Archive of Our Own ^beta

It started with a dagger; it wasn't a simple dagger, or one made for use, but an ornate dagger meant to be displayed and admired. The Enterprise had met up with Shran again; it wasn't a scheduled meeting, but rather a chance encounter, as meetings with Shran often were. They were both en route to Earth for a meeting of the coalition. Archer invited Shran on board, and when he came, he was carrying a plain box, stained a dark brown and polished until it shone under the lights. Shran held it out to Archer without a word, but with an unreadable look in his blue eyes. Archer didn't even get the chance to greet him before it was thrust towards his chest. Archer took it, trying not to show his wariness; gifts weren't common in their friendship.

Inside the box was the dagger; it was sharpened to perfection, its blade glinting under the light with a deadly beauty. Its hilt looked like bronze, but was probably some alien metal or a similar substance, and it was inlaid with beautiful gems. It was wrapped in pale Andorian silk that parted around the blade like water against the shore.

"Thank you, Shran, it's beautiful," Archer told him, Shran's antennae straitened and then flicked as Shran nodded, just a hint of a smile on his lips. Shran moved on quickly, talking about the meeting like nothing had happened, and Archer fell into step with him with a fond smile. This was the Shran he was used to, and it made him feel normal again.

Later, Archer put the dagger away in a drawer in his quarters. He didn't think much of it again until months later. He pet Pothos' head as he passed the dog on his way to his desk, the dagger already nearly forgotten under thoughts of paperwork.

The next time Archer saw Shran, the man was injured and annoyed, but annoyed was a common state for the Andorian, especially when he was injured, so it wasn't a surprise. Shran had gotten involved in a firefight involving the Enterprise. Shran invited Archer over after the fight, and Archer had gone, being greeted by an injured Shran and Jhamel. Shran was favoring one of his ankles, and Archer could see marks on his face that would probably darken into bruises. Jhame greeted him serenely, her voice soft and welcoming, warm.

"You owe me, I was injured protecting your pink skin," Shran told him in place of a greeting. Archer smiled.

"We just evened the score, though," Archer pretended to pout, and Shran's eyes were shining.

"Not anymore," Shran told him. Jhamel just smiled as she listened to them.

Archer stayed for an hour and a half, talking to Shran and Jhamel. They seemed very interested in how he was doing and his well-being, and it was nice to have people who cared to ask. As he was preparing to leave, Shran held out a bottle of Andorian ale, its color a rich blue.

It was darker than he was used to, in a crystal bottle. Its base was wide, with two veins of crystal that branched off and connected again at the narrow neck, leaving a circle of space in the middle. It was beautiful, a piece of art in and of itself.

"Thank you, Shran, this looks very potent. Why don't you visit tomorrow before you have to leave, and we can share it," Archer offered. Shran nodded with a smile.

"Goodbye, Captain Archer," Jhamel told him, and Archer bid them a farewell.

The ale was put away in his quarters, and as Archer had suggested, it was shared with Shran before he left. Archer had one class, and Shran had two, before he announced that he had to leave. They had sat and talked while they drank, reminiscing and laughing at old tensions. They weren't a captain and a commander, they weren't an Ambassador and the face of the future, they were simply two friends sharing a drink.

They kept meeting up, and the gifts continued, one every meeting, they were usually given to him by Shran, but Jhamel would watch with a knowing smile, even though she couldn't see. She always looked in their direction and responded to their thoughts. Their proximity.

The next gift was a Ushaan Tor, sharpened to perfection with its curved lines and angles. It was a deadly weapon handed to Archer in his ready room without a word. Archer took it with a wary look, afraid that Shran was about to announce another fight to the death.

Acher remembered that battle vividly, the way Shran had moved with a deadly grace, his face set in a grim determination. Remembered the grand declaration to take his blood to the wall of heroes. He remembered his determination, the determination to live, to survive. But through it all, there was the determination not to hurt Shran in a way that wouldn't heal. He didn't want to hurt Shran; the other man was his friend, but he would do what was necessary.

"Uh..." Archer spoke, before wincing at his inability to form proper words.

"It is a gift for a warrior, a sign of respect for your prowess in battle," Shran told him.

"Oh, that's very nice. I was afraid you were going to declare another fight to the death," Archer laughed, and Shran smiled.

"I hope we never meet in battle again, Pink skin," Shran told him.

"I do too, we're better as friends," Archer agreed.

The Ushaan Tor was placed in a drawer, along with the ornate dagger, and put away, out of Archer's mind. Hoshi had eyed the weapon with an unreadable expression when they ran into each other in the hall on the way to his quarters.

"Is something the matter, Hoshi?" Archer asked, and she startled, looking up at him.

"Oh, no, sir, sorry, sir," she said, before quickly walking away. Archer shrugged and continued on his way.

The next gift was a knife, another weapon, but it wasn't another ornate dagger, or even another weapon like the Ushaan Tor. It was handed over with a vague "For hunting" from Shran and a lovely smile from Jhamel. They were on Earth, another meeting for the new federation.

The knife was medium-sized, perfectly weighted, with a black leather-wrapped hilt and a silver blade. The blade hooked up into a sharp point, with a serrated edge for easy cutting. It had subtle indents for fingers to comfortably rest in the handle.

"Thank you," Archer said. He was beginning to wonder about the gifts, but it felt rude to ask, so he just accepted.

The next gift was from Jhamel, but Shran was standing beside her and nodded as Archer took it. It was a collection of thirty-two crystals hanging from a base with nearly invisible strands. They looked like shards of ice hanging down, and when the light hit them, they reflected a rainbow of colors onto the wall. When Archer brushed them, they chimed, and if you listened, it sounded like voices echoing through ice caves.

"Is it an instrument?" Archer asked, and Jhamel smiled at him happily, like she was pleased that he had guessed correctly.

"It is, it is used in ceremonies to tell our history, the history that is only spoken through words," she told him.

"Well, thank you, it's beautiful," Archer told her.

Later, when Hoshi saw it in the corner of his ready room, she would make the same unreadable face she had at the Ushaan Tor. Before looking at him like she wanted to tell him something, she held her tongue and gave him a report about a message they had received from Starfleet, with new orders.

The next gift came two months later when they ran into Shran again, and again it was given by Jhamel, but with Shran standing close. It was a painting, medium-sized. It was painted in tones of blue and gray, and the abstract forms of people were made from shapes. Squares, circles, and cylinders, and in the middle was a single point of warmth. A circle of warm yellow, like a flame. It was painted by a skilled hand, and on the back was a mark, maybe the mark of the artist who had made it.

"It is about connection, and the warmth found through connection," Jhamel told him, and Archer smiled.

"Well, it's beautiful, thank you. I think it will be perfect right over here," Archer said, stepping over to a table in his ready room, placing it on a table, leaning against the wall. It would be the first thing you saw coming into the room, and Archer would be able to see it from the side at his desk.

The next gift was rolled up when Shran handed it to him, and they were on the bridge of the Enterprise. It was made of something that felt like cotton, made of woven fibers. When he unrolled it, it was a star map, one of the Andorian system. Every star, every asteroid, every planet was marked in faded black ink. There were drops of ink on the corners, and there was a name that had been misspelled, crossed out, and written again.

Hoshi put her head in her hands, Archer figured she had a headache, and told her to go to see Phlox. She waved away the concern with a mumbled "I'm fine," and T'pol showed a brief expression, before it was gone, and her face was neutral once again. It was too brief for Archer to read, and he put it out of his mind before turning to Shran and Jhamel again.

Hoshi asked him to have dinner with her a few days later, a meeting between friends who hadn't gotten to talk in a little while. Archer agreed and invited her to the captain's mess. They talked about their past missions and what language Hoshi was working on now.

"I've been reading about Andorian courtship rituals lately; they court through a series of gifts. It's usually weapons, because they are a warrior culture, but the gifts can be anything, even a musical instrument or a painting." Hoshi said close to the end of the meal, she looked at him intently, with a leading tone, though Archer had no idea where she was trying to lead him.

"That's interesting. Maybe you should ask Shran about it; he probably has good insight. He courted Jhame after all," Archer told her. She sighed, a massive heave of breath as she shook her head. Archer raised an eyebrow at the reaction. He thought it was a good idea to ask Shran if she wanted to know more about Andorian courting.

"I have to go, I'll see you later, Captain," she said as she stood up and left. Archer was confused, but he put the conversation out of his head and focused on his duties.

He didn't realize the next gift was a gift until much later, when he looked back on it. He was on Andor for a meeting, representing the Federation. He had not been looking forward to the meeting before it started, and the way Shran had smirked at him before it had not inspired confidence.

They had started early in the afternoon, and the meeting consisted mainly of yelling and arguing. They yelled at each other, and they yelled at Archer, and they yelled in agreement and disagreement.

By the time Archer got out of the meeting, it was dark and cold, and Archer wanted nothing more than to eat something and sleep, in that order. At least it wasn't snowing very hard, and the Andorians had promised to feed him.

"Join Jhamel and me for the evening meal, Pink skin, it'll be better than whatever slop they'll feed you," Shran said as they walked out, brushing snow from Archer's shoulder.

"That's a very nice offer, Shran. Should I bring anything? Desert perhaps?" Archer asked.

"Just you will be fine," Shran told him with a smirk, before looking up at the sky. "Meet you back here in an hour," he said, and Archer nodded, watching as Shran walked away.

He had just enough time to make it back to Enterprise, shower, change, feed Porthos, and convince Chef to part with an entire New York-style cheesecake before he had to meet up with Shran.

It was snowing harder, and Archer swore it had somehow gotten colder, but he was fine in his two layers and his coat. Shran led him through the streets of Laikan, and Archer followed. He paid attention to the buildings that rose from the ground like shards of ice.

Shran's house was small, but the inside was cozy and warm, a fire burned in the hearth, and Jhamel and Tella greeted them. Talla ran into Shran's arms, and Jhamel greeted him with a brush of her antenna. Archer removed his coat, leaving him in his black sweater, and Shran took it as he removed his coat and hung them on hooks by the door. Shran was dressed in a sweater that was a similar color to the imperial guard uniform Archer was so used to seeing him in.

"I brought dessert, it's called a cheesecake, I hope everyone likes it." Archer smiled, and Jhamel took the cheesecake from his hand.

"That was very thoughtful of you, Captain, thank you," she said, as they walked further into the house.

"You look lovely as usual, Jhamel, and Talla gets more adorable every time I see her," he complimented, and Shran preened slightly while Jhamel smiled.

"Thank you, Captain. Allow me to get the start of the meal," Jhamel said as she hurried into the kitchen. Shran gestured for Archer to sit while he took his seat, and Talla scrambled into a seat across from Archer. Shran was at the head of the table, Archer sat next to him, and Talla sat across from Archer, leaving the last seat open for Jhamel.

The dinner consisted of two courses, and the dessert Archer had brought, Jhal carried out a bowl of what looked similar to a salad. It was made with wilting green leaves and slices of a round vegetable.

"Tubar root," Shran explained when Archer picked a slice up to study it. The meal was served communal style, where they each picked at the dish. Archer didn't say a word; he had met other species who ate communally, even some cultures on earth ate communally, so it wasn't a big deal to him.

The main part of the meal was a meat that tasted similar to pork. And was pan-fried, served with a brownish-orange root on the side. It was saltier than Archer expected, and he took large gulps of water with it.

Then came dessert. Talla lit up at the sweetness of the cheesecake. Shran looked wary at the first bite, but he seemed to like it, and Jhamel smiled after the first bite.

Archer stayed until it was late, and when he said he had to leave, they seemed disappointed, but Shran walked him back to his shuttle. Archer changed into sleep clothes when he got back to his quarters, pet Porthos, and lay down to go to sleep.

It all happened a month later with the final gift, though Archer still didn't realise what was going on when he received the gift. It started as a normal day, but around afternoon, everything changed. It started with Hoshi coming into his ready room to give him an update report on the universal translator, and it ended in chaos.

It wasn't unusual for Hoshi to give him updates on the Universal translator, and it wasn't unusual for them to run into Shran. Both were quite common, so he wasn't surprised that Trip led Jhamel into his ready room, as Hoshi was giving her report. Jhamel waited until Hoshi stopped talking to hand him the wrapped gift in her hands.

When Archer opened it, it was a long-sleeved sapphire blue tunic, and there were silver swirls embroidered into the fabric. It was made of a fabric that felt both warm and cool at the same time. It was beautiful, and it looked like it would fit him perfectly. Hoshi watched the scene with a look in her eyes, like she wanted to scream.

"Everything alright, Hoshi?" Archer asked, looking at his linguistic officer.

"Shran is courting you, sir!" Hoshi exclaimed, followed by her clapping her hands over her mouth with a squeak, like she hadn't meant to say anything. Archer felt his brain stop, like an old computer crashing; his brain just crashed into what felt like a brick wall.

Archer blinked, then blinked again, then looked between Hoshi and Jhamel, who both looked horrified for different reasons. Jhame wore a look of dawning horrified understanding, her antenna moving rapidly. Jhamel looked at him before she turned and ran. Archer could see Trip following after her.

Hoshi and Archer stared at each other for several minutes, neither sure how to react, or where to start. Hoshi still had her hands over her mouth, and Archer was still clutching at the fabric of the tunic. Jhamel must be so upset, and he didn't know where to even begin trying to comfort her. How could Shran court him? He was married!

"But...but he's married!" Archer finally said, gesturing wildly around the room, like it would emphasize his point.

"Andorians form four-person bonds, sir; they don't see it as infidelity, it's a part of their culture," Hoshi explained, and Archer sat heavily in his chair.

"How must Jhame feel? She looked horrified!" Archer exclaimed.

"She's courting you, too, sir, and Andorians court together. There has to be complete agreement on who their courting, or they won't even start the courting process. The fact that she was there for all of the gifts, even gave some to you herself, shows that she knew and approved. She chose to court you, the same as Shran did," Hoshi explained.

"Four people?" Archer asked, his brain was crashing again.

"Yes, sir, an Andorian bond consists of four people: A Thaan, which is male presenting and provides genetic material to create a child, a Chan, also male presenting, and also provides genetic material. Then there are two that are female presenting, a Shen, who provides the egg for a child, and a Zhen, who carries and nurses the child. Though sometimes it can be hard to tell what gender an Andorian is." Hoshi explained, and Archer felt his brain crash again, even as he nodded.

He spent the rest of the day in a vague state, his brain spinning a million miles an hour, but he focused on his duties. It was after he got off duty that his brain started turning. With nothing to distract himself, he went to his quarters and sat on the edge of his bunk with his head in his hands.

All of those gifts, even the dinner, suddenly came into sharp focus, all of them corting gifts that went completely over his head. And the dinner with Hoshi suddenly made so much sense. She had tried to make him realise, she had given him clues, and tried to gently lead him to a realization, but he had been so blind.

There was a chime at his door, and he stood, surprised to see Jhamel standing there. She no longer looked horrified; instead, it was a look of determination that settled over her face. He stepped aside to let her in, and she entered with her usual grace. Porthos ran to greet them, sniffing around her feet. Archer shooed him away, back to his bed.

"I believe we need to discuss something, Captain," she said, and Archer nodded, leading her to the chair behind his desk as he sat on the edge of his bunk once again.

"If you do not want this, if we are not something you desire, Captain, I can understand that, just please allow me to be the one to tell Thy'lek. He may not seem like it, but he is quite sensitive," she started, pausing, and Archer nodded, though she couldn't see.

"I knew how he felt about you, I knew his wants and desires, and I knew how he wanted you as much as he wanted me. He loved you, and I knew that you were a part of his dreams. So I made you a part of my dreams as well, I chose to love you, because he loved you. You are not intruding on our bond, Captain, you are being welcomed into it." Jhamal told him. Archer sat quietly and watched her. She was undeniably beautiful, and Shran wasn't ugly; he had never thought about it, but could he do this, with them? Love two people at the same time?

"I don't know if I can do this, but I would like to try, with you," he said. Jhamel smiled and stood, stepping closer to him, and taking his hand in her own.

"Come, we will find Thy'lek and discuss everything," she told him, and he agreed, leading her out of his quarters.

She led him around Shran's ship to the quarters she and Shran shared, and then led him inside. Shran looked relieved to see them, and Jhamel let go of Archer to greet him. They greeted each other with a brush of their antennae across the other's face.

"Thy'lek, Captain Archer would like to try, but there is much we must discuss," she said, and Sgran nodded, his face going serious. Jhamel led Archer to sit at a table and took a seat next to him, gesturing for Shran to sit as well.

"Right, well, first things first, I'm not sure I can ever be okay with adding another person. I know it's your culture, but three is already out of my comfort zone, and adding another sounds overwhelming to me. Can you be okay with that? With the three of us?" Archer asked.

"Captain, what you are comfortable with matters in this. If you were never comfortable with another joining, then we would never push," Jhamel told him.

"I'm fine with that, I just want this chance," Shran said, reaching across the table. Archer took his hand, and Shran smiled.

"Next, if we're going to be in a relationship, you can call me, Jonathan," Archer told them with a smile. Jhamel mouthed the name, getting used to the way it felt.

"Jonathan," Shran said, it sounded odd coming from him, not in a bad way, just different, and Archer realised that it was the way it sounded with Shran's accent, he wouldn't mind hearing his name said like that for the rest of his life.

"You can call us Jhame and Thy'lek," Jhamel offered. Shran looked at her, but didn't say a word.

"And last, I'm not in love with either of you, not yet, at least, can you wait for that? For me to love you?" Archer asked.

"Love takes time, it took time for me to love you, but I do now, and I am willing to wait," Jhamel told him, grabbing his free hand.

"I will wait, as long as you are willing to try, I will wait," Shran said, and Archer smiled.

Archer went to bed that night with a smile, with the knowledge that Jhamel and Thy'lek were doing the same. They weren't demanding love right away, they were willing to wait, and they didn't mind that he wasn't sure he would ever be comfortable with adding another. It was a good night, he thought, as he pet Porthos on the head and lay down.