@commandred:
❛ Attempt. ❜ He repeated the word, voice d u b i o u s. Not that her manner did not make it easy to put two and two together. And she had called it an accident. There was that urge toward violence in defence of one loved, still not eradicated from human instinct. But he was a Starfleet o f f i c e r, bound to conduct himself accordingly. Though these ‘young men’ could use a lesson or two.
❛ I’d love nothing more than to ❜ But he stopped himself. His anger could do nothing to rectify the situation. Nothing to h e l p. ❛ Look, Deanna… I’m not the counselor. So if you tell me you’re fine, I have to believe you. Are you? And I don’t mean physically. ❜ Not that he wouldn’t continue to w a t c h, to keep eye out for evidence to the contrary. Just in case. But ultimately he could do no more if she insisted.
There was fear in her expression, and little she could do to stop it from showing -- even in the man she loved cared for, the raising of his voice made her flinch. Deanna looked up at Will, swallowing back the sound that wanted so desperately to escape; the scared whine that said more than she had the courage to speak herself.
“ -- I’m not” she replied softly, shaking her head. It was hard to lie to Will, and rarely did it work. The empath continued to shake her head, breaths shorter, quicker. “I’m not fine... not at all.” It was that moment of acceptance that let Deanna fall into Will’s chest, holding onto him like she’d slip away if she let go. “Will -- it was dreadful -- what they were feeling -- what they were thinking --”
