Missing moments

Hugs, kisses and sometimes just smiles that I thought would have been quite nice in different episodes until they finally caught up with us in season 4.

1. Investigations (02x20)

He still thought about it. How she'd called him a pig. Sure, he'd behaved like one, but still…it had felt like a punch in the gut. Because she'd been the one to call him that. Tom couldn't quite put a finger on why that fact irked him that much.

And what was almost even worse was that people hat bemoaned that he was leaving and while at least some of them had really said goodbye and hugged him like real friends, B'Elanna hadn't been one of them. So that meant that she really did not like him. And that irritated him. He found the urge within him to prove her wrong. Tom wanted her to see that he could indeed be a nice guy. So he hoped she'd watched Neelix' latest interview which had happened to be him.

Now, trying really hard to stop thinking about frustrating, irritating B'Elanna Torres, he sat with Harry and Kes in the pub they'd created for themselves on the Holodeck. They each had a beer in front of them.

"So, you're quite the hero now, are you?", Harry said, winking at his friend, "your girl fan club will become even larger now, I'm sure."

Tom shrugged. If he thought about this honestly, there weren't many girls on this ship he was interested in. If he could stop the pack of lunatics who kept following him around since his mission was a well known fact, he most definitely would.

Noticing his friend's mood, Harry quickly changed the topic. "You know what, Kes? Your journalistic boyfriend is so annoyed with our dearest doc's behavior that he keeps fishing for every little piece of story he can get. Now he's B'Elanna's new shadow. I wonder how long it takes for her to snap his head off."

Unbeknownst to him, Tom's ears perked up upon hearing the name of the irritating chief engineer. He liked Harry a lot, considered him to be his best friend on the Voyager, but it annoyed him to no end that he and B'Elanna seemed to get along so well. If he was being honest, it made him angry.

Kes noticed her friend's darkening face. "Tom? What's wrong?", she asked concerned.

He shrugged, standing up. "I just need a little time alone," he answered, quickly leaving the Holodeck.

Restlessly walking through the corridors, he greeted a few people here and there until he stopped by the couch in front of a large window. He sat down, looking into space.

He had no idea what to do about his funny feelings regarding the chief engineer. Because as frustrating and irritating she was, he also found he rather liked her warm, brown eyes and how they sparkled when she laughed. Mostly about Harry's or Chakotay's jokes.

"Damn it," he cursed, because he wanted her to smile like she did because of him. He could be funny, too!

"Cursing isn't a very nice treat, Paris!"

Appalled, he turned around, noticing the object of his rather confusing thoughts sitting in the other corner of the couch.

"B'Elanna!" He couldn't quite fight the smile that crept up his face. "I'm sorry, I didn't see the couch was occupied already."
He stood up, "Good night, B'Elanna."

He was about to leave, when she called his name. "You don't have to go. It's a nice coincidence you came here, actually."

Tom sat down again, looking at her confused. "May I ask why?"

She quickly averted her eyes, gazing out of the window. "Because I wanted to talk to you but it's impossible to catch you alone these days."

He nodded. "I know, it's crazy. That's why I came out here. I don't want people to hate me again, but they are driving me nuts."

His heart skipped a beat when B'Elanna turned around and smiled at him.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry. You know, for saying mean things to you and everything."

Ignoring his pounding heart, he forced himself to sound casual. "It's okay, I deserved it. Even though that wasn't really me."

She smiled again and he felt butterflies in his belly doing summersaults.

"I think I'd like to get to know the real you."

"Don't expect too much, though. I'm a pretty ordinary guy."

B'Elanna laughed quietly and stood up. "How about you gonna let me be the judge of that?" She came up behind him and he turned around, a little wide eyed.

She squeezed his shoulder and wished him a good night, before turning around and walking down the corridor.

Tom stayed there, staring after her and tried to calm his racing heart. He would be so nice to B'Elanna Torres that she couldn't help but feel as dazed around him as he was around her.