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“Here, let me put the pips on your collar”, Kathryn offered, as she saw Chakotay struggle with his dress uniform. She took the pips from his hands and deftly fastened them on his collar, one by one.
Chakotay could feel a tingle of excitement with each touch of her slender fingers, as if they were electrifying. He loved it when they touched like that: little, mundane touches that nobody else would pay attention to but them.
Of course, that would soon change when they finally walked to the hearing that morning and were forced to admit in front of all those admirals from Starfleet that they were married. It was something Kathryn had, by chance, neglected to inform them in all of the reports she had sent back to Starfleet Command, but they knew they couldn’t simply ignore the fact now that they had come back to the Alpha Quadrant.
They had the support of the crew, but Chakotay knew that would only count as moral support and nothing else. How much trouble they were in would depend on which admiral presided over the hearing.
“Lovely, as always”, she told him and brushed her palm over his recently shaven cheek. He tried to smile for her sake, but the truth was that he was scared of having maybe ruined a career as bright as that of Kathryn Janeway.
She didn’t seem to mind, however. She had told him she’d rather lose her commission than him, and he had felt slightly grateful but even more guilty if that were to happen.
“Ready?” she asked him, and he knew she wasn’t referring to the dress uniform, but rather to his mental state.
“As I’ll ever be”, he replied, and she offered her arm for him to perch on, which he gladly did.
She seemed to be completely in control of the situation, which was something that he appreciated and that didn’t surprise him in the least. She was always in control. She was always the one who knew what to do and how. He would follow her to hell and back without hesitation.
But he knew that part of her control of the situation came from his support. They were a team: whatever might happen, they were going to face it together.
And no admiral would ever break them apart.