Aftermath
by Sidra M. S. Vitale
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copyright 1996.

Paramount owns the characters. Twinkie defense fully applies, except it was Thai food and Vienetta with After Eight chocolate mints. Much worse than any mere Twinkie.

Post "The Chute". Minor spoilers. Rated R, mm, consensual. Paris/Kim.

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In the turbolift a moment later. "Harry."

"Yeah."

"Thanks again. I really mean it."

"Yeah. Well. I'm sorry I lost it. I mean, I'm glad you remember the good part, you know, that you matter to me and I wouldn't let them take you. But." He shook his head. "A Fleet officer shouldn't behave that way. Shouldn't have almost", he said it without choking: " killed you." He wouldn't meet Paris' eyes. Stared instead at the lift doors. "I'm really sorry."

"Computer, stop lift." They stopped. Paris put an arm around Kim's shoulders and pulled them together. Hugged him tightly. Hot whisper, "You're my friend. So many people weren't willing to be that when we first embarked. You were. And you defended me on that prison when you could've just walked away, Harry. Just walked away. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome." Kim finally whispered. Wrapped his arms around the other man's waist for a moment and almost cried. Then something relaxed in him and he let go, taking a deep breath. "I guess I needed that."

Paris held Kim at arms length, looked at him. "So did I." Smiled. "What are friends for? Computer, resume."

Paris dropped his arms after giving Harry one last companionable squeeze. "Food. Must have food." He pronounced.

"Tom needs food badly?"

"Yes!" He grabbed at his stomach as the lift doors opened, "must. . . expend. . . replicator rations!"

They laughed and went to eat.

---

Much later, much fuller, they entered Harry's quarters. Paris plopped down in a chair. Groaned, "If I never move again, it will be too soon."

"That is not a comfortable chair to sleep in."

He halfway stretched. "Then I'll fall off in the middle of the night and sleep on the floor."

"Funny how things change so fast, isn't it."

Paris was suddenly serious. "You mean how it doesn't feel right to be going to different rooms to sleep?"

"Yeah."

They were silent. Kim didn't want to say it wrong, so he skipped it entirely, just held out his hand and said "come on, let's get some sleep." And pulled Paris out of the chair, directing him to the bed.

"I didn't think I'd be able to, if you'd made me go back to my quarters."

"Yeah, I know. Me too."

They spooned on the bed together, fully dressed, minus boots. Kim on the outside, right arm over Tom's chest. His breath tickled the back of Paris' neck. "Sleep well, Tom."

"You too, Harry."

---

"Harry." started B'Elanna.

"Yes?" He came over to the console she was working at, "Is it not working? It ran in simulation yesterday."

"No, no, your program's running fine. I just. . ." she twisted her hands almost nervously, looking around. Lowered her voice a little, "I just wanted to ask if you were all right. The prison and everything."

"Thanks, B'Elanna, I think we're doing ok."

"You and Tom."

"Yeah. We're working it out."

"I'm sorry."

"If I never see that place again, I'll be quite happy." He made it sound kind of matter of fact.

"Look," a little embarrassed, "I shouldn't have brought it up. Sorry."

"No, it's okay. Tom and I, we've talked about it alot. I mean, some things happened -- I did some things that I'm not very proud of -- it just takes time, I guess."

She touched his hand briefly, in reassurance, not asking if they had become lovers, not satisfying her curiosity. They were sleeping in Harry's quarters every night. She'd been looking for Kim one night to discuss an interesting anomaly and stumbled over that fact. A little disappointed if they were, but it could wait. Harry was so damn nice, so Star Fleet. It had wound up being impossible to hate him, far away from what she really hated of Star Fleet. Harry got his hands dirty just like her, and she respected him for it.

The console beeped at them, and the two officers bent over the data. "Hm. We may need to replace a coupling."

Torres grunted.

---

Kim bolted awake, jumped out of his bed and stood at the foot, panting. Hand gripping his chest.

"Oh, Tom!"

I killed you, I watched you die, I made it happen. He sank to his knees on the floor and buried his face in his hands.

"I don't think I can do this." He said to no one in particular. Well, to someone in particular, but the someone wasn't there.

"Computer, locate Lieutenant Paris."

"Lieutenant Paris is in his quarters."

"Computer, is he asleep?"

"Negative, console in use."

"Kim to Paris."

"Paris here." Came the immediate response.

"I don't think I can do this."

A sigh came over the comm and Kim winced. Then a relieved, "Thank God. I'll be right there."

And he was. By that time, Kim was dressed in off-duty clothes, sitting with his head in his hands. "Come!" He said when the door chimed.

Paris entered and stopped, "Good grief, you look awful. Weren't you able to sleep at all?"

Kim shook his head. "Captain Janeway almost sent me to Sickbay when I reported at the start of shift today."

Paris asked, "Sedatives?"

"Tried last night." He shuddered involuntarily, "it made it much harder to wake up." He wasn't going to think about that. That trapped clawing, fighting to wake.

Paris kneeled in front of him, "oh, Harry", and Kim clutched at the other man. Tom rocked him gently, murmuring comfortably, "it's okay, I'm right here", until Kim relaxed in his arms.

Paris kissed him on the top of the head, stroking Harry's back reassuringly. "It's okay, I promise."

"You know," came a muffled voice speaking into his uniform, "that really does make me feel better." Almost sorrowfully, almost with a laugh.

"Well then," and Paris kissed his head again, "I'll do it again. It's okay, Harry. We're really okay. We're safe."

Harry relaxed completely and Tom held him tight, pulling him up, "Bed, Harry, Tom, sleep."

"You make it sound so easy," shuffling.

"Come on." Three days with no sleep, Harry could've started hallucinating by now. Paris had gotten four, maybe five hours sleep since they'd tried to start resting separately three days ago.

One arm under Harry's head, pillowing him, the other holding his shoulder. Tom brushed loose hair from Harry's forehead and kissed him a last time, closed lips brushing where his fingers had just touched. "Go to sleep, Harry." he whispered.

---

Morning. Paris looked at his bedmate's face, still loose in sleep. The acknowledgement of how right it felt to be wrapped up in Harry's arms was bothering him. Was part of this the two of them looking for an excuse to be together? To be lovers? Or would becoming lovers just be copping out of dealing with their fears, with what prison had thrust on them? What had prison thrust on them but their own worst selves, and if they could pull love out of that experience, were they doing the right thing? The wrong thing? Or was it the only thing?

Harry was awake. "Morning."

"Morning. You didn't tell me the Captain had relieved you of duty."

Kim closed his eyes and sighed. "Like I said, she almost sent me to Sickbay yesterday. Told me if I showed up for duty today, she would."

"Understandable."

"I guess." He was quiet and Tom reached up to brush his thumb against Kim's cheek, cupping the younger man's cheek. Eyes opened.

Paris leaned forward, giving Harry time to make any of a thousand moves that might mean 'no', and kissed him, lips closed, quite chastely. Then withdrew, waiting for a reaction.

Kim dug his fingers into Tom's hair, pulling him back to his open mouth, stroking Paris' tongue with his own, then trapping it in his mouth and sucked hard. Paris whimpered a little in protest, hand curling around Kim's neck. Tongues fenced. Slowly, unhurriedly, he began removing the ensign's clothing.

Harry let him do all the work, resting his head on his interlaced hands. Paris kissed his penis, smiling as it twitched a little in response to the warmth of his breath. Tom sat at the foot of the bed and took off his uniform, conscious of the other man watching him. Stretching, for his audience, to toss his uniform on a chair instead of just letting it fall to the floor. Kim smiled and started to move as Tom crawled up his body but the lieutenant shook his head.

A brief kiss, followed by a trailing of kisses down Harry's chest. Kim sighed and closed his eyes. Squeezing shut as Tom began to tease his penis with his tongue.

Paris played just with the tip of Kim's penis, waiting for him to harden, before wrapping his hand around the shaft and rubbing gently. With one hand he held Harry's balls, fondling just a little, as he slowly took more and more of the ensign's erection into his mouth. Harry's mouth was slightly open and he moaned softly as Tom held him in his mouth and stroked along the underside of his penis with his tongue. Paris shut his eyes to concentrate.

Moving gently, Tom moved his head and hand in concert, and as Kim's body stiffened fully, stopped and waited for the other man's hands to touch his head. To urge him to continue.

Harry ruffled the other man's hair, eyes tightly shut, hips pushed down into the bed then back up into Paris' mouth, only the lieutenant held him firmly, hardly letting him move. The most languid heat was building, spreading from his pelvis outward. Tom continued moving slowly, then began to build speed as Harry's hands urged him on.

Kim was starting to moan and thrust more violently and Paris hardened in response, erection banging a little against the bedclothes.

Harry's breathing changed, he began bucking faster against Tom. Paris picked up the pace and Kim nearly sat up, stomach muscles tight, finally groaning as he climaxed. Then flopping back down onto the bed, gasping. "Oh, that felt good."

Paris let the softening penis slide out of his mouth, swallowed, and said, "Good." Then crawled up the ensign's body, laying a hand on his chest and lacing their legs together. He was hard and the other man was very warm. They kissed, tongues exploring each other's mouths. Harry was extremely relaxed. Sleepy again. But, "what would you like?" he asked Tom, turning onto his side to face the lieutenant.

"To hold you as you sleep."

Kim smiled, "Yes, but before that." Hand wandering down to touch Paris' erection. Tom hissed a yes and Harry gripped him hard. Kim wedged his leg between Tom's and kissed him, probing with his tongue. Paris moaned into his mouth. Harry stroked quickly, pursuing Tom with his hand as Paris jerked his hips back and forth, moaning louder. Finally throwing his head back and thrusting forward, groaning, coming as Kim bit his neck.

Panting, pulsing in Kim's hand, Tom took a deep breath, then another and kissed Harry. First hard, then tenderly as his chest stopped heaving.

Harry grinned when they finally disengaged. "Good morning."

"Good morning, indeed."

They cuddled, warm, spent, content.

---
Some long time later:

"Hey, don't you need to report for duty?"

Paris laughed. "The Captain relieved me yesterday, too."

"Aren't we a pair." Kim shook his head.

"Yes," They kissed almost solemnly, " we are."

---

End