Big Deal

Big Deal

By BlueSylph

Rating: PG-13 for mild cursing.
Genre: Romance with a hint of drama.
Disclaimer: Still don't belong to me. I'd happily accept them gift-wrapped for my b-day though. Hey I can dream right? No copyright infringement is intended, no money being made.
Summary: Story set post-Bound. (so spoilers for that episode, same for the Aenar) Time for T'Pol and Trip to wrap up some loose ends.
Archive: Sure but tell me where it goes before archiving.
E-mail: noveltygen@hotmail.com
Additional note: Unbeta-ed story sorry. I ran a spell checker through it. Any grammatical mistakes are my own. My first language is Dutch, my second is English ;) As for the title, well I'm lousy at coming up with them, this will have to do lol.

-x-x-x-

'This thing between us...inn't that big of a deal.'

Yeah right. The hell it wasn't. It was kind of funny when he looked back at the whole situation. They had danced around each other for weeks now, each trying to gauge where the other stood. It had annoyed and intrigued him at the same time. The shared dreams off course had been somewhat of a catalyst to what was eventually bound to happen.

Her kiss had been a genuine surprise though. He had never expected her to plant one on him like that. It wasn't like the T'Pol he thought he knew. Then again that T'Pol had undergone subtle changes ever since he had moved from Columbia back to Enterprise to oversee repairs. Perhaps their separation had finally made her come to her senses.

How did that saying go again? Absence makes the heart grow fonder?

Trip shook his head slightly in amusement as he checked some of the replaced EPS-conduits. Running his tongue along his lips, he swore he could still taste some of her essence clinging to them. An essence that seemed to be uniquely hers. Along with those thoughts also came the image of her kissing him as if there was no tomorrow.

Apparently it was a big deal. Hell, if it wasn't, why had he left in the first place? Because it had been a big deal, and it still was. There was no doubt in his mind that they still needed to talk. Though he hadn't exactly thought about how to breach that particular discussion yet.

'Nice repairs T'Pol. Oh, and by the way, think we could talk 'bout that kiss we shared in that hallway earlier?'

Figured the subject of his musing just happened to round the corner and was heading directly towards him. She had developed the uncanny ability to appear whenever his thoughts were headed in her direction. Which off course had been a lot lately, but nevertheless. Trip wondered just what exactly she was able to pick up through their shared bond. He hoped to God he wasn't broadcasting his libido as if his head was some kind of satellite-dish.

"Commander Tucker."

"Commander T'Pol," Trip greeted back. He gave her a curt nod before returning to his work. It was a sure fire way to get her to talk, since he wasn't going to be forthcoming. He hadn't forgotten about the last time he had tried to get her to open up.

"I have finished my diagnostics, and I have some recommendations to speed up repairs," T'Pol stated, her head slightly cocked to look at his face. She blinked when he didn't look up, and after fidgeting for a second, decided to just lay down the padd in front of him on the floor. "Is there any other way I can be of assistance."

'Oh I can think of a few ways,' Trip mused. Followed by a; 'Must keep thoughts centered on work.' He guessed he didn't have to worry about any Orion pheromones when all he could think about was having a certain Vulcan in his bed, preferably stark naked too.'

T'Pol raised an eyebrow when Trip still didn't look at her. Ticking one of her nails against the padd, she was about to walk away when Trip finally raised his eyes to lock with her own. She seemed startled at the intensity at which he looked at her.

"Thanks T'Pol, I'm sure this will come in handy. Perhaps you wanna gimme a hand with sum of this work. It's kinda tricky, I can't really work in this small crawl space, guess it wasn't really made for someone longer then an oversized midget. Not that you are an oversized midget or anything, ya know," he said smirking and giving her a wink.

He hit a few buttons at a panel at the side of the crawl space, before he slowly backed his way out of it. Off course he had ulterior motives to get her to move into his personal space, but he wasn't going to make her privy of those. He enjoyed seeing her this unsettled; it wasn't often he was able to get one unto her. To be honest he was perfectly capable of finishing these repairs, it would take a little longer, but still.

She stood motionless for a few seconds, her brows furrowing as she seemed lost in thought. Eventually she set her jaw and slowly wriggled her way into the crawl space to finish his handiwork. Trip couldn't keep his eyes of her backside as she bend over to reach a few bolts that were stuck between two metal plates. It was delicate work, and Trip would be lying if he said he didn't admire the precise movements with which she was handling the task.

"Commander?"

"T'Pol?"

T'Pol remained quiet for a few seconds, her back still turned towards him. Eventually she let out a small sigh and continued with her question.

"Did my revelation about our shared bond have anything to do with your decision to request for a transfer back to Enterprise?"

"What prompted that question," Trip asked. He smirked unseen behind her, leaning back against the bulkhead. He actually enjoyed making her sweat a little, served her right for cold-shouldering him so many times the past few months.

"You are avoiding my question."

"As you're avoiding mine."

T'Pol turned around with a start, pinning him with one of her famous icy glares. "You left Enterprise because of me."

It wasn't a question but a statement. Trip's smirk turned into a sour expression as the words echoed through his head. There was off course a core of truth to it. He had realized this the moment she had asked the initial question in his quarters. Instead of answering the question he had wanted to channel his heartache into something and had blindly lashed out towards her in frustration. It had been wrong off course, and he should've apologized right away, but because of his damaged pride he hadn't.

"I thought I said the world didn't revolve 'round you."

"You also said it was not a big deal."

"It wasn't."

"You left because of me. Therefore it was a big deal."

"You know Vulcan logic has more flaws then a net has mazes. So what if I left and came back because of you, T'Pol? Would that satisfy ya in sum twisted kinda way? You're already inside mah head, you probably already know the answers to your questions, why do ya bother askin' ‘em?"

"I can sense some of your more...stronger emotions and thoughts. The visual and auditory output is more stronger during shared dreams or during my meditation because of the level of brain-activity involved."

"In short, ya can't exactly read what I'm thinkin' then."

"Exactly."

"Interestin'." Trip said cheerily. He gave her a saucy smile before finally moving away from his lean-spot. Still smiling he went back to work on some panels across the room.

"You have not answered my questions," T'Pol mumbled from her work station.

'Like a dog with a bone, she just won't let go,' Trip mused. Even being separated by half the room, he could feel the emotions she was radiating towards him. Trip hadn't thought she would be this insisted to broach the subject. To him it was pretty obvious why he had left and what had made him decide to come back. Sighing he turned around and folded his arms across his chest and stared at her lithe form.

"I left because not only did ya step on my heart without an afterthought, but also because ya wouldn't even listen to a single thang I said. You remember our discussion weeks ago? Before I transferred ya said I was lettin' my personal feelin's cloud my professional judgment. Ya were right there 'n then. It's because of my nature, T'Pol. Because of Human nature. I care about ya, I care about the whole damn crew 'board this ship. I suppose sum are closer ta me then others, but had it been the Cap'n or Malcolm, I'd have done the exact same thin'. Instead of understandin' this, an' understandin' humans don't go around suppressin' these kind of emotions, you gave me a goddamned lecture. At that point I really didn't believe a single thin' I'd say or do would get through that thick Vulcan skull of yours. So yeah, forgive me if I want'd to ditch Enterprise for a while so I could get away from the woman whom I loved, and whom didn't even show a hint of returning those feelin's."

Though Trip could see T'Pol's shoulders tensing up as he was speaking, she didn't say a word throughout his entire speech, nor did she turn around to face him. He had no idea what to make of her behavior even though he picked up on some of the myriad of emotions she was exuding.

"So ta answer your questions, it's not a big deal. I've just learned to cope, so I decided to come back, that's all."

With that, Trip uncrossed his arms, and tapped his fingers against the back of the console he was leaning against. He watched with rapt fascination as T'Pol stood motionless in front of him, she still hadn't said a word. Shrugging, Trip walked towards her, and grabbed the padd from the floor before exiting the room.

It was moments later, when he was seated on the bunk in his quarters, that the chime rang. A hint of a smile made his mouth-corners curl in amusement. Some parts of T'Pol's persona remained predictable.

"Enter."

"Trip..."

"What is it now T'Pol? Come to drill for more answers?"

"You said you have learned to cope..."

Trip watched as she entered his quarters with caution. She seemed small, almost fragile the way she slowly inched her way towards him, hands firmly clasped behind her back. He had no idea why he thought about her like this though, to anyone else she would seem cool and collected. Then again, anyone else didn't share a bond with her.

"Yes."

"So have I," T'Pol admitted, her voice soft.

"What are you tryin' ta say T'Pol? Just for once I want ta hear your view on thin's. By now you probably already know my version."

"What if I want to make it a big deal."

Trip's eyebrows shot up to his hairline in surprise. In all honesty he had expected her to back off a little after her little outburst just 4 days ago. Instead she had tried her damned best to engage him into conversation, even tried to catch him alone so they could talk. He realized he might have hurt her feelings by his continuous brush-offs and his claims that he was too swamped in repair-work to discuss anything at all.

Standing up from his bunk he moved into her personal space and slowly circled around her, as if he was a predator, and she was some kind of prey. He took in her rigid stance as she followed his movements from the corners of her expressive eyes. Hesitating for only a moment, Trip grabbed hold of one of T'Pol's arms and pulled her back towards his chest. He could feel how she froze into his grasp, but he refused to let go. Taking deep breaths, he inhaled her unique scent as his head rested in the crook of her shoulder.

"I left because of you. It's the truth. I came back 'cause I realized I couldn't run from mah problems. I was hopin' ta have 'nother chance with ya, I was hopin' you'd have missed me, if only a little bit, when I came back ta Enterprise. It's not a big deal why I left or returned T'Pol, the only big deal is my feelin's for ya"

There was a brief moment of silence before T'Pol finally spoke up. "I did ask you to stay, before I knew of your request to transfer back."

"Yes you did. You never said where ya wanted me ta stay though," Trip said, his voice low and husky. He knew he was pushing the issue, but he felt the opportunity had presented itself, and he refused to ignore it.

He turned her around slowly, and bore his eyes into her own. They were breathing the same air, and he could see how she shivered because of the implied intimacy. He cradled her chin in his hands, forcing it up so that their faces were only inches apart.

"With me. I want you to stay with me."

Trip smiled as the breathed words tickled his skin. He felt happiness soar through his very bones at her admission. Still smiling he placed a butterfly-kiss on her lips, before removing them to gauge her reaction. T'Pol's eyes were clouded over, and they were darting from his eyes to his lips for a few seconds, before finally settling on the latter. Letting out a strangled moan, she lunged forwards and melted their mouths together again. Tongues explored and plundered each other's mouths, as they kissed passionately for a while, until oxygen drove them apart again.

Leaning his forehead against T'Pol's, he took a moment to steady himself. Giving her a radiant smile, Trip clasped one of the Vulcan's hands in his own, and led her towards his bunk. Without a word they laid down, Trip spooning the smaller woman from behind. They laid there, both lost in their own thoughts. Time had no meaning as they soaked up each other's warmth and just plain enjoyed their refound closeness.

In the end it was Trip that broke the silence, although reluctantly.

"Ya know Phlox can't brush off the Cap'n forever. He's goin' to find out about the reason I was immune ta those Orion Slave-girls pheromones eventually."

"I know."

"Any suggestions?"

"Perhaps we should tell the Captain about our bond before Phlox runs out excuses?"

"A logical conclusion," Trip said, grinning and pressing a small kiss on T'Pol's delicate earshell.

"Indeed."

"I kinda fear his reaction though."

"I would have thought it would not be a big deal to you."

"Oh, knock it off T'Pol. I swear ta God your turnin' into a regular stand-up comedian."

Trip watched the ghost of a smile drift across T'Pol's face before it was gone again. He listened to the steady beat of her heart, and focused on her breathing. It eventually lulled him to sleep, and he didn't resist Morpheus's call, and drifted away.

Even in their shared dreamscape they were lying on the floor together, their bodies entangled. Trip's earlier words came back to haunt him, and he smirked at his own ignorance.

'This thing between us...was a big deal after all."

Back to Fan Fiction Main Menu

Have a comment to make about this story? Do so in the Trip Fan Fiction forum at the HoTBBS!

A whole mess of folks have made comments

Very, very nice! Yes, it definitely was a 'big deal.' ;)

LOL T'Pol as a stand-up comedian...now that's a visual that will give me the giggles tonight.

great story. some of the best. you kept it real, and that's what i like. can't wait for the next time you write something
goede baan!

this was fabulous! I like it when Trip stands up for himself!! Nicely written....are you going to write more??

BTW, 'sum' is a mathematical addition....I think you mean to say 'some'.

Lovely story, thank you! You handled the dialogue particularly well -- very believable and completely in character. I hope there's a sequel underway!

LOL! Well done! ;)

Best line: "Oh, knock it off T'Pol. I swear ta God your turnin' into a regular stand-up comedian."

Classic, just classic. :D

Wonderful!

Great story, very sweet. Thank you!

Acceptable fanfic, except for the spelling errors. You really need to proof-read your work; the goofs take away from the story. Also, "kissed passionately for a while, until oxygen drove them apart." ??? I know you meant "until LACK of oxygen drove them apart.", but I wonder sometimes why you kids don't know that it is possible to breathe while kissing. Maybe you should schedule some research into the matter.

sweet...I liked how you ended it with them "just" sleeping together :o)

Nice.... Sequel......Very nicely done....T

Thank you for the reactions :)

I know about *sum* it's supposed to be slang for *some* I guess I overdid it a little maybe lol. I tried to make Trip use some of T'Pol's favorite sayings like 'Interesting' for instance.

As for proof-reading...well I've tried to get someone to beta for me, but so far I had no luck. I already apologized for grammar errors and I gave a good reason for them as well, and yeah there was a small error there that snuck in. I've got a lot of experience on writing, and no matter how often you can proof-read something, there's always the small chance of missing that little mistake.

As for oxygen issues, I've got a decent amount of experience on the matter, and sometimes kissing can literally take your breath again *grin* Third of all I'm not a kid, but I don't take offense, it's okay :P

I really liked this, especially Trip letting T'Pol come to him for a change and gently forcing the issue until the only thing left to do was just to admit the attraction. Ali D :~)

I'm glad you didn't take offense about the "kid" remark, it was directed at quite a few of the fanfic writers who contribute to these pages, not just you (however, if you're younger than my oldest daughter, 28, you still qualify for kid-dom, at least from my viewpoint). I also understand about typos and their habit of hiding behind what you want to say. I enjoyed your story, it just needed a little cleaning up, that's all.

I have to admit I'm in my mid 20's :) But to myself I do not consider that a kid anymore, but that's just me. Anyways, I'm currently busy with a multi-parter fic (I have been busy with it for about 3-4 weeks now) Rest assured I have found someone who will look it over before I post any of it.

I get annoyed by small errors myself, both in my own fics, as well as other people's. Ah well, it happens...I'm glad you still enjoyed the story though. I write for fun, and it will always remain a hobby of mine.

I'm looking forward to your forthcoming multi-parter; your stories are always well worth reading and re-reading. I seldom read the disclaimers, as I'm aware of who owns what, so I didn't realize previously that English wasn't your first language. Your ease of use and fluency are very impressive.
When I was in my mid-twenties, I didn't consider that kid-level, either. Everything's relative, and no offense is ever intended. In time, you'll see what I mean. Just don't say that geezer-dom is, too.