"I understand perfectly, *Commander* Tucker," he says, his voice all cool and clipped. Then he was out the lift door and striding away from me. I have to hurry to catch up with him, and even though I'm starting to get mighty pissed I still can't take my eyes off Malcolm's ass as he walks away.

"Listen *Lieutenant*." I emphasize the rank, because I know it makes him mad. "All I'm sayin' is that if you decide you need divert some of the power from my engines, you clear it though me first." To be what he did really didn't bug me that much. Other than the fact it had us all scrambling like mad to figure out what the hell was draining our power. No, it was his cool, kind of snarky reaction to me bringing the issue to his attention that got me going. Not to say Malcolm doesn't always manage to get me going in all kinds of ways.

Now he stops abruptly, spins around, gets in my face and snarls, "Yes, sir. You've made that abundantly clear."

I finally broke through that reserve and I have to admit, it really turns me on. There is nothing I like better than getting Malcolm all riled up. Most days I find myself poking at him and pestering him just to see what kind of response I get. I know it's wrong but I just can't help myself. It's that detached, dignified way he has about him. Always makes me wonder what's going on inside. He fascinates me.

But now he's glaring at me, eyes flashing, lookin' real mad and I'm thinking I went a little too far. I didn't mean to, it was just the way he got all snippy and polite that made me keep goin' at him.

I try to take it down a couple of notches. "Okay, Malcolm, let's—" Just then a couple of crewmen walk by, trying not to stare at us. We're by my door so I grab Malcolm's arm and literally drag him into my quarters. I just want us to be able to talk privately. He indignantly yanks his arm free but follows me in.

Once inside he stands in the middle of the room, arms folded against his chest, still glaring at me, his eyes all stormy and grey. "You were saying, sir?"

I love the way he can make the word 'sir' sound like an insult. Gives me shivers right down my spine. Next thing I know my impulsive nature gets the better of me and I march right up to him and plant a big ole' kiss on his lips.

He steps back away from me, looking surprised, kinda confused, but not horrified, thank god. "What the hell was that, Trip?" He's too startled to remember he was pissed at me.

"It was a kiss, Malcolm." Pretty lame, but it was all I could think of, especially after the sensation of having his lips on mine. They were soft. And felt real nice.

"I know a kiss when I see one. Let me try again. Exactly *why* did you kiss me?"

He hasn't slugged me yet, or stormed out of the room, or called sick bay to report my odd behavior, so I'm starting to feel hopeful. "Couldn't resist. You're real sexy when you get all hot and bothered."

Now his guard slips and his face softens. "Sexy?" Then he remembers to be haughty. "Most people would ask permission first," he says, almost primly.

"Sorry. You know, I kind of got a thing for you. And you were standin' there just lookin' like that…" I'm starting to get flustered. I'm not a smooth talking guy at the best of times and right now I'm about as surprised by my action as he is.

Now he's approaching me, almost stalking me, and there's something about the look in his eyes and the tension in his body that's making me nervous. And even more turned on. "A thing? What kind of thing?" he asks softly. His eyes flick down to my crotch, and then back up to my face. He raises his eyebrows.

I back up into the edge of the bed, and I sit down, feeling sheepish. "Feelings. I have really strong feelings for you." It's clear, despite the loose uniform exactly what kind of feelings I'm talking about. And I'm starting to feel kind of guilty for just springing that kiss on him like that. But I look up and now he's leaning in to kiss me.

I meet him halfway, grabbing his shoulders. Next thing I know he's on my lap and in my mouth, kissing me like crazy. I hug him tight and kiss him back for all I'm worth. He feels so damn good in my arms, better than I ever imagined. I sneak one of my hands into that irresistible hair and it's all soft and silky to the touch. He tastes damn good and his tongue is doing amazing things to my tongue. I'm starting to feel dizzy and at last he breaks off the kiss and starts unzipping my uniform.

I'm still marveling over my lapful of Malcolm and meanwhile he has my arms out of the sleeves of my coverall and he's pulling my shirt off over my head. I struggle out of the shirt and he leans back on my knees and just gazes at my naked chest.

"You're so damn furry."

I don't think he minds because he's running his fingers through that fur and smiling. He runs his hands up over my chest, across my shoulders and down my arms, taking a keen interest in my biceps. I'm suddenly glad of all those hours spent in the gym. His hands are warm and strong and are sending little shockwaves straight to my groin. Then his fingers toy with my nipples and I groan. I'm as hard as a rock and more turned on than I've ever been in my life. I grab his waist, turn and push him onto the bed. He takes me by the shoulders and gives me a push, and I'm the one laying on my back while he's sucking on my nipples and it's just incredible. He reaches into the crotch of my uniform and finds my dick. When he strokes it through the thin cloth of the Starfleet-issue briefs I arch up into his hand. I'm actually whimpering. He has had his hands and mouth on my body for less than five minutes and I'm an incoherent puddle of goo.

Finally I get a hold of myself. I put my hand over his. "Hold on, I'm losin' it here, Malcolm."

He understands immediately and withdraws his hand, kissing me again, sliding his tongue over mine, slowing down the pace. When it's done I nuzzle his face, then sit up and start to tug at his zipper. He helps me out, smiling that shy little half-smile that just does all sorts of things to my insides. So I have to kiss him again. I just love that smile.

He touches my face. "Trip," he starts to say, then seems at a loss for words.

"Yeah, Malcolm?" I bump his cheek gently with my nose, trying to encourage him. I know he doesn't just jump right in and open up to folks.

"You're so beautiful." He's looking so intently at me now, and there's this little note of wonder in voice.

I am definitely *not* beautiful, but the way he says it makes me feel like the king of the universe. "You're sweet for thinkin' so," I tell him. I'm nuzzling his neck as we both work to get him out of uniform. "I think you're pretty special, myself. Can never keep my eyes off of you. And I'm not even gonna mention what it's like bein' in decon with you." Decon can get embarrassing real quick, since for us guys there's no hiding the evidence of any frisky thoughts. And it's just sheer torture having to rub Phlox's Magic Blue Goo into Malcolm's back while trying not to stare at that tight little ass. Which I suspect would fit very nicely in my hands.

Malcolm's face was hidden in his shirt as he removed it but I could hear him chuckling. "I wanted so badly to rub that awful stuff into every inch of your body," he admitted. "So, do you think that gel actually does anything, or is it just part of some big psychological experiment Phlox is performing? Oh, Trip—" he sighs happily.

I've started kissing his chest and running my tongue around and over his nipples and he seems to be enjoying it. It's a bit strange to be doing this; it's so very different than a woman's chest, flat and hard where a woman's would be soft and rounded. But I like the way his skin tastes. He leans back on his arms and sighs again. I put an arm around his waist and rub my face into his stomach, enjoying the smell of him and the feel of his hard, wiry body. It's hard for me to believe that at long last I've gotten my stubborn, prickly little armory officer in my arms. And he's half-naked, which isn't nearly naked enough.

He's obviously thinking along the same lines because we both start trying to finish undressing each other. It's a real wresting match. We're kissing, and licking, and nibbling, all the while pulling and tugging on clothes. There's some clumsy bumping of elbows and noses and knees but no real damage done.

At last we are both naked, and I find that his ass does fit very nicely in my hands. I pull him close to me and when skin touches skin it's almost like a phaser blast. We both gasp but I need him closer so I roll over and I'm laying on him pressing my body against his. It's just amazing, he's so warm and alive, moving beneath me, holding me as tight as I'm holding him. I can feel his hard cock press against my stomach, and after he reaches between us and makes a little adjustment mine is rubbing against his and it's just sensational. He's making some interesting little noises that really get me going. We hold each other and kiss and rock hips, getting all sweaty and even more hot and bothered.

I have to stop and just look at him, holding his face in my hands, and he looks just so open and happy and passionate that it takes my breath away. But before we continue I know I have to say something. Before it becomes too obvious.

"Malcolm, I think you should know…" I'm back to feeling awkward again, but when I pause he starts to get this worried, closed up look about him so I hurry to continue. "I'm not real experienced with, well, you know, I've never done this with a guy before." There. It's out.

"You're kidding."

I shake my head. "Nope. I mean, I've been attracted to guys, but nothin' ever came of it. So to speak." He grins a little at my feeble attempt at a joke. "I, um, just wanted to make sure you knew where I was coming from. I mean, I figure it's not real hard to make love to a guy, you know, we both have the same equipment and all, so, I mean, we should be able to make this work, you've done this before, right?" I know I'm babbling but I'm starting to get nervous because he's giving me a really curious look.

"Yes, I've done this before," he assures me, then says, "You know, there are people on the ship who think you and the Captain are an item."

Now it's my turn to be shocked. "You're kidding? The Captain?" I mean, sure, we're close. But intimate? "Malcolm, he's like a big brother to me."

Malcolm politely doesn't make any jokes about southerners and incest. "That's just what some people have speculated about it. You know, small ship, there's always a lot of gossip." He dismisses it with a shrug. Then pulls my head down for a kiss. "I didn't think there was anything to it."

"Good. Because there isn't." I play with his hair for a moment, frowning. "So, you don't mind that I'm new at this?"

He laughs and shakes his head. "Trip, you are so bloody adorable." Before I can protest this 'adorable' business he moves me onto my back and begins to kiss me with renewed energy. His mouth moves down on my body, licking at my throat, nuzzling at my chest. He feels the texture of the hair with his fingers and I'm starting to think he has some sort of thing about my chest hair, which suits me just fine. When his hand moves down to touch my cock again I pretty much stop thinking about anything. His touch is light at first, just sweeping along the length of my shaft, then gets firmer and it feels good, a sweet, achy kind of pleasure. He slides further down and his tongue replaces his fingers. It's hot and wet and the pleasure factor spikes way up. I sit up a little just so I can see Malcolm doing this to me. It's an amazing sight. I'm panting already so I have to lay back down and just enjoy the sensations. He's licking my dick as he carefully cradles my balls and strokes them too and I'm just in heaven. It feels so damn good. I'm fighting hard just to stay in control and not just lose it and thrust up into his mouth, because it's a rude thing to do, but I can't hold back any more and just push up, trying to get more of him around me.

"Oh, god, Malcolm, it's so—you make me feel so—" I'm not exactly making sense but I'm trying to let him know I like this, I like it a lot. I can hear him chuckle a little then he holds me down at the hips and sucks me all the way into his mouth. I don't know how he manages to get me in so deep but I'm crying out his name and sensation gets more intense and then I'm losing it. A huge wave of pleasure just sweeps through my body and I come into his mouth, shuddering and twitching and breathless. I'm pretty sure I shouted out his name. When I'm done I just lay there trying to recoup, a little embarrassed at having come so quickly.

Malcolm crawls back up and kisses me soundly, and I can taste myself on his tongue. I suck his tongue into my mouth and we keep on kissing, long and slow. Finally we stop and I look into his blue-grey eyes. He looks smug. And he has every reason to be.

"Shit, Malcolm. You're good." I say, still trying to catch my breath. I'm starting to feel a little intimidated.

"I was inspired." He strokes my chest.

We nuzzle a bit, but soon I'm ready to do some exploring of my own. He lays back and I lay little kisses along his neck, and then lick across his collarbone as I run my hand along his chest. His chest isn't anywhere near as furry as mine, and he is much more fair-skinned. He seems surprisingly delicate to the touch, although I know for a fact that he is far from it. Hell, I'm probably more delicate than he is. I'm pretty sure he could beat the crap out of me if he had a mind to. I suck on his nipple, and his hand goes to my hair and he groans. Which I interpret as him liking it, so I go to work on his other nipple, which gets him all squirmy. This is fun. I start to nibble on his chest, working my way down to his stomach, making him murmur my name over and over.

I reach my destination, which is his hard cock. It's red and flushed, lying against his stomach. I nuzzle into the nest of black curls at the base. He smells so good and Malcolm-y right there. He starts to make some more noise so I touch his cock, then hold it in my hand. It's the first time I've ever held any cock other than my own. It's hot, and hard, and heavy. Feels like velvet. And pretty sizable, too. I wonder what it would feel like buried in my ass. I'm looking forward to finding out. I wrap my fingers around it and begin to stoke the length of it. I hear Malcolm sighing and he begins to thrust into my hand. There's moisture glistening at the tip of his cock so I lick it off, and he practically shouts my name. I'm getting off on the fact he's so turned on by me doing this. I begin to lick the rest of the shaft, holding it with my hand to steady it and he clutches at my other hand and holds it tight. I like this, I like the connection of holding his hand while I hold and lick his cock. It tastes salty and a little metallic and I can feel the blood pulsing through it as I lick. Then I throw all caution to the wind and suck it into my mouth. It feels awkward and hardly seems to fit, but he's groaning and really getting into it so I figure I'm doing something right. I suck up and down on it, getting a rhythm going and he matches it with little thrusts of his hips. I start to put some extra pressure along the underside just below the head with my tongue and he begins to tremble. Just as I wonder if he's going to come soon he does, convulsing into my mouth, whispering my name. My mouth fills with hot, viscous liquid and I'm a little startled so I don't do too good swallowing it, making a bit of a mess instead. But I hold him in my mouth until he's done, then gently let him go as I stroke his stomach.

"Sorry, Trip, I should have warned you." He sounds just a little dopey and breathless. "It took me by surprise."

I'm touched that I can make him lose control, even just a little bit. Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I scramble up to kiss him. He looks utterly content, lying with his arm flung back above his head, giving me a sweet smile. "Don't worry about it, darlin'." I kiss him again. He's sweaty and breathing hard, his hair is rumbled and I really like seeing him this way. Especially since I was the cause of it. I wrap my arms around him and hug him close.

"Not bad for a beginner," he mumbles into my ear.

"You think?" I ask. "I don't know, I think I'm going to need lots of practice."

"That goes without saying."

"I hope you're volunteering for the training."

"Don't be daft," he scolds. He nibbles on my lower lip.

"I do know you're a very patient teacher. I can actually hit the target now with the phase pistol, remember?" Okay, so I pretended to be worse at it than I actually was, just so he could lean up against me and show me how it's really done.

He gives me a dubious look and I suspect that he's on to me. But then he frowns. "I may have to rethink this, Trip. You have already broken three phase pistols."

"Hey, it was only two! I keep on tellin' you, the Cap'n fell on me that time." I must have explained this to him a thousand times.

He's laughing now, and I realize what he's doing and start laughing too. Seems like maybe I wasn't the only one trying to get a rise out of someone all along. We snuggle back together, his nose and fingers back in my chest hair. He feels relaxed and content against me. My Malcolm. I feel all warm and happy. And for the moment at least, all's well with the universe.