x-x

Now, this city is cool, Trip thought as another toast rose up around him. He sipped the drink he'd been handed, laughing as Travis tried to cop a sip from Trip's drink as the glass was on its way back down to the table. They were at the local version of a pub or a bar, a series of long, communal tables set up in a walled courtyard, under the open sky. The lights strung across the plaza, plus the crowds, gave the whole place a very "New Orleans at one am" feel.

As a server brushed behind him, squeezing past with another tray of drinks, Travis snagged two – one of which he kept for himself, the other he handed to Hoshi with a smile and an exaggerated bow. Malcolm was still nursing the drink in front of him. Trip knew that, even in a city like this, on a night like this, Malcolm would still feel he was responsible for the team. And that was okay. It was nice to be able to rely on someone like that, so that he himself could stand down a bit, have a bit of fun, let his team have some fun. Jon and T'Pol could continue their overtures to the local government, they'd meet up tomorrow. Tonight, the air was warm and fragrant. The stars were sparkling above, bright enough to shine through the overhead lights. The crowd was friendly…

Another roar went up from nearby, and Hoshi and Travis burst out laughing. Even Malcolm smothered a smile. Apparently, according to Hoshi, a custom, here, was to publicly declare love for another and kiss. It was an odd tradition, but from Trip's observations, it seemed innocent enough. It was sort of the local version of toasting someone's health or saying "Cheers" or similar. Most people seemed to be doing it just for a bit of fun, while others seemed quite serious, but overall, the atmosphere was really upbeat. It was a nice change.

Travis turned to the woman beside him and raised his glass, declared his love, and shot back his drink, forgetting about the kiss. Seeming to realize what he'd done, he grabbed another drink from a passing waiter (thank goodness the drinks here were, at least to humans, only mildly intoxicating, or they'd all be in trouble) and turned to the woman behind him, raised it, declared his love, drank, pecked her on the lips, then burst out laughing. Trip could tell that the women knew that he was just having a bit of fun, because they'd either raise their own toast or roll their eyes at him, or both.

Travis then turned to Trip and raised his glass, but Trip pushed him gently, laughing it off. Then Travis tried Hoshi, but she told him where he could go with that thought. Then, probably before he'd even thought about it, Travis reached across the table toward Malcolm.

Trip watched a storm cross Malcolm's face, gone as quickly as it had come. Then Malcolm plastered a small smile on his lips, excused himself, and left the table.

Trip exchanged a look with Travis and Hoshi, then followed.

He found Malcolm outside the pub, leaning against the wall. The street in front of them, albeit crowded, was dark, and significantly quieter than the party inside. Trip leaned back against the wall, nearly shoulder to shoulder with his friend. "You okay?" he asked.

Instead of his usual, 'Fine', Malcolm simply shrugged, eyes on the vehicles and people passing.

Trip hissed in a quiet breath. Obviously, something was bothering Malcolm, and what Travis had done had –

"When I get married, I want it to be forever," Malcolm said, interrupting Trip's thought.

Trip's eyes widened. That seemed a bit out of nowhere, but Malcolm was the type of guy who carried stuff around with him, who bottled it up, so he wasn't surprised that this was just coming out now.

Trip nodded. "Yeah," he said. He slid slightly to the side, letting his arm touch Malcolm's. "Ever since that first ceremony, every time we've gotten stuck in a similar situation, which –" and here, Trip chuckled softly, "… has been a bit more often than I'd expected when I'd signed up for Starfleet, it's been like it's expected that we'll 'take one for the team', as it were." He glanced at Malcolm. Malcolm was still staring out into the street, eyes unfocused. Trip let his hand reach out and he threaded his fingers through Malcolm's. "And I suppose that's not fair."

Malcolm looked at him in surprise.

"Although to be honest, I don't mind." Trip gave a soft smile. "If it had to be someone, it might as well be me. And if…" he exhaled loudly. "…if I had to 'marry' someone, to be honest again, I'm glad it was you."

Trip couldn't interpret the look on Malcolm's face, so he figured in for a penny, in for a pound. "Listen," he said. "Without that first wedding, I'd never have…" He hesitated, unsure of how to go on. He tried again. "Malcolm, I…" Trip wiped his free hand across his face with a wince. Then he turned and looked fully at Malcolm. "I'm kind of at a loss for words, here."

"You?" Malcolm asked with a wry smile.

Trip, heart suddenly in his throat, decided what the fuck, he'd risk it all. So he said, "Do you remember that first ceremony? The ribbon?"

Malcolm nodded.

Trip leaned in close, and whispered, "I kept the ribbon."

"You did?" Malcolm blinked his surprise. "Why?" he asked. That didn't sound accusatory. It sounded a bit lost.

"I just… I did," Trip said. "It was important." He exhaled audibly. "You're important." Trip took both of Malcolm's hands, holding them between his own. "I miss you," Trip said, and he meant it. He missed that connection they'd had after the first ceremony. How open Malcolm had been with him. How he himself had felt, being around Malcolm. "I want..." his voice trailed off. He wanted to give this, whatever this was, a chance. Maybe more than he'd ever wanted anything in his life, he wanted this.

"You're serious," Malcolm said, voice quiet, and it wasn't a question.

Trip found himself unable to interpret the look in Malcolm's eyes. He found himself giving in to his own feelings. "For once," Trip chuckled. Then he quieted, and continued, "I'm quite serious. If we hadn't been forced to get married, I might never have realized how…" He smiled gently. "How I feel about you." Those marriage ceremonies had led them here. They might not have exactly been voluntary at the time, but now... "This time, there's no one forcing me. I just really, really, really –"

"Really?" Malcolm whispered.

"Really," Trip said firmly. Then slowly, tentatively, Trip tugged on Malcolm's hands, bringing him closer; and he kissed him.

Malcolm's eyes fluttered closed, hands clasping Trip's own, and he kissed him back. Then, wasting no time at all (being a man of action and all), Malcolm reached between them, grabbed Trip's hardness, and Trip groaned. "God, Malcolm," Trip said. The man was obviously interested in making up for lost time. "Where the hell have you been all my life?" Trip asked, deliberately repeating what he'd said in their first wedding. He heard Malcolm's answering chuckle. And then, about the least cautious as he'd ever been in his life, Trip found himself saying, softly, "Marry me." Malcolm didn't stop what he was doing, just nodded. Trip smiled into Malcolm's neck. Then he licked a hot streak across the man's skin, not caring that they were standing on the street. Not caring that he had crewmates inside the pub who, if they stepped outside, would see this. Only caring about the man in his arms, and the moment he was in.

Trip hadn't come down here expecting to ask Malcolm what he'd just asked. He now realized that perhaps that was because in many ways, they were already married. Had been, three times. Maybe they'd have a ceremony back at home. Or maybe not. They'd been through ceremonies enough, and it wasn't a ceremony that made them fit; it was them. It was this man. It was everything.

Trip thanked God that they'd been forced to go through that first ceremony. He declared now, before God and all that was holy, that he loved this man with all his heart. He didn't need a ceremony to tell him that – although he'd needed one to realize it. And maybe a home ceremony would be a good idea, if only to please his mama. Maybe Malcolm would be willing to wear that outfit from their first ceremony? He'd been hot as hell in that thing. Remembering it, Trip trailed a series of hot kisses along Malcolm's neck, hands firm in Malcolm's hair. What time were they due back on the ship maybe they could get a room down here or something because seriously he could think of things he wanted to do to this man now not later and those things needed privacy and a bed a really really big very large bed oh god…

And this is, again, where we'll give the newlyweds a bit of privacy.

x-x

End