The BLTS Archive - Unloved #9: Unfulfilled Needs by Karahkwa (karahkwa@startrekmail.com) --- Disclaimer: All things Trek belong to Paramount. This situation is purely my own. No copyright infringement intended. Author's notes: I don't know if migraines are caused by hormonal problems other than women get them at that time of the month. I don't know; it worked in the plot. --- Harry Kim snuggled down with his husband. They'd been married for just over three months and by all accounts things were going perfectly. People were finally calling Chakotay Commander Kim. And they'd managed to move all of their stuff into one set of quarters and get it arranged so that they could actually move around. His concerto for Chakotay would be ready for the older man's birthday. And just last night, Chakotay had, for the first time, said I love you. Life was good. So why did it feel like something was missing? --- Chakotay was moping. That was the only way B'Elanna Torres could explain it. Which didn't make sense at all. He and Harry were still in the honeymoon stage of their marriage. "Hey, Chakotay." The man looked up for the panel where he'd been realigning a conduit. "I'm not quite done here but if you tell me what you want me to do next, I'll get started as soon as I am." B'Elanna smiled. That's what she loved best about maintenance. Chakotay may be in change of whom ended up working on it and when, but he was also willing to let her run the show when it came to her engines. "Actually, I was thinking we could both use a five minute break. We've both been at this for seven hours." Chakotay's head tipped to the side. He obviously hadn't realized that much time had passed. "That would explain my stomach's been growling at me for the last hour or so." She laughed. "Tell you what. Cary just got back from lunch. I'll leave him in charge for a few minutes and we can grab some lunch." "Sounds good," he replied as he finished the calibration and checked it with the tricorder. "I think I'm finished here." B'Elanna nodded and hollered over to Cary. "Commander Kim and I are going to get a bite to eat. Don't blow up my engine room." "Yes, ma'am." Both were still chuckling when they stepped into the turbolift. Unfortunately, Chakotay's died very quickly. "Hey. What's wrong? You've been down all day." "Nothing." B'Elanna smiled. "Come on, Chakotay. I've known you for how long? I'd like to help." He sighed. However, he didn't answer. Instead the ‘lift doors opened onto their deck and they stepped out around some ensigns that had just come off shift. They walked quietly down the corridor to the mess hall. When they were seated together at a table with their… whatever it was before them, B'Elanna finally started talking again. "It can't be the maintenance. Unless you're upset that I didn't put you and Harry in the same area. I figured neither of you would get much accomplished if I did." "It's not that." "Then what is it? If it's not work and it can't be Harry, then-" Chakotay broke eye contact and looked down at his plate. He lifted his fork to play with his entrée. "It's Harry? Did you have a fight?" "No. No fight. No anything." "Then what is it?" "Harry's bored with me." Chakotay blushed. That should have been enough to tell B'Elanna his problem but the woman was playing dense. "How can you tell?" "I told him I loved him and all he wanted to do was snuggle. Not even...." She sighed. "Chakotay. He's been doing maintenance the same as you. He's probably tired. Give him the benefit of the doubt." "But..." He blushed again. "What?" "That's not all there is. There's more." "Like?" Chakotay sighed. "He never smiles anymore. And he's always thinking about something. And he stopped playing his clarinet for me." "Have you asked him what's wrong?" --- Chakotay's nervous. He's fidgeting. I love it when he fidgets. He gets this cute little wrinkle between his eyes. Harry pulled his eyes away from his husband. He was supposed to be writing his OPS report for Tuvok. They'd agreed that all of Harry's reports would go through Tuvok instead of Chakotay. They thought the Vulcan would be a touch more objective. But Harry just couldn't keep his eyes off Chakotay. The older man was seated on the couch with a PADD on his lap, which he didn't even pretending to be reading. He was wearing a pair of dark green sweat pants and a skin tight T-shirt. His Cha was gorgeous. Harry rose and walked over to where his husband was sitting. He ran his hand up his arm. He sat down and with his other hand stroked the ridge growing between his brows. "Cha?" he pitched his voice so that it was deep and sexy. The response was a soft kiss and a head buried in his neck. It wasn't what he was going for. "Hey, what's wrong?" "I love the way you smell, Harry. It drives me crazy." Chakotay licked his pulse point. "And you taste even better." "Cha..." "Make love to me, Harry." "Mmm. You're so sexy. If I weren't so tired, I'd make love to you all night." Chakotay pulled back. "Is that why you didn't make love to me last night?" "Yes. Why else wouldn't I make love to you?" His husband's blush was enough to tell him what he had been thinking. "I'll never tire of you, Chakotay. But occasionally I'll be so tired from working that I… well, I don't think you want me to fall asleep while making love to you." "No, I wouldn't want that." Chakotay smiled. It soon died on his lips. "But you've been a little distant lately. Even before we started doing the maintenance." Harry nodded. "I know. I've just been doing some thinking." "About what?" He smiled and rubbed his nose against Chakotay's. "Our future." "What do you mean?" "I mean, I've been thinking about what we'll be doing in ten years. I think we'll be home by then." "And what do you see us doing?" "Well, you're going to retire to study anthropology full-time." "And you?" "I'll be promoted to Lt. Commander and I'll be working on designing ships. And we get to spend every night together." "That's sounds nice, Harry." Chakotay planted a soft kiss on Harry's neck as he snuggled closer. "I haven't told you the best part yet." "Mmmm?" Chakotay was too busy unbuttoning his shirt and kissing his neck to actually answer. "And we'll have adopted some kids so that we'll have someone to take care of us when we're old and gray." Chakotay's head came up. "You want children?" "Yes. Don't you?" "I-I don't know. I used to but... I don't know. I kinda thought that since we got married we wouldn't have any." "Cha, I think you'd make a great father. I'd love to see you with our children." Chakotay looked down. He'd never really thought he could be a father. He'd always thought because he preferred men he'd never get the chance. But Harry wanted them to have children one day. "I'd like that." Harry nodded. "So let's practice…" --- Harry had just finished a double shift. They had both been uneventful, a fact for which he was grateful. He didn't honestly think he could handle three days of double shifts. But that's what he was working. Tuvok was going through Pon Farr. Chakotay was working Tuvok's command rotation and Harry was working in Engineering for B'Elanna. He sighed as he stepped through the doors to their quarters. He slipped off his boots and wiggled his toes into the carpet. It felt so good. He could relax. All he wanted was to snuggle up with Chakotay and sleep until they both had to go on duty again. "Cha?" No answer. "Chakotay?" Still no answer. "Computer, location of Chakotay Kim." "Commander Kim is currently in Sickbay." Harry was down the hall and into the turbolift before he realized that he was barefoot. It didn't matter to him. He was too worried about his Cha. He stormed in to find Chakotay lying on the diagnostic bed. The doctor looked up to see him. There was no irritation on the hologram's face like there was when his patient was in real danger. "Chakotay?" The man on the table's head came up. "Harry. Are you off duty all ready? I didn't realize it was that late in the day." "What's going on?" Chakotay sighed. He reached up rubbed his forehead. "Nothing. I just complained to Kathryn that I had a headache when she arrived early to take command of the bridge. It's nothing. I've just been working too hard." Harry walked up and took his husband's hand. He smiled and then looked up at the doctor. "So what's the verdict, Doc?" "Commander Kim is suffering from a migraine. It will take me a while to find the correct medication to correct the condition." "Migraine?" "A severe form of headache. In some cases, they were acute enough to cause temporary blindness. The commander's are not that severe. However, most migraines were eliminated nearly a century ago." "After my people left Earth." Harry sighed. Why did there have to be a history lesson? Whether or not it was curable was all he cared about. "So what's causing Chakotay's?" "It appears to be a hormonal imbalance within the commander's body." "Can it be treated?" "I am not sure. That's why the commander is still here." "Well, can I go home while you figure it out? I promise to be back first thing in the morning." "Very well, commander. I will see you before your shift tomorrow." Harry led Chakotay home. He didn't say a word the entire way. He simply took him home, got him ready for bed and snuggled up. Chakotay finally broke the silence. "Harry?" "Yeah." "I'm sorry. I made you miss dinner." While saying the words, he snuggled as close as he could and buried his face in his husbands' neck. "That's all right. Are you hungry? You missed dinner too." Chakotay shook his head. He didn't want Harry to know that he was sick to his stomach. "I just wanna sleep." "Then do it. I'll be here when you wake up." "'Kay. Love you." --- Chakotay stared blindly at the sickbay-ceiling panel. He couldn't believe that after an hour and a half, the doctor still couldn't get his damn cure to work. Instead, his headache was getting worse, he'd lost his breakfast twice, and he was late for his shift, which meant Janeway was going to be one pissed off lady. It didn't help that the doctor was muttering under his breath about backward civilizations and colonies. His head was throbbing. He'd slept through the night but his head was much worse. "Cha? Are you okay? Do you need anything?" He shook his head. The dimmed lights made it hard for him to see the worry on his husband's face but he could hear it in his voice. "Harry, you should go to the bridge. You're late for shift." "Cha… I commed the captain. She said to get you better. Don't you remember?" "No. I don't think so." "That's okay." "But... You should go. We're short-handed, as it is." He squeezed his hand. "I'll be fine. The doc will take good care of me. He'll com you if something happens." "Are you sure?" "Yes. Now go." --- "Sickbay to Lieutenant Kim." Harry looked up and his eyes met Janeway's. "Go ahead." "I need to you come to Sickbay." "On my way." Harry burst into Sickbay for the second time in twenty-four hours. His eyes flew to Chakotay. He seemed to be asleep. Still he pitched his voice low. "Doc?" Both the doctor and Chakotay turned to face him. The doctor looked a little stressed. Chakotay, however, looked happy. "Have you fixed him?" "No. However, I have found a solution." His smiled widely and then stepped forward to take Chakotay's hand. "Great. Wha-" "But we need to talk some things over." Harry looked into Chakotay's face. He was obviously pleased that the doctor had found a cure but he was also worried about something. "What, Cha?" "He wants me to have a baby." "Huh?" The doctor cleared his throat. "The commander has a hormonal imbalance. I am unable to correct this. However, I have found a way to change the hormones in his body." "The change you'd make would…" "Make it possible for me to carry a child in an artificial womb." Harry had the strongest urge to sit down. This was too unbelievable. "Harry, are you okay? Is this too much?" "You're gonna get Chakotay pregnant and then what? Fix him in nine months?" "There have been medical studies done in the area. I have the ability to ‘fix' him now. But I thought perhaps you and the commander would like to use the… side effect." "I see." Harry looked blankly at the doctor. "Why don't I let you talk this over?" The doctor turned around and walked into his office. He intended to give them their privacy. However, while he was at it, he was going to look into getting them an egg donor. "Cha?" "You said you wanted children. We could have our own." Harry looked into Chakotay's face. His look was completely blank. But Harry could still remember the look of joy that had come when they'd discussed eventually adopting children. He smiled. "If it's what you want, I'd be honored to father a child with you." "You're sure?" "Completely." "Then call the doc back in here. We're going to need his help." Harry nodded and headed over the office. While he did this, Chakotay smiled and silently thanked the Spirit for preventing their unfulfilled needs. --- The End