"Who would have known that she would ruin you?"

Janeway woke to Seven's fingernails tracing circles on her extended forearm. Her other arm was still looped above Seven's head where she was embarrassed to realize she was already idly playing with Seven's hair.

When Seven felt she was awake, she slid a thigh across her legs and whispered, "Good morning," without ceasing her fingernails on Janeway's arm loosely wrapped around her.

Kathryn smirked. "Good morning. The crew can never find out you spent the night in here."

She yawned and asked why.

"They're going to assume we slept together."

"Then I guess it no longer matters if we do or not since they will assume it either way," she tried cutely.

Kathryn slid her arm away from Seven's hand but didn't cease running her fingers through her hair.

"Nice try."

Seven's hand lay on Kathryn's stomach. Kathryn watched as it nervously twitched before giving into the impulse to slide under her shirt and pet her stomach.

Kathryn moaned an objection, Seven pouted and she gave up most of her resistance. Seven slid up her shirt so they could watch her fingers trace along Janeway's abs and circle her navel.

"Have you ever been penetrated here?" Seven asked her deviously and Kathryn laughed.

"Stop pushing it. I should have already thrown you out of here."

Seven grunted but silenced herself for a while. Soon her palm flattened over Kathryn's stomach and rubbed below her navel to play at her waistline.

"Careful," Kathryn warned her and she resumed her playful tracing over her abs.

They were silent for a while before Seven asked, "So how many women have you slept with?"

Kathryn guiltily stiffened. "Um."

"That many?" Seven asked curiously.

Kathryn felt her cheeks burn with a blush.

"Not that many," was all she could attempt to say.

"How many women have you dated?"

Kathryn wasn't going to answer her questions, but she also couldn't remember much with Seven's fingers dancing over her stomach.

"Uh, none, I think. Never dated a woman."

Seven laughed incredulously. "Captain, please."

"What?" she breathed into the blonde hair on her shoulder.

"Have you slept with a woman since you came aboard Voyager?"

"Definitely not. Everyone on Voyager is under my command. If I slept with a woman under my command, that would reflect very poorly on me."

Seven's fingers stopped their play momentarily as she reflected on that, then, realizing it was a tell which Janeway had noticed, resumed playing.

"Everyone thinks you sleep with Chakotay," she attempted a casual tone as if Kathryn would not know she was asking.

Kathryn breathed for a few seconds before replying.

"Everyone needs to mind their business."

Seven pouted.

"I guess he's the reason you won't kiss me."

"Seven," she sounded slightly distressed. She was tired of repeating herself. "I can't kiss you. I'm not allowed. It's not whether I do or don't want to, but I told you I want to. However, I can't."

"You can kiss him but not me?" she prodded instantly.

God, they were going to fight again. Fuck. Janeway tried to stroke her hair, but she defiantly shook her head free and leaned up to give her a searing gaze.

Janeway froze in her gaze. She always did. Those eyes. It was like looking directly into the sun. Her beauty was dazzling, with the fire of Omega burning in her emerald eyes. She looked like an Angel. Like a real Angel from the Bible, beautiful and deadly. Painfully perfect and simmering with petulant impatience.

"I ... he's a man. We are the same age. No one would think I am seducing him."

Seven's gaze flicked to her mouth and back to her eyes.

"Is this the source of your conflict? The crew will assume you seduced me with your Command Authority and are enjoying an improper sexual relationship with me?"

Kathryn smiled and exhaled some. It was a relief Seven just said it, however painful it was to hear aloud.

"Or they could discover an even more uncomfortable scenario where you are the aggressor, and I was actually seduced by a much younger woman under my command whose advances I easily succumbed to."

Seven chuckled. Janeway blushed and looked away from her.

Seven raised a hand to touch Janeway's cheeks, drawing her lines along where her palm had smitten it.

"I'm sorry I slapped you," she breathed. "Twice."

Janeway smiled at her. "You slapped me three times."

Seven laughed devilishly.

"And shoved me against the wall twice. Pointed a phaser at me several times. Threatened to kill me Several times and attempted it on a few. You constantly stalk me around the ship."

Seven blushed and laid her head back down on Kathryn's shoulder.

"I thought you loved the Stalker/Prey game," she started playfully. "I was planning to sneak in your cabin while you're sleeping to smell your panties."

Kathryn squeezed her. "Seven, do not even joke about that."

"It's not a joke. I smelled them all last night while you were sleeping."

"This is the kind of joke that could get me cancelled, no problem, baby."

"I even smelled the ones you're wearing," she continued in an evil little tone.

"Seven," Kathryn popped her hand sneaking back under her shirt. "I told you to be good."

Seven's hand shot to her face and clasped it. She stared into Kathryn's shocked eyes.

"Did you strike me?"

Kathryn's heart started beating so fast she could hear blood rushing in her ears. She shook her head nervously as she stared in Seven's transfixing eyes.

Seven cracked a smile and released her face. "Kathryn, I'm playing."

Kathryn breathed.

"Wow, I can feel your heart beating," Seven told her. She peered in Kathryn's eyes. "Whoa, that scared the hell out of you."

Kathryn swallowed and looked around the room. "It's fine. You were joking."

Seven eased back onto her shoulder but Kathryn's body was rigid.

"Your heart is still racing," she remarked after a pause.

"I feel it. It will stop."

"Are you actually afraid of me?"

"What?" she stammered. "Oh. No. It's not that."

"I can understand. I have struck you several times."

"No, I'm not scared you'll hurt me. I'm not scared of the pain," she sounded slightly dazed out. Seven wondered if her blood pressure was dropping because of her heart's exertion. She ran a gentle hand on her arm again to sooth her. Janeway sighed at her touch, so she continued in silence.

"I thought we were going to fight. And that's scary."

Seven thought about her comment before asking, "Because we could hurt each other?"

Kathryn was silent so long she turned her face to look at her.

"Of course."

"I won't hurt you, Kathryn," Seven told her sweetly, "Not for real. I think I slapped you because you were being so difficult, and cute. Sometimes when you're cute I just want to pop your face."

"I know," Kathryn replied miserably.

"And anyway," Seven continued nervously, "You always smile like it pleases you."

Kathryn's silence was palpable. Seven slid a hand up her shirt and she didn't have the words to stop her. Soon the Borg's fingernails were tracing over her abs, finding new pathways along her carved-out hips.

"I can't, uh," Janeway started speaking drowsily, "I can't let you hit me. That's not allowed. Do you understand?"

"I only did it because you," Seven pouted, "you like it."

Kathryn sighed before continuing. "I understand. That's why I didn't get mad or punish you. But please don't slap me or say what you just said, ever again."

Seven sat up and peered at her laying against the couch's rumbled cushions. She looked so sexy for a woman her age.

"So, you do like it," she stated carefully while staring into Kathryn's eyes.

Kathryn averted her eyes. "I didn't say that. And I wouldn't say that. And I am asking you to never say that."

Seven gazed into her eyes and deciphered all her thoughts, finally. She tilted her head upon realization.

"I didn't scare you by grabbing you like that. I excited you."

Kathryn moved to rise and Seven pressed her back down.

"Seven, it's time for you to go. Please don't be noticed leaving my cabin, and please don't tell anyone you spent the night on the couch."

The words 'on the couch' landed terribly. She saw the hurt flash in Seven's eyes. She rose to leave with a devastated pout.

Kathryn sat up on the couch to watch her leave. She felt terrible about how their conversation ended. She wanted to offer some nicety, but she knew Seven would shut down anything insincere she might voice.

Seven turned at the door and gazed at her with a mixture of hurt, disappointment, and anger. Just seeing that angry look made Janeway want to chase after her and pin her against the wall. She breathed to control herself.

"Kathryn, don't get cute with me if you don't want to suffer the punishment."

Kathryn could not control the smile that crept across her face. She wanted so badly to reply cutely but she knew Seven would set upon her and they would end up having sex. Kathryn's entire mission objective here was to avoid having wild, rough sex with Seven of Nine.

"I will remember. Seven?"

Her back was turned but she stopped to listen.

"My job is to ignore everything I feel for you. I told you my hands were tied, and I meant it. This isn't about what I feel for you. I wish things were different, but they aren't."

"Kathryn, you'll be broken inside until you find a way to be with me."

She winced. "I know. I just wish you could be spared." She sighed heavily. "Seven, everyone on this ship wants to be with you. Please forget about me."

Seven's eyes lined with tears which Janeway could not see.

"How could I forget what we feel for each other, Kathryn? What you are asking is unfair."

"And what you are asking me is also unfair," Kathryn pled.

Seven hung her head.

"You act like love is a mistake."

"It's not loving each other that isn't allowed. The sex isn't allowed."

Seven smirked.

"Maybe if you weren't such a freak..." she said playfully as she left.

"Says the woman who threatened to smell all my panties!" she called after her with irritation.

She watched with horror as Chakotay appeared in the door and stared at her with wide eyes.

"Fuck," she laughed guiltily.