At the bottom, no matter who had the idea of this romance (though I keep thinking that it is Beltran - even if Ryan didn't jib to pursue the charade
*!- -> cf to numerous articles/interviews made by Ryan & Beltran, including this one :"Robert Beltran's "Erroneous" Love-match"
**, in the eyes of the different shipping J/C, S/D, J/P, etc...).
* Since the airing of Endgame in 2001, each seems to blame the other one (in posing as victim, by the way), to have implanted this idea of a possible rapprochement C/7 in the head of producers and script writers -> what appeared like something fun from their point of view at this time, a kiss or 2, ended in a romance in which nobody - or almost - believed in and what frustrated a lot of shippers (J/C, 7/the Doctor,, J/P and worst C/7 themselves, who would have preferred something more authentic.
** (Trek Today -
http://www.trektoday.com/news/220201_04.shtm)
Why?
1) as well the abruptness of this interraction fitted Seven's personality, as well, it didn't fit Chakotay's at all. Even if I'm not crazy of this character, the guy seemed to be someone who is ready to put a lot when he is in love (it is certainly for this reason that, he often finished to be the fall guy!) and take his time, while in Seven's mind, it was just an experience, surely pleasant the time the romance would have lasted, to live to totally regain her humanity.
2) there was zero chemistry between the actors -> they looked like the actors following a script that they were -> I always found that Ryan has given to her character of Seven of Nine, a far more genuine expression on her face when it was being cold and aloof. In her scenes with Beltran in Endgame, I didn't sense that she did much acting then ... As for Beltran, he seemed more "expressive"/inspired (if it is possible to use these terms when we speak about Beltran's acting in Voyager!) in his scenes with Mulgrew, especially when their characters flirted in the first seasons.
Anyway, if somebody erased all the Chakotay/Seven storyline from the last episodes of season 7, it wouldn't make a big difference at all for me!
It's strange that this famous deleted scene,
if it really exists, wasn't released since the end of ST:Voyager, already 15 years ago, at less in the DVD box of the season 7. Who knows, maybe CBS & Universal will propose some new "behind the scenes" & deleted scenes in a next edition... .
...and no matter whether it is the woman or the man who goofed at first, we're in 21th centuries, par bleu ?! 
