The Experiment (Data x reader)

The Robot

In an attempt to catch Data completely off guard, you summoned him to your classroom right before your last class without any explanation. You waited anxiously, tapping your fingers on your desk as your students came in, keeping a keen out for Brian.

"Hi, Miss y/l/n!" called one of your students. You offered a tight-lipped smile, but once you spotted Brian coming through the door, your nerves relaxed a tiny bit. After all, he was known for being rude, and surely, he would insult Data once again; it would be Data's chance not to respond, to feel irritation and annoyance.

"Miss y/l/n?" asked one of the girls sitting in the front. "Are you ever going to tell us about Q?"

You swallowed, clasping your hands together nervously and gazing back at the door, hoping that Data might come in and spare you this ridiculous chatter. "Er... Captain Picard would prefer for us all not to talk about it."

"C'mon, Miss y/l/n!" Brian shouted, and you sighed, closing your eyes in frustration. Deanna could probably feel your irritation from all the way across the ship.

"Miss y/l/n?" Data poked his head into your classroom, his golden eyes puzzled. No doubt he was used to summoning you places, not the other way round, and you couldn't help but get satisfaction from knowing you'd surprised him. Your students immediately fell silent, knowing that Data had been an integral part of Q's visit to the bridge.

"Come in, Data," you said, tucking your hair rather self-consciously behind your ear. Sometimes, you forgot how attractive he was, and it only served to make you more flustered in his presence. "I suppose you're wondering why I summoned you?"

"I am somewhat curious; however, I believe it was partly your intention to render me so," Data replied, leaning against your desk and crossing his arms, gazing inquisitively down at you. You smirked, knowing you'd been found out. "I believe that you must have something to communicate to me regarding our experiment," Data continued, and the class snapped to attention, staring at the two of you as though you were a theatrical production. 'The experiment' had become a popular topic of gossip on the ship, not just among your students but seemingly among every sentient being. Some were even gambling on whether or not it would be successful. As ridiculous as it all was to you, you were slightly amused by the sheer impact of your work with Data.

"You are remaining silent," Data noted. "Am I to take this silence to mean that you do not wish to communicate your intentions to me? How must I access this information?"

"Data." You cut him off with a wave of your hand, pointing to the empty seat beside Brian. "I would very much like for you to observe my class again. You may seat yourself there."

Data seemed befuddled, but he agreed, striding across the room to Brian and sitting beside him. You took a deep breath, gazing around at your other students and pretending not to pay too much attention to Data's corner of the room. You were about to start your lesson, when Brian, evidently having recovered from the shock of a senior officer in your classroom, finally spoke up.

"Miss y/l/n, why is the robot next to me?"

Realization flashed through Data's eyes, and your heart skipped a beat. This was his chance. This was his chance not to correct Brian, to defy his own programming. You gave him a small nod of confirmation; you thought you saw a hint of panic in the android's face. You watched him struggle against his protocol, an internal fight that you wouldn't have noticed had you not known what he was going through. He looked up at you, and it was shockingly... vulnerable. It was as though he were asking for help. His golden eyes were wide with fright, and he looked as though he wanted to call out to you for help. For a second, you were worried that he had been damaged in some way, but he swallowed, furrowed his brow, and recovered himself quickly.

Now, looking back at you was a very calm Data. Perhaps a little more eager than he usually seemed, but entirely at peace, as opposed to his internal struggle just moments before. He'd done it- he'd overrode his protocol. But had he felt anything in the process? You wanted more than anything to know, and the serenity that seemed to flow through him now didn't answer any of your questions.

As you taught your lesson, your brain went on autopilot. Data had seemed almost frantic, for a good five seconds at least. That had to mean something. And that look he'd given you, so helpless, so overwhelmed, so beautiful, you couldn't get that image out of your mind. Heavens, the android had stolen your heart and he'd done it without remorse. He listened attentively to your lecture, nodding at different times, never looking away or becoming distracted. Your heart fluttered in your chest, and you were relieved when class was finally dismissed for the day.

Once every last student had left the room, Data stood, quickly, yet retained his composed conduct as he strode towards you. "I felt," he whispered, golden eyes aglow with intrigue.

You felt an unspeakable joy bubble up in your chest. "Data... tell me," you said breathlessly, clasping onto his hand.

"I... I simply forced myself not to respond. The urge built up, and in my attempt to dismiss it, I became... inconvenienced by Brian's presence. The very essence of who he was and what he had said somehow affected me deeply, and irritation developed." Data was pacing restlessly, obviously taken aback by his moment of emotion. "I must record this in my notebook," he said firmly, taking off into the hallway. You followed, trying to match his quick pace.

"Data," you said urgently. "You looked scared. Why was that?"

"After my moment of irritation, I fell into a state of utter and complete shock." You followed Data into the turbolift. He ordered it to take him to his quarters before continuing. "My shock was then followed by fear and doubt. I resisted another powerful urge to seek your guidance through this moment. My emotions soon expired after that."

The turbolift doors opened, and Data stepped out, striding towards his quarters, as you tried in vain to keep up. "Data, you need to slow down. This must be a powerful moment for you. You need to allow yourself to digest it before you start analyzing it. Besides, it doesn't seem like you're entirely yourself right now," you insisted, following him into his quarters. Data ignored this and instead made a beeline for his notebook, writing furiously. You sank into a chair beside him, emotionally and physically exhausted, reconciling yourself to simply watching him.

"Y/n," Data finally said, looking up from his notebook after a solid two minutes of writing. "I must have you by my side at all times."

Heavens, you were more than willing to consent to that.

"In the case of another emotion," Data continued, "I must have your guidance in order to sustain it for a longer period of time. And I wish to know emotions beyond irritation- I wish to know affection, and pleasant sensations rather than only negative ones."

"Of course, Data," you said gently. "I'm very happy for you. I'm confident you can maintain an emotion for longer than a few seconds, and I'm more than happy to guide you through whatever you feel."

"This shall be ideal," Data responded, looking satisfied with your speech. "I shall commence packing." He stood and began to gather his research notebooks.

"What? Packing?" you asked. "What are you packing for?"

"Well, I assume that it will be more convenient for me to go to your quarters, rather than to have you come and stay here. After all, I have no bed, as I do not require sleep to function-"

"Data." Your mind was spinning, and you were pathetically light-headed. "What exactly are you saying?"

He paused, gazing back at you, his golden eyes softening. "My apologies, Miss y/l/n, I had assumed that I had made myself clear. I must have your guidance and supervision at all times; I believe that, with that restriction, it would be most inconvenient for us to inhabit two separate living spaces." 

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