Chapter Text
“Ensign Kim!” Seven’s voice made Harry freeze in his tracks. With a sigh he closed his eyes and very slowly turned around.
When he opened his eyes again, he was treated to the vision of Seven marching towards him, coming around the bend of the corridor with a rather determined look on her face. Another Ensign quickly looked at Harry with a pitying expression and then hurried on his way, leaving them alone in the corridor.
“Hello, Seven.” Harry smiled at her, trying to appear unrattled and brave.
“You are avoiding me.”
As always, Seven got straight to the point and Harry couldn’t quite suppress his flinch. “What are you talking about?”
“A few days ago, I asked for your help in the Jeffries Tube. You have not answered my request. Every time I try to remind you of it, you either run away or you say you have other things to do that need your attention. I can’t help but draw the conclusion that you are avoiding me. Clarify.”
“Oh…Uhm…”
“Is this because of what happened between us in the alien induced dream?”
Harry’s cheeks burned up immediately and he could feel a cold sweat break out all over his body. He desperately tried to remember if he told anyone about his dreams where Seven was kissing him in a Jeffries Tube, but he couldn’t focus. He was suddenly overwhelmed by the memories of her soft lips on his, of her pushing him against the wall, of her strong arms keeping him in place and her hands stroking down his body…
“Ensign?” Seven was frowning at him. “Are you alright?”
“Yes.” Harry’s voice croaked and he tried to clear his throat with a cough, but it didn’t work. He felt like he couldn’t breathe. His hand came up to his chest to try and calm down his heartbeat.
Seven didn’t seem to be put off by his discomfort. “You do realize I never actually assaulted you.”
“Assaulted? That is not what I would call it…” The surprise was almost enough to clear his head but unfortunately now his brain was misted over by confusion as well as a deep feeling of embarrassment.
“I was trying to create a diversion in the dream because we were all being held in the Cargo Bay.” Seven started to explain, her ocular implant arching upward in a beautiful way. “I just chose you because you were the easiest target.”
“Oh that!” Harry breathed a sigh of relief, finally understanding that Seven was talking about their joint dream and not his private ones. But that relief only lasted a few seconds. “Wait… What? Easiest target in what way?”
“At the time I didn’t realize that we were dreaming and could not actually harm each other. As you remember, we still thought that we were all awake. I didn’t want to run the risk of the fight escalating too much by choosing a more worthy opponent like Lieutenant Torres or Tuvok.”
“Oh… Thanks, Seven.” The sarcastic tone in his voice was clear.
Even to her. “Have I offended you?”
“No… It’s fine.” Harry rubbed the back of his neck, feeling more and more deflated by the second.
“There was another reason why I chose to cause a distraction with you.” Seven continued as if she hadn’t noticed his discomfort. Which she probably hadn’t. “I felt a strange connection to you in that dream state. As if I was meant to interact with you for some reason. Which is very strange because in the previous dreams these aliens induced in me, you were not present.”
“That is very strange.” Harry coughed out. He was trying desperately to come up with some way to make her stop looking at him with that scrutinizing look. “So… uh… What did you dream about before?”
To his surprise a rather deep blush spread out over Seven’s usually perfect and unmoving face. His heart skipped a beat as he took it in.
“I… I would rather not say.”
“And I respect that.” Harry quickly said, hoping that she would not ask about his dreams either.
Thankfully, she didn’t. But a rather awkward silence descended on them. However, unlike in previous encounters, this time they both looked uncomfortable.
It was in a way a comfort to Harry who finally managed a smile. “I am actually free right now. Shall I go help you out in the Jeffries Tube or don’t you need my help anymore?”
“I would still appreciate your assistance.” Seven said and Harry briefly wondered if it was the nicest thing she had ever said to him. While he was awake that is…
“Good. Lead the way.” Harry gave a mock bow, extending his arm.
She looked at him with the usual arched ocular implant but then started walking away.
He took in a deep breath before following her, silently congratulating himself for surviving this particular encounter with the woman of his dreams.