*It should be noted that I recently received a review for Clutch, and the reviewer expressed interest in Tom's side of things…so, yeah. Here it is*

I'm only vaguely aware of what the Doc is saying to me; mostly, all I can think about is that kiss, and how quickly B'Elanna must be running away right now.

God, I hope I didn't scare her off.

I don't know where I found the courage for that little maneuver, but once I heard B'Elanna trying to give me an out, or at least her version of giving me an out, I knew I had to do something.

It seems that kissing B'Elanna is a very effective way of getting her to stop talking, which will come in handy, seeing as how she tends to ramble when she's nervous.

I love that I know that about her; that B'Elanna is a nervous talker. Most people don't realize that. Ordinarily, she's not one for pointless conversation; she's very straightforward and doesn't mince words. But when she gets nervous, she goes into overdrive with conversation; all usually very relevant, but she'll string together more words in a couple of minutes than she sometimes will in an entire week.

I also love that I can make her nervous. I don't think very many people can say that.

Of course, she scares the hell out of me, so I suppose it's only fair.

I distantly realize that I've been volunteered for…something…in Sickbay (some sort of training? I don't know; I'll have to ask later) as I turn to hurry down the corridor to find B'Elanna. Not that I wouldn't chase her all over the ship if I had to, but I find myself desperately hoping that she hasn't managed to get too far.

For the moment, she has consumed me. I can still feel her lips on mine, her hands on my face. My senses are on overload, and I feel if I don't find her soon, I will self-combust.

That kiss was something else, though. I've never felt anything like it. It wasn't just a casual, we're-sort-of-dating kiss; it felt like a forever kiss.

Maybe that's wishful thinking on my part.

I feel my senses begin to tingle as a round a corner, and nearly run into B'Elanna. I pause for a moment, trying to compose myself, trying to decide what to do. All I thought about was finding her; I never stopped to consider what to do once I found her.

A grin spreads across her face, and she slides her arms around my neck. I don't hesitate to wrap my arms around her waist and pull her close, kissing her once more. I'm shocked that this time is better than before.

I feel her smile against my mouth as I push her to a bulkhead. I know we should move this party somewhere less conspicuous, but I can't seem to stop kissing her. Amazingly, she doesn't seem to want to stop either.

Life can wait.