt beside Malcolm. How could she report this without smearing his reputation? She made a quick decision and hoped she wouldn't regret it.
Sato walked to the intercom. "Doctor Phlox, I had an accident during target practice. It's Lieutenant Reed. Please come."
------
Reed woke up in sickbay as soon as Phlox injected the antagonist to reverse the effects of the narcotic in the dart. The memory of recent events seemed hazy, but were still sufficient to mortify him. He looked at the ceiling, wondering what could have happened to make him behave the way he had with Hoshi. It frightened him to think he could be capable of hurting her, but he knew he had wanted her so badly that he wouldn't have stopped if she had said no. How could he have come to this?
"Ah, Lieutenant Reed, I see you're waking. Ensign Sato seemed very upset about the accident. I was surprised you wound up testing the narcotic in the dart gun on yourself. I thought we'd had discussions before about research protocol," began Phlox as if he were correcting a little boy.
"I assure you, Doctor, it was not my intention either," said Reed, raising himself to sit on the bed.
"The narcotic had an idiosyncratic effect on you. Why, your vital signs all indicated heightened autonomic activity. I would also say that your brain activity suggests a situation of low impulse control, high arousal, excessive activity in the hypothalamus. I don't think I've seen quite this pattern before. But, there's nothing here that would keep you in sickbay. I'll let you return to your quarters."
"Doctor, I think I might have some trouble sleeping tonight. Is there something you can give me that will be safe after that narcotic?"
Reed decided that if he were sufficiently sedated, Hoshi would not have to worry about him showing up at her quarters. He could override her security codes and he didn't want to put her at risk again.
"If you insist, I can give you a benzodiazepine." Phlox administered the hypospray. "You should have just enough time to get to your quarters before the effect is complete. Don't be alarmed by any strange dreams, however. That will just be a side effect of the drug."
------
Malcolm walked directly to his quarters, pleased that he had some control over his body again. Once he entered he looked at the picture of Rita Hayworth he had on his wall. At least she'd always be there to welcome him, pathetic as the thought was. Malcolm stripped off his uniform, but before getting into bed, he heard Hoshi's voice at his door.
"Malcolm? Are you alright?" asked Hoshi.
Malcolm felt compelled to open the door to let her in, but the sedative was now making its presence known in his system. The sound of her voice had been sufficient to stir his desire again, but the drunken feeling that was developing at least assured him he would pass out before he could do any harm.
"I think I'll be alright. The Doctor gave me a sedative. By the wooziness I'm feeling I think it's working."
"Good, I mean, I spoke with Phlox who told me he'd given you something to help you sleep. I'm glad you're alright," said Hoshi. She hesitated a moment before asking her next question. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer. "Can you tell me what happened back in the armory?"
"I'm not sure. Hoshi, did you notice anything strange these past three nights? Like a buzzing noise right before the aberrant behavior started?" asked Malcolm, hoping her sensitive hearing would provide confirmation of his perceptions.
"You're right, Malcolm. There was a faint buzzing noise each time," confirmed Hoshi. "I checked the scanner logs and found confirmation for the frequency I heard appearing each night that coincided with the behavior we witnessed."
"We have to tell the Captain, Hoshi. I--"
"I told him about the noise being associated with aberrant behavior. He's having T'Pol scan for it now."
"He knows you had to shoot me?"
"I just said you became hyperactive and that I shot you by mistake when you surprised me. That's all."
"Thank you, Hoshi. You didn't have to do that," said Malcolm. He found it hard to believe that she had such faith in him.
"No, I should be thanking you, Malcolm."
"What for? I would have forced myself on you, Hoshi. Didn't you know that?" admitted Malcolm, his self-loathing causing the bile to rise to his throat. He turned from Hoshi and stumbled a bit, the sedative now taking on more effect.
"I'm thanking you for caring enough to stop, Malcolm. Here, let me help you," said Hoshi, letting Malcolm lean on her as she led him to get some rest.
Hoshi heard Malcolm chuckle softly. "Now she's interested in getting me in bed." Malcolm plopped down, immediately closing his eyes while Hoshi covered him with a blanket.
"I'm sorry, Hoshi. I don't want to hurt you. We better cancel target practice tomorrow just to be safe," mumbled Malcolm before finally giving in to the sedative.
Hoshi sat on the bed for a minute looking at Malcolm. She lightly touched his forehead. "Malcolm Reed, what am I going to do with you, you poor, confused man?"
She kissed him lightly on the cheek and left.
------
Malcolm did have a strange dream that night. He was approaching his bed. There was a woman kneeling on the satin sheets with a seductive smile on her face. The woman was wearing the same nightgown that sheathed Rita Hayworth in the picture he had of the pin-up girl. But the hair was black, the eyes were almond-shaped and the face was Hoshi Sato. However, in his dream, he didn't have to stop his kisses or his caresses.
~~~~~~~
The next morning the Kyupit woke up to find that the vicious woman had evaded him again! He was so angry he began shooting projectiles from his Oro at any target he could find in her room. The projectiles did no harm to her personal effects; however, the little Kyupit felt satisfied. He could do this all day! He set about gleefully to his task, buzzing all over Sato's quarters.
-----
A short time thereafter, Captain Archer was surprised by a small vessel hailing them that appeared to be not much larger than a probe. The design gave it a strangely heart-shaped silhouette illuminated by a faintly pink cast. The most unusual aspect was the captain of the vessel who hailed him. The cherubic face made it difficult to establish the sex, but the fluttering little wings on his back were the most striking feature.
Sato worked quickly to translate the message. She had noticed Reed was avoiding the bridge this morning, so she opened the comm link to the armory so that the Lieutenant could hear the exchange as well.
"Greetings. We are the Kyupit and we seek one of our students. His field studies have taken too long and his funding has been revoked. We must recover this student and believe him to be on your ship. If you give us his coordinates, we can transport him home."
"That low buzzing noise we've been hearing. I bet that's him," said Sato from her station.
T'Pol quirked an eyebrow and proceeded with her scans for the low frequency. "Captain, I believe I have detected the intruder in Ensign Sato's quarters. I can transmit the coordinates to the Kyupit ship."
"This is Jonathan Archer, Captain of the Enterprise. We think we've located your student. My Science Officer should be sending you the coordinates now. I think your graduate student disrupted the behavior of some of my officers."
"Oh, I hope there was no serious harm, Captain. Our only weapons are the Oros, but as you can see, they couldn't do much damage to such a large species as yourself," said the cherubic Captain as he held up a little gold bow. The weapon looked quite ridiculous.
"No real harm done. We would like to extend an invitation for you to visit us on our ship so that we can get to know each other better," offered Captain Archer, smiling at the way the species sounded so much like the cupids of human folklore.
"Thank you, Captain, but we best be on our way. We have recovered the graduate student and he must prepare for his thesis defense. No time to waste."
And with that, they were gone.
------
Reed was in the armory regretting that Sato wouldn't be showing up for target practice today. He felt he was back to normal and fully in control of his desires. He set up the target holograph and took aim. He began his litany.
I will not think of her eyes. He shot.
I will not think of her lips. He shot.
I will not think of her soft skin. He shot.
He continued until he had reconstructed her entire body. Now all he needed was a cold shower and he would be fine!
"Lieutenant?"
Reed turned to see Sato standing at the door. He put the phase pistol down. Spreading his arms wide about him he said, "I think you should be safe. Whatever was causing the effects last night appears to have worn off."
Sato smiled and entered. "What did you think of the Kyupits? I thought they looked like those cupids you see on old valentines. Even their ship appeared heart shaped."
"I guess we were just subjects in a scientific study. I can't say I liked being a guinea pig. But, at least the intruder is gone now."
"It's nice to know we're back to normal," responded Sato. She was a bit disappointed that Reed was so fully recovered of his infatuation with her.
Reed eyed Sato a bit warily before offering, "Let me walk you to your quarters. I think I've had too much excitement lately."
They walked in companionable silence, but when they got to her door, Malcolm had a question in his eyes. "Hoshi, I don't mean to be forward, but, may I kiss you goodnight? I'd like to test something."
Hoshi looked into Malcolm's eyes and saw nothing but his question reflected in them. She nodded and stood still as he leaned down for a kiss. It was soft, gentle and sweet, but enough to make her heart go racing.
"Just as I thought," said Malcolm. "Good night, Hoshi."
And he turned to walk away. Hoshi smiled as she entered her quarters. It certainly had not felt like a brotherly kiss. Perhaps Malcolm was learning.
As Malcolm walked back to his quarters, he realized Hoshi was the most dangerous woman he had ever met simply because she was a friend. She was intelligent, talented, compassionate, caring, beautiful and sexy.
There was no way he could think of her as a sister now. He was doomed! Then he realized that when he had kissed her goodnight, she had kissed him back, too.
Bloody hell! He was completely doomed!
*****