Disclaimer: ST: VOY is not mine.

Author's Note: Dinner time! And yes, I intend to prolong the descent into the inevitable. It's just no fun if they instantly jump into each other's arms, is it?

Mulier Est Hominis Confusio

By mistress amethyst une

Chapter 4

"So," she said coyly, "How was your shift?"

Chakotay was certain that if he'd asked the computer to define "man eater" at that moment, it would have responded with Kathryn's name.

"Nothing to report. Just your usual boring stretch of space. And you? Finished any reports?"

He said this as he took an expertly folded cloth napkin out of the crystal glass he'd set for himself. She eyed him as he unfurled the cloth to lie on his lap before mimicking his action.

She smiled slightly, "None actually. I've been doing some thinking. About defining things other than parameters..."

"Here we go," he couldn't help but think.

"Oh really," he said trying to appear nonchalant as he bit into a forkful of salad and swallowed slowly to give himself time to ruminate, "So I assume you've been thinking about our little accident in the hall. Water?"

"Been thinking about nothing but that actually... And, as for water, yes please."

Her eyes were smoldering. He averted his gaze as he poured her some ice water from the pitcher next to the centerpiece before proceeding to pour for himself rather shakily. She resumed eating as if she hadn't noticed his trepidation. She had though. They ate in silence for a good few minutes and the air was thick with unresolved tension. She sighed and downed her water greedily before pouring herself a second glass. What she would give for some liquor to uninhibit the two of them right now...

"Come on, Chakotay!" her inner voice screamed, "I'm flirting with you! Make a move, Maquis!"

He was playing with the last lettuce leaf of his salad and shifting it about his plate even as he felt her glare on him.

"Well, that was a lovely appetizer," she said, finally breaking the silence. She'd finished off her salad, dabbed her napkin to the corner of her mouth and challenged him to meet her gaze. He pierced the last shred of lettuce with his fork and slowly brought it to his mouth deciding to chew very slowly. Damn it... He hadn't counted on being this nervous. His resolve to speak had gone elsewhere and he had to find it before this little meal was over.

She brought her hand up to caress the rose Kes had given him for luck, "Lovely centerpiece," she remarked with a wry grin, "You know I kept the one you gave me before our holodate. I dried and pressed it onto some nice paper. The perfect bookmark when I'm reading Dante..."

He would have choked on his salad if it hadn't been chewed so finely. His rose in her treasured Mark's book? She was serious about this. He too dabbed at his mouth before standing up and laying the napkin on the table as he cleared the salad plates and went to ladle the stew into a couple of bowls.

"How about we keep the conversation light for now and get straight to the point over coffee and dessert?" he said as he served her the main course. He sat back down and used the action of returning the napkin to its previous position as an excuse to bow his head and avert her gaze.

"I'll need something to help me swallow the bitter pill of rejection," he mentally added, "She must be playing me... She couldn't possibly..."

She had arched an eyebrow at him as he had set the steaming bowls of stew on the table and was quite unsure of how to perceive him preferring to let his eyes linger on his own lap rather than on her. Was she affecting him in that way already? She almost laughed at her overconfidence.

"Sure," she remarked, "Don't hold anything back though because you know I won't."

"Duly noted," he smiled as he finally met her gaze once more, "Now I suggest we enjoy the rest of dinner before taking care of business."

She returned his smile with a mock salute, "Aye. Hopefully you didn't use up too many rations on this."

"Actually, I didn't use any rations. Kes and Neelix were kind enough to spare me some vegetables from hydroponics. The zucchini was flourishing and they were more than glad to give me a few. Lettuce has been doing well and so were the Talaxian tomatoes I used for the salad."

"Well, Kes's little endeavor has been well worth it," she sighed as she toyed with her stew, lazily stirring her spoon in it before taking the occasional bite, "Goodness, Commander... What can't you do? Cooking, tactics, hand to hand combat..."

She grinned at him and he seemed to choke a bit.

"Still can't start a campfire without having to use your hair," he finally replied and returned her grin. Only difference was that his smile was made even more devastating by his dimples. Two could play at this game.

"Is that so?" she pouted, "That's a pity. I was seriously considering cutting it. But since you find it so necessary for camping trips..."

He laughed, "Spoken by the woman who admitted to being a true child of the 24th century. Admittedly, you're not too good outdoors either."

"Never said I was," she bit back, "You, on the other hand, have quite a lot of confidence in your wilderness skills despite your troubles as a fire starter."

He grinned lopsidedly as he too toyed with his stew seemingly undecided as to whether he would raise another spoonful to his mouth or respond to her remark instantaneously. Choosing the latter, he replied, "Depends on what kind of fire you intend for me to start..."

She returned his grin. Finally... He was flirting back.

"And of what sort are these fires you're good at starting?" she said as she picked up the cloth napkin on her lap and slowly dabbed stew from the corner of her mouth.

"That's for me to know and you to find out."

"Well, you've certainly whetted my curiosity."

"And hopefully your appetite as well? Liking dinner so far?"

She pouted a tad, "Hm... I wouldn't be eating it if I didn't enjoy it but, honestly, I've had better."

"Really now? I suppose you didn't cook that particular 'better' meal? I guess dessert will have to exceed your expectations then."

"As much as I would like to say that I have some hidden culinary skill and did somehow best you in that department, your previous experience with my 'meals' speaks for itself. It was my mother's last birthday dinner for me that bested you. Your cooking comes in at a close second to hers though... And knowing you, dessert will exceed expectations."

She took another bite of stew and some dribbled down the side of her mouth. She quickly dabbed it away and smirked.

"Knowing my replicator actually. Didn't have the time to make dessert so hopefully my sacrifice of replicator rations will be enough to appease your sweet tooth. Flattered that you'd consider my cooking second only to your mother's. But really Captain... Knowing me? What exactly do you know about me?"

He punctuated that statement with yet another flash of dimples as he helped himself to another spoonful.

She shot his previous line right back at him, "The extent of my knowledge of you is for me to know and you to find out. But you know… I'm not opposed to having you educate me a bit more. So are you going to humor me?"

She said all this while making the grandiose gesture of pointing her spoon at him.

"Same applies to you," he replied before pausing to sip some water, "And I think not. From the way you talk, I think you know more than enough. At least at the moment."

She gave a mock look of disappointment, "And here I was thinking you'd be a gentleman and enlighten me." Her spoon was back swimming in the stew and she was absentmindedly stirring again.

He flashed her that wicked grin once more, "You know very well that I'm not a gentleman."

"Oh yes... How ever could I mistake you for that?" she laughed as she took another bite of her meal, "Come on, Commander, are you sure you can't give me some inkling as to how much you know about me? Can't tell me because you somehow violated my privacy?"

He guffawed, "Captain, I've seen you in a towel. I think that qualifies as violating your privacy and, seeing how I'm not afraid to admit it, you know very well that's not the reason I'm not telling you. Intent on wheedling again, Kathryn?"

He resisted the urge to clap his hand over his mouth. Where the hell had that inappropriate comment come from? Just as he was about to open his mouth to apologize she replied with a shrug as she took a swig of water.

"Well, it got me a bath tub last time, didn't it? And no, that does not qualify as violating my privacy... Now seeing under the towel..."

He did his best to keep his mouth from falling open. So she was going to cross the line with him? Might as well take it all the way...

"Who says I haven't?" he teased.

"Implying something?"

"Assuming something?"

She laughed, "Perhaps... But maybe you're not the only one who's violated someone else's privacy."

He snorted, "Doubt it."

"Really? That little confidence in your Captain's stealth?"

"Too much confidence in my Captain's sense of propriety."

"What propriety?"

"Parameters ring a bell?"

"Need I remind you that I told you I intended to use tonight to define things other than those?"

Their eyes met. Both gazes were burning with the spirit to challenge and win against each other in this game of verbal sparring.

"I remember perfectly," he said with a wry smile, "Just wanted to jog your memory a bit."

She rolled her eyes playfully and smiled, "Right..."

They'd been bantering smoothly for the better part of the hour, exchanging various verbal barbs in between spoonfuls of stew. By the time they'd finally finished their main course, both of them were more than eager for the final face-off.

"So coffee?" he asked as he cleared the bowls and made his way to the replicator.

She looked thoughtful for a second, "Definitely. And coffee cake..."

"You're going to eat and drink your coffee?" he laughed, "I didn't know your addiction was so far-reaching."

As he turned his back on her to order dessert from the replicator, she eyed his behind with a roving look, "You have no idea."


So there's chapter four... Any ideas for dessert? xD