Disclaimer: Paramount owns everything; all hail Paramount! (Please don't sue me.)
Author's Note: This story was meant to be a bit of fluff and silliness about Kathryn Janeway searching for coffee on an alien planet and getting in trouble, because we can all imagine her doing that, right? So the first part of this story is my idea. The second part just sort of... happened. It wrote itself; it's not my fault! At first I thought it was some innocent romance, then it sort of turned... smutty. But I had nothing to do with it, so please don't blame me! (Unless you like it, then by all means thank me.)
For the Love of Coffee
.
Kathryn Janeway had always known that coffee would get her into trouble one day. Or rather, it was her incessant desire for a constant supply of the bitter liquid that made her do some rather rash things sometimes. Like threatening to decompile the Doctor's program after he blocked her replicator from giving her coffee. And then vaporizing Neelix's Leola root store when he refused to take her side in the matter. But never, in all her years of caffeine-addiction, had things ever gone this wrong.
It had been another of those all-too-frequent occasions when the ship's energy stores were running low, and the crew had been forced to do without certain nonessential systems such as holodecks and replicators. Which meant that Kathryn Janeway could not replicate coffee. At first this wasn't so much of a problem, until that fateful afternoon when Neelix had come stammering and stuttering into the Ready Room to admit that he was entirely out of his latest coffee substitute. Leaving Captain Janeway without a single source of caffeine.
Astrometric scans were doubled, desperately searching for anywhere they could find a viable source of energy for the ship, or any sign of vegetation containing caffeine. Crew morale plummeted as their levels of nervousness increased at an alarming rate. For a captain without coffee was not a captain one wanted to be in the presence of. Only Tuvok, with his pervasive Vulcan calm, and Chakotay, with gifts and gestures of goodwill, dared go near the Dragon's Den – which was, of course, what Tom Paris had taken to calling the Ready Room.
And then, they found it – a planet rich in various types of minerals, many of which could be used as a fuel source. Captain Janeway didn't remember the name of this race; only that they had many lengthy protocols and rituals that off-world visitors were required to participate in. One of these rituals had involved the sharing of small quantities of their local delicacies and sacred repasts – including a small cup of a dark beverage that looked, and smelled, and tasted just like coffee. And that was when the trouble started.
Shifting her position on the cold stone bunk, Kathryn wondered how any species could expect to have working trade relations when they were throwing friendly captains into prison for such simple, silly things. It clearly wasn't her fault that they neglected to tell her not to go there. And if they'd been a little more generous with their coffee in the first place, she never would have ended up in this mess.
She had been treated to a tour by the High Minister and his entourage, which included a walk through the fertile gardens just outside the capital city. The gardens were tended by officially-appointed gardeners, and the planet's best produce was grown there – including row upon row of delicious, dark green coffee plants, heavily-laden with dark red berries. The plants had been pointed out to her along with a lengthy explanation about them, but Kathryn was entranced by the sight of so much coffee and didn't hear a word spoken. Eventually she realized the rest of the group had moved on and she reluctantly followed, daydreaming about coffee plants in her quarters, coffee plants in her ready room, and fresh coffee every morning.
Plans were finalized, shore leave rotations made up, and Kathryn Janeway was beaming down for a day of leave with one clear goal in mind: coffee. She strode determinedly past the open-air markets and native attractions, and found her way back to the garden she had been shown by the Minister. And there before her once again was stretched row upon row of coffee plants, delicious berries glistening in the sunlight. She glanced around and, seeing no-one, sauntered over to the nearest plant and plucked a fat, juicy berry. She popped it in her mouth and her senses were immediately overcome by a delicious flavour so much like her beloved coffee, yet sweeter and fuller, and much more enticing. She was just reaching for another berry when she heard shouting behind her. Turning around, she saw two aliens dressed in official attire running towards her. Their shouts were loud and incoherent enough to give her Universal Translator some trouble, but she thought she made out something about "defiling the sacred plants". Just my luck, she thought. I finally find some coffee, and it's so sacred they're not going to give me any.
She was seized by the guards and dragged to a very ancient-looking prison, despite her protestations of innocence and demands to see a lawyer, and was locked behind a rather antiquated steel-barred door.
And this was where Chakotay found her, nearly an hour later, sitting on the stone slab that passed for a bed with her knees pulled up under her chin and a look of utter dejection on her face.
The guard unlocked the door and Chakotay walked in. He looked stern, almost angry, and just stood for a minute glaring at her, before asking simply, "Why?"
Kathryn shrugged. "I just wanted coffee."
~/\~ =/\= ~/\~
Later that evening, having been released from the prison by Chakotay, Kathryn was in her cabin with a book on her lap and cradling a cup of Neelix's latest blend of tea. It would take a few days for the ship's stores to be replenished enough to bring the replicators back online, so she would still have to make do without coffee for a while. In the meantime, word of her escapade on the planet had spread, no doubt due to Tom Paris, so Kathryn was doing her best to hide from the laughing eyes staring at her everywhere she went. Her cheeks blushed redder at the memory, and she hid again inside her mug.
Bee-doop. Was the door chime always that loud and annoying? She bid her visitor enter, more out of a sense of duty than any real desire to see anybody. She didn't even look up from her book when she heard the doors open then swish closed again.
It was the smell that got her attention. That delicious aroma that she would know anywhere. The scent that could only mean…
Coffee.
Inhaling as deeply as she could, she swung her head around quickly to gaze at the mug of brown liquid being held in front of her, then up into the amused gaze of her first officer. Inhaling the aroma again, she sighed with deep satisfaction and, quickly discarding the mug of tea, reached for that beautiful enticing beverage…
Only to close on thin air.
That rat had moved the mug behind his back and had the audacity to shake a finger at her reprovingly. "Uh-uh. Not so fast," he chided.
"Do you have a death wish?" she asked in what she hoped was a menacing tone.
"No," Chakotay replied, "but I've gone to all this trouble to get you what you want, so I think it's only fair you give me something in return."
Kathryn sight deeply and dramatically. "Alright, as soon as we leave orbit, I'll start cutting down my caffeine intake."
Chakotay looked surprised at her ready compliance. "That would be good, but that's actually not what I was going to ask."
Kathryn's brow furrowed. "You want me to work less and socialise more?" she guessed. "Eat more, sleep more, humour the Doctor more?" He shook his head again. "Then what?"
Chakotay took a deep breath. He was well aware that he was probably taking his life into his hands, but he may never get another opportunity as good again. "A kiss," he blurted. Kathryn just sat staring at him, stunned. "I will give you the coffee, if you give me a kiss."
Kathryn was sure she had never been more shocked in her life. This was… unexpected, to say the least. Then her surprise began to give way to amusement as she noticed the nervousness still apparent in Chakotay's expression. "A kiss, huh?" she repeated. "For a cup of coffee?" She stood up slowly and began to close the distance between them. Chakotay, to his credit, did not back down, despite the fact that he seemed to get more nervous with each step closer she took.
"That's right." His voice was hoarse, barely more than a whisper. She grinned to herself.
"And if I want… more than one cup of coffee?" Her voice had gotten impossibly huskier as her hands teased their way over his shoulders to clasp behind his neck.
His expression changed to confusion, then quickly turned to joy as he realized what she meant. His lips moved to mere inches from hers as he murmured, "I'm sure we could work something out."
The next thing Kathryn was aware of was a spark of electricity and a rush of delight as she found herself connecting with the man of her dreams for the very first time. The kiss was tender yet passionate and the most moving she had ever experienced. It was with reluctance that she let his lips leave hers, only to look up into his eyes shining with more love than she had ever imagined. She hoped he could see in her own face how long she had been waiting for that moment.
He took a step back and she wasn't sure why, until she realized he was handing her the mug he had somehow managed not to spill. With a grin, she lifted it to her face and breathed in that wonderful scent. Slowly she tipped it to her lips and let the flavour overcome her for one rapturous moment. Opening her eyes again, she saw that Chakotay was shaking with silent laughter. She raised a questioning eyebrow and he explained.
"Drinking coffee always seems to be such a sensuous experience for you."
"It's not the only thing I can do that's sensuous." Damn, did she actually say that out loud? Judging by Chakotay's shocked expression, she did. She blushed and was about to take it back when he spoke.
"For the sake of coffee, right?" Damn that mischievous grin.
Kathryn turned and placed her precious mug on the coffee table, then slowly slid her hands back up his shoulders again. "Definitely. For the sake of coffee." And her treasured drink on the table was the only thing cooling down as her lips reclaimed his.
Oh, yes. She had always known that coffee would get her into trouble someday.