Star Trek Imagines (Reader-Inserts) Part Two

Ent. Malcolm Reed - Hot Chocolate

You entered the armory with a thermos in one hand, a packaged sandwich in the other, and a smile on your face. "Mal?" you called out, knowing he was in there.

Malcolm appeared from behind a pile of cargo containers. "Y/N? What are you doing here?"

"I came to force you to take a break," you replied, approaching him. "I know you've been working nonstop for hours. Come on, I brought us a drink and I brought you lunch."

He shook his head. "You know we can't drink on duty."

You giggled and unscrewed the top cup of the thermos. "It's only hot chocolate."

"Hot chocolate?" he asked, an amused smile spreading on his face.

With an eager nod, you said, "It's the holidays! Hot chocolate is a traditional drink for the holidays."

"Maybe on Earth in the colder northern regions, but not on a starship with a controlled climate," he said, though he was smiling.

You rolled your eyes and poured some of the hot chocolate into the cup. "Come on, when was the last time you had hot chocolate?"

"A while ago," he admitted.

You smiled and handed him the cup. "Exactly. Now, we're going to sit down and enjoy the hot chocolate, and then you're going to eat this sandwich I brought you. And if you don't, I will go to Phlox and tell him that you've been neglecting your health."

Now it was Malcolm's turn to roll his eyes. "I was going to have lunch soon."

You raised your eyebrows. "Uh huh. Then you won't protest to having it early with me." You smiled. "I need to go back on duty in half an hour, so I'm all yours until then."

He kissed your cheek softly. "All right. You win."

You smiled and brought him to the edge of the armory. You two sat on the floor with your backs against the wall.

He drank half of the hot chocolate in the cup, then handed it to you to finish the rest.

You handed him the sandwich. "It's turkey."

Malcolm smiled softly. "For the holidays as well, I presume?"

You nodded and drank the hot chocolate. Its warmth moved down your throat and spread through your chest. You smiled. "Ah. I forgot how good this is."

Malcolm took a bite of the sandwich and chewed thoughtfully. "You quite enjoy the holidays, don't you?" he asked.

You shrugged. "I always loved them as a kid. They're not the same now, but I do what I can to enjoy them."

He met your gaze. "Is there anything I can do to help you feel more in the holiday spirit?"

A smile spread on your face. You felt your heart swell at his kind gesture. "That's really sweet, Mal."

"I just want you to be happy, Y/N. And if celebrating the holidays makes you happy, then I'll help you do that."

Your smile widened. "Well... you could help me decorate my quarters. I have boxes of decorations that I brought with me from Earth."

"Consider it done," Malcolm said, smiling back at you. "Maybe you could help me decorate my quarters. If there are enough decorations, that is."

Excitement bubbled in your chest. You nodded eagerly. "I have lots. And we could make some homemade decorations, too!"

Malcolm chuckled softly. "I was never good at arts and crafts as a child, but I'll give it a go."

You grinned and kissed his cheek. "It'll be fun. I'm sure we can find some scrap materials to make decorations with. Maybe Trip can help us find some."

"I'll ask him," he replied. "And we could gift each other gifts on Christmas day, if we can find anything by then."

"I'm sure we can think of something," you replied. You giggled excitedly, like a child who was just given a treat. To think, this all started with just a simple cup of hot chocolate. "This will be so fun! I haven't been this excited for the holidays in years."

Malcolm smiled, happy to see you so excited and full of joy. The idea of spending the holidays with you made him start to look forward to them as well. He kissed your temple. "Neither have I."