Falling (Star Trek: Voyager story)

Fanfiction
Title:	Falling
Author(s):	Amirin
Date(s):	March 1997
Length:	~ 87 KB
Genre(s):	slash fanfiction
Fandom(s):	Star Trek Voyager
Relationship(s):	Chakotay/Paris
External Links:	Falling (Amirin's C/P Slash Page) Falling (storyteller's campsite)
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Falling is a Chakotay/Paris slash story by Amirin. Hurt/Comfort, Drama, Male/Male Sex, NC-17 for Sex.

Summary: After Tom and Chakotay have an accident on an away mission, Tom has to get them out of it. The after-effects leave him with a problem only Chakotay can help with. (3/97).

This story was listed as an "Essential C/P" story in the CPSG's C/P Fanfic Bible.

Recs and Reviews

This story contains one of the most plausible reasons I've read for Chakotay and Tom Paris getting together: it's an accident. To be more precise, Tom and Chakotay fall down a cliff, and Tom has to drag an unconscious Chakotay back up the cliff with him to a point where they will be able to contact Voyager. It takes a long time, and Tom can't let himself fall asleep in case he drops the first officer. Eventually, they do make it and are rescued, but once they are back on board Voyager Tom can't get any sleep because his unconscious mind keeps waking him up out of concern for Chakotay. Chakotay's solution is to stay with Tom so that he can get some sleep, and a relationship develops from there.

This was a very realistic way of getting the two together, and it is written so well that when they finally do end up in each other's arms, one is happy and grateful. Both Tom Paris and Chakotay are in-character throughout the story - for once they truly seem comfortable with one another, and the sex proceeds quite naturally.

There are some little "typical Voyager" touches in the story, too, which make it rather fun: while Chakotay is unconscious Tom plans menus for when they get back to the ship: shades of The Chute. And while Tom sleeps Chakotay tells him stories of his childhood and ancestors. The other characters don't have a lot to do (except the Doctor who continually shoots Tom up with every sleep-agent he has, all to no effect!), but they are supportive and helpful throughout.

Amirin tells a solid story, and for once there's little or no reference to Tom's father or his experiences in New Zealand, which is rather refreshing. I really recommend this one.

Amirin's Tom Paris is a strange mixture of strong and vulnerable - strong enough to save Chakotay and to go through an ordeal taxing his body to the limit - and yet unable to sleep unless his nightmares are laid to rest by Chakotay's presence. Almost a bit too sweet at times, it has none of the bad-Admiral-Paris or raped-in-Auckland clichés and shows us a slowly developing relationship that, while heavily based on comfort, gives the impression of being balanced enough to last.

Slash. A magnificent, well-written Hurt/Comfort story by the talented Amirin (be sure to check out her P/K stuff, too). Tom suffers unforeseen consequences after he saves Chakotay’s life.

Starts out with Chakotay and Paris not liking each other very much, but that changes because of a lot of things, but it takes time and it's not an easy journey. One of Amirin's best stories IMO.