A/N: I wrote the first part of this intending for it to be a one-shot. However, after I got over the guy who inspired it, I found that this story wasn't done.

Disclaimer still stands.

Archer learned about Hoshi's emergency chocolate over a year ago. There had been a particularly harrowing away mission involving barely-escaped execution and broken bones all around, and he had asked if she would be alright.

"I'll be fine," she sighed. "An emergency chocolate or two and a good night's sleep will do wonders."

"Emergency chocolate?" he repeated, curious.

"Even the wrappers seem to be made of a dozen tiny mirrors. You can't help but feel better after eating this chocolate. It's exquisite."

He mentally shook his head in an attempt to halt that train of thought. He'd brought T'Pol's latest report on the bridge. Normally he would have read it in his ready room, feet propped up, but the atmosphere of the bridge would help him focus. That way he wouldn't think too much about Hoshi, who he always felt responsible for dragging into space to begin with.

Rather, that had been the plan. It was, so far, not a very successful one. No matter how hard he tried to focus on the molecular breakdown of the last nebula they encountered, he wondered how Hoshi was doing. Starfleet would be intrigued by the – what was it T'Pol had written? – "unusually high percentage of metallic compounds, concentrated primarily in the center of the nebula," but he wasn't. Not at all.

Skimming past the precise numerical data, which he didn't really think he needed to know, Archer found his thoughts back at Hoshi's quarters. The wrappers he'd seen fit her description, and he didn't suppose that kind of wrapper was a common thing. Malcolm had looked suspiciously guilty and just a bit frightened when Hoshi didn't report for duty.

He pressed his thumb down to sign off on T'Pol's characteristically ideal report. Unfortunately, this left him without even a pretense of something to do.

Finally he was unable to bear it any longer. "You have the bridge, Commander," he told T'Pol. Maybe he'd just comm Hoshi from his ready room.

Once in his sanctuary, he stopped. Should he comm? He didn't want to make things worse, but he really wanted to make sure that she was alright. Fortunately, his pondering was interrupted.

"Sato to Archer." She was contacting him, not the bridge. That probably meant she'd found the little note he'd sent informing of her day off.

He hit the comm. "Archer. Feeling better, Hoshi?"

"I'm sorry, sir. I - "

"It's alright. We all need a day off now and then. Are you going to be alright?" That sounded suitably subtle. She would note the future tense.

There was a pause on the other end, probably as she tried to word her response carefully. "Yes. I just had a rough night."

"If you need anything, you know where I am."

"Yes sir." She paused again, but only briefly. "And Captain? Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Hoshi discovered that the middle of the day was a great time to visit the gym. She had the place to herself, which suited her just fine. Even when a few tears finally made their way down her cheeks, on the treadmill of all places, there was no witness to her anguish. She eventually made her way to the mess hall for a bowl of tomato soup and an éclair. The éclair did her good, particularly the rich chocolate frosting.

Feeling somewhat better, although far from great, she went back to her quarters for a nice long shower and changed into casual and comfortable clothes. After that, she settled in to read. Travis had all but insisted that she read this new spy novel. Her preferences were not spy novels, but Travis had loved it so much she agreed to read it.

A short romantic interlude in chapter three compelled her over to her drawer, where she pulled out another chocolate. At this rate, her stash wouldn't last until their next visit to Earth, but she didn't care. She savored the chocolate and glared at the book, as if somehow it were responsible for her sorrow.

She wasn't going to read it anymore, but the main character was fascinating, as Travis had promised, so she opted to keep going. Besides, there couldn't be much romance in it, or Travis wouldn't have raved so much about the book.

Halfway through chapter five her door chimed. She put the bookmark in and sat up. "Come in."

T'Pol hesitantly stepped inside. "Ensign. I came to inquire as to your health."

Hoshi smiled. "Thanks. I'm feeling better, and I'll be back tomorrow."

"If your workload is too strenuous," suggested T'Pol, "we can make arrangements for reducing it."

"What?" Hoshi asked, confused. "My workload isn't too much."

"Captain Archer indicated that you were overtired from work." T'Pol had the vaguely disconcerted look she got when she failed to understand a situation, particularly involving humans.

"So that's what she said," Hoshi muttered, more to herself than T'Pol. Addressing the other woman, she explained, "That was mostly an excuse."

"An excuse?" echoed T'Pol, followed by a raised eyebrow. That, Hoshi had learned, was T'Pol's restrained way of asking for more details without actually asking. It allowed the other person the opportunity to simply affirm the phrase, and the subject would be dropped.

Hoshi sighed. She might as well tell T'Pol, because she didn't want to worry her. Not that T'Pol would confess to worrying. "Confidentially," she began, "I was upset last night, and I fell asleep without setting my alarm. The captain gave me the day off for personal reasons."

T'Pol replied, "I see," in the way that meant she really didn't, but neither did she want to be rude and press for details. "Are you less 'upset' now?"

The way she said it made Hoshi smile a sad half-smile. "Less upset, yes. It's not one of those things that goes away overnight, though." She decided that she might as well confide in someone, although Captain Archer probably knew. It was supposed to help. "Just between you and me, I had hoped that Malcolm and I might be more than friends."

"You are referring to a romantic relationship?"

Hoshi nodded. T'Pol said nothing for a moment. Then she offered unexpected comfort. "I do not believe that Lieutenant Reed is fully aware of what he is forsaking."

"Thanks, T'Pol."

She simply nodded. "Rest well." With that, she left.

Just as the door was sliding shut, she heard T'Pol, in what could only have been an intentionally loud voice, say, "Lieutenant." Hoshi wasn't sure where T'Pol had learned that, but her own keen ears just allowed her to hear it over the door.

She didn't even have time to panic. Before Malcolm pressed the chime, she grabbed her brush and ran it through her loose hair. The clothes she was wearing weren't what she would have preferred, but it was too late for that. The chime rang. "Come in."

They looked at each other for a moment. Finally, Malcolm spoke, hands still clasped firmly behind his back. "Hoshi."

"Malcolm."

He inhaled deeply, then blurted out, "I've been an idiot." Hoshi just looked at him. "When you weren't on the bridge today, I thought to myself, I did this. The most amazing woman I've ever known, and look what I did." He held out a single pink rose fashioned out of cloth. They didn't have roses on board, but the one he gave to her looked quite real.

"I'm so sorry, Hoshi."

She looked at the rose and sighed. "Malcolm, you don't have to be sorry. If you don't feel- "

"But I do!" he exclaimed, cutting her off.

Hoshi was sure that her jaw was going to hit the floor. "What?"

"Everything I said before – well, it was half true. I'm not sure if I'm ready because my record is horrible. I told you no because I didn't want to hurt you."

"It didn't work," she whispered.

"I know. I'm so sorry, Hoshi. I didn't want to screw this up, but I managed to spectacularly."

Hoshi twirled the fabric rose in her hand. "I can't believe it."

"Do you think you can forgive me?" He looked at her so earnestly, looking more vulnerable than she had ever seen him.

"On one condition."

"What?"

"That you promise never, ever to do anything like that again!"

Malcolm's face broke out into a huge smile, and he pulled her into a hug. "I promise, Hoshi. Never." Still grinning, he stepped back. "May I have the pleasure of your company for dinner?"

She beamed. "I'd love that."

The End