Deanna listened attentively to Will Riker as he went on to explain how his day had been. "After that explosion in Engineering, everyone was one edge...so I gave them all the rest of the day off."
She cocked her head slightly and ran her fingers through her hair, "I'm sure they were grateful for that."
Will took a sip from his hot chocolate Deanna had made him, "Believe me, they were. But," he smirked, "I told them not to get used to it."
Deanna smiled. She always loved his sense of humor.
"Would you like some more hot chocolate?" Deanna asked him.
Will shook his head, "No, I'm fine, thanks, Deanna."
As she got up to refill her cup, Will changed the subject, "Enough about my adventures. How was your day?"
"Oh you know," she replied with humor in her voice, "the usual. Conflicts between co-workers, marital problems, life and death decisions... The list gets longer every day."
Will laughed, "Well then, I guess it would be wrong to say that you have an easy job, Counselor. You have more excitement in one day than I do in a week!"
"Whoever said that has no idea what I go through..."
Will chuckled, "If that's the case, then you have my deepest apologies."
"Thank you," she said as she returned from the replicator, and sat on the sofa opposite Riker.
Riker sipped from his cup and smiled. Deanna settled herself again, and drank the warm liquid in bliss. Will turned sideways toward her, and watched for the briefest of moments as she indulged herself in her liquified passion. She paused in between sips to breathe in the stream her drink was giving off. Will continued to look on.
When Deanna felt his eyes on her, she looked up from her cup, "What?"
Will smirked his trademark grin and shook his head, "Nothing, I just can't remember the last time I've seen you so...relaxed."
Deanna smiled at him, and looked down at her cup, self-conscious all of a sudden. "But then again," he said, noticing she was slightly embarrassed, "I must remember you're always easily calmed by the mere presence of chocolate."
At that, Deanna laughed. "That is very true. You know me well, Will Riker."
They laughed together in the warmth of Deanna's cabin, and each other's company. When the moment had passed and they were quiet again, they both looked at each other and smiled. Deanna loved it when Will smiled. It always made his blue eyes sparkle.
As she looked at him longer, she saws the familiar softness that she had come to know well. "Tell me about the rest of your day," she said softly.
"Only if you tell me the rest of yours," Will said gently.
Deanna nodded. He went to her and lounged up against her, so that his head was in her lap. Deanna brought her arms around him, and whispered, "You were saying...?"
He continued, and Deanna listened, as if he were telling the greatest story of all time. She ran her hand through his dark hair as he talked, and she felt him at peace. They remained that way talking and listening to one another for hours, until they eventually fell asleep in each other's arms.
They never rushed a conversation. Even if one of them were to fall asleet while the other was talking, it didn't matter. They would both fall asleep knowing they were in the safety and solace of one another. In the meantime, they would have each other, and many more conversations to come with the dawning of the new morning...

END