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

Title: A Simple Bath

Author: Kipli

Author's e-mail: [email protected]

Author's Web site: http://www.kipli.net

Fandom: Enterprise

Pairing: Archer/Reed

Rating: G

Category: Slash

Summary: Malcolm luxuriates in the unexpected surprise.

Author's Notes: This is my ent_musing Malcolm, more or less,though set a few months into the future. I hope I did a decent enough job of his Jon. This story was written a bit ago and just recently combed over.

Archived to Reed's Armory on 07/01/2005.

The warmth and joy running through me is amazing. Few other things in life can bring both feelings flooding through me.

I close my eyes, sinking further into the hot water surrounding me. The bath is about the right size for one person, though still just a bit short even for me. I watch my knees poke out of the water as I slide my shoulders underneath.

My aching muscles slowly relax at the expansive warmth, all at once rejoicing and tingling with relief. The aches are mostly in thanks to my first shift back in the Armory, attempting to piece it back together, after our extended stay on Earth following our accord with the Xindi. Damn sadistic Starfleet Core Engineers adding new "features" while I was away. As if we truly needed all of that new gadgetry mucking up the works.

I slide further down, dunking the back of my head and ears beneath the water. I listen to the thrum of the warp engines, the sound somehow echoed and intensified, yet muffled, through the water. They must be testing the drive. I briefly wonder if Trip's having just as much fun putting back together Engineering.

I close my eyes. So many days. So many days had I wished for a bath to sink into after crawling through cramped passages and underneath torpedo launchers. To have the water hold my weight and soothe my back. To completely relax me in a matter of moments.

A smile forms on my lips as I hold my breath and dunk beneath the water, enjoying the feel of the warmth against my face, the tug of my hair floating. I don't *truly* need a bath to completely relax me in a matter of moments. I have a man� a husband� to come home to, to kiss and curl up against, to help me undress and pull me into bed. So many nights. So many nights he has soothed my aches, calmed my mind, helped me let go of the day so I might relax, rest, sleep.

I can sense him joining me in the lav even as I rest beneath the water. I soak in the feel a moment longer, giving him a chance to see me enjoying myself, to let him enjoy the view as well, before I surface for air. I slide a hand up my chest and out of the water as I sit up some, wiping my face and brushing hair back. I flash my brightest of smiles up at him as I rest my back against the tub, sitting upright.

"So you like it?" Jonathan teases, moving to rest on the seat of the commode across from me.

"How many times must I say thank you, love?" I chuckle, almost giddy, as I shift some in the tub, feeling the heat of the water wave over me with the movement. "It's one of the most wonderful of surprises. And the *only* addition to this ship that seems at all worth wild."

"Oh, I don't know�" Jon flashes me his own warm smile. "I like the nursery too."

I shoot him a look as I argue the point. "They took a wall down; they didn't add anything new." Then my gaze softens again. "We will be adding the new� in a few months�"

He gets this most wonderful glowing look in his eyes at talk of our son-to-be. I know we both ache to meet him, but our surrogate mother is taking fine care of him at the moment, I'm sure of it.

I shake my head as I look back at the bath. "How on earth did you manage to get this installed anyway?"

His teasing grin returns. "It took only a *little* begging. No one questioned me on it, until Forrest got the final request." He laughs and shakes his head, his whole face lighting up with the memory. "I have to admit to you, I asked for a Jacuzzi bath originally, something large enough for the two of us� By then Forrest had already signed over the orders to make up our nursery. The look on his face at this request� as if he wondered what would come *next* if he let us get this one more thing."

I laugh with him now, imagining the look, quiet worry coupled with amusement most likely. "So he talked you down to a regular bath?"

He shook his head. "Ambassador Soval was there too, for some reason, and didn't see the logic in the effort of installing and operating a bath, let alone a Jacuzzi. Forrest said something about the calming effects of water and, believe it or not, I think Soval blushed a little. Anyway, the only excuse they bought was that we would need some way to bathe our son after he's born. Soval countered that we didn't need a Jacuzzi to do so and, sorry love, this is what you ended up with."

I smile again over at him. "I'll have to send them my thanks. And well at least with this tub, we can still take *hot* showers together." I send him a sizzling smirk.

"Just showers together?" he asks, standing and tugging off his shirt, tossing it aside to slide off his sweats.

I blink up at him, shifting to sit up more so, crossing my legs some. "You can't fit in here with me, Jonathan."

"Oh no?"

He bends over to tug off his socks and I lean over the edge of the tub, giving his ass a sound swat.

"No. You'll get us stuck in here. We'll have to call Trip down to pry us free."

"He'd probably enjoy that. Give him something else to do other than whine at me about what the 'goddamned fool headed disrespectful-of-a-fine-engine's-feelings fleet engineers' did to his warp core."

I laugh as Jon steps into the other end of the now way too short tub. "I do believe you're the 'fool headed' one at the moment, love." I smile and crawl halfway out of the water to turn and rest my back against Jon's chest, my weight half resting, half floating against him. I lean my head back against his shoulder. "I love you anyways. Thank you."

He presses a kiss into my damp hair. "So forgiving of my faults, love. You're welcome." He wraps his arms around my chest, holding me close, a wonderful combination of both methods to relax me. "Anything to make my husband smile."

~the end~