THE SCENT OF RAIN 

by Lesa L.

Seven on Nine stood at the edge of the lush, green meadow.  Scanning the
area, she located her objective and strode forward.  Any other person would
have noticed the lovely sprays of colorful wildflowers at their feet or the moss
covered rock formations around her, but she was not any other person. 
"Ensign?" she said firmly.

Harry turned to see the former Borg almost behind him, her brow arched
quizzically.  "Yes, Seven?" he asked casually, turning back to gaze out at the
lovely view in front of him.  They stood on a raised and wooded plateau that
overlooked a mist shrouded green valley, beyond them the tips of snow
capped mountains peeked through a mass of storm clouds.

"Ensign, is the machine functioning along normal parameters?"

"It sure is," he motioned to a hexagonal shaped machine that lay a meter
away.  Buttons flashed in a myriad of colors indicating that it was active.  "As
we speak this little baby is digging down into the ground and extracting the
duranium that B'Elanna has been begging for."

"The machine *is* functioning along normal parameters," Seven repeated
succinctly.

"Right," Harry agreed.

"The machine will function without your continued presence?" she stressed.

"Right again."

"Then why have you not returned to the Delta Flyer?" the Ex-Borg asked.

"Because I'm waiting for the rain to start," the Chief Ops. Officer explained.

"That is not logical.  Ensigns Nigawa and Lang have returned to the Delta
Flyer.  You should return also.  Before the precipitation occurs," Seven said
firmly, she moved next to him and placed her Borg enforced hand firmly on
his arm.

"I said, I don't want to," Harry replied just as firmly.

"If you stay here you will be rained on," she pointed out to him.

Patiently Harry said, "I know that.  That's why I'm still here.  Can you smell
the rain?"  At her arched brow, he continued, "It's almost here.  I've been
watching the storm for a while.  It's moving fast."  As he spoke, they began to
feel the feather soft brushes of sprinkles on their skin.  Harry smiled in
satisfaction.  

Seven looked up at the sky then back to her companion.  "You are pleased by
this?"  Harry nodded.  "You are getting wet," she stated, her clear blue eyes
focused on his warm brown eyes.

"Are you going somewhere with this Seven?  Because if you're not, I'd think
you were trying to engage me in irrelevant conversation" he said with a smirk.

The icy blond stood even taller than before, she opened her mouth to begin
refuting his comment, and then closed it again.  She had to respond, her
analytical mind quickly processed several statements.  The only one that came
to her lips however was, "I am getting wet."

"I can see that," Harry nodded, a wide grin spreading across his face as he
continued, "don't worry your not made of sugar, you won't melt."

Seven's eyes widened at the ridiculous statement.  "Of course I am not made
of…" she began, but instead of finishing the statement she found herself
matching his grin, suddenly a sound erupted from inside her throat, surprising
her almost as much as Harry.  She brought her other hand up to her mouth,
her eyes wide with surprise.

His eyes twinkling naughtily, Harry gently removed her hand from her mouth,
"If I didn't know better I say that was a giggle."

"I believe it was.  A curious sensation," she observed.

"Felt good didn't it?" Harry asked, savoring the expression on her face. 
Suddenly the full force of the storm arrived, splattering them both with huge,
warm drops of rain.  A look of indecision crossed Seven's face, she looked up
into the water falling from the sky and back at her companion.

Harry watched her, he knew how she thought, he knew that there was a little
battle going on in her oh so logical mind.  He placed his arm on her forearm,
mimicking what she was doing to his other arm.  Looking into her eyes, he
said gently but firmly, "It's okay to just get wet Seven.  There is no reason to
do it, except that it feels good.  Doesn't it?"

Her huge blue eyes looked into his searchingly, he saw a hint of fear along
with the indecision.  She smiled softly, "Yes it does," she admitted.  "I do not
understand why it should, but it does.  Standing taller she continued,
"Nevertheless, we should return to the Delta Flyer.  You are in charge of this
away mission.  We should not leave the other Ensigns unsupervised."

"Oh, I think Lang and Nigawa will be just fine on their own for a while," her
companion said smugly.

"You are withholding information from me," Seven stated.

"Yes, I am. But it's just gossip, I know you wouldn't be interested," he
challenged her.  Just to tease her more he shook his head sending a cascade of
drops into her face.

Her eyes widened in surprise at his unexpected action.  It was efficient in
removing excess water however, she conceded and responded in kind,
enjoying the look of pleased surprise in the Ensign's eyes.  She tried a different
method of information extraction, "You believe that the Ensign's possess
sufficient field experience to warrant them spending time alone on the Delta
Flyer?"

Harry smiled, he knew she'd have to follow up.  It was not in her nature to
allow information to be withheld.  "I think that them spending time alone in
the Delta Flyer will give them the experience they need," he explained with a
hint of mischief in his eyes.

Seven scrutinized his expression.  "Do the Ensign's share a romantic
affiliation?" she asked.

"They don't yet, but hopefully if we give them a little time alone together," he
said suggestively.  "That reminds me," he said, tapping his combadge.  "Kim
to Nigawa."

:::Nigawa here:::

"Seven and I have decided to ride out the storm out here.  We'll take cover in
that rock overhang about 15 meters away from the drill.  I'm no meteorologist
but I think it'll be a couple of hours at least."

:::Okay Harry we'll see you in a while?:::

Smirking slightly, the Ops. Officer said, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do. 
Talk to you later, Kim out."  He took Seven's arm and drew her to the
overhang he had mentioned.  It still afforded a splendid view of the valley, but
did give offer some protection.  Harry sank down onto a low flat rock, Seven
copied his movements.  For a while they sat, watching the storms and the
lightning in the distance.  Finally Seven asked, "Do you think they are
copulating now?"

Chuckling slightly Harry observed, "Do you know you have a one track
mind?"

An expression almost of embarrassment flickered across her features.  "I am
interested in relationships.  You did not answer my question," she pointed out.

"Okay already, no I don't think they are copulating.  I think right about now,
they're feeling each other out a little," he said thoughtfully.

"You believe they are fondling each other?" the Ex-Borg asked with interest.

An outburst of laughter erupted from the young man.  Seven watched him
with an arched brow, a smile curling her lips.  Finally he recovered himself
enough to answer.  "Not feeling each other up!  Feeling each other out, that
means they are getting used to each other, trying to figure out how the other
person feels," he wiped his eyes and continued, "it's very subtle, each person
taking their cues from the actions of the other."

"But if they both feel attraction to each other, why do they go through these
motions?" she asked, shaking her head slightly.

"You have to be careful in situations like that," Harry replied.  He looked back
out at the storm as he continued, "Sometimes you feel something that the
other person doesn't, you need take your time and move slowly.  If things
don't work out, it might not hurt as much."

Seven watched him, watching the clouds, she knew he was no longer talking
about the Ensigns.  She felt an obstruction in her throat, swallowing she made
a decision.  Placing her hand on his arm she asked in a softer voice than he had
ever heard her use, "Sometimes do feelings that were not evident before
emerge?"

Harry looked into her eyes, these were not the indifferent blue orbs he was
used to.  These eyes were warm and inviting.  Softly he admitted,
"Sometimes."

A gentle smile spread across her face, "What else do you think is happening
on the Delta Flyer?"

He thought for a moment, "Well they are probably standing close to each
other."  Seven abruptly pulled them both into a standing position, he grinned
and continued, "Nigawa might brush a strand of her hair back."  He
demonstrated, smoothing back a strand of her shining blond hair.  "He would
let his hand rest there.  Feeling the softness of her cheek," his breathed, "and
seeing if she minds his hand being there."

"And if she does not mind?" she asked, surprised that her own breathing was
becoming labored.

"Then he might lean in and just barely touch her lips with his.  Like this,"
Harry said, moving forward and pressing just a whisper of a kiss on her lips. 
"Then he will look into her eyes to see if she wants another kiss."

Seven looked into the deep brown eyes that seemed to envelop hers.  A surge
of warmth spread through her body as she asked "And if she does?" 

"Then he will put his arms around her and kiss her deeply," Harry replied with
feeling as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, pressing
his lips to hers.  Seven's arms willingly came up around his neck drawing him
even closer.  Her eagerness made up for her inexperience as she returned his
kiss.  Harry drew back for a moment, struggling for breath, he smiled tenderly
at her, kissing away a drop of water on her cheek, "Seven maybe I was wrong,
maybe you are made of sugar."

End