by Amiroq
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Disclaimer: Character theft? Me? Never!

(c) Amiroq. aka Gypzy, October 2001

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"See you for breakfast?" Harry asked, apparently putting off their parting a few seconds more.

Tom grinned, nodding. It had been a great evening. They'd only been 'going out' for a couple of days, but they'd been good days. Not even Tuvok's thoughtful gaze or B'Elanna's outright refusal to talk about anything other than work could bring him down.

"Sure. I'll see you about seven?"

"Okay." They both paused awkwardly, and Harry glanced at his door. "I should--"

"Go, yeah. Uh. . . I'll catch up tomorrow, right?"

"Right. In the messhall?"

"Nah, I'll come find you."

"Okay. Night."

Damn, they'd run out of things to say. Okay, time for Plan Two. "Hang on," he said quickly as Harry turned for the door. "Don't I get a goodnight kiss?"

Harry grinned. "You're an idiot, Paris. C'mere."

He leaned over obligingly and was rewarded with a soft, gentle kiss. Cheat, he thought as Har started to shift away, moving forward slightly to continue the contact. He felt Harry shrug and give in.

Finally, a full three and a half minutes after they'd reached the dooway, they'd exhausted all the reasons for putting off the inevitable. "Okay, now you can go," Tom said flippantly, already starting to count the minutes until 0700. (443, going on 442.)

"See you tomorrow." He gazed longingly at the door as it closed, then sighed and headed off the way he'd come. He'd never been like this over B'Elanna, or most of the other people he'd dated. This was something he was completely ununsed to. This was. . . completely not fair.

He ran into B'Elanna after a couple of turns, and was about to walk past with a murmured greeting when she stopped him. "What, you're come to harass me again?" he asked, surprised.

"No. At least, not that I intend. I may change my mind. But. . ." She paused, staring anyway but at him. "Look, Tom, this stays between us, okay? I don't want this spread all over the ship by the time I wake up tomorrow."

Well, that was only partially justified. "It won't be, I swear."

"I want to apologise. About the way I've been behaving. I've been acting like a bitch, and neither of you deserve that."

Tom blinked. "Okay. . . What brought this on?"

"I heard a rumour that you turned Harry down after he broke up with me, and he confirmed it. I. . . well, I appreciate that. Honestly, I didn't think you had it in you. And I can see how much you care about him. He deserves someone like you, someone who won't treat him badly."

"Thanks." He started to go, then reconsidered. "Hey, we're going for breakfast at seven. Do you want to join us?"

She shook her head. "I've got to get some work done. Maybe another time."

"Sure. See you." He walked away with a smile, thinking, 'Care doesn't even begin to cover it.'

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End