Reed's Armory -- A Malcolm Reed Fanfiction Archive ..

Title: Duty Vs Desire (War)

Author: Kalita Kasar

Author's e-mail: [email protected]

Author's Web site: http://kalkasar.ussimperator.com

Rating: PG-13

Category: Slash

Pairing: Archer/Reed

Series: The Four Horseman

Sequel to: If Only (Death)

Summary: Reed finds himself torn between duty and desire

Comments: The second in a series in answer to the EntSTSlash (Leah) challenge,"The Four Horsemen." This story deals with the horseman "War".

Archived to Reed's Armory on 11/20/2003
First posted 11/06/2002

Duty Vs Desire (War)

Malcolm Reed stood in front of the mirror in his small bathroom. Hips
swathed in a soft towel, he surveyed his reflection and ran the fingers of
one hand across his chin, listening to the rasp of stubble against them.

He reached for the shaver that hung from a hook to his right and began to
methodically shave.

As the shaver worked across his right cheek, he met his own eyes in the
reflective surface. If he concentrated hard enough, he could almost feel the
warmth of a strong hand that had rested there the night before.

Reed closed his eyes and drew a deep breath, pushing the thoughts of what
had occurred in the observation deck last night firmly to the back of his
mind. There was much that he had to do that day, and allowing himself to be
distracted from duty by a fleeting moment of desire was not conducive to
productivity.

Finished with the shaver, he hung it up and grabbed a bottle of aftershave,
tipping a small amount into the palm of his hand before applying it to his
skin. A thumb grazed across his bottom lip and instantly his mind forgot the
lecture he'd just given himself.

'He was going to kiss me,' Reed thought. 'Another moment and his lips would
have been on mine.' Thinking of it, Reed bit his lip as his heart quickened
its beat.

Archer's face was so close, he could feel the captain's breath gusting warm
against his lips; he could almost taste those lips. Another moment and his
secret desires would be answered. He parted his lips slightly as his breath
hitched in his throat. 'Kiss me.' He wanted to say it aloud but his voice
failed him.

In the end it was probably a good thing that Trip had interrupted them.

Reed again pulled his thoughts back to the present and walked out of the
bathroom to begin dressing for the day.

In the heat of the moment the previous night, he had dearly wanted that
kiss, but now, faced with the cold reality of duty and responsibility, he
told himself it was better that it hadn't happened.

He was the armoury officer for Enterprise a position of heavy
responsibility. He couldn't afford the distraction of a relationship. Any
relationship would be distracting, but a relationship with Captain Archer,
with those sea green eyes, that broad chest, those powerful arms, those
sensuous lips and oh..that--

"Dammit!" Reed shook himself hard and gritted his teeth together. "This is
ridiculous!"

He pulled on his skivvies and quickly dressed into his uniform.

"I've to spend most of the day with him on the bridge today."

Reed glanced at the digital time display next to his neatly made bed and
sighed. He had almost fifteen minutes before he needed to leave. Usually, he
would have spent that time in the mess hall, eating breakfast, but he
decided not to go there. The risk of meeting the captain was too great, and
whilst his thoughts insisted in returning again and again to the previous
night, he was not entirely sure he could trust himself to be confronted with
the object of his desire. 'With my commanding officer,' he firmly corrected
himself.

Taking up a datapadd from the small desk at the side of the room, he sat
down on the end of his bed to read it. It was a technical manual dealing
with some new developments in weapons technology and he'd downloaded it a
few days ago planning to familiarize himself with the specs so that he could
apply some of them on Enterprise.

The sounding of the door chimes caused him to look up, frowning as he
wondered who would be calling on him at this early hour. Reed laid the padd
aside and moved to the door. "Who's there?"

"Malcolm, it's Trip, can I come in?"

He opened the door, automatically falling into parade rest as the commander
stepped into the room. "Commander?"

"Relax, Malcolm, I'm not here on business." Tucker flicked a dismissive hand
at him as he walked into the small cabin and turned to look at Reed. "I
think ah owe ya an apology."

"For?"

"Whaddya mean what for? You know what for. I ...I ..."

"If you're referring to last night, then I have to say I'm glad you
interrupted when you did."

"What?" Tucker gave him a look of disbelief. "You mean you didn't want..."
he trailed off and shook his head."I don't believe that."

"What I want is not really at issue here. It wouldn't be appropriate for me
to become involved with the captain."

"Right." The disbelief in Tucker's voice was thick.

The fleeting image of Tucker lying on the floor with a broken neck was
tempting, but Reed suppressed the urge. He folded his arms across his chest,
a defensive action that was not lost on his friend.

"Look, I know ya don't like people pryin' inta your personal life an' I
won't," Tucker said. "I just don't believe that you're not interested in
gettin' 'involved' with the cap'n."

"Believe what you like, Trip." Reed moved towards the doors. "What I want
and what I am interested in is irrelevant; it's simply not going to happen."

"Uh-huh."

The broken necked engineer image was getting more tempting by the minute.
Reed turned as he reached the door and fixed Tucker with a steady gaze.
"After you," he said with just a little less civility than was usual.

Tucker moved past him into the corridor "Well...all right, but I reserve the
right to not believe ya." He shot Reed a grin "Wanna meet me for lunch
today?"

A sigh. "All right," Reed said. "Anything to make you shut up and go to
work."

"I love ya too, Malcolm. See ya at thirteen hundred."


Continued in Stepping Stones

~the end~