by Bruce
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DISCLAIMER: The characters and settings of this story belong to Paramount Pictures, I'm just borrowing them for creative fan fiction.

DO NOT read further if you are under 18 years of age, or are offended by sexual situations involving men. Feel free to save this story for your own purposes, but please do not repost it without contacting me. Thank you.

c Feb. 1, 2000

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(Early in our heroes' stranding. . .)

Tom Paris nearly ran to his quarters the moment his shift was over. A light on his helm panel and a quiet "Yahoo!" had told him he'd had an incoming message earlier in the day, and he'd had to wait in agony to get to his cabin to read it in private.

Three days earlier, he had posted his "personal ad" on the ship's electronic chat board. The time from his posting to now had felt like an eternity.

"M seeking M - Late twenty-something, handsome, outgoing me seeks friend and mate - Reply if you like candlelight dinners, hugs, snuggling, hot and sweaty action, falling asleep in my arms, then showering together before we're back on duty - No Ferengi."

Tom breathlessly keyed in his access code and read the one reply.

"Handsome M, you sound like the man for me. Let's meet on the small holodeck tonight at 11. I'll be the one in the uniform."

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Tom sat at the small table in the holo-Starbucks, sipping his low-fat mocha frappa-geno. He kept fidgeting, adjusting the buttons on his blue-plaid oxford shirt, tucked into faded and comfortable blue jeans. "One button, or two? Two would show off my chest, but it might make me look too eager. . ."

"Oh, my god - Tom?!"

Paris turned toward the voice.

"Whoa." (a pause)

"I took the liberty of making a candlelight dinner in my quarters, if you're interested," said Harry Kim.

Tom stood, smiled, and put his arm around his friend's waist. "Sounds perfect."

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End