Lieutenant Tom Paris glanced down at his console and was glad that the shift was over in 10 minutes. It had been another boring day in the Delta quadrant. He didn't mind the fact that they were not being attacked, but he wished that something would happen. It had been two weeks since the last mildly exciting thing happened and that was only a very small asteroid field that they had gone through. Apart from that, Tom had had very little to do to keep Voyager on the track for home. He was glad when his replacement arrived at the conn to take over for him. He reached the turbolift just as Harry Kim did and they rode down together.
"Meet you in the mess hall later?" asked Tom.
"Yeah... I am out of replicator credits for this week. I have to go to the mess hall whether I like it or not!"
"Well I can almost guarantee that you won't like it... unless of course Neelix has run out of Leola root."
"Somehow I doubt that. No matter how short we get of everything else, he *never* runs out of that foul stuff."
"Yeah every rotten planet in this quadrant seems to grow it. If we ever encounter a planet that doesn't have Leola root growing wild, then I will definitely push Captain Janeway to stay there for a while."
"We've managed to get out Kazon territory and Vidiian territory, but we just can't seem to get out of Leola root territory."
"Well we can always hope that we will, but the real problem is that without Leola root, Neelix may find something even worse!!!"
They both blanched at that thought and went to their quarters to rest before dinner.

They met again later when Harry came past Tom's quarters to pick him up for dinner. They shared an easy conversation while walking to the mess hall to meet B'Elanna. The three of them had become very good friends during their time in the Delta Quadrant. They spent a lot of time together, and knew that if one had a problem, the others would do everything they could to help. The rest of the crew even jokingly referred to them as "The Triplets"!

After a dinner that was mildly edible, they all trooped off to Sandrine's. A game of pool was just finishing when they arrived and they grabbed the table before anyone else could claim it. The spent their games talking and ribbing each other. B'Elanna and Tom spent a lot of the time trying to make Harry blush -- a feat which they managed to do on several occasions. One time after they had succeeded in making him blush, a stray thought popped into Tom's head. _Oh boy....Harry looks so kissable when he blushes!_ As soon as that thought popped in, Tom dismissed it before he could analyse what he had thought. They continued playing and Tom spent a lot of time unconsciously watching Harry. In a small part of his brain that he was not aware of, Harry's attractiveness was not going unnoticed. When Harry bent across the table to play a shot, that part of Tom's brain almost took over and for moment he was tempted to pinch Harry's arse. Of course he stomped that thought back down again and promptly forgot it was ever there.

After they had finished playing pool, the three of them sat at one of the tables with their drinks. The easy conversation continued until a young ensign, currently from Stellar Cartography, came over to talk to Harry. Ensign Suzie Denola was the same age as Harry and this was also her first mission. Just recently they had worked together on an away mission and as a result they had become pretty good friends. Harry turned away from Tom and B'Elanna to talk to Suzie. Tom continued to talk to B'Elanna, but was also keeping an eye on Harry. He realised that Harry was flirting with her and he suddenly felt really uncomfortable but didn't know why. _I should be happy for Harry_ thought Tom. Suddenly Tom just felt the need to get out of Sandrine's, so he made his excuses and practically bolted from the holodeck. Harry was still flirting and hadn't noticed Tom's strange behaviour, but B'Elanna had and wasn't sure what was going on. She *would* find out though!

Tom hid away in his quarters and wondered why he had felt that way when he saw Harry and Suzie together. _Maybe I am just worried about losing my best friend... Yeah... that's probably it._ thought Tom, but he wasn't really convinced. He was still worrying about it when he finally fell asleep.

The next morning Tom had almost forgotten his uneasiness of the previous evening and made his way to the Mess Hall for breakfast. Harry wasn't there when he arrived so he grabbed his meal and sat at "their" table. He was halfway through his meal when Harry walked through the door holding hands with Suzie. Tom felt his stomach drop at that sight. Harry looked around the room and when he saw Tom he smiled, then turned to Suzie, whispered something in her ear and then kissed her briefly. Tom felt a wave of jealousy flow through him, but still did not recognise it for what it was. When Harry started to come over, Tom started clearing up his plates and flicked through his mind for an excuse to leave. He stood up just as Harry reached the table. "Sorry Harry, but I have some work to do on a holoprogram before shift starts. You can have breakfast with Ensign Denola today." Tom added the last part with a sly wink at Harry. He watched as Harry blushed and then bolted for the door. "See you on the bridge!" Tom flung over his shoulder as he left. Because he was not looking at Harry, he didn't see the disappointment on Harry's face as he left.

Outside in the corridor, Tom thought back to when Suzie and Harry had walked in together and he felt the same emotion as before. This time though he recognised the feeling as jealousy. _What am I jealous of? It can't be about Suzie as I barely know her and am not interested in her... Maybe it is because Harry has someone and I don't._ He didn't quite believe that that was the problem, but he forced himself to accept that explanation. He didn't want to search too deeply as he wasn't sure that he could handle the truth. Once he reached his quarters he tried to do some work on a holoprogram so as to have not lied to Harry. When it was time to go on duty though, he had done very little. He just couldn't concentrate. All he could think about was Harry kissing Suzie and how that had made him feel.

During his shift he couldn't concentrate fully as he was very aware of the fact that Harry was standing behind him. He could feel Harry casting puzzled glances at him occasionally and it took all of his energy to act normally and not keep turning around. finally just when he thought he was about to scream, his replacement arrived. He rushed off the bridge hoping that he could avoid Harry, but Harry stepped into the turbolift directly behind him.
"You going to Sandrine's tonight Tom?" asked Harry.
"No... I am going to a bit more work on that holoprogram and then I am going to get an early night. I am really tired today." The lie slipped easily out of his mouth.
"Yeah... You look tired..." answered Harry truthfully.
"Gee... You're not very good for my ego!" retorted Tom sarcastically. Harry just laughed and when the turbolift stopped, he stepped out and headed for the mess hall while Tom continued on to his quarters. Once he arrived in his quarters, he set the highest level lock on the door so that he wouldn't be disturbed. He sat in front of his computer terminal and tried to think about something other than Harry and Suzie. He failed!

Finally he decided to write out a list of qualities that he was looking for in a partner. Maybe if he wrote them down, he would be able to find someone aboard Voyager who matched them and then maybe seeing Harry and Suzie together wouldn't feel so strange. He set up the computer and started to write:-

1. Honest and Trustworthy
2. Intelligent
3. Easy to talk to
4. Not self-centred
5. Caring
6. Have some similar interests
7. Enthusiastic
8. Cheerful
9. Faithful
10. Physically Attractive
11. Won't try to force me to be something I'm not
12. Accept me unconditionally
13. Won't be swayed by others' opinions
14. Brings out my best
15. We can be best friends

Tom looked at the list he had created and grimaced as he realised he had very high standards. He didn't know why he was doing this. Even if he did manage to find someone who matched this list, they wouldn't want him. Not Tom "Fuck-up" Paris! It wasn't until he had gone through most of the population of Voyager that he realised that there was one person who fit everything on the list. He realised that he had been unconsciously describing Harry Kim! _Why Harry?_ he thought to himself. _Maybe because he is the first person to trust me and believe in me._ Harry had proven his friendship over and over again. The most recent example of this was during their stay in the Akritarian Prison. When Tom had been stabbed he asked Harry to leave him but Harry refused. He remembered lying on the floor and Harry yelling out to everyone "This man is my friend. No-one touches him!" Those few words meant more to Tom than anything else. All of a sudden the truth dawned on him. If he hadn't been sitting down, he might have fallen over at the thought. He now knew why he was feeling jealous of Harry and Suzie. It *was* because Harry had found someone... and that that someone wasn't him! He finally realised that he was in love with Harry and probably had been for a long time. _Oh hell... How am I ever going to be around Harry if he stays with Suzie?_

That night the dreams started. Tom's mind was filled with images of Harry. He dreamed of touching him, kissing him and making love to him. He woke in the morning painfully hard and knew that it was going to be very hard to face Harry again.

Over the next two weeks, Tom avoided Harry as much as possible. When he did see him, he made sure that it was somewhere where there were lots of people so that he wouldn't blurt out the truth to him. He felt awful not being able to hang around with Harry and missed him dreadfully, but the jealousy was getting worse. He knew that Harry was also upset about the breakdown of their friendship and that he wanted to know why. Tom knew he would never be able to tell Harry though. B'Elanna hadn't said anything to Tom just yet, but he knew it was just a matter of time before she demanded an explanation.

Tom's time ran out that night at dinner. The minute he set foot in the mess hall, B'Elanna cornered him. She refused to leave him alone and tried to get him to talk.
"Tom... You are not getting rid of me until you tell me what the hell is going on!"
"*Nothing* is going on."
"Oh bullshit! You have been avoiding Harry ever since he started going out with Suzie! Don't you realise that Harry is really hurt by your behaviour?"
"Yeah I know... It isn't easy for me either."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Nothing."
"You are not getting out of it that easy. Come on... Spill!"
"I'd rather not talk here." answered Tom.
"Well... Where then? ... My quarters?"
"Yeah that would be fine I suppose."
"Come on then." B'Elanna pulled Tom after her as they left the mess hall.

She waited until they were inside her quarters before she restarted the interrogation.
"OK... No-one can hear you so spill it now!" B'Elanna ordered.
"I really don't want to talk about it."
"I don't care... Harry is really upset and I want to know why you are doing it to him."
"Look I have my reasons, but I can't tell you... It's personal."
"*Tom*!" B'Elanna was starting to get exasperated now. "You have been ignoring Harry ever since he started going out with Suzie. Can't you just be happy for him?"
"I *do* want him to be happy B'Elanna... but I just *can't* be around him any more!"
"You selfish bastard!... Just because he has found someone and you haven't, you are taking it out on Harry! I *thought* you cared about him!" B'Elanna was really enraged now and was practically yelling at Tom.
"That is *not* what is going on!" Tom yelled back. B'Elanna had managed to hit a sore spot on Tom and he could feel all of the pain and the hopelessness building within him. He looked away from her and in a very small voice he said "I *do* care B'Elanna! More than he will *ever* know!" the pain was so very evident in his voice that B'Elanna looked at him in shock. Tom could almost hear the gears clicking into place as she figured out the problem. When she next spoke her voice held no anger, just understanding and compassion.
"You're in love with him aren't you?" B'Elanna questioned gently.
"Yes..." Tom felt as though that confession had been ripped from his soul.
"Why don't you tell Harry this?"
"*NO*!" Tom suddenly looked panicked. "And don't you dare say a word to him either! I don't want him to know."
"Why not?"
"Because I couldn't handle the rejection that I would get." Tom almost whispered.
"How do you know that he would reject you?"
"Well for starters, he has a girlfriend, and secondly, why would *he* want a fuck-up like me? He is far too good for me B'Elanna." The raw pain evident in his voice made B'Elanna feel like mothering Tom. She had a strong urge to hold him in her arms and rock him gently while telling him that everything was going to be all right. She didn't do that though. Instead she sat next to Tom and put her hand on his shoulder.
"So the reason that you can't be around him is...?" B'Elanna prompted.
"Because it hurts too much to see him with Suzie. I want him to be happy B'Elanna, I really do... but I want it to be *me* that makes him happy."
"I still think you should tell him."
"No... and promise me that you won't do it either B'Elanna."
"But Tom..."
"*Promise*!" stressed Tom.
"OK... I promise... But I still think you should tell him. By the way Tom, why didn't this affect you before?" Asked B'Elanna gently.
"Because it wasn't until he started going out with Suzie that I even realised. That is what made me realise that I have always loved him."

They both sat together in silence after this statement and B'Elanna couldn't help thinking _Poor Tom!_

While Tom was pouring out his heart to B'Elanna, Harry was spending time with Suzie. He was upset about losing Tom's friendship and it was affecting his current relationship. Harry had mentioned this many times to Suzie over the last two weeks, and she was starting to be annoyed by all of the time Harry spent thinking about Tom and not her. They were in the holodeck and Harry was again bemoaning his loss.

"Suzie... What am I going to do? I miss my best friend." Harry asked miserably. When Suzie heard this *again*, something inside of her just snapped. She just couldn't take it any longer!
"Harry! I really don't care about Tom! I don't even like the man. We are supposed to be spending time *together* but all you ever do is moan about Tom! Maybe you should go out with *him*," she practically spit out that word and then continued, "As it is pretty obvious that you don't love me! How could you? You're already in love... *with him*!" As soon as she had made her statement, she stormed out of the holodeck leaving Harry sitting there shocked.

He decided to leave the holodeck and go back to his quarters to think. He turned off the program and managed to distract himself long enough to make it back to the privacy of his quarters. Once he was safely inside he sat down to think about what Suzie had said. She had said that he loved Tom. Well Tom was his best friend, so of course he loved him, but he wasn't *in* love with him... was he? Harry was confused and decided to get out his Clarinet. Sometimes when he was upset and confused, playing could actually help. He started his practice with some scales, long notes and some fingering exercises. Then he started to play. The music he played was able to describe exactly how Harry thought better than any words could have. The most prominent feature of the music was how sad the melody was. All of the sadness, hurt and confusion came flowing out. Even as he was playing, he felt a fresh wave of sadness flow through him due to the fact that Tom wasn't there listening. Nearly always when he had played before, Tom had been there. He usually stretched out on the lounge and read while Harry played. He never said anything, but Harry always knew that he appreciated it as much as Harry enjoyed playing for him. If he was troubled, Tom would hear it in the music and after Harry had finished he would talk to him about the problem. _I wish Tom would come back... I miss him terribly._

B'Elanna was walking past Harry's quarters when she heard the music he was playing. She immediately stopped and listened for a while. The music was so sad that she felt her heart going out to Harry. She thought about going in to talk to him, but decided not to. If she went in now, she would tell Harry everything and Tom had made her promise not to. She really hated to keep secrets, especially when her two best friends were hurting so much. She forced herself to move on before she did anything she would regret.

After Harry was finished he lovingly cleaned his Clarinet and put it away in it's case. He felt a little bit better after playing, but he was still miserable. He was still confused and wasn't sure how he felt about Suzie's statement that he was in love with Tom. Every time he thought about it he just got more and more confused. _Maybe things will seem better in the morning._ thought Harry as he decided to try and get some sleep.

The next morning when B'Elanna got to the mess hall, she found a bleary-eyed Tom just finishing his breakfast. She got her food and sat down.
"I gather you didn't sleep too well last night?"
"No." answered Tom. "Every time I tried to sleep, I dreamt of *him*." Tom's voice sounded really tortured.
"I still think you should tell him."
"*No*!" Tom looked up at the door and suddenly jumped to his feet, "Gotta go... See you B'Elanna," and bolted out of the door. B'Elanna turned to see Harry walking in. She watched as Harry saw Tom leaving. The misery showing in his eyes was incredible. B'Elanna knew that he was hurting over the breakdown of his friendship, but she had no idea yet of his break-up with Suzie. She watched as he got his breakfast and came over to sit with her.

"How are you this morning Harry?" B'Elanna prodded.
"I'm fine." Answered Harry unconvincingly.
"Yeah sure... You are not a very good liar Harry. Come on... what's wrong?" B'Elanna looked genuinely concerned and so Harry decided to tell her half of the truth.
"Suzie and I broke up last night." Harry looked down at his food glumly.
"Oh I am sorry Harry. What happened? I thought you two were fine."
"No... We've had problems all along. I didn't pay her enough attention... and she couldn't understand why I am so upset over losing my best friend. I was crying on her shoulder last night and she just blew up at me, told me it was over and stormed out!" Harry sounded more angry now.
"How about you come around to my place tonight and talk about it?"
"Are you sure you don't mind B'Elanna?" asked Harry.
"I'm sure Harry. You are my friend and I hate to see my friends hurting."
"Thanks B'Elanna. I really appreciate this."
"Well I'm off to Engineering... see you at 17:00!"
"Yeah see you." He watched her walk off and then realised that he should get to the bridge.

Captain Janeway sat on the bridge and was staring to get really worried. She had hoped that Tom and Harry would have fixed whatever was affecting their friendship by now, but if anything, it was worse than ever. The tension on the bridge today was very thick, and there was none of the usual chatter from the Conn. In fact Tom looked downright awful. Harry didn't look much better either. She was very seriously considering locking them somewhere and not letting them out until they had worked it out. She felt very motherly towards these two and just wished for their happiness. Harry was just so young and innocent that she couldn't help mothering him. Tom, on the other hand, had not had a lot of love in his life and she mothered him because she knew he *needed* it. Ever since he had come aboard Voyager he had changed from a sullen, insolent man into a fine Starfleet Officer. This was because of the trust and confidence she had shown in his abilities and in him as a person. If he had been given that sort of encouragement as a boy, then he probably wouldn't have gone through all that he did. _Maybe I should have a talk with B'Elanna and see if there is anything I can do. This is starting to affect their bridge performance and I can't have that!_

Harry sighed with relief as he made his way to B'Elanna's Quarters. Today's shift had felt like it dragged on forever. He was constantly aware of Tom and the silence on the bridge was really unbearable. Tom had looked terrible today. Harry just wanted to know what he had done wrong. What had he done to ruin this friendship? He even missed Tom bursting into his quarters late at night to drag him off on some hair-brained scheme! He felt another wave of sadness flow through him at this thought and was glad when he reached B'Elanna's door. He really needed to talk to someone about this. _Maybe B'Elanna can help me find a solution._ He rang the buzzer and entered when the door opened.

"Hi Harry. Come and sit down. Do you want a drink?"
"Umm... yeah... fruit juice." He sat down and accepted the drink from B'Elanna when she brought it over. He sat there and slowly sipped the drink in silence for a moment before B'Elanna started the discussion.
"So what happened Harry?"
"I told you this morning B'Elanna."
"I want you to tell me again and this time in detail." she ordered gently.

Harry explained in detail all that had happened in the last two weeks. He explained how upset he was over losing Tom and how he had tried to get Suzie to understand. He then told B'Elanna in detail about what had happened last night when Suzie broke up with him. He even told her what she had said about loving Tom, even though he went red when he said it.
"Are you upset about breaking up with Suzie?" B'Elanna asked gently.
Harry thought for a moment and then shook his head. "Not really."
"Why not?"
"Because I can only be upset by so much at once! I was already upset about Tom, so this didn't really hurt. I am more annoyed at her than hurt."
"Why annoyed?"
"Because she couldn't understand how much his friendship means to me! She always glossed over my feelings, but expected me to be sympathetic to hers. I am annoyed at her double standards. But what annoyed me the most was that she said she didn't even like him without ever spending any time getting to know him! The tone of her voice when she said it was so hateful, that I see red even now when I think about it."
"Well... I didn't realise that she was like that... I thought that she was a nice person. I must admit that Tom does take some getting used to though!" B'Elanna grinned at that last statement and watched as Harry tried to return the grin weakly.
"I just want to know what I have done wrong!" moaned Harry.
"What do you mean?"
"What did I do wrong to make Tom go away! If I knew what I did wrong, maybe I could try to put it right. I really miss him B'Elanna!" Harry looked so miserable and B'Elanna felt here heart going out to him. She *knew* that it wasn't his fault, but she also knew that he might not be able to "fix" it.
"What am I going to do B'Elanna?" Harry asked mournfully, and the tears that had been forming finally broke free. He started sobbing uncontrollably and B'Elanna moved over to him and held him while he cried. She so desperately wanted to tell him that it wasn't his fault, but she had promised Tom. Instead she just held him until he had cried himself out. They both sat together silently for a while. Eventually Harry decided that he would do some clarinet practice and then try to get some sleep. He said goodbye to B'Elanna and headed back to his own quarters. He had decided to eat in his own quarters tonight so that he wouldn't have to bump into Tom.

After Harry left, B'Elanna decided that she had to talk to Tom again.
"Computer locate Lt Paris."
"Lt Paris is in his quarters."
As soon as she had heard that she left her quarters and marched determinedly to speak with Tom. She was going to *make* him talk to Harry, even if it was the last thing she ever did!

Tom was sitting in his quarters trying to occupy himself with some programming, but it wasn't working. All he could think about was Harry. He had heard during lunch today that Harry and Suzie had broken up, and he couldn't help feeling relieved at that news. At the same time, he was angry at himself for being happy about something that was probably upsetting Harry. Even with this new development, Tom knew he still couldn't spend time with Harry again. There was no way he could go back to the way things were before. He knew that if he did, he would end up doing something stupid and forever destroying their friendship. By something stupid he meant kissing Harry, or telling him that he loved him. He could never tell Harry that because he knew that Harry would never want him in that way. He would either be so disgusted that he would completely sever ties with Tom or else he would look at him with pity. Either way Tom knew that he couldn't handle it.

Tom was so deep into his self pity that at first he didn't hear the door chime. The door chimed again and this time he noticed. _Oh please... Don't let it be Harry!_ He thought just before he said "Come." He was slightly relieved when B'Elanna entered his quarters, but then he looked at her face and realised that he was in trouble. As soon as the door shut she started.

"Tom... You have to talk to Harry!"
"B'Elanna you know I can't do that!"
"But he thinks that this is all his fault! He has just spent the last hour crying in my quarters."
"That's because he is upset over Suzie." Tom answered.
"No... He isn't *upset* over Suzie. He is actually angry with her. It is *you* that he is upset about! He believes that he did something wrong and that that is the reason that you have been avoiding him!"
"But *he* never did anything wrong!"
"*I* know that and *you* know that, but Harry doesn't! You are going to have to tell him something."
"But I *can't*" yelled Tom dejectedly.
"Well Tom... Either you tell him, or I *will*!"
"But you promised B'Elanna."
"I know, but I can't let you two keep doing this to yourselves and each other! I am giving you two days to tell him. If you don't tell him by then, I *will*!"
"B'Elanna!" Tom looked so stricken that she almost backed down, but then she remembered Harry.
"No... I won't change my mind. I will leave you now to work out how you are going to tell him." With that she turned and walked out of the door before he could say any more.

Tom was starting to get himself really worked up now and was really scared. He knew that B'Elanna would give him two days and nothing more. He *had* to tell Harry, but he didn't think he could do it. He *had* to do it because it would be better coming from him rather than B'Elanna. He was scared because he didn't want to see the disgust that he was sure to see in Harry's eyes when he told him. He could handle almost anything but that! _Oh god... I love him so much... How can I do this?_

Harry finished his clarinet practice and lay down on his bed. He kept thinking about what Suzie had said about him being in love with Tom. He wanted to deny it outright, but there was some small doubt in the back of his mind. All it was serving to do though was to make him feel even more confused. He didn't know what he felt anymore. The only thing he knew for sure was the fact that he had finally accepted that they may never get home, and that meant giving up Libby.

Harry finally fell into an exhausted sleep but did not find much rest. He kept tossing and turning as the dreams invaded his mind. He kept dreaming of Tom. In his dreams, he kept meeting Tom and they ran into each others arms and hugged. They made up their friendship, but for some reason, Harry felt disappointed that everything was back to normal.

He woke with a start as the meaning of his dreams became clear. Suzie was right! _How could I have been so blind? Why didn't I notice this before? How can I ever face Tom again after this?_ It was still very early but Harry was too worked up to be able to go back to sleep. He needed *something* to occupy his time.
"Computer is there a holodeck free?"
"Holodeck 1 is free."

Harry flung on some clothes and hurried off to the holodeck. When he arrived, he asked the computer to run his beach program. As soon as he had entered, he set the privacy lock so that he wouldn't be disturbed and quickly chucked off his clothes and entered the water. He started swimming to try and work off some of his restless energy. Unfortunately he had forgotten that when swimming, there was nothing for the mind to do except think. While he was swimming, his thoughts kept turning to Tom. He even started to imagine that the water was Tom's hands and found himself getting aroused. He forced himself not to think of that and swam twice as hard. When he finally dragged himself back to the shore he was totally exhausted. His arms and legs felt like jelly and it was all he could do to stay upright. He requested a towel and dried himself off before getting dressed and going back to his quarters.

That morning on the bridge, Captain Janeway was even more worried than she had been yesterday. Tom looked downright miserable. His eyes were bloodshot and the dark circles had increased. He even looked as though he had lost weight. The expression in his eyes - normally either guarded or mischievous - was so lost and hurt that it was all she could do to stop herself from going over to him and giving him a hug. Harry didn't look any better. He was doing his duties with a sluggishness that was very uncharacteristic for the young ensign. He looked totally exhausted - both physically and mentally. _I am definitely going to talk with B'Elanna after shift today. This can't keep going on!_

Harry was having great difficulty concentrating on his work today. Every time he tried to do something, his eyes would stray down towards the Conn. He kept wondering what it would feel like to run his hands through Tom's hair and let his hands explore those shoulders and back! He managed to get so distracted that he missed a command given by the captain. When she finally got his attention and repeated the command, Harry was so flustered that he managed to short circuit one of his sensors.

_That is *it*!_ thought the Captain. _I am going to talk to B'Elanna right now. This has gotten so bad that it *is* affecting their work. It can't go on any longer!_ "Commander you have the bridge." She stood up and strode towards the turbolift very determinedly.

Captain Janeway found B'Elanna in her tiny office and noticed that no-one else was in earshot.
"B'Elanna I need to speak with you now."
"What is this about?"
"Tom and Harry." The Captain saw the comprehension in B'Elanna's eyes.
"I gather this means that it is affecting their work now?"
"Yes... Harry just shorted out one of his sensors and Tom can barely concentrate on flying. Do you have any idea what is wrong with them?"
"Yes I do." She looked around and then closed the door before continuing. "I gave Tom until tomorrow to talk to Harry before I would interfere, but since it has come to this I just can't wait until then."
"What exactly *is* the problem between those two?" B'Elanna looked up at the Captain and saw genuine concern in her eyes. This went beyond concern for her crew to concern for them as people. B'Elanna sighed and then started.
"I am not supposed to tell anyone, but I know you will be discreet." She waited until the captain nodded before continuing. "You may even be able to help me find a solution to this problem."
"Well I'll try... I can't have those two continuing as they are. I am actually starting to dread the shifts with them on it!" The captain replied.

"Basically the problem started just over two weeks ago when Harry started going out with Ensign Denola. All of a sudden Tom started avoiding Harry and Harry spent all of his time moping about losing Tom's friendship. At first I thought Tom was being petty and ignoring Harry because he didn't have his full attention anymore, but I found out that that wasn't the case." B'Elanna paused for a moment and the captain waited patiently for her to continue. "Eventually I forced Tom to talk about it and found out that Tom *was* jealous of Suzie, but not for the reasons I thought. When he saw them together he realised that he was in love with Harry! He couldn't stand to be around Harry because it hurt too much. Harry, on the other hand, was so miserable about losing Tom's friendship that he didn't pay enough attention to Suzie and she dumped him the other day. She reckoned that Harry should go out with Tom as he loved *him*."
"And does he?" the captain probed.
"I don't know, but I would say that he probably does! I just don't think *he* realises it yet."

The Captain looked thoughtful. She hadn't really known what to expect, but this wasn't it. Even so she wasn't really surprised. She was not at all surprised that Tom had fallen in love with Harry. He was the first true friend that Tom had ever had and Harry had never let him down, even when Tom tried to push him away. That was one of Harry's most endearing qualities! She also knew that Harry almost idolised Tom. He constantly depended on him and *always* supported him. Until this recent event they were almost like Siamese Twins joined at the hip. Wherever one was, you were 99 percent sure to find the other!

"Well this is a problem... Do you have any ideas about what *we* should do B'Elanna?"
"Apart from banging their heads together and locking them in a Jeffries tube? ... No."
"Well banging their heads together is out, but locking them somewhere together is probably a good idea... Now where can we put them and how do we get them there?"

The Captain and B'Elanna put their heads together and started to come up with a plan to get Tom and Harry talking to each other. After an hour they were both satisfied with their plan and the Captain left B'Elanna to get everything set up.

The shift had finally finished and Tom was heading wearily towards the mess hall. He hoped that Neelix had prepared something at least edible today! He was just about to enter the mess hall when he felt the familiar tingling sensation of the transporter. His last thought was _What the hell?_ before reappearing in a small room. There were no doors and windows in the room and Tom started to panic. He was just about to hit the communicator when two more figures appeared in the room. Tom winced when he saw who they were. Harry looked just as shocked as Tom, but the captain had an almost smug look on her face. She looked at both men and then started explaining.

"Lt Paris... Ensign Kim... You have been brought here to the holodeck so that you can try and sort out what is going on. B'Elanna has filled me in on the whole situation and we *both* decided that this would be best." At Tom's shocked look she said, "Yes Tom... she filled me in on *everything*!"

The Captain gave the computer a command and suddenly a meal was laid out on the table in the corner. "I want you two to eat dinner, and then you are to talk! You are not allowed out of here until you have told each other the truth. If you have not done so in two hours, then I will! You will be given a warning 10 minutes before I return." She looked at both men before adding, "Oh... and don't bother to try and leave because the computer will not respond to your voices. Enjoy your meal gentlemen." With that final statement she transported out of the holodeck leaving Tom and Harry alone.

When the Captain had gone, Tom and Harry just looked at each other awkwardly. Finally Tom broke the silence.
"We might as well eat this food... Save us having to see Neelix later... And at least this will be edible." Harry just nodded and went to the table.

They both *tried* to eat, but neither was very successful. Both of them had the same thought running through their minds. _How am I ever going to tell him how I feel. This is going to totally ruin our friendship._

As if on a silent cue, they both gave up trying to eat at the same time and moved to the lounge that was in the room. They both sat at opposite ends of the lounge, facing each other, but putting as much distance as they could between each other. They both realised what the other was doing and was both relieved and disappointed at the same time. They also felt saddened at the fact that this is what their friendship had come to. They sat there looking at each other, but trying not to catch the others eye. Finally Tom couldn't handle it any longer.

"Why did you and Suzie break up?" Asked Tom. Harry thought for a moment before answering. _Should I tell him all of the truth? I think I am going to have to._
"Basically I wasn't paying enough attention to her and so she dumped me."
"It isn't like you not to pay attention to people... What happened?"
"I was upset about the fact that... I had lost... my best friend. I tried to get her to understand this, but she just wouldn't. She just started yelling about how she didn't like you and that there was no way that I could ever love her as I was already in love with someone else." Harry couldn't look at Tom.
"Well you're still in love with Libby." Tom managed to keep his voice even, but it was a real effort.
"Well No... I mean yes... I don't know. I think I will always love her, after all she was my first real love, but I have accepted the fact that I have to get on with my life, so... no... it isn't Libby." Harry still couldn't look at Tom. He knew that Tom was going to ask who he loved, and he knew that he would tell Tom the truth. There was no way he couldn't. He had always been a terrible liar, but apart from that, he couldn't lie to Tom! Tom had a way of making him tell him his innermost secrets. He prayed that Tom wouldn't ask... He wouldn't volunteer the information, but he couldn't lie if asked directly.

Tom's mind was already running through the possibilities. He didn't consider himself for even a second. The conclusion he came up with was B'Elanna. He knew that they were close, so he could understand it. Of course it would hurt like hell to see them together, but he wanted Harry to be happy. Even though he thought he knew the answer, he needed to ask Harry anyway.

"Then who is it?" Tom held his breath while waiting for Harry to reply.
"You." The answer was said so softly that Tom almost missed it. He couldn't believe that he had heard correctly, so he asked Harry again.
"Who did you just say?"
"You... Damn it... I am in love with you Tom!" Harry's voice was still little more than a whisper, but to Tom it sounded like Trumpets blaring! He couldn't believe that Harry had said that! Harry was still looking anywhere but at Tom. He was scared to look at him. He was sure that he had permanently lost his best friend now. _Oh Tom... Why did you have to ask. You know I can't deny you anything... especially now!_

"Harry... *Harry*... Look at me... please!" Harry continued to look away, so Tom reached out his hand to cup Harry's cheek and turn him towards him. "Harry please look at me." The combination of Tom's hand on his cheek and the pleading in his voice forced Harry to look up. He primed himself for the rejection, but was surprised to see a smile on Tom's face. It wasn't just any smile either. This was the most beautiful smile that Harry had ever seen. Then he looked into Tom's eyes and felt as if he was drowning. The expression that Harry found there was one of love... and total happiness.
"Oh Harry... Did you think that I wouldn't want to hear you say that?" Tom asked Harry in wonder and disbelief. Harry nodded slightly in reply. "I have *wanted* to hear you say that but never thought that you would."
"Then why have you been avoiding me Tom?" Harry had to know.
"When you started going out with Suzie, I felt an intense wave of jealousy and pain. I tried to attribute it to something else, but I soon realised that I was in love with you Harry. I just couldn't bear to see you with *her*... It just hurt too much! I also knew that if I was around you, sooner or later I would have done something and I thought that I would lose you. I couldn't bear for that to happen, so I stayed away." Tom had been watching Harry very carefully while he was talking and was overjoyed to notice the way Harry's face lit up at his confession. _I am going to have to thank the Captain and B'Elanna for this after all!_
"How could we have been so stupid Tom?" questioned Harry.
"I don't know... but if it hadn't been for this, who knows how long it would have taken us?" Harry just grinned back in reply. He reached out for Tom and drew him into a fierce hug. Tom went into his arms willingly and they just sat there holding each other tight for a while.
"I love you Harry." Tom whispered into Harry's ear.
"And I love you Tom." Harry replied. They both drew back slightly so that they could look at each other again. They were both drowning in each others eyes. Tom unconsciously licked his lips and the small movement drew Harry's attention. Without thinking Harry moved towards Tom. He wanted to taste him so badly! Their lips touched and they revelled in the softness that they found. Tom ran his tongue across Harry's bottom lip, silently asking for entry. Harry parted his lips to allow Tom to enter. The moment their tongues met, something exploded within them and the passion took over. Both minds had ceased to think coherently as they explored each others mouths. Their hands were also exploring, and both felt that their uniforms were in the way. They broke apart gasping for air. Tom groaned at the loss of contact.

"Harry... I need you... now!" Tom managed to gasp out. Hearing the raw need in Tom's voice combined with the look on his face, nearly made Harry lose it, but he suddenly remembered the Captain. She would be back in an hour and Harry knew that he needed longer than that!
"Tom... Call the Captain!" He finally managed to reply.
"Why?"
"So that we can get out of here and go back to my quarters where we won't be disturbed by the Captain in an hour!" Tom managed to focus on what Harry was saying and got his brain to function slightly again.
"Yeah sounds like a good idea... You call though... I am having trouble thinking straight!"
"Kim to Janeway."
"What is it Mr Kim?"
"*We* just wanted to be let out of here so that *we* can go back to my quarters."
"I will be there in a few moments to assess the situation. Janeway out."

As soon as Harry had finished talking, Tom started kissing him again. This meant that when the Captain walked in they were totally oblivious to her entrance. She smiled indulgently as she saw them together. _It worked!_
"Gentlemen."
Only then did Tom and Harry notice the fact that the Captain had arrived. They broke apart reluctantly and Harry turned bright red at the fact that he had been caught by the Captain.
"I see that you have managed to work things out. Let's just hope this doesn't happen again!" The Captain then smiled at both of them rather mischievously. "Just make sure that you get *some* sleep tonight! I don't want you falling asleep on the bridge tomorrow!"
Both Tom *and* Harry turned red at this.
"OK... you can go... Computer exit." The door opened and Tom and Harry ran from the holodeck hand in hand. The Captain watched them go still smiling. Yes, they would be very good together!

"Janeway to Torres."
"Torres here... What's up Captain?"
"Just calling to inform you that it worked! From what I have just seen, I know that those two won't be avoiding each other any more... In fact, we may have to 'hose them down' occasionally!" B'Elanna chuckled when she heard that.
"That's good Captain... So I gather they won't be in Sandrine's tonight?" B'Elanna asked jokingly. Captain Janeway laughed.
"From what I just saw, they'll be lucky if they even remember that anyone else even exists!"
"Well thanks for letting me know."
"No problem B'Elanna. Janeway out."
*****

As soon as the channel had closed the turbolift that B'Elanna had been waiting for arrived. As soon as she saw who was inside she grinned. She got into the lift and then spoke to the two other occupants.
"Come on you guys... Could you please restrain yourselves until you get to your quarters?" _Boy I see what the captain meant about hosing them down! It is really *hot* in here!_ Feeling cheeky she reached over and pinched both guys on the bum. Tom and Harry jumped apart and finally realised that they weren't alone.
"Umm... Hi B'Elanna." Harry stammered while turning bright red.
"I wondered how long it was going to take before you noticed that you weren't alone!"
"Yeah... well... B'Elanna... remind me later that I have to talk to you about a certain *discussion* that you had with the Captain." replied Tom. "I can't talk now for obvious reasons..." Tom looked at Harry again and B'Elanna realised that she had been forgotten again!
The turbolift stopped at Tom and Harry's deck and B'Elanna pushed them both out of the door.
"See you tomorrow!" Neither of the pair answered as they were already running down the corridor towards Harry's quarters.

As soon as they reached Harry's room, they were back in each others arms. They immediately started to undress the other while slowly stumbling towards the bedroom. By the time they reached the bedroom they were both naked and had left a trail of clothes to mark their passage. They collapsed on the bed still kissing. Neither could get enough of the other, their hands were roaming, caressing and exploring.

They broke apart and Harry started exploring Tom's body with his mouth and tongue. He wanted to taste Tom everywhere! He was fascinated by the feel of muscles beneath the skin and of the fine carpet of hair that covered Tom's chest. He ran his fingers through the hair and one hand grazed one of Tom's nipples. Tom gasped at the contact and so Harry did it again. Then he moved his mouth across to the hard nub and gently flicked it with his tongue. This elicited a low moan from Tom so Harry swirled his tongue around it and gently bit the sensitive skin. Tom arched up and moaned loudly this time. Harry repeated the process on the other side. By this time, Tom was moaning almost continuously. His fair skin was flushed with desire. Harry looked up at his face and almost forgot to breathe. Tom's pupil's were dilated and his expression was a combination of love and raw need. Harry felt himself growing even harder when he saw the proof of how much he affected Tom.

He continued his journey down Tom's body. He explored the flat planes of Tom's stomach until he reached his hips. At this point he moved across to the side and deliberately avoided Tom's erect penis. Tom was really squirming now and kept trying to shift so that Harry could touch him where he desperately needed him to. Harry moved down to Tom's thighs, but made sure that his hair brushed gently along Tom's shaft. This made Tom squirm even more. Harry continued his journey along Tom's thighs, and gradually worked his way back up the inside. Tom opened his legs further so that Harry could have easier access. Harry gently cupped Tom's scrotum in his hands, rolling it around gently. With his tongue he licked Tom's throbbing shaft from base to tip. Tom arched up from the bed moaning incoherently. Harry then swirled his tongue around the tip before taking the whole lot in his mouth. Tom was way beyond coherent thought and speech. The only thing that he knew was that this was Harry! Harry was deep-throating Tom like an expert and Tom was really close now. He felt the pressure rising and just before he exploded, he managed to string together some words.
"Oh god... Harry... I love you!" Yelled Tom as he shattered into a million pieces.

Tom slowly returned to conscious thought again and opened his eyes to see Harry leaning over him.
"Welcome back Tom..." Harry said with a smile. His face was still wild with desire and his eyes were pleading with Tom. Tom knew what Harry needed and knew that he wanted it more than anything else.
"Harry... I need you now... I want to feel you deep inside of me." Tom begged. He watched as the desire strengthened on Harry's face and felt his own body reacting again.
"Have you got any lube?" Tom asked.
Harry was having trouble thinking straight but nodded his head. He got up from the bed and ran quickly out to the lounge. He was back with a small jar in his hand. He held it up to show Tom and smiled as he announced what he had found.
"Cork Grease!" Harry jumped back on the bed and kissed Tom fiercely. With one hand he managed to get the lid off the jar and coated his fingers with the lubricant. As he reached down, Tom shifted so that Harry could have easy access. Harry took his time and gently teased the puckered opening. Tom groaned, begging for more. Harry carefully pushed one finger into the tight opening and then waited until he could feel the Tom starting to relax. He started to move the finger in and out slowly, making sure that his finger grazed Tom's prostate. Tom yelled as he felt the fire burning through him. He was rock hard again and wanted more! Harry added a second finger and continued the slow movements in and out. finally he added a third finger. Tom was close now, but he wanted to wait for Harry.

"Harry... Please..." He watched as Harry spread the lubricant gently over his erection and then turned over. He felt Harry move in behind him and then felt the tip of Harry's cock against his opening. Harry slowly pushed into Tom until his scrotum was squashed against Tom's arse. He started to move slowly, but Tom suddenly pushed back against him hard. Harry finally lost all control and started thrusting hard into Tom. Tom was also pushing back madly and they moved with a primitive instinct. Harry reached around and grabbed Tom's cock. He pumped it frantically in time with his thrusts until he felt Tom's muscles clenching around him. Tom screamed as he came and clenched his muscles so tightly around Harry that Harry too screamed as he exploded within Tom. They collapsed onto the bed and lay there still joined.

Very slowly, consciousness returned and Harry moved off of Tom. Tom groaned at the loss of contact, but turned towards Harry. They snuggled into each others arms and kissed gently.
"Oh god Harry... I love you so much!"
"And I love you too Tom." They kissed again and snuggled even closer before sleep claimed them both.

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