TThe BLTS Archive- Paris
Story Two: In The Morning
by Karen (CP4Karen@aol.com)

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Disclaimer: Paramount owns them. I imply no copyright  infringement.

c1998 Karen

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Less than a week and the ship’s Captain and her first lady aren’t
speaking.  Oh, they’re still together, but the atmosphere is
definitely icy.

If I weren’t the consummate gentleman, I’d be laughing my ass off.

Kathryn found out about B’Ela’s little good-bye gift to Tom Paris and
blew higher than an exploding warp core.

At least, that’s the rumor.  Those actually present in the resort the
night of the argument said that it was amazingly quiet.....especially
considering that B’Elanna was involved.

But, from what I’ve heard whispered, our Lt. Torres hardly spoke.  The
Captain, in her best command voice, quietly flayed the other woman
alive.

Jenny Delaney, always at her best when she has an audience, told of
what she had heard.  The words- betrayal, pain, and the entire
sentence:  “If you cared enough to make love to him, why did you
leave?”

Jenny’s last sentence had brought silence to the entire room.

Someone finally noticed that I was at a corner table and the group
quickly dispersed.  They would have been surprised to know how little
I care any more. I have more painful things on my mind.

Tom Paris.

Tom and the way his body felt against mine.  The  silken feel of his
skin as I drove deeply into his welcoming body.  The small gasping
moans as  I pleasured him.

And my answering moans as he pleasured me.

Spirits forgive me, but in all the times that I made love to Kathryn,
it never felt like that one experience  with Tom Paris.

I want that again.  I want to caress his beautiful body until he begs
me to fuck him.  I want to feel those rosebud lips wrapped around my
cock..

I want.

I spoke to him just this morning.  The same as I have spoken to him
every morning since.....

“Good morning, Mr. Paris.”

“Good morning, Commander.”

We may as well be back at day one.

Gods!  In my heart I remember his words, the look on his face as he
left the other night:

“Chakotay, I wanted that just as much as you did.  No guilt and if you
want, we’ll act like it never happened. Friends?”

Friends.....a word that can mean as much or as little as one wants.  I
know what I want and it’s not to be friends.

But I also remember the look on Paris’ face while we were still in
bed.  The look as he gazed into my eyes and saw the guilt at using
him.

Pain.

There was a time that I wanted nothing more than to cause him pain; to
make him pay for the seeming lies and betrayal.  I don’t know when
that changed, but I respect Tom Paris now and would give anything to
take away that look of pain from the other night.

But can I?

He seems to have decided that we will not speak of what happened.  He
avoids me, even more than he avoids B’Elanna and Kathryn.  Harry is
constantly at his side, and although I know that Tom would never have
told Kim what happened, it is obvious that Harry suspects.

And the others.

I don’t know when I became one of the villains in this little piece;
after all, I was dumped too.  But Neelix, Tuvok...gods...even the
Doctor look at  me with suspicion as they observe Tom’s quiet 
dissolution.  They know that there is more than what meets the eye.

So why don’t I simply tell him?

Why don’t I take him in my arms and beg his forgiveness?  Tell him I
want nothing more than for our spirits to soar as one?

Harry Kim.....and Seven Of Nine.

There is a pool going, on how long everyone thinks that it will last,
and another on who will end up being the odd man or woman out.

Right now, it’s me.

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The End