After some deliberation, Malcolm decided waking up next to Hoshi was the second best feeling he'd ever experienced. The first, of course, was what led up to her sleeping naked in his arms in the first place.

Malcolm was having difficulty controlling the urge to wake her.

Sleeping or waking, Hoshi was always beautiful, always peaceful, but when she slept he missed her quiet energy. She was lit from within. When he had her attention, when she smiled at him, that warm glow spread over him bringing both comfort and exhilaration.

He had first become aware of this when he had first missed it. When Hoshi had been rescued from her Xindi captors, it was as though her inner glow had been extinguished. The depth of feeling he experienced upon seeing her so broken shocked him. He seethed with anger – first at the Xindi, then at his own captain. He'd come as close to willful insubordination as ever he could, a hair's breadth from refusing to let the captain take her aboard the Xindi weapon. Getting her out safely became his only thought. He'd left the captain behind with barely an argument simply out of concern for her.

Seeing her on Earth again was what really did him in. Relieved, refreshed and at her ease, more so than he had ever seen her, the light returned. He'd tried to forget, to take advantage of the attention he received, but the attempt was hollow. Every woman he met compared poorly to Hoshi.

In the time since they had returned to Enterprise, he'd avoided analyzing his feelings and just enjoyed being with her whenever he could. Now, of course, there was no need to analyze his feelings; he knew precisely what they were. He was even beginning to hope there was a possibility they might be reciprocated.

He really couldn't resist. He didn't try to wake her; he just didn't try not to. He kissed her cheek, brushed back her hair, rested his leg on hers, and generally made a pest of himself until she opened her eyes.

"Good morning," he offered, with a kiss.

Hoshi smiled and sighed contentedly. "Yes, it is," she replied sleepily.

Malcolm chuckled softly. Her eyes closed and he resumed his gentle pestering.

"Malcolm?" He didn't answer, preoccupied with kissing each of her fingers. "If this is how you wake a girl, I think I may toss my alarm clock out an airlock."

"That's woman, not girl," he corrected teasingly.

Hoshi opened her eyes to look into his. "I'm glad you changed you mind about me."

"I take exception to that, my dear. I don't see you any differently today than I did yesterday."

"Really?" Hoshi said with playful sarcasm.

"Yes, it's true," Malcolm insisted. "I was angry last night when I was talking to Trip. I wasn't explaining myself well. I meant..." He paused, having difficulty explaining himself still. He certainly wasn't a man used to discussing his feelings, and felt rather shy at the prospect.

Feigning sudden interest in tracing the lines of Hoshi's palm, he continued, "The rumors, the things people were saying... Those are things I never would have imagined, but not because I couldn't imagine being with you. Quite the opposite, actually. It upset me because my thoughts about you were considerably more... well, you might say more romantic in nature."

Momentary fear overtook Malcolm as Hoshi pulled her hand from his grasp, but quickly eased as she wrapped her arms around his neck and clung tightly to him. He could barely make out the muffled words she spoke against his shoulder. "I didn't think you thought about me at all."

"Ah, then my subterfuge succeeded," he said softly, stroking her hair affectionately. "You didn't notice me shadowing you everywhere?"

"I thought I was shadowing you," she replied, her face still buried against his neck.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, pushing her back to peer at her face. He wiped away a tear from her cheek. "Why are you crying, you silly thing?"

"I'm sorry, this is just a little overwhelming. I was just hoping to get you to notice me!"

Malcolm pulled her close again and held her tightly. She relaxed against him. After several minutes, he spoke. "Hoshi?"

"Yes?"

"I just had the most dreadful thought."

"What?" she said, slightly alarmed.

"How am I ever going to let you out of my sight? What if you're asked to join a landing party without me? I'll lose my mind with worry."

"It's not as though it hasn't happened before," she said with a smile.

"Yes," he acknowledged, studying her appraisingly. Skimming his hand down her side to the curve of her hip, he added, "But now I'd know exactly what I was missing!"

Hoshi giggled. "I think you'll survive."

"I don't think so," he said petulantly.

"Malcolm," she scolded with amusement, "I don't think the captain will agree to assign you as my personal bodyguard. You're just going to have to be brave."

Malcolm sighed dramatically. "I'll do my best, but you have to promise me something."

"Anything," she said with a smile.

"Promise me," he demanded, "that no other living man will ever see that scrap of fabric you were passing off as a skirt."

"I can't promise you that," Hoshi said solemnly.

Malcolm grimaced. "And why not?"

"I borrowed it."

He suppressed a sigh of relief. "It'll be enough for me if you never wear it again."

Pressing closer, Hoshi whispered seductively, "Never?"

"Never."

Her hands began to roam. "It seemed as though you kind of liked it." She pushed him on his back.

"Not at all," he insisted unconvincingly. He breathed in sharply as she moved on top of him, her hands brushing feather-light caresses across his chest.

"You could have fooled me," she laughed as she leaned in to kiss his mouth. "Never, huh?"

His answer was a husky whisper. "Certainly not in public."