Title: TEMPTED
Author: A. Kite
Feedback addy: Akite68163@aol.com
Character Code: P/K, K/m

Series: Part 1 of 1 in an on going series that started with INTERRUPTION, HARRY'S TURN, TEMPTATION and TEMPTATION II. You can find these stories in the PacKage archive or mail me for them.

Warning: This is an R rated slash story, mostly due to language and adult situations rather than steamy sex. If that might offend you, please read no further.

Summary: Finally, a resolution to what started out as a silly little story of masturbation for the month of May challenge on ASCEM. Harry is tempted by someone else when Tom does his disappearing act once again.

Disclaimer: Everyone knows the drill. They aren't mine, no money being made, no copyright infringement intended.

Archiving: Permission given to PacKage, PKElite, and ASC/EM. Anyone else, please ask first.

Big thanks to my beta reader, any mistakes you find are strictly mine.

Feedback, comments and constructive criticism are welcome and always answered.

Tempted
A. Kite
(Nov. 1999)

The red alert klaxon sounded, and both men sprang to their feet. Tom was out the door first while Harry hastily washed his hands and followed. It was probably better that they didn't arrive on the bridge at the same time anyway, Tom thought.

When the crisis was over and Tom was relieved from his post, he practically ran from the bridge. Harry would be working on sensor repairs for who knew how long, but Tom knew as soon as Harry was done he'd come looking for him. To 'Talk' about what comes next, and Tom knew he was no good at what comes next.

Tom headed straight for the Holodeck. He called up Sandrine's and engaged the privacy lock. Terribly selfish of him, he knew, but as much as he didn't want to, he had to think. The best way for Tom to think about serious questions was to work them out over the pool table.

His first order of business, after locking everyone out, was to get rid of the holocharacters. Sandrine had seen his panicked look and started questioning him. "What is wrong, Thomas?"

Tom couldn't answer that question, so he avoided it the only way he knew how. "Computer, eliminate holocharacters."

At least when you shut holograms off it didn't hurt their feelings. Sandrine wouldn't remember it all. Tom wished he could turn himself off like that. So that when he was reanimated all the old hurts would be gone. That was part of the problem. Old hurts were keeping him back, holding him
prisoner.

Tom racked up the balls and chalked his cue. His break was vicious. Hitting the balls with more force than finesse, he worked his way around the table. He wasn't afraid that Harry would hurt him. He was afraid that he wanted something Tom couldn't give. He hadn't been able to give it to B'Elanna. Heaven knows he wanted to, but it just wasn't there. He couldn't tell her that he loved her, and he wouldn't lie.

It had hurt when B'Elanna ended it. It was for the best, that's what she said. Tom didn't dispute her. Logic would tell him that he should talk to Harry and see what he had to say. Logic wasn't in charge, though. Fear was.



Harry was exhausted and hungry by the time he got the sensors back on line, dinnertime had long come and gone. Once in the lift, he asked the computer for Tom's location. The fact that he was in the holodeck under privacy lock didn't surprise the ensign. He hadn't missed the look of sheer relief in Tom's eyes when the red alert sounded. If Tom didn't want to talk, well, he wasn't going to force the issue.

Harry trudged down to the mess hall to see what Neelix was offering as a late night snack. Crewman Mackenzie was the only person in evidence as Harry looked around the room once he filled his plate. He didn't know Mackenzie well, but headed over. No time like the present to change that. "Mind if I join you?"

Mackenzie had been staring out the port and hadn't noticed the bridge officer's entrance. He jumped a little when Kim spoke to him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," the ensign was saying.

"It's all right, sir. Please, do sit," the crewman said, trying not to let his discomfort show. Senior officers, even one's as young as Harry Kim, made him nervous. Trying to make polite conversation, he asked, "I take it that things on the upper decks are up to par now? Did you need something?"

Harry, wanting to put the crewman at ease, reached over and patted the man's forearm. "Relax, Mackenzie. I didn't come over to put you to work."

The crewman's tension eased, and Harry made the effort to draw the man out a bit. He tried to avoid talking shop, but on a ship such as their's it was difficult. Everyone from senior officers to crewmen in maintenance, such as Mackenzie, were effectively on duty 24 hours a day.

Harry sat for a while and listened to the man's wistful talk about his home in the DMZ. By the time he finished his food, he was on a first name basis with Stewart. They found they had many interests in common. Soon exhaustion won out in competition for Harry's attention. He stood and bid his new friend good night.

As Harry walked down the corridor from the lift, he thought about the looks of frank appraisal he had caught in Mackenzie's eyes. Harry knew that he could have, without much effort at all, had the man naked and in his bed within 15 minutes. Harry took that knowledge and set it aside.
He wasn't sure he wanted to pursue it yet.

Tom was exhausted himself. Twenty rounds of pool later and still no answers. He was puzzled too. He was sure he would have heard from Harry by now. He had been expecting it any
moment, but the comm never came. Tom asked the computer for Harry's location. In his quarters, huh? Safe for me to leave now, he supposed. The pilot called halt to the program
and sought his own bed.


Harry had trouble getting to sleep. The spark of attraction he had felt toward Mackenzie troubled him. Was it for the man himself or the fact that he had the same build and coloring as Tom? Was that his type now; tall, thin, with a light complexion?

Stewart had redder hair than Tom did and his freckles stood out more. Harry hadn't had much of a chance to check out Tom's freckles yet. It was something he had looked forward to doing. Another thing to set aside, he thought as he wiggled around trying to find a comfortable position.

Morning came too early for three men when it arrived. Wet, sticky sheets were the order of the day, and dream images of a naked Harry Kim burned in two of their minds. Harry had dreamt of a lover that morphed back and forth between Tom and Stewart.

That disturbing thought was still with Harry when he went to breakfast. Tom was already in the mess hall, engaged in a conversation with the Captain. Harry nodded to him and smiled, but didn't interrupt. He found a seat elsewhere and was listlessly stirring the hot grain mush he'd selected
when Mackenzie sat down across from him.

"Good morning."

Harry perked up a bit and returned the greeting. "Good morning, Stewart. Did you sleep well?"

An involuntary blush appeared on Mackenzie's cheeks that confused Harry for a moment. He realized the question he asked caused it when the man didn't answer. His own dreams came back into his mind for a moment, and he blushed too. Stewart notice the reaction and commented, "We're a right pair, aren't we?"

Harry smiled at that turn of phrase and answered, "Yes, but a pair of what's, I wonder?"

"I'm not sure, but it looks like we'll have to continue guessing later, duty calls. Look Harry, I'm not trying to be forward, but there's a party on in the Holodeck this evening, would you care to join me?" Mackenzie asked as they stood to clear their table.

Harry bit his lip as he considered. Then thought, what the hell, it wasn't like he was going to be alone with the guy. A party on the Holodeck was hardly a scene for seduction. If Tom decided he wanted to talk, he could always call Stewart and cancel. "Sure, what kind of party is it?"

It was Mackenzie's turn to smile, "Oh, casual, uh, no uniforms, okay?"

"Okay," Harry agreed. See you there, say 1900?"

"1900 is fine. See you there." Mackenzie touched Harry's shoulder as he passed and went out the door.

The exchange had not escaped Tom's attention. What in the world could Harry and Stewart Mackenzie have to talk about? Tom didn't have much time to speculate about it. He was
in Sickbay for his whole shift, and the doctor left him no time for musing.


Harry got off duty and ate a light meal before changing his clothes. He wasn't sure if there'd be food at the party, and he didn't want to go hungry in case there wasn't. He palmed open the closet and looked at his options. Stewart had said casual. He picked a plain white shirt and
black pants, then headed off for a quick shower.

Harry stood at the entrance to Holodeck II at precisely 1900 hours, took a big breath and entered. When the door closed behind him he was glad for the breath he had taken. Every eye in the room was on him. The whole party was people he really didn't know. People like Mackenzie, ones who worked behind the scenes on the ship and did the work he supervised from his Ops board. People that did the grunt work like repairing the replicators and recycling units, some from engineering and others from different departments. One thing stood out; he was the only officer
there.

Through all the murmuring, Harry distinctly heard someone say, "Who invited him?"

Stewart came forward then and took him by the arm to escort him to the table where he was sitting. Loudly enough for everyone to hear, he said, "Come on, Harry. Glad you could
make it."

Mackenzie poured Harry a drink from the pitcher on the table as the ensign looked around the room. The program was really nothing special. A bar, a rather seedy one at that, nothing like Sandrine's, maybe from one of the colony worlds in the DMZ. The party was made up of Fleeters and Maquis alike. Harry picked up his ale, took a big swallow and almost choked.

Stewart immediately pounded him on the back, saying, "Whoa! Easy there! That's not synthale you're guzzling."

The crew at the tables around them laughed which made Harry all the more embarrassed. Once he caught his breath again, he picked up his mug and chugged it. His head spun a little when he slammed the mug back down on the table, but Harry managed not to show it as he reached for the pitcher to pour another.

He went to chug the next one down too, but Mackenzie's put a restraining hand on his arm. "Hey, Harry, take it easy with that stuff, eh?"

Kim nodded and only took a small sip before setting the mug down again. "So, you going to tell me where you got this? The replicators are programmed to give out synthahol only."

Stewart looked around cautiously and answered, "Look, some things you're better off not knowing, alright? This is one of those 'don't ask, don't tell' situations."

"Okay, but tell me this, what do you do at these parties except drink bootlegged ale?"

Mackenzie scratched his head and thought a moment, "Well, that's pretty much it. Drinking and talking, don't want to have Security down on us, so we try to keep it low key."

Harry accepted that with a shrug, and a little later, a few of the others came over take a seat and talk a bit. Mostly, he kept quiet and listened. What he heard was a revelation to him. Not everyone on Voyager was as happy at their work as he was, or as they seemed to be when senior officers came around.


Tom got off duty a bit later than usual. A crewman had limped in at the last minute suffering from minor injuries in a fall he had taken in one of the Jeffrey tubes. Not a good place to have an accident, that was for sure.

Not up for a trip to the Mess Hall, Tom had enough rations to get himself dinner. One good thing had come from his relationship with B'Elanna, his replicator was fine-tuned to give him perfect tomato soup, just like mom used to replicate. Heaven.

Tom finished the soup and sat back to relax before he remembered to wonder where Harry had gotten off to. He asked the computer for a locate on Ensign Kim and frowned when he heard the answer, Holodeck II. Wasn't that were Rubens, the crewman that he just been in sickbay said he
was going tonight? Something about a party. Why would Harry be going to a lower deck's party? Then Tom remembered Mackenzie. That's what had been going on this morning. Mackenzie invited Harry to the party. But why?

Pfttt! You know why, Paris. Harry's only one of the best looking people on this ship. Did you think no one else noticed that? Stewart Mackenzie, Tom didn't like that at all. Now what should he do about it? Go down and rescue Harry or let some rawboned maintenance crewman get what
was his?

Never mind that Tom had ran from Harry like he had Kazons on his tail just yesterday. The thought of someone else with Harry did not set right with Tom Paris at all. Tom got up and headed for the Holodeck.


The atmosphere at the party had changed a bit by this time. Someone had started a music subprogram. A few couples were dancing, and for the first time Harry noticed that there were
very few women in attendance. The couples dancing were mostly men with men. Something you'd never see in the public Holodeck programs.

Oh, there were no regulations against same sex couples in these enlightened days, but still those that were kept it discrete. Janeway captained a tight ship, public displays of affection by couples of any gender were frowned upon. Harry watched the dancing for a moment before Stewart leaned over and jerked his head toward the dance floor, "You want to?"

Harry nodded yes. Why not? he thought. It was nice to be with someone that obviously wanted to be with him. Someone that didn't care what other people might think and wasn't ashamed to be seen with him in public. Well, to be fair Tom wasn't ashamed to be seen with him, he just didn't want anyone to know that they - what? Had a change of affiliation? Harry mused on exactly what you might call it as Stewart led him to the dance floor.

Harry let Mackenzie lead without discussion. He merely followed without really thinking about it. It felt good to have someone's arms around him, holding him close but not tightly. The song playing was not one that Harry knew, but Stewart hummed along with it as they swayed. Thoughts
about Tom drifted away like the alcohol induced cloud Harry was floating on.

Harry crashed back down from that cloud just as suddenly as Tom came crashing through the door. Tom spotted the ensign and headed straight over. It was something out of an old fashioned bodice ripper. Paris pulled Kim away from Mackenzie, and with his hand like a steel band around Harry's wrist, started for the door.

"What the-? Tom, what are you doing here?" Harry tried to ask, but Paris wasn't stopping for questions. Harry locked his knees and put on the brakes.

Paris kept moving for a few steps until he realized Harry wasn't still moving with him. Mackenzie stepped in front of him too. "Out of the way, crewman, that's an order," Tom snarled.

Stewart growled back, "Like that's a lawful order! You can order me to do anything you please when you're on duty, Sir, but you're not taking Harry out of here unless he tells me he wants to go with you. Got that?"

With Mackenzie's distraction, Harry was able to pull out of Tom's grip and landed on his backside for his trouble. It brought the other men's attention back to him.

The scene turned somewhat comical, with Paris and Mackenzie both jumping over to help Harry up. Both simultaneously asking if he was okay. Harry was fed up with the both of them by that time. He refused the outstretched hands and got himself to his feet. Who did they think they were, fighting over him like he was the last leg of chicken at the picnic? Talking about him as if he weren't right there?

"I don't want to be with either one of you! Just leave me alone!" A very indignant Harry Kim stalked out of the Holodeck leaving Paris, Mackenzie and a whole room of people with mouths agape in astonishment.


Harry was lying on his bunk just staring at the ceiling when the door chime sounded. Tom, it had to be Tom. Only he would show up after being asked, no, ordered to stay the hell away. I'd better let him in or else he'll just come in anyway. Need to change that security code.

Harry didn't bother to get up but simply asked the computer to release the door lock. He heard the door swish open. Then Tom's voice, "Harry? Please, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Harry didn't turn to look as Tom entered the bedroom and sat on the edge of bed. Tom didn't say anything for a long time, and curiosity got the better of the younger man. He turned his head; brown eyes met blue. "Are you going to talk or just sit there and stare at me?"

Tom sighed, then spoke up, "I'm going to talk. I just needed a minute to figure out how to say it."

"Well, while you're thinking, think up an answer to this. What in the hell do you think you were doing tonight? Barging into a private program and grabbing me like that?"

Tom looked down in shame. "I'm sorry about that Harry, I really am. I'm not sure what came over me. I saw you with Mackenzie this morning, then found out you went out with him. I guess...I guess, I was jealous." The last words rushed out of Tom's mouth before he could censor them.

"Oh, thank goodness," Harry said sarcastically, "I thought maybe another alien had taken over your body. In fact, I'm not quite sure that hasn't been the case since this all started."

Tom smiled a little, then turned serious again. "No, Harry, I can't blame it on alien possession this time. I didn't think it through, as usual. I didn't think of consequences or what might happen when you realized you wanted more than buddy fucks."

"Is this all it is to you? Buddy fucks?"

"No," Tom shook his head in negation as he spoke. "You're my buddy, and I sure like fucking you, but that's not what it's about. I'm not positive, but Harry, I think it might be about love." Tom spoke quietly and was trembling as he talked.

Harry noted the quiver, and asked, "Does it scare you that much? Tom, you're shaking."

"Yes, it scares me. I don't want to screw this up. I don't want to lose you to Mackenzie or someone like him because I'm scared of what comes next."

Harry looked at Tom as if he'd lost his mind. "What do you mean, what comes next? Tom Paris, it's not a question of what comes next yet; it's who. And that who is you, lover."

Harry pulled Tom down on the bed beside him and kissed him. When they came up for air, Tom asked, "Lover?"

"Yes, Tom, you're my lover now, and I'm yours."

Tom smiled and agreed, "Yeah, I like that, lovers."

Harry yanked Tom back down and proceeded to show him just how good being Harry Kim's lover could be.

End

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