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as soon as your lips brushed his nose, shran pulls back. his antennae twitch sharply, his eyes narrow, and he gives you that familiar offended scoff he uses when he’s been presented with a variable he knew nothing about. even if, in this case, it’s something as simple as a new spot to kiss him on. “what was that?” he demands, voice edged with suspicion, like you’ve just tested some strange human ritual on him without warning. 

at first, he insists it’s ridiculous. undignified. unbefitting of an andorian commander of the imperial guard - he isn’t some pet you can dote on any way you want. but he never actually stops you. that’s the tell. if shran truly hated it, he’d move away, or catch your wrist, or give you that sharp, unyielding boundary he’s so capable of enforcing. instead, shran grumbles, flicks his antennae in mild agitation, and stays exactly where he is.

you start doing it at the most inconvenient times - mid-sentence, when he’s trying to focus, or he’s already mildly irritated about something else. it throws shran off every time, voice stuttering briefly before he regains control. he’ll scowl and scold you. lets you know that he knows that you do that on purpose simply to annoy him. your sly smile is answer enough.

over time, his reactions change. very subtly so you’re the only one who really notices a difference. shran’s annoyance dulls into something more performative. his complaints get less heated, more habitual, like he’s maintaining the act because it’s expected now. because it always makes you smile when he bites back. and in time, shran anticipates it. his gaze flicks to your lips for a split second when you lean in close. he stills instead of pulling back. his antennae angle toward you instead of away. his cross huffs of frustration turn into something dangerously close to a contented sigh.

if you ever, even once, don’t lean in to press a playful kiss against shran’s nose, he notices. a break in the pattern he’s come to expect. shran pauses, face scrunching in a light frown, looking to you as if you’re withholding something crucial. “...well?” he says after a moment, almost impatiently. and that’s when you realize: he likes it. shran will fight tooth and nail if you ever imply it. 

his first reflex is resistance. a subtle tightening of his muscles and furrow of his brow. for as much as the kiss warms him, it also feels undeserved. like a sweet reward for his failure and worf didn’t find the honor in accepting something so good for a poorly done job. even if you insist he did what he could, and lean in again to press a softer kiss against a lighter bruise, worf gets even grumpier before he softens up.

and then it happens again. and again after that. a soft kiss on one of his ridges while his skull rattles. a light volley along his knuckles when they’re red and swollen. a more playful one against his collarbone right after doctor crusher mends the bone. each time, they’re given freely. every time he wins. especially when he loses. even when worf is still keyed up and furious but you feel safe enough to do it anyway.

it becomes something deeply sacred for worf. klingons believe battle can cleanse oneself, but your careful kisses feel like a cleansing in their own right. it just becomes another tradition in tending to a warrior after a battle. the kisses are less about pity, or even affection - for worf, they feel like devotion. The first time you don’t do it - perhaps you’re distracted or worried about something else - he feels the absence of it more sharply than he expects.

the first time worf does it in return, he is… not composed. seeing you hurt disrupts his control in a way he finds difficult to contain. anger sits just under the surface, and his instincts would tell him to stand and fight and kill in this situation. but he doesn’t. worf stays right with you where you need him to be, standing like a sentinel. silent. unmoving. later, when you’re alone, he’ll examine your injuries - committing every detail to memory as if doing so could prevent it from ever happening again. he’ll hesitate before pressing his lips against a still-fading burn. it’s not as light as yours had been. there’s weight behind it - intention, gravity. a warrior’s acknowledgment rather than a purely gentle gesture.

“may i ask for your reason of kissing me?” “you were rambling, data.” he tilts his head. “could you not have simply asked me to stop?” “i could’ve. it was more fun this way.”

that’s when data realized he needed to categorize another one of your kiss patterns: interruptive. because after the first, they reappeared in increasing frequency. always accompanied by a smile and concluded with a breathy little laugh against his lips. data has even begun to count the words once he begins a conversation with you in private to try and discover when you’re most likely to interrupt him with a kiss. the numbers are all over the place. data concludes he needs additional research.

and it was only a matter of time before he turned the tables on you. you’re both alone in the lab one night. data has been watching you and concluded that you’re exhausted from the day’s events but still working. your speech patterns are slower, less precise. sometimes even trailing off without finishing your sentences. or speaking your thoughts out loud and brushing off data’s attempts to respond to them.

you’re in the middle of poorly explaining your thoughts on an analysis report when he kisses you. carefully holding your chin and not pulling back until he feels you sigh against his mouth. “i believe you are exhausted. given your preference for this technique, it seemed the most efficient way to convince you to continue your work tomorrow.”

data will employ this method a few other times. if you’re upset and talking too fast and letting yourself spiral, data concludes a kiss would likely make you pause and breathe. but you still do it much more often. data knows you enjoy it. sometimes, when you’ve had a hard day, he’ll even talk a little bit more. blatantly giving you the chance to silence him with a kiss. he’s observed how much it improves your emotional state.

of course, one of the earliest holosuite dates he plans is a baseball game. one of his favorites where he already knows what’s going to happen but wants to see your reactions to it. over the course of the game, however, ben subtly moves closer. under the guise of explaining a play or a call that just happened and he needs to get in close for you to hear him. by the ninth inning, his arm is resting comfortably over the back of your chair.

the rest of his programs are more lowkey and intimate. creole restaurants or stargazing on riverside balconies. things that feel real and lived-in. if there’s music, ben insists on dancing with you, even when he claims he’s “rusty.” when there’s quiet, he’ll open up. about his job, about jake, about his worries. things he never tells anybody else.

kira nerys

pretends not to care all that much about high effort dates when you’re planning them. but if she’s planning the date? kira strolls up to jadzia’s station and subtly asks if she has any good holosuite programs.

it’s not often kira chooses the holosuite. mainly when you and her need to get away from the station but can’t spare a whole day to travel to bajor for a break. she leans towards more outdoor environments that contrast from the sharp grays of the station: green mountain ridges, bajoran temples during a sunset, beside an ocean with a breeze. something open and freeing.

surprisingly, she gets quieter during holosuite dates. more tender and contemplative. if you two are in your quarters, it’s easier to loosen up and flirt and laugh. but being in a different environment has a way of calming kira - even if it’s holographic. she’ll share more about her personal feelings. her thoughts and her fears. force a smile and apologize to bringing the mood down but explains that this sunset reminds her of a sad memory from her days in the resistance.

also, don’t tease about kira’s choice in holosuite programs. even though she’ll absolutely poke fun at yours.

jadzia dax

absolutely loves the variety and stimulation of a good holosuite program. she tends to drag you there for many of your date nights under the excuse of finding one she wanted to share with you. not big on repeating programs unless you really like a certain one - jadzia finds more enjoyment out of experiencing something brand new with you for the first time. (but you notice the repeat programs tend to be more intimate than fast-paced.)

but most of the time, it’s never really about the holosuite at all. jadzia just enjoys making new memories with you. quiet, dimly-lit nights in your quarters are fine and all, but she prefers the wild fun of a klingon tavern where you drink too much. she looks forward to showing you a simulated alien festival and then getting too competitive about the games. she wants to dance with you on a bustling spaceport bathed in the brilliant light of a nebula. these are the kinds of dates jadzia remembers for a long time.

things only really quiet down on the walk through the promenade. you’re still laughing about the antics you’d just gotten into in the holosuite before jadzia launches into a story lived by one of her past lives. that’s when she slows down. reminisces in a way you’ll never understand. takes your hand and holds it silently for a moment before smiling wide and informing you she’s already planned the next date in the holosuite.

julian bashir

absolutely loves going over the top with his holosuite programs. julian wants these dates to feel like something right out of a storybook. something grand and sweeping and romantic. and julian has a knack for not letting things get too cheesy - just whimsical enough to make you feel special and thought about. like he really went out of his way to try and impress you.

his nerves boil underneath his cute charm. julian will pay you the sweetest compliment you’ve ever heard and plant a kiss on your cheek, and then turn around and start nervously rambling about little scientific facts of the program. details about the history or architecture or, if this weren’t a holodeck, it’s very possible some hungry man-eating monster would be looking at you as its next meal. he’s a very unfortunate yapper, even if the program was specifically designed to be romantic.

but it never feels like he’s trying too hard. julian treats holosuite dates as a chance to get to know you under many different circumstances. he loves to watch candlelight dance in your hair. he loves to touch the skin of your hand when it’s dewy from a nearby waterfall. he loves seeing your awed expression glowing in a moonlit garden. his holosuite dates feel like love letters.

odo

has pointedly avoided using the holosuite for the longest time. dates with odo aren’t the most conventional - he leans towards quiet nights where you sit with him, pretending to work. or if odo is really trying to be romantic, he’ll watch the stars with you near an isolated window. the holosuite never offered anything he’d want to do with you. plus, he didn’t want to give quark the satisfaction of knowing he’s using it for this purpose. 

but he hears you talking with dax and kira. about a romantic holosuite date one of them had and odo can almost hear your voice melting at the details. he’s awkward with his holosuite dates - he doesn’t really have experience on what is and isn’t romantic. he has no fond memories of oceans or cities or landmarks to share with you.

so for holosuite dates, odo does what he does best: listens. he researches locations or events from stories and anecdotes you share with him and recreates it on the holosuite for you. a restaurant you love on earth. a planet you spent time on during your first assignment. rainy streets in the neighborhood you grew up in. odo much prefers watching your reactions to the program than really experiencing it himself. for him, holosuite dates are primarily so he can spend some time in your world and learn you better.

miles o'brien

cozy. familiar. safe. miles likes to keep his holosuite dates nice and simple. a way to decompress after a long day. you once asked him why he never uses any of his more fun programs for dates. the ones he plays with julian - rafting or war reenactments. he tells you that he wants these dates to be something that relaxes you at the end of the day. something soft and warm. a night he can look back on during bad days and feel the same sense of peace.

in the early stages of your relationship, he tends to hover near you instead of directly pulling you in. sitting just close enough that your shoulders brush or your knees touch, pretending he’s focused on whatever he’s holding or whatever conversation is happening nearby. secretly hoping you’ll lean into him first so he doesn’t have to risk looking overly sentimental.

when trip wants comfort but doesn’t quite know how to ask for it, he’ll rest his head against your shoulder or chest under the excuse of “bein’ exhausted,” murmuring something about needing five minutes of rest. but the way he settles in makes it obvious he plans to stay there much longer than that. he knows you know about his little scheme. he doesn’t care.

once he’s comfortable with you, however, cuddling becomes one of the primary ways he expresses love, safety, and reassurance. especially after long shifts where trip’s been tense for hours and needs something grounding and real to remind him that he’s not just a machine keeping the ship running. he has a hard time slowing down. trip has a bad habit of running himself into exhaustion when he feels he needs to. cuddling with you is the easiest way he knows of to stop and rest.

whenever trip initiates the cuddling, it’s because he’s tired, emotionally overwhelmed, or quietly worried about something he hasn’t told you yet. it usually looks like him climbing into bed beside you, letting out a long breath, and then deliberately rolling closer until his arm finds your waist and he tugs you against his chest - like it’s instinct. he leans a lot of his weight on you. nose burying into your hair and finding peace there.

but when you’re upset, tired, or sick, he prefers to pull you against him and lie on his back, letting you rest there while his hands move in slow, absent-minded circles along your spine. silently promising through touch that he’s not going anywhere and that you’re safe with him. trip is surprisingly attentive. constantly adjusting his position if he thinks you’re uncomfortable, loosening his grip if he feels you shift, or quietly whispering, “you okay, darlin’?” in a soft tone he only ever uses with you in private moments.

receiving affection in public makes him pause. his instinct is always to assess context first - who is present, rank dynamics, cultural expectations - before allowing himself to react. there’s often a half-second delay where his expression goes still while he decides what is “appropriate.”

your smaller gestures are the ones he tolerates best. standing slightly closer than necessary, your shoulder brushing his arm, your fingers lightly catching his sleeve as you walk. things you wouldn’t notice unless you were watching closely. things that only spock can feel. he insists vulcans do not experience embarrassment - but you can tell he prefers pda that’s quiet and implied.

but he definitely needs to put his patience to the test when you’re feeling extra touchy and mischievous. you only really push his boundaries off duty - when you drag him to some social gathering and you’re happy and relaxed enough to lean against him. even reaching out to take his hand or smoothing your fingers across his thigh.

spock is noticeably stiffer when others are watching. not cold, but controlled. his posture straightens, his voice becomes more measured, and his expression stays neutral. despite this, he never removes your hand. the idea of rejecting your affection would trouble him far more than enduring mild discomfort. if anything, you’ll feel his thumb make one small, deliberate movement against your knuckle. an unconscious compromise between restraint and desire.

pda overwhelms him more than it embarrasses him. at times, it feels like a completely separate language he hasn’t learned. a new set of social expectations he didn’t know he needed to follow. your affection, in private, is something he conformed to much quicker than he expected. but accepting it in public? around others? maybe even returning it in the same capacity? it feels like a skill that spock is determined to learn for you.

kathryn’s signals are quieter, restrained by command and responsibility, but they’re consistent if you know where to look. she clings to things that are familiar - much of the time, you comfort her in her ready room over a cup of coffee she really doesn’t need. when she’s worn thin, she talks less. listens more. allows you to hold even the smallest amount of weight off her shoulders, even if it’s just through encouraging words and squeezing her hand.

when she finally lets herself accept your comfort fully, it’s not casual. it’s a moment she consciously works herself toward and decides she trusts you enough to let her rest. it’s a rare moment of surrender, and kathryn stays there as long as she can afford to.

chakotay

this man barely asks you to replicate him a glass of water, much less to give him comfort and reassurance. chakotay doesn’t ask, he lingers. showing up to your quarters “to check in with you,” but not saying goodnight until he’s run out of conversation topics. or offering to walk you somewhere and subtly taking a longer route, walking slower, and pausing by the door to make the moment last as long as possible.

when he needs you, he softens. his voice. his face. his hands. as if he’s been strong and hardened for too long and you’re the only one he can feel vulnerable enough with to smooth his edges. chakotay says your name more often. slower, like he’s grounding himself in it. he gets closer, lowering himself down to your level. letting small parts of his body touch small parts of yours. 

you can physically see his guard come down when he accepts your comfort. a longer exhale, leaning against you, resting his forehead against your temple and simply letting your presence ease him. chakotay often doesn’t like to ask for comfort unless he really needs it. when things are too heavy and scary and the only thing that gives him the strength to keep moving is knowing he has you to fall back on.

the doctor

he does not like admitting when he needs comfort because it implies vulnerability. and vulnerability implies that something about him has failed.

so instead of asking, he performs. the doctor becomes noticeably more attentive to his duties. running extra diagnostics, triple-checking medical reports, and narrating his own efficiency aloud. like he’s trying to convince both you and himself that he’s functioning perfectly.

but it never lasts. he can act as professional as he wants, but the doctor eventually lets things slip. a self-deprecating comment or asking you a question that relates to what’s been bothering him. he’s not nearly as subtle as he thinks. when you finally pull him aside and ask if he’s okay, the doctor is only too eager to talk about it. or complain about it, at least.

and it’s your response that truly reminds him why you feel so necessary to his program. while others might brush off his feelings or roll their eyes, you take him seriously. you see through his performance. 

every time the doctor needs comfort, and you give it without being asked, it reminds him of something he still struggles to believe: that he is not loved because he is useful. he is loved because he is him.

tuvok

the only sign tuvok will ever give is when he adjusts his routine. normally, he finds you at the same time every day. he’s consistent and predictable - but when he needs extra support, he’ll never tell you outright. but he will seek you out more often. very carefully changing parts of his routine to cross paths with you. 

conversations will be longer than necessary. tuvok will choose your presence over solitude, even if he doesn’t recognize that’s what he’s doing. he allows minor inefficiencies when you’re involved - remaining seated longer than required or continuing an activity even after its purpose has been fulfilled. these deviations are significant because they are deliberate. 

physical contact, when permitted, is minimal but meaningful: your hand on his arm, his shoulder pressing against yours during meditation, allowing you to sit just a little closer than he normally would. tuvok does not verbalize the need, but he does not withdraw from the comfort once it is offered. his way of asking is simply staying. even if he should be elsewhere.

tom paris

this man can get so chatty when he’s in need of comfort and reassurance. not even flirty banter that he loves to use with you - it’s more like nervous rambling. like tom still isn’t fully used to being so intimate with someone and being able to completely lower his guard. he cracks jokes that don’t land right, then looks at you to see how you react to it. he brings up something that happened that day, pointedly circling around the thing made him feel unsteady.

tom has always been a little touchy, but when he’s quietly asking for comfort, he leans even more into physical affection. and you can really tell when he’s struggling by the tiny little changes in how he touches you. lacing your fingers together instead of just holding your hand. resting his forehead against your shoulder instead of perching his chin on it when he’s behind you. just tiny little changes. 

and when he’s finally ready to talk, he’ll ask “you busy?” instead of just inviting you over. like tom is lowkey asking permission before unloading on you. he’s never regretted asking.

b’elanna torres

her need for comfort arrives wrapped in irritation, because vulnerability feels like exposure. and exposure feels dangerous.

b’elanna gets loud. shorter tempered. everything seems to annoy her - equipment, regulations, the inefficiency of others. but none of it is the real issue. the real tell is that she comes to you while pretending she’s fine being on her own. b’elanna claims she just needs you nearby while she works. that she doesn’t want to be alone with her thoughts, even if she never says it that plainly.

when she needs comfort, she puts herself in your space without facing you - standing nearby with her back to you or leaning into your shoulder while pretending to focus on something else. eye contact is difficult in these moments, so b’elanna avoids it. but her body has always acted on instinct. and her instinct has grown to seek you out when she’s feeling unsteady.

she doesn’t always say thank you when you offer comfort. doesn’t always acknowledge it, if she’s feeling stubborn enough. but b’elanna lingers. she slows down. and it’s enough.

harry kim

overcompensating is the name of the game when harry needs some extra support. he’ll insist he’s fine if you ask him. point out how hard he’s been working like it’s proof he’s at the top of his game. but that’s exactly what tips you off. 

he smiles too quickly, speaks too brightly, volunteers for extra duties he doesn’t need. harry laughs more than usual, fills pauses with chatter, reassures you that everything is under control, even when you haven’t expressed concern. he just doesn’t let things settle the way he usually does. he’s not naturally a super high energy person - the way he keeps moving to prove he’s okay is a big warning sign in itself. 

eventually, the energy falters. harry slows down and sits with you. lets the noise fade. he still insists he’s fine, but his posture betrays him - shoulders slumped, hands clasped together, eyes unfocused. he watches you while you speak, not interrupting. like your presence alone is stabilizing him. and when you pull him into a quiet embrace, harry doesn’t hesitate. he relaxes instantly, head tipping toward you, breath evening out. 

later, he’ll thank you for “being there,” even if he never admitted why he needed you in the first place.

seven of nine

seven never asks for comfort, because asking implies uncertainty, and uncertainty still unsettles her. instead, she repositions herself in your orbit, precise and intentional. as if proximity itself is a variable she’s testing.

she’ll stop filling the silence with analysis when she needs comfort. it’s one of the few times she actually initiates some more emotional, human behavior. letting her guard down. softening her posture - standing less rigid and leaning closer to you. her gaze lingers on you longer than strictly necessary, as though seven is studying the way your presence regulates her internal state.

and surprisingly, she begins asking questions that are personal (for her) but emotionally revealing: how your day progressed, whether you found a task satisfying, whether a particular outcome disappointed you. it’s grounding in a way she can’t quite explain. just hearing your voice. being reminded that life goes on around her.

seven may never outwardly ask for comfort, but she doesn’t need to. not with you. she knows she can slow down around you whenever things feel too heavy or frightening. when she needs reassurance most, seven becomes very still.

because stillness means she has decided to stay.

neelix

the most difficult to read because he tries the hardest to hide it.

when neelix needs comfort, he becomes excessively helpful - cooking more than necessary, checking in on everyone, offering encouragement that feels slightly forced. his energy stays high, but there’s an edge to it. like he’s afraid of what will happen if he slows down.

he seeks you out constantly, though he frames it as wanting to make you smile or help you relax. neelix tells stories, jokes, fills the space with warmth. it’s his first instinct and he’s spent so many years as a lowly creature of habit. but he watches you closely the entire time. gauging your reactions. wondering how much of him you can see.

the moment you gently redirect the care back toward him - asking how he is, touching his arm, inviting him to sit instead of move - he softens. neelix lets himself rest against you, voice dropping, energy finally settling. he talks more quietly then. more honestly. stays close longer than usual.

after that, he becomes more aware of himself. switching between being overly attentive and abruptly formal. one day he fusses - hovering, running extra scans, insisting you’re given another day of rest. the next day, he’ll keep things strictly clinical. voice clipped and refusing to meet your eyes for longer than necessary.

initially, the doctor tries to bury these feelings. he convinces himself they’re a side effect of his evolving program - an error, not a truth. he’ll increase his workload or spend more time in sickbay alone or run diagnostics on his emotional subroutines late into the night.

there’s a quiet loneliness in the doctor during this time. he doesn’t resent you for the feelings - if anything, he’s grateful. but he’s painfully aware of the imbalance. you’re real in ways he still struggles to define himself as being. 

when he starts to finally embrace his feelings, it’s a subtle shift. he becomes more honest in small ways. like admitting when he’s worried about you. or when he’s missed you. he lets himself enjoy your presence without immediately analyzing it.

how they show they love you

in the beginning, the doctor feels most comfort showing his affection through… admittedly excessive medical overreach. inventing reasons to give you an extra scan or performing preventative care. he wants to make sure you’re completely healthy but ends up becoming something of a hypochondriac on your behalf. 

compliments come out wrong. instead of saying something like “you look beautiful,” you’ll get: “your complexion appears well-hydrated today.” he’s working on keeping it short and simple.

the doctor tends to overcompensate when it comes to romance. trying to replicate some grand moment he researched earlier that week when you’re having a bad day because he thinks that’s what you want or need. his first instinct is to make you feel seen and loved - he just goes a little overboard. when you tell him you only need him to sit beside you and hold your hand, he immediately complies.

over time, the doctor grows more confident with physical affection. can more accurately read when you want a kiss on the cheek before a mission, or a squeeze of your hand when you’re afraid and the doctor can’t find the words to comfort you with.

he feels ridiculous in that moment. absurd and utterly smitten. the sleeves are rolled up so they don’t cover your hands. the buttons of the collar loose so julian can see the soft skin of your neck. it hangs where he wants to touch and clings where he can’t tear his eyes from. it hits julian all at once that you chose that to wear when he wasn’t around. his smile goes soft before it goes teasing, eyes lingering just a little longer than polite before he remembers himself.

“well… i was going to ask if you’d seen my shirt, but i suppose that answers that.” it’s followed by a laugh - quiet, breathy, a little stunned. there’s a flicker of nerves beneath the charm. this feels intimate in a way he hadn’t quite prepared for. in a way julian has secretly wished he could reach with you but every time he was around you, he defaults to flirty wordplay and sly touches. but now, the air is different. softer. it makes his chest warm and his pulse pick up in a way that surprises him.

julian steps inside your quarters, giving you space but staying nearby. trying to stay polite and respectful but his hands fidget behind his back like he’s trying to keep from reaching out. you take the bait. you tease him back. slipping into the old familiar feeling of banter and blatant innuendos. you tell him he’s just worried you’re going to steal it. “borrowing. you’re borrowing it. which implies i’ll be seeing it again,” before pausing and adding, softer, “on you, i hope.”

despite himself, julian is openly flirty, but it’s gentle. more admiration than bravado. compliments slip out before he can overthink them: “breathtaking.” “you must’ve known how amazing you’d look in it.” “it suits you far more than me.”

when he’s finally had his fun, julian will leave without asking for it back. let’s you keep it, for now. framing it in such a way to make him seem so generous and affectionate. but really, a lot of it is for his own personal benefit. he knows he’ll be working in the med bay, or having dinner on the promenade, still thinking about you lounging in your quarters wrapped in something that’s his.

now, a date in the cargo bay doesn’t sound super romantic. and when you lightly tease her about it, seven gives a very good response: pointing out that the majority of your dates have been spent in your quarters. and so, with the cargo bay serving as seven’s living quarters, it made sense to have it there. it’s difficult to fault her logic. though, as soon as you point out you’d settle for a date in the jefferies tube if it meant spending time with her, it’s enough to break through that hard exterior of hers. just enough to fluster her into going off-script.

she has food prepared - something simple, nutritionally sound, and includes flavors she’s learned you like. seven confesses that the meal was perhaps the most difficult part. she doesn’t usually factor in taste or sentiment into her choice of food. but she recalls you mentioned a dish you almost exclusively ate for months in the academy and goes out of her way to try to replicate it perfectly. the grin you give her was worth discussing spices with neelix.

conversation goes about as you’d expect. as seven has taken full lead of tonight’s date, she has several topics prepared in advance. questions about your interests, your past, your motivations - but allows herself to deviate when you laugh or tease her. when you say something off-script (because you always somehow manage to catch her off balance), seven hesitates for half a second, then follows your lead instead of correcting the flow.

there will be at least one occurrence where seven bluntly asks you “are you enjoying yourself?” not trying to flirt or tease - a genuine concern. asking for an honest assessment of her efforts. and it’ll ease her nerves more than she’ll admit when you reassure her. when you tell her she doesn’t have to try so hard to make things perfect.

after that, you can tell it hit him harder than he expected. q has been worshipped, feared, hated, admired - but loved in a way that asks nothing of his power? that’s new. that’s unsettling. that’s terrifying. and intoxicating.

past the jokes, his response is… sincere? he simply looks at you like you’re the only fixed point in a universe. a constant he had no knowledge of. q doesn’t say the words right away. not strictly out of fear, but he’ll confess later that you've changed the rules for him. that loving you means choosing limitation. but he touches your face and murmurs something like, “you are far more dangerous than you realize.”

sometimes, q will naturally turn it into a game. popping in out of nowhere, lounging over your work console to demand your attention. leans it with a smile and says “you love me,” like he’s daring you to deny it. or requesting you say it again and again - but it doesn’t come from a place of doubt. it’s more like q just enjoys hearing it said out loud. letting the sentiment float around in the cosmos instead of inside your beautiful little mind.

other times, it disarms him completely. when you say it softly. casually. as naturally as you breathe. when there’s no drama or danger. when q isn’t doing something designed to impress you. when he’s bored out of his mind just sitting and talking with you but you look happy and at peace so he keeps the complaining to a minimum. those are the moments that make him go soft, like he’s realizing this is what eternity could look like.

you guys keep the whole thing lowkey as soon as it begins. day-to-day, on shift, things are like they used to be. joking around, reminding each other to finish reports, checking in after something dangerous happens. but the banter gets pretty dangerous. tom leans into it so hard. you tease him, and he acts so hurt and offended - amping the drama up to a hundred. but the way he lingers after, waiting for you to laugh? yeah, you’ve got him. he just hasn’t admitted it yet.

tom lowkey treats the whole thing like a secret mission. covertly and tactfully sneaking into your quarters late at night. coming up with believable excuses not to hang out with harry because you gave tom a look earlier than implied you’d keep your door unlocked. tom’s basically memorized your duty shifts. and yeah, the sneaking around isn’t strictly necessary. but it’s less drama. and to be honest, more fun.

“accidental” touches become a dangerous pastime. a game, almost, to see who can fluster the other more. brushing hands when you pass each other. a touch on tom’s waist when you squeeze by in the jefferies tubes. his hand caressing your knee when he leaves the table at the mess hall, too fast for harry and b’elanna to pick up. and every single time, you two share a look. eyes sharp and mischievous, a sly smirk just barely beneath the surface. both pretending the butterflies aren’t as vicious as they really are.

tom will start getting weirdly protective. volunteering to go on away missions you’re assigned to. speaking up in your defense if he feels someone is talking over you and his tone doesn’t allow for any more bullshit. even going out of his way to find you after something dangerous happened when he could’ve just called over the comms. one time, tom caught you being flirted with. he jumped right into the conversation like he’d been there the whole time. talking to you way too casually for how tight his shoulders are.

and you guys were friends before this situationship started happening, so you still have forms of stress relief outside of the bedroom. joking and laughing enough to turn heads at the mess hall. playing pool at sandrine’s. sitting together on the floor of his quarters when he's rambling about some old movie. tom lets you see the side of him that’s earnest, hopeful, and soft. no one else gets that version.

the feelings creep in silently. insidiously. before, they lurked in the very back of your mind. a quiet warning not to watch tom for too long while he’s sleeping, even if his hair is adorably messy and his face is peaceful. but they’ve slowly become more and more difficult to push down. the feelings spark uncomfortably at the weirdest times. when tom offhandedly brings up something you thought he forgot about. or when he checks in with you after duty shifts. or how proud he looks when you’ve just done something cool and smart.

and tom has an even harder time trying to cope with the feelings. he just gets so visibly, embarrassingly flustered whenever you’re genuinely sweet with him. tom’s used to smooth flirting or scathing banter with you. it’s always one or the other and he can slip back and forth as easily as breathing. but when you see through his bravado or compliment him without joking, tom straight up doesn’t know how to handle it. not when you used to fit so perfectly into the “friend i’m casually sleeping with” hole in his heart and now he’s forced to try and jam you back into it.

tom leans heavyyy into using humor to cover up his feelings. when you’re involved, he takes absolutely nothing seriously. everything he says is spoken with a grin, dripping with sarcasm, meant to drift in the air and float away without a second thought. if you tease him, it’s easier to slip back into old habits and tease you back. but if you try to be serious with him, tom makes up an excuse to leave or change topics. you know he’s deflecting. and he knows you know.

the quiet moments after hooking up with him are the most difficult. sometimes, without thinking and half-asleep, tom pulls you closer to him. sometimes you trace the freckles on his arm. sometimes you can feel him inhale against the back of your neck, like he’s working up the courage to say something, before he lets it out and subtly pulls away a couple inches. neither of you mention it during the day.

absolutely everyone can see what’s going on. it’s the price you pay for sleeping with one of the least subtle people on voyager. harry tries to be a good friend. tries to be supportive. maybe hints to tom in private that he should just go for it. b’elanna is this close to locking you two in a turbolift until something happens because she can’t take it anymore. chakotay just hopes this doesn’t affect either of your performances.

deep down, tom knows what his hang up is: he doesn’t want to ruin this. you’re one of the few people on this ship who sees tom for more than who he was. more than his mistakes and bad attitude. you’re his friend, first and foremost - tom is always going to want to protect you. even if it’s from him and his lousy decision making.

and maybe a little part of you is right to be a little afraid of being with tom. afraid of having your heart broken when this inevitably goes wrong. afraid of looking at tom and not seeing that affectionate spark he has saved specially for you. then again, he’s never given you a reason to be afraid. not one.