Chapter 2
By starstruck
"Harry!" said Tom, running to catch up with him.
Harry inwardly groaned. After his brief moment of stupidity in his quarters, where he had agreed to help Tom court B'Elanna, he had been avoiding Tom like the plague.
Deep down, he had known it wouldn't last.
"Have you eaten lunch, yet?" asked Tom, jogging beside him.
"No," said Harry instinctively.
"Come on, then," said Tom.
"Coming," said Harry, with a fake smile pasted on his face.
Mentally, Harry smacked himself. Tom was his best friend, and he really was a great guy, but most people avoided him during his little obsessive crushes.
Harry didn't seem to have that ability. Somehow, he always got sucked into it.
"Harry, Tom!" said Neelix enthusiastically as they entered the mess hall.
"Neelix," said Tom.
"I know you two will want to try my pleeka rind casserole," said Neelix, grinning happily. "It's a new recipie. I know you'll love it!"
"Yeah, sure, Neelix," said Tom amicably.
The artificial smile on Harry's face grew a couple sizes.
Neelix handed them two plates of colorless glop.
Harry headed for the nearest two-person table.
Tom, on the other hand, headed across the entire mess hall for the only remaining table with three seats. Harry groaned and followed him, carefully sitting next to Tom so B'Elanna wouldn't have the chance.
Of course, maybe they weren't waiting for B'Elanna. Maybe Tom just liked the stars. Yes, that must be it. Tom wanted to sit by the stars.
"She'll be here in a minute," said Tom.
Or not.
Maybe Tom was waiting for someone else. Yes – that had to be it. Tom had never said B'Elanna would be here in a minute. He just said she. Harry was assuming. Maybe – maybe Tom was already over B'Elanna, and Harry had nothing to worry about.
"Yeech," said Tom, putting on his disgusted face after tasting the pleeka rind casserole.
Harry sighed and dug his fork in, bringing it to his mouth.
"Hey," said Harry, "this isn't actually that bad."
Tom stared at him incredulously.
"You're kidding, right, buddy?"
"No," said Harry, taking another bite. "I think it's delicious."
"I think you need to get your tastebuds checked," said Tom.
Harry grinned.
Okay, so this wasn't turning out so bad after all.
Tom started going on about some twentieth century movie, and Harry half-listened while he munched his pleeka rind casserole happily.
All of a sudden, Tom froze.
"Harry," he moaned quietly.
"What?" said Harry, around his mouthful of pleeka rind casserole.
"She's here," said Tom.
Harry turned around.
B'Elanna waved at him.
Harry groaned.
