Laugh With Me pt3

STAR TREK VOYAGER-fanfic. Some touchy conversations about clothes and more.
(Seven/B'Elanna)

Read Laugh With Me pt3

For disclaimers see pt1.




Laugh With Me pt3
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by Carola “Ryûchan” Eriksson





They barely had the time to materialize back in B’Elanna’s quarters before her commbadge beeped. It was Captain Janeway.

“B’Elanna, I just wanted to thank you for looking after Seven, and to say that I’m having Chakotay put you on partial duty today, he’ll inform whoever you have to take over for you not to expect you until after dinner.”

“I, ah, thank you Captain, but that’s not necessary...”

“Even as much as I am... feeling the effects of yesterday, I could still tell that you’re so tired you could fall over. So do an old friend a favour, Lanna...” Janeway’s voice was warm and affectionate. “Get some sleep. Both of you.”

“Janeway out.”

In the silence left behind Janeway’s voice, Seven and B’Elanna stood simply looking at one another and blinking. Finally B’Elanna’s lips twitched a little, and a small laugh escaped her.

“I can’t say it is a bad idea.” She admitted, smiling warmly at Seven whose eyes grew just a fraction wider at the sight. “I could use some sleep, and I know you definitely do. So what would you prefer to do? Catch another hour or two of sleep before I fix us some breakfast, or eat now and then go back to sleep?”

The fair head tilted in consideration. “Although the prospect of you providing breakfast is very intriguing, I believe we both require more sleep to function adequately. Also, I enjoyed the sensation of sleeping in your bed, Lieut... B’Elanna.” She nodded slightly, decision made. “We shall go to bed.”

Feeling ridiculously mushy over the sound of her name coming from the blonde, B’Elanna shook her head slightly and nudged Seven towards the bedroom. “Very well then, to bed it is. I’ll intrigue you with my amazing breakfast-making skills later.”

Depositing Seven inside the room B’Elanna turned around to head for the couch, but was stopped by a small touch at her elbow.

“Where are you going?”

B’Elanna faltered. “Um... to the couch?” She pointed at it, feeling a little confused and trying to read Seven’s expression. “To get some sleep?”

Seven regarded the bed.

“I believe your bed is a standard size designed to house two, B’Elanna. Would there be insufficient space left for you if I was also in it?” Slowly a frown appeared and the hand fell away from B’Elanna’s arm. “Or is it that my presence would be...” Seven appeared to search for the right word, and when she continued it was in a quieter voice. “...too unappealing?”

Something about that voice cut painfully into B’Elanna and made her momentarily unable to speak. That brief moment was all that was needed for Seven to straighten her posture into something resembling her usual stance. “Perhaps I should go regenerate.” To B’Elanna’s horror Seven turned and, avoiding to look at B’Elanna, continued in the same quiet voice. “I thank you for your time and your kindness.”

“Whoa, whoa, wait!” B’Elanna hurried to throw her arms around Seven and hold her as tight as she dared. “When did I say anything like that?” She exhaled and leaned her head against a convenient nearby shoulder. “To most people sharing a bed is kind of an intimate thing, even if it is just sleeping. I didn’t think you’d feel that comfortable with me there, and besides, I kind of thought you might’ve enjoyed having the bed to yourself.”

Gingerly a pair of hands moved up to circle B’Elanna’s waist in a return embrace, a small and awkward one at best since B’Elanna was for all intents and purposes pinning Seven’s arms at her sides, but still a clear attempt. B’Elanna’s heart, which was already beating hard from the sudden scare, gleefully pounded away in her chest.

Aww geez. Chakotay was right, it was damn obvious how she felt about Seven. Since when did Chakotay get to be right about something? And how could she not have seen this coming herself?

She relaxed her arms into an embrace rather than a hold, glad that Seven did not see the blush on her face.

“Sharing a bed is intimate? Even without copulating?” Seven wondered. “Why?”

“Erm, well...” B’Elanna wondered how she managed to do this to herself. “I’m not sure, but I think it might have something to do with how exposed we feel when we sleep. In sleep you’re kind of open and defenceless, so it makes sense you’d mostly try to be that way only around people you feel safe with, those that are the closest to you?” She sighed. “Honestly Seven, I don’t know why it is, just that is how most people work.”

“I have often heard my regeneration cycles be compared to sleep.”

“Yeah, I’ve made the comparison a couple of times myself. It seems to fit.” B’Elanna wondered if she should let go now, or if she could get away with holding Seven close for a little while longer. Ahh, Seven smelled so nice.

“I often have company while I regenerate. Some watch me as I regenerate, and some, like the Captain, have in the past come especially for that purpose.”

Instinctively B’Elanna stepped back and frowned. A very angry part of her wanted to know who exactly had been in Seven’s Cargo Bay and when, so that she could go pay them all a personal visit, but that was not helping right now. “The Captain tucking you in is... it is a sign of how much she cares about you, you know?”

“Tucking in? Like what SamanthaWildman, Neelix and I do to Naomi?”

Charmed, B’Elanna smiled. “Yeah, a little like that. As for those other people...” She grit her teeth a bit. “...I think we’ll have to do something about that. But later, not today.” She gave Seven a sheepish look. “Are you sure you’re okay sharing the bed with me?”

In reply Seven simply crawled into the bed, scooted as far in towards the wall as she could, and divided up the pillows. She wore a small smile as she did so, and B’Elanna just melted anew.

She cleared her throat. “Alright. I, um, I’m just going to go... change.” B’Elanna grabbed her nightwear and stepped into the bathroom. She caught sight of a pair of interested blue eyes looking at her from the bathroom mirror just as she pulled the sleep shirt down. “Seven!” She gasped and tugged the shirt down a little more.

“Yes B’Elanna?” The other woman asked sweetly, no trace of embarrassment present or any indicator that she had been caught doing anything she shouldn’t have.

B’Elanna chuckled. “Just go to sleep.” She got into bed next to Seven and couldn’t help the smile that just wouldn’t go away. There was something a little like childlike excitement over Seven as she made herself comfortable in B’Elanna’s bed, which was just about the cutest thing B’Elanna had ever seen. After a moment Seven shuffled closer, until their shoulders touched slightly. Then, with a tiny sigh, the blonde finally settled in and fell asleep.

Marvelling over the happiness she felt from such a small thing, B’Elanna relaxed as well, and finally found that deep, peaceful sleep she had been in such desperate need of.

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They slept longer than intended, turning the promised breakfast into brunch. B’Elanna woke up first, to find herself warm and cosy with the pleasantly heavy weight of one slumbering ex-Drone draped over her side. She allowed herself a moment of simply enjoying the sensation, especially the tiny tickle of Seven’s breath right underneath her ear, wondering if there was anything she could do to make this a recurring thing.

Extracting herself without waking Seven took a while, but finally B’Elanna escaped with a pillow tucked in her place. After realizing how late it was she started on that breakfast she had promised her slumbering guest, deciding that a day like this called for banana pancakes with all the trimmings B’Elanna could think up.

When Seven woke up it was to a soft pillow in place of a very warm and very pleasingly scented half-klingon engineer, which was clearly too inferior a substitute and a situation that was unacceptable. She sat up pondering how to rectify this when the scent of B’Elanna’s cooking reached her, followed by B’Elanna herself.

“You’re awake?” B’Elanna smiled happily. “In that case, stay right there and I’ll be back.” She disappeared from the door but continued to speak. “In fact Seven, scoot up a little.”

Seven did as bid, and soon B’Elanna returned with a pair of trays.

“Breakfast in bed!” She declared cheerfully while carefully balancing one tray and arranging the other in front of Seven, pulling out the little legs to make a tiny table. “Well, very late breakfast in bed, I guess.”

B’Elanna situated herself and her tray in front of Seven, so that she could enjoy the amazement and delight the other woman unconsciously displayed over every little thing, without being too obvious about it. She kept up a light conversation while they ate, and also made sure to ask and was relieved to hear that Seven was ‘functioning within acceptable parameters”.

“If you think you’re up to it, why don’t you go take a shower?” B’Elanna suggested after they had finished eating. “You could replicate yourself something to wear, or borrow something of mine if you want. I’ll clean this up while you do.”

While B’Elanna busied herself in the kitchenette, Seven took the opportunity to look through her closet. If given a choice, Seven definitely wanted something that carried B’Elanna’s scent, especially if she was not going to be on duty anyway. Most of B’Elanna’s clothing was inadequate in size in all manner of ways, but she did own a few articles of clothing that were loose-fitting enough that Seven might wear them.

Then something caught Seven’s eye. “B’Elanna? Why do you own a biosuit?”

“What? What biosuit...” A bit confused B’Elanna walked back to see Seven holding up a certain wine-coloured outfit. “...oh! Um, that’s not a biosuit, Seven.” She scratched her cheek a bit, feeling embarrassed. “That’s an old pyjamas I haven’t worn in a... oh, a pretty long while.”

“A... pyjamas?” Seven eyed the outfit that aside from the material looked rather identical to one of her own uniforms. She frowned slightly. “This is sleepwear?”

“Yes. That one is, not that I’ve used it since... before you came onboard, I think.” Actually B’Elanna wondered why she hadn’t just tossed it into the recycler by now and gotten rid of it. She wasn’t sure what Seven was thinking, but she did seem strangely disturbed by the discovery of the pyjamas. Perhaps it would be best to explain herself, so that there wouldn’t be any misunderstandings. “I basically got caught walking around the decks in it one night, and took a lot of teasing for it. So I put it away.”

“I wear a uniform like this every day.” Troubled blue eyes met B’Elanna’s. “Everywhere and at any hour.”

“I...” Belatedly B’Elanna realized that she had stumbled headfirst into what could well be a very touchy subject. “I know. Some people” B’Elanna included, actually. “have wondered why you haven’t designed yourself something a little more reminiscent of a uniform, but I guess we all figured that you have medical reasons to keep wearing those outfits.”

“That is only true for the fabric, not the cut. The Doctor is the one that designs my clothing.” And that B’Elanna suspected was the reason behind everything, as she could say a few unflattering but likely very true words about the Doctor’s behaviour towards Seven.

“Pretty much everyone is used to it by now, so if you feel comfortable wearing your suits there’s no reason you shouldn’t.” She patted Seven’s arm encouragingly. “Or if you wanted to try something new you could try your hand at designing something yourself. Between Voyager’s database and the advice of someone like Captain Janeway or Sam Wildman, you could probably come up with something.”

“And...” B’Elanna got something faraway in her expression, causing Seven’s attention to shift to her instead of the questions raised by an old piece of sleepwear. “You’re not the first woman to walk around this ship in something like that anyway.” A little wistful smile found its way to B’Elanna’s lips. “Kes took to wearing outfits similar to yours for a while before she left the ship. Not quite as... snug, mind you,” She winked at Seven. “but still very similar.”

“Kes.” There was something searching in the look Seven gave B’Elanna, but B’Elanna was looking at memories at that moment and missed it. “The Doctor speaks warmly of her. He used to speak of her often when I was still new aboard Voyager, and have me train social interactions with the lessons she had devised.”

“She was a dear friend.” B’Elanna said simply. “She was loved by many onboard, like the Doctor, Neelix or Tom. Even Tuvok cared a great deal for her, in his own, Vulcan-logical way.” She shrugged a little. “She is missed.”

“I... did not get the chance to know her.” Seven awkwardly hung the pyjamas away, glancing at B’Elanna from the corner of her eye.

“Yeah, and that was a real shame. She would have been a great friend for you.” B’Elanna smiled, picturing it. “No offence to the Doc, but she would have been more of a help to you in coming to terms with how to be an individual than he ever could be. And she wouldn’t have allowed for a certain stubborn, thick-headed half-Klingon to carry on like a cranky targh with a toothache, either.”

Seven tilted her head in question, and B’Elanna chuckled a little. “I can practically hear her now. ‘B’Elanna Torres, you stop being so stubborn and admit that you like her! You might even find out that the two of you have a lot in common.’ Something like that.”

“You like me?” Seven asked astonished, her earlier misgivings evaporating.

“Heh, yes, I thought that was rather obvious by now?” B’Elanna grinned a bit sheepishly. “For the record, I don’t share my bed with anyone I don’t like.” She winked at Seven again. “I’m not that kind of a woman.”

Grinning to cover her sudden embarrassment as she realized she was flirting with Seven, and not even being subtle about it, B’Elanna reached into her closet and pulled out a few articles of clothing that might fit. “How about these? These pants are long on me so the might just be long enough for you, and this blouse is a bit bigger than the others. Do you want them, or should we replicate something?”

Seven eagerly accepted the clothing, still determined to have something of B’Elanna’s to wear, and made for the bathroom. She stopped just inside the doorway, her back to B’Elanna but her head turned just slightly so the edge of a smile was visible.

“B’Elanna?”

“Yes, Seven?”

“I like you too.”

With that Seven closed the door behind her, and within moments the sonic shower started up, its humming obscuring all other sounds.

B’Elanna at first stared, stunned, at the closed door, and then grinned madly. “Yes!” She breathed to herself and tried to stifle the giggle that wanted to erupt, as she set out to finally clean her quarters up to something a bit more presentable.

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