#their friendship before the delta quad and how the delta quadrant DEFINITELY warps and intensifies it

[bumblingbabooshka]

What if Janeway (as a lieutenant commander) habitually went to the mess hall late at night because she's a cook so terrible it extends to replicated food and she can usually find something to snack on there but one day she finds that among the usual things left out for people to grab, there's something homemade and she takes a chance on it to find it's DELICIOUS!

From that point on she sometimes finds homemade things with a note in the same handwriting, declaring that anyone's free to take a portion. (Janeway sometimes takes more than one, oops) and she becomes increasingly curious about who it is leaving these dishes and though other people have also taken portions no one seems to know who's leaving them.

Then one night she comes into the mess hall to find Tuvok there. She tenses up, ready for a confrontation. To say they don't get along well would be an understatement, but she can't just turn around and walk right back out after locking eyes with him. They both give each other a terse, obligatory greeting. Then as Tuvok moves away Janeway notices that he left a tray of something...with a note. With THE Note!! It's his handwriting! Janeway stops Tuvok to talk about how she's been eating the food he leaves sometimes and how good it is and Tuvok seems to be responding woodenly, as if he wants to end the interaction as soon as possible which irritates Janeway and so (along with genuine curiosity) she decides to extend the conversation by asking why he sometimes leaves food. Tuvok hesitates then admits he at times makes too much unconsciously because he's used to cooking for a large family. Before [re-]joining Starfleet he was never really away from them. He asks that Janeway not reveal his identity because he doesn't want others to perceive it as an attempt to curry favor (he's remembering the sulu incident). Janeway softens a bit. She didn't know Tuvok had a family or could admit to making mistakes. It makes her like him more. They say goodnight to one another and Tuvok leaves. The next day when they happen to see each other, Janeway tells Tuvok (in a conspiratorially low voice) that she found the dish he made last night exquisite as always. Tuvok says a brief thank you, then hurries off, almost as if embarrassed. Janeway smiles. It's one of the first breaks in the ice between them.