*****
"Lieutenant...ready room...now," Captain Jonathan Archer's clipped tone sounded grim.
The impending feeling of shit hitting the fan loomed before her. Either a really big translation was coming up or the Captain needed her for something personal, like babysitting Porthos.
Hoshi followed him into his ready room and braced for whatever additional duties he was sure to assign. She startled as soon as the door closed behind her.
"What the hell were you thinking?" Archer queried rather loudly. He was standing in front of her, his hands behind his back.
She paled. "Sir?"
"Your hacking!" Archer accused. "You were searching for information on Lieutenant Commander Reed. His record is sealed for a reason, Lieutenant. Did that ever occur to you? What you did is a court martial offense. You're lucky you aren't busted down to crewman second class for this stunt."
Remaining silent, Hoshi shifted uneasily.
"Luckily, Admiral Forrest is willing to overlook your serious lapse in judgment and is not going to press charges," Jon stated grimly and ran his hand through his already disheveled hair. "Well?"
Hoshi stared at him, her eyes wide with shock. Did he ask a question? This discussion seemed surreal and she felt like she was dreaming. "Uh."
"What-were-you-thinking?" Jon enunciated each syllable, his irritation growing.
Hoshi felt the back of her eyelids start to sting and she swallowed the lump that grew in her throat.
"Well?" Jon persisted, wanting a serious answer because he had just spent the last hour convincing Admiral Forrest not to court-martial his com officer.
"I – I was just trying to h – help him," Hoshi whispered, looking straight ahead and blinking rapidly.
Shoulders slumping, Jon sighed. "Your personal access to ships systems has been revoked. You will have to go through T'Pol for access codes to the universal translator. Other than that, you are confined to your quarters. Dismissed."
--
Buzzing her quarters again, Malcolm waited impatiently. He knew she was in there for there was nowhere else for her to go. He looked over his shoulder, thankful Captain Archer hadn't actually posted a security detail at her quarters. Archer had been very implicit that Malcolm have no further contact with Hoshi, but Malcolm just couldn't let her take the brunt of the punishment alone and leave with nothing said.
He knocked on the door. "I know you're in there, Hoshi. I'll force the lock. I know how to do it," Malcolm said through the door, trying to keep his voice low and not draw attention to himself. He held his breath and hoped the threat worked.
Finally the door opened and a belligerent looking Hoshi stood arms crossed and staring at him.
Ignoring her obvious defensive posture, Malcolm pushed past her and closed the door behind him. "I know it's little consolation, but I'm sorry about—everything."
He looked lost again, the confidence he had gained in the past few weeks no longer in his demeanor. Hoshi moved to reassure him and touched his arm.
"I told Captain Archer I had asked for your help and—"
"It's okay, Malcolm. I—"
"--There really wasn't any sensitive material that –"
"—Take full responsibility, and I—"
"—Was accessed. It's not like you found anything."
"—Will accept—"
"A Vulcan transport will arrive in three days for transport to Earth."
"—Full...You're leaving?" Hoshi's voice trailed off, barely a whisper.
Malcolm nodded. "Three days."
"It's not fair," she wanted to scream. Personal relationships were always so perverse to her, she never having the time to properly develop them. Enterprise was the closest thing she had to family. Intimacy was another matter entirely. Sure, she knew the basic mechanics of sex, but she wasn't very experienced. Intimacy with Malcolm was...well...she wished memorable, but the truth was that she just didn't remember it. Now he stood in front of her telling her that he was going to be leaving in three days. It just wasn't fair.
"I see," she replied.
"You never would have done such a foolish thing and jeopardized your career, so maybe it's for the best. After all, I –"
His thoughts and words were lost as Hoshi pressed her lips to his, her seeking immediate admission and him granting it without hesitation.
Not wanting to think anymore, Hoshi arched forward, pressing herself into him, rubbing her breasts against his chest.
The desperation in her actions silently whispered to him, and chastised him for his behavior this morning. Reluctantly, Malcolm broke the kiss and gently pushed her away. He had no intentions of becoming intimate with her now, especially since he would be leaving soon. "Hoshi," his voice low and belying his sense of arousal, "about last night."
The darkness in her almond-shaped eyes stared back at him in silence.
"Nothing happened," he admitted. "You were exhausted, and practically passed out in my arms. I should have seen it, but—"
A flood of emotions overwhelmed her as his admission cut through the miasma of her excitement – anger, acceptance and forgiveness. "I forgive you."
"But—"
"I said I forgive you," she whispered against his lips. "Now shut up and make good on your promise."
Bewilderment crossed over his face. "What promise?"
"You'll see," Hoshi grinned and nibbled his earlobe. "Just keep your eyes opened, like you promised."
Lost in the desire Hoshi sparked within him, Malcolm moved his hands up and down her back, quickly moving to the front of her jumpsuit and tugging on the zipper to her uniform. As he pushed the material from her body, he pushed her Henley away, moving his mouth lower and over the skin he exposed.
As Malcolm suckled the sensitive skin at the nape of her neck, Hoshi groaned, tipping her head back and inviting more. He helped her step out of her uniform and lifted both of his hands to cup her breasts. Within their next kiss, he sipped at her raspy sigh and feathered his fingertips over her skin.
He kicked his boots and jumpsuit off, ripping the Henley from his chest. Lifting her easily, Malcolm carried her to the bed. Hoshi's eyes were darker than he had ever seen, calling for him and pleading with him for completion. He knelt before her.
"Please, Malcolm."
With her words, he pushed his way inside her and quickly established the frenzied rhythm toward completion.
--
Malcolm stared grimly at the ceiling and ignored the tingle in his arm. She was asleep and that was all that mattered to him. He hadn't meant for things to go as far as they had. Well, actually he did, but their...his circumstances had changed so drastically within the past few hours. He didn't intend to bed her and leave her, but he had his orders. His future was uncertain at best, his past still shrouded in mystery.
*****
"Lieutenant...ready room...now," Captain Jonathan Archer's clipped tone sounded grim.
The impending feeling of shit hitting the fan loomed before her. Either a really big translation was coming up or the Captain needed her for something personal, like babysitting Porthos.
Hoshi followed him into his ready room and braced for whatever additional duties he was sure to assign. She startled as soon as the door closed behind her.
"What the hell were you thinking?" Archer queried rather loudly. He was standing in front of her, his hands behind his back.
She paled. "Sir?"
"Your hacking!" Archer accused. "You were searching for information on Lieutenant Commander Reed. His record is sealed for a reason, Lieutenant. Did that ever occur to you? What you did is a court martial offense. You're lucky you aren't busted down to crewman second class for this stunt."
Remaining silent, Hoshi shifted uneasily.
"Luckily, Admiral Forrest is willing to overlook your serious lapse in judgment and is not going to press charges," Jon stated grimly and ran his hand through his already disheveled hair. "Well?"
Hoshi stared at him, her eyes wide with shock. Did he ask a question? This discussion seemed surreal and she felt like she was dreaming. "Uh."
"What-were-you-thinking?" Jon enunciated each syllable, his irritation growing.
Hoshi felt the back of her eyelids start to sting and she swallowed the lump that grew in her throat.
"Well?" Jon persisted, wanting a serious answer because he had just spent the last hour convincing Admiral Forrest not to court-martial his com officer.
"I – I was just trying to h – help him," Hoshi whispered, looking straight ahead and blinking rapidly.
Shoulders slumping, Jon sighed. "Your personal access to ships systems has been revoked. You will have to go through T'Pol for access codes to the universal translator. Other than that, you are confined to your quarters. Dismissed."
--
Buzzing her quarters again, Malcolm waited impatiently. He knew she was in there for there was nowhere else for her to go. He looked over his shoulder, thankful Captain Archer hadn't actually posted a security detail at her quarters. Archer had been very implicit that Malcolm have no further contact with Hoshi, but Malcolm just couldn't let her take the brunt of the punishment alone and leave with nothing said.
He knocked on the door. "I know you're in there, Hoshi. I'll force the lock. I know how to do it," Malcolm said through the door, trying to keep his voice low and not draw attention to himself. He held his breath and hoped the threat worked.
Finally the door opened and a belligerent looking Hoshi stood arms crossed and staring at him.
Ignoring her obvious defensive posture, Malcolm pushed past her and closed the door behind him. "I know it's little consolation, but I'm sorry about—everything."
He looked lost again, the confidence he had gained in the past few weeks no longer in his demeanor. Hoshi moved to reassure him and touched his arm.
"I told Captain Archer I had asked for your help and—"
"It's okay, Malcolm. I—"
"--There really wasn't any sensitive material that –"
"—Take full responsibility, and I—"
"—Was accessed. It's not like you found anything."
"—Will accept—"
"A Vulcan transport will arrive in three days for transport to Earth."
"—Full...You're leaving?" Hoshi's voice trailed off, barely a whisper.
Malcolm nodded. "Three days."
"It's not fair," she wanted to scream. Personal relationships were always so perverse to her, she never having the time to properly develop them. Enterprise was the closest thing she had to family. Intimacy was another matter entirely. Sure, she knew the basic mechanics of sex, but she wasn't very experienced. Intimacy with Malcolm was...well...she wished memorable, but the truth was that she just didn't remember it. Now he stood in front of her telling her that he was going to be leaving in three days. It just wasn't fair.
"I see," she replied.
"You never would have done such a foolish thing and jeopardized your career, so maybe it's for the best. After all, I –"
His thoughts and words were lost as Hoshi pressed her lips to his, her seeking immediate admission and him granting it without hesitation.
Not wanting to think anymore, Hoshi arched forward, pressing herself into him, rubbing her breasts against his chest.
The desperation in her actions silently whispered to him, and chastised him for his behavior this morning. Reluctantly, Malcolm broke the kiss and gently pushed her away. He had no intentions of becoming intimate with her now, especially since he would be leaving soon. "Hoshi," his voice low and belying his sense of arousal, "about last night."
The darkness in her almond-shaped eyes stared back at him in silence.
"Nothing happened," he admitted. "You were exhausted, and practically passed out in my arms. I should have seen it, but—"
A flood of emotions overwhelmed her as his admission cut through the miasma of her excitement – anger, acceptance and forgiveness. "I forgive you."
"But—"
"I said I forgive you," she whispered against his lips. "Now shut up and make good on your promise."
Bewilderment crossed over his face. "What promise?"
"You'll see," Hoshi grinned and nibbled his earlobe. "Just keep your eyes opened, like you promised."
Lost in the desire Hoshi sparked within him, Malcolm moved his hands up and down her back, quickly moving to the front of her jumpsuit and tugging on the zipper to her uniform. As he pushed the material from her body, he pushed her Henley away, moving his mouth lower and over the skin he exposed.
As Malcolm suckled the sensitive skin at the nape of her neck, Hoshi groaned, tipping her head back and inviting more. He helped her step out of her uniform and lifted both of his hands to cup her breasts. Within their next kiss, he sipped at her raspy sigh and feathered his fingertips over her skin.
He kicked his boots and jumpsuit off, ripping the Henley from his chest. Lifting her easily, Malcolm carried her to the bed. Hoshi's eyes were darker than he had ever seen, calling for him and pleading with him for completion. He knelt before her.
"Please, Malcolm."
With her words, he pushed his way inside her and quickly established the frenzied rhythm toward completion.
--
Malcolm stared grimly at the ceiling and ignored the tingle in his arm. She was asleep and that was all that mattered to him. He hadn't meant for things to go as far as they had. Well, actually he did, but their...his circumstances had changed so drastically within the past few hours. He didn't intend to bed her and leave her, but he had his orders. His future was uncertain at best, his past still shrouded in mystery.
*****