by Donald King
---
Disclaimer: Paramount owns Tom, Harry, and all their friends. I'm just
making a few suggestions for next season.
Warning: There's a same-sex relationship. There isn't any
same-sex sex. If that ain't your cup of tea, feel free to walk away.
Archives: Anyone that the four winds see fit, as long as you're not
getting paid when I'm not.
Feedback: By all means! Anything but flames.
---
As he slowly nibbled at his food, Harry Kim sat in the Mess Hall, staring
out into space, watching stars race by at warp speed, lost in thought. Every
few minutes, he paused to take a forkful of Neelix's special; apparently,
that gave his stomach enough time to adapt, since the Doctor had already
complained twice that evening to Neelix about being overrun with
stomachaches. Across the room, even Tuvok was in obvious discomfort as his
Vulcan stomach wrestled with its contents. Harry, however, had something
on his mind more important than Neelix's cooking.
"Harry! Do you mind if I sit here?" asked Tom Paris, clutching
a tray with Neelix's experiment.
"Huh?" Harry responded dreamily. "Oh! Go right
ahead." He paused for a moment, waiting both for Tom to sit down and
to gather his own words. "Actually, you're just the person
I wanted to see. There's something I want to talk to you about."
"And just what might that be?" Tom prodded his food, a grimace
crossing his face as he took a bite.
"Well, we've been friends for about four years now... Let's
be honest. There's something more than just friendship between
us."
Tom took a deep breath. "Yeah. I noticed too," he softly
responded, pushing away his tray.
"Back when you were chasing the Delaney sisters," Harry began
as a smirk crossed his face, "the only thing that made me even
consider taking up your offer was the thought of seeing you with your
clothes off." Tom blushed a bit. "I thought about that for a
long time, and I thought about my engagement with Libby, and I thought
about my feelings back in the academy, and I just put two-and-two
together. I'm not even attracted to women at all." His serious
expression turned into a grin. "I guess I'm just a late
bloomer."
Tom sat in silent surprise for a moment. Across the Mess Hall, Tuvok was
straggling for the door, finally overpowered by his dinner.
"Wow. What can I say?" Tom sat, thinking. An evil grin crossed
his face. "How are your parents going to react to you leaving the
Alpha Quadrant engaged to Libby and coming back married to Tom
Paris?"
Harry's eyes widened. "Don't you think it's a bit early
to say that?" The sudden look in his eyes betrayed his thoughts. In
an instant, his feelings had changed from platonic friendship to love.
"Maybe. But I hope I'm right." Tom reached his hand across
the table, and Harry's hand met it. He gazed into Harry's eyes,
prompting Harry to give his hand a soft squeeze. "I've actually
given it a lot of thought. Why do you think I stopped chasing the
Delaney sisters?"
Meanwhile, Seven of Nine watched the scene from a few meters away. Even
though food was a new concept to her, she had been particularly
uninterested in tonight's dinner. Now her curiousity had completely
distracted her. Silently, she thought to herself, I was certain Mr. Kim
had amorous feelings for me. Perhaps I misjudged. She suddenly blushed
a bit when she remembered her attempt to explore sexual pleasure with him,
six months ago. She was still confused by her awakening sexual feelings.
I will discuss it with the Captain, she decided.
Gradually, the conversation around the Mess Hall began to pick up, as
more people noticed the new couple lost equally in conversation and each
other. B'Elanna Torres came in and instantly noticed the pair. A sly
smile crossed her lips. "About time," she mumbled to herself.
She'd known this would happen the entire time she and Tom had been
seeing each other. She began discussing a betting pool with a half- dozen
junior officers, on how long it would be until wedding bells rang.
Tom's not the only gambler in the house, she thought to herself
with a smile. As Tom and Harry walked out of the Mess Hall, hand in hand,
she decided on her bet. Two week's rations on a ceremony in the
next month, she thought smugly.
As the pair entered the turbolift, the privacy made something slip, and
Tom pressed his lips toward Harry. What began as a soft, romantic kiss
quickly escalated into a passionate one. Harry opened his mouth and
pressed his tongue against Tom's soft lips. Tom eagerly parted them,
pressing his own tongue against Harry's.
"AHEM!" coughed Megan Delaney as she stepped into the
turbolift. The pair immediately broke apart, straightening their uniforms.
"This is our deck," Harry spoke. He and Tom shuffled out of the
lift and walked off toward Harry's nearer quarters.
Megan smirked. She was going to have fun with this. Just as the lift
doors were closing, Megan shouted, "Harry! Be gentle with him, he
breaks easier than you'd think!" Both turned beet-red. I've
gotta get to the Mess Hall before B'Elanna starts taking bets, she
thought to herself as the lift shuttled her off.
Once inside Harry's quarters, Tom began a merciless assault on
Harry's neck. Harry lost himself in the moment, but suddenly
remembered what he'd meant to ask Tom.
"Tom, hold off for a minute." Tom paused. "What went on
between you and B'Elanna?"
"Did you have to ask that now?" Tom implored. Harry
nodded in response, his serious expression covering his face. "I
honestly don't know. I didn't love B'Elanna -- not like that,
anyway -- and I doubt she felt anything lasting toward me. Maybe it was
just releasing a lot of old feelings we had for each other. Whatever it
was, it's been over for a month now." He looked softly into
Harry's eyes, silently asking for forgiveness.
A smile touched the corners of Harry's lips. The look in his eyes
said 'I forgive you' more clearly than words could. "As long
as you're honest with me, I don't care."
Tom smiled. A thought visibly crossed his brow, and Harry knew what was
coming. "What went on between you and Seven?" Tom
asked.
Harry groaned softly. "I wish I knew. I guess. . . I felt a bit
desperate after you and B'Elanna started seeing each other." Tom
looked down. "But," Harry continued, even his voice smiling,
"she hasn't tried jumping on top of me in almost six
months." Tom looked back up, and both paused. "So. . .?"
Harry spoke waveringly. Tom smiled. Harry's rare but dangerous evil
grin crossed his face. "My turn!" he excitedly shouted,
assaulting Tom's neck even more voraciously than Tom had
his.
---
"Computer, locate Captain Janeway," Seven ordered as she
walked down the hallway.
"Captain Janeway is in her quarters," replied the computer.
Even though she rarely visited the Captain's quarters, she had
memorized their location. She now briskly walked toward the turbolift,
leaving behind the large amount of conversation about gambling. One would
think that I would have learned most human customs by now. I have had
sufficient time.
Quickly, she found herself in front of Janeway's quarters. She
pressed the button.
"Come in," Janeway said. As Seven entered the open door, she
saw Janeway reading reports, with her hair completely let down to her
shoulder. "What did you want, Seven?" Janeway asked after
Seven stood still for several moments.
"I wanted to ask you several questions about interpersonal
relationships."
"Go on."
"It is extremely difficult to verbalize." She frowned and
paused. "I observed Lt. Paris and Ensign Kim in the mess
hall. . ."
"I heard about that." The captain flashed a wide grin.
"News travels fast on this ship. Commander Chakotay told me just a
few minutes ago."
"I am confused. It was my understanding that the primary goal of an
interpersonal relationship was the creation of offspring. I had been
unaware of the possibility of two people of the same gender beginning a
relationship."
"Seven, relationships are much more complicated than that. Most
people focus on the emotional aspects of a relationship: love, trust,
companionship. Having children is secondary to a relationship, although if
a couple does have children, they become part of that emotional bond, an
expression of it and something to be cherished." The captain paused.
"Why are you asking me this?"
"I. . . had not considered the possibility that I might be sexually
attracted to another female." Seven paused. "I have another
question. I had believed that Ensign Kim was sexually attracted to me. Was
I wrong? Did I misinterpret his body language?"
"I think only he can answer that."
"You are correct. I will ask him tomorrow." Seven glanced at
the clock on Janeway's desk. "I must regenerate. I suggest you do
the same; you need more rest than I do." Seven paused. "Thank
you, Captain."
"You're welcome, Seven. Good night."
"To you as well."
As the doors slid shut, Seven lost herself in thought while walking to
the turbolift. Is that what I feel toward the Captain? she pondered. A
moment later, she decided, I do not believe so. I have emotions toward
her, but I do not feel sexual tension. She grasped for the words to
clarify what she felt. I feel. . . protected near her. Safe. The turbolift
stopped a short distance from Cargo Bay Two. Perhaps clarification will
come from my dream imagery.
---
> Back in her quarters, Janeway sighed. As long as I'm not the next
Ensign Kim she jumps on. She briefly entertained the thought, but she
knew that she'd much prefer Chakotay to jump on her. She smiled
at that, then returned to reading reports.
---
B'Elanna was at work in Engineering, tweaking the warp core with
improvements taken from the slipstream technology. She'd already
boosted efficiency by almost a full percent, amazing considering that
Voyager's warp core had already been at 95% efficiency. I might be
able to convince the Captain to increase replicator rations with this,
she thought, thinking back to the meal she'd eaten after taking bets
from two dozen crew members. Chakotay, of all people. . . she
silently smirked. She decided to put off further tweaks until tomorrow.
Say goodnight to mommy, she amusedly said to it in her mind.
Too many years of jokes had convinced her that it was true.
---
I can't believe I bet they'd be engaged in the next two weeks!
fretted Commander Chakotay. Then again, the way they looked at each
other. . . I'll keep my bet. Chakotay paused and frowned.
Now, what to do about Kate? He smiled, knowing that he was already
the only person allowed to call her that, and even then only in private.
---
Tom and Harry had ultimately decided to slow down a bit. Until tomorrow.
They slept next to each other, wearing their Starfleet- issue boxers. Tom lay
behind Harry's back, his arm draped across Harry's stomach.
Harry's hand held it softly as both slept. Tom had never told anyone,
but he rarely slept well; tonight, he slept more deeply than he had in years.
---
End
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