Title: Interlude
Author:Tauna (blktauna@shawstudios.com)
Series: VOY
Part: 1/?
Rating: G-13
Codes: P/K, T, J, Doc
Summary: The boys hear the clue phone ring.

Archive as you will. I'd love to know if you enjoyed it. Constructive criticism is welcome. Flames are not.

**Disclaimer**
Paramount owns Tom and Harry, I just play with them. Remember People, this is fantasy.
You should be over 18 and not offended by two boys in love to read this.

Interlude" (VOY, P/K PG-13)
by Tauna

Ensign Harry Kim sat on the beach and squinted out over the ocean. It had been a long time since his last shore leave, so he decided to take a short holodeck vacation. He had recently programmed in a beach he used to go to on Earth and he found it a relaxing place to think. He let his thoughts drift as he curled his toes into the sand. They drifted, as they had been doing recently, to thoughts of love and lust. He had been analyzing his relationships with Tal and Tom and Libby, and what he had discovered had surprised him, yet not surprised him. He had finally admitted to himself that he had physical attraction to Tom Paris. He had always thought of Tom as a friend and over time that friendship had deepened into mutual respect and caring and finally into love. He never doubted that he loved Tom, he just wasn't sure about what form that love might take. Tal had taught him that a being's physical attributes had no bearing on love. She was certainly not built like Libby and once the shock was past, he discovered how fun it was to explore a different anatomy. He had not really considered sex with Tom before that. He had thought about nothing else since.
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Harry was dozing and musing on his conclusions, when he felt his light blocked off.

"Hey!"

His eyes flew open to a large mass that could only be Tom Paris, standing over him.

"Tom, you may be a pain, but you aren't made of glass... Don't privacy locks mean anything to you?"

"Hey Har, good one! You're getting the hang of that 20th Century vernacular!" He squinted at Harry slightly, "Privacy? Why do _you_ need privacy?"

"Well, Tom, you never know. I could have someone in here with me, or I could be dancing around naked or something."

Tom snorted, "Yeah, right. Dancing around naked, huh... That would be something..." There was a slightly uncomfortable silence. "So, how's the water?"

He dropped his stuff in the sand next to Harry and proceeded to strip off his shirt and trousers. Harry felt his eyes go big and the back of his neck go hot. He shook certain intruding thoughts from his head.

"This is a new program, but it should be good. I modeled it after a Tahitian beach on Earth."

"Great!"

Tom tossed his shoes aside and ran crashing into the waves. Harry smiled as he watched his friend cut through the surf.

*Why me...* Harry sighed to himself.

He roused himself up from the sand and followed Tom into the aqua waves.
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Despite the safeties, the wave crashed down upon them unexpectedly. Tom's feet were washed out from under him sweeping him into Harry. They both floundered, flailing around in the strong rush of water.

They rolled against one another, clutching and grasping for air and support. They washed up on the beach, wrapped around one another. Harry found his arms around Tom's waist. Tom found his hands clutching Harry's shoulders. Their legs were still entwined, their hips and torsos shoved together. Their noses almost touched. They looked into each other eyes. Both sets of lips were parted and expectant. Tom leaned in for a kiss. He caught himself, and then blinked.

"Are we doing what I think we are?" he didn't sound unsure about it at all.

"Yep"

"Oh..." Tom leaned back, head in the sand. "You know Har, I never actually expected to have this conversation. Why the change in attitude?"

Harry sat up on his elbows and looked over at his friend. "Well, I didn't really catch on to you until Tal."

Tom's nose involuntarily wrinkled at the mention of her name. Harry smiled.

"See. I mention her name and you get hostile."

"I do NOT get hostile!" Tom's voice rose a few decibels.

"Ok, yelling isn't hostile. Tom, I thought you were being protective of me but you weren't. You winced every time I talked about her, you vanished when I asked for help in meeting with her, you practically cheered when she decided to go off exploring with her friends instead of staying here. Face it Tom, you were jealous."

Tom lay back and grumbled. He stared off into the sky.

"So then I wondered why you were jealous. You had your pick of anyone on this ship. You have B'Elanna. Why did you want to grudge me some happiness? Then it slowly dawned on me."

"Ok, ok. I was jealous. Happy now?" Tom flushed slightly. He continued to stare at the clouds.

"Tom, I would have thought you were the last person in the galaxy that would have difficulty admitting attraction. You were always eager enough to tell me who caught your attention in the past. Was it just because it was me this time?"

"Yes."

Harry squirmed in the sand for a moment. "Why? You know that I love you. I thought we could talk about anything."

Tom cocked his head. He gave Harry a knowing look. "Har... Don't play dumb. I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about this before, but I never thought you'd be interested in or prepared for a change in our relationship. When we met you were a green kid. I didn't want to hurt you or scare you."

Harry smiled. "True I was green then, but how could you have mistaken my feelings after Akritiria? I just thought you weren't interested in me. Well, I'm glad I figured everything out because you were wrong. I do want to be more than friends. So, what are we going do about it?"

"You seem to have worked out something. What do you suggest?" A smile of hope flickered over Tom's lips.

"Mmm, well I've figured out a couple of cases..."

"Oh" one of Tom's neat blond eyebrows rose, "How about this case?"

Tom rolled upright, pushing Harry off his elbows and back into the sand. His mouth pinned Harry's mouth, as his weight pinned Harry's struggling body. The electricity between them should have short-circuited the holodeck, but suddenly Tom found himself flat on his back in the sand. A furious, red-faced Harry leapt up and stood over him.

"Don't fuck with me Tom. I don't deserve it and B'Elanna doesn't either."

Before Tom could say anything else Harry turned and fled, calling out "end program!".
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"C'mon Har. I'm sorry."

Tom had trapped him in his own doorway. They both stood, dripping and staring at one another. The last thing Harry wanted was for some other crew member to spot them in the corridor. He stepped aside and let Tom in.

"Har, Look I'm really sorry. I didn't mean for it to happen like that."

He reached forward to grab Harry's shoulder, but thought better of it. He tried to cover by turning around and making his way over to the couch. Harry saw the aborted move. Tom sat, not in his usual way, but stiffly. Harry perched on the chair across from him, his posture equally nervous.

"I know you didn't, but you startled me."

Tom leaned forward. Out of habit, he reached for Harry's knee. They both looked down at his hand, then at each other. Harry felt himself go hot under Tom's gaze. Tom's hand slid up Harry's leg to rest lightly on his thigh. It was still cool from the water.

"I thought you said that you'd worked out some scenarios in your head." There was the smallest glint of evil in Tom's eyes.

"I did!" Harry insisted, "To be truthful, I did think of that scenario and that was not what I had planned to do."

Tom leaned farther forward. Harry leaned towards him. Again their lips were very close.

"What _did_ you plan to do?" Tom's voice was a whisper.

Harry felt his pulse pounding in his neck. He caught himself right before he kissed Tom. He pushed himself back into the chair.

"Don't play with me Tom!" he sat back, nearly panting.

"Damit Harry! Look at me. I'm not playing!"

They looked into each other's eyes and they both knew it was true. Tom moved forward until he had surrounded Harry in his chair. Harry turned his head, trying not to look at Tom. Tom grabbed his chin. He forced them face to face.

"Harry, I've tried to ignore my feelings for you, but as time went on it just got harder and harder. Tal was one of the last straws. I was terrified I'd lose you. I'm between a rock and a hard place here Har. Help me out, Huh?" The intensity of Tom's voice sent shivers through Harry.

Tom's thumb caressed Harry's chin. His fingers toyed with the sensitive area behind Harry's ear. Both their breathing grew heavy. Harry licked his lips. He couldn't decide which was larger, the lump in his throat or the one in his pants. Tom's blue gaze bored into him.

"No Tom. If you're willing to cheat on her, you'd be willing to cheat on me too."

"I'm not asking for that. I'm asking for an answer."

Tom's lips took possession of Harry's. Harry gave in and took Tom into his arms. They kissed as if it would be the only time that they ever could. They squirmed against each other. Tom's thumb ran lightly over one of his nipples. Harry clutched him tightly and moaned. He had to stop things now.

"Tom, stop... please" he whispered hoarsely. "you have your answer now..."

Tom kissed Harry on the forehead as he got up from the chair.

"Now I need to decide what to do."

Their fingers touched for a moment, before Tom turned and left.
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"Harry, I need to talk to you."

Harry looked up from his plate to see B'Elanna approaching. She pulled out the chair across from him and sat down. She did not look pleased.

"Harry, I need to talk to you about Tom."

A cold lump formed in the pit of his stomach.

"I think there's someone else, but I'm not sure."

"What makes you think that?" Harry hoped his voice wouldn't crack.

"He's becoming even more distant than he has been. I'm just as guilty, I spend more time than I should in Engineering, but he seemed ok with that before. He'd just be with you then." She grinned and whacked him lightly on the arm, "But he just seems to be drawing away. I love him Harry and I don't want anything to be wrong."

Harry tried to avoid her eyes.

"I don't know what to do. I asked him flat out if there was someone else, and he artfully avoided answering me." her voice was pleading, "If he were cheating you'd know. You have to tell me Harry."

The distress in her voice forced Harry to face her. His eyes finally met hers. He was moved by the pain and concern he saw there. He also knew that she could see the guilt on his own face.

"No, he's not cheating on you. I guarantee you that. I wish I could tell you more, but that's not up to me. He has to tell you himself."

B'Elanna stared at him. Rage, panic and despair roiled across her face. Her fists wound themselves into tight balls. Harry saw her use every ounce of her self control to keep from exploding. "Its you..." she hissed.

"B'Elanna..."

"Its you! He's always with you. He only worries about you. He's always on shore leave with you." she growled as the realization came over her.

Harry was sure that his panic showed clearly on his face. B'Elanna continued to glare at him.

"Harry, Dammit, how could you!" She slammed her fists on the table.

"It's not like that... Really." Harry put distance between himself and the smoldering B'Elanna.

"What _is_ it like Starfleet?" she growled.

"B'Elanna... Nothing is going on."

"Why don't I believe you, Harry?"

"We just realized..." He bit his lip.

"Realized what?!" Her nostrils were almost flat. "Realized that Tom's been after you?"

Harry was gripped with fear. She really knew what was going on. "B'Elanna, calm down. He belongs to you. I know you love him..."

"You are very clear about me loving him but you didn't say that he loves me!" She got up and began closing in on Harry from her side of the table. Harry scrambled backwards out of her reach.

"B'Elanna, I can't speak for him. Only he can do that. I know he cares for you very much and..."

"But he _loves_ you!" she snarled.

Harry ran from the galley as she hurled a table into the bulkhead.
----------------------------

"Paris! Where are you!"

She exploded in on Tom as he was watching a holovid. He looked shocked and justifiably afraid as she bore down on him.

"B'Elanna, Whoa!" He cried as she yanked him up from the floor.

"You PIG!" She yelled as she shook him like a rag doll.

"What!? What!?" he gasped between shakes.

"Don't try to play games with me Paris. I know what's going on now."

His eyes grew wide.

"You've been increasingly cold to me. Is that because you've been increasingly warm to Harry?" she shook him hard again, "I _trusted_ you Tom. I love you. I knew I should never have said that! You never did answer me. Oh yeah you kissed me once to get me to stop asking you, but you never said that you loved me! You don't do you?"

"B'Elanna, I care for you very much..."

"DO YOU?" she demanded.

They locked eyes for a moment. It seemed to be the first time they had actually looked at one another for a long time. She slowly released her hold on him. She did not let her eyes leave his. His head dropped and he stepped away from her, his guilt apparent.

"You don't love me." she nearly spat at him, "So when did you plan on telling me? or did you? or did you plan on continuing to use me?"

"I never used you!" Tom shouted, a little too loudly.

"Bullshit Paris."

"B'Elanna, I'm sorry. I really don't mean to hurt you. You are very important to me. It's just that events have finally caught up with me. For Pete's sake B'Elanna, you figured it out. I just had to admit it to myself. I love him, B'Elanna. I really do. I'm sorry that I had to hurt you to find that out."

She stared at him in a cold fury. She leaned in and threw a right cross that came from her heels. Tom landed with a thud. She snorted, brushed off her uniform, called for the doctor, then for security.
---------------------------------

"Mr. Paris' jaw was broken but I have managed to salvage his vaunted good looks."

The Captain suppressed a grin. "Good Doctor. When can I speak to him?"

"Now if you like. He's perfectly fine."

The Doctor retreated to his office, leaving Janeway and Paris essentially alone. She looked at him with concern.

"Tom, how are you?" she said softly.

He was perched on the edge on a biobed, massaging his jaw. He smiled weakly, not even trying to show bravado.

"OK I guess. Good thing she wasn't really pissed off or my head would have been out the porthole. How is she?"

"She's fine, Tom, but I'm more concerned with the situation."

"What situation?"

"Tom, everyone knows what is going on. Or at least thinks they do. What happened? Specifically."

Tom's eyes narrowed and his face gained a high color. "She busted into my quarters and started throttling me."

Janeway crossed her arms and fixed him with a glare. She simply waited for the truth to come flowing out. Tom proved stubborn, sitting and staring back at her. The impasse was disturbed by a dark haired figure running through the sickbay door.

"Doc!! Is Tom ok!?" Harry's voice trailed off as he took in a red faced Tom and a bemused Captain Janeway.

Even if his face had not, Tom's body gave away the situation. He leaned towards Harry extending a hand for him. He looked at Harry intently, with a smile growing across his lips. Harry regarded the two of them, wavering. He could not decide if he should go to Tom's side or maintain Correct Starfleet Decorum. Tom motioned for Harry to come over. The Captain nodded. Harry ran to the edge of the bed. Tom draped one arm over Harry's shoulder, gripping it lightly.

"Ok Captain. You wanted to know, here it is." he took a deep breath before continuing, "B'Elanna confronted me about my relationship with Harry."

Janeway's brow arched. Tom let spill the entire story of Harry, B'Elanna and himself. She listened carefully, no movement betrayed her emotions. When Tom finished, she let out a long held breath.

"Well, That's some tale. Look, Tom, I have no business interfering with the three of you, but I will if I have to. What I will say is that I do not want any more outbursts like this. I will be talking to B'Elanna as well. You three have to solve this and the rest of us don't particularly want to know about it."

Tom and Harry nodded as Janeway turned to leave.

"Captain?" They chimed in unison, "What's happening to B'Elanna?" Tom finished.

"She's got brig time ahead of her but she and Chakotay are talking things out. I suggest you do the same." She fixed them both with on of her fearsome Captain gazes, then turned and left.

Harry let out his own breath after she was gone. He quickly turned his attention to Tom.

"How are you? Does it hurt?"

His fingers trailed lightly over Tom's newly healed jaw. Tom smiled. He grabbed Harry by the waist and pulled him in close.

"Nah. Nothing you can't fix."

He ran a finger lightly over Harry's lips. Harry moaned. Tom shivered as he kissed Harry, hard. They melted onto one another in abandon. Their hands roamed, exploring. Nothing else existed for them until an aggravated "harumph" finally pierced their fog.

"Gentlemen, this is a sickbay, not a seraglio. Please take this elsewhere."

Both men blinked at him for a second. They both broke into laughter.

"No problem Doc. No problem!" said Tom. He looked at Harry with wicked intent, "C'mon Har. Let's get outta here."
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I want the Text Version