Short Endearing Blurb

By  Rachel

“I spoke with mother today, she sends her best.” Deanna smiled demurely.

“Really? Her best?” William Riker, dressed casually in a pair of blue jeans and a plain white button down shirt cocked a playful eyebrow, “Deanna my love, your mother never sends her best.” Playfully he extended his arms to her, motioning for her to him on her couch. He had missed her horribly the whole day, being forced to bid his time aimlessly on the ship till her shift was over.

Deanna hesitated for a split second, playing coy as her mother would say, before eagerly taking him up on the offer, by walking over to sit herself on his all to inviting lap. She hated his days off with a passion, because she always had to cover his bridge shifts, which was not one of her favorite things. Bridge shifts for her were tedious, bridge shifts without Will across from her were positively horrendous.

“Okay, maybe her best was a stretch.” She relented, laying her head on his shoulder and taking a deep intake of his after-shave. Her only perk to Will having a day off was his jeans and his after-shave, a musky woodsy aftershave which Will referred to as pine scented. She wasn’t sure what pine was, but she knew it was sexy.

Once she was firmly seated, Will leaned back on the couch, taking her with him. “So what did Lwaxana have to complain about today?” His voice was mock interest. He really didn’t want to start the evening talking about Deanna’s mother. He had hoped to start it out with a kiss, or two, or three, or even perhaps a bath.

“Will, really.” She batted him lightly on the shoulder, he couldn’t fool her for a second. “She is my mother.”

“Yes, her only redeeming trait if you ask me.” He teased, and he leaned towards her, closing the gap between them, to sensuously place a kiss on the tip of her nose.

Deanna took advantage of the intimate moment, to look deeply into Will’s eyes. How would the next part go over she wasn’t sure? Truthfully she wasn’t even sure why she wasn’t going to let the issue die with her mother. Why she felt an overwhelming need to press her mother’s issue with him, was a mystery.

“She was wondering when we are going to get married.” Deanna announced, her heart exploding wildly in her chest, her nerves setting her on edge.

“Really?” Will sat up straighter, still clutching to her waist, “What did you say?”

“Watch it Riker, curiosity killed the cat.” He thought to himself, and he gazed at her inquisitively. Leave it to Lwaxana to present his most intimate dream forefront.

Deanna looked at him a bit perplexed. Things between them had suddenly gone exactly not how she had planned. He was supposed to laugh and say something about confirmed bachelor hood like he had in the past, not throw the ball in her court.

“Umm . . . I told her when I know she will know.” Deanna responded. She knew it was a cop out.

“Oh.” Will looked forlornly down at her floor. Not exactly the responses he was hoping for. However it was typical Deanna, leaving things light and noncommittal.

“What should I have said?”

Will looked up and felt his cheeks begin a slow flush to complete humiliation. “that was fine. . .I guess.” He tipped his head down.

“I mean we haven’t even brought up marriage . . .” Deanna continued, “I mean truthfully we haven’t really been dating all that long.”

Will look up, “Do you really feel that way?”

Deanna felt her heart stop, rejection. Will was feeling rejection. . .radiating rejection.

Her arms immediately went around his neck, “I thought that is what you would have wanted me to say.” Her voice came out as a whisper now, as she felt an overwhelming lump begin to form in her throat.

“Deanna, just because we haven’t been dating that long doesn’t mean I’m not serious about you. I mean if it wasn’t for you all these years, I don’t think I would be half the man I am today.” Will’s breath was ragged, “I love you.”

What was he saying? What did he mean?

“Will I didn’t mean that, I just didn’t . . .don’t want you to think I am suffocating you again. I don’t want you . . .” her voice trailed off as she wiggled herself off his lap. Slowly she walked to the other side of her quarters to the window.

Will watched her go, feeling a mixture of dread and hope. Dread, because she was obviously harboring something, fear perhaps, of him and their relationship. Yet, he couldn’t help the overwhelming sense of hope also welling within his chest.

He pushed himself off her couch and walked to her. Slowly he came upon her, not wanting to disturb her, and he gently said his arms around her waist.

“Dee. . .why did you bring this up?”

Silence. Slowly he felt her body meld into his own, her head lean back on him for support. He loved when she did this, it showed him she needed him.

“I don’t know. . .I guess I wanted to know just as bad as my mother.” She whispered guiltily, “Are you upset with my pettiness.”

“No, to tell you the truth I have been dying to ask you the same question. If you saw us getting married, I just didn’t want to scare you away.”

Silence. Will felt an overwhelming urge to turn her, but he held back. Her eyes were still glued to the window signifying her mind was still churning on something heavy.

“I see us getting married.” Deanna whispered, “I’ve always seen us getting married.”

Will placed his hands on her shoulders, “When?”

Silence again.

“Deanna, when?”

“Whenever you ask me.” She finally responded.

Shock. Every part of Will’s body began to radiate and tingle. Slowly he urged her to turn around, which she reluctently did, revealing a very pale, very unsure looking Deanna.

“Dee, why haven’t you said anything?” His hands were on her cheek, forcing her brown eyes on him. God he wanted to kiss her.

“What should I have said, ‘ Will, please ask me to marry you?’” A tear of surpressed longing escaped the corner of Deanna’s eyes, which she aimlessly swiped away with the back of her hand, “Not exactly my style.”

“Riker you’re an idiot.” He thought to himself, and he pulled her body to him, wrapping his arms around her. Suddenly she felt so right there, next to him, more then she had ever felt before.

“I’m an idiot.” He whispered, laying a kiss on top of her head, “All this time I’ve wanted nothing but to make things right, and yet I was so afraid you would reject me.”

Slowly Deanna’s tense body began to relax as the impact of Will’s words began to penetrate her thick shell of self doubt she had erected around herself. He loved her, he wanted to marry her, two things she thought she had sensed from him but had refused to let herself imagine. Two things she had wanted more then anything else, and yet two things she would never let herself dream.

“Will?”

He pulled away, only to lean down and place a long lingering kiss on her lips.

“Will?” Pulling away Deanna placed one hand on each side of Will’s face, steadying his gaze into her own, “Will you ask me to marry you?”