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Planet MR42-1 was beautiful, Trip thought. With its lush green environment and glistening blue lakes and seas, it could almost be Earth. It was a shame it didn’t have a proper name.
“And there’s nothing down there?” Archer was addressing his science officer for the second time in ten minutes. “No sentient species whose land we might intrude on?”
Subcommander T’Pol raised an eyebrow. “Aside from harmless species of wildlife, there is nothing there, Captain.”
A smile spread across the captain’s lips. “Just wanted to be sure. Well, it looks like a great spot to spend some shore leave, and I’m sure the crew would appreciate the fresh air. We’ll take shifts down to the surface, spend a couple days, then head back on course.”
“The biology team will likely be eager to get some samples as well,” T’Pol tacked on.
“Captain,” came the voice from the tactical station, his next words anticipated by virtually everyone in the room, “I recommend we take a security team with us as well. We don’t know how ‘harmless’ the wildlife really is.”
“Your recommendation is noted, Malcolm. But unless that team is also on shore leave, I’m going to have to say no.” Archer sighed as Malcolm’s face darkened. “We’re here to relax. If there’s someone watching over them at all times, how do you think that’ll make the crew feel?”
Safe, Malcolm didn’t say, because he knew Archer didn’t see it that way, much to his frustration. Why couldn’t the man just listen to common sense for once? He’d half a mind to Influence him, but as if reading his mind the captain shot him a look, and Malcolm backed down. “Fine.”
The bridge crew disbanded to prepare for shore leave. T’Pol and Hoshi remained behind. Travis all but bolted for the turbolift, muttering something about seeing an “excellent cliff face”, whatever that meant. As Archer left to enter his ready room, Malcolm stayed behind and continued to examine the scans of the planet T’Pol had taken.
Well, he was, until he felt a presence come up behind him.
“I can sense you, you know,” he said.
“I’m not tryna hide,” Trip replied. Malcolm could hear the grin on his face.
With a sigh, the lieutenant looked up. “What is it?”
“You’re not planning on going on shore leave, are you?”
“What makes you say that?” Malcolm asked, as if Trip hadn’t hit dead on the mark.
“The way you looked at the Cap’n. The way you look now.” Trip pressed both palms against Malcolm’s console and leaned forward. “C’mon. It’ll be fun.”
“Don’t do that.” Malcolm swiped Trip’s hands away.
Trip only chuckled. “Just come down for one day. You don’t even have to spend the night. I’m goin’.”
“Well, have fun,” Malcolm muttered.
Trip thought for a moment. “At least help me name it.”
“What?” Malcolm looked up again.
“The planet. It deserves better than a handful of numbers and letters, don’t you think?”
“I don’t think it cares.”
“It’s just for fun, Malcolm.” This time, Trip leaned his entire elbows on the console. “C’mon. You have to have something creative in that head of yours.”
Malcolm glanced out at the orb of green and blue currently backlit by the system’s sun. “Niya,” he decided.
“Huh. Does that mean something?”
“Humans in what is now known as Poland worshiped Niya as their god of the underworld,” Malcolm said. He shrugged. “I don’t know. You asked me to come up with a name, and I did.”
“Well, despite its implications, it sounds pretty.” Trip hefted himself upright and smiled. “Come on, Malcolm, just one day. I promise I won’t bug you about anything ever again.”
“That’s an outright lie,” Malcolm said, “but… alright.” Perhaps it wasn’t a bad idea. After all, he could keep a much closer eye on the crew down on the planet than from up here.
Trip’s grin widened. “Thatta boy, Malcolm.” He thumped the lieutenant on the back.
“Don’t test me,” Malcolm growled.
Any attempts at intimidation were lost on the engineer. Trip was used to what he called Malcolm’s ‘quirks’ of being a Demon. And Malcolm found he didn’t mind when Trip only laughed.
He liked hearing Trip’s laugh, actually.
Now where did that come from?
Malcolm shook his head and stood up.
They packed separately. Malcolm packed light, barring the copious amounts of security and tactical equipment. Trip told him he and Travis were taking care of the camping equipment. Malcolm offered to help, but realised soon after that using his supernatural strength would require a lot of explaining, so he settled for tossing things in the back of the shuttlepod instead.
Once everything was set, the first shift headed down in both shuttlepods. Trip and Malcolm were crammed with four others in the back, while Archer, Travis, and one of Trip’s engineers sat in the front. Malcolm squished his elbows in, grumbling under his breath, feeling suffocated.
The newly named planet Niya was, Malcolm thought, in fact quite lovely. Earth-like in a sense, and that made him feel at home in a way that it shouldn’t, considering Earth wasn’t really his home. But it was Trip’s, and perhaps that counted.
The shuttlepod landed in a clearing and the group spilled out one by one, a handful going off to pitch the tents and the remaining few milling about in pairs before splitting off to do their own thing, until only Malcolm and Trip were left. The shuttlepod took off to bring down the next group.
Turning to Malcolm, Trip grinned. “Well, what d’you think? Glad you came?”
“We’ve been here no less than ten seconds, Commander.”
“I don’t see any ‘Commanders’.”
Malcolm sighed. “Trip.”
“There we go.” Trip smiled again. “And I just thought maybe the smell of fresh air may’ve changed your mind. I know why you really agreed to come down here, Malcolm, to keep an eye on us, make sure no one gets hurt. And that’s great and all, but you really gotta learn to loosen up. Here.” He knelt down and began rifling about in his over-filled bag. “I got something for ya.”
Malcolm stared at the object in Trip’s hand, incredulous. “Is that a soccer ball?”
“Yup!” Trip tossed it back and forth between his hands. “What d’you say to a few shots, just you and me? We can make a competition out of it.”
“I hardly even know the rules of your frivolous mortal sports.”
“Then I’ll teach you.” Trip was unfazed. “Lighten up once in a while, huh, Mal?”
Malcolm pursed his lips. “Alright,” he acceded. What else was he to do? He couldn’t let Trip down.
So he allowed Trip to explain the rules of the game, thinking throughout that it seemed rather boring, even when they got to play, but Trip was enjoying it and for some reason that was all Malcolm cared about.
“I can’t believe it,” Trip panted an hour later, soaked head to toe in sweat, his shirt discarded some time ago and leaving him in just his blue undershirt, “how on earth are you so good at a game you just learned how to play today?”
Malcolm shrugged. “It’s easy.”
“I mean, yeah, but you picked it up so fast!” Trip shook his head and placed his hands on his hips. “Well, I’m beat. What do you say we cool off in the lake over there?”
Malcolm glanced over to it. The heat was a welcome familiarity to him and he did not feel like taking a dip in any sort of body of water right now. Not ever, in fact.
One never knew which water had been blessed.
“No thanks,” he said.
Trip raised an eyebrow. “You sure?”
“Positive.” Malcolm stuck his hands in his pockets. “I’m doing quite well in the heat, actually.”
“Ah. Of course.” Trip grinned. “Well, let me know if you change your mind.”
“Won’t happen,” Malcolm muttered as Trip headed off to the lake.
The rest of the day was spent in and out of the lake, Malcolm tactically avoiding any droplet of water, playing soccer (the whole crew got in on a match. Trip and Malcolm ended up on opposing teams; Malcolm’s won) or just lounging around taking in the fresh air. Malcolm had to admit, after staying so long on a stuffy starship breathing recycled air, it was a nice change of pace.
Was playing hell on his allergies, though. No wonder despite his many achievements his father always thought he was weak. What Demon had allergies?
“Hey, everyone’s got a weakness,” Trip told him, draping an arm around Malcolm’s shoulders. They were on a log facing away from the slowly dying fire, alone, for everyone else had already retreated to the tents for the night. The two of them sat watching the foreign constellations appear in the sky one by one.
“Not Demons,” Malcolm answered.
“Says who?”
“Says every other Demon I’ve ever met.” Malcolm rolled his eyes. “Except Madeleine. She’s like me, she can’t stand water.”
“Didn’t you tell me she was responsible for a bunch of fires? No wonder she doesn’t like the water if she’s a… a fire demon.”
“There’s no such thing as fire Demons,” Malcolm said, indignant.
Trip only laughed.
There was silence for a few moments, then Malcolm said, “You know, it’s remarkable how well you take all this. It surprises me.”
“What, you bein’ a demon? Guess I’m used to it by now.”
“Indeed, but even in the beginning, you were only a little hesitant. I’ve never met a mortal before who didn’t run away screaming or try to throw Holy Water on me when they learned who I was.”
Trip smiled and glanced up at the sky. “Yeah, well, you’re different. I can feel it.”
Malcolm didn’t have an answer to that.
“I think you’re perfect the way you are,” Trip continued, kissing the top of his head. “Demon and all.”
And that, that made Malcolm feel warm inside in a way that had nothing to do with his existence.
The next morning, Trip awoke to something pressing into his lower back and something else weighing down the left half of his body. Frowning, he moved experimentally, and the thing on top of him exhaled and moved to wrap arms even tighter around his waist.
Okay. Not a thing, a who.
Malcolm.
The off-duty lieutenant was clearly still sound asleep, lines of worry erased from his expression into something peaceful, tranquil. His dark hair was draped over his eyes, making him look younger and more vulnerable.
Trip smirked. Vulnerable was hardly how anyone would describe the armoury officer, whether they knew of his true identity or not.
Trip stared up at the top of the tent and trying to gauge what time it was through the fabric. He couldn’t hear the sounds of anyone getting up and the air was still cool, which signified early morning. And it was shore leave, which meant they didn’t need to be up early.
But there was a rock or something digging into his lower back through his sleeping bag, and it was really starting to hurt.
Carefully, trying not to wake his slumbering partner, Trip attempted to untangle himself from Malcolm’s limbs. Unfortunately he didn’t do a very good job and Malcolm awoke slowly, blinking his eyes blearily.
He looked adorable.
“Hey, sleepyhead,” Trip greeted. “Sorry I woke ya.”
“What time is it?” Malcolm muttered, glancing off to the side, looking for a chronometer that wasn’t there. “Oh, right. Shore leave.”
“You sound disappointed. What, not happy to be wakin’ up in my arms?”
“What?” Malcolm looked down, for the first time noticing his own arms wrapped around Trip’s waist. Quickly, he snatched them back. “Um…”
“Hey, don’t worry! We’re together aren’t we? Some cuddlin’ won’t do any harm.” Trip reached out towards his partner. “C’mere.”
“I’m a Demon!” Malcolm hissed between sharpened teeth. “I do not cuddle! We have been over this!”
“Okay, fine, maybe not.” A grin spread across Trip’s lips. “But you sure as hell snuggled.”
Malcolm grumbled something that sounded vaguely like a half-hearted threat.
Trip chuckled. “Alright, fine.” He folded his arms. “No cuddles for you ever again.”
Malcolm blinked at him. Looked away. Looked back. Finally, he laid back down and rested his head against Trip’s shoulder. A few moments later, one arm came up to drape across Trip’s stomach, and a few moments after that he shifted in further.
All throughout, Trip was holding back laughter at Malcolm’s all-too-human-like antics, not that he’d ever say such a thing out loud. He encircled his own arms around Malcolm’s shoulders and drew him in closer.
“Breathe not a word of this to anyone, mortal,” Malcolm mumbled.
“Sure, Mal.” Trip ruffled Malcolm’s hair against his protests and kissed his forehead. “Sure.”