#like DAMN...do you remember when Neelix made-? and it's always a happy conversation

[bumblingbabooshka]

Headcanon that Seven of Nine and Naomi actually find Neelix’s cooking to be fine because it’s the only food they’ve ever eaten/their first introduction to food and when they get to Earth everyone’s so excited to show them Alpha quadrant foods but neither of them likes anything they’re offered very much. Seven doesn’t really care either way except that she has to get used to a whole new palette and Naomi likes the obvious (Ex: candy, cake) but frequently complains that nothing tastes ‘right’. Naomi: -pushing away a slice of pizza- I don’t like it... Tom: You’re kidding me. You don’t like pizza? Naomi: It doesn’t taste right! Make it how Neelix used to. Tom: You want me to put gerhalorian beets and yuk mushrooms in the sauce so it congeals into a lumpy, slightly sour mess? Is that what you want, Naomi? Naomi: Yeah :(  I want Naomi and Icheb to work tirelessly together on a side project for years until finally doing it - being able to communicate clearly with those in the Delta quadrant! Icheb uses it to speak to the other borg children (now adults) and Naomi immediately uses it to call Neelix and ask him to find the nearest time portal and toss a big box of leola root into it. She’s been craving it for years! No one told her the Alpha quadrant didn’t have leola root, she wouldn’t have gone otherwise!

[bhavael-song]

[shore leave post] facing the past

Harry is seated on the bed of a nicely appointed room. As he hears the door open, he pushes the assorted brochures off of his lap and bounds towards the unsuspecting entrant. "Celes, remember that Thromboian stringed instrument I was telling you about? That I was regretting not getting? They have a similar one here, but it has recursive tuning abilities! I think I need it."

Not expecting him to move so quickly, Tal lets out a half-shriek when he catches her in a welcoming hug, one that soon turns to laughter at his enthusiasm.  “Then you should definitely get it.”  She squeezes him around the waist.  “Though, you’re going to start running out of storage space in your spare closet unless this one compacts itself into a PADD-sized box like the Natimastean harp you showed me last week.”

"I'll figure something out. I know I've got a lot.  It’s just that, music is important. Documenting the cultures we come across, finding similarities with our own," Harry says as the palms of his hands graze across her hips, "Finding common ground...it’s all a part of why I signed up for deep space missions."

Tal nods in agreement, ignoring the blush that heats her cheeks at his wandering hands.  “The differences can also be quite fascinating to learn.” She momentarily frowns, then it fades. “At least when we find friendly people like the ones here on Laethea.”

"So far, so good. How was your evening?"

“Good.  What time Mariah didn’t spend browsing for gifts for Swinn’s upcoming birthday, she spent taking photos of every type of plant that grows in the marketplace area.  The Laethean shop owners were all very amused.  She did have one man offer her some seeds for one of the flowers when she explained we have a hydroponics bay and like to get samples when we can.  It sort of looks like it could be related to the flower that Kes a—noticed by the lagoon.  Maybe it’s a domestic version of that flower.  Anyway, he’ll have the seeds by morning, he told us.”

"Plants, music, they're two sides of the same coping, aren't they? But Celes," Harry's hand glide up her arms to rest on her shoulders, drawing her gaze to his. "How are you?"

“I’m okay.”  Her slight frown returns, while her mind turns over why he would ask such a question.  “Do I....look like I’m not?”

"No...you look as beautiful as our last shore leave, in that enchanted forest, but I've also come to know you well enough to know that your still waters run deep. You can talk to me. About anything."

So he did see me flinch at dinner.  Damn it.  Resisting the urge to silently curse her brother for bringing up the past, she sighs quietly.  “I guess I do owe you an explanation about what happened earlier.  I wanted to tell you about it anyway but—I wasn’t sure how.”  She moves out of his arms, and towards the cloud-looking couch opposite the bed.  “We’d better sit down.  It’s....kind of a long story.”

Harry curses to himself and wished he'd been off the mark. How much more can she handle?  As he sat on the couch, he resists the urge to take her hand in his.

Sitting beside him, Tal instinctively reaches for his hand again, needing the warmth of his touch to ground her.  “It’s probably stupid but—it was the name of that person sitting behind us that startled me.”  She shrugs but ignores the sting of humiliation that normally would have stopped her from saying more.  “And my brother unthinkingly brought up in his last letter to me an encounter with someone I would have rather never thought about again.  Eloser Layan.  Layan was...well, we were almost engaged.”

He'd be lying if he said that the word hadn't surprised him.; but he'd been engaged himself. Libby had meant a great deal to Harry. But why had Celes never mentioned Layan to him before now? It didn't matter. All that mattered was that she was opening up to him. All he cared about was that she trusted him; with her heart and her past.

“We all grew up together, though he was Sovan’s friend exclusively when we were children.  It wasn’t until our ih’tanu that Layan paid any attention to me.  Any ih’tanu is a cause for celebration, of course.  But, for twins, it can become a big deal.  As we were the only twins in La’tai of our generation, almost everyone showed up for the gathering after the blessing at Temple—from our closest companions like Harti, Olata and our individual friends to total strangers from the far edges of the colony borders.  The adults often encourage the guests of honor to speak of their intentions for the future and their adult lives ahead.  Sovan just jumped right out and started talking; meanwhile, I couldn’t think of a thing.  So when Olata finally asked me and I found myself having to come up with something, I said I was thinking of applying for Starfleet.  And the minute I said it aloud, I realized that WAS what I wanted. The chance to learn and do more and perhaps bring something back to contribute to the community.”  

She shrugs and shakes her head.  “I don’t think anyone but Olata and my brother believed me.  Layan certainly didn’t.  We were together for nearly three years, and if Starfleet or the Federation was ever mentioned in our conversations, he would change the subject or get annoyed.  I was young and stupid enough to assume that, if I could actually get into the Academy, he’d accept it and support me.  I turned out to be wrong.  Very wrong.”

Harry nods as half a dozen remembered conversations gain greater clarity. Reassurances provided, confidences boosted. How can she believe in herself when someone she cared for so deeply didn't? He remains silent, his thumb rubbing over her knuckle, urging her to continue.

“The Academy scouts received permission from the governing council of Resda to visit the colonies and they arrived in La’tai the day before my seventeenth birthday.  I had the chance to speak with the sponsor, Commander Kuszewski, that morning and take the entrance exam.  Layan and I snuck out that night to be together.”  She blushes but ignores it.  “We’d been sneaking around like that for a couple months and I know Harti and Olata knew exactly what we were up to, but all Harti said was to be cautious.  I thought they meant getting boosters.  Looking back, I think they realized what type of person Layan really was and was trying to warn me.  But that night, he gave me the betrothal bracelet.  And I went to bed that night happy, because I had a message on my personal comm from Commander Kuszewski saying I’d passed the exam and could sign up for the next year’s classes.”  

“Harti, Olata and Sovan were surprised, but happy for me.  Layan....was another story.”  Her hand unconsciously tightens its grip slightly.  “First, he laughed, not believing me.  Then, he tried to tell me as his future wife, he wouldn’t allow it.  I kept pushing back at him, and that’s when he lost his temper.  He has always believed that the Federation’s lack of action meant they had just as much Bajoran blood on their hands as Cardassia did.”  Her voice shakes at the memory.  “He even accused me of betraying him, the memory of my parents, and my people. That’s when I slapped him and tried to walk away.  He in turn grabbed me by the hair and threw me on the ground.  For a minute, I feared his intent was rape but all he did was rip the bracelet off my arm, spit on me and storm out.  Sovan found me an hour later like that.”  Her vision blurs and she swipes at her eyes with her free hand. “He had it out with Layan the next evening and their friendship was over.  He didn’t let me wallow either and even asked the commander if there was a way I could get in to an earlier class so I could get away from Layan.  Luckily, there was a summer session and she was able to get me into it.  I was in San Francisco a month later.”

“I haven’t even had a real relationship since then.  There wasn’t anyone I felt I could trust that much....until you.”  Her eyes lifted to his.

It was a lot for Harry to take in. But looking in her eyes, all he knew what how much he needed Celes in his life. He pulls her small frame into his arms, and rested her head on his chest. He tries to keep his breathing low and even and strong even as his blood boils at the thought of anyone treating her so callously and cruelly.

Feeling the tension he was obviously trying to hold back, Tal tries to control her own breathing despite the few tears that escape.  Blinking them away, she rubs a hand along his arm.  “Say what you need to, Harry.  Don’t keep it in.”

"If I ever meet him, I'll kill him."  Feeling Celes startle with surprise, Harry bends down to meet her mouth with a sweet kiss. "That is, of course, unless you would prefer to do it yourself." Another kiss seals the lighter moment, and its lingering touch restores solemnity. "Celes, I'm so sorry that you had to go through that. No one deserves that treatment, especially from someone they love. But, your past has made you stronger than you realize. You don't see it, but I do, and so does Seven, and Billy, and Captain Janeway. I love you, Celes, not just the person you want the world to see, but the person that I am so honored you let me meet."

Harry's words stun Tal.  The declarations of love, she accepts and expects, but the idea that she possesses some great inner strength is a concept that's foreign to her.  She swallows back the automatic denial and instead hugs him tightly. "Thank you," she whispers after several moments of silence.  It seems inadequate to say just that but it's all she can think of.

His arms wrapped around her, Harry breathes her in. For so long, he was convinced he'd lost his chance, and now he regrets even more that he had let her go - that he let her think that maybe he didn't care - even if they had found their way back to each other. He understood so much more now. Releasing her from his arms, he lifts her chin to look in her eyes. "Celes, there is a lot in life we have zero control over. Like what astronomical anomaly will throw us off course, or what Neelix decides to serve for lunch. But I can tell you point blank, here and now, I will never do that to you. I can also tell you," Harry was suddenly aware that dinner was several hours in the past, "that I'm starving." Harry thumbs away a stray tear from Celes' face and tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Dipping his lips to hers, he whispers, "are you hungry too?"

Tal realizes that the tension she’d been carrying in her shoulders since she’d received her letter from home has suddenly vanished.  Maybe forcing herself to face that particular boryhas of her past had been what she needed.  Leaning forward that last inch, she presses her lips to his in a quick, tender kiss, then leaned her forehead against his.  “I know you never would be so cruel.  And as to your question....”  Sneaking another quick kiss, she adds, “I wouldn’t say no to a second dessert before bed.”

"Tell you what, I'll load the file of local music I picked up and you grab some of that fruit over there." Harry stood and pulled Celes into his arms. With an easy spin, they dance across the room.

She laughs as he spins her round several times and finally has to beg him to stop when she grows dizzy. The next two hours is spent poring together over the pile of brochures while the soothing sounds of Laethean woodwinds provides a backdrop.  Eventually the soft music begins to make Tal drowsy, but she does her best not to show it for as long as possible.

He could see her eyelids getting heavy. When her head begins to droop, Harry knows what he has to do. Scooping her off the low couch, Celes' weary head came to rest on his shoulder. He places her gently on the bed and starts to go through the motions of removing her shoes and making her comfortable. When he looks back up at her, he sees her sleepy smile and can't resist crawling up her form and peppering kisses on her arm, shoulder, collarbone, and ear. "We should rest," Harry whispers.

“’kay,” Tal mumbles, lifting an arm in a clumsy gesture to tug at his sleeve, then patting beside her. “But only ‘f you do too....”

Kicking off his boots, Harry lifts his legs onto the bed and makes himself cozy against Celes' side. Winding his arm around her waist, he finds himself suddenly exhausted. "Nothing on this planet could tear me away."

[clockscountingbackwards]

Idiosyncrasies, Part 6

Away on an away mission Chakotay and Seven decide to fake date to capture the Captain’s attention. They, however, get more than they bargained for and not so unexpected emotions crop up. Takes place after Human Error. 

Masterlist

Chakotay hated being confined to his quarters. He knew that he was supposed to be resting but he’d rather being doing something, like spending time with Seven. He was looking forward to their date even if it was just to keep up appearances and not the real thing. He shook his head. He shouldn’t be thinking about things like this. He had to keep reality from fantasy. His cock and bull plan is what led him to this frustrating situation. He didn’t want to be fake dating Seven, he thought to himself for what felt like the thousandth time. He didn’t know how to talk to her, how to ask her if she really wanted to date him. He didn’t know if he could. He was afraid she might say no. He could be considered a brave man but this simple thing terrified him. He was also afraid that if they did truly date he would lose his shot with the Captain. He didn’t know who he wanted more but he didn’t know if he was capable of more than one relationship at a time or if either of them would be okay with it. He couldn’t stay in his quarters and brood. He had to go out and do something.

           He left his quarters and found his feet leading him to the Captain’s ready room. He hasn’t seen her since he arrived back from his away mission and besides he needed to give her his report.

           “Enter,” she called. “Commander aren’t you supposed to be resting?” she asked as she looked up from the pad she was reading, Seven’s report.

           “I am not very good at resting,” he explained.

           “Have a seat then.” She gestured to the spot on the couch next to her. “I’m always glad for our time together.”

           “As am I.”

           “So, report aside how was your trip?”

           “You make it sound like a vacation.” He smiled.

           “I guess I do,” she laughed. She motioned for him to answer the question.

           “It was eventful. Seven and I really connected. Well I guess we already were. We just decided to be open about it.” Chakotay didn’t realize it, Kathryn did, that he had gotten this wistful and happy look on his face when he started talking about Seven. It nearly broke Kathryn’s heart. She of course wouldn’t stand in his way but she had hoped for a second that they weren’t as connected as they seemed.

           “That sounds wonderful,” she managed to get out.

           “It is.” He paused as he examined her face. He noticed she was slightly preoccupied and he guessed that it was because of him and Seven. She seemed like she was trying to hide that she as upset. “You know we haven’t had one of our dinners in a while. We should make sure to arrange one here soon within the next few weeks.”

           “Definitely.” A smiled lit up her face.

           He grabbed her hand for a moment. “I greatly enjoy our dinners together.” He got up from his spot and left.

           Kathryn was left there stunned. The conversation seemed contradictory. He seemed very much so fallen with Seven but when he had grabbed her hand and assured her about his like for their dinners he had seem taken with her. She didn’t know what to make of it. She grabbed Seven’s report and started reading it again. She would put it to the back of her mind and let her subconscious figure it out and Seven’s report would be ample distraction.

XxXxX

Chakotay’s heart was beating fast as he left the Captain’s ready room. What was with him lately. He almost made a fool of himself to her before he left for his away mission and now he almost did it again. This time he might actually have. He didn’t know how the Captain was responding to him grabbing her hand and telling her how much he enjoyed their dinner together. It’s just when he saw her face that way. He could tell she was sad from the news that him and Seven were connected. He felt like he needed to cheer her up somehow. It was after all his plan that had led to this. He took a deep breath in the turbo life back to his quarters. Everything would work out right, he lied to himself.

XxXxX

The days passed and Chakotay and Seven fell back into the rhythm of a star ship. Seven was almost always on edge. She kept on getting impertinent questions by crew member she barely even knew about her relationship with Chakotay. A glare usually would silence them and make them remember their manners but if it didn’t she learned to filter out those questions. Chakotay of course got questions as well but not by random crew. B’Elanna damn near attacked him when she saw him again. He made sure to answer all her question to her standards or else she wouldn’t have left. The only person that didn’t ask either of them a single thing was the Captain. She kept her distance from that topic. The Doctor almost berated Seven for not telling him sooner about their relationship, after all he was one of her closest friends. She of course played her part well in explaining the situation away. After a week had passed she had gotten very good at lying and no longer felt remorse for the people she lied to. This thing they were doing had to be done right and no one could know but them that they weren’t in a real relationship.

XxXxX

Seven got dressed in her partially decorated quarters. It was the night for her and Chakotay’s date. She found that her stomach wasn’t quite feeling well. She suspected it was nerves, though it could easily be Neelix’s cooking. He would swear up and down that he prepared things properly but sometimes she doubted that. She looked at herself in her red dress again. She hoped it was appropriate. She wasn’t entirely sure it was but she wanted to make an impression. She looked at herself one more time before she allowed herself to leave her quarters. She didn’t want to be late for their date.

           As she walked the hallways to Chakotay’s quarters she felt eyes on her at all times. She felt like they were making fun of her. She kept her head held high and tried to ignore them. She chimed Chakotay’s door. He was looking properly handsome when answered it. If she had been prone to fainting fits she might have experienced one then.

           “You look gorgeous,” he said, he meant it but he was very aware of the other people in the hall at this time.

           “Thank you, and you look handsome.”

           “Shall we?” he asked as he held out his arm for her to take. She looped her arm through his and they set off down the hall. “I look forward to see what program you have created for this.”

           “It’s something special I assure you.” Seven was not entirely sure how to talk to him. They were on a date yes but it was a fake date. It didn’t mean anything.

           They fell into silence as they continued their journey to the holodeck, neither of them knowing what to say to the other.

           Chakotay glanced over to her several times, admiring her beauty. He was nothing less than stunned at how good she looked. He looked at her red lined mouth and wanted to kiss her. He couldn’t though. He had to keep some sort of line. They weren’t really dating after all.

           Seven actively did not look at Chakotay. She thought that if she did her resolve not to make a fool of herself would weaken. She could feel his eyes on her occasionally. She wanted him to speak up and most of all she wanted him to kiss her. She wanted to feel the real Chakotay’s lips pressed up against hers. She almost shivered at the thought.

           They finally arrived at the holodeck. They opened the doors and Seven was relieved to find that the Doctor had followed her instruction to the letter. He was glad to help set up the picnic while she got ready for it. In front of them was a forest path. They could hear the birds singing and feel a gentle breeze play upon their skin. They walked up to the path to a hill and a break in the trees. When they looked down they could see an entire forest spread out before them with a river cutting through it.

           “It’s perfect.” Chakotay was stunned at the level of detail put into it. He didn’t know when Seven got the time.

           “Thank you. Shall we sit?” She gestured to the blanket on the ground before them.

           “Of course.” Chakotay lowered himself to the ground and she followed suit. “What’s on the menu tonight.”

           “You’ll see,” she said as she poured him a glass of champagne. She next pulled out a plate of cheese and grapes from the basket beside her. “Here,” she held out a grape and a piece of cheese for him to eat. He took it from her fingers with his mouth. She could feel his lips close around her fingers and she felt his tongue brush up against her finger tips as she dropped the food in his mouth. She was startled by this intimacy. She quickly glanced away and hoped he didn’t notice the slight blush that graced her cheeks.

           He closed his eyes and hummed appreciation. “This is good. What cheese is that?” he wondered.

           “It’s my own special blend,” she told him.

           “How did you have time to make cheese?”

           “I didn’t. I told the replicator what to make.”

           “Even that is astonishing,” he admitted. He picked up a grape and a piece of cheese himself this time and placed it in his mouth. It didn’t taste as good as when she fed it to him. He picked up a grape and piece of cheese for her to eat. “Open your mouth.” She gave him a look before complying. He gently placed the food on her tongue and ‘accidently’ allowed his fingers to brush her lips. She fluttered her eyes closed for a moment before locking eyes with Chakotay as she savored the food her fed her. She had tasted her food before now but it hadn’t tasted this good. She made a little moan before swallowing. Chakotay wanted to hear that sound again. It had felt like eccentricity running though his veins.

A small strand of hair had gotten loose from braided crown and Chakotay brushed it back behind her ear letting his fingers linger on her neck. He pushed his fingers into her hair and gently pulled her towards him. He kissed her softly. He was about to apologize for kissing her, they weren’t really dating after all, when she kissed him. It wasn’t gentle, it was urgent and needy.

           When she broke away from him, her eyes were wide. “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have done that.” She got up and ran out of the holodeck.

           “Don’t be,” Chakotay muttered to himself. He cleaned up the picnic and told the computer to transport it to Seven’s quarters. He slowly left the holodeck admiring the detail that Seven had put into this program. He shut off the program as the holodeck door closed behind him.

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