A Fine Romance

A Fine Romance

By Amok2

Rating: PG
Genre: Romance, T/T, Angst, episode fillers
Disclaimer: Paramount and UPN are in sole possession of all things Trek. But imagining all kinds of alternative scenarios for Trip and T’Pol? That belongs to the rest of us.
Spoilers: “Home,” “Borderland,” “The Augments,” Hints of the VCW, Season 3

Notes: Ok people, you get your comfort moments! I suppose this can be considered a sequel of sorts to In between Days.

In the same spirit that TPTB are giving us T/T moments, I offer a couple more…

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Love.

She now understood why her people had long suppressed this most volatile of emotions.

One minute she was soaring, the next sinking. It was as though a gaping emptiness had invaded her heart and held it hostage until the moment she’d see him again. But when she did see him, it was sometimes almost worse.

What she feared was succumbing to another. Her emotions had already gotten the best of her once through her Trellium addiction. And here she was again, on the precipice of another capitulation. It was the surrender of a lifetime and she was unsure if she was prepared for all it – and he – expected of her. She did not know how to handle being swept away. It rocketed through her, wave after wave of sensation, all centered on Trip. What was he doing? What was he thinking? Feeling? Was she on his mind?

It didn’t seem like she was, if she allowed herself to dwell on his remarks during the pursuit of the Augments. He had actually out-Vulcaned her. She was reminded of her own behavior when he had accused her of avoiding him before the encounter with the other Enterprise. Why did he think it was for the best that they not be together? How could he compare them to a pair of doomed adolescent star-crossed lovers? Had he already forgotten about Lorian?

She was still lost in thought when the chime to her door sounded.

“Enter,” she said, already knowing whom it probably was.

Tentatively, Commander Tucker stepped through her door.

==

The Captain had ordered the Enterprise to go to maximum warp, destination Vulcan. The Earth embassy had been bombed, taking with it many lives, both Human and Vulcan. T’Pol had retreated to her quarters shortly after the announcement, but only after she and the Captain had discussed the situation and consulted with the Vulcan High Command and Starfleet.

Despite the cool exterior he’d presented to T’Pol in their last conversation, Trip was torn up inside. Why did life keep handing them situation after situation? He thought sometimes there must be a sadistic omnipotent writer behind-the-scenes contriving to keep them apart. This latest escapade came right on the heels of yet another close call, this time with a race of homicidal Augments and after a seemingly endless series of interruptions where neither of them got to spend more than a few precious moments together.

He’d also been regretting the last conversation they had. He hadn’t expected her to be so upset and he certainly wasn’t expecting to answer for his behavior. It’s not as if she hadn’t done the same thing to him in the past. But he realized that she had a harder time dealing with emotions than humans who’ve had messy feelings to deal with all their lives.

So that’s how he found himself in her quarters that night.

==

“I wanted to see if everything was all right with you,” Trip said, coming within a few feet of her.

T’Pol, dressed in her blue silk pajamas, had her back to her desk and faced him where he leaned against her locker. Why did it always seem his favorite place to talk to her? It always reminded her of Sim and of that first declaration of love, feelings she knew now originated with Trip. She forced herself to remain calm in his presence. Thoughts of love – reckless, relentless and hopelessly requited – were still foremost in her mind. And in front of her was the object of those feelings.

“I am fine, Commander,” she said.

“That’s good to hear, Commander,” he said, emphasizing her new rank. “But I don’t believe you.”

At that, he got a good old-school glare from the woman who perfected that particular look.

“In fact, I think you’re just about as not fine as you can get,” he said, stepping within arm’s reach of her. “I think you’re as rattled as anyone about what’s going on on Vulcan and that you’re worried to death about your mom.”

T’Pol took a deep breath and raised her eyes from the floor she’d been studying so intently to the man standing now so close – too close – to her.

“I am concerned about my mother,” she said, yielding to Trip’s assessment. “I have been attempting to contact her since we learned of the explosion but I have not had any success. She was not at the academy and she has not been seen since she left there yesterday.”

Trip took another step and tentatively reached out his hands to her, placing them gently on her shoulders. She stepped back from his hands, leaving them briefly flailing in mid-air before Trip let them fall to his side.

“I do not understand why you are concerned. You have not appeared to care at all about me or my mother since I returned to Enterprise,” she said, her voice failing to convey the lack of emotion she wished him to believe. “You made it clear you wished our relationship to be strictly professional.”

Oh boy, Trip thought. I really sunk myself in it deep this time.

He looked at her and sighed, running one of his hands through his hair in a frustrated gesture she knew all too well.

“I told you a lot of things that I wish I hadn’t,” he said. “I’ve never stopped caring about you.” He wasn’t ready to tell her he was in love with her. “I’m sorry I was so cold to you. I’m just still having trouble with all of this – whatever this is between us.”

“This is still in question,” she said. “Could you consider a future where a human and a Vulcan are together?” she whispered, her head hung low so that Trip had to step closer to hear her. He in turn bent his head and tilted her chin up to face him.

“As long as that Vulcan and human are you and I,” he said softly, prompting the first signs of hope he’d seen in her eyes in a long time. “But there are a lot of things that would need to happen first.”

“I understand,” she said, sadness creeping into her voice.

“Do you, T’Pol?” he said, hoping she saw in his eyes the emotions he’d tried to keep hidden from her.

As often happened with Trip and only Trip, she was at a loss for words. She simply looked at him, a look of pure affection and humility on her face. It disarmed him entirely. He didn’t know what to do, so he did what seemed most natural to him. He pulled her in and embraced her, holding her tight.

“It’s gonna be all right, you know,” he said softly into her ear. It wasn’t lost on him that she’d also wrapped her arms tightly around him. He tugged her up off the floor and lifted her into his arms. She held on to the back of his neck. In two short strides he gently laid her down on her bunk and pulled away.

She looked at him with confusion spreading all over her face until he grabbed her chair and turned it around in front of her bunk and sat on it, resting his head on his folded arms and staring at her with a wistful smile tugging at his lips.

“You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known, T’Pol,” he said, reaching a hand out to let his fingers dance on the side of her face. “Will Koss ever tell you how beautiful you are?”

“Doubtful,” she said. She closed her eyes for a moment, and then opened them to look at him. Softer, she added, “Although I fail to see the use in such speculation. Compliments such as that would not matter unless you were the one saying it to me.”

Trip smiled and laid his hand flat covering her cheek and part of her ear. “You’re the only one I’ll ever say that to.”

“Good,” she said, closing her eyes and moving one of her hands to rest on top of his. “I would not want to hear it said to anyone else.”

“Trust me, I’ve seen that jealous side of you. Not something I’d want to repeat again,” he said, just a bit of mirth coloring his words this time. He could feel her start to rise, but he gently caressed her cheek. It seemed to calm her. “And don’t even try to tell me you weren’t. We’ve been over that.”

Her eyes flashed open.

“And what did we conclude?” she asked, pointedly looking him, her head tilted upward on the pillow.

“We concluded that under no circumstances am I to ever speak to Cpl. Cole again except in passing,” he said, smiling.

“Or unless your duties require communication with her,” T’Pol said, drawing her eyebrows up slightly.

“Right, I forgot about that,” he said. The two were silent for a while. Trip absently continued stroking her hair while T’Pol let her fingers dance across his wrist, closing her eyes once more.

“I also learned other things that night.” At Trip’s words, T’Pol stilled her fingers and opened her eyes to find Trip staring intently at her.

“What?” she asked, unsure of what she wanted him to say or what she needed to hear.

Trip leaned over to her, the chair slipping out from under as he pressed his lips lightly to hers. He pulled away just a centimeter and breathed to her, “I learned how much you like to be kissed,” before she returned the kiss once more, with feeling. A little breathless now, he pulled back; again close enough to kiss her again. “I also learned you had feelings for me.”

“Yes,” she whispered, moving within kissing range again. Trip allowed one more sweep of their lips before he pulled away and sat on the edge of the bed, still close to her.

“And you already know I still have feelings for you,” he said as he tucked her hair behind her ear. They locked eyes for long while. “Whatever stupid things I say, don’t forget that.”

“I won’t,” she responded.

Another moment passed before he rose. “I better get going. Are you gonna be ok?” He looked at her, unabashed affection on his face.

“I believe much more so now than I was before we spoke tonight,” she said, raising herself slightly off the bed. “I am grateful to you for clarifying your behavior. Such conversations would go a long way toward improving communication between us.”

“Sometimes I think we need a Universal Translator made specifically for Inter-Species Couples,” Trip joked. “But I’ll try to do better, I promise. Now try to sleep. Call me if you need anything.”

She nodded as he left with a small smile on his face. As T’Pol lowered herself back onto her bunk, she found peace for the first time in weeks in the very emotion that had been the root of her unrest.

FINIS – for now…

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A whole mess of folks have made comments

Loved it! Wishe they'd do this on the show.

I love those gentle tender moments they share. I wish they would do something like that on the show, too. Please write some more!

Awww....

Wonderful little scene -- darn it, they really ought to have something like this on the show! Loved the tie-in to Harbinger.

Loved it! Nicely done :-)

Please, oh please let Manny Coto have the pleasure of reading this. I would so love to see this scene played out! Wonderful!!

Great!!!! I loved it! Gee what will be the next scene filler?

Sadistic is right! Great story!

While I think it's pretty unlikely that Trip would ever let this scene happen while T'Pol is still married, I still really enjoyed it. Beautifully written, and:

"Why did life keep handing them situation after situation? He thought sometimes there must be a sadistic omnipotent writer behind-the-scenes contriving to keep them apart."

hee!

thought that was a fantastic addition...

I'm a bit surprised that T'pol should be telling Trip that he is not allowed to look at anyone else yet she has gone and married someone else. Does she just expect Trip to continue as if nothing has happened.

Excellent! Great story! I loved it!

This was lovely (sigh). Why-oh-why couldn't they put in a scene like this??!!

Ooh, how sweet was that? :)

i like it how u "corrected" the ONLY scene they did together- THIS should have happened. can u not only do more "explanations," but continue this story?

"He thought sometimes there must be a sadistic omnipotent writer behind-the-scenes contriving to keep them apart." ::snicker:: No, never that!

Well done!

Yeah, what Phaser Lady said. I loved that line. Good job! And I'll keep u to your word that there will be more...can't wait.

Very good, I really liked how Trip was so gentle, understanding and loving with T'Pol and how he was the only one who could give her peace. Just lovely! Ali D :~)

Great story There was alot of Un forgetble Passion
I really enjoyed it.
Keep writing

Oh, I loved this story. And like everyone else, I wished they had done something similar on the show. Great one!