The BLTS Archive - Un series
#9: Unavoidable
by Kiff (Kiff47@yahoo.com)

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Damn.  I'm out of replicator rations.

I was supposed to win some from Harry last night.  And we all know how
*that* turned out.  At least Chakotay got a good fuck for his trouble.

I stayed in for breakfast today.  Then I skipped lunch so I wouldn't
have to see Chakotay in the Mess Hall.  But now I'm starving.  I'll
have to risk seeing him at dinner.  I'll get there early and take a
table by the window, as far from the door as I can be.

Okay, all set.  I leave my quarters and walk to the turbolift.  The
only person I see along the way is Megan Delaney, and she doesn't have
time for much more than a smile and a quick "hello."  Hmmmm.  That's
right.  She's on Gamma shift now.  She and Jenny were fighting over
some guy -- Larson, I think -- and they decided they couldn't work
together anymore.  

And if the scuttlebutt has it right, Jenny won *this* battle.

Well, I suppose *I* could always go to the captain and request a shift
change of my own if it turns out that Chakotay and I can't work
together.  But I thought things went well today on the Bridge.  No one
would ever guess that the two of us had spent much of last night
fucking each other's brains out.

*He* certainly wouldn't tell anybody.

I walk into the Mess Hall.  "Hi, Neelix."

"Tom!"  As always, he's glad to see me.  "I've made some of that
Gritunian pasta you like."

"Give me a double helping, and don't be stingy with the sauce."

"Coming right up."  While Neelix fixes my plate, I take a quick look
around the room.  I don't see Chakotay, but the captain nods at me from
a nearby table.  She's been a little more friendly lately, but I know
she still hasn't completely forgiven me for the Monean episode.  Damn,
I don't need to think about *that* right now.  Anyway, she's sitting
with Tuvok, so I don't feel any obligation to join her at the moment.

"That enough, Tom?"

It sure is.  "Thanks, Neelix."

"You're welcome.  And there's more where that came from."

I don't think I'll need it, but I smile at my friend and make my way to
the window table.  I sit down and dig in.  Heaven.  Right here in the
Delta Quadrant, of all places.

"This seat taken?"

I jump, but it's only Harry.  He's smiling, but I see something else in
his eyes.  I would really rather be alone, but he *is* my best friend,
and I need to maintain at least *some* semblance of normalcy.  "It is
now," I say.

Harry sits down with a plate of pasta nearly as big as mine.  He takes
a long drink from his mug.  Before he puts it down, I take a huge bite
of my food.  Okay, I'm stalling.  I admit it.

Harry waits patiently for me to chew and swallow, then he plunges in. 
"Tom, is everything all right?"

"Never been better," I reply, taking another huge mouthful.  Harry
rolls his eyes and takes a bite of his own pasta.

"Can't fool *me*, Paris," he says when we're both finished chewing. 
"Remember, I saw what you did last night."

"Hardly."  It's out before I can stop it, and my companion is very
lucky I don't have any food in my mouth at the moment.

When I'm finally able to stop laughing, Harry is just shaking his head.
"Do you mind letting me in on what's so funny?"

"Yep."  And I'm off again.  I must be punchy, either from lack of sleep
or from something else.

Harry pushes his chair back a little.  *Now* he's pissed.  "Tom, quit
screwing around.  Level with me.  Are you in trouble with the
Commander?"

I try to pull myself together and look across the table at my friend,
the one person who trusted me in the beginning when everyone else
thought I was little better than space trash.  Gods, I loved Harry for
that.  Still do.  Why couldn't I have been attracted to *him* instead
of Chakotay?  

At least Harry likes me.  I owe him something for that.

"Okay,"  I say at last.  "Am I in trouble with Chakotay?  In a
disciplinary sense, no."  I lower my voice a little.  "In a personal
sense, I'm in deep shit, Har."

Harry's eyes are wide.  "What?  What the hell does *that* mean?"

So I tell him.  Not all the juicy details, of course, but enough so
that he gets the picture.

He doesn't finish his dinner.

I, on the other hand, do.  And then I have dessert on top of it.  It
must be something in the air.

There's no sign of Chakotay at all during the meal.  My guess is he had
dinner with the replicator.  No big surprise.

I take my leave of Harry, promising to do terrible things to his
clarinet if he reveals one word about last night to a single soul.  He
just sits there, nodding and sipping at his coffee, still too stunned
to eat.

I give my compliments to the chef, who gives me a huge grin in return,
and then I make my way to my next destination -- Chakotay's quarters.

The man might throw me out on my ass, but he'd have to touch me to do
it.  And his touch is just what I need right now.

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The End