Title: Twist of Fate: When in Rome
Author: Whoa Nellie ([email protected])
Series: Voyager
Rating: NC-17
Codes: C/f, K/7
Synopsis: As the saying goes, 'When in Rome, do as the
Romans do.' Originally posted to ASC on
February 23, 2005.
Author's
Notes: This story does stand on its
own, not necessary to have read the previous stories except for more detailed
background information on Ceshlyta and how she got there.
Previous
stories from the Twist of Fate storyline (in order): Blessings of the Sky Spirits, Wyrd, What Comes Naturally, Fresh
Perspective, Culinary Delights, Chaos Theory, Unforeseen Circumstance, A Matter
of Definition, Love and Copulation, Million Kilometer High Club, Comings and
Goings, Bare Necessities and Vulnerability.
Background: Ceshlyta is Chakotay's wife and
soulmate. She is descended from the
Inheritors through a different tribe and was joined with Chakotay in a wedding
at the Temple of the Sky Spirits before they put her on Voyager. She was a Professor of Botany on Earth when
the Sky Spirits joined their souls, intertwined their life paths and put her on
Voyager. Her nickname, used by most of
the other crew members, is Sassy.
Acknowledgements: Paramount owns all the marbles, we just have
a lot more fun playing with them.
Feedback
is always appreciated, posted or
e-mail.
Whoa
Nellie's Romance Star Trek Fan Fiction Stories
http://whoanellie.fortunecity.com
When
in Rome
"The gardens here in the compound are
amazing," Sassy gushed as she entered the Flyer. "The High Priestess herself took me on a tour of them while
we talked. So, how long will we be here
while you fix the Flyer?"
Chakotay shot her a wry look. "Entirely too long."
To her credit, she almost managed to
smother her giggles of amusement.
"You're the one who crashed the shuttle in the most sacred region
of the planet. Arboria is the only
region that still observes the old ways; if you'd crashed twenty or thirty kilometers
south, you'd still be fully clothed."
"How was I supposed to know that
their satellite system would fry our navigational controls?" he mumbled,
picking up a hypospanner and turning back toward the open control panel.
Sassy walked over to him and trailed her
fingers down the bare skin of his back.
A planet where male nudity was the tradition--and here in Arboria it was
mandatory--was simply divine. "Come
on, mi aalm, isn't the anthropologist in you the least bit curious? How many matriarchal cultures do we
encounter? There are plenty of
patriarchal societies, but a society where men have been viewed as full
citizens for less than a century is fascinating."
Chakotay sighed and turned to pull her
against him. "It would be a lot easier
to be fascinated if I had some clothes on."
Nuzzling the smooth, tanned expanse of his
chest, she swirled her tongue around a brown nipple and felt his body jerk in
response. "I like this," she
murmured against his skin. "Easy
access and a delightful view."
His fingers slipped under her chin to tilt
her face up to his. Lowering his head,
his lips settled over hers in a gentle caress and gradually deepened. Forced nudity was having an odd effect on
him--it was making him feel vulnerable, needing his wife to hold and reassure
him. As usual with the two of them, one
thing quickly led to another and his hands began looking for the clasps of her
jumpsuit.
"I hope I'm not interrupting
anything," came a perpetually cheerful voice from the doorway. A second later, Neelix bounded into the
compartment, his Talaxian body as naked as Chakotay's.
Chakotay half-turned back toward the
control panel he'd been working on.
"No, that's pretty much a show stopper right there," he
whispered softly.
"Have you told the Commander
yet?" Neelix asked Sassy.
"No, not yet," she said. She perched herself near where Chakotay was
working. "The High Priestess has
extended the hospitality of their order to us.
Seven and I are being assigned rooms in the residence."
"Being a mere male, I can't be
assigned a room there, so I'll be bunking in with the acolytes," Neelix
piped up. "I just came back to get
my toothbrush; I certainly won't be needing a change of underwear," he
chuckled. "This place is
fascinating. Did you know that men who
want to join the priesthood have to spend five years in service as acolytes
here at the temple? Five years without
wearing any clothes; it's hard to imagine.
Then again, some of them choose to remain here even after their training
is completed to work and study; occasionally they marry one of the priestesses
and raise their family here. Maybe you
get used to it after a while," he mused as he retrieved the items he would
need and waved goodbye. "See you
at dinner."
Alone again, Chakotay looked at
Sassy. "I was hoping that we could
stay with the Flyer so we could get the repairs done sooner." As soon as the words were out of his mouth
he wanted to take them back. He was the
First Officer and in command of this away mission, so why was he practically
pleading with his wife--a civilian, no less--to not make him go out there?
"I met with the High Priestess and
used their communications equipment to contact Matria Atela in the capital city
as well as Captain Janeway on Voyager," Sassy prefaced what she was about
to tell him. "In light of the
cultural issues, Kathryn is taking over the diplomatic mission and instructed
us to accept the invitation of the High Priestess to remain here while the
Flyer is repaired. The religious order
is very curious about us and interested in the information exchange that we'd
planned with Matria Atela. Seven and
Harry are working on interfacing our cultural and historical database with
theirs now."
He slammed the hypospanner down in an
unexpected burst of frustration.
"The women on Voyager certainly seem keen on this place," he
snapped.
Tacitly trying to sooth him, she took his
hand before responding. "They've
made a total of two requests: no
transporters because of their religious beliefs about the sanctity of the human
body and men aren't permitted to wear clothes within the boundaries of
Arboria. All in all, they're being very
hospitable, sociable and reasonable.
This is a beautiful planet and they're willing to allow the crew to come
down on shore leave. You, yourself, was
saying how long it had been since the crew had shore leave on a class M planet
as the last two opportunities had both been space stations. The rest of the planet no longer observes
the old ways, it's just that we're in the home of the High Priestess
here."
"But we're guests and we're not from
this culture," he countered, hating how whiny his voice sounded. "I'm an officer aboard a
starship."
Sassy bit back her annoyance, taking a
settling breath before she answered him.
"Exactly, we're guests on a planet where men lost the battle of the
sexes; it's not their fault that in our culture, women lost that battle and it
took us several thousand years to even the playing field again. Here, the men have gained back a great deal,
but the religious systems are always the last part of a culture to change--you
know that, or you should if you've studied anything about cultural
anthropology. I know this is
uncomfortable for you, but remember what they say: 'When in Rome'. . ."
"Do as the Romans do," he sighed
heavily.
"Look at it this way, there are no
weird sex rituals, you're not considered to be my property but on the bright
side, I can let you stay in my room with me," Sassy pointed out. "Seven is 'allowing' Harry to stay with
her in her room and Neelix seemed excited about bunking with the acolytes. There's nothing insidious or dangerous about
this place and I was very explicit about my concerns during my time with the
High Priestess. She assured me that
every member of my team would be treated with courtesy, regardless of gender,
during our stay here."
"My team," Chakotay gritted out.
Sassy moved closer, stroking his arm and
placing a soft kiss on his shoulder.
"Of course, I'm sorry, it's just that they can't imagine a man in
charge of anything. It's easier for
them to relate to Seven or me and Seven wasn't exactly handling the first
contact situation well. She acquiesced
to me in talking with the priestesses, so they've all just assumed that I was
in charge. I think Seven recommended
that Harry and she get to work on the information exchange just to get away
from them--not to mention that Harry was the color of a tomato by that
time."
"He should have been here helping me
with the Flyer."
Her temper flared. "Spirits, Chakotay, would you stop
acting like a child? You were the one
who insisted that Harry and Neelix stay with Seven and me while you oversaw the
Flyer being moved closer to the compound.
I'm sorry if your ego is bruised by the idea that women are more
important here, but you've encountered too many new species and cultures to be
behaving like this. I have to wonder if
you'd be acting like this if they were more like the Ferengi and denied their
women clothing."
They'd been married for a year and a half
so it went without saying that she'd been annoyed with him before, she'd even
yelled at him in the middle of the mess hall once. This time it was different, he felt defenseless and anxious for
absolutely no reason he could understand.
"I'm sorry, Ceshlyta, I . . . you're right, I'm not behaving very
much like a Starfleet officer or an anthropologist. I'll try to approach this like a field study and immerse myself
in the culture."
"Just stay close," Sassy
requested, patting his shoulder.
"I know you want to get the Flyer fixed, but I'm winging it
here. I don't know the first thing
about first contact, mostly we talked about horticulture. They have a specimen of every piece of flora
that has ever existed on the planet here in Arboria."
Chakotay smiled at her excitement and
caught her hand, pressing a kiss to the palm.
"So we could be here for a while regardless of how fast I get this
fixed," he commented jovially.
"I'm sure you'll do fine, but you know where to find me if you need
me."
"Hopefully in bed with me
tonight," she winked. "I'll
even take my clothes off and join you in your nudity."
Chakotay heard the 'but' in her voice and
instantly figured out what the catch was.
"After a very public dinner with the priestesses," he said.
"But," Sassy pointed out. "They allow the men who aren't acolytes
to sit at the main tables with the women now--their one concession to the
social changes in the culture."
"Oh, goody."
........................................................
Harry shut down the communications link,
cutting Tom's laughter from Voyager short.
"Well, the database link is operational and apparently most of the
ship is aware of the local customs here."
"We should be going, we do not wish
to be late for dinner," Seven said.
"No, we wouldn't want that," he
commented sardonically. "Can't we
tell them that I had a headache and you had to stay here and take care of
me?"
Pulling out a tricorder, she scanned
him. "Your bio-readings are
normal; when did this headache begin?"
"I don't have a headache, I just
don't want to go to dinner."
"Such deception would be
impolite." Seven put the tricorder
back on her belt and reached out to pull Harry closer to her. "You are disturbed by the clothing
customs here?"
"Or lack thereof."
She brushed a stray lock of hair from his
sweet, boyish face. "You have no
reason to feel uncomfortable, your body is most pleasing to look at; you should
feel proud of your physique." Her
hand trailed down the muscled planes of his chest and down the flat lines of
his abdomen. Being fully clothed while
all of the men around her--including Harry--were not and the deference which
the males all showed her was creating a sense of power. Since the inception of their relationship,
she had deferred to Harry in their interactions because of his experience in
such matters. When she did take any
initiative, it was with Harry's preferences in mind because she wanted to
please him. He had been very patient
and tender, never taking advantage of her naivete', but for the first time she
felt stronger, more sure of herself.
She leaned in to press her lips against his, slipping her tongue into
his mouth at the exact instant that her hand grasped him firmly. He gasped into her mouth, his body hardening
in her hand and a whimper escaped from his throat. She tangled her fingers through his coarse, dark hair and used
her handholds to steer him back against the wall of the room.
Harry shifted to spread his legs further
apart, rocking into her caresses.
"We will be late for dinner,"
Seven reminded him. "But you
obviously cannot go in this condition."
Her hand began stroking his hardness, alternating long, gentle strokes
with short, firm ones. She flicked his
earlobe with her tongue in concert with the motions of her hand until he
reached for her, trying to pull her against his straining body. Taking his earlobe between her teeth she
pulled sharply, getting his attention.
"I am endeavoring to relieve the pressure in your penis before
dinner so that you will not be uncomfortable.
We do not have time for intercourse right now, but we may copulate when
we return here after dinner."
Her voice was low and calm, yet her words
were conversely reasoned and exciting.
As her warm breath brushed against his ear, she never stopped moving her
hand on him. His hips were smacking
against the wall as he thrust into her caresses and the pressure continued to mount. She hadn't taken the initiative, dominating
a sexual interaction between them, since they'd started dating and it was as
arousing as it was unexpected. The
promise of later and more of this was all it took, his body jerked and he
collapsed against the wall moaning softly with relief.
"Now we may go," Seven
commented, turning toward the door.
Harry snatched a folded towel from a
nearby chair and tossed it on the floor.
"Thank you, ma'am, may I have another?" he muttered dryly
under his breath, following her out of the room.
.....................................................
Dinner was an exercise in discipline. Actually, it was entering the dining hall
that tested Chakotay's self-discipline the most. The dining hall reminded him of his days at the academy; rows of
tables filled the large room with women and men--albeit naked men--sitting and
talking as other naked men moved through the aisles serving the meal. Smaller, lower tables lined the walls and
some of the acolytes were already sitting at several of them. Of course they would be sitting at the head
table, the elevated table at the front of the room where the High Priestess and
her lieutenants sat. Chakotay kept his
eyes focused on Sassy's long, black hair as they walked the entire length of
the room. It felt like everyone was
staring at him and he tried to remind himself that they weren't staring at his
. . . it was probably his tattoo that was drawing such interest. On the other hand, it was just as likely
that they were more interested in Sassy than they were in him.
In spite of his anxiousness to sit down,
he held Sassy's chair for her before taking his own seat. That small courtesy was habit for him, but
the action earned him a nod of approval from many of the women, including the
High Priestess herself. It felt weird
to surreptitiously check the laps of other men, but as soon as he ascertained
that it was permissible, he draped his napkin over his lap with a muted sigh of
relief. It was only after he felt somewhat
covered that he noticed Harry and Seven sitting directly to his right with
Neelix on the other side of Seven. He
snuck a quick glance around the table before whispering softly, "Did you
get the downlink set up, Harry?"
Harry nodded yes.
"Good, you can help me with the Flyer
starting tomorrow." Chakotay kept
his voice as low as possible.
"It is permissible for you to speak
freely, Chakotay," the High Priestess assured him from her position on the
other side of Sassy.
Feeling like a child being called on the
carpet, he straightened up in his chair.
"I apologize, High Priestess, I was simply checking with Harry to
see that the downlink was successfully established."
"Your wife tells me that you have an
interest in cultures, I believe she called it anthropology," the High
Priestess commented to Chakotay.
"Have you had much of an opportunity to learn about us yet?"
Chakotay thanked the acolyte who set a
plate of food in front of him, not touching his utensils until Sassy reached
for hers. "No, ma'am, I spent most
of the afternoon running diagnostics on our shuttle."
"I have a question, if I may,"
Neelix spoke up. "What is the
significance to the nudity of your men?
No disrespect intended, I'm just curious."
The High Priestess favored the Talaxian
with a smile. "No offense
perceived, Neelix. It wasn't always
this way, a few thousand years ago men and women worked together in concert to
survive and propagate. Men hunted while
women grew fruits and vegetables. As our
society began to grow and we relied less on brute strength to feed and clothe
ourselves, men became more and more aggressive. They forgot the importance of women in the cycle of life and
began dominating women and then each other.
Constant warfare and strife became a way of life until women decided
that it was wrong. The women of that
time took control of society, ending warfare and embracing nature with its
harmony and balance. In order to keep
men in their place and remind them of their failings, it was decreed that men
would not be permitted clothing of any kind."
In spite of his situation, Chakotay found
himself drawn into the story. "But
what was the reasoning for that decision?"
"Clothing is a type of shield that
one can hide behind," the High Priestess noted. "Without clothing, men cannot hide and are thus kept
humble."
Seven nodded in agreement. "The logic is sound and it would appear
to be effective."
The High Priestess continued. "The women of our culture are not inherently
possessive or aggressive, harmony and balance are natural for us so clothing
does not influence us in a negative way.
Our society is a peaceful one, dedicated to harmony, balance and
knowledge."
"Your society truly has no crime or
violence of any kind?" Sassy asked.
"Very little, Professor
Ceshlyta," the High Priestess replied.
"There have been a small, but increasing number of incidents as men
have begun wearing clothing again; however, when a man does violate a law, his
punishment includes a prohibition on clothing for a determined period of time
in addition to restitution for his action.
This has kept the incidence of violence to a minimum. The suspension of the laws preventing men
from wearing clothes carried a stipulation that if violence and lawlessness by
males reached a specific level, then the old laws would go back into effect
across the planet. Here in Arboria the
old ways are still observed for the most part, but all of the men here are so
by choice. Men in other regions of the
planet are able to wear clothing and be full members of society only as long as
they can behave as civilized members of society."
Chakotay took a drink of the fruit juice
that had been provided with his food.
"What exactly is the restitution that men have to make for their
crimes?"
"That depends on the nature of his
action, Chakotay," the High Priestess said. "If his action is one of theft or violence, he must make
amends to his victim through service or monetary compensation; if his action is
one of subversion, he must make a public statement of apology. Regardless of any other concerns, his crime
is marked on his body as a banner for all to see for the duration of his
enforced nudity. That was essential
since some men still prefer to live without clothing, although most of those
men choose to join the priesthood. It
would not do for men who choose to remain pure and humble in their natural
state to be confused for convicted criminals, so the description of the crime
remains on until the end of the sentence when it is removed."
"What about marriage?" Sassy
asked. "Who decides who gets
married and when?"
The High Priestess regarded her
curiously. "The individuals decide
for themselves, Professor. Is it not
that way with your marriage?"
"Well, yes, both the man and the
woman have to consent to a marriage before the ceremony is concluded," she
said. "Chakotay and I have
matching ring markings on our left palms as a symbol of our choice to join in
matrimony. It's just that in our
history, women haven't always had that freedom of choice and some religious
orders haven't allowed its clergy to wed at all."
One of the other priestesses spoke
up. "During the period in history
when men were aggressive and dominating, they frequently confused the concepts
of sexuality, intimacy, purity and nudity."
"Since our culture developed with a
patriarchal--or male--dominance," Chakotay theorized. "It took longer for us to come to a
better understanding of . . . such matters."
"Men truly dominate your culture,
Professor Ceshlyta?" the younger priestess asked curiously.
Sassy caressed Chakotay's cheek tenderly
before replying. "Not this one,
but they used to and some men still try to; in other cultures back home they
very much dominate their women. In fact
there is a race back home that is almost a mirror version of your culture; the
men of that race don't allow their women to wear clothing or own property of
any kind, but they are not the peaceful culture that you have here. The men on Voyager treat the women with
respect and we have a woman captain that all of the people on Voyager respect
and obey. Women are judged by the
knowledge, skill and ability now--for the most part anyway. Chakotay is my husband, my soul mate, my
partner and he treats me as his equal.
We have different sets of knowledge and ability and I defer to his
talents as he defers to mine depending on the situation. It took thousands of years for women to earn
that level of respect from society."
The High Priestess made a swift gesture
over her heart. "I must remember
to say an extra prayer to our ancestors for their wisdom so long ago," she
said.
As Sassy continued her conversation on the
differences in their respective cultural developments, Chakotay found himself
in the unusual position of being irrelevant.
The priestesses were polite to him when he interjected with a comment or
question, but they directed their comments and questions to Sassy or occasionally
Seven. He was the acknowledged expert
in cultures at the table, even the High Priestess had mentioned his
anthropology background, they just seemed to be more comfortable engaging in
intellectual discourse with the women of Voyager. As exposed as he'd felt walking into the room, he was starting to
feel more and more invisible as the evening progressed.
.......................................................
"This place is so peaceful,"
Sassy sighed, entering her room in the residence hall. "What an absolutely perfect way to
spend shore leave."
Chakotay briefly looked for a locking
mechanism on the door before it occurred to him that they probably didn't have
them. "Yes, dear."
Sitting on the edge of the bed, she took
off her communicator and her bracelet and laid them on the bedside table. "Remind me to check in with Voyager
before breakfast in the morning."
Without being asked, he knelt beside the
bed and began unfastening her boots. It
was a very peaceful place, it reminded him of the planet where he'd found the
descendents of the Sky Spirits shortly after they'd arrived in the Delta
Quadrant. He still wanted his clothes
back, but Ceshlyta seemed so pleased he hadn't mentioned it that he didn't want
to disrupt things with another argument.
Now that they were alone, it wasn't a problem anyway. She reached out to caress his face and he
nuzzled the palm of her hand.
"There's a great big bathtub in the next room," he said. "Would you like me to draw you a bubble
bath?"
"That sounds delightful," she
replied. Lifting his face up, she
brushed her lips softly across his,
"as long as you're planning to join me." While he was getting everything ready in the
bathroom, she stripped off her own clothes and laid them on a chair. "By the way, I know you're in a hurry
to get the Flyer fixed, but Seven wants Harry to join her on a tour of their
power facility after breakfast. Seven
is fascinated with their work in solar energy and thinks it may be useful on
Voyager. I thought that would be a good
time for us to tour the temple and compound; you can learn a little more about
their history and culture. You and
Harry can start repairing the Flyer after lunch."
Chakotay looked up from where he was
kneeling by the tub to mix the bubble bath into the water. He had already dimmed the lights and opened
the skylight to reveal the star-filled night sky. There was an anticipation growing in the pit of his stomach,
butterflies fluttering more and more wildly as she approached him. She was beautiful, her tawny skin almost glowing
in the dim light. He straightened up
almost imperceptibly as she walked toward him and he found himself desperately
wanting her approval. "That sounds
fine," he said, his voice unexpectedly hoarse.
Sassy slid her arms around his neck,
pressing against the solid warmth of his body and began planting kisses along
the tanned expanse of his chest.
"I promise not to hold up your work on the Flyer, but I'll admit
that I'm in no hurry to leave."
His body flinched at the initial contact
of her skin to his; it was almost like a spark of energy shot through him. He took the hair clip from her hand and used his fingers to
swiftly comb her long, dark tresses up and pin them on top of her head. Sweeping her up into his arms, he carefully
stepped into the tub and sat down with her across his lap. She was so relaxed and soft against him with
her head on his shoulder, one of her fingers was idly drawing designs in the
moisture on his chest. "We can
stay as long as you like," he said softly. Capturing her finger, he drew it up to his mouth to place a
lingering kiss on the tip. It wasn't so
much that he could see and feel her bare skin for the first time all day after
she'd spent a good part of the evening brushing up against him and touching
him, it was just being able to hold her like he was that felt incredible. He would have promised her anything at that
moment. His body was hardening,
throbbing with need, but he couldn't bring himself to move. He lazily stroked her for a moment and then
reached for a sponge and the soap to begin washing her. He started with her back, drawing the sponge
across her shoulders and meandering down as far as he could. Switching the sponge to his other hand, he
moved the sponge back up her body from her toes, along the length of each lithe
leg and up her torso. The tortuously
erotic bath seemed to take forever, but it somehow felt extremely important
that he do a good job. He circled each
breast, pausing to cup its fullness in his hand and flick the stiffened nub with
his thumb before finishing with gentle sweeps across her throat. The entire time he worked, she was
practically purring in his arms, stretching to allow him easy access when he
needed it and arching into his caresses as he reached sensitive areas. He didn't stop rubbing her with the sponge
until she took it from him and put it on the side of the tub.
Sassy shifted to straddle him, the water
lapping up between them with her sudden movement. Chakotay had been contemplative all evening and he obviously
wasn't in any hurry to move things along, but his meticulous bathing had been
maddeningly arousing. She braced
herself with her hands gripping the edge of the tub on either side of his
shoulders and slid her body up and down his chest. Her breasts were crushed against him, her nipples grazing his as
she rubbed her body across the muscled wall of his chest. Her entire body was pulsing with every
heartbeat, desperate for release. She
buried her face in the crook of his shoulder, licking and nibbling at the wet
skin and whimpering softly.
His hands came up to grasp her hips,
partly to steady her and partly to move her closer to where he needed her to
be. The water was still very warm, but
the waves rushing against his hips with her every motion felt cold by
comparison to the heat of his body. The
desire for her to take him inside of her was painful in its intensity; he
wanted to beg and plead, he just couldn't get the words out. He gasped aloud when she finally settled
over him and sat down, completely enveloping his hardness. His hips rocked awkwardly against her as his
hands alternately pushed and pulled at her hips to move her up and down. Moans of pleasure escaped his throat when
she took over and began riding him hard and fast; he arched his back, his head
resting against the edge of the tub between her hands. Water splashed around them, occasionally
hitting his eyes and forcing them closed which only served to emphasize the
contrasting sensations of the heat of her body as she took him with the cooler
water around them. The pressure in his
hips was mounting steadily, he could barely breathe from the passion and
pleasure consuming him. His hips kept
sliding down so he gripped the edge of the tub with one hand to try to hold
himself still. His other hand moved
around to her back urging her to ride him even harder. He started to panic when he realized that he
was about to reach his own orgasm and Ceshlyta hadn't yet found her
release. Trying to forestall his
pleasure, he was relieved when he felt her spasming around him and he could let
a powerful orgasm rip through him, content that she'd been satisfied.
"Spirits," Sassy panted
breathlessly. "That was
unbelievable."
Chakotay smiled and kissed the end of her
nose. "I love you, mi aalm."
Resting against his chest, her arms around
his shoulders she savored the sense of contentment filling her. "Of course you realize that we both
need to be bathed now."
............................................................
"Does clothing truly have a
significant impact on human behavior?" Seven asked Harry on their way back
to her room.
Harry pondered it for a moment before
trying to put his thoughts into words.
"I'd say so, in a way I guess.
It seems like people behave the way they choose to dress, so I'd say
it's very possible that making someone wear certain clothes might change the
way they feel or act. I feel different
in my uniform than I do in civilian clothes--or no clothes in this case."
"I believe my attire does not benefit
me," she announced.
Shutting the door behind him, he began
taking the pins out of her hair and combing the silken, blond hair out to fall
around her shoulders. "Why do you
say that? Didn't the Doc design it
specifically for you?"
"Initially I required the biometric suit because of my
implants," she acknowledged.
"However, the few implants that remain would be unaffected by my
clothing. I have not altered my attire
because I did not feel it relevant.
Perhaps the others on Voyager would react differently to me if I were to
forego clothing entirely."
Harry's heart plunged into his
stomach. "No! I mean . . . it's just . . . you . . .
it--" his stammering protest died on his lips when he caught the barest
hint of a smile on her face. She was
teasing him, actually baiting him for her own amusement. A deep, calming breath slowed his frantic
heartbeat and he chuckled along with her at the idea.
"I will contemplate a wardrobe
change," Seven said, reaching out to toy with a stray lock of his dark
hair. "Sassy is also a civilian,
her clothing choices are flattering and functional; I will ask her for advice
on the matter."
His hand slid around to find the fastening
of her suit. "I wouldn't mind
seeing that nude option at the moment," he murmured in her ear.
Stepping into his embrace, she laid her
head on his shoulder to give him easier access to her clothing. Her hands traced down the muscled planes of
his ribcage before slipping around to encircle his waist. His bronze skin was warm beneath her cheek
and he smelled wonderfully masculine--a clean yet slightly musky scent. It never seemed to matter what she wore or
didn't wear around Harry, he always made her feel secure, content and quite
aroused. His hands were taking their
time with the fastening, stroking a fair amount of skin from the nape of her
neck all the way down her back to her hips as they worked. She could feel every millimeter of skin that
he touched since her skin tingled for several moments after his fingers moved
on. Finally, he stepped back to strip
off her suit and followed his hands down, kneeling on the floor to remove her
boots and discard her clothing. She put
her hands on his shoulders to subtly urge him closer to her without letting him
up. With her fingers tangled in his
thick, short hair to cup his head in her hands, she made an observation. "I have been frequently distracted
throughout the day."
On his knees, her hands gently forcing him
to stay where he was, a sense of anticipation sent his stomach plummeting. He could barely breathe, much less carry on
a casual conversation. "Oh?"
Shifting her stance, she spread her legs
further apart. "Several times
today I mentally pictured you like this, on your knees in front of me, pleasing
me."
His body leapt to a painful state of
arousal at the content of her matter-of-fact statement. He reached out and lightly stroked his
fingers between her thighs.
"No," she stopped him,
"with your mouth."
Harry moaned aloud at the demand implicit
in her tone. She wasn't forcing him to
do anything, just stating what she wanted in a way he'd never heard from her
before; for such a calm, low-key interaction, this was the most incredibly
erotic foreplay they'd ever had.
"You should lay down or sit," he whispered.
"You are correct," she
said. "Do not move."
Feeling like his heart was forcing its way
up his throat with every beat, he watched Seven cross the room to retrieve a
chair and bring it back over to where he knelt. She set the chair down and sat on the edge with her legs on
either side of him.
"Thank you, this is much more
comfortable. We may now proceed."
Harder than he could ever remember, he
rested his hands on her slender, creamy thighs and lowered his head. Gently nudging her legs a little further
apart, he began by licking the inside of each thigh. She gripped handfuls of his hair and urged his face to where she
wanted him; she was just as dominating in this encounter as she'd been earlier
except now it was her own pleasure that she sought. Harry was getting more and more aroused by this new and exciting
side of Seven. He obliged her unspoken
demand and concentrated the efforts of his lips and tongue at the wet, hot
center of her desire. His tongue
flicked and rubbed against her quivering flesh before disappearing into her
depths while his hands kept her legs spread wide. Everything else was completely forgotten when she began gasping
out commands to him, directing the speed, intensity and location of his tongue
for her pleasure. It was only after her
hips twitched violently and she sighed in satisfaction did he become aware of
the insistent throbbing in his hips.
Seven started to stand up, but her legs
were surprisingly wobbly. She didn't fall
though; in one swift motion, Harry stood and swept her up into his arms. "I wish to copulate with you now,"
she muttered softly, her head resting on his strong shoulder.
"That's exactly what I was hoping
you'd say," he commented, striding over to the bed. He put one knee up to steady himself as he
laid her down and wasted no time covering her with his body. When he settled between her thighs, her legs
instantly came up to wrap around his waist, which caused the glistening
entrance of her body to rub along the length of his erection.
Pulling his face down to hers, she thrust
her tongue into his mouth, crushing her lips against his in a demanding,
passionate kiss. Her hips arched up to
welcome him when he drove himself deep into her body and her legs tightened
around him to hold him close. Still
sensitized from his oral attentions, her desire sparked quickly. She broke the kiss, releasing him so that he
could thrust himself into her with a faster, more forceful pace. Digging her heels into the taut roundness of
his backside, she spurred him on, urging him to drive into her with quick, hard
strokes. A pressure was building, the
familiar sensation that preceded some of her most satisfying orgasms, so she
shifted her hips to achieve deeper penetration from Harry in anticipation. Soon, her entire body convulsed in a
powerful wave of pleasure.
"Yes!"
As much as he'd been enjoying this entire
interlude, when she collapsed against the bed with a squeal of satisfaction, he
was completely undone. His body slammed
into her yielding softness one last time and he held himself buried inside her
as his own orgasm raced through him. He
rolled to his side and pulled her up against his chest, idly stroking her hair
while their racing hearts slowed.
"If I spend more time without clothes back on Voyager, can we do
this more often?"
"I was hoping we could do this
several more times before we return to Voyager," Seven responded before
planting a kiss on his sweat-dampened chest.
Harry groaned in mock dismay. "Don't hurt me, I'm only a mere
man. You may not be able to break the
laws of physics, but you can break me, you know."
Propping herself up on one elbow, she
stroked his jawline tenderly. "Do
not be afraid, Harry, I'll take care of you."
.........................................................................
"Tell the truth, Chakotay," Tom
winked at B'Elanna sitting beside him in the briefing room, "you got so
used to being naked down there that you're not wearing anything under that
uniform now."
Chakotay eyed Paris with patient
bemusement. After two weeks in Arboria,
they were back onboard Voyager and had just left orbit. He was relieved to be back among the
clothed, but the rest of the crew were still having a good laugh out of the
experience. His response was
interrupted by Seven's entrance. Her
hair was up in its ever-efficient style, but she was wearing a much different
outfit than her usual catsuit. It was a
more loose-fitting jumpsuit that appeared to be made out of the same biometric
material as her previous outfit. The
blouse-like top had long sleeves that were snug against her forearms but
billowed out into soft folds above the elbow.
The legs of her jumpsuit were tucked into flat-soled boots that came up
to mid-calf. Her waist was accented by
a wide, bright red belt and the overall effect was somehow much more stunning
than her completely skin-tight catsuit had ever been.
"You look great, Seven," Tom
commented, stunned.
"Yeah, nice outfit," B'Elanna
echoed.
Seven smiled as she took her chair. "Thank
you, Tom, B'Elanna."
Neelix and the EMH entered the briefing
room, both of them stopping short when they saw Seven; just behind them,
Janeway, Tuvok and Harry filed in from the bridge. Harry had already seen Seven's new wardrobe, so he took his seat
beside her and watched the reactions from the other senior staff as they saw
the change for the first time.
"Let's get started," Janeway
said, taking her seat. "Commander
Chakotay, what's our status?"
Chakotay passed her a PADD. "Every member of the crew had at least
one week of shore leave with no incidents reported by the security forces on
the planet. The information exchange
was very successful, with more than two gigaquads of new information being
added to our database and we're fully stocked on supplies for the mess. Sassy brought samples and cuttings from
close to a hundred different species of flora back and supplied them with
cuttings and genetic information on all of the plants in her garden. Seven and Harry have been working on
adapting some of their technology to augment power utilization here on board
Voyager; I'll let Seven explain their project."
At his nod, Seven keyed up a display. "They've managed to increase the
efficiency and output of solar energy significantly. Their entire world's power need is provided solely through the
capture and storage of solar energy.
Their power utilization is high given their technological development,
but they have not relied on any of their natural resources for centuries. I acquired several of the individual panels
as well as the schematics for their solar technology and power stations and
Harry and I have reviewed the material.
We believe it is possible to adapt their design to panels that can be
placed on Voyager's hull. The isolinear
optical circuits will not be able to handle the energy influx, but Harry
devised a means of routing the energy captured by the panels through the bio-neural
circuitry into a buffer that could be used to power up energy cells. Based on my calculations, we could provide
sufficient energy to completely power the replicators with sufficient energy
cells remaining to provide emergency power onboard the Flyer and shuttles. It would require a significant investment of
crew and ship resources to instigate, but I believe the end result would be
worth it. I have taken the liberty of
working out an implementation plan that involves crew from both Operations and Engineering
in a way that should not interfere with their routine duties. B'Elanna, I would appreciate your input on
the effect this plan would have on your department." Concluding her explanation, she slid a PADD
with the relevant information down the table to Torres.
"Could we use these panels on the
Flyer?" Tom asked.
Seven thought for a moment. "I don't know, the circuit requirements
may not permit that, but we can look at the possibilities and perhaps Harry and
you can find a way to incorporate the technology."
Janeway studied Seven pensively, the two
weeks in Arboria had changed her--not much, she was still Seven just a little
softer. "Well, I'm looking forward
to reading all of your mission reports, it seems as though those of you who
were in Arboria have a great deal to relate about your experiences."
"As long as it's not show and
tell," Tom snorted.
***FINIS***