Chapter One

"Why won't he get out of my head?!" thought B'Elanna. She had been thinking about Lt. Paris constantly since the incident with that stupid vulcan Pon Farr. She had come so close to claiming Tom as her mate. In fact, she would have easily if he hadn't said no. What a disaster that would have been. They would have been the gossip on the ship for weeks! But maybe it would have been good to have release after such an intense few hours...

No. It was for the best that Tom kept her away. It was good that they had avoided that mistake, it could have ruined both her reputation on the ship and her budding friendship with Paris. She was sure they had done the right thing, and she would just have to get over this silly little crush she had on the Conn Officer. With these thoughts in her head, Torres walked from her chambers to the turbolift on the way to her shift in Engineering.

Riding the turbolift she began running through the list of tasks for the day, rearranging things in order to keep Paris occupied with other people for the day. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate their friendship, she just had to avoid him long enough to sort out her emotions and convince her body that the attraction she felt for him was only a side effect of the apparently lingering neurochemical imbalance and didn't mean anything.

The doors opened to admit another passenger and Torres looked up, too preoccupied with her thoughts to react smoothly to Paris looking back at her. She paused for a moment, not knowing what to do. Just seeing those eyes looking at her set her body on fire. She could taste his blood, smell his distinct scent, feel his lips on hers in the dark dusty cave...

Snapping out of her unwelcome reverie, she awkwardly shuffled aside to admit Tom onto the turbolift. She stared at the floor, wishing the damn thing would move faster so she could get off before he tried to talk to her.

"Deck Two" he said aloud, making the turbolift buzz into action. Just his voice sent shivers down her spine. She could imagine him breathing her name, telling her he needs her as badly as she needs him...

"So... Looks like you're feeling better." he said sarcastically. She smirked and chuckled, forcing herself to not get angry with him for turning the whole situation into a joke. Because that's probably what he thought anyways. That everything that happened on that planet was all a big joke.

"You back on duty?" He asked. "Yes... Yes I'm... fine. Thanks." she replied unconvincingly. He smiled mischievously, either out of awkwardness or his amusement at the discomfort that was obvious in her words. She hated when he did that. He would read her like a book and poke fun at how she was feeling. It was infuriating. And yet, it made her a little excited that someone could push her buttons so expertly.

After another second of uncomfortable silence she said "The refit is going well. We should have new warp coils by the end of the week." He made some non-committal positive responses and stood there again in silence, looking around.

When she heard him say "Computer, halt turbolift" her eyes flashed for a second. Anger at being held up on her way to her post, annoyance that he would keep her here when she obviously wanted to be elsewhere, and a little excitement at the thought of them being alone together, even for completely innocent reasons.

Turning to her he said "Look, this is ridiculous. We're going to be together on this ship for a long time." B'Elanna felt her heart quicken, worrying that she would have to confront her feelings sooner than she expected. She quickly cut him off with "You're right, we have to pretend like the whole mission didn't happen." That's what she had been trying to convince herself for the last three days anyways.

"But something DID happen B'Elanna." he said. This was going too far she had to stop him from thinking like that. From thinking that her inability to control her hormones meant anything. "Look, Tom, I really appreciate what you did. What you were willing to do for me. But as far as I'm concerned I was under the influence of some weird vulcan chemical imbalance and whatever I did, whatever I said... it wasn't me" She had to believe that. That's what happened. She couldn't let him read into anything.

"Yeah, I know" he replied. "You're afraid that your... big scary Klingon side might have been showing." His voice was husky and his look pierced her. She couldn't look away from those bright blue eyes, that knowing look. "Well I saw it up close. And you know, it wasn't so terrible." Her heart jumped at those words. She had always kept her klingon tendencies repressed. Except her anger, of course. But the sexual side... how could he think that wasn't repulsive and terrible? "In fact, I wouldn't mind seeing it again some day."

Her mouth went dry. She was speechless. His eyes searched hers for something, she didn't know what. She just stood there, balking, until she had to break his gaze. That look that made her melt, set her on fire. Embarrassed, she turned away, surely he had to know how she felt at the moment, how her body was screaming at her to touch him. With a small sigh he said "Computer, resume."

As the turbolift began moving again she decided she couldn't let him win. He couldn't cow her like a hormonal teenager with a crush. She had to have the last word. As she walked out of the now stationary lift she said playfully, without looking back "Careful what you wish for, Lieutenant."