Kathryn frowned as she ran her fingers through his soft hair. "It's getting long."
"I know. I'll have to get it cut," He gave a grin. "Or I'm going to start looking like my grandfather."
She pulled her sweater around her as the icy air howled outside the cabin. "I'll cut it for you."
"You know how to cut hair?"
"Well, I'm no expert, but I always cut my own."
"Oh," He fingered wisps of auburn. "I always assumed you went to the holodeck."
"Oh?" She looked up from her spot on his chest. "No. I did it. Who did yours?"
"I always went to the holodeck. A few times B'Elanna tried, but it was always a disaster."
"When was that?" She tried and failed to hold in a laugh at the memory of his early hair style.
"By the sound of it," His fingers tickled her side makes her squeal and push him away. "I think you know!"
"That's also when you started dyeing your greys," She winked, still breathless as she angled her body from him.
He blushed and laughed heartily at that. "I hoped you hadn't noticed that!"
"Oh Chakotay," She became mock serious. "When are you ever going to learn that nothing slips past me? Especially when you're concerned."
"I missed your hair when you cut it," He told her after a moment. "One night you left the bridge with that ponytail and the next morning you strode down those steps with hair up to your ears!"
She laughed at the memory of seeing his face on that morning. "Your eyes fell out of your head. And you tried so hard not to say anything!" She did a passable impression of his voice and facial expression. "'Good, uh, good morning Capthryn, I meant… Captain. Ship's status re-short! Port!"
"Hey!" He sniggered at the shared recollection. "I didn't say a word. Not even in the ready room later on."
"I know," She patted his chest. "You showed so much restraint."
"Uh huh," He nodded. "I told you, I have the control of a saint."
"Well that we know for sure," She laughed again and laid her head back down on his chest.
His fingers curled into lovingly disheveled auburn waves as he enjoyed the feel in his hands. "Grow it back," He asked softly
"It was heavy. And that bun took me nearly twenty minutes!" She argued back, putting up a fight where there was none.
"Then don't put it up," He jostled her. "Keep it down. Like you did on New Earth."
"It makes me hot."
"Well lucky for you," He pointed out. "It's cold here."
She frowned up at him.
"Then cut it!" He grinned as he rolled her under him and propped himself over her. "You're beautiful no matter how you wear it."
"I'll grow it out," With a wickedly accustomed grin, she ran her finger along the notched bridge of his nose.
He laughed effusively as his warm weight settled on hers. "Has anyone ever told you that you're infuriating sometimes?"
"No," She smiled broadly and wriggled her hips against his. "Only you."
His arm snaked under the covers and slid under her knee as he opened her to him. An eager hand slipped under the waistband of his sweatpants and pulled them down as he mirrored her action, fumbling as he went. "We've really got to learn how to do slow and romantic," He mumbled against her neck before impatiently nipping at the skin there.
"Well, You know what they say, don't you?"
"No," He panted. "What?"
"Practice," She gasped.
"What about it?" He said against her open lips.
She cried out at the sheer pleasure of being with him, of how he knew her body so intuitively. Neither of them could last for very long. But, then again, they never did. And what had started swiftly was satisfying over just as soon.
"We didn't even get all of our clothes off," She mumbled into his neck.
"I know," He kissed her neck before he rose up on his arm and looked down at her. "You're still wearing your sweater."
"So are you."
He frowned. "I feel like it's going to take us a while to get to slow and romantic."
"Well," she reiterated with a grin. "You know what they say."
"Something about practice?"
"Yes," She laughed and kissed that much-loved notched bridge. "That it makes perfect."
"Well then," He leaned down to kiss her again and left them both breathless. "How about a little more practice?"
