by Delta Story

November 1997

~*~

The air was warm with the fading sun, but the early evening crispness was starting to settle in. She pulled a tapestry shawl over her shoulders, shielding the bare skin exposed by the deep neckline of her dress. The firmly laced bodice forced her body into an upright position, while pushing her straining breasts just above the top of the dress. She sighed, wondering if he would indeed show up. But he was her friend, and he had said that he would join her for a glass of wine... and he never lied.

When she had seen him earlier that day, she reminded him of his promise of a couple of days earlier. They had overcome the plague of mutations rendered by the aliens, and now it was time to sit back and relax for awhile. She had actually, finally slept... two nights, each of ten hours of glorious sleep! She was rested, but still... something was nagging at the back of her mind. Was she completely rid of the effects of the horrendous spikes in her temples that so recently had tortured her? Perhaps there was some residual effect. Talking with him would help... it always did.

Dear Tuvok! She had forgotten what a godsend he was to her... and had been... for over nine years. Whether it was his Vulcan reserve or the sign of a true friend, he always seemed to rationalize whatever action she took... even though, again so recently, he had commented that calling her "reckless" was an understatement! A silent grin ran across her face as she thought back on slipping into her "Action Kate" mode on the bridge... her action that had jeopardized all of them once again... but, how, once again, it seemed that the gods were with them.

She heard a muffled noise and a baritone voice say, just above a whisper, "Captain? Are you here?"

"Yes," she called out cheerfully. "Just follow the vine covered archway; it leads to the inn."

His face shortly appeared, framed by the now withering leaves on the vine. Their greenish-gold complimented the dark tones of his skin; the angles of his face brought focus to the soft roundness of the curved opening.

"Captain," he said.

She arose, and walked over to him, her arms outstretched towards him. "Tuvok... my dear friend; you came!"

"Of course. I told you that I would join you. Why do you seem incredulous?"

She reached down and grabbed his hands, leading him towards the table, laughing. He was surprised by the physical contact, and instinctively jerked his arms, recoiling from the sensation of her touch. But, he then thought better of pulling his hands free, and allowed her to guide him.

"Yes, I knew that you would come," she agreed, her words twinkling with her delight. She led him to the small table where she had been seated.

He seated himself in a chair across from her. Her heavy goblet was almost empty; he noticed that the bottle of deep red wine on the table was about half gone. Was this wine real? Was this the reason for his captain's jovial conduct? In resent days, he had seen sides to her that he had never thought possible.

"Tuvok, you must taste some of this wine. It is from this very valley, although the innkeeper has told me that this particular bottle is over ten years old. I must say... it has aged delightfully... just like you!" she chirped, as she filled the empty drinking vessel in front of him, and then quickly refilled hers.

His left eyebrow raised, as if questioning both her mood and whether he should trust the beverage, if, as it seemed, it was *not* synthehol.

"Captain, I do believe that the wine is affecting your actions."

"Nonsense! I'm merely relaxing after a very trying past few weeks. And, my friend, you *did* promise to join me for a glass of wine. Besides," her eyes were sparkling again as she continued, "I want to ask you more about this... reckless behavior you accused me of exhibiting."

"I am sure it was due to your extremely stressed condition at the time, Captain. Many of the crew were demonstrating a high level of aberrant behavior. In following through with your order to speak to all department leaders regarding..." he paused momentarily, searching for the correct word, "regarding... lax and unprofessional conduct, I can assure you that much of what had occurred was due to the actions of our alien visitors. I myself may have even been under their regulation; Seven never told me whether or not she had seen them manipulating me in any manner."

"Tuvok, I was out of line when I reprimanded you for not performing your duties. You must know that... now." Her voice expressed a contriteness that he had seldom heard. He knew that it was difficult for her to admit the error of her actions.

"But... here's to... today and now." She raised her glass; her eyes bid him to do likewise. "And here's to friends who remain firm and strong over the years."

Their glasses touched with a solid greeting sound. No weak "clink" sounded from these glasses, but instead, a hearty bear-hug of a noise resounded. She quickly raised her goblet and took in a large mouthful of the deep ruby liquid, seeming to savor its flavor and texture. He more tentatively sipped at his drink; suddenly realizing how good it was, he, too, took a very un-Vulcanlike amount into his mouth.

"You are correct, Captain. This is an excellent vintage," he said as he finished swallowing the wine. "As you know, we do not produce much wine on Vulcan, so I tend to appreciate it on the rare times that I do partake."

Janeway leaned back. Her shawl slipped off, and haphazardly draped itself over the low back of the chair. She was examining her Vulcan friend, who, in turn, was studying the wine in his cup, and then the bottle. He, too, had come to the holodeck program in civilian garb. He had opted for one of his long Vulcan robes. It was a heather grey, with designs of a deep purple swirling around the cuffs of its long sleeves. His feet were shod with heavy sandals. He looked... different. Almost... relaxed; almost... expressing emotion in his eyes.

His eyes rose from his glass; he looked over at her. Just as her thoughts were thinking about how different he looked in this time and place, his eyebrows again raised in amazement as he looked at his captain in a way that he had never noticed before. With the shawl having fallen from her shoulders, he gazed at her in the tight bodice, with a voluptuousness that he had never imagined in her small body. She caught the thought behind his stoic eyes, and smiled silently at herself, knowing that this sight was causing him some discomfort.

Suddenly, she thought to herself... *he wants to touch me; why, Tuvok, you are more human than you think...* A wicked idea came into her head; she started to speak.

"Tuvok, do you really think that I am a reckless person, as you stated on the bridge before we entered the binary pulsar?" Her voice was teasing in its inquiry.

"You were doing what you deemed necessary at the time. Although I would have preferred a more... rational approach to negotiating with the aliens... you *are* the commanding officer. Over the years that I have known you, one of the things I have most

admired has been your realization that emotion was not the primary driving force in making decisions. Yet, I understand, that in this particular predicament in which we find ourselves that reason is not always the best..."

His words were cut short by her laughter. "Oh, Tuvok; even now you are analyzing everything. We..." she looked at him and winked,"...we are on vacation. Here... have some more wine."

She drained the remains of the contents of the bottle into his empty glass. Just as she put the exhausted container on the table, a dark young man came by, whisked it away, and placed another opened bottle beside her.

He once more eagerly drank from his goblet. *I really should not be doing this. My head tells me that I am not conditioned to imbibe in such a manner.* But the nectar-like taste was summoning forth a sensation that he had not known for many years.

Although he was hard-pressed to allow such a feeling... he felt... euphoric. It was difficult to remain adherent to his discipline constantly. Why, he realized that he had even made several flippant remarks to the Captain over the past few days... yes, something *had* to be done about discipline, starting with himself...

His reverie was interrupted by the feel of her fingertips touching his. His right hand was resting flat on the table, covering the broad base of his goblet stem. She had moved her wine glass and hand, in its similar position, over towards his, and her fingertips were now touching his... now, covering his...

"Captain," his voice uttered huskily... tentatively.

"Tuvok, when we are not with the others, call me Kathryn. You have known me for nine years... we have worked together... closely... over much of that time... please, *Kathryn*."

He looked into her eyes and tried to disguise the swallow. "All right... Kathryn."

Her fingers were locking with his, moving them away from the wine glass. She noted that his comfort level was rapidly dissolving. Her fingers caressed his, moving in a slow, sensual encircling motion.

His breathing was becoming more labored. He looked up at her, a glimpse of panic in his eyes.

"Cap... Kathryn, what are you doing?"

"I'm trying to get you to relax for awhile," she said coyly, with a counterfeit innocence.

His discomfort was becoming more obvious, but he made no motion to disengage their hands. She now had maneuvered their two adjoining hands into an upright, tent-like position. Her left hand sought his right, and the pose was repeated. She then took her hands and using her fingers, once more circled his closed upright ones. She moved them back and forth, around and over, with a most gentle touch. His eyes closed and he now was uttering short little gasps. Just when she thought he was oblivious to her, his eyes opened, as wide as she had ever seen them. He swallowed.

"Kath...ryn... are you... trying... to... seduce me?"

Her look never wavered; her stroking kept its rhythm. "Do you want me to seduce you?" she barely whispered in her throaty voice.

"That would... not be... proper," he uttered.

"So much is different here, Tuvok. You yourself have said that."

"But... we are friends. I should not allow myself to think of you as anything but... my captain and... my friend."

"And it has been so long since either of us has been allowed... to express ourselves... intimately. Tuvok, who better to permit a release for... our needs? Besides, no one will know. We will be following the very guidelines that I have laid down for Tom and B'Elanna. This is not a public display... it's just... comfort and solace... between two dear friends."

She tenderly released his hands, and placed them on the table. "I know that as a Vulcan, pon farr is your time for mating. But... this is not mating... and, there is a time and place in Vulcan life... for intimate sharing... other than for the purpose of... mating."

She once more covered his long fingers with hers. "And we *will* be discreet. With you, how could it be anything other?"

His eyes raised from pondering of their touching hands.

"Yes, you are correct in the fact that we Vulcans do experience times... of... need. Although there is not the complete capitulation to the baser emotions as in pon farr, we do... derive some... pleasure... from... intimate... experiences."

She continued with her... logical... explanation. "We are both far from those whom we hold dear. I am not saying that we should forget them, nor do I think we would dishonor them. We are merely..." her voice fumbled for non-offensive words, "...performing... motions... to keep us sane."

"Ca... Kathryn, what you are proposing is not truly... right, but it does seem to have some logic to it. And, although I do not readily... express it, I have never been... totally immune... to your... handsome beauty... and the finely tuned... rhythm... of your body."

She lifted his fingers to her lips and kissed each one... slowly, sensually, allowing her mouth to open slightly, adding her wine-rich moistness to their surfaces. As she completed her self-appointed assignment, he switched the positions of their hands and continued the motion with her fingers. His full lips seemed to engulf her fingers; his tongue was flicking across their tips. The roles were suddenly reversed; the seducer was now the seduced. A chill ran through her body, as she released that they were on the brink of a moment that could... would... change their relationship forever. But... he was the one person she knew that she could trust.

She pulled herself upright, breaking both their concentrations.

With a husky voice, she said, "Computer... privacy lock." She looked at him. His ebony eyes were reflecting her lighter ones. "I have the holodeck for the entire day... doctor's orders. But, we don't want... any visitors... do we?"

He rose, never letting go of her hands, and pulled her up. In her flat leathers slippers, she barely reached his shoulder.

"No, we do not. Do you have a room at this inn?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. It has a broad window across the back, where we can watch the sun sink behind the mountain." She pulled her right hand away from his, and linked her arm through his. "Would you like to watch the sun set with me?"

"Yes, I would," he said, his sonorous voice as velvet as the approaching shadows.

They walked through the doorway into the inn. The air was heavy with the aromas of the bubbling hunters' stew on the hearth and the bread which had just been removed from the brick oven. The two traversers seemed unaware of the tempting prelude to the evening meal, as they glided to the wooden staircase at the back of the large common room.

She led him, once more cradling his exquisite hand in hers. At the top of the steps, she picked up a large candlestick from among several lined up on a low chest, awaiting similar fates from others residing at the inn. She lit it from the tall glowing taper at the end of the chest, and continued her trip to the room at the far end of the hall.

They stopped at the closed door, their eyes each asking the same silent question: should we? His free hand went to the latch... the lone object signifying their decision. With one swift motion, he lifted the latch and broached the barrier... the door opened to the new level of their relationship.

The low rays of the rapidly disappearing sun washed the room with its luxurious color. Even the dark wood of the massive furniture seemed to glow with a golden radiance. A small fireplace glistened with the light of its freshly laid kindle. Shadows played off of the walls... the ceiling... their faces.

He took her face between his thin, graceful hands. "Kathryn... I do not know... how you... how we... want to... do this."

Her expression echoed the slight embarrassment of his. "Nor do I... know what... is... right... for you." Her slight smile contrasted the seriousness of his appearance. "We will just have to... teach each other... as we... go along."

She once more took his hands in hers, gently caressing the backs of his hands with her thumbs. He tentatively lowered his face to hers, unsure of his actions; but she, with no hesitancy, fixed her lips upon his uncertain ones. Suddenly, he was no longer doubtful. His ample mouth consumed her delicate one. Vulcan warmth flooded her as she opened her lips to his eagerness. The residual sweetness of the wine overwhelmed her senses. Her hands dropped his, as each of them became more attuned to each other's rising desires. His face remained unmoved in its expression, but his hands... his wonderful hands... were declaring his hidden feelings... Vulcan passion ran deep, but was ferociously strong.

His hands found the laces which tightly bound her bodice. His long slender fingers released the tension of the closure with the same sure effort of his technical expertise. He tore away the constricting band of fabric, allowing her full blouse to pull away from her skirt. He quickly reached behind her and found the lone button which closed her skirt. It, too, suffered the fate of the bodice, as it fell away from her wait. Now, the long, flowing blouse of thin linen skimmed and silouetted her fair body underneath. He pulled the low neckline down over her shoulders, massaging the skin as it bared itself to him. She raised her chin and leaned back. He sensed her want, and bent down to nuzzle her exposed neck. His long, firm tongue stroked the fine down on her skin, and she let out a low sigh. His hands continued their journey of easing the blouse off her shoulders... down her arms... allowing it to fall to the burnished tile floor under them.

Kathryn reached up to the ties that held together his robe. She loosened the laces and repeated his action of easing the garment slowly down his torso. His coarser garment joined hers in a prelude of what was to come. Only then did they step back to see each other as they had never seen themselves before.

The well-toned body of Kathryn Janeway, discreet portions of which the crew of Voyager had had glimpses on occasion, now displayed itself to her long-time friend. His eyes methodically scanned her torso, and a look of satisfaction appeared on his expressionless face. She was a beautiful woman; he had always known this fact. But, even his well-controlled emotions could not help but admire... desire... the mature voluptuous form in front of him. Her uniform hid well the full, pendulant breasts... the defined waist above a stomach that was not quite flat, but rounded just enough by which a man could be cushioned. Her hips flared with just the correct angle back into curved buttocks waiting to be cupped and held firm. A patch of soft brown hair capped the center space at the top of her legs... legs which appeared longer now, out of the confines of her jumpsuit. *An admirable sight, indeed...* he thought with a satisfaction that was rapidly turning into need.

The picture that greeted her eyes was both a revelation and a comfort. He certainly did not look like he was ninety-plus years old,; far from it. His tall, slender frame was a model of a disciplined male body--- firm, taunt, but not overly muscular.

His mahoghony skin glowed with health... and want. The Vulcan external anatomy was as human as she had ever seen, and she delighted in that fact. His arms were relaxed at his sides. His forearms were quite defined; his shoulders, though well developed, were not overly so. His legs, however, were topped with muscular thighs that almost seemed out of place with the rest of his physique. Her eyes could not help but be drawn to another part of his anatomy that matched the span of the rest of his body... long, firm, and disciplined under his willed constraint.

Their arms once more began a joyous exploration. Hers gently stoked the length of his ears; his, the smooth ivory of the delicate flesh of her underarms, as she reached up. Their mutual responses increased from soft sighs to deeper, more guttural sounds. Once more, their lips sought those of the other, now as thirsty for each other as they had been the wine earlier... seeking comfort in the known... anticipating the thrill of the unknown... willing and wanting to explore each other. The increased heat of his Vulcan body rapidly encompassed hers; her body became sheened with a glow of the warmth radiating from his.

Locked in their embrace, he led them to the rounded chair several feet away. He sank into it, pulling her down on top of him. She straddled his thighs, with his swelling insistence rising quickly to pummel through to her now-wet opening. She raised herself, allowing him entrance, and then slowly lowered herself on his now fully erect member. She welcomed him as a beloved friend, clasping him in her grasp; tightening her internal embrace of him with a ready reception. He spread his legs, pulling her legs further apart with them and allowing him to more completely enter into her. Warm... hot... he was like a heated rod inside her... but comforting, not unpleasant. Firm... long... and insistent in its goal. His arms reached around her waist, supporting her lower back; her hands found a secure anchor atop his shoulders.

She leaned back, readjusting the angle and touch they shared. The new sensation brought forth a soft moan from her. Sensing her need, he rocked them together in a slow up and down motion. Her response was almost immediate; she felt her muscles starting to tighten, even as she detected her wetness rising. He continued his slow movement, never allowing her the luxury of a rapid climax. Up and down... back and forth... raising her, raising himself... moving her body to yet more angled positions. When he sensed she was reaching an insurmountable peak, he arose, still with her deeply seated on him. She wrapped her legs around his waist. He surely, stealthily walked backwards, until his back was braced against the stone wall of the room. He continued his support and movement of her tensed body, exposing her to possibilities that she had never before experienced. Finally, with a very warm gush, she could no longer hold herself back. She leaned back with a cry, and her liberation from all the tension of the weeks... months... found release. She fell against his chest, whimpering a small cry of gratitude.

He lifted her off of his still rigid member, and carried her over to the bed, placing her on top of its thick comforter. She opened her eyes as she felt her prone position, and looked up at him. He was standing beside her, still with his expressionless face peering at her. She allowed herself to move her eyes down his body, which now was also shining with wetness from his exertion. He still stood at full attention, ready yet again for his duty. She raised herself on one elbow and with her other hand reached out to him, urging him to sit on the bed beside her. He made no move to proceed with any calming, sensitive afterplay. She once more started caressing his fingers; he responded by returning the deliberate, sensual movements with his hand...closing his eyes, lost in an unknown realm of Vulcan delight.

Abruptly, his hand grasped hers, breaking the seductive stroking. He assumed a standing position beside the bed. Her eyes looked up at him, silently questioning him. Unspeaking, he released her hand and reached down to her hips. He firmly grasped them, and swung her body around, with her legs suddenly without support, but dangling over the edge of the high bed. Without a word, he stepped inbetween her legs, forcing them apart with his muscular thighs. His hands gently but firmly gripped the outward curves of her hips, as he stepped towards her. Once more, he found her welcoming opening, and implanted himself in her. He continued his forward movement with deliberate precision and purpose. As he finally found the limit of her enveloping passage, he pulled back. With a seemingly calculated exactness, he again began his sensual assault. Slowly, with a studied awareness of what she wanted... needed... his motions began anew. Her delicate tissues were still reverberating from the first experience; their heightened receptiveness grasped him tighter than before. The increased sensation and friction brought the first sound she heard from him: a soft "mmmm..." sound. His movements increased in their force and speed... much more insistent than their first coupling. But, she still felt herself outpacing him, and tried to hold back from the tell-tale gush of her fulfillment. She found herself raising her body to meet his thrusts, willing him to find the blessed release that he had offered her. Her actions were to no avail; she became lost again in his talented maneuvers.

With calculated expertise, he pulled out of her and backed away when he heard her simultaneous cry and felt her internal climax. As he withdrew, her rich moistness flooded the nest of hair and started a downward journey on her legs. He reached down with his gifted fingers and wiped the warm, thick liquid... massaging it into her thighs and rubbing it over his fingers. He reached up to her face, and languorously ran his now-wet fingers across her nose... her mouth... She grabbed his assaulting hand, and quickly took his fingers into her mouth. She lingeringly licked and sucked them. The action solicited yet another slight moan from him; but his face remained expressionless.

She completed her love feast, and opened her eyes to see him staring at her... was there desire... want... what?... still in his eyes. She saw that he remained erect and prepared. When would he succumb to the needs she knew *he* must also feel? The question in her thoughts was once more pushed aside, as he again was reaching for her body... to position it yet anew. She wanted to satisfy him as much as he had now accomplished with her. He had not allowed her to descend from her peaks; it was as if he wanted to push her further and further... what was coming now?

He rolled her over onto her stomach, but still on the edge of the bed. He urged her to pull her legs up underneath her body, raising her curved buttocks to face him. He remained in his standing position beside the bed. His sure hands fondled her rounded flesh,

his thumbs stroking the central area separating them. He moved his thumbs down, making more accessible her swollen, moist labia. He gently stroked them, causing an involuntary response from her. Her moan urged him to continue his motions. She was becoming lost in the sensations... flooded with the feel of the stimulus and her swirling mind. In her sated daze, she felt a coolness as he pulled her lips to the sides... and warmth as his body once more approached her. She somehow knew what was coming... but yet, her body recoiled with surprise when he once more entered her. The angle was deep... probing... invasive. His thrust was knowing and sure... he knew now just how far he could go... to give her pleasure without perverted pain. Again and again he thrust... building the intensity to a crescendo level... allowing her to let out the primal screams that were necessary. Over and over... she thought that she had peaked, only to find him again urging her on... again and again. She wanted to move, but he held her firm; she wanted to pull away, but begged him for more. His efforts were eliciting rapid breathing; he was panting now with the efforts. Finally, with one last plunge, he allowed himself to reach past her allowed depths. Her cry of the unexpected ravishment brought both of them to a conclusion. His release finally came, and he quickly withdrew and joined her on the bed. They slowly but necessarily moved themselves into positions that allowed their now spent bodies to lie in repose.

Vulcans do not cuddle. But, he reached for her hand beside him. He began caressing her fingers, encircling them with his, stroking their lengths, entwining them. They both drifted off into a satisfied sleep, warmed by the fireplace which now blazed... and the heat of their actions.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Weak pinkish-yellow rays of an early morning sun awakened Kathryn Janeway. She had programmed the computer to awake her this way, to allow her time to return to her quarters long before the rest of the ship awoke to begin the new day. She never, in her wildest imagination, thought that she would awake to find Tuvok asleep beside her. Sometime during the night, they had managed to get underneath the covers... the fire in the fireplace had long since faded. What would he think of their actions? She smiled to herself, looking at his sleeping form. *Will he respect me in the morning?* she thought. She realized that his eyes were opening, and looking straight into hers.

Without a single sign of regret, he looked at her. "Good morning, Captain. I trust that you slept well."

"I haven't had such a restful sleep in a long time, Tuvok."

"I am happy for you. And, I am content to know that we have served each others... needs. For that, I thank you, also, Cap... Kathryn. We both should be able to function more efficiently now."

"Tuvok, do you have any..."

"Captain, we have performed... therapeutic activities for each other. That is all. My job is to do whatever you, as my commanding officer, require of me. That I also received... satisfaction... from doing what you expected... and needed... is an additional benefit. Now, I would suggest that we return to our duties, refreshed and recreated. Indeed, I am... content... that you allowed me to join you... for the wine, and to share this... pleasing location."

She smiled at him, and one last time took his hand in hers, before they faced the tedium of their posts again. "Tuvok, I respect your sense of duty; but I also thank you... for being my friend, and understanding me." She leaned over to him, and once more tasted and felt his warm, full lips. They both lingered with the final touch, savoring its conclusion.

She arose and picked up their garments from the floor and handed him his robe. Their silent gazes to each other told them that this would be the only place any of this would be known. But... forever, they would have Tuscany.

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