Drab-let (Guess it, pick next): “That Sweet and Life-affirming Spot”
From/for @mia-cooper. Â 476 words. She stumped me for days with her choice. First person to identify the episode for this missing scene gets to pick the next one. Â Enjoy!
He remembers feeling warm skin under his fingertips – still new and exhilarating and so worth the wait. Oh…and the wanton way she moaned his name, syllables vibrating through her throat, imperceptible to his ears but music to his lips.  He remembers that too. Â
It wasn’t their first time, but nearly so, and definitely the first time he had kissed here there, in that wonderful spot just below her ear along the side of her flushed neck. She tasted sweet in that place, her flesh tender under his mouth. He found it so heavenly in fact, that he lingered just a bit longer than he might have otherwise - and now he’s glad that he did.  Because this is how he wants to remember her, full of life and blushing with pleasure.
Not still and solid. Â Blasted back and instantly gone. Â Not turning cold under his two fingertips in that same, delicate, life-affirming spot he had enjoyed mere hours before. Â No. Â He refuses to remember her like that.
It is days later now.  The crisis has passed and he’s dealing with the aftermath.  He can’t yet bring himself to look at, let alone wear, the pips his first officer has left on the ready room desk – without so much as a blink of emotion. Someday he will have to don them, but not today.  Certainly not tomorrow either.
He has just committed her body and the bodies of several others to the stars. Everyone is grieving, confused and angry. Most notably his helmsman who has found it so impossible to maintain composure that he’s been relieved of duty. Chakotay doesn’t have that luxury.
Then he remembers.  Kes.  She had spoken to him, trying desperately to unravel her own mystery in the midst of ship-wide crisis.  He had felt badly that he couldn’t help her but in a flash he realizes she may be able to help him. She will be jumping again soon, ahead to their past.  Maybe she can relay a message.
He rushes to sickbay where she has been unconscious, hoping he is not too late.  She awakens only briefly, shivers, and then she is gone.  He holds his breath - waits a few moments – but nothing changes. He returns to his quarters and finally loses all ability to cope.  Sobbing, he falls to the bed.  Exhaustion overtakes what is left of him.
When he wakes in the morning, she is there.
The haze of a future redirected burns away. He is none the wiser and happily so. She straddles his waist, lays down across his chest and moans into his mouth once more. He plays, then tears himself away to search for his favorite spot.  Right there - under her ear along the side of her neck – is where he lingers a little longer than he might have otherwise.  Because she tastes so sweet.
