"Your shorts," B'Elanna announced proudly.

Other members of the poker group seated around the circular table started to snicker. Tom Paris laughed outright.

"What if I don't have any on?" Chakotay replied, straightfaced.

B'Elanna's lips formed into a mischieveous smirk. She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. After regarding the man directly across from her for a good, long moment, she responded. "Prove it."

Harry Kim groaned in sympathetic embarrassment.

Chakotay locked eyes with the half-Klingon. The room was silent as the other players looked from First Officer to Chief Engineer wondering how the Commander would respond. Eventually, he pushed his chair back and stood up.

B'Elanna's smirk mutated into a satisfied grin.

"Your bra."

She giggled. "Not until I lose another hand."

"Your bra," he ordered again, his voice leaving no room for debate.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing, Old Man?"

His only response was an intense gaze.

"Deal," she proclaimed. She stood and faced her opponent.

"Um... We can leave," Harry pipped up, raising to his feet.

She immediately place a controlling hand on his shoulder. "Sit down, Harry."

He knew better then to disobey.

"This I'd like to see," Tom muttered under his breath.

B'Elanna shot him a glance then shook her head. "You are such a pig, Paris."

"No bra, no shorts," Chakotay declared.

Reaching behind her back, she unhooked the clasp of her bra through the material of her uniform tunic. Pulling her right arm into the long sleeve, she was able to slip her arm out from under the strap. Her uniform convienently hid the entire process. She pushed her arm back into the sleeve then reached up the sleeve on the left and grabbed hold of the remained strap. It freely slid out the left side and into plain view, the rest of B'Elanna's clothes undisturbed.

Tom and Harry began to laugh. A slight touch of red rose to Chakotay's cheeks.

"Youth and skill will always win out over age and treachery," Tom offered.

"You have that backwards," Chakotay told him.

"Does he really?" B'Elanna said playfully. "Maybe not in this case."

The First Officer reached for the fastner on his trousers.

Harry was up out of his chair and moving towards the door before B'Elanna had a chance to protest. "Have an early shift tomorrow, sirs," he begged out. The doors closed behind his as he made a hasty retreat down the corridor. Tom wasn't far behind him.

"I think this is a game you two can play without my help," he chuckled.

B'Elanna watched Tom's back as he exited into the corridor as well. Four minus two meant privacy. She turned back to Chakotay.

His uniform pants hit the deck.

She felt a pleasant rush of blood wash into her features. Crossing her arms and leaning heavily on one hip, she stood and did nothing but admire.

"There's something I never thought I would see," she finally whispered.

"Then you like what you see?"

"At least now I know the answer to the 'boxers or briefs' question." She rounded the table and advanced on him.

"I think this game is going to get a whole lot more interesting," he admitted.

"Damn right it is," she growled.