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“Are we seriously going to play spin the bottle?” Malcolm asked, brow raised.
Trip shrugged. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to, you can sit this game out.”
“What are the rules?” T’Pol asked.
“Someone spins the bottle, and whoever the mouthpiece points at, they kiss. It can be on the cheek if you really don’t want to kiss anyone on the lips, but that is the traditional way to play it,” Trip explained.
Hoshi nodded. “And then whoever they kissed is the next to spin the bottle.”
“So if it landed on you during my turn, you would be the next to spin?” T’Pol asked.
“Exactly,” Hoshi said, nodding. “Now, we should probably establish who’s comfortable with being kissed on the lips, and who would prefer cheeks.”
Liz Cutler raised her hand, “I find it’s better to simply answer when it lands on you. That way nobody has to remember, and the answer can vary depending on who it is.”
Hoshi grinned, “oh, that’s a great adaptation! Let’s do that.”
“Alright, let’s get started!” Trip said, spinning first.
When it landed on Malcolm he sighed heavily and pointed to his cheek.
“Aw, Mal!” Trip said.
“Be grateful I’m joining in at all and get it over with,” Malcolm said.
Trip shook his head and crawled across to plant a kiss on Malcolm’s cheek, then sat back down.
Malcolm reached into the centre to spin, and it landed pointing at Trip.
“Oh for pity’s sake,” Malcolm muttered, crawling across to kiss Trip’s cheek, then resuming his seat.
Trip spinning for the second time, Malcolm heaved a sigh of relief when the bottle pointed at Liz.
Shrugging, Liz said, “dealer’s choice, but if you go for lips it’s a peck only.”
Trip grinned, making his way over and giving Liz a light peck on the lips, then took his seat once more.
Liz spun the bottle, and it pointed at Travis, seated beside her.
“Dealer’s choice,” Travis said with a grin.
Propping herself with her right hand, she lifted the left to his cheek, and kissed him on the lips - far more lingering than the peck with Trip.
“Is there something you two aren’t telling us?!” Trip demanded.
Hoshi laughed. “They’ve been together for months! You’d know if you paid attention.”
“Huh… that does explain a few things,” Trip said, chuckling.
Travis reached to spin, and it pointed at Trip.
“Dealer’s choice,” he said, laughing.
Moving over to Trip, Travis planted a loud smacking kiss on his lips, then took his seat.
Trip spun for the third time, and it pointed back at Travis.
“I’m starting to think this bottle is rigged,” Malcolm commented.
Trip laughed, moving over to Travis with a brow raised.
“Dealer’s choice,” Travis said, laughing.
“You big flirt,” Trip said, then planted a peck on Travis’s lips.
Travis took his second spin, and it pointed at Liz.
“C’mere you,” he said with a smile, and kissed her properly.
“Woooooooot-wooooooo!” Hoshi and Janelle called, and they broke apart, laughing.
Liz spun for the second time, and it pointed to Hoshi.
“Dealer’s choice,” Hoshi said, smiling.
With a nod, Liz reached over and planted a light peck on Hoshi’s lips.
Hoshi took her turn at spinning, and it once again pointed at Trip.
Laughing, she moved over and waited expectantly.
“Dealer’s choice,” he said.
With a quick peck to his lips, Hoshi resumed her seat.
Laughing as he spun yet again, this time the bottle pointed at Mike.
“Where will you have it?” Trip asked as he moved across.
“Euro-style, boss! Both cheeks,” Mike said, grinning.
Trip nodded, then brushed his lips to the left cheek, then the right, before taking his seat again.
Mike spun, and it pointed to Hoshi.
“I’ll take a Euro-style, Mike - it looks fun!” she said with a smile.
Being far more practiced, Mike’s kisses to each cheek were swift, and he sat down again.
Hoshi’s next spin landed on Janelle, and she smiled. “Janelle?”
“Euro for me, please!” she said happily.
Quick brushes of lips to cheeks achieved, Hoshi sat.
Janelle spun, and the bottle pointed to T’Pol.
“Just one cheek, please Janelle,” she said.
Planting a soft kiss to T’Pol’s left cheek, Janelle sat once again.
Spinning carefully, T’Pol looked to Mike when it pointed at him.
“Is one cheek alright?” she asked.
Mike nodded. “If that’s what you’re comfortable giving, that’s fine by me,” Mike said, smiling.
T’Pol moved over, pressing her lips very lightly to Mike’s cheek, then took her seat.
When Mike took his next turn, it landed on Malcolm.
“Euro would be fine, Mike,” he said.
“You only let me kiss one cheek!” Trip cried.
Malcolm gave him a look. “I didn’t know Euro was an option at the time.”
Mike laughed, moving to place quick pecks against either of Malcolm’s cheeks, then sat as Trip moved over to kiss the cheek he hadn’t earlier.
“Child,” Malcolm admonished, smirking.
Shifting slightly to spin, the bottle pointed at Trip and Malcolm groaned.
“Both cheeks, bud!” Trip said, grinning.
Malcolm rolled his eyes, moving across and kissing first one cheek then the other, and Trip’s forehead for good measure.
“Satisfied?” he asked.
“Nobody’s kissed my forehead since my Nanna passed,” Trip said, a soft look on his face.
Malcolm pressed another kiss to Trip’s forehead and said, “don’t say I never do anything for you,” then went back to his place.
Spinning yet again, this time the bottle pointed at T’Pol.
“What do you say, darlin’? Trip asked, turning to his left.
“You may kiss me on the lips, but be discreet while we have an audience,” she answered.
Trip smiled, and kissed T’Pol - soft and tender and not too over-the-top given the six people watching.
When T’Pol spun, it pointed at Malcolm.
Smirking at Trip, he said, “dealer’s choice.”
Cackling briefly, Trip applauded. “What’s she gonna do…” he mused.
T’Pol gave Malcolm a little smirk of her own, then kissed his forehead.
“Acceptable?” she asked.
“Perfectly,” Malcolm said with a nod, and she took her seat.
Malcolm closed his eyes and crossed the fingers of his left hand as he spun the bottle with his right, and at last, it landed on the person he’d been hoping for since the game had begun.
“Hoshi, what’s your preference?” he asked softly.
“Lips, if you’re willing,” she answered.
Malcolm bit his lower lip and let out a breath slowly as he turned to face her. Lifting a hand to her cheek, he smiled at her before bringing their lips together. Cradling his head in her hands, she deepened the kiss, and Malcolm let out a soft moan.
“OK THAT’S IT, ALL DONE, SHOW’S OVER!” Trip said loudly, standing to pick up cushions as everyone else moved away but Malcolm and Hoshi continued kissing.
“Do you reckon they can still breathe?” he asked T’Pol quietly as they left the observation lounge.
“There are circular breathing techniques which would allow for inhalation and exhalation while the mouth is occupied - such as those used by Indigenous Australians to play the didgeridoo,” T’Pol answered.
Trip raised a brow. “I think maybe they’ve had more practice than they let on.”
“Indeed,” T’Pol said sagely.