The BLTS Archive - Our Time
by Dale (valioffire@yahoo.com)

---

Beta:Starshadow, with much appreciation.

Author's Note: For Stephen's request: TNG, Riker/Troi. Word: Splash.

Disclaimer: Paraborg owns it... and I play in it.

---

With the rescue of Farpoint Station's stranded personnel and various
residents placed in the hands of Starfleet's Disaster Unit, the
Enterprise headed for a new mission, and William Riker could no longer
ignore his personal concerns. The ship's new first officer felt a
strange, out-of-sync, sensation nagging on the edge of his thoughts
for days after the crisis of Deneb IV had ended. At first, he pushed
it aside in order to keep his private anxieties separate from his new
responsibilities.

Even now, a twist in the corner of his lips reflected the fleeting
admission that he was hoping another excuse could be found to avoid
the ship's counselor. Shaking his head to clear that lie from his
thoughts, he muttered a quiet curse to himself and walked purposely to
her quarters. He knew his memories wouldn't allow more delay.

The commander had been surprised when reintroduced to the only woman
he had truly loved. Since that meeting, in those few free hours in
which he managed to catch some sleep, her image had haunted his
dreams. She had stood proudly, with the same look of astonishment that
he knew had been a reflection of his own. Deanna Troi's persona was as
vivid as he remembered. And it now shadowed his footsteps.

"Do you remember what I taught you?" she had asked that day, in
reference to his sensing her thoughts.

"Too bad she didn't teach me how to forget her," he reflected, barely
stopping himself from saying it aloud. But he knew that was also
another lie. He never wished to forget her - only the intensity of
wanting her. A sudden vision of holding the beautiful Betazed in his
arms flickered through those thoughts, causing his fists to clench and
unclench to relieve the apprehension of his desires.

//Just a hint of sexual musk teased his senses with the essence of her
pale skin damp from one of many of their torrid entanglements. One
hand became ingrained in the mass of black hair tossed on the pillow
like a spider web claiming its prey. The other teased her lower
abdomen by squirming between their bodies in search of another patch
of hair. His fingers gripped their claim with an unexpected force and
he was rewarded by her stunned gasp.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked, with a mischievous tone.

"Yes," she groaned. "More, touch me more."

He did.//

With the counselor's door in sight, Riker's attention snapped back to
the present. Pausing a few feet from the entrance he breathed deeply,
fighting to calm his demeanor.  Not understanding his own increasing
anger, he stepped closer with a tense shrug. "Who am I angry at?" he
pondered. "Myself, for concentrating on a spiraling career? Deanna,
for daring to get on with her life and making a career in Starfleet?
Or is it the irrational thought that she had followed me here?"
Quickly, realizing the injustice of that, he dismissed it with a loud
sigh.  The truth was, he knew had been an idiot for walking away from
such a rare creature.  And simultaneously, he was a fool to be
standing outside her door when he had nothing to offer either of them
in the way of a future together.

Suddenly, a hand on his shoulder caused the commander to jump and
twist in defense. To his instant embarrassment, he released a startled
gasp that filled the corridor. It took an effort to keep from rubbing
a faint soreness left from the strong Klingon grip.

"My apologies, Commander Riker, I didn't mean to startle you."

Relaxing his stance, Will looked at Lieutenant Worf and smiled
sheepishly. "You just caught me off guard for a moment." Cringing
inward for showing his lapse of control to the officer, the commander
took a deep breath and promptly asked  if there was something he could
help him with.

"Captain Picard sent me to find you," Worf explained, with an
unmistakable irritation in his attitude. "There is a temporary problem
with the communications system, and you are needed on the bridge."

Surmising the Klingon's agitation was at whatever had caused the
system to malfunction and not his skittishness, he laughed softly and
offered a joke to relieve his own awkwardness. "Hopefully, it wasn't
caused by Q. The last thing we need is for him to stop by and play
again."

Worf rolled his eyes and sighed with continued annoyance in his tone,
"If he reappears, I will personally toss him out an airlock." Turning,
the Lieutenant stomped aggressively down the hall, leaving the
commander no doubt the Klingon meant what he said.

With a smile Will followed, only glancing briefly at the door he had
wanted to cross. "Another time, Imzadi," he thought.

He wasn't surprised to hear a returning, "I will wait."

---

Deanna moved from the door of her quarters and stretched out on the
couch she used for counseling. "Appropriate," she mused, staring at a
bare wall and vaguely wondering if she should keep it that way, since
it matched her mood.  She also had been pondering what would or should
happen between her and Will. Still upset by her lack of
professionalism on the planet, she shuddered at the memory. It had
been a mistake to try to draw his attention during the mission. Then,
to make matters worse, she had tried to stop him from putting himself
in danger while doing his job. His reprimand was quick, appropriate,
and left her shaking from both her actions and the full realization of
his position as First Officer.

Her thoughts traveled over the loss of her father to Starfleet, and
wondered if that was Will's future. Acknowledging her wanderings were
detrimental to what they had shared, she sat back up. Will had been in
Starfleet when they met, and she knew his strength was in his resolve
to be the best at his chosen career. She wouldn't walk away from the
dangers, either. Being in Starfleet made her feel a connection to her
father, and was a way to make a valid contribution to her own
profession.

Rising, her attitude now reflected her determination to stop this
moping after what couldn't be, and she headed to unpack the rest of
her belongings. It was time.

But time briefly froze when her hand fell on a small, old-fashioned
globe in the last box. It was a treasured gift from her Imzadi. Will
had given it to her the night before he left for the USS Potemkin. A
grove of flowers seemed to grow in it, swaying in a soft wind, with
breathtaking mountains in the far background. It was an incredible
illusion that offered a taste of Will's life. His Alaska. The mauve
flowers were well known to that land which held a special place in
Will Riker's heart. He had called them fireweeds. They grew wild, and
only existed in the summertime.  She recalled his explanation that an
Alaskan could tell summer was in its twilight by how many petals were
left on their stems. It was a gentle reminder of how short summer
really was. Deanna realized it was his way of saying it was their
twilight as well.

But after twilight is a new dawn, her heart dared to whisper. With the
globe in hand, she closed her eyes and remembered.

//Will's strong hands caressed at first with a sweet, promising
tenderness, but increased in demand to set her skin aflame. Her
breasts quivered with each kneading of his palm, rising against his
hand with their own desire. A nub was captured, pinched between his
conquering fingers as it forced a cry of pain and delight from her
lips. As the hands traveled further down her hungry body, Deanna had
known she was lost to his mastery.

She withered beneath him as his fingers seemed to locate and own every
erotic nerve ending in her body. Groans and moans mingled with pleas
that led to amplified intensity.  As those magical fingers maneuvered
upwards again, she shivered at the caresses on her throat. They were
enhanced by soft kisses in her ear, confiding undying love. As his
hand moved to her lips, she trapped one wandering finger between her
teeth and bit lightly. Will's responding cry was echoed by hers when
his back arched, driving his penis to press against her wanting mound.

It took time to settle their breathing and continue the odyssey,
slowly, neither wishing to hurry the pleasure. Pulling her wrists
together above her head, Will gave her a warning look; don't move. His
strong thighs pushed against hers to show his strength. Deanna knew it
wasn't to dominate as a man, but as a lover offering to please her for
the gift of submission. With a move of his knees, he encouraged her
legs to part, leaving her most private sanctuary vulnerable to his
explorations.//

---

Ten Forward was crowded when Commander Riker entered to look around
for the elusive counselor. He now spotted her among a small group of
crewmembers he hadn't yet met. Not feeling like socializing, he
wandered to the bar and ordered. The coolness of an ice-filled glass
of whiskey only briefly distracted his mental wanderings.  Five days
had past since his decision to confront their problem, but he had been
detoured by duty - either his or hers. Wondering if Deanna was simply
choosing to avoid being alone with him, he cringed at the thought.
"Don't keep reading into this, Will," he snickered to himself, and
gripped the glass tighter. A finger traced the cold wetness, and he
drifted in memory.

//Deanna placed an ice cube on his chest, laughing at his goose bumps.
This time it was he who had his wrists tied above his head by a
promise. Desperately, he ached to pull the cube away, yet struggled in
favor of the mounting desire of titillation. Admittedly, he was also
aroused by her rare domination.

No longer amused, her now-solemn mood reflected in her slow sensuous
movements, as Deanna rubbed the shrinking cube over a nipple. Will
choked out a gasp of pleasure, hardened from the waves of erotic
sexuality he felt, as well as sensed from her mind.

When the ice cube melted, she lay prone on top of him, licking the
dampness off his chest, her lips joining the assault by adding sweet
kisses.  He pushed upward against her body as she hesitantly traveled
downward. Stopping to taste the perspiration surrounding his umbilical
region, Deanna let her tongue splash thirstily in the moisture-filled
dip. Mumbling incoherently, his body shuddered with pleasure. Rising
her head to meet his eyes, she blew a kiss, then returned to traveling
with her tongue. Reaching his groin Deanna draped her thighs over his
knees and started a hungry assault on his cock. His manhood
strengthened like a blade of steel, greeting her ministrations. When
she finally took him into her mouth in a willful plunge, he whispered
her name in tribute.//

"Commander?" A soft voice broke through his meanderings.

Noticing the familiar dark orbs flashing between concern and a tease,
Will stared into the counselor's eyes. He started to comment on the
beauty before him but gained control with a shudder.

"Will?" Deanna's tone was a bewildered whisper and he felt her hand
placed gently on his arm. "Are you all right? I sense confusion from
you."

Glancing around them, he was pleased to see they, at least
temporarily, had privacy. "I guess it takes a crowded room to finally
get you alone," he smiled. Stalling for time to clear his thoughts, he
admitted, "I was lost in a memory for a minute, Counselor,"

"So it would seem. I've been standing here for a few moments,
wondering if you were avoiding me."

He laughed. "I've been wondering the same thing about you. But every
time I think I have you cornered to talk. . . ."

"Duty," she finished his sentence quietly. "I'm glad to hear you want
to be alone with me." Deanna faltered as she continued, "I... I really
am sorry I didn't handle that mission well when we first went to the
planet."

Will didn't miss the tinge of sadness in her manner. "You regrouped,
Deanna. That's what matters. I think we were both at a loss to know
how to react that day."

"Or any day since?" she added.

He nodded. "Do you want to sit in a corner somewhere? I'm afraid if we
leave this crowd, we'll find ourselves suddenly lacking in privacy
again."

"I see your point. . ." she smiled at his humor.

"Commander Riker, please report to Engineering," the comlink
announced.

Shaking his head, Will answered the call, then returned his attention
to the counselor. "I guess we're not even safe in a crowd."

"You'll see me tomorrow. I scheduled you for an appointment." She
laughed lightly at his bemused look. "Don't worry; I'm meeting all the
bridge crew this week - that's my job."

---

Deanna opened her door with a mixture of anxiety and titillation. "If
only he didn't look so damn handsome in that uniform," she chuckled to
herself and pointed him towards her couch.  She hadn't noticed the
package he carried behind his back until he started to sit, pulling it
onto his lap. Her eyes reflected her question.

"It's a gift for us to share. But first I think we need to finally
agree to work this out between us."

"I'm not sure there is a solution that would please us, Will." Deanna
struggled with a decision she had been trying to ignore. "Perhaps it
will be best if I put in for a transfer."

Will released a soft laugh and shook his head. Slowly he placed the
box on the table between then and reached for her hand. "I wondered
which one of us would offer that. I'm not surprised you are the
strongest one." Seeing the moisture threatening her dark eyes he
quickly added, "But that isn't a solution; it's avoidance."

In frustration, Deanna pulled her hand away. "I don't see where we
have a choice. The Captain was correct. As his officers, it is best
that we know each other's abilities. Unfortunately, our knowledge of
each other is more entrenched than he realizes."

"I agree," Will nodded, and pulled her to sit beside him. "We are very
aware of the depth we could reach, to protect and become lost in each
other's existence. Maybe, to an extent, that could endanger this crew.
Neither of us wants that."

"No," she whispered and automatically laid her head against his
shoulder.

Will leaned them back against the couch and they sat in silence for
several moments. "I have an idea I think will be difficult for both of
us, and at the same time, satisfactory."

Raising her eyes to meet his, she saw a mischievous grin tease in his
sparkling blue orbs. "Is this something I want to hear?"

He winked reassuringly. "First, open the box."

Cautiously, Deanna leaned forward and lifted the gift to her lap. A
quick glance at him revealed his anticipation, and she felt a
comforting embrace from his mind. It was the first time she had
allowed herself to be open to him since he had entered the room.
Removing the wrap, she gently tugged the lid from the box, and
laughed.

"Chocolates. I should have known."

"Not just chocolates. Betazoid crème chocolate from that little shop
you used to take me to," he quipped fondly.

"Where did you get these on the ship? Believe me, I would know if they
were available on this vessel." Her smile brightened with the
excitement of a sudden mystery.

"I didn't buy them for you," he chuckled. "That's what helped me
decide what to do about us. You see, I sent for these when I first
heard there was a good chance I would get assigned to the Enterprise."

"Why?"

With a gentle sigh he removed one of the chocolate pieces and broke it
in half. Teasing her lips with a section, he rubbed gently until her
mouth opened to accept the small treasure. Then he greedily ate the
other half.  Waiting for his throat to clear from the last swallow of
the chewy sweet, he gladly answered the question in the eyes that
quizzed his. It was a thrill to see the pleasure on her face, as she
savored the treat.

"I made arrangements to send it here as part of a private celebration.
If I hadn't gotten the position, it would have been forwarded. It was
in part of the shipment of supplies waiting for us on Deneb IV."

"A private celebration? Dare I ask what that entailed?"

He chuckled in acknowledgement of her tease, then continued with a
small somberness encroaching. "I think it was a way of celebrating
with you. My career cost you a lot of pain, Deanna. I fully realized
that, but I never figured out how to make amends, until that crate was
opened yesterday. When I held that box, an answer seemed obvious."

"In what way?"

Reaching up to caress her check, he gently brushed a lock of hair
behind her ear and let his fingers remain, fondling the softness. "I
wondered what the odds were that I had ordered them for you without
dreaming you would actually be here. Something in this universe draws
us to each other. Call it destiny, kismet, whatever, but we will
always be together. If not physically, spiritually. Do you understand
what I'm saying?"

Deanna pondered his words, then setting the box on the table, she
pulled him into a hug. "Yes."

Caressing her back, Will allowed them to become lost in the comforting
embrace. When he finally pulled away, his eyes were as moist as the
tears that freely flowed down her cheeks. Wiping at her cheeks he
asked, "Are those tears of understanding or disappointment?"

"Both," she admitted.

"Just like enjoying those chocolates together, Imzadi, we can enjoy
each other's companionship. When the time is right, we will know
whether we should progress as a couple, or treasure the friendship our
memories offer." He bent to offer a kiss, but instead raised an index
finger to caress her bottom lip, rubbing at a spot of chocolate.

A large grin met his soft touch as she kissed the fingertip. "In the
meantime, I look forward to working with you, Commander Riker."

Taking another piece of chocolate, he again split it in half and
repeated his earlier disposition of the extraordinary treat. Their
eyes locked in silent acknowledgment, then without looking back, he
rose and purposely walked from her quarters.

---

Only language lovers shared allowed the other to know where to touch,
caress, and nibble to conquer the flames that ignited their bodies.
The taste of her vulva still lingered on his lips, so he generously
shared the flavor as their mouths devoured each other obsessively.
Wrapped in this heat of passion, Will rolled them both over,
maneuvering his legs between hers, his body demanding an entrance. In
a final triumph before exhaustion would take them into the depths of
sleep, Will plunged one last time into the waiting folds of Deanna's
pleasure.

She groaned, an animalistic sound that vibrated deep in her throat,
and ignited a relentless new flame in Will's fire. Thrusting
vigorously, he brought them both to a higher plane of existence. Their
souls soared together in reaching for the stars surrounding the
beloved ship that cradled them protectively within its walls. As they
succumbed to dreams of their shared desires, the soft humming of warp
drive comforted them. It was the ultimate embrace of the USS Titan.

---

The End