Delta Story
cmwende@compuserve.com
TWILIGHT IN TUSCANY NC-17
Summary: Epilogue to “Scientific Method”. Tuvok joins Janeway in
Tuscany for that promised shared glass of wine — and more!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The slight woman sat at the al fresco table outside of the inn on
the outskirts of the town of Sienna. She gazed on the rich valley
below, aglow in the colors of harvest. The figures of the
workers in the field were barely visible; their far-off outlines
were clothed in the natural colors of the Tuscany peasants, which
camouflaged them among the browns and rusts and honeys of the
ripe crops. The air was warm with the fading sun, but the early
evening crispness was starting to settle in. She pulled a
tapestry shawl over her shoulders, shielding the bare skin
exposed by the deep neckline of her dress. The firmly laced
bodice forced her body into an upright position, while pushing
her straining breasts just above the top of the dress. She
sighed, wondering if he would indeed show up. But he was her
friend, and he had said that he would join her for a glass of
wine… and he never lied.
When she had seen him earlier that day, she reminded him of his
promise of a couple of days earlier. They had overcome the
plague of mutations rendered by the aliens, and now it was time
to sit back and relax for awhile. She had actually, finally
slept… two nights, each of ten hours of glorious sleep! She was
rested, but still… something was nagging at the back of her
mind. Was she completely rid of the effects of the horrendous
spikes in her temples that so recently had tortured her? Perhaps
there was some residual effect. Talking with him would help… it
always did.
Dear Tuvok! She had forgotten what a godsend he was to her…
and had been… for over nine years. Whether it was his Vulcan
reserve or the sign of a true friend, he always seemed to
rationalize whatever action she took… even though, again so
recently, he had commented that calling her “reckless” was an
understatement! A silent grin ran across her face as she thought
back on slipping into her “Action Kate” mode on the bridge… her
action that had jeopardized all of them once again… but, how,
once again, it seemed that the gods were with them.
She heard a muffled noise and a baritone voice say, just above a
whisper, “Captain? Are you here?”
“Yes,” she called out cheerfully. “Just follow the vine covered
archway; it leads to the inn.”
His face shortly appeared, framed by the now withering leaves on
the vine. Their greenish-gold complimented the dark tones of his
skin; the angles of his face brought focus to the soft roundness
of the curved opening.
“Captain,” he said.
She arose, and walked over to him, her arms outstretched towards
him. “Tuvok… my dear friend; you came!”
“Of course. I told you that I would join you. Why do you seem
incredulous?”
She reached down and grabbed his hands, leading him towards the
table, laughing. He was surprised by the physical contact, and
instinctively jerked his arms, recoiling from the sensation of
her touch. But, he then thought better of pulling his hands free,
and
allowed her to guide him.
“Yes, I knew that you would come,” she agreed, her words
twinkling with her delight. She led him to the small table where
she had been seated.
He seated himself in a chair across from her. Her heavy goblet
was almost empty; he noticed that the bottle of deep red wine on
the table was about half gone. Was this wine real? Was this the
reason for his captain’s jovial conduct? In resent days, he had
seen sides to her that he had never thought possible.
“Tuvok, you must taste some of this wine. It is from this very
valley, although the innkeeper has told me that this particular
bottle is over ten years old. I must say… it has aged
delightfully… just like you!” she chirped, as she filled the
empty drinking vessel in front of him, and then quickly refilled
hers.
His left eyebrow raised, as if questioning both her mood and
whether he should trust the beverage, if, as it seemed, it was
*not* synthehol.
“Captain, I do believe that the wine is affecting your actions.”
“Nonsense! I’m merely relaxing after a very trying past few
weeks. And, my friend, you *did* promise to join me for a glass
of wine. Besides,” her eyes were sparkling again as she
continued, “I want to ask you more about this… reckless
behavior you accused me of exhibiting.”
“I am sure it was due to your extremely stressed condition at the
time, Captain. Many of the crew were demonstrating a high level
of aberrant behavior. In following through with your order to
speak to all department leaders regarding…” he paused
momentarily, searching for the correct word, “regarding… lax
and unprofessional conduct, I can assure you that much of what
had occurred was due to the actions of our alien visitors. I
myself may have even been under their regulation; Seven never
told me whether or not she had seen them manipulating me in any
manner.”
“Tuvok, I was out of line when I reprimanded you for not
performing your duties. You must know that… now.” Her voice
expressed a contriteness that he had seldom heard. He knew that
it was difficult for her to admit the error of her actions.
“But… here’s to… today and now.” She raised her glass; her
eyes bid him to do likewise. “And here’s to friends who remain
firm and strong over the years.”
Their glasses touched with a solid greeting sound. No weak “clink”
sounded from these glasses, but instead, a hearty bear-hug of a
noise resounded. She quickly raised her goblet and took in a large
mouthful of the deep ruby liquid, seeming to savor its flavor and
texture. He more tentatively sipped at his drink; suddenly
realizing how good it was, he, too, took a very un-Vulcanlike
amount into his mouth.
“You are correct, Captain. This is an excellent vintage,” he
said as he finished swallowing the wine. “As you know, we do not
produce much wine on Vulcan, so I tend to appreciate it on the
rare times that I do partake.”
Janeway leaned back. Her shawl slipped off, and haphazardly draped
itself over the low back of the chair. She was examining her
Vulcan friend, who, in turn, was studying the wine in his cup, and
then the bottle. He, too, had come to the holodeck program in
civilian garb. He had opted for one of his long Vulcan robes. It
was a heather grey, with designs of a deep purple swirling around
the cuffs of its long sleeves. His feet were shod with heavy
sandals. He looked… different. Almost… relaxed; almost…
expressing emotion in his eyes.
His eyes rose from his glass; he looked over at her. Just as her
thoughts were thinking about how different he looked in this time
and place, his eyebrows again raised in amazement as he looked at
his captain in a way that he had never noticed before. With the
shawl having fallen from her shoulders, he gazed at her in the
tight bodice, with a voluptuousness that he had never imagined in
her small body. She caught the thought behind his stoic eyes, and
smiled silently at herself, knowing that this sight was causing him
some discomfort.
Suddenly, she thought to herself… *he wants to touch me; why,
Tuvok, you are more human than you think…* A wicked idea came
into her head; she started to speak.
“Tuvok, do you really think that I am a reckless person, as you
stated on the bridge before we entered the binary pulsar?” Her
voice was teasing in its inquiry.
“You were doing what you deemed necessary at the time. Although
I would have preferred a more… rational approach to negotiating
with the aliens… you *are* the commanding officer. Over the
years that I have known you, one of the things I have most
admired has been your realization that emotion was not the
primary driving force in making decisions. Yet, I understand, that
in this particular predicament in which we find ourselves that
reason is not always the best…”
His words were cut short by her laughter. “Oh, Tuvok; even now
you are analyzing everything. We…” she looked at him and
winked,”…we are on vacation. Here… have some more wine.”
She drained the remains of the contents of the bottle into his
empty glass. Just as she put the exhausted container on the
table, a dark young man came by, whisked it away, and placed
another opened bottle beside her.
He once more eagerly drank from his goblet. *I really should not
be doing this. My head tells me that I am not conditioned to
imbibe in such a manner.* But the nectar-like taste was
summoning forth a sensation that he had not known for many years.
Although he was hard-pressed to allow such a feeling… he
felt… euphoric. It was difficult to remain adherent to
his discipline constantly. Why, he realized that he had even
made several flippant remarks to the Captain over the past few
days… yes, something *had* to be done about discipline,
starting with himself…
His reverie was interrupted by the feel of her fingertips
touching his. His right hand was resting flat on the table,
covering the broad base of his goblet stem. She had moved her
wine glass and hand, in its similar position, over towards his,
and her fingertips were now touching his… now, covering his…
“Captain,” his voice uttered huskily… tentatively.
“Tuvok, when we are not with the others, call me Kathryn. You
have known me for nine years… we have worked together…
closely… over much of that time… please, *Kathryn*.”
He looked into her eyes and tried to disguise the swallow. “All
right… Kathryn.”
Her fingers were locking with his, moving them away from the wine
glass. She noted that his comfort level was rapidly dissolving.
Her fingers caressed his, moving in a slow, sensual encircling
motion.
His breathing was becoming more labored. He looked up at her, a
glimpse of panic in his eyes.
“Cap… Kathryn, what are you doing?”
“I’m trying to get you to relax for awhile,” she said coyly, with
a counterfeit innocence.
His discomfort was becoming more obvious, but he made no motion
to disengage their hands. She now had maneuvered their two
adjoining hands into an upright, tent-like position. Her left
hand sought his right, and the pose was repeated. She then took
her hands and using her fingers, once more circled his closed
upright ones. She moved them back and forth, around and over,
with a most gentle touch. His eyes closed and he now was
uttering short little gasps. Just when she thought he was
oblivious to her, his eyes opened, as wide as she had ever seen
them. He swallowed.
“Kath…ryn… are you… trying… to… seduce me?”
Her look never wavered; her stroking kept its rhythm. “Do you
want me to seduce you?” she barely whispered in her throaty
voice.
“That would… not be… proper,” he uttered.
“So much is different here, Tuvok. You yourself have said that.”
“But… we are friends. I should not allow myself to think of
you as anything but… my captain and… my friend.”
“And it has been so long since either of us has been allowed…
to express ourselves… intimately. Tuvok, who better to permit
a release for… our needs? Besides, no one will know. We will
be following the very guidelines that I have laid down for Tom
and B’Elanna. This is not a public display… it’s just…
comfort and solace… between two dear friends.” She tenderly
released his hands, and placed them on the table. “I know that
as a Vulcan, pon farr is your time for mating. But… this is not
mating… and, there is a time and place in Vulcan life… for
intimate sharing… other than for the purpose of… mating.”
She once more covered his long fingers with hers. “And we *will*
be discreet. With you, how could it be anything other?”
His eyes raised from pondering of their touching hands.
“Yes, you are correct in the fact that we Vulcans do experience
times… of… need. Although there is not the complete
capitulation to the baser emotions as in pon farr, we do… derive
some… pleasure…
from… intimate… experiences.”
She continued with her… logical… explanation. “We are both
far from those whom we hold dear. I am not saying that we should
forget them, nor do I think we would dishonor them. We are
merely…” her voice fumbled for non-offensive words,
“…performing… motions… to keep us sane.”
“Ca… Kathryn, what you are proposing is not truly… right, but
it does seem to have some logic to it. And, although I do not
readily… express it, I have never been… totally immune… to
your… handsome beauty… and the finely tuned… rhythm… of
your body.”
She lifted his fingers to her lips and kissed each one… slowly,
sensually, allowing her mouth to open slightly, adding her
wine-rich moistness to their surfaces. As she completed her
self-appointed assignment, he switched the positions of their
hands and continued the motion with her fingers. His full lips
seemed to engulf her fingers; his tongue was flicking across
their tips. The roles were suddenly reversed; the seducer was
now the seduced. A chill ran through her body, as she released
that they were on the brink of a moment that could… would…
change their relationship forever. But… he was the one person
she knew that she could trust.
She pulled herself upright, breaking both their concentrations.
With a husky voice, she said, “Computer… privacy lock.” She
looked at him. His ebony eyes were reflecting her lighter ones.
“I have the holodeck for the entire day… doctor’s orders. But,
we don’t want… any visitors… do we?”
He rose, never letting go of her hands, and pulled her up. In
her flat leathers slippers, she barely reached his shoulder.
“No, we do not. Do you have a room at this inn?”
“As a matter of fact, I do. It has a broad window across the
back, where we can watch the sun sink behind the mountain.” She
pulled her right hand away from his, and linked her arm through
his. “Would you like to watch the sun set with me?”
“Yes, I would,” he said, his sonorous voice as velvet as the
approaching shadows.
They walked through the doorway into the inn. The air was heavy
with the aromas of the bubbling hunters’ stew on the hearth and
the bread which had just been removed from the brick oven. The
two traversers seemed unaware of the tempting prelude to the
evening meal, as they glided to the wooden staircase at the back
of the large common room. She led him, once more cradling his
exquisite hand in hers. At the top of the steps, she picked up a
large candlestick from among several lined up on a low chest,
awaiting similar fates from others residing at the inn. She lit
it from the tall glowing taper at the end of the chest, and
continued her trip to the room at the far end of the hall.
They stopped at the closed door, their eyes each asking the same
silent question: should we? His free hand went to the latch…
the lone object signifying their decision. With one swift motion,
he lifted the latch and broached the barrier… the door opened to
the new level of their relationship.
The low rays of the rapidly disappearing sun washed the room with
its luxurious color. Even the dark wood of the massive furniture
seemed to glow with a golden radiance. A small fireplace
glistened with the light of its freshly laid kindle. Shadows
played off of the walls… the ceiling… their faces.
He took her face between his thin, graceful hands. “Kathryn… I
do not know… how you… how we… want to… do this.”
Her expression echoed the slight embarrassment of his. “Nor I…
know what… is… right… for you.” Her slight smile contrasted
the seriousness of his appearance. “We will just have to… teach
each other… as we… go along.”
She once more took his hands in hers, gently caressing the backs
of his hands with her thumbs. He tentatively lowered his face to
hers, unsure of his actions; but she, with no hesitancy, fixed
her lips upon his uncertain ones. Suddenly, he was no longer
doubtful. His ample mouth consumed her delicate one. Vulcan
warmth flooded her as she opened her lips to his eagerness. The
residual sweetness of the wine overwhelmed her senses. Her hands
dropped his, as each of them became more attuned to the other’s
rising desires. His face remained unmoved in its expression, but
his hands… his wonderful hands… were declaring his hidden
feelings. Vulcan passion ran deep, but was ferociously strong.
His hands found the laces which tightly bound her bodice. His
long slender fingers released the tension of the closure with the
same sure effort of his technical expertise. He tore away the
constricting band of fabric, allowing her full blouse to billow
from her skirt. He quickly reached behind her and found the
single button which closed her skirt. It, too, suffered the fate
of the bodice, as it fell away from her waist. Now, the long,
flowing blouse of thin linen skimmed and silouetted her fair body
underneath. He pulled the low neckline down over her shoulders,
massaging the skin as it bared itself to him. She raised her
chin and leaned back. He sensed her want, and bent down to nuzzle
her exposed neck. His long, firm tongue stroked the fine down on
her skin, and she let out a low sigh. His hands continued their
journey of easing the blouse off her shoulders… down her
arms… allowing it to fall to the burnished tile floor under
them.
Kathryn reached up to the ties that held together his robe. She
loosened the laces and repeated his action of easing the garment
slowly down his torso. His coarser garment joined hers in a
prelude of what was to come. Only then did they step back to see
each other as they had never seen themselves before.
The well-toned body of Kathryn Janeway, descrete portions of which
the crew of Voyager had had glimpses on occasion, now displayed
itself completely to her long-time friend. His eyes methodically
scanned her
torso, and a look of satisfaction briefly surfaced on his otherwise
expressionless
face. She was a beautiful woman; he had always known this fact.
But, even his well-controlled emotions could not help but admire…
desire… the mature voluptuous form in front of him. Her
uniform hid well the full, pendulant breasts… the defined waist
above a stomach that was not quite flat, but rounded just enough
by which a man could be cushioned. Her hips flared with just the
correct angle back into curved buttocks waiting to be cupped and
held firm. A patch of soft brown hair capped the center space at
the top of her legs… legs which appeared longer now, out of the
confines of her jumpsuit. *An admirable sight, indeed…* he
thought with a satisfaction that was rapidly turning into need.
The picture that greeted her eyes was both a revelation and a
comfort. He certainly did not look like he was ninety-plus years
old,; far from it. His tall, slender frame was a model of a
disciplined male body— firm, taunt, but not overly muscular.
His mahoghony skin glowed with health… and want. The Vulcan
external anatomy was as human as she had ever seen, and she
delighted in that fact. His arms were relaxed at his sides. His
forearms were quite defined; his shoulders, though well developed,
were not overly so. His legs, however, were topped with muscular
thighs that almost seemed out of place with the rest of his
physique. Her eyes could not help but be drawn to another part of
his anatomy that matched the span of the rest of his body… long,
firm, and disciplined under his willed constraint.
Their arms once more began a joyous exploration. Hers gently
stoked the length of his ears; his, the smooth ivory of the
delicate flesh of her underarms, as she reached up. Their mutual
responses increased from soft sighs to deeper, more guttural
sounds. Once more, their lips sought those of the other, now as
thirsty for each other as they had been the wine earlier… seeking
comfort in the known… anticipating the thrill of the unknown…
willing and wanting to explore each other. The increased heat of
his Vulcan body rapidly encompassed hers; her body became sheened
with a glow of the warmth radiating from his.
Locked in their embrace, he led them to the rounded chair several
feet away. He sank into it, pulling her down on top of him. She
straddled his thighs, with his swelling insistence rising quickly
to pummel through to her now-wet opening. She raised herself,
allowing him entrance, and then slowly lowered herself on his now
fully erect member. She welcomed him as a beloved friend, clasping
him in her grasp; tightening her internal embrace of him with a
ready reception. He spread his legs, pulling her legs further
apart with them and allowing him to more completely enter into her.
Warm… hot… he was like a heated rod inside her… but
comforting, not unpleasant. Firm… long… and insistent in its
goal. His arms reached around her waist, supporting her lower
back; her hands found a secure anchor atop his shoulders.
She leaned back, readjusting the angle and touch they shared. The
new sensation brought forth a soft moan from her. Sensing her
need, he rocked them together in a slow up and down motion. Her
response was almost immediate; she felt her muscles starting to
tighten, even as she detected her wetness rising. He continued his
slow movement, never allowing her the luxury of a rapid climax. Up
and down… back and forth… raising her, raising himself…
moving her body to yet more angled positions. When he sensed she
was reaching an insurmountable peak, he arose, still with her
deeply seated on him. She wrapped her legs around his waist. He
surely, stealthily walked backwards, until his back was braced
against the stone wall of the room. He continued his support and
movement of her tensed body, exposing her to possibilities that she
had never before experienced. Finally, with a very warm gush, she
could no longer hold herself back. She leaned back with a cry, and
her liberation from all the tension of the weeks… months… found
release. She fell against his chest, whimpering a small cry of
gratitude.
He lifted her off of his still rigid member, and carried her over
to the bed, placing her on top of its thick comforter. She opened
her eyes as she felt her prone position, and looked up at him. He
was standing beside her, still with his expressionless face peering
at her. She allowed herself to move her eyes down his body, which
now was also shining with wetness from his exertion. He still stood
at full attention, ready yet again for his duty. She raised
herself on one elbow and with her other hand reached out to him,
urging him to sit on the bed beside her. He made no move to
proceed with any calming, sensitive afterplay. She once more
started caressing his fingers; he responded by returning the
deliberate, sensual movements with his hand…closing his eyes,
lost in an unknown realm of Vulcan delight.
Abruptly, his hand grasped hers, breaking the seductive stroking.
He assumed a standing position beside the bed. Her eyes looked up
at him, silently questioning him. Unspeaking, he released her hand
and reached down to her hips. He firmly grasped them, and swung
her body around, with her legs suddenly without support, but
dangling over the edge of the high bed. Without a word, he stepped
inbetween her legs, forcing them apart with his muscular thighs.
His hands gently but firmly gripped the outward curves of her hips,
as he stepped towards her. Once more, he found her welcoming
opening, and implanted himself in her. He continued his forward
movement with deliberate precision and purpose. As he finally
found the limit of her enveloping passage, he pulled back. With a
seemingly calculated exactness, he again began his sensual assault.
Slowly, with a studied awareness of what she wanted… needed…
his motions began anew. Her delicate tissues were still
reverberating from the first experience; their heightened
receptiveness grasped him tighter than before. The increased
sensation and friction brought the first sound she heard from him:
a soft “mmmm…” sound. His movements increased in their force and
speed… much more insistent than their first coupling. But, she
still felt herself outpacing him, and tried to hold back from the
tell-tale gush of her fulfillment. She found herself raising her
body to meet his thrusts, willing him to find the blessed release
that he had offered her. Her actions were to no avail; she became
lost again in his talented maneuvers.
With calculated expertise, he pulled out of her and backed away
when he heard her simultaneous cry and felt her internal climax.
As he withdrew, her rich moistness flooded the nest of hair and
started a downward journey on her legs. He reached down with his
gifted fingers and wiped the warm, thick liquid… massaging it
into her thighs and rubbing it over his fingers. He reached up to
her face, and languorously ran his now-wet fingers across her
nose… her mouth… She grabbed his assaulting hand, and quickly
took his fingers into her mouth. She lingeringly licked and sucked
them. The action solicited yet another slight moan from him; but
his face remained expressionless.
She completed her love feast, and opened her eyes to see him
staring at her… was there desire… want… what?… still in his
eyes. She saw that he remained erect and prepared. When would he
succumb to the needs she knew *he* must also feel? The question in
her thoughts was once more pushed aside, as he again was reaching
for her body… to position it yet anew. She wanted to satisfy him
as much as he had now accomplished with her. He had not allowed her
to descend from her peaks; it was as if he wanted to push her
further and further… what was coming now?
He rolled her over onto her stomach, but still on the edge of the
bed. He urged her to pull her legs up underneath her body, raising
her curved buttocks to face him. He remained in his standing
position beside the bed. His sure hands fondled her rounded flesh,
his thumbs stroking the central area separating them. He moved his
thumbs down, making more accessible her swollen, moist labia. He
gently stroked them, causing an involuntary response from her. Her
moan urged him to continue his motions. She was becoming lost in
the sensations… flooded with the feel of the stimulus and her
swirling mind. In her sated daze, she felt a coolness as he pulled
her lips to the sides… and warmth as his body once more
approached her. She somehow knew what was coming… but yet, her
body recoiled with surprise when he once more entered her. The
angle was deep… probing… invasive. His thrust was knowing and
sure… he knew now just how far he could go… to give her
pleasure without perverted pain. Again and again he thrust…
building the intensity to a crescendo level… allowing her to let
out the primal screams that were necessary. Over and over… she
thought that she had peaked, only to find him again urging her
on… again and again. She wanted to move, but he held her firm;
she wanted to pull away, but begged him for more. His efforts were
eliciting rapid breathing; he was panting now with the efforts.
Finally, with one last plunge, he allowed himself to reach past her
allowed depths. Her cry of the unexpected ravishment brought both
of them to a conclusion. His release finally came, and he quickly
withdrew and joined her on the bed. They slowly but necessarily
moved themselves into positions that allowed their now spent bodies
to lie in repose.
Vulcans do not cuddle. But, he reached for her hand beside him. He
began caressing her fingers, encircling them with his, stroking
their lengths, entwining them. They both drifted off into a
satisfied sleep, warmed by the fireplace which now blazed… and
the heat of their actions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Weak pinkish-yellow rays of an early morning sun awakened Kathryn
Janeway. She had programmed the computer to awake her this way, to
allow her time to return to her quarters long before the rest of
the ship awoke to begin the new day. She never, in her wildest
imagination, thought that she would awake to find Tuvok asleep
beside her. Sometime during the night, they had managed to get
underneath the covers… the fire in the fireplace had long since
faded. What would he think of their actions? She smiled to
herself, looking at his sleeping form. *Will he respect me in the
morning?* she thought. She realized that his eyes were opening,
and looking straight into hers.
Without a single sign of regret, he looked at her. “Good morning,
Captain. I trust that you slept well.”
“I haven’t had such a restful sleep in a long time, Tuvok.”
“I am happy for you. And, I am content to know that we have served
each others… needs. For that, I thank you, also, Cap… Kathryn.
We both should be able to function more efficiently now.”
“Tuvok, do you have any…”
“Captain, we have performed… therapeutic activities for each
other. That is all. My job is to do whatever you, as my commanding
officer, require of me. That I also received… satisfaction…
from doing what you expected… and needed… is an additional
benefit. Now, I would suggest that we return to our duties,
refreshed and recreated. Indeed, I am… content… that you
allowed me to join you… for the wine, and to share this…
pleasing location.”
She smiled at him, and one last time took his hand in hers, before
they faced the tedium of their posts again. “Tuvok, I respect your
sense of duty; but I also thank you… for being my friend, and
understanding me.” She leaned over to him, and once more tasted
and felt his warm, full lips. They both lingered with the final
touch, savoring its conclusion.
She arose and picked up their garments from the floor and handed
him his robe. Their silent gazes to each other told them that this
would be the only place any of this would be known. But…
forever, they would have Tuscany.
*********** Was it as good for you as it was for me? ************