AN: Here we are, the last little chapter here (at least for now) in my first multi-chapter short story.

I hope that you enjoy! Let me know what you think!

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Kathryn felt both energized and exhausted.

As she lie there, her eyes closed, it felt like her body was swaying even though she was completely still in the bed. She felt satiated. She was satisfied in a way that she wasn't sure she'd ever really been satisfied before. Her body still tingled with the lingering sensation of teeth and hands. Just as she'd been able to feel Chakotay's kisses on her lips after he'd removed his own, Kathryn could feel his presence all over her body, the dull ache between her was legs a strangely delicious reminder of the fact that he'd only left her body a few moments before.

Kathryn felt the bed rock, but she didn't open her eyes. She didn't want to break the spell that had come over her. She felt perfectly relaxed and she feared that if she moved, she'd never achieve that feeling again.

She opened her eyes, though, when she felt Chakotay's return to the bed and she felt him move her legs, opening her to him once more.

She smiled at him.

"Again?" She asked. "Already? I know some men have more stamina than others but...eventually everyone has to get tired, Chakotay. Even you."

He laughed to himself and Kathryn felt the sensation of warmth and the gentle touch of Chakotay wiping her down with the warm, damp cloth that he'd brought to her.

"I'd love to," he said. "But it's like you said, everyone has to get tired. Everyone needs to rest. I'm pretty spent."

"You didn't have to do that," Kathryn said, reaching to take the rag from him.

Chakotay lifted her leg and kissed the side of her calf before he lowered it again.

"I didn't have to," he said. "I wanted to. You know, since you were so interested in mating rituals before, there are some species where the male takes care of the female after mating. Usually that's with cleaning."

Chakotay disappeared to Kathryn's bathroom and returned back a moment later. He was naked and he was glorious. He was even more beautiful without his clothes than Kathryn had imagined he'd be. He was entirely unashamed to walk around naked, as well, not that he had anything of which he needed to be ashamed.

He was an incredible lover. Kathryn had imagined he might be, but she'd prepared herself for the possibility that he might be far clumsier in the bedroom than he was in every other area of life. She'd prepared herself for the fact that he might lose all the smoothness that he seemed to have at the moment of truth. She'd even prepared herself for the fact that he might not be a very experienced lover or that his normal caring and attentive nature might not carry over to the bedroom. She'd prepared herself for the worst case scenario and she'd decided, because of how she felt about him, that it wouldn't matter. Even if he was the worst lover imaginable, Kathryn would still feel for him the way that she did. She would accept him for who he was and, maybe, she could convince him that they should work together to learn new things.

But he'd already taught her a few new things. She had prepared for the worst, but she honestly hadn't prepared herself for how absolutely amazing it could be.

Chakotay returned to the bed and crawled up it. He stopped, along his path to the head of the bed, to plant several kisses at random intervals over Kathryn's body. She waited until he settled down next to her, facing her, and she ran her fingertips over his shoulder.

She couldn't help but smile at him. He had a soft, sleepy look in his eyes. It was a dreamy look and he wore it while he studied her face.

"Why do you look at me like that?" She asked. "With that look in your eyes?" He smiled at her.

"I've been watching you sleep," he offered.

"I wasn't asleep," Kathryn told him.

"I suspected as much," Chakotay responded, "but you were close enough that I could imagine you sleeping. I thought to myself—this is Kathryn Janeway and she's let down her guard enough to be sleeping next to me. How did I manage to get so lucky?"

"So you were watching me sleep," Kathryn said. "Relishing the fact that I was vulnerable?"

"The fact that you were open," Chakotay said. "It's a sign of trust. There are very few species that trust each other enough to sleep together. That's something entirely different than just mating."

Kathryn laughed to herself.

"I know a little about mating too, you know," Kathryn said.

Chakotay smiled.

"Judging from your performance," Chakotay said, "I'd say you know a good deal."

"I'm a quick study," Kathryn said. "And you're a pretty great teacher. But you know—in some species? The female kills the male after mating."

He looked at her, amused, and Kathryn raised her eyebrow at him.

"So that's how this is going to play out?" Chakotay asked. He ran his finger across her lips and Kathryn kissed his fingertip. He trailed that same finger down her body until he found her nipple. To tease her, he gently rubbed her nipple between his finger and thumb. Kathryn closed her eyes for a second to the sensation. It wouldn't take much before her body was crying out for his attentions again. She hadn't realized how truly starving she was for touch until it was finally being offered to her. "You've gotten everything you need from me and now you're going to kill me?"

Kathryn laughed low in her throat.

"Never," she said. "But then, I'm not sure that I could ever get everything I need from you. Even now..." She broke off as Chakotay's hand left her breast and tickled its way down her body. His fingers rubbed the soft curls that, thankfully, he hadn't said anything about. Kathryn hadn't exactly thought to prepare for this evening, but at least Chakotay didn't seem to mind. He hadn't seemed to mind at all. "You do that and I can't even finish a sentence," Kathryn managed when he stopped rubbing. He smiled when she spoke, though, and just made it worse by closing the last bit of distance and slipping his hand between her legs to tease her with his fingers. Kathryn bit her lip against the sensations that built up quickly in her body. She was already sensitive. It wouldn't take much and Chakotay knew that.

"I can take care of you," Chakotay offered. "Again," he added, not trying to hide the hint of smugness to his tone.

"I'd rather wait for you," Kathryn said, willing herself to roll so that he lost contact with her body. He changed positions and immediately hovered over her. He covered her mouth with his own and she shared a lazy kiss with him.

"I didn't expect for us to be able to go as many times as we did," Chakotay said. "It'll be a while before I'm able to do it again."

"How long?" Kathryn asked.

"Long enough that we'll both need to sleep before then," Chakotay said. "We've still got duties tomorrow." Some of the joviality faded from his features. "Long enough that I'll have already gone back to my quarters by then."

Kathryn felt an entirely unexpected lump rise in her throat. She rubbed his arms as he hovered over her. She squeezed his muscles in her hands.

"And if I asked you to stay?" Kathryn asked.

He smiled softly at her.

"I would still need time to recover," Chakotay said.

"Just to stay," Kathryn clarified.

"We'd still have to work in the morning," Chakotay said.

Kathryn smiled to herself.

"I've heard that some species cuddle after mating," Kathryn said. "They hold each other. It strengthens the bond between them."

"I thought you might want me to leave," Chakotay said.

Kathryn searched his face and he returned to his position next to her.

"If I'm being honest, I never want you to leave," Kathryn said. "I always miss you when you're gone—even if you're just around the corner." She licked her lips. He was giving her no indication of how he felt about what she said. All he was doing was staring at her with the same dreamy look that he usually wore when he was just watching her and seeming to peer into her soul. "Does that make you want to leave?" Kathryn asked. "Run back to your quarters as fast as you can?"

"No," Chakotay assured her. "Quite the opposite. It makes me want to tell you to...come here. Let me hold you. Let me watch you sleep for real this time. But I'm worried that in the morning, when we wake up, you'll feel differently because you'll be concerned about the crew finding out."

Kathryn sucked in a breath and let it out.

"They're going to find out," Kathryn said. "One way or another, they're going to find out. Sooner or later."

"I'm willing to try to keep it under wraps as long as you are," Chakotay promised her.

"If we try to hide it," Kathryn said, "then it just looks like we're saying it's something to be ashamed of. It looks like we're ashamed of what we're doing. I'm not ashamed of this, Chakotay. I'm not ashamed of you."

"I'm not ashamed of you, either," Chakotay assured her.

Kathryn's stomach flipped. She laughed to herself, and she was thankful that Chakotay didn't ask her what it was that had brought out the quick and quiet burst of laughter that she'd been able to get under control in almost an instant. She wasn't prepared to tell him that her mind kept offering the same thing to her—the same line that it wanted her to say—and she was having to swallow it down because it was much too soon. It was too soon for him to hear it. It was too soon for her to say it. If he knew that she was already thinking it, he would truly run for his quarters.

It was too soon to be thinking about the fact that what she felt for him, she was almost certain, was love.

"I think the crew will accept it," Kathryn said.

"I think they'll do more than accept it," Chakotay said. "I think they'll be pleased."

"We'll maintain a professional relationship out there," Kathryn said. "On the Bridge."

"Of course," Chakotay agreed.

"But I don't want to hide," Kathryn said.

"Then let's not hide," Chakotay responded.

Kathryn sucked in a breath and nodded at him. As she released the air, she relaxed again. She yawned and quickly apologized.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Chakotay said. "I've kept you up hours too late already."

"Stay?" Kathryn asked.

"Come here," Chakotay said. Kathryn followed his instructions and allowed him to help her adjust herself so that she was lying in his arms. She rested her head on his chest. She could hear the sounds of him living. She could hear him breathing. She could hear his heart beating in his chest. It was a beautiful sound. She hummed to herself. "You're comfortable?" Chakotay asked.

"Perfect," Kathryn responded. "This feels—amazing."

She heard the laughter rumble through Chakotay's chest and she laughed simply in response to it.

"That line's been uttered a few times tonight by both of us," Chakotay said.

"It was true every time," Kathryn responded. "At least for me."

Chakotay moved to kiss her face.

"It was true for me too. Even now. Go to sleep, Kathryn," Chakotay said.

"You'll stay the night?" Kathryn asked.

"Absolutely," Chakotay responded. "Some species—they mate for life. What I forgot to tell you was—I'm one of those. You can sleep, Kathryn. I'm not going anywhere. Not tonight or...ever. Not for as long as you want me here. I play for keeps."