By starstruck
Disclaimer: Star Trek: Voyager and all characters belong to Paramount. But in THIS fic, only one word I use actually belongs to Paramount!! How totally awesome is that?? Alright, it might be moreÉ but
Author's Note: I found this on my computer a few days ago... it was previously posted here on another account, but I took it down, edited this one (not much, though), and uploaded it here. In any case, I liked it, and wanted it here, so nyah.
Although I did have a specific Voyager couple in mind when I wrote this, I guess it can be taken almost any way. OkÉ maybe notÉ but it can be taken several ways. I think it's fairly obvious what pairing it is, but that's probably because I wrote it.
%%
You're asleep now. I can see your chest rise and fall evenly. Your hair is unruly, spread all over the pillow. A small, contented smile crosses your face, and I wonder what you're dreaming about. Me? I can't dare to hope.
You've never looked more beautiful, and I know. I watch you all the time, you know. Senior briefings, Neelix's parties, the resort, at lunch, at breakfast. Even at the luau. Maybe the reason is that now, it feels like you're mine. Maybe you're not, maybe this is a one night stand. I hope not. I don't know if I could bear that.
You told me you loved me. It still hasn't sunk in. The last few days haven't sunk in. Not enough for me to tell you that I love you more than anything. You're my world. What if it's all some dream and I'm going to humiliate myself by telling you? What if you only want me for a week? What if you lied?
But no, that doesn't sound like you. Funny, it sounds like me. But I could stay like this forever. Just lying here, watching you sleep. Not anyone. Not another woman. You.
You sleep. I should sleep, I should close my eyes and call it a day. But I can't. I can't take my eyes off you. I don't want to sleep, even with the promise of dreams. It's not the same. You're here with me. I have the irrational fear that if I sleep, I'll miss something of you. That you'll be gone. That I'll end a dream. Different fears that all seem significant to me. Even as my mind tells me I'm being ridiculous, my heart keeps telling me not to let go.
A strand of your hair falls across your face, streaking across your forehead. I brush it away. Your eyes flit open at the contact, and my fingers come to a rest on your forehead.
"I'm sorry," I say, "I didn't mean to wake you up. You give me a small smile, and I can't help but grin back.
"Shouldn't you be asleep?" you ask me.
"I guess so," I say, a tad of sheepishness in my voice.
You give me the you're ridiculous look, but somehow, I don't care.
"G'night again," you say, closing your eyes. "Go to sleep," you add, in a voice so small that I only hear because all my attention is focused on you. I have a strange urge to laugh, your voice is usually so loud, whether you're shouting or telling everyone what to do.
"I will," I say, just as softly, but you hear me. Before I know what I'm doing. I've pulled you into my arms. I half-expect you to resist my embrace, but you relax almost immediately.
"I love you," I whisper. It's so easy all of a sudden. Before, I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't. I know your reaction even though I can't see your face now. I feel your sleepy smile on my chest. And then you're asleep.
I close my eyes and press my chin on the top of your head. If you didn't want me here, you would have kicked me out by now. But you didn't. My fears have disappeared for the moment. I can sleep. I don't know what we have right now, but it feels like forever. And that's good enough for me.
End