See part one for disclaimers.
Part Two
They'd only been walking for half an hour,
but Tom's back and shoulders were killing him. His harness was the same as Chakotay
and the other man wasn't complaining. So Tom stayed quiet, he did want the
other man the other man to think he was weak . . . he would endure it.
By the time they reached the top of the
canyon Tom was in agony, lowering his pack to the ground, he sighted in relief.
They put both packs on the rope and lowered
them down, then began their trek down the narrow path
When at last they had reached the bottom, Tom
felt like he'd been beaten to a pulp and run over by a shuttle a few times.
"I'm going to soak in the hot springs." He managed to keep his voice
as level as possible.
"Okay." Chakotay said distractedly
as he moved the packs inside.
**************************************************************************************
Tom could only see the raw marks on his
shoulders, but he guessed that his back was in much the same shape. He hissed
as he slid into the hot water, the stinging confirming his suspicions. He sank
lower in the water when Chakotay joined him some time later. He didn't want the
other man to see how weak he'd been to get hurt like this. Especially when he
saw Chakotay's own skin was completely unmarked.
Chakotay stretched in the hot water of the
pool. Pleased when the action only brought a slight twinge, in a day or two,
they'd have to do it all over again. He looked over towards Tom and wondered
why the man still looked so stiff, he'd been laying in the pool for nearly an
hour . . . he should be jelly. Just then Tom shifted slightly and his shoulders
rose out of the water.
Tom knew the instant he shifted, he should
have been more careful. Fearfully, his eyes locked with Chakotay's. The older
man was going to be angry with him for sure.
Slowly, Chakotay crossed the pool and one
large hand closed over his arm, lifting and turning Tom in the same motion. The
Pilot couldn't help but flinch at Chakotay's intake of breath.
Chakotay took in Tom's bruised and raw back
and shoulders. "Tom, why didn't you tell me. Why?" He insisted loudly
when he got no response.
"You were so happy to be moving again
after the rain kept us inside for so long . . . I didn't want you to have to
stop again."
"It only would have taken us a few
minutes to adjust your pack." Tom said nothing. "Why didn't you take
a regenerator to these?" Chakotay asked, tracing a particularly vicious
bruise with gentle fingers.
"I was going to try after you went to
sleep." The younger man said finally.
Chakotay was furious, not at Tom but at the
man's stubbornness . . . and at himself. He should have seen this, there was no
way the man's back got so badly messed up without him showing some outward
sign. And most of all, at the dark marks marring Tom's beautiful fair skin.
"Come on then, let's go and get you
fixed up. There's no way you'll be able to do it yourself.
"You aren't angry?" Tom blurted out
in surprise.
"Not at you Tom . . . "
*************************************************************************************
Chakotay ushered Tom back to their cave.
"Lay down on your stomach." He ordered, as he dug out the medical
kit.
Tom did as he was told and stayed quiet. Even
though the other man said he wasn't mad at him for not saying anything, he
still had his doubts.
Once he'd found the regenerator, Chakotay
knelt beside Tom. And felt himself wince. Spirits, Tom's back was a mess. The
bruises were all a deep purple shade. And his shoulders . . . rubbed raw. He
cursed himself again. How could he have missed the signs? Tom must have been in
agony for most of their hike. As good an actor as the man was, he highly
doubted that he could have hidden every sign.
When he was finished mentally berating
himself for the moment, he set to work removing the damage. As he worked,
Chakotay found himself admiring the pale, creamy skin as it emerged from the
quickly fading bruises. When he was finished removing the marks from Tom's
skin, Chakotay ran a light man over the skin. "Tell me if it hurts
anywhere." He told the younger man, he wanted to be sure he hadn't missed
anything. Trying to make up for his oversight . . . at least a little.
Tom did wince several times as the strong
hands passed over his skin but never complained. Chakotay's hand instantly
recognized what the problem was. The skin was healed but Tom's muscles were
still all knotted up from carrying he burden in all the wrong places.
Tom started to sit up, Chakotay stopped him.
"Lay still Tom, the skin on your back is healed but your muscles are a
mess." He told the man. "I'm going to give you a massage." Tom just
nodded, he was hardly going to argue when Chakotay was offering him a massage.
The older man rummaged around in the med kit
until he found what he was looking for. Simple lotion. For once he was glad the
Doc back on Voyager was so thorough. Squeezing some of the lotion into his
hands he warmed it between them, then lay his hands on the creamy skin he'd
admired a few minutes earlier and set to relaxing the knotted muscles beneath
it.
Tom let out a soft groan as the big hands
touched his skin. But the groan changed to a hiss as deft fingers dug into his
aching shoulders.
"You okay?" Chakotay asked,
stopping.
"Chakotay, unless I scream at you to
stop, I'm fine." Tom informed him, hissing again as the man went back to
his task. But the pain seemed minor enough compared to have Chakotay's hands
wander across his naked back. God, those hands. Maybe he should come up with
some other complaints of aching muscles for Chakotay to cure.
Chakotay wondered at the stiffness in the
muscles of Tom's back. It seemed to take much longer than he expected to get
some of the knots to let go. Almost as though they'd been there much longer
than just today. But what possibly could have been keeping the man so tense? He
never seemed worried or upset. He was always just the same Tom . . . or at
least the one that Chakotay had discovered since their arrival on New Earth.
The knots in Tom's back put up a valiant
fight but finally they had finally all let go. "You can move now."
Chakotay said.
No answer.
"Tom?" This time he got an answer,
a soft snore. Chakotay smiled ruefully and flipped a blanket over the sleeping
man, then realizing how tired he was himself, dropped onto his bedroll and
promptly fell asleep.
A soft sound woke Chakotay some time later.
At first he wasn't sure what it was, then Tom mumbled again in his sleep, and
began moving restlessly still not waking. The younger man's blanket lay
crumpled to one side. Silently Chakotay shifted closer until he was close
enough to draw the blanket back up over Tom, tucking it gently around the lithe
body being careful not to wake him. Tom shifted a few more times then settled
down in to a deeper sleep.
Moving back to his own bedroll, Chakotay lay
on his side watching the sleeping figure. Guilt washed over him again. He should
have checked that Tom was all right . . . He should have seen . . . If only
he'd seen the problem. Then he wouldn't have had have seen the bruises and raw
marks marring that soft fair skin.
That skin. That was another matter
completely. It had felt so smooth and soft. Covering supple muscle he'd never
really noticed, with a light dusting of fine golden hair. Beautiful.
'WHOA! STOP!' Howled part of his mind. 'You
are thinking about Tom Paris here. A Cocky, SOB, never respected you.'
'Not any more.' Retaliated another part of
his mind. 'He's calmed down a lot, he does respect you, he even seems to like
you a little.'
'Fine.' The first part of his mind came back.
'But beautiful? Yeah right. You are not attracted to him. Got it?'
'No, you're not attracted to him.' The second
part agreed. 'Just in love with him.'
'WHAT.' Both the first voice and his
conscious mind roared.
"Shut up." Chakotay hissed at the
voices. As they quieted he settled down to sleep. 'In love with Tom?' He
thought sleepily. 'Well maybe.'
**************************************************************************************
"Woah, Tom." Chakotay said as Tom
started to the path. They were about to set out on the second trek from the
original camp and there was no way Chakotay was letting there be a repeat of
Tom's pack fitting poorly. "Let me check your pack."
"Oh right." Tom said stopping.
"Almost forgot . . . it feels fine now."
"And last time?" Chakotay said,
tightening one of the shoulder straps.
"It didn't hurt at the beginning either."
Tom admitted.
"Exactly." Chakotay said as he
tightening the belt across Tom's hips so that more of the pack's weight settled
there, instead of on the younger man's shoulders. "You tell me this time
if it bothers you. And I don't care if this isn't Voyager, that's an
order."
"Yes, Sir." Tom grinned, starting
down the path again. Well, at least Chakotay was concerned . . . it wasn't
love, but it was certainly a step in the right direction.
'When did I start wanting to look after him
so much. I certainly didn't want to when we got here.' Chakotay wondered, then
smiled at the eagerness in Tom's voice, and the bounce in his step. He was like
a little kid sometimes . . . nothing seemed to wear the man out.
As they walked Tom saw his little monkey friend.
It watched him then looked at Chakotay, then back at Tom. 'You see?' Tom
thought. 'It did work, at least he doesn't hate me anymore.' And he winked at
the little creature. 'He might even like me a little.'
*************************************************************************************
Just as before, when they reached the caverns
at last and had dropped their packs in their main living main area in the
cavern. Tom announced that he was going to soak in the hot springs.
A few minutes after Tom sank into the
steaming pool, Chakotay arrived. "Sit up, Tom." He said.
"Why? I'm comfortable." Tom
complained.
"Tom."
"Okay," the blond grumbled as he
turned back toward Chakotay. He knew his muscles were stiff but nothing he couldn't
handle. "See, I'm fine. You adjusted the straps. Stop being so
paranoid."
Chakotay didn't say anything. After his eyes
confirmed Tom's word, he turned and left. Tom's words stung. He wasn't
paranoid. Just concerned.
Why couldn't Tom just let him assuage his
guilt . . . even just a little? 'In any case,' he thought, trying not to feel
the sting of Tom's words. But it had been a relief to see that fair creamy skin
unmarked.
**************************************************************************************
Chakotay looked at the rock ledge. "Tom,
this does not look at all conducive to sleeping."
"Well not now, but we can make a
mattress and try it out. If it works there's a second ledge in the other
chamber for a second bed."
"I don't know, Tom." Chakotay said,
still unconvinced.
"Come on Chakotay, it'll take a day at
most. Then we can try it out. And nearly anything had to bed better than the
bed rolls." Tom implored.
"All right." The older man said
grudgingly, turning away to hide the smile that spread across his face at the
look of delight on Tom's face. He loved making the man happy. It brought out
that beautiful smile that he'd so rarely seen on board Voyager.
It made Chakotay feel guilty to see how
little effort it took to bring out the real Tom. He couldn't help wondering how
things could have been if he just given the pilot a chance.
**************************************************************************************
The following morning they set to work. They
used an emergency tents for the material for the mattress sack. After several
hours of gathering they began stuffing the mattress sack with a mixture of
spongy mosses and grasses.
They put the finishing touches on and made
the bed after dinner. "So who gets to try it tonight?" Tom asked.
"It's bigger than a king-size bed. I
think we could safely share it." Chakotay offered, knowing even though Tom
wanted very much to try the new bed out first, he'd insist on the other man
trying it. That was how he was here . . . generous, cheerful, beautiful . . .
He stopped thinking, just leave it alone old man he ordered himself.
Later that night, they climbed in to the huge
bed. It was considerably more comfortable than Chakotay had expected. "If
I'm still this comfortable in the morning Tom." He said in to the
darkness. "Then you're a genius."
"You will be, Chakotay." Tom said
from his side of the bed. "Good night."
"Night."
******************************************************************************
*******
When Tom woke up the following morning he
found himself twined around Chakotay. Quickly he unwrapped himself and slid
quietly out of the bed. What on Earth had he been thinking? He should have
known better than to get into the same bed as Chakotay no matter how big it
was.
Quietly he slipped out of the cave, intending
to take a long walk.
He left so quickly, he didn't see Chakotay's
sleeping figure sleepily reaching across the bed in search of him. And a few
moments later the man awoke feeling bereft but not sure why. He knew something
had awakened him but he wasn't sure what. Tom was gone. Maybe he'd made some
sound in leaving. That must be it, he thought as he unconsciously buried his
face into the blankets where Tom had lain only a few minutes before.
Tom neared the cave some time later. He'd
walked along the canyon for an hour, then doubled back but he still couldn't
regret taking the chance of sharing the bed. And would do it again if he could
find even the slightest excuse.
For that matter, who even needed excuses? He was making the second mattress, he could put it off for quite a while if he tried hard enough.