Work Text
The bedroom lights are dim, low enough to shroud them in a little secrecy, creating the illusion of night here in space. Out the viewports she can see the stars they came home to, the end of their journey that has now become the place where another one begins for Chakotay and her.She is propped up on one elbow, and the sheet has slipped down around them, baring Chakotay’s chest as it rises and falls in steady motions. He’s not asleep, a smile is still playing on his features and his fingers are caressing her thigh, letting her know he is simply enjoying the moment like she is.The nudity is as comfortable as she always knew it would be. Really, this was simply the last step missing between them, the physical connection that is no more than a natural extension of the emotional one forged long before. Her heart feels larger than it has in a long time, almost ready to burst with the tenderness she has been offered tonight. Combined with the serenity that has settled deep in her bones, her entire body has changed, come alive in a way she couldn’t quite remember.She raises her hand to bring one finger delicately to his hairline, brushing aside the damp strands that so blatantly show the passion of their lovemaking. Just below she finds the lines of his forehead, barely noticeable in his relaxed state. She has seen them grow a little deeper with each passing year, the stress of their shared responsibility etched onto him like it is onto her.Her caress follows the dip and bend of his nose and he stays perfectly still, eyes closed. His profile is intimately familiar to her, and it seems impossible he was ever a stranger. She knows him so well, always at her side, so vividly a part of what kept her going, that feeling him like this now, without any pretense, forms a new, more complete picture of him.There’s the roughness of his evening stubble just beginning to prick her fingertip, before she reaches the sharp outline of his cupid’s bow. She has felt his skin before, small moments she told herself were innocent in nature. But she has never had the chance to experience this rawness, making her bite her tender lip.A little lower she finds his lips, so impossibly soft in contrast, also a little swollen from how much they’ve kissed tonight. Her touch lingers, her every nerve focused on committing the sensations to memory, relishing that she finally has the freedom to do so. Maybe she will miss him even more, now that she knows what they can be together, but she will have memories instead of her imagination to sustain her, undeniable proof of their solidified bond.He kisses her fingertip, and a full smile spreads on her features at this simplicity between them, all the possibilities laid out. The thoughts are fluid, moving from one scenario to another without stopping long enough to give any of them serious consideration, and she savors the decadence at which her mind drifts.Their future will evolve however it does, she isn’t too concerned with it. Because for the moment they are here, together, and with that realization she slides on top of him, ready to make even more memories to cherish during the months to come.