Tom Paris looked up when
he felt eyes on him. His gaze was drawn across the room like a magnet to
become riveted on the intense dark gaze focused on him. Curious blue eyes
met unreadable brown ones. There was something in that brown-eyed gaze
he hadn't seen before. Not willing to give it a closer look, Paris broke
eye contact and let his gaze drift about the room.
The Verdanans had been more than
hospitable to Voyager's away team. He, Chakotay, and Neelix had
each been given his own large, private suite for the course of their stay.
They had feasted on sumptuous foods, been entertained by the Royal Verdanan
Musicians, been given the grand tour of the city, and been treated like
nobles by all they met.
The negotiations for much-needed
supplies for Voyager had proceeded almost too smoothly. Both Paris
and Chakotay had been suspicious at the ease of the agreed-upon trade,
but Neelix had assured them that the Verdanans were a gracious people and
very giving.
Against his will, Paris felt his
gaze being tugged back across the room to Chakotay's. Their eyes locked.
Paris lost himself in those eyes for a few precious timeless seconds. With
a mental shake, he withdrew but Chakotay still held his eyes captive. Paris
stared. There was a light stirring in those usually indecipherable eyes.
A flash of something Paris had seen in other eyes but never expected to
see directed at him from this particular pair. Unsure what to do, he fell
back on his flyboy persona. Giving the Commander a cheeky grin, he hefted
the drink he held in one hand in salute before taking a short sip from
it.
Even that small sip burned going
down. What was it the Verdanans had called it? Milakai? Milakai apparently
had no intoxicating effect on the Verdanans but it hadn't taken Paris long
to figure that only a small amount of the drink would be inebriating for
Humans. He had been slowly sipping his one drink all evening, careful not
to get too carried away once he had realized the drink carried a strong
kick. Even so, he could feel a slightly intoxicated buzz overtaking him.
He was still in control and far from being what one would consider drunk,
however.
Poor Chakotay, on the other hand,
probably wasn't faring so well, thought Paris with a slight grin. He had
been forced into several toasts with the Verdanans throughout the evening.
Paris had tried to nonverbally warn him of the drink's intoxicating effect,
but Chakotay had only been able to shrug helplessly as he had been drawn
into yet another toast, his expression ruefully indicating he was very
much aware of the potency of the drink. He seemed to be handling it all
right though, thought Paris. He'd probably be a bear tomorrow morning though
when the drink caught up with him. He made a mental note to try and not
get on Chakotay's bad side tomorrow.
Paris was startled out of his musings
when he became conscious of a presence right in front of him. He refocused,
taken off guard to find the subject of his thoughts suddenly standing right
in front of him. He hadn't even seen Chakotay move. The Commander's gaze
raked up and down his body in a very suggestive manner. Paris swallowed
nervously. Nope. No mistaking the light in those usually unfathomable dark
eyes now. Lust. Pure and simple. For him. Who would have thought?
Certainly not me, thought Paris.
His and Chakotay's relationship had always teetered on the edge of rudeness.
Only recently had they developed an almost well-oiled working relationship,
and Paris finally felt that Chakotay was beginning to trust him and maybe
even respect him somewhat. Or, at the very least, respect his capabilities
as Voyager's pilot and a senior officer.
His drink nearly slipped from nerveless
fingers when Chakotay's hand reached out to gently trail his own fingers
down the side of Paris' face in a sensual caress. A fingertip lingered
over the pilot's lips, playing with the lower lip and watching in seeming
fascination as the lips in question parted slightly in a breathless gasp
of surprise. Chakotay's hand moved to the back of Paris' neck and pulled
him forward so that their bodies were pressed together. Chakotay had a
raging hard-on. Paris could feel it pressing against him and felt stirrings
in his own nether regions in response.
His mind couldn't quite sort out
if he was merely reacting to Chakotay's obvious aroused state or to Chakotay
himself or a combination of both. Paris had always suspected he could easily
be attracted to the other man, if he would only allow himself to be. There
was a certain leashed sexual power about him that Paris was only now beginning
to realize he'd like to see unleashed and that perhaps he'd like to be
the one to unleash it.
Chakotay's lips hovered mere millimeters
over his. Paris remained still as a statue, unwilling or unable to move.
Their breath mingled. Then Chakotay's lips were on his in an annihilating
kiss that tore down Paris' defenses with surprisingly little difficulty.
Taken by surprise, Paris remained
passive for a long moment before his instincts kicked in and he started
responding. It was unlike any kiss he'd experienced before. It was powerful
and gentle at the same time. Soft and hard. Fire and ice. Paris found he
couldn't pinpoint an exact feeling except to acknowledge that the surge
of heat coursing through his body was potent and possibly lethal if he
wasn't careful. When Chakotay's hand moved downward to cup his derriere
possessively, Paris' senses returned in a rush. Breathing hard, he pulled
back, keeping Chakotay at bay with a hand to his chest. He couldn't get
Chakotay to release his hold, however.
"Chakotay--" Deciding a more formal
approach might work best, he quickly amended his form of address. "Commander--"
Chakotay's hands were staying busy, tracing a path over Paris' body that
the other man couldn't help but respond to. The ability to speak seemed
to leave Paris momentarily and his body swayed seemingly on its own volition
toward Chakotay's. It's the drink, Paris told himself, knowing it for the
lie it was. Squaring his shoulders, he gathered his rattled wits about
him like a cloak before softly saying, "Chakotay, what are you doing?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Chakotay replied,
his voice low and seductive and meant for Paris' ears only. "I want you."
He moved in, nuzzling Paris' neck and nipping at an ear. Without thinking
about it, Paris bent his head back to give Chakotay better access until
he realized what he was doing and straightened abruptly, trying to pull
out of Chakotay's embrace. Chakotay, however, refused to release him and
Paris, not wanting to create a scene, subsided for the moment and stood
within the other man's embrace, not wanting to admit how good it actually
felt.
He sent a small frown in Chakotay's
direction but Chakotay either missed it completely or was choosing to ignore
him. Paris silently contemplated his situation. Chakotay was obviously
intoxicated. Wasted. In orbit. Three sheets to the wind. Deep into his
cups. However you wanted to put it, the plain simple fact was that Voyager's
first officer was drunk. That still didn't explain the desire he saw in
the other man's eyes.
Paris didn't think for a moment that
even drunk Chakotay would make a pass at him unless there was a spark of
something there to begin with, which meant -- Paris shook himself mentally.
Don't go there, Paris, he told himself but couldn't contain the excited
flutter in his pulse nor the answering jump in his groin at the thought
that Chakotay might harbor some interest in him. It wasn't something he
had ever considered since he figured it was so far outside the realm of
possibilities that it wasn't even worth speculating about.
He rudely shoved thoughts of what
Chakotay's behavior might mean aside. The one thing Paris was certain of
at the moment was if they pursued this while Chakotay was in his current
inebriated state the other man would regret it in the morning. Paris surprised
himself with the thought that he might regret it too. He didn't want a
spur-of-the-moment drunken coupling with the man. He wanted--
Paris slammed into a mental wall
when his subconscious realized what path his thoughts were currently traveling
down. Was he actually contemplating sleeping with Chakotay? He sighed.
So there it was. Out in the open finally. Or at the very least some of
the latent desires he had been denying were finally speaking loudly to
him.
What an eye opener. He wanted Chakotay.
Had wanted him for a long time. Just hadn't wanted to admit it. He refused
to dig any deeper and see if there were more complicated feelings mixed
in with that longing. He was fairly certain there were and he really wasn't
up for any self-analysis tonight.
Paris grabbed Chakotay's roving hands
and made a point of holding them away from himself. "Not like this, Chakotay.
This drink the Verdanans fed us tonight is a little more potent than we
thought." He stared long and hard into the eyes that continued to drink
him in and hoped he wouldn't later regret what he was about to admit. "Talk
to me in the morning," he finally said. "When your head's cleared. If you
still feel the same way then maybe we have something to talk about."
Paris was becoming acutely aware
of the roomful of eyes that were focused on the intimate moment playing
out between himself and Chakotay. He'd never liked being on display. Not
when he'd been young and his father had him on constant display at official
Starfleet functions and not now. Even if it was basically a roomful of
strangers, except for -- Neelix! Damn!
Paris' wide-eyed gaze flitted around
the room until they came to rest on the Talaxian, who was staring at them
with a grin of surprise. Neelix gave him a knowing wink. Paris closed his
eyes and felt a sudden urge to bury his face in Chakotay's chest. Damn.
This would be all over the ship in the first five minutes they were back
aboard tomorrow. He'd have to have a talk with Neelix, although he
strongly doubted it would do any good. Neelix would somehow find a way
to declare it good for ship's morale and deem it his duty as Morale Officer
to spread the news. Burying a groan of embarrassment, Paris turned his
attention back to Chakotay, who was attempting to mold his body to Paris'
once more.
Paris took one of Chakotay's straying
hands in his with the intention of removing it. Before he quite knew what
was happening, though, Chakotay's fingers were twined around his in a gentle
touch and Paris began thinking that perhaps Chakotay could give him
lessons in the art of seduction. Aw, hell, thought Paris with a wild surge
of adrenaline. In for a penny, in for a pound. He might never get a better
chance.
He leaned into the other man and
his lips gently touched Chakotay's. His tongue took a lingering exploratory
trip through the warmth of Chakotay's mouth, savoring a taste that would
most likely be his last, before reluctantly pulling back.
"Let's give our excuses to the Verdanan
Proctor," Paris said, finally disengaging himself from the other body that
seemed to fit with his so well. Pulling Chakotay along behind him, he added,
"Then we'll get you to bed." Chakotay smiled. It was one of the rare wide-open
dimpled smiles.
Paris shook his head as he attempted
to regain control over his own body's response to the other man. "I'm not
sleeping with you, Chakotay," he said under his breath. "Not tonight. Not
when you've had too much to drink to know what you're doing." His own head
was buzzing from the drink, and Chakotay had been forced to drink much
more of the fruity concoction than he had.
Chakotay continued to smile widely
and fondle Paris as they made their goodnights to the Verdanan Proctor.
Clearly, Chakotay wasn't expecting a "not tonight, dear" once they got
back to the privacy of their suites, thought Paris. He barely avoided jumping
in surprise when the other man's hand rubbed gently over the rounded swells
of his hindquarters and then proceeded to dip in between his legs to fondle
the sensitive sacs there which were quickly being drawn up tight by a growing
erection. Paris slapped at his hand, hissing at him to stop while keeping
a careful eye on the Proctor and praying the Verdanan ruler wouldn't notice.
Chakotay awoke with symptoms
he hadn't felt in ages. Cottony mouth, pounding head, sandpaper eyes. All
the signs of a hangover. He slowly sat up on the edge of the bed, moving
carefully when his pounding head protested. He twisted his head around
a few times to work out some of the kinks then rose to his feet to make
his way to the bathroom. There was a medkit in the bathroom kit that surely
had something in it for a headache.
Minutes later he sighed with relief
as the analgesic took effect and dared his first peek in the mirror. He
actually didn't look too bad, considering. What had happened last night
anyway? He remembered several Verdanan toasts, one right after the other,
that he couldn't refuse. He'd consumed a large amount of the Verdanan drink
in that first hour and thought he'd been handling it rather well, despite
the obviously high alcohol content of the drink. Given his hungover state
this morning and hazy memory, however, he had to wonder.
Chakotay stared at himself in the
mirror, trying to remember the night before. The reflection's eyes met
his, stared in confusion, then widened in shock when several vivid images
flashed through his mind. Chakotay swallowed nervously as he replayed the
images in his mind more slowly a second time.
Paris? Had he actually kissed
Paris? Chakotay groaned aloud. Maybe, if he were extremely lucky, it was
all a dream. It wasn't that he didn't want to kiss Paris -- the man was
absolutely one of the most stunning creatures Chakotay had ever seen --
the problem was that he didn't want Paris to know he wanted to kiss him.
The pilot would only laugh in his face. Too much water under the bridge
between them for any hope of ever encountering anything even remotely resembling
a sexual liaison between the two of them, Chakotay reasoned.
Still disturbed by the images, Chakotay
stepped into the shower, hoping he could wash away some of the residue
of the hangover and get a clearer picture of what had happened last evening.
He prayed he hadn't made a fool of himself in front of the Verdanans at
the reception. He knew upon first sip of the drink they had been serving
at the reception that it had alcohol content but he had been obligated
to participate in the many, many toasts the Verdanans had insisted upon
making. The drink must have been a little more potent than he thought if
he was having trouble remembering the events of last night.
It took only five minutes of hot
water beating down on him to clear the cobwebs. An ancient curse he had
heard his maternal grandfather utter upon occasion passed his lips in a
soft groan of misery. He leaned his head against the wall of the shower
as water continued to pound down upon him. He had kissed Paris. It hadn't
been some alcoholic hallucination. Not only had he kissed Paris but he
had kissed him in a crowded room during the Verdanan reception. Barely
suppressing a groan of embarrassment, he quickly finished the rest of his
morning ablutions. Snagging the robe off the back of the bathroom door,
he secured it loosely around himself as he made his way back into the bedroom.
Chakotay rubbed a hand tiredly over
his face as the memories from the night before started fitting together.
He had propositioned Paris. He felt his face flaming at the remembrance
of it. What in the world had gotten into him?
His eyes rolled comically in the
next instant. The Verdanan drink, obviously. That was what Paris had said
anyway. Chakotay stopped pacing, his brow crinkled in thought. Paris had
turned him down. That wasn't much of a surprise really. What did surprise
Chakotay was the realization that Paris had declined to take him up on
his offer because he hadn't wanted Chakotay doing something in a drunken
stupor that he would later regret. There had been real regret in Tom's
eyes when he pushed him away. Chakotay began pacing again, his mind whirling
with the possibilities and repercussions of last night's failed seduction.
He stopped pacing again. Had it been
a seduction? It certainly must have seemed so from Tom's point of view.
Chakotay's lips pursed thoughtfully as he remembered Tom's lips under his
and how it had felt to have the other man's body next to his. He also recalled
Tom's initial exuberant participation. So maybe it hadn't been so one-sided
after all? he wondered, not even realizing that he had started thinking
of the pilot as Tom rather than Paris.
What had Tom said to him last night?
He heard the pilot's voice, soft and solemn and without that usual edge
to it which seemed to only be present when he was addressing Chakotay,
saying, "Not tonight. Talk to me in the morning if you're still feeling
the same way. Maybe then I'll believe you." That hadn't exactly been an
adamant no, had it? With that sudden realization, something resembling
a smile crossed Chakotay's face for the first time that morning. In a matter
of minutes, Chakotay did a compete turnaround, going from being appalled
at his actions the night before to nervous anticipation that maybe it would
all work out after all.
Exiting the bedroom, Chakotay pulled
up short when he spotted Voyager's pilot fast asleep on the couch.
He'd kicked off the blanket during the night and Chakotay had a very good
view of Tom's body, clad only in briefs. His eyes lingered on the front
of the underwear where indications of a morning erection were in ample
evidence. Chakotay felt his body waking up at the sight of the nearly nude
one before him. He tried to swallow over the sudden lump in his throat.
He hadn't felt this nervous in years.
Breathing deeply to get himself under
control, he pulled a chair up near the couch and sat watching the other
man sleep as memories from the night before replayed in his head. His heated
gaze following Tom around the room at the Verdanan reception. The moment
when the blue gaze had lifted to meet his. The shock in that blue gaze
when it comprehended what the dark one was communicating to him. The cocky
salute with the drink. Chakotay had moved then. Quickly. One moment he
had been across the room from Tom and the next he had been standing so
close their bodies were nearly touching. And then their bodies were touching
and those delicious lips had been under his, moving against his. Answering
his.
Chakotay's eyes closed, his embarrassment
at his indiscretions of the night before overcoming him. What would the
Verdanans say? At least Tom had gotten him out of there before he had made
an even bigger fool of himself. And what would Tom say? What could he say
to Tom? What did he want to say? So many questions and no answers in sight.
Chakotay the man warred internally
with Chakotay the commander. Tom could bring charges against him for his
behavior the night before. Somehow, Chakotay had a sneaking suspicion the
other man wouldn't do so.
Chakotay the man finally won the
battle. He wanted to tell Tom that he still desired him. Wanted to take
him for a lover. Wanted to feel his body beneath his. It seemed so simple,
yet nothing had ever loomed so impossibly before Chakotay.
His eyes reopened to focus on the
sleeping Tom Paris. He had been attracted physically to Tom for a long
time. Practically since the first moment he had set eyes on him in the
Maquis. His intense dislike of the other man had not ruled out the attraction
but it had stopped him from acting upon it. The attraction had angered
and frustrated him. He had detested everything Paris seemed to stand for
back then.
Denying that attraction had become
much more difficult in the past year. Tom had proven himself again and
again since coming aboard Voyager, and in the past few months Chakotay
had been seeing a much different Tom Paris than the one he had first met
in the Maquis. Chakotay was no longer sure it was a simple sexual attraction
he held for the other man. There surely must be something more to it for
him to have made a pass at Paris in front of a crowded room last night.
Even blind drunk, he wouldn't have done that unless his feelings and needs
went deeper than mere sex. Deep enough to cause him to lose control.
Paris shifted in his sleep and Chakotay
watched, mesmerized, as the long limbs rearranged themselves. Then Tom
was settling back into an easy slumber on his back, one arm resting on
his stomach, the other flung up above his head and legs sprawled loosely
over the too-short couch. Chakotay's eyes roved over the plains of that
face. If you looked closely, you could see the faint shadow of blond beard
that blended with the fair skin. The cheekbones and nose seem to speak
of aristocratic nobility. The high forehead which gave way to a slowly
receding hairline that Paris seemed remarkably unconcerned about made Chakotay's
fingers itch to touch the light wavy hair and run his fingers through it.
Chakotay still felt a bit stunned
that Tom had turned him down last night in the manner that he had. He would
have expected a response more along the lines of a definite 'no,
I'm not interested' but instead had received a definite maybe. The blue
eyes that had been fixed intently on his last night had shown definite
interest but there had also been a wariness in those eyes. A wariness of
him. Of what had passed between them. Of past distrusts.
How badly did Chakotay want to overcome
that? Did he want to lay it all at their feet for contemplation so they
could move beyond it to -- what? To become lovers? Or were they both just
looking for a simple one-night lay? Or a short-term affair to satisfy both
their needs? Tom had been right last night. He would have regretted
it this morning if they had slept together last night. Chakotay wanted
all his faculties in working order if -- when, whispered a devious
voice in his head -- they slept together. He wanted to remember it. To
enjoy it. He wanted to pleasure Tom and hear the man gasp his name and
cry out for more.
Of its own volition, his hand reached
out to trail gentle fingers over the plains of that sleeping face. The
hand moved downward to rest on the chest covered with sprinklings of blond
hair. He could feel the steady beat of Tom’s heart beneath his hand and
was quickly becoming lost in it when the sound of a throat clearing froze
Chakotay in place.
"Good morning."
Chakotay's eyes slowly rose to meet
Tom's, embarrassed at being caught. This is it, Chakotay, he told himself.
Either you back off now and say no more or you pursue this. Which is it
going to be? After he calmed the rapid beating of his heart, Chakotay heard
himself return Tom's greeting, none of his inner turmoil evident in his
voice.
"Morning."
Chakotay didn't remove his hand from
where it lay resting on Tom's chest. His fingers moved as if they had a
life of their own, playing with the springy hairs there. Tom's eyes widened
slightly at that but he simply asked impassively, "How you feeling this
morning?"
"Like I overindulged," admitted Chakotay.
"That drink was a little more stimulating than I realized." On the word
'stimulating' Chakotay's fingers grazed one of Tom's nipples. Tom's breath
caught in his throat but he still made no move toward or away from Chakotay.
"You weren't quite yourself last
night," Tom admitted, a slight catch in his voice.
"I don't know about that," Chakotay
said softly, surprising himself with his words. "I think quite a bit of
myself came through last night."
Paris stared at Chakotay. The darker
gaze refused to back down. Damn. The man was still giving him the eye,
even with a clear head. Tom had thought once the cobwebs cleared that Chakotay
would want to forget what had happened. Becoming painfully aware of the
morning erection that was attempting to push its way out of his briefs,
Paris pulled the blanket over himself and slowly sat up so that he was
facing Chakotay, forcing him to abandon his gentle stroking of Tom's chest.
Paris ended up with his long legs on either side of Chakotay's chair.
"What happened last night, Chakotay?"
asked Tom carefully, having to struggle to keep the nervousness out of
his voice.
Chakotay leaned in, a not quite suppressed
predatory gleam in his eye. "I think I declared my intentions."
"Intentions?"
Chakotay leaned in closer. Tom found
himself leaning toward him, meeting him. Chakotay's hand cupped Tom's face,
a thumb gently caressing his lower lip. Their eyes met and held. "You told
me if I still felt the same way this morning that we could talk about it."
Chakotay's usually firm voice sounded unsure.
"Uh huh." Tom didn't think he was
capable of a more coherent response at that moment. His whole body was
aching with a yearning for this man. He was afraid to want it too much
but afraid to deny it for fear of losing his chance.
Seeing the look in the other man's
eyes and the way his body was responding, Chakotay decided, with uncharacteristic
daring, to move full steam ahead and damn the consequences, certain he
would pay for that later but not caring. "I'd rather show you." He moved
in at warp speed, crushing Tom's mouth beneath his in a declaratory kiss.
Tom's reply was every bit as fervent. Their mouths fused together, refusing
to be parted. Tongues, surprisingly shy, met, touched, danced and became
lovers as they both fell into the kiss.
Coming up for air, Chakotay pulled
back. His one hand still cupped Tom's jaw, the other rested on his bare
thigh. Both of Tom's hands were on Chakotay's shoulders, holding on as
if that would keep him from falling into the whirling abyss of emotions
Chakotay was stirring. Chakotay smiled. The man looked absolutely ripe
for taking. Blue eyes bright with desire beneath sleep-rumpled hair. Lips
swollen from the loving they had received and slightly parted as he panted
for breath. A slight flush gave color to his face. Chakotay ached with
the need to be closer to him.
"Damn," Tom breathed softly, trying
to find his breath again.
Chakotay chuckled.
Tom stared at the man before him.
One kiss. One devastating kiss and Chakotay had washed away any doubts
he had about getting involved with him in a sexual relationship.
"Damn," he swore softly again, at
a loss for what else to say before his brain finally clicked into motion
again. He slid his hands underneath Chakotay's robe to gently knead at
the broad shoulders. "We're going to do this, aren't we?"
"I'd say that's a distinct possibility,"
agreed Chakotay, his hand inching up Tom's thigh toward his groin and what
lay in wait there. Then doubt clouded Chakotay's features and he pulled
back. "You do want this, don't you?" he asked uncertainly, worried they
were moving too fast.
For an answer, Tom pushed the robe
off Chakotay's shoulders, only the belt keeping it loosely in place around
Chakotay's waist, and then reclaimed the shoulders once more to pull Chakotay
in for a kiss. Tom had wanted it to be an all-consuming mind-blowing kiss
but something changed in one millisecond of movement and when their lips
made contact he kept his touch gentle. It was a whisper of a kiss that
would leave Chakotay wanting more.
Against the other man's lips, Tom
said in a soft but harsh voice that still managed to convey a world of
yearning, "Fuck me, Chakotay." Then he pulled the other man in for a soul-searing
kiss that left Chakotay on the floor on his knees between Tom's legs and
not remembering how he got there. A good place to be, thought a breathless
Chakotay as Tom continued to hungrily consume him.
Tom's hands seemed to be everywhere.
Fingers sensually grazed his face, shoulders, back, chest and kept moving
downward across his stomach until the fingers were tugging impatiently
at the belt of the robe. Chakotay made encouraging noises as the robe fell
away, baring him to his soon-to-be lover. Then the hands found him and
Chakotay lurched back at the sudden sensations flowing through him. Only
his own hands, holding onto Tom's thighs, kept him up on his knees as those
wonderful hands at first gently cradled him and then moved to fondle him.
A separate part of Chakotay couldn't help noting that apparently those
fingers were as nimble elsewhere as they were on the helm before he gave
himself up to those hands and the exciting vibrations they sent shuddering
through his body.
"Tom!" he finally gasped.
"Hmmm?" Tom's lips nuzzled his neck,
prompting Chakotay to arch back to give him better access, which brought
his erection forward toward Tom.
"You're over . . . dressed!" With
that proclamation finally uttered, Chakotay tore himself away from those
delicious hands and the warm lips and tongue and rose to his feet. His
bobbing erection was still in easy reach of Tom's questing hands but Chakotay
pushed the hands away and thrust Tom back against the couch. He reached
down with one swift motion and yanked the dark briefs off the other man.
Capturing Tom's ankles in his hands,
Chakotay held the long legs aloft, his thumbs caressing the ankles lovingly.
As Chakotay slowly lowered himself to his knees once more, Tom let his
legs slowly settle on Chakotay's shoulders until Chakotay knelt between
his spread legs. His hands stroking Tom's thighs and hips, Chakotay leaned
forward, one hand abandoning a thigh to assist his mouth in the capture
and defeat of Lieutenant Tom Paris. His tongue darted out in teasing touches
along the tip of Tom's erection and he felt the other man jerk in pleasure
as he continued to plant soft kisses with lips and tongue along it.
Tom's hands reached behind his head
and found the back of the couch. He grasped it tightly and pulled himself
back, further elevating his groin as he offered himself to the other man.
Tom threw his head back as he struggled for some semblance of control.
He wanted this to last. He didn't want it to be over too quickly.
Chakotay's other hand moved to stroke
his own erection as he continued to suckle at Tom's. His erection grew
harder at the sound of Tom's uninhibited gasps. Chakotay's mouth moved
up and down the length of Tom's hardness and then abandoned it altogether
to gently fondle his balls, sucking them one by one into his mouth in a
warm caress. Tom's body spasmed madly.
"Chakotay!" Tom cried in warning.
Chakotay backed off, not wanting
Tom to come until they were both ready. He left Tom's nether regions alone
for the moment and leaned up to kiss him, taking his time at exploring
the willing lips and mouth. Tom's legs slid down to fall bonelessly at
Chakotay's sides. Chakotay continued to stroke his own erection, batting
Tom's hand away when he made an attempt to assist.
"No," Chakotay murmured as his lips
moved in a slow deliberate trail down Tom's neck to his chest. "Not this
time. This time's for you. Let me give you this." It was suddenly
incredibly important to Chakotay that he be allowed to give Tom this --
to pleasure him. His whole universe, for this one moment in time, was focused
solely on Thomas Eugene Paris and bringing him pleasure.
Tom thought he would go mad from
Chakotay's touch. He hadn't felt this alive in what seemed like centuries.
Another part of him couldn't believe he was here with Chakotay doing this
but it felt so good. So right.
"Cha -- ohhhhhh!" he gasped when
those lips found a particularly vulnerable spot. Apparently Chakotay understood
the plea for Tom felt himself being slid to a reclining position on the
couch and realized with a start that his eyes were closed. Opening them
in time to see Chakotay's bare ass disappearing into the bedroom, Tom felt
a momentous letdown. Chakotay had obviously come to his senses and realized
he was about to have sex with Tom Paris ex-Starfleet, ex-Maquis, traitor.
He lay on the couch, unmoving, feeling the abandonment far deeper than
he wanted to.
"Got it."
Tom's startled gaze flew to the bedroom
doorway to see Chakotay, small bottle in hand, heading back his way. Chakotay
joined him on the couch. "Now, where were we?" he asked, completely unaware
of the fragile crack in Tom's defenses that he had inadvertently reopened
and which was now refusing to slide shut again. He popped the lid off the
bottle and Tom realized it was a bottle of massage oil. Chakotay hadn't
abandoned him after all and he felt unaccountably overjoyed by that.
Sitting up, Chakotay between his
legs, Tom grinned as he took the bottle from Chakotay's hand and poured
the oil into his own palm. Rubbing his hands together, he took Chakotay's
erection between them and massaged the oil over him in stroking motions
that elicited groans of satisfaction from the other man. "I think we were
right about here," Tom told him.
"Here is a good place to be," agreed
Chakotay breathlessly, eyes closed in ecstasy.
Long-fingered hands once again found
his shoulders and pulled him in. Going willingly, Chakotay responded passionately
when lips found his. After several minutes of fighting for supremacy of
the kiss, Tom finally said softly against Chakotay's lips, "Now, Chakotay.
Now."
Chakotay didn't wait for another
invitation. He pushed Tom back down on the couch and tugged at the other
man's hips, pulling Tom toward him until his rear end was resting on his
thighs. Tom's long legs somehow managed to find their own way to Chakotay's
shoulders. Anointing his finger with the massage oil, Chakotay gently traced
the rim of the puckered opening between Tom's cheeks. He slowly worked
the finger inside, watching the expression on Tom's face as he did so.
When Tom's eyes opened, Chakotay
felt as if he had been hit by a wave of blue heat at the obvious need and
arousal in that gaze. He leaned over for a kiss, which Tom gladly gave
him. Then Chakotay was pulling back to kneel once more between Tom's legs.
A second finger joined the first, grazing a certain spot within Tom that
caused him to writhe madly. Chakotay stilled his own movements, not wanting
Tom to come too soon. It wasn't long before a third finger joined the other
two and then Tom was pushing against him.
"More, Chakotay!"
Pulling out, Chakotay quickly pressed
himself up against Tom's opening before the other man had a chance to cry
out at the sudden loss and began pushing his way inside the tight canal
ever so slowly. Tom, however, had other ideas. He was no longer in the
mood to take this slowly. He pushed against Chakotay with a sudden lunge
and Chakotay felt the warm tightness embrace him. They both cried out at
the unexpectedness of it.
Tom felt a momentary burning. It
hurt. But there was a sense of fullness that overrode the burning sensation.
They both stilled for a long moment, adjusting to the newness of their
union, until Tom moved, his body telling Chakotay he was ready. He opened
his eyes to find dark smoldering ones watching him. Their eyes communicated
silently as Chakotay began moving, gently at first. Tom's hand snaked between
them to grasp his own erection and he began pumping it in time to Chakotay's
thrusts.
"Faster," Tom panted.
Gritting his teeth against the cries
of pleasure that wanted to escape, Chakotay quickened his movements. Then,
unable to hold back any longer, he slammed harder and harder into Tom until
they were moving together rapidly in an unrestrained burst of frenzied
motion. He gave up on holding back and his lips parted to give way to an
inarticulate cry of pleasure.
Tom fell over the edge first, climaxing
with a yell. His orgasm caused him to tighten around Chakotay, which sent
Chakotay right over the brink after him. Tom's rapt gaze refocused on Chakotay
barely in time to see the orgasmic ecstasy wash across the other man's
face. God, but the man was really something to behold. Tom rode it out
with Chakotay, longing to hold the other man in his arms as he shuddered
from the intensity of the climax. His wish was fulfilled a minute later
when Chakotay collapsed bonelessly onto his chest.
They lay together in stunned silence
until Chakotay, his erection softening, slid from Tom's body. Even then,
they didn't move. Not a sound could be heard in the room except the sounds
of their labored breathing. Tom's fingers brushed soothingly over the firm
body atop him while Chakotay slowly climbed back from the abyss of euphoria.
Tom felt completely sated with the warm afterglow of their lovemaking and
perfectly content to lie here for the next decade or so.
Chakotay's whirling mind finally
calmed down so he could think coherently. He remained stretched out atop
Tom, his face tucked into Tom's neck. He almost purred aloud when Tom's
hands began stroking up and down his back and his attention was definitely
captured when those hands stretched down to caress his buttocks, fingers
sliding in and out of the crevice there.
Chakotay raised his head to peer
at the blue eyes, now heavily lidded with the afterglow of their activities.
Unbidden, his thoughts spilled out in a voice slightly hoarse from the
euphoric cries that had been ripped from his throat only minutes ago. "You're
very beautiful, you know that?" He watched as Tom's eyes widened in surprise
and then a deep red blush suffused the pilot's face.
Chakotay pulled himself up Tom's
body so he could reach the inviting lips and Tom's mouth opened beneath
his like a flower welcoming the morning sun. They kissed gently, playfully,
for a few moments before Chakotay pulled back far enough to see his lover's
eyes. He smiled, dimples threatening to appear. "What's the matter? No
one ever called you beautiful?"
Tom shrugged, his eyes sliding away
in a delightfully shy way. "Not exactly." He was silent for a long moment
then seemed to come to some sort of decision. When his gaze slid back to
Chakotay's it still held hints of the pleased embarrassment but there was
a provocative come-hither mixed in with the embarrassment now that drew
Chakotay in. A capricious grin lighting his face, Tom said, "All right.
First blush goes to you. Now it's my turn."
Before Chakotay had a chance to comprehend
the current state of affairs, Tom had slid out from beneath him, leaving
Chakotay lying facedown on the couch. Then Tom was straddling his back,
sitting lightly perched on Chakotay's legs just below his rear. Hands massaged
his shoulders and back, moving lower and lower until they rested on the
firm buttocks of his lover.
Chakotay felt Tom's breath on the
back of his neck as the other man bent down over him, kissing his way down
and then up Chakotay's back before whispering, "How do you want it, Chakotay?"
A shiver of anticipation coursed through Chakotay at Tom's whispered words.
Tom meant to have him and Chakotay wanted nothing more than to be taken
by him. Tom's hands kneaded his buttocks, pulling them slightly apart to
trail a questing finger down the crevice to the puckered opening. Chakotay
sighed in contentment.
"Any way you want, Tom." He turned
his head in invitation and Tom leaned over him to brush Chakotay's lips
with his own. "I trust you," Chakotay told him softly. He felt Tom go completely
still for a moment as if taken by surprise. When he replied, however, his
voice was filled with delight and Chakotay could hear the grin in the one-word
reply.
"Yeah?"
Chakotay felt a momentary hesitation
for what he was letting himself in for. Then Tom's hands and lips were
moving over his body and he gave himself up to the other man, his trust
in Tom complete.
Tom hadn't been able to contain his
surprise when Chakotay had said he trusted him. Something inside him had
eased with those words. A wariness that had forced distance between the
two of them broke loose at that moment and Tom was flooded with tender
feelings for this man who had managed to touch him where nobody else had
before. The feelings were so overpowering he felt as if they would burst
out of him. Instead, they settled down into a special place in his heart,
overriding all the mistrust and anxieties of their volatile past and soothing
him with a gentle balm of deep caring that warmed his heart.
Tom didn't stop to study these new
emotions. There would be time for that later. He let his touch speak for
him as he moved over Chakotay's body in loving strokes, delighting in every
small whimper and groan from the man who lay completely submissive beneath
him.
He gentled Chakotay into readiness
until the other man was writhing under him. A tender touch of his hands
to Chakotay's hips was all the incentive Chakotay needed to rise up to
all fours and push back impatiently against Tom. Neither of them said a
word. The silence was filled with loving touches and gasps of pleasure
as Tom slowly eased his way into Chakotay.
Breath erupting harshly from a gasping
mouth, Tom struggled to maintain control and allow Chakotay to catch up
to him. Then the other man was pushing back against him. One hand moved
in sensual motions over Chakotay's back as Tom began thrusting into Chakotay.
It wasn't long before the hand slid around under Chakotay to take his erection
in hand and begin pumping it. Chakotay's movements became more abandoned
and desperate. Tom's thrusts grew harder and deeper until he felt Chakotay
spilling over his hand, crying out as the orgasmic wave rolled over him.
With one final thrust, Tom felt himself coming and his mouth opened in
a wordless cry of satisfaction.
Chakotay collapsed downward, shaky
arms refusing to hold him. Tom followed him downward to collapse in a self-indulgent
sprawl over the other man. When his heartbeat slowed to a more normal rate
he moved to withdraw from Chakotay but the other man's hand found his hip
and made a staying motion.
"Not yet," Chakotay whispered. "Stay.
Please."
Tom's hand found Chakotay's and they
lay, fingers intertwined, until Chakotay could no longer hold onto Tom's
softened penis. With a groan of disappointment, the two men parted.
Tom rose in slow motion off the couch,
muscles protesting the excessive activity. "Stay there," he told the other
man. "I'll be right back." He padded into the bathroom, wet a towel with
warm water and returned to Chakotay who still lay facedown on the couch
and appeared to be completely insensate. Tom gently cleaned Chakotay with
the warm towel. Nudging the other man to his back, Tom finished the job
then leaned in to kiss the slightly parted lips.
"Umm," was Chakotay's only comment
before becoming a more active partner in the kiss.
They finally pulled apart, but Tom
stayed on his knees beside the couch as they gazed at each other, both
their expressions admitting it was now time to talk. Both opened their
mouths at the same time only to be interrupted by a knock on the suite
door. They froze, two pair of eyes widening alarmingly. They had been so
wrapped up in each other they had forgotten about the outside world. Chakotay
was the first to recover. He jumped to his feet, thrusting Tom's clothes
and blanket and pillow in Tom's arms and shoving him toward the bedroom.
A second knock sounded on the suite
door accompanied by a voice this time. "Commander?" came Neelix's puzzled
voice from the other side of the door.
Chakotay gave Tom another shove toward
the bedroom while he struggled into his robe.
"Chakotay--"
"Not now, Tom."
"But--"
"Just get in the bedroom and don't
come out until I say so."
"Yes, sir," Tom replied, smarting
from the abrupt dismissal. After all, all he'd wanted to tell Chakotay
was that Neelix already knew about them or at least what had happened at
the reception last night. Then his sense of humor took over and a grinning
Paris disappeared into the bedroom. He stopped just inside the bedroom
door to listen.
Tightening the robe's belt, Chakotay
let Neelix in.
"Is everything all right, Commander?"
asked the concerned Talaxian.
"Everything's fine, Neelix. I just,
uh, I overslept, is all."
Neelix took in the Commander's rumpled
appearance. His nose twitched and he moved a little closer to Chakotay.
"Commander, I don't mean to be rude, but it might be a good idea if you
were to shower before your final meeting with the Verdanan Proctor this
morning. You're exuding a rather interesting scent. Not entirely unpleasant,
mind you. Rather musky, in fact."
"Neelix," Chakotay interrupted, hearing
muffled laughter quickly stifled from the direction of the bedroom.
"Yes, Commander?"
Chakotay found himself at a loss
for what to say but Neelix filled in the silence for him. "Commander, you
haven't by chance happened to have seen Lieutenant Paris this morning,
have you? He doesn't seem to be in his room. He wasn't there last night
either."
Chakotay felt the heat rising to
his face and cursed the damning blush that followed. "He, uh, spent the
night here." His blush deepened when he realized how that sounded. Chakotay
was caught unprepared by the knowing grin that spread over Neelix's face.
"I see," was the Talaxian's unexpectedly
noncommittal answer, but the huge smile on his face told a different story.
It was at that moment that Chakotay realized that not only had the Verdanans
present at the reception witnessed his behavior with Paris last night but
so had Neelix. He felt his face go slack with shock but he made a quick
recovery.
"He slept on the couch," Chakotay
archly informed the Talaxian. "He was concerned I had had a bit too much
to drink."
"That milakai they were serving was
rather strong, wasn't it?" agreed Neelix, his gaze sliding to the couch
in question. "I'll have to see if I can get some for Voyager's stores
seeing as how you're so fond of it, Commander," he finished as he walked
to the couch to sniff suspiciously at a stain on one of the cushions.
Damn, damn, damn! Chakotay cursed
silently. He couldn't win for losing. Even Neelix heard the muffled chortle
of laughter from the bedroom this time before the sound of the shower being
turned on covered it.
Neelix started to speak but the stern
visage the Commander was presenting him with seemed to forbid it. Settling
for a shrug, the Talaxian moved toward the door. "Shall I tell the Proctor
you will be down shortly to conclude our business here, Commander?"
"Yes, Neelix. Give me twenty minutes
or so, all right?"
Nodding, the Talaxian let himself
out. Chakotay made straight for the bathroom, shedding his robe as he went.
He climbed into the shower behind Tom with every intention of giving him
a good dressing down for not warning him but found himself, instead, with
an armful of lanky pilot rubbing sensually against him. Sighing as he realized
this was one battle he was not going to win, Chakotay turned to the shower
wall, pillowing his head in his arms. Tom's fingers kneaded the tense muscles
in Chakotay's back.
"The score's even now," Tom finally
ventured.
"Score?"
"First blush. You blushed when Neelix
asked where I was."
"I did not."
"Did too."
"How could you tell?"
"Geez, Chakotay, I could feel the
heat radiating off it all the way in here."
Chakotay had a sudden urge to throttle
the other man but settled instead for pulling him around to trap him between
his body and the shower wall. He then proceeded to shut him up with a series
of kisses. When they came up for air, Tom grabbed the bath sponge and soap
and began working it over Chakotay's body, working up a lather in more
than one way.
Presenting his backside for Tom to
clean, Chakotay asked, "You knew?"
"What? That Neelix saw you pounce
on me last night?" There was barely contained laughter in Tom's voice.
Chakotay winced. "I wasn't that bad,
was I?"
"Much worse," Tom consoled him. "Everyone
seemed to take it in stride though. And, you know, none of the Verdanans
seemed to be offended by it."
"Small favors," muttered Chakotay.
"What was that?"
"Nothing." He turned and grabbed
the bath sponge from Tom and returned the favor of giving him of soaping
him up and rinsing him off. Tom tried to move in closer for a kiss but
Chakotay pushed him away. "We've got to meet with the Verdanans in a few
minutes and then we'll be beaming up to Voyager. This will have
to wait for later."
Tom frowned, unsure what the 'this'
was that he referred to. Shrugging, he stepped out of the shower, quickly
toweling off and getting dressed. Chakotay followed suit, and minutes later
they found themselves with Neelix and the Verdanan Proctor.
Their business was quickly concluded
and they soon found themselves back aboard Voyager. The Proctor
hadn't said a word about their behavior the night before. He had only given
Neelix an understanding look and then both Verdanan and Talaxian had turned
their attentions to the business at hand, leaving both Tom and Chakotay
wondering what exactly Neelix had told the Proctor.
Once aboard Voyager, Tom and
Chakotay had resumed their stations on the Bridge as they prepared to leave
orbit around Verdana. Neelix had accompanied them to the Bridge for a final
farewell to the Verdanans.
Janeway stood, Chakotay joining her,
as the Proctor appeared on the forward viewscreen. Inclining her head slightly,
she greeted the Proctor. "Proctor Sylas."
"Captain Janeway. I am gladdened
we were able to trade with you but regretful you must depart so soon."
"We still have a long way to go before
we get home, Proctor." Janeway smiled to soften her words.
"Of course." His gaze turned to Paris
at the helm and then floated on to Chakotay at Janeway's side. "Gentlemen,
may you continue to share in your pleasures."
Janeway saw both men start at he
Proctor's odd choice of words. Paris turned from the helm to glance back
at Chakotay and knew the Commander's blush was mirrored on his own. Turning
back to the helm, he muttered, "First blush: two-two."
"Lieutenant?" quizzed Janeway, puzzled
at her first officer and pilot's strange reactions.
Without turning, Paris responded,
"Nothing, Captain. Just a running tab the Commander and I have going."
"I see," was Janeway's only comment
although she clearly didn't see at all.
"Neelix," continued the Proctor,
"you received the additional supplies you asked for this morning?"
"Yes, Proctor," replied Neelix. "Thank
you for filling a last minute request. Had I known the Commander would
be so fond of the milakai you served at the reception last night, I would
have requested a supply of it earlier."
Paris twisted in his seat once more
to stare at the Talaxian, trying to decipher if his leg was being pulled.
The Proctor's next words confirmed it for him.
"Of course," agreed the Proctor with
a smile. "I believe Lieutenant Paris enjoyed the aftereffects of the Commander's
indulgence in the milakai, if I'm not mistaken."
Janeway saw Tom's eyes fly to Chakotay's.
There was an alarming twitching of his lips and then Tom was turning back
to the helm, shoulders hunched as he concentrated on the helm readouts.
There was definitely a story here, Janeway decided. She would have to worm
it out of Chakotay later. Failing that, she had a hunch that Neelix would
be more than happy to fill his captain in.
Focusing once more on the forward
viewscreen, she made their farewells. "Proctor Sylas. We thank you for
your hospitality." Chakotay inclined his head in the Proctor's direction
but made no move to speak. He wasn't sure he was capable of speech at this
point.
"Safe journey," bid the Proctor before
he vanished from the screen.
"Mr. Paris, take us out of orbit,"
commanded Captain Janeway. "Resume our heading for home. Warp Six."
"Aye aye, Captain."
Voyager gracefully slid out
of the Verdanan orbit. Her nacelles pulled up and she vanished in a bright
flash of light.
