"So, are you going to the movie tonight?" Chakotay asked Kathryn.
She looked up at him and smiled briefly, "I was thinking about it, but I don't know. The title doesn't sound very appealing for a movie to go see on Valentines Day. He's just not that into you, honestly? That sounds like the exact opposite of a romantic movie, and besides, who would I go with? Isn't it a couples only viewing tonight?" She looked back down at the padd she had been reading while eating her breakfast.
Chakotay sat down in the chair across from her. He had decided to corner her in the mess hall this morning to ask her to go to the movie that Tom was putting on tonight. He was playing dirty, asking her where people would hear, and then expect her to be there.
"Well, you could always go with me," she looked up at him sharply, "as friends, of course. And I hear that this movie is actually decent. I looked it up on the data base earlier this week before I gave Tom the go-ahead for tonight's plans. It's actually quiet romantic from what I gathered from the summery."
Kathryn looked as though she was weighing the consequences of going to the movie with him tonight, her eyes staring blankly over his right shoulder.
"Okay," she said slowly, meeting his eyes, "I'll go."
"Great. I'll pick you up at 1900 hours. No uniform tonight." Chakotay bounded out of the Mess Hall before she got the chance to rethink her decision.
~/~
Kathryn had been a little nervous about going on her friendly date with Chakotay all day. Despite that, she was surprisingly comfortable about the fact that she was going to see a movie tonight with Chakotay. Entering her quarters at 1700 hours after a long day on the Bridge, she immediately went into her bedroom and started her bath. She came back out while her tub was filling to recycle an old mug and get a nice warm cup of coffee when she noticed a bouquet of tulips and a small bottle of wine on her dinning table. She found a card in the flowers and had to read it twice to make sure she had read correctly.
Dearest Kathryn,
I don't know if you realize how much I value your friendship. It's one of the most important experiences in my life, and I hope that it never ends.
Your good friend,
Chakotay.
He had to be the sweetest man that she ever knew. Always thinking of ways to make her feel loved and appreciated without making her feel uncomfortable. With a smile gracing her features, she went to go take a bath with a glass of wine and her tulips.
Kathryn hadn't been feeling to well for the past few weeks, feeling as though she was slipping into a blue funk. It was a quiet part of space, thankfully, but the crews' tension had been running higher than normal due to the lack of activity. Hence Tom and Neelix's brilliant plan to raise crew spirit, bringing back Valentines Day. For Kathryn, she had never really enjoyed Valentines Day, even when she had someone special to share it with. It usually brought her back to the fact that she had lost one fiancé, now two, and was nearly forty two. They were depressing figures when one thought about them. And then there was Chakotay. She was destined to have unrequited love for him, and never a hope of reciprocation. After all, they were Good Friends.
Half an hour later, she got out, and with her tulips, went to go choose something to wear. After going through about ten outfits, she decided on the soft blue dress she had worn on her last day on New Earth. Funny, how after three years, she still associated that dress with that one specific memory, even though she had worn it countless of times before and after that.
With her tulips positioned in the crook of her arm, she went into the bathroom again to do her hair and make up. She pulled half of her short hair back into a loose clip, and touched up on her make up before she deemed herself ready to go out on her and Chakotay's little 'date'.
Kathryn placed her tulips on the coffee table and settled her feet up next to them to wait for Chakotay. She still had ten minutes to waste, and decided to continue reading a book that she had been trying to read for the past few weeks.
She was so engrossed in the book, that she barely heard the door chime and didn't respond to it until it rang a second time.
"Enter," she called distractedly, as she finished the paragraph.
"Well, you clean up nicely," Chakotay said. She could here the teasing grin in his voice without having to look up at him.
"Why thank you," she tore her eyes off of the page to look him up and down, "you don't look so bad yourself," she grinned at him warmly.
"So, what has you so enthralled that you barely heard your chime?" he asked, sitting closely beside her and turning the book towards him to see what she was reading. He was mere inches away from her face. She could feel his soft breath warm against her cheek as he red the title.
"'The Count of Monte Cristo'? I've never even heard of that," he said.
"It's old," Kathryn said shyly, putting it aside and standing, "well, shouldn't we get going? I wouldn't want to be late for the movie," truth be told, she just didn't want him sitting so close to her, he was causing stomach to cartwheels in her body. It stumped Kathryn that after move than five years, he still had this effect on her.
"All right," he said, standing and holding out his elbow for her, "shall we go?"
Kathryn placed her hand in the crook of his elbow and they walked to the holodeck. It felt completely natural, them being this close, and showing her affection for him so openly. She didn't know how he felt; being that he was the one to suggest that they go as friends. She hoped it would turn into something deeper, but didn't think that it was possible. The time for their romance was over, and like his card said earlier, she was just a good friend. Speaking of the card she still hadn't thanked him for the flowers and wine.
"Chakotay," she said, looking up at him, "Thank you for the flowers and wine that you left in my quarters today."
"Your welcome. I figured you might want to get a little alcohol in your system before going and seeing this movie. Just a guess," he smiled down at her, a twinkle of humor in his eye.
"Well, it just so happens that I was planning on some tequila earlier today, but seeing as there was wine in my quarters when I got there, I figured I'd just drink that," Kathryn said straight faced.
"I'm glad I sent you that wine then. Wouldn't want you to be too terribly tipsy in front of the crew, especially Tom Paris," with that, they started to giggle incessantly, which lasted through getting into the holodeck.
"Hello Captain! Chakotay!" Tom said when he saw them walk in, "I didn't realize that you two would be coming tonight, I hope you enjoy the movie," he walked away quickly, greeting another couple that walked in behind Kathryn and Chakotay.
"So, should we get a snack before going in?" Chakotay asked Kathryn.
"Sure. Let's get the whole 'going to the movies' experience," they walked up to the concession stands, and decided to get a large soda and popcorn. Neither one said a thing about only getting one soda, knowing that they would have to share. They had done more personal things together on away missions, after all.
"Where do you want to sit?" Kathryn asked Chakotay when they entered the theatre.
"The back looks pretty empty, and there are seats in the middle so that we can get a good view," he suggested.
"Sounds good to me. Lead the way," much to her surprise, he grabbed her hand, led her up the stairs and down the very last row where he decided that they should sit. It was a perfect view of the movie and the rest of the crew that was there. And, she noticed, they weren't in anyone's direct view.
They sat together in comfortable silence, watching the previews. As the lights dimmed down, signaling that the movie was about to start, Chakotay leaned over.
"No falling asleep on me Kathryn, even if the movie is boring," Chakotay told her seriously. She knew he was joking.
"Of course not, but that goes for you as well," she shot back, taking a sip of their soda, smiling at him out of the corner of her eye. They sat and watched the movie in friendly silence.
The contents of the movie were great. It was wonderful written, very realistic, and very romantic. It made her want to laugh, cry, and hold someone's hand all at the same time. Over all, she truly loved the movie. It also made her think about how little romance has changed over the past few hundred years. All the rules laid out in the movie also applied to real life. And slowly, she realized that she was the rule. A perfect example of it, and all because of the man sitting by her side, watching the movie with her. Kathryn leaned towards him, and whispered.
"I am the rule," she kept her eyes riveted to the last scene, watching happily as Gigi opens the door and it's Alex wait on her doorstep.
"No, you're not," Chakotay whispered back to her.
"Yes, I am. He's not interested, therefore I'm alone. End of story, I'm not an exception. I don't have a Neil for my Beth, I'm just a Gigi who can't find the right guy," she continued to look up at the screen, feeling Chakotay's burning gaze bore into the side of her face.
"Kathryn," he turned her face to look at him, "you are not the rule. I promise and I'm sorry for making you feel as though you are. I'll make sure to fix that," he held her eyes for a moment, and then started to lean in to kiss her.
She closed her eyes, and felt a tingle rush through her body when his lips pressed lightly on the corner of her mouth, then slowly making their way to kiss her full on. With Kathryn's emotional state as of late, her nearing depression and the joy of being here with him, caused tears to slip silently out of her eyes.
"What's wrong?" Chakotay asked. He had noticed the tears. He noticed most things about her. When ever she styled her hair differently, he said something. If she was late to bridge duty, he would pull her aside and ask if anything was wrong. Maybe she was the exception.
"Life has been dragging me down lately, and here you are trying to pull me back up," Kathryn whispered slowly as the credits rolled down the screen.
"I'm not just trying to, I will pull you back up," he promised, hugging her close to him, "let's go home Kathryn," he pulled her up beside him, and they walked down the stairs together and out of theatre. Tom intercepted them there.
"How did you guys like the movie?" he asked excitedly, seeing that they seemed comfortable together, holding hands.
"It was really good Tom," Kathryn said with a smile.
"I agree Paris, good pick," Chakotay added.
"I'm glad, well, I'll see you two later," Tom rushed off to go find Harry and B'Ellana to tell him what he had just seen.
Chakotay and Kathryn walked hand in hand back to her quarters, feeling totally natural around each other.
"Chakotay, why have we waited so long for this?" Kathryn finally asked as she keyed her code into her door.
"I don't know, but I'm glad we finally decided to," he said, following her into her quarters.
"Me too," she turned to look at him, "so, what do we do next?"
"Well, we could simply kiss goodnight and I'd leave and go to my quarters to sleep alone, and you'd stay here and sleep alone too," he started.
"Nope, don't like that option. Next?"
"I could kiss you goodnight, hold you as we slept, and then kiss you good morning," he put his hands on her hips, pulling her closer.
"Chakotay, I've waited for five years to finally get into your arms, and all you want…"
She was cut off by his mouth, discovering the third option of how their night could end, or simply extend till the morning and the rest of their lives.