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(PG-13) (August 2005)
Certain he had heard the captain incorrectly Chakotay turned to look at her. Snickers from the bridge crew along with her grin and twinkling eyes told him he had heard correctly after all. Hiding his real feelings, he forced up a small laugh then turned back to the console. An hour later he was still pissed. Where did she get off saying something like that in front of the crew, even if she was only joking? No, teasing was the correct word. She had teased him and mentioned something of a sexual nature in front of the entire bridge crew! Weren't Starfleet captains supposed to know better than that? Sure, they had worked closely for over a year now and had even established a nice friendship but as far as he was concerned they still had a lot to learn about each other. Likes and dislikes, moods, pet peeves. And one of his was being teased. In his head he practiced how to tell her he'd appreciate her refraining from making a joke of him. Of course then she'd wonder why he was so sensitive and he'd feel obligated to go into that whole bully thing back in elementary school......thirty-five years ago. Well! If that realization wasn't enough to make him feel quite silly, something else occurred to him. Kathryn often joked with and teased other members of the crew and they actually enjoyed it. Why, their faces damn near lit up with pleasure at being the object of her attention. Why had he never before recognized that teasing was one of the ways Kathryn showed affection? Now she had finally included him and here he sat with a burr up his butt. When Kathryn took her chair Chakotay kept his attention on the PADD in his hand not daring to look her way lest her eyes meet those of the fool sitting next to her. The one with flushed cheeks and sheepish grin.
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