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Archiving: PacKage, R'Rain's Other's ASK, I'll probably say yes anyway.

It was dark in the messhall. Empty. No Neelix, nobody checking for late snacks. It was too far into the ship's night for that. Tom was standing at the window, staring out at the stars. They swizzled by at warp speed.

For some reason, today it made him feel sad.

Oh, who was he to fool himself? It wasn't the stars, it wasn't even the fact that he lost his rank and had been turned into an Ensign again. Sure, that felt like crap. He'd really believed that Captain Janeway would understand. It appeared he once more had been a lousy judge of character... or just as good a screw-up as usual.

Tom sighed and rubbed his forehead. None of that was half as bad as the fact that Harry had finally gathered the courage to ask Seven of Nine on a date. They were probably sitting in Sandrine's having the time of their lives right now. Or, who knew? Perhaps Seven had decided to try out some human mating rituals, just for the hell of it. Tom could hear her inside his mind.

"Ensign Kim. Strip. I wish to explore human sexuality."

Tom groaned and dunked his head against the window. Even the sound of Seven's voice in his mind saying those words, provoked images of a naked Harry. He could easily imagine Harry lying sprawled on a bed with an inviting smile on his lips. That was enough to make Tom want to scream.

Much as he loved to tease Harry about falling for the wrong women all the time it really had nothing to do with it.

He just wished Harry would stop falling for women, period. As far as he knew perfect young Ensign Kim had never looked at another man in his life, so what made him think his friend would start now, with him?

Tom turned around at the soft hiss of the messhall doors as they slid open and shut. Someone entered and Tom wasn't quite sure who it was until the shape left the shadows.

"Tom?"

Harry's soft voice caressed his ears. His heart leapt. Why was Harry here now? Why wasn't he in bed, having some great fun with Seven of Nine and her obtrusive appendages?

"Yeah, what is it Har? Did Seven dump you for an isolinear chip?" he quipped.

"No," Harry said and grinned. "Actually - I dumped her."

"Oh? Are you sure that's not just an excuse you came up with at this very moment? Just so that I won't spread a rumor that Ensign Kim couldn't handle our pretty ex-Borg?"

"Knock it off, Tom," Harry said good-naturedly. "What are you doing here at this time of night anyway?"

"Oh, nothing. I just couldn't sleep," Tom said, which was perfectly true. He couldn't sleep because his head was filled with images of his best friend bonking the booby-broad.

"Ah... " Harry said knowingly and Tom shot him a glance. What was that? It sounded as if Harry... knew something.

"What are you doing here anyway?"

"Just a late-night snack. Seven has such a peculiar taste in foods. You should have seen the stuff she ordered back at Sandrine's. It could rival Neelix's more imaginative creations."

"So you're still hungry, huh?" Tom could have kicked himself for the husky way that question came out. Not at all the way he'd intended it to. But what else could he do at the enticing sight of Harry's well-shaped rear sticking him in the face while the young ensign was rummaging through Neelix's refrigerator?

Harry straightened and looked at him with a strange expression on his face.

"Yeah, Tom. I'm still hungry."

Suddenly it was as if the air was filled with electrically charged currents and Tom inhaled sharply.

"I was right then," Harry said very softly.

"Right about what?" Tom croaked.

"You were jealous of Seven.... "

Tom didn't know what to say. And he wasn't given the opportunity to respond. In fact he wasn't able to talk at all, because Harry's full lips were closing over his in a searing kiss.

end