Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek Voyager, I do however own this plot and the original characters.
That morning, while the fiery redhead worked harder than she ever had since she accepted the mission, Icheb sat in his seat on the bridge tensely, glaring holes into the carpet. He had gotten almost no sleep that night, and the little sleep he did get was filled to the brim with irrepressible images of the woman he was completely in love with. As always, it was entirely his fault and he knew he had to deal with the consequences. He knew she would still be upset with him, no doubt try to avoid him that day. It didn't help matters at all that his voracious need for her to be in his arms distracted him from his duties more so now than ever.
"Something wrong, Icheb?" Tom asked curiously, having been giving him a look of concern for a while now, without the littlest bit of inclination that the younger man noticed. He glanced around then, making sure he had not accidentally disrespect his Captain by calling him by his name in front of any wet-behind-the-ears crew members. He ignored Tuvok's raised brow and relaxed when that was not the case.
Icheb inwardly sighed at the question, knowing his dismal mood would have been picked up by those closest to him. "Nothing is 'wrong'," he responded automatically, his tone bordering on mechanical. It was partially true, neither he nor Naomi regretted what they had done, not really, but they were now facing the very same troubles Naomi had been trying desperately to avoid. As usual, he had let his passions get away with him again... it was his fault for their suffering.
Tom Paris knew better. Ever since they started this mission, Icheb had been spiraling into a rigid state of stress... and he knew it had nothing to do with the success of the mission. Well, very little to do with it at any rate. Since the little party, Tom had become aware of the strain between the young officer and the former innocent babe of Voyager. Though it was plain to see that she was no longer innocent, especially when it came to her interactions with the very young Captain. It was a very interesting development he and B'elanna had been keeping an eye on since then. Those two thought they were fooling everyone, keeping their obvious feelings for each other from the public eye.
"You have an argument with Cadet Wildman?" Tom's brow rose in a challenge, expecting Icheb to deny it.
Startled, Icheb stared at his old friend in surprise. How much did the man know? "Not... exactly..." he muttered in denial, glancing around the Bridge cautiously. No one seemed to be listening in on the quiet conversation.
"Don't sweat it, even the best of friends can get into a huge row and not talk to each other again for a few days," Tom assured him. While he was fully aware that the two seemed to be more than friends, he was tactful enough to keep Icheb thinking their secret was safe. It didn't mean that he couldn't play wing-man though, even if the younger man didn't realize that was what he was doing!
"Yes... you're right. I will keep that in mind," Icheb shifted uneasily in his seat, getting the impression that is first officer was hiding something, knew too much somehow. In an effort to distract himself, Icheb decided to ask something that he had been wondering about. "What is the Admiral doing these days? I don't see her much?" he asked aloud.
"I'm not sure," Tom shook his head.
"I believe Admiral Janeway is attempting 'bond' with the crew and help aid them in matters of scientific pursuits," Tuvok answered without looking up from his station.
"Is that why B'elanna's been testier than usual?" Tom joked, mostly to himself.
"Pretty sure it's you that's making her testy," Harry mentioned idly, working hard at his own station to get everything in order with the project before the midday report.
"I'll be in... my ready-room if anyone needs me," Icheb told them, getting up and leaving the bridge. Tom noticed the troubled look in his friend's eyes and wondered if the little tease about B'elanna reminded him about his own fight. Figuring the young man could use some advice, specifically in the privacy of the room where they could talk about Icheb's true feelings, he followed him in. "Tom, how can I help you?" Icheb asked as he sat on the long couch to look out into the stars.
Tom Paris stood in the center of the room, regarding the younger man curiously. "Permission to speak freely?"
"Always," Icheb replied quietly.
"Icheb," the Commander began seriously, catching his attention. "I know what's going on between you and Naomi," he said simply.
Icheb stared at him for a good while, feeling unsure whether he should deny anything 'going on' or not. "Will you report us?" he questioned levelly.
"Of course not," Tom frowned. "You really think I'd do that to either of you? Besides, you're not at the academy anymore-"
"She's still a Cadet," Icheb interrupted. "Procedures states that-"
"With all due respect, Icheb, procedures don't always know what's best in every situation. Does it even matter?" Tom shook his head and walked over to sit on the chair across from him. "You love her?"
Icheb didn't even hesitate. "Yes."
Tom smiled at his quick reply. "Then it's worth the risk. Don't let precious moments slip by because of procedure; you'll never know if you'll ever get the chance later. Besides, none of us would ever say anything or judge either of you. You two are like siblings to us! Sure, you're unconventional siblings that have the hots for each other but..." he trailed off teasingly, smirking at the subtle flush on the younger man's cheeks.
"We are not like siblings," Icheb muttered dryly.
"Not anymore you're not," the older man grinned wider.
"...Indeed. Who else knows?" Icheb asked cautiously.
"I don't think anyone really knows. B'elanna does, but only because she was with me when I really took notice of you two. I have a suspicion Tuvok and the Admiral might know too, not sure though," Tom shrugged.
"Perfect," Icheb sighed and leaned back in his seat. He didn't like the idea of too many of them knowing, since it could be a risk in 'the secret' getting out and getting back to Starfleet. Perhaps he was being overly paranoid though. Still, he was slightly relieved that he at least had someone to talk to about this. "It's simply that-"
At that moment, both of their communicators went off. "Tuvok to Paris and Hansen. We are being hailed by a Cardassian vessel, pursued by another." Both men stiffened and stood quickly, rushing to the bridge.
"Let's see it," Icheb suggested, stepping to the center of the room. The screen showed a small Cardassian research vessel being fired on by a heavily armed Bajoran frigate. "Answer hails."
"It's audio only," Harry told him, placing the call through.
"…-Being attacked by… Request…. transport!…. Please help…. warp core…. breach… fifteen seconds!…. hurry!" said a frantic voice through the ship's amplifiers.
Icheb tensed. "Red alert!" he called before whipping his head over to Harry. "Bring him on board!"
Harry Kim's fingers danced across his station as he worked to quickly save the man's life. "We have him, sir."
"Security detail to Sickbay," Tuvok spoke into his badge.
"Ensign, full reverse impulse. Back us away from that ship," Tom told the officer at the helm. Part of him itched to take control, but knew he had to give the prospecting pilots a chance to 'drive' too. Voyager narrowly avoided the explosion of the small craft, rocking from the effect. Now they had the bigger ship who attacked it in the first place to deal with.
"Hail the Bajoran ship," Icheb ordered. A very disgruntled old Bajoran man sat at the edge of his seat on his bridge, glaring holes at the ones who dared stop him. "I am Captain Icheb Han-"
"What is the meaning of this? How dare you rescue that worthless scum!" The Bajoran growled. "Hand that piece of filth over to me!"
"Captain..?" Icheb ventured, trying to stall the enraged man.
"Rohn Vett," the man spat.
"Captain Vett, what has the man done to deserve your anger? Is he a criminal?"
"It's none of your business."
Icheb's jaw tightened. "Captain, we are not in the Bajoran system nor are we in the neutral zone. We are in Federation space, so you will tell me what is going on or I will have to use my authority to get involved." Icheb warned him, standing with his back straight and head held high. This was his first conflict as a Captain... he just wished it wasn't in such dire conditions.
The man bristled and squirmed angrily in his seat. "Very well," he glowered. "You would like to know why I've chased this... man? I'll tell you why. This man, has been charged with over five million counts of my peoples slaughter!"
Icheb suddenly understood what was going on. This man was part of the Kohn-Ma, a terrorist sect of the Bajoran people, much like the Maquis had been for the Federation before their elimination. They continually sought vengeance over the Cardassian occupation and subsequent brutality years ago. They were criminals to the Federation and Bajoran government alike and Icheb was suddenly burdened with the duty to bring justice to the situation. "You are Kohn-Ma, correct?"
"We are," the man snarled proudly, uncaring over the consequences of his admission. "I'll warn you just this once, Starfleet. Don't get in my way. Just had him over and we can part on civil terms."
Icheb noticed Kathryn step onto the bridge from the corner of his eye, but didn't look away from the agitated Captain. "You know I can not do that. Even if you were not Kohn-Ma and charged with acts of terrorism-"
The Bajoran stood from his seat, enraged. "Terrorism!? I am liberating my people!"
"The war is over, Captain," Icheb shot back, already having felt tense all morning and not having the required finesse and temperament to dealing with terrorists. Still, he had codes to go by and he would follow them to the letter. "Firing upon that ship in Federation space violates our treaty with the Cardassians. If you persist-" the screen went back to the view of the ship abruptly.
"They've cut off communication, sir," Harry mentioned.
"They are charging weapons," Tuvok warned them.
So 'peaceful negotiations' were over? Fine by him. If they didn't want to come peacefully, he would make them submit to justice. As much as he hated to associate himself with anything Borg, seeing as Voyager was the superior vessel, at this point the mechanical terrors' motto was given; their resistance would be futile. Icheb turned to Tuvok. "Disable their weapons."
Voyage fired on the ship, using their newly upgraded tactical operations and weapons to get through the attackers shields and damage their weapons before they could fire. That, however, did not deter them. "They're coming right at us, sir!" the Ensign at the helm said, panic evident in her voice.
"Evasive maneuvers," Icheb took his seat next to his first officer, bracing himself for the impending collision. Kathryn clenched the railing behind them, her eyes trained on the view screen. Every part of her that was still the Captain of Voyager for seven years told her to take command of the situation. However, every action Icheb had been taking so far eased her instinct, knowing in this trial by fire that he was doing admirably.
"They're making a charge, sir. They're on a collision course," Harry said, trying to do what he could to get the ship ready for the possible impact. "I don't think they want to risk getting arrested," he muttered to himself.
Icheb grimaced at the possibility, knowing a high speed impact like that would tear through their shields and cause a lot of damage. "Disable their engines. Tractor them in. We'll tow them to Bajor if we have to."
Tuvok attempted to fire on the ship where he detected their engines to be located, but something was wrong. "No effect. Their shields are back up. They are too close. Even if we managed to disable their engines, their momentum would reach us in twelve seconds," Tuvok explained.
Icheb glared at the carpet, knowing what he needed to do but hating it. "Deploy armor. Remove the threat," he said grimly. "Fire at will."
Kathryn quickly glanced around, watching her old crew quickly take the younger officer's orders immediately, never questioning his judgment. At that very moment, Kathryn knew Starfleet had made the right decision with him. Despite her belief that Icheb was an intrepid, brilliant young man, she had still inwardly questioned promoting Icheb so quickly to Captain, even acting. While, yes, a Captain needed the knowledge Icheb had absorbed while in the Academy, they still needed the command experience as a Commander to initiate them into total leadership. Kathryn feared that he would freeze, not know how to handle situations with a great need for command... but seeing him quickly take command of the situation and make practical, tactical decisions succinctly diminished her worry.
"Aye sir. Deploying armor." Tuvok input his commands and sent his orders to release a volley of quantum torpedoes. The torpedo fire tore through their shields and into the rapidly approaching ship. Unable to get away quick enough in time, Voyager's armor just finished its protective casing barely in time as the shock-wave of the massive warp-breach infused detonation jarred them violently. Sparks flew, lights blew, and people were unceremoniously flung from their stations. Their shields and the armor had absorbed most of the explosion fortunately, but dim lights and the smoke still spiraled around them ominously.
"Report!" Kathryn yelled, coughing as she forced herself up from where she fell.
Lights flickered back to life as the officers straightened and went back to their stations, checking the damage. "Reports coming in from all decks. Minimal damage thanks to the armor and only minor injuries," Harry announced with a sigh of relief, having feared worse.
Icheb resisted the urge to slump into his chair, but instead held himself still where he stood after being knocked out of it. With all the improvements they made to the ship, they still hadn't implement seat belts. "I'll give my report to Starfleet in my ready-room. Admiral, will you join me?" he asked, hoping Kathryn's experience in diplomacy could help with the potentially tense situation.
"Lead the way," Kathryn motioned with her hand and followed him in.
Icheb and Kathryn stood by Icheb's computer and sent a message to Starfleet, explaining the situation and the result of the conflict. Within moments a call went through from Starfleet, and they were surprised it was from Admiral Benjamin Sisko on Deep Space Nine. "Admiral, good to see you," Kathryn smiled.
"Always a pleasure, Kathryn," Sisko smiled tightly, then turned to Icheb. "...Captain Hansen, is it?" Sisko questioned, appraising the young Captain curiously. He had heard of Icheb Hansen's promotion through his channels in Starfleet, had been with high ranking officers to discuss the former Borg's valuable contributions and insights. Even Admiral Picard had taken an interest in him. Admiral Janeway had a lot to say about him and he had spoken at lengths with the former Voyager Captain about all the things they had endured with his hated enemy when they returned from the Delta Quadrant. He had been interested in the careers of both of the former Borg who aided the Federation, particularly this ambitious young officer who seemed to be gunning for them.
"Yes sir," Icheb nodded, holding himself as confidently as he could. Icheb had done is own research before and knew full well who Benjamin Sisko was and his accomplishments. Sisko was well known for his terrible history with the Borg and how he fought valiantly to defeat them.
Sisko leaned forward in his seat, resting his entwined hand on his table, near his baseball. "I was surprised to get the message from Starfleet to address this situation. You said in your report that Kohn-Ma attacked you?"
"Yes sir," Icheb replied again, trying to remain calm.
Sisko noticed how stiffly the young man held himself. "You're not in trouble. At ease Captain, before you pop a vessel," he said in an attempt to alleviate the tender situation. Icheb visibly relaxed but only slightly. Sisko figured it would be the best he could get so went on. "I've had dealings with Kohn-Ma, I know how unreasonable they can be. I'm sorry to hear you had to resort to such drastic measures," he mentioned gravely.
"They would have destroyed us," Icheb told him, coming to terms with the fact. He tried not to glance at his old Captain for her confirmation, for support; he had to start growing up and taking command some time. Icheb knew that Kathryn was remaining silent for his benefit and he appreciated her for it. "It is unfortunate we could not bring them to justice, or at least let their government deal with the matter themselves."
"Hm," Sisko nodded in agreement. "Things don't always go the way we want it," he said, though by his tone it sounded more like he was speaking of his own experiences.
"Admiral, would you be willing to assist us with this matter? I'm afraid we can't get too involved in political matters at this moment," Icheb asked.
"I would be happy to help. I will see to it personally, Captain. I've been looking forward to getting some excitement in. The Defiant has recently undergone a re-activation and refit. I will see about getting it out to aid you with this. We'll take the Scientist off your hands then. Maybe he can find transport back to Cardassia from one of the stations," Sisko told him.
"Thank you, sir. We'll transport him over as soon as you arrive," Icheb nodded.
"That may take a while," Sisko warned him.
"Understood, sir," Icheb nodded.
"If you care for a little company, Captain, Admiral, I would be thrilled in assisting you with the project?" Sisko offered, not letting the chance to aid them in this momentous event escape him.
Icheb thought about it. Even after it's reconstruction, the Defiant was an extremely versatile little ship with many upgrades of its own even before subsequent refittings. They could certainly assist them and provide extra help to them if events turned sour. "Thank you, Admiral, we would appreciate the assistance," he agreed.
"Excellent! I'll see you both soon," Sisko grinned.
When the call ended, Icheb stood staring out his window pensively. "First conflict as a new Captain. Relish these moments, Icheb, pretty soon they'll become routine," Kathryn smiled carefully, trying to break through the young man's obvious dismal mood.
"I'm not sure I can feel good about what happened, Admiral," Icheb mentioned stiffly. "Even if they were terrorists, they were still living beings. We killed them... I killed them."
Kathryn studied him, inwardly nodding in approval. Most new Captains would feel thrilled at their first taste of combat in their command, particularly a 'victor' such as this one. Icheb remained analytical and humbled by the situation. The more she observed from the new Captain, the easier she felt it was going to be to release her treasured ship over to him. "They fired on us first," she argued, trying to ease his conscience. "As you said, they would have tried to destroy us. You had no choice but to give the order. It was the right move."
"Maybe, but that doesn't mean it's easy to accept," he said glumly. His experience as a Borg, the little bit that it was, had him and his siblings abducting innocent people and torturing them to death, since they did not know exactly how to assimilate correctly. Icheb shuddered inwardly at the gruesome memories. "I held their lives in my hands."
"This wasn't you as a Borg drone," Kathryn reminded him gently. "It's never easy to deal with, for anyone. But you have to remember, you just saved the lives of not only your crew and the Cardassian scientist, but goodness knows how many other innocent people those terrorists might have gone after," Kathryn explained. "The burden of command, Icheb, is knowing that sometimes you have to make ugly decisions... even if it means chipping away at your soul for the good of others."
Icheb nodded in understanding, staring unseeingly into the gaping maw of space, trying to calm down from the incident. "If you don't mind, I'm going to stay here and try to clear my mind," he said quietly.
"Of course. I'll go check on our guest," Kathryn pat him on the shoulder affectionately and left him in peace. Icheb sat at his desk and sent his instructions for accommodations for their temporary guest, then sat back and stared out of the window once more, mind filled with troubled thoughts both recent and from long ago. It took Icheb a little longer than he was comfortable with getting over the incident, wondering again how ready he was at being a Captain. When he returned to the bridge, however, the approving looks from the former crew eased his mind. Maybe everything would work out?
Several hours later Naomi stood with her supervisor, blinking in astonishment at the success their calibrations and data mining collected. If things went as well as this, they could establish a proper link to the other side of the galaxy to boost their wormhole's stability. "This is good," Naomi smiled.
"It is. The Captain will be pleased with your efforts. Good job, Cadet," Jeremiah smiled.
"Thanks, Lieutenant," Naomi grinned back. She was finally starting to get the usually stuck-up Lieutenant to warm up to her, which meant her work was a lot more relaxed and enjoyable. The thought of reporting to Icheb about it though, while it was certainly make him and the rest of the team happy, also meant she would have to look at him after not properly dealing with what happened between them. She had known it would complicate things between them if they ever let themselves get carried away, but was very tired of fighting it at the same time. Naomi thanked her furious attempts to focus on her work, and then the sudden attack earlier, for distracting her... but now it was time to face the music.
During the meeting that afternoon, ever the observant one, Tom Paris watched his two youngest friends interact with interest, casting a shared knowing look with B'elanna. If the trouble earlier with the Bajoran and Cardassian crisis was enough to stress their Captain out, Naomi Wildman's clipped tone and refusal to look at him properly made it even worse. Naomi's report was very good news for them, but Icheb only seemed to be able to send pleading looks her way. Naomi on the other hand seemed to be determined to not notice. Something had to be done, and Tom had an idea. Naomi only spared Icheb a brief look and addressed him with respect before retreating with everyone else. Tom followed his wife through the corridors, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Alright, what's with the face?" B'elanna questioned.
"What face? This one?" Tom pointed at himself and grinned boyishly.
"You're cute when you're plotting something," the half Klingon smirked. "What is it?"
"I think it's time we help our good Captain out a little," Tom grinned.
"I didn't see anything wrong with him?" B'elanna rested a hand on her hip. "Are you trying to butt into his romantic life?"
Tom snorted lightly. "He doesn't seem to have a romantic life, that's the problem!"
"Tom, it's really none of your business. Besides, you can't just hook him up with whoever yo-"
"Naomi Wildman," Tom interrupted with a knowing smirk.
"Really, Tom?" B'elanna rolled her eyes. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this."
"You saw it yourself! Those kids look about ready to pop! They have their panties bunched up for each other bad and they're clearly avoiding it."
B'elanna scrunched her nose at his colorful description and rolled her eyes. "They're hardly kids anymore."
"Mmhm..." Tom nodded slowly, his mirthful eyes dancing with plans.
B'elanna pinched the bridge of her nose, knowing there was no way of stopping her husband when he had his mind set on something. Still, this was better than letting him try to rope Harry into this. "And you think you can help him with romance?"
Tom crossed his arm and leaned in toward her. "Well, I romanced you didn't I?" his grin widened.
B'elanna kissed his cheek tenderly. "I'll give you that one, flyboy," she relented. "Alright, what is it? I may as well play referee."
Tom rubbed his hands together. "Great! Alright, here's what we'll do..."
That evening, after her shift ended Naomi swung her head around when a familiar voice called to her, stopping to let B'elanna catch up to her. "What's up, B'elanna?" she asked curiously.
"Well," B'elanna began, hooking her arm around the younger woman's, directing her down the hall. "I just wanted to ask you if you'd be willing to try a new and very fun holodeck program with me! Before you try to get out of it, we've all noticed how hard you've been working and the progress you've made. It's very impressive, little Wildman, but you need as much of a break as anyone else on this ship."
"I don't know," Naomi sighed, rubbing her neck. She had been feeling very pressured and frustrated lately. "What kind of program is it?"
"It's just a run, with a bit of an obstacle course in it, nothing too stressful but enjoyable all the same," the older woman smiled.
"A run?" Naomi's eyebrow lifted. "Like a race? With what?"
"Not really a race, just a stress relieving run and with you're feet of course. Nothing like getting the blood pumping and heart racing like an old fashion jaunt through the woods."
Naomi inwardly snorted unladylike. She certainly didn't need her heart racing or blood pumping these days, but she trusted in her friend's lead. "Alright, I guess I can give it a shot."
"That's the spirit! Come on." Naomi let her all but drag her down the corridor.
Elsewhere, Tom was having a bit of trouble trying to convince his Captain in doing much the same. "All I'm saying is as a Captain we've all noticed how stressed you've been. Especially with the incident earlier! A bit to distract yourself with an old chum will help, trust me."
"Why do I get the feeling you're up to something?" Icheb asked warily.
"Me?" Tom pointed at himself comically. When in doubt, use humor! Unfortunately, as adapted as Icheb had become to their culture, it didn't seem to work so well with him.
"Tom," Icheb pressed.
"Come on, Captain! I promise you'll enjoy it," Tom insisted.
Icheb let out a breath, knowing the older man was up to something but agreeing that he could use a break. Besides, he was due to come off duty in a few minutes anyway, he may as well. "Alright..." he agreed reluctantly, allowing the happy-go-lucky officer guide him out. When they reached the holodeck door, Icheb found himself staring at B'elanna and a very exasperated Naomi, who was giving said half Klingon an annoyed look. Knowing nothing good could come out of whatever it was Tom had planned, Icheb decided a tactical retreat was in order. "I believe I neglected to finish a report to Starfleet. I'm afraid I'll-"
"-Oh no you don't! With all due respect, sir, and forgive me for going out of line with this, but Icheb, if you don't go in there and do something for your stress that's been distracting you all week, I will personally take a bat'leth to your head," B'elanna growled.
Icheb's jaw tightened slightly, unsure whether to point out how aggressive that threat was, or just go along with it. In the end he decided they were all too good of friends to bother with regulations anyway. Besides, at the moment he still very firmly resented regulations. "Very well," he agreed finally. Naomi followed them in silently, figuring the run would at least help clear her mind.
"The program is simple. This is a six mile run through the woods there and back. In the middle are a few obstacles and scenic routes in case you get bored," Tom explained. Right after explaining the function of the program, Naomi took off, demonstrating her athletic prowess she had acquired over the year. While Tom and B'elanna hung back slightly, Icheb pushed forward to catch up to her.
"Something I can do for you, Captain?" Naomi asked dryly, not even sparing him a glance.
"Naomi, you can't keep avoiding me," Icheb said as he kept pace with her.
Naomi continued to look straight ahead. "I'm not avoiding you. I'm... thinking."
"And have you finished thinking?"
"Icheb, you can't just keep doing this to me... to us," she began tensely. "You make me feel like I'm about to explode and then you push me away," she remarked in a low tone, hoping their friends behind them weren't listening in.
"I'm sorry, Naomi. I just... I would like to be a gentleman, and if we hadn't stopped last night, I would have... lost control. I wouldn't have been able to honor you," he explained.
"It's not just your decision you know," Naomi growled a little, irritated by his chauvinist view of the situation. "What if I wanted you to... lose control?" she told him quietly.
Icheb felt his breath leave him for a moment. "Are you saying you would be willing to be with me? In that capacity? You'd be willing to risk... us?"
The hope in his tone was almost too much for Naomi. "...I thought it was obvious," she blushed. "I suppose you still have a lot to learn about women."
"I feel as though I could study women for the rest of my life and never fully grasp the way they think and behave," Icheb muttered.
"You're right," Naomi laughed softly.
"So what now?" Icheb asked, still jogging along side her.
"Now?" Naomi suddenly had a thought. If she was playing hard to get, it may as well be literally too. "Now you try to catch me," she grinned.
"If I catch you, will you let me make it up to you?" Icheb asked hopefully.
"Yes," Naomi nodded, feeling a blush creep over her face, wondering what he had in mind. "-But I have to warn you, I've been keeping up with my physical training, it won't be easy."
"I will not underestimate you, Naomi Wildman... but do not underestimate me either," he smirked lightly. "When I catch you, you must let me do whatever I feel necessary to help alleviate you of your recent distress, agreed?"
Naomi shivered, once again wondering what exactly he was meaning to do. "I agree," she consented. Whatever it was, Naomi knew he would never do anything against her will or anything to hurt her. "Alright then, catch me if you can!" Naomi shot off.
Tom and B'elanna heard a little of their conversation, knew they had made a racing bet, and wisely backed off from the run, slowing to walk and smiling knowingly at them. If they wanted to act like a bunch of teenagers in love, they were absolutely willing to let them. They grinned at each other and decided to take the scenic route, give them privacy to be themselves. They watched as Icheb took absolutely no mercy on Naomi. The half Ktarian was certainly impressive, but Icheb was specifically conditioned.
The thrill of the chase was on. Naomi bit her lip, grinning, feeling him hot on her trail, finding it exhilarating to be chased by him. Her legs pushed forward, lungs expanding, she had the stamina of an athlete, but Icheb had his technology to fall back to. Naomi felt the rush of excitement fill her as he gained on her quickly, his strong long legs closing the gap between them rapidly. Icheb pursued her like a predator hunting his prey. Naomi could see his shadow merging with hers under the 'sun', could feel his presence right on top of her and she knew it was useless trying to evading him.
Before she knew it, she felt his unreasonably mesmerizing heat of his body surround her abruptly, stopping them in their tracks. Naomi laughed, struggling playful in his embrace; she felt his strong arms encircle her around the middle while a deep chuckle rumbled in his chest, letting her feel it against her back. Their laughter died off when they suddenly became acutely aware of each other and of their dangerous position, though neither made the slightest effort to pull away, too far gone now to care how badly at risk of getting caught they were. "I caught you," Icheb mentioned in an inviting tone.
"You did," Naomi agreed breathlessly.
The way she pressed to his body, fit against him perfectly, the long nights agonizing over her, spurred the familiar deep broil within Icheb. Making his mind up to what he wanted to do, he leaned in close to her. "Let me make it up to you," he whispered against her ear, his hot breath tickling her. "May I have permission to touch you?" he asked softly, voice low and inviting. Naomi stiffened and shuddered at the suggestive question, her heart hammering in her chest, heat swirling deep in her belly. Was he asking what she thought he was? Naomi knew this was probably a bad idea, knew it would completely wreck that balance, that concentration in her duties she had been trying so hard to attain, but she also knew she couldn't find it in herself to deny him, so she had no choice but to agree. She did give him her permission before, after all.
When he received a nod of approval, Icheb hesitated for only a moment, hoping she would not reject his actions. He leaned in a little, compensating for his height difference, before letting one of his hands that held her by the waist slowly migrate down those hips with a purpose. He stepped closer to her then, bending slightly over her for better reach, his chin all but resting over her shoulder, the perfect height for this. Having had previous practice with this, Icheb was confident he'd be able to give her an enjoyable experience. Yeah, they could have chosen a better time and place, but when opportunity struck, Icheb took it.
Naomi's eyes widened, feeling his hand slide over her hip until he was slipping a few fingers beneath her legging waistband teasingly, holding them still for a moment. It was as though he was still seeking her approval. Naomi's eyes shut, fighting her growing arousal, trying to stay silent, but pushed up into his touch, letting him know she wanted this. Icheb, as attentive as he had always been, understood her meaning and caressed her gingerly, making that little pool of heat between her legs boil, her heart racing at what she knew he was about to do.
Icheb slid his hand slightly up again, this time under her shirt and over her belly to press on it, sliding over her skin and playing patterns. He kept it there for a moment while his mouth found her bare shoulder easily, aided by the sportswear she had on. With his tongue and his hands on her body, pulling her solidly against him, he let her know without so many words how much this past month and the vivid memories of last night had been driving him crazy.
Naomi's head fell back against his shoulder in complete submission to his touch, eyes shutting again, her lips parting slightly in dizzying anticipation. Icheb used the new access to her neck to let his tongue trail sensually over her pulse point, pressing against it, feeling her heart raging within her. "Icheb..." Naomi moaned, her head rolling to the side. Icheb wrapped his lips over her neck, sucking lightly, enjoying her coos and little cries of delight as his fingers spread apart trailing up steadily. His arm brushed against her chest, against the hardened peaks of her breast, and Naomi couldn't stop the gasp of intense need from escaped her, the unavoidable throb of pleasure humming through her body demandingly.
Icheb nuzzled his cheek against hers almost reassuringly, so many months of craving her, so many nights awake fantasizing she was the one making him cry out. He would let her know, show her how he tormented her, make her cry his name. Icheb let his other hand slip low again, dipping fully under her waistband with clear intentions. His hand slid over her legs, aided by the soft, lose material of her sweats. Icheb felt her shiver against him then, and stilled a moment, teasingly over the bare skin of her inner thigh. Naomi squirmed a little, the feel of his hand hot and unbelievably distracting, her body jolting in response to his intimate touch.
Naomi's throat tightened, becoming a barren wasteland from his gentle and absolutely maddening ministrations, and he hadn't even started yet. Why hadn't he started yet? Naomi had no idea Icheb was this much of a tease! She wasn't sure whether to feel pleased by this, or exasperated because she knew he would be using it to his advantage. Icheb's long fingers hadn't moved from their precarious spot on her sensitive inner thighs, the pressure, the heat of them, a constant aching reminder to her of his intentions. Naomi did her best not to whimper in anticipation. This was not the touch of someone awkward or insecure as he had been in the past, this was a man's touch, a man who knew what he was doing, knew what he wanted, a man who had been keeping his desires chained up tightly for far too long.
Icheb's other hand pressed her further back, almost urgently as it slipped further up. Naomi gasped when his fingers grazing over the valley of her breasts, tenderly feeling her delicate swells stiffening harder under his fingers. He experimentally rubbed his thumb over a taut peak through her thin bra, testing it, enjoying the feel of her reacting to his touch. He began to rub her then, kneading her breast.
Naomi had no time to wonder just how much experience Icheb had, as his other hand began to move again, searching until he found where he wanted to be, dipping between her legs and finding her warmth. Icheb let his head drop, the upraised ridge of his nose resting on her shoulder as it had the night before, doing everything in his power not to completely lose control once more, doing everything he could not to rip her clothes off and drive himself into her body, there in the middle of the holodeck floor, uncaring who else was around. His breath escaped him when she pushed herself further into his hand as a result of his exploration, her breath already leaving her harshly. Icheb smiled at her impatience, she had always been impatient, and then very deliberately began to slide his hand over her heat, putting just a little bit of pressure on his strokes, just enough to make her pulsating need quicken dangerously.
"Icheb..!" Naomi hissed, her repressed need for more making her lose what little patience she still had left.
"Shh," he shushed her gently, a soft chuckle escaping him, making her feel the vibration against her back. Icheb knew he was driving her crazy, but it was all part of the plan. He slid his hand under her underwear then, hooking his fingers underneath the thin material obstructing his path. He heard her panting softly, felt how wet she was, slick with wanting. Icheb swallowed hard, shifting behind her as he forced himself to focus, to not react to her appealingly inviting reverberation.
Naomi felt her pulse in the heat of her belly, her body tingling at the feel of his long fingers, as he brushed aside the fabric. When Icheb slid his hand against her sensitive flesh, caressing her slowly, his fingers beginning to slide purposefully, exploring her, Naomi was unable to stop herself from eliciting a surprised cry, partly in pleasure, partly in frustration, feeling Icheb's own heart thundering strongly against her in agreement. Naomi strained against him, arching slightly again as he rubbed his hand over her enticingly, doing everything he could to make her lose her mind and succeeding.
"Icheb... please," Naomi begged softly, flushing at how submissive he had rendered her to him. She had never before been submissive in any sense, had held firm to her beliefs and asserted herself in her actions... but she had always had a weakness for him, even when they were kids and he got a little more firm in his directions. Naomi had always been willful, had gotten into trouble many times for it, but had also been respectful and understanding. This was different though, this was like a deep, inner lock was cracked and she lost all her will, falling into a pool of pliant surrender.
Naomi slipped her hands over his arms then, needing to distract herself. Her fingers traced over the curves of his irresistible physique, his muscles moving under his skin as he worked between her legs, feeling the power in his embrace, trapping her against his body. They were both aware that they were utterly destroying themselves now, but they were compelled to gravitate together.
In response to her plea, Icheb pressed harder, quickly finding where she needed him the most and mercilessly exploiting that tender little spot, knowing just where to rub, where to squeeze, until she was contorting wildly against him, sobbing in pleasure. Icheb was forced to press her harder against him, keep her still, making him gasp at the force he had to employ to stay controlled. Naomi's body twisted in his arms harder, completely at the mercy of his titillating touch, making her lip bleed as she bit down hard, panting harshly to keep herself as quiet as she could. Icheb felt himself stir impossibly at her violent reaction, but desperately did all he could to keep himself locked down, thankful once more to his unintentional Borg benefits.
Naomi's grip on him tightened, her legs losing the strength to keep herself upright as she shook with lust, relying on his supportive, trapping hold on her to keep her steady. She could feel his lips brushing against her skin, his breath tickling her as he nuzzled his cheeks against hers. Icheb leaned in further and she could feel his heat all but burning her back, her thin sportswear sticking to her as he pushed his hand further, the awkward angle making it challenging. Icheb was up for the challenge. He waiting to make his move until she was making breathless, high-pitch squeals, muffled through her clenched teeth with each twist, each rub, each agonizing torment to her aching arousal.
When he was certain she was about to explode, he stopped rubbing. "Ich..." Naomi cried out suddenly, not knowing how to properly speak anymore as he slipped a finger into her, followed by another, but held still. Icheb moaned at the feeling, she was so wet, so soft, and so tight... his need to fill her was overpowering. Naomi twisted again, her body trembling with repressed desire. And then he began to move, working in tandem with his stroking thumb over her soaked clit.
Naomi's mind went completely blank, a flash of unyielding sensation blinding her, brutally assaulting her body. She arched again, staining against his firm hold, unable to stop from releasing a hoarse, breathless moan, struggling to control herself as he pumped slowly. Icheb was calculated, knowing exactly what cords to play to make her sing, despite her failing resolve to stay silent. And then she was falling apart, forcing Icheb to cover her mouth with his other hand as her walls brutally clammed down on his probing fingers. Naomi whined in pleasure, the full body ecstasy making her entire body tense in his hold.
Pulling his hand away from her mouth, he slipped his fingers out, holding still a moment for her to calm down. Icheb groaned at his restraint over his own desire and began repeating his previous teasing until she was squirming in his hold once more. "Icheb..." Naomi hissed, but he simply smiled against her and continued to torture her pleasurably until she was putty in his hands. Naomi tried to grind into her hand, tried to squeeze her legs to help her screaming need, but Icheb held her still. Naomi had no idea she would find this assertive attitude from him so unbelievable arousing, but holy hell did she ever. In no time at all, his skilled fingers forced her body to bend to his will, making her quiver, desire so great it was painful as she groaned helplessly.
Icheb strained his hearing, but heard no one near them so far. Part of him was aware that they were still on the holodeck and not alone, but he hoped they still had a little more time, he wanted her to enjoy this as much as possible. His lips laid a soft trail from her delicate neck to her cheek until he nudged her with his. Naomi turned to him and he captured her mouth in a drowning, sweeping kiss while his fingers continued to ruthlessly play agonizing patterns over the exquisite warmth of his drowning carnal thirst, muffling her shuddering plaintive cries of desire. Icheb's other hand slipped to her other breast, slipping under her bra then to very gently pinch the taut nipple, rubbing it repeatedly. Naomi quaked against his body, his tongue in her mouth muting her squeals.
Naomi tore from the kiss then, arching again as he paused for a second, slipping his fingers out and keeping her exposed, not letting her reach her rapidly approaching climax, forcing her to steadily come down from her pleasurable high. "Icheb!" she whined in haunting yearning, the painful need to finish clouding her thoughts. The inescapable need to have him fully inside her, riding her into the ground was like a fever that was consuming her. "What... what are you..?"
Icheb felt a full body shiver surge through him, the agonizing need to quench his own desire making it nearly impossible to focus, but he was not finished just yet. He knew that he was all but tormenting her now, but if he was going to prove to her how much she meant to him, he would show her, he would make her feel how he felt. He would make her understand how much his nights were filled with torture, let her understand the extent of the fire he felt for her.
Icheb was intimately aware how much agony this would cause her, but he also knew how much she seemed to like his assertive behavior. When he had discovered this in Astrometrics the other day, he had been surprised for a while. She hadn't said anything of course, but he had sensed it. Under normal circumstances, Naomi had a fiery, dominant attitude, so the fact that she had liked it when he had cornered her, it had caught him off guard for a bit.
Keeping that in mind, Icheb's hold on her tightened, kissing her cheek soothingly. "Not yet," he whispered, waiting just enough to bring her down a little. "I'm not done yet," he told her, making her ache for him so much harder. Naomi moaned low in her throat when he decided he had waited enough and slipped his large hand over her again, slipping his finger against that agonizingly raw little bud, her sex slick, making it easy for him to render her ravenous and peeling with cries of desire.
Naomi tried desperately to not scream as he began to gently push his hip into hers from behind, pulling her body to him as he rocked into her purposefully. The unbelievable feeling of him thrusting his hips against her from behind inspired tortuous images of him pushing her to her hands and knees, rutting her like an animal. The unexpectedly aggressive, sexually arousing fantasy forced her to writhe and shake against him, clenching her teeth, head swimming.
Icheb let his body press into her again, his own breath leaving him harshly as she panted roughly against him, but he refused to let her thrust into his hand, to buck madly against his tormenting touch, knowing it would make her come too quickly. Naomi had known he was a bit of a tease before, but not like this. Icheb maintained a persistent rhythm, every now and then pressing her ass against his hips, every now and then slipping another finger in or out of her.
How long would he make her wait? How long would he make her sob in need for him? Torment her until she couldn't take it anymore? Naomi could feel her body seizing again, desperately clenching against his pumping fingers, needing her release, but she knew he was doing everything he could to pleasurably torment her into an excruciating slow orgasm. If there was one thing she knew about him, it was his mastery of determination... in this case, determination to squeeze as much pleasure from her as he could.
Footsteps. Low voices drawing near. Icheb cursed inwardly, knowing she was going to hate him for this, but if the others caught them, they would not hear the end of it. Icheb knew they would never betray them. It was still too much of a risk to take. His hand stilled then, knowing their time was unfortunately up, though he kept his hand where it was, making her writhe against him. "Icheb," Naomi whined. No, not like this, she was so close. "Please don't stop," she begged him, feeling like she was about to come completely undone at any moment. "No. No, don't do this again... not now."
"...I'm so sorry, Naomi, but I may have to..." Icheb said, heavy breathing betraying his normally technologically conditioned abilities failing him. Just like many times before, before their very undeniable cravings for each other could be alleviated, they were forced to remember that they had not come here alone. The footsteps of their companions drew closer and they knew they would have to once again part. "I'm very sorry, I... I suppose I forgot we were not alone," Icheb said quietly, very reluctantly pulling his hand away from her body as their friends neared. As strange as it was for him to neglect an important detail like Tom and B'elanna, Naomi could inspire the most uncharacteristic reactions from him.
Naomi nearly cried out in raw, mournful pleasure at the feel of his rough hand sliding out of her as he pulled away quickly. Her breath was harsh and her knees about to give out, her body screaming at her, but she forced herself to remain steady. Her body violently rebelled from his retreat but she did everything in her power not to vocalize her protest. "It's... okay," she replied with a struggle, forcing herself not to notice the once again intensely racking feeling of vehement lust that battered her body, mercilessly, achingly dissipating slowly. "I guess I... I guess forgot too," she admitted, taking a reluctant respectable step away from him and rushed to straighten her sportswear. Naomi really hadn't been thinking of Tom and B'elanna when she made that bet, hadn't thought of the consequences if he caught her, and certainly hadn't even remembered they were even on the holodeck when Icheb began his apology. This time, it was on her.
"What's going on here?" Tom asked curiously, a little knowing smirk toying on his lips. "Something wrong with your clothes?"
Icheb quickly hid his hands behind his back, using his familiar pose to clean himself off on his uniform temporarily. "We... had a race. I caught her and I was just making sure she was... undamaged," Icheb told him, holding himself straight, trying to look dignified. At the corner of his eye, he could see that Naomi was struggling to collect herself, visibly shaking and felt incredibly guilty at once again torturing her.
"And what was the priz-"
Tom was cut off when B'elanna kicked him hard in the calf. "So, either of you feel like going to dinner now? All this exercise has made me famished!" she asked, knowing their blossoming romance needed space to grow on their own. They had both noticed Icheb holding onto Naomi in a very intimate embrace, though only saw his back to them. From the distance, it looked like he was hugging her from behind, a little unusual for the amount of effort they had been making to stay distant. Even so, they didn't seem to want to part from each other any time soon, so that was good enough progress for her.
"I guess," Tom grumbled, not liking that he couldn't tease his little projects.
"Come on," B'elanna pushed Tom back down the path. "We'll get to the rest of the run a later time! You two join us when you're ready!"
Naomi and Icheb watched warily as their older friends marched back to the staring line with obvious intent. Naomi let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding and raked her hand through her hair. "God damn it, Icheb," she murmured in frustration.
"I'm sorry." Icheb had the good graces to look completely remorseful.
"...How am I supposed to concentrate on work now?" she sighed, still unable to look over at him.
Icheb shifted slightly. "If... if you'd like, since we have a little time left, I could help you reach-"
"No! If you- if we- again- no, Icheb, just no," Naomi shuddered and shook her head. "As... painful as it is, if you... do that again, we could be here for a lot longer."
Icheb's brow rose at the implication, his heart racing and skin heating up. "You may have a point," he conceded.
Naomi took a few more minutes to calm down before venturing a peek up at him. "So... dinner?" she asked tentatively, her heart now racing simply by looking over at him. Well, this was just perfect, wasn't it?
Icheb remained silent for a little bit, regarding her question. "My place or yours?" he finally asked, leaning in a little into her space suggestively.
Naomi felt her breath leave her again. "Icheb..." she groaned in exasperation, her face flushing Ktarian red. After what they had just done... any more time alone together would utterly shred them apart at the seams.
"I was... attempting humor," Icheb smiled reassuringly, noticing the look of panic in her eyes. He hadn't intended this to make things even more strained between them, had in fact thought to would lessen it. Now he could practically sense her fluster, her irritation, her desire, and he didn't know whether to feel guilty, frustrated, or aroused.
Naomi relaxed slightly and blinked when he offered her his hand. Her throat dried immediately, noticing it was that hand, but took it anyway, squeezing it when he entwined their fingers. They quite obviously still felt the pulsing rush of desire coursing through them, but knew that they couldn't do anything about it now. When they could, though, was still a struggle to come to terms with, since they didn't have a lot of time to be together during the mission. This was at least a step in the right direction for them though, and they had to reluctantly thank their nosy friends for pushing this on them.
However, how would they possibly be able to focus on the mission now?
TBC...
End A/N: Even I squirmed in my seat when I wrote this chapter. I always thought Tom and B'elanna would act like match makers, eager to help with their experience in romance with their friends? Icheb catching and pleasuring Naomi after the race was influenced by the song "See Through You" by Beacon, or actually, anything by Beacon really. By the way, this 9k+ word chapter is a complete and utter rarity for me, I thought the last chapter was going to be the only one like this! Don't expect others this long normally.
Shout Outs
The Cheshire Cheese: I didn't think the other timeline would work here and he'd still go by Joe. Time bonding with his creator would have most likely inclined him to a name closer to home. It made sense that Icheb would be struggling with self doubt, I just hope that I was able to appropriately show it further.