Chapter Text
July 8th 2365
The Wedding
"Our father says that you've declined a traditional wedding ceremony when you bring Kathryn home to visit," Sekaya commented as she and her brother took a leisurely morning stroll from the transport station, and through the fields surrounding the Janeway family home in Indiana.
Chakotay tucked his hands into his pockets. "Our ceremonies aren't that different from one another," he countered neutrally, "Besides, I only plan to do this once. If father wanted to be here, he would have made the effort."
Sekaya clicked her tongue. "I don't think the choice was that simple."
He shot his sister a sideways look, and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"
She reached out and placed a hand on his forearm, "Life on Trebus has become complicated recently. The Cardassians want to mine for resources, but from land already occupied. The council is trying to find a compromise, and Father has become more involved than a retired council member should be. He's worried that if he leaves, decisions could be made in his absence which would be harmful to our way of life."
Chakotay looked onwards across the acres of wheat billowing in the wind. Kathryn had grown up in a rural setting not too dissimilar from his own. However whilst she had been encouraged and given every opportunity to reach for the stars, he had been forced to fight for every step away from the gravitational pull of his homeworld. It was something he still resented, even after all these years.
Although his parents still didn't embrace his choices, they'd learnt to tolerate them. He'd visited Trebus a handful of times over the two decades since his departure, each time failing to bring true reconciliation between him and Kolopak, but for the sake of his mother, they'd found an uneasy truce.
Truth be told, he had no burning desire to take his new wife there for part of their honeymoon. The visit had been Kathryn's idea. When she'd found out his parents wouldn't be in attendance, she'd sought to rectify an issue which didn't exist.
"There is no deal to make with the Cardassians," Chakotay said carefully. "They need to ask the Federation to intervene. Starfleet can send more regular patrols, or provide defensive capabilities."
Sekaya rolled her eyes. "Our people are too proud to ask for help, and even if they did, I believe the Federation is equally as keen to avoid conflict. At least through a mining agreement, there might be some benefit to negotiate for our community."
He wasn't convinced, but it was no longer his place to comment. He had lived away from the community for more than half his life now, to swoop in now with an unwelcome opinion would only further raise their backs up.
"Today isn't a day to be worrying about all this," Sekaya said, as she slipped an arm around his and rested a head on his shoulder. "You're about to start a new future with a woman you love. Create your own community. We should be focusing on that."
He sighed with agreement, grateful for the change in topic. "You're right."
"Nervous?"
"No."
"Good," she sounded glad. "Kathryn is quite wonderful. I think you'll be very happy together."
He patted her hand gratefully.
"Do you think you'll have children? Start a family of your own?"
Smiling to himself, he nodded. "Yes. Although, we're not in any rush. Our careers are both very busy at the moment. Children need a slower pace; require time to hunker down. Kathryn needs to be ready before we make that additional commitment."
Sekaya cast him a sideways glance. "Do you think she'll ever be ready for that?"
A nagging doubt twisted a little in his chest. "We both want children," he insisted, "And when Kathryn sets her mind to something, it usually happens."
Sekaya nodded acceptingly. "Sounds like you've got it all figured out," she commented neutrally.
And in that moment, Chakotay really thought they had.
"How about you?" Chakotay asked as they began to approach the farm, missing the subtle alarm in his sister's expression. "What are you planning to do for the rest of your visit to Earth?"
Sekaya schooled her features as she gave a neutral reply, "I'll stay with our cousins for a while… and Kathryn's sister has promised to show me around some of her favourite places."
Chakotay shot his sister a sideways glance. "Be careful with that one. Phoebe's possibly more insatiable than Kathryn."
Sekaya smirked, and he knew better than to ask or make further comment on the matter.
"How long will you stay?" he redirected the conversation.
When she didn't respond right away, his curiosity was piqued.
"You are going back?" he pressed, incredulous that there would be two of them from the same family to break with tradition and leave their homeworld.
"Eventually," she waved off his question as if it was inconsequential.
He felt like he needed to ask her more about it, but time wasn't on their side that day. Guests would soon be arriving, and the celebrant would want to talk to he and Kathryn individually before the ceremony began. He made a mental note to check-in with his sister once things had calmed down a little. But they never found the time.
-
Kathryn was getting ready in her mother's bedroom when Phoebe stepped back from the window, having watched Chakotay walk up the driveway with his sister.
"He's not run off just yet," she teased.
Rolling her eyes, Kathryn kept still as Gretchen lifted her hair up and arranged it with pins. "I should hope not; this was his idea."
Phoebe came back around, watching their mother finish up the elegant french twist arrangement. She waited until Gretchen had stepped into the bathroom before dropping her voice. "As your sister, I feel I'm duty bound to remind you that I can aid your escape at any point if you change your mind."
Kathryn let out a soft chuckle at Phoebe's twisted sense of humour. "I'm not going to change my mind," she reassured softly.
Phoebe came by alongside her, taking a seat on the bed. "How can you be so certain of another person? To know that they're the one you want to spend the rest of your life with?"
The question was asked with ease, but it was a difficult answer to unpick. "I don't know," Kathryn admitted, "It's not something I understood right away, and I resisted it for a long time. With hindsight though, there was an inevitably to it which I don't think I could ever have denied."
The younger woman rested her chin on a fist. "Chakotay is annoyingly perfect," she tutted. "I bet he's even fantastic in bed."
"You say that as if it's a bad thing."
"Oh it's terrible," Phoebe said with a deliberate air of extravagance, "It means that no one else can possibly compare."
Kathryn grew quiet, because there had once been another she had tried not to compare him to. Justin had been wonderful for all different reasons. They had fallen in love despite their differences and friction-filled relationship.
Being with Chakotay was so easy by comparison. Loving him was effortless. Their differences complimented one another, and their similarities blended. Wondering what would have happened if Justin had never died in that accident, and she'd still met Chakotay, was a guilty thought she refused to indulge.
Easing herself from any sombre mood, Kathryn reached out for Phoebe's hand. "One day you're going to meet Mrs. Perfect, and I'm going to set you up for jitters on your wedding day."
Phoebe grinned, "I'd like to see you try."
Although the joke helped to break up the tension, Kathryn still felt a shadow cast above her for the remainder of the morning. Second guessing once again if it was too soon, if her heart was strong enough to support the depth and intensity of love which Chakotay so openly gave.
Even as she took the final steps and emerged from the house to make the short walk to the back lawn where guests were gathered for the ceremony, her brave front faltered a little. It was her mother who was walking her down the aisle, a tragic reminder that her father would never meet her husband. Would never know Chakotay's love for his daughter.
Kathryn took a deep breath as the crowd turned at her approach, all eyes on her as she made her first appearance as a bride. It was the most intense moment of her life, and for a moment she felt completely overwhelmed. Then she looked up and locked gazes with Chakotay, and every doubt, every insecurity, melted away.
-
She was stunning.
Chakotay had to remind himself to breathe as Kathryn made her entrance. An elegant ivory gown flowed from her shoulders to her feet, hugging cleavage and hips in its travels. Her hair was up, exposing her neck and perfectly framing her chin. Blue eyes dancing across the many gathered faces.
Kathryn looked anxious. She never looked anxious, and it worried him for the fraction of a second it took for her eyes to reach his. And then suddenly, her entire posture relaxed, as she met his reassuring smile with a dazzling one of her own.
Chakotay couldn't say later if he'd said his vows perfectly, or fumbled over the rings. He could only remember the weight of her hand in his, and the look of love and devotion shared between them.
They were married. The resolution to their previous chapter, and beginning of a whole new adventure.
The rest of the day of their wedding celebrations flew by. When Chakotay reflected on it later, it was a flurry of wonderful memories which went too fast to pin down. It would take a while for them to settle, for the weight of the vows they made to absorb.
They danced until it was late, outlasting all of the older guests, before settling by the fireside with their sisters and some of their closest friends.
Kathryn had her head settled against his shoulder, and was yawning by the time he suggested they retire to bed.
Ensuring that their friends all had places to sleep that night, and bidding them goodnight, they headed into the main house. Kathryn led him by the hand, up towards the bedroom, glancing over her shoulder occasionally with subtle looks.
She was apprehensive he realised. Hesitant about this final part of their day.
He waited until the door had clicked shut and they were alone in their bedroom before he addressed her concerns.
"Is everything okay?" he asked, coming up from behind her, and placing his hands gently on her hips.
"Yes, it's just been a long day, and I'm not feeling very… amorous, right now."
Despite their decision to wait, with the promise of an explosive build-up, it had been a long day, and sometimes expectation versus reality needed to be realigned. Kathryn was exhausted, and he could understand her body had other priorities for rest.
Looping his arms around her middle he pressed his lips affectionately to her temple. "That's okay," he reassured her gently, "We don't need to have sex this evening."
"On our wedding night?" He could feel the incredulous eyebrow she raised.
Chakotay chuckled, placed another kiss to the side of her head, before dropping his arms and intentionally stepping away to give her space.
"I'm sure there are plenty of couples who don't have sex on their wedding night," he mused. "I've certainly been to enough weddings where the groom certainly wouldn't have been in any condition to perform."
Kathryn looked unconvinced.
"Remember Sunny and Miranda's wedding?" He prompted. "I carried Sunny back to his hotel room and put him to bed myself."
She grinned, remembering the story he'd told her the following morning. Miranda had been less than impressed, and it sounded like she had taken a different bed that night in protest.
Chakotay carefully removed his cufflinks, placing them on the side. As he began to unclip the fastenings to his dress shirt, he stepped back over to her. "We don't need to do anything tonight which you're not comfortable with, Kathryn," he said softly, "Although I do hope you'll grant me one indulgence, and allow me to take you out of your wedding dress."
She grinned up at him, "I don't think there's any other way I'm getting out of it," she confessed.
With the permission he needed, he moved back towards her. Swooping down, and pressing his lips to her exposed neckline; something he'd been thinking about doing for most of the day. Dragging his mouth across her skin, he placed a series of kisses up her neck, eventually finding the spot behind her ear which never failed to make her gasp.
Hands found their way to the small of her back, holding them both steady as he tasted her lips to indulge in one sweet, languid kiss. She was exhausted; he could tell. If he had to guess, she'd probably been up half the night thinking over the plans for their day with meticulous detail.
With one last peck on her nose, he twisted around behind her, to examine the fastenings of her wedding dress. It was a simple series of hoops and buttons, but he could instantly see her concern; the garment was so perfectly fitted, that there was no way her fingers reaching behind would have sufficient purchase or reach to undo all the buttons that traced her spine.
The dress was designed for a husband's assistance. He grinned to himself at the thought.
Chakotay carefully slipped each hoop over the anchoring bead, slowly exposing the creamy white flesh of her shoulder blades and upper spine. He ran a finger along the revealed skin, and she shivered involuntarily in response.
The remainder of her dress fell easily away, revealing a delightful pair of ivory undergarments, however it was the sight of a single lace garter around her right thigh which captured his full attention.
Kathryn was watching him carefully over her shoulder, her breath hitched as she anticipated his next move.
Chakotay moved slowly, fingers brushing sensually from her shoulders to her finger tips, as he lowered to his knees behind her. Placing hands on either side of her hips, he gently held her in place whilst his lips moved to her thighs. Her left first, as he massaged her flesh with his mouth, from the lace of her panties to the back of her knee.
Then, to her right, where he nuzzled the cheek of her ass through her panties, before travelling down with a trail of small kisses. When he reached her garter, he dropped his hands to the circle of lace, to slowly and seductively drag it down her leg. Kathryn lifted her foot for the final part of its tour, kicking it off with a tiny flick of her ankle.
Another time, and he might have removed her panties in a similar manner, but mindful that she was indulging him already, he intentionally stopped there and pulled back. As he came to stand, she turned to face him, one of her delicate slender hands coming to rest on his shoulder, the other reaching up to cup his cheek.
She didn't say anything, but he could see every emotion and thought running clearly through her eyes. This was what love was. The feeling which filled the room when there was nothing else but silence.
At her gentle encouragement, he removed his shirt and stepped out of his pants, to join her at the bed. Peeling back the covers, they quietly slipped inside.
With a seamless synchronisation which had developed over the years, Chakotay lay on his side, with an arm extended, which she snuggled into facing him, resting her head on his bicep. She fit so perfectly against him, as he held her, his fingers caressing gently against the soft skin of her back.
He kissed the top of her head. "Thank you for a perfect day, Kathryn."
Her lips pressed a kiss to his bare chest, as she tightened the hold around his middle. "Thank you for being the perfect man."
She sounded tired; perhaps on the verge of sleep, so he called for the lights, and the room disappeared into darkness.
-
Kathryn was blissfully exhausted. It had been a long, but wonderful day. A room filled with so many family and friends. Good food, wine and cheer. There wasn't much else she could have asked for from the celebration.
Although she was uncontrollably tired, Chakotay's gentle attention however, had begun to stir a desire deep within her. It wasn't close enough to arousal to call it that, but there was a sudden need for intimacy and closeness.
In the glow of the moonlight, she looked up at him, waiting until she had his attention before she made her request. "Will you make love to me?"
Chakotay met her gaze with a deep look. "Of course. If that's what you want?"
She nodded.
At her confirmation, they smoothly shifted together, altering positions, so that she was on her back whilst he rested on a forearm to her side. With his free hand, he reached up to cup the side of her face, dropping down for a luxurious kiss.
Kathryn splayed hands against his chest, running them slowly down his torso.
The heat and intensity of the exchange increased, as the passion between them grew. One of Kathryn's hands finally reached his underpants, where she discovered his erection bulging behind the fabric. "Take them off," she muttered against his lips.
He willingly obliged, whilst she did the same, slipping panties over her hips and kicking them down into the depths of the covers.
As she turned attention to the front clasp of her bra she found him watching her. Carefully. Expectantly. She smiled to herself. He was so predictable.
The moment her bra was off, and her breasts revealed, his mouth and hand were on them in the same instant. Taking one nipple into his mouth and sucking on the areola, whilst his fingers flicked and teased at the other.
She arched into his touch. Revelling in the tingling sensations he was eliciting. But she needed more. As if reading her mind, Chakotay dropped a palm from her breast, switching the other nipple into his mouth. Meanwhile, his hand continued a new course down her stomach.
Resting the wrist edge of his palm on her pelvic bone, he guided a single finger down between her folds. Gliding between the labia and intentionally feathering against her clit, he drew from her a sleepy arousal which she hadn't expected to find so quickly.
At the combined feeling of his tongue circling her nipple, and fingertips teasing her clit, she let out a small, needy moan, as a wave of heat overwhelmed her. She wanted him. Urgently.
Sensing her need, Chakotay withdrew from her breast and lifted himself up slightly. At the new angle, he positioned a digit at the entrance of her vagina, watching carefully as he moved it inside.
The wetness was now very evident as he glided effortless inside of her. When he withdrew, he easily added a second finger, and pushed the two together, back into the tight wet folds.
He smirked to himself, clearly pleased with the effect he had on her, even when her body and mind were otherwise too tired for this type of activity.
As he began to pump her, she found herself twisting against his touch. Desperate to feel the pressure of his thumb against her swollen nub which was held tantalisingly out of reach. But even that wouldn't be enough. She wanted him. All of him.
As if reading her thoughts he slowed the movement of his fingers and carefully withdrew from her. She would have protested, except she knew exactly what he would do next.
Gently he rolled her beneath him, taking the time to pause any further advance with a gentle and loving kiss. She could feel the weight of his urgent throbbing erection resting against her thigh, but his actions were controlled and measured, in no rush to complete the joining until he was completely satisfied of her readiness.
Kathryn smoothed her palms down his butt cheeks, angling herself for his entrance, but he intentionally held himself back. She looked up at him with a questioning look, only to find him already waiting for her attention.
"Do you promise you won't fall asleep on me?" he asked simply, the cheekiness evident in his dimples.
A throaty laugh escaped her lips. He was wicked when he wanted to be. She tapped his ass cheek admonishingly. "I'm hardly going to fall asleep with the fullness of your cock inside me."
He grinned unashamedly, then, with an amused shake to his head, began to slowly lower his pelvis towards her. Kathryn reached down a hand to guide the tip of his penis to where it was most desired, gasping with delight as he slowly pushed inside her.
"I love you," he breathed against her shoulder once he was completely embedded in her warmth. Repeating the sentiment again as he partially withdrew and then patiently re-entered.
Chakotay was the king of delayed gratification, and began an excruciatingly languid pace. For once, she was willing to indulge him.
They moved fluidly together. Lovingly. Whispering words of devotion and affection. All the promises of a life they planned to share together. It was an end and a beginning folded in together. Now and forever existing simultaneously. Fears disregarded and only hope flowed between them.
When the build up began, she didn't chase it down as she normally would. Instead she embraced it, focussed on the sensation, running her hands affectionately up and down his torso and he continued to rock effortlessly against her.
She didn't know how close he was until he released a shuddery breath, and she realised he was actually fighting against the urge to explode into her. It was that very realisation which took her to the precipice, and with a careful change of angle in her hips, found herself coming with only a couple of firm brushes against her clit.
Her walls shuddered and clenched around him as she came, taking him over the edge with her. He spilled his load with several delightful spasms, filling her core with his warm and welcome seed. Even once he was completely spent, he continued to rock gently against her, riding out every wave and sensation, until she was undone beneath him.
Once they'd finished, he rolled them onto their sides, slipping out of her with the movement, but holding her close against him in any case. He let out a contented sigh as they enjoyed the warmth and intimacy of a post coital embrace.
After a while, Kathryn noticed his breathing had grown abnormally heavy, and when she looked up to face him, she discovered Chakotay was fast asleep.