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

Title: Moment

Author: The Moonmoth

Author's e-mail: [email protected]

Fandom: Enterprise

Pairing: Archer/Reed

Rating: PG

Category: Slash

Next Story in Series: Moment's Reflection by Mareel

Warning: Deathfic

Summary: A defining moment.

Comments: I couldn't sleep, and then I wanted to write 2nd person narrative, because.no reason, really. Hrm.

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

Just a moment ago you were talking with him, arguing. Now you take his hand; now the cacophony of blood in your veins fills the silence. He can't meet your eyes as you lean in, turn his face towards you, kiss him; you know he won't pull away.

Each moment up to now, each time you've touched him and he's let you, each informal conversation, each little intimacy of friendship, you have fought for, burned for. Each of these words and smiles and sentiments you have worn around your heart, until there are so many that your inaction becomes a burden.

His lips are cool, rougher than you'd imagined, as you had imagined, so many nights. You linger, clinging to the moment as a part of you waits for him to reciprocate. And each moment that you wait, each beat of your heart, bleeds one into the next, and you doubt. How you doubt. But you also know that this is right, and that knowledge is undeniable.

You were arguing...There's a job to be done, and he thinks he's the one to do it. You shout him down. And then...

And then.

A defining moment. A definition...this is the moment.

You draw back, just enough to focus on his face. You say, I'm sorry, Malcolm. And your breath is an echo of the string of moments that lead you here. And your breath is a whisper, gliding over his pale face, his closed eyes.

There's a job to be done, but he isn't the one to do it. He would have fought you, he would have stopped you. Maybe he would have loved you, too, but you'll never know that. And all because there was a moment, a defining moment, when looking into his angry eyes, you knew that you would do anything to keep him alive. And you shot him.

Leaning down again, you rest your forehead against his, breathe in his steady breath, taking a part of him. The part he never gave, but that hardly matters now. Undeniably, you will keep him alive. You press the button, fire the escape pod. Then you turn back to face what waits. There's a job to be done.

A string of disconnected, intertwined moments has led you to this one...This one defining moment.

A definition of love...this is the moment. The last one.

~the end~