Chakotay was already late. 1800 hours was long past and he was only glad that he had a good excuse. The shuttles were being unloaded of the virilium he and the away team spent the day mining, amongst the steady stream of senior staff and former Maquis giving him congratulations. Word of the engagement spread rapidly through the crew that day. The away team even knew within an hour of his 'miraculous' return to the planet surface, and not from him. Though he enjoyed his friends' pats on the back he was anxious to leave.
He felt a tug on his sleeve and turned to see B'Elanna, grinning.
"Hey Chakotay, I'll relieve you. Go. Now. She's waiting."
He began to argue out of form but his friend merely pointed to the door at his words. He left.
Walking quickly through the corridors he called Kathryn over the comm without response. According to the computer she was in his quarters, probably asleep he thought. Having no intention of holding a meeting with the Captain but instead ravishing his fiancé, he hurried.
The doors opened to very quiet quarters. Chakotay went straight to the replicator for a peanut butter sandwich and large juice that he carried toward the bathroom. And almost dropped when he entered the bedroom.
Kathryn lay on her side on top of the covers, a throw bunched around her legs, the book of poetry under her hand. The shock to Chakotay was her attire. She was wearing the shirt. Albeit in a very sexy manner, the skin of her hips exposed to the waist as though she had been sleeping restlessly. And though he felt a twitch between his legs at the memory of just how soft that skin was to touch, it was still the shirt.
He should have destroyed that shirt years ago, he realized now. Burying it in the back of his closet hadn't been enough. He hated that shirt. It carried way too many painful memories and was way too symbolic.
To escape the sight he continued to the bathroom, stripping and getting under the hot water, eating his dinner between tasks. He let the heat soothe his tired muscles, knowing the relief would be temporary, that in the morning he was going to be stiff and sore as hell especially after the night he had planned.
In the quiet of the shower the shirt returned to his consciousness. The shirt should have been destroyed. He could hardly stand to look at it. He had to get it off Kathryn. Definitely before they made love. He would get it off. He had a strong response in his groin to the vision of her. Sans the shirt.
After removing the throw he gently rolled her onto her back, then straddled her hips, keeping his weight off her as much as he could. Watching her face he reached for the bottom button. She slowly opened her eyes and, meeting his, smiled fully.
"Welcome home." She said.
"Thank you. How was your afternoon?" He unbuttoned the first. She reached down and stopped him.
"No. And my afternoon dragged. Reports reports and more reports. No First Officer to take my mind off them."
"What do you mean 'no'? And didn't you miss your fiance?" He tried to get his fingers on the next button but she effectively stopped him.
"No." She laughed. "I mean I absolutely missed my fiance. Don't take off the shirt!"
He didn't know what to make of it. "Why can't I take it off?" He let his frustration show.
"Because. I want to wear it when we make love."
"No."
"Yes."
"NO. I won't have it. It's my shirt and I don't want to see it." He tried to access the buttons again.
She fought him and looked shocked. "Why? Why do you hate this shirt so much? Is that why you've hardly worn it since we got back on the ship?"
"This shirt...this shirt represents the biggest mistake I ever made. I never should have told you how I felt, not then, even if I did think we were going to spend the rest of our lives on that planet." He could see that she didn't understand and felt anger begin to swell in his chest. "Look. For years you've used my confession against me, manipulating me. Not returning my feelings. I should have destroyed this shirt years ago." Again he tried to unbutton something and this time he succeeded. She grabbed his hands.
"Chakotay, how can you say that? I know what I did but I thought we got that straightened out days ago! If you hadn't told me how you felt I might never have known. Don't say it was a mistake...and don't take off this shirt! NO."
"YES."
"NO." They began to struggle in earnest, Chakotay feeling that if he didn't get this damned shirt off of her he would scream. He felt Kathryn's legs thrashing under him, her pelvis trying to do the same, his half-hard penis getting harder. He saw Kathryn realize he was becoming excited, her eyes turning smoky. In that momentary pause she grabbed him, running her hand up and down his growing erection, raw desire in her eyes, panting assaulting his ears.
"Chakotay, my love, I'll let you take off this shirt if you promise to wear it tomorrow night. At the party. Please."
He was losing the ability for conscious thought. He gently removed her hand, breathing hard. "I will never wear this shirt again, Kathryn."
"Please. I need to see you in it. Please. I love you. The past is in the past." She took the hand holding her own and brought it to her mouth, kissing his fingers, licking one and pulling it onto her tongue. Chakotay thought he would scream for an entirely different reason.
He considered for a brief instant her request, wanting her so badly he just needed the shirt off. "I'll think about it." He made another grab for it, they struggled again almost out of instinct by now. Kathryn suddenly stopped her fighting. They were both breathing hard.
She propped herself up on her hands, her eyes swirling blue smoke. Chakotay's hands were clutching the fabric and he knew she saw his own raw desire matching hers. "Okay, I give in Chakotay, take it off. Now."
Absurdly, he felt a heady rush of freedom. With a growl coming from deep in his chest, he ripped open the shirt hard, enjoying the sound of buttons flying, pulling it down Kathryn's arms where it pooled around her hands. The sight of her breasts was almost too much. He quickly dropped his head to hers and their mouths met hungrily, giving open mouthed kisses hard and hot, his hand squeezing her breast, running his thumb around her now stiff nipple, eliciting noises from deep inside her.
After a bit more of a struggle, she managed to get her hands free, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. He grabbed the shirt off the bed and threw it away. "Inside...now...please" she panted against his mouth.
Between them, they frantically rearranged legs so that he was in-between hers, widely spreading in welcome. He entered her in one hard thrust, his mouth devouring hers, her legs wrapping quickly around his waist as they began moving against and with each other. Their climaxes approached rapidly as their rocking got shorter and harder, unintelligible words thrown down each other's throats. They orgasmed almost simultaneously with loud noises that bounced off the walls of Chakotay's bedroom. Before he collapsed on top of her he rolled them until she was spread eagled over him, still joined, hearts pounding, aftershocks rumbling through their bodies, his arms holding her tightly to him.
Kathryn was kissing his chest, licking the salt from the shallow valleys. He felt himself begin to relax inside her and just as he was going to pull out she raised her head to meet his eyes.
"I love you..." the words soothed his soul as he fell deeply into the blue-grey that was her. She began to contract her inner muscles around him, moving her pelvis slightly to stroke him and he felt the blood rush back as he hardened again.
"Kathryn, will you marry me?"
"Yes, Chakotay, I'll marry you. Will you marry me?"
"Yes, I will. I love you..." She kissed him softly and deeply as their bodies started moving together again. They made love more tenderly this time but no less passionately and when finally spent, the covers were pulled up and sleep came.
Kathryn was called to the bridge before Chakotay was quite awake. He heard her dashing through her morning routine then felt a weight hit the bed. Warm lips caressed his cheek and the slight scent of coffee permeated his foggy brain. "I love you" was said softly in his ear. He thought he answered but wasn't sure actual words formed. The weight lifted and the door swooshed open and shut. He groaned to himself.
When hunger finally got him up some time later he made his way to the replicator. There was already something sitting on the base - the shirt neatly folded along with a spool of thread, a needle, and a small pile of buttons. He picked up the note and read "Your job before tonight. I love you. K"
Gods above, he loved her. He laughed
long and hard.
The end. (Really).
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