Title:  Matchmaker, Matchmaker P4
Author:  Cheryl Forbes
Fandom:  Star Trek:  Voyager
Pairing:  Chakotay/Tom Paris
Rating:  NC 17
Series:  4 of ?
Email for feedback:  forbesc@skyia.com
Disclaimer:  Voyager and her crew belong to Paramount and not me.
Whatever.

Summary:  A stretch of turbulent space interferes with Tom's plan of
sexual retaliation.

"Is there anything else?"

Oh I hope to god not, Kathryn thought as she scanned her officer's
disgruntled faces around the conference table.  They were all edgy
and this meeting had turned out to be more of a bitch session than
anything else.  Damn she'd be happy when they got out of this armpit
of a region of space.

For the last five days they'd been navigating a system that would
have rivaled the Badlands.  Plasma storms and rogue asteroids
littered the area necessitating the crew do double shifts to keep the
ship functional.  Everyone was working one rotation at their usual
station and spending one other in another area.  For instance, after
Chakotay, she called upon his expertise to fly the Gamma shift; Paris
and Baytart navigated them through this treacherous region they would
proceed to engineering, sickbay or where ever help was needed.

It was a trying time for all of them and it was responsible for her
senior staff's less than pleasant demeanor this morning.  Personally
she couldn't blame them.  She herself had been feeling a little
grumpy but that had more to do with not having the time to see
B'Elanna than the extra workload.  She would have attributed the same
excuse to her officers but except for her fiery engineer she didn't
think any of them were involved romantically at this point.

"Captain I have something to report or perhaps it would be more
correct to say announce."

"Please tell me it's good news Tuvok."  She said in exasperation.

"It is."  The Vulcan sat very straight in his chair and stared
straight ahead at nobody.  "T'Pel and I have decided to take a Sa-
telsu.   The ceremony will be private but there will be a reception
on the holodeck after we clear this region of space in three days."

"What's a Sa-telsu?"  It was Tom Paris that had broached the question.

"A husband Mr Paris."  Tuvok replied dispassionately.

"You're getting married?"

"Yes a third will join our bonding.  It is not an uncommon practice
among our people when two bondmates are separated by great distance
or long periods of time."

"Well I guess all I can say to that is congratulations and ask who
the lucky man is."

"Mr Neelix."  The security officer replied looking directly at the
pilot for the first time.

Kathryn watched as Tom sat quietly for a few moments obviously
thinking of something sufficiently sarcastic to say.  When he did
come up with something it surprised her.

"He's perfect for you Tuvok."  He said with a bright smile on his
face.  "I'm sure you'll all be very happy."

Well will wonders ever cease?  His recent actions regarding herself
and B'Elanna aside, Tom Paris, Voyager's resident naysayer of all
things romantic these last few months, was actually advocating a
happy union.  And when she looked to her left at her first officer,
she saw she wasn't the only he gotten a reaction out of.

Chakotay was staring openly at the lieutenant with his dark eyes wide
and an expression wonder on his handsome face.  She quickly looked
back at the pilot who was regarding the first officer with something
akin to triumph or was it defiance?  She wasn't sure.

Tearing herself away from the mysterious drama being played out
before her she added her congratulations to Tom's and dismissed the
meeting.  After the room had emptied, she wandered over to the view
port to review the meeting in her mind.

It seemed there was more going on with her staff than she'd thought.
Tuvok was marrying Neelix and something was definitely brewing
between her first officer and chief pilot. Given the time she would
have liked to call Chakotay into her ready room to find out exactly
what was in his head but unfortunately she was needed in
astrometrics.  Her curiosity would have to wait a few more days until
they all had more time.

Tuvok's party would be the perfect venue to discover the secret
behind the first officer's reaction to the new Mr Paris and what, if
anything, he had to do with it.  Leaving the conference room, she
speculated on the pilot's change of attitude.  She smiled as she made
her way to the turbo lift.  Was Chakotay sleeping with the younger
man?  Oh that would be too wicked.

In the state she was in, her mind was open to all kinds of wild
romantic possibilities and she liked it.

********

"You'll be alright on your own?"

"Yes Doc, I have done this before."

"If an emergency comes in, you'll call me?"

"Yes, yes now go.  The shift change is only going to last thirty
minutes and that doesn't give you and Seven much time to do," Tom
waved his hand through the air.  "Whatever."

"I do appreciate you giving up your break Mr Paris and.-"

"No problem. I had to be here eventually anyway, now go!"

With a nod the overly grateful hologram left him alone in Sickbay to
recalibrate the delicate instruments laid out before him on the bio-
bed.  Tom hadn't even touched the first dermal regenerator when his
mind started to wander.

What he'd said to the Doc was true.  Giving up his free time shifts
wasn't a hardship.  What with Harry brushing him off every day for
the last week, he really didn't have anything better to do.  OK, now
that wasn't true.

If he'd had balls enough, he could spend his breaks in the
commander's office.  Chakotay had asked him but in a fit of cowardice
he had turned him down.  Thirty minutes wasn't long enough for
anything but conversation and Tom was afraid of what he might say or
ask for.  Ask?  Shit, plead for was more like it.

He wouldn't quite say having Chakotay fuck him was a religious
experience but it had been damn fucking close.  Even though the
bastard had taken him coldly, nobody had ever touched him with such
tender warmth and shattered with emotion, he had reacted with fury.
It had easier than accepting what had happened.  At the time Tom
hadn't understood his anger but he did now.

It hadn't been those few cruel moments that had hurt Tom that night.
It was the fact that the commander had lied and not simply fucked
him.  Chakotay had gone against his wishes and made love to him.   It
was that betrayal that had caused him to yell out his vengeance as he
left his supposedly cold hearted lover's quarters.  It had taken him
a day to realize that truth and another to understand that it too was
a lie.  The revelation had come to him at the moment he admitted to
himself that he truly loved Chakotay.

He had been toying with the idea one night while trying to catch some
sleep between shifts.  Lying in bed, he had tested the words on his
lips and surprisingly found them easy to say.  I love you Chakotay
had made more sense than I hate you Chakotay.  It made things
clearer, simpler and had lead Tom into believing that the commander
had not betrayed him intentionally.

A person can't turn off such a strong emotion upon request.
Especially when the individual in question was as honest and sincere
as the first officer.   While Tom found it easy to lie to himself at
times, Chakotay's straightforward nature had refused to allow it at
all.  So although the commander had tried to fuck him because it was
what Tom thought he wanted, his true feelings had seeped through and
he had turned the act of sex into one of love.  In essence what that
meant was that the big guy simply couldn't help himself.  So how
could Tom be mad at him for that?  He wasn't.  Tom had now gone
beyond anger into fear.

Telling his bedroom ceiling he loved Chakotay was a hell of a lot
different then telling the man himself.  Rejection wasn't a factor
but insanity was.   His heart was so full of love that he was afraid
what would happen when he released it and gave over to its rightful
owner.

Who would he be then?  Would he be the stronger or the weaker for
it?  All the stories said it would make his life beautiful but
stories were works of fiction, right?  Would he get a happily ever
after?  Did he deserve one?

In the mist of his self-torture, Tom heard the doors to Sickbay swish
open.

"I thought I told you to go!"  He called over his shoulder and began
to work on the medical devices on the bed in earnest.

"But I just got here."  Came a sultry reply close to his ear.

Tom spun on his heels and came face to face with the man of the
hour.  "Aren't you supposed to be in your office?"

The commander smiled and leaned his hips into Tom's, pinning him to
the bio-bed.  Already he could feel the makings of a hard on forming
at the big man's closeness.

"I missed you Poocuh."  The commander tipped his head forward and
kissed his mouth lightly.  "Did you miss me?"

"Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes, I did?"

Tom knew what the man plastered to his chest was fishing for but if
he said it now, it would be followed by a very personal declaration
and Sickbay just wasn't the place for it.

"You're not going to say it are you?"  The disappointment in those
dark sexy eyes cut Tom to his soul.

"I want to."  He offered in recompense, bringing his hands up on
either side of Chakotay's face and pleading softly.  "And I will, but
please, don't make me do it here."

The pain in his ebony eyes receded and was replaced with joy.
Nodding once, Chakotay smiled and curled his arms under Tom's
shoulders placing his hands on his nape.  With his broad palms now on
either side of his head, the commander tilted his face and scissored
his full dark lips over Tom's.  Lips and tongues met slowly, greeting
each other with adoration and passion.  It was their first real kiss.

What had happened in the locker room had been nothing but furtive
biting and sucking compared to this slow deep exploration of each
other's mouths.  Then, they had only wanted each other but now, it
was different.  It wasn't lust that fueled their kiss this time but
love.

Tom wrapped his arms around Chakotay's waist bringing him closer and
trying to drink in more of the sweet emotion. When the commander's
hips began to rock into him, he lowered his hands and cupped his
ass.   Shifting his pelvis, Tom began to drive his erection into his
lover's groin.  Chakotay moaned into his mouth and pushed back.  A
familiar tingle in his balls informed Tom that in a few more seconds
he was going to come.

"It's not that bad Tem.-holy shit!"

Oh not now Harry.  Not fucking now!  Tom tried to fight back his
orgasm but it had other ideas.  Trembling and shaking in Chakotay's
strong arms, it erupted with full force, filling his shorts with warm
semen and wetting the front of his pants.  If not for the commander's
weight against his body, he would have fallen to the ground.

"Are you OK?"  His savior from certain embarrassment, whispered in
his ear.  Tom replied softly in the affirmative to his lover's
concerned gaze.

"Oh shit Tom, I'm sorry."

He peeped up over Chakotay's broad shoulder and growled.  "Screw
sorry! You'd better be fucking dying Harry!"

"Ensign Kim cut his hand trying to realign a power conduit."  Gerron
Tem answered for his appalled best friend.

Tom squeezed his eyes shut.  Oh great, it was a fucking party.

"Would both you gentlemen mind waiting in the doctor's office.  Tom
will see to your wound momentarily Harry."

"Yes sir."  Came the twinned reply.

When he heard footfalls leave the main area, he chanced a look up at
Chakotay.  Incredibly the big man was smiling.  No he was smirking.

"What's so bloody funny Commander?"  He said with irritation.

"You are Poocuh."  Tom jabbed him in the ribs to show he didn't share
his sense of humour.  Chakotay sobered quickly and leveled a serious
gaze at him. "It's all right.  I was blocking their view so they
didn't see anything."

"Oh no except for me humping you like a dog in heat.  No not much at
all."

"They'll forget by tomorrow."

"Oh that's easy for you to say.  You didn't come in your pants in
front of audience."

"In a few more moments, I would have."  He kissed the tip of his nose
lightly.  "Would it help if I ordered them to forget Poocuh?"

"No it wouldn't."  Tom noted the commander's barely concealed
smile.  "You're enjoying this."

"A little."  He admitted.  "I like having you tremble at my touch for
all to see.  It's a pride thing I guess."

"Oh fuck you're an over the top, top."

"Yes and I'm yours, so get used to it.  Now why do you pop into the
head and clean up before Ensign Kim bleeds to death?"

"Will you be here when I get back?"

"No.  I have a million reports to read and a duty schedule to go
over."  Chakotay looked down at himself, back up at Tom and smiled.
His pants were slightly damp from touching his.  "And I have stop by
my quarters for a fresh uniform."

"I'll miss you."  Tom offered with all his previous irritation gone.

Chakotay kissed him again tenderly but this time on the mouth.  "I'll
miss you too Poocuh."

And with one last flash of killer dimples, he left.

********

Eight hours.

Not four liked he hoped, thanks to Kathryn's insistence that they
should work through their lunch, but eight terminally long hours
until he would see his Poocuh again.

Chakotay brought up the current duty roster on his screen and sunk
lower into his chair and his depression.  When he did finally get
some time with Tom it would be during another shift change.  They
would have only thirty minutes together before he would have to
relieve Baytart at the helm.  Tom would be entering his down cycle
but still that only left the pilot a short time to eat and get some
much-needed sleep.  He sighed heavily and rubbed his aching groin.

Since leaving the pilot, his cock hadn't returned to its natural
flaccid state.  It wasn't raging like it had been in Sickbay, but it
was hard enough to remind him that it hadn't gotten what it wanted.

Despite Tom's embarrassment at coming in front of Harry and Tem, the
pilot had been the lucky one.  At least he didn't have to spend the
rest of the day shifting in his chair like his shorts were made of
Terrelian wool.  Chakotay supposed he could relieve his discomfort
with one quick trip to the bathroom but decided to save his desire
for his lover.  His release would be so much sweeter then.

Tapping his console, he brought up Voyager's schematics.  Red areas
showed where the constant barrage of asteroids had damaged the ship
and blue dots represented repair crews.  With the exception of the
shuttle bay, there weren't many areas left on the normally pristine
image that didn't show some form of activity.  It would be a
challenge to find a secluded place to meet up with Tom.

Cabins were out because they afforded more privacy than they had time
for.  If they were that alone, Tom would feel comfortable enough to
call him by name and when it happened, Chakotay would want hours not
minutes with him.  No, he needed a spot where they could be alone but
would preclude talking.  A dangerous place to quickly satiate their
mutual need was all he required for the moment.

Now that he had seen the look of love in his Poocuh's crystal blue
eyes, Chakotay could wait a few more days to hear it.

Pulling his hand from his lap where it had strayed during his search,
he magnified a section of the screen and found what he was looking
for.  It was perfect.

Seven point five hours and counting. . .
 

********

"So where's your boyfriend?"

Harry placed his lunch tray on the table and sat down across from Tom.

"Still working and he's not my boyfriend."  Harry said truthfully.

What had happened between him and Tem the night they had left the
concert together was something beyond the regular boyfriend kind of
stuff he had experienced with Libby.  It had been more serious and
grown up than that.

"Oh come on Harry.  You weren't that hurt you needed Gerron's help
getting to Sickbay."  Tom teased.

"Maybe not and speaking of Sickbay, where's your boyfriend."

"In his office eating lunch with the captain."

"So you admit you and Chakotay are lovers!"

"Ah I think it would be a little hard for me to deny it now Harry."

He had a point there.  Harry had almost blown a relay when he walked
in on his best friend and commander banging each other against the
bio-bed and that hadn't even been the worst part.  Seeing Tom have an
orgasm in Chakotay's arms made him shudder.  Oh man, he just knew he
was going have nightmares about that.

"You two weren't you know." He stuttered on feeling a little bit of a
heel for even asking. "Doing it while we were dating were you?"

"No and speaking of doing it, how long have you and Gerron been
lovers?"

Tom thankfully hadn't been offended by his question so now it was his
turn to come clean.  He kind of owed him for that and for the round
about way he'd gotten him and Tem together.

"We've only had a chance do it once."  Harry tensed and waited for
the inevitable crude remark that he knew would follow.

"Us too."  Tom replied forlornly totally out of character.  "This
region of space sucks."

"Yeah."

"Yeah."  A dangerous gleam started to shine through the gloom in the
pilot's eyes. "So Harry, did you top or bottom?"

"What?"

"Did you stick your dick up his ass or was it the other way around."
The wicked blond said trying to shock him.

The loveable scoundrel that was Lieutenant Thomas Paris was back and
Harry was glad.  He'd missed him.

"Ah, the other."

"Me too and he was fantastic, fan fucking tastic to be exact."

"So was Tem."

"Really Harry?  That's great."  Tom bit at his bottom lip.  "So do
you love him?"

Oh this was different.  Tom Paris was talking about love.  Harry
couldn't even remember a time when the pilot had used the word in
sentence that also didn't contain other words like sucks or bullshit.

"I don't know.  Can it happen that fast?"

"Oh yeah but sometimes it takes a day or two to settle and make
sense."

The pilot was talking from experience, he was sure.  He looked over
at his friend who had stopped speaking and was sitting quietly
studying his hands in thought.  OK so maybe it wasn't the same old
Tom that had come back.  This guy was softer and kinder than the one
he'd met seven years ago but that suited Harry fine.

He could get used to a world where jokes weren't made at his expense
and he didn't have to watch everything thing he said for fear of
sounding naive.

Harry decided liked this world where Tom loved Chakotay.

********

"What the hell are we doing here?"

"Shut up and strip."

"Oh no I didn't come here for the Neanderthal act again."

"Please Poocuh, so I can touch you."

"You do realize that just two metres below us, people are working?
Shit, I think I can even hear B'Elanna."

"Yes and you if you talk any louder she'll hear you and investigate.
Now are you going to get naked or not?"

"You're nuts."

"Would it help if I went first?  Hold this."

"What is it?"

"Supplies."

"What kind of.oh.  It is sandalwood?"

"No it's odourless."

"Oh shit you look good."

"Thank you, it's your turn.  I'll take the bag."

"I'm cold."

"Come here and I'll warm you."

"Oh fuck you do that just looking at me that way."

"Right back at you Paris.  Now turn around and lean against the wall
with your feet apart.  Hurry, I've only got twenty minutes left of my
break."

"Well aren't you the fucking romantic."

"I can be when I have the time."

"Ohhh, that feels good."

"Hush baby."

"Oh great, the man has two fingers up my butt and he wants me to be
quiet."

"And that's all you'll get if you don't shut up."

"Ohhh yeaah.I'm convinced.  Oh god, tell me that's not your finger."

"Ahh, it's, it's, ahh, ahh.-"

Tired of conversation, Chakotay wrapped his hand over the pilot's
loose lips and pushed his cock deeper into his tight ass.  To stifle
his own cries from the ears of the crew working on Engineering's
lower level, he bit into Tom's pale shoulder.  In reaction to the
small pain at his nape the pilot beat a fist into the panel over his
head.  Chakotay dearly hoped that he wouldn't damage anything that
would cause B'Elanna to investigate the small access alcove.  While
the danger of being discovered was exhilarating, being caught would
not.

Releasing both Tom's mouth and shoulder, he pulled at the pilot's
slim hips and seated him further on to his hungry dick.  After eight
long hours he needed this so badly, he was unable to wait for his
lover move back on his own accord.  The blinking lights of the panel
glowed across Tom's inclined back in a quasi rainbow.  He watched
them shimmer in between thrusts.

"Oh yes, Chakotay yes.oh yes." Tom whispered breathlessly.

Oh spirits he said it and as the precious words touched his soul, his
body reached its limit and letting go, he gave both over to his
beloved.

Shaking and shivering in overlapping orgasms they collapsed to the
hard decking.  In the semi darkness of the tucked away refuge,
Chakotay held Tom in his arms trying to shield his slimmer body from
the cool conditioned air of Engineering.

"Chakotay, Chakotay, Chakotay."  The pilot mouthed softly into his
chest.

"I know Poocuh, I love you too."

Over bright eyes looked up him.   "This has been fun but," A matching
smiled formed.  "My ass is freezing off.  Can we go now?"

Chakotay laughed softly. "Yes, I think my time's up anyway."

"Good, now how the hell do we get out of here?"

"The same way we came in."

"The Jeffries tube?"

"Yes, up and out."

"My legs are killing me.  I'll never make it."

"You will and if you can't, I'll carry you."

"Oh fuck, now wouldn't that make a pretty picture."

"Get used to it Paris."

"I have Chakotay, believe me I have."

He smiled at the pilot's use of his name again.  It was one border
crossed and when he had more time, he'd help the emotionally
apprehensive man get over the next.

Sometime in the next thirty-six hours Chakotay intended to hear Tom
Paris 'say' he loved him.

TBC