Chapter Text
The streets were full of cars, sidewalks full of people, and it smelled of roasted nuts from a nearby food cart. Kathryn Janeway made her way through the busy city on foot, as she always did at this hour. She found herself walking at a snail's pace in the morning to get to work but her journey home was always hurried. All she wanted to do was kick off her shoes, prop up her tired feet on the ottoman and drink a steaming cup of joe. She later would have a soak in the tub to loosen her tense muscles. It was her favorite way to end a stressful day at the office.
Today felt particularly bustling, making her trek home longer than usual as she dodged in and out of others that were in the same boat as she was. Just when she spotted an exit in the crowd of people, she crashed into a man traveling the opposite direction. They both tumbled to the ground, bags and books scattering about.
“I’m so sorry!” They said simultaneously.
They immediately started to gather their belongings but their hands touched causing them to stop and look up at each other. Electric blue eyes met two orbs as black as night. For a moment they stared as if in a trance, both unsure of their next move. Suddenly, the man chuckled revealing a rare and gentle smile. Right away, Kathryn noticed the gorgeous dimples he put on display. She smiled radiantly from ear to ear. For a second, just a second , she forgot she was engaged to marry and the gold band on his finger told her that he already was. Well, who was she kidding? She had a promise ring , not an engagement ring.
“We should probably get off the ground,” he joked.
Kathryn realized they were both still kneeling on the cold, dusty cement. “Oh… right.”
He reached out his hand to offer her support to stand up. She collected her bag and took his hand. She dusted herself off as they stood there in awkward silence for a moment. He broke the silence first but her words overlapped.
“I better uh…”
“Yes… me too,”
She glanced at the books he carried: History of Modern Civilizations and Mankind.
‘Hmm, either a professor or an intellectual,” she thought.
The man smirked and had a wicked twinkle in his eye as if he had just read her thoughts.
“I’m sorry again,” he said as he turned to leave. He turned back slightly and said, “maybe I’ll bump into you again sometime.” He winked and walked off in the opposite direction of her travel.
Kathryn stood there dumbfounded for a minute as she watched him walk off into the distance. She had forgotten that there were commuters all around her, some staring at her as they tried to avoid her. She turned around and continued on her route home.
=^=
“Mmhmm, mmhmm. Yup.”
A jingling sound came from behind the entryway as Kathryn opened the door and walked into her apartment.
“Hang on a sec,” B’Elanna pulled out one of her headphones and craned her neck from her computer chair to get a better view of the person who just entered. “Hey! You’re a little later than usual.”
Kathryn hung up her bag and plopped down on the couch to remove her shoes. “It’s a long story,” she said to her roommate as she massaged her sore feet.
“Tom, I’m gonna go. Talk to you tomorrow? Ok, bye!”
B’Elanna took off her headphones and placed them on the desk then closed her laptop.
“You look confused,” she said as she walked over to join Kathryn on the couch.
“I am…” She shifted her body to face B’Elanna on the couch and rested her head on her hand, “a little.”
“Spill it.”
Kathryn snorted a laugh. Her friend was always interested in the latest gossip and drama, though you would never find her caught up in it. It was entertainment for her.
“I met a man.”
“What?! This story needs wine,” she said, rising to grab a bottle.
Kathryn stopped her, “it’s really not that interesting and I’m super exhausted. Tonight is not a wine night for me.”
B’Elanna resettled on the couch, “so, what do you mean you met a man? Who? What’s his name? Does Mark know?”
“I don’t even know his name. We bumped into each other, literally. And no, I didn’t tell Mark. There’s nothing to tell.”
B’Elanna threw her a look of disbelief. “Really?! The look on your face says otherwise. Was he handsome?”
“Very.”
“Muscular? Tan? Did he have a nice smile?”
Kathryn sighed, “All of the above. Dimples to die for.”
B’Elanna dramatically clutched her heart, “uuughhh. Did you guys talk?”
“We barely said two words to each other.”
“But?”
Kathryn smirked at her longtime friend. “But, we had a moment. It was like a scene out of a movie. Our eyes met, it seemed like time stopped… it sounds so cliché but that’s what happened.”
“So now what?”
“Nothing! I’m taken.”
“You have a promise ring. To me that’s like saying, ‘I love you but not enough to marry you.’”
“Oh come on. He’ll propose at some point…right?” Kathryn said with uncertainty.
B’Elanna gave her a look.
“What? He loves me…I…love him.”
“Mark is your safety net.”
Kathryn let out a frustrated breath. “I’m going to bed. I’m exhausted.”
“Maybe you’ll have some sweet dreams,” B’Elanna said facetiously.
“Funny,” she answered sarcastically. “Night, B’E.”
“Night!”
=^=
The apartment door closed quietly as Chakotay walked in, removing his jacket and hanging it on the hook. He put his books down on a side table.
“You’re a little later than usual,” his wife Annika said from the kitchen.
Chakotay felt nervous for a moment but then felt silly as he did nothing wrong. “Oh, I uh, ran into an old student of mine.” ‘ Why did you lie?’ A flash of blue flooded his memory for a split second. Stunning, sparkling blue eyes… that were not his wife’s. ‘Get a hold of yourself, old man.’
He walked into the kitchen where his wife was placing a plate in the microwave for him. He kissed her on the cheek, but could tell from her stiff nature that she wasn’t too happy. “I’m sorry, I’ll call next time.”
Annika sighed, “it’s ok.” She leaned against the counter and watched as her husband took a seat at the small kitchen table. “Anyone I know?”
Chakotay looked up. “Uhh… no,” he smiled, “He was a few years before you.”
He had met Annika when she took his class one spring semester. He thought she was pretty but knew she was too young for him and he could never date one of his students. She surprised him by asking him out on the last day of class. He was flattered but also felt a little nervous dating a younger woman. What would people think? Over time, he began to care less about what people thought. He felt lucky to even find someone at his age.
Now, years later, as they sat in silence in their small, lower Manhattan apartment he wasn’t sure how lucky he felt anymore.
=^=
The next day on her walk home from work, she told herself that she wasn’t going to look for the mysterious man but if she was being honest, he was all she could think about.
‘Stop being silly, Kathryn. He’s married and there was no indication that he was interested at all,’ she silently chided herself. ‘He is perfect though….Stop it! You don’t even know his…’
“Woooaaaahhh.”
Kathryn landed right in the arms of…
*~*~*~*~*