The night's air at the Paxau Resort was cooling by the time their main course was nearing an end. A glittering array of stars shone above them. Soft music played in perfect balance with the low conversation from the remaining resort guests Chakotay had included from Harry Kim's Sports Program Theta-2.
It was his intention to create a relaxed environment for his Captain; an enjoyable evening where she could let her mind wander from the day-to-day responsibilities that deprived her of free time.
He took a minute to look up from his plate to take her in.
Kathryn was dressed in a purple and yellow flower print summer dress, with thin straps, and a plunging, relaxed neckline. She wore a silver pendant that hung low, to sit gently, close to the delicate curve of her breasts. The cool breeze that rose from the lake played softly with her hair. Occasionally, she would lift a hand to carefully brush it from her brow.
He watched the small lines at the corner of her mouth dance as she ate a bite of her Jiballian berry salad. He watched as she smiled, pleased with the witty comment she made.
She looked up suddenly to meet his eyes.
He returned an awkward smile and looked back to his plate of nearly finished Feragoit goulash.
Their dinner conversation carried on with the same beat as many of their previous encounters. Chakotay indulged the Captain of the little intricacies he was privy to due to his position. He reported news from the heads of department. He shared the rumours which trickled through the lower decks. He lightly remarked on the odd complaint he received from the crew.
And finally, what she desired most, he told tales of the relationships that were on the verge of blossoming.
He never felt he had less than her full attention when he spoke. This was the charm of Kathryn Janeway; she truly was the glue that held the ship together.
If he were to be honest with himself, he was surprised she accepted his invitation this evening. He had been unsure what version of Kathryn Janeway would grace his presence under this new setting.
True, they had shared private evenings before; from moonlit sails on Lake George to dinners in her quarters locked in intimate conversation. But there was something different in the way she was looking at him tonight. Something in the inflection of her voice was causing his blood to race.
"What?" she asked him quietly.
Had he been staring again? Heat rose to his cheeks.
"Oh. Nothing."
She narrowed her eyes quizzically and he prayed his smile was not giving him away.
"I'm having a lovely time." He brought his cloth napkin to his face and carefully dabbed at the corners of his mouth. "This is much more enjoyable than the sparring I had planned."
"I'm having a lovely time as well. Thank you, Commander."
"I'm happy to hear it." He raised his eyebrows skeptically. "But I'm not so sure this quite competes with nineteenth century Ireland."
She smiled slowly, warmly. "Honestly, Chakotay." Kathryn took her wine glass and looked into it as she swirled the liquid. She leaned back in her chair to rest her head. Her eyes found him over the rim of her glass. "This is just what I needed."
He swallowed. "Well, we couldn't have your night ending in complete failure." He leaned back in his chair to mimic her relaxed state. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself."
She raised an eyebrow. "And why is that?"
Heat rose to his cheeks again. "Oh. No reason."
She shifted and crossed her legs. "So are you my knight in shining armour?"
"If you like."
She smirked, pleased.
His heart jumped into his throat and he drew a deep breath, hoping she had not noticed. He leaned forward reaching for his glass and he took a long, slow sip. He rose from his seat and moved to stand in front of her.
He offered his hand. "Would you take a walk with me?"
She took his hand readily and stood.
He led her away from their candlelit dinner, down a small path that appeared to their left. Lights lit the winding path, guiding them safely through dense trees and fragrant, low flowering bushes.
At the end of the path, the trees began to part, and they came upon a few stone steps which led down onto a beach.
In the moon's light, he saw her smile widen. She reached down to remove her thin strapped sandals. He followed suit and kicked off his own shoes, placing them carefully beside her own on the foot of the stair.
He followed her as she moved out of the cover of the trees. Her gaze rose up toward the night's sky.
He followed and looked up to take in the vision Neelix had created from memories of his home world. The stars above Talax were unlike anything he had ever seen on Earth, or even on his own home world. Talax's Moon, Rinax, was especially bright; the lights from its colony clearly visible tonight. He felt the sudden pain in his heart as he looked at the light that emanated from the peaceful colony. He managed a shallow swallow as the wave of empathy gripped him. He too, knew all too well the horrors of a ruthless invader; of living in constant fear.
If only the Talaxians had had a Maquis of their own...
Her small hand slipped into the crook of his arm, bringing him back. "I don't think I've ever noticed how exquisite this sky is."
Chakotay nodded slowly. "Neelix certainly is an artist." He smiled down at her; the glimmer of moonlight reflected in her eyes.
Kathryn's hand trailed his arm to find his hand and without a word, they began to tread lightly over the sand. It was cool and soft under his feet as they bobbed together in unison along the edge of the lake. There was nothing but the sound of the water rippling up onto the sand.
Slowly, her head moved to rest against his shoulder and she sighed.
"Are you enjoying yourself, Captain?"
He felt her smile against him. "Yes, even in all this cliché."
"Cliché? Not sure Neelix would appreciate that."
"Come on, Chakotay." She lifted her head from his shoulder. "Even you have to admit this is a little contrived." She chuckled softly. She lifted her hand, motioning outward. "A romantic table setting. A moonlit walk on the shore. Gentle waves. Soft sand at our feet."
"And the drinks with the little umbrella in it."
"Yes, even those."
Chakotay cleared his throat slightly. "You'd almost think I was trying to play my cards right."
She cocked her head.
He rolled his eyes. "Captain, I promise my intentions are honourable."
Kathryn tilted her chin upward. "I would expect nothing less from you." She returned her head to his shoulder.
It was no sooner after she had said this, when they turned a corner, and came upon a solitary bed placed on the beach. It was draped in sheer, white fabric which waved softly in the breeze.
Kathryn stopped. She released his hand and turned slowly toward him, a hand moving to her hip. "Is this your next move, Commander?" her tone deepened.
He smiled as he shook his head. "No, not mine. But possibly something designed by your all-star pilot".
She offered a cheeky grin and walked slowly toward the bed. She tested its firmness, and seemingly pleased with it, she pushed aside the sheer fabric curtains, and sat on its edge.
Adjacent to the bed, sat a small table with a decanter of wine and two glasses.
He brought the decanter to his nose and inhaled. He was pleased by the aroma of violets, blackcurrant, and notes of cedar and spice.
"May I offer you a glass?"
"Please."
He sat carefully beside her on the edge of the bed as he poured the wine. "I've been meaning to ask you. Have you ever thought of growing your hair long again? I miss it."
She reached up to run her fingers through her hair. "I don't. Saves me so much time in the morning now. Besides, who has time to style their hair when there's the Borg to fight."
He smirked. "Long or short, I'm glad you decided to let it down tonight".
She smiled slightly at his remark and accepted the glass he offered.
"Kathryn," he began softly. "If I may say so, you seem at peace tonight."
She turned toward him as she contemplated his words. "You know, I do believe you are right, Commander. I do feel at peace tonight. It has been a while since I've enjoyed some down time."
"It suits you," he confessed as he took a sip of the wine. "You really should make more time in here for yourself."
"I know." She turned her body toward him and took a sip of wine. "But there are so many others who require it before me."
He shifted carefully. "I don't believe so. You're the heart of this operation, Kathryn. We all benefit from a restful, happy Captain." He raised his glass to her, offering it as a toast.
She lightly touched her glass against his. Her smile faded. "I know. It's just…."
"What?"
"I have a lot on my mind."
He swallowed. "And what might be heavy on your mind now?"
"Thoughts."
"What kind of thoughts?"
She shifted slightly beside him. Her hand moved to take his. "I have never said so, Chakotay," she said as she inhaled slowly. "But I am sorry for all you have lost."
"Lost?" he replied quickly. "What? Branded a traitor and a rebel by the Federation? A future in chains." He let his face turn to her as his smile widened. "No, Kathryn. I haven't lost anything."
"I was referring more to personal loss. The time that was taken from you." She sighed. "You didn't ask for any of this." She lowered her eyes. "None of this was your decision, but you have always been such a comfort to me."
He dipped his head slightly. "Honestly, getting lost out here, with you, and Voyager, I have never had more offered to me." He moved his thumb tenderly against her hand. "Just being here, holding your hand, is more than I could have hoped for."
She released his hand suddenly. He expected her to move away from him, but instead he felt only a slight hesitation before she draped her arms around him, pulling herself closer to him.
Chakotay carefully twisted to take the wine glass from her hand and he placed it on the bedside table with his.
He was pleased she let him return to the embrace, and he pulled her in tightly, resting his head against hers. His hands were still against her back; grateful for the gift she was giving him.
She had always held him at a distance, despite all his obvious displays of affection. She kept the distinct line of Captain and First Officer from blurring, dutifully following a code of conduct engrained in her from Starfleet. She allowed herself only limited interactions on the ship, choosing to spend most of her time in solitude. When she desired human contact, she reserved herself to only slight interactions with Tuvok and himself.
In the past six years, despite all their cherished times spent together, they had never been this close. And now, to feel her soft skin under his palm, he was hesitant to move his hands, scared his gentle touch would frighten her away.
It was some time before she moved, before he felt her head lift. Her cheek brushed slightly against his.
"Hey," was all he could mutter as their eyes met.
"Hey," she returned. She lowered her eyes to his lips.
Her breath was warm on his skin, sweet from the wine that clung to her red lips.
He reached to push her hair behind an ear. He let his fingertips trail her lobe, brush softly against the line of her jaw.
She bent her head forward, and slowly, tenderly, pressed her lips to his.
He waited for her to move first. Hesitant desperation gripped his chest, quickening the blood flowing through his body. His breath struggled.
Her tongue, sweet and warm, pushed between his lips as the kiss deepened.
He shifted, guiding her willingly, slowly down to the bed. His hands moved down her body, over the silk of her dress, down the smooth skin of her leg. He grasped behind her knee to draw her against his body.
He pulled back to look at her, to see her eyes open slowly and her smile widen. He moved his hand slowly up her leg, to move within her dress. His touch was gentle, carefully exploring new flesh, cooled from the night's air. She shifted and moved her body closer to his, lifting hips, and torso. She gripped his body, and pulled him down onto her, letting him press further into her.
His kiss trailed along the line of her jaw. He nuzzled against her, kissed lobe, and neck, edged on further by her breath against his ear, the soft moans from the back of her throat.
"Chakotay," she whispered.
He moved back to her lips, his hunger growing stronger.
"Chakotay…"
His fingertips trailed the soft skin of her sides, played carefully with the curve of her breast.
Her hands reached up to take his face and she pulled him back to look down on her.
Her lips. Her smile. He read the all too familiar look in her eyes and he knew instantly. He removed his hand from within her dress. It fell silent against her calf.
The line was blurring between them, and there was a warning in her eyes. There was a danger in taking things too far. A risk of command. A risk of duty.
He smoothed the dress at her hips as he felt her leg pull from him. Her hands dropped to her side. He immediately felt cold without her touch.
He met her eyes once more, saw the thin lipped smile spread across her face. He closed his eyes and sighed.
She shifted beneath him, lifting her head to place one final kiss to his lips.
"Oh! I-I-I-," stammered a voice beside them.
Chakotay sat up slowly to look in the direction of the voice. A short, stout figure shuffled on the sand. He squinted as the silhouette of Neelix could be made out in the moonlight.
"I didn't mean to, Commander," he continued. "It's just my weekly dip you see."
Chakotay moved slowly toward Neelix and he turned to see Kathryn lift herself from the bed gracefully.
"C-C-Captain," Neelix muttered as she drew near to him. "I'm so sorry, if I had known–"
"It's all right, Neelix." She placed a hand to the Talaxian's bare chest. "We have prolonged our stay long enough in your wonderful program." She cocked her head. "Enjoy your swim."
"Th-th-ank you, Captain."
She turned to Chakotay, motioning them toward the stone steps. "Shall we, Commander?"
"Captain," he replied obediently, nodding.
When out of Neelix's sight, a soft, slender hand moved into his, and their fingers entwined. He looked down to see her smile up at him and he took a cleansing breath.
In the distance, they heard a splash.