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Reed's Armory -- A Malcolm Reed Fanfiction Archive .. |
Title: Storm
Author: Mareel
Author's email: [email protected]
Author's website: http://www.geocities.com/bdebpr
Archive: Permission to archive granted to Reed's Armory only
Category: Slash (m/m)
Rating: R
Status: Complete
Characters: Archer/Reed
Disclaimer: Enterprise and all characters belong to Paramount. Unfortunately.
Summary: After being stranded together during a spectacular storm, Archer and Reed consider what really happened during the storm, and face the aftermath.
Author's Notes: This is a series of drabbles originally posted as three separate stories, titled Perfect Storm, Stormwrack, and Storm Shelter.
Archived to Reed's Armory on 08/08/2003.
Part I: Perfect Storm
A routine mission. No way to have predicted that we'd be stranded for two days.
It was quite a storm. The sky came alive with dancing light and streaming clouds like nothing on Earth--a seductive alien aurora.
T'Pol's report says a surplus of highly charged particles probably caused hallucinogenic effects...and lowered inhibitions to damn near zero on a scale of one to ten.
"I apologize for my behaviour, Captain. It was inappropriate. I assure you it won't happen again."
Damn. "I'm sorry too, Malcolm." Because it won't happen again.
The sky looked different after the storm...hollow...bereft.
Part II: Stormwrack
Personal Log: Lt. Malcolm Reed
It felt right at the time. God, what an understatement. Do I even lie to myself in my personal log? What should I say--that it felt like the most natural and perfect thing in the world, having sex with my commanding officer while watching some kind of ionic lightshow on an alien world in a thunderstorm? That it was nothing to regret because neither of us were in our usual milieu and we were both quite possibly suffering a neurochemical imbalance, as T'Pol explained?
That's an accurate description of events. But it's still a lie.
We were making love.
Captain's Personal Log:
Phlox told me privately that he doesn't believe T'Pol's hallucination theory. Inhibitions can be shed in many situations of enforced intimacy. Our closeness might have been enhanced by the atmosphere and beauty of the storm-sky, but our underlying motivations were real.
It felt real to me at the time. Hell, it was my dream come true--Malcolm in my arms, wanting me, making love to me. And I swear he was doing just that. He kissed me. Then his fingers covered my lips when I would have spoken of it aloud.
Malcolm's eyes looked different after the storm...empty...bereft.
Part III: Storm Shelter
With sleep a lost hope, my late night ramble led to the observation lounge--where I knew I'd find him. Standing sentinel by the viewport in soft sweatpants and tee shirt, sleep was clearly as elusive for him. We might as well clear the air.
In that first moment--his face unguarded, lit by some nameless nebula, but shadowed around the eyes--I saw him again: the Malcolm I held during the storm. I tried to slip in silently, to memorize that Malcolm, but a sigh announced me.
Poised to go or stay, I awaited his choice.
"Please don't go."
"It's time I stopped lying to both of us."
Hands and eyes met.
There was little need for more words. His storm-grey eyes said it all--when they found mine, the shadows dissipated. I could see myself there, along with something new: certainty.
But I had to say the words, to be clear. "Malcolm, I love you. But I need you to be sure of your own heart."
"I didn't realize how certain I was until I tried to deny what really happened."
"What makes you sure now?"
"My heart felt different after the storm...hollow...bereft. Now it doesn't."
~the end~