She was exquisite, to him anyway. Her wild mane of dark tresses in perfect contrast with her porcelain skin. Her eyes the darkest black and oh so expressive, even more so than the standard was for Betazoids.

But then, nothing about her was standard and all facets of her put together created the most wonderful woman he'd ever known. Her heart was made of pure love, albeit scarred, deeply scarred. And her spirit was kindred and loving to its very core, despite having had to endure betrayal and loneliness.

He had done his best to take away her pain and nurtured her scars with love and tenderness.

A smile spread across his face as he saw her approaching from the distance. She was small, even by Betazoid standards. But she held a strength within that easily made up for the lack of height and of course, being of the Fifth House she could call upon her 'aristocratic-self' and look even more impressive.

She could be strict, firm-handed and even appear cold, but she also could be warm and gentle. Responsive to whatever stimuli he provided and glowing with love and tenderness. Yes, Deanna Troi was a woman of many qualities and facets. Not perfect, but with flaws so adorable he wouldn't have her any other way.

Still, after nearly a year, she could surprise him with how badly she needed to be loved, always looking for little gestures. A touch on her cheek, a hand around hers or a simple embrace of love. He could give her all that with his mind and he often did, but along the road they traveled together he'd come to discover how much she relished in physical touch. And he was happy to give it to her. The simple sensation of her skin against his or her hand against his cheek inevitably send a flow of love through him and if they let it; a fire raging within them.

Now that he had her in his life he wondered how he'd ever lived a day without her.

Oh, how he loved that tolerant smile on her face as she looked down at him. Today she looked positively radiant, although a hint of weariness hovered around her. Her dress was a clear indication she didn't have to work today; a light purple see-through dress shimmered on her body, hiding nothing but her most intimate places. She had let her hair down, just the way he liked it and her eyes were alight with love and joy.

{Come lie down for a while} She did as he asked and settled against his chest, resting her ear over his heart. Their minds quickly entangled with each other, gladly taking the opportunity to do so without the thread of interference. She might be 'only' half-Betazoid, but her powers were greater than the average Betazoid's. Whatever she lacked in telepathy was easily made up by her strong empathy and the telekinesis she possessed. Oh, it had only emerged last year and she had confessed she'd suppressed it since her adolescence in fear of becoming more of an outcast than she already was, but he'd encouraged her to practice the gift, rather than deny it.

Her hand slid up to his temple, just as his slid to hers. The contact of silken skin on his send little electrical currents through him as they performed their ritual. With their left hand on the other's temple they deepened the connection between them, sharing their love, re-enforcing it, to ultimately let it resonate between them.

They remained silent until the sun had made place for the stars, exchanging nothing but tender kisses and caresses.

{Don't you ever miss it?} He asked, indicating at the stars with a look. She remained silent for a while and he could almost hear the thoughts tumbling through her mind, for some reason she didn't seem to have thought about it before.

{I don't actually} she answered in all honesty. He knew the words that went unsaid, the words that would've said she missed her friends, but that was only natural. She was starting to get cold, which was understandable since she was dressed in practically nothing.

With a gentle push he rolled her off him and stood up. She accepted his hand and he pulled her to her feet with such force she collided against his chest. Just as he'd calculated. With his arm securely wrapped around her, they walked back to their cabin and once inside she let him undress her, slowly peeling the dress off her body as she released the fasteners of his shirt and pants. After brushing
her hair and cleaning her teeth she crawled into bed and patiently waited for him to join her.

Still encompassed in her beautiful mind he wrapped her naked body in a secure embrace and listened to her breathing until they fell asleep, their spirits dancing in a world of dreams.

End