Disclaimer time once again! Thirteenth verse same as the first . . everybody *sing*: I don't own these characters, (chorus) Paramount does! I don't own this venue, (chorus) Paramount does! I am making no money off of this, (chorus) Paramount does not either! This story involves sex between two men, aka: slash. If that is *not* your cup of tea, sweet as it is, then don't read it! (simple, ain't it??) Feedback is *very* much appreciated, and always answered. Flames will be passed around to friends and chuckled over. :) This is the sequel to 'Adversaries', so you might want to read that one first. My momentary aberration is now over, this part contains sex. Remain calm. Proceed to the closest exit in an orderly fashion. All players emerge from this one relatively unscathed. Fear not. 'Allies' by Amirin (groh@iquest.net) **************************************************** "So, you want to tell me what's been going on with you and the Commander, today, or do I have to guess?" Harry asked, drily, seeing the grin come immediately to his friend's face. His heart contracted a little; Tom had a great smile. "Nothing, really, Har. We just spent some time together last night, laid a foundation for what may be a beautiful friendship," Tom sighed, trying not to get too mushy about it. "Are you sure that's all that got laid, last night?" Harry asked, careful to keep his voice even, teasing. Tom and *Chakotay*? What the . . ? Tom sputtered around his drink. Choking to death in the mess hall was not on his list of things to do tonight. "*Harry*!" he exclaimed, seeing the scowl that momentarily crossed the other man's features before it disappeared so quickly, he wondered if maybe he'd imagined it. "All we did was talk, though why I'm defending myself, here, I haven't got a clue," Tom said, watching Harry's face carefully. Harry had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. . "I just meant that you two seemed to move pretty quickly from barely tolerating each other, to being what almost looks like good friends. I'm wondering how it happened so fast, that's all," he explained, looking into his glass, so he wouldn't have to meet Tom's eyes. Tom thought. What was going on? Jealousy, maybe? That didn't seem like Harry, though. The guy was too confident to feel like he was being replaced by Chakotay, as Tom's friend. Tom shook his head. Maybe it was nothing; Harry would say something, if he wanted Tom to know. Still, it never hurt to reassure . . "Harry, you know that you will *always* be my friend, right? First, best, all of it. I know that, and you know that. But, I finally have a shot at smoothing things over with Chakotay, and I'm taking it. I've always admired the man, as you well know, and if it works out that *he* can call me friend, I'll count myself lucky. *Damned* lucky," Tom paused, seeing that Harry didn't look any happier at his words. Maybe if he explained . . . "Harry, I saw a side of him last night, that I've *never* seen before. Gods, we had such a great time. He wanted to know what *really* happened with Hawthorne and Banning, and it went from there. The guy was human, last night, Har, with an actual sense of humor. Warm, friendly . . I couldn't believe it was the same man. I *like* the Chakotay I met last night, and I want to see more of him," Tom ended, sighing. He didn't want to mention what else happened, it was too new, too fragile . . too difficult to explain. Harry nodded; he understood. He didn't *want* to, but he did. Tom had admired Chakotay since his time in the Maquis; the chance to mend some fences was too good to pass up. He tried to keep a noncommittal smile on his lips. It was practically impossible, but he tried. "I hope it works out the way you want it to, Tom," he said, thinking . "Me too, Harry. Me too," Tom said quietly. He hoped tonight wasn't too soon to look the Commander up again. He really wanted to spend some more time with him. "I've gotta run," Harry said quickly, seeing Chakotay enter and not wanting to stay and watch the fun. He didn't think he could stand it. The two of them had been all but flirting during duty shift. Secret glances, unspoken words, shared smiles, if he saw any more of them, he'd do something stupid. Best to leave, now, before they unknowingly rubbed his face in the fact that he'd waited too long, and missed his chance. He knew what the look on Tom's face meant and the smile on Chakotay's, when he saw the pilot across the mess hall, left no doubt in Harry's mind that it was only a matter of time. He smiled apologetically, then exited as quickly as he could, nodding to the Commander, before he dumped his tray. Turning around at the door, he watched Chakotay slide into his vacated seat, saw the glowing look on Tom's face and its twin on Chakotay's, before he left the room, heavy-hearted. "Hey, there," Tom said quietly, knowing he was grinning from ear to ear, and not really giving a damn. "Hi," Chakotay answered, just as softly. The whole day had been torture, fun, but torture. So many things he'd wanted to tell Tom, but couldn't on duty, and now that he could, he didn't know where to start. He sighed, frustrated. "There's so *much* I've wanted to share with you, all day," he started, before Tom broke in. "And now that you're here, you're stymied," Tom grinned knowingly. "I know. When the Captain made that remark about how stocking up on belarium in this sector might come in *handy*, I damned near lost it. If I had looked at you, we both would have." "Oh, gods, I know," Chakotay leaned forward conspiratorially, smiling. "When she told Harry . . " "Praising his hard work on the sensors . ." Tom added, hurriedly. "Right, that's the one. Gods . ." "Yeah, me too . ." "'Good job, Ensign, keep it up.'" "Oh, gods . ." "It damned near *killed* me. And that little squeak you made . ." "I couldn't help it, I was trying not to fall on the floor, laughing my ass off," Tom said intently, leaning closer to Chakotay. "I know. Damn, it was *so* tempting to just run out of the room and laugh myself sick in the turbolift," Chakotay said, starting to chuckle. Tom laughed. "This is awful. The most innocent . ." "And totally unrelated . ." " . . comments, and we're both in hysterics, practically, Chakotay. We're gonna get reprimanded *big* time, if this doesn't quit." "Hopefully, you'll run out of amusing anecdotes about the crew . . " "*This* crew? Not bloody likely, my friend. At *all*," Tom said, then paused at the look on Chakotay's face. "What?" he asked, curious. "Nothing, just thinking," Chakotay hedged, not wanting to tell Tom about the warm feeling he got when Tom had called him 'my friend'. He sighed, idly playing with his suddenly uninteresting dinner. "Hey," Tom called softly, to get his attention. "You spring for more cactus juice, and dinner's on me, my quarters." Chakotay was out of his seat, before Tom had finished the offer. "Deal." They both got rid of their trays, then headed to Tom's quarters with more haste than usual. Fortunately, the corridors were nearly empty, so they didn't get any odd looks. They quickly ordered food, Tom grabbing the plates, while Chakotay got the drinks, and they made themselves comfortable on the floor in front of the couch, sitting crosslegged. Tom pulled off his boots, motioning to the Commander to do the same, and undid the uniform jacket. Chakotay followed suit, and soon they were replaying the day, editorializing on the various things people had said and done that had nearly set them both off. Tom finally took off the jacket, as did Chakotay, both casually tossed onto the couch, behind them. They finished dinner, free to laugh, now, and having a wonderful time. Tom stood and removed the plates and utensils, while Chakotay got each of them another glass of juice. This time he saw the grin on Tom's face when he handed it to him. "I saw that same smile last night," he commented, as Tom had the grace to look embarrassed. "What's that all about?" Tom shook his head, sighing. "I really liked your quarters. I think they're warm, welcoming, not overdone. Just perfect, for you. I couldn't help wondering, and this was before we'd talked, you know, why they were so . . comfortable to be in, while you were about as, um, cuddly as a cactus," he finished in a rush, before jumping back in. "Then, when you told me what was in the drink, I almost choked on it . ." "And started wondering how much of the stuff I drank to make me share the prickly characteristics, hmmm?" Chakotay asked, not angry now, although he probably would've been last night. He grinned. It was rather amusing, he had to admit. Tom smiled back, relieved that Chakotay wasn't pissed at him. "Something like that, yeah," he admitted, when Chakotay chuckled, nodding. "I get it. I know I was pretty 'cactus-like', to you. I'm sorry," he paused, deciding it was time to 'fess up. "I didn't realize how bad it was, until I overheard the remark you made, on the holodeck, yesterday afternoon. When you said something about there being a certain First Officer who'd . ." "Give a year's replicator rations for that kickboxing program. Oh, gods, I remember. I didn't know you were there," Tom admitted, suddenly uncomfortable until he met Chakotay's eyes. "I wasn't there for long after that. I had been coming to read you the riot act, about the report. Instead, I found myself wondering how in the world you could think I hated you, so much so as to want to do you, or even a hologram of you, physical harm. Then, I reread the comments I'd written about that report. And the light dawned, finally. The words were cold, harsh. It wasn't a pleasant moment, for me, let me tell you," Chakotay said quietly. "How many times have I done that to you? Reacting with hostility to humor? Hell, Tom, *my* actions were inappropriate, more so than yours, even. Damn, I'm sorry," he trailed off, seeing Tom shaking his head. "I *know* the reports I've done haven't always been up to Starfleet standards. I did it on purpose, to provoke you. You were always so . . cool and controlled. It drove me nuts. It was like working with a damned machine, sometimes," Tom hesitated, getting his bearings. "I know it wasn't you, now. It was just you reacting to my shit, to what I was doing. I'm the one who's sorry, Chakotay. Really. Gods, last night . . I didn't know who the hell I was talking to. You were everything I'd hoped you'd be, the part of you I've wanted to see for so long. B'Elanna always said you had a great sense of humor, but I never really believed it. Until last night. Thank you for that. I didn't deserve it, but I'm grateful," Tom finished, meeting Chakotay's eyes. "And the rest of it?" Chakotay asked quietly, knowing Tom knew exactly what he was referring to. "I don't care if it *was* too soon for us to take that step, I'll *never* be sorry it happened, Chakotay," Tom whispered, bringing Chakotay closer to hear him. "When you backed away, I was sure I'd rushed you, or misread something," Chakotay paused, as Tom picked up the train of thought. "You weren't rushing me. And you didn't misread a damned thing. It startled me, yes. Scared me a little, at first," he admitted quietly. "Why?" Chakotay asked softly, unable to keep his hand from reaching out and running through Tom's hair, as the other man closed his eyes, and sighed, leaning into the touch. "It was the last thing I was expecting, from you. Not to say I didn't want it, but I wasn't expecting it. Scared me, because people don't stick around long after taking those steps with me. A little of me goes a long way, I guess. I didn't want to lose the chance to be your friend, just for that," Tom said, in a too-quiet voice, looking at his hands in his lap. Chakotay was silent for a moment, letting the anger work its way through him. He wasn't angry at Tom. Just at those who'd made him think the chase was all-important, then lost interest after they'd caught him. Why the hell hadn't they kept him? Were they blind or just stupid? Tom risked a glance at Chakotay, saw the anger in his eyes, before it flared out. Chakotay met Tom's look, saw the sorrow and resignation in those soft, blue eyes. "They were idiots, Tom. Trust me. If they didn't know what they had, when they had it, they were idiots," he said seriously, before smiling when Tom grinned. "Thanks, Chakotay," Tom said quietly, hesitantly closing the distance between them, and bringing his lips to softly touch those of the man beside him. Chakotay responded almost immediately, taking Tom's face in his hands, returning that gentle kiss. He smiled, hearing and feeling the other man sigh into his mouth. Hands were touching his face, and Tom pulled back, caressing his cheek, before he felt a light touch on his forehead, a fingertip tracing his tattoo. He ran a hand down Tom's face, cupping his chin, holding it still, while giving his mouth free rein to plunder at will. Warm lips opened under his, and the dizzying sweetness of Tom's mouth made him moan. The need to get closer was becoming desperate, and he found himself lowering Tom to the floor, never breaking contact with his mouth. Chakotay moved away, meeting Tom's eyes, and the hunger in them proved to be more than he could bear. Tom looked up at Chakotay, wondering why the man had stopped. Gods, the last thing he wanted was an out. His own eyes focused onto Chakotay's mouth with intent and his own lips parted in anticipation, before he roughly whispered, "Kiss me, again," and Chakotay did, his passion barely restrained. Chakotay was too preoccupied to wonder where the hell his mind and good sense had gone. All he knew was that Tom Paris was beneath him, looking infinitely ravishable, kissing him back with breathless intensity. He knew they hadn't reached the point of no return, thinking they could still back away from this, until the instant Tom arched up into him, caressing Chakotay's hardness with his own. In that moment, Chakotay knew he was lost to the driving need to totally experience everything the man below him had to offer. Tom's hands were busy roaming over the strong back above him before resting on the Commander's ass, bringing then even more tightly together. He wanted to touch skin too badly to wait any longer, and tugged the man's tank from his slacks, sliding it up Chakotay's back, giving his hands something new to keep them busy. Chakotay reached back over his head, grabbed the tank top, and pulled it off, flinging it mindlessly behind them. He sighed as Tom's hands found his shoulderblades, kneading and caressing, until they came to his shoulders, pushing him away, so that Tom's mouth could journey down his chest. Resting on his elbows, to either side of Tom's head, he groaned as a hot tongue began bathing him from neck to shoulder and back again. Chakotay wrapped his arms around the top of Tom's head, arching back with a harsh cry as that talented mouth latched onto a nipple. Brushing his lips across Tom's hot forehead, he gasped when teeth nibbled him, too hard to tickle, but too soft to hurt. Suddenly, he was being moved off to the side, and Tom was over him, licking a fiery trail down his chest, following the ribs one by one, going lower and lower until the hot, wet tongue found his navel. Tom thought, bemused, concentrating on and cataloguing every sound and movement Chakotay made. It was too late for him, and he knew he had no intention of stopping unless the Commander told him to. Which, judging by the needful sounds coming from the man, was *not* likely to happen. Movement at his lower back distracted him, until he figured out that Chakotay was trying to get him naked from the waist up. He decided to help, tearing off his own tank and tossing it away. Before his arms even completed the motion, soft, warm lips were kissing his chest, as Chakotay rose, forcing Tom onto his side. Fingers clutched at dark hair, and Tom groaned the second the man touched his nipple with a hot tongue. Falling backward, he was set upon by the Commander, who laved every inch he could get to, like a starving man. He was astonished when the Commander backed away, that he could. "Tom, you'd better stop me now, if you're going to," he warned, fiercely. "I have no intention of stopping you; I don't want to stop, Chakotay. It's too late," Tom replied, before fastening his mouth onto Chakotay's, again. They kissed for a long time, making out like bandits in front of the couch, until Chakotay pulled away again, and Tom groaned. "Come on," he said, rising carefully and helping Tom up. "Damned if I'm taking you on the floor." Tom froze, letting the Commander's words sear a path through his mind. He tried not to whimper, he really did, but he wasn't entirely successful. He looked down at the hand in his, amazed at himself, at Chakotay, at everything. Meeting the brown eyes looking at him questioningly, he smiled, pulling Chakotay into the bedroom. He stopped by the bed and kissed the man again, tongue following the trail blazed earlier, down the neck, along the collarbone. He paused to draw small circles on the bronzed shoulder with his tongue, nibbling lightly with sharp teeth. Feeling hands undoing his slacks, he retaliated in kind, dropping the Commander's and waiting for him to step out of them, and kick them aside, before doing the same. Both of them quickly skinned out of their underwear, then paused, before moving closer together. Chakotay reached out, drawing a uncertain hand down Tom's throat, hearing the soft groan. He continued downward, fingertips lightly caressing the glowing skin, dusted with freckles. Tom's eyes were closed, head back a little, as he simply stood and let the Commander touch him. A louder groan escaped his lips when Chakotay's touched his throat, following the line of his jaw to his chin. A gentle hand drew him in closer and stroked his back, almost tickling with barely-there touches. Tom let his hands rest on Chakotay's shoulders for a moment before beginning their own exploration of the beautiful man standing before him. He brushed a knuckle over a dark nipple, his eyes flying to Chakotay's when he heard him inhale sharply. His mouth was desperate to taste the man again and he broke eye contact to let it trail over the solid collarbone, tongue following the grooves and valleys. Chakotay sighed softly, letting Tom explore at his own speed. For once, the pilot wasn't traveling at full warp, and the Commander was grateful. He wanted to take his time, savor every response and reaction, learn the man from nose to toes, memorize each feature, every freckle. Fingertips coasted along his skin, down his chest, over his ribs and stomach, before veering to his hips and following his thighs as far down as they could reach. He wrapped himself around Tom and melted into the man's arms. Warm lips found his, drawing out his tongue, playing, caressing. A hard cock brushed his own, sending tremors down his spine. His hand closed around it, and Tom shuddered, as Chakotay stroked its silken length with careful fingers, thumb going in circles over the weeping head. Tom was shaking in his arms and Chakotay held him firmly so he wouldn't fall, continuing the touches that were driving Tom crazy. Tom let his head drop to Chakotay's strong shoulder, letting the man support him, and reached between them, to caress the Commander's hardness. Tom's fingers had no sooner wrapped around Chakotay's cock, then the man groaned deeply, falling backwards onto the bed, taking Tom with him. They let go of each other for an instant, to move alongside one another, legs tangling, before their hands picked up where they left off. Tom reached around the back of Chakotay's neck, holding him, and kissed him softly, as gentle a touch as the one on his achingly hard flesh. He wasn't sure if Chakotay was ready for what he wanted or not, and was considering asking, when he felt cautious fingers exploring the opening to his body. "Oh, gods, yes. Chakotay . ." Tom trailed off, soft lips kissing his own, effectively silencing him. "Are you sure?" Chakotay pulled back, asking, momentarily regretting it, when Tom moved away, until a small tube was slapped into his hand. He chuckled. "Ok, you're sure." He popped the lid, squeezing some lubricant out onto his fingertips, and paused, considering. Tom gasped, as cool gel was slicked onto his shaft, and his eyes flew to Chakotay's, nonplussed. "You first," Chakotay whispered against Tom's mouth, caressing his tongue briefly, until Tom pulled away. "Are you sure?" he repeated the other man's question, caught offguard that Chakotay wasn't intending to take him right now. He snorted, as the tube was slapped back into his own hand. "Okay, I get it; you're sure." He carefully prepared the Commander, not knowing which of them it had been longer for, until the man was moving steadily against his fingers. Chakotay was still on his side and Tom moved back to allow the man to choose how he wanted to do this. He was more than a little surprised when Chakotay rolled forward, settling onto his stomach, arms stretched out over his head, turning his head to look at Tom with a tiny smile on his face. Taking a deep breath, Tom moved around behind the man, bringing one hand down the bronzed skin from neck to knee, feeling the heat, as well as the slight tremors, along the way. He sighed in contentment, then stroked his own cock, making sure he was as hard as he was going to be. Moving forward, he positioned himself between Chakotay's legs and brought the man back onto his hands and knees, still stroking the muscled back. He couldn't quite believe that the man was so readily assuming the submissive posture, but the thought was driven from his mind with one hot look over his shoulder, from the Commander. Chakotay knew why Tom was hesitating; he didn't seem to realize he was going to get the fucking of his life, as soon as he was done with Chakotay. "Come on, Tom," Chakotay encouraged, gently. "Gods, don't make me wait any longer for you." He felt a swift kiss on his shoulder and a hand on his hip and then a slight pain, sharp enough to make him gasp, as the head of Tom's cock found its way into his body. Tom halted immediately, until the Commander relaxed and moved back into him a little, signaling he was all right to continue. He set a relaxed pace, until his lover began thrusting back harder than Tom was thrusting into him. Speeding up, he brought one hand to Chakotay's erection, only to have it knocked aside, gently. "Saving that for you. Later," Chakotay promised, breathlessly, and Tom didn't go near it again, grinning at the thought. Chakotay was a bit surprised at how careful Tom was being. He didn't think he wanted gentleness, though, and he surged back against Tom, smiling at the gasp the move brought about. Ahh, finally. Tom was taking him harder, now, faster. Much better, he thought, before one particularly impressive thrust nearly drove him into the mattress. , Tom thought, . He drove deeper into Chakotay, driving a harsh groan out of him at the same time. He sped up, again, moving faster, not being so gentle, and the Commander met him stroke for stroke, gasping. "Tom, gods, baby, yes. That's it," Chakotay ground out, teeth clenching, "Oh, yes, that's it. Harder, come on, harder. Oh, *gods* yes." Tom could feel his climax coming from light years away, as he moved slickly into his lover's body. The soft, intense words of encouragement only served to bring him closer to release, and his body began to tingle, the wave breaking over him, making him cry out, leaving him drained and exhausted. Tom leaned on Chakotay's back, panting, resting a moment, before pulling out, and falling to the side. Chakotay's arms were around him in an instant, more than willing to wait until his lover had recovered. "Sorry," Tom mumbled, moving into Chakotay's warm embrace. "I'll keep. You rest," Chakotay whispered, kissing Tom's sweaty brow. "It's been so long," Tom tried to explain, Chakotay's lips hushing him with a gentle kiss. "I'm delighted to hear that," Chakotay said, smiling, then chuckling as Tom snorted tiredly. "Sleep." "Can we do this again, tomorrow?" Tom asked honestly, not even bothering to hide the fact that he wanted to, more than anything. "It's a date," Chakotay whispered softly into Tom's hair. "Your quarters," Tom mumbled, sleepily. "Wherever, now go to sleep," Chakotay hushed him. "Chakotay . . stay . . " Whispered in near-sleep. "I'm not going anywhere, Tom," Chakotay murmured against silky hair. "I'm not going anywhere." ****************************end