Disclaimer - Paramount own the names. That's it.
I freely admit; this isn't my idea.
*
The form of Kathryn Janeway materialised on the transporter pad, and her First Officer studied her expression as she noticed he was there. She was quite clearly surprised.
"Commander," She acknowledged, stepping down from the transporter pad.
"Captain," He nodded. "I trust all went well with the trade negotiations."
"Of course," She retorted. "Tuvok's finalising some security arrangements and then he's beaming up shortly."
"I see. The Doctor asked me to escort you to your quarters. He seems to be under the impression that you've no doubt been negotiating non-stop for the last twelve hours."
Kathryn rolled her eyes sceptically. "Now I wonder where he got that idea from..."
Chakotay shrugged innocently. "Not from me, I can assure you. However, I'm to ensure that you reach either your quarters or sickbay. The choice is yours."
She sighed dramatically. "Given the choice, I'll opt for my quarters."
"A wise decision. Shall we?" He asked, grinning, holding out his arm towards the exit.
"We shall," She agreed, walking towards the door. "Thank you, Lieutenant," She managed to add for the crew member who had beamed her up.
The Lieutenant in question merely nodded and went back to her diagnostics.
Out in the corridor, the Captain and Commander continued their conversation.
"So, exactly how did it go?" Chakotay asked as they both nodded at a passing crew member.
Reaching the turbolift, they paused as Kathryn summoned a 'lift. It arrived shortly and they stepped in, ordering it to deck two.
"Well, let's see...twelve long, extremely boring hours of negotiations do not always put me in a good disposition. Tuvok, though, was positively scintillating."
"Really?" Chakotay asked, dubiously.
"Absolutely. He has an excellent knack for talking endlessly about the minutiae of trading laws and agreements. While it wasn't exactly fascinating - for me at least - it certainly helped to get the job done. I shall have to use him on more negotiations."
He smiled warmly. "I'm sure he'll be thrilled at the prospect."
"No doubt," Kathryn agreed, stepping out of the 'lift after it came to a halt. "Although heaven forbid he should actually admit to enjoying it."
Chakotay easily fell into step beside her. "Ah, he may not say it but you know he loves it, Captain."
"Of course I do," She replied, sounding slightly offended at the very implication that she might not know that he loved it.
A few steps later they were passing his quarters. She hesitated. "Chakotay..."
"Yes Captain?" He asked, baffled.
"Before I disappear into my own quarters...I'm really not feeling relaxed enough to fall asleep yet. Do you mind if I talk over the results of the negotiations with you over coffee?"
"You think coffee is going to help you relax?"
"It always does," She smiled.
Chuckling, he gave in. "Okay. But just one cup, Captain." He keyed in his authorisation code and the doors to his quarters swooshed open. "I only have a few replicator rations left." He stepped in.
"Not to worry, Commander. This is on me." She stepped in after him.
"Well in *that* case I think I'll replicate-"
His words were cut off the instant the doors closed because that was the same instant Kathryn Janeway grabbed him, pushed him against the wall, and kissed him.
After a torturous few moments, she pulled away. "I've been wanting to do that for the last three minutes."
"Hmm...I've been wanting to do that since the moment you beamed down."
Kathryn grinned. "Worth the wait, I hope?"
"Well..." Chakotay sighed, taking a slow succession of kisses from her lips. "I really can't judge when we're...just...kissing...I think...we really should do some more...experi...mentation."
"Mmm," She agreed, pulling away from his lips again. "I agree. It's been entirely too long since we've had some time alone together. It has been...what? Nearly two whole days?"
He didn't even think. "Forty two hours and twenty seven minutes. Approximately," He added, rubbing their lips together one more time.
"As I said, it's been entirely too long." She sighed, draping her arms over his shoulders.
Chakotay couldn't have agreed more.
Hands and gazes lowered to fastenings and zippers.
She met his gaze. "You realise, of course, that all of this clothing is going to have to be removed. I've been wearing this same uniform for the last forty two hours and twenty seven minutes."
Chakotay looked shocked. "How terribly unhygienic."
Kathryn nodded thoughtfully. "And, of course, if I'm naked then you have to be naked as well."
"Of course," He agreed. "It would be bad form not to be."
"I'm glad you see it that way," She smiled, unzipping his uniform jacket and tugging it off. As it fell to the floor he bent down and quickly picked her up.
Laughing, she allowed him to carry her towards the bedroom. They both knew it had been far too long. Their relationship was still relatively new, and while it wasn't exactly a secret they weren't exactly publicising it. Stolen moments like this were all they had. For now.
He kissed the side of her head as they reached the doorway to the bedroom.
:::BEEP-BOOP:::
They both froze.
One of them sighed.
Then the other one did.
His first impulse was to ignore it, but he was the First Officer. "Who is it?"
"Ensign Kim, Commander."
"I'll be right there," He responded, beginning to turn. Unfortunately he hadn't lowered Kathryn yet and her head connected loudly with the edge of the doorway.
"Ow!"
"Shit!" He dropped her in his surprise.
"Ow!"
"Shit! I'm so sorry!"
She glared at him, trying to rub both her head and her behind. "Look where you're going next time."
Chakotay knelt beside her, softly touching her head. "Are you okay?"
Smiling despite herself, she brushed him off. "My head will be fine. Although my rear feels more than a little sore..."
"I'll massage it for you later," He promised, a little too eagerly.
"You've got a deal," She grinned, standing up with the help of the hand he held out to her. "I'll be in the bedroom," Grabbing his head she pulled it down for a brief but intensity filled kiss. "Waiting." Then she turned away, and sauntered towards his bed.
Swearing, Chakotay shook his head and managed to remember to pick up his jacket. Throwing it on a chair, he rushed to the doors of his quarters. They opened obediently and - as expected - there was Harry. "WhatcanIdoforyouHarry?"
Surprised at the suddenness of the question, Harry rose his eyebrows. "Just handing in my ops report sir."
Chakotay looked down at the PADD and grabbed it from him. "Thank you, Ensign. See you tomorrow."
"Goodnight Comman-"
His words were cut off as Chakotay closed the door, threw the report across the room until it connected with an unknown piece of furniture, and stalked towards the bedroom.
By now she was lying on his bed, having removed only her uniform jacket. Bending, he crept along the bed until they were side-by-side. "Taken care of," He told her.
"Good," She muttered, pulling his head down for a kiss with one hand and caressing his side with the other.
:::BEEP-BOOP:::
Again, they both froze. Again, they both sighed.
He sat up. "Who is it?"
"Tom."
"And B'Elanna."
Great. Two of them.
"Some days I really hate being First Officer." He told her.
"Tell me about it," She retorted fondly.
Smiling, trying to ignore his own frustration, he kissed the back of her hand then released it and stepped off the bed. A few moments later he was at the door. Paris and B'Elanna stood there, both looking a little worried about something.
"Yes?" He asked rudely.
Neither of them seemed to notice. "We have a problem," Tom said seriously.
B'Elanna concurred. "We really need your help."
Chakotay's idea of instantly dismissing them evaporated. He was, after all, their First Officer and unofficial Counsellor. Anything they needed to talk about, he had to be there for them. "Sure. Come in."
Thankful, they stepped in as he back away, then sat on the sofa as he indicated for them to do. He sat opposite them on the chair that was also holding his jacket. "So," He began seriously. "What's the problem?"
Paris and B'Elanna looked at each other then - holding hands - looked back at him. Tom spoke.
"It's question eight."
Chakotay sat straighter. "Excuse me?"
"Question eight," Tom continued. "On the quiz Neelix has been putting out once a month. We just can't figure it out!"
"We're absolutely stumped." B'Elanna insisted. "Of course, we know that we could quite easily find the answer by asking the computer, but that'd be cheating. So, we thought we'd ask you."
He couldn't believe this. He just couldn't believe this. And, personally, he couldn't see how asking him for the answer was any different than asking the computer. All he said was "Bread. That's your answer. Bread."
B'Elanna gawked at him. "Well no wonder we didn't get it!"
Tom looked absolutely amazed. "I didn't know bread even had anything to do with aerodynamics."
"Yes, it's amazing what you learn, isn't it?" Chakotay asked, even as he grabbed each of them by the forearm and pulled them up. "Now, if you really wouldn't mind I'd like to-"
:::BEEP-BOOP:::
For the first time in years, Chakotay felt like screaming his head off.
In the very next room, the glorious, glorious Kathryn Janeway was waiting on *his* bed, for *him*, waiting to have *sex* *with* *him*.
"Chakotay," Paris wheezed.
"What?" He barked.
The pilot's face had turned a disturbing shade of white. "You're squeezing my arm pretty tightly."
"Oh," Immediately he released his hold on them, and they both rubbed vigorously at their arms to get the blood supply flowing once more. "Come in," He snapped, not even bothering to ask who was there.
It was just as well that he hadn't, because in stepped Neelix. "Commander, Tom, B'Elanna."
"Neelix. What can I do for you?" He forced out through gritted teeth.
The Talaxian actually looked a little depressed. "Well I...I've been thinking about Alixia a lot lately and well...you've always been there for me, Commander. Always helped me. I was hoping that you wouldn't mind..." He paused as he pulled something out from under his arm that Chakotay hadn't bothered to notice until now. "...keeping me company and playing Kadis-kot. I'd ask Naomi but she's in bed and Seven wasn't...particularly interested in playing with me."
Chakotay sighed inwardly, studying the pleading expression on the mans face. Just a few feet away... "Sure. Of course, Neelix."
His face transformed into a magnificent smile. "Oh, thank you! Say...Tom, B'Elanna...why don't you stay with us? We can all take turns."
They looked at each other, shrugged, then agreed. "Sure Neelix. Why not?"
Chakotay could think of one extremely good reason why not. Instead of voicing it he forced a headache-inducing fake smile and helped Neelix set up the board.
*
Thirty minutes later they were still there, and Chakotay was desperately hoping that Kathryn hadn't fallen asleep. Keeping her awake was one thing. Waking her up when she was already asleep was another matter entirely.
Chakotay tried to shrug with a lack of interest as he clicked a playing piece into place. "Don't you think it's time you headed off, Neelix?"
Completely failing to get the hint, Neelix smiled as he clicked his own piece into place. "There's no need to be worried, Commander. I have tomorrow's entire menu planned and prepared as much as it can be. I have nothing else I need to do!"
"Same here," B'Elanna agreed, smiling at Tom. "For once engineering seems to have a full bill of health. Although...maybe I could find *something* to do..." She grinned at her lover who grinned back.
"Oh there'll be plenty of time for that later," Neelix insisted, watching as Chakotay clicked on another piece. "I think it's nice that we just spend some time together that isn't work-related."
B'Elanna found it hard to argue with that. "True enough, I suppose."
As far as Chakotay was concerned, it wasn't true enough. He'd seen enough of them in the past forty minutes that he didn't want to see them again for another seventy years. Kathryn Janeway. The Kathryn Janeway. Kathryn. Was. Waiting. For. Him. Did none of them realise how magnificent this was?
He spoke. "But don't you think-"
"Chakotay?"
Neelix paused mid-placement, and Tom and B'Elanna stared at each other as they all heard the extremely familiar voice.
Chakotay simply smiled. So much for keeping it a secret.
Kathryn Janeway stepped into the doorway of his bedroom, apparently wearing nothing except for one of his shirts. "Are you ever coming back in here? I feel like I've been waiting for *hours*."
"C-c-captain!" Neelix spluttered.
Kathryn smiled at the three of them as they all gaped in shock at her. Sauntering across the room, the shirt raising higher each time she took a step, she eventually paused by Chakotay and then quickly lowered herself across his lap.
Three heads followed her movements with open mouths.
"I'm sorry to interrupt," She told them, not sounding in the least bit regretful. "But I've been waiting for this glorious creature for a long time. He won't tell you himself, of course. He's your First Officer. He has to put his needs before your own. But I suspect that just once...just for this one night...he'd like to put his needs before yours."
Chakotay couldn't have put it better himself.
"Well...I...of course Captain! We'll leave immediately!" Jumping up from his seat, Neelix slammed the Kadis-kot board together with such force that pieces went flying. Not bothering to pick them up, he grabbed B'Elanna's arm who promptly grabbed Tom's and - together - they all left the room.
It was only after the doors hissed shut that he started laughing. "What was that all about?"
"Well," Kathryn sighed seductively, running a finger over his chin. "I decided it was the quickest way of getting rid of them. And they had to find out about us eventually..."
"True enough," He murmured, glad that she wasn't worried about them 'going public'.
"Of course it is," She smiled "I'm always right."
Deciding not to argue with her, he chuckled silently before moving his head so their lips could meet and-
:::BEEP-BOOP:::
"Who is it THIS TIME?" She roared with such sudden ferocity that Chakotay's eyebrows nearly fell off.
He began to move but she grabbed onto him. "No." She insisted. "You are not letting me go. We'll have to answer the door as we are."
Ascertaining that she was serious, he shakily managed to get to his feet without falling over, still holding her in his arms. When they reached the door it hissed open and there stood Neelix, Tom and B'Elanna, all grinning madly.
Neelix held out something in his hand. Kathryn took it.
"Just a little something we replicated," Tom told them.
"For later," B'Elanna added.
Then the doors closed and they were gone.
Kathryn looked down at the tub of whipped cream. And smiled.
~FINIS