Pet Names
Blonde hair.
Darkness.
Full lips.
Darkness.
Attentive blue eyes.
Kathryn blinked a couple more times as she slowly aquainted herself with her surroundings. So far she wasn't getting much further than the face of her partner, her tired mind seduced by it's perfect features. She smiled sleepily at the pair of eyes that watched her so intently, as she gradually came to the realisation that the day's events had really happened.
"Hmm? hello, you." She yawned, snuggling her face into the curve of Seven's neck.
"Hello? my love." Seven said slowly, a little awkwardly.
Kathryn paused, feeling her breath catch slightly in her throat. She pulled away, so that she could look Seven in the eye as she spoke.
"What did you..?"
Seven looked suddenly uncomfortable, like a child caught saying a swear word.
"I am sorry, I?"
"No! Seven, you misunderstand me? I'm happy that you said that. I've been waiting for a long time to hear it."
"The Doctor told me of human 'pet names'. It seemed the most appropriate."
"Well," she laughed, "then I'm just thankful you didn't choose 'sugar plum', or something equally offensive!"
Seven chuckled, and Kathryn drew her closer to share the rare event. They lay in comfortable silence for a few moments, Seven stroking Kathryn's hair as they held each other, indulging themselves in their new found happiness. Seven was the first to speak, her voice quiet, nervous, almost child-like in it's simple request.
"Will you choose a 'pet name' for me, Kathryn?"
She smiled at the question, in love with the fact that what Seven had asked her for was a tag. A tag to wear mentally, to tell herself and the world that she belonged to someone. That she belonged to Kathryn. After a pause, she replied.
"Yes, Seven. I will. Just give me some time to choose the right one... I want it to be perfect."
Seven ran her hand along Kathryn's arm, feeling her skin prickle and goosebump underneath the pads of her fingers. She gently took her lover's lips with her own, tentatively, lovingly.
"It will be." she whispered.
**************************************
"Computer, locate Captain Janeway."
'Captain Janeway is in her quarters.'
He would need to speak to Seven later too, but that was only over a proposal he had put to her about a week ago. Chakotay had thought through the apology over and over in his head as he left Ensign Kim with the bridge. With all the guilt that Kathryn carried around on a daily basis, to make her feel uncomfortable around him was unforgivable. It wasn't like she hadn't been straight with him. She had never encouraged his interest in her, and here she maybe could have something real with Seven of Nine. All he was doing was hindering her chances of happiness. And he would tell her so.
(You don't do that to someone when you love them, Chakotay. Let her go.)
He slowed as he reached the Captain's quarters, thinking over the apology one last time.
**************************************
'BREE--E--EEP'
Kathryn sat bolt upright, the colour draining from her face.
"Oh, God."
Seven appeared a little less concerned at the intruding chime of the door, but still sat up, already thinking of ways to get out of the latest situation to present itself.
"Ignore it. They will assume you are asleep, and leave."
'BREE--E--EEP'
"I'm not convinced."
**************************************
Chakotay stood outside the door, brow furrowed. This was strange. In all his time on Voyager, Kathryn had never responded any way other than the usual bark of 'Come!'. For her not to respond at all was bizarre. Even if she had been asleep, or in the sonic shower, she would have answered him by now.
"Computer, confirm location of the Captain."
'Captain Janeway is in her quarters.'
"Hmmph." He grumbled, tapping his commbadge, "Chakotay to Janeway? where are you?"
**************************************
"Awww, hell!" Kathryn yelled, hearing the message emanating from the sofa in her living area.
"What do we do now?" Seven asked quietly.
"I have to get to my commbadge, before he opens the doors. I left my uniform jacket on the couch. Here, hand me my dressing gown."
**************************************
"Computer, open doors, command sequence Chakotay 6--11 alpha."
A beep of acknowledgement from the computer sounded, and the doors swished open, just in time for him to see Kathryn in her dressing gown, kicking a piece of brownish material behind the couch. She was reaching towards her uniform jacket, which lay twisted amongst other items of her clothing.
"Kathryn? I'm sorry. It's just, when you didn't answer?"
"Quite alright," she smiled, a little flushed, "I was in the shower, but I hadn't exactly been my usual tidy self as far as undressing was concerned."
"Couldn't find your commbadge?"
"Well? no."
"Happens to me at least twice a day," he laughed.
Suddenly embarrassed by her lack of clothing, she tried to cover herself as best she could with the small satin dressing gown. Looking up, she smiled warmly at her first officer.
"Anyway? how can I help you?"
"I uh, I wanted to apologise for my behaviour this morning. It's unfair for me to offload on you, you have enough to deal with."
"I'm sorry?"
"You know what I mean, Kathryn. I sometimes make you feel a little guilty for not returning any feelings I might have for you, and it's wrong. I just want you to know that."
Kathryn glanced toward her bedroom door, knowing that Seven would be listening to every word.
"Chakotay? I?"
"No. Don't answer me. Just think about what I've said. In the mean-time, there's things I should be doing."
She nodded solemnly, and Chakotay smiled, leaving the room. She waited for the doors to close before she spoke.
"You can come out now."
**************************************
He walked down the corridor to the turbolift, happy that he had done the right thing in apologising.
(I'll make this up to her in the best way possible.)
He laughed inwardly, thinking of how shocked Kathryn had looked in that tangle of clothes, how embarrassed she had been to be caught in just her dressing gown. Remembering suddenly that he needed to speak to Seven about his proposal, he addressed the computer in his usual manner.
"Computer, locate Seven of Nine."
'Astrometrics officer, Seven of Nine, is in the Captain's quarters.'
Chakotay stopped in his tracks, stunned.
"?What?"