Warning: the following story contains consensual m/m sex. If you are offended by it, you are welcome to stop reading the story. If you are above 18 and is open-minded, you are free to read it. Disclaimer: the characters in the story, though owned by Paramount, are products of my imagination and creativity. (yada yada yada) Rating: NC-17     "A Kiss from a Rose"     Sounds of a bustling market, with a mixture of human laughter and bantering, reminded Tom readily of home the moment he walked into the village square. A riot of colors, the swirl of fire and glittering wind-chimes, the smell of roasting chestnuts and sweet toffee apples --- all these added to the headiness of the market. Ahead of Tom was Harry and Seven, both dressed in the garments of Earth’s high Middle Ages. Seven looked decidedly aloof in her lightblue aristocratic dress, her regal face cool. Harry was a child loose in a huge candy shop, looking like a young squire out on a spring day.  Tom smiled. It was Neelix’s idea to hold a Renaissance fair, to add some fun and excitement to the routine life of Voyager’s crew. It was also, in the Talaxian’s cheerful words, "educational". Tom grinned. Renaissance fair … He stopped grinning and gazed, forlornly, at the activities happening all about him. A juggler was attracting a crowd with his flaming torches. Near him stood an armourer who was showing off antique swords and shields. Richly caparisoned war-chargers strutted and paraded on the tournament field, ridden by knights in flashing armour. Tom lifted a hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight, courtesy of a very realistic holodeck program.  Thank you, Harry. You have always outdone yourself, Tom mused and continued walking alone. The crowd moved like a restless river around him, a rising and receding tide of humanity.  But yet he still felt …isolated.  He couldn’t find Chakotay. Tom sighed.  "Isn’t this grreatt ?!" Harry rushed up to Tom, his eyes flashing with delight. He was holding a toffee apple in his right hand, his clarinet in his left. Tom spied Seven discussing something with the armourer who looked perplexed. Probably something irrelevant again, Tom thought wickedly. He turned back to regard Harry with a nonchalant Tom grin. "Yep. Great …and awfully sweet …wholesome, " Tom teased his friend with a tinge of sarcasm. "It’s making my teeth ache just by thinking about it." Harry frowned. "Don’t be a kill-joy, Tom. Neelix and me designed the hologram so that everyone can enjoy the fun. Treat this as a stress-reliever. " Harry said, humor returning back. "How about you? You look …stressed lately. " "We have been in the Delta Quad for a long time, " Tom grinned, though he felt slightly annoyed. "Probably wear and tear …" Harry snorted. "Wear and tear …" He took a tentative bite out of the toffee apple. "You have been beside yourself eversince you and the Commander became …friends." "That’s besides the point, kid."  "Come on, Tom. You have to admit it: you are really concerned about him." "Huh."  Harry shrugged. "Maybe the marketplace isn’t the right place for you this time. " A twinkle in the ensign’s brown eyes. " Maybe …maybe ..you should try the rose garden over there …" Another twinkle. "Take some time to clear your head. Roses have therapeutic qualities." Then the ensign was off, running excitedly to meet up with Seven and B’Elanna who had arrived. Tom permitted himself to admire B’Elanna’s costume: a Saracen warrior’s garb.  Maybe the kid is right. I do need time to clear my mind. He headed for the rose garden.     ~~**~~ ~~**~~     The fragrance of rose blossoms was light and bewitching. It was also surprisingly refreshing. A light touch of innocence. Sweet.  Tom walked among the rose-bushes. The roses were as big as his palm and they came in different colors: red, dark red, pink, light pink and yellow. Many of the flowers were in full bloom. The young pilot lifted a hand to stroke the petals of a particularly large pink rose. Soft, even velvety. He leaned down and sniffed. It was a sweet light fragrance, reminding him of his grandmother’s room back on Earth. It was a fragrance at once homely, beautiful … …And something brushed his butt … Tom almost leapt out of his skin and wheeled about angrily … …And met brown eyes liquid with humor. "Chak! Don’t ever …ever …do that again!" Tom could feel his heart hammering in his chest. Damn, double damn. The Commander always had that effect on him.  Chakotay chuckled. "Harry told me that you are here …So I came." "Yeah." Chakotay walked quietly to a rosebush and smiled. "You are here to clear your mind?" "Yes." Tom realized that Chakotay looked beautiful standing in the midst of the roses. And with the soft kiss of sunlight on his brown skin …earthly in his rust-brown tunic and pants. He swallowed. A gentle rustle. Chakotay was snipping off a few dark-red roses with a pair of scissors. Tom watched slightly wary and hugely aware of the reaction happening in his pants. The big man finished gathering an bouquet of roses and padded slowly up to Tom. "Roses for my lover, " Chakotay said and Tom looked at him quickly, swallowing again. That was the tone. The tender tone he always used when he was making love to him. "I have to apologise. I have been so busy lately with crew reports. You know that I have to re-shuffle the Engineering roster with the birth of Tai’s daughter …" "It’s okay, " Tom took the bouquet and dropped it, yelping in sudden pain. A bright red dot welled up on his right thumb. "Damn! I hate the thorns!" Seeing his lover's distress, Chakotay lifted the wounded right thumb to his lips and sucked it so tenderly that Tom shuddered with the unexpected pleasure. "I am sorry, tiger …" The big Native American whispered and caressed the right thumb with his fingertips. He picked up the roses again. "Hey, it’s not your fault. Roses have thorns right?!" Tom tried to sound as if he was bantering but in actual fact, his insides were turning into marshmallows. Chakotay gave a low growling-kind of chuckle and pulled Tom towards the small sun-dappled grove.  Once there, they both sat on the lush grass, soaking in the sun and the whisper of the breeze. Somewhere, a stream gurgled hypnotically. Tom nestled comfortably against the Commander’s shoulder, closing his eyes. Finally …alone with him …finally … Butterfly wings were brushing against his face and he opened his eyes, only to see Chakotay with a rose in his hand. He was caressing Tom’s face with the flower… "Like it?" Chakotay’s voice was gentle. "Um-hmmm …" Tom was experiencing combined sensations of both smell and touch. The fragrance of the rose. The caress of the rose-petals. "I take it as a ‘yes’." Tom nodded, feeling deliciously aroused. He gasped when Chakotay placed a hand on his hardening manhood and squeezed lightly. Somehow or rather, the big man had managed to loosen his belt and his fingers --- so strong, so supple --- were sliding along his thighs --- oh yes! --- sending powerful messages of desire and want … …The velvet texture of rose petals against his balls brought a fresh influx of sensations, starting from there and proceeding (teasingly) along the entire length of his shaft … Tom had to stifle a cry of delight … …He felt …he felt Chakotay’s fingers stroking the sensitive regions of his anus and he shuddered …Chakotay is not holding back, isn’t he? And that was probably the last coherent thought Tom had … …The kiss from a rose brushing his aching nipples, dancing, enticing … It was too much for the young pilot to endure, He rasped out, "Take me now ! Now, Chak, please!" The big man laughed softly as he removed the rest of Tom’s clothings. With deft practised steps, he pressed against the pilot, releasing his own throbbing organ. He pushed it in, causing his partner to cry out in agonized pleasure… For a while, the saturated air of the rose garden was filled with the gasping and moaning. The grass rustled, hands gripping, almost tearing into the earthy soil, sweat glistening under the sunlight. "Oh God!" Tom cried out, digging his nails into the grass. "Oh …God!" He was sobbing. "Stop …stop …" He pleaded incoherently but he wanted it so badly too.  Chakotay pushed himself further in and there was a burst of sobbing-cum-cries-of pleasure from an almost insensible Tom. Then the dam exploded and Tom collapsed trembling with the intensity of the climax. Chakotay came within a few seconds later and with a sigh, he gathered his lover up into his arms and rocked him to drowsy slumber. "Sssshhh, " the gentle Native American whispered into Tom’s ears. "Ssshhhh …sleep …rest …" The fragrance and the tranquility of a sun-dappled grove wrapped the lovers into a cocoon of quiet joy.     ~~**~~ ~~**~~     Later, the two lovers emerged from the rose garden, holding hands. "You are not going to turn into a workaholic again eh?" Tom said, half-teasing, half-solemn.  "Hey, tiger. I have to!" Chakotay retorted back. "The joys of command, " Tom shook his head.  Chakotay hugged him tightly. "I am sorry." Tom sighed. Suddenly, he grinned. With a decidedly wicked glimmer in his eyes, he pulled Chakotay back into the Renaissance crowd. "Come on, you have to see the torture instruments they have in the fair!"             ***finis***