Disclaimer: I own nothing of Janeway and Chakotay…. Nope still don't own them.
Kathryn sat on her couch and watched Chakotay fix her replicator. The glorified toaster had bested her again. She was in the process of fixing it when Chakotay walked in. He started to laugh when she tossed one of the pieces behind her and nearly hit Chakotay. He had set down the bottle of wine and told her to move out of the way.
"Are you finished yet?" Kathryn asked walking over to where he sat.
"Almost, just wait." Chakotay put the last piece where it belonged and replaced the housing. "Just out of curiosity, did you call it a 'Glorified Toaster' again?" he asked and Kathryn mumbled something about the Replicator hating her.
Later after their dinner was finished they sat together and watched the stars. Things between then had just gotten back to normal. The whole Kashyk thing had been a testing point between them and they had passed by the skin of their teeth. She had wanted to ask him something but Kathryn wasn't really sure how to phrase it.
"Something on your mind?" Chakotay whispered.
"Something yes? I don't know how to phrase a question though." Kathryn replied. She turned to look at Chakotay who was sitting in the chair next to the couch like he always did. He tilted his head to the side and waited for her to continue. Always ready to listen, Chakotay proved a wonderful sounding board for Kathryn over the years they had known each other.
"What's on your mind?" Chakotay asked.
"Well, that would be an excellent question for which I do not have an answer." Kathryn offered one of her half smiles and in return Chakotay flashed his dimpled smile.
"Do you have to do that?" Kathryn asked and refused to get swept up in his smile.
"What?" he whispered.
"That smile. It's dangerous you know?"
"So I've been told." Chakotay replied and rested his forehead against his fist.
Kathryn just chuckled and turned back to the window. When ever she had trouble thinking the stars offered clarity but that clarity was far from her grasp tonight. The clarity came when she was alone but tonight Chakotay was here with her and she didn't know how to ask him what she needed to know.
"How about you just talk?" Chakotay offered.
"I wanted to know how you felt about what I had to do about Kashyk."
Chakotay got all serious and the humor drained from his eyes. "I hated that you worked so closely with him. It made me crazy and I know I have no right to feel this way but I wanted..." Chakotay couldn't finish. He even had to look away from Kathryn.
Kathryn rose form the couch and stood in front of her First Officer and friend. She reached out her hand t touch his shoulder and was surprised when Chakotay rose and wrapped his arms around her. She wrapped her arms around him in return. Chakotay had been the one person who tied her heart up in knots.
"This has been a crazy time." Kathryn said as Chakotay pulled back to look her in the eyes.
"Yeah."
"Yeah." Kathryn echoed because she didn't know what to say. So instead she sat back down on the couch and offered the seat next to her. He did so and wrapped one arm around her bringing Kathryn close to his side. She leaned her head on his shoulder and Chakotay rested his cheek on the top of Kathryn's head while he rubbed his hand up and down her left arm. 'This was worth the wait' Chakotay thought and was content to sit there.