Title: Once Upon A Dare

Author: Looneyluna

Rating: R

Code: R/S

Category: Humor/Romance/Fluff

Summary: Hoshi, Malcolm and Travis go out for Chinese food. A game of truth or dare takes place. Add a drunk Hoshi and a tipsy Malcolm. What could possibly happen?

Special thanks to Kathy Rose for beta reading and PJ for the encouragement.

--

Third wheel. That's what he felt like as he watched Hoshi and Travis play off one another. Why had he ever agreed to come along? Her laughter warmed him as she laughed at Travis' table manners.

He couldn't help but laugh too as Enterprise's helmsman slurped lo mein noodles off his plate.

"Why don't you just dispense with the utensils, put your hands behind your back, and eat from your plate like you're at a pie-eating contest at a county fair?" Hoshi asked in a rush, quickly taking a swig of her plum wine.

"Oink, oink," replied Travis. "That's not such a bad idea."

"You wouldn't dare," Hoshi said, coughing harshly.

"That reminds me, Lieutenant." Travis slurred the L in lieutenant. "Never play truth or dare with Hoshi. She comes up with the most wicked dares."

"Truth or dare, Travis?" Hoshi asked with a sweet smile, winking quickly at Malcolm.

Malcolm stared at her profile, wondering if he had just witnessed the small crumb of affection.

"Truth," Travis answered quickly.

Hoshi pouted for a second but finally smiled. "Coward. Is it true you have underwear with rockets on them?"

Travis sputtered, choking on his drink. "How the hell do you know these things?"

Malcolm leaned closer, wondering how indeed Hoshi would know such an intimate detail.

She smirked. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Are you going to answer my question?"

"Are you asking me to reveal a truth?"

Watching the interplay with interest, Malcolm smiled. They were so relaxed. The atmosphere in the restaurant was such a change from their time in the Expanse. Thankfully, they had survived. Thankfully, she had survived.

"Yes," Travis said.

"I'm the com officer, Travis. I'm privy to lots of gossip." Hoshi giggled as the thought of Travis' underwear amused her. Sobering quickly, she turned her attention to Malcolm. "Truth or dare, sir."

Malcolm's smile fell. "I – I'm not playing."

"Oh pish posh, sir," Hoshi chastised. "Loosen up."

He felt the bottom drop out of his stomach. Only in his fantasies did she ever tease him. He looked at his plate, feeling awkward and out of place. He so wanted to play…to take part in their teasing and youth. So what did he choose? Truth or dare. "Dare," the word sprang from his mouth seamlessly as though he were a dummy and a ventriloquist controlled him.

"You're a braver man than I," Travis chuckled, patting the senior officer on the shoulder.

Hoshi smiled, her eyes twinkling with devilish amusement. Pouring a generous amount of plum wine into a glass, she pushed it across the table. "I dare you to drink all of this in less than a minute."

Looking at the glass of spirits, Malcolm couldn't help but chuckle at the irony. Was the glass half empty or half full? Normally, he was a half-empty person. But tonight was promising and he considered the glass and its possibilities. He took the glass, raised it to his lips and downed the contents.

Immediate warmth spread through him and Malcolm flipped the glass over and slammed it down onto the table. "Truth or dare…er…Travis?"

Travis was drunk but he wasn't drunk enough to miss the subtle underplay of unresolved feelings between his two friends. Travis cleared his throat, hoping it was safe to take a dare from the man that sat next to him. "Dare."

Hoshi scoffed. "That's no fair. You'll take a dare from him, but you won't from me!"

Smirking, Travis shifted in his seat, waiting for Malcolm to deliberate his fate.

Malcolm contemplated the situation, mulling over his choices. "I dare you to put your hands behind your back and eat the rest of the food off your plate like you're at a pie-eating contest at a county fair."

"Hey!" Hoshi huffed. "That's what I was going to have him do."

He smirked. "What difference does it matter who dared him?"

"I was kind of hoping for something a little more inventive," Travis stated simply before bending over and eating directly off his plate.

A silence fell over the table as Travis carried out his task. Once done, he sat up.

Grinning, Hoshi reached around the table and wiped the sauce off her friend's nose.

Watching the intimate gesture, Malcolm frowned.

"Truth or dare…um…Hoshi?" Travis said with a smirk, already knowing the answer.

Stirring the remnants of her meal thoughtfully, Hoshi muttered, "I don't want to play any more."

"That's not very sporting of you, Hoshi," Malcolm said quickly.

She heard the challenge in his voice. "Truth," she said. Hopefully Travis wouldn't pick anything embarrassing like the unrequited attraction she felt for the armory officer sitting across from her.

An evil grin spread across Travis' face. Did he dare expose her secret to Malcolm? Should he expose both of them? Really…he'd be doing both of them a favor. "Is it true that you sleep with a stuffed bunny?"

Rolling her eyes, Hoshi replied, " You really should ask more opened-ended questions. Yes."

"You do?" Malcolm asked teasingly.

She nodded. "His name is Yoshika."

"A male bunny?" Malcolm queried.

She could feel a blush creep up her neck, but she wouldn't back down. "You got a problem with that?"

Grinning from ear to ear, Travis sat back and watched the flirtatious behavior.

Malcolm shrugged. "Not at all," he replied and sipped some hot tea, covering his smirk.

Hoshi glanced at Travis, then focused her attention on Malcolm. "Truth or dare?"

"I thought you didn't want to play any more."

Before Hoshi could reply, the waiter showed up with a large take-out order – three bags. "I have to get going," she said, trying to stand and teetering awkwardly. "I have to get this food to Doctor Phlox."

"Whoa there, Hoshi. You're in no condition to play delivery girl." Travis stood up and started gathering the bags. "I'll take it to him while it's still hot. I have a buddy on transporter systems at HQ. Shouldn't be too difficult just to beam the food to Phlox."

Hoshi sat down slowly, the room tilting a bit as she did. "Thanks, Travis."

"Will you make sure she gets back to her apartment okay?" Travis asked.

"Yes," Malcolm replied.

"I'll be fine in a few minutes. I don't need a babysitter!"

Travis and Malcolm exchanged quick glances, silently communicating what the other wanted to hear.

"Don't worry," Malcolm said. "I'll tuck her into bed if I have to."

Sipping some water, Hoshi snorted into the glass and giggled as the imagery flashed before her eyes.

"See you later," Travis called over his shoulder, somehow managing to contain his smile. He didn't know who he felt more sorry for …Hoshi or Malcolm. They were either doomed or destined to be together and he had appointed himself as matchmaker.

Both Hoshi and Malcolm watched Travis leave, an awkward silence falling between them once the door closed behind their mutual friend.

"Dare," Malcolm muttered softly.

"Huh?" Hoshi looked at him as though she didn't believe her ears.

"I choose another dare."

"I didn't realize we were still playing."

Malcolm responded with a knowing smile.

"That's two dares in a row. Why no truths?"

"Truths are boring. What you see is what you get."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really."

"And here I was hoping to get to know you better." She smiled.

Feeling the bottom drop out of his stomach, Malcolm covered his big grin with his napkin. Don't take anything she says personally. She's drunk.

"I – I have to get going," Hoshi stated, standing up and swaying on her feet again.

Her reaction coupled with her admission stirred hope within him and he jumped to his feet. "Careful. I promised Mr. Mayweather I would see you safely home and I intend to do just that."

Feeling his hand around her arm, Hoshi tried to pull away from him. "Uh oh! I see the prim and proper armory officer façade is back in place."

--

What the hell was that noise?

"Squawk! Squawk!"

Peering over the blanket, Hoshi tried glaring at the window, hoping the bird on the other side of it exploded and stopped making noise. But her head pounded and her eyes would not stay open except for minor glimpses of the world around her.

Hangover!

She couldn't remember the last hangover she'd had. As she thought about it, bits and pieces of last night flashed before her.

She always left enough light on so that she could see without stumbling around in the dark. Hearing the soft click of the door behind her, Hoshi turned around and smiled. Decorum dictated she excuse him. He had fulfilled his duties and seen her home safely, but she couldn't resist baiting him…teasing him…seducing him.

Seducing him?

As though still in the middle of their conversation in the restaurant, Hoshi leaned against Malcolm, resting her hands against his firm shoulders. He chose a dare over the truth. The words that escaped her mouth were his fault anyway…his and the plum wine. "Okay, Lieutenant," she said seductively. "I dare you to kiss me."

Her memories fogged over as though daring her to delve deeper. It was enough. She sat up in bed, the vision of her naked upper torso greeted her in the dresser mirror. Naked! She lifted the sheet and found more nakedness.

"Oh my God," she squeaked, pulling the sheets over her head.