~Chakotay ~
He could hear her footsteps falling behind him. And no sooner had the third footstep fallen that he found his voice.
"You know what was always wrong with the angry warrior?"
No response.
But no footsteps. He took that as a sign to continue.
"He never expressed himself. He learned to be at peace, but never to love." Silence. "It's been one of my greatest failures too."
Slowly, cautiously, he turned around. And what he saw never left his mind for years to come.
It was quite possibly the first time Chakotay had seen Kathryn only as a woman, without the burden of being a Captain. Kathryn stood, showered in green moonbeams, although they were paled by the red of her dress. Her entire body was rigid, with beautiful eyes boring into his, seeking his motives, yet they held a sadness that pierced his heart.
Wasn't love enough?
He wasn't sure who made the first move, but they found themselves tangled in each others arms. Soothing. And Chakotay poured his heart out.
Never had anything felt so good or been so painful! Chakotay relived everything: every touch, every feeling, every desire, every dream…even every time she had pushed him away. His very soul gushed forth in great sobs.
Couldn't she see he wanted her? Needed her?
And when he found that he was empty, it was his turn to cry in her arms. And it was Kathryn's turn to stroke his back, listening with a head on his chest. When he was done, Kathryn just looked up at him. It was such a quizzical look that, for a moment, Chakotay's heart fell. What if all this meant nothing to her? But her warm smile up at him brought his heart back into place.
"I love you Kathryn," he managed to choke out.
She stood on her toes and oh, so hesitantly, placed her lips on his, a tender, unsure, innocent kiss. She broke off, but Chakotay could still taste her saltiness on his lips. It was then that everything Chakotay had seen as Captain Janeway of the Federation Starship Voyager was stripped away as a passionate Kathryn replaced it. Her lips were once again on his. Over his initial shock, Chakotay surrendered himself completely. She had finally given him what had so long been denied, and he hoped he had equally fulfilled her. And just before collapsing into each others arms, Chakotay couldn't help but wonder what Tuvok would say tomorrow.