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There was a good reason why Geordi La Forge was the Chief Engineer of the USS Enterprise. He was confident, efficient, and vocal. Under his leadership, his fellow officers had zero questions in their minds about what needed to be done to keep the Enterprise running smoothly.Engineering was not as social of a place as, say, Ten Forward, but it was not unusual to walk in and see Geordi guiding an ensign on the correct diagram to reference or a lieutenant on the correct tool to use. On this day, however, Geordi trusted the competency of his colleagues to carry on without his supervision, and found a peaceful place to himself to wait out the end of his shift.Jefferies tubes were not known for being spacious, but Geordi didn’t mind temporarily relating to an old fashioned Jack-in-the-box toy in exchange for an hour of privacy. The work he was there to do would take half an hour at worst, but he had already agreed with himself that he would stay there for the remainder of day shift. He remembered scoffing at the advice of Captain Montgomery Scott to play the trick of reporting inflated timeframes to the Captain, but Geordi was reporting to no one today. This particular job was on no one’s radar but his own, and he found no harm in taking his time with it. In fact, he found more harm in not doing so.The sparkling sheen of sweat on his skin was not solely due to the thermocables approximately a foot to his left concealed under a deceptively thin layer of duranium, nor due to the physical exertion of contorting into the space and jabbing a probe at a misfiring sensor. In fact, the true cause left his presence hours ago, politely leaving a fire burning in Geordi’s body ever since.That cause’s name was Data. He spent most of his brief stop in Engineering that afternoon with one slender hand parked firmly in the groove between Geordi’s shoulder blades, his pinky finger pointed downward along his spine. Data was nothing if not intentional. What he was not saying with his words, Geordi could easily clue into from his actions. They were about due for a dance under the sheets, and clearly they were both feeling it. It wasn’t a nightly occurrence, but it happened often enough that Geordi was sure of what to expect. Whichever hats they wore, and they traded frequently, what he most looked forward to was a synchronous and toe-curling happy ending. Their record was almost perfect, and the memories alone were enough to make Geordi sizzle.With that, Geordi’s attention was brought back to his work by a flash that he perceived thanks to the technology of his VISOR. The particular type of sensor Geordi was repairing was extremely useful for monitoring almost every inch of the Enterprise’s internal components, but they were also…finicky. If they misfired, like this one was, they created a five foot long ‘dead space’, which left all of Engineering more blind than Geordi without his VISOR to the status of the systems there. Repairing them was just as finicky of a task, but trivial for someone of Geordi’s caliber.Normally. The flash was not a good sign. It told him that he had held the probe too close to the sensor for too long, had been too heavy handed, and had consequentially burnt it out. A task that was meant to take half an hour, with the other half reserved for fantasizing about what was to come with Data, now was likely to keep him overtime.“Shit.”There was nothing like making a rookie mistake to kill the fluttering in his groin. It was just as well; it would be easier to back his way out of the Jefferies tube without a semi taking up more precious space. The entire block of sensors would need to be replaced, not just the one he overloaded. That meant returning to Engineering to collect the correct equipment. With a deep sigh, he began his backward trek.Once he emerged, his every muscle drank in freedom like a fine wine. He cracked his back, quite satisfied at the relief he felt as a result, and began his short walk back to Engineering.The last hour of any given shift typically went one of two ways. Either it was hustle and bustle, with every officer doing their part to finish what they could in an effort to be courteous to their shift replacements, or it was dead quiet. Geordi’s intuition told him that it would be the latter today, and he was correct. Even on a hustle and bustle day, he wouldn’t have expected anyone to have felt the desire to pick up the job he had ahead of him, especially not with night shift looming closer than the time the job would take to complete. To his surprise, a familiar silhouette shone and obscured the monitor Geordi was intending to check himself; with the inherent complexity of the Enterprise, one could never be too familiar with diagrams. Geordi recognized the particular light pattern of the replacement sensors already in the figure’s hand.“Hey, Data.”“Hello, Geordi.”“Whatcha got there?” A smile spread across Geordi’s lips as he leaned against the console with his arms crossed. Once again, Data was nothing if not intentional. None of this was coincidence.“It appears as though there is a small sensor blackout in Section A4 of Jefferies tube B127.” As he spoke, Data’s finger drifted along the relevant section of the diagram. Geordi could never quite put into words the difference between how Data carried himself on a normal day, and how he carried himself when he was intentionally driving him wild. But something about the way Data held his hand with his finger tip precisely a millimeter from the glossy surface, just a second longer than would be needed, raised Geordi’s blood pressure in the same way running from Engineering to the Bridge would.“Huh.” Geordi feigned surprise, tilting his chin towards the console as if just noticing it for the first time. “Replacing those sensors is an hour long job.” He resisted the urge to stick out his lip like a damsel in distress, although he was keenly aware of playing the part. Whenever Data managed to build up the nerve to try something as human as being in the right place at the right time to tease his already sexually frustrated partner, Geordi knew well enough not to sully it by making him question himself. It was better to play along and ask questions later.“Yes, given the complexity of the task, it would take a singular crew member approximately one hour, two minutes, and thirty-two seconds to complete the repairs. However, that time would be reduced significantly by even the efforts of one additional person.”“I see your point. How much time would be saved if one of those officers was the Chief Engineer, and the other was an android?” Data’s eyes met Geordi’s VISOR, and if Geordi was not being deceived by that very technology, he would say that the android in question was smiling at him: a smile of a hard won victory; a smile of his intentions being understood.“After you.” Data was polite almost to a fault. Geordi’s visions of watching his haunches as they proceeded up the tube died then and there. He had seen them plenty of times before, to be fair, but that only made his imagination more vivid.“So, you still haven’t told me—ugh,” Geordi grunted as he hefted himself onto a supporting ledge, “—how you knew this was what I was going to be doing.” The pressure on Geordi’s chest stifled but did not prevent his small, teasing chuckle.“It was simply a prediction.” Data’s voice carried none of the same signs of exertion, even as Geordi felt his presence joining close behind him. “Today had a 72.7% chance of being ‘uneventful’ by mission standards. Knowing this, I found no harm in briefly stopping in to assist you in your duties this afternoon. I was also aware of the fact that Jefferies tube sensors require repairs approximately every 143 days. The last repair of this nature was dated 156 days ago. Additionally, when I departed from Engineering, your pulse had quickened and you had begun to perspire. It was also telling that your gaze followed me as I left. I anticipated your need for solitude.”“You’re a regular Sherlock Holmes, Data. With or without the hat.”“Thank you, Geordi. I also anticipated your decreased dexterity.”That comment earned Data one of Geordi’s signature looks, directed down at him between his legs. Data returned it with an expression far more innocent than the guilty ensigns it was usually used on; yet he still held the replacement sensors, which would not have been necessary if Geordi had not made his mistake.“Okay, we’re here.” Geordi was already sweating. He was in nearly perfect health, thanks to constant access to the highest standards of nutrition and medical care onboard the Enterprise, but a second jaunt into the Jefferies tubes within the same hour would be taxing on almost anyone. It was hot and cramped, and Geordi almost always managed to bang a limb on a hard metal component. This time was no exception; he would have to count his bruises later. Or maybe that was a task he’d delegate to his android companion.Data brought up the rear with ease, giving Geordi about five new reasons to sweat. For two uninterrupted seconds, it slipped his mind like flip-flops on an icy day that they were there to complete a repair. It was easy to forget when his body preferred to put his attention towards the feeling of Data’s chest against his back.“You must use the sonic driver to dislodge the nonfunctional sensors from their socket.” The reminder took Geordi back to his academy days.“It’s in my belt.” The two of them were packed tighter into the space than sardines in a can. Data would probably be completely undamaged from Geordi’s elbow jabbing him in the stomach, but Geordi avoided it on principle.With Geordi’s implied permission to retrieve the tool, Data’s hands found their way to his waist. As if he had no clue where the tool actually hung, his grip slid down and around Geordi’s hips like a pair of curious anacondas. By the time Data got around to slipping the sonic driver from its holster and handing it over, Geordi had forgotten his own name. But he had enough of being clueless at his own job for one day. With a rub of his temples and the furrowing of his brow, he fought to keep enough blood in his brain to carry on with what needed to be done.Once he set his mind to it, and with Data’s extra set of hands, the job was finished right on the dot.“Geez.” Geordi looked back at the exit of the Jefferies tube with a mixture of disdain and relief, wiping his sleeve across his forehead to cut the sweat dripping down his face. He would be happy to wait another 156 days to reenter the cramped shaft. But now that they were officially off duty, the Jefferies tube and work they had put in was ultimately inconsequential. Data had already taken the initiative of holding Geordi’s hands, and Geordi gave a grin that stretched from his right ear to his left, akin to a kid let out on summer vacation. “Your place or mine?”“I believe it would be wise for us to continue our encounter in the privacy of my quarters. Spot will be expecting her dinner.”“Can’t argue with that.”It was appropriate for most Starfleet officers, off duty, to be seen kissing, hugging, or holding hands with their partners. Fondling was strictly inappropriate. Making out was strictly inappropriate. As two high ranking officers with abundant reputations to protect, Data and Geordi walked through the halls holding hands like innocent children. They greeted those they knew, whether they were returning to their own quarters or heading to their stations for night shift, and left almost none the wiser as to the rush they were actually in. They would have arrived at Data’s quarters unscathed if it weren’t for Deanna Troi, whose knowing smile as she passed let them know they’d been caught.It was just as soon as the door had swished open and closed again that Geordi had turned them around and pushed Data against it. His hands groped the back of his uniform in unmistakable payback for Data’s conduct in the Jefferies tube. Geordi could feel Data’s artificial breath on his face, a side effect of his internal cooling system, when Spot’s claws slipped past the barrier of Geordi’s pant leg and into the back of his knee. Soon after, her teeth gnashed at the fabric, sending the clear message that she would accept his flesh as her meal if she did not receive her preferred feline supplement.“Ah—Okay! Okay. Easy, girl.” Data came to Geordi’s rescue, kneeling and gently unhooking Spot’s claws from his uniform. He knew what she wanted, and so he walked across the room to the replicator. In the meantime, Geordi thought hard enough about what was to come to realize a shower would not be unwarranted. Data never cared how he smelled, but after the day Geordi had and the buckets he’d sweat, it wouldn’t hurt his confidence to be clean.This wasn’t his first time in Data’s quarters, so it was safe to say he knew his way around. In fact, he had an outfit already replicated in his size waiting for him in Data’s closet. Data’s closet was all but empty by the standards of most aboard the Enterprise. He had one spare uniform, besides the one already on his person, his poker visor, and all the components to his Sherlock Holmes costumes, neatly folded and put away. It was always possible to recycle and replicate new outfits onboard the Enterprise, and oftentimes it was necessary, but his Sherlock attire was important enough to him to keep and reuse. It made Geordi smile as he grabbed one of his own outfits that he kept in Data’s closet; a low-cut shirt and shorts, made from bright, breathable, sheer fabric. He skipped the underpants. He took the outfit with him into the small and standard bathroom stall, ready for him after his sonic shower. Sonic showers were standard complements to crew quarters, but some select individuals also had access to real bathtubs. Data had no need for anything beyond the shower, but Geordi was lucky enough to have a bath at his place. Maybe next time a romantic dip would be in order.“You need not be afraid. She is satiated.” Data must have noticed the caution Geordi stepped out of the bathroom with. An ambush would be extra bloody with his legs bare. Data sat upon the bed, while Spot was chowing down on Feline Supplement 25 next to his desk.“You’re a sight for sore eyes.” Data looked exactly as he looked before Geordi stepped away. And yet, this was the first time that day that Geordi was looking at him in the privacy of his quarters. No more stolen glances. Now, Geordi took advantage of every sight his VISOR allowed him. Data shimmered and glowed like no one else.“Are you experiencing a headache?” Geordi’s VISOR did not provide detail in the way the human eye did, and Data’s exact facial features often eluded him as a result. But he had learned how to read what he was able to see, and he could tell Data’s concern had spiked.“Nah.” It was a valid question, and one that had sparked their creativity in the past. Sex without his VISOR was an entirely different and exciting ballgame. Today, though, Geordi didn’t feel like missing a thing. Since Data was already seated, he was at the perfect height for Geordi to lean down and whisper into his ear. The corner of his mouth brushed against his angular sideburns. “Don’t need a uniform when you’re not on duty.” The fact was that Data existed in his uniform; he didn’t even wear pajamas. But the message was clear.“Correct.” It wasn’t fair for Geordi to start in so much less clothing. It was time to level the playing field. Data’s hands contorted behind his back, unzipping his uniform. He took his arms out of the sleeves, and allowed the fabric to fall off his shoulders. He then scooted further onto the bed, and angled his hips upwards to tug the uniform off his hips, down his legs, around his ankles. Geordi took the opportunity to climb up onto the bed, and made quick work himself of Data’s socks and shoes. Like always, they smelled as though they had come right off the replicator. Geordi made sure that all articles of Data’s clothing ended up on the floor.“Oh, yeah.” Data was left in nothing but his Starfleet issued underpants. Geordi supplied a heartfelt wolf whistle.“If it is a matter of fairness, then this shall go as well.” At the first contact of Data’s fingertips on Geordi’s stomach, under the loose fabric, he shuddered. He was fully awake now. At Data’s direction, the fabric came up and over Geordi’s head. Data began taking the time to fold the garment neatly.“Data…” Geordi’s warning tone reminded Data of his lesson in spontaneity. The fabric was promptly flung over his shoulder.“You are aroused.” Data’s hands had already made their way back to Geordi’s hips.“Thanks, Captain Obvious. Is that a phaser in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?”“Geordi, the garment I am wearing does not have pockets.”“Just checking.” With everything else out of the way, it was about time that they really got started. Geordi’s hands massaged Data’s shoulders and pushed him backwards onto the bed. “You’re stunning, anyway. Phaser or no.”“Thank you, Geordi.” Geordi kissed Data’s lips. Then his chin. Then his Adam’s apple, and then his poly alloy collarbone. In return, Data gave the characteristic hums that Geordi had come to expect from him, telling him he was doing something right. Geordi followed those noises like Sherlock Holmes and John Watson on a case.“Turn over, Data. I want to see you.” Geordi still felt he had been robbed going first into the Jefferies tube. It left his appetite for Data’s behind insatiable. Data obediently followed Geordi’s direction, flipping over onto his stomach underneath him. Geordi straddled him, very happy with his new view. It was at this point that his intrusive thoughts tended to kick in. Data was perfectly sculpted, with broad shoulders and a small waist. He wasn’t packing too much junk in his trunk, but the shape was very appealing. Geordi couldn’t help wondering if this was exactly how the great Noonien Soong looked in his prime, or if he had made…embellishments. Geordi would believe it either way. Unfortunately, allowing his mind to travel down that road ultimately led him to picture Dr. Soong at what was certainly not his prime, which slapped him in the face that he was picturing his partner’s father at a very inappropriate time. That was usually the end of those thoughts.Geordi’s hands gripped Data’s thighs and raked all the way up either side of his back. He pushed up his underwear in the process, leaving the bottom of Data’s bottom exposed like he was wearing high waisted shorts.“Are you enjoying yourself?” It was at Data’s question that Geordi realized he had been silent since Data had flipped over. He wasn’t kidding when he called him stunning.“Yeah!” A laugh rose up in his chest. “Damn, Data.”“I find you to be exceedingly attractive as well.”“At this rate, you’re never going to get rid of me. I’ll talk to the Captain and have your station moved to Engineering with me.” Geordi lowered himself down, lying right on top of Data. He had himself perfectly aligned, so that if there weren’t two layers of fabric between them, he would be slipping right inside.“I would not indulge you in this manner on duty, Geordi, no matter how close in proximity we were to each other. Starfleet protocol would not allow it.”“Starfleet protocol? Where was Starfleet protocol when you were grinding on me in the Jefferies tube?” Geordi was incredulous. Data had mastered their banter well enough to put him in that state quite often.“To my recollection, it was you who was ‘grinding’ on me.” Before Geordi could respond with a quip of his own, a wave of pleasure rose up from his groin. Data was suddenly warm. Very, very warm.“Oh, no. You can’t do me like this, Data. I’m not gonna last.”“I do not expect you to ‘last’.” Clearly, Data was out for blood in this encounter. Or, rather…another bodily fluid.“Nuh uh. We’ve got a streak going.” With that, Geordi took the encounter back into his own hands. He sat up, and tugged Data’s underpants right off his hips. Data allowed and assisted him as he completely removed and tossed them. As it turned out, the heat wasn’t the only invitation Data had in store. He was self-lubricating.Fully functional indeed.“Wow. I’m gonna use my hands. Are you okay with that?”“Yes, Geordi. Carry on.” With his explicit permission given, Geordi dove in. The amount of fluid was copious, sticking between Data’s legs and soaking into the sheets. Geordi easily took advantage of it. He gathered it in his fingers, and coaxed it back where it came from. “Mm.”“Do you like that?” It was a powerful feeling, to have someone as strong as Data as vulnerable as he was. Making him feel good made Geordi feel like he had the universe at his fingertips, even more than his job did.“Yes.”“There’s more where that came from.” Geordi couldn’t truly be sure how long he’d be able to continue before the urge to wet his whistle became too strong. This part of the process was usually the most beneficial to the one being penetrated, but Data had no physical necessity for preparation. He wouldn’t tear. He experienced no pain. It was really the enjoyment of the act for the act’s sake that was the reason for it, in addition to giving Geordi some time to build up a resistance. If he dove in head first (and not with the one on his shoulders), he simply wouldn’t last. Data’s body was far too good at what it did.Geordi’s fingers eased in and out of Data’s body, and Data responded with little humming moans, right in time with the movements. Geordi took them to mean that he was definitely enjoying it. Unfortunately, all things must come to an end.“Okay, Data. If we keep going like this, my fingers are going to get pruny.” Any excuse was a valid one to keep the encounter going. There had been enough teasing, and enough buildup. It was time to get the show on the road.“You may continue as you see fit, Geordi.” Along with his blanket consent, Data lifted his hips from the bed expectantly. The view just kept getting better and better. Geordi took a breath to steel himself. He was so worked up that the sight of him felt as good as the feel of him would. As eager as he was to continue, a moment of pause and mental preparation was in order.“Why don’t you…spread your legs a bit more?” Geordi bought himself time with the repositioning. Data spaced his legs out wide enough that Geordi fit between them, rather than straddling him like before. He would also have more leverage that way.“Is this sufficient?”“Yep. Looking good, Data.” In all the excitement, Geordi had forgotten the most obvious barrier to their continuation. He was still wearing his sheer shorts. A pang of aroused embarrassment sounded off in his stomach at forgetting, but he hoped Data had not noticed. Geordi watched himself pull them down his thighs, and lifted each knee to finally free them from his body. His shirt had ended up strewn across the headboard, but his shorts would have to make do with their space on the floor next to Data’s clothing.“Mm. Mm. Ah. Mm. Ah. Ah. Ah.” Geordi turned his head fully expecting to see Data going on without him, based on the unexpected sound of his stilted moans. But he had never been impatient with him, especially when it had counted this much. Today was no different. Data hadn’t moved an inch.“Are you okay?” Geordi had to stifle his urge to laugh along with his confusion. It wasn’t funny, he was sure, but the unexpectedness was cracking him up. The sounds Data was making bled into distorted garbles, at which point Geordi was completely certain that something wasn’t right, and his urge to laugh dissipated. “Data?”“How strange.” Data’s head popped up like a meerkat, and the expression on his face communicated that he was just as confused by the sounds coming out of his mouth as Geordi was. “My sexual response program appears to be malfunctioning.”“Malfunctioning? What do you mean?” Geordi hadn’t heard of this program from Data before, and as much as he’d rifled through the android’s head, he hadn’t seen it either.“The program is built upon an algorithm that predicts the most appropriate responses to sexual contact under several conditions. Pressure, location on the body, and setting in which the contact occurs are the primary considerations.” Geordi would not have advanced as far as he had in Starfleet if he wasn’t a quick learner. He felt a sigh come over him. He wouldn’t put it past Noonien Soong to reduce something as natural as sex to an algorithm. He wasn’t surprised for a moment.“Okay. Well…what do we do?” Geordi’s concern had dampened but not completely extinguished his arousal. Now that he was exposed to the air, he was becoming sore. Since Data was not looking, he found it harmless to give himself a couple half hearted strokes.“As a temporary measure, I can deactivate the program until I am able to isolate and correct the malfunction.”“What will that do?”“It is all but guaranteed that I will not react in the way you have grown accustomed. I will not know the proper time to moan or to gasp, or to otherwise respond to your touch.”“So I’ll be going in blind.” The pun was very much intended, and intended to lighten the mood at that. “Will you at least verbalize how you’re feeling for me?”“I do not understand.” That was not the response Geordi was anticipating. His brow furrowed.“Well, if you’re not going to be making noises to let me know you’re feeling good…then you can at least say words. Right?” There was a long pause then. The air went still enough that Geordi could hear Spot grooming herself beneath Data’s desk.“Geordi…” Finally, Data spoke. “There is no correlation between my programmed responses and the pleasure I feel.”“Huh?” Geordi was not anticipating his entire world to turn over during this encounter. The stress caused his regular VISOR induced headaches to finally get to him. He rubbed his temples before finally detaching the VISOR and tossing it to the side. Sometimes things actually felt less overwhelming without it.“It is a…script, of sorts, meant to make the act more naturalistic and pleasing. Without it, I would certainly seem cold and unappealing.” Despite Data’s extended explanation, a million questions exploded like fireworks in Geordi’s mind. And not the good kind of fireworks. It was strange to hear Data claim to be cold and unappealing, especially when he continued to radiate such heat.“Data, you’d never seem cold and unappealing to me. That’s not who you are.” With his heartfelt reassurance out of the way, Geordi continued to ponder the situation at hand. He couldn’t help but think over every encounter they’d had together, and everything Data had said before about his sexuality. One line in particular stood out:‘I am programmed in multiple techniques. A broad variety of pleasuring.’Pleasuring. Not ‘being pleasured’. Geordi couldn’t believe he’d missed it before.“Can I ask you a question?”“I believe you just did.” The deja vu made Geordi smile. Data’s ability to banter was obviously separate from his malfunctioning program.“Well, can I ask you a few more questions?”“Of course, Geordi.”“Does it feel good for you? Sex?” It mattered to him. He’d been assuming the entire time that Data’s experience was just as good as his own. If he’d known any different, this conversation would have happened much earlier.Data paused for several moments. He had come a very long way in understanding the capabilities that once felt foreign to him. He’d realized his capacity for love and for desire through his relationship with Geordi. Still, he hesitated. His answer eventually came, and when it did, he was sure of it.“Yes.”Geordi released a long breath through his nose. Relief swirled and mixed with the arousal in his stomach. “Okay. Well, then we can make this work.” And he was sure of it. “What about…finishing? Ejaculation? What’s that like for you?” Geordi was hesitant on the question. He wasn’t sure if he was ready for the answer, with the pride he had taken on the belief that they finished in tandem nearly every time due to something other than an algorithm.“I would liken my experience of orgasming to many humanoid species’ experience of breathing. It is under my control if I so wish, but in theory it will eventually occur on its own regardless.”In theory.Eventually.Ouch.“So…all the times before?” Geordi couldn’t help but confirm. He had to know. It was ultimately a morbid curiosity, but it was a burning curiosity regardless.“I have chosen on the majority of occasions to synchronize my orgasm with your own. To my knowledge, finishing ‘together’ is preferred for many humans.”“Right.” It was the answer he expected, if not the answer he wanted.“Do you have any other questions, Geordi?”“No, not…not now.” He couldn’t help feeling let down. It was a sad shock. There was something endearing about the fact that Data had been choosing to synchronize with him, because he knew he’d like it that way. But it certainly left Geordi’s confidence dented. “Right!” Geordi hit the back of his hand against his palm with a soft plap. “Here’s what we’re going to do.”“I am, as they say, ‘all ears’.”“You said you could deactivate your response program?”“Yes.”“Let’s do that.”“Whatever you want, Geordi.”“And then…I’m going to make you cum, Data.” Geordi had tossed his sight aside, but he still was able to hear and feel Data shift on the bed. He was hoping that was a very good sign.“I am…glad, that you are still willing to continue.”“Any time.” As important as their conversation was, and Geordi was hoping Data would continue to verbally update him, the interruptions were getting tiresome. He was practically turning blue.Geordi aligned himself with Data’s entrance, going mostly by feel, and took a moment to assess the situation. One last detour. “Can we turn down the heat by any chance?”“Down? To what degree?”“Let’s start with 50%.”“Done.”Data was cooler but still pleasantly warm. Geordi had the passion of his mission in his heart, but it was harder to stick with what he intended to do once he was actually inside. Data’s insides drew him in like they wanted something from him, and Geordi wouldn’t be surprised if they did with how Data had been behaving. In truth, they felt familiar, but Geordi had underestimated his own sensitivity. Sensitivity was now the biggest issue.“Okay. This is…fine. We can work with this.” Geordi adjusted himself to try to find a less pleasurable angle, clearing his throat in the meantime. It was likely the hormones that had been surging through his body all day, but his emotions were getting to him.“Are you alright, Geordi?” Data had been relatively straight laced in his posture for the majority of the encounter, but now he twisted himself to look backwards at his partner. Geordi couldn’t see him do so, but he had a hunch with the way the bed shifted.“I’m fine, Data. Let’s do this.”“Please.” It was only one word, but it was a clear request regardless. He could tell something was still wrong, and he wanted to know what it was. Geordi couldn’t hide.“Let’s take it down to room temperature. And…can you reduce the fluids?”“Yes. But, Geordi…I have customized these settings to your preferences. Why do you want to change them?” Geordi was not surprised to hear that, but he was sure Data was leaving something out. These settings seemed excessive. But maybe that was down to Geordi’s goal this time around.“It’s about you this time around, Data.” It was the only answer he provided, but it did the trick. Data’s body became significantly cooler and dryer. Geordi felt his orgasm drift further off into the horizon. All he had to do now was get Data’s to move closer at a faster rate than his own. And he had to believe he could do that. “Alright. Tell me how you’re feeling as we go along here. Don’t leave anything out.”“Yes, Geordi. At the present moment, I am feeling an increase in internal pressure and a stretch as you push your cock back into me. I can distinguish every inch of you in great detail; your glans, the temperature of your blood as it pulses through the corpus cavernosum, the height of your testes as they relate to their position against me. Your heart is beating at a rate of 122 beats per minute.”“You’re reading my pulse?” Geordi couldn’t help a breathless little laugh. This was definitely the android he loved. No imposters around here, which was good to know since the existence of Lore kept the chances far from zero on any given day.“Yes. There is abundant blood flow to make a reading possible.”“I don’t doubt that.” Geordi could practically take his own pulse if he wanted to. With one hand securely grabbing Data’s hip, he used the heel of his palm to feel along Data’s back for the groove between his shoulder blades. His hair was not much further up from there.“Geordi.” If he didn’t know any better, he would say Data’s voice had taken on a slightly urgent tone. That had to be good.“Yeah?”“I believe I am experiencing a…tingle.”“Tell me more. Tell me everything.” Just the words gave Geordi a tingle of his own. More like a jolt. His heart had to be going faster than 122 BPM now.“It is vague. However, I believe the cause is the grip you currently have on my hair. I have several quite sensitive access panels beneath my scalp, as you know. I am also acutely aware of your ability to access them.”Now they were getting somewhere.“Keep talking.” Geordi was barely conscious of his own body upping the pace. It was a reaction that was practically beyond his control.“However, it is safe to say that you hold my complete trust. The tingle has subsided.”“Ugh!” Geordi could not have predicted the flash of anger he experienced. His forehead landed against Data’s poly alloy spine, his own sweat moistening Data’s bioplast. Without a word, he released his hold on Data’s hip and took his cock instead. His strokes were furious, but Data’s body remained stable.“You are performing phenomenally well, Geordi.”“Come on, Data. Come on, Data.” Geordi’s mouth opened, and he grazed his teeth against Data’s back. All he wanted was to make Data cum, and properly this time. But his own body’s desires were quickly sabotaging him.“For the sake of clarity, you would not like for me to trigger my own orgasm when yours occurs, as we have done before?”“No!” His voice had even more bite than his teeth. He loved Data, all of Data, but his patience had worn thin. And it wasn’t Data’s fault at all, which only seemed to add to his frustration and desperation.“Very well.”It came over him way too soon. The relief was palpable, but so was the disappointment. Geordi tossed the decoupler up into the air and caught it on its return. It was the next morning, and things in Engineering were even more boring than they were the day before. He had had the best night of sleep in his life next to Data in his quarters, until he was rudely awoken an hour before day shift by claws in his chest. They were almost as sharp as the memories of the evening he and Data had spent together.Geordi was about to fling the tool into the air again, when someone very familiar walked in. He managed to greet him like not a thing was wrong.“Hi, Data.”“Hello, Geordi. I have a private matter to discuss with you.” They hadn’t managed to talk about anything that morning. Not between feeding Spot, sonic showers, Geordi’s breakfast, replicating a new uniform sans tiny rips and spots of blood, and thinking. Geordi did a lot of thinking, and Data gave him space.The two of them climbed up a ladder, to the more private third level of the warp core. From there, they found an even more private corner. They were illuminated in blue and red light.“I have corrected the malfunction in my sexual response program. It is now fully operational.”Geordi sighed.“You know I’m not going to tell you what to do with your own programming, Data. But that one…I gotta say, I’m not comfortable with it.”“Why?” Data blinked.“Because I don’t want you moaning and groaning at me because some algorithm is telling you to. I want to know how you’re really doing. What you’re really feeling. That program is the reason I haven’t been pleasing you like I should be.”“Geordi, I do not understand. You please me every day.”“Yeah, I know.” Geordi flashed a smile. “But that’s not what I mean. Turns out, I’ve never…” Despite the privacy, they were still on duty. “…brought you to completion. And I want to.”“But, Geordi, you—”“That doesn’t count. I want to earn it. And you deserve for me to earn it.” Geordi was resolute. Data was silent as he thought what Geordi was saying through. Geordi lowered his voice as he gave Data one more point to consider. “You’re not some glorified sex doll.”“…I believe I am beginning to understand.”“Good. So…meet me in my quarters at the end of day shift. Around 1800 hours.” Geordi’s palm rested against the center of Data’s chest. There might not have been a human heart in there, but there was definitely a heart. If Geordi really focused, he could feel it thrumming.“I will be there.” Exactly on time, no doubt. Geordi felt so happy he could kiss Data’s delicate bioplast lips.“Commander, there you are. I had a question about the matter-antimatter containment unit. I’m getting readings that don’t make any sense.”Duty calls.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Computer, give me…one pound of rose petals, two hundred milliliters of lubricant, and three condoms.”“Specify type of lubricant and size of condoms.”Geordi couldn’t remember the last time they’d had sex two nights in a row. The truth of the matter was that it was only one of many activities that they enjoyed together. Putting the spotlight on sex was unusual, but Geordi simply couldn’t wait to spoil Data like he deserved.He scattered the petals in a path from the door to the bed, and from the bed to the bath. Data’s supercomputer of a mind would start putting the pieces together the moment he walked in, and Geordi hoped to leave him buzzing with his own unique form of positronic anticipation. He had preliminarily showered and dressed himself in a very similar outfit to the one he wore the night before at Data’s. Skipping underpants again this time, the outline of his cock and balls were clearly visible under the sheer, shimmery fabric. This was not an outfit to wear outside of his or Data’s quarters.Finally, with everything prepared, he settled himself onto the bed.“Computer, what’s the time?”“The time is 1756 hours.”Four minutes left. Roughly the amount of time that Data could get him to cum on a good day. Geordi scoffed at the thought. It wasn’t a competition.Geordi ran his hands up and down his calves, shaped by many hours of standing and running in Engineering. He was either nervous or excited based on the fluttering in his stomach. As he fidgeted, his fingers traced over the scabs on the back of his knee from Spot’s show of impatience the day before. There was a mirror opposite the bed; mirrors didn’t appear the same to Geordi with his VISOR as they did to those with typical sight. Even still, his reflection was familiar and comforting. His bruises from the Jefferies tube were just barely evident, faint little tricks of the light against his skin.The door beeped. Geordi was surprised enough that he asked the computer the time again before allowing his visitor in.“The time is 1759 hours.”“Come in, Data.” The doors slid open, and in stepped Lieutenant Commander Data. “Eager, huh?” Geordi’s smile stretched across his face and radiated every bit of joy he was feeling.“I do not understand your meaning.”“You’re early.”“Ah! Yes. Your invitation this morning specified the end of day shift, around 1800 hours. Around. That implies a time somewhat outside of precisely 1800 hours.” Data was clearly proud to show off his newfound bit of knowledge of human customs. And Geordi was proud in turn.“And you chose to be early.”“I hope that I am not too early. It appears at least that you have completed your preparations.” Data lifted his foot, maintaining perfect balance on one leg as he observed the flower petals stuck to the bottom of his boot. He lowered his foot and was about to take another step forward when Geordi stopped him.“Uh uh! No uniform and no underwear zone.” Geordi’s order gave Data only a momentary pause. Then his hands reached behind his back for the zipper of his uniform. Geordi had no idea how he did it, since the uniform was cinched in at the waist, but it cascaded down Data’s body and gathered at his feet until he was able to simply step out of it. Data removed his boots, then his underwear, then continued on the rose petal path in nothing but his socks. It was a sight to behold.Data joined Geordi on the bed, but sat on the edge until he had managed to brush away every petal from the bottoms of his feet. Geordi had purposefully not scattered any onto the bed, and Data seemed to respect that decision. Neither of them wanted to be picking petals out of private places.“Cold feet?” Geordi grinned, completely amused by Data’s arbitrary attire.“Socks were not on the list of prohibited clothing.”“Neither were boots.” In truth, Geordi had simply forgotten to specify. But Data’s brow furrowed as if he had made a revelation.“I can put them back on, if you would prefer to take them off of me yourself.”“Nah. That’s not necessary.” Now that they shared the same space, the last thing Geordi wanted was the distance to grow again. He scooted up on the bed and took Data’s upper arm into his hands. He was ready to tug him backwards when Data continued.“There is no shame in a sexual fascination with feet. The 21st century neuroscientist Vilayanur Ramachandran theorized the cause in humans to be the proximity of the area of the brain that processes stimulation of the feet to the area that processes stimulation of the genitals. Since that time, researchers have—”“Hey now!” Geordi’s hand came down softly on Data’s shoulder. It was enough to halt Data’s lecture and put an almost imperceptible smile on his lips. “Are you teasing?”“Perhaps.”“You’ve gotten way too good at that. No socks, either.”“As you wish.” If Geordi was honest with himself, he’d admit that he enjoyed Data’s feet for the same reason he liked his hands. Long, slender digits, and perfectly manicured nails. But that was an exploration for another time, under different circumstances. Data flung both of his Starfleet issued black socks off the side of the bed.“I see that you have procured personal lubricant and condoms.” Data let the observation hang in the air without tacking on any input. Geordi grinned.“That’s right. You’re in charge tonight, Data. I’m all yours.” Geordi stretched out his arms like a bird for emphasis. In his mind, this was the perfect plan. Data couldn’t last forever if he was the one on top; he could set almost any pace that would satiate himself. And Geordi could last much longer bottoming than he could topping.“I am in charge.” Data repeated it, as if to confirm it for himself. Then he nodded resolutely, and Geordi could see that he agreed with the plan entirely. His expression became less curious and more commanding, and if it was even possible, his back became straighter. “It is not fair that you are dressed and I am not. I will be correcting this disparity now.”Damn. What did he get himself into?“Wait, Data.” Once Geordi’s mind cleared, he caught Data’s hands as they made their way to the bottom of his shirt. “Wait.” Data’s expression softened like a puppy’s.“What is it, Geordi?”“We gotta have the same goal here. Tonight is all about you. Short of hurting me, I want—”“I would never hurt you.”“I know.” Geordi couldn’t help a smile. “But I want you to seek your own pleasure. Don’t worry about me.”Data’s lips parted, his brow furrowed, and his yellow irises flickered. “…Are you certain?”“Yeah, I’m sure.” Geordi rubbed his hands up and down Data’s shoulders. He was so handsome, so perfect from his bioplast to his deepest internal components. He deserved to feel good. “You deserve to be a little selfish tonight.”“But, Geordi… Selfishness is a negative human trait, particularly in romantic and sexual relationships.” Cute, sweet, and handsome.“Usually.” Geordi chuckled. “But in this case, I think we can agree it’s warranted.”“On what grounds?”“Data…” They had already talked about it. But still Data resisted. Geordi couldn’t blame him for it; it went against his nature. Possibly his very programming. “I want you to cum.”“I can achieve orgasm at any time.”“I know. But I want it to be…real. You deserve it to be real.”“It has always been real.” They were at an impasse. Geordi sighed, and used one of the hands he had on Data’s shoulders to pull him closer. He buried his nose into the crook of his neck. He smelled of bioplast.“Maybe real isn’t the right word. I want it to be earned. I want it to happen because you feel so good that you can’t stop it.”“What if it is not possible?” Data’s voice had gone soft.“You said it was.” Geordi’s tone held no accusation, just the statement of a fact. His hands ran up and down Data’s back. His fingertips grazed the panel which contained Data’s off switch. One proper press, and Data would go limp in his grasp, his consciousness stolen from him. And Data trusted him with it completely.“I believe it is. I experience definite pleasure during sexual contact. However, I worry that…perhaps it is not enough. I see how you seize and lose control of your sensibilities when your orgasm is near. I do not experience the same.”“Hey… If there’s one thing we know by now, it’s that your experiences aren’t any less valid for being unique. We’ll figure out what works best for you. Together.”“Thank you, Geordi… I am reassured by your words. However, I still question my ability to completely discount your pleasure in pursuit of my own.”“Think of it this way. I’ll be really happy if you’re able to cum tonight. Really, really happy. Happier than I’d be if I came myself.”“I see. So in pursuing my own interests…I would in turn be pursuing yours.”“Exactly.”“I understand now. May we continue?”“Absolutely.”From there, Data did the last thing that Geordi would have expected. He took the front of Geordi’s shirt in both of his hands and tore it like wet paper right down the middle. Geordi couldn’t contain a gasp. Data tossed the shreds off of the bed.“Geordi. I consider you to be one of the greatest gifts in my life. This is the way that Wesley Crusher once insisted I unwrap my gifts.”Once Geordi was able to get his lips to form words again, he responded. “…Wow, Data. That was almost perfect. Next time, though, maybe don’t mention Wesley.”“Noted.” Data maintained eye contact as his hands moved down and gave Geordi’s shorts the same treatment. Data had never ever been so rough before; but this was unknown territory. Never before had the focus been so heavily on Data’s own pleasure. Geordi had to wonder if being rough gave Data those good feelings. The thought made him shudder. “May I kiss you?”“What?” Geordi blinked himself back into the present.“I would like to kiss you.” Beneath his VISOR, Geordi squinted. Asking for a kiss wasn’t the obvious direction after he just tore his clothing to shreds. But it sounded more than enjoyable regardless.“You can do whatever you want.”Once given permission, Data tilted his chin and leaned forward painfully slowly. Geordi was left tingling from anticipation. But once it began, it was worth the wait. Data’s lips were soft and responsive, and when he eventually caught Geordi’s bottom lip in his teeth it was more than welcome. Data actually tasted and felt about the exact same on this end as he did on the other end, obviously excluding his tongue and teeth upstairs and the synthetic muscles downstairs. His mouth was a heated, slick cavern all the same, and whatever compound made up his saliva also evidently made up his…other fluids. Data’s tongue was softer than a baby’s bottom, and a more than amiable dance partner with Geordi’s own. The ending of the kiss was just as gentle as its beginning, although Geordi did follow it until their lips were forced apart from the distance with a small sucking sound. Data paused to give Geordi a look that said a thousand words. Acknowledgement both of what Geordi wanted and the fact that he recognized that he wanted it, but also acknowledgement of their agreement. The kiss was ending because Data wanted it to, and it didn’t matter this time that Geordi wanted more. And Geordi was more than happy for the cards to fall that way.Geordi’s lips were not so forlorn for too long. Data leaned forward, pressing Geordi back on the bed and giving him a face full of his chest. Geordi’s mind emptied aside from the sound of his own heart beating in his ears and the biofluid pump thrumming in Data’s chest. If he was able to form any coherent thought, he would wonder as he had a million times before why Noonien Soong had made Data as bald as a baby aside from the hair on his head. Some chest hair wouldn’t look too bad on him. Maybe a happy trail. Wondering, of course, never made him appreciate what was in front of him any less.When Data pulled back, he had retrieved two pillows from the head of Geordi’s bed. He set them aside, and then took both of Geordi’s thighs into his hands. Geordi’s stomach tightened and fluttered. “Hi there!”“Hello, Geordi.” Data had the tiniest smile on his lips. Geordi wouldn’t mind another kiss from those lips, especially since they still shimmered with their combined saliva. But it wasn’t up to him. “Wrap your legs around my waist.” The direction was simple enough, but even still Data assisted him. He supported Geordi’s lower back with both pillows, so that his hips were angled properly upward.“That’s convenient.” Geordi couldn’t help but comment. If he didn’t, he might just explode. Data was poking him right in the tailbone.“Yes. However, I must admit, I…am unsure of how to proceed.” Once again, Data surprised him. Geordi propped himself up on his elbows.“What do you mean? You can do anything you want.”“I am deftly aware of ways to continue that would be exceedingly pleasurable for you. But I am not aware of ways to continue that would center my own pleasure. My programming is…limited in that respect.” Geordi himself had come to that conclusion. Data realizing it himself, though, broke his heart into fifty million pieces. Data was typically quite skilled at taking charge during sex, but this time he looked like a lost lamb.“Try some things. That’s what you’ve been doing so far, right?”“That is correct. I have taken your clothes off of you, we have shared a kiss, and now I have positioned you to escalate our encounter.”“That’s right. You’re doing great.”“Thank you.”“When you say sex makes you feel good…where do you feel it?” No question was out of the question in their quest to explore Data’s sexuality. Geordi leaned all of his weight on one of his elbows, freeing a hand to touch Data’s stomach.“In all the usual places, I suppose. My groin and buttocks, primarily.”“Here?” Geordi’s hand traveled up Data’s body, and he ran his second knuckle over his right nipple.“There as well.”“What about when you cum? What’s that like?” Geordi’s finger continued to rub on Data as their conversation went on. His nipple felt about the same as his lips, normally, but the stimulation had caused it to stiffen.“It is very pleasant. I feel a release of pressure as the fluid leaves me, and a curious sensation that runs from the middle of my back upwards.”“Oh?” It took some core strength, and holding onto Data like he was a jungle gym, but Geordi was eventually sitting up on his lap. “Somewhere around here, maybe?” Geordi’s fingers ran along Data’s spine, until he found the special panel.“Yes. There.”“That’s your power switch. I wonder if—”“Geordi. Pardon my interruption.”“Go ahead.” Geordi couldn’t help but laugh. People interrupted Data constantly. Geordi even caught himself doing it on occasion. But when Data was the one doing the interrupting, he was endlessly polite about it.“I have decided how I would like to continue. You will need to return to the position I had you in.” The soft click of the cap on the lubricant was clue enough as to what Data had planned.“Yes, sir.” Geordi joked, to Data’s bemusement. He dropped himself right back onto the bed sheets.“I would like for you to relax.” Geordi could barely process the sheets under his back before he was also processing cool lubricant on his back end.“Oh, I’m relaxing.” Geordi could understand Data’s implicit trust of him touching him near his sensitive panels now more than ever. Geordi wasn’t scared for a moment of how Data would treat one of his most sensitive areas. Geordi closed his eyes, but of course his sight continued to be transmitted straight to his brain through his VISOR. The only way to turn it off would be to take it off, and there was too much to miss for that to be an attractive option. Geordi had no advancements to his hearing, but he didn’t need any to hear Data discard the condom wrapper and slide it over himself. It was likely to decrease his sensitivity when that was the opposite of what they wanted, but safety came first. Geordi’s human body was not infallible to infection and irritation like Data’s. “Put one of those on me, too.” Geordi could actually use less sensitivity.“You are not in a position to be giving orders. But I will humor you nonetheless.” Data tore open the wrapper of a second condom.“Woo-ee. Excuse me.” Geordi rolled his eyes beneath his VISOR, but in a more than endeared way. Data was trying things, just like they talked about, and Geordi would not stand in his way or give him reason to doubt himself. He was enjoying every moment of the process.“You are temporarily pardoned.”“Emphasis on that ‘temporarily’, huh?” Geordi kept his teasing smile until Data brought the condom down over him. Then his expression became unwittingly soft. It was about the only soft thing present.“You will let me know when you feel properly prepared for me to penetrate you with my cock.” It was phrased like a command, but Geordi felt Data’s affection seeping through. Geordi meant to respond verbally, but once Data’s finger touched his entrance the only thing he could manage was an ‘OK’ hand gesture. “I expect verbal responses.”“Is this how you’d run your own ship?” Teasing was practically mandatory, even as Data’s finger continued to press inside him and his body worked on adjusting to the intrusion. His stomach muscles unwittingly tensed, and he willed them to relax again. Data didn’t need to be asked to make ample use of the lubricant, until it was running over Data’s own body beneath him. The temperature was not uncomfortably cool, but Geordi couldn’t help thinking about the heat imbued in Data’s own lubricant. He missed it. “Should’ve asked the computer to warm the stuff.”“What temperature would you like it to be?” Data’s caring nature broke through the moment he was able to make something more comfortable for Geordi. It was not surprising, and gave Geordi yet another smile.“Well, what temperature do you set yours to? You base that on my subconscious preferences, right?”“Yes.” Data already held the bottle in his hand, and there was no reason he shouldn’t be able to adjust the temperature of his hands in the same way he had control of other areas of his body, and in turn imbue heat into the lube. In fact…there wasn’t any reason for him not to change the temperature of both of his hands at the same time.“Is it just me, or has the finger you’ve got in my ass just jumped ten degrees?”“6.667 degrees, actually.”“Oh, excuse my lack of specificity.” A moment after the chide left his grinning lips, the heated lubricant made contact. Geordi’s muscles gave almost instantly. His hands grabbed at the sheets. It was several moments before he regain the ability to speak coherently. “You’re being awfully accommodating. When you said you’d humor me, I didn’t expect it to last so long.”“…I am simply taking the most efficient actions to progress my own goals.” Geordi’s VISOR allowed him to see much more than an average human could. The average human would assume Data never blushed. Geordi would disagree. Data’s poker face was nonexistent.“Right, right. Don’t let me stop you.”“I will not.” In reality, Geordi could stop Data in his tracks if he said the right words, or even tensed or gasped in the wrong way. “I am going to incorporate a second finger.”“With the way I’m feeling, you could put your whole hand in there.”“…We may consider that for a different day.” Geordi snorted at Data’s concerned tone of voice. He was precious, even when he was trying to act tough.Data’s second digit joined his first, and Geordi was right about the fact that his body willingly accepted it like it was absolutely nothing. Geordi lifted his head from the bed to see what he was able to see of the action, and the answer was almost everything. He couldn’t say he had actual x-ray vision with his VISOR, but he could say that Data put off so many emissions that he could actually see the suggestion of his fingers through his own body. Another thing he saw, clear as day, was an expression on Data’s face that said he was most definitely learning from this moment. Geordi could imagine his thoughts roughly translating to, ‘Temperature. Temperature is the key’.Data’s wrist worked at him, and Geordi witnessed the flexing of his artificial tendons. Then Data’s expression changed, to one of focus and concentration. Instead of the rhythmic back and forth, Data began to systematically probe around the area. It took practically no time for his search to be over.“Ooh. Ooh!” Geordi’s hips danced. He wasn’t expecting such a targeted assault.“Your prostate is healthy.”“Thanks, Data. I’ll let Doctor Crusher know.” Geordi held his arm over his VISOR, which was just about the only way to reduce his sight without taking it off. His heart was beating entirely away from his chest. Data had plans, and he had to hold himself together for them.“I am awaiting your confirmation.”“Confirmation? For what?” Geordi’s mind had wandered so far away that he had to work to tug it back. By the time he’d remembered, Data was already telling him.“Confirmation that you are ready to continue.”“I’m ready.” He was more than ready, physically. But he pursed his lips beneath his arm, and Data took notice.“What is wrong?” By the time Geordi uncovered his VISOR and looked at him, Data’s head was tilted and he was looking back quizzically.“Can’t get anything by you, can I?”“I hope not.”“Truth is…I’m worried. Worried I won’t be able to keep up with you.” Geordi groped at Data’s arm until he was able to take his hand. It was relatively dry in comparison to his other one, but just as warm.“I will not set a pace that is uncomfortable for you.”“Of course you won’t.” Geordi didn’t doubt that for a moment. “I mean…I don’t want to cum first.”“Ah. I understand your anxieties.”“Do you?”“Yes. I feel the same, except for the opposite occurrence.”“Look at us. Two sides of the same coin.” Just talking about it helped. But the open communication and resulting feelings of closeness actually worsened the arousal he felt in the pit of his stomach.“We will simply need to carry on and see what happens.” If Geordi didn’t know any better, he’d say Data was chomping at the bit to keep going. He must have had something good in store.“Yeah, I’m a big boy. I’ll just hold it in.”“Geordi, that—Ah. A joke.”“Put it in, Data. I’m ready.” Data didn’t waste another moment. He pulled himself out from beneath Geordi, and aligned himself. He was already plenty covered with the excess lubricant that had dripped off of Geordi’s body. Geordi ran his tongue over his teeth, and strained his neck to watch. His memories were so strong that he could almost feel the stretch before it happened. Data was longer than him, just barely, but not as girthy. That had to be an embellishment by Dr. Soong.Data eased in, pulled out, and eased further in. However long his cock was, it was definitely longer and slightly wider than his fingers. Data didn’t rush it, and when more lubricant was needed, he supplied it from the bottle.“Comfortable?”“Very.”“I am glad to hear it. I would like for you to touch my back.”“So this is the plan.” Geordi grinned so wide his cheeks became sore. Data’s earlier interruption made sense.“I will support you as you do so.”Once more, Geordi’s core strength came into play. He pulled himself up until he was vertical, completely suspended off of the bed by Data. This position would be difficult to maintain if his partner was not an ultra-strong android; Data’s body supported Geordi as well as the ship’s flooring beneath the crew’s feet. Geordi’s arms reached behind Data, under his armpits, and his fingertips caressed his bioplast. The rim of Data’s power panel was completely indiscernible to unfamiliar hands, but Geordi’s hands were so acquainted that it would be embarrassing if they stumbled around. A moment after first contact between his fingertips and that special panel, Geordi almost thought that Data really would drop him. In reality, he only lowered a millimeter, but for Data, that was a lot. Geordi felt the drop in his stomach, and subsequently he clenched around Data and those good feelings struck him like a punch to the gut.“God.”“I did not know you were religious, Geordi.”“You’ll see the kind of things I’m going to get out of those bioplast lips, Data.”“You may do your best.” It sounded like a challenge. Of course, they both had the same goal. But adding a little bit of competition to the pot was not a bad thing. It was a great motivator, especially for Geordi who prided himself on his competence.Geordi’s finger tips returned to the panel. The actual switch itself was an indent, which required focused and firm pressure to activate. Geordi would never actually press it, but he had no shame in running his finger back and forth in the divot. Data was rewarding him with the steady up and down movement of his hips. Geordi began to feel like a dog in a hot car, his breath mingling with the output of Data’s internal cooling system. Feeling so ragged, it was a shock to see Data still elegant and poised, not a hair out of place. That was worth changing.Geordi’s hand flattened on Data’s back and groped up his spine to his scalp. Data made a small sound that Geordi had never heard before: something between an exhale and a ‘huh’. But Geordi paid it no mind for the time being, focusing instead on freeing Data’s hair from its impeccable styling. Geordi brought some of it forward to give Data a ridiculously messy set of bangs, before pushing it back off his forehead. He looked like a young Noonien Soong.“Think I should change my assignment from Chief Engineer to barber?” Mr. Mot would surely not mind an apprentice.Before Geordi knew it, his back was hitting the sheets. Data had changed their position without warning.Data had thus far managed to give Geordi pleasure, but not so much that it concerned him. With the change in position, however, Geordi felt like Data was taking a jackhammer to his sweet spot. His hands seized in Data’s hair, and that seemed to have a desirable effect. Data’s eyes were closed and his brow was furrowed like he was encountering a perplexing problem on the Bridge. The emissions he put off were vibrating like the air itself was dancing. Something was happening.“Is it happening? Are we doing it?” Geordi was panting. His toes were curled.“I am not sure. I am pursuing the sensations that I believe are correct.”There were many alien species Geordi had encountered during his time as a Starfleet officer that were…less attractive to him than Data was. Geordi did his best to uphold the Federation’s goals of respecting all lifeforms, but in a time like this, he was desperately trying to picture everything about everyone that had ever put him off. He would never understand the Ferengi and their ‘lobes’, for example. But no matter how hard he tried to focus on unpleasant memories of the sights, sounds, and smells that accompanied the daily life of an officer onboard the Enterprise, the truth of the matter was that he couldn’t shake the sights, sounds, and smells of Data ramming into him. Geordi sensed the all too familiar light feeling spreading inside his gut.“Wait, Data. Stop!” He had to force the words out like a coin through a plastic straw. He was so close to the peak that he was on the edge of its paralyzing grip. His body immediately protested when Data stopped them, but their timing could not have been more perfect.“What is it, Geordi? What is wrong?” Data’s emissions had stopped their dancing the moment his hips froze. Geordi’s distress was not an occasion to be dancing for.“Ugh.” Now that he was coming down from the edge, the frustration and disappointment were the second strongest ache he felt. He took off his VISOR, rubbed the sweat from his face, and replaced it again.“Geordi?”“We have to stop.”“Why?”“Because I refuse to cum again before you do.” His emotions swirled through his mind and convinced him that this course of action was fruitless. They could take a break, then continue as they had been, but it wouldn’t matter. Geordi’s body was simply too sensitive. “How close did we get?”“Closer than we have been before. It was indeed quite pleasant, Geordi.” Geordi appreciated Data’s attempt to reassure him. But he couldn’t ignore the facts of failure.“Not quite close enough.”“Geordi.” Data could see Geordi’s disappointment as clear as day. What they needed was a new direction. “I am not oblivious to the rose petals scattered in the direction of your bathroom. Do you have further plans for tonight?”“I don’t know, Data. What’s wrong with me?” Geordi was not a crier. But he felt his sinuses clear and his nose begin to run.“Sexual activity causes a concoction of hormones to surge through the human bloodstream. Emotional dysregulation is to be expected.”“Emotional dysregulation, huh?” Even the explanation managed to help Geordi feel better. Data’s even keeled, nonjudgmental way of explaining it did wonders.“Please tell me about the path to the bathroom.”“I thought a bath would be nice.” Geordi wiped under his nose with the back of his hand. “Just enough not to flood your servos.”“Ah! What a wonderful idea.” Geordi had the feeling that Data would call any of his ideas wonderful in those moments. But he accepted the compliment regardless; the hot water sounded perfectly lovely.Data was slow to dismount, easing himself free. The time between the thrusting and now was great enough that Geordi’s muscles had clenched and adjusted, making the care Data took necessary. Geordi lifted his head and prepared to sit himself up on his own power, when Data picked him up like a bride and walked him through the bathroom door himself.“I can walk, you know, Data. It’s not like you managed to break my back this time.”“I am aware of that fact.” Data even set Geordi on his feet to prove it. He proceeded to take both condoms from their bodies, and discard them. The waste receptacle hummed as it recycled the materials. “Allow me to care for you regardless.”“I should be the one taking care of you.”“I am sure you have plans to that effect once we are both submerged in the water. For now, you must trust me and desist.” Data was so very logical. And even when he wasn’t, he was hard to argue with.“Alright.” Geordi sat on the edge of the bath. He was careful not to slip backwards from the lubricant still coating his skin. Data’s tiny, almost unnoticeable smile returned.“A regular bath would likely be unhygienic given the circumstances. I will program it to disinfect and circulate the water. To what temperature shall I set it?”“Hey, you know me better than I know myself in that regard. I trust you.” It was exactly as Data requested. His smile grew. Data made the proper adjustments and inputs into the computer, and the water began to flow behind Geordi. “Pink?”“Yes. It is rose scented, to align with your theme for the evening.” Geordi didn’t have the heart to tell him that rose wasn’t in his top five favorite scents, and that his choice of roses was entirely due to their reputation as a romantic flower. But they were beginning to grow on him.Geordi leaned back and touched the water as the tub began to fill. “Oh, yeah. That’s going to feel good.”“How would you have us positioned in the bath?”“I want you sitting in front of me. I’ll have my back against that side.” Geordi pointed, and Data nodded his acknowledgement.“I will take your VISOR.” As miraculous as the technology was, it was actually not waterproof. That was usually not a problem with sonic showers and the sterile environment onboard the Enterprise. A bath was out of the ordinary.“Can you set it over there to be sanitized?” Geordi detached it from his temporal ports, and the galaxy went dark. He felt Data take it from his hand, and heard him set it inside the small alcove in the wall specifically designed for this purpose. If Geordi didn’t regularly clean it, his own sweat and oils would degrade its functioning. Besides, it always felt better to be clean.“After you.” Geordi had a momentary flash back to the Jefferies tube. Except this time, he wouldn’t be able to see Data’s ass even if he wanted to. Geordi rose from the side of the bath and stepped over the rim. Even just dipping his toes in, he felt more relaxed already.Geordi settled in against the wall of the bath, and just allowed the warmth to seep into his muscles for a moment. The water was anything but still, and he could feel it cleansing him by the millisecond. He drank it in and leaned back, resting his head against the rim. After a few more seconds, he extended the invitation. “Okay, Data. Your turn. Come on in.”“Are you certain? You look as though you are enjoying it plenty on your lonesome.”“Don’t make me beg.”“Ah, yes. That would certainly be unbecoming for a Starfleet officer.” For one extra moment, Data did not move and Geordi actually got the impression that he was expecting him to beg for it. Then he felt the current in the water shift, and Data lowering himself in front of him.The bathtub wasn’t the largest available on the Enterprise. In fact, with the two of them inside it, it became reminiscent of the Jefferies tube. But being close was definitely not a bad thing. Geordi rubbed his nose into the back of Data’s shoulder, and hugged him even closer around the front of his waist. It was his turn to poke him in the tailbone.“I love you, Data.” If he couldn’t show it the way he wanted to physically, he would tell him verbally. He didn’t want him to ever forget it.“I love you, too. You are my favorite human.”“What if I wasn’t human? Would you still love me then?” It was not a conversation that served any purpose, and Geordi would prefer for it to never ever leave that room. But being silly and romantic was allowed in the privacy of his own quarters. “What if I was a Trill, with a symbiont in my stomach?”“That would be fascinating. I have not met many members of that species.”“Klingon? Ferengi? Vulcan? Android?”“Android?”“Mmhm.”“If Silvia and Edward M. La Forge were able to craft an android of your caliber, it would be quite impressive indeed. I believe I would quickly become superfluous.”“Hey now! The Enterprise will always need you, Data. Even if they come up with a device that turns people into all powerful, all intelligent androids.” Geordi couldn’t help but think of the Borg, even as his words were leaving his lips. That was not a future anyone onboard the Enterprise would choose.“What about you? Would you still love me if I was not what I am?”“Data, I would love you in any form, on any planet, in any galaxy, at any time.”“That is my answer as well.”Geordi pressed his smile into Data’s bioplast and hugged him tighter. Data was right about emotional dysregulation. He had hit a low, and now he was hitting a high. He had almost forgotten his plan.“So, your back is like…an erogenous zone.”“Yes. Specifically the area between my power switch and the base of my skull.”“That’s like the superhighway of your positronic net. No wonder you feel things intensely there.” Geordi traced his fingers over the top of Data’s spine. He was soft as ever, and the ambient moisture was giving the bioplast an extra lifelike quality.“I believe it requires the context of a sexual encounter to be pleasurable. I do not feel anything at all when I am touched there during routine maintenance, and I believe I experience…pain, in that location when hit with high beams of energy.” Geordi knew what Data was talking about. Life aboard the Enterprise was full of random bursts of energy, whether it originated from the ship’s own mechanics or alien lifeforms. His heart sank a little to hear that Data had ever experienced pain, but without pain there probably would be no pleasure.“What does it feel like right now?” Geordi’s fingers had continued to trace over him as they spoke.“It feels…hm.” Data appeared to be stumped. They were in a bit of a limbo, which made it make sense to Geordi. Despite all his progress, Data was still not yet an expert at describing his experience of feelings. He might never be, and Geordi would certainly be okay with that.“Let me help you out.” What the situation could use was some definition. Geordi put phase two of his plan into motion. He brought one hand around to Data’s pec, and the other down between his legs. He took hold of him firmly but with care. This was turning out more perfectly than Geordi had initially planned. Data’s entire back was exposed to him, and he was also able to reach his front. His hopes were high. Geordi began with a slow forward and back stroke. His lips were on the center of his back. “How about now?”“That is decent.”“Decent?” It wasn’t exactly a glowing review. “What would you have me do differently, then, smartie pants?”“Neither of us are wearing pants. And…you do not need to be so delicate.”At the words, Geordi frowned. His feelings of inadequacy unwittingly resurfaced. If Data had him in the position that he had Data in, he would be gripping the sides of the tub already.That was no reason to give up, though. If this was too delicate, he’d show him rough.Geordi stroked Data so fast that he created waves that loudly hit the walls of the tub. He twisted his head, and bit the bioplast at the top of his spine. Data responded with a gasp, similarly to when Geordi had hit the wrong servo during routine maintenance sessions. He may have tried to speak, but his voice was momentarily garbled.“Geordi.”“Come on, Data. Cum for me.” Geordi pressed his words right into Data’s bioplast.“I am trying.”He was. They both were. They were trying so hard, but Geordi’s human body began to fail him once again. The angle that seemed so favorable before was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. A sharp pain traveled through Geordi’s wrist and up his arm. He couldn’t maintain it.“You can do it. You can do it!” Geordi switched hands. It worked, for a while.Then Data did grip the tub; but it was paired with a violent forward lurch.“Geordi, I cannot!”Geordi immediately stopped. The water went still.“I…cannot.”For a moment, there was nothing to say.Then Data’s presence lifted, showering the surface of the bath water with runoff, and Geordi thought for a moment that he was getting out of the bath. Then he felt him resettle on the opposite end of the tub.“I cannot. I believe my programming is simply insufficient. This endeavor may be fruitless.”“Did I hurt you?” That was the first concern that flashed in Geordi’s mind. The one place that Data had said he could experience pain, and Geordi had bitten him.“Not at all.”Geordi sighed, deep and heavy. He scooped up some of the bath water and splashed it over his face.His wrists still ached.“I don’t know about you, but I’m beat. Wanna head to bed and call it a day?”“You still would like for me to stay?”“Of course!” He couldn’t even fathom why he was asking. They were both disappointed and frustrated, but at least they were disappointed and frustrated together.“I will retrieve towels.” This time, when Data rose he actually did step out of the bathtub. Geordi rubbed his eyes and his nose in the meantime. Data may have spoken to the computer to generate the towels, but Geordi was too deep in thought to hear him. “You may step out.”Data had obviously requested the fluffiest towels available, and even had the computer heat them. Data’s embrace was just as warm and lovely as he wrapped Geordi in one of the two soft towels. Geordi brought the towel up to his face and dried it, and before he could ask Data had taken his VISOR out of the alcove and handed it over. Geordi’s sight was restored. The first thing he saw was that Data’s back was turned. Geordi wanted to say something, but he couldn’t think of the words. They dried off together and stepped back into Geordi’s room.“Computer, pajamas.” It wasn’t like he could put back on what he was wearing before. In fact, when he turned he saw that Data was picking up the shreds of his clothing, tidying the room without a word. Despite it all, Geordi had to smile. He was so sweet. “Do you want anything to wear besides your uniform, Data?”“I will wear my boxers to bed if you do not mind.”“Suit yourself.” Geordi dressed himself, and by the time he was finished Data had remade the bed with fresh linens. But the most inviting part was Data himself, lounging on his half of the bed and lifting the blanket for Geordi to sidle in next to him. Geordi would never get tired of the smell of Data’s bioplast, even though tonight it was tinged with rose scent. Once he was settled in, he knew they should talk. “What a night, huh?”“Yes. I am sorry.”“For what?”“My programming is inadequate. I cannot naturally achieve orgasm as you desire.”“I don’t believe that, Data. You came close. It’s my fault. I’m not…enough.” Geordi squinted. He wasn’t saying precisely what he meant, but he wasn’t sure how else to put it.“You are more than enough.”“No, Data. If I could’ve held on, I think you would’ve made it. It’s me.” The silence that followed was deafening. Data had no retort, and Geordi hadn’t expected him to; he knew he was right. But he was sort of hoping he would have protested anyway. “Computer, turn off the lights.” Geordi’s quarters darkened, and he set his VISOR on his bedside table. “Are you going to run a sleep program tonight?”“Perhaps.”Geordi nodded, and the nighttime silence settled over them like a blanket. Physically, Geordi was exhausted, sore, and more than ready for sleep. Mentally, though, his mind was running like a hamster on an exercise wheel.What could they try now that would be different than what they’d already done?There had to be a solution. There always was.It was just a matter of figuring it out.It was probably staring him right in the face.The unsolved problem weighed like a pressure bomb in his stomach. He was anxious and restless, and absolutely certain that he was sweating buckets into the clean sheets. His tossing and turning wrapped the blanket around his legs.At some point in the midst of his haze, he felt Data’s breath in his ear. Data’s hand came to rest on his side, before slowly moving southward. It stopped at Geordi’s waistband.If it didn’t happen, he wouldn’t sleep.“Go ahead.”Data’s touch was magic.In his post-nut clarity, Geordi arrived at the solution. Sleep came soon after.

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Geordi had been tinkering away at it all day in order to finish it on top of his duties. He wasn’t lucky enough for Engineering to be dead for a third day in a row, so to say it was a challenge was an understatement. The nature of the project made it extra tricky. It wasn’t something to be worked on out in the open, so he had to set up a private workstation. He would add the final components in his quarters after his shift. He wouldn’t take even a minor risk of those being seen.Holding it under his arm in the corridor on his walk to his quarters, he felt a distinct sensation of shame in his stomach. This would not be a time he’d like to run into Deanna. It was a marvelous piece of technology, in his humble opinion, but the fact that he needed to invent it was not something he was proud of.In its current state, it was simply an unfinished cube.“Geordi, fancy seeing you here.” Commander Riker smiled warmly. He was headed in the opposite direction, most likely to retire to his own quarters for the night. Even the second in command onboard the Enterprise was entitled to rest. “What have you got there?”It took all of Geordi’s resolve to keep his cool. At the end of the day, they were both grown men, and he was sure that Commander Riker of all people would understand matters of love and the bedroom. They were also off duty, and friends. Even still, Geordi couldn’t help the feeling of being caught at something unsavory by his commanding officer.“It’s…a personal project. A gift for Data, actually.” That seemed to be answer enough for Will, who clasped Geordi’s shoulder.“He’s going to love it.” And then he carried on down the corridor. Geordi shook it off and continued on himself.He entered his quarters and sighed. Data had tidied everything that morning. The bed was made, the rose petals were gone, and the space was as homey as ever. At least, it would’ve been if Data had been there.They hadn’t spoken all day. It had seemed that morning that they were both deep in thought. Geordi was entrenched in imagining schematics, while Data was simply…quiet. Geordi would not have been a very attentive partner if he hadn’t deduced that their bedroom situation had been the thing that was bothering him. Geordi could only hope that he held the solution in his hands.He requested the remaining parts from the computer, and it dutifully supplied them. Geordi had to frown at how…generic they were. Maybe if all went according to plan, the two of them could invest in some customization options.From there, the project came together relatively smoothly. It was mostly a matter of connecting tubes and calibrating sensors and temperature controls. When Geordi looked up, an hour had passed.“La Forge to Data.” Geordi tapped a button on the console and opened a direct communication link with Data’s quarters. He just had to hope that Data was actually home to receive it.“Hello, Geordi.”“Hi, Data. Wanna come over? I have something for you.”“I will be there momentarily.”And momentarily, he was there. Geordi had just enough time to join the device on his bed.“Today is not my activation day nor a significant anniversary, Geordi.” Data had the comment prepared as if he had the entire walk over to think of it.“I know. Get over here anyway.” Geordi couldn’t help but smile at him despite his nerves. Will’s words played over in his mind: He was going to love it.Data crossed the room, and tilted his head at the sight of it.“Accessing.” His pupils flickered, and yet his confused expression did not change. “What is it?”“The solution.” Geordi patted it with all of the confidence he didn’t have in the corridor. “This baby is going to solve our problem.”Data’s lips parted like he was going to respond, but then they closed again. Instead, he waited for Geordi to continue.“I can’t keep up with you, but this thing can. See? You can arrange it however you want. It thrusts, it spurts, and I built it sturdy enough to take a beating.”Data blinked, but remained silent. Then he lowered himself onto the side of the bed.“I do not understand.”“This’ll help. If you can’t cum with this, then—” Geordi cut himself off. Data had already expressed his worries about not being able to achieve orgasm like Geordi thought he deserved. He wasn’t about to imply that those fears were true, accidentally or not. “I think it’s what we’re missing.”“…I was under the impression that you desired to bring me to orgasm yourself.”“I do. I do! I built this for you, myself, to…”“Geordi, I no longer believe this endeavor is worthwhile. I will be satisfied to reinstate my sexual response program and return to our established routine.”“What?” Geordi’s stomach dropped.“This predicament is causing…undue distress. You seemed more comfortable and confident previously.”“I was living a lie before, Data. I thought I was good enough to satisfy you every time. But I’m not.”“I experience the same amount of pleasure whether I am timing my orgasm myself or experiencing it naturally. There is no need for added difficulty.”“It’s a matter of pride.” Geordi’s expression was serious. This was the truth of things.“I am proud of you.”“You know that’s not what I mean. If I can’t get you to cum, then…do I even deserve you?”“Yes.” Data reached over and took Geordi’s hand. His thumb ran over it with the deepest and surest affection he had ever felt. Geordi pulled his hand from his grasp and ran it over his hair instead.“I don’t know, Data.”Geordi’s fingers tugged on the fabric of his pant leg. His heart was beating so fast, he was afraid it would fall right out. Meanwhile, Data’s eyes widened like he had seen a ghost.“I believe I…have forgotten to feed Spot her dinner. If you will excuse me.” “And then he lied to me. Data! Lied to me!” Even saying the words aloud, Geordi remained in shock and disbelief. His hands were over his face as he sat crumpled up like a used napkin on Deanna’s sofa. “He would never forget to feed Spot. Hell, she wouldn’t let him!”Deanna sat patiently and allowed Geordi to speak unencumbered. When he seemed to be finished, or at least ready for a pause, she spoke.“I’m happy you came to see me, Geordi. It sounds like you and Data are navigating a difficult time.”“I thought we were navigating it together. Now I’m not so sure.”“Would you like to hear what I think?”“Yeah, I would. Seems like I’m all out of ideas.” And it was far from a comfortable place for him to be.“I think you’re very good at solving the sorts of problems that come your way in Engineering. It’s why you’re so good at your job, and how you’ve gotten to where you are today. But this problem with Data isn’t like the problems you’re used to solving.”“How so?” Geordi’s interest was piqued. His posture straightened.“You’re used to encountering technical problems. There is a malfunction with the matter-antimatter containment unit, so you assess the situation and make the necessary corrections. But with Data, the problem isn’t technical. There is nothing wrong with your bodies that requires fixing.” Deanna paused, just to give Geordi time to think. She could practically hear the gears grinding in his head. “This problem is emotional. Perhaps what Data is yearning for is the time when the intimacy you shared didn’t carry such a heavy burden of expectation. When you didn’t focus so singularly on the outcome, on the destination…that you neglected the journey.” Deanna’s smile softened but did not dilute the truth in her words. They hit Geordi like an arrow straight through the heart. Or, rather, like a final piece to his puzzle.“You’re right. Damn it!” All Geordi could think of was the sensors in the Jefferies tube. He had been too heavy handed, and now Data was burnt out.“I suggest the two of you take a step back from the bedroom and reconnect with each other in a different way. I trust that when you try again, it’ll be much more satisfying for the both of you.”“You’re a genius, Counselor. I know exactly what we should do.”“I try my best!”

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“What do you say the two of us solve a different mystery tonight, Holmes?” Geordi stood outside Data’s quarters after their shifts, twirling his bowler hat around on his finger. Data’s eyes widened in a way that told Geordi he had his attention.“I will get dressed.”“And I’ll wait for you here.” Geordi had a deep respect for the love Data had for Spot, but he couldn’t admit any love himself for teeth and claws in his skin. He didn’t trust his tweed pants to protect him any more than his uniform.Data soon exited his quarters with great zeal, fluffing the cape of his jacket as the doors swished shut behind him. His pipe was firmly between his smiling teeth. Then, as if he realized he’d forgotten something, his eyes widened and he turned on his heels. Geordi waited another minute before he reemerged, this time with his deerstalker cap in its rightful place upon his head.“Ready?”“I am always ready to tussle with another mystery, Watson. As always, I expect to come out on top as the righteous victor.” Data as Sherlock Holmes was something that would always make Geordi smile. He came to the role with a passion that he didn’t always get to see in him elsewhere. It made Geordi want to live up to being his Watson more than ever.“This way, then.” Geordi made a deferential bow, and allowed Data to stride past. Geordi had to take two steps for Data’s one just to keep up with him. They made it to the Holodeck with time to spare. “Computer, select Sherlock Holmes Mystery La Forge A21B.”“You have programmed a mystery yourself?” The softness of Data’s voice indicated that he was breaking character.“That’s right. Well, the computer is doing most of the work. Even I won’t know the details.” And that was exactly how he preferred it. Since the beginning, he hadn’t found it fun if either of them knew all the answers ahead of time.“This program will not have anything to do with our…endeavors the last few days?” Geordi couldn’t tell from Data’s tone if he felt apprehensive or excited. He assumed he was looking forward to a night where they both kept their pants on.“Nah. I talked to Counselor Troi.”“Always a wise decision.”“And she recommended that we step away from the bedroom for a while. Tonight is just about having fun solving a mystery.”“I see. Well, in that case…”“Program complete. You may enter.”“Let us get to business, Watson.”The two of them stepped through the threshold and into late 19th century London. The streets were bustling with activity. The sights, sounds, and even the smells of the era assaulted their senses. Luckily, they were both used to this particular Holodeck program by now.Data was like a hawk perched at the top of a tree, surveying their territory. Then, he glanced at Geordi.“What is it?”“I suspect you know something about what we are going to be encountering, Watson.”“Me?” Geordi feigned innocence. “How could I know anything? I’m not a fortune teller.”“It is the look on your face, and the way you are carrying yourself with such leisure, as if you can anticipate and are prepared for what will happen next.”“I guess I’ve been around this block enough times to be comfortable.” Geordi shrugged. He didn’t mind Data only having eyes for him. He didn’t even get the impression that he was aggressively suspicious. Just that he was of the opinion that Geordi was the most important thing, the most relevant detail. In fact, it was beginning to feel very similar to his salacious behavior a few days ago: the antecedent to current events.However, if Data didn’t peel his eyes away from him, he would miss everything else that the program had to offer. And the point of the program was everything else.“Indeed.” On the surface, at least, Geordi was let off the hook.Suddenly, the program forced Data’s attention away. A young woman hit him straight on. She was trailed by a friend, who nearly ran into Geordi herself.“Help us! You have to help us!” The woman clung to him, grasping his overcoat with thin fingers. Data was never one to refuse anyone help, especially not as Sherlock Holmes. He scanned their surroundings for perpetrators, and when he came up empty he and Geordi led the two women off the street and into an alleyway.“What’s going on here?” Geordi was the one to ask. The computer was constructing the program exactly according to plan; he truly had no idea what was happening.“Are you Sherlock Holmes?” The woman who had run into Data continued to grasp at him, clearly distressed. But in recognizing who he was, she appeared to relax at least mildly. Geordi shook his head. There was much less renown in being John Watson.“Yes.”“I need to talk to you! Someplace private.” Her urgency was apparent. Even still, Data exchanged a glance with Geordi.“Are you in immediate danger?” Data continued to watch their surroundings, especially now that the situation was possibly dangerous. They could talk with the women at their residence at 221B Baker Street, but it was prudent to know whether they were being followed first.“I would really rather talk about it behind closed doors, detective.”There was no arguing. The four of them weaved through the alleyways and side streets until they came upon their residence and slipped inside.“The doors are closed, and we are behind them. Now, will you enlighten us as to the nature of your current plight?” Data was naturally wordy and sophisticated. But as Sherlock Holmes, he ate up the dictionary twice as fast.“She killed my husband.”That was not the confession that either Data or Geordi were expecting. They both reacted with silence, expecting her to continue. When she didn’t, Geordi took up the mantle of prying.“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” The ease that the two women had with each other seemed to indicate an absence of tension in their relationship, especially the sort of tension one would have with their loved one’s murderer.“It’s a very good thing. He was not a good man.” That much, the two of them seemed absolutely sure about. “The problem is that someone must’ve found out.”“The carelessness with which you revealed such an incriminating fact to the two strangers in this very room may illuminate the impetus of your predicament.”“You’re not strangers!” Evidently, their reputations preceded them. “We came to you for help.”“Ran into us for help, more like.” Geordi traced his fingers over the mantle above the fireplace in the sitting room, collecting a small strip of dust in the process. The Holodeck was nothing if not thorough.“Someone is after us. They drew us, and nailed the parchment to my front door.”“It must have been quite a scary rendition.” Data’s quips simultaneously made Geordi want to shake his head in disapproval and laugh in amusement. No one could deny that he was very good at playing the part of an oftentimes blunt and sarcastic Sherlock Holmes.“That’s not it. We ran because I thought I heard someone shout my name on the street. The drawing was something else.”“Pray tell.”The two women exchanged looks. The second woman hadn’t said a word up to that point, and she wasn’t going to change that anytime soon. Instead, she looked to her companion and then seemed to intently examine Geordi’s intentions in particular.“We assume you understand.”“Assumptions are quite dangerous indeed.” The phrase was uttered by a man whose entire career was staked on assumptions. But who better to be intimately aware of the danger involved?“The perpetrator had to be aware of our intimate affairs. They portrayed us in…states of undress.” The verbal young woman held her companion’s elbow, seeming to seek comfort and strength. “The two of you have to understand given the nature of your own relationship.”“…the nature of our relationship?” Data’s eyes narrowed. His voice once again softened, signaling that the spirit of Sherlock Holmes was slipping from him.“A relationship that your mothers wouldn’t approve of.” She seemed to lack the words, or perhaps was simply used to a high degree of subtlety which evaded Data and Geordi’s modern sensibilities.“I do not have contact with my mother.”At that time, the second woman stared at Geordi and cocked her head in the direction of Data. Somehow, everything clicked all at once.“D—Holmes…” Geordi approached slowly, until they were shoulder to shoulder. He kept his voice low, for reasons he didn’t understand. “A relationship like ours.”Geordi watched Data’s eyes flicker. When he still didn’t seem to come to the obvious conclusion, Geordi cleared his throat. Finally, Data came to the realization.“A romantic relationship.”“Mmmmhm.”“Computer, freeze program.” To say it was unusual that Data would freeze a Sherlock Holmes program would be an understatement. Their guests froze as they were. “Was defining Sherlock Holmes and John Watson’s relationship as romantic an addition of yours?”“Nuh uh, I had nothing to do with it.” Geordi put up his hands. “I guess the computer made its own analysis of the source content.”“I cannot contest to the fact that Holmes and Watson are…inordinately close.” Data nodded to himself as he thought it through. “However, I have always interpreted their relationship as platonic.”“Well, these ladies seem to have some different opinions.” Geordi nodded towards their frozen guests.“Indeed.”“I think they feel some sort of solidarity with us.”“Homosexuality was largely considered unacceptable in Victorian England. The Labouchere Amendment of 1885, enacted two years before the publication of the first Sherlock Holmes story, criminalized sexual activity between men.”“I wonder how they’d feel about sex between a man and an android.” Geordi sighed. As a Starfleet officer, he regularly encountered quite diverse social perceptions of a wide range of customs. Even still, humanity’s own history was sometimes difficult to wrap his brain around. Data gave a slight smile.“They likely would not make a distinction.”“Figures.”“However, close relationships between women were considered acceptable, and even encouraged in most circumstances. What was not acceptable was explicitly sexual or promiscuous relationships between women outside of marriage and to the detriment of a stable relationship with a man.”“Huh. And everyone else?”“Humanity’s perception of gender has varied greatly through time and space. In this time and in this location, gender was perceived as binary and wholly related to one’s sexual organs.”Geordi drew out a long sigh through his nose.“At least we know what we’re dealing with here.”“Computer, resume program.”“You are going to help us, aren’t you?” The first woman held tighter to her companion. Their expressions revealed unmistakable hope and fear.“It appears you have left us with very little choice.”The relief was palpable. It was hard to imagine that the two women had been running for their lives a mere twenty minutes ago. Now, they rejoiced.“Do you have the drawing with you for us to examine?” Geordi made the request, and then something inside him compelled him to add, “As evidence.”The second woman pulled the folded and torn parchment from the front of her clothing, and handed it to Data. He made quite the show of flicking the creases apart.“I see. These dark patches to the side of the figures would appear to depict…blood. Your husband’s, I presume?”“My poor husband. It was his heart that got him in the end.” The young woman returned to her cover script. It made quite a clear impression, especially as her companion made an expression of mock grief.“What is your interpretation of this depiction?” Data directly addressed the silent companion. Clearly, her silence was something of interest.“She can’t speak. Got knocked in the head as a child.”“My apologies.” Data then seemed to take a moment to think, as if deciding whether to slightly diverge from his character or not. Ultimately, offering another method of communication was more important than staying true to the languages he was sure Sherlock Holmes knew. “I am intimately familiar with a variety of sign languages, if such knowledge would be of use in this circumstance.”The second woman shook her head as the first replied, “She doesn’t know a bit of that either.”“Then how do you…communicate with each other?” Geordi stepped forward. He found himself asking not as John Watson, but as Geordi La Forge. Something incommunicable was happening between him and Data in the bedroom. He was trying to keep it out of his mind for the evening, but it was hard to completely abandon it at the doors to the Holodeck.Both women smiled warmly, but especially the first. “She talks with her eyes. I guess that would be difficult for the two of you with that contraption on your face.” Geordi paused. These women were particularly intuitive and aware for holograms. He looked at Data, who looked back. They must have been having the same thought. “Other times, she’ll write me letters.”“Fascinating.” And Data meant it. He had a glint of genuine respect and admiration in his eye. Then, he continued on in fast paced Holmesian fashion. “So, I will deduce that you are seeking my services in order to identify the identity of the culprit and in turn the degree of threat that they represent to your lives. You will want this done without delay, as you are already paranoid as you walk through the very streets you have walked for as long as you have been sentient beings. You do not wish for us to involve the police, or the spider’s web will tangle with you in it and you will have no escape from the repercussions. I will do it. But you must leave now and allow me time to think with only the companionship of my dear Watson.”“Thank you. Thank you, thank you! But where will we go? We’re sitting ducks out there.”“You must lay low. Do not draw attention to yourselves. Perhaps you have a relative with whom you can stay for the time being.”“My brother would take us in without question.” They exchanged eye contact, and then the first woman led the second out the door and back onto the street.“That’s suspicious, right?” Geordi was immediately clued into the mention of another person in the lives of the two women. But when he turned towards Data, he saw him lowering himself onto a chair and appearing quite lost. “How are you doing, Holmes old boy?”“I am uncertain of where to begin.”“Why not with the brother?”“That is far too obvious. There must be something that I am missing.” Data’s knee bounced. He crossed his legs, then uncrossed them, then crossed them again, all the while holding the second knuckle of his pointer finger to his lips. He looked as much like he was coming apart at the seams as Geordi had ever seen him. Was he acting a part? Something about it was undeniably sincere.He remembered what the woman had said about her companion speaking with her eyes. In Data’s eyes, flicking back and forth, Geordi saw distress. Desperation.“Are you okay?” Geordi approached and perched on the opposite arm of Data’s chair. Data did not look at him.“I do not believe so.” It was an honest answer, at the very least.“What’s wrong?” Geordi maintained his composure, despite the lurch in his chest. He reached out and felt the wool of Data’s overcoat on his fingertips.“My concentration has lapsed on numerous unfortunate occasions in the last 24 hours. My computational abilities are down 31% percent.” This was not the script of a Sherlock Holmes character. This was Data.“Okay… Anything else?” Geordi shifted. The armrest was digging into his posterior, and Data’s symptoms were making him nervous. Filling the role of both his repairman and his partner was not always easy.“My systems are running two degrees hotter than usual, and I cannot correct the disparity.” Geordi did the only thing he could think of without a tool in his hand. He brought the back of his hand to Data’s forehead, as if he was checking for a fever. Data did feel marginally warmer than usual. “And, I cannot stop thinking of…you.”Data was the slightest bit out of breath as that last statement left his lips. It was surprising, until Geordi remembered that his artificial breathing was meant to cool his systems, and he was currently running too hot.“You really did forget to feed Spot.”“I do not require a reminder of my negligence.”Clearly, Data held the weight of a lifetime of guilt for giving Spot her dinner a couple hours too late. And Geordi sympathized. But then he snorted.“I don’t need to be you to figure this one out. You’re pent up.”“‘Pent up’?” Data questioned the terminology like it was a new diagnostic category.“We’ve been going at it like rabbits for days. You’ve got so much artificial ejaculate built up in your system that it’s clogging your positronic net.” Geordi poked Data right in the head for emphasis, much to his confusion.“I do not believe that is physiologically accurate…”“It’s not. But it might as well be.”Nothing Geordi was saying was clearing up Data’s confusion or providing him with comfort. And Geordi quickly realized that he wanted to do both things.“Hey. You’re going to be okay. If you want, I can…help you out.” Geordi shrugged. The last thing he wanted to do was impose, especially given the purpose of the night. But if he was capable of helping, he very much wanted to help.“That is ill-advised.” Data wasn’t looking at him anymore. The ladies’ advice once again rang like a bell in his mind.“Because it’d go against the Sherlock Holmes canon?” Geordi suggested a reason, a shot in the dark, hoping that Data would shine a spotlight on the target. In the meantime, he ran his hand up the sleeve of Data’s jacket.“There is validity to all interpretations of Arthur Conan Doyle’s original work. I cannot dispute the theory that Sherlock and Watson were…romantically involved.”“It’s not that, then.” Geordi pursed his lips, and looked off across the room. Then he remembered the advice of yet another wise woman. This was an emotional problem. “What are you feeling, Data?”“Feeling?” A question that at one time would have prompted complete denial now prompted honest consideration. “I am too warm. The temperature disparity is causing a buildup of excess fluidic compounds in my secondary systems, and I cannot remain still as a result. The tingle along my spine from my power switch to the base of my skull which I have communicated to you about will not subside since our last encounter. I am not only thinking of you, but I am thinking specifically of all the times we have been intimate.” As if the usually calm, cool, and collected Lieutenant Commander Data was actually at the end of his rope, he animatedly rehashed his symptoms. He uncrossed and recrossed his legs again, before letting out a sigh. His internal cooling system really was doing its best. “I recognize that in Counselor Troi’s professional opinion, we should not engage in sexual activity tonight. However, I am finding myself…objecting to such a mandate. I am frustrated.”“…really?”“Yes. But, Geordi, I do not care about cumming. I would simply like to have sex with you and explore the new sensations we have discovered together.” Data’s gaze was fixed and direct. Then, a fleeting streak of purple light flicked about his head, illuminated in Geordi’s VISOR. “If you are willing.”Geordi was willing. He was more willing to be intimate with Data than he was to be exploring space on the Enterprise in the first place. Even still, something tugged on him. What about fairness? What about proving that it could be done? That they could do it? That he could do it?There was a reason why Geordi La Forge was the Chief Engineer of the USS Enterprise. He put his entire being into the work he did, and left no problem unsolved. Like many other high ranking Starfleet officers, he took pride in his abilities.Maybe a little too much pride.Data’s eyes were trained on Geordi’s VISOR. Even with the extraordinary technology, Geordi couldn’t actually see the love Data had for him, radiating from him like positronic emissions. But he could feel it.He was the root of their emotional problem: not Data. It was about time he swallowed his pride.“I’m willing.”That was how Data ended up laid on the floor in the seating room, decorative cushions from the sofa separating his bare stomach from the wool rug. His overcoat hung on the hook by the locked door, and his shirt and tie were folded neatly on the mantle. Geordi’s sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, the skin of his hands warmed by their passion and by the flames in the synthetic fireplace. Their hats were on the desk. Data’s back was a mess of open panels and wires. Geordi’s fingers were slick with a mix of sweat and the lubricant that insulated Data’s internal components.“How’s that one?”“Indescribably pleasant.”“Should I try another one?”“Yes, please.”So Geordi continued on, with a curious touch and open heart. The hustle and bustle of the streets of London carried on outside their four walls for uncountable hours, until Geordi had explored every panel and wire he could reach with his fingers. Then he used his tongue. He was beginning to think that they could carry on like that forever, and that the universe outside of the Holodeck no longer existed or mattered. Each blissful moment was followed by another, then another.Then something changed. Data contorted his hands behind his back, searching blindly until he came upon Geordi’s left hand and right cheek. “Press your palm here, and insert your tongue here.”Geordi obliged. He pressed the whole of his palm against Data’s power panel, and stuck his tongue against the flashing circuits on his skull. The taste was metallic and intoxicating: one that Geordi could certainly get used to.He was allowing the feeling to marinate on his tongue, when Data shifted beneath him like a boat on choppy seas. “Everything okay?”“Do not stop.”The words pricked Geordi’s ears and travelled immediately southward. Then, like a pure ringing tone in still air, they reverberated back up to his mind.“Are—” He stopped. He wouldn’t be a very good engineer if he couldn’t learn from his mistakes. Rather than speak, he put his tongue back to work where Data requested it.Beneath him, Data bore his hips into the rug.“Ack—g-g-g-g-gh…” It was an inhuman, crackling sound that rose up from Data’s chest. Geordi took up the old adage of not speaking unless spoken to. “Hmmm!” Even Data’s more human noises carried a high pitched whine, reminiscent of an old, overheating earth computer.Geordi continued on dutifully, until a small shock travelled up through his tongue. “Ouch!” He flexed his tongue in his mouth, even running it along his teeth until normal feeling returned. “Sorry. Should I keep going?”“It—” Data managed to force out a single syllable. It didn’t contain an answer to Geordi’s question, so he pushed his palm more firmly into his back. That, at least, seemed to have less risk of electrocution.“Data?”“It was the brother.”“What brother?” Hours had melted away from them. Geordi had forgotten just about everything that happened earlier that evening.“It is the brother.” Data rose from beneath Geordi like a corpse from the grave, closing several of his access panels in the process. “The drawing is not a legitimate threat. It was simply meant to scare them away from their relationship, to convince them that they are in danger. The brother is concerned for his sister’s safety.”“Oh—the case!” All at once, it came flooding back to him. The fact that it was now the middle of the night rode the same wave into his awareness. He stretched and yawned up from his diaphragm.“It is late. Perhaps we should return to this later.”“I don’t mind!”“The time is not the only reason we should ‘call it a night’, as they say. I believe I should unsoil my clothing.”“Unsoil your—?”“May I carry you to bed, my dear Watson?”Geordi’s surprised, sleepy expression must have been consent enough, because the next thing he knew Data had their discarded clothing slung over his shoulder and was carrying him bridal style down the bright corridors of the Enterprise, leaving the streets of London to disintegrate behind them.“Your quarters or mine?” Geordi rested his cheek against Data’s shoulder, trusting him to take them somewhere with a bed to sleep in.“Mine.”Data knew well enough that Spot would be unable to terrorize Geordi while fast asleep beneath his desk for the night. The dark room was a welcomed reprieve from the harsh lights of the hallways, made even worse by the expanded spectra that Geordi could see with his VISOR. Stepping inside, the room even smelled like them.The soft mattress hugged Geordi’s behind as he sunk down onto it.“I will help you to undress once I have changed out of this clothing.”“You look like you pissed yourself.” In a sleepy haze, Geordi laughed to himself. Of course, he knew that the clothing was significant to Data, and that it was unfortunate that it was dirtied. Still, the sight was one to behold.“I can assure you, it is not piss.” A small smile graced Data’s lips as he disappeared into the bathroom stall. No matter how sleepy Geordi was, it did nothing to dampen his joy. He grabbed hold of his wool vest, and kicked his legs. He practically felt like he had just made love for the very first time.Data returned from the bathroom as nude and clean as the day he was constructed. Geordi expected him to replicate a pair of boxers on his way to bed, but when that did not happen, he grinned so wide his cheeks hurt. Data made quick work of Geordi’s clothing, even taking the time to store them safely in his own closet for next time.Then, before they knew it they were snuggled up in bed and marveling in the afterglow of their evening. Geordi licked his lips. He could still taste him.“That was…electrifying.”“You may repeat that statement.”“You were electrifying! I could’ve gone on like that…forever.”“I could not have.”“Really?”“Yes. Near the end, I simply…felt so good that I could not stop it. I believe I would have shorted out if you had not brought me relief.” Geordi recognized his own phrasing on Data’s lips, and his stomach did a flip. “Speaking of…shall I return the favor?”Geordi’s cock had been pinned between their bodies the entire time, rubbing on his clothing only at choice moments. He had practically forgotten about it in the ecstasy of discovering the new horizons of their physical intimacy.“You know what? I’m good. Tonight is your night!”Geordi didn’t need to be wearing his VISOR to know that Data had cocked an eyebrow.“…alright, fine. Just a quickie!”THE END