He was getting more used to it: not only associating coffee with a morning beverage. Their house was beginning to smell like a coffee house night and day.
Kathryn walked around him; every so often stopping behind his chair to look at the plans he was drawing up. The first few times, he thought it endearing…. Until she kept doing it; breathing down his back, sighing when he made certain changes and additions to the schematic on the screen.
"Kathryn," He quenched the desire to roll his eyes and curl his fingers into a fist. "Is there something wrong?"
"No," she blew on her coffee and took a loud sip. "Nothing."
"Really?" He gave up and turned around to her, standing over him. "Because you're lingering."
"Lingering?" She actually looked wounded with her big eyes and messy hair. "Me?"
"Yes, you," he smiled and gestured to her. "Come on, out with it."
"Well," She leered and sat down next to him, so close that their thighs were brushing as they nearly breathed the same air. "Now that you mention it, I think we need more living space than that. The bathroom is too small, as well."
"Ah," He nodded and readjusted the parameters on the console. "Better?"
"Mmm," She took another loud swallow of the acrid coffee.
"How do you sleep after that?"
"This?" She held up the mug and looked at it before shrugging. "I guess after a while it starts to lose its desired effect. I mostly just drink it because I like the taste."
"Uh huh," He had stopped paying attention and had turned his eyes back to the screen. "So far we have two bedrooms, a kitchen, a work room for the both of us, and a bathroom. What else?"
"That about covers it. The rest of the furniture they gave us is still out in the stasis containers and with a bigger living space, it'll fit quite nicely."
"Mm," He nodded once before a tired yawn escaped. "I'd love a bigger bed…"
"So would I," She sighed and miserably looked towards her small enclosure. "I miss my bed on Voyager."
"I was just thinking the same thing."
They laughed together before she realised the hour, "It's nearly one in the morning."
"It feels it," he yawned again and moved to save the work they'd done on the plans. "I'll see you in the morning, Kathryn."
"I'll help you as much as I can with the building," his yawn was contagious. "But I'm not sure how much help I'll be."
"We'll figure it out," He said before he leaned down absently to kiss her cheek. He was too late to catch himself in recognition of his gaffe, but the action had been so natural that he could hardly stop himself.
Her breath caught at the feeling of his lips on her skin. The gesture felt expected, nearly ordinary, but exquisite nevertheless. "Um," He pulled back, blushing and abashed, like a little boy who'd done something naughty. "I'm-"
"Goodnight, Chakotay," her palm quickly cupped his cheek and she repeated the gesture before turning her back and retreating behind the enclave. "I'll see you in the morning."
His fingers touched the space that her lips had briefly occupied and his smile widened as he pulled back the meagre sheets on the cramped, little mattress. "Goodnight, Kathryn."
