The Experiment (Data x reader)

The Things We Do For Love

~Warning for slightly suggestive content- nothing super explicit~

            Two weeks after Q's appearance on the bridge, you and Data sat quietly in ten forward. Around you, the bustle had died down; it was getting late, but you were both still nurturing your drinks. Across from you, Data's eyes flickered around the room; every now and then, you wondered how often he thought of Q, how much the incident had impacted him. Data, as it turned out, was fairly private, but if something bothered him he almost always opened up to you about it. You figured that if he wanted to share, he would.

He looked back at you after a moment, raising his eyebrows. "I suppose we should return to our quarters soon."

Our quarters. That part still got you sometimes. Your life with Data wasn't a fantasy anymore, it was a reality. It was a reality that he had sacrificed everything for, that you yourself had fought for. You had him now. You had your android, and he had you. Not to mention the friends you'd made along the way: Captain Picard, Commander Riker, Deanna, Beverley, Geordi, Worf, Guinan, and Wesley. Life was a lot more interesting for you now.

"Yes, I suppose we should," you murmured.

A tenderness entered his eyes, then, and you melted. Those golden eyes that were once so stoic, with only the slightest hints of expression, were now the windows to his soul. So much could be said from just one flash of those eyes, messages meant only for you, messages of love and joy and contentment. You thought back to the first time you'd realized you were in love with him; what a journey it had been since then.

You stood; his eyes followed you as you rose, but for the time being, he remained seated. "Y/n, I would very much appreciate an update on Brian's behavior in your class. It is, after all, him that I have to thank for my initial emotion."

You laughed and rolled your eyes, thinking back to his first bout of irritation. "Oh, Brian. I can't even begin to imagine how many notes I've sent home to his parents. What a handful."

Data raised his eyebrows, cocked his head in that way you adored. "Oh, perhaps, but we owe a lot to him."

"Come on," you said, laughing, tugging at his arm. He stood and you took his hand in yours, saying goodbye to Guinan on the way out. "She really stepped up for us, you know," you commented, looking up at Data.

He cocked his head again. "Everyone did. It is very much in the spirit of humans to come together through adversity. All of our friends were good to us." He glanced down at you. "And I have you to thank for feeling this gratitude towards them."

You arrived back at your quarters a few minutes later; Spot had eaten and settled down to nap on the couch. You and Data were careful not to wake her as you slipped into your bedroom.

Data shut the door firmly behind you and kissed your forehead softly. "You seem preoccupied," he murmured.

"I... I was thinking of my first time on the bridge, when you were in the captain's chair," you answered, pulling away momentarily. "You... I mean, I've always like it when you... well, you were just very attractive, that's all."

Data grinned–you were still getting used to the wide range of emotions he could display now, and god, you loved all of them–and he kissed you. "You know, even then, even before I could feel, your voice meant the world to me," he confessed. "Even before I knew what love was, I knew you were more than a friend."

You smiled and kissed him again, half-expecting Q to show up and spoil the moment like he had last time; when you opened your eyes and found he wasn't there, you were relieved beyond words.

"Y/n..." Data paused. "Do I have your consent to–"

"You have my consent, Data," you said, smiling and pulling him onto the bed with you. Dear lord, Doctor Soong must have programmed him with some sort of knowledge of intimacy, because he began to kiss at your neck and paid special attention to the spots that made you gasp; when he zeroed in on the spot underneath your ear, you couldn't resist a short moan. He jolted up instantly.

"Did I hurt you?"

"No–No, Data, that was a good sound, please, please keep going," you entreated him, tugging breathlessly at his uniform shirt. "It just feels really good, that's all."

And that night, you and Data finally, finally were able to make love without intrusion. It was beautiful and perfect and everything you'd ever hoped for, and you fell asleep in his arms. He'd taken to resting beside you at night; occasionally you'd awaken in the middle of the night to find him reading or working on something, and you were grateful that he kept you company even though he didn't need sleep.

The next morning, you and Data received a visitor–Beverley came in with a batch of freshly baked cookies. "I just wanted to congratulate you both," she said. "And, of course, a special thanks to y/n. Wesley would never have done well on his standardized essay without you as his teacher."

Wesley, who'd just then trailed in, briefly looked offended but then shrugged.

"Thank you, Dr. Crusher. I appreciate your gift," said Data proudly, clasping his hands behind his back. You bit back a smile; he was making an effort to use emotional words in his vocabulary now that he could feel, and he'd gotten in the adorable habit of emphasizing these words and looking over to you for your approval.

"Miss y/l/n, are you guys getting married?" Wesley asked eagerly, pointing between you and Data.

"Wesley!" scolded Beverley. You laughed, rolling your eyes, and Data bit his lip and studied the floor. If androids could blush, he'd be bright red.

"Anyway," Beverley continued, waving a dismissive hand at her son. "I just wanted to drop in quickly. I have to get to sickbay now, hopefully we can have a longer visit later."

"I always enjoy seeing you," said Data, glancing over at you like a child expecting to be praised. You chuckled, ruffled his hair fondly, and bid Beverley and Wesley goodbye. Once more, you, Data, and Spot were alone.

"You know," you said, sitting down on the couch, "I know we've been avoiding talking about this. But... Q said he was going to come back, and-"

"Enough." Data sat beside you and put an arm around your shoulder. "Anxiety over empty threats will do us no good. I have a bigger project in the works right now, actually."

"Yeah?" you asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Well, of course. Did you think I would forget my idea to contact my brother, Lore?"

Oh, no. Once again residing yourself to absurdity, you leaned back against the couch. You and Data were undeniably in for a wild ride together–but you never, ever, ever wanted to get off.

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We're finally at the end! Thank you all for sticking with me through this. Sequel? No sequel? What do you guys think? Love you all!