Several hours later, Kathryn woke groggily, wondering why her back hurt. She realized she was sitting up and looked down to see the still-sleeping form of Seven in her lap. She had her arm around the younger woman's middle. She removed it slowly, knowing she needed to get up and go to bed or her back would not allow her to move tomorrow.
She moved slowly, trying not to disturb the blonde, intending to let her sleep on the couch. Gently she placed Seven's head on the couch as she stood up. She turned to go to her room but Seven grabbed her hand.
"Please...don't leave me," she said, her voice soft and sad.
"I have to go to bed, Seven. My back won't tolerate sleeping sitting up."
"I do not wish to be alone," Seven said quietly.
"Come lay down with me," Kathryn said without thinking.
Where did that come from? She asked herself but shrugged it off as the former drone got up sleepily. Seven stumbled slightly and Kathryn put a hand out to steady her.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"I am unaccustomed to sleeping. It causes me to be groggy."
Kathryn led her into the bedroom. She was too tired to be embarrassed by her unmade bed. The rumpled sheets, the pillows and blanket haphazard from one of her many restless nights. She kicked off her boots and shed her uniform, leaving her in shorts and a simple white tank top. She straightened the pillows and crawled into bed, pulling the blanket over herself. She heard Seven remove her boots as well, then the blonde lay down beside her, her body stiff. Clearly she was unused to laying down to sleep.
Kathryn sighed softly and moved to cover Seven with the blanket. Then, her body moving of its own accord, she found herself putting her arm around Seven's middle and snuggling into the Borg's side. She told herself it was okay because she was still half-asleep, but she also knew that was a lie. Still, she WAS tired and this WAS comfortable. She even felt Seven start to relax in her embrace. She listened as the blonde's breathing slowed, steady and even, until both women were asleep again.
Kathryn was dreaming. Hands on her body, touching, teasing...Lips on her lips, her breasts, down her navel...
She woke with a soft moan. When she realized she wasn't alone she gasped softly. Seven's arms were around her, her knee wedged between the Captain's thighs.
That explains the dream, she thought to herself.
She tried to disentangle herself from the blonde's embrace, but the enhanced Borg strength held her still.
"Seven, wake up," she said reluctantly.
The blonde stirred slowly, then gasped as she realized their position.
"Let me go, Seven. I have to pee."
"Forgive me," Seven said, releasing her.
Kathryn rolled out of bed and quickly made her way to the bathroom. Once she had relieved herself, her mind felt a little clearer...and the guilt crept in. She stood in the doorway and looked at the blonde. She sat on the edge of the bed, running her hands through her hair groggily. She looked gorgeous.
"Is waking up always so...disorienting, Captain?" she asked. "When I finish regenerating, I am usually alert. My brain feels...fuzzy."
"It can be like that," Kathryn said, suddenly uneasy. The most beautiful woman in the Delta Quadrant was in her bed, calling her captain.
Her combadge chirped suddenly and she hurried to find it in her discarded uniform.
"Doctor to the Captain."
"Go ahead, Doctor, she said, sitting on the edge of the bed with her combadge in her hand.
"The Borg children said they haven't seen Seven since yesterday. Have you?"
"Yes, Doctor. I checked on her last night and she fell asleep on my couch and slept there all night."
Kathryn did not miss the curious look Seven gave her, but ignored it.
"She actually slept?" the Doctor asked, surprised.
"Yes, Doctor."
"Extraordinary. Please have her come see me as soon as possible."
"I will. Janeway out."
"You lied to him," Seven stated. "I did not sleep on the couch all night. I slept in the bed."
"That would be...inappropriate for anyone to know, Seven," she replied.
"Because they would assume we copulated?"
Kathryn felt her face flush.
"It can't happen again," she said sternly. "Do you understand?"
"No," Seven said simply. "I do not understand but I can see that it makes you uncomfortable. Therefore I will respect your wishes and tell no one."
"Thanks, Seven," she said, relieved.
"Thank you, Captain. I was...comforted by your presence and I no longer feel angry."
"Are you still sad?"
"A little," she admitted. "But I will be okay. I will go see the Doctor now if that is acceptable."
"Yes," the Captain said, relieved. "You can go. I need to shower and get dressed."
Seven nodded and quickly put on her boots. Kathryn watched as she quickly re-pinned her hair into an efficient twist, then stood to leave. Seven looked as if she wished to say something but in the end she simply turned and left.
Kathryn waited until she heard the doors to her quarters close, then she laid back on her bed with a sigh. She couldn't believe she had let Seven into her bed, allowed her to get so close...
She groaned, the aching between her thighs presenting a pressing need. She determined to take care of it herself, quickly and efficiently. She allowed her mind to clear as she slipped her hand between her legs, under her shorts. Unbidden, images came to her mind as she pleasured herself. Blue eyes, soft pink lips...fingertips encased in metal...
"Seven..." she breathed softly, inhaling the blonde's scent that lingered on the bed. She bit her lip to keep from crying out as an orgasm rocked through her.
When it subsided, she got to her feet shakily. She headed to the bathroom, ready to wash away the shame she felt.