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First Kiss

by Dee Price


"What a pleasant surprise!"

"Oh my Chakotay," she said, "It's so good to see you! It's been a long time."

He nodded as he just stood and looked at her. "A very long time, Kathryn," he said softly.

In the back of Kathryn's mind she thought she could see something besides sadness in those brown eyes and wondered what it was. "You are looking as dashing as ever Commander. The years have been kind to you," she said with a smile.

"And you are more beautiful, if that's possible," he said smiling. "Look," he added as he looked to his right, "How about a cup of coffee . . . there's a small cafe on the edge of the park. Or have you stopped drinking it?"

"You know me and coffee, Chakotay. Never found a cup I didn't like," she said with a laugh as she slipped her hand onto his offered arm.

An hour later after chatting and catching up with some news, Chakotay said "Well I better let you go on with your business. It was nice seeing you again, Kathryn."

Impulsively Kathryn reached out and took hold of his hand. "How about dinner tomorrow night? We still have a lot of catching up to do."

He smirked. "Sounds good to me, but shall I bring a hypo for an upset stomach?"

"Stop that you silly goose!" she said swatting at his shoulder as they walked to the door and stepped outside. "I've actually learned to cook. How about 1900 hours?"

"Great I'll see you then . . . if you'll give me your address."

After telling him her address and with a wave, Kathryn started up the street, her heart racing in excitement. If she had glanced back she would have seen Chakotay still standing there, watching her, a wistful look in his eyes. He watched until she was several blocks away where she turned a corner and disappeared from view.

* * * *

At 1900 hours the next evening Kathryn heard a rap on her door. She quickly looked around the room, stepped in front of a mirror, patted at her hair and smoothed her dress. It was the same dress she had worn several times on Voyager and one Chakotay had said he liked so much. Goodness, she felt as nervous as a high school teenager on her first date!

Opening the door she was immediately taken by how handsome Chakotay looked in his blue shirt and navy slacks. "Right on time, Chakotay, as usual. Come in, come in."

After stepping inside he pulled his hand from behind his back and handed her a single orange/pink rose.

"Oh my, it's beautiful! Ever the gentleman Chakotay, thank you," she said as she retrieved a vase, ran some water, then placed it on the dining table a little off center. "Sit down, dinner is actually ready . . . in fact it was ready a few minutes ago."

As Chakotay sat down he glanced around the apartment while Kathryn busied herself with putting the various plates on the table. Very comfortable setting he mused. Actually, it was typical Janeway, with nothing garish or out of place. He was also quick to notice the candles and the soft music playing in the background, loud enough to be heard but not drown out conversation.

As they ate they brought each other up on their lives. "What have you done since Voyager got home Chakotay? I seemed to lose track of you a few years after our arrival."

"Well after that Maquis trial fiasco I didn't want much to do with Starfleet as you well know. When you went back out on a mission I left for Dorvan IV and spent some time there just wandering around, came back but couldn't find you, so signed on with a freighter delivering supplies to various outposts and planets. Actually did that for several years and then just wandered again."

"Any girlfriends?" asked Kathryn then immediately wanted to bite her tongue.

"Oh I had a few, but they didn't last," he said smiling. "I heard you were engaged to some Admiral at one point."

Kathryn nodded. "I called that off. I didn't really love him I discovered, and it wasn't fair to him. He understood and we're still friends."

"What else have you been up to?" asked Chakotay as they retired to the sofa.

"Oh I went out on several more missions, but it wasn't the same without the Voyager 'family', so I finally accepted that promotion to Admiral. However, I found I didn't care for that type of thing – sitting at a desk didn't suit me - so a couple of years ago I resigned from Starfleet."

"I see," he said as he stared at her for a few seconds. She felt like he was looking deep into her soul.

As Kathryn looked back at him she saw what it was she didn't recognize at the park. Besides sadness she felt sure she saw longing deep in those soft brown eyes.

They continued talking for a long time, catching up on as many of the old crew as each could remember. Many laughs and reminiscences later, Chakotay suddenly stood.

"My gosh Kathryn it's almost midnight. I better go and let you get some sleep."

Kathryn stood and started walking with him to the front room. "Time surely went fast," she said softly.

"Yes, it really did," he answered as he stopped a few feet from the door, bent his head and brushed his lips on her cheek. "Goodnight Kathryn, it was a wonderful evening." Turning he reached for the door.

"Chakotay?"

"Yes?"

Walking a few steps closer to him she impulsively said, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"And get an honest answer?" she said as she stepped closer and placed her hands on his chest, a familiar move she had made at times on Voyager.

"I'll try," he said with a smirk that only served to deepen his dimples.

"Why didn't you ever marry?"

He looked long and deep at her before finally answering. "I think you know the answer to that Kathryn. And if I might, why didn't you ever get married?"

She moved her hands slightly higher as she looked up at him. "I think you know the answer to that as well," she said huskily.

Chakotay placed his hands on her hips and looked longingly at her, no longer able to hold it back, and she reciprocated the look by stepping as close as she could get. As he put his arms around her she lifted her face in a clear invitation to be kissed.

Lowering his head he gently touched her lips with his and as Kathryn felt a shock go through her body she immediately slid her arms around his neck, with one hand moving onto the back of his head and pulling him down into a very deep and long kiss.

At last their lips parted and all Chakotay could do was murmur "Kathryn" into her ear.

Kathryn pulled her head back and looked at him. "That's the first time we have ever kissed . . . in what . . . about twenty-seven years."

He smiled. "That's a long time to love a woman without kissing her. Yes Kathryn, I admit I love you and have from the beginning. You have always been the only woman for me and I love you more than you could ever possibly know."

"And I admit I love you my dear Chakotay," she said with a smile. "We've wasted an awful lot of time haven't we?"

"I don't know about wasted, but we've certainly lost a lot of time."

"Don't go."

Chakotay frowned.

"Don't go Chakotay. Stay here. I don't want to ever lose track of you again now that I've found you. I want to feel your arms around me at night and know you are there beside me."

"Stay here?"

"Yes."

Then Chakotay got a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "Parameters?" he asked.

"For a while," she smirked as they walked to the bedroom.

Seemingly without embarrassment Kathryn slipped into her nightgown and Chakotay stripped down to his boxers. As they settled into bed Kathryn immediately placed her head on his shoulder and stretched her other arm across his bare chest, sighing a pleasurable sigh as she did this.

Chakotay slipped his arms around her and they lay still. After about ten minutes, Chakotay cleared his throat.

"Kathryn?"

"Uhm," she murmured as she nuzzled into his neck.

"How long is 'awhile'?"

The End

April 1999

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