Warning: If you are under the age of 18 or have a problem reading the description of consensual sex between our favorite characters do not go beyond this point.

Chances Are
by Kadith
NC-17

Chances are you'll find me somewhere on your road tonight
Seems I always end up driving by
Ever since I've known you, it always seems your on my way
All the rules of logic don't apply
I long to see you in the night
Be with you till morning light

Chakotay glanced at the console chronometer for the 18th time in as many minutes. It just wasn’t changing quickly enough, he still had half an hour before his shift was over, and with Harry and Tom gone in the Delta flyer on a scouting mission he was having to cover Delta Shift, while Kathryn remained on Alpha. HE sighed, he knew she was probably covering Beta shift as well, without him to make sure she ate and them. Now the only time he saw her was in passing, she was coming on duty as he was going off. He always made sure to take the route back to his quarters that he knew she took to the bridge, this way he at least got to say hello. He looked up when his console beeped at him, signaling an incoming message. He reached over and tapped in the commands, bringing it up on screen, then smiled. Meet me in the mess hall, I’m buying. --K

He controlled a rising chuckle and sent back, Why should I? --C He didn’t have to wait long for the response.

Because I said so. --K

He coughed to cover his laugh, Well, I don’t know if that’s reason enough, I’m kinda tired. --C

I miss you. --K

He smiled, You’ve got a date. I miss you too. --C

Good. You’d better! --K He did laugh then, but ignored the glances he got. The next message came in before he could reply. See you in five minutes, Love you. --K

And now you're all I long to see
You've come to mean so much to me

Kathryn clicked her terminal off and gathered the stack of data padds she would review in her office later. She took the shortest route to the mess hall, trying not to think about how long it had been since she’d actually spoken with Chakotay. They’d been apart for days, only seeing each other just as she was leaving for the bridge, and in those instances she only had time for a quick kiss and a hello.

This morning however, she didn’t care how late she was, she was going to share a meal with him and make plans for them to spend time together. At this point she could care less if Tuvok cited a thousand regulations, or if she was two hours late, as long as she got to spend at least thirty minutes with her lover. She stepped into the mess hall and headed straight for their table, he wasn’t there yet, but she knew he was on his way.

And I'll be dreaming of the future
And hoping you'll be by my side

Chakotay arrived within minutes and spotted her immediately, she was the only person he could see--cared to see. He headed for the table a grin spreading across his face. “Crew be damned,” he growled right before kissing her. He let the kiss linger before pulling away and sitting across from her.

Kathryn’s face was a mixture of shock and disappointment. “So, anything interesting happen last night?”

“Not a damn thing.” He ran a hand over his face, “I will be so glad when Harry gets back.”

Kathryn smiled, “Aw, poor baby. We rendevous with the Delta Flyer in 12 hours, which means you’re on watch tomorrow night, then you’re off for 36 hours.”

“Thank god.” He leaned forward, “You’re going to be off for at least 18 of those I hope.” There was a wicked gleam in his eyes, “There’s not a hell of a lot to do during Delta Shift, except think. And I have all kinds of things planned for you.”

“Ooooh...” She leaned forward, “I’m looking forward to holding you to that.”

His smile softened, “I’m just looking forward to holding you.”

She reached over and cupped his cheek, “Soon, I promise.”

He held her gaze for a moment then gestured to the padd she’d been studying. “Is that *the* dreaded padd?”

“Yep, I’m getting sick of carrying it around.”

“Well, we don’t *have* to get married.” He took the padd, wondering what she’d come up with in the last few days.

“No,” she said, “we don’t *have* to, but it would make things simpler, and after all, you’re the one who wanted it to be legally required for me to call you master.”

He laughed, “Oh yeah. Okay marriage it is.”

She snickered, “That’s what I thought.”

“Of course,” he slid the padd back across the table toward her. “No one ever said getting married meant you absolutely had to have a wedding.”

She glared at him, “Oh no you don’t, huh uh, no! You are not about to tell me, after I’ve spent months torturing myself with details that we don’t have to have a wedding.” She snatched the padd and held it between them, “This contains almost four months worth of details, and now you just want to chunk it?”

He reached across and took the padd from her, then clasped her hand, “That’s not what I’m saying. I just meant that we don’t have to have an actual wedding, *if* we don’t want to.” He let go of her hand and reached for the padd again. “I don’t give a damn about this,” he shook it. “Marrying you means more to me than flower arrangements and shift alterations for the reception. I could care less if we got married in a mud pitt, or in a St. Petersburg cathedral.”

Kathryn gave him a crooked grin, “Now you tell me.” She took the padd from him and tossed it over her shoulder. “To hell with the wedding, I was never sold on the damn thing anyway.”

“Are you sure?”

“It’s one less headache for both of us.”

He leaned forward, “What about the crew?”

“What about them? We’ll go ahead with the reception, Neelix was in charge for that anyway. There’s no reason to cancel it.” She was already entering new details into a different data padd.

“Alright,” amusement sparkled in his eyes, “and just what do you have in mind for us?

She looked up, “No clue, what do you think?”

He laughed, “I’m not exactly sold on just tossing it all to the wind. I think we should have something resembling a real ceremony, however simple.”

“Right, hmm.” She perched her chin on one hand. “Just us, and the rest of the Senior Staff, we will need witnesses after all.”

“And Tuvok is the one officiating.”

“Where?” She tapped a finger against the padd.

“Ready Room?” He laughed when she wrinkled her nose. “I didn’t think so.”

“Mess hall? We were planning on having that dinner with the senior officers the night before anyway, we can just do it then?”

He thought about it for a moment then nodded, “Okay, sounds good to me. The mud pitt idea sounds good too, but Tuvok would never go for it, the stiff.”

Kathryn laughed as she punched the new information into the data padd. “We can play afterwards. Okay, I’ll talk o the others during this morning’s briefing. Anything else you can think of?”

“What about when?”

“Well since we finally have it all figured out, whenever.”

“How long do you think it would take Neelix to put a dinner and crew reception together?”

Kathryn pursed her lips, “I’ll ask him, and get Tom to help if need be.”

Chakotay shook his head, “If this were a year ago we would be sitting here talking about the ship and the crew, and avoiding anything personal.”

She smiled, “Well we can do that if you like.”

“Someone is in rare form this morning.”

She sighed, “I can’t help it, it’s all I can do to keep myself from tearing your uniform off right here and now.”

He snickered, “Don’t let those two lowly Ensigns stop you, go with the feeling.”

She laughed, “Another time maybe, with our luck Tuvok would choose that moment to remind me I’m late.”

“One of these days that Vulcan and I are going to have a little chat about his timing--and lack there of!” He frowned when she stood up, “You don’t really have to go do you?”

She nodded, “I’m afraid so, I have some notes I need to review before the briefing.”

He pouted, “Well fine then, I guess I’ll just go to bed--alone.” He pulled her into his lap when she came around the table, “Unless of course I can persuade you to come with me.”

“It’s tempting--” she was cut off as he kissed her. “But I really can’t, she mumbled against his lips. “Chakotay,” she tried to get up, “let go, please. I...have...to go!” She finally managed to pull away from him, “I’ll see you later.”

“Fine,” he stood and walked her out of the mess hall, “later, but only because we had witnesses, next time you won’t be as lucky.”

She grinned as she stepped into the ‘lift, “Promises, promises.”

He laughed as the doors shut, “Actually it was more like a threat.” Chakotay walked down the corridor thinking he just might have to get up a little earlier, pay his captain a little visit before his shift started tonight. A mischievous grin spread across his face, she’d never know what hit her.

And in the morning I'll be longing for the night... for the night...

Kathryn was grabbed from behind as the door of her quarters shut behind her. Hands were already snaking up her front, pulling the jacket of her uniform open. Lips nuzzled her neck, and a voice whispered in her ear, “Promises, promises hmm? I have two hours, I wonder what I’ll do with them?”

She leaned into him, “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll get this uniform off of me and make me think twice before assigning us to different shifts again.”

“Yes ma’am.” He jerked her jacket off and pulled her turtle neck over her head. She was already kicking off her boots as he unfastened her pants and started tugging them over her hips. She kicked the offending garment off and turned in his arms, seeking then finding his lips for a hungry kiss. Her hands were working fast to relieve him of his own uniform even as they moved toward the bedroom, and with his help they managed to leave a trail of clothes from the living room to the bedroom.

It was obvious when they came apart in his hands that the lace underwear she wore had not been meant for the insistence of male hands. Their underwear was tossed aside as they tumbled to the bed, each issuing a moan of satisfaction when they were skin to skin.

His lips roamed everywhere, re-aquainting themselves with every part of her body. He pinned her hands to the bed, tangling their fingers together as his lips grazed over her collar bone. She moaned and arched into him when his mouth closed around her nipple, she squirmed beneath him when he began teasing her with his tongue, moving it across the sensitive peek in rapid movements.

His lips moved over breast, teeth grazing over her nipple and then nipping at the underside. In a quick motion his tongue snaked out of his mouth to moisten the area, then he blew across the area, caressing it with warm breath. She arched against him, moving impatiently. But he wasn’t to be rushed, he repeated the motion as he moved across to the other breast, allowing it the same treatment. Then he moved downward, over her belly, nipping and moistening the skin. Frustrated sounds made it out of her throat, and her hands detangled from his to become fisted around the old-fashioned headboard.

Chakotay continued his downward movement until his breathing rustled the silky curls between her thighs. She gasped as the tingling sensation moved outward through her body and rotated her hips upward in encouragement. He raised her knees, sliding his hand along one thigh, and holding it in place as he began kissing his way along the inner side. Kathryn stared at him, waiting for what was to come, then cried out when his lips finally caressed her folds. Her hips rose off the bed, moving against him.

When he felt the first tremors begin to move through her, he lifted his head and covered her with his body, once more claiming mouth in a hungry kiss. Her hands let go of the headboard and dug into his shoulders as he lifted her hips and drove into her.

She met him thrust for thrust, sinking her teeth into his shoulder as her climax ripped through her. He growled in response, but held on tight as she stiffened against him, then began thrashing. He pinned her to the bed, continuing to drive into her as her walls tightened around him. Her hips bucked against him, the sensations began blending together, each tremor overlapping the one before it.

Finally he buried his face in her neck, whispering her name as his own climax poured through him, spilling into her. He continued to lay atop her, their chests heaved in unison as their hands continued roaming, inaudible words murmured for lovers' ears.

After a while he managed to roll off of her, bringing her with him to lie against his chest. Kathryn's arm hung limply across his chest, her breathing still coming in small gasps; when she could move again her hand slid up his chest to rest over his heart and she whispered. "Let's never do this again," he knew what she meant, but they both knew it was impossible. It was the nature of the job, for them to be apart when need be.

His lips brushed her forehead and he continued holding her until he noticed she'd fallen asleep. Carefully he detangled himself and slipped out of bed, then walked into the bathroom to shower. As he was pulling on a clean uniform two arms slid around his waist from behind. "I thought you were asleep?"

She yawned against his back, "I was, but I hate doing it alone."

He turned around as he fastened his rank bar into place, "Just one more night, then I'm all yours.”

She hopped up onto the vanity, "Just until the next away mission."

He smiled then kissed her, "Well if you like we can put Tuvok on the bridge, of course, since we'd probably be in bed at the time it would just mean he could interrupt us then too."

She arched a brow, "I don't think so."

He chuckled then pulled her off the vanity and into the bedroom, "Hungry? I know you didn't go by the mess hall after your shift."

"Nah, I had a late lunch." She walked him into the living room, "Meet me for breakfast?"

"Wouldn't miss it," his arms slid around her waist and he pulled her against him, "I love you."

She kissed his neck, "I love you too," her lips moved up his neck and along his jaw line. Chakotay," she whispered before she met his lips.

"Yes," he said between kisses.

"If you don't leave now you're going to need another shower."

He groaned against her mouth, "And that would be bad how?"

She chuckled and pushed him toward the door, "Go! I'll see you in a couple of hours."

"Alright," the doors opened for his exit, "and Kathryn.."

"Yeah?" She was bent over picking up pieces of her scattered uniform, noticing that the turtle neck was a bit tattered.

"I still have a lot planned for you."

She looked up but he was already gone, "Well, chances are Commander, you'll get to carry out those plans."

Chances are I'll hold you, and I'll offer all I have
You're the only one I can't forget
Baby you're the best I've ever met