SUMMARY: Observations.

CODES: VOY, J/C, P/T

RATING: PG

DISCLAIMER: Much as I wish, they ain't mine.

NOTES: none

"PDA"
by Liz VanZandt

PDA.

Public display of affection.

We've all done them at one time or another. A hug with a friend, a kiss bestowed on a lover, holding hands as we walk; they're a gift to someone we love, something that tells the rest of the world how we feel.

Some people are better at showing their feelings than others. Take Tom Paris, for example. Everyone knows he and B'Elanna Torres have been dating for a while now. Most days you can't walk into the mess hall without seeing the two of them together. A lot of times he'll be sitting there, his arm casually draped across her shoulders or resting on the back of her chair. Then, when one of them gets up to leave, Tom will turn his face to her, silently begging for a kiss.

When they first started dating, B'Elanna was reluctant to show her feelings so openly. Klingons aren't known for their romantic side, after all. But I think deep down, B'Elanna is very passionate and loving; it just took Tom to make her open up. Tom has been good for her in that way.

PDA's don't even have to be as overt as Tom and B'Elanna either. Sometimes they can be as simple as a smile or a pat on the shoulder. It's an art form, really. Subtle, to be sure, but an art form nonetheless.

Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay are masters at this art. It's the basis of all the rumors about them. During first contacts Chakotay will sometimes take a step closer behind the Captain's shoulder. At first I assumed that move was meant to be a show of solidarity. But at the same time, it's an act of possession; he's letting the universe know his feelings for this woman.

And the Captain -- she's no different. The way her eyes always search out his; the way her voice caresses his name, making it her own; the way her fingers will gently brush his when they pass a PADD back and forth. I doubt she even realizes she's doing any of it, but it's there all the same. Small moments that let the rest of us know how she feels.

Public displays of affection.

PDA's.

The End

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