Chapter 4
Archer rolled around on the ground, trying to sleep, but finding that the dreamland eluded him like fast moving prey. At last he knew he wouldn�t be able to sleep that night either thanks, once again to the cold. With a huff, he sat up.
�Come here pink-skin.�
Archer jumped as he looked at Shran who was staring at him with bright eyes. Archer walked over to him. Shran pulled Archer down to lie beside him, pressed back to chest, and wrapped his arm around Archer�s middle.
�What are you doing?�
�Keeping you from losing your fingers.� Shran�s breath tickled his neck and Archer shivered. Shran tightened his grip, mistaking it for cold. �Now maybe you�ll stop making such a damn racket.�
Archer smiled a little, �Thanks.�
The two men lay like that for the rest of the night, Archer finally sleeping despite the cold because Shran was nice and warm.
In the morning they were slow to wake, tired from staying up two days straight and both days having been very long. As Archer opened his eyes he couldn�t help but think how nice it would be to wake up like this every morning. Enterprise was often cold in the mornings to him, so having a pair of warm arms around him was definitely appealing.
Shran snuffled a little against his neck and Archer grinned. It was kind of cute. Never had he seen the day when he would deliberately put Shran and cute together, but here it was.
Turning around a little in the Andorians grip, Archer smirked to himself as he saw that Shran was fighting waking up. Apparently Shran was as comfy as him. Turning around so his nose was almost touching Shran�s, Archer looked him over, before kissing him on the lips, carefully pushing Shran�s lips apart so he could explore the blue mouth. Shran let out a small noise of surprise and then kissed him back, battling with Archer�s tongue. As Archer pulled away he said,
�Good morning.�
�Morning. I must say I�ve never woken up with a pink tongue in my mouth.� Shran smirked.
�I�ve never had a blue one in mine.� joked Archer, �At least, not since yesterday.�
�Sounds to me like you want it again.� Shran was grinning and he licked his lips a little.
�Cheep!�
Both men looked up to find Ghed glaring at them. He seemed to be saying, �Stop grossing me out with tongue talk! Kiss already!�
The two men obeyed their little chickling and kissed again, but this time Shran was a little more forceful, pushing Archer onto his back. Archer was surprised; he was used to being the more forceful in his relationships with men, but then again, he considered who he was kissing. It shouldn�t have surprised him that Shran would be forward.
�Cap�n!�
�Ah!�
Shran had jumped in surprise at Trip�s call and so had bitten Archer�s lower lip rather hard. Archer touched his lip and found blood on his fingertips. Shran was smirking. Archer huffed as he called,
�Yeah Trip?�
�Just checking in on ya.�
�Well, we�re fine. How about you?�
�Well Malcolm�s sneezing every few minutes, and Travis got bitten alive last night, but other than that we�re fine.�
�That�s� good.� Archer said, sharing a bewildered look with Shran. Shran then called for Tholos.
�Yessir! I�m here.�
�Report lieutenant.�
�We�re doing fine. It�s a little too warm for us but we�re fine. Thon got stuck in a tree, but Keval managed to get him down� eventually.� Shran huffed. Archer wasn�t sure if he was annoyed about the fact that Thon had gotten stuck in the tree or that, apparently, he, Shran, was replaceable.
�Anything else?�
�No sir. We�re just sitting on our asses waiting for the game to end.�
�Cheep!�
�Sir?�
Shran and Archer stared wide eyed as Ghed hopped down from his little ledge where they�d left him, onto Shran�s back and then hopped again onto the ground. Then he scurried towards the light, cheeping as loud as he could.
�Ah!� Shran scrambled to his feet and managed to catch Ghed, lifting him up and keeping him from jumping out of his hands.
�Sir? What�s that noise?�
�That would be a lilac chickling.�
�A what?� Both Trip and Tholos sounded very concerned for Shran�s sanity.
�Looooooong story.�
�I�m sure we�ll enjoy hearing it back on the ship.�
�Goodbye Tholos.� There was a firm note in Shran�s voice as Archer got to his feet.
�Yessir.�
�Cap�n, you need anything?�
�No, I think we�re fine. Just another day to go, right?�
�Yeah. We�ll have you outta there by tomorrow night.�
�Good.�
�Cheep!� Ghed looked pleased and Shran shushed him. Ghed seemed to frown and Shran narrowed his eyes in a warning, daring Ghed to do what he was thinking. Ghed stuck his beak in the air and ruffled his feathers.
�Ghed, I swear to the spirits if you even consider defecating in my hand again I will squash you! Or better yet, I�ll drop you in the water and see how long it takes you to loose your balance.�
�Cheep!� Ghed scurried out of Shran�s hands and dropped towards the ground. Archer was able to catch him before he hit the ground. �Cheep.� Ghed�s heart was visibly beating in his little chest.
�Shh, it�s ok. Nasty Shran didn�t mean it, did you Shran?�
Shran narrowed his eyes and ground out, �Not at all.�
Ghed glared at him and Shran sighed, relaxing. �I�m sorry Ghed.� Shran held his blue hand out and Ghed eyed it with one beady eye. �I didn�t mean it really. I just don�t like chicken crap in my hand.�
Archer burst out laughing. Shran couldn�t stop his own grin and soon the two of them were howling with laughter. Ghed started letting out little cheeps of amusement too, hopping around on Archer�s hands. Archer set him down on the ground and he waddled around, his little downy butt swaying from side to side in a manner that would evoke a high pitched response from Hoshi.
�So what are we supposed to do today?�
�We could go swimming again.� Archer waggled his eyebrows in such a ridiculous way that Shran burst out laughing again.
�I think that might be our best option of occupying our time. If anything, Ghed needs to learn to swim without us coming to rescue him.�
�Agreed. Come on.�
They grabbed their bags and Shran called for Ghed who came running over. Unfortunately the little chickling had yet to realise that he wasn�t meant to run anywhere. He tripped and went tumbling over the ground with a shrill �Cheep!� When he stopped, he stared up at his daddies and cheeped sadly.
�You�ll get there. Don�t worry.� said Shran, scooping him up and putting him in his little carrier. Ghed ruffled his feathers and made a noise of disagreement. �Have you noticed that he actually seems to understand everything we say?�
�Yeah. Maybe he can. You never know. Maybe he is telepathic, so far as to be able to understand those he perceives as his parents.�
�I suppose it�s� very marginally possible.�
�Thanks for the vote of confidence.�
�Well you have to admit it�s a very �out there� idea.�
�That�s a rotten pun.�
�I know. Don�t rub it in. I�m too tired to pull out my usual sarcasm.�
�Hm, Shran without sarcasm, what a creepy thought.�
�Almost as creepy as you without your annoying optimism. Too bad that can�t happen.�
�Hey! Just because you always think the worst-�
�I don�t always think the worst but I don�t always think �Oh this huge ship with a million phase cannons looks real friendly, let�s invite them to dinner!��
�Hmph! Well at least we�re polite enough to extend the offer. Unlike you!�
�If you consider that garbage you serve to be polite.�
�You weren�t complaining last time you ate chef�s food.�
�I was trying to be nice to you so you�d believe we meant to help you.�
�Thanks.�
Ghed let out a noise like a groan and tucked his head under his wing.
�What? We both know I came through in the end.�
�True� after you lost the Xindi weapon.�
�You know you�d make me regret saving your planet.�
�You�d make me regret not just blowing up your ship in the Expanse.�
�If you�d done that I�d have come back just to drive you insane.�
�Can Andorians really do that?�
Shran stopped and stared at Archer, incredulous. �How the hell did you ever get to become captain of a Starship?�
�Luck of the draw I guess.� Archer smirked. Shran grimaced. Ghed tucked his head tighter under his wing. �I miss Porthos.�
�That mutt of yours?�
�Hey! Porthos is not a mutt!�
�Gral says he is.�
�Gral�s an ass.�
�Oh, mind if I tell him that?�
�Go ahead. He�ll take it as a compliment.�
�Don�t be so sure.�
Ghed let out a depressed cheep as the arguments continued.
Archer grinned to himself as he watched Shran swim around. Ghed had decided he�d had enough of swimming on his own and was now perched on Shran�s shoulder while the Andorian swam around the pool. Archer was relaxing in a corner, enjoying the feeling of the warm water.
Until he was dunked that is.
Coming up spluttering, Archer glared at Shran who pulled a nonplussed face and pointed at Ghed.
�He did it!� and then dropped the chickling into the water and swimming away. Ghed let out a shrill cheep as he struggled to get his balance before he sank and then made a smug noise when he achieved it. Archer meanwhile, had given chase, swimming after the Andorian. Shran dived and doubled back, dodging around Archer who grabbed at him, but missed.
�I�m gonna getcha Andorian!� he called, diving and grabbing Shran�s foot, pulling him back. Shran kicked out but couldn�t get free. Archer grinned as he began to tickle Shran�s foot. Shran jerked and he pulled a very strange face as he swallowed a mouthful of water. Then he began to shake with laughter and Archer could hear the gurgling chuckles coming from a mass of bubbles. Archer was laughing himself and soon he had to let Shran go so he could breath.
Shran thrashed to the surface after him and coughed up water, letting out a rather loud burp, as one always does when they swallow so much water and air in a gulp. Archer laughed again and Shran charged at him, grabbing him about the waist and digging into his ribs with his blue fingers.
Archer yelped and jerked, trying to escape Shran�s hands but he was having no luck. He reached out and grabbed onto Shran�s shoulders. Without even thinking about it, he pulled Shran to him and kissed him. Shran kissed him back and stopped tickling him, instead he grabbed him about the shoulders, pulling Archer down to meet him.
When they finally pulled apart they stared at each other nonplussed. Then Shran dunked Archer again and the game repeated itself. Dunk, chase and kiss, dunk chase and kiss.
At last they were too tired to play again and so the kissing didn�t stop. Archer soon had a marvellous hickey on his neck as Shran�s lips wandered downwards. Shran�s blue skin was dotted with navy spots as well soon enough. They dragged each other of the water, kissing each other with demanding urgency. Ghed swam to the opposite side of the pool and hid behind a rock.
When Archer woke up his back was freezing and his front was roasting, a curious sensation. His back was freezing because it was against the wall, and his front was roasting because Shran was pressed against it. The Andorian had one arm tucked under his head and the other held Archer�s arm around his waist. A slight snuffle escaped him now and then, and he didn�t stir at Archer�s movements.
�Guess I wore him out.� thought Archer with a broad, stupid grin.
�Cheep!�
Archer looked up. Ghed was standing on a fat stalagmite, glaring down at him, or so it seemed. As Archer watched Ghed stamped his webbed foot and began to hop around on the top of the stalagmite, cheeping shrilly. The chickling was a very angry ball of lilac fluff.
The noise woke Shran up and he groaned as he looked for its source.
�What�s the matter with him now?� he grumbled, propping himself up on one elbow.
�I�ve no idea. Maybe he�s annoyed that we left him in the water.�
�Well I don�t think he would have had much fun if he�d come with us. We�d probably have squashed him without realising it.� Shran gave Archer a wicked smirk. Archer blushed. Ghed left out an exasperated cheep. �Oh what? What do you want? You�re a little attention seeker, that�s what you are!� snapped Shran, narrowing his eyes at the chickling. Ghed crouched down so his legs disappeared under his fluff, drawing his head into the mass to so he really did look like a ball of fluff, with two beady eyes staring out on either side of a beak.
�Cheep.� he said in a meek way.
�You can�t get everything you want. You�ll just have to learn to control yourself.� Shran frowned then looked at Archer who was staring at him in a bemused and amused way. �I�m talking to a baby bird like it�s a five year old Andorian. This is ridiculous.� Shran stood up and walked over to where his uniform was. It was a little more difficult to find his underwear. Archer was sitting on them.
Once he was dressed, Shran walked back over to Ghed and said, more to Archer than the chickling, �Once we leave this planet, how will Ghed survive?�
�I never thought of that. I suppose he could come with me, Phlox would be glad to look after him.�
�Hm� there�s no place for a pet like Ghed on an Andorian warship, or on Andoria, he�d freeze.�
�Yeah�� Archer looked up at Shran, feeling a little hurt that Shran was already planning their separation. The Andorian was pulling on his clothes and when he was done he dug out some food from his bag and sat beside Archer, offering him some. A little confused Archer took it and ate it, shivering a little now that he wasn�t holding Shran.
�Cold?�
�A little.�
�Then you should get dressed. Or swim. Or run around. Your choice.� Shran shrugged, chewing on the bar.
�Yeah� dressed.� Archer got to his feet and after locating all his clothing he got dressed. His brow was furrowed.
�Now I know that expression rarely leaves your face and you seem to have slight variations of it to represent different thoughts and emotions but what�s wrong?�
Archer rolled his eyes and turned to Shran. Shran had Ghed in his hand and was feeding him, smiling a little. The angry words stuck in Archer�s throat, along with the last part of the bar and he choked. Shran looked up in alarm and tossed him a water bottle.
�Thanks.� Archer gasped, wiping his streaming eyes once he�d clear his windpipe.
�You're welcome.� Shran smiled. Archer couldn�t be angry at him now so he sat down and said nothing. They sat in companionable silence for a while, content to watch Ghed run around in circles and doing little dances to music only he could hear.
�We have a very weird chickling.�
�Neither of us has ever known a chickling. Maybe this is normal for them. �sides, it�s cute.�
Shran watched the way Ghed wiggled his fluffy little backside as he hopped and waddled around, cheeping a tune.
�True, but he�s still weird. But since you�re his adoptive father I suppose that shouldn�t be surprising.�
�Oh he so gets it from you.�
�Oh please, I�m normal.�
�Yeah, I find that hard to believe.�
�Humph! I�m more normal than you�ll ever be.�
�I doubt it.� smirked Archer, stretching his arms above his head. Shran narrowed his eyes and poked Archer in the ribs. Archer let out a yelp and glared at Shran, who smirked at him, daring him to retaliate. Archer grinned and attacked without mercy. He pinned Shran to the ground and tickled him until he was navy in the face and struggling to breath.
�Say uncle!�
�What?�
�Say uncle!�
�Why should I say that?�
�Just say it!�
�No!�
�Your loss.� Archer managed to pin Shran�s wrists with one hand, straddling his hips and tickled him without any restraint, running up and down his ribs and over his stomach. Shran was shaking with laughter and going indigo in the face.
�Alright! Alright! Uncle!�
�Victory is mine!� cheered Archer, letting Shran�s arms go and throwing his own into the air in celebration.
�Oh really?� Shran grabbed Archer�s undefended torso and dug his fingers in. Archer burst out laughing and Shran was able to reverse their positions.
�Say uncle!� jeered the Andorian as he tortured Archer.
�Never!� swore Archer, arching his back and struggling madly. He couldn�t breath he was laughing so hard. Abruptly he managed to get his hands free and wrapped his arms around Shran, pulling him down to kiss him. Shran grunted in surprise but didn�t fight him away, instead he fisted his hands into Archer�s jumpsuit, pulling Archer closer to him.
Archer�s hands were taking a trip south when,
�Cap�n?�
�Commander Shran?�
The two men broke apart, although Shran was still straddling Archer and they both looked at Trip and Tholos who were staring at them, looking very amused. Behind them, Travis, Malcolm and Thon and Kevel were standing with varying degrees of amusement and shock on their faces. Malcolm�s mouth was hanging open and his eyes were bugging out.
Archer couldn�t formulate a single thought as he stared at his crewmates. Shran still had a grip on him and hadn�t said anything either.
�Cheep! Cheep, cheep, cheep!�
Ghed ran towards the newcomers with curiosity and Shran snapped,
�Ghed! Come back here!�
Ghed jumped and then returned to Shran and Archer, looking like he was sulking. Shran picked him up and said, �Ghed, these are our team-mates, team-mates, this is Ghed.�
Archer had to admire the conversational tone the Andorian was using. He could have been talking about the weather.
�Cheep.� Ghed looked from Shran to the new arrivals and then hopped a few times, his wings flapping. To Archer it seemed like he was saying
�Hello team-mates, thanks very much for coming here and stopping my daddies from having sex in front of me and scarring me for life.�
�We found a way out of the caves.� said Trip, sounding a little dazed.
�So we guessed.� said Shran. He was still on top of Archer. The rock was digging into Archer�s back. Archer still couldn�t think. �And you came looking for us to tell us. How kind.� The Andorian got to his feet and offered Archer his free hand. Archer took it and was yanked to his feet. �Let�s go.� Shran grabbed his backpack and slung it over one shoulder. �Coming pink-skin?�
�Uh� yeah, sure.� Archer grabbed his bag and followed Shran as the Andorian pushed past the others and took the lead. He leaned forward and whispered in Shran�s ear, �How�re we supposed to explain this?�
�Who said we have to?�
�Fair point I guess.�
�Good. Now any idea which way I�m supposed to go?�