dancing on my own for Janeway and Seven
@parallaxedcaptain (and @isabellashepard who sent this too!) | naughty prompt list.
From afar, Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One watches the crew members of her collective aboard the starship Voyager, take to the dancefloor of a dimly lit club, projected in Holodeck 2.
Among them, even the Captain has allowed herself the unusual pleasure of indulging in tonight’s off-hours. The bridge, left in the hands of Ensign Kim for the night shift has allowed the Senior Officers a much needed reprieve. As one of Lieutenant Paris’ suggestions, the setting of the bar is from that of the early 21st century, with music that pairs accordingly, even going so far as to find remixes of certain songs that add to the atmosphere.
Holo-characters and crewman alike have dressed for the part, and while such an endeavor would prove fruitless and inefficient by Seven’s parameters, the request from the Captain (read: an order) to have fun has brought the former borg to partake - albeit, without any of the ridiculous articles of clothing that her colleagues and friends adorn on their bodies.
Past research cannot quite decipher just what kind of ‘dance moves’ the crowd partakes in, but Seven scans the room and finds a familiar face - Kathryn - who has taken a moment to take a drink from the bar, parched from her earlier engagements on the dancefloor. It’s then that the Captain makes eye contact with Seven, and takes little time to approach the taller, younger woman with a hand outstretched.
“You can’t just stand here all night, Seven. Come on. Dance with me.”
It’s a bold request, but off-duty with time for a rare celebration of success allows Janeway the opportunity - and she’ll take it.
“I am quite content to simply obser--”
“Nonsense, you should experience the real thing.”
Not wanting to argue, Seven gives in and takes Kathryn’s hand. Soon, the Captain leads her to the middle of the dance floor amid the hot, sweaty crowd that begins to move their bodies and dance to the rhythm of the music. She watches to emulate, though her gaze fixates upon the Captain - dressed casually in a dark blue dress and heels - who moves just the same. Intrigued, she mirrors the movement, allowing her human-borg body to fall into a kind of rhythm that takes a moment to get to speed, and then, in the pursuit of perfection, she begins to understand.
Yet, as the song continues with heavy basslines and nonsensical pop lyrics, a different kind of closeness transpires between Captain and Officer, Kathryn and Seven. Their eyes meet as their bodies move and while a hand dares not rest on one another, they stand mere inches apart, closer than ever before. Bright, curious blue eyes fall to the oceanic depths of her dance partner’s gaze, studying her expression, the way her burgundy lips remain slightly parted, the way her auburn hair frames her freckled face beneath the low lighting.
The song changes, blends into the next one and time no longer feels relevant; instead, this exchange of dancing together continues without a word, even as sweat begins to cover her skin and her hair comes loose from its trademark hold. A certain intimacy lingers in the unspoken, and it makes Seven feel flushed, far more than their games of Velocity ever have.
Several minutes pass that feel like an eternity, though the magnetism between both women keep them going, fuel such a desire for something more, something beyond them, no longer constrained by rank and file. When they do finally part, hot and in need of a beverage, smiles accompany lingering glances.
Perhaps, Seven asserts, this is what she needed after all.
