Title:  What scares you?
Author:  Cheryl Forbes
Fandom:  Star Trek:  Voyager
Pairing:  Chakotay/Tom Paris
Rating:  NC 17
Series:  2 of 2
Email for feedback:  forbesc@skyia.com
Disclaimer:  Voyager and her crew belong to Paramount and not me.
Whatever.

Summary:  Chakotay's attempts to practice some alternate therapy on
the bridge crew in a haunted house.
 

Despite the long dress, she'd moved pretty fast.

Tom had resigned himself to exploring the mansion with the captain,
but she had surprised him by quickly slipping past Chakotay, and
taking Seven's arm.  In a flash the unlikely couple exited one of the
three sets of doors, leaving him alone with the first officer.
B'Elanna and Harry had already claimed each other and had departed
moments before.  The commander shuffled nervously beside him making
it patently obvious he was not pleased with what was left over.  The
rejection was galling.

"Look Commander, I promise I won't bite."

The first officer's eyebrows went up as he caught the irritated
inflection.  "I'm aware of that Lieutenant.  What happened earlier
was natural reaction to fear.  It was instinctual and didn't mean
anything."  He replied deadpan.

The resurfacing of the impassionate therapist pissed Tom off further
and his mouth ran away with his brain.  "Are you sure?  I don't know
about you but I was `reacting' all over the place and it had nothing
to do with being afraid."  Tom placed his hand on the commander's
chest.  He could feel the man's smoldering heat through the silk of
his shirt.  It belied his cold demeanor.  "Were you afraid Commander?"

"Thunderstorms don't scare me."  He replied defensively.

"How about tall blonds?  Male ones I mean."  He added to
differentiate himself from Seven.  He was going out on a limb here
but he'd already gone too far.  If he was going to get hurt, he'd
might as well let it all out and do it right.

"Tom."  Chakotay grabbed his hand as a few errant fingers slipped
between the buttons of his black silk shirt.  "I like you but I'm not
interested in you or any other man romantically."

"Then how's about sexually?"  Tom purred as he wound his fingers into
Chakotay's.

"Same thing."

Tom paused a moment as he realized the first officer equated love
with sex.  It was a concept that Tom didn't usually ascribe to, but
one he found suddenly appealing.

"Making love instead of fucking.  OK, I can do that."

"I wasn't asking you to."  His commanding officer replied in a husky
whisper.

"Why not?  There isn't anything you can do to a woman that you can't
do to me."  Tom purred as he kissed the tips of Chakotay's fingers.

"That's not the point.  I'm not," Chakotay cleared his throat and
took back his hand.  "I'm not attracted to you Tom."

"Kiss me and prove it."

"I will not."

"Fine then I'll kiss you."

Taking the initiative Tom leaned into his commanding officer and
rubbed the side of his nose against his.  Chakotay's dark eyes went
wide as he moved in a slow circular motion but he didn't pull back.
Emboldened by the lack of resistance, Tom tipped his chin up and
lightly sucked Chakotay's full bottom lip.  When he felt the
commander's mouth close down on his, he tilted his head and traced
his gums with his tongue.  Somebody moaned, it could have been him,
as the teasing blossomed into a passionate opened mouthed kiss.

For someone who was not supposed to be attracted to men, the first
officer had a lot of enthusiasm.  Tom felt broad hands slide down his
back to cup his butt possessively and a not unsubstantial erection
press into his hip.  He mimicked the caress on his reluctant lover
and turned his pelvis so their swollen crotches met.  There was
another moan and this time Tom knew it emanated from Chakotay.  He
could feel its vibration as the commander plundered his mouth.

Fears of rejection and pity flew from Tom's mind as the man of his
wet dreams dry humped him.  The only problem was that they were
engaging in some serious foreplay with nowhere to finish it.  The
first officer had programmed this Victorian fantasy for some purpose
and Tom was pretty sure from his earlier protests it wasn't to get
him into bed.  He pulled back.  Chakotay's big glossy eyes stared at
him with confusion.

"Let's get out here."

The big man nodded and called out.  "Computer arch!"

Nothing happened.  Chakotay hit his comm badge.  "Chakotay to
Tuvok."  Again nothing.  Tom tried his own badge and garnered the
same results.  Apparently the security officer felt it wasn't time to
leave.

The first officer pulled away from him and straightened his
clothing.  Concern marred his handsome features.

"Something's wrong isn't it?  You shouldn't be locked out should you?"

"No."  Chakotay replied gravely.

"Maybe it's a computer glitch."

"Or maybe somebody's trying to tell me to get back on track."  He
said more to himself than Tom.  "I shouldn't have let you distract
me.  It was unprofessional."

"Yeah I know, that's kinda what I liked about it."

Before they reentered their previous argument, the last set of doors
creaked opened.

"I think that's for us Lieutenant.  Let's go."

The use of his rank made Tom wince but he understood the back
peddling.  Chakotay had just gotten caught with his hand in the
cookie jar and was feeling guilty and embarrassed.  He doubted that
it wasn't very often that the big man felt that way and was
attempting to correct his behavior by hiding back into professional
personae.  And that was fine enough with Tom for now however he
wasn't going to let him go all the way back in.  As the commander
passed him, Tom grabbed his hand.

"OK I'm ready."

********

Oh spirits was he going have a lot of explaining to do when this
disastrous evening was over.

By locking him out of his own program and triggering the door, Tuvok
made it very apparent he was not pleased with his conduct and who
could blame him?  The point of this evening was to help the command
crew therapeutically blow off steam and not for him to explore his
sexuality.  That, he could think about on his own time, however with
Tom Paris holding his hand as they traversed this seemingly endless
hallway it was extremely difficult.

To say he'd been unprepared for the onslaught of feelings as the
pilot kissed him would be an understatement.  The moment Tom had
placed his face close to his, he had been overwhelmed with an
uncommon desire.  All his senses had become instantly heightened and
he had wanted nothing more than to lose himself in the younger man.
His duty and his mission had become unimportant and he had been
prepared to abandon them.  Only Tuvok's usurping of his authority had
prevented that.

"Where are we going Chak?"

Chak?  For seven years Tom had called him nothing but Commander,
Chakotay or both together but never something so personal.  However,
the new name sounded right and he liked it.

"To the dining room.  If we find that and have dinner it should end
the program."

The pilot pulled up beside him until their shoulders touched as they
walked.  "I'm not really hungry for food.  Can't we skip that part
and find a bed.  You did program bedrooms to go along with the house
didn't you?"

"Me?"  He stopped in shock.

"Yeah you."  Tom smiled slyly and pushed him back into the wall.  "I
know you're the mysterious `Friend' and believe you me I was pretty
excited about that, well at least I was until I found out I wasn't
the only one invited for dinner."  He kissed his cheek and whispered
softly.  "You know I was really crushed."

"You, you were?"  Chakotay stammered.  The pilot's statement was
telling.  It meant he'd been thinking about this, about him, awhile.
How could have he not noticed that?

"Oh yeah for a moment I almost thought you were ready to deal with me
as a real person and not a case file."

Well that answered that question.  He had used his status as
councilor to keep the blond a bay.  Why he didn't know.  Maybe
because he was of afraid that something like what was happening as
they spoke would happen and for the first time he would have to
analyze his own feelings.  Looking into the depths of one's own soul
was infinitely scarier than looking into the souls of others.

"I'm sorry Tom that was wrong of me."  He apologized into the pilot's
fluttering kisses.

"It's OK."  Tom's hands began roaming up and down his body and
messing with his mind.  "Oh screw the bed, take me right here Chak."
He breathed heavily.

Fear struck Chakotay.  He wanted the pilot in the worst way but he
was loathed to let Tom see his inexperience.  He wanted be a
confident strong lover for the younger man and not a fumbling virgin.

A long low howl rang down the dimly lit hallway and gave him a
reprieve.

Tom jumped in his arms. "What the fuck was that?"

"I don't know."  Chakotay peered around Tom into the shadows.

"What the hell do you mean you don't know?  Didn't you program that?"

"Tom this program hasn't been mine since the moment we left the
library."

"So you don't know what's going to happen?  Oh fuck."

"Don't worry, I'm sure Tuvok's left the holo safeties on.   Nothing
here can hurt you."

"No but it can sure scare the hell out of me and that `it' sounded
like an awfully big dog.  I'm a cat person Chak, I don't like dogs."

"It wasn't a dog Tom, it was a wolf."

"And that's supposed to make me feel better?"

The howl came again and Tom hid his face in his shoulder.  Suddenly
Chakotay felt strong again as the young man's fear superceded his
own.  He petted his golden hair and stroked his long firm back in
consolation.  The good feeling began to translate into desire.

"Come on, babe. Let's go."  He coaxed before he got too excited to
move.  Now more than ever it was imperative to end this program so he
could truly be alone with the trembling man in his arms.

Tom lifted his head.  The flames from the candles placed sparingly
along the paneled walls of the hallway sparkled like stars in his
incredibly blue eyes.  Spirits, he was more exquisite than any woman
he had ever held.

"Did you just call me babe?"  The cry of the wolf came again but this
time Tom didn't notice.  Chakotay marveled how the one word could
banish his fears.

"Yes my beautiful lieutenant."

"And beautiful?"  Tom smiled brightly increasing his
loveliness.  "Damn Chak but when you let go you really let go."

"Well that was the point of this whole evening only originally I
hadn't included myself in my plans."

Tom laughed.  "You called us all here to analyze us didn't you?  I
can't believe I didn't guess that.  Well the truth is I didn't really
try too hard.  I just wanted to be here because you were going to
be.  I guess you know by now I sort of have a crush on you."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Have you ever been with a man Chak?  I mean really, really been with
a man all the way?"

Chakotay hesitated long enough for Tom to glean the answer.

"I didn't think so."  Tom swallowed hard.  "I didn't plan on ever
telling you."

"Because you were afraid of being rejected."

"Bingo. But here I am telling you anyway."

"Because I kissed you."  Now it was Chakotay's turn to laugh.  "All
these years I've been asking you questions to try to understand you
and I had to do was shut up and touch you.  I'm an idiot."

The younger man leaned against him and cooed.  "Yeah but one that
makes my balls tight and my cock weep.  You're so hot I can't make up
my mind whether I want to fuck you or be fucked by you."

A tinge of his previous apprehension resurfaced.

"Tom about that.  I don't know how, I mean I've never you know done
that."  Chakotay couldn't believe that after thirty years of being
sexually active he had trouble actually saying the word sex.

"Do you want to?"

"Yes."

"Then it doesn't matter.  I'll teach you."  Tom looked down the
darkened hallway and then back at him.  "Or at least I will just as
soon as we get out this bloody maze, wolves not withstanding."

"Werewolves most likely."  He corrected.

"What?  Man you must have really pissed Tuvok off to deserve this.
What did you do?  Make fun of his ears or something?"

Chakotay smiled. "No, I kissed you."

"Well god help us from jealous Vulcans."  Tom said loudly in jest
catching on that the security officer was probably listening.

Laughing at his future lover's joke he fearlessly took his hand and
proceeded on down the hallway.

********

Lions and tigers and werewolves, oh my.

After finding that all but one of the large oak doors were locked
they had exited through the last one on to narrow landing that ended
in a long winding staircase.  It didn't matter that the library where
the this whacked out program had started had already been on the
first floor, this was the holodeck and anything was possible.  Hand
in hand they walked to the top of the staircase and surveyed the new
ground floor.

"It looks like it was the maid's day off."  Tom said to his
companion, his voice echoing off the walls breaking the tomb like
silence.

Leaves, dead branches and dirt covered the marbled floor of the
foyer.  Wooden torches burned in sconces on either side of what
looked to be the front doors of the mansion and in sculpted iron
candelabras stationed along the walls, glowed tapers creating a nice
homey atmosphere if you were a ghost or a werewolf.

"You know I think I saw this in a movie once.  Two hapless lovers get
a flat tire and then end up in this really spooky house looking for a
telephone."

"What's a telephone?"  Chakotay asked.

Tom rolled his eyes.  "A comm unit."

"Oh."  Gods this man was gorgeous when he didn't know it all.

"Anyway they end up being chased by some crazy with an axe."

"Do they get away?"

"Yeah the girl does."

"So I guess were fucked."  Chakotay replied with a smirk.

"Yeah pretty much."  Tom smiled back.

"Right then, you first."

"Me?  You're the nature boy.  Aren't Indians supposed to have some
affinity with wolves?"

"Wrong tribe.  Besides we've switched from werewolves to maniacs with
sharp objects and unlike you, I don't know the first thing about
those."

"You're a bastard, you know."

"Yes but one that makes your balls tight and your cock weep if I
remember correctly."  Chakotay said with a drop dead sexy grin.

If they weren't in the middle of Tuvok's nightmare, Tom would be
having fun.  Now that they had gotten past their fears about each
other, they had fallen into an easy banter that Tom found pleasantly
surprising.  After seven years of lusting after Voyager's resident
bronze god's body he had discovered that the commander had a dry wit
that meshed well with his own off beat sense of humour.

"You got me there big guy.  How's about we go together?"

"I like the sound of that."

Together they went down the staircase.  When they reached the bottom,
organ music started to play from behind a set of double wooden doors
to the left of the main entrance.  The haunting dirge brought goose
bumps to Tom's arms.

"Phantom of the opera."  He whispered to Chakotay.

"Does he carry an axe?"

"No, but he does do this nasty thing with chandeliers."

"Then let's try the other doors."

"Fine by me."

Moving to the right they approached a set of doors covered with
cobwebs and dust.  Chakotay brushed away the white filaments from the
handle then pushed the doors open.  Standing side by side on the
threshold, they inspected the room.

Like the other chambers they had visited this one had candles and a
roaring fire in the hearth but that were the similarities ended.
This was not a common room but a private one.  In the centre of the
inviting expanse was a large four-poster bed.

"This isn't the dining room."  Chakotay said stating the obvious.

"No but it does have its appeal."

"Tuvok created this.  It's a test."

"Maybe, but one I won't mind failing.  You game?"  Tom traced a
finger down the big man's chest, did a circle around his belly
button, feathered downward over a bulge that had potential and then
gently cupped his balls with the full of his hand.  Chakotay moaned
and tilted his pelvis up into his touch.

"Spirits Tom it's hard to say no when you ask like that."   The
commander grabbed his hand by the wrist and rubbed it over his
groin.  "But I think you should know that there will be two sets of
eyes watching.  Tuvok's and the doctor's."

"Kinky." He replied.  Like he cared.  Watching Chakotay pleasure
himself with his hand was beyond erotic and Tom didn't give a targ's
ass if the whole ship watched them fuck.  It wouldn't be the first
time he had an audience.

"What about the werewolves, axe murders and phantoms?"  Chakotay
gasped as he moved his hand faster.

"They'll have to wait their turn."  Oh hell the man was starting to
glow.  A fine sheen of sweat had formed on his brow over his tattoo
and in the vee of his shirt.  "You're mine first."

He would have added always but he didn't want to freak the older man
out.  Tom didn't want to push his luck by telling Chakotay he thought
he was falling in love with him.  Shit, it was freaking him out and
he was the one doing the falling.  No it was better to fuck first and
confess later.  That way if the commander bolted, he would at least
have the sex to remember.  It wasn't exactly kosher but hell, was it
his fault the man was so damn loveable?

Telling himself it wasn't, Tom led Chakotay to the bed.

********

Is reality or is this just fantasy?

In a room and a bed not of his making, he was lying naked with Tom
Paris next to him.  Not in a million years did he ever picture
himself here but now that he was, there wasn't a any other place he'd
rather be.  The beautiful blond who was kissing his way down his
body, did things to him nobody ever had.

Was it because it was he was a man?  No, he didn't think so.  If
that's all it was, Chakotay would have done this years ago.  Tom
wasn't the first male to show an interest in him, so there had been
opportunities.  No, it was more than just sex, much more.  Was it
love?  Oh spirits, he hoped not but suspected it very well might be.

Not four hours ago, he'd been quite comfortable with his life.  He
had his work, a best friend in the form of his captain and the
occasional liaison to satisfy his sexual needs.  Everything was
ordered and had its place.  He didn't feel too deeply and he didn't
get hurt.  The only mystery or imbalance in his life had been the
cocky pilot who flew Voyager.

In pursuit of that mystery he had found a man with very deep feelings
whose emotions were unlocked not with a word but a touch.  Raw
honesty and desire that held no gender or sex had flowed from the
heart he had opened and Chakotay had never seen anything so
beautiful.  It had affected him to his core and reshaped him.  Now
that same beauty was rocking and upsetting his world further.  He
cried out his pleasure as a hot mouth engulfed his cock.

"Oh babe!"

This must be the heaven the spirits spoke of.  He reached down and
tangled his fingers into to soft short locks at his groin.  Grasping
for purchase he lifted his pelvis up into the hot moist heat but firm
hands on his hips refused to let him move.  Sharp teeth, tight lips
and a swirling tongue worked him mercilessly whisking away the pre-
come he was certain was leaking freely from the head of his penis.
At the brink of orgasm the sweet suffering stopped and a warm body
climbed up his.

"You liked that."  Tom said into his ear between nibbles.

"Yes."

"Do you want to come inside me Chakotay?  Would you like that too?"
His lover whispered as his hand teased a nipple on his chest.

"Yes, oh yes."  He gasped his voice trembling in tandem with his
body.

"Good because I want you to.  I want, no I need to feel your dick
ramming into my ass.  Understand that you can't hurt me, so don't be
afraid to let go.  No matter how hard you thrust, it will feel
wonderful to me.  OK?"

"I understand.  Just tell me what to do, where to move."

"Take the oil that our new host has thoughtfully provided from the
beside table, spread it over yourself and then kneel behind me."  Tom
said clearly and succinctly as he positioned himself on his hands and
knees.

Rolling over to the side of the bed, he retrieved a small green vial
and in his nervousness poured the entirety of its contents over his
bursting member.  Tom saw his blunder and laughed softly.

"That's OK love, your cock's so huge I probably won't mind the extra
lubrication."  His kind smile and playful tone eased his worries.

"You know I'm usually better at this."  He countered feeling more
relaxed.

"I bet.  Now get over here and show me what you can do."

"Aye, aye my beautiful lieutenant."  He answered and then placed
himself behind Tom.

Clinically as a student of psychology, he was aware of the basic
principles of human anatomy.  As willing as Tom was, his rectum would
need some preparation before he entered.  Otherwise he risked hurting
him and that was the last thing he wanted to do.  So gathering some
of the oil that dripped from his turgid penis on to his hands, he
slipped a digit into his lover's tight opening.  The perfectly formed
globes of Tom's ass flexed at his intrusion.  The glorious sight of
the pale white flesh responding to his touch prompted him to insert
another finger.  Using his free hand he stroked himself in time with
his probing fingers.

"Now love, oh god please do it now!"

It hadn't escaped his notice that for the second time Tom had called
him yet another name, although this one was more of a promise than a
endearment.  Silently accepting the vow and its consequences he took
his cock in hand and eased himself into his beloved.

After the head of his penis popped through the stubborn outer ring,
he sunk effortlessly into the tight sleeve.  The fit felt so right it
was like coming home.  The velvet warmth welcomed him and then took
him in.  A long awaited passion Chakotay didn't know existed called
to his own and be began to pump frantically.  When his new found
madness caused Tom to scream in ecstasy, he lost what little control
he had left.  As his seed spurted deep into his lover he gave himself
over.  No matter what happened after tonight, Tom Paris now owned his
mortal soul.

Wrung and spent Chakotay with drew his softening penis and fell to
his side on the bed.  Beside him Tom, his body literally shining had
collapsed on his stomach.  He ran the back of his hand along his
lover's temple.  Tom turned his head at the gentle caress and brought
his arms up underneath his pillow.  A lazy smile formed on his
beautiful face.

"I think I'm in love you Commander."

"Are you?"

Tom rolled his pretty blue eyes.  "OK not the response I was shooting
for but yeah, totally ass over teakettle and head over heels."

"Good."

The younger man wiped his face into his pillow and laughed.  "Again
not the response I wanted."

"What do you want to hear Tom Paris?"

"Oh I don't know, how's about something like you make my life
complete, I'd die without you or just simply I love you too."

"OK then."  Chakotay pushed away the damp strands of hair away from
the euphoric man's beaming face.  "Until you kissed me I didn't know
my life lacked anything.  You breathed passion into my life and now I
doubt I could survive without it.  Does that mean I love you?  Yes I
supposed it does but it's not simple.  What I feel for you is more
complicated than that.  I don't really know how to put it into words."

Tom kissed his cheek tenderly and then pulled back with a lopsided
grin.  "You did OK."

"Thank you babe.  Now I don't know about you but I've had enough of
the doctor and Tuvok staring at my bare ass."

"The dining room."  Tom said with firm resolution.

"The dining room."  He agreed.

********

"Well the good news is we're out of the house."  Tom called over his
shoulder as he stood on the threshold of the bedroom.

Chakotay finished cleaning up at the porcelain basin and walked over
to him.  "Spirits!"

"You can say that again."  Tom replied with a shudder.

Once again with the help of photonics the rules of reality had been
changed.  The marble foyer was gone and now before them was cemetery
lit by the gloom of a full moon.  A rolling fog twisted between the
monuments and the markers.

"Well at least it isn't raining."  Said the older man from over his
shoulder.  Chakotay kissed his neck and then took his hand.  "Shall
we?"

"You want to go out there?  If anywhere, I'm sure that's were the
werewolf would be hanging out."  As if to help make his point, a long
mournful cry reverberated through the blacken trees of the
graveyard.  "Oh thank you very much!"  Tom shouted out into the
semidarkness.

"Come on babe.  I'll protect you from the big bad wolf."  Tom could
see his lover was trying not to laugh.

"Oh very funny.  I'm scared shitless and you're making jokes."

Chakotay sobered.  "Seriously Tom, I'll do anything I can to keep you
safe but I don't think we had much choice here.  There isn't any
other place to go.  The dining room has to be on the other side of
this burial ground."

"All right fine, but I'd feel much safer if you had a silver bullet
or something."

His lover's smile returned. "No, but I do have a mean right hook,
good enough?"

"Yeah, I suppose."  He conceded.

That settled they headed out into the city of the silent following a
stone path that was intermittently visible through the ground fog.
Under their feet gravel crunched and above their heads, dead leaves
rustled in the trees blending together in an eerie tune.  Music for
the dead, Tom thought giving himself the willies.

Even with Chakotay's larger than life presence at his side, Tom
expected all manner of ghoulish apparitions to spring from behind the
overgrown gravestones.  He knew it was foolish.  Hell, normally he
even liked this kind of thing.  Horror movies were a large part of
his vid collection but shit, this wasn't a movie, but the real
thing.  OK, OK so holograms were exactly real but when they touched
you, they sure as hell came close.

"This is nice."  Chakotay said beside him.

"Nice?  What colour is the sky in your universe Chak?"

"No, I mean it.  In my culture, burial sites are a place of peace.
The spirits of our ancestors are not feared nor are their resting
places."  His face took on a dreamy expression.  "This reminds me of
home in a way."

"Yeah well where I come from spirits haunt houses and bring the
meaning of Christmas and not in a `nice' way."

Chakotay stopped and gave him a serene smile.  "Well my beautiful
lieutenant, it appears I have something I can teach you."  And then
leaning forward he kissed him.

As the kiss deepened, Tom fears were whisked away like magic.  His
own personal mystic warrior was here and nothing could harm him.
Sliding his palm down the front of his protector's shirt, Tom slipped
his hand into the big man's pants to find his spear.  The expected
moan was drowned out by the cry of the werewolf.  He removed his hand
quickly and clung to the older man.

"Remember Tom it's a only hologram."  Chakotay soothed.

"Did it sound closer to you?  It sounded closer to me."

The cry came again and it did definitely sound nearer.  Chakotay
twisted his head and peered into the shadows.

"Maybe we should get moving babe."  The tightness in his voice
chilled Tom to the bone.

In a headlong rush they ran down the path, jumping stray dead
branches and avoiding the odd mysterious hole.  As they ran, Tom
heard the loping gait of something large and undoubtedly lupine
behind them.  Not daring to look back he increased his speed, his
companion keeping pace beside him.

Chakotay's hand shot out.  "Tom look!"

Up ahead was the glow of candlelight emanating from full-length
windows similar to the ones in the library.

"The dining room!"  He called back to Chakotay.

Winded and tired they pulled up the last of their energy reserve for
one final sprint towards the sanctuary of the house.  When they
reached the doors, momentum sent them crashing into the glass panes.

"Shit!"  Tom exclaimed as his upturned arms hit the window.  "Quick
Chak, open it!"

The older man fumbled a few moments with the ornate handle but it
refused to budge.

"Oh please Chak, tell me its not locked!"

"No I think," A loud squeak squealed under his hand.  "Got it!"

In a flash the tall Victorian doors swung open and just as quickly
the two men followed their inward swing.  Pivoting the each
shouldered a panel and sealed the entrance.  Heaving and panting they
leaned against the doors and then flipped the clasp on the lock,
their fingers touching as it clicked in place.  Feeling safe, Tom
peered outside seeing nothing and then back at Chakotay seeing
everything.

He smiled and caressed his partner's hand gently with his
fingers.  "Why do I have the feeling we've been here before?"

Chakotay grinned back.  "Because we have, only last time I wasn't
smart enough to this."   Grabbing him by the nape the commander
pulled him in for kiss.  Tom moved away from the window and fell into
his lover and hero.  As the contact deepened and became more heated,
the scraping of chair legs along a hardwood floor broke their
euphoria.

"It's about damn time!" Came a feminine voice behind them.

********

Reluctantly tearing himself away from Tom's sweet lips, Chakotay
turned.

"Captain?"  He blurted in surprise.

Chakotay stepped pass his beautifully sweating lover to face his
captain.  "Sorry we're late but we had a little trouble finding the
dining room."

"Screw the dining room.  I'm talking about the two of you.  It's
about damn time you've come to your senses.   Maybe finally we can
get through one alpha shift without all that sexual tension getting
in the way."

"Excuse me?"

"You don't really think the counseling was the doctor's idea do you?"

As he stood in front of his smirking senior officer and friend, the
pieces began to fall into place.

From the start it hadn't made sense that Tuvok would take it upon
himself to lock him out but at the time it had been his only
explanation.  When he thought it about it now that werewolves weren't
chasing him and Tom, he saw that the Vulcan didn't have the
inspiration or imagination to alter his program.  Only Kathryn had
balls enough for that.

"This session was for me all along wasn't it?"

"I did say you needed a good fuck Commander."  Chakotay heard Tom
gasp behind him. "You've been so up tight lately, it's effected the
entire command staff's performance."

"You let me set up this dinner hoping I'd end up with Tom?"

"Actually I thought you'd take the safer route and end up with Seven
but I was pulling for the lieutenant.  I'm glad you weren't afraid to
make the right choice."

He held out his hand for Tom.  "Come here babe."  After moment's
hesitation, his beautiful young lieutenant came forward and twisted
his fingers into his.  He kissed the long slender digits and then
focused back on Kathryn.

"I made the right choice and together, we'll never be afraid again."

THE END