The Far Side of the Moon

By ewige

A/N: Written for the Secret Anniversary Exchange on VAMB. My request was "Chakotay/Tuvok" and included the opening line. Many thanks to Gaile for her help with separating POVs :)


Human desires can be a complicated matter. As an anthropologist, I analyze them, but can do barely anything to contain them.

I want to close my arms around him. Thank him for the new meaning of my life and for my burning knees – the rough gravel on this forsaken moon was not his fault.

At the same time, I want to dig my fingers into his neck. Shake him out of his calmness. How can he be so calm after what has happened?

I want to scream and laugh and punch something. But I pace, and focus on the growing soreness in my body to try and uphold the code of conduct.

He sits there, watches me, and the only thing I don't want is to think about our inevitable return to Voyager…

-/\-

Human desires can be a complex matter. I observe his pacing and see his confusion, thankfulness, apprehension in the way his boots crush the gravel. I see his shame in his furtive glances towards me, towards our shuttle. It hasn't been his fault, or mine. A force of nature, mostly. It's been many years since I experienced anything so intense, but my superior physique will recuperate before the suns rise and Voyager hails.

Later, my communicator awakens with a burst of static. His eyes lock with mine for the first time this night and I see a plea in there.

We can't make out the words of the first transmission, but she sounds furious. Then the static relinquishes her voice.

"Tuvok, Chakotay, come in. What happened?"

"Tuvok here. We are fine, Captain. Just a mundane shuttle crash. Had to drag Commander "Flyboy" Chakotay out of the burning rubble, but he will live. Although he may suffer from a bad case of bruised ego for a while."