itle: Ice Cream Author: Heather Cook Rating: PG (?) Summary: Harry introduces Seven to ice cream... Disclaimer: This is my first PWP, so be gentle. I welcome any and all comments, but be aware that all flames will be given to my dragon, so that he may stoke his furnace, and defend his mistress... Harry and Seven belong to Paramount, who don't seem to want us to think that their characters have personal lives...the story belongs to me. ~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~ Ensign Harry Kim was walking through the corridors of Voyager, his hand against the small of Seven's back, ushering her along. As they entered a turbolift, she turned to him, head tilted to one side, and asked, "Where are we going, Ensign?" Smiling, Harry answered, "I can't tell you, or it will ruin the surprise. Seven, we aren't on duty anymore, so I wish that you would call me Harry...you know, Ensign is not a permanent part of my designation. What are you going to do if I get promoted? Will you start calling me Lieutenant?" "No, I will still call you Ensign..." Harry looked confused for a moment; when he realized that Seven was joking, a smile broke over his face like a wave on beach. "You're getting the hang of this humor thing, you almost had me with that one." "I do not know what you mean by 'the hang of', but I do think that I have mastered humor." "Well, I don't know if you've *mastered* it, but you are getting better at it." "As you wish, Ens--Harry." Seven smiled slightly as she continued, "I may need a few days to assimilate this new idea. In the collective, drones were only known by one designation. I still find human designations confusing. Even the Doctor's explanation of why humans use different designations does not help, and I find myself confusing people's duty and off-duty designations." The turbolift slid to a halt, and the pair exited and moved to Holodeck Two. Harry instructed the computer to activate his program, and he and Seven entered. The program was of an old-fashioned ice cream parlor. Scattered around the room were small round tables, covered with red-striped cloths, and surrounded by wire backed chairs with seats made of the same fabric. A long white counter stood along one side, and the wall behind it was made of shelves. Each shelf had several glass candy jars on it, each jar filled with a different kind of candy-- gumdrops, licorice, jawbreakers, butterscotch disks, cinnamon imperials--all of the candy that Harry could remember from when he was a child. As Seven looked around, the holographic hostess bustled over dressed in a 19th century style; if Harry remembered, it was called Gibson. The woman's hair was pulled from her face, and competed with the sleeves of her blouse for puffiness. Her long skirts brushed the floor, and he could hear the swish of her petticoats as she walked. She looked very soft, very feminine. Harry wondered what Seven would look like dressed the same way. On second thought, he decided that probably wouldn't ever happen. Seven was...prickly, and not as open to new things as Harry would like, so he doubted that she would ever consent to role-playing in the holodecks. He decided that he was content just getting her to come along for now; time for role-playing later. The hostess led them to a table, and as soon as they were seated, handed them each a paper menu. "I do not understand the purpose of this simulation. Why is that woman dressed in that manner? It is inefficient and cumbersome." Harry shook his head, thinking that he was right about the role-playing, and explained, "It's called an ice cream parlor, Seven. I overheard your conversation with B'Elanna the other day, so I borrowed this program from Tom so that you could taste ice cream. The hostess is dressed like that as part of the simulation. It's an old Earth style." Seven didn't answer, but instead chose to look at her surroundings again. When she finally met Harry's eyes again, he could see tears threatening to overwhelm her. With a pang, he went to kneel at her side, and ask what was wrong. "I am unsure. I have felt this way before, and I do not know how to explain it. It is just..." Breaking off, she looked away again. "Just what? Seven?" When she didn't answer, Harry gently grasped her chin, and turned her face back to his. With gentle fingers, he smoothed a single tear from her cheek. "What is it?" "You are so...good...to me. You seem to know what I need before I do, and you give it to me. How is that possible?" Because I love you! Harry wanted to shout it out, but he was scared that she would take it the wrong way, and ask him if he wanted to copulate, so he settled for squeezing her hand, and saying, "That's what friends are for." Seven seemed to accept that as an answer, and her confusion seemed to retreat so Harry gave her hand a final squeeze and sat down again. He took up his menu again, and looking it over decided that he wanted something called a 'Dusty Road'. Vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, and malt powder...a somewhat odd combination, but Harry was feeling adventurous. When the hostess came back, Harry asked Seven if she was ready; when she nodded, the hostess took their orders, and promised that their ice cream would be delivered to them shortly. While they were waiting, Seven decided to investigate the rest of the simulation, and Harry chose to wait, and watch as she walked throughout the room, occasionally stopping to touch an object, or to inspect it more closely. A smile crossed his face as he saw the intensely curious manner in which she was looking at the art on the walls. It was a series of framed illustrations, discussing the importance of propriety and decorum in young women; quaint and indicative of the era of the establishment, they would be confusing to Seven. Obviously, she decided that they weren't worth the effort, because she went on to something else before turning back to look at Harry. Harry had the grace to blush when she caught him staring. He looked away in time to see the hostess bringing their order, and he was able to contain his chagrin when Seven rejoined him at the table. In the ultra-polite manner that she seemed to only use with Harry, Seven began to speak while prodding her ice cream with a spoon. "This is an interesting simulation. May I ask you a question?" "Umm, sure. Go ahead." "I wish to know why you chose this place for my first taste of ice cream." "Well, I thought that this would be more interesting than simply ordering it from a replicator. It has...atmosphere." At this Seven's eyebrow arched, and she said, "That would be true of anywhere on the ship, correct? All that is required for atmosphere is breathable air and sufficient gravity." Harry chuckled at this. "No, Seven, I meant that this place is pleasant, that the decor and the service would combine with the ice cream to give a different experience than you would get in the mess hall, or in my quarters." "Oh. I believe that I understand. But it was not necessary--" Exasperated with her literal mindedness, and her stubborn inability to accept friendly gestures, Harry cut in with, "Seven--please. Will you just taste your ice cream?" Seven nodded and dug into the dish in front of her. She had chosen vanilla, with no toppings, at Harry's suggestion. He watched as he raised the spoon to her mouth; her expression was guarded, as though she expected something that Neelix had cooked. As soon as the ice cream hit her tongue, her eyes opened in surprise at the coldness, and closed just as quickly while she analyzed the taste. At the look of pure joy on her face, Harry couldn't contain himself, and he leaned over and pressed his lips to Seven's. Her mouth was soft and relaxed, and when she began to kiss back Harry nudged her lips apart with his, and ran his tongue along the inside edges. He could feel the kiss heating up, and his hand had gone to caress Seven's cheek when he heard the hostess exclaim, and hurry over to their table. "Excuse me, this isn't a bordello! If you want to act like that, please take it somewhere else!" "Computer--" "Computer--" Harry and Seven broke off for a moment, Harry laughing, as they each realized that the other was going to ask the computer to remove the hostess. Harry finished the order, while Seven took another bite of her ice cream, and watched the woman disappear. "Now, where were we?" "I think that I was discovering that eating ice cream can be very...pleasurable...if you are with the right person." Harry looked at Seven, and saw the slight smile on her face, and thought to himself that ice cream had never tasted so good as it had on Seven's lovely mouth. Smiling, he began his ice cream, thinking of the possibilities... ~Finis~