Author Notes: I found a writing prompt list on Tumblr having to do with touch. I think it was geared towards pairings but I loved the idea of trying to make them all awkwardly platonic. These are going to be frilly and fluffy as well as hurt/comfort-y because that's my gig.

Please let me know if you would like to see more of these.

-Booping the nose-

Trip lapsed into hearty guffaws. Malcolm's wide and shocked eyes made the indulgent little gesture worth it. If a Klingon had crept up and hit him over the head the Tactical Officer could not have looked more stunned. It was as if Trip had done something utterly foreign to him.

"You never had someone boop you on the nose?"

Trip had been teasing him. It was one of their usual bawdy conversations about crew fraternization during which they would fire their same old ammunition, about Trip getting entangled with various alien species and Malcolm becoming too nervous or busy to date one of his crewmates. Naturally, Malcolm had brought up the age-old argument of superior officers and subordinates not lingering well. Trip helpfully reminded him that there were different departments and MACOs to pursue.

"Then you need to get 'chur self a date." Trip had reached over and briefly tapped the tip of his friend's nose, which led to Malcolm looking at him as if the engineer had just accosted him in the most unusual manner.

Malcolm reached up and rubbed the side of his nose, blinking.

Trip watched the reaction with a smile that started to falter. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed a little sad that Malcolm had never been on the receiving end of casual affection. Sure Malcolm boasted of having relationships but the man was a contradiction in everything. He kept to himself on Enterprise. Perhaps too much so.

"At least go to movie night with Travis on Saturday. We missed you during the last one."

"I might if I'm done early in the armory."

"Malcolm..." Trip began in a part wheedling, part threatening tone.

The Tactical Officer rolled his eyes. Trip grinned, knowing that the reaction was as good as a yes.

-Putting on jewelry-

"You look stunning."

"Oh stop it," Hoshi tutted.

"You do. Am I not allowed to say anything?"

Hoshi was busy putting her hair up. "I'm a mess."

Malcolm huffed.

They stood in the transporter section of the hallway in some of their finest civvies. The Captain was already at the gathering speaking with the ambassador while awaiting his senior staff that had just returned from their away mission. Trip was trying to tame his hair and Travis was busy running a lint brush over his sleeves. Malcolm was dressed in a plain navy tunic with a high collar and formal trousers. Hoshi, who was the closest beside him, wore a fuchsia gown with sheer and shimmery textures. Gold trimming was sewn elegantly to the sleeves.

Hoshi made an exasperated sound.

"What is it?"

"I think I left my necklace in my quarters." She patted her bare neck.

Malcolm saw a glimmer on the side of her throat near the neckline of the gown. "I think the clasp came undone. You have something there." He pointed.

Hoshi patted her skin until she found the tiny lump of metal nestled lopsidedly at her throat.

"Oh!" She pulled the edge of it out of the gown and started to put it on, fumbling with the catch.

"We all ready?" Trip had managed to smooth down his hair and he stepped up to stand on the transporter pad with Travis. Travis rested his lint roller on the ground out of the way.

"Almost!" Hoshi called.

Malcolm watched her struggle with it a moment more before he stepped forward. "Here, allow me."

Carefully, he took the thin chain between his fingers. He rearranged the gold piece to rest more securely around her throat, his fingers brushing lightly against her skin. The smell of her flowery shampoo filled his senses. He latched the metal clasp, taking care to avoid tangling her fine strands of hair in it. He stepped back.

"Thanks."

Malcolm gave her a small smile and nod. Together, they stepped onto the transport platform. All four of them waited to be whisked away.

-Across the shoulder hug-

"He should be fine, Captain, as long as we return to the ship promptly."

Malcolm sat shivering on the back bench of the shuttlepod looking very cold and damp. His dark hair dripped on the grey metal floor and the blankets surrounding him. With shaking hands, Malcolm tried to arrange the covers more securely around his arms. Archer glanced over. He saw his feeble attempts and took over tucking his officer in snugly. Malcolm could not even muster up the energy to protest the attention. Archer draped an arm across his shoulders.

"What you did down there was very brave."

Finally Malcolm gave a waterlogged snort. "With all due respect Sir, I was a fool for jumping in. The guards could have pulled the child out if I had just told them. Instead I managed to end our first contact with this species."

"Oh I think we'll be seeing much more of them. They were impressed that your first instinct was to dive into the pool and save their children. After all, they sent us back early to make sure you were properly seen to."

"Really?" Malcolm blinked.

He had to admit that that part of their first contact had all been a blur. Malcolm remembered handing the child over and scrambling out of the icy water into the numbing breeze. He sat there for an indeterminate amount of time while his Captain spoke with the matriarch. At last he had been wrapped up in thermal blankets and heating pads from their shuttle and whisked away. Now he sat shivering miserably on the cold bench after Phlox had finished examining him.

Archer sat with him side by side on the bench, still keeping a hold on Malcolm's upper arm as he huddled up in his cocoon of blankets.

"Even if, for some reason, it had ended our contact with this species it was still very courageous," Archer added.

Malcolm shot him a brief comprehending glance. He nodded, silently accepting the compliment this time. It had been extremely difficult to jump into those dark waters and yet he had done so with hardly a moment's hesitation. The phobia that his father had tried to train him out of had no effect on him when someone else was in danger of drowning. The corner of Malcolm's mouth curled upward in wry amusement.

Archer's attention was attracted back towards the front as Travis gave them their ETA. Malcolm started to feel some warmth slowly seep back into him. The blankets did their job. They were meant to keep people toasty warm during the gravest emergency, but somehow, it was Archer's arm over his shoulders that seemed more warming.