The BLTS Archive- Duets I: In Another's Eyes by Joanne Collins (luchenbackoutlaw@gmail.com) --- DISCLAIMER: Everything Trek belongs to Paramount. I make no claim on the characters or make any money off this story. The song, In Another's Eyes is sung by Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, and is also not mine. Yes there are smatterings of all of the above pairings in this story. Not possible? Wait and see. There are intimations of m/m and m/f sexual activity but nothing more. Do not continue reading if m/m relationships are unacceptable to you. Oh, and there's not much plot either. This has just been sitting in my head for a while, and it's decided to come out, so to speak. This story is also an answer to the UST challenge on ASCEM. The UST is C/P. Archiving: ASC archives, R'Rain's slash archive, PKSP archive. Lists: BLTS, CPSG, PKSP. No downloading or printing for other than personal use, including sharing with friends, and please do not distribute elsewhere without my express permission. --- Tom smiled at Harry. How had he ever gotten so lucky? To find someone who loved him unconditionally, despite all the mistakes he'd made in his life. It didn't get any better than this, it really didn't. So why did he still dream of the other? Why did he sometimes think that life would have been very different if he'd taken up that invitation issued long ago? "You have everything you ever wanted, Tom. Don't blow it on hormones and fantasies," and on that thought, he leaned over and kissed Harry, who responded eagerly. Chakotay and Kathryn entered the Mess Hall then, only to see the two of them together. Kathryn smiled, as did Chakotay, but his smile was slightly forced. No one noticed, except possibly Kes, who saw most things a little more clearly. Chakotay and Kathryn had been a couple before Tom and Harry, beginning their relationship when they were alone on an isolated planet, and continuing it when they came back to the ship. Tom and Harry hadn't come together until their mutual imprisonment on Akritiria. There were those who might have expected different relationships to be formed, but that didn't seem meant to be. And if participants in the established relationships thought about participants in the other relationship, well, it didn't interfere with their being with the other person, did it? "Captain, Commander, please join us," Harry called, waving to the senior officers when the kiss broke. Tom groaned inwardly, as did Chakotay, but they had trained themselves not to reveal their feelings. "So, Tom, are you and Harry going to do something for Talent Night tomorrow?" asked Kathryn. "Yes, ma'am," Tom replied, "We're going to sing." "Should we lay in a supply of earplugs?" she asked, teasingly. "I don't think so. Tom actually has a very good voice," Harry responded, more seriously than the joking question warranted. "Are you doing anything, Chakotay?" Tom asked casually, as if he didn't care to hear the answer either way. "Yes. I'm going to be a very appreciative audience member," the Commander replied. Tom was slightly disappointed, he'd hoped that the Commander was going to do something on stage. Then he would be able to look at Chakotay all he wanted without arousing any undue questions. He didn't get much opportunity for that, unfortunately. He had to make do with fleeting glances in the mess hall or at staff meetings. "Tom?" Harry was speaking to him. "I'm sorry, Harry, what is it?" Kathryn Janeway wondered how Tom could be so far away that he wouldn't hear his lover's voice. If Harry spoke when she was in the same room, she would hear him, even if she were talking to someone else, sometimes even when she was talking to Chakotay. If only she had tried to do something about her attraction to Harry, but he had seemed so young. And Chakotay was a good companion, and a gentle, tender lover. She couldn't really ask for more, but she did envy Tom, and she probably always would. Harry asked Tom if he were finished eating, he wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. He didn't want to sit so near to Kathryn Janeway. He'd been almost on the verge of confessing his feelings to her, even though she was his Captain, their situation was unique, and she could hardly toss him off the ship easily. But then she and Chakotay had spent that time together on the isolated planet, and they had come back to the ship as lovers. He could nevercompete with Chakotay, so he'd decided to accept that he would never have her. And although it had been hard, he'd gone on, with Tom. That had been a suprise, not that it was a man, but that he and Tom had become lovers. He did love Tom, but he'd always thought that it was just friendship, and it probably would have remained just friendship if they hadn't been brought together by their prison experiences. And at least he did have someone to love, even if it wasn't his first choice. Tom was so beautiful, and giving, it was a good relationship, Tom would be his companion always, and they would be happy. And if he sometimes thought of Kathryn, well, she was happy with Chakotay, wasn't she? The next night, Tom looked for Harry, wanting to practice their song one more time before they went on stage. He couldn't find him, he searched everywhere, wondering if he was still on the planet below them, eventually asking the computer where he was. "Ensign Kim is in Sickbay." Tom rushed to Sickbay, to find Harry arguing with The Doctor. "But Doc, I'm fine." "Ensign, you have a broken bone in your leg, and the regenerator takes time to set it. You will have to stay here overnight." "But Tom and I were supposed to..." "Harry, it's all right. I'll do a solo," Tom spoke up. "Tom! Gods, I'm sorry. Next time I'll look before I step on a rock." "What happened?" "I was taking a reading, and I stepped onto a rock. It wasn't solid on the ground, though, and my leg went in one direction, the rest of me in another." Tom grinned, and gave his lover a gentle kiss on his forehead. "See you tomorrow," he said. "Bye, Tom," Harry replied, already half-asleep from the hypo The Doctor was administering. "What now?" Tom wondered aloud, almost banging into Chakotay on the way to the Mess Hall, where Talent Night was being held. "Are you okay, Tom?" "I"m fine, Commander. Harry has to stay in Sickbay overnight, he had a slight accident on the planet. I was really looking forward to being on stage, too." "Why can't you do the song alone?" "It works better as a duet," Tom replied. Chakotay couldn't bear the look of disappointment on the other man's face. "I'll sing with you, Tom. We should have enough time if you can give me the lyrics now." Tom handed him a padd, with Harry's part of the lyrics pulled up. "I was looking them over. Commander, I've got something I have to do before I go on stage, I'll see you in fifteen minutes?" "Sure, Tom. Break a leg," the Commander added. Tom made his way to the observation lounge, and managed to collect his thoughts. "I can't let him know, I can't let him know," played over and over in his mind. As he made his way to the Mess Hall, he went over his part of the song again, and wondered what had possessed him to choose that song to sing. Then he realised, he had chosen it to sing with Harry. The words took on a whole new meaning when he thought of them in relation to Chakotay. He stepped onto the stage, behind the curtains, and saw Chakotay entering from the other side. Both men were still in uniform, but he'd always liked how Chakotay looked in uniform. He could faintly hear Neelix introducing them, saying something like "last-minute substitution," the music began, and he was swept into the song. (Chakotay (Garth)): In another's eyes, I'm someone who Loves her enough to walk away from you. I'd never cheat, I'd never lie, In another's eyes... (Tom (Tricia)): In another's eyes, I can do no wrong. He believes in me and his faith is strong. I'd never fall, or even compromise, In another's eyes. (Chakotay (Garth)): In another's eyes, I'm afraid that I can't see This picture perfect portrait that they paint of me. They don't realise, and I pray they never do, But every time I look, I'm seeing you. In another's eyes... Tom: In another's eyes, Staring back at me, I see a sinking soul, trying desperately, To turn the tide, before it dies., In another's eyes... (Chakotay (Garth): And what they don't see, Lord, it's killing me. It's a blessing and a curse that love is blind. (Chakotay (Garth): In another's eyes, I'm afraid that I can't see, This picture perfect portrait that they paint of me. They don't realise and I pray they never do. But every time I look, I'm seeing you, In another's eyes. When the song finished, they were practically breathing each other's air, and Tom finally realised. "It's not just me. Dear gods, he feels something for me as well. But we can't." "No, we can't," Chakotay replied, and Tom realised that he'd spoken aloud. "Comm-Chakotay...you..? How long?" "I'm not sure. But Tom, we can't..." "I know. Captain Janeway's waiting for you now." "And Harry's waiting for you." "One kiss?" Tom pleaded. "One kiss," Chakotay agreed, moving to take the younger man into his arms. He covered Tom's mouth with his own, exploring his mouth with his tongue, kissing the younger man deeply, knowing that this was the first and last time. Tom reluctantly broke away. "Thank you," he whispered, "Maybe now we can get on with our lives." "With other people. Tom, I wish..." "So do I. But I can't hurt Harry." "And I can't hurt Kathryn. I care for her too much." "And I care for Harry too much." "It would be so easy if we didn't, wouldn't it?" Tom grinned, wryly,. "I guess it would. But we do. So we have to do what's right, not what we want." "Tom? If things were different..." "Me too." And Tom slowly walked away, feeling the heat of Chakotay's gaze on him. --- The End