Title:   The Kiss
Author:  Leone
Series:  Voyager
Part:    1/11
Rating:  [PG]
Codes:   C/P
Archive: Sure
Feedback: tarrashenna@yahoo.com

Summray: A kiss and it's aftermath.

* * *

The Kiss
By Leone

* * *

The kiss had been an accident.

They were on an away mission, just the two of them. They were
gathering food on an uninhabited planet, while Voyager was
being repaired. They'd had to take a shuttle because of
atmospheric disturbances.

The planet was beautiful. Tom had been slightly distracted, so
he didn't see where he was going as he walked over to talk to the
Commander. That was why he stumbled when he reached him,
falling into the other man. Chakotay caught him and had taken a
step back to prevent them from falling to the ground. The
Commander supported the younger man until he'd regained his
balance.

When Tom straightened, his lips had brushed over the
Commander's. Both men stiffened and pulled apart to look at
each other. They'd both been surprised at the impact of that brief
contact. Then the Commander turned around and walked away
without a word.

Now, several hours later, Tom sat outside the shuttle, watching
the lake nearby and thinking about the kiss. He'd felt a spark of
electricity when his lips brushed the Commander's and arousal
had kicked him in the stomach, swift and shockingly strong. The
Commander apparently hadn't noticed, thank the gods. It was
bad enough that he'd accidentally kissed the man. He didn't want
to think about what would have happened if the Commander had
discovered how that kiss had affected him.

Not that Tom had been surprised by his reaction. Hell, just the
sound of the Commander's voice was enough to arouse him.
Tom could usually control his physical attraction to the
Commander when they were on duty. He just had to concentrate
on something else. Like flying Voyager. It was a lot harder to
control when he was off duty, or alone with the man. Like now.

Tom cursed silently. How the hell he was going to keep control
over his attraction towards the handsome First Officer for the
three days they were going to stay on this planet, he didn't know.
He cursed again. It was going to be damn near impossible.

*****

Chakotay stood between the trees by the lake, thinking about the
kiss. He knew that it had been an accident. But he couldn't seem
to forget the feeling of Tom's lips brushing against his own. Or
the heat of Tom's body under his hands where they'd flown to
steady the younger man as he stumbled. It had taken all of
Chakotay's self control not to deepen the kiss. Even the brief
contact with Tom's lips had been electrical.

Chakotay groaned when his body reacted to the memory of that
kiss. Spirits, he had it bad. He'd had to turn away from Tom,
otherwise he'd have done what they both wanted and made love
to the man. He'd seen the arousal in Tom's eyes before he turned
away.

Chakotay cursed audibly. It was apparent that Tom was as
attracted to him as he was to Tom, but a relationship between
them would be a bad idea. He was the First Officer. He couldn't
have a relationship with a member of the crew, especially a
member of the bridge crew. No matter how much he wanted to.

Chakotay sighed. He very much wanted to have a relationship
with Tom Paris, but since he couldn't, he might as well stop
thinking about it and get back to work. Chakotay sighed again,
then turned and headed back to the shuttle.

*****

Tom looked up when he heard Chakotay approach. He'd
managed to get his emotions and his body under control while
the older man was gone, and now he rose calmly as his XO
returned.

"We better get back to work. It'll be dark in a few hours,"
Chakotay said.

Tom nodded wordlessly and the two men began to gather food.
A few hours later they'd finished and were sitting at the fire
they'd made outside the shuttle. Both were quiet, lost in their
own thoughts, until Chakotay got up. "I'll turn in. Don't stay up
too long. We'll start early tomorrow. I'll wake you at 0600," he
said as he moved to the shuttle.

Tom looked up. "All right. Good night, Commander," he said
quietly.

"Good night, Lieutenant," Chakotay said and entered the shuttle.

Tom watched his Commander enter the shuttle and sighed
quietly. He knew that he wasn't going to get much sleep tonight.
It was gonna be hell with the Commander so close. *Hmm.
Maybe I should just sleep out here,* Tom thought. *Gotta be
easier if we're not in the same room.* With that in mind, Tom
went into the shuttle and grabbed a blanket. When he turned to
go outside again he was stopped by the Commander, who asked,
"What are you doing?"

Tom looked over at the Commander, who was lying on the only
bed in the shuttle. "I move around in my sleep a lot, so I'm
gonna sleep outside. I don't want to disturb you."

Chakotay looked at Tom. "You wouldn't disturb me. I sleep like
the dead."

Tom sighed quietly. "Yeah, well. I've also been told that I talk in
my sleep," he said smoothly.

Chakotay lifted an eyebrow, clearly amused. "I see. You don't
want me to hear any secrets."

*You don't know how right you are,* Tom thought, but all he
said was, "That's right. I prefer to keep my secrets to myself.
Good night, Commander."

Chakotay laughed quietly. "Good night, Lieutenant."

Tom walked out and lay down beside the fire. Soon he was fast
asleep.

TBC