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2020-11-05
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Mistletoe

Summary:

Seven puts Mistletoe to good use.

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Work Text:

Mistletoe
by nancy

Even as 'assimilated' into human culture as Seven had become over the last three years, holidays still perplexed her. The first year Seven had spent in misery, aching to rejoin the Collective. The second had been filled with confusion and the sense that she was getting everything wrong, even though she was following all the 'rules.'

This year, Seven had been determined that things would go perfectly. She was far more comfortable with the crew, as they were with her. She knew who got presents and what was considered appropriate. She also understood the concept of 'good will towards men' a great deal more. She'd applied it into practice when deciding not to reprimand Lt. Mesa for his untoward display in Astrometrics. Something she currently regretted as her lack of discipline had somehow resulted in being called to the Captain's ready room.

Captain Janeway gazed at her steadily from behind her desk, waiting for an answer. Her glue eyes seemed unusually intense.

Seven restrained an excessive sigh and said, "Lt. Mesa performed poorly in regards to his research on Sector 114357, but I chose not to reprimand him in the spirit of the season. He somehow took that to mean that I desired him. When he held a dried twig over my head and attempted to kiss me, I corrected him. Forcefully."

Kathryn's lip twitched, indicating that she found amusement and wished not to express it. Seven didn't relax, exactly, but mentally stood down.

The Captain at last said, "That you did. The Doctor informed me that his arm had to be set. Seven, have you not come across a custom called 'Mistletoe?'"

Seven thought for a moment and then said, "Mistletoe is the common name for obligate hemi-parasitic plants in several families in the order of Santalales. It is also a tradition that involves assaulting others with kissing and getting a reprieve by doing so holding a clipping of said plant overhead."

Kathryn coughed into her hand, but looked composed once she'd cleared her throat. "That is...a unique way of putting it. We're going to put this incident down to cultural differences. Chakotay has informed the crew not to come at you with mistletoe, just to be on the safe side. Reasonable?"

Seven nodded and relaxed her posture. "Thank you, Captain."

At that, Kathryn did smile. "I would say any time, but please don't repeat this in the future."

"Of course not," Seven agreed. "Captain, will you be attending the holiday party this evening?"

Kathryn stood and walked over to her, motioning towards the door. "I will. I hope to see you there?"

Seven nodded again and said, "I will be there. Until then, Captain."

Kathryn smiled once more and Seven found it difficult to look away. She thought the expression would be termed 'fond' but was not positive. "Until then, Seven."

Seven walked to her post on the bridge and used the remainder of the shift to both go over her data there and ponder an evolving hypothesis regarding the Captain. They had worked closely together of late, more so than usual, and she couldn't help but notice the other woman's lingering glances. Even though she still didn't feel completely adept at identifying the various expressions, Seven was eighty percent sure Kathryn saw her as a potential mate but felt inhibited from acting upon those desires.

The rest of the shift ended in short order and she strode to her quarters. Seven had spent some of her 'salary' on an actual outfit for this party. The Doctor had assisted her with picking it out and had assured her that she would 'turn heads,' although hopefully not in a painful fashion. She suspected that she was on 'thin ice' as Tom liked to say, what with the Lt. Mesa incident.

Seven took a water shower instead of using the sonics, relishing the hot water pounding against tired muscles. Once dry, she donned the flimsy dress and couldn't help but feel horribly exposed, even with the appropriate undergarments. He'd insisted on also assisting her in preparing for the footwear, which raised her three inches higher. It seemed excessive to Seven, but the Doctor had assured her that it was not only correct, but aesthetically pleasing to all.

Taking a fortifying breath, Seven picked up both Kathryn's present and the small item that would allow her to put her hypothesis to the test. She left her quarters and strode towards the mess where the party was supposed to take place at her usual pace, pleased that she had adapted to the footwear. She did, in fact, turn several heads on the short sojourn to the event. Lt. Crishen neglected to turn back in time and walked into the corner instead of around it. By the time Seven arrived at the mess, she felt far less vulnerable.

Conversation faded when she walked into the room. Seven paused as it seemed all eyes turned her way, unsure as to the protocol. Fortunately, B'Elanna hurried over to join her. She gave a low whistle and grinned before saying, "You clean up good!"

Seven blinked in surprise. "Thank you?"

"You're welcome," B'Elanna said. "I'm surprised tongues haven't rolled out of mouths yet."

It was clearly an expression, but Seven wasn't sure how to respond.
B'Elanna laughed and said, "Come on, we've got a table."

"Is the Captain here yet? I brought her present," Seven asked.

Smiling, B'Elanna said, "Not yet, but it's still early. She's probably working on some reports. You know how she gets."

Seven did, indeed, know. The Captain was a very thorough woman, it was one of her many, admirable qualities.

They joined Tom, Harry, the Doctor, and Chakotay at a table by the wall.

Tom exclaimed, "Hubba hubba!"

B'Elanna snorted. "Down boy."

The Doctor looked like a proud parent as he took in her appearance and said, "Yes, leaving your hair down was an excellent idea, if I say so myself."

Harry and Chakotay hadn't yet stopped staring.

Seven forced herself not to fidget, though she wasn't sure from where the impulse came. She'd faced down far greater adversaries than a room full of people she already knew and yet, this kind of nervousness was distinctly new. She sat beside B'Elanna and placed Kathryn's present on the table. Her stomach remained in a tense knot, her body coiled and prepared as if for an assault.

Kathryn finally arrived twenty-eight minutes later, after the evening meal had begun. Dressed in simple black pants and a loose blue top with her hair tucked behind her ear on one side, the other woman garnered many appreciative looks. Seven had to push down the impulse to forcefully correct all of those generating such looks.

Seven started to stand up but then sat back down before she'd gotten more than a couple of inches off the seat. Normally the other woman simply walked over to where the Command Crew sat, but now she drifted slowly through the room going from table to table. Since almost everyone was in the mess, only a skeleton crew remained on duty, the time it took for the Captain to arrived felt interminable.

Seven couldn't help an unsatisfied sensation from running through her. Not once had the Captain acknowledged her presence, aside from a vague wave in the direction of their table upon entering the room.

"Better be careful or your face will freeze that way," Tom teased.

Seven glanced at him and ached an eyebrow. "My facial muscles will not 'freeze' in any way unless I wish it."

There were chuckles all around the table and B'Elanna said, "Don't worry. She's almost done. She'll be all yours in short order."

It wasn't just the words that surprised Seven, but their casual delivery. No one seemed at all disturbed by the notion that the Captain 'belonged' to Seven, or at least that her attention did so. All along she'd heard that the other remained aloof from the crew out of a sense of honor, not wanting to abuse her power even with the senior staff. The Doctor had more than once regaled her with how close the Captain and Chakotay had become and yet never crossed a romantic line in any real regard.

Seven leaned closer to B'Elanna and said softly, "Do you believe that a romantic entanglement between myself and the Captain would untowardly impact the operation of the ship?"

B'Elanna looked at her with much the same expression she did an engineer who'd asked a redundant or superfluous question; like she was an idiot. "Seven. You're already romantically entangled. The two of you just haven't made it official yet. Everyone knows that except for you and the Captain."

Seven assimilated the statements and thoughtfully glanced over at the Captain.

*  *  *  *

Kathryn took one look at Seven sitting with the rest of the command crew and quickly looked away. The younger woman looked stunning with a dress that clung in all the right places and her hair falling soft around her bare shoulders. She gave them an acknowledging wave and then took the most circuitous route possible to get to the table. She definitely needed the time to regain her composure and speaking with the rest of the crew allowed her to kill two birds with one stone.

Or so she thought. As soon as Kathryn arrived at the table and met those clear blue eyes, she knew it was time wasted. Just looking at the other woman sent a warmth through her body that she hadn't felt in a very long time.

Seven smiled up at her and said, "Good evening, Captain."

Kathryn smiled in return and sat beside her. She forced herself to look around the table and smile at everyone so as not to single out Seven. "Everyone enjoying themselves?"

There was a general assent from around the table and then Neelix bustled over with an overfilled plate. "Captain! I'm so pleased you could make it. I took the liberty of making several Earth favorites. Tom didn't allow me to deviate from his mother's recipes, so I assure you they will be uniformly Earth-like."

Kathryn chuckled and accepted the plate, setting it down as she said, "Thank you, Neelix. We all appreciate the effort that went into this lovely party."

Seven shifted her chair a bit, bringing her close enough to smell the delicate perfume or perhaps her shampoo. Kathryn couldn't tell which it was, but breathed it in as discreetly as she could. Seven remained distractingly close through the rest of the night. Her voice, warm and firm, sent shivers through Kathryn and her scent lingered, intoxicating. The other woman remained within reach and yet so far away, as she couldn't allow any of it to go any further between them. Kathryn had been skirting far too close to that invisible line already.

Music came on once the dishes were cleared and several couples immediately stood to dance. Kathryn smiled fondly as she watched Tom and B'Elanna, among the others. They didn't get a lot of romantic time together with an infant in the mix but were taking full advantage now, B'Elanna snugly within Tom's arms. Harry was dragged out by one of the younger women while the Doctor found himself the bemused recipient of a dance with Chakotay. Kathryn chuckled to herself at the sight of the hologram rendered speechless as he and the Commander walked onto the dancefloor together.

"Kathryn."

Kathryn brought her attention back to Seven, surprised at the use of her first name. It was generally only used in private between them. "Yes, Seven?"

Seven pushed a small box across the scant distance on the table and she realized it was a present for her. A small delight ran through her, even as she said, "I really can't accept..."

Seven's hand over hers stopped all words in their tracks. Kathryn lifted her gaze to meet Seven's, startled by the direct contact. "As I understand it, close friends and companions exchange gifts and I consider you both."

Kathryn's throat tightened in reaction to the simple declaration and she cleared it. Picking up the box, she looked over the small thing and felt its barely-there weight.

"I presume you have a gift for me?"

Kathryn chuckled, a little ruefully, and slipped a hand into her pocket to pull out a small box of her own. She set it down in front of Seven and said, "You presume correct. Open yours first."

Seven's eyebrow arched, but she complied, picking up the box and carefully opening the top of it. Kathryn didn't hold her breath, exactly, but she waited anxiously to see what Seven would think. Delicate fingers picked up the small computer chip and turned it over. Seven brought it up and Kathryn thought she heard the hum of the other woman's visual Borg implant as it focused closer.

"How did you replicate this?" Seven breathed, turning wide eyes to Kathryn.

Swallowing against a dry throat, she answered, "You like it? B'Elanna said you were trying to figure out how to..."

Seven reached out and gripped her hand. "It's exactly what I wanted. I did not consider this particular configuration, however. I can not believe that I forgot just how adept you are with micro-mechanics."

Coming from Seven, it was quite the compliment. Kathryn smiled broadly and said, "Thank you."

"No, thank you Kathryn. This will save me a lot of time and effort in the future," Seven said, eyes still shining. "It would have taken me approximately four weeks to merely ascertain the best plan to create this and much longer to replicate it to specification."

Kathryn had the totally inappropriate impulse to taste how happy Seven was at that moment. She was startled when happiness transformed abruptly to chagrin. "What's wrong?"

"I do not believe your gift to be nearly as... suited," Seven admitted.

Kathryn squeezed the hand that still held hers and then took hold of the small box again. She opened it right away and her breath caught at the elegant gold chain with a blue stone pendent. It sparkled in the light. Meeting Seven's gaze, she said, "It's lovely, Seven, truly, but I can't accept it."

Seven looked at her silently a moment and then said, "I believe I have a solution."

Kathryn's eyebrows lifted. "Oh?"

Strangely, Seven lifted her hand over Kathryn's head. When Kathryn looked up, it was to find a sprig of mistletoe in those long fingers. Alarmed, she looked at Seven only to have the other woman already leaning in to kiss her. It was soft and gentle and uncertain. It was also the sweetest thing Kathryn had been part of since she'd been very young. She got lost in the simple kiss for much too long and pulled back only when applause burst out around them.

Kathryn jerked back at the noise and looked around to find her entire crew standing and watching them with obvious approval and fondness. Flustered, heat rushed to Kathryn's cheeks and then she mentally threw up her hands. She looked back at Seven and found the other woman just as taken aback.

Grinning to herself, she said, "In for a penny..."

That was enough warning for Seven to give her a curious look. Kathryn took her face in her hands and pulled her in for a slow, deep kiss, possessive and hungry for more. The applause turned to hoots and hollers when Seven suddenly gave back as good as she got. When they finally broke off, Kathryn laughed, pure happiness skating through her. She stood up and said firmly, "And that is what mistletoe is for."

Laughter echoed raucously throughout the room and the music started up again, people returning to their own conversations and gift exchanges.

Kathryn held a hand down to Seven who took it and stood, a faint smile on her face. They walked onto the dance floor where she took Seven into her arms. They moved in sync together there, just as they always did, and Kathryn couldn't wait to unwrap Seven later to find out just what other presents lay in store for them.

 

end

Notes:

This orphaned work was originally on Pejas WWOMB posted by author Nancy.
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