Reversal {Star Trek Enterprise Mirror Universe fan fiction}

Breathless

Breathless.

The run was quick and hot and all three of them were panting by the time they got into Quarantine and Dr. Phlox had sealed the door behind them.

Doug stood in front of the little bench and bent over, panting. Lili sat down, put down her PADD and held her side. Tripp shook it off by walking around a little.

"Everyone accounted for?" Phlox asked through the intercom.

"Yeah, Doc." Tripp said, “I don't think I've ever sprinted quite that quick before."

Doug and Lili looked at each other. She trembled a little. "You, you look different from what I thought,” she said.

"Hopelessly ugly?" he asked.

"No. Just, just not exactly the same. Like you're taller, and I thought you'd be greyer."

"I am going grey." his eyes flashed downward.

"Oh. Me, too,” she said, smiling a little.

He sat down next to her on the bench. "You're different, too."

"Hopelessly ugly, am I?"

"Of course not. A bit shorter. And definitely curvier."

"I, I'm in Food Service. Most of us are carrying around about nine kilos we can never seem to lose."

"Well, it doesn't look like it's in any bad places,” he said, “And even if it is, so what."

"Your voice is the same. And your eyes are, too."

"Yours, too,” he said, “I wonder why we didn't have perfect matching. You'd think we would."

"Maybe – if I may –" Tripp interjected, "maybe you kinda idealized yourselves. Or maybe you idealized each other. You know, eye of the beholder and all o' that."

"Possibly,” Doug said, “I, um, I gotta thank you, Tucker. But I think you'll understand why I'm not so thrilled to have a chaperone right now."

"Feels like taking my Prom Date home to meet my grandfather,” Lili added.

Dr. Phlox waved from the other side of a window in the wall. He spoke into the intercom. "Stay where I can observe you."

"And then there's him." Tripp said, facing Doug and Lili, and away from Phlox.

"Gawd." she giggled nervously and touched Doug's hand.

He looked at her intently. "The best hand,” he said quietly.

"Hang on. And don't say I never do anythin' for you." Tripp said. He turned to face the window and got right in front of it. He flipped on the intercom. "Doc, I was thinkin', while I got you here. I got this kinda, it's a little bit of a pain and a clicking sound on the right side of my jaw. See it, here?" he opened his mouth wide and did his best to block the window.

Lili said, "Y'know, we never actually had a proper first kiss. Where you don't know which side to put your nose on and you're afraid that the kiss won't be welcome or you'll click teeth or something."

"That's true,” Doug said, “Well, no time like the present." He put his hand on her back and drew her closer.

Her breathing got faster. She looked down for a second and then put her hand on his face.

It started off close-mouthed. Eyes open. A peck on the lips. Soft. Warm. Light.

They opened their mouths tentatively and she looked into his eyes, then closed hers, and he closed his. He drew her in nearer. She moved her hand from his face to the back of his neck. His free hand touched her side very lightly. Breathing was hot, breath to breath, tasting, touching, no more difference from one mouth to the other. She made a slight noise. He countered by pushing in harder, his mouth covering hers.