Terrence was eased into consciousness by a light touch brushing her jaw. She mumbled and tried to move her arms, but stopped when she noticed the touch felt extremely pleasant. It was a warm touch, spreading a tingling through her and causing a sleepy smile to appear on her feeling crept up to her face and lingered on her cheek, leaving gentle waves of pleasure to wash over her entire body. She mumbled again and tried to get up, but the touch relaxed her so deeply that she lay on the bed, unmoving. As blurriness around her began to clear, she processed that the touch was a pair of lips. Someone was kissing her jaw, her cheek, and her forehead with tenderness that made her feel like melting into the warm cushions underneath her. She sighed in contentment and groped around to find the wonderful being who lavished her with these delightful sensations. Her hands found broad shoulders, and she grasped them and tried to pull the figure closer to her. At once, another touch was felt on the top of her head, stroking her hair affectionately as the lips moved to her other cheek.

Am I still asleep? she thought through her dreamy haze. I don't remember being involved with any- wait.

"Data?" she murmured tiredly.

The touches disappeared. "Yes, Terrence?" Data's voice was quiet.

She smiled. "I almost thought you were Spot."

"I can assure you, I am not."

Terrence slowly opened her eyes. As her vision came into focus, she began to see Data's face about a foot from hers. Her memory triggered as she noticed the subtle strangeness of Data's quarters in the background. She slid her hands from his shoulders to his neck and then to his face.

"So I wasn't dreaming." Her whisper seemed to hang in the air between them until Data leaned forward and closed the gap. His lips met hers for a brief moment of desire, and then he pulled away to kiss her cheek lightly, making Terrence giggle.

"Data, that tickles!" She pushed at his chest playfully.

Data merely continued trailing soft kisses down her neck as she laughed and feebly shoved at his chest.

"Stop that!" She took his face in both her hands and brought it back to hers. "Your lips are wanted elsewhere."

She savored the slight pressure of Data's mouth to her own as they kissed again. When he removed his mouth from hers, Terrence moved her arms as quickly as she could manage to wrap around Data and pull him down next to her. Data seemed taken aback, because he flopped down next to her and scrambled to sit up again. Terrence held out her arms.

"Come here, please?" She tried to give him puppy eyes. He gave her a disapproving look.

"Your attempts at imitating the eyes of an Earth dog are not effective; however, I will do as you please," Data said as he laid down next to her.

Terrence immediately snuggled against his chest, breathing in the faint scent of the android. It made her feel safe, and she nestled her head to his neck. Data did not respond for a moment. Then he appeared to have searched through his files on Terrans, because a few seconds later he hesitantly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her body closer to his. He resumed stroking her hair, making Terrence look at him again.

"What is with you and my hair? Last night you seemed obsessed with petting me," she said amusedly.

"I find it intriguing that humanoid hair grows regularly. It is simply strands of dead cells on one's head, and serves no distinct purpose," he replied, still running his fingers through her short curls.

"I guess you're right," she mused.

"Although, I do find yours to be particularly fascinating. It can be classified as curled, but it is not as curled as the Counselor's. Yet it is more curled than most of the crew member's. I do not understand why all female hair looks so different," he explained.

"I don't know either." She hummed contentedly as Data's hands worked their way over her head repeatedly. The feeling made her even more calm and blissful and her eyes started to close again.

"Terrence, my intention was not to let you oversleep," Data reminded gently. "It was to rouse you."

"Just five more minutes," she muttered. "I'm making sure this isn't a dream."

She opened her eyes long enough to see Data's features, his eyes fixed on her face. He looked at her seriously.

"I will allow you exactly five more minutes. But not a moment more; my internal chronometer is precise."

"Yeah, yeah." She grinned. "You're so cute."

"Androids are not cute." If Terrence hadn't know better, she would have thought Data sounded flustered.

"Whatever you say, Data." She let the lovable android blur out of focus as her eyes fluttered shut once more. I may need to extend that five minutes...