Soft, slow music was playing. The large hall had a polished wood dance floor in the middle with a carpeted area around the side with tables around it. At the front of the hall was a stage with a band playing on it. The room was full of people, dressed to kill in there suits and formal gowns. There was a large banner reading "Welcome Home Enterprise" hung over the stage.

Archer, T'Pol, Trip, Hoshi, Reed and Mayweather sat around a table at the back. They sat in a comfortable silence watching the people around them and sipping there drinks. Presently the music moved to a more upbeat style. People began to move out onto the dance floor. Trip stood and turned to Hoshi, holding out his hand.

"Care to dance?" he asked her. She smiled and took the offered hand and they disappeared into the crowd. Archer soon repeated the action with T'Pol, even though she argued a little before agreeing to dance.

Reed signed and took a deep sip of his drink. He was wearing a black tux like most of the men here. He looked over at MAyweather. The ensign was smiling and watching the dance floor. The space boomer glanced across at Reed and the armoury officer put his glass down on the table.

"Why so glum?" Mayweather asked. Malcolm signed as another couple got up from a nearby table. Everyone seemed to have someone but him. It wasn't that there wasn't anyone he had his eye on, it was just that the person would probably be disgusted if he said anything.

Mayweather watched his friend closely. There was definitely something on Reeds mind. He had been a bit of for a while now, especially around Mayweather.

"You want to dance?" Mayweather asked. The helmsman was quite surprised by his own question. Reed seemed even more surprised.

"I don't think…"

"Oh come on," Travis said, smiling. Where most of the men had chosen to wear black Mayweather had gone for a navy blue suit, which made him look stunning.

Malcolm was going to disagree again but he just couldn't find it in him. He rose and followed Reed onto the dance floor.

Travis took the lead and they soon fell in with the swing of things, laughing and joking. There were several same sex couples dancing so there weren't the odd ones out.

The Englishman fell in with Travis' step and his easy joking. Soon he lost track of the conversation and found he was happy for the first time in weeks with the other mans arms around him. He signed as the song ended, taking his happiness with it. There was no way Travis would fancy him. Travis was straight. He knew this all to well from the hours he had spent in the young ensigns quarters listening to him talk about his past and all the women he had been with.

As the song ended the bend moved onto a much slower number. The crowd thinned a little and Reed moved to sit down again but Travis didn't let him go.

"Let's carry on dancing," Mayweather suggested. Reed paused for a moment. He wasn't sure if he could slow dance with Travis without being turned on, and he didn't want that to happen.

"Come on," Mayweather encouraged, "The Captain's even got T'Pol to stay on." Reed glanced over and saw that the captain had succeeded in getting the Vulcan to wrap her arms around his neck and they were swinging steadily to the music.

Malcolm signed and nodded his consent to Travis. Travis immediately reached out and wrapped his arms around Malcolm's waist and Malcolm threw his arms around Travis' shoulders.

"He's not attracted to you, it's just a dance. Think of mud." Malcolm repeated the three short sentences over and over again in his mind, trying to fight of an erection but still enjoying being in the helmsman's arms and being able to hold him back. They swayed silently to the music, each lost in his own world until their hips bumped.

Both men froze.

It seemed everything Reed had been trying to fight had happened to Mayweather.

"Travis?" Malcolm questioned but before he could say anything else the other man was gone, shoving his way through the crowds and out the door. Malcolm stood there stunned for a moment then stumbled back to his table. He finished his drink then he finished MAyweather and Trip's to.

It just wasn't possible. It wasn't possible that Mayweather could find him attractive. but still…

He would have to talk to him. Find out what it meant. If he didn't then it was quite possible the Enterprise would end up with an insane armoury officer. The English man finished of Hoshi's drink for luck then made his way out of the door.

It didn't take him long to find Travis. The helmsman was sat hunched over on a bench in the park opposite the hall. Malcolm sat down quietly beside Travis. Travis took a few seconds to gather himself then began to speak.

"You know I was thinking about Val don't you. Remember I told you about her," Travis continued to ramble and failed to see the flash of disappointment in reed's eyes. "She was always a big girl. Minx in bed. Nice hair and who am I kidding." Travis broke of his rant and took a deep breath. Malcolm watched him with interest, waiting for him to continue.

"I was thinking about you. Specifically you naked. I'm always thinking about you. Your so damn beautiful and you were so close I couldn't help myself. I know it's a bit of a shock and I wont take it personally if you walk away unless you want me to take it personally because then I will 'cause I could never say no to you and…"

Travis was cut of as Malcolm kissed him firmly on the lips. The kiss started off innocently enough but soon became more adventurous as tounges began to move and the men's arms found there way around each other. Slowly they broke off the kiss and Travis tried to move away but Malcolm clung on to him, keeping him close.

"I think you're beautiful too Travis," Malcolm told him. "I was working so hard not to let go and do what you did." Malcolm stopped speaking. Travis looked over at him then reached out and squeezed his hand.

"You up for giving it a try then?" Travis asked. Malcolm smiled.

"You make it sound like a game."

"Isn't it?"

Both men smiled and Malcolm rubbed him thumb across the back of Travis' hand.

"I'm game," Malcolm said. Travis grinned and pulled the other man into a hug. The helmsman was so happy. He had made his friend…no boyfriend…happy at last.

The couple rose from the bench and made there way back into the hall, hands held firmly, ready to face the world together.