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Lieutenant Commander Harry Kim had just walked through the airlock connecting the USS Mariupol to Deep Space Nine, when he heard a voice calling his name. A familiar voice.
"Harry! Harry!"
"Tom!" Harry barely had time to register that it was Tom Paris, when he was wrapped in an enthusiastic embrace, then thoroughly kissed.
It distracted Harry for a long moment, but it gradually occurred to him that this was not appropriate conduct while in uniform. He pulled away. Also… "What are you doing here?" He was headed home for a long-anticipated shore leave, and hadn't expected to see Tom until he got to Earth.
"I couldn't wait to see you."
"It's only a few days."
"I couldn't wait to see you," Tom repeated. "Besides…this is where we first met."
That it was. Many years ago. Though the memory was more embarrassing than romantic, at least for Harry.
"Come on," Tom said. He grabbed Harry's arm, and ushered him down the corridor.
Harry recognized the direction they were heading. "Oh, no. Not Quark's."
"Yes, Quark's." Tom grinned. "Drinks are on me. And I have a holosuite booked."
Harry wasn't sure what to expect when they stepped into the holosuite. With Tom, anything was possible. Though if he had to bet, he'd have put his money on an elaborate bedroom, perhaps on Risa.
Instead, it was an old-fashioned village. It looked vaguely familiar. Harry didn't recognize it at first. Then it clicked. "Fair Haven," he said, laughing in delight. He hadn't seen it in years. Instead of the summer weather he remembered, it was white with snow. The quaint buildings were decorated with garlands and wreaths, and lit with candles, sparkling through gently falling snow.
"Merry Christmas, Harry," Tom said.
Harry did a quick mental calculation. It was Christmas Eve. He had forgotten. It was easy to lose track of Earth holidays, lightyears from home. "Merry Christmas, Tom. No wonder you rushed out here." Traditional celebrations like Christmas were important to Tom, with his interest in history.
"I had my reasons." He put his arm around Harry's shoulders, and they strolled through the Irish village. A group of people were singing Christmas carols on the corner, and shouts of laughter came from Sullivan's Pub.
It was lovely. And despite the snow, it wasn't very cold. Harry felt a surge of fondness. Tom knew Harry didn't like cold weather, and had made concessions, though he usually insisted on accuracy.
Tom was so beautiful, his blue eyes shining with happiness, snowflakes caught in his hair and his ridiculously long lashes. Harry had missed him so much. He threw his arms around Tom, hugging him. "It's so good to see you."
"Same," Tom said. He dropped a kiss on Harry's forehead, then led the way to a nearby flower cart. A pretty red-haired young woman stood beside it. Maggie, Harry recalled. Her name was Maggie. Instead of the flowers they'd originally programmed, her cart was full of bunches of holly, wreaths of fir and ivy…and sprigs of mistletoe.
Tom handed Maggie a coin, and received some mistletoe in return.
Harry expected Tom to immediately put the mistletoe to use, but he didn't. He fiddled with the tiny leaves, seeming oddly nervous. "You okay?" Harry asked.
"Yeah," Tom said. "It's just…I have a present for you." He pulled a small box from his pocket. Then he dropped onto one knee, opened the box, and offered it to Harry. Inside were two matching gold rings. "Will you marry me?"
Harry stared at the rings, speechless.
Tom seemed to think the hesitation was because he hadn't put in enough effort. "I'm sorry I didn't have time to make you a new holoprogram. I had a lot going on, the ship I took here didn't have a holodeck, and I didn't even find out your vessel was docking until—"
"That's not it," Harry reassured him. "It's just…are you sure? I thought you'd sworn off marriage." Tom's previous marriage, to B'Elanna, hadn't ended well.
"I don't want you flying off without me again, once this shore leave is over. And I can't ask you to give up Starfleet. So, marry me, and take me with you on your next mission."
Harry's heart thudded. Nothing would make him happier, but… "Is this really what you want?"
"It is. Please. Marry me."
Harry pulled Tom to his feet. Cobblestones, even holographic ones, couldn't be comfortable to kneel on. "What about your daughter?"
"B'Elanna's gotten a job here on Deep Space Nine. She and Miral will be living here. I can see Miral whenever we're in port."
That could be quite often, with the right ship. Harry might even swing a transfer to the station itself. It took him barely a nanosecond to decide it was time to give up deep space exploration missions. He accepted the ring box Tom was still holding out. Then he took the mistletoe from Tom's hand, held it over their heads, and kissed his husband to be.
"Mmm… Is that a yes?" Tom asked, a little breathless.
"I'll request a transfer tomorrow," Harry said. "And family quarters." Then he leaned in to kiss Tom again.