Malfunctioning parameters

Summary: What's the problem with those parameters when all it takes is a simple malfunction?

They've had a nice dinner. Well, nice for the matter of company, regarding Kathryn's cooking skills or rather the lack of them. They had started with Seven's regular crew efficiency report. They've had a good laugh. Nothing seemed terribly wrong, but as usual Seven had found flaws in every section of the ship. Still, the Captain and Chakotay agreed that it was nothing to be concerned about. They had a fine crew and everyone had a bad day once in a while.

Eventually they had stopped talking about work, agreed on a time when they'd play a game of velocity, even though Chakotay was perfectly aware that he didn't even stand a chance against Kathryn, and enjoyed the for once silent sentiment of the evening. The third bottle of wine was about to be emptied, but neither one of them noticed until Chakotay attempted to pour Kathryn another glass.

"You're not trying to get me drunk, are you?" she laughed as he lifted the bottle again.

"Doesn't seem like it, or I'd have to get another bottle." he shrugged his shoulders and smiled at her when nothing of the liquid emerged.

"Well..." she gave him a smile back while lifting her glass, a challenging gleam in her eyes.

"Alright, alright...I'll go. Be right back." he said as he stood up to get another bottle of wine from the cargo bay.

But when he reached the door instead of opening it stayed close causing him to slightly bump against it. Kathryn couldn't help but giggle at the sight of him bumping into that door and his grimace at the impact. She quickly sobered up though when she noticed something wrong.

"Janeway to engineering" She tapped her comm badge.

"Engineering here." B'Elanna answere almost immediately.

"B'Elanna, what's wrong, the doors to my quarters won't open?"

"Let me check, captain." Kathryn looked at Chakotay, an exasperated look on her face, but he simply smiled back as he returned to the couch and sat back down.

"Seems as though we have an energy fluctuation, affecting decks one to five. I got it. But it's gonna take a few hours to get that settled. Seems as if everything else is working perfectly fine, it's only the doors."

"Thank you, B'Elanna, Janeway out." she glanced over at Chakotay and grinned, "So it seems we're not getting out of here."

"Seems so, too bad we don't have any of that wine left to fill you up." she raised an eye brow at him but had to chuckle at his comment.

"Guess we have to find something to spend the time with."

"How about a game of Kadis-kot?"

"Kadis-kot?" she asked doubtfully.

"Well, you have any other idea?"

"No." she shrugged her shoulders while getting up and retrieving the board from one of her cabinets. Remembering she had put it there after her last game with Naomi.

"But I have to warn you, I haven't played it in years. " Chakotay called to her from the couch, while he was making room on the table.

"I suppose you shouldn't stand a chance against me then, right?"

"I'm used to that." he laughed as they both set up the board and the stones together.

They sat next to each other on the floor while playing. Chakotay was heavily aware of her closeness and he could clearly smell the fragrance of her perfume. After having made a move she leaned somewhat into him, smiling up at him.

"Your turn." she said in a low voice since everything was quiet except for the calling of their moves every now and then.

Chakotay hesitated making the next move, having trouble concentrating and actually not wanting to loose against her again.

"Oh, come on you slowpoke." she laid her hand on his upper thigh while trying to get him to make the next move. She was tired of always having to wait for him thinking his moves carefully over. "It can't be this hard, just move this stone right here." she leaned over him to show him right where to put the stone, in the process having to steady herself on his thigh with one hand. When he groaned in pain at her weight, she jumped and fell back against him.

"I'm sorry..." she breathed as she looked up at his face from her rather odd position.

"No harm done." he whispered as he lost himself in her eyes. Neither one of them moved though and she became acutely aware of his breath against her skin and his warmth against the material of her uniform.

They had both shed their uniform jackets a while ago and were now only wearing shirts, making it easier for their body heat to penetrate to each other's skin. She stared back into his eyes as he did into hers. Her breathing had quicked and she knew he must have noticed due to their closeness. She could feel his heartbeat quicken just before he leaned down to her and pressed his lips softly against hers. Just a simple touch, just for an instant, before leaving the lingering heat on the sensitive skin of their lips, but it was enough to make them both crave more. Yet he moved back, apology written in his eyes as well as desire.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..." He moved back from her letting her slowly sit up, her eyes never wavering from his face, his lips. She stared at him for several seconds before she got up, taking the Kadis-kot board and putting it back where she got it from in the first place. She had to remember this wasn't an appropriate game for adults, she chastised herself. Yet, she felt in a daze. His warmth seemed to linger on her skin and she couldn't shake it off. She was standing in front of the cabinet in her bedroom for several minutes, her hand travelling her lips, relishing the simple touch.

Chakotay, left behind in the living area, wondered what was taking her so long. He regretted his move. Not emotionally, but as her first officer he should be able to hold his emotions in check. When she didn't return from her bedroom, he got up to get his uniform jacket back on and leave her quarters, but quickly remembering that the doors wouldn't open. Damn it, B'Elanna. He thought. Perfect timing.

He decided to wait and sat down on the couch, his eyes wandering towards the opening to her sleeping area, waiting for her to reappear.

Kathryn shook herself when she noticed she'd been standing there, lost in thought, and Chakotay was sitting in the living area all by himself. What must he been thinking of her. Quickly she returned to him and seeing him sitting on the couch now, rather than on the floor, she let herself down next to him, but with enough space between them so they wouldn't touch.

Chakotay couldn't help but notice the space she had put between them now, his eyes dropping to the ground.

"I'm sorry" he repeated.

"No. Don't be." she answered before she knew she was going to say something.

His head shot up to look at her in confusion. He hadn't expected her to stay calm about this. She had made it clear long ago, that there would never be anything between them except friendship.

When she noticed the confusion written clearly on his features, she leaned into him without even thinking about it. Her lips touched his, this time with more pressure. She wanted to feel it again, just to make sure she wasn't imagining the feelings he had provoked with his first kiss. And she wasn't. Scooping closer, she pressed herself up against him, relishing the feeling of their lips pressed together, her hand coming up to grasp his left arm.

He couldn't believe what she was doing. Was she thinking clearly? Did she have too much of that wine? She couldn't be serious now, could she? Deciding to enjoy her closeness, he let her do as she wished and didn't move, waiting for her to do anything.

When their lips seperated, a light smile appeared on her lips. That crooked smile he loved so much.

"Guess we're even now." she whispered in that hoarse voice of hers, making his thoughts spin and his heart pound harder.

"Is this some new game?" He asked breathless.

"What if it was?" she wondered how he would react, surprised at her own boldness. This went against everything she had always told him, or herself for that matter.

"I'd say, you win." he answered slowly, his eyes boring into hers.

"And..." she started, noticing him holding his breath, "...do you want revenge?" her voice was low, alluring.

"What if I did?" he asked, imitating her earlier question. His hand wandering to her waist pulling her slightly closer.

"I would ask you when." her raspy voice began driving him crazy.

"And if I said now?" she raised her eyebrow at him her mouth opening to answer when her comm badge interrupted them.

"Torres to Janeway." sighing Kathryn activated her comm badge.

"Janeway here."

"We've got it, captain. You should be able to enter your quarters now. Seems Seven tried to get more power to astrometics again, and somehow cut off the power for the doors."

"Thank you B'Elanna." When she looked back at Chakotay, she noticed the grin on his face.

"What?" she asked.

"You should be able to enter your quarters now?" she chuckled as she registered B'Elanna's words.

"Well, I guess it's time I do enter my quarters then."

Chapter 2, which will probably finish the story, will come right along, if I get to finish it tonight. Please read and review...