Christmasing with You

by Vestal Virgin

It's the first Christmas since Voyager's return. Meeting by chance outside a bookstore on Christmas Eve, Janeway and Chakotay realize they are both missing the crew and the yearly celebration, as well as each other. A one-shot bit of J/C fluff for the holiday.

DISCLAIMER: Star Trek: Voyager belongs to Paramount/CBS. This story and any errors are mine.

A/N: A special thank you to KJaneway115 for the beta. As usual, I keep fiddling and rewriting after she's done, so any errors and oddities are mine alone.

Chakotay wandered down a San Francisco sidewalk in the cool night air and sighed again. Christmas Eve. He had never acknowledged the holiday until his time on Voyager, and he found himself missing the yearly celebration and the excitement of the crew. Recently returned to Earth, he felt like there was no point in decorating, exchanging gifts, or celebrating being alone.

A bookstore window caught his eye and he stopped in front of it. Prominently displayed was the Doctor's children's book, Yuletide on a Starship. The picture of Voyager ringed with red and green lights, and a grinning Neelix holding an armful of brightly wrapped gifts made Chakotay's breath catch in his throat and his heart drop to his stomach. He put his hand on the window and stared at the book cover as memories washed over him.

"Chakotay?"

An unmistakable voice pulled him back to the present and he turned to her with a forced smile and eyes full of sadness. "Kathryn! What are you doing here?"

She studied his expression and decided it matched what she was feeling. She held up an armful of bags. "Just doing a little shopping."

"I thought you'd be in Indiana by now."

She shook her head as her eyes fell. "I'm not going until tomorrow. What are you doing?"

He tilted his head toward the store window. "Reminiscing, I guess."

She moved beside him and noticed the Doctor's book. "Oh." He watched her blink rapidly a few times and heard her voice crack when she remarked, "She looks good, doesn't she?" He knew Kathryn was talking about the ship lit up with Christmas lights.

"Yeah, she does." They stared through the window together for a moment, until Chakotay focused on her reflection and noted the bags in her hand again.

"Here, let me help you with those." He was surprised and pleased when she let him take them from her. "Where were you headed?"

She turned to him and shrugged. "Nowhere, really. I finished my shopping a while ago. Where were you going?"

"Nowhere in particular. I've just been walking." He took in the sag of her shoulders that mirrored his own. "We're a sight, aren't we? Surrounded by holiday cheer and we both look like we'd rather be running battle drills."

She smiled softly. "I guess we do." She crossed her arms and rubbed her hands over her sweater sleeves.

"Are you cold?"

"It seems like I'm always cold since we stepped off the ship. I got far too used to the controlled environment. My body doesn't know what to do in natural weather anymore."

"I know what you mean. I'm either freezing or too hot, and I swear sometimes it's both at once."

She watched him tug at his ear with his free hand as his eyes stared over her shoulder. The corner of her mouth curled upward. "Just say it, Chakotay."

"Say what?"

"Whatever it is you're not sure you should say. You're pulling your ear." He chuckled and looked down at the sidewalk embarrassed. "Don't worry. If I were wearing a combadge, I'd probably be fiddling with it."

He looked back up at her and his dimples showed. "Well, I had an idea, but only if you're game."

"It has to be better than aimlessly wandering the streets."

"True. I managed to rescue the last bottle of Antarian Cider from the ship. What do you say to going back to my house, building a fire, and breaking out the cider?"

"Misery loves company?"

"Something like that."

She slipped her hand under his arm. "That sounds nice. Do you mind if we go in the store first? I'd like to get a copy of the Doctor's book and find something to read to take with me."

"Sure. I wouldn't mind looking around, too." The door slid open and Chakotay waited for her to walk through before following her. Kathryn went to the book display while he approached the clerk at the counter.

"May I leave these things here while we shop?"

The young woman looked up from a PADD and her eyes widened in recognition. "Of course, Commander." She took the shopping bags from him. "They'll be here whenever you're ready to leave."

Chakotay knit his brow. "I hope we aren't going to cause a problem if others recognize us. We've learned from experience that the crowds can get a bit eager."

She smiled and glanced around the store. "Right now you're my only customers. We're never very busy and most people have finished their shopping for the night. You should be safe for a while." She pointed toward the far back corner of the store. "There's a reading nook sort of hidden back there. You're welcome to use it while you make your selections. Our more popular sections are in the front of the store, so hardly anyone goes back there."

"Thank you. We won't be too long."

He walked over to Kathryn and found her thumbing through the PADD of Yuletide on a Starship. "You know," he said, "Doc would probably give you a copy if you ask."

She turned to him and flashed a half-smile. "Yes, probably. But this way, if I don't like it I can tell him I haven't read it yet."

He laughed. "Kathryn! You would lie to him about his book?"

"Not exactly. Consider it a delaying tactic until I can devise an appropriate diplomatic response." She didn't look the least bit chagrined.

"You are a devious woman, Captain."

Her grin widened. "Have you ever doubted it?"

He laughed again and pointed behind her. "I'm going to browse around. The clerk said there's a reading nook in the back corner. Come find me when you're ready."

Fifteen minutes later, Kathryn peered down the aisle and spotted Chakotay lounging in an oversized chair, one ankle propped on his other knee and a large book open in his lap. She watched him for a minute as he read. When had she stopped noticing how incredibly handsome he was and how kind his eyes were? Her gaze traced the tattoo above his brow and continued down his jaw. His face was fuller than the day she met him, and a few more lines and creases added character. Of course, the same could be said about her. Seven hard years in the Delta Quadrant had taken its toll on both of them, but he was still a very attractive man.

She chided herself for her train of thought and strolled toward him, an internal gasp sounding through her mind when he looked up and smiled at her.

"Are you finished looking or just passing through?" he asked. His innocent question called up a world of meaning for her.

"I hope I'm finished looking," she answered hesitantly. He registered her tone, but before he could say anything she asked, "What are you reading?"

"A book of holo-images from around Earth. I was looking at some of the places I'd like to visit again." He scooted over in the large chair and patted the empty space. She laid her selections on the side table and squeezed in beside him, the close proximity to him making her the warmest she had been since leaving Voyager. She rubbed her arms.

He slid his arm behind her, tucked her into his side, and clasped her shoulder with his large hand. "Still cold?"

She chuckled. "I didn't realize it until I sat down with you. You're like a heater."

He grinned and slid the book over so that it lay across both of their laps. He turned the pages back until he stopped on a picture of a desert sunset colored in orange, red, and purple streaking across scrubland as far as the eye could see. "I think the first place I would like see again is Arizona. I enjoyed the time I spent there."

"It's beautiful," she said softly. "I've never been there."

"Well, what do you say? One more shore leave together?"

"We do have a couple of months of leave to kill, don't we? The desert might be a welcome sight after snowy Indiana."

"It will get cold at night, but no snow where we would go. I'll leave you in charge of the environmental controls wherever we stay. You can make it as hot as you want."

"You present a strong case, Commander."

"Keeping my captain happy is my number one priority." He hugged her to him briefly and then continued to turn the pages.

The clerk walked by on her way to the back room of the store and stopped when she saw the couple in the chair. "I'm going to get a fresh cup of coffee. Would you like some? I just made it about half an hour ago."

Chakotay chuckled to himself. During an interview after their return, one of the crew had let slip the captain's coffee habit. The information became an instantly beloved quirk of the legendary Captain Janeway everywhere she went. He seriously doubted she had paid for coffee since that little tidbit became public.

Kathryn smiled. "I would love some. Black, please."

Chakotay asked, "We aren't keeping you from going home, are we?"

"Oh, no sir," the clerk answered. "I don't close up for a while yet."

"In that case, I'll take a cup as well. Cream and two sugars, please."

Kathryn made a face at him. "I never did convert you to black coffee, did I?"

"I admit I did drink it black on rare occasions, but I prefer things light and sweet in the evening." He waggled his eyebrows at her and Kathryn blushed as she laughed. The clerk grinned and went into the back room to get the coffee.

Chakotay flipped the page to an image of a dense forest. "This is the Central American rainforest where my father took me as a teenager."

Kathryn studied the thick foliage and draping vines that seemed to cover everything. "I can't believe you hiked through that. I've seen some rough terrain in my time, but that looks brutal."

"We were on trails most of the time, but we did have to hack our way through in several places."

"Hack?"

"With a machete. We used good old-fashioned metal tools, not laser cutters."

She pulled one foot up onto the seat and rested her cheek on her bent knee as she looked at him. Her gray slacks under her face seemed to turn her eyes grayer. "I knew you grew up with limited technology, but I don't think I realized how limited."

"Keep in mind we were there in search of the Rubber Tree People. If they had heard a cutter or any kind of machinery, we never would have met them. They could stand three meters away and remain completely unseen, at least to our eyes." His expression saddened. "At the time, that trip to the middle of nowhere in search of a primitive tribe was the last place in the universe I wanted to be. I regret that now, especially after my experience with the Sky Spirits."

She laid her hand over his on her arm. "You were young and anxious to join the Academy. It was a long time ago, and you've embraced your heritage since then."

"Maybe. I shouldn't have made things so difficult for my father, though."

"Every teenager makes things difficult for their parents. It's part of growing up and deciding who you are and where you fit in the world."

"Been around a lot of youngsters, have you?" he asked with a gleam in his eye.

She tilted her head and her blue-gray eyes returned his glimmer. "No, but I was one. I remember well what I put my parents through."

"Like sneaking out of the house?"

She laughed when she remembered Tom Paris trying his best to get her to elaborate on her late night wanderings. She was saved from Chakotay following the same line of questioning when the clerk returned with their coffee and handed them their cups.

The young woman gestured to Kathryn's pile of books on the table. "Would you like me to hold these at the counter for you?"

"Yes, thank you," Kathryn answered. She took a sip of the coffee and sighed contentedly. She set her cup on the table along with Chakotay's, and then her foot slid to the floor as she leaned back into his side. He hadn't moved his arm, and she fit comfortably as she snuggled deeper into the large chair. They drank their coffee and quietly talked about the beautiful holo-images in the book and similarities to places they had visited. When they reached the last page, almost thirty minutes had passed and Kathryn's hand was resting on his thigh while his cheek was pressed against her temple.

Almost as if rising from a daze, they glanced at one another and straightened up in the chair with shy smiles. Chakotay gently squeezed her shoulder. "Are you warmer now?"

"I am, thank you."

"Are you still up for commiserating over cider?"

Her blue eyes seemed to dance over his face. "I don't have any better offers."

"Ah. So you're settling for a bad offer?"

She smirked at him. "Oh, no. I never settle, Chakotay."

His voice seemed to caress her as he said, "Good to know." He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and his fingers lingered over her cheek bone before he closed up the book and put it on the shelf beside him.

She pushed herself up out of the soft chair but lost her balance and fell back halfway across his lap. His shocked look set off a round of laughter from her, and soon he was laughing, too, as she collapsed further and he caught her in his arms.

"I'm sorry," she gasped between chuckles. "My shoe slipped on the carpet."

His grip on her tightened and he tried to keep his voice low in the bookstore. "It's okay, you just surprised me. Are you all right?"

"Yes. My pride may be a bit worse for wear, but I'm fine." She was clinging to his arm around her, and neither of them felt in any hurry to let go.

"Don't worry," he assured her. "No one else is here to witness your unseemly demise."

"There is the young lady at the front counter."

"I'm sure she can be persuaded to keep quiet. We can always threaten to insult her coffee."

"And you said I was devious!"

He pulled her closer and gazed down into her bright eyes. "Should I help you up?"

Her voice was husky, whether from laughing or something else, he couldn't tell. "I think you'll have to. I'm in a rather precarious position here."

"I've got you." He held her for a several seconds longer and then sat her up on his knee. His strong hands closed around her waist as he pushed her up and made sure she was balanced before letting go. She straightened her gray slacks and blue sweater while he stood and collected the book of Earth images.

"Are you going to buy it?" she asked.

"Yes, I'd like to keep it."

Her wistful smile told him she was glad. Even if he never opened it again, seeing it on his shelf at home would remind him of their time together in this little bookstore on a chilly Christmas Eve.

They made their purchases and collected the bags of her earlier shopping finds. Kathryn insisted on carrying her share, so he surreptitiously chose the three lightest parcels to hand her as they walked the two blocks to the public transporter station. Within minutes, they were inside his house depositing everything on the kitchen table.

Chakotay pointed to a cabinet next to the replicator. "The cider is in that cabinet and the glasses are to the right of the sink. If you'll collect those, I'll go start the fire. The guest bathroom is the first door on the left down the hall, and you're welcome to look at the rest of the house."

He returned to the den while she gathered the items from the kitchen and carried them to the lamp table by the sofa. The fire was beginning to blaze, and she wandered down the hallway to see the rest of his home, which was sparsely but tastefully decorated in light, neutral colors and warm, rich wood. A wide window in the guest bedroom looked out onto the deserted street, and bookshelves lined a small study that contained a desk and a couple of wing chairs.

Kathryn returned to the den and ascended the stairs to the second floor where she discovered a sitting area, another guest bedroom and bath, and the master suite. She glanced around his room and recognized several items that had been in his quarters on Voyager, as well as new pieces. Rich colors and patterns and heavy fabrics reflected his heritage and seemed perfect to her. She went through a set of double doors off the sitting area that led out onto a veranda with a small round table and two chairs overlooking the backyard.

As she stood gazing up at the night sky, she heard his approach behind her and felt his hand brush the small of her back. "Have you seen everything?" he asked.

"Yes, you have a lovely home, Chakotay. It suits you."

"Thank you. The fire is ready, your blanket awaits, and the cider is poured."

"You've thought of everything."

"Almost. I neglected to ask you earlier if you've eaten."

She nodded. "I stopped for a salad while I was shopping. Have you?"

"I ate before I left the house." She crossed her arms and pushed her hands under her elbows. "You're getting cold again. Let's get you back inside." He clasped her shoulders and steered her through the doors before closing them behind him. She went downstairs and kicked off her shoes before settling onto the sofa, curling her legs up beside her and pulling one end of the blanket over her lap. He handed her a glass of Antarian Cider before sitting down and pulling the other end of the cover over his legs.

The fire crackled and cast shadows around the room, and she noticed several framed holo-images on the mantle. She recognized ones of the senior staff and a photo of Miral, and smiled when she saw one of herself and Chakotay at a function in the mess hall. There was also a new one of Chakotay with his sister Sekaya that must have been taken during her visit right after their return.

"Are you spending Christmas with anyone?" Kathryn asked.

"No. B'Elanna invited me to the Paris' home, but I told her I had plans. It's Miral's first Christmas and Admiral and Mrs. Paris are still getting to know B'Elanna. I didn't think they needed me intruding on their family holiday."

He detected the sadness in her voice when she commented, "It doesn't feel the same, does it? After seven years cramped together and sharing everything on the ship, suddenly everyone is scattered. I haven't even gotten used to being in the Alpha Quadrant yet, much less celebrating a holiday without the crew."

"Is that why you're not going to Indiana until tomorrow?"

"Yes. I want to see my family, and I do love Christmas at Mom's, but I wanted time to myself tonight."

"Until I dragged you here."

She smiled at him. "No, you didn't drag me here. I'm glad I ran into you. You understand what I'm feeling. No one at home would."

He reached across and squeezed her hand. "Kathryn, your hands are freezing!"

She laughed. "I told you I've been cold."

He captured her hands between his and briskly rubbed them, then blew warm breaths over them. He looked at her and saw an amused smile that lit her eyes and softened her face. When he raised her fingers to him again, this time instead of blowing on them, he held them to his lips and kissed them.

She made no attempt to pull away, so he turned them over and kissed her palms. Lifting the blanket between them, he gently tugged at her until she crossed the sofa and settled into his side as she had in the chair at the bookstore. He tucked the blanket around her and let his arm rest behind her neck, and she pushed her hands under the edge of the cover and laid one on his thigh. Flames in the fireplace danced in front of them, and he called for the lights lowered to fifty percent.

"Chakotay?"

"Hmm?"

"Come with me tomorrow."

His heart skipped a beat or three. "You want me to go to your family's Christmas celebration?"

She turned her face to him. "Yes, I do. I know it's not a holiday you took part in before Voyager, but I think you'd enjoy it. It will just be Mom, and my sister and her family. You seemed to get along with my brother-in-law at the banquet."

"Are you asking because you want me to go, or because you don't want me to be here alone?"

She turned over on the sofa so that she was lying across his lap in his arms. She pulled his head down to her as she whispered, "I want you to go." Her lips brushed against his, tentative at first until he pulled her closer and pressed harder into their first kiss. When he eased his hold, she leaned back and asked, "Will you go?"

"Well, when you put it that way, I think I will."

She smiled and laid her head on his chest. "Good."

He pulled the cover up over her shoulders, keeping his arms underneath it, and caressed her back. The small circles she was tracing over the muscles of his chest through his sweater were giving him chills even though he was quite warm. He bent his head and breathed in the light rose scent of her hair, longing to kiss her again but not wanting to lose what he was feeling simply holding her. As complex and convoluted as their partnership had been in a command structure, it now seemed so easy to be together as man and woman.

He slid his hand up to her neck and caressed her cheek with his thumb. Just when she leaned back in his arms, the door chimed. He slipped out from under her and went to answer it as he said, "I wasn't expecting anyone."

He opened the door and greeted his visitor. "Tom, what can I do for you?"

Tom Paris pushed his way into the house. "B'Elanna sent me over here. She doesn't believe… Captain!"

Kathryn was reclining on the couch with the blanket over her legs and a glass of cider in her hand perched on her bent knees. "Merry Christmas, Tom. How are you?"

Tom stammered out a "fine, fine," as he took in the low lighting, the fire, and his captain comfortably snuggled up on Chakotay's sofa. "I'm sorry to interrupt your evening."

"Have a seat." Chakotay waved to a chair as he sat down and pulled Kathryn's legs over his lap along with the cover. From the corner of his eye, he watched her trying not to laugh. Their former helmsman seemed to be searching for the quickest escape route.

"Uh, no thanks. I should get back. Home. Soon."

Chakotay pretended to be looking over his shoulder toward the kitchen as he fought a grin. "Can you stay for a drink at least?"

Kathryn dug her heel into his thigh under the blanket and coughed a laugh into her hand.

Tom looked almost panicked. "No! Sorry, no, I need to be going."

Chakotay had gotten himself under control and turned back to Tom. "You said B'Elanna sent you over. What did she need?"

"Nothing."

"Then why did she send you here?"

Kathryn put her glass down and sat forward, the cover over them making it seem almost as if she was sitting in Chakotay's lap. "Is something wrong?" she asked in a commanding tone.

Tom blew out a breath and glanced to Chakotay. "Look, B'Elanna didn't believe you when you said you had plans for Christmas. She sent me over here to talk you into coming to our house tomorrow."

Chakotay lightly rubbed his hand over the blanket where it covered Kathryn's knees. "I really do have plans. I'm going to Indiana with Kathryn."

Tom's eyes widened even more. "Oh! Okay. Good. Well, bye." Tom was at the front door before Chakotay could extricate himself from Kathryn's legs.

She called out, "Tell everyone Merry Christmas for us, Tom."

"Yes, ma'am! You, too." He sounded like he'd just acknowledged an order for evasive maneuvers.

Chakotay closed the door behind the lieutenant and peered back at Kathryn, two seconds passing before they both dissolved in a fit of laughter. He stumbled back to the sofa where he collapsed beside her, still chuckling.

"You are so bad, Chakotay."

"You went along with it."

She laughed harder. "I don't think I've ever seen Tom that flustered."

"I can imagine him at home now trying to explain to B'Elanna what he just saw here."

They were both still grinning widely when he pulled her down on top of him and wrapped his arms over her back. "Maybe I am bad, but that was fun," he chuckled.

She held his head between her hands. "What do you think B'Elanna is going to do?"

"Oh, she'll wait until tomorrow. She'll comm to tell me Merry Christmas, and try to get me to let information slip about you and me. When that doesn't work, she'll get frustrated and outright ask what's going on."

Kathryn's fingertips trailed over the mark above his brow. "And what will you tell her?"

"That depends on what you want me to say or not say."

Her lips lowered to his and their eyes closed as he twined one hand through her hair and cradled her head. His tongue brushed along her bottom lip and she opened to him, melding taste and breath and desire together.

When she raised her head from his, she finally answered him. "You could tell her we're in a relationship."

"That does have a nice ring to it."

"I think so." She stared into his liquid brown eyes and inhaled a deep breath. "So, how are you at wrapping books?"

"I'm better at unwrapping things."

Her voice was low and sultry. "I'll bet you are."

His eyes widened. "Pardon me?"

"Oh, you actually meant that didn't you?" He watched the blush rise up through her cheeks, and then deepen when he laughed.

"I did, but apparently you didn't take it that way."

She giggled in her embarrassment, a sound he'd never heard her make before that lightened his heart. "My apologies, Commander."

"No apology necessary, my Captain," he whispered before kissing her passionately, his tongue twining with hers and tickling her palette. He massaged the curve of her back as he held her to him, and the evidence of his need pressing against her pelvis set off a shockwave of arousal through her body. She fought the urge to straddle him right there on the sofa, though she couldn't stop the whimper that escaped her.

When he eased away from her lips, his eyes had darkened to black but his smile was soft and tender. "Shall we wrap the rest of your gifts?"

"We should," she husked as she continued to play her thumbs over the hair at his temples. Finally, she pushed herself off of him and they got up to get her purchases from the bookstore.

Chakotay went to the replicator. "What kind of paper would you like?"

"Maybe something with snowmen for the boys, and something with silver for the others."

He ordered a red paper with a snowman pattern on it, and green bows for the boys' gifts. "Is blue paper with silver snowflakes okay?"

She leaned against his side with her arm around his waist and looked at the display. "Yes, that's nice. Silver ribbon, also."

They carried everything back to the den, and Chakotay tossed the blanket and pillows from the couch onto the thick rug in front of the fireplace.

He pulled off his shoes and socks, and they sat side-by-side on the floor. He smiled at her and said, "I'll wrap for your nephews. They won't mind if it's not done perfectly."

Kathryn reached for the blue paper. "I would think that with your artistic ability, you'd be good at this."

"Your theory may be sound, but I don't have much practice. Remember, I never wrapped gifts until Voyager, and then only the one I gave you each Christmas."

"I remember every gift you gave me, Chakotay. I still have them all, even the rose you brought me after I survived the alien that impersonated my father. I dried and preserved the flower in a case."

He looked surprised. "I never knew that."

She smiled shyly. "It was special to me and reminded me of sailing with you on Lake George."

"I would like to see the rose sometime." He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"The box is beside my bed in my quarters."

"Hmm. Then I would like to see it soon."

She grinned, dipped her head, and pointed to the paper. "Wrap, Commander."

"Yes, Captain," he chuckled.

They talked about the last Christmas party on Voyager and laughed when they remembered the outrageous red-and-gold outfit and green shoes that Neelix had worn. When Chakotay finished the gifts for the boys, he pushed them aside and lay on the rug in front of her with his head propped on his hand, watching her delicate fingers work the silver ribbon. She created an intricate bow for her mother's gift and fussed over it for several moments before she was finally satisfied.

"Where did you learn to make bows like that?" he asked.

"Phoebe taught me when we were teenagers. She's the artistic one in my family."

"Your paintings were very good."

Kathryn shrugged. "Painting is a stress release for me. Phoebe made a career out of it."

"That's right. You said she has a gallery in Bloomington? Maybe I could get a few of her pieces for the house."

"I'm sure she would love to show you her gallery. We'll plan to go in a few days." Kathryn glanced at him lying there with his strong jaw cradled in his hand and his other arm stretched down his side. At that moment, she realized she wanted nothing more than to be lying in those arms, pressed against him with all of their barriers gone, including clothing. She felt the familiar hum in her body that she had fought off so often when near him, and decided this time to let it overtake her.

She piled her wrapped gifts next to his and pushed everything off the rug. She sat sideways against his stomach and braced her arm over him, and his arm slid from his side to caress her back.

"I'm glad we're together tonight, Chakotay."

"So am I. I was so miserable earlier with missing everyone, especially you. Right at this moment, I think I'm the most content I have been in a very long time." He sat up and leaned on one arm, his face just inches from hers and the hand she had braced behind his back now resting on his hip. His fingers combed through her hair, and his thumb lightly caressed her neck under her ear.

"Have I ever told you how lovely you are, Kathryn?"

She smiled shyly. "Not that I recall."

"I should have." His fingers dipped under the high neckline of her sweater and over her collar bone with a chaste touch that hardened her nipples and sent tingles down her chest. Her eyes closed and her chin tilted upward in invitation. He leaned over and pressed his lips against her neck, his hand feeling the tiny chills that rose over her soft skin.

"Chakotay, there is one gift I never asked you for."

He leaned back to look at her. "What is that?"

She hesitated for a moment, her sight traveling over his broad shoulders and flexing biceps under his fitted sweater. She found his dark chocolate gaze again and felt as though she could see his soul, gentle, tender, and passionate. "Make love to me."

He laid his cheek against hers and spoke low in her ear. "I would gladly have shared that with you if you had asked, even though I understood all too well the reasons that we couldn't."

"And now? Do you still want me?"

His hand found hers on his hip and guided it to the prominent bulge in his pants. "More than anything."

She palmed his erection and ran her thumbnail along the material over the swollen tip. "Then show me," she purred.

A shiver ran through her when he lowered her to the plush rug, and what started as light kisses on her neck soon became licks and nips. The heat between her legs throbbed when he nuzzled the sensitive spot under her ear as his hand slipped under her sweater and across her bra. He cupped her breast and teased her nipple with his fingers.

Before he realized where her hands were, she was pulling his shirt up his back. He let her pull it off, and then he raised her up to slowly guide her sweater over her head and down her arms. Her bra was pink satin edged with lace, and a tiny rose nestled between her breasts. A crooked smile dimpled one cheek as he ran the backs of his fingers over her nipple.

"Why are you smiling?" she asked.

His eyes drifted to her face briefly then back to her chest. "I used to wonder sometimes what you wore under your uniform. I must say, this is better than anything I came up with."

She laughed. "I guess that's the man's version of women wondering 'boxers or briefs'.

He bent over and kissed the rose, then brought a gasp to her lips as his tongue followed the lace up one breast and then over to the other. "Did you always dress like this?"

Her voice was breathy. "Sometimes, but not always. Usually, I do wear the standard cotton under my uniform. Sometimes I wear lace."

He groaned and licked her cleavage. He called for lights out, and in the flicker of firelight he slid the strap down her right arm until her nipple was free. She held his head to her breast with one hand while the other explored his heated skin that seemed to glow bronze from the orange flames. Springing the clasp of her bra, he pulled it off and tossed it in the general direction of the couch before taking her other nipple between his lips and tonguing it to a hard peak.

Kathryn lay back on the rug, and he knelt over her and peppered tiny kisses down her throat and chest and over her stomach. His hands reached for the band of her pants and he looked up at her face. "It's time to find out if you're wearing a matching set."

She smiled shyly and lifted her hips as he worked the slacks over her hips and down her legs. A triangle of pink satin barely covered her and shimmered in the firelight. He groaned and crawled back up to lick his way along the lace trim over her lower belly. Her muscles shuddered under his warm breath.

As he kissed his way up to her navel, he trailed his fingers up her thigh to lightly brush between her legs, the material already damp with her desire. He reached her clit and her legs twitched as her back arched, her dusky pink nipples thrusting upward irresistible to him. He latched onto one harder than before and suckled her soft flesh.

His fingertip slipped back down and worked under the leg of her panties to tease her wet heat. The glow of orange flames danced over her pale skin and shone from her hair as she responded to his touch. When her hips thrust against his hand, he slid the satin down her thighs and over her legs. She lay fully nude beside him and his eyes traveled over every curve, valley, and ridge of her body.

"You are beautiful, Kathryn."

Her face was alight with passion and her voice husky as her hands pushed against his shoulders and rolled him to his back. "It's my turn," she purred as rose up onto her knees. She grazed her fingernails down his chest and over his sides. His powerful boxer's physique rippled under her touch, and his flat nipples hardened. She bent to one and raked her teeth over it before licking the sensitive skin underneath.

She slid back up and straddled him to press against his hard shaft as she nipped his ear lobe. His arms wrapped around her and pushed her buttocks against him. His breath hissed between his teeth and his pelvis rocked against hers.

She crawled back down his body and unfastened his pants. "Now it's time to answer my question."

He grinned and raised his hips for her to remove his slacks. When she had thrown them aside, she eyed the dark gray material straining with his erection. Her fingertip traced the bulge as she said, "So, briefs."

"Necessary in those uniforms."

She smirked. "They aren't exactly forgiving for men, are they?"

"No, especially not a man who lusts after his beautiful captain."

She rubbed her palm over him. "Did you fantasize about me?"

"Many, many times."

She lifted the band of his briefs and pulled it over his length, then slid the material off to join the rest of their clothing. "I fantasized about doing this." She took him in hand and her tongue snaked over his tip as her lips clamped around him.

"Ahh!" His head curled forward and his hands tangled in her hair, the warmth of her mouth and slide of her lips almost sending him over the edge. He struggled for control as his shaft twitched against her throat and her hand slid over the base. She knew he was close and licked once more along the underside before she released him.

In the flickering shadows, his pupils were large and black, and his tattoo seemed to writhe across his brow. He sat up and pulled her to him, thrusting his tongue between her lips as his hands seemed to be everywhere at once until one finger dipped to her core and entered her. Pressing his palm against her clit, he slid in and out of her twice more before inserting a second finger.

She clung to his shoulders, her nails digging into him as he stroked her toward her climax. She broke the kiss and tilted her head back, his strong arm around her holding her up as his lips dropped to her neck. He pulled his fingers from her and slid through her folds to her pearl, circling over it faster and harder. Her hips thrust forward and held there as her inner muscles clenched, and then she was plunging over the edge with a sharp cry.

He watched her face – eyes closed, mouth open, her strong features highlighted by the flames in the fireplace – and knew he had never seen a more erotic sight. He slipped his finger inside of her, and as he felt her spams begin to slow, he lowered her to the thick rug and hovered over her.

She pulled her knees to open herself to him and reached down to guide him into her. Slowly, he entered her with just the head of his erection, and paused to pulsate inside of her and let her get used to the feel of him.

He watched her for any sign of discomfort, and she smiled softly. "I'm okay, Chakotay."

"I don't want to hurt you."

She laid her hand over his cheek, and her thumb smoothed over his bottom lip. "You could never hurt me. I love you too much."

He slid into her and rocked his hips against hers. "I love you, too, my Kathryn." Lips and tongues met to mimic the intimate dance of their bodies as they thrust together with quickened hearts and sharp breaths. She wrapped her legs over his buttocks and shifted, taking him deeper and drawing a groan from him. He pulled away from the kiss and stared down into her blue eyes as he felt his orgasm building to the breaking point.

Lowering his full body onto her, he pushed his hands under her back and drove into her. The softness of her breasts against his chest, the velvet skin of her neck under his lips, and her sharp nails down his back combined with the sensation of her tight, wet heat as he swelled inside her. She bucked against him and pushed down with her heels, driving him to the hilt deep within her, and the last of his control was lost.

He cried out with the firestorm through his nerves and clung to her as his seed filled her. His body jerked into her with each pump of his shaft until with one final, hard plunge he was spent. Insensate and panting, he lay in her arms while she soothed him with light kisses and words of love.

Slowly, he regained control of his muscles and realized he was probably crushing her. He eased his weight from her and pulled a pillow under his head as she tucked against his side and covered them with the blanket.

He kissed her temple and caressed her skin. "Will you stay the night, Kathryn?"

"Yes. I can help you pack in the morning. I should warn you about something."

"Oh?"

"We'll have to share a room at Mom's house."

"One bed, I suppose."

"Mm hm."

"Does it squeak?"

She giggled and kissed his shoulder. "Not that I recall."

"Good." He struggled up from the floor and banked the fire, then pulled her to her feet to lead her upstairs. Once in his bed, he wrapped his arms around her and spooned his body behind hers as he pressed a kiss to the nape of her neck. "Merry Christmas, my love."

"Merry Christmas, Chakotay. I love you."