"Hey Data, do you have any plans for our week of shore leave?"

It had started out quite simply. Geordi, my best friend, invited me to spend our free week enjoying a beach resort back on Earth. Intrigued at the prospect of investigating and incorporating new information, I readily agreed. I expressed gratitude, as is normal for humans in such a situation, and I was as excited as is possible for an android with no emotion chip.

After a day of people-watching and playing typical human beach games, we returned to our rooms. My friend ordered food, and as he ate, he brought up the topic of my love life. Geordi does not normally ask me questions about that, but I hypothesize that the friendly nature of the day enabled him to freely ask personal questions of me.

Now, here he lay on his bed in the dark, angry at me, despite his insisting I had not made him mad.

"Geordi, if I have in some way offended you, at least permit me to make amends."

"Just shut up, Data. I'm trying to sleep."

I turned from him and sat on the chair by the desk. Since I do not sleep, my programming told me the most logical action to take would be to organize my files and ponder what had made my best friend so upset. I replayed the conversation, internally.

Geordi swallowed his crab cake, a traditional human seafood. "Hey, Data, is there a reason you haven't dated anybody in a while?"

"I attempted relationships many times, but they failed, Geordi. I have concluded that dating is not something I am capable of doing successfully, as the end result, marriage, has never been achieved. My lack of emotions disturbs potential mates."

"Oh, so anybody who screws up a few times should just give up?" He put his fork down and stared at me.

I shifted my body. This is not something required for me, but it makes humans more at ease than if I were to stay a stiff, motionless, statue. Perhaps this would aid in calming Geordi. "If the flaw cannot be rectified, continuing to try with the same exact method is pointless."

"But every person is different, Data. Each relationship has different variables."

"While the variables differ slightly, I have not encountered any person with enough indifference to my lack of emotions that wishes to be in a relationship with me. When I do, I will reconsider."

After that, Geordi had silently washed up in the bathroom, and then gone to his bed with no further words to me besides his angry responses to my inquiries and attempts to reconcile.

I have not encountered any person with enough indifference to my lack of emotions. Is he angry because I had overlooked a prospective mate? Is he angry that I have given up? Based on the timing of his anger, these are the most probable reasons. Who could I have overlooked? And why would my giving up bother him? Is it possible that he has someone in mind in whom he has a vested interest? Geordi would not force a mate on me, and does not have any contacts I know of that might have interest in me. Could he be refering to himself?

If Geordi is referring to himself, which is the most likely reason for his anger, why has he not simply, as humans call it, 'made a move' on me? Why would it be occuring now, when the two of us are on vacation, instead of before, during the many years we have worked together on the Enterprise?

Geordi shifted, sitting up on his bed. "Look Data, I'm sorry, okay? Can we just forget this ever happened?"

"While I look forward to seeing you happy again, if whatever this is does not get resolved, I run the risk of angering you again. Why will you not simply tell me what I have done?"

He sighed, and walked over to me. Out of courtesy, I stood, facing him.

"You have no emotions, so you won't freak out at me," he said, more to himself than to me. "But please remember that I do have feelings, and I'm terrified right now what you'll say." I started, but he held up his hand, "Don't give me any reassurances. Don't say anything until I finish, please."

I nodded.

"You've tried being with a few people, Data, without looking right in front of you. I like you, a lot, and you're my best friend. You say you don't have emotions, but you definitely have preferences and ethics. Maybe it's all programming, but the human brain is basically a bunch of programming, too. We're not so different, and I can handle whatever is different. I want to be with you."

A few seconds passed, and I determined that Geordi had finished. "Geordi," I touched his shoulder, "no one has ever said anything so kind and understanding to me. I have considered you my best friend for quite a long time, and I had never picked up on your desire for intimacy. The way you see me as a person who has simply been created differently, well, I have never been thought of so fondly. Emotions or not, all of my programming points me towards one response to your monologue. I love you."

I leaned forward, cupping his face with one hand. Slowly, my lips descended to his as I pulled his body closer with my other hand. I took in every taste, every response: the way he moaned softly, the way he showed no signs of pulling away, the way he seemed to melt into my body.

"Data," he murmured as our lips' passionate encounter ended for the moment, "I love you, too."