kjaneway314:

Alone

“You didn’t poison the coffee did you?”

“Not any more than I usually do.”

I smile at him and he chuckles, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. He is still feeling uneasy, and this bothers me, but then again, I am too. I don’t want this to become a problem between us. I don’t want this rift that seems to have been slowly growing where our friendship once blossomed. I make up my mind then. He has to know. He has to know that I can’t do this without him. 

“Chakotay,” I start, setting down my mug, we need to talk.

He sits down his mug as well and looks up.

“I hate what we’ve become.” I admit, standing up and striding over to the couch, “We can’t afford to stop trusting each other, we can’t afford to be afraid to talk to one another.”

“I agree,” he says coming to sit beside me, “I don’t want to feel like that again, not knowing if you’re on my side or not.”

“I know what you mean. I don’t think I could do this without your support.”

He turns to look at me, and we make eye contact. I can see the truth in his eyes. I’ve missed being able to read him so well.

“You could if you had to.”

There is silence then, each of us thinking about this disturbing prospect. I inch closer to him on the cushion and lay my head on his shoulder, needing to feel close to him again. Chakotay stiffens at first, then relaxes, and eventually wraps an arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer.

“I’m glad I don’t have to.”

– K