A/N: This is a sort-of sequel to my other DaForge fic 'Advisable', but it should stand on its own without a problem. Disclaimer: I don't own the series or the characters.

"Deck 8."

The computer immediately acknowledged the request and the turbolift began its ascent, carrying one Lieutenant Commander Data through the 28 decks between his quarters, which was his current destination, and Main Engineering.

Returning to his quarters, however, was not at the forefront of Data's artificial mind. In fact, Home Navigation took up a mere 10-17 percent, less than one quintillionth, of his active computational processes. The bulk of his thoughts, a startling 47%, were focused on Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge and the past 23 days, 14 hours, 17 minutes, 22 seconds (and counting), which was the total time they had spent as a -couple-.

The last 14.7 minutes in particular had top priority. His memory logs allowed him to replay the time in perfect detail in order to analyze the situation. At about 21:29 hours, after coming off the Enterprise' Beta Shift and inquiring to the computer the whereabouts of Lieutenant Commander La Forge, Data entered Main Engineering to find Geordi still occupied with systems repair.

The need for repair was of no surprise: Data's internal records reminded him that the Enterprise' recent encounters with an unusual energy pattern in this sector caused a multitude of system-wide errors. Due to creative thinking on the part of their Chief Engineer, the Enterprise was able to navigate through that energy field without permanent damage; however, repairs were estimated to take the rest of the week.

What Data found surprising was that Geordi La Forge was still completing those repairs 8.48 hours after the end of his shift. Working after hours was not unusual aboard a starship, but if Data's logs were accurate (and they generally were), Geordi was in the process of completing his 84th hour within five days. This far exceeded the maximum number of hours recommended for a human being.

Data found that… concerning.

"Just… a little…" The engineer muttered to himself as he adjusted something within one of the open access panels. He didn't seem to notice Data's approach.

"Geordi." Data called out once he was standing directly beside his romantic partner. He had defaulted back to 'Geordi' after several attempts to implement -pet names- into their interactions had proved unsuccessful. The engineer had found it 'a little weird' to be called such things as 'sweetie', 'dearheart', and 'darling', so Data decided to remove that particular conversational branch from his Geordi-file until further notice.

Despite this, the man still seemed to jump at the sound of his name.

Data's automatic transcript interpreted the sound that came out of Geordi La Forge as 'Waah!', followed by a few shaky breaths, and then an incredulous, "Data?"

The android stood back as his boyfriend crawled out from under the open panel, muttering, "Man, you scared the hell outta me."

Recognizing the expression, Data nodded. "I apologize. That was not my intention."

Geordi waved it off, his movements both tense and sluggish, then asked, "What are you doing down here, anyway? I thought you were on Beta?"

There was a slightly different tone to Geordi's voice, though it was only off by a few decibels. Data knew that this was sometimes an indicator of emotion, but he was unable to positively identify what emotion it was. The only partial assumption he was able to conclude was: Geordi did not sound happy.

"Beta Shift ended at 2100 hours: approximately 30 minutes ago." Data responded informatively and watched his friend wince.

"It's past nine?" Geordi said, and then made a sound Data's transcript recorded as, 'Ughhhh.'

He suspected that Geordi was merely making an exclamation and not actually seeking clarification, but he nodded in the affirmative anyway. He looked down at the control panel Geordi had been accessing, "Are you working on reconfiguring the control systems damaged in the energy disturbance?"

"Yes, Data, just like I was doing yesterday, and the day before that!" Once again, Data could detect the small fluctuations in Geordi's voice that evidenced some non-happy emotion. Data's working hypothesis was that it may be anger, due to notable stress on particular syllables.

As an android, Data was not as intuitively familiar with emotions as humans were, and, for the most part, he found it difficult to understand and predict them. Anger was one of the emotions he found particularly baffling, as it seemed to appear inconsistently within the humans he observed. People he interviewed on this topic each recalled feeling angry at: individuals, objects, situations, or, in some instances, themselves.

As these categories covered almost the entirety of perceivable reality, Data's internal reasoning function often had difficulty identifying the source of a person's anger, even when he was successful at identifying the emotion itself. Still, due to his experience, both with humans (in general) and Geordi (in particular) Data thought he could 'take a guess' and conclude that it was the situation that was angering his friend.

With that premise in mind, he proceeded to react accordingly.

"Perhaps it is time for you to take a break?" This was the best feasible solution to the problem. It would both remove Geordi from the situation he found upsetting, as well as expedite the rest Data knew the human needed to function. Because of this, Data assumed his advice would be gratefully accepted.

"I can't!" Geordi stressed, quickly proving Data's supposition wrong. "Not if I want to keep ahead of this mess."

Geordi gestured vaguely to the panel he had been working on, drawing Data's eye to the ships inner workings. Data could understand what Geordi meant by 'mess' – the system failures the Enterprise had been experiencing since their run-in with the energy phenomenon could be described as complex, interrelated, and, most vexingly, apparently random. Each system had to be individually repaired in unique and often challenging ways, and a mistake could potentially cause irreparable damage. Out of the 134 engineering officers on board, only 11 were qualified for this level of sophistication.

Not including Data.

It made sense, then, that Geordi felt the need to help his staff as much as possible, and to supervise the junior engineers so that their inexperience would not lead to serious mistakes. Unfortunately, in humans, exhaustion could also lead to serious mistakes.

Data had not accounted for the lack of sufficiently-qualified staff in his original solution. Fortunately, this was easily rectified, and once those variables were correctly incorporated into his reasoning, the updated solution became obvious:

"I could assist-"

"No!" Geordi responded before Data could complete his suggestion. The android closed his mouth and waited for further clarification, but Geordi seemed preoccupied. The engineer sighed, and then tried again, his tone softer in a way that Data generally classified as 'regretful', "Uh, no, Data. Sorry. Thanks for asking."

Data nodded silently in acknowledgment and watched as Geordi finally stepped away from the panel to stand directly in front of him. Geordi placed his hands on Data's shoulders, which the android interpreted as 'physical reassurance'.

"I appreciate you coming down to see me. I'm sorry I've been so… busy." Geordi sighed, then leaned up and placed a light kiss on Data's lips.

This was another thing in which Data felt he was lacking. Not the kiss itself, as Data felt he had done enough research to return the kiss adequately enough, but the intuitive and spontaneous ways humans typically bestowed them. For instance, he would not have thought to kiss Geordi at precisely this moment, but he did seem to appreciate Geordi kissing him. It was an intriguing paradox in his reasoning, which he queued up to be fully analyzed at a later time.

Meanwhile, his current thoughts were trying to decipher what had been wrong with his solution. Was there a reason he could not assist Geordi in the repairs? But, before Data could fully sift through the relevant data, the kiss was over. It did not last long: approximately 0.43 seconds. Data thought it could be precisely categorized as a 'peck'.

"It's just been a rough week, y'know?" Geordi continued once he'd settled. He patted Data twice on the shoulder then glanced back at the control panel he'd been working on. Data's frowning reflex activated: something about that statement troubled him, but that was also something he queued up for later analysis. Right now, he was still listening to Geordi speak: "I'm gonna work on this a little while longer. If I don't see you later tonight, I'll talk to you in the morning, alright?"

Data perceived that Geordi was attempting to close the conversation. He had neglected, however, to give any further reasoning as to why Data could not help him complete his repairs. Without any additional data to adjust his reasoning, his unacceptable solution remained the only one he was able to devise. Data opened his mouth,

"Geordi, I…"

Data's conversational algorithm cycled through a number of things he wanted to say: Geordi, I do not understand why I cannot assist you; Geordi, I am capable of performing these tasks far within the parameters necessary to avoid complications; Geordi, I predict that my assistance in these repairs will increase your relative efficiency by 204%; Geordi, I want to help you, but I do not know how.

But, Data did not think that Geordi would deny his assistance without a good reason. Nor, did he think Geordi would fail to explain what that reason was, if he did not also have a good reason for why he could not explain. Compressing this down to the simplest explanation, all Data could come up with was: Geordi did not want his help.

So, he aborted that dialogue chain and executed another, "As you wish. Goodnight, Geordi."

That was the end of the relevant time period that Data was studying. He replayed the event at accelerated speeds several times before entering his quarters and greeting Spot.

The tabby cat looked up from her place on the sofa, then promptly laid back down.

Data walked over to his replicator and ordered 'Feline Supplement #25', before placing the replicated tray down for Spot to partake at her leisure. Then, the android took his seat at his desk and manually inputted and saved his daily log into his computer's hard drive. He had been advised to keep this sort of external 'diary' by Counselor Troi, who felt it would be a way to express himself in his own terms, as well as review his progress as he advanced on his quest toward humanity.

He suspected he was not utilizing it quite like the counselor intended. The concept of 'reviewing one's progress' resonated with the android, however, and he soon thought of a different way to put his diary to good use.

"Computer, I would like to make a series of inquiries concerning any interactions between myself and Lieutenant Commander La Forge recorded in my daily log."

"Acknowledged."

"Starting from Stardate 41153 and ending with the input from today, I would like to see graphs depicting the -duration of time- I have spent with Lieutenant Commander La Forge in a sequence of 30 day margins."

"Working."

Data spent the next several hours adjusting the computer's sorting parameters, inquiring about specific days and accounting for unusual circumstances. The more he investigated, however, the more he became convinced that something was terribly wrong.

He sat, gently petting Spot, who had come to rest on his lap, and watched the data on his monitor.

'It's just been a rough week', Data recalled Geordi saying with picture-perfect clarity. He knew now why it had troubled him: it was not true.

"La Forge to Data."

Data's communicator chirped, alerting him to the comm-request. He tapped his communicator and accepted the channel without hesitation, "Data here."

"Hey, Data." The somewhat drowsy voice of Geordi drifted over the intercom. "I'm headed to bed. I'm gonna try to get a few winks in before Alpha Shift. I'll come up to see you before I head in though, alright?"

"Acknowledged." Data replied. "There is also something I would like to discuss when you arrive."

"Oh?" Geordi yawned. "What's that?"

"I believe it would be beneficial if we were to discontinue our romantic relationship."

There was a long pause, and Data was about to check to see if they had been disconnected somehow when Geordi's disbelieving tone carried over the comm, "… What?"

Data's frowning reflex activated once again. He did not want to have this discussion until he was entirely sure. It would, after all, not be a pleasant one.

"I have not yet completed my analysis." Data explained, trying to sound as reassuring as possible, but unable to determine if he was succeeding or not. "Do not worry: I plan to thoroughly re-examine my numbers and calculations before coming to any solid conclusion. I will see you in a few hours."

That was Data's attempt to end the dialogue, similar to the way Geordi had earlier that day. It seemed that Data did not have the same knack for it, though, as Geordi rushed to continue.

"No! W-wait, wait a minute – Data, I-!" There was a flurry of sound over the comm that sounded suspiciously like running. "Hold on, I'll be right there. Computer, Deck 8!"

The comm cut off after that, but Data suspected that he would be speaking with Geordi soon, regardless. Within the minute, the door chirped and Data gave the visitor permission to 'enter'. Sure enough, there was Geordi, panting slightly as he stumbled into Data's quarters.

"Geordi. I thought you were-" Data began, but was interrupted by the frantic tumble of words coming from his best friend.

"Are you breaking up with me?" The words seemed to run over each other as Geordi himself seemed unsteady.

Data's frown continued as he responded as gently as he could, "I do not wish to make that decision prematurely."

"But it's something you're considering." Geordi pressed on.

"Yes."

"Why?"

Data shook his head. His friend looked exhausted; his brown skin was dull and off-color and evidence of dark circles could be seen from under his VISOR. This discussion could clearly wait for a better time. "I had planned to show you my analysis in the morning. Right now, you require rest."

Geordi waved his arms, as if brushing that concern aside, "I'm fine, Data, just tell me what you're talking about."

The android was not so easily swayed, however. "You have not been getting the necessary amount of sleep. I believe it would be -most- effective to present my data -after- you have done so."

The human groaned and rubbed at the parts of his eyes and bridge of his nose he could reach under his VISOR. When he replied he started slowly, then gained momentum, "Data, there is no way I'm going to be able to sleep knowing that you're up here deciding whether or not to break up with me!"

Data remembered to blink as his artificial brain assimilated this information. This consequence had not occurred to him when he'd decided to inform Geordi of his activities. He had apparently made things worse unintentionally. Again.

"…I had not considered that informing you would cause a disruption your sleep patterns." Data admitted, hoping the tone he used was successful at expressing 'regret', "I am sorry."

"Don't worry about it, Data. Just, please, tell me what's wrong?" Geordi pleaded, placing his hands on Data's desk, directly in front of where the android was sitting. "Please?"

Data considered for a moment, then, deciding the damage was done, nodded in acquiescence. He turned back to his monitor and accessed the graphic data he had been compiling.

Geordi examined the graphs, his brow lined in a way that indicated 'confusion'. "What am I looking at?"

"These graphs show the amount of time we have spent together since the day we met." Data explained, gesturing toward the first graph. "The duration of our interactions increased gradually over the course of our first year together on the Enterprise, then reached an equilibrium point with a mode of 8.2 hours per day."

"Okay?" Geordi asked, that same confused look not leaving his features.

Data shifted his focus to the last graph of the series, pointing out a particular spot 23 days ago. "Since we have started our romantic engagement, this time has increased by 5%."

"Well, yeah." The man responded, though Data could detect some small variation in his expression that he was unable to place. "I mean, we're dating. Of course I would want to spend more time with you."

"This is not what concerns me." Data said, and then tapped a few buttons on his console. The graphs shifted into charts, with two main colors: yellow and blue. "This chart shows the portion of time we typically spend -working- together and the portion of time we use for -mutual recreation-."

Most of the charts showed a reasonable spread of yellow 'work-time' and blue 'play-time'. Geordi seemed to stiffen slightly. Data continued.

"These charts depict the ratio of work-to-recreation in the months leading up to our -involvement-." Data put a slight emphasis on the word. He tapped a button on his console and enlarged the four most recent graphs. The first three were a fair mix of yellow and blue. Data pointed to the last one.

"And this chart depicts the ratio for the last 23 days." It was almost all blue.

"Data, that's…" Geordi started, then faltered, then tried again, "That's because… there's been so much going on. It's really been one problem after another. A-and, the computer system is still experiencing errors! The ratios could be-"

"I have taken recent events into account, and have personally run the calculations through my internal systems, which have been unaffected by the disruption." Data cut in, anticipating Geordi's concern. He then entered a new set of parameters to his computer's display and a new order of charts filled the screen. "Here I have isolated the months with the highest concentration of engineering malfunctions, and sorted them by level of severity."

Geordi's elbows slid down to rest on Data's desk, his entire body seeming to slump as he watched the charts' new formation. They were no longer sorted by chronologically, but Geordi still had no trouble picking out the most recent chart. It was the single blue blemish in a sea of yellow.

Data found Geordi's expression and body language concerning, so he decided to execute his summary and conclusion without any further delay. He hoped that once his presentation was complete, Geordi would finally be able to get the rest he needed.

"In all of these instances, the amount of time we collectively spent on work -increased- to compensate for the malfunction. Except for within the last 23 days. In fact, excluding the instances where the Captain -assigned us- to the same project, our quantity of collaborative work has decreased by 98%."

Summary complete, Data turned off his computer's monitor and turned his full attention back to Geordi to deliver his conclusion: "It seems that while you are spending a higher -percentage- of time with me, you are also avoiding me. Professionally."

"Uh… Well, um…" Geordi appeared to stall out, his mouth going slack as he fumbled over his words. Data watched, fascinated, as his friend slowly recovered himself with a deep breath and slow sigh.

"You're right. Of course, you're right, Data. You help me out a lot at work, and as a colleague that was fine, and as a friend, but as… I…" Geordi's shoulders jerked up in a helpless shrug, "I just thought it would be weird if we were dating and most of the time we spend together is you helping me do my job."

Data nodded. So this was yet another activity his romantic partner found 'weird'. The android was still not sure what particular elements contributed to a verdict of 'weird', but he did trust Geordi's judgement on the matter.

Unfortunately, Geordi's statement also confirmed Data's theory, "Then, I was correct in assuming that the cause of these discrepancies was our romantic relationship. We should discontinue it immediately."

"W-wait a second, Data!" Geordi interjected, the human's voice had another slight fluctuation, which Data tentatively classified as 'urgency'. Data knew enough about human expressions to predict that Geordi meant to protest his assessment.

"Does it really matter?" He began, as Data expected, "I mean, we're still spending time together, and I'm still getting my work done. I thought if… if I just made sure to spend as much time with you as I could, it wouldn't matter what we were doing."

"It -does not- matter what we are doing, but you are exhausting yourself." Data clarified, and when the man gave another indication of protest, Data raised his hand to stop him. It seemed, that while Data knew the engineer to have a talented mind, capable of making deep and complex technical connections on a daily basis, this particular association would need to be 'spelled out' for him. "In my previous surveys of human couples, I discovered that over 91% of people would describe their relationship as 'beneficial to their wellbeing'. This percentage only increases when taking into account the success and longevity of each relationship."

Data's hand lowered as he delivered his final determination, "I have been unable to produce the same results in -our- relationship. Instead, it seems, I have become a -drain- on your internal resources."

Data expected this would, at last, bring the discussion to an end, as well as convince Geordi the necessity of terminating the newest facet of their relationship. He could only hope that he had caught this aberration in time and no lasting damage had been done to their friendship, which had been his primary concern since the beginning of this endeavor.

But, Geordi just looked at him for a moment, his face almost stricken. Then he looked down, his VISOR pointed at his arms still resting on the android's desk, and laughed. At least, Data's audial identification perceived it as a laugh. There was a strain to the sound, however, a notably higher pitch than Data's other recordings of Geordi's laughter, and, most significantly, it did not give off the same sense of 'ease'.

If he only had a better understanding of emotions, Data thought, he would be able to classify it more accurately.

"A drain on internal resources… that sounds like a pretty average relationship to me." Geordi said, his voice carrying a distinct distortion through those same unusual chuckles.

"Geordi." Data said, more to try to get Geordi's attention than to relay any kind of information.

"I know, I know, I just…" The unusual pitch of Geordi's faltering laughter was beginning to concern Data. He was about to remove the sound from the 'laughter' category entirely, when it suddenly faded back into words, "I can't believe how much I screwed up… How could I let you think…"

The sentence had been quiet, almost as if Geordi was speaking to himself, and he let it trail off indeterminately. Then, as if he had come to some sort of decision, the engineer stood up fully, his VISOR lifting to maintain at level with the other's eyes.

"Data, listen, I'm terrible at this. Romance, relationships – I have no clue what I'm doing. I start getting… anxious, and I overthink things, and I end up making terrible decisions, and, honestly, you could definitely find somebody better qualified, but..." The human paused then to take a breath and, perhaps, gather his nerve before continuing, "Don't ever think that you're a burden to me, Data. Or that you don't… benefit me or whatever. Of course you're beneficial to my wellbeing! I've felt excited and kinda flustered and wonderful just about non-stop since you agreed to date me. I …I love you, Data."

Data had not expected this, and instead of responding right away, the android chose to keep quiet and try to analyze all of this new information. His irises wavered from side to side, as he replayed the words over and over in his mind.

Sometimes, Data was astounded by how much information humans were able to relate with their choice of words – and he knew their meanings would only become more nuanced if he had a better grasp of tone and expression. Data knew there was so much more that he simply could not understand. But…

I love you, Data.

When Data and Geordi first became romantically involved, Data had attempted to brief his friend over what he might expect from a relationship with him, as compared to most other human partners. One of the points he had covered was the topic of 'love' - specifically, his inability to experience it. Geordi had waved off the concern and the briefing altogether, stating that he was 'not much of a lovey-type anyway' and that they would 'figure it out' as they go. The topic had not come up again.

Until now.

Data knew, both from depictions of lovers in real life and holovids, that the typical response to that statement was a reciprocation. But, 'I love you, too' seemed disingenuous, and his morality subroutines strongly advised against it.

Still, Data could not help but consider disengaging his subroutine and saying it anyway.

He had not yet decided what he was going to do when he opened his mouth to respond, but he was saved from that particular moral quandary by Geordi, who, as he often did, seemed to know precisely what Data was thinking, "You don't have to say it back. I just… wanted you to know."

Data closed his mouth and nodded, silently queueing that unusual consideration up for future study.

Meanwhile, Geordi seemed to be squaring himself up for something else. Data observed as he gave a short sniff, rubbed gently at the area below his eyes that he could reach under his VISOR and gave himself a short but thorough shake. "Alright, I'm an adult. I can handle this." He said, apparently to himself, before squaring his shoulders and addressing Data once again.

"So, you want to break up."

A short program Data wrote to mimic human bewilderment clicked on in response to the android's confusion and he blinked twice, perplexed, "No, Geordi."

"I…" The engineer stopped abruptly. "Wait. What?"

"I did not state that I -wanted- to break up with you. I advised that we -should-." Data reminded him, gently, making sure to speak clearly as Geordi was clearly exhausted and misunderstanding.

Despite Data's consideration, however, he human still stared at him in complete bafflement for a number of seconds.

"Okay. So." Geordi began, still sounding a little dazed. He ran his hands over his hair, a habit when he was forcing himself to think. "What if… I stopped keeping you from helping me with my job?"

The android quickly processed the hypothetical, and nodded: "That would greatly reduce my concerns."

It was like something that had been holding the man up was suddenly removed, and the engineer slumped bodily against the android's desk. "Geez, Data, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"

The sudden drop startled Data, and he stood and rounded the desk to see to his friend, "Should I alert Dr. Crusher?"

"No, it's just a..." Geordi started, drowsily, before waving a loose arm, "I'll tell you later. Right now… I'm gonna go lay down."

Data put his arm around his boyfriend and helped him up, then, after a brief indecision, lead him over to his sofa. There was cat hair on it, and Data gave the cushions two quick swipes of his hand which did absolutely nothing to remove the stubborn orange strands. Geordi didn't seem to mind in the least, however, as he promptly plopped down on the cushions and sighed in relief. His expression appeared more relaxed than Data had seen for a while.

Still, Data resolved to re-consider his initial decision to forgo a bed in his quarters.

He would work with what he had, however, and with that in mind he headed to his replicator. "Geordi, what you were trying to express earlier, I believe I understand."

He paused to order Geordi a blanket, then continued on as the fabric began to form, "10 months ago, I installed a subroutine I designed to mimic human infatuation. I chose you as the program's obvious outlet as you are my best friend, and thus the most suitable target for a 'crush'."

"You never told me that, Data," came the somewhat-dreamy reply.

"It was intended to be a -secret- crush." Data explained, and Geordi laughed. Though the android had not intended to make a joke, the laughter gave him a sense of accomplishment nonetheless. Maybe it was because this laughter sounded right – it sounded like Geordi.

Data took the blanket and returned to the sofa, unfolding it as he went, "Though I cannot experience the -emotions- associated with requited love, I do experience a certain level of gratification from…"

He trailed off as he rounded the sofa and realized that his audience was no longer listening. Geordi's breathing was deep and even, his face slack in sleep. Quietly, the android draped the blanket across his friend and, taking a knee, very gently removed his VISOR and placed it on a short table within reach.

Then, in an attempt to exhibit 'romantic spontaneity', he placed a soft kiss on his lover's forehead.

"Goodnight, Geordi."

Geordi did not stir, and Data was not entirely sure if he succeeded in his attempt at romance. He made an internal note to study up on it later.

Then, he stood and headed to his desk, where he retrieved his personal engineering kit under the watchful eye of Spot, who had annexed the warm spot on his chair he had recently vacated. Kit in hand, the android addressed his cat in a low whisper, "Spot, I will be in Main Engineering. Please, do not wake Geordi. He requires sleep."

Spot, as always, gave no indication that she understood, but Data gave her a pat anyway. "Good girl."

Data exited his quarters and entered the turbolift, intent on working on the system repairs now that he was permitted, though his thoughts were once again focused on Geordi and the past 23 days, 18 hours, 23 minutes, 54 seconds (and still counting). This time, however, his mind was also immersed with thoughts of the future.

"Deck 36."

A/N: Geordi is definitely going to wake up with a cat on his face. I hope you enjoyed! I'm thinking of making more DaForge oneshots if I think of them. If you liked this story, please review!