Title: A Simple Plan
Author: Pretzelduck
Author's e-mail: [email protected]
Author's Website: http://www.geocities.com/pretzelduck
Length: about 1,130 words
Fandom: Star Trek:
Pairing: Reed/Mayweather
Type: Slash M/M
Rating: PG-13
Status: Complete
Summary: A missing scene from "Stigma." Malcolm has a plan for taking care of Travis.
Feedback: Yes
Series/sequel: Nope
Archive: Yes to EntSTSlash Archive and Tim Ruben
Spoilers: very, very minor ones for "Stigma"
Disclaimer: Guess what? I don't own the Star Trek franchise. If I did, I wouldn't be knee deep in college loans.
Author's Note: The blame for this little story goes to The Grrrl for mentioning in a review of "Stigma" that we needed a Travis-comfort fic.
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A hiss reverberated throughout the small room as the man tried to sit on the bed as gingerly as possible. It had been painful enough for him to change out of his uniform; he wasn't looking forward to a couple of days of the constant ache. It didn't work, though, and the other occupant of the room was at his side in an instant.
"Careful, luv." Malcolm was crouched in front of his lover, troubled gray eyes gazing up at Travis. He wasn't used to him being injured. The painful grimace on the other man's face was something he couldn't stand to see. It tore him up inside. A flash of absolute comprehension went through his mind. Was this how Travis felt every time he came back to these very quarters beaten or shot or stabbed or impaled...
"Earth to Malcolm..." The sound of Travis' voice broke into Malcolm's train of thought.
Reaching up, Malcolm stroked the side of Travis' face. "Sorry. How are you feeling?"
With a slight smirk, Travis grabbed the caressing hand and kissed the fingers before replying. "I'm fine."
Malcolm just glared at the younger man; his quirked eyebrows giving away his skepticism. "I believe my response is supposed to be…No, you're not."
The slight smirk was now a full-fledged grin. "Either that or something about it being all right to admit that you're hurting."
Malcolm happily returned Travis' smile. "That it is. The helmsman of this fine vessel drilled that lesson into my head a while back."
"Did he?"
"Absolutely." Malcolm stood up and looked down at his lover. Fondly, he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on the man's forehead. "Let me take care of you."
Travis couldn't refuse Malcolm when he was unguarded like this. He had always suspected that underneath Malcolm Reed's reserve was a caring man. The depth of that compassion, however, was still marveling to him. And the fact he, at times, seemed to be its only recipient reminded Travis just how much Malcolm loved him.
"If you insist."
In response, Malcolm gave him another kiss; this time on the lips. When Travis tried to deepen it, Malcolm pulled away with a chuckle. "Tsk, tsk, luv. Taking care of you doesn't mean snogging with you."
"It would make me feel better."
"Don't worry. I have my own plans for accomplishing that."
Doing his best not to jar it, Malcolm stood up so he could adjust the pillows on the bed. He turned back to Travis and gently guided him back against the pillows so he was sitting up against them, stretched out along the bed. Then, Malcolm moved to the end of the bed and sat down, cross-legged, at Travis' feet. Picking up one and placing it in his lap, Malcolm began to tenderly knead the sole of the bare foot in his hands.
After sighing in pleasure at the sensuous touch, Travis smirked at Malcolm. "A foot massage?"
"I would give you a back massage but you and I both know what that leads to and frankly, Travis, you're just not up to it tonight." Malcolm deadpanned, in reply.
Travis burst out laughing before he clutched his injured side. "Argh. Don't make me laugh that hard. It hurts like hell."
"That's what you get for playing odd games with alien species." Malcolm's head cocked to one side. "Do you know you have an amazing ability to get injured off-duty?"
Mimicking the tilt of his lover's head, Travis shrugged his shoulders. "I don't do it on purpose, Malcolm. Stuff just happens."
Malcolm bent down and placed a brief kiss on Travis' big toe before switching feet to massage. "I know it does. Don't change who you are, luv. Never."
"Who I am?"
Stopping the massage, Malcolm moved up on the bed so he was lying on his side facing Travis. Running his thumb along his lover's jaw line, Malcolm softly placed his lips against the other man's.
"Adventurous." Another feather-light kiss on the lips. "Enthusiastic." A peck on the cheek. "Fun-loving." A gentle nibble on the earlobe. "Passionate about life."
Malcolm's adoring display rendered Travis speechless for a moment. The universe was only the two of them right now and he liked it that way. A lot. Until he met Malcolm, he had never understood the phrase, 'and everything else faded away.' Now, Travis and the concept were well acquainted.
"I thought you said I wasn't up for it tonight."
"You're not."
"Then…"
"This is part of my strategy to make you feel better."
Malcolm's lips were centimeters from his ear and Travis could feel the warmth of his breath as he spoke. "Well, it's working."
"Good." Malcolm's thumb continued its tracing of Travis' jaw line but stopped to brush lightly across his lover's full lips. "Now on to the final stage of the plan."
"And that would be…"
Malcolm propped himself up and reached across his companion. The cabin was shrouded in darkness. "A good night's sleep."
In utter frustration, a groan passed through Travis' lips. His hands unerringly found their target as he grabbed the front of Malcolm's shirt and pulled him close. Instinct and practice allowed their lips to meet and Travis went about trying to convince Malcolm to change his mind. One hand entangled in Malcolm's dark hair and the other roaming up and down his back, Travis could feel Malcolm was starting to give in completely to the kiss when once again, Malcolm pulled away.
Waiting a moment to catch his breath, Malcolm wished the lights were on so he could glare at Travis. But he doubted he could do it convincingly. It would work if he wasn't flushed and panting. And if he didn't love Travis so much.
"Please, luv. I don't want to hurt you and you need to sleep."
Even though he was fairly certain that Malcolm couldn't see it, Travis smiled at the insistence of the man. There was a barely detectable quiver in Malcolm's voice that went straight to his heart.
"No sleeping on the couch, though. Stay here with me."
"Travis…"
"You said you'd take care of me. I can't sleep without you next to me."
"I know the feeling." Malcolm carefully got off the bed and quickly stripped down to his boxers, throwing the dirty uniform in with the laundry. Walking back over to the bed, he deftly pulled the covers out from underneath Travis and climbed back into the bed, once more lying beside the younger man. Travis pulled the covers over them as Malcolm curled up against his uninjured side; his hand coming to rest in its usual position over Travis' heart.
"Now I can sleep."
"So can I."
Within a few minutes, a pair of soft snores could be heard in the cabin attesting to that very fact.
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