This is my first Enterprise fic, so I hope you guys like it!

SLASH! Pre-warning so nobody is surprised later.

Disclaimer: I do not own Enterprise, the characters, or any of the franchise.

Summer Storm

Trip sat on the couch and looked out into the stormy night, a small smile on his face. The crew of the Enterprise was on a six-month leave while the ship was being tended to at Jupiter Station. While a majority of the crew left for their homes, some stayed near Starfleet Headquarters in the case of an emergency. Trip thought his choice of the one story house he was currently residing in was perfect. There was a large bay window in the living room, which allowed him to view the storm.

Trip loves summer storms. He thought back to when he was little, when he and Lizzie would run through the rain. They would scream and chase each other, jumping in puddles and laughing when they splashed each other. They would have contests to see who could correctly guess how long it would take the thunder to crack after a lightning bolt.

Trip sighed and leaned back on the couch. It had been nearly five years since Lizzie died, and he wondered how different things would have been for him if she were still there. Would he have turned to the people he did, or shunned the others? Would he be where he was right now, on his couch in the middle of the night during a storm?

"Daddy!"

The sudden call and quick pattering of small feet startled him. He sat up and turned to see his small son bolting towards him, clutching a teddy bear. "Michael, what's wrong?"

Michael flung himself into Trip's arms and snuggled close to him. "Daddy, I scared."

"Of what, honey?" Trip asked quietly, smiling a little when Michael pointed out the window. "It's just thunder, honey, it can't hurt you." Trip ran his hand through Michael's brown hair reassuringly. Since Michael was born and lived on Enterprise, he didn't experience storms often.

Michael looked up at Trip. "But it scary. I sleep with you and Daddy?"

"Trip?" another tired voice asked.

Trip looked up to see a very sleepy Malcolm emerge from their bedroom. The Brit seemed to enjoy warm clothing even in California, being dressed in flannel pants and a t-shirt that hugged his form so well it made Trip's heart beat a little faster. Trip smiled down at Michael. "Why don't you do ask Daddy?"

Michael spotted Malcolm and disentangled himself from Trip, scuttling towards his other father. "Daddy?"

"Michael?" Malcolm asked through a yawn, getting down on his knees to meet his son. "Are you okay?" he asked, pulling the boy into a hug.

"Yeah, but I scared," Michael mumbled into Malcolm's shoulder as he clung tightly to him. "I sleep with you and Daddy?"

Malcolm glanced up at Trip and smiled tiredly. "I suppose that would be alright." He pulled back from Michael and smiled at him. "Why don't you go on in and I'll be in soon?"

"Okay," Michael replied, sounding relieved.

Trip grinned as Michael hastened to the bedroom. A crack of thunder sounded, and he swore he saw Malcolm jump a little. "Everything okay?"

Malcolm bit his lip nervously, but nodded. "You're up awful late."

"Watching the storm," Trip said happily, looking out the window.

"Ah," Malcolm responded quietly, looking suddenly distant.

"Mal, are you okay?" Trip asked, worried.

Malcolm nodded and looked down. "I, um…just don't care much for storms. Never did."

Trip grinned a little and stepped closer to Malcolm. "Afraid of a little lightning, darlin?"

Malcolm smirked a little and was about to respond when a super loud crash of thunder shook the house. He audibly gasped and lumped forward into Trip's arms, shaking uncontrollably. "S-Sorry."

"Jesus, Mal," Trip responded, wrapping his terrified lover in a tight embrace. "What happened?"

"I'm…I'm," Malcolm struggled to find words as he clung to Trip. "I'm scared of storms," he barely whispered.

"I can see that," Trip said, rubbing Malcolm's back in an attempt to calm him down. "Is it the lightning or what?"

Malcolm swallowed hard and shook his head. "It's…my…" He suddenly buried his face in Trip's shoulder and began to cry.

"Hey, hey calm down," Trip reacted immediately, pulling Malcolm to the couch to sit down. Once sitting, he took the Brit in his arms, holding him tightly. "It's okay, babe, just calm down. Just tell me what happened."

Malcolm finally got his wits together, leaning back from Trip and wiping his eyes. "When I was little, my father told me I wasn't allowed to be afraid of storms, because Reeds weren't supposed to be afraid of anything. I would always run to my parent's bedroom because I was scared. One day my father…" He swallowed and looked away in shame.

"Malcolm, it's okay," Trip reassured him, reaching over and taking his hand. "What happened?"

Malcolm sighed and looked back at Trip, tightening the grip on his hand. "One day my father decided he'd had enough. When it stormed that night and I showed up in their room…he dragged me back to mine and beat me."

Trip's eyes widened in shock. He knew Malcolm's father didn't think very highly of his son, but he never imagined he would abuse him. "Please tell me it was just that once?"

Malcolm shook his head, standing up and taking a few steps toward the bedroom. "Every storm after that, if he so much as heard me crying in my room, he would beat me." He turned to look sadly at Trip. "I've never told anyone.

Trip sighed, running his hand through his hair. "I can't believe he did that to you."

"I guess he thought it would fix me," Malcolm said quietly. "I'm sorry I never told you."

"Don't be." Trip stood and went over to Malcolm, taking him in his arms. "Just know that I'll never hurt you like that, ever. You or Michael."

"I know," Malcolm replied, leaning into Trip. "I just wish I could be a better role model for Michael. He shouldn't see his father scared of something he's trying to overcome himself."

Trip leaned back a little and looked at Malcolm. "He loves you, Mal, that's all that matters. You treat him so much better than your father ever treated you."

Malcolm looked towards the bedroom where Michael was sleeping. "I'm glad I'm not I contact with my father anymore."

Trip frowned, remembering the last time Malcolm spoke to his father. They had been in Malcolm's quarters on Enterprise, and his parents were having a video chat with him. Malcolm flat out told them he was gay and that Trip was his boyfriend. The icing on the cake? They were having a child together. Of course, Malcolm's father flew off the handle, screaming into the computer and calling Malcolm every vulgar name he could think of. He called him a sorry excuse for a son, a coward, and a multitude of other things until Malcolm was reduced to tears. Trip didn't want to interfere, but he had gotten so angry that he bit right back.

"Shut up!" Trip finally yelled at the screen.

"What did you just say to me?!" Mr. Reed demanded.

"I said shut up," Trip repeated, going to stand next to Malcolm. "Don't you see what you're doing to him?"

"He's weak! Leave him and go find yourself a woman, boy!"

Trip's face got even redder. "I've already found who I want to be with. I love Malcolm very much, and we don't need your approval."

"Abominations! Both of you! You'll never amount to anything as parents!"

"I can't think of a more terrible excuse for a father than you." Trip quickly turned off the computer, cutting off whatever shrewd remark Mr. Reed was going to make. He pulled a teary-eyed Malcolm into his arms, holding him tightly and letting him cry.

Trip glanced at Malcolm, sensing he was remembering the same incident. He wrapped his arms around him a little tighter. "Hey," he said quietly, getting Malcolm to look up at him. He leaned in and kissed him softly, smiling to himself when Malcolm pulled him closer. He relished moments like this, when it was just the two of them holding each other close. He remembered the times on Enterprise when one of them was off on some mission that went awry and ended them in a dangerous situation. They would always find each other afterward, and Trip would take Malcolm in his arms, and they would just stay that way for a while.

They eventually broke their kiss, and Malcolm rested his head on Trip's shoulder. Trip smiled, brushing his lips by Malcolm's ear. "I love you."

"I love you too," Malcolm said.

The moment was interrupted when Michael suddenly popped around the corner. "Daddy, you coming?"

Malcolm pulled away from Trip and smiled at the boy. "Yes, don't worry." He quickly kissed Trip on the cheek. "Don't be long."

"Don't worry," Trip said. He smiled as Malcolm scooped up Michael and disappeared into the bedroom. He turned for a moment to look back out the window, thinking about everything Malcolm just told him. He knew Malcolm would never be like his father. He knew the day Michael was born, and Malcolm looked at him with such love in his eyes that it could have brought a Klingon to his knees.

He cast a final glance out the window and turned to go to the bedroom. When he walked in and saw the two figures on the bed, he grinned. Michael was snuggled up against Malcolm, one arm clinging to his teddy bear, the other to his father. Malcolm had his arm wrapped around Michael, and both of them were asleep. Trip climbed into bed and snuggled close to his boys. Thunder boomed and Malcolm jerked awake, the same terrified look on his face as before. Trip scooted over close enough that he could drape his arm over Malcolm but not crowd Michael. "It's okay," he whispered.

Malcolm looked at him and smiled a little. "I know," he said quietly. The arm that held Michael reached out and pulled Trip a little closer. He closed his eyes and immediately fell back to sleep.

Trip smiled and closed his eyes. I know too.

END

I feel like that was a dumb ending. Reviews would be cool. Seeing as this is my last new story of 2012, Happy New Year!